14 Weeks

I have my sept appt tomorrow. I am sure it will be just a plain routine visit but knowing I will get to hear the heartbeat again sure is exciting.I will get the results back from my glucose test as well. Shane is off tomorrow too so he will get to go with me, this will be his first time.

My nausea has mostly all subsided. I still have a twinge of it in the late eve but when I do I just take a phenergan and I can sleep well. My pickle craving has not subsided however LOL. Still loving those things!

Oh and yesterday Shane and I went shopping for some maternity clothes! I love to shop but this was quite difficult! Just about every place we checked no longer carried maternity...Fashion Bug, Sears (2 of my fave maternity stores). Thankfully I found 2 good pairs of pants 40%off at JC Penney's. I also found a couple shirts at Kmart.

How your baby's growing: Head to bottom, your baby's 3 1/2 inches long — about the length of a lemon — and weighs about 1 1/2 ounces. Her body's growing faster than her head, which now sits upon a more well-defined neck. By the end of this week, her arms will have lengthened and will be in proportion to the rest of her body. (Her legs still have some growing to do, though.) She's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair all over her body (called lanugo). Her liver starts secreting bile this week, a sign that it's already functioning properly, and her spleen starts contributing to the production of red blood cells. She's also producing and discharging urine into the amniotic fluid, a normal process that she'll keep up until birth. You still can't feel your baby's movements, but her hands and feet (which are now half an inch long) are more flexible and active. Thanks to brain impulses, her little facial muscles are getting a workout as she squints, frowns, and grimaces. She can grasp now, too, and she may be able to suck her thumb.

How your life's changing: As early discomforts (nausea, fatigue, breast tenderness) begin to fade, you may start to regain some energy and feel more comfortable with how your body's changing. (Although the top of your uterus is only a bit above your pelvic bone, that growth may be enough to push your tummy out a bit.) Starting to show is an exciting pregnancy milestone and it will likely give you and your partner the visible evidence of a baby that you've been waiting for. Take some time to plan, daydream, and enjoy this amazing time. It's normal to worry a bit now and then, but you can also breathe a little sigh of relief knowing that with the start of this trimester your risk of miscarriage has dropped significantly. Now try to focus on taking care of yourself and your baby and having faith that you're well equipped for what's ahead

13 Weeks and Counting!!

One more week til the second trimester week!! Woo hoo!!

I am happy to report that most all of my sickness is gone!! Ofcourse I know as soon as I type this it may come back LOL. But days are great, Im not tired, and not sick!! I do get queasy at night before bed though but its not bad. I still have issues with Shane..I don't want much to do with him at all physically. Any thought of sex makes me sick and nauseas. I told him this will go away in the 2nd trimester hopefully!!

I still have a really strong feeling that this baby is a boy! Everything is the opposite that it was with my first pg. I was sick all day every day my entire pg with Emira and now the m/s is going away and it was never really that bad. And everyone I know that had a boy craved pickles!! If I don't have pickles, you do not want to be around me LOL! Shane brought me a super huge jar of dill pickles home today! Oh I bet I ate like 7 or 8 of them! I just can't get enough salty and sour with this one!

Your Pregnancy: 13 Weeks

How your baby's growing: Your belly may soon be big enough to announce to the world that you're expecting, but your baby is still tiny. In fact, he's only about 3 inches long crown to rump — roughly the size of a jumbo shrimp — and weighs just about an ounce. Despite the small proportions, there's a fully formed baby inside your womb now. Much more proportional than it was a few weeks ago, his head is now only about a third the size of his body. His tiny, unique fingerprints are already in place. His kidneys and urinary tract are functional, and he's starting to urinate out the amniotic fluid he's been swallowing. As you start your second trimester, most of your baby's critical development will be completed, and your odds of miscarriage will drop considerably.

How your life's changing: Time to celebrate! This is the last week of your first trimester. Next week you'll be in your second trimester. That's great news for two reasons: One, your risk of miscarriage drops dramatically, and two, many women see early pregnancy symptoms, such as morning sickness, subside. (In some cases, though, heartburn replaces the nausea.) Birth is still months away, but your breasts may have already started making colostrum, the nutrient-rich fluid that feeds your baby for the first few days after birth, before your milk starts to flow. Many couples also notice a distinct libido lift in the second trimester as nausea abates and energy returns.

All the debates...

...in the pregnancy yahoo groups these days LOL! First the VBAC vs. Planned C-Section and now Breast vs. Bottle. So I thought I would post my opinions here.

First off I had a C-Section with Emira. It was an emergency Cesarean after many hours of labor not progressing. Her heartrate was getting low and we had to get her out of there quick. So ofcourse I agreed to the C-section! I didn't want one, but whatever is best for my baby is what's going to happen.

The C-section ended up being the biggest nightmare of my life! I was given too much epidural drip and was throwing up while they were delivering her. I was strapped down, arms included, so I couldn't hold her after she was born. They took her away and didn't bring her back until I was back in my room. They wouldn't let her father stay overnight because I had to share a room with another patient. I couldn't get out of bed to get her diapers because I was still numb in my legs and couldn't walk. The nurse was very mean about the baby having a wet diaper. I was on a hallucinogen pain medicine because I hurt so bad that nothing they gave me was helping ( I kept coughing and sneezing - and that is the worst pain ever). I couldn't visit with my family when they came in because I was always nodding off to sleep. So everyone else was enjoying my baby and I didn't get to. I was quite overweight and even the second day my legs were STILL numb from the overdose of epidural..so I wasn't able to get right up out of bed, in fact 3 nurses had to help me. I was crying so loud in pain, in front of my family and 2 other moms who just gave birth vaginally and were up and walking around waiting to go home. It was very embarrassing to say the least. At one time I was in so much pain the nurse was going to give my baby formula after I told her I was exclusively breastfeeding. She tried to talk me out of it!! I yelled at her, she was stupid! Most of all I just remember feeling like a failure because I couldn't push her out and wasn't up walking around and ready to go home that eve like those other women.

So YES I want to try to have a VBAC this time. My doctor says I have a 60% chance. I know there are risks for both, but really there are risks for everything we do especially having a baby. There are risks in natural childbirth. Doesn't matter how you deliver, there are risks. Now if something goes wrong and they need to do a C-section, OFCOURSE I will have it done. Nothing is more important that my baby being safe and sound.

Now as far as the Breast vs. Bottle, I have some really strong opinions. EVERYONE knows by now that breast is best!! It has been beaten into our heads for years. No one can deny that it's true. But I know some women can't breastfeed, I totally understand that. But I also think that SOME women don't try hard enough or don't have the support they need. When someone says the baby wouldn't latch on, I can't help but wonder, "how long did you try? 2 minutes, a couple hours, longer?" I think it would be important for me to try and keep trying...even after starting the bottle. This website is so darn cool!! Anyone who is thinking one way or the other should see this: http://www.promom.org/101/

Thankfully Emira latched on the first time, she was a natural! She ate very well while I was in the hospital (despite the situation above) she never needed a bottle.

Unfortunately I breastfed Emira for only 2 months. Her dad left us when she was only 6wks old (after 5 yrs together) and I fell really hard into depression. I loved nursing, especially after a few weeks when the soreness wasn't as bad. But I stopped nursing and bottlefed so my family could help with her.

I plan to breastfeed this baby for at least 6 months. I may also pump and bottle feed occasionally, (I did that with Emira too) but am going to try really hard to wait for formula until after 6 months this time.

So these are my OPINIONS and what I think is best for my baby and my body... and I know that no one and then someone agrees LOL. That is why I posted on my blog and not on the boards.

12 Weeks Today!

Here are some photos I took today. My belly looks much bigger than it should for 3 months since I still had my 1st pg belly. But I can definitely tell its getting bigger and my clothes are way too tight.

Tomorrow I have an appt to sign up for WIC. I wanted to wait til I was 12 wks before starting the program.

Also I have noticed if I take the Phenergan at night I am not sick or hardly nauseas the next day. So I am trying to take it each night, its great for sleep! I really hope this ends soon. Seems like its slacking now.

Your Pregnancy: 12 Weeks

How your baby's growing: Your baby's hit the 2-inch mark (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce. Her face is beginning to look more human. Her eyes, which started out on the sides of her head, have moved closer together on her face, and her ears are near their final positions on the sides of her head. Your baby's intestines, which have grown so rapidly that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into her abdominal cavity about now. Her kidneys are secreting urine into her bladder. Her nerve cells have been multiplying rapidly, and synapses (neurological pathways in the brain) are forming. Your baby may have acquired more reflexes by now, including sucking, and she'll even squirm if you prod your abdomen, though you still won't be able to feel her movement for several weeks.

Glucose Test Today

I ate a big fat sandwich at noon today and didn't get to eat or drink again until after I took my glucose test. I arrived at the Lab at 1:50 but didn't get my drink until 2:20. The drink wasn't bad tasting at all, more like fruit punch. I remember with my first pg 6 yrs ago, it was so gross I would gag trying to get it all down. But since I hadn't drank anything in a few hours I was so thirsty! Then I had to wait an hour and finally had my blood work done at 3:20. While I was waiting for the hour I walked over to the OB office to get my proof of pregnancy and dr signature for my insurance. Also had to go to the courthouse and get a copy of my birth cert for my insurance as well....then had to drop those 2 copies off at the insurance office. We finally got to go and eat, went to KFC for a mashed potato bowl, then stopped by the grocery store. This made for a long day! So I came home and took a late eve nap!

11 Weeks

Today was pretty good, I didn't get sick and no nausea either! It would be so nice if it was coming to an end. Yesterday was bad though, I had ravioli for lunch and threw it up then felt bad the rest of the day.

Your Pregnancy: 11 Weeks
How your baby's growing: Your fig-sized baby is now fully formed — measuring 1 1/2 inches long and weighing in at a quarter of an ounce. His skin is still transparent, allowing many of his blood vessels to show through. Some of his bones are beginning to harden, and tiny toothbuds are starting to appear under his gums. His fingers and toes have separated, and he may soon be able to open and close his fists. He's already busy kicking and stretching, and his tiny movements are so fluid they look like water ballet. These movements will increase as his body grows and becomes more developed and functional. As his diaphragm develops, your tiny tenant may also start to get the hiccups. Because he's still so small, though, you won't feel any of his workouts or intrauterine gulps until sometime between weeks 16 and 20.

Dr Appt, Heartbeat and More!

Yesterday I went to my appt to see the OB, it was Dr. Marcia Khalil. I have never seen her before but she seemed to be very nice and answered all my questions without rushing me...like some of the male doctors seem to do.
**Shane started a new job on Thurs so he wasn't able to come with us to this appt. Emira was with me though.**

First she said that the u/s I had in July showed everything looks great! The heart rate was in fact 115. Then she said I was only 9weeks 5 days but my due date was still March 1st - she said they were going by my lmp. I don't get that at all, I had that I was 10wks 1 day and all the due date calculators come up with at least 10 wks. Oh well, a few days won't matter I guess. So now I guess Sunday will be the day I count new weeks. Sadly my tickers will never show my correct number of weeks according to her. But when I go back on Sept 1st I will talk to my midwife about it and maybe get some clarity.

**Good news I lost 2 pounds!**
Next she said since I wasn't quite 10 weeks yet (I still think I am hehe), and because Im overweight, she was very doubtful that we would hear a heartbeat. It took about 30 seconds to find my little jelly bean and his/her heart was just a beating away! It was faint but both she, my daughter and I all heard it just fine. Emira says it sounds like a horse galloping, so I know she heard it! Dr said that my chance of miscarriage now was very slim and I should have a healthy and happy pregnancy!

Next she asked if I wanted an elective C-section this time, and ofcourse I told her no way! I want to have this one vaginally if at all possible. She said she would need to get my past info and check on my scar tissue but I probably had about a 60% chance of giving birth vaginally. But she had to warn me about the possibility of the uterus rupturing and said that she had never seen it happen herself, there was a 1% chance it could happen.

Then she said she wanted me to have my glucose test done asap since I am overweight and I have a family history of diabetes. So monday I will have that done. Also I need the AFB Tetra screen, but she didn't say when I would get that - sometime between 16-20 weeks I think. This is for the screening of Open Neural Tube Defects, Down Syndrome, and Trisomy 18.

My blood pressure was a bit high and I explained to her that I have anxiety. She asked if I had any depression after Emira's birth and I told her yes but it was probably more likely because her crappy father left us when she was only 6weeks old. She said I would probably need to get started on a med before I left the hospital after giving birth.

I asked her if she could please give me something for this awful nausea!! She asked what time of day I had it and I told her mostly afternoon, evening and night..especially late eve and before bed. I actually threw up on Tuesday after eating eggs for breakfast. Yuk! I also told her I threw up the entire pregnancy with my daughter and I didn't want to go through that again. So she wrote me a prescription for Phenergan and told me I could take some Zantac or Prilosec OTC and that would help!! Goodness I wish I would have known I could take that, it would have saved me many of bad days lol.

Overall she seemed pleased and said everything looks good! So that is great to know and I was so happy to have heard my little jelly bean's heart!! And maybe now I will get some relief from this nausea. My next appt is Sept 1st with the midwife.

Your Pregnancy: 10 Weeks
How your baby's growing: Your baby is no longer an embryo! Though she's barely the size of a kumquat — just an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, she now has completed the most critical portion of her development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in her body rapidly grow and mature. Her vital organs — the liver, kidney, intestines, brain, and lungs — are now in place and starting to function (although they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy). Her liver continues to make blood cells, and the yolk sac, which previously supplied these cells, is no longer needed and begins to disappear.

During the next three weeks, your baby's length will more than double to nearly 3 inches. Her head is proportionately smaller now than it was a few weeks ago, but it's still almost half the length of her entire body. Her forehead temporarily bulges with her developing brain and sits high on her head; it will later recede to give her a more human appearance. Each day, more minute details — including tiny fingernails, toenails, and peach-fuzz hair — start to appear on her body. Her fingers are now completely separated; her arms bend at the elbow and curve slightly; her hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over her heart; her legs are lengthening; and her feet may be long enough to meet in front of her body. She is busily swallowing amniotic fluid and kicking her legs.

If you could take a peek at your baby this week, you'd be able to clearly see the outline of her spine through her parchment-thin skin. Spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from her spinal cord.