Ok, here’s the update!

I went to see my OB yesterday — what he said is that I’ve still got BV, and it may have aggravated the cervix enough to (insert medical jargon I can’t remember here) that caused the bleeding. He also can’t find any other good reason why I bled. So I’m back on more antibiotics, and I got to hear the heartbeat yesterday again. My fundal height is still growing, baby’s heartrate is great, so aside from some seemingly random bleeding, everything seems to be okay.

Phew.

Scratch that last post. Tomorrow I will be 14 weeks along, according to the latest ultrasound. New due date, February 11. I’m not going to change it again. Regardless what the next u/s says.

I’m still recovering from my kidney infection, and it largely sucks. I’m finished with one antibiotic, but the other still makes me nauseated. Fun times.

And we’re moving this weekend! I keep forgetting to take pictures of the new house, but those will eventually come, no doubt. The phone will be installed next Monday (so they tell me), and the number should be the same. I will absolutely throw a fit if they change it. Internet access may be limited as we figure out whether we get DSL, dial-up, or satellite internet access. I’ll be without cable, which is fine, but I’ll really be missing the MLB playoffs. Sigh.

JR is looking and behaving more and more like a little boy instead of my little baby. That is, unless he’s having an “I’m-almost-two-years-old” tantrum. Those are fun. Oh, and someone save me from the incessant Blue’s Clues songs!!! JR loves that silly show, and it’s driving me nuts.

Ok, I think that’s it for now. Hasta.

…and I’m already 12 weeks along! That’s right folks, my first trimester is already over! We can’t believe that it’s gone by so quickly already. Which has its sadness too, because that means mom has been gone 12 weeks from today too. I hope you’re at peace, mama. We love you.

Ending the first trimester this time has some variables with it — I had to go to the ER Friday night. Friday morning I had had some spotting, and was cramping on and off throughout the day. It got bad, so John took me in. After many hours in the ER, it turns out that I have BV and another kidney infection. I seem to get those more over the last few years. So I got a round of IV antibiotics, then was sent home with a prescription for two more antibiotics. Fun times.

Oh, and the ER nurse, Shirlee, infiltrated a vein when putting in my IV. The stupid cow had the nerve to ask me if it really hurt when she pushed saline through it, and then had the GALL to tell me that it wasn’t supposed to hurt, so clearly it mustn’t. Yeah, I had a more skillful nurse, Chere, redo the IV in the opposite arm. I was all kinds of unhappy.

We got home around 4:30 am, and we had seen in the neighborhood of 20 moose on the way back! Crazy! We went back to town Saturday to pick up my scripts. Oh, the joys of small town life include not having a pharmacy open 7 days a week.

I’m seriously wiped out from the infections, and the antibiotics are kicking my ass. They make me so sick! I’ve been throwing up all day. Oh well, I’m theoretically supposed to tolerate them better as the days go by. I’m taking a probiotic daily and throwing in some great juicing and smoothies too. Hopefully this all clears up soon, because we’ve got a new house to move into!

It seems like this pregnancy is going by so much quicker (so far) than JR’s did, but I think that’s because we now have JR. With him being almost 2, life is a (fast, trying, exhilarating) blast. Talk about spirited!

Anyway, hopefully I’ll have more u/s pictures to share soon (as the ER doc has ordered a repeat u/s to make sure that Sprout is really indeed okay). Later!

A friend of mine is trying to conceive, and I thought I’d share with y’all the email I sent her:

I’m about to get all up in your trying-to-conceive business, so feel free to ignore these :rolleyes:

Are your cycles irregular? If so, “vitex” can help your cycles level out. If you’re already regular, it can skew your cycle too.

Evening primrose oil (supplements in capsule form, can be found in organic section of Freddies or at Sunshine) can help increase fertile cervical fluid. 1000mg/day until you ovulate. It should be stopped as soon as you ovulate, so if you’re taking your basal temperature every day that would tell you for sure when you ovulate (you’ll get the whole thermal shift goin on). A dark positive ovulation strip should be a good indicator that you’ll ovulate within 24 hours or so, so that would work too.

If your luteal phase (the time between ovulation and your period) is less than ten days or so, there are progesterone creams/etc that can potentially help you get a sticky implantation. A B6 supplement is useful if you ingest a lot of protein through the day, and it helps lengthen luteal phases too.

Garlic is supposed to increase fertile cervical fluid too — but only crushed raw garlic, as it loses all it’s nutritional value (conception-wise) once cooked. You can peel & crush 1-4 cloves a day, and chug them down with water like vitamins.

Avoid soy products! They have natural phyto-estrogens that can do wacky things with your hormone levels.

Also, maca can be used by both you and (insert male partner’s name):

“We have demonstrated in women that oral administration of Maca for 2 weeks resulted in an increase in the size of the dominant follicles”
and
“The answer is clearest for men: At dosages of 1500 or 3000 mg/day given over a period of 4 months, Maca did great things for their semen:
Treatment with Maca resulted in increased seminal volume, sperm count per ejaculum, motile sperm count, and sperm motility. Serum hormone levels were not modified with Maca treatment. Increase of sperm count was not related to dose of Maca. CONCLUSION: Maca improved sperm production and sperm motility.”
Source: Asian Journal of Andrology. 3(4):301-3, 2001 Dec.

Both acupuncture and hand/foot reflexology can have great benefits to your endocrine system too!