Dr. Wamhoff came in and we chatted for a few mins. She asked how things were going and if I had any concerns (which I said I didn't). She started to examine my belly and she made a comment about how high up my uterus seemed to be (near my belly button). I told her that I felt like this time around I was getting bigger sooner than I did with Jacob. I think the first time around it took me a lot longer to really "show". This time, I am feeling like my stomach is getting much rounder (even with the extra padding that I have there! haha).
Jacob was being unusually hyper during the appointment (at the last appointment, Dr. Wamhoff complimented me on how well behaved Jacob was and today he was not good!). He was all over the exam room while we were trying to talk and he literally climbed the wall to get on a little ledge near the windows while we were trying to listen to the doppler. He was also being very loud so I kept having to ask him to be quiet so that the doctor could hear the baby's heartbeat.
She started off by placing the doppler towards the bottom of my belly (where most babies are normally) but she couldn't get anything. Then, after about a minute of searching she found something, but it ended up being my heartbeat instead of the baby's! She told me not to worry and that she was going to find it. Then she said, "And if I don't find it, we will go do an ultrasound". I was honestly getting a little scared. About another minute later, she was running the doppler up higher (near my belly button) when she finally said "There it is". I asked her if she was sure because I couldn't really hear it and she said that she was 100% sure. Then, I asked her what the rate was and she listened a bit more and said it was in the 150s. Needless to say, I was relieved and happy to hear that things seem to be progressing as they should be.
So far, this pregnancy hasn't really been that bad in the way of symptoms. The most annoying things are the heartburn and the increased gag reflex. The heartburn seems to creep up on me at the strangest times - sometimes hours after I have eaten. It really doesn't seem to have anything to do with what I eat - I can eat spicy or really acidic foods and be fine, but then sometimes bland foods cause pain. My sister, Karen, gave me some Papaya Enzyme tablets that helped her when she was pregnant. They seem to be milder than Tums (and taste better too!) so I am popping them whenever the heartburn strikes!
The gag reflex is something that I experienced with my first pregnancy also. I am not sure what causes it but there have been many times in the recent past when I have gagged (and sometimes vomited) while I was brushing my teeth. I try to not brush too long or keep too much toothpaste/saliva in my mouth before I spit it out and that will sometimes help. It is just strange how sometimes it happens and other times it doesn't.
Right now, I am also dealing with some pain in my right shoulder whenever I lift my arm too high or reach across my body. I don't think it is pregnancy related but it is quite painful and annoying. I saw my PCP on Monday and she said that it was just a pulled muscle. She gave me some suggestions on exercises to do and said that heat and Tylenol would help. So far, nothing is really working, but I am not really able to rest it so I will have to wait and see how things progress. The doctor said I could go to PT if it doesn't get better, but I am going to hold off on that for now.
Other than that, I am feeling pretty good and actually cannot believe that I am almost halfway through this pregnancy. Just like the first time around with Jacob, I feel like the first few weeks seem to drag, but then once I hit the second trimester, time seems to fly by. We have our mid-point ultrasound scheduled for April 12th and I can't wait to find out if we are having a boy or a girl!
1 comment:
Glad things are going well! :-)
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