Worry, worry, worry.

[packrat]

Mer, it could be implantation bleeding, and nothing to worry about. I had that with both my kids. Check w/your Dr. to be sure, but that''s what it sounds like to me. I think it lasted a few days w/my kids, and like you said, I only noticed it when wiping.

 

[fieryred33143]

Mer totally normal. Your cervix is so sensitive right now that even pooping can cause a little spotting. If its not bright red and you aren''t in pain then there''s nothing to worry about.

Also as a side note, you may experience what feels like a tugging sensation or even light cramp on your left and/or right side. This is round ligament pain (RLP) and also really normal. I remember getting it from 8 to about 10 weeks and then again at around 12 weeks.

 

[phoenixgirl]

It''s totally normal, and a slight pink tinge shouldn''t be any cause for concern. That can happen after intimacy or just without explanation. I wouldn''t worry. Remember, some women have so much spotting that they think they''re still getting their period (and therefore they don''t even realize they''re pregnant), and only something like 20% of women with serious spotting/bleeding in the first trimester miscarry, so you really can''t jump to any conclusions.

Whenever I worry, I think about all the totally irresponsible people who do all the wrong things when they''re pregnant, and their babies turn out fine. There is really very little you can do to "mess things up." My friend who doesn''t believe in modern medicine is also 34 weeks and has been sleeping on her back because she hasn''t read any of the literature that tells you not to do that. Yesterday she told me that she hadn''t heard of Braxton Hicks contractions until her midwives told her she was having one. I was like, what rock have you been living under? But so far her lack of reading up on pregnancy stuff hasn''t seemed to cause any harm; your body knows what it''s doing.

My morning sickness started around 6-7 weeks, so you may experience it yet, but a lot of (lucky) women don''t too.

BTW Packrat, Mer is 7 weeks along so I think implantation occurred a few weeks back. They''re already seen the heartbeat (yay!).

 

[Mara]

pg what i read about back sleeping is that it limits your own (mother's) heart blood flow so that is why they discourage it but what i have read doesn't say 'you definitely should never do it'...it just says to limit it if possible. and it said don't worry if you wake up on your back or something. i tend to start on my side and wake up on my back and i never know how long i have been on my back but i figure if i wake up uncomfortable or dizzy then that's my body telling me to ROLL OVER. if your pal hasn't had any issues, hopefully it's fine for her.

i actually haven't read much in the way of what to expect or be doing...i decided up front not to read any of the books. too many people said they just got more freaked out. i figured if something happens that 'concerns' me, i google it or ask the preggo gals. i think reading too much about what 'could' happen would just make me worse. aka the diff types of spotting, some people have it through most of their preg or might have other types of pains, but i figure if i don't have it then i won't worry.

also to add to what someone said about the ligament stretching pains, i have had them almost all through my pregnancy so far. i read that is not uncommon. for a day or so it will feel sore and tight and kind of 'sharp' on both sides of my uterus near my pelvic area, and then it will go away for a week or two and then it might happen again.

it is hard not to worry when you feel any sort of pain or experience something unusual esp when you can't SEE what is happening in there. i have read also that 2nd time mom's are sooo much more relaxed because they have been through it all before. but for a first time mom everything is 'new' and a little anxious. we just had our 20 week appt and i am starting to relax a bit and feel more calm. but it's taken me all this time, and going through the amnio, numerous appts, asking my dr over and over what the miscarriage is rate now etc. but now i am starting to realize...well it is what it is and i am doing what i can and that is all that matters.

oh random note but, also don't worry if you have weird dreams while preggo, i have them all the time and i have heard this is normal. also to have more 'vivid' seeming real dreams. i can't tell you how many strange dreams or nightmares i have had, and i am not a typical big dreamer at all. hormones really do mess with you. take care of yourself...if you have special things you like to do to relax yourself, start loading up on them!

it's a long haul!

btw whoever said that this whole process helps you to realize that something this big is out of your control is right...and i guess it does set you up for the future with the kid in the same vein. as someone who is typically a planner and very into being into control of my life, i think that is a big thing that freaks me out. so maybe mentally we need these 9 months to prepare ourselves for the huge life change.

thanks allison!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 9/13/2009 3:03:39 PM
Author: Mara
oh random note but, also don''t worry if you have weird dreams while preggo, i have them all the time and i have heard this is normal. also to have more ''vivid'' seeming real dreams. i can''t tell you how many strange dreams or nightmares i have had, and i am not a typical big dreamer at all. hormones really do mess with you. take care of yourself...if you have special things you like to do to relax yourself, start loading up on them!

it''s a long haul!

With all the hormones flowing, it''s normal to have unusual dreams. I remember having one where I gave birth to a raccoon!

 

[Sha]

Date: 9/10/2009 11:10:47 PM
Author: fiery
Oh Mer I wish there was something I can say to ease your mind but the truth is that pregnancy is full of worries. You go through 1st tri worrying that you don''t have any symptoms, then wishing the symptoms would go away, and if they do you worry that they''re gone. Then you worry in second tri that you haven''t felt any movements and when you finally do you spend all day making sure its enough movement. Then you spend the 1st half of 3rd tri worrying that cramps mean early labor and the 2nd half of 3rd tri worrying that no cramps means you''ll be overdue. And the funny thing is that thinking about all of this makes these 40 weeks feel soooo long but once the pregnancy is over it all becomes a blur.

All I can tell you right now is that the absence of symptoms can be an awesome thing. I didn''t have any symptoms at all throughout the pregnancy and never had any morning sickness at all. I actually felt pretty great. Just keep reminding yourself that its all normal! In the meantime try joining pregnancy forums. Sometimes hearing others going through the same can help ease your mind. And only 3 weeks left! Can''t wait for you to see how big your baby will be then! Its amazing the way they grow in 1st tri!

Ditto. I just spent about 15 minutes poking my belly to make sure the baby was okay, since I hardly felt any kicks today. I was a bit anxious in the first trimester, but that eased a lot after 12 weeks. Now I''m late in the second trimester I worry most that the baby is moving okay. I guess the third trim will also have its worries!

By the way, meresal - I didn''t have any real symptoms until almost 8 weeks, when my morning sickness kicked in. Most morning sickness starts around 7-8 weeks. Allisonfaye mentioned breast tenderness - but my breasts weren''t that sore either. They''re still not extremely sore - just sensitive. They didn''t get much bigger either. It''s great that you heard the heartbeat already - I read that the risk of miscarriage goes down quite a bit once you can hear the heartbeat.

 

[meresal]

Thank you gals. My keyboard at work is horrible, so I will reply from home tonig. Sory about this.

 

[janinegirly]

during my pregnancy i had no symptoms..no m/s, no big bbs (unfortunately), no cravings, no *crazy* dreams. If my belly wasn't growing I would never have believed I was preggo!The 2nd and 3rd trimester brought nary a kick. I was always calling the dr., or just showing up. Finally I bought a doppler to deal with my anxiety--it was my favorite purchase ever! In the end I had a healthy baby born on her due date who kicked like crazy outside the womb!!

 

[swimmer]

Mer, how are you and your chickpea doing?

 

[meresal]

Fiery- Thank you for your second post. I am soaking in all the information you ladies dish out. I appreciate the fore-warnings about things that could possible come. It''s one thing to read about them in a book, but it''s another to be able to talk with someone that has actually gone thru them and everything came out ok.

Phoenix- I know, I have to remember that pink spotting is nothing compared to what other have supassed. It''s just hard to actually convince yourself. lol. It''s been three days since the last time, so I think it probably passed. We are now 2 weeks away from the 10 week appointment, so I have that to look forward to. I can''t wait to see our little bud again! I also started having some of those abdominal "pains" that I was having, that I think are related to stretching, and for some reason, having those keep me really calm and relaxed that everything is still progressing.

Mara- I haven''t been reading a whole lot of all the "should do"/"shouldn''t do''s". I''ve read the main things and I know which foods to stay away from, but like you, I feel like my body will tell me when I shouldn''t be doing something anymore. Thanks for your post! I''m kinda hoping I''ll get to skip out on those awesome dreams you all are talking about.

MC- Ummmm....

Sha- Doc told us that the percentage goes from 20% down to 5% which is great and we couldn''t be happier. I can''t even imagine the anxiety I would have right now if we hadn''t heard it. If the baby is still growing all right, then I''m just ready to know if it''s healthy. Just a wiating game and will only bring new worries along the way. Heh. Cycle...

janine- Thank you for sharing. I''ll just keep thinking positive.

Swimmer- We''re doing much better. I said it above, but the pink has been gone for about two days now and I''ve started feeling the strething in my lower abdomen again, so that has been really good for me and my peace of mind. Just to feel anything is reassurig to know that things are still progressing, ya know? Thanks for checking in. How are you doing??

 

[LtlFirecracker]

I think everyone worries a little. I know a cardiologist used to put her echo machine (which is basically an US machine) on her belly anytime she heard bad news about a child in the hospital just to make sure "everything was OK in there."

I think you are going though a lot of anxieties pregnant women go through. I think as long as you take care of your self and avoid the things that most women know not to do in pregnancy (drink, smoke, not get prenatal care ect), you will have done what you can do to give this baby the best start in life. That is what you have control of, the rest of the pregnancy is determined by forces beyond us, and all the worrying in the world is not going to change that.

In a way, you have already starting the process of being a mother to your baby. The worrying doesn't stop once the baby is born.

 

[Mara]

ltF... ooooh having a mini US would be so fab. hehe.

 

[LtlFirecracker]

Date: 9/15/2009 11:45:38 PM
Author: Mara
ltF... ooooh having a mini US would be so fab. hehe.

I know - I was thinking how great it would be to have a personal US machine while you were pregnant?

 

[meresal]

ltF- Thank you for you post. I know and am slowly understanding my limits of control and realizing that nothing I can do will change at this point, and the baby will already be what they will be. I''m working on the anxiety, and now that I "feeling" things again, I''m doing alot better... so, can you tell us more about this mini US machine?

 

[LtlFirecracker]

Date: 9/17/2009 9:35:34 AM
Author: meresal
ltF- Thank you for you post. I know and am slowly understanding my limits of control and realizing that nothing I can do will change at this point, and the baby will already be what they will be. I'm working on the anxiety, and now that I 'feeling' things again, I'm doing alot better... so, can you tell us more about this mini US machine?

If you are a cardiologist or cardiology tech, you can get easy access to it

. This was not her own personal machine, she was using her echo machine at work on herself. Now when one of the other doctors is expecting and knows about what she did, they will go to her office and beg her to check out the baby if they are worried .

Glad you are doing a lot better.

 

[Mara]

i told my dr recently that someone has to create an app to turn your iphone into a mini US machine. like plug a little sensor on it and some jelly on the belly and then you can see the baby on your iphone. wouldn''t that be amazing???

 

[LtlFirecracker]

Date: 9/18/2009 12:30:21 AM
Author: Mara
i told my dr recently that someone has to create an app to turn your iphone into a mini US machine. like plug a little sensor on it and some jelly on the belly and then you can see the baby on your iphone. wouldn't that be amazing???

That would be cool. Too bad the technology is not there, I am sure someone is working in it . The truly "portable" US machines (the cardio doc has a mobile US machine, but is is really big) are probably the size of a copy/printer with a flat paper bed (I am looking around my condo for something to compare it too), plus the stand they are on. The ER and NICU docs are starting to use them for rapid diagnosis.


An i-phone app would make doctors and moms happy . I know the day that the medical apps came out was one of the the happiest days of my medical career.

But for now, I guess you have to be happy iphone has a pregnancy wheel app

 

[tlh]

MER- CONGRATULATIONS! THAT IS WONDERFUL NEWS! I''m really happy to read that. I don''t have anything to say to ease your fears - I''m just really happy for you and your hubby!