12 weeks!

Well, I'm 12 weeks!!! Well, 12 weeks 1 day to be exact, and I just heard his/her heartbeat!! This is a huge milestone! Why? Not only does my chance of miscarriage go down to 1%... but 12w 1d is 1 day later than the baby I lost at 14 weeks lived. (Baby died at 12 weeks, and I didn't loose it until 14). I am so excited! I am still keeping it hush for atleast another week. We'll tell all our families at Thanksgiving, and then announce it on facebook at 14 weeks, so you will get to read these soon! I'm still about 30% nervous about it, just because of the late loss I had before, but so far things are looking great. Strong heartbeat in the 160s! I feel pregnant. Really, I am already so uncomfortable with this belly, I feel like I'm 30 weeks. I am not complaining by any means. I think I am sporting a baby bump, and it's kinda fun. My clothes are getting tighter, and I found out yesterday I've already gained 5lbs!! Crazy!! I only gained 19 total with my son!

I also have a hernia, it's an umbillical hernia right above my belly button. It hurts sometimes, but the doc said there's nothing they can do during pregnancy, and even in my childbearing years, because even if I get it fixed, another pregnancy would pop it out again. It's not too bad yet, it just might protrude outta my big belly later. Doc says I can quit the progesterone at any time now, I think I might take it a few extra weeks just in case, afterall I do have another month's worth of pills. She said it wouldn't harm the baby to take it longer.

Well that's the update for now! TTFN!

To BF or not to BF?

Ok, so ever since I got a BFP my mind has been wheeling with plans. I originally wasn't going to use a crib (mainly because we had one for Cohen but never used it really..we used a bassinet and pack and play, he moved onto a twin bed at 18 months). So we sold our crib about a year ago, and my SIL has offered theirs to me. I have to say, I am excited to get some new bedding (gonna make my own) and decorate! Another thing on my mind was cloth diapering. And it's really not realisitic for me right now, I am so busy I don't think I would be able to do it, so I'll probably bite the bullet and use disposables. I've heard many people say they cause burns and rashes, but Cohen has never had a problem with either, so I'm not too worried about it.

I can't decided if I am going to breastfeed or not. Now save me the lectures that "breast is best" I KNOW that. With Cohen I tried and tried to breastfeed, and it just did not happen. My milk came in, but would not come out no matter how much help I got from LLL and the lactation consultants at WIC and at the hospital. So, we switched to formula and he thrived on it. I know breast is best, but I don't see a problem with formula. I really don't. I still got that "bonding time" with my little one, and DH got it too, because he was able to feed him too! He's always been super healthy and always digested it easily. And I can't help argue the convenience of it. Since I am in school and working, I would not have time at work to stop and pump every 3 hours to keep my supply up. I was able to take Cohen with me anywhere and feed him whereever.

I think I will try it again, we'll see what happens, but I am not against formula feeding, and I plan on buying a few cans here and there of formula, to build up stock before baby comes. So, this post isn't asking for opinions or comments, I dont need to hear them. I know it can be a touchy subject and some might see me as having selfish reasons for not BFing, but I don't. Like anything else regarding my child, it's my decision and I'll do whats' right for myself and my family.

11 Weeks-ish

Today I am just over 11 weeks! It is going by fast and slow at the same time. I feel like my uterus is definitely growing. It's a good sign that baby is too, but it also scares me because I feel like I already look 20 weeks preggo! I think it might be time to do some light exersizing to make sure I don't gain too much weight. My next appointment is on Thursday so we'll see how much weight I've gained (I dont trust our bathroom scale to be too accurate). The clip posted above (I hope it works) is of baby's heartbeat I recorded from my doppler. I love hearing this every day!

I have been sick and therefore miserable because my options for medicine are soo limited. I've taken nothing, but my stuffy nose is going to kill me! I am starting to get a cough too and I feel just so rotten. I even called in sick to work tomorrow, I don't think I should be working in a hospital right now. I hope to goodness I get well enough by Sunday. My appetite is pretty much non existant, I have to force myself to eat which sucks. I am also still on my progesterone pills for atleast a few more weeks.

With the babe I lost a 14 weeks, they told me the baby died at 12 weeks exactly. If i can get past that week and hear the heartbeat every day, you can bet a load will be lifted off my shoulders!

I keep starting to think about what baby needs, and I am feeling that it is a girl. One lady on craiglist offered to sell me her extra car seat base so we dont have to switch our one back and forth. My SIL is giving me a crib and lots of baby girl clothes, so I am excited. Can't wait to find out what it is, a little over 2 months left!! Oh, BTW, here's a 10 week pic.

10.5 weeks

Well, I'm about 10 1/2 weeks now. I am definitely feeling the stretching in my tummy. Some days is hurts so bad! I found the baby's heartbeat with my fetal doppler this week, I think it was on Friday afternoon. I'd been trying to find it daily since I hit the 9 week mark, and I would search low in my abdomen near the bone, and nothing. So, I was about to give up and suddenly I heard it!! It was a strong 160-170 bpm! I've been able to find it every day since then! I am so glad I got this doppler, it helps ease my mind. But I did discover that baby is higher up in my abdomen than I thought. Linda says I already have a belly and I definitely feel like I do. DH doesnt think so, but I feel like my belly is already stretched to its limits!! I usually do not have an appetite, and when I do it lasts for like 2 seconds. That is annoying. However, we went to Wingers last night and I got buffalo wings and loved it!!

Headaches

So the last 2 days I have had a major, brainsplitting headache. I have tried everything to get rid of it. Heating pad, hot bath and shower, head massage, tylenol, drinking lots of water, you name it, and it will NOT go away. When I stand or move my head it throbs. It throbs so hard I can practically hear it. I don't know what else to do. If I still have it when I wake up in the morning, I am calling my doctor, because I am miserable.

One thing that ticks me off is certain people's reaction about this pregnancy. When I mention something that's happening they say "Didn't you get that symptom right before you miscarried?" It's really frustrating that everyone seems to to think it's going to happen again. Don't you think I worry about that enough to not have you add to it? This is not the first incident someone's said something like that. I am praying and trying to hold on to this pregnancy with everything I have.

I do have to admit that I feel very lucky with the outcome of the spotting thing. I can't tell you how many times I have heard from people that I know who are pregnant who started bleeding that they ended up being fine, and that for the first time, it finally was me that was fine. Thank goodness!

A little scare

Well today I am 9 weeks, and we had a scare this morning. Before school today I discovered a little bit of spotting. I paniced and called my doctor immediately and they told me to come in. So I did and man was I a wreck. DH doesnt have a cell phone so I couldn't call him, so I sat there alone, crying in the car and doc office thinking the worst and being so mad and jealous that I couldn't carry a baby to save my life. So, they were able to squeeze me in for an ultrasound.

Guess what! baby is fine! They said he/she is growing perfect, heartbeat was 180, and he/she was wiggling all over the screen and even waved at me! I cried when I saw the flicker of the heart, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. They looked around at other things trying to find the reason for the spotting and they couldn't find one. They said everything still looked perfect. Hallelujah!

They encouraged me to take the prometrium they prescribed me two weeks ago, and I felt like a total idiot for ignoring the prescription for so long. My next appt is scheduled for 12 weeks and they said to just play it day by day but they dont see anything pointing to an impending miscarriage. I am still very nervous about it. I've felt a lot of pressure in my uterine area and though it's probably just growing pains, I'm terrified. So far though, no spotting since this morning. Lets hope it stays that way! Anyways, enjoy the pics. Baby is measuring 9weeks 1day and 2.38cm! Heartbeat was 180...I'm really thinking girl.

I also told DH's mom and dad about it. so far it had been a secret, but we needed all the prayers we could get so I told them.

9 weeks

Well, I am now about 1 day shy of being 9 weeks! How amazing is that?? Everything is going so smoothly and I have been given a few gentle reminders that I do indeed have a baby growing in there!!

I had my first appointment almost 2 weeks ago, I was 7 weeks and was given an ultrasound. We got to see baby and see it's heartbeat! That was exciting and a huge milestone for me. The last 2 I lost I never had an ultrasound. It was just a little blob about the size of a grain of rice, but it had a thriving heartbeat of 160! I think it's a girl, partly because of the heartbeat, but mainly just a feeling. Here's a pic!

My doctor is amazing. I am seeing the gal who delivered Cohen and handled both recent miscarriages. She knows my history well and she is doing everything she can to ease my mind, including giving me all the ultrasounds I want early on. So I am having another on Thursday.

I am already starting to show. Crazy huh? With Cohen I didn't start showing until around 20 weeks, but I definitely have a pooch that wasn't there before. All my clothes are fitting much tighter and while I love it, I hate it since it is still supposed to be a secret!