What I never thought would happen at 6 weeks pregnant, has happened.
I went in for an ultrasound on Monday {after my betas that morning were 8,660 so had increased JUST enough} and we were able to see the baby’s heartbeat at a strong 104 bpm {for six weeks along} and all other signs point to a positively perfectly developing baby!
Now, going into the ultrasound, none of us had any expectations that this would be the outcome. Basically, because I was still spotting and cramping, the ultrasound was more of a “let’s see what we can see and MAYBE we can rule out some of the bad things.” Because of my past, and with the symptoms I was having, the ultrasound was to try and rule out the bad possible outcomes, but there was no guarantee. I even debated getting a portable ultrasound to check, but decided against it once I was forewarned that at 6 weeks along, we may not even be able to definitely rule out an ectopic as we may not see anything at all. But, we proceeded with the ultrasound anyways.
And I am beyond thrilled that we did because the results have allowed us to have a little less anxiety and a LOT more excitement! We saw a really strong gestational sac, yolk sac, and the baby measuring at 6 weeks. The fetal heart beat was measured at 104 bpm and I was told anything over 90 at 6 weeks was considered strong. With seeing a strong heart beat, the chances of a miscarriage have drastically decreased. Of course, anything can still happen, but this is FAR more than we have ever “achieved” in a pregnancy, so I am beyond elated.
I have even let my guard down enough to hang the ultrasound picture on my fridge. In the previous pregnancies, we were always given a print out at the ultrasounds, but knowing that it wasn’t going well always lead me to keeping it in a spot that wouldn’t remind me of that fact multiple times per day. Not this time, a magnet that reads “Someone in Texas loves you” that I got at my cousin’s wedding a couple of years ago proudly hangs the ultrasound picture to the front of my fridge!
In other news for the week, I did have one scare.
On Saturday morning, my feet slipped out from under me on our staircase, and I landed square on my lower back. You should see the bruise, it is the size of a softball! But, the reason it was so scary to me was the fact that I am on these blood thinners. I remember my doctor telling me that if I ever had a bad spill, I was to call in and let her know so that we could make sure I wasn’t bleeding internally. Add this to the fact that I have been watching too many episodes of Grey’s Anatomy and I was SURE that I had punctured my kidney and I was going to bleed to death. Plus, I wasn’t sure what could possibly hurt the baby this early on, so I was freaked out enough to call my doctor. At 7:30 on a Saturday morning. Bless her heart.
The other notable mention for the week is that “morning” sickness is in high gear. For me, I find that I feel the best in the morning, actually! I am just a tad bit queasy {it feels more like bad heartburn}, but nothing terrible and I still have energy. However, by the afternoon, I am so nauseous I can barely move without thinking I am going to be taking a visit to the pearly throne {I haven’t had to yet, but there have been moments where I wish I would just for the relief}. At first I could defeat this nauseous feeling by eating something. Not the case anymore, it is just constant nausea. But, by post-dinner time, the queasiness starts to subside. The bad news is that by this time in the day I am so dog-butt tired, the only thing I can muster up enough energy for is a hot shower!
So basically, I have been trying to get as much done in the mornings knowing that I might not have the opportunity {or energy} later on in the day. But, the “morning” sickness could be far worse, and I know this. So, I will count my blessings!
Although eating no longer cures the nausea for me, I know that I still need to eat! The past couple of days, the only thing I can seem to stomach {in the afternoons when morning sickness is in full swing} is soup. Now, I am not talking big chunky stews, but rather the smooth creamy broth soups.
One of my new favorite books is called “The Well-Rounded Pregnancy Cookbook: Give your Baby a Healthy Start with 100 Recipes that Adapt to fit how you Feel” by Karen Gurwitz. There is an entire section of comforting soups in this book!
But, the even better part is that with each recipe, she gives you ways to adapt it if you are “Feeling Green” (aka, you are nauseous), if you are “Feeling Food” (HEALTHY ways to adjust the recipe to curb your cravings) and “Feeling Fit” (adjustments to make ONLY if your doctor recommends you not gain any additional weight or post-baby when you are trying to shed the pregnancy pounds). Plus, the beginning of the book gives you advice on ways to lead a very balanced and healthy diet while pregnant.
No, I did not receive any compensation for writing this review…..I just love the book that much! But, if you do decide to purchase the book for yourself using the links above, I will receive a small monetary reward {and my baby bank account thanks you for that}.
All About Being 6 Weeks Pregnant:
How far along: 6 weeks, 2 days
The baby is the size of a: Sweet Pea
The baby is working on: The jaw, cheeks, chin, eyes, ears, and nose are beginning to form. The kidney, liver, and lungs are also developing
Gender: Unknown
Maternity clothes: Not yet. I am sure I will be rocking my yoga pants for quite a while. But, the jeans that I do have still fit!
Stretch marks: No {just a giant bruise on my lower back from falling down the stairs and the bruises on my belly from the Lovenox shots}
Belly button in or out: In
Sleep: Cannot seem to sleep passed three or four in the morning. Always need to go to the bathroom, wake up sweating, and my nose is always stuffed up
Best moment this week: The ultrasound where we confirmed the heart beat!
Worst moment this week: Falling down the stairs
Miss anything: Coffee. Hot chocolate just isn’t the same
Movement: Nope, not yet
Cravings: Orange juice, but I am more so “craving” whatever I think will make me less queasy
Queasy or sick: Yes, “morning” sickness seems to be the worst {as far as nausea goes} mid afternoon
Looking forward to: An increase in morning sickness. I know this is probably the LAST thing most pregnant women would want. But, I know the worse it gets, the more my baby is growing!
If you want to get caught up on our four-year-long story that lead up to this pregnancy, make sure to check out my posts as a part of the “Surviving Infertility” category.
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My Entire Pregnancy Story
This post was all about being pregnant with my first son, Laughton. After a complicated, high-risk pregnancy, he was born on Mother’s Day 2014 at 28 weeks with a rare condition and passed away shortly after birth. If you would like to read about what my husband and I experienced during the pregnancy, and as we began the grieving process, here is a list of all the posts in order for you:
5 Weeks Pregnant :: pregnancy announcement
6 Weeks Pregnant :: morning sickness cure
7 Weeks Pregnant :: cramping, betas, and a heart-shaped uterus
8 Weeks Pregnant :: normal spotting and a 3D ultrasound
9 Weeks Pregnant :: a calm week
12 Weeks Pregnant :: subchorionic bleed
14 Weeks Pregnant :: the check after the subchorionic bleed
18 Weeks Pregnant :: the first kicks
19 Weeks Pregnant :: the gender guessing game
20 Weeks Pregnant :: when the abnormalities were discovered
22 Weeks Pregnant :: having to make a tough decision
25 Weeks Pregnant :: excessive amniotic fluid
28 Weeks Pregnant :: too beautiful for earth – surviving infant loss