Any appointments? Questions? Had my anatomy scan this morning. Baby boy has too much fluid in one kidney. The doc said it may be nothing to worry about, but we will have 2 more ultrasounds before he is born, and he will have one before leaving the hospital after birth.
Rants/Raves? Rave: Grateful to see baby boy moving around in there. I still don’t feel him much, so it was reassuring to see it on the screen. Rant: I am a worrier by nature, so I will obviously find a way to worry over this kidney, even though it’s probably not a big deal.
How are you feeling? Terrible pelvic pain during a run this week. Giving myself a few days of rest here before I attempt another workout. And feeling sad that my running days are likely behind me.
GTKY: Say something strange or random about yourself. I have a notoriously bad immune system. I have a couple of autoimmune conditions, one that is a rare complication of pregnancy, and I have had both chicken pox and mono more than once. I mean seriously, who gets mono more than one time?? I am also an immunologist by training, so I think I would be a fascinating case study
@chocolatelemons - no, we passed on the early screenings. In retrospect, with my history, maybe we shouldn't have. But I tend to not have any problems until later in pregnancy and we would never terminate so we just find out things a bit later than others. With DD3, there were soft markers at the 20 week, we did the harmony test, results came back with odds in our favor. I passed the diabetes test so the polyhydramnios was unexplained. She came out healthy and big. I guess I just have a lot of weird/unexplained crap go on with me later in my pregnancies?
@maggiemadeit *raises hand* ME! I've had mono twice - once in 9th grade the other time when I in early college. Whenever I tell anybody that they always tell me I'm wrong because they heard you can't get mono twice haha.
Since you are an immunologist by training.... I'm curious if you know anything about the link between the Epstein-Barr virus and other chronic issues? It's something I've heard about for a while and I was never sure if it was a bunch of quack nonsense or if there was something to it. I noticed there was a big study that came out a few months ago showing strong correlations between EBV and other weird chronic syndromes but honestly never followed up with it. I have always wondered if some of my mysterious problems were related to having mono (TWICE!) because doctors have never been able to find anything wrong with me. Not expecting you to diagnose me, just curious if you've looked into this more than me! I study bacteria and fungi but viruses still freak me out...
@navete I STILL imagine all possible situations when flying. Haha. I feel like I'm the only person intently paying attention to the flight attendant's instructions and who actually reads the safety fold-out. Haha. I don't like being in situations where I have no control (airplanes, rollercoasters), so I feel like it gives me some control to have a plan. If we are ever on a flight together, we will be prepared. Lol.
@Lbloom so sorry to hear you're going through so much! It sounds very stressful. Fx for good results.
@Lbloom I’m so sorry! What an awful experience! Prayers that testing turns out great and this is just another unexplainable thing that causes no long term issues!
Had my 20 week scan Tuesday and we are having a Girl !!! We were hoping for a girl so this was exciting news. She was moving around like crazy and that was so awesome to see. Everything can back perfect and she is a healthy little girl. The doctor did say she had to tell me due to disclosure reasons that there was one tiny tiny cyst on her brain and she wasn’t worried about it and it will most likely disappear on its own. She said it doesnt put us at any increased risk for problems. Naturally I’m freaking out as this is our first baby. My husband and I are both young and healthy and we have had no genetic history of anything wrong in our family. They said they will do another scan at 28 weeks to make sure it has either gone away or stayed the same. How am I supposed to go two months being worried about this, it’s making me sick. Does anyone know of this or have you been through it?
@Lbloom wow girl!! I’m so sorry to hear you struggling! Sending positive vibes your way on your test results and a positive 3 hr test and no GD (I dealt with that last time and am praying I don’t have it again this time)!
@abbykwail@bug_hunter No way! I thought I was the only one! Even the doctors look at me like I am crazy.
So EBV is one of those viruses that we all have, (something like 95% of the population in the US is seropositive), but a normal immune system develops a response and keeps it suppressed. So it’s weird to have an active infection (mono) more than once, because it means the virus is escaping your immune system.
This also makes it a hard virus to study because there is no good control group because everyone has it. It also doesn’t infect rodents so there are no animals studies of EBV. So the studies that I have seen report things like high viral titers (a more active infection) being associated with a disease in humans, which may be associative but not causal. EBV has reported associations with certain cancers (lymphomas and head and neck) and some autoimmune conditions (lupus, thyroid).
I honestly never looked much further than this, but now you’ve piqued my interest I might have to do some research...
@maggiemadeit Thanks for the EBV lesson! I didn't realize that it didn't infect rodents - really interesting. It's also nice to meet other weirdos who have had mono twice!
I got the results of the amnio and everything came back normal with LO! (Although he or she is in the 97th percentile for size - no surprise there.) Thanks for all the positivity everyone! I go in for my 3 hr GBS screening on Tuesday morning (not looking forward to that). I'm also wondering if my high fluid will go unexplained again?
Again, thank you so much for your support! Pregnancy can really be a rollercoaster ride!
@Lbloom Great news! Sounds like you're growing a big baby in there. I will cross my fingers for you on Tuesday 😊
@kt2019mom I have no personal experience with the cyst issue, but I just wanted to say that the fact your doctor isn't worried is a really good sign. In my experience, if a doctor thinks you should worry about something, especially in pregnancy, they will make it known - several extra ultrasounds, bloodwork, sitting you down and discussing the issue over and over.... I'm going to guess it will be totally resolved by your next scan (and will cross my fingers for this too!)
@lalalauren15@navete For someone who flies fairly regularly, I am actually terrified of it. I don't have any anxiety about getting on flights, and am fine as long as they are smooth, but as soon as we hit turbulence I basically convince myself that this is it for me. My biggest fear is being in a plane crash. For some reason I am (well, was before kids, when I had time) obsessed with learning about plane crashes and why they happened (and what the chances are of that exact cause/issue happening again). I religiously watch Mayday - I've even once watched it while aboard a Westjet flight! I've also read every cockpit voice recorder transcript of every crash ever available (it's amazing what you can find online). I too check for exits and read the safety features of each plane once I board. Unfortunately I can't avoid flying as my family and DH's family live on complete opposite ends of the country.
@ashley14598 I've had this same sensation (one area of my lower abdomen feeling hard while the rest feels soft) and although it is early and baby is small, I've been assuming that baby may be balled up in that area and that's what I'm feeling? It's definitely not a cranky feeling, so I don't think it's BH!
Any appointments? Questions?: I, like many others here, had my anatomy scan this past week (Friday). While of course the tech couldn't confirm that everything looked normal, she did say she consulted with the head radiologist and that he didn't require any further photos. She said that she hadn't seen anything of concern. I'll get the actual results when I see my obgyn next on Nov 6. I was hoping to see a 'crotch shot' to try to confirm baby is a girl but if she looked, she must've done so so quickly that DH and I didn't even notice!
Rants/Raves?: Grateful that there were no immediate issues raised in the anatomy scan (especially after the UC Baby tech's questions that I posted about in last week's check in).
How are you feeling?: Pretty good! Still plagued by headaches and sacroiliac pain. I had such a bad headache last night that in desperation I booked a prenatal massage for this morning. I'm looking forward to it! Other than that, just trying to eat better and move more because I'm getting a little nervous about my weight gain. I was only up 2-3 lbs after the first tri but now at the halfway mark I am up 8. I started this pg overweight so my weight gain goal is 11-20lbs. I was hoping to be closer to the 11 than the 20. Sigh. I wouldn't mind if I knew it was all baby/pg related but I'm annoyed at myself because at least a lb or two is from eating out a lot in the last week while DH was away.
GTKY: Say something strange or random about yourself. I'm out of question ideas!
Hmm... there are so many good ones on here already. I can't think of much. When I was a kid I was allergic to salt. It would make my tongue swell, my throat close and I'd get a rash if I ate too much. Thankfully the allergy went away because my family and I tend to put a bit of salt on almost everything!
@laur84ns I definitely think that’s what it is... DH has even felt it and noticed that my stomach is lopsided at times. When I was at my ultrasound/appointment on Thursday both the tech and my midwife confirmed that this is a very wiggly/active baby. My midwife mentioned that the baby is in the very front and I’ve probably been feeling movement for weeks now (which I have).
Re: Week 1 check-in: 10/15
Due date: March 5
Any appointments? Questions? Had my anatomy scan this morning. Baby boy has too much fluid in one kidney. The doc said it may be nothing to worry about, but we will have 2 more ultrasounds before he is born, and he will have one before leaving the hospital after birth.
Rants/Raves? Rave: Grateful to see baby boy moving around in there. I still don’t feel him much, so it was reassuring to see it on the screen. Rant: I am a worrier by nature, so I will obviously find a way to worry over this kidney, even though it’s probably not a big deal.
How are you feeling? Terrible pelvic pain during a run this week. Giving myself a few days of rest here before I attempt another workout. And feeling sad that my running days are likely behind me.
GTKY: Say something strange or random about yourself. I have a notoriously bad immune system. I have a couple of autoimmune conditions, one that is a rare complication of pregnancy, and I have had both chicken pox and mono more than once. I mean seriously, who gets mono more than one time?? I am also an immunologist by training, so I think I would be a fascinating case study
Since you are an immunologist by training.... I'm curious if you know anything about the link between the Epstein-Barr virus and other chronic issues? It's something I've heard about for a while and I was never sure if it was a bunch of quack nonsense or if there was something to it. I noticed there was a big study that came out a few months ago showing strong correlations between EBV and other weird chronic syndromes but honestly never followed up with it. I have always wondered if some of my mysterious problems were related to having mono (TWICE!) because doctors have never been able to find anything wrong with me. Not expecting you to diagnose me, just curious if you've looked into this more than me! I study bacteria and fungi but viruses still freak me out...
@Lbloom so sorry to hear you're going through so much! It sounds very stressful. Fx for good results.
Had my 20 week scan Tuesday and we are having a Girl !!! We were hoping for a girl so this was exciting news. She was moving around like crazy and that was so awesome to see. Everything can back perfect and she is a healthy little girl. The doctor did say she had to tell me due to disclosure reasons that there was one tiny tiny cyst on her brain and she wasn’t worried about it and it will most likely disappear on its own. She said it doesnt put us at any increased risk for problems. Naturally I’m freaking out as this is our first baby. My husband and I are both young and healthy and we have had no genetic history of anything wrong in our family. They said they will do another scan at 28 weeks to make sure it has either gone away or stayed the same. How am I supposed to go two months being worried about this, it’s making me sick. Does anyone know of this or have you been through it?
@Lbloom I hope everything goes well the rest of the week for you! So sorry you have to deal with this!
So EBV is one of those viruses that we all have, (something like 95% of the population in the US is seropositive), but a normal immune system develops a response and keeps it suppressed. So it’s weird to have an active infection (mono) more than once, because it means the virus is escaping your immune system.
This also makes it a hard virus to study because there is no good control group because everyone has it. It also doesn’t infect rodents so there are no animals studies of EBV. So the studies that I have seen report things like high viral titers (a more active infection) being associated with a disease in humans, which may be associative but not causal. EBV has reported associations with certain cancers (lymphomas and head and neck) and some autoimmune conditions (lupus, thyroid).
I honestly never looked much further than this, but now you’ve piqued my interest I might have to do some research...
I got the results of the amnio and everything came back normal with LO! (Although he or she is in the 97th percentile for size - no surprise there.) Thanks for all the positivity everyone!
I go in for my 3 hr GBS screening on Tuesday morning (not looking forward to that). I'm also wondering if my high fluid will go unexplained again?
Again, thank you so much for your support! Pregnancy can really be a rollercoaster ride!
@kt2019mom I have no personal experience with the cyst issue, but I just wanted to say that the fact your doctor isn't worried is a really good sign. In my experience, if a doctor thinks you should worry about something, especially in pregnancy, they will make it known - several extra ultrasounds, bloodwork, sitting you down and discussing the issue over and over.... I'm going to guess it will be totally resolved by your next scan (and will cross my fingers for this too!)
@lalalauren15 @navete For someone who flies fairly regularly, I am actually terrified of it. I don't have any anxiety about getting on flights, and am fine as long as they are smooth, but as soon as we hit turbulence I basically convince myself that this is it for me. My biggest fear is being in a plane crash. For some reason I am (well, was before kids, when I had time) obsessed with learning about plane crashes and why they happened (and what the chances are of that exact cause/issue happening again). I religiously watch Mayday - I've even once watched it while aboard a Westjet flight! I've also read every cockpit voice recorder transcript of every crash ever available (it's amazing what you can find online). I too check for exits and read the safety features of each plane once I board. Unfortunately I can't avoid flying as my family and DH's family live on complete opposite ends of the country.
@ashley14598 I've had this same sensation (one area of my lower abdomen feeling hard while the rest feels soft) and although it is early and baby is small, I've been assuming that baby may be balled up in that area and that's what I'm feeling? It's definitely not a cranky feeling, so I don't think it's BH!
Due date: March 3
Any appointments? Questions?: I, like many others here, had my anatomy scan this past week (Friday). While of course the tech couldn't confirm that everything looked normal, she did say she consulted with the head radiologist and that he didn't require any further photos. She said that she hadn't seen anything of concern. I'll get the actual results when I see my obgyn next on Nov 6. I was hoping to see a 'crotch shot' to try to confirm baby is a girl but if she looked, she must've done so so quickly that DH and I didn't even notice!
Rants/Raves?: Grateful that there were no immediate issues raised in the anatomy scan (especially after the UC Baby tech's questions that I posted about in last week's check in).
How are you feeling?: Pretty good! Still plagued by headaches and sacroiliac pain. I had such a bad headache last night that in desperation I booked a prenatal massage for this morning. I'm looking forward to it! Other than that, just trying to eat better and move more because I'm getting a little nervous about my weight gain. I was only up 2-3 lbs after the first tri but now at the halfway mark I am up 8. I started this pg overweight so my weight gain goal is 11-20lbs. I was hoping to be closer to the 11 than the 20. Sigh. I wouldn't mind if I knew it was all baby/pg related but I'm annoyed at myself because at least a lb or two is from eating out a lot in the last week while DH was away.
GTKY: Say something strange or random about yourself. I'm out of question ideas!
Hmm... there are so many good ones on here already. I can't think of much. When I was a kid I was allergic to salt. It would make my tongue swell, my throat close and I'd get a rash if I ate too much. Thankfully the allergy went away because my family and I tend to put a bit of salt on almost everything!