It's been exciting over the past few weeks, finally telling everyone! I'm someone who likes to call with news like this, so there has been lots of catching up with friends I've not spoken to since the wedding! I was speaking with a family friend who works at the local radio station last week, whom I've done several interviews with in the past. We have been talking about doing a follow up interview for a while now. One of her colleagues overheard me talking about the baby and asked to do an interview with me about it. Actually he wants to do a couple, but we did the first one this week, with more to follow next year. Once I get a link to the story, I'll put it up here.
I have noticed a real difference between how I feel when I get enough sleep and when I don't. It's frustrating, because I need at least 10 hours a night at the moment, if not 11-12. It leaves so few hours in the day! But if I don't get that rest, it just wipes me out completely for days! We are also in a Tassie heatwave at the moment, which would be enough to wipe me out normally. It's been around high 20's, low 30's the past few days and will be up to 34 this weekend! We are going away down the coast for a wedding, in which Tim is a groomsman. This will be my first beach wedding post injury and I feel it's going to be an exhausting weekend!
I haven't been having craving as such (apart from the occasional up of hot chips, although I'm going off them after the way they've made me feel the last few times) but there are definitely foods I can't stand right now. The smell of bacon cooking sets me right off, as does cooked asparagus. Mostly I just want plain carbs, like toast, crumpets and lots of potato. I have been eating a lot of fruit too. We have these amazing raspberries coming out of our garden at the moment, but I'm trying not to eat too many, since they are so acidic. I have been doing better at my water intake, after weeks of drinking water making me feel nauseous, I'm finally managing to get a bit more down. The fact I'm not vomiting everyday has probably helped too!
I have had to admit to myself that I definitely have put on weight the last few months, almost all on my belly. I shouldn't be surprised- I have spent so much time in bed and on the couch. So I really have to make an effort to be getting out for a push or a swim most days. I'm going to have to drag out my one piece because there is no way these boobs can be squeezed into my bikini! I have gone out for a push a few times this last week, but due to the gravel on our driveway, I'm not up to going out by myself at the moment. It's just too hard to get in and out of our place by myself!
I have decided my discomfort going to sleep is indigestion. I've got some Mylanta, which I've tried a few times, but I have found that a simple pillow fort actually does the job nicely most nights. I'm not joking about my bed being a pillow fort, there are so many pillows involved Tim almost needs a grappling hook to kiss me goodnight! Quickeze has also been suggested to me, so that's my next experiment. One of my cousins used them, since she found mylanta made her sick, which is something I've noticed a couple of times when I've taken it.
I took the plunge and decided to get my referral sent through to the public system. I got a letter recently saying I had my first appointment at the hospital booked, on a Tuesday, the only day I currently work! So I've had that changed until just after Christmas.
Dr H did call me last weekend again though, to talk to me about testing for downs syndrome. Basically she told me the different ways they can test and the costs etc involved in each. The cheapest and most common is the combination ultrasound and blood test, which has to be done within the next week if I want to do that. I had her send through the paperwork so I can decide while that comes through, but to be honest I don't think I'm going to do it. I'm 100% pro-choice, but my choice is personally that I would only ever terminate if it was going to come down to either the baby or me. Downs syndrome is not enough for me to 'start again'. So for me, knowing would just mean that I was thinking about that for the next six months, rather than the excitement of the baby itself. Apart from anything else, we are basically in the lowest risk category for it, I've got other things to worry about.
My sisters finally got back this week! So there will be lots of sister time over the next couple of weeks, while Ellie is briefly home, and with Becca over the next few months I hope. It's so good to all be back together, even if it's only for a while...
Thursday 17 December 2015
Tuesday 1 December 2015
10 weeks
It's been an eventful couple of weeks! We have now told our families and our close friends, so I guess all that's left is to make it 'Facebook official'. That will probably happen sometime this week. It took a while to get around everyone (I have a large family) but it was very exciting to finally share the news with everyone.
The last couple of weeks have been slightly better, with my vomiting down to a couple of days a week, instead of everyday. I have unfortunately still had nausea to deal with most of the day, with few breaks. I've still been very tired, but I'm managing to get out more. I'm still really struggling to drink enough- I've found if I have any more than a mouthful of water at a time it's making me feel sick. That makes it really hard to get through the 2 litres I'm meant to drink each day. Apart from the fact that I feel really awful if I don't drink enough, I find I have trouble with my bowels if I'm not properly hydrated. A lot of women have trouble with constipation in the first trimester, but I've found the opposite. I don't have bowel accidents very often usually, but I've found I've woken up a few times lately and had to go straight to the shower to clean up.
Another thing I've found is I'm really windy. Not fart windy, but just needing to burp a lot, which, unfortunately, is something I can't do on command. A lot of nights I'll go to bed and find I can't sleep on my back because I feel like I'm going to be sick. Most nights I just go to sleep in the recovery position! That pressure in my chest just makes me feel sick, as if I need to vomit. I've tried bubbly drinks and they do help to an extent, but mostly I've just had to wait it out. Any suggestions on dealing with this are more than welcome!!
Last week we had our first scan! It was all rather exciting. I wanted to look at Tim to see his face when he saw it, but I couldn't stop looking at the screen myself. There is definitely a baby there! And only one, which was a huge relief! This is enough of a medical circus without twins to complicate things even more. At nine weeks, it was looking like a kidney bean with the beginnings of arms and legs, which it was waving around all over the place, which was very considerate. There was a nice strong heartbeat and the lady doing the scan said everything else looks good. I sent a photo of the scan to Mum and sisters etc. Ellie's reply 'was my favourite- 'nice uterus'.
After lots of discussion about the pro's and con's of going private/public, I've decided to go public. It's such a small town it makes basically no difference for someone like me who is high risk anyway. I did find however that Dr H will be exclusively private after Christmas, so after all that drama choosing an obstetrician, I won't be seeing her anyway. The good thing is that Dr D, who was my other choice, is the head of obstetrics at the hospital, so I will mainly be dealing with her. Because it's such a small town, I would be delivering at the same hospital regardless and I think really, when you take the wheelchair into account, they will try to get me into a private room asap. Especially if they are going to admit me early, which is always a possibility.
The last couple of weeks have been slightly better, with my vomiting down to a couple of days a week, instead of everyday. I have unfortunately still had nausea to deal with most of the day, with few breaks. I've still been very tired, but I'm managing to get out more. I'm still really struggling to drink enough- I've found if I have any more than a mouthful of water at a time it's making me feel sick. That makes it really hard to get through the 2 litres I'm meant to drink each day. Apart from the fact that I feel really awful if I don't drink enough, I find I have trouble with my bowels if I'm not properly hydrated. A lot of women have trouble with constipation in the first trimester, but I've found the opposite. I don't have bowel accidents very often usually, but I've found I've woken up a few times lately and had to go straight to the shower to clean up.
Another thing I've found is I'm really windy. Not fart windy, but just needing to burp a lot, which, unfortunately, is something I can't do on command. A lot of nights I'll go to bed and find I can't sleep on my back because I feel like I'm going to be sick. Most nights I just go to sleep in the recovery position! That pressure in my chest just makes me feel sick, as if I need to vomit. I've tried bubbly drinks and they do help to an extent, but mostly I've just had to wait it out. Any suggestions on dealing with this are more than welcome!!
Last week we had our first scan! It was all rather exciting. I wanted to look at Tim to see his face when he saw it, but I couldn't stop looking at the screen myself. There is definitely a baby there! And only one, which was a huge relief! This is enough of a medical circus without twins to complicate things even more. At nine weeks, it was looking like a kidney bean with the beginnings of arms and legs, which it was waving around all over the place, which was very considerate. There was a nice strong heartbeat and the lady doing the scan said everything else looks good. I sent a photo of the scan to Mum and sisters etc. Ellie's reply 'was my favourite- 'nice uterus'.
 |
| 9 weeks old! |
After lots of discussion about the pro's and con's of going private/public, I've decided to go public. It's such a small town it makes basically no difference for someone like me who is high risk anyway. I did find however that Dr H will be exclusively private after Christmas, so after all that drama choosing an obstetrician, I won't be seeing her anyway. The good thing is that Dr D, who was my other choice, is the head of obstetrics at the hospital, so I will mainly be dealing with her. Because it's such a small town, I would be delivering at the same hospital regardless and I think really, when you take the wheelchair into account, they will try to get me into a private room asap. Especially if they are going to admit me early, which is always a possibility.
I definitely don't have a baby belly starting yet, but I have found with my inactivity over the past month or so, combined with my limited food options, I have a very pudgy and squishy belly. My areolas are taking over my breasts, which I didn't think had grown yet. Until I stopped into my local bras and things to just try on a few bras and came away two cup sizes bigger!! So by the time this baby arrives, I may have more boobs than belly!!
I've been back to see my kidney doctor. My ppht has been a lot better- my nausea has meant I have only been able to eat little and often which has really helped. I've also been better at keeping my fluids up. I still want to find a medication that can help though, because I'm really not comfortable with the amount of strain it puts on my heart when I get it wrong. I left my appointment with a 24 hour blood pressure monitor to see what my blood pressure is doing overnight. The Austin hospital in Melbourne has a number of patients with similar conditions/symptoms who have an increase in blood pressure overnight, when it should actually be lower. I have a follow up appointment this week to see what the results were, other than keeping Tim and I awake all night!
It's now 8pm, which means it's my bed time. I've been finding I need a good 11-12 hours sleep a night at the moment, or I crash out in a big way through the day. Until next time!
I've been back to see my kidney doctor. My ppht has been a lot better- my nausea has meant I have only been able to eat little and often which has really helped. I've also been better at keeping my fluids up. I still want to find a medication that can help though, because I'm really not comfortable with the amount of strain it puts on my heart when I get it wrong. I left my appointment with a 24 hour blood pressure monitor to see what my blood pressure is doing overnight. The Austin hospital in Melbourne has a number of patients with similar conditions/symptoms who have an increase in blood pressure overnight, when it should actually be lower. I have a follow up appointment this week to see what the results were, other than keeping Tim and I awake all night!
It's now 8pm, which means it's my bed time. I've been finding I need a good 11-12 hours sleep a night at the moment, or I crash out in a big way through the day. Until next time!
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