If you are following my pregnancy diary, thank you!
This week has been extra special, as we got to see our little treasure! We had an ultrasound at 6w6d and the baby was measuring to be at 6w4d and was 6.7 mm long. We also heard the heartbeat – so loud and strong, 114 bpm! This little guy or girl is working so hard in there, growing and developing! We got the picture too! There is a yolk sac on the picture that I mistakenly took for the baby’s head. The doctor said that everyone thinks that it is a baby’s head:)
That was the highlight of this week. I was waiting for this ultrasound with excitement, but I was also worried if we would make it this far this time. And we did! That is why it was extra special to see that our future baby is doing well. We have our next ultrasound scheduled for 8w2d, that is when the heartbeat should increase to about 160 bpm. And we are still keeping it a secret! All of these first trimester posts will be made public only after we announce to our family and close friends.
I had another blood test this week, and HCG level was 52,487 at 6w4d. I almost cried with happiness, because with our first pregnancy it rose only up to 1,167 by 7 weeks… So I guess it is a very good sign that this baby’s development is where it is supposed to be. I asked if I needed to do another bloodwork before the next ultrasound, and the doctor said that it was not necessary since the baby’s heartbeat was nice and strong.
I also went to see my naturopath this week. She wanted to see my B12 and Ferritin levels. My B12 level was elevated, mostly because my prenatal vitamins have a high dosage of this vitamin, and I probably get a lot of it from my diet. But it was nothing to worry about since B12 is a water-soluble vitamin and the body will remove the excess of it when needed. My ferritin level was 41 ug/L which was on the lower side. I had anemia in the past and was taking some prescription iron supplements which were hard on my stomach. She recommended I take the iron supplement Ferapro which is gentle on the stomach. I am currently taking Ferrum phosphoricum 6X tissue salt, which helps carry oxygen throughout the body and treats fatigue. Once I finish the bottle of Ferrum Phos, I will try Ferapro.
This week I learned something new about salty foods! I mentioned to my naturopath that I had a craving for pickles the other day – I swear someone in the office had pickles for lunch that day! It smelled so good! Do you know that delicious smell of fresh pickles, with dill? Oh my, I almost went crazy from that smell! Anyway, my doctor blamed it on my low blood pressure, and she was right. She measured my blood pressure and it was 98 over 70.
I had no idea that low blood pressure causes this type of cravings! So, she told me to eat something salty as soon as a have that urge! Salty food will raise the amount of sodium in the blood and the body will hold extra water to wash out that extra salt. This extra work will also raise blood pressure. Our bodies are so smart! Now I understand why I would often put extra salt on my food!
Physical symptoms are the same so far: sore boobs, some occasional stretching and pulling in the lower abdomen, and fatigue. My appetite has increased, and still no sign of morning sickness. Lucky me!
Well, this is it for the news and discoveries this week. I hope I will keep learning something new and interesting every week!
