Today was another follow-up appointment to monitor my contractions. Last night was a rough night – I was in a lot of pain and I had contractions pretty steadily throughout the night. Yesterday I tried to reduce the anti-contraction medicine, so today we are going to return to taking the maximum dose at scheduled times (every 4-6 hrs) to see if that helps. I am also staying on the tylenol every 6 hours. I’m still measuring right on target, but I seem to have lost another pound this week. They also sent out another urine culture to see how my UTI is doing. I have to call the maternal fetal medicine place and ask when I can do another course of the 2nd medicine. Other than that, I seem to be doing okay. They don’t really know if the contractions/discomfort will continue throughout this pregnancy or if they will magically disappear, so I’m supposed to focus on each episode at a time and not try to project for the rest of the pregnancy.
28 week appt
I’m trying to stay positive, but today was a slightly rough day for me. It was my 28 week appointment – fairly routine, gestational diabetes test scheduled, and not much else to worry about. HOWEVER, last night, I began to realize that the dull ache on the side of my abdomen that had been bothering me since Sunday had escalated to the point of excruciating. After much debate, DH & I decided I should tough it out until our appointment this morning.
I arrive for my appointment, and quickly discover that the nurse forgot to give me the glucola to drink at home BEFORE my appointment. So, at the appointment I have to quickly inhale the horrific orange goop without vomiting (quite a task), and then sit and wait an hour so they can draw my blood. We went into the room for my appointment, and then things went downhill. The good news is, the baby’s heartbeat was great, and I’m measuring right on target. I did not gain any weight again, but this midwife seemed totally unconcerned by my lack of weight gain, so I did escape the yelling/lecture. We quickly moved on to more “fun” subjects . . . including the return of my UTI. Yup, it is back. Or perhaps it never left this last time. And my numbers were through the roof – the infection just keeps getting worse. So, I’m being placed back on antibiotics . . . for the rest of this pregnancy. Fun, huh?
So, after discussing my lovely UTI, I brought up the pain in my abdomen. After some discussion and a quick check, I was informed that I have pulled a muscle in my abdomen. I have to go out and buy an abdominal support brace, which she thinks I’ll have to wear for the remainder of the pregnancy :(. I’m definitely not pleased about that either. And it looks like I have to drop out of yoga class now, too :(.
Next bit of fun? We talked about my morning sickness and other tummy issues I’ve been having . . . and I was basically told there isn’t much more we can do. I’m supposed to stay away from fiber/veggies (haven’t heard that one too often, right?) and understand that the antibiotics will probably just make it worse.
So then it was off to visit with the nurse to have my blood drawn. Let’s just say she was not quite adept at drawing blood. Four (yes, I said 4) stabs later, and lots of moving the needle around, she finally got the blood, but it involved tears and hysteria from me. I have good veins . . . any competent phlebotomist should be able to draw blood from me without incident. I was really unhappy today, pretty worked up, and now I look like a junkie with track marks. It is days like this that it is difficult to keep the thrill of being pregnant and not get caught up in the bad stuff. Let’s just hope the test comes back negative and I can at least avoid having to do the 3 hour test!
Third Trimester!!
I can’t believe it . . . today is the first day of the 3rd trimester for me! It is unreal how far we’ve come, and I’m so excited to meet this little guy in a few months. I’m surprised by how fast this pregnancy is going, and just looking forward to becoming a mom!
In other news, this little baby finally decided to cooperate and let Grammy feel him kicking a few days ago. I can tell how big and strong he is becoming – his kicks are growing in strength, and I’m feeling him everywhere from my ribs on down!
Update on me – everything is progressing well. I go back for a repeat urinalysis this week so they can tell me I still have a UTI and put me back on antibiotics (this is what is meant by positive thinking, right?). My indigestion has kicked into high gear, and the medicines no longer seem to work. Ah well, one more thing I can hold over this little one’s head when he grows up! Nevertheless, my endless craving for macaroni and cheese persists. While previously a fan of good ole’ Kraft mac-n-cheese (it’s the cheesiest!), I have recently discovered Stouffer’s Macaroni and Cheese and seem to have moved on to this new obsession. Pre-pregnancy, I never would have allowed myself to eat such a fat-laden concoction, but I seem to have a get-out-of-jail-free card with respect to calories right now. My biggest complaint is that it takes over an hour to cook! Don’t they understand that is torture for a pregnant woman? At least Kraft is ready in under 10 minutes! Regardless, the thick cheesey sauce seems to be hitting the spot these days. My only complaint is that I think they should make the 10-person size bigger . . . it makes me feel awful that they advertise the portion for 10 people and well . . . let’s just say it doesn’t take me 10 days to eat the whole thing!
I’ve been trying to be so good about avoiding carbs and unnecessary fat this pregnancy, but ever since my last appointment (when they yelled at me to gain weight) I’ve been eating all kinds of junk! Probably not what they had in mind, huh? I’m still not gaining weight (I’ve always wondered what is what like to have a metabolism like Elliot), but with my luck, I’ll have given myself gestational diabetes the past few weeks. We shall see!
As many of you know, tonight begins Rosh Hashana. What a perfect day for us to begin the 3rd trimester! In preparation for the holiday, I spent yesterday making homemade applesauce, an apple pie, and kugel for our family dinner tonight. Unfortunately, I could have killed Elliot when I first entered the kitchen to start cooking . . . he has a way of overstuffing our fridge/freezer, so there was no room for me to put any of the vats of applesauce away! Also, he left me with a dirty pot with caked on/burnt black beans all over the bottom so I had to scrub the damn thing for 3 hours before I could even attempt to make the applesauce. He did apologize and try to make up for it by stopping off at the grocery store for me on his way home. He also helped a bit with the pie – he used our apple peeler/corer/slicer and cut up the apples for me while I was rolling out the pie crust. I’m at least glad he loves to cook, and he always tries to help me in the kitchen while I’m baking. It was a long, exhausting day, but the food looks delicious!
The cat came back . . . .
Okay, I’m not really talking about a cat. I got a call yesterday that my UTI is back AGAIN, and stronger than ever. I’m back on antibiotics, but I really do not have any hope that it will stay away. Even worse, I’m fairly worried that we are creating a nice superbug with the continual exposure to different antibiotics, which increases the likelihood I’ll pass some nasty antibiotic-resistant bug to this little one when he is born. I’m prone to getting antibiotic-resistant infections, and since I’m pregnant, they can’t use any of the “strong” antibiotics that could possibly knock this out. I also keep getting the midwife who does not want to put me on preventive treatment, and then at my appointments the other two say “I thought we were going to put you on preventive antibiotics.” I guess I’ll have to call back and speak to one of them soon.
25 weeks and a funeral
I am struggling with some pretty significant mixed emotions today. I am THRILLED that today we’ve hit 25 weeks – the home stretch of the 2nd trimester, and we are now kissing viability if this baby were to arrive today. It is such a relief to know I’ve made it this far. Overall, I’m feeling well, and I am truly loving being pregnant, UTIs, morning sickness and all!
Yesterday, I was at a birthday party for my friends’ (Niki and Eric) son Merrick’s 2nd birthday, and as I looked around the room, I was filled with joy to see how much has changed for all of us the past 3 years . . . we all met someone, got married and now either have children or have one on the way. I’m not sure any of us could have predicted these wonderful changes 4 years ago.
But at the same time, these past few days have been tinged with sadness. On Friday, I learned that a family friend, David, died from cancer – a battle he had been fighting for 14 months. David was married to a family friend of mine. To be more exact, I grew up with David’s wife, Liza. They are my age, and had been married 7 years. They have 2 young children, and I can’t even imagine what she will be going through the next 3 years.
David’s funeral is today. I am sitting here choked up and crying, and I feel terrible for that – as if I do not have the right to be upset. To say David and I were friends or even knew each other is a huge stretch. I hardly knew David – perhaps I met him 5 or 6 times over the years they were married? We mostly saw each other for a few hours once or twice a year at holidays or family celebrations. I was not part of his fight, nor did I serve as a support to David or Liza during this terrible, long struggle. I mostly passively sat back, read David’s blog, asked for updates, and silently cheered him on, hoping against hope that he would beat the odds and survive this battle.
And yet . . . I find the news of his death devastating, and still feel that this has hit part of my family. This shouldn’t happen to someone our age. She should not have to be facing this situation, and their children should not have to grow up without a father. Sometimes life just seems so random and unfair.
So I guess I would say today I am thinking about how precious and precarious life is, and how you never know what life has in store for you, both the good and the bad. Life can change in a heartbeat, and none of us really know what our lives will be like in 3 years. I guess all we can do is appreciate where we are today and what we have in our lives now, and hope for good things for the future.
Yoga Time
When I started out with this pregnancy, I swore I was going to work hard to stay fit and in shape. Health was a factor, but frankly I was terrified I’d gain 300 lbs during the pregnancy, and never be able to fit through a normal door again after the baby arrives. I had grand plans of swimming everyday, and taking long walks, and about 500 other physical activities I was going to do. And then the morning sickness set in . . . and the UTIs. . . . and the sinus infections and bronchitis . . . . and well, let’s just say I’ve been fairly sluggish this pregnancy, despite my good intentions! It is amazing how easy it is to justify staying out of the pool when your head is congested and full.
It seems the morning sickness is finally easing up (I wouldn’t say it is gone, but I have more good days than bad days now), and I’m in between UTIs and sinus infections, so I’m feeling pretty good this week. Except for all of my sore muscles (probably from failure to exercise). So, this week, I decided it was time to get back to physical activity. I am usually quite flexible, so I thought a class that would build strength and flexibility in a low-intensity way would reduce my current discomfort and would be an ideal first step back. On Monday night, I drove over at 7:00 pm to go to my first prenatal class . . . only to find they canceled the class! After much searching, I learned that there are tons of yoga centers offering prenatal yoga . . . but none currently have scheduled classes! Naturally, I saw this as a challenge, and it became my mission to find a yoga class to attend. After relentlessly calling and searching, I found another location that has a certified prenatal instructor who teaches a regular yoga class. I spoke to her, and she said that she is willing to let me participate in her regular class and help me modify the exercises to make them appropriate for pregnancy . . . so almost a prenatal yoga class. The good news is, I could continue in this class after I have the baby, too!
I was asked to come in for an initial private session so the instructor could evaluate me, confirm that I am capable of participating in the class, and show me some key modifications I will need to use. Today, I went in for my first private session. I have to say, I haven’t felt this relaxed and loose in months! I really enjoyed the physical activity, and I’m hoping to keep it up 1-2 times per week. My next class is on Tuesday, and I will be trying out the group class! I also have grand intentions of getting back to swimming, but one step at a time, right?
Call me crazy . . . .
I have come to the conclusion that this baby already has a definite personality – and I am certain he is one stubborn and determined little guy! I first realized this while I was visiting Jen, Paige and Peyton during the day. As I sat there going over different birthday cake design options, I kept leaning forward over my computer (mostly to keep Paige from pushing all the buttons in her excitement about seeing pictures of Dora and Map). Apparently, this little did not like me sitting that way (I must have been cramping his style!) so he would kick the heck out of me. When I leaned back, he would calm back down again.
Now is probably a good time to briefly detour and tell you how adorable my little nieces were during our visit. We went to lunch and to a petting zoo, and Paige was running around naming all the animals with a huge smile on her face. She loved petting the goats and seeing the horsies. Peyton also shrieked with pleasure at some of the animals and wanted to get close enough to touch the goats. Even better . . . when we were in the car driving, the girls started singing together. No words, just humming and cooing in unison. It was just beautiful to listen to them!
After I returned home, Elliot and I decided to go to Friday night services because there was a special dinner. The woman leading everything . . . well, let’s just say if my mom was around, she would have echoed my thoughts that we should call someone to shoot the poor, dying animal and put it out of its misery! The caterwauling was just painful! It turns out, my little boy agreed with my opinion. Every time she opened her mouth to sing on her own, the little guy would start kicking and squirming – it felt like he was trying to break out to strangle her. I kept imagining him with his hands over his ears and throwing a little temper tantrum about the awful noise. When the woman stopped singing, he was nice and calm, and when those with beautiful voices were singing, I could feel him dancing and swaying along (yes, that is my story and I’m sticking to it).
We finally made it home late to watch the Olympics on the DVR, and I’m fairly certain he helped me cheer on Michael Phelps to victory in yet another historic race (the 100 m butterfly that he won by .01 seconds). My mother watched the Watergate hearings all summer when I was born, and I have always been drawn to politics/litigation/lobbying my whole life, so it could be my current obsessions with Wimbledon, the Olympics, and the upcoming US Open will mean this guy will spend his life striving to achieve some great sports feat. Poor thing. . . I have a feeling he will be at a genetic disadvantage, however, if this is his life’s dream!
When I went up to bed, I decided to take out a book and read. As I sat there reading a particular scene in my book that described a touching moment between mother and son, I could have sworn this little guy knew what I was reading. At the right moment, he sort of reached out and touched me, and then kind of swirled around in a way that made me feel like he had just reached out and given me a huge hug! Yes, I know how crazy a thought that is . . . but I stand by it, and I’ll blame the pregnancy hormones! I got all teary-eyed and weepy. Elliot thought I was crying over a cheesey book, and just laughed at me. Of course, I thought that was less embarrassing than what I was thinking, so I declined to correct him.
I am pleased to say that I am starting to feel better . . . the cold is gone, and the antibiotics seem to be working on my latest UTI (and perhaps might have nipped my impending sinus infection in the bud). I am loving all the movement I have been feeling from the little one lately – remind me of that later if I start complaining about that!
It’s back . . . .
Well, I’m having a wonderful time at the beach on vacation (despite a little tropical storm). I handled the morning sickness on the trip down pretty well, and only threw up once so far! Unfortunately, I got a call from the midwives . . . I have ANOTHER UTI . . . but it is a different bacteria this time. So, unfortunately, it is back on antibiotics I go!
On a more positive note, we received a message that Sam & Betsy had their baby this weekend – Rebecca Sadie! We are thrilled for them, and can’t wait to meet her when we return.
15 weeks 2 days . . . an update (and a whine!)
Let’s see . . . I’m 15 weeks and 2 days today. Not much to update about . . . just time to whine, I guess! We went to our niece Melissa’s high school graduation on June 26, and the Phenergan was wonderful! I didn’t get sick in the car, and I made it through the whole event without getting sick. Unfortunately, our nephew Brian was sick while we were there . . . he just looked so miserable!
I returned to find out that once again, I had a urinary tract infection . . . so back on antibiotics for me! I just can’t seem to catch a break sometimes. I guess I shouldn’t complain – in the scheme of things, these are all minor problems – just annoyances/inconveniences, really. I am just so frustrated with the UTIs . . . this darn Strep B infection doesn’t want to go away at all!
Of course, on Friday, Elliot decided it was time for HIM to get sick. On Sunday night, I guess I decided it was time to join him. The sore throat and the congestion started to set in. Elliot went to the doctor on Monday – he had a nasty sinus infection (just like Brian) but the antibiotics made him feel better quickly. I wasn’t getting any better . . . just got worse and worse all week. I was fairly certain I had a sinus infection, too, despite the fact I was taking antibiotics. I knew I needed to wait to finish my course of antibiotics before a doctor would do anything else for me, so I waited until Thursday afternoon (July 3). Unfortunately, I was told to wait out the weekend, but call if I got worse.
We spent the Fourth of July at Dave and Jen’s house for a bbq . . . well, a rained-out bbq. Naturally, they have a cat, so I couldn’t stay in the house too long, and we ended up leaving fairly early. It was nice to hang out with everyone for a bit. I swear, I think we used to be fun, but it is starting to feel like a distant memory! I wasn’t feeling well that day, and was having some bad cramping, so we spent the night on the couch watching fireworks on tv.
By Saturday, I was officially miserable . . . temperature, sore throat, tons of congestion, and nasty headache. I made it through Saturday, but was up most of the night unable to sleep because I felt so awful. I stuck it out on Sunday, too, but it was a rough day. Because I was taking medicine for the congestion, I stopped taking the Phenergan on Thursday or Friday. . . I didn’t want to tempt fate by taking too many pills at once! Unfortunately, my morning sickness was back full swing . . . and all I can say is that puking with a sore throat and full sinuses is just not an experience I would recommend to anyone. By Sunday night, I couldn’t speak because my throat hurt so much, and the sinus headache was causing my eyes to water and my head to feel as if it was about to explode.
When Monday morning arrived, I called the doctor first thing to get in for an appointment. Before I went in to see him, I ran to the midwife and left another urine sample to check on the status of my UTI. Naturally, at my doctor’s appointment, he decided to put me back on antibiotics . . . for a sinus infection! Thankfully, the antibiotics seem to be working for me, and I’m finally starting to feel better! I was actually worried – I’ve been known to be resistant to antibiotics in the past, so this is quite a relief. I swear, for as hard as I try to stay away from medication, I’m sure taking a lot of stuff! I really hope these pills don’t cause my baby to be born with 3 heads.
The good news is that I got the results from my urinalysis today . . . and it was negative for Strep B!! I’m officially (albeit possibly temporarily) infection-free! That is such a relief for me . . . I hope it stays that way for the rest of this pregnancy. But then again, if I were a betting person, I’d have to bet against me on that one – I always seem to get sick!
Now that I’m done whining, I guess it is time for some positive things! I am definitely feeling movement. It isn’t strong yet, and it isn’t constant, but I can feel it when I’m standing or sitting now, too. Sometimes it is just a flutter or a bubble, but sometimes it has felt almost like a tap or a palpitation. I’m looking forward to the future as this little one grows!!
What else can I add? Oh yes . . . I’ve learned a valuable lesson I should document. Note to self: no more ice cream. Elliot bought this yummy delicious light chocolate cookies and cream ice cream a few days ago, and with my sore throat I just thought it would hit the spot. I had a tiny little bit of it . . . maybe 1/4 cup? Not even a full serving size!! Apparently, the baby doesn’t seem to like ice cream, because EVERY time I eat ANY ice cream , I end up throwing up (yes, I’m ashamed to say it has taken me 3 tries to learn this lesson). I might as well just dump the ice cream into the toilet! The bright side is at least ice cream doesn’t taste as bad coming back up as some foods. I think it is time for me to stay away for a while. It makes sense . . . I’m a bit lactose intolerant on a good day, so I guess a few spoonfuls of ice cream really just aren’t agreeing with me right now.
Next week is a crazy busy week with work. I’m in meetings all day every day, and I’m trying to figure out if there is any chance I can disguise this pregnancy from my clients at these meetings next week. I’m not quite ready for everyone I work with to know yet . . . I think as an independent contractor, I’m worried that it will negatively affect my business. We shall see! Then, on Friday we have our next appointment with the midwife!! We’ll get our prescription to do the quad screen (to check for problems like spina bifida) and for the 20 week ultrasound. We then leave on Saturday for a week at the beach with our friends. I can’t believe how this summer is already flying by!
Another toilet-hugging day
Yes, today is another toilet-hugging day. I’m NOT feeling well this afternoon. To top it all off, I got a call from my OB – apparently, I have a urinary tract infection, too. I’m glad they caught it, but at the same time, I was there on Tuesday morning – you’d think they would have called me with the results before FRIDAY!!