Week 18

Week 18 went by REALLY fast, despite the fact it included a 4 day weekend!

In terms of how I'm feeling... well... not awesome.  It was another nausea-filled week.  Yuck.  I was REALLY tired this week.  But it's still not THAT bad - I know I'm lucky in that regard!

So - my appointment with Dr. Beals on Thurs was interesting.  He is a great doctor - very practical, and it is impressive he remembers my story, even to the detail that I was playing tennis just before my mosquito bite.  Anyway he said in his experience, pregnancy does weird things with dystonia.  He said between the stress on your body, the electrolyte imbalance that comes with nausea/vomiting, and the relaxin and other hormones going on, it usually gets worse during the course of pregnancy.  Bummer.  He also said pregnancy in general, without any of the unpredictability of factors associated with dystonia, is not a good time for surgery.  So - he sent me to an orthotist to try a brace to see if it will help for now.  There are essentially three possible scenarios after the baby:

1. He said that several patients with dystonia and other neurological issues have their problem spontaneously resolve in the first few months after giving birth.  Weird, but true.  I'm voting for this scenario! :)
2. The brace may work fine and be enough to work long-term.
3. I may decide surgery is the best option to try to correct the dystonia.

He emphasized that a new baby is stressful between adjusting to a new person, lack of sleep, etc. (he even said he has never known anyone to NOT have post-partum depression to one degree or another) and strongly stated that surgery in the first 6 mos or so of the baby's life would be way too stressful for the family.  So - we'll see how things are going around then.

I got my brace on Fri - it's bulky and hard to put on - I have one pair of shoes that works with it, and honestly it's painful to wear, but I think that is because it is correcting my foot issues.  Once your foot is in the wrong position for so long, being in the right position can hurt!  My current plan is to wear it for ~ an hour each day while going for a walk to see how it helps.  I think it will - I just need to be diligent in giving it a try.

OK what we're all  most interested in - the kiddo!  In terms of development, from http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-18-weeks_1107.bc?responsys_count=1&scid=mbtw_preg18:1002&pe=2UvuHCR&st=MjAxMTAxMTc= :

" Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

See what your baby looks like this week."

It talks about how you may be feeling more hungry - I'm not really noticing that myself yet...

... and from http://www.babyzone.com/pregnancy/week/article/18th-week-pregnancy-pg3:

"For Your Partner:

Beginning to Build Your Bond
 

As a dad-to-be, you don't have the same connection to your baby as your partner does. If you're looking for a fun way to build a connection with your unborn child, one of the best ways to get started is to talk to or read to your baby. 

You might think talking to your partner's belly is a little embarrassing. Don't! Reading to baby can become a very special time between you and your partner; a new form of intimacy and sharing (and some quiet time that will be harder to come by after your baby is born). 

But maybe even more importantly, reading to your unborn baby helps you relate to your baby as a person, giving you a head start for when your little one arrives in person. 

In addition, your baby can now hear sounds and voices from the womb. This means you have a unique opportunity to help your little baby begin to recognize your own voice. Of course, your baby has a good chance of recognizing your partner's voice because she is with your baby all of the time. Reading, talking, and singing are all ways to share your voice with your baby."

I talked to Blake about this but he's not really taking it seriously yet... maybe soon (?)  

OK then - week 19 starts tomorrow - and I have a study appt Thurs and my "big" mid-pregnancy ultrasound Fri.  Fingers crossed all goes well and that the kiddo cooperates to find out if it's a boy or girl! :)  I'll probably post on Fri next.

Have a great day!!!