A Pregnancy Update!!
No cupcakes today, but I thought I’d pop in with another update.
Last week I hit the 15 week mark and FINALLY had my first prenatal appointment.
The appointment did not start off so great. We had to wait over 2 hours to be seen, AND were informed that my health insurance has no maternity coverage.
Because my husband is self employed, we pay out of pocket for health care with Humana, and every year for the past 6 years they have made me choose between raising our rates or raising our deductible. At this point, I am paying $500 a month with a $5000 deductible and have reeeeeeealllly reached my limit as far as what we can afford to pay. So unfortunately, even if we DID have the coverage, my deductible is so high that it wouldn’t cover a lot of the costs.
That being said, I now have to pay everything pregnancy related in cash. It is what it is though, and I can’t say that it would have influenced our decision to have another child in the slightest.
After all that, I was ready for some happy news. Luckily, I have a really awesome doctor who is very efficient. My exam lasted just a few minutes and then he got to the ultrasound and I got to see the baby!!
He was unable to determine the gender just yet (I begged for a good guess but he wasn’t biting), but he said that the baby was measuring right on track with how far along I was. It’s an active little thing, and every photo showed it in a different pose.
It was such a huge weight off of my shoulders and I left feeling a lot better than when I came in.
My exhaustion is mostly gone, but still shows up from time to time. I try to listen and take naps when I feel like I need to, since I know that there will be a time when I no longer have that luxury.
Heartburn is my main issue, and I have tried almost everything to get it to go away. I had it bad with Jon David, but I can’t say it was as bad as this. There are times when it nearly incapacitates me and I have to go sit down.
Cravings are about the same: Cheeseburgers, pasta, sweet tea, and now Dr. Pepper. Before being pregnant, I always drank diet sodas, and the full sugar ones tasted awful to me. Now I crave the full sugar kind, but I make sure to drink sparingly. Usually one glass of Dr. Pepper a day.
My next appointment is the morning of July 5th. I’ll have my ultrasound to determine the gender (OMG I’m so READY!!) and then I’ll get all my lab work done (boooooo).
Thanks again for supporting me and being here for me to share this with. I am beyond blessed!!
Thanks for visiting my blog! I realize you could be doing more important things with your time. Like watching the news or washing socks. I hope you stay awhile. Much more fun than socks, I promise. 
So excited for you and glad things are on track with size, etc. of baby!!! You look fabulous!!! Continue to feel good and I loved reading your update!!!!
You are seriously TOO CUTE FOR WORDS. You look fantastic! I’m so sorry to hear about the financial stress — here’s hoping there’s enough joy to mute those $$$ a bit :( Wish it were possible to erase them entirely!
Yay! So exciting, and that first appt is always such a huge relief. And you are too cute – I wish I looked that great!!
A couple things… talk to the hospital you plan to deliver at and see if they have a pre-payment plan. Many hospitals offer a discount if you pay in advance as long as you plan to have a normal vaginal birth. It can save THOUSANDS.
Glad baby is growing and very active:) You look so good and I feel you on the regular soda. I drank diet until I got prego and had to have the real deal. Only one can a day though for me:/ Although some days my daugher would beg me to drink another one so I would be in a better mood;) Good luck hope you feel better soon and can’t wait to see more pictures
For your indigestion give papaya tablets a try…you can buy them in the health foods section of your grocery store. Papaya will assist with digestion. My sister’s OB offered this suggestion over 30 years ago….I have used it ever since.
I agree with the papaya extract! I am 32 weeks along with #4. I had a little bit of heartburn with my first 3, but nothing that tums couldn’t handle. This time? It came early and it came strong! A friend recommended the papaya, I ran it by my OB & started taking them. They make a big difference & taste good too! I get mine at walmart with the vitamins.
You really look so great. Thanks for taking us on the journey with you….looking forward to the big reveal! Sorry about the ugly insurance issues. I am not sure what you have tried but I had the same issue with my second lovie and Tums Smoothies and Peppermint tea really helped. Good luck!
Ask the docs and hospital their cash rates without using insurance. You might be very surprised!
Still looking GREAT! In only 1 month you will know the gender! yay!! Any guesses? :) I’m going to take a big wild guess and say that there’s a 50% chance that it’s a girl! lol!
Congrats! So terrible that health insurance can be so much of a burden for families to get affordable coverage.
You look beautiful! Heartburn = hairy my littlest one, the heartburn started so early! I was like, already? No fair, but then that cute little ball of fur popped out! So cute those babies with hair! Also never never never eat fried soft-shell crab, late at night- the heart burn will last 3 days! Or probably anything deep fried late at night, so good but wow not worth it!
Same thing happened to me when I was pregnant – found out that our insurance wouldn’t cover it! My doctor was very good about working out payment options though and the hospital offered a sizable discount for prepayment, so it was manageable financially. But my son would have been oh so worth any amount we would have had to have spent to get him here!
Places like planned parent hood or the clinic the only charge based on ypur income and can really help out if insurance wont cover things!
That is the cutest pic ever! I too suffered with the heartburn with my 3 pregnancies. I thought I was giving birth to a gorilla with the amount of heartburn I had! I did get Zantac for my last 2 that helped greatly (especially if you get the acid reflux in your sleep kind of heartburn). I don’t remember the strength or dosage, but you can ask your OB or pharmacist. Thanks for the update!
I so enjoy your posts, thank you for making me smile and brighten my day! Good luck with your pregnancy, I hope that you will enjoy everyday of your beautiful blessed life.
You look amazing! Isn’t it incredible that an ultrasound, seeing your baby is such a magical experience. And, I’m only 4 weeks behind you in my pregnancy. I wish I looked like you. I just look like I ate a bunch of donuts, lol! Good luck with the heartburn. My sister in law had that and she went through bottles of tums like they were candy, lol!
Awwww, you’re adorable! But I can’t believe you have to pay for health care! I live in Canada (Calgary, Alberta) and we don’t pay a dime for health care and very little, if any, for standard dental care. My dad just spent 2 months in the hospital due to complications from open heart surgery/lung cancer – he had a private room, 3 meals a day and the bill was $0. Most companies here also pay for your extra benefits not covered (massages, chiropractor, acupuncture, $200/yr eyeglasses, dental checkup’s every 6 months, etc, and if you and your spouse both have a plan, you get 2x the maximum’s!). It should be like that everywhere, for everyone!
You don’t pay for dental care in Alberta? Lucky! I live in Ontario, and lets just say you get what you pay for for health care here.
Depending on your company benefits, most don’t pay for routine dental checkups. And if you do, it’s a minimal contribution taken off your paycheque. Our prescriptions are covered 90% as well. The differences between Canada and the USA regarding health care is monumental. Canada also gives mothers or fathers 52 weeks of paid maternity leave here but the USA is O weeks. But, on the flipside, they have wayyyy better shopping and housing prices are extremely low.
I’m so excited for you…. I’ll look forward to hearing the gender in July, what fun!!
Glad to hear that everything’s on track, baby is doing well & you’re feeling a little better. By the time I was 15 weeks pregnant with my daughter, I’d dropped about 20 pounds (that I could stand to lose) since I vomited just about every 20 minutes, even thru the night. I had to start wearing maternity clothes at 8 weeks because I couldn’t even handle an elastic waistband. I didn’t have too much heartburn since I didn’t eat much or keep anything down for long. Hopefully you get some relief in a few weeks. A friend of mine just had her 3rd child, a gorgeous chubby little boy, and I’m so jealous I can hardly see straight, but SO happy for her and for you. I’ve told myself that I need to find a part-time job where you just rock and talk to babies – it’s something I could never get tired of. Prayers that the expenses don’t pile up too high and everything goes as smoothly as possible for you both. :)
Blah, I am so sorry the health insurance thing is such a burden on you guys–you’re obviously birthing a baby genius so why can’t they cut you some slack?! Seriously.
You are gorgeous and I know your cutie bun in the oven will be, too. So so so happy for you! I wish I was your kid… but in a non-creepy way, I swear. We could go shopping and have baking dates. And impromptu dance parties.
I am always exited to see a new update of your baby belly and a new funny face of your son’s :D
Glad to hear everything is ok and so sorry about the health insurance :(
Love the update, the pictures with your son with the tape measure are so cute! I’m sure you’re heard a million things that will help with heartburn, but I kid you not, the one thing that helped me was a nice serving of bacon! Best wishes for your pregnancy!
Hmm maybe your Doc will barter baking for delivery? he he You’re not the only in the boat. Lots of us with catastrophic only so. Its just darned expensive but how can you put a price on that precious gift from God. Hope your heartburn subsides and your delivery rolls smoothly. Validation? Isn’t that why we all do this thing… blogging anyway. Plus you can make friends without putting on your makeup and taking a shower. I’d say that’s huge. Plus you’re funny.
AmyRuth
Can I just say that I love the pictures of you and your son? He is adorable! And, oh gosh, I know what it’s like when insurance doesn’t cover maternity expenses. My husband was a grad student when my baby was born. His student insurance didn’t cover the maternity charges. The expenses were discounted since we did patient pay, but it still was expensive. My little guy is now eight months old, and is the best thing that has ever happened to us! I am so excited for your little one.
Oh, I only had mild heartburn when I was pregnant and drinking milk always helped (but judging from one of your previous posts about milk, that is not a viable solution ;) ). I know that papaya and mint tablets have helped several of my family members with heartburn.
Thanks for the update! It is so fun to see how you are doing. I’m glad the doctor’s appointment went well. My first doctor’s appointment sounds a lot like yours. I went to a certain clinic since my sister-in-law highly recommended one of their doctors. At my first appointment, I waited for two hours since the doctor was delivering a baby at the time. I finally met with a different doctor. That was basically my same experience every time I went. I had several appointments at that clinic before we moved out of state, and I never did get to meet the doctor I had originally planned on.
:-)
I love reading the pregnancy updates and seeing the pictures! Hope July 5th doesn’t take too long to get here! Do you have any big plans for revealing the baby’s gender? Thanks for sharing this very special time in your life with us.
Congratulations on the 1st view! SO EXCITING!!! :)
You look gorgeous! (as always!)
Your health insurance issue upsets me greatly. You have a great attitude about it though and I do hope it gets better!
Sending lots of love & prayers to your growing beautiful family :) xoxo
You do look radiant, m’dear. Have you considered a home birth. Less stressful and less expensive, I would think. At least talk with a midwife. Thanks for sharing your life with us.
Keep writing…
I really hope that the day comes when I can have such a positive outlook on living “life on life’s terms”. I think the best thing to do in regards to that nasty insurance company is to sick your ninja zombies on them… and then have a Dr Pepper and some Tums :)
I’m so happy to hear all is well, I know that first appointment feels like forever before it comes. Can’t wait to hear you’re officially having a girl :)
Good luck with the heartburn! I had it awful with both kids (and they did both have lots of hair.) Tums were useless – Zantac worked with the first, and I want to say it was prilosec they put me on with #2. Lifesavers!
Peppermint chewing gum saved me from a life of heartburn during pregnancy. I even would go to sleep with it tucked in my cheek. I still make sure I have a pack by my bed, in my purse, at my desk, in the car…
A couple people previously mentioned papaya tablets after eating — that helped me as well, sometimes.
So sorry to hear about your insurance woes! But congrats on the baby being right on track. Love the updates.
ughh heath insurance is such a pain!! I’m sorry you have to go through that. But great news that you’re feeling good and the baby is healthy!
Congratulations again!! Your heartburn may be too bad for this rememdy, but you can give I a try (I was always reluctant to go with a prescription drug and this worked well for me). Eat about 10 almonds. It seems like they absorb the excesss acid and ease the nausea and heartburn at the same time. Good luck!
Being pregnant, I have no idea if you are allowed or not but I take a tbls of apple cider vinegar to relieve heartburn and it really works wonders for me. It’s gross to taste but I just swallow it as fast as I can and then drink some water. Congrats on the new baby by the way and you are too cute for words!
Happy to hear everythng is going well! (except for the insurance…ugh!) You are the cutest little pregnant momma! Congratulations!
It stinks to have health insurance and them not cover anything! My last 2 babies were not covered by our health insurance, and we had to pay out of pocket for c-sections (around $11,000) each time! See if your Dr.s office will give you a discount for paying cash, and your hospital should give a discount for paying cash also.
You are so pretty and cute! Thanks for your fun posts!
What’s the old saying? If you wait until you can afford to have children, then you’ll never have children! I will be praying that the pregnancy goes smoothly and your costs are minimal!
You look beautiful and Jon David looks happy!
I agree with a number of comments – You are so cute!
and yes – PAPAYA TABLETS! GNC makes the best ones, and they taste like candy. So helpful! http://www.gnc.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3164204
Good luck and keep us all updated!
Congratulations!! There is a sale at Ulta..
http://dealnews.com/Ulta-sale-More-than-280-items-under-5-coupons-deals-from-29-cents-6-s-h/581909.html
Health care is SO frustrating at times!!!! I hope you are able to work out an inexpensive solution. But on the best side of things, the baby is healthy and you look fabulous!
You look beautiful. Jon David you are adorable. I bet your husband is handsome. The doctor who kept you waiting . . . grrrrrr. The medical costs?! Oy vey. So happy everything is well with the baby to be. Did you tell the doctor about your heartburn? Next time he keeps you waiting . . . leave after an hour and send him a BILL!
Sorry to hear about your battles with insurance, that is never fun. BUT I am glad to hear that you and the baby are healthy and everything is going well. You guys couldn’t be any cuter!
You just look beautiful! I’d FREAK about the insurance thing, but, I freak about everything. Can’t wait to find out the gender!
Could you and John David look any cuter?!!!
Anyway, glad that all is well in the “baby baking department”.
Seriously, check with the doctor and hospital for discounts.
I am so glad you finally got into the doctor. Bummer on the health insurance. I think those health insurance big wigs are criminals and should be jailed for crimes against humanity. Congrats on a healthy baby!
Oh, I so feel your pain. I live in indiana, and my husband and I are self-employed and pay a fortune for pretty terrible health insurance…and in our state, you can’t buy maternity coverage at ANY cost. So I can’t have a baby unless my husband goes back to work full time (so he is, soon). Don’t insurance companies want us to be healthy and have healthy babies? : (
But we still count our blessings! :) Congratulations on your pregnancy…I love reading your updates!
You are darling :) I absolutely love the pictures of you and your cute boy!
YAY!! Congrats! It is so true……You ARE a cutie batootie!! The comment on the Papaya Chewables is SOOO true!! You can order them online from http://www.supersup.com They are at a discount too! Even better!!
While you wait……1 tsp of baking soda in 8 oz of water works wonders too!! Inexpensive, and always on hand?
I paid cash for my daughters birth too! I had a Natural Birth wihtout the intervention of a hospital…..went with a Naturopathic Dr./Midwife……Best decision ever!! Only $4000 after all was said and done!! Plus she came to the house for the first appointment!! Some women can do it without drugs……If you think you can, it is worth it!
Looking forward to more updates! Wish WE were neighbors…you seem so FUN?
I usd smiley faces after my comments where there is a “?”……..so no question intended…..just a :)
I live in Canada, I can’t imagine paying to have a baby! So glad others have given you great suggestions to help you deal with this issue
I absolutely love love love your blog!! I am so excited for you and your family :o) I cannot wait to hear what you are having!! I am expecting my first and it’s a little BOY! You look amazing and keep the fun recipes coming…. I seem to have an immediate craving for every recipe you post :o) Take care!!
It’s so weird, I don’t know you but because I love your blog I knew you were having your first ultrasound this week and I’ve been keeping my fingers crossed for you and waiting for your update.
I’m just one of all these people out there who are thinking positive thoughts for you and wishing you well.
So glad everything went well!
I know what you mean with the heartburn. I had it awful when I was pregnant with my twins, the kind that make you sit right up in the middle of the night because it just came up. I started taking 1 Omeprazole (generic prilosec) every night at dinner, you can get it cheap at Costco and it took away my heartburn, no matter what I ate I was good to go!
Hey Kristan, just a short note to say the baby is already beautiful, but then I’m sure we all knew that !! Can’t wait to see the next picture! I’m the woman from Kentucky that said we could be sisters, hope you enjoyed the email, continued good luck for you and your family!
Congrats on the great news, and super sorry about the crappy financial crap with insurance. Good luck with everything!
Oh I feel your pain with the heartburn situation especially with my second child. I still suffer from it occasionally since I had my daughter and it’s three years later. I also feel understand how frustrating it could be without having childcare. My husband and I were not married when I was pregnant with my daughter so I couldn’t use his insurance, I was able to receive medicaid but it was a painful experience in which I didn’t get prenatal care until I was almost five months. I don’t know if you’ve tried getting medicaid or government assistance but it’s worth a shot. I don’t know all the exceptions but some people who I never thought could get it have received it. I believe the government should be able to help those that are self employed with maternity care.
Looking fab as always!
Yay for ultrasound pics! Hi lil jelly bean!!!! <3
Ugh, don't even get me started on heath insurance. Biggest rip off EVER. Sorry you have to deal with that doll!
You are the cutest pregnant lady EVER! I swear I was big, fat and ugly as a pregnant lady. You = way cute. You look so happy too! Bummer about the health ins. I thought Obama was going to make it all better for everyone?! Yeah, right.
I’m right there with you… except my health insurance does cover maternity but I have a $10,000 deductible!! Ouch! I have 9 weeks to go, and at least I have the doctor all paid off. Don’t even want to THINK about what the hospital bill is going to be. But like you say, it’s totally worth it :)
How exciting! You look beautiful!!! I know this is totally too soon, but I would like to think I am part of your family because I read your blog daily ;) So like any annoying family member that has to tell you what gender they think the baby will be when they find out you are pregnant, I would like to fill those shoes and tell you my feeling is boy ;) Have a great day and will be biting my nails waiting until July :)
You’re the cutest mom ever! Health care sucks a great deal I must say. You keep paying all your life and then when you need something back from them they say, hmmm sorry, you don’t have the coverage, you need to pay cash for every little thing. I’m so curious about your baby gender. Would you prefer a boy or a girl?
And the cupcakes from your previous post looks so yummy wonderful! My usual treat is a red velvet cupcake but I need to try baking those as well. I want to try adding mashed bananas with double cream instead of the pudding and see how it will go. Do you have any favorite patisserie where you go for your inspiration?
Take care mummy :)
Congrats on your active little baby! I think you are entitled to a day off to rest and relax now. Soon it will be difficult to even have to think, so relax and get some me time!
Glad you are doing so well! I looked like a ginormous blueberry when i was pregnant (ie Violet from Willie Wonka anyone?) keep us posted…when is the online shower??? Maybe something pink and glittery??? Take Care!
Start an HSA if you don’t have one! Put the money in tax free and your contributions are tax deductible! That will save a little $$.
Your ultrasound is the same day as my due date (although we will probably have this baby before then)! I’m so happy for you!
You are just so darn cute….I CANNOT WAIT to meet this baby!
I’m really sorry about the insurance thing. We pay for our own insurance, too…I feel your pain. Hate having to make that choice every year….higher deductible or premium…both are outrageous. My sister actually had the same situation with her last baby and ended up using a midwife and having a HOME birth! Scared the crap out of *me*, but everything worked out great. :)
Love, love these pregnancy updates!
there’s nothing as infuriating as dealing with health insurance! and specifically, not having maternity coverage. i got an individual plan with humana specifically because they had (used to have) the option of adding maternity for x dollars extra a month… then when i got pregnant, i was informed that they no longer had that option. ridiculous. but, as providence would have it… my husband (who is self-employed) was without work at the right time and we were making so little money that i qualified for medicaid. best dang insurance there is. it’s the only time i’ve ever been so thankful for the lean times!
I love your son’s expressions on these photos. He is having a blast – so funny!