What to Expect?

Baby is the size of a raspberry this week!  Yum, raspberries!

Baby is the size of a raspberry this week.

On the 12th, we went to our OB group class.  There were about 5 couples, at least 3 of which are also due in October.  We learned about what to expect during the first trimester, which pretty much followed what I had already read in various sources.  Eat this; don't eat that.  This is a normal side effect of pregnancy; this is when you should call the Dr.

I went for the first round of prenatal bloodwork, including the wonderful pee-in-a-cup part, the following morning.  Everything looked good.  I also got tested for toxoplasmosis, the causative agent of which can be found in cat feces.  I've worked in the veterinary field for over 14 years; I figured it was pretty much guaranteed that I would test positive, which wouldn't affect the baby at this point.  But no!  Amazingly, I was negative for antibodies, thus implying impeccable hand washing hygiene on my part!  However, now that means I have to be extra careful at work.  I am waiting for a Dr's note excusing me from doing any fecal parasite testing or cleaning of litter boxes at work, but that's a card I don't quite want to play yet.  My coworkers aren't stupid; the moment I say I can't handle cat feces, it'll be pretty obvious that I'm pregnant.  And I prefer to keep that a private matter for as long as possible.  Legally, you don't have to request FMLA maternity leave until 30 days prior to its start, but I'm sure that my return to work in August with a 7 month expanded belly will be tell-tale enough!

Anyway, we're two-thirds of the way through the first trimester.  My nausea continues, and I've lost 5 pounds since I haven't been able to eat much or often.  That silly crackers trick doesn't work for me - I can't even think about crackers without getting nauseous!  Well, at least the nausea is a reminder of the happy miracle growing inside me!



8 weeks pregnant