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| day-to-day pregnancy |
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[ Monday, May 31, 2004 ]
It has been a strange week, with alternating periods of heavy sickness and days when I felt great. Just to make it even more confusing, I got nasty headaches two days in a row, which we believed to be non-related until the midwife told me it's a normal reaction to the increase of blood in the body and my hormones going crazy. On the good news front, the blood test came back pretty good, with just a tiny issue of low blood count, which I am fighting with foods rich in iron. Tomorrow I have a follow-up appointment to hear the baby's heartbeat again.
[ Monday, May 24, 2004 ]
From WebMD, about the 11th week: Your fetus, about the size of a large lime, measures about 1.75 to 2.4 inches from crown to rump and weighs about three-tenths of an ounce. About now the rapid "swooshing" noises of the heartbeat can be heard through a Doppler sound-wave stethoscope. Fingernails and external genitalia are showing distinguishing characteristics, and the baby is swallowing and kicking, although you still won't feel it.
[ Sunday, May 23, 2004 ]
We just got home after spending the weekend in New York. The initial idea was to shop for the baby at FAO Schwarz, but as it turns out, they haven't reopened since filing for bankrupcy. Instead, we enjoyed wonderful restaurants and The Phantom of the Opera with Elsie and Jim. No time for the Metropolitan Museum this time.
[ Wednesday, May 19, 2004 ]
Yesterday I finally went to the lab for the nasty blood test. Anita, the nurse, was incredible. She managed to find a vein on the first attempt (an almost miracle when it comes to my veins!) and drew eight vials of blood without my even noticing it. Unfortunately, as she was pulling the needle from my arm, the vein collapsed and bruised, leaving my arm sore and stiff for the rest of the day. Still, much better than the usual three or four collapsed veins that leave me looking like a drug addict for a week. I hope she is still around when I go in for my next test.
One down, one to go. David and I agreed on the name Katherine if the baby is a girl.
[ Tuesday, May 18, 2004 ]
Elsie and Jim gave us our first nursery item: the crib! It's a wonderful, space-saving piece of furniture that combines crib, dresser and changing table. The photo is already available in the Nursery Gallery.
This morning I had another doctors appointment. This time it was a full exam, uncomfortable and all, including a prescription for (ack!) more blood tests. Normally, my next appointment would be 4 weeks from now, but because the baby was shy and did not allow the doctor to hear the heartbeat, I have to go back in 2 weeks. I also got a load of booklets full of interesting information. I learned, for example, that eating and drinking at the same time may increase nausea. Since I ususally do that, I am hoping that a change of habits will help settle my stomach. In any case, the doctor said that I should start feeling better by the end of the month.
[ Sunday, May 16, 2004 ]
I thought I could see the light at the end of the morning sickness tunnel. Yesterday, despite a hard gardening day, I felt fine all through the evening. Today, unfortunately, the sickness is back, and this time it joined forces with the beginning of a cold.
[ Thursday, May 13, 2004 ]
I just had my very first craving. David and I had talked about dinner and I said I wasn't hungry, and then all of a sudden, I felt like I would die unless I had some fried rice with seafood sauce from Hana Tokyo, our favorite Japanese restaurant. Within minutes we were calling the restaurant and now David is on his way to pick it up. YUM!
[ Wednesday, May 12, 2004 ]
From WebMD, about the 9th week: The embryo measures about 0.9 inches to 1.2 inches from crown to rump, or the size of a strawberry. The arms and legs are longer, and the fingers might be a little swollen where the touch pads are forming. The head is more erect and neck is more developed. Your baby now moves its body and limbs, and this movement can be visible during an ultrasound, but you won't be able to feel it yet. Your uterus is continuing to grow, and you may begin to see your waistline thickening. Weight gain is still small, since you could be experiencing food aversions, cravings, heartburn, indigestion, nausea and bloating.
[ Monday, May 10, 2004 ]
For Mother's Day, David gave me my first maternity clothes. I am far from needing them (I can fit about 1.5 Jades in each one), but I was getting more and more frustrated at the tight waist on my regular clothes. This "in between" period should go on for another month or so. It is normal to gain 3-5 lbs on the first trimester (I've gained 3 so far, going into my 9th week), and 1 lb per week after that for the rest of the pregnancy. The total healthy weight gain should be between 25 and 35 lbs. Between the baby, placenta, amniotic fluid and blood, most women lose about 15-20 lbs when the baby is born, and another 10 lbs in the first 6 months after that from breastfeeding. That might leave me with a balance of up to 10 lbs to lose on my own. Yikes.
[ Friday, May 07, 2004 ]
From WebMD, about the 8th week: Your embryo, now about in its sixth week of development, is about the size of a grape -- 0.56 to 0.8 inches from crown to rump. Eyelid folds and ears are forming and even the tip of the nose is visible. The arms have grown longer and bend at the elbows. Places where fingers and toes eventually will grow are becoming notched. Your uterus, once the size of your fist, is now about the size of a grapefruit.
[ Thursday, May 06, 2004 ]
This week I finally caved in and asked the doctor for medication to help me deal with the nausea. It has been so severe I am sometimes completely useless for a whole day. Yesterday I finally got 90 tablets of Metoclopramide 10mg, which is usually given to pregnant women who are constantly vomiting. Although it is not my case, I am willing to give it a shot in hopes that it will help with the nausea. Yesterday I had an uncommonly good day, with only very light nausea in the afternoon. This morning I am paying for it.
John and Sara came over for dinner last night and gave us the cutest Pooh for the baby. The photo is already posted on the Baby's Toys gallery, and the "duck feet" outfit is up on the Baby's Outfits gallery.
[ Monday, May 03, 2004 ]
We just came back from the latest sonogram appointment. The photo is already available on the Pregnancy Photo Gallery. For the first time, we could see and hear the baby's heartbeat. I dropped a few tears while David squeezed my hand. The baby is about 1.3 cm (0.5 inch) and his heart beats at 146. Everything looks good, the due date is confirmed for December 15, and my next sonogram should be around 20 weeks (early August), when we will also be able to see if it's a boy or a girl.
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