It's been too long...again...

Bean's profile at 18.5 weeks

Okay, so I said I wouldn't go so long between posts, but I swear I have a good reason for it. In my last post I explained that I found out my "morning sickness" was really a reaction from becoming Lactose Intolerant...well, all is going well with that. I've stayed away from dairy completely and no more nausea and vomiting, YAY! But, about 2 weeks after I stopped getting sick, I felt like I was getting a bladder infection...ugh! I was going to the bathroom every 5 minutes and my lower abdomen, well "bikini line" area started cramping up to the point that it kept me up most of the night. I called to make an appointment with my doctor and the receptionist transferred me to a nurse instead. After explaining all of my symptoms to the nurse she explained that the pain was most likely Round Ligament Pain and that the frequent urination was most likely a symptom of the pregnancy. Her best advice was to simply get some rest, stretch out for a bit and take a warm shower to help the pain go away. I followed her instructions and that night the pain started to pass. A few days later though I was going nuts with having to run to the bathroom every 5 minutes and made an appointment with my doctor. And as I suspected...I had a bladder infection. So, the doctor prescribed baby safe antibiotics and sent me on my way.

Then at 2:30 the next morning I woke up to use the restroom and just drops were coming out at first...some sort of blob passed...and then the flood gates opened! I had no clue what was going on, so I yelled for my husband, he stumbled into the bathroom, turned on the light and when I looked in the toilet there was a blob of blood the size of a penny and every time I wiped there was blood...and it was dark...not a good sign. I panicked...as always...and explained to my husband what had just happened and that it was time for another trip to the ER. It took him a minute to comprehend what I was saying, but his first reaction was "maybe you passed a kidney stone." He reminded me that my peeing habits were nothing new and maybe the stone had been there for a while and I just didn't know it. Either way, I knew something wasn't right, so we headed to the ER.

Sure enough, I passed a kidney stone! A stone that I never even realized I had! Eventually the OB in the ER explained that the pain I was experiencing was most likely the stone moving down into my urethra and nothing to do with Round Ligament Pain. She agreed with my husband that the stone had possibly been making its way through my system for the past year or so, tearing up tissue as it moved and that's why it appeared as a blob and that the spotting was most likely irritation from the stone finally passing. She sent in a request to have an ultrasound on my kidneys to make sure that there aren't any more stones, said the monitors the nurse had wrapped around my belly showed that Bean was doing just fine and as long as I was feeling okay, I could go home and rest.

At 4:30 we headed home just in time to wake up at 7:30 for a regular check-up with our OB. He agreed with the ER doctor and said to just get some rest, take the antibiotics the first doctor gave me for the bladder infection and that hopefully the rest of my pregnancy would be happier and healthier than the first 5 months. :)

In the middle of all of this I started feeling little kicks from Bean...such an amazing feeling! It started out as little gas bubbles and now it feels like Bean is flicking marbles at the inside of my belly. :) A few days before the kidney stone drama we also had a Survey Sonogram to check in on Bean's progress. At our check-up our OB let us know the sonogram showed that Bean was extremely healthy and right on schedule, but now his biggest concern is my weight...I need to start packing on some pounds. I've always struggled with my weight and the fact that I'd been so sick for the first 5 months of my pregnancy hasn't helped. We agreed that clearing up the symptoms from a bladder infection, kidney stone and nausea would probably help everything and that eating smaller meals throughout the day and drinking Boost for now would probably help my body put on the weight it needs.

So, to be blunt...the last few weeks have sucked! I feel like a rubber band was cut from my waist...didn't realized how much pressure the stone was causing...and my bladder infection has totally cleared up, but all of it has worn me out! But there has been an amazing payoff as well...feeling Bean's kicks and punches getting stronger and stronger everyday is just more proof that this baby is a little miracle and I can't wait until we meet in person. :)