Third Trimester Pregnancy Journal: Week 30

I have been sick with a cold the past few weeks.  Alain brought it home and felt only a tickle in this throat.  It took over my immune-suppressed body and has held on tight.  I ended up giving it back to Alain, and he suffered miserably.  I was surprised, since he's usually a tough guy and doesn't get sick very often.  He got to take the medicine to help though, I didn't really take anything.

I'm mostly better now, I just have some residual sniffles.  No big deal.

Life has definitely gotten more difficult though.  I am more tired, and not sleeping as well.  I am sore, and my body can't seem to repair.  It's mostly hip, back, groin stuff, which I know is totally normal. My body is stretching and preparing to deliver this baby, that's gonna hurt.  Still, it's been hard.

I was surprised to see the differences in my belly between week 26 and week 30 (week 28 we did the outdoor photos).  I haven't actually put on much weight, but baby sure is growing!



26 Weeks



30 Weeks

Everyone that sees me says I am all belly.  I guess it's true, but of course, I see differences in my body all over.

Since I have been so sore, Alain and I decided it was time for me to finish up with work.  This Friday is actually my last day!

I wish I could say that I feel like I will be less busy, but I have a massive list of things I want to accomplish over the next 8 weeks.  I'm also doing prenatal swimming, yoga and going to the midwife and chiropractor every other week.  I feel like my schedule will be quite full, but of course, I'm taking lots of time to put my feet up and rest too.

Second Trimester Pregnancy Journal: Week 22

This week Alain and I took a day off work to enjoy some time together.  We headed over to Merrickville to do a little browsing and shopping and just to spend some relaxing time together.  It's a lovely place, but even better during the warmer spring / summer.  We found a lot of stores weren't open since they were still running on reduced winter hours.  Very sad.

We did go into a nice kids consignment store and found some cutie newborn sized onesies for $2 each.  Also, a super sweet jean romper for when we are out visiting.  Sadly, both the fudge store and the ice cream store were closed.  Good thing we had enjoyed yummy breakfast at Cora's before heading out.

We came home, had a nap, walked the dogs and enjoyed a yummy dinner of bbq roasted veggies and some pork sausages. It certainly feels like spring is in the air!

I cannot wait to put away my bulky winter coat.  No one can ever tell that I am pregnant when I'm wearing it, and it is getting too small to fit my growing belly.

We took the regular belly shot photos this week, but also took a few different ones, which I'm going to post here.

I love this photo of Penny and I, even though the light is pretty odd.  She is always ready for a kiss!  That's my girl.

Second Trimester Pregnancy Journal: Week 21

My baby girl knitting yarn has arrived!

As soon as we found out we were having a baby girl, I made a large(ish) order from WEBs to make a whole bunch of girly sweaters and assessories.  I was fully expecting to have to pay duty, since the order was over the $70 they usually let slip by, but lucky me, no duty!

Here are some of my spoils:

I am going to use this Nashua Creative Focus Superwash for a Hello Baby Cardigan.  I actually got a bunch of colours of this yarn, since it was on sale for $5.00 a ball and is superwash (good yardage too).  I haven't used it before, but the colours are nice and it feels soft enough.

This Nature Wool Chunky by Araucania knit up wonderfully into a Baby Sophisticate sweater. I love the colour variation in each skein (be sure to knit from both skeins since they do not have dye lots!)  My project page is here although it still needs to be updated.  I wished that the button hole row was more clearly labelled in the pattern, it didn't end up working out for me at all, and although I added extra length, my sweater ended up quite short.  I am blocking it to be longer right now, so hopefully it'll be okay.  Of course, I didn't really pay attention to gauge, so the problems are probably my fault.  Also, the pattern recommends 255 yards, and I had 260 yards available yet I have a tonne of this left over somehow...  Watch for photos of the finished object soon!

Next up I am going to make Snug with this Cascade Eco +

I am hoping I will have enough left over for a Quinny hat for me although goodness knows I don't need it!

I have a whopping 14 baby sweaters worth of yarn to work through over the next little while.  I have recently finished 4 sweaters though, so I am well on my way.  I will be posting lots of finished objects in the near future.  Some are just waiting for buttons and such.

Second Trimester Pregnancy Journal: Week 18

 

This week Alain and I celebrated a quiet Valentine's Day.

It was the same night as our last prenatal class, so we didn't have a lot of time for special activities. We did decide to go out for a last minute dinner of Chinese food, and came home to eat cheese cake. Yum!

The most memorable part of the day was that for the first time, we both felt the baby move! I had felt a few flutters by myself, but only when my hand was pressed to my abdomin. I could feel the movement from the inside and outside. During our nap before prenatal class, Alain put his hand on my abdomin. It only took a second before we both felt a powerful whop. I could feel it from the inside, and he could feel it from the outside. It was an amazing experience and I'm glad he was there to share it with me.

Since then, I feel the baby moving more often, and sometimes when I am just hanging around (and don't have my hand pressed to my abdomin). Most often I feel it when I am looking for it though. Which I'm sure is normal at this point.

Alain "surprised" me with a figure to add to our Willow Tree collection. We started collecting figures when we got married, I love that there are different figures to represent different events and periods of life. I had been heavily hinting that I wanted to get back into collecting them, and Alain wisely selected the maternity mama.

Cherish by Willow Tree

I have been anxiously waiting for a new figure to be released. I really wanted to get it for Alain for his birthday (back in January), but it has yet to turn up in stores here.

Home by Willow Tree


I'm not much of a collector these days, but these figures always steal my heart.  You can check out the official site right here.  I love "the Quilt", as well was all of the figures including Mom, Dad and baby.

Second Trimester Pregnancy Journal: Week 16

This week brought in February and gave us an opportunity to take some more belly photos.  Belly photos have been one of my favourite parts of the whole pregnancy.  My body has been changing so quickly, these photos are really the only way I can see it happening. 

This week there is a real difference!



13 Weeks










16 Weeks



Yep!  There's a baby in there!

This week was also my last OB appointment.  We heard the baby's heartbeat, but it sounds the exact same as 12 weeks, so I won't post it here.

I am definitely looking forward to my first midwife appointment next week.

We also finally got back the results from the IPS testing.  The baby is totally healthy and fine by all accounts.  Whew, I can breathe easier now. 

Second Trimester Pregnancy Journal: Week 15

We got a midwife this week! Yay!

We have been waiting and hoping for a midwife since I was 5 weeks pregnant.  I had pretty much given up on the idea that we would have one, it just seemed hopeless.  This week I got a call telling me that the practice I was waiting on is hiring a new midwife.  She is due to start in June or July.  I know, I'm due in July... I reminded them of that fact when they called  me.  "Are you sure you will have someone for me by then?" I asked sweetly.  They assured me I would.

Until then I am going to see the other midwives in the practice.  It's not an ideal situation - I would have loved to have seen the same health care provider throughout my entire pregnancy, but, beggers can't be choosers can they?

Giving birth with a midwife allows for several different birthing options.  If I choose, I can give birth entirely at home.  I can have a waterbirth!  I can also go to the local hospital at any point if I choose to, or need to.  The OB I have been seeing works very closely with the midwives, so if I need a doctor, there is that option too.

I have several fears about giving birth at the hospital.  I hope the midwife will be able to assure me that following practices do not still take place, or do not take place at the local hospital:

-Automatic IV hookup.  How can I labour naturally and in different positions when I am hooked up to an IV?
-Automatic fetal monitoring.  There have been no studies proving that constant fetal monitoring is necessary, nor does it help keep the baby or mama safe.  The same applies as above, how can I labour naturally and in different positions when I am constantly hooked up to a monitor
-No eating during labour.  I've heard that  you're not really allowed to eat during labour, especially if you have had medications.  I think they worry that you will have food in your system if an emergency surgery is necessary.  This practice just seems mean, where am I supposed to get my energy from if I can't eat?
-No waterbirthing at the hospital.  My OB told me I couldn't have a water birth because he didn't want to get wet.  Guess what buddy, this isn't about you!

I'm not ruling out a hospital birth yet.  Like I said, I have concerns about having the baby there, hopefully I can get those concerns addressed when I finally meet my midwife!

Second Trimester Pregnancy Journal: Week 14

This week really snuck up on me with a crushing force.  I'm sure there aren't that many women out there that like to talk about fluctuating hormones during pregnancy (except maybe to make light of them), but I want to be different.  I want to be able to tell the truth, maybe it'll help someone.

This week I spun out a bit with my hormones.  I didn't realize it was happening until it was almost too late. 

It all started with the death of an old family friend.  It was a needless death - tragic and shocking. The friend who died was only 32 years old and so full of life.  Our families have always been very close, and although I wasn't close with him any more, it really hit me hard to hear from my parents who were very effected by the loss.  Everyone in my home community was very upset, understandably of course.  I was, of course, 6 hours away and unable to do anything really. 

My mom struggled in the few minutes after receiving the news.  She called me trying to find another friend's phone number, so that they could be told the news.  I helped her get what she needed, but that was all I could really do.  I called often to keep up to date with autopsy results and plans for the visitation and memorial.  I wasn't really able to go (weather is so unpredictable now and Alain wasn't available to come along), but wanted to offer help in whatever way I could.

In the midst of this, my husband was in the middle of a very busy week at work.  He had two busy weeks, the first of which was already completed, and both of which took him out of the house from 6 am until 7 pm.  I work from home and was alone throughout that time, left to fend for myself and care for the dogs.  Not normally a big deal, but my hormones were going crazy without him.  When he did get home he'd spend all his time doing things that needed to be done around the house (and that I can't really help him with- cleaning the litter box, preparing for the class he teaches, etc.).  I missed him terribly and didn't really understand why it was effecting me so powerfully. 

I felt myself spiraling.  In my head I knew I shouldn't be missing him so much, I shouldn't be so overwhelmed.  I felt unable to get anything done, I felt utterly exhausted.

I spent a good half hour one day crying for absolutely no reason.  When I was able to talk to Alain about it, he helped me a lot and put things into perspective.  He came home that night and spent the next few days looking after me.  Work settled down and things got better. 

I won't say this was  "Depression", but I will say that I believe it was heading that way.  Once I realized that was a possibility, it seemed easier to not get mad at myself for being so overwhelmed by things.  It seemed easier to manage, especially when I asked for help.

There are lots of resources out there if you are suffering from depression, during pregnancy or otherwise.  Try to reach out to someone you love.  They will want to help you!  Talk to your doctor or midwife if you feel you can't get a handle on the situation by yourself.

I learned my lesson - hormones in pregnancy are serious business.

I'm so glad that I have such a supportive husband and that I am feeling better!

Second Trimester Pregnancy Journal: Week 13

At 13 weeks, I definitely have a belly.  These photos are never super representative, because we take them in the morning, and my belly is definitely much bigger at night.

I'm excited to start the second trimester.  Risks for the baby go way down at this point.

This week are are also starting prenatal classes!

Alain is so busy with work right now, I miss him terribly.  I have made great friends with some other preggy-ravelry girls, all of us are due in July, 2011.  I feel like they have become my constant companions.

I am back to knitting full force, although I struggle choosing projects that are gender neutral.  I can't wait until we find out the gender of the baby (only 7 more weeks!).

Overall I feel quite good.  I am up 10 pounds from my normal weight.  That had pretty much been my first trimester goal.  It might seem like a lot, but I was a little underweight to beginning with (at least according to the BMI) and ultimately I think I'm supposed to gain between 25 and 40 lbs as a result.  I have never weighed as much as I weigh now, but that's okay.  I know it means the baby is growing and staying healthy.

First Trimester Pregnancy Journal: Week 12

This week we told Alain's family, my boss, and had our 2nd ultrasound.  It was a busy week!  Unfortunately, we left our camera in Cambridge after Christmas, so we don't have any photos of us sharing the big news with Alain's family.  Everyone was very excited though, a few people even got a little teary. 

I have a couple nephews on Alain's side, and they were very interested in the pregnancy.  They kept touching my (little) belly and saying they could feel the baby in there.  They'd put there ear up to my belly and say they could hear the baby in there.  It was cute to see them so interested (they are 5 and 8 years old).

My boss was also very excited about the pregnancy.  It is so nice to have such a great support system available through this sort of experience.  I am very thankful for everyone.

I am also super happy that the baby is no longer a secret to anyone.  We even came out on facebook this week!

I already posted the 12 week ultrasound photo, but in case you missed it, here it is again:

Gosh I love that little guy / gal.

It was really nice to be able to see him / her again and see that he/she is growing and getting bigger.  Everything looks totally normal, so that is great too.

We got to hear (and record) the heartbeat was well.  My aunt who is a nurse swears it is a boy based on the heartbeat, I think it's a boy too, but we'll see in 8 weeks I guess.  I can't wait to find out, but for now I'm just happy that everything is going okay.

First Trimester Pregnancy Journal: Week 11

This is the week I finally told my parents and sister the big news.  It was very hard keeping this a secret so long. 

My sister and I are very close, and I have spent the past 8 weeks feeling like I was lying to her about this huge thing in my life.  Still, Alain and I were determined to be able to tell everyone in person, and with Christmas so close, it only made sense to wait.

Here are the photos of us "telling" my family.  I really think that they say it all. 

We wrapped up a onesie for each of them and gave them as soon as we arrived.  Apparently we both looked very excited while giving our gifts, which sort of gave us away.  Oh well!

Everyone was very excited, as I think the photos convey.  We'll get those onesie's back sometime before the baby is born so he / she can wear them. 

The plan backfired a little in that my mom asked if we were having triplets.  Um.  NO!  Thank goodness.

If you zoom in on the photo you can see that each onesie says something about the person who received it:

"I love my Grandpa"
"Nuts about Grandma"
"My Auntie is Awesome"

We lucked out and found these all at Carter's in one trip.  I think they were about $7.00 CDN each.

First Trimester Pregnancy Journal: Week 10



Baby Belly - 6 Weeks



Baby Belly -  10 Weeks





































This week is week 10 and we are very excited because this week I get to tell my family about the baby!  It has been very hard keeping it all a secret, but with Christmas being so close, we really wanted to wait and share the news in person.  None of my friends from my hometown know either, it's going to be an exciting holiday season.

I don't think I have really mentioned the pelvic / sacral pain I have been having since about week 6.  It's unlike any other kind of back pain I've experience (and with schliosis, I've had a lot of back pain!).  I suffered through it for a while, but both my massage therapist and my physiotherapist have been pretty hands off since I got pregnant (no one wants to treat a pregnant woman it seems).  I haven't taken any kind of medication since I've been pregnant (except my vitamins) and I didn't want to fall back on taking tylenol to ease the discomfort.  At it's worse, the pain would be shooting up my back from my tailbone.  It would take my breath away and it was very uncomfortable.  Nothing I could do seemed to help.  I decided to find myself a chiropractor.

I had a chiropractor about 8 years ago now.  It helped with the back pain, but it always felt aggressive.  Having your back slammed into by a 250 pound man is aggressive.  I felt like I was addicted to the treatments, and never felt good when I missed one.  I pulled away from that type of treatment in favour of massage and physiotherapy.

I was definitely hesitant to go back to a chiropractor, but now I am so glad I did.  The treatments are more gentle this time around, and they are helping quite a bit.  There is still pain, but no more shooting pain, and it's much more bearable.  My body is changing very quickly, it's going to hurt, but I think chiropractic care will help take the edge off and keep my body more balanced.  The scholiosis (curvature of the spine) will definitely aggrivate things in my case so I've decided to continue witht he chiropractic care throughout my pregnancy (and shortly after too).

I'm glad that I decided to try the treatments again.  I really want to keep all medicine out of my system (and more importantly, the baby's system).  So far I have been able to do so and I'm very proud of that.

I am so thankful that this pregnancy has been so easy.  No morning sickness and very little nausea.  I have had food cravings (mac and cheese, and gummy bears!) and food aversions (first bread, which I love again), but I consider myself very lucky.

We took belly photos this week, you can see a bit of difference in my belly between week 6 and week 10.  You can also see a big change in the weather.  Bam!  Winter is here!

First Trimester Pregnancy Journal: Week 9

Last week Alain and I had our first ultrasound.  I was really excited to see the baby, to help it all feel more real.  This ultrasound was going to help date the baby, since my periods were a little irregular before we conceived, my OB thought it would be a good idea.  I had been taking my basal body temperature during the month we conceived, so I pretty much knew when the baby was conceived, but who I am to turn down an early photo of the baby?

I did not like having to drink all that water ahead of time.  I am already going to the washroom way more often (every 2 hours at night) and adding all that extra water was downright painful.  I did it though, I drank a whole litre and then waited over an hour until my ultrasound appointment.  I'm sure this step is more important when the baby is so little. 

The baby measure 220 mm and we got to see his / her little stumpy limbs developing.  The pregancy was dated exactly where we thought it would be, 8 weeks and 5 days at the time of the ultrasound.  Everything looked perfect, with both me and the baby.

The tech was very sweet and labelled everything.  You can just seem the little arms.  The baby had a huge head at this point (don't worry - that's totally normal).  We could see it's little heartbeat flickering on the screen.

I was surprised that the tech used the dopplar so we could hear the heartbeat too.  It sounded great and strong.  The computer counted the heartbeat at 170 beats per minute, totally normal.

Both Alain and I got a little emotional when we heard the heartbeat - how could you not?  I laughed though and screwed up the dopplar.  Next time I'll know better (we also have plans to record the heartbeat so we can listen to it later, and share it with all of you!).

Check out this post to see the photos and see why I am falling head over heels for this baby!

First Trimester Pregnancy Journal: Week 8

Here we are at week eight, excitedly waiting for the ultrasound we will have done this week.

Both Alain and I have started to notice the real changes that are happening in my body.  He swears my breasts have already doubled in size, and I'm tempted to believe him.  None of my bras fit and I have had to buy a few new, stretchy and comfortable bras until things settle down a bit.  Where my ribs used to stick out a little, I have developed a layer of fat and my torso between my hips and my chest has filled in.  I haven't been able to wear my pants (closed) for a few weeks now and I'm using BellaBands pretty regularly.  Everyone says it's bloat, but it is what it is.  I'm definitely developing a belly.

We are waiting until Christmas to tell our family and friends our good news.  We will be able to see them in person this way and we are excited about the whole event.  We bought Grandma / Grandpa and Auntie onesies for them to unwrap on Christmas day, but at this rate we are going to have to give them the news as soon as we arrive.  I'm sure I will not want to spend a few days 'sucking in' before we tell them!  Also, they will probably notice me eating everything in sight.  Although my appetite isn't as ravenous as the first few weeks of pregnancy, I am still eating to clear my plate nearly every meal, with many snacks in between.

UPDATE: Yay for early ultrasounds!  Here is the gummy bear at 8 weeks 5 days.  It was just starting to grow little arm and leg buds and had a big old head.  Pretty much like a gummy bear.

The ultrasound was magical.  We got to hear the baby's heart (so strong, 170 beats per minute) and everything looked utterly, completely normal).

First Trimester Pregnancy Journal: Week 7

This week we had our first OB appointment.  We are ultimately hoping for a midwife, but apparently calling at 5 weeks pregnant isn't early enough, so I'm on a waiting list for now.  We chose our OB based on the hospital we want to deliver in, which is outside of the major city centre.  We have heard good things about the hospital (and the doctor too) and it has a newly renovated maternity ward which includes water baths and private rooms. 

I hope that we can get a quick tour of the facilities next week when we head there for our first ultrasound.  Yep that's right!  We're doing prenatal screening for genetic anomalies and that requires fairly precise fetal dating.  At 8 weeks we should be able to see the beating heart and the babies big head!

I continue to feel good, although I am perpetually slow moving.  I did have a few bad days this week, baby must be growing fast and slowing me down.  I don't mind.  I feel incredibly lucky.  I have a husband who doesn't mind (too much) when I somehow spend the entire afternoon staring at the wall from my position on the couch.  Seriously, who does that?  Me.  The crazy pregnant staring lady.  Okay, it's not really that bad.  It feels bad though, I am always doing something (usually knitting) and this week for the first time in two years, I had a few days that I didn't knit at all.  I try to take it easy on myself, this too will pass.

First Trimester Pregnancy Journal: Week 6

This week I am 6 weeks pregnant. The baby is growing arms and legs and has a beating heart. It has started moving too. I'm happy to have gotten here. Once the fetus has a heartbeat, the chance of miscarriage is quite small. I continue to think sticky thoughts for this baby.

I continue to feel good. No morning sickness, nausia or otherwise ill effects. I make sure to sleep more and eat more too. It's becoming second nature to eat well and often.

 

I know there isn't much to look at in the photo above, but I can already feel and see myself growing.  My breasts are bigger and my torso is filling out.  

 

This weekend Alain and I went to the maternity store and I tried on some clothes using the belly pillow.  I can't imagine I will ever be that big! 

First Trimester Pregnancy Journal: Week 5

At 5 weeks pregnant I am hungry and eating all the time. I feel like my body is playing catch up a little from not eating enough before I got pregnant. I hear this will settle out eventually, so that's good. It's a lot of work to make sure I am getting enough good food to keep me going these days.

Overall I feel good, not so bloated this week although I am more tired than usual. I know that's to be expected.  I get crabby and have mood swings occassionally. My husband would tell you that's not a big change,  it feels different to me though.

I've been able to continue knitting so far, although it does take more effort. My biggest problem is picking up the knitting and getting started, that seems to take me forever. I would often rather just sit still. Once I get going it's fine.

I also feel a hugh sense of undecidedness. What should I do now? What should I knit now? How can I prepare for the baby. I've been feeling stuck since obviously we don't know the gender of the baby. I feel like I can't do anything until I know the gender, which will be quite a while still! Alain and I talked about some things I could work on - burp cloths, swaddle blankets, baby carriers. We also made a trip to BabiesRUs (our first trip there for this purpose!) to see what is available, what kind of things we want, and what we want to avoid. He surprised me by taking me there. It's nice to see him getting excited.

First Trimester Pregnancy Journal: Week 4 [November 7, 2010]

All of a sudden I'm in the forth week of pregnancy!  Of course, the first two weeks I wasn't actually pregnant (due to the way pregnancy is measured) and last week I didn't know I was pregnant.

We just found out that I was pregnant two days ago.

For every other test, I pretty much took it alone.  I think because this time I really thought I was pregnant, I wanted to make sure I shared the result with Alain.

We watched the pink line appear together, and it was a great moment for us.  I was so glad I had included him in the moment.  We took photos for the TTC forum I had been participating in on Ravelry.  There is a great group of girls there I am telling you.  They really helped me though the pre-pregnancy crazies that most women experience when they really want to be pregnant.  I was no exception.  The last month of trying was truly hard and I know Alain was thankful that I could go back to being me.

The line confirming pregnancy was still very light, but I wasn't worried.  I had already been feeling pregnant for a week.  I felt bloated, my abdomin felt heavy.  I was 14 DPO (days past ovulation) and although I had had some spotting around the time of implantation, that had stopped.  My BBT (basal body temperature) remained high every night and my breasts were sensitive and had been for the past few weeks.

We had even been out shopping to buy me new clothes (just a few shirts) since all my shirts (and pants too) were starting to feel too tight.  I will point out that normally I wear shirts and pants that are quite fitted, but that just was not going to work anymore!  I was already feeling bigger, even if I didn't look it, and wanted my clothing to be looser and more comfortable.  Thank goodness I work from home a lot.  This means I won't need a whole new wardrobe for work!

I worry about Alain a lot.  I want him to feel involved, and I know a lot of Dads struggle with that.  I keep asking him how he is doing and I wasn't sure how he was really feeling.  I felt better when I caught him using an online due date calculator... That made me happy.  We really were pregnant!



Right after we got the big news, yep, we're standing in the bathroom!