NIAW

Even though I’m currently pregnant, I feel the need to post about something that is still near and dear to my heart:  infertility.  Infertility (IF) affects 1 in 8 men and women, and it doesn’t go away after becoming pregnant.  It’s a lifelong struggle and is usually one that couples deal with silently. 

April 24 through 30 is National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW), and despite my small following, I wanted to bring awareness to the cause on my blog.  To learn more about NIAW, IF, or how you can support those with IF, please visit http://www.resolve.org/national-infertility-awareness-week/home-page.html.

16 Week Appointment

We had our 16 week appointment with my OB, and it went great!  Before every appointment, I get excited, and then nervous.  But this one was very low key and simple.  It was just a urine test, a quick question and answer session, and then listen to the baby’s heartbeat on the fetal doppler.  The doctor was able to find the baby’s heartbeat pretty quickly, and it was beating away at 158 bpm.  This confirms that either, 1) my home fetal doppler sucks since it takes me forever to find the baby’s heartbeat, and I rarely hear it for more than a few seconds or 2) I suck at finding the baby.  But, I’m glad that everything is going well and baby seems to be healthy. 

I also opted to do the alpha fetoprotein (AFP) and cystic fibrosis (CF) blood work, just to be informed.  So, I had a blood draw in the lab afterward.  And finally, I have my fetal survey and anatomy scan ultrasound scheduled for May 6!  My doctor’s office likes to do the big ultrasound between 21 and 22 weeks, but my next appointment would be at 20 weeks.  Plus, we’ll be out of town during 21 weeks.  So, I convinced them to schedule both my next appointment and the ultrasound at 20.5 weeks and get them done at the same time.  I’m excited that I get to have my ultrasound a little earlier than planned, although I’m sad, and a little nervous, about not having another appointment for 5 weeks.  Hopefully I’ll start to feel the baby move soon to put my mind at rest for the next couple weeks!

It Didn’t Last Long

Staying med free didn’t last long.  Along with the second trimester came horrific headaches.  I thought this was supposed to be the “best” trimester, but my head thought otherwise.  So, after my third migraine in a week, I finally caved and took a Tylenol.  So far, second tri isn’t looking so hot.   

Med Free…So Far

I’m feeling pretty proud of myself:  I made it through the first trimester without taking any over-the-counter (OTC) medications!  Obviously, I take my prescription prenatal vitamins with DHA and my Levothyroxine everyday.  Those are very important to help both me and the baby.  But, I’m glad to be able to say that I was otherwise “med free” for the first trimester of my pregnancy.  If the rest of my pregnancy goes as smoothly as it has been, then maybe I’ll be able to maintain it (but I won’t hold my breath).

In Thyroid News

Sorry for the delay; I've gotten a bit behind in my blogging what with work, school, and baby-making.   

After my NT scan, I went to the lab to do the blood work portion of the early trimester screen.  The doctor also ordered another TSH draw since I asked (it had been 6 weeks since my last one).  The NT scan blood work should take about a week or two to get back, and I’m pretty sure they won’t even talk about it until my next appointment (4 weeks later) anyway. 

However, I did get a call from the nurse today about my TSH.  The baby is causing my thyroid to work too hard (despite my medication) and my numbers have doubled since my last check.  In fact, they’re getting close to where they were prior to starting medication.  So, I’ll now be taking 100 mcg of Levothyroxine, and I have to have my TSH drawn again soon to make sure it’s working. 

Not exactly the news I was hoping for, but definitely not the end of the world.  It also explains why my fatigue in the last few weeks has been much worse than it used to be.  Looking forward to the supposed greatness of second tri!