Ultrasound #2!
Had ultrasound #2 this morning - SO amazing! I'm just over 12 weeks at this point, and the difference from the first scan was incredible. You could see its little fingers and toes! And it was moving like crazy - kicking, squirming, punching. The tech said that it was probably getting sugar from the breakfast I ate earlier this morning, which makes it more active.
We heard it's heartbeat, which was really fast and swooshy - 150 bpm. And they had ways of checking the blood flow to the placenta and all sorts of other interesting things.
Neil was there this time, which was awesome. I really wanted to keep looking over at him to see his reactions, but also couldn't pull my eyes off the screen. We got a whole roll of photos printed out - we need to scan some more so we can post them.
The purpose of this particular scan was for the Sequential Integrated Screening - part of the Californial Prenatal Screening Program to do a risk assessment for genetic diseases like Down Syndrome. According to my first blood test and the Neural Translucency test they did during the ultrasound, everything looks great!
Dinner Rejected.
Thus ends my 5 weeks of just constantly feeling like I was going to puke.I actually puked.
To be honest, I do feel better. But I'm not sure this is a viable long-term solution to my problem. Seems like this could be inconvenient at work.
"Morning" Sickness
About 6 weeks into pregnancy, I was feeling really great. The baby books all warned that morning sickness might hit about then, but I was unaffected. This isn't so bad, I thought.Then Monday of week 7, BAM. The nausea hit me like a truck. Ever since (for the last 5 weeks) I have been queasy. And the term "morning sickness" is a lie. Because I feel sick ALL. THE. TIME. If you're wondering what a day in the life of Cara feels like these days, it goes something like this.
You wake up with the alarm in the morning, and even if you got 9 hours of sleep, you're still tired. While horizontal, you still feel pretty okay. You take a sip of water to get the morning taste out of your mouth, and slooooowly sit up and get out of bed. Any faster and the nausea will hit sooner.
You get in the shower. The hot, steamy, enclosed space starts making you a bit queasy, but only a little. You try hard not to close your eyes while tilting your head to wash your hair, because moving your head with your eyes closed makes you motion sick. You get done showering and get dressed - clothes still fit, but definitely more snug than before. Pants that don't squeeze your belly are essential. You brush your teeth. You're reminded every day that you should have gotten your wisdom teeth removed years ago, because brushing them now, so far back in your mouth, makes you gag. By the time you're done, your mouth tastes fresher, but you're significantly more nauseous. Time to go to work.
On the way into the office, you avoid the cafeteria at all costs. Being near all that food (especially the eggs and sausage in the morning) really turns your stomach. You make it to your desk, sit down, and nibble a breakfast bar, slowly, while you sip on some water. Reclining/slouching helps. You get up to go to the bathroom - your second pee of the day. Back to your desk for a little while, but then you have a morning meeting. You get up a little too fast, and have to pause while the dizziness subsides. The meeting actually helps you get engaged and take your mind off your stomach for a little while. But once you get back to your desk, it's more of the same.
Your friends invite you down for lunch, and you're feeling somewhat ok, so you agree. But once you see all the people and all the food, your nausea spikes. You focus on just getting a bowl of soup, but once you open the lid, you realize this is not happening. You make a speedy escape to the bathroom, but after a few gags, you have yourself under control. You slip back into the cafe quickly to grab two slices of white bread and a knife, and then make your way back up to your desk.
A little while later, you're feeling ok, and your stomach is grumbling, so you make a PB&J. As you eat, you feel pretty good - the sandwich is tasty. But as soon as you finish, the nausea comes back with a vengeance. You can't concentrate. You steal away into an empty cubicle where you can lay down for a few minutes. Flat on your back, the queasiness subsides. You check a few emails on your phone, and feel good enough that you think you can get back up. You sloooooowly sit up, and wait for blood to get back into your brain. You plod back to your desk and try to re-focus.
A few morning hours and another meeting or two, and you're tired, hungry, and really nauseous. You make your way back home. As much as you don't want to eat, you know that being hungry just makes you sicker. You put some water on the stove to boil, and lay on the couch to wait. Horizontal is good. The water boils, and you get up to toss in some pasta. Set a timer. Back to the couch. When the noodles are done, you get yourself a bowl, lay back on the couch, and stare at it for a while. You take a few bites. You have to eat so slowly, dinner gets cold and less appetizing. Given the choice between getting up to reheat it or staying put, you decide you have had enough and call it a day. Washing the dishes is out of the question, because touching wet, half-eaten food will certainly do you in. So you run some water in the bowl and leave it for your husband to take care of when he gets home from his business trip tomorrow.
Time for bed. You get a repeat of the morning issues while washing your face and brushing your teeth, and happily curl up in bed. After a good night's sleep (interrupted by 3 or more bathroom breaks) you'll wake up with the alarm and start all over again.
More than anything, it's just getting old. I'm running out of cheerful optimism here. It would be awesome if this just ended as quickly as it began.
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