1st trimester is almost done (depending how you look at it…)

As of yesterday, I hit 13 weeks. Since I like averages, I’m in the camp of 13.3 is the end of the first trimester. That is in a couple of days! I spent 4 weeks to 12 weeks pregnant sick with some horrible virus that went from cold to horrific cough to sinus infection so I finally took some antibiotics and it cleared right up. I wish I would have taken them earlier but I also was really hesitant to take anything. I also waited to get my flu shot until I was better and I was even hesitant to get that, but I feel pretty strongly the benefits outweigh the risk. Plus for my job I have to have the shot or wear a mask from November to the beginning of April. No thanks!

Now I’m feeling actual pregnancy sickness. Pretty ironic I missed out on that because I was so incredibly ill! I’ve been super tired as well and incredibly bloated. But that’s it for symptoms so I guess I missed the worst of it. I did throw up once around 11 weeks and that was a pregnancy first (and hopefully last) for me.

We did the harmo.ny prenatal test because I am now almost advanced maternal age (but I feel so young). It took 6 business days and we found out everything is low risk and we are having a BOY! Both of us were shocked as I think we were preparing for a girl after the last loss being a boy. My husband always wanted one of each so I really hope this continues to go well and this is it for us!

I’ve been using my fetal Doppler to check the heartbeat once a week. I tried after my 10 week appointment and couldn’t find it, but I was successful at 11 weeks and it was still going strong as of yesterday. It’s so helpful for me otherwise I’d be in for frequent OB checks and I feel so silly for doing that even though they don’t seem to mind.

My next appointment is at 16 weeks and that is for my biweekly cervix checks until 24 weeks. Here we go again!

A Cervix Check, A Mini Gender Reveal, and A Doppler

I had my 18 week (at 17w5d) cervix check today and all looks well. My OB is not great at the checks so she came in with another doctor. The average length was 3.4cm (my doctor got 2 lower lengths around 2.9 and the other doctor got two over 4cm so I’ll take it). 

After they were done I got to see the baby! He/she is so big now and was moving all over the place, but I couldn’t feel any of it. I do think I’ve felt a few light kicks over the past 10 days but I have no idea what I’m suppose to be feeling so who knows! They feel like someone is flicking my lower pelvic area, or kind of what I would imagine popcorn popping inside me to feel like (a strange visual, that’s for sure). She was able to tell if it’s a boy or girl, so I had her write it on a card and put it in an envelope. 

I then headed over to Car.ter’s and picked out a boy and girl outfit, my first baby purchase. I left both outfits, the envelope, a box, ribbon, ultrasound pictures, and cash at the register. The woman and man working were so excited to ring it up for me in secret (I left the store) and wrap everything up in the box. My husband and I will open it tonight and finally know what we are having! I could totally wait until the delivery but my husband is dying to know and after everything we’ve been through I think it’ll help me bond better with the baby. I’m guessing it’s a girl!

  
 We have our anatomy scan in 2 weeks and another cervix check in a month. It’s really flying by and I’m forgetting to stop worrying and just enjoy being pregnant. In other news I bought a Doppler and I certainly have an opinion on it! I first used it at 16w3d and after watching a fantastic video highlighting all the sounds I may hear (http://www.babybeat.com/doppler-sounds.html), I found it fairly easily! Then I used it again at 16w5d and 16w6d and only found it both days very briefly, no matter how hard I tried. It scared me and I was wondering if it was really the heartbeat or if I was totally wrong. I then tried again at 17w1d and found it right away, and my husband tried at 17w3d and also found it on his own (with a little coaching from me).

So my conclusion is that if you’re going to buy one, you should wait until later in your pregnancy to start using it to maximize your chances of quickly finding it and not freak yourself out. If your OB will let you come in for heartbeat checks and reassurance scans, do that instead of getting a Doppler. Also, if you panic easily, don’t get one. It causes a lot of anxiety that you may not be able to handle. But to each his/her own, this is totally my opinion.

Hope everyone us doing well. I’ll update soon to give you the gender result (which is a big deal for me as I am not a very regular blogger)!