WEEK 10

I am 10 weeks pregnant (30 weeks to go!!). Before pregnancy the uterus was the size of a small pear, by this week, it's about the size of a grapefruit.

This is the beginning of the fetal period. The head measures half the length of the body, and tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing).

I really miss enjoying my food... Two more weeks and I will have appetite again, I hope.

Since Monday all is back, the nausea, the tender breasts, and the sore nipples too. The diarrhoea is back too, every morning it's the first thing before anything else.

Painful, red pimples on my forehead, around my mouth, under my nose. My face is decorated like a Christmas tree.

Sleep was really bad in the past five days. I have trouble falling in sleep at night and staying asleep early in the morning. I am waking up around 4-5 am and just tossing and turning until around 7 am.

Some pelvic pain, mild but frequent aches and pains come and go in my lower abdomen. Ligaments and muscles stretch?

I am growing more and more impatient. If I want something I want it NOW but it's already too late. I blame the hormones.

Seeing Bunny on Sunday gives this pregnancy a real weight, a consciousness, more reality.

A definite bump is sticking out and pointing forward!

ER

9+3 today. I woke up with no pregnancy symptoms, no nausea, no tender breasts, no sore nipples! On top of this I felt sharp pain on the right side aroud my hip, and sore lower back. I panicked so I called the hospital. The nurse said that because there is pain I best to come in for a scan.

After a quick shower and an ever quicker breakfast we went in (15-20 minutes walk, and I felt for taking a walk). It was noon when we arrived. There were only 3 couple waiting. Urine sample, chat with the nurse, blood pressure and temperature measuring, some data entry and we found ourselves waiting for the doctor to perform the ultrasound scan.

Then she came but shortly she was beeped away and she stayed away for long. I was just sitting there, I felt fine (apart from the waves of pain on my side) and terrified that my symptoms are gone. We took a long walk yesterday, we ate in a restaurant and the evening was pleasant for me, I wasn't so nauseous.

We were waiting, waiting, more people came, and the crowd got bigger. Most of us were patient but some of us were not. Then the doctor came back and she called me in.

I jumped right on the bed beside the ultrasound device and the next second the cold jelly was on my belly. I couldn't take my eyes of the monitor and I caught a glimpse of BabyBunny. He was there. It wasn't empty like last time. He was lying on his back. The doctor pressed the head of the device so hard that I had to tell her she is hurting. Then she pointed to the monitor and said there is the heartbeat, can you see? Tears filled in my eyes. Bunny's there, Bunny is alive! Strong heartbeat, she said. The pressing woke him up, he started to move and I was weeping. I wish I had looked at DH face to see his reaction but I just could not take my eyes off the screen. She measured 10w1d but she said the dating scan will be more precise. Good news, Bunny is not smaller.

She gave us a picture, Bunny's first picture! We waited four and a half hours but it's worth every minute. It's real! It is not just guessing anymore. We are officially parents-to-be. DH was smiling for all the rest of the evening.

"If you can see the baby's heart beating on the sonogram after 7 weeks, your chances of continuing with the pregnancy are greater than 97 percent."

WEEK 9

I am 9 weeks pregnant (31 weeks to go!!). BabyBunny is about the size of a grape. Bunny's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, the valves start to form, and the embryonic "tail" is completely gone.

No change in appetite, actually still zero. The mozzarella salad doesn't look appealing anymore but chicken broth soup more and more tolerable. Toast, toast, toast for breakfast...

The diarrhea ceased, replaced by stool only every other day. No fibre I guess. There is no quantity change in the urine, I go no often than before but there is change in the urge, now comes much more sudden. I am still checking the toilet paper after every wipe.

Pimples, pimples, pimples and more pimples!! I had periodic skin outbreaks on my forehead and around the mouth but those were nothing compared to what I have just now.

Nauseated all day. Still 3 weeks to go to feel any relief of this unpleasant part of the first trimester but I am hopeful that passing the 12 weeks milestone I will be enjoying the rest of my pregnancy. I will be more active, I will practice yoga, and I will be eating healthy again.

WEEK 8

I am 8 weeks pregnant (32 weeks to go!!). BabyBunny is about the size of a kidney bean. Bunny can bend his elbows and knees.

Appetite: none (constant dislike towards all kinds of food in general). Tiredness, fatigue: none (sluggishness: some). Well-balanced diet: none. Cravings: none. Exercise, workouts: none. Housekeeping: none.

My skin is very dry, especially on arms and legs. When observed closely it looks like a thin white layer on the surface of skin.

I had a dream last night. We (me and DH) were in the hospital in a spacious room full of pregnant women with big bumps waiting to deliver their baby, and DH was copying or filling out some form, a daily schedule or something...

Exhaustion of all day every day nausea, breast growth (swollen breasts and nipples, discomfort), more pimples, funny taste in the mouth. Miserable with nausea which lasts all day long.

Ginger root tea and toast for breakfast, something for lunch and mozzarella salad for dinner, this is how my weekly diet looks...

Cold sore and pimples

I have this cold sore on a new place. When I had earlier I had it on the left side of my bottom lip. What's this new location means? New infection?

The itchy tingle is the first sign of an impending cold sore. Cold sore remedies are most effective at this time, before the blisters develop (expectant mothers should consult a doctor before using the usual cold sore medicines!!).

Home remedies may prevent the cold sore from developing past the itchy stage: holding ice on the area for a few minutes (and repeat several times), a thick paste of baking soda, or a dab of rubbing alcohol.

Prevention is the best cold sore remedy so far they say. Increased sun exposure, poor diet, lack of sleep and illness can all be the triggers. Well, with first trimester nausea it is hard to keep a healthy diet and sleep isn't come easy either.

I do not believe it!

7+6 today. Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is back!! Just what I needed to cheer up my nausea!

Yesterday evening I started to feel that tingling sensation on my bottom lip and a tiny blister came out just before bed. This morning I woke up with a burning, itching, swelled, giant blister almost in the middle of the bottom lip. Unbelievable! It was only in July that I had cold sores. I did not expect it so soon as I thought the antibodies are doing their job. It's not even four months since the last outbreak which lasted more than two weeks!!

I was so worried all night. I couldn't sleep much and woke up at 4am. I hope Bunny is safe. He should be safe. Must be safe!! I do not want to loose him, again.

I called my GP first thing this morning. She said that it does not effect my pregnancy and there is oral medication for it. Is that safe I asked. She said that they usually do not give it to pregnant women. Why to mention then?? She said that I can use Zovirax as the absorption through the skin is minimum, plus the book says there is not known harmful effect. It wasn't really convincing so I decided not to put anything on it (just to ease any discomfort). Not even salt paste!!

Some forum mentioned that Abreva, Valtrex, or Blistex is safe. Who knows really!?! There is not enough research when it comes to pregnancy and the first trimester is so vulnerable. I will just wait it out as it will start to heal on its own within a few days. Not sure about lysine (an amino acid) supplement either. I may try to apply ice to the sore. Frequent hand washing, plenty of water, vitamin C rich fruits.

The virus stays in my body for life and there is no cure. Hormonal changes like pregnancy trigger a cold sore...

WEEK 7

I am 7 weeks pregnant (33 weeks to go!!). BabyBunny is about the size of a blueberry. Bunny has webbed fingers and toes. Tiny Bunny is still an embryo. He has a tail, an extension of his tailbone, but it will disappear within a few weeks.

My appetite is lost and gone. I cannot remember what it feels like being hungry or wanting food. I made my favourite dish over the weekend but the smell, the look and the taste too made me sick so poor DH had to ate it (for 3 days!!).

Toast for breakfast, toast for lunch. I ate much more bread in the past two weeks than in the past two years. Now even the smell makes me sick. When the first trimester is over I don't want to see another slice of bread for the next two or three years for sure.

For dinner I enjoyed buffalo mozzarella and tomato with green salad (rocket, watercress and spinach leaves) - four evenings is a row. Finally something healthy for BabyBunny!

DH makes a fresh ginger root tea for me every morning. Maybe because of this one day is better than the other but the next one is worse than the previous one when it comes to nausea. The 'Comfort Bands' are useless.

Still spending my days in my PJs. I did not leave the apartment in the past 4 days. I do not feel I want to dress up or go out see people or want to go near to a restaurant.

I noticed that when sleeping or lying on one side for longer period of time my arm, hand or hip grows numb on that side. I will definitely mention this to the midwife on my first appointment which arrived on post early this week. The appointment is on the 15th DEC. So much for an early scan after what happened in APR. I also booked a screening test (a scan and a blood test).

Diarrhoea is still an everyday companion but I am happy that I am able to keep food down (so far) thus BabyBunny gets his nutrition.

I have pimples all over my face, painful, red pimples deep under the skin...