I hope you're in the mood for a long post! Judging by my notes I've written about what I want to share, this is going to be a lot! I haven't done an official pregnancy post yet, so I have a ton of ground to cover. But I figure after this there won't be quite as much to fill you in you on, and these updates will be a little shorter.
Baby's size: According to "The Bump," baby is the size of a navel orange this week! He or she weighs about 2.5 ounces and is 4 inches long. That's pretty big! Especially compared to when I first found out I was pregnant and he or she was only the size of an orange seed.
What I'm wearing: I haven't even tried to wear any shorts or jeans that button/zip in a couple weeks. For work and when I need to look a little nicer, I'm wearing dresses. But most of the time these days I'm in workout clothes when I'm around the house or running errands. I know I'm going to need to buy some maternity jeans I like soon since the months when I'm the biggest will be some of the coldest of the year.
Weight gained: Using the weight from my first doctor's appointment in June as my starting weight, I've gained seven pounds. According to my "What to Expect When You're Expecting" book, I should have aimed to gain no more than four pounds during the first trimester and then about a pound each week after that, so it looks like I'm right around where I should be. I was a little nervous this week because I lost a couple pounds, but since then I've gained one of them back, so I'm hoping it's just normal fluctuation.
How I'm changing other than my bump: Generally, my whole body looks different, but that has less to do with the whole growing a baby thing and more to do with the fact that I've stopped weightlifting since I found out I was pregnant. At first, I stopped because I was worried about safety and wanted to do my research, but I haven't jumped back into it because I was too sick to exercise at all for a while. I can see the lack of muscle tone all over, and I've especially noticed it in my legs, upper arms, and shoulders. I don't think my face looks much fuller so far. My boobs, however, are unrecognizable. I'm definitely going to need to size up my cups soon!
Working out: Now that I'm feeling better, the dogs and I are walking every day (well every weekday - I've been taking weekends off) for about forty minutes. I also try to do a safe workout video each day. I alternate between three DVDs I bought at Target. Two of them are Barre workouts that I can do with a few modifications (not doing anything flat on my back during floor work, not crunching my abs very deeply, and not twisting my middle too far during stretches) and the third is a prenatal yoga workout. I like the prenatal yoga DVD because I don't have to worry about safety since the workout is just for pregnant women, and the stretching specifically helps with a lot of my new little pains accompanying the changes in my body. But it is WEIRD... think full body leotards, calling your belly your "baby groin," and Kegel exercises. It's a little out of my comfort zone, but it does the trick for an effective workout that I can feel good about doing. Chris and I were hoping to get back in the gym this week, but his work schedule has been too busy, so we're aiming for next week. I've been reading up a lot on what I can and can't do, and I'll definitely feel better with him spotting me when I'm using free weights, but I'm so excited to get back at it! I'll fill you in on what I'm doing in the gym and my modifications after we go.
Apps we're loving: Chris and I are both enjoying the What to Expect When You're Expecting app and The Bump app. They keep us updated on what's going on with the baby and have a lot of good resources and checklists. We make an event out of watching the videos the apps post each week to let us know what the baby is doing in there and how his or her body is developing.
Symptoms: I've been astonished at just how many symptoms I have! Pregnancy makes your body do some crazy things! I haven't thrown up in a few weeks (knock on wood), but I still feel nauseated most evenings. Starting about 5 pm, I have a nasty, too full feeling, and I start burping a lot.
Now that I'm not sick during the day, I'm STARVING. I try to eat a healthy snack every two hours.
My acne is pretty terrible. I've struggled with it anyway for the last few years, but it's much worse now. This may be partially due to my fear of using most of my facial care products (the medication can be absorbed through your skin!). I'm washing my face with a gentle cleanser and that's it.
As far as fatigue goes, I haven't struggled with it yet like many women say they do. I think this may be because I allow myself to sleep in until 9 or so on the mornings I don't have to go to work. Before pregnancy, I would have felt terribly lazy for doing that, but now I don't beat myself up about it because it takes a lot of rest to grow a baby! And it keeps me from having to nap later in the afternoon when I want to be productive.
Another common symptom I haven't experienced much at all is having to pee frequently. If anything, I think I'm peeing less now than before I was pregnant. I'm struggling to drink as much as I should because no beverages sound particularly good to me right now, so staying hydrated is a little bit of a struggle. Sweet tea is one of the few things I do like to drink, but I have to limit myself so I don't go over the suggested 200 mg caffeine threshold each day.
I do have the typical pregnant lady lower back and hip pain. It's mostly just where my lower back meets my left hip, and there have been times I can't even walk it hurts so bad! Sometimes when I stand up it feels fine, and other times it feels like the joint isn't working quite right and I just have to take a break for a minute and try again. Another issue I have occasionally upon standing is extreme dizziness. I've read that's caused by lack of blood flow to my brain because it's being pumped to my uterus! I try to remember to stand up slowly both for the sake of my back and to prevent the spins.
One "symptom" I did not expect when I became pregnant is a new feeling of self possession and confidence. As my waist is growing bigger, I'm caring less about what I wear and how much make up I have on when I go out in public. It's not because I'm letting myself go but exactly the opposite - I'm making a BABY with my body. It might not be the perfect body, but it's pretty awesome for being able to do that. : ) I'm hoping the "pregnancy glow" will make up for the lack of make up I'm wearing over my prenatal acne.
Days until my next appointment: Five! My next appointment is this coming Monday, August 17th. I'm hoping we'll be able to find out the gender then, but it may still be a little early. We'll see!
Food aversions: I'm honestly not averse to much anymore. When I was sick all the time, the only thing that was appetizing was terrible food, like fried chicken sandwiches, pizza, and such. Now that I'm feeling better, I don't want to eat that kind of food anymore because I associate it with when I felt so bad - which is a good thing for both mine and baby's health! The only foods I really, really don't want right now are fresh fruit and water. There's kind of a funny story to explain that - when I first found out I was pregnant and before I was feeling nauseated, I was determined I was going to go organic and perfectly healthy for this kiddo. Every time I left work, I would go by the Fresh Market to stock up on fresh cut fruit, bottled water, organic crackers, etc., for snacking. Well, the first day I felt REALLY bad, I had just gorged myself on water and fruit, and now I'm feeling nauseated just thinking about it. So, for now, fresh fruit and plain water are unfortunately off the table. I also don't like anything that feels really dense or heavy in my stomach, like broth based soups, since I'm still struggling sometimes with feeling way too full after eating.
Food cravings: Because I associate unhealthy foods with when I felt so yucky, I'm only really craving healthy foods (pretty awesome, I know). Salads, crisp vegetables, brown rice, etc., actually sound the most appetizing. It is kind of exhausting to constantly be trying to decide what sounds good to eat, though. Every two hours, when my stomach is empty and ready for some more fuel, I have to pick out something else from the pantry or fridge. I know that sounds fun, but after a few days, nothing really seems yummy anymore. I've been sticking to fairly bland foods like yogurt, oatmeal, and low-calorie popcorn as my go to snacks when I just can't decide. Oh, and I do crave Subway sandwiches (I have them toasted to reduce the risk of Listeria in the lunch meat)! Thankfully there's a Subway right around the corner. I usually grab a sandwich to have for lunch or dinner when I'm headed to work.
How I'm sleeping: Up until this week, my sleep hadn't really been affected at all by the pregnancy other than the discomfort I've felt in the evening with nausea and feeling too full. But I can definitely sense some insomnia creeping its way in the past couple nights... I can only sleep in one position now - on my left side. It's not safe to sleep flat on my back anymore and when I'm on my right side my reflux is really bad. So, I'm restless from having to stay in the same position all night, and I can't seem to make my mind shut off when it's time to sleep. I don't as much worry about the baby or anything like that, I just have a hard time completely relaxing and not thinking about random to do lists and such. I don't fall asleep until 1 a.m. or so and then I wake up a few times during the night after that. But, like I said above, I'm able to sleep in most mornings so my sleeping patterns aren't making me tired during the day yet.
What I'm looking forward to in the near future: Right now, I'm obviously most anxious to find out whether the baby is a boy or a girl. I think everything will seem more "real" once we can officially decide on a name and start planning with more specifics in mind. I'm also looking forward to having an official "bump." Right now I'm in that awkward, in between stage in which people can't really tell if I'm pregnant or just developing a gut. I'm ready to flaunt that baby belly!
Do we think it's a boy or a girl? At first, I was sure this baby was a boy. The Mister's family is almost all boys on both sides and that's always made me feel like we have a very slim chance of having little girls. The Mister, however, is DETERMINED that this baby is a girl. He only refers to it with the pronoun "she" and calls it by the name he wants to give it if it's a girl. So, I catch myself thinking of it as a girl since he's so sure! I wish I had a gut feeling either way, but I really have no idea. Some days I lean more towards boy; other days I give in and go along with calling it a girl. We shall see! I'm so ready to be certain about it.
Whew, that's all I can think of to update you on for now!
Before I go, I have to share this article with you that made my mom, sister, and me crack up, like literally laugh out loud till we cried. The humor is a little crude at some points, but if you're into that and one of your close friends or relatives is or has been pregnant, give this little gem a read.
Also, this meme and everything else from the Mommie Pickles facebook page made me giggle.
Lastly, I read online today that many women bring music with them to listen to while in the delivery room! I never even considered that as an option. Of course, some women said they never noticed the music through their pain, but others said it really helped them relax and focus. I'm going to start working on my labor playlist now! Can't hurt to give it a try : )
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