Week 18 - Everything You Wanted to Know and Everything I Want to Remember

How far along:  18 weeks 

Total weight gain/loss:  Up 7lbs. (Current weight = 105lbs)

Maternity clothes:  I think I have to go shopping for some tomorrow!  Everything is feeling tight and I can't button or zip any of my bottoms.

Stretch marks:  None (Thank God)

Sleep:  Getting better - first trimester exhaustion seems to be on its way out and I have a bit more energy these days so less sleep is required.  Unfortunately still waking 2-3 times per night to pee.

Movement:  YES!!!!  THIS MORNING!!!  FOR THE FIRST TIME!!!  It was amazing :)

Cravings:  None

Aversions:  None

Gender:  Still unknown but my heart says girl and I have one week to go until my ultrasound to fine out for sure!

Symptoms:  Easily fatigued, sore hip, mild back pain, constantly congested

What I miss:  My pre-pregnancy body :(

What I look forward to:  Ultrasound on March 1st to find out the sex! 

Moods:  Excited - feeling the baby, starting to buy baby things, thinking about decorating the nursery

Milestones:  Passed my genetic screening tests - screen negative/low risk!

Medical Concerns:  Small amount of protein in last urine sample

Weekly Wisdom:  Try not stress out about how much weight you are supposed to gain!

Worst moment this week: Having to tug a little harder to pull my skirt up over my hips

Best moment this week:  Feeling Cub Scout move!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Housekeeping

A housekeeping note - I changed the title of the blog - not that this notice matters since I don't really have any followers :)    Why the change?  The original title "We're not barren...we're reproductively challenged" was a quote from Charlotte in an episode of Sex and the City.  I liked the quote, even though I never loved the word barren.  Also, now that I'm pregnant, I didn't want someone who is struggling with IF to stumble upon the blog only to find out it's not being written by someone who is currently sharing in their struggle.  Infertility will always be part of my story, part of who I am, but I know from experience it can be difficult to read about others' pregnancy success when you are struggling and I didn't want anyone to be misled by the title.

I chose the title "Pregnant by Numbers" because everything surrounding trying to conceive and actually being pregnant seems to be about numbers!

When trying to conceive:

• cycle day number
• number of days past ovulation
• the two week wait
• number of IU's or mg's for medications
• number of follicles
• number of eggs produced
• sperm numbers
• your AGE
• progesterone number
• number of years/months trying to conceive
• number of procedures - eg.  IUI #1, IVF #2
• number of eggs retrieved
• number of embryos transferred
• etc. etc. etc.

When pregnant:

• beta numbers
• number of weeks + days pregnant
• number of days until due date
• baby's heart rate
• your blood pressure
• your WEIGHT
• genetic screening numbers - e.g. 1:1,160 risk of...
• etc. etc. etc.

I'm sure there are many more numbers I'm forgetting.  But whether you are trying to conceive or pregnant it seems everything is numbered and it reminds me of the Paint by Numbers crafts I used to enjoy as a kid!

Sick & Tired of Eating

Yep, I am perhaps the only pregnant woman to ever say she is sick and tired of eating.  I feel like I eat all the time and I'm tired of it.  I'm not even gaining weight!  I've gained 7lbs total this pregnancy - 28lbs to go - as per my midwife's instruction to gain 35lbs!  How the hell am I going to do that??!!

I've never been a big eater.  I've never had an eating disorder, just never had a love relationship with food.  For me food has always been something I eat when I'm hungry, and only when I'm hungry.  And I've never loved junk food or had much of a sweet tooth.  Don't get me wrong, I can enjoy good meals.  There's nothing I like more than sitting down to a huge plate of Indian food (my favourite).  But eating just for eating's sake...not my thing.

With my new eating habits I feel full all the time and I don't enjoy it.  I'm even eating things I wouldn't normally eat just to try and pack on some pounds.  Ice cream, chocolate cake, cupcakes, grilled cheese sandwiches on - ack! - white bread and sweet potato fries.  My poor body probably doesn't know what to do with all this unfamiliar food. 

Instead of a soup/salad combo for lunch I had cheese tortellini and garlic bread the other day.  That's a huge meal for me to eat midday.  I now eat breakfast at home and then come to the office and eat more breakfast.  I don't know where all these extra calories are going.  It's not like I'm burning them off exercising - because I don't have the energy to do any of the activities I used to do.  I used to go for long walks at lunch time.  I used to take the stairs, now I take escalators.  I used to clean my house like a mad woman, now I'm embarrased at the dust bunnies under my furniture.

Hmmm...perhaps these extra food calories are simply replacing the calories I used to consume in drinking wine ;)