Week 4

So today I am officially 4 weeks pregnant! I had a pretty good appointment at the doctor yesterday, although there is not that much they can do this early on. They did a urine pregnancy test and it was positive although the line was very light. I've done 4 at home and the lines get progressively darker so I felt good about that. I saw the doctor and had a brief exam and he said it was way to early for an ultrasound - their machine is just not sophisticated enough to pick up the gestational sac. Bummer! And obviously it is too soon for a heart beat! They did draw blood for a beta and progesterone level which hopefully will be back today. We discussed my history of PROM and agreed that I will most likely start progesterone therapy in weeks 20-30. My goal is to make it to at least 34 weeks. I forgot to ask if I can get the surfactant as a precaution later in pregnancy. I was lucky with DS that he didn't come right away and I was able to get the full protocol. I wonder if it is possible to get it even if I'm not showing signs of labor? Well, we'll see, I'm quite certain I'll be monitored far more closely this time around.

The doctor did say that he thinks the pain I am experiencing is a cyst on my lonely little ovary. It hurt like hell when he pushed on it and now today it is so tender and sore. He said the ovary is not enlarged so it is either a small cyst or the corpus luteum that is causing the pain. He said it is too early to diagnose ectopic pregnancy which was my fear. I hope whatever it is, that it will just go away. I need my little ovary and my tube over there on the left side! I've already lost the ones on the right. Although DP and I did discuss yesterday that if this pregnancy goes to term, we will most likely stop at 2. We will be so blessed that how could we hope for more? But even so, I still would like to have my last ovary remain intact!!

So that's it for now. I go back in 4 weeks so long as the blood tests come back okay.

I did almost die when I got on the scale though. I haven't lost a single pound from the first baby. I'm not sure how I am going to find maternity clothes in my size. I barely found any 30 pounds ago. Supposedly at this weight, I wouldn't really need to gain anything during pregnancy and I'm going to work really hard at doing that. There is no way my heart and knees could handle another 30 pounds. My goal this week is to map out a pregnancy diet to follow and to start walking.

I really can't believe this is happening! I'm so excited and still so scared and cautiously hopeful. But you know even at only 4 weeks it's hard to to get way ahead of yourself with the excitement factor.

I'll leave you with this little exchange between us and the doctor (who I love - we've been going to this practice since we moved here and there is a gay nurse there so we feel so good and accepted):

Dr. walking into the room: "Hey what are you guys doing here? I was just thinking about you the other day!"

Me: "I'm 3 weeks and 6 days pregnant!"

Dr.: "How did that happen?"

This is the same guy who tried to give me the birth control talk at my 6 week post-partum after DS was born. Sometimes the thinks he's so funny!