7 week update 5-21-12

The first OB appointment. 
I have obviously been poisoning my mind by reading the various pregnancy forums available on the web.  On wte.com I am a member of several groups.  One is for 1st time moms with 2nd time dads.  Another is First time moms over 30.  But the one that's infecting my brain is the January Birth Club.  So all of these moms to be are in my boat - expecting in January - and experience a lot of the same symtoms and have a lot of the same questions.  But I differ from many of these moms in one area.  Infertility. I know my sister would want to smack me for writing what I'm about to write, but I am by no means infertile...apparently.  It took me one try and badda boom badda bing I'm preggers!  So a lot of these moms on the forums have struggled with infertility or are considered to be high risk...which means they get their first ultra sounds at 5 - 6 weeks.  I guess if they've spent thousands of dollars on fertility treatments, what's another $400 on an early ultrasound?  But I didn't realize this was the case when I went for my first appointment. 

I insisted Tom accompany me to this appointment and he was happy to oblige.  Poor guy is stressed to the hilt but still 100% supportive of this whole process.  We were looking forward to hearing a heart beat on the dopplar or maybe seeing a gestational sac as so many of my collegues in my January Birth Club have already gotten to experience!

We get to the office and they lead us back to the first "processing" area where I have to pee in a cup and they do a weight check.  I was then expecting to get another blood draw since the first was at 3 weeks. But nope, no blood draw.  This should have been the first indicator that this appointment would not go as I had planned it in my head. Don't they need to check my HCG and Progesterone?

Next we meet Dr. "S" and she begins to go over "everything I need to know", starting with my due date - which according to her "wheel" is January 7th. I already knew this.  She asked some history questions and then began to go over a few do's and dont's.  And I mean like 3.  Out of all the things I have heard or read, she only went over 3 and handed me a packet.  I was a little disappointed.  

She then prnounced me ready for my exam.  Oh goody!  What I had come here for!  Or not...  I thought about it for a second, since Tom was with me and running short on time, and I asked her if they were going to listen for a heartbeat.  She looked at me like I was dumber than a box of shit.  I actually felt embarrassed.  I guess that look meant "No".  *Sigh* I kissed Tom and sent him on his way.  So instead of getting a transvaginal ultrasound, I got a good old fashioned pap smear.  Something I just had done in October.

She told me to come back when I was 10 weeks along. So that's June 12th.  I'm guessing I get my dopplar or u/s then?  Meghan asked me how the appointment went and she wasn't surprised to hear that they didn't listen for a heartbeat, but she was surprised that they wait until 10 -11 weeks. She brought up a good point - what if it's ectopic?  Do we just wait for my fallopian tube to explode?  She wants me to call and find a new doc. Which I will do...after my nap...  :o)

Symptoms
So the nausea started last Monday, and actually Monday was the worst.  I think I've been making a subconcious effort to make sure I'm never hungry since I never want to feel that way again.  I also went to the drug store and purchased Sea Bands. They really do work!  I get carsick when I'm riding with Tom and I have look down, for instance, to check my phone.  On the way home from the store, Tom was driving and I put the bands on really quick and then tested them out by reading the instructions while moving in the car.  No car sickness.  So I've been wearing these things religiously, even though they start to hurt a little after a while. Tom calls them my Wonder Woman bracelettes.

Then there is the boobs.  Oh poor poor boobs.  They feel like someone is trying to cut them off.  (I forgot to mention that as an added bonus to my pap smear, I got a breast exam.  Good times!)  I now have to wear a bra all of the time, even to bed. 

INSOMNIA!!  I think I may be going crazy these days.  I do not sleep at night anymore.  My friend Tiffany - not my brown suga sista Tiffany - but my friend down here in LA, told me that she thinks it's my mind's way of training me for what's to come.  I think she is right.  And it's affecting Tom.  He'll wake up for a moment at 3 am and look over at me, surfing away on the internet from my phone.  He feels so bad he can't even get back to sleep - for at least 5 minutes. 

I've got no appetite.  But I think I'm hungry.  A few days ago I told Tom I wanted a hot fudge Sundae from McDonalds.  We go get one and I took about 3 bites and threw it out.  Turns out it's not really what I wanted.  Yesterday we went to lunch with Mark and Tiffany and the panini sounded great!  Until it arrived.  And then all I wanted was 4 year old Sophia's chicken fingers.  I almost stole them from her (I did manage to get 1).  So for dinner last night we went out and I ordered chicken fingers.  They arrived and the only thing that looked appealing was the fries.  Tom went to grab a fry and I snapped at him.  They only gave me like 10 of the damn things.  He was really hurt!  I had to convince him it was ok to eat my fry - and oh by the way - please try it in one of the 6 dipping sauces I had my poor waitress bring out for me. 

And last but not least...my good ole friend constipation.  I requested the doc give me a script for prenatals since it would be cheaper than buying the over the counter brand.  So I stared taking them Wed and by Thur the poop flow had completely stopped.  And what's dumb is that these vitamins have a stool softner in them.  And since my quack doc told me to take NOTHING in my first trimester, by yesterday morning Tom and I were thinking of creative non-medical ways to relieve it (ha ha..um...j/k dad...).  I was miserable.  I told Tom I was over this prgnancy - ready to skip to labor and delivery.  So I asked my sis about what to do (don't worry, she is a doctor).  I ended up drinking a cup of coffee in the morning and doing a Fleet last night.  Ah - some relief.  I swear if I have to drink more water I'm just going to set up permanent shop in the bathroom OR invest in depends.  So needless to say, I have decided to skip the photo posting for a few weeks.  It's a pain to get the camera out and I'm fairly positive that any pooching would just be the big brown butt baby showing.  

Misc
I am very excited about going to Alabama for Memorial Day weekend.  We will be going to the lake, which I love!  Not sure about what to do with the dog.  I guess I will take her with me.  She needs a little boat time!  Tom and Dillon are flying up to meet me on Saturday.  It will be Dillon's first time on a plane. 

Today is Dillon's last full day of 2nd grade!  Tomorrow is just a half day and then he is out for the summer.  I found an overnight camp online so I think we'll send him for a week session and see if he likes it.  I always enjoyed it when I was his age.  Something to break up the monotony of the day camp he attends here. 

I'd also like to try and get my 5 year old nephew down here for a week, but the logistics of that are proving to be a bit cumbersome.  I have to go to Atlanta for work at the end of June, so hopefully we can work something out where I can bring him back with me?

I'm enjoying working from home at this time.  Like right now - it's 8:30am and I've been up since 3am, so I think I'm gonna try and catch an hour nap before my 10:00 call. 

...Until the next update!!