So Soon? Really?

* Absolutely do not read if uninterested in the details of 1st Trimester Pregnancy symptoms!!!

I wanted to write this now, as proof that it actually did start this early...

For the past week I have felt "off" so to speak. And by "off" what I really mean is every symptom in the early pregnancy book. But this makes me feel crazy. Insane really. No way can I be feeling this way less than one week after conception, it just doesn't seem possible. It was this way with Brock too. I just suddenly have no appetite. Then, all of a sudden everything smells. Not necessarily good or bad, just things that didn't seem to be scented before, now have a distinct aroma (such as Matt's breath for an example). You can look at the excerpt below from BabyCenter, an online pregnancy & beyond guide, and put a check next to every single item with the exception of the last two. It was the frequent urination that really drove me to take the p-test (no pun intended)...I felt that symptom couldn't solely be created by my mind.

So, on Friday, the 26th, I took a test. Showed up negative. Until I looked at it again 4+ hours later (which you are not supposed to do) and there it was: a faint, possibly imagined, but obviously not, line. I then proceeded to take a few more over the course of the weekend, because Matt wouldn't agree to seeing a line in order to relieve me from my insanity until he felt the line was convincingly dark. Finally, 4 tests later, sanity restored.

Some women feel pregnant even before the test turns positive. The earliest signs include:

• Fatigue Feeling tired all of a sudden — no, make that exhausted? Increased levels of the hormone progesterone and the extra effort required to start making a baby can make you feel as if you've run a marathon when all you've done is put in a day at work.

• Frequent urination Shortly after you become pregnant, you may find yourself hurrying to the bathroom at an alarming frequency.

• Heightened sense of smell Many newly pregnant women find they're overwhelmed by gag-inducing smells early in pregnancy. This may be a side effect of rapidly increasing levels of estrogen in your system.

• Tender, swollen breasts Many women say the tenderness they feel is an exaggerated version of how their breasts feel before a period. • Food aversions Food turn-offs are even more common than cravings during pregnancy. You may suddenly find that certain foods you used to enjoy are now completely repulsive to you.

• Nausea or vomiting Morning sickness usually doesn't start for a few weeks, but some women feel queasy earlier.

• Your basal body temperature stays high If you've been charting your temperature and it stays elevated after you've ovulated, you're probably pregnant.

• Bleeding or spotting Some women notice a small amount of red spotting or pink or reddish brown staining around the time they should get their period. (If you have pain along with spotting or bleeding, call your caregiver immediately since this can be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy.)

Addendum added 3/28/10:
Wow. Reading this post from 4 weeks ago, I can't help but think, those were the good ol' days. I spilled the beans that I was 8 weeks pregnant to a family friend, which provoked the question, "How do you feel?". And, as matter of factly as possible, I replied, "Absolutely horrible". Her response, "Oh yes, I was sick with both of mine, kind of like you have the flu 24/7."

And then, the AH HA moment. Yes. That is exactly what it's like. All day, everyday, I am exhausted and nauseous. A little achey, a little bit of a headache, but mostly just sick feeling. Just add major indigestion/general slow motion of the entire GI tract to your flu symptoms and you have got first trimester pregnancy. You wouldn't believe how distracting it is to be trying to listen to a patient while sitting there thinking, "Oh no, I'm going to throw up, it's going to happen. What should I do? Just up and leave? Vomit in the trash can in the room? Explain why I am abruptly cutting them short? Oh good, maybe I am not going to heave. Can they see me shaking? sweating?"

I had sincerely hoped this pregnancy would be VERY different from the last, but alas, they are identical. Guess that means I am going to have another wonderful little boy, who sleeps through the night by 6 weeks - in that case, bring on the wretching! But really, what is different this go around is me. With Brock, I was naive and went ahead and tried to eat normal things at normal hours and avoided all medications. This course of action resulted in many long nights of regret. This go around, I either don't eat after 6pm or if I do, it's small, small portions. I take an anti-emetic/anti-nausea medication, as well as a pill for indigestion at the slightest sign of symptoms (which means everyday). I, prophylactically, sit up in bed to fall asleep. All of these measures have proven to completely eradicate late night vomiting sessions, thus far (knock on wood). And I keep looking to that week 13 cut off as sweet salvation from these symptoms, but in looking back at my entries from pregnancy #1, looks like week 21 is more realistic. Oh, the things we do to ourself for these wonderful, little bundles of joy...