5 months and Counting

Went for my 2nd trimester ultrasound and we finally learned the gender of our baby. We're having a boy! Now we can start thinking of names and start buying some clothes and baby equipment.

My asthma got pretty bad from end of August to mid October. Laying down made it worse, so sleeping was minimal. I was taking Ventalistin, which is a type of inhaler that helped at the beginning, but I ended up taking it every 2 hours, as the asthma got worse. Physical activity and even talking wiped me out, so I went to see a lung specialist and he gave me a new inhaler, which worked instantly. I was breathing normally within a minute and although I really wanted this pregnancy to be medicine free, I relented and accepted this new treatment. Well, not totally. I'm supposed to use the new inhaler every morning and evening for 30 days, but I ended up using it for only 3 days and I feel like my normal self again. So asthma is under control (even non-existent) and I feel great.

My hubby finally started converting the garage into a baby room. He's redone the electricity, pipes for the bathroom, new insulation in the ceiling, took away about 4 trucks of gravel and they poured the cement last week. A lot of work done and still a lot to do, but I'm glad it's finally happening.

Had a meeting with the "sage femme" which is a midwife in France. They are the team that supports you during the delivery. I kind of pressed her about wanting a c-section, as I'm a bit stressed about delivering downtown. She reassured me that the best method is delivering down there and that I need to have confidence that the baby and I can do this. The other week on the television, they showed a lady giving birth and we had to change the channel as we got so scared. Oh boy! Well, I'm not going to stress about that now, I'll deal with that later. On a positive note, my hubby has finally agreed to be with me during the birth. He gets faint at the sight of blood and needles, but I told him to be by my side during the event and to be sure to stay north and not to look south. I've got an aqua gym class in November to take and they will teach us the breathing techniques to use for the delivery. After that, I've got about 4 hours of courses to take with regard to taking care of the baby, breastfeeding, birthing, etc. In France they give us pregnant ladies really good support and education throughout this whole process.

-Weight gain: 4 kilos (doctors are happy that I have been relatively good about food, since I had a lot of bad habits of eating chips, cake, etc.).
-Baby movements: not really feeling too much yet and during the ultrasound the baby was quite calm. The doctor said not to worry, as it's my first pregnancy and should be feeling more by the end of the month.
-Maternity wear: bought my first pair of maternity jeans and they are sooo comfy! Heck, everyone should be wearing a pair, pregnant or not, elastic waist pants rock!

Next OB appointment, 21 November.

First and hopefully last meltdown

Had my first meltdown last week. I've been having a lot of difficulty breathing during sleeping time and the only thing that seems to help is when I sit up completely straight. Therefore, I am a bit sleep deprived. I've had a bit of a cough, a very stuffed up nose, and difficulty breathing, so I went to the doctor and discovered that I have asthma, which is what I was afraid of. The doctor is not sure how I got asthma, but I suspect it's my cats. Although I love cats, I do have an allergy to them. In general, I've been able to cope with it and with time it got a little bit better. However, this year, I think with the 2nd cat that is living full-time in our house and with her gorgeous long hair, it has affected my body. Thus, I think my allergies escalated to asthma. Thank goodness the other 6 cats live outdoors. The doctor has prescribed 2 inhalers for treatment, but I'm really weary of taking any type of medicine at this stage.

Finding out I had asthma is not the end of the world, but it really scares me when I can't breathe well. On the same day, I didn't close the freezer door correctly, so everything melted! Furthermore, I'm worried, because my hubby has not started converting the garage into a 2nd bedroom for the baby and time is ticking. All of this made me feel a bit overwhelmed and I had a mini-meltdown with tears, runny nose, etc. I imagined that I would stop breathing, that the baby would be sleeping in our dresser and I felt extremely guilty of all the food we'd have to throw away from the freezer. Well, there's always a solution to every problem. My husband bought me a Hepa air filter, which I'm hoping will help with the asthma plus I'm now vacuuming everyday. My husband cleaned out the freezer for me - what a sweetheart - and this week he started working on the 2nd bedroom. I'm usually not a cry baby, so I will blame this episode on my hormones and I think I'm allowed at least 1 meltdown during pregnancy. I realize that my problems are not really big or serious, so I'm back to my cool collected self....for now at least.

Had my OB appointment today and all is well. On the ultrasound, the baby was sucking his/her thumb, it was so adorable. I lost 1 kg since last month, so the doctor was really pleased and my blood pressure went down, so that was also good news. So far, I've only gained 1 kg since the beginning of my pregnancy. I was a bit worried that it was not enough, but the doctor said it was fine and to continue not eating too much. In France, they are really strict about diet and gaining weight. He said that I should know the sex of the baby at my next rendezvous, which is the 21 October. Can't wait!

15 Weeks and Counting

Nothing too exciting to report. I do have a minor issue like protein in my urine. It's very minimal so the doctor said nothing to worry about at this stage, however we do need to continue monitoring it. Each month, we also monitor the sugar in my kidneys, which is absent, yippee, as this can cause diabetes during pregnancy. Got the results back and the baby has 1/2500 chance for trisomy/Down's syndrome, which means we are in the low risk group. Gained 2 kg and the doctor was not happy. He wants me to gain only 1 kg per month for the moment. Each time I see the doctor, the first thing he wants me to do is step on the scale. I have never felt so guilty about my weight before! Grrrrr! My normal pants no longer fit my waist, so I'm wearing a lot of jogging pants and skirts (which don't zip up all the way - *big sigh*). Went shopping for some maternity clothes, but they were either extremely ugly or too big for me. I suppose I'm at that in between stage in which my regular clothes are very uncomfortable and maternity wear is too big. I did manage to find a cute black and white stripped t-shirt with a red heart in the middle.

Next OB appointment is the 14 September and I hope to find out if we are having a boy or girl. I don't know why, but my hubby and I think it will be a girl.

Starting 2nd Trimester

Went for an ultrasound yesterday and the doctor was pleased with the development of the baby, who is now measuring at 7.5 cm with a steady heartbeat of 145 bpm. So amazing! This time around it was quite interesting, as we got to see in detail the head, brain, hands, feet and even his/her little bottom. The baby didn't move too much, I suppose he/she was in a zen state of mind. Probable date of delivery will be anytime from the 13 to 16 February 2012. Perhaps a Valentine's Day baby! The doctor concluded that he did not see any anomalies and I am so thankful for this. Today I did a blood test and on the 18 August I'll see my OB to get a report on the risk of trisomy.

Still haven't felt any major pregnancy symptoms, except for 2 days when I was a bit constipated, with a lot of blocked gas inside of me. I literally sat on the toilet for an hour and a half, trying to do my business, experiencing major abdominal pains, since everything was stuck. My face was all sweaty and I just wanted to pass out so that I didn't have to feel the pain anymore. Horrible feeling! At one point, I lied down on the bed and had my hubby rub my stomach. This seemed to help move the gas around. Now when I go number 2 or pass gas, I am so grateful and thank my lucky stars. Whoever thought such a simple task would become so difficult. The minor pregnancy symptoms I feel are tender and larger breasts, tiredness and my belly is now starting to stick out, but I don't look pregnant. I just look like I've got a bit of a beer belly. Oh well. Haven't bought any maternity clothes yet, sill squeezing into my regular clothes. I don't really want to spend money on clothes that I will never wear again. I'm hoping I can get through the summer without buying anything and then buy some maternity wear for fall and winter.

Nothing too exciting and I'm darn lucky that this pregnancy has been uneventful thus far. Hoping for more of the same for the next 6 months.

To Mrs BabyDream

I am completely frustrated, because I am unable to post comments on other blogs. Whenever I try to post, it wants me to login, even though I am already logged in!

Anyhow, I wanted to send out a message to Mrs BabyDream at http://destinyfertility.blogspot.com/ I'm really sorry for your loss. My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family. Please know that I am following you, however in silence, as I am unable to post comments. Take care and I hope you are able to find a little bit of comfort in counselling.

8 Weeks and Counting

Went for another check-up and everything seems to be on track. The doctor said I'm actually 8 weeks pregnant. I thought I was a bit more further along, but I guess I calculated incorrectly. Had an ultrasound and the baby was moving its legs and arms like crazy. He/she is a busy little nugget, measuring now at 4 cm!

I still don't have any real pregnancy symptoms. At this stage, my only problem is my weight. Doctor does not want me to gain more than 1kg per month for the next 3 months, otherwise I am at risk of getting diabetes. He told me to be careful of what I eat and try to cut out the salt and sugar. This is going to be really tough, as I love to eat! I thought being pregnant meant that I can eat to my hearts content and get as fat as I want without feeling guilty...WRONG! Sheesh!

I've got another ultrasound and blood tests coming up in mid-August. Testing for chromosomal abnormalities.

Next project: turning the garage into a second bedroom. This has been a 2 year project that has been on hold due to a lack of motivation. Now we have a deadline so we've got to get cracking!

Meet and Greet

I was able to get an earlier follow-up appointment with the fertility clinic and I was able to meet my little nugget today, who measures at 17mm. . It was incredible to see the form of a teeny tiny baby with a fluttering heart. Then I heard the heartbeat, so steady and quick. Boom boom boom! Simply amazing! The second embryo that we transferred did not make it. It stopped growing at about 12mm. No explanation given, however we are happy, as we will have our hands full with at least one.

I'm about 8 weeks pregnant and I haven't felt any strong pregnancy symptoms yet, except for some sore breasts, tiredness and clothes feeling a bit tighter. I'll be going off progesterone in 3 days.

I have my first OB appointment on Monday. Can't believe this is all happening. A really exciting and unique time in our lives. At the moment, all I can do is look at the photo of our little nugget and gaze at it in awe.