First Trimester – 3rd time around

First Trimester – 3rd time around

(THIS POST WAS WRITTEN AROUND 14 weeks PREGNANT – I AM CURRENTLY 23 weeks)

This is my third (viable) pregnancy and even at the age of 26, it is kicking my butt. I feel older, my body feels weaker and I have aches and pains all over. It’s hard on your body to be pregnant and I don’t think many people realize that. I really think of the first Trimester as the worst, especially after a miscarriage. Let me explain: You get that positive test, you burst into tears, you are happy and all is right with the world.

Then doubt sets in: Am I really? You take another test. Positive. You get giddy again. After a couple of minutes, your brain starts going crazy. “Will this baby make it? What can I do to make this baby stick? I need to go get bloodwork done. I need to take prenatals now. No more sex, no more picking up heavy things, no more caffeine.” Your bloodwork comes back positive, happy again, then wondering if those numbers will double within 48 hours.

Two days feel like 2 months. You go back, do more bloodwork and wait 3 entire hours to fetch the results. Doubled? Yes! Maybe just maybe this baby won’t leave me. That was just a part of my thought process. Every day I checked if I might be bleeding. Every day was filled with highs and lows and a lot of unsure feelings. My gynecologist put me on progesterone and told me I will be taking it until 12 weeks.

I made the appointment at my gynae and it felt like forever until I reached 6 weeks. It came, we went in holding our breaths and there was our little “dot” with a flickering heartbeat. I sighed, I cried and I was so immensely happy. By the way, this is when my gynae said – “I am taking a calculated guess. This is a girl.” We laughed, but it always stuck in the back of my mind.

Of course, I worried still, how could I not? I went for elective scans every two weeks. It might seem excessive to you but being at risk for a set back in my depression and anxiety, I needed to be sure. Every time I went I saw our little baby, growing by the week. I started showing, my bump grew so quickly! It gave me a lot of reassurance as well. I did buy myself an Angelcare pocket doppler and used it every week to find baby’s heartbeat. It reduced my anxiety and really gave me peace.

I struggled badly with migraines and there’s not much you can do while pregnant. I still get them, less frequently I think. “Two panado’s every 4 hours and one can of coke” That was my gynae’s advice. It worked surprisingly. Migraines are terrible during pregnancy especially when you have two kids as well – plus a looooong December school holiday.

I was SO incredibly tired in my first trimester too – I passed out on the couch all the time. What was different this time around? NO nausea! That was the best. No throwing up, no medication, no hospitalization. I did feel queasy though but nothing I couldn’t handle. I craved steak and chips all the time, then started craving hot dogs. I still do. (They have to be cold though) My skin looks terrible and my bump is so high.

All so different from my pregnancies with the boys. Had me convinced its a girl but never said that out loud. Oh, also, incredibly moody. Like I could kill people with my mood. Our big scan came – by the freaking amazing Shannon Morris. She is one hell of a woman and her qualifications are through the roof – she comes highly recommended by so many. I told her my gynae has this “feeling” what the gender is. She told me not to tell her, she wants to look for herself.

After scanning me for about two minutes she says “Did Dr.Truter guess girl? Because if he did, he is right.” I burst in tears SO loud, I am sure the entire office heard me. Eugene was trying to calm me down and Shannon was just consoling me. I was so happy, I got my girl! (Lord knows we need a bit more estrogen in this house) Anyway, fast forward to 14 weeks and I am doing good. Starting to feel her wiggle around which is incredible. I am excited for this next trimester and to feeling non-tired, non-queasy and non-moody.