Stress, green tea & sushi!

9 weeks today and baby is the size of a green olive! I am happy and grateful to be pregnant, and I understand the miracle of this condition. I know there are many infertile people who would give anything to be in my position. So, I hope it doesn't sound like I am complaining all the time, I am just trying to report my symptoms, most of which happen to be negative. My pregnancy skin is super-sensitive. For example, I've had my blood drawn several times before I was pregnant and several times since pregnancy, the difference is after pregnancy the tape left a mark which hasn't gone away in two weeks. The insomnia is back. I've been sleep-deprived the past 4 nights, frequent urination and hives do not help things. The hives are 75% improved, which is great, although I'm still up all night scratching, and drawing blood. I'm getting hungrier too, needing a mid-morning and a mid-afternoon snack.

I'm not gonna' lie, the past few weeks have been very stressful. Dealing with sickness in our household, sleep deprivation, and full body hives. On top of it all, we got horrible news at work, due to the recession, they are eliminating two and a half departments. One of the departments is like our sister department, essentially, half of my co-workers will be losing their jobs. I feel so badly for them, this will impact everyone. It also signals us that we are not safe either, and this is the supposedly "recession-proof healthcare industry"! All the stress that I've been experiencing is causing me to worry about the health of my baby. For the first time in this pregnancy, I'm having fears about a missed miscarriage, every pregnant woman's worst nightmare.

There are two things that have helped me recently:

I am a total green tea convert, that is a wonder-drug!!! I am convinced that is the only reason I did not get sick, I drank green tea every day! Green tea helps with anxiety, is a strong anti-histamine, it helps your immune system, and it has tons of antioxidants. I only used it during pregnancy as a (necessary) treatment for hives, and have discontinued it as long as it is not necessary. There is some concern about green tea interfering with folic acid absorption. (I only had one decaffeinated cup per day for 5 days) But after pregnancy - it is on!!

I got to eat sushi!!! It felt like forever since I've had it and I was really missing it! I initially planned just to order the safe, vegetable sushi. However, the waitress explained which rolls were cooked and safe in pregnancy. I have also researched it and learned how to be more safe about it, and that some pregnant women continue to eat sushi, and some doctors say it is okay. Don't worry, it's only going to be a very rare treat.