Special Delivery 2012!!! Is your EDD 2012? Join us here.

[WeHaveHope]

Hi dear friends,
Sorry I have been MIA for a while. I've been super busy at work and I've had quite a few doctors appointments in between all of the madness. I hope everyone is doing well. AFM, I had my follow up anatomy scan a d everything lookedgreat. Also the blood test for spinabifeda came back negative. I had an u/s on Thursday and the girls look great. It it so nice to be able to see them every two weeks. Let's see, I have a follow up neurology appt coming up due to my migraines and to discuss the pineal gland cyst that was found in the MRI I had dine two weeks ago. I also have an ENT appt to follow up on some sinus issues they also found on the MRI. And, I have an appt with the pediatric cardiologist on Wednesday fir the fetal echocardiogram. My OB always sends his twin pregnancies to have this test done a's a precausion. I got a call on Friday from my OB letting me know that I'm really anemic. My hemoglobin isj 9.2 and it should be over 14. So they are placing me on iron twice daily on top of the prenatal vitamins. They had done the blood work because I had been experiencing severe palpitations, increased heart rate, shortness of breath, dizziness, tiredness, and low blood pressure. All consequences of anemia. Hopefully the iron will make me feel better soon. The palpitations and increased heart rate really bother me abd make me feel really bad. I have finally finalized tge plans for our baby shower. It will be on June 16th. I'm starting to get excited. We will be doing the two peas in a pod theme. I've finished the invitations and will be sending them out this week. Our baby registry is finally complete so things finally look like they are coming together. Sometimes I still can't believe this is really happening. We have settled on names foe the girls, Anna Christina and Katerinna Maria. Well, that's it for my update. I pray everyone is doing well. I will try to catch up later today and do some personals. In the meantime, sending everyone all my love.

[annashope]

Hi ladies I am wondering if you have room for 1 more on here. I am only 6 weeks but we saw the heartbeat on Friday and I am praying that things are gonna be ok. Our due date is Dec 22 2012 so as long as the world does not come to an end on the 21st...lol

[Happy Bunny]

Welcome Anna! It's great to be on the PAT board with you again!

[fvrogers]

Welcome Anna!!! It's so good to see you over on this side! Congrats again, hoping you have a smooth pregnancy.

Maria - glad to see everything is going goo with your girls! I love their names!! Are they named after anyone?

AFM - started having false labor contractions this week. Such fun! Otherwise we are counting down. Three more weeks at work and I cannot wait!

Felicia

[WeHaveHope]

Felicia-I am so happy to see that your pregnancy has progressed so nicely. Soon you will have your little miracle in your arms. How exciting!!! The name Anna and Cristina are both my husbands grandmothers. Katerina is just a name I have always loved and well Maria is of course my name but I was named after my paternal grandmother.

[kerpupples]

Maria - congrats on picking names! Both lovely. We are pretty close to having ours too. I haven't heard anything from my OB about a fetal echocardiogram - I should ask about that. Is there something that can be done in utero if any abnormalities are found? I hope your stomach is OK with the iron supplement.

Anna - glad to see you here and looking forward to your updates.

Barb and Jen - hoping you've just got a big boy in there.

bodie - GD diet sounds like no fun at all. I have a little something sweet every day so really hoping I pass my test!

tuffy - I had to have a c-sect with DD - she was breech and I also had a previa. I'll be doing one this time too - VBAC with twins sounds too scary to me.

LYD - with a singleton I might just try a VBAC too. You're right, what can it hurt? I'd love the shorter recovery time. Having a girl is tons of fun - you'll do just fine. I'm interested to see how having a boy will be different.

kbillsy - congrats on hitting 24 weeks and having some nice sized babies.

Quick update for me - I've had continual dark brown spotting but that's all it is. Babies are moving more and more - woke up at 3 AM the other night and I swear they were having a dance party in there. Full anatomy scan and gender confirmation a week from tomorrow!

[bodie1011]

Maria - Love the names!! You are lucky to have pretty family names. We had options like Bessie and Biddie with family names - which just weren't our style, so we are going into delivery with a list of names we just like for no particular reason!

Anna - Welcome to the PAT board

[Julia73]

Hi guys, I had my last appointment at the fertility center today and as our re said have graduated from them so I figured its head over here if that's ok. I am 8 weeks tomorrow and the baby was measuring 8w1d today, overachiever hehe.

[fvrogers]

Maria - I cannot believe how fast the time has gone!! You will be at counting down before you know it. It is lovely that your girls are named after family members - makes it all the more special.

Julia - Welcome aboard!! 8 weeks already!! You will be in your 2nd trimester before you know it. How are you feeling?

Hugs to you all!!

Felicia

[Julia73]

Felicia- hey! Good to see you again! Thank you, i'm feeling great, tired and hungry. That's about it lately thankfully. Had some spotting but they are not concerned and it seems to have subsided for now!

[tuffy4u]

Anna- welcome to the board! I have been watching the IVF board and was so happy to hear about your surpirse pregnancy. What a blessing. I had one natural pregnancy and my husband and I joke that she is the kid that gets to go to college since she didn't cost us an arm and a leg to concieve.

Julia- welcome and congrats on your pregnancy also. Good luck with the first trimester. I didn't see a signature on your page so fill us in on your back story.

Fvrogers- you are technically next to go but I think I will most likely beat you to the finish line. They scheduled me for May 29th. I hope you are feeling comfortable.

Kerpupples- I'm really warming up to the csection idea. I know it's for the best and will enable me to have a relaxing day with my babies after delivery, which never happened before because I was so exhausted from labor!!!

We- Glad to hear the girls are doing so well. It is all moving so fast, seems like you just joined the board. How are your older kids feeling about the twins, are they excited?? Baby shower will be so fun with all the pink stuff!

Bodie- I can't imagine how you are doing with the GD. It's hard enough being pregnant without having to watch what you eat. The upside is maybe you will be back in your pre-pregnancy jeans sooner than the rest of us.

Jen- congrats on making it to the last trimester. Now to relax and wait for the baby to come!

Lyd- What's the doctor saying about the small size? My niece was also very small but she's doing just great now, almost two years old. I was told it was mainly genetics that determine the size and it has nothing to do with the size of the kid after birth. I was under five pounds when I was born and now I'm almost six feet tall.

Happy- how did the 3 hour test go? I had to take it and it was awful, I nearly vomited up the drink. Luckily I passed, because I've become a chocolate lover this pregnancy.

AFM- I have a level 2 ultrasound on Friday to look at the boys kidneys again. They had some fluid on them at 20 weeks and they want to make sure everything is clearing up. I'm curious to find out how big they have become. I estimate them both to be over six pounds by now. I'm getting pretty big, my sister comes on Saturday so that should a nice help. Heartburn is getting worse, but still tolerable. I had my shower a few weeks ago and we got a ton of stuff for the charity at my church. Everyone was so generous. I'm all set for May 29th, I have to be at the hospital at six am ready to go. Will keep you posted on what the US says.

Kat

[Julia73]

Tuffy- i'm not sure exactly what you mean by back story but I'll do my best.

I'm 38 my husband is 51. I have 3 boys from a previous marriage and my Dh has no children. He had a vasectomy but realized several years later that he wanted kids. I had my tubes tied after my last child 11 almost 12 years ago. We went into this i.v.f journey very cocky, thinking all we had to do was go through the motions and we would have a child, probably multiples and were actually worried about what to do with the extra embryos. Well that was not the case and we were humbled! We had the first round of ivf and got 4 eggs fertilized out of 11. They were not doing well so they did a 3 day transfer. None of then took. We took a 3 month break, I did some research and a lot of praying. Asked some ladies from here what they did and then we kind of made our own plan from a mixture of theirs. I started acupuncture, then I started taking supplements. Maca root, larginine, Coq10, fish oil, royal jelly, I don't even remember all of them! I ended up just taking Co q10 and the low spouse aspirin and folic acid and prenatals.
Well, turns out the clinic thought I wasn't stimming well, I had one rogue follicle hogging all the menopur and follistim up! We felt like God was pushing us to continue anyway and told them this. They listened. They didn't think it was a good idea but let us anyway. They just figured it was our money to waste if we wanted I guess and if we thought God was talking to us that was fine with them. We got 6 eggs from 5 follicles. 2 fertilized and we did another 3 day transfer. It worked. We waited until beta and it was on good Friday, the beta was 542. We were elated. That's pretty much all of our story. And I hope that's what you meant by back story lol. We are just so blessed to be in the position that we are in and glad to be here with ask of you ladies!

[moorebaby]

Hi ladies! So sorry it has taken me this long to post, but life w/ twins is a BUSY one, but I wouldn't have it any other way. So, my original c-section had been scheduled for Thursday, April 26th. However, the night of Sunday, April 15th was very weird for me. DH slept in the other bedroom b/c I just could not get comfortable! I mean I had been uncomfortable since like week 30, but it was a different kind of uncomfortable. I couldn't sleep, had pressure much lower on my left side, & was tossing & turning. I went to the bathroom for the gazzillionth time & when I was done, I said to myself, "Ok, you really need to get sleep!" I was excited b/c I had made it to Friday, April 13th, which was my last day of teaching. That next week was April vacation week & then, the week after they'd be here! I had plans to enjoy the April vacation week & just do a whole bunch of nothing! In fact, I had talked to my mom that Sunday night, saying how I was going to do nothing that Monday & just go get a pedicure. Well, our son had a different plan, lol! As I was saying earlier, I went to the bathroom & when I went back into the bedroom, all I did was put 1 leg up to climb in & a gush of water came out of me & just would not stop. I looked at the clock...4:37am. So, our little buggies would be born on Monday, April 16th, I thought to myself. I was more in schock than excitement! I went into the other bedroom & woke up DH. "Are you sure?" he asked when I told him my water broke. "Umm..yeah!"
So, we were both very calm to my surprise. He let the dogs out & fed them their breakfast. I called the hospital & then took a shower. We ended up leaving at 5:45 or so. I called my parents to let them know we were on our way to the hospital. We also stopped at D&D & I ate, which would initially delay my c-section...oops, lol!
We got to the hospital at about 6:15 & went in through the emergency. I was feeling uncomfortable, but couldn't really feel any serious contractions...just pressure down low & more on my left side.So, when we got to L&D, I changed & they hooked me up to monitors. I was informed that I was having contractions, but I felt really nothing, at least as far as what I thought a contraction should feel like. I never really had Braxton-Hicks throughout my pregnancy, or at least I didn't think I did. So, they told me b/c I last ate & drank at about 6:00, I had to wait 6-8 hours before they could do the c-section. So, at this point, it wouldn't happen until between noon & 2:00. The confirmed that my water broke & it was actually my son's water that broke & they also checked my cervix...1 cm. So, everything was ok & I could afford to wait until later for the c-section. Well, by 8:30 or so, my son's heart rate started dropping & then increasing, so he was having some stress issued & they decide to get me into the operating room much faster.
By 9:30, I was ready to go. They didn't want me walking into the room b/c they wanted to minimize any stress on him, so they wheeled me on the bed. Right before, I was a mess, bawling my eyes...I couldn't believe the day we've been waiting forever was finally here! I'm getting choked up right now...I'm still somewhat hormonal, lol! It was so hard to separate from DH, too! As soon as I got into the operating room, everything moved so fast! The spinal was not bad at all! That was my worst fear. DH joined me after the spinal & was so great w/ me...I love him so much! I could see in his eyes the excitement, anxiety, anticipation, fear, love, & so many other emotions. The worst part was just waiting anxiously for their screams. So, at 10:03am, our little boy, Mason Timmothy (DH's 1st name is Timmothy & yes, it has 2 m's in it, lol) was born! I heard his scream & just started bawling. Then at 10:04 am, Maddison Antoinette-Rose joined her big brother. But, I didn't hear her scream & started panicking. I couldn't see anything & immediately started freaking out...a nurse came over to us & told us that they were cleaning them off & giving Maddie CPAP. I was a mess...it felt like eternity, but they ended up bring them to us one by one. It was magical! I can't explain the overwhelming feeling that I felt at those 2 moments when I met my children for the 1st time! It's so cliche, but so true! Mason was 4lbs 15oz & Maddie was 5 lbs 15oz & both were 18in long.
Mason, believe it or not, is the one who ended up having to go to the NICU due to low blood sugar. It was hard, but he pulled through it. I was a mess! Seeing them poke him in the feet to get blood to measure his sugar at each feeding was so hard for me. He also had to have an IV for antibiotics. I just wanted to go through all of that for him..it hurt me to see him this way. Maddie & I were released on Friday & it was so difficult to leave Mason there...I was a wreck! But that Sunday night he was discharged!!! Yay..we were finally a family of 4!!!
They are now 2 weekd & 1 day old, I could not imagine my life without them! I love them so much & can't get enough of them! This IVF journey has made DH & me so much stronger. If we were able to get through it, we can get through anything! He is an amazing father! I always knew he would be, so I'm not surprised! It has made my love for him so much stronger! Our family & friends have all been s supportive & helpful & we're so grateful for them!
Anyways, sorry it has taken me so long to post, but I read daily, especially during those middle of the night pumping sessions, lol!
Love you all!

[fvrogers]

Ester - I have been thinking of you guys daily. Thanks for sharing your story, it brought tears to my eyes just hearing how your DH has been so supportive. Glad that everyone made it home!! Post pics when you have time.

Hugh,

Felicia

[tuffy4u]

Moore, what a beautiful story. Congratulations, such a great ending.

Julia, thanks for the back story, I like to hear about your journey thus far. Good luck with the pregnancy!