Beautiful Babies Due in 2011 (Combined Group)

[klinger13]

Boy this thread is really hopping! Hope everyone with betas, u/s, and appointments this week gets great reports!

Rio - Good luck tomorrow with your level II! I'm sure all will go well but be sure to post as soon as you can!

Deidra - Good luck on Friday! Hopefully you'll pass the 3-hour with flying colors.

Karen - I think you're right-on with wanting MIL to make the effort to get out and see the baby. This would be a great opportunity to work on her phobias while being part of the baby's life. I wouldn't want to expose the baby to all of that smoky smell either (and I'm a former smoker, though even in the dead of an upstate NY winter would smoke outside Couldn't stand the smell indoors.)

Didi - I'm so glad you checked in here! And wow, you've been through a lot these last few weeks. But you're doing an awesome job keeping that little girl where she needs to be for now. I'm glad you're in good hands at the hospital and please keep us posted on how you're doing. (And I'd love to hear the names you're down to too!)

Ryann - Wow, I wish I could give you some of my weight. I've gained 13 pounds as of 20 weeks so I'm hoping I can slow things down a little bit. Hopefully you can recoup some of that weight you lost over the next few months. And I bet your babies are growing beautifully despite your weight loss.

Barbara - Yes, I've been getting braxton hicks for the last couple of weeks. I generally only get a couple a day and they're usually in the morning. I was a little worried at first (couldn't remember when they started with DD and DS so long ago) but once I read that they can start in the 2nd tri, I too relaxed a bit.

AFM - I had a great weekend. My DD had her baby Madison last Sunday so I spent a long weekend up in NY spending time with them and helping DD out. I love that my 2 grand-daughters and my new little one will all be so close in age. The holidays this year are going to be so much fun!! Then when I got home tonight, DH got to feel Maribel kick for the first time. OMG, I think I'll be replaying his expression over and over forever. He was so amazed and excited I had tears in my eyes.

I think my only gripes right now are my eczema, which I never had before this IVF cycle. My fall cycle buddies may remember me wrapping my naked body in oatmeal soaked paper towels to try to curb the itching and it sucks that I'm still scratching myself into oblivion most days. Really hoping this goes away once I have the baby! I've also got such bad edema in my hands that it's causing carpal tunnel syndrome. I started wearing braces on both wrists and that is providing some relief so hopefully I can keep it from getting worse. Next step according to my MFM would be steroids but of course we'd like to avoid that while pregnant if possible. Other than those 2 things I'm really feeling great.

[dlk]

Karen and Ryann (and other thyroid people): I have had thyroid nodules for about 5 years and have been followed by a endocrinologist that specializes in thyroid and see him every 6 month for u/s and labs. He has checked for Hashimoto's antibodies in the past but I was negative. I had an u/s that showed a bunch of new nodules about a week before my initial appt with the RE. My RE actually decided to recheck the antibody level (it had been over a year) and I was a 130 so he actually diagnosed my Hashimoto's. I went back to me thyroid guy and he said to closely watch the TSH and T4. I had them redrawn the day after my beta and they were normal. Then I did a bunch of internet surfing and found some studies that recommended all pregnant Hashimo's start low dose synthroid even if they had normal labs, because it reduced to rate of miscarriage down to normal (most of those m/c were early like weeks 8-14ish). Then at 8 weeks, I had my initial MFM visit and I talked to him about the study and he agreed their was no harm in starting low dose synthroid (I did 50 based on the paper I found). He rechecked my labs and my T4 had dropped a lot. I also learned that HCG acts like TSH and stimulates the thryoid to make more hormone, so it is normal for the TSH to fall in everyone in the first trimester, but the T4 should stay the same. What everyone agreed on was to check TSH and T4 every 4-8 weeks. I usually had mine checked every 4-6, but once went 8 weeks. I keep creeping up on my synthroid 25 at a time and now am on 150.

Tammy: thanks for sharing your story about Zach. I really am less worried now that ever in the entire pregnancy. I think it is because I am in the hospital and they are checking on me. I get fetal doppler at each vital sign check. I had a NST this morning that showed baby was great and mild, irregular contractions. They Dr. talked about doing another check, but after the NST she decided that "she did want to stir anything up". I really think that I have just been having the mild contractions for a while and have been slowly dilating like 1cm or less a day and I bet I and still doing the same. I told me DH that I plan to have the longest slowest labor ever, especially since none of this hurts at all. Luckily at my hospital they have a brand new mid level NICU that is basically a bunch of glass cubicles and a parent can stay 24/7 they have a little bed and all. I know that the super preemies, really sick babies or those needing surgery have to go to the Children's Hopital NICU which has very restricted visiting hours. So once we toured the hosiptal and saw this NICU, my goal was to make sure we made it to the point we could stay at this NICU instead of the super NICU. I know that it is really unlikely she will need to go on a vent, although the neonatologist said that some times they had to intubate them briefly to give them surfactant. She said oxygen and tube feeds were common for a while. She may need help for a little while, but will be ok in the end.

About names: my top 3 are Emma, Lauren, and Alyssa. He likes Sarah, Jennifer, Racheal, and Caroline. Others on my list are Addison, Elizabeth, Madison, Allison, Lily, Jordan, Grace, and Hannah.

His are all fine, traditional, a little boring. I like them but don't love them. Mine are a bit more trendy, but I also don't want her to be 1 of 6 Addisons in her class.

[mellow4]

Didi~ I have two daughters..named Allison and Emma. We were considering Addison for one of these girls, and still are I guess, but it's really close to my oldests name. She said she is fine with it and thinks it pretty cute. So, we will see. I can't believe we have to come up with two names!

[mellow4]

Ryann~ Yes, definitely let me know what they say...I have managed to gain a whopping 2lbs. Sheesh, these little girls are sucking every little bit out of me. I would be more worried if the girls weren't weighing what they are, but all I keep seeing is that we are supposed to gain 20-24lbs by 20 weeks. Which means I have a long way to go and only 3 weeks to do it!!! In an attempt to speed things along, we indulged in the Cheesecake factory tonight...let's see how things look in the morning.

[baby_blu73]

It's great that we get our old cycle buddies here! Big congrats again Leora... it's great to see you here on the bright side!

Stephanie I didn't notice before but you and I share a due date. Of course you'll be earlier than me because of the twins, right? Will you adjust your due date? When you do your ultrasound, do they measure smaller than singletons because there are two? I'm curious as to how thing work in the world of doubles... lol

We had our 20 week ultrasound results and everything was perfect. That was the last big hurdle and I feel we can finally totally relax and keep growing a healthy son. I don't think we really stressed out much this pregnancy but there's always that knowledge that something could come up as a concern.

Congrats on the fabulous 20 week scan results! You already knew you were expecting a boy, right?

I'm praying to make it till June. According to online IVF due date calculators, twins are expected around June 12th (36.5 weeks is considered full term with twins) when your 40 week point is July 5th. So, technically my due date is (and will remain) 7/5 to establish how many weeks along I am. However, at my anatomy scan on Feb 1st, the boys were both measuring 2 and 3 oz. BIGGER than a singleton... apiece! No wonder I'm so awfully uncomfortable already. My bladder bouncers think they're in there by themselves or something.

[baby_blu73]

Have any of you ladies having twins been told how much weight we are supposed to gain by 20 weeks? I just read something that said we should try to gain 20-24lbs by week 20! If that is true, I am way behind schedule, like by a lot. It doesn't matter what I eat, I feel like my metabolism is going 200 mph, and I can't slow it down enough to gain anything. One would wonder what I am talking about when looking at my belly growth, because I do the same when I look at myself. It's all belly though, I'm no bigger anywhere else. I've never had this problem before, so it's making me a little nervous, since they say it's has a major effect on pre-term delivery and the over all health of the babies when they are born. Not sure what to do, so when in doubt, I eat a piece of cake Haha.

I had only gained 8 lbs by my 18 week appt... I even asked about it since I'm worried, too, about not gaining enough weight (thank you horrible morning sickness for the first trimester weight loss ) and they said I was doing just fine. Since then I've watched the scale go up another 5 to 8 lbs depending on the time of day. So at just shy of 22 weeks, I'm somewhere between 13 and 16 lbs. Not too bad, but if you have any extra cake, I'd love a piece!

[zoegirl]

great idea! I'll never keep track of everyone tho- I had a hard enough time just keeping track of the summer group! LOL!

[lou71]

Quick post from work...

Karen -- I'm with you. I would totally want to know the sex. Heck, I'm in my first trimester still and I'm dying to find out. As for your MIL situation. It really sounds like she needs some professional help. I would really try to get her into counseling. This might be too big of a change for you to make on your own. Of course, seeing a counselor requires leaving the house too. Does she have a physician she sees? Or does she just never leave the house. How sad.

Sonya -- Congrats on your perfect baby boy!

Rio -- Good luck today at your scan! Thinking of you.

Didi -- Wow, you're really in the home stretch. Love your name choices, especially "Emma".

SD -- I will totally get a fetal heart monitor after I have my first OB appt. You're right, I really do need that piece of mind. What brand do you recommend? Where do you buy them?

AFM -- I have another u/s tomorrow. I really hope everything is OK. I didn't realize how rough the first trimester would be this time after a loss in week 12. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. I'm still spotting brown/tan on and off and trying not to worry. I'm just afraid to get too comfortable here or with my pregnancy just in case it's taken away from me again. I'm living in extreme fear. It's just awful to feel this way all the time.

[TammyS]

Good Luck today Rio! Text me!!

[dlk]

Lou: I so get the living in fear. We told no one. My parents were the first to know at 19 weeks and they were pissed we waited so long. But my MFM told me in my second trimester that I had about a 20% chance of bringing home a baby. So everyday was total fear. I never got a fetal monitor, because I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to find the heart beat and freak myself out even more. I didn't buy my first baby thing until about 28 weeks. How I envy all the super fertile people who just get pregnant and start decorating the nursery the day after they miss their period without having to worry about everything.

Emma is the top of my list, but DH thinks it is too old lady like. Turns out it was his grandmother's name, which makes me like it even more ( I wanted a family name, but mine are Patsy, Dorothy, Maxine his mom's name is Lorraine- none of those appeal to me.) His other grandmother was Elizabeth so that is a possiblity too. I think we will end up with either Emma or Elizabeth as a name but maybe a middle name.

So good news today. My MFM came by and checked and I am still 4 cm, so that hasn't changed since Thursday. And I get to go be a slug on my comfy bed at home rather than at the hospital. Only 13 hours until 35 weeks! Plus I was talking to my BFF and told her that a March baby sounds so much better than a February one. February is so cold and yucky (sorry any Feb ladies out there) and March is the start of Spring and new beginnings. I am due on April 5, and DH's ex's name was April, and I really didn't want her born in April, but was hoping 1-2 weeks before her EDD. DH thinks I am crazy. Hoping for mid March now. My brother's B-day is March 14, so that would be good at 36w6d.

[baby_blu73]

I really need to whine, just a little...

So, since last Thursday, I've been on the decline... Which is disheartening because I really thought I was finally in the "golden" stage of my pregnancy.

Well, it began with just being extremely uncomfortable from the time I woke up until the time I went to bed. My tummy feels so tight and stretched to the max already. Not to mention the back and hip pain. Then, on Saturday night, I couldn't be sure if Jaxon was rolling around really low or if I was having BHs until I started timing the pressure. It was every 10 - 15 minutes. So I called L&D and they said to get off my feet (which I was, since I was at work) and drink 64 oz of water in an hour, and call them back. Side note - My FEMALE boss actually had the courage to have a negative opinion about how many times I had to go to the bathroom during that hour. HELLO! At least I'm still here and not going home! Thank goodness I only had one more that night, I must have accidentally dehydrated myself.

I now have the most horrible heartburn I've ever experienced. It's all day, and all night. I darn near don't even want to eat, it's that bad. My OB's nurse just okayed Prilosec, DH is going to bring some home tonight after he and DD get back from their movie. Thank goodness! Relief is in sight. Does anyone know what can be done about shooting pains in your girl parts, though??? I wish they made a pill for that!

I must say, I feel like a wussy or something. I mean, my OB told me by 26 weeks I would be miserable and here I am a day shy of 22 weeks and feel like I'm falling apart already. I try not to complain too much because I feel like I need to save it for when I'm 30 weeks and feel like I'm dying.

Thanks for letting me complain. I feel awful that I'm even whining in the first place. I LOVE my boys and am so happy to be where I am, but it's physically kicking my butt already. Who knew??

[mellow4]

Hang in there Stephanie. The shooting pains...well those come with the territory, but if you are on your feet a lot, you are really going to feel more stretching and pulling than ever. Gravity doesn't help these things. If you can kick up your feet more, it's important for keeping the kids right where they are for longer. You sound like you need a stress reliever too, maybe a prenatal massage, or a warm bath would help. You time! I hope the Prilosec does the trick for you, so you can get to feeling a little better...remember smaller more frequent meals will help with that a little. Feel free to vent anytime! If anyone can handle it, we can. We all have our days. How long are you planning to work?

[riogirl71]

WOW! We are so excited to have a healthy baby! All measurements and everything looked perfect! Now Wednesday for a fetal echocardiogram

The doctor did say the umbilical cord is not centered in theplacenta and common in IVF babies, has anyone heard of this? She said it is fine but needs monitoring.

[riogirl71]

12th Baby_blu
19th Deidraj
23rd Gina
29th Happy Bunny
29th Wanababy



1st Klinger
5th Dandme
5th Freckles
19th Karen BOY?
30th Riogirl71




8th Mellow4
8th Karin1
17th Anacris
22nd RypellBOY? / GIRL?
22nd HopinginNC
25th Annashope
27th Easley4
txcplforivf
zoegirl
Blessedmom
Karian





14th Lou
21st Hope is all I have
30th SDTrying


8th Leora

[mellow4]

Congratulations Rio!! I thought for awhile that the boys were going to out number the girls....but it's looking promising for the girls to take over now! I am SOOOOO Happy for you! I've never heard of a cord displacement thing. It will be interesting to hear about it as you go along. So glad it went so well.

YAY