The NT Ultrasound - 13 weeks

Ok, so this is really late.  This is something I've noticed with every blog I've ever had or contributed to: the more interesting things that happen, the more I have to write about, but the less time I have to write about it.

We borrowed a car and drove the 400km to get the Nuchal Translucency done.  The tech couldn't give us the results, but he suggested everything looks fine, which is great, because the clinic (2 and a bit weeks later) still hasn't called with any info.

Anyway, I didn't really feel like I needed the test and I'm still not worried.  But even not needing the test, even spending $100 on gas and another $90 getting the oil changed (a condition of borrowing the car) and spending the day shopping (which I hate), and having to drink 6 cups of water in an hour, which nearly made me throw up, faint and wet myself - it was SO WORTH IT.

At first, it was really nerve-wracking, because the tech barely said anything, had me lie down, covered me in uncomfortably hot goo, then sat, stone-faced and silent, jabbing me with the wand thingy, and occasionally tapping a few keys on his computer.  I really thought something was wrong, like there wasn't a heartbeat or the baby had two heads or something terrible.  He hadn't let Mr. Wolfman accompany me into the room, and even though he was totally professional, there's something really unnerving about being alone in a dark room with a guy you don't know, with your pants unzipped and your shirt hiked up, especially when, by necessity, he is frequently touching your lower abdomen.

But then he just stopped, smiled and said, "So who's in the waiting room?" and then went to get my husband. He angled the screen so we could both see it, and I recognized the shape of our little bean (actually baby shaped, rather than bean shaped) and zoomed in so we could see its face and then - the best thing ever - he showed us its heartbeat.  At that point I started screwing up the picture because I kept crying, but oh my lord, it was so wonderful.

Our next ultrasound isn't until the end of April and I can't wait.  I'm dying to know the sex (even though, after really, really hoping for a girl, I can honestly say I'll be just as happy either way) and just to see it again and know everything is OK.

Eeeee.

Goodbye First Trimester, You Bitter, Hateful 3 Months

Ok, I'm not that bitter about my first trimester - I never could be, it being the time I found out and started to get used to the idea of being a mum - but I am glad that (in theory) my morning sickness is coming to an end, and that the whole pregnancy part of pregnancy (as in looking pregnant and not feeling dumb buying tiny shoes) is about to start.

Actually, the looking pregnant part is well underway.  It's not extremely obvious yet; it could easily be a beer belly or a food baby to someone who didn't already know, but I have a fairly pronounced bump.  It was as if my body went "Well, first trimester is winding down.  The second trimester should have a bump, right?  *Boop* there we go.  I know it's not just weight gain, because I'm still not back to my pre-pregnancy weight yet, and it's not made of rock or anything, but it's harder than fat.  My brother-in-law keeps teasing us that we're having triplets.

I am a little concerned, though, because now I'm supposed to start putting on a pound a week and eating an extra 350 calories a day, and most of the time, the idea of eating anything is completely nauseating. Sometimes I'll get hungry and eat a normal sized meal, but it's definitely not happening 3 times a day.

We didn't make it for the nuchal translucency test because, although we did arrange to borrow a car to save on the $900 train, we didn't count on it snowing non-stop for 24 hours before we had to be there, and we would have to have driven faster than was safe to make it in time.  We did reschedule, but that's our last chance, as I'll be at 13 weeks, and they can't do it after that.

I'm convinced that the prenatal vitamins I'm on (which mysteriously cost $7 more than they did last month) are making me way sicker than my morning sickness.  I hadn't taken them for a few days because I ran out and was waiting for my paycheque to refill my prescription, and while I did occasionally get sick on the days that I missed them, it was like a mouthful of vomit, or just dry-heaving. Today I took my morning one and ended up getting a lot, lot sicker.  I won't go into too full detail, but there was more of it than usual and there were flecks of blood as well.  I'm not sure what to do, because I don't want to deprive the little monster of stuff it needs to grow and be healthy, but I also don't want to spend all of my time feeling disgusting and not being able to get anything done.

Also, when I went to the pharmacy to refill my vitamin and thyroid prescriptions, I found out something a little weird.  Dr. Illegible had prescribed me different thyroid medication, which although it's the exact same drug and dosage, costs more.  The pharmacist very kindly gave me the 'no name' equivalent, which I was already on.  And apparently, after all my worrying about them giving me the wrong prenatal vitamins (although I still maintain they're idiots for not listening to me, and telling me to take two a day), another pharmacist told me that only reason the prenatal vitamins I'm on now are prescription and therefore more expensive is that they have 1.1mg of folic acid,  instead of 1.0mg, and that instead of spending $40 for one month's supply, I could buy over the counter Materna, and add a calcium supplement and wind up paying $50 for 3 months worth.  I didn't do that this time, because I want to double check with Dr. Illegible, but I'm kind of nervous as it seems like both he and Dr. Crazypants are happy to prescribe something that's more expensive, and it makes me wonder if they get kickbacks or something.

Anyway, that's it for my 12 week update.  I hope the next 12 are as interesting, if a little less sick-making :)