We’ve been getting lots of questions about the pregnancy lately. So here’s the update on everything we’ve been getting asked.
When is the baby due?
October 29, 2011…and I’m really hoping it’s that date because that was Grandma Ohls’ birthday!
How far along are you?
As of today, I am at 25 weeks and two days! We’re almost finished with the second trimester.
Do you know if it’s a boy or a girl?
We do know…and yes, our immediate families know, as do a few friends. We want to be able to share the news in person or when the baby is born; so, if we don’t see you beforehand, you’ll have to wait if you aren’t coming to the Clancy family baby shower or visiting us between now and October 29. And yes, my sister sent out pink envelopes on the invitations. They were using what was available. Don’t think you know the gender because of the envelopes. 🙂 You won’t find out until the Clancy family shower or until you visit us down here in San Antonio!
So, October 29…wasn’t Mark in Iraq when the baby was conceived?
Yes. Mark was in Iraq when the baby was conceived. Science is amazing. How did it happen? Two surgeries for Teresa. Air Force doctors who were willing to help. Frozen sperm. Three months of weekly acupuncture with the awesome Christine at Well Body in Maplewood. 100 Mg of Clomid days 5-9 of my cycle. Vaginal ultrasounds to see how the ovaries were doing before ovulation. A shot to ensure ovulation was happening. An amazing lab that de-thawed the sperm, and an IUI with prayers hoping the one shot took. Third time, the docs finally got the timing right. So yes, Mark was gone, and yes, we’re pretty sure about the due date!
What do you and Mark need?
If friends and family really want to get us things, we’re registered at BabiesRUs and Target. BabiesRUs is what we need, and Target is the fun registry.
Colleen was amazing and gave us a good start on both boy and girl clothes, as well as many other expensive items. We have a stroller, infant car seat, bouncer, baby bath tub, and many more things thanks to her. Colleen and Matt get really good Christmas and birthday presents for the next few years. So, while we know clothes are fun for people to buy, we don’t really need any.
Is everything going well with the pregnancy? Amazingly, yes. I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that everything continues to go well. My doctor in St. Louis did two ultrasounds on me there, and she decided that everything was progressing normally. I am not a high-risk pregnancy. At the first ultrasound, Mark and I both got to hear the heart beat. The heart beat has been just what it needs to be at every time.
I feel like I am gaining more weight than I should be, but my measurements at the doctor are exactly on target, so I guess that means that I am where I should be. My blood pressure has been really good most of the time. We don’t anticipate that I’ll be on bed rest or anything at this point. I have, however, decided that my trip to St. Louis next weekend will be my last out-of-town venture before the baby is born. I just get really stressed when flying, in general, and I don’t want to deal with flying in my third trimester.
I didn’t get very sick first trimester…probably because I snacked constantly. I hated those ginger snap things, but when my nausea was really bad, they were my friend. The car ride to Chicago to visit Colleen and to San Antonio were not very comfortable. I was more comfortable driving than sitting in the passenger seat, ironically.
I had great energy in June and the beginning of July. Now, it goes in waves. I’ve been sleeping later than normal. Probably my biggest pregnancy annoyance is that I am not getting good sleep at night…I have restless legs and tingling hands and a tiny bladder. I’ve started going to acupuncture again once a month. Notice, I just call these things an annoyance. This baby was not easy to get, so I have made a promise to myself to not complain about being pregnant.
I heard you are doing centering pregnancy. What is it?
So we’re pretty lucky. San Antonio is one of the best areas to get stationed if you’re pregnant. The fertility hospital for the Air Force is here, if we need it with a future child. And the hospital sort of sets the rules and standards for how the OB/GYNs run in the rest of the Air Force.
With that said, the hospitals here participate in a lot of research, too. They started doing centering pregnancy in 2006. Basically, instead of going to “traditional appointments”, I have my appointments each month with a group. At the beginning of each meeting, the nurse practitioner listens to the baby’s heart rate and measures me (and the other ten women). I take my blood pressure and weight. We talk to her about any concerns we have.
Then the rest of the meeting is devoted to education. My group consists of nine or ten other women who have due dates around me. For example, last week, we had a physical therapist come in to talk about exercises we should be doing and then our guides had us debate the pros and cons of breastfeeding to make sure we were educated on both sides of the issue. We also had time to talk about any concerns, as well. I liked it because it made me feel less crazy…for example, the last few weeks, I feel the baby a ton one day and then not at all the next day. Of course, then I worry that something is wrong. Hearing that I was not the only pregnancy woman with these thoughts was very comforting. I’m the second farthest along in my group, and I’m not going to lie; it was nice to know that while I may have had the biggest belly, I didn’t show weight on my arms and legs like the others did. So it’s good for self-esteem, too. 🙂
Where will the baby be born?
The baby will be born at Brooks Army Medical Hospital (BAMC). Willford Hall’s OB/GYN folks are moving there…the military in San Antonio is trying to not duplicate services. Until now, most people did their pregnancy appointments at BAMC or Wilford Hall, but all deliveries were at Wilford Hall. Lackland AFB, where Wilford Hall is, is about 45 minutes away, versus a 20-minute drive to BAMC, so we’re excited about the move. It should be taking place at the end of August, so we’ll definitely be at BAMC for all of our care.
When will we get to meet the baby?
Well, after Thanksgiving, everyone is welcome to come to San Antonio to visit! We have a huge house and would love seeing family and friends. We’ll be flying home for just a few days around Christmas. We’re not staying long since we’ll be kenneling the dogs. We just figured flying is easier with a two-month-old than driving 12-13 hours.
Money is tight this year, as I’m not working…there weren’t many schools willing to take on a new teacher who was going to be gone for most of second quarter. Also, the combination of new baby, a 45-minute commute each way, and the fact that Mark is gone for a week at a time every six weeks helped us decide that I should stay home for this year for sure. So, in essence, visit us. Until I figure out a way to make money at home, we won’t be visiting others for a while.
I am planning to be back in St. Louis for a few weeks at the end of May 2012/beginning of June 2012. The plan is to get home for my niece Erin’s graduation. We’ll probably drive to St. Louis with the baby and the dogs, and I’ll stay there for a few weeks while Mark travels to the various bases he needs to go to. We’ll see if this is still the plan come next spring. 🙂
Other questions?
Let me know if there are any other questions by adding a comment. 🙂 I’ll try to get to anything I didn’t think of!
