What? Me, Pregnant?!?

To tell or not to tell?

2007-10-10T13:09:00.000-07:00

We haven't told anyone that we are pregnant yet (with the exception of one person). And I don't know when I would be comfortable telling someone. Part of me wants to get excited about it, but the other is more reserved as we are so early in the pregnancy that there are higher chances that something goes wrong.

It seems to be a hotly debated subject and I found this comment thread interesting.

Stuffy nose during pregnancy

2007-10-10T12:06:00.000-07:00

Upon doing a little research, I found out that it is common for some women to be congested during pregnancy:

I found this at Baby Center:

Why do I feel congested all the time?Believe it or not, it's pretty common to have a runny or stuffed-up nose during pregnancy. About 20 to 30 percent of pregnant women have congestion without having allergies or a viral infection like the common cold. This condition even has a name: rhinitis of pregnancy.

It can start as early as your second month and last until you have your baby or even a few weeks afterward.Higher amounts of estrogen during pregnancy can contribute to swelling in the mucous membranes lining the nose and even cause you to make more mucus. What's more, the amount of blood in your body increases and your blood vessels expand during pregnancy, which can lead to swollen nasal membranes as well. Other hormones may also play a role.

Pregnancy Symptoms

2007-10-10T06:09:00.000-07:00

I have a few of the usual pregnancy symptoms: tender breasts, increased tendency to urinate.

And then I have two that I am not sure if they are related to the pregnancy or not: chapped lips and a runny nose.

Stretch Marks and Doulas

2007-10-09T20:11:00.000-07:00

I am shallow. I admit it. I have only known I am pregnant for 6 days...however, I have already ordered anti-stretch mark cream. Very expensive cream, might I add. It seems that the general consensus on stretch-marks were that you are genetically inclined to either get them or not. If you already have stretch marks, you probably will get stretch marks.

Well, I have stretch marks on my breasts and my thighs. So, I will surely be getting more. However, I will nevertheless try out this cream, I don't want to give up the battle without a fight.

Another thing I have been obsessively researching is doulas and midwives. I would really like to go as natural as possible. A home birth would be great...however, I know my husband wouldn't agree to it...so a compromise will be a birthing coach/midwife. And I just wanted to see what my options were here, locally. I don't really need to contact anyone for at least another 5 months...but I like knowing my options early.

Anyone else have specific things they worried about as soon as they knew they were pregnant?

Green papaya salad and pregnancy don't mix

2007-10-09T15:37:00.000-07:00

We are going out to eat Thai food tonight, and they have a sumptious green papaya salad. However, I remembered reading somewhere that green papaya could cause a miscarriage. After some Googling, I found confirmation at Wikipedia:

Women in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and other parts of the world have long used papaya as a folk remedy for contraception and abortion. Medical research in animals has confirmed the contraceptive and abortifacient capability of papaya, and also found that papaya seeds have contraceptive effects in adult male langur monkeys, possibly in adult male humans as well. Unripe papaya is especially effective in large amounts or high doses. Papaya is not teratogenic and will not cause miscarriage in small, ripe amounts. Phytochemicals in papaya may suppress the effects of progesterone.

No papaya salad for me for the next 9 months I guess....boo, hoo. So far my post-partum meal menu consists of margaritas and papaya salad...I wonder how long that menu is going to get by the end of this pregnancy?

Shape of a mother

2007-10-09T14:48:00.001-07:00

Thia is a website dedicated to showcasing women's bodies during and after pregnancy. Women write their stories and send in their pictures.

And I just read the most touching post.

Discovering Pregnancy

2007-10-08T19:35:00.000-07:00

I discovered I was pregnant on a whim. I had bought some pregnancy tests, yes, I said tests in the plural, because I was just stocking up on something I thought we might often need in the near future. Sure there was a possibility that I was pregnant then, but by possibility, I mean, we weren't using contraception. We weren't "trying" in the sense that we were hoping to get pregnant right off the bat...more like, we were just trying things out, and hey, if I got pregnant right away, hoorah.

So, I peed on a stick and gee what do you know. It matched that picture on the instructions indicating a positive test. Hmmm...

To put it in perspective, we had been married less than two weeks when I got the urge to pee on a stick. To be exact, we had been married 11 days. Yes, people in the span of 12 days I went from worrying about my wedding day - if my make-up would be right, my dress fit correctly, not crying while walking down the aisle, saying my vows correctly, and hoping the food was good - to rubbing my belly and musing over the miracle that we had created on our wedding night.

With this handy dandy online calculator I was able to calculate that we got pregnant on our wedding night. Isn't that just poetic? What a story to tell the little bugger when he or she is older.

As the title of the blog indicates, I feel a little like I have jumped into the deep end of the swimming pool...but I always was a good swimmer, so I am not that worried. Just a little surprised by it all.

At this time we haven't told anyone about this pregnancy. I still feel that it is too early, as I am just over 2 weeks pregnant. According to those online calculators, I am in my "5th week", but I am only a few days late on my period.

I am looking forward to this pregnancy. My husband (and it still feels fresh and new to say 'husband') loves researching products and reading reviews, so I expect I will be posting about a few of his finds. And I wouldn't ever dare call myself a fashionista, but I do like me some fashion. I also like crafts and sewing, and hope to endeavor in some home made maternity wear (which hopefully doesn't look like a preschool craft project).

How did you find out about your pregnancy and what were your immediate feelings?