Ultrasound!

Introducing: Baby Blob! I was a little surprised today when at the ultrasound there was a heartbeat in a blob instead of the Matt Groening-like creature I expected. That thing that looks like a head, no, that's the yolk sac, there isn't a placenta yet (does that mean I can still drink?). Baby Blob is now only six weeks and five days old, giving me an estimated due date of August 25. No wonder my pregnancy test was so faint, I was only twenty-four days pregnant. Or fertilized for around ten days.

The great news is that I'm still a week ahead of the last pregnancy and there was a super-strong heartbeat. That little whiter spot in the blob, that's the rapidly beating heart.

This is a good time to point out that even with a midwife, I can still get ultrasounds. I didn't realize last time around that going to a midwife entails the exact same tests as going to an ob. The midwives just don't have the ultrasound machine in their office, I had to go to the hospital, which is all of two blocks from my birth center. This misconception prevented me from starting out with a midwifery practice right from the start with number one.

Due Date?

Since this is a pregnancy blog, there should be a ticker somewhere, right? Well, my due date is currently not calculated. My last period started October 2, 2009. On November 2 I tested positive with a brilliant double pink line. That day I left for vacation with my son and on Sunday, November 8 we came down with swine flu. My fever was so high that I miscarried (a blessing, really, I wouldn't want to spend an entire pregnancy worrying that I had caused brain damage to my fetus) on November 11. On December 12 I had the faintest of double lines. Actually, I didn't see it, my inquisitive husband pulled what I thought was the negative test out of the trash and saw the line. (Kudos to my husband for not being squeamish about a pee stick, or pretty much anything birth-related) We have been cautiously excited ever since. My first midwife appointment was on December 22 where I had really good HCG levels, so the caution is letting up a little bit. But every time I feel a twinge in my uterus or I feel some fluids, I get a little nervous. However, my nausea is starting to kick in big time, so that's a great sign, right? Tomorrow is my dating ultrasound where I'll see the baby's heartbeat. That should give me a lot more peace of mind. And I'll have a picture for tomorrow's post!