Baby Stuff

NO NEWS to report.  No Yes, no No, no Nothing. I just haven't blogged about Baby stuff lately and because the name of this blog is BABY makes Seven, I thought it would be time to do so. 

So, what can I blog about?  Well, this whole process thus far has been an amazing educational experience.  I am no spring chick, and yes, I did have sex ed multiple times over my life but I really feel like only lately have I learned anything really useful.  For instance, the whole basal temperature thing where you take your temp before you get out of bed.  I've been doing that for 5 months now and I can see when "Ovalina" (as we call her/it) is about to pop out of her home and make a journey down the "London Tube."  Work with me here.  I'm Southern and calling things by their direct name is just too indiscrete.  That should make the doctor's visits much more interesting, I'm sure! 

So Ovalina only accepts dates for 24 hours after she appears.  That means women are really only fertile 24 hours per month.  Now "Sparky" has a little longer life span--about 2 days and sometimes up to 4 or more. Sparky likes to hang out near Ovalina's home until she pops out for her monthly stroll.  And in fact, women who want to get preggers need Sparky around just before Ovalina makes her appearance.  The goal here is that Ovalina and Sparky have a nice date on the London Tube and decide to buy a starter home in Utica.  (I just had a vision of my children explaining to their little friends that babies come from Utica)

OK.  With me so far?  Well, in the past month I've done lots of searching and found out that 6 to 10 days after meeting, Sparky and Ovalina arrive in Utica.  Then they have a house warming party called implantation.  Some women have implantation cramps/bleeding when Sparking and Ovalina start their party. Some women's temperature increases again upon arrival in Utica.  (Some web sources pooh-pooh the whole day of implantation signs as inaccurate)  Everyone does agree, however,  that there's a surge in a particular hormone (can't recall the name) once they hit town and that there are new pregnancy tests that can detect their arrival within a few days.  (So, like 10-12 days after Ovalina and Sparky start their relatioship.)  Previous kits used to make you wait until said hormone reached 100 units--something like 15 days after said Ovalina/Sparky date.  (No, I can't remember the name of the hormone and I haven't given it my own name), but these early tests can detect much lower levels---I think even to 20 units!  (It may be 50, bu I'm too lazy to look it up.  I just know it's soon after the move to Utica)  The rub is that you really need to know when Ovalina pops out and do your calculations from there. 

ALso, there are kits that can be used before conception to detect when Ovalina is going to appear in the next 24 to 36 hours.  Apparently, there's another hormone that surges for that one.  (I had absolutely no idea that I've been surging every month.  It certainly felt more like plodding to me.)  The odd thing is that all these tests involve peeing on a stick and waiting 3-5 minutes.  How Romantic! 

Other interesting facts, couples who aren't concerned with Ovalina and Sparky and who simply enjoy themselves several times per week usually take up to 6 months to get preggers.  (The one thing that says to me that all those things we heard in high school about how just once on any day and you're knocked up may have been exaggerated.  Yes, it's true you can theoretically get pregnant at any day during your cycle, but it's a little more complicated than that.  But do we really want to tell kids that?  Parental side of me says: NO!  I will perpetuate those rumors to my kids, too.  Feminist side of me says:  Hell yeah!  My daughters are going to take their tempertures and learn about their own bodies!!) 

OK.  Back to adults.  Because I am an old hag, 3 months is supposed to the time limit before I should seek fertility treatments.  In addition, as I was searching for a new doctor yesterday, I was told that I will most likely be considered a "high risk" pregnancy simply because of my age.  That's  nice to know.  Of course, I have to balance that information with the info I have from my other old hag friends/mentors who got pregnant without any problems whatsoever.  No high risk nothin'. 

So these are the things I think about lately when I should be working on my research and manuscripts!  Maybe it's why I had my freudian slip on the board as reported yesterday.  (Maybe????  It was the first thing that popped in my head when I saw what I'd written!)

Today's a long day.  I have another night class tonight.  I love night classes, but they do make me weary. Must go clean, prepare food for 14 hours at work and then actually get to work.

7:58:22 AM