I know, I know. You just found out yesterday that I’m pregnant, and I’m already posting an update! Well, I’ve known for quite some time that I’m pregnant… and I have to let some of this info out! Also, this week was my first midwife appointment, so we got to see the little girl/guy and hear his/her heartbeat. He/she measured at 6 weeks 5 days on Tuesday. I thought I was in week 8, so I wanted to figure out how the timing got “off.” Sorry for the details, Dad.
My cycle is usually 30-31 days long, so I ovulate about 17 days into my cycle (not 14). Generally, implantation of the fertilized egg into the uterine wall happens a few days later, but in my case it took 14 days (which is longer than normal but doesn’t really mean anything). I had implantation bleeding on the day I was supposed to get my period, and didn’t get a positive pregnancy test until 6 days later. If I counted time based on the calendar, I’d be around 8-9 weeks… but based on all that other stuff and the ultrasound, I’m at 7 weeks now. The health teacher in me just couldn’t help but try and figure out all the nitty gritty details.
7 Week Stats:
Weight: up 3lbs
Baby: blueberry
I took the pic while we were car shopping… and I was bored.
How do I feel? Sleepy and puffy but not bad. No cravings and no nausea. I have a little bit of a rot gut feeling at times, but that doesn’t stop me from eating (although I think it makes me want more carbs). I’ve gained 3lbs because I’ve been eating more in general—I think I know way too much about pregnancy nutrition, and I’ve been making sure to fit in all the nutrients I need. This causes me to eat more than I usually do, plus I’m a little more tired than normal so I’ve been a little less active.
Exercise: I’ve been walking an hour a day or doing a yoga class. I’ve skipped a couple days due to low energy. The first trimester seems to be the best time to take it easy and follow my body’s cues rather than pushing through it. I think Pilar and I are going to do a pregnancy yoga series (videos) so I’ll share some of that with you.
Side note: I realize 7 weeks is a bit early to be telling the world about a pregnancy, and I thought a lot about this before I broadcasted it. I have a few very very close friends (including my mother), who have had miscarriages, and I know that un-telling people about being pregnant is an awful thing to go through (in addition to going through the experience of miscarriage itself). I also have a lot of information to share about pregnancy, and it all of a sudden feels manageable and exciting for me to do since I’m pregnant myself… I didn’t want to wait to get started, even though I’m breaking some unwritten rules. I’ve never been much for following social rules, and I am aware of what I’m doing here–it feels like it’s worth the risk at the moment, but that doesn’t mean I don’t think miscarriage is a big deal. I do.
My ultimate goal as of today is to devote the time during my pregnancy to organizing the information, knowledge, and resources I use in coaching and teaching about pregnancy lifestyle and turning it into a book. I have a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science, advanced degrees in public health and community health promotion, and several certificates in areas of nutrition, mind-body skills, yoga, TRX, and other fitness areas. I’ll talk more about this soon—I picked up a copy of What to Expect When You’re Expecting, and I was honestly horrified at some of the advice. It made me sad and a bit sick. I also reflected on the need for more pregnancy lifestyle resources at my first midwife appointment. Don’t get me wrong UCLA Medical Center is top notch, and I’m thrilled that it’s a teaching hospital because I just love that for some reason. But, had I not done a bunch of research before I went, I would have been quite surprised about a few things and I would have left feeling a bit confused.
First, when did they invent vaginal ultrasounds? Seriously, in the movies they always do the belly kind, even when there’s no baby bump. I have discussed pregnancy at length with so many people and nobody told me this until Kristina mentioned it a few weeks ago. No one actually explained what was going on during the ultrasound, even though there were several people observing. At 35, I just chuckled, but at 20 I may have cried a bit and felt violated and uncomfortable.
I also left the appointment having received just one piece of lifestyle advice. Take a prenatal vitamin. No counseling on what kind, or any tips on nutrition, exercise, or anything. Oh, I also got offered free genetic counseling and a bunch of screening because at 35, I’m considered “Advanced Maternal Age.” At least the midwife told me I don’t look 35 (but really, I love being 35, so why wouldn’t I want to look my age?). They also gave me a packet of information about diseases and autism.
Dave and I celebrated with lunch out after the appointment, and he’s been doing all kinds of cute and nice things for me since then–he even told me he’s my servant for the next 7+ months (muhahahaha!). I finally told him it’s all cool—I feel good and I really appreciate the clean kitchen and stuff, but he doesn’t have to wait on me hand and foot. Turns out, the guy was a bit traumatized by witnessing the manhandling of my woman parts (not that he actually saw it—paper blankets cover a lot!)—the whole speculum/pap smear thing left him feeling very thankful for his man parts. During it, I grimaced a bit, and he rubbed my arm as if to console me… I busted out laughing. Men have no clue what women go through!
On that note, I’ll leave you thinking of ways to invite your man to your next gyno appt—it does wonders for the bathroom being clean and the trash being taken out!
Tell me about your 7th Week!
Yay! I am so thrilled for you! Marriage and baby…it just gets better and better. I’m sending you good vibes for a great and easy first trimester, I had a good pregnancy and really loved the experience. It all goes so quickly and I already have a beautiful eight month old baby girl, soak up every second 🙂
Wow! Congrats on your marriage and the little blueberry!!! (and you make 35 look awesome; I’d say you don’t look younger, you just look like what everyone wants 35 to look like! 🙂 )
Congrats Lisa!!!! we are sooooo happy for you 🙂 HUGS
Weeks 7/8 were usually the start of morning sickness for me, but for whatever reason, pregnancy #1 was the easiest. (I felt miserable and sea sick until 13 weeks with the next two!) I was going to comment on the carb cravings, because I didn’t really notice it with the girls in 2003 and 2006, but with Kaz my understanding about nutrition was better and diet had improved a lot, so I noticed it more. I had a serious aversion to vegetables for most of my pregnancy, it was the worst in the early weeks! Fruit was much more appealing (and so were bagels!)
What I would really like to share with you though is that looking back, I wish I would have spent more time reading about birth – to really understand the stages, listening to (real, non-scary) birth stories and getting over any fear surrounding birth (especially knowing what you’ve shared here about your sister.) I’m sure you will of course, but I immersed myself in learning about pregnancy when I was pregnant the first time, when I should have been reading everything I could have about getting this baby OUT! If you’ve got a reading list going, I highly recommend Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin, The Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer and Birthing From Within by Pam England. This last one helps you work through fear and understand that the weird things that go on in our heads have a huge impact on our birth experience. I have a feeling you’re on it, I just wanted to put this out there anyway. So glad you’re seeing a midwife and that things are going smoothly!
And they should put that vaginal u/s away once your blueberry is more like a plum! 😉
I. AM. SO. EXCCCCCIIIIITTTTTEDDDD!!!! Love the bump, love the info, only thing to make this better is if we did it together! I can’t offer you any advice since I talk to you every time imaginable during the day.
Thank you so much, Alison! I have been thinking about that part a lot—sometimes I think I know too much about the food thing, so my job at this point with lifestyle is to just relax with it and be balanced…. but the actual birth part is something I only know about conceptually (and not really very much). I’m going to buy and devour all of those books. Also, one thing I’m noticing about actually being pregnant is that I crave knowing how other women felt and what they experienced with it… it’s good to know there’s so much variability. Everything is “normal!” Rice crackers are saving my life this week 🙂
On Sun 20/10/13 02:16 , “Disqus” notifications@disqus.net sent:
I’m so excited for you!! I felt exactly the same way after leaving my first doctor’s appointment…like, shouldn’t I have been given more information, other than “make sure you’re taking a prenatal…and it can just be a cheap brand from Wegmans.” Thankfully I had you to consult (thanks!), and did some of my own research to find a great prenatal, and also read some books about important nutrition and general pregnancy info. I felt like the doctors focused more on what could go wrong during pregnancy, rather than teaching me about what I could do right. I also found a lack of information when it came to the actual hospital/birth process. My doctor never brought it up; instead, I had to think of the questions I had, but it’s hard to think of questions when you don’t even know exactly what their processes/procedures are. Would things be chaotic, or would I be able to voice my wants/needs once I’m in the moment? I ended up writing everything down that I wanted/didn’t want. Some of the things the nurses/drs were able to honor, other things they weren’t (like, eating during labor…ugh! Still wish I would’ve been a rebel and eaten that granola bar…). Anyways, I guess what I’m saying is that you have to be your own advocate, but I know that you’re super good at that, so you will do awesome! 🙂