My own little alien
Those who've seen me recently know, but for my far away friends: I'm pregnant!
I'm about 7 1/2 months pregnant and due October 13 (yes, that is our Wedding/Dating Anniversary).
Being pregnant is super weird, but really interesting. I used to think it was like having a parasite living inside you because it sucks out your energy and nutrients and gives nothing in return, but I've found that mine is more like a symbiote. Yes, my energy and nutrients are certainly drained away, but the worst of my symptoms have been serious fatigue, breathlessness, and suffy/bloody noses (I've had no pregnancy sickness and have avoided lots of other miserable symptoms). However, in return I've had months without having my menstrual cycle which is usually a regular misery- so not having this is awesome. Thank you, kidling!
The first few months I was rather nervous and trying not to be too hopeful. I had almost no symptoms until the fatigue set in hard the second month, but even then I was working a lot at work and dissertation so I could have been tired from either or the combination. I had a miscarriage last year which made me all the more nervous this time; it was the type where you don't know anything is wrong and then go to the doctor and they say "I'm sorry..." Anyway, first trimester was rather uneventful beyond my own worrying sometimes, just kind of blissful lack of menstruation and wanting to sleep constantly.
About halfway through the second trimester, the extreme fatigue dissipated. This time period was interesting because I was starting to gain weight and look pregnant, but I still couldn't feel anything until I was almost 5 months pregnant. In fact, the first time I felt a movement was the day before we had the ultrasound in which we could see the baby move. The movements really increased from there and if I laid down on my back you could see a big bump protruding from my abdomen like an alien.
Now I'm in my third trimester. I look super pregnant and feel out of shape because I get breathless so quickly (thanks to my lungs and diaphragm being squished). I'm somewhat accustomed to the moving- to the extent where I rather miss it when a long stretch happens where I feel nothing (the nurse says these are times when the baby is sleeping). The feeling of kidling moving inside my abdomen is different from anything I could imagine and I don't know that I could ever describe: sometimes it feels like bubbles, sometimes like ripples, and sometimes great pushing. I often imagine a wave pool where the water is being pressed this way or that against the sides of pool and I am those sides. None of these really capture the feeling, but it's the best I can do right now.
So, I haven't been posting much here and likely that will be the norm, but I have been posting every once in a while to another site to keep my family up to date:
http://happysoulsgrow.wordpress.com/
There's a page that is password protected- just email me for the password.
I'm feeling great and am pretty excited. Two and a half months seems both so soon and so far away. I can't wait to meet kidling, but I think I'll miss being pregnant.
***
Some common pregnancy symptoms:
- Pregnancy sickness --- expected, never had
- Food cravings ------------ expected, never had
- Hunger --------------------- expected, somewhat had. I am a super hungry person anyway so this wasn't entirely noticeable, but I was more often hungry and especially couldn't get through many nights without eating.This was mostly months 2-4 or 5, like the fatigue.
- Weight gain --------------- expected, definitely have. Obviously. I actually have to work to not let the weight go out of control as well as relax and know that I'm okay.
- Swelling of feet/hands-- expected, definitely have. The concept "Barefoot and Pregnant" I really think comes from that my feet are so hot and swollen I have no desire to wear shoes if I don't have to
- Extreme fatigue ---------- unexpected, definitely had. I'm not sure why I didn't know, but this is actually the most common symptom
- Bloody/Stuffy nose------- unexpected, definitely have and have had throughout. This comes from the increased blood volume and the blood being closer to the surface. I would never have thought this would be a symptom.
- Heartburn------------------ unexpected, sometimes have. This makes sense given that my stomach is now quite close to my esophagus.
- Gestational Diabetes--- unexpected, don't have yet. I didn't know that you could get diabetes just when you're pregnant. Weird. Glad I missed this one so far (I just got tested a few weeks ago).
- Gestational Hypertension- unexpected, don't have yet. Again, I didn't know that you could get high blood pressure just when you're pregnant, but it makes sense given the increased blood volume. This can actually cause a lot of problems for both mom and baby and some very serious complications. (I get my blood pressure checked very regularly and I'm fine)
There's actually a lot of other common problems (ranging from annoying to misery), most arising from the increased blood volume or the squishing of organs to make room. I have more of the little symptoms, but none of the really painful or scary symptoms not listed, thankfully.
Another side effect, not of pregnancy itself, but rather of the vitamins are fish burps due to DHA. These are disgusting and when combined with the common heartburn symptom... ugh. However, I've neutralized both of these by finding an orange flavored DHA supplement and defeating heartburn with honey.
I'm about 7 1/2 months pregnant and due October 13 (yes, that is our Wedding/Dating Anniversary).
Being pregnant is super weird, but really interesting. I used to think it was like having a parasite living inside you because it sucks out your energy and nutrients and gives nothing in return, but I've found that mine is more like a symbiote. Yes, my energy and nutrients are certainly drained away, but the worst of my symptoms have been serious fatigue, breathlessness, and suffy/bloody noses (I've had no pregnancy sickness and have avoided lots of other miserable symptoms). However, in return I've had months without having my menstrual cycle which is usually a regular misery- so not having this is awesome. Thank you, kidling!
The first few months I was rather nervous and trying not to be too hopeful. I had almost no symptoms until the fatigue set in hard the second month, but even then I was working a lot at work and dissertation so I could have been tired from either or the combination. I had a miscarriage last year which made me all the more nervous this time; it was the type where you don't know anything is wrong and then go to the doctor and they say "I'm sorry..." Anyway, first trimester was rather uneventful beyond my own worrying sometimes, just kind of blissful lack of menstruation and wanting to sleep constantly.
About halfway through the second trimester, the extreme fatigue dissipated. This time period was interesting because I was starting to gain weight and look pregnant, but I still couldn't feel anything until I was almost 5 months pregnant. In fact, the first time I felt a movement was the day before we had the ultrasound in which we could see the baby move. The movements really increased from there and if I laid down on my back you could see a big bump protruding from my abdomen like an alien.
Now I'm in my third trimester. I look super pregnant and feel out of shape because I get breathless so quickly (thanks to my lungs and diaphragm being squished). I'm somewhat accustomed to the moving- to the extent where I rather miss it when a long stretch happens where I feel nothing (the nurse says these are times when the baby is sleeping). The feeling of kidling moving inside my abdomen is different from anything I could imagine and I don't know that I could ever describe: sometimes it feels like bubbles, sometimes like ripples, and sometimes great pushing. I often imagine a wave pool where the water is being pressed this way or that against the sides of pool and I am those sides. None of these really capture the feeling, but it's the best I can do right now.
So, I haven't been posting much here and likely that will be the norm, but I have been posting every once in a while to another site to keep my family up to date:
http://happysoulsgrow.wordpress.com/
There's a page that is password protected- just email me for the password.
I'm feeling great and am pretty excited. Two and a half months seems both so soon and so far away. I can't wait to meet kidling, but I think I'll miss being pregnant.
***
Some common pregnancy symptoms:
- Pregnancy sickness --- expected, never had
- Food cravings ------------ expected, never had
- Hunger --------------------- expected, somewhat had. I am a super hungry person anyway so this wasn't entirely noticeable, but I was more often hungry and especially couldn't get through many nights without eating.This was mostly months 2-4 or 5, like the fatigue.
- Weight gain --------------- expected, definitely have. Obviously. I actually have to work to not let the weight go out of control as well as relax and know that I'm okay.
- Swelling of feet/hands-- expected, definitely have. The concept "Barefoot and Pregnant" I really think comes from that my feet are so hot and swollen I have no desire to wear shoes if I don't have to
- Extreme fatigue ---------- unexpected, definitely had. I'm not sure why I didn't know, but this is actually the most common symptom
- Bloody/Stuffy nose------- unexpected, definitely have and have had throughout. This comes from the increased blood volume and the blood being closer to the surface. I would never have thought this would be a symptom.
- Heartburn------------------ unexpected, sometimes have. This makes sense given that my stomach is now quite close to my esophagus.
- Gestational Diabetes--- unexpected, don't have yet. I didn't know that you could get diabetes just when you're pregnant. Weird. Glad I missed this one so far (I just got tested a few weeks ago).
- Gestational Hypertension- unexpected, don't have yet. Again, I didn't know that you could get high blood pressure just when you're pregnant, but it makes sense given the increased blood volume. This can actually cause a lot of problems for both mom and baby and some very serious complications. (I get my blood pressure checked very regularly and I'm fine)
There's actually a lot of other common problems (ranging from annoying to misery), most arising from the increased blood volume or the squishing of organs to make room. I have more of the little symptoms, but none of the really painful or scary symptoms not listed, thankfully.
Another side effect, not of pregnancy itself, but rather of the vitamins are fish burps due to DHA. These are disgusting and when combined with the common heartburn symptom... ugh. However, I've neutralized both of these by finding an orange flavored DHA supplement and defeating heartburn with honey.