Apparently I still haven't really figured out how to stand for such photos without looking awkward
Weight: +5 lbs.
Symptoms: I feel like this pregnancy has been overall a bit rougher as far as symptoms....nausea is still sticking around, though frequency of vomiting has lessened immensely. I'm not a headache person but have been having headaches pretty frequently.
Eating: My old favorites from last time: green apples, grapefruit, cucumbers, cornflakes. Rice + meat + veggies is about my most abhorred meal at this time (super convenient when you live in Southeast Asia and that is a pretty solid default meal). Sucking (not chewing!) on ice cubes helps a lot with nausea.
Gender: We don't know. We found out at 17+ weeks with Cyrus, but this time, Angel kinda thought one way, the doctor kinda thought another, but basically she said the baby wasn't gonna let us find out this time around. Maybe next time, maybe not. Now I'm wondering if we'll be surprised on the day baby is born! And now we do have to seriously start thinking about names. So far most name conversations have just devolved into giggles as we start attaching our last name to the names of various favorite characters from movies or television.
Preparations: Perks of already having a one year old? You already have all the baby stuff. Boom.
Emotions: Some news that we got at the doctor's this week has me concerned. We were told that a small part of the placenta has detached, which makes the need for an early delivery a possibility if the condition worsens and starts causing the baby's or mom's life to be at risk--not something you want to hear at only 18 weeks along. Of course...we come home and google it to find out more and I don't exactly recommend googling placental abruption while pregnant if you don't want to be worried.
It also leaves me feeling confused--this is supposedly a relatively rare phenomenon, and risk factors include drug use, alcohol, and being an older mom. So there's a certain level of frustration that wants to point at the article and say, "See, this couldn't possibly be a problem because I don't fit this profile at all! And besides, this condition only occurs in 1% of pregnancies, so it's not something to worry about at all!" And yet logic tells me that's not how risk factors and statistics work.
So the doctor's advice for now is to not lift anything heavy (including Cyrus--no lifting him at all), and take it easy, don't do anything with risks of being bumped around. So, to live in this modern world where everyone swears up and down "Oh yeah, you should definitely exercise while pregnant, it's so healthy for you and baby, and makes recovery so much easier!" and people safely run and bike and lift weights while pregnant...and you're told that picking up your one year old to put him in his crib can put your own life and the life of your other baby at risk...is frustrating.
Yesterday I was reading a Bible story to the kids...about David and the Psalms and it quoted Psalm 23. And that line comes to me "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me."
That's what I'm holding to right now. I feel like lately I have seen many people I care about walking through some sort of valley of the shadow of death...and my prayer is consistently that they will not feel abandoned and alone as they face the toughest parts of living in this world.
Praying for you and baby. I had a moment where I called out to Go dtonight. I said "show me I'm yours and tell me you've got me". In that exact moment a ray of sunshine appeared where clouds were everywhere and I turned the radio on and the song says "you say I am yours, and I believe. I believe" I'm telling you... It was God. You are God's and he has you. Look for those ways and ask for him to show you.
Congrats on making it to 18 weeks! I'm sorry you had a concerning doctors appointment and I'll definitely keep you and the baby in my prayers, and that you'd have a rod and staff of comfort with you both. I'm decidedly Not Good with unknown things so I'd be googling like crazy but that way madness lies... Anyway, I'm sorry for the news and I hope that's as far as it gets.
P.S. I can't safely* run, bike, or lift weights either and I'm not even pregnant :) *due to lack of coordination and muscle tone, leading to inevitable injury
I’m praying for you!! I cannot imagine the anxiety that would bring.
Oh my, I am praying for you and baby, Rachel! That sounds so awful and worrying. I can't imagine how hard it would be, too, to take care of Cyrus when you can't pick him up-and he probably can't understand why!
On a happier note, I think you look so cute with your little baby bump!
I'm so sorry that you are going through all of this. I'm praying for you and you sweet little baby. Names are fun to think about but also really hard! I just made it to 37 weeks today and Nick and I still aren't sure on her name!!
Risks/stats mean NOTHNG when you already have fallen into that category (like for us, 1 in 8 experience infertility...that would've meant nothing to me, ever, if we weren't the "1".)
My cousin had a placental abruption with her second baby last year. They didn't diagnosis until she went into labor a month early though, so at least you have a doctor who caught it and you can take precautions (she and he were fine...they had to do a c-section).
I'm praying for you!
(I feel like those who *don't* look awkward in pictures like this are the ones who practice too much :)
Praying for you and the little one. God has breathed life into this little one, let us keep on believing life and health for you both.
Praying for you, your baby, and the rest of your precious family. I can only imagine how frustrating and worrying it is to hear about this risk and readjust your life. <3
Post a Comment