Successful Dr Appointment

I had my first appointment today with my OB. The previous appointment had just been with the nurse. Observations:

• This appointment was perhaps a little longer since I hadn't had a pap done in about 2 years. So it was more or less just like an annual appointment. I can't imagine how quick some of these future appointments are going to be.
• I got to hear the heartbeat. She said that normally it can't be heard (via Doppler) until 12 weeks, but since I'm on the thin side she'd give it a try. It took her a while (she kept hearing my heart beat) but eventually she found it. Baby's heart is beating at about 150 beats per minute. This is good.
• Getting to hear the heartbeat was nice, because even though I know I'm pregnant sometimes I just feel normal so you start to wonder, am I still pregnant?
• I was able to book the ultrasound! (June 8th)
  
• I also was able to book appointments through the end of September. She was originally just going to book my next appointment and I asked for 1st appointment of the day so that I would miss less work. They only had afternoon left for that one and the next one, but she went ahead and got me early times for all the rest.
• June 8th will be an appointment filled day because I have the ultrasound and a normal appointment. Of course they are at two different locations. But better to get them done in one day rather than taking up time on two days.
• I got cleared to take Claritin for allergies. Benadryl is also safe.
• I forgot to ask if I can take Sudafed. When I fly the pressure really hurts and my ears feel stopped up for at least half a day after landing. Sudafed alleviates this. In May I'll be flying for work so it would be great if I could take it. I'll make sure to ask at my next appointment, which is the week before my trip.
• My weight on the office scale was 4 pounds higher than my weight at home this morning. The difference makes sense (clothing, food/liquids in my stomach) but I wish my "official" weight wasn't that high already.
  

10 Weeks

Your baby, now barely the size of a kumquat, weighs less than a quarter of an ounce. (Length: a little over 1 inch, head to bottom.)

10 Weeks- Development

Your Baby This Coming Week

Your baby is growing incredibly rapidly right now. She is approximately 1.75 to 2.4 inches (4.4 to 6cm) when measured from crown to rump. She will double her length in the next three weeks. Your growing baby weighs about 0.3 ounces (8g).

The neck is developing and the chin lifts up from the chest. Fingernails are also present. While your baby's sex was already determined at the time of fertilization, male or female genitalia are now visible. Essential organs are formed and most have begun to function. The blood vessels in the placenta are increasing in number to meet your baby's increasing nutritional needs. Her ears are moving towards the sides of her head, away from the neck. Your baby's head is still not in proportion with her body. Your baby's head accounts for about half of her body length.

Your Body This Coming Week

Many women who have suffered from morning sickness find that their nausea begins decrease from this week on. (Unfortunately, for some it may continue).

You may have noticed you have more (or less) hair than usual, which is thought to be linked to the increased amount of blood circulating through your body as well as hormonal changes.

You are probably anxious to feel your baby move, but it is still a bit early. You may notice an increase in cervical fluid and you may also notice a darkening of your labia around your vagina and the areola area around your breasts due to hormonal changes.

During pregnancy, the cervix usually feels firm, but it will soften during labor to allow the baby to pass through. Your cervix is protected by a mucus plug to protect your baby. The mucus plug will be expelled shortly before or during labor.

Your body is burning calories faster than it did prior to pregnancy and your metabolism may increase by up to 25%. The quantity of blood pumping through your body will also increase, making you feel warmer than usual. The increased blood flow can also give you a rosy "blooming" feeling.

You may notice that you have an improved skin condition during pregnancy. For some lucky women, pregnancy hormones can cause skin to appear to "glow" and appear smoother. You may even have shinier hair and brighter eyes. Some women develop a "pregnancy mask" (chloasma) caused by deeper skin pigmentation. This can cause irregular patches of brown skin to appear on your forehead, cheeks, neck and nose. Exposure to sunlight can exacerbate chloasma, though sunscreen can reduce its effects. Chloasma usually disappears after birth as your hormones return to their pre-pregnancy levels.

Elevated estrogen levels and increased blood pressure can cause the dilation of your skin capillaries which can in turn give rise to spider nevi (raised red marks surrounded by spidery lines) and palmar erythema (redness of the palms) during pregnancy. Both conditions are considered minor and fade after the birth of your baby.

Week 10 Journal

How far along? 10 weeks.
Total weight gain/loss: I finally started a notepad to keep track of this! Up one more pound from last week, so 5 pounds overall.
TP test: Still at 9 squares. Next week will probably be over.
Maternity Clothes: Nope. Not yet. About a year ago I lost some weight and dropped a pants size. However, I kept most of my old clothes. I'm having a harder time fitting into that smaller size and my jeans of the larger size also are a bit snug. Otherwise, more or less ok. I am starting to do some online window shopping for maternity clothes though.
Food cravings/ aversions: Last night it was sweet potato fries, but otherwise I don't think I've been craving anything.
"Morning" Sickness: I've felt so much better this past week! Toothbrushing is still a little iffy, but overall I feel good.
Signs of Pregnancy: Tight clothes. A little tired, but not too bad.
Stretch Marks: Nope.
Sleep: Could be better, but overall not all that bad.
Big things this week: Last Friday we announced to our "Game Night" friends that I'm pregnant. The ones who have kids already started to think of what gear they still have that could be passed on, and the one without kids got excited. So excited, in fact, that she told two other friends on their way over to our house for Easter brunch.
Gender prediction: WAY too early to tell.
Movement: Nothing yet.
Labor Pains: Nothing yet.
Belly Button in or out? Definitely in.
Wedding rings on or off? On. And a little loose.
Weekly Wisdom: Enjoy it. And don't worry so much about sharing the news. (I'm still a little paranoid that something bad is going to happen.)

8 Week belly

So this is a little delayed in being posted, but here's my belly at just over 8 weeks. This was taken in the early afternoon. It seems that my belly gets larger throughout the day, but then shrinks a bit overnight.

We had people over for Easter yesterday and I was mentioning this to Liz. She wasn't really believing me, but then after we had eaten I showed her my belly again and she was shocked- it had grown.

This makes getting dressed a little challenging- what I put on in the morning may no longer be comfortable in the evening. Oh well. There's nothing too wrong about looking pregnant, except for the fact that it's still a little early.

Nine Weeks

Your baby has grown to the size of a grape, weighs a fraction of an ounce, and is almost 1 inch long.

Week 9 Journal

How far along? 9 weeks.
Total weight gain/loss: About the same as last week.
TP test: Still at 9 squares. Although I did this last night as well, and was 9.5 squares then do to my evening bloat.
Maternity Clothes: Nope. Not yet.
Food cravings/ aversions: I seem to be getting tired of everything these days. Although I'm eating, nothing really appeals to me.
"Morning" Sickness: Perhaps feeling mildly better. Tooth brushing was really bad- I threw up a couple of times from that- but after switching toothpastes it is mildly better.
Signs of Pregnancy: Still tired, but perhaps not as bad. Certainly not going to bed at 9:00 anymore. I definitely look more pregnant in the evening, but it's mostly just bloat.
Stretch Marks: Nope.
Sleep: Could be better, but overall not all that bad.
Big things this week: I told my hairdresser on Saturday. She was VERY excited.
Gender prediction: WAY too early to tell.
Movement: Nothing yet.
Labor Pains: Nothing yet.
Belly Button in or out? Definitely in.
Wedding rings on or off? On. And a little loose.
Weekly Wisdom: Don't dwell on feeling miserable. It won't last forever.