Bumpdate | First Trimester Update

So technically I was 12 weeks on September 25th, but between announcing our pregnancy and our trip to Minnesota, I never got around to posting about my first trimester. So I am a little behind on my bumpdates, but I only plan on doing one every other week for the first few weeks so I can get caught up quickly.

As I mentioned last week, we went through IVF in order to get this pregnancy. I will get to the details eventually, but part of the IVF process is the dreaded progesterone shots. A progesterone supplement is needed with an IVF cycle because of the way the process works, your body will not naturally produce progesterone which is needed to sustain a pregnancy. But, after 10-12 weeks of pregnancy, your placenta is fully developed and it will take over producing the progesterone. So basically, I needed a shot in the muscles of my butt every morning for 12 weeks. I am not going to lie, these were rough. Basically any remedy that I read about did not help make them any easier. They just needed to be endured. The first few weeks were the worst, and then my butt got numb and I could not feel them as much. But, just about every other day I would end up with a giant bruise. It was not fun. So I was definitely excited when I got to the 12 week mark and I was shot free! Also, Richard is amazing for waking up early and giving me a shot every morning. Not sure if I would have been able to do the same. I was also taking estrogen in three different forms and a baby aspirin and I was able to drop all meds at the 12 week mark. It was a great day. I will go into more detail about the drugs and the process when I go through the IVF details.

We found out we were pregnant on August 2nd, the day after Richard defended his dissertation. We told our close family and friends right away because they all knew that we had gone through IVF and there was no point in keeping that secret. I took a home pregnancy test the next morning just because I had never seen an actual positive before so it was fun to see! My initial HCG (the pregnancy hormone) level was 928. They had me come in again a week later and my levels were at 9,341! So yep definitely pregnant!
Our fertility clinic has you do two early ultrasounds before you officially "graduate" to the normal OB/GYN. Our first ultrasound was on August 24th, at about 7 and a half weeks. We could hear the heartbeat and see the baby, although the baby basically just looked like a blob at that point. But everything looked good! Oh and also, just one baby!
Our second ultrasound was on September 2nd, which would put me at almost 9 weeks. We got to hear the heartbeat again and we also saw the baby moving around which was so cool! The baby also looked a lot more like a baby at this appointment which was fun to see. Since we made it that far along, our fertility doctor deemed us officially ready to move on to our OB/GYN. Before we left, they gave us a cute onesie and had us take a "graduation" photo. It was such a crazy moment that I was never sure we would actually get.
I found my OB/GYN prior to leaving our fertility doctor, but I could not get in to see him until all my records came through and were reviewed. So I did not get my first OB appointment until September 26th. This appointment was just a basic overview of my doctor's practices and then a bunch of blood was drawn for testing. One of the tests was a genetic blood test where they could test for any genetic abnormalities, as well as gender. We should be getting those results back soon!

As for the question that I always get asked, how have I been feeling? Pretty good! Nothing too major, although my husband would probably disagree. I would only feel a little nauseous in the mornings and when I was hungry. I could go from full to hungry to so-hungry-I-feel-sick-and-need-to-eat-something-now in just a matter of minutes. Also, I learned quickly that if I over ate I would feel super sick and then I would have an aversion to whatever I just ate. That was not fun. Also, eating at home instead of at restaurants made me feel a lot better as well. I also noticed a dramatic difference in my energy levels. By the time I left work, I was so exhausted and usually ended up in bed by about 8pm and would sleep until 6am, getting up 3-4 times to go to the bathroom. Oh and there is pregnancy brain. Pregnancy brain is real and it makes everything harder. I can't remember anything anymore which has been a real problem. I have to consciously make an effort to remember what I was thinking only a few minutes prior or to remember what I am supposed to be doing. I have also had some really nasty headaches. I have always had problems with tight muscles in my neck and back, but lately they have lead to the headaches that will put me on my ass for the entire day. I have been seeing a chiropractor to make it better, but they have not completely gone away yet. All of the other stuff is manageable, but the headaches are just plain awful. And they always happen at the most inconvenient of times. I am really hoping that these go away soon.

So overall, the first trimester went as well as can be expected! I really do not have any complaints and I am so grateful just to be pregnant. I know what a blessing it is and I will not take it for granted, ever.