November 2008 mommies, come join the fun!!!

[KathleenP]

Hi Ladies. How is everyone feeling?

Sophie, those betas are really high. That's great news! I'm glad you are resting. It's probably the best thing right now. I'll keep praying that the bleeding stops and you get good news early next week. Did the pain go away? Lots of sticky sticky baby dust your way.

Ana, thank you for your input on your first u/s. I actually had my first u/s today. I'm 5w2d and they saw 2 sacs. They said they had yolks in them which they said was a very good sign. My beta was 8661. They said everything was going well and to come back next week and hopefully see 2 heartbeats. My dh and I are so excited.

I'm in desperate need for a nap now. I'll be so happy next week when my school is on spring vacation.

xoxo,
Kathleen

[mzpotter]

Sophie-
I am so glad that your betas are high. And that everything is ok. You had me worried all day. Please rest, make sure that baby (or babies) are snuggly and comfy.

Kathleen-
Congrats on your twins!!!! Do you remember your first beta numbers? I am so nervous about my ultrasound. The RE doesnt like to do them prior to 6 weeks, so I am scheduled for next Tuesday.

Is anyone else experiencing symptoms, my morning symptoms are out of control. Every morning is a challenge. I am not sure if there is anything I can do. The crackers and ginger ale are no longer working.

[joanie74]

Sophie,

I am glad to hear about your betas. I have been thinking about you all day and night and couldn't wait to get home to see what was up with you. I really want everyone on this board and going thru this ivf process to do well.


Kathleen,

Man, twins...that is cool and I am happy for you.


Everytime I have some doubt I think of God and how "our steps are ordered" (his plan for our lives). I know we have all had the thought, "why are all of these crack heads, etc. able to have kids so easily." Well, I guess we have been chosen to go through this journey for some reason and nothing but good can come out of it. God bless everyone on this site.
It's going to happen for us. Let's have faith together. Oh, you know what helped me....I watched Evan Almighty and it helped me understand faith a bit more, oh, and I even cried at the end (probably emotional from all these meds). Try to rent it. Okay I am done, and hope I am not getting on anyone's nerves.

This is going to happen for all of us!!!!!!

Peace,

Joanie

[Xrayem]

Hi girls,

Sorry I've been MIA, I've just been soo tired.

Sophie - I am so sorry to hear that you have had a scare but the beta is really encouraging. Its also sounding good that the bleeding and pain has eased. I think you have got a (many???) little fighter in there. Take it easy...the church-run can wait until your 39 weeks and desperate to bring on labour!!!!

Kathleen - twins??!!!! Well done you! Welcome to the hilarious bizarre world of multiple parenting.

Joanie - love - the emotions are only going to get worse! I still cry at everything! Its pregnancy hormones which then become "I'm a Mummy" hormones. I don't think you'll ever be the same again!

Jenn - I found the same with the MS. I still can't look at ginger! I found that having a greasy breakfast helped me. Something warm like a bacon and egg muffin used to get me through the worst of it. Also Potatoes helped. I think because they are bland and starchy. I know its not the most diet-friendly feed but it worked for me. If it gets really bad, call your doc. I started taking Maxolon at around 12 weeks when mine got too bad. There are some safe any nausea drugs out there. Zofran is the best! Keep an eye on your fliud intake - if you haven't kept anything down for more than 24hours call your doctor. I had hyperemesis at 18 weeks and was hospitalised on a drip.

Hi laurel, Lola and Ana!

I have had a little more cramping but it has settled down. This morning though I passed a blood-stained mucous which worried me and I would normally scan myself but I have been too scared to look. DH wants me to have a look tomorrow but I am scared I will see and empty sac again.

Its funny, with the twins, I never once felt scared that I would lose them. I had utmost faith in the IVF and felt pregnant from the moment I knew. This time round I just keep waiting for it to end. I don't feel pregant and I don't trust that I can hold on to this one. With the twins I knew the exact date the embryos were put back and the sacs always measured the gestation they were. This time I am measuring a week behind what I should be. I haven't told many people because I feel that it will end soon. Perhaps I will check tomorrow.

My next official scan will be next Thursday the 20th. My obst will scan me and check dates then. It only a week away.

Sorry to sound so morbid and negative. I am so very tired.

Em

[kmpfoley]

Hi! Just discovered this site--what a great resource!

We completed IVF using a donor. Two "Little Bs" (6-day old blastocysts) were transferred to me on 3/3. As for why we needed a donor? Well, I'm 31 but am missing some rather important plumbing...I had two massive ovarian tumors 5 yrs ago that ended up benign (phew!) but it diseased my ovaries and both needed to be removed).

I'm very new at understanding all of the IVF lingo and #s....as this is our 1st time undergoing IVF. But here's what I do know: They did my Beta hCG test on Tues (8dp6dt) and that number was 150. I had my 2nd beta today (10dp6dt) and it was 544. My clinic told me they would have been happy with a level of 300.

So now I have to ask, its it okay to have a # that doubles so fast? I'm hoping so. Anyone who can provide me some insight would be extremely appreciated. Its early, but we're hopeful...cautiously hopeful.

Anyway, I'm so relieved to be able to chat with others going thru this.

[Xrayem]

Hi Kmpfoley and welcome to our little group! Yep your beta should double every couple of days. So it sounds like you are on track. Some people believe that very high Betas early on can be a sign of twins but the experts say there's no link. Look forward to reading you.

Well, I had another scan today as the spotting has continued and we saw a single interuterine sac with a yolk sac and a heartbeat! Its all I can hope for. There was a little bit of haemorrhage at the base of the uterus near the cervix which explains the bleeding but for the time being my little one is content and safe. I just have to rest and not stress. I am only measuring 5 weeks 4 days now when by dates I should be 6w6d and I will talk to my obst about this next week.

I am feeling much happier today knowing that I have a baby with a heartbeat. I even told a couple of people!

Anyway, happy Friday everyone.

Em

[kerpupples]

Hi ladies....I posted this separate but wanted to update here too. Would love your prayers and positive thoughts!

We had our first u/s today at 6 1/2 weeks. There's 1 sac and we saw the baby, but no heartbeat. Bad news - most pregnancies have a heartbeat showing at this stage. Good news - the baby is still smaller than the size where a heartbeat is normally seen.

They're calling later with my hormone levels and we're due to go back Monday for another u/s.

Anybody else go through this?

I've also had nausea over the past couple days. Another good sign.

[anacris]

Hi all,
Sorry I had not written in a while, I have been feeling very nauseus and tired, but I really wanted to tell kerpupples that I have you on my prayers and hoping you will hear that heartbeat on monday!

Hugs,
Ana

[doodah66]

Hi Ladies,

I've been lurking since the beginning of the week, but didn't know what to say with Sophie going through so very much. Sophie I'm so glad that your beta numbers were where they were. I'm praying for you and can't wait to hear how the ultrasound goes. I know you've got a strong little one in there.

I've been on the IVF forum in the past and hadn't even paid attention that this forum existed, I guess because it seemed so far from my reach. But now I'm blessed enough to be able to join this one! I put most of my information in my signature. Yes, I'm 41 (42 next week!) and this is my first pregnancy. Yes, my DH is 52 (OMG!!!). He has a 29, yes I said 29 year old son from his first marriage. What are we thinking???

We've been married for 17 years and have always wanted a child of our own. Me more-so than my DH. He'd had a vasectomy after his first marriage and when we got married he attempted a reversal but it didn't work and we couldn't afford another one. That one had been covered by insurance because I was in the Air Force at the time. I've always had a feeling that it wasn't successfull because realistically, how many vasectomy reversals does the military do? Not many I'm sure.

Anyway, here we are. We finally decided my clock was winding down and if we were ever gonna do this we needed to jump in with both feet. Our insurance doesn't cover any portion of IVF. As all of you know, it's a huge financial expense. Believe it or not, my meds were the worst part. I spent almost twice as much on meds as the actual IVF with ICSI and Assisted Hatching procedure.

We got a BFP on 3/3. Our fist BETA was 259, and second was 499. It's so scary not having any updates on anything since then. We have our first u/s on the 26th. I'm hoping to be able to hear the heartbeat by then. I find myself worrying so much about having a miscarriage. No matter what had happened, this was to have been our very final try at having a baby. We are still pinching ourselves that it actually worked. It's so adorable to see my DH so excited about this. We're over the moon!!!

You ladies seem like such a nice strong group of women and I'm proud to be posting on this board with you all.

[doodah66]

My signature didn't show up on my pvs msg so I'm including all my information here.



Kristy
_________________

Me - 41, blocked tubes
DH - 52, vasectomy in 1989

1991 - DH had vasectomy reversal - it failed
1/07 - DH had sperm extraction surgery
2/07 - 1st cancelled IVF cycle - needed to have uterine polyps removed
3/07 - 2nd cancelled IVF cycle - low responder
5/07 - 3rd cancelled IVF cycle - low responder, RE suggested donor eggs
9/07 - 4th cancelled IVF cycle - low responder, RE again suggested donor egs
11/07 - Second opinion, new RE wouldn't deal with me unless I used donor eggs, gave me 5% chance of getting pregnant with my own eggs.
1/08 - Asked my old RE to try once more WITHOUT bcp. I felt they were supressing me too much.
2/15/08 - MADE IT TO RETRIEVAL !!!! Only 2 follicles, 1 egg found.
2/18/08 - Our egg had survived and got to come back home
3/3/08 - BFP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[kerpupples]

Thanks Ana! I think this is going to be the longest weekend of my life.

Amy

[Xrayem]

Hi Guys,

Amy- hang in there! Its great news that your sac is measuring behind dates because this could mean that your guy is just growing slowly and the heart is still developing. I know how scary it is - I scanned at 5w4d and we couldn't even see a sac! With my twins I clearly saw 2 sacs at 5w2d. I panicked but at 6w6d we finally saw a sac with a tiny flicker that will become a heartbeat. So my guy is just a slowpoke too. Will be thinking of you.

Hi Kristie- Wow, you've been through the mill haven't you? Well done you for making it and age-schmage! Your going to be a Mummy!

Ana - I hear you with the MS. I had to leave a conference halfway through yesterday as I felt so seasick I couldn't sit any longer. Today has been ok though. Just very tired.

No news from any one else? I hope all is ok.

Em

[pincushion]

Hi everyone,

So sorry I have not been on for a while either. I have felt like a zombie both at work and home due to being so so so tired.
I really dont know what to think about me at this stage, other than being tired I have been nauseas at times, but I think maybe the drugs might be responsible for that as they were making me a bit sick before. (sorry for being negative) I am set for my first scan on tuesday 25th March, so i guess we wait until then. I have actually been so tired I am not motivated at work at all at the moment as my mind is on this upcoming scan.
Any news from anyone else? How has the weekend been to you all, kind I hope. TWINS! i am so excited for you, I just found out that another girl Iknow is 8 weeks with twins and she looks amazing at the moment, wish I could say the same for myself..
Talk to you all soon and keep me updated with what results you all get from your scans.
p.s xrayem, sorry for late reply, I have booked in with Fiona Dalzell as my obstetrician at the Mater Private. Have you booked anyone yet?

[lolajones]

Hey everyone

How've your weekends been?

Kerpupples - how're you doing? Hope you're staying positive, good luck tomorrow - hope your little one does you proud. Fingers crossed for you - I'm sure everything will be fine, my friend didn't see hb until 7 weeks with both her pregnancies.

Kathleen - twins!!! fantastic news!

Sophie - are you ok? Is your scan tomorrow? Good luck, hope you get good news sweetie

I guess a few of us have our first scans this week? Mine is on tuesday and I am SO nervous. I still have no real symptoms, sore boobs, a bit tired is all, just praying that everything is ok in there! Arrgghh, this week has gone so slowly! So much worse than the 2ww.

How's everyone else coping with the wait?? I still can't stop knicker checking though have managed to reign in the frequency....just about. I mean, a girls gotta work....

Take care all and good luck

Lola
x

[PMApsy]

Hello guys,

I'll first read through your posts and reply and then I'll tell you why I've been MIA since Wednesday afternoon.

Kathleen: thank you sweetie for the kind words! After all, I had totally miscalculated the betas, LOL! 10 000 was exactly what it should have been, not four times what we expected! Instead of calculating an exponential increase, I just multiplied by four. Stupid! CONGRATULATIONS ON THE TWINS!!!!! I'm so happy for you sweetie, you must be over the moon! I guess it was too soon to see a heartbeat? Don't fret about it; it took them time to find a heartbeat in my case too, and I was lucky that they found it before my 6 weeks milestone.

mzpotter: Thanks for your kind words my darling. I'm so sorry that you've got bad morning sickness!!! Go on Google and try "preggie pops". I've been told that they can do miracles.

Joanie: your sweetness and altruism is truly inspirational, thank you so much for what you said! I totally agree with you: things do happen for a reason. We might have different opinions on how this "reason thing" works, though, but the basic principle stays the same. That knowledge is what helped me come at peace with what that resident did to me in 2003 (medical mishap, huge infection, lost both my tubes). Other than that, how are you doing sweetie?

Emma my dear, you're not morbid or negative, you're down to earth and honest! Hey, we all have our personalities! And personally, I often see myself in your reactions or thoughts. I, too, am allergic to people who just say "oh, everything will just be all right". Sure, it's good to hear, but when these people don't consider the hard facts and give you encouragements that are just too optimistic... it irritates me more than it helps me feel better. Hope I'm making sense here.

LOL about the church-run at 39 weeks! I am delighted to hear that your cramping has subsided. As for the scare, my, you know I understand you 100%. I, too, went through bathroom trips when looking at my underware was a debate... Have you considered that, given that you had your pregnancies so close to each other, your hormones might have sent you the wrong signals? And that, maaaaaybe, the way you originally calculated your milestones does not quite stick to the events? Just saying... Late implanters do happen, my sweet, even with IVF. As long as they are developping, it's what's the most important, no? I find it awful that your next u/s is so far away... but thanks to the passing time, now I bet your colleagues can give you more reliable ultrasounds now that things are easier to see? Either way my dear, my thoughts are with you. We cannot control the events, and nature has a way of having things happen the way they should. If your baby is heading towards a miscarriage during the first trimester, like my doctors told me, there is very little you can do to prevent it, AND it also means that it's better to happen that way because the embryo is just not okay. Again, hope I'm making sense... but that being said, I'm sure that everything will be just fine! (;)) I smiled so much when I read about your ultrasound!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! A strong little heartbeat! Isn't that the MOST AMAZING THING TO SEE? Oh, please my dear, keep that wonderful image in mind whenever you doubt! It's the one reliable data you can count on! Keep us posted my dear... and rejoice at your tiredness!

kerpupples I'm sorry that your ultrasound gave you such a scare... oh my... I'm so sorry to read that. I'm glad that your doctors are investigating and I hope your baby is just a late implanter. Hang in there my dear, and keep us posted. You're in my thoughts *HUGS*

doodah66 welcome! So nice of you to join us! Thanks for sharing your story with us, and please, pleeeease don't refrain from posting just because stuff happens to me! Hey, we'll all have adventures to post about, we're pregnant! I am truly touched by what you wrote and I thank you for your wonderful prayers. They worked!

pincushion: I hear you sister, I too feel like cr@p at times! It will all be better soon! For now, please do remember your extended princess status!!!!

Lola, you made me laugh with your knicker checking a-girl's-gotta-work!!! Hunny, I really hope that your u/s will give you all the good news.. and then you can tease us with the fact that you're lucky enough not to have too much symptoms!

Welcome kmpfoley! I'm glad that you decided to join the forum! As long as your numbers are roughly doubling every two days, things are going by the book. A little more or a little less is not dramatic. Like in all its early life outside of you, your baby is going to have growth rushes (ewwwwww don't know the exact translation for that!!!!), so it's expected that your numbers will increase more rapidly. It might also suggest that you're expecting twins, but the only truly reliable data you can count on is the presence of a yolk sac and heartbeat at the ultrasound after 6 weeks. Before that, it's aaaaall speculation. Even if your beta drops, don't be alarmed. A gynecologist told me that betas can sometimes drop by as much as 10% and it's still not the end of the world. If, during the next few days, it keeps increasing, everything is okay. I'm a living example (see post below!).

Okay, time to post about the latest news...

Hugs to all!!! SO GOOD to be back!

Sophie xxox