Catching my breath!

This week has been a whirlwind.  I finally got to see my regular doctor on Monday, had the blood test, and Tuesday was given the confirmation that I am indeed 5 weeks along.  My estimated due date is Feb 21, 2012.  I always said I didn't want to be carrying around an extra 30 lbs of baby during the middle of summer when it's hot as hell, so I guess our timing was excellent in that regard!

Next thing was to find an OB/GYN, which was a daunting task at first.  My doctor had given me a short list of suggested OBs nearby, and decided to start off by checking reviews online.  Let me tell you that it was a daunting process.  One of the docs had great reviews on Yelp, but it seemed like every reviewer had a C-Section.  Now, I'm not adverse to the concept of a C-Section, but I certainly do not want that to be pushed upon me by an OB with an agenda.  Then there were a slew of OBs with reviews that fell into the "loved them they were amazing!" or "they have the worst bedside manner and wish I'd had a different doctor".  Just not encouraging.  Even worse were the occasional "he nearly killed me" reviews, which just makes any expectant mother want to run screaming I would imagine.

Having exhausted all the possibilities for an OB at the hospital nearest me, I decided to branch out to the nearest hospital with a good maternity ward in the other direction from home, which also happens to be the hospital where my husband was delivered.  Like magic my dream OB jumped off the computer screen.  This guy has 5 stars across the board from every website providing reviews.  He also has multiple awards from the Patient's Choice web site - which logs ratings and awards by patients.  Even better, he's in network for my insurance, and accepting patients to boot.  My first appointment with him is on July 8th.  So, I have to spend the next 2 weeks being patient, but it'll be worth it to have my first ultra-sound and get to see the little seed that's growing in there.

Finally, there was the task of telling immediate family.  Husband's family have been gently "encouraging" us for a while now, ever since his younger sister had her first (and is now expecting again).  The phone calls came back-to-back:
- My preggo sister-in-law sounding practically more excited about my pregnancy than her own; offering me books, clothing, and overall support for the fact we're simultaneously carrying cousins.
- My father-in-law and step-mother-in-law sounding giddy and ready for a celebratory drink.  I told them to enjoy a drink for me seeing as it's not like I can partake for a long while.
- My mother-in-law concerned about my symptoms (which incidentally are pretty minimal) and providing the advice as a mother of three can.  We discussed the doctor I've chosen, the hospital I'm considering, and generally what to expect.
- The grandparents, who are just thrilled to be in anticipation of their third great-grandchild.  It is indeed a wonderful thing to be able to celebrate.

The task of telling my family seemed strangely more daunting.  My younger brother was speechless for a moment, then really excited, and has been texting me [terrible] name suggestions ever since.  He may not admit it, but I can tell he's thrilled to be an uncle for the first time.  As for my parents, it took me a while to get hold of them given that they live in England and there's the time-zone issue.  I started to get nervous and psych myself out - it's like I was a teenager again and preparing to give an explanation for why I showed up on the front doorstep drunk.  The more I thought about it, the worse it got, and then the guilt kicked in because they would be the last to know.  So, when my mom finally picked up the phone and I delivered the news, I can't really explain the overwhelming sense of relief that overcame me as I heard the words "that's good news!" come out of her mouth.  I think in some way my parents knew it may be coming.  As my dad pointed out, I've been "broody" for a while.  We're not sure how they're going to make it out for the birth considering there's the whole international travel aspect, but it's already at the forefront of my mother's mind. 

It wasn't brief, but that's what's happening.  I'm happy to say that all is right in my world.

I peed on a stick

As of two days ago, it appeared that my period was late and my basal body temperature was still high.  I told my husband that I'd be picking up some home pregnancy tests on the way home.  The logic being that either I'm pregnant or the mere act of buying them would remind my period that it's supposed to be here.  

Yesterday morning, I woke up, peed on a stick (ok, well technically peed in a cup and then deposited said pee on a stick), and set off the timer on my phone.  About a minute later, a faint line showed up next to the control line.  I double checked the box, double checked the line, held it up to the light thinking maybe my eyes were messing with me, then went to wake the husband for a second opinion.  His first response was "but it's hardly there" and then padded back off to bed.  So, I peed again, grabbed a second test...SAME THING!  This time, after shoving the proof in his face, husband smiled, then mumbled something about having super sperm.  I went off to work quietly contemplating the fact that I am apparently preggo.  

It does explain why I've been kind of tired, very gassy, and was feeling like my usual swim workout was tougher than usual.  I had also had a dream last week that I was pregnant, and chalked that up to pregnancy being part of my subconscious desire.  Even now as I'm typing this, I'm prematurely awake as a result of a wave of nausea that hit me obnoxiously early this morning.  It's like this tiny little seed that's inside my body is trying to find a way to say hi.      

Of course, it still hasn't quite sunk in (and probably still won't for a few days).  Husband insisted that I make an appointment with my doctor immediately - in part because I'm convinced he needs to hear it from the doctor himself - so I have my first pre-natal visit on Monday.  It was so cute talking to the girls at the doctor's office when making my appointment, because they were so cautious to make sure this was wanted before offering friendly congratulations.  Yup, officially that's freakin' weird but so damn exciting!  

Somebody's watching me....

Several weeks ago, I randomly received a copy of "American Baby" magazine in the mail.  I'd only just gone off the pill, so I found the timing to be pretty coincidental (and of course pretty cool because, hey, free magazine).  A couple of days later, the Gerber coupons arrived.  I couldn't quite tell if husband found this to be amusing or utterly disturbing - even after my insistence that I hadn't gone completely psycho baby-crazy and started signing up for random baby things online.  He put it down to data mining and internet cookies.

Then, yesterday, the final whammy arrived in the mail.  I got a nice little postcard from my health insurance company telling me about their new program for expectant mothers.  It's a free program with a 24-hour hotline to speak with a nurse during the course of the pregnancy, in addition to reading materials for various stages of pregnancy, an immunization calendar and a host of other things to promote a healthy pregnancy.  It said to give them a call to enroll as soon as I'm pregnant.  I personally think the program sounds great, but how did my health insurance know?  Granted, I saw my doctor for my annual exam, and pregnancy was discussed at the time, but did she give them a full report, or are they just making assumptions based on my age and the blood tests she ran? 

I'm starting to think that somebody implanted a bug in my brain that's transmitting signals to third parties indicating that it's baby time...

Which is it?

I spent so much of my life on the pill that I was very curious how my body would react to being off birth control.  When I saw my doctor, she told me to call her in 6-8 weeks if I hadn't had my period - because either my cycle wasn't regulating yet (which it should be) or I'm pregnant.  I've heard many stories about people not getting their regular period the first month after going off the pill, so in my head this was bound to happen to me. 

Last night, I had some light cramps and discovered a little spotting.  In that I was quite sure that I hadn't ovulated yet, I figured that this might actually be ovulation.  While not everybody feels ovulation (a/k/a "mittelschmerz"), about 20% percentage of women do.  I have a close friend who told me that she could very distinctly feel it, but only on her left side.  Spotting can be a symptom of ovulation, while other symptoms also mirror menstruation, such as abdominal pain, headache, bloating and breast tenderness.  While looking up ovulation symptoms, for the umpteenth time, I also came across symptoms associated with implantation, which occurs when the egg burrows into the lining of the uterus.  Implantation and pregnancy symptoms can also be similar to menstrual symptoms and up to 30% of women have light spotting during early pregnancy. 

So, what's the take away from this?  Both ovulation and implantation can actually mimic menstruation in certain ways and the spotting I was experiencing could be one of several things.  Needless to say, I woke up this morning with my period. It occurred to me that if I were still on the pill, my period would have been due yesterday, so yay for having a nice regular cycle at least.  What I'm not as happy with is that my body decided to go the complete opposite from what I was expecting and has delivered a very heavy period (excuse the TMI).  This is one of the reasons I went on the pill in the first place (although I'm thankful for manageable cramping that hasn't involved copious amounts of OTC drugs so far).

Now that I have the first month and first cycle out of the unknown, looking forward to starting tracking everything all over again.  :)

Pilates, the return

As far as I'm concerned, Pilates is like magic.  Many years ago, I sustained a shoulder injury in a car accident and years of physical therapy, sports medicine and chiropractic visits weren't as affective as a couple of mat pilates classes at my gym.  I ended up finding a chiropractor who is all about alternative healing - pilates, massage, reflexology, acupressure etc.  He is the only doctor who's ever told me that I have strong buttocks, and for that I thank him. 

I had been doing reformer pilates once a week until about 2 years ago when they changed health insurance plans at my job, and he ended up out of network, which meant no more pilates classes for me.  Then a phone call came last week that they're now in network and I'm psyched for my first class tonight.  I suspect it's going to seriously kick my ass seeing as I've not done it in so long.

The question of course is whether pilates will be a good option for me to continue should I become pregnant any time soon. Pilates is designed to really strengthen and work the core muscles of the body - abdominal, pelvis, and back - which is key both during and after pregnancy.  The types of movement and exercise work muscle tone and endurance, which can help with posture, balance, and general comfort as the pregnancy progresses.  Also, the breathing techniques used in the exercises can be helpful during the final trimester and labor.  There are several things to keep in mind though.  Many pilates moves are performed lying on the back, but this isn't suggested past the first trimester as it can cut off oxygen to the baby.  It's also a good idea to be careful with not over-stretching movements because pregnant muscles and tendons are more prone to injury!

One thing to keep in mind are the modifications necessary for preggos and, if you're seeking out a pilates class to try, it's worth checking if the instructor is aware of the positions and exercises to avoid.  I'm going to be back with my original instructor from when I started.  There have been various pregnant ladies in the class previously and I know she's very aware of the dos and don'ts.  Of course, best thing to do is talk to your doctor before starting something like this.  I was able to talk to my doc about both pilates and swimming for exercise when I went in for my check-up and got the green light for both!

A quick check-up

I went in to see my gyno today for my annual visit to get my "lady bits" checked, which conveniently coincided with going off the pill a couple of weeks ago.  I adore my doctor.  The woman is able to pop the speculum in, get the swab, and tell you you're done quicker than you can fold the crappy magazine you were reading, while swaddled in over-sized paper clothing, and pop it back in the rack.  I had some questions that I wanted to ask her in mind before heading over there - i.e. How long before my cycle regulates so that I know when to call you if it doesn't?  Anything in particular I should avoid eating/drinking?  Having confirmed that I'm not a crack addict, alcoholic, or chain smoker; I passed with flying colors when it comes to exercising regularly, eating balanced as much as possible, and general awareness of maintaining good habits.  She gave me a little warning to be mindful of certain fish that are heavy in mercury, and also suggested keeping away from super processed meats (i.e. deli meats and hot dogs).  She was nice enough to say that she doesn't really need to tell me to cut down on anything in particular seeing as I'm not really doing any of those things anyway.  Gold star please! 

It'll be about a week before I get my results from the blood work, but she isn't anticipating any deficiencies, especially considering I've been on a pre-natal vitamin for months already.  So, now that I've had my annual tune-up, let's hope everything else goes smoothly!

My cup of tea?

It seems that there has always been some disagreement as to the amount of caffeine that is permissible during pregnancy.  The good news for coffee fiends is that, more recently, it's determined to be pretty safe to drink about 200mg of caffeine per day during pregnancy without any ill effects, so you don't have to give it up completely.  At the same time, that 200mg limit can easily be met by a single 8oz cup of coffee.  Seeing as it's suggested to cut down on caffeine intake from trying to conceive through pregnancy, I figured I should weigh out my options here for what is ok to drink.

Fortunately for me, I actually cut down on coffee and soda several years ago.  75% of the time, I'm drinking water or green tea.  The problem is of course that caffeine appears in lots of places.  The 3-4 cups of green tea that I usually drink daily each contain 30-50mg of caffeine which, when added to my one morning coffee each day, already puts me over the 200mg mark.  That's interesting considering I don't think of myself as somebody who drinks a lot of caffeine.

Seeing as shots of whiskey are also off the table, what are my options?
- Decaffeinated coffee/tea?  Truthfully, I really don't find decaf coffee anywhere near as tasty.  My mother in law drinks double shot decaf espresso, which seems to be an oxymoron.  She says she likes the flavor, but I can't seem to garner the same joy from it.  I'd be down to give some decaf teas a try though. 
- Herbal tea could be an option, but you do have to be very careful that the herbs do not have any adverse affect on pregnancy and fertility either.  Safe ingredients (in small doses) include ginger, lime blossom, peppermint, roasted barley, rose hips, and thyme.  Meanwhile, the list of unsafe herbal tea ingredients is much longer - including (to name a few) anise, catnip, chamomile, comfrey, ephedra (a/k/a ma huang), European mistletoe, hibiscus, horehound, Labrador, lemongrass, licorice root, mugwort, pennyroyal, rosemary, sage, sassafras, stinging nettle leaf, vetiver, and yarrow.  Rasberry leaf is a tea that some use closer to being full term, but isn't suggested earlier on in the pregnancy. 
- "Clear" sodas such as 7-up, Sprite should be ok for that one soda a week that I drink.  I also love Ginger Ale, which has a secondary purpose for reducing nausea as a result of morning sickness.  I'm also glad that orange Fanta is caffeine free.  It's not clear but it's delicious!
- Juice seems like it would be a good plan given that it contains nutrients good for the body.  However, there are also limitations because the juice must be pasteurized to kill any bacteria (so no fresh squeezed).

It's funny how important something seems just because you're not supposed to be doing it.  For now, I'm glad that I should still be fine drinking one cup of coffee and one cup of green tea a day...alternative beverages to be explored soon!