I have tried to keep up with blogging throughout the first trimester. Predictably, being sick all the time, busy, and tired has made it not the easiest, but I kept up...kind of. I wanted/want to write a "Bumpdate" each week throughout the entire pregnancy for myself, my family and friends. There are so many blogs that I follow that have done the same and I think it is so sweet. Blogging has turned out to be a great way to "store" our memories and journal our lives together.
A little background...
Yes, Brad and I were trying. We knew we had a few obstacles to overcome first though. One, I have a family history of low hormones and miscarriages. We knew I would probably have the same problems. Turns out, I did. Hello doctor's visits, blood work, and hormones all summer.
Two, when we first went to the doctor and started getting things checked out, I had been advised to basically stop working out and gain body fat...so...in other words - changing my whole lifestyle. Most women's body fat is 18-24%. Mine was around 14%, so I had to gain some body fat...not weight, body fat. It's not that I was unhealthy, it's kind of like I was "too healthy."
In July, I cut back my weight training, so that I could lose a little muscle and gain some fat (muscle burns fat naturally, so therefore, I needed less). I also cut back on my cardio and changed my "diet" to add in some extra healthy fats (avocado, buts, olive oils, etc), whole grain carbs and maybe a few more "cheat" meals.
In August, we ramped up the changes so that we could seriously try to get pregnant. This meant no more running...WAAAAA! I had to take myself out of the half marathon I was supposed to run (with Sister Beth) in September. Sad, sad day! But, I knew this meant I was getting ready to carry baby, so we did it! My activity at the gym consisted of walking...*blank stare*...on the treadmill, for an hour, at a 4mph pace, and an 8.0 incline. Wow...fun...not at all (except for all the extra reading I was able to do!
And then out little miracle happened...very unexpectedly (kind of) !! Did I tell you that we found out we were pregnant the day before we left for our one year anniversary trip?! Pure bliss!! Celebrating one year of our happy marriage AND our new "lil' bit!"
Bumpdate ~ Week 4-7
Week 4~I felt pretty normal during week 4. I felt huge though because I was still (and had been) very bloated. I was so nervous that people would see my bloating and think I was gaining weight. I didn't feel nauseous or really all that tired. I was definitely still glowing with the idea of being pregnant! This is the week I spoke to my doctor, set up appointments, and started taking my prenatal vitamins.
- Baby is the size of a : poppy seed! (holy cow that is tiny!)
- Weight: 0 oz. / Length: 0.05 in.
- This week baby is buried in my uterus. Cells are dividing very rapidly! Baby's spine and all other major organs are developing, and the placenta has started to form. Right now, baby is so tiny that there are only 3 layers of the embryo.
My doctor's nurse told me that the morning sickness would probably kick in during week 5 or 6. Week 5 was about the same. I didn't feel really sick, but I did start to notice that I was more tired than normal. I took a few naps and enjoyed the extra rest! I was still pretty bloated *yuck* but my doctor said this was normal.
This was also the week that I discussed my low progesterone with my doctor. A few weeks before when I had some blood work drawn to check on my hormone levels, my progesterone was still very low...sigh. So, when we found out we were pregnant, I was very surprised! I talked to the doctor and she decided to put me on a progesterone supplement so that the baby would continue to grow and *hopefully* we wouldn't have any complications. This was also the week I found out my chances of miscarriage were higher than most because of my lack of hormones and family history. Talk about stress, anxiety, and worry. I'm a "glass half-full" person, but this was really hard. Every time I worried, I prayed. That was how we got through all of this...because let me tell you, it was not easy!
- Baby is the size of a : sesame seed
- Weight : 0.004 oz. / Length : 0.08 in.
- This week baby has millions of cells multiplying and creating parts of baby's body. Baby now has a two-chambered heart! Baby's heartbeat starts actually beating around day 21 and beats regularly. The beginning of the spinal column has started to form and baby's skeletal structure is starting to develop as well. Facial structures, such as ears and eyes are also beginning to form. Amazing!
Week 6, Day 1...hello morning sickness! Ugh. This is what my day looked/felt like - wake up, thought I might throw up, got in the shower, forced "something" down at breakfast, felt slightly better, got ready, started feeling sick again, forced a granola bar down on the way to work, sick all morning but put on a smile for my kiddos, forced snacks down throughout the morning, still sick, ate lunch, more sick, sick sick sick sick all afternoon, go home, take a nap, wake up go to the gym and *walk* on the treadmill (a whole other story), go home, still sick, didn't want dinner but ate it anyways, laid on the couch until bed time...still sick. That's what happened, every day, for the whole week. However, I knew if I was sick that Baby B was still growing. So bring it on!
- Baby is the size of a : grain of rice
- Weight : 0.01 oz. / Length : 0.24 in.
- This week baby is just a head and a tail! Little eyes, mouth, and ear are growing, however. Baby's arms and legs are tiny buds this week. Baby's neural tube closes in it's back.
Week 7 looked pretty much the same as week 6. Sick, sick, and more sick, oh and naps too...lots of them! I always tried to make sure I had a smile on my face and kept a good attitude so that 1) none of my kids would know I didn't feel well (besides the increase in my snacking) and 2) so that none of my co-workers would realize I was pregnant. I mean, I work in an elementary school for goodness sakes! Tons of women and 90% of them have had kids, so they know exactly what all the signs and symptoms are. Great... but I managed and all the while, kept praying and knowing that if I was sick, baby was still safe and growing. Now, all I needed to do was see baby during week 8 and I would feel a little better!
- Baby is the size a : blueberry
- Weight : 0.02 oz. / Length : 0.50 in.
- This week baby is teething! because tooth buds are forming. Baby's arm and leg buds have grown longer and are beginning to separate into fingers and toes. This week, baby's belly is beginning to form, including the appendix and pancreas. Baby's brain is growing, and so are eye lenses.
