Pregnancy Update - 21 Weeks

Yesterday marked 21 weeks of pregnancy and so far so good! We had our 20 week ultrasound on Tuesday and our follow up appointment with the doctor yesterday.

The ultrasound was definitely not what I expected. This baby would not stop moving for anything! Every time the ultrasound tech tried to focus on a different body part, the baby decided it was time to move around. She was trying to see the face, and up go the hands and into the mouth. She tried seeing where the umbilical cord connects to the baby, there go those feet kicking away. She tried to see the heart up close...nope, not gonna happen. We joked the whole time about how stubborn this baby is going to be.

About 45 minutes into the scan, the ultrasound tech suggested we go for a walk to see if the baby would flip over for us. No such luck. They want to see all 4 chambers of the heart answer look for any signs of cleft lip. They said it's a good thing we don't want to know the gender, cause they couldn't tell anyway. Overall she said everything looked good. The baby's size is right on track at about 1 lb. the heart rate was 141 beats per minute, which is right in the middle of the healthy range.

All the necessary body parts are there, she just needs to be able to get a better look at the heart, hands and face. They said I have an anterior placenta, meaning the placenta is positioned directly in the front of the uterus. This is perfectly fine, however it causes some difficulty with getting a good look at the baby. It also makes it harder to feel the baby move from the outside. They said it could be another 4 weeks or so before we will be able to feel any movement from the outside....so if you're thinking of grabbing my belly any time soon, you might be wasting your time!

We left the appointment with the knowledge that our baby looked completely healthy. They asked us to come back in 3 weeks for another ultrasound to try and see the heart hands and face better. At first, I felt relieved that my baby was healthy and then my crazy anxiety brain kicked in. By the time we got to the car my mind was racing and I asked brian "what if everything is not ok?! What if the tech didn't want to tell us and wants the doctor to tell us herself? What if they just said that so we wouldn't worry and they really want us to come back to see if something has gotten worse?!" I know, it sounds crazy...but my mind goes some pretty crazy places sometimes. I spent the next day worrying about all the things that could have been wrong and anxiously awaiting our appointment the next morning.

He/She already looks adorable! 

The only picture they could get without a hand directly in his/her face.

Playing with his/her face

Look at that little foot! 

We had our follow up a appointment first thing Thursday morning and our doctor confirmed that everything on the ultrasounds looked good. I had gotten myself worked up for nothing, like always! The amniotic fluid level is normal, baby is measuring within 3 days of my due date and is perfectly proportional. She said my cervix is still long so no signs of preterm labor risks. Surprisingly, I haven't gained a single pound this month! I don't know how that is possible because i am always hungry and my belly has definitely grown. The doctor actually asked me if I'm eating enough, which is comical since I've been overweight most of my life. I ordered food for dinner tonight and the server actually asked if I was going to eat all that food by myself! I'm indulging in some pregnancy cravings like frozen yogurt and Mexican food, but I'm also adding lots more fruit and veggies into my diet. I've cut down on sugary drinks too and I'm drinking mostly water and my one small cup of coffee in the morning.

At my last appointment, they drew some blood to see if I have any antibodies for the pertussis virus. I had an allergic reaction to the vaccine both times they tried to give it to me as a baby. Usually they give you this shot while you are pregnant so you can pass on the immunity to the baby. Well the results show no traces of any pertussis antibodies. Which unfortunately means that I am not protected against whooping cough in any way. The doctor does not want to risk giving me the vaccine and having another reaction while I'm pregnant. She said it isn't the end of the world, but we will have to be extra careful with where we take the baby until he/she is old enough to receive the vaccination. No daycare for the first 12 weeks and anyone who watches the baby will need an updated booster shot. We will also have to he careful with anyone who seems to have a cold or even the sniffles, and make sure we don't let them around the baby. I'll have to play some serious mama bear with this one!

I'm looking forward to the next ultrasound so we can see our baby again. I have been keeping myself busy working on the nursery and painting birch trees on the walls.We also have been battling with the insurance company over one of my IVF procedures. The doctor got a prior authorization for all of the procedures and insurance has sent it back 6 or 7 times with different reasons that it was denied. Thankfully we keep good notes and the billing department at our fertility clinic has kept great record also.the procedure was finally approved and a check was sent to the doctor yesterday. With that weight off of our shoulders, we can move forward preparing for our baby!

-Emily

Pregnancy update: 15 Weeks!

This past Thursday marked the start of the 15th week of my pregnancy. I thought it was about time I post an actual update instead of a 3 sentence photo caption on facebook! A lot has happened in the last few weeks. 

We met with a doula! The first time I had ever heard of a doula was on the "Family Guy" episode where Stevie is pregnant and he yells "call the doula". I am a worrier by nature and I can experience some pretty bad anxiety at times. Most recently my brain has decided to play the "freak out about possible c-section game" and now I'm really worried about it. I began researching different ways to prevent a c-section and I kept coming across articles about Doula's.

The easiest explanation I have heard of a doula is a "birth coach". They are there to help reassure you (and your partner) that everything is moving along normally. They can also help with different birthing positions and with pain management techniques, should you choose not to have an epidural. (Epidurals have been known to slow down labor and increase the risk of a c-section. Right now I don't believe I want one, but who knows how I'll want when the contractions kick in!) I asked other women for their experiences with or without a doula and the resounding answer was "get a doula!" 

We met with 2 different Doula's and decided to go with a woman named Brenda. She has been doing this for a long time and has been a doula for 70-something births. She is knowledgeable and shared her own childbirth experiences with us. During our meeting, she had to take a phone call from a woman who's contractions had been progressing throughout the day. I listened to her talk to this woman and right away I decided I liked her! She was so calm and reassuring and told her she would be right over. We will meet with Brenda a few more times before the actual birth so that we can write up a birth plan together. 

We met our doctor! Because we used IVF to conceive, most of my appointments were at the fertility center. While most women call their doctor right when they find out they're pregnant, it's a little different with IVF. They want to make sure the pregnancy looks like it is going to last before referring you to an actual obgyn. We met Dr. Brandt a couple weeks ago and when she walked out of the room, Brian and I both said " I really like her!" She was so calming and knowledgeable. She was 100% for my desire to work with a doula and said she has had some wonderful experiences in the past. 

One concern I had was that I hadn't gained any weight yet. It goes up 1 or 2 lbs and then right back down again. First off, she is the first doctor who has ever told me that I shouldn't worry too much about my weight. She said overall I am healthy and that as long as I am eating right "you're just never going to be 120lbs and that's ok" I swear I wanted to hug her! I've been overweight since I was young and every doctor has ignored any concern I have and has pretty much just told me to lose weight. She also said that I shouldn't worry too much if I don't gain weight. She said as long as the baby is growing as it should and I am eating fairly well, it isn't too big of a deal. She said some women don't gain any weight their entire pregnancy....sounds great to me! While I may not be gaining any weight, I'm definitely gaining some belly!

I am so glad that we started doing these weekly pictures so early on. It's one thing to look in a mirror every day and see my body changing, but seeing weekly pictures is a whole different story. It seems crazy that I've gotten so much bigger already and I know I'm just going to continue getting bigger for the next 25 weeks! 

We are excited to be moving into the "calm" of the second trimester and away from the uncertainty that comes along with the first trimester. Our baby is continuing to grow and I even felt him/her move for the first time earlier this week! Baby Retz can even hear our voices now! I am feeling great and anxious for the summer so we can meet our baby. 

-Emily