Week 9

Well, it's certainly been an interesting week.

After "The Bleed" as we're coming to call it, I've been a nervous wreck. Even though the doctor said that things looked as good as they could look at this point, I still was afraid to move! I spent about 2 days on the couch, trying as hard as I could not do do anything.... But, I had to get back to work and real life at some point.

Over the course of a couple days, I increased my activity level back up to "normal". I still don't do any heavy lifting, and try not to pick up Finn as often as before. But anyone who has a clingy two year old knows that that is really hard. I try to make sure that I am using the best body mechanics (thank you nursing school...) possible to lift him. I can't exercise, or engage in any sort of "vigorous" activity.

I'm a little bummed about the no exercise part. I'm in better shape starting this pregnancy than I was with my last two. I've never exercised through a pregnancy before, and that was one of my goals this time around. But, there's always after the baby is born to get back into the swing of things.

I had a repeat ultrasound yesterday afternoon (a week and a day after the initial scan). The baby is growing right on track, getting bigger every time I see it! This time, there was even a little movement out of the little one. It's always a relief to see that the baby is doing so well.

The bleed is still there, and in fact is bigger than it was last week. My doctor explained to me that it means the bleed is still active. It hasn't moved in my uterus though, which is a good sign, and it hasn't impeded the growth of the baby at all- which is the major thing they look for. The expectation is, that as the pregnancy grows bigger, it will put pressure on the bleed site reducing then ultimately stopping the bleed. The resulting clot may be reabsorbed, or it may not. While the bleed is concerning on one hand, as long as the baby is growing appropriately and consistently, there's really not much to do or worry about.

The longer I go without actively bleeding, the less nervous I feel. Seeing the bleed always makes me worry a bit, because it's pretty easy to not focus on something you can't see. I'll be happy when I get to where I can feel the baby move. I take comfort in my daily bouts of nausea, and the fact that my clothes are getting a little bit tighter- it's all I have right now to assure me that everything is on track.