I don't feel pregnant

I'm nine weeks pregnant. I have had no symptoms of pregnancy... except growing boobs. I'm stuffed up all the time but I don't think that can possibly be from my pregnancy... or can it be?

 

every pregnancy is different for every woman....

are you planning on going in to hear the heartbeat any time soon? are you going through a midwife or an OP?

 

I am going to a midwife and I get to hear the heartbeat next Monday.

I have an urge to start getting things ready for the baby since I start school next month and won't want to do it when I am really pregnant. I am excited and eager to get things going!

 

congratulations!

when you're pregnant, your body produces a lot more mucus so stuffed noses are common. the first trimester usually sucks, but if you're feeling normal then that's great

 

Tiger what has your pregnancy been like? Yes I hope this nose things clears up soon... because it is interrupting my sleep. I've been taking claritin everyday since it is on my pre-approved medicine list.

 

i didn't know claritin was okay... i was having bad allergies a few weeks ago

the first trimester i had nausea and was really sensitive to smells (the subway and the bus were the worst... the smell of old food on people's clothes, and urine in the train station, blech) but i only threw up once and that was at like 14 weeks because my stomach was totally empty and that always made it worse. umm let's see, i also started having issues with my tailbone hurting a lot from my long commutes, much more so than normal, but now i don't have a commute so i'm all good.

i'm feeling really great now except for the tiredness... i have trouble sleeping... when i settle down to relax, the baby decides to do somersaults and rub and push the inside of my uterus.. lol. it's really cool though. I felt it move pretty early, probably about 15 weeks and now i feel it all the time. it's getting harder to get comfortable since my belly's getting really big.

it's been really stressful... my living situation and being in a long distance relationship... but i think things have basically fallen into place now, so i'm not stressing so hard.

so, if you don't mind my asking, were you trying to get pregnant or did it just sort of happen?

 

It sort of happened. John and I got pregnant on our one year! Haha, we were camping in Red River Gorge and had hiked 8 miles and who knew... one night in the woods. I missed my period by two weeks and went to get my pap smear and mentioned it. The nurse came back and said... you're pregnant! I cried. I was so excited and shocked because I thought it might be true and I just never knew it could be true.

The first week I was so freaked out and emotional. Since I have been really excited and eager to get things going. I am so freaked about my body changing. I've gained two pounds but my boobs! HUGE!

Daddy is really concerned and excited. Not drinking has been the biggest reality check. And he just bought a ring last week. So who knows when he will do it.

How about you? You are 23 weeks pregnant... were you expecting it? Planning it? Is it hard living away from Danger? Do you mind me asking if you guys are going to live together soon or engaged? Are you seeing a midwife? Are you going all natural?

Haha, I have so many questions.

I hope secretly it is a girl but don't want to know... and definitely want baby to have Daddy's red hair.

 

I knew a lady who had 4 kids already. She didn't know she was pregnant with #5 until he was born in the bathtub one night. True story.


x

 

This same young man died of a drug overdose in Alabama 14 years later.

He was my cousin.


x

 

well that was quite the story xexon... sorry for the loss...

hiro, we were not planning it, but we had gone to connecticut for a weekend and stayed in a dirty motel and weren't very careful... so we weren't terribly surprised when i found out i was indeed pregnant, but i freaked for the first month probably... thought about having an abortion etc... i was very alone too... living in nj, too nervous to talk to my parents about it until i knew what i was going to do. but anyway, i decided keeping it was the best thing, and charles also wanted to keep it and now we're really happy and excited about it. I don't know what it is yet... actually i'm in kind of a weird situation... i moved back to texas so i lost my health insurance, so i'm working from home for my old company on a part-time basis so i can qualify for medicaid (i don't qualify for any other insurance b/c i'm pregnant). it was looking like i was going to be away from all family and charles if i stayed in ny and i didn't want that, which is why i came down here... just came back two weeks ago so i'm still waiting for the medicaid to go through. actually i'm really nervous about that...

i'm going with an obstetrician at my mom's work (she's a nurse in the mom and baby section). I will probably go with a midwife for my other babies, because i really like the idea of that, but for this one the situation seems to call for a hospital and plus i'm nervous and want to know that in case of an emergency me or the baby will be taken care of right away.

i want to go natural... but i think i'm going to go in with the option of taking drugs if it gets to that point... i haven't talked to a doctor about it yet, but my mom knows all of them and has a few she says are really great so i'm hoping they really are cooperative with natural childbirth.... oh man talking about all this is making me nervous!

 

May you have a Scorpio!

Just like me. (and my cousin) (and my grandmother, I was born on her birthday)


x

 

Tiger, read some birth stories, read some books on birthing and the process. Talk to the baby about it. Try to explain what it's going to feel like on her end of things. Meditate on being peaceful about it.

Being fearful makes it more painful. Not that not being afraid makes it tickle, but if you are prepared for the sensations, it won't overwhelm you. And especially talking to the baby makes you think about what is truly entailed in the process, how it all fits. It'll start to make more sense and become more of a reality. Don't let them make you lie down. That makes it hurt worse. Walking and showers are your best friends. You need an advocate, a doula, as well as your partner. Momma's good to have there as well, but when the tough gets going, momma's main thought is going to be making HER baby feel better, whether or not it's really wise. A doula can remain calm and objective and help to make it all not so intense, for all of you.

But definitely look into birth stories, especially home births. They make it seem so natural, explaining it all, and keeping it all calm. No fear.

 

I'm with Hippyfreek on this.

Remove the fear, it makes it so much worse.
Be educated, then you know why and when the pain gets worse or changes.
Definitely try not to lie down to give birth. The pain is so much worse that way. I had a water birth and is was great pain and stress relief.

If you're concerned that you don't feel pregnant, i would personally not buy things for the baby until you are 12 weeks along and its a more certain thing. Not trying to scare you, i just know how hard it can be if it doesn't work out.

Also i thought claratyne was a no-no due to the antihistamine. You don't want the mucous to dry up down there.

 

i just found out my favorite manager is pregnant again! she said this time though the only thing thats different this time around is that she is more tired. i guess your body is good towards pregnancy.

 

Elyse, my whole new philosophy on babies are.... it happens and it might always seem unplanned unless you are trying for one. The first week I was so panic stricken that I couldn't do this and there was so much stuff to do and GAH! My other philosophy is take it one day at a time.

I am so sorry to hear you were so nervous that it took away from the excitement in the beginning. Your baby will be well loved by your family and you and Charles. My employer was telling me that babies change people and given more time it will change your family dynamics.

The health care situation sucks! I am sure this will all work out though. Because I start school again in a few weeks I thought I didn't know if it was good for me to go. But if I don't then I lose my health insurance. It was a double edge sword, go and pay through the ass for school. Or lose my health insurance and pay through the ass. John and I thought I could be on his health insurance, but because I have a "preexisting" condition they won't allow it until the baby is born!

Your health care sounds like it will be great! Especially since your mom knows many of the people. I would feel half excited and not... ya know? Like this is good but not necessarily what I want. Like you said next time is for the midwife

Sounds like you and baby are in good health! I'm really happy for you and Charles. Don't be nervous or feel uncertain about anything because it will stress you and the baby. Just keep saying to yourself... like I do... one day at a time. They will I am sure be cooperative about how you want things. I mean they were with me until I decided I want a midwife!

 

I don't know if medicaid will pay for things like a water birth... plus you have to find a hospital that will, and if they pay for home births either.

Elyse will be great, thousands of women have baby's in a hospital in a bed. Shit, I will be too! And yep Claritin is on my list of okay meds to take so why be miserable? It got so bad yesterday that John and I had to go to the pharmacy and buy saline nasal gel... for pregnancy and breathe right strips!

Elyse is Charles going to be there for the birth? I agree on a doula versus mom who is gonna be more about your health. If John wasn't coming along I know I couldn't share this experience with my mom... but a doula I possibly could!

 

What state are you in, Hiro? I know Washington state, where I am, pays for Lay Midwives, homebirth, and birth center care. They don't pay for a doula, or the waterbirth equipment. But once you get the huge thing out of the way, you can better afford those other things.

What state are you in?

 

Boofoo Keeeentucky. I wanted a water birth but the hospital closet to me is too far downtown in Cincinnati and come winter time we aren't gonna want to drive the 20 minutes there.

 

I have a friend who is pregnant and lives in Kentucky, I believe she is seeing CNMs. CNMs WILL be covered by insurance, and I'm pretty sure medicade. In Kentucky CNMS are the only midwives who are licensed, anyway. There are underground midwives, if you are interested I can talk to you further.

 

I bought two of Ina May's books when i hit 11 weeks or so and i've taken psychology classes that have gone over th ebirthing process and i have another book...Great expectations or something that's also really informative... less biased than Ina May's books, but i love her photos and birth stories and it's' good to have that anti-hospital take too so i know what to be wary of.

So, I am preparing myself for a non-medicated birth, but i'm still nervous! i was taught to fear the pain of childbirth.. it's years of conditioning, ya know? if things had worked out with Charles going to NY i would have gone with a midwife practice up there... unfortunately down here there are only two practices and they are regional, so i would have to drive more than an hour and medicaid doesn't cover it... i think they might work with us on that, but i'm not sure... either way i need to get on medicaid. the hospitals are really conservative, but my mom assures me that whatever i want i will get lol. i guess i'm also nervous about having my baby in a hospital because of c-section rates and all that... but, i'm feeling pretty good about my choice so far. if i find that the doctor/s make me uncomfortable or there is something the hospital deems mandatory that i don't want and can't get around, i may consider the midwife practice more seriously.

but anyway, i'm not really freaking out over here, i just have a lot of things going through my head on the birth, but i'm pretty calm about it all... i know it'll all work out in the end. i'll figure out what i want or don't want and make sure my mom, Charles and the doctors know. I will take your guys' advice on meditation and talking to the baby about it though... i want to take some classes too.

Charles should be here in mid to late September. I would like for him to be here sooner, but he wants to save up some money, which is probably best. So I'm nesting for him to come as well as the baby.. haha, fixing up the apartment that my brother trashed.