Winter Cycle Friends 2009/2010 - Everyone Welcome!

[Stephanieford78]

Happy Bunny Day to those who celebrate! For anyone who are non believers (like me) or Jewish, happy Sunday! Hope everyone is having a great weekend or had a great weekend if you are a little ahead in time.

Gi - How are you doing lately? What is your next step now that you were seen and saw the heartbeat? The spotting is really starting to wear me down. As much as I try to be positive, I get so depressed and for some reason today is a little worse. Sometimes I just want to scream.

Karen - How long have you been spotting now? On wednesday it will be three weeks for me. I suppose I will feel a little better when I get my labs results back on Tuesday as long as my numbers are going up. Otherwise, I am going nuts waiting for my OB appt. Do you have a baby bump yet?

Claudia - YAY for the good news, I am glad the bleeding is stopping. Can't wait till you get to see the heartbeat... not too much longer!

Lou - Can't wait to hear about your family and how you told them. Whether you just blurted it out or thought of something creative, I bet it was an amazing feeling to let it out!

Not much to say about me today.. just not a good day emotionally. I hope it is a mood swing and not my body trying to tell me something is wrong. I know the spotting is really getting to me, but still trying to keep my chin up.

[Hope644]

still sicky and unable to do much more than take care of DS and go to work. sorry i've been mia.... hope all are doing well... & happy easter!

[ktelise]

Claudia - Thank goodness your numbers all look good. I am keeping my fingers crossed for you on Wednesday. Keep us updated!

AFM - I talked to a friend who used the same clinic as I did and is pregnant with her 2nd...she said that before we start IVF process and an exam was done (which I do remember) a pap was done as well as infectious disease testing, etc. I do remember this...I am going to tell my OB that my pap is current and go from there. I just don't think anything needs to be touching my cervix in the near future!

For all of us "spotters" who needs stress when I can prevent it???

[ktelise]

Stephanie - I am sure your emotions are running high with twins. I know that the spotting can get to you and it does cause stress even if you try not to stress. Just remember that you know the cause of the spotting and this is a good thing. If you did not know the reason this would cause more stress...I had to tell myself this when I had spotting. Just keep telling yourself, "we know the reason and this is going to be fine!"

You know people who go through IVF should be exempt from spotting!!! We have been through enough and deserve a break...maybe we need to talk to the man upstairs about this!

When are you going in for your next appointment?

[lou71]

Katie -- That's nuts that your OB gave you brochures that contradict what he told you about exercise. I'm glad the "keeping heart rate under 140" was reiterated also. Although I did find studies showing higher heart rates are OK if you are used to the workouts, so I am pushing mine to 165-170 at times. My anaerobic threshold is over 170, so I won't go anaerobic. Can't wait to hear what the next OB tells ya on this one! I still feel really good with no m/s whatsoever.

Hope -- Happy Easter to you too! I'm so sorry you still feel sicky! Morning sickness, go away!

Claudia, Katie, & Steph -- You'll have to read below to hear how I told the family today. It was so strange at my in-laws!

Gi -- My jeans are actually starting to feel a bit tight already. How about yours? We're close together. But I think my sore abs are the muscles working against my uterus pushing on them. If that makes sense, haha.

AFM -- OK, so we started Easter at my in-laws. DH's sister was there with her husband and adopted 2 yr old son as were his brothers family and my MIL & FIL. At the dinner table my FIL asked us what's new. I told him of our upcoming trip to Europe and after a few sentences around the table about that I said, "We also have some other news to tell you". I had everyone's attention and in unison, DH and I both said "We're Pregnant!" DH's brothers wife started cheering, his mother smiled warmly, and his father exclaimed "That's wonderful news!". However, his sister ran from the room in tears. Turns out they've been trying for years. I figured there was a reason they adopted two years ago but they have never shared anything with us. I guess she's done SIX cycles and has endometriosis. She is going to cycle in May at the Mayo Clinic... why, I don't know. It's 4 hours away and we have fantastic clinics here. We decided ahead of time we weren't going to share our IVF journey so I said nothing about it. My FIL said "I've heard there's a clinic in blah blah town". Which was my clinic...lol. And I just said "Yeah, I think there is." Anyway, I told my SIL I was sorry for making her feel bad and she cried some more and we hugged. She's trying once more and then she's giving up. I told her I wished her the very best. Whew... was NOT expecting THAT. So I could tell my MIL was a bit sad too that it wasn't her daughter that was pregnant but she did come to me later and said she was happy for us. After that we went onto my grandparents house where they were there with my aunt, uncle, cousin and his girlfriend. I made them a card last night with a photo of my ultrasound and wrote that there'd be a new addition to the family come November. My aunt took a minute to figure out what I meant... then she gave me a big hug and was really excited. My cousin (her son) was super excited and said "we need more family here to make it interesting". He said he can't wait. He's 22 years old and is the youngest in the family. I had told my grandparents a few weeks ago so they already knew but were keeping the secret. It's all out now! Except at work... I'm telling them at the end of the month at our staff meeting.

[lou71]

Hey everyone.... GO BUTLER tonight! It's DH's alma mater . He is SOOOOOO excited. I hope they win for his sake. (And that Claudia will then get her awesome b-day gift)

Ugh... headache today. I hope it goes away since I'm at work for the next 8 hours.

[Arabsrcool]

Hi all, sorry to have been MIA, but this m/s is kicking my butt!.

Claudia,

I am so glad everything is ok and your #''s are good. Bleeding is very very scary!

lou,

Glad to hear your "telling of the family" went well other than your SIL. You can understand her frustration, but she doesn't know all that you went thru to get pg. Maybe sometime down the road you can share with her, if the timing seems right.

Katie,[[/b

Your OB need a explanation of RE???? Interesting, but I guess they know about pregnancy, not the getting you that way part (unless it is the "normal" way).

Stephanie,
I hope today is a better day for you. I had to commend you that you didn't slug the receptionist at the 1st OB office, so "unnatural" WTH????? That is so insensitive!!!

ktelise,

I would think your OB would wait for the 2nd trimester to do a pap, especially once you explain your issues with bleeding!

Sorry to any I have missed, gotta get back to work and try not to hang my head in the trash can all day!

Ronda

[katie99]

Hi everyone -

How are you all doing today? I've been trying to make my appt for the 1st trimester screening ( the one that tests for trisomy 18 & 21) and I just keep getting an answering machine that says its putting me on hold but then disconnects me instead - Dont they get that all the preggos that are trying to call are completely moody? Jeez! Not to mention that I'll getting sooooo eager/ anxious to see the bean again? I'm trying to make this appt around my DH's schedule since he hasnt been there for a u/s yet. If I can ever get through to them...

Gi I'm sure that you have pap smears there - just probably called something different ( I personally always thought the name "pap smear" sounded awful!)
Its when they insert a speculum to access your cervix and remove a few cervical cells to test them for any abnormal cells, like precancerous. Not fun but not painful either, just another fun part of being female -ugh. How are you feeling? When is your next appt?

Steph Aw, you poor girl! You must be just brimming over with hormones times two! I've been a little moody here and there but not too bad. And you've got the added stress of a move also. I hope that your spotting finally subsides once and for all already. Will you be moving soon? I would think it would be easier to move sooner, but until you're not spotting at all, I hope you just act like director telling all the guys where you want your furniture placed - I'm sort of a control freak myself and I know how hard it is to sit back and let others do it all - but with 2 beans in there its the safest way Mama

Hope aw, honey, I can imagine how exhausted you must be feeling. And to have killer m/s on top of your hectic schedule? its just not fair! I'm hoping your calms down like mine did around 9-9.5 weeks. Hang in there honey

Claudia Wed is coming honey! All you've got to do is keep really busy today and tomorrow!

KTelise Oh, girl- i'm with you! You are absolutely right! After going through all of this to get pg in the first place - we should definitely get a free pass from the scary spotting! How are you doing?

Lou There was no way that you could have known that your SIL was also having to go through ivf! I'm sure that it made you feel awful though when she burst into tears. I remember that point of this journey that the good news of a friend's pregnancy was hard to take because your own pain was so deep. I do hope that she doesnt give up. Were you able to salvage the moment? I'm sorry to hear that you've been having these headaches - but trust me even it lasts all day - its better than m/s! I think you're going to our lucky girl and get to pass on the nausea! YAY!

Karen / Hazel Where are you guys? Hope that all is well and you're just busy!

Ronda Yes, I just said "RE" to the OB - I guess he's never heard them called that before! I was going to ask if your m/s has let up a little - but then you just posted that it hasnt. I think you and I will be missing our REs more than ever! What a shame I couldnt keep that man as my OB!

[Stephanieford78]

Katie - We should be getting the call any day now to move, likely next week though. Unfortunately we move when they say we move, we don't have much choice in the matter. I will take it easy, don't worry. I am sure that DH will make a few soldiers help. After all he does for them, the least they can do is help. I am also thinking FRG will help as well. Hopefully we will be able to get settled in almost as fast as if I were able to do it myself. I usually have things unpacked within just a couple days, but I am sure it won't happen quite that fast.

Ronda - Yeah I couldn't believe how she just blurted that out. "How unnatural." She must have been well into her 60's so I don't think slugging her would have looked good. If I was faced with her yesterday though I might have done it.

Lou - Sounds like Easter was exciting, except for the SIL and the MIL who was happy for you but seemed to be upset that it wasn't her daughter who was pregnant. Although your SIL has been through her own baby battles, she could have been strong enough to smile instead of running off like that and making a scene. Through all of our trials and failures, I have always been excited for others fortunate enough to be blessed with a baby. I did have a friend once tell me that I better not get pregnant before her because she would be pissed. Well I am and she isn't, but she still seemed happy for me. You have been through so much yourself not just with trying to have a baby but other things as well. I think the way you told your Aunt was so cute and how excited your cousin was! Now just to wait till the end of the month for you to tell us how the meeting goes!

ktelise - Yes I know the cause of the bleeding, but there is still about a 3-5% risk of miscarriage with this bleed so even though it is a small risk, it is a risk that is always in the back of my mind. I just hope I will be the success story. I would love to talk to the man upstairs about it, but every time I have tried he doesn't seem to listen. I suppose I will have more faith once they are both healthy and crying in my arms. Any word on if they will wait for a pap? I have been told that unless you have irregular paps or other issues, that you only need one every two years now. I have a risk of ovarian cancer and have always been told to do paps every year until this past year when I was about to start IVF. They told me I was current since I had one just over a year before. I needed a fresh one within 12 months for my cycle though so they did it but explained that I needed to come every two years. Even with the risk of ovarian cancer, they told me a pap wouldn't catch it anyway. So basically there are no preventative measures I can take, so I guess if I get it, I get it.

Hope - I hope you are feeling better soon!

AFM - Feeling not so depressed today but still on edge. DH seems to be getting on my nerves a bit more. Since I have been on rest he has been asking permission for everything like I am his mother and it is starting to get annoying. He is a mechanic and lately a few of his soldiers have been wanting him to work on their vehicles. He keeps asking me if he can... seriously?? He does it in a way like a kid would ask if he can go play. So today when he asked, I simply told him to make his own decisions. It only bothers me in the fact that they are using him, but again, like I said to my personal to Kaite... after all he does for them, they better help us move! lol So... tomorrow is my b/w. I get to find out if my levels have risen well and as long as they have I will feel a little better and not let the anxioty get to me. Still 2 weeks till OB though. I hope they do a scan! As far as the bleeding... the RE said it was small but it is still there. Exactly how long to these things last??? I would hate to feel what a big bleed would be like. It is odd, every day it seems to go away then in the morning there is more. WTH??

[karenthescorpio]

Hi everyone. Been kind of laying low but all is well. Had my second OB appt today. The two little babies are doing perfect. Heart beats are strong and they are the same size pretty much. Was finally cleared for exercise appropriate for a pregnant person! Yippie! It was so awesome to see the babies moving and wiggling. One had it's thumb in it's mouth. Absolutely miraculous! Finally bought one pair of maternity jeans from Gap Maternity. They are very comfy. Got the full panel kind. I thought the ones with the waist under the belly were strange feeling. Atleast at this stage anyway. I can still wear loose non-maternity/baggy-type tops. I definitely have a bulge sticking out! Each baby is slightly over 4cm...so I have atleast 8 cm worth of baby inside me...plus their little sacs! I also have noticed a bit more indigestion and inability to eat much at one sitting without feeling completely over-full and ill. Did gestational diabetes glucose tolerance test for one hour and it was all normal. Thank goodness! M/s seems better but I do have moments where I just feel yucky and need to rest. Craving of the last 48 hours is oranges. hehehe Pregnancy is like a science experiment. hehehehe

Stephanie- i barely have spotting now (thank God!)...more like a slight discharge when I wipe after peeing that is brown/very dark brown. It comes and goes and doesn't collect in my panties or anything. Doctor said my subchorionic bleeds are being reabsorbed by my body so he was pleased and cleared me to do prenatal type exercise. I know exactly how you feel. I really do. But atleast you know why you have the spotting and nothing is wrong with the little ones. I've never heard from a medical person that IVF patients spot more than those who conceived naturally. But I have heard that twins/multiples spot more. My OB said the uterus is extremely vascular and growing with lots of blood flow...so that is why spotting is so common. I'll be sending you positive energy. All is just fine and your babies are growing!

Gotta go take a nap now. Will do more personals later! Big hug to all!
Karen

[gi]

Steph glad to hear you are feeling bit better i know how tough it must be for you spotting i had it on my last pregnancy from about 5 wks and it was really only tiny amts when wiping everyone said it would be ok and it wasnt but i am so glad that you know exactly where the bleeding comes from. As for the risk of miscarriage rates its always on the back of my mind and it think mine is over 30% its shockingly high for me and a constant worry!! Just knock me out and wake me up still pregnant at 12 wks My next appt is tomorrow for bloods and then in 2 wks for another scan. Good luck tomorrow

Katie oh yeah we just call them smear tests and you cant do ivf without having one done i think i am ok for another year.

Ronda and Hope sorry to hear ye are feeling awful, some do get it so much worse than others!! I hope it passes soon.

lou there was no way of knowing your sil would have reacted like that, she must be very emotional at the moment and i am sure she didnt meant to run out i suppose we can all understand how she is feeling though i suspect if she knew what ye went thro to get pregnant she would have reacted differently. See your belly is growing if them jeans are snug

Karen thats great news that the babies are doing great and to see one sucking its thumb how cute!!!

AFM had to laugh after saying my ms wasnt too bad yesterday literally an hour later i vomited for the 1st time!! I think i am just getting evening sickness its still nothing too major just an icky feeling in me tummy its great though if you can say that about ms! I have to get my bloods done tomorrow to check how these NK cells are doing, i really hope they are low and i dont need more drips!!

gi xxx

[katie99]

Hi everyone -

So I finally got through to make my 1st trimester screening appt, but they seemed up set that I hadnt been given a b/w kit? This was the first I've heard of this so I said I'm sorry but I dont have a kit, they insisted that if i dont have a kit, then maybe this finger stick was done at the OB's office? I said no, I think I'd remember b/w being done, would'nt you? Finally she said that since this b/w takes a week to get the results that they will do it for me at the time of the u/s and then my OB will go over the results with me. And now that I think of it, thats probably what the OB wanted in the first place! Heres something that struck me as funny, they told me to eat a high calorie snack 1 hr before the u/s and to bring a candy bar with me - well I thought that was odd, a radiologist's office asking me to bring candy with me for during the u/s? huh? She then explained that if the baby is resting the easiest way to get the baby moving for this scan was to have the patient eat a candy bar - she said it works every time to get the baby moving. Each day I am more and more convinced that I know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING on this subject! Anyway I begged for them to book it for a day when my DH can go also, and since he's never seen an u/s I think this one should be a good one - they said it take 45-60 minutes to complete! And my first thought was - Whew! I'm glad that we're now up to abdominal ultrasounds instead of trans vaginal! So that will be next friday - I cant wait!

Steph How awesome that you'll be getting a brand new house! so you get to skip the part of moving that makes you scrub down all surfaces with Clorox, The least fun part of moving and you dont have to do it! Yay! Actually the very idea of Clorox is making me feel ill That is too funnt that your DH keeps asking permission like a little kid! mine does that too, it drives me up the wall Well, now all of those soldiers getting free work done on their cars darn well BETTER be doing all the lifting on moving day! You just take it easy

Karen You're too funny! but its true! this whole process has felt like a science experiment to me too! Oh, one of them was sucking their thumb? Thats so adorable! I hope we get to see something like that next friday - hee heee maybe the candy bar will make it dance or something? ha ha You're craving oranges is good, I wish i was craving things other than string cheese or wheat thins - huh? wth?

Gi I've got everything crossed for a low NK cell count for you tomorrow! How is your Mam? - xoxo

hugs & prayers to us all -xoxo

[katie99]

Hazel next u/s 4/16 midwife appt on 5/26 - EDD is Sept 7
Lou- 1 strong HB! 1st OB appt on 4/19 - EDD is Nov 17
Ronda- YAY! HB was 132! next u/s on 4/13 - EDD is Nov 15
Hope 1st OB appt on 4/7 - EDD is Nov 7
Gi- YAY! saw a strong HB! - EDD is Nov 14
Ktelise-1st OB appt is on 4/9 - EDD is Nov 3
Meganlynn- HB of 166! - 1st OB appt on 4/16
Jacqueline- EDD is Oct 5
Katie - b/w on 4/13 -1st trimester screening 4/16 - next OB appt on 4/30 EDD is Oct 24
Positive thinking 1 strong HB 159! - RE appt on 4/12 EDD is Nov 14
Merri Released to OB! HR at 169! EDD is Oct 26
Claudia Saw the sac! - next u/s on 4/7 - EDD is on Nov28 - Thanksgiving weekend!



Ashley - 12 week nuchal scan on 3/26 - EDD is Oct 7
Karen-next OB appt on 4/5 EDD is Oct 4
Stephanie 2 strong heartbeats 130 & 149! - b/w on 4/6 -EDD is on Nov 4
Sara Surprise twins! 2 strong heartbeats of 117 & 109

[karenthescorpio]

Katie- oh believe me, I have been craving a strange variety of things. Oranges being the only healthy one's by far! Last week I was really into dairy and carbs. Couldn't even hardly look at meat. Strange how the taste for food varies so fast!

Steph, Sara, Ashley (fellow twin mommies)- have you guys discussed doing the nuchal translucency screening (NTS)? My OB said I can do it on my next visit, which is in 2 weeks. But the accuracy for twins is a bit less. I found out that although my 24 chromosome aneuploidy PGD reduces my risks a great deal for any defects, it isn't intended to replace a CVS or Amnio for diagnostic purposes. So my doctor says to atleast do the NTS b/c it is not invasive like an amnio or CVS. But is isn't nearly as accurate and gives many false positives or ambiguous results...especially with twins/multiples. I still don't want to do the CVS or amnio but I'm thinking maybe to the NTS. Have any of you ladies had this conversation yet with your doctor? I ask this specific to other twin mommies b/c the NTS results are far less accurate b/c when they do the blood draw portion of the test, they can't tell the levels of whatever they are testing (some kind of protein?) that each placenta is producing. So they just get a cumulative result and can't tell if one is high and one is low. UGH.

[meganlynn]

Hello Mommies!! I had a quick minute and wanted to say hello and catch up on all the posts. Lots of good news out there and good reports which is always great to read. It was a crazy easter weekend but we got to see the little peanut on Friday. Everything looked good- we actually got to see little arms and legs forming! The pictures were amazing- and the heartbeat still takes my breath away. 166 beats per minute!! I go back on the 16th for bloodwork and pap smear..??? Anyone know why I need to have that?? I would think it would be best to leave things alone in there.
I still feel really good- just seem to be tired all the time but that's it!

Well I will have to catch up with all of you later.
Take care and happy baby thoughts to all!!
-Megan