Week #9 & Doctor Appointment #3

So, I know I'm a day late posting this, but I had a really good reason.  Having said that, I'll go over the reason after I'm done talking about the development.

This week the baby has doubled in weight from 1 gram to 2 grams and has grown to 2.3 cm (about the size of a medium green olive).  The flippers look like arms now, complete with long fingers that nearly touch over the waist.  The legs and toes are still developing and the neck is more erect.  External ears are developed and the eyelids are almost finished forming.  The baby has even started moving around now!  Another bonus?  It even looks more human than last week.

My uterus is about the size of a grapefruit, which explains why I can't sit forward as well as I used to.  And my weight gain should be increasing.  I already think I have a little bump, but that could just be mainly me, lol.  As it is, my waist line will be going up along with the numbers on the scale.

Vitamin C is very important and aids in tissue development, iron absorption and may prevent pre-eclampsia (with eclampsia being seizures and convulsions).  In other words, vitamin C is good, but only as long as you don't exceed the 85 mg daily dosage.

How am I feeling?  Right now?  Better than yesterday.  However, work has been so stressful for me lately, and between dancing and work I barely have time to eat.  I'm exhausted more often than not (I even fell asleep twice on a 3 hour car ride!) and I find it uncomfortable to sit upright or even leaning forward.

Any weird cravings?  I'd say cookies, but that isn't weird for me!  I find that I get very spontaneous cravings and I nearly obsess about it until it is satisfied.  Luckily for me, I'm able to get it myself since I'm usually out and about.  And if not that day, then the next.

Mood swings?  Still weepy, but that could be caused by stress too.

Any body changes?  I do feel like I have a little bump, since it is firmer than it was a couple weeks ago (unfortunately!).  However, I do think that it's my own ponch forced outwards by my growing uterus.

Now on to the news.  On Thursday night before I went to bed I noticed blood on my underwear - and immediately burst into tears.  I did read in my Mother of All Pregnancy Books book that bleeding, coupled with cramping, could be a symptom of miscarriage.  Which is why I freaked out.  However, it did also say that it could just be bleeding, so the next morning I called the clinic and made an appointment for that morning.  I was fortunate that Kevin was also able to take some time off and support me through this.  I called in sick and let my friend know (who also knew I was pregnant) that I wasn't going to be coming in that morning.

At the clinic the doctor did a cervical exam and noted that the blood was coming from my cervix; however, the cervix, while slightly open, wasn't completely open, which is another sign of miscarriage.  Her suggestion was to move on to the next step, which was tracking the pregnancy hormone Bhcg through blood work.  If I was still pregnant, the hormone should double daily.  Since it was Friday, we did the blood work then and will do it again on Monday, with the results discussed on Tuesday. 

I am optimistic though; I was only ever spotting, I didn't pass any tissues and the bleeding has since stopped.  Plus, the cramping never occurred, so I'm hoping that it was just first trimester bleeding.

This was definitely the scariest moment of my entire pregnancy and made me realize how much I wanted the baby to survive.  There have been times when I didn't think I could handle it and that maybe it would be best to miscarry so we could have more time for this or that, but now I'm convinced that I want this baby.  I've also decided to step down as manager of my Cafe - even though I took the job so I could have the baby!  I think I need to put myself first and a pay cut with 1/4 the stress is so worth it.  I've already told the previous manager that I'm ready and she's fine with stepping up now instead of April.  I just need to tell my own boss! 

Even since I found out I was pregnant I've been ready to move on and I'm convinced that the stress that I've been under for the past month and a half has not been beneficial to my growing baby.  I need time for myself, and I especially need time to relax!  I plan to find another job and work part-time, which would free me up for online schooling. 

I also want to thank my fabulous friends for being so supportive!  You're awesome!

Week #8 & Doctor Appointment #2

My baby looks like Barney.  W. T. H.?

By the end of this week my baby will be around 1.6 cm and weigh around 1 gram.  By now my baby has eyelid folds, nerve cells and will just start to develop the retina.  The nose is starting to poke out and both the internal and external parts of the ears are growing.  And the arms have elbows!

How am I feeling?  It depends on the day, but severe morning sickness seems to make an appearance about every other day, it seems.  I'm not sure if it helps to eat a lot at night, but that happened last night and I've felt fine all day.  I've also been under a lot of stress lately, so I don't know if that made it worse.  For example, yesterday I didn't sleep well, plus I had to do the baking shift; maybe I would've been fine with one or the other, but both?

Any weird cravings?  Greasy food, like nachos and burgers.  Mmmm.  And still the spicy food.  Apparently the healthy food cravings only lasted a couple weeks.  However, due to my lack of time to eat properly, it could be simply my body needing food fast and not caring how it gets it.

Mood swings?  Still the same as before.

Any body changes?  Still the same: bigger breasts, bigger uterus. 

Oh and I had my second doctor's appointment today: so I had a breast exam, pap test and thyroid exam.  Everything checked out fine, but I guess I'll know if there's anything unusual next week.  Apparently, at 12 weeks we'll be able to hear the heartbeat, so we're aiming for that in the next visit!! :D

Week #7

Oh, look!  My baby looks more like a salamander than a hairless rat!

Ho-lee!  During this week my baby will nearly triple in size from 4-5 mm to 11-13 mm and will weigh as much as an eyelash!  The armbuds are visible but haven't yet developed in to arm and hand sections.  An ultrasound will make it possible to hear the beating heart, which has already developed in to right and left chambers.  Lung and brain development are moving along, and certain internal organs are bulging in to the umbilical cord.  This week its important to increase my calcium uptake to 1200 mg daily; however, coffee, tea, salt, protein and unleavened bread can interfere with the calcium.

How am I feeling?  Well, I learned that morning sickness can be alleviated by eating.  Imagine that!  It still feels nasty, though I've been fortunate enough to not throw up.

Any weird cravings?  I really like spicy food right now.  I still don't care for the looks (or smells!) of some food, but I think my eating habits are getting back to normal.

Mood swings?  I had a really stressful week at work last week and this week started out ok.  I'm still highly likely to get teary-eyed at sweet moments, but this week seems ok.

Any body changes?  Here's a funny one: while I'm still not too sure of my baseline for my body, my breasts have grown 2-3 inches!  I still think I've lost a little weight and am definitely going to end up more toned once I start dancing.

In case you wonder where I get my info about my week-to-week pregnancy changes, click here!

Week #6

Did you see the widgit I added to the sidebar?!  How cool is that?!  Now you can see what my baby looks like as it grows!

So, I'm in Week 6 now, which means quite a lot in terms of brain development and the circulatory system of my baby.  The heart will start beating this week and the baby's tongue, nasal pits and "flippers" (future arms)will even start to develop!  To help brain development, it's recommended that I make sure Omega 3 and folic acid are in my diet.  Oh, and my baby is between 2-4 mm from head to bum.

How am I feeling?  Well, morning sickness hit with a vengence today.  I felt like death and, in all honesty, if the fate of the world rested on me popping out babies, we'd be screwed.  I'm sure it'll get better, but right now I feel like I can barely eat - ever! - and I'm still near the beginning.  Since morning sickness is apparently supposed to last from week 6 to 12, I've got 6 weeks to go.  Yay?

Any weird cravings?  I dislike sweet foods now; the thought of eating chocolate grosses me out.  I've tried eating cereal in the mornings and dairy disagrees with me.  I had a pop the other day (7 Up) and it tasted like club soda.  I find I really like mild cheese, fruits (specifically apples!) and veggies.  So, really, the food that I should be eating.  I've never been fond of apples, but I find them satisfying and easy to eat at work. 

Mood swings?  Oh yes.  I cry easily now.  If it's sweet, I'll cry.  In moments of annoyance I'll feel frustrated and it'll make me cry. 

That's all I can think of to say for right now.  I actually think I've lost a little weight (due to my distaste for most foods now) and my breasts are sore all the time.  I think I'll need to wear a sports bra to bed!  My libido (not that you care) is nil and I feel bad for Kevin because of it!!  Well, hopefully it'll come back in the next trimester!