Just a quick post... I am so exhausted and extremely nauseous today so I'll keep it quick.
All of the spotting/bleeding has stopped!! KNOCK ON WOOD!!! It has been gone for about a week now. I am so thankful for this. I am also thankful for the overwhelming symptoms that keep me confident in the baby's growth!
***You all may have noticed that I haven't posted a new picture yet and I am 8.5 weeks... Donnie and I have been on opposite schedules and I don't have a mirror to take full length pictures so we will have to find a few minutes to take a picture one of these days!
All that said, I have to work again tomorrow morning and Thursday so I better get some more rest so I can make it through the rest of the week.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Thursday, July 26, 2012
It's been a busy week!
It has been about a week since I've written here. It was an extremely busy week for us!
Monday I had my first "official" OBGYN appointment. I had been talking to these doctors and midwives for a few weeks trying to figure out what was going on with Baby Carter but I had never actually been seen in the office until Monday. The appointment went well and was pretty standard for a first appointment. They confirmed my due date that I have suspected, March 8, 2013! We talked about what I am not supposed to be eating (high mercury fish, deli meats/deli salads, etc.) and we talked about family history. They asked us if we wanted to do testing between 11 and 13 weeks that will tell us about genetic issues the baby may have but we declined the testing because the baby will be staying no matter what. Every baby is perfect!
I went back to work on Tuesday. Starting out slow and steady, working short shifts only 3 times a week right now and following my doctor's recommendations. I am not able to lift more than 10 pounds right now and I am also supposed to be taking resting periods every two hours. So far so good! I am still spotting here and there but the doctors are not concerned and they said that this might be my normal for the first trimester.
This week has also been rough as far as how I am feeling. I am battling the morning sickness battle again. The unisom and B6 is working sometimes but I seem to get really sick at night and I have also been getting headaches every night. I struggled with migraines before I got pregnant but I was hoping to avoid them during this pregnancy but I guess that is not going to be the case. I am loving every minute of being pregnant though. I am trying not to complain because all these symptoms mean that the baby is doing well in there!
Tomorrow I turn 8 weeks pregnant! Four whole weeks since I took that first pregnancy test! I can't believe it, time is already flying! I will post a belly picture tomorrow when Donnie is home to help me take the picture!
Monday I had my first "official" OBGYN appointment. I had been talking to these doctors and midwives for a few weeks trying to figure out what was going on with Baby Carter but I had never actually been seen in the office until Monday. The appointment went well and was pretty standard for a first appointment. They confirmed my due date that I have suspected, March 8, 2013! We talked about what I am not supposed to be eating (high mercury fish, deli meats/deli salads, etc.) and we talked about family history. They asked us if we wanted to do testing between 11 and 13 weeks that will tell us about genetic issues the baby may have but we declined the testing because the baby will be staying no matter what. Every baby is perfect!
I went back to work on Tuesday. Starting out slow and steady, working short shifts only 3 times a week right now and following my doctor's recommendations. I am not able to lift more than 10 pounds right now and I am also supposed to be taking resting periods every two hours. So far so good! I am still spotting here and there but the doctors are not concerned and they said that this might be my normal for the first trimester.
This week has also been rough as far as how I am feeling. I am battling the morning sickness battle again. The unisom and B6 is working sometimes but I seem to get really sick at night and I have also been getting headaches every night. I struggled with migraines before I got pregnant but I was hoping to avoid them during this pregnancy but I guess that is not going to be the case. I am loving every minute of being pregnant though. I am trying not to complain because all these symptoms mean that the baby is doing well in there!
Tomorrow I turn 8 weeks pregnant! Four whole weeks since I took that first pregnancy test! I can't believe it, time is already flying! I will post a belly picture tomorrow when Donnie is home to help me take the picture!
Friday, July 20, 2012
7 Weeks Today!
I am so happy to have made it to 7 weeks! Week 5 and 6 were really hard on me! So here's to starting a new week and hopefully my pregnancy is going to be easier this week and in the weeks to come!
I have been taking a combination of B6 and unisom at night to help with my morning sickness and it has almost completely cured me of morning sickness! I am happy to be feeling better on that front.
I am more tired now so I've been resting as I only have a few more days before I have to go back to work. I am going to be working about 2 or 3 days a week and my doctor has me on restrictions to be sure I don't over do it or cause any more problems with the pregnancy! I am thankful that the HR department at work has worked with me and my doctor to make sure I can continue to work, safely!
Donnie has also gone back to work full time this week. This is really hard on me as well. He was working on a modified schedule for a few months and then he was home with me for a week and a half 24/7 so him going back to work was hard on us. Liberty misses her daddy so much!
So that's what is up in the Carter household this week! Have a great weekend friends!!!
I have been taking a combination of B6 and unisom at night to help with my morning sickness and it has almost completely cured me of morning sickness! I am happy to be feeling better on that front.
I am more tired now so I've been resting as I only have a few more days before I have to go back to work. I am going to be working about 2 or 3 days a week and my doctor has me on restrictions to be sure I don't over do it or cause any more problems with the pregnancy! I am thankful that the HR department at work has worked with me and my doctor to make sure I can continue to work, safely!
Donnie has also gone back to work full time this week. This is really hard on me as well. He was working on a modified schedule for a few months and then he was home with me for a week and a half 24/7 so him going back to work was hard on us. Liberty misses her daddy so much!
So that's what is up in the Carter household this week! Have a great weekend friends!!!
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Cat is out of the bag!
Now that we have announced our pregnancy, I wanted to share some of the best reactions I got while telling people! I want to document these moments so that one day, we can show the baby how excited people were to know we were going to have a baby!
Soon to be daddy- "What?! Are you serious?! That's AWESOME!!!"
My mom- Cried and screamed out of excitement! She has been wanting another grandchild for a long time!
My dad- "I knew I was getting old, but I am going to be a grandfather?!"
Connie- Cried out of excitement for us <3
My grandparentss- "We are going to be great grandparents?! That's fantastic!!"
These are just a few of the 100's of reactions we got! Sorry we can't share everyone's reactions, but these were the ones that stuck out to me. I love each and every one of you who have been here for us through our journey.
A special thanks to: Sarah Harkins, Ashley Porter, and Donnie for being extremely supportive through the really scary parts of this! <3
Soon to be daddy- "What?! Are you serious?! That's AWESOME!!!"
My mom- Cried and screamed out of excitement! She has been wanting another grandchild for a long time!
My dad- "I knew I was getting old, but I am going to be a grandfather?!"
Connie- Cried out of excitement for us <3
My grandparentss- "We are going to be great grandparents?! That's fantastic!!"
These are just a few of the 100's of reactions we got! Sorry we can't share everyone's reactions, but these were the ones that stuck out to me. I love each and every one of you who have been here for us through our journey.
A special thanks to: Sarah Harkins, Ashley Porter, and Donnie for being extremely supportive through the really scary parts of this! <3
Monday, July 16, 2012
Heartbeat!
This morning, Donnie and I got to see the baby's heartbeat!!! 125-136 beats per minute! Music to my soul!!!! After all the scares this baby has given us, we're SO HAPPY to be able to report a healthy baby!
Thank you for all the congratulations and love we have received! This baby is WELL LOVED already!!!
In other news, I am going to be a huge pregnant woman! Here is my updated photo so you all can laugh and call me a whale :P
Thank you for all the congratulations and love we have received! This baby is WELL LOVED already!!!
In other news, I am going to be a huge pregnant woman! Here is my updated photo so you all can laugh and call me a whale :P
Six Weeks
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Heard from the doctor!
All is well with my HCG levels. They weren't quite double yet, but that is okay, as long as they continue to rise. I will still be going on Thursday for another blood test! We're really excited that all seems to be going well now.
I can't wait for the ultrasound on Monday! I am so excited to see the baby again.
I can't wait for the ultrasound on Monday! I am so excited to see the baby again.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Updates about me and baby
Today I was blessed with two HUGE bags of maternity clothes, for FREE! Another CG wife that is done having babies was passing them on and she gave them to me. Very nice of her! And believe it or not, I needed them already. None of my pants fit me due to the extreme bloating, I have been doing the "hair tie trick" with all my pants. Not very classy, but it worked for now and now I have been blessed with pants and shorts and work clothes as well as a ton of shirts to wear for the rest of the pregnancy! I also have a really awesome friend sending me some more, thanks Caitlin! ;)
Today I had another bloodtest, I haven't heard the results yet, hopefully I hear soon. She had a hard time trying to find where to take it from. The bruising from the hospital IV and tests are really bad. She eventually had to take it from my hand. Thursday morning I have another bloodtest, hopefully they're able to find a place easier then. Doctors are still concerned about my HCG numbers so they want to continue to see them double every two days. Monday I have my 6 week ultrasound, crossing fingers and sending up prayers that we see a fetal pole this time and also a strong heartbeat! If we see a hearbeat and fetal pole, I will be asking for pictures, hopefully we get some!
I am feeling really crappy today, tired, light headed, and nauseous. All welcome signs that baby is doing okay in there, I need all the confirmation I can get since I am still bleeding and cramping on and off every couple days. Stay strong in there little one, keep baking, mommy and daddy want you to be okay more than you know!
Continued thoughts and prayers for me and the baby are appreciated, and throw a few in there for the daddy too. He has had to take a lot of time off work and he is so worried about me and the jellybean!
Today I had another bloodtest, I haven't heard the results yet, hopefully I hear soon. She had a hard time trying to find where to take it from. The bruising from the hospital IV and tests are really bad. She eventually had to take it from my hand. Thursday morning I have another bloodtest, hopefully they're able to find a place easier then. Doctors are still concerned about my HCG numbers so they want to continue to see them double every two days. Monday I have my 6 week ultrasound, crossing fingers and sending up prayers that we see a fetal pole this time and also a strong heartbeat! If we see a hearbeat and fetal pole, I will be asking for pictures, hopefully we get some!
I am feeling really crappy today, tired, light headed, and nauseous. All welcome signs that baby is doing okay in there, I need all the confirmation I can get since I am still bleeding and cramping on and off every couple days. Stay strong in there little one, keep baking, mommy and daddy want you to be okay more than you know!
Continued thoughts and prayers for me and the baby are appreciated, and throw a few in there for the daddy too. He has had to take a lot of time off work and he is so worried about me and the jellybean!
Sunday, July 8, 2012
So happy to report...
Wow!!! I am so happy to be able to write here again. As you all know, baby Carter gave us quite a scare on Friday night. I am happy to report that all is well now and I am anticipating that all will be fine for the rest of this pregnancy! My HCG levels are fantastic, in the HIGH 7,000's! Ultrasound looks good and I can't wait to see the baby's heartbeat in a few weeks! I do have to schedule another round of bloodwork and an ultrasound for later this week, I will be 6 weeks then. We may or may not see the heartbeat at that appointment.
Continue to pray for us as we are still not out of the danger zone yet. We won't know for sure that the baby will stick with us until I am 12 weeks pregnant but I am sure that all will be fine but you can never ask for enough prayers for something this scary.
I am 5 weeks, 2 days pregnant today and still quite bloated and feeling pregnant! All good and welcome signs :)
Continue to pray for us as we are still not out of the danger zone yet. We won't know for sure that the baby will stick with us until I am 12 weeks pregnant but I am sure that all will be fine but you can never ask for enough prayers for something this scary.
I am 5 weeks, 2 days pregnant today and still quite bloated and feeling pregnant! All good and welcome signs :)
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Symptoms galore...
All the symptoms have hit...
Morning sickness, exhausted, sore breasts (sore is an understatement)... I could go on but I won't bore you.
I am so excited that this baby is showing me that everything is okay in there!
Morning sickness, exhausted, sore breasts (sore is an understatement)... I could go on but I won't bore you.
I am so excited that this baby is showing me that everything is okay in there!
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Why did you choose a midwife?
I have already had this question asked to me with a negative tone. I just want to say this, deciding whether to see an OB or a Midwife is a very personal decision that I do not have to share with anyone besides my husband, but I will for the sake of educating someone who may not know the benefits of seeing a midwife. I will not entertain any conversations where someone tries to make me feel bad for my decision or tries to tell me I am not doing what is best, because I AM doing what is best for ME and my baby. If it is not right for you, then that is fine, but don't judge my decisions, please.
The statements I am about to make are about most OB's, not all. Some OB's are great doctors who believe in natural labor and delivery but those OB's are the minority for sure! OB's tend to use medication to induce labor or to make labor go faster. Labor is a very natural thing and just because you have hit 40 weeks, does not mean your baby is ready. Your due date is called an estimated due date for a reason. Just like every baby grows differently on the outside, every baby grows differently on the inside too! Many OB's will make the decision to perform a C Section when a mom is not "progressing" in labor, which sometimes is just a cop out. When there is a C section, that is planned and the doctor knows when it is going to happen, that is more convenient for them- they don't have to get up at 4am for a birth on a Saturday if the baby is born at 10am on a Tuesday morning...
Natural birth midwives do not do this. C section is an emergency procedure only. Medications are a last resort because natural labor and delivery helps the baby and mom recover, it also helps the success rate of breastfeeding. Women's bodies were MADE for labor and delivery. It is very rare that a female's body cannot do what it needs to do in labor. For those rare times when the body does not do what it is supposed to do, there are those medications and C sections for those emergency situations but those things should only be used when necessary.
These are just a few reasons why I chose a natural birth midwife. I also watched the documentary, The Business of Being Born. I highly recommend this documentary for anyone who wants to be further educated on labor and delivery.
The statements I am about to make are about most OB's, not all. Some OB's are great doctors who believe in natural labor and delivery but those OB's are the minority for sure! OB's tend to use medication to induce labor or to make labor go faster. Labor is a very natural thing and just because you have hit 40 weeks, does not mean your baby is ready. Your due date is called an estimated due date for a reason. Just like every baby grows differently on the outside, every baby grows differently on the inside too! Many OB's will make the decision to perform a C Section when a mom is not "progressing" in labor, which sometimes is just a cop out. When there is a C section, that is planned and the doctor knows when it is going to happen, that is more convenient for them- they don't have to get up at 4am for a birth on a Saturday if the baby is born at 10am on a Tuesday morning...
Natural birth midwives do not do this. C section is an emergency procedure only. Medications are a last resort because natural labor and delivery helps the baby and mom recover, it also helps the success rate of breastfeeding. Women's bodies were MADE for labor and delivery. It is very rare that a female's body cannot do what it needs to do in labor. For those rare times when the body does not do what it is supposed to do, there are those medications and C sections for those emergency situations but those things should only be used when necessary.
These are just a few reasons why I chose a natural birth midwife. I also watched the documentary, The Business of Being Born. I highly recommend this documentary for anyone who wants to be further educated on labor and delivery.
Scratch that... I chose a different midwife.
Scratch that last post ;)
Shortly after I posted that yesterday, I had a homebirth midwife call me (after I had asked her a question on her website) with a recommendation of a midwife who delivers at a hospital a little closer to home and that also makes the hospital birth most like a homebirth. Her name is Louise Bastarache. When I googled this midwife, I found her on the website healthgrades.com and 100% of her patients recommended her! Her cesarean section rate is 8%. Compare that to the nations 33.3% rate and you will see just one example of why I chose her. She does all her own work, so I will never have a fill in doctor and I will only see the nurses in the hospital if I need something. She is never more than 15 minutes away from the hospital. Her secretary, Chris, in the office answered a ton of my questions. I did not feel like I had to rush my conversation with her (even though she told me she was the only one in the office and had to put me on hold couple times) and she was extremely sweet.
I found other reviews on Louise and they were all extremely positive. I have not read one bad thing about her! I am so excited to meet her and for her to be my midwife!
I will still be seeing the other midwife for my appointment on July 23rd because I need to switch back to Tricare to see Louise and I am on USFHP until August 1st.
Shortly after I posted that yesterday, I had a homebirth midwife call me (after I had asked her a question on her website) with a recommendation of a midwife who delivers at a hospital a little closer to home and that also makes the hospital birth most like a homebirth. Her name is Louise Bastarache. When I googled this midwife, I found her on the website healthgrades.com and 100% of her patients recommended her! Her cesarean section rate is 8%. Compare that to the nations 33.3% rate and you will see just one example of why I chose her. She does all her own work, so I will never have a fill in doctor and I will only see the nurses in the hospital if I need something. She is never more than 15 minutes away from the hospital. Her secretary, Chris, in the office answered a ton of my questions. I did not feel like I had to rush my conversation with her (even though she told me she was the only one in the office and had to put me on hold couple times) and she was extremely sweet.
I found other reviews on Louise and they were all extremely positive. I have not read one bad thing about her! I am so excited to meet her and for her to be my midwife!
I will still be seeing the other midwife for my appointment on July 23rd because I need to switch back to Tricare to see Louise and I am on USFHP until August 1st.
Tobey Hospital Maternity Website- You can see the facility I will be giving birth at
Louise's Website - You can view testimonials here and read about her views
Monday, July 2, 2012
First Prenatal Appointment Scheduled
I scheduled my first prenatal appointment today with a midwife for July 23rd! I found an OBGYN and Midwifery that has multiple offices, one of which is on Cape Cod in Sandwich. It is going to be a far drive but if they're the right place for me, then I am all for it because I want the best possible chance for a natural labor and their website talks about how they're all for you deciding what you want for pain management and they also offer waterbirthing! I would LOVE to have a water birth!
The hospital I would deliver at if I stick with this office is Jordan Hospital in Plymouth, MA. Again, a bit of a drive but worth it to me to have the labor and delivery I have always thought about! And a bonus- for any family hoping to fly into Boston for the birth, Plymouth is closer to the airport than where we live! SCORE!
The hospital I would deliver at if I stick with this office is Jordan Hospital in Plymouth, MA. Again, a bit of a drive but worth it to me to have the labor and delivery I have always thought about! And a bonus- for any family hoping to fly into Boston for the birth, Plymouth is closer to the airport than where we live! SCORE!
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