Archives: February 2005
Tuesday, February 8, 2005
So at 18 weeks I'd be about 4.5 months, 2 more weeks and I hit the half way mark which would kind of be 4.5 months if you take 9 months as the exact amount of pregnancy time, and 4 more days until I have 5 months left til my due date. The differing ways in which you can count pregnancy length amuse me a lot, because they end up just being confusing. As such, I'll just stick to weeks out of 40.
Most importantly, all the insurance crap has been sorted, and I can give birth how I like, which is a huge relief. Never underestimate the importance that being able to choose your own way and place of birth can make.
Changes since the last pregnancy entry:
As of a week, I lactate. This was definitely an interesting surprise. The first occurance was last monday during karate class when the right nipple expelled a drop of fluid. It just made for a really odd feeling in the sports bra, rather than anything visible. Mostly after class it was gone, I could squeeze and see a minute droplet or two form, but that was it. Yesterday the right nipple had a go, and prezPreZ noticed a wet spot on my sleep t-shirt after we woke up and had been talking etc. for a while. I wouldn't say it was milk as such, more just a clear kind of fluid.
Not something I'd expected to deal with at this stage really, but as long as this is the extent of it for quite a while, I can manage. However, I'm starting to seriously consider washable nipple pads to use as stuffer in non-padded sports bras. My regular ones are padded, which will contain any fluid, or stop it leaking through at any rate.
At some point I now also get to look forward to cervical leakage, which supposedly starts happening around now until the end or so. Fun guys, how about more warning on this front too? :P
Also as of a week or so I can feel the baby move. Or at least I'm assuming that's the baby, because gas sure as hell doesn't move like that (and you get lots of comparison material during pregnancy, also not something they warn you about). This also is very interesting, and right now and for the next bunch of weeks this is going to have great entertainment value I'm sure. Until such time as the kicks etc. start getting aimed at the bladder region, and I start wishing that I really couldn't feel stuff move ;) Some sites say it feels a bit like bubbles popping, which can be a fairly accurate description, only bigger bubbles, not light small ones. I guess saying it feels a bit like having part of an internal organ twitch repeatedly in the same place every so often is also a way of describing it. Several days ago it concentrated mostly on the lower right side of my body (for me), Sunday it seemed more in the middle, so I guess it moved or something.
Heartburn has also added to the list of inflictions, though it's very mild, and has only happened about 3 times over the last couple weeks. An antacid or two clears this up in no time. This is only the beginning I'm sure, I just hope the severity doesn't get worse, because right now it's a very minor inconvenience, and certainly not painful, but I'd like to avoid worse.
Permahunger has returned, in a fashion. I used to think I thought about food a lot before I was pregnant, but this is way worse. It's pretty much a constant thing. I'm always thinking about where the next meal is coming from, and I have a nose for food when we're out, because I guess pregnancy comes with extra smelling powers. If there's something yummy in the air, I can smell it, and it will often trigger munchies. PreZ finds this endlessly amusing.
Karate has gone well the 3 classes I've attended so far, though I do skip and sit out parts. I attribute a lot just to a lack of fitness as well as lower ability levels, though so far I'm not sure there's that much that I can't do that I could before, thanks to pregnancy. I do get cottonmouth sometimes during class which is a bit annoying. You walk a fine line between trying to hydrate adequately, yet not too close to the class that you need to pee several times in that hour. Once the weather starts heating up, I'm going to need to rethink and rediscuss things, because I definitely might need to skip out for a water break or something (water bottles etc. aren't allowed in the dojo and there are usually no water breaks during the class).
I received info about where I can go to get blood taken for the triple screen test. This is mainly a test to detect genetic defects (down's syndrome, spina bifida). Intellectually I know that I am low risk due to age, genetics etc., but I believe PreZ would like the reassurance. My major worry really is the supposed high false positive rate this test has (which is 3-5% according to one site, which isn't too bad I guess), mostly as that would mean further testing, and some of the tests can be really invasive, like amniocentesis, which involves a needle through the tummy, and carries an increased miscarriage risk. You can see why this thought is not appealing. That said, usually a high detail ultrasound can come before that, so if a false positive gets flagged, here's hoping that that'd be the first step, and that that would be conclusive enough.
I'll probably be scheduling that for sometime this week or so.
This week I should also be getting information about where to go for our ultrasound. This will definitely be cool, as it'll be the first time we see something, because it's only been heartbeat via stethoscope so far. PreZ will be going along for that, of course. And any pictures that we get out of that will also make their way onto here shortly after as well. Here's hoping we don't get any gender spoilers, because I/we really don't want to know, which I think almost makes us the rarity, as most people I see on various pregnancy communities know or want to find out.
Next Tuesday is my third midwife's visit, the day after V-day. So I guess that'll be the usual of bloodpressure measuring, charting weight changes, and listening to the heartbeat and some other chit-chat. And lunch possibly at the Irish pub after :D
The week 18 belly picture is here: http://www.silentgarden.net/images/personal/wk18.jpg
That glint in the navel area is the top bead in the curved barbell that occupies my navel piercing. A piercing which I'm endeavouring to keep the entire way through. This also will be interesting.
@ 02:26 AM EST
Monday, February 7, 2005
The homebirth was approved on Friday, as well as the exception for this particular midwife.
So finally we know for sure that they will cover everything. Finally, after months of being dicked around. This is a big relief what with a bloodtest and ultrasound and another apointment coming up soon. I tried not to let all of this crap stress me out too much, but various scenarios do play through your head when you're faced with the fact that you might not get the birth option you want, or that you might have to cough up several grand to pay or co-pay for it.
Thankfully this is all in the past now.
@ 09:25 PM EST