Tuesday, January 31, 2012

The Nova Story: Chapter Three: The Cliff's Notes

Previous "chapters": One & Two

So, how did the pregnancy go?

The pregnancy was trouble-free for most of the first two trimesters. No morning sickness, no sensitivity to odors, no discernible fatigue (I didn't work, but had class from 6pm - 10pm, so I could sleep in, I'm sure that helped!), you name most pregnancy complaints, I did NOT have them.

However, my hands did start to swell and ache starting in the second trimester. However, that coincided with the start of our weekly Massage Clinics, where on a full session we'd have three back-to-back hour-long massages once a week, in addition to the hands-on stuff we'd do during regular class at least two other nights a week. How much was pregnancy-related, massage-related, or one feeding off the other? Who knows.
Sleep was a precious commodity: with Nova pressing on my bladder, I had to pee every two hours or so. Yes, through the night too. And I couldn't get comfortable anymore in bed, so was hardly sleeping. That was not fun, ugh.

I was also being monitored for Gestational Diabetes since diabetes runs strongly in one parent's family: I squeaked past the 3-hour challenge, but when the fetus doubled its weight in one month at ~ week 25, we knew we needed to start properly monitoring my blood sugar levels. I had was issued a blood sugar testing device, and had to test myself four times a day while recording all I consumed. The numbers were slightly higher than they should have been, but not atrociously so. The folks in charge wanted to me to meet with a dietitian to get better about my meals.

Then the PROM happened.

I guess that'll be Chapter Four.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

The Nova Story: Chapter Two: Mum's The Word

[This post was started on the 15th of November last year; over two months later, I'll try to get this done between laundry loads, while the baby sleeps!!]

Chapter One was about finding out.

Kosh and I were in agreement that news of the pregnancy would NOT be publicised to anyone until we were well past the 1st trimester. We ended up breaking the news around Thanksgiving-time to immediate family ('live' with Kosh's side, and by mail to my Swiss & Malaysian sides), then via social media in January (Kosh via Facebook) and February (me, via Twitter and Facebook -- this was when "Nova" was chosen).

On the medical side of things, I'd neglected to get myself a local OB/Gyn despite having been in Springfield for over a year, so an immediate task was to identify someone, and make an appointment. Found someone, and was scheduled for an ultrasound on what turned out to be the fetus' 7th week. Couldn't see it via my belly so they had to stick a wand up my vajayjay, ugh. And Kosh wasn't there for that because he was running late *and* they actually took me in early. And I forgot the phone in the car. Gah! What a day! But hey, we walked away with baby's first picture:



I had started my Massage Therapy course about 2 months prior... since there are some contraindications surrounding massage and pregnancy, I had to break the news immediately to the main hands-on instructor. Coincidentally, the day I broke the news to her was the day she was teaching the "pregnancy massage" modality, LoL! Broke the news as necessary to some of the other instructors, and to my classmates at the end of the year. So yes, they knew before the official announcement in February :)

Next, I guess we'll cover some details of the pregnancy itself. The Cliffs Notes version: it was easy until we entered the 3rd trimester. Stay tuned!

about two months later...

 ... hi again. This return to blogging is really not working out, is it? Actually, I am writing, three pages of mind vomit and affirmations ...