Since the mid first trimester, I began to ride an emotional roller-coaster along this pregnancy.
The first was the The first trimester test to check Down syndrome and Edwards syndrome. I was tortured about whether I wanted to conduct this test. The result turned to be within normative range, actually much lower than the cut-off.
Right after this short happy moment, I had a Bleeding in the 13th week. I found some bright red bloods coming out. My mind was running quickly like a windmill. Although I didn’t bleed for the rest of the day, both M and I spend a restless and worrisome long night… The bleeding was caused by Placenta previa, which caused me Bleeding again! three weeks later, right after Chirstmas Day!
After the low point, I felt Baby’s first movement in January 2008. It felt like a bubble of gas. It happened so quickly that it was gone before I realized it. Three days later, I felt that movement again. This time, it came once, then paused for a little while, then came again, and then one more time. It was such an exciting moment for me! I experienced somthing I never experienced before!
But the high point didn’t last long. Very soon I fell into anxiety again: the doctor found CPC in baby’s brain! I immediately became nervous and millions of questions quickly popped up into my mind: is the baby going to have mental problems? Is the cyst going to damage his/her brain? Is the cyst going to become a tumor? …
The doctor calmed me down and told me actually finding a cyst, CPC (Choroid Plexus Cyst) to be exact, on a routine ultrasound is actually a relatively common phenomenon and usually is associated with a normal pregnancy outcome.
The doctor also assured me that most CPC are diagnosed between 15 and 17 weeks of gestation and disappear by 26 weeks without apparent long-term complications. Thanks goodness the CPC is gone! four weeks later. But you can image how I spent those 4 weeks…
Then I rolled up. I enjoyed my baby’s active gysmnastics. I even found out The pattern of baby’s movement. I also experienced the association between Maternal emotions & fetal movements.
I found a way to Fight against constipation. And my second trimester genetic screening test—Quad Screen AFP, had negative results (see AFP results are negative!). Although a positive screening test result will not change my mind to have this baby, both negative results of the first trimester and second trimester screening tests still make me feel much more comfortable about my baby’s health conditions.
Then in February, an ultrasound revealed my baby was a girl (see A girl? A girl!). A little surprise for me though, since I heard some many old wife tales and theories before, which all confirmed this baby is a boy.
Another good news in Feb was my Placenta moved up! This good news meant that I probably can give a natural birth for my baby, which is believed to be more beneficial for both mother and baby.
Beginning the end of the second trimester, I began to think things I needed to buy for baby’s arrival. I found a pretty complete Baby checklist. Shopping for baby was an endless happy procedure…
Entering March and my third trimester, I was down again. I had agonizing toothache and ended up having a gruesome root canal treatment, followed by a crown treatment. The very least thing I had expected for my pregnancy (see Ouch! Toothache!)!
Then it never rains but it pours! Right after I finished the root canal treatment, I Failed to pass GCT, the glucose screening test (also called a glucose challenge test or GCT). The next level of test—the glucose tolerance test (GTT), an 11 hour fasting test—was ordered. I was told not to eat anything from the midnight until 11:15am the next morning. Luckily I Survived the GTT.
Then another routine checkout brought me bad news. Twice in a row, my blood pressure was found to be 140/90. At the same time, there were swelling of hands and feet, sudden excessive weight gain and trace of protein in the urine. All of these signs indicated that I might had a mild Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), or preeclampsia, also called toxemia (see PIH? Oh, no!!).
One week later, PIH not improved: my blood pressure was diagnosed to be 160/72, such a high number that both the nurse and I got shocked. I was so nervous about my blood pressure, because I really didn’t want to have PIH at this time. I didn’t want my baby to be preterm. Even she was 29-30 weeks old; I still urgently wished my condition get improved so that she doesn’t need to come out earlier.
The good news was another one week later, my blood pressure dropped to 120/80, and there was no protein in the urine. All meant my Gaining too much weight (40 pounds already). Besides, there was a trace of suger showing in my urine. He suggested me to pay attention to my diet and do my best to slow down the weight gaining.
Here I am! Still riding the emotional roller-coaster of my pregnancy. Hope the rest journey is smooth and happy!
From Lina, Late-Pregnancy | Lina | 
May 5, 2008 1:30 pm | 
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