Pregnancy after Long Term TTC - November 2008

ooh, sounds like a good improvement Megan!

my BP is around 140/90 today, 140/85 last visit. not loving that it's so high but then, both my parents are on BP meds for high BP, and 3 of my four grandparents were before they passed i think... hmmm, damn family!

forgot to mention earlier - didn't get actual numbers, but NT results gave me a " very low risk" for DS, which is a huge relief. i have an aunt with a disability that, although not DS, has very similar characteristics to downs phsiccally (esp the thickened skin at her neck) so i'm very relieved!

Hi Everyone -

What a busy day ! So many posts today, there is no way I will get all the personals right so I am going to send good thoughts, prayers and :bellyrubs: to everyone and vow to get better at staying on top of what is going on !

AFM - had 1st appt with OB this afternoon and it was great. DH and I both love him and feel very comfortable with our choice. Scan was all clear, could see little bubs heartbeat as plain as day. Bub is measuring big at 8W5D and I am only supposed to be 8W2D but all good. There were no signs of the spotting and he said not to worry about it as it is common and not to freak out unless it become active. I feel much better just to see the bubs heartbeat again and after 2 bouts of spotting to have 2 good scans. 12 week scan is booked for Dec 23rd so a great Christmas present to tell our family.

MS seems to come in waves during the day but I read someones advice of eating small amounts often and that seems to do the trick. As soon as I feel quesy I have some dried fruit or nuts (also trying to help the major constipation problem, sorry for TMI) and feel much better.

Hope everyone is doing well,
Take care,
LNB

Evening all,

Another selfish post...sorry but so much going on in my head at the moment.

After my big bleed on Sat night, I have been so afraid of losing these 2 little babies. I have left my bed really just to shower and go to the toilet. Am trying to do all I can to help these little blessings stay nice and comfy.

We went back to see our FS today and had another scan. Thank God both babies were nice and comfy and their heartbeats nice and fast and strong. Still have a really small pocket of blood there, but outside of the sacs. Yesterday I was still losing old blood as FS said I would, but today really nothing...just a slight dark tinge on the toilet paper.

FS thinks that things will be ok now...

So I am now officially a house bum at 8 weeks, 5 days pregnant! No amount of money is worth risking these 2 little lives. I'm pretty much on bed rest until I make it through 12 weeks, then probably light duties for the remainder of the pregnancy. I will do WHATEVER it takes to protect my babies.

I just truly wish that DH and I didn't have to go through this. We have already lost so much of our innocence with IVF, TTC and our previous 2 losses. I know thought that I am blessed to have the twins chose us to be their parents.

On the positive though..MS is here. Am feeling nauseous all day and night. AND the BB's are still ridiculously sore. WHATEVER is thrown at me...I can handle, as long as our babies are ok.

Thanks to everyone of you for your kind words and for having me in your heart. TL, I have been thinking of you through every step of this scary last few days. I keep telling myself that if you and little Charlotte can get through a scare like this, then so can my 2 babies and I.

Hugs all and thanks once again. Will try to catch up tomorrow.

Bel

A couple of exhausting busy days for me - thought I'd just check in with an update.

Had appt with FS for 7 week scan yesterday. Found out that HCG hasn't been "behaving" at any of the tests in the past three weeks (although last week was the first time they said anything about it being lower than they would like :wall:). I've been preparing myself for the worst after my chat with the nurse last Thursday when she mentioned that they'd probably find a blighted ovum where sac and placenta develops but no baby. I had a rough afternoon on Thursday until I could debrief with DH, but haven't lost any sleep about it since. My defense mechanism for handling this outcome is that I can't lose something I never had, it is just an inconvenience that has taken up a couple more months of our TTC journey. No tears from me ... not sure if the tough gal attitude is really the best one but that's my choice at the moment!

Anyhow ... FS reviewed my HCG results and said she was unlikely to find a bub on scan and was talking about a curette ... then she did the scan she was surprised to find there was actually a heartbeat, BUT not anywhere as fast as it should be. We're in complete limbo ... next step is another scan in a week to see how things are progressing.

The FS and nurse were both very tight lipped ... not saying anything more than "let's see in a week".

So ... for now I'm "a bit" pregnant and not sure if I want it to succeed or just hurry up and fail so that we can get on with TTC a "good one" ... after such a shaky start I would worry through the whole pg that the baby might not be "normal" but we'll just have to see what the future brings ...

Thinking of you all xoxo

Rachel - I'm so sorry :( You are sounding incredibly strong learning what you have and I think you're doing wonderfully. I hope the time goes quickly until the next scan and that there are some proper answers for you either way instead of being in limbo. Take care.

Bel - very pleased to hear that the bubs are doing well! And the m/s - despite how yuck it is - is a great affirmation that everything is well. I admire your determination to do whatever you can to ensure that your babies are continuing to do well - I hope that everything continues smoothly now and doesn't take too long to get to that 12 week mark, and then continues even more smoothly from there.

LNB - great that everything is going well, despite the spotting! That's the best news and so reassuring for you. It will be a wonderful Christmas present to announce your pregnancy after your 12 week scan! Fantastic!

Megan - due to my mother having GD with all three of her pregnancies, I've been trying to avoid GD by really being relatively strict with my diet during pregnancy too. I can say that although I've been diagnosed with it a couple of weeks ago that so far it seems to be allowing me to avoid insulin and just control it with the diet - I hope the same can happen for you too. And I agree that it's important to be prepared for whatever may eventuate in getting our babies here safely (I feel like that's something I'm trying to do more now). Really pleased that your BP has headed downwards - sounds like your job was just far too stressful and it's a good thing it's finished!

BG - my BP was similar to yours in the first trimester - and it really started to come down after the m/s subsided and we starting heading into the 2nd trimester - it's now usually around 120/70 and has been lower during the 2nd trimester - hopefully as the physical and mental stress of the m/s and upchuck phobia subside (and I am still hoping this happens really soon for you) you'll see a change in your BP. Also, as your blood vessels dilate during the 2nd trimester under the influence of more hormones you can also see a drop. Glad that you've got your referral to the OB all sorted, and that it's soon instead of February! I'm about 50km from the hospital I have my appointments through and where I'll be birthing and was worried about labouring during a long car ride, but it seems less of a concern now too, for the GD stuff and induction that's being talked about at the moment. I think that's why in my last post I mentioned that I'm struggling to feel ok about the possibility of induction and possible associated interventions - because I am sad to have the possibility of spontaneous labour disappearing. I find that thought hard to reconcile that with the thoughts that I really want to do whatever is best for CB and myself at the same time, and actually knowing what that is when you receive conflicting information from antenatal teachers and OBs. And it's silly again, but I think I did have expectations of what I would like my baby's birth to be like, and I'm trying to let those go and just go with the flow much more. And I am taking the words you said "ultimately holding my baby is more important to me than the mode of arrival" into my consideration of everything as I work through different thoughts. Thanks for sharing honestly how the thought birthing your baby affects you :)

Devon - Thanks for your support, hun. You've hit the nail on the head for where I am in my head at the moment - "I'm torn between wanting to do what is the safest for my baby and wanting to avoid unnecessary intervention" - especially as I'm reading and hearing different things from different people/sources (that unbiased advice!). It really is quite confusing. And I think what you've said is spot on - planning to deal with things as they come up and being open and not having too many expectations of what will happen in the last couple of weeks is what I'm starting to try and do more. I don't think I intended on having expectations of how this would all go (i.e. birth) but as everything has been going along so smoothly until a couple of weeks ago, you do start (and you're encouraged!) to get a birth preferences/plan going, and then you start thinking about what you would "like" to happen. I think I'm just going to try going with the flow as much as possible. Only 10 days of work is awesome! You're getting so close now! The bony squirms across your tummy are pretty cool, aren't they? As you get used to them, you can really start to know what is what - knee, foot, bottom etc. - hours of entertainment! And hopefully a distraction from the discomfort ;)

scooby - Unfortunately we can't afford a doula/birth attendant over here (we're very tight financially at the moment) so DH is going to have to do it all :D, but I have up until now been really thinking about birth preferences, but trying to recognise that it's important to be flexible with those plans. I agree with you - being educated and aware of all the possibilities is exactly what needs to happen and I've been doing, but unfortunately it's also leaving me confused as I am looking at so much information, all pushing different angles and agendas. I think asking more questions is the next step, and keeping mind I can only do, and will only do what is best for CB and myself in the end. How silly that you've had to lock your door to keep the neighbours kids out?! Don't their parents have any consideration? I think that's far outstepping the bounds of what's neighbourly, and I'm glad that you've got a solution to it now! Hope you're feeling well, hun.

Nixon - Hi, we haven't met before! Great advice - breathe and take it as it comes! I might try doing that a bit more too!! Hope the classes starting on Wednesday and really useful and that you enjoy them. Good luck!

TL - what made you freak out about finishing at 36 weeks, hun? Did anything happen? Hope you're ok now :hug:

Nicole - congratulations on 13 weeks! 2nd trimester now!! With the itchy skin, I found that wearing just a nighttime pregnancy bra - really breathable (and not as warm as you think) and just wearing that alone when it was especially warm at night - really helped and offered support to my stretching skin, and I've also used Bio oil too.

HM - thanks for your advice, hun. I really appreciate it. I agree - I'm going to ask more questions at the OB appointment next week, and really make sure that I feel the most informed possible and understand all the reasons and risks as they are suggesting various things, so that in the end I can feel comfortable and assured of what is happening/what I decide as being the safest and best thing for CB and me. Although it's confusing now, with the advice here I am already starting to feel that I need to trust the process happening and combine that with trusting my instincts about what is safest for my baby and me. Thanks for your thoughts and for helping me to see that I can trust myself a little more as well as trust those around us caring for us.


Hope everyone I've missed is well, and big bellyrubs to you all.

Miss C :)


P.S. I hope no one minds the huge posts I seem to generate every time I write - please let me know if it bothers you at all, and I'll try and keep the waffling to a minimum, or a least break it up some more!

Bel, my thoughts are still with you Brave girl...you have incredible strength. I am sure everything is going to be fine, the drs sound very positive.

Rachel, what a blow to deal with...being is such limbo like that. I hope you are ok hun, rest up and take care of yourself. Do what you need to, to get through. I hope that little baby sticks hun and you have yourself a little trooper.

LNB, so thrilled for you that you have foudn a great ob and the scan went well. Loving the fact that the ms is starting to come on! LOL...nice isn't it. I am happy for you hun.

Scooby...good on you hun for being the wicked witch next door...hee hee so funny.

Hi and love to everyone else.

Miss-c, seems we posted at the same time....
Good for you hun on feeling that inner knowledge you have. You will find the right thing to do. I am so pleased for you hun. Stop apologising for your posts you dag...chat away, you are always so thoughtful and loving...bring it on.
Love Hm xoxo

*knock knock* Can I join in?

Hi girls, I am currently 5 wks 4 days pg after almost 3 years of ttc. We got lucky on our first FET cycle, after an unsuccessful IVF cycle in September.

I'm at the stage where I still can't believe that I'm finally pregnant, and waiting to feel ms or something that confirms it for me. I'm sure once I do get ms (if I do that is) I'll regret saying that, but I just don't feel pregnant right now :)

:hello: to everyone, I look forward to getting to know you all! :bellyrubs:

Alloy :welcome: :cheer: on the BFP

Sorry for the lack of catch up at home with the cold that DH decided to share

Alloy- Welcome..Hope you have an amazing pregnancy.

All my other friends..thanks for your support. It means the world to me.

AFM..am so scared. Had no blood..not even old blood for a couple of days, then tonight some old blood when I wiped. Have a little bit of pain again. I just want to fall asleep and wake up when everything is alright and I know for sure my 2 precious little babies are going to be ok.

Sorry for not catching up with you all personally. Am in a bad place right now.

Hugs Bel

Welcome Alloy...CONGRATULATIONS babe and welcome!!!

Bel, Oh hun, i hope you go to bed and wake up all better too hun. I feel for you and i really hope this clear up soon. The dr said there was a little more there so lets hope this is the last.
Love Hm xxoxo

Congratulations Alloy! :clap: So glad you've joined the thread here - you'll find the support and understanding for what you may be going through your pregnancy so helpful.

Bel - hang in there, hun. It's so scary, and you're doing so well. Just remember what the doctor has said to you about further bleeding, and what HM has mentioned too. Just got to take one day at a time. I'm thinking of you.

Bel - Is there anything that might help? Like Acupuncture or something? I don't know. I'm just trying to think of something to do IYKWIM? Sometimes the worst part is not being able to anything.

Are you going for another scan soon?

Take care and try to hold onto the knowledge that those tiny bambinos are strong and your body knows what to do to keep them safe. Trust your babies and trust in yourself.

X

Hi Everyone,

Welcome Alloy - I've been following your TWW journey - congrats on the change of thread :-).

Rachel - Are you ok? Have you had any more news or are you still waiting?

Everyone else - hello, budha belly rubs, happy vibes happy vibes.

Real quick this morning sorry again for no personals. So busy at work and this thread is bursting at the seams.

DH & I had our first Calmbirth class last night. Wow - super excited about this. The techniques are so simple and based very much round science (in particular biology and the human body - so DH was stoked that it wasn't a load of airy fairy BS). Breathing, visualisation and trusting that your body knows what to do. Still got 2 more classes, but dreamt last night that I birthed my baby exactly the way I wanted to and my husband was there and supporting me in a way that was valuable to both me and the baby.

The class also teaches about the physical and emotions connections of the body - ie: if you get angry it can manifest in the body as a headache, when you are worried it can manifest in a stomach ache etc. So in saying that, my baby is learning all about emotions based on how I am feeling and if I fear labour then that is going to pass thru to my baby.

Anyway - just wanted to let you know I am feeling much more positive and in a weird kind of way looking forward to the challenge of labour and knowing that I still have a few months to practive the techniques and prepare.

Have a great day..
X

Spot on Nic...well done you. That is what it is all about. It is really great that these sorts of things are being communicated in a way that can reach everyone. It all make so much sense hun and you are on the right track to have a beautiful birth. It is nice knowing what your body can do if you stay out of the way hey!! And one thing i have found great is know the way the muscles of the uterus work etc. Your bubba is learning from you right now and fear can be so debilitating.
Proud of o=you babe...tell us how the rest goes.
Love hM xoxox

hi lovely pregnant ladies! just checking in on you all and following your journeys and sending you the best

Bel- I am thinking of you and sending you big hugs...perhaps acupuncture would help at this time? or other relaxation techniques...it must be very stressful for you and I send all my best wishes to you and DH and those two little blessings of yours

Hi Everyone,

Wow it has been busy in here, so sorry if I don't do personals to everyone today.

Bel - Honey I was so upset when I read your post, but it sounds like the doc knows exactly what is happening and that those little one's of yours are nice and strong and doing well. Of course I know that is easy for me to say when I am not going through it. Know that I am :pray: for you and your babies and here for you should you need someone to lean on :hug:

Hi Possums - So good to hear that you had a nice time away. Hope you are well xx

Nixon - the classes sound awesome. We are just doing the one "huff and puff" class in Feb next year through the hospital... I'm hoping that it will give me enough guidance to have a good birthing experience!

Congratulations Alloy on your BFP! I too fell pregnant on our first FET after a failed stim cycle. Hoping you have a H&H pregnancy and welcome to our very busy thread!

Rachel :pray: for you at this very difficult time.

Hi to Miss C (and welcome back we have missed you), HM, TL, Scooby, LNB, Megan, BG, Devon, Nicole and anyone else I have missed because - WOW - it is busy in here!

AFM - everything is going along nicely. I am feeling really good at the moment apart from a little tired due to a very active night time baby (getting me ready for things to come I think!) Also been having some very vivid dreams that have been waking me up! Apart from that am a little anxious as I am coming close to the time that my sister had to deliver her son due to pre-eclympsia (she was 24 weeks and 4 days along). So will be making sure I get a thorough check up at my next OB visit. I am sure all will be fine, but there are some thoughts that there can be a hereditary link in whether you will get pre-eclympsia or not. By the way, my sister and her son are doing really well. He has been home for about 5 weeks now, but that was after a 17 week stay in hospital. Seeing what they had to go through was heart breaking and I would not wish it on my worst enemy.

But enough of the sad stuff! Hoping you are all well.

Janie xxx

Hi Everyone -

Bel - my thoughts are with you. Take care and you've got strong little bubs there.

HM - hope you are doing well.

Kahlan - haven't seen you in a while, hope all is well.ang

Alloy - Welcome and congratulations! I didn't have any pg symptoms until 6.5 weeks so hang in there

Miss C - your posts are not too long ! I love reading them :)

On_Trak - hope you are doing okay and sending lots of prayers to you for your scan next week. Take care of yourself.

Nixon, Janie, BG, TL, Nicole, BW, Scooby, Mon, Devon - Hi and :bellyrubs: to everyone.

AFM - MS seems more noticeable during the day now, still eating little bits often and that helps. Apart from that, feeling okay but wishing that our 12 week scan was sooner ! We :pray: everyday for our little miracle.

Take care everyone,
LNB

Hey everyone

cant believe i am actually in here but I AM WE DID IT:dance:
after having my ivf cycle cancelled cos of not enough eggs, well the 2 that were there decided that they wanted to stick around ( for now)!!!!

i had my bt this morning and she rang me this arvo and said that its positive my levels are 101 woooohooooo

but on the down side, i am bleeding:( it started yesterday ( when af was due) and it was brown yesterday and its red today, its not alot but its there?? i dont have any cramps or anything but i just hope i get to stay in this thread for 9mths.

but for today i am going to stop worrying about what might be or might happen and just enjoy that after nearly 7yrs of ttc#2 we have finally done it:clap: and we done it on our own woohoooooo.

i really hope you dont mind me joining in, i just dont feel comfortable yet to make an offical announcement, i will just wait and see what my bt on monday brings. if all goes well my ivf nurse said i will have a scan in around 2 weeks to see how everything is going and to see how many we have.

i just cant beleive it