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My First Entry!
We told our parents and grandparents right away, and then a very small number of close friends who knew we were trying to conceive. Other than that, we're trying to keep it quiet, because I'm rather afraid of miscarriage, and would rather the whole world not know until I make it safely through the dangerous first trimester. You hear so many awful stories of people just beginning to recover from their grief and then being sunk right back into it when someone who hasn't heard the news asks how the pregnancy is going...I don't want that to be me!
Anyway...the morning of the 18th, I immediately called my doctor. On the 19th and the 21st I had quantitative hCG tests done, and the results showed that my numbers are doubling quite nicely, if perhaps a tad on the low side. It's the doubling that matters most, though. However, the progesterone test on the 19th showed that I was a little low in that dept, so I started progesterone supplements that very night.
That same night, I also saw some spotting! It scared me a bit, but I knew it didn't fit the profile of "bad" bleeding at all, so I tried to stay calm. I called my doc's office the next day, and they also confirmed that it sounded like nothing to worry about.
I'm still feeling about the same. My chest is still quite sore, and I'm sleeping a lot. I also find that I keep having spells of feeling like my throat is very tight, which might be some very early nausea. I hope I don't get bad morning sickness!! I also continue to have menstrual like cramps several times a day, though they are quite mild and never last long, so from what I hear this is quite normal. Still, it makes me even more afraid every time that I go to the bathroom that my period will have begun!
Well, I go back to the doctor next Thursday, the 28th, for a follow up hCG test. If that is good, I think I will then be meeting with my doctor for our first prenatal visit shortly thereafter. Yay! I'm hoping maybe I'll get lucky and get an ultrasound, b/c I hear that you can SEE the heartbeat as early as the 6th week (which begins for me on Monday), and that once you do, your chances of miscarriage go way down. I'm terrified of having a miscarriage, although I can at least hopefully comfort myself with the fact that I know I can get pregnant now, something I had begun to wonder about. Of course, in the end, getting pregnant was actually quite easy. This was the first cycle I've ever ovulated AND we timed things right, and BAMMO! So, I take that as a good sign! :) Just today, though, I had some awful and scary cramps about midway up my back, but I think they were from the walk we had just taken, because the same thing happened to me right after a walk several months ago, long before I was pregnant. I'm actually kind of disturbed that a walk could cause me so much pain, and don't understand why...I suppose this is something I should ask my doctor about.
OK, I think I've brought this journal pretty much up to speed, so I'm signing off for now. Bye!
Daily Update
I'm feeling about the same today...my major symptoms are still basically the super sore chest and fatigue. Ironically, I thought the fatigue had been getting better - which was actually kind of worrisome, I never like my symptoms to go away! - until Nate and I went shopping last night. I discovered that my fatigue had just been in hiding, since I'd been able to spend the last few days at home studying, with little physical activity. After a mere 2 hours, my lower back was killing me (one of my off and on symptoms) and I was exhausted! And today, I'm finding that even though I still haven't done much, I'm tired again. So I think that kind of "conditional fatigue" may be becoming a thing of the past. From what I understand, the next few weeks are incredibly important in heart and brain formation, as well as growth. I imagine all that work inside me is going to tire me out whether I do anything or not. :)
Part of our shopping trip last night was to start scoping out baby stuff. We're not planning on buying anything yet, and we definitely won't buy any big ticket items until after our shower, but we figured we may as well start getting an idea of what's out there and what it costs. Plus, I just find everything so adorable!! And I love that Nate is as into this stuff as I am...I think he got as big a kick out of all the strollers at Baby Depot as I did!
Well, that's the update for today. Talk to you later!
Easter Weekend
However, the general theme of the weekend, as well as of today, is I AM SO TIRED. Seriously, this needs to end soon, or I have no idea how I'll make it through the usual end of the semester flurry of activity. I need to try really hard not to procrastinate... that should help at least a little. But I slept nearly 11 hours Sat night, 9.5 Sun night with a two hour nap on Mon, and then 9.5 more hours last night (Mon), and now I'm ready for another nap! I never knew I could be this tired! Still, no morning sickness has set in, so I can't complain too much. I can handle all the other first trimester travails, but I hate puking with every bone in my body, so I hope I'm one of the lucky ones who is spared any real sickness. Having now said that, I'm sure I'll start puking my guts out tomorrow. :)
We took my first belly pic yesterday! Obviously, it's not going to show anything except the fat gut I already have, but we need to have one of those for a starting point, right? Anyway, I dolled myself up a little and then we took several different shots...can't wait to get them developed! Since at my weight it'll take me awhile to really start showing, the plan is to take another at 12 weeks, then 18 weeks, and if I'm showing then, to start taking weekly belly pics. If I'm not showing yet, we'll probably start taking weekly pics at 24 weeks. (Click here to see my belly pics.)
OK, my body is really calling out for that nap, so I'm gonna make this one of my short entries. To anyone reading this who was in LaCrosse this weekend...it was great seeing you! I miss you all!