AUGUST 2008 ~ BUMP BUDDIES

[tinaO]

Hello All!! Well, I got the results back from my nuchal scan and all was negative. I asked for the #'s and they said the chance for DS was like 1 in 964 and chance of the trisomy defect was like 1 in 9,780. So I am pleased! I went to my cardio doc yesterday and my blood pressure is totally normal. He was thrilled for me that I am pregnant now. It was a good day!!! So, Thursday I am off to the regular OB/gyn doc for my first appt there. So many appts!!

Shari - We have a few trips planned (short ones) before the baby comes. We are going to the beach with my college roommate (who is also pregnant) and her husband in March for the weekend. I am taking a girl's trip with about 8 of of my old college sorority sisters (yes, yes - I was a sorority girl - try not to puke!) at the end of Feb for the weekend. The only probelm is it is a WINE weekend. Ha - I offered to be the designated driver. It should be fun anyway. But I LOVE WINE!!!! It is going to be tough!!! I made them swear we would shop the other 1/2 of the time!!! We are renting out a house just for our group in a cute little hill country town about an hour from me. My husband and I are also going to Denver in June for a wedding and hopefully if I can swing it, to a friend's wedding in Mexico in May. I am going to try to squeeze every penny out I can for these last minute trips before the baby comes.

MBG - Girl, my belly is definitely itching. It is weird because it just kind of comes and goes. I am still wearing my pre-prego clothes, but not sure how much longer I can get these jeans over these ever-expanding hips of mine!!! I found these awesome little t-shirts at Target of all places and I bought them for like $12 in a size Medium and they are nice and loose and look great. I love them. Congrats on the babies doing so well!!! So happy for you!!!

Hello to everyone else! Gotta run! Chat more later!!

[sharishu]

Tina-
Congrats on the nuchal scan results, I'm sure that was reassuring. Also I'm glad your blood pressure is back to normal. Glad to hear you're taking advantage of pre-pregnancy freedom with your planned trips. Enjoy it all!

Well everyone, going to take my mid-morning nap before work. Later!
Shari

[MBG]

Shari: My Wedding anniversary is April 16th....we are goint to plan some sort of weekend trip in celebration. It will probably be our one and only get-away before the babies, but it will be nice. I wish I could go on a longer trip, but time and $ will not allow.

TinaO: Congrats on the normal blood pressure! Pregnancy suites you well!!
I can still wear my pre-pregnancy clothes but no pants without the belly band. Last night we went to dinner for my dad's birthday and everyone was teasing me about how big I was getting and how big I am going to get! I am like...lay off! I know I am going to be house...get over it!! My Dh is the only one that is senstive to my growing belly..he calls several times a day still to make sure I am eating and inquiring on how "the boys" are....Little does he know we are having one of each (that is my gut)...I guess we will both find out in 2 months!!

I hope everyone has a great week!

MBG

[tinaO]

Had my first visit with my regular OB/Gyn and it was such a let down!!! We laughed so hard about it because he just talked to us for a few minutes, did a quick check for the heart beat and then I just kind of lay there with my pants partly down thinking, "Uh - ok. Let's do the ultrasound now". He kind of looks at me and pulls me up to a sitting position and I am like, "Uh - where is the ultrasound machine?" He said, "Tina, you are going to go through some serious ultrasound withdrawal now because we will only do them if we suspect a problem. And I won't see you again for another month and we probably won't do one then if there is not a problem". WHAT??? Well, I told him right then and there that there would sure as hell be a problem and he will HAVE to do an ultrasound next month. You cannot take these ultrasounds away from my COLD TURKEY!!!! Come on!!!! I have been getting them every week to 2 weeks. HELP!!!! He thought it was pretty funny and my husband cracked up. I just kept staring at him in disbelief.

Oh ladies, it was such a weird moment. In a way, it was so reassuring...I am just a normal pregnant woman now (ok, crazy - I am feeling tears in my eyes right now)...I mean, it feels weird to finally be at this point, you know? But the other side is torn because I like being able to see everything all the time and make sure all is good. Wow. I guess this is the way it is, huh? I was spoiled! My next appt is middle of March. Thankfully I go back for the 2nd part of the nuchal scan on the 3rd of March so I will get a scan then. I miss my baby!

Oh - and my doc encouraged me to start doing crunches as he says he tells all his OB patients to do them as it helps to keep your tummy muscles in shape to prevent back pain later in the pregnancy and will help your stomach to snap back into shape later in the pregnancy. I never thought we could do those. Hmmm...guess I will start today. Lord knolws I could use them right now. My little belly is just growing, growing, growing. Might be these damn Girl Scout cookies I bought. I knew that was a bad idea....

MaryBeth - Everyone gives me crap about getting fat, too. The first question everyone asks is, "So, are you fat yet?" So nice, isn't it?

Where is Seltzer???

Hope everyone is doing well!

[sharishu]

Tina-
I do know how you feel about the ultrasounds. I had to wait a month from week 9.5 till 13.5, and I was going NUTS. I understand about missing the baby . My doc told me that on the less hi-tech u/s machines, the only thing you can really check for is the heartbeat anyway, so you will have that with the doppler. And you always have this forum and our support to help you through! The good news is that your doc seems to think everything is just fine! BTW- I was surprised to read that your doc recommends crunches. Thought they were a no no . I have a feeling my doc would say they are okay, too. He is very layed back about all the 'don't do this don't do that' during pregnancy stuff. He always says everything is fine in moderation (of course he already knows that I don't smoke or drink). I am still a bit more cautious than what he allows, but that's just my neurosis.

MBG-
Glad to hear about your getaway plans. Our budget also allows for one weekend away which is what we are planning. Hope you are feeling well.

Health and hugs to all.

Shari

[tryw8]

Tina:

I can only imagine how you feel about the u/s. I've been having one weekly @ my OB/GYN since the confirmation date ... minus one because I was spotting that week. My doctor told me to get used to it because "my baby is a special baby," his exact words and he wants to keep a close eye on its development. My DH and I got to see our little one's heartbeat at last week's u/s ... we got all teary eyed. I have another appt. later today.

And still no morning sickness. I must be weird!
Hope everyone is doing okay. BTW, I'll be kept on PIO injections until week 23 until further notice. They sure are not cheap!

Karen

P.S. - I keep biting my lip to keep myself from saying anything. Haven't told the family yet. Waiting until the "OK" from doctor or week 17, "the big u/s" as his nuse told me in the office.

[MBG]

TinaO: I am right there with you! We have definately gotten spoiled with all of our lovely ultrasounds!! However, it is GREAT news that your Doc does not consider you high risk enough to require an U/S...it is just so hard when you are used to getting them so often. I have had several women comment on how many u/s pics I have. I am like....well...if there is one perk to IVF, it is the numerous u/s's What was your baby's heartbeat...can they measure it with the doppler @ the Doc's office?

I am shocked your doc told you to do crunches as well...I have always heard that was a taboo....Maybe I just want it to be taboo so I have an excuse not to do them...if there is any excercise I do not like it is crunches!! You go girl..you will probably have the meanest looking mommy stomach of all!! We need to figure out some way to post belly shots, so we can see what everyone looks like and how they are progressing...is anyone computer savy enough to figure it out?

I am sick AGAIN!! I feel like I just got over the flu (or whatever I had) and I now i have some kind of nasty sinus infection/cold. I am scared to take anything, because everything I have read says "no medicine is proven not cause birth-defects" I am just too scared to risk harming my babies...so I am toughing it out....what i mean by toughing it out is staying in bed with a humidifer and my dog! I feel like crap..but hopefully it won't last too long.

I hope everyone else is doing well and staying healthy...unlike me!!

Marybeth

[squeezan]

Tina - I know what you mean about u/s withdrawal. Since my BFP I had a scan at 6 weeks at the clinic. I was then discharged to the NHS where they only scan at 12 weeks and then at 20 weeks unless there's any problems. Boy, its a long wait between those appointments
After nearly a year of appointments and scans several times a month I feel a little neglected now

Karen - I never had more than a couple of days of mild nausea either. I think my body just got used to the hormones during treatment and that's why I haven't suffered now.

Marybeth - sorry you're ill, I went through a phase of that around xmas and its no fun when you can't take anything. Paracetamol is safe (can't remember what you call that over there) but nothing else. You could inhale olbas oil or steam etc to clear the sinuses.

You can post pics on this site by posting them first on photobucket, then you copy the code and paste it into your message.

Well I started wearing maternity clothes for work this week and have had a few comments about starting to look pregnant. I love it, I finally feel pregnant. I'm still quite tired by the end of a day at work but have more energy than a couple of weeks ago. My blood pressure is a bit low and my blood sugar keeps dropping unexpectedly so I feel a bit wobbly at times but otherwise I'm really well.

Su

[tinaO]

Hello ladies! Well, I did my first set of crunches last night and it actually felt good, but I hate crunches...I really do. I think my doc is just real into preaching fitness and healthy eating because he basically made me aware of how I need to watch empty calories and such. Hmmm....I guess my whole mantra of telling my husband that "the baby needs a cookie" is not a good idea after all. I continue to exercise and I continue to gain weight. Perhaps it is those empty calories!!! I am up 6 pounds now with no end in sight!! I did have my husband take a belly pic at 12 weeks, so I will have to get him to post it at some point soon. I have a myspace account that a friend talked me into setting up recently, although I have not done a damn thing with it. Anyway, if you copy the URL over, you can see a pic of me and my hubby. If you have a myspace account, there are a lot more pics out there! It is:
http://www.myspace.com/tinaotexas. You will see that my husband and I look nothing alike - I am short, blonde and blue eyed and he is tall, dark, and brown eyed. Will be interesting what our little kiddo is going to look like!!!

By the way, is everyone going to find out what you are having or are you waiting???

Su - Yeah, you are probably the one with the least amount of scans and you seem to be handling it well. I would have lost my mind!!! That is great that you have not had much nausea either! I am still holding out for the maternity clothes, but I am thinking at most it will be another couple of weeks. I have to take on a new client soon and I am meeting their team in Chicago in a couple of weeks. I would really like to hide the pregnancy from them if possible for now so I am going to squeeze my a-- into a suit I bought that is s size bigger and hope I don't split it!!!!

Marybeth - Bless your heart!!! I just keep hoping I don't get sick because I am sure it sucks when you can't take much for it!!! I am so sorry!!! I hope you get better soon! I don't remember what the heartbeat was yesterday, but it was soemthing like 151 or 157. Girl - he did it so quick, I didn't barely know what he was doing!!! I was too busy preparing for the u/s I was not going to get!!!!

Karen- You should feel very lucky to get the special attention and lots of u/s's!!! And hey - I think we should rejoice in the no morning sickness. I think we IVF women go through enough - they have to give us a break somewhere!!! And bless your heart on the PIO shots. I seriously thought I was going to shoot myself in the head if I had to take another. I admire you. I made my husband take me to a nice dinner to celebrate when I took my last one. I hated those things with a PASSION!!!

Shari - Yeah, my doc is pretty laid back, too. My whole appt was based on everything in moderation, importance of exercise and eating healthy, and well....we all know now that it didn't consist of an u/s!!!! Anyway, he really made me feel at ease

Well, I better go. I have to finish work and my husband is making dinner tonight for me. Yummy!!! He is making my favorite dish that he makes - it is this chicken and shells deal that is basically chicken inside these large pasta shells. So good!!!

Where is dancinnancy and Seltzer? I guess Rebecca will be back from Mexico soon!!

Tina

[tryw8]

Hi Tina,

Came back from my docs w/ yet another u/s. OMG! The little one is getting bigger! I could definitely see the heart beating more clear ... he/she was looking straight at us!

I won't be scheduled for another appointment until 2/29. Doc's going out of town. He's taking his nephew skiing. He mentioned about doing a QUAD test. Are any of you familiar w/ this? I'm not. And then another u/s. When will I stop having to take my bottoms off?!? He told me at the next u/s.

Again, hope everyone is doing okay. I'll check in again in two weeks after my next appt.

Karen

P.S. Are any of you going to find out the sex? I'm a bit torn. My DH wants to know but I want to keep it a surprise.

[squeezan]

P.S. Are any of you going to find out the sex? I'm a bit torn. My DH wants to know but I want to keep it a surprise.

I've been going backwards and forwards over this one. Initially I was very tempted to find out but now am thinking I will keep it a surprise. I've heard a few people say they regretted finding out 'cos it was an anti-climax when baby arrived and everyone already knew. I thought about finding out but not telling anyone but I'm not sure I could keep my mouth shut that long

[MBG]

Hey girlies!

I am definately going to find out what we are having.....I don't want anymore surprises!! I am proud of you that are going to keep it a surprise...I wish I had that kind of will power.

TryW8: I have never heard of a Quad test..I would be interested in hearing more about it.

TinaO: Good luck squeazin into your suit....Surely you will be fine if you use the belly band and you can still keep it a secret! Let us know how it goes!

We are about to get down and dirty in the nursery! My DH is going to modify the built-in book shelves to make them deeper (so we can acutually use them) and we are going to pick out paint tomorrow! I am excited, but not looking forward to all the work...My doc said it was ok for me to paint, so no getting out of it!! UGH!! I just need to keep reminding myself and my dh, why we are doing all the work!!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

MBG

[tryw8]

Hope you all are doing okay!

MGB: My SIL who's due in May '08 had a quad test done. I remember her telling me the day I brought her to her ultrasound appt at 4 months. She mentioned about it because my brother didn't want her to do a amniocentesis. Anyways, this is what I found out w/out asking her. I didn't want to give any hints about my condition.

"Pregnancy: Quad Marker Screen

Introduction

The quad marker screen, previously called the triple marker screen, is a blood test that provides a woman and her health care provider with useful information about her pregnancy . The test predicts the likelihood of a certain problem occurring. It does not diagnose the problem. For example, cholesterol screening determines a person's risk for heart disease based on the amount of cholesterol in the blood, but it does not necessarily mean that the person has heart disease. The quad marker screen determines if a woman is at higher or lower risk of carrying a baby with a birth defect. This means that some women with healthy babies will have screening results indicating a possible problem (and will be offered appropriate follow-up testing) while some women whose babies have birth defects will go undetected.

Because of the uncertainties surrounding the test result, you may opt to not have it. Talk to your doctor about the pros and cons of taking this test before you make a final decision.

What Happens During the Test?

During the quad marker screen, a sample of blood is taken from your vein. Substances in the blood sample are measured to screen for:

Problems in the development of the fetus' brain and spinal cord, called open neural tube defects. The quad marker screen can predict approximately 75% of open neural tube defects.
Genetic disorders such as Down syndrome, a chromosomal abnormality. The quad marker screen can predict approximately 75% of Down syndrome cases in women under age 35 and 85% to 90% of Down syndrome cases in women age 35 years and older.

When Should I Get a Quad Marker Screen?

Between 15 and 20 weeks of pregnancy, your health care provider may offer you a quad marker screen. The test can only be performed during the 15th and 20th week of pregnancy.

What Substances Are Measured During a Quad Marker Screen?

The blood sample is sent to a laboratory and tested for the presence of the following four substances, which are normally found in the baby's blood, brain, spinal fluid and amniotic fluid:

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). A protein produced by the baby's liver.
Unconjugated Estriol (UE). A protein produced in the placenta and in the baby's liver.
Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG). A hormone produced by the placenta.
Inhibin-A. A hormone produced by the placenta.
The expected amount of these substances normally found in the mother's bloodstream changes each week of pregnancy, so it is important to tell your health care providers how far along you are in your pregnancy. High AFP levels may indicate that the baby has an open neural tube defect. High AFP levels may also indicate that the fetus is older than was thought or that the woman is expecting twins. Lower than normal AFP levels could indicate that a woman is at higher risk for having a baby with Down syndrome.

Levels of hCG and Inhibin-A are higher than normal when a woman has an increased risk of having a baby with Down syndrome. Lower than normal levels of Estriol may also indicate that a woman is at high risk for having a baby with Down syndrome.

Is the Quad Marker Screen Safe?

Yes. The quad marker screen is a safe and useful screening test for families concerned about birth defects or genetic diseases. It is a test that carries no risk to the baby, since a blood sample is taken only from the mother.

What Does It Mean if the Quad Marker Screen Results Are Normal?

Normal levels of AFP, estriol, hCG and Inhibin-A strongly indicate that you have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. In over 98% of pregnancies, normal quad marker screen results predict healthy babies and births without major complications. However, there are no prenatal tests that can guarantee your baby and pregnancy will be completely healthy or without complications.

What Does It Mean if the Quad Marker Screen Results Are Abnormal?

Quad marker screen results that are not in the normal range do not necessarily mean there is a problem in your pregnancy.

The quad marker screen is used for screening only, which means it can only assess your risk of having a baby with a certain birth defect (it is not used to diagnose the particular problem that may be present). If the quad marker screen results are not in the normal range, further tests such as an ultrasound or amniocentesis may be necessary.

Out of 1000 pregnant women, approximately 50 will have quad marker screen results that indicate an increased risk for having a baby with a birth defect. Of those 50 women, only one or two will actually have a baby with an open neural tube defect. About 40 women will have quad marker screen results that show an increased risk for having a baby with Down syndrome and one or two will actually have a baby with Down syndrome.

Should I Have the Quad Marker Screen?

It is recommended that all pregnant women have a quad marker screen, but it is your decision whether or not to have the test. However, if you have any of the following risk factors, you may strongly want to consider having the test:

You are age 35 or older when the baby is due
Your family has a history of birth defects
You've had a child with a previous birth defect
You have had type 1 diabetes prior to your pregnancy
If you have any concerns about the test, talk to your doctor or health care provider. He or she may be able to answer your questions and alleviate concerns.

Reviewed by The Cleveland Clinic Birthing Services and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Edited by Charlotte E. Grayson, MD, April 2004, WebMD.

Portions of this page © The Cleveland Clinic 2000-2005"

My OB/GYN still insists on not telling anyone just yet. We're having a barbeque at our house in the late afternoon. We usually do this when Monday is a holiday. We haven't had company at our house in over a year. So my brother and SIL and their two girls (5 y/o and 19 mo/o) along w/ my parents. OH, GOSH ... I have to hide all evidence of the PIO injections (sharps container and supplies) and our huge monthly calendar that we display in the kitchen. (Knowing my family, they can put two and two together rather quickly especially since my doctor's name is synonymously well associated with IVF. I'll enjoy having the family over.

Have a good one. I'll update after my next appt.

[2ndtimer]

Hi Bump Buddies,
I just got back from vacation yesterday. It was wonderful. I just need another week off now to recuperate and get my life back in order! DH & I had a very romantic time and since we know we won't be taking another big vacation for a while, we stayed at some much nicer hotels than usual & splurged on some extra's.
Travel tip for pregnant women: no matter how well & energetic you feel at home, traveling will tire you out fast. Keep that in mind when planning activities. I thought I might pass out a few times when the heat got to me, especially touring the pyramids & ruins. My tummy is really starting to poke out especially in summer clothes and I found the Mexican people very friendly and accommodating because of my pregnancy. At one point I was swimming in a cave (cenote) and had a hard time getting out of the water because it was so slippery. A group of nuns rushed over to help me out and then walked me to a chair and fussed over me a bit. Mostly I did OK and I actually felt way more secure on the beach because for the first time in my life I have a good excuse to not look good!

I'm so glad to hear that it sounds like everyone is doing well. I had the chance to skim through the postings. Congrats to those of you who's nuchal tests have turned out well. Is anyone else noticing that your fingernails are growing like crazy? My nails were always brittle before and now are long & strong.

I'm dreading returning to work tom. I'm going to tell my boss I'm pregnant and will be taking leave towards August -which will be the highlight of my day.
Hope everyone has had a good weekend.
Rebecca

[seltzer]

Hi everyone,

I am here, never fear, LOL. Sounds like everyone is doing great...it's great to read all the posts.

I haven't posted in quite a while but I am doing OK. I have been really exhausted and feeling fairly shitty with my GI problems (no pun intended)...so all I really do is go to work, come home and take care of my 14 month old (who is sucking all remaining energy out of me), and hit the sack. I am still waking up like 5 times/night having to pee and with general insomnia, so that majorly sucks too. I went to my OB a few weeks ago about the GI problems and pain, and he said everything is fine and he thinks it is basically my irritable bowel syndrome (which I am so blessed to have, LOL) exacerbated by the pregnancy hormones. That said, I have an appt. with a gastroenterologist on March 4. The only way I can keep things "moving" in the GI tract (I know, TMI, sorry) is by taking Peri-Colace every day. Anyone else taking this? But things are OK other wise...I feel HUGE. A bunch of people at work have told me I am showing. I like to think the only parts of my body that are bigger are my boobs (now at least double their original size, help!) and my abdomen. I am definitely showing. I can feel the top of my uterus a little ways beneath my belly button. Anyone try this? Very cool. Let's see, what else...I have my next OB appt. on March 5...it's the big u/s! We (DP and I) are not finding out the gender. We didn't find out with our son, and it was an AWESOME surprise! Everyone seems to think I'm having a girl, though. I don't know about the rest of you, but I cannot wait to have this baby! Pregnancy, though I am very grateful for it, just ain't my cup o' tea.

Gotta run...I smell food cooking and I must eat, STAT!

I'll write more soon...everyone hang in there.