Weeks 10 - 11

Duane and I had a nice visit back east with family and friends. I picked up a bunch of maternity clothes, which I needed. I went shopping in Pittsburgh with my sister-in-law Diane. Diane was a big help picking out clothes that are more flattering to my body shape. We went to a couple stores and she ended up giving me some of her maternity clothes.

The main purpose of our trip back east was for a doctor's appointment. My body is creating a very high level of a hormone called gastrin. It only exists in two conditions: Atrophic Gastritis and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. I saw about half a dozen doctors in the west who where unable to determine which condition was causing the hypergastrinemia. This was mostly because it is rare.

I found a doctor at the University of Pennsylvania who is an expert on hypergastrinemia. My appointment went really well. The doctor thinks there is a low risk of the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, which is good news. I will have to go back after the baby is born and have a test done that will conclusively determine the problem. There are some conditions related to the Atrophic Gastritis that can effect pregnancy. So I have to go and have some tests done to make sure those are not present.

Last weekend I started to have some phantom cramping. I guess it is common for some women in the earlier stages of the pregnancy when the placenta is expanding. I also think that I might be having some PH issues as well.

I have noticed a fluttery feeling in my chest sometimes. When I went to the doctor in Philadelphia, he mentioned a pregnancy heart murmur. I just need to check with the obstetrician to see if the murmur could have any impact on the dilated left ventricle in my heart.

We go back to the doctor on the 30th and I am excited about hearing the baby's heart beat.

Week 9

This week the baby gets fingers, more defined eyes and toes. The baby is about the size of my thumb.

Last month they ran a boat load of tests on me. The main concerns pertained to my lupus. Lupus creates something called anti-ana. This anti-ana directly targets the baby (sends a blood clot) and can cause miscarriage. In the past, I have had boarder line numbers for the anti-ana so it was a concern.

We were quite surprised when the test results all came back within normal ranges, which would be a negative for the lupus. This hasn't happened since the Lupus started a long time ago. Sometimes this happens during pregnancy. I still have all of my normal aches and pains. Actually my back, feet, hands and TMJ have been awful since I went off my meds.

However, I have noticed some increased energy and overall happiness. Mostly, I wake up and feel like I had a good night's sleep (even if I didn't sleep well). In contrast it is like going from black and white to color. It is amazing to me what a little change can do.

I am off all my prescriptions. I stopped the worst ones (class C) right away and gradually off the safer ones (class B). I have been on a bunch of medicines for over 10 years. At night I am just taking an OTC decongestant and that is it. Pretty amazing.

So we will keep an eye on the Lupus and pray it stays at bay.

2nd Ultra-Sound

We had our second ultra-sound today. It doesn't look like the second baby made it, but we do have a very healthy one. The little heart was beating away. We could see little legs, arms, and beginnings of fingers, which was exciting. It was also moving it's little leg around. The baby is measuring 22mm vs. 6mm two weeks ago. The doctor said the baby is measuring 8 weeks and 5 days.

We go back in four weeks for another peek. By then the baby will be 12 weeks.

Baby book week by week

We picked up this book at a yard sale some time ago. We have enjoyed looking at these images that show the actual size of the baby. If you click on the images below it will show a larger copy that is much easier to read.

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Second Appointment

We had our first ultrasound today and we saw not one, but two little embryos. In the early weeks you can sometimes see a heartbeat flicker and that is a good indication that the baby will be alright. One of the embryos you could see the flicker of a heartbeat, but on #2, a heartbeat wasn't visible. The Dr. said that it is sometimes too early to see a heartbeat and that #2 might still be ok. We will go back in two weeks and it should be evident by then if #2 has a heartbeat and will make it as well.

I received a priesthood blessing from the bishop today and we are praying for it to work out, for #1, and #2 to be healthy and for my pregnancy to go smoothly. Please keep us in your prayers.

First Doctor Appointment

Today we went for our first appointment and met with a nurse. She calculated that I was 5 weeks and 1 day pregnant. That puts my due date around October 13th. The doctors office gave us a bag full of goodies. Including a book titled "Your Pregnancy and Birth". There is a stack of papers we need to fill out.

I also received a packet including some consent forms for different screens. Such as Nuchal Translucency (early screening for genetic disorders at 6-7 weeks), Risk Profile Test (Quad screen for genetic disorders at 15-20 weeks), Amniocentesis, and Cystic Fibrosis. You can opt for the exams or opt out. Does anyone have any opinions about these?

Next week they will give me a list of important events. Including the weeks I will come in to see the doctor. I will have a bunch of blood work and urinalysis done. They will also do an ultrasound which should show the baby's heart beat. The heart at this stage is too small to hear, even with amplification, but it can sometimes be seen as a flickering in the chest. The nurse said, the baby will look more like a little pea than anything. However, she said we should be able to see the little sack it is in.

Around 10-12 weeks you can hear the heart beat with a Doppler instrument. At 20 weeks you should hear the heart beat with a stethoscope. Around the same time, they will be able to determine the gender of the baby and it should start moving around.

I have had a terrible respiratory infection. So the nurse gave me a list of medications that I can take sparingly, as needed. I sure hope I can kick this thing. I go back next week and meet with the doctor.

School

I was struggling to stay up with my course work. So I decided that I needed to drop one of my classes. I am taking BUS412-Human Resource Management (HRM) and ENVS101-Environmental Science. These were the last two classes that I needed to take on campus. The rest of my classes can be finished on-line over the computer from anywhere.

I talked to both of my teachers (both men) to let them know what was going on. The science teacher has a strict attendance policy and was not willing to work with me. The business teacher on the other hand, is very willing to work with me.

I know that the College of Southern Idaho offers science classes on-line. So I decided to drop the science class. It was early enough in the semester that it wouldn't be a problem.

I won't have any homework in the business class, but we do have to put together a portfolio. I have that almost complete. Since I had already put so much effort into the class, I didn't want to drop it. I am also taking a one credit course that is exactly the same project. So it should work out well.

After I dropped the science class it was a huge relief. I know that it was the right choice.

My adviser is allowing me to do some research on records management procedures for credit. So have another 1 credit class. I just have to do some research on the topic and write a 6-7 page paper. It is one of those things that I can work on as I am feeling up to it. My adviser will work with me too. If I needed an extension at the end of the term, it is doable. So now I am taking 5 credits which isn't bad.