So, I'm a newbie to pregnancy and parenthood this year. Jim and I have been married for a little over three years now. Before we decided to start a family, we wanted to travel as much as possible . We've been to Aruba, Colorado, all over the South, and South Africa.
Anyway, the first day of teaching this year, August 9, I found out that Jim and I were expecting. We didn't know all what was to come with expecting. We were expecting the unexpected, I guess you could say. We were so excited, but waited six weeks to tell our parents, and another three to four to tell all of our friends. We were told that our little bundle of joy was due on April 15, 2011-TAX DAY!!!
The first trimester didn't start out too bad. I was still going to the gym as usual, running, boxing, and lifting weights. I ate what I wanted and felt great. I thought I was going to have an easy pregnancy since I'm healthy, exercised, and ate right. My "high" of being pregnant, however, went down fast, very fast. I found myself coming home every day after school and crawling to the couch to fall asleep. I would sleep from 4:30-7:00 every day. Jim would wake me up to eat supper, and I would find myself climbing back in bed, shortly thereafter. I then found myself taking long naps at work, seeing as I had an hour and a half break before I would see students again. I left a pillow and blanket at work where I could sleep under my desk. Call me Linus, but a girl has to do what a girl has to do.
I had not yet told all of my co-workers or students that I was expecting. One of my students, bless his heart, told me that I was having "unacceptable mood swings" and asked if I was expecting. I couldn't help but to laugh! Of course, I had to tell him, and the rest of the class, my news. Once my students found out, I often found "body guards" escorting me down the hall and down the stairs. My previous students would come by every day to ask if I needed anything. Too sweet!
Well, I thought that the sleepiness was the only pregnant problem I had, oh how I was wrong. I found myself gagging at everything in the grocery store, the cabinet and refrigerator. Watching certain commercials on TV even made me sick. Often nights, I would lie in front of the toilet, praying that I could get sick. What's worse than throwing up? The feeling of needing to all day and can't. I found that eating pickles and bread settled my stomach.
As the nauseated lethargic era passed, I found that I enjoyed being pregnant. My skin cleared up, my hair thickened up, and I smiled all the time. I guess you could say I had a pregnant glow. I had comments on how good I looked and that I was carrying myself very well. Being so petite, I didn't actually start showing until around 20 weeks. Out of no where, POOF, I have a baby bump. Before my bump arrived, I could feel the baby moving around. It felt like tiny bubbles popping in my belly. Along with my 20 week bump that appeared, we found out that we were having a boy.
20 weeks, feeling great and getting bigger by the day. Life was great, until 22 weeks hit. I was driving to work and started hurting really bad. I left a message with my doctor and texted a friend who recently had a baby and she said it sounded like I was having contractions. I hoped she wasn't right, but she was. I was admitted into the hospital and was given fluids and a shot of terbutaline. After 6 hours or so of observation, the hospital released me and told me to take it easy for the next couple of days. Bed rest? What? This can't be happening! It was on Thursday, I figured what's the harm in a long weekend?
I went back to work, being very attentive to how I felt and had to "take it easy" yet a week after my first episode. I didn't understand what was going on. I did everything the doctor told me to do and here I was, having to take things easy. I was even jealous of a co-worker; she and I are 10 days apart and she hasn't had any problems.
A couple of weeks past, and I noticed that I was having contractions on a regular basis. They weren't painful, but uncomfortable. I told my doctor and she wanted to observe me over night in the hospital, just to see what was going on. At 28 week, scared to death, I was laying in a hospital bed, not knowing what to expect. After my observation was complete, my doctor found that it was in my best interest to place me on a terbutaline pump until 34 weeks. She also recommended that I not return to work for a week until I got adjusted to the pump.
A week went by, I was placed on the pump, and was adjusting to monitoring and taking it easy. I found myself in the hospital once again due to contractions. After monitoring for a couple of hours, they released me. My doctor then decided that I didn't need to go back to work. My contractions had spun out of control and was put on bed rest until the remainder of my pregnancy. Taking it easy wasn't too bad, but bed rest for 12 more weeks? That was insane.
So, here I am, 30 weeks and 6 days into my pregnancy and on bed rest. 9 weeks and 1 day to go until the little squirt is here, and 3 weeks and 1 day until I'm off of this crazy pump.
Things I have learned thus far:
Anyway, the first day of teaching this year, August 9, I found out that Jim and I were expecting. We didn't know all what was to come with expecting. We were expecting the unexpected, I guess you could say. We were so excited, but waited six weeks to tell our parents, and another three to four to tell all of our friends. We were told that our little bundle of joy was due on April 15, 2011-TAX DAY!!!
The first trimester didn't start out too bad. I was still going to the gym as usual, running, boxing, and lifting weights. I ate what I wanted and felt great. I thought I was going to have an easy pregnancy since I'm healthy, exercised, and ate right. My "high" of being pregnant, however, went down fast, very fast. I found myself coming home every day after school and crawling to the couch to fall asleep. I would sleep from 4:30-7:00 every day. Jim would wake me up to eat supper, and I would find myself climbing back in bed, shortly thereafter. I then found myself taking long naps at work, seeing as I had an hour and a half break before I would see students again. I left a pillow and blanket at work where I could sleep under my desk. Call me Linus, but a girl has to do what a girl has to do.
I had not yet told all of my co-workers or students that I was expecting. One of my students, bless his heart, told me that I was having "unacceptable mood swings" and asked if I was expecting. I couldn't help but to laugh! Of course, I had to tell him, and the rest of the class, my news. Once my students found out, I often found "body guards" escorting me down the hall and down the stairs. My previous students would come by every day to ask if I needed anything. Too sweet!
Well, I thought that the sleepiness was the only pregnant problem I had, oh how I was wrong. I found myself gagging at everything in the grocery store, the cabinet and refrigerator. Watching certain commercials on TV even made me sick. Often nights, I would lie in front of the toilet, praying that I could get sick. What's worse than throwing up? The feeling of needing to all day and can't. I found that eating pickles and bread settled my stomach.
As the nauseated lethargic era passed, I found that I enjoyed being pregnant. My skin cleared up, my hair thickened up, and I smiled all the time. I guess you could say I had a pregnant glow. I had comments on how good I looked and that I was carrying myself very well. Being so petite, I didn't actually start showing until around 20 weeks. Out of no where, POOF, I have a baby bump. Before my bump arrived, I could feel the baby moving around. It felt like tiny bubbles popping in my belly. Along with my 20 week bump that appeared, we found out that we were having a boy.
20 weeks, feeling great and getting bigger by the day. Life was great, until 22 weeks hit. I was driving to work and started hurting really bad. I left a message with my doctor and texted a friend who recently had a baby and she said it sounded like I was having contractions. I hoped she wasn't right, but she was. I was admitted into the hospital and was given fluids and a shot of terbutaline. After 6 hours or so of observation, the hospital released me and told me to take it easy for the next couple of days. Bed rest? What? This can't be happening! It was on Thursday, I figured what's the harm in a long weekend?
I went back to work, being very attentive to how I felt and had to "take it easy" yet a week after my first episode. I didn't understand what was going on. I did everything the doctor told me to do and here I was, having to take things easy. I was even jealous of a co-worker; she and I are 10 days apart and she hasn't had any problems.
A couple of weeks past, and I noticed that I was having contractions on a regular basis. They weren't painful, but uncomfortable. I told my doctor and she wanted to observe me over night in the hospital, just to see what was going on. At 28 week, scared to death, I was laying in a hospital bed, not knowing what to expect. After my observation was complete, my doctor found that it was in my best interest to place me on a terbutaline pump until 34 weeks. She also recommended that I not return to work for a week until I got adjusted to the pump.
A week went by, I was placed on the pump, and was adjusting to monitoring and taking it easy. I found myself in the hospital once again due to contractions. After monitoring for a couple of hours, they released me. My doctor then decided that I didn't need to go back to work. My contractions had spun out of control and was put on bed rest until the remainder of my pregnancy. Taking it easy wasn't too bad, but bed rest for 12 more weeks? That was insane.
So, here I am, 30 weeks and 6 days into my pregnancy and on bed rest. 9 weeks and 1 day to go until the little squirt is here, and 3 weeks and 1 day until I'm off of this crazy pump.
Things I have learned thus far:
- I'm not in control, but God is!
- I have the most WONDERFUL husband!
- Rest while I can
- Learn to accept help
Kudos to Dana for the idea! I think this will be great for you. It'll give you something to do and it's a great way to give others an idea of how you're feeling and what you're having to deal with. Be sure to continue after your little guy is born. It's always great to hear new parent stories because I definitely have some good ones myself as Owen has gotten older.
ReplyDeleteI am so proud of you! Hang in there! I cannot wait to see "Baby Boy Rowland" when he gets here. This blog is a great idea. And I have been trying and trying to drink more water for health reasons, exercise and weight loss...2 gallons, that's alot of water, agreed! It will all be worth while when he gets here:) Get some rest and stay healthy! You'll need all that rest for when you get up for feeding every 3-4 hours to begin with:) They certainly change things...but it is all for the better! I love the Blog!!!!
ReplyDelete