Monday, February 09, 2009

Weighing In at 16 Weeks

Today was supposed to be an ordinary OB appointment.

It ended up being a little out of the ordinary by the fact that I now have my very own personal chauffer! With Brett being unemployed, he is free to ferry me to my OB appointments. He actually likes driving me places, and I like being driven, so it’s win-win.

Plus, it was wonderful that he got to sit in on the appointment. We heard the whop-whop of the baby’s heartbeat. 150 beats per minute - smack dab where it should be at 16 weeks. It sounded so much like a helicopter, we joked that Baby Sod might be headed to flight school!

The best news of the appointment, besides hearing the baby’s heartbeat (and really, nothing could be better than THAT!), was that my OB is prescribing meds for nausea and the horrible acid reflux I’ve been experiencing lately.

I asked the nurse practitioner if it was normal to be this fatigued at 16 weeks. She said it was normal, considering the fact I have been so sick. She told me I was dehydrated. I told her how much water I have been drinking (A LOT!), and she said it doesn’t matter if I’m just getting rid of during morning sickness, anyway.

She was also concerned because I lost another two pounds. So far, I’ve lost seven pounds in pregnancy. I was happy about that, since it seems to be evidence that I’m eating healthier now. However, my nurse practitioner, OB, and the MFM team are NOT happy about it.

Funny aside – When the nurse practitioner told us I had lost two more pounds, Brett actually said, “How? She’s been having two McDonald’s cheeseburgers a day!” (And he should know, since I send him out for them at least once a day!)

Swear to the heavens, I could have killed him right there.

Either way, all the doctors and nurses are on me to start gaining weight. It’s the first (and probably only) time in my life anyone has ever said I need to gain weight. So, I’m kind of enjoying this short, brief time in my life of being considered underweight.

They are hoping the anti-nausea prescription will help me keep more food down and hopefully bring the weight back up. I would just like to go two solid days without morning sickness. It complicates everything.

Speaking of reasons why people don’t always bring their husbands to OB appointments, Brett cracked me up today.

At the end of the appointment, the nurse practitioner asked me if I had any other questions. I looked at Brett and said, “Well, I think I just wanted to ask about the morning sickness, acid reflux, and fatigue. Can you think of anything else?”

He said, “What about your waning libido?”

I’m totally serious. He actually said that IN FRONT OF THE NURSE. I could have died.

I mean, I don’t know how many times I have explained to him that it is perfectly normal not to feel amorous when one is consistently nauseous, vomiting, and exhausted. I don’t know what he thought the nurse practitioner was going to do – maybe prescribe me a little blue pill?

He must have been disappointed then, when the nurse practitioner said, “Well, that’s perfectly normal. You wife has been very ill and having problems with hormones. It’s completely understandable. A lot of women have little or no desire for sex during part of their pregnancy.”

I was cheering in my head, and hoping hearing it from someone else – a health professional, even - would get it through his JUNIOR HIGH head!

He did seem a little disappointed, but I have to say I wasn’t exactly sorry for him.

Me, now that’s who I am sorry for!

Hopefully, with the anti-nausea and acid reflux meds, I’ll be able to stop getting sick, stay hydrated, and actually have some energy.

Then, of course, I can attack my husband like the wild, pregnant woman of his dreams!

7 comments:

Heidi said...

You go girl!!

How much did the baby weigh?

Anonymous said...

I just have to say: please don't take them too seriously about the need to gain weight. My grandma had six healthy boys and was never able to lose the weight "recommended" by the doctors for her to gain. I would celebrate that they're calling you underweight...live normally and if you don't gain, fine! That baby is healthy. Just my two cents. I am not a health professional and I have no idea how much I gained with any of my pregnancies.
But I'm not the size I was before Diego. I'm working on that.

Jennittia said...

Again, I just laugh so hard at you posts!!!

I can identify so much with the acid reflux thing! It was awful!! If I even bent over within the hour or so of eating, everything would just roll right out. And I can not even stand to think about the taste of Tums anymore!

I also would say not to be too concerned with the weight thing. With Bryce, I was loosing like crazy the first several months, then I gained it all back within one month.

So cool to hear your updates!

a joyful nusiance said...

I always liked Jeremy going with me at my app. Although if he asked the doctor about my sex drive it might have been a different story!

Wendy said...

I agree with Tob and Jennitta: just eat when you are hungry and don't worry too much about trying to put on a certain number of pounds. I gained 35 lbs with my first pregnancy, and only 16 with the second. I was just sick all the time, and they had me on supplemental drinks and all that jazz. The babies weighed within 6 ounces of each other, both healthy and active. Your body will give the good stuff to your baby before you get it...there's no magical weight that produces a healthy baby...

Sex drive-- don't worry (and tell Brett not to worry!), it usually picks up later in pregnancy. By my 5th month, Fred thought he was in a sort-of sex-crazed pregnancy heaven.

Juliet said...

As your mother, that more info than I needed to read! LOL

Ann-Marie said...

Heidi - I don't know! They didn't tell me. Were they supposed to?

Mom - Sorry about that! I'm just getting back at you for all those times you and Dad made out in the kitchen during my breakfast when I was growing up. Ewwww...

Wendy - He'll survive. He's been spoiled for almost nine years. :-)