September 15, 2004
Butterflies in my belly
While watching TV on the Saturday that marked the start of my 20th week, I gradually realized I had a funny feeling in my lower belly. I looked over at Dale and said, "I think I'm feeling the baby move!" He was skeptical and said it was probably gas.
It felt kind of like the fluttering you may feel if you have gas, but in a different place than usual. Plus, I wasn't burping or passing any. The only other thing of note was that I had to pee. So I emptied my bladder and the feeling stopped.
Over the next few days, I'd occasionally get the same feeling, almost like someone was very lightly drumming their fingers on the inside of my belly. It was also usually accompanied by a need to pee and would stop after I'd gone, so I remained uncertain (and refrained from posting).
I'm posting now because I'm pretty sure what I feel is the baby. :D The fluttery feeling is usually in the same spot, low on my belly. And it does often coincide with a full bladder, but I feel it much more frequently now, regardless of needing to pee. Often when I feel it, I'll put my hands on my belly and hold my breath. Each time I do that, the feeling stops. And I've not yet been able to feel anything with my hands.
I think our little girl is teasing me.
Halfway there!
I should have posted this over a week ago. But as of last Saturday, I am officially halfway through my pregnancy!
Breast Ultrasound Follow-up and some other matters
Since I hadn't heard anything from my ob/gyn's office since the ultrasound, I gave them a call yesterday. While I was on the phone with the nurse, I mentioned some of the other issues I've been having. She said she'd talk to the doctor and call me back. A little while later, I had an appointment for 10:45 this morning.
My blood pressure was fine. I believe my weight was the same (so still no gain!). But my urine sample showed suger and ketones. The sugar level could be explained by the Cheerios and orange juice I had before the appointment. The ketones indicated slight dehydration, so I was admonished to drink a lot more water. I am bad about that. While I avoid caffeine, having maybe three caffeinated drinks a week, I don't drink much pure water. I drink milk, juice, and caffeine-free sodas. I guess that isn't good enough.
Anna, who I hadn't seen since my first prenatal appointment because she's been on maternity leave, listened to my litany of aches and weirdness and sympathized with them all, but basically told me that it's all a normal part of pregnancy. Even the nipple discharge wasn't anything to worry about. She did a breast exam and didn't feel any lumps. The ultrasound had been clean. So even if I still had the discharge after delivery, I could safely breast feed.
The pelvic pain, which is my biggest complaint, is from the stretching of my pelvis. The area below my belly hurts almost constantly. Walking, stairs, standing up, rolling over in bed, getting dressed, everything, makes it feel like that spot is horribly bruised and tender even though there's no pain if I touch it directly. It's bad enough that I limp slightly when I walk and whine and moan when I move around in bed trying to find a comfortable position.
Occasionally, I'll get a knot of pain high on my buttock just to the left of my spine. It feels like a small fist grabbing a bundle of nerves there and twisting. When it flares up, I can barely walk or sit or lie in a position that puts pressure there. It usually passes within a few minutes and is fairly irregular in occuring. I hadn't felt it in a couple of days, but it flared up a bit while I was on the exam table. This is caused by the weight of the uterus putting pressure on the sciatic nerve. Another normal effect of pregnancy.
Other not so fun pregnancy side effects I'm getting to experience include stretch marks, aggravated allergies, acne, and one other common problem I can't even bring myself to discuss. I am also positive that the hair on my lower belly is getting longer and darker and that I'm getting a Linea Nigra (the dark line that runs from the navel to the pubic bone). Dale says I'm crazy and doesn't see the hair or the line though.
That last bit of side effects are mostly cosmetic and really don't bother me. At least none of them hurt or make daily activities more difficult. Anna recommended Tylenol and possibly massage therapy to help with the painful issues.
Though this post may seem whiny and full of complaints (because it is), I still don't regret any of this. I am still thrilled to be pregnant and I'm not eager for it to be over with yet.