Sep 23, 2011

Got an Itch (or Two)

For the last week, off and on and not daily, I've had itchy palms and the occasional itchy foot. Yesterday it was intense on my feet. I was wearing dress shoes without hose or anything so I am thinking that didn't help. I have read that pregnant women can get itchiness without rashes on their palms of their hands and soles of the feet, and that it may mean obstetric cholestasis. I haven't reported it to my OB but if I am still having it in October when my next appointment is I will bring it up most definitely. I am hoping that the itching I have right now is an flux of hormones because I am only in the middle of my second trimester and everything I've read about cholestasis occurs in late pregnancy. Fingers crossed (when they aren't scratching) that it is nothing. I also have dry skin on my legs and arms, but right now my belly is fine. Been drinking lots of water but I'm only finding that I've been visiting the restroom a lot more frequently.

My second itch may be related to the first if it does have to do liver function. Today is the first day of autumn (not related) but it has been about 4 months since I've had a sip of anything alcoholic. Before pregnancy it would have taken will power not to drink at gatherings but I haven't had the urge. At first I was queasy so it was easy. Now it feels more like habit not to drink. But today, while I am at work, I had the craving for a nice glass of wine. Maybe not even to drink but to smell and hold and swirl. Oh well. I wonder if the itchiness is related to drinking before pregnancy...

Sep 20, 2011

Things New Parents Don't Need

shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/688/10-things-new-parents-dont-need

This is a great piece and great timing. We're starting our registry and on some things we have no clue as to what we actually will need.

The changing table was one item we were debating about. It seemed unsafe to have a baby just on the dresser top with the pad and no rails, but $150 is a bit steep for a one-use table. If we find one for cheap we may still get one, as a friend did mention she used hers a lot (it had a drawer and shelves for storage access).

Car seats are another item we are scratching our heads on. We know we need one (maybe even two) but didn't realize we might only need one model for a year before we need to reinvest in a new one as the baby outgrows the original. Some of them say infant to 60 lbs! That's a HUGE range.

Diaper bags: I think we may have decided to just use a messenger bag we have lying around but if someone wants to buy us a cute fancy bag I won't say no. Just don't ask me what kind of bells and whistles it should have for a properly prepared for outing.

We were thinking co-sleeper for the first six months or so but those are also pricey new. Now that I read about the pack and play, is that really an option for a newborn to sleep the night in at home? Fine for confinement while dinner is being made and useful for travel, but I'm still skeptical. Sounds like we may need both.

Sep 15, 2011

Going Bananas!

:-) Well after several months of sitting around wondering when to say anything on the Internet, I decided today was the day. We are having a baby in February! Today marks my 20-week mark, the halfway period in the pregnancy. Hooray! Fingers crossed that everything in the second half goes as smoothly as the first.

According to Babycenter.com, at 20 weeks the baby is 6.5 inches crown to rump, about the length of a banana. We only have one banana.

The journey so far: We went on my birthday vacation to Wisconsin and Chicago in May. Soon after we conceived. Turns out that beer and bratwursts make for good babymaking. Who knew?

About a week or so after conception I got a fever. Looking back, I think it was the implantation period. Didn't feel a twinge or anything, just was feverish one day. Drank lots of water and it passed.

We had our first appointment at 8.5 weeks, the day funnily enough of the rescheduled Cubs/Giants game in Chicago. The Giants scored 13 runs that game and won by 6.

Had blood drawn on Bastille Day for my First Trimester Screening Test, and the NT ultrasound for Down Syndrome on July 27. Our risk levels for genetic disorders looked good but not great.

After that we spilled the beans to some family and friends. I was at 14 weeks then and my first trimester was coming to a close.

Another doc appt confirmed that my cervix length hadn't changed that much if at all (apparently readings can be difficult in an ultrasound) and I was safe to travel to Hawaii for our one-year anniversary. That was a great trip. Relaxing, some walking, some snorkeling. Technically it was the babymoon too. We had another u/s and the anatomy scan the morning after our return.

All continues to look normal, although the Second Trimester Blood Screening Tests show elevated Inhibin-A, but I am screen-negative for Down Syndrome. That means the hormone elevation may be a precursor to hypertension, preemclampsia, or pre-term birth later on in the pregnancy. And there isn't anything to do about it really so worrying will get you nowhere. >sigh<. So I need to continue to relax, do some prenatal yoga with my friend Jen, and maybe get more prenatal massages to help keep my blood pressure steady, too. (Last visit it was 100/70 and hadn't changed that much from the previous appt which I think was a bit low actually.)