Trying for Another Blog, Part 3
Turns out my preconception phase lasted all of two days. I had been tracking my cycle for months, so I knew my ovulation window and bada-bing….two weeks later, those momentous two little lines appeared. Let’s rewind two weeks though, to look at what the waiting phase was like.
If you’ve tried to get pregnant then you know how the over-analyzing goes: you wonder about every little feeling- and then question your sanity. I thought I knew really early on. I felt energetically drained, and started experiencing a common pregnancy symptom for me: pain in my hands and wrists. Like a crazy person, I used up all of my expired pregnancy tests during those two weeks, because waiting is so hard! They all showed negative. Then I took a “First Response” test (which is supposed to detect “6 days before your period”) at 5 days and 3 days before my period- nothing. At this point I was bummed and convinced I would have to wait another month to try again.
My start date came, but my period didn’t. My previous three cycles had been exactly 28 days. So late was weird for me. I did some research and found that HcG may not show it’s presence until 3-6 days after a missed period. So…there was hope?!
The next day I awoke to cramps, which seemed like typical period cramps but then they went away. They came and went throughout the morning- which was not as kind as my typical cramps. So hope returned. I sent my Luc to Target for some more tests and….. the almighty second line appeared. Faint, but definitely there. I tried again, the next morning and there it was, and more distinct this time. I’m not crazy!! Life had been created.
After finding out I was pregnant. I did what I do without thinking twice: told everyone! I’m not one to keep secrets…obviously.
I told my husband, without any fancy ado. Then told my kids- I actually didn’t even think about not telling them until people starting asking me if I told my kids. It should come as no surprise that I’m also an open-book with my kids. Then I called my parents. We were all astounded that it happened so quickly.*
The next day, at my son’s basketball practice I excitedly announced the news to a couple of my mom friends and their reaction was priceless: “We’re having a baby!” And one mom offered to give me all her hand-me-downs! Amazing, because we had gotten rid of everything! It means the world to me to have them as my community.
Within a couple of days, I was able to make an appointment with Kaiser. The first being just a phone screening appointment, at which time they scheduled my first in person visit for an Ultrasound and bloodwork: scheduled for a month out. I'm currently five weeks pregnant; and my predicted due date is Oct. 7th, four days after my birthday! Yay- another Libra!!
Over the next couple of days anxiety began to creep in. I ran into a friend who has been recovering from her recent miscarriage and it was my first time speaking with her about it. That was sobering. I also found out about a local woman who, just a few days ago, passed away at Kaiser right after giving birth to her healthy baby. The cause of her death has a lot of mystery around it. These stories are heartbreaking, and naturally got me worried.
Also, I began down the path of considering whether or not to do Ultrasounds. Did you know that there is evidence that Ultrasounds can cause harm to babies? Studies prove that cells become distorted and mutated under Ultrasound radiation. The long-term effects are not yet completely known. Ugh. More decisions!
Aside from that, and not being able to sleep past 4 am, I’ve been doing well. Typically I’m a routine 8+ hour sleeper, but I keep waking up after about 6.5 hours of sleep and can’t fall back to sleep. This usually occurs for me right before I start my period. I did some research (googling) and found that Progesterone, which is high in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle (before bleed) is also high throughout pregnancy. That probably explains my lack of sleep.
I’m looking forward to the first trimester of sleepiness kicking in.
There’s also been lots of excitement. It’s been so fun to experience it through the eyes of the kids. Ella keeps saying, “is the baby in your belly RIGHT now?!” I downloaded this awesome pregnancy app, called Pregnancy + by Phillips, that shows the fetus in 3D! It’s so cool, and fun to interact with. We’ve talked about things like where the kids are going to sit in the car when the baby comes, and at the dinner table, and even new sleeping arrangements. We’ve thrown around a few names too. But for the most part, we’re not dreaming much yet. It’s still so early. So much can happen.
Personally, I am happy but also hoping to not be too invested yet. The first trimester comes with the highest risk of miscarriage. So I’m trying to take deep breaths and keep my body in a nice relaxed state of homeostasis.
Fitness wise, I’ve been slowing down a bit. Still playing tennis (and feeling extra winded), but that’s it for my cardio…I just don’t have energy to run, and I am listening to my body. I’m doing my regular strength training, including my prenatal and postnatal pelvis support exercises (found on my Instagram and FB pages). I’m also adding in an extra rest day to make sure I’m not overdoing it..
And now, we wait.
*I wasn’t sure when or how to add this in, but I feel it’s important to note that conception is challenging for many. A number of my clients had trouble conceiving and have used IVF. You are not alone if this is your experience, and I hope there is no shame in this. I considered not sharing my story because I do not want others to compare themselves to me or my experience, but also, I would like to embrace my experience. Just know that infertility is increasingly common.*