6 weeks, 2 days

Please note my puppy Shula in the lower right-hand corner, looking at me as if to say "WTF? Has mom finally lost her mind?"

No weight gain reflecting on the scale yet, but there's puh-lenty of bloat. I think it's a combination of the pregnancy hormones, but also of being off the strict calorie-counting diet I was on up until I got my BFP ("big fat positive" - as in, big fat positive pregnancy test - in pregnant woman lingo). I had been so careful and so aware of everything I was eating and making sure to keep track of every little snack and nibble, and I was actually able to drop a handful of pounds which I am really grateful for. But now clearly calorie counting is out, and eat what you want, when you want it (all within reason, of course) is in. I'm sure I'm probably consuming at least 400-500 calories more daily now than I had been in the last few months. However, in the last few months I had been consuming a pretty low amount - enough to help me shed about a pound or two a week. So I figure the extra few hundred calories bring me to "maintenance level" (a.k.a., the number of calories I would need to maintain my current weight, versus what I would need to consume to lose weight), plus tacking on another 100-200 calories extra for the baby, which according to "What To Expect When You're Expecting" is all that the sesame seed needs right now. I'm indulging on copius amounts of carbs, so I'm sure that's affecting my little stomach pouch too.

Of course I am still super aware of what I'm eating, but for totally different reasons. Now everything is about what is safe or unsafe for the baby. My OB was pretty relaxed when I asked him about food restrictions - contrary to what I had read on some internet message boards, lunch meat is totally fine as long as it's of a reputable brand and from a reputable source. Which is great, because turkey sandwiches have replaced my daily Lean Cuisine for lunch habit. Obviously anything raw is out...which affects sushi, but I am a sushi little-leaguer anyway. I was never one to try some of the more adventurous raw options. I usually stick to cooked rolls. And fish no more than once a week...this is, again, fine by me. I am not a big fish person, though I LOOOOOVE shellfish, and from what I've read in my pregnancy books, cooked shrimp and lobster are just fine (Thank God!). My doctor didn't tell me anything about caffeine, but I have completely cut it out. I'm not a coffee drinker, but I've been known to slip into pretty bad Diet Coke and Excedrin addictions from time to time. I know caffeine in moderate amounts is considered safe, but for some reason I really haven't missed it, and as long as that's the case, I'd rather not chance anything. I'm sure later in the pregnancy when the seed has reassured me a little more about the fact that he/she is doing fine, I'll have my Diet Coke here and there. But for now I just feel better avoiding it.