It’s been fun, TummyTime!
I can’t believe I’m writing this post, but it’s time for me to say good-bye to TummyTime. It’s weird that this is going to be my last post because Levi is only 9 months old and I have so much more to share with everyone and so so so so much more to learn about parenthood from everyone, as well! Boy, have we covered so much already though! We started out talking about pregnant bellies, hormones, vitamins, morning sickness, doctor’s visits, ultrasounds, baby showers, past due, labor, delivery, and so much more! Sharing the main points about Levi’s birth with women who have been there, done that or who were about to be there and doing that was really a great way to becoming a better mother. Without all the knowledge from others and comforting advice I’m not sure I would have been able to figure out motherhood as well
I Guess I Was Right To Have The Jitters
Remember when I said I had the first ultrasound jitters? Well, I guess my intuition was right. We recently got the tests back from the nuchal translucency screening, and it came back positive. Specifically, for me, the test came back saying that I have a 1 in 6 chance of my baby having Down’s Syndrome. Now, I’m going to see a specialist in Wilmington to get a Level II ultrasound done, and possibly an amnio, to try to determine whether or not the baby actually does have Down’s. I was able to get in touch with my husband to share the news with him pretty quickly, and he handled it fairly well. He was more worried about me, he said, and understandably so. I spent most of that day crying. I was, and am, worried. Having a special needs child is in not the issue. We’ll love this baby regardless
One Active Little Baby!
So last week, I had my first ultrasound. I had been so nervous leading up to it, and I’m still not entirely sure why. Anyway, when the time came, I leaned back, the tech started working, and there was my baby! And boy, was it one active little baby! This ultrasound was done as part of the nuchal fold screening to test for Down’s Syndrome. I did the same test with Ben. You have to come with a full bladder, so it’s not the most comfortable ultrasound in the world. In Ben’s case, the test was agony. He slept the entire time, and of course, was not sleeping in the correct position. So the tech had to jab at my uterus over and over and over again for a good twenty minutes, trying to wake him up. This of course meant that she was jabbing at my very-full bladder for
First Ultrasound Jitters
I don’t know why, but I’m nervous about getting my first ultrasound. I’m excited, of course, but this little fear keeps pushing itself into the back of my head: what if there’s nothing there? What if there’s no heartbeat? I just can’t get those thoughts out of my head. With Ben, I was scared of a miscarriage, as any woman is. When I heard the heartbeat, I felt immensely relieved. Then I started bleeding at 11 weeks and thought for sure it was all over. But at the hospital, I got my first ultrasound and saw him moving and kicking and being a very healthy little peanut in there. And it was at that point that I think I finally realized that this pregnancy was real, it was happening. It’s a little surreal to think that there’s a human growing inside of you sometimes. I don’t know why I’m so
Please Let This Pregnancy Be Easy
My last pregnancy was a constant roller coaster, full of ups and downs. Matt and I were so thrilled we were going to be having a baby. He left for Afghanistan almost immediately after we found out, when I was six weeks pregnant, and so the pregnancy had to be shared across thousands and thousands of miles through pictures. I played the heartbeat for him for the first time on speakerphone, and he was so excited that he had all of the Marines in the room with him come and listen. I surprised him with a box of “Its A Boy!” gifts instead of telling him over the phone. That was another really exciting moment for him. But, like I said, we also had the lows. At 11 weeks, I started bleeding, heavily, and had to go to the emergency room. I went again in the second trimester with what
