24 Week Pregnancy update

Weight: 147
Belly Measurement: 35 1/2''
Cravings: Soft and hard shell tacos, enchiladas, Hispanic food

Although I am doing so much better then I had been previously.  This week I feel as though I regressed a bit.  I had quite a few days of nausea and vomited 2 days out of the week.  Exhaustion has continued to get worse.  I have also experienced swollen ankles for the very first time ever, and hopefully the very last as well.  Swollen ankles was a result of pulling an all nighter (blogging, watching tv, editing, and watching youtube), and sitting upright in the same exact position with my feet flat on the floor for hours.  Yes I literally didn't move from around 11am - 5am.  Not a good idea for an exhausted preggo women.  That's not even a good idea for someone who is not pregnant, it is never good to sit in the same position for hours on end.  My ankles to my toes swelled up.  I feel completely out of shape, I still can not stay out for more then about 2 hours without feeling like I will just pass out.  I try to do 50 squats at least 3 days a week but that is honestly the most I can do.  Other then that the only other workout I get is walking about a store shopping for baby, food, and things I need as a result of my forever changing body.

Oh Yea I want to find a new OBGYN, I go in depth about why in the video below :/

22- 23 Weeks Pregnant Update

Weight: 143-144
Belly Measurement: 35 inches

1. Maternity Clothes - Only jeans, everything else I can still wear in junior sizes medium or large. Leggings, Yoga Pants, and Maxi dresses are my favorite.  I can dress any outfit up with a blazer!

2. Stretch Marks - None Yet, Thank You Jesus!

3. Best Moment this week - We finally decided on a baby name that we sincerely think we will stick with, and I also got to hear from my hubby which is always a great thing.

4. Food Cravings - Sushi (cooked or fake), Trinidadian Fish Pastels (I will be one happy women when I can get some), Fish Sandwhich, Quarter Pounder w/ Cheese

5. Anything Make You Queasy or Sick - Strong scents, perfumes, and odors

6. Belly button in or out - Out since about week 19

7. Linea Negra - Yes, from my belly button to my pubic area....nothing above that yet. 

8. Wedding rings on or off - Been off since the start of my pregnancy.  My skin has become very sensitive so they now give me rashes.  I only wear jewelry when I go out or when I film a video.  Before pregnancy I used to only be allergic to fake jewelry but now I am allergic to all jewelry including real gold.

9.  Happy or moody - Been moody my whole pregnancy, I can cry a happy cry or sad cry about just about anything

10.  Looking Forward to -  Seeing my baby, holding my baby, loving on my baby, and taking care of my baby.  Also looking forward to my hubby coming home.

11. Total Weight Gain - None since my pre-pregnancy weight.  But about 8-10 lbs since all the weight I lost during pregnancy.  Back to around 144-146, my pre-pregnancy weight was 150, so I am still below that.

12.  Movement or Flutters - Movement for sure, I can feel it on both inside and outside of my belly.

13.  Out of Breathe - For sure, sitting up, walking, wearing clothing especially a bra which puts pressure on my tummy all gets me out of breathe quickly

22 Weeks

23 weeks

 

Happy Mother's Day

From the time I got married up until this very moment feels like a dream.  By no means is my life perfect, matter of fact its far from it.  But!!!  I feel like FINALLY all my life long dreams are coming to fruition.  Most people want to be Doctors, Lawyers, Teachers ect.  Most people dream about cars, houses, vacations ect.  Not that those dreams aren't just as important.  Obviously I've worked my butt off in school to obtain my Bachelors and Masters and want to be successful too.  It would also be wonderful to have some of the materialistic things that come with success.  My definition of true success has always been a bit different though.  I have always wanted to grow up to be the most amazing and selfless wife and mother!  All I ever really wanted was a family of my own.  This happens to be the one dream that is hardest to achieve because its not like everything else where you can work hard and put in long hours of studying to get where you want to be.  This dream is all left up to God and fate.  It doesn't happen until He thinks you are ready. There were plenty of times I thought I would never be deemed "ready" or worthy.  There were plenty of times I thought the one major dream I had since I was a very smallzz kid would never come to fruition or that I would have to wait a life time for the one thing that would truly bring me ultimate happiness.  So on this very day I am reminded of how blessed I truly am to have a mother that has been an amazing example, for a loving husband who works tirelessly to support his wife/family, and for the growing baby in my belly.  I feel like I finally have everything that I have ever wanted.  I STILL CAN NOT BELIEVE I AM A MOTHER TO BE!  Blessed beyond measure and grateful beyond words.  Thank you Jesus for my MOTHER, family, husband, and baby.

Maternity Below the Belly Pants, Jeans, and Leggings

Trying on Jeans at Old Navy at 21 weeks preggo

Currently 22 Weeks Pregnant!

I have had the hardest time finding below the belly maternity jeans.  Most maternity jeans/pants that are sold have the large panel that covers the entire belly and goes way up past your belly button.  To me that is beyond uncomfortable, restrictive, and hot.  Its spring/summer and I am trying to stay cool, and avoid the sticky and uncomfortable feeling.  Carrying around a heavy baby bump along with massive swollen breasts is enough.  Having a panel that covers my belly would just make everything that much worse.  Sadly it took 3 weeks of shopping online, in-store, and mall hopping to finally find what I wanted.  Old Navy and Gap are the places to go when it comes to below the belly maternity jeans/pants and online has the largest selection.  The fit and price point of Old Navy is honestly the best.  I am carrying completely in my midsection with no hips, no butt, no thighs ect.  So I found that a lot of maternity wear does not fit well for that reason.  Old Navy actually has maternity jeans for skinny girls like me for around $25-$36.  Gap has some pretty nice maternity jeans as well but there price point is a lot higher at about $70.  I also found that for that high price the jeans didn't fit any better then Old Navy's.  Pea in the Pod is the place to go for very expensive designer denim but for my growing belly and body I didn't think buying designer denim would be a wise decision.

Watch the video below to see my fav below the belly jeans/pants/leggings and how they fit!

21 Weeks Pregnant Update

Weight: 140-142

Stomach Measurement: 35''

 

Cravings: Hard Shell Tacos, Churros, Pepperoni Pizza, Trinidadian Fish Pastels, Ice Water, and Sushi (Fake or Cooked).  Anything salty
Linea Nigra: Yes, from below my belly button to my pubic area
Maternity Clothes: Maternity jeans for sure or leggings, but I hope to never have to wear maternity top
Innie or Outie: Outie since the moment my belly popped

Symptoms:  Lower stomach pain as a result of intense constipation, tired and lethargic, I feel massive even though I am still pretty small, random nausea only a few days this week (still take Zofran when I feel nauseous), vomited only once when I ate too much too fast, hate the taste of any drink other then ice water, excessive saliva continues, massive heavy breasts (34-36 DD), nails are extra strong and extra long, and having to pee more frequently.

Weight Gain: I Finally Have a Baby BUMP!!!

 

Week 19
Weight: 134-138

I had a prenatal appointment.  In this week I had a transvaginal ultrasound to check the size of my cervix to ensure that it would be competent to sustain the pregnancy.  I then had a regular belly ultrasound that seemed to last forever.  A good 15-30 minute long ultrasound.  She measured all of babies body parts. She measured and took ultrasound pics of the head, feet, abdomen, hands, arms, legs ect.  She also checked the different vessels and compartments of the heart.  Everything checked out well.  I ALSO FOUND OUT THE SEX!!!  By now I feel movements but during the ultrasound the baby flipped from face up to face down and I was surprised I didn't feel that at all.  Baby flipped to face down and placed one hand behind its back as if to say that's enough leave me alone now.  It was so cute and funny to see. Here are a couple of ultrasounds.  One thing that I have noticed is that our ultrasounds aren't as clear as I would like them to be or as clear as I have seen others.  I can't tell if that is a result of the baby moving too much or if their ultrasound machines just suck.  But I want some better and more clear pictures of babies profile.

Week 20
Weight: 138-141 lbs (finally have gained some weight back, now I am only 10-12 lbs below my pre-pregnancy weight)

All I can say is Thank You Jesus!!!!! I am finally no longer deathly sick.  I feel so much better!!! I still get sick and still get nauseous on the regular but I am soooooo much better then I was for the last 2-3 months.  I now go a good 1-2 days without vomiting.  But yes the vomiting always does return.  Having a day here and there without vomiting is such an improvement for me.  As a result of less nausea and vomiting my appetite has returned.  I have finally started gaining weight and I FINALLY have a baby bump.  I literally went from having a completely flat stomach in the previous weeks to now having a mini baby bump.  Its just so exciting!.  Constipation continues to get worse.  I started having some really really bad stomach aches.  The very first time I experienced this intense stomach ache I didn't know what it was and I got really scared that something might be wrong with my pregnancy.  It first started really late one night, so I thought if I woke up with the same pain and if it lasted throughout the day I would call my doctor.  I woke up the next morning with the same pains, I actually barely slept.  The pain was just so intense in the lower part of my stomach.  I the realized I hadn't had a bowl movement in at least a week.  So I went to try to use the bathroom, nothing came out I was still constipated.  It then clicked that the pains were related to the fact that I hadn't been to the bathroom in at least a week and that I needed to sit on the toilet as long as I needed to so that I could have a bowl movement.  Finally by midday I was able to use the bathroom and experienced some relief from the pains, but then they quickly returned by afternoon.  I was off to the toilet again, by the end of the night I had about 3-4 bowl movements.  Since then I have continued to experience really bad stomach pains when I don't have a bowl movement on a regular basis or force myself to regardless of my constipation.  I have been eating prunes, and other foods with fiber to help out the situation.  But stomach pains from constipation are no joke. 

 

 

 

Bump Update 

 I really wish I had bump pictures for all the weeks leading up to week 20 but I don't.  I was too sick to worry about taking pictures. But week 20 is the week that I literally popped. I remember week 19 I had a very slight bump and previous to that I was absolutely not showing at all.  For so long I was sick and losing weight that I had a stomach that was actually flatter then it was before I had even gotten pregnant. 

 

Symptoms

- vomited on average every other day

- I still do not feel like myself, and I am still experiencing nausea at least once a day, but I feel way better then I had in previous weeks

- intense constipation that is accompanied with intense stomach aches

- my nails are growing like weeds, and are very strong even without the use of nail treatments

- my stomach is rock hard

- frequent baby kicks and movement especially in my lower stomach

- intense hunger and appetite.....always hungry. 

- sour/tart taste in my mouth, chewing gum is the only thing that gets rid of it

- always thirsty, drink ice water all day

- craving salty foods, but that has been what I have craved my entire pregnancy

-can only fit maternity pants or yoga pants.....pre-pregnancy jeans hurt and apply too much pressure to my baby bump and/or simply do not fit

- slight acne on my chest, and intense pregnancy acne on my face, makeup can't even hide it.

- my lips are no longer chapped

- my belly button keeps getting pushed further and further out, undeniable outie, and even be seen through clothing

What Helped My Extreme Nausea and Vomitting (Hyperemesis Gravidarum)

From weeks 6-18 I had extreme nausea and vomiting.  On average I vomited 2-7 times a day.  I vomited everything from water to food to prenatal vitamins.  I even vomited acid whenever I had an empty stomach.  I tried almost everything recommeneded to me.  It got to the point where I got sick and tired of hearing recommendations because I most likely already had tried it, and/or couldn't stomach or tolerate it.  Anyone who has been pregnant knows you can have extreme adversions to certain things, actually a lot of things, so I got so annoyed with people recommending things that I had adversions to.  As a pregnant women, you would know that just because something helped you doesn't mean it will help me.  On top of that my nausea wasn't the average pregnancy nausea that most women experience, so what helps most people surely did not help me.

Things that did not help:

-Zofran prescription medicine 4 mg (dissolvable tablets)
-Preggie Pops (from Baby's R US
-Accupressure Wrist Bands (from Baby's R US)
-Fresh fruits and veggies (salads)
-Peppermint tea
-Ice and water
-Crackers
-Ginger (ginger ale)
-Carbonated drinks

Things that helped my nausea (pls note nothing stopped my vomiting completely but at least I went from vomiting 7 times a day to only vomiting once or twice a day):

-Zofran prescription medicine 8 mg (tablets to be swallowed with water)
-Small meals (never eat till you are full or stuffed)
-Sleep (can't vomit or feel nauseous during sleep, also helped to be sleep during morning and late night hours because that is when I felt most nauseous)
-Chewing gum (helped with the excessive siliva and tart taste in my mouth)
-Prayer!!

Pregnancy Sickness and Phobias

Weeks 14-18

Weight: 132-133 (still 18 lbs down from my pre-pregnancy weight)
All this started actually around week 11 but continued through week 18.  Anyone who knows me knows I love having my hair done, nails done, face made up, heels on, and I like to dress nicely.  Due to feeling down right sick, nauseous, exhausted, and honestly defeated I seemingly became a different person.  All the things that were normally part of my daily routine all just became intolerable.  I literally had a phobia of my own body and my own routines.  For a good 1-2 months I did not do my hair.  Not only did I not wash it, I did not comb it, I did not brush it.  And it wasn't like it was out of the way, braided up, and under a wig.  Nope it was in a low ponytail.  It sat in the same ponytail for months, since it hadn't been combed, brushed, or moisturized it matted up very badly.  I thought by the time I got around to being ok with doing my hair that it would dread up.  It got to the point where my mom helped me out moisturized my hair, brushed it, and put it back in the dirty ponytail because she just saw how sad and pittyful I looked and seemed.  I hadn't done my nails since the January 1, not a big deal but clearly so not me. I typically always have my nails did!  Next I had a real bad phobia of all facial products including face wash, face serums, face lotions, and acne treatments.  I could go days on end without washing my face or doing anything at all to it.  During the first month of my pregnancy my face was abdormally dry.  But by the 11th week all that changed, I had never seen so much grease before in my life.  My face would get so greasy to the point it felt sticky.  So having a phobia of my face and facial products along with the excessive grease completely ruined my skin.  Since I wasn't washing my face on the regular or taking care of it I know have terrible cystic acne, black heads, white head, and rash ontop of all of that.  There is not one centimeter of my face that is clear of bumps.  The bumpiness only made my phobia of the skin on my face even worse.  When I tell yall I was a mess, I truly mean I was a mess. Next I had excessively dry lips, to the point where I had thick scabes of dry skin all over my lips that I could not pull off.  I also didn't treat it with lip treatments because I had a phobia of the way that feels and smells so my lips just continued to get worse and worse.  The last thing that drove me nuts during these agonizingly dreadful weeks was the fact that I had excessive saliva and a tart stale taste constinatly in my mouth.  No matter what I ate, or how many times I brushed my teeth none of this would go away.  This only exaserbated my nausea and vomiting, yall you have no idea!

Other symptoms include:

-Chills, I was always cold (I needed heat and a sweater even when it was warm out)
-Random sharp pains near my hernia repair site near my lower abdomen, usually when I would make sharp quick moves
-Breasts were no longer tender but the tenderness was focused in my nipples.  Also my nipples grew extremely large, larger then a silver dollar. 
-Breasts grew 2 cup sizes, from a C cup to a DD cup
-Constipation started, in the first weeks or months of my pregnancy I had diarrhea so this was new to me
-Excessive snot and mucus in my nose and throat which was exaserbated by the constant and consistant vomiting
-Hate the scent of everything especially lotions, perfumes, oils ect. 
-No belly bump whats so ever!
-Low appetite, mostly graved sandwhiches, subs, and pastas
-Vomit 1-4 times a day
-Prenate Mini prenatal vitamin pills that were prescribed to me by my doctor caused immediate vomiting and a metal taste in my mouth. I had to discontinue use of it and go back to my gummy prenatal chewable vitamins
-Absolutely hated water!! All I could drink were juices and I would go through phases.  One moment I only wanted apple juice, then only milk, then only sweet tea, then only kool-aid, then only grape juice.  And I could only drink if more then half of my glass was filled with ice. 

HYPEREMESIS GRAVIDARUM - Long Awaited Update!

LOOKING BACK!
I know I have been gone for a very long time. So much has changed since my last update.  A lot has gotten worse, some things have stayed consistent, and other things have changed drastically.  I am sure there will be a lot that I will forget to mention since a lot has happened.  But let me get started.   I will try to go week by week.

Week 9 -  142-145lbs

   Nausea continued to be unbearable.  I continued to vomit every meal, snack, drink, and even vomited on an empty stomach.  Weakness continued.  But my appetite wasn't too bad, eating hadn't gotten difficult yet.  I ate a lot of soups, salads, fruit cups, fruit juices, fresh fruits, bagels, bread, cereals, eggs, and also bad stuff like pizza, Chinese food, bacon, sausage ect.  I basically ate what I craved along with trying to get as much healthy things in my body as I could.  Soup and salad was my favorite meals for the times I was most nauseous an found eating the hardest.  I take 2 Vitafusion Prenatal Gummy Vitamins with DHA and Folic Acid a day.  At the time I thought I looked so bad, weak, and a hot mess but looking back I looked great in comparison to the way I look and feel now at my current week in pregnancy.  I was really surprised that I didn't lose that much weight at that time.  I guess my strong appetite really compensated for the amount that I was vomiting.  I think I was around 142-145lbs at this point.
  I ended up successfully changing my insurance to Tricare Standard, and luckily this week I got my first doctors appointment and ultrasound with a non-military doctor and facility.  This pregnancy will be more costly then we planned but it will be worth it because I will have more say in the prenatal care that I receive.  My first appointment was different then most peoples first appointments.  There is a good reason behind it but I will not get into that right now.  So in this appointment I just simply got an ultrasound and nothing else, basically because that is all I wanted!  I just wanted to know that there was a baby really in there, that there was a heart beat, and that the baby was doing great.  So that is what I got, I had a transvaginal ultrasound (due to me being still so early).  That was honestly surprising, I had never heard of that, and didn't expect that.  They basically stuck the ultrasound probe in my vagina to do the ultrasound.  Then there was the most amazing image and sound I have ever seen an heard.  A VERY BEAUTIFUL HEALTHY BABY!.

You can see the head, body, and arms/hands

We were all shocked by what we saw.  I was shocked, hubby was, doctor was, and the ultrasound tech also was.  The baby was actually waving at us.  Very clearly and very obviously just sitting there consistently waving.  It was just such a beautiful and exciting moment.  Heartbeat was also great and strong.  I can never remember official stats so I honestly don't remember any measurements or heart rate.  I tend to go into some other zone when ever I go to the doctor and leave not remembering anything but feeling beyond excited.  At some points especially at appointments, it still feels like this whole pregnancy is just a dream.  Still so surreal and probably will be until the day I give birth.

Week 13 - 132-133lbs

  Between week 9-13 things just got so much worse.  Now I do not want to sound like I am complaining because I am surely not.  I am being open, honest, and real.  At the end of the day I still feel really blessed because I have had no complications thus far just some very extreme preggo symptoms and side effects.  By my 13th week I lost a total of 18 lbs total from my pre-pregnancy starting weight. By this time I was down to 132-133lbs which was just insane to me.  Most people gain weight during pregnancy but here I am losing massive amounts of weight.  This is more proof of how much nausea and vomiting really started affecting me. By the middle of week 10 I also lost my appetite.  So here I am violently vomiting all day, hungry but can't eat, nauseous 24/7, getting weaker and weaker by the day, and losing drastic amounts of weight.  I can honestly say by this time this all began affecting my spirit, mentally I was very down, and emotionally I felt defeated.  I love this baby so much, I was in constant prayer for better days, but it just seemed like every day things were just getting worse and worse for me.  By this point my mom told me she had never seen or heard of anyone ever being as sick or weak as I was just from pregnancy.  My mom talked to everyone and anyone about me.  From friends to doctors because she just felt so worried for me, my body just was not handling pregnancy hormones well at all.  We all began to wonder, how is this baby going to possibly grow and be healthy when I vomit every bit of nutrition I put in my body.  From food to water to prenatal vitamins.  The nausea medicine the ER had given me had never worked so I pretty much just stopped taking it. By this point I wasn't leaving the house at all, I had no energy to.  My mom kept asking what in the world would I do if I had a job and worked outside of the home and had places I absolutely needed to be.  My body just wouldn't have been able to handle it.  The only time I left the house was for doctors appointments and that is when I would run all my errands.
   This was also the week  I had my 2nd ultrasound/prenatal appoinment which was also essentially really my first appointment. Yes week 13! You are probably wondering what's going on but the whole appointment issue is mostly related to my insurance and the fact that a lot of doctors do not accept it and once I got an appointment I had to wait a couple of weeks until she had an opening.  Anyways at this appointment I got another ultrasound, blood tests, urine tests, and a pap smear (all of this stuff usually happens at your very first prenatal appointment).  Baby was still doing well THANK GOD!!!  I expected to get a lot of bad news back from my urine tests, and blood testing because I expected to be severely vitamin deficient and dehydrated.  Thankfully that was not the case.  The only thing that I was deficient in was vitamin D, and pretty severely.  So I got a rapid replenishment vitamin D pills to take for that.  I got new prenatals prescribed to me.  I also got a higher dosage of Zofran prescribed to me since the lower dose was absolutely not working. The dosage is now 8MG.

Hyperemesis Gravidarum  (HG) - a complication of pregnancy characterized by intractable nausea, vomiting, and dehydration and is estimated to affect .5% - 2% of pregnant women.  Hyperemesis gravidarum tends to occur in the first trimester of pregnancy and last significantly longer than normal.  Most women experience relief of morning sickness after the first trimester but women who have hyperemesis gravidarum will experience severe symptoms until they give birth to their baby, and sometimes even after birth. 
  I am not one that wants to ever claim a sickness that I have not officially been diagnosed with.  But to me it is quit clear to me that I have this.  I pray that I don't but based on my symptoms and research, what I am going through seems quit severe and very similar to HG.  Earlier in my pregnancy when I made a visit to the Military ER the doctor quickly talked about HG with me and sent me home with a paper that described and explained HG, I do not know if that was his way of diagnosing me with it.

Military Tricare Pregnancy Experience - 7 Weeks and 6 Days

  During week 7 I felt and looked like death!
  142-143 lbs (losing weight rapidly)

  Literally a day after my last post things got really bad and worse then I would have ever imagined they would.  I went from pretty much never vomiting to vomiting everyday, 2-6 times a day.  From the end of week 6 until yesterday when I was 7 weeks and 5 days I was sick as a dog.  I was weak and could not stand up straight much less walk or stand for long periods of time.  The most I could really do was sit up in bed and eat and walk to the bathroom.  I would vomit every single meal I had, I would vomit snacks, I would vomit anything I drank, and I would also vomit when I had an empty stomach.  The only thing that prevented me from vomiting was sleeping so everyday I would just try to sleep the day away.  My nausea was so the worst I had ever experienced, it was so uncomfortable that it was almost painful.  Vomiting on an empty stomach and the morning is the worst, there is nothing but stomach acid that comes up.
  So you are probably wondering why I didn't just go to the doctor, and have I had my first prenatal appointment.  Well I did not see a doctor of any sort until yesterday and that was not a result of not trying.  I wanted so badly to seek doctors care but Navy Medical has been a pain in the ass from the start and still are being a pain in the ass.  Mind you I have Tricare Prime, this insurance became effective December 1, 2013 and this appointment I was trying to make would have been my very first introduction into the military healthcare system.  I did not think any of this would be a big deal.  As someone who has a Masters in Healthcare Administration I can say what they are making me go through is absolutely ridiculous, the healthcare system is very hard to navigate for someone who is just entering the system, and lastly they give you absolutely no choice in your care.  Its either you do what they want you to do or you get no care at all.  One thing I know is with my pregnancy, labor, and delivery I want choices.  So I will be changing my plan but I still want to explain what they have done for me so far under the plan I am currently on.
  I called to make my first appointment and hopefully get my first prenatal visit.  I was told I could not make an appointment until I did a walk-in (which at could do at anytime without an appt), and took a military provided pregnancy test.  I thought ok I could do that, but I had to wait until a day that my nausea wasn't at its worst.  I went in and took the pee test and was told it would take 5 minutest to get the results back, so I waited.  I also asked while I was there if I could make my first prenatal appointment after my results came back.  That is when I was told before I could make my first prenatal appointment I had to take a 3 hour First Time Parent class.  It was told to me that this class was mandatory in order to make my first prenatal appointment.  So I asked what exactly would take place in this 3 hour class and explained I would never be able to make it through a 3 hour class with the extreme nausea I was experiencing.  They told me that the class would introduce me to the place I would be giving birth, what each appointment would include for the next 9 months, and the facilities I would be visiting during these visits.  Now me taking this class made absolutely NO sense.  #1 I am too nauseous and sick to take a 3 hour class.  #2 I am giving birth in a non military healthcare system in Maryland so I need no introduction to their labor facility as I will not be using it.  #3 I also do not need introduction to 9 months worth of how they proceed with there appointment because I move back to Maryland very soon and would likely only have 1 appointment in their facility.  You would think that they would understand that I needed to see a doctor immediately for my nausea and violent consistent vomiting. How hard is it to understand that I did not need their 3 hour course, taking it would make no sense, and that I needed to see a doctor immediately?  But nope they told me I still had to take the 3 hour New Parent Class before I could make my first prenatal appointment and that they would try to fit me in that day so that they could treat my nausea.  All I wanted was my nausea treated at that time, so that worked for me, and I would figure out the rest later. They made me wait there for almost 2 hours before telling me well they are over booked and could not fit me in for a quick appointment and that I should either go to the ER or make an appointment the following day to treat my nausea.
  So I called to make the appointment for my nausea the following day (I didn't want to go to the ER for something so simple), one thing at a time I thought.  I would deal with what I would do about getting around that stupid required class once I dealt with my nausea.  Once I called they then said that I couldn't even make an appointment for my nausea since it was related to pregnancy and that before I could make that appointment I had to first take the 3 hour class. Otherwise I should just go to the ER.  I have always thought the ER is for emergencies, broken bones, heart attacks, strokes, or other health problems that occur after hours.  But for some reason they thought I needed to go to the ER regardless and I was not allowed to make any type of pregnancy related appointment until I took that 3 hour class.  So at first I tried to wait out the nausea hoping it would get better because I thought going to the ER did not make any sense when they could just make me a quick doctors appointment.  My nausea never eased up and only got worse and worse.  I lost 5 pounds and was clearly getting really dehydrated.  So finally yesterday when I was approximately 7 weeks and 5 days, I drove 45 minutes to the military ER. 
  They prescribed me with Ondansetron (Zofran 4MG) for my nausea and vitamin B-6.  Today I am still nauseous, have very little energy,  and weak but I no longer vomit and I am no where near as sick as I used to be.  Thank God for that.  But I am still trying to change my insurance plan and I am very disappointed in the military healthcare system.  I plan to change it to Tricare Standard which means there will be a lot of cost sharing, I will end up having a lot of out of pocket expenses, but that is absolutely worth it if I can avoid the BULLSHIT!

The Truth About my Pregnancy - The Struggle

6 weeks and 5 days

PHYSICAL

Expected: 
- I am nauseous almost every waking moment of the day.
- I have only vomited once so far, thank GOD.

Unexpected:
- My skin has actually been pretty good, way better then it was before I got pregnant.  I haven't been able to take care of my skin the way I normally did due to my tiredness and nausea.  But even without washing my face as frequently as I used to and even without being diligent with my acne skincare routine my skin hasn't really broken out.
- My skin also doesn't get as oily as it used to, and my lips stay dry and chapped.  I never used to have chapped lips to the point of bleeding but that happens pretty frequently now.
- Bubble guts and diarrhea.  TMI I know, but I will always keep it 100%
- All scents including my own scent and my husbands scent makes me sick and nauseous. Cooking is something I absolutely can not do because the scent of food makes me gag.  The smell of chicken is the absolute worse.  I can not eat chicken!  Matter of fact I can not eat meat of any sort unless its breakfast meat like bacon or sausage (and I can only eat it for breakfast no breakfast meat for dinner!).  Perfume bothers me, the smell of cleaning products bothers me, hair and skin care products I can not stand the smell of.  Basically the only thing that does not bother me is FRESH AIR!
- Today something new started for me, I spit.  One of my friends told me she spit during her pregnancy a couple of days ago I didn't really know what she was talking about until today.  My mouth now produces excess saliva that I can not swallow because it feels gross and it makes me want to gag.  So every few minutes I am spitting out massive amounts of saliva.  I have a spit cup and bowl next to the bed.  I just feel like a gross mess.
-  I knew I would likely be tired, but I didn't realize I would feel bed bound.  I haven't cooked or cleaned my home in weeks.  I have no energy to shower, wash my face, do my hair, get dressed, walking to the bathroom or the kitchen is enough work.  I look like a sloppy, sick, gross, mess.  And I feel bad that I am not working and am not doing my "wifely duties".  At this point my husband is doing it all, he is working, taking care of the home, and taking care of me.  I feel so bad!
- I have an appointment to get my car serviced Friday and I do not know how I am going to make it.  This past weekend we had an appointment to renew our lease and I wasn't able to make it, we asked if I had to be there and she said yes.  So I have no idea when I will have enough energy to go to the leasing office and enough confidence that I will not vomit while I am in the office.  I also need to make my first prenatal appointment but I am super anxious about it because I heard the first one is the longest one and I do not know how I will make it through without vomiting especially because clinics/hospitals have such strong odors.  I hope to make an appointment for next week which means I should be 7 weeks pregnant.
-  I always thought I would be able to document my entire pregnancy through video vlogs and as of yet I haven't had the energy to get myself together enough to be on camera. 
- I am very surprised that I have no lost weight, I am still 147-148 lbs despite the fact that I have been eating a lot less.  I noticed the one time I really filled my stomach up and was really enjoying my food is the one time I vomited.  So I am now very careful with how full I allow myself to get

EMOTIONAL

- I honestly feel depressed, very depressed.  Its a result of a mixture of things such as feeling extreme sickness, my lack of appetite yet I still feel hungry, eating is one of the biggest struggles and I worry I am not giving my baby enough nutrition.  Everything sounds gross but if I do not eat my nausea just gets worse.  The lack of energy to do anything or even leave my house has me super down.  And I feel so bad for my husband that he now has to carry my weight.  I feel, look, and smell gross so clearly that has a big effect on my mood.  Lastly, although I knew if I got pregnant my husband would miss most of my pregnancy what I did not know was how sick I would be and how much I would need him at this time.  So my largest fear is what I will do in the future when he deploys which isn't so far away.  I can't imagine being this sick without him!

SPIRITUAL

- I have never prayed so much in my life.  I pray about everything even things that most people would normally take for granted.  Even if I have one minute of not being nauseous I thank God.  I am constantly praying for relief.  I pray before I leave the house and during every trip outside the house that I will make it without vomiting or feeling extremely sick.  I thank God whenever I can eat my entire meal because is very rare lately.  I thank God whenever I can get a well balanced and/or healthy meal down.  I then pray that I do not vomit it up, although I have only vomited once I have been so close to vomiting so many other times.  I pray all day and all night for a healthy happy baby.  I pray for a healthy pregnancy.  I pray that the Lord will see me through it all and that this phase will end shortly.  Its just been so hard yall so hard.  I have always thought if I did have children I would at least have 2 because I never wanted to have an only lonely child.  But this is seriously making me rethink it.  I can not imagine going through this again.  Worst part is most books I read say that I might go through this phase for another 6 weeks or until I am 12 weeks and that will just be killer.  I just pray pray pray and pray and the Lord is the one who helps me make it through everyday without breaking down and just sobbing honestly.

Nausea is Killing Me

6 weeks and 4 days (I think)

I know the title of this post sounds a bit dramatic and I don't want this blog to become a place where I complain.  But then again I am going to be completely honest with yall.  I am experiencing extreme discomfort 24/7 as it relates to nausea, loss of appetite, bubble guts, extreme tiredness, and todays new development VOMITING! 2 day after we got back from our honeymoon my hubby went back to work, we then found out we would have to leave the following day to Norfolk, Va.  He had training there all week this past week.  We just got back from Norfolk on Saturday.  I didn't start feeling nauseous until we got to Norfolk.  I don't know what it was about being back up north but it was torture.  Being nauseous, the cold weather (which I am not used to anymore living in FL and just getting back from Puerto Rico), and living out of a hotel was no fun.  They were doing construction right outside our hotel so the strong smell of fresh asphault really got to me.  I could smell it even when we were inside our room.  The whole time we were there I tried to mostly just stay in bed.  We obviously had to go out to eat for every meal, and we went to see a movie twice, but beyond that I felt like I was bed bound.  Now that we are back to Florida I am for sure bed bound.  I just feel more sick then ever.  We have been back for 2 days and the nausea just continues to get worse.  My appetite continues to get worse as well.  I am at the point where all I can eat is soup.  For breakfast I try to eat eggs, bacon, sausage, and bread.  My hubby likes to cook a full out breakfast but it seems to always be a fail, I can never get even half of it down (I typically love his breakfasts).  For lunch I eat soup, and for dinner I have soup again.  I also have half of a homemade pizza bagel as well.  That's all I can stomach. BUT tonight after I ate some soup, I vomited immediately for the first time in this pregnancy.  I felt a bit of a relief from my nausea after but I am praying that vomiting won't become a new part of my daily routine.  The whole time I was in Norfolk my biggest fear was that I would vomit while I was out eating in a restaurant.  That is one of the reasons why I do not leave the house now because I feel like I can vomit at any moment.  Thank God I am not currently working!
My husband has been so helpful so far.  He is constantly catering to me, serving me breakfast, lunch, and dinner in bed, and getting me anything else I need so that I do not have to get out of bed if I do not have the energy to do so.  I feel really bad though, since I am so nauseous and have no appetite eating is so difficult.  I do not feel like I am giving my baby a well balanced diet.  I always planned that the day I got pregnant I would eat lots of fruits, vegetables, ect. But I can't stomach anything and if I force it I will just gag and vomit it all up.  So at this point I just eat what I can.  They also say crackers are great to eat when your nauseous, but I can't really stomach that either.  I can force 4 crackers at the most then I am over it.  I really do not know what to do.  I just want some relief.
I just keep in mind that the most important thing is the health of this baby and I will go through any and everything I have to just to have an end result of just that.

4 weeks & 2 Days Update

Starting weight - 147-150

I still haven't started a video vlog, but I plan to as soon as I get around to it.  So much has changed since my last update.  I actually feel pregnant now.  I don't just have enlarged painful breasts but I also now feel extremely tired.  I just got back from a 1 week honeymoon in Puerto Rico 2 days ago so I am beyond exhausted from that.  Add to that I am in my first trimester and I feel like I have not slept in a month.
We left for PR January 1 and stayed until January 8.  From the moment I got there I noticed that I was having very faint cramps.  Not painful, nothing like period cramps, but cramps non the less.  It actually worried me a lot a first. I constantly checked my underwear in fear that I would start bleeding and lose the baby.  At night I normally drink 2-4 glasses of water before bed but I noticed when ever I tried to do that I would get terrible stomach pains so I quickly stopped downing so much water at one time.  I checked baby center and WebMD and realized mild cramps in the first trimester is completely normal but I will never get used to that feeling and will always fear miscarriage when cramps start up. 
I know most women say they often forget they are pregnant in their first trimester because they have no belly, but I feel like the random faint cramps along with huge swollen painful breast are constant reminder. To add to that around 4 days after I got to PR I began feeling extremely tired.  I pushed myself as much as I could because I wanted to enjoy my time there.  I was always motivated to wake up at the crack of dawn and begin my day and stay out as late as I could but by my last 2 days there I literally couldn't move and get out of bed anymore.  I even had to cancel our last trip to downtown San Juan because I was just too darn tired.  The first 2 times we went downtown it was nighttime so I didn't take any pictures so I was so determined to go downtown during the day so I could get some good pictures.  But that's how tired I was, I never made it back there on our last day, I am so sad not to have any pictures from downtown San Juan. 
The last constant reminder I have that I am pregnant is I could not do any of the water sports, I could not do any rock climbing in the rainforest, I could not go horseback riding, and I could not go ATV riding. Basically every activity that was offered had a disclaimer that if you are pregnant you were not allowed to participate.  It didn't bother me though because I feel blessed to have a baby on the way.  Lastly I could not eat sushi, drink alcohol, I had to watch my caffeine intake, and I was constantly googling what I was allowed to consume, what products I am allowed to use on my skin, and what activities are safe for me to do.  Thank God Puerto Rico (especially our resort) is so beautiful I thoroughly enjoyed myself despite the fact that I didn't get to do that much besides eat, relax on the beach and around the resort, hike, and walk around downtown. 
The day we flew back home was the first day I began to feel nauseous.  Being tired and nauseous is a pretty bad combination.  Everything I do feels like a major chore now. I suck on preggie pops that I got from Babys R Us when ever I feel queasy.  I do not feel that it works though lol. Today was the first day I could not get out of bed, felt the most tired I have ever felt in life, and felt like I wanted to vomit this morning.  Sometimes I feel really hungry but if I do not eat at that time then I tend to completely lose my appetite.  I had a late dinner today because my husband got home late from work, and by the time he got home I lost my appetite. I am trying really hard to eat better, including fruits and vegetables, and also cutting back on soda. 

I will leave you with pictures of my recent pregnancy purchases and some pictures of me on my honeymoon.  Basically what I looked like at 4-5 weeks preggers.