Hi all,
I'm 11 weeks today. I'm praying daily that by the end of my first trimester I will feel waaaay better. At this point I'm still suffering daily, I have started to slowly get better and I'm so grateful. I feel daily like I've been hit by a train. Then maybe the train stopped reversed and hit me again. Haha. My heart is weary as being so sick for five weeks is really draining and discouraging. Right now I just want to ask for your prayers because I need them. Pray for strength so that I can get through this challenging time and also that after my first trimester I will have a healthy pregnancy. I really need to see a glimpse of a light at the end of this dark tunnel soon.
I also am so scared of getting sick. I feel like if I got swine flu or the regular flu I don't know if I would make it. (mrs.negativity) But for real I have lost so much weight and am so weak that getting 'sick' would be deadly/dreadful. I also on the other hand don't want to get vaccinated because I don't feel safe injecting myself with something that hasn't been around long enough to know for sure that it won't effect the baby. I have read many articles saying how bad the vaccination is but also tv/media it pushes for everyone to get it. Since I really don't know I think I should refrain. Perhaps just pray that I also don't get sick!
So my iPhone has a baby app. And it tells me week by week what is going on with the baby/my body. It's really cool! I'm going to copy/paste. Then you can get a glimpse of what is going on with baby converse this week.
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As you near the end of your first trimester, your uterus, now about the size of a large grapefruit, begins to migrate from the bottom of your pelvis to a front-and-center position in your abdomen. If you're lucky, this will bring an end to one pesky early pregnancy symptom — the constant urge to urinate. Also slated to diminish somewhat now that you're on the cusp of your second trimester are some of those other early pregnancy symptoms: nausea, super-tender breasts and nipples, food aversions, fatigue. But don't look now (though — considering the symptom — maybe you should), there's a new one added to the mix: dizziness.
And guess who's to blame? Yup — it's your old friend progesterone again, which causes your blood vessels to relax and widen, increasing the flow of blood to your baby (again, good for baby), but slowing the return of blood to you (as always, not so good for mom). Less blood flow to you means lower blood pressure and reduced blood flow to your brain. All of these can contribute to that light-headed, dizzy feeling — especially when you get up too quickly — which is why slow and steady wins the race against dizziness.
Another cause of dizziness during pregnancy is low blood-sugar levels, which can occur if you're not eating regularly (so don't try to run…or even walk…on empty). And looking ahead to later in pregnancy, dizziness in the third trimester can be caused by the pressure the growing uterus places on your major blood vessels, especially when you're lying on your back.
Here's a quick tip: If you feel dizzy or faint, lie down or sit with your head lowered between your knees, take deep breaths, and loosen any tight clothing (like that button on your jeans you struggled to close in the first place). As soon as you feel a little better, get something to eat and drink.
Your Baby
This week marks a turning point for your baby. The herculean task of developing new bodily structures is nearing an end as most of your baby's systems are fully formed. Now comes the maintenance phase, during which your fetus' systems continue to mature for the next 28 weeks and the organs get to work.
Your little fetus weighs as much as half an ounce now, and the crown-to-rump length is about two and a half inches (the size of a large plum — busily working his or her way through the whole produce department). It's hard to believe (especially from the outside, since you're probably barely showing at this point), but your baby has more than doubled in size during the past three weeks. And that's just on the outside — there's plenty going on inside too. The fetal digestive system is beginning to flex its digestive muscle — literally — as it starts practicing contraction movements, a skill your baby will need after birth to push food through the digestive tract. The pituitary gland at the base of the brain has started producing hormones. And the bone marrow is making white blood cells, which will one day help your baby fight infection (including all those germs passed around the snot-nosed playgroup).
If you haven't already had the pleasure, it's likely that at this month's checkup you'll finally hear your baby's fetal heartbeat — a sound that will make your heart race with joy!
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xoxox
-Sheena (plus Brent & baby)
*posted from iPhone
