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Archive for the ‘pregnancy: never a dull moment’ Category

Dinner Friday night was a success. My math was, again, incorrect, and we had 20 people. Fortunately, I cooked for an army, so while we were a little short on chicken, that was easily rectified by cutting some pieces in half. We had more than enough for the fish course, more than enough for the soup course, and we had so many side dishes that I doubt anyone noticed that there wasn’t much in the way of chicken. Fortunately, we also had plenty dessert. Not a soul left my table hungry. I wrapped my ankle in an ace bandage for an explanation of why I wasn’t being nearly as accommodating as usual. I plated everything, but others from the table did the actual serving. So it was all good.

I had horrible contraction-like pains all day yesterday, so I took it easy. Unfortunately, this means I did not make it to shul in the morning, but there’s always next time. A friend read me the megillah last night. This morning I arrived JUST in time for the megillah reading. However, I’m still glad I chose to take it easy. I really wasn’t feeling all that well yesterday, and it was good to not be running around all over the place.

Thanks for all your kind thoughts on Friday and since. On the one hand, I’m ecstatic about the brilliantly doubling beta. On the other hand, there’s just too much of this that feels like last time: The surprise pregnancy after a strange and disappointing cycle, the bleeding, the pain. As Thalia said, it seems apparent that this is what happens when I’m pregnant: I bleed. So maybe it’s normal for me. It’s certainly not unheard of. It’s just that it’s hard to believe this is going to end any diffferently than the last miserable failure. I know there is absolutely no reason to believe that it will have the same outcome and logically I don’t believe it’s likely. Emotionally, however, is an entirely different story. I’m all kinds of worried. I have, however, had a thrombophilia (clotting) panel run. Though one test came back borderline, it shouldn’t be what’s causing this particular issue, and I was otherwise in the clear. I’m still raising my eyebrows a bit, though, because the bleeding I’ve been having is almost entirely clotted. It’s gross and sorry for the TMI, but it’s quite uncomfortable and it’s a large part of what’s making me worry. Still, I’ll trust that for the short-term I’m okay. But I’ll continue to worry about the long-term.

Still, I know that no amount of worry on my part is going to change the outcome. Either I’ll stay pregnant or I won’t, and there’s nothing I can do to change that outcome at this point. Not even by restricting my activity. Which brings me to a couple of your comments… Yes, the mental health benefits of restricted activity are still worthwhile, even though I know that there isn’t (at this point) a true physical benefit. If I miscarry, I don’t want to say again, “what if I’d done something differently?” like I did last time. I knew, logically, that nothing I did caused my last miscarriage, but I still wondered at first. I also want to clarify that I’m not being negative about the reasons for restricted activity. It’s realistic that the restricted activity doesn’t have a physical benefit at this point. And I am not negating the mental health benefit that I’ll get from not pushing myself too far. I’m all for doing whatever it takes to make this go as smoothly as possible for the next several months. Really.

Yes, they will do another beta tomorrow. I don’t know if they’ll do another after that. I know they’re generally satisfied once the beta hits 1000, which it should have done today. But since I know they won’t do an ultrasound until at least another week, I’d really much prefer to have betas in the interim, so I may ask for them anyway. I hate being the paranoid freak in the office. But I also hate not having information along the way. I actually feel pretty positive about tomorrow’s beta. I don’t see any reason why it won’t have continued to rise appropriately. See? I can think positively. In the short-term, anyway. Except then I remember that literally all of my pregnancy symptoms have disappeared entirely Seriously. Unless you count bleeding and cramping as pregnancy symptoms, which for me it appears that they are.

Now I think I’m going to go crash. I was up late last night, and awakened early this morning by a three-year-old-monster. Time for some rest, I think.

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Dinner Friday night was a success. My math was, again, incorrect, and we had 20 people. Fortunately, I cooked for an army, so while we were a little short on chicken, that was easily rectified by cutting some pieces in half. We had more than enough for the fish course, more than enough for the soup course, and we had so many side dishes that I doubt anyone noticed that there wasn't much in the way of chicken. Fortunately, we also had plenty dessert. Not a soul left my table hungry. I wrapped my ankle in an ace bandage for an explanation of why I wasn't being nearly as accommodating as usual. I plated everything, but others from the table did the actual serving. So it was all good.

I had horrible contraction-like pains all day yesterday, so I took it easy. Unfortunately, this means I did not make it to shul in the morning, but there's always next time. A friend read me the megillah last night. This morning I arrived JUST in time for the megillah reading. However, I'm still glad I chose to take it easy. I really wasn't feeling all that well yesterday, and it was good to not be running around all over the place.

Thanks for all your kind thoughts on Friday and since. On the one hand, I'm ecstatic about the brilliantly doubling beta. On the other hand, there's just too much of this that feels like last time: The surprise pregnancy after a strange and disappointing cycle, the bleeding, the pain. As Thalia said, it seems apparent that this is what happens when I'm pregnant: I bleed. So maybe it's normal for me. It's certainly not unheard of. It's just that it's hard to believe this is going to end any diffferently than the last miserable failure. I know there is absolutely no reason to believe that it will have the same outcome and logically I don't believe it's likely. Emotionally, however, is an entirely different story. I'm all kinds of worried. I have, however, had a thrombophilia (clotting) panel run. Though one test came back borderline, it shouldn't be what's causing this particular issue, and I was otherwise in the clear. I'm still raising my eyebrows a bit, though, because the bleeding I've been having is almost entirely clotted. It's gross and sorry for the TMI, but it's quite uncomfortable and it's a large part of what's making me worry. Still, I'll trust that for the short-term I'm okay. But I'll continue to worry about the long-term.

Still, I know that no amount of worry on my part is going to change the outcome. Either I'll stay pregnant or I won't, and there's nothing I can do to change that outcome at this point. Not even by restricting my activity. Which brings me to a couple of your comments… Yes, the mental health benefits of restricted activity are still worthwhile, even though I know that there isn't (at this point) a true physical benefit. If I miscarry, I don't want to say again, "what if I'd done something differently?" like I did last time. I knew, logically, that nothing I did caused my last miscarriage, but I still wondered at first. I also want to clarify that I'm not being negative about the reasons for restricted activity. It's realistic that the restricted activity doesn't have a physical benefit at this point. And I am not negating the mental health benefit that I'll get from not pushing myself too far. I'm all for doing whatever it takes to make this go as smoothly as possible for the next several months. Really.

Yes, they will do another beta tomorrow. I don't know if they'll do another after that. I know they're generally satisfied once the beta hits 1000, which it should have done today. But since I know they won't do an ultrasound until at least another week, I'd really much prefer to have betas in the interim, so I may ask for them anyway. I hate being the paranoid freak in the office. But I also hate not having information along the way. I actually feel pretty positive about tomorrow's beta. I don't see any reason why it won't have continued to rise appropriately. See? I can think positively. In the short-term, anyway. Except then I remember that literally all of my pregnancy symptoms have disappeared entirely Seriously. Unless you count bleeding and cramping as pregnancy symptoms, which for me it appears that they are.

Now I think I'm going to go crash. I was up late last night, and awakened early this morning by a three-year-old-monster. Time for some rest, I think.

Read Full Post »

Dinner Friday night was a success. My math was, again, incorrect, and we had 20 people. Fortunately, I cooked for an army, so while we were a little short on chicken, that was easily rectified by cutting some pieces in half. We had more than enough for the fish course, more than enough for the soup course, and we had so many side dishes that I doubt anyone noticed that there wasn't much in the way of chicken. Fortunately, we also had plenty dessert. Not a soul left my table hungry. I wrapped my ankle in an ace bandage for an explanation of why I wasn't being nearly as accommodating as usual. I plated everything, but others from the table did the actual serving. So it was all good.

I had horrible contraction-like pains all day yesterday, so I took it easy. Unfortunately, this means I did not make it to shul in the morning, but there's always next time. A friend read me the megillah last night. This morning I arrived JUST in time for the megillah reading. However, I'm still glad I chose to take it easy. I really wasn't feeling all that well yesterday, and it was good to not be running around all over the place.

Thanks for all your kind thoughts on Friday and since. On the one hand, I'm ecstatic about the brilliantly doubling beta. On the other hand, there's just too much of this that feels like last time: The surprise pregnancy after a strange and disappointing cycle, the bleeding, the pain. As Thalia said, it seems apparent that this is what happens when I'm pregnant: I bleed. So maybe it's normal for me. It's certainly not unheard of. It's just that it's hard to believe this is going to end any diffferently than the last miserable failure. I know there is absolutely no reason to believe that it will have the same outcome and logically I don't believe it's likely. Emotionally, however, is an entirely different story. I'm all kinds of worried. I have, however, had a thrombophilia (clotting) panel run. Though one test came back borderline, it shouldn't be what's causing this particular issue, and I was otherwise in the clear. I'm still raising my eyebrows a bit, though, because the bleeding I've been having is almost entirely clotted. It's gross and sorry for the TMI, but it's quite uncomfortable and it's a large part of what's making me worry. Still, I'll trust that for the short-term I'm okay. But I'll continue to worry about the long-term.

Still, I know that no amount of worry on my part is going to change the outcome. Either I'll stay pregnant or I won't, and there's nothing I can do to change that outcome at this point. Not even by restricting my activity. Which brings me to a couple of your comments… Yes, the mental health benefits of restricted activity are still worthwhile, even though I know that there isn't (at this point) a true physical benefit. If I miscarry, I don't want to say again, "what if I'd done something differently?" like I did last time. I knew, logically, that nothing I did caused my last miscarriage, but I still wondered at first. I also want to clarify that I'm not being negative about the reasons for restricted activity. It's realistic that the restricted activity doesn't have a physical benefit at this point. And I am not negating the mental health benefit that I'll get from not pushing myself too far. I'm all for doing whatever it takes to make this go as smoothly as possible for the next several months. Really.

Yes, they will do another beta tomorrow. I don't know if they'll do another after that. I know they're generally satisfied once the beta hits 1000, which it should have done today. But since I know they won't do an ultrasound until at least another week, I'd really much prefer to have betas in the interim, so I may ask for them anyway. I hate being the paranoid freak in the office. But I also hate not having information along the way. I actually feel pretty positive about tomorrow's beta. I don't see any reason why it won't have continued to rise appropriately. See? I can think positively. In the short-term, anyway. Except then I remember that literally all of my pregnancy symptoms have disappeared entirely Seriously. Unless you count bleeding and cramping as pregnancy symptoms, which for me it appears that they are.

Now I think I'm going to go crash. I was up late last night, and awakened early this morning by a three-year-old-monster. Time for some rest, I think.

Read Full Post »

I know you all figured I wouldn’t post again until after my beta results came in tomorrow. But here I am! I’m Posty McPostalot these days, it seems.

So even though I made it through three months of pregnancy in which I was bleeding for nearly the entire time (minus a day or two here or there), I still have it in my head that bleeding during pregnancy = bad news. Particularly when coupled with cramping.

And so, here I am, fully aware that it could be nothing. Fully aware that if something is wrong, there’s nothing they can do about it anyway. Fully aware that if I called my nurse all she would say is that I should still plan to come in tomorrow for my repeat beta. Either it will be fine or it won’t be.And you know? I am in a bit of pain right now and have NO DRUGS I CAN TAKE for it. So while I’m sitting here fairly calm, relatively collected… I’m Cranky McCrankmonster right now.

Oh, on the plus side, it seems that the last pregnancy wasn’t a fluke (I lost about 15 pounds when I was pregnant before), I have lost two pounds in a week. Not by trying, or anything. It just seems to be the way my body is wired.

UPDATE: I did email my nurse, but I don’t expect to hear anything other than “come in for you beta in the morning.” Meanwhile the bleeding and cramping have worsened enough that I’m fairly certain that this is not going to end with the protagonist living happily ever after in November. Meh. You win some, you lose some, right?

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I know you all figured I wouldn't post again until after my beta results came in tomorrow. But here I am! I'm Posty McPostalot these days, it seems.

So even though I made it through three months of pregnancy in which I was bleeding for nearly the entire time (minus a day or two here or there), I still have it in my head that bleeding during pregnancy = bad news. Particularly when coupled with cramping.

And so, here I am, fully aware that it could be nothing. Fully aware that if something is wrong, there's nothing they can do about it anyway. Fully aware that if I called my nurse all she would say is that I should still plan to come in tomorrow for my repeat beta. Either it will be fine or it won't be.And you know? I am in a bit of pain right now and have NO DRUGS I CAN TAKE for it. So while I'm sitting here fairly calm, relatively collected… I'm Cranky McCrankmonster right now.

Oh, on the plus side, it seems that the last pregnancy wasn't a fluke (I lost about 15 pounds when I was pregnant before), I have lost two pounds in a week. Not by trying, or anything. It just seems to be the way my body is wired.

UPDATE: I did email my nurse, but I don't expect to hear anything other than "come in for you beta in the morning." Meanwhile the bleeding and cramping have worsened enough that I'm fairly certain that this is not going to end with the protagonist living happily ever after in November. Meh. You win some, you lose some, right?

Read Full Post »

I know you all figured I wouldn't post again until after my beta results came in tomorrow. But here I am! I'm Posty McPostalot these days, it seems.

So even though I made it through three months of pregnancy in which I was bleeding for nearly the entire time (minus a day or two here or there), I still have it in my head that bleeding during pregnancy = bad news. Particularly when coupled with cramping.

And so, here I am, fully aware that it could be nothing. Fully aware that if something is wrong, there's nothing they can do about it anyway. Fully aware that if I called my nurse all she would say is that I should still plan to come in tomorrow for my repeat beta. Either it will be fine or it won't be.And you know? I am in a bit of pain right now and have NO DRUGS I CAN TAKE for it. So while I'm sitting here fairly calm, relatively collected… I'm Cranky McCrankmonster right now.

Oh, on the plus side, it seems that the last pregnancy wasn't a fluke (I lost about 15 pounds when I was pregnant before), I have lost two pounds in a week. Not by trying, or anything. It just seems to be the way my body is wired.

UPDATE: I did email my nurse, but I don't expect to hear anything other than "come in for you beta in the morning." Meanwhile the bleeding and cramping have worsened enough that I'm fairly certain that this is not going to end with the protagonist living happily ever after in November. Meh. You win some, you lose some, right?

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Ridiculous amounts of TMI ahead.  Don't want TMI?  Then don't read it!
 
This cramping and bleeding thing?  It has GOT to stop.  I mean, I'm all for the fact that I now know there's a reason for it.   And I'm all for the fact that it's not a life-threatening or pregnancy-threatening condition.  But for heaven's sake, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH already! 
 
Every time I over do it even the teeniest bit, it's like the dam breaks and the cramping blows up to disproportionate amounts and the whole world feels like it's ending.  For something that's "no big deal" this subchorionic shmorionic hemawhatever is COMPLETELY ANNOYING.
 
Thank heavens that everything really is fine and the fetbryo looks great and it's all good.  I have to keep remembering that.

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I've been MIA for a while, mostly because I'm really busy and also because I'm so exhausted I still don't have the energy to do much after a full work day, which is a problem when you've got a rambunctious three year old, but we manage just fine.
 
Anywho, things have been okay.  I got through most of the Yom Kippur fast without a problem.  I had some unfortunate timing with a very delayed onset of morning sickness, so I started the day throwing up, but I'm fine now.  At about 2pm, I started drinking a sip of water every 9 minutes, so as not to fully break the fast.  This is the one fast that's next to impossible to get out of, so I'm glad it was relatively painless.
 
What was NOT fun, however, was that I started bleeding really heavily Sunday night, after my husband had already left for shul.  The cramping was horrifying and the bleeding just wouldn't stop for a couple hours, and I really wasn't sure if this was the same ol' same ol', and I shouldn't worry, or if this was something new and worth worrying about.  Since it slowed down within a few hours, I didn't pull my husband out of shul, but I was severely displeased.  This did not put me in a particuarly good mindset for teshuva (atonement, for lack of a better translation). 
 
I had an OB appointment this morning, and I got to hear the heartbeat, which is pretty cool.  The OB said, "The heartrate is about 170, which I think means you're having, um, a girl.  Or a boy.  I can't remember which."  No matter, I replied, because I'm definitely having a boy.  All the men in my husband's family have sons, with one anomalous exception, plus I kinda want a girl, which totally means we're having a boy. 
 
Near the end of the visit I asked the doctor how to know when I should worry.  I mean, I've been bleeding for over 10 weeks, so this is nothing new, right?  But it was pretty heavy and the cramping was pretty horrifying (though admittedly tolerable), so how do I know whether it's something new and worrisome?  Well, it's probably nothing.  Not too uncommon to experience bleeding in the first trimester.  I'm almost 12 weeks, so still a bit to go.  But, he said, why don't we get an ultrasound and see if there's a cause for it, eh?  Fantabulous.  I hadn't been planning on having an ultrasound today, but hey, I got to see the little parasite, so what more can I ask for?
 
When I got to the ultrasound room, the sonographer asked me if I'd ever had a transvaginal ultrasound.  Are you kidding me?  I've had like, 50.  At least.  Maybe more.  It was pretty neat.  It finally looked like a little creature and not some weird little blob.  I could even see fingers and toes!  He cooperated and gave a few little waves and kicks of his feet and he measured at exactly 11 1/2 weeks, which is exactly right.  So it's all good. Mostly.
 
The kidlet looks great.  But there <i>is</i> a reason for all the bleeding.  I have a subchorionic bleed, which isn't a big deal, but there's nothing to be done until it's done bleeding.  Eventually, it'll stop and that's all there is to it.  Meanwhile, I shouldn't  be doing too much heavy lifting or strenuous exercise or whatnot.  So probably the apple/tomato picking on Sunday wasn't a brilliant idea (I picked and carried 20lbs of tomotoes, 20 pounds of apples, plus I bought and carried four small pumpkins, a medium sized pumpkin, two large spaghetti squashes, four pounds of sweet potatoes, six bunches of Indian corn, and a batch of basil).   Meh.  At least I know for next time.
 
The doctor thought everything (other than the bleed, and that's not too worrisome) looked fabulous on the ultrasound, and he's thrilled with where things are right now.  Not without a little drama, but you know, a drama-less pregnancy wouldn't be mine.  All in all, I've had it pretty easy.  Not much morning sickness, just cramping, bleeding, and unbelievable exhaustion.  None of the funky scary symptoms that show up in pregnancy books, no weird diseases… it's all good.  So far, so good, as they say.

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