September 05, 2011

Venturing Out

We didn't wind up going to the movies this weekend, mostly because the two movies I was most interested in are no longer in the theaters. But I did have R take me out to run a few errands.

I think I overdid it a little bit, but everything still seems to be fine. I got out of breath walking from a parking lot to the back of a store, and then when we got to the grocery store, I had to sit at a table by the coffee kiosk, because I knew there was no way I was going to be able to make it around the store.

I'm glad we're doing the twice-a-week appointments, because I seem to hit a point of concern around mid-day on Mondays. Today, I was concerned because I hadn't been feeling any stretchy/pulling feelings, which I've had pretty much every day. But thankfully, they're back again this evening.

They've been feeling a little different the last couple of days - somewhat higher up than the groin area, and more sharp/pinchy than achey. So of course that makes me nervous, too. :-) But I've been telling myself that it's probably because my uterus is moving into a different position and it's (hopefully) starting to rise up a bit. Plus, this is a couple weeks further than it's ever stretched before, so the change to sharp/pinchy makes sense.

I'm curious what all of you think about renting a doppler? I would have expected myself to already have ordered one, but I haven't. I think I'm worried about how I would react if I couldn't find the heartbeat. R thinks it will just cause me extra worry and stress.

And one last question. I just switched over to the new Blogger interface before the last post, and even though I'm still entering two returns after the end of each paragraph, now I'm having to put in line break tags to prevent the posts from being one giant paragraph. I never had to do that with the old interface. Am I doing something wrong, or are any of you having the same issue?

9 comments:

MrsSpock said...

I bought a doppler on Ebay for $65, but honestly couldn't find the HB until 19 or 20 weeks, and I have experience as an L & D nurse. If not being able to find it would freak you out- and the quality is sometimes not great depending on the machine- it might be better to stick with 2x/week visits until you are further along.

Sue said...

Congrats on leaving the house:-)

I had a doppler with DD from about week 8. At first, I thought I'd freak out if I couldn't find the HB and everyone told me that since I had a tilted uterus that it would be harder to find. The first few times, I used it right before or after a scheduled u/s so if I didn't find it, I'd be okay. After that, I found it just fine...but I was obsessed. I am serious. I would sit there with that stupid thing and move it around for a good half hour until I found it! But, on another note, I was finding it from 8.5 weeks on...and I literally checked daily from then until we returned it at about 28 weeks. I also started getting oddly optimistic about it after 12 weeks or so, so I didn't worry as much but I checked it all the time just to know she was okay. I loved it. I would have done it this time too but it was an unnecessary expense and I've heard it is harder with 2 and I have a lot more faith this time that my body can do this...so we are doppler-less. If you do get one, rent a really high quality one so you really can hear it early, otherwise it is useless to have one that only works when you are already huge and feeling movement, you know?

Have a great u/s today!

Libby said...

It's good to get out once in a while :)

I would probably cave and get a doppler, but I like the idea of trying it out when you know you already have an u/s appt. so you don't have to call your OB's office and tell them what you're up to and why you're in a panic ; )

There's a new blogger interface? Huh. Well, sometimes blogger makes my post one big paragraph too, but it only does it occasionally, and it's been happening for quite some time. Maybe it's just a glitch?

Erin Bakal said...

I got a doppler and it gave me great peace of mind; that is until my midwife told me that the heartbeat I'd been hearing and feeling comforted by was my own! Because I had a tilted ute, even the doc/midwife couldn't find the heartbeat with a doppler until something like week 15. So if you do have a retroverted ute, I'd just warn you that it might be difficult to find the heartbeat, but if you don't think that will make you crazy, then go for it!

SLES75 said...

I'm glad things are progressing well for you...

About the doppler...my husband basically forbade me from getting one. He was worried I would freak if I couldn't find the heart beat and if I could find it, I'd never put the thing down.

I went without and I've been OK. I did almost bribe the L&D nurses at work to dopple me, but I decided against it...

Best of luck!

and about the blogger thing? I have no idea. I write my posts out on my word processing program before copying and pasting to blogger.

Anonymous said...

I had subchorionic bleeding up to week 15-16. I never bought the doppler. I knew I would use it constantly and freak out if I didn't find a heartbeat every single time. I also knew that you can find a 'false' HB (i.e. your own) and/or fail to find it even if it's there. I concluded it wasn't for me -it wouldn't give me any peace of mind, rather the contrary.

My two cents.

Silver said...

There was a piece in the news here (BBC no less), not long after the start of my successful pregnancy, about midwives here strongly recommending that women NOT use home dopplers because of the false reassurance situation that Erin and Anonymous mention. There were several occasions while I was being monitored that I was so anxious that my own heartbeat was well up there in the normal fetus range, so I could easily have fallen into that category. I am a fervent self-checker, but that was one thing I didn't go near. However, I had fortnightly and then weekly apts (& every 2 days for the last 2 weeks) where I could be dopelled if I wanted (liking the noun as verb thing, SLESE1014!) and the nice ladies in day-monitoring would hook me up at any other time if I was worried - only used that option 3 times but it was great to know it was there. That's just me though - I have friends who've hired them and loved them.

Riya Joshi said...

Hello man! Incredible post however I extremely needed to simply drop a remark on your blog. Your blog has a super cool outline. Is this wordpress by possibility? sisal carpet colours

Penelope said...

Hello man! Incredible post however I extremely needed to simply drop a remark on your blog. Your blog has a super cool outline. Is this wordpress by possibility?
Best Engineered Wood Flooring