Okay, Pumpkin here - so many updates I'm not sure I can keep track of everything! Raspberry, and Sepi, yes, my face has gone berserker. It's not good. I get rosacea from time to time (usually when I use a new product and my sensitive skin revolts) but for wahtever reason I've had it almost consistently since peeing on a stick. I've been sick this week and that made it much worse.

Yeah, know what's not fun? Allergies, a horrible cold (thanks again patient zero! love that there is another patient zero out there, poppy) and the fact that I'm still nauseated. I'm firmly in week 11, this should ease up soon, right? (With my first it ended later, but it also set in much later, so I was really hoping to get out of this phase soon!). I have been throwing up again this week, but hoping this means this is the peak and that it will all be over soon. Sepi, you said you're feeling better, so you're leading the charge - hope we're all right behind you!

LJ, was that you mentioning another incident of spotting? Has it all cleared? It sounds like it is just something that might just happen on and of with no significance - I'm glad your OB wasn't nervous or anything but that must be nerve-wracking! I hope it stops SOON so you can rest at ease!

JinDC, when is your GD test? I forgot to mention in my posts yesterday that my OB last time around told me that he recommends not eating any sugars or carbs within a few hours of the test, because it will add to your overall sugar load that your body will be trying to clear. I was worried about flagging myself as a false positive and then having to do the 3 hour test, so I ate proteins (two eggs, I think) but with NO toast, because I didn't want the carbs to turn into sugar and fail me! I hope you do get to talk to your provider and see how they are approaching this.

Hey, a question for those of you who did the barre class (or, JinDC, if you do it frequently). I've never done barre before. Is it hard? Should I watch a video or something first? Do I need any equipment? What do people wear and / or bring to class? I'm planning to try and go next week or the week after.

Cheers, Pumpkin (feeling better and better in the nose department, at least).

Would love to hear how barre went.... Can't go next week, we'll be home (hopefully) sharing the news with family.

Did go to yoga yesterday and it was very nice. A good mix of a work out and relaxation.i bought a 10 class pass after it! This was Tranquil Space. Tuesday I try yoga district on 14th but I liked the Saturday class at Tranqil Space a lot. I high recommend it and think starting later wouldn't be a help if you are new simpy because I'd imagine learning to work with a growing belly is part of the process. They also offer a yoga assisted birth class or something, but it's an occasional work shop. There were a numvpber of new girls in the class, and a few new October moms there which was nice.

Hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful weather. We went to Costco....very exciting!

Hi all, Pumpkin here. Just reporting in to say I won't be making it to the barre class today but hope to go next week! I'm so much better than I was earlier but I'm still a little bit under the weather. I think I'll be back in action really soon so hopefully I can make it next weekend! Enjoy, for those who go! And more of an update later.

This reply is totally jumbled as I just read through and typed responses as I went - sorry!

Jiindc - My baby wouldn't stretch out at all during my NT - totally curled up. The tech kept aggressively moving the wand around, trying to jostle the baby to make it stretch out, but it refused. Funny that your baby was so active.

Also, I went to Dolcezza last night and thought of this thread!!

Also thanks for the Alphamom suggestion - I love it!

What practice do you use? I can't remember if you mentioned before. I was really worried about that sort of attitude before I picked a practice, but Georgetown has been great in that regards!

Poppy - glad to hear the NT scan went well!

Wavy, Jiindc, Poppy thanks for the support!

My due date is kind of murky. I have been told anywhere from Oct 3-10. The office finally changed it to the 10th permanently, but the baby always measures like the 3rd and I think that is probably more accurate. Or maybe it is just wishful thinking If the 3rd is my due date, my second trimester started March 30. If the 10th is my due date, my second trimester started on 4/6. Either way I am firmly in the 2nd trimester now.

Inteloper - Love the pregnant chicken site, thanks for the rec!

Sepi - glad you are feeling better. I keep hearing about this magical corner into the 2nd trimester but am still feeling rather nauseous a lot of the time. Hope I follow in your footsteps soon!

----------------------------

I had one more incident of spotting on Thursday. Called the doctor but they said unless it is heavy then to just sit tight. The doctor implied that it could be a result of the cervical exam on Tuesday but it seems like it would happen earlier than 48 hours afterwards? Ughhh I am just so tired of constantly worrying. And my next appointment isn't until the scan which is scheduled for my 18th week.

Other than that things are okay - still feeling nauseous and still not generally sleeping more than 3 hours at a time. Symptoms are oddly reassuring though.

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

JinDC, one more thing for you before I go to sleep and I'm fading fast... I actually discovered this site when I was pregnant with my son and doing research (on the GD test, actually!). Although it is labeled a "plus size pregnancy" website, it is a fabulous resource for any pregnant person, in my view at least. It's well-sourced. I'm linking to their section on GD, in case it's helpful, but I recommend the whole site.

http://www.plus-size-pregnancy.org/gd/gd_testing.htm

More tomorrow from me, including replies to everyone else - for now, hi everybody! It's nice to see some of your names again!

Pumpkin

jindc, you have no reason to feel disappointed in yourself over weight. I know you know that, but just want to provide some support since there's so much in your last message. HUGE props to you for losing so much with Weight Watchers--that's not easy to do at all, and you deserve tremendous credit. Same for all the working out--so few people actually exercise that much, it's such a credit to you that you did (when you could).

I'd be inclined to find an OB by whom I did feel supported, but that's easy for me to say. I know switching isn't necessarily straightforward, or even what you want to do. I just feel strongly that women deserve to feel supported by their providers during pregnancy. It's such a vulnerable time, the last thing you need is someone who can't take the time to be thoughtful about your care.

Sending a big hug to you--

Poppy

Raspberry here again. Sepi, that's too funny! Very fun to have someone on the exact same timeline! I'm also not really showing at all, but when I told some of my coworkers they were like "all those milkshakes you've been having make a LOT more sense now!". Hehe. What can I say, I figure if I gave up my nightly wine with dinner, I could justify a regular afternoon milkshake...mmm!

JinDC, so much to unpack in your messages but I would be really upset too. Not necessarily at the test, but it sounds like your doctor came across as "fat shaming" and completely indifferent to your unique situation. This would be a red flag for me. There are DOZENS of competent OBs in this town who will treat you with respect. Am I reading too much into your last post?

I will have more on GD and the later. (said as I'm feeding my family the worst food right now....)

Last rant on this issue:
there's a general understanding, it seems, like I've just decided to be fat...as a choice. Nevermind the 75lbs I lost on Weight Watchers. There wasn't much being impressed by that. And it bothers me LARGELY because I had been doing so well - I was almost at my personal goal - but definitely backslid....and this puts the emphasis on my failure rather than my success.
I can see a doctor not caring, or understanding. It doesn't make it less annoying.
I'm not looking for fat acceptance, either, but I love how they assume I have no idea what my risks are. Granted, taking step twice a week, kickboxing once a week, a personal trainer twice a week, and usually a barre class once a week PRIOR to IVF isn't something a normal human can keep up once they are pregnant. I'm just trying not to focus on being disappointed in myself - I figure my doc can be disappointed enough for both of us!

You're welcome. String cheese sounds great--I rediscovered it while pregnant the first time, and it's an excellent snack. Greek yogurt's good, too.

I'd be irritated, too. Seems unfair, especially given you've gone through IVF and all the associated weight gain, exercise restrictions, etc. Like, can't they cut you a bit of slack? Ah well. I hope it goes well.

Poppy

thanks, Poppy - I figured eggs would be good. Possibly some light cheese (string cheese from trader joes is the best!)?

I'm sort of irritated that I'm having this test before my first tri is even over JUST because I'm heavy - I haven't had a chance to be active yet, and I feel like it's one of those "you're fat, you must just sit around and eat crap all day especially because you're pregnant now!" type of things. I'm sure it's with the best intentions, but it's sort of annoying. Let me at least enjoy a LITTLE bit of this, lady! And by enjoy, I mean not worry for a few weeks...(not eat everything I see).

jindc, my midwife told me to eat a ton of protein for breakfast before my GTT in my first pregnancy. I think her exact words were, "eggs and bacon."

You'll see a lot of different advice on the subject, but I wouldn't fast unless specifically told to (in part because I'd probably barf up a storm if I had to drink that sugar on an empty stomach).

Does suck about the test--they're just annoying. Bring something good to read.

Poppy

Speaking of snickers...my doc wanted me to have an early glucose test on my next visit - wednesday. I'm already freaking out about it. What should you eat before hand? Protein and a complex carb? Like, scrambled eggs and a whole grain english muffin? Plain yogurt?

Lately I've been eating the Starbucks reduced fat turkey bacon egg white sandwich....long story short our fridge had a freak out so we had to throw a lot of things away and I hadn't had a chance to shop for new stuff yet. I want to have stuff at home to prepare....if anyone knows.

No one told me if I should fast before or not. She just said she wanted to do the hour test when I was there. Which sucks because I'm using so much time off work these days....sigh...

Anonymous wrote:Hi all, Raspberry here - it's been a while! Sepi, when are you due? I'm due Oct 8, so I'll hit 15 weeks next Tuesday. Just started telling people more widely at work this week. It's been very sweet - everyone super excited for us (I work with a lot of young women ) I've also been feeling a bit better, although my stomach definitely starts growling about every 2 hours!

Oh question for the crowd, has anyone else's skin started freaking out? Seriously, it's like I'm back in high school. Actually, worse than high school. Every time I turn around I find another break out in a random place, like behind my ears or under my arm. In the grand scheme of things, not a big deal obviously, but combined with entering these "doughy" middle weeks, I am just feeling so frumpy these days...Ah well, all for a good cause right!

Sepi here - Raspberry, WE'RE BIRTH TWINS! I'm so excited! I'll be 15 weeks on Tuesday.
And, can I tell you, I woke up yesterday with two huge zits, right smack on my face. I thought that part was over! I've noticed I get a little itchy on my legs and stomach too. But it goes away quickly.

I still haven't told work people, only a couple who knew right when I found out. I'm growing, but I manage to hide it. Hoping till after the 16 week scan. I was so depressed earlier in the week b/c of it, but now that I've started wearing some of my looser clothes, I'm feeling much better.

Okay, I hope you are feeding your stomache better than i am. I just polished off a mini snickers . Ah!

Hey, all! Wow, lots of good updates and tips lately--thanks to you all! Pregnant Chicken is so hilarious, my sides hurt from laughing. The writer of Alphamom has her own blog at amalah.com, and she's just as funny over there. That's more about her family life, but still worth reading.

afield, welcome! I hope your wife's feeling well at this point, and the pregnancy goes smoothly. My best friend had twins almost six years ago, and delivered vaginally. They came quite early, but were/are healthy, and they received great care. I think vaginal delivery vs. C-section with twins really depends on the individual factors involved: fetal positioning, doctor's expertise/skill, personal preference, etc. I can't remember if folks have recommended one of the local parents of multiples clubs (Montgomery and Fairfax counties both have them), but they're well worth checking out. The MoCo one has amazing semiannual sales, so you can get some good gear, clothes, etc. there.

We just got back from our NT scan, and all looks well with little Pip! I'm going to follow up with my insurance company to see if they have a preference for which lab we use for M21, but we're really glad and relieved with the results.

jindc, thanks for your ice cream tips! I really should just go to a good place and get a scoop when I'm having a craving, but that never seems to happen. We bought an ice cream maker during my first pregnancy because I was craving tart frozen yogurt so much. I made it with greek yogurt and it was delicious. But, yeah, I see how being a gourmet ice cream maker could become a dangerous (if awesome) skill.

I've been considering the end of the first tri to be the end of 13 weeks, just to be conservative. I'll be 13 weeks Sunday, so in the second tri April 21. I wish there was some consistency; it was so weird to me during my first pregnancy how there were so many different methods of counting. I would love to get together and meet up! Maybe end of April or May, once Pumpkin is back?

Have fun with all your barre and yoga classes! I'm going to try to resume yoga in the next week or so. I have about six more classes on my pass at the studio I go to to use before June, so I'm going to do that and then switch to prenatal. I figure the regular, non-heated flow classes will be fine for now (though how I miss my hot yoga).

Pumpkin--sending healing thoughts your way!! Being sick while pregnant is just the pits. A friend labeled her son patient zero after he took out his entire daycare classroom with a stomach bug/fever. I'll be thinking of you.

Happy Friday, all!

Poppy