After seeing on my FertilityFriend pregnancy countdown that I have entered the 6th (of 10) months, and the viability timeframe starting this week, I finally feel like we need to start getting serious with making room for baby.
Our appointment at the birthing house was wonderful, and we are both now sure that we want to have Shrimpy there. They do the following things that made it a no-brainer for us:
- Cord cutting after the placenta has been birthed
- They leave the baby with us, doing any weighing, etc. in the bed with us- but only after the first latch and breastfeeding session
- Baby is not washed, and they encourage rubbing in the vernix to moisturize
- Vitamin K is only given for births where they feel that some trauma might have been experienced- and then only in drop form- usually a homeopathic alternative is only recommended occasionally.
- Cervical checks and all other interventions are only done with permission- save for emergencies, of course.
So, we are only doing the "bigger checks" that include testing for gestational diabetes as well as ultrasounds with the doctor, the rest is done by the midwives at the birthing house. Our last ultrasound went great, all organs and everything were normal- the only thing we couldn't check were the 4 heart chambers, as Shrimpy (whose sex will remain a surprise) was mooning us.
Now, this was the cutest butt EVER, but we couldn't see the heart- so we are going back tomorrow for that, and combining it with my diabetes test. I am excited that they are checking up on it, and hopefully baby will have a good position for a picture for us :)
So, slowly but surely, I am going to start taking inventory of the things we have, so that we can see what we still need to get, and soon, we will be picking out a few pieces of furniture.
One thing is sure though, the most important things are already in place!
Monday, September 16, 2013
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Back to the grind & TMI pregnancy symptoms
So, I've been back at work for about a week and a half now- and I have heard nothing but congratulations and questions about how I am doing, etc. Some people might be avoiding me (but it is hard to tell), but if so, then at least if there has been anything, it's been really subtle. So, all in all, I am a lucky woman!
It is hard to believe that I only have a bit more to go- November will be here, and I will be on maternity leave before I know it! Hopefully, the person we made an offer to regarding being my replacement will sign and that I will be one less worry- as they would start in September, giving me plenty of time to get someone up to speed. Once that happens, I can breathe a little more easily.
Now that I am home, Broom and I are purging a bunch of stuff and gradually trying to work on Shrimpy's room- once we have more space in the room, I will feel a whole lot better! Luckily, I am not worrying too much about it- yet.
Excitingly, our midwife appointment on Friday went swimmingly, and every time I have felt the need to hear the heartbeat for a little bit, I have been able to find it no problem. I am even pretty darn sure I have felt some kicks and moves, and am excited about when they get even more distinctive :) My weight gain has been really gradual, with a total gain (as of Friday) between 3 and 4 kilos.
***Start TMI part (Please skip if not your thing! It is me being completely honest about symptoms!)***
My symptoms are still pretty mild (and I love knowing the why behind them, I find it fascinating), but have included stuff like: dizziness, nausea, fatigue, increased CM & nasal mucous, puffy nipples, headaches, gas, irregular BMs, burping/hiccups, and heartburn. Also, my inner thighs have been hurting like I have been working out (although I hadn't been), but actually working out made that sooo much better. So, many symptoms that are quite common, and a few I had never heard about- but it is all good, as my body is doing what it needs to do!
***End TMI part****
All in all, I am persevering in my mindset that making a baby is a beautiful, beautiful thing- even if some of the symptoms aren't sexy- what we women can do, and how our bodies can grow, stretch, and adapt is just completely mind blowing and amazing, and I am loving this experience. When I look down at my growing bump, I just get so overwhelmed with joy- and Broom and I are really enjoying this time together, which I love! I have just been overcome with a sense of calm and contentedness- I am one very happy Mommy. :)
It is hard to believe that I only have a bit more to go- November will be here, and I will be on maternity leave before I know it! Hopefully, the person we made an offer to regarding being my replacement will sign and that I will be one less worry- as they would start in September, giving me plenty of time to get someone up to speed. Once that happens, I can breathe a little more easily.
Now that I am home, Broom and I are purging a bunch of stuff and gradually trying to work on Shrimpy's room- once we have more space in the room, I will feel a whole lot better! Luckily, I am not worrying too much about it- yet.
Excitingly, our midwife appointment on Friday went swimmingly, and every time I have felt the need to hear the heartbeat for a little bit, I have been able to find it no problem. I am even pretty darn sure I have felt some kicks and moves, and am excited about when they get even more distinctive :) My weight gain has been really gradual, with a total gain (as of Friday) between 3 and 4 kilos.
***Start TMI part (Please skip if not your thing! It is me being completely honest about symptoms!)***
My symptoms are still pretty mild (and I love knowing the why behind them, I find it fascinating), but have included stuff like: dizziness, nausea, fatigue, increased CM & nasal mucous, puffy nipples, headaches, gas, irregular BMs, burping/hiccups, and heartburn. Also, my inner thighs have been hurting like I have been working out (although I hadn't been), but actually working out made that sooo much better. So, many symptoms that are quite common, and a few I had never heard about- but it is all good, as my body is doing what it needs to do!
***End TMI part****
All in all, I am persevering in my mindset that making a baby is a beautiful, beautiful thing- even if some of the symptoms aren't sexy- what we women can do, and how our bodies can grow, stretch, and adapt is just completely mind blowing and amazing, and I am loving this experience. When I look down at my growing bump, I just get so overwhelmed with joy- and Broom and I are really enjoying this time together, which I love! I have just been overcome with a sense of calm and contentedness- I am one very happy Mommy. :)
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Awesomeness all around
Vacation was busy and still relaxing at the same time!
I really loved seeing everyone and spending time with them while sleeping in and just being.
The city that we visited with my mom and sister was really awesome. It has a real European feel, and everything that we are looking for in a place to live: health care, public transportation, culture, and a body of water. It is more expensive than what we are used to now for cost of living, but salaries would be higher too. We will be using materials we gathered to estimate how much we would need to move and how much we would need to earn to make it plausible to live there. If we do decide to go through with it, it is more like a 5+ year plan, but it is good to really consider it- although the coolness of Europe and the proximity to other countries would be really hard to give up.
Spending time in my hometown was great- some friends and I got together and had an excellent evening together, and telling my family about Shrimpy at the reunion was great fun! As sweet as they are, none of them wanted to assume that I was pregnant in case I had just put on weight! Despite the health problems my family is facing (an aunt and uncle of mine are both battling stage 4 cancer, another uncle was in a massive car accident that made him, at least for now, a quadriplegic, and my mom's ex had a bladder blockage that they are currently testing for cancer), we were still a rather upbeat group- and I know that we really support one another in hard times like these.
This week I am at my work's American headquarters and catching up on everything that happened while I was on vacation and working on projects. We are also doing interviews for my position, which is exciting and filled with lots of hope and expectations. There have been a lot of comments made about it being hard to replace me and the value of my position which makes me feel really good.
My coworkers here also threw me an early baby shower (since I won't be back until post baby)! It was something they brought up right after I announced it to them, and I am just overwhelmed by kindness and acceptance. They have given our growing family such thoughtful gifts and I can't wait to show Broom all of the nice things that we have received.
Today I also got to meet up with a good friend of mine and her family for breakfast. My delayed flight on Sunday made that meet-up impossible, but we made breakfast work, and they even picked me up from my hotel and dropped me off at work so that we would have the most time possible to visit with one another. She is also expecting, and we are exactly two weeks apart- it is so lovely to be going though this "together" (at least virtually!) and it was great to see them and catch up- although there is never enough time! (Thank you! And thank you for breakfast!)
I can't wait to get home and back to our apartment, and I can't help but be extremely grateful for everything right now- even with the medical hardships in my family, the network behind us all is amazingly awesome!
I really loved seeing everyone and spending time with them while sleeping in and just being.
The city that we visited with my mom and sister was really awesome. It has a real European feel, and everything that we are looking for in a place to live: health care, public transportation, culture, and a body of water. It is more expensive than what we are used to now for cost of living, but salaries would be higher too. We will be using materials we gathered to estimate how much we would need to move and how much we would need to earn to make it plausible to live there. If we do decide to go through with it, it is more like a 5+ year plan, but it is good to really consider it- although the coolness of Europe and the proximity to other countries would be really hard to give up.
Spending time in my hometown was great- some friends and I got together and had an excellent evening together, and telling my family about Shrimpy at the reunion was great fun! As sweet as they are, none of them wanted to assume that I was pregnant in case I had just put on weight! Despite the health problems my family is facing (an aunt and uncle of mine are both battling stage 4 cancer, another uncle was in a massive car accident that made him, at least for now, a quadriplegic, and my mom's ex had a bladder blockage that they are currently testing for cancer), we were still a rather upbeat group- and I know that we really support one another in hard times like these.
This week I am at my work's American headquarters and catching up on everything that happened while I was on vacation and working on projects. We are also doing interviews for my position, which is exciting and filled with lots of hope and expectations. There have been a lot of comments made about it being hard to replace me and the value of my position which makes me feel really good.
My coworkers here also threw me an early baby shower (since I won't be back until post baby)! It was something they brought up right after I announced it to them, and I am just overwhelmed by kindness and acceptance. They have given our growing family such thoughtful gifts and I can't wait to show Broom all of the nice things that we have received.
Today I also got to meet up with a good friend of mine and her family for breakfast. My delayed flight on Sunday made that meet-up impossible, but we made breakfast work, and they even picked me up from my hotel and dropped me off at work so that we would have the most time possible to visit with one another. She is also expecting, and we are exactly two weeks apart- it is so lovely to be going though this "together" (at least virtually!) and it was great to see them and catch up- although there is never enough time! (Thank you! And thank you for breakfast!)
I can't wait to get home and back to our apartment, and I can't help but be extremely grateful for everything right now- even with the medical hardships in my family, the network behind us all is amazingly awesome!
Saturday, July 13, 2013
VayCay!
So, I have made it through my 4-day training in Chicago!
I am now certified in training adults! A great thing to know/have and for my CV. The days were long, and the prep for the practice and the competency demonstration (which determined if we were certified or not) of course took its time, but I am really proud of myself.
In other work news, they have posted by position and the company helping us with the search has already received 40 applications, 10 of which are qualified. Since we officially started the search, and the timing of this trip was right after the "safer time", I had to pick a group of people to tell via email in order to keep the rumor wild-fire at bay. More than half of the people I sent it to sent congratulatory emails in response, which was a great feeling. When I am at our corporate offices at the end of the month, the US-branch of my department is even throwing me a baby shower! It is so nice to "feel the love" and if anyone has had any inappropriate thoughts regarding how I got pregnant, it hasn't made its way through to me. I am anxious to see if there are any questions surrounding it, but I figure I will just mention that we had medical help, and the rest was the sperm and the egg's doing. All in all, I am bowled over by their support.
In (not really) shocking news, it turns out the longer flights while preggo do not agree with me or Shrimpy, meaning I felt nauseated, dizzy, and generally shitty on the way over here. It was not fun being so miserable the whole time, but my homeopathic remedies at least took the edge off. Needless to say, I am not looking forward to the flight back over the pond. I will be avoiding any further flights until Shrimpy is here.
Since I have been sitting in a classroom environment all week, and the hotel has a pool, I have really enjoyed swimming! I know that this isn't surprising either, but it just felt so good to be weightless. I would like to continue swimming once back home, but am still searching for a tankini top (the bottoms I found at Target, with a nice skirt, since I have some nice new stretch marks on my thighs- but the tops they had were not enough as my cup overfloweth- literally).
Tomorrow I am off to explore a city that Broom and I are debating moving to one day. My mom, sister, and her kids are coming along (they are driving up to meet me), so I am excited to see everyone and spend quality time with them all. I am also really looking forward to our upcoming family reunion and telling everyone the happy news!
So, I'm not sure if I will write while on vacation, but if not, I will be sure to let you know how it went once I am back.
Have a nice weekend!
I am now certified in training adults! A great thing to know/have and for my CV. The days were long, and the prep for the practice and the competency demonstration (which determined if we were certified or not) of course took its time, but I am really proud of myself.
In other work news, they have posted by position and the company helping us with the search has already received 40 applications, 10 of which are qualified. Since we officially started the search, and the timing of this trip was right after the "safer time", I had to pick a group of people to tell via email in order to keep the rumor wild-fire at bay. More than half of the people I sent it to sent congratulatory emails in response, which was a great feeling. When I am at our corporate offices at the end of the month, the US-branch of my department is even throwing me a baby shower! It is so nice to "feel the love" and if anyone has had any inappropriate thoughts regarding how I got pregnant, it hasn't made its way through to me. I am anxious to see if there are any questions surrounding it, but I figure I will just mention that we had medical help, and the rest was the sperm and the egg's doing. All in all, I am bowled over by their support.
In (not really) shocking news, it turns out the longer flights while preggo do not agree with me or Shrimpy, meaning I felt nauseated, dizzy, and generally shitty on the way over here. It was not fun being so miserable the whole time, but my homeopathic remedies at least took the edge off. Needless to say, I am not looking forward to the flight back over the pond. I will be avoiding any further flights until Shrimpy is here.
Since I have been sitting in a classroom environment all week, and the hotel has a pool, I have really enjoyed swimming! I know that this isn't surprising either, but it just felt so good to be weightless. I would like to continue swimming once back home, but am still searching for a tankini top (the bottoms I found at Target, with a nice skirt, since I have some nice new stretch marks on my thighs- but the tops they had were not enough as my cup overfloweth- literally).
Tomorrow I am off to explore a city that Broom and I are debating moving to one day. My mom, sister, and her kids are coming along (they are driving up to meet me), so I am excited to see everyone and spend quality time with them all. I am also really looking forward to our upcoming family reunion and telling everyone the happy news!
So, I'm not sure if I will write while on vacation, but if not, I will be sure to let you know how it went once I am back.
Have a nice weekend!
Thursday, July 4, 2013
(Almost) Time to leave on a jet plane!
Well, Sunday is the day I go to the US for almost 4 weeks! Crazy!
I am starting out in Chicago for a 1-week training, then we are visiting Toronto to see if we would like living there, and then I am spending time with my family before another 4 days of business at the end. I am excited and scared, and hoping that I feel ok while I am gone and don't catch any bugs.
Luckily, all of my appointments have been going well! They reduced my thyroid meds, and our 1st official ultrasound (the one to confirm the pregnancy doesn't count) went perfectly!
The baby measured the right size, the heart was still beating strongly (we got to hear it over the dr.'s doppler), and since Shrimpy was sleeping- my dr. got him or her to wake up and move.
It was amazing to see those little arms and long legs flail and wave as he/she was surprised awake by the gentle pushes on my belly. I felt a little bad, waking our child up, but it was great to see the movement before he/she settled back down to a more comfortable looking sleeping position (head more or less level with the body rather than feet up in the air). The dr. could even recognize that the baby's digestive system is functioning based on the stomach, and at one point, we saw the brain, too. Completely amazing.
We couldn't be happier that we have reached the 2nd trimester and we are keeping everything crossed that things continue to go well!
Since things did go so well, we went ahead and told Broom's brothers (who, reacted ok- a little weirdly, but ok), as well as my big bosses at work. Apparently, based on the meeting invites, they thought I was going to quit and were freaking out. One was surprised, the other relieved. It is nice to have it out now, and we will begin looking for my replacement any day now.
It is still hitting Broom and I that having this baby means coming out to even more people, over and over again. At least, so far, reactions haven't been bad, and Broom's mom seems to be really excited now, which is a little scary and nice at the same time. Babies do sometimes make people easier to relate to, so we will see.
Now, off to see if I can figure out how to shimmy my legs into the really serious thigh-high compression stockings I bought...
I am starting out in Chicago for a 1-week training, then we are visiting Toronto to see if we would like living there, and then I am spending time with my family before another 4 days of business at the end. I am excited and scared, and hoping that I feel ok while I am gone and don't catch any bugs.
Luckily, all of my appointments have been going well! They reduced my thyroid meds, and our 1st official ultrasound (the one to confirm the pregnancy doesn't count) went perfectly!
The baby measured the right size, the heart was still beating strongly (we got to hear it over the dr.'s doppler), and since Shrimpy was sleeping- my dr. got him or her to wake up and move.
It was amazing to see those little arms and long legs flail and wave as he/she was surprised awake by the gentle pushes on my belly. I felt a little bad, waking our child up, but it was great to see the movement before he/she settled back down to a more comfortable looking sleeping position (head more or less level with the body rather than feet up in the air). The dr. could even recognize that the baby's digestive system is functioning based on the stomach, and at one point, we saw the brain, too. Completely amazing.
We couldn't be happier that we have reached the 2nd trimester and we are keeping everything crossed that things continue to go well!
Since things did go so well, we went ahead and told Broom's brothers (who, reacted ok- a little weirdly, but ok), as well as my big bosses at work. Apparently, based on the meeting invites, they thought I was going to quit and were freaking out. One was surprised, the other relieved. It is nice to have it out now, and we will begin looking for my replacement any day now.
It is still hitting Broom and I that having this baby means coming out to even more people, over and over again. At least, so far, reactions haven't been bad, and Broom's mom seems to be really excited now, which is a little scary and nice at the same time. Babies do sometimes make people easier to relate to, so we will see.
Now, off to see if I can figure out how to shimmy my legs into the really serious thigh-high compression stockings I bought...
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Busy Bees
We have been all over, it seems!
An alternative street festival in our city, Pride in Berlin, and speaking with journalists about discrimination.
Whew!
Pride last weekend was really cool. Friday was kicked off with a Dyke March through the city (which we were really late for since we had to set our tents up at our odd but nice campsite). 1,500 dykes and dyke supporters in a really non-commercial march for more visibility and rights. It was really neat! Afterwards, there was a gathering and some dancing- although I just gathered- my work day had me too worn out to dance.
The big CSD parade on Saturday was amazingly huge- and we only watched a small part of it! According to 1 news source, there were 700,000 people in attendance. It was neat to watch, but I am glad that we did the "lite" version, as lots of standing and walking in the sun is not my thing (pregnant or not). Meeting up with friends afterwards was really nice.
We also decided to answer a call for people to talk to journalists about discrimination here. I can't go into detail since it could later make this blog not so anonymous, so let's just say that I am excited that we decided to be brave despite the fact that it could be sensationalized. Hopefully, the subject will get visibility either way. This is an exciting time as far as the possibility of more rights go- here, and in the US- although I am fully aware that these changes could take place long after Shrimpy has made his/her appearance.
In the meantime, I've still had symptoms that come and go, like waves. The nausea only seems to come when I am tired and hungry, which is good (although I do go from "I could eat" to "OMG feed me" in like 20 minutes...and then I can't eat that much, lol.). The round ligament pain has started, and I am glad that I knew that this happens- as it could otherwise be quite a scary sensation. I've got a bit of a mix of the "mask of pregnancy" / acne / rash thing going on on my face as well as increasing back pain- but movement helps. My "bloating" doesn't seem to ever go away completely now, and part of my belly is hard...so it is probably the start of my bump. I've made plans to check out thrift stores with my sister while I am home to get maternity clothes. In the meantime, dresses and my belly band are my friends.
A little hard to believe that I am 11 weeks today, and that our next ultrasound is next week- but I will be glad when we have that important milestone behind us, that's for sure.
The end of next week I will be flying to the US for almost 4 weeks, so by the time I am back, it will be time for another ultrasound, among other things!
An alternative street festival in our city, Pride in Berlin, and speaking with journalists about discrimination.
Whew!
Pride last weekend was really cool. Friday was kicked off with a Dyke March through the city (which we were really late for since we had to set our tents up at our odd but nice campsite). 1,500 dykes and dyke supporters in a really non-commercial march for more visibility and rights. It was really neat! Afterwards, there was a gathering and some dancing- although I just gathered- my work day had me too worn out to dance.
The big CSD parade on Saturday was amazingly huge- and we only watched a small part of it! According to 1 news source, there were 700,000 people in attendance. It was neat to watch, but I am glad that we did the "lite" version, as lots of standing and walking in the sun is not my thing (pregnant or not). Meeting up with friends afterwards was really nice.
We also decided to answer a call for people to talk to journalists about discrimination here. I can't go into detail since it could later make this blog not so anonymous, so let's just say that I am excited that we decided to be brave despite the fact that it could be sensationalized. Hopefully, the subject will get visibility either way. This is an exciting time as far as the possibility of more rights go- here, and in the US- although I am fully aware that these changes could take place long after Shrimpy has made his/her appearance.
In the meantime, I've still had symptoms that come and go, like waves. The nausea only seems to come when I am tired and hungry, which is good (although I do go from "I could eat" to "OMG feed me" in like 20 minutes...and then I can't eat that much, lol.). The round ligament pain has started, and I am glad that I knew that this happens- as it could otherwise be quite a scary sensation. I've got a bit of a mix of the "mask of pregnancy" / acne / rash thing going on on my face as well as increasing back pain- but movement helps. My "bloating" doesn't seem to ever go away completely now, and part of my belly is hard...so it is probably the start of my bump. I've made plans to check out thrift stores with my sister while I am home to get maternity clothes. In the meantime, dresses and my belly band are my friends.
A little hard to believe that I am 11 weeks today, and that our next ultrasound is next week- but I will be glad when we have that important milestone behind us, that's for sure.
The end of next week I will be flying to the US for almost 4 weeks, so by the time I am back, it will be time for another ultrasound, among other things!
Friday, June 14, 2013
Impulse Buy
All in all, this week has been lovely.
Somehow slow, but with nice events accenting the week.
On Monday, I was off sick as I had tooth pain from Saturday onwards that got progressively worse, but I was able to get in to see my dentist, who discovered a cavity. I hadn't really had anything but checkups with her before, so I didn't know how un-informative and cruel she is. NO information about what she was doing (unannounced drilling, anyone?) and didn't really tell me what she did- but at least I can see that she filled a cavity. After she checks on her work in two weeks, I will be getting a new dentist. I'm done with insensitive doctors!
I spent my day off sleeping, relaxing, and spending time with myself. I think I needed it more than I thought.
My workweek was fine, and I decided that I couldn't continue keeping my awesome boss in the dark (in fact, as weird as it may sound- it felt like keeping a big secret from a good friend) and told her on Thursday. She was super excited for us and really understanding- I am really glad I told her and feel a lot lighter now. I let her know that I would like to keep it confidential for the next few weeks, and of course she understood completely. Even though I will miss her company when I am on leave, I also want to make sure we find someone to support her and our department while I am gone.
We also told Die Mutti (Broom's Mom) on Thursday. She was positive, but a little weird (although I, while drunk last Christmas, gave her allll the details about what it was taking for us to get pregnant). She said "you (insert my name here) are going to have a baby" where I replied "yes, Broom and I are having a baby". We let her know that we weren't ready to tell Broom's brothers yet. True to her form, she then let us know that we should get a bunch of new furniture for the baby's room.
So, we will see how her reaction progresses / fluctuates.
Today, the impulse buy Fetal Doppler that I got online. It isn't that easy to use yet, but I was able to catch Shrimpy as he or she swam by. It was great to see the heartbeat, even if it was just for a moment.
Happy Weekend!
Somehow slow, but with nice events accenting the week.
On Monday, I was off sick as I had tooth pain from Saturday onwards that got progressively worse, but I was able to get in to see my dentist, who discovered a cavity. I hadn't really had anything but checkups with her before, so I didn't know how un-informative and cruel she is. NO information about what she was doing (unannounced drilling, anyone?) and didn't really tell me what she did- but at least I can see that she filled a cavity. After she checks on her work in two weeks, I will be getting a new dentist. I'm done with insensitive doctors!
I spent my day off sleeping, relaxing, and spending time with myself. I think I needed it more than I thought.
My workweek was fine, and I decided that I couldn't continue keeping my awesome boss in the dark (in fact, as weird as it may sound- it felt like keeping a big secret from a good friend) and told her on Thursday. She was super excited for us and really understanding- I am really glad I told her and feel a lot lighter now. I let her know that I would like to keep it confidential for the next few weeks, and of course she understood completely. Even though I will miss her company when I am on leave, I also want to make sure we find someone to support her and our department while I am gone.
We also told Die Mutti (Broom's Mom) on Thursday. She was positive, but a little weird (although I, while drunk last Christmas, gave her allll the details about what it was taking for us to get pregnant). She said "you (insert my name here) are going to have a baby" where I replied "yes, Broom and I are having a baby". We let her know that we weren't ready to tell Broom's brothers yet. True to her form, she then let us know that we should get a bunch of new furniture for the baby's room.
So, we will see how her reaction progresses / fluctuates.
Today, the impulse buy Fetal Doppler that I got online. It isn't that easy to use yet, but I was able to catch Shrimpy as he or she swam by. It was great to see the heartbeat, even if it was just for a moment.
Happy Weekend!
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