October 4, 2009 9:51 am

In The Family Way

I’ve always said I wanted to be a young(-ish) mother, and it looks like that might come true – Daniel and I are having a baby!

(I’ll let that sink in for a second.)

I am 12 weeks along, due mid-April, and absolutely thrilled. We weren’t trying, but we weren’t not trying so it was an expected surprise. I’ve known for a couple months now and it has been so incredibly difficult to not blab the news to the world before we were ready. (The risk of miscarriage drops significantly once you hit 12 weeks and once you hear the heartbeat, so we wanted to wait, just in case.)

We are planning on finding out the gender, since I think the whole thing is surprising enough that the gender doesn’t ALSO need to be a surprise.

I had my first prenatal appointment on Wednesday, and we got to hear the baby’s heartbeat! My midwife told me that sometimes they find the heartbeat right away and sometimes it takes several minutes – both are completely normal. That said, it took FOR-EV-ER to find and scared the hell out of me. You’re just lying there, staring at the ceiling, having these horrible doom-and-gloom thoughts as the minutes tick by and all you can hear is static on the Doppler machine. Ugh! Finally though, I heard a different noise for a split second and she said, “Oh! There it was! Let me find it again.” I wasn’t sure if that’s what I heard so I was happy to know that it was. She poked around some more and found it again and let us listen for a few seconds. Squee!

I’m going with a midwifery clinic as opposed to a typical OB doctor for many reasons, most of which I won’t get into here. (I could do many posts on that topic alone.) Suffice to say, I prefer their model of care and am very happy with the care I’ve received so far.

How did you find out?

My periods have always been very predictible and regular, and I was supposed to start on a Monday. It didn’t happen, but I was under a lot of stress at work at the time and I knew that could whack things out so I didn’t get too worried. Then it was Tuesday… and then Wednesday… and I thought, hmm. This is a definite possibility – I should probably test.

So on Thursday after work I zoomed to a dollar store (they have tests for $1 each as opposed to the grocery store’s $20-for-two, and are just as, if not more accurate) and bought four tests. You know, just in case.

I practically ran home – Daniel was still at work and I wanted to know before he got home instead of being caught in the bathroom like, HEY! I took the test and waited for the results to come up. I didn’t watch it.

After the recommended number of minutes, I looked over, and BAM! Positive! It was not even faint, like you’d have to squint and hold it up to the light. It was unmistakable.

How did you tell Daniel?

Nothing fancy, I’m afraid. I cut out the piece of the box that said what the lines meant and placed that and the test on a wooden stool we have around the apartment, and put one of the cloth napkins I sewed on top to camouflage it.

Pregnant!

When he came home, I told him, “I have a surprise for you! You should come over here.” and then I told him to gently lift the napkin up.

It took him a second to check it out and read the box, and then he was like, “Oh. OH! Congratulations!” and I yelled “Surprise!” and he gave me a big hug.

What did the parents say?

So far, everyone has been super happy for us. YAY! Everyone immediately starts suggesting wretched names you’d never bestow on an infant, so that has been funny.

How are you feeling?

Oddly, pretty much fine. I haven’t thrown up at all. I feel sick occasionally, usually when I haven’t eaten in a while, but as long as I keep snacking it goes away. I haven’t slept very well for the past couple of weeks but the last two nights have been better so hopefully I’m over that. I get pretty sleepy early in the day (8 or 8:30pm) and I have been falling asleep watching David Attenborough wildlife documentaries for about the past month, haha. Honestly though, I really do feel very good, all things considered.

OMG!

I know!

I am so so amazingly happy, and I am so happy I get to share this journey with you. I promise not to be obnoxious, but I will be posting belly pics here and talking about babies, so… there’s that. Huge thank you to all of you who knew ahead of time and abided by my request to “Please just don’t tell the Internet!” You’re the best.

Squee!

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25 Comments

  • Meagan says:

    The name thing is tough–I think I’m the worst! I keep trying to sell this really hideous names to Jake and then I decide, “WOW! That’s an awful name!” Keep up the rockstarness–it’s exciting that the world is now at liberty to know!

  • sarah kinney says:

    i am so happy for you both. what an exciting journey. let me know if you need anything! :star:

  • kc says:

    Congrats Meggan and Daniel! That is soooo exciting!

    Big Hugs!

  • Calvin says:

    So rad! I’m stoked for you guys. How’bout the name Aluminum? Yeah… sounds good.

  • Caity says:

    Wow!!! That is absolutely awesome!! Congratulations!!! I’m so excited for you!!!! My goodness, can I use any more exclamation points?!?!?!?!

    What a cute way to break the news, too! I love it! I’m glad you’re feeling well.

  • Tracy says:

    Woot woot woot!!! Congrats :D

  • Katy says:

    I am going to stop lurking for long enough to say… congratulations! :D
    And lucky you for avoiding morning sickness so far, hehe

  • Jill says:

    WOW! Congrats Meggan and Daniel! You guys are going to be awesome parents!

  • Caroline says:

    Delores! Haha :)

  • Greta Weber says:

    Hooray! That is such wonderful news!!! congratulations:)

  • Medli says:

    Wow! Congratulations. That is sch wonderful news!!!

  • Catherine says:

    Congratulations to you and your husband!! :D Hope everything continues to go well for you too : )

  • Jem says:

    Massive congratulations to the both of you – that is lovely news. :)

    Fwiw, over here in the UK it’s standard to have midwife-driven care as opposed to the hardcore OB docs, and although I don’t really have much experience with the latter I have found that midwives just “get it” on a much bigger level than doctors. I have a community team of midwives who deliver care to me and sproggy, and although it may mean that I see a different one for each check-up they’re all fantastically nice, all listen to what you have to say, and I have put me in the mindset of looking forward to the birth.. which I guess if you can say with a straight face is quite important!

    Anyways.. I’m sure you’ve got loads of friends and family around you who’ve been through it already and so you have some great sources of advice and feedback, but if there’s anything you want from a blunt/honest UK point of view, you know where to find me!

  • Amanda says:

    Congratulations Meggan!

  • Vixx says:

    I’m sooooo delighted for you both. :)

    I’ve caught twice the very month I’ve come off the pill, so I know how incredibly surprising it is to find yourself pregnant so early into trying!

    Have a healthy, happy pregnancy. It’s not all fun (but I won’t go into that now :P), but it’s all oh-so-totally worth it. :)

    V xx

  • Melissa says:

    I’m so happy for you both! I can’t wait to read your entries as you progress through this.

    I never even looked into a midwife but now that I see you and Jem are, I’m kind of interested to see what I could be missing.

  • Victoria says:

    Congratulations! It’s so cute how you cute the part off the cardboard box for him :) Looking forward to reading about your journey.

  • Erin says:

    How fantastic for you both! Congratulations. I wish you the smoothest journey on adding a new bundle to your family. =D

    It seems like the entire internet is breeding!

  • Kaylee says:

    OMG!! That’s soooo exciting. Congratulations :star:

  • Kerri Anne says:

    I’m beyond psyched for you both. A BABY. And baby clothes! And baby showers! And oh baby, I need to close Etsy right this second.

    Congrats! again babe.

  • Jordan says:

    Congratulations :) Now you can put all of your crocheting work to making yourself some little baby booties! :)

  • becca says:

    SQUEEEEEEEE!!! I would have commented earlier, but for some reason your comment didn’t filter into my Inbox– it must have gotten eaten by my email program. I just read it now, on my site, and I was like OMG I HOPE SHE’S PREGNANT and I am just so so so over the moon for you– for both of you– for the THREE of you! :-D I seriously just wish all the best in these coming weeks, and for the easiest pregnancy and delivery ever. A thousand congratulations! What awesome news; thank you SO much for sharing. I’m so happy! Heh. ^^

  • Teresa says:

    Hi! New reader here, came via Dasbecca. Another congratulations from the UK ^^