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!          

Sigh of Relief

We had our NT scan the other day, at 12 weeks and 2 days.  I was so nervous going into the appointment, but was trying to remain calm and optimistic.  As soon as the ultrasound tech showed my baby moving on the screen, I gave a huge sigh of relief.  Baby’s heart rate was 173 beautiful beats per minute.  I feel like a huge weight has been lifted after this appointment. 

In addition to everything looking okay, the NT measurements came out great, as well.  The NT thickness turned out to be really close to 1, like 1.13.  So, both the tech and the doctor said that was wonderful and definitely nothing to worry about in terms of Downs Syndrome. 

Getting to see my baby moving around on screen and being generally uncooperative for the tech was one of the best days of my life.  I’m just so incredibly thankful that the baby seems happy and healthy so far.  Plus, we got 4 pictures to take home with us.  I also found out that I have an anterior placenta, and that it’s sitting in the top-front of my uterus.  And, that baby really enjoys hiding under it, which is why I’ve had so much trouble finding the heart beat with my fetal doppler.  This also means that I may have to wait a few weeks longer than other women in order to feel the baby move. 

There was also a blood work component to the NT scan, but I won’t find out those results until the next appointment.  Since all is well, my pregnancy is no longer a secret.  While I haven’t told my job or made a Facebook announcement yet, my husband and I are now starting to share the news with the rest of our friends and family (who haven’t already been told).  The rest of the world won’t be far behind!

Fetal Doppler

So I forgot to mention that I ordered a fetal doppler.  I never thought that I would, but after having so much anxiety over this pregnancy, and knowing so many wonderful people that have had miscarriages, I just really wanted the extra assurance.  I received it in the mail when I was 10 weeks, and I immediately tried it out.  At first, all I could get was my heart rate, but I did hear fluid moving.  Finally, I had a few blips on the screen between 160 and 180 bpm. 

I tried again at 11 weeks, and both times I tried, I wasn’t able to pick up a heart beat.  This is the downside of owning a home doppler:  (hopefully) unnecessary panic.  I knew that it was still early, and just because I thought I had heard the baby’s heart rate before, doesn’t mean that I could hear it this time.  So, I had to just believe that everything was still okay.

Finally, at 12 weeks, I tried again.  Like the first time, I had trouble finding it, but I eventually saw the flashes in the 170s and knew that there was still a baby in there.  I’ve never been able to hear the heart beat for more than 2 or 3 beats, but I trust that it’s okay.  I honestly think that the baby doesn’t like the sound waves and that he/she moves away from it.  Either way, I’m so glad to have the NT scan to calm my nerves very soon! 

Something Worth Mentioning

Finally, I have something worth mentioning!  I have my NT scan and second OB appointment next week.  I can’t wait!  Six weeks (since our last u/s) is a long time to go without knowing if the baby is okay, and four weeks (since my last OB visit) is a long time to wait without talking to a doctor.  I am so excited to get to see our baby again. 

We’re hoping and praying for a great appointment with good test results.  If everything looks normal, we’ll be formally announcing our pregnancy very soon!