well we're at 8 weeks now - only 4 weeks to go before we are clear of the miscarriage risk.
Here is the latest development news:
Your baby is now 5/8 of an inch long, about the size of a kidney bean. She's constantly moving and shifting, although you won't be able to feel these womb wiggles for several weeks yet. Her embryonic tail is disappearing, and her eyelids practically cover her eyes. Still slightly webbed, her fingers and toes are growing longer. Her arms have lengthened, too, and her hands are now flexed at the wrist and meet over her heart. Her knee joints have formed, and her feet may be long enough to meet in front of her body. With her trunk straightening out, her head is more erect. Breathing tubes extend from her throat to the branches of her developing lungs. The nerve cells in her brain are also branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways. Though you may be daydreaming about your baby as one gender or another, the external genitals still haven't developed enough to reveal whether you're having a boy or a girl.
I might have to go shopping for new clothes sooner than I expected - yesterday I popped the clasp off my trousers! I have the day off today so I might pack away any clothes that definitely do not fit me anymore and are unlikely to be worn for another year...
I have the sniffles as well :( According to my baby emails, it is common around this time, especially since my immune system is going crazy dealing with a baby that is actually made of foreign material (from Dan) - I wrote an essay on that last year, maybe I should read it again.
Nothing much else is really happening. I tried to call the midwives that had been 'assigned' to me, but neither were available so I'm waiting for them to contact me. I feel like I should have had a midwife weeks ago.
Next week will be fun - its my birthday and my graduation! I'll have to see what clothes I have that will fit.
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Sunday, April 24, 2005
Expanding tummy
Well I've been measuring my weight and tummy circumference since conception. I was 46kg and 69cm. Now I am 45kg (all the stupid throwing up), and 73cm!! So my tummy has grown 4cm! My clothes are getting a bit tighter and I reckon I've probably got about 3-4 weeks room left in them. Yikes - a shopping trip to maternity clothing places might be in order...
Morning sickness is getting more manageable, except for this morning when I had to be at work early, and I'm busy throwing up in between customers :(
I've just read up on my Paid Parental Leave entitlements - apparently I get 14 weeks paid by the government to a maximum of $346 before tax. Lucky I also have ebay!
Morning sickness is getting more manageable, except for this morning when I had to be at work early, and I'm busy throwing up in between customers :(
I've just read up on my Paid Parental Leave entitlements - apparently I get 14 weeks paid by the government to a maximum of $346 before tax. Lucky I also have ebay!
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Development update
Here is what our little baby looks like at the moment:
Your baby still appears to have a small tail (actually, it's an extension of his tailbone), which will disappear in the next few weeks. But that's the only thing getting smaller. Now almost half an inch long — roughly the size of a raspberry — he has elbow joints and distinct, slightly webbed fingers and toes. In his oversized head, both hemispheres of his brain are developing. His teeth and the inside of his mouth are forming, and his ears continue to develop. Eyelid folds partially cover his tiny peepers, which already have some color, and the tip of that nose you'll be tweaking someday is emerging. His skin is paper-thin and his veins are clearly visible.
Your little one also has an appendix and a pancreas, which will eventually produce the hormone insulin to aid in digestion. His liver is busy producing red blood cells, and a loop of your baby's growing intestines is bulging into his umbilical cord, which now has distinct blood vessels to carry oxygen and nutrients to and from his tiny body. You can't feel his gyrations yet, but your baby is like a little jumping bean, moving in fits and starts around his watery home.
Interesting how last week it was referred to as a 'she' and this week it is a 'he' - maybe the writers switch each week to keep it fair.
So now we have a raspberry sized poppy!!
And even better, today is the first day in a week that I have not been sick! I hope it continues :)
Your baby still appears to have a small tail (actually, it's an extension of his tailbone), which will disappear in the next few weeks. But that's the only thing getting smaller. Now almost half an inch long — roughly the size of a raspberry — he has elbow joints and distinct, slightly webbed fingers and toes. In his oversized head, both hemispheres of his brain are developing. His teeth and the inside of his mouth are forming, and his ears continue to develop. Eyelid folds partially cover his tiny peepers, which already have some color, and the tip of that nose you'll be tweaking someday is emerging. His skin is paper-thin and his veins are clearly visible.
Your little one also has an appendix and a pancreas, which will eventually produce the hormone insulin to aid in digestion. His liver is busy producing red blood cells, and a loop of your baby's growing intestines is bulging into his umbilical cord, which now has distinct blood vessels to carry oxygen and nutrients to and from his tiny body. You can't feel his gyrations yet, but your baby is like a little jumping bean, moving in fits and starts around his watery home.
Interesting how last week it was referred to as a 'she' and this week it is a 'he' - maybe the writers switch each week to keep it fair.
So now we have a raspberry sized poppy!!
And even better, today is the first day in a week that I have not been sick! I hope it continues :)
Monday, April 18, 2005
Follow-up Ultrasound
Went to the hospital again today for a follow up ultrasound.
Everything looks fine - Poppy has grown from 2mm last week to 8mm this week! That's amazing! Especially considering how much I've been throwing up and how little nutrients must be getting into me.
They could see an area that I had most likely been bleeding from, but it seems to have stopped now. There was a strong heart beat, and the doctor said that while bleeding can be a sign of threatened miscarriage, one a heartbeat is established, the chances of continuing on with no problems are in the 90% range.
Now they want me to go back for a 12 week scan. I don't know about all this scan-happy attitude. Hmmm. But I figure, I probably needed to have it done since there seemed to be a potential problem.
I hate all-day morning sickness!!!
Everything looks fine - Poppy has grown from 2mm last week to 8mm this week! That's amazing! Especially considering how much I've been throwing up and how little nutrients must be getting into me.
They could see an area that I had most likely been bleeding from, but it seems to have stopped now. There was a strong heart beat, and the doctor said that while bleeding can be a sign of threatened miscarriage, one a heartbeat is established, the chances of continuing on with no problems are in the 90% range.
Now they want me to go back for a 12 week scan. I don't know about all this scan-happy attitude. Hmmm. But I figure, I probably needed to have it done since there seemed to be a potential problem.
I hate all-day morning sickness!!!
Friday, April 15, 2005
Baby's development update
We've been calling our baby 'Poppy' at the moment because all the books and things keep referring to various stages of development as being 'the size of a poppy seed'. First it was the whole embryo, then it was the heart, and so on. According to my latest developmental email, we are well past those sizings now!
Right now she's about the size of a small lentil bean (4 to 5 millimeters across). If you could see through your uterine wall, you'd find an overlarge head and dark spots where her eyes and nostrils are beginning to take shape. Shallow pits on the sides of her head mark her developing ears, and her arms and legs appear as protruding buds. Her hands and feet look like paddles, with thick webbing between the developing digits, but her fingers and toes will soon become more distinct. Below the opening that will later be your baby's mouth, there are small folds where her neck and lower jaw will eventually develop. (Inside, her tongue and vocal cords are just beginning to form.)
Your baby's heart (which is starting to divide into the right and left chambers) is beating about 100 to 130 beats per minute — almost twice as fast as yours — and blood is beginning to circulate through her body. Her intestines are developing and tiny breathing passages are beginning to appear where her lungs will be. She's also starting to build muscle fibers and, halfway through this week, she'll likely start moving her tiny limbs.
Right now she's about the size of a small lentil bean (4 to 5 millimeters across). If you could see through your uterine wall, you'd find an overlarge head and dark spots where her eyes and nostrils are beginning to take shape. Shallow pits on the sides of her head mark her developing ears, and her arms and legs appear as protruding buds. Her hands and feet look like paddles, with thick webbing between the developing digits, but her fingers and toes will soon become more distinct. Below the opening that will later be your baby's mouth, there are small folds where her neck and lower jaw will eventually develop. (Inside, her tongue and vocal cords are just beginning to form.)
Your baby's heart (which is starting to divide into the right and left chambers) is beating about 100 to 130 beats per minute — almost twice as fast as yours — and blood is beginning to circulate through her body. Her intestines are developing and tiny breathing passages are beginning to appear where her lungs will be. She's also starting to build muscle fibers and, halfway through this week, she'll likely start moving her tiny limbs.
Morning sickness is DUMB
I was hoping to escape this annoying symptom of pregnancy, but yesterday my stupid morning sickness started :( I threw up all morning, then eventually went to work about 11:30, felt nauseous most of the day, came home, threw up, then got better in time to go to sleep.
Grrrr!!!!
So far today is following a similar pattern.....
I can't think of anything yummy to eat, and smells are starting to get to me. The night before last, I went out with my friends to a Thai restaurant and when the food was served all the smells mixed together in my nose and smelt like old feet! So I had to try not to breathe while I was eating.
I did discover yesterday that pumpkin soup was unusually delicious for lunch, so maybe I will try that again. Although thinking about it now makes me want to be sick :(
But I suppose morning sickness is a good sign - it means the baby's placenta is developing and my hormones are going mental, which hopefully means everything will continue on nicely.
Grrrr!!!!
So far today is following a similar pattern.....
I can't think of anything yummy to eat, and smells are starting to get to me. The night before last, I went out with my friends to a Thai restaurant and when the food was served all the smells mixed together in my nose and smelt like old feet! So I had to try not to breathe while I was eating.
I did discover yesterday that pumpkin soup was unusually delicious for lunch, so maybe I will try that again. Although thinking about it now makes me want to be sick :(
But I suppose morning sickness is a good sign - it means the baby's placenta is developing and my hormones are going mental, which hopefully means everything will continue on nicely.
Adventures at the Hospital
Well Wednesday was an interesting day. My bleeding was getting really bad on Tuesday, so I called up the clinic I went to on Monday and they referred me to the main hospital for the Women's Assessment Clinic. Seeing as Monday's visit to the hospital took hours, I decided to wait until Wednesday which is my day off before going along.
So off I went, and I ended up spending most of the day at the hospital - they gave me my own room with amazing views out across the city and out to sea, and it was a beautiful day. I was even included in the lunch rounds!
But despite being concerned about bleeding, they really couldn't tell me much. I had a blood test and had to wait hours and hours for the results - and my hormone levels had doubled and doubled again since my test last week, so that is about right. In the end, the doctors were satisfied with that and didn't think I was at any immediate risk of miscarriage so finally sent me home. I have an ultrasound booked for Monday to make sure everything is still ok.
The bleeding has definitely got much better now, and I still think it was a result of being poked and prodded with all sorts of large instruments at the ultrasound.
Hopefully all is ok :)
So off I went, and I ended up spending most of the day at the hospital - they gave me my own room with amazing views out across the city and out to sea, and it was a beautiful day. I was even included in the lunch rounds!
But despite being concerned about bleeding, they really couldn't tell me much. I had a blood test and had to wait hours and hours for the results - and my hormone levels had doubled and doubled again since my test last week, so that is about right. In the end, the doctors were satisfied with that and didn't think I was at any immediate risk of miscarriage so finally sent me home. I have an ultrasound booked for Monday to make sure everything is still ok.
The bleeding has definitely got much better now, and I still think it was a result of being poked and prodded with all sorts of large instruments at the ultrasound.
Hopefully all is ok :)
Monday, April 11, 2005
My first ultrasound!
Well, after deciding last week I wasn't going to have an ultrasound, I ended up having one today. I started to bleed yesterday afternoon, so I went to the a&e and luckily they weren't busy so they called the gynaecologist at the hospital for additional advice (there was no obvious cause for bleeding). They suggested I go to the Early Pregnancy Clinic at the hospital because bleeding can be a sign of potential miscarriage.
So off I went to my appointment at 7:30am!! It was absolutely freezing in the hospital, so I was glad I didn't get dressed for work, and instead had my comfy warm clothes on. I don't seem to exist in the medical system so there was lots and lots of waiting while they tried to figure out how I could survive my life without coming to the hospital all the time and why I didn't have a 'number'. In the end they just gave me one.
Finally, I got to have an ultrasound, and I saw the little baby growing inside me! It's about 2mm long at the moment, and is growing in the right place, so that rules out the ectopic worry. They were able to tell me there is only ONE baby, so all those people trying to jinx me with twins didn't work! Its development is just on the cusp of being able to see lots in the ultrasound and not being able to see much, so they couldn't definitely say if there was a heartbeat, but they were fairly confident the blinking was it.
Luckily they found no reasons for bleeding, so hopefully everything is ok, but just in case, I have to go back for another scan in a week. By then I should be able to see more.
So that's all pretty exciting! And to make it even better, they were going to make me have another blood test (blecch), but at the last minute decided I didn't need one after all. Yay!
So off I went to my appointment at 7:30am!! It was absolutely freezing in the hospital, so I was glad I didn't get dressed for work, and instead had my comfy warm clothes on. I don't seem to exist in the medical system so there was lots and lots of waiting while they tried to figure out how I could survive my life without coming to the hospital all the time and why I didn't have a 'number'. In the end they just gave me one.
Finally, I got to have an ultrasound, and I saw the little baby growing inside me! It's about 2mm long at the moment, and is growing in the right place, so that rules out the ectopic worry. They were able to tell me there is only ONE baby, so all those people trying to jinx me with twins didn't work! Its development is just on the cusp of being able to see lots in the ultrasound and not being able to see much, so they couldn't definitely say if there was a heartbeat, but they were fairly confident the blinking was it.
Luckily they found no reasons for bleeding, so hopefully everything is ok, but just in case, I have to go back for another scan in a week. By then I should be able to see more.
So that's all pretty exciting! And to make it even better, they were going to make me have another blood test (blecch), but at the last minute decided I didn't need one after all. Yay!
Saturday, April 09, 2005
Blood test results
Just got my blood test results back! (I still have a big ouchy on my arm from the test)
The main hormone they test for is Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG) which is what is produced during pregnancy. In the first 12 weeks, the levels double every few days as the baby and placenta rapidly develops. My level was 7174IU/l on Thursday, and I checked on the internet for a guide to see what this means, and for my stage of pregnancy I should be between 18-7340. So it's all looking good! Of course I think the numbers are only relevant when comparing to more tests of mine to see how well they are doubling, but I'm not going back for blood tests every few days.
Other interesting results - I do not have any of the following: Hepatitis B, Chlamydia, Syphilis, or anything else strange that I was tested for. So that's good news!
So this proves I am definitely pregnant - I have been wondering if its all in my head since I don't have many symptoms yet. Although, I put my jeans on today and theres a slight tummy overhang!
Hopefully I find a midwife next week.
The main hormone they test for is Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG) which is what is produced during pregnancy. In the first 12 weeks, the levels double every few days as the baby and placenta rapidly develops. My level was 7174IU/l on Thursday, and I checked on the internet for a guide to see what this means, and for my stage of pregnancy I should be between 18-7340. So it's all looking good! Of course I think the numbers are only relevant when comparing to more tests of mine to see how well they are doubling, but I'm not going back for blood tests every few days.
Other interesting results - I do not have any of the following: Hepatitis B, Chlamydia, Syphilis, or anything else strange that I was tested for. So that's good news!
So this proves I am definitely pregnant - I have been wondering if its all in my head since I don't have many symptoms yet. Although, I put my jeans on today and theres a slight tummy overhang!
Hopefully I find a midwife next week.
Thursday, April 07, 2005
oooh - a small scare!
I went to the doctor today about my continual spotting, and she said there are hundreds of reasons it could be, and to rule out ectopic pregnancy that I could have an ultrasound. I'm pretty sure i don't want to have a scan so soon - and I am fairly confident I am not having an ectopic. I spent all day investigating it online and I don't have the symptoms (apart from the spotting, but its not bleeding which would be more dangerous).
I've also gone back to my med school books from last year and decided what I am experiencing is decidual cells from the rich juicy endometrial lining - caused by a very vigorous embryo burrowing into me! Since I have no pains or cramps, i think i'll pass on the ultrasound and wait and see....
But, maybe i'm starting to get a slightly bigger tummy! Not that anyone would notice yet, but it feels bigger to me. And in other interesting bodily functions news, normally my urine is bright yellow from all my vitamins, but by the afternoon now it is quite clear - which I think indicates that my vitamins are rapidly being used up for baby making purposes!
I've also gone back to my med school books from last year and decided what I am experiencing is decidual cells from the rich juicy endometrial lining - caused by a very vigorous embryo burrowing into me! Since I have no pains or cramps, i think i'll pass on the ultrasound and wait and see....
But, maybe i'm starting to get a slightly bigger tummy! Not that anyone would notice yet, but it feels bigger to me. And in other interesting bodily functions news, normally my urine is bright yellow from all my vitamins, but by the afternoon now it is quite clear - which I think indicates that my vitamins are rapidly being used up for baby making purposes!
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
Wednesday
Well not much to update yet - everyone is all still very excited :) I have the day off today so I might start investigating midwives in the area - apparently you have to book in by the time you are about 6 weeks, or they are all booked up!
Apparently the baby has graduated from a poppy seed to a sesame seed now:
Your baby is now 1 to 2 millimeters long — about the size of a sesame seed — and enjoying his first huge growth spurt. He still resembles a tadpole more than anything else, but already the cells for his vital organs, including his kidneys and liver, are forming, and this week his heart will begin beating.
Apparently the baby has graduated from a poppy seed to a sesame seed now:
Your baby is now 1 to 2 millimeters long — about the size of a sesame seed — and enjoying his first huge growth spurt. He still resembles a tadpole more than anything else, but already the cells for his vital organs, including his kidneys and liver, are forming, and this week his heart will begin beating.
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
We told our family with flowers
Yesterday was such a fun day - we sent flowers to our parents with cards saying 'Congratulations you are going to be Grandparents!' So we had lots of happily tearful phonecalls and hugs. Everyone is very excited!
I am 5 weeks pregnant today, and according to my baby development email I have subscribe to, this is what is currently happening inside me:
In your uterus, the ball of cells that will become your baby is dividing furiously. Though it's only about the size of a poppy seed, it's officially an embryo now.
The size of a poppy seed! Hope it doesn't get lost!
I have lots of text books from uni with more detailed sciency stuff in it - maybe I should have a look at them and get some pictures.
I am 5 weeks pregnant today, and according to my baby development email I have subscribe to, this is what is currently happening inside me:
In your uterus, the ball of cells that will become your baby is dividing furiously. Though it's only about the size of a poppy seed, it's officially an embryo now.
The size of a poppy seed! Hope it doesn't get lost!
I have lots of text books from uni with more detailed sciency stuff in it - maybe I should have a look at them and get some pictures.
Sunday, April 03, 2005
Yay - it's all on!
Dan and I are definitely pregnant, so we've spent our day off together being quietly excited :)
We will tell our parents and brother & sisters tomorrow - I can't wait till they all find out!
I've been looking on the internet for pregnancy information and there is so much available. From babycentre.com I was able to set up a day-by-day pregnancy calendar which tells me all the developmental things that are going on inside me (in a couple of days time apparently the heart starts to beat!), as well as all the symptoms I will be feeling. So far I have just been feeling more tired than usual.
From another site, I also made the neat little pregnancy ticker that is hopefully showing at the top of this page! Only hundreds and hundreds of days to go....
We will tell our parents and brother & sisters tomorrow - I can't wait till they all find out!
I've been looking on the internet for pregnancy information and there is so much available. From babycentre.com I was able to set up a day-by-day pregnancy calendar which tells me all the developmental things that are going on inside me (in a couple of days time apparently the heart starts to beat!), as well as all the symptoms I will be feeling. So far I have just been feeling more tired than usual.
From another site, I also made the neat little pregnancy ticker that is hopefully showing at the top of this page! Only hundreds and hundreds of days to go....
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