By the way - I saw this story on the Today Show this week and think it's really great of her to share her story. Not to mention, it makes me feel SUPER fortunate for the luck we had with IVF. So fortunate. So blessed. So lucky. I really try not to take this for granted in any way. But I can't help but notice that her 2nd retrieval was in June and now it's August...maybe she had good luck and she's pregnant? That'd be a great happy ending.
How far along: 16 weeks exactly
What did baby do this week: Baby is the size of an avocado or starfruit and a little over 4.5 inches from crown to rump. The most exciting thing I read about this week is that tiny bones are forming in Baby's ears so s/he can start to hear what we're saying this week!! A lot of folks can find out their baby's gender around this time through an ultrasound. The muscles in Baby's neck are also getting stronger and they can hold their head up a bit more erect. The eyes and ears have moved closer to their final positions as well. At this point, the baby's heart is pumping 25 quarts of blood each day and this amount will continue to increase!
Total weight gain: 10 pounds
Symptoms: Not too many. An occasional tingly/stinging in my breasts, but not very significant. I've noticed my clothes are a bit tighter around my chest, but I think that might be from overall weight gain all around and not necessarily my breasts getting a lot larger. I'm still in the same cup size. I was boasting last week how I haven't had very many of the common pregnancy symptoms so Mother Nature decided to wave her finger at me: I'm pretty certain I had my first case of heartburn on Saturday night. I was lying in bed and felt a little bit of indigestion; ALMOST a queasy feeling but not like the queasiness I've had before. It was higher up than my belly so I figured it was likely heartburn. Hubby had me sit up and lean back on the pillows, which helped, but finally I decided to take a couple Tums since it was getting late and I needed to go to sleep. The Tums seemed to help it almost immediately!
Queasy or Sick: Not really actually. Woohoo!!
Sleep: I've been sleeping pretty well. Probably about how I did before pregnancy (it takes Hubby about 7 seconds to fall asleep each night which always makes me feel like I'm lying there for a while, but this is how it's always been!) I have tried to start sleeping on my side a little more, but if it doesn't happen, I don't stress out. And last night I think I only got up to pee once!!! Yay! I tend to get pretty sleepy in the afternoons, but I try not to nap (thinking it'll help me sleep better at night) however I'm not sure it DOES help me sleep easier later (like I mentioned, I still lie there for a while sometimes) so maybe I should just give in to the naps!
Best moment this week: Sorry if this is TMI (I have a feeling you wouldn’t still be reading if you were at all squeamish since I pretty much call it all like it is...) but Hubby and I finally had sex! That’s right...3.5 months without. I just didn’t feel like it in the first trimester. For a couple reasons: 1) I was nervous (had no reason to be nervous, and Dr. A has said it was fine 10 weeks ago, but everything had been going so well I was worried about uterine contractions and spotting) and 2) I didn’t really feel like it. I had some level of general queasiness each morning and by nighttime I was always full and slightly uncomfortable even if I hadn't eaten a lot. And I just didn't feel great overall. Now I can't promise we'll be back to our normal rate - but in a way it was nice to have sex and discover that NO I did not have any noticeable uterine contractions nor any spotting. It was generally all good. A funny adjective to describe it but I feel - relieved. :)
Hardest part of the week: I guess the same thing I've been complaining about: just worrying about how the baby is and having NO CLUE. I have no reason to believe anything is wrong, but since I haven't seen Baby on ultrasound or heard its heartbeat in 3 weeks I'm getting very anxious. I'll be happy to see my OB next week. These "every-4-week" appointments are going to take some getting used to after coming from the care of an RE (Dr. A!)
Looking forward to: See above - my OB appointment next week! We also have a couple trips coming up next month that I'm looking forward to. A weekend away with Hubby (to celebrate his birthday!!) and our Babymoon!!! We're going to Oahu for a week!! Neither of us have ever been! I thought it was a great option - not too ridiculously long of a flight (like an international trip would be) and while it will feel like "paradise" it's still the US, with US medical facilities and food safety regulations. :)
Movement: So everything I read says this is the week I *could* notice some movement from Baby. However for most ladies it's 18-20 weeks. Therefore, it could VERY LIKELY be my imagination but I feel like I’ve noticed some ever so slight activity in my belly that I'm not so certain is upset tummy. It's not very frequent - only when I'm lying down and very still/relaxed. It’s not what I’d call “feeling movement” yet, but almost like a slight vibration or “force”. Hmm, maybe Baby will be a Jedi...
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| "Perhaps, the force is strong with this one too..." |
Happy or moody: Happy! Lots to look forward to right now!
Labor signs: No
Maternity clothes: I literally cannot fit into any of my pre-pregnancy pants but I haven't yet found maternity pants to replace certain pairs, so because of that I'm wearing mostly dresses (non-maternity). But I also have been wearing my pre-preggo pants with this guy around the top and my pants underneath are FULLY undone. I mean no hair-tie connecting the button to the hole and zipper fully open. CLASS-Y! But that's what the band is for and it's getting me through the day. Dresses are definitely more comfortable, but I'm running low!
Belly button in or out: In
Wedding rings on or off: On
Stretch marks: Nothing yet. I'm religiously putting on the Clarin's oil I mentioned in Week 11. I'm almost done with that first bottle so it's seeming like I'll need about 5-6 bottles to get through my pregnancy. It's NOT CHEAP, so I hope it's worth it! I sometimes skip a night if I don't shower that day (usually my working from home days). But I put it on my belly, breasts and butt so I'm probably using more than your average person.
Learnings from the week: With maternity clothes needs on the very near horizon I've been trying to figure out the best places to get some affordable clothing. I don't see any reason to spend gobs of money on maternity clothes since they will only be worn for a pretty small period of time. I haven't necessarily ordered from all of these sites, but they're on my radar:
Old Navy (my local Old Navy has a small section too)
Gap (my local Gap has a small section too)
Destination Maternity (world's largest maternity designer/retailer, some local stores too)
Pink Blush Maternity (also on Amazon and sometimes zulily)
Loft Maternity (I've seen some maternity items in local stores, but not many)
Isabella Oliver (NOT cheap, but nice stuff - also at Nordstrom online)
Japanese Weekend (NOT cheap, but nice stuff - also on Amazon and at Nordstrom online)
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