17 weeks

Earlier this week I had to get out my belly bands (work pants are getting a little tight), and the maternity clothes came out of the basement this weekend. 

Oh, how I forgot how much I HATE maternity jeans.  They're worse than too-small tights, what with all the yanking and squatting and yuxting to keep them up.

And tonight, for the first time, we felt the little bugger.  I felt the unmistakable scraping and poking for a few minutes before I called Brian over, doubting that he could feel from the outside what I felt from the inside.  But wouldn't you know it, the little guy/girl wound up and gave a hearty punch/kick right into Brian's palm.

Last weekend Cayden proudly gave up his toddler bed and changing table/dresser in exchange for a brand-new big-boy bed, so the nursery furniture has transitioned into the peacock room.

The backstory, then 10 & 12 week photos

After another frustrating ordeal getting here, we're on our way to #2.

We quit birth control in March and started trying in July, but my irregular periods kept us guessing again for a few months, until I succumbed to the temptation of charting and ovulation predictor kits.  We had just about given up again (remember last time?), and I scheduled a consult with Hershey's reproductive endocrinologist in October.

I also got a +OPK on Oct. 14 (25 days into my cycle), but ended up in the ER with shortpants after a suspicious fall at school that day.

Long story short, I POAS Oct. 29, the morning of Katie and Brad's wedding, and got two lines.  So later that day, on the way home from swimming lessons, we stopped to get a digital POAS, just to make sure.

So I called the RE on Monday, to see if the bloodwork from Oct. 29 read the same as my tests.  Nope, the qualitative bloodwork said negative.  So then I did a series of additonal POAS at the doc's request and started weekly ultrasounds/bloodwork on Nov. 4 to try to date this baby.

The official due date is July 14, but I think this baby is coming a week earlier, based upon my +OPK (even if ovulation was actually delayed by a few days due to the ER stress) and +POAS dates.



So, here are the first of the belly pics:

As compared to 10 weeks and 12 weeks last time around.  Weight gain through the first trimester has been almost identical to the first round (3 pounds), but I'm sensing an earlier shape shift in the mid-section this time.  And I'm already into my maternity bras from last time around (purchased at 22 weeks), so here's to hoping for no more shape shifting up top. :) 

Since I'm so close in timing to the first pregnancy (due July 22; delivered July 28), I'm hoping my maternity clothes from last time will suffice, perhaps maybe with a few additional add-ons.

And here is one of the first shots of ruby #2. July's birthstone is ruby, so until we know if it's a boy or girl (yes, we're finding out, hopefully in February), I'm calling him/her Ruby 2.

40-week growth ultrasound

Well, he must be packed in there pretty tight -- ALL EIGHT POUNDS OF HIM!

Yup, the Med Center's best guess is that he's 8 pounds, give or take 19 ounces. So that means he's almost surely somewhere between 7 and 9 pounds.

And he seems to be doing fine in his cramped quarters: heartbeat was 129 beats per minute, and all his parts passed inspection.

Well, almost. It was difficult to get a picture of his face because his head is so far down, but the ultrasound tech did catch his profile. We saw him move his tongue and purse his lips. His seemingly very big lips. I mean as soon as the ultrasound tech left the room we both turned to each other and said "did you see how big his lips are?" I turned this image on its side so you can see the profile without craning your neck. He's looking to the left. The white stripe across the middle is his tongue.

So in the past week we've seen a really chubby chin, fat cheeks and now surprisingly big lips. Granted, his face is all smooshed down there so he may end up looking cute and proportional, but at this point I'm not banking on any newborn modeling gigs for baby boy. But we'll love him nonetheless.

One dejected daddy

Just got home from my 40-week appointment. Yes, home; not back at work. Because there's no sense running into work for 45 minutes just to run back home, pick up Brian and head to the hospital for our 11:20 ultrasound.

First, the standard details: 1/2 pound weight gain from last week, BP of 102/66 and a strong heartbeat. In fact, Amy let Brian do the dopplar, so he found the heartbeat.

But the fundal height is still low (37 cm), so Amy decided it's best to schedule one more growth ultrasound at the Med Center. No reason for worry, rather she just wants to make sure he's packed away in the back of my torso, rather than not growing as he should.

Oh, and I've made no progress from last week with regard to any further cervical dilation or effacement. Still at 1 cm and 80 percent.

So assuming everything looks good at this morning's ultrasound, we have induction scheduled for 6 a.m. on Wednesday, July 29. Which really disappointed Brian. I misunderstood Amy last week when she said they won't let me go beyond 41 weeks. I thought she meant they won't let me go beyond July 29, the day I hit 41 weeks, when really she meant they won't let me go beyond August 4, which would be the last day of my 41st week.

So I kinda sorta may have led Brian to believe we could possibly schedule induction for later this week. But we learned this morning that we can't, and now he's beside himself because the anticipation is likely going to kill him for another week. I've never seen him so dejected. And if I do get induced next Wednesday, it looks next to impossible for Brian to attend his college friend's wedding in northeast PA on Saturday, Aug. 1.

So for now, we just keep waiting.......

One less surprise at birth

Baby boy has hair!! Not as much hair as I had when I was born, but at least a light dusting of peach fuzz! How do we know that? Because we could see the wispy fuzz on the surprise ultrasound I got this morning.

Went in for my 39 week appointment with Amy, and she decided to do an internal (my first), so that if I go into labor soon, at least I can let the nurses know where I was as of today. Amy said I'm 1 cm dilated and 80 percent effaced. Baby boy is at -2 station, which means he really hasn't started moving down the birth canal at all. I'm not sure what I was expecting (a tape measure?), but I sure wasn't expecting that the medical folks can determine all those measurements just by feel!

The internal itself wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't too bad. Amy made a point of "moving things around in there" to try to encourage contractions. She said my cervix is very stretchable, which is apparently good for pushing and favorable for induction, if it comes to that.

The pee was clear of sugars and proteins, and baby's heartbeat was strong. BP was 110/68, and we finalized that I'll go on the generic mini-pill (birth control) post-partum.

But I was down two pounds from last week (back under 160), and my fundal height only measured around 35/36 cm. Since they like it to be within two of the number of weeks of pregnancy (I'm 39 weeks, so 2 cm off would be 37 or 41), Amy decided to do an ultrasound, to check the amniotic fluid levels.

Fluid looked good, so no worries. He's thriving in there somewhere. Once she got the images and felt around a little more, Amy said she thinks the FH measurement may be off because baby boy is almost all on my right side. He has been for as long as I can remember, which makes for a lopsided look and frequent kicks and nudges around my side.

And it was a nice surprise to leave with three last in-the-womb photos I wasn't expecting: one of his toes jamming up under my right rib, one of his peachfuzz hair and one of his face.

Seems baby boy likely got my squishy chin, 'cause boy does his look round and chubby! Seeing his chin really kind of spun me for a loop, though, because it made it all the more real for me that parts of this baby are me, and parts are Brian. Suddenly seeing that fat little chin brought back a flood of memories from when Brian and I were dating. As silly as it sounds, we used to compare each other's chins all the time. Brian has a bony, pointy chin (almost no cartiledge), while I have a squishy chin full of extra mush. Man our chins entertained us back in the old days. So did Diet Pepsi burps, but that's another story for another time.

Now if only the picture of baby boy's toes was clear enough for me to see if he got what Brian calls his own "perfect feet" or if baby boy got my "royal toe." My second toe is considerably longer than my big toe; don't worry, I've come to terms with it over the years and it doesn't bother me anymore.

Also got a few tips from Amy for encouraging labor: REALLY spicy food for lunch (not for dinner, since that might cause heartburn at bed time); a heating pad on my lower back for 20 minutes each night; nipple stimulation for 20 minutes each night; and the old tried-and-true doin' it.

Eh, maybe I'll try one or more of those things Friday. Tomorrow is our anniversary, and while I'll be happy whenever this baby decides to come, I'd rather keep July 16 just for the Brian and I.

Oh, and if I make it to Tuesday -- my next doc's appointment -- without dropping (looks likely), Amy will schedule an induction for sometime before the end of July. I'd prefer to go naturally (doesn't "picking" his birthday seem artificial?), so I think I'd prefer to schedule for early the week of July 27, if we have to plan ahead.

This morning's doctor appointment

Weight: up two pounds from two weeks ago, 19 pounds overall. And I crossed the 160 threshold.
Blood Pressure: 118/76
Fundal Height:37 cm, although Dr. Hazzard said now that baby boy is settling in lower, the FH measurement doesn't mean as much in the final weeks.
His Heartbeat: Loud and fast (normal)
Pee: no issues

Also found out my Group B strep results were negative, so no antibiotics are needed during delivery.

I asked if Dr. Hazzard could determine his position (which way he's facing), and she said not yet. She could definitely feel his butt just under my right rib, but she said he can still spin around in there right up until delivery. They're not worried about rotation until labor begins, and then they'd like to try to get him facing my back, with his spine against my belly.

And she called him a small baby again. :( I know she can't tell for sure, and I certainly don't want him to be too big (read: more painful to deliver), but I was kind of thinking/hoping he'd be in the 7-8 pound range. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

And after my last appointment I called my insurance provider to see what kind of coverage they offered for an IUD (birth control). They don't cover the instrument itself or the insertion or removal, so rough estimates are that an IUD would cost me about $1,000 out of pocket.

So today I asked what the typically prescribed mini-pill is, so I could check its cost through my prescription coverage. Nor-Q.D. is covered by my insurance, but it is a non-preferred, higher-cost medication. BUT, If I opt for the the generic version, Nora-Be, the cost is ZERO! My mail-order pharmacy benefit waives all co-payments for choosing the lower-cost alternative!

Imagine my surprise and delight. I mean I was used to cheap birth control (I used to get three packs for $15), but I never expected FREE BC!

So next week I just have to make sure my docs are OK prescribing the generic, which I'll start taking two two six weeks after delivery...

36-week Cowcatcher

I didn't know what a cow catcher was, either, until Brian informed me. And since that time a couple of months ago, that's how he affectionately refers to my baby belly.

Today's appointment with Dr. Hazzard:
Blood Pressure: 120/76
Fetal Heart Rate: strong, fast & healthy
Fundal Height: 36 cm
Pee: free and clear
Weight: up one pound from two weeks ago, about 18 pounds overall

I also got my Group B Strep swab, and they'll give me the results at my next appointment, July 7. We decided to cancel my July 3 appointment, since everything has been going well and it's so late next week. Great for me, because Brian and I are going to spend the entire morning and much of the afternoon at the Hershey spa on July 3. One last somewhat extravagant date for the two of us, before we become a threesome.

I asked Dr. Hazzard when I can expect internal exams to start, and she said she doesn't do them, unless there's cause for concern or the patient requests it. She said her experience is that the information gained from an internal is kind of useless in most cases, unless the woman is in labor, and all it does is serve to disappoint expectant moms. Either progress isn't what the mom thought it would be, or the measurements give false hope. In either case, how far dilated or effaced I am really has little to do with when labor may begin (some women are two or three centimeters dilated at this point, but remain there for weeks), so what's the point in going through the discomfort of an internal exam. Sounds reasonable to me.

She also gave me some more food for thought regarding post-partum birth control. Her first recommendation is a progesterone-only "mini-pill," and she says most women start it somewhere between two and six weeks after delivery. She's confident the mini-pill has little to no affect on milk production, but the drawback is that it has to be taken at the same exact time, every day, to be effective. That could become a challenge, if my nights and days are mixed up with a confused infant.

The other easy option for me may be an IUD. This one seems like a no-brainer, but she said insurance companies are all over the map when it comes to coverage. Dr. Hazzard said, on average, patients get their money's worth out of IUDs when they're relied on for somewhere between two and three years. But if my insurance will cover the thing outright, it may be the best, hassle-free option. So I've got some homework to do.

And a few final things Dr. Hazzard said, that struck me as interesting:

First, she said I've likely been having contractions every now and then, and either I can't feel them or don't know to recognize them.

Secondly, she confirmed baby boy is still head-down and said he likely won't break any weight records. But she said smaller babies are a good thing, and we can just fatten him up after he's born.

And when she asked if we'd picked a name yet, I told Dr. Hazzard no, but that we have it narrowed down to a few. She advised me not to hope to be inspired to name him by baby boy's appearance in the hospital, as "they all look smooshed and wrinkley, and then three days later when they're home, they look completely different anyway." Besides, she admitted, the doctors and nurses will laugh at us if we try to pick a name based on how he looks in the hospital. Good to know.

35/35

If you look at my ticker (above) today (Wed., June 17), you'll see today is my 35/35 -- that is, 35 weeks down, and 35 days to go!

Another silly pregnancy milestone, but something a little exciting, considering baby isn't changing all that much any more, except to get bigger. He's probably about 18 inches long now and between five and six pounds. Babycenter.com compares him to a honeydew melon, now.

34 Weeks

This morning I met with Amy for another regular appointment.
Blood Pressure: 104/62
Fetal Heart Rate: strong, fast & healthy
Fundal Height: 34 cm
Pee: free and clear
Weight: up 3.5 pounds from two weeks ago, about 17.5 pounds overall
In measuring my fundal height, Amy discovered and announced with enthusiastic certainty that baby boy is head-down, and most likely quite vertical. She showed me what to feel for, and what do you know, there's a softball deep down at my pubic bone. She said he may still move, but it's doubtful. They start looking for him to be head-down at 35 or 36 weeks, so he's a bit ahead of the curve.

Amy clarified from the growth ultrasound that a week and a half ago he measured about 4 pounds, 7 ounces, which placed him in the 65th percentile and me at about 33 weeks, 5 days, a little ahead of the 32 weeks, 1 day at which a July 22 due date put me.

She also said the amniotic fluid level from the ultrasound looked great, and that would be the only question she may have had, considering the way I'm carrying. Seems instead of carrying all out in front (the round basketball figure typically associated with pregnancy), my abs may be holding him in more, making my belly a bit smaller than others'. Makes sense, considering a lot of the kicks I get during the day feel like they're behind my ribs, rather than out front.

Quietly pats self on the back for entering pregnancy with a somewhat tight tummy.

A new kind of baby movement

I meant to post this a day or two ago, but I never got around to it. Baby boy has been moving around for weeks now, but a couple of days ago he started moving in a new way. Instead of him pushing OUT, where I could see and feel the movement on my belly, I could suddenly feel him pushing IN, like towards my back and digestive parts.

He did the pushing in thing consistently for a couple of days, but now he seems to be pushing out again. Maybe he got himself flipped around in there for a little while.

In any case, pushing IN was a weird feeling.

28 week appointment with Pat

Yeah, it was kind of a waste of time, but oh well. She reviewed a bunch of handouts with me and tried her best to answer a few questions, although each answer ended with, "but you should really talk this over with Amy or a doctor at one of your upcoming appointments."

Anyway, I learned a few things:

(1) Hershey Med prohibits any photography and videography during active labor (pushing, through cord cutting). So that rules out delivery photography (not that I had pursued finding a local photog), and it means no one will ever see my struggling, screwed up, sweaty, howling face or my birthing lady parts. Camera can come right back out as soon as the cord is cut, though.

(2) Baby boy will come to me as soon as his cord is cut, and the hospital strongly encourages trying to breast feed him within his first hour in the outside world. Apparently a successful attempt right after birth increases the odds of successful breastfeeding in the following days.

(3) Baby boy will stay in my room the whole time, unless and until I ask them to take him to the nursery or if he has to leave for medical reasons (circumcision). The hospital thinks moms can bond and learn the most by being with the baby as much as possible in the hospital.

(4) Although the vinyl chair/bed in the room isn't the most comfortable thing around, Brian is welcome to stay with me as much as he wants. As my hubby, he's the only one who gets 24-hour access to me and baby. He's also welcome to shower in my room (they provide fresh linens) and he gets one free meal. Probably not all that big a deal, but I was surprised at the little perks they extend to him.

(5) For the rest of you all, visiting hours are 24-hours a day in labor & delivery, and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. once we move to a room. But whenever possible you're supposed to avoid visiting from 2 to 4 p.m. each day, as this is "quiet time," when they want new moms to rest.

(6) The hospital is open to a birth plan, but the docs don't require or request one from patients. Big relief, considering I don't feel that I know nearly enough about this process to even take a stab at a birth plan. That's what the docs and nurses get paid for, right -- to tell me the appropriate birth plan? We will take a class on anesthesia in early July, but beyond that Brian and I will rely soley on the experts.

(7) The typical hospital stay for natural birth is two days, and for c-section it's three days.

As for birth control, I have to talk it over with a doc, but I think the plan will be to go without any kind of pill for a few months, at least. News to me, but apparently breastfeeding hampers ovulation, so moms who rely solely on breast milk for baby typically don't ovulate for a long time after delivery. Pat suggests that our intent to breastfeed combined with my history of erratic cycles when not on the pill may be sufficient reasons to see how my cycles progress on their own for the first few months. Then I could consider going back on the regular pill or a breastfeeding-safe "mini-pill."

Oh, and I got the results of last week's blood test: I'm not anemic (iron levels are fine), and my blood glucose was 120 (anything under 140 is normal).

Next appointment is next Thursday morning, with Amy. Next Thursday is also our first childbirth class at the Med Center, so I'll start and end my day with baby news!

Me, fully clothed

What my coworkers and 99 percent of the world see:

ME: If you passed me on the street as a stranger, would you think I was pregnant?

BRIAN: No. (sips coffee, musingly) I would think you had ginormous boobs. But that's just the way my mind goes.

That was our conversation this morning, just before I walked out the door for work. I love that he still surprises me and makes me laugh all the time with his candid humor.

In other news, Brian *thinks* he felt baby boy move when he had his hand on my tummy Monday night, at 22 weeks, 6 days.

22 Weeks

At this point, baby is 11 inches long and weighs about a pound. That's about all I know, because I haven't read my pregnancy books in a while. Gotta catch up on that this week.

I can say that I'm now definitely feeling the baby move each day, however. It's been happening sporadically for probably two weeks now, but now it's consistent enough that I'm sure it's the little alien moving around in there, rather than digestive processes. Still waiting for baby boy to jump through his hoops when Brian is around or awake to try to feel it. I'm hoping maybe that will happen this week.

Guess what arrived last night ... Our glider!! Still in its original Dutailier packaging, straight from Quebec! I took the ottoman out of the box last night to see what the wood and upholstery looked like, but Brian and I were both too tired to put it together. Maybe Brian will have a chance to put it together before I get home from work, though... Too soon to make a final judgement, but it looks like this amazing deal is legit, so far.

Today's doctor's appointment

I met Dr. Carie D'Agata this morning, one of the 10 OBGYNs who may deliver this little sucker in July.

Looks like I'm up to a weight gain of about 8 pounds since pre-pregnancy, ultrasound results from a couple of weeks ago look good and baby's heartbeat was 120.

I asked about the variations in heartbeat over the past few appointments (160, 143, 120), and Dr. D'Agata said variatons are good, as they indicate the baby is progressing through different stages of neurologic development. Any heartbeat between 110 and 170 is perfectly normal.

Then the regular litany of questions: Bleeding? No. Swelling? No. Pain or discomfort? No.

And a new one: Have you started to feel the baby move, yet? To which I answered honestly, "I don't know." I have felt some things down there over the past week or so, but the gurgley bubbly feeling could be attributed either to digestion or the baby. Apparently that's normal, and she said just to be aware of movement down there, as I'll probably start to know the difference before my next appointment.

Dr. D'Agata said the Med Center starts measuring the belly with a tape measure around 20 weeks, but at just shy of 21 weeks today she could feel the top of my uterus right at my belly button, so there was no need to measure. Measuring tape will, however, come out next month.

She sent me home with the now standard pee cup and a new, one-time special treat: my ultra-sugary orange drink, which I have to down an hour before my next appointment so they can take some blood to see how my body processes sugar. Some women hate the gestatational diabetes test, some say it's not too bad. I'm just glad I can drink the stuff at home rather than wait around the hospital for an hour.

Holy balls, Batman, it's a Turtle!

FYI, Brian named this post.

Brian also identified the anatomy before the sonographer confirmed it is what he thought it was. She called it a turtle.

So the official Brassell household score is now four peckers vs. one hoo-hoo. That's Brian, Spike, Hercules and Baby Boy Brassell vs. lonely little me. That's OK; we all know who really holds things together. :)

Although I am now thinking seriously of investing in baby powder. Not for the baby, mind you, but for returns on anticipated future use, if son is anything like father. Just this morning, I commented on Brian's excessive use of powder as he poured a cup-full into his hand for purposes of talcing up the boys. He told me the extra powder was warranted; after all, it was a "big day."

As for the stats, Baby Boy Brassell measured 19 weeks, zero days and 10 ounces. Heartbeat was a healthy 143, and everything else looks good. We'll get a full review of all the measurements at my March 9 appointment.

Stay tuned for a review of the family reaction...

It's a ...

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... secret until we make the announcement over dinner to the grandparents- and aunts- and uncles-to-be! But here are a couple of treats to tide you over.

First, a photo of baby waving


Aand second, a video of baby sucking its toes!


Check back later tonight for the big news!! Hint: One of the grandmas-to-be guessed correctly!

Our Little Turnip

Thought my dad would appreciate this. Babycenter.com says at 17 weeks a baby is about 5 ounces, or the size of a turnip.

In other news, we're aiming for Feb. 28 or March 1 for a cloth diaper consultation. The mom who will meet to us is settling on a new house, moving and having her second baby all in about a month and a half, so we figured it's better to meet before her life is taken over with stress and excitement.

An Apple? Really?

Apparently that's how big this baby is right now. I actually have an apple with me, and I'm looking at it. I've never thought an apple looked so big, as when I'm now imagining it in my abdomen. Now I'm confused as to how my pants still fit. I sure couldn't shove an apple between my stomach and waistband before I got pregnant, so how did this apple make room for itself?

The mysteries of nature.

Today's appointment

I dropped off pee, got weighed (lost a half-pound since Jan. 6) and heard the heartbeat through doppler. In and out in less than 10 minutes, save of course the time in the waiting room. Only thing I was expecting that didn't happen was a measurement of my belly, from breast bone to below the belly button. I guess it's still to early for that, yet.

CRNP Amy isn't concerned at all about the weight. She says any gain between zero and 10 pounds through week 20 is OK with her, as long as I feel OK and no other issues arise. She did laugh when she saw my shoes and said I'd probably opt for a more comfy, non-stiletto style if/when my back starts hurting.

She was also eager to make a guess about the sex, but she said she just didn't have enough info on which to base anything. In her experience, faster hearbeats and mom's weight gain in the face and hips are tell-tale signs a little girl is on the way. On the flip side, if all mom's weight is carried up front in the bump, it's a boy. Amy said the heartbeat was a little fast (darn if I didn't ask the rate), but she just didn't have enough to go on for a guess. She did say dreams are also telling predictors, but I haven't had any baby dreams. So we'll just have to wait until Feb. 24.

14 weeks

Definitely a change from 12 weeks. Although my work pants fit fine today, so maybe I was just really bloated early this morning.

Squirt is now about 3.5 inches long, it's developing the baby equivalent to down (fine hair all over) and it's peeing all over the amniotic sac! It may also be sucking its thumb, but we won't have another ultrasound for a month, so we can't see that.

Thursday morning I have a regular OB appointment, but I hear they're not all that exciting.

To address the most commonly asked question of late: No, we haven't decided on names. I have a list, and Brian is working on a list, but we really dislike most of each other's favorite names. So we're taking a break until we find out if it's a girl or boy, so then at least our arguing is more pointed.