Pregnancy Overview

While pregnant with Porter:

• worked full time at Sprint
• tubing on the lake
• camping/4-wheeling @ Duck Creek (6 months)
  
• rappelling
• served as secretary in RS Presidency at church
  
• Blood work revealed antibodies thus sensitization diagnosis--began seeing perinatalogist
• Non-stress tests twice a week during last few weeks
  
• preterm labor...restricted activity...baby born next day @ 35 weeks
  

(Picture pregnant with Porter-August 21, 2008 at 34+ weeks)

While pregnant with Caleb:

• ice skating (one month along)
• snowboarding (1m)
  
• motorcycle ride
• 4 wheeling
• camping--cabin & trailer
• rappelling (4m)
  
• horseback riding (6m)
• served as 2nd counselor in Primary Presidency
  
• Seeing perinatalogist starting at 16 weeks due to sensitization & baby at risk for anemia
  
• Labor & Delivery visit @ hospital for pressure/discomfort/pain--27+ weeks
• positive fFN swab test...restricted activity @ 27+ weeks
• Betamethasone steroid shot to develop baby lungs @ 27+ weeks
• Me a little anemic--have to take iron pills accompanied by a stool softener (just in case)
  
• Begin weekly Progesterone injections to reduce risk of preterm labor--28 weeks & weekly OB visits
• Start weekly non-stress tests at Maternal Fetal Medicine @ 34 weeks
• Start doing non-stress tests twice a week & perinatalogist once a week @35 weeks
• Scheduled induction @ 37 weeks for August 18
• Contraction all day August 11
  
• Delivered vaginally w/ epidural August 12 @ 2:56am...Caleb! 5lb 1oz & 18.5 inches
  

(Picture pregnant with Caleb-June 10, 2011 at 27 weeks)
(~35 weeks Pregnant with Caleb-August 3, 2011)

In terms of pregnancy I have been very lucky with few of the "typical" symptoms. With both pregnancies I have only thrown up a hand full of times, so not bad at all. With Porter I remember waking up several times with a charlie horse (leg cramp in the calf muscle) and with Caleb I think I had a couple days of heartburn (assuming that's what the discomfort was). Both times my skin was happier for the most part and of course I didn't have fists full of hair after every shower or in the hair brush. My babies have not been heaters for me (something I wanted in the colder months since I'm always so cold), haven't had nausea past the first trimester, no heightened sense of smell, swollen ankles/feet, and no sore parts. I don't remember ever really experiencing fatigue with Porter but that may have been because I was working so no time to be tired. With Caleb I had some days of pure exhaustion and having to take naps even though I'd rather not. Something I started to really notice around 20+ weeks was a shorter fuse. I could tell I had less patience and several times I know I got more upset with Porter than I should have. Now I have guilt! I had a few things to overcome with antibiotics with this second pregnancy: yeast and bacteria, and a UTI. Then there's the preterm labor thing. And of course the sensitization.

Total weight gain in pregnancy #2: 26 lbs

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, here are the averages of the weight gain: Baby 7.5 lbs, amniotic fluid 2 lbs, placenta 1.5 lbs, increased blood volume 4 lbs, body fluids 4 lbs, increased weight of uterus 2 lbs, body changes for breastfeeding 2 lbs, maternal storage (reserves of extra fat & protein for energy & milk production) 7 lbs. That's an average of a 30 lb weight gain during pregnancy. All that to sustain the life of one tiny little human being. It's amazing.