Breadcrumb Week 12

How far along: 12 weeks

Total Weight Gain/Loss: -14 pounds

Symptoms:

• Periods of nausea 
• food aversions 
• tiredness 
• Loss of sex drive
• Nose bleeds
• sneezing (can sneezing be a symptom? I sneeze like 10-15 times a day!)
• Bloody gums
• Strange cramps/pains

Saturday night I had another bad time with the cramps. I woke up around 1 with horrible pains in my lower abdomen. I went to our guest bathroom so I wouldn't wake Keegan and started to dry heave. Around 2, I finally woke Keegan up so that he could be with me until the cramps passed or we decided to go to the ER. Thankfully around 3 the cramps subsided enough that I fell asleep wrapped around a bowl in case I threw up. Keegan asked if I thought it was something I ate, but I know the difference between upset stomach pains and pains in my uterus. These pains felt like ridiculously intense period pains which brought tears to my eyes and all Saturday my uterus felt bruised. I will definitely bring this up to my OB at my next appointment.  

Maternity clothes: Wearing maternity jeans all the time; as soon as I get home, I'm either in yoga pants or PJ pants.

Stretch marks: Nothing new. I have a few on my stomach from when I gained weight in the past, but they're really light. I'm worried about getting them on my boobs; I already have a few from when I gained weight and I can picture them increasing. 

Sleep: Sleep is ok. A few times this week, I've woken up in the middle of the night to pee. Most nights I'm waking up throughout the night to reposition myself. I've really been trying to sleep more on my sides, but I always wake up on my stomach. 

Best moment last week: we started cleaning out the nursery. It was originally our guest room so we moved everything into our other extra room. My sister and I have also been talking about the possibility of having my baby shower Memorial Day weekend. I know that's super early for a shower, but it's easier for us to drive the 10+ hours home on a long weekend. 

Movement: Too early.

Food cravings: I didn't have any cravings this week. I'm still having some nausea and food aversions so I ate anything that sounded good. 

Gender: Don't know yet, though I have my suspicions.

Labor signs: Zilch, thank goodness.

Belly button? In, maybe getting shallower 

What I miss: Nothing, really.

What I am looking forward to: Seeing Breadcrumb at our next appointment on 2/6, starting to plan the nursery and baby shower. 

Baby Buys: Bought a few more items for our cloth diaper stash. 

Milestones: Making it to 12 weeks. Just a few more days until the second trimester! 

This picture is the perfect example of why I don't dry my hair down, it just poofs! 

Tattoo Parlor vs. Mall Gun - How Will You Pierce Your Kids?

I recently read an article about a mother who took her 7 year old daughter to get her ears pierced at a tattoo parlor instead of her local mall. In her article, Bonnie Rochman writes, "Contrary to what you might think, tattoo parlors — at least the one I went to — are actually bastions of cleanliness. Some states regulate them, and reputable ones use disposable needles and sterilize all their equipment in an autoclave. In contrast, mall piercers and many jewelry stores use piercing guns that have been associated with complications and can't be completely sterilized. Armed with that knowledge, which would you choose?"

When I was about 14, I got my own ears pierced with a gun at the local mall. Those ended up getting infected and having to be taken out. I got them re-pierced, and then pierced a second time, both with guns. However, when I was 18, I went to the local tattoo parlor to get an industrial piercing.

Source

The piercings didn't hurt like I thought they would, based off the pain I felt when I got my lobes pierced a few years before. I later learned that it probably hurt less than expected because professional piercers use hollow needles that remove a small chuck on skin instead of the gun that's typically used in malls that forces a blunt earring through the ear. 

Keegan and I have talked about this topic before, and have decided that our daughter (or son) can get her ears pierced when she is old enough to take care of them with little help from us, and we will be taking her to a reputable tattoo parlor. We want to leave the choice up to her (instead of piercing her when she's a baby,) and we want to use this opportunity as a learning experience, especially if she's going to follow in our footsteps and get more body modifications like tattoos. 

Personally, I want to applaud this mother for doing the research and taking the time to learn about a safer way to get her daughter's ears pierced. I'm not condemning mothers who take their kids to the mall; Obviously I went to a mall, as did all of my friends, and no one lost an ear. I can also understand how scary it must be to allow your child to shove metal through their bodies, and most tattoo parlors come off as unwelcoming. However, I would urge parents to look past the scary face of tattoo parlors and do their research to find a clean, reputable piercer in their area as well as researching other cleaning products. With my industrial, I used warm sea salt soaks which felt amazing, unlike the cleaning solution from the mall which burned.   

Have you thought about this topic, one way or another? Has anyone else had a bad experience with a mall piercing gun? Are you going to pierce your baby's ears during infancy instead of as a preteen or teenager? I would love to hear your thoughts about this! 

Breadcrumb Week 11

How far along: 11 weeks, 1 day

Total Weight Gain/Loss: -14 pounds

Symptoms: I feel like this week, my body was finally like "holy shit we're pregnant!" and decided to give me every symptom in the book.

• Periods of nausea 
• food aversions 
• tiredness 
• Loss of sex drive
• Nose bleeds
• sneezing (can sneezing be a symptom? I sneeze like 10-15 times a day!)
• Bloody gums
• Strange cramps/pains

I'm still having those cramps/pains every day. I'm undecided if it's growing pains or something else; however, they have decreased on the pain scale, so I haven't made an appointment with my OB. I have noticed that they increase when I've done a lot during the day, even if it's just walking around a store, so I've been trying to keep things low key. We did order a doppler so that we can check up on Breadcrumb's heartbeat during scary times like this.

Maternity clothes: Wearing maternity jeans more often than not; as soon as I get home, I'm either in yoga pants or PJ pants.

Stretch marks: Nothing new. I have a few on my stomach from when I gained weight in the past, but they're really light.

Sleep: Sleep is ok. A few times this week, I've woken up in the middle of the night to pee. Most nights I'm waking up throughout the night to reposition myself. 

Best moment last week: Unfortunately the cramps scare kind of overshadowed last week so I can't think of a "best moment," but as always, I'm beyond thankful to be in this place. 

 

Movement: Too early.

Food cravings: Milk! I'm really particular about my milk consumption (I won't drink it unless it's ice cold,) and I think I've drank more milk this week than I have in all of 2013. 

Gender: Don't know yet, though I have my suspicions. Keegan told me that he thinks we're having a girl.

Labor signs: Zilch, thank goodness.

Belly button? In, maybe getting shallower 

What I miss: Nothing, really.

What I am looking forward to: Seeing Breadcrumb at our next appointment on 2/6, starting to plan the nursery

Baby Buys: Bought a set of onesies from Kohls that were on sale.  

Milestones: Making it to 11 weeks!

Pregnancy Is Scary

When we were trying to conceive, I knew my body pretty well. So well, in fact, that I could pinpoint down to a 12 hour window when I ovulated. I knew that a specific cramp meant ovulation, while another type meant my period was on its way. I felt in tune with my body, and while it wasn't doing what I wanted, I at least knew what it was doing.

Then I got pregnant and that all went out the window.

Pregnancy, whether you went through infertility or not, is full of worry and concern. From worrying about a heartbeat to genetic testing results, pains, strange symptoms, you worry about everything. Personally, I have no idea what my body is doing, no matter how many forums, apps, or blogs I read. Not knowing can be scary, especially when you're trying to decipher if a cramp is your uterus stretching or a sign of something more serious.

Wednesday night, around 7 in the evening, I started having painful period-like cramps that caused my stomach to tighten. I was somewhat concerned, but I figured I was just tired, so we went to bed early. I was awoken a few times throughout the night by the cramps, and they continued into Thursday morning. Mid-morning on Thursday, I emailed my OB's nurse to let her know what was going on just in case, and she called me mid-afternoon. After explaining to her what was happening, she sent me home from work to lie on my left side and drink as much water as possible. Laying down was difficult since I was up every 15 minutes needing to pee, but after about two hours, the tightening seemed to slow down even though the cramps were still there. My nurse called me back before the end of the workday and told me that if it got worse, or if I started bleeding, to go to the ER, but otherwise it was a wait and see situation and I could come into the office on Friday if I felt I needed to.

Another early night for us, and I slept pretty soundly. The cramps are still happening this morning, but the tightening is more infrequent. I had originally thought these were really early Braxton Hicks, but my nurse said that it's too early to feel them; most women don't feel them until the second or third trimester even though they start around 6 weeks. I'm declining an appointment for today unless things get really bad because I feel like there's not much my OB can do.

This is a whole new world for me, and it's scary. I know that certain pains are normal for pregnancy, but when does "normal" become worrisome? Is that something that you just know?

I don't really have an eloquent way of ending this post. Everyday I am thankful to be pregnant, but being in the dark with what my body is doing is a strange and unsettling feeling for me. Has anyone else felt like they're not on speaking terms with their body anymore? 

Breadcrumb Week 10

How far along: 10 weeks

Total Weight Gain/Loss: -10 pounds

Symptoms: Nausea, food aversions, tiredness. We're still in bed by 8:30 more often than not. Loss of sex drive, but I'm happy to say we broke the streak on Friday. I've been taken off my Metformin, so hopefully that'll help with the nausea

Maternity clothes: Still using the hair tie trick on my size 16 pants but I did buy some maternity pants from Old Navy. I wore them out on Saturday, and they kept falling down. While they're more comfortable than my regular jeans, I'm not sure how often I'll wear them because they're still a bit big. As soon as I get home, I'm either in yoga pants or PJ pants.

Stretch marks: Nothing new. I have a few on my stomach from when I gained weight in the past, but they're really light.

Sleep: Sleep has gotten better since I got the ok from my OB to sleep on my stomach until 24 weeks. Once we hit that magical milestone, I was told I have to sleep on my sides.

Best moment last week: We had our first OB appointment, found out our official due date (August 10 which also changed the day my weeks turn over,) and saw Breadcrumb again at 9 weeks, 4 days with a heartbeat of 176. We also got to see his/her legs kick!

The little nub at on the left side of the body is a foot!

Movement: Too early.

Food cravings: I finally got CiCi's mac n' cheese pizza! It was as wonderful as I remember and totally curbed my craving. I've been craving a chocolate cupcake recently.

Gender: Don't know yet, though I have my suspicions. If you believe in the heartbeat old wives tales, then we're having a girl

Labor signs: Zilch, thank goodness.

Belly button? In, no change

What I miss: Nothing, really.

What I am looking forward to: Seeing Breadcrumb at our next appointment, starting to plan the nursery

Baby Buys: Still waiting on the cloth diapers that I ordered last week, got some more onesies from Old Navy on super sale

Milestones: Making it to 10 weeks and having our first OB appointment!

First OB Appointment - 9 Weeks, 4 Days

I did so much research on trying to get pregnant that I never did any on what to do once it happened. I have no idea what the steps are or what questions to ask, which is why I begged you all to help me come up with questions for my first OB appointment. I'm excited to say that our appointment went wonderfully, and both Keegan and I feel confident with Dr. L (hopefully) delivering our baby in August.

First of all, we were taken back to the ultrasound room where I had my first over the belly ultrasound! Right away we saw Breadcrumb who was starting to look more like a baby and less like a blob. We were even able to see his/her little feet kicking away! The heart was beating at a fast 176 bpm and the ultrasound tech decided due to measurements, and the date of my last period, that our official due date is August 10 (due to conception date, I figured August 12, but whatever works,) which put me at 9 weeks, 4 days yesterday (which also means I need to move my weekly updates from Tuesdays to Sundays.)

Next, we went back into an exam room where my OB's nurse went through a bunch of questions with us such as family history of genetic diseases, if we smoke/drank/did drugs, etc. Basic questions to see if there would be any red flags for this pregnancy. We also had to decide right then and there if we wanted to do genetic testing and if I wanted the option of an epidural during delivery. I was really taken aback by having to decide on the epidural, but apparently if you check "no," they don't inform the anesthesiologist that you're in labor which means you don't have the option. If you even have an inkling of maybe, possibly, wanting an epidural, they suggest you check "yes" so that the anesthesiologist will be in the hospital. My hope is to do a natural birth if possible, but if I find I can't handle the pain, I will want an epidural. You bet your bottom dollar I checked "yes," just in case.

Our OB clinic has started to screen for cystic fibrosis which is commonly denied by insurance. Apparently only Medicare covers it, so if your insurance denies the claim it's $800. We decided to call our insurance and see if they cover the screening before going ahead with the genetic screening blood work.

Unfortunately my family history did raise a red flag for this pregnancy. My dad has Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome which can cause miscarriages in the second trimester of pregnancy. I haven't been tested; my RE actually gave me a request to get tested before we did our IUI, but I got pregnant on our last cycle of Clomid. My OB said that she isn't worried about miscarriage in my first trimester, especially since its almost over, but she is worried about my second. I'm on baby aspirin for the rest of the pregnancy as a precautionary measure since that's what they would do with a patient that did have APS.

I was also told to stop my Metformin at 10 weeks so that when I do the gestation diabetes test between 24 and 28 weeks, the numbers will reflect my natural levels instead of what they would be on Metformin. If I do have gestation diabetes, then I will go back on Metformin for the remainder of the pregnancy. With the chance of having APS, I also have an increased risk of preeclampsia, so I have to watch out for signs.

I had a pap and breast exam done since I was past my yearly date. Note to all pregnant ladies who have a pap done during pregnancy: you will spot afterwards. Even though my OB warned me that I would spot, seeing blood in the toilet while pregnant is still a heart stopping event. Take a deep breath and reassure yourself that your body is doing what it's supposed to.

The last part of my appointment was talking with my OB about delivery. In my last post, I mentioned that my hope is to have a natural birth and I was afraid that hospital regulations would make that difficult. I am beyond excited to say that my OB was able to calm my fears. I asked her if a natural birth is possible in their hospital's setting and she excitedly said it was. She said that there is a whirlpool tub that I can labor in as long as my water hasn't ruptured, there's a shower, I can bring my own birthing ball and music, I can dictate how I want the lights to be and more. She's had women deliver standing, squating, hunched over the bed, however it feel comfortable to them. The only restriction is that you cannot have candles because they have tanks of oxygen in the rooms.

There is no time restraint for delivery as long as baby is doing well, and mother is progressing. The only time they would recommend a c-section is if baby is in distress or mother has been pushing for hours and it looks like baby just won't fit. Before I could even ask, Dr. L said she doesn't do episiotomies unless baby has crowned multiple times and it looks like the head won't come out without a bit of help. She mentioned that she will do oil massages to try and stretch out the area.

I asked about a doula and Dr. L said that while she hasn't worked with many of them, they are allowed and she has had good experiences in the past. She was also able to give me a few recommendations for the two doulas that she has worked with as well as pros and cons for both.

Overall it was a wonderful, surreal appointment. I sat in the waiting room where I had sat for over a year time after time, seeing all of the pregnant bellies and ultrasound pictures while I was trying to figure out why my body couldn't do what everyone else's seem to do so easily. Finally I was sitting there, pregnant, with my own ultrasound pictures tucked away in my purse as to not hurt anyone else. It was a place I never thought I would be, and I am thankful every day for the experience.

Breadcrumb Week 9

How far along: 9 weeks

Total Weight Gain/Loss: -8 pounds.

Symptoms: Nausea, food aversions, tiredness. We're still in bed by 8:30 more often than not. Loss of sex drive. I feel really bad for Keegan, but its honestly the last thing in the world I want to do. I've also noticed that my skin has been super dry. Every time I use lotion, even the kind meant for dry sensitive skin, my face breaks out. I've heard good things about Lush products since they're "all natural," but I don't want to spend $24 on 2 ounces of lotion if it doesn't work. Anyone have comments on Lush products or something similar?

Maternity clothes: Not yet. Still using the hair tie trick on my size 16 pants, or wearing my size 18 pants normally. As soon as I get home, I'm either in yoga pants or PJ pants. Thinking about getting some maternity pants this weekend, my tummy doesn't like having anything touching it.

Stretch marks: Nothing new. I have a few on my stomach from when I gained weight in the past, but they're really light.

Sleep: Sleep is....ok. Waking up more often throughout the night to reposition myself. Still trying to become a side sleeper, but waking up on my tummy more often than not.

Best moment last week: We "came out" on Facebook using the picture below:

Movement: Too early.

Food cravings: I don't know if it's a craving, but I've been wanting a Coke or Pepsi more than anything in the world. I think it's more habit than craving, through. I've been able to go this entire time without having one, and my plan is not to have one the entire pregnancy. I've also wanted CiCi's mac n' cheese pizza like none other, but the closest restaurant to us is 45 minutes away and I haven't been able to convince Keegan to go yet. I've also been craving cake donuts. Not ones with glaze, but just regular, plain cake donuts. We typically watch Good Eats before bed (stupid idea when you're pregnant) and Alton Brown was making donuts during an episode. I rolled over and told Keegan he either had to make me some, or find somewhere that makes them.

Gender: Don't know yet, though I have my suspicions. Still having dreams that I'm pregnant with twin girls, but as far as we know, there's only one in there. Friend on Facebook apparently sent our ultrasound picture from our announcement to her ultrasound tech friend who said based on the "ramzi method," we're having a girl, though I'm not sure how much I trust that.

Labor signs: Zilch, thank goodness.

Belly button? In, no change

What I miss: Nothing, really. Maybe not waking up so often during the night? Oh, and being able to eat. This constantly nauseous feeling is for the birds.

What I am looking forward to: Seeing Breadcrumb again at our appointment with my OB on Thursday.

Baby Buys: We're going to cloth diaper this little one, so I've been slowly building up my stash. I purchased two covers this week while Kelly's Closet was having an awesome coupon deal.

Milestones: Making it to 9 weeks and telling Facebook!

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Like I said above, we're having our first OB appointment on Thursday. I'm of course worried that Breadcrumb is ok, but I'm also worried that this OB isn't going to work for the style of delivery we'd ultimately love to have. When I imagined myself pregnant, I always imagined working with a midwifery program, but there are no programs within an hour drive of our small town, only midwives working out of their homes which I'm not as comfortable with for my first birth. We decided to go with a highly recommended OB that is in Dr. B's practice (our old OB that was helping us get pregnant before we went to our RE,) and I'm going to lay it all out during our first appointment. There are certain things that I'm ok with budging on like not having a water birth, but there are things that I really don't want to happen such as pitocin or being made to have a c-section after 12 hours of labor. I'd also really love to have a doula present if possible.

Has anyone tried out multiple OBs or midwives before finding one they really meshed with? Is it wrong of me to see this first appointment as somewhat of an interview? I don't want to be a difficult patient, but I really want to push for my dream birth if at all possible. What questions did you ask your first appointment with your OB?

International Blog Delurking Week 2014

Totally stealing this idea from the Stirrup Queen. She says, "Back in the olden days of the Internet, the first full week of January was declared International Delurking Week, and I still celebrate this ancient holiday. It runs this year from the 5th until the 12th, so you have seven days to slither out of the reading closet and check in with an “I'm here” comment."

I'd love to know more about my readers, especially since I only get comments from a handful of you (thank you for leaving them!) If you're feeling brave, leave a comment below with a simple "hey" or some information about yourself. Let me know how you're doing. Are you still battling infertility, are you pregnant or parenting? I've been wanting to start a new T.V. series, so give me suggestions (preferably ones that are on Netflix.)

As always, thank you so much for reading and supporting us on this journey. We love you guys!

And............go!

Breadcrumb Week 8

How far along: 8 weeks, 1 day (totally planned to have this up yesterday, but obviously that didn't happen)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: -5 pounds. Apparently pregnancy was the push I needed to get under the 200 pound mark.

Symptoms: Nausea, food aversions, sore boobs, tiredness. We're in bed by 8:30 more often than not.

Maternity clothes: Not yet. Using the hair tie trick on my size 16 pants, or wearing my size 18 pants normally. Love yoga pants over jeans.

Stretch marks: Nothing new. I have a few on my stomach from when I gained weight in the past, but they're really light.

Sleep: Sleep is pretty good. Waking up a few times throughout the night to reposition myself. I'm a tummy sleeper and while I know it's not best to sleep on your stomach during pregnancy, I just can't seem to kick the habit. Keegan got me a pregnancy pillow for Christmas and I'm currently working on using that to keep me on my side.

Best moment last week: 12/23 seeing Breadcrumb for the first time and seeing his/her heartbeat. Telling our families on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Movement: Not yet.

Food cravings: Nothing. I've been super nauseous (but I've only thrown up once!) so I'm just trying to eat anything that sounds remotely appetizing. My biggest problem is that one day something will taste good, then the next, I'll hate it.

Gender: Don't know yet, though I have my suspicions. I keep having dreams that I'm pregnant with twin girls, but as far as we know, there's only one in there.

Labor signs: Zilch, thank goodness.

Belly button? In, no change

What I miss: Nothing, really. I would say the ability to drink, but I wasn't a big drinker before. My mom did bring down some Mikes Hard Margaritas over Christmas and those looked wonderful, even though I don't like margaritas.

What I am looking forward to: Seeing Breadcrumb again, finding an OB, and finding out what we're having.

Baby Buys: A few onesies from Old Navy when they were having their 75% off sale as well as a Christmas onesie and pant set from Sam's for $2.81. Trying to buy things on sale that are gender neutral, but it's hard!

Milestones: Making it to 8 weeks and telling our families!