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Life is full of sweet sounds. Sounds that become music to our ears. Sounds that warm our hearts, make us smile, make us giggle or just simply make us sigh. The other day I got to hear what I consider to be one of life’s sweetest sounds, the sounds of a tiny baby heart beating in utero. That lovely whoosh, whoosh, whooshing. A sound that warms my heart and instantly calms me. A sound that reminds that there is an actual baby growing in there. I still remember hearing Maya’s heart beating away for the first time.
On Tuesday I had my 12 week follow up appointment with my obstetrician. It was the first appointment that I was far enough along for him to use the doppler to hear that baby’s heartbeat. I’ve heard that heartbeat a couple of times already through the ultrasound machine, but there is just something about hearing for the first time on the doppler that makes the pregnancy feel more real. I can’t wait until my next appointment so I can hear it again.
Everything checked out great at my appointment. I was actually able to put on a half a pound in the last 4 weeks. Both my doctor and I were very impressed given how horribly nauseous I have felt and that I’ve was vomiting almost daily for most of that 4 weeks. So, I’m very proud of that half pound my body was able to add on.
Now that I’m almost out of the first trimester I’ve actually been starting to feel a bit better. Some days are still really bad, but most days this week I’ve been able to avoid the nausea until about 4pm in the afternoon and I haven’t vomited in almost a week now. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks the nausea will go away completely and I’ll start feeling more and more like myself.
When I was pregnant with Maya I remember enjoying my pregnancy from the very beginning. I loved being pregnant and all that went along with it. Now, I may have erased all the bad things from my mind but I don’t really remember not liking any part of my pregnancy. My morning sickness was mild, the exhaustion was manageable and there weren’t any aches or pains I couldn’t handle. I was one of those annoying, glowing, joyful pregnant women.
This time…is different. This pregnancy is seriously kicking my butt. I’ve had horrible morning sickness since before I took that home pregnancy test way back when I was a mere 4 weeks pregnant. I’m now just over 11 weeks and still stuck in the midst of constant, all day nausea, gagging at the faintest yucky smell or taste, and almost daily vomiting. Not to mention exhaustion of epic proportions. I’ve never been so grateful that my child still takes a nap everyday so I too can get some much needed extra sleep. I just don’t feel like myself anymore.
My house is a disaster most of the time because I don’t have the energy or motivation to clean it. I’m constantly snapping at Lorne and Maya because I have next to no patience and am operating on a very short rope. Between constantly feeling sick, being so tired I can’t see straight and lovely pregnancy hormones thrown in the mix, I’m a walking time bomb. As you can imagine living with me these days is the opposite of fun. My family deserves a medal for putting up with me.
I just want this part of pregnancy to be over so I can feel like myself again and start enjoying this pregnancy. It is hard to enjoy being pregnant and revel in the wonderful parts of carrying a child when you feel like death. Hopefully as a bid farewell to the first trimester in a couple of weeks I’ll also bid farewell to all the things that are making me not enjoy this pregnancy.
Many pregnant women don’t think about their dental health. The focus is on the growing the baby and the physical symptoms being experienced. Your teeth probably aren’t front and center in your mind. However, keeping on top of your dental hygiene during pregnancy is very important. Many of the changes in your body that are causing the symptoms you are experiencing are also causing some problems and changes in your mouth as well. Those pregnancy hormones are responsible for a whole lot of crazy things during pregnancy.
The hormonal changes that take place during pregnancy cause pregnant women to become more susceptible to the gum disease gingivitis and increase tooth sensitivity. Those rage hormones can also cause your gums to bleed more easily, your teeth to become slightly loose and increase acidity in your mouth which causes tooth decay. As a result of these changes taking place in your mouth it is important to take good care of your teeth during pregnancy.
- Brush your teeth at least twice a day with a soft bristled tooth brush. Ideally you should brush after each meal if possible.
- Floss your teeth at least once a day. You may need to take extra care when flossing as your gums may bleed more easily.
- Rinse with a fluoride mouthwash twice a day.
- If you vomit as a result of morning sickness during pregnancy be sure to rinse your mouth very well afterwards as the increased acidity in the mouth can lead to tooth decay.
- Visit your dentist regularly during pregnancy.
- If you develop any dental issues or problems discuss them with your prenatal care provider and your dentist.
If you have questions about dental health during pregnancy be sure to discuss them with your dentist and your prenatal care provider.
In the early part of pregnancy the idea that a small little person is growing inside of you can be difficult to imagine. The baby inside is still very surreal. You can’t see him or her (unless you have an ultrasound, of course), you can’t touch him or her and you can’t yet feel him or her moving inside of you. Hearing the baby’s heartbeat at a prenatal visit or seeing his or her fuzzy image on an ultrasound monitor are your only real glimpses of the life being created. Feeling your baby move for the first time is such a magical time of pregnancy. It is those first faint kicks, those little flutters that tell you someone is in there. Those little flutters that will become large, sometimes uncomfortable kicks, are your connection to the baby.
When you feel those first faint movements will vary widely from woman to woman and even from pregnancy to pregnancy. Often times women will be able to recognize the faint flutters of movement earlier in second and subsequent pregnancies since they already know what to look for. On average a pregnant woman can expect to feel her baby moving sometime around the 15 to 20 weeks of pregnancy. The baby begins moving as early as 7-8 weeks but since it is still so tiny at that point you won’t yet be able to feel the movements. Your size can also impact when you feel the first movements. Larger women often don’t feel the first movements until closer to the 20th week of pregnancy or later. While petite women may feel the baby move earlier. When I was pregnant with Maya I felt her move for the first time during my 14th week of pregnancy. It felt like tiny little flutters, sort of like popcorn popping inside my tummy. It is definitely a very cool feeling.
As the baby continues to grow and take up more space inside your abdomen you will begin to feel stronger more regular kicks. You’ll begin to recognize your baby’s cycles. There will be certain times of the day when the baby is very active, like just after you’ve eaten or when you are relaxing or trying to sleep. Other times of the day the baby will be very still. Recognizing these patterns will help you identify if something is wrong. If you haven’t felt the baby move at his or her regular times you’ll know to call your doctor. A general role of thumb for fetal movements is at least 10 distinct movements in no more than 2 hours. You don’t need to constantly count the movements but occasionally, during a regular active time for your baby, sit quietly or lay on your side and time how long it takes to feel 10 movements. Call your doctor if you do not feel 10 movements in 2 hours.
Feeling those movements, even though they can sometimes be uncomfortable or keep you awake at night, is the best feeling. Those little hands and feet moving away inside giving you a glimpse of the person you will meet on delivery day. Enjoy those kicks, they are definitely one of the things you will miss about being pregnant.
Be sure to talk to your doctor if you are at all concerned about your baby’s movements.
The US government announced a new national campaign today called Text4Baby that will use cellphones and text messaging as a means to get healthy mother, healthy baby tips out to millions of expectant mothers all over the country. The campaign is being sponsored by several organizations and companies including the National Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition, Voxiva, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Wellpoint and Blue Cross Blue Shield; and wireless carriers have agreed to waive all charges associated with receiving these text messages.
The goal of the campaign is to reach as many expectant mothers as possible and to use these periodic “healthy pregnancy” text messages to keep women informed about the things they should and shouldn’t be doing during pregnancy in order to help keep themselves and their babies healthy. The hope is that through these text messages women will be encouraged to eat healthier, exercises more and seek proper prenatal care, as well as provide encouragement and support to quit bad habits like smoking and drinking during pregnancy. A woman who has a healthy pregnancy and partakes in a healthy lifestyle during her pregnancy is much less likely to give birth prematurely and is more likely to have a healthy baby.
In the United States over half a million babies are born prematurely every year and every year almost 30, 000 babies die before their first birthday. Sadly, the United States ranks 30th worldwide in infant mortality, falling behind many other developed nations. The hope is that programs like Text4Baby will help women, especially low income women and those without health insurance, get the information they need to keep themselves and their babies healthy during pregnancy which will hopefully translate into fewer premature births and a fewer infant deaths.
The program is completely free to sign up for, and as stated above most cell phone carriers are waiving the fees associated with receiving these text messages. Visit Text4Baby.org to learn more about the program and sign up.