growing baby

I just came back from my ob-gyn appointment. All is good! I didn’t have an ultrasound today–instead I got to hear the baby’s heartbeat! That was so cool! I had been expecting a super-rapid heartbeat (more machine-gun style) because there’s so much to-do about how the baby’s heart-rate is so much faster than ours. But it was actually pretty slow–a little faster, maybe, than mine would be, but still a steady slowish beat. Unfortunately Ilya couldn’t come to today’s appointment because he’s tied up in a meeting pretty much all day. Hopefully he’ll be able to come next time!

The results from the screening tests we did a few weeks ago also came in. They look great: we have a 1 in 10,000 chance of having a baby with down’s syndrome or something like that. In other words, we’re in a very low risk category. There’s still a second component to the test that we need to do in two weeks (another blood test), but the doctor says that it’s unlikely to change the results drastically.

The only negative result from my bloodtests is that I’m borderline anemic. The doctor recommended eating more lean red meat. In fact, she particularly recommended organic, grass-fed, free-range bison from the local farmer’s market. She says it cooks just like beef, but it’s higher in iron and lower in cholesterol. On the upside, the doctor said my weight gain (2 pounds) looks great.

I’ve actually been able to get through the last few days without any naps. Maybe all those naps were actually a product of that famed first trimester fatigue and not just plain laziness. I mean, I like my naps as much as the next person, but taking multiple naps a day was a bit excessive even for me. Anyway, now I’m on to a more awake and less fun symptom–carpal tunnel. Apparently that happens sometimes in the second and third trimester. Oh well. I’m taking lots of breaks away from my computer work–at this rate, I might even wash all our piles of laundry!

As of today, I’m in my second trimester–at least according to the Mayo Clinic pregnancy book. Babycenter.com (which is sometimes more accurate than the book, actually) says the second trimester starts next week. And I’ve even seen some sources that say that the second trimester starts in week 15. Anyway, here I am, week 13, and I’m calling it a happy start to a new trimester. The first was very easy on me–no real morning sickness or very uncomfortable symptoms, mainly just extra sleepiness. Hopefully the second trimester will be just as smooth–and I’m looking forward to having a big ole belly popping out. The bigger, the better! (So I say now, anyway.)

Our baby has now been upgraded to fetus status for two weeks, has fingernails, unique fingerprints, and organs that are more or less working together. So far, all is good! Baby’s also a great traveling companion–she/he’s already attended Auntie-to-be Rachel’s graduation and will soon be trotting off to Vegas, California’s capital, and Oregon (to see Melissa, Darren and a new little friend, Jacob). I’ll, of course, be sure to take extra good care of us while away from home!

4. First Prenatal Yoga Class. I went with Ellen to our first prenatal yoga class last Saturday. We were the only people there who were 10 weeks pregnant; most people were 20 weeks pregnant and above. But we still felt very welcomed and had a great time. The class was funny because we took a bathroom break in the middle–I guess the instructor is very familiar with pregnancy bladders! We also did kegel exercises (working our pelvic floor or, as I’ve heard it called before, our “pee muscle”). I was surprisingly terrible at these! I guess it’s good that I’ve gotten started early. 🙂

3. First Mother’s Day. Last Sunday was a great first mothers-to-be-day, complete with a lovely mothers-to-be card from my friend Courtney and a fun boat ride with Ilya, my dad and (of course!) my mom.

2. First Abdominal Ultrasound. Ilya and I visited the ob-gyn today: I had 6 vials of blood drawn, my yearly women’s health exam and my first abdominal ultrasound (the previous ultrasounds were taken with a vaginal probe–that’s not nearly as horrific as it sounds). The picture for the tummy ultrasound was blurrier than the other kind, but Ilya will post our new pic up anyway when he gets a chance. The baby was totally fine, we saw the heartbeat and…

1. Seeing the Baby Move for the First Time. We saw the baby move! It kicked its legs, brushed its head with its arm and flipped to its side. That was so amazing to see!

My wonderful friend Melissa just had her baby boy today! Melissa and Darren (her husband, and another terrific person and great friend) are going to be such great parents–and such good role models for me and Ilya down the line! In fact, I’m really looking forward to taking a Pomona babies trio shot with baby Jacob Owen, unnamed Lindilya baby, and unnamed ElPaul baby in the future–then we can send the picture off to the Pomona College alum magazine! 🙂

For my 30th birthday, Ilya got me a body pillow–something that I’ve always wanted and that will be particularly nice during the third trimester when it’s harder to get comfortable sleeping.  (Incidentally, Ilya was originally supposed to get me a puppy in a basket, but instead I’m getting a poopy in a diaper later in the year.) 

Anyway, the body pillow is wonderfully comfortable to sleep with–especially since it’s already a little uncomfy to sleep on my tummy.  (I don’t think the kitties like it much though–they keep meowing at me until I move the body pillow enough that they can get in close and snuggle.)  The body pillow is also large, like having another person squeezed into your bed.  This morning as I was in the bathroom, Ilya called out to ask what I was doing.  When I replied that I was brushing my teeth, Ilya asked, well then who’s that in bed?  I came out of the bathroom, looked at the bed and saw what looked like a person in an artistic pose under the blankets.  Imagine something like this:

Source: http://www.ocaiw.com/galleria_niah/gallery.php?author=530&id=591

Then cover that person with a big blue blanket.  Meet the body pillow.  Ilya and I both thought it was funny, but I couldn’t stop laughing for like ten minutes.  Maybe all those extra pregnancy hormones have gone to my brain, because it was funny, but not THAT funny.  Hee hee….I’m still giggling.

We’ve now officially graduated from infertile people prenatal care (extra monitoring in the first few weeks from the fertility clinic) to happy regular pregnancy prenatal care (standard ob-gyn).  I met with our new ob-gyn today to see whether she was a good match–and she was just lovely.  Dr. Kelvie was informative, friendly and had a balanced view on pregnancy and labor (essentially, the baby’s health needs come first, other than that the use of monitoring/tests/drugs is up to you). 

The first diagnostic exam we need to think about is a non-invasive test (ultrasound for baby, bloodtest for me) that screens for Downs Syndrome and other genetic disorders.  I think I would be fine without doing the test–there’s always a high risk of false positives which mean more anxiety, plus I want this baby regardless–but Ilya’d rather have the information.  So, since it’s a no-risk test, I’ve gone ahead and scheduled an appointment for the day after Rachel’s graduation (12th week).

Last thought: Ilya posted the less-cute ultrasound pic from our last appointment (we have two pics).  He prefers that one because you can see the space that the brain will develop into.  I prefer the non-posted pic because it’s easier to see the two little hands and two little feet.  Maybe Ilya will scan the other pic in if I’m extra nice!  🙂

I had a funny dream last night about giving birth.  Well, the dream itself wasn’t so funny, but I think it’s funny that I dreamt about it this early in the game.  Anyway, I dreamt that I went to the hospital ready for a labor with no medications–all natural.  But then I woke up (in the dream) and the nurse just handed me the baby.  So in my dream I was very mad at Ilya for letting them give me drugs so I missed the whole thing.  That’s all.

As for real life, we saw the 8.5 week old embryo today.  It’s tiny but baby shaped with a clearly distinguishable head, little hands and feet, and a very visibly beating heart.  It was so cute!  It was so amazing seeing the tiny little kiddie–really a moving experience.  Of course, the ultrasound isn’t very detailed–it kinda looks like a little blob with some smaller blob attachments–but I know what those adorable little blob attachments all are!  Anyway, Ilya will post pictures up later today and tell about his own experience seeing the baby (for one, he thinks the baby wasn’t really cute, but more nifty.)