Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Our Baby Story - First Trimester

Finding Out - Week 9




The Day We Found Out: 
Disclaimer: This story is less than glamorous. It all started in December. I woke up at 3am on a Thursday and had to run to the bathroom. I was so nauseous, to say I felt like complete garbage would be an understatement. I was dry heaving on and off for hours. Trying to lay in bed only made it worse, so I stayed on the bathroom floor until 7am when I finally started throwing up. My body ached worse than it ever has in my 26 years of life. Poor Chris got up with me on and off throughout the night until he had to go to work around 7. In the morning I called my mom feeling miserable. I had been struck with the flu that ran rampant this winter and pretty much struck everyone. I was one of the first in the flu season that I don't even think has ended yet and it's March! 

Around the time we found out.- 5-6 Weeks
My mom suggested I go to Urgent Care but asked me first if there was any chance that I was pregnant. She didn't want me to take medicine if I was pregnant and she knew with Chris and I being newly married we planned on trying pretty much right away. I told her if I was pregnant it probably wouldn't show yet anyways on a test, however, I had two in the cabinet and some strips from my fertility kit. She told me to take one anyways and to call her back. I got out the Clearblue and gave it a go. And to my complete surprise (even though we were trying) within seconds a faint pink plus sign showed up. I called my mom back half crying half yelling and told her I think I'm pregnant! She was confused how I wasn't sure, it is either a plus or minus right?! So she said she would be over right after work. 

My nausea had temporarily subsided as it was replaced with excitement. I made my way back to the couch and texted Chris, asking him to come home during his lunch to help get me something to eat and take my temperature. I didn't know how else to get him home, ok?! Haha..but God love him, he didn't even hesitate and in he strolled around 10:30 for an early lunch and looking like hell, I pulled the test out from under the blanket and informed him that we would be having a baby! I was too excited and sick to try to make it any better than that.

Telling People:
In the meantime, I texted my sister and my two best friends. (Did I mention they are all THREE currently pregnant with me?!- There goes God again being awesome). That day, I called and told my dad. In the days to follow, my sister and I went to my brother and sister-in-laws house to share the news that she and I were both pregnant. A few weeks after, I told my cousins and grandparents at a family Christmas party. I am not one to keep secrets, that whole 12 week deal? Not a chance.  I took about 4 more tests, all which were positive. 

First Ultrasound:
Little Gummy Bear sized babe!
About 4 or 5 weeks later on a Saturday, about a week after my confirmation appointment with my OB, I decided to look up the Ultrasound Business they recommended My Peekaboo Baby. Turns out you can choose a same day appointment online. I asked Chris and he thought it sounded like a good idea. So that day we went and saw our little gummy bear for the first time. Baby's heartrate was 172 and he could see it flickering away, already squirming around. An active little babe! We were in love and on cloud nine the rest of the day.
At 9 Weeks- Day of our first ultrasound

10 Weeks - 13 Weeks

First trimester overall treated me pretty well. Different sources say different things about when the 1st Trimester ends, but I considered Week 13 the end of mine. I answered a first trimester questionnaire to sum up my experience through week thirteen below:


QUESTIONNAIRE:

Did you spot when you got pregnant?

-Literally one tiny dot that I probably wouldn't have even noticed had I not been looking for it.

Did you take Basal Temps?

-Yes but I may have already been pregnant or got pregnant right when I started tracking, so I had nothing to compare it to. However, my temps were elevated throughout the month that I was tracking. If my calculations are right, my temp spiked to 99 degrees when I conceived. Could be wrong! 

Symptoms?

Cramps?  Yes. Period-like cramps that were moderate in pain and accompanied by lower back aches.

Morning Sickness? Not per-say, rather, I had waves of nausea.

Food Aversions? YES. To literally everything. I would have to think long and hard until I could come up with a food that didn't make me nauseous and have to eat that. Anything pasta related sounded especially awful.

Cravings? No- just Gatorade, lemon ice, and sour candy to curb the waves of nausea.

Tired?  EXHAUSTED. Throughout the entire day for a few weeks, Luckily I was on Christmas Break for the most of it but there were a few days I could have fallen asleep at my desk. Luckily my all day exhaustion went away and turned into just having a very early crash and bed time.

Immune System Changes?

-Absolutely. The by far worst part of my pregnancy so far.  I have been very lucky to not have most of the negative side effects that come with being pregnant. My immune system on the other hand has been basically non existent. Which is fine knowing that it is instead protecting my bundle of joy. Early on I had the stomach flu which I believe was the culprit for the raging bronchitis I had for over TWO MONTHS. You read that right, over two months. And it wasn't just a runny nose and wet cough, it was bronchitis that came at me with a vengeance. I couldn't lay down flat, so I slept at a 90 degree angle for the first two weeks. The cough was horrible and violent which eventually caused me to put a rib out and to tear cartilage, followed shortly by three more ribs out of place. After a trip to urgent care, a trip to the ER a month later, chest x-ray, trip to the OB, visit to the chiropractor twice, and medicine and a z pack that eventually made me better, I was over it. I was borderline depressed and couldn't even get off my couch to do anything most days. I don't wish that on anybody, it was awful and dealing with medicating was a scary front to face for a new pregnant woman. Since then, I've had a few colds and a pretty nasty sinus infection. YIKES. Here's to better days!

Any strange symptoms that aren't usually listed?

I have had a runny nose since the day I got pregnant. So strange. 
Breathlessness and having to sit down frequently. I'[ve heard of that symptom but didn't expect to experience it so early.
Having to eat every 3 hours at the max.

Diet?

I have basically eaten whatever sounds good. Usually clean-eating type food doesn't sound the best to me now, especially not my usual ground turkey, so I try to eat hearty foods that sound good. For example, chicken pot pie, lasagna, a LOT of steak and potatoes, and strange enough hot dogs at least once a week. I used to eat mostly ground turkey  and grilled chicken but now I crave more ground beef, steak, and darker meat. 

Sleeping?

-In the first trimester I was up in the middle of the night anywhere between 1 and 3 times a night to use the restroom. It didn't keep me up, it became normal to me. As time went on it became more difficult to sleep on my stomach because my boobs would hurt and eventually my stomach became more sensitive to lay on.



First Trimester Must-Haves.














That about sums up the first trimester! 
I'm excited to share more of this journey as time goes on, and even more importantly, have these entries to look back on. Whether that be in my next pregnancy, or when this baby is grown so I can remember the experience. It's such a blessing to create life!




Until Next Time,

-Bethany


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