Felt Baby kicking for the first time
Last night we felt the baby kicking for the first time. It was really subtle and actually my husband felt the kicks before I did. You have to lie down very still and put your hand on your belly. I kept feeling my own heart beat and it was difficult to distinguish, but there were movements that were not associated with my heart, gas, or my own movements. We had seen the baby kicking during the ultrasounds, but it was really cool to feel it.
Our doctor had said that I might be delayed in feeling the kicks because my placenta is placed in front of the baby. This is week 21 for me.
Of course the baby sleeps from time to time so maybe all the other times I tried the baby was just asleeep. The rest of my day is normally so busy that I don’t think I would feel something this subtle.
Second Trimester Ultrasound
Yesterday we had our 18 week ultrasound. I am at 18 weeks + 3 days from LMP, however she estimated that I am actually at 19 weeks + 3 days which matches the other ultrasounds I have had.
We got to see the profile of the face, little fingers, the spine, the legs (which were moving around). My husband saw an ear too, but I couldn’t quite make it out on the monitor. The heart is still beating nice and strongly. The baby was face-down during the test, the technician said that it will tend to move around and that was ok. This was the first time that the baby actually looked like a baby, the technician took some photos for us, but didn’t let us have a video like some places do. I know the ultrasound is for the doctor’s benefit, not ours, but it would have been nice to have a recording.
It is all starting to be so much more real now. I am more aware of my tummy, especially since I keep getting ligament pains and other occasional twinges. What are we going to do when we actually get to bring the baby home?
During the ultrasound I was bursting to go pee, I drank lots of fluids, but I didn’t follow the instructions because I went pee half an hour beforehand. Partway through the test I was really uncomfortable and didn’t know if I could hold it (especially since she was pressing down with the ultrasound wand) and she let me go to the washroom. I don’t know how they expect pregnant women to hold their bladders for so long.
We don’t want to know the gender, so we asked the technician not to tell us. Although it amazes me how much they can tell from all those gray blobs.
I also just signed up for prenatal yoga classes with Baby and Me Fitness Classes at the JCC (Jewish Community Centre) in Toronto. They have multiple locations and classes and she said I could change around if I want to. Which is good since I don’t know which location I will be working at for the later part of the year. I will let you know how they go.
I have felt so tired this week, part if it could be due to coming back to work after a couple weeks vacation, but all I want to do all day long is lay down. I know this is a big symptom of pregnancy, it just seems that my tiredness level has zoomed up recently.
Wave to the camera
Yesterday we went to see the ob-gyn, (the midwife group never called us back so that unfortunately isn’t a choice we have unless we wanted to travel downtown).
I am now in the 11th week and this was my first appointment with a doctor, not counting the original quick visit with my family doctor to get a blood test. They let my husband come in with me for the whole thing (not like the previous ultrasound).
The baby waved at us during the ultrasound, we were really lucky to catch some movement and we were also able to see the heart beating. My husband keeps calling the baby, “he”, but I keep trying to use gender neutral words. I wish there was a nicer word that “it”. Our baby is now 2.34cm (around 1 inch) and you can see the head and the arms and the cord. My placenta is at the front of my uterus so the doctor said I might not feeling kicking as early as another mother might because the placenta will act as a buffer.
We declined the pre-screening tests since we decided we were not going to terminate anyway, so unless there was something that would help the baby, we didn’t see the point. The doctor agreed with us that it makes sense, but I guess she has to offer this screening to everyone. They did send me for lots of blood tests and I am sure they must have taken 10 tubes! I have a huge fear of needles so I made them let me lie down, but I didn’t pass out this time. I tried to have a conversation with the nurse, but she didn’t really help. Doesn’t she realize that I am only chatting just to keep my mind off the needle?
We will book the 18-week ultrasound soon. That will be really interesting, we hear that you get to see a lot more details then.
I have not been feeling well over the past few weeks. I know I have not had first-trimester-yucks as badly as some women, but I still am having a hard time working since I am not getting enough sleep and I feel nauseous and get headaches and feel lightheaded. I have not actually puked, but the nausea is still annoying to deal with and I have had a difficult time focusing on tasks, especially with the recent headaches. I have had to give three big presentations over the last month and a half which have been stressful, but now they are over so things should lighten up for a bit. I am meeting with my Mentor next week and I will ask her recommendations on how I should tell my manager. I did ask the doctor if I could take tylenol and she said that was fine, that it was the one medication that the allow pregnant woment to take. I will still try to minimize use though sine the books say it can cause Fetal Renal Failure.
The doctor said that at this point the chance of a miscarriage has basically flattened out, it will never be 0, but she said that all the other signs were good so that we could tell more people. It is my grandfathers birthday tomorrow so I am going to call my Uncle now and ask him to tell grandpa. (hearing is not so good so phone calls don’t work so well).
The doctor said not to worry about my low blood pressure, and not too worry too much if I do faint. Even if I have convulsions after fainting, the baby should be fine. Also, she said during epidurals, that they give you extra liquids to offset the additional lowering of the blood pressure caused by the epidural. Not that I have decided on whether or not to get an epidural, but my chiropracter had one and since she is in the medical profession (she is also a registered nurse), so I am going to leave my options open for an epidural.
We also asked about pre-natal classes and she said not to worry about those until the middle of the second trimester.
First ultrasound
So I called the ob-gyn that I had been referred to before, and they said that I needed to go for an ultrasound this week to rule out an eptopic. This got me all worried again, but we were lucky and there was a cancellation so we were able to get an appointment on Tuesday.
My family doctor tried to refer me to another ob-gyn, but I asked to stay with the same one as before since I liked her, and my family doctor agreed. Then I found out that the one that I liked was considered to be one of the best, but that she is really busy. I was worried that my family doctor would be hurt that I wanted to go with an ob-gyn, but that doesn't seem to be a problem since she referred me without me asking for a referral.
So, back to the ultrasound, we went on Tuesday and this time I managed my bladder much better. I drank water all morning so I knew I wouldn't be dehydrated. I went pee one hour before the appointment and started drinking 30 minutes before the appointment. Ok, I know this is not the way you are supposed to do it, but last time I had a ultrasound, I drank the recommended amount and I was severly uncomfortable and then I found out my bladder was "too full". They say it is different for every woman, and on some hot days they have a waiting room full of women trying to get their bladders full.
The good news is that they were able to confirm the pregnancy, and confirm that it was in the uterus. What a relief. They measured it at around 1cm and said that they estimated we were at 7weeks+1day instead of the 6weeks+2 days that the calendar showed, based on my LMP (last menstral period). So I guess I ovulated earlier in my period, or this baby just wants to grow faster.
We were able to see a flicker of a heartbeat, which was amazing. Also, we asked them to print out a photo for us, even though it looks like just a bunch of grey and black blogs right now. She said that you can see a lot more at the 12th week and 18th week ultrasounds.
My husband was not allowed to come in to the ultrasound room at first, and he was upset that the technician told me many details before he was allowed in. I was suprised that they did tell me details, but they should have waited until he was there. Especially since they knew he was waiting outside and wanted to come in.
I am going to ask the ob-gyn why they have this policy and ask if I am allowed to insist that my husband comes in with me for the whole thing to hold my hand. I did some surfing and found some scary stories where the ultrasound results were not good, so I suspect that they don't want to be interupted and they don't want someone else watching the monitor when things are bad. But still, they should have told us the details together.
Yesterday I felt good for the first time in a while, and I think it was because I got a full night of sound sleep for a change. I was also really busy the whole day so I think I didn't have a chance to think about it, which is different when I am sitting at my desk bored and nauseous.
