13 week Bump

Last time I took bump photos every two weeks on the even weeks religiously throughout my pregnancy. This time, they will be a bit more random. I caught a few minutes this morning to get the first one at 13 +1.

Yes, the little bump is a growing and I can no longer get away with squeezing into my usual garb. Yesterday I packed up all my regular clothes into boxes and just left out the maternity clothes and looser/ longer fitting stuff that will hopefully get me through.

Q & A

Since I became pregnant again, I've had a number of questions. I thought some of them and my answers  might make an interesting blog post.

Q: Now that you are public with your pregnancy, how are you dealing with the comments? Are you getting a lot of "That's super common to get pregnant so easy after IVF" and "See you just had to stop thinking about it and relax" etc?

A: Yes, we've certainly had those same comments, surprisingly even from a friend with 2 IVF babies! I actually try to correct people and say it's really quite rare for this to happen, and we are so fortunate but it has nothing to do with relaxing/ not thinking about it. Luckily we weren't super public about our whole experience with IF (outside of internet land), so only an inner circle of friends, and some family were in the loop. I really think it makes it easier now, that many people just assume I was a fertile myrtle right from the go. It's probably better for my friends still in the trenches too, as was mentioned before I kind of give infertility a bad rap now and perpetuate an urban myth to Joe public that is not helping the cause.

Q: Is it fun being pregnant and not taking a million pills and supplements and shots?  

A: It's quite surreal that I don't need to do anything other than just gestate and let my body do it's thing. On the other hand, it's quite lonely. I don't even have any doctor's appointments until 15 weeks. When I got pregnant the first time I felt like there were not many people I could relate to both on the IF boards and in real life. Now it's even less so. I'm an imposter in an IVF due date thread, and just don't quite fit with the other oopsies at mom's groups because I'm so darn happy about this situation.

Q: You are really going to have your hands full! How are you going to manage a baby and a young toddler?

A: Well, I don't think it's going to be a breeze, but there are some real advantages to having two so close in age. My oldest will be too young to remember being an only, and the kids will be at similar stages at the same time, so we can enroll them in the same activities and they can more easily play together. I actually am not worried about the newborn + toddler stage as it is intense, but passes quickly and there are lots of people who want to help out. It's the younger toddler + older toddler stage (when they are 1 &2) that I wonder about. Still easier than twins I'd imagine!



Q: You are still breastfeeding? How does that work?

A: Well, our bodies are pretty smart and it just sort of adjusts. Yes, its entirely safe for everyone. I don't really know how it's going to evolve, but I wanted to nurse my daughter for the first year and am committed to doing that. If she decides to wean that's fine, and if she hangs on to it longer we'll work with it.



Q: What do you think was the factor(s) that lead to your pregnancy?

A: I don't really know. Things are more unexplained than ever now. There is no magic pill, or potion. I used to believe the golden egg theory and felt maybe there was some minor autoimmune related stuff going on with the mild endometriosis. I think now I just believe it is pure luck, but I strongly believe this pregnancy would not have been possible without the IVF one prior, but I will never know.

OK, so there you go. Any other questions, just send them my way and I'll do the best to give an open and honest answer.

Meeting with Employer and Other Updates

I met with my boss yesterday and am pleased to report it went much better than I had anticipated.

She was very happy to hear my news (whew!) and I think we've come up with some ways of getting my 600 hours in. I will likely do a few hours here and there in December to do some overlap with the person who is currently doing my position, but not enough to affect my maternity leave pay. This person might even be interested in coming back again in the spring, after she fulfills her contract with her previous job where she has taken an leave of absence. I might be able to work a few extra hours per week in the early part of the new year and then taper off closer to my due date, and it is also possible that I have more vacation time available than I thought. Anyway, we are waiting to confirm this with the management, but I know they are willing to try to help me out as much as possible.

At 12.5 weeks the nausea and general "hung over" feeling seems to be mostly behind me now. I still need the occasional nap but the fatigue is nothing like it was.

Last night I had a terribly vivid nightmare that I was bleeding everywhere and losing the baby. It seemed so real I actually got up to go to the washroom and check. Gah... can't get away from those IF ghosts sometimes.

More reassuringly, I'm now picking up a nice strong heart beat on the fetal doppler. Most times its in the 140 range, but occasionally its higher or lower. Anika's was usually around 160ish. Maybe this baby will be a boy? We are going to find out this time. Hopefully the little guy or gal will be co-operative at the anatomy ultrasound in a few weeks time.

I see my OB for the first visit prenatal visit in 3 more weeks. We are once again opting out of the prenatal testing, so I guess there really isn't anything for him to do at this point. It will be nice not to feel completely on our own anymore.

Update

It feels like I've been neglecting my blog. The truth is, I've been neglecting a number of things just to care for myself and Anika lately. The fatigue and nausea of the first trimester just seem to take over for a while and everything else takes a back seat. I hope this pregnancy is like the last one and by 14 weeks I'll feel like a whole new person.

I'll be 12 weeks this weekend, so past a huge milestone for a natural pregnancy. Early next week I have a meeting arranged with my boss to hopefully sort out working a few extra hours to make sure I have my 600 minimum before this baby comes. Wish me luck!

I have wheels again. We purchased a 2005 Toyota Matrix last week, and I think it will suit our needs for the next several years. It's nice to have the freedom of having my own car again. There's no juggling around my husband's schedule.

We also started to look at double strollers when we were in the city this weekend. I'm lusting after the Phil and Teds one. It just seems like the beast option for two kids that close in age. Too bad it has a $700 price tag, and the features I'm looking for only come on the newer models. Her's a pic of all the fancy configurations you can have with the same footprint as a single jogging stroller.

Meanwhile, Anika has been developing at a rapid pace. She's now walking around all the furniture and starting to let go now and again to stand momentarily by herself. She's got about a dozen single words and is really interested in labeling them in her books and the world around her. Of course everything cylindrical is a ball, including her grandpa's bald head. LOL! She had a brief breastfeeding strike this week, but just as suddenly as it came on, she resumed again. I thought for a couple of days she might have weaned herself completely, but thankfully she hasn't. She's been thoroughly enjoying her little programs at the rec centre and the library. I love watching her interact with the other kids there. She's going to be a really good big sis I think.

Well, I think that's a wrap. Anika is having a rare sleep in, so I thought I'd take advantage of the time to get caught up here. I hope I am able to continue to maintain this blog somewhat over the coming months.

E-mail to RE

I e-mailed my RE this morning with our news and attached this photo, I just had to share.