Month: January 2011

I had my first prenatal appointment today.  It was just a bunch of talking and discussion about testing and what to expect throughout the 1st trimester.  I’m 7 weeks pregnant as of today.  I have a dating ultrasound scheduled for Feb 9th to get a more accurate picture of when the due date will be.  I have to get tested for gestational diabetes at the beginning of pregnancy since I had it last time.  I have to jump right in and do the 3 hour glucose tolerance test, instead of the 1 hour test.  When you do the 3-hour testing, they give you a super sugary soda type drink and draw your blood before you drink, 1 hour after you drink, 2 hours after you drink and then 3 hours after you drink.  Yep… 4 pokes in all, assuming they hit your veins on the first try.  I’m not looking forward to that, mostly cause sitting around a lab for 3 hours doing nothing is boring!  They don’t allow you to leave and come back because any activity can skew your results.  I will be having a repeat cesaerean, even though they’ve recently changed the recommendations saying that women who have had 2 c-sections can still be good candidates to have a normal delivery.  Since my first 2 c-sections came after long labors and nothing happening, the assumption is that it would happen again if I tried to have a normal delivery.  Also, a c-section after having a long labor is very hard on the body, carries more risks, and requires longer to recover, so I think having a scheduled c-section is a good thing.  I think.  That is, even though mentally, having weighed the possibilities of the different outcomes, and knowing a SCHEDULED c-section is the best decision, I still wish I could experience a regular delivery.  But the chance of going through another long labor and then ending in another c-section is just so discouraging.  Plus there’s the risk of uterine rupture at the site of the surgical scar, although that is pretty rare, even after 2 surgeries.  I’m sure I’ll get over my desire to have a normal delivery. I’m sure Nathan will think I’m nuts for even thinking about it at all.

So at 7 weeks, my uterus has already doubled in size.  I already can’t button some of my pants unless I use the rubber band trick.  My doc said that’s pretty normal for 3rd pregnancies… you start showing right away because your abdominal muscles have pretty much given up.  I have no morning sickness (Yay!).  The doc said it probably would have hit by now if I were to get it.  My only complaint is that I’m sleepy all the time.

I learned from my doctor that doing pilates (I love pilates) during pregnancy can help with sciatic nerve problems, which I’m already starting to feel.  I also learned that it’s okay to continue with exercises where you lay on your back for short periods of time, even after your 4th month.  You just shouldn’t sleep on your back after your 4th month.  What if I fall asleep on my back while I’m doing pilates?  Hmmm…

We just found out last week that we are so blessed to be expecting baby #3!  This was a bit of a shock to us since it took FOREVER for us to get pregnant with Sean and Mia.  I think it took us 18 months for Sean and almost 2 years for Mia.  For this baby, we had a more relaxed, “not REALLY trying” , approach.  I was actually on BC pills for a few months but stopped a couple months ago because of some side effects I didn’t like.  I wasn’t on them to actually prevent pregnancy (since I had never been that fertile anyways), but just taking them to give me regular cycles.   So yeah, after 2 months off the pills, BAM!, we’re pregnant again. 🙂

The baby should be due right around mid-September.  I’m not all that excited to go through a whole hot summer being big and pregnant, but it will be worth it.  I may have to kick the kids out of their kiddy pool this summer to get relief from the heat.  Haha!! Can you picture pregnant me laying in the kiddy pool with my pregnant belly poking out of the water like a tropical island?  Yeah, okay, stop picturing that… you’ll have nightmares.  🙂

I wonder if I can convince Nathan to not find out the baby’s gender since we already have a boy and a girl, and all their old stuff to hand down to this baby.  That would be kind of cool to not find out, I think.  Nathan has always said he wanted to find out so that we can be prepared, but at this point, we’re pretty much already prepared, right??  just bring an outfit for each gender to the hospital, and you’re set, right?  Yeah, I don’t think he’ll go for that, but we’ll see.

I can’t believe it!  I’m pregnant again!!!  I always loved being pregnant, aside from that last month, and the pesky gestational diabetes I had with Mia, I usually have a pretty easy pregnancy.  I’m praying that this one will be no different.  In related news, it seems the guidelines of VBACs (google it if you don’t know) have become less restrictive.  There’s more information here.  I had 2 c-sections for both our kids.  I’m not saying that I’d try for another VBAC, but I just thought that news was interesting.

Some of my goals this year:

Spend more time in The Word.  Grow closer to God.

Spend less time on the computer and love on my children and hubby more.

Lower my LDL &  increase my HDL cholesterol levels by working out more and watching my diet more too.

Workout at least 150 minutes per week.  This only works out to 30 minutes, 5X a week.  Totally do-able, right?

Eat a diabetic diet more often.

Organize our school area.

The working out part had been getting better since this summer, but of course, the holidays throw a wrench into any sort of normal schedule.  Tonight, Nathan and I got back on track with Jillian Michael’s:  Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism DVD.  I was reminded that one shouldn’t attempt one of her workouts on a full stomach… or even within a couple hours of eating dinner was even pushing it for us.  I think I’ll start doing my favorite DVD Super Slimdown, Pilates/Yoga blend with Miss Ellie B. in the mornings after a rough cardio workout to help loosen me back up.  I’ve also found this workout to be great to help regain ab strength after my pregnancies and c-sections.  It’s nice to have Nathan holding me accountable for my workouts.  Even when I don’t feel like it, he motivates me.  Thanks honey!  I’ll try not to subject him to too many girly dance-y workouts.