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"Just Barely" Pregnant PS''ers

ladyciel

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YAY for the 8+1 gummybear, Everygreen!!! Such good news! I hope the meds do some good for you. When I first started feeling queasy very early on it was definitely related to things slowing down, but that doesn't seem to be much the case now. I feel the absolute worst if I DON'T eat, and I feel my best while I'm eating and for a while after, assuming I'm smart about what I have. I felt AWESOME after eating frozen custard after dinner last night. The fat and carbs combo is definitely my winning diet for now. I felt guilty and asked for spinach and tomatoes on my chicken salad sandwich at lunch today....I should have stopped at the cheese and called it a day. I got it down, but I regretted the spinach with every bite and for an hour afterward. I'm also finding I do better if I separate fluids and food a bit - too much liquid with my food and I feel blech.

My appt is next Wed morning...DH is counting down the days as how much longer until he can stop "lying" to his mom. He feels horribly guilty for not fessing up every time he talks to her and she asks if there's anything new with us. We decided together to wait to tell our parents until we made it through the first US with good news, to spare them them a few weeks of worrying. Also, it will be more fun to share the news when our own fears are soothed a bit and it feels a bit more real.
 

ladyciel

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I had my first appt this morning, and I felt a huge weight lift the second baby, complete with fluttering heart, came into view! Measured 8+1, matching my LMP (not my ov date from my chart), so I'm due 11/15. We heard the heartbeat (168 bpm), which made it feel much more real than it has up to now. Below is a snap of our blobbish gummy bear with a head, tiny limb buds, and yolk sac.

The downside is my large anterior fibroid is also growing (now 8cm in the largest dimension, 6cm last fall), and where it's placed right now suggests it could make a c-section rather complicated if one was needed (it's right up front where a bikini incision would go). Doc's plan is to monitor it carefully, including checking my cervical length if there is any concern it is creating extra pressure on my cervix as things grow/shift. and do everything we can to minimize the risks of early labor and during delivery. Obviously I'd like to avoid a c-section for all the usual reasons, but it seems with the fibroid the call to do a CS could end up being a sticky wicket depending on how things play out. It's clearly not impacting the shape of the uterine cavity and baby's space, which is very good news.

babyladyciel.jpg
 

evergreen

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Yay, LC!!! :) Thrilled everything went well with the first appointment and that, since they know about the fibroid potentially being a problem, it'll all be monitored thoughtfully & carefully with plans A, B and C in place. :) All sorts of interesting anatomical changes happen to the uterus during a pregnancy, so with any luck the fibroid will be in a less inconvenient place once your bean has grown!

Congratulations! :appl:
 

blingbunny10

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I just had a positive PT yesterday! :bigsmile: Trying to not go too nuts with reading /researching, but I also couldn't resist downloading some pregnancy apps. I'm about 4 weeks in.
 

monkeyprincess

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Beautiful sight, LC. I hope everything goes smoothly, and the fibroid mind its own business!
 

evergreen

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Woohoo! Congratulations, blingbunny!! And welcome to JBP! :wavey: is this your first?
 

ladyciel

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Welcome and congrats, blingbunny!!! We're a small bunch in here right now, with just Evergreen, me, and now you. :wavey:
 

ladyciel

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monkeyprincess|1460127220|4016947 said:
Beautiful sight, LC. I hope everything goes smoothly, and the fibroid mind its own business!

Thanks, MP!
 

blingbunny10

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evergreen|1460147125|4017088 said:
Woohoo! Congratulations, blingbunny!! And welcome to JBP! :wavey: is this your first?

Thanks, evergreen! Yep this is my first! My first OB appointment is 4/28. Will be a bit nervous until then, but trying to eat and sleep well for now. Crazy how tired I am these days.

Is this your first as well? I see we are just a few weeks apart. :)
 

blingbunny10

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ladyciel|1460248301|4017430 said:
Welcome and congrats, blingbunny!!! We're a small bunch in here right now, with just Evergreen, me, and now you. :wavey:


Thanks, ladyciel! Glad your first appt went well and gave you some relief. I'm pretty nervous too, and will be until the OB tells me everything looks fine. DH wants to tell the world, but I'm making him wait for now. ::)
 

evergreen

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Yup, blingbunny, my first as well -- and I think LC's first, too! I'm exactly 10 weeks today (10+0) and I think LC is about 7-8 days behind me.

As soon as I had the positive test, DH wanted to tell everyone, too -- he had no idea that would be extremely unusual! And then he had a hard time wrapping his head around why I nonetheless wanted to tell my 4 close friends here (who knew we were TTC since May) and my best friend, right away. And I also had to tell my supervisors at work so they could reduce my exposure to x-rays. DH was confused: "I thought we weren't supposed to tell anyone!" Heh. Detailed explanations followed. We started telling parents and close friends after the 1st OB appointment and have been gently folding others in as time has progressed!
 

ladyciel

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Yep, this is my first, and I'll be 9 weeks tomorrow (8 days behind Evergreen). We've done almost exactly as Evergreen re: sharing the news. We told several of our closest friends the news right away, we told our parents and siblings after my first appt and US last week when I was 8+1, and for everybody else we're playing it by ear and rolling the news out as it seems right. My boss knows as of last week, but only because I wanted to share the news with him. He is, as I expected, thrilled for us and will be incredibly supportive the whole way through. A couple of other people at work know, too, but I'll probably wait to announce on a broader scale until I'm entering my 2nd tri or am showing and can't hide it, whichever comes first. My doc suspects I'll start to show on the early side for a first pregnancy, probably by 12 weeks. I've got this big old 8cm fibroid front and center which has my uterus measuring significantly bigger than ~9 weeks. Right now it's still retroflexed and hiding toward the back (making me feel/look bloated, but not pregnant). But, when everything (hopefully) pops forward like it should, all bets are off. I ordered a bellaband this morning to have ready for when it happens - I didn't want to get stuck suddenly not being able to button any of my pants one morning and having nothing to wear to work. I'm not allowed to wear skirts/dresses for safety reasons.
 

blingbunny10

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I'm at 4 weeks, 6 days and had one sided cramps and spotting this week. Went in for a blood test today to determine hCG level. Trying not to get too worked up, but have cried three times today, once in the doctor's office. :(sad
 

ladyciel

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Thinking of you, blingbunny! I had all sorts of weird cramps, mostly on the side baby implanted on (confirmed by US), so it could be bub settling in. Spotting early on is also really common. Please keep us posted.
 

blingbunny10

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Thanks, ladyciel. It's reassuring to hear that the cramping and spotting could be completely normal, and I am hoping for the best! I also haven't shared any pregnancy news with any friends or family, so it's nice to let things out a bit online.
 

blingbunny10

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My hCG value was 3790, which is a huge relief. :)) The Dr. wants me to go in for a sonogram tomorrow rather than have a second blood test.

One of my best friends contacted me today out of the blue and I had to keep myself from blabbing. She is about 4 months pregnant herself and finds out the gender in just 2 weeks!
 

evergreen

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Oh, blingbunny, what a relief! Thanks for keeping us updated. Fingers crossed the sonogram looks spectacular!!
 

ladyciel

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Blingbunny, I hope your US went well!

AFM, I've generally had a bit more energy and a less fussy stomach this week, but I am suddenly sooooo bloated. I look 5 months pregnant if I let it all hang out. As a result, I'm really grateful I ordered the Bellaband on Monday. I can suck the bloat in and still button my jeans, but it's uncomfortable and makes my nausea worse. The bellaband isn't perfect - I have to adjust it throughout the day - but I wore it the last two days and am SO much more comfortable.
 

blingbunny10

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Ladyciel, I hear you on the bloating! I hadn't heard of the Bellaband before, but it seems like a good way to add a little room before the need for full on maternity wear. Can it be used with most fabric/ styles of pants?

I think my sonogram went well for only being at 5+1. They were able to see the gestational sac and yolk, nothing else yet.
 

evergreen

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Thanks for the update, Bunny, I'm sure the docs would have told you if there was anything to worry about based on the scan or HCG!

OK, bloating: finding this massively problematic myself, and the advice of "drink more water, exercise more, eat more fiber" quite patronizing in its uselessness. My guts have completely stopped bothering to move, despite following that advice and prescription gastric emptying medication (metoclopramide) which I take very regularly. Helps with nausea, not so much with constipation. Now that the nausea seems to be improving, I'm somewhere between frustrated and worried - could this constipation be actually medically a problem? :( would love any wisdom from you ladies, only thing that seems to help is huge scoops of Benefiber in my water, but I can't do that when traveling, or when assigned to the operating room...

Having a nice trip right now to visit the in-laws and celebrate the pregnancy with family but can't button my jeans (using a hair tie to hold things together) and look 5 mos pregnant instead of only almost-3. Sigh. MIL was excited until I told her I'm just fat. (And it's actually not that but "food baby" sounds way nicer than "poo baby" ;-) ).
 

ladyciel

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Blingbunny, I can't see why the Bellband wouldn't work with most buttoned/zipped pants. The one catch is that for it to work well, you have to pull it down far enough that it will cover front/back pockets on most pants. It's not a deal breaker for me, since I can hike it up to get in my pocket and then tug it back down, but it's just something to note. That said, a lot of maternity pants have fake front pockets, so we might just have to get used to pockets as a luxury, not a given!

Evergreen, as for the bloating and constipation, my doc strongly suggested I try Miralax. There isn't any animal data available regarding its safety in pregnancy, which gets it slapped with a Cat C label, but I'm reading a lot of docs trust it because it isn't a stimulant and very little to none of it is thought to be absorbed into the system. It's PEG polymer, which sucks up water and keeps it in your colon/stool. My doc has it on their safe OTC list they hand out at your first prenatal appointment. Fiber/bulking products were just making me more bloated and uncomfortable without helping the constipation in any way, so I finally gave in and am taking the Miralax to get some relief and hopefully avoid hemorrhoids or other damage. I had to take it a couple of days before I finally got relief, but such sweet relief!!!! I'm going to try alternating days, or maybe a couple days on, a couple days off, to see if I can find a happy medium and minimize how much I use it. Another approach might be just taking a smaller dose every day. I could feel it getting things moving, which was slightly uncomfortable the first day when I was so completely blocked up, but I've not had any serious cramping or any problems with urgency. I'm back to my pre-pregnancy weight this morning, almost my pre-pregnancy size belly, and I finally feel human again. Well, other than the headache that showed up yesterday and came back today, and the mild but still there nausea. My fatigue is steadily improving, though I did take a nap this afternoon.
 

amc80

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Just a tip from someone who is on round three- check out the long and lean camis from Buckle. They can work the same way, and are long enough to use throughout pregnancy. I found the Bellaband to be really annoying and I was constantly having to adjust it.
 

evergreen

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LC, you've changed my life. THAT'S why Miralax is cat C? Shucks -- I was stumped, because yes, it's barely/not absorbed so I figured it would be a go-to, then read the cat C label! Buying it today. THANKS. :D :dance:
 

evergreen

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Ooh, more science for you guys: did you know that there is an epidemiologic link between dark chocolate intake and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (e.g. gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia)? And that link goes in the GOOD way, where chocolate appears to be protective??? Two Pubmed references: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20609337 and http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18379424 -- but of course they're retrospective cohort studies, and therefore subject to confounding.

It's attributed to reduction in endothelial dysfunction from the cocoa flavonols, which is relevant in a whole host of other disorders; for example, this randomized controlled trial in elderly patients with vascular risk factors found that those randomized to consume cocoa (vs placebo!) had better endothelial function ("neurovascular coupling" is a way to measure it if you're interested in e.g. strokes) -- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23925758.. Other studies have shown improved vascular characteristics and an antihypertensive effect in healthy volunteers (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25380152 and http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26348767).

Finally, if you'd like to review the evidence in general, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=chocolate+vascular finds many of the relevant articles. There's a meta-analysis in progress but not yet published. :( Meanwhile, I'm happy enough with the strength of evidence, and my own inclination toward chocolate, to consider it not only delicious but potentially therapeutic if used in moderation... :D

There's a theoretical risk from the caffeine content, although the evidence for low-level caffeine consumption and adverse pregnancy outcomes is essentially absent at less than 2 cups of coffee per day, and 1 tbsp of cocoa powder has about 12mg caffeine (compared with 95mg in a cup of coffee). Dark chocolate will have more cocoa flavonols than milk for relatively less sugar and fat (and white chocolate has none); cocoa powder is perhaps "healthiest" but wow not delicious by itself unless you're a hardcore bitter-chocolate fan. Dutch-processed/alkalai-processed cocoa has fewer flavonols. Regular cocoa mixed in a cup of lightly sweetened milk-alternative (I use almond) it's somewhere between manageable and delightful. :D And I got some of those Dove dark chocolate pieces since they're delicious though acknowledge it's (1) alkalai-processed and (2) full of fat and sugar, but... :lickout: Moderation, right?
 

blingbunny10

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That's great news about chocolate. ;))

Anybody else's morning sickness affecting water intake? Water makes me feel so sick now that I'm struggling to get any water in. I also realized that I'm going to be flying across the country to a family wedding in a couple weeks. I'm told weeks 8 and 9 are the worst in terms of nausea, and that's exactly when I'm traveling, argh! Is this when it peaked for you ladies? Anything in particular that helped the nausea, besides gingery things?
 

evergreen

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Aww, blingbunny, sorry to hear you're feeling sick. I really struggled with it -- mostly in terms of misery, not so much actual vomiting, though -- in early first trimester. I never had a hard time taking in appropriate calories or fluids. But...

Non-meds you could try: I've been using True Lemon, True Lime, and True Orange flavoring packets in my water to make it more palatable. They're at least made of natural/food-y stuff. :) Try ice water, if you are used to drinking luke-warm/room-temp water from your water bottle, since cold is often more tolerable. Also, ginger ale and Sprite might be better-tasting, and really the time to worry about empty calories is once your stomach gives you the luxury of making "smart choices"! I found Coke helpful, too -- Coke syrup is a practically ancient old wives' tale for upset tummies, but I could sip it without being bothered. Chicken broth tasted pretty good to me, too -- that definitely counts! I also had a fruit smoothie one time that tasted terrific. Fruit is mostly water, and I could usually manage clementine oranges and Fuji apples. So don't focus on choking down plain water so much as making sure you're getting enough liquid - in its many forms - to stay healthy. That's a lot of things to try but hopefully something in there sounds good/worth a shot for you. :)

Meds: I started metoclopramide (Reglan) at about 8 weeks -- the day of my first OB appointment, when I asked for the prescription :D -- and have found it extremely helpful for bloating and uncomfortable tummy during/after eating. It increases gastric emptying and has good epidemiologic data for safety, though it IS a med and literally NOTHING has "perfect" safety data in 1st trimester except maybe Tylenol and B6/doxylamine. The combination of vitamin B6 and doxylamine (an antihistamine) is pregnancy category A for nausea, but doxylamine is most commonly sold OTC as a sleep-aid... and my primary doctor rx'd promethazine (Phenergan), also an antihistamine, also sedating, so I didn't personally get much mileage out of the antihistamines for my nausea. Ondansetron (Zofran) has been effective, but I tried really hard to hold off before 11 weeks and still only take it in emergencies now because the safety data is so incomplete in 1st tri.

But I'm 11+2 today and the nausea has REALLY improved, so I am rarely bothered by it until about 3pm when it creeps in (definitely worse in the afternoon/evening, and also can be bad when I wake up overnight, weirdly...). At least it does get better! Sorry you're struggling, though. :(sad
 

ladyciel

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Evergreen, I hope the Miralax has helped!! I cracked up at your chocolate lit review - it's totally something I would do. Dark chocolate is my favorite (the darker the better) so I think I'm covered!

Blingbunny, I found that when my nausea was the worst, I had to spread my fluid/water intake out as much as I could and avoid drinking too much with food. I think my stomach just didn't like too much volume at any given moment, so the mix of water and food was more than it could take. I did much better sipping on water between small snacks, or having it with very small nibbles of whatever tasted good to me that day. If drinking anything...broth like Evergreen suggested, milk, fruit-infused water, etc... all makes you sick, I second Evergreen's point that you can get a lot of water from your food. I'd give your doc a call If you continue to struggle and are concerned that you're getting dehydrated. I think my nausea was the worst at 7-8 weeks, was noticeably better when I hit 9 weeks, and since I hit 10 weeks it's been mostly gone. I still find myself turned off by random foods, I suffer if I eat too much at once, but it is much more manageable now - so grateful for that. However, I've started getting headaches. I tend to wake up with them, and they stay with me all day. I'm trying to up my water intake even more, to see if that helps, but I'm already getting up 4+ times in the night. I feel like I can drink all I want during the day and not visit the bathroom more than a usual amount. Overnight, I have a bursting full bladder every 2 hours. It's maddening!

Today I'm 10+2, and I can feel the top of my uterus maybe an inch below my belly button when I'm on my back. I'm completely sure I am, in fact, feeling the right thing...I've been able to feel it for at least a couple of weeks and track its growth. It shifts a bit depending on my bladder, bloat, etc, but whatever the case it is waaaaay ahead of 10 weeks. Stupid fibroid.
 

blingbunny10

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evergreen - Thanks so much for taking the trouble to type that out! I have been trying to stay mostly med free so far, but it's definitely good to have that list in case things get worse. I think you're right about letting myself have some empty calories. After being queasy all day, I had a soda at dinner last night, and it was so appealing crisp and made me feel so much better that I ate my whole dinner, too. Ran out and bought a case of mini ginger ales after that. It is good to know it gets better. I hope your BM/ bloat has been better these days. I am still cracking up at your earlier post!

Silver lining of being sick is how nice DH is about it. He's even been getting up early to do a chore or two before work. It's very sweet, but I think he's kind of got the freaked out/endearingly overprotective man thing going on right now. ::) I told him, "Pregnant women can still DO stuff, you know." "Oh course you can do stuff, I know that. Now why don't you go upstairs and take a bath or watch a show in bed?"
 

blingbunny10

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ladyciel - I bought some dry crackers, apples and cheese to try to snack on this week. I really love food and cooking, so it's hard to give it up! But you're right, the big meals don't make me feel so great. I'm sorry you're getting headaches. I read somewhere that magnesium can help with headaches and morning sickness, so I was going to try that myself. Eating magnesium rich foods like a banana or seeds/nuts are supposed to help. Epsom salt and magnesium flake baths are another option. A nice Epsom salt foot soak sounds pretty nice!
 

evergreen

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Bunny, I'm thrilled the soda went OK -- don't worry, it does get better, and you can promise your bean that when it lets up on making you miserable you will eat perfectly. (I'm still waiting on that one. "Make salmon sound delicious, kiddo, and you'll get it!")

My DH has also been bending over backward to be understanding and helpful, which honestly I hadn't anticipated -- though we've both got super busy jobs he definitely has even less free time than I do! -- but I'm enjoying & appreciating it immensely. Particularly about the nausea, like he's changed his driving habits and never asks me to look up stuff online while he's driving because I get carsick more easily than before! Hope it continues after kiddo is born...!

LC, sorry about the headaches -- obviously too early for them to be scary pre-eclampsia headaches but hopefully the magnesium helps if you decide to try that. It's almost impossible to overdo oral magnesium (it's not very well absorbed), though perhaps better absorption through the skin with Epsom soaks and lotions. I have NEVER seen total-body magnesium overload except when it's given IV, so you shouldn't have anything to worry about overdoing it; however, deficiency is quite common. Otherwise, I've got nothing helpful to offer, just sympathy! Are you wearing maternity pants yet? Darn that fibroid. I've got no real excuse to wear them yet except that the comfort differential is increasingly apparent!

Miralax is amazing. I'll say no more. :shifty:
 
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