6 weeks 5 days: Told the boss

So I was really nervous to tell work about being pregnant. I don't know why. I guess because the only people I have seen pregnant at work have been admin assistants and they are a lot easier to replace with a temp than a full time engineer. I also work with mostly men that are in they're late 40's and early 50's, so I wasn't sure how they would react. Plus, the thought of telling work before we could tell our parents was a little heartbreaking.



But, I am so sick, plus I'm worried about it getting worse, that I broke down and told them. Here's how it went:



Me: Do you have a minute?

Him: Sure. (I shut the door.)

Me: I have some really good news! My husband and I are expecting our first child!!

Him: That's wonderful news! Congratulations! Wow, how exciting! How are you feeling?

Me: Well that's why I'm telling you so early. I'm only about 7 weeks, but the morning sickness has set in and I have been pretty miserable the last couple of days.
Him: You just let us know if you need to work from home, or stay home sick. Don't push yourself to hard. We can find someone to help you out if you need it. Don't worry about falling behind on your work.

Me: Thank you. And just to let you know, I plan to work up to my due date on April 20th and then take about 4 months off. I do plan to come back to my career.

Him: (Smiles.) So you plan to work until April 19th?

Me: Well if the doctor lets me and I'm up to it!



The conversation continued with him telling me about his wife's pregnancies and congratulating me again. He also told me not to go to the field unless absolutely necessary and only for safety meetings and such. There are too many chemicals that could be harmful to the baby.



So all in all, it was the best reaction I could have gotten. It was wonderful and made it a little more real!

6 weeks, 5 days: So sick

Sick. So sick to my stomach. I threw up yesterday for the first time and stayed at work all day feeling miserable. Nothing really helped. I even went and laid down in my care for a half hour. Finally around 4:30 I started feeling slightly better. By that time I left to go home. I got home and cooked myself dinner, ate about a quarter of it and just felt blech. So I ate half a lemon (I know, sounds gross, but it's the only thing that makes the queasiness go away!). Then I put my Seaband bracelets on, took some ginger, ate some crackers, drank some water and laid down. I had to yell at Scout to leave me alone because the smell of her was making me sicker. By the time Christopher got home at 9:30 I was still feeling awful. It feels like a monstrous hangover that won't go away. He made me some scrambled eggs and that seemed to help. I went to bed and slept with the bracelets on.



I got up this morning and like magic, I feel back to normal. I ate a huge breakfast and brought lots of food to work. I have just devoured a foot long sub for lunch! I have NEVER eaten a foot long in my life! I still don't feel full. As long as I keep the bracelets on and keep my tummy full, I'm fine. I don't know how I would do it if I was sick every day!!



I called yesterday to make my doctor appointment and I could only leave a message. They never called back, so I called again today. My first appointment isn't until I'm almost 11 weeks!! And I won't even see my doctor, only a nurse! Oh well...



I finally feel like I'm starting to worry less about a miscarriage and instead I'm learning to enjoy the experience. I think I'm going to have to spill the beans soon, because I can't fit into my pants, I already have a little bump (which I can't physically suck in!), and I look like a goof with dark blue motion sickness bracelets on! I was hoping I could wait until after the first appointment, but I think it will be too obvious by then.

6 Weeks, 3 days: First Craving!

What's happening with the baby:

The embryo is starting to look like a tadpole. It's about 0.08 inches to 0.16 inches (the size of a BB pellet), from the top of the head to the buttocks. The eyes and limb buds are also forming. A heartbeat can sometimes be detected by an ultrasound around now. This is an extremely important time in the baby's development since between 17 and 56 days the embryo is most susceptible to factors that can interfere with its normal growth.



Well I had my first craving last week! I couldn't get enough cold food crammed in my mouth!!! Haha! All I wanted was cold food, I even heated up leftovers (steak and sweet potatoes) to lukewarm and ate them because the idea of hot food made me queasy. (I NEVER eat leftovers.) Crazy! I then proceeded to stuff my face with an entire bag of mini-carrots, an apple, and an entire cucumber. That craving only lasted a couple of days.



Now I crave salt and sour stuff (especially citrus). I'm feeling a little queasy in the mornings and early afternoons, especially right before I start to get hungry. Once I eat something though, I feel much better.



I can't fit into half of my pants already. I also don't fit into any my dresses or skirts. It's such a strange feeling since I just wore all this stuff a month ago! I don't know what I'm going to do for work clothes, or if I start showing really early. I wasn't planning to tell work until I'm 12-14 weeks.



I'm also completely congested, like I have a head cold. It doesn't help that I have allergies right now too and none of the medicines are particularly great for the baby, especially in early pregancy. So I'm using natural stuff (menthol, eucalyptus, ginger, lemon, etc).

5 weeks, 3 days: First Doctor Appointment

I had my doctor appointment today and it was a complete waste of time. I thought I had already picked a doctor that would deliver the baby and take care of all my prenatal visits, but she doesn't. So we arrive and have to wait for about 30 minutes. Then we finally go back to the exam room and the nurse asks me the purpose of the visit...um hello, I told you on the phone when I made the appointment that I was pregnant! Then the nurse says I'll have to give a urine sample and I ask if I can do it right away (it's been 2 hours since I last went...and the frequent urination isn't getting any better). I pee in a cup, go back to the exam room and wait 10 minutes for the doctor to come in. She says, 'yep, you're pregnant' (duh, that's why I came in!). Then she asks if I've thought about an OB/GYN. I say 'No, I didn't realize I had to.' Then she says, 'okay here's a list, give us a call when you decide.'



So now I have to wait for the referral to go through and then make my first real appointment. I can't wait because I feel so stressed and worried about a miscarriage (don't know why, women in my family don't have these issues and I'm young and healthy). I feel like once I hear the heartbeat, I will feel a lot less worried. I guess then you start worrying about everything else!



Still tired and spacey, but that's okay. At least I can make it until 10:30 now, which helps for class. They spaceyness gets on my nerves, especially at work. I'm constantly fixing all of my oops!

5 Weeks, 1 Day: Symptoms

I am only 5 weeks and 1 day, but jeez it all happens so quick.



What's happening to the baby:

The baby hasn't grown much. It's aobut 0.05 inches long. Heart, brain, spinal cord, muscle, and bones are beginning to develop. The placenta, which will nourish the baby, and the amniotic sac, which provides a warm and safe environment where the baby can move easily, are still forming, too.



Here's the latest update on my symptoms.



Boobs

Wowsers!!! I already had to buy a new bra at a bigger cup size and my boobs feel like they're in jail again because it's already so tight! If I go buy another bra, that will be 2 cup sizes in 2 weeks!! How much bigger are they going to get?? I was a 36B and now I'm busting out of a 36C!! They are also pretty sore, so no touching!



Hair

So I just bought a new volumizing shampoo and conditioner and I was thinking, wow, I think this stuff really made my hair become twice as thick! This is the best product ever!! Then my hair started feeling like hay and I remembered Che saying that her hair changed during pregnancy. So I don't think it's the new products afterall...only the pregnancy. Thick hair is good, hay hair is not!



Energy

Sooo tired. All I want to do is sleep. Bedtime is 9:30 now! I don't know what I'm going to do when I have class until 10!



Peeing

What?!? Why do I have to pee every 2 hours all of sudden?? There is no baby yet to push on my bladder. I wake up twice in the middle of the night. This is crazy!!



Baby Brain

I am unable to multi-task. It takes so long to get things done at work because I keep forgetting things. I spend more time opening and closing files on the computer (because I forget I still need them open), and running to and from my office to get my forgotten pen, notebook, water, jacket, purse. Then I tried to make dinner the other night. Just simple breakfast. I had 3 pans, but 4 things to cook and I nearly had a breakdown. I just stood there and stared at everything and then really began to panic! I had to ask Christopher how to cook it all! Thankfully he helped, but I still couldn't cook more than one thing at a time. Half our food ended being served cold. Please tell me this doesn't get any worse.



Emotions

I got so angry watching Memoirs of a Geisha that I started crying and had to turn the TV off (I have no idea why I got mad). Then when Christopher came home from work, he started asking me how my day was and how I was feeling, and I got so overwhelmed I basically yelled at him to stop asking me so many questions. I told him I was tired and just wanted to go to bed. I was nearly in tears by then. I think this might be a roller coaster ride for both of us!!



I have my first doctor appointment on Wednesday (Aug 22). Christopher is coming with me. He is being a really good sport about everything and is super excited. He even asked me to buy him a book so he knows what to expect. I bought him "Pregnancy Sucks: For Men. When the Miracle Makes You Both Miserable." It's really funny, but gives him the info he needs.