37 week OB appointment

I had my weekly appointment this morning. After over 24 hours of on and off Braxton Hicks and feeling like my hip was dislocating from my leg, we were sure that we were going to go in today and have the doctor tell us that we need to get this show on the road.

The Braxton Hicks barely took breaks all day yesterday and today. I started to hurt so bad because there was no relief from the tension. My belly has been sore all day today.

We got to the appointment and it went really fast. He immediately went to listen for the heartbeat and this little guy wasn't having it. Everytime the doctor would start to count beats, baby boy would squirm or make it hard to hear. You could physically see him kicking and rolling around on my stomach so he knew everything was fine. The doctor literally gave up haha.

The OB asked how much Dave and I were at birth. Both of us were relatively small (I was 6 lbs 4 oz and Dave was 6 lbs 7 oz). They use that to try and make a growth estimate. He was feeling around my belly and goes, "This is definitely bigger than a 6 lbs baby." Haha. We have a healthy boy on our hands. :)

He wouldn't check me because I could be completely not dilated and have the baby tonight or be two centimeters dilated and 75% effaced and stay that way for the next two weeks. There's just no telling so why check? I get that.

Walking out the door though he told me, "You can go into labor any day now. We are ready for you!" I can't believe there is only 19 days until my due date. He really is almost here!

Week 37

Week 37

How far along? 37 weeks 

How are you feeling? Pretty good. I'm sleeping longer stretches, which I think is God's way of giving me a break before going months without really sleeping. 

Baby is the size of a(n): bunch of Swiss chard (it looks like a huge thing of lettuce). He is around 6 1/3 lbs and 19 inches long.

Cravings: Root beer and water. 

Aversions: Nothing I can think of this week.

Testing/appts this week? I have my 37-week appointment on Tuesday. I need to do one more Lamictal trough level before the baby comes, but I'm waiting until next week for that.

Milestones?: it's not really a milestone, but the baby's room is finished with the exception of putting his name above the crib. 

Nursery

This is a panoramic view of our nursery. The rest of the decal still needs to go up, but we are putting his name above the crib so we are waiting to name him and put that up before completely finishing. I think it looks great, though.

I'm going to be 37 weeks tomorrow and I can't believe it. We are soooo ready for him to be here and for me not to be pregnant anymore :)

Week 36

Week 36

How far along? 36 weeks 

How are you feeling? With the exception of my feet swelling and my hips still hurting if I try to do too much, pretty good. Two days ago, I had these weird dizzy/nausea spells for what seemed like no reason. Overall though, I think I'm more comfortable than most pregnant women at this stage.

Baby is the size of a(n): head of romaine lettuce. He's around 6 lbs and 18 1/2 inches long.

Cravings: Milk. Lots and lots of milk. He must be growing.

Aversions: My father-in-law and other family members were drinking eggnog last night. No thanks. Ew.

Testing/appts this week? Tomorrow is my 36-week appointment. After that I go weekly since he could come at any time.

Milestones?: Today, I am official 9 months pregnant. We get to meet out baby boy soon!

Week 35

Week 35

How far along? 35 weeks 

How are you feeling? Oh my lord, the hip pain!  If I lay down or walk for too long, my hip feels like it's going to break off. Also, my allergies have been pretty bad, so I'm cranky.

Baby is the size of a(n): Honeydew melon. Over 18 inches long and 5 1/4 lbs.

Cravings: Nothing really. Although, yesterday, you would've thought I was dehydrated or something. All I wanted was water. And I probably had well over 80 oz.

Aversions: Nothing this week.

Testing/appts this week? No more testing or appts until next Monday (12/23). That'll be my 36-week appointment and after that I go weekly.

Milestones?: Dave and I did more nursery stuff yesterday. We bought a rug for the room and curtains (although, the curtains are going to be exchanged). We also set up the changing pad and Dave might put up the decal today. I'm going to be washing the baby clothes today and putting them away. God forbid he comes early and we have no clothes lol.

Baby Shower #2

I just realized that I never posted about this.

My mom threw my shower at one of my favorite Italian restaurants. She did a star/teddy bear-theme (like our nursery). Everything turned out really, really nice. She even did a banner of my bump pictures (I've been taking weekly bump growth pictures - just not posting them here. I'll post one before the baby is born). The banner started with two really special photos, though: 1) A picture of Dave and me from our wedding, titled, "Where it all began..." 2) A picture of me holding my youngest nephew, around the time we got pregnant, titled, "Pregnant - and doesn't know it, yet!!"

I saw both of these and became a blubbering mess. I instantly started crying and I couldn't stop, haha. It was just so sweet.

The weather was insane. We got a horrible snow storm and roads were being shut down. Only 6 out of 25 people made it. Dave and my brother even came back (so, total 8). My in-laws didn't even make it. I felt so terrible for my mom. She put in so much work and effort and this was completely out of her control. Regardless, the party went on! We played two games. The first was a baby-related word scramble (which was really hard!) and the second was a candy-match game (example: "post-partum mommy physique" Jelly Bellies, haha). Both were really cute and we had a lot of fun. :)

My mom truly did a great job. I had a lot of fun and appreciated everything she worked so hard on. There's tons of people that are excited for Baby Mory and we can't wait until he makes his arrival so we can introduce everyone to him :) I'll post some pictures a bit later, once I have more time.

Blood work results

My Lamictal level came back yesterday. Gary called me to tell me that everything came back normal and to just continue to do what I'm doing. The level came back at a 4.

I'm so happy that throughout this entire pregnancy, we've only had to raise the medicine once. We are in the home stretch and he's doing great.

Just have to get through the next 5.5 weeks to make sure we have a happy, healthy boy :)

34-week Ob appt

We had ridiculous weather today. I have a 45-minute drive to work and the combination of the ice plus falling snow made me nervous enough not to drive.

At 34 weeks, the last thing I need to do is fall because I was trying so hard to get in go work. If they want to be mad at me, they can be mad at me, but I'm not putting myself at risk just because they want me to answer a phone. 

I actually had my 34-week Ob appointment today, but that office is only 2 miles from my house. Everything looks great.

Baby boy's heart beat is 135 and he's thankfully still head down. Moving a bunch. He actually hit the Doppler with his butt! Lol. He seriously doesn't like the Doppler! This particular doctor I've never had, but he took the time to answer a bunch of my questions.

1) The killer pain I've been having in my hip every night - is my utesacral ligament. It is weakened from endometriosis. Turning over or making sudden movements aggravates it.

2) he agrees with the travel restrictions Dr. R has already out me on. He actually wrote me a note saying that if there is inclement weather, like snow, I should stay at home to work. Since I can't be more than an hour from the hospital at all times, work is cutting it extra close. They actually gave me a note saying that I should work from home in weather like this.

3) Everything with me looks good. Weight and BP are normal. He also checked me to see if I was leaking any fluid. Every looks great there. 

Baby boy is happy and healthy. Just hanging out in there. 

Week 34

Week 34

How far along? 34 weeks 

How are you feeling? Pretty good. Mostly tired and a little sore from swollen ankles but other than that, things are going well!

Baby is the size of a(n): Cantaloupe. Estimating 4 3/4 lbs and around 18 inches long.

Cravings: Nothing really.

Aversions: Smells again. No consistency this week to what sets it off.

Testing/appts this week? I'm supposed to have an appointment tomorrow, but the weather is supposed to be terrible. It's supposed to ice over so I don't think I'm going to my appt or work tomorrow. Have I reschedule.

Milestones?: All furniture is in the nursery and the crib is put together! Dave and I started putting away his toys and organizing other shower items too. I also have my second shower today so we will have even more stuff to go through (haha!) Baby boy is getting a lot of love!

Pictures of furniture in the nursery:

Tall dresser:

Changing table/extra storage:

Crib!!:

For those interested, we have the Europa Baby Palisades collection. I love it!!

Blood Work

I went in this morning to get my Lamictal levels checked for the third trimester (I was supposed to do it in November, too, but I forgot - whoops).

I arrived astronomical early so I could be to work on time (the place where I get my blood drawn is on the same road as my office). Somehow, I ended up waiting 45 minutes just to get one vial of blood drawn.

The last at the front desk gave me a hard time because my script expired in November (they only last 6 months), but my doctor gave me all the trough level blood work scripts at once in May for a 9-month pregnancy! I'm going to call them later today and get another one (I'm assuming they'll want one more blood draw before the baby is born).

Once I get the results I'll post them. Hopefully, we won't have to raise the medication this close to delivery. 

I only have 6 weeks left!

Painted nursery picture

Thought I would post a picture of the nursery progress. Here's the paints walls and chair rail we put up:

Week 33

Week 33

How far along? 33 weeks 

How are you feeling? My allergies are acting up so that's uncomfortable. However, whatever is happening in my hips is probably the most painful thing I've ever experienced. Both sides of my hips are expanding to make room for baby and it feels like they are completely detaching. Because of this, my round ligaments are stretching too and it KILLS.

Baby is the size of a(n): Pineapple. He's roughly over 4 lbs and has passed the 17-inch mark more than likely.

Cravings: Nothing really.

Aversions: Strong cologne. Dave and I went to NYC with my step-sister (who is pregnant and due in Feb) and her husband. We were in the elevator and whoever was there before us had on some serious cologne that gave me a headache.

Testing/appts this week? Totally forgot to do my Lamictal level last week, so I'm doing that tomorrow. Next appt is December 9.

Milestones: The nursery is started! Dave and I finally went through the shower gifts from my first shower and organized them. I have to start organizing the linen closet though to make room for baby's bath stuff and the furniture needs to come upstairs.

Growth ultrasound

On Monday, I had a normal Ob appointment and a growth ultrasound. Because my meds, in the last trimester, they increased the number of ultrasounds I'll be getting (now once a month). 

Everything with me looked good. Fundal height was right on track (33) and my BP was 118/72. Definitely am feeling good winding into this last trimester. The Ob, Dave and I talked about labor and delivery practices and signed the consent form for when I go in (it basically says that I give them permission to do whatever is necessary to keep the baby and me safe).

The growth ultrasound went great. As of Monday, he was 3 lbs 15 oz. I can't believe he's growing so fast! They said he will probably be between 7.5-8 lbs at birth. He's also about 16 inches long. This amazes me because I was only 18.5 inches when I was born (on my due date!). Something tells me he's going to be tall like his daddy :)

My next appointment is December 9th. After that, I only have one more two-week appointment before going to weekly!! He's almost here!

Week 32

Week 32

How far along? 32 weeks 

How are you feeling? Overall, I feel good. However, I'm exhausted. A lot. Baby has also been moving a TON, so it makes me a little sore.

Baby is the size of a(n): Jicama (wtf is that?). About 16.7 inches and around 3 3/4 pounds. (I wonder if he's really that tall, I was only 18.5 when I was born!)

Cravings: Sleep.

Aversions: The overwhelming smell of coffee in the break room.

Testing/appts this week? Sometime this week, I'm going to do my Lamictal level. My next Ob appt isn't until the 25th.

Milestones: The nursery is started!

Increase in Movement

Over the past few weeks, I didn't really get a lot of kicks from the baby. It was more like rolling around (I referred to them as "Nessy Rolls" because it looked like the Loch Ness monster was going across my stomach). The Ob and me both chalked this up to the baby's frank breech position and the fact that he was getting bigger.

However, the few days, I've has a DRASTIC increase in movement. It feels like there's a dance party in my belly and he's learned how to do high kicks. Haha!

I'm hoping that this means he's at least shifted from his frank breech position. It feels great to have him flipping around all day again. However, his kicks now wake me up again, but that let's me know he's doing great in there. :)

Nearing 32 weeks (today makes 31 weeks 4 days), I want him as active as possible. It makes me do excited to meet this little guy!

Baby Shower #1

I am finally getting around to writing this.

My mother-in-law and sister-in-law threw my a baby shower on November 9 with a lot of family and friends :)

They did it at the same restaurant where Dave and I had our rehearsal dinner. The restaurant was built before the Revolutionary War and is such a cool place. I love it there. They did a jungle theme and had little stuffed jungle animals everywhere. This one is my favorite:

 

I love monkeys! I actually took it home with me. As much as I love it though, I'm pretty sure that our little dude is going to be petrified of it. Haha.

The guests played two games. One was the "Price is Right" and they had to guess the price of baby items (formula, diapers, lotion, etc). It was funny to see how far some people were off. The prices were from our local Target and the two team members I actually used to work with were pretty far off in their prices. So disappointing, I expected more from them lol.

The other game was the purse game. Basically, there's a list of item (completely random) and whoever has the most items on the list gets a prize. It was funny to see the random things that people carried. My mom had scissors in her purse!

I had a great time! Baby Boy is definitely blessed with a ton of people that love him!

Anyway, here are a few pictures from the shower and afterwards:

Dave and me! Finally a baby bump picture!

Baby boy's things:

My mom is also throwing a shower on December 8 for me (we know a lot of people). I can't believe how close we are getting to meeting our son!

Week 31

Week 31

How far along? 31 weeks 

How are you feeling? Overall, I feel good. I get sore if I overexert myself, but other than that, I'm having a good week. It's also hard to get comfortable sleeping. I can't wait to meet our baby and to have the ability to sleep on my back again without 80 pillows. 

Baby is the size of a(n): Coconut (what a cute little coconut!!). He's 16 inches long and approximately 3.3 lbs (I'm going to go with he's bigger than that ;)

Cravings: Last night, I wanted chocolate milk. But, I think that's because I forgot my calcium pill.

Aversions: Nothing.

Testing/appts this week? Sometime this week, I'm going to do my Lamictal level. My next Ob appt isn't until the 25th.

Milestones: My belly button has officially given up. It's out. Lol

3D Ultrasound

I realize that these scans aren't coved by insurance and in some areas, they are ridiculously expensive, but Dave and I couldn't wait to see our baby boy! We went a place called Bountiful Babies.

It was amazing to be able to see what was happening inside my belly. He's still frank breech, but apparently, he doesn't care and is completely comfortable that way. In fact, his face was facing my back and we watched him nuzzle deeper into my belly.

There were a few moments that completely melted me:

1) He rubbed his sleepy little eye. It was adorable.

2) He has his father's feet. Dave has the incredible ability to spread his toes so far apart that I can fit my wrist between his big toe and first toe. The baby kept spreading his toes apart. Over and over, confirming he's his father's son, lol

3) He has my button nose. There's no mistaking it. End of story :)

4) He smiled! It was this shy little half-smile but he's practicing! I can't wait to see that smile face to face.

This list could be a lot longer, but I'll spare you. I'm a proud mama already. 

Here's our pride and joy:

Ob appt - TDAP vaccine

I had a normal appointment today with my Ob office. They did all the normal things: took my weight, blood pressure and talked to me about symptoms, along with taking my fundal height and heart beat of the baby.

The baby's heart beat was in the high 140s and my fundal height was 31 cm (so a week ahead, but still good). My blood pressure was 130/84, so still looking really good.

I asked about receiving the TDAP vaccine (they suggest pregnant women get it in between 27-36 weeks). I made them aware of my epilepsy because of the warnings on the vaccine (it tells you to watch for seizures for 7 days after getting the shot and not to receive it if you haven't been seizure-free for over a week).

After I got it, I started to feel lightheaded after a few minutes. They had me sit and drink some water, juice and have some crackers. Shortly after I started on the juice, my arms and hands started to feel numb and shaky. They took me in a room and retook my BP, which had dropped to 105/80. Because of the drastic drop and the shaking in such a short period of time, they asked that Dave come get me because they didn't want me to drive.

I didn't go to work today. I fell asleep almost immediately after getting home and woke up with a headache and very slight nausea. The doctor said she thought this was being caused by a bad reaction to an ingredient in the Diphtheria part of the vaccine. However, after speaking to a few girls also on AEDs, they said they had similar reactions so maybe it has to do with the meds and vaccine together.

I'm just glad that I got it and it will provide a little extra protection for little dude, even if it made me not feel well.

Ugh. Back to sleep. 

Growth ultrasound

Last Monday, I went in to my Ob for a growth ultrasound and to receive my rhogam shot. The 30-week growth ultrasound isn't a routine practice usually (I'm unsure if my health network does it routinely or not. I know many don't) Because of my high risk status, they check to make sure the baby is growing at a normal rate the blood flow is still good.

His heart beat is still steady at 149-150 - and he still doesn't like the Doppler wand, haha. Only this time, he kicked it during an ultrasound. He couldn't have been cuter this entire appointment. Poor little dude is in a frank breech position (meaning he's head up and bent in half with his toes by his face). However, it made for some very cute ultrasound movements. Originally, he was sucking on his toes and eventually, he moved them away from his face to show us he could wiggle them :) *heart melts*

He looks really good they said. He weighs around 2 lbs 14 oz and is in between 15 and 16 inches. Everything looks like it is growing at normal pace.

Baby in frank breech position. The white lines at the very top of the scan is his leg.

Here's his long and lean leg. Proof he's not flat-footed like his handsome daddy:

They took my blood pressure (normal) and measured my fundal height (it was 29.5, which is perfect). The doctor we saw thinks that the office may want to see me two times a week after 36 weeks just to monitor me more closely. Honestly, I don't think that'll happen, but if it does, oh well.

The rhogam shot is horrible. Horrible. I know it keeps the baby and me safe but it makes me feel like crap. I got really tired and groggy. I also was pretty nauseous and my stomach was doing flips. I forced myself to eat, but that seemed to make me feel worse. I have to do this one more time after birth if we find out the baby is a different blood the than me.

I'm glad baby boy is doing well. :)

Week 30

Week 30

How far along? 30 weeks (...say what?)

How are you feeling? Okay, sore. My hips and back have been bothering me.

Baby is the size of a(n): A head of cabbage. Roughly 15.7 inches and 3 lbs.

Cravings: Nothing. Although the other night, I had a very specific craving for an Oreo Blizzard. Dave drove about a half hour in order for me to get one. That's what love is :)

Aversions: Nothing.

Testing/appts this week? Tomorrow, I have my 30-week appointment with the Ob. On Wednesday, Dave and I are doing a 3D/4D ultrasound. I am so excited to see our little boy moving around in 3D.

Milestones: I had my first baby shower yesterday!! Baby Mory received lots of nice things. I'll write a post about this. I need to catch you guys up on a few other things first though (growth ultrasound, my appointment tomorrow, etc).

Week 29

Week 29

How far along? 29 weeks 

How are you feeling? Okay. Winded. Baby has successfully lodged himself as high as humanly possible (quite a change from a few weeks ago!) and it feels like he's pushing on my lungs. Other than that, I'm doing pretty well.

Baby is the size of a(n): A butternut squash. We actually had an appointment yesterday with an ultrasound (this is going to be a separate post) and they estimated him weighing about 2 lbs 14 oz.

Cravings: Nothing.

Aversions: For some reason yesterday, the smell of Dave's freshly brewed iced tea was disgusting to me.

Testing/appts this week? We had a regular Ob check up yesterday where they did a growth ultrasound and gave me the rhogam shot. That shot is evil. I know it protects the baby and me, but it makes me feel like crap:

Milestones: My appointments are officially going to be every two weeks now!! Getting very close to the end!

Post-Partum Neurology Appointment

My post-Partum neurology appointment with Dr. L is officially scheduled! 

On Feb 28, she wants me to come in to see how I'm adjusting to the new med dosage (they are going to tinker with my Lamictal after birth), ask if I'm having episodes and do an exam and - of course - see the baby. 

I can't believe it is already time to make this appointment. We are really getting close!

Well, this sucks...

Since about 5pm yesterday, I've been devastatingly nauseous. I feel like my morning sickness is coming back. I can barely hold my head up or keep my eyes open. I've heard this can happen in the 3rd trimester. It's caused by the fact the baby is growing so rapidly (babies do the majority of their growing in the last 6 weeks of pregnancy), so my hormones are fluctuating a lot.

On top of all this, little dude was moving so much last night from 7-8pm to about 4:30 this morning. It made my belly rock hard and was causing what felt like Braxton Hicks contractions. My belly is actually sore from this.

Needless to say, I barely slept. I have little desire to do anything or go anywhere, including to work. 

I genuinely feel miserable today. Ugh...

Week 28

Week 28

How far along? 28 weeks 

How are you feeling? My allergies are out of control this morning. I feel like I've been smacked in the face.

Baby is the size of a(n): An eggplant. He's about 2 1/4 pounds and 14.8 inches from head to heel. I believe it. When he rolls over, my entire belly shifts!

Cravings: Nothing.

Aversions: Nothing.

Testing/appts this week? Not this week

Milestones: My belly button is officially half-in, half-out. Haha. And that stretch mark I thought I had has all but disappeared. :)

Glucose Testing

Good lord, I was nervous about this test. When you are in between 27-29 weeks pregnant, doctors test you for Gestational Diabetes. Gestational Diabetes can cause serious problems in pregnancy and after-birth, although for most women it is controlled by diet and exercise. A percentage of women who get Gestational Diabetes develop Type 2 Doabetes after-birth or later in life.

I have a family history of Type 2 Diabetes and a major sweet tooth, so needless to say, I was freaking out.

The test is done by making you fast an hour before going in and then drinking this horrible, disgusting syrupy Tang-flavored drink that has a salty aftertaste. It's so gross. Then, they make you hang out for an hour before taking your blood. For my doctor's office, you need 135 (units of glucose per milliliter of blood) or lower to "pass" the test and not be considered for Gestational Diabetes. However, if you "fail," you need to take a 3-hour test. 

I got a 97! I am so glad that I passed and don't have to do the 3-hour test. I'm also glad that it's one less thing I have to worry about and that I am healthy and so is this amazingly active baby boy :)

Week 27

Week 27

How far along? 27 weeks 

How are you feeling? Okay, sore. My ankles have begun to swell again. I'm really tired too. 

Baby is the size of a(n): A head of cauliflower. He weighs around 2 pounds and is 14.5 inches long.

Cravings: Nothing.

Aversions: Nothing.

Testing/appts this week? I have to do my 1-hour glucose test this week. Appointment-wise nothing until November 4, thankfully.

Milestones: I think I got my first stretch mark on my belly... :(

Can't sleep

It's 4:04am and I've been up since 2:45. There is not one part of my body that doesn't hurt right now.

My hips are really really sore, my GERD is acting up (the original reason I woke up was because I had acid reflux) and I'm super congested. I know it's only going to get worse from here but tonight is bad.

It is going to be a ridiculously long work day.

26 weeks

26 weeks

How far along? 26 weeks 

How are you feeling? Like I have been hit by a bus. Not pregnancy-related though. We went to the Penn State game last night and they won after 4 overtimes! It was a long day of screaming at the ref and jumping up and down. Haha. Baby boy got a work out last night.

Baby is the size of a(n): Scallion. He's 1 2/3 pounds and about 14 inches :)

Cravings: Sleep and a massage haha

Aversions: Ehh, nothing really bothering me this week.

Testing/appts this week? Nothing until November 4, thankfully.

Milestones: We can now see the baby kick from the outside.

Week 25

25 weeks

How far along? 25 weeks 

How are you feeling? My back hurts today. I slept weird last night. Other than that, pretty good. :)

Baby is the size of a(n): Rutabaga. What an odd comparison... About 13.5 inches and 1.5 lbs!!!

Cravings: Nothing 

Aversions: Smells. My office smells like onions and garlic today. Gross.

Testing/appts this week? No appointments or testing but I'm going to set up to get the flu shot and the tDap vaccine. The tDap vaccine protects against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis and it is suggested moms get it every pregnancy, as well as anyone spending a significant amount of time with the baby.

Milestones: None this week.

Ob appt and second birthing class

I had my routine 24-week Ob appointment today. 

They were just doing a regular check up to monitor my blood pressure, weight, listen to the baby's heart beat and measure my fundal height (number of centimeters from top of belly to pelvic bone should correlate to the number of weeks pregnant). 

Baby's heart beat is between 148-152 (he was moving a lot so they couldn't get an exact beat) and my fundal height was 24.5, so I'm right on track. My blood pressure was 126/70, which is fantastic. It had been a little high before but I think that's because they always took it the second I got into the appointment and was racing.

My next appointment isn't until November 4 and we will have an ultrasound to check on the development of the baby.

We had our second birthing class too. We went over relaxation methods during labor and car seat safety. I have to say, Dave and I aren't really happy with this class. The instructor is pushy and insane.

After the first class, she felt the need to email me after she saw on our intro class sheet that I wasn't planning on breastfeeding because of my medication. She went on to tell me that I really should do more research because we were going to talk about it in the class and she "didn't want me to feel bad about it." Why would I feel bad about doing what I think was best for my child?

Last night, she asked the dads what they were going to say during labor to calm us down. Dave said a lot of good words of encouragement and one was, "It's almost over (meaning the contraction)." She SNAPPED at him telling him that he should never say that because he doesn't know that. Contractions on average only last 90 seconds, so yeah, he'd know that it was almost over. Plus, he's my husband. He knows what I need to hear in order to get through it. He is an amazing support system.

So help me, if she does something next week, I'm more than likely giving her "feedback" on how I think the class is going. And it won't be pretty.

Week 24

Week 24

How far along? 24 weeks (6 months pregnant!!)

How are you feeling? My ankles and calves are killing me. We did some heavy duty cleaning yesterday (we donated a TON of clothes to Goodwill and basically an entire house of furniture to a church). I think walking on the hardwood all day really put a strain on my legs. Taking it super easy today.

Baby is the size of a(n): Ear of corn. He is just under a foot long and a little over a pound.

Cravings: Nothing 

Aversions: Smells.

Testing/appts this week? I have a normal Ob appointment either this week or next week. I don't remember at this very second. My pregnancy brain has gotten pretty bad. Haha!

Milestones: 24 weeks is known as Viability Week. This means, starting this week, if God forbid something were to happen and I needed to deliver early, the hospital would take the baby to the NICU. Before 24 weeks, chances of survival for a fetus is about 17%. Once you reach 24 weeks, it rises to 40%. Once you reach 27 weeks, it rises to 90%. This is an important milestone to reach in a pregnancy, especially high-risk. Our baby boy is doing so well!

Levels came back

My Lamotrigine trough levels came back today. They came in at 3.4. Gary said that Dr. L was happy with that number and that she didn't see a reason to make any changes again to that dosage.

That's definitely a relief.

I also asked about the possibility of breastfeeding while taking my medication. It's a topic on my mind since we are going to our birthing class and that's a big topic that is discussed (the instructor actually emailed me about it since it said on my intro paper that we weren't planning to breastfeed because of my medication. We will discuss that discussion later though - possibly).

Dr. L said that even though the medication is secreted in breast milk, she believes that me breastfeeding will be alright. I even had her double check and she said she found an article in American Epilepsy Guidelines for pregnancy and breastfeeding that says that enough isn't secreted in breast milk for it to be dangerous to the baby.

The plan is, if I want to breastfeed, to keep my folic acid high while nursing. After nursing is over, I probably will be brought back down to 1mg. Or maybe not, depending on what they move my medication levels too after birth.

I don't think (well, I know) I wouldn't exclusively breastfeed. I would keep it to a couple feedings a day and the rest would be formula. It would be just enough to give baby boy the nutrients he needs for a few months before switching to solely formula and then introducing solids. 

I'm still unsure how I feel about this. We will talk about and decide before he gets here, but it is nice to know that it is an option for us.

Swollen Ankles

Swollen ankles comes with the territory of pregnancy. However, I never realized how consistent or painful it would be.

I elevate my feet constantly. I've had Dave rub my ankles. I think I'm going to resort to ice packs tonight. Even with all the elevation, they are still swollen and good lord, they hurt.

Now, my feet aren't swollen enough for me to worry about anything greater happening, but it is just enough that I notice it.

I keep repeating that I know my pain is temporary and at the end of all of this, I get a beautiful baby boy. It is so worth it. It's just hard.

I'll quit my whining now. I have to get ready to go to work.

Birthing Class Tonight!

Dave and I are starting our birthing class tonight. I'm a little nervous. It feels so early to be doing this but it will be 6 months pregnant on Sunday. (How on earth did that happen?)

It's through the hospital where I will be delivering. I'm glad we are doing it. It will definitely help us in the long and hopefully improve my labor when the time comes. We also plan on registering for the infant CPR class but that doesn't start until November.

This class will cover everything from breathing techniques during labor to infant care. 

Il update about how it goes. I can't believe we are already close enough to be doing this.

Week 23

Week 23

How far along? 23 weeks

How are you feeling? Sleepy. I need more coffee.

Baby is the size of a(n): Large mango! He's 11 inches tall and a little over a pound. Big boy!

Cravings: Nothing 

Aversions: Eh, not much.

Testing/appts this week? Got my blood drawn for my Lamictal level today. Hopefully, I'll hear the results of that in a couple of days. I feel much better now that they lowered the dose. 

Milestones: I can't think of any right now.

Post-Weeklong Migraine

Okay, I think I'm finally back on my feet enough to discuss the last week. 

Starting on Saturday night, I was getting a lot of auras and searing pain coarsing through my head. It felt like someone was nailing a spike from the top of my head through to my neck. It truly was crippling.

My doctor prescribed me Fioricet and I took that to try and ease the pain since Tylenol wasn't even touching the pain. The Fioricet ended up only taking the edge off and I felt trapped. I was getting absolutely no relief. I actually slept through most of Sunday in order to try and catch up on sleep, thinking that could be the culprit.

Even with the extra sleep, I was finding that nothing worked. I ended up taking Monday off from work (which I was actually pretty upset about). I never take off unexpectedly from work unless it is an emergency, but I couldn't even see to drive. 

After numerous phone falls to my neurologist, Ob and MFM, they've decided that moving forward throughout my pregnancy, they want me to take Demerol for headaches like these since it more than likely will happen again as baby boy gets bigger. It is safe for baby and I will be taking an extremely small dose (it is some powerful stuff).

Here's to feeling better!

Week 22

Week 22

How far along? 22 weeks

How are you feeling? Miserable. I spoke way too soon about the headaches. Since late last night I've been battling a pretty severe headache accompanied by nausea. This is different from my other migraines though cause I'm not blacking out. But, I feel terrible.

Baby is the size of a(n): Spaghetti squash

Cravings: Nothing 

Aversions: Right now, everything.

Testing/appts this week? Just need to get my blood drawn for my Lamictal trough levels.

Milestones: My belly button is currently fighting for its life.

Neurology appt

I went to go see Dr. L today for my mid-pregnancy appointment. The discussion of the appointment was supposed to be about my seizures, how I was feeling, etc. instead, we talked about the migraines that I've been getting.

She asked me again to explain all of my symptoms and then did something that a neuro never has before with me. She reached to the back of my neck and looked for "tight spots." She found one area and said it is a result of my frequent headaches and that what I've been experiencing are complex migraines.

She also checked my eyes for the onset of preclampsia. I guess the frequency of the headaches can raise my blood pressure somehow and put me at risk. However, she said the back of my eyes show no signs of it developing.

She suggested that if the migraines continue at this severity to call her and come back in. She also wants to see me a month after I give birth to put me on a schedule to decrease my medication back down to the original dosage.

However, everything else looks good. She was glad to hear how active the baby was and that I haven't had any episodes except for my headaches. 

Week 21

Week 21

How far along? 21 weeks

How are you feeling? Better finally. I was having wicked migraines for the longest time. 

Baby is the size of a(n): Carrot.

Cravings: The other day I wanted peaches... We are a little late in the season for that though :(

Aversions: Smells. A package delivery guy came in and his cologne seriously made me feel like I was going to throw up everywhere. Eww.

Testing/appts this week? Neuro appt with Dr. L on Wednesday morning. After changing the dosage of my meds, I can already tell that I feel better. My body didn't like having all that medication at once.

Milestones: No real milestones this week.

New instruction

I started my adjusted dosage of Lamotrigine ER today. Until further notice I'm taking:

AM: 200mg of Lamotrigine ER

PM: 250mg of Lamotrigine ER

Total: 450mg; 50mg less than I was taking before.

I have my appointment on Wednesfay with Dr. L, so I'm sure we will discuss this further then. I'll update then.

Headaches

I've had migraines my entire life. 

They start out with flashing auras (always in my left eye) and minutes later, I have a blinding headache that distorts my vision and later that day I will have forgotten everything that happened during the time of the headache. I'm usually nauseous too.

Since we have upped my Lamotrigine ER, I've been having migraines pretty consistently. Just about once a week for the past 5 weeks. In fact, I had a horrible one on Wednesday. The day is completely lost and disjointed to me. I started to get auras today and immediately called my neurologist's office. 

They said they think they raised my medication too quickly, so they are reducing it by 50mg to try and take the edge off. The nurse said that the doctor thinks the memory loss is from my consistent change in hormones due to pregnancy. I told them that this happens with non-pregnancy migraines too, just not as bad. They assured me this is normal for complex migraines and the hormones from pregnancy is just amplifying everything.

Complex migraines frequently are associated with people who suffer from complex seizures (me). The triggers for each are in a similar part of the brain. 

It feels good to know there is an explanation and that something bigger isn't going on. I'm in great hands with this office. The care that I've received with this hospital network hasn't been anything less than awesome.

Side note: Baby boy must know something's up because he has been kicking me pretty much 12 times every 3 minutes since around 9am. We have an active one on our hands. :) I'm going with that he knows we are going to the Penn State game tomorrow, haha

Week 20

Week 20

How far along? 20 weeks (OMG, I'm halfway!)

How are you feeling? Over the moon! We are so excited that we will be welcoming a little boy in January!! Physically, it has been a rough week though. I'm tired and sore.

Baby is the size of a(n): Banana. According to our scan, he is 10 oz and 6.5 inches long crown to rump (they couldn't get that crown to heel measurement).

Cravings: Last night, I really wanted soft serve with sprinkles, but I'm trying to take a step back from sweets. I'm trying to eat more fruit.

Aversions: I can't even think about going near the break room at work. The smell in there is too overwhelming (Same as last week). Also, the smell of hot wing sauce.

Testing/appts this week? I have a normal Ob appt on Tuesday. 

Milestones: Baby boy has been kicking up a storm! I felt my first real unmistakable kick Thursday night while lying in bed. Since then, he's been so active! He really likes to kick mommy in the groin. Haha! I think it is safe to say that baby boy likes Penn State football though. We went to the game yesterday and during the 3rd quarter, I became a punching bag :) 

I never could have imagined that his kicks would be this strong this fast. It's like he wants me to know he's there. This miracle is going to be active. He's probably going to be born by running out instead of pushing. :)

Anatomy Scan Results

Baby Mory: 19 weeks 5 days:

Our level 2/anatomy scan went awesome on Friday. It is truly amazing how much you can see on ultrasounds now. It is so detailed and comforting to see your little one looking so happy and healthy :) 

I had a few friends insist that I drink orange juice before we went in (as a person with GERD, this was daring. My acid reflux kicked in almost immediately) because it would make the baby more active and they could get a better view of everything. Well... the baby was definitely moving! In fact, Baby Mory kept rotating and doing flips. It actually became hard for the tech to get measurement because our little one wouldn't stay still (something tells me, this is a look into the future).

Everything looks great though. They showed us all the divisions of the brain and that they looked like they were forming normally, all the chambers of the heart, blood flow to and from organs, and so much more. It was amazing to see! They also checked me out, looking to see what was going on with my SCHs. Thankfully, they are completely gone. There's not even scarring. I'm very relieved :)

Baby is 10oz and 6.5 inches big with a strong heart beat of 150!

We are so happy to report that we are expecting a BOY! I'll admit, I definitely was shocked. We were so positive we were having a girl. But immediately visions of sporting events, trucks and dinosaurs filled my head. Our baby boy is doing wonderfully in there and I can't wait to have him in our arms.

This has become so real. We are becoming a family. I am feeling so happy and so blessed right now.

It's anatomy scan day!!

Dave and I will be going in to MFM today at 1pm to get a more in depth look at the baby and find out the gender!

I'm seriously exploding with excitement :) I've waited all month for this and now it is finally here! It feels like Christmas morning!!

I've been looking into old wives' tales about gender in order to determine the sex (I know take them with a grain of salt, but it is still fun). I'll say this: I'm carrying pretty much directly in the middle, craving sweets and fruit and was viciously ill in the first trimester. See if you guess correctly!

We are revealing the gender to our families tonight at dinner. I'm bringing gender reveal cupcakes for everyone to eat. I can't wait to see the looks on all of their faces. :)

I'll update again after dinner.

19 weeks

How far along? 19 weeks

How are you feeling? Good!!

Baby is the size of a(n): Heirloom tomato.

Cravings: Peaches!! Good thing Dave got some at the farmers market!

Aversions: The smell of hot wing sauce.

Testing/appts this week? The level-2/anatomy scan is on Friday!!

Milestones: My belly button is almost popped out! *gasp*

Week 18

How far along? 18 weeks

How are you feeling? My back still really hurts and I've been stuffy overnight. Almost every time I blow my nose in the morning though, dried blood comes out. I realize that bloody noses happen often in pregnancy, but this seems like a lot.

Baby is the size of a(n): Bell pepper. Getting big!

Cravings: Anything sweet! (Still) this needs to stop or else I'm going to end up with gestational diabetes.

Aversions: I can't even think about going near the break room at work. The smell in there is too overwhelming (Same as last week). Also, the smell of hot wing sauce.

Testing/appts this week? No appointments, just more waiting. As long as there are no complications, *knocks on wood* I don't have any appointments or blood work until the anatomy scan on August 30th.

Milestones: Nothing this week.

Week 17

How far along? 17 weeks

How are you feeling? My back hurts a lot and I'm noticing it is getting a little harder to bend, which is annoying. Otherwise, I feel good.

Baby is the size of a(n): Turnip. About 5 inches.

Cravings: Anything sweet! (Still)

Aversions: I can't even think about going near the break room at work. The smell in there is too overwhelming (Same as last week)

Testing/appts this week? No appointments, just more waiting. As long as there are no complications, *knocks on wood* I don't have any appointments or blood work until the anatomy scan on August 30th.

Milestones: Nothing this week.

Sequential Screening Results

My results from my sequential screening came back. I'm officially going to exhale.

The nurse called today and told me the results came back. The geneticist usually calls to give the results to patient, but she wasn't going to be in today until 4-4:30pm and the nurse thought that it wasn't fair for me to wait that long for results that already came in.

She also knew that I was nervous about the results because of the fact I'm on an anticonvulsant (even if it is the safest one for pregnancy).

These are the results:

Down Syndrome: 1:5000 (negative)

Trisomy 18 & 21: 1:5000 (negative)

Open Neural Tube Defects: 1:470 (highly unlikely)

The neural tube defects part of the screening was what I was nervous about. The nurse said that they were looking for the number for the neural tube defects to be less than 1:115 so this is great news :)

It's good to know that our baby is doing wonderful and that all the steps that we took in order to make sure that they would be safe.

Can't wait to see raspberry on the ultrasound on the 30th!

Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry

I decided that I should practice what I preach, so I signed up for the Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry.

Basically, this is a study by Mass General that documents women who are on AEDs and are pregnant to see the effects of the medications on unborn children. They come out with this study quarterly. You can check out an example of the results on one of my earliest posts here.

What this study entails is an initial 15-minute conversation to get you introduced to the registry and get some background on your epilepsy history. Then, you are left alone until you are about 7 months pregnant, when they call for a 5 minute conversation to ask how the pregnancy is going and have you had any complications. Last, they contact you about 1 to 2 months after delivery to check on if you've had any seizures and the development of the baby.

I figure for little to no effort, my participation will go towards educating others with up to date information and help future couples make the best medical decisions for their situation and their journey to having children. That makes what I'm doing completely worth it.

If you are interested in participating in the registry, or being a control (person not on AEDs participating to create accurate data), you can check it out here.

Week 16

Week 16

How far along? 16 weeks. Can someone explain to me how I'm already 4 months pregnant? This is flying by!

How are you feeling? Sitting has definitely become uncomfortable. My back hurts a lot. I'm only really nauseous if I don't eat right away now. Still having some pretty severe headaches which I'm attributing to the constant weather change.

Baby is the size of a(n): Avocado. About 4 1/2 inches long.

Cravings: Anything sweet!

Aversions: I can't even think about going near the break room at work. The smell in there is too overwhelming.

Testing/appts this week? No appointments, just waiting. I had the blood work for the sequential screening done on Friday and the lady told me that I should hear by the end of this week. So I will just be waiting for that phone call.

Milestones: I have been feeling these little bubbles in my stomach (it feels like low simmering water). I asked Dave's cousin about it (he's a PA) and he said it is quickening! Quickening is the very first fetal movement that happens before the kicks start coming!! That shouldn't be for at least a few more weeks though! 

Doctors...

I had another Ob appointment yesterday. This was just a normal Ob check up to listen to the heartbeat and see how I'm feeling. 

It was with a new doctor. We will call her Dr. U. She doesn't usually work in the office I was at... And I'm glad. I thought that Dr. V was a fear-based doctor, but she was nothing like this.

My mom came to this appt. She wanted to hear the heartbeat and was helping me out while Dave was traveling. Dr. U started talking about my SCHs and was basically yelling at me for being happy with the results from my appt with the high risk doctor.

"You are NO WHERE near out of the woods!" she proclaimed. Then proceeded to tell me that they don't usually send people to that doctor for SCHs unless they "have some horrible disease or something."

I told her to look at my chart.

The baby's heartbeat looked really good though. It was between 148-152. She said he couldn't pinpoint an exact number because she had to "chase" the baby. Every time she put the Doppler near the baby, it ran away. I joked with my mom that it was because raspberry didn't like Dr. U.

This solidifies that I made the right decision by going with Dr. S. I know he's taking on a more administrative role, but I'm going to see if I can start scheduling appts with him again. He is really smart, patient and definitely that opposite of a fear-based doctor.

Oh well, it's over with now and puts me one more appt closer to the anatomy scan on the 30th!

Week 15

How far along? 15 weeks

How are you feeling? Okay. I'm starting to get some pain my lower hips when I sit for long periods of time. I've also started getting some wicked headaches. Nausea has definitely slowed down though. I'll take that as a win!

Baby is the size of a(n): Apple. Just a little over 4 inches long.

Cravings: Nothing this week.

Aversions: Even the mention of eggs makes me feel sick. Smells are giving me headaches. Also, I've been having a few sips of coffee in the morning to help me function (still exhausted) and it has started to taste bitter. I am sad about this.

Testing/appts this week? On Wednesday, I have a regular Ob appt and Friday, I am getting the last part of the blood work for the sequential screening. Finally. The 7-10 day wait it going to feel like lifetime.

Milestones: Now that I'm visibly showing a lot of people are touching my stomach. It makes me feel highly uncomfortable. 

Positive Check Up

We had an appointment with the perionatologist yesterday. This was just to check on the subchorionic hematomas and see where they were in the healing phase. Also, to make sure that no new ones popped up.

Every time we get an ultrasound almost, the baby is asleep for the first part of it. Then, it is like he/she suddenly realizes that they are being watched and being frantically wriggling around. Obviously, the baby doesn't have any control over what is happening right now, but it is still funny!

The heartbeat was loud and strong at 149. 

The doctor said it looks like there is still one small, stubborn SCH but it looks like the others had drained and healed. Also, the important part, baby was totally fine and no new SCHs had showed up. It made us both feel a lot better.

My cousin, Julie, told me that they were able to determine the gender of her boys at 16 weeks, so since I was 14 weeks 5 days and measuring ahead, I thought I would take a stab at asking.

The tech said that she wasn't going to guess just yet because at this stage certain "girl parts" can be swollen and mistaken for "boy parts." The doctor offered to look next week when I go for my second round of blood work for the sequential screening (he said that we won't get official results from the testing for 7-10 days after the blood is drawn), but we turned it down. 

My level 2 ultrasound is scheduled for August 30th and we will find out then. I'll be 19 weeks and 5 days that day. It seems so far away! Anyone who knows me knows I hate waiting for a surprise. Especially the good ones :)

Maternity Leave

I had just stepped in to work and my boss stopped at my desk.

"I received authorization for your leave."

I was in the middle of setting up my desk for the day and that stopped me completely, mid-password.

He explained that they were authorizing 6 weeks of short-term disability for me, paid. This was better than I expected. I expected any leave I got to be completely unpaid given the amount of time I have been at this job. 

He made sure to emphasize, numerous times, that if there were any complications or a doctor suggested more time then they would be flexible. This was such a huge relief to me. I obviously don't anticipate anything happening, but it is good to know that they are going to be understanding if, God forbid, something does.

Having this type of response also reaffirms to me that I'm doing a good job. If they didn't consider me valuable, my fate for leave could have looked much differently. I work with an amazing group of people, though. Everyone is so nice and it seems that they genuinely enjoy being around each other. Everyone works hard and is intelligent, intuitive, creative and very quick to think outside of the box. I'm happy.

Whenever people find out at work that we are pregnant, the response isn't hesitant or timid. Not one person has given any hint of concern about whether I will come back to work or not - because they already know I will. I'm greeted with joy and excitement! 

Everything is going to be okay. 

Feeling Gross

I was miserable today. Blinding headache, severe nausea and complete exhaustion. My assumption is that my body wants no parts in me upping the dosage of the Lamotrigine. I remember how sick I got when we first put me on it after being ok Carbamazepine for so long. It was brutal for so many weeks.

Work dragged today. I finally made it to the end of the week though. However, it wasn't before a waitress "outed" my pregnancy in front of 5 of my coworkers, haha. At this point, I don't care since the CEO knows. Who would I be hiding it from? And it's not like they aren't going to notice my huge belly growing over the upcoming months.

We were at a "goodbye dinner" for a few team members that are going back to the office overseas.

The conversation went as follows:

Waitress: So, you'll have the chicken crit- Oh my God, you're pregnant!

Me: *stunned* ....yeah....

Entire group of coworkers: *look up at me in unison with wide eyes*

It was embarrassing but at least they know now. 

I actually left dinner a little early because it became too much. I felt horrible leaving but I think my drive home would've gone much worse if I had stayed.

On a different note, I heard back from my boss about my maternity leave option. I want that to be on a dedicated post so I'll write it up tomorrow.

Goodnight!

Finally Sorted Out

I spoke to Gary this morning. He called in the correct medication and I'm going to pick that up after work. 

He also said that Dr. L wants me taking 5mg of folic acid from now on.

The pharmacy called though and they have to give me a partial prescription because they don't have enough to fill the entire thing. They also said that Dr. L's office offered to pay for the medication that was the wrong prescription. Now that I think about, I'm not sure this is true. My pharmacy tends to say things just to get out of holes sometimes.

Dr. L's office really, really didn't have to do that. It is so sweet and amazing though that a doctor's office cares that much about their patients. Only problem is that I now have an entire bottle of the wrong medication at home that I cannot use and the pharmacy won't take back.

My official dosing now is:

• Lamotrigine ER: 250 mg 2x/daily

• Folic acid: 4.8mg

Dosage Change

I never thought I'd be making this post this early in my pregnancy. 

I felt "off" all day. My leg was slightly numb, too, which is the feeling I usually get if I forget to take my meds. I knew I took them though. So - I knew what this meant.

I have to raise my meds.

I called Nurse Gary and told him that I would take the increase that Dr. L suggested and that they haven't led me wrong yet, but that I wanted to increase my folic acid intake if we were increasing the amount of Lamotrigine. Gary said that it was smart to suggest that and they would call in the scripts.

I will be taking 250mg of Lamotrogine ER 2x/daily until they tell me otherwise.

I get that I am doing what is safest for both the baby and me but it is still disappointing to have to raise the dosage only 2 days into the second trimester. I didn't want to expose the baby to any more of the medication than was absolutely necessary. And yes, I understand that in my case, it absolutely necessary.

I picked up the new dosage of medication and when I got home, I realized that they called in the regular Lamotrigine and not Lamotrigine ER. I have to call Gary in the morning to fix this - and to verify the amount of folic acid since that wasn't called in today. I'm assuming he never heard back from Dr. L about it, but I want to know what's happening before I start putting more of this medication into my system.

I'll update again when I have the official instructions. I just want this all to go smoothly and for everyone to be on the same page. 

Week 14

How far along? 14 weeks! Yay for the second trimester!

How are you feeling? Having a better time sleeping lately. I got a body pillow so I think that's helping. However, smells are overwhelming right now and eating is making me nauseous.

Baby is the size of a: Lemon :)

Cravings: Nothing this week.

Aversions: Even the mention of eggs makes me feel sick. Smells are giving me headaches. (Same as last week)

Testing/appts this week? After the debacle that happened last week, I'm getting one more ultrasound to make sure the clots fully disappeared. Not having anymore cramping or bleeding though.

Milestones: Second trimester starts today! I can't believe how quickly this is going. Our raspberry is going to be here before we know it!

Levels

Nurse Gary called me today to tell me that Dr. L has reviewed the results of my Lamotrigine levels. 

They came back low at 3.6. He said the number and my heart sank. I really didn't want to raise my dosage so early in the pregnancy. The goal was to hold out as long as possible to keep both the baby and me safe. He said he was going to discuss options with Dr. L.

The second I hung up with him, I called back. I remembered that I took this level much later than I usually do and had been fasting for more than 8 hours. I wasn't sure if this made a difference or not, but it was worth bringing up.

Nurse Gary said he wasn't sure either and it was worth Asking. When he called me back, he said that Dr. L was going to leave me on my current dosage (anything above 2.5 is therapeutic) and I would recheck my levels 4 weeks from now and make a decision about upping the meds. This would put me at 18 weeks pregnant (almost halfway through pregnancy) before having to up my meds.

This plan makes me feel much better. If I feel any different between now and 4 weeks from now, I'll call and let them know.

Here's to more progress and changes.

It continues...

I woke up today sore and already feeling miserable.

I started my day by getting my Lamotrigine trough level taken (no big deal, if I don't hear from Dr. L's office by Monday, I'll call). I'm really hoping that we don't have to raise my meds just yet. I would like to hold out as long as possible before doing that. I don't want to have to raise it too much - for both the baby's and my sake.

During the day, my pain in my stomach started getting much worse. It became really sharp and I wanted to go home. I called Dave practically crying and he suggested I go to Maternal Fetal Medicine in my building.

I walked in and they called my Ob to make sure I should go there and not the ER. They took me in and Dave met me at the office. They looked at the baby and baby still looks good. The blood clots have started to shrink, but my stomach is still extremely sensitive.

I muscled through work. After finally making it home, I still had to get my Rhogam shot (since I'm a different blood type than the baby). I have to say, I don't like doing that at ALL. The shot is a two-inch needle that they stick IN YOUR BUTT. Not fun.

I'm usually good with needles but this HURT. I have to redo this shot at 28 weeks and also after delivery - and I don't wanna. It was so painful.

This needs to get easier.