The Typical Symptoms Abound....

I can't say that the symptoms of pregnancy are fun but of course, they are definitely worth it!!  Also, I have read several times that the sicker you feel the better your pregnancy is going.  I'm not sure that I completely believe this but if it is the case, we are doing very well!  

For this entry I have listed the top 5 symptoms that I've experienced so far.  I also rated them 1-5 with 1 being the symptom that has affected me the least and 5 being the symptom that has affected me the most.  All of them have affected me quite a bit but I am trying to get a handle on what has had the biggest impact on me.

1.  Exhaustion - I have definitely been sleeping a lot more than usual.  I also feel like my brain is fried after only being at work for 7 hours or so.  Typically (when I'm not prego), I can go for 12 hours or more before feeling that way.  By the time I get home from work each night I absolutely have to lie down.  

2.  Dizziness - This is something that comes and goes.  It might actually be tied in to exhaustion as it gets worse when I feel tired.  It often hits me right when I get out of bed in the morning but today it lasted the entire day.  Sometimes it makes the nausea even more intense (see item #4).  It would seem like this would be an easy one to overcome but there is really nothing you can do for it....It is very distracting and makes even simple tasks feel like a really big deal.
 

3.  Emotional Outbursts - This symptom comes in the form of tears.  I have always been a bit of a cry-baby (which I usually attribute to overactive tear ducts), however this is a little out of hand.  I am ultra-sensitive and cry when my feelings get hurt, when I feel tired or sick, I even cried when I saw some kids perform on the cruise ship!! 
 

4.  Nausea / Queasiness - Blah, this is not fun at all.  I have never eaten so many crackers in all of my life.  They call it morning sickness but that is a lie - it is constant, all the time, every day.  Luckily I have only actually thrown up a couple of times.  Then there are certain things that will send a wave of nausea through me....like eggs.  Seeing them, smelling them, thinking about them, even writing the word just now makes me feel extremely ill.  This too shall pass.....I've been told that I will only feel like this for 4 more weeks.  Please keep your fingers crossed!
 

5.  Headaches -This has been the most debilitating symptom of all.  At first I thought it was merely caffeine withdrawal but now, several weeks after quitting the coffee / soda / Excedrin / etc., the headaches are still coming on strong.  Some days I wake up without a headache but other days no such luck.  I go to bed with a headache almost every night.  My doctor allows me to take Tylenol but I certainly try to put off taking it as much as I can....there are certainly some days when I can't do without it.  I hope that this is a symptom that will go away with the "morning sickness".

There are certainly other things that I have experienced that didn't make the top 5.  One that I feel I should mention is Pregnancy Tinnitus.  This is a weird thing that allows me to hear my own heartbeat in my right ear.  Fun!!  It is even loud enough for Peter to hear it sometimes.  Although it is pretty annoying, I can only hear it when everything around me is absolutely quiet....not too often.

As I re-read my post I realized that it might sound a little Debby-Downerish but the fact is that I am really happy and very excited.  Although I am not 100% most of the time, my body is reminding me about the little life forming in my belly.  Maybe God intended it this way - maybe the hormone surges that take place in the beginning of the pregnancy help women to stay focused on the baby....internal reminders since you can't see anything on the outside yet....makes sense to me :)

Peter's Birthday Surprise

Last Wednesday, (9/29) was Peter's Birthday.  He got up earlier than normal....he tries to leave the house each morning by 6:30 but on Wednesday he got up at 5:00.  I got up and stumbled to my bathroom to take the first pregnancy test of the month.  I thought it was a long shot because I wasn't actually supposed to start testing for a couple more days.  Fast forward just 3 minutes....I ran to Peter's bathroom and yelled, "Baby!  I have the best Birthday present EVER!!  A positive test!!!"  He threw open the shower curtain and, with his face half covered in shaving cream, grabbed the test from me.  Next he took the directions from me just to double-check that I was reading it right. :)  I was - We are pregnant!!  He was soooo happy!  He told me it was by far the best birthday present he's ever received.

The rest of the week was a bit of a whirlwind.  We were super excited and also a little sick - Peter had a stomach bug and I got the first rounds of morning sickness along with some crazy caffeine withdrawals.  

We told our families and we told our close friends.  Peter got to tell everyone that was already calling him because of his Birthday!  It was really fun! 

I have gotten more and more nauseous each day.  Although this is not necessarily fun, I have been assured by my doctor (and many books) that this is actually a really good sign.  It means that my pregnancy is progressing normally and the baby is doing well.  Today I am exactly 6 weeks along.  Tomorrow when I stop by the doctor's office for a quick blood test I will schedule our very first sonogram!!  September WAS my month!

Le Petit Sophia

OK - I did ovulation kits this month and proved last month's theory to be correct.  Ovulation came around day 22-23.  Women on the typical 28-30 day cycle ovulate at day 14.  

I was not a fan of using ovulation test kits (I tried out First Response).  First, I feel like it is not good for the environment.  I had to use 7 tests before I got a positive and I am just one person.  There are thousands of women using these tests every month.  That is a lot of plastic wasted!!  Second, it was pretty hard to read.

Peter is a big fan of all things electronic so he bought me the Petit Sophia Fertility Monitor in case we are working on this for awhile.  This measures very slight changes in temperature leading up to ovulation instead of the LH Hormone surge that ovulation kits test for.  Check it out - it is actually a really cool little gadget.

So, back to this month - we did our thing and now we have to wait....2 weeks to be exact.  We'll see!

Anxiety 101

One thing I haven't really addressed on my blog yet is my anxiety.  Sometimes my anxiety manifests itself in panic attacks, sometimes I have bouts of depression, I have a many symptoms of OCD but generally I am just a complete stress ball.  I have tried a number of different medications to help me with the disorder.  I also go to therapy every other week.  The latest combination of 40 mg of Prozac and therapy definitely did the trick in terms of reducing my anxiety levels.....and then we decided to start a family :)

Peter and I along with the help of my therapist and my psychologist worked out a plan to get me emotionally ready for the drastic reduction in medications necessary to safely create and carry a baby.  This is another reason that I went to so many preconception appointments too - we wanted an OBGYN opinion in the mix.  Very long story short, starting back in April I gradually scaled down my meds.  Currently, I take only 10 mg of Prozac!!  As soon as we know for sure that I am pregnant (which FYI: I still feel that September is the month!) then I will stop the Prozac completely.  This is completely safe as most medications do not pass through the barrier until 8 weeks after conception.  Plenty of time to get a positive pregnancy test!

Now generally, I am feeling good.  A couple of times I have been near a panic attack but caught it in time and was able to talk myself out of it using tricks learned in therapy.  This is great progress for me!  I have some other anxiety symptoms including irritability, repetitive negative thoughts, a little bit of crying, etc.  These are very light though compared to what I have experienced in the past.  I feel like I am ready to move forward in my life!!

A funny side note: My therapist thought it might be helpful to make something for the future baby.  She thought a project might help me to stay focused on the goal and think of something other than work once I get home.  She suggested that I paint the baby's room or knit the baby a blanket (I disagree, I think this is bad luck).  Because I still have some small emotional episodes, I was thinking to myself, "Wouldn't it look pretty crazy if Peter came home from work and I was sitting on the couch crying and knitting a a baby blanket??".  Yeah, I don't think I am going to take that nugget of advice.

Considering "The Big O"

My last post was hopeful....unfortunately, my good old "Aunt Flo" returned again.  Can we just pause here for a second...don't you just hate that phrase??  They reference this as AF in our new babymaking book, What to Expect Before You're Expecting. 

Anyway, based on the last two months, we have concluded that my cycle is actually 40 days long instead of the average 28 to 30.  There is nothing alarming about this at all it just means we have been aiming for the wrong day.  Ovulation (otherwise known as The Big O) is midway through your cycle, around day 20 for me.  We will be using an ovulation test this month to make sure our theory is correct.  I feel good about September!!

The Moody Blues

Holy mood swings!!  I have to say that today, for the first time, Peter and I both agree that I may be pregnant.  My mood has shifted up and down, left and right, from euphoric to angry......all within seconds of each other.  I was having a normal conversation with Peter on the way home from work, everything was going fine until he asked me "Where are you?", I literally yelled "ON THE FREEWAY".  I was quiet for a few seconds and then we both burst out laughing.  It was crazy!  Luckily I have the best, most amazing husband ever....he laughed instead of getting upset.

Additionally, I have four zits on my normally very clear face :)  These two symptoms may be the sign we are waiting for.  I'll let you know asap.....

Vegas Baby!!

Last weekend I went to Vegas to visit Molly.  Friday night we stayed at the JW Marriott to celebrate her friend Kiran's 30th birthday.  We did a full day at the pool and then went out to dinner at Grimaldi's and drinks at Kona.  I met the cutest couple - two men in heir early 50's.  They were friends first, all the way back when they were little kids.  They had some great advice on marriage and raising a family....it was a great conversation and I feel blessed to have met them.  

Saturday Molly and I just hung out - she took me to see the house she just closed on and we watched  the ultimate girlfriends move - Beaches.  Side note: I didn't remember this but Barbara Hershey's character is named Hillary Whitney.  Fun, right?  Sunday we went to the most amazing outlet mall that I've ever been to.....the Banana Republic store and the Coach store were my favorites.  Overall it was an amazing trip - so much fun to hang out with my Mols again!

Introducing: My New Favorite Show!!

It's no secret that I LOVE the Bachelor and the Bachelorette....but, have you seen the Bachelor Pad??  It is amazing!  Lots of hook-ups, lots of crying and tons of cat fights.  This is my kind of TV!!  Check it out: http://abc.go.com/shows/bachelor-pad.  You will not regret it (Actually maybe you will....I guarantee you will get sucked in!).

Babymaking Online

OK....so there are a TON of websites about conception, pregnancy and baby stuff.  I have spent a lot of time scouring these sites.  My two favorites are listed below:

The Bump.com - This was my original go-to site.  Very modern, bright and fun.  I was already used to the format as I used the Knot.com for our wedding and then the Nest.com for newlywed tips and home buying tools.  It has articles on most subjects (that I've needed anyway) but the information is pretty basic.  There are also a lot of tools that are very helpful: an ovulation calculator, fertility charts, etc.  Lots of checklists too....which you know I love!  I like the fun side of this site - there is a baby name finder and a tool that tells you how big your baby is based on comparable fruits (i.e. your baby is about the size of a date, about the size of a plum). 

What to Expect When You're Expecting - This site definitely takes a more professional / medical stance. It has all of the same tools but without all of the fluff.  The best part of this site are the in-depth articles.  One feature that I especially love: "A-Z Health Guides".  This has a list of every possible pregnancy symptom, what causes the symptom and what tricks can be used to help.  After each article there are a list of several corresponding articles.....you can have all the necessary information in minutes, from resources you can trust.

Both of these sites are very helpful.  I am excited to register with each site once I am pregnant to start receiving updates about the growth and development of the baby....I'll be sure to let you know which fruit the baby is at all times!

TMI

Since my last blog, a couple of interesting things have happened!  Please note: some of the items below area bit of an overshare....

I went to the doctor for a real pregnancy test.  They decided that they did not need to administer a test - We then reviewed my medical history again and had a lengthy discussion about the "Sleepy Uterus"....YIKES (that is a phrase that I think the world could do without!!)!  Apparently, after years of birth control, it can take a couple of cycles for the uterus to become active and ready.  Enough said....

Several days later, my period came.  Back to the drawing board :)

Feeling Confused....

Hmmmmm....so I took my fourth pregnancy test today.  Negative.  This seems strange to me because my period is two weeks late.  June was my first full month with no birth control and my cycle was completely normal.  July is the second month of no birth control and so far no pregnancy but also no period.  Is this my body adjusting to life without factory-made hormones?  Is this some kind of mental trick?  Is it possible that I could be pregnant and the test aren't picking it up?

I have had some potential symptoms....however, I am also a bit of a hypochondriac so it's possible that I'm reading too much into these signs.   I had a bout of feeling nauseous every afternoon for three or four days last week.  I also had a number of headaches (maybe related to work stress??).  Lastly, I have been a little more sensitive / emotional / irritable.  All of these could also be symptoms of an impending period.  As I said, mostly I am feeling confused.

A Short Break from the Baby Business

My cousin Lisa loves buying new books but she hates keeping them around after she's read them.  Earlier this month she gave me two full bags of books (probably thirty books in all) - each only read one time!  There are lots of girlie titles, some mystery novels - all great summer reads.  I have already read "Still Alice" by Lisa Genova and "The Year of Fog" by Michelle Richmond.  I would recommend both!

http://www.stillalice.com/ and http://michellerichmond.com/the-year-of-fog/

Preconception Consultation #3 - AMAZING!!!

Scottsdale Center for Women's Health.  The final recommendation came from my friend Andrea.  Several of the new moms at Big Brothers Big Sisters went to this practice due to Andrea's rave reviews.  My only concern was the location - North Scottsdale - 30 minutes from our home and work places.

Making the appointment was relatively painless. At first, they wanted me to do a "meet and greet" instead of a regular appointment.  One Friday a month, they do a quick 30 minute Open House for potential patients.  You get to meet the two main doctors and take a tour of the office.   After discussing my medical history though, we agreed on a regular appointment.

As with all of the other appointments I did a ton of paperwork but was then called back within five minutes.  After an average wait time, the doctor of my dreams walked in!  Dr. Webb is amazing!  First, he looks like a cross between Tom Sellek and Burt Reynolds....not my usual type but certainly handsome with gentle, caring eyes (Peter even went so far as to say his eyes were "dreamy").  

Next, he was a pleasure to speak with - he took an interest in each of us as individuals (asking where we each grew up, went to school, where we each work, etc.).  He scored big points with Peter here - apparently, Dr. Webb often serves an expert witness for cases in Maricopa County.  Needless to say, they had a lot to talk about.

He also asked about our life as a couple (how long we've been married, what our goals are for our future, how do babies fit into that plan, etc.).  It was comforting to me that he spent the time to actually get to know us.  When we dove into our questions he was thoughtful and confident about each of his answers.  His main philosophy is "Do What's Healthy".  For example, most doctors do not like pregnant women to eat sushi....Dr. Webb disagrees....there is no need to cut sushi out of your life while pregnant, just eat an amount that is healthy.

My favorite part - Dr. Webb and one other doctor deliver all of the babies for this practice!  90% of his patients will get to see him personally on their delivery day!!  As Peter and I walked out of the office, we agreed immediately that he was the one - we trade a long drive for a doctor that we both loved!

 Follow the link below to see the brochure for Scottsdale Women's Health.  You can see a pic of Dr. Webb on page 2....so dreamy!

http://www.scottsdalewomenshealth.com/docs/lvrBrochure.pdf

Preconception Consultation #2 - Fail

New Horizons Women's Care.  This practice was recommended by my current primary care physician.  She has sent many women to this office and she believes that all of her patients have had a positive experience.  Setting up the appointment was challenging....this practice does not typically allow preconception consultations unless you are struggling to conceive.  After a bit of discussion we agreed that I would meet with a Nurse Practitioner who would give me a tour of the office and answer all of my basic questions.

I really loved the waiting room - it was very calm, almost spa-like.  I filled out another round of paperwork and was called in almost immediately after turning them in....so far, so good....Peter and I were led to a regular exam room.  I felt like it was fine but Peter was very concerned with the 'husband' seating - a skinny piece of wood jetting out from the wall. We waited....and waited....Peter complained about his bench.

The Nurse Practitioner came in about 10 minutes later.  Peter told me after the appointment that he saw her pick up my chart from the outside of the door and walk right into the room without looking at it.  She was friendly but seemed rushed.  She answered all of our questions but seemed ansy.  At one point I referenced something on my chart and asked her, "Did you read my chart?"....she replied "Yes".  I didn't know until later that she hadn't even given my chart an initial glance.

We also found out through the course of the appointment that the set-up was the same as the first practice that we had visited.  This practice had 10 doctors that would rotate through each of my appointments....one of these 10 would ultimately deliver the future baby.  New Horizons also delivers at Chandler Hospital which has a lower level NICU rating than the hospitals that the other doctors use (Banner for Southwest Women's Care and Scottsdale/Shea Hospital for Dr. Webb).

Although I liked the office,  we were not impressed with the Nurse Practitioner.  Also, since there are hospitals in the Valley with higher ratings for the NICU, I think I would prefer to choose a practice that uses one of those.

Preconception Consultation #1 - Fail

Last month, Peter and I interviewed several different doctors / doctors office.  My psychiatrist had recommended that I get a "Preconception Checkup / Consultation" with my selected OBGYN before getting pregnant.

We put together a list of questions that we asked at each appointment....I have included a few of the questions below.

1.  Will you do an epidural?  (I want the drugs!!)

2.  Are my current medications safe for a baby? 

3. What type of prenatal vitamins should I be taking?

4. What should I add to my diet?  What foods should I avoid?

5. In reviewing my charts, am I at risk for any potential problems?

6. Tell me about the hospital where you deliver? 

Southwest Women's Health Care.  My friend Elba recommended this practice - She really enjoyed her experience.  I was very excited about her recommendation because the office is only 2 miles from our house.  In making the appointment I felt disappointed almost immediately.  I was on hold for about 10 minutes and when the woman answered she was very short with me and and made me feel like my questions were annoying and taking up too much of her time.  I decided that maybe I could deal with a rude staff person in exchange for a good doctor stationed near to our home.

I arrived at the appointment 20 minutes early as requested.  I filled out a mountain of paperwork which I had expected.  When I turned in my paperwork at the front desk, the woman handed me a bag filled with samples of formula....this threw me off and I mentioned that I wasn't actually pregnant yet....the woman was surprised and a little embarrassed because unfortunately this meant that I needed to fill out a whole different set of paperwork.  Aaahhh!!  

When I finally made it to the exam room, they sent in a Nurse Practitioner instead of the doctor that I had asked to meet.  The Nurse Practitioner was very knowledgeable and kind.  She took her time answering questions and seemed to provide thorough information. I was sure to ask if all of the doctor's within the practice would answer the questions the same way....she assured me that they would.  

That brought me to my last questions: which doctor will actually deliver the baby?  This is where things  got tricky.  There are 8 doctors on staff...if I chose this practice, I would see a different doctor at each appointment so that I could get acquainted with each one.  1-2 doctors are on call each day, the doctor that I would see on delivery day is the doctor on call (not necessarily the doctor that I have built a relationship with....).  Not being able to select a primary doctor coupled with rude and unorganized staff  made this practice a 'no' for us.

Our Little Family

Wow, starting out a blog is tricky.  Basically, Peter and I are getting ready to expand our family!  I thought it would be nice to blog about our experiences over the next year or so.  This definitely an exciting time for us!

We were married on May 26th, 2006 - we just celebrated our 4 year anniversary.  We have a really fun life together...we sing, we dance, we laugh...Peter can make me laugh like no one else can!!

We have been blessed with an amazing support system - we are very close to all of our family members and have an incredible group of friends.

We love to travel...we have been on several cruises,  including our honeymoon cruise to Mexico.  We have been all over the country to visit family and to see many of our friends get married.  Peter's mom lives in Hawaii....this will always be a special place for us....this is where we fell in love!

A big part of our lives together are our pets.  Our little family includes 2 cats and 1 pup.  Both Peter and I look forward to getting home each night to be with our babies.  

Keiki was our first baby - we adopted her when she was a year old.  She had lived on the street for most of her life....to this day she remains very independent.  She is smart and sassy - she is an old soul.

Oliver (Ollie), our giant orange tabby is quite the opposite.....we adopted him when he was only a few weeks old.  He has grown into a very big boy but he still whines like a baby and requires a lot of attention!   He  loves Peter and will often follow him around the house. He even  likes to sleep in between Peter and I on our pillows each night!!  

Our newest addition is our puppy, Trudy!  She is a very tiny malti-poo with white, fluffy hair.  She is playful and has a ridiculous amount of energy. She LOVES her mama - I can always count on her to snuggle up with me.  Her favorite games are fetch and chase me/chase you.  She likes to help load the dishwasher and always protects Peter and I from the vacuum cleaner. Peter has never had a dog before and has said that he didn't know what he was missing....so cute!

OK, so that's us....I hope you'll stop in occasionally to see how things are going.  I will try to update regularly.  My goal is to blog 4 times per month for an entire year (they will not be this long, I promise!!).  My hope is that my last few posts will include pictures and info of our new baby.  Here we go......