Pomp and Circumstance

Last weekend, this was me:

That stomach virus was AWFUL. I haven't been sick like that in a long time. Dr. Z told me just to stay hydrated and the baby would be fine, so I shouldn't worry. Yeah, right. Whatever. But I dug in with my vitamin waters and chicken broth. Stayed hydrated and 72 hours later felt so much better.

TOO much better. 

All of my symptoms were gone. I wasn't bone tired anymore. I ate eggs and CHICKEN. 

Tuesday morning I called my nurse and asked if there was any chance she could get me in earlier for an u/s. So, the next day (because Fran is awesome), I went in for my 8w ultrasound.

And Squishy is still going strong. HB 170, growth right on track at 8w0d. The Visible Embryo says Squishy has a four chambered heart now. Fetal development is chugging right along. Oh - and Squishy is no longer an embryo. S/he's now a fetus. Which means:

I hate leaving Dr Z, especially for unknown waters. I am very glad to have changed providers to the midwives at a great hospital and Dr Z really likes them and their cooperating doctor, which is great news (he didn't love the OB who delivered Smudge). But at Dr. Z's office, I know everyone and they spoil me. I  guess we'll find out soon enough. Our first appointment with the midwives is at 10w2d.

Meanwhile, my dizzy spells are back and I'm a little queasy again. Someone remind me, the next time I start to feel great to just embrace it and not question everything. 

3-4 weeks until I'll be able to hear Squishy's heartbeat for myself on the doppler. Until then, I'm just going to get through this one day at a time. 

Cleared to Call!

Last week, Dr. Z told me not to call my midwife yet. We emailed our doula anyway, and good thing, too, since that same day she got emails from two other former clients saying they were due in March too! She only takes four clients a month and we're #3!

This week, even though I had a moment of panic because I couldn't see the heartbeat, Chris and Dr. Z both assured me they saw it just fine. Fran told me it was averaging 135 but as high as 150. And when the u/s was over, he told me to go ahead and call the midwives.

Squishy is measuring 8.3mm and 6w5d (which incidentally is the same Smudge was measuring one day later, just 7.9mm. Smudge's heartbeat was 158). Everything looks perfect. Dr. Z is not concerned about the gigunda cyst. He says it will resolve. Still no sign of any of the nine fibroids I had at the end of my pregnancy with Smudge.

So, phone call made. 10w2d appointment with the midwives scheduled.

So far this pregnancy, i'm just really hit by a truck exhausted. And chasing after a toddler like this is no easy task. I'm a little queasy and my chicken aversion is back and rearing it's ugly head again. I'm also gaining weight like there's no tomorrow. I'm not eating a whole lot more, so I'm hoping I can blame some of it on the crazy progesterone doses I'm on. I know part of it is also that I'm not eating fat free dairy any longer (like I was with Smudge's pregnancy). Now that I'm dairy free, the alternatives are not fat free, so I probably need to try to make some adjustments there as well. I only gained 20 pounds last time, and I'm practically 1/2 way there already. Disgusting. I'll get this under control. I refuse to add a weight issue to this pregnancy. 

And here is Squishy at 7w:

One, Singular Sensation.....

Crazy doubling betas, insane bleeding for more than a week... it's all been stressing me out more than I care to admit. This pregnancy is already so different from my last. Including the way it's starting. Not with anything bittersweet. No lost twin. No lost anything, despite that horrendous nightmare about losing the baby the other night. 

Just this: I give you...... Squishy.

Hi, Baby: 6w1d. 

Squishy is measuring right on track at 3.7mm and at 6w. We were able to see a heartbeat today at 111bpm, which is exactly where it should be according to the American Pregnancy Association,  and what I think is the best webpage ever explaining early fetal development (and doing it well).

Dr Z couldn't see any explanation for the bleeding I experienced. So, of the options available, he thinks we were dealing with implantation bleeding from my thick lining. All that matters is that he sees no bleeding or interruption around the pregnancy. He also doesn't see any of my fibroids (there were 9 at my c-section for Smudge). So all good news there. 

I do have a cyst on my right ovary the size of my head. We'll hope that resolves sometime soon.

And as a complete aside, on my way out of the office, Dr Z pulled me aside and asked if he could ask me a question. He may be looking for more nurses.... and on the weekend. He wanted to know if he could call me to discuss working for him. That would just be amazing and I continue to be so touched that he thinks enough of me to ask me to work for him. And I wouldn't have to worry about how to tell him I'm pregnant, either! 

Next u/s is scheduled for thursday. Please continue to send us all the positives you can, because we're not out of the woods yet. We're still aiming for that 8w mark, where the chance of m/c drops to less than 5%. Seeing a heartbeat today was great news, but I'll be happy when our risk of losing this baby drops below double digits. Stay tuned.

And Now We Wait.....

I'm really tired, you guys. It's been a long day in Smudge's house. So, what's the old saying? "Just the facts, Ma'am"; is that it?

Smudge cycle:
Beta 1, 14dpo: 126 with P4 = 44
Beta 2, 19dpo: 941 with P4 = 48
Doubling time: 41.37hrs

Current cycle:
Beta 2, 14dpo: 142 with P4 = 29 (increased daily PIO dosage)
Beta 3, 16dpo: 309 with P4 = >40
Doubling time: 42.79hrs

We'll take it.

First ultrasound will be July 12th. If I continue spotting or bleeding in the coming week, they will get me in sooner for another beta or an early u/s.

Stay tuned....

Double Trouble

I swear, the International Symbol for Infertility should be:

Well, minus the smokes, of course.


I think I spend as much time waiting for the phone to ring as I do shooting myself up with various poisons. 

Anyway, when last we met, we were hoping for a strong beta today. The definition of a "strong beta" is to double in 48 hours. On Monday (9dp3dt), at 11am, my beta was 42. 

Today (11dp3dt), at 7am, less than 48 hours later, it was 142. 

According to my new best friends at BetaBase.info, my beta has a doubling time of 25 hours.  It more than tripled less than 48 hours. There IS some concern. My progesterone DID drop again. It's now 29. Dr. Z is being very proactive and upping my PIO dosage. Yay - bigger butt shots. Whatever I have to do, i'll do. I'm just glad he's not forcing vag suppositories on me again. Those things suck - and quite honestly, I'm spotting enough already. 

Oh yeah, the spotting. Still going on. Fran says that if I'm still spotting next week, that Dr Z will let me come in for another beta and maybe even an early ultrasound to ease my mind. But she's not worried. 

Because, as a very good friend has told me, I'm good and knocked up. 

Here's my theory - and we'll see how it pans out. Even though I still feel like there's only one in there, and Heather (my acu) feels like there's only one in there, maybe there are 2 after all. I'm wondering if one embryo splitting could cause a rapid beta rise but a slight drop in progesterone. There would only one corpus luteum to produce progesterone, so that would explain that being a little lower, while the beta was slightly higher. 

Another beta and progesterone check on friday. I guess we'll see.