What's happening?!

I am experiencing a strange thing, which has never happened to me before. It started on my thumbs (on the tips just where the nail ends). I was doing the dishes early this week (Monday) and one or two hours after I noticed an 1 cm x 0,5 cm blister like thing (looked just like when you burn it with a hot baking tin) on my both thumbs. But it was empty, wasn't filled with fluid, just got loose. These dried out and now peel. It doesn't really hurt or anything just looks not nice. Very uncomfortable and worsens when I get them wet, more come apart. I have been clipping the loose skin with a nail trimmer. After a shower the skin is really loose. Yesterday I noticed on my two index fingers too. I have never had peeling fingers before. I use the same washing up liquid for the past 5 or 6 years (Ecover), and it is eco friendly so less chemicals in it.

Is this pregnancy related?? Is it a bacterial infection or a fungal infection?? Or lack of vitamins (E or A or C)?? Or an underlying disorder?? Can it harm my developing baby? I called my GP she said to put moisturizer on it. That's it??

Bad housekeeping

All the acknowledgement to those mothers-to-be-again who are struggling with the first trimester's charms and work full-time, rearing a child (or two, or three), keeping the house clean and husband happy with a nice evening meal! Towering mountains of unwashed dishes, unironed clothes and bed linen, I'm a disaster.

Lost appetite

Well, well! I cannot say I feel sick, just something is "not right" with my tummy. I lost my appetite. I am forcing myself to eat because I must but certainly I do not feel I really want to eat food at all. I am not saying that I am nauseous. Can't explain. If I think of something sweet, it gets even worse.

Lost memory

My memory is useless. I am trying to remember all day what was the name of movie I saw on Sat but no clue. And not just the title but absolutely no idea what it was about. Have to ask DH. He will think I am nuts. Baby brain!

I am 7 weeks today!

About my supplements

Prior to conception we (yes, DH too) took 'Pregnacare his and her conception' along with an extra 500 mg of vitamin C (Sona), and an Omega 3 and 6 fish oil capsule (Equazen Eye Q). Once a day with the main meal: one conception, one fish oil and one vitamin C.

For breakfast we ate (and still do) porridge (for every single morning) with a probiotic (a friendly bacteria, Prebio7 capsule) supplement to maintain intestinal health, improve absorption and assimilation of nutrients, and reinforce the body's immune system and natural defences.

After conception I switched to (Solgar) Prenatal Nutrients (two tablets a day, so one with breakfast and one with main meal) and first to MumOmega then to MorDHA (prenatal fish oil) plus took the 500 mg of vitamin C with them @ lunch.

When I went to the GP for confirmation she mentioned to take folic acid only, so I presented all the labels of those supplement I took at the time. She approved the probiotic right away. She wasn't convincing about the prenatal vitamin and mineral supplement and fish oil at all. But she said definitely stop (!) taking the vitamin C.

I thought I was doing the right thing about taking supplements as these days foods not so nutritious anymore. I read the Optimum Nutrition Before, During and After Pregnancy by Patrick Holford & Susannah Lawson, so I took that as a (rough) guideline.

I googled days about taking vitamin C suppl. Some say no, no, no, some say yes, yes, yes. The amount varies about how much to take. Some say 500 mg is safe, some say 1000 is safe, some say up to 2000 is SAFE. Confused (still)! So decided (on that day) no to argue the GP so I left out the extra vitamin C. Now I have a whole squeezed lemon daily, a little with my each glass of water. What I noticed since I stopped the vit. C suppl. is that my skin not so supple and smooth anymore.

Nowadays I have the Prenatal Nutrients and the pregnancy fish oil only. Prebio7 goes with breakfast.

Shh, it's a secret!

We did not tell to family our secret (actually, I want to scream it to the whole WORLD), we want to wait after the 12th week is passed. How surprising it would be not to tell just send the scan-picture to them on post ;-)

No morning sickness, still, not even feeling nauseous. Tender breasts that's all I have at the moment. Not that I desire being sick all day just many books said that it would be a great sign of a well established pregnancy. I have travel sickness on the bus, in the car so cannot really imagine coping with that for weeks. I do not feel fatigue, maybe because I do not have kido around and I am home so I can stay relaxed enough. I do not rush to pee often, although I peed quiet frequently beforehand. No night passed (and passes) without having one pee in the middle (but seldom it was 2, even 3 times, if I drank a whole bottle of water or lot of tea in the afternoons, so annoying, so annoying). I don't have food cravings. I always preferred salty and sour and even now do not have appetite for sweet things.

I found out that I am ONLY 6w3d today, NOT 7w3d as I thought :-((( Well, it make sense, I am in week 07 but 6w3d completed only.

Worries

I worry about miscarriage. I had a terrible nightmare last night. I am not clear about this (and not just this). One says the chances are decrease with each week after week 6, other says not safe until the 14th week is passed. I don't really know what to expect for the first time. Everything scares me. Concerned about everything. I guess most first-moms-to-be the same.

The weight

The GP forgot to measure my weight so I went to the pharmacy. I weighted 51.3 kg (no boots, no jacket). It seems I lost some. Last time when I measured it in the gym (one and a half years ago) I was 53-54 kg.

Stupid

After the flu vaccine on Monday I went home (DH to work), and I started to google about vaccination in pregnancy and I read terrible things on the internet. I was in tears for hours, plus the leaflet says (which the GP handled over after we said good bye, NOT before I got the shot so I could read it) from second trimester (week 14th!!). I felt stupid and angry that evening. Maybe I killed my Baby Bunny! I hope I won't miscarry! What's done is done. I had slight temperature and feeling unwell for 2 days but it passed and I am well now.

I do not have morning sickness (yet) but I do have breast tenderness. It started with my nipples. They became sensitive last week. Now my breasts hurt on both sides especially on mornings getting out of bed.

The confirmation

I was smiling over the week and the weekend, being happy and light. Today I went to the GP for my pregnancy confirmation. Same GP as for the smear test. She asked my LMP, measured my blood pressure (116/60 - systolic/diastolic), listened to my chest. She asked me to pee in a little container but my bladder was empty so I just showed her the two positive tests. I also showed her the supplements I take: Prenatal Nutrients (Solgar), Mum Omega pregnancy (Equazen), vitamin-C 500 mg (Sona) and Prebio7 probiotics. She said that the probiotics are fine, wasn't sure about the Omega-3-6, but definitely said to stop the vitamin-C, immediately! She didn't say why though. She didn't make any statement about the prenatal vitamin formula.

She put my EDD (Estimated Date of Delivery), i.e. my due date on the 11th of October (I calculated the 12th - subtract 3 months and add 7 days to your LMP). She wrote a letter for me to take to the hospital of my choice. Well, it was her choice really. When I asked which one to pick as I have 3 approximately in the same distance from where I live, she chose the University Hospital for Women & Infants. The care is good, she said. When she asked about how would we (DH was there too) proceed if there is any problem with the baby, would we want to terminate the pregnancy in bad outcome, we said yes. So she wrote another letter to take with me to the prenatal diagnosis clinic, for a blood test and Nuchal thickness scan, around week 12.

There was another choice to make, whatever I want to go private, semi-private or public. She said if I choose private, semi-private it will cost me, a lot, but the service basically the same and even in private the bed, the care, the same obstetrician cannot be guaranteed as it operates on a first come first serve. I chose public (going combined care) and Midwifery Led Unit. Midwifery because I want a natural birth as possible. I dare not take a home birth but no needles, no cuts, no drugs, please.

Finally I got a flu jab. First she presented it as a choice, a highly recommended one. I said we will think about it and come back if I want to have it. She said we have 5 minutes to decide! She pushed us hard so we gave in.

Dentist

I went to the dentist for the annual check up. Also early this week one of my tooth got sensitive with a bit of pressure, a bit of pain inside. He did not see that anything is wrong with that tooth but an X-ray is out of question, of course. A cleaning is in need but I decided to wait with it after week 12-14.

Sweet February

My period was due yesterday so I took my chances and used one of the two remaining home pregnancy tests. And it was BFP! Big Fat Positive!! If you had seen DH's (Dear/Darling Husband) glowing face when I walked out from the bathroom with an unmistakable grin!

Later on I used the other one too. And it was BFP again, right away! Ladies, I am pregnant! I AM PREGNANT!!