PCOS update

This isn't necessarily an Evelyn post, but it does relate to having children.

Most people who read this blog know that I was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome back in 2010.  There are so many super fun side effects, including weight gain (and inability to lose weight), insulin resistance, body hair, acne, diabetes, hormonal imbalance, infertility,and an irregular menstrual cycle.  I know, super great.  I was dealing with most of those symptoms when I was diagnosed.  I don't think that I had actually ovulated in over a year. 

When I was diagnosed, my doctor put me on Metformin.  While this is often used to prevent/treat diabetes, it also helps with PCOS.  It helped me to lose 20 pounds, as well as caused me to begin ovulating again.  I got pregnant with Evelyn three months later.

Now that I've had Evelyn, and my body is back to "normal," I'm beginning to see the symptoms of PCOS creep back up again.  I cannot lose weight, and it's driving me crazy.  I do cardio 4-5 days a week, yet nothing.  My menstrual cycle is out the window again.  And my acne is as bad as ever.  Before going back to the doctor though, I've decided to try something new.

I heard about Royal Bee Jelly in my PCOS support group online.  Some women who have taken it no longer suffer from PCOS at all, and others have had their symptoms greatly reduced.  It's kind of yucky to think about, but you can read more about what it is here. 

So I've decided to give it a try.  If it doesn't work, I'm not any worse off than I am right now.  If it does work, my body will be healthier.  Not to mention I will save money by not going to the doctor, and not receiving expensive prescriptions that simply force you to ovulate, not actually solve the problem. 

I'll keep you updated, but it should take a few months before I notice any changes. 

girlification

I think that this blog's look needs to be a bit girlified.

Yep, it's true!  We're having a baby girl!

She behaved beautifully at the ultrasound yesterday afternoon, and the doctor got all of the photos she needed without digging into my stomach and bruising me like the other one did.  I took everyone's advice and drank some soda with sugar and caffeine before the appointment, so the baby was moving around during the first part of the ultrasound.  It was so fun to feel it kick and see it on the screen at the same time!  Later we saw her yawn, then put her hands up by her face and stop moving as she fell asleep - exactly how I sleep, with my hands up like that!

The best part had to have been when the doctor said "Look, there's her girly parts!" as she got the perfect angle between our little girl's legs.  I don't know if this technician was much more skilled than the last one (I think she probably was), or the baby just cooperated more (that too), but it was such a relief to have that huge question answered, finally!

She looks completely normal and healthy.  Everything is the average size and length for 23 weeks, so we're still right on track for June 17th.  No spinal problems, no cleft palate, no club feet, perfect heart and functioning kidneys, all 4 limbs.  It seems as if our miracle baby (miracle since we didn't think we could could conceive with my PCOS) is a perfect little girl.

And I got so many photos this time!  Not just the scary skull shot like last time.  Kevin will scan them at work on Tuesday, but you'll see just how perfect and beautiful she is!  Since I had the ultrasound done at Maternal Fetal Medicine at Memorial Hospital (heartily recommend them) instead of an ob/gyn, they also did some 3D photos for us as well.

It was super fun calling our families.  My mom hollered excitedly without moving the phone far enough from her mouth, so that was partially deafening.  We didn't call my sister, we just went over to their house so that we could all go to McDonalds together (gotta love that dollar menu).  Blake met us at the door, jumping up and down because he wanted to know so badly.  So I whispered "it's a girl" to him before the rest of his family, and I just love that gap-toothed grin that came out.  As I showed them all the pictures, Blake was the most intent.  He later came over to sit by me and look closely through the pictures again.  He didn't say anything for a while, and then said "Aunt Kellie, can I ask you something?  How can you tell it's a girl?  I can't tell."  He was trying to see it in the face.  I told him that the doctor said the baby doesn't have a penis, and since only boys have penises, that means it's a girl.  Beckie gave me a thumbs-up; apparently that was a good answer for a 1st-grader.  Then we joked about how it's a good thing babies don't wear pants because then we still wouldn't know.

So anyway, we are thrilled out of our minds to be having a little girl - it's exactly what we wanted.  And now Kevin will be vastly outnumbered against me, Baby, and Ruby.  I'll get photos up next week.

checkup

Kevin and I went to the doctor for my monthly checkup yesterday afternoon, and everything looks good and normal.  Baby's heartbeat has held strong at 140 bpm throughout the entire pregnancy, and it's always fun to be able to hear that.  I was shocked to hear from the doctor that I had gained twenty pounds so far though.  I was under the impression that it had been much less (twelve or thirteen), and I figured out why I was thinking that way.  I'm counting my weight gain as weight gain.  At the beginning of the pregnancy I lost about 7 pounds in a week because my morning sickness was so bad.  The doctor started counting at that -7 point, whereas I started counting at my original weight, the weight I was at when I got pregnant.  So what she sees as a 20 pound weight gain, I see as a 13 pound gain.  Guess I'm wrong.  And guess it's back to strict meat, veggies and fruit with no fun added.  o more pasta, since my PCOS is just turning that into sugar.  Dr. Raley gave me the go-ahead to do light exercise like ride our stationary bike, although she doesn't really want me out walking.

Something else crazy?  She said that if I fall between now and 24 weeks and everything still feels okay (no bleeding and Baby is still moving), then to just go in for a checkup.  But after 24 weeks, if I fall and things don't feel right, then I have to go straight to Labor and Delivery at the hospital, because they can deliver the baby then.  Can you imagine, at 24 weeks?!  So tiny!

Also, I ordered a baby sling online.  My mom gave me a coupon to get it free and only pay shipping.  Although shipping was about $12 (what the heck?!), I compared the price to similar slings at stores and on etsy and found it to still be a really good deal, so I went ahead and ordered the one in the photo on the right.  I got it from sevenslings.com, and I think that the turquoise-y blue will be great for either a boy or a girl.  I also think that there's no way in hell that model just had that baby.

Anyway, it was good to go to the doctor and hear good news, especially to hear that little heart beating.  It was really good for Kevin; he's had a rough week.  One of his good friends and co-workers was found dead in the bathroom at school on Monday, and things have been pretty hard for my sensitive husband.  She was a wonderful woman, only 35 years old with two kids.  She was working with Kevin in the Life Skills classroom last year, and their family even took care of Ruby for us while we took a little vacation last fall.  So they had a good connection and it's been a sad week for Kevin.  I think that hearing his baby did help him a little yesterday.