Tue - June 15, 2004
visits, doulas and moving(?)
Well, about a week ago we said goodbye to my parents,
who visited us on either side of their college reunion. We were also joined by
my grandpa and his wife. It was great to spend time with everyone and show
people around Northampton - a town we're really falling in love with. My
parents brought us some hawaiian treats, including a hawaiian print maternity
shirt, and some macadamia nut waffle mix, which we've now tried, along with the
coconut syrup...yum. Thanks
Mom&Dad!
Last weekend Gary and I went mattress shopping for a 2nd time... looking for just the right mattress :) The tempurpedics are so comfy and tempting, but a big unknown... looking at the epinions , people either love 'em or hate 'em. I'm getting less comfortable sleeping on the futon at night, and pretty soon should stop sleeping on my back, which is the most comfortable way to sleep on the futon (for me anyway!). We may wait until we decide on our apartment situation, though...
Sunday we went to a "Meet the Doula" festival, and we actually chatted with a few doulas, and spent a long time talking to a young woman who was just certified as a Bradley instructor, and is the only one in the area. We talked to her about our concerns about Bradley, and she was really open and thoughtful and put us at ease. I actually felt more comfortable with her than with the doulas we talked to. Anyway, she's running a course from early September through mid-November, so I think we're going to do that.
The first doula we talked to was really more into talking about her integrative body work, and how it would help prepare for pregnancy and help out afterwards. She sounded pretty friendly and confident, but I'm not sure I could be comfortable with someone significantly more new-agey than me. The next one was helpful, but seemed a little stiff - we found out she's only been a doula since March, so maybe she hasn't warmed up yet to marketing her services. The third was tough to start a conversation with, and painful to keep going, so we just exchanged a few back-and-forths, picked up her brochure, thanked her and left. Then there was a panel discussion with three other doulas, and the new one we talked to second. I was more impressed with the ones we hadn't talked to - they sounded more experienced, calm and all with good senses of humor. So maybe we'll give one of them a call... they said they like to hear from people when the pregnancy's between 20 and 28 weeks, so we'll maybe call around a little early. One thing that was very reassuring to hear was that the doulas all said that Cooley-Dickinson Hospital is a great place to give birth - and that the nurses there are really excellent. So in a way, our OB may be right that we don't need a doula...but I still think I'll feel more secure to have someone to stay with us through labor and help us make the best choices, based on her experience (since we know nothing about this delivering babies stuff!).
Moving... so we are getting the rental housing people to do a little to cut down on the smoke transmittal from the apartment below us... and they are also offering us another unit. It would be a little farther away from work for Gary (a 15 minute walk), and the unit is not nearly as pretty as ours... but it would obviously be temporary! Our downstairs neighbors are unfortunately going away again for three weeks on Thursday, and the smoke-related improvements won't be done yet, so we won't have any way of knowing how well they work until around the time we would have to move into the other apartment... don't know what to do at this stage... I put up a poll on one of my message boards and got a 26-to-2 vote for moving. Not to mention our doctor recommends it. Still, it's tempting to be hopeful about the smoke measures working, and not having to move...
Other than that... I'm still sitting around waiting impatiently for the baby to start kicking! I've talked to a number of women online who say week 16 was it for them. Ok, some others said week 22, but I can hope, right?
Last weekend Gary and I went mattress shopping for a 2nd time... looking for just the right mattress :) The tempurpedics are so comfy and tempting, but a big unknown... looking at the epinions , people either love 'em or hate 'em. I'm getting less comfortable sleeping on the futon at night, and pretty soon should stop sleeping on my back, which is the most comfortable way to sleep on the futon (for me anyway!). We may wait until we decide on our apartment situation, though...
Sunday we went to a "Meet the Doula" festival, and we actually chatted with a few doulas, and spent a long time talking to a young woman who was just certified as a Bradley instructor, and is the only one in the area. We talked to her about our concerns about Bradley, and she was really open and thoughtful and put us at ease. I actually felt more comfortable with her than with the doulas we talked to. Anyway, she's running a course from early September through mid-November, so I think we're going to do that.
The first doula we talked to was really more into talking about her integrative body work, and how it would help prepare for pregnancy and help out afterwards. She sounded pretty friendly and confident, but I'm not sure I could be comfortable with someone significantly more new-agey than me. The next one was helpful, but seemed a little stiff - we found out she's only been a doula since March, so maybe she hasn't warmed up yet to marketing her services. The third was tough to start a conversation with, and painful to keep going, so we just exchanged a few back-and-forths, picked up her brochure, thanked her and left. Then there was a panel discussion with three other doulas, and the new one we talked to second. I was more impressed with the ones we hadn't talked to - they sounded more experienced, calm and all with good senses of humor. So maybe we'll give one of them a call... they said they like to hear from people when the pregnancy's between 20 and 28 weeks, so we'll maybe call around a little early. One thing that was very reassuring to hear was that the doulas all said that Cooley-Dickinson Hospital is a great place to give birth - and that the nurses there are really excellent. So in a way, our OB may be right that we don't need a doula...but I still think I'll feel more secure to have someone to stay with us through labor and help us make the best choices, based on her experience (since we know nothing about this delivering babies stuff!).
Moving... so we are getting the rental housing people to do a little to cut down on the smoke transmittal from the apartment below us... and they are also offering us another unit. It would be a little farther away from work for Gary (a 15 minute walk), and the unit is not nearly as pretty as ours... but it would obviously be temporary! Our downstairs neighbors are unfortunately going away again for three weeks on Thursday, and the smoke-related improvements won't be done yet, so we won't have any way of knowing how well they work until around the time we would have to move into the other apartment... don't know what to do at this stage... I put up a poll on one of my message boards and got a 26-to-2 vote for moving. Not to mention our doctor recommends it. Still, it's tempting to be hopeful about the smoke measures working, and not having to move...
Other than that... I'm still sitting around waiting impatiently for the baby to start kicking! I've talked to a number of women online who say week 16 was it for them. Ok, some others said week 22, but I can hope, right?
Posted at 09:51 PM Read More
Fri - June 4, 2004
1st normal OB appointment
On Tuesday 6/1 I saw my regular OB for the first time
- the one I'll be seeing through to the birth. She's in a group practice with a
few other female OBs, and they share on-call duty at the hospital with another
group practice... so I think there are 6 or so OBs who could be the one there
for the delivery.
a repost from the boards....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
her asst. was really friendly, but i wasn't quite as comfortable with the OB. still, i think she'll be fine.
i got the 20 questions, and gary and i asked her our questions. she also told us some about pre-natal screening, and it was only after we asked her some questions about it that she said she wasn't advising for or against, just giving us information.
we said we were planning to hire a doula, and asked if she and her colleagues in the group practice were comfortable with working with doulas. at first she sounded really positive, said they'd all worked with doulas before and it was just fine. we had felt encouraged because there were flyers for a doula network festival in the waiting room. but then she started saying that we really didn't need one - that the l&d nurses at the hospital are just great and that getting a doula is like having a belt and suspenders on at once. she also said the main purpose of a doula is to give the father a break so he can take a nap, get some coffee, and not feel guilty about leaving the mom. whatever...
we also said we were interested in natural childbirth classes, and did she know of any good ones in the area? she said - it all depends what you mean by "natural" - all the classes teach techniques for a "natural" birth. she recommended we take the hospital's standard childbirth class and that we look into their hypnobirthing class as well. i think we might find a private class and just take a free tour of the hospital.
she did tell me to stop taking the low-dose aspirin the MF specialist told me to take because of my high blood pressure. from what we both understood - the most important time to take it was the 1st trimester as the placenta was forming... now it's formed, and we should be off to a good start! baby's heartbeat was just fine yesterday i asked her to show me how to feel my uterus... and i still can't entirely be sure i feel where it starts and ends... but it's in the right place.
oh, and my blood pressure's been stellar for the last month less to worry about!
...
oh yeah, and she said no soft cheese, not even pasteurized. grrrrr. in the pre-natal info she gave me there was a handout that said the same thing, and a book from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists that said only non-pasteurized was a problem
so i guess i'll avoid it if i can, but won't start treating it like a food allergy....
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
a repost from the boards....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
her asst. was really friendly, but i wasn't quite as comfortable with the OB. still, i think she'll be fine.
i got the 20 questions, and gary and i asked her our questions. she also told us some about pre-natal screening, and it was only after we asked her some questions about it that she said she wasn't advising for or against, just giving us information.
we said we were planning to hire a doula, and asked if she and her colleagues in the group practice were comfortable with working with doulas. at first she sounded really positive, said they'd all worked with doulas before and it was just fine. we had felt encouraged because there were flyers for a doula network festival in the waiting room. but then she started saying that we really didn't need one - that the l&d nurses at the hospital are just great and that getting a doula is like having a belt and suspenders on at once. she also said the main purpose of a doula is to give the father a break so he can take a nap, get some coffee, and not feel guilty about leaving the mom. whatever...
we also said we were interested in natural childbirth classes, and did she know of any good ones in the area? she said - it all depends what you mean by "natural" - all the classes teach techniques for a "natural" birth. she recommended we take the hospital's standard childbirth class and that we look into their hypnobirthing class as well. i think we might find a private class and just take a free tour of the hospital.
she did tell me to stop taking the low-dose aspirin the MF specialist told me to take because of my high blood pressure. from what we both understood - the most important time to take it was the 1st trimester as the placenta was forming... now it's formed, and we should be off to a good start! baby's heartbeat was just fine yesterday i asked her to show me how to feel my uterus... and i still can't entirely be sure i feel where it starts and ends... but it's in the right place.
oh, and my blood pressure's been stellar for the last month less to worry about!
...
oh yeah, and she said no soft cheese, not even pasteurized. grrrrr. in the pre-natal info she gave me there was a handout that said the same thing, and a book from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists that said only non-pasteurized was a problem
so i guess i'll avoid it if i can, but won't start treating it like a food allergy....
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted at 08:57 AM Read More
Mon - May 17, 2004
starting the second trimester!
Today's a whirlwind - I'm trying to get a lot of
grading done, pack up whatever I can, and clean the apartment.... not to mention
say goodbye to my Carlisle friends... We're planning to go out for Indian
tonight - to what's supposedly the best Indian restaurant in Harrisburg.
Yum.
I'm somewhat packed - I've been trying to empty out the cabinets and shelves in the apt. so at least everything is out in the open. Consequently, it looks like a mess, and is a little stressful! My office stuff seems to be packing smaller than I'd expected, at least. Maybe I will be able to bring my plants after all.
Pregnancy-wise, I'm feeling pretty good - having about one day/week of feeling morning sickness, but it doesn't last as long as it used to. I'm having trouble getting enough sleep...I seem to wake up after 7 hours. For the past few days I've been living in my new maternity shorts that my grandmother bought me when I visited last week. It's been in the 80s here, and my shorts from last summer don't really fit any more (could be the weight I gained last fall, though!). She also got me a tank top and a long-sleeve linen shirt from Motherhood/Maternity. Here's the tank top - it's so cute! Note: that's not me wearing it, that's the model from the company's website. Too bad!
Anyway, next time I post it'll be from Massachusetts where I'll be shacked up with my husband of almost one year!
I'm somewhat packed - I've been trying to empty out the cabinets and shelves in the apt. so at least everything is out in the open. Consequently, it looks like a mess, and is a little stressful! My office stuff seems to be packing smaller than I'd expected, at least. Maybe I will be able to bring my plants after all.
Pregnancy-wise, I'm feeling pretty good - having about one day/week of feeling morning sickness, but it doesn't last as long as it used to. I'm having trouble getting enough sleep...I seem to wake up after 7 hours. For the past few days I've been living in my new maternity shorts that my grandmother bought me when I visited last week. It's been in the 80s here, and my shorts from last summer don't really fit any more (could be the weight I gained last fall, though!). She also got me a tank top and a long-sleeve linen shirt from Motherhood/Maternity. Here's the tank top - it's so cute! Note: that's not me wearing it, that's the model from the company's website. Too bad!
Anyway, next time I post it'll be from Massachusetts where I'll be shacked up with my husband of almost one year!
Posted at 02:35 PM Read More
Sat
- May 8, 2004
Second OB appointment
Thursday night I picked Gary up at the train station
in Philadelphia - he's spending a long weekend with me. Friday was my last day
of class, and also the day of my second appointment with the DO (a.k.a. the
high-risk OB). Gary came with me, and he was allowed into the examining room
where they did an ultrasound. This time they could use the transducer right on
my belly.
It really looked like a baby this time! We saw the little baby moving its arms, and could see the heartbeat really moving. I think it was 166bpm. Bit is now 3.9cm - measuring right on track, good heartbeat, and my blood pressure has gone down. The doctor said that every pregnant woman's blood pressure goes down around this time - so it doesn't mean mine is going to be normal the whole time, but it does mean that my body is responding correctly to the hormones now, which makes my odds better for the future. He also said that this is the critical stage when the placenta is being built, so it's developing under good conditions which will keep things healthier for the rest of the pregnancy.
Picture time!
Compare the pictures below of our two ultrasounds - one at 6.5 weeks, the other at 10.5.
It really looked like a baby this time! We saw the little baby moving its arms, and could see the heartbeat really moving. I think it was 166bpm. Bit is now 3.9cm - measuring right on track, good heartbeat, and my blood pressure has gone down. The doctor said that every pregnant woman's blood pressure goes down around this time - so it doesn't mean mine is going to be normal the whole time, but it does mean that my body is responding correctly to the hormones now, which makes my odds better for the future. He also said that this is the critical stage when the placenta is being built, so it's developing under good conditions which will keep things healthier for the rest of the pregnancy.
Picture time!
Compare the pictures below of our two ultrasounds - one at 6.5 weeks, the other at 10.5.
Posted at 12:11 PM Read More
Fri - April 30, 2004
Feeling better!
This week has been a big improvement in my morning
sickness. I still feel it a bit, but it's manageable and doesn't interfere as
much with my concentration. I've been able to get a lot more work done this
week, which is good, because I need to catch
up!
The bad news is that now my hands are hurting. Well, just my right hand. But it's hurting worse than it's hurt in over a year now. So I think I'd better avoid the computer for a while, just catch up on grading. At least there's just one more week of class now... then the two finals, and then just a whole lot of grading!
I called the Northampton endocrinologist and left a message yesterday, but haven't heard back. I suppose I should try them again this afternoon. I hate this part.
I went for a nice long walk this morning - I've been getting in some good long walks - not every day, but a lot. Seems to help with the morning sickness, and I certainly feel better for it. It's also nice to enjoy spring coming to Carlisle - the daffodils are gone already, the tulips in the shade of trees are still around. The dogwoods are gorgeous, and there are so many trees which have produced leaves like crazy in the last couple weeks. Something smelled like peppermint on my walk this morning. The one sad part is that there's a tiny stretch on my street, just a few doors down, that was a brick sidewalk. Now they've torn it up, and today were pouring concrete in. Thought it was a nice little bit of character... and no one walks there anyway, except me and a few dog owners and kids going to school. It's just in a residential area.
Ok, signing off the computer for now!
The bad news is that now my hands are hurting. Well, just my right hand. But it's hurting worse than it's hurt in over a year now. So I think I'd better avoid the computer for a while, just catch up on grading. At least there's just one more week of class now... then the two finals, and then just a whole lot of grading!
I called the Northampton endocrinologist and left a message yesterday, but haven't heard back. I suppose I should try them again this afternoon. I hate this part.
I went for a nice long walk this morning - I've been getting in some good long walks - not every day, but a lot. Seems to help with the morning sickness, and I certainly feel better for it. It's also nice to enjoy spring coming to Carlisle - the daffodils are gone already, the tulips in the shade of trees are still around. The dogwoods are gorgeous, and there are so many trees which have produced leaves like crazy in the last couple weeks. Something smelled like peppermint on my walk this morning. The one sad part is that there's a tiny stretch on my street, just a few doors down, that was a brick sidewalk. Now they've torn it up, and today were pouring concrete in. Thought it was a nice little bit of character... and no one walks there anyway, except me and a few dog owners and kids going to school. It's just in a residential area.
Ok, signing off the computer for now!
Posted at 02:19 PM Read More
Wed - April 21, 2004
it's not easy being green!
I've been feeling sick enough that my time is pretty
much filled with feeling too woozy to do anything and then snatching the good
times to do work. Still not feeling sick to the point of throwing up, but it's
amazing how distracting constant low-to-mid-grade nausea can
be.
The medical update is that my blood pressure is hanging in there... elevated, but not always in the high range. The DO told me to start taking vitamin C, E, calcium (in tums) and a low-dose aspirin. I made up a chart for all the vitamins and pills I'm taking... so I don't take too many or too few - just check off each one, each day.
The endocrinologist also wanted to reduce my dose, even though my thyroid hormone levels are dropping, and the TSH is going up. But things are still approximately in the normal range, and he said I would probably need to increase in a month or two... so I'm just going to stick on the same dose for now, and hopefully increase in a month. Tomorrow I should call around about an endocrinologist in Northampton. He said I should see someone every month during pregnancy. OK - good thing my schedule is clear.... I do have an appt. now with an OB in Northampton (actually in Florence, where Rocky Hill will be). It's exciting to think I've now got an OB who will see me through the rest of the pregnancy. I'm also looking forward to having Gary be able to come to some visits with me - the OB visits, not the endocrinology visits, although I'll probably get ultrasounds at both - but my thyroid is not as exciting to look at.
Gary and I have talked about hiring a doula (labor assistant)- they've been proven to help reduce the chances of getting a C-section or forceps/vacuum delivery. I think I will be more comfortable with a hospital birth if I have some more support - and people say it helps the father be there more for the mother rather than trying to advocate for her to the hospital staff - so I think it could be a good thing for Gary, too!
I'm still very much behind on my work - at least I'm in town this weekend, and will get some grading done - although last time I said that, I was sick both days, all day, and got only one assignment done, when I'd planned to grade three.
Last weekend with Gary was wonderful, though - lack of grading time notwithstanding. He welcomed me with tulips and bread from the new bakery with the wood-fired oven around the corner. We had some relaxing times together, even though we went to both Rocky Hill meetings that weekend. We went for ice cream Saturday night with some friends and the weather was just amazing... sat around outside talking for a long time. Sunday he let me nap at lunchtime while he ran out for more bread and made french toast - delicious stuff! Even my drive back home was easy Sunday - 6:10.
Tomorrow should be a nice day, especially if I get some work done, too. I'm going to the rock climbing wall with my friends, and then we're going out for dinner :)
The medical update is that my blood pressure is hanging in there... elevated, but not always in the high range. The DO told me to start taking vitamin C, E, calcium (in tums) and a low-dose aspirin. I made up a chart for all the vitamins and pills I'm taking... so I don't take too many or too few - just check off each one, each day.
The endocrinologist also wanted to reduce my dose, even though my thyroid hormone levels are dropping, and the TSH is going up. But things are still approximately in the normal range, and he said I would probably need to increase in a month or two... so I'm just going to stick on the same dose for now, and hopefully increase in a month. Tomorrow I should call around about an endocrinologist in Northampton. He said I should see someone every month during pregnancy. OK - good thing my schedule is clear.... I do have an appt. now with an OB in Northampton (actually in Florence, where Rocky Hill will be). It's exciting to think I've now got an OB who will see me through the rest of the pregnancy. I'm also looking forward to having Gary be able to come to some visits with me - the OB visits, not the endocrinology visits, although I'll probably get ultrasounds at both - but my thyroid is not as exciting to look at.
Gary and I have talked about hiring a doula (labor assistant)- they've been proven to help reduce the chances of getting a C-section or forceps/vacuum delivery. I think I will be more comfortable with a hospital birth if I have some more support - and people say it helps the father be there more for the mother rather than trying to advocate for her to the hospital staff - so I think it could be a good thing for Gary, too!
I'm still very much behind on my work - at least I'm in town this weekend, and will get some grading done - although last time I said that, I was sick both days, all day, and got only one assignment done, when I'd planned to grade three.
Last weekend with Gary was wonderful, though - lack of grading time notwithstanding. He welcomed me with tulips and bread from the new bakery with the wood-fired oven around the corner. We had some relaxing times together, even though we went to both Rocky Hill meetings that weekend. We went for ice cream Saturday night with some friends and the weather was just amazing... sat around outside talking for a long time. Sunday he let me nap at lunchtime while he ran out for more bread and made french toast - delicious stuff! Even my drive back home was easy Sunday - 6:10.
Tomorrow should be a nice day, especially if I get some work done, too. I'm going to the rock climbing wall with my friends, and then we're going out for dinner :)
Posted at 05:38 PM Read More
Sat
- April 10, 2004
ultrasound went great
I'm cutting and pasting here from my post to Babbling
Lives, with some edits to remove some gory detail
:)
---------------------------------------------------
First view she said was the cervix - i couldn't tell anything - but then she was imaging my uterus, and that looked pretty distinctive. inside there was a circular blob, which she said was the yolk sac, as expected at this stage. and then she imaged the baby.
i could sort of imagine that it was a baby - i think i could see which was the head end and which the tail and maybe if i really wanted to believe, arms... she took the rump to crown measurement, which came out exactly at 6 weeks 4 days like i said i was - no one has ever questioned me about my calculations, i've just been telling people the due date.
she also said she saw the fluttering of the heartbeat - and then turned on the sound. we could hear a very distinct heart beat, much faster than mine - in fact it was 122 bpm, which she said was normal for this stage of pregnancy. the heartbeat was graphed on the screen - which somehow made it even more real for my little scientific mind. she printed out my "first baby picture" as she called it... it really doesn't look like much - less than the amount of detail i saw when i saw what i thought were arms. i feel so much more confident about the pregnancy now that i've seen the heartbeat...and i feel like the little Bit has passed its first test - measuring on track, heartbeat on track... woo hoo!
then she imaged my ovaries to check for cysts. i asked if she could tell which one did the ovulating for this pregnancy. she said sometimes, but not always. she found a cyst on my right ovary, and went to go ask the doctor whether to image it further. she came back and said everything was fine, that was the corpus luteum cyst that's producing the hormones i need right now. so i guess it was the right ovary - you go girl!
I'll post about the medical stuff another time... going for a walk now - it's a nice day in Carlisle, PA!
from bartleby.com - a human embryo from 31-34 days - yesterday was 32 days by my calculations.
---------------------------------------------------
First view she said was the cervix - i couldn't tell anything - but then she was imaging my uterus, and that looked pretty distinctive. inside there was a circular blob, which she said was the yolk sac, as expected at this stage. and then she imaged the baby.
i could sort of imagine that it was a baby - i think i could see which was the head end and which the tail and maybe if i really wanted to believe, arms... she took the rump to crown measurement, which came out exactly at 6 weeks 4 days like i said i was - no one has ever questioned me about my calculations, i've just been telling people the due date.
she also said she saw the fluttering of the heartbeat - and then turned on the sound. we could hear a very distinct heart beat, much faster than mine - in fact it was 122 bpm, which she said was normal for this stage of pregnancy. the heartbeat was graphed on the screen - which somehow made it even more real for my little scientific mind. she printed out my "first baby picture" as she called it... it really doesn't look like much - less than the amount of detail i saw when i saw what i thought were arms. i feel so much more confident about the pregnancy now that i've seen the heartbeat...and i feel like the little Bit has passed its first test - measuring on track, heartbeat on track... woo hoo!
then she imaged my ovaries to check for cysts. i asked if she could tell which one did the ovulating for this pregnancy. she said sometimes, but not always. she found a cyst on my right ovary, and went to go ask the doctor whether to image it further. she came back and said everything was fine, that was the corpus luteum cyst that's producing the hormones i need right now. so i guess it was the right ovary - you go girl!
I'll post about the medical stuff another time... going for a walk now - it's a nice day in Carlisle, PA!
from bartleby.com - a human embryo from 31-34 days - yesterday was 32 days by my calculations.
Posted at 08:18 AM Read More
Fri - April 9, 2004
The tide of morning sickness rises...
Last weekend I was down in Raleigh for Passover with
Gary's family. It was nice to see everyone and talk to some people about my
pregnancy. Still, it was nice that not everyone knew. I am not ready for too
much attention. Joyce gave me a huge stack of books - I'm such an information
junkie - I've been happily devouring them. Elena gave us some baby clothes with
special histories and a fishie rattle. I love rattles :) Barbara was very
sweet to get us a lovely set of the A.A. Milne books - very important! I also
just loved the feelings of love and care that people expressed to me - I feel
very supported.
I was feel a touch of morning sickness that weekend, and was fairly emotional, but this week the morning sickness has hit more in full. I'm almost surprised to discover that I do feel more sick in the morning - I have my moments later in the day, but the worst is over by 10 or 11. So far haven't felt nauseous to the point of throwing up, but it's not a lot of fun. Like being very car sick. I get kinda dazed and not interested in eating or moving. Although both of those seem to help. Eating has to be carbs in the morning. I can eat protein at lunch or dinner, but the thought of eggs or even cottage cheese turns my stomach in the morning. Yogurt is the closest I can get to a protein - so yogurt, a slice of whole grain toast, and an apple has been a good breakfast for me.
Today I have my first appointment with the high-risk OB, so I thought I'd post a before-and-after. The OB is actually not an OB, but a DO with a specialty in maternal and fetal medicine, as far as I can figure out. But who knows, I may be seeing someone else in his practice. They will be doing an ultrasound - to check for viability - as the receptionist breezily told me over the phone. Gulp. I hadn't really thought about the fact that something could have already gone wrong - I've been worrying about what could go wrong if my blood pressure and thyroid aren't managed well enough. But I expect this visit to be reassuring, and we'll get a baseline for future ultrasounds, as I'm sure I'll be having a few more than normal given my conditions.
I have been in a good mood today - relaxed this morning with a bagel and a steamed milk and read the papers at a cafe, taught a good class, helped a colleague reason through something he was stuck on, got him to show me the experimental setup for an experiment I want my students to do next week, went to lunch with a bunch of my friends, did my US taxes for the years 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002. And I've been either listening to J.S. Bach (Magnificat and the motets) or singing happily to myself all day. Tonight my plans are to hang out with friends from whenever I get back from the doc's until late, but not too late for a pregnant lady...! And I have the whole weekend ahead of me to catch up on grading and course planning! Four more weeks left of class.
I was feel a touch of morning sickness that weekend, and was fairly emotional, but this week the morning sickness has hit more in full. I'm almost surprised to discover that I do feel more sick in the morning - I have my moments later in the day, but the worst is over by 10 or 11. So far haven't felt nauseous to the point of throwing up, but it's not a lot of fun. Like being very car sick. I get kinda dazed and not interested in eating or moving. Although both of those seem to help. Eating has to be carbs in the morning. I can eat protein at lunch or dinner, but the thought of eggs or even cottage cheese turns my stomach in the morning. Yogurt is the closest I can get to a protein - so yogurt, a slice of whole grain toast, and an apple has been a good breakfast for me.
Today I have my first appointment with the high-risk OB, so I thought I'd post a before-and-after. The OB is actually not an OB, but a DO with a specialty in maternal and fetal medicine, as far as I can figure out. But who knows, I may be seeing someone else in his practice. They will be doing an ultrasound - to check for viability - as the receptionist breezily told me over the phone. Gulp. I hadn't really thought about the fact that something could have already gone wrong - I've been worrying about what could go wrong if my blood pressure and thyroid aren't managed well enough. But I expect this visit to be reassuring, and we'll get a baseline for future ultrasounds, as I'm sure I'll be having a few more than normal given my conditions.
I have been in a good mood today - relaxed this morning with a bagel and a steamed milk and read the papers at a cafe, taught a good class, helped a colleague reason through something he was stuck on, got him to show me the experimental setup for an experiment I want my students to do next week, went to lunch with a bunch of my friends, did my US taxes for the years 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002. And I've been either listening to J.S. Bach (Magnificat and the motets) or singing happily to myself all day. Tonight my plans are to hang out with friends from whenever I get back from the doc's until late, but not too late for a pregnant lady...! And I have the whole weekend ahead of me to catch up on grading and course planning! Four more weeks left of class.
Posted at 01:29 PM Read More
Wed - March 31, 2004
Less Confusion at the Doctor's
I got back in to see my doctor today, and everything
was much more what I imagined. I should have just waited last week when they
said the earliest he could see me was today - would have saved a lot of worry.
He greeted me with a hearty congratulations on the pregnancy, and shook my hand.
I told him my concern, and said I thought I should see an endocrinologist. He
agreed with me right away, gave me the name of a colleague in the same building
who is an endo, and said that I should stay on my same dosage, not reduce it.
He said that the blood tests that would be really telling would be the Free T3 and Free T4, which is exactly what I asked for last week and was told I couldn't request those because they are irrelevant in pregnancy. He explained how the HCG hormone released in great quantity during pregnancy makes your TSH look lower so you look hyperthyroid...but that the free hormone levels are what really matter. He asked if I'd been experiencing morning sickness - I said no. HCG is related to morning sickness... maybe that's why he asked.
We also talked about high-risk OBs, and he wants me to see one in the next 1-2 weeks. Based on the results of that, we may start me on blood pressure meds. Wonderful. Also the nearest one accepting patients might not be any closer than Hershey. Also wonderful.
I went over to Giant to have my thyroid prescription filled. They only gave me a 30 day supply, for $24.99. Not that it's quite going to bankrupt me, but holy cow! That's expensive for a maintenance medication whose patent expired ages ago. Maybe it's just my ex-Canadian perspective, and maybe it's just that I'm used to getting a 280 day supply for $20. What I don't understand is that on my prescription he had written 90 day, 3 refills. So why did I get 30 days? Under refills on the label it says 6.3. 6.3 refills? 6+3 = 9. 9x30=90x3?? Will I have to pay that again in 30 days? I would have asked the pharmacy, but I walked out thinking I had gotten my 90 days.
All that deserved some Ben and Jerry's... Thanks to Gary for the coupon for a free pint :) I had 1/4 cup and now better start thinking about a real dinner! I got some monkfish, yum.
He said that the blood tests that would be really telling would be the Free T3 and Free T4, which is exactly what I asked for last week and was told I couldn't request those because they are irrelevant in pregnancy. He explained how the HCG hormone released in great quantity during pregnancy makes your TSH look lower so you look hyperthyroid...but that the free hormone levels are what really matter. He asked if I'd been experiencing morning sickness - I said no. HCG is related to morning sickness... maybe that's why he asked.
We also talked about high-risk OBs, and he wants me to see one in the next 1-2 weeks. Based on the results of that, we may start me on blood pressure meds. Wonderful. Also the nearest one accepting patients might not be any closer than Hershey. Also wonderful.
I went over to Giant to have my thyroid prescription filled. They only gave me a 30 day supply, for $24.99. Not that it's quite going to bankrupt me, but holy cow! That's expensive for a maintenance medication whose patent expired ages ago. Maybe it's just my ex-Canadian perspective, and maybe it's just that I'm used to getting a 280 day supply for $20. What I don't understand is that on my prescription he had written 90 day, 3 refills. So why did I get 30 days? Under refills on the label it says 6.3. 6.3 refills? 6+3 = 9. 9x30=90x3?? Will I have to pay that again in 30 days? I would have asked the pharmacy, but I walked out thinking I had gotten my 90 days.
All that deserved some Ben and Jerry's... Thanks to Gary for the coupon for a free pint :) I had 1/4 cup and now better start thinking about a real dinner! I got some monkfish, yum.
Posted at 06:25 PM Read More
Tue - March 30, 2004
More dreams
Last night I dreamed that one of the better students
in my astronomy class wanted to be adopted by Gary and me - apparently he was
looking for a higher standard of living than he had with his birth parents, and
he was willing to pay to be adopted. Rather strange way to get a child. I also
dreamt there was about a 6 year old girl who was going to be my baby. I told
her she looked too big to be a newborn, but she said that's just the way it
goes... not everyone gets to have a little baby. I was upset that I would be
missing the infant years...and also wondering how I was going to give birth to a
child that size(!!). I didn't think about how I could see her there and talk to
her when she wasn't born yet. Why of all the things to worry about am I afraid
of skipping over the baby years and starting out right away with an older
child??
Maybe it just seems so inconceivable to me that a little human is growing inside me - it's easier to think concretely about older children. Today's when babycenter.com says the poppy-seed-sized heart starts beating. Is it really possible? I've heard that once the heartbeat has been detected, the risk of miscarriage is greatly lower. I wonder when I'll get my first ultrasound... need to get a-hold of a few doctors today.
Maybe it just seems so inconceivable to me that a little human is growing inside me - it's easier to think concretely about older children. Today's when babycenter.com says the poppy-seed-sized heart starts beating. Is it really possible? I've heard that once the heartbeat has been detected, the risk of miscarriage is greatly lower. I wonder when I'll get my first ultrasound... need to get a-hold of a few doctors today.
Posted at 11:22 AM Read More
Mon - March 29, 2004
Sleepy Day
5 weeks today - amazing. And next week at Passover
it will be 6. Tomorrow (5w1d) is supposed to be the big day where the heart
starts beating. I can't believe it really happens for everyone down to the day,
but it's a nice thought, and presumably will happen in the next few days
anyway.
I got back from Massachusetts Sunday night and had enough energy to do some lesson planning and grading, and still got to bed at 9:30 for about 9 hours of sleep. Monday morning I felt a little off after breakfast and also after lunch, and I laid down for a nap at 1 and slept for 20 minutes. By 7pm, I was very tired again, but had to do more lesson planning. At least my stomach felt fine after dinner... I think it's another 9:30 pm bedtime for me, though.
I got a catalogue in the mail with sportswear for women, called Title 9. No idea how I got on their mailing list - maybe after ordering from SierraTradingPost.com - but I noticed they have sport nursing bras, and some maternity gym pants. Glad to know someone worries about these things other than me!
I didn't call my doctor today - they were supposed to call me to arrange an appt. sometime this week or next, but not a peep, so I really should call them. Same for the OB, whom I called, but who hasn't called back. I also want to call my endocrinologist in T.O. and ask for a letter about my thyroid condition and pregnancy, but I feel a little weird asking for that - I'm not her patient anymore... but she's the one who knows my thyroid best. I dislike chasing down doctors at the best of times, and things feel so nebulous now, I dread it even more.
I got back from Massachusetts Sunday night and had enough energy to do some lesson planning and grading, and still got to bed at 9:30 for about 9 hours of sleep. Monday morning I felt a little off after breakfast and also after lunch, and I laid down for a nap at 1 and slept for 20 minutes. By 7pm, I was very tired again, but had to do more lesson planning. At least my stomach felt fine after dinner... I think it's another 9:30 pm bedtime for me, though.
I got a catalogue in the mail with sportswear for women, called Title 9. No idea how I got on their mailing list - maybe after ordering from SierraTradingPost.com - but I noticed they have sport nursing bras, and some maternity gym pants. Glad to know someone worries about these things other than me!
I didn't call my doctor today - they were supposed to call me to arrange an appt. sometime this week or next, but not a peep, so I really should call them. Same for the OB, whom I called, but who hasn't called back. I also want to call my endocrinologist in T.O. and ask for a letter about my thyroid condition and pregnancy, but I feel a little weird asking for that - I'm not her patient anymore... but she's the one who knows my thyroid best. I dislike chasing down doctors at the best of times, and things feel so nebulous now, I dread it even more.
Posted at 09:23 PM Read More
Sat
- March 27, 2004
Flipping through the pages
This weekend I decided last minute to go visit Gary,
and I'm enjoying spending the weekend just being with him, and sharing our joy
together. The drive up was beautiful - only took 6:15 - I went by way of the
Taconic Pkwy, which was lucky since there was a huge fire on I-95 and traffic
was jammed on I-84 in Conn. where I would have been if I'd taken the normal
route.
We went for a long walk today in great weather with our friend Kat along the rail trail, and told her our news. She was very excited for us too, and soon was going through what we are - we keep forgetting for 10, 20, 30 minutes at a time, and then remembering all at once and getting excited again. I guess she's the first person I've told in person - except my doctors. Everyone else has been by phone - Gary, my mom, and today my brother. Gordon has begged to be allowed to spoil the kid, and I relented. Good to know there will be at least one fun uncle or aunt :) (OK, OK, they will all be fun, I'm betting!) Next weekend I'll be at Passover with Gary and his family, so I'll get to talk to them in person soon, although they all know by now. Maybe I'm feeling more comfortable about telling friends after today. I'm still not sure how many people I want to tell how soon. How about on a need-to-know basis? Or on a I-need-to-tell-or-I'll-burst basis?
Gary and I went to a several bookstores tonight looking for a good comprehensive book on pregnancy. We did find WTEWYE in all three, but I don't really want that one. The used book store also had What To Eat When You're Expecting - which really scared me. They had list of forbidden treats - and said you could have one serving a week of french fries, or one a month of ice cream (or a candy bar with nuts or raisins in it, preferably milk chocolate, not dark). And that was only if you didn't have any other treats. Today I had fish and chips and an ice cream out on the rail trail. Fish=good, protein. Chips=bad, weekly cheat. Ice Cream=bad, monthly cheat. I guess I have to eat barley for the next month to make up for that. They would also have me eating about 16 eggs a day... or pints of cottage cheese. I'm sure their dietary advice was fairly sound, it was just so prescriptive and punitive... very off-putting.
There was also Pregnancy for Dummies... we opted against that. I'm keeping my eye out for The Mother of All Pregnancy Books (US Edition). Or another book... can't remember the name. We did buy at the used bookstore Keeping Faith, which is by a woman who is an ecologist and chronicled her first pregnancy along with a discussion of the chemicals in our environment today... it's supposed to be more of a call-to-arms than a depressing book. I also recommended that Gary read Misconceptions, which I bought about a year ago. Now that is a depressing book. I don't think I want to read that right now, but it really raises your awareness about the current state of having babies in America.
We went for a long walk today in great weather with our friend Kat along the rail trail, and told her our news. She was very excited for us too, and soon was going through what we are - we keep forgetting for 10, 20, 30 minutes at a time, and then remembering all at once and getting excited again. I guess she's the first person I've told in person - except my doctors. Everyone else has been by phone - Gary, my mom, and today my brother. Gordon has begged to be allowed to spoil the kid, and I relented. Good to know there will be at least one fun uncle or aunt :) (OK, OK, they will all be fun, I'm betting!) Next weekend I'll be at Passover with Gary and his family, so I'll get to talk to them in person soon, although they all know by now. Maybe I'm feeling more comfortable about telling friends after today. I'm still not sure how many people I want to tell how soon. How about on a need-to-know basis? Or on a I-need-to-tell-or-I'll-burst basis?
Gary and I went to a several bookstores tonight looking for a good comprehensive book on pregnancy. We did find WTEWYE in all three, but I don't really want that one. The used book store also had What To Eat When You're Expecting - which really scared me. They had list of forbidden treats - and said you could have one serving a week of french fries, or one a month of ice cream (or a candy bar with nuts or raisins in it, preferably milk chocolate, not dark). And that was only if you didn't have any other treats. Today I had fish and chips and an ice cream out on the rail trail. Fish=good, protein. Chips=bad, weekly cheat. Ice Cream=bad, monthly cheat. I guess I have to eat barley for the next month to make up for that. They would also have me eating about 16 eggs a day... or pints of cottage cheese. I'm sure their dietary advice was fairly sound, it was just so prescriptive and punitive... very off-putting.
There was also Pregnancy for Dummies... we opted against that. I'm keeping my eye out for The Mother of All Pregnancy Books (US Edition). Or another book... can't remember the name. We did buy at the used bookstore Keeping Faith, which is by a woman who is an ecologist and chronicled her first pregnancy along with a discussion of the chemicals in our environment today... it's supposed to be more of a call-to-arms than a depressing book. I also recommended that Gary read Misconceptions, which I bought about a year ago. Now that is a depressing book. I don't think I want to read that right now, but it really raises your awareness about the current state of having babies in America.
Posted at 10:24 PM Read More
Fri - March 26, 2004
starting to get the weird dreams?
The night before last I dreamt I had a baby, but it
started out with a full set of raggedy teeth, could talk perfectly well - he
even talked down to me. He wanted to nurse a lot, but at least that was easy.
He looked like maybe a 6 month old baby. Really
weird.
Last night was better - I was traveling somewhere with friends and found some excuse to get them alone in a room out of a sort of party atmosphere that was going on. I told them that I had just found out. One of them looked happily disarmed by the news, and said "this is going to be my niece or nephew." I loved hearing that - I love the thought that this kid will have lots of adults who love it - both family and friends... and there's a great set of older cousins, too.
I got a call from Elena yesterday while I was at work. I was really touched that she called me personally . I'm very much glad to have Elena and Joyce now in my family as recent mothers. No one on my side of the family has been through it recently...
Last night was better - I was traveling somewhere with friends and found some excuse to get them alone in a room out of a sort of party atmosphere that was going on. I told them that I had just found out. One of them looked happily disarmed by the news, and said "this is going to be my niece or nephew." I loved hearing that - I love the thought that this kid will have lots of adults who love it - both family and friends... and there's a great set of older cousins, too.
I got a call from Elena yesterday while I was at work. I was really touched that she called me personally . I'm very much glad to have Elena and Joyce now in my family as recent mothers. No one on my side of the family has been through it recently...
Posted at 08:04 AM Read More
Wed - March 24, 2004
Confusion at the Doctor's
I went in today to see my doctor, as I knew I needed
to do ASAP to check my thyroid levels and possibly have my thyroid meds
increased. After a confusing hour at the doctor's which I don't even want to
recount here I left with a prescription for a lower dosage, a promise that I
would be called back about an appointment for 1-2 weeks from now, a name and
phone number of the one OB in the area whom they think is still accepting
patients, a blood test appointment for 6 weeks from now, and the indication that
I might get referred to a high-risk OB in Harrisburg - about half an hour away.
My head is kind of reeling from all that. I was also very distressed that they chose to lower my thyroid dosage... it goes counter to what I have learned to date from my readings and from talking to my endocrinologist in Toronto. I was concerned about increasing the dosage soon enough to avert problems, and here they are lowering it - and I don't even have the sense that they particularly know what they are talking about. I hope I can see someone more knowledgeable soon... and I really hope I find good people up in Northampton.
It's funny - no one asked me how I knew I was pregnant or how I knew how far along I was - I just said I found out the day before that I was, and that I was 4w2d. There was some confusion when the physician's assistant assumed I'd seen an OB to find out and was wondering why I didn't ask all my darn questions then.
And my borderline-high blood pressure that has cropped up again in recent months is still here. I guess it's a good thing that I am only working two more months. I could use more free time to focus on getting exercise, eating well, and sleeping plenty. I'm hoping now that I don't have to commit to teaching a summer course for a while so I can see how things are going. Working from home sounds like a more attractive option right about now.
On a bright note - I saw some snow-drops blooming today, and the daffodils are starting to come up. My mini rose bush that Gary got me when I had my wisdom teeth out is happily blooming now that I am back from Death Valley and watering it again. I got some housecleaning done today, and some paperwork, and am taking a quiet evening at home - will get a little work done, do some reading, ate a yummy dinner and listened to Schumann's Piano Concerto in A minor on the radio... the theme was so familiar - must have studied it in class way back when :)
My head is kind of reeling from all that. I was also very distressed that they chose to lower my thyroid dosage... it goes counter to what I have learned to date from my readings and from talking to my endocrinologist in Toronto. I was concerned about increasing the dosage soon enough to avert problems, and here they are lowering it - and I don't even have the sense that they particularly know what they are talking about. I hope I can see someone more knowledgeable soon... and I really hope I find good people up in Northampton.
It's funny - no one asked me how I knew I was pregnant or how I knew how far along I was - I just said I found out the day before that I was, and that I was 4w2d. There was some confusion when the physician's assistant assumed I'd seen an OB to find out and was wondering why I didn't ask all my darn questions then.
And my borderline-high blood pressure that has cropped up again in recent months is still here. I guess it's a good thing that I am only working two more months. I could use more free time to focus on getting exercise, eating well, and sleeping plenty. I'm hoping now that I don't have to commit to teaching a summer course for a while so I can see how things are going. Working from home sounds like a more attractive option right about now.
On a bright note - I saw some snow-drops blooming today, and the daffodils are starting to come up. My mini rose bush that Gary got me when I had my wisdom teeth out is happily blooming now that I am back from Death Valley and watering it again. I got some housecleaning done today, and some paperwork, and am taking a quiet evening at home - will get a little work done, do some reading, ate a yummy dinner and listened to Schumann's Piano Concerto in A minor on the radio... the theme was so familiar - must have studied it in class way back when :)
Posted at 07:12 PM Read More
Starting to Tell
I called my mother just before noon my time - she's 5
hours behind in Hawai'i, so I didn't want to call earlier. It happened to be my
mom's birthday on Tuesday - part of the reason I'd waited until then to test.
Unfortunately, I missed my dad who'd just left for work. My mom and I babbled
back and forth in happy shock for a while, and then I had to go to my voice
lesson.
It was hard not to tell my voice teacher when she asked me what was new in my life... and I wondered when I will tell her, or if she will notice a change in my voice or body, since she's very perceptive.
It was also hard not to tell Kerry, who stopped by my office to chat in the morning. I think I will want to tell him and Rachel soon, since they spend so much time with me, and they are going to start wondering why I'm not rock climbing anymore... Actually, I'd like to keep it up, but only either on belay, or traversing across walls, not doing vertical bouldering. That will take a little explaining, so I'm hoping to skip rock climbing for the next two or three weeks.
For today, I got an appt. with a nurse-practicioner at 4, so I can't make the climbing time anyway. I want to see about adjusting my thyroid meds now that I'm pregnant - something I've always been warned I need to do right away. I know 4 weeks 2 days sounds a little early for the first doctor's appointment, but I'd rather be cautious.
Gary told his parents and step-parents last night, and I've been getting a few emails today, as well as a call last night with congratulations. My parents haven't emailed me yet - maybe they are still in shock. They don't have grandkids yet, unlike Gary's parents...
Gary and I are talking about which friends to reveal to, but we haven't made any firm decisions yet. I love having the outlet of my online boards where I can babble as much as I want about this even when I'm not ready to share with my friends yet.
It was hard not to tell my voice teacher when she asked me what was new in my life... and I wondered when I will tell her, or if she will notice a change in my voice or body, since she's very perceptive.
It was also hard not to tell Kerry, who stopped by my office to chat in the morning. I think I will want to tell him and Rachel soon, since they spend so much time with me, and they are going to start wondering why I'm not rock climbing anymore... Actually, I'd like to keep it up, but only either on belay, or traversing across walls, not doing vertical bouldering. That will take a little explaining, so I'm hoping to skip rock climbing for the next two or three weeks.
For today, I got an appt. with a nurse-practicioner at 4, so I can't make the climbing time anyway. I want to see about adjusting my thyroid meds now that I'm pregnant - something I've always been warned I need to do right away. I know 4 weeks 2 days sounds a little early for the first doctor's appointment, but I'd rather be cautious.
Gary told his parents and step-parents last night, and I've been getting a few emails today, as well as a call last night with congratulations. My parents haven't emailed me yet - maybe they are still in shock. They don't have grandkids yet, unlike Gary's parents...
Gary and I are talking about which friends to reveal to, but we haven't made any firm decisions yet. I love having the outlet of my online boards where I can babble as much as I want about this even when I'm not ready to share with my friends yet.
Posted at 01:53 PM Read More
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Published On: Jun 15, 2004 09:51 PM
Published On: Jun 15, 2004 09:51 PM