Pregnancy Update

Can I just say I am not loving this pregnancy much at all? Not one bit. So for anyone who cares, this is why. This will have to suffice for an Amanda update since we pretty much only post Andrew updates on here.

First of all, this pregnancy in general was a little bit early than I would have liked (like 9 months to a year). First, I wanted to be mostly done with my dissertation first so I wouldn't have to juggle two kids and a PhD. Also, I really wanted Andrew to be sleeping better (ha!) or at least weaned before I got pregnant. Neither of which happened, of course. Is it really too much to ask to have a little break between nursing and pregnancy, like where I get my body back? Plus, three years between kids just sounded way better to me from day one than a two year break. Especially with a PhD. Anyways, not of that really matters anymore, since I am obviously pregnant.

So, here is how this pregnancy stinks (disclaimer - I have pretty decent pregnancies. I don't get really really sick and throw up all the time. I don't (fingers crossed) have any complications. And I am in general healthy as is the baby. So, I really don't have any right to complain. But whatever - I'm pregnant, so I am going to complain anyways).

Good point - I didn't feel quite as tired in the first trimester as before. Bad point - I think I just didn't notice how tired I was because I was so tired to begin with.

Good point - I didn't throw up at all this pregnancy. Bad point - I had lots of nausea every afternoon and evening until New Years and basically laid around on the couch the whole time. (My advisor notes: you can still type while you're on the couch). I guess this is technically not "morning sickness" since the mornings were mostly okay.

Good point - Katsu takes over and really lets me sleep in a lot and wakes up with Andrew a lot at night. Bad point - my insomnia is back (it was finally going away ...) and there is at least 1 or 2 nights a week where I am awake for 1-3 hours and can not go back to sleep. This seems to be lasting the whole pregnancy this time.

Good point - My pain feels a little bit better than last week. Bad point - My second trimester, as with Andrew, is full of lots of pain. I did have some sciatic pain to the point where one day I literally could not move. I have been much more careful since then and thankfully I only get it occasionally and just a little bit now. Mostly I have my pelvic/groin pain. This is, according to my doctor, not round ligament pain, as I had thought previously, but some kind of special Amanda-2nd-trimester pain I get somehow from how the baby irritates my nerves. It was getting to the point where the pain was excruciating and I was having it 25-50% of the time. It is seeming to get a little bit better and I mostly just have it when I stand up, walk, or lay down. Usually sitting is okay. I also have not been able to sit on the floor for the last several months because I get into pretty intense pain and sometimes am worried I will actually not be able to get up. Okay, enough about pain.

Good point - ??? Bad point - I, the lone member of my family without allergies, have suddenly developed allergies. In the middle of the winter. In Michigan. When it is like -10 outside every day. How is that possible? Oh, the irony. And of course, allergies in pregnancy are wonderful, because really what medicine can you take? So, I have been constantly sneezing and in a brain fog since January when these allergies suddenly developed. Or else, I have a more than 2 month long cold.

Good point - ??? Bad point - I guess I had post partum depression with Andrew. I pretty much knew it but figured it was pretty much related to how well he sleeps (ha ha ha) and I kept thinking that once he starts sleeping better it will go away. Well, it was starting to fade until I got pregnant. But now it has turned into this much much worse pregnancy depression. Which really really stinks. I tend to not be really emotional in pregnancy (well, at least I wasn't too bad with Andrew), but now we are talking several time a week crying for hours. Plus, all kind of other lovely depression symptoms. Like I even stopped reading for a while because I had no energy or interest - is that possible? And of course, antidepressants in pregnancy will cause withdrawl in your baby - something I don't really want to mess with. So, we'll see how therapy works. But this totally stinks.

Okay, I think I'm pretty much done complaining. I am participating in a study at the hospital where they do ultrasounds of the baby every month or two, so we've already had like 5 ultrasounds I think. I keep hoping this will make me more excited about the baby. But it is most definitely a boy. And hopefully will be born sometime in the beginning of July (my original due date was the 5th, they switched it to the 12th, I'll shoot for anywhere in between). We are hoping for a much better delivery and recovery than last time. And really really really really really really hoping I don't have to be induced again (shudders).

That's all folks.