A possible answer to headaches and fatigue

So we are pushing on 17 wks now!  Yay for that but boo for me feeling really bad these last few weeks. I just haven't felt like getting on the computer and doing much of anything.

First -- Let's talk about how Rowan is going to have a SISTER!!! The guys are super excited to have another girl but realized that this means they will be paying for TWO weddings now 😆
  
Since pregnancy started, I have been having horrific several day headaches.  Last weekend, I got a headache that woke me up in the middle of the night Thursday.  By Friday morning, the pain was searing and I was totally debilitated and didn't move from the couch for 24 hours except to refill my water and use the bathroom.  It continued into Saturday and finally I contacted the midwives.  They called in a new medicine but wanted me to go to the ER to get checked out but I insisted that my BP was normal and that it was just a headache.  I didn't want to be drugged up and sent home.  The headache lessened by Saturday evening but was right back on Sunday morning.  Finally, by Monday, I had the semblance of a normal person again.  The headache reappeared on Saturday of this weekend and Sunday.  Many of the medicines they have suggested do nothing for the headaches.

They have me on Vitamin D, Magnesium, B2 and now... iron.  I went to the midwife on Tuesday and they checked my ferritin level.  Ferritin is indicative of your iron reserves.  Mine is quite low and now I am on a high dose of iron twice a day.  The iron is tearing up my stomach and many of the easier to digest alternatives are not high enough of a dose for my ferritin level.  I have vomited more in the last week since I started the iron supplements than I have this entire pregnancy.  It has been a rough few weeks but I am hoping the iron will make my head feel better and I can go on a lower dose soon but increasing iron takes time. I have switched to liquid iron as it supposedly is easier to digest but it tastes like I am drinking blood, even when mixed in vitamin C rich juice so I have to choke it down.  Low ferritin is not the same as having anemia.  Though many of the symptoms are the same.  The rest of my blood work is normal but my iron reserves are being used instead of the more recent ingestion of iron.  The low ferritin causes nausea, vomiting, fatigue, headaches and fainting.  All of which I have experienced this pregnancy.  Multiple pregnancies and nursing close together can cause low ferritin levels in women.  The good news, we caught it early enough that it shouldn't be a problem for delivery.  Not correcting it can cause bleeding issues during delivery and pre-eclampsia during pregnancy. If I cannot tolerate the oral supplements or they are not increasing my ferritin levels, then likely a iron infusion would be indicated. 

Here are the 3 missing bump photos from the last few weeks:

Maternity clothes: I pulled them all out and washed them and sorted them and I am wearing a few things.  The side panel Old Navy pants are most comfortable. Just bought more long sleeved shirts for our Colorado winters.
Stretch marks? No 

Sleep:  It has been rough with my constant headaches and nausea
Best moment this week:  We went to two Brewers Baseball games at Coors Field
Movement:  Yep, been feeling her moving for a few weeks

Food cravings: No cravings, just lack of appetite with feeling bad.
Labor signs: Too Early
Symptoms: Fatigue, nausea, just overall funk (Same as last week) and add faintness every now and then (Same answer from before)
Wedding rings on or off? My expensive set is feeling tight
Happy or moody most of the time? This week I have been happy most of the time as long as I am not feeling bad
Miss anything yet? Still Margaritas (Probably will be this answer until 40 wks!)
Looking forward to:  Bermuda cruise in less than 2 wks

He or She -- What will baby shark be?

So the news is here!  One of the hardest things I have done during this pregnancy is move from my people: My doulas Melissa & Courtney and my photographer Julie.  Of course these ladies are more than just their professional title, but their title and professional expertise is important to this journey.  Every pregnancy, Julie has done a gender reveal for me.  The first was a video with me in it, pouring the pink tea to signify Aggie.  The second was pink or blue bubble gum and bubbles and I blew a gigantic pink bubble for Rowan.  When I messaged her last week asking for her professional creative spirit, she came up with something fun!  A big thank you to Julie & Mark with Seven Rising Studio for making this possible.  What would a gender reveal for Melanie be without Julie being the creator?  Boring, nonexistent, a text that says "It's a ...."

Without further ado...

Gender Reveal for Baby Shark


^^Click that link!^^

We are all super excited for the results! 💓

Is baby a boy or girl? Read more about this in this post!

So we don't know yet, but we will soon -- read more about this later!

I was 13 wks on Friday and I am starting to see the clouds clearing in my funky feeling first trimester. I sent a message to the dads saying "Happy Second Trimester!" except I am so out of touch with pregnancy anymore that I didn't realize that the second trimester started at the END of the 13th week. LOL

I had some bleeding again over the weekend last weekend and went to the midwife on Tuesday once they opened after the holiday.  Baby Shark looks great.  Measuring right on track and a heart beat of 164.  Baby was moving and grooving and just making it hard to measure him/her during the ultrasound.  They did discover that I have an SCH (a bleed like last time) with a measurement of 2.7x1.9x3.6cm.  It definitely is not a huge bleed like I may have had with Rowan -- So that is good.  But I also have a low lying placenta/borderline partial previa.  I am not overly concerned with this yet -- it is still so early and it as the uterus grows, the placenta should go up the wall of the uterus.  However, should it not move, that could complicate things like delivery later resulting in a cesarean.  They will look into it again at our anatomy scan just to make sure it is moving up!

Here are some photos of baby shark from the ultrasound.

This one cracks me up -- looks like the baby is smoking a pipe or flicking the camera off!

Baby is looking more like a baby!

Baby foot!

Back of baby's head with arms up above head!

After that appointment on Tuesday, I had to head back to the Maternal Fetal Medicine doctor for another quick ultrasound for genetic screening.  Everything again looked good at that ultrasound including the nuchal translucency measurements.  They also ordered a blood genetic screening which means we will know if baby shark is a he or she any day now!  So if you are looking for an ultra cool announcement -- it is coming -- next post will be a gender reveal!