Week 10

They say that each woman is different when it comes to when her pregnancy feels "real".  For some it feels real the moment they see a positive test, others when they have their first ultrasound, for some it's hearing the heartbeat, or feeling the baby move...or MEETING their baby in person!  Up until this point my pregnancy has felt very...clinical.  Medical.  Like we go in for our appointments and do our ultrasounds and it just feels kinda almost the same as if I was having my teeth cleaned.  I mean, ok don't get me wrong - of course this is amazing.  But I haven't felt a strong emotional pull during any appointment (and I mean, I don't when I get my teeth cleaned either, hence my comment...)  However, yesterday we had our 10 week ultrasound which also *sob* happened to be my last appointment with Dr. A.  Everything looked GREAT with the baby.  Heartbeat was 173 bpm and tracking 9 weeks 6 days (I was 10 weeks yesterday).  But near the end of the ultrasound, as Dr. A was moving on to check my ovaries and cervix she suddenly exclaimed "it's moving!!  Baby's moving!!!" and zoomed back in on my uterus.  And THAT, my blog friends, is when this all seemed very REAL to me.  We sat (well, I laid) there and watched the baby, which looked a little more like a teddy bear, kick its legs, wave its arms, twist its body.  Essentially Baby was dancing up a storm!  It was amazing.  And it now really feels real.

Like a dancing teddy bear!!

How far along: 10 week, 1 day
What did baby do this week: Baby is the size of a kumquat or small plum.  Week 10 is something of a “momentous” week.  It marks the end of the “embryonic period” and the beginning of the “fetal period”, when the tissues and organs rapidly grow and mature.  All of Baby’s vital organs have formed and are beginning to function and the most critical portion of development has completed!  Baby is growing tiny fingernails and toenails and there is no more webbing.  Baby is swallowing amniotic fluid which tastes a little like what I’m eating.  It has developing taste-buds but they will not finish developing until 13-15 weeks.  Baby is kicking/moving a lot (as we saw in our ultrasound!)  But it'll still take me a few more weeks to feel it.
Total weight gain: 4.2 pounds
Symptoms:  I'm feeling pretty fortunate really: no constipation, no heartburn, no sore breasts, not overly sleepy/tired, no silly pregnancy brain/forgetfulness....at least not YET.  I still have 3/4 of my pregnancy to get through, but I will celebrate these little milestones along the way.  My sense of smell is kinda ridiculous.  Hubby says I have "Super Hero Sense of Smell".  It's basically awful when people are wearing perfume or cologne or something smells particularly bad...blegh.  Definitely have some food aversions - but they seem to change through the day.  Sometimes it's VERY hard to think of something that sounds good to eat or what to make for dinner.  However, usually if food is in front of me (and as long as it's not something too savory too early in the morning) I can eat it.
Queasy or Sick:  Last Thursday was probably my worst day ever.  I felt pretty queasy and had to rally just to get myself out of bed to eat some breakfast.  Then with my food aversions and still feeling queasy, the ONLY thing I could fathom eating (that I could actually manage to get for myself) was a McDonald's cheeseburger.  I managed to get into the car and get myself through the drive-through, but I felt awful.  Felt WAY better after eating.  But then crappy again later in the day.  However, after that day I've really been feeling a lot better.  As I've mentioned in previous weeks, my morning sickness has not been noticeably bad.  I was feeling a tad bit queasy in the mornings but usually felt better after eating.  For the most part I didn't have to miss anything due to how I was feeling (other than last Thursday - basically took the day off work.)  I have however, been feeling quite lazy.  Spent a couple of weekends mostly on the couch.  So just the last 4-5 days I feel almost like I have my regular energy back.  As long as I don't get too hungry (OR eat too much) I feel great.  My acupuncturist said it’s good that the queasiness I've been feeling has been mostly just in the mornings.  It means it’s hormonal and not GI related.

Sleep: Not bad.  I can usually fall back asleep pretty easily after getting up to pee multiple times at night.  I'm not as sleepy/tired during the day either.  I can't figure out if this is pregnancy related or progesterone shot related since I started to feel less tired a few weeks back when we switched to every-other-night shots.
Best moment this week: Seeing our baby dance around on the ultrasound!!  SO AMAZING!!  Barely second to that though?... Dr. A telling me that we are DONE with the progesterone in oil shots!  Hallelujah!!!  That was some of the best news I've had in months.  We also got the okay to stop all embryo-transfer related meds: estrogen and Crinone too.  I know it's such a small thing, but I'm just looking forward to feeling a bit "normal" again.  Like not-having-to-wear-a-liner-all-day-every-day normal. :-|  And not having to keep checklists all day long of all the things I need to remember to take/do or which night to do our shot.  All I have left is my vitamins which I take when I brush my teeth - easy.
Hardest part of the week: Last Thursday that I just felt awful.
Looking forward to: Settling on an OB.  We've been looking around and have an appt and a consult with 2 different ones in the area, but it's going to be very hard going from Dr. A to a "regular, boring" OB.
Movement: Our baby is a dancer!  Waiting for ~week 15-18 to feel it though.
Food cravings: Pizza.  McDonalds cheeseburgers (not fries!)  Why can’t I crave healthy food?  Eating lots of fiber cereal in the mornings (Frosted Mini Wheats and Raisin Nut Bran) with a lot of milk.  Dill pickles.  Totally craving FRUIT like it's going out of style!  Apples (which I never really like that much), tangerines, mangoes, strawberries, pineapple, pears.  I want it all!  More than sweet desserts, which is also not like me.
Happy or moody: Maybe a little moody - especially when I'm not feeling well.
Labor signs: No
Maternity clothes: Pants, belts and things around my midsection are feeling tighter.  I had a girlfriend ask if I'm showing yet and I told her "I'm not showing in the morning, but I kinda am in the evening...after eating all day long!"  I'm actually not sure I'm ready to buy maternity clothes (pants) but will probably need to buy some new larger work pants soon.  I've been wearing a lot of dresses, but I feel like dresses make me look a little MORE pregnant.
Belly button in or out: In
Wedding rings on or off: On
Stretch marks: No

10 week ultrasound.  The dancing teddy bear!
Amazing how much it grows in 2 weeks. 1.25"!

Learnings from the week: I have a handful of books I've been reading since even before our transfer.  I think this is my favorite so far.  Instead of most pregnancy books, which go month by month, this one gives you a small, short chapter to read each week.  Both Hubby and I read the current week each week and I think we're both enjoying the book a lot.
Final Thoughts: I've been noticing my nails and hair have been growing so strong and fast.  I'm not sure if it's pregnancy related, or all the vitamins I'm taking (Calcium, Prenatal, Fish Oil, Folic Acid).  I literally have to pluck my eyebrows more often too.  And my nails NEVER break anymore - I have to cut them almost every two weeks!  This is the first week my belly has felt a little more "protrude-y" than I've ever noticed before.  There's definitely a small pooch there which I just can't suck in.  Been slowly telling a few more friends and a coworker too.  I read somewhere that the chance of miscarriage drops to 3% after a 10 week ultrasound so I'm feeling really comfortable sharing the news with some of my closer friends.  And now they know I'm not just getting fat from being lazy too!!!

Week 9

It's with great caution that I say - I think the morning sickness has caught up with me.  OK, the reason I say that with caution is that really... it's NOT THAT BAD at all and I'm worried that once I think/accept that what I'm feeling is morning sickness, it will really come on with gusto.  Kinda like "oh you thought THAT was morning sickness??!!  Bwahahaha!!  I'll show you morning sickness!!"  I'd say it's a little more like sporadic indigestion right now than feeling very nauseous.  And I only threw up once - but that was super random (gagged on my vitamins one morning which just caused a chain reaction in my body and up-chucked the water I'd just drunk while brushing my teeth.)  Ahh, fun times.

I have a tummy ache...

Really, if this is as bad as it gets then I'll be THRILLED!  3-4 more weeks left in my first trimester, if I can get through that with this level of "off-feeling" then I'd deem this pregnancy hugely successful in terms of how I've felt.  I have also been continuing the acupuncture.  Twice a week right now (until week 12) and it's very possible that this is helping too.

How far along: 9 weeks
What did baby do this week: Baby is the size of a large grape or cherry!  About 1 inch from crown to rump.  The embryonic tail is starting to disappear.  All of baby's joints are working - it can make a fist and may even begin to suck its own thumb.  The kidney, liver, brain and lungs are all beginning to function.  Baby has fully developed eyes but they won't open until about week 27.
Total weight gain: 4.2 pounds
Symptoms: Continued slight/faint cramping.  I think my aereolas are a little larger, but not much darker and my breasts seem about the same size.  I felt more queasy this past week.  It’s not bad at all and is not present every day or all day.  It seems to be the worst in the mornings but once I eat some breakfast I usually feel better.  Getting to work hasn't been a problem (I'm thankful that I have the option to work from home occasionally) though when I'm in the office, I find myself rolling in a little later.  It's harder to get out of bed and then I MUST feed myself some breakfast before I leave, so getting out the door is challenging.
Sleep: I seem to be sleeping a little better than I was in previous weeks - in terms of falling asleep and being able to go back to sleep after waking up.  But the 3-4 trips to the bathroom at night are just as awesome as they sound!
Best moment this week: It was a pretty low-key week.  I've definitely had some food cravings and aversions though and can't believe I'm about to say: the best moment of the week might have been the McDonald's cheeseburger I had for lunch on Saturday.  Sad, but true.  In an odd way, the slight queasiness I've been feeling is a "wonderful" development too, because it means Baby is growing and thriving!
Hardest part of the week: Dealing with my ever-so-slight queasiness.  No really, it’s not THAT bad at all.  But it’s maybe the worst thing that’s happened to me all week, so it’s still worth mentioning.  So far this is NOTHING like I was expecting.  I mentioned last week that I felt more nauseous on Day 2 of a Birth Control Pill pack than I’ve felt during pregnancy so far and that is still absolutely accurate.
Looking forward to: Our Week 10 ultrasound (next Wed).  It will mark the end of our time with Dr. A (which is sad, but still an achievement!) and should also mark the end of all my medications!!!  I CANNOT WAIT for the progesterone shots to end.  I have no idea how some ladies put up with this nightly (we're doing them every other night) for a full 10 or so weeks.  By the time we're done it will have been about 7 weeks with only the first 3 weeks at nightly.  And oh, man...my bootie!!!

Movement: Yes, lots - but I won't be feeling it for another 8-10 weeks...
Food cravings: Sandwiches.  I think it has something to do with the pickles and “sour” flavors.  I was dying for a McDonald’s cheeseburger this past weekend.  Hubby was awesome and ran to pick it up for me.  That’s the first time I’ve been more excited about the McDonald’s burger than the fries!  I’ve also been CRAVING deli sandwiches, but am also aware of the listeria risk and that whole “don’t eat deli turkey” mantra.  So I didn’t; I ate roast beef...and then I found this.  Man, these rules on what not to do are confusing.  I kept reading to avoid deli turkey (and sprouts, and unpasteurized cheeses) in order to avoid listeria.  But I suppose it's all deli meats...  Oh well, the chance of risk is very low.
Happy or moody: Not noticing any change.  Just a little more emotional, as I've mentioned before. *sniff*
Labor signs: No
Maternity clothes: No, but might need some bigger pants soon...
Belly button in or out: In
Wedding rings on or off: On
Stretch marks: No
Learnings from the week: Finding an OB is hard.  Especially when your RE is AMAZING.  I’ve been asking around (while trying not to give away that I’m pregnant - a tricky task) and reading reviews and even asking Dr. A’s opinion, but it’s not easy.
On a separate, different doctor topic: I have a dentist appointment this afternoon and Dr. A said there's no problem with getting my teeth cleaned.  I should just skip the X-rays this time around.
Final Thoughts: Hubbies can really show their true colors during your pregnancy.  Fortunately for me, mine has been AWESOME!  He works so hard, and such long hours during the week (and sometimes weekends) and yet has been super helpful at home too - doing things I just don't have the energy to do.  Running errands (yes, even to go pick up more progesterone and needles from the pharmacy!), getting me food, fixing things around the house, doing laundry and dishes.  I think he'd even start cooking if I was more willing to eat what he'd make - with my weird food aversions it can be a little challenging to accept someone's offer to cook for you.  He really deserves some props.  I hope you have a super helpful hubby too!  They're worth their weight in gold.  :)

Week 8

This past week might have been the most low-key for me of any week since I've been pregnant.  Like the newness/excitingness is not QUITE as front and center and now pregnancy is just a constant.  Each day I wake up to see if there are new developments or changes and for the most part I really haven't seen anything drastic.  I'd say the one thing I keep waiting for (dreading) is the always talked about, and never pleasant: Morning Sickness.  I keep waiting to feel nauseous and queasy and just awful - but I haven't really.  Just a faintness in the mornings which goes away for the most part, after I get up, eat and get moving.  It'd be great if this was as bad as it gets for me!  But I'm still skeptical...  Guess I'm kinda waiting for the other shoe to drop!

However, this past weekend I'm very happy to have so far avoided feeling crappy since we were not home.  We spent the weekend plus 2 days with family, which included a 1.5-2 hour flight.  I was most worried about the flight, since I have a tendency towards motion sickness even when I'm NOT pregnant!  But I had barf bags, water, snacks galore (including two kinds of candied ginger!) and felt so great I didn't need any of it - I mean other than the snacks and water when I got hungry...  Lucky!!  I think the air in the cabin that you can make blow directly on you, and the fact that they keep the planes nicely air conditioned while flying - helps A LOT.  I've found that I feel more queasy when I'm warm and not really when I'm cool.

How far along: 8 weeks and 1 day!
What did baby do this week: Baby is now the size of a raspberry, pinto bean or gummy bear.  We had our 8 week ultrasound this morning, so I know that baby is exactly .63 inches long from crown to rump and is growing about a millimeter a day!  We got to hear the heartbeat (!!) which is beating 170 bpm - exactly what they want for this gestational age.  It is beginning to look more human-like.  The fingers and toes are only slightly webbed now and even though I can't feel it, the baby should be moving around a lot!  Baby's tail is just about gone and while gender was established at the time of conception, this week is when the baby's reproductive organs will become either testes or ovaries.  A tiny tongue is growing inside the small mouth and developing taste-buds!
Total weight gain: 3.8 pounds
Symptoms: Some very faint cramping on and off during the week.  The breast pain/soreness I felt last week (for maybe 1-2 days) has disappeared.  I might be noticing my areolas getting a bit larger, but it's not extremely obvious.  I'm just looking for changes since I expected to see changes in my breasts by now.  The last couple weeks I've been very aware of my raised heart rate (which is normal - with so much extra blood volume flowing through my body).  I especially notice it when talking to people in animated conversations.  I almost find myself out of breath sometimes - which has never happened before.  I definitely get more worn out faster - like I was strolling around the mall recently and found that I wanted to sit and rest a little - another something I'd never have needed to do when not pregnant.  But I don't seem to be as sleepy as I was a few weeks ago - a little more tired, but not sleepy.  I suppose it could also be from cutting back on the progesterone shots (been doing every other night for the past 2 weeks instead of nightly).

Queasy or sick: Like I mentioned above, EVER SO FAINTLY in the mornings.  And usually it goes away after I get up, eat and just get moving.  But it can be a little hard to get up.  And I've noticed that my vitamins are not as easy to swallow.  I've gagged on them more than once in the last week.  However, it's so NOT bad.  Like Day 2 of a birth control pill pack makes me feel way more queasy than this!
Sleep: Sleep is okay other than waking up to pee all night long.  It seems to be like clockwork: 1am hour, 4am hour, 7am hour (then usually go back to sleep for just a bit before getting up).
Best moment this week: Getting through our flights/travel without me feeling bad or losing my cookies!  Plus I think I successfully tricked all the family we saw - I don't think anyone would have guessed I was pregnant.
And of course our 8 week ultrasound this morning!  AMAZING to hear the baby's heartbeat - beating so fast!  And to see the difference in growth over just 2 weeks.  The heart was prominently beating - very easy to see.  In our 6 week, we had to strain a little (and I had to hold my breath so the image wouldn't move around too much) to see the heartbeat.  But today - just beating away so sure and strong.  Incredible!  Baby is right on schedule and growing exactly like Dr. A wants to see.  WHEW!!!
Hardest part of the week: Not really HARD, but I was nervous again waiting for our 8 week ultrasound.  Not AS nervous as I was for that 6 week one (OMG I almost lost it then...)  But I did feel a lot more at peace knowing we'd already seen the heartbeat.
Also, sometimes it's hard thinking up what I want to eat for meals.  And while I usually love cooking, I just don't feel like it.  Not sure if it's because things don't sound as good or whether I'm just a little pooped, but I think takeout is soon to become my BFF.
Looking forward to: Just relaxing over the next couple weeks.  Usually my schedule is packed full but I've been keeping it pretty light (not knowing how I'll be feeling) and I'm glad for that.  After our travel plans this past weekend it'll be great to just lay low and hang out with Hubby this coming weekend.

Movement: Baby is moving - but I won't feel it for probably another 8-10 weeks.
Food cravings: Nothing specific, though savory food sounds awful in the morning but tastes fine in the afternoon or evening.  I tend to start my day eating blandly and graduating to more rich foods by the evening.  But various things definitely don't sound as good to me as they typically would.  I've heard that pickled foods help with nausea and I did notice that a pickle I ate on the plane a couple days ago was really very satisfying.  I noticed myself catching the scent of pickles/pickled peppers when we were at an event this weekend and it smelled SO GOOD too!  Haha!
Happy or moody: Maybe neither - but definitely more emotional.  Sometimes I get choked up at ridiculous things on TV, but for the most part, I've managed to hold it together and not become a slobbering idiot.
Labor signs: No
Maternity clothes: Clothes are getting a little tighter as I feel a bit more bloated, but no new clothes yet.
Belly button in or out: In
Wedding rings on or off: On
Stretch marks: No

Baby is a lot bigger at our 8 week ultrasound!
(compared to 6 weeks) .63" long!

Learnings from the week: I've enjoyed playing around with the Baby Name Voyager tool for YEARS, checking out the popularity of names I'd think up.  But now that we really do have the responsibility of naming a person, this book is the best organized I've found.  Most name books are set up like a dictionary: with A's in the beginning, Z's in the end and tens-of-thousands of names in-between.  Not helpful if you ask me.  This book puts some logic to the name selection process and provides lists of "similar style" names.  My favorite part is looking up a name and then checking what the "sister and brother names" are.  I've been shocked to find that many names we like are on sibling lists for each other!!
Final Thoughts: At least for me - with my ever-so-slight level of nausea, it's good to force myself to get up and do things.  I always feel better once I'm dressed and out in the world and distracted.  Just sitting on the couch all day makes me notice the "ugh" feeling perhaps a little more so.  But now, if the nausea gets worse I'm not sure I could force myself to get up and at-em!

Week 7

WHEW!!!!  What a relief!!  I seriously have never been so nervous for an appointment with Dr. A, or really any doctor ever.  EVER!  And to then hear her say the words "your little baby is growing nicely.  It's right where we want it to be and we can even see the heartbeat," made EVERYTHING right in my world.  Waiting a week and a half (since my 3rd hCG beta test) to know if our little baby was doing okay and growing as it should be, was so, so hard.  I know I said in my Week 6 post that waiting for the pregnancy test is the hardest wait, but I'm not so sure now.

The anxiety was just excruciating and I thought I was gonna lose my sh*t as we sat in the waiting room - but it's no different for women who conceive naturally.  In fact, the wait for them is even worse since it's typically not until 8-10 weeks and many of them don't have the hCG tests, PGS/chromosomal screening to feel more confident.  We had excellently climbing hCG numbers from a week and a half prior and most importantly: a perfectly graded (5AA) and chromosomally normal embryo.  We kind of had nothing to worry about and yet I was about to lose my mind.  Man, I feel for those ladies...
How far along: 7 weeks today!
What did baby do this week: Baby is the size of a blueberry or cranberry.  It's about 1/2 inch long from crown to rump and has doubled in size since last week.  The arm and leg buds have grown longer and are beginning to segment into future fingers and toes.  Baby has eyelid folds which are partially covering its eyes (which already have some color!), the tip of its tiny nose is forming and so are little tooth buds.  Baby has an appendix and pancreas.
Total weight gain: 1.6 pounds
Symptoms: The usual fatigue, thirst, hunger and needing to pee so much at night.  Some faint, occasional cramping too but not daily.  My boobs started hurting over the weekend - leaning over or lying on my side in bed. Mostly just my nipples - almost like a stinging feeling.  And only occasionally, it kinda comes and goes from day to day.  No spotting at all - little of that “black pepper” looking stuff Fri-early this week, which Dr. A said was a side effect of the progesterone and totally normal.  Speaking of progesterone, after our ultrasound last week (6w exactly) we got the okay to move to doing the shots every other night instead of daily (still doing twice daily Crinone applicators).  We checked my levels after switching to every-other-night and it was at 42.4 ng/mL, which is just great.  Thank GOD!!  After about 3 weeks of nightly shots, the spot on my butt where Hubby gives the shots has been getting more painful/irritated/lumpy/itchy.  I can't wait to be done with these - but anything for Baby!

Queasy or sick: Absolutely nothing until about Sunday and then it was extremely faint.  I've started to notice a VERY slight queasy feeling mostly in the mornings the last few days.  I hope it's not a sign of things to come.  Usually it goes away after I eat or as I carry on with my day.  But I also noticed it while driving home from work yesterday.
Sleep: I wake up a lot - mostly needing to pee.  Probably on average about 3-4 times overnight.  Fortunately I can usually fall back asleep without a problem.
Best moment this week: Seeing our tiny baby at our first ultrasound and watching its heart flicker.  There are two hearts beating inside me now! (not twins, Silly.  You know - counting my own!)  The other great moment was telling my parents which we did Monday night over dinner.  Even though I've told a handful of good girlfriends, telling my parents was a little scary for me.  I think because it's still so early and they would have the most to lose (after us, of course) if anything went wrong.  My friends would be sad, but it would't be a personal loss for them like it'd be for my parents.  So I was nervous about opening them up to that vulnerability.  But we are hopeful that the possibility is so low, it's something we just won't have to worry about.  We'll tell Hubby's parents when the coast is a bit more clear, but I wanted my mom to know - and she and my dad have no secrets so... :)

Hardest part of the week: Just being nervous about an upcoming trip we have this weekend.  We'll be flying - a short flight, but a flight all the same and I'm so worried that my queasiness will hit me all of a sudden just before the trip.  UGH.  I'm stock-piling ginger candy and crackers and snacks and anything I can think of that might help if I'm feeling bad.  Dr. A said there's no problem flying, just don't carry heavy luggage (thank goodness for Hubby!) and avoid the X-Ray machine.  The metal detector is okay.
Looking forward to: That next darn ultrasound!  It's still over a week away.  They're 2 weeks apart right now and I get so worried in between that something might not be right.  I know this is typical for ALL pregnant women, so at least I'm not alone.  But it's still a very uncomfortable feeling.

Our tiny baby at our 6 week ultrasound! 1/4" long!

Movement: Of course not.
Food cravings: Not really, though I tend to be craving more "basic" foods and less fancy/rich foods.  And not really craving so much as rich foods just don't sound good.  I haven't had food aversions, but sometimes it's hard to think of something that sounds good to eat, which I've never had a problem with before.
Happy or moody: Don't seem to be either, really.  Feel pretty consistent.
Labor signs: Newp
Maternity clothes: Newp - tho I did order some from the Gap since I had a 40% off coupon that was about to expire!
Belly button in or out: In
Wedding rings on or off: On
Stretch marks: No
Learnings from the week: I probably won't use it until after our 10 week ultrasound JUST to be sure, but a girlfriend told me about Knocked Up Nails and I ordered a couple colors.  I can't vouch for it yet, but have read that while it should have fewer chemicals - it doesn't mean it is odorless (some people complain that it still has a strong smell).
Final Thoughts: We got the okay to have sex, after our great looking 6 week ultrasound.  But now that we got the okay, I kinda don't want to.  I mean - I'm not really feeling like it plus it makes me nervous overall.  I've been polling some girlfriends who said they didn't at all during the first trimester and in the second and third, not a lot.  Maybe I don't feel so bad for feeling like this, then.  But poor Hubby...!