Pregnancy: nine letters, three syllables and endless amounts of thoughts and emotions.
I found out I was pregnant with my first baby at the age of 24 and the beginning of a worldwide pandemic. I had dreamed about my little bundle of joy for years. I often asked myself, "What will she look like," "Will she have my green eyes," "Is pregnancy as beautiful as people make it seem," "Is motherhood really that hard?"
I personally loved being a part of a mommy and mommy-to-be community while I was pregnant. There was something beautiful about not being or feeling alone during quarantine through youtube videos, motherhood blogs and apps like Peanut. So, I am here to add to that community that kept me company for the best nine months of my life.
The Beginning: The Preconception Visit
If you are not familiar with a preconception visit, it is basically an appointment where you can ask your OB any questions on conception/pregnancy, discuss red flags and talk about the trying to conceive journey.
I met with my OB about two months before we conceived our baby. We talked about which prenatal vitamins to take, how long should you try to conceive before you should see a fertility specialist, family history, what foods and drinks to avoid, what to do after I get a positive, etc.
I like to plan almost everything. I function on schedules and directions. For a virgo like me, this meeting was necessary. I know these appointments aren't everyone's cup of tea, but something about talking this over gave me reassurance on the biggest journey I was about to embark.
Finding Out I was Pregnant
I found out I was pregnant at the beginning of February, 2020. At this point, we had tried to conceive for about two months before I saw the big fat positive. When I saw that positive pregnancy test, I felt an overwhelming feeling of happiness, finally. It was surreal to think that in nine-ish months, I would be holding my baby in my arms. I smiled thinking I was lucky enough to be someone's mommy.
To be honest, I also thought of all the things I couldn't do anymore. No, not partying and alcohol, more like no more sushi and ceviche.
My First Ultrasound
I had to wait a few weeks before my first ultrasound. I had to be 8-9 weeks pregnant to be seen. My husband came with me to this appointment, and we were so excited to hear her heartbeat. Now there's a moment I'll never forget. Hearing that there was life inside of me was indescribable. I also visualized myself seeing my belly grow in this office with many more ultrasounds to come. Little did I know, not all ultrasounds were for good things.
My Pregnancy Subchorionic Hematoma
When I was nine weeks pregnant, my pregnancy took a turn for nearly the worst. It was a Saturday night, and I was home alone. I was laying on the couch when I suddenly felt a gush of fluid. I looked. It was blood. My heart sank. "Please don't let this happen to my baby," I prayed.
I knew bleeding was a bad sign, so I rushed myself to the emergency room in tears. Thankfully, the hospital was less than five minutes away. As I drove, my mind was racing. Nothing else mattered in that moment. I just wanted the doctors to tell me that my baby was okay, but deep down I felt it was unlikely I'd hear what I wanted to hear.
After a vaginal ultrasound and bloodwork, I got the news. Baby is okay...for now. I was diagnosed with a subchorionic hematoma. I had never heard of this, not in my mommy groups, not on TV, blogs, books or youtube videos. I wondered if this was something so rare that only I went through it.
The doctor was hopeful that my baby would survive, but he reiterated that she had a 50/50 chance. I just had to lay at home and wait to see what would happen.
A few days went by, and everything felt normal until about two days later. I was driving home from work when I felt a familiar gush. I rushed home and ran to the bathroom only to discover more bleeding. My heart sank, again. I called my OB and went in for an ultrasound. At this time, quarantine orders had just been given, so unfortunately, I had to go to all my appointments alone. Once again, my hematoma had grown to an abnormally huge size. Again, I was warned that the chances didn't look promising, but to follow through on bed and pelvic rest.
Luckily, after about a month and a half, the bleeding stopped and baby was in the clear. My little fighter survived. Phew.
The Gender Reveal
I didn't want to find out the gender alone, so we paid out of pocket and scheduled a 3D/4D ultrasound that my husband could accompany me to. At 16 weeks, we found out we were having a babygirl! Everyone was betting on a boy, but since the first day, I knew in my soul it was little miss Luna on her way.
My 2nd and 3rd Trimester
The last two months of my pregnancy were filled with a bit of worry. Not only was my baby measuring very big (approximately 10lbs full-term), but I had too much fluid. The fancy word is: Polyhydramnios.
Since I had polyhydramnios, I suddenly needed to be monitored twice a week. Having too much fluid could mean a few things
There was something abnormal with my baby- anatomy scan said nope.
I had gestational diabetes- GD test said nope.
The baby could get wrapped around the chord due to all the water she was swimming in - very concerning
or in some cases, it could mean nothing to your pregnancy.
Luckily, every appointment gave us good signs. My second and third trimesters were smooth sailing. I enjoyed every bit of my pregnancy until the last few weeks. If you've had a baby before, you know what I'm taking about. Big belly, swollen feet, pain no matter what you do, peeing every five minutes and no sleep.
Due to the projected big size of my baby, we opted for an induction at 39 weeks. I was induced 9/29 and gave birth on 10/1. Now that's a story for another time.
Xoxo,
Mars
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