To Claire and Meagan! Congratulations on seeing your precious babies via ultrasound.
Claire I was the same until about ten days ago, I looked huge!!!! Turns out it was all just bloating and water weight tmi didn't help I was constipated too :-( hopefully it passes for you too!
Still resting in bed, have had a two hour nap and my goodness my dreams are still so vivid. One :-( thing my skin is hideous, breakout central!
Justclaire, I am right there with you, Blob queens r us. 
Almost 10 pounds up for me as well, and I ain't carrying it in any kind of cute way. 
10 weeks 1 day and I just look 20 pounds overweight, that's all there is to it. Sigh. I wish I had made more of an effort to drop the ten extra pounds I was carrying through winter/holidays/TTC before getting pregnant because those pounds (which looked fine, really, I'm tall and can look slim at a pretty wide range of weights) plus these 8-9 pounds = blob central.
What's the materni21? I'm trying to remind myself that my statistical chances for having any issues discovered on these tests are quite tiny, I'm under 35, healthy, it doesn't run in my family, and my other kids are perfect. I shouldn't work myself up stressing, until I hear the results.
Has anyone heard from Solielmama??? I really hope she is ok, she had had a sub chorionic hemarrage like myself and hasn't been on in a few days 
praying her and her baby are ok.
just had my mil come over to check on baby, took two try's to find the heartbeat but nice and strong at 160bpm again. So that is a relief. Having real trouble feeling at ease right now, no idea what I will do once dh is back at work this week.
That's probably what I had yesterday. So much is lost in translation for me around here. :( Sucks having your prenatal care NOT in English.
Ahhh, I see. Well, not sure what is offered here and at what cost out of pocket, and I know I am probably just stressing without much reason to do so....
Ok, it's not available in this country so the Maternit21 is not an option for me unless I want to get on a plane for it.
Where in Europe are you Serafina ? It's not called maternit21 here in nz but it is offered under another name - " combined maternal serum screening " which is the same thing.
Not in an english speaking country, that's for sure, and I am really confused about what the medical terms even are here (I barely scrape by with the language in regular day to day conversation, so technical terms are waaaay out of my comfort zone).
Anyhoo, I'll try to ask around about it here and find out more. There's a separate thread for this that someone started, so we should swerve this convo back to general chit chat.
Did I tell you guys I didn't get the job? I was so sad, but I saw dulce de leche cheesecake advertised at the premium bakery in an ad and I sent my man out to fetch some for me. He bought me THREE slices, and these were very expensive per slice, so by the first mouthful I didn't care so much about losing out on my dream job anymore. :) I am simple to cheer. BUt seriously I think that was it on being able to hide a pregnancy at interviews. Go check out my photos in the belly pics thread and tell me if you think I can hide it any longer. 
So no job and my kids are a lot at their dads. SO what do I do with my free time??? I like to write, I was thinking about writing a blog about an American trying to find her way, make a home/life/family life that feels her own, living permanently abroad in a country with culture dramatically different to hers. Not sure if I have what it takes to appeal to many people on that topic, but perhaps. Or then, I could expand a ten page (single space/small font, would probably easily be more like 25 pages with more normal type/spacing) essay I wrote a year ago about my dramatic personal experiences that led to my being stuck far from home, and see if I can't stretch that out into something more substantial. Or then use it as the basis of a novel, coming up with something similar that allows me to be more creative with the story arc and provide some sort of ending (since my story clearly isn't over, I'm only 33). I don't know if it would ever get published, but I could self publish it, and even if very few ever saw it, it would be on record for my children and grandchildren to read, as part of the family heritage.
I love to read as well, and although I am drawn into tense or suspenseful plotlines that go to dark places, I am so very susceptible to nightmares that I have to really censor what I feed into my brain, so I am feeding myself the happiest stuff I know: Alexander McCall Smith novels. That Scotsman writes novels that make me feel so positive and happy and warm and fuzzy, but they are clever and full of wit. Anyone familiar with the Ladies No. 1 Detective Agency series? They are like going on a holiday into innocence and everything that is good about humanity. And laugh out loud funny. Since stress causes contractions for me after 16 weeks, I need to get into the habit now of reading/watching media that makes me feel happy and relaxed, rather than clenched up or nightmare-inducing stressed out.
To those of you who have shared my feelings of ambivalence about the pregnancy (at times), how are you doing now?
I still feel no connection to the fetus and I just find myself thinking of worst case or pessimistic thought scenarios. I hope the psychiatrist I meet after my next 'prescreening' on friday at the mental health center will lead to some talk therapy that will help me think more positively, let go of undue worrying and bitterness about the negative side of my life circumstances, and push my thought patterns into healthy loops. Science shows that laughter and smiling truly does instigate fantastic chemical reactions in your brain, so I am trying to convince my partner to watch more comedies with me, less violence, in the name of boosting my mood.
Do any of you utilize talk therapy as part of your health regimen?
When would that testing be done? The materni21? After a nuchal translucency I assume, if it were to come back questionable..?
Danielle, I was wondering about Soleilmama too. I hope everything's ok! And how are you feeling Danielle?
Gray, how are you doing?
Ciga, I hope your nausea is getting more tolerable! Ugh, it's the worst, I know. My doctor told me to take benedryl and b6, and it's really helped me. Maybe you could try it? She said to start with twice a day, morning and night, and if I need more that's ok too. I just keep it within the time table on the benedryl dosing instructions. I take regular benedryl allergy, 25 miligrams.
Blonhrt, how are you doin, mama?
Everyone else, Hi, hope you're all doing well!
AFM, enjoying a much needed snow day with my husband today :) Not too nauseous today, just a twinge. I've been taking the benedryl, I'm even able to tolerate my prenatals again since starting it.
serafina- It was totally sweet that he cared so much about the vitamins. The next day he even came and apologized about kind of freaking out over it. He's also the same as yours about other meds.
I was less ambivalent about the new baby and more slightly terrified about starting over. I still feel nervous but as I get farther into this trimester I'm coming to terms with that fear a little better. It helped for me to finally decide who to go to for care and make my first prenatal appointment (I have to wait until the 21st when I'll be about 10 wks!) and make an appointment with a doula for next Monday. I am too rural to feel comfortable with a homebirth so I knew I was going to be in a hospital. That was making me nervous so I think starting a relationship with a doula early will help me feel more comfortable in the hospital setting.
Holy cow, is anyone else getting dizzy more than usual. I feel like every time I stand up I have to stabilize myself before I can start moving. I also came closer to vomiting last night than ever before. Usually my m/s is just constant 24hr nausea. I realized I hadn't eaten anything in hours so I forced myself to eat some dinner and the puking feeling went away to be replaced by the usual nausea. The last few days I have been beyond exhausted (DS and I slept in until almost 9am today). Considering we go to bed around 9pm that seemed pretty crazy.
On the up side, I feel like the bloating has gone down a little. Now I just look 3-4 months pregnant most of the time instead of 5-6 months all the time.
That's so funny Serafina: I live in England (actually, I choose to be here) but it is not home. And what have I been reading this past month? 1-6 and 9 of the Precious Ramotswe novels! In fact, I just ordered 7, 8 and 10, and am mightily peeved that they are not here yet.
I've been there with you on jobs. I just found out some good news this week--that my academic book is about to be published--but I keep reminding myself that when I sent it in this summer (before I got the job in England), I was unemployed and scrimping. Nothing has changed about me or the quality of my work, so now that I have a job, I still have to remember: who you are is the real core, you just have to wait for your circumstances to change to reflect this, and if you are persistent, they will! So I can't let success get to my head, or allow future setbacks to derail me.
That said, I'm going to have to be on the academic job search market next year... If only Precious were here to keep me company with her Redbush tea. By the way, once you are done, check out Celeste Vianatu (I think that's how you spell her name) trilogy: Breadfruit, Frangipani and Tiare in Bloom. They are comparable to #1DA.
Serafina I'm sorry you didn't get the job. Pleased the cheesecake took the sting out of it though. Food is my comfort too. Does your partner speak the native language of where you are? Or could you take another local mother to translate for you to a prenatal appointment???
Dahlia I'm pleased you had a rest day with your husband. Really happy the benedryl is helping ease the nausea as well.
ciga I hear you on the dizziness it's horrid, I've had it before but it eased up recently. I nearly black out completely half the time.
AFM- I'm feeling pretty down today, my body is falling apart, my back is killing me and even too much moving around the house my uterus gets really sore. Which of course causes me to worry. My stay in hospital was hideous, it was so invasive, I wish I had never agreed to the vaginal exams I am now mortified to have anyone come to close. I am afraid of being adjusted with a chiropractor or osteopath in case something shifts and causes a bleed again that puts the baby at risk.
For the last year I have been dog sitting & walking for a local woman and this morning I've had to tell her about the pregnancy and the fact I think I'll have to give it up. She has dropped pup off this morning only because of the short notice. Oh and to top it all off dh is off golfing today which I organised as he has been so amazing but I don't even know how I will care for our toddler. So yeah having a bad day 
Danielle, sorry you are having such a rough time, hope it gets better soon!
I'm gaining weight steadily, but I don't feel like I can cut back on the eating, because when I don't eat it makes the nausea worse. Kinda frustrating, I worked so hard to get the baby weight off last time. I'm going to wait as along as I can before switching to maternity clothes. I started wearing them early last time, and ended up gaining more weight because it was harder to tell how much weight I was putting on in them. I'm trying to eat healthy for the most part, and we're going for afternoon walks almost every day. I'm still dragging myself to yoga once a week, even though it's a 6:30 am class and it's really hard to get up that early!
What's everyone else doing to stay healthy this pregnancy?
Here is the wee sweater I have knit for my baby, minus buttons, I will choose them at a later date when we know the gender.
Thank you Serenyd I am feeling a bit better, I feel so fragile emotionally.
Dh has been gone a couple of hours and we are surviving. Ds2 has set up trains in the lounge, as long as he is happy I dont card how much mess he makes!
Danielle- I love the sweater! So cute!!
Serenyd- I understand you about not gaining so much weight, I gained 65lbs with Dd and don't want to do that again. I am counting calories on MFP (I have it set to maintain right now and then during my second trimester I will set it to 1/2lb a week, and during my third 1lb a week.) I also just started using this Pregnancy Fitness dvd set from momsintofitness.com that I really like.
Arg, I requested next Wednesday off work so I can go to my ultrasound... and my request got denied 
I really didn't want to tell my employers that I'm pregnant til after the first trimester, but I don't know what else to do now!
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