14 Weeks

So I am now starting my 15th week. My pregancy has been pretty uneventful so far. I haven't really been sick other than headaches more often than normal, occasional dizziness, and getting physically tired pretty easily. Nothing like my first pregnancy though, where all I could do was sleep and drink buckets of water (I had a miscarriage a year ago last April). It's been kind of hard to believe that I really am pregnant and it really is progressing normally this time... I had an ultrasound at 7 weeks where we found the heartbeat and that, combined with me not having my period for the past 4 months, keeps me from being sure I must be mistaken...

Things are starting to feel more real the past couple weeks though. I've been told by several close family members and friends that I am starting to get a pooch (isn't it funny how they all use the same word??) although I think it's more bloating and lazy stomach muscles than baby at this point. And I never had any food aversions until I started my second trimester... now all I can seem to eat are breads and fruit. Oh and sweets, of course, I can always eat those. I've also started to get some cramping which has me a little worried, but I talked to the nurse-midwife today and she said to take it easy and drink lots of fluids until Wednesday when I'll be in to see her. She said if I start bleeding, call her back right away, but otherwise cramping is pretty normal from the uterus and stomach muscles stretching all out.

I have finally decided I am going to have it in a birthing center with a nurse/midwife and no epidural... yikes!! I was pretty nervous about that at first (which is why it took so long for me to decide to go through with it) but now I feel like I can do it. I went to see the birthing center a couple weeks ago and I really liked it and the nurse-midwives that I met. I feel comfortable with and confident in them, and therefore I feel a little empowered - not that I really should, I know I have no idea what I'm getting myself into - but I feel like I really can do it. I keep dreaming about labor and it's always ok in my dream, so it's gotta be easy in real life too, no? Ha. Famous last words.

I have my first appointment with the birthing center on Wednesday and I'm looking forward to it, but can't really say that I'm exactly excited - they're not doing an ultrasound, so I think mostly it will be just like going to the doctor for any kind of checkup - lots of bloodwork and urine tests and such. Except for the doppler machine, I guess - I am really looking forward to hearing the heartbeat. I'm anxious to hear it to feel assured that everything is going as it should...

I'd be super-excited if they were going to be doing an ultrasound, but they won't do one of those until I'm at 18 weeks and so I have 4 looooong weeks to go before I get to find out if it's a boy or a girl... I want to know so bad!! Supposedly, they could tell right now if they were to do an u/s, which is pretty cool, but I guess I'll just have to be patient.