Para 3 Gravida 1!

I'm PREGNANT!!

EDD Sept 8, 2015!

There really is no good time to get pregnant. We aren't getting younger, or richer (maybe poorer), we'll never have enough of this or that, Max is getting older and at a prime age to be more helpful than needy, and really there is a point where I don't want to do all this baby stuff any more because dang it's not easy and one needs to have to be more than 'pretty energetic' to handle the demands of a little one. Nike got it right, "JUST DO IT!"

My favourite period app is called My Days. honestly the most basic and easiest to understand period/ovulation app out there. No CO/DPO/# vocabulary (i'm still saying WTF), no confusing graphics or options, minimal advertisement, and you can even plug in the option of when to try to have a boy or girl (seriously, there's a science to it). Highly highly recommend! Because I had irregular cycles varying from 26-32 days, I liked that this app gave me an estimated ovulation and period date. Super helpful for booking holidays, excursions, parties, get togethers etc. (who wants to book vacation when your period is happening!?), but alas, nothing is more accurate than symptoms your body is telling you -which did I mention you can also plug in the app? yes!

Anyhow, we found out I was pregnant on January 2nd, 2015! Per app, my period was supposed to come on December 26th (+\- 2 days), but I didn't really feel like following up until after the holiday season. I went to a walk in with my list of need to do's per the OB/Gyne, took a urine dip stick test, and like the good patient and rigid nurse that I am, walked out with what I intended. 

Unlike my first pregnancy, this second (or third?) pregnancy has put symptomatic on the map. 

=====> 0-5 weeks

• mild cramping in the lower abdominal area 
• random queasiness that went as fast as it came with no common denominator. lucky for me it never escalated to full blown nausea and vomitting
• very very vivid dreams almost every night that I was off and co-sleeping with Max
• bleeding gums; whenever I brushed my teeth I was often seeing pink in my spit
• sore nipples; showers were really uncomfortable and painful
• amazing sleep at night once my head hits the pillow

^^ 7 weeks!! ^^

=====> 6-9weeks
Because of my previous ectopic, one of the requirements was to get an early ultrasound to see if there was a gestational sac. What happened with my other pregnancy was I was pregnant, but the egg didn't implant in the right place. So fast forward to 7 weeks, something burst -> hospital -> PAIN! This time around, I saw a sac and a heart beat!! At 6w1d, baby was measuring at 6w with a heart beat of about 116bpm. At this time, my current EDD is September 9th, 2015!

• very vivid dreams, again every night when I co sleep with Max
• zapped of energy! This is the biggest symptom i've felt this first trimester. I just don't have ANY energy at work and having a hard time going that extra mile to help my colleagues (sorry!). To boot, caffeine is not recommended during pregnancy because of the increased risk of miscarriage, so even at the lowest point, I can't drink anything to boost my levels. At home, I'm pretty much done with my day at 9pm and out like a light before 10pm. My day's off are low key and enjoying more quiet activities like baking, watching movies, feeding ducks, quick trips to the grocery store as my accomplishment. Seriously, i've lowered the threshold exponentially compared to life before. On a positive note though, my night sleeps have been extra amazing and deep
• sleeping alone just before work was NON-EXISTENT, which exacerbated my already zapped body. day shifts were hard, night shifts were manageable, the 5 days off I had after my sets were spent at home, feeling half of myself, and just wanting to sit or sleep all day
• mild cramping in same lower abdominal area! stretch uterus, stretch!! 
• louder breathing through my nose even though i'm not sick
• urinary frequency. about 2 voids a night I would say, and even after a what seems like a full empty just before bed
• conscious awareness of uterus ie. i can feel a change in my abdomen if i am down on the ground putting my shoes on, feels like something is in the way
• when I do have a queasiness sensation, maybe akin to morning sickness, it's usually in the evening time just after dinner. I haven't thrown up yet!
• still fitting in regular clothing
•  nothing taste right. everything tastes blah and i've compensated by adding some extra salt (no no!). so far, the only two things that have satiated my taste buds are cocktail buns and bbq pork buns from New Town Bakery but i haven't gone the extra mile to satisfy this desire more often
• i've also reconnected with 2 midwives who I had met with my first pregnancy. They started a separate practice and get this, COME TO YOUR HOUSE for the appointments! What (!!!) Love them.

=====>10-12 weeks

^^ 10 weeks and 1 day ^^

• When the 10th week arrived, I woke up with about 25% improved energy levels. i thought it was the crappy Vancouver that was making me feel down and out, but the weather was still depressing at 10 weeks and I was more prepared to manage my day
• my sleeps prior to day shift (alone and in the king bed) have been really good lately. And by good i mean I'm asleep before 10pm without any wake ups until about 4am. I used to be a non-regular-coffee drinker (i liked soda for my caffeine fix) but when I needed that extra kick, i was all about the nespresso machine at work or a quick 7-eleven trip for their chai latte's (it's good, believe me!). But because caffeine increased chances of miscarriage, I quit it all together and WOW what a difference it has been. I NEED CAFFEINE to be sharp mentally and quicker on my feet! So at work, I'm happy with my work performance, but not with speed. not that I'm compelled to race, it's the mental decline that's bothering me! every now and then, I have a sip of coke or mix hot chocolate with a little caffeine shot for that extra ding of alertness. I realize there's a caffeine intake recommendation but I'm erring on the side of caution 
• food still tasted boring, and i have found that all my bad food indulgences (chips, chinese food, fries, calamari) weren't really worth the weight gain and cardiovascular damage. the worst culprit has been KFC which I kept burping up during my night shift and am now fully repulsed
• my new food love has been my veggie delight SUBWAY sandwiches which I recall I was very repulsed by when I was pregnant with Max. I also feel less guilt because it's all veg! i've had it twice in a week so far (in 10th week) and that's already more intake than my entire 2014!
• so far i've told about 4 people i was pregnant, and none being my family. strange occurrence at work though when i worked with a nurse with a sixth sense for pregnancy and time of delivery. she said she saw something about me which then followed with her repertoire of eerie and accurate predictions/feelings about other people in her life. she earned a reveal!
• I was lucky enough to meet the requirements of a UBC research study that provided free NIPT testing! and because it's a genetic study, I also get to find out the gender of the baby around 16-17weeks with 99.9% guarantee. "NIPT accurately measures the quantity variance of fetal and maternal chromosomal material and provides a screen risk for Down syndrome (trisomy 21), trisomy 18, and trisomy 13. The Down syndrome detection rate is >99% with a false positive rate of 0.1%. NIPT is not yet covered by MSP, and will cost the patient $795." 

Stay tuned!!