My Pregnancy Journey
Once you start planning for a pregnancy, you begin searching for all sorts of things on Google and YouTube. I also searched extensively for the symptoms that appear before a missed period. Today, I am sharing my personal experience regarding the symptoms I felt before my period stopped. I am a very sensitive person and can feel even minor changes in my body.
Early Symptoms and Discovery
On the 15th day of my cycle, I experienced significant abdominal pain. My ovulation usually occurs around day 15 or 16, and typically, my breasts would become very sore immediately after ovulation. However, this time, even by day 20, there was no breast pain. I began to wonder, "Could I be pregnant this time?" By day 25, with still no pain, I was 99% sure because this had never happened before. In the previous two months, my cycle had been 29 days.
Around day 27, my breasts finally started hurting, and I had lower back pain. It felt like my period was about to start, but the pain was different—it felt like sharp, localized stabs in the muscles. I also became extremely thirsty and hungry. At that point, I was certain. On day 34, I tested using a kit with the first morning urine, and it was positive.
The First Trimester
I had heard about implantation bleeding, but I didn't experience any. After the positive result, the hunger and thirst continued. I had occasional abdominal pain, but it would disappear after 10–15 seconds. At six weeks, I had my first ultrasound. The gestational sac was visible, but nothing else could be seen yet. They also found a 6 cm cyst, and the doctor asked me to return in two weeks.
At eight weeks, I had another scan. This time, the heartbeat was there! The cyst was still the same size. While I felt slightly nauseous if my eating schedule was off, I didn't actually vomit. Around nine weeks, perhaps due to eating out, I had two days of severe stomach pain and gastric-related diarrhea, but it cleared up on its own. I felt more tired than usual and slightly short of breath.
Screenings and the Second Trimester
At 12 weeks, I had the NT/NB scan, and the report was normal. Surprisingly, the cyst was no longer visible. At 13 weeks, the doctor prescribed iron and calcium supplements and I received my Tdap vaccination.
By 15 weeks, I had another scan to check on the cyst; it had shrunk from 6 cm to 3.5 cm. At this stage, I hadn't started the supplements yet. I was trying to fulfill my requirements through food—eating beetroot and pomegranate for iron, and consuming milk, curd, and buttermilk for calcium. I decided that if I faced a deficiency later, I would take the medicine, but for now, I’d stick to a natural diet.
Around 15 weeks, I felt a "fluttering" or "rumbling" in my stomach. I wondered if it was the baby moving, but it felt more like internal gurgling. At 19 weeks, a check-up showed my iron levels had dropped, so I started taking iron (morning and night) and calcium regularly.
The Anomaly Scan and Movement
At 21 weeks, I had the Anomaly Scan. Everything was healthy, and the baby weighed 426 grams. The report noted an anterior placenta. Once the results came back clear, I felt a huge sense of relief. By 22 weeks, I finally began to feel the baby move distinctly. It was such a peaceful and wonderful feeling! I don't notice it as much while working or walking, but I feel it clearly when sitting still. Now, I find myself wanting to sit quietly just so I can feel the baby move.
Gestational Diabetes and Complications
At 25 weeks, I took the GCT (Glucose Challenge Test) with 50g of glucose. My sugar level was 153 mg/dL. Because it was high, I had to take the OGTT (Oral Glucose Tolerance Test) with 100g of glucose while fasting. They tested my blood at fasting, then at 1, 2, and 3 hours after the drink. The results were high again, and I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes.
The doctor suggested medication or insulin, but I wasn't ready to start meds immediately. I spent a week monitoring my levels at home after strictly controlling my diet. I cut out all sweets. My routine was:
8:00 AM: Brown rice with vegetables or corn grits (aato).
11:00 AM: Pear, kiwi, or half an apple.
1:30 PM: Buckwheat (phapar) or millet (kodo) roti.
6:00 PM: 4 cashews, 2 walnuts, 4 almonds, 6 pistachios.
9:00 PM: 2 dry rotis with vegetables.
Exercise: I walked for 15 minutes after every meal.
Initially, my sugar was controlled. However, by 28 weeks, the levels rose again. The stress kept me awake at night, and the numbers remained high despite the diet and exercise. Realizing that stress is worse for the baby, I consulted my doctor and started taking Metformin.
Final Stretch
At 32 weeks, a scan showed the baby weighed 1920 grams. Everything seemed fine, though I occasionally felt breathless. Then, I started experiencing itchy skin at night, and my urine and stool became very yellow, despite drinking plenty of water. Suspecting something, I had a Liver Function Test (LFT). My liver enzymes were elevated.
The doctor prescribed UDCA (Ursodeoxycholic Acid), but my body struggled to tolerate it, leading to severe diarrhea. My sugar levels also fluctuated, and the liver enzymes increased further. The doctor has now ordered a Bile Acid test and a CTG (Cardiotocography).
Now I have to take my medications for both diabetes and liver function. Based on the doctor's advice, the plan is to deliver the baby at 38 weeks. So far, as I approach that mark, I haven't faced any further major complications.
Finally I delivered a baby at 38.3 weeks by C-section.
