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Monday, April 9, 2007

13 wks...hello 2nd trimester!

Well, now I feel even worse that I stopped posting for so long after people left such nice comments about being worried about me! You made my day, and I promise I will keep posting.

Sooo, now for the latest:

The NT scan last Wednesday was great, the u/s tech said all the measurements looked really good. Of course we still need to get the combined results but I'm glad that at least so far things are looking good!

The Jumbo Shrimp (size of the baby courtesy of BabyCenter) was sleeping away with his/her hand to mouth, possibly even sucking his/her thumb...so cute. Then of course we needed it to move to get the final measurement, and the tech kept trying to wake it up by poking my stomach and it wouldn't wake up. For a split second I panicked thinking something was terribly wrong, then I remembered that we had just listened to the heartbeat, so it really was just sleeping. Then I had my first moment of "worried Mom", thinking "Great, my kid isn't doing what it's supposed to be doing, it's not paying attention to direction" -- then I snapped out of it and gave it a good poke and said "Wake up!" and it did. So then I got to feel like super Mom.

G's eyes were like saucers the entire time, this was the 1st time he saw it moving and I think it's really starting to hit him that this is really happening. He was amazed that it could be sleeping or awake, and when it started moving/swimming around he couldn't believe it. I think it's funny because even though it's amazing to me too, I already really think of it as a little separate creature in my tummy, so of course it could be awake or asleep! Since the u/s he has been sticking his face right up to my tummy every night and talking to the baby, which I love...he is starting to have his own relationship with the baby, and not just with a pregnant wife.

Next milestone will be the big anatomy u/s, which we are having a little early at 16 weeks, 3 weeks from today. I am really excited to find out the sex...I keep thinking it's a boy but for a split second at the NT scan I thought I might have seen some girly parts. So we'll see...

Pics from the NT scan at the end of this post.

Other musings:

I was in my prenatal yoga class the other day, which I really love. It's great to be with all the pregnant ladies at once, and see how everyone's bodies are different and beautiful in their own ways. The teacher is great and really helps us focus attention on our babies and on getting ready to give birth. BUT. She said something that really bothered me, and I am debating whether to talk to her about it.

She was talking about how amazing being pregnant is, and then started talking about how wonderful it is that we're all fertile, and how being a woman is amazing because we can do this, and when we're not pregnant and we bleed every month it's a celebration of fertility...and then mentioned the movie "Children of Men" and talked about how the people are infertile in it in a way that suggested this was a terrible horror. And I was sort of shocked that she didn't even think for a MINUTE that someone in the class might have struggled with infertility before getting pregnant, or that not everyone bleeds every month (as in, I haven't had a period on my own without drugs since I was 19 years old) or that the ability to give birth (or lack thereof) doesn't make you more or less of a woman.

So what do you guys think, should I mention this to her and ask that she be more sensitive to how she talks about this subject? I am so grateful that I am pregnant, but that doesn't mean I consider myself "fertile"...I don't know what to say I guess. Thoughts and ideas welcomed.

Close-up side view:


Side view (sleeeepy baby). The little triangle shaped blob near the face is the hand:


This is after it woke up and started rolling around. It's the back and the head is starting to turn a bit:

7 comments:

Carol said...

Wonderful pictures!!

I am a bit suprised at what your yoga instructor said. I would guess that she probably had no idea that she might be offending, but also that she might be the kind of person who might appreciate being made aware of how her words could be taken in a way differently than she intented. So I vote that you do say something to her, in a very constructive way.

LJ said...

Those are FANTASTIC pictures.

Congrats on reaching the second trimester

Hopeful Mother said...

Great news, and great pics!

I think you should say something to the yoga instructor too... you may not have been the only one offended by that comment.

queen said...

Call that woman OUT sister!!!! Do it for the infertiles... we need all the help we can get.

I think a sweet, anonymous email with a link to "What to say to an infertile" would be appropriate.
http://www.resolve.org/site/PageServer?pagename=lrn_ffaf_ie

Nickie said...

Yay! You're back!!! Glad the NT scan went well and so cute that you got him/her to wake up like that. LOVE that your DH is talking to your belly so much. Mine isn't into that as much this time. He's stressed about work, so I'll cut him some slack.

2nd trimester is soooo much better than 1st for most women, I hope you really enjoy it.

As for the yoga teacher, yes, absolutely mention it to her. She will have contact with lots of pg women and it's important for the future infertiles that she does meet that she be more sensitive. It would be good for her to be more enlightened too so that she can help spread that enlightenment to the fertile-myrtles of the world that IF isn't leprosy and just because they were lucky enough to conceive somewhat easily this time, it's no guarantee for the future. Ok, maybe that's just my personal issues coming out here.

I'd love to hear about what poses you guys are doing in class. I'm still in my regular Iyengar class and just modifying as needed. It would be interesting to compare classes with you. Do you have my email? If not, it's nickiewilliams@hotmail.com if you want to chat about the differences.

Susan said...

So glad you are back! Loved seeing those pictures. I have my nuchal screening tomorrow. Seeing your pics makes me even more excited!
About the yoga instructor, I think you should say something. I'm always looking for the chance to help others understand infertility, and I'm finding that most people are genuinely interested and want to learn. I bet, that if you approach her in a kind, open way that lets her know how you felt without condemning her in any way, she'll appreciate hearing your comments.
Can't wait to hear more about your progress.

Ms. Perky said...

I would approach your yoga instructor but not with "I'm offended by what you said." I would instead approach her with, "just so you know, not all women in your class really can take their fertility as a given... here's my experience..."