Baby News - the Joy and the Sorrow

Hello everyone!

When I started this blog, it's purpose was two-fold; first, to be my pregnancy journal for my third pregnancy (now a very busy three-year-old). I posted pretty much every week during the second & third trimesters, and a couple times while in labor. Second, the blog was to be a place to post interesting and helpful links about pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and infant care. I do a lot of research & reading and I just needed to share it. Isn't that why anyone has a blog? To share their stuff with the world?

This summer I became pregnant with Baby #4. If you were paying attention, you would have noticed that in July I noted that I would be taking a break from blogging, and did not post again until October 15th, National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. In mid-August, at 11 weeks, I began bleeding heavily and a sonogram revealed an embryo that had stopped growing about three weeks prior and had no heartbeat. Needless to say, we were sad and also a bit surprised, since I had already produced three children without incident. The actual miscarriage process went as smoothly as could be expected and so we were blessed in that. Baby #4's due date was March 7, just a month ago.

In November we discovered that we were expecting Baby #5. We were neither "trying" nor not trying, but rather were monitoring closely (BTW, if you are a woman of childbearing age and haven't yet read Toni Weschler's Taking Charge of Your Fertility, do so now, and thank me later. I'd also like to give a shout out to fertilityfriend.com). We kept the pregnancy a secret for 11 weeks, through Christmas and the New Year, a feat made possible due only to the fact that this was my first non-HG pregnancy (still plenty of nausea & vomiting, though). So far so good! I've passed the 20-week mark, which means there is zero chance of miscarriage (only because after 20 weeks, a fetal death is considered a stillbirth); and in another couple weeks I will have passed the viability point. Not milestones I had ever felt the need to mark with my previous pregnancies. I do not feel that I am particularly anxious or fearful with this pregnancy, only more cautious with my hopes and feelings.

So what's the plan for The Baby Blawg? I will start up regular updates, probably every couple weeks and then weekly towards the end. And expect more regular posting on birth stuff and, hopefully, a lot of book reviews. Please join me!