February 26, 2010

Two Breakfasts Are Better Than One

The amount of food I have to eat to get through the day amazes me. If I don’t eat, I feel incredibly nauseous.  In fact, to keep the nausea at bay I have to eat two breakfasts; one before I leave the house and one shortly after I leave the house.

The consequences of disobeying this “rule” crept up on me this past weekend when my husband and I decided to go out for Sunday brunch.

We had slept in that day and decided to get up and go to our favourite breakfast spot. Because I had just woken up, I thought it would be OK to drink only juice before heading out. After all, we were going to be eating very soon! Sure enough, the minute we arrived at the restaurant the familiar queasy feeling came over me. I somehow managed to keep this feeling at bay until we sat down at our table. But it wasn’t long after taking a seat that my unsettling stomach got the best of me. For the first time since discovering I was pregnant, I was sick in a public place! Fortunately I reached the washroom before that juice I had earlier came right back up!

I wish I was one of those women who fly through pregnancy without even a hint of morning sickness but it seems my body is making up for the eight or nine weeks when I felt great before all of the uncomfortable symptoms of pregnancy finally hit. Regardless of how ill I may feel once a day, I am comforted by the fact that I have a beautiful baby boy on the way that will instantly put all of these uncomfortable moments behind me.

 February 24, 2010

Bitter Sweet News

I had my fetal anomaly screening today. What the heck is that you may ask? It’s the ultrasound conducted at the 18-22 week mark to confirm that all of the parts are there and in good working order. It’s also typically the ultrasound when you find out whether you’re having a boy or a girl!

My husband and I were looking forward to this appointment for well over a month. Unfortunately it was instead clouded with worry and concern.  You see, I had my monthly doctor’s appointment this Tuesday and it was at this appointment that I was told that I had very high levels of alphfetoprotein (AFP) in my blood after my Maternal Serum Screening (MSS). This screening was done last week, when my blood was tested for Down’s syndrome and neural tube defects. I honestly thought nothing of it at the time, so when I was told this I was stunned. What did it mean? Well it meant I have a higher chance than other women of having a child with a neural tube defect, particularly spina bifida. 

As you can imagine, my husband and I haven’t slept well in days. So today’s ultrasound was also to determine whether this scary prediction is true. We don’t know for sure yet but we did see our baby moving around and kicking his legs. He looked OK to us but we will find out more next week, so we’re praying all is OK and nothing serious is the matter with our little guy. And if you’re paying attention, yes we’re having a BOY!!

We’re so thrilled about having a boy and because of this news the worry and concern is on the backburner for now. At 19 weeks and a future mom of a son, I feel so protective already.

February 22, 2010

The Pros and Cons of Pregnancy

Being pregnant isn’t all what some potentially forgetful mothers and certain romantic movies make it out to be. I have done my fair share of complaining over the last four months but I’ve also done my fair share of day dreaming over what my future baby will look like and the person he or she will someday become.

It may not all be “ooh and ahh” but it’s also not all “blah” either. There are pros and cons to being pregnant and I’ve created my personal list below:

Pros
1.  Your hair grows longer and feels thicker.

2.  Your breasts grow bigger.

3.  You don’t get your period for nine months!

4.  People always offer to help you – with heavy lifting, painting, cleaning, etc.

5.  People offer you seats on public transit (well not yet for me but I’m anticipating this day once I hit the six or seven month mark!).

6.  You get to guiltlessly delight in your favourite foods without worrying about gaining weight – although it is important to understand that you shouldn’t indulge too much (this is mentioned in the con list).

7.  You are forced to go shopping for new clothes and the maternity clothes out there are cute!

8.   The experience of seeing your baby on the ultrasound is absolutely priceless.

9.   You get to experience the true generosity of people – it’s amazing how generous and kind friends and family have been so far.

10.  You get to share an amazing personal experience with your partner and get closer in such a way you never thought possible before.

Cons

1.  Your hair grows faster and longer...everywhere which isn’t always pretty.

2.  Your breasts may grow bigger but they sure are sore!

3.  You easily become exhausted. It’s tough to have a social life when you’re in bed by 9:30 on a Saturday night.

4.  You easily become hungry. Indulging in your favourite foods is no longer exciting when you start rapidly gaining weight.

5.  You become nauseous in the morning, in the afternoon and after eating a garlic enhanced meal.

6.  You have to go to the washroom...a lot!

7.  You experience frequent dizzy spells.

8.  Your clothes won’t fit and you have to spend money buying new clothes that you won’t even wear a few months after giving birth (or want to wear).

9.  You easily become breathless. Climbing stairs suddenly becomes a major workout!

10. Your sense of smell is heightened and smells you once didn’t mind are now simply unbearable.

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