Part 12 - Mommy Massage

Wednesday October 10 2012 Massage @ 4:30pm slt

Today was one of the greatest appointments throughout the process. I was going to be pampered and get some relief from the tension/aches in the body. Pregnancy can be very hard on the human body so ya need to take care of it otherwise you'll feel blah. Once I arrived I was led to the relaxing massage room upstairs. The doctor got me to lay down, and began working right away.

She started rubbing my head and then slowly moved towards the temples. I slowly started to feel relaxed as she gently massaged. She always made sure to ask if I was ok and comfortable which I of course was. How can ya not be when you're in a calming serene room and being massaged lol 

After a few more minutes of massaging my head and neck, she helped me sit up so she could move on to the next step. It was time for one of my most tensed up areas to get massaged. My neck and shoulders. She was definitely good at releasing knots and muscle tension that's for sure. I was definitely glad this came with my package. The room makes such a difference too. Plants, relaxing colors/tones in the room and the frame on the wall was one of those waterfall type ones. Very soothing atmosphere.

The doctor finished up the neck and shoulders area and then moved more to the back itself. That part was great, it totally made me feel great. It was definitely one of the best massages I've had and I would so recommend it pregnant or not lol I left there feeling relaxed and refreshed. After I was done, I thanked her and went home to relax/watch a movie.

Part 11 - Fall Zooby Affiliate Festival

Monday October 8 2012

I had been seeing notices in one of the groups I'm in, about a fall festival. I wasn't sure if it was just for babies or family stuff in general. It turns out it's the Zooby Affiliate Fall Festival so it's mostly for babies but had some family stuff too. I decided to take a walk there and check it out.

When I arrived it was really well decorated. Lots of Autumn related items and of course tons of Halloween specials for all the kiddos! There were tons of vendors set up, a gacha maze, and some raffle stations spread around. After checking out all of the little booths, I stopped at one of my favorite stores to grab a seat for a bit. It's not easy walking with a watermelon attached to your abdomen ya know :p

It's definitely a cute place to visit for you and your little one. (zooby baby related stuff mostly) You can even go take some cute pictures while you're there as its very nicely decorated. I definitely enjoyed the little outing and I'm sure you will too! Visit the Zooby Affiliate Fall Festival today!

Part 9 - Lamaze

October 3 2012 Lamaze Class @ 4:30pm slt

My favorite day has arrived. Today was my Lamaze class appointment. When I arrived the doctor was waiting for others to show up as well. The classes are open to current patients so anyone who fits that criteria can show up the classes. One other girl whom I'd met before at the clinic, showed up as well which was nice. After waiting awhile, the doctor told us to follow her so we could begin. We rode up in the elevator which I was glad to do seeing as waddling up steps isn't an easy task lol

Once we got upstairs the instructor turned on her mic and started telling us some introductions to Lamaze and the various techniques we'd be learning about. Then she led us over to the cushions on the carpet so we could practice breathing and sitting positions.

We all sat down and followed along with various breathing techniques. The doctor also taught us lots about the delivery itself and gave us tips on various delivery scenarios based on her experiences with the different patients she's had. (she also taught us some more logical and realistic ways to role play various birth/delivery scenarios as she's had many who ask for one thing and do the opposite lol). I knew a lot of the breathing techniques because I learned them in other medical and just daily life situations.

*look at me all ready for when this baby is ready to come out ha-ha!*

We practiced a few more breathing exercises and of course talked about other pregnancy/delivery experiences. The doctor was very diplomatic and proper about talking about other experiences, not once did she say anything bad about other places. She then told us why her & her sister started the clinic which was to give people a realistic experience, various options and a warm friendly environment to make patients feel comfortable. The other girl and I smiled and then the three of us moved over to the Lamaze balls.

At first I was afraid my balance might be off due to the baby bump lol but luckily for me the ball keeps you steady. They say the ball is great for contractions and helps a lot of women during their delivery process. I'm thinking I might use it, we'll see what happens. It was definitely fun practicing on it. 

We practiced breathing, and talked for quite awhile. The session/appointment went a lot longer than I expected but it was great talking to the two women. We learned a lot, gossiped a bit, exchanged stories and overall had a great time. I'm definitely prepared and totally ready for when the day comes to bring this baby girl into the world. I said goodbye to both ladies and went on home. Next week its massage time woohoo!

Part 7 - Third Appointment

Wednesday September 26 2012 @ 4:30pm slt

Another day, another doctor's appointment. I got ready, had a quick snack and then went off to the clinic for my appointment. I arrived just on time to see the doctor walking towards the waiting area to get me. We greeted each other with a smile, spoke for a bit, and then I followed her to the exam room.

As usual Dr.Rhy was very sweet and welcoming. She asked me the usual questions to make sure my health and the babies weren't showing signs of distress. I told her I had been feeling pretty great, took my vitamins daily, was eating properly and that the munchkin was making me crave a lot lol...she laughed of course as she knows what it's like. Once that was over with I got changed so we could begin checking vitals & the exam.

After I was changed, the doctor led me over to the scale to check my weight to make sure I was at a healthy weight for the pregnancy. She jotted down the info in the chart and then told me my weight was good. Once we finished that, she led me over to check my blood pressure and other vitals, which thankfully all came back normal except that my blood pressure was a bit low so she told me I needed to relax more & not do anything strenuous. Next, we went over to the examination table to do a belly exam.

She proceeded to press around on different areas of the abdomen to make sure everything was alright. She kept asking me along the way if I felt any discomfort or pain, to let her know which thankfully I didn't have any. After we finished up there, I proceeded to the ultrasound table and got prepped to see my little one.

At first it took a bit for me to be able to see that little munchkin, but slowly things came into focus. I could see she had her thumb in her mouth and her head was facing the screen. Technology now a days is amazing for so many reasons, this being one of them.

Finally the picture came into focus and I could see so many little features on my baby girl. I just kept smiling the whole time, while watching her move around. It's fascinating to see them in development over the months. The doctor of course began giving me info on the height and weight of the baby at this stage, along with facts on the development/different things the baby can do now. Before we finished up, she turned on the fetal heart monitor for a bit to write the info down on the baby's heartbeat. I love hearing it, it always makes the experience more real. 

After that the doctor offered to help me up and I jokingly blamed the baby for the weight. My doctor turned and said "its ok baby we know its really the mommies fault but they blame the babies!". We both laughed quite a bit and then I got up to get ready and cleaned up. Once I was done, I as usual thanked the doctor for everything and told her I'd see her next week. Now time to go relax and get the blood pressure back to normal!

Part 5 - Second Appointment

Wednesday September 19 2012 @ 4:30pm slt

Today I had another appointment with the clinic. They had to one of the routine ultrasounds and make sure the baby is growing properly for the time period and whatnot. This time my sister was able to come with me which was really nice. It's always more fun to share the experience with someone you're close to.

I arrived at the clinic a few minutes early and checked in with the receptionist. I then stood with my sister as we waited for the doctor be done with another patient. The wait wasn't very long at all and shortly after arriving we got called into the exam room.

My sister of course politely took a seat, while the doctor asked me some questions in regards to how I've been feeling, if I've been taking my vitamins and if I had any questions or concerns. Once all of that got dealt with, I of course got into the ultrasound outfit of choice lol and hopped up on the table to prep for the ultrasound.

At that point the doctor got me settled and laughed as she knew I was going to giggle once she put on the ultrasound gel. Of course I did because its cold and feels funny. My sister came to stand beside the table as the doctor started moving around the wand. My sister and I both looked at the screen to see the little baby in 3D ultrasound form. It was definitely cool, I can tell ya that much. Once that was done, the doctor said if I wanted to, we could find out the gender of this tiny little one.  I of course said yes!

The doctor then changed the angle of the image area and began to move the ultrasound wand again. After moving it around a bit she finally stopped, smiled and said "you're having a girl!". I was so delighted to hear that and couldn't stop smiling. Not that I matter what the gender is, but when its a girl you relate and want all sorts of cute girly pink stuff lol...I turned to my sister and we both were happy. Another girl in the family.

Once that was done the doctor went to print of copies of the ultrasound, while I of course got cleaned up, dressed and ready to go home. I thanked the doctor for everything and my sister of course told the doctor it was nice to meet her, which of course my doctor replied with the same. We all said goodbye and then my sister drove me home. It was a great evening. *jumps for joy* I'm having a girl!!

Part 4 - Oh the Cravings!

What the baby wants, the baby gets...

So as you know I've already been to two appointments and so far so good. I've been reading a lot and learning so much about the changes a pregnancy can have on a woman. One of the current changes I'm adjusting to is random and weird cravings at all hours. One minute its sweet stuff, the next minute its savory/salty, healthy stuff one minute and junk food the next. Geez baby make up your mind! I won't complain though because at least I don't have nausea and sickness anymore. Anyways I'm off to watch a movie and eat some more snacks. Here's a picture of the food craziness from earlier in the day!

*Me relaxing with a slurpee after making all sorts of foods*

*Close Up: Grocery Bag, Peach Cobbler, Cinnamon Buns, Chinese takeout box, Kool-Aid, Cupcakes, Fruit, Tacos on a plate of lettuce, and Me holding a Slurpee*

Part 3 - First Appointment

Wednesday September 12th, 2012 @ 4:30pm slt

Today was my first official appointment at the clinic. I was surprised to be scheduled in so quickly, but then I guess it's super important to make sure all is going well with the baby. I was totally prepared for the appointment, but obviously still slightly nervous about the situation. I read so much in the past few days about whats good and bad during pregnancy. Proper eating habits, prenatal vitamins, wearing flats or flip flops rather than heels, no over exerting yourself and just overall staying relaxed. Guess that means no big house renos unless I get help lol good thing my sis likes that kinda stuff!

Finally I got called in to see the doctor. I am so glad to have her as my doctor because she is such a sweet person and totally makes her patients feel comfortable.

*Please excuse picture quality. SL messed up so the numbers/size weren't right & I didn't notice*

After a bit of chit chat in regards to how I've been feeling, she handed me a gown to change into so she could begin examining me and checking my vitals. Once I was finished changing we went over to the scale so she could get my weight etc...then we proceeded to do my blood pressure, heart rate and all that fancy stuff which all came out normal. I was glad to know that considering this summer was fun/party central!

As soon as that stuff got done, the doctor put all of the info into the chart, set it down and then led me over to the examining table. She explained that she was going to feel around my belly and if there was any uncomfort at any point, to please let her know.

She slowly felt around and pressed different areas of the abdomen. She was so very sweet and kept asking if I was comfortable. It didn't bother me at all as there was no discomfort or nausea thankfully. Once that was done I had another type of examination which went well and finished pretty fast. I was then given another outfit to change into for the ultrasound, which I did and then proceeded to the ultrasound table.

I hopped up onto the table and got situated while she got the bottle of ultrasound gel and prepped the monitor. She then put some of the gel and of course I giggled because its cold & squishy feeling! She too laughed and then made sure I was comfortable before placing the little ultrasound wand on my belly.

Once the monitor turned on, I smiled as I watched this tiny little munchkin on the screen. Granted right now the baby is so tiny but it still cute lol...the doctor finished saving the pictures of the ultrasound and then hooked up the fetal heart monitor. Let me tell you it was the most amazing thing to listen to. It definitely makes it more real too that this tiny being is alive in there.

Once all was done I got up and cleaned off the rest of that jelly stuff. Then I got dressed, thanked the doctor and went home. It was great first appointment and I got to bring home my first ultrasound picture. Yay!

Part 2 - Visit to the Doctor

It's all becoming a reality...

The other day when I found out I was pregnant, I of course first called my sister to tell her because I needed someone to talk to and help me process it all. Once I hung up with her, I immediately called the doctor's office to make an appointment at their earliest convenience. They booked me in for today, September 8th 2012 at 7:00pm. I gladly took the info down and thanked the receptionist.

Once I arrived, I checked in with the receptionist and then proceeded to the waiting room. I sat there for a bit, semi nervous but definitely not half as much as 3 days ago. Thankfully the waiting room was empty so I could hear my own thoughs without distractions. It was quite a lovely clinic from what I'd seen so far.

After waiting about twenty minutes, the doctor walked into the waiting room to greet me and then showed me the way to her office. We spoke for a bit and then she wrote up the referrals for me to go down for blood work and there I was also given a cup to do another pregnancy test. After all of that was done, I was led back to her office for further discussion. 

We came up with a birth plan that best suited me. She informed me about what to expect in the first trimester, gave me some pamphlets and gave me a pregnancy starter kit. It included the prenatal vitamins, Do's & Dont's of pregnancy as well as a card with my tentative appointment dates for the next couple of weeks/months. I'm really happy with the clinic staff, especially my doctor. I thanked her for everything and then went home. I sat down to read the info pamphlets and take it easy for the rest of the day.

Part 1 - Not Feeling Well

Oh how I wish I could sleep...

I spent the morning in and out of the washroom, as my tummy had been giving me issues all morning long. I was so tired and sick of feeling sick! My poor face and nose were all red too, it just was a crappy morning.

After my stomach settled down, I decided to try and at least relax for a bit seeing as sleep was out of the question for sure. I sat with my back leaning against the pillows, knees brought up a bit and rested for about an hour or so, give or take a few minutes.

After the hour was up, I decided to go start my morning routine. First I'd weigh myself just in case this is some cold or flu requiring me to see a doctor. They always ask for the patient's weight because of medication dosages etc...

I hopped onto the scale and waited for the numbers to set. When the numbers stopped, I noticed that I had gained a few pounds. This puzzled me considering you tend to lose if you're sick. I then thought maybe it was all the yummy summer food I'd been eating or maybe I was bloated because it was soon to be that time of the month...Suddenly a thought occurred to me. I checked my phone's calendar to see what day it was and to my surprise, I was late. My mind was having issues processing this so I decided to ignore it and get freshened up for the day. I did my hair in a cute side ponytail, wore some cute summery clothes and then decided to take a walk. I didn't know exactly where I was going, I just knew I needed fresh air. If you guessed the local drugstore, you were right. After a small talk with the pharmacist, I went home with two pregnancy tests. I opened the boxes and followed the instructions, not that it takes a genius to figure it out. I was so nervous that I decided to wash my face with cool water to relax my nerves a bit and to feel fresh!

All I can say is it was definitely a great idea to splash my face with water. It really made me feel refreshed and a tiny bit less nervous. I stood for a bit waiting for the timer to go off so that I could see the results. *Ding* the timer went off and I slowly walked towards the bathroom counter to read the test results. When I looked down, I saw both pregnancy test sticks which read...POSITIVE!

One was digital and the other was the traditional ones that use a line system to give you the results. I guess I can't really deny this when staring at the two sticks. I turned around to lean against the bathroom counter. I might have fainted if I didn't.

When the information I just learned had finally sunken in, I put my hand up to my mouth as it dropped in shock and thought "woah, I'm going to have a baby!". Guess this means I need to make a doctor's appointment soon!