November 2008 mommies, come join the fun!!!

[loopie]

Hi gals! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm sort of crashing your site as I'm an October Momma to be- but I just wanted to say how happy I am for you all, and wish you tremendous luck!

BUMPIN' 08


fabulous baby karma to you all

loopie

[anacris]

Hi you all, my name is Ana and I am from Costa Rica, I am due on november 5th, we have been TTC for 3 years, I had some cycles with clomid and then 3 IUI with no success, this was my first ivf cycle and I just can not belive I am finally pregnant . My first beta 12dp5dt was 720 and 16dp5dt was 3620. I transfered 2 embies so I am also waiting for first ultrasound (march 18th) to find out if it is a single or twins, either way I am thrilled!!

Congratulations to all of you!!!!

[pincushion]

Hi Guys ,
I am from Brisbane Australia. I too have just found out on friday 29th Feb that I am pregnant too. I already have 3 children 12,10,8 nearly from a previous marriage, but with this second marriage we had been trying for nearly two years to get pregnant, due to male factor. We started ivf last September, and was in lots of pain and very very sick after egg pick up as i had 30 eggs collected!!! it felt like i had been hit by a truck let me tell you. My doc then told me i had to wait until the ohss subsided so it wasnt until feb 15 that i got to have my fet. We had 16 successfully frozen and the first two that were thawed 'fell apart' as he put it and the third looked 'fantastic' in his words. the two week wait was horrible, but now, i tink the wait to the first scan on march 25 feels longer, my approx due date at this stage is the 4th november but of course we will confirm that after the scan. I have such a sore back and cramps a bit from the progesterone pessaries and tablets i have to take. Has anyone experienced other symptoms yet, cause i cant say i really have yet except am feeling so tired! Was nice to meet you all and keep me up to date with yours scan results or how your feeling so i can understand too!

[lbg18]

I am glad all of us November moms-to-be are joining together...what fun! I got a new baby ticket so I wanted to see what it looks like.
Will write more in a few!

Laurel

[joanie74]

Hey Laurel,

We transferred 4. Had beta today and it was 3000 and something (can't ever remember the exact numbers because I am sooo nervous when they call). I just ask if it is good news.

Joanie

[Xrayem]

Hi girls,

Well had my first "I'm loosing my mind" day today. I was at work and decided to fill my bladder on the off chance one of the girls could scan me to see the sac. I am still in shock about all this and won't totally believe it until I see it. I pulled out all my old pics from the last preg and we saw 2 sacs clearly on a normal (not TV) ultrasound. By my calculations I should be 5 weeks 5 days so I was sure we would see something. But nothing.

Then I started to panic that its an ectopic, or a chemical pregnancy and ended up in tears. I am still so nervous. My colleague (who knows about the prevous IVF) was reassuring and told me to go to the GP and get bloods and we'll have another look next week. God, its like being back on the 2ww again!

I did another HPT when I got home and its still positive, so I am technically pregnant.

AAAARRGGGH!!

Now. Being a control freak - we need to do up a list of our due dates and for fun perhaps a guess of what we think we are having (ie: 1 girl, twin boys, identical triplet girls....you get the idea.) I don't kow how to do that fancy text and flashy pictures, so if someone wants to do it, great. But I'll start...


Em - due 3rd Nov, 1 Girl.
Sophie -
Laurel -
Joanie -
Kathleen - due 10th Nov
Amy - due 4th Nov
Lola -
Ana - due 5th Nov
Pincushion - due 4th Nov

Sorry if I've missed anyone.

Em

[Xrayem]

Pincushion - hello fellow brisbane-ite! Have you thought about where you want to deliver? We had the twins at the Mater as that's where my obst delivers but we live way up on the northside so it was a real hike in everyday when the boys were in special care. Northwest hospital is much closer to me but i won't be able to have the same obst. Oh decisions, decisions.

Em

[joanie74]

Wow,

There are sooo many people. Who has had symptoms? I feel bloated already.

Joanie

[PMApsy]

Good morning girls!

SO NICE to see more and more people join the thread! Yay!

Laura: Yes, I've been through quite a lot before I started IVF, but I know that many of you have long marathons of TTC too! I'm glad you enjoyed my story! No, I didn't have any problems at all before the resident did what she did. As I wrote in my post, they drew my HCG 13dp4dt (13 Days Post a 4 Days Transfer! ). It seems that many of us will have a u/s on the 18th, how exciting is that? Sorry you're still riding an OHSS; I know how it is! Today, I'll try to work from home to keep my mind elsewhere. I'm translating a psychology book from English to French and it's a LOT of work, but I absolutely want my patients to have access to it in their first language, so... Baby ticket? Baby ticker you mean? It would be fun if every mommy got one!

Kathleen! Welcome and nice to meet you!! Your due date is barely a day after mine! Looks like you had an early beta, so that number is good! Did you hear about your second number? I'm sorry that sleep is not on your side.. though I'm sure it will kick back in sooner or later, with all the hormonal changes we're going through. I'm really, really sorry to hear about your miscarriage, and if I had had one in the past like you, I would worry too. But you're right; each pregnancy is a whole different story and must be considered as such. It will be nice to make this ride with you guys!

Hi Amy! Yup, sounds like an AA meeting, lol! I guess we should all be honest about the fact that... yes, indeed... we're pregnant! Congratulations on your pregnancy! You finally got there! woohoo! It will be fun to have you with us for the ride. *hugs*

Hello Lola! I'm SO glad you decided to join us! Those first moments, especially with IVF mommies, are so stress-provoking, so many things to take, so many tests to have... it's hard to just do as if everything was as before. So for that reason, I'm glad you decided to come here and have a platform to discuss all this! Welcome! You found out about your pregnancy the same day I did! We'll also have our scan the same day; March 18th is really popular it seems! It will be cool to tell each other about our little beanies! You're right, third time is the charm and I'll be happy to walk alongside you until you deliver a beautiful and healthy baby (or two?). For your due date, you can type "due date calculator" in Google and they will calculate it for you. Just check that the estimated date of conception fits with the age of your embryos when they were transferred, or when ER occurred.

Hi loopie! Thanks for crashing the thread and thanks for your enthusiasm! It's as sunny as the beautiful weather I found when I woke up this morning! Good luck for your pregnancy my dear, and come say hi whenever you want!

Hello Ana! Hey, it's nice to have someone from South America with us! My sister went to Costa Rica two years ago and she absolutely adored her trip. She stayed with a family there and it was a really nice trip. The pictures, wow! Congratulations on your pregnancy my dear! You have a very strong beta so this is absolute good news!! U/S same day as many of us, so it adds to the fun! Welcome, and I'm sure we'll have fun together!

Hello pincushion! Wow, 30 eggs!!! When I had 21 eggs retrieved with my last IVF, lol, the nurse told me I had produced a soccer team, but in your case, I guess that would make it an Olympic delegation!! I'm sorry you were in lots of pain, though... it seems it was all worth it, for now there is a "fantastic" little being growing inside of you! How is your DH? He must be thrilled! Yes, I can tell you that straight from the beginning, I had a sore lower back. Much like after an ER, curiously (I had an FET like you). The tiredness is very normal, as it's caused by progesterone, and we know we take a lot of it! I also take pessaries like you and they are known to cause a little cramping, which is normal. Also, the fact that your uterus is growing to adjust to your little treasure also causes cramping that pregnant women complain a lot about during their first trimester. I'm just sharing the information I read about and was told by doctors, but I'm sure you already have a lot of experience with your three other pregnancies. I'm sorry that they make you wait so long until your ultrasound. WOW! But we'll keep you entertained in the meantime I'm sure! Welcome!

Joanie Those numbers sound exciiiiiiting!

Hi Emma! *HUGS* I'm sorry your ultrasound gave you such a big scare!!! But the literature is quite clear on this; if you do an u/s before 6 weeks there are high chances that you might miss one sac! So many women who have their u/s before week 6 actually think they are having a singleton... and have a surprise later on! That being said, I would panic too. For now, there is nothing that can give you a guarantee, and for now all signs point to a pregnancy, period. I'll keep everything crossed for you. Have you made an apt with your doctor? As for the list, I was in charge of it in the IVF May/June cycle buddies when I did my last IVF. I can post an attempt at a fancy list and you can tell me if you like it? Good initiative!

Well, taking about scares, I had one this morning. I found yellow specs on my panty liner this morning, and I nagged it, telling it, "I know you're not real spotting, because I'm pregnaaaaant!". And then I found a spec of fresh red blood when I wiped. I can't say I was bleeding per say, it's like when you blow your nose and suddenly you find one trace of red blood in there. Doesn't mean your nose is bleeding, right?

*gives in, gets up and checks* Phew, it's white...

It's hard not to be scared at times... Gosh, I understand you guys. I know it's even normal for MANY pregnant women to have spotting during the first trimester... and they all deliver healthy babies! Plus there's my strong beta of 653.4, who could complain about a beta like that? The symptoms are still there: my breasts keep getting bigger and they hurt even more this morning, I had light nausea yesterday afternoon and evening... actually, that was funny, because I was at the bookstore talking to a super nice woman who recommended me a book about pregnancy and another about nutrition during pregnancy and nursing... and I can still see myself asking where the pregnancy books were, venting myself with another book and feeling nauseous! LOL Something tells me she figured out the books were for me!

Anyway. Like it said in the pregnancy book I bought, if a pregnancy is meant to go well and deliver a healthy baby, then it will. Smaller things that we keep worrying about will change little to that; if miscarriage occurs, it's very unlikely the fault of the small things, it's more likely that the embryos were just not strong enough to make it in the first place. Like she said, even if you wrap yourself in cotton and stay in bed for nine months, it won't change anything.

With the books, I bought a cute little book to start my pregnancy journal. My grandmother once gave me the book she had written during my childhood. Little thoughts here and there, some events. Always short comments, but that book is absolutely priceless. I like it so much that she's writing another one now. Clever writings that she read... thoughts... events, again. Those books will truly be like hearing her talk to me again after she passes...

All this to say, that I'm sure my child will be happy to have that book in several years. I plan to make it my journal too, talking about my symptoms and my fears that will come occasionally, so of course I'll only give that book to my child when he or she is much older.

Okay, gotta go give that list a try!

Hugs and kisses!

Sophie

[PMApsy]

Due dates

Emma is due November 3rd!
Sage is due November 3rd!
Amy is due November 4th!
Pincushion is due November 4th!
Ana is due November 5th!
Joanie is due November 5th!
Laurel is due November 5th!
Sophie is due November 9th!
Kathleen is due November 10th!
Lola is due ???

Ultrasounds and medical appointments


Kathleen ultrasound on March?, beta test?
Sage ultrasound on March 11th
Joanie ultrasound on March 24th, 4th beta on March 13th
Amy ultrasound on March 14th
Laurel ultrasound on March 18th
Ana ultrasound on March 18th
Lola ultrasound on March 18th
Sophie ultrasound on March 18th.
Emma ultrasound on March 24th (?), beta?
Pincushion ultrasound on March 25th, beta test?

Hunches and wishes
Emma thinks she is having one baby girl!
Sophie thinks she is having one baby... human!
Who else?

[anacris]

Hi Sophie, I am so glad your sister liked it here!
Girls I can't wait until march 18th when a lot of us will be posting our ultrasound results, it is so exciting, although I get a little bit worried from time to time, I am very happy but once in a while I worry if everything is going OK, silly me there is nothing that suggests something is wrong, so I will keep positive, and enjoy this!

I am in rest right now because I have mild OHSS, not in pain, not shortness of breath, only a little bit bloated, my clothes are beginning not to fit.

The main symptom I am feeling is being tired, I get soo tired! and also have cravings for acid things, we have a lot of acid fruits here, I love to eat them with lemon!

Hugs to all!

[PMApsy]

Joanie, here are my symptoms:

Bloated (you tell me about it!!!), mild to moderate nausea that comes and goes, usually in the afternoon and evening, I now really have to eat several smaller meals a day because my body just requests it, my breasts are bigger and quite sore (first time of my life I feel that snug in a bra!), plus I get tired easier in the evening. Oh, and I have a huge zit on my chin, thanks to the meds!

I can't wait until I am given the okay to do sports in moderate amounts again. One of the side effets of the estrogen pills I'm taking is weight gain, and given how tight I already feel in my pants, it makes me worry. That tightness is definitely not the baby... the books say you should only gain about 2kg in your first trimester. So I'm really looking forward to walking more and cycling, and dancing flamenco again. In the meantime, I am particularly careful about eating as little sugar as I can. I'm a vegetarian, so fat is not that much an issue, but I'm careful anyway.

By the way, guys, Martha Stewart has published a nice little list of quick recipes for moms-to-be! I made the granola and it is absolutely fantastic! It's low in fat and sugar, full of fibers, the flax seeds are good for pregnany women, and I adde pumpkin seeds for extra iron (which is already included in the recipe with the addition of blackstrap molasses). Just be careful about the cooking part; don't spread the mixture too thin on your baking sheets because it will burn easily. Other than that, the recipe is fantastic and it keeps for up to 1 month in an airtight container. I'm never buying commercial cereals ever again! And this afternoon, I'll bake two loaves of her mom-to-be bread; I'm also eyeing her vitamin C boost juice veeeeery much!

You can find the recipes at

http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/sit ... c=header_2

Or go to www.marthastewart.com and type "healthy meals for mom" in the search box. Cheerio!

[lolajones]

Hey everyone!

We have a good few ladies already! Hope everyone is doing well and that the fantastic news is sinking in.

Symptoms... I don't really have any, except extreme tiredness. Oh, and compulsive knicker-checking if you can count that as a symptom???
Drove myself crazy today at work worrying about every symptom or non-symptom. But enough! Going to enjoy every moment of this. I am pregnant!!! It still hasn't sunk in...

So whats the news then november mamas? Any madness, paranoia, weirdness to report or is everyone sane and happy?

Luck to all

Lola
xxxxx

[KathleenP]

Hi Ladies,

It's so great to read all your stories. I had a question regarding the first ultrasound. My US will be 3/12 which is 18DPT. Do you know what they will be check for? Is it an internal or external? These are questions I could probably have asked my nurse, but when she finally called me yesterday evening with my betas I was just so relieved that it was good news, my mind blanked and I didn't ask her anything besides if everything was ok. I think my doctors do BW and US every week from then on. It seems like a lot. As long as it isn't harmful to the beanies the more info the better I guess.
Is anyone finding out the sex of their baby(ies) down the line?

Sophie, I have been doing acupuncture too. I find it very relaxing. I didn't realize you could have it through the deliver too. That sounds interesting. I need to make another appt. I haven't been since my pre and post transfer. I'm think it might help with my sleepless nights.

Is it safe to have a massage in your first tri-mester?

BTW my numbers are as follows:
9DPT-291
11DPT- 585
BW & US 3/12
Symptoms: very tired, sore boobs, slightly bloated

Lots of luck to everyone!
Kathleen

[PMApsy]

Good morning guys!

I called my best friend, who is also a GP (oooooh, that's gonna be soooo useful!). She told me that the yellowish discharge I have been observing for a week is completely normal. She added that, even if it's dark yellow it's still normal. And she said it would get worse during the first trimester. She also said that there are a huge number of women who come in panic at the ER with mild bleeding or spotting during their first trimester, and still everything is okay and they deliver healthy babies. She also said that cramping, tugging and pain in the pelvic area, especially the place where your upper thigh and your body join (forgot the term!!! groins?), is completely normal. It's just your uterus growing to accomodate your little treasure(s)!

So I stopped worrying about my panty liners! The checking is far less compulsive now, which is great.

I'll meet my acupuncturist this afternoon. I'll ask him more about acupuncture during labor and delivery. Plus, I'll ask him to refer me to an ob-gyn at the hospital where I want to deliver. It has individual rooms, bathtubs, plus you do the whole labor and delivery in your own room. Several my of DH's colleagues have delivered there and they were all super satisfied with their service. My friend herself delivered a few babies there, and she says it's a great place. There are a couple of doctors who are... special, but hopefully it won't be them that day!

Kathleen, yes, it is safe and even preferable to have a massage in every trimester! Just make sure that your massotherapist knows what he/she is doing. It requires special training... and of course, eventually, a special massage table with an extra hole! I really hope that the acupuncture will help your sleep!

The first ultrasound, given how early it is done, is always trans/endo-vaginal. It would be hard to see anything if it was trans-abdominal. They will check to see how many sacs they see, and if there is an embryo inside. They will also check how "installed" each sac/embryo is. They will also measure your embryo(s), and that will allow them to estimate your delivery date more accurately; it will also tell you how old they "measure". Finally, they will check the fetal heartbeat. Yes, u/s and blood work each week seems like a lot. Maybe it's just your clinic's policy?

You must know, studies show that repeated ultrasound is NOT harmful for your babies, no matter how old they are. A Swedish study compared healthy pregnant women who didn't need extra ultrasound to high risk moms-to-be who needed to have ultrasound very regularly throughout their pregnancy. Well, they found no difference whatsoever in the babies' health, developement, intelligence, and so on between the two groups. Plus, you can have up to 8 Xrays done during your first trimester without putting your baby at risk. Over that? The risk would reach less than 1%. So there is nothing to worry about. (hey, by the way, I found all that info in a pregnancy book... I'll give you the author's name just in case... that book has already taught me a lot).

Oh, and we won't find the sex of the babie(s) before their birth. We'd like to keep one more surprise in store for that happy moment!

Okay girls, I have a patient waiting; should go! Take care and have a great day!

Sophie xxox