The Cycle of Pregnancy

Dr. Tanya Remer Altmann's Mini-Guide to the Stages of a Pregnancy

by Dr. Tanya Remer Altmann

As a physician I do pregnancy tests fairly often on my patients. This time there was a very faint line. But I wasn't at my office. I ran to show my husband. "That's not a line," he said. We debated over whether or not it was indeed a positive test or just a shadow from pee on the stick. The next morning the line was darker, and he was ecstatic!

I was excited too, but also nervous. Maybe I knew too much about what I was in for and all the rare complications that could occur. My sister, Candace, only 7 weeks pregnant, was continuously throwing up. Terrified that I would follow her pattern, I had to get checked out soon, especially since I was traveling to New York the next week.

At my OB appointment an ultrasound determined that I was 5 weeks pregnant. Cute blob on the screen, but no heartbeat yet. Dr. Poliakin assured me that everything was fine as the heartbeat is not usually heard until 6 weeks. I asked a thousand questions: Can I eat tuna? What's the deal with soft cheese? How much coffee? Should I avoid all artificial sweeteners? Yes, doctors are the worst patients.

I packed some extra munchies for the flight and was off. Then it all started. Right in the middle of the Nordstrom shoe department (couldn't pass up a shoe sale- after all, they'll fit through pregnancy) I started burning up. Sweat poured from my forehead. I was dizzy and had to cool off immediately. I felt like taking off all of my clothes and running outside (it was fall in NY). But instead I headed straight to the cafe and downed three glasses of ice water and had a snack. I felt a little better, but from that moment on never returned to my usual pre-pregnancy state.

As far as I'm concerned, it should be called "Night Sickness," although my sister would argue that "Round the Clock Sickness" sums it up better. Every night as I tried to put my head down I would immediately sit up, feeling like I had to puke my guts out. I never actually threw up, although I wanted to in hopes I would feel better. Apparently though, after you throw up you don't feel any better, and to make it worse you have vomit stuck in your nose and wherever else it happens to land.

Everyone told me the best thing about being pregnant is that you can eat whatever you want. And I have never eaten so much in my life. I was sort of a fish-eating vegetarian-health freak for the past 10 years. Now I shock my friends by ordering steak. And I've been craving Mac n' Cheese--something I lived on as a child, but haven't touched in years. I quickly learned that if I didn't eat every few hours I would get shaky and nauseous. My husband calls it grazing, but you name it (crackers, grapes, sliced apples and bottled water), I carried it in my bag for easy snack access.

Now that I was eating twice as much, friends and colleagues recommended that I continue my pre pregnancy exercise routine. Were they kidding? I tried, but it didn't last long. I switched from running to walking, but it takes forever to walk 4 miles! My modified exercise routine and massive meal plan caused me to immediately pack on the pounds, and by the end of my third month I had gained a total of 12 (of which the baby was just a few ounces)! Everyone said I wouldn't need maternity clothes until 4 months, boy were they wrong. Good excuse to go shopping.

Well, I LOVE to shop! But even shopping was exhausting. Was it the pregnancy or my lack of sleep from frequent awakening at night to use the bathroom? Either way I was always tired. My activity list (author, spokesperson, television personality, volunteer, etc.) was quickly whittled down to what was absolutely necessary (seeing patients at my office and sleeping).

Everyone says that the second trimester is better and when you start really showing (instead of just looking fat) you feel good. I hope so. I'm still waiting for my pregnancy glow.

Author's Note: Well, that was me exactly one year ago. Believe it or not, each trimester got better and looking back, it doesn't seem that bad. Maybe it was even a little fun. Or did I just forget about it all right after delivery when they handed me my precious little guy? Now the best part of my day is seeing him laugh and smile. I'm still exhausted, but I suppose I'll get used to waking up at 6am every day...for the rest of my life.

WC: ;