FirstTimeMommyR
FirstTimeMommyR has 37 days to go and is now in week 34
	Age: 27 Country: US Province/region: Illinois City: Private Partner: Adam Children: Pregnant: Yes Due date: 13 Nov ,2008 Occupation: education
	Online: Now online. Last updated: 1 days ago. Member since: 215 days
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March 6, 2008

Hi, my name is Becky. I'm a special education teacher in the suburbs of Illinois. My husband Adam and I have been together for ten years ~ we were high school sweethearts (we met when Adam was 15 and I was 17). We got married in July 2006, and we've been TTC for probably six months. We just got two positive HPTs on Tuesday 3/4, then one again on Wednesday 3/5, so I'm pregnant! We're just hoping for the best now and saying plenty of prayers. My sister is due in a month or so, so it's nice to have someone so close who knows all about the journey I'm about to embark on!

March 7, 2008

Well, I had some bloodwork done on Wednesday because I'm having so much cramping. I just got the results back (waiting was AWFUL), and they said that my levels are exactly where they should be right now...and I am VERY relieved! I know I'm certainly not out of the woods yet, but good news is good news :) So, I was advised to keep my April 8th appointment (it will be my first one), and since I should be eight weeks along by then, they should be able to hear a heartbeat. Even the thought of it makes me tear up ~ I still cannot believe how lucky I am to have even had the experience that I have had so far.

March 8, 2008

I had such a bad night last night ~ I had really awful cramping twice. The second time, I was actually in tears. I called my husband ~ I thought I was having a miscarriage, but still up to this morning, no bleeding. It seems as though the cramping tends to come mostly at night after a busy day on my feet, so I wonder if maybe I'm trying to stay on my feet too long without laying down to rest. I don't know...but I do know that it is REALLY scary when cramps kick in like that. It's just so hard for me to believe that it could be normal, although I keep reading that it can....

March 12, 2008

Well, today I started having some pain in my lower back combined with some yellow discharge, so I called my OB/GYN. They had me come in to give a urine sample so they could test for a UTI, and it was positive. They also discovered a little bit of blood in my urine (hopefully just from the UTI). They prescribed me an antibiotic ~ I wish I didn't have to take an antibiotic right now...I worry about how it might affect our little bean, but I know I need to do whatever it takes to keep his/her home healthy! I asked about the cramping I'm experiencing, and they said that it's "not normal, but not uncommon," and that "it could be a side effect of the UTI." I'm just going to keep on praying for the little life inside!

March 18, 2008

The doctor called me a couple of days ago to let me know that the nurse in the office had misinterpreted the initial urine dip, and I do not have a UTI after all. I was advised to finish the meds, just in case something was starting. I am still having cramping on and off, but still no bleeding so far (thank God!). I also had another blood draw, and the doctor said that my levels looked "excellent." I know that I still have a very long way to go yet, but the good news has helped me to calm down and better appreciate the miracle that's happening. Even now, over two weeks since our first BFP, I cannot believe that we have been so blessed. I still cannot believe it's true!



March 29, 2008

It's been a crazy week! I had a little pink spotting on March 22nd, and it was horrifying! The nurse at my OB/GYN office had said that I should go straight to the ER with any bleeding since I was having cramps, so I paged my OB/GYN, and my husband and I left for the hospital right away. The doctor called me back when I was pulling into the hospital, and she said that since I was having no pain at the time, and the blood was faint pink as opposed to red, I should go home, rest, and wait. I went in for more bloodwork that Monday to check my hCG level, and I had my first U/S on March 25th. I saw AND heard a heartbeat!!!!! It was the most amazing moment of my life! I wish my hubby could have been with me, but he didn't have enough notice to miss work. Luckily, my dad was willing to come with me so I wouldn't have to be alone. The U/S tech also said that my levels and the size of the baby matched up perfectly with my projected due date, so all is well for now! I went for my "big" bloodwork right after my U/S. They called with my results on March 27th, and they said everything was normal. I have not had any bleeding (thank God) since that little bleeding episode on March 22nd. I have my first big appt with my OB/GYN on April 8th, and I'll have another U/S then. I can't wait ~ I'm just going to keep praying that everything continues to be healthy for our little bean :)



April 8, 2008

My hubby and I had our first appt with my OB/GYN today, and we also had another ultrasound. It was great!!!! We were able to do an external ultrasound this time, and it turns out that we're a day further along than we thought. I know it doesn't sound like much, but these weeks are so long and worrisome, anything helps! Our little bean's heart was pumping away, and we got to hear it again. S/he was moving his/her head around a bit, and the U/S tech tried to jostle him/her to move around more, but I guess s/he wasn't feeling like it :) Our due date was set at November 14, 2008. The doctor said everything looks "perfect," so now we have another OB/GYN appt in a month, and our next U/S isn't until 20 WEEKS! That seems so far away! She gave us paperwork with a number to call if we want to do the optional first trimester screening. We'll keep our baby whether or not there is a chromosomal disorder, so we're not that concerned with that, but they also do an U/S, so we might think about doing it so we don't have to wait so long to see him/her again.....we're praying that things keep going well!!!!!!



April 28, 2008

I went for an U/S last Tuesday because I had the tiniest amount of one-time pink discharge when I wiped with these little red paint-looking flecks in it, and when I peed, there was a teeny clot no bigger than a pinhead in the toilet. I called the OB/GYN just in case, and she had me come in. Turns out I have a super-tiny subchorionic hematoma behind my placenta. It's like a little pocket of blood behind the placenta. It's only .25 cm x .75 cm (smaller than a pea), and the U/S tech and OB/GYN said it could be where the egg initially implanted. I actually think that a lot of women with unexplained bleeding and spotting have it, but the U/S tech can't find it, and so it goes undiagnosed. Anyway, they said it's common, and definitely nothing to worry about. Of course, me being me, I worry. The good news is ~ the baby looked perfect! S/he actually measured 4 days big for my due date, and his/her heart rate was around 171, so the OB/GYN said that my chances of miscarriage at this point are very low ~ good news!! :) Anyway, I go in for a follow-up U/S on May 6th, and I'm praying everyday that the hematoma goes away. Even if it's harmless, I would just feel so much better if it wasn't there at all. On a much happier note, my nephew, Aiden, was born on April 19th. What a precious little guy! I can't wait to get to know him better :) It's funny because now that my sister isn't pregnant anymore, I feel so...."lonely"....for lack of a better word! So worth it, though, to finally meet the little man.....



May 7, 2008

I had a little cramping and light brown spotting late last week, so I started to get nervous, but yesterday, I went for a follow-up scan to check on the hematoma, and I got the best news I could ever have expected ~ it's GONE! Yes, not just the same size, not even smaller, just flat out GONE!!!!! :) All of my prayers were answered ~ my hubby and I are ecstatic! The little bean looked healthy as ever, weighing in at a whopping 2 whole ounces, heart rate 162 :) It was hard to see much since we're at the stage where the uterus is still small, but buggle is getting big, so s/he was bunched up in a corner. S/he was looking right at us, so we were able to get a pretty clear pic of his/her face, but not much else. S/he was kicking and punching up a storm ~ what an incredible thing to see ~ there is nothing like it in the whole entire universe! The OB/GYN said that everything is as good as it could possibly be ~ the hematoma is healed, the tiny pocket of fluid that had been located near my cervix early on is gone, and my cervix is fully closed and plenty long. SO.....the time has finally arrived to relax as much as I ever will throughout this adventure, thank God, and accept the fact that we might actually really be blessed with a little one....what an amazing miracle!!!!!



May 13, 2008

I had a horrible scare this past Saturday. I woke up to pee, and when I wiped, there was pinkish/reddish blood all over the toilet paper. It never was enough to leak into my pantyliner, but I called the OB/GYN anyway, and she had me in straight away. She did a manual exam and said everything looked/felt fine. Then she did a transvaginal U/S (so she could see details), and the baby looked great. S/he was waving, and I could see each little finger. His/her heart was beating away. My cervix was also fully closed, firm, and plenty long. We traced the whole length of it during the U/S. The OB/GYN said the there was a very small collection of fluid near the top of my cervix that just needed to leak out or be absorbed. She said that it was probably the little bit remaining from the hematoma as it heals up. She also said that my chances of miscarriage are extremely low, but I may have to deal with occasional bleeding or spotting. It's just so stressful. By Sunday, my discharge was back to normal, but I'm still having occasional mild cramping (which I hope is just growing pains ~ and that's what the OB/GYN said it was). I just keep praying that the bleeding stops ~ even if it isn't hurting the baby, it's scary :(



May 29, 2008

It's been a while since I've been on! I've continued to have one-time pink gushes once a week all month. I've also continued with cramping. I got really nervous yesterday for some reason, so my OB/GYN was kind enough to squeeze me in for a doppler check. Our little bean's heart was beating away ~ the most soothing sound ever :) She checked my cervix, too, and said that everything was right on, so hopefully, I won't have any problems like incompetent cervix later. She also said that cramping seems to just be a part of how I am experiencing the pregnancy. I am just so grateful for this blessing ~ it's so miraculous! I think it's sometimes hard for me to accept that I could be so blessed....I literally thank God everyday!



June 20, 2008

I get nervous even writing this (I'm so superstitious sometimes!), but I haven't had a "gush" in two weeks now, and I'm really praying it stays that way ~ and we have our big U/S on Tuesday, June 24th, and we're so excited! We're still trying to decide if we want to know the sex. We said from day one that we didn't want to know, but now everyone seems so sure that it's a boy that it's almost as if that's what we're expecting. Of course, if it were a girl, we'd be just as far over the moon. My dad suggested that if we wouldn't feel any disappointment either way, we might as well just wait, so I think we might stick with that. Anyway, I'll update as soon as the U/S is done ~ we can't wait!!!!



June 24, 2008

I had a scare a couple of days ago ~ I spoke too soon, and I had a tiny pink spotting incident again, BUT....we had our U/S this morning! We stuck to not finding out the sex, and our little one's heart rate was at about 149, and s/he looked great ~ nice strong heart, kidneys and head circumference perfect, and size literally spot on with our due date! The U/S tech discovered that I still have a teeny bleed near the placenta, but they said it's not anything to worry about, although it does explain the continued occasional pink spotting. Also, the baby was sitting breech with his back to the front of my belly, so we couldn't get many good pics, but we did get a couple of his/her face. That's not really important to us, though ~ we are just so glad the baby is healthy ~ thank God!!



July 7, 2008

I have so much to update on! Thankfully, I switched OB/GYN practices to a MUCH better and more attentive practice. I went in to see one of their doctors this past Wednesday because I kept feeling as though there was swelling or pressure in my vaginal canal, and immediately upon examination, he said I had a case of bacterial vaginosis (BV), which could account for some spotting and cramping, as well as the "swollen" feeling. I can't help but wonder how long that was going on. My old OB/GYN always made me feel like a head case when I would call with complaints about cramps, spotting, etc., and the real kicker is that if it hadn't been caught, it could have put me into preterm labor! Anyway, the new doctor gave me an intravaginal cream treatment, which I used that Wednesday night. All was well....UNTIL I went away on a Fourth of July weekend trip with my husband. Of course, I had to start spotting again ~ only this time, it went on all day on Saturday and all morning on Sunday. Of course, I was also having very strong cramps. And of course, I was away from home and freaking out. I was absolutely dying to get home! This morning, I called the new OB/GYN office again to explain what happened over the weekend, and instead of hearing, "Oh, stop worrying, you're just pregnant," I heard, "Are you okay?" and "Would you come in for an ultrasound?" What a welcome change! So I went in for my U/S, and it was the most incredible experience of my life! The U/S tech was so friendly, and she explained every little thing she was looking at. She even made me a DVD to take home and share with my hubby! :) The baby was head down this time, and we saw everything! His/her little face, profile, stomach, bladder, kidneys, spine, brain, heart (heart rate at an excellent 140), fingers, toes, EVERYTHING (except, of course, his/her little "parts" ~ we want a surprise)! She said everything was absolutely perfect, and she said my due date was actually November 13th, not November 14th, so we changed our tickers. :) She also said that the baby's gestational age matched up exactly with his or her projected due date by my LMP, which only happens in 5% of cases. Much to our relief, she could not find any sign of the subchorionic hematoma, so we're praying that it's gone. She thought the bleeding might have come from irritating my cervix when I put the transvaginal cream in for the bacterial vaginosis. Pregnancy is such an incredible, God given miracle! :)



July 9, 2008

My new OB/GYN called me to see how I was feeling with the BV. Can you imagine ~ a doctor actually calling me to see how I feel?!?! Anyway, I mentioned that I was still feeling a little swollen and having a little discharge, so he asked me to come in for another swab. I went in at 3:15 p.m. today, and the OB/GYN checked our baby's heartbeat, which sounded great! But when he looked inside, he said that my cervix still seemed irritated. When he went to swab my cervix, it was so swollen and inflamed that a big blood vessel split. I started bleeding....a lot....and he had a nurse come in with some cream (I think it was silver nitrate) to help him clot the bleed. It was so painful because he had to swab around so much to stop the bleeding! I don't care, though....I'll take as much pain as necessary to make sure our baby is okay! He said that in all of his years in practice, he has never seen a cervix remain so irritated after a treatment with the transvaginal cream he gave me. I am SO ANGRY with my old OB/GYN practice! I think I'll be writing them a lovely letter to ask them why they let this get so out of control. I think I'll also ask why they ignored me for so long when I called to inquire about experiencing cramps and spotting for my entire pregnancy up until I switched practices. Anyway, I had to lay on the table in the room for about ten minutes before I could get up because the OB/GYN wanted to let the blood clot up a little before I put pressure on my cervix by standing up. He decided to prescribe me Flagyl, which is supposed to be really strong (but very safe for our baby), and he said it should knock the infection out (we're praying). The OB/GYN said my cervix is just fine ~ it's still closed, firm, and long, so our baby should not be in any danger at all. He said that it's an external irritation that should heal up with the new treatment. I am on bed rest for the rest of today. He mentioned that it was a good thing he called to have me come in, and I explained to the nurse that my last practice always seemed irritated when I called. She said that I should never, ever hesitate to call them, at any time, for any reason. I'm just so incredibly grateful for this new practice, and I'm even more grateful that our baby is so healthy and well ~ we're going to keep up our prayers ~ God has really been watching over us throughout all of this, and we are so grateful for everything!



August 21, 2008

It has been such a long time since I updated! I think time is in a weird warp stage these days ~ sometimes our pregnancy seems to be flying by so fast, other times I feel as though it will still be so long until we get to meet our little blessing! The really crazy thing is that our OB/GYN does not stop labor after 35 weeks, so it could be as little as 7 weeks!! Our little bean is moving around more and more now. His/her kicks and rolls are getting stronger, and his/her foot has been getting stuck in my ribs on the right side sometimes. It doesn't hurt ~ it just feels really cool. I think it might be impossible to describe with words! But isn't that how pregnancy is all the way through? No amount of talking to other moms or reading could make you understand what it's like ~ it's just so miraculous! We bought the baby's changing table, crib, and dresser, and we got it all set up. It looks really nice! Healthwise, I had a stomach bug last weekend. Just an upset stomach ~ no vomiting, but moderate diarrhea ~ and I didn't develop a fever, thank God. Unfortunately, my hubby caught it from me and is in the midst of it now, but luckily, it seems to pass relatively quickly. I also had my gestational diabetes screening this past Wednesday. It really wasn't bad at all. I had the fruit punch glucola, and it was flat and pretty sweet, but definitely tolerable. I kept having nightmares the night before that I messed up on the timing of everything and couldn't get the test done. It went just fine, though. I haven't heard anything as of yet. The OB/GYN said that no news is good news, so in this case, so far, so good. I had an OB/GYN appt after my glucose test, and the OB/GYN said that the baby's heart sounded "perfect," so now we're scheduled for our 30 week U/S on September 3rd. It will be the last U/S before our little bean debuts ~ we are SO excited for it! :) We just cannot believe how lucky we are to be this blessed....we still thank God everyday, and I'm sure that we will everyday for the rest of our lives! :)



September 4, 2008

We had our 30 week U/S yesterday....30 weeks ~ we are so, so, so blessed to have come this far already! When we first started the U/S, we noticed right away that our little bean is head-down, so that's good ~ now we just have to pray that s/he stays that way. S/he was fast asleep with his/her back to us, but that worked out so that we could see and measure his/her spine ~ which looked exactly right! His/her heart rate was in the high 120s since s/he was sleeping (normal for sleeping), but our U/S tech is so great ~ she just bounced him/her around with the U/S wand until s/he turned to look at us! We got 12 fabulous pictures to take home with us, and we also got another DVD ~ I just love it that this new practice does that for us :) Everything looked exactly as it should, and we got pictures of feet, hands, face, profile, and at one point, the U/S tech was checking for cleft palate by trying to glimpse up our little bean's nose, so our little bean covered his/her eyes with both of his/her hands ~ as if playing peek-a-boo! It was SO incredible to see! S/he also was grabbing his/her feet, and sucking on his/her fingers ~ AWESOME! Our little bean also has really chubby cheeks and a little bit of hair :) S/he weighs 3 lbs. 3 oz. already, which is amazing because I have only gained a total of seven pounds so far! The U/S tech said that our little bean is simply a beautiful baby, and we are just so proud and excited! :) We thank God over and over every single day for our little miracle blessing...there's just no way to describe it other than a miracle! :)



October 2, 2008

I had my 34 week check-up yesterday. The nurse checked my hemoglobin for anemia, and it was within the normal range ~ yay! When our OB/GYN came in, she was feeling around for the position of our little bean, and she mentioned that she felt that our baby had flipped to breech position. I asked her if there was any way to be sure, so she snuck me in for an U/S (definite silver lining to the whole situation), and sure enough, our little bean has gone breech. I believe it happened a couple of weeks ago, but I asked the OB/GYN at my 32 week appt (a different OB/GYN), and she said she thought that the baby felt like s/he was in the head-down position. At first, I got upset and started crying (from the surprise since our little bean was head-down at 30 weeks), but then I immediately remembered how incredibly blessed we are to have our little miracle blessing. It really does not matter to us how our little one comes into the world, and we have complete faith that whatever is the safest way for our little one to come into the world is how it will happen ~ all we care about is that s/he makes it here safely! All else was great ~ nice strong heartbeat, kidneys and bladder working just fine, and we even got lucky enough to get a glimpse of his/her face :) I also remembered that our little one was breech at 29 weeks, head-down at 30 weeks, and now breech at 34 weeks, so s/he must just love flipping around! At the U/S, I could have sworn I heard the U/S tech say, "He may be breech, but he's still a boy," and when I looked at the screen, I could have sworn I saw 'parts'! I gave her a little nudge and yelled, "I didn't want to know that!" She covered up by saying, "Oh, no, I said you still THINK it's a boy....why else would you keep saying 'he'?" I explained that I always do that because I refuse to call our little bean "it." So I don't know....we'll see soon enough! :) All in all, we had a great appointment, and I have faith that the baby will come into the world in whatever way God intends ~ he has blessed us so much with our little bean ~ we are eternally grateful!