pregnancy journey

What’s in a name?

/ Katie / 28 Comments

Lately, Graham and I have been talking extensively about what we want to name our Baby Girl, because cute as it is, she can’t just be “Baby Girl” forever. And y’all, it’s so hard.

Funny story: I was born six weeks early, and my parents hadn’t decided on my name yet. They’d gone back and forth on several different choices, and just couldn’t seem to agree. Finally, it came down to it, and they were unexpectedly out of time. My mom wanted just “Katie.” My dad said I’d want a more mature name as I got older, and suggested “Kathryn.” Kathryn stuck, but I’ve been Katie my whole life. When someone calls me Kathryn, I genuinely have no idea who they’re talking to. I’ve missed more than one question at school, and sat awkwardly several times in doctor’s offices as they call me back over and over again. To be clear, I’m fine with the name Kathryn, and I like the spelling my parents chose. But my name is Katie. It always has been.

And that’s how it should be, right? Your name just fits. But how are we supposed to get there?

I won’t share them here, because then it’ll be a fun surprise, but we’ve narrowed our list down to two names. I don’t know which one we’ll choose. We use them every day, just to see if one feels better than the other. We like them both. Which one, though, is HER name? Which one will she connect with?

I’m probably overthinking this.

But then, am I?

Unless she decides to change her name when she’s older – which would be fine, since it’s her name and her life – we get one chance to get this right. I don’t want to let her down.

Happy Friday! (Or, Lots of Good Things)

/ Katie / 21 Comments

And it is a very happy Friday indeed! Why? Well –

First of all, I passed my 3-hour glucose tolerance test. “With flying colors,” said my provider. The test itself was just as awful as I thought it would be, but I’m still grateful for it, and I’m grateful to know the results. The momentary discomfort is worth the knowledge, and if things had turned out differently, I would have been glad to know that, too. Once upon a time, I wouldn’t have known at all, and the outcome for me and Baby Girl might very well have been affected. I’m thankful to be alive and pregnant in a time when testing like this is available, routine, and designed to help both mama and baby stay healthy.

So, yay! I can still have cake and other lovely sweet stuff, which is nice, because yesterday was our ten-year wedding anniversary, and Graham and I celebrated with a really good dinner capped off with a very tasty dessert.

White chocolate bread pudding with apple gelato and jam. So, so delicious. (If you want to get it, too, and find yourself in our little corner of Virginia, then I’d encourage you to check out The Ashby Inn and Restaurant in the beautiful village of Paris, Virginia.)   

Ten years married, almost fifteen together, and Graham is still my favorite person in the whole world. 10 out of 10. Would marry again.

And on top of the other good stuff this week, work on the kitchen is coming along wonderfully and should be done quite soon.

The tile looks great, the cabinets and countertops complement each other exactly as I thought they would, and the retro-style appliances fit right in.

Not every week is a great week, but this one’s been pretty good, all things considered. I’m 28 weeks pregnant today, which means I’m officially in my third trimester, and I just can’t wait to meet this baby. I know our world will look very different soon, but I’m ready for those changes, and excited for them. Right now, the future sure does look bright. And I’m just very, very happy.

I hope you are, too.

I Failed, Y’all (Or, The Dreaded Glucose Tolerance Test)

/ Katie / 36 Comments

If you’ve been pregnant, you know what I’m talking about. And hopefully, you got a better result than mine.

Because I failed.

Let me back up.

With the disclaimer that I am not a doctor and I’m only giving a high-level overview based on my understanding, here’s what I know. One of the standard tests you get when you’re pregnant is a blood test to see how your body is processing sugar. You start with a screening test, and it’s important to do, because it can determine whether or not you have gestational diabetes, which is bad, if left untreated. Your medical provider will give you a super sweet, syrupy beverage to drink in five minutes – I promise it’s not actually that terrible and tastes mostly like a melted popsicle – and then an hour later, will draw your blood to check your sugar level. Sounds simple, and really, it is. If you pass, you’re good to go. It gets a little more complicated if you fail.

Which I did.

Not by much, but by enough that I am now required to take the three-hour diagnostic test. This test will tell me definitively whether I have gestational diabetes. It’s an important thing to know, and I think something like ten percent of women will develop gestational diabetes in their pregnancies. From what I’ve read, it’s often not a result of lifestyle choices, and has a lot more to do with hormones and how your body reacts to having a placenta. I’m grateful to be alive and pregnant in a time when this test is routine and available, and when gestational diabetes is something we know how to manage. But man, I’m just not looking forward to that test. It’ll be a total of twelve hours of fasting, a larger sugar drink, and four blood draws total over the course of three hours. It’s not going to be fun. But it’s worth it. It really is.

So, I’m planning to take it easy this weekend. I’ve got a short story to write, which I’m planning to post on Monday. (And by then, it will only be eleven days late!) And then the test on Tuesday. Work in the kitchen continues, and we’ve officially got three months until Baby Girl’s due date.

Things are happening, y’all. It feels like barely controlled chaos in my house (in my life, I think) right now, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.  

Time Marches On

/ Katie / 18 Comments

As of today, we’ve got 100 days left until Baby Girl’s due date. It feels like forever and way too fast to get everything ready.

As of yesterday, Merlin (the Magic Cat) is a year old.

As of this week, the kitchen’s coming along nicely. New paint.

One section of countertops and a new sink.

And lots left to do. But even small steps are steps forward.

It’s short story time, and I’ve got nothing. I plan to work on it throughout this week and weekend, but it will be next week before August’s short story gets posted. We’re visiting family starting tomorrow, and I just know I won’t have time.

Time, time, time. Funny thing, isn’t it? Infinite, theoretically, but it certainly doesn’t work that way for us. But as the old song says, it certainly marches on.

I’ll be taking a break Friday and Monday, but I’ll be back on Wednesday, hopefully with a late short story for August. In the meantime, I wish y’all happy creating! And if you’re in the US, a lovely holiday weekend!

24 Weeks (Or, What a Difference One Year Makes)

/ Katie / 24 Comments

As of last Friday, I am 24 weeks pregnant. It’s a tricky topic, but 24 weeks is generally considered viability.

A milestone.

On August 18th last year, I had surgery for a missed miscarriage that didn’t resolve completely until November 30th. Those months were one long, waking nightmare that I would not wish on my worst enemy. To say I am grateful to be here, right now, is such an understatement, but it’s all I got. I’m happy and sad. I’m anxious and hopeful. I feel powerful, and humbled. I’ve just been dealing with lots of feelings these last several days, and I’m trying to let them wash over me while I focus on looking forward, and on feeling Baby Girl kick around inside my belly.

None of us are ever defined by the worst thing that’s happened to us. My life is full of joy and light, and soon, I’ll be able to share that with a small human I already love so much.

What a difference a year makes.

21 Weeks (Or, Oh I’m Definitely Pregnant. Very Pregnant.)

/ Katie / 39 Comments

Baby Girl was not particularly feeling like having her picture taken, but we had our anatomy scan this week, and she’s in there, growing and bouncing around.

I’m 21 weeks pregnant today, and we’re officially over halfway there. I have a hunch she’ll come early. We’ll see. At least we already have a couple of names picked out, so we’re a little more ready for her when she gets here. (Side note: I was born six weeks early. My parents did not have a name picked out. I was nameless for a few days. I have made it my goal to avoid that situation. So far, so good.)

At any rate, after a fall this weekend – scary, but all appears to be fine – and then the anatomy scan on Tuesday, I’m just feeling very, very…pregnant. I don’t know how else to describe it. My belly has grown, my balance is off, I’m hungry all the time, I have to pee every half hour or so. I’m also happy, and hopeful, and anxious, and so ready to meet this little girl. For someone who didn’t want children and couldn’t fathom the idea of being somebody’s mom until I was about 35, I sure am eager to get started. Although, I guess I already have, haven’t I?

On my list for next week: Create a registry, start on a nursery, and plan (with the help of very dear friends) a baby shower/party/something. I don’t really want a traditional baby shower. I want all of the people we love to get together and play music and eat food and laugh and help us to celebrate our soon-to-be (already-there?) daughter. Presents optional. Presence appreciated. Is that weird? I don’t think that’s weird. And we’ve bought both a smoker and a wood-fired pizza oven in the last few weeks, so we’ll be able to make plenty of tasty treats for everyone. Fun, right?

The truth is, I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m just trying to do it well, whatever it is. And I suspect, very much, that this is parenthood.

So, onward. I wish I could speed up time. I wish I could slow it down and savor these last days as just Graham and me. I wish I could sleep though the night without getting hot and having to run to the bathroom six times. But more than anything, I wish for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. I know that even though it feels like a long way off, she’ll be here before we know it.  

Wait, What? (Or, Useless, Untrue, and Silly Things People Say About Pregnancy)

/ Katie / 26 Comments

I saw a friend at one of my favorite places over the weekend. I hadn’t been too keen on going out, but I’m glad I did, because I hadn’t seen her in a couple of years, or her husband, and it was nice to catch up with them. And, as it turns out, their beautiful baby girl.

She and I chatted for a minute, and she gave me her best advice for getting through pregnancy without going crazy: DON’T READ.

She also told me not to be a hero when it comes to pain management during labor, and to look into physical therapy to help with birth. But it was the “Don’t Read” that stood out to me, because she is so very, very, very correct. If pregnant women believed everything we read online – on community boards, in advice articles, and, unsurprisingly, on social media, we’d only ever lay in bed and eat steamed broccoli with no seasoning and drink triple-distilled, filtered water with no ice. It’s a scary internet out there, y’all.

So today, I thought I’d share some of the most interesting, untrue, utterly useless, silly things I’ve either read or been told so far during my pregnancy. Note that I’ve done my best to fact-check these, but I’m not a doctor. If you’re pregnant and you’re worried or have questions, the best person to talk to is your doctor or midwife. Seriously. Just call your doctor. Dr. Google doesn’t count.

No pineapple for you!

Did you know that pregnant women aren’t supposed to eat pineapple because it can trigger labor? Neither did I. Because it’s a myth. Every actual piece of evidence I’ve encountered indicates that pineapple is safe to eat during pregnancy and is a healthy choice. I like it with cottage cheese in the morning, which I promise is much tastier than it sounds.

You’re not supposed to tell anyone until you’re 20 weeks.

Says who? This is such a personal choice, and there is no right or wrong time. If you choose to wait until after your 20-week anatomy scan, cool! If you’re excited and happy and just bursting to share your wonderful news at 5 weeks, go for it! Telling or not telling won’t change the outcome of your pregnancy. You won’t jinx anything by sharing your joy. If you want people to know, just tell them. It might help, during those tough weeks of the first trimester, to have a shoulder (or many) to cry on and friends who can make you laugh as you fight through the fatigue and nausea.

A fast fetal heart rate means a baby girl.

There is evidence that baby girls have a higher heart rate during birth, but that’s it. That early fetal heart rate doesn’t indicate gender, at all. Not even a little. Neither does carrying high or low, which is more dictated by your body shape and the muscle tone in your abdomen.

Don’t raise your arms over your head!

I don’t even know where to start with this one.

EVERY FOOD IS UNSAFE! DANGER, WILL ROBINSON!

This is one of the best places to listen to your doctor, and not the internet, not some random coworker, not your friend who heard this from her Great Aunt Whatever. Not even me, as I sit here writing this, because again, I’m not an expert. Here’s what I do know: Listeria and toxoplasmosis ARE dangerous, so check for outbreaks and recalls and listen to your doctor when he/she tells you what foods to avoid.

Sorry you’ll have to give up your coffee.

No, I won’t. And I haven’t. My midwives tell me that up to 200 mg of caffeine per day is safe. I’m continuing to have my morning cuppa, thank you. And you should really be thanking me, because I’m doing you a favor. You wouldn’t like me before my morning coffee.

Rehome your cat!

Nope, no way. I’m not changing the litter box, but I’ve learned that you can safely cuddle with your kitty totally worry-free. Just wash your hands after. Merlin is MINE. His home is with me. And I think he’ll really love Baby Girl when she gets here.

A tiny bit of alcohol won’t hurt!

I debated including this one, because different doctors give different advice here, and different women make different choices. But we don’t know the safe amount of alcohol for pregnant people to consume. There have been studies with some interesting results, but for me, I’d rather not take my chances. And honestly, shocking as it is because craft cider and beer are a major part of my social life, I don’t miss it. But, if you’re pregnant and really just want a glass of wine with dinner, talk to your doctor. Seeing a theme here? TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR.

Anterior placentas are bad.

My placenta is about half and half, anterior (front of uterus) and posterior (back of uterus). No medical provider has ever told me to worry about an anterior placenta, and from what I can find, it isn’t unsafe, is usually not a cause for any concern, and I can’t find consistent evidence that it actually impacts when you’ll feel the baby move. Some people say it does, and some say it doesn’t. I’m pretty sure I’ve felt little flutters, and I’m 18 weeks today.

Time to eat for two!

Nope, not quite. You only need about 300 extra calories per day. For reference, that’s about 1 apple and 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. Your doctor will have more advice for you on how much weight you should gain, but definitely don’t eat enough calories for two fully-grown adult humans. I’ve been eating an extra snack every day (I love apples and cheese sticks, yogurt and honey, or some peanut butter on rice cakes), and it’s been keeping me full and satisfied. But again, talk to your doctor. (Or midwife. Just, you know, the medical professional you are seeing.)

I’ve also gotten so much good advice, which I’m happy to share if you’d like to read it! (Let me know.) And I feel very loved and supported right now. But myths about pregnancy abound, and even well-meaning, kind, loving people can share information that makes you anxious, scares you, or is incorrect. If it helps, I read Expecting Better by Emily Oster before I got pregnant, and found it to be full of good, well-researched information that made me feel much better and more comfortable with what nine months carrying a small human would look like.

Pregnancy is such a journey, and it is so personal. I hope that if you’re pregnant now, or if you’re planning to get pregnant soon, your journey is smooth and full of the kind of love and support that we all deserve. And watch out for the myths that rob you of your joy and unnecessarily limit how you live your life. They’re out there, certainly, but knowledge is power.  You got this, mama. And I do, too.