Can you believe it!? Less than 200 days left to go in my pregnancy. I will be 12 weeks pregnant on Thursday. It's amazing to know I am already a 1/4 of the way through.
I had a perfect appointment today. I saw a midwife instead of my doctor because the office was so busy. She was fantastic! I'm probably just saying that because she said if I was going to be graded on my pregnancy so far I would receive an A+! She started the appointment by going over all of my blood work from my previous appointment. All my levels came back great and most importantly my iron levels were perfect. It's not unheard of for vegans/vegetarians to have low iron levels and be anemic, but mine were right where they needed to be. She said it seems like I'm doing everything right with my diet and to keep up the good work. I've only put on 1/2 a pound since my last appointment, but she didn't seem concerned with that. When you're active and eating well, it's okay not to put too much weight on during the first trimester.
Next was my favorite part of the appointment and I've been giddy ever since. With a small handheld Doppler machine I was able to hear Baby D's heartbeat again! No pictures, but I got to hear the heart, and boy did it sound good. Just writing about it brings tears to my eyes. I have had such a seamless pregnancy so far that I often wonder if there is actually a little person growing inside of me. Hearing that beautiful sound was so reassuring.
My next appointment is on 28 December. It will be a basic exam where my vitals are taken and I will be able to hear Baby D's heartbeat again. Also, the midwife told me that because of my size we should be able to schedule our gender scan a week early (at 19 weeks)! When I see my doctor next month (at 16 weeks), she'll make the final determination on when to schedule the scan. It's so exciting to know that in possibly less than 2 months Adam and I will know if we're going to have a baby girl or baby boy.
Not a day has gone by since my positive pregnancy test where I haven't felt like the luckiest girl in the world. Thus far, I have had an incredibly happy, and healthy pregnancy. I feel great, my baby is thriving, and I am married to a man that will be the perfect father. Life is good...
Monday, November 28, 2011
Friday, November 25, 2011
Our Little Duke Dog
Sharing the news of Baby D with Adam's family yesterday was more joyous than I could have imagined. Everyone was so happy and excited. Grandma and Grandpa Donat even brought Dom Perignon and sparkling grape juice to toast the good news! If that wasn't enough of a surprise, they also surprised us with some wonderful baby gifts. We now have our first baby picture frame and probably one of the greatest onesies and pair of booties ever!
My next doctor's appointment is on Monday! Hopefully I'll have more updates then!
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| Duke Dog in the making |
Thursday, November 24, 2011
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
While everyone else is busy cooking a Thanksgiving feast today, I'm busy cooking something else! Officially 11 weeks cooked today, and I think I might have some sort of baby bump starting...or else I just ate too much at dinner last night.
Today we will tell Adam's extended family about our little bundle of joy! It's going to be an amazing moment when we share the news with his grandparents.
I have never been more thankful for my life than I am this year. I have an amazing husband, a great new job, a supportive and wonderful family, great friends, and I am already in love with my child.
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
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| 11 weeks |
Today we will tell Adam's extended family about our little bundle of joy! It's going to be an amazing moment when we share the news with his grandparents.
I have never been more thankful for my life than I am this year. I have an amazing husband, a great new job, a supportive and wonderful family, great friends, and I am already in love with my child.
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
My Vegan Pregnancy
When Adam and I first began trying to conceive, I immediately purchased the only two vegan pregnancy books on the market. I also started countless hours of internet research on both the pros and cons of a vegan pregnancy. Anyone that knows me knows how seriously I take my vegan diet. I always knew I wanted to remain a vegan throughout my pregnancy if it would be healthy to the baby, but knew that if I was going to do it, I needed to have my facts straight.
I have read nothing but positive things about vegan pregnancies done the right way. Doing it right is the key. Since becoming pregnant I've started thinking more about the foods I’m putting in my mouth every day. Instead of having rice cakes for breakfast, I eat a bowl of oatmeal. I snack on fresh fruit and nuts throughout the day. I always eat a large portion of raw vegetables with my Tofurky sandwich at lunch, and I am eating lots of veggies and protein at dinnertime. I’ve even switched my nighttime sweet treat for a glass of chocolate soy milk fortified with tons of vitamins for the baby and me. Full disclosure – there is a pint of vegan chocolate coconut ice cream in my freezer and I’ll totally eat it soon I’m sure . I have to cheat sometimes and eat the unhealthy stuff! I am currently taking a vegan prenatal vitamin that has been approved by my OB and she has also blessed my diet which made both Adam and me feel completely comfortable about the way ahead.
A lot of pregnant woman use pregnancy as an excuse to eat anything they want and "eat for two." They will eat ice cream, pizza, and French fries to extremes. Ok, full disclosure again – I’m totally going to eat the heck out of some French fries during this pregnancy…but in moderation. Because I have to be so cautious to ensure I'm getting enough protein, calcium, and certain vitamins, I believe I will have a better chance of having a healthy, happy, and normal-weight-gain pregnancy than that of many of my omnivore counterparts. I realize this is a sweeping generalization, but I’m saying it anyway.
I am also convinced that my 17+ years of vegetarianism and 5+ years of veganism are allowing my body to kick this pregnancy’s butt. True, I’m only nine weeks cooked, and the morning sickness still has a possibility of coming on, but to this point I have probably had a total of 8 hours of queasiness and have not thrown up once. Most research I’ve done says the morning sickness hits around the 6-7 week mark, so there is a good chance I am in the clear. I could just be one of those super lucky ladies that doesn’t experience morning sickness, but because this is my blog, I’m attributing my throw-up free pregnancy to my vegan diet. :)
Here is a great article on super foods for vegan pregnancy that I’ve found very helpful: http://www.vegfamily.com/vegan-pregnancy/super-foods-pregnancy-lactation.htm . This article came from this superb resource: http://www.vegfamily.com/vegan-pregnancy/index.htm.
Also, in keeping with the theme of this post, I have to post the coolest little onesie that my sister bought for the baby.
We are no’t planning on raising the baby vegan (I will save this discussion for another post), but because this is for a newborn, the message holds true for the first few months of Baby D’s life anyway.
I have read nothing but positive things about vegan pregnancies done the right way. Doing it right is the key. Since becoming pregnant I've started thinking more about the foods I’m putting in my mouth every day. Instead of having rice cakes for breakfast, I eat a bowl of oatmeal. I snack on fresh fruit and nuts throughout the day. I always eat a large portion of raw vegetables with my Tofurky sandwich at lunch, and I am eating lots of veggies and protein at dinnertime. I’ve even switched my nighttime sweet treat for a glass of chocolate soy milk fortified with tons of vitamins for the baby and me. Full disclosure – there is a pint of vegan chocolate coconut ice cream in my freezer and I’ll totally eat it soon I’m sure . I have to cheat sometimes and eat the unhealthy stuff! I am currently taking a vegan prenatal vitamin that has been approved by my OB and she has also blessed my diet which made both Adam and me feel completely comfortable about the way ahead.
A lot of pregnant woman use pregnancy as an excuse to eat anything they want and "eat for two." They will eat ice cream, pizza, and French fries to extremes. Ok, full disclosure again – I’m totally going to eat the heck out of some French fries during this pregnancy…but in moderation. Because I have to be so cautious to ensure I'm getting enough protein, calcium, and certain vitamins, I believe I will have a better chance of having a healthy, happy, and normal-weight-gain pregnancy than that of many of my omnivore counterparts. I realize this is a sweeping generalization, but I’m saying it anyway.
I am also convinced that my 17+ years of vegetarianism and 5+ years of veganism are allowing my body to kick this pregnancy’s butt. True, I’m only nine weeks cooked, and the morning sickness still has a possibility of coming on, but to this point I have probably had a total of 8 hours of queasiness and have not thrown up once. Most research I’ve done says the morning sickness hits around the 6-7 week mark, so there is a good chance I am in the clear. I could just be one of those super lucky ladies that doesn’t experience morning sickness, but because this is my blog, I’m attributing my throw-up free pregnancy to my vegan diet. :)
Here is a great article on super foods for vegan pregnancy that I’ve found very helpful: http://www.vegfamily.com/vegan-pregnancy/super-foods-pregnancy-lactation.htm . This article came from this superb resource: http://www.vegfamily.com/vegan-pregnancy/index.htm.
Also, in keeping with the theme of this post, I have to post the coolest little onesie that my sister bought for the baby.
We are no’t planning on raising the baby vegan (I will save this discussion for another post), but because this is for a newborn, the message holds true for the first few months of Baby D’s life anyway.
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