Pregnancy Week 6

 The last two weeks have been difficult. I haven't been able to take a pregnancy test, but I haven't felt too pregnant yet. I haven't seen any bleeding so that was good, but I think the progesterone might prevent or delay that since I always needed to stop using it to get my period in the previous attempts.

Last week was particularly difficult to wait for my ultrasound. I just tried to eat healthy, do my prenatal yoga and be ok with not knowing. Last Wednesday, I sat down to do my yoga at lunch time. I use the video from Harlow's Earth on youtube. I was just breathing in and out, with my hands on my heart and belly when I had to get up and rush to the bathroom. I yack my entire lunch and I think I even saw some of my breakfast at the end of it. 

I had only been feeling a light nausea before that and mainly caused by taking my prenatal. This time I had taken the prenatal about 30 minutes before and thought I was ok, but I guess I wasn't. I moved my prenatal to night time close to when I go to bed and so far I haven't been sick since. 

Even though it sucked to be sick I was kinda glad to see a symptom of pregnancy even if it didn't last for the rest of the week.

This week I have had more nausea feelings. I have to wake up and take my thyroid then I have to wait at least 30 minutes but it's better if it's an hour and so I will usually feel light nausea during that time, but I generally feel better once I have breakfast. I will also get nauseated around lunch time, but it's not super strong. I was feeling it today and I ate a peach to help after I let that rest for ten minutes or so I was able to eat the salad I had planned for lunch.

Generally I don't feel too bad in the afternoon or evening, but it does show up sometimes. I have heard that having protein should help, but I generally don't like to meat at all my meals and I'm not sure if I can handle an egg. I think I am doing well enough now that I don't need to force that but I will keep it in mind if it gets worse.

As for other symptoms I haven't had too many others, may be lower back pain, but since I'm working at home I think that could just be because I am sitting a lot of the day. I try to get up at least once an hour which a lot of times I need to go to the bathroom at least. 

I also think my areolas are a bit different, but I haven't had too much tenderness. I will sometimes feel sore or achy, but I don't feel like it is the same as some have described so I think it might still be coming.

I have noticed that I am a little stuffier in my nose in the morning. It might be allergies, but I read that the blood circulates more during pregnancy and cause swelling in the nose that leads to congestion. Because I am social distancing I am sure it is not a cold, plus it doesn't stick around all day. 

So probably the most exciting part of the two weeks is my ultrasound on Thursday the 8th. It was at 2:30 and I was a little nervous that they would yell psyche! Or something. But it wasn't like that at all. I went in Kristina Bauer is the nicest PA there (imo) and so I was happy that she was doing the ultrasound.

The ultrasound was transvaginal and first she looked at the uterus the fluid was measuring at 6 weeks 5 days and she showed me the yolk sac and the baby. I could even see the baby's heart beating. 

Then she said she was going to do the boring stuff before trying to get hear the heart beat. So she went over to look at the ovaries. She said that I ovulated from the right ovulate. After ovulation the follicle becomes a corpus luteum. The corpus luteum helps produce hormones to help pregnancy during the first trimester, the placenta will eventually take over. Kristina showed me how she could see the blood flowing around the ovary so that's how she knew which ovary ovulated. She said there might have even been two follicles on that side that erupted! There was a that maybe follicle remember? She checked the left ovary too and it didn't have the corpus luteum so the egg didn't come from that side. How cool it that to know. Also I read a study that the right side may favor pregnancy.

Then we went back to look at the baby she measured from crown to rump and said that the baby was measuring at 6 weeks 4 days and that baby had implanted in the "perfect spot." I am not sure if there really is a perfect spot but it was nice to know that it was at least in a good place. Then she was able to pinpoint the sonogram to listen to the heartbeat! It was so cool to hear. It didn't sound like a whoosh, whoosh like I imagined but more like a thump thump. She could only hold it in place for a little bit but she was able to get the heart beat twice. It was going 126 bpm. The PA said they were looking for over 100. But I have read that over 120 in the 6th week is even better. If you have a greater than 120 heart beat between 6 weeks 3 days and week 7 day 0 then the chance of miscarriage is 4.9%. If it is be 119-110 it is 19% and if it is 101-109 then it is a 43% chance. Below 100 is 100%  miscarriage rate. So you definitely want to be higher than 100, but over 120 is better. Since I didn't really have to worry about the dates being off with having an IUI, I am pretty confined that I was 6 weeks 4 days like she said based on my lmp it was 6 weeks and 3 days, but so either way it wasn't 6 weeks 2 days no matter what. But if you don't have an IUI your dates could be off and if you are under 6 weeks 2 days that a heart rate in the 100s is ok too.

So I was so happy to see that the baby was heartrate was so good. She printed out some photos. I will try to post a few but they are kinda boring right now. I then dressed and went out to sign the release form so that my file would be sent to my OB doctor. They told me to contact my OB and schedule an appointment. So I scheduled the appointment on Friday, and they were able to take me on this Saturday at 2:40 pm. 

On Saturday my appointment didn't include an ultrasound. It was just a breast exam and a vaginal exam. I also gave a sample of urine. I also am going in next Saturday for an ultrasound since my OB wants to do their on viability scan. I am sure it will be just as cool as last time. I'm allowed one guest so my mom is going to come.

This weekend I became a little obsessed with looking up the Ramzi method of determining gender. Online sources says that it is 97.5% accurate for girls and 97.2%  accurate for boys. If it was really that effective I am sure OB's would be using it.
But it is fun. 

So what is Ramzi method? During an early scan before 9 weeks what you do is look for the placenta. You can ask the tech where it is if you want to. If the placenta is to the right of the womb then you're having a boy and if it is on the left of the womb then you're having a girl. I didn't ask my tech, but I think the placenta is on the left. I will try to ask next week. The thing to remember is that if you are doing an adnominal scan then the image is mirrored so you have to reverse the sides in the pictures.