Hi there:

The sites I'm referring to are user-supported, just like PC. I KNOW I shouldn't read them and I KNOW I need to take what they say with a grain of salt, but I've never known such health paranoia until now! It all changed when I realized I have another human being who is completely, 100% dependent upon my behavior and decisions. Kind of blows the mind...

About the fluid sac - I'm very curious, too, but my OB said that the only way to know for certain is to do some invasive and risky testing, which is most likely a moot point since both doctors did agree that the sac would disappear on its own, and that as long as I am careful (no high-impact exercise or.. sigh... sex), it shouldn't pose a problem. So I still don't know what it is but I'm not as worried about it. I feel fine. I have another ultrasound in 2 weeks so I'll know if it is gone and can start exercising again.

I also like my shape a lot better. I no longer feel tubby - originally I bulked up a lot in my upper abdominal region. My OB said it was my organs that got pushed up as my uterus was growing. I looked like I had a redneck beer gut and it was very unclear to an outside observer if I was just getting fat or if I was perhaps pregnant. Everything seems to have settled down, now, and I really like my belly now - I am normally a fairly curvy woman, but I actually feel pretty thin with the exception of my lower belly. Odd considering I haven't exercised worth squat in 4 months. I love my belly now! My husband does too - he's always kissing and touching it. Very cute.

What's not so cute is the random other people who have decided it's ok to pat it. Only a few have done it so far, and I know them as acquaintances so it's not as shocking as it could be. But still - I have a pretty big privacy bubble and it's feels intrusive even though I know that their intentions are nothing but good. I'll get over it, I'm sure.