# Clomid/FE Conceived Buddies :)



## Nita2806

Hi Ladies,

Clomid and Femara are such common prescribed drugs for infertility that deals with Ovulation. 

I had 10 anovulatory cycles (2 was on Clomid) and fell pregnant on the 2nd cycle of Ovulating on Clomid. (Although I had horrible, horrible side effects)

Share your success stories on Clomid/Femara here if you want to, and stay in touch with other ladies who also conceived on it :)


----------



## MEPride

I was diagnosed with lean PCOS at 21 and went on BCP for 10 years. Went off BCP and did a whole bunch of testing to see what hormone levels were off but found everything was within "Normal range". I ovulate irregularly. I can go 120 ish days between ovulations. Or sometimes it's just the normal 14 days. 

After a year of frustrated trying... not know when or IF I will ovulate... we went on 50mg clomid. Had one helluva ovulation from both ovaries and fell pregnant immediately!


----------



## Nita2806

The weirdest thing about my cycle was, that I didnt have any EWCM at all, and DH and I didnt use any lube to boost his swimmers, I didnt really feel any ovulation pains (I little bit on 2 days) - I didnt even wanted to count myself in the TWW, I had just written the cycle off, until AF didnt show :) I only started getting some symptons now after I got my +test results :happydance:


----------



## Lemonade

Congratulations!

I was diagnosed with PCOS age 24 in 2010. I have no other symptoms apart from irregular ovulation/absent periods. My first baby was conceived after 15 months TTC, on my 6th cycle of Clomid (4th of 150mg). I didn't ovulate at all on 50mg and reallllllly late on 100mg. 

TTC this baby was much quicker. I tried 5mg of Femara and ovulated but late and it was a BFN. Then I tried 7.5mg and bang! Pregnant with #2. I much preferred Femara to Clomid as there were pretty much no side effects.

When I got pregnant the first time, my midwife told me that now that I was pregnant, everything should go smoothly. She was right! I had a completely uncomplicated pregnancy. The same is true so far for this one too, I am 10 weeks and everything has been normal so far (saw the heartbeat on a scan at 7 weeks).


----------



## Savasanna

I'm pregnant from a clomid/trigger cycle!


----------



## sarah2211

Yay thanks for making this thread even though I'm almost ready to graduate to the second trimester boards. Nita, you know my story. But we were TTC 1# for over a year. Based on my charts it looked like I was ovulating but I wasn't. I knew I had PCOS but I was told there would be no issues because I was lean. My GP put me on metformin and I conceived but miscarried at 5w2d. Then we got in with an RE and at the first appointment got prescribed 50mg of Clomid. That didn't working so I went up to 100mg and conceived on my second cycle of 100mg. Just one baby and I can't wait to find out if it's a little girl or boy!!


----------



## aliciazh

Diagnosed with PCOS when I was in my earlier 20's. I do not ovulate on my own at all. I was really worried that I would need something stronger than Clomid. January was our first month on it at 50 MG. I never got a positive ovulation test, never had ovulation pains/spotting....any symptoms. I got a negative test on CD 32 (February 9) so I counted myself out. On CD 35 (February 12) I got out of the shower crying, telling my husband I know he won't visit my grave when I'm dead.

What the hell?

CD 36 I tested before work and sure enough, light positive. Confirmed at dr same day. They couldn't see anything on ultrasound that day but are now able to see a yolk sac. Hopefully a baby this week!

I really, really counted myself out. I figured there was no way I was pregnant and had even started taking the Provera again. Thankfully, that is not harmful. I was really worried I was going to miscarry but my dr. told me babies LOVE progesterone so it wasn't bad at all. Phew!


----------



## SweetPea3200

Hi Ladies,

Love hearing all of these success stories. Fertility problems are HARD! Just got my BFP after a round of 100mg of clomid. Both times I've been pregnant I tried one month at 50mg with no O then upped it to 100mg and got a BFP. This time I didn't O until Day22ish so I thought for sure I was out but got my BFP at 12dpo and a lovely beta of 78 today at 13dpo :) DS is 19 months right now so I think the age gap will be decent!

Question for you lovelies that might know, does HCG levels indicate multiples at all? If so, I think I'm safe because 78 sounds normal for 13dpo right? There's always a little fear of multiples with Clomid


----------



## ttc126

I want to join!!!! This was my first clomid cycle. I ovulate on my own but extremely early like day 9/10. Last year I had 3 miscarriages so I'm hopeful the boost from clomid was what I needed. This was our 7th cycle post my last loss.


----------



## sarah2211

Sweet pea, apparently they can indicate if you're carrying multiples but not necessarily very accurate. Some women have high levels and have singles and others have low with multiples. But generally higher levels can mean multiples. I think mine was 67 on 12 DPO and 320 on 15 DPO and have 1 baby. There are charts online where you can see if your levels are in the normal range for DPO and single/multiple births.


----------



## SweetPea3200

Levels were 78 13dpo and 222 15dpo so I'm feeling pretty confident that it's just one&#55357;&#56842;


----------



## sarah2211

Sounds like just one sweet pea. But you never know! Are you booked for your first scan at some point? I had a scan at 7 weeks and just one baby. I kept having dreams there were twins or triplets and they just missed them but saw them at my 12 week scan. But nope, still just one baby :) 

I'm officially in the second trimester now but it feels like my bump has gotten smaller! I'm also on daily blood thinning injections which my husband has been doing into my stomach. I seriously thought after all the trouble of conceiving that I'd have it relatively easy in pregnancy. I'm going to be having 3-4 weekly appointments with the high risk OB and scans every 3-4 weeks from 26 weeks. Lots of extra monitoring and tests. It makes me scared to think about having any more babies after this one.


----------



## awebb

I have done 3 rounds of clomid 50mg.

April 2014 - BFP and my son was born in Jan 2015
Sept 2016 - BFN
Jan 2017 - BFP. Currently 6w4d with a singleton.

All 3 times i had no side effects. I am an ultrasound tech so i tracked my own follicle growth and with my first bfp in 2014 I ovulated on day 14, and this current bfp ovulation was on day 16.

All 3 cycles I temped, used pre seed, and BD'd every day for 2-3 days prior to expected ovulation ( based on the follicle size during my off the books scan earlier in the day)


----------



## Nita2806

Awebb, it must have been awesome to know whats going on the whole time. I wondered every day if maybe thats O day, on my last cycle no EWCM and i had given up on OPKs, and charting was just not possible. I have no idea when I Od, but based on my prog levels on CD20 I knew I Od later.

Love reading all these success stories :hugs:


----------



## SweetPea3200

Sarah2211 I have one scheduled at 7 weeks also&#55357;&#56842; honestly I'm feeling so crampy and having sharp pains in my right side that I'm not feeling very optimistic. Worried they'll see the embryo in my tube or I'll start bleeding before the scan. Not fun! I certainly wish I was an ultrasound tech today


----------



## sarah2211

Sweet pea, that's exciting, hopefully you're not too far away from 7 weeks now. That's how I felt, crampy and sharp pains. All along the way I've tried to keep my hopes low but the baby is doing just what it should. I think if it was an ectopic you'd be feeling really sick. Even now I'm a little scared I could lose the baby but I don't want to get a Doppler because I'll freak myself out if I can't hear the baby. I'll be getting scans every 3-4 weeks soon so hopefully that'll put my mind at ease.


----------



## ttc126

I'm so relieved you ladies had sharp and crampy pains! I've been having those! I didn't with my losses but I've been scared something is wrong!


----------



## Nita2806

I am glad I am not the only one, Ive had some cramping and sharp pains on both my left and right side. Luckily not the whole day, I feel it 2 - 3 times a day :o


----------



## SweetPea3200

So nice to hear I'm not the only one! Thankfully the sharp pains went away and then today I felt them on the other side so I think that's a good sign that it's not ectopic! Sarah I used a doppler for my first from about week 9-14 and I loved it! But it definitely can be tricky to find the heartbeat at first. Unfortunately, we are waiting a bit longer to tell everyone so I won't be able to borrow it from SIL this time. Can I ask why you're having scans so often? Are you high risk?


----------



## ttc126

I want a Doppler this time! 
Sarah I'm always high risk too. I have a blood antibody and a blood disorder that makes me anemic. I'll get scans every week until 10 weeks I think. Then every few until 3rd tri I usually have them once a week. It's nice to see baby so often and I know it's scary but relax because you're getting the best care &#10084;


----------



## sarah2211

Yup I remember having cramps and stretchy pains for weeks. I think about 8-9 weeks I had a short sharp intense pain on my left side and I thought it was all over and I'd miscarried. But I hadn't. Based on doctor google it was the corpus luteum collapsing and after that I had no more cramps. 

Sweetpea, I'm glad it doesn't sound like an ectopic! Even my midwife took a few minutes to find the heartbeat. I was watching her face and she looked just a little worried. But then we heard it. I think I would freak out if I couldn't find it and end up calling my midwife and get really upset all over nothing. I feel like I'll be monitored often enough that I'll be ok. I'm having scans more often and blood thinning injections because I have Lupus. There's a chance that the baby might not grow like it should or that I might have a blood clot and that it enters my placenta and then I could lose the baby. 

TTC, you're right. It's nice to know that we are getting the best care. I just wish I wasn't in this position!


----------



## SweetPea3200

Both of your situations sound difficult! I'm glad you're both getting such good care! I'm definitely thankful that I'm not high risk but I would appreciate a few more scans


----------



## ttc126

I woke up today and my breasts are not sore &#128557; After a complete meltdown, I called my clinic and was reassured it's fine especially since I have no bad signs. I am still obviously overly emotional and I was nauseous earlier. I need to calm down. It doesn't help that I'm approaching my last due date.


----------



## Nita2806

ttc, mine was also not as sore and sensitive yesterday morning, I started to panic :o

I went to see my dietitian early in the afternoon and when she took my measurements she told me I am 1.5cm bigger around my breasts - so I felt reassured that something is still happening. They got sore and sensitive again later in the day.

I found that they feel better in the mornings and worse in the evenings.

I have caught a cold :( so I have an intense headache and snotty nose and throat. Urrgh! This lady at my work have been sick a while, so I was scared I might get it so I stayed away from here...still got it any ways :(


----------



## ttc126

Thanks Nita! It's hard for me to recall my healthy pregnancies... but looking back I do think my soreness was off and on. 
Ah I'm so sorry you caught that cold!!!!! Mine is still lingering I think. Eat soup and rest up &#10084;


----------



## SweetPea3200

Sorry you ladies are dealing with colds! I'm normally pretty big on using all of the medications I can to help me sleep better so not being able to would suck. Hopefully it's a quick one!


----------



## Nita2806

My prenantal Vits is making me sick, if I take them I have a very upset stomach with nausea, if I dont take them I am fine. Urrrgghh I know I should be taking them but this baby doesnt seem to like it very much. My cold is getting better, and luckily I didnt have a fever.


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, my prenatal made me feel sick too. My doctor just prescribed folic acid and iodine for me to take instead. She said that's all pregnant women actually need. After that I didn't feel so bad.


----------



## Nita2806

Thanks Sarah - think I will just be taking my folic acid for now until my appointment with my doctor on the 27th


----------



## sarah2211

TTC, it's hard when you have a good day or your symptoms just disappear. I had so many days of worrying about that. Then I was having more good days than bad and had talked myself into finding out I'd had a MMC at my 12 week scan. Everything was fine thankfully! Try to remember that symptoms come and go. 

Nita, you will probably find that much easier. Can you get iodine too? My midwife said to take that from conception until finished breastfeeding. 

Any of you ladies with PCOS know much about breastfeeding? Apparently it can cause problems with milk supply for some women. I really want to exclusively breastfeed so I hope I don't have a problem!


----------



## SweetPea3200

Yeah my prenatals make me feel gross too. I switch back and forth between the prenatal and just folic acid. I guessI'm lucky that I don't have days without symptoms but I feel so absolutely terrible lately its tough to keep up with my sick toddler


----------



## Nita2806

SweatPea, hope your toddler get better soon!

I am only taking Folic acid now, still feel a little nausea after I eat, but I am so constipated it's not even funny. Fatigue still getting me down, I sleep 8+ hours at night :wacko: and my boobs are getting bigger and so sore all the time. 

2 more weeks till my appointment - I can't wait anymore. :happydance:


----------



## SweetPea3200

Yay only two weeks! Hope it goes by fast. 

I have a week and two days until my early scan, can't wait to see this little bean and know that all of this MS is worth it!


----------



## sarah2211

Exciting everyone. I just burst into tears when I saw the tiny flickering heart beat at our first scan. At 12 weeks I cried because it was so amazing to see the baby moving so much and everything was so clear. Only 4 more weeks until my next scan and we will find out if it's a boy or a girl, I'll try not to cry again haha.


----------



## ttc126

Sarah I had that kind of moment yesterday.... woke up with horrible cramps. Went to the Dr and saw baby &#10084; it's little heart was 105bpm so a little slow but fine for where we're at. I'll get to peak again Thursday.


----------



## Nita2806

I think I am going to cry as well Sarah - I am so nervous and can't wait for the 2 weeks to go by.

Its so weird how the symptoms comes and goes, this morning my boobs werent sore at all, but this afternoon they hurt pretty bad. Potato chips...omw, it upset my tummy, made me nauseous and gave me heartburn. I usually have no problems eating potato chips.

TTC - so glad you got to see baby and that everything is alright. Goodluck at your next appointment. :hugs:


----------



## ttc126

Nita I'm the same! Symptoms fluctuate throughout the day.... I wake up feeling gross then I'm ok. Or opposite. Sometimes I'll eat something that sounds good then I'll feel awful after!!!! When is your first appt????


----------



## Nita2806

ttc126 said:


> Nita I'm the same! Symptoms fluctuate throughout the day.... I wake up feeling gross then I'm ok. Or opposite. Sometimes I'll eat something that sounds good then I'll feel awful after!!!! When is your first appt????

Only on the 27th, then I should be somewhere between 8 and 9 weeks. Officially less than 2 weeks to go.

I think I am getting ms in my stomach instead of the nausea, one moment I am constipated, next I have diarrhea. I woke up feeling fine this morning, now I just feel so blegh.I read that ms can start anytime between 2-8 weeks after implantation, so I shouldnt count myself as lucky for not vomiting yet haha


----------



## SweetPea3200

I haven't actually thrown up yet either so that's lucky! But I've ran to the toilet a few times. DH and I were taking about having three kids but dealing with LO and MS is making me reconsider


----------



## sarah2211

Haha I think after all we've been through a few tears when we see the scan is quite alright. Exciting TTC, I'm glad you got to see the heart beat. When will you see it again? I read they like it to be over 120 when you're around 7weeks. 

Nita that sounds quite normal. Bad days are horrible but the good days make you scared that something's wrong. I vomited quite a bit but found the all day nausea was the worst. If you're losing weight or not getting enough fluid in, speak to your doctor. 

I'm 99% sure I felt some kicks the past few days!


----------



## SweetPea3200

sarah that's so exciting! The kicks are the best :)

I definitely agree that the all-day nausea is the absolute worst. I'm having quite a pity-party for myself lately and with LO still sorta sick he's been waking me up constantly at night. Feel like I need a vacation for the next ten weeks or so until this awful MS passes!


----------



## Khearts

Hello everyone!! 

I was diagnosed with PCOS about 6 years ago and boy has it been a struggle. I managed to lose a ton of weight after 6 failed clomid cycles on 150mg. After I lost the weight, we tried another 6 cycles but again, it was a failure. The doctor said I ovulated but my progesterone was so low I couldn't maintain a pregnancy. 

Fast forward those six months and I was placed on femara after my doctor pretty much said she would need to refer me to a very expensive specialist. I opted to try the femara. I ovulated on 2.5mg, but my levels were still low. I was upped to 5mg which was better! 

So for the last few years I have been getting poked every month for progesterone levels and taking hpt that were always, always negative. 

This month was my second to last chance on femara before my doctor was giving up on me. I was heartbroken. All I ever wanted was to complete our family. We have both had the most difficult time being happy for friends who were expecting, and even walking through a store that had baby clothes. We couldn't even build up the strength to meet our nephew until he had been a few weeks old. It killed me every single day. 

But..last Tuesday I found out I'm pregnant after 6 long years of tears!! I'm almost 6 weeks and I still can't believe it. My first appointment is Tuesday!! &#128147;


----------



## ttc126

sarah2211 said:


> Haha I think after all we've been through a few tears when we see the scan is quite alright. Exciting TTC, I'm glad you got to see the heart beat. When will you see it again? I read they like it to be over 120 when you're around 7weeks.

I went back today! Baby grew and heart rate was up to 129!!!!! So happy! I'll go back next Wednesday and every week until I get transferred to the OB around 10 weeks. I hope and pray everything keeps going well. This is a long awaited rainbow.

Sarah congrats on feeling kicks!!! 

Sweat pea I'm sorry you're so sick! Mines really ramped up too. Nice to be reassured but hard to deal with especially with other little ones to care for.

Khearts!!!! Huge congratulations &#10084;&#10084;&#10084; When are you due??? Welcome and I'm so happy for you &#10084;


----------



## Four2Five

:wave: Hi ladies! Just wanted to pop in here and say hi! Hoping to join you all in the next week ;) Currently on my 3rd round of Clomid, 100mg and finally O'd *i think* Both of my dd are Clomid babies :yipee: and hopefully this next little one will be too <3


----------



## ttc126

Yay Four!!!! Hope to see you here next week!


----------



## Nita2806

Kheart, wow! Congratz on the BFP and welcome to the threat. :hugs:

Yay, Four, looking forward in having you here.

Sarah, those kicks must be super amazing! Enjoy them.

Just a little over a week to go now till my appointment...hope time goes by quickly.


----------



## sarah2211

Khearts, congratulations! 6 years is a long time, I can't even begin to imagine how hard that must of been. You so deserve this! 

Sweet pea, I hope you get a break from the nausea, that was the worst of all. Fingers crossed it passes soon. I started feeling better at 9-10 weeks which was much earlier than I was expecting. 

TTC, yay! 129 is a nice strong HB. You must be so happy! 

Four2five I hope we see you here next week! Fingers crossed for you! 

Nita, that has gone quickly!! I always felt like time dragged but it's going fast for your pregnancy! Haha


----------



## Khearts

Thank you guys so much!! Little pea is due 11/11, and what a lucky due date! I am terrified of a miscarriage but I'm trying to be strong and hope for the best. The waiting has been pure torture!!


----------



## SweetPea3200

Kheart that's amazing! I'm so happy you finally got your BFP. My fingers are crossed for a happy and healthy pregnancy for you. 

Thanks for the sympathy ladies, it's really getting me down. Probably going to end up on diclectin again which i was hoping to avoid. But i just can't seem to function

Sarah I'm glad you hear yours went away earlier than expected. Gives me hope!


----------



## sarah2211

That's very exciting Hearts. It's hard not to worry about miscarriage. There's a site that gives you your percentage of miscarriage each each day. It helped to reassure me. Have you had your progesterone checked? Women with PCOS can have low progesterone in pregnancy which can cause miscarriages. 

Sweet pea, fingers crossed yours goes away quickly!


----------



## Nita2806

Khearts, its very hard not to worry about MC, but you know what, you cant do much to prevent it, so I have decided instead of worrying, I will just enjoy it. I will however keep on praying atleast a 100 times a day that I dont have a MC or MMC, but I know if I do, it wont be my fault. 

I actually am just so anxious to get my my first scan done, I want to know that baby is OK, and its horrible that they are making me wait till 8 weeks lol. 

In other news, we had sushi, the ones with avo and cooked prawns, I thought there was something wrong with it bc it tasted horrible, DH reassured me that it was good like always and theres nothing wrong with it. So totally off from sushi now, hello first food aversion.


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, you're right about the MC. There's not much you can do to avoid it. If your doctor has checked your progesterone levels and they're ok then you just have to take it easy. Avoid overheating, if your shower or bath makes your skin red after, it's too hot. 

When you have your scan and hear the heartbeat the chance of a MC drops quite low. There are heaps of statistics online. They really reassured me. I also tried to remind myself that at pretty much every point in my pregnancy from about week 5-6, the chance of bringing home our baby was greater than the chance of losing it. And like Nita said, I tried to enjoy it. Firstly because you're pregnant now and we should all be thankful for that but also, you will never get another first trimester with this baby. You will never get to think that your baby is currently growing all its limbs and organs. 

And Nita, it's best to avoid sushi in pregnancy. The rice can carry listeria! Have you all looked into the foods that aren't safe in pregnancy? I've been pretty strict because I don't want to take any risks. A ham sandwich isn't worth contracting listeria and losing the baby.


----------



## Nita2806

Luckily the place we buy sushi from has very high quality food, bee buying from them for years and I know a few women who ate sushi from them during pregnancy, however since it tasted horrible, we wont be having it anytime soon again.

I did a ton of research on what to eat and what not, most foods I eat is safe, thank goodness. I dont eat ham or any cold meats for example. BUT I need to cut out Raw meat. Iys going to be tough and so far it has been, sinve raw meat is a very very big thing here and I grew up eating it every day. Asking DH to braai my steak well done breaks my heart. And in the part of south africa I stay in, if you ask for welldone steak at a restuarant they laugh at you. But baby makes it all worth while, he/she now comes first.


----------



## sarah2211

Yeah if it's a good quality place with a high turn over plus the rice is fresh and your ingredients are cooked it should be ok. You might find that your adversions disappear a little later. I found it really hard to eat vegetables and meat in the first trimester. I couldn't walk past the meat section in the supermarket and definitely couldn't prepare it. I lived on bread, crackers, pasta and stewed apples. But now I could eat most foods with no problem. I ordered lamb the other day and asked for it well done, it feels like an insult to the animal haha. It'll all be worth it. 

I was pretty strict in the first trimester but I'm eating a little more now in the second but still avoiding lunch meat (unless it's hot) and prepackaged salads. Each country has their own guidelines. Some places say runny yolks when you have eggs is ok but here it says they need to be firm.


----------



## Nita2806

I think it all depends at where you buy the food, we have dodgy supermarkets and then high quality super markets. Although I have never really been picky where I buy my food, I only go the the places with high quality, even if it means paying a bit more.

My mom always order her meat welldone, and they always laugh at her and make fun of her (incl myself) South Africans dont do welldone. I think ill jist do chicken or fish, those have to done very well done :) I am going to miss those bloody and fatty pieces of meat a lot.


----------



## ttc126

Khearts, I have had multiple miscarriages and really there was just nothing that could've prevented it. The fear really gets me sometimes but all we can do is rest, drink water, and eat well. The rest is in Gods hands &#10084; The chances are also much greater of everything being fine than things going wrong. Even with my history I still am told my chances are 70% of bringing home a baby &#10084; Someone who's had no losses or just one has 95% chance. Just take it day by day &#10084;

Sarah and Nita I'm eating like a toddler. Only the most bland foods sound good Hahahaha! Sarah I'm like you I don't eat anything on the no no list. But I'm also concerned because we've had listeria found in ice cream, frozen berries and veggies, packs of salad lettuce, granola bars, and just yesterday I heard it was found in frozen pizza! So makes me quite nervous to eat so many things! I feel like it's becoming a big problem in the US!


----------



## Ask4joy

Hi ladies - as most of you already know I got a BFP less than 48 hours ago but all tests are very faint. Been spotting for 5 days and having lower back pain on my right side on and off...doesn't feel like the typical back pain I get the first 2 days of AF though...feels more muscular. I'm going to go into urgent care later this morning and ask for a blood test. Do you think they can check progesterone too? My OB is closed on the weekend.


----------



## ttc126

Ask I don't know! I know ER and urgent care will not do it here but you never know! I'm sorry you're having a tough time &#10084; I know how it is to be in limbo and just waiting to see what will happen. Deep breath.


----------



## Nita2806

Ask, I think it depends, asking them cant hurt, the labs here stay open 24 houts and will do it, but thats just where I am. Goodluck, I hope they will.


----------



## Ask4joy

My doctor faxed a lab request to the hospital and I'm currently waiting to be seen. Yay!


----------



## Nita2806

Yay, thats fantastic!! What will they be testing? How long before you get the results?


----------



## Ask4joy

Just hcg. Better than nothing I guess! My OB has never tested my progesterone. She said the most recent research found no reduced miscarriage rate with progesterone supplementation so they don't test it anymore. My RE also didn't test it.

I won't get results until Monday I think when my doctor's office is open.


----------



## ttc126

Yay I'm so excited!!!!! Hope you get the results quickly!

And your doctor is right about progesterone. It's usually a symptom of a failing pregnancy not a cause. I'm taking it because it helps me relax but I clearly know it won't stop the worst from occurring.


----------



## sarah2211

Good luck Ask. Keeping everything crossed for you. 

TTC haha eating like a toddler. I was like that for most of the first trimester. I figured none of the food stuff would be a problem because I couldn't even bare to look at it let alone eat it. But most of my adversions have gone now. 

Nita, most food here is of high quality too but we've recently had a listeria outbreak in bagged salad. I'm being quite careful. I think infertility does that to you :(


----------



## Ask4joy

Another CP :cry:...hoping clomid + IUI will help our chances next cycle. We can obviously get pregnant...


----------



## Nita2806

Hoping to see you soon back here ask :hugs: goodluvk on the next cycle. 

Afm - today is one of those, I am feeling pregnant, days. My boobs are extremely sore, so much so that I had to sit done and not walk as that made it worse. Feeling super bad nausea, and heartburn from every thing! I tried ginger ale, well that didnt do much. How is everyone feeling today?


----------



## ttc126

I'm sorry again Ask &#10084; I know the frustration and pain all too well. I'm here if you need anything. 

I guess I'm a little apprehensive of my symptoms. I had extreme sickness with my healthy boys and none with my losses. Well I had some pretty good nausea three days ago then yesterday nothing. Then today slight slight nausea but nothing major. I don't know if this means something has gone wrong again.


----------



## sarah2211

I'm sorry Ask, hopefully we will see you here soon. 

I'm sorry Nita, it's no fun. People kept reminding me that it meant the baby was growing and me feeling sick was a good thing. Honestly it didn't help to hear that haha. 

I'm feeling ok. Pretty tired. Mondays are always hard. My tummy is growing and feeling little kicks. I'm getting really sick of hearing everyone's advice about pregnancy and motherhood. It's like everyone is an expert but really if you looked at their children... I wouldn't be so sure about accepting their advice!


----------



## SweetPea3200

Sorry to hear that Ask:( FX for you for next cycle!

ttc I'm sorry you're worried about your symptoms. I think it's pretty common for them to come and go so I'd think that any nausea would be a good sign!

Sarah, I can't wait for the kicking! It's the best. I totally get what you're saying, I'm so glad it's my second time around so people usually aren't as loud with their advice. It's so strange that people will just blatantly tell you what to do even though you didn't ask their opinion at all.

Still feeling absolute crap. Looking forward to getting my diclectin prescription tomorrow. Hopefully that will get me through the day!


----------



## sarah2211

The kicks are very exciting. I felt lots last night. I have to be sitting really still and it needs to be quite quiet to notice them. It is weird when you didn't ask for advice but everyone thinks they're an expert. When really I know what their children are like, I don't know why they're giving out advice. 

TTC, it's definitely normal for them to come and go. It's unnerving though. I read that your hormones surge and then your body gets use to them and you feel ok and then they surge again. Enjoy feeling ok if you can because usually it doesn't last!

Man I had the worst sleep last night. Tossing and turning and getting bad cramps in my legs. I've gone from being able to sleep 12+ hours very easily to not being able to get more than 2-3 hours a night. I'm exhausted.


----------



## ttc126

Sarah how fun to feel kicks!!!!!! &#128525; How are your shots going? When's your next appointment? I'm sorry you aren't sleeping. I get insomnia when pregnant too. Get some extra rest when you can! 

SweetPea I'm glad you're getting something for your sickness &#10084; I hope it helps quickly!

And you're both so right. The sickness was back with a vengeance today. So thankful. Because I was worried my doc let me have another look at baby. Heart beat was 136 and baby has grown a lot! Praying everything stays good &#10084;


----------



## SweetPea3200

That's so amazing ttc! So glad your doc is understanding and you don't have to worry too much. I bet everything will stay great. 

Sarah not sleeping is so hard! I think i become a crazy person when I don't get enough. And yeah I know some people with kids who really shouldn't be doling out advice too.


----------



## sarah2211

TTC, it's very exciting. I've only told my DH because I have felt them earlier than they say so people will probably say I'm fibbing. I have an appointment tomorrow afternoon with the 'medical doctor' (that's what my OB called him). Basically we don't have a rheumatologist here but he's meant to know more about Lupus than the OB and it's his call whether I stay on or come off the injections. I'm keeping my fingers crossed he says I can come off them. Then I have the GTT on Friday, midwife next Thursday and then the obstetrician again in a few weeks. I'm sorry that the sickness is back but exciting to hear the heartbeat. If the old wives tales are anything to go by, that heart rate indicates a boy. 

In terms of the sleeping, I have a few nights where I get a great sleep and then a few where it's terrible. My DH says that I'm just so happy and glowing and excited whether I've had lots of no sleep. I feel like I'm partly running on adrenaline. Since I hit about 12 weeks, I have never felt so happy and so well ever. I have more energy than pre-pregnancy. 

Tonight, my friend announced her pregnancy, due in July. I went to Uni with her and her boyfriend and her boyfriend now works with my DH. The announcement said that the baby "slipped past what we thought were pretty solid defences". They were planning to break up at the end of the year when he moved for work. Even though I'm pregnant, reading that still feels like a kick in the guts. Some of us have had it so hard to get to this point.


----------



## ttc126

I definitely am happy to be sick. It's so worrying to feel totally fine. I'm laughing at myself though because I feel horrible and I didn't enjoy any time of feeling ok. :rofl: It's funny you mention the wives tale. Both my boys heart rates were much much higher at 7 weeks lol! I do kind of hope for another boy though. They're so much fun I just love it! What are you hoping for? 

I totally believe you on the kicks and movement. I felt my oldest early too. People said "no its gas you won't feel him till 24 weeks" but it was no gas &#128514;

I'm so glad to hear you have lots of energy. Your dh is so sweet. Have you taken any bump pictures? I hope all of your upcoming appointments go well!

How annoying of your friend. Some people take it so for granted that it was easy to conceive and easy to make it to their due date. They don't understand what infertility hell is like. I think I'll always be extra sensitive after what I've been through. Rainbow baby or not!


----------



## Nita2806

Hi ladies, checking in to share this facebook post with you, hope the link works and you can read it..

https://www.facebook.com/mummymumbles/posts/1145200335553837:0


----------



## sarah2211

TTC haha I was the same. Too worried about not feeling sick to enjoy not feeling sick. I think that's completely normal though. My heartbeat at 7 weeks was 120 and at 12 weeks it was 155. At the midwife on the doppler it was 150. I'm not sure if there's any truth to it. I feel like I'm having a boy and I'm hoping for a boy. Im 17 weeks today and only 3 weeks and 5 days until the scan. 

Thanks for believing me about the kicks haha. I can see why people could confuse it as gas though. It feels a little bit like that but I think because I'm pretty aware of what my body is doing I can feel them. Plus I can wake the baby up and sometimes get the kicks on cue haha. 

We've taken a few bump pictures but honestly most days I just look normal or fat. The other night I was lying on the couch and it fully looked like a pregnant belly but I woke up the next morning and it was gone. 

Yep, I guess if you don't know how hard infertility and miscarriages are you probably aren't going to be sensitive about it. 

Cute link Nita! 

I had my doctors appointment yesterday and because I don't have antiphospholipid syndrome I MAY get to stop the injections. The doctor didn't think I needed them but said it was up to my obstetrician. At my appointment with her a few weeks ago she said that if this doctor said I could stop them then we would see. I've got to keep going until I see her next in a months time, but fingers crossed!!


----------



## sarah2211

I had my glucose tolerance test today and vomited half an hour after drinking the stuff. So the test is invalid. Ugh! Torture :(


----------



## Piper183

Hi Ladies!

Just wanted to say "Congratulations" to all of you! I'm currently in the 3rd trimester of a Clomid pregnancy & everything is going well! :happydance:


----------



## Nita2806

Hi ladies, sorry Ive been MIA for a while. Been having intense diarrhea and had to keep of the internet or else I might have gone crazy. Took some ginger today and although I still have some bad stomach cramps the diarrhea stopped. Seeing my OB tomorow and hopefully everything will be OK.

Sarah, I am sorry the test didnt go too well, will you be doing it again?

Hope everyone else is doing OK?


----------



## ttc126

Nita I feel so bad for you! I know that's how some women get morning sick... out the other end! Feel better soon!


----------



## sarah2211

Welcome Piper, feel free to stay and chat. I'm second trimester but was in the TTC board with a few of these ladies. Congrats on your pregnancy. Do you know what you're having?

Nita, I'm sorry things have been so rough. I can't believe how quickly your appointment has come around. I was looking at your ticker the other day and couldn't believe you already have a peanut M&M! Growing so fast. 

I text my midwife to tell her that I vomited and failed the test and she said "oh no, I hope you're ok now. We will have to look at repeating the test". But I've spoken to my sister in law who is a midwife and she said its early to be testing and really I'm not at huge risk of GD so ask for the Polycose (just 1 hour and no fasting) rather than the GTT. 

My bump seems to have grown overnight and I love it. Last night the baby was moving so much. DH still can't feel the movements though. 

Going baby shopping after work with mum!


----------



## Nita2806

Thanks Sarah & TTC - there is also a stomach bug in the air again, so I feel about 10 times worse today. I am hopeful that my OB will me that there is something that I can take to make it better, but I also know they usually give antibiotics which I can't take. I am taking a Probiotic too which I hope will help. Think I will have some ginger again tonight to help my stomach stop a bit, even just for a few hours again.

I am so happy to hear about your bump Sarah - have you started wearing maternity clothes yet?


----------



## ttc126

Sarah I hope you had fun baby shopping!!!! You're almost halfway!

Nita your appointment is soon right???? Good luck!


----------



## Nita2806

Hi ladies, just an update after my appointment. Baby is meassuring about what it should, nice strong heartbeat, doctor didnt tell me how fast though. And she is giving me progesterone until I am 12 weeks, she says its just for incase, as clomid can mess with my hormones, especially the dose I took. She did a pap smear as well, which hurt a lot, and I have some bleeding now, but she said it had to be done. But all in all, we are happy with the progress and cant wait for our next scan at 12 weeks.
 



Attached Files:







SmartSelectImage_2017-03-27-17-35-33.jpg
File size: 43.7 KB
Views: 5


----------



## ttc126

Congratulations &#10084;


----------



## sarah2211

Yay so exciting Nita!! Your chance of a miscarriage has dropped heaps by hearing the heartbeat. I hope you enjoyed it and can relax a little! 

Yup, I've been wearing maternity jeans since about week 13. It was weird, my old jeans didn't fit then but around week 14-15 they did because my uterus moved up. Now I don't even bother with my old jeans my bump has become quite obvious. 

I also worked out why I keep waking in the middle of the night. It's because I'm hungry! I woke up this morning at 4am and ate some cereal and went straight back to sleep.

And mum and I had a great time shopping. We have heaps of baby stuff now. It's so exciting. Crazy to think I'm nearly half way!! So exciting :)


----------



## Nita2806

Thanks TTc and Sarah, it was amazing to see the heartbeat and to see our little monkey move (my OB actually waited for little one to move so we can see it)

Totally jealous at your Bump @sarah, I have lost enough weight so I cant even see my bloat bump anymore. With the added Progesterone it does feel like I am becoming comstipated again lol, so might have a bloat bump soon again.

So happy you had fun baby shopping. We are trying to wait until 12 weeks, but my father in law is already looking at camp cots, and my fingers are itching to start buying things and getting the baby room ready.


----------



## sarah2211

How exciting. We saw ours move at 7 weeks too. It looked like a sea monkey haha. It started to feel a lot more real after the scan. 

Your bump will come! I lost about 10lb initially and now I'm about 3lb heavier than I was when I conceived. You'll get your bump really soon! It's hard to wait for it. But unless I'm wearing tight tops or the wind blows my top back I can still hide it pretty well. I'm glad I didn't need progesterone, hopefully it's not like provera!

Haha yes we waited until after 12 weeks to go shopping. I was so scared about a MMC that I wasn't going to buy anything until after that scan. Now I've gone a little bit crazy haha.


----------



## ttc126

Nita the progesterone constipates me too. It's not horrible just annoying. I drink prune juice when I'm not too sick and it really helps. The discharge isn't bad (you're doing vaginal?) and side effects are very mild. I hope you find it to be as tolerable as I have. 

Sarah how fun!!!!! You're getting to the super exciting part! Are you finding out boy or girl? What do you think you're having? 

Nita what do you think? I assume boy since that's what I'm used to, but I feel totally different. Im craving milk like crazy. And only like popsicles.


----------



## Nita2806

The Progesterone is a lot like Provera, just a bit worse, and I am not taking it once every day for 10 days, but twice everyday for 30 days. I am takimg it orally, thats how my OB prescribed it. The side effects only last 3 hours though, it makes me sleepy and extremely dizzy, but I now take it at 7pm and 2am so I get the side effects when I sleep. Fatique is also way worse, as can be expected from Prog and my boobs are 10 times more sore especially the few hours after I take it. Really cant wait for the 30 days to go by quickly, on day 3 already atleast.

Ttc, lots of boys in our families, so we feel this moght be a boy too. However we wont mind if its a boy though.


----------



## sarah2211

TTC, I'm so excited! We will be finding out if it's a boy or a girl. I feel like it's a boy but I really don't know. I'm hoping it's a boy because I have bought some clothes, mostly gender neutral but more boyish than girlie haha. 

Nita, that sucks! Provera is the worst. I'm glad you're taking it at night time and can sleep through the side effects. 

P.S. for anyone following the other thread, I do not think we should have to hide our tickers or signatures. We have been through infertility, medications, stress and tests and deserve to be happy and share our news. I understand it's hard for those who are still TTC to see but when they also get their BFPs, we will be happy for them too.


----------



## Nita2806

sarah2211 said:


> TTC, I'm so excited! We will be finding out if it's a boy or a girl. I feel like it's a boy but I really don't know. I'm hoping it's a boy because I have bought some clothes, mostly gender neutral but more boyish than girlie haha.
> 
> Nita, that sucks! Provera is the worst. I'm glad you're taking it at night time and can sleep through the side effects.
> 
> P.S. for anyone following the other thread, I do not think we should have to hide our tickers or signatures. We have been through infertility, medications, stress and tests and deserve to be happy and share our news. I understand it's hard for those who are still TTC to see but when they also get their BFPs, we will be happy for them too.

Big thumbs up for this post! Thank you - after all we have been through we should not be hiding our happiness. Everyone will get their chance and I am sure they will feel the same way when they get here :hugs:


----------



## ttc126

I do feel bad if it's hurting anyone over there. I am just sad too because it's not like we haven't been through hell and I think it's easy to forget that. Every day i still worry and am so unsure after all of my losses so I was maybe more active than usually would've been because I know full well I have a good dang chance of ending up right back there at any time. 
I do hate if it hurts people.


----------



## Nita2806

TTC - I understand that it may hurt them but both Sarah and I have struggled to get pregnant for a long time. I feel that both of us had our fair share of Clomid, Provera, ttc stress and Hellova long cycles. However, a miracle happened to us, and even though I also worry about baby every day, asking me to hide it just isn't fair. I feel like I can help others with the same problem (not ovulating and needing Clomid) - and I do want too, as I also needed that 6 months ago. Nonetheless, I have decided not to post there any further, as I don't want to upset anyone. I just hope the women who needs help on there, get the answers they need. :hugs:


----------



## Ask4joy

Wow...talk about insensitivity. Ladies - we ARE happy for you. It's not about resentment, or envy or jealousy. We are hurting from our own struggles and losses. I don't think it's appropriate to be sharing your pregnancy status and ultrasound photos in a ttc/infertility thread days after one of the active members has miscarried. It's simply in bad taste. Sarah - have you already forgotten the pain you experienced with your early loss? The private message you sent me asking how on earth you could get through it? Or talking about how difficult it is being a teacher of young children while experiencing struggles conceiving? Nita - have you forgotten your sentiments about hearing about everyone else's pregnancies while you were ttc and how that was painful for you? I'm sure it's easy to forget but please try to be sensitive.


----------



## Nita2806

I am sorry you feel that way ask, however, this thread is open to anyone to read, so we truly didnt gossip. I havent forgotten the pain of strugling, however, I am not going to keep holding on to it. I was purely updatting the other thread to help other ladies who are worried about multiples and progesterone, yes I changed my photo to my U/s (I wasnt sharing it on there however) because its the most amzing moment for me. Asking me to hide my pregnancy just because I want to help others, is very insensitive and I am sorry you feel that way, but honestly, I too have lost respect for some ladies in your thread, especially those wanting me to hide my pregnancy. I wish you all the best, but I wont participate in your thread any longer.


----------



## Norelisa

Ask4joy said:


> Wow...talk about insensitivity. Ladies - we ARE happy for you. It's not about resentment, or envy or jealousy. We are hurting from our own struggles and losses. I don't think it's appropriate to be sharing your pregnancy status and ultrasound photos in a ttc/infertility thread days after one of the active members has miscarried. It's simply in bad taste. Sarah - have you already forgotten the pain you experienced with your early loss? The private message you sent me asking how on earth you could get through it? Or talking about how difficult it is being a teacher of young children while experiencing struggles conceiving? Nita - have you forgotten your sentiments about hearing about everyone else's pregnancies while you were ttc and how that was painful for you? I'm sure it's easy to forget but please get off of your high horse. And gossiping about it in another thread? Come on. I've lost a lot of respect.

Nita and Sarah, I am a little sad to read this too.. I mean, I am happy for you, but have you forgotten what it was like already? :nope: I mean, if you already forgot, maybe that is a good thing.. Not saying you should go around feeling bad.. all that was suggested was to maybe use a spoiler on your ticker.. because it is hard to see peoples "baby sizes" when one has, like the two of you, tried for a long looong time.. I don't know you in real life, but I didn't think you would forget how hard it was when ttc....


----------



## wrapunzel

Ladies, it hurts everyone when you fight, even those of us just watching from the "New Posts" section. Be kind and understanding to each other. 

Ask, I think you (and anyone else in your position) need to take responsibility for protecting yourself. The Clomid thread is in the regular TTC board. It is NOT in a clearly marked safe space. Start a thread over in Assisted Conception or LTTTC with clear rules for sharing BFP/scans/etc if you need a proper safe space. 

From another perspective, I found miscarriage stories deeply upsetting when I was newly pregnant because my mother had 10+ angels before I stuck, and I really appreciated the forum I was using requiring "trigger warnings" on those posts.


----------



## Nita2806

Nore, as I have said in my previous comment, I have not forgotton but refuse to hold onto it, I will enjoy every moment of my pregnancy, and I believe I am entitled to do so. I have removed my subscription to the other thread, as my posts are clearly upsetting. I wish you however the best and I am sure you will all get your BFP soon, and I hope you do :D


----------



## wrapunzel

And how far does this go? If you were all friends in real life, would you stop seeing each other to avoid the bump? If you did decide to stop seeing a pregnant friend, it would be YOUR decision made to protect YOU and you would not expect your friend to decide on her own to stop letting you see her bump


----------



## Nita2806

wrapunzel said:


> Ladies, it hurts everyone when you fight, even those of us just watching from the "New Posts" section. Be kind and understanding to each other.
> 
> Ask, I think you (and anyone else in your position) need to take responsibility for protecting yourself. The Clomid thread is in the regular TTC board. It is NOT in a clearly marked safe space. Start a thread over in Assisted Conception or LTTTC with clear rules for sharing BFP/scans/etc if you need a proper safe space.
> 
> From another perspective, I found miscarriage stories deeply upsetting when I was newly pregnant because my mother had 10+ angels before I stuck, and I really appreciated the forum I was using requiring "trigger warnings" on those posts.

Thank you for this post. I really appreciate it.


----------



## Four2Five

I honestly don't mind the tickers or anything...I have been TTC a total of 10 years and had two dd so maybe I don't count...but I plan to follow both threads as I am TTC and I do love watching Nita and TTC and the other ladies pregnancies. I personally feel like when you've walked this journey with a friend for so long that you have a bond that only women with infertility can understand and the support should continue through pregnancy as well. I have appreciated everyone's answers and support through my journey. I hate to see everyone torn like this but I will follow both threads <3


----------



## Norelisa

Four2Five said:


> I honestly don't mind the tickers or anything...I have been TTC a total of 10 years and had two dd so maybe I don't count...but I plan to follow both threads as I am TTC and I do love watching Nita and TTC and the other ladies pregnancies. I personally feel like when you've walked this journey with a friend for so long that you have a bond that only women with infertility can understand and the support should continue through pregnancy as well. I have appreciated everyone's answers and support through my journey. I hate to see everyone torn like this but I will follow both threads <3

I did not mind until the TTC thread had more active users with BFPs than TTC;) I dont have ANY children and found it strangely upsetting to see so many people talking about it, so much so that I could not bear reading the thread for over a month.. 

How about having this thread for asking for advise, and keep the TTC board for TTCers? Obviously super happy for BFPs there, but boy, did it hit hard seeing so many at once getting their BFPs when we have been trying for 1.5years.. 

And for those who have not been part of the other group, sorry to barge in here... I am clearly NOT pregnant..


----------



## Ask4joy

No point in continuing to argue. We don't see eye to eye and that's fine. I undestand how quickly the pain disappears when you get that BFP and how life-changing it is in an instant.


----------



## Nita2806

I think we have all said what we wanted. Anyone is welcome to the thread, whether asking for advice, just lurking or sharing their pregnancy updates. I think it is quite clear that the other thread be only for those still TTC and I respect that. 

Ask, it may just be my hormones but I cried when I read about your MC, it was soo hard to read that. And I honestly hope you dont have to go through it again, I know you are angry and upset right now, you have all the right to be. 

I would love to post some pregnancy updates again without it upsetting anyone, as that is what this thread was intended for. Hope to see it grow from the TTC board.

Sorry to everyone who found my comments uosetting or insensitive, it was not my intention :hugs:


----------



## Ask4joy

Thank you, Nita. I really appreciate that.

I am sorry for being so reactive and do not want to lose any of you as my ttc friends! I will be checking in on this thread from time to time when I'm in the right frame of mind!

Wishing all of you ladies a h&h 9 months.


----------



## Nita2806

Ask4joy said:


> Thank you, Nita. I really appreciate that.
> 
> I am sorry for being so reactive and do not want to lose any of you as my ttc friends! I will be checking in on this thread from time to time when I'm in the right frame of mind!
> 
> Wishing all of you ladies a h&h 9 months.

:hugs:<3


----------



## Four2Five

I love you all <3 So proud of the apologies and the forgiveness :hug:


----------



## sarah2211

Wow... due to time zones I'm only just reading this all now. 

I didn't mean to open a can of worms, which is why I said this on this thread, rather in the TTC ones. 

Trust me Ask, I have not and could not ever forget the pain of miscarrying or infertility. I find that offensive you even think that I have. As Nita said, we went through months and months of long cycles, provera, metformin, Clomid, appointments and tests. We struggled to get to this point and I'll tell you that for me, every day of my pregnancy is a struggle. Not that you want to hear this (but hey we are in our safe thread over here) but I'm particularly high risk, have to give myself daily injections and have a number of a specialists I see regularly. I am allowed to share that my baby is the size of a large McDonald fries. I'm allowed to be excited that I am still pregnant, I haven't had a blood clot or my kidneys are failing me this week. I don't come and share information about the scans or feeling the baby move over there. We shared relevant information (number of babies on the dose we were on, needing progesterone etc) 

Also, like Nita said, when we have come back to the TTC thread it's been to offer support, encouragement and advice around the medication we have been on and are mostly all taking. Nita and I have both had experience of the side effects, what helps and what we did to gain success. For us, we didn't ovulate so unsurprisingly we had success on Clomid and we shouldn't be expected to hide or apology for that fact. 

Reading these posts and the ones in the TTC thread (which like someone pointed out isn't a "safe space". I have even continued to chat in the LTTTC Clomid thread along with others who have their BFP and have been nothing but supported) make me feel really sad. We were all able to get along and support each other when we were all TTC but now that we have had success it's feels as though we are no longer welcome. There is not a limited number of BFPs or babies in this world. Just because we have had success doesn't mean you can't and won't. It's not possible to block out every pregnant women in the world and it hurts to know you have ill feelings towards us after we have struggled. 

Like Nita, I'll be saying goodbye to the other TTC thread. Hopefully some day soon we will see you here and this will all be a distant and forgotten memory.


----------



## BelleNuit

Hey there, I know this has largely been resolved. I am very pleased that a new forum was created in the LTTTC board with guidelines regarding pregnancy updates and tickers. It is clear that this is a sensitive issue for many. 

I want to clear the air. I am not jealous or envious that anybody has received a BFP. I am happy for you ladies :) You are the success stories and you should share the good news and revel in your pregnancies.... in the appropriate space. 

That said, I do need to protect myself, and the constant reminders of what you have and what I don't hurts, badly. For me its not a matter of "when I get pregnant."* I truly wonder if I will EVER get pregnant*, and that is what makes the pregnancy updates and tickers so difficult to bear, especially in what should be a safe space. Frankly I don't know if I will ever be able to join you ladies here. If I am ever as lucky as you all are and do end up pregnant, your babies will probably all already be born and you will have moved on lol

I am happy that if I want I can check here for updates about how you are doing. This way I can prepare myself mentally for it ahead of time. The random updates and tickers in that old thread were difficult to tolerate because I couldn't prepare myself for it. 

I think if you want to offer support to those who are still ttc over in the new LTTTC board then go ahead! Just be mindful, use a spoiler button for your ticker for that post, or put up a trigger warning loud and clear so that people who need to protect themselves can a little easier. If you want to share a pregnancy update over in that forum put it in a spoiler tab (personally I would hope that no pregnancy updates would be made over there, since this lovely forum exists here!). Yes we are asking you to do more work, but that is because you are in a position of privilege :) Enjoy it!

I hope that everyone has had a chance to say their piece and that we can all move on!


----------



## Nita2806

I believe all have been said, and both threads can go on as ussual. Let's move on now..

Besides all that has been said, how is everyone feeling? I am starting to get headaches from the Prog but atleast the dizziness seems to be better. My ticker should switch over to 9weeks today :D I cant wait for each week to go by to see what baby looks like in the next week.


----------



## sarah2211

I really feel for you Nita, being on progesterone. I felt terrible with the normal amounts of progesterone in my body. I hope you can rest. 

I've been having a hard time with work and them being unreasonable with my medical appointments. My midwife wasn't happy and believes I'm medically unfit to be working currently and wants me to finish up now. So we will see. I might finish up in the next few months anyway.


----------



## Nita2806

I am looking forward to get the next month over and done with, I think I will feel like a brand new person once I stop the Prog :D Whenever I feel really bad or down, I look at our U/S image and just know it will all be worth it in the end.

Sorry about your work being so horrible, if they don't give you the leave you need, then leave them, it will be their loss anyway ;)


----------



## sarah2211

I bet you will. Some days I have more energy than prepregnancy. Maybe that's just me though because for some people, Lupus disappears during pregnancy. But I have days where I get bursts of energy. That kicked in around week 13-14. Yup it'll all be worth it for our little monkeys. 

Yeah I'll sort out the work business. It'll suck to not be earning money but it will be better than being unwell and risking my health even further. 

It's all really quite depressing though. DH and I wanted 3-4 children and I was considering being a surrogate for my sister in law but it feels like pregnancy is putting such a strain on my body. I'm under specialists and having this and that test and medication. I had an appointment last week with the rheumatologist who basically said if my blood tests come back positive like they have been, I'll be back on Plaquenil (Lupus drug) at my next appointment and on methotrexate (chemotherapy) after the baby is born. The tests all came back positive and I'm waiting to see how my kidneys are doing. My blood pressure is high and I'll probably have to be medicated for that. 

I'm so grateful to be pregnant and have our baby growing but my health is suffering big time. 


But on a happy note, you have a tater tot Nita and I have a tall frappe!


----------



## Nita2806

I agree - risking your health and the pregnancy, is just not worth it. It is very important now that your health (for the baby) and the baby comes first. Do you think you would still go on and have 3 - 4? I guess, it depends how the rest of your pregnancy goes :hugs:

To be completely honest - your monkey looks really good, although I don't do coffee :haha: I saw a picture of a kit kat lasagna on another thread, and oh my gosh, it looks amazing. 

I am working flexi time at work now, to help me get more rest - but my boss is insisting I tell everyone at the office, I don't mind, but there is this one lady.....she already drives me insane, I don't think I can handle her knowing and going on about it :shrug: I guess I can always tell her to mind her own business and just blame the hormones.

Had a visit at my dietitian again, and although my boobs didnt grow much in the last week (kind off dissapointing) my tummy is starting to grow about 2 - 3cm a week :thumbup: I am very short (1.5meter) so every little that I grow is clearly visable... it's exciting though to see the progress - I would highly recommend measuring your tummy once a week to see the progress :happydance:


----------



## ttc126

Nita I'm sorry you're having a hard time on progesterone. Maybe you should call your doctor and tell her? I do not feel that bad on mine. Of course I've been on it this whole time so maybe I'm just used to it....

Sarah, that's horrible your work is being such a pain! You don't need that extra stress! 

I'm just super worried over here as usual. I'm supposed to start weaning off my progesterone next week but I'm freaking out about that. I'm also really stressed between ultrasounds. I do feel sick most of the time which is reassuring but I'm just having a very hard time.


----------



## Nita2806

TTC - I think I may get used to it too, and its only 1 month (4 days already done and dusted). Isn't it a bit too early for you start weaning off the progesterone now? I have to take mine till week 12 until the placenta takes over. 

I am sorry you are having such a rough time between scans - but I just know that everything will go great for you :happydance:


----------



## ttc126

I do hope you get used to it! Also great idea you're taking it at night! Remember you can always insert the pills vaginally and there's much less side effects. 
My fertility clinic starts weaning you off at 9 weeks, depending on blood work levels and how everything is going. Your placenta actually starts to take over week 8-9 and by week 10 is fully functional. Some doctors say to stay on longer just to be safe, but I'll be monitored with blood work and my doctor is the best RE in the region. I trust him completely and honestly would rather go off while being monitored so closely by him than when I transfer to my OB in a couple weeks.
Thanks for all your encouragement &#10084; I know I need to relax but I just have a hard time! We may tell some close family on Saturday. I am nervous but hopefully it will be ok.


----------



## Nita2806

Ttc, I think I might be a but dramatic, before I took the Prog, I was feeling tired and fatique already, I think the prog make it a bit worse, but honestly, i wont have the worlds energy if I go off it. My OB doesnt take nonsense, I once went to her after getting sick on provera, and she said if you want a baby you gotta do these things, it wont be easy. Its almost weekend, and I plan to stay in bed and watch movies and series :D do you ladies have plans for the weekend?

Thats good news though that you will be monitored and get to go off the prog. I know telling you to relax is easy for me, but honestly, I too am stressed about baby, and I dont think it will stop, I felt relieved after my appointment on Monday, but I am super anxious all over again for the next one. However I do believe everything will work out for each of us. Its hard, but we need to stay positive and enjoy being pregnant :D


----------



## Nita2806

Oh, and regarding telling family, I think thats a great idea, and you need to do what feels right for you. I told family and friends after my scan on Monday and love the support I am getting, I dont regret it.


----------



## ttc126

I don't think you're dramatic. Pregnancy is just rough. I was on progesterone every luteal phase for 5 months and I hated it. Then I took a months break from it and I felt just as bad so it turns out i just hate PMS. :rofl: You're right you'd probably feel about the same off of it, but less constipated I bet hahaha!
Your weekend sounds lovely! My husband works weekends...12 hr shifts...so I'm on my own with my 3 and 2 year old. I feel bad because if I'm having a super sick day they watch lots of movies and tv. But hubby is off today and tomorrow so today I'm totally laying in bed and may just go do something fun like get my nails done. 
I'm glad you told after your scan! I'm nervous because last time we had to untell right after we told, but we can't live in fear right? Ha! Says the person who is scared 24/7. 
Do you find you feel too crappy to enjoy normal activities? Reading makes me nauseous lol and normally it's my favorite.


----------



## Nita2806

I totally feel dramatic haha, but I guess all I really want to do is sleep. I am luckily not constipated, I go 1 - 2 times a day now, and its usually in the morning, I just feel super gassy at night though, ooops.
I think having something done like your nails would be the perfect distraction and will also help you relax a bit.

Honestly, I am sick of reading and hearing when we should tell. Each person is different, I am glad I told, the support is wonderful, and as you said, we cant live in fear all the time. Telling should be up to each and everyone of us, no one have the right to tell us when and how, etc. 

Making dinner is horrible, I feel it literally drains me. Thank goodness we got some help to get the house cleaned, no ways I have the energy, I am totally useless :D

I am also getting some cramps again today, I seem to get them every other day, I hope its baby growing.


----------



## ttc126

I'm sure it's just stretching and growing! Unless they're really severe there's no worries. And you saw your perfect baby. The risk of miscarriage is significantly lowered with a healthy ultrasound at 8 weeks &#10084; I haven't had a ton of cramps this time, but I've also had a lot of pregnancies and I'm already all stretched out! Haha!
I agree on telling. There's no right or wrong time. Only what you feel comfortable doing! No one should make you feel bad about when you decide is right. 
I'm so glad you have help cleaning! I'm amazed you're cooking! You're my hero! lol! Cooking is awful to me but I prepared a bunch of freezer meals when I felt ok so I can pop them in the oven or crock pot &#10084;


----------



## Nita2806

The cramps are just mild, jist enough to remind me that there is a little monkey growing inside of me :D this is my firat pregnancy, so I guess all need to stretch out still haha.

I think I need to define cooking... I bought a bunch of boxes of fish and chicken that you pop in the oven for 20 minutes and bobs your uncle, then I make 2 minute noodles, which actually take 3 minutes and then I have prepacked veggies that I simply heat and serve. If DH wants red meat or fancy foods he can make it on weekends :D I am sure I am getting useless wife reward, but hey atkeast he gets dinner when he comes home.


----------



## ttc126

Hahaha that cracks me up!!!!! Hey it's still food! And you still made it! 
Happy 9 weeks btw!


----------



## Nita2806

Dh got home and said 'damn you are useless, but the food was nice' haha, he doesnt know it yet, but thats what he is getting for the next month.

Thanks :D


----------



## sarah2211

Haha Nita you make me laugh. That honestly more than I could go in the first trimester. Even being in the kitchen made me gag. Thankfully DH cooked if he was hungry and made me toast and crackers. 

I really feel for you ladies on progesterone. Ugh it's yucky. I think a lot of us are probably more sensitive to the hormone changes anyway. 

TTC i agree it's hard to calm that anxiety between scans. I've only had 1 loss but it was always in the back (and often front) of my mind. I had talked myself into a MMC at the 12 scan. Now I'm starting to relax about it a lot more. When is your next scan? And sorry if you've already said, but are you on aspirin too? 

Haha Nita I would never drink one of those frappe things but it seems huge to me. I like on Ovia how there are different themes. 18 weeks is a sweet potato, croissant, a slingshot or a sugar glider. 

Ugh wish me luck with telling work that I can and am taking time off for my appointments and if not (and probably regardless) I'll be finishing up work sooner than expected.


----------



## sarah2211

Omg! At the doctors with chest pain/pressure. I have pneumonia! ECG was normal thankfully. The doctor gave me steroids and antibiotics. She also said no way to work and has signed me off work for the next 2 weeks and doesn't think I should go back at all.


----------



## Nita2806

So, I made a very difficult decision this morning :( one that I feared I had to make. I am supposed to finish my degree this year (I study part time) and I was due exams in the beginning of May and End October. I work from 6 am until 3:30pm and go to bed between 6 - 7pm - which leave me with no time to study. My OB said we can expect baby end October, So I had to cancel my studies for this year :( 

Sarah - goodluck with your work things! 

I am so emotional today - my dad and I usually go at each other, and it usually it ends in a joke - but I started crying this morning :/


----------



## Nita2806

sarah2211 said:


> Omg! At the doctors with chest pain/pressure. I have pneumonia! ECG was normal thankfully. The doctor gave me steroids and antibiotics. She also said no way to work and has signed me off work for the next 2 weeks and doesn't think I should go back at all.

OH MY WORD :cry::nope:


----------



## ttc126

Sarah! I'm so sorry! Rest and get better soon!! You're in my thoughts and prayers &#10084;

Nita, I'm sorry! I know that's so difficult to decide! I think having the extra rest and less stress will help you a lot though &#10084;


----------



## sarah2211

Awww Nita I'm sorry you had to make that tough decision. I'm quickly learning that everything else has to come second to your health and the baby. Whether that's work or study or whatever. 

Blame the pregnancy hormones, I cried the whole way through the movie What To Expect When Expecting. 


So... it's a long time until August. Any Netflix recommendations? Haha.


----------



## Nita2806

TTC and Sarah - I so agree, baby and my health do come first now. I usually go long hours without sleep during exams and lots of stress, and our centre where we write have moved into the CBD which is very unsafe - so that would have been added stress. My work have agreed to write me a motivation, that I was unfit to even work normal working hours and there is no way I would have been able to study (if the university don't want to accept my registration next year).

These crazy damn hormones :D and added stress today, my boobs aren't sore at all :o I know this happens every few days but with the added Prog I thought they would just hurt permanently. 

Netflix hates South Africa so I don't know which shows are on there, but here are some of my favorite series that I am watching at the moment:
- Suits
- Modern Family
- Big Bang Theory
- How I met your mother
- Greek
- Private Practice (Watch if you feel like getting emotional and want to cry a bit)


----------



## Nita2806

My OB just let me know that my papsmear is normal :happydance: not that I thought something would be wrong, I was just a bit cautious after the time on Clomid.

My boobs also hurt again like crazy and the cramps are back :haha: so I was worried for nothing earlier. 2.5 hours till I get to go home and be even more useless for the next two days - can't wait :happydance:


----------



## ttc126

Sarah have you see pretty little liars? That will pass time! 

Nita I like all of your show options! Those are some of my favorites as well! Glad your smear was normal! 
Also I hope you have a great time laying around &#128514;

So yesterday my OB office called. My doctor saw I was on the schedule for mid April but wanted to see me sooner since I had so many losses. They're seeing me today. I'll get an ultrasound there which is doing my head in. I've gotten so much bad news from that ultrasound office so I'm just so nervous! How ridiculous I know. I'll update with how it goes.


----------



## Nita2806

Goodluck, I have no doubt that it will only be good news time around :D


----------



## Nita2806

I wasnt going to do this, but then I did it any way, I did the chinese sex chart gender prediction, and it said a boy, I know its most likely not very accurate, but I would like for it to be a boy :blush: however I thought DH also wanted a boy, but then he said there is already so many boys on his side of the family and he would actually like it to be a girl hmmm :baby:


----------



## ttc126

Nita you were right! It was good news. Thanks for helping me be positive. 

I love trying all the gender predictor things! Chinese calendar says girl for me this time! It was right with one boy but not the other. So fun still! I'll be happy either way of course, but fun to speculate &#10084;


----------



## Nita2806

I am so happy to hear to went good! What did they say? Did you get an U/s? Share picture if you have one.. :D


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, all of that sounds like a good reason to not study this year. The doctor said that I'm pregnant for only a short amount of time but it has such a huge impact on the baby's development. Work can wait. That stress isn't needed and definitely not helping. Plus being unsafe where you have to go would be enough for me!

Thanks for the tv show recommendations. I think I'm going to have seen everything on Netflix by the time the baby is born! 

I'm glad your papsmear was ok. I had a recall for one a few weeks ago and the doctor said to wait until 3 months after the baby is born. 

Symptoms come and go and it's hard not to freak out every time you feel ok. When you're well you're stressing about whether it's all ok and if you're having a MMC. But then the symptoms come back and you feel terrible and kick yourself for not enjoying that time you were feeling well. 

Nita, the Chinese calendar said boy for me too. Read up on the nub and skull theory. I couldn't get my head around Ramzi theory but we didn't get a good picture of our first scan. I'm hoping for a boy too but girl's clothes are so much cuter

TTC, I'm so pleased to hear your scan went well. I agree, upload a picture! 

Today is my DH's birthday so I didn't get much relaxing with family coming over. I cooked and baked all day. Feeling exhausted.


----------



## Four2Five

Hey ladies <3 Do you mind if I join you over here? I don't have a bfp yet but feel in limbo between the two boards and if you don't mind I'd like to join over here even though I'm still TTC. I promise not to overpost or bother too much :) And everything pregnancy doesn't bother me at all, I love seeing your updates and hearing about your growing babies and find myself reading over here more than over on the new thread. I hope it's okay if I stay <3

I'm on my 4th cy of Clomid. First was 50mg and the next three have been 100mg. Finally O'd last cy on Clomid but bd timing wasn't the greatest. Good news is that my body had an af on its own and I didn't have to take Provera to start it and that is a huge accomplishment because I NEVER get af on my own. My dr also started me back on metformin again, I haven't been on this since I got pregnant with my last dd which was 5 years ago. The metformin has been really awful to my body this week and I've been pretty sick every time I take it. I'm on cd 5 right now but af was super light this month, do you think the Clomid is affecting my uterine lining? I have barely bled on a pad and mostly only been when I wiped, I only had two days of red blood the other 3 days have been brown. My dr will be giving me a cd 21 progesterone test so we can make sure my progesterone is reaching pregnancy capability. Dh and I have agreed to dtd like we did on my last bfp chart which is every other day from cd 10-14 and then every day cd 14-22! Hoping it works, it would put me with an edd around Christmas and as he's a teacher the timing would be convenient :)


----------



## Nita2806

Four, you are very welcome here, and you are very welcome to ask for advice or vent, or whatever it is you want to do. No rules here :) 

I am a bit dramatic with the pregnancy, but I think its because its the first one, so if that doesnt bother you, then we are all good LOL ;)

As for the Clomid, I had heavier periods on Clomid amd definately more painfull. Maybe it could be thining your lining. Have you asked your dr to do an U/s after you Od? My lining was 11mm on CD 24 on the cycle that I Od, which I was very pleased with and it reassured me. Perhaps it is something you might look at? And I agree about PROVERA, its the worst, kind of funny now I am on Prog thats 10 times worse than provera lol. I hope this has helped? And I hope to see your BFP here soon :D

Ugh afm, DH and I have been having a lot of fights today, and ofcourse I start to cry the whole time, he likes to blame my hormones, but honestly, I jist didnt feel all too well today. Hopefully tomorow goes better.


----------



## Four2Five

Thank you Nita that helps! I never have had heavy periods anyhow so it doesn't cause me too much concern, I'll ask about an ultrasound though when I call her for blood work. I love to answer preg questions too since I've had two babies ;)

Sorry you are so emotional, the hormones are trying to find a way to level out at your point in pregnancy so I think what you are feeling is pretty normal. Sending you big :hug:


----------



## sarah2211

Four2five, like Nita said you're more than welcome here. No rules! Just as long as you don't mind the odd bit of complaining from us haha. I'm sure you'll be here with your third little bump in no time anyway!!

I conceived on metformin and Clomid. I don't know if metformin made any difference but I figured it would be hurting my chances. The side effects aren't fun. I started really slowly and took 1 pill every 2 days and slowly as I could manage I increased it. Do you have insulin resistance? I don't so I didn't really need it and it didn't matter so much if I took it slowly. It might help with the side effects. 

Ugh, provera sucks. I was so excited when I got AF after my 100mg round of Clomid too. Partly because it meant it had worked but partly because it meant I didn't need to take provera again. I feel for Nita and TTC taking progesterone now. What we have to go through! 

My AF after Clomid was heavy and painful. I would be wondering about whether your lining was really thin too. Maybe run it past your nurse or like Nita said, get a scan after you ovulate. I didn't have any monitoring (except CD 21 test) on Clomid so I'm not sure what's really involved in all of that. 

That BDing plan sounds good. Do you know when you ovulated last cycle? We went every day and just by chance twice on the day I ovulated. We found out in the TWW that my husband's motility wasn't great so I had written it all off and we were ready to start IUI. I still can't believe it but we got out BFP that cycle!

Nita, I'm sorry about the fights. I remember having a few early on too. Just be kind to yourself. It's hard work growing a baby, especially in the first trimester. 

AFM, my chest is feeling heaps better today and yesterday, DH felt the baby kick for the first time!!!


----------



## Nita2806

I am so glad your chest are feeling better Sarah, wow you had it pretty rough so far :nope: and great that your DH felt the kicks, how exciting.

My OB said Metformin is really good for helping ovulation, I dont know, I dont have PCOS or insullin resistance and if I took metformin once a week it was a lot, the side effects was horrible.

I guess our fights was legit as I told DH I want to cancel our holiday trip end of the month, and he went crazy about I can predict the future and already know I will feel horrible then :shrug:


----------



## ttc126

Hi Four! Super happy to have you join us! 

Sarah so happy about the kicks and glad you're doing a little better!

Nita I'm sorry. Fighting is so hard especially with all the hormones. Men sometimes don't fully understand how gross and physically bad we feel. It's no excuse, but it helps to know he just doesn't get it. 

I'm having terrible cramps and diarrhea tonight! Nita did your doctor tell you anything about the diarrhea you had?


----------



## Nita2806

Oh no TTC, she said it was most likely just a bug, and then she gave me the name of things I can for it, and after that it stopped. She did however say that diarrhea can dehydrate you and lots of fliuds like sport drinks or flat ginger ale is very good to drink.


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks TTC. I'm sorry to hear you're feeling rubbish. Diarrhea in pregnancy seems to be a weird one that comes and goes. I agree, drink heaps of water. If either of you get too dehydrated go to your doctor. After I had IV fluids I felt so much better. 

So tomorrow is the first day of my sick leave/maternity leave. I'm going to crochet a blanket and also make a quilt for the baby this week. I'll slowly work through the house having a good clean out. It feels weird to be nesting this early haha. I was feeling bored this afternoon so who knows how I'm going to cope these next few months. 

DH felt kicks again this morning. He loves it haha. I've noticed the evenings that the baby is more active I feel more stretching and then wake up with a bigger bump. So let's hope I pop tomorrow. 

Also I found out a friend of mine who lives just over an hour away is due the day before me!


----------



## ttc126

Thank you guys. It's stopped for now but I'm just freaking out now of course. With my miscarriages I had diarrhea before they started. I'm sure it's just a pregnancy thing but still scary to me.


----------



## Nita2806

Ttc I read about a lot of women having diarrhea after a few days of being constipated. Everything will be fine <3 if it doesnt stop rather talk your doctor just incase.

I just saw something on our scans (I like looking at it, weird right?) on the one scan it looks like baby is looking down and on the other one it looks like baby is looking at us :o how amazing


----------



## ttc126

Thanks Nita. That makes me feel better. So far my stomach is fine today. I'm not really nauseous either but been taking meds for it so I shouldn't worry. I ate some toast and drinking some tea. We should go to church this morning but I'm not sure I'm up to going out of the house. Part of me thinks it's good to get my boys out but part wants to just stay here! Lol! 

Aww I think it's sweet you keep looking at your scan! I love looking at mine too! I'm getting another scan Wednesday but no pictures printed at that one. &#10084;


----------



## Nita2806

Oh, you must be enjoying all the scans? I am sure it reassures you too.

My OB said no need for her to see me more than once a month for now, lol so guess who is starting to panic again? I feel that my symptoms are starting to ease up too, makes me nervous but glad not to want to sleep the whole time haha. Getting constipated again as well, thank you progesterone!

My next scan is 3 weeks and 3 days from today(you can see I am counting the days haha)


----------



## ttc126

Haha I understand the panic between scans. If it weren't for all my losses I'd only be seen once a month as well. 
My OB said symptoms can start to ease off around week 9! So maybe we are both going to start having more good days than bad &#10084;


----------



## SweetPea3200

Hi ladies! Sorry I've been mia lately. Just started a new job and it's sure taking it's toll. I'm so glad you both have had good scans lately. That's amazing! I'm still feeling like garbage but I'm glad to hear that symptoms start to ease up around nine weeks. Fingers crossed that's what happens for me! Found out last night that SIL is also pregnant and due the day after me. She's a bit weIrd about that kind of thing so I wish it was a bit further apart but that's okay


----------



## Nita2806

Ttc, I thinknthe fact that I slept 12 hours last night makes a difference, but I feel I suddenly have a bit of energy. I did the ironing, dishes and made is a fancy proper dinner for a change. It does seem like the 9 week thing is kicking in, I also read that the symptoms can peak around this time :/ my boobs are barely sore again today, however I still have a lot of heartburn. But I cant seem to stop worrying if my monkey is ok. How are feeling in terms of symptoms?

SweetPea, happy every thing is still going ok your side. You are my hero though, starting a new job in early pregnancy, I hope it goes well :) sorry about your SIL, I can just imagine how weird that is.


----------



## sarah2211

Initially I had diarrhoea every day until about 7-8 weeks. The last week I've had it first thing in the morning but then been fine. All the crazy hormones. I'm not complaining at the moment though, it's better than not going for a week! 

Nita, how cute about your scan. I'm not sure if I shared my 12 week scan. I'll upload it shortly. TTC lucky you getting all the scans (obviously not lucky why you're getting them!). From 26 weeks I get more frequent ones. It's really the only perk of being high risk haha. 

At your next appointment Nita the OB will probably be able to use a doppler. Ovia told me the other day you could hear the heartbeat with just a stethoscope! 

Welcome back sweetpea. Shame you also have to share some of the baby limelight with your SIL :(. Our families are quite excited. On my side of the family it's the first baby in 14 years! 

I definitely felt better at 9 weeks but I read that's typically when symptoms ramp up a bit. But who knows. We are all different. Try not to stress too much Nita!


----------



## sarah2211

Here's our 7 week sea monkey

https://i63.tinypic.com/2eyh0si.jpg

And here's our 12 week baby haha

https://i65.tinypic.com/oh36ko.jpg

Only 15 more days until our 20 week scan and we find out what we are having!


----------



## Four2Five

sarah2211 said:


> Four2five, like Nita said you're more than welcome here. No rules! Just as long as you don't mind the odd bit of complaining from us haha. I'm sure you'll be here with your third little bump in no time anyway!!
> 
> I conceived on metformin and Clomid. I don't know if metformin made any difference but I figured it would be hurting my chances. The side effects aren't fun. I started really slowly and took 1 pill every 2 days and slowly as I could manage I increased it. Do you have insulin resistance? I don't so I didn't really need it and it didn't matter so much if I took it slowly. It might help with the side effects.
> 
> Ugh, provera sucks. I was so excited when I got AF after my 100mg round of Clomid too. Partly because it meant it had worked but partly because it meant I didn't need to take provera again. I feel for Nita and TTC taking progesterone now. What we have to go through!
> 
> My AF after Clomid was heavy and painful. I would be wondering about whether your lining was really thin too. Maybe run it past your nurse or like Nita said, get a scan after you ovulate. I didn't have any monitoring (except CD 21 test) on Clomid so I'm not sure what's really involved in all of that.
> 
> That BDing plan sounds good. Do you know when you ovulated last cycle? We went every day and just by chance twice on the day I ovulated. We found out in the TWW that my husband's motility wasn't great so I had written it all off and we were ready to start IUI. I still can't believe it but we got out BFP that cycle!
> 
> Nita, I'm sorry about the fights. I remember having a few early on too. Just be kind to yourself. It's hard work growing a baby, especially in the first trimester.
> 
> AFM, my chest is feeling heaps better today and yesterday, DH felt the baby kick for the first time!!!

Thank you! I ovulated on cd 17 last cy, hoping it's a little sooner this cy but we will see. The cy I conceived my last dd I O'd on cd 21 and got preg so who knows! 

The metformin seems to be working in my system better, still sends me to the bathroom often but the nausea and headaches and stomach aches are all gone :) I am borderline insulin resistant.


----------



## sarah2211

Fingers crossed this is your cycle! Are you back on 100mg of Clomid this cycle? Crazy how it didn't work round 2 but did on round 3. I'm gladness you're doing ok on metformin. When you were pregnant, when did you do the GTT and how many did you do? I wasn't insulin resistant prepregnancy but my midwife wants me to do 3 GTT. She said I can check in with my OB at the end of the month to confirm that.


----------



## Four2Five

Sarah yes I am doing 100mg Clomid plus 500mg metformin 2X a day. If I remember correctly the gtt is around 28 weeks. My first pregnancy I had no issues at all (I was 23) but my second pregnancy (I was 31) I had gestational diabetes but was never put on meds and just controlled it with diet super easily. I expect I will have it again next time too but it all just depends on how much of a pain my body wants to be lol. Both of my pregnancies I lost 25 and 36 lbs while pregnant, due to such severe hyperemesis gravidarum. My first dd I was sick till 6 months and my second dd I was sick till I gave birth, both times weighing less at birth than I did the day I got pregnant...trust me I was the queen of pregnancy complaining because I was sooooo sick and miserable!! I'm not extremely overweight or anything, I could lose 20-30lbs and be super fit but I love food too much :haha:


----------



## ttc126

Four, I had hg with my first two. It was mild though compared to yours. This time I have worried sick because I have what I suppose is a normal level of morning sickness! There's always hope you won't have hg next time &#10084;


----------



## Nita2806

Four hopefully the merformin and Clomid combination works for you. DH and I only BDed once every 48 hours maybe twice if I was lucky, and we didnt even BD on the day I ovulated :o But neither myself or Sarah fell pregnant on the first round of Clomid (O cycle) but on the second, so I have high hopes this cycle. I hope you will be doing the poas every day and keep us updatted, it was a pity it ended up being a bfn last month, but it was so much fun to watch.

Afm, didnt sleep much last night so its going to be a long day for me :/ trying not to stress about not having symptons but its difficult


----------



## sarah2211

Four2five, that's what I was on when I conceived so fingers crossed it works for you! Let's hope you're lucky on your second cycle like us! Feel free to upload your pee sticks :) Wow you poor thing with HG :( you're brace doing it all again. It must be worth it haha. You're welcome to complain here! My midwife had my do my first GTT at 16 weeks. I vomited after half an hour. She said she wants me to repeat it but will let me check with my OB when I see her in a few weeks. I'm hoping she says hold off, if not I'll just give it a few weeks before I book it :) And I'm basically the same. Could lose 10kg but I'm not overweight. I'm only a kg heavier than when I conceived now and I'd say there are a few kgs in my boobs haha. 

Nita, I hope you have a better night sleep. Do your boobs still hurt? My midwife said that if your boobs still hurt you're still pregnant. I'd complain to DH when I wasn't feeling sick. He'd grab my boobs and I'd say ouch! He'd say "still pregnant". 

Lots of kicking today!


----------



## Nita2806

So we just told everyone at work that I am pregnant :/ and apperently they knew already, I think they are just saying it, because I have been hiding my bloat and my boobs really dont look that much bigger. Blegh, atleast its done.

Sarah, my boobs dont hurt nearly as much as a week ago, its maybe just sensitive now, but other than that they feel fine actually for the last two days now, but I feel like my body is also getting used to the add prog, the side effects are not nearly as horrible as a week ago. I wish I didnt have to wait till the end of the month for my next appointment.


----------



## ttc126

Nita my symptoms are gone really too. Give it a couple more days then call if you're too worried. My boobs aren't as sore either. So I'm freaking out too. Chances are things are fine for us both, but I said a prayer for us. &#10084; 

I think it's annoying when people say they knew! I had a friend tell me that. It was so obnoxious. Why not just say congratulations! 

Sarah I'm sorry you threw up that nasty drink. Bleh!!!!! Hopefully when you test next it will be easier &#10084;


----------



## Nita2806

Ttc, I think you are right, I did go through patches when I was about 6 weeks where I had no symptoms. Like you say, chances are we are both fine. I am finding a lot of ladies that say between 8-10 weeks their symptoms started weaning off, I guess it depends when the placenta takes over? Haha I am just telling myself that to feel better. :dohh:


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, I had that too. My neighbor said she knew and lots of the mum's at my work too. I don't really think they knew. I have a friend of a friend who actually didn't know she was pregnant until she delivered her son on the bathroom floor. She is a lawyer (so not stupid), a bean pole and had no bump she said people told her after she'd given birth that they knew she was pregnant. She said "I didn't! Why didn't you tell me?" That story makes me scared I'll never get a bump. Still looking pretty flat today 

I found it scary losing symptoms around week 8-10. You're still a wee way from your next scan but it almost feels too early for them to disappear based on how far along you are. I agree, give it a few more days and then ring. 

I know it's a lot earlier days for many of you, but have you all been thinking about what you want to buy/do for your little one? I mean like breastfeeding or no breast feeding, disposables vs cloth, capsules vs convertible car seats, baby wearing, where the baby will sleep initially, how much time your partner will take off? I told myself I wouldn't worry about any of that stuff until the second trimester but now that I'm a lady of leisure I've got lots of time to research car seats etc haha.


----------



## Nita2806

Symptoms are back, boobs are sore again and feel slightly bigger and harder today :o Also, I am feeling nauseous, blegh. And I fell asleep 6:30 last night.

Scary about your neighbor though - I could never understand how women don't realise they are pregnant. I too had a friend who said she only noticed when she was already in the 2nd trimester, and I am like, why didnt you question the fact that you didnt get periods for 3 months... But yeah, those women claiming they knew, is just a bunch of BS in my opinion... 

Sarah, DH and I talked about all those things back when we started TTC. Breastfeeding, yes... Disposables for sure - do you even still get Cloths? Car seats is something we haven't talked about...We have a very big room so there is more than enough space for a Cot for baby to sleep in our room, but we will get the room next to ours ready when we find out what we are having... DH works in an environment where he isnt entitled to paid personal leave, so he will take his 3 days paternity leave and maybe one or 2 additional unpaid days. My work is giving me 3 months off, I am going to work as late as I can before taking my 3 months. Curious to hear what every one else has thought about?


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, I had thought they would be. I hope you got to enjoy the time without symptoms. It's weird how hard your boobs get. Has your tummy started getting hard? 

It was a friend of a friend who didn't know she was pregnant. She said she got spotting monthly, a bit of morning sickness but there were a few stomach bugs going around. After today I'm not sure how you wouldn't know with all the kicking. In a 50 minute period I felt 16 kicks. I recorded them haha. You can tell how bored I am already. 

For us, breastfeeding, yes but I'm a bit worried about supply and PCOS. 
Nappies, search modern cloth nappies Nita. We are going to start with disposables but I've started my collection of MCNs. It does mean extra washing but it's cheaper and they're cute. I'm thinking 3-4 weeks and slowly start easing into MCNs and when I'm brace enough, go full time. 
I think we've decided on a car seat and buggy. 
We will have the baby in our room for the first few months. Probably until he/she grows out of the bassinet and then into a cot in the room next door. We have the cot and bassinet and just need to get new mattresses and sheets etc. I'm currently making blankets :) 
My DH will get 2 weeks paid leave and he'll have about 40 days annual leave. Lots of that he'll have to take over Christmas but he might just take a few days-a week off here and there. My job will stay open for 12 months but I'm not going back to work. Full time mum :)


----------



## Nita2806

It was nice to feel better, but I prefer having symptoms lol It feels like the time is going by really slowly now. My tummy is still fat and flabby.

It's really strange how she didn't know - I guess each person is different.

DH and I were looking for Cloth nappies, as my parents in law thinks we should get some, but I couldn't find any in the baby stores near me - maybe I should look a bit harder? I would prefer the disposables, Ill be going back to work in January and the schools around here only allow disposables, and I am not keen on extra washing, especially when DH goes back to work. I do however have the feeling that my mom in law will be retiring soon so it would be nice to leave baby with her for the first year or so.


----------



## Nita2806

I just had to share my luck! how unlucky am I to get the stomach virus 3 times in 3 weeks. Another lady at the office has it too, so I bet she gave it to me, again. Ugggh.


----------



## ttc126

Oh no Nita! I'm so sorry! Feel better soon!

Sarah so amazing you're feeling so many kicks! Someone in the nov group due a couple days before me says she feels her baby. I think 9 weeks is a little early but I hope I feel mine sooner rather than later.

Ugh my symptoms are still gone. This is very upsetting to me.


----------



## Nita2806

ttc126 said:


> Oh no Nita! I'm so sorry! Feel better soon!
> 
> Sarah so amazing you're feeling so many kicks! Someone in the nov group due a couple days before me says she feels her baby. I think 9 weeks is a little early but I hope I feel mine sooner rather than later.
> 
> Ugh my symptoms are still gone. This is very upsetting to me.

Thank you TTC - I think the fact that I have IBS makes it very difficult for my stomach not to react to virusses, I usually get them up to 5 or 6 times in a season before it clears up.

Are you still taking the Prog? Or have you started weaning off of them?

I too think 9 weeks is a bit early to feel baby (I think the baby is only 2.2cm in this week) - I too can't wait for the kicks.


----------



## ttc126

Still taking the progesterone! They may start weaning me tomorrow but we'll see. I feel crazy enough without trying that yet. I just need my symptoms to come back! 

I'm so sorry! Getting tons of stomach bugs sounds so miserable!


----------



## Nita2806

Ah, I thought maybe you have started already and thats maybe why the symptons are less. :( mine was also MIA the last two days, but bang hit me in the face it was back this morning.

I am actually so used to the stomach bugs, i carry like an emergency kit with electrolytes and Smecta bags with me, just incase.


----------



## sarah2211

Haha yes I know what you mean. Between 12-15 ish weeks was also scary for me because I felt well and have no sign of being pregnant. Second trimester loss happens more frequently in Lupus than not. But I hoped there would be an outward sign of something going wrong. Now, I know that there's something in there because he/she is such a wriggler. Only 12 days to go until we find out what we are having. The closer it is, the harder it's getting! When we announced on Facebook we just did our scan photo. I'm thinking of getting those helium balloons with different letters to spell out 'boy' or 'girl' to announce. 

Very strange how she didn't know. She was in a bikini with her friends and family a week before she gave birth and no one noticed anything. 

If you're going back to work I'm not sure if you'd want the hassle of cloth. Especially if the person doing most of the caring isn't keen. My DH just told me to write everything up for him and he'll figure it out but I know it'll be mostly my job, which is fine. 

Oh no about the tummy bug. You've had a really rough run. Your immune system isn't great when you're pregnant. 

TTC, I hope your symptoms come back quickly. How are you feeling now? I too think 9 weeks is too early. They say the more babies you have the sooner you feel them. I thought when I started feeling them was too soon so I only really told DH. But now that I'm sure I'll tell people if they ask.


----------



## sarah2211

I have my appointment this afternoon to see what my kidneys are doing and whether I need to go back on the Lupus drug (Plaquenil). I came off it before we started TTC because I wanted to be drug free. It's not bad in pregnancy but I know if I go on it again, there's no way they'll ever let me stop it.


----------



## Nita2806

I read that most women start to feel their baby from week 16, but can be as early as 13 weeks. I would love to feel baby from week 13.

Sarah, my tummy actually feel a bit harder today - or well less flab lol.

I am so happy about how supportive my parents are, (I work for them in the family business) my mom said this morning when I feel better in the second tri, I am welcome to do some extra work which she will be paying me for, she knows we are strugling a bit at the moment. And she will take me clothing shopping for my birthday next month for some maternity wear.

Oh I hope your appointment goes well Sarah - I can't imagine you having it worse than you currently are. I am so happy you get to feel baby - that must be so amazing.

My boobs are even more sore today - dont even have to touch them to feel it haha. Fatigue is definitely starting to get better.

TTC - how are you?

Four - any updates?


----------



## ttc126

Nita that's great your parents are so supportive!!! 

Sarah keep us updated with what the docs tell you!

I got super nauseous yesterday. Probably the worst I've felt the whole pregnancy! Thankful for symptoms but I just want to get my scan over with. 4 hours....


----------



## Nita2806

ttc126 said:


> Nita that's great your parents are so supportive!!!
> 
> Sarah keep us updated with what the docs tell you!
> 
> I got super nauseous yesterday. Probably the worst I've felt the whole pregnancy! Thankful for symptoms but I just want to get my scan over with. 4 hours....

Almost time :hugs: keeping you in my thoughts

Sarah - tomorow our tickers go over to a new week, how exciting :D


----------



## ttc126

Everything looks good! I graduated from my fertility clinic!!!!!
 



Attached Files:







IMG_7753.jpg
File size: 26.3 KB
Views: 2


----------



## Nita2806

Glad everything is fine. What a fine quality U/s image <3


----------



## Four2Five

Awww beautiful baby TTC <3

Nita thanks for asking, I'm reading as you all post but haven't really had much to share. I'm on cd 9 so I'll start my OPK's tomorrow, we already started our every other day bd routine and will start every day next week till a couple days after I get a +OPK. I haven't had many symptoms yet just hot flashes from the Clomid/metformin and vivid dreams. I was/am really excited about this cy as I think we have a good plan to get a bfp but hubby dropped a bomb shell yesterday and since then I've been pretty stressed so I hope it doesn't affect our chances this month.

He's getting ready to graduate with his masters in adaptive physical education teaching in June. So the job search is on, and he just got offered an amazing position with excellent pay and benefits and bonuses...in ALASKA!! It's his dream job. And it's leaving everything and everyone we know and love. And it's moving to ALASKA! I don't even know what's going to happen from here, we have 4 days to decide if he is going to accept the offer. To top it off we have to be there in 90 days to have just a couple weeks to find a home and get settled before he will start working. There's so many pros and cons, my heart is breaking to leave our families, we are all very very close and all live within a block of each other, I'm just sick to my stomach about making this decision. It's so much more than he can make here where we live, like $20,000 more a year than he can earn here. It's stressful but I'm trying to just keep the faith that God has this all worked out. I keep thinking about having to move while 3 months pregnant, our families not being around for the pregnancy or delivery or the new baby...it's all a lot to consider :(


----------



## Nita2806

Four, oh dear, thats a tough descision to make. I was in something similiar a while ago, maybe my story help you xxx

My father in law wants to move to Madagascar, he wants to put up a hotel, and DH wanted to go with. Things in South Africa arent good, and its great to have a runaway place, however, I didnt see a future for myself in madagascar. They arent as developed as here and I dont see myself having much of a career that side. I am an accountant and sure I can do the hotels books, but for the rest of my life? No thank you. I asked myself what it could be like after 5 years, and I just didnt see a future for myself there, so I said no and we are staying. So basicly, imagine your life in a few years there and here and decide which future is the best for you and your family.


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, I love that our tickers line up haha. Except it's already Thursday here and I think the tickets are on some other time zone. The baby is the size of a zucchini, game boy or an African four toed hedgehog according to Ovia. 

That's really nice of your Mum too Nita. Hopefully you'll be well enough for those extra hours. I still have been having a bit of fatigue in the second trimester but odd days of crazy boosts of energy. 

So the appointment went ok. Nothing much happened. He also said I have Sjogren's Syndrome which I kind of already knew but good to have it on paper. None of the lupus/Sjogren's blood tests that can cause heart defects or neonatal Lupus are in my blood (yay good news!). I have to see a hematogist to check on the clotting and platelets. He said that he thinks they'll just keep me on the injections until after the baby is born even if I'm not at high high risk of a clot because no one wants to be responsible if I have a miscarriage. He said if I have a Lupus flare during pregnancy I'll be in hospital, potentially for the remainder of the pregnancy and I'll be treated with steroids (which I'm currently on for pneumonia anyway). He said it's a "very high risk" pregnancy and I need to have very regular scans and check ups with the high risk OB. He said from a Lupus point of view I currently look quite good (no rashes, arthritis etc) so he thinks I'm well enough to work full time but he's not taking into consideration anything pregnancy related because he's not an OB. 

TTC, Yay! What a cute ultrasound picture. He/she looks so round and adorable! 

Four2five, I'm glad you've got a plan for this cycle, it sounds like you've got it all sorted! Hopefully the hot flushes stop soon! Wow that is a big choice to make. For us (my husband is army) we are just told where to go and it sucks but it takes a lot of the decision making out it. I hate making decisions haha. What is your gut saying? It's a lot of money but money isn't everything and how would you manage being pregnant with two others in a new city without friends and family? I definitely couldn't have moved in the first trimester!


----------



## Four2Five

Thank you Nita and Sarah you both made good points that I need to consider! The job is a two year contract, I feel like I can do anything for 2 years, it will fly by...but I'm still on the fence. I don't want to hurt our families by going...and our oldest is 12 so that's a BIG change to consider in her point of growing up. Right now it would be easy to go because we are living with family anyhow so that dh can finish school debt free, so we have no house or anything going we have to deal with or sell. 

Sarah we were marine corps for 8 years so I'm used to the moving around thing as far as military goes, we had 3 different stations, first dd went through one move when she was very very young but we've been out of the military life for 10 years now...

Right now I'm a stay at home mom so the move doesn't affect me so much as far as career goes. I have a salon business and photography business on the side that I work at my leisure. We both love the idea of moving and having a new adventure and new start but leaving our families behind is the hardest part to consider.


----------



## sarah2211

Four it sounds like you're talking yourself into the idea :) two years isn't forever. If you don't have a house where you are and it's not going to be a huge difficulty to set up a new place, go for it. It sounds like an exciting new opportunity. That's how you have to look at it when you're Military (which I'm sure you know) 

Yesterday I went to the library and got some pregnancy books out to help fill my days haha. Well I just read that women on Clomiphene are more likely to conceive girls than boys. Everyone I know who has had a baby in the last year or due in the next 6 months has had or are having a boy. Only 12 days until we find out!


----------



## Nita2806

Oh Sarah, is there anything else they can diagnose you with? It sounds like everytime you get back from an appointment its something new :( how horrible. 

I also like how our tickers allign, however its also Thursday here haha so doesnt work on our time zone.


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, I've come to expect that anything is possible when it comes to my health haha. Yup every time it's something new. Ugh!

Yay our tickets changed! Ferrero Rochers and hot dogs haha.


----------



## Nita2806

sarah2211 said:


> Yay our tickets changed! Ferrero Rochers and hot dogs haha.

How exciting - now we need to wait another week :haha:


----------



## Four2Five

I think my dh is pretty set on going, I'm trying to be excited, and I partially am, it's just a huge change at this point in our lives where we expect to be pretty settled. Last night he promised me a vacation to Hawaii every year during the dark cold winter months, in the winter in Alaska they only have 3-6 hours of daylight each day!!


----------



## ttc126

Sorry ladies! Lots to catch up on!

Four, that sounds scary and amazing all at once! Alaska sounds beautiful! But so cold! I hope you guys are able to make the best decision &#10084;

Sarah! I'm sorry you're so high risk! I hope and pray all goes just fine with baby!

Nita how are you feeling?

So I'm really struggling with diarrhea! It's not a virus. I'll have it, go 1-2 days just fine, then get it again. I have a call into the nurse line to see what they say.


----------



## Nita2806

Ttc, the virus has gone, stomach still trying to recover but it triggered my IBS so I am getting quite intense cramps. Peppermint tea and a bubblebath shoukd do the trick.

That sounds terrible, just make sure you are hydrated :( I hope the nurse can reassure you.


----------



## Nita2806

Oh TTc, if they say its ok, and I am sure they will, perhaps you should consider taking a probiotic? You have to take it atleast 2 days before it really works, but it worked for me and its perfectly safe during pregnancy, my OB actually advised me to take it during the pregnancy to help with any stomach issues I may have.


----------



## Nita2806

Omg I am totally spamming this thread, so sorry to you ladies having to read through all my stories.

Dh gave me the best compliment tonight, he said he can see my tummy getting rounder, I asked him to touch my belly and tell me what he feels, he then asked 'where is all your flab, its hard now' <3 is it too early to feel like this isnt just bloat anymore,? Or am I just overly optimistic lol

Also, view the video on this link, its amazing https://brightside.me/wonder-curios...e=fb_r69f33&utm_campaign=pub59&utm_medium=cpm


----------



## Four2Five

Wow that was a great video Nita thanks for sharing!!


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, I always skip ahead and see what next week is going to be haha. And I look at the other options too. Soon you'll be able to feel the top of your uterus. I couldn't find it until my midwife showed me where it was. But basically you would probably want to start at your belly button and with your first two fingers wiggle slowly down. It's best to do it lying on your back. You'll feel what kind of feels like a seam of your clothes and it'll feel different in your tummy. Not exactly sick but you'll feel a little yuk in the moment that you find it. Then you know the baby is tucked up in there. They say you can feel it from about 12 weeks but it's different for everyone. Mine is just below my belly button but you're will be lower at the moment. 

Four, the day light hours would suck I think I'd need a trip to Hawaii too haha. My grandparents moved to Alaska with my aunt about 30 years ago. My grandfather is a professor so he did a couple of years at one of the universities before coming back home. They loved it there. 

TTC, thanks. I already knew it was high risk but I was hoping that by some luck they might have all changed their mind and say it's really just an overkill. But it's not going to be. The baby is fine, they'll need to monitor the placenta closely but I should get to see the baby lots. Most women with Lupus deliver early so we will see. I hope the nurse can help with the diarrhoea. It's no fun and sounds like it's probably related to the hormones. Drink lots of water.


----------



## Nita2806

How is everyone feeling?

Sarah I dont look ahead to see whats next haha its a total surprise.lol.

I have reconnected with 2 old friends from high school this week :happydance: we were very close back then and both are so supportive now with thr pregnancy, so great.

I am constipated, lower and higher back pain, boobs extremely sore, kidneys working overtime, seddenly have to wee 3 times an hour again, the whole day. And my pants are getting really tight, only 1 pair still fits, and barely.

Just out of interest sake, anyone in other countries folllowing the news on whats currently happening in South Africa? Id like to hear what the reporters overseas are saying or if they are laughing at or with us.


----------



## sarah2211

I'm doing ok. I went for a walk with mum and the dog today and got incredibly breathless so I'm not sure if it's the pneumonia still or pregnancy. I'm on steroids and antibiotics which should be sorting out the infection. I'm ok when I'm resting. 

Speaking of antibiotics, I needed to take my 4th pill of the day with food but I wasn't hungry so I took it with some milk and I don't think it was enough and now I feel really sick :( 

That's exciting. It's cool when you can reconnect with old friends :). I'm sorry about the constipation, it's either one way or the other. 

Nothing on the news here about what's happening in South Africa. We are hearing about Trump and Syria and Russia, the terrorist attack in Sweden and also we've had a big storm/left overs of a tropical cyclone come through in the past week and there's been a bit of damage and flooding around the place. What's happening there?


----------



## Nita2806

Oh my Sarah, sounds like you are having a rough time.

We went to our first baby show yesterday with friends who are also expecting, and we bought our first baby item, how exciting :D and today we went fishing with in laws, was a great weekend and fun to relax a little :)

Oh our very, very clever Mr President fired the finance minister, and that resulted in our economy being downgraded to junk status. So the whole country decided to march on friday to kindly ask the president to resign.. Kinda thought this would be big news for the world...PS if anyone is interested in buying something from South Africa, do it now :p


----------



## sarah2211

It's not been easy that's for sure! My uncle is a doctor so I've been speaking to him a bit about what's going on. He said it sounds like I've got a great team and they're taking lots of necessary precautions. So even though it feels like a huge overkill I'm glad that they're on top of it. 

How exciting. What did you buy? I've got some little things and I think we will might buy a Tula carrier or a Mountain Buggy next. 

There's been nothing about it on the news here but my 'friend' (the South African one who is moving to my street) shared a video about the protests. What can you buy from South Africa? Does that mean it's really cheap to go shopping there?


----------



## ttc126

Sorry I haven't been around much! My sickness has gotten the better of me! Thinking of you ladies and will catch up soon &#10084;


----------



## sarah2211

Take it easy TTC. I hope you've got people around you to help. I know I was very useless for the first trimester. Take care.


----------



## Nita2806

TTC - hope you get better soon, thinking of you xxx

We bought a multi purpose cushion, so for now I will use it until baby is born and then it will go to baby. After the weekend DH and I decided we would rather want a girl, just because of all the cute things available for girls, and our friends are a boy, so they said if we are having a girl they can satisfy their needs for a girl on ours :haha:

I am still so tired (thank you Prog :) - 14 days down, 16 to go)and I am suddenly VERY hungry, I eat all day. And so many sweets and sugar, but I can't help it. I would eat until I am really full, 1 hour later it would like I havent eaten in days :o

Four - any updates?


----------



## Four2Five

It much new Nita...still pondering the whole Alaska opportunity, I think we are leaning more toward yes which has my anxiety through the roof with all I have to do and pack before we go. I'm on the phone 80% of the day making calls, getting paperwork together, talking to lenders and realtors, talking to schools for our girls, transferring my cosmetology licenses, trying to find a home, getting passports, and tons and tons of paperwork for our guns and dogs to go through Canada...it's insane! Last two days I have been having horrible cramping, probably due to so coming any day, and dh and I are struggling to find time to dtd...we are currently house sitting for family but he's swamped with school work and me with all the moving stress, I'm totally OCD and have to have everything written out and planned. I cried this morning because I'm so overwhelmed and I was in so much pain but mostly cried because I don't want this month to be another bust as far as TTC we just have to figure out time to dtd and MAKE it happen before it's too late. My OPK's have been pretty dark but not quite positive, I'm thinking it will happen any moment though with how uncomfortable these cramps are, so praying we catch the egg!!


----------



## sarah2211

Four, good luck with this cycle. It sounds like a really stressful time with all of the move stuff. Maybe you can try and plan some time this evening where you can both relax, not think about the move and make a baby haha. Make sure you're looking after yourself. 

Nita, I did the same with the pillow. It'll probably be the breastfeeding pillow when I'm done haha if I can give it up. When I look at baby clothes I hope I'm having a girl too. They are so cute. My SIL asked me to send through some knitting patterns and all the knitted dresses are just adorable. I still want a boy though haha. Maybe number 2. 

I have noticed my appetite has increased too. I still haven't really gained much weight though. I find I'm hungry often but can't eat big servings. Over here you can buy drinks called Up n Go. Basically it's like flavoured milk but has all the energy and protein of two weetbix (which is a breakfast cereal). They've been awesome in the middle of the night or an anfternoon snack. 

And my most exciting news, my DH gets Thursday afternoon off work so I rebooked our scan from next Tuesday afternoon to this Thursday afternoon! Knowing my luck, the little one will keep his legs closed and we won't find out anyway haha.


----------



## Nita2806

Four - I am so sorry you are in that situation, but I know that whatever you chose will be right decision and you and your DH will make it work. I like to think that whenever DH is by my side, that we can conquer anything :hugs: Like Sarah said, hope you can make time to relax for yourself and DH so you dont miss out on catching that egg.

I don't know - I wanted a boy, but think I changed my mind, hope we can get a hint on what it is in 2 weeks when I have my 12w scan :D

Goodluck at your appointment Sarah - let us know what it is, if you find out :D so EXCITING


----------



## Four2Five

Is this positive?? Or almost?
https://i64.tinypic.com/rrmjcm.jpg


----------



## Nita2806

Four! my guess is positive :D how exciting. I dont really know much about OPKs other than even on my O months I never got a positive. I'd say test again in 3 hours or so if it gets lighter you know it was your surge - or that is what I would have done any ways.


----------



## Four2Five

I took this one at 5pm today and the one above was at 10:30pm the one at 5 was only a 2 hour hold so probably a little diluted...either way I think I'll have a for sure + tomorrow so I'm expecting my temp to drop tomorrow then raise the next day. Last month my definite + day the test line showed up before the control line so I won't count it positive till that happens again lol this one is really dark but I don't think it's quite + in person and it took the full 5 mins to show up that dark. We dtd once today and probably will again tonight (we are late night people)...either way I'm praying we catch the egg!!!

5pm
https://i67.tinypic.com/nozd00.jpg


----------



## Nita2806

See, I am totally clueless when it comes to OPKs, I would definately think that is positive haha. Good idea to get the BD going :thumbup: atleast for the following few days :happydance:

Sarah - 2 more days till our tickers go over to a new week again :D


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, they gave us a hint that it's a boy at the 12 week scan but I couldn't let myself believe that. Also look into the nub theory and skull theory. If you can, ask the doctor to get a good nub shot haha. It'll help when you're trying to work out which was yours points. For us, some photos look girl nub and others look boy but the skull looks boy. When I wake up, I can say we will find it all out tomorrow! I'm so excited!!

Four, I would call that one you posted first a positive. The second one is close. If you don't get another positive, I'd put your one from today as a positive into FF. Fingers crossed you catch this egg! Hopefully you and your DH got to spend some time together today!

Speaking of baby dancing (which is kind of what it is now more than ever haha) is anyone else finding it weird and uncomfortable? My insides are feeling really strange and my tummy and boobs have grown so there's a bit more to jiggle. DH is still as keen as ever but I'm not really feeling it.


----------



## sarah2211

Yay! Thursday is an exciting day Nita!! Plus I'm also half way on Thursday!


----------



## ttc126

Four the first opk looks positive to me!!!! &#10084; Hope you catch the egg &#10084;

Nita, when is your next appointment?

Sarah, I laughed out loud at baby dancing. We haven't since I ovulated to get this baby &#128514; Poor DH! I just am too nervous. I'm not sure when or if I'll feel ok about it at all. 

Two days till my next appointment and ultrasound. This will probably be the last peak I get for awhile.


----------



## Four2Five

I still don't think it was quite as dark as the control so I'm not counting it positive yet, I'm due to O tomorrow according to ff. This morning I took another and it's definitely not +...last month my surge was 3 days of + OPK...

Last CY-
https://i68.tinypic.com/dmen0z.jpg
https://i63.tinypic.com/10wi3ax.jpg

This CY
https://i66.tinypic.com/2wcfkuv.jpg


----------



## Nita2806

Haha Sarah, baby dancing, thats so funny. We habe done it like 2 or 3 times and it was uncomfortable for me, and I had spasms in my abdomen the next day each time, so I really try to avoid it...unless DH ask nicely with his puppy eyes.

TTC my appointment is on 27 April, 2 weeks to go, thats the same day I get to stop my Prog...so excited

Almost time Sarah, hope you get to see a boy like you want to.

Oh and did I mention, I now own maternity wear, and my bump is starting to get visable, I doubt its bloat simce I am not constipated or anything, and my tummy is hard, I qm calling that a bump :)


----------



## sarah2211

Haha baby dancing is even more weird after you can actually feel the baby kicking. Last night I had to ask DH if we could just wait until it stopped kicking and went to sleep haha. I think we might have DTD 3-4 times in the first trimester. I was just feeling too sick plus I got a bit of spotting (which is normal) but my DH freaked out a bit. But now I'm not feeling like death, DH is keen but when things start moving around inside you it just feels so weird. Our poor DHs haha. 

TTC, I hope you're feeling better and enjoy your last peak for a wee while. Have you got photos from all your scans to see the changes? 

Four, last cycle your OPK was pretty obviously darker than the control line but I agree it's not quite as dark this cycle as it was last time. This morning is lighter but if you got your positive on CD 16 last cycle it might still be coming. Keep BDing if you can! 

Nita, yay 2 weeks will go quickly. Thanks, the scan is tomorrow! I'll let you know when we find out. Yay haha I love my bump. It's so exciting when it starts growing. Can you still fit your jeans? I'm in maternity jeans now, they're way more comfy haha.


----------



## Four2Five

6pm OPK tonight :wohoo: I think I'll have a good + by 9pm tonight like I did last cy :)
https://i68.tinypic.com/2qvv9kw.jpg


----------



## sarah2211

Yay! Get BDing Four! Keeping my fingers crossed for you. 

Just over 24 hours to go and we will hopefully know what we are having! I am so nervous and excited. We are going out for lunch first and then going to buy the pram. Things are starting to feel really real!!


----------



## Four2Five

Sarah I'm sooo excited for you!! I was always told to drink orange juice before my appointment, something about the sugar and acid make baby super active so you have a better chance of seeing gender ;)


----------



## Nita2806

Four - Whoohhhooooooo :happydance::happydance: get the BD going - This is your cycle! I have a very good feeling you will have your BFP in a few days :thumbup:

Sarah - So exciting!! 

None of my jeans fit me anymore, for about a week now :haha: and maternity jeans and shirts are so comfy :hugs:


----------



## sarah2211

Four, haha great advice. I was thinking a frozen coke because of the cold and caffeine. My DH wasn't keen on that idea but he'll be ok with orange juice. 

Nita, your bump is probably the same size as mine haha. Maternity jeans are super comfy. 

I don't know how I'm going to sleep tonight. I'm so excited to see our baby. All my other scans I've just been so scared but now I can feel kicks I know he/she is all ok.


----------



## Nita2806

I am glad I am showing some sort of bump...being very short is finally paying off, but makes me think I huge I will be in a few months :o

I had the weirdest dreams last night, I only remember 1 in detail: I went to get my 12 week scan done and the OB decided she isnt going to do an U/s for some reason and she will only do one again at 20 weeks, so I left her office without knowing how baby is doing... last night was the first night since my BFP that I had a strange dream, and there was more than 1 as I woke up a lot during the night, but now I can't remember the others, just that I thought it was silly haha


----------



## sarah2211

Haha yay! You will probably have a bigger bump but maybe it'll slow down as you get further along? 

Haha the dreams can be a bit crazy. I never usually remember my dreams but lately I've been having really clear ones. Last night I had a nightmare and my DH woke me up because I was whimpering in my sleep


----------



## sarah2211

Ugh, DH just rung to say he has to work this afternoon (even though they were all given this afternoon off). So no pram shopping and he doesn't know if he can make it to the scan... I'm not rebooking.


----------



## Nita2806

Oh gosh I had another crazy dream, that I went to the salon for a hair cut and they made me wait for longer than an hour haha silly dreams.

Thats sucks Sarah hope he can make the appointment atleast. If my time zones are correct you should be going anytime now?

Anyone else notice their finhers swelling? Or is it just me? My wedding ring barely fit over my finger :o

Oh and its Thursday, new ticker day yay.


----------



## Four2Five

Sarah praying your scan went good I can't wait to hear what you are having <3


----------



## sarah2211

The baby is a BOY!!!! 

We are so happy :) everything looks good from what she could see but she said she'd need to have a closer look at it all. No photos unfortunately, I have to go back next week and pick up the CD. It was really cool! His (I can say that now haha) feet were right up under my ribs and the ultrasound lady said he was really tall with long legs. His face looked really freaky, like something from a horror movie haha.


----------



## Nita2806

YAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!! So happy you are having what you wanted.


----------



## sarah2211

Haha me too...!!! Could have been really awkward if it was a girl haha. Now I can properly get stuck into shopping :)


----------



## Four2Five

Yay Sarah congrats sooo exciting!!! Do you and dh have names picked out for your little man? So happy you get to have the little boy you wanted <3 I hope I get a boy next time but I'd be happy with a girl too!


----------



## Nita2806

I wanted a boy, but now I think I want a girl - but honestly I think I will be happy either way :D


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks Four. Yup we have a boys name but not a girl's name so that's lucky. We aren't 100% set on the name but at the moment we both like it. 

Fingers crossed you both get what you want too!


----------



## Four2Five

Well I'm not sure what's going on with this cy...still no blazing positive OPK :( I'm beginning to think my thermometer is broke too because my temp has been the exact same pre o temp for 5 days in a row!! I wish o would just O already and get a temp shift! These constant hot flashes and daily diarrhea from the metformin are enough to make me go crazy so I hope it's not all for nothing :(


----------



## ttc126

Sarah! Congratulations &#10084; Little boys are so much fun!!!!

Nita you'll be so in love boy or girl baby &#10084;

Four I'm sorry! That sounds frustrating! If you called would your doctor do an ultrasound to see what's going on?

Well I have a scan in two hours. I really am nervous as usual. But I hope all is well.


----------



## Nita2806

Ttc, goodluck, I know it will go well. I am glad you are having so many scans, I can only imagine how stressful it must be. How are you feeling by the way? Last time you said you arent well..

I thought I was having far less scans than others, but I spoke to so many women who het one at 12 weeks then only at 20, I am happy that I get to have one every 4 weeks for now :) and officially less than 2 weeks before the next scan...yay.

Not sure how it works in other countries, but we have a 4 day weekend for easter...so for those celebrating, happy easter :)


----------



## Nita2806

Four2Five said:


> Well I'm not sure what's going on with this cy...still no blazing positive OPK :( I'm beginning to think my thermometer is broke too because my temp has been the exact same pre o temp for 5 days in a row!! I wish o would just O already and get a temp shift! These constant hot flashes and daily diarrhea from the metformin are enough to make me go crazy so I hope it's not all for nothing :(

Oh no!! Clomid can fo thqt, make you O one cycle and not the next, or just later, on my first O cycle it was CD14 and on my second O cycle it wasnt until CD18/19, and the metformin should help!! And ugh the side effects on them are the worst.


----------



## sarah2211

Four, oh no, I thought your OPKs were looking great. Your chart is very flat but you are only temping to 1 dp so maybe it's not picking up small changes. Hopefully you get your rise tomorrow. If your doctor doing blood tests to check if you've O'd? Metformin sucks, but I hope it's helping! 

TTC thanks :) I see you have 2 little boys :) I've always wanted a boy first and then after that I'm not worried. Although I'd rather not have 3 of one gender haha. Good luck for your scan, let us know how it goes. 

Nita, I think different countries do things differently. Here, you're lucky if you get an early dating scan, you can choose to have a 12 week scan but only if you're doing NT testing, then a 20 week scan is pretty standard and then they do one in the third trimester some time. For me, I'm getting lots, I'm about to start getting them more frequently. Oh I there was stuff about SA on the news last night, just about the protests. 

Thankfully the cyclone that was meant to be the worst in 50 years or something passed without too much trouble. I think they were expecting much worse. DH has been on 2 hours notice to move and his bags are waiting at the door :( but hopefully they'll stand them down. And then we can go pram shopping tomorrow! 

And yes, it's a long weekend here too but also school holidays so I'm off until the end of the month :) happy Easter everyone!


----------



## sarah2211

And yay for our tickers Nita. The silly thing is that a lot of the food we don't have here. We don't have donut holes or root beer.


----------



## Four2Five

Thanks girls, my OPK's have remained the same darkness as I showed earlier for the last few days but no test line darker than the control like I had last month so I'm not counting them as + yet. I'll test again tonight and hopefully see some change...really just waiting for that temp change to confirm though...we have been dtd a lot so hopefully it happens soon because I'm getting worn out lol I will be getting a 21 day blood test to confirm O once I know I've actually O'd or I hit cd 25 with no then I'll get it anyways to see what the number is for my progesterone...If I have to do Clomid again I'll move up to 150mg


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah, haha we marched for a second time on the presidents birthday to ask him to step down. Our other parties are currently in the court to get an anon vote going to see if they cant get him to step down. And as that continue our products are becoming even more expensive.. Oh well, welcome to Africa I guess.

Four, I am praying that you O this cycle on the 100mg, I never tempted but, on my last cycle I had no O signs whatsoever and I did O, so hopefully thats the case with you. I really would not want you to move over to 150mg, the side effects are horrible! Praying for you and keeping my FXed.


----------



## Nita2806

sarah2211 said:


> And yay for our tickers Nita. The silly thing is that a lot of the food we don't have here. We don't have donut holes or root beer.

I think its american lol, we dont have either here as well.


----------



## sarah2211

I didn't have any O symptoms on the cycle I conceived either. I didn't even get a positive OPK. Remember they just have to be as dark as the control line. I'd say it's just a matter of days (hopefully tomorrow) that you get your rise! Fingers crossed for you Four. 

Nita, that was what they were showing on the news. Sounds like a mess! 

DH is now on 12 hours notice but it's most likely they'll be stood down completely tomorrow. The cyclone wasn't anywhere near as bad as they were predicting.


----------



## Four2Five

Still no rise :( but possibly a pre O dip like I usually get? I woke up at 3am and temped and it was 97.3 like it has been for 5 days straight but o fell right back asleep and woke up at my normal 6am and temped and it was 97.1 so I kept that number and hopefully I get a good jump tomorrow. Dh and o dtd again last night but it's obxioua all this bd is taking its toll because even though I had a ton of wet ewcm it was almost painful...I hope o get a good + OPK today to go along with my temp drop!!


----------



## sarah2211

Four, I would disregard that first temp and stick with your normal time one. The dip is good! Hopefully you're going to get the rise in the morning. I found on Clomid, BDing was more painful the closer I got to O. Especially on my second cycle my insides were really sore and bruised. Hopefully you just get your rise tomorrow so you can have a break!


----------



## Four2Five

Thanks Sarah that's exactly what I did, keep the normal time temp. I'm praying I get that rose tomorrow, my cm is like TMI dropping out of me it's so slippery and wet ewcm and tons of it so I'm pretty sure today is O day! Unfortunately I have to wait for dh to get home from class at 10pm before we can dtd again...I think we will continue through the weekend but I'm requesting a break after that lol I'm exhausted!

We officially decided on Alaska and signed the contract!! The excitement is starting to build up more than the anxiety and I have been on my phone non stop talking with realtors and schools and researching everything possible and how to change everything we have here to there like our girls gymnastics and dance team and such...we want everything to be as normal as possible and don't want them to feel like they are sacrificing a ton to move there so hopefully we can fulfill all their regular activities and then some once we get there!! We will be moving mid July and dh will begin working at the beginning of August so we literally get 2 weeks to settle there before he starts. We are planning on driving there which is 2500 miles because it is so much cheaper than shipping everything we own but it's still gonna cost us $10k easily to move and I'm dreading draining all that money from our savings especially if we have a new little one on the way lol but we will make it work, we always do <3


----------



## sarah2211

That's good! It sounds like today is today! Are you having any cramping or pain in your ovaries? You should be well covered with BDing. I don't blame you wanting to take a break! 

I'm glad you have made a decision. It sounds like the right one if you're feeling excited! There must be heaps to organize. I hope if this is your cycle you don't find the first trimester too hard when you're moving. I definitely couldn't have moved house in the first trimester! 

So we went pram shopping today and bought a Mountain Buggy Terrian and a carry cot! So exciting :)


----------



## Four2Five

Share pics of you can! I love looking at baby stuff and I have no clue what other countries have!


----------



## Nita2806

Four, it sounds like you have an exciting time ahead of you. Enjoy every moment of it, and I am glad you are managing so much BD, I dont blame you for wanting to take a break.

Sarah, yay for finally getting the shopping done. My aunt said yesterday we shouldnt buy anything she has a ton of stuff to give to us...yay.

I am so pissed off at our pharmacy. This morning when I couldnt sleep I counted my prog left to see until when I am taking it, and they gave me 4 pills short...ugh and nothing I can do about it. And this isnt the first time. Next time I will drive a bit further and support another pharmacy...ugh! Only way I can get the last 4 is another prescription, after i paid for those 4 pills already and I am pretty sure my OB isnt open this week.


----------



## Four2Five

Ughhh my upk still wasn't totally + yesterday and my temp is still down this morning :( so annoyed!! The last two days I've been in A LOT of O pain with horrible cramping and backache.

Nita I'm sooo sorry they did that to you! That's a HUGE mistake for a pharmacy to make (here in the USA it's a big no no and they double and triple check prescription pills between 2-3 people at each pharmacy. I don't think 4 pills is going to make or break the month you've taken them...I would call my dr and let her know what happened and then ask her how she wants to proceed as in just stop 4 days early or give you another script.


----------



## Nita2806

Four, I hope your temp jumps right up in a day or two :D

Luckily I am taking 2 pills a day, so i would stop on day 28, but I have decided to just 1 a day for the last four days and still take it the full 30 days, Ill explain to my OB at my next scan what happened.


----------



## sarah2211

This is the pram we got - https://mountainbuggy.com/nz/Products/buggies/terrain plus a carrycot. 

Nita, that's frustrating. It does happen here occasionally but usually you could just go back to the pharmacy and they'd sorted it out. Like Four said, you should be ok. Especially because your progesterone wasn't low and it was just as a precaution. 

Four, your chart looks great! Now you can have a rest haha I bet it's much needed. 

How long until your scan Nita? 

DH and I went for a walk at the beach yesterday and when I came home my left knee and fingers were swollen :( I hope I'm not getting a Lupus flare.


----------



## ttc126

Hi ladies! 

Just wanted to check in and say hi! 

Sarah, great pram! So exciting to be buying baby things! &#10084;

Nita, being short on pills is frustrating but I do agree with everyone you should be ok!

Well on Thursday my scan was great! Baby measured 3 days ahead! I'm freaking out about stopping progesterone Tuesday at 11 weeks. My OB assured me it's fine but it's so nerve wracking to me. 

Four, hoping you confirmed o!


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks TTC. We decided to make a good investment with the buggy. We (hope) we can use it for number 2 and 3! 

I'm glad your scan went well! That's exciting. I was measuring 4 days ahead at my 7 week scan. It made that week go so quick haha. Are you feeling any better TTC?


----------



## Nita2806

Ye, going back to the pharmacy wont help, the box said 50 so they would just say that I am lying to get more pills, its because the people here are so dishonest and would do that kind of stuff, especially since these are schedule 4 pills, they would request another prescription. 

Sarah, nice Pram :D my next scan is next week Wednesday already, cant believe how the time has gone by.

Ttc, yay for baby measuring ahead, and being healthy :hugs: I totally understand your fear of stopping the prog, but I think you will feel muvh better without them, will you stop it cold turkey or start to wean off them until Tuesday?

I read about a lot of women stopping at 10 weeks without problems, so you should be fine. I think my OB just gave me enough till my next appointment because I wont have scans inbetween to determine if I can stop or not, however, it really was just a precaution, as baby did fine in the crucial stages till 8 weeks without it, and I had no spotting or issues in that time. I am however scared of spotting/bleeding after I stop them, so glad I am just weaning off them, hopefully that helps. 

So excited for this week, we are heading down to the coast on Saturday and getting back on Tuesday just before my next scan :D


----------



## Four2Five

Thanks ladies <3 I have no idea what is going on, my OPK keeps going positive negative positive negative all throughout the day the last few days...I feel like this cy is a bust and my body keeps gearing up but just doesn't quite get there. I had a little temp jump this morning and I'm still in a ton of o Pain cramping but my OPK was positive at noon today, negative at 6pm and positive again at 10pm...so annoying. And it's not blazing positive like last cycle but it is as dark as the control. I should be going on for my 21 day blood test tomorrow and here I am not even sure I've O'd :( The cramping really sucks it's painful and I had a horrible migraine today so I'm just exhausted. I feel like we need to keep bd'ing because O is not confirmed yet but I just don't know if I can manage any more. Even dh is getting worn out and that like never happens :haha:


----------



## Four2Five

What day would you consider + on my OPK?
https://i66.tinypic.com/2wcfkuv.jpg
https://i66.tinypic.com/2qb928p.jpg


----------



## Nita2806

4/12 CD16 for sure Four. But your Cd21 will give you an indication of when you Od and if you Od. When I Od on CD14 my CD21 test came back very high, When I Od on CD18/19 my CD20 test came back very low.

P.S. I don't really trust OPKs any way... the bloodtest is way more reliable.


----------



## Four2Five

So when do you think I should go have it done? How many dpo are you supposed to get it? IF I O'd cd 16 is it too soon to do it tomorrow CD 21?


----------



## Nita2806

The best time is 7 - 10 dpo - my OB said the best time is just before AF start but the women waited too long so they have just decided to make CD21 to make things easier. If you are anxious to get it done and know if you Od, do it on CD21 - I was so impatient I went on the morning of CD20. Even if you O today and do the test tomorrow, it will still show you O'd but dont get discouraged if its lower than the 30nmol/L they want to see like I did.

Anything higher than 2.84 nmol/L means you did O, 1 - 2 days after I O'd it showed 14.8nmol/L already.


----------



## Four2Five

I think I will wait till Wednesday and go in for the test then, that would put me 7dpo if I did o...I think my temp will show by then if I did too.


----------



## ttc126

Four, if it were me, I would've counted cd14 as positive and not tested again. It's very tricky! I know when I had a positive that looked like your cd14 one an ultrasound showed I did ovulate after that test. I know my tests would go back and forth even if I ovulated. Some women have "corrected" me that it needs to be "blazing" positive but in my wondfo experience that wasn't the case. Fingers crossed for you!!!!!

Thanks Sarah and Nita! I am feeling a bit better. I'm sure I'll improve more once off progesterone!


----------



## sarah2211

Four, CD 16 is definitely the darkest but 14 looks positive to me too. I see you have crosshairs but I can understand why you're not feeling like they're 100% correct. Like Nita said, 7 DPO is when they recommend it. CD 21 is 7 days after CD 14 when we are all suppose to drop our eggs. I'd hold off if I was you. Give it at least 3-4 more days and then do the blood test. The blood test will confirm if you've O'd and it might give you some indication of when but it's not going to be as good as temping. Mine was high on my second cycle and lower on my third. I ovulated CD 16 both cycles and did the blood tests on the same CD. I'm convinced I ovulated two eggs on my second cycle and just 1 on the third (and none on the first). Not to get your hopes up too high but a positive OPK in the TWW is a good sign! 

Nita, I hope that makes the time go quicker! Not long now :) 

TTC, that's good to hear. How much longer do you have to go with the progesterone?


----------



## ttc126

Sarah I'm supposed to stop after my last one tonight!


----------



## sarah2211

Good luck! I'm sure everything will be fine! Have you read up on what happens when you stop them? I've heard a few women getting unexpected reactions. I didn't read too much into it because I wasn't taking it.


----------



## Four2Five

Well I'm pretty sure I'm just not going to O this cy. So bummed. This is my OPK tonight...it's still way darker than it should be but not + so I guess I'll go in this Wednesday or Friday to have my 21 day test ran to confirm but I'm pretty sure it's a bust. I don't even know what to do from here, I'm pretty frustrated.

https://i66.tinypic.com/2z7rajo.jpg


----------



## Nita2806

Four, if you think you didnt O, get the CD21 bloodtest done ASAP so you can get started on the next cycle - this is the best advice I gave myself. The Clomid should have made you Od already, and maybe it did (as I said previously, dont trust OPKs) That stress of not knowing is enough to drive a person crazy.

Sorry if I may sound unsensitive/harsh - not my intention :)

I am so stressed about work :( so I am going MIA for a few days... I will check in when time allows for it.

Four, Ill be waiting to hear about your bloodtest results.


----------



## sarah2211

I agree with Nita. If you're not sure, just do the blood test. If you did O you'll probably still get a good result and if you didn't, then you can move on with the next cycle. Maybe your doctor will give you 150mg? 

I hope everything's ok Nita, look after yourself. 

My tummy is stretching big time tonight. It feels really weird. I've only gained 3kg (6.5lbish) which is on the low side for 20 weeks. Surprising, because I'm still finding it hard to eat healthy but have a huge appetite at the moment!


----------



## Nita2806

Ugh, we have staff issues, because they are lazy and demand more money, so we kinda send them packing. And with me taking leave next week, I have a crapload of work to do, and I am not sleeping well, 4 hours max at night (thank you insomnia) and I am stupid tired during the day(still blaming the prog :haha:) So I am just really stressed.

yay for a stretching tummy Sarah - and guess what? Its almost Thursday...and you know what happens on a Thursday :winkwink:


----------



## Four2Five

:cry: My dr ordered my test just a few minutes ago so I'm going to shower then head in to get it done. I just took two OPK's and a preg test because I am having horrible O cramps so I checked my cm/cp and I have gobs of ewcm (sorry for the tmi pic) and my wondfo OPK looks positive again :( we haven't dtd since Sunday morning because we were just so exhausted. I guess we will dtd today just in case I'm finally O'ing. I know the blood test will confirm I haven't O'd because my chart lost its crosshairs and I definitely haven't had a temp shift like I normally do for O. Anyhow doesn't this look positive too?? I wonder if I got a bad batch of wondfo or something :(

https://i67.tinypic.com/3523fgk.jpg
https://i68.tinypic.com/28rccpz.jpg
https://i64.tinypic.com/263j96b.jpg


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, that's frustrating. I hope you can catch up on everything before you go away. I was having trouble with insomnia and then I realised I was waking up because I was hungry. Maybe try a yoghurt or banana when you wake up. I did and it put me back to sleep haha. 

I think my tummy is starting to grow, slowly. I dropped something yesterday and it was a little bit harder to pick up haha. Yay haha I'm sick of being a pint of root beer. 

Four, that's so frustrating. You have the opposite problem to me - no positive OPKs. It looks like you might be Oing now but being CD 22, my doctor would say it wasn't a Clomid ovulation. So I think it's a good idea that you did the blood test. If you don't get your BFP this cycle, your doctor might prescribe provera to finish it and then give you a higher dose. My doctor didn't keep me on the same dose after I failed it once. What did your doctor say about doing 100mg again, even though you didn't ovulate cycle 2?


----------



## Four2Five

Went and had my blood work done, the tech said I would get results in a few days because they have to send it to a bigger lab. 

Sarah I have an ongoing prescription for Provera because I typically have to take it to jump start my cycle. Last cycle was the first time I have O'd and so af came on its own but I typically have to take Provera and Clomid to have a normal cycle. When I spoke to her about my charts and O and such last cycle she said to try 100mg one more cy then she will move me to 150 if I don't so or don't get pregnant. I really just want to O so I don't have to take Provera :( I'm still in tons of crampy pain and had some sharp O like pains on my left side today but who really knows. I knew the stress of this whole move thing was going to mess up this cycle :cry:


----------



## sarah2211

Hopefully you get your results before the weekend! That makes sense, if it was me and you think you might still be in with a chance this cycle, don't take provera just yet. Wait and see what the blood tests say and if you get a rise in the next few days. It could be the stress or that 100mg is just not enough. It sounds like you need 150mg and hopefully you won't suffer too much with the side effects. Will you have to find a new doctor too?


----------



## Four2Five

Yes once we move in July I will have to find a new dr and we will have all new medical insurance so I'm not sure how it's all going to work if I don't get pregnant before then :(


----------



## Nita2806

Four, I am glad you did the bloodtest I hope you get your results soon, I cant wait imagine days for it though, here it gets released in 2 to 3 hours to the app and I could see it there, even my hcg test and pap smear. I hope its before the weekend though.

Things shoukd be better at work today, but I need a break, so the weekend better come soon. I have my appointment in exactly 1 week from now...starting to stress about it


----------



## sarah2211

Yeah it seems like a long time to process the test. Here, it's probably take 24 hours. Maybe less because my doctor seems to always make my tests as urgent. We also don't really have healthcare insurance here so I don't really know how that works. 

Well I spent all day cleaning. Cleaning walls, ceilings, mopping etc. I think they call it nesting haha.


----------



## Nita2806

Its so weird, my tests are always marked as low priority, but it seems things work differently everywhere. My hcg was marked as urgent for some reason, and within an hour I got the SMS to say its positive. We have lots of different labs here too, so dont know if the others take longer.

Sarah - How much should I pay you to clean my house too? The lady that cleaned our house went back to zimbabwe and she have not returned yet (3 weeks later) ugh!! And I dont have time to clean. :dohh:


----------



## Four2Five

The hospital they had to send it to is a couple hours away, I'm not sure how often they do transfers to there but I'm watching my online account waiting to see if they post results soon. I'm hoping I don't have to wait through the weekend...the tech who drew my blood might not really know and just said that so I don't call bothering for the results lol 

I spent all day running crazy errands for our move, had to gather a ton of paperwork from all over for our realtor so we can start looking for properties in Alaska! Then I came home and cleaned like crazy and got rid half my wardrobe so that we don't have to take as much, I have two months to purge all of our belongings, the more we take the more expensive it is and it's just easier to start over with new furniture there and such so we will be taking as little as possible, it's nerve racking!!


----------



## Nita2806

Four, that sounds exciting and crazy at the same time. I am excited for you though, I am sure it is all going to work out like it should :hugs:

When we moved in January into our new house, we were so busy and it took my mind of TTC for a while, who knew we would get our BFP just after the move :D


----------



## sarah2211

All my fertility ones were marked urgent and so are my Lupus ones. Seems weird because they really didn't need to know any of those results urgently, but all good. Here some of the blood tests can only be done at certain labs. I've even had blood tests sent to Australia because none of the labs can process them. 

Haha Nita, I don't think you could afford me! While I was cleaning the walls I was thinking someone should pay me! When DH got home from work I made him walk around the house and admire all my cleaning haha. 

Four, sounds like a big clean out. I find it hard to throw out clothes and other things. I think I need to have a good clear out though. 

I've just seen that Love from the Clomid buddies thread got her BFP. I sent her a private message inviting her to join us :)


----------



## Nita2806

haha Sarah - I do the same to my DH, whenever I do something around the house I make sure he knows and he better thank me for doing it :) I might have organized a cleaner for next week Sunday - yay!

I also saw Love got her BFP - that is so awesome, so I have also sent her an invite to join us :haha: so she'd be getting two... hey, great minds think alike :baby:


----------



## sarah2211

Haha I almost didn't feel like one tour was enough, so when he went in the bathroom I shouted out to him, "hey look how clean the ceiling is in there" hahaha. They better appreciate it haha. Do most people have cleaners there? 

Haha funny Nita, I hope she joins us soon :) 

Ugh, I didn't drink enough water yesterday and woke up with intense cramps in my legs. 

I've got the midwife today! And it's Thursday here Nita. Ovia said that the baby is 26.7cm long! I don't know where he fits in there because my bump isn't that big!


----------



## Four2Five

Omg girls!! Finally got my blazing positive!!! Go figure it's the day after I do my blood test...oh well at least I know I still have a chance this cy!! And I'm sooo happy dh and I decided to bd last night even though we were both exhausted :haha: So this might not be a Clomid baby after all since I'm on cd 23 but I just went back through my other two dd's charts when I got my bfps and my first dd I O'd on cd 22 and my second dd I O'd on cd 20 so maybe I just have super late O'd on Clomid since my two dd are both Clomid cy babies! Either way I'm EXCITED and ready to jump dh when he gets home :wohoo:

https://i63.tinypic.com/259h5qd.jpg


----------



## Four2Five

Oh and I got my normal pre-O temp drop this morning :yipee:


----------



## LoveCousar

Four - I have been wondering how you been! I didn't know you were updating on this thread. I'm glad to see you finally got your blazing positive on your OPK!

Heyyyyy Ladies! Thank you for the invite! Yes, I finally got my BFP!!! My knees went weak when I saw the pink lines on the FRER. I can't believe it after almost 2 years TTC & 4 rounds of Clomid, I finally saw those lines & I wouldn't trade that feeling for anything. <3


----------



## Four2Five

Awww love I'm so happy to see you here with a BFP <3 I've just been updating over here it was hard updating two threads constantly lol so I decided to be optimistic and post here, praying this month I'll get my bfp <3


----------



## LoveCousar

Four - Thank you so much! FX this is your month this has to be it! Are you planning on BD-ing again just for back up??

I'm so new to this I feel like a lost lamb lol. My first appointment isn't until MAY 22 (omg so far away!). Should I be taking prenatal's until then or just wait it out? I bought 15 cheapies as well just to make sure my lines are getting darker lol the obsession is so real


----------



## Four2Five

Yes definitely start prenatals and make sure they have folic acid in them those are the best for early pregnancy! I get super sick during pregnancy so I recommend you take them before bed just in case they upset your tummy. We will definitely be bd over the next few days just to cover our basis ;) I can't believe I finally O'd this has literally been a cy from hell if you read over the last few weeks of posts you'll know what I mean. 

Nita and Sarah I'm excited for you guys to wake up and see my BLAZING POSITIVE post :haha:


----------



## ttc126

Congrats Love!!!!! So so exciting and relieving when treatment works! Definitely take a prenatal as Four said and just drink lots of water and eat as well as you can! May 22 will be here before you know it!

Four! That's a super positive! So happy for you! I think it sounds like you have an AMAZING chance this month. Got everything crossed for you!


----------



## Nita2806

Omg omg omg!!! Four, so excited to wake up and see your OPK is so positive. Oh this has got to be it for you! I said I had a feeling you will get your BFP this cycle and I still have that feeling! Glad you managed the BD.

Love!! Whoohoooo welcome and congratz. So excited for you. Thqt first appointment takes forever, but once you see baby it will be worth it. Your baby gets everything he or she needs from you in the first tri, but folic acid is very important. My prenatal vits made me sick (the iron does that) so my OB said leave it and try again in the second tri..
Do you have any symptoms?


----------



## Four2Five

Thank you TTC and Nita! I'm just so excited I finally O'd :) This cy has made me wait long enough! I should have known I would so today considering that ewcm I had yesterday! Definitely going to try to get in a couple bd sessions tonight and tomorrow morning and pray we catch the egg <3


----------



## Nita2806

I am so excited for you Four :D will you be doing the POAS till your BFP this cycle again? I hope so.

Ugh, 2 days before we are going on holiday and I have a cold :(

New ticker day Sarah :D yay. they switch over 9am my time, 2.5 hours from now :D


----------



## Nita2806

Uhm, my second ticker says I am in the second trimester? That cant be right... second trimester is only at the end of week 12, in week 13 or did I miss something :haha:


----------



## Four2Five

I think 12 weeks begins second trimester ;) So exciting!!!


----------



## Nita2806

I cant believe how time has gone by, I have decided to take my Prog tonight still and start to wean of tomorrow night by taking 1 every 24 hours until they are finished (Should be Tuesday) and hopefully on Wednesday everything will look good.


----------



## sarah2211

Yay Four!!! I'm so excited for you. Even though it was after your blood test, it's awesome! Get in there with more BDing!! I bet you'll get your temp rise tomorrow. By the way, I wasn't asleep haha it's 8pm now here. Will you POAS or just wait it out? If you do, please post them here :)

Love, yay I'm glad you found us! Congratulations. Definitely take prenatals or at the very least folic acid. I agree about taking them at night. Drink lots of water, read up on food you shouldn't eat during pregnancy. Get lots of rest! Will your doctor run blood tests for you early? Itd be a good idea to get your progesterone checked. 

Nita, some websites say the second trimester starts week 12, others say 13 or 14. I think Ovia flicks over at 14 weeks. Haha you got a chicken nugget. I kind of got put off eating chicken nuggets at week 12 haha. 

AFM, omg! I went to the doctor to get her to sign my return to work form and now I have an ear and throats infection! Back on antibiotics and steroids for my asthma! I also had the midwife today and everything went well, she found the heartbeat really quickly, 142. She also said that she thinks I'll end up delievering before my due date. So he'll probably be an August baby!


----------



## Nita2806

Haha, so I consider myself officially in the 2nd trimester when I hit 14 weeks, now I will just go with inbetween, Ill ask my OB what her opinion is, about when the 2nd tri starts. Finally my ticker is something that we actually get in South Africa, so I know exactly how big baby is... 4.1cm according to Ovia, which is about the size of our chicken nuggets.

Sarah, you got a burrito...haha, I have no idea what that is or how big it is... we don't have it here.

Another Challenge Sarah :( I have a cold and feel like shit to be honest... ugh. It's funny your midwife said you will deliver earlier, any idea why? Don't remember if I told you but my OB also said my due date is 4/5 November, but I should expect baby to come in October already.. She never told me why though.


----------



## sarah2211

Haha yeah I found that was a tricky time to be in. You're almost ready to make an announcement and not sure whether it's first or second trimester. I think most places count 14 weeks as the start of trimester 2. 

Haha yes same. We have chicken nuggets here too. We don't have chipotle burritos but I'm thinking it might be the same size as a Turkish donar kebab. Do you get them there? Ovia said 26.5cm! That's nearly a foot long! I don't know where he's fitting. 

With lupus, you often go early. But I've heard most first borns are late. I was almost 2 weeks after my due date. I'd ask her why she thinks that Nita


----------



## Nita2806

I have no idea what a turkish donar kebab thingamebob is haha, seems like we are missing out here on a lot of things. Wow 26 CM :o your baby have grown so fast. I keep on taking my ruler and measuring 4.1cm and holding it to my tummy to see where baby is hiding... how silly haha.

My mom didnt have any fertility issues whatsoever, got pregnant on BCP and she was 42 weeks pregnant with me, I think she would have been longer but she couldnt anymore, so she started helping my dad to get rid of all the cement bricks in our back yard, and eventually she went into labour. Even after that I was underweight at birth and didnt completely develop in my throat. So I really think it depends on the person? Baby will come when he is ready...


----------



## sarah2211

Haha it's like a wrap. Filled with meat and salads. You're definitely missing out on Turkish kebabs haha. I love them! Ovia says the baby is the size of a baby bok choi. Even some of their things we don't have. My nieces were asking how big the baby was yesterday and I said he's about as long as a banana and his head is the size of an orange so they went to the fruit bowl and taped a banana to an orange haha. 

That is cute. 4.1cm seems little but so big compared to the tiny poppy seeds that they once were. 

Yeah I agree. Mostly they'll just come when they want to come. But the midwife said that I'll start to have more frequent scans and follow ups soon and they'll be able to detect how the placenta is doing and how the baby is growing. They'll get a good idea about if things are going right and in that case they'll actually need to take steps so I deliver the baby early. I think I mentioned before that DH was going away overseas for all of July and some of August. My midwife told me that he shouldn't be going away and that he needs to seriously consider getting out of it or he has a very good chance of missing the birth. I planted that seed in his head tonight so I'll let him think it over before I put my foot down haha.


----------



## Nita2806

We do have wraps here, but not that kind haha, not a fan of it really, I dont really do salads in my food haha. But a lot of things they say we dont have here, they should ask you in what country are you and give you food according to that. I am pretty sure these apps use american food.

Thats so cute, DH also asked me last night how big baby now is, I said around 4.1 Cm, he then also used his fingers to measure it and them tried to see where in my tummy that fits, and then he poked me, and after a few seconds of awkward silence he said 'omg, your tummy is so hard' - I have yet to feel baby, I think i am touching the wrong places but can atleast say my muscles are tightening.

I totally agree with your midwife, he should rather stay home. I dont think he will be happy missing the birth, and since you now know baby will come early, you can make arrangements for it.


----------



## ttc126

Happy new weeks Sarah and Nita! 
So a chipotle burrito is a burrito from the chipotle restaurant. You go in and pick your meat (chicken or beef or pork), rice (two kinds), beans, cheese, sour cream, and guacamole (smashed avocado dip that has onion and spices). It's good but I never eat at Chipotle anymore because people were getting quite sick from some bacteria in the produce. In Oct of 2015 my husband ate there and had diarrhea for 3 months and finally traced it to that because so many others were sick from there. So we will not go there again!

This is silly, but I had hoped to feel baby moving by now. I think I've felt a couple of teeny flutters but I felt my second moving a lot by now. I'm not super worried but i just hoped i would feel more.


----------



## Nita2806

Thank you TTC for clarifying, so its almost like subway then? Just not a sub... We have subway here, but they only opened recently.

TTC I have no idea where baby is and or how it should feel. I dont even think I felt anything other than my muscles. I also dont know when you are supposed to feel baby?


----------



## ttc126

Kind of like a subway. But it's more like Mexican food. Wrapped in a tortilla. 
Oh no now I'm craving subway!!!!! Big no no for pregnancy my OB says unless you get a hot one. BLEH! 

So when I felt my others it felt like bubbles popping in my lower tummy. Or a muscle twitch! With my oldest I didn't feel much until 16-17 weeks though.


----------



## Four2Five

You guys are totally missing out if you don't have burritos!! They are usually some kind of seasoned meat (chicken, ground beef, or steak) wrapped in a tortilla with salsa, rice, beans, sour cream, guacamole, lettuce or whatever you choose and they are delicious!!

I had a small temp rise this morning and my OPK is still blazing positive, we managed to dtd last night and will again tonight and tomorrow just to be sure of our best chances! Really hoping this month is it <3 last night at 10pm the test line was so so dark!!

4/19 10pm CD 23
https://i66.tinypic.com/rivncw.jpg

4/18 8pm
4/19 4pm
4/19 6pm
4/19 10 pm
4/20 10am
https://i65.tinypic.com/4rvthy.jpg


----------



## Nita2806

Haha Four, us South Africans always say people overseas are missing out because they dont have biltong, and so it seems we are missing out too. How exciting are your OPKs , I am sure you will get an even higher temp rise tomorow morning :D

I am officially weaning off the Prog, hope its not too early, but I need my sleep now with the cold so wont be waking at 2pm to take my prog, ill take it once a day now at night.


----------



## LoveCousar

I got some prenatal with folic acid & started taking it today. So far it hasn't made me sick but maybe it's because I'm still so early. I literally just hit 4 weeks today.

How do I have a ticker? I'm literally poppy-seed right now lol :haha:

So far my symptoms are constipation, boobs are a size bigger already, which initially gave me reason to believe I was pregnant, waves of nausea when I'm driving sometimes, light cramps here & there & NO APPETITE. None whatsoever! Besides that, I'm totally fine. I can't wait until the symptoms hit hard lol I'm anxious for this experience, even though I know I'll regret it once it starts ha.


----------



## sarah2211

Haha Nita I'm glad someone else is feeling lost with their food comparisons we have Mexican restaurants here and you could order a burrito but no fast food places. Wow you only just got subway? Wow TTC that sounds nasty! My doctor said no subway either. The meat and the salads are no good. 

My tummy is hard too and my uterus is about 4cm above my belly button. You guys should be able to feel yours soon. I was completely lost but then when my midwife found it, I could find it easily. Don't worry about not feeling movements yet. I felt one at about 15 weeks and that's really early for your first. Even for your second you wouldn't feel them until about them. TTC you definitely might feeling them if this is your third, you know what to look out for too. I noticed more movements in the evening and when it was really quiet and I didn't move much. Now I feel him all day. Last night he would sleep for half and hour-45 minutes and then wake up and sleep, then wake up. My husband reckons he can put his ear on my tummy and hear the heartbeat, I think he's full of it haha. 

Four! They're looking awesome. You're getting heaps of BDing in. I think you're doing everything you can for your BFP! Fingers crossed!

I hope you go ok with weaning off the prog Nita. It'll be nice not having to wake up in the middle of the night haha. 

Love, that's good. I found the fatigue hit just before week 5 and the nausea, just before week 6. Enjoy not feeling ill now! I really wasn't prepared for how bad the first trimester could be. I was lucky I improved week 9 but week 6-9 I felt like I was dying. I think for the ticker, it depends which one you want, but click mine or Nita's ticker. Press the three lines in the top right hand corner (in doing this on my phone) and then click "count down ticker". Enter the details. I'm not sure if you use the BBcode or the html.


----------



## LoveCousar

OMG I'm less than a poppy seed lol a grain of salt seriously? We'll at least I have a ticker now, thanks Sarah!


----------



## Nita2806

Love, if your prenat vits dont make you sick, you are very lucky and should continue taking them. Vitamins have made me sick for my entire like life, so I am dreading having to try taking mine again. They gave me diarrheia and bad stomsch pains and contant nausea, I thought it was morning sickness, but once I started googling I found the iron is the one making me sick so I stopped. Enjoy feelling good, fatique hit me hard ftom 6 weeks too, and you will feel pretty useless for a few weeks :) hopefully you are lucky enough like myself to miss out on the MS. And hoping your doctor wont prescribe you Progesterone, its horrible to take :) I think at 4 weeks your baby is still just a bunch of cells, but if you like to keep track of baby like myself and Sarah, get the Ovia app...its so worth it :D and dont worry, time will go by very fast..

Sarah I slept 6 hours without waking up, and actually feel better, glad I made the descision, feels like my fever are gone now too. Yay. How are you feelling?

Ohhh Love your ticker will also switch over on a Thursday, yay! Thursdays seems to be new ticker day...how exciting.


----------



## sarah2211

Haha awww Love! It sounds tiny, but they grow so quickly. I couldn't wait so I skipped ahead to see what was in the next few weeks. You'll see it doubles in size pretty quickly. Somehow going from a grain of salt to a burrito in just a few months! Just wait until we all have watermelons and we might be wishing for a grain of salt again! 

And if the prenatals do end up making you feel sick, ask for a script of folic acid and iodine. I just ended up taking those instead and my doctor said that's all you really need. 

Nita, im glad you got a good night's sleep! It makes a huge difference. I found around those weeks that even if I didn't sleep that well I was running on adrenaline from somewhere. 

I'm doing ok. Nearly lost my voice now. Just trying to rest. I've got 4 days until I'm back at work (only 2 days a week though!). I'm going to spend the day sorting out the baby's room! :)


----------



## ttc126

Sarah you're getting so far along now!

Four I'm so excited I think this is your month!

Nita, I'm glad you got some rest! How is weaning the progesterone going?

I had an appt yesterday! My OB found the heartbeat on the doppler. It was 169! She told me the risk of miscarriage at this point is 1-2% which was so relieving. I'm still weaning my progesterone. One at night and I'll go to every other night soon!


----------



## sarah2211

TTC, it's crazy! I love having a bump haha. My DH was resting his head on my tummy this morning and he got kicked in the head haha. Over half way! 

Yay! It's so exciting to hear the heartbeat on the doppler. That's a fast heartbeat! I'm guessing you've got a girl in there :) do you think you'll buy a doppler? I've read lots of people finding they're good for their anxiety in between appointments but I think if I couldn't find the heartbeat I'd freak out more. 

It's so relieving hearing the low MC stats. I know when I got to that stage I felt so much stress off my shoulders. Good luck with the weaning off progesterone. I'm currently weaning of prednisone but thinking I might stay on it a bit longer.


----------



## ttc126

How cute your little guy kicked dh head :rofl: I think I agree with you on the doppler. I've had such horrible anxiety I feel like I can't be doing anything to make it worse lol. Plus being high risk I get lots of appts anyway (as you're familiar with &#10084;). 
I'm super curious if the higher heart rate means girl! Can't wait to find out but I will be thrilled either way &#10084;


----------



## Four2Five

Hi ladies! Hope you all are having a good weekend :) I've been packing like a crazy woman and getting everything organized and ready for our big move. I have weekly "to-do" lists I've planned out with things I need to accomplish each week...I'm totally OCD and a organized planner in that way :haha: So I decided to all the heavy lifting and moving the last three days just in case I get pregnant this cy so I won't have to do it if I get a bfp! I also made a seperate stack of maternity clothes totes and all the baby clothes I have saved up just in case I need to take those with us <3 

My temp still hasn't jumped much, I feel like my chart looks blah and my OPK is no longer + but I'm praying I see some higher temps this next week. I will probably start testing next Friday and hopefully get a bfp :)


----------



## Four2Five

Oh and I never heard from my dr about my 21 day test results before the weekend but I know they had to be negative since I got my +OPK the next day. I'll update when I hear!


----------



## sarah2211

TTC, I thought it was pretty funny! You can actually see my tummy move when he kicks now. Yeah I was pretty tempted to get a doppler but even my midwife occasionally struggled to find the heartbeat so I knew if she did, I would too and then I'd panic. I've heard fast heartbeat = girl. I can't wait to see all your 12 week scans. I got a little obsessed with the nub and skull theory trying to work out what we were having. Both our nub and skull suggested boy. Are you hoping for a girl?

Four, sounds like it's all go. Good planning keeping your maternity and baby clothes out. I've been trying to get cleaning done here that I'm going to struggle with when I get bigger, like cleaning walls and ceilings. Horrible job, but just the bedrooms to go. Maybe you've just got a slow rise this cycle? It definitely looks like you've O'd, even if the blood test says you haven't. 

DH and I both have this virus/cold now. He's trying to pretend he's fine, but I can tell he feels like crap too. Ugh, I feel terrible!


----------



## Four2Five

Slow rise would make sense, this is my bfp chart with my last dd and it definitely was a loooong sloooow rise lol

https://i66.tinypic.com/1zfscbt.jpg


----------



## sarah2211

I got our scan photos. Unfortunately they aren't that great - 

https://i65.tinypic.com/t8173a.jpg

https://i68.tinypic.com/2vsexk3.jpg

https://i67.tinypic.com/23sgkxy.jpg

https://i67.tinypic.com/264s229.jpg

The last photo is of his mouth and nose. He opened his mouth which was really cute! 


Four, your chart looks similar!!


----------



## ttc126

Four yay I'm so excited I think you're up for a bfp very soon!

Sarah I love the pictures!!!!!!

And honestly I'd love another boy and it feels a bit more familiar than a girl haha so I lean boy! But I do think I'm having a girl.


----------



## sarah2211

I think so too Four! 

Thanks, I love the frogs legs too haha. 

That makes sense, you're all prepared for boys. But I'm not sure I could handle the same sex! A family I went to school with had triplets, three boys. They tried again, hoping for a girl- got a boy. Tried again - got another boy. So they stopped there haha.


----------



## ttc126

Haha Sarah! That's funny! I guess after all we went through the past year and a half I just genuinely don't care which gender I get. I'm so excited to be having one at all! I can't believe I'm almost 12 weeks when I truly thought I'd never be here again.


----------



## sarah2211

Yup that is true. Girl or boy, it doesn't matter. Although I would have been a little disappointed if it had been a girl but I'm sure I would have gotten over it pretty quickly. Yay! 12 weeks is such an exciting milestone to reach! Are you going to announce at 12 weeks?


----------



## Four2Five

5dpo today...HORRIBLE lower back ache going on, it literally feels like back labor and is so painful :cry: I don't know what it means, I usually have back ache and cramps with af but not this bad during the 2ww. I'll start testing Friday but kinda feeling out this cy already.


----------



## Four2Five

So I'm totally confused please help me decipher this!! I just got my lab results for my 21 day test. Now if you remember I didn't get a +OPK till the day after my test....what does this result mean?? My level says 94.20 and that seems insanely high?!

https://i63.tinypic.com/kdtt0w.jpg


----------



## ttc126

Dang Four! Looks like you ovulated! And a strong one at that! I just know when I got my bfp my p4 was 101. It was 10 dpo. Just what it looks like to me &#10084;


----------



## ttc126

Ok after further reading it looks like they did the wrong test! They check p4 levels to see if you ovulated. Here's an explanation of what this test was... 
https://ivfplano.com/fertility-evaluation/fertility-blood-work/

"We want to make sure that 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) levels are in the normal range because occasionally the adrenal gland makes excessive amounts of androgens. An over-secretion of androgen can cause elevated 17-OHP levels which can in turn interfere with ovulation. This is called congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Once this condition is found it can be corrected with medication to help patients ovulate normally."

And this is p4
"Secreted from the follicle that ovulated, progesterone supports both implantation and maintenance of pregnancy. Rising levels of progesterone help prepare the lining of the uterus for implantation of the fertilized egg. Testing the progesterone level can let Dr Douglas know if ovulation has occurred and how well your body would maintain a pregnancy. At IVF Plano, we will monitor progesterone during a normal cycle, but will also check levels in women who have a history of recurrent miscarriage or spotting in early pregnancy."


----------



## Four2Five

Omg you have got to be kidding me!! So they did the wrong test?! I'm calling my dr right now :cry: so frustrating!!


----------



## ttc126

I'd be so frustrated too!!!! I'm sorry but it truly doesn't look right to me!


----------



## Four2Five

I guess at least I'm in the right range for that test but I'm still so ticked off!! Waiting on a call back from my dr. I guess everything happens for a reason and now I'll be taking the right test at 5-6dpo but I'm going to be pissed if they have to send these results out too, I guess now I know why they had to send them out, I would think they can do p4 right in the lab, but this one they probably couldn't do now that makes sense!


----------



## Nita2806

Hi ladies, I have a lot to catch up on, however Ive seen that test Four, it doesnt seem like the correct test, but looking at the value it does seem like you Od, the right test to do, the one I usually do is to test serum-progesterone.

We just got home from our trip to the coast, spend more time on the road than anything else, and we did have 1 good day at the beach but the other 2 days was kind of a nightmare. I havent taken my prog in 2 or 3 days now, I honestly was too tired and forgot, and wont be taking them tonight, just eating and then going to sleep.

I will catch up in the morning :D


----------



## sarah2211

Oh four! I was so hopeful that it meant you'd have a strong ovulation. That is a high number, like you had released three eggs! But it makes sense that they tested the wrong thing! Can they do a P4 test on the sample? Or is it too late? Ugh. Maybe your doctor will order another one. I'd just go with your chart and OPK at this stage. Hopefully the back pain is a good sign even though it isn't fun!

Sounds like an interesting trip Nita. Rest up and fill us in tomorrow :)

AFM, today is ANZAC day here and with my DH in the army we've been up since 4am standing in the cold. Not much fun when you're sick and your tummy is too big to do up your jacket haha. I'm back in bed now.


----------



## Four2Five

Thanks ladies! Still no word from my dr but I think I'll just tell her forget it for this cy now that my chart shows I O'd and I'll try again next cy :(


----------



## sarah2211

Four, you might just like to clarify with her that you O'd on CD 23 according to your chart and if this ok before your last Clomid was on CD 7. My doctor said that if I didn't ovulate between 5-10 from my last Clomid, it wasn't the Clomid that made me ovulate. This was something I never really got though, is a Clomid ovulation the same as a non Clomid ovulation? Does it matter that you ovulated more than 10 days after your last pill if you ovulated eventually? I'm not sure. But it would make me wonder if Clomid was doing its job or if I needed a higher dose to make it work more effectively. I'm sure your doctor will know what to do, and let's hope there isn't a next cycle!!


----------



## Nita2806

Phew, nothing beats a nights sleep in your own bed. We went down for our trip on Saturday (7hour drive), ended up driving close to 12 hours due to bad weather and mist and halfway DHs wallet got stolen, out of his pocket. Very clever *******s but when we realised it, we had to phone the bank and cancel the cards and order new ones, which wasted more of our time. 

Sunday, lovely day at the beach, did snorkling, fishing and we had enough wind to fly our kite, I did it better than DH tho so my FIL said, peanut must be a boy, because peanut must have helped me lol. 

Then Monday we woke up, rain and mud everywhere (we were camping) so by 9am we said lets pack up and go home, we left town only at 12:30 PM. And we only got home just after 8pm.

Attached 2 pics of the 2 days.

And now getting back on topic. 
Sarah, I love those scan pics, baby have grown so much :happydance:

Ttc, are you still on the prog? Im not sure how long it has been since i stopped, 2 or 3 or maybe even 4 days, I cant actually remember when I took the last one, but I am fine, still have all my pregnancy symptoms and my boobs hurt even more now.

Four, I think just go on what your chart says, besides I am sure you BDed enough any way. When are you planning on testing?

AFM, I have my 12 week appointment tomorow, so stressed and excited. I am still on leave today, so I qm going to help DH apply for his drivers license again and get his bank accounts ready again.
 



Attached Files:







SmartSelectImage_2017-04-25-05-25-36.jpg
File size: 31.1 KB
Views: 3









SmartSelectImage_2017-04-25-05-25-12.jpg
File size: 20.1 KB
Views: 3


----------



## Four2Five

Nita I'm so sorry that happened to your dh what a pain!! Looks beautiful there even if it was a rough trip :) 

I tested today after seeing the progesterone results thinking maybe I was off on O but it was bfn. I'll probably start testing Friday...seems so far away but hopefully I have the willpower :haha: that would put me at 10dpo and when I got bfp's with both my dd's. My dr never called back today so I'm just going to leave it alone till af or bfp. One thing that is weird is that I have constipation and I never have that I'm always the opposite...


----------



## sarah2211

Wow Nita sounds eventful. Sorry about your DH's wallet. That sucks big time! It looks like a lovely spot. I think it's amazing you could do all of that (plus be better than your DH haha) while pregnant! Shame about the weather, especially wth such a big drive. You must be exhausted. I'm so excited for your scan and appointment! Please update us!! Enjoy the 12 week scan because after that the baby is too big to see on one scan. My DH videoed our 20 week scan which was awesome to go back and watch. 

Four, my first thought when seeing those results was maybe that you'd O'd earlier. Try not to be too down, it's still very early days. I'm so excited for your tests. I found that on my BFP cycles I had diarrhoea but whatever is different from normal is a good sign.


----------



## Nita2806

I will keep you updated. The appointment is in about 16 hours.

I need opinions please, I want to do a maternity shoot, but only later on of course but it need to be booked in advance, DH says no he doesnt like photos, neither do I but I think it will be special...whats your takes on this? Yay or nay


----------



## ttc126

Nita I'm so glad you've had no issues with the progesterone! I've still taken my night one but starting today I'm going to every other night then stopping by the weekend. 

Four, I'm very hopeful for you! A big pregnancy sign for me was constipation! Haha I'm excited for you!

As far as maternity shoots...I think theyre pretty but I did one with my first and they looked rather silly. It made me feel so crazy for doing it &#128514;


----------



## Four2Five

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before but I'm a photographer!! So my opinion is DEFINITELY do one :haha: I LOVE maternity/birth photography and I don't think it's something you will regret. My biggest advice is search photographers whom you love their style of photography and if they are a good photographer they will direct you how to pose and everything and even have gowns for you to wear! Even if dh is not in them it will be a cherished memory for your little one. Do a mini session where you get 5-20 poses and photos and I think that's plenty to have for memories. I specialize in birth/maternity/weddings I wish I was close by to take them for you! I don't have any professional shots with either of my dd's and I totally regret not spending the money for some but I definitely will this time!!!


----------



## sarah2211

Yay keep us updated Nita!

Can't help on the maternity shoot. Probably won't do one but I've seen one really pretty ones. I don't know if it would be possible or your thing, but google image search 'maternity shoot milk bath'. 

The little one has been kicking me all day every day for the past few days. I keep getting woken up by him!


----------



## Four2Five

Sarah are you gonna share his name? I can't wait to feel baby kicks <3


----------



## sarah2211

Haha well we are pretty set on a first name but we haven't told anyone. I think we might just wait until he's born. The kicks are very exciting but he's such an active baby, I just wonder what I'm in for after he's born!


----------



## Four2Five

I totally get it no worries I was just curious :) We have a few names picked out for both boy and girl I just hope we get to use one of them someday :) My dr called and said the lab messed up and changed the order and she has no clue why, I think she goofed and ordered the wrong test but whatever I'm just going to move on and hope that I don't need to do it next cy. I'm pretty crampy and moody with dh tonight...but the worst culprit of today has been the nausea, it definitely makes me feel like I'm pregnant...dying for Friday to get here!


----------



## sarah2211

Haha it's the one little secret we have left. We've had a boy's name picked out for quite a while, but no girl's name that we could agree on. But our boy's name is my DH's choice (and I like it too, but if my DH wasn't so keen on it, it would probably be back in my top 3-5). So because he's getting the boy's name, he said next time I can choose first and middle name(s). 

I'll share my list though - 

Boys (our chosen name is on this list)
Oliver
Angus
William
Lucas
Finn

Girls
Mila
Pippa
Isla
Ivy
Eva

Everyone else, share your lists! 


It sounds like your doctor is trying to cover her backside! Did you tell her about your chart and OPK? Yay! The nausea is a good sign. Hurry up Friday!!


I had a bit of a fight with DH yesterday and we never fight. He was at work and said he'd be home at midday (it was ANZAC day here, so he had a parade in the morning). I didn't hear anything and so I text him asking if he was coming home because I was feeling really sick. He said he'd be home mid afternoon. He text me at 5pm saying he was having a few drinks but would be home soon. So I waited for him before making dinner, but at 7pm he still wasn't home. He text me again saying he'd be home in an hour - nothing. Same thing happened two more times. In the end I text him saying I was locking the door and he could sleep on the doorstep. So he walked home, drunk. Got home at 11.30pm (and I had work today). I told him I was so annoyed with him and he fell asleep on me! This morning he was feeling very guilty. He's still at work so I'm waiting to see how he's going to make it up to me... 

I also woke up with a Lupus rash on my face which can sometimes indicate that I'm about to flare, so I'm a bit worried :( Plus DH got his dates for his trip away - home 2 and a half weeks before my due date.... Not happy.


----------



## Nita2806

Thanks for the advice regarding the maternity shoot, Four, I am happy that you are a photographer and could tell me from your side. I am going to give DH a few days to get used to it then ask him again if we could do one :) I want him with, wont be the same without him.

Then name lists: mine are super short hehe:
Boy: Eduan
Girl: Liezl
Yup, thats it :haha:

Sarah I can understand that you get upset at DH for doing that, mine used to do the same, now he just invites the guys to our home so he is home then. Its not safe here for a women to be home alone at night, and DH used to walk to the restaurant - I made it very clear that if he does that again he will sleep outside or on the couch if its very cold, so I can totally get why that would upset you!:growlmad:

So my scan - it was AWESOME! Baby was moving and kicking like a crazy mad person, we just watched it for a minute or 2 :happydance: and the heartbeat is still very much there and fast (she didnt tell me how fast) No gender guesses, but I am guessing girl, any other guesses would be nice. :happydance: She measured the neck, and said it was thin, so down syndrome doesnt seem likely, and we could see the nose, but baby didnt want to lie still for a decent image. I did the bloods as well for iron. and then my next appointment is on 25 May. Picture attached.
 



Attached Files:







photo_2017-04-26_13-02-46.jpg
File size: 25.3 KB
Views: 6


----------



## Four2Five

Sarah I'm so sorry dh did that to you :( Sometimes they just don't think how things affect others. My dh would definitely know he's sleeping outside or on the couch if he pulled that! What is ANZAC day? Sorry about your Lupus rash, I'm sure the stress of last night didn't help if you're beginning a flare :(

Nita!!! What a cute sweet little babe you've got there <3 So precious!! Was dh able to go with you, how was his reaction to seeing a wiggle worm in there? How scary that it's unsafe for you to be alone in your own home in the evening, I cannot even imagine :( Here where we live a lot of men work graveyard (midnight-8am) so many women are left alone all night. My husband did this for the first 6 years we were together. With that being said, many homes have guns/weapons and women are trained to protect themselves. I actually carry a concealed weapon with me at all times because you just never know. I've only had to use it once, there was a deer suffering on the side of the road that just got hit by a car so I grabbed my gun out of my purse and put it down so it didn't suffer anymore. I've thankfully never needed to use it for self protection, but in also thankful I have it if I ever needed it. It would be so hard to not feel safe in my own home! 

Nothing new here just waiting on Friday!! I'm insanely irritable with everyone and everything. I'm dealing with crazy high stress moving/housing situations and I just can't wait to get all of this over with! 

Our two dd's have 3 letter first names that end in A ( we have a long last name) so we will continue that with our 3rd baby...
Girls-Eva, Kya, Lea, Rea, or Abi
Boys-Noa, Nox, Jax, Jaq, or Cal
My most favorites are Eva/Kya or Noa/Jaq


----------



## Nita2806

Four, I can imagine the hard time you are having, it hope it gets better for you soon.

Dh did go with, and we both were so amazed, I feel so blessed aftee seeing the little peanut today. Cant wait for 25 May for the next appointment. Dh will go with again :D


----------



## sarah2211

I like your names Nita! I'm a fan of Liezl because I love the Sound of Music haha. I'd have 7 if I could. The funny thing is my DH is a Captain! 

My DH doesn't do it often, but I was just pissed that he kept saying he'd be home soon and then nothing. Yeah it quite different here, my DH goes away lots so I'm quite often home alone. We actually don't even lock the doors or shut the windows.

Yay! I'm so glad your scan was awesome! 12 weeks is so exciting, it goes from a blob to looking like a person! You must be so reassured about the NT measurement! It's not the clearest picture, but I'm also guessing girl. I think you can see a nub which looks quite straight, plus the skull looks a lot more rounder than ours. 


Four, DH came home and was very apologetic and gave me a back and foot massage. He says he feels really guilty and is being really nice to me haha. ANZAC Day is a remembrance day for the NZ and Australian Army Corps who fought in WW1. But they now remember all NZers who have been to other wars too. We have a Dawn Service which is the same time that the soldiers embarked on the Turkish shores. I was tempted to start Prednisone again, but I'm so scared of suppressing my immune system even more. I love your names too! Nice to have short names, easy for them to learn to write them haha (I'm a kindergarten teacher!) 

That's crazy about carrying a gun with you!! That doesn't happen here! Even our police officers aren't armed!! My husband goes hunting, so we have two rifles at home, but they're all safe and locked up. 



Nita, it's Thursday here! Ovia changed to say that the baby is the size of an American Guinea Pig or a corn on the cob haha. I never get the French bakery things, we don't have those foods here.


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah, DHs cousin also said immediately when we showed her the scan that it must definately be a girl, she says she has 3 boys, so she knows how boys look. I cant wait to find out though for sure, everyone including us want to start buy things :D

So we did the whole facebook announcement thing...didnt think we would, none of us are really on any kind of social media.. But its the easiest to let those know who we dont see every day.

Yay, ticker day, Ovia says baby is as big as a hot jalepino.. But the scan said yesterday baby is just under 6CM so we know how big baby is now..hee hee.


----------



## sarah2211

I think my 12 week scan is on this thread somewhere too. So you can compare to a confirmed boy haha. Yay! Only 8 more weeks until you'll know :) 

It's quite exciting announcing on Facebook. We weren't going to either, mainly because I know how much it sucks seeing pregnancy announcements when you're going through infertility. But I sent a private message to the few friends I knew who were going through infertility to warn them and suggest that if it was too much we'd understand that they might like to unfollow us. Of course there's bound to be friends battling infertility that I'm not aware of so couldn't prewarn. But announcing on Facebook was also good for those who we'd told early but asked to keep quiet that it was no longer a secret. 

It's exciting to know how big exactly. Remember that's crown to rump so it doesn't include their legs. Ovia says the baby is now 30.5cm (which is a foot) but I got an email from Bounty that said it was 19.5cm. Who knows! 

But we have a new neighbour (not the crazy South African one haha) and I went over to say hello and we were chatting for a while and then she said "so is this your first?" Pointing at my tummy!! I was so excited that someone who didn't know could tell based on my bump haha. It's just looked like I've eaten too many cakes and pies for so long and now it's looking more baby like!! 

Also, my work contract is finally here! So I'm officially working just Wednesday and Thursdays :)


----------



## Nita2806

whooohooo new tickers!! My little peanut is a scoop of ice cream (we have ice cream here hee hee) Sarah, your baby is a bag of bagels, we have bagels here too. Finally not all american things haha.

I saw a girl confirmed 12 week scan, using the nub theory, looks exactly the same as my scan image :D But I know baby wasnt keeping still for the photo, so it might be that the angles arent the same, but what the heck, I am excited that at this angle it looks girly.


----------



## sarah2211

Haha yay! We have ice cream and bagels here too!! Do you look at the other categories too Nita?

So exciting! I can't wait for you to have it confirmed! 

I've got the OB on Monday. Hopefully I'll find out what I'm in for in terms of monitoring from here.


----------



## Nita2806

No, I dont look at the categories, they are a bit boring hee hee, I like the food.

I cant believe you are at week 22 already, wow how the time has gone by, I feel like just yesterday when I got my BFP and baby was just a bunch of cells, now its 13 weeks already..wow.

Goodluck at the OB appointment...keep us updated.

Love - how are you doing? Any symptoms so far?

DH says he last saw me taking my prog last week friday, so I am almost a week without it and I feel great, loads of energy, just my boobs is getting really sore at times, but thats re-assuring so I dont mind. Gosh dont want to wait a whole month before seeing baby again.


----------



## ttc126

Happy 13 weeks Nita! Happy 22 weeks Sarah!

Just a short update...I'm down to every other night of progesterone! It's been fine. I know I could just stop and it would be ok. I'll take my last one tomorrow I think. I've been very nauseous again the past few days! Super sleepy too. My irritable uterus has been acting up this week. Argh! Can't wait for my appointments next week!


----------



## Nita2806

Ive learned a very valuable lesson over the last few days, I havent been eating very healthy, and I have been eating a lot, and got constipated over the last 4 days, and suddenly tonight I have severe diarrhea :( I have to constantly run to the bathroom, ugh, I think ill just skip the junk food and stick to healthy food... Leason learned.


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, sometimes the other categories are good. But not very often 

I know, in some ways though, my pregnancy feels so slow. Christmas feels likes it was so long ago. But I'm over halfway and I don't want it to go faster and be all over but I also can't wait to meet him. 

I'm glad you're both doing well weaning off progesterone. I'm not surprised about the more energy and feeling better. Provera is always a crap time so when you mix that with the joys of first trimester. The next exciting thing you both have to look forward to are the kicks!!

I hope you feel better soon TTC. 

And Love, I hope you're doing ok! 

Good thinking with the healthy eating. I've found it really hard to eat vegetables since I've been pregnant. Carbs were the only thing that settled my tummy initially but now I just find vegetables to taste bad. 

Ugh, DH and I had another fight about him going away on the army exercise 3 weeks before I'm due. He can get out of it but said it's too good an opportunity to miss. He got angry with me for suggesting (about 2 months ago before I knew differently) that it would be ok for him to go. Now the midwife is saying he shouldn't. I just have this horrible feeling I'm going to end up having this baby on my own or there will be more complications and he'll be off overseas working and can't get back.


----------



## LoveCousar

I went to the ER last night because I had some spotting & became scared. Going there made everything worse for me :( of course they couldn't see anything on my ultrasound scan because I'm so early but my HCG levels are what's scaring me. My levels are only 125 & they said based on those numbers I'm earlier than I expected. But how could that be if my LMP was March 23, ovulated on CD 13 & got a positive test on April 18 (14 DPO)? I just don't understand why they are so low I definitely should be touching at LEAST 300+ by now. I'm so scared guys


----------



## sarah2211

Oh love I'm sorry. It's so scary to be in that position. I've heard that unless the blood is bright red then it's ok. Even if it's bright red it doesn't mean it's all over. Also, HCG numbers don't always mean much. What's most important is that they double every 48 hours. There are calculators online to tell you whether they're doubling as they should. Rest and take care of yourself. We are all thinking of you xx


----------



## Four2Five

Love I am so sorry, I am praying for you sweetie <3 I'm not sure what the numbers mean but from what I understand is that as long as they are doubling you should be okay. Will you be getting a second blood draw tomorrow? Are you still spotting? Hang in there <3


----------



## LoveCousar

I'm not spotting anymore & they said my cervix is closed but I'm just so worried & I don't get them rechecked until Monday. I'm going to my hometown for the weekend. My mind is scattered I'm so sad guys


----------



## Four2Five

I hope you are able to relax and have a good weekend, I would go in tomorrow and ask for a follow up test so you aren't having anxiety about it! There's no sense in making you wait till Monday it's not like it's a hard test for them to do real quick to give you some piece of mind :hug:

I have been soooooo tired all day!! I slept from 9pm-7am last night and then took the girls to school and came home and slept from 10-11:45 then went and picked up my youngest from pre school and came back home and she laid down and had another nap with me from 12:30-2:30 and I still feel sooo tired!! I did take a test this morning (told you I wouldn't make it to Friday :haha: ) but it was bfn as I should have known single I'm only 8dpo...my temp is still up though so that's good!


----------



## Four2Five

I just overplayed my chart from my last dd to my chart right now, they're almost identical! I really hope I get a bfp before next week!!!

Green is bfp chart and purple is my chart now...

https://i63.tinypic.com/v4b5ow.png


----------



## ttc126

Love I'm so sorry! I know that limbo all too well! How many dpo are you now?


----------



## LoveCousar

ttc126 said:


> Love I'm so sorry! I know that limbo all too well! How many dpo are you now?

According to FF I'm 23 DPO but the doctor said that can't be right or I implanted really late. I'm a person of understanding & numbers so if I am actually 23 DPO, something isn't right. But my lines are getting darker. Or I found out super early but even then, my HCG level should be higher right? :cry:


----------



## Nita2806

Love, that must be horrible, I am so sorry. But honestly I dont think your HCG is too low, it differs for each person, and maybe you Od later and had a late implantation? Have your HCG checked again in 48 hours and see if it doubles, according my labs chart hcg of 100 - 10000 is normal between week 4-6. My hcg on 15dpo was 87, indicating that I was still in week 4, but I should have been week 5, and I had low progesterone on CD21 and baby is fine. Just give it some time.

Ugh, what a horrible night of diarrhea and stomach cramps wish it would get better :(

Posted our 12 week scan on a facebook page with experts using the nub theory to guess the gender, they are pretty accurate. 4 commented, and all 4 suggest its an early girl, but time left to develop :D


----------



## Four2Five

That's so exciting Nita, I hope you get your girl <3 Girls are lovely! 

Here I am 8dpo and I have like zero symptoms :( no sore boobs, very little cramping, just nothing other than being tired and irritable the last few days but I feel like it's because I could be out this cy and it has me pretty bummed so it's giving me a bad mood so I just want to sleep it off :(


----------



## sarah2211

Four that's looking promising! Especially feeling really tired. When will you test again? I'm so excited for you :)

Love, I agree, go tomorrow and get another blood test. Have you seen this site? https://www.betabase.info/chart/basic/single When I had my MC my tests went lighter before I started bleeding. Spotting is normal in the first trimester and if it's stopped it's a good sign. When I MC'd, I didn't spot I just bled, a lot! Plus your cervix is closed! I do not mean any disrespect at all, but during my first trimester (especially) I just spent some time each day being thankful for the fact that I was pregnant because I knew it could all be gone tomorrow. I reminded myself that I was pregnant now and that I couldn't do anything to change what could happen tomorrow. Thinking of you Love. 

Nita, sorry you had a rough night. Those stupid hormones. I woke up with cramp in my leg again. DH must get a huge fright because I wake up nearly screaming.


----------



## Nita2806

So I just got my iron bloods result, and its right there in the normal range, phew!

DH did the sweetest thing this morning, he saved a dragonfly that was busy drowning because he hurt his one wing, this man drives me crazy sometimes, but he has the biggest heart, and when he does things like this, I fall in love all over again.

My tummy hurt a lot today after last night, wo ai am just trying to eat light foods. 

Theres a total of 7 women now that said girl and 2 that said boys, gosh I am really too anxious.


----------



## Four2Five

Another little temp rise this morning but bfn and I'm feeling out :( Just don't feel pregnant and have zero symptoms. I'm pretty bummed. I should have a bfp no later than Monday if I get one but part of me really doesn't want to test anymore, the buns are getting harder to watch happen ugh


----------



## Nita2806

Four, hang in there, its still sooo early, and implantation can still happen. You are definately not out. I got my hopes up for you, you definately had BDed enough.


----------



## sarah2211

Four your chart is looking amazing! 9 DPO is early days. I tested at 10DPO and got a very very faint line. At the time my DH and I both said BFN. There's still time! 

Nita, I got so anxious waiting for the 20 week scan and finding out the sex. It felt like the longest wait of my life! That's great about your iron results, mine were in the normal range too!


----------



## Four2Five

Omg girls I just went to take my afternoon test and I looked again at this mornings test and there is a super duper faint line!! I have never ever gotten an evap on these wondfo even hours and days later they've always been stark white but this mornings test definitely has a second super light pink line!!! I don't know if I trust it obviously because it was 2 hours later. I unfortunately had just gone to the bathroom but managed to squeeze out a little more and tested my afternoon test but I think it was just too diluted since I had just gone 20 mins earlier. I am dying to do a good long hold and test again tonight!! Can you see it?! It's more obvious on the inverted photo but I lined up all my tests so you can see I've never even gotten an evap!

https://i66.tinypic.com/25yvfcp.jpg
https://i66.tinypic.com/1zmpglx.jpg


----------



## Nita2806

Four, I see it! Remember the same happened to me, i only saw my BFP way after the timeframe, and it wasnt an evap, looking forward to your next test... :D how exciting.

Sarah, I was surprised that I dont have an iron deficiancy...as my mom does, and I was sure, mine would be the same...luckily not.


----------



## Four2Five

I've taken two since seeing that light bfp but no second lines yet :( I'm praying it's just too early. I guess I need to go back and read your old posts!!


----------



## sarah2211

Four I definitely see it on the bottom one, but the others I'm not 100% sure I see it. I'm never that good at seeing those vvfl. It's still early! Keep your hopes up!!

Nita, my mum has low iron too. Apparently those pills make your poos turn black haha so lucky us!


----------



## Four2Five

Thanks Sarah, the bottom one is the only one there is a second line on...but I've taken 3 more tests today with long holds and no second line what so ever so I'm thinking it was a fluke and it really isn't a bfp :cry: I'll test in the morning with a frer but I don't have much hope of it being positive. Cramps are back and breast are tender and my chest is breaking out, all signs that af is on its way for me :(


----------



## sarah2211

Still early days! Try and keep your hopes up. You might not even get an obvious line tomorrow. Please post your FRER. 

Ugh I can't be bothered cooking anything st the moment.


----------



## Nita2806

It really is still early Four, I am hoping you get a second line on a FRER. :hugs:


----------



## Four2Five

Well I had a temp drop this morning, my boobs are super sore, I'm cramping, and still really irritable. I went ahead and tested on a wondfo and frer, both had a shadow of a line but nothing you can really see unless you have crazy line eyes and turn the brightness all the way up. I feel like the frer is an indent because I can't tell if it's grey or has a pink color...it's super super faint...I only have wondfo tests left so I'll have to go to the store today and pick up some others. Really wish I would have had a clear answer today :cry:

https://i66.tinypic.com/3523cpu.jpg
https://i64.tinypic.com/34650kw.jpg


----------



## Nita2806

Oh Four :( I am so sorry... The temp drop is really dissapointing. Heres to hoping those lines gets darker for you.


----------



## Four2Five

I'm determined that I will have an answer SOON I'm going crazy so I ran to the store...

https://i67.tinypic.com/idvpk8.jpg


----------



## sarah2211

Four, I see something on the FRER! On my chart, my temp dropped at 10 DPO. https://i67.tinypic.com/6430yg.jpg

I've still got my fingers crossed for you! 

I've been having some pains in my tummy the past 12 hours or so. Feels like sharp stabbing pains. They started when I was walking home from a friends place yesterday evening and then subsided and now my tummy is a bit tender. It's kind of like round ligament pain but I usually only get that when I cough or sneeze or laugh. But this was in two lines down my tummy and they weren't evenly spaced from my belly button like regular round ligament pain. I didn't ring the midwife but if I get it again I think I will :(


----------



## Nita2806

Lol Four, wow sk many tests, if I may ask, how much are tests there? I could not afford more than 4 HPT here, because they are super expensive. Any way patiently waiting for your next test update :D I have all my fingers crossed.. :hugs:

Sarah, tummy pains can be scary :o glad its better! 

My DH is convinced my bump is getting bigger, but to me it still feels like its gets smaller :/


----------



## Four2Five

Nita I got the 6 cheapies for .88 cents each, a 3 pack of frer for $9, and 2 pack of digital tests for $8...I think it was around $20 total


----------



## sarah2211

Tests here are pretty expensive too. We don't really have the cheapies. FRERs are about 3 for $20. I probably spent $100 on tests while TTC and I wasn't a POAS addict. 

I'm pretty sure it's round ligament pain. It happened when I stood up quickly today too. 

Are you taking photos Nita? We are doing bump photos but not regularly, just when we remember.


----------



## Nita2806

Oh I started doing bump shots then I just stopped. 

We dont have cheap HPT tests here too, if I have to convert to dollors, I would say 20$ for 1 CB test and the same price for a pack with one normal test and 1 FRER.

Ive added a photo, some South African humour...just so you know, this is really how it goes here. I know open wood fires arent allowed in most countries in the world, and the americans refer to it as a bbq. However I hope you get it, our american friends didnt get it though :)
 



Attached Files:







SmartSelectImage_2017-04-30-11-42-35.jpg
File size: 64.7 KB
Views: 1


----------



## sarah2211

Same with us. Plus I then realized the date was wrong on my camera so I had to work out how far along I actually was on those dates. We always plan to do a bump photo but then forget. 

Yeah that's similar here Nita. 

Haha pretty much the same as BBQs here. Women do all the hard work, the men stand there flipping the meat occasionally, men take all the credit. 

I have my OB appointment tomorrow. Hopefully I'll find out a bit more information about what's in store for monitoring now that I'm getting close to the 26 week mark. I'm also hopeful she'll say that my DH can't go away haha!


----------



## Four2Five

That's too funny, I totally get it! 

So I'm wondering if yesterday was implantation...check out my chart...I'm still in bed but plan to get up to test soon!


----------



## Nita2806

Omg four, look at Sarahs charts, she had a similiar temp drop just before getting her BFP, if I had to guess, I would say the dip at 6DPO might have been implantation already. I am not good with reading charts so I am just guessing here...I hope you wont wait too long before testing :D 

Goodluck at the OB appointment Sarah.

While doing our monthly shopping this morning, DH wanted us to go down the baby aisle...gosh, I wanted to buy everything! I so badly want to start decorating the room and buying stuff...how do women stay team yellow the whole 9 months? 

Also, I am getting emotional again, I dont know if any of you watched how I met your mother before? I am watching it now again, and although its supposed to be funny, I keep on finding myself crying, ugh.


----------



## Four2Five

How do I find Sarah's charts??


----------



## Nita2806

Four2Five said:


> How do I find Sarah's charts??

She posted it on page 39 of this thread, 3rd message from the top :D thats her BFP chart.


----------



## Four2Five

Well I tested and it was stark white bfn on 2 different tests :cry: I'm ready to give up. I had bfp with both my girls by this point so I'm 99% sure this cy is over. I'll call my dr Monday to see if I can move on to 150mg Clomid. We gave ourselves till July to get pregnant before we would completely quit, time is running out but I already feel like I'm just done with this roller coaster.


----------



## sarah2211

Four, if yesterday was implantation you'd need to wait 24-48 following that for a BFP. My 10 DPO dip couldn't have been implantation because I got my BFP that day. Sorry I deleted FF from my phone and had just taken a screen shot of my BFP cycle. Your chart still looks really promising and you may have implanted earlier with the other two. I reckon give it a few more days before you count yourself out, but definitely ring your doctor to organize 150mg. I think you really should be ovulating earlier in your cycle to know that it's doing the trick. 

Nita, I know! I don't know how they do it, especially for their first. I struggled waiting until 20 weeks haha. It's so hard to buy gender neutral stuff. One of the big shops here had 50% off merino (which is a type of wool that's really breathable) and I went shopping with mum. This was before we knew he was a boy. Everything in the girl's section was out and in the boy's, well we went for browns, blues, yellows and greens. But I think even if the baby had been a girl she wouldn't have been dressed in pinks and purples anyway haha. 

Oh I can't watch movies haha. I just cry and cry. My DH doesn't understand and gets really worried. But I'm crying and laughing because I don't know why I'm crying and I can't stop. They're not even sad movies!


----------



## LoveCousar

Well girls my happiness only lasted so long. I'm in the midst of miscarrying & what makes it so bad is that it started in my hometown, which is what I tried to avoid. I'm so hurt & upset & probably will seclude myself for awhile. Take care ladies - H & H 9M &#10084;


----------



## ttc126

I'm sorry love! It's so difficult. Prayers and love to you!


----------



## sarah2211

Awww love I am so sorry :( you poor thing. Take care of yourself, take your time to grieve and feel as terrible as you do. If you want to just vent, we are here. I know it's not reassuring at the moment, but you can get pregnant and you will be back here. Xxxx


----------



## Four2Five

Love I am so so sorry, my heart breaks for you, you will be in my prayers :hugs:


----------



## Nita2806

Love, waking up and reading your bad news is really devastating, I am so sorry that you have to go through that! Look on the positive side, you found the right dosage of Clomod to make you O, and I am confident that we will welcome you back here soon. 

Four, I am so sorry for your BFN, but I still have hopes for you, for the only reason that I tested on 10dpo, BFN, and tested 12dpo and only got a faint line after the 15minutes and only got a proper BFP on 15dpo...late implantation is very possible, you have been under stress with the move, so it might just take a bit longer. You are not out until AF arrives.

Sarah, luckily I dont cry while DH is with me, lol its when i watch alone, I thought the rollercoaster ride of emotions would get better at some point, ha...not!

TTC, how are you doing?

DH and I are celebrating 2 amazing years of marriage today by going to the botanical gardens for a picnic and I will be taking some photos (teaching myself in my spare time some photography tricks) maybe one day I will pursue a career in photography, but for now its a hobby :D


----------



## sarah2211

Love, I have no doubt you'll have success again in the near future. But for now, please look after yourself and take all the time you need. 

Four, I agree with Nita, there's still time. You're not out until AF arrives. I keep checking your chart, thinking it must be morning there soon. Fingers crossed for you! 

Nita, that sounds really nice. Congratulations on your wedding anniversary! You'll have the perfect subject to photograph soon:)

AFM, I saw the new obstetrician today and she was really weird. She didn't tell me anything. I asked my questions about DH going away and whether it was ok to fly in late pregnancy and then at the end she said "I'm happy for you to be under the care of your midwife and if she has any questions she can contact me". I was pretty confused because my rheumatologist had sent her a letter saying it was a very high risk pregnancy and my midwife is not going to be happy. She wants the guidance of an obstetrics doctor. So I'll wait and see what my midwife says on the 18th. 

I didn't get a good feeling from her and she couldn't answer any of my questions. She didn't know anything about Lupus and was really vague. I wish I hadn't changed doctors!


----------



## Four2Five

Good morning girls! Temp still high, not sure I want to test or wait another day though...I'll let you know if I do!

Happy anniversary Nita, ours is in 2 weeks <3

Sarah I would be so irritated! I have an auto immune disease as well and I would be super frustrated with vagueness, it's not easy dealing with it and if my dr didn't have a clue how to handle it during pregnancy I wouldn't be happy. Hopefully they can get you switched to someone more knowledgeable with Lupus and pregnancy!


----------



## Four2Five

Bfn :cry: I told dh I quit.


----------



## sarah2211

Awww I'm sorry Four :( your chart is looking amazing. If you did implanton 10 DPO you may still be in with a chance. 

Yeah I'm feeling really frustrated about the appointment. If my other doctors and midwife hadn't made a big deal out of it being high risk etc I wouldn't have thought twice and I would be happy. But I think that my midwife is going to disagree with her and it's just going to create more drama and stress. I see my midwife on the 18th so we will see.


----------



## Nita2806

Oh Four :( I am so sorry. I know I cant say anything to make it better, so I am sending you a ton on hugs!

Sarah, that is really disappointing, you would think she would show more interest since you are high risk.. I can imagine that you are upset, I would be too. You are lucky to have your midwife too, somedays I wonder what difference it would make for me if I were going to a midwife instead, then I remembered why I am with an OB, I didnt fall pregnant naturally haha, luckily my OB is awesome.


----------



## sarah2211

I sent my midwife a message. I know she won't be happy because the first OB said from 26 weeks that I'll be followed closely. So I'll wait and see. 

My first day back at work tomorrow. I miss the kids but it's going to be weird and I'm sure lots of parents will want to know what's going on.


----------



## Nita2806

Ohh goodluck with your first day at work. I am sure they will wonder, but does it matter? I would let them wonder if I were you ;)

We have a major staff shortage at my work, so sounds like I will be working evenings and Saturdays/Sundays for a while, we need the money so I dont mind

I am having some cramps over the last few days, AF like cramps, can this be my uterus expanding? After seeing baby at the U/s I dont think my uterus is big enough to carry baby for much longer...


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks. Work is hard. I'm pretty tired and finding it a bit of a challenge. But at least it's just 2 days a week. 

That's good Nita. The money will be nice but make sure you look after yourself. 

It definitely could be. I feel mine as more stretching and pulling though. I thought the same at my scan, he didn't have much room to move. At 12 weeks he had heaps of space.


----------



## Nita2806

I am sure it will get better Sarah, I also started working normal hours again yesterday, since I am off prog now, and the 11hours work was hard on me. But luckily for you it wont be too long right? You are going on maternity leave soon...

Ugh, I cant sleep, its 2am here and I have been awake for almost 2 hours now...ugh!!


----------



## Nita2806

I just want to vent a bit: Sorry in advance..

This morning I saw a camp cot on special, its a really good price, so I told DH about it, and he said no, we must buy second hand because his dad said so, and it will cost us less. I immediately lost it, because I am so sick of his dad trying to dictate and tell us what to do, so I told DH, my money, my choice. I am just so sick of everyone telling me what I can and can't do. Every day I either hear from my parents or his parents about something I need to do, or something I should not do. I managed to keep cool so far, but I am afraid I might lose it soon and someone wont be happy! Thanks goodness I got that out, been bothering me the whole morning.


----------



## Four2Five

Aww Nita I'm sorry they are doing that to you, I definitely agree but and do what you want this is your child and your choice. So many people have opinions about others when it comes to babies and parenting and choices...you really have to let it in one ear and out the other and do what you want anyhow :hugs:


----------



## Nita2806

Thanks Four! :hugs: just hope I can convince DH to do the same. Ive been cramping and not been feeling too well, so my emotions are really all over the place.


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks Nita, work is been tiring. I'm glad it's just 2 days a week. I've lost all my stamina. It's a tough job and you have to be present at all times. Only 10 more weeks of 2 days a week until I go on maternity leave. I have a course all weekend as well so I'll be sleeping all tomorrow. 

I'm sorry you're cramping. Can you check in with your doctor? Is that like a cot for the baby to sleep in? We bought ours second hand but will get a new mattress. But it's your money to spend how you like. My DH put up the cot and set up the baby's room while I was out at a meeting last night :( it's ok though, I think I'll move it all around haha.


----------



## sarah2211

Four you have a long LP! Your chart still looks good but I see you've got BFNs. 

It's Thursday here Nita! It's scary to think I've only got 17 weeks until my due date. Ovia said the baby is the size of a Barbie doll or a chinchilla. I'm starting to feel really big. My tummy nearly over takes the size of my boobs, which is saying something because my boobs are massive haha. It's getting harder to put on shoes and pick things up.


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah, the cramps feel like the first few weeks of pregnancy, its not severe, and I am not even sure its mild, its enough to notice though. I have been constipated the last week too, so I think that contributes to the cramps.

We want to buy a camp cot instead of a normal wooden one, have heard too many stories about babies hurting themselves on the wooden cots, camp cots are material only, and everyone we know recommends those. I dont mind buying second hand, but not on my FIL's call, it should be our choice. Second hand and new camp cots here cost more or less the same here.

New ticker day, yay. Ovia says I am officially in the second trimester, yay! but I know my dates are slightly behind so I am only 13+4 today.

Good news, we got the T13 downs result back yesterday, and it came back as low risk - phew! I read with those bloodtests they can determine the sex of the baby :o so I am waiting to hear back from my OB about that.


----------



## ttc126

Wanted to share my scan pics! Baby measured 13+5 and looked good!
 



Attached Files:







IMG_8151.jpg
File size: 25.1 KB
Views: 2









IMG_8152.jpg
File size: 21.4 KB
Views: 1


----------



## ttc126

Sarah you should post a bump pic!!!! Sorry you're already feeling big. Maybe baby will be early &#10084;

Nita, I've been cramping too!!!! And congrats on second tri &#10084;


----------



## Nita2806

Yay, ttc - any ideas about the gender? Are you off the prog yet? I hope so... Tomorrow is 2 weeks for me off Prog.

Glad I am not the only one cramping. 

When is your next appointment?


----------



## Nita2806

lol Sarah, this weeks tickers are just, blegh... I have no idea what an 8 oz filet mignon is? And you have a box of mac and cheese, we have mac and cheese here too but not in boxes, we buy mac separately and cheese and make our own mac and cheese. So I have no idea how big our babies are haha


----------



## Four2Five

Temp drop today so af should be here today or tomorrow FINALLY ugh! I don't understand why my cy's are so long with these ridiculously long lp's?! I put a call into my dr for 150mg Clomid...I only have 2 more cy's of ttc before we are giving up, I told dh once I turn 36 I am done ttc. I don't feel too hopeful it will happen by then but I guess I have to try till then. 

Ttc your baby is so sweet <3

Nita a filet mignon is like a steak. When I imagine oz I think of a baby bottle, a large baby bottle is 8fluid oz...if that helps, and a box of Mac and cheese is like 8" tall x 4" wide and 1" deep.


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, hopefully the cramps are nothing. Can you ring or message your doctor? Here, I can text or call my midwife any time. It could just be constipation or stretching. There's lots of changes going on in there. I remember getting a lot of pain around 8 weeks and I googled it and it said that's around when the corpus luetum breaks down. But it's probably too late for that to be happening for you. If you're not bleeding and not in pain, you're probably ok.

Over here they're really big about safe sleeping and a port-a-cots (which sound the same as you're referring to) are only safe for short periods of time. That's mainly because the mattress in them are not firm enough. Also I've heard people saying they're really low and hard on your back. It's up to you, but I'd do some research first. But just to let you know, once you start researching safe sleeping, it becomes SO confusing and scary. For a while there I was too scared to even think about letting the baby sleep! But regardless, it's up to you and DH, not your FIL!

I agree, the tickers are boring this week. We don't have macaroni and cheese in a box like that either. We make it from scratch. The ones on Ovia are better. Yay about the blood tests! 



TTC, Yay, what beautiful scan pictures. Do you feel like it's a boy or a girl? They only do 4D ones here in the third trimester. Hopefully I'll get one soon! I'll try and do a bump photo too. Some people have said I look small, but I'm just feeling like it's starting to grow and stretch. It's starting to get a bit uncomfortable and hard to bend down and pick things up, but it's only going to get worse! Haha.



Four, I'm sorry :( I don't know why your LP is so long. Some people would say it's probably a good thing. I haven't heard anything bad about having a long LP (except making your cycles so long!). I was going to suggest taking it 3-7 rather than 5-9 but you already are! Awww I really would be pushing for 150mg if you've only got a few cycles left.


----------



## ttc126

Nita, I am off the progesterone and doing ok! Glad it's gone smoothly for us both! I'm going to ask my doctor about my cramps tomorrow. I will tell you what she tells me. 

Four! I'm sorry your lp was so dang long! Got everything crossed that this next cycle will be the one. Have you read any of the studies of clomid days 1-5? May be worth looking into!

Sarah, I'm leaning towards girl! But I'm not 100%. I'd actually really love having a third boy too. So either way I'm truly just thrilled my baby is still ok in there &#10084;

Lol at your tickers this week ladies! I like the Ovia ones better too &#10084;


----------



## Nita2806

Four, I saw your temp drop, I am sorry you are out but glad AF is coming soon. Try going fot 150mg, I jist hope you dont get the horrible side effects.

My cramps are gone too, and my tummy looks bigger, like its gotten bigger in a day or day, even with a loose shirt I can see my tummy. 

We have done a ton of research on safety, and its confusing, you are so right Sarah, thats why we have decided to take advice from those who already have kids. The camp cot we are looking at has too layers, one for the first year which is up high so I wont hurt my back and the a lower layer for later on, also a changing station that fit over the cot along with a place for toys, we will just add a mattress ofcourse. So far this seems like the most recomended here by all the mommies I have bee speaking too.

Ttc, yay, no more prog, I am so glad. We dont get 4D dcans here at all, if I want one I would have to pay another clinic and the only reason they do it here is if you think something is wrong with baby and the normal scans are not clear enough. When they told my aunt her son might have DS she paid thousands for a 4D scan to see more detail.

Exciting day, celebrating my bday with my family tonight and tomorow with DH only :D although my bday is only tomorow. Best gift I could habe is being pregnant on my birthday, feel so blessed.

Ovia says baby is the size of a beetroot...blegh I feel like the tickers and fruits are boring this week. But I prefer the beetroot ober the funny steak thingy on here haha.


----------



## ttc126

Happy birthday Nita!!!! 

And yes I was super surprised to get that 4d shot! It was at the high risk clinic but I truly didn't expect it!


----------



## sarah2211

TTC what have you heard about Clomid CD 1-5? I'm just curious.

I thought girl too, but it's kind of hard to see. Yup either way, a healthy baby is most important. But I think I would be leaning towards a girl, I think three of one gender would be hard! 

I don't like the French bakery one on Ovia though!



Nita, I'm glad your cramps have gone. I found similar, when the baby kicks lots, the next day my tummy grew haha. I think mine grows quickly sometimes and then nothing for ages. I haven't got any stretch marks yet, so I'm wondering if I'll manage to escape them! 

Car seat and sleeping safety are both super confusing! I think I'm sorted in the car seat department though. The general message here is that the mattress in the port-a-cot is not firm and strong enough and can be bad for their back. But you do your own research. I'd recommend looking at safety guidelines as well as talking to other mums. It's tricky, sleep is so important and it was be so risky. We are planning to use sleep sacks rather than blankets. Always sleeping him on his back. We will have him in our room for the first 6 months and will be breastfeeding to minimise risk of SIDs. Our neighbour lost their daughter to SIDs and DH's foster sister died of SIDs. We don't want to take any unnecessary risks! TTC and Four (and any other non-FTMs) feel free to give your input! 

And happy birthday! I hope you have a fantastic day! I agree, the best present ever! Our wee boy will be here by my birthday!


----------



## sarah2211

Oh and DH's probably going to be away for the rest of the pregnancy :( he's probably going to have to go to the South Pacific for this tropical cyclone. He's got a training course after that and then will be going overseas until 3 weeks before my due date. I feel like I'll be doing most of this on my own.


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah, I think I would just keep on researching and then just buy in the end what we think is best. Baby will stay in our room too, especially while I breastfeed. We can't do everything perfect, I know my parents barely had anything when I was born since I was unplanned, I didnt even fully develop before birth and I turned out OK, so I think we can just do our best, and give the baby everything we possibly can, and they will turn out just fine. There's moms here in our rural areas who doesnt even have cots or anything and their babies also make it out just fine. I think it's in our nature to know how to care for our little ones when they are here. I have no idea how to be a mom, but I am sure it will come after birth...right? Haha

So sorry about your DH Sarah - that must be really really sucky, isn't there any way for him to get out of it? Or doesn't he want too? I can't imagine doing it without my DH - it must be so hard on you especially since you are high risk and baby might come earlier than expected..

Just realised this morning, its less than 3 weeks till my 16 week appointment - cant wait.


----------



## sarah2211

Yup there are mums out there with nothing and they manage. I think of mums in Mongolia or other African countries and their babies survive. But when you know and have better, you should do better in my opinion. I just wouldn't forgive myself if after all it's taken to get this far, something preventable happened. I'm not going to be an over cautious mum that's for sure. But I think safe sleeping and safe car seats are important. 

Ugh I'm not even sure if he can or wants to get out of it. The cyclone he probably can't get out of. But with the other stuff he says that he doesn't want to stop doing his job because of a 'what if'. If he's in the same country that's ok, I feel like it would be much easier for him to get back home quickly. But overseas is much harder. Plus the South Pacific still has Zika. But it's not like he'll be getting any being away the rest of the pregnancy hah!

Yay! Do you get another scan then or just an appointment?


----------



## Nita2806

Yeah - I mean we can only do our best, I think I will be over cautious :) until number 2 comes along that is.

When did your midwife/OB says you can expect baby again? It was earlier right? I just hope he makes it back in time, because if baby needs to come out, there's no waiting or stopping. Will you cope without him though? I mean who will cook and such? If you are that far along you wouldnt want to. My DH knows he will be taking over some of those things in the last month or 2, and since we know baby will come end October, we can prepare and get ready. 38 weeks feel likes its just around the corner for me. My OB only do deliveries on a Tuesday so I know my baby will be a Tuesday baby :D

Not really sure what happenes at the 16 week appointment - most women have a 12 week and 20 week appointment.. I suppose it will be the normal urine test, and weigh in and then last time she told me to go directly to the scan room, so I guess she will do a quick scan and then discuss any questions I might have? I have half an hour appointment though... 12 week appointment was only 15 minutes.


----------



## sarah2211

A common fertility drug could be contributing to shorter boys, a new study shows.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/lo...boys-after-fertility-treatment?cid=app-iPhone This is an old article but quite interesting. I wonder if our boy will be a shortie. I'm 5'9 and DH is 5'10 so we might be ok :)

Yup I think we will be cautious until number 2 haha. Then it's just survival! 

Yeah the midwife thinks early but she didn't say how early. I'm going to be having regular scans from 26 weeks I think and they'll be able to see how the baby is growing. If it's not good then I might be induced early. Who knows though it could all be fine and he could come late. The midwife said one of her clients went into labour at 33 weeks (12 hours earlier than my appointment) and they had managed to stall it. But I don't think she had the same complications as me. I'm hoping he'll be back in time. 

And in terms of helping me, my mum lives in the same town although I can only tolerate her in small doses. She's not great with small children and she's not much of a cook. 

Will they actually induce you at 38 weeks? That's pretty medical. I'd rather not be induced if possible because it comes with other risks. 

Yeah at my last appointment the midwife didn't do much. Just listened to the heart beat and felt my tummy. But my midwife doesn't do the ultrasounds so who knows.


----------



## Nita2806

wow, 33 weeks is still so early. If I had a choice I would want to carry full term until baby is ready, but OBs here dont work like that, they induce at 38 weeks, unless there is complications and baby needs to stay in me for a while longer. If I wanted to carry baby full term and baby for baby to come, I need to see a midwife (and they wont, since my pregnancy isnt a normal one) or I need to let the doctor on duty deliver my baby - and if it was any other country than South africa I would have done it, but nope, too many stories going around here. I trust my OB and she must do the delivery.

My aunt went into early labour due to stress and she had to get an emergency c-section, she asked them to please delay the birth with 4 hours because she wanted baby to have a birthday the next day (long story) and they said no ways - her baby was born that same day. I think it depends on the reason why you are going into early labour..

I will let you know what happens at my next appointment :) I am just excited to see baby again, dont think I would have wanted to wait all the way for 20 weeks.

Wow that article is interested... but I think it depends more on the genes of the parents though :)


----------



## Four2Five

Well finally got to talk to my midwife today, she wants me to try 100mg one more cy and take it either days 1-5 or 2-6...today is cd 1 so she sent my refil in and I'll go pick it up in a bit and try the 1-5. She said since I was ovulating that she didn't want to increase to 150mg just yet but she totally agrees that Clomid is not making me ovulate if I'm ovulating that late. She said hopefully trying earlier days will move it forward and not confuse my body too much. She said my lp is long but it's not a bad thing other than dragging out my cy's...so I guess that's the plan for now. I just spotted a little yesterday so I'm hoping I start af today. 

TTC I'm also curious about this cd 1-5 stuff, can you tell me what you know :)


----------



## ttc126

Yes ladies!!!! Sorry should've explained more!
There was a recent study that had half the women take clomid 5-9 and half 1-5. Only a couple in the 5-9 group conceived but all in the 1-5 group did! It's a little controversial still but I was ready to try it before I conceived!
Four, I hope this does the trick!!!!!


----------



## Four2Five

Thank you that's super exciting! I'm ready for this next cy but not feeling optimistic. I'm super worried about multiples with taking it so early I don't think my body could handle multiples or my mental stability :haha: but whatever happens happens!!


----------



## Nita2806

Four, its weird that your midwife dont want to up your dose to 150mg if the clomid isnt making you O. But I hope this next cycle is the lucky charm for you. Crossing all my fingers XXX

My DH did the strangest thing ever tonight. His best friend since forever came over for a visit, and just before I went to bed DH pulled me closer, lifted my shirt and told his friend he should touch my stomach, then told his friend thats not fat thats my tummy getting harder, and they went on like that for a few moments. I can just see the glow in his eyes when he talk to his friend about baby. :D


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, Yeah she wasn't induced at 33 weeks, labour just happened. Wow they don't do that here. You'll only be induced if there's a medical issue or you're way over your due date. My mum was nearly induced with me, they gave her a few more days and luckily I came on my own but I was over 2 weeks late. My doctor isn't concerned that I conceived on Clomid, according to them, that doesn't change a pregnancy at all. I would be really cautious about just being induced to appease the doctor's work hours. There are complications that can arise with an induced birth. 

Four, wow your midwife prescribes Clomid? I thought you needed to see a doctor for that. Dumb, I was hoping they'd up your dose seeing as you didn't ovulate from the 100mg. It's hard to know whether you'll have an increased risk of multiples and whether the risk is higher or lower by doing 100mg days 1-5 or 150ng days 3-7. Especially when you've given yourself only 2 more cycles!! I really hope this works!! 

Nita, did he ask about touching your tummy? Here, everyone is always really careful and never touches it without asking first. My DH touches it but everyone else is doesn't or they ask first. I've only been asked twice and once by my neighbour and the other by my sister in law. My sister in law is a midwife so she was touching it to see where my uterus finished so she could use her doppler last night! She said she could hear him doing flips!! She also said that if you don't have a doppler you can use an empty toilet roll and put one end on your tummy and have someone else put their ear on the other end and you should be able to hear the heartbeat!


----------



## Nita2806

Things work a bit different here...it is highly recommended that you let your doctor whom you trust deliver your baby, the risk for me is much bigger to let a stranger deliver my baby than being induced (the stories of things happening here are horrid) My OB have been delivering babies for 25 years and is still one of the most recommended in the area, so I trust she wont do anything to hurt me or baby. Asked a friend to ask her midwife if she would take on a patient who conceived on Clomid and she said, no, it is recommended that you go through the pregnancy with the doctor who helped you get pregnant, if not naturally, as that doctor knows what she have done and know the risks you might be having... which make total sense to me. Again, very very happy with my OB anyway :D

DH touch my stomach at every chance he gets, but no one else does, and no one has asked either, maybe they will if my tummy gets bigger. I wont tell my DH about the toilet roll, he will want the listen the whole time.


----------



## sarah2211

Of course have someone you trust to deliver the baby. But some of those other practices are quite different to here. It is possible that your midwife might not be on call the day you go into labour and all midwives have a back up which you meet. They usually only take time off during the odd weekend though. Here, on fertility specialists will prescribe Clomid. They don't follow up the pregnancy, you need to see a midwife or rarely an OB. You must have an OB if you conceived through IVF but anything else is a midwife. 

That's good, I thought you meant his friend was touching your tummy. My DH touches mine all the time. He puts his head on it and nearly always gets kicked haha. 

In the weekend I had a professional development course for work. I'm a teacher and there were about 40 of us. This one very brave make teacher, who must have been about 21-22 years old very cautiously asked me if I was pregnant. Then all weekend I caught him watching my tummy. He kept asking questions and trying to sit next to me. Then, at the end of the course he said "I just get so obsessed with pregnant women. I just can't believe there's a growing person inside of you." Kind of creepy but kind of funny. 

My tummy is stretching big time tonight. DH is away for the next 2 weeks so I'm sure he'll come back to a huge bump.


----------



## Nita2806

I guess it works differently everywhere.. I know a lot of women who are or either been pregnant over the last years and only 1 has been with a midwife, when I asked her why, she said the midwife was cheaper haha, but there really arent a lot of midwifes close by to where I stay, OB/GYN's are everywhere though... its much more common to see an OB here during pregnancy.

DH told his friend to touch my tummy :haha: and he touched it quickly with his finger and then pulled away, I could see he wasnt comfortable with that. I can just imagine how your DH loves to feel the kicks, I read an article about how men feel left out while his wife can feel the baby everyday, and one thing they recommend for the husband to stay involved and also bond with baby is to feel baby move - so I think its awesome that your DH can feel so many kicks, I think it means a lot more for them than we can understand.

Lol that poor teacher... :haha: My DH likes to look at other pregnant women too, once I asked him why, and he said a pregnant women is the most beautiful thing he can imagine and cant wait for me to have a bump.


----------



## sarah2211

Ha the opposite is true here. You only have an OB if you have problems here and that's usually after IVF, if you're old (like over 40), preeclampsia, gestational diabetes or like me with Lupus. Otherwise you see a midwife. We don't see pregnancy and child birth as a medical procedure so we don't believe you need to see a doctor here. A midwife has trained for 4 years and can do everything necessary for a pregnancy and often have a much more caring approach to it. Like my OB is very cold, where as my midwife actually cares about me and the holistical issues in pregnancy. 

My sister is law, who is the midwife, said she would be with me if I went into labour and my DH is away. She's only got 2 births in August and said she'd be honoured to be there. But it must be kind of intimidating for my midwife to have another midwife in the room haha. I think they're quite similar people though. 

Yeah I don't blame him haha. It must be kind of weird touching your best mate's wife's pregnant tummy haha my DH loves putting his head on my tummy or his hand. Our nieces were doing that the other night too and they got kicked in the head too haha. Last night the baby was kicking SO much and DH put his hand on my tummy and he stopped kicking. I think Dad's going to be the boss haha. And it makes sense of them to not feel as connected. 

It was quite cute. Yesterday the baby was asleep and then I turned on the vacuum cleaner and obviously woke him up with the noise haha. He was kicking away. 

Haha it is really fascinating to know somethings living inside you. How's the bump growing? I'm starting to struggle to pick things up now.


----------



## Nita2806

Ugh, I still look like I had an extra helping at dinner lol, according to DH my tummy are growing really fast, I dont know, looks the same to me. I guess those who knows, know my belly is due to baby, but those who dont must be thinking I eat all my DHs food (he is very long and super skinny - we weight almost the same now, only I am super short) :haha: 

We are busy organizing a baby shower for DH's friends who expects their baby now in June, and I had to buy a play doll, and DH almost went crazy saying 'when is our baby coming' and if its a girl he really wants to play dolls with her... so cute.

I think I might be feeling some movement from baby - but I do also have a lot of gas and I dont really know the difference so it might just be gas..


----------



## sarah2211

Mines only recently gone from looking like I've been eating a lot to looking like a pregnant tummy. I'd say around 22 weeks. Before then no one made any comments. But now people are commenting even though I haven't told them. It sucks being in the stage of looking fat. But enjoy it because things start to get uncomfortable pretty quickly! 

That's exciting. We will still have dolls for our boy and in the future if we have a girl we will have trucks and cars for her to play with. Where I teach we have dress ups and more often than not it's the boys who wear the dresses, skirts, heels and play with dolls. 

That's how mine felt initially. And it was only when I'd felt more movements I knew that those very first movements were actually him. It's probably slightly on the early side, mine were early than they say is normal so I kept it hush hush. Typically first time mums feel movement around 18-20 weeks I think.


----------



## Nita2806

Just heard from my OB - Downs screening came back normal :D so we are in the clear.

Lol - I will enjoy being fat for a little longer :)

See, then I am just having a lot of gas :haha: maybe 14 weeks is just a bit too early.

My brother and I played dolls too - but DH says if its a girl he want to play dolls and dress up with her and if its a boy he will have a kick ass lego collection which he and dad can build up... we have a whole bag full of legos already (sometimes I think my DH is still a kid - then again, I played with him) hee-hee

I read up a bit about how to conceive a girl vs a boy. For a girl you need to BD 4 - 2.5 days before Ovulation, for a boy you should time BD to be as close to Ovulation as possible. Girl Sperm swim slower but live longer, boy sperm swim faster but die off sooner. If we get a girl, then I can confirm this theory though. We BDed on CD16 and I Oed either CD18 or CD19
This gender thing is getting the better of me haha - I just want to know already.


----------



## sarah2211

That's good. My midwife reminded me that it didn't mean the baby didn't have Down's syndrome but that the chance was 1 in some number of thousands. 

At work I have lots of kids to pass me things off the floor but putting my shoes on is starting to be tricky. 

Could be gas or could be movements. I felt them just after 15 weeks. They do feel like gas. I often worry that I'm coming down with food poisoning but then I remember that it's just a wriggling baby. 

Haha that's cool. I think we are going to end up with a massive Lego collection. My DH is an engineer and loves building things. 

I've read about that too but also that the research says there's no truth to BD timed gender selection. But I read that you're more likely to have a girl on Clomid. I know what you mean, it did my head in! It has been the hardest thing to wait for! Hopefully you get a scan at your next appointment and they might give you a hint.


----------



## Nita2806

A friend of mine who had her daughter 6 years ago, was totally shocked that I even did the tests for DS - she said they only offered her a very expensive test and said no, but with me it was all included haha, they said the same to me, the risk is just very very small. 

We already have a lego collection lol, my DH likes to build things too, I think even if we have a girl he would build her a doll house out of legos lol.

I am not reading too much into my gas/movements just yet, I will just try and keep calm till I can tell for sure its kicks.

Its Wednesday here, so tomorrow is new ticker day :D I peeked at next week, and its much better than this week, can't believe its going over to 15 weeks already.

Exactly 2 more weeks before my next appointment :D


----------



## sarah2211

Yeah you can opt out of it here, but I think most people have it. It's free here and if you don't have it you don't get a 12 week scan. Our results which tell us our likelihood are just on the shelf, but I'm feeling too lazy to go and look haha but it was 1 in a few thousand. To be honest though, we weren't too worried. We would have gone through with the pregnancy regardless. My niece has Down Syndrome, she was actually adopted by my brother and sister in law, and she's gorgeous. I know it's been hard work though.

Yup just wait and see, if they get more frequent and you feel them when it's quiet, then you'll know that's what they are. 

It's wednesday night here. I haven't peeked haha. I'm looking forward to seeing what it is. I'm 24 weeks tomorrow, only a few more weeks until the 3rd trimester!! That's a scary thought haha.

A boy at work today told me that I should name the baby "Kettle" hahaha!


----------



## Nita2806

The only reason I peeked was because this weeks tickers sucked so much, I had to check if next week will be better.

Lol, kettle is such a... Unique name :p

Four, how are you doing?


----------



## Four2Five

I'm good, finished my last Clomid pills today, the o pains are pretty intense today so hopefully things are working and I'll get an earlier O :) Been busy with our dd's softball team and having some family drama but I'm trying not to stress about it all. I'm eager to move though and get away from it all, less than 10 weeks :thumbup:


----------



## sassymycat

Hey guys, 

I was also diagnosed with PCOS quite early on in my teens. I did 4 rounds of clomid at 50mg but my ovaries didn't develop follicles on them. I switched docs because this one never seemed to pay attention to what was going on with me and just handed clomid out. The fertility specialist I went to next did a lot of tests. HSG came out with tubes being clear and no cysts. I just wasn't ovulating on my own. Then they started me on letrozole (i believe its also called femara) and scheduled me for an iui (this april) instead of timed intercourse like previously. I got pregnant on the first try and am hoping that this pregnancy sticks.


----------



## sarah2211

Hurry up tickers! Ovia said the baby is the size of a Demi baguette, GI Joe doll, an eggplant and an Atlantic toucan haha. 

Haha that's what happens when you take suggestions from a 4 year old haha. 

Exciting Four, I hope you O much earlier. Good that you've been keeping busy, I know that can help pass the time a bit quicker!!

Welcome Sassy! How exciting. I'm so glad it worked for you first time. I know IUIs are the next step but often they don't work out so that's so exciting that it did for you! You'll have to add a ticker :) I hope you're feeling ok, if you are, enjoy it now because the first trimester can be hard work!


----------



## sassymycat

sarah2211 said:


> Hurry up tickers! Ovia said the baby is the size of a Demi baguette, GI Joe doll, an eggplant and an Atlantic toucan haha.
> 
> Haha that's what happens when you take suggestions from a 4 year old haha.
> 
> Exciting Four, I hope you O much earlier. Good that you've been keeping busy, I know that can help pass the time a bit quicker!!
> 
> Welcome Sassy! How exciting. I'm so glad it worked for you first time. I know IUIs are the next step but often they don't work out so that's so exciting that it did for you! You'll have to add a ticker :) I hope you're feeling ok, if you are, enjoy it now because the first trimester can be hard work!

Thanks! I was quite surprised when it worked because I did hope but I was also ok with accepting I might have to try again. I'm feeling good actually I think I am 4 weeks now and so far the symptoms are slight nausea, sore breasts and nipples, intermittent cramps, back aches, getting hungry quite frequently, and feeling a bit cold. It's quite manageable because I am not working so I can rest at home. 

To be honest the feeling of being pregnant hasn't actually sunk in because well the doctor did tell me not to expect much since my hcg levels at 15dpiui was only 17. Today it is 43 and they are more hopeful but I feel like I will only think I'm pregnant when its past 3 months or something and I can be more sure. 

I am actually very new to these forums so i don't know where I can get a ticker or how to set up some stuff. 

Thanks for the reply I'd like to keep in touch moving forward. And almost forgot but Good Luck with your pregnancy. Hope it goes well.


----------



## Nita2806

So Exciting Four :D I am glad that you are keeping busy, in no time you will O again and hopefully get your BFP before you even move away. :D

Sassy - Welcome to the thread :D and congratz and conceiving on your first round of IUI. I would not worry about your HCG levels too much if I were you, as long as they are doubling, which it seems to be doing. Enjoy feeling good, as those HCG levels and Progesterone rise you will start to feel worse. Are you taking any Progesterone at the moment to assist your pregnancy? As long as you dont have sever cramps or bleeding, you are OK :D

How to add a ticker: Click on one you like from our signatures (I have 2 since I cant decide which one I like most haha) It will take you to the tickers page, then top left is 3 lines, press those and choose Countdown ticker, follow the steps to create your ticker and it will give you a BBcode - copy that one and paste into your signature.

To edit your signature, go to quick links from the home page and say edit signature - in the box to edit your paste the BBcode from the ticker website and update... and then you have a ticker and a signature :)

So Ovia says baby is the size of a Hass Avocado - yay, finally something I know and LOVE to eat. :D


----------



## sarah2211

Exciting Sassy, I felt a bit average the first few weeks, but things really ramped up around 6 weeks. I felt a lot better by 10 weeks. You might be lucky like Nita and not have things too badly. But I had a really rough time. 

How many days apart were your HCG tests? I've heard that it's actually less about what the number is and more about it's doubling time. So if you're now about 17ish DPO then that's a good sign. I can't remember what mine were, I think high 80s at 12DPO and then 3 days later it was 320. It took ages for it to sink in for me. It did when I started feeling so sick though, but I wasn't exactly as excited as I am now! 

We'll be keeping our fingers crossed for you!


----------



## Nita2806

New tickers!! Cinnamon rolls, hmmm we have chelsea buns here which I suppose is the same, but its much better than last week. And you have Oreos, Sarah. Yay, we have Oreos here too :D

Let me just say, just because your mother was sick during her pregnancy doesnt mean you will be too - lol!! My mom kept on telling me how sick she was and I will be too... yeah, no. Each person is different. 

My HCG was 87 on 15dpo and they only do it once here and dont check doubling time, I only had my HCG tested again at 12 weeks, and it came back normal, I dont know how much it is though.

This morning, I decided to wore a slightly looser shirt to work and I still look fat. I told DH I thought my fat wont show and he asked if I was ashamed of pregnant, I said no, I just dont like people saying I ate all my husbands food haha - I need to feed him more so he doesnt look so damn skinny. I actually like my little bump and cant wait for a proper bump :) Oh and I just want to add, my boobs looks huge, which is awesome!


----------



## sarah2211

Yay! We don't really have cinnamon rolls here either, but we have chelsea buns. I'm sure they're about the same size. We have oreos here too, but the picture in the ticker looks like a bigger packet than we have. I love the little captions on the Ovia ones. 

Sassy, if you haven't already, download the app called "Ovia". It tells you something new about what the baby is doing or developing each day. I got an "ovia-tion" today. Making it to 24 weeks viability. There's a 50% chance the baby will survive if he is born today (fingers crossed not though!)

I don't think my Mum got that sick. I felt terrible.

I know what you mean. There's a bad phase where you just feel like a blob and like you've eaten too much. I wore looser tops too. But now it definitely looks like I have a bump. I went shopping this evening to buy the baby some merino clothes and I caught my bump in the mirror. It's definitely a baby bump! My DH gets home at the end of next week (hopefully... before he goes away again). I bet the bump would have grown heaps!

This evening he was kicking me lots so I decided to YouTube some Mozart. Within 2 minutes he was fast asleep haha. Let's just hope that works when he's born!


----------



## Nita2806

Oreos also come in different packaging here, but atleast I know what it is and have an idea how big it is haha.

My 'Ovia-tion' is that coming next week I should start to feel baby move :D

I think your bump will grow quickly now Sarah, I saw a video on youtube where they show how the bump grow by week, and once your bump start to really grow, I think around 22 weeks, it grows rapidly from there on.

Make him used to Mozart now :) when he is born he will hopefully follow the same pattern.

Whats everyone doing the weekend? I am working and going to a temple with my parents for mothers day on Sunday :p


----------



## sassymycat

Nita2806 said:


> So Exciting Four :D I am glad that you are keeping busy, in no time you will O again and hopefully get your BFP before you even move away. :D
> 
> Sassy - Welcome to the thread :D and congratz and conceiving on your first round of IUI. I would not worry about your HCG levels too much if I were you, as long as they are doubling, which it seems to be doing. Enjoy feeling good, as those HCG levels and Progesterone rise you will start to feel worse. Are you taking any Progesterone at the moment to assist your pregnancy? As long as you dont have sever cramps or bleeding, you are OK :D
> 
> How to add a ticker: Click on one you like from our signatures (I have 2 since I cant decide which one I like most haha) It will take you to the tickers page, then top left is 3 lines, press those and choose Countdown ticker, follow the steps to create your ticker and it will give you a BBcode - copy that one and paste into your signature.
> 
> To edit your signature, go to quick links from the home page and say edit signature - in the box to edit your paste the BBcode from the ticker website and update... and then you have a ticker and a signature :)
> 
> So Ovia says baby is the size of a Hass Avocado - yay, finally something I know and LOVE to eat. :D

Thanks for the help :hugs: I'll get on that now. And yes the doc had me start taking progesterone suppositories the day after my IUI. Twice a day. 
I haven't really told many people but I felt like discussing things so I'm really glad everyone on here is so nice. Thanks again everyone.


----------



## sassymycat

sarah2211 said:


> Exciting Sassy, I felt a bit average the first few weeks, but things really ramped up around 6 weeks. I felt a lot better by 10 weeks. You might be lucky like Nita and not have things too badly. But I had a really rough time.
> 
> How many days apart were your HCG tests? I've heard that it's actually less about what the number is and more about it's doubling time. So if you're now about 17ish DPO then that's a good sign. I can't remember what mine were, I think high 80s at 12DPO and then 3 days later it was 320. It took ages for it to sink in for me. It did when I started feeling so sick though, but I wasn't exactly as excited as I am now!
> 
> We'll be keeping our fingers crossed for you!

Thanks :flower: Yea I think I'd describe it as feeling average as well. Symptoms aren't that severe but I notice them. I'm a lot tired as well and today I woke up super dehydrated. My nose must have been blocked because apparently I was breathing out of my mouth only and it was like the desert. Going to start keeping a water bottle beside me and the humidifier on. 

My tests were 48 hours apart. Not excited yet (haven't started looking at belly and picturing baby) but I guess It'll feel more real when I see the scan hopefully. 

You guys are the absolute sweetest. I feel a lot better about this now that I can talk to someone without filtering things. I talk with my husband too but it's different with other women experiencing the same things.

I'll be hoping the best for everyone on here as well. Good Luck!


----------



## Nita2806

Sassy, you probably feel tired from the added Progesterone, I started taking it from 8 weeks until I was 12 weeks, it was absolutely horrible. It didnt feel real for me until I got my first ultrasound and saw a heartbeat and saw baby move. You will probably start to feel more and more tired from now, but dont worry once you stop the Progesterone and reach 12 weeks you will see you feel much, MUCH better. Do you have an appointment yet for your first ultra sound? 

We are too happy to have you here, and you are welcome to discuss anything here or ask for advice :)


----------



## sassymycat

Nita2806 said:


> Sassy, you probably feel tired from the added Progesterone, I started taking it from 8 weeks until I was 12 weeks, it was absolutely horrible. It didnt feel real for me until I got my first ultrasound and saw a heartbeat and saw baby move. You will probably start to feel more and more tired from now, but dont worry once you stop the Progesterone and reach 12 weeks you will see you feel much, MUCH better. Do you have an appointment yet for your first ultra sound?
> 
> We are too happy to have you here, and you are welcome to discuss anything here or ask for advice :)

No, no ultra sound appointment yet. The clinic had me schedule another hcg blood test for friday (2 days after my last one). So I guess they'll go from there.


----------



## Nita2806

Great :) crossing my fingers you get great numbers :D I see you also got the ticker set up, yay! New ticker days (when your ticker goes over to a new week) is really exciting.


----------



## sarah2211

Sassy, I agree with Nita. It's probably a lot to do with the progesterone. Were you ever put on provera when TTC? It's similar but I think it's a higher dose. Nita and TTC will be able to help you with progesterone related questions. Thankfully I didn't need it. 

The fatigue didn't hit me until about 6 weeks but between weeks 4-6 I'd get exhausted doing normal things. Like I went for a bike ride with DH and I kept having to stop every 5-10 minutes. In hindsight I actually did really well hah. But he was annoyed. Then from 6 weeks I pretty much had 2 naps a day and went to sleep for the night no later than 7.30. I couldn't really leave the house or do the supermarket shopping etc. luckily I was on annual leave and my DH was too. 

I also agree with Nita about the scan. Once you hear the heartbeat it becomes much more real. I cried haha. But even then it didn't sink in. At that point it just looks like a blob and having had a MC I knew I wasn't completely out of the woods. It also was hard to actually accept after all this time I was pregnant. I kept expecting to wake up and for it to be a dream. When I fell pregnant with my MC baby I felt an instant bond and like I needed to do everything to protect it. But as horrible as it sounds, I didn't really get that feeling this time. Maybe it was to protect myself. What I'm trying to say is don't be too hard on yourself for whatever you're feeling. With all the hormones plus the struggles we've had to get here, you'll probably be all over the place (I definitely was!). 

Sassy if you have any questions about what to expect next or just want to get anything off your chest, feel free. It's a pretty awesome group here :) 

I think my belly will keep growing. I can't really hide it now. My DH is going to be amazed when he gets home haha. 

I have a feeling this baby isn't going to go quietly off to sleep to Mozart when he's born haha. My MIL last night told me it's good to have an active baby because then you can actually do stuff with them rather than them just sleeping all day. She's had 7 of her own and I'd say my DH was the biggest trouble maker of them all! 

Nita have you peeked ahead at the Ovia-toons too? Haha. 

Not many plans for the weekend. My BIL is having a birthday dinner but my DH is away so I'm not sure if I can be bothered driving 3 hours each way with out him. Nita when you say you're going to the temple? What do you mean?


----------



## sassymycat

sarah2211 said:


> Sassy, I agree with Nita. It's probably a lot to do with the progesterone. Were you ever put on provera when TTC? It's similar but I think it's a higher dose. Nita and TTC will be able to help you with progesterone related questions. Thankfully I didn't need it.
> 
> The fatigue didn't hit me until about 6 weeks but between weeks 4-6 I'd get exhausted doing normal things. Like I went for a bike ride with DH and I kept having to stop every 5-10 minutes. In hindsight I actually did really well hah. But he was annoyed. Then from 6 weeks I pretty much had 2 naps a day and went to sleep for the night no later than 7.30. I couldn't really leave the house or do the supermarket shopping etc. luckily I was on annual leave and my DH was too.
> 
> I also agree with Nita about the scan. Once you hear the heartbeat it becomes much more real. I cried haha. But even then it didn't sink in. At that point it just looks like a blob and having had a MC I knew I wasn't completely out of the woods. It also was hard to actually accept after all this time I was pregnant. I kept expecting to wake up and for it to be a dream. When I fell pregnant with my MC baby I felt an instant bond and like I needed to do everything to protect it. But as horrible as it sounds, I didn't really get that feeling this time. Maybe it was to protect myself. What I'm trying to say is don't be too hard on yourself for whatever you're feeling. With all the hormones plus the struggles we've had to get here, you'll probably be all over the place (I definitely was!).
> 
> Sassy if you have any questions about what to expect next or just want to get anything off your chest, feel free. It's a pretty awesome group here :)
> 
> I think my belly will keep growing. I can't really hide it now. My DH is going to be amazed when he gets home haha.
> 
> I have a feeling this baby isn't going to go quietly off to sleep to Mozart when he's born haha. My MIL last night told me it's good to have an active baby because then you can actually do stuff with them rather than them just sleeping all day. She's had 7 of her own and I'd say my DH was the biggest trouble maker of them all!
> 
> Nita have you peeked ahead at the Ovia-toons too? Haha.
> 
> Not many plans for the weekend. My BIL is having a birthday dinner but my DH is away so I'm not sure if I can be bothered driving 3 hours each way with out him. Nita when you say you're going to the temple? What do you mean?

Yea I was actually put on provera for every cycle we tried because the pcos makes it that I don't get my period usually by myself. I did ask my doc about my progesterone levels when she called to let me know about my hcg and she said they don't check for it because I am on the suppositories. Do they usually do that? 

I think I'm feeling the same as you about being pregnant. I'm trying to be sensible with this because after the doc said I had really low hcg I went online and searched through so many forums trying to see if it was still possible. And honestly it was half and half. There were also a lot that said even with normal hcg they had miscarriages. So I guess I'm also trying to protect myself. I'm emotional about petty things like I always cry for any sad scene even if its an animated children's movie or if someone cries in front of me but with big things I don't want to cry in front of others. Not because I'm not sad but them trying to console me will make me feel more sad. So if I act okay then i feel it'll really be ok. 

It's kinda hard to talk with people about, because my friends are all my age and not even near kids and marriage so they don't understand. My mother would just stress and worry and people fussing over me makes me embarrassed and shy. 

I feel like no matter how it ends I'll be fine. Maybe a little in need of recuperation but I'm not gonna feel like flinging myself off a cliff. I don't know if other people here are but I am quite religious. So I feel like I'll accept the results whatever they may be. Hah I guess I'm the type that's mind over heart. I can convince myself it's alright and i'll start feeling the same.


----------



## Nita2806

Sassy - this is the best advice I got, so I am going to share it with you too. Remember, that this is the ONLY time in your life that you will EVER be pregnant with this baby. I know the fear of a MC and honestly until 8 weeks I made myself crazy as I didnt have MS so I thought I would pitch at my OB and she wont see baby... Any way my point being, enjoy the time you have with this baby, whether its a week, a month or a lifetime, no one can take away the fact that you are pregnant with this baby now :hugs:

Having your progesterone checked while being on suppositories will be pointless as they will influence your levels. Here they give progesterone if you conceive on Clomid, IUI and IVF regardless of your levels, as a precaution.

Ugh - I had the worst night. I got heartburn to a point where I started vomiting, then ofcourse I drank a lot of water which made me wake up every hour to wee, and my whole body was just cramping and uncomfortable. Oh boy - its going to be a long, long day today.


----------



## ttc126

Sassy, they did check my progesterone levels here even though I was on suppositories. They say they need to make sure your dose is high enough. But other doctors may not have that protocol. I've heard you get a good amount using them vaginally so try to relax &#10084; I had multiple miscarriages before this baby and I still feel afraid and disconnected at times. Just be gentle on yourself and know however you feel is ok! I had extremely low hcg with my second son and was told I'd miscarry. He was totally fine! With my last loss in August I was told my levels were fantastic and baby didn't make it. So you just never know. I like the advice both Sarah and Nita gave. We're here for you!

Nita, that sounds awful! I'm so sorry!!!! Feel better soon!

Sarah, I still want a bump picture!!!!!! 

I saw my ob today. My testing results were good from the genetic stuff! Big relief! And I found out I have a yeast infection. My stomach has been aching and I have had greenish discharge so she swabbed and turns out its yeast. Hate that! Still struggling with morning sickness here. Getting quite discouraged about it. 

I hope you all have good weekends!


----------



## sarah2211

Sassy, 

I have PCOS too. That's why I was on Provera. Yeah there would be no point in checking your progesterone levels if you are on suppositories. Just rest assure that your OB is taking precautions to help you here. Mine tested my progesterone and it was fine so I didn't end up taking them. Other doctors just put you on them regardless.

I'm not sure if you've seen this site - https://www.betabase.info/. It tells you what your HCG should be between on each DPO. It's pretty broad and like I said before, it doesn't matter so much what it is, more about the doubling time. Yeah there are a lot of women who have MC with great doubling times. Most of them could never have been prevented. 

I spent the first 12 weeks trying to protect myself. I was convinced I'd had a missed MC. But like Nita said, this is the only time you will be pregnant with this baby. You'll never get another first trimester and it's pretty impressive what happens in the first trimester. There's nothing wrong with protecting yourself though, it's only natural. But do try and enjoy it and appreciate it.

Feel free to talk to us, we get it :). My friends are similar, either they've had kids and it was easy/an accident (for me TTC and being pregnant has been far from easy) or they're not even thinking about it. 

I think you'll be alright no matter what happens too. Speaking from experience, if it doesn't end well, it hurts.. A lot! It honestly took me a good 2-3 weeks before I no longer felt fragile. But this time I fell pregnant I knew I had found something that worked and if it did end badly, I knew Clomid would get me back here again. 

During the first trimester this website helped me a lot - https://spacefem.com/pregnant/mc.php?m=08&d=10&y=12. It gives you the likelihood each day (in a % form) for having a MC. I also just found this site when trying to find that website. I'm not sure if it'll help, but it did for me. https://datayze.com/miscarriage-chart.php


Nita,

Oh no, was this the first time you've vomited since being pregnant? That sucks! Pregnancy is hard work :( I hope you don't have a busy day.


----------



## Nita2806

Oh no TTC - hope the infection goes away soon. :(

Sarah - its the first time vomiting since I got my BFP. It was all yucky sour slime, but thank goodness thats over. I need to watch what I eat, I know I get heartburn easily. My tummy also hurt this morning and during the night, pretty sure its all the gas building up and constipation, as soon as I went this morning, I felt so much better. I need to get more cushions, I am really struggling to sleep with my whole body feeling it doesnt get enough support at night :(


----------



## sarah2211

Sorry TTC I must have been replying when you replied too :). Here's my bump photo - https://tinypic.com/r/1534h9t/9 

I'm sorry about your injection. I had one about a month or so ago. It wasn't much fun although I don't think it was too bad. They say you're more prone to them during pregnancy. I think I might have had 1 before this. Did the OB give you anything for the morning sickness? I hope it passes soon. 

Nita, I'm sorry :( it's not fun vomiting. It's hard watching what you eat. The past 2 weeks I've just been so hungry all the time. I've put on 7kgs so far. It feels like too much but I'm not complaining, anything for this baby. No stretch marks yet but I'm finding it harder to get an 'inch to pinch' for my injections. I've not been constipated at all, I go twice a day (TMI) but I was expecting that to be a problem. My DH is away at the moment and I'm using all the pillows. I've got the triangle one between my knees, a pillow under my tummy/to cuddle and two behind my back to stop me rolling on to my back. The only good thing about him going away means I get all the pillows and all the bed!


----------



## Nita2806

wow, Sarah, your bump have grown so much!! You look really pregnant :D Ill post a bump pic over the weekend :) 

I already have stretch marks :( but when I was 16/17 years old I picked up about 12kg in one year, that was at that stage 25% of my total weight and I got stretch marks on my tummy and legs. Ofcourse I lost that weight after school and the stretchmarks got less and smaller, so I think mine are just the old ones stretching again.

I am definitely constipated, I go at least once in 2 days, but (TMI) I always feel like there's more.. the gas that builds up over night are my IBS, and that makes my tummy very sore during the night. I have medication for it, but it contains 87% ethanol, so no ways I am taking it.


----------



## sarah2211

Yup it's just popped out in the last few weeks. Before that I looked pretty flat! I think it still looks quite small but it's definitely round. Yes post a bump pic, you too TTC!

I've read some people are more prone to them than others. I had some on my boobs but they've faded. I don't think I'm out of the woods yet though. I googled it and a lot of people seemed to develop them in the last few weeks. I've been drinking heaps of water and when I remember, using coco butter.

Oh definitely don't take that. I had some cough mixture in the fridge but that contained ethanol too. I'm looking forward to not even having to consider things like that when he's born, although with breast feeding you still have to careful.

I've been Googling epidurals tonight, it's freaked me out about labour! I know he's got to come out, but now the anxiety is through the roof... At least I've got a few months to worry about that.


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah, I need to decide before 34 weeks if I am going fully natural or going with the epidural, I have been ignoring the fact that I need to decide, I keep thinking I will decide closer to time... But I totally understand the panic - I feel it too every time I think about it. 

I just used peppermint drops, and I never realized they even contain ethanol, until I started reading about whether its safe or not :o I drink a cup of peppermint tea at night but it doesnt have the same effect. I started a thread to ask how other ladies coped with IBS during pregnancy, and said they live with the pain... Ill ask my OB though what she thinks. I also need to find out about my allergy medicine, Winter is around the corner and I feel already my sinus infections are starting.


----------



## sassymycat

wow I hope you guys are all ok because those symptoms sound hard to deal with. I'm not even feeling 10% of that and I still want to sleep all day. Hope you get better! 

Thanks for all the great advice. And haha somehow I'm worried about giving birth too (contradicting I know), not even close yet I read up on what happens with labour cause well I don't really know much about it. I realized this week I actually know so little about pregnancy and babies. This 'ring of fire' seems pretty scary and all that talk about tearing. I wish you all luck and after you give birth I wanna know how it was. 

I was watching a youtube video on pregnancy tips and the woman said she used burt's bees lemon oil to massage over her body for preventing stretch marks. ( i guess they're hereditary but it doesn't hurt to try right). Oh and she also said her midwife recommended that she sort of massage/moisturize her nether regions with olive oil every day to make it more elastic so you don't tear as much when giving birth. 

But i think I should probably consult with the doc before doing that just in case. 

My mom tells me eating fennel seeds helps with nausea. You can maybe try that. 

Hope you feel better soon.


----------



## sassymycat

HCG is now 126. Another HCG scheduled for after weekend. :p


----------



## sarah2211

Oh wow really? Here you can decide at the time. So I could go in saying no I don't want anything but then if I'm finding it all too hard I can change my mind. I know that beyond a certain point they won't give it to you because it's too late. But I'm fully open to any pain relief! I'm thinking I'll be having an epidural. There are the odd horror story but a lot of people saying they're the best thing ever. 

I went to use some mouth wash last night and read the bottle and it said it had ethanol in it! I didn't even think of that. But I'm not swallowing it and I know some women actually have a glass of wine in their pregnancy. So I'm sure it's not the end of the world but I might look for an ethanol free one at the supermarket! 


Sassy, that's awesome!! Your levels are great :) 

For me, the worst bit hit about 6 weeks. I ended up having 2 IV drips of fluid and tried 4 different kinds of anti nausea. If it gets too bad and you're losing weight (I lost about 8lb) then go to your doctor. I powered through it for a few weeks but as my husband put it, I was useless. But after the fluid and the better antinausea pills I could actually function. I haven't vomited since about week 9 except my glucose tolerance test which was hell. 

Speaking of glucose tolerance tests, I'm going to ask my midwife if I can use a glucose meter and prick my finger rather than go through the test again. That's what my OB suggested 

For a while I wasn't really bothered about the labour and figured he had to come out one way or another. But now that my DH might be away plus the more I think about it the more freaked out I get. I've read about those stretches you can do. My friend who gave birth a few weeks tore and it sounds pretty horrible. 

Definitely do what you can for the stretch marks but part of me feels like I don't actually care. We are so lucky to be pregnant, so many others would kill for this. Who cares about stretch marks and a few pounds. They're all pretty minor when we also get such an amazing prize at the end of all of this. 

I've heard fennel seeds are also good for milk supply (which is ladies with PCOS can also have a problem with! Ugh is anything easy?!)


----------



## ttc126

Oh Sarah I wouldn't worry too much about the mouthwash. You're not swallowing. I stopped using my regular mouthwash for alcohol free my first pregnancy and had a bunch of gum issues. Pregnant gums are so prone to problems and I think staying on it is a benefit &#10084;

Ooh and I'm sooooo on the side of epidurals! Loved mine with my first! I'm starting to think about whether I want to try for a vbac or do a repeat c section. Truly labor wasn't bad. I did have a bad tear despite those stretches haha! But really it healed easily and I wasn't ever in much pain from it. Don't worry too much ladies! I'm a huge huge wimp and I really thought delivery wasn't too bad! Even my c section was fine! 

I have the same attitude towards stretch marks....it's ok if they happen. 

Sassy your hcg sounds great!!!!!! If you were at my clinic they'd not draw it again since it's doubled so nicely!


----------



## ttc126

Sarah!!!!! Cute bump! Forgot to say that &#10084;


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks TTC, I actually completely forgot about it at the supermarket anyway haha. I don't use it every day either, plus you're right I'm not actually swallowing it. I've noticed that my gums bleed when I floss lots more now. I think I'll just continue it.

And thank you for your info on epidurals. I'm a bit of a wuss haha, so I think I'm going to need it. It's nice to hear from someone who's been through it and a self proclaimed wimp haha. I'm hoping the adrenalin will just kick in and I'll be ok, but definitely not saying no to pain meds. So was your first born a vaginal and second a c section? 

I'm feeling quite puffy at the moment though, even though I've got more of a bump, I feel like I'm putting on weight all over. I guess that's expected after over a month on steroids, struggling to exercise and increased appetite. Fingers crossed I can breastfeed and that helps! And thanks! Haha I'm loving having a bump.


A question for TTC and Love (as non-FTMs) did you notice your little ones kicking when you had a shower? I feel like he always kicks lots when I'm in the shower but I don't know if he'd actually notice any different in his little sac of amniotic fluid or if it's just my imagination (he does kick all day and all night with only 30ish minute sleeps a few times a day!)? Could he hear the water or feel it?


----------



## sarah2211

Oh and my belly button has nearly popped haha!


----------



## Nita2806

Sassy, happy to see your HCG levels rising :D thats very good.

I used some extra pillows to support my back during the night and I actually just woke up 2 times with my back feeling surprisingly better, DH ofcourse is not happy at all that I am taking over the bed with pillows lol

We have a coldfront that came in last night, due to snow all over the Southern part of the country, we live up north and only get the cold and thunderstorms. Our tempratures went down from 25 degrees celcius yesterday to only 11 degrees today and its going to fall even more tomorow to -1 degree. Winter is finally here, I guess. We took out our oil and electric heaters yesterday and we put the electric blanky on the bed. I hope winter goes by fast, I dont like the cold.


----------



## Nita2806

Oh and I am a wuss too, I almost feint everytime I get bloodtests done, so can you imagine what I would be like when having to give birth lol


----------



## sarah2211

I sent my DH a photo last night of how I'd arranged all of the pillows haha. He's not home so I can have them all haha. I'm pretty sure we deserve all the pillows. I tell DH that I contain two thirds of the family so I should get two thirds of the bed and pillows.

That cold front sounds similar to here. It's miserable! I've had the heater on every night this week. We had a high of 12 (celcius) today. Usually I feel the cold really bad and have Raynaud's (my hands and feet get cold and turn blue and purple) but this baby is like an internal heater haha. Maybe it's the progesterone? I'm just grateful that our wee ones won't be born in the cold of winter, it should start getting warmer by the time they arrive.

And Nita, we have no choice haha. They have to come out somehow!!


----------



## OnErth&InHvn

Nita2806 said:


> Oh and I am a wuss too, I almost feint everytime I get bloodtests done, so can you imagine what I would be like when having to give birth lol

You cant see anything though. :) Youll do great! All of you will!!


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks onerth, I read that they often offer you a mirror but unsurprisingly most women don't want to take a look haha. 

Can't wait for you to join us here with your BFP! I've been following your progress and glad AF finally came. Fingers crossed for your 50mg cycle. Has that dose worked for you in the past?


----------



## Nita2806

I showed DH a picture of a womens scar after she had a c section done, he totally freaked out, and so did I lol. Thanks Earth, I am sure we all will be just fine after we have giving birth! Fantastic news about AF and hope Clomid works for you.

This cold is just horrible, we decided to make homemade pizzas while its so cold :p


----------



## OnErth&InHvn

sarah2211 said:


> Thanks onerth, I read that they often offer you a mirror but unsurprisingly most women don't want to take a look haha.
> 
> Can't wait for you to join us here with your BFP! I've been following your progress and glad AF finally came. Fingers crossed for your 50mg cycle. Has that dose worked for you in the past?

This is my 1st 50mg cycle. 



Nita2806 said:


> I showed DH a picture of a womens scar after she had a c section done, he totally freaked out, and so did I lol. Thanks Earth, I am sure we all will be just fine after we have giving birth! Fantastic news about AF and hope Clomid works for you.
> 
> This cold is just horrible, we decided to make homemade pizzas while its so cold :p

I've had 2 sections (one closed with staples, one stitches), then a vba2c. You can hardly see my scar but it's all about your skin, how they close you and the Dr.


----------



## Nita2806

Thats great Earth, I know my aunt also had two c sections and her scar is barely visable. But the pic we saw was a day or 2 afterwards lol and its so scary :) I think I still like my choice of going all natural. I have until 34 weeks to decide though.

I have a bad case of pregnancy brain, in the last week I lost my identity document, I checked in the frigde, its not there lol, bought some expensive folic acid, kept the box and threw away the pills (I made DH go through the trash to find it) and I brought the wrong work home for the weekend. Haha DH wants to chain all my valuables together and on me so I dont loose it again.


----------



## sassymycat

Good Luck with trying! And I completely sympathize with the pillows. I've been stealing my husband's as well. 

I actually had a question about the progesterone. Today I woke up and we had a few errands to run so I forgot to take my morning dose of the suppositories. Do you think missing it might have a negative effect?


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, I think the scar fades but straight after it looks pretty bad. I had my appendix out when I was at high school and it took a few good weeks, maybe even a month for me to actually feel back to normal. A C section is so much more invasive. I'll do it if I need it but I won't be requesting one!!

Haha I lose my belongings even when I'm not pregnant. I thought it would be 100% worse now but I've been finding things I've been losing haha. Good idea with chaining things to you haha. 

It's hard to eat healthy when it's cold too!

Onerth, fingers crossed it works for you. Am I right in saying you're sourcing your own fertility meds rather than seeing a doctor? I looked into this when I saw the first doctor who was crap. But it seemed really risky. 

Sassy, steal them all now haha that way it won't be a surprise to him when you need them to sleep comfortably. Can't really help about the progesterone. Nita and TTC might be able to. Did it come with an info sheet about what to do if you miss a dose? 

Happy Mother's Day everyone. My DH says it doesn't count because "the bun is still doughy". It's not like he's home to spoil me anyway!


----------



## OnErth&InHvn

I'm getting my own because I don't have insurance. I'm getting them from people with leftover cycle meds as one source.


----------



## sarah2211

How do you get them? I'm holding on to my left overs for the next time!


----------



## Nita2806

Sassy, I never missed on except when we went on holiday, I was supposed to take it for a few more days but forgot and decided I am just going to stop. If you missed on just take it as soon as you remember about it, i forgot/stopped mine at 12 weeks, a few days later a saw the placenta and knew it was OK to stop, you are still very early so I think a sudden drop in progesterone that early might have an effect, but I think missing only 1 wont make such a difference, but I woukd definately try and remember to take them that early on, your body rely on enough prog before the placenta takes over :) hope this heled.

Sarah, I never lost stuff before, I am very good at knowing where everything is, so this sudden pregnancy brain is really frustrating me a lot.

Happy Mothersday mommies (you too Sarah) Technically we are mothers, even though my DH wont spoil me yet lol he says peanut is not in his arms yet...husbands, right?

The only left over pills I have is Provera, Metformin and a few Prog pills, but I wont sell them though, wont ever be able to live with myself if I do and the other person who bought it had something happen to them. On the other side I am glad someone are so you get a chance to conceive on it Earth :D


----------



## sarah2211

I think the general rule with medication is to take the forgotten dose as soon as you remember. It's probably not the end of the world if you miss one, but I think do your best to remember to take them. 

Oh no haha. I bet it's because you've been working lots, exhaustion and baby brain! I'm terrible at losing things all of the time.

Haha yeah I reckon we should be able to celebrate it. I hope this baby holds on until after Father's Dad so my DH misses out too! 

I've got leftover Clomid and Metformin but I'm not going to sell it either. If I have trouble BFing I'm going to try and take Metformin. Plus I'll gave Clomid for when we try for number 2. I've seen websites where you can buy them online, but I wasn't sure I could trust them and if I could even get them into the country.


----------



## OnErth&InHvn

sarah2211 said:


> How do you get them? I'm holding on to my left overs for the next time!

Inhousepharmacy, cheap-pills (both online, no rx, no issues with customs/getting them but it does take 3wks)
Freegaragesale is the leftover med one. 

Its not for everyone but I don't have another choice. &#128522;


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks onerth, I don't live in the US so I'm not sure what would happen if I tried to bring them into the country without a script. It didn't end up being something I needed to do because a doctor did prescribe it to me because I wasn't ovulating. I understand though, if you don't have insurance then you need to do what you need to do. Nita and I didn't respond to 50mg but I'm hopeful it'll work for you!


----------



## Nita2806

Earth - this way you at least get a chance :) Really hope you respond to 50mg Clomid. 

Today for our Mothersday outing, I wore my tightest jersey, and my bump was clearly visable :D I could see other staring at me, weird but kind off awesome. I will take a bump picture once this cold front have moved over :)


----------



## Four2Five

Happy Mothers Day to all you mommys-to-be <3


----------



## sarah2211

Exciting Nita. When someone who didn't know asked me when I was due I almost jumped for joy haha. I can still hide it if I don't wear tight clothes. Like last night I was wearing my DH's hunting jersey (which is way too big for me) but it looked more like fat than a bump. But in tightish clothes there's no way to hide it. 

Thanks Four. Happy Mother's Day to you!


----------



## babybabydust

I am almost 40 PCOS and I got pregnant on my second round of Clomid 150 with one shot of Gonal F. I am currently 5 weeks.

Beta 12 dpo 60
16 dpo 306
18 dpo 534


----------



## sarah2211

Congratulations babybabydust! How exciting. Is this your first? I've actually heard for a lot of women with PCOS they become MORE fertile the older they get (not that you're old!) but because we typically have a higher AMH we have more eggs to release for longer.


----------



## Nita2806

Congratz babybabydust, that is fantastic! I am so surprised to see how many women conceive on 150mg Clomid :o 

AFM - nothing new really :haha:


----------



## sarah2211

I might have had twins if I went with 150mg haha


----------



## Nita2806

I think I might have had twins if we conceived on the first round of 150mg lol my Prog was so high then. DH and I watched a video last night on the path a sperm have to travel to conceive, and I am amazed that any of us are able to conceive. I am still in shock if I look back on the cycle we conceived, we BDed 3 days before Ovulation. Little peanut is a very strong fighter and miracle... :happydance: so grateful and blessed.


----------



## Nita2806

Wow ladies, just got the worst news. My mom has to go in for an operation in 2 weeks, to have all her reproductive organs taken out. She has endometriosis, an enlarged uterus, and polyps and its grown so much that a minor operation might let the cancer spread all over her body and cause death. Her doctor said, within 6 hours after the operation she will go into menopause and need hormone replacements. My mom is not even 45 yet, so she is really not happy with going into menopause this early.

I am just so blown away with this. wow.


----------



## Four2Five

Hey ladies! Well I have a feeling I missed O. I had tons of o pains and ewcm this weekend when I wiped (usually I have to check cp to get any cm) and now got nothing so I checked cp and my cm is just milky/watery and my cervix is tightly closed and lower than normal. We haven't dtd but once so I'm pretty bummed, we've had a nasty stomach virus going around our whole family and 5 of 7 people have gotten it so I've been exhausted plus dh was one of those people so he's not been up for much. I never thought I would O before cd 10 so I only started doing OPK's yesterday and they have been negative yesterday and today so I might have missed it. I already have post o temps but haven't had my normal drop before rise...then again I missed one day temping and it totally could have happened then...ugh I just don't know...all I can do is keep testing and temping I guess and see what happens this week. Since I did Clomid cd 1-5 I guess I should technically O by this next weekend if the Clomid works. Today is our anniversary though so I'm trying to stay positive <3


----------



## ttc126

I'm so sorry about your mom Nita &#10084;

Four sorry you possibly missed ovulation!!!!!


----------



## Nita2806

Four, I dont think you missed O, to O before CD10 is really early. Can you het the progesterone test done in a few days? But I think you might still O.


----------



## sassymycat

Sorry Nita. I pray everything goes well.

A little bit of bad news on my side as well. Went in for hcg test today again and doc called with results, its now 103 so 23 down from 3 days ago. She said i'll be miscarrying soon and i did bleed a little this morning. So we'll see next time.


----------



## ttc126

I'm so sorry sassy. I had 3 miscarriages last year and it's very difficult. Be gentle on yourself in the coming days &#10084;


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, I think we might have had twins if we conceived the previous cycle too. I think I've watched that video, it's pretty amazing. 

I'm so sorry to hear about your Mum. That's so rough. I'm glad she's able to get in so quickly to have the operation. I hope she's doing ok.


Four, based on your temps, I don't think you've O'd yet. It might be on its way though. It sounds like you're pretty close. I'd still BD if you can now. When will you do your progesterone test? My doctor said that you ovulate 5-10 days after your last pill, so I think that ovulating before now would be very unlikely. Happy anniversary, hope the tummy bug passes quickly.


Sassy, I'm so sorry :( things were sounding really positive. I had a MC last year and it was really tough. Take some time, rest and recover. Cry a lot and spend time with your DH. I MC'd and then 2 days later DH and I were due to drive back to my hometown, which takes over 10 hours. He did all the driving and I pretty much cried the whole way. You are welcome to stay here with us if it's not too tough for you. Take care xx


----------



## Nita2806

Sassy - I am so sorry that you have to go through a loss :( Take care of yourself and remember to let yourself get over it... cry, eat, watch soppy series, whatever it takes. Sending a ton of hugs your way.

AFM - Sounds like I will be taking over the business in June when my mom is off, so I will be working more hours - atleast DH and I will be able to make up some of the money for the birth.

I am so constipated, I am so uncomfortable. Drinking lemon tea and eating fruits to hope for some relief. 

Hope everyone else is good.


----------



## sarah2211

Thinking of you Sassy. 

Nita, that's a big responsibility. But the money will be amazing. I hope the second trimester energy hits and you can manage. You're a bit of a superwoman haha. I've cut my hours and you're taking more on! 

Sorry you're having those issues. I'm the opposite, never been more regular ever. I think maybe the baby is pushing down low because I'm peeing heaps! I wouldn't suggest that option though because it's quite uncomfortable when he's that low! 

I had some decrease in movements today and didn't really realize until it'd been nearly 10 hours without a kick. It's unlike him to be quiet for even an hour. Plus I had heaps of cold water and ice cream for pudding. But now I'm in bed lying on my left side in a quiet room I'm feeling a few more kicks. Maybe it's just a sleepy day.


----------



## Nita2806

So this is my attempt to a bump shot lol, not the best but I am sure its visable :)

Sarah, it wont be the first time running the business, ive done it here and there for a few days, but its the first time that I will need to do it a whole month :o I am excited for the experiemce I will gain and the money will be really really amazing. But we dont really have the choice, I am the only one with enough knowledge to do so. 

I am glad you felt his kicks again, phew! Mayne he had a lazy day or he kicked but mayne not hard enough for you to notice... :haha:
 



Attached Files:







SmartSelectImage_2017-05-16-13-20-38.png
File size: 240.9 KB
Views: 4


----------



## ttc126

Nita wow! Taking a lot on!!!!! Hope it's not too hard on you. Love your cute bump too &#10084;

Sarah, do you do kick counts? Pick two times a day and see how long it takes to get to 10 kicks. It helps you learn baby's pattern. If it suddenly takes longer than usual one day then you know to call your provider and take it seriously &#10084;

As for me, I've just been exhausted. My 2 year old had stomach virus this weekend and I'm just so tired. Still got a lot of cleaning to do....


----------



## sarah2211

I can definitely see it. I'm sure it looks more visible with a tighter top! 

I'm sure you've got it all under control Nita. Just don't take on too much! I hope you don't have to work too hard though! 

I haven't really done a kick count. My midwife said later on that I'll need to do it and keep close eye on it. If he has decreased movements then I'll need to go to the hospital. But I think that was later on in my pregnancy because she hasn't mentioned it again. I find that he kicks more in the evenings and lying on my left side. But other than that there's no major pattern. He is often just active all day. He's been kicking a bit today, not as much as usual, which is reassuring. 

I hope your little one is on the mend now. That would really wear you down! 

My DH is home for a few days on Friday. I'm so over work even though I'm only here 2 days. It almost makes it harder. The children have been really trying to test me and we have a lot of complex behaviours. Plus the other teachers either think I'm slacking off or that I'm incapable. I almost wish I'd just taken maternity leave early.


----------



## Nita2806

Its funny, I couldnt get a proper shot with a tighter shirt, this one actually came out the best lol. Any way I love my little bump :)

I didnt check Ovia since Sunday, and I saw this morning it said on Monday already I might start to get constipated... Well it seems like Ovia is pretty accurate :haha:

Glad your DH is coming home for a while Sarah :D

Heard last night that my DH will be working longer hours from today from 6am to 7pm and he is working Saturdays. So I guess both of us will be working our asses off. I definitely need to get someone to clean the house now, and I might have to ask my MIL to help out with dinner on certain days.. depends on how I cope with the extra work/hours and making dinner, etc.

My little fur baby is also going in for her Snip-snip tomorrow (sterilization) so we will also have to take extra care with her the next few days, especially since its freezing cold.


----------



## sarah2211

Haha well I'm sure by the time you reach where I am, you'll have a massive bump you can see regardless of what you wear. Mine didn't really pop until 20ish weeks and then 22 weeks it was pretty obvious. 

Ovia has been pretty accurate for me too, except when it said that I might have an increased sex drive... Still haven't had that haha. Good thing DH is away!

Oh those are long hours. It's going to be good for the money but make sure you're looking after yourselves too. And getting to spend some time together before everything is taken up by a new baby. Hopefully you can get a cleaner and your MIL's help!

Aww I remember when my dog got fixed. She was so sad. I sat on the floor with my legs crossed and she climbed into my lap and curled up. Now she doesn't have cuddles.


----------



## Nita2806

Haha yeah Ovia said also I might have an increased sex drive from about 14 weeks...also not feeling it at all, poor DH haha but he understands..

Im not keen on asking my MIL for help though - it will be an open invitation for them to come over more often, and we are just trying to teach them boundaries, so I will first see how I cope. Its enough already that my FIL hangs around our house in the evenings.

Our fur baby have been adopted, and she must have had a traumatic experience at her previous owners as she is really scared of everything. I can only imagine how scared she will come back from the operation. But we will make alternative plans for extra blankies and some treats till she gets better. Our other puppy will go for her fur removal next weekend, first time since she has been born, so we hope they can calm her enough to cut her. Its not the ideal time to take her with the cold but her hair is in her eyes and everything sticks onto it, so we are scared of ticks and infections. I will get them both winter coats.


----------



## Nita2806

Ticker day!! I love this weeks tickers. We definitely have coke cans here - however I dont know where the coke can fits into me :o and we have microwave popcorn too. Ovia says a dill pickle for me this week.

My appointment is exactly one week away :D


----------



## sarah2211

Yay our tickers changed! We have coke and popcorn here too. Ovia changed for me too, but they're boring this week, prairie dog, baseball glove, tarte tatin and napa cabbage. We don't really have any of that here. 

Yeah I've had virtually no sex drive haha. In the first trimester I was so worried about it causing a MC. In the second trimester it's just felt really weird with things moving around inside. I bet DH kind of wishes we were still TTC haha.

It's definitely hard with boundaries when asking for help. I think it'll only get worse when the baby is here.

Hope your fur babies are ok.


So I had the midwife today. It was a really long appointment. So basically she's not happy with the OB not wanting to see me so she's writing a letter. My blood pressure is high(ish) so I'll need to see the OB for that anyway. She also said that my stomach is measuring 28 weeks and that could mean there's extra fluid which is a sign of gestational diabetes. It's possible he's just had a growth spurt (so maybe he's not a bag of popcorn). She agreed I don't have to do the GTT again but I have to prick my finger 6 times a day for the next 5 days to test for gestational diabetes. The good thing about it is that I know straight away if it's too high. I did one before dinner and it was perfect. Now I have to wait 2 hours after dinner to do my next reading. Then if that's ok, I'll repeat it at 28 weeks. I also have my next scan at 28 weeks. She's also referring me to a lactation consultant to help with breastfeeding. She said I'll probably start expressing from 36-37 weeks. I feel exhausted after the appointment!

But DH is home tomorrow! He's taking Monday and Tuesday and Friday off. So we will both be just working Wednesday and Thursday. Then he goes away for another 2 weeks :(


----------



## Nita2806

Wow Sarah :( you are really having a tough time with this pregnancy. Its horrible to read your bad news every time you come back from an appointment - things must be swinging around for you at some point, geez. I am so sorry that you must be going through it all at once. I am sending you a hug, it sounds like you might need one now. I am happy your DH is coming home for a while, I bet it will be great spending some time with him :hugs:


----------



## sarah2211

Ugh tell me about it. My midwife is great though. She's really lovely and caring and thorough. She asked me how my anxiety levels were, which no other doctor has. So I'm not sure what's going on with my measurements but the baby seems to be the right size. 

I also did my first 2 finger pricks and the before and ask readings are perfect. So let's just hope it stays that way! 

Thanks Nita :)


----------



## Nita2806

Your midwife does sound nice! Its nice to have a doctor who cares and ask personal questions like that. When I get to my OB she always asks me first how am I feeling, and then when she takes my blood pressure, she always tells me some silly story to get me to relax. 

It doesnt really sound like you have GD - if the prick after eating gives a normal reading your pancreas are working like a charm. My dad used to always test our sugar after dinner too, his doctor said thats the soonest you can see something is wrong. Hopefully the readings stay normal. 

I am keeping my FXed that after your next appointment you will have some good news to share... ohhh did you get to see baby again?


----------



## sarah2211

She's fantastic. You know how sometimes you see a really nice doctor and think that they're treating you how'd they'd treat a family member? That's what she's like :) She does say I'm complex and a challenge, so I worry about going back to her for number 2/3 etc. But that's a future problem haha. Yesterday we had a huge talk about the stupid OB and then she took my blood pressure! I said she should have done it first. It's still sitting around 140-145/80-88. Which is borderline. She should have told me a story like your OB haha.

I don't think I have GD either. My reading this morning was fine too. She's worried because of the PCOS so I think doing these readings will put her at ease. I haven't really had anything high in sugar yet though. I'm going out for afternoon tea today and the place we are going to has amazing cakes and slices. Usually I couldn't finish one but I feel like I could today haha. It's not as bad as the GTT but I feel like this has become a pregnancy of stabbing myself though! 

I'm hopeful I'll have some good news too! Nope, my midwife doesn't do ultrasounds, but his heart rate was 153 on the doppler. I'll be having my next scan in 3 weeks.

Oh and last night he was kicking me in the ribs! Man it's quite uncomfortable!


----------



## Nita2806

Thats the best kind of doctor, one who really give personal attention. Wow your blood pressure is pretty high, Mine was like that pre-pregnancy and it seemed to have drop down in the lower range of normal. However its climbing again, yesterday's reading was 130/84 but that was after I sat in the traffic for a whole hour, about 15 minutes later when I calmed down it was 110/75 - my heart rate is up though between 100-110 bpm which I am worried about so I will tell my OB. She checks it every time any way.

Sucks that you didnt get to see baby, thats the only part of my appointment that I am really looking forward too :D


----------



## sarah2211

Yeah I thought it was high too. Usually, prepregnancy it's really low. Like 80/something. My old rheumatologist told me he wished he had blood pressure as low as mine. I'd always feel dizzy when I stood up and often faint after having a shower. I read that if your blood pressure is high before a certain point in your pregnancy is considered preexisting and not pregnancy related. Mine was high at that point but I know prepregnancy I had low blood pressure. Anyway, the midwife says 140/80 is borderline. 

I hope your OB is on to your heart rate. I know it's normal for that to increase because we have 50% more blood. 

I heard him on the doppler which is cool. His movements sounds like you're trying to communicate with aliens on another planet haha. My sister in law said he will be able to hear himself on the doppler and it'll give him a fright. Especially the sound of his heartbeat. I wasn't expecting an ultrasound so it was fine. But only 2 and a half weeks until my next one. 

DH got home last night and he couldn't believe how much my tummy has grown. It's nice to have someone to rub my sore back again!


----------



## Nita2806

I got myself a fitness tracker to track my heart rate, that should help, dont know how accurate my heart rate monitor is, its close to 10 years old lol.

Great that your DH is home, hope he spoils you will he is home. For how long will he be gone when he leave again?

Last night we got the best news, DHs boss phoned him to thank him for standing in for the manager why he is overseas, and to congratualate him on all the work he got done, and gave in another 33% salary increase :o this is now 2 months before their official increase date so we dont know if he will get the usual 7% as well in July. Nonetheless we are so happy :)


----------



## sarah2211

Yeah I'm not sure how accurate those things are. But they never check my heart rate when I'm at the doctors or midwife. The only time was when I had pneumonia. I'm not sure if it means anything. 

It's really nice having my DH home. He leaves again on Friday and he's away for 2 weeks but may be able to come home for the weekend. I have my antenatal course on the Saturdays that he's away so hopefully he can come back. Then I think he's home for a week before he goes overseas. He said he should be able to be home (and stay home) from the 31st July. So that's when I'll be 36 weeks. Just hold on baby! 

Wow 33% is amazing! I bet you're feeling really happy about that. It'll take a lot of pressure off. I was excited I got a 2% raise back paid to march and another 2% at the start of next month. Haha but 33% is pretty awesome. 

DH and I are looking at buying a section. It's a rural block of land which we'd run a few animals on. We'd build a new but relatively cheap home on it in the next 12 months and then in 4-5 years time build our 'forever home' on another part of the section. We have approval from the bank and are going to do a walk through tomorrow. We've got a pretty good property investment portfolio already and I feel like my DH has made up his mind that he wants this. It's all very exciting but I'm also in the process of nesting and planning for our baby to come home here and I'm not sure I can properly deal with that all at the moment!


----------



## Nita2806

I ma glad you get to spend time with DH and your plans to build a house sounds so awesome. Its really nice to build a place you want it to be.

AFM, 2 weeks of constipation came to an end with heavy diarrhiea, it was absolutely horrible, I had a very burning and sore tummy since yesterday morning and TMI I went so mich yesterday that I started bleeding from all the wiping :( i wish my stomach can work like normal again.


----------



## sarah2211

We went and looked at the section today. It's huge and I don't think I can be bothered with it. Dealing with a life style block, a new build, a new born and an army husband... we will see what happens there. 

That sounds horrible Nita. You poor thing. Here we have something called Phloe. It's made with kiwifruit enzymes and you can use it for constipation in pregnancy. 

Also, my friend on here got her BFP! She has PCOS and endo and a blocked tube. She was on metformin and the cycle she conceived was one of those crazy 60+ day ones. Her next cycle she was due to start Gonal F and IUI. Does anyone mind if I invite her to join us? She's probably going to have a lot of similar issues to us even though she didn't actually conceive on Clomid. Any objections? (P.s. She's very cool haha)


----------



## Nita2806

No Objections whatsoever, she is more than welcome to join us in here :D

EDIT: Well it seems like another stomach virus, another lady at my office complains that she had diarrhea and very upset stomach yesterday and today she feels so weak and nauseous - exactly the same effects I have. I seem to be attracting stomach viruses like crazy. I thought my immune system was actually doing okay - a few days ago everyone had the flu in my office and I didn't get it. That also explains why my heart rate went up by so much... it went up a lot on Friday and haven't gone done yet. My fitness tracker watch should arrive today :)


----------



## sarah2211

Awesome :) 

Oh no. You have such bad luck when it comes to tummy bugs. Is the water safe where you live? I wonder what it is? It sounds like they go around often there. I mean I'm the one working with small children and I haven't had one in over 2 years! Your immune system is definitely lower in pregnancy. My rheumatologist and midwife both said that's why my Lupus is mostly behaving. 

So all my blood sugar levels have been low. The highest had been 6.3 after a meal and it has to be under 6.8. Sometimes my blood sugar levels drop after meals (in GD they increase) and sometimes my blood sugars are borderline hypoglycaemic (low)!


----------



## Nita2806

Whooooop my fitness tracker just arrived :D I dont drink tap water at all, only bottled water, even though the water in the area is safe to drink. My tummy is very sensitive because of my IBS.

Thats good news about your sugar levels, mine was also borderline low last time I tested after vasting for 4 hours. I dont think you have GD at all.


----------



## sarah2211

I've invited Shecee to join us :)

Yay it arrived. 

Wow we can drink tap water here no problem. When we travelled around Europe we drunk the tap water except in turkey. Well my DH drunk the water but I didn't. It's probably that plus your immune system in pregnancy. 

I'm sick again. Coughing, sore throat, asthma etc. My pneumonia effected my right lung and if I lie on my left side I still have a terrible cough and can't breathe. But on my left side I still cough but not as bad. 

Yeah I don't think I have GD thank goodness. My midwife was a bit worried because of PCOS. I also thought I might because I often feel sleepy after eating, especially dinner. I have to do my blood sugar levels for 2 more days and then repeat it week 28. 

My back is also starting to hurt. I ask DH to rub it and he does for a little while and says it feels puffy and inflamed. I think I might need to find a physiotherapist.


----------



## Nita2806

Gosh!! I hope you feel better soon :hugs: Its horrible to feel like some kind of sh*t all the time.

Yeah, I am sure with PCOS the chances are bigger of getting GD with the insulin resistance. I am pretty sure my OB would have me do the tests sooner though due to my dad having type 2 diabetes (the genetic one) and Clomid not working and having to drink Metformin, although that didn't happen often lol.

Are you doing yoga or any stretch exercises? Those are meant to make your muscles stronger, i.e. reducing back pain and labour pain? My OB advised me to do them...I havent done either though, being uncomfortable from constipation and diarrhea I am just happy to get through each day. I do try and speed walk for 20 mins over lunch time each day. 

Ohhhh Sheece is your friend... I have been stalking her journal :) So glad she got her BFP, and looking forward to her joining us in here :hugs:


----------



## sarah2211

Yeah it's not much fun. It just feels like it's one thing after another. I get better and then get sick again.

I'm not sure if the change of having GD with PCOS is more significant if you have insulin resistance or if you have issues with your weight? I didn't have IR before and I wasn't overweight before becoming pregnant. But I haven't jumped on the scales in almost a week... ugh... but I think I've probably put on close to 10kgs. Hopefully your OB will only make you do it once at 28 weeks. Even after having ice cream last night my sugars were only 4.3 this morning (under 4 is hypo and it needs to be under 5) which is perfectly normal.

I've been doing stretches. I use to do yoga, but I've just lost motivation haha. I'm thinking of finding a physiotherapist to tell me what I should and shouldn't be doing. I know some yoga stansas aren't ok during pregnancy. I've had issues with arthritis in my SI joints and my rheumatologist said I'd probably have issues with it in pregnancy, so I'm not surprised.

Haha yes, we've been chatting for months :) same! It's so exciting because she got it before starting fertility treatment!


----------



## sarah2211

Four and TTC how are you both?


----------



## Sheece

You ladies sure know how to make a girl feel welcome :wave: 

Thanks for the invite Sarah! 

Hi Nita! Did you use to post in the Cheers to bfps thread in TTC #1? I feel like I remember you from there but I could have my wires crossed  

As Sarah said, I somehow managed to conceive on CD51 on our last cycle before IUI! Very touch wood right now, I'm only 13dpo / 4 weeks tomorrow but feeling positive. Much more positive than I felt during our m/c cycle at least. 

I'm doing pregnancy monitoring through our fertility clinic so 2 x a week blood tests and I'll have an early ultrasound at 7 weeks. Next test is Thursday to make sure my levels are doubling (12dpo HCG was 42 and progesterone 37, and im starting progesterone suppositories tonight).

I have insulin resistance, PCOS & Endo which I had a laparoscopy for in February, so I'm a bit nervous how this will effect things but one day at a time right?


----------



## Nita2806

Hello Sheece :D I am not sure if we have posted in the same thread before :haha: but I have read your Journal, and congratz on the BFP. The first few weeks aren't easy, but once you see baby as the first ultra sound things will change, and hopefully you will see the heartbeat at 7 weeks and then your chances of a MC goes right down.

There's something about starting treatment that got us Pregnant. I was on my last cycle of Clomid (as the SE got too bad for me) and was schedules to go for Ovarian drilling as soon as AF started - and then AF never arrived.

Goodluck on the Progesterone, that along with the normal hormone rise got me down, I was so useless and tired all the time. However things get easier after around 12 weeks.

Take it one day at a time and enjoy the time you have with this little baby :hugs:

Sarah, I picked up a lot of weight while on Clomid, and I have an idea I might have IR... we will see when the GTT comes :haha: 

Getting super excited and scared for my appointment on Thursday - hope my tummy is better by then. Its still burning, almost like it got damaged by acid, and still a bit of Diarrhea today, but I dont feel weak or nauseous today (yay)


----------



## Four2Five

Hey girls...doing good here just waiting to O :( Apparently the cd 1-5 Clomid didn't kick me into O (I should have a O'd by cd 15 if Clomid made me O) so hopefully my body will just do it on its own...cd 18 is tomorrow and my opk was pretty dark but not positive today but hopefully soon, I have tons of ewcm so hopefully I'm going to soon!! Who knows with my darn body though :( We are having a horrible heat wave so we are sleeping with windows open every night and I'm still getting hot flashes like crazy from the Clomid. I stopped taking my metformin because I just couldn't ever remember to take it so I just take it when I remember if I do but I haven't once this cy. Lots of busy things coming up for our family as we transition to graduation and our big move...I have less anxiety and more excitement but the days seem to be flashing by and there's lots to do still! I haven't posted much because I'm trying to just relax this cy...we also haven't been able to bd much this cy because we have been so busy so it will be a miracle if we catch O anyhow. I'm really just waiting through this cy to be able to try 150mg and pray it works to make me O in that 5-10 day window...


----------



## Nita2806

Hang in there Four! Hopefully you will O soon this cycle, and I would not worry about BDing too much, it is very possible to get pregnant by BDing every 2 - 3 days. And if all else fails go over to the 150mg... that worked for me when 50/100mg didnt so I am positive it will. :hugs: good luck with the move and organizing everything!

OnEarth - are you still following? How are you doing?


----------



## ttc126

Hi ladies!

Welcome sheece!

I've been silently stalking but horrid at replying. Been really struggling with nausea still and vomiting more than first tri.


----------



## sarah2211

Yay you found us Sheece! :) I'm so excited for you :) I have a good feeling too. I hope you can get the script for the progesterone and start it. Nita and TTC both were on progesterone so they can tell you about all the fun that comes with it. Let us know how your test today goes! They're following things really closely so if things take a turn for the worst and can be prevented they will be on to it. 

Nita, IR is quite common in PCOS. I think I read that 80% of people have some kind of IR issue with PCOS. But all my blood sugars have been fine. I'll send my midwife a photo this afternoon and show her my results. I know she'll be surprised because she was convinced I have GD. I think I've put on 9kgs so far. A 4 year old at work told me I'd gotten fat haha I just laughed. Good luck for your appointment I'm glad you're feeling better. 

Four, I'm so sorry that you didn't ovulate in the time frame. I thought that taking it 1-5 probably wouldn't make a huge difference. Can you try a higher dose? I hope you can get away with no side effects from it though because higher the dose, the more likely you'll get side effects. I'm glad you're managing to relax and the move isn't stressing you out. 

TTC I'm so sorry you're feeling sick. A mum at my work today said that she'd been sick until 18 weeks and still vomiting occasionally. 

I went to a waste free parenting workshop last night. It was pretty cool :)


----------



## Sheece

Thanks ladies :) 

I took my first progesterone last night. Easier than I thought it would be but as soon as I took it I felt like I was heating up like an oven! So weird. 

What kind of side effects did you girls get? 

So far I've lost 1 kg since I've been pregnant :haha: I've got plenty in reserve though so no worries there. Next blood test is tomorrow :) My frer testing is still progressing nicely! 

Good luck Four! I agree with Nita, I was BDing every 2nd day and managed to catch so its possible.


----------



## Nita2806

Sheece, I was taking Utrogestan orally and my worst side effects was extreme dizziness and fatigue, I had to wake up at 2am to take them just for the dizziness to wear off so I can start to work at 6am. I also had to change my working hours. I know taking them vaginally have less SE, but my OB prescribed them orally so thats how I took them.


----------



## Sheece

Thanks Nita.

So far I haven't had any side effects I don't think. Maybe a few more niggles here and there but thats about it. Touch wood.

I got my 2nd betas back today and the progesterone is definitely helping!

15dpo:
HCG: 220 (42 at 12dpo)
Prog: 119 (previously 37)

Stoked! Was expecting hcg of around 84! 72 hours between tests, and betabase says my doubling time is 30 hours. 

How're you ladies going?


----------



## Nita2806

Thats wonderful news Sheece :) that's a really great number for 15dpo, mine was only 87 on 15dpo.

Not everyone do get the SE from the Progesterone, so hopefully you wont get any too.

My tummy is still very sore after the virus - pretty sure it triggered my IBS and I can't take any of my IBS meds to help, previous time I went without meds it took 2 weeks to get better - ugh! I have my 16 week appointment later this afternoon - Whooooop.

And today is new ticker day :D Ovia says Pomegranate :D

Sheece, have Sarah told you about the Ovia pregnancy app? Really nice, tells you each day what is happening with baby. And (when you are ready ofcourse) get yourself a ticker, new ticker days (when it goes over to a new week) is really eciting :haha:


----------



## Sheece

Yay 17 weeks! How exciting :) Let us know how your appointment goes!

And urgh, IBS does not sound good at all, I hope it's a short flare up if anything! 

I do have the Ovia app! 4w, 1 day so I am at the poppy seed stage :haha: Can't wait to be at pomegranate!! 

I think I will get a ticker. I'm a bit afraid of jinxing things to be honest, but the main thing I was holding out for was to make sure my hcg was doubling and so far so good!


----------



## Nita2806

We are hopeful that we might find out the gender today :D And honestly, I am just hoping that baby is still OK and healthy. Baby is supposed to be 11CM already and looking at the size of my bump, I have no idea where baby fits.

No hurry Sheece, you can put a ticker up whenever you are ready :) you will see the time goes by fast, before you know it, it will be the size of a pomegranate. What is next sheece? More Beta's?


----------



## Sheece

ohh fingers crossed you can find out today :D 

I hope time goes quick, I wan't to be in the "safe" zone already.

We are doing pregnancy monitoring through our fertility clinic, so I'm having 2 blood tests a week, and an early ultrasound at 7 weeks :) Not sure what happens after that!


----------



## Nita2806

Dont worry Sheece, you will see how fast time goes by, and so far your Beta's look really good and you have the monitoring for the next few weeks, which is great. I had one Beta @15dpo and then an appointment at 8 weeks, so my nerves went totally crazy. Perhaps you will have less monitoring,etc. once they have confirmed a healthy heartbeat.

My baby is a large order of fries (I had a large order of fries last night) so I know exactly how big that is :D However, Sarah, I have no clue what a Double Gulp Cup is... I have never heard of it heehee.

3 hours till my appointment :D


----------



## Nita2806

We are officialy team pink :D and baby is still doing good.
 



Attached Files:







SmartSelectImage_2017-05-25-17-05-59.jpg
File size: 31 KB
Views: 1


----------



## ttc126

Aww congrats Nita! I'm so surprised they can tell so early these days!


----------



## Nita2806

A friend of mine also said she found out at 16 weeks when she was pregnant with her daughter. My OB checked from all angles, and our princess was lying with wide open legs, so she told us like 3 times that it is a girl, but she will confirm it on 20 weeks just to be sure. We had so many girl guesses too, so I am sure this is a girl.


----------



## sarah2211

Sorry I've been MIA for a few days. I'm sick (again) and work, I'm exhausted and have lost my voice :(

Sheece, I'm so excited about your levels! The progesterone is working and your levels have more than doubled!! I'm glad you got Ovia I can't remember if I recommended it or not but it's so cool. Mines really boring now though, it usually says .."the baby will continue to... until they're born" and it's something they've already told me is happening. But in the first trimester it's exciting. And get a ticker when ever you feel like it!:) after that monitoring you'll probably be mostly on your own until 12 weeks. You'll probably have a midwife/obstetrician appointment in between.

Nita, omg! We so picked it haha. One of each inthis group now. Just have to wait and see what TTC and Sheece are having! I think at 16 weeks they can be pretty sure but I don't blame you for having some reservations. I'm still only 90-95% sure we are having a boy haha. Haha isn't it weird when you end up eating something the size of what your baby is? I have no idea what a gulp cup is.. maybe Four or TTC know? 

It's only 1-2 (depending on where you look) week's until I'm in the 3rd trimester!! That's a bit freaky. The baby is kicking me so much this morning, it's nauseating. It use to be just a kick in one spot but now it's like he's having a full on tantrum in there and his arms, legs and head are all going for it. I can also no longer see my feet and DH had to help me out of bed this morning haha.


----------



## sarah2211

Oh and my midwife is very happy with my sugar levels and I can take a break until week 8! I'm pretty sure I don't have GD so nice to be clear of something!


----------



## Nita2806

I think they said when its a girl at 16 weeks its pretty accurate, but if its a boy then it can still be girl, lol who knows? She looked from all angles and couldnt see any boy parts, and well shes been doing it 25 years, so I am sure she knows by now. She also would not say something if she wasnt sure. 

We also have the oppertunity to go do the anatomy scan next month, but its really costly and she said although its nice to do, we dont have too. DH and I decided not to, even if they come back saying something might be wrong, as she said its only guesses, we wont abort the pregnancy and the downs screening already came back low risk.

At my next appointment, we will do the bed reservation at the hospital and book our free 4d scan at 28 weeks :D I cant believe in 3 weeks I am halfway there.

I hope you feel better Sarah, can you drink something to help thats safe? I too dont thjnk you have GD so I am glad your midwife said you can take the break. :)


----------



## Sheece

Aww a little girl! Congrats Nita how exciting!!! 

16 weeks is pretty early, so good that you can find out early though! 

I was offered a blood test around 10 weeks (because I am over 30 I guess) that screens for down syndrome etc, and they said they can tell the sex from that which was nuts to me. If they offer it this time I reckon I'll find out then because patience has never been my forte ;) My SIL had the test done but elected not to find out the sex.

Yay for being clear of GD Sarah! Must be a relief to not have to do the pin prick tests anymore! Bubs sounds like he is running an obstacle course in there or something


----------



## Nita2806

Sheece, I dont knkw if things might work differently here, but there are 2 kinds of tests here, 1 is the blood test to do the downs screening which they do between 10-14 weeks, but this test dont tell the gender of the baby, I got a copy from the lab, however there is another test at 14-16 weeks where they take a sample of the fluid surrounding baby, cant remember whats its called now, but that test can tell the gender, however the test have a MC risk too.


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, I think they look for the "hamburger" when it's a girl. That's three little lines. I said the same to my DH because he was doubting whether it was a boy. This is their job and they wouldn't tell us if they weren't sure. I'm not sure when the boy bits actually descend. 

We did the anatomy scan, but we didn't do a 16 week one. I think it's also helpful because they're aware of issues that might arise (like heart issues or kidney problems) and can operate straight away if need be. It was free for us, so it wasn't a problem. Oh they also spent a long time looking at his upper lip and palate because they can check for cleft lip. The whole scan took about an hour.

I've found it all goes so much quicker from 20 weeks. Before that it's so slow haha.

I've been having Panadol. That's about all I can take. Mucinex is ok too and I had some leftover from TTC. But I'm not really phlegm-y so I don't know if it'll make any difference. Yup, she told me to give my fingertips a break until 28 weeks!


Sheece, here (and things are probably similar), you can do the 12 week NT scan (it's optional) and they do a normal scan and they use the computer to take a little measurement of the fluid in the neck. If it's thinner than some measurement (can't remember now) it's a good sign. They also run some blood tests to check some levels and combined those results to give you your risk. That's usually the first step and if that comes back high then you'll be referred to a high risk OB and they may do an amniocentesis (you can turn it down, it's got about a 0.5% chance of causing a MC). The other option is that blood test, here it's about $600 and you can find out the gender by it. It seems really common to do it in the US, but I only found it here when I googled it. I think it's called the Harmony test. Why would you do it and not find out the gender!?!

Definitely practicing for kick boxing today. Some days he's crazy and other days sleeps a lot. My DH said he's been waking up early and putting his hand on my tummy and feels him moving. Thankfully I can sleep through it.


Also, I found that a study showed that playing whale/dolphin sounds to your baby in the womb is better for their development than talking to them or music/singing. DH thinks that's fantastic and is now making whale noises at me...


----------



## Nita2806

lol, Sarah, you explain it so nicely, I should work on my English :haha:

The anatomy scan here is done at the hospital and my OB doesn't do it. She said it's not necessary since our NT scan came back low risk, and its unnecessary cost. She have to by law give us the details to do it, but if it was her choice she would not recommend we do it - the money can be spend better. The cost of the scan is 4 times what I pay my OB for an appointment. 

Yeah, I heard they look for the hamburger, she just said she can see the 3 lines and no boy parts :D we are so happy. I would have doubt it if she said boy, since we had so many girl guesses. Now I dont have to refer to our baby as 'it' any more, its now our daughter :D And she is already loved by so many of our friends and family <3 

My OB was very surprised that I couldn't feel any obvious moves from baby just yet, she said its most likely because I am a first time mommy and cant distinguish the moves from gas yet. I am sure I have felt movements, but cannot say 100% that its baby moving.


----------



## Nita2806

Oh, and Sarah, I also took Panado - same as panadol when I was on Progesterone for the headaches and although it kind off worked, I feel like it didnt do what other painkillers does. I hope you feel better soon :hugs:


----------



## sarah2211

Haha well English is my first (and only) language. I understood exactly what you meant.

That's fair enough. It's strange that she doesn't do them though. But here, my OB and midwife don't do the scans. I go to a clinic where they do MRIs, ultrasounds and other things like that. If you've seen the baby at 16 weeks it makes sense. Is your next one at 28 weeks? Mine's booked in for the 12th June.

It's so exciting to be able to think of the baby and a girl/boy. Both our nub guesses were correct! 

Sometimes if your placenta is in an unusual position it can make it more difficult to feel movement, but your OB would have mentioned that. I read that most FTMs don't feel movements until about 18-19 weeks. I think I just have a crazy baby which is why I felt it so early haha. At my OB appointment (I was 22 weeks) she said I should have definitely felt movements by then (which I had).. And as I type he's kicking the laptop haha.

Panadol is a pretty standard painkiller here. It's safe to take in pregnancy. It's not amazing but it helps with some things, like headaches etc.

Have you noticed your appetite has increased?


TTC, are you having a 20 week scan? And will you find out the gender then?


----------



## Nita2806

English is my second language, I only use it at work with clients, other than that my first and home language is Afrikaans - very similar to both German and Dutch which I both understand.

My OB has her own practice and dont work at the hospital, so she can do the scans and everything at her office up until a certain point. Most other OBs work at the hospital and use hospital equipment. My next scan is 21 June on 20 weeks, I have appointments every 4 weeks until 28 weeks (I will have 2 then, the normal one at my OB and the 4D scan at the hospital) after then I go every 2 weeks.

She said my placenta looks good en sits in the right place, thats why she was surprised that I didnt feel any obvious kicks. However I did think I felt her earlier this morning, I usually just get a lot of gas later in the day (thank you IBS).

I woke up at 3am this morning and felt so hungry lol, when I got up for work at 4:30 I went to the fridge to get something to eat, so I am definitely more hungry :D


----------



## Sheece

Wow, so many tests & options. I have some reading up to do!

I have no idea why my SIl didn't find out the gender when she had that test. She is 38 so she got it to test for abnormalities, and they were umming and ahhing about finding out for a while but decided to leave it as a surprise.

I just couldn't leave it, I'd have to know ASAP hah. 

Sarah, had to have a giggle at your DH making whale noises at you :haha:


----------



## Nita2806

Sheece, I am the same, I just had to find out the gender :D

And MR Google is your friend, I went and read up what happened at each appointment so I am prepared, I just couldnt get any info on the 16 week appointment, as it seems like its only in South Africa that you get one lol


----------



## ttc126

Nita I'm just so excited for you! I had a friend that was told boy at 16 weeks but then it ended up girl so your ob must be right! Also I had a 16 week checkup yesterday. In the US it's generally 8 weeks (if you have history of loss), 12 weeks, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 34, 36 then weekly till baby is born.

Sheece I'm glad everything seems to be going so well for you!

Sarah, I'm sorry you're sick again!

I did have a checkup, no scan, yesterday. Baby still has a strong heartbeat and I've started feeling a few movements even with my anterior placenta! My next scan is 18 weeks. They'll be doing the anatomy scan if possible and maybe I'll find out what we're having. I'm more anxious to know everything looks good and I truly don't care either way. My hubby doesn't want to wait till birth so we're finding out but I just am anxious that all looks well.


----------



## sarah2211

Learning another language is really tricky! Neither my DH or I speak another language. At school we learn a bit of Maori but it's not compulsory. 

Sheece, I think in other countries they tend to have more scans that we get. Except maybe in Canada? My friend just moved back from there (they were there for a year) and she only had 1 routine scan at 20 weeks and 1 extra because she was in a minor car crash. She's due in a few weeks and her back here midwife has got her to do another scan next week.

You probably have felt kicks Nita, they do feel a bit like gas. Sometimes I feel them even now and freak out thinking I'm getting a tummy bug.. then I remember I'm just getting my insides kicked haha. 

Haha between weeks 15-20ish I woke up almost every morning at 3am because I was hungry. Now I only wake up once a week or so being hungry. I've been having terrible leg cramps though. I wake up screaming. The other morning my DH thought I was having a contraction haha. I've started taking magnesium but I think it's too early to know if that's helping.


Sheece, it can seem really overwhelming! They explain everything pretty clearly. I figured I'd try not to worry too much about what was happening later on. Especially in the first trimester when I was feeling like death. I saw my midwife at 10 weeks, 14 weeks, 18 weeks, 22 weeks, 25 weeks and I'll be seeing her 29 weeks and 31 weeks (that's all I've got booked in at the moment, but they start weekly after that I think). I definitely couldn't wait to find out the gender! I had a scan at 7 weeks (most people don't), 12 weeks for NT, 20 weeks for growth and I'll be having a few more in the third trimester because of Lupus.


My tummy seems to be growing overnight at the moment. I found a photo of my bump at 15 weeks and there was no bump. I'll try upload the photos for comparison.


----------



## sarah2211

Not great photos, but here's 11 weeks of bump growth

https://tinypic.com/r/2dugrch/9


----------



## sarah2211

Ugh I don't know if that's working. If you can see it let me know, otherwise I'll try again.


----------



## ttc126

It's not working! I want to see your bump! I still need to post one!


----------



## sarah2211

Annoying. Hopefully this works

I want to see your bump TTC!!


----------



## Nita2806

I caught a quick glympse of your bump Sarah, but then the website started to give me adz and ask me too download something lol. I prefer to just upload straight to the BnB page. Your bump are really growing now. :D

According one of my apps my boobs should start to grow now and feel itchy, eh, they are a few weeks behind.

Ttc, cant wait to see your bump... Mine still looks the same as my last photo, I lost some weight too with the stomach virus this weekend.

We bought our first outfit today :D eeeeeek so much excitement. 

Do you ladies think its too soon to announce her name to everyone? We have decided her name will be Liezl, and it mean Oath of God <3


----------



## LoveCousar

Yall won't believe why I am here again.... :cry:


----------



## Nita2806

LoveCousar said:


> Yall won't believe why I am here again.... :cry:

Hi Love, how are you doing? Whats wrong? :(


----------



## LoveCousar

Nita2806 said:


> LoveCousar said:
> 
> 
> Yall won't believe why I am here again.... :cry:
> 
> Hi Love, how are you doing? Whats wrong? :(Click to expand...

I'm pregnant AGAIN 3 weeks after my miscarriage & for some reason, I am not happy. :nope:


----------



## ttc126

I'm sorry love. It's so scary &#10084;&#65039;


----------



## sarah2211

Congratulations love. I don't mean to put a dampener on things but you can still get a positive test for some time after a MC. When I had mine I was in a thread with women who were getting BFPs 6 weeks after their MC. I hope this is the real deal but if you haven't been to the doctor to check it might be a good idea. 


Nita, not sure why that happened. I've never had any luck uploading straight the site. 

We aren't saying the name until after he's born. People will always have an opinion and dislike it so we will just wait. But your choice :)


----------



## LoveCousar

I wish it was that case Sarah but I tracked my levels back down to 2 when I miscarried & even took a FRER to see if anything would show. I feel so bad but I don't feel any connection right now, more than likely bc I'm terrified


----------



## sarah2211

That's good! Sorry I didn't want to be downer but I would hate to get excited and it turned of to be lingering hormones. 

Don't feel bad, you are protecting yourself. I was the same. When I fell pregnant the first time I initially had a bond and felt like I had to protect that baby. This time, I really protected myself and didn't want to be hurt if it didn't turn out. I didn't feel the way I expected I would and if I'm honest, I still feel slightly detached at 26 weeks. What you're feeling is normal, don't be hard on yourself.


----------



## Nita2806

Welcome back Love, hope it works out for you this time! :hugs:


----------



## sarah2211

Love, there are lots of stories of successful pregnancies straight after MCs. 

DH's away for 2 weeks again. He's going to miss our antenatal classes :(


----------



## Nita2806

Oh no Sarah! That sucks :( atleast you have the bed for yourself for the noext two weeks ;)

My DH complained so much about the cushions that I had to take them off the bed the last few weeks, but he bought me a pregnancy pillow today which is smaller and better for me. Also bought my maternity bra's today, my old ones officialy dont fit any more. 1,5 cup sizes up already :o 

My mom goes in for her operation this week Tuesday so I will be working long hours and will most likely be less on here. :( ill check in when I can.


----------



## sarah2211

Yup but sleep's getting pretty uncomfortable now :(

That's good. I was going to go today and find some new bras. But I'm just in a bad mood. My Dad (we aren't close at all) just announced he was coming to visit for a week in the middle of September. He's booked his tickets and bringing my stupid step mother.. I'm just feeling like I don't want the pressure of having lots of people coming to visit. I want to be at home, with my DH and the baby, not entertaining visitors.. I wish he'd checked first. 

I hope everything goes well for your mother. Let us know how she is getting on. Hope you're not working too much/hard!


----------



## Four2Five

Hey ladies I'm still here...cd 23 and still no O :cry: I was going to call my dr Tuesday and tell her I want to end this cy with Provera and go to 150mg but tonight I got a +opk so now I guess I'll stick it out for another long 17 day lb :cry: I just don't see it ever happening when I don't O till this late every cy...if I get a temp shift before Tuesday I'll hold off calling but if I don't then I'm going to request the 150mg...I'm just SO FRUSTRATED!! 

Nita I knew you would be team pink CONGRATS <3 I love having girls!!

Love I'm praying this little one is sticky and you can find happiness instead of fear <3

Sarah you are getting so close! I hope hubby comes home and then it's baby time ;) 

Miss you all! I've been pretty bummed out this cy because it's just taking forever and I hate having these long cy's I just want a normal one. Trying to cheer up and go with the flow now that I got a +opk but I certainly don't feel high hopes.


----------



## sarah2211

Hey Four, don't give up hope. Did you see Shecee ovulated on CD 50 something?? I think wait and see what your temps do. If it looks like you've ovulated then wait it out, but if it was a dud OPK then ask for Provera. I do think 150mg is a good move, even if you are about to ovulate. You're ovulating late for Clomid which indicates it's probably not quite the right dose for you. It is so frustrating and when your cycles are long it makes it hard to start positive. I hope you have the same luck Nita did on 150mg, I have a good feeling about it. 

It's feeling close but so far away! I'm starting to feel weird about some things haha I'm not sure if the pregnancy hormones are starting to kick it. But I'm feeling really overwhelmed and really want to shut everyone out except my husband (and he's not even here!). All these people are booking tickets to come and see us or ringing and messaging and I just want a break. I don't want to snap at them but I feel like I need some space! 

When do you move Four?


----------



## Sheece

Four, sorry about your long cycle, I know how frustrating and awful they are :( 

Sarah - sucks that DH is away for your classes :( And I couldn't see the bump photos either, send again I wanna see! 

Nita - I like your name :) Hope your mums operation goes well. 

AFM - Had my 3rd beta today. HCG looks good (mid - high 800's, i forgot what she told me on the phone!) and doubling time slowed but not sure if that's normal or not?

My progesterone dipped again to 43 (from 119) so now I have to double my suppositories. Bit worried but trying not to be!


----------



## sarah2211

Yay for your beta! I'm glad they're on to it with the progesterone. Fingers crossed you'll not experience any crazy side effects.

I'm just going to complain for a minute haha. So my DH's work give him 10 days leave for the baby, which we were planning for him to take after he is born. But my DH read into the fine print and 5 days are for appointments before the baby is born and 5 days are for after he's born... I wonder if they'll send him back from overseas for my appointments.... UGH. So frustrating. Thankfully he's got lots of stand down and annual leave.

And TMI - my boobs haven't grown heaps, they're already pretty big (12-14F) but last night they were super itchy. And now they've grow a cup size overnight and I'd say he's going to have no trouble finding my nipples haha. Everything has just increased in size!


----------



## Nita2806

Just a quick in,

Sheece, your Beta sounds good. I sometimes think all these tests make us more nervous than not having them. Try not to worry, whatever happens is going to happen no matter what, just enjoy the time you have with your little one as much as you can :) 

Lol, Sarah, its good your boobs are getting bigger...more milk whoohooo - can I just say, where have maternity Bra's been all my life, its so comfy, I think I might end up wearing them after the pregnancy too :D oh and DH loves to brag now to his friends how big his wife's boobs are getting :haha:


----------



## sarah2211

Lol yeah they definitely feel fuller, I'm not leaking or anything though. I really don't need them to get any bigger though! But I read that your nipples get bigger so that the baby can find them. Since yesterday, I'd say he will have no trouble haha. They're still itchy so hopefully they don't keep growing! I didn't find the maternity bras that comfy. One of them was but the others weren't great. Haha my DH isn't here to enjoy them, sucks for him!


----------



## Nita2806

Mine are super comfy, but they arent really the best looking. I thought my DH would complain, however, they are a turn-on for him lol


----------



## sarah2211

When I went bra shopping yesterday the lady said she was so sorry but the only ones that would fit me are old ladies bras.. I'm pretty use to that now.. I'm glad your DH is enjoying them!


----------



## sarah2211

We've got a cocktail party and a family event coming up so I need to find a nice dress that I can hopefully wear for both.

Where one do you guys like?

1. https://www.asos.com/asos-maternity...styles=120&gridsize=3&gridrow=11&gridcolumn=3

2. https://www.asos.com/asos-maternity...styles=114&gridsize=3&gridrow=27&gridcolumn=3

3. https://www.asos.com/asos-maternity...styles=168&gridsize=3&gridrow=43&gridcolumn=2


----------



## Nita2806

I had to buy the smallest maternity bra :haha: 

Definitely the black/white dress!


----------



## Nita2806

Just heard from the hospital where my mom had her operation, it was a success, thank goodness, and she is already awake ( they finished about 2 houts ago) phew


----------



## Sheece

Thats great news about your mum Nita! :happydance: I hope her recovery goes as well as can be expected :) 

Sarah - I reckon the black and white one too! The other two are good for a family get together but not sure if they would work at a cocktail party. My second choice is the white floral one.

I already hate bra shopping (DD here and the bra choices are limited) so don't know how I'll go maternity bra shopping when they get even bigger! You guys give me hope when you say they are really comfy though haha

5 weeks today woo! Might get around to that ticker after tomorrows beta :)


----------



## sarah2211

I think it's navy and white, is it the spotted one you are both meaning? haha. Thanks :) the one that I really liked sold out before I could get it! 

I'm so glad your Mum is doing ok Nita, hope she's on the mend and she's feeling ok.

Shecee, yay for 5 weeks. Definitely get a ticker (when you feel ready!) It's a shame your new week doesn't start on a Thursday like ours haha. Kmart have some maternity bras but not in my size :( maybe in yours? I hate bra shopping, you get fitted, think it's great and then it turns out to be so uncomfy. 

Ugh the baby is up in my ribs today. But he's doing little soft kicks in my tummy, it feels a bit like sea sickness and it's making me feeling nauseous. Plus add in reflux and virtually no sleep. Blah, I can't wait to go to bed!


----------



## Nita2806

yay on 5 weeks Sheece :D hope your Beta comes back with more good news :D

Its also almost ticker day for us Sarah YAY

I wonder if my boobs only grow so much because they were really small before... like, is that a thing? DH's friend who was the same size as me pre-pregnancy went up from a B to a D :o I am only on C now, but if they keep on growing like they are, then I should go over to a D soon.


----------



## sarah2211

Let us know when you find out Sheece!

Yay new tickers. I peeked and mine was lame. But Ovia said a bunch of bananas (and becareful not to hurt his 'peelings' haha), a camp lantern, and a Fennec fox (we don't have foxes here but the picture is really cute). Plus a second viability milestone because his lungs are working much stronger. And it basically said he's done growing now it's just getting fatter and developing his brain further. 

I'm not sure. I think it varies for everyone. My aunt had big boobs and they got even bigger during pregnancy. My midwife asked if mine had gotten bigger when she was talking about the referral to the lactation consultant and I said I thought maybe a little. She said growth was a good sign that you'd have supply. But I also read that your boobs usually grow again in the third trimester so I was iffy about buying a maternity bra just yet. 

Have you felt anymore kicks Nita?


----------



## Sheece

Test is done, just have to wait a few hours now! :coffee: 

Interesting about the bigger boobs = more milk theory Sarah. Makes sense though. I'll be hoping mine get bigger then ha ha I have the same concern as you with the whole pcos / milk supply thing.

Edited to add my results:

HCG 1898 (which is a doubling time of 61 hours, has definitely slowed but I think thats normal?)

Prog is 226! Up from 43 on Monday, so definitely happy with that!

And I have my nurse appointment on Monday to go over the game plan from here :) Time for a ticker.


----------



## Nita2806

Fantastic news Sheece! Sounds like all is going well for you. Have you had any more symptoms? How are you feeling?

No definite kicks Sarah, and I honestly have not made the feel to concentrate and see if I feel something. Last night both DH and I was in bed by 7:30 as the long working hours is getting to the both of us. I have been picking up some weight but my bump still looks the same urgh, but I think it might start to grow now, as I have been feeling round ligament pain for the last 3 days.

I had worries about milk supply too, but I also read that growth is good for supply, so I am feeling better about it now. Hope it grows some more...but I dont want the whole leaking thing though lol.

Ovia says sweet potato for me this week, still wondering where a sweet potato fits into my small bump lol.

Update on my mom: She is a real fighter, demanded to the nurses yesterday that she wanted to wear her own clothes and she started walking and doing things herself again. They will be lowering her pain meds from today and if all goes well she can start to eat solid foods again today. If all goes well, we will be fetching her from the hospital tomorrow :D


----------



## Sheece

Touch wood it's all going well :) I'm scared it's going a little too well but I think thats to be expected! 

Symptoms wise my boobs are getting a tiny bit more sore each day, I'm having hot flushes especially after I walk around (have had that since I ovulated) and later in the afternoon I start to get really tired and start feeling a bit yuck. Thankful they aren't much worse :) 

Hopefully they stay so tame for another few weeks as I am on a plane in 3 weeks and I'd really rather not be sick! 

Thats great news about your mum Nita! She sounds like a strong lady, I'm glad she is feeling better, and fingers crossed you can take her home tomorrow!


----------



## sarah2211

Sheece- Yay for your results. That's so exciting. I think it's normal that it slows a little. As long as it's not dropping or staying stable. And your progesterone is awesome too. I love your ticker!

I read a little about PCOS and milk supply. Here's some good general info-

- Why is PCOS Thought of Having an Effect on Milk Production?
According to Lisa Marasco, the IBCLC whose breakthrough research revealed the connection between PCOS and low milk supply, there are several different ways that PCOS could potentially interfere with breastfeeding. 

1. Due to the hormonal imbalances which occur, there is the potential for poor breast tissue development during puberty and pregnancy. Fewer menstrual cycles in early puberty can translate into less estrogen to develop mammary tissue.

2. Prolactin and oxytocin are two of the main hormones involved in the onset of lactation. Women with PCOS have higher levels of androgen hormones that can interfere with prolactin reaching its receptors. 

3. In addition, if too few prolactin receptors were formed during pregnancy, milk production will be limited.

4. Estrogen is known to inhibit lactation, particularly in the early days after delivery. Women with PCOS typically have an imbalance called &#8220;estrogen dominance.&#8221; If estrogen levels are not down-regulated after birth, circulating estrogen may interfere with lactation. This is why the contraceptive pill is not recommended for breastfeeding mothers.

5. Insulin resistance may affect breast growth and milk synthesis. Insulin is known to be an important factor in lactation in conjunction with prolactin and cortisol.



Nita - I found that he kicks more if I lie on my left side at night. I've heard people suggest drinking/eating something cold helps to make them kick too. Lately he's been pushing out and I can feel his body when I push my tummy. It's SO weird haha. I don't think our boy is going to do much sleeping after he's born, definitely not at night time. 

I've gained 9kgs now and it's not all in my bump and boobs haha. Oh well, I'm not too worried, we are lucky to be pregnant. I hate round ligament pain :( are you feeling stretching in your tummy? Mine feels like it's stretching heaps tonight. My boobs haven't started leaking (yet).

We call sweet potatoes 'kumera' (ku-mu-ra). Haha it's probably pushing everything up inside you. 

I'm glad your Mum is doing well. It sounds like she's on the mend. I'm glad she might be able to get home soon. I hope you can remind her to rest too! If she over does it it could be worse for her recovery. 



All the mums at work today were commenting on how small my bump is for 27 weeks. It doesn't feel small. I'm struggling to put my shoes on now haha.


----------



## Nita2806

Sheece - The first tri-mester is so worrying, but so far everything looks good for you. I think its safe to say you can relax a little - I am sure your baby will be all fine :hugs:

Sarah, I think I will feel kicks if I can lie down or even sit still for longer than 10 minutes lol. I definately feel my tummy stretching, I also find that I feel fuller after I have eaten, so I eat a bit less at a time, just more times a day, if that makes sense?

Been to my mom again, wow she looks great, you wouldnt say she had a major Op 2 days ago. Walking by herself and ate a whole breakfast this morning. She felt nauseous from all the meds, so they are giving her even less now. My grandma will be coming to stay with her so it will be great to see her as well.

I can feel that I am not getting nearly enough rest this week, I am so tired...phew

Sarah, I had seen so many bump pictures that varies so much, lol, I dont think there's a too small or too big, all depends on your body. DH says that I am much smaller than his friend were at 18 weeks, but she weighs a lot less than me, so I am sure its just not that visible with me.


----------



## Nita2806

Oh, I see now I have that Frappucino thingy as my ticker - blegh lol, I dont know what it is.


----------



## Four2Five

Well I have no idea if I O'd or not...guess I will call my midwife and get a 21 day test ordered. So frustrated, I had blazing + opk cd 24 and 25 but here I am on cd 27 and still no temp change. Ff is trying to put my O date a day before I even got a + opk but my temp has been the exact same for the last several days and I just don't see it being high enough post O :cry:


----------



## Nita2806

Four, I am so sorry you have to cooe with not knowing if you Od or not :( 

So my DH said tonight that I have really popped...I think so too. Heres my latest bump shot, sorry its bad quality and you see part om boobs or well my comfy maternity Bra :haha:
 



Attached Files:







SmartSelectImage_2017-06-01-20-09-38.png
File size: 287.4 KB
Views: 3


----------



## LoveCousar

question ladies, what is considered "normal" as a progesterone level when 4ish weeks? my levels are 8.45 & my doctor doesn't seem concerned at all right now but I know that's low


----------



## OnErth&InHvn

That seems low.


----------



## LoveCousar

OnErth&InHvn said:


> That seems low.

that's exactly what I thought! & he isn't listening to me & I don't want to be a b%$ch but I will be whatever to make sure this baby sticks. I just wish the doctors would listen to us sometimes after doing it so long, you would think they would think like heyyy maybe she does know what she is talking about #sigh its so exhausting right now my mind can only handle so much.


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, haha you'll be feeling them in to time. But definitely lie on your left side. My kicks have changed in the past few days. They use to be like a thud or one strong kick. Now I feel him wriggling and moving and it is a very odd feeling. Kind of like my tummy is dropping on a roller coaster but it's going up and down and sideways too. It makes me flinch because it's so bizarre. 

That's awesome about your mum. I'm glad she's doing so well. Fingers crossed her recovery continues to go just as smoothly. 

And yup, smaller meals more often is good. It also helps me reflux eating like that too. 

We have Starbucks here but not in my city. I don't know how big a sriracha bottle is. 

Cute bump it's just popping!

Four, in sorry, that's so frustrating. Will your midwife prescribe you a higher dose? I feel like it's probably worth it because you've given that dose a good try. I don't agree with FF's crosshairs. But it doesn't look like you've ovulated yet. 

Love, that does seem quite low. I know different places have different normal values so it might pay to check what your lab says is normal. I'm sorry for have to fight for your doctor to listen to you about this but do whatever you can to make this little one stick!


----------



## Sheece

Love - Could you get a second opinion? Or maybe even try progesterone cream in the meantime? I'm sorry your doctor isn't listening :( 

Nita - Cute bump! And great news about your mum too. 

I'm feeling a bit more confident thanks :) Went and got some maternity jeans yesterday because I can't deal with my normal jeans anymore with this bloating :haha:. 

Four - How frustrating :( Did you get to have a blood test yet?


----------



## Nita2806

Love, thats definately too low and you need to go on Progesterone. According to my lab it should be atleast 11+ at anytime in the first trimester (after implantation) I also found the following online.. Progesterone levels also can have quite a variance at this stage of pregnancy. They can range from 9-47ng/ml in the first trimester, with an average of 12-20ng/ml in the first 5-6 weeks of pregnancy. Source: https://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-complications/early-fetal-development/

Sheece, I so understand your frustration with the bloating, and it almost want to make you think you got a bump already. I was wearing maternity jeans early on too, but from around week 14 I am back in my pre-pregnancy jeans. I felt my tummy getting harder from around week 12 and thats when the bloating got less for me.

My bump looks huge without clothes, but when I wear clothes its not quite that obvious lol It really feels like its growing fast now, my tummy is itching on my old stretch marks so pretty sure those will appear soon.

Sarah, I can really feel that my digestive system is under pressure, so I am sure its baby pushing up to grow bigger.

I can't believe how fast time goes by, less than 3 weeks till my next appointment already.


----------



## LoveCousar

I plan on trying Emerita Natural Progesterone Cream in the meantime but I most definitely am getting a second opinion. I refuse to lose another baby it's so heartbreaking I can't handle another loss in such short time. Thanks ladies for the advice!


----------



## sarah2211

Hope you're feeling more comfortable in your maternity jeans Shecee!

Nita, mines the same. My maternity jeans make my bump bigger. But I'm currently lying on the couch with my tummy hanging out haha. Time is going fast! 

Love, I'm glad you're getting a second opinion. Take care of yourself. 


We had our first antenatal class today. It was really overwhelming and so much info. It was a 6 hour class and they covered lots. It freaked me out a little. I really don't want a C section!! It was mainly about labour and the stages of labour and pain relief. I feel like I know a bit too much now and just want to sleep and wake up and he's here haha.


----------



## ttc126

Sarah if it helps, I'm the biggest baby ever and both my vaginal and c section births weren't nearly as bad as I imagined &#10084;&#65039; 

Your pregnancies are going so fast! Meanwhile I've been pregnant for 27 years :rofl:

This weds I have my anatomy scan!


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks TTC. I think just hearing about all the different types of inductions, pain relief, self help, stages of labour etc etc was all just more overwhelming than I expected. That's reassuring to know! 

Haha it doesn't feel that quick to me! When I think about when we found out and told everyone it feels like that was ages ago. It feels like everyone else's pregnancies are going fast and mines going slow haha. Not that I want to rush it but I can't wait to meet him. 

Good luck for your scan that's exciting! Will you find out what you're having?


----------



## ttc126

Yes we hope to find out boy or girl if baby cooperates!

Here's my much delayed bump pic for you guys!
 



Attached Files:







IMG_8592.jpg
File size: 17.8 KB
Views: 2


----------



## sarah2211

You are tiny! But I see it, just a little bit round at the bottom. I had a huge growth spurt between weeks 21-24 so maybe yours is coming. I hope he/she cooperates!

Things are starting to get more uncomfortable. I definitely feel like I'm heading into the third trimester


----------



## Nita2806

TTC cute lil bump :) Mine feels like its doubled in size over the last week :o

I havent been on in a while, been really busy and sick :( the meds I got from the pharmacy are ridiculous - it doesnt help and I am only allowed to take it for 3 days, so I am just taking some etra Vit C and eating lots of fruits and healthy foods and staying hydrated blegh.

Hope everyone else is doing better?


----------



## Sheece

ttc - cute bump! 

Sarah - I haven't actually worn them yet, I've been bumming around in leggings this weekend, so much better! Back to work tomorrow so they'll get a run then. 

Antenatal classes sound full on! 

Nita - Im sorry your feeling so sick :( Hopefully the things you have been doing are starting to help! 

AFM - I had my nurses appointment this morning. I'll be having my 7 week ultrasound next week! Probably on Wednesday, it's closed today so i can't ring to book. Exciting! 

My beta numbers were great too, 8075, from 1898 on Thursday. Doubling time has gotten quicker yay :) Progesterone a bit down again but higher than the last dip, and a good number still so they aren't worried. Only 2 blood tests left of my monitoring, that went quick!

Hurry up Wednesday!


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, show us an update when you can? I'll try take another one today. That's no good you've been sick. I hope you can get some rest. It is frustrating when there's virtually nothing you can take. 

Sheece, yay your test results are awesome. I'm glad you found out what the next step is. It'll be so exciting to see the ultrasound! The monitoring has gone quick, did you find it reassuring? 

I'm finding the baby has 2-3 quiet days with not much movement and then 2-3 crazy days where it feels like my insides are being beaten up. He's been pretty quiet over the weekend and today he's crazy again!


----------



## Sheece

The monitoring is definitely reassuring. Not sure what I'll do when its finished! 

I just booked my ultrasound for next Tuesday! Will be 6w, 6d. They said anytime between 6.5 & 7.5 weeks. Then I have my follow up with my gyno the Thursday after to go over the results and the next steps! 

Sarah - sounds like bubs enjoys napping & trampolining ha ha ha. 

I vote for new bump pics too ladies :)


----------



## Nita2806

Whooohoooo Sheece, so glad your numbers are going up like they should. Nothing beats seeing your little baby on the ultrasound for the first time though. Mine looked like a little peanut at 8 weeks so not sure what yours will look like so early, but if will feel real then :D Until about 12 weeks it feels like the appointments are so far apart (I went every 4 weeks) but now the time seems to go buy so quickly.

I woke up this morning feeling 3 definite kicks <3 DH is angry because he havent felt her kicks yet. I think she is awake in the mornings with me and then a little while in the afternoon.

Yesterday my grandma came to me and said "ohhhhhh, look at that bump" I feel like I cant hide it anymore lol.

I will update with a new bump pic after work today. I was complaining about not having much of a bump now it looks so huge :D

Edit: Almost forgot to add this :o DH and I started on Liezl's room yesterday :D we already have a very big cupboard full of baby stuff, my aunt gave us some over the weekend and we got some gifts from the UK and NZ from family. We are so privileged.

(P.s. If anything doesnt make sense, sorry, my friend google translate had to assist again)


----------



## Nita2806

My grandma also shared this with me yesterday, when a women gives natural birth with all the squeezing you squeeze all the fluid out of baby's lungs, enabling him/her to start breathing the moment they leave your body, where as with a C-section they still need to pump to fluid out of baby's lungs.

Also, she said if 2 women give birth the same time, 1 naturally and 1 c-section - the next day, the women who gave birth naturally packs her bags ready to go home, while the women who had the c-section are still crying from the pain.

So glad I chose natural birth :D just wanted to share above for the FTM's


----------



## sarah2211

Sheece, when you're finished you'll have the ultrasound. But then you'll have to suffer like the rest of us between waiting for scans haha. If you like, I'll upload my ultrasound picture from when I was 7w1. He was measuring 7w1d but my LMP was 6w4d so your baby will be somewhere around where ours was in the scan. But if you want it to be a surprise I won't upload it haha. 

Nita, yay! I'm glad you're feeling kicks. I started feeling them at 15w and my DH didn't feel them until 18w. It was just because we were lying in bed and he had his hand on my tummy for about an hour. They were still pretty few and far between then. Now I can see them through wearing 2-3 layers of clothes haha. 

I found around mid-2nd trimester that when he was really active I'd then wake up the next day with a bigger bump. 

That's exciting, it starts to feel really real when you buy stuff. Our baby's room is pretty much all organised. I think we just need a little bit more bedding. We've hired a capsule which we will pick up in August. But if he arrived tomorrow we would be able to cope. My friends are due at the end of June and they came to look at our baby's room and said they needed to go home and start organising and buying things!

And your grandma is right. There are definitely some benefits of having a natural vaginal birth. TMI!! - Also they believe that when the baby comes down the birth canal that they pick up bacteria from the vagina and bum which is helpful for the baby. I think for c section babies they sometimes do a 'sweep' of that area and then place some of the bacteria manually into the baby's mouth... Not sure. I think TTC or Four said that they had had a c section??

At the antenatal class they said that 32% of births at the local hospital were c sections. I was surprised it was quite high. But that's including all the planned c sections and emergency c sections. You also can't drive for 8 weeks after a c section. 


AFM, I went bra shopping today and my boobs have grown! From a DD cup to a G cup!! TMI - I'm still not leaking and can't hand pump anything out.


----------



## Four2Five

Hey ladies <3 Do any of you know how early implantation can happen after O? I had a good dip at 4dpo but for some reason I feel like that's awfully early. I don't feel any symptoms or anything this cy and I'm just ready to get on to 150mg so I hope this LP goes quick...


----------



## ttc126

Haha Nita did your grandmother actually have a c section? I disagree with people having them for non-medical reasons, but if you need one they're an amazing intervention. They don't pump out baby's lungs. Ironically my vaginally birthed baby had to spend time in the NICU (intensive care for babies) for lung problems but my c-section baby was perfectly fine. Sometimes they gently suction baby's nose and mouth but that's with either kind of birth. The whole bacteria thing has been recently disproven to be of any actual benefit to baby. As far as getting out of bed, I was up and walking 6 hours after my c section. With my vaginally birthed baby I was laying flat in bed for 48 hrs after birth due to having severe preeclampsia. With my c section I stayed 2 nights in hospital. With my vaginal birth I was there 5 nights and then had to go in for emergency surgery when baby was 3 weeks old because I hemorhaged at home. So overall my c section was a much much better birth than my vaginal one. I drove 2 weeks after my section. By 6 weeks I was fully recovered. Nursing baby was more painful than healing from my c section. I really hate when people act like it's so horrible when it's actually a medical marvel that saves many lives. 
Also you can choose vaginal birth all you want, but if you have an emergency you may have a section. You can't plan birth. 
Just so no one worries, when I needed a c section, this was my experience. I got the spinal, which felt like an odd shot in my back. Then I laid down and when I was numb my doctor began. I could feel pressure and tugging but that was it. I heard baby cry and he was brought to me right away. I could've even nursed right away but I didn't feel so great. They gave baby to my husband and closed me up. Then I was in recovery for about an hour and I went to my room. I got up a few hours later and walked a bit and used to restroom. The next day I was walking, caring for baby, etc like normal. I had some pain but it wasn't bad at all. So in case any of you need a c section, it's not as bad as you'd think. 

Nita, glad to hear you feel baby now! A few more weeks and your dh should feel kicks from the outside! 

Sheece I'm excited for your ultrasound! 

Sarah, my boobs have grown the same! Haha I hope mine don't grow more since I'm about 10 weeks behind you :rofl: Also, with my first I got a tiny bit of leaking about 35 weeks. When he was born (at 36 weeks) my milk didn't come in for 6 days. So don't panic, just try to stick with it the best you can. And formula is a wonderful thing if it doesn't work out &#10084;&#65039;


----------



## Nita2806

Ttc, wow you are the first person that had a better experience with a c section, and ofcourse as a FTm, and i am sure you know this, the whole birth thing is so stressfull, and so far everyone I talked to who gave birth naturally stayed 1 night, and the others who had c sections stayed 3-5 nights. Dont get me wrong, if for medicated reasons i need a c section, then i will most definately do it, but i want it naturally as far as possible. Everyone is different :) you are definately more experienced than us ttc hee hee.


----------



## ttc126

Nita2806 said:


> Ttc, wow you are the first person that had a better experience with a c section, and ofcourse as a FTm, and i am sure you know this, the whole birth thing is so stressfull, and so far everyone I talked to who gave birth naturally stayed 1 night, and the others who had c sections stayed 3-5 nights. Dont get me wrong, if for medicated reasons i need a c section, then i will most definately do it, but i want it naturally as far as possible. Everyone is different :) you are definately more experienced than us ttc hee hee.

I totally understand! I still get stressed! I think I want to have a vbac this time but I'm still unsure. I think the best thing is to have a go with the flow attitude and just take it all in stride. Don't worry about planning too much. Birth is such a crazy thing and it's truly unplannable &#10084;&#65039; Trust your doctors and know they will do what's best for you and for baby.


----------



## ttc126

Four2Five said:


> Hey ladies <3 Do any of you know how early implantation can happen after O? I had a good dip at 4dpo but for some reason I feel like that's awfully early. I don't feel any symptoms or anything this cy and I'm just ready to get on to 150mg so I hope this LP goes quick...

Four, I didn't mean to ignore. 4dpo is early! I think average is 9dpo.


----------



## Bonnie11

Hi ladies, 
Am very cautiously here as it's so early and I lost our last baby at 10-11 weeks so am not posting too much yet! 

Nita wanted to say a huge congrats to you, I remember you briefly from the Clomid thread in TTC so I'm glad it worked for you! 

I got pg with my daughter on round 3 of clomid last time. Second pregnancy after round 2 (which we lost) and this time it was first time! 

Have only read back a few pages but re C section v natural like TTC126 said it doesn't always work out the way you want! Ended up having one last time unexpectedly as my daughter was stuck and did not want to come out! It was totally fine, and there was no sucking her lungs! But definitely going to go for a natural birth this time all being well... 

Hoping to share the journey with you ladies!


----------



## Nita2806

ttc126 said:


> Nita2806 said:
> 
> 
> Ttc, wow you are the first person that had a better experience with a c section, and ofcourse as a FTm, and i am sure you know this, the whole birth thing is so stressfull, and so far everyone I talked to who gave birth naturally stayed 1 night, and the others who had c sections stayed 3-5 nights. Dont get me wrong, if for medicated reasons i need a c section, then i will most definately do it, but i want it naturally as far as possible. Everyone is different :) you are definately more experienced than us ttc hee hee.
> 
> I totally understand! I still get stressed! I think I want to have a vbac this time but I'm still unsure. I think the best thing is to have a go with the flow attitude and just take it all in stride. Don't worry about planning too much. Birth is such a crazy thing and it's truly unplannable &#10084;&#65039; Trust your doctors and know they will do what's best for you and for baby.Click to expand...

Thank you TTC :hugs: thats great advice! I guess, its stressing me that I have no idea what to expect. Reading uo and asking everyone I know about it. But you are right, in the end, whats right at the time will haopen.


----------



## Nita2806

Four, I think 4dpo is a bit early but not impossible? Hoping this is your month :hugs:

Bonnie, yes I remember you too! Sorry about your loss :hugs: and congratz on another BFP, hoping and praying with you that this is a sticky bean. You are welcome to post most when you are ready and comfortable :)


----------



## Nita2806

And Bump picture update :)
 



Attached Files:







SmartSelectImage_2017-06-06-18-37-29.png
File size: 345.6 KB
Views: 0


----------



## sarah2211

Four, I think 4 DPO is pretty early. I'm pretty sure 6 DPO is what they say is the earliest but I'm not sure if it's impossible to implant at 4 DPO. Good luck!

Congratulations Bonnie :) I'm sorry for your loss. 

TTC, I'm glad you had a positive C section experience. It sounds like there were some other risk factors involved in your vaginal birth so that would have made things more complicated than the average I imagine. I definitely agree c sections are there for those who need them and they're amazing life saving procedures but from the research I've done, you don't want one unless you need one and that there are a number of benefits birthing natural vs c section as long as you can. The research around the bacteria still seems to be relevant even though only small studies have been done. And most FTMs can't plan for having one/not having one. Where I live you can't ask for one just because you want a c section. If it's an emergency then you get one. I'm hoping to not need one just because I know the recovery time for having my appendix removed and I'd say a c section would probably be a whole lot worse. 

And I think my boobs did a bit more growing in the past 2 weeks haha so sorry to say you might get another growth spurt. I was iffy about buying a maternity bra yet because I was worried they'd grow more and I just didn't feel that supported in it. 

Nita, I'm usually the type of person who hates uncertainty, needs to know the plan and how it's all going to work. But after the antenatal class I wish I didn't know. I'd feel so much better not knowing about all of it and just listening to my body and my midwife and OB. I was feeling ok about it all and now I just feel anxious. And I'm due in 12 weeks!


----------



## Four2Five

Nita BEAUTIFUL bump <3

I thought it was early too for a dip too...ff changed my O date from cd 22 to cd 27...not really sure why but it is what it is...I guess I could technically be 10dpo or 5dpo depending on when I actually O'd, you can click on my ticker to get to my chart. 

If I go by the first O date ff gave me I am technically 10dpo and that dip would have been at 9dpo but since ff changed my O date it now says I'm 5dpo with the dip at 4dpo...I probably should have went and got the 21 day test but with my late O again I was just annoyed and decided I didn't want to stress about it anymore than I was. Either way I have ZERO symptoms this month...not even sore boobs like I usually get, the only thing I've felt lately is just bloated and dull backache. I'm sure there's zero chance to get a bfp this month but I just want this cy over with.


----------



## sarah2211

Hmm I tend to think FF has it right at CD 27 but mainly because of your CM. If that's the case then you're still early days and it could just be a fall back rise? Did you get the go ahead to up your dose next time?


----------



## Four2Five

Yea she said if the cd 1-5 didn't work then we would do the 150mg next cy


----------



## Four2Five

Took a test earlier and it was bfn as expected...also dipped a opk and the test line was almost as dark as the control...so confused, the next 10-12 days can't pass any quicker :(


----------



## Sheece

Four, not to confuse the issue anymore, but I actually got a bfp at 6dpo and had a dip at 4dpo on my m/c cycle. I thought it was way too early but there really wasn't any other day I could have ovulated! 

Love the bump Nita! 

Hi Bonnie! You and I are quite close together I think, I got my bfp on May 19 :) 

As for birth, I'm aiming for vbac with all the drugs, but if I need a C section, so be it I guess.

6 weeks today! I feel like its been ages already but it's only 6 weeks! According to Ovia, baby is the size of a Maine blueberry.


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah, I am just like you, I want it all planned and have it go according to plan, if only the universe played along, right? What needs to happen will, and we can only go as prepared as we possibly can. I had a dream about giving birth last night...silly crazy pregnancy dreams!

Four, I dont understand charting very well, as I never did it before, but I would say you arent out until AF arrives, and if FF is right you still have plenty of time. I only got my BFP on 12dpo and it was a very very faint line. Hope times go by faster and you end up getting your BFP this cycle.

Yay, Sheece, happy 6 weeks...your baby aren't a ball of cells anymore :D


----------



## sarah2211

Four, I hope this is your cycle, but I have a lot of faith that a higher dose will be what you need. Have you seen a doctor as well as a midwife? I know things work differently in different countries but here, not even GPs can prescribe Clomid, only specialists. If 150mg doesn't work then maybe it would pay to get a second opinion and maybe try Femara? I've heard of people getting positive OPKs in their TWW on their BFP cycle. I agree with Nita, you're not out until you're out!

Shecee, Yay! 6 weeks is excited. I bet the chance of a MC on that site is much lower now. Are you feeling more reassured? I think you mean you're aiming for a vaginal birth, VBAC means you're planning to deliver naturally after having a c section haha. But yep, give me all the drugs too haha.

Nita, I think part of me knew that because there was no way to plan it I just didn't want to know all the possible ways it could turn out haha. I'm hoping not to be induced because they said that you go into the later stages much quicker and you don't get time for the normal pregnancy hormones to work their magic. However, I think with my Lupus, it's possible they'll induce me early. I'm also hoping that I can avoid an emergency (or planned c section), but like we've all said, the most important thing is getting the baby out safely. Haha pregnancy dreams can be pretty crazy.

Tomorrow is Thursday here Nita. My ticker next week is boring haha. But I have my scan on Monday (28 weeks). I also have another 5 days of finger pricking/glucose testing starting tomorrow.


----------



## sarah2211

Shecee, do you know if you've had the A1C test yet? It's a good indicator of whether you may develop gestational diabetes according to my midwife. It may not be that accurate because you're still on Metformin.


----------



## Sheece

ha ha ha look at the newbie over here  I thought vbac was just the technical term for natural birth :haha: 

Yes I did mean that  

And I haven't had any tests yet no other than the betas. I'll be telling them I want all of the tests though so I'm sure I'll get that one! 

Thanks Nita! No more ball of cells for me, fruit from here on in he he.


----------



## sarah2211

Haha it's ok I didn't know what that meant for ages either. I think there are fewer pregnancy abbreviations than TTC ones though. 

I'm sure you'll get those blood tests soon, probably once they've finished monitoring. Most of the tests are boring. Except I learnt my blood type which I didn't know before. The A1c might just be interesting because if it's low then you'll know you've got a much lower risk of GD despite having PCOS/IR. 


First day of the third trimester!! It's starting to feel a bit scary now haha. I can definitely tell I'm getting further away from the lovely second trimester. I'm feeling tired, hungry, sore and round. Ovia says he is the size of a coconut, rollerblade or an echidna (one for us shecee! Haha). But it's a bit confusing because you could probably fit 2 coconuts into the size of one rollerblade. His movements have really changed. They use to be more of a thud and now I'm feeling rolling and lighter and harder movements. It also sometimes feels like he's got a hold of the inside of my uterus and is pulling and pinching it. The movements are making me jump because they feel so odd


----------



## Sheece

I had that blood test last time Sarah, I didn't know either! 

Today I woke up feeling a bit more of that hungover feeling, but my boobs are less sore hmm. I should stop jabbing them really. Waiting on my betas to come through! Should find out if today was my last blood test, or if my last one is on Monday. 

Happy third trimester!! How exciting :D And how cool / weird that your symptoms changed on cue too. 

Your description of him pulling your uterus though literally had me cringing and crossing my legs, ouch!!


----------



## Nita2806

Yay on third trimester Sarah! You are getting really close now to meet your baby boy :D 

I hooe your betas come back as great as the previous ones Sheece.

I feel like I have been robbed from a wonderfull second trimester, so far I had a stomach virus, and a cold that lasted a week and suddenly started getting worse from last night. Still deciding whether or not im going into work today :(

Ticker day, yay!


----------



## sarah2211

Haha stop poking your boobs! They'll probably start hurting from the poking. My symptoms really kicked in around 6 weeks so I don't think having no/few symptoms at this stage is a bad sign. Enjoy it haha. Exciting, I hope they're happy with your beta numbers! 

I've been feeling a little less energetic the past few weeks so I knew it was coming. It's pretty difficult to put my shoes on, especially in the cold mornings when my joints are quite stiff. Haha yes, it's not exactly sore, but I'm not expecting it and it kind of is like nails down a chalkboard. I can just imagine his little fingers grabbing onto it, I don't know if that's even possible haha..


Nita, it's not going to be long now. It partly feels like it's going slowly and partly quickly. It feels like I've been pregnant FOREVER already. Oh and tell me about it, I spent most of the second trimester on anti-biotics/steroids but I definitely felt better than the first.


We've got our second antenatal class on Saturday and scan on Monday! My DH is looking forward to the scan because he doesn't quite believe the baby is a boy haha it wants another look.


----------



## Sheece

Finally got my beta back. 14476. Didn't quite double from last beta of 8075. I guess I've hit the high numbers now so it doesn't double anymore? The comment was "good pregnancy levels". Progesterone 130 so its staying steady. 

Doubling time of 85 hours according to beta base. I think this is about when it would be good to not have any more blood tests, just for my sanity lol. I have one more on Monday though!


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah, I love your ticker! And I feel like having some chicken wings now. Mine is kinda cool too, I love hot dogs :D

I decided to go to work (at 9am) - and when I got here my brother was super pissed at me for coming to work and not staying home to get some rest. I think I will work until 3 pm and work from home tomorrow (Friday) if I don't feel any better soon.

Sheece, it's still a good number, yay. I dont even know what mine is or what the doubling time time was, but I am still pregnant so I guess it was good lol. I think as long as they dont get less thats good.


----------



## sarah2211

Shecee, I think your betas are all good. They do slow down in the doubling time the later it is in your pregnancy. I only had 2, 87 on 12 DPO and 320 on 15 DPO. I think now you just want to be seeing your progesterone is at a good level, which it is. I can't wait to see your scan! 

Nita, we don't really get chicken wings like that here so it doesn't mean much. But we have hot dogs haha. I don't really think my ticker is all that accurate anymore, I know he was 33cm long at 20 weeks which is about the length you'd expect at 25 weeks. My scan is on Monday so we will see what he's doing now. 

Definitely take it easy. You are probably better off taking some time off to rest rather than running yourself into the ground and then not being able to work for much longer. Drink lots of water and rest up.


----------



## Nita2806

We have chicken wings here that comes in a bowl and weight about the same so I kind off have an idea how big it is. My ticker is also not correct, I am measuring 2 days behind, so 18w5d but I am keeping my ticker according to my original days, I think at this stage the length doesnt determine the date anymore, not all babies are the same length and weigh the same. I am pretty sure mine will keep on measuring a bit behind because she most likely is as small as her mom :) I was 0.5KG's less than the normal weight at birth, even though my mom carried me 42 weeks, so I am expecting our girl to be a bit smaller too.

My DH is convinced I have the man flu lol, I dont usually feel this bad when I have a cold - hopefully I can get him to make dinner now :p

We tried for him to feel the kicks last night, and what did our girl do.... nothing lol, she is definitely more active in the mornings, so maybe over the weekend he can feel her kicks. He gets really upset and say he is being left outside alone, shame, I really dont want him to feel that way.


----------



## ttc126

Sheece that's a good beta! Don't read too much into it at this point &#10084;&#65039;

Sarah, happy 3rd trimester! 

My anatomy scan went well! My placenta is too low so I'm on pelvic rest for now but hopefully it will move up! I got my secret wish!!!!!! We're team blue! THREE boys!!!!!!! I think my ideal family would be 5 boys &#10084;&#65039;


----------



## sarah2211

Nita - You can buy chicken wings here, but they're not really that popular. I think I've had them once. I know that it's just the average. On the Ovia video she's actually holding 2 coconuts and says it's either 1 tropical coconut or 2 normal size ones, which makes sense. 

I'm just meaning in reference to the length of my baby in comparison to the ticker. If he's still growing at the same rate (which he may not be) then he'd be the length of 33 weeks which is a loaf of bread. You're right, from what I've heard they don't really take too much notice of length anymore for working out your due date, it's not accurate anymore. They put 4 different measurements together to make sure the babies are mostly on track. For our baby he was measuring very very tall, but his tummy measurement was actually much smaller than it should be, but it all measured out to be 20 weeks. My friend is due in 3 weeks and her baby is measuring quite big so she has to redo the GTT on Monday, have another scan and they might induce her. 

My Mum was very tiny when she was born and she was 3 weeks past her due date, that can happen if you go too far past your due date too and the placenta doesn't do its job as well and the baby starts to lose weight.

I would be telling your DH to try growing a person while also being sick! My DH tried to tell me to get over it, then I reminded him I was also sick/dying (haha) and growing a second lot of organs and having a parasite drain all my energy haha. After that he was a bit more compassionate. Just tell him the baby is hungry haha. I notice I get way more kicks when I'm hungry too.

At first the kicks can be really few and far between and you might get a day where you have nothing and then a busy day. We found not pushing too hard on my tummy helps. He seems to get shy when there's too much pressure. But it's hard because when they're still quite little you need a bit more pressure to feel the kicks. Try spooning on your left side and he'll just have to be patient. It won't be long until he feels them too.


TTC - Yay! Congratulations that you got what you wanted! If I was you, I'd be hoping for a girl haha but those boys will be best buddies. Plus you'll be saving money having everything you need for a boy. One of my friends is expecting her third girl and she was hoping for a boy and another friend is expecting her third boy and was hoping for a girl haha. I said to DH if we end up with 3 boys then I'm keen to try for a fourth haha. We will see though. In an ideal world we'd have boy-girl-boy. You're well on your way to having your 5 boys haha. Are you on complete bedrest? I hope you can find enough to do and your DS will be ok with you resting lots! Move up placenta! 


AFM, back to finger pricking, second antenatal class tomorrow, ultrasound on Monday, midwife on Thursday and getting my whooping cough jab sometime next week too! And DH is home for 2 weeks tonight!


----------



## Nita2806

So my cold got even worse :( It's so frustrating feeling so bad and there's not much I can do about it.

DH tried feeling kicks again last night and this morning, but nothing, like she is on purpose not wanting to kick him. But she has been quiet today - maybe she is sensing that I am not well and she is sleeping on my behalf. 

Congratz on the Boy TTC :D I hope your placenta moves right up. :hugs:

Enjoy the time with your DH Sarah, and goodluck with all the other appointments and thing you need to do.

My next appointment is 11 days away :D can't wait.


----------



## Bonnie11

Ahh Nita sorry you're sick! It's rubbish when you're pregnant, I swear I was sick for the last 2 months of my pregnancy! Ended up on antibiotics for a chest infection the week before I gave birth &#128547;

Been feeling really sick and with heartburn last few days, which actually makes me feel more positive as the first time around I had all the symptoms and a healthy baby whereas last time I had no symptoms at all and a miscarriage. So I'm hoping it's a good sign!


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, I hope you're resting and DH is looking after you. I'm glad she's letting you rest. I found on the quieter days he was doing the most growing so she might be draining your energy more than you realise. Thanks.

Bonnie, as much as it's no fun, I'm glad you're having symptoms. It's definitely reassuring. Did you have any complications with #1 related to your PCOS?


----------



## Bonnie11

sarah2211 said:


> Nita, I hope you're resting and DH is looking after you. I'm glad she's letting you rest. I found on the quieter days he was doing the most growing so she might be draining your energy more than you realise. Thanks.
> 
> Bonnie, as much as it's no fun, I'm glad you're having symptoms. It's definitely reassuring. Did you have any complications with #1 related to your PCOS?


Yes am feeling reassured by the sickness! spent most of first tri last time with my head down the toilet &#128567;
No complications Sarah, it looked like I might have GD at one point as tests were borderline but they said tgat can happen with PCOS so ended up having a few more scans to check size (at 38 weeks they told me she was going to be 9lbs+!) but she popped out at 7lb7 so bang on normal. I dont think those growth scans are that accurate!


----------



## Nita2806

Thank you ladies, I will be resting the weekend, I just dont know if it will be enough. 

Its great that you are feeling more positive this time round Bonnie, hoping this is a sticky bean for you :D

So last night DH told his mom that he is so excited because I am already feeling faint kicks and he hopes to feel them soon too, and then his mother replied with 'oh, I highly doubt its kicks, its still way to early' can you believe that. And my dad and I also had a huge fight yesterday so it was a very emotional day for for me. Silly hormones. 

I think you are right Sarah, yesterday was a quiet day and last night I had round ligament pain, so she must be growing. According to my bump app baby will be 16CM at the end of week 19 :D


----------



## sarah2211

Bonnie, I had a bad first trimester too :( but they say you're less likely to have a MC if you have symptoms so I found some reassurance in that. Although I felt sick right from my BFP the first time and still MC'd.

That's good. My midwife said the same about GD and I'm testing my sugars. They are all ok so far. Did you have IR before becoming pregnant? Phew, I'm glad you didn't end up having a really big one! I read a news article about a 16lb baby! 



Nita, just take it easy. I hope you feel better soon. Ugh I wouldn't believe his MIL, you're definitely at the right stage to be feeling kicks. I kept mine quiet at 15 weeks because that is early. I'm sorry about your fight with your Dad. I've had quiet days for the past few days but today he's been busy! 


Second antenatal class wasn't as scary as the first. We talked about newborn appearances, breastfeeding, 4th trimester, swaddling, clothes, sleep, bathing etc. Then she made the guys leave and she spoke to us about the bleeding afterwards and also the first poo and wee (which were kind of scary to think about haha).


----------



## Sheece

Yayy a boy, congrats TTC :) 

Sorry you're feeling so bad Nita, I hope the weekend of rest helped some? 

Bonnie glad you are feeling positive! 

Sarah - glad the second class was less scary! Although the first toilet stuff sounds scary too lol 

AFM - I had what I think is my last blood test this morning :) Just waiting on the results now. And my ultrasound is tomorrow afternoon! I'll be 6w, 6 d. Everything is crossed that we have a strong heartbeat and see something!! 

My boobs are like 10% less sore for the last few days which is annoying me more than worrying me, but still. Feeling more queasy today at least. Kinda hoping my symptoms stay like this for the next week because I'm away for 5 days from Thursday and I don't want to be throwing up!


----------



## Nita2806

Ugh - this cold simply dont want to leave me, rested the weekend, had some orange and pamelo juice (which is supposed to help) and although I am slightly feeling better, its no where near how I would like to feel. I havent had a proper sleep since Friday. We have this whole family weekend thing this weekend, hope I am better by then. 

Sarah - Scary about the antenatal classes :o Ill hear when mine start when I go to the hospital after my next appointment.

Ive had plenty of round ligament pain, weight gain and kicks over the weekend, however, DH still haven't felt them.

Sheece, I wouldn't worry about the symptoms too much if I were you :) I was so worried when my boobs werent sore, but I found mine worked in circles of 3 days. I guess I had a hormone surge every 3 days. I would have super sore boobs, next day less sore and the 3rd day barely anything, and then it would start again. Since I hit the 2nd tri - it hurts all the time, I just want them to calm down a bit lol. You will be just fine, your numbers looks good and I hope you got my luck and have no MS :D I felt queasy around week 6 - 8 but it never got worse than that. And the only times I threw up was from severe heartburn.


----------



## sarah2211

https://i68.tinypic.com/2d0gydf.jpg

https://i68.tinypic.com/16aab89.jpg

Sorry for the quick reply. Been a busy few days. But I thought I'd quickly upload these. Hope they work! Still a boy :)


----------



## Four2Five

Well this journey has come to an end for me :cry: I called my dr to request the 150mg Clomid because my temp is dropping so af is coming. She had told me last month we would move to 150mg after one last try at 100mg. Anyhow I called her to order the 150mg and she said she feels she can no longer help me and that I need to go see a RE. Our insurance doesn't cover an RE and we can't afford it out of pocket right now plus we were only going to try this one last cy anyhow so I guess our time is just cut shorter than we hoped and we will have to move on and accept we won't have a bigger family. Thanks for all your support along the way, I'll try to check in as I can, right now I'm entirely too emotional. :hugs: to you all


----------



## ttc126

Four I'm so sorry &#10084;&#65039;


----------



## ttc126

Sarah, baby is gorgeous!


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, I hope you're feeling better today. It's hard work being sick and pregnant. Your DH will have to be patient but he'll be feeling them in no time.

Four, I'm so sorry. That's not what you wanted to hear. Is there anyway you could get her to agree to 100mg this cycle (you not taking it) and 100mg again next cycle and then just making up 150mg yourself? If only we lived closer because I have some leftover Clomid that I won't be able to use because it expires in July this year. Maybe when you're in Alaska you'll be able to find another doctor who will help you? Feel free to pop in and let us know how you are getting on when you feel ready.

TTC, thanks. It was very exciting seeing the 3D images... Except he looks a lot more like my DH than me! 


The sonographer said he's on the small side of where you'd expect a 28 week baby to be. Not sure what that means. She said he's "very petite". They can be off with their measurements and possibly he's about to go through another growth spurt. The sonographer and the receptionist were gushing over how clear the pictures of him are.


----------



## Sheece

Four, I'm so, so sorry :( Hopefully you might be able to do something like Sarah suggested? 

Nita - I hope you're feeling better today :(

Sarah - what clear pictures!! Too cute. I wouldn't worry too much, I've seen so many posts where people say the measurements were off. 

AFM - my beta came back at 27500. Doubling time of 103 hours ha ha but all looking good. It is slowing down as normal I'm sure. Don't have to worry about it anymore anyway as that was my last beta test! In around 5 hours hopefully we will be seeing our little baby (well blueberry sized bean)!


----------



## Four2Five

Thank you ladies, it's so hard because no one in our family knows we were TTC so I have no where to vent or cry but here with you all. Thank you for your support everyone. She did agree to one more round of 100 if I wanted but won't give anything after that...so I'll be taking this last round this month once af starts but I have no way of getting the other 50mg to make my own 150 or I totally would.


----------



## Nita2806

wow Sarah - such clear images. I can't believe the amount of detail you can see and how far he has developed already. WOW

Four - absolutely devastating reading your message :( Feel free to check in and vent as much as you like and when you want to of course.I hope that you do end up having a big family as you planned some day :hugs:

Sheece - YAY your numbers are good again. Share some pictures of your Blueberry bean, I would love to see how baby looks at that stage in pregnancy. And goodluck, hope you see a nice strong heartbeat as well.

AFM - finally starting to feel better, but I think its going to take a few days to clear up.


----------



## Sheece

Just a quick reply but everything looked good! Heartbeat was 122 bpm. Measuring 6mm min so she thinks I may have ovulated later in day but she said it was normal. And bubs implanted in just the right spot yay!

We actually gpt a mini video which shows ot better than the pics she took so I made it into a gif - hopefully it works! I can't stop watching it!

https://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w406/shellet83/18985854_1_zpsors2lkqj.gif


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks Shecee. She also said I had extra amniotic fluid so I'm not sure what that means. I'm sure I'll find out on Thursday. The video!! The little heartbeat!! You must be feeling so relieved! Over 120 for the heart beat is what you want too. Our was 120 and .764cm. So exciting!!

Nita, thanks. The images are pretty incredible. The sonographer was so excited. She said they're told to do the measuring and the full scan first and then do the 3D part last. But he was in a really good position at the start so she went for it. And then 30 seconds later he moved and put his back to her, which is where he stayed for the rest of the scan. So we were very lucky. But of course, everyone is saying he looks just like my DH and nothing like me haha. Of course I'm the one who did all the hard work. I'm glad you're on the mend. I hope you got to rest over the weekend. 

Four, you are always welcome here. Infertility is the hardest thing I've ever dealt with and that mostly came from keeping it a secret. Feel free to vent and get it all out. I'm so sorry she won't budge on the extra 50mg. While I was waiting to go from50mg to 100mg I did some reading about Clomid resistance. I read lots of academic articles and there were a few suggestions. One was prednisone and Clomid, but most people don't have a supply of that. Also inositol can help but I think you need a few months on it. And also vitamin c was found to help with Clomid resistance. Although not scientific, I took 100mg of Clomid, 10mg of prednisone from CD 3-17 and 3-4 vitamin C tablets each day. My progesterone was 66 that cycle. The next cycle I just took Clomid and no prednisone or vitamin C and my progesterone was 34. If you can't get prednisone, maybe vitamin C? It's a long shot, but anything to help.


----------



## Nita2806

Sheece!! OMG thats so amazing!! You must be so happy right now. Did they do a vaginal US? I am so happy for you!

Sarah, you are very lucky, I have heard so many women complain about not getting a proper 3D image when they go! Especially if you pay for it. Its really good quality, at least you have an idea what baby will look like when he arrives :D :D so exciting.

We are going to a game farm this weekend with DH's family - they are all pretty stuck up so you can tell how much I am looking forward to it. They are already talking about horse rides and game drives and honestly I dont like either, luckily I am not allowed horse rides. As for game drives, have done so many of them when I was young, that I find it really boring. I have seen the big 5 over and over again. My DH wants to visit the local brewery for craft beer and food pairing, that sounds cool, except for the beer ofcourse. So I am thinking of taking my pregnancy book (I got it free from my medical aid) with to read when the others want to do stuff I am not allowed too.


----------



## Sheece

Thanks ladies! I am so happy. I'm also really scared! It's all real now and I just need time to go fast now until our 12 week scan! 

They did do a vaginal ultrasound. They even flicked it over to 3d! I'm really impressed with the ultrasound place. Within 1 minute of walking out the door I had a text message of a link to the photos! 

She *thinks* I may have ovulated from the right, but she couldn't tell for sure as she couldn't find the corpus luteum and could only see a bit of shading on the right side which made her think that was the side.

Which is funny as I felt all niggles from the right, but apparently that tube was blocked in my laparoscopy! I have one determined little sticky bean in there. 

Nita- sounds like you will definitely need a book! Does not sound much fun at all. 

I'll probably be quiet for the next week or so, off on holidays tomorrow! Fingers crossed my symptoms stay mild for the next week heh.


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, they only do 3D scans if you're high risk and having extra monitoring here. Otherwise you pay for them and it's just luck if the baby is in the right position. We were very very lucky. I should get another one in 4 weeks and another one in 8 weeks (if he holds on that long). Sounds like a fun weekend for anyone not from SA but for you I understand! Definitely take your book with you. 

Shecee, what did 3D look like? That's exciting though. That's a shame she couldn't tell for sure which side you ovulated on but it definitely sounds like it could have been the right. If that's the case then she/he is definitely determined! Have a lovely time away, hopefully the sickness stays away! 

I'm feeling really big now. Have officially put on 10kgs. I know I shouldn't complain because I'm lucky to be here but I was kind of hoping I would put on that much my whole pregnancy. No stretch marks though and people at work have commented that I'm carrying just like a boy pregnancy, all bump. But I just feel big all over!


----------



## Nita2806

Quickly checking in for ticker day! sucky tickers this week, no idea what mine is. Sarah, feels like I am catching up to you lol even though we have always been 9 weeks apart :p

I know what you mean with too much weight, Ive picked up 5 kg so far and its in the high end of normal, but I suddenly caught a hunger bug over the last few days, constantly hungry. 

Ovia says my uterus may be high enough to put pressure on my lungs, wow, has it grown that much already, definitely have more pressure on my bladder.

Next week I have my next appointment - yay :D


----------



## Bonnie11

Hi girls! 

Glad to see your all doing well, exciting times and lovely scan pics! Had a doctors appt today, she was a bit concerned as I was having pain on the left side when she was examining me but I think it's just my ovary as they can often be painful and I think I ovulated that side this time too, I'm not worried as it's only painful when she was pressing it! Got my first scan Tuesday so by my estimate it will be just over 6 weeks but I bet they change it! 

I hear you with the weight girls, I've put on 1.5 kg already!! I don't know what's happening, I look and feel really bloated, got a proper belly already but I don't really know whatbloat is made up of! Water?air?? Hoping it's water retention and that's where the weight has come from &#128563;&#128563;


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, The tickers do suck this week. My DH will get a pint of beer, so I know how big that is. But we don't get anything by the gallon here. Our milk comes in 1, 2 or 3 litre bottles. According to Ovia he's the size of a tropical pineapple, barbie car or a new england cottontail rabbit. I think it will feel like you're catching up because Ovia said that my baby isn't going to get any longer, just fatter now haha. 

Ugh the weight gain. I just feel big all over now. I'm either feeling hungry or sick. I'm on the high end of normal for weight gain too. Another reason for breastfeeding! But the midwife asked me if I weighed myself and I told her and she said "it's always the ones who don't need to worry about their weight that weigh themselves". So I guess she's not worried.



Bonnie, I'm glad everything is going well. If the pain is only there when she pushes, I'd guess that's better than there all the time?? Will they be checking out your ovary on your scan? I hope they don't change it and you get to see your wee bubs. I'm not sure what the bloating is. Maybe air? I gained a little bit of weight to start with but then lost 6-8lb in the first trimester. 


AFM, I had my appointment yesterday. She's happy with how things are. Weirdly my tummy is measuring 4-5 weeks ahead, the report said a normal level of amniotic fluid although the sonographer said that there was a bit extra. She said he's on the small side but that's ok. She is going to continue to plot his measurements and said we need to be worried if he's not gaining weight from now on. We are talking about my birth plan/wish list at the next appointment. 

I went to town today and so many people looked at my bump and smiled at me.


----------



## Four2Five

Hey ladies...I miss you all! Is it normal for your LP to change? I always have a 17 day LP but this last cy I only had a 12 day LP and that seems really weird, I also typically spot the day before af but I went right into my normal light flow the first two days and then two days of normal Medium flow but today I'm 5 days into af and I'm having huge clots and extremely heavy flow...my flow should be going back to light today as it normally does...I've never had this happen my af is always light/Medium and I've never got the gushing and clots that im getting.

I never even got to take a preg test last cy because af came so early...I guess my question is could I be having a missed miscarriage or do you think my lp could have just changed and I'm having a weird period? If I took a test would it still have a second line if it's a mmc? I'm pretty confused...and I am on day 3 of my last round of Clomid...Would it be possible if I was just having pregnancy bleeding and now I've miscarried myself because I took Clomid on what I thought was cd 3 :(


----------



## Nita2806

Morning ladies... its been quiet in here, how is everyone?

Had a bit of a boring weekend away with the family, picked a whole KG over the weekend, eating was pretty much what we could do....everything else was just too far away.

I feel I am getting big now, and really uncomfortable. Had a very busy and active little girl over the weekend, but DH still havent felt her kicks, although she kicked while his hand was on my tummy, it was faint kicks so he didnt feel it. :(

And I have my net appointment this Wednesday :D


----------



## Four2Five

We were posting at the same time Nita :haha:


----------



## Nita2806

lol Four - great minds ;)

I don't think you had a MC though, AF on Clomid for me was very different than normal AF, I also thought after I didnt O I had a MC and maybe I Od later, but it seems like a common issue. I had these thick Cloths and AF was very heavy and sore, normal AF for me is Light/medium flow for 4 days. I never stracked O before so Dont know what my LP should be but it was 15 days on Clomid.


----------



## sarah2211

For r2five, we miss you too. I think the general rule about LPs is that they can vary a little but it should only be by a few days. Others can correct me, but 5 days shorter is quite a lot. If you were having a MC I would have thought that you would have a longer LP, not a short one. But it is strange how you're having a different AF to usual. When I had a MC I still had a line the day after I started bleeding but I was too upset to continue testing. I really hope this cycle works for you!

Nita, sounds like a fun weekend of eating haha. Has your appetite increased? I know what you mean about feeling big. That's how I was feeling last week but I think I must have gotten use to it in the past few days. I'm sure it won't belong until your DH can feel her. 

AFM, pretty quiet. Been having some weird cramping, kind of like period pain but my tummy isn't tightening so it's not AF. I haven't rung my doctor but I'm just waiting to see what it's like tomorrow.


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah - I can literally eat and eat and not stop!! The cravings for certain foods are getting less though, I dont feel like eating sour sweets the whole day anymore, so I am using the opportunity to try and snack on healthy foods, for example lunch today is one massive green salad and a few crackers. My baby girl kick me when I eat sweet anyway, so guessing she doesnt want me too lol.

We told our families about the name we chose for her, and so far only great responses. Will be telling friends today :D


----------



## ttc126

Four, it could *possibly* be a chemical pregnancy. A missed miscarriage is when baby stops developing and your body shows no signs like bleeding etc and you find out the heart stopped at an appt.
With that said, my loss in June 2016 was like this. I had a very very short luteal phase and bled very oddly, somewhat lighter bleeding but very clotty. I took a pregnancy test about 2 weeks after what I thought was cd1 and it was positive. Obviously it was a miscarriage and not a healthy pregnancy. If that's what happened to you, which sounds like it could be, I think a test may still show. It took until my next "period" for tests to stop showing positive. But honestly if I hadn't have taken the test I wouldn't have known. My next cycle came on time. But it truly does sound like unfortunately that could be the case for you. I also think instincts are usually right. I was so mad my period came so early and I told my husband if it wasn't so early I'd think I was having a mc based on the clots. That instinct was right. I would test. I'm sorry if that's what happened. &#10084;&#65039;


----------



## ttc126

Hi Sarah and Nita! Sorry I haven't been on much! 
My blood disorder is acting up so I've been extra exhausted. I can feel tons of movement now so I'm relieved! 
I wish I had a good appetite! I finally gained 3lbs but have a difficult time eating. Nita your lunch sounds super good!
Sarah I'm sorry you're having the odd cramps! Keep an eye on it. With my first I was in preterm labor and only had weird cramping.


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, I thought that same as you about Four's AF, my AF was heavy, painful, clots etc on Clomid too. But this isn't her first AF on Clomid so that's why I thought it was a little strange it was different to the others. But from my understand a shorter LP probably wouldn't indicate a MC. Four, I think if you want to know you should do a test ASAP. Your HCG could drop quickly.

My appetite has increased too. I'm either starving or feel sick. I think that their kicks are telling us they like the food haha. 


TTC, sorry you're feeling so exhausted. But yay you're feeling kicks, that's exciting. I haven't had any more cramping so I'm not sure what it was. Google said that it could be constipation, but I'm going at least once, sometimes twice a day (TMI!). Is your blood condition causing any troubles with your pregnancy?


----------



## Nita2806

TTC I am sorry to hear that you are still strugling, I hope it gets better soon!

It makes sense Sarah, she had AF on Clomid before.. hmmm Its a difficult one. I dont really have an idea then or advice, sorry Four :( I will however send you a hug :hugs:

Having another busy day, with baby kicking and resting on my bladder again! She moved over the last few days as my bladder was fine, and today I can feel the pressure. Can't wait to see her tomorrow - hope she is still a she though :D


----------



## sarah2211

I only had 1 Clomid induced AF so I'm not sure either. They might vary from cycle to cycle. I hope you're doing ok Four. 

Good luck for your appointment. I'm finding some of his movements are quite painful and uncomfortable. I'm also feeling really tired again. I'm working today and tomorrow but not sure how I'm going to cope. Hopefully you get to see your little one again tomorrow and she's still a girl. 

We've got our hospital tour this evening.


----------



## Nita2806

She is still very much a girl. And a small one too, just like her mom. I am 21-22 weeks now and she is measuring 19-20 weeks. 13,5CM long and weight 281g. Heartbeat is 158 bpm :D she moved around so much, at first she was upside down, then she turned again LOL but it was amazing to see her stomach, and the 4 heart chambers, her bladder and her ribs/back bone. She is really turning into a little princess now.

I need to do my bed booking at the hospital this week and my 4D scan booking for 2 months from now :D 

DHs friend also gave birth this morning to a beautiful baby boy <3
 



Attached Files:







SmartSelectImage_2017-06-21-16-58-33.jpg
File size: 32.5 KB
Views: 2


----------



## Bonnie11

Ahh lovely pic Nita! so exciting. halfway there now!

Four Clomid did change my O, I O'd on day 23 on Clomid, religiously. And it also did change my periods, on clomid they were much lighter but the doc told me it could change them heavier or lighter or not at all. Fingers crossed for you this month :hugs:

got my scan tomm, was rescheduled from tues, looking forward to seeing the pea and hoping all ok!


----------



## sarah2211

Exciting Nita 

Bonnie, that's interesting because my AF was heavier and more painful on Clomid. Exciting for your scan. Please upload a photo if you want!

AFM, I'm 30 weeks today! Crazy to think in about 10 weeks he will be here! My friend just gave birth this morning to a big 10 and a half pound baby. They've called him the same first name we are planning to use. I knew that was going to happen...


----------



## Nita2806

OMG alomost forgot its ticker day, the last week was so insanely chaotic!

I am sorry your friend took the first name you had :o thats why we announced early...just incase. Will you still use the same name or think of a new one?

I have to complete a dozen of forms and book our prenatal classes as well - I have a feeling the next few months are going to go very quickly. We also thought my mom would be back at work already, but her doctor has her on no duty until middle July, and of course I had to land a huge new contract/client for us this month and I have no idea how I am going to do their work next month... crazy, busy, chaotic times ahead.


----------



## sarah2211

It's Thursday here but the tickers are always slow. 

I think we will still go with the name. DH has wanted to use this name even before we met. The nickname we have for the baby is a nickname for the name we were going to use so I think we will just use the nickname more often. I'm a bit sad about them using the name but more sad about the fact it took us so long to get here. I know that this friend fell pregnant on their second cycle. So knowing that they have had their baby already when we should have had ours ages ago just sucks. 

DH also came home and said his boss is sending some guys overseas this weekend. He doesn't know if it's him, where they're going or for how long for. His boss wants to see him first thing in the morning. 

Plus work was terrible and I have bad reflux/heartburn, exhaustion, nausea, sore and achy, I'm just feeling over it all today. 

I think I might go and have a bath.


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah - are you feeling better today? I understand what you mean when you say, we should have had our babies a long time ago. It took us a year to conceive, the same time it takes everyone else to conceive and give birth. But, I came across this funny thing a while ago, and although it obviously is just a 'saying' it made me think about how long it took... "Things come at the perfect time / perfection takes time" and I can't help to think that our perfect babies took longer to make, and that they will be absolutely perfect. After I saw the detail of our baby girl on the U/S on Wednesday, I feel so lucky and happy to be carrying her. She is and will be worth the wait - and her kicks are getting incredibly . It really sucks that your friend took the name you wanted :( 

I have completed the forms and we will be visiting the hospital this weekend to do our bed booking and 4D scan booking - they said we can bring a DVD with to record it. :D I cant wait.


----------



## Bonnie11

Hi girls! 

Scan all went well, saw a heartbeat! Have a pic but can't post it from my phone it seems. Measuring bang on for my dates and another scan in 5 weeks, feels like ages!! 

Sarah, hope you're feeling better now. Sucks about the name, a friend of mine did it a month before I had my daughter and we decided not to use the name and in hindsight I wished I had as we kind of lost contact after we had children and don't really see him now!! So may still use it &#128514;

Nita did you see Ask4Joy from our Clomid thread has got a possible BFP? She's worried it's an evap but fingers crossed not. It's on the pregnancy test gallery.

Feeling so sick at the moment, this morning sickness really kicking in between 2-5pm!


----------



## Nita2806

Bonnie, i am so happy to hear that you get to see the heartbeat and that everything is still good. So sorry about tge MS! I hope it doesnt get worse! You will see the 5 weeks will go by quickly.

Thank you for letting us know about Ask, I so hope its a true BFP for her, she and everyone there deserves a BFP!


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks Nita. I've been sleeping heaps and have a sore throats and headache. I think it's a mixture of a cold and the 3rd trimester exhaustion. I'll live though. 

It's hard to think that we could have already had our babies. A mother at my school had her son a few days after my due date for my miscarriage. We'd already been TTC for 8 months when I miscarried. I know that we are so lucky to be pregnant now and there are lots of people who aren't yet here. It just makes me feel a bit sad that she used our name only a few months before our baby was due. I think we will still use the name. I like the nickname for the full name better anyway so I think it'll be ok. 

That's exciting Nita. I did my hospital form when I signed up with mymidwife. It was funny because one of the questions was "is this admission to hospital the result of an accident?" Haha probably the furtherest thing from an accident. 

Bonnie, that's so exciting! You must feel a huge sense of relief. I know I did after the 12 week scan. I can't wait to see the picture. I'm sorry about the 'morning' sickness. It sucks! The nausea is creeping back for me too. Thanks for the advice about the name too. If it was family it might be a bit different but I think being friends, it's not such a big deal. I think it's less about the name and more about stupid infertility. I'll have to explain to my friend that we didn't 'steal' the name though. 

I hope Ask's BFP is a sticky one! 

Also, they moved our thread?! Hopefully the others can find us.


----------



## Bonnie11

Yes I noticed they had moved it too! Guess we are not first tri chat anymore &#128514; 

For me the exhaustion is kicking in big time! Have napped for 2 hours in the afternoon for the last 3 days&#128514; I do feel relieved after the scan but I had an early scan with my last one and saw a heartbeat and still lost it at 10 weeks so I think I will feel better when I pass that milestone and get to the 3 month point. 

Hoping you're all having a lovely weekend x


----------



## Nita2806

I suppose the move makes sense.. But I havent noticed it until now. I am sure they will find us, they know about this thread. :D 

Bonnie, I am so sorry you are so tired. Luckily that gets better. Today I was so full of energy, and we are busy with babies room :D i feel that in 2 months or so everything should be ready, soon I will need to slow down a little bit.


----------



## sarah2211

I think they moved a couple of threads over that got too long. 

Bonnie, the exhaustion sucks. Is your little one at preschool so you can have some uninterrupted sleep? I know it's hard to ever feel relaxed that things are going to be ok, especially with a late loss, I can't even begin to imagine. Keeping everything crossed that this will all turn out perfectly. 

Nita, make the most of the energy! I'm just exhausted again. Second trimester was amazing and now I can barely keep my eyes open, except when it's night time and actually time to sleep!

AFM, TMI, I tried hand pumping last night and got some colostrum! I won't do it again until 36 weeks but I'm just excited to know there's something there!


----------



## Nita2806

Sqrah, thats great!! I am pretty sure you will be able to supply enough to breastfeed, how exciting!

Its hard to think that in just over a month I will be in the 3rd trimester too, the 2nd tri went by too fast. I told my DH baby's room should be ready before I hit the 3rd tri. And I am pretty sure I was too active yesterday, my muscles hurt so much today and my tummy.

I have this annoying lady who works with me, who keeps on telling me how much my tummy is growing, I konda want to tell her, thank you but I am not blind I xan see its growing. So instead I just tell her, yup its because Im so hungry. I love being pregnant and I love my preggy belly and that ai cannot hide it anymore, but telling me everyday its getting big, is so annoying.


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks Nita. I'm not sure if having colostrum has much to do with supply, which is generally the issue in PCOS. Not much I can do though, so just keeping my fingers crossed that it'll all be ok. 

The second trimester went quite quick for me too. But if I think back to when my 12 week scan was, that feels like AGES! Everyone else's pregnancies are going fast but mine feels slow haha. 

We are more or less ready for him to come any time now. Ideally he'd hold on a few more weeks but we could manage if he did come early. What do you have left to buy Nita?

I have the opposite problem. People keep saying my bump is so small!


----------



## Bonnie11

thats great news on the colostrum sarah! tip for you guys: my midwife gave me some small 1ml syringe type things and had be express colostrum into them in the few days leading up to giving birth and kept them in the fridge. I took them into hospital and gave them to her in the few days before my milk came in properly and I'm so glad I did! My milk came in late, day 4/5 and she was starving on day 2/3 so it really helped as nothing worse than having a starving child and nothing much coming out! Mine came in late as had an unplanned c section. was very handy having it there as she screamed all night on day 2 as she wasnt getting anything from me!


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks for the advice Bonnie. My midwife suggested the same. She wants me to start hand pumping at 36 weeks and freeze it. I'm going to be seeing a lactation consultant before he arrives too. I've been warned that my Lupus could flare really badly after he's born and I want to have as much frozen in case that happens. 

I've wondered what they do if your milk doesn't come in? I mean can you just wait for it or is your poor baby going to starve? Or if your baby is lip/tongue tied and they're not getting much milk. It seems scary that you might not produce any milk or your baby might be able to get any for a few days. I'd hate for that to happen and then formula becomes the only option :(


----------



## Bonnie11

Your milk will always come in at some point (barring medical conditions) but for some it takes longer than others, I think average is day 3 but can be earlier or later. You'll know as your boobs will suddenly dohjoe in size and be very sore! You will have some colostrum from birth but their tiny stomachs expand quickly and by day 3 she was starving! Sucking and sucking and nothing coming out but thy tell you to keep them at the ready as stimulation is the only way to encourage it. But it's so hard hearing them crying and you've got nothing! That's why I was so glad I had some back up, think she was still hungry but helped a bit. Honestly I found breastfeeding the hardest part of the whole experience but there is loads of help in hospital and out of it so do ask for it, it can be a nightmare but does get easier and However you end up feeding, breast/combo/bottle it's not the end of the world if it's not your perfect image. Most important thing is having a fed baby and a happy mummy xx


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks. At antenatal class they showed us the size of their tummy's (marble at birth, big marble at 3 days and I think a ping pong ball at 10). I'm definitely going to hand pump as much colostrum as I can and have that ready for him. Especially if I have to go on different drugs to control my immune system. At least it'll be a good start if we do have to go with formula. I've heard people say that breastfeeding is that hardest part of it all and there's virtually nothing you can do to prepare for that. I hope my boobs don't double in size, they've already gone from a DD to a G! 

For those 2nd or 3rd (or more) time mums, if you got stretch marks when did you get them. Currently I've got none but I'm wondering if they're still yet to come. My bump isn't huge (and even my DH said I looked just a bit fat if I suck in) and I'm guessing I've got lots of growing to do in the next 10 weeks which might mean I'm more likely to get them?


----------



## ttc126

Sarah you know this is my 3rd pregnancy to come this far. My oldest was born at 36 weeks, second at 37 so I have never gone to 40 weeks. But I have maybe 3 stretch marks...on one hip! None on my belly at all. I've heard it's more genetics than anything. I gained 25 lbs with my first and 35 with my second.This time I'm up 5lbs so we'll see where I end up but I don't expect stretch marks. I also don't do any creams or anything special &#10084;&#65039;


----------



## ttc126

Nita, time for another bump pic! That lady at your work sure sounds annoying! 

Glad all is well Bonnie. Hope time flies to your next scan! I also agree with you on the feeding. I about killed myself trying to breastfeed my first. We were successful but I was very very ill with preeclampsia and a chorio infection and my milk took a week to come in. I stressed that the formula and bottles he got in the NICU had done in my chance to nurse! Not true!!!! It went fine once he got used to sucking a little harder than on the bottles.


----------



## Nita2806

I read an article over the weekend 'the ugly truth about breastfeeding' and one thing was that supply might not be available as soon as you would like after birth. I love reading that you ladies can relate, and that it will be OK! I am not near discussing that with my doctor but will mention it at my next appointment.

My body is in so much pain after the active weekend we had, geeeez! I dont think I am supposed to be this active as this stage - am I?

TTC how are you holding up?

Bonnie - how is the MS? 

I will upload a bump picture this week! I also ordered some maternity Jeans online and they should be here next week :D


----------



## Bonnie11

Stretch marks definitely down to genetics! I had a few from puberty already on my boobs and hips so I knew I would get some in pregnancy. Religiously used bio oil and stretch mark cream since week 8 and still ended up with some on my stomach the last month of pregnancy, quite low down so nothing serious but none of my stretchies have really bothered me to be honest! 

Nita hope you manage to get some rest, it does get harder as you go on! We've got an activity holiday booked for next week so I'm just going to see how I get on really, supposed to be a cycling hol!! 

Sickness bad yesterday but managed to sleep quite a bit, also suffering a lot with round ligament pain! I'm sure I didn't get it this early on last time... 

Have you girls planned your mat leave yet? 

Hoping you ladies have a good week!


----------



## Nita2806

Bonnie - I am busy negotiating my maternity leave today lol but think I will only know certain closer to the time.

I also have our 4D scan booked for 11 August, and our prenatal class and hospital tour is booked for 2 September. :D


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks TTC, I knew youd be able to offer some insight into the stretch mark thing. I'm just worried that he's got lots of weight to gain in the next few weeks so my tummy will probably grow pretty rapidly. I had heard it was a lot to do with genetics and a little bit to do with hydration. I drink heaps of water so we will see. My mum didn't get any and neither did my aunt. But I don't have some on my boobs and 1-2 on my hips from when I was going through puberty. They've all faded now and you can't really see them. 

That's also good to know that you were still able to feed after some formula. I would be worried about the same thing. Did you still 'attempt' to feed during that first week to encourage your milk? 

Nita, i was reading my pregnancy book from the midwife and it said under 32 weeks to not do any heavy lifting because of the relaxin. Not sure if that applies earlier too. But take it easy! You've got a good excuse :) 

Thanks Bonnie, I have a few stretch marks from puberty too. So that's why I expected I'd probably get some. But so far so good. That sounds promising though. And to be honest I'm not too bothered. I'm feeling lucky to be pregnant. Sorry you're having such a hard time. I got round ligament pain really early too. Much earlier than Dr Google says you get it. The morning sickness is back for me too :( I miss the second trimester. 

And for maternity leave, I have 2 more weeks of work although I'm not sure I'll make it this week because I've got a cold, feeling exhausted and the nausea is creeping in :( . I get 18 weeks paid leave from the 10th July. My job also stays open until the start of July 2018 but I don't think I'll go back to work. It'll just be too difficult with DH in the military and my health. Plus there's only a full time option and i don't want to be teaching other people's children while mines being raised by strangers. Are you working or SAHM at the moment?

We might need to do bump photos again!


----------



## sarah2211

Nita that's exciting. Our hospital tour is on Thursday. Has your DH had any luck feeling movements yet?


----------



## Nita2806

sarah2211 said:


> Nita that's exciting. Our hospital tour is on Thursday. Has your DH had any luck feeling movements yet?

Not yet - and looks like he have given up on the idea for now lol. I havent had strong kicks/movements the last few days, just the round ligament pain, so we will try again when she gets more active again.


----------



## sarah2211

Awww it shouldn't be long. When you had your last scan did they say where your placenta was? If it's in front this can make it more difficult to feel movements. I found I had more active days and then a few rest days and then a few crazy active days again. 

I think my body is getting me ready for the midnight wake ups/feeds. I can't sleep even though I'm exhausted. 

Nita how are you getting on with setting up the baby's room?


----------



## Nita2806

At my last scan the OB said my placenta was on top, exactly where it should be - so whatever that mean :haha:

Currently baby's room is a chaotic mess / volcano ready to explode, but the room to which all the stuff needs to move out to are FINALLY empty. We will most likely move the stuff over this weekend and then finally start to plan the rest of her room. Her room has pink curtains so far :D


----------



## ttc126

Aww it will be so fun to set up the room Nita!

Bonnie hope your holiday goes well! 

Sarah I didn't attempt to feed him because he was in the NICU (intensive care for newborns) and we were both too sick. I did pump though. 

As for me, my to do list is so long! We redid our bathroom last week and I really overdid it. My belly ached a lot Nita! I think it's easy to overdo things at this stage. I'm feeling baby a ton! Even from the outside! I think it's because I'm very slim still. My placenta is low and in front so I didn't feel much for quite awhile... I see my OB and hematologist this week and my high risk doctor and ultrasound in 9 days!

Nita and Sarah are you guys still nauseous? Mine is finally easing a little.


----------



## Nita2806

So many appointments TTC! I hope they all go well. 

I consider myself lucky as the only times I felt sick/nausea was while i was taking my prenatal vits (which I stopped) and when I get severe heartburn, that made me throw up. I am however finding the heartburn to get worse now, i have to cook all my food in the oven to avoid oil, etc.

As far as the to do list goes, mine is pretty long too, but after this weekend, I will be relying on DH to do more of the moving and lifting.


----------



## sarah2211

Nita- hmm that doesn't offer an explanation then. I reckon when you go to bed, lie on your left side and get your DH to spoon you and rest his hands on your tummy. It can take a while but if you've got no where else to be hopefully he won't feel impatient. My DH use to have to put his hand exactly where the movement was to be able to feel it but now my whole tummy moves. 

That's exciting about the bedroom. Hopefully you'll have some time to get things sorted this weekend. We are doing things pretty neutral so we don't have to go out and buy a whole bunch of things if number 2 is a girl. You're planning on having her in your room for a while aren't you? When it's all set up I'll take a photo. I was writing a list of things we still need to buy and it was a shorter list than I was expecting. 

TTC, I'm guessing the pumping brought on your supply? I've got a pump just in case. That is a lot of appointments all at once. I hope everything is ok. Do you wear anything to support your tummy? I got some belly bands so that I could keep wearing my old jeans for a bit longer but I find they're really good for pulling up over my tummy for a bit of extra support. 

And I had nausea from weeks 5/6-9/10 and then felt great. But just this week I've been feeling nauseous again. I heard it can creep back in on the third trimester so I was kind of expecting it.


----------



## Nita2806

Oh my DH is most likely the most impatient man I have ever met, whenever he tried to feel her, he didnt keep his hand on my stomach for more than 5 minutes. He havent tried the last few days since I am also not feeling her from outside this week, she gives slight kicks the last few days. She will be staying in our room for a while yes, but we want to have her room ready so she can move over very soon to get used to the environment of her own room. Hopefully we can start getting her things ready from this weekend onwards...

Ugh, I am still sore from the weekend :haha: 

Sucks about the nauseous Sarah! Hope it isnt as bad as in the first tri though. :o


----------



## sarah2211

Haha he can't be impatient if he wants to feel them. At the start, DH would lie there for almost an hour. If you can do it on a weekend morning when you don't have to get up early? But if you're not feeling them on the outside then he probably won't yet. 

That's the same as us with the nursery. We will have it all ready but he will be in with us. But I'll use the change table in there during the day etc. plus I don't have much hope in being able to do much set up when he's here. We've started cooking and freezing meals. Even DH said it was exciting that we would eat this food when he's here haha. 

I hope you can get some rest Nita. Is your mum back at work yet?

It's definitely not as bad as the first trimester. I think part of it is because I'm really tired and sick with a cold. My cough keeps waking me (and DH and the baby) up in the middle of the night plus it's giving me a headache and making my tummy feel nauseous. 

I hope we see Shecee back here soon. I know she went to the Hanson concert and they were on the TV here last night because they'd arrived in NZ haha (by the way, I'm not going!)


----------



## Bonnie11

Freezing meals is the absolute best thing Sarah! Honestly I filled the freezer with meals before she was born and it was so nice to be able to just grab things and not have to think about it, I cooked tons! 

I've been so exhausted this time around, I remember the first time around I had a nap for half hour or so in the afternoon sometimes but this time around I'm bone tired!! Last 2 days I've been asleep by 9, slept till 7am, did the morning School run and came back and slept 10.30-2 before going to pick her up again! And honestly it was a struggle getting out of bed in the afternoon I feel like a zombie till around 7pm and then have a couple of hours feeling ok before sleep again! I'm still feeling a bit nauseous in the afternoons but the tiredness is definitely the worst bit... on that note I'm off to bed ðð


----------



## sarah2211

Bonnie, I've heard they're really good! Especially with my DH being in the military I know there will be times when he's away and it's just me and the baby at home and I'll be left to do everything and cereal or toast for dinner will just be really appealing haha. What sort of things did you have frozen?

You sound like I was in the first trimester. I spent nearly all day in bed, nap and then be in bed asleep by 6pm. Slowly that improved, I remember having 2 nights in a row when I went to bed at 7.30pm haha. I can feel the fatigue creeping back in but I've got a cold at the moment, I'm awake all night coughing and have no voice. Hopefully you've only got a few more weeks of it to go.


----------



## Sheece

Hey guys, I'm back! I actually got back home last Wednesday but I've been sick with a virus since then and only got off the couch to come to work today! Way too old for following a band around clearly  

Hope you are all well! I'll have to read back and catch up :) 

I'm 9 weeks today woo! But I've just started having (tmi) brown discharge which worries me as it looks like what I had when I had my first M/c (that was at 4 weeks tho!). Hoping it's just placenta implantation bleeding or something! 

I don't have another ultrasound until 21st July (12 weeks 2 days) so I'm struggling a bit without all my monitoring!


----------



## sarah2211

Yay welcome back! Haha I thought you were brave going to the concert plus being pregnant! I hope you feel better soon! Wow 9 weeks has gone so fast!! Have you rung your doctor/clinic about the spotting? I had spotting at about 5 weeks and freaked out. The fertility clinic said as long as it's not bright red it's ok. I also read that women sometimes get spotting around when they would usually get their period. I'd ring and check if I was you, especially being on progesterone. They might do another scan or blood test. 

I swear my bump isn't growing. It looks smaller than at 26 weeks


----------



## Sheece

I haven't rung yet. Im confused who to ring! fertility clinic would be more helpful but I'm not officially a patient anymore and I've been referred back to GP who I don't think will be very helpful. 

It seems to be a bit less each time I check but I keep reading nightmare stories about missed miscarriages :/ I'll give them a call once I'm out of work and hope they don't just say "thats normal go away"


----------



## sarah2211

If I was you, I'd ring the fertility clinic. The worst they'll say is that it's now the GP's job. But they'll probably be helpful because they know your history. I hope it's nothing and if you're not having cramps or bright red blood it's a good sign. Best to get it checked out though!


----------



## Bonnie11

Thanks Sarah! Good to know I'm not alone... feel totally wiped out! Not quite sure how I'm going to cope on our cycling holiday next week ð³ 

I froze a ton of meals, probably enough for 4-6 weeks worth of dinners! I did things that were easy to batch cook i.e. Made a huge batch of mince and used it for spag Bol, chilli con carne, enchiladas, taco mix etc. Then same with chicken mix etc. If you have a slow cooker (I recommend one!) they also have a ton of 'dump bag' meal recipes on google where you put everything in a bag and freeze it so all you need to do at some point in the day is take the bag out the freezer and dump it in! Also bought loads of lazy stuff like pre chopped onion and peppers etc, you'll need all the help you can get! Honestly the last thing I wanted to do was cook. 

Sheece I would definitely ring someone about the spotting, we have early pregnancy units attached to our hospital which we can call with any problems in the first 12 weeks and we get in touch with them with anything like bleeding etc but not sure if you have anything like that there? X


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah, my DH isnt willing to hold his hand on my tummy for longer than 5 minutes, then he gets upset and just say we will try again. She is still quiet now, I felt a few faint kicks this morning. My mom is not back at work yet, she is still booked off for no duty until 11 July... ugh.

Welcome back Sheece - definitely ring someone to find out about the spotting, you are not supposed to have any amount of spotting while on Progesterone.

I thought about the freezed meals as well, but so far I buy food that is easy to prepare, like meat that I can cook in the oven, and already cut veggies and potatoes, etc. I just put everything the oven, wait and hour, and dinner is done. I am planning to ask my MIL and granny to assist when baby is here.


----------



## Sheece

I didn't think of that Nita hmm.

But its actually not spotting exactly, its just tinted brown watery discharge :/ it seems to be going away over the day too. I haven't called yet (stuck in work) but if its no better in the morning I'll call GP. 

Bonnie - I don't think we have anything like that here. Nothing that I'm aware of anyway!


----------



## ttc126

Bonnie I love those dump meals too! About every 2 weeks I make 14-16 meals for the crock pot or to pop in the oven. So much easier than cooking from scratch every single night. I love this woman who runs a site called New Leaf Wellness. Super easy recipes and they've all been great!

And Sheece, I would still call about the brown discharge but it can happen sometimes even on progesterone. Definitely call though.


----------



## Sheece

This morning I had a few red spots so that sealed the deal for me and I rang doctors. Got in straight away and she gave me a quick ultrasound but their machine was horrible & she wasn't trained properly so as she warned me, we couldn't see much. Checked my cervix and there was no sign of blood and it was nice and closed at least.

She did mention it could be the placenta implanting too. She was really good and set my mind at ease! I have an ultrasound in a few hours at my normal ultrasound place so that will tell me definitely, and I had a blood test too, and a follow up one in 48 hours. So they are nothing but thorough thankfully! 

I'll let you know how I go - Happy to get a chance to hopefully see my happy healthy baby earlier than anticipated at least! Thanks for the advice girls xx


----------



## Nita2806

I am glad you called Sheece, and they are so thorough! Its really reassuring to know you get to see your little one a bit earlier too. Goodluck and I hope you get some good news!

Sarah - I don't know about you but I woke up this morning thinking 'is it ticker day already' - it goes by way too quickly. Its already been more than a week after my last appointment and less than 3 weeks till my next.


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks Bonnie. I'll look into those dump bags. They sound really good. I was planning on doing the same with the mince and having a few different combinations ready to go. I definitely don't think I'll feel like cooking. 

Shecee, I'm glad your doctors are being thorough and checking that all out. Fingers crossed everything is fine. Did they see the heartbeat at your ultrasound? 

Nita, it won't be long until you're both feeling lots of kicks. I know, I checked ovia and I was surprised it was another week gone! 

AFM, I'm still sick, coughing all night, losing my voice, plus horrible heartburn. I had work today which was exhausting and I have my work baby shower tomorrow. Then I had the midwife which was full on. We went through the birth plan with her, talked about pain relief (they won't offer it unless I ask) and tearing during labor. My midwife said that they will never cut if they think you're going to tear. There have been many times when she's thought women were sure to tear and she put pressure on the perineum and guided the head out there's been no tear. I'll start antenatal expressing from 36 weeks and she said ideally we will have at least 20mls but the more the better. Unfortunately my iron levels are really low so I'm starting iron tablets. She's also concerned because I've lost weight in the last 2 weeks and my tummy is measuring smaller than my last appointment too. I knew I wasn't imagining my bump getting smaller. She wants me to do my growth scan early to make sure he's ok. Then tonight we had the hospital tour, which was good but I was exhausted. I'm off to bed now...!


----------



## Nita2806

Sounds like a lot Sarah! Get some rest, phew, even just reading what a day you had was exhausting. You are in the last stretch now, and it wont be long from now on until you meet him. I hope everything is OK.

My granny told me today, I have a big chance to get twins at some point if we keep on having babies. I asked her why, only twins in our families is my husbands mom, she said no, her dad was a twin and my moms brother was a twin (his twin didn't make it though) - and if I keep on taking Clomid... I am surprised there is only one :o


----------



## Sheece

My worst fears were confirmed sadly. Mmc at 8.5 weeks so only just happened :(


----------



## Bonnie11

Oh sheece I'm so so sorry. It happened to me only recently so I know the pain you're going through. There are no words. It's so awful. Did they talk to you about what will happen so you're prepared? If you want to know any more just ask me. Take your time honey and rest for now xxxx


----------



## sarah2211

Sheree I'm so sorry. I'm actually crying. That is the worst news ever. I hope you are ok or as ok as you can be. Take as much as time as you need and if there's anything we can do. I feel heartbroken :(


----------



## ttc126

Oh sheece! Such horrible news! I'm so sorry. As you can tell from my signature I've been there far too many times. Please feel free to pm me if you'd like. I'm so so sorry.


----------



## Nita2806

I am so sorry sheece :( I dont have words. Please take care of yourself now and take some time for yourself. I wish I could do or say anything to make it better :(


----------



## Sheece

Thanks for the support ladies x I wont put too much depressing stuff in this thread! My d & c is monday morning. We are doing ok today. Got a lot of emotion out yesterday. Just need to work out what the next steps are. 3rd times a charm and all that.

I'll keep checking in on you girls I love seeing your progress and your ticker updates :p Might just be quiet for a while.


----------



## Nita2806

Take your time Sheece, and most important, take care of yourself, let go a little if thats what it takes :) . I hope everything goes OK on Monday. You will always be welcome on here to talk, ask for advice or even vent. We all know how though it can be on you when it comes to TTC. And I am positive that you will be back soon with a BFP.

Goodluck on the journey ahead. :hugs:


----------



## sarah2211

Awww shecee, you always handle all of this so well. You're a lot more resilient than me! I'm just so sorry this happened and I wish this wasn't happening. I've heard lots of women say that they wanted to get a second scan to just 'confirm' things before they went through with the d&c. I'm not sure if that's what you want to do. But I'll be thinking of you and hope that you're managing ok. 

And thanks for your comment before Nita. I've got a growth scan booked in Tuesday just to make sure everything is ok. My midwife didn't want me to wait until 32 weeks.


----------



## Sheece

Sarah im having another ultrasound at the hospital before the procedure but yeah, I saw it for myself too :/

I dont know about resilient, just a coping mechanism I guess!


----------



## Bonnie11

Oh sheece so sorry for you. Rest, be kind to yourself and cry as much as you need. It's horrible but it did bring me some comfort knowing it was so common, it's nothing that you did it's just the baby didn't develop properly. It doesn't make the pain any less but it brought me some comfort knowing I wasn't alone xxx


----------



## Nita2806

Is anyone else strugling with heartburn? I get heartburn the last few days from everything I eat or drink, even water... I really havr no idea what to eat and drink to avoid it anymore, and then I read it gets worse in the 3td trimester, i hope not...


----------



## sarah2211

Yep, having a hard time with heart burn. It's much worse when I'm at work because I'm bending down to talk to little people. I find if I'm bending down to pick things up it sets it off. 

My midwife said to either drink or eat, don't do both at the same time. Have small meals and eat fatty food in the morning rather than night. She said gaviscon is good for 'putting a lid' over the top of where the stomach acid comes out. Also sleeping on your left side helps (you should be sleeping on either left or right side from now on Nita). The dumb thing for me is that I can't take any antacids or calcium within 2 hours of my iron tablets and I have to take my iron tablets before bed and that's when I often get it worse.


----------



## Nita2806

I am sleeping with a pregnancy pillow which restricts me from sleeping in any other position lol, but it doesnt help the heartburn, gaviscon helps but its so expensive, taking it every night will just cost me a fortune. I have a little heartbur during the day but somehow at 10pm it rocks up like crazy.

And then, DH and I did some shopping, and we now own a camp cot, a foldable crib and a jogger. :D so exciting. We just need the base for the car seat which we will get next month, other than that I will be waiting to see what I get at the baby shower. Sarah, when is your baby shower? Mine should be end August/start September. I asked that it be held early, between 30-32 weeks so I can enjoy myself without being too uncomfortable.


----------



## Bonnie11

Don't know what it's like over there Nita but our big pharmacies do a generic heartburn relief which is at least half the price of gaviscon if not more! I was chugging away on that during my 3rd tri last time. I've had a bit of heartburn on and off but nothing too serious. Having said that I never had heartburn before I was pregnant and every after I gave birth the heartburn stuck around and never really left! Pretty infrequent but I assumed it would disappear after I gave birth :shrug:


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, that's good about the pillow. Maybe try and prop the head of your bed up? I use to get terrible reflux when my old stupid rheumatologist just wanted to treat me with NSAIDs and 'wait and see'. It damaged my vocal cords and now my voice goes husky haha. I find mines worse at night time too and now with the iron tablets I can't do anything about it. Gaviscon isn't too expensive here. I bought 48 (I think) for $12. 

That's exciting about the shopping. It sounds like you're nearly organized. We aren't having a baby shower. No offense to anyone but we just feel a bit uncomfortable about it because they are often about presents and asking other people to buy things for the baby etc and we don't feel comfortable with that. It's considered quite an 'american' tradition (like Halloween which is generally frowned upon here - people think it's rude to go and ask random strangers for lollies). My work threw me a little surprise baby shower which was embarrassing enough! We are thinking of maybe having a 'welcome to the world' party when he's here but mainly so people can meet him. Anyway that's exciting for your baby shower, you might still be uncomfortable around 30-32 weeks haha I am and I'm not even big! 

Bonnie - ugh I was hoping it would go away after the baby is born :(

AFM, DH is away tomorrow morning for a week. I probably won't be able to contact him but if I go into early labour or have any issues they'll be able to (hopefully) get him on a satellite phone. I've got my growth scan tomorrow afternoon so hopefully everything's ok.


----------



## Nita2806

Oh wow Sarah - amazing how things differ. Everyone knows the babyshower is all about the gifts here, but its also a special time for the mommy to be to bond with friends and family and get some advice. My mom and aunt will be organizing my baby shower, and they will be highly offended if I told them I dont want one. My mom even apologized for not starting to buy things for her, even though we havent asked anyone to buy anything. Yet I have 3 bags of gifts already for her. Everyone is super excited for the baby shower just so they can buy gifts and spoil me :D

Our whole house is re-organized and baby room is ready - empty but ready. We will wait and see what we get at the baby shower and after that just buy the last few things, however, we dont think we will need much though. I will be working weekends from now on for a bit of extra monies :)

Hope everyone had a good weekend?


----------



## sarah2211

Some people do do baby showers here but I think it's probably more common not to. I hate to say it but a lot of the celebrations here focus around drinking alcohol haha and I guess you could say baby showers aren't typically big booze ups. I don't know, DH and I just felt a bit awkward expecting presents for our baby. We brought him into the world and can provide for him. I think I find the gift registry the most uncomfortable. Plus a lot of our family and friends are scattered around the country and wouldn't be able to make a baby shower. 

That's exciting. I love setting up the nursery. It's not quite finished but we are getting there. DH is away now and I only have 2 days of work left! So I'm looking forward to getting stuck into the last of it.


----------



## sarah2211

New tickers Nita. I'm not sure how big a mega chupa chup is and all mine from Ovia are lame this week.


----------



## Nita2806

Oh no, I missed ticker day. Its already friday here. Boring this side as well, lol.

I have been extremely busy this week and my back is aching like crazy, so sleep is a luxury at this point. Working the weekend too, so no hope in resting to hope it gets better. Good news though is, my mom is back at work next week.

How did the growth appointment go Sarah?


----------



## sarah2211

Underwhelming tickers haha. It seems to be the case lately. 

I've been having a few Braxton hicks. I was a little worried because they were really close together but have seemed to ease off. 

The growth scan was all ok. His head is in the 95th percentile and he's moved up to being in the 35th percentile overall. So no explanation for my tummy getting smaller and the weight loss. 

Nita, have you got a Swiss ball? They're really good for leaning over. Our antenatal tutor said if you can get your hips rotating backwards you open up your pelvis and make much more room for the baby to get through. When you kneal and lean over a Swiss ball it does that plus it also helps your back. 

Haha what's sleep? 

I'm glad your mum is back. That'll take a bit of the weight off you at work.


----------



## Bonnie11

Hi ladies, am back from holiday! Was rather tiring but coped well and was lovely to be outdoors for a week, feel exhausted today though! 

How are you both getting on? Ive just got my date through for my scan, Aug 3rd so by my dates I will be 12+ 4.. fingers crossed!


----------



## sarah2211

I'm glad you had a good time Bonnie! I just got home from a weekend away. It was my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary. It was a busy weekend and I'm exhausted. Way too pregnant to be doing all of that haha. I can feel that I'm slowing down and my energy is disappearing. 

That's exciting for the scan too. But when I first read that I thought surely you must not mean August because I'm due that month. Then I realized you did and I'm actually due soon haha freaking out a little!


----------



## Nita2806

I am so glad you had a fun holidag Bonnie, hows your symptons though? So excited for your scan :D 

Sarah, I read on your ticker 54 days to go, at first I thought that stilk 2 months away, then realised its next month :o I am on another thread and the lady mentioned we are almost down to double digits and gosh that made me freak out, so I can imagine how freaked out you are.

Im getting uncomfortable when I bath and bend, and DH thinks thats funny ofcourse :p my next appointment is in just over a week and I have an idea shes going to be measuring even smaller. My bump havent grown much since 20 weeks. But shes definately a strong kicker :D which is exciting.


----------



## Bonnie11

Yes not long for you now ladies before the fun really begins! Have you got your hospital bags packed yet? That's when it felt real to me I think! 

Feeling ok at the moment. Not as sick as I did which is freaking me out a bit but I do still have other symptoms so that's making me feel a little better! Wondering if it's a boy this time as I feel very different to when I had my daughter. cant wait to find out what it is, don't know how people wait till the baby is born, I want to know right now!!!


----------



## sarah2211

Haha Nita, 54 days is nothing! I didn't read that on my ticker and now I'm freaking out again! I've heard some people say they're worried about having a baby and how they'll manage but I'm just worried about the actual labour and delivery. I have almost no idea what to expect but everyone's been giving their advice. 

I'm at the uncomfortable stage too. It's hard to get dressed, put shoes and socks on etc. I kind of wish it was summer here now (our summers don't get that hot) so I could wear dresses and jandles without freezing. You might be surprised Nita, my tummy has shrunk but he had grown bigger! So weird. 


Bonnie, packing my hospital bag is on my to do list this week. I'm not sure if it's too early but I'll need to buy a few things so I think it's a good idea to start getting it all ready. 

I found it so hard to wait until 20 weeks too. I don't know how people wait until the birth either. I had a gut feeling and was about 90% sure we were having a boy so you might be right with your gut feeling. My mother in law swears by the craving salty foods for boys and sweet for girls. She's had 7 children and it's been right for her each time.


----------



## Nita2806

I have to agree with you Sarah, I am not scared at all to care for baby after she has been born, but more so for the actual labour part, and that freaks me out, especially reading our local forums where women say they experience bleeding for 6 weeks after? Like Woah! This morning DH asked me if I am excited, I said yes and no, yes because I cant wait to meet her and no because of the birth part, i need more time to get ready for it, thankfully I do have time, phew. 

I will start with my hospital bag at week 32 so its ready sooner rather than later. Ill be packing a bag for myself and baby(which the hospital will give me) and a bag for DH with 2 pairs of clean clothes and a lot of healthy snacks to keep him full. Ive started with the planning so far :D

I also dont like the whole winter idea, I discovered leggings but my jackets are all too small. Then I will just add, we are having the hottest winter in many years, its only really cold at night, we walk around in short sleeves during the day (Day temperature is around 23 degrees Celsius). I cant wait for summer though.. However our summers are very very hot with temperatures going into the 40 degrees Celsius.. :o

When do you think you will find out the gender Bonnie? I found out on 16 weeks already, but I know, not everyone everywhere get to have a 16 week scan but rather 12 and 20 weeks..


----------



## sarah2211

I think because we both had quite a bit of time to emotionally prepare for what it'll be like with a baby while TTC. But the actual labour is quite a big unknown. Plus everyone's different and every labour is different. I've heard some people sail through it and others it's quite traumatic. It's become more scary since having antenatal class and hearing about the different stages and pain relief etc and also going through our birth plan with the midwife. I'm not sure if I shared her stance on pain relief. But my DH would like for me to have a pain relief free birth (lovely of him...) and my midwife said that she prefers that too but can and will administer pain relief if I ask and look like I 'need' it.. The options available are gas, epidural and fentanyl and I've said that they're my order of preference. I just have this gut feeling I'm going to get an epidural. 

Packing my hospital bag is on my to do list. Well I'm going to try and start this week. Our hospital provides a lot of things for the baby while we are there, plus I'm quite happy to send my DH home to get things. Unfortunately, Dads can't stay overnight at our hospital so he'll have to go home each night. I really only plan on staying 1 night, but if things turn bad I might have to stay longer and they might let him stay the night if that happens.

My brain has turned to mush in the past week. I can't remember if I've told people things and when I've got appointments and things I need to do... So I'm writing as much down on the calendar/to do list. 

Our winters aren't too bad, like around 10 to 15C degrees in the day and between 5 to -2C at night. Our summers vary, like last year the average was 16 to 25C but the year before we were having 30C+ days. And it varies heaps depending on where you are in the country. I've been wearing DH's jacket because mine stopped doing up a few weeks ago.


----------



## Bonnie11

Nita yes I bled for nearly 6 weeks! It really varies person to person though, some people only a couple, others on and off up to 8. All I will say is buy at least twice as many maternity pads as you think you will need! I ended up getting through loads. 

My only advice with your first birth plan is not to be too stuck on an idea. It's good to have a vague plan but as soon as you start imagining how things will happen it's bound to be the opposite! Babies have their own way of doing things unfortunately. Personally I found my first birth a bit traumatic, not in the birth itself as we were both fine at all times, just in the way that it happened in the opposite to what I wanted. I was aiming for minimal intervention, light pain relief if needed but hopefully none, delayed cord clamping etc. And I ended up with the complete opposite! Pessaries, drips, spinal block and epidural! It took me a long time to get over they way she was born when in fact the thing I was sad about was that it wasn't the lovely way I had imagined. At the end of the day all that matters is that you and the baby are safe and healthy, however they come out. So just don't have too many plans is my advice! You might be screaming for an epidural after a couple of hours or you might sail through a 30 hour labour on gas an air, it's impossible to tell before you get there. This time around I'm aiming for a VBaC which I hope will go well, there's no reason it shouldn't, but at the same time ready to accept for things to be different. 

So exciting for you guys, makes it seem ages away for me! Got 30 weeks still &#128555;


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks Bonnie, I've started getting everything ready for the hospital bag. I bought a pack of the old lady incontient undies at the supermarket and one pack of maternity pads but I'll grab more in the next few weeks. Packing my hospital bag makes me appreciate why women would have home births haha everything is right there. 

I agree, and I think the most daunting thing is that you can't prepare for it because anything could happen. I'm definitely not firm on anything happening or not happening during labour. I'm open to anything that will get him out. There are things that we'd like to have like delayed cord clamping, immediate skin on skin etc. The only thing I'm desperate about is making sure I can BF and if not that I've expressed enough colostrum so his first few feeds aren't formula. 

I really hope this time goes smooth for you and you can have your VBAC. Is there anything that they need to consider when doing a VBAC? Like to make sure there are no complications? 

My due date is next month! Even though it's the 31st and I only just scrape in August! It's scary to think that!!


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah - I feel like we are having a typical summers day in NZ, today is 8 degrees minimum, and maximum 25 - and this is in the middle of winter :O

Thats great advice Bonnie - Things never work out as planned anyway, but I am so hoping to go natural with the epidural. But in the end if myself and baby is healthy and OK it doesnt really matter how it happened. I have heard only great things about my doctor too when it comes to delivering babies - so I think it will be OK and SO WORTH IT in the end. And, it can't be that bad if women want to do it more than once ;)

Something funny: I always hear how the people in other countries think the lions walk free in the streets of South Africa - and today I have to admit that its the truth. :haha: a few lions escaped from the Kruger National Park and they are walking the streets... lol


----------



## sarah2211

Lucky you! We are expecting a cold snap tonight, but we won't be hit the worst. Plus I've got nowhere to be so I'll just stay at home where it's warm. 

And Nita, make the most of the second trimester, I'm starting to feel slow, big, tired, nauseous, forgetful, overwhelmed and just blah now.


----------



## Nita2806

I am starting to feel aches and slow already Sarah, and I only have just over 2 weeks left of my second trimester. I cant believe how the time have gone by so quickly. :o My 4D scan is exactly 1 month away - I cant wait.


----------



## Nita2806

Ladies, I need your opinions please. See below my bump shots, taken 3 werks apart. I feel like I havent grown that much really, what do you ladies see judging by the photo? Sorry its bad quality, but its the only way I could get it to upload from my phone.
 



Attached Files:







SmartSelectImage_2017-07-11-17-20-28.jpg
File size: 21.1 KB
Views: 3


----------



## sarah2211

It was somewhere between the start of the third trimester and about a week later I started feeling blah. I miss the second trimester haha. But I've been told (even by ransoms in town) that I look good and not swollen like pregnant women usually get. Two of my aunties who are pretty honest told me that they thought I would be massive, puffy, swollen and huge (thanks heaps haha) but that I definitely wasn't. 

I can see your bump has grown Nita. It looks like your back is arching more in the 23 week photo though. But I wouldn't worry. Mine stayed the same for weeks and it seems to grow overnight and then nothing for ages. 

This is my pathetic bump. This was at 31 weeks. I'll see if I can do an updated one today. It's grown a little since then. 
https://i66.tinypic.com/8wy00j.jpg


----------



## ttc126

Aww I like both your bumps! Sorry I follow you guys but don't keep up great! Pregnancy with 2 toddler boys is so exhausting!


----------



## sarah2211

That's no worries TTC. I bet it's full on! I didn't realise my photo was going to be so big too! Sorry

For those of you who aren't finished your families (or when you weren't finished) what form of birth control are you going to use once your baby is here? If any.. I'm thinking of none. I'm wanting to see what my cycle does after he's born. We might just use the pull out method. I'm feeling like that would be a pretty safe option considering for most of your cycle you're not fertile and I didn't seem to be fertile for any of my cycle anyway! Maybe when I'm able to get enough sleep to temp I might go back to that.


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah - I told my DH I dont want to go on birth control ever again, and he totally understands why and what it has done to me, so after Liezl has been born we wont be preventing in any way whatsoever, more like NTNP. If it happens that I fall pregnant again - great, but when we are ready for no. 2 and we arent pregnant yet we will see my Gynae again and jump straight to IUI with a sperm wash to increase our chances for a boy. My body couldnt get back to normal after I was on BCP for only 9 months, I dont see regular cycles for me after birth. Once our family is complete either myself or DH will have to snip done, but no BCP or any other form of BC for me.

I have this other dilemma - We have 2 sets of stairs at work to our office, about 22 steps in total, and this morning I almost fell, luckily I could pull myself up before falling, I am just thinking as we go on, my balance would become less, and after this morning I am really scared to fall on the stairs - I dont really know how to address this..


----------



## sarah2211

I agree. I don't think it's a good idea for either of us to go back on birth control. However I did find my cycles were most regular straight after coming off the pill. But I'm not going to go back on the pill unless a fertility specialist told me to. I think we will give it 18 months before going to a fertility specialist though. What do the statistics/research say about sperm washing and IUI for boys? 

I made a whole heap of lactation cookies today. I've already eaten quite a few haha so I hope I don't start leaking. 

I'm definitely more clumsy but I don't find my balance is too bad. I can still crouch down and be ok. Is there a hand rail?


----------



## Nita2806

We havent done any research on sperm wash yet, since my DH and I are still considering it (I still hope I get pregnant naturally though) but when my gynae told us she does it, she said it isn't 100% certain but your chances are higher than the current 50/50 chance. I think we will also give it about 2 years and if nothing we will go back and find out how the sperm wash work and what the chances are. I am not worried about it now - I just know that no BCP for me - and we have both agreed which I am happy about.

There is a hand rail on the stairs, but the steps are very narrow and slippery most of the times, and I need to go up and down a few times a day.


----------



## sarah2211

I see. I think more boys are conceived than girls (naturally) anyway so your odds are in that favour anyway. I think we will probably have 3 babies and I'm happy if they're all healthy (obviously) but would prefer not all boys! But I know that wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. 

I guess you'll just have to take it slowly. It's probably more dangerous putting a mat or something on it. We have really strict health and safety laws here so if this was the case at my work I'd lodge a job and they'd deal to it asap! But I don't have a job anymore haha

Like I said earlier my brain has gone to complete mush. My friend text me last week wanting to catch up on Thursday which was fine. But for some reason I thought tomorrow was Wednesday and made a few other plans for tomorrow. But tomorrow (now today) is Thursday and I've now got a million things to do, plus a midwife appointment and catch up with my friend. I'm still not sure what day it is and how I could even lose a day haha. I only realised when Ovia told me that the baby is the size of a ferret that it was Thursday. Anyway, ticker day today Nita!


----------



## sarah2211

I had the midwife today. She said my blood pressure has dropped, which is good because it was borderline high. Also, she's pretty happy I don't have GD (which took quite a bit on convincing!) so I can stop finger pricking. She also looked at the measurements of my previous scan and said that they got the head measurement wrong (said it was bigger than it actually was) and she can tell because she's plotting all his measurements and said that heads don't just grow that much in 3 weeks. So based on all his other measurements he's still a little bubba, sitting around the 10-20 percentile. So I'm hoping that means I'll be pushing out a little bubba haha. And, his head is engaged!! Which is making me feel a little freaked out haha. He's in the LOL position (I don't think that stands for laugh out loud) which is perfect for birthing :)


----------



## Nita2806

I missed ticker day again lol - I like however that I am carrying a bag of oreas :D

I am glad your visit to the midwife went well Sarah.

Its been really hot here the last 2 days, so I strugled to sleep and just feel uncomfortable all over (but I prefer the hot weather) we have a cold front and snow on the mountains heading our way over the weekend - not looking forward to that though.

DH felt a proper kick for the first time this morning! YAY - She kicked me when I just woke up, I waited a few seconds and she started kicking hard, I woke DH up and told him to quickly put his hand on my tummy, and then he started smiling from ear to ear and said he can feel it, so kicked him twice before stopping again.


----------



## sarah2211

Haha I feel like I'm carrying a loaf of bread! 

We've had cold weather here, and heaps of rain. Lots of road closures and flooding. I nearly didn't make it home from the midwife. I'm glad it's not hot here.

That's good Nita, I'm glad he was able to feel her. It's taken him a wee while! I find that even when my baby is sleeping and nice and still, if my DH talks to him he wakes up and starts kicking. He recognises my DH's voice. He's still away, so I get a bit of peace and quiet at the moment haha.

Ugh this heartburn sucks :( I've taken Gaviscon and Zantac, still it's horrible.


----------



## Nita2806

Hi ladies. Gosh its been a busy few days. On Saturday we went to a coffee and chocolate show, which was overcrowded. We couldnt even find a table to eat so we had to stand for about 5 hours straight, my back was killing me and yesterday we were out with friends and the other friends came for a braai. I couldnt sleep last night because my back was still so sore and I had horrible heartburn.

Sarah, it took him a while but he felt proper kicks, he believes she is a little kickboxer. We have our appointment in just under 2 days and I am hoping that she is still on track and not measuring too small. Just cant wait to see her though.

Have you tried taking a glass of milk after you have eaten Sarah for the heartburn? I have bee doing it for a week and seems to help.


----------



## sarah2211

Sounds like a busy weekend. Has work calmed down a little with your Mum back? Do people over there offer seats to pregnant women? I was at the pharmacy the other day and I had a seat (and there was a man a bit older than me and a teenage girl). An old lady came up looking for a seat and I stood up to give her a seat.. I forgot I was pregnant and probably deserved one haha. But it was pretty rude of those others not to offer.

Yeah I'm convinced our boy is a kickboxer, or a monkey. His movements have changed in the past few weeks though. I quite often (like right now!) have a foot that's poking out. His movements feel a lot 'bigger' rather than lots of little kicks. I reckon he knows his Dad is away though, he's not quite as responsive.

I was drinking a glass of milk before eating to 'line' my tummy, but the midwife said eating and drinking together often makes heartburn worse. I didn't find it made much difference, but milk on an empty stomach helps. I've also been eating fruit tingles/fizzy lollies. They taste yum and help with heartburn! 

I've started washing his clothes, packing the hospital bags and cleaning the house! I really feel like my bump isn't that big. I was expecting it to be massive by now, so I'm making the most with cleaning and nesting now!


----------



## Nita2806

25 week scan done and dusted. Was a very short appointment, everything looks good with me and baby. She is still measuring small (600grams) and 18,3cm but she is growing a lot(she weighed 280grams 4 weeks ago) so thats great. We have our next appointment in 4 weeks at the OB and the 4D scan :D

My OB also said we can expect her to be smaller than the average 3.4Kgs at birth (no surprise at all) 

I also pulled a muscle in my back and it hurts so much to the point that DH cant even put anything on it. I start to cry if someone just touch the area. :(

It also seems like I have a week or so left in the 2nd trimester :O


----------



## sarah2211

That's good to hear Nita. We might have two little babies. Although those scans are often not accurate and can be out by 15-20%. I have some 'newborn/0000' size clothes but I think I might go and buy a few 'prem/00000' things too. I've started packing the hospital bag and getting things organised. Our freezer is full with meals too. Plus I was watching some YouTube videos about preparing for having a newborn and this one vlogger said to have a freezer full of muffins because it's always easier to get up in the middle of the night for a feed when you know there's muffins haha. So I made 3 batches to freeze today. 

And it's ticker day again. It's coming around quicker and quicker. People say the third trimester goes slowly but I think it's going fast! Less than 4 weeks until I'm considered full term! 

That's no good about your back. It sucks because there's little you can take! 

Don't rush the third trimester either! It was almost like the first day of the third trimester my energy got zapped away again and the nausea returned.


----------



## Bonnie11

Hi ladies! 

How are you both? Just checking in, glad all ok with your scans. I wouldn't put too much trust in the size ones though, I had a scan at 36 weeks and the sonographer said 'I wouldn't buy any newborn things, she looks like she'll be 9-9.5lbs!'. Obviously I was terrified but she popped out at 7.11! So spot on average... 

I've been feeling horrendous last week or so hence being quite quiet! Very sick and exhausted... been a real struggle especially as my daughter has just started school holidays! Oh well only a couple of week left of second tri... 

Hope all's well with you girls x


----------



## sarah2211

Hey Bonnie, thanks for that. I think because I'm getting frequent scans and having the measurements plotted it might be slightly more accurate than those who just have 1 growth scan in the third trimester? Maybe? I'm not really bothered as long as he's sticking at roughly the same percentile/not dropping. 

I'm sorry you're feeling so miserable. The first trimester sucked for me too. I can't imagine what it would have been like also looking after other children. Hopefully you'll start feeling on the up now that you're close to the second trimester. 

I was meant to see the lactation consultant today but she has had to reschedule for next week. I get to try hand expressing and freezing colostrum in the next few weeks. Bonnie and TTC did either of you do things to prepare for labour? Like eating dates, ringing raspberry leaf tea, evening primrose oil, perineal massages etc?


----------



## Sheece

Hi Ladies :wave: just checking in, happy to see you had a great scan Nita! Now hurry up 4 weeks for the 4d scan :)


----------



## sarah2211

Hi Sheece :)

Hope everyone's having a good weekend. The fatigue from the first trimester has returned and I slept until 2pm today haha, so good!


----------



## Fluffycookie

Hello everyone! I'm new to this thread but some of you might have seen me posting in the TTC forums for a few months. I hope it's okay if I post my question here as well! I thought this might be a good place to hear some uplifting success stories, and I could really need that right now.

Long story short (the long version can be found in steph's journal ^^"), I have lean PCOS and often don't ovulate and hubby has low motility. We've only found out about this about a month ago, and last week has been an absolute rollercoaster. We were sent home with hubby's results (unexpected news to us) and said there was no point in giving me anything to induce ovulation because we would not get pregnant this way based on him, we should just go home and come back in 3 months to try IVF. This was such a shock after initially getting me PCOS diagnosis (only a month ago) and being told "it's okay, we see this all the time, you will just need some drugs and then you'll be fine"!

We saw a different doctor two days later and luckily he doesn't think it's "that bad", but he think we should combine clomid with IUI for best chances. As my appointment was on CD3, we started straight away. My head is still spinning! I'm on CD6 now and am taking 50mg of clomid CD5-9.

So my question is mainly about the IUI, but also a little about your experiences on clomid. For those of you with PCOS, how many mg did it take for you to ovulate? What were the side effects like? So far I feel the same I think, but it's only my second day of clomid...
For those who have done IUIs before, what is that like? Was it (very) painful? Did it work for you?

and since I'm new, to all of you on here who are expecting, congratulations!! You give me hope that things will work out for us as well :)


----------



## Bonnie11

Hi girls,

Sarah, glad you had a good nap! I also managed a 2 hour nap yesterday as was feeling so sick and tired, seems to make me feel more sick after napping for some reason but I needed the sleep! 

I didn't do any of those things to prep for labour to be honest. My midwife and consultant basically told me it was mostly old wives tales so I never bothered, I have a friend who did raspberry leaf tea and pineapple etc religiously but it's hard to know if it made a difference! You won't do any harm by trying them if you want to but I wouldn't spend a lot of money on them. I think acupuncture for overdue ladies seems to work, not that I've tried it myself but have seen a few people it's worked for. 
I did a pre natal 6 week birthing course which was great and very helpful, also listened to a hypnotherapy birthing cd quite often which I really enjoyed and would help me fall asleep too! I think the most effective things you can do are pre natal yoga, bouncing on a birthing ball and perhaps some birthing classes but other than that I think it's pretty optional, it's really up to you if you feel it would help! X


----------



## Bonnie11

Fluffy cookie welcome! 

Good luck on your journey, you will find a ton of resources on here in the forums. 

I took 50mg initially, really bad hot flushes and serious mood swings! I was tested on day 14 for ovulation and it had failed the first 2 rounds, I upped to 100mg and still no Ov on day 14, was told to leave it a few months and come back to see what happened. Well 21 days after the ovulation test I was pregnant! Turns out that Clomid was making me ovulate way later than they expected, around day 22-24. I was so cross that ok one had told me it could happen like that as when I questioned it the doctor said I couldn't have ovulated that late on it!! But second time around I fell pregnant after 1 Clomid cycle when I timed ovulation at day 22 (ended in miscarriage) and this time around same thing, ov day 22 ish and fell pg first round again! 
So long story short just give yourself some time and check when you are ovulating because plenty of people ovulate late on Clomid so don't be discouraged if you haven't O by day 14! 
As for the iui I haven't tried it myself so can't offer any help on that. I'm not sure if you are in U.K. Or USA but if you do have to pay for it I think the chances are better with ivf so if you can only afford to do one then I would go for that. 

And as for low sperm motility, I'm not sure how much attention I would pay to it unless it's a very low count. My husband had low motility too which we were shocked at, but he has another daughter before he met me and also each time I ovulated on Clomid I fell pregnant so his sperm seems to be working just fine! 

Good luck on your journey, wishing you luck and baby dust xxx


----------



## sarah2211

Welcome Fluffy :) you're definitely welcome to post here. No experience with IUI, we conceived the cycle before we were due to start. I took 50mg of Clomid my first cycle and had no side effects whatsoever. I didn't ovulate. The next cycle I took 100mg and had a few side effects but nothing too bad. On the day after my first tablet I felt nauseous, no appetite and tired. Some hot flashes towards the end of the 5 days and night sweats for about a week after my last tablet. I took 100mg on days 3-7 and ovulated on CD 16. My second cycle was 29 days long. My third cycle was pretty much identical to cycle 2 (although I didn't feel ovulation pain, had no EWCM and a much lower CD 21 progesterone test). But I conceived on cycle 3. My husband's motility is low but this didn't seem to effect things. Feel free to ask any questions here :) and good luck!

Bonnie, thanks. I know that most of those things won't actually work to induce labour unless the baby is ready to come. I'm not looking to induce things anyway, quite the opposite! But I'm just wanting to 'prepare my body'. I probably won't start anything until 36 weeks. But I bought some raspberry leaf tea and some dates. I've been sitting on my birthing ball to help open up my pelvis a bit. I know it'll go however it's going to go, but if I can feel like I have some control in it all haha. 

My hospital bag is nearly all packed. Picking up the capsule next week. We've nearly bought everything we/he needs! It's starting to get very real!!


----------



## Nita2806

Hi Ladies, I have been a bit quiet. Have a lot to take care of at the moment - including my FIL throwing fits and tantrums like a little baby. I am at the point of telling him to back the hell off - but thats a story for another day.

I have a bit of an upset tummy today and my clothes dont fit anymore...ugh

Sarah, I am glad you are so prepared. I think I will be as well when I get to where you are, I cant believe how fast time goes by and how close you are to meeting your little boy - I am so excited for you. :D :D :D

I hope you feel better soon Bonnie :hugs:

Welcome Fluffy - sorry I dont have advice on PCOS or IUI - I was on 4 rounds of Clomid... 50mg (no O), 100mg (no O), 150mg(O but horrible side effects) - BFN, 150mg(O but horrible side effects) - BFP ....... I simply didnt O after BCP.


----------



## Nita2806

I dont think I ever posted my scan pics :haha: so I am attaching them now. One is her feet, and the other is her face, and it almost looks like she is either tumb sucking or just putting her hand infront of her mouth :D so much perfection in these two images we got.
 



Attached Files:







SmartSelectImage_2017-07-25-08-05-21.jpg
File size: 22.1 KB
Views: 3









SmartSelectImage_2017-07-25-08-05-11.jpg
File size: 24.5 KB
Views: 4


----------



## sarah2211

Cute scan pictures Nita! When's your 3D scan? Ours was sucking his toes at the scan the other week. At least one of us can reach their toes haha. Putting on shoes and socks is a struggle so I just take the dog for a walk in gumboots now. 


Midwife tomorrow. I think it's my last one before I start weekly appointments. I'm hoping she'll recheck my iron levels because I'm feeling utterly exhausted and after being on them a month I would have thought that would improve. Hopefully DH with be home in the next week or two as well!


----------



## ttc126

Wow Sarah you're almost there!!!!

Cute scan Nita!!

As for me, I'm severely anemic at this point. Will probably get a blood transfusion this week. I have so little energy!!!!!


----------



## sarah2211

TTC, I know! It's starting to get pretty scary haha. My hospital bag is all packed and we have pretty much everything we need for his arrival. Today he's been moving so much and he's running out of room in there, so it's not the most comfortable, especially because he's so low. We don't do cervix checks here (they are thought to introduce bacteria and are unnecessary apparently) so I won't really know until I go into labour. 

I'm sorry to hear about your iron levels! Hopefully the transfusion will help. How low are your levels?


----------



## Fluffycookie

thank you everyone for sharing your stories with me, I'm hoping I will be able to join soon! :)

@Nita
Those teetsy tiny feet are the most adorable thing <3


----------



## Nita2806

Our 4D scan is on 11 August, just a little over 2 weeks to go. My next appointment at my OB is in 3 weeks, and thats the last appointment that was 4 weeks apart, from then its every 2 weeks.

Baby is kicking me very hard today, felt a bit uncomfortable at times, but I am not complaining, having an active baby is really awesome.

Gosh, TTC, I hope you feel better soon.

Tomorow is ticker day again...26 weeks already - I can feel that I am heading for the 3rd trimester, I have absolutely no energy, and its a real struggle to do common things like shopping... I just want to rest. I think I could sleep the whole day if it wasnt for the 11 hour working days in the way :p

We also have a date for the baby shower, 9 September - I will be 33 weeks then. I was hoping we could do it when I am around 30 weeks, but that seemed a bit soon.


----------



## sarah2211

We'll be keeping our fingers crossed for you fluffy! 

Nita, that's not long at all. When you have your scan I'll be considered full term!! The next two weeks is going to fly by for both of us. 

Have you found the feeling of how she moves has changed? I much prefer the kicks or jabs to the whole body movements. They feel so weird. Occasionally I feel like he's moving his whole body and going to flip. I quickly stop what I'm doing and hope he goes back. At my last appointment he was in the perfect position for birth so I don't want him going transverse or breech now! 

Definitely know what you mean about the fatigue. My midwife appointment is today so I'm going to ask her. I think my fatigue is more than normal. Hopefully I don't need a transfusion like TTC. 

I've been getting cramps on and off for the past 24 hours and TMI been going to the toilet (number 2s) more often. I was resting on my birthing ball last night and it felt like I was open down there. I'm just hoping this is nothing and he'll keep cooking for a little while longer! 

Ovia said the baby is the size of a lop rabbit this week :)


----------



## ttc126

Nita that's exciting you have your shower date set! I remember with my oldest my in laws threw a fit over me wanting my shower before 37 weeks. They said 34 weeks was way way too early. Then he came at 36. I just thought they were bizarre to whine over it that much :rofl:

Sarah, I bet your midwife would give you iron infusions through iv before a blood transfusion. It's very uncommon to get one during pregnancy. My hemoglobin is at 8 right now (I think in other countries it would be 80).... its very low for being pregnant but the main issue is that because of my blood disorder it takes unpredictable drops and they worry it could affect the baby. Iron doesn't help me because my disorder makes my red cells not use it well. 
Also I remember my number 2s really increasing a lot at 34-35 weeks with my oldest! I really have a feeling you'll go early!


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks TTC, I meant an infusion rather than an actual blood transfusion! I hope the blood transfusion helps you, I know they don't like your levels to be low before labour incase you lose a lot of blood. Does your blood disorder impact your pregnancy? 


So this morning I woke up really crampy still. Like period pains, but more painful and more regular than the day before. They seemed to last for 5-20 minutes and then ease off and start again another 20ish minutes later. I was also having back pain and my body was definitely 'clearing itself out' (although it wasn't like an upset stomach, just like I had to go lots). My dog was also super clingy (which she hasn't been all pregnancy). The regular cramps plus the clearing out got me a little concerned. I messaged my SIL (midwife) and just asked whether she thought it was ok to wait a few hours until my appointment. She said "should be, just take a bath and lie down and rest". 

So I waited until my appointment. My midwife was a little concerned and a little confused I think. She is running some blood tests (to check my iron and a few other things) and a urine test (although my dipstick was fine). I'll do them tomorrow. She thought it might be a UTI. She did say, "hmmm I think this is just a bit too early than we'd like for baby to arrive". She said to ring her if they get worse. 

His head is down and engaged and has gone from a 3/5 to a 2/5. I think 0/5 is the lowest it can go. She said his chin is tucked under and he's in the perfect position for birth. She didn't give me an indication of whether I'd go early or not (I don't think anyone could really tell) and we don't do cervix checks unless you're in active labour here.

DH was ready to spend thousands and hop straight on a plane, but hopefully the baby stays put. I'm feeling like I might go early, but really all of this is brand new so how on earth would I know haha.


----------



## Bonnie11

Oh Sarah sounds like you're getting ready! It could all pause though, and don't worry if your baby does decide to make an early appearance he will be just fine. Take it easy and rest and yourself, and keep us updated! X


----------



## Nita2806

OMG Sarah - are you excited? And yes, please, keep us updated. I do hope your boy stick around a ittle longer, but I am sure if he comes now that everything will be perfect. Do you have any idea how much he weigh at this point? 

Are you feeling any better Bonnie?

Nothing new here, planned a babymoon for about 2 weeks from now, but turns out the place we had in mind is fully booked, so just going to use that money on baby now :)

Have a good weekend :) We have a busy one ahead ;)


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks ladies. It seems like it might have just been a 'practice'. No more cramps today, just feeling exhausted. I hope it is my iron that's making me feel tired and then there'll be something we can do about it.

Haha I'm not feeling all that excited, more scared than anything! I don't feel emotionally ready, especially while DH isn't home! Only 2 more weeks until I'm considered full term (in my country that's from 37 weeks). He's been moving like crazy today and yesterday after a few quiet days and my bump has grown more in the past 2 days than the whole time DH has been away! 

No idea about how much he weighs at the moment. Our last growth scan wasn't very accurate unfortunately. My midwife has been plotting his growth and some of the measurements jumped more than they should. Like his head had been tracking at about the 30th percentile and then last scan it was 97 percentile, which my midwife said doesn't happen. And when I go back and look at the scan pictures she didn't do a great job at lining up the measuring tool with the actual body part. But I have another/my last (!!) scan next Wednesday. It'll be the last time we get to see him before he's born... So scary haha.

I had an appointment with the lactation consultant today. Mainly around PCOS as this can cause issues with supply. She was lovely and said that approximately 1-3 in 9 with PCOS have issues with low supply (some even produce too much). But signs are looking good that I won't have any issues (my prolactin levels have been high, estrogen low, not overweight/obese, no insulin issues, and my boobs have grown from a DD to a G cup - which she said "WOAH!"). But she still advised I hand express colostrum from 36 weeks, especially because of the Lupus. So from next Thursday I can start expressing 5 minutes each boob, three times a day. I know I've got some colostrum already, so I'm excited to start :)


----------



## Bonnie11

How are you ladies doing? 
Sarah have things settled down a bit now? Hopefully was just your body prepping! 

Got my scan tomm, half excited about it but also nervous! Symptoms easing slightly, still feel sick now and again but it's not so constant and I'm not as cripplingly tired as I was so fingers crossed.

Hope you ladies are well xx


----------



## sarah2211

Hey Bonnie, still having the odd "tightening" and the last few days they've gotten more uncomfortable. Nothing regular though. Haven't lost any plug or anything. I've been having pretty bad pelvis/pubic pain which is making it really sore to walk or to open my legs very far. The pain radiates down my legs and his head feels like it's about to fall out! I'm still really tired and having a nap every day. I'm on weekly midwife appointments now which is good. And last scan tomorrow!! 

Exciting for your scan tomorrow! Upload a photo if you can. Will they do all the NT tests? I'm glad you're not feeling so horrendous! 

Nita, I hope everything's going well. I recall you saying ages ago that your doctor was going to induce you on a certain day. I'm in a few due date groups and my antenatal groups and a few of them have been induced (for medical reasons) and they've talked about how much more painful it was and how they would never do it for any other reason than it being medically necessary. You might want to look into that if it's simply for your doctor's convenience.


----------



## Nita2806

Hi Ladies. hope everyone is doing good? Bonnie goodluck at your appointment - will be awaiting the photos if you get any. Hope you are still coping Sarah?

Very busy here, getting Braxton Hicks this week, they are so annoying. 

sarah, I havent discussed birthing options yet with my OB, turns out the lady who I spoke to (goes the same OB) chose to be induced and it was not my OBs choice. Hopefully we will talk about that soon.


----------



## sarah2211

Yup still coping. The pelvis pain isn't very fun. It's radiating down my legs and worse in my groin and knees. I see the midwife again today so I'll mention it. I'm guessing it's because he's wiggling his head right down into my pelvis that it's causing trouble. I've had issues prepregnancy with my pelvis opening so I shouldn't be surprised. 

I think we've bought everything we need for the baby. I'm getting the capsule installed tomorrow. I've put a water proof mattress protector on the bed in case my water breaks there. I'm also 36 weeks today so starting antenatal expressing. It's a slow job, I got 0.15mls last night. Then this morning I got 0.75mls but I pulled the syringe thing back too far and it all spilled out the bottom. I cried haha I was devastated! But then at lunch I managed to get 1ml off each side!! So that made up for things. The LC said to do it 3 times a day. So if I can get 6ml a day that will be awesome. 

Phew that's a relief Nita, the stories I've heard about induction aren't much fun. Especially the ones where it takes a few days to get going and you have to stay in hospital the whole time and then the medication makes you labour really quickly and don't get a chance to naturally build up the hormones. Of course if you need it then go for it.

Last scan yesterday, he's still a boy haha. No 3D images because there wasn't enough room in there. He had his face squished up on the side of my uterus and the cord was in his face. He's measuring much closer to 50th percentile now which is great.


----------



## ttc126

Sarah glad to hear you're doing well! I. So surprised the LC has you expressing already! Here in the US I don't think they usually recommend that! Very cool yo hear your experience! 

Nita I'm sorry about your babymoon plans! Sounds like you're ready for baby just about! Happy 3rd tri! 

Bonnie how was your scan?

I had my growth scan today. Little guy is doing well! About the 60th percentile and estimated to weigh 2lbs 3oz. Will go back in a month then likely start weekly scans. I see my OB Friday and get my weekly blood draw. Seems they'd rather avoid a transfusion as much as possible and then opt for early delivery because my body can recover on it's own when not pregnant. Also been heavily weighing my birth options. I'm leaning toward scheduling a repeat c section but if I go into labor on my own before it I'll attempt a VBAC. That's my thoughts for now anyway...


----------



## Nita2806

Happy ticker day Sarah :happydance:

Wow, 3rd tri for me, can you believe it already :thumbup:

Sounds like you have a pretty hectic time ahead TTC - do you have any idea for when you would want to book the C-section?

Ive attached a photo for a good laugh :haha:
 



Attached Files:







20246522_10154661805352554_2509876401722393990_n.jpg
File size: 42.4 KB
Views: 2


----------



## sarah2211

Hey TTC, they recommend it for some, not all women here. But I think if everything was going well and you asked about it, they'd be happy for you to express. Trust me though, it's hard work! Today I managed just over 6ml but have only managed to freeze about 5ml of it because of spillage. My midwife said she'd like me to have 30mls by the time I go into labour. Which I think should be doable. She said that at the hospital they tend to encourage formula when it's not necessary (only lady was told her nipples were too big to feed) and having colostrum is a good alternative. Plus at this stage my body is producing really calorie rich colostrum for a baby at 36 weeks. The later you go, the less energy the baby needs because they're stronger. Anyway, it's hard work but worth it. 

I'm glad to hear he's growing well. What are the weekly scans for? It must be a tough call whether to schedule a c section or try a VBAC. What are the risks associated with a VBAC?

Nita, happy ticker day! Ovia also says a chihuahua which seems quite big! Happy 3rd trimester. I hope you can keep up the energy levels! 

AFM, I had the midwife today. Ugh and he's turned himself posterior! After being perfectly LOL for the past few months. So now I need to try and spin him. She said this is why I'm getting so much pelvic pain. Also, iron levels were good but white blood cells were high so I think I must be fighting a virus/bug of some kind. Stupid blood pressure has gone back up (145/90) after being perfect the past 2 weeks. Just feel like crying. I don't think I could manage a posterior labour while my body is fighting an infection plus high blood pressure.


----------



## Fluffycookie

Just thought I'd give you ladies a little update: I actually ovulated on only 50mg of clomid!!! Both the doctor and I were really surprised but chuffed :D We went ahead with our first IUI on Wednesday and now I officially, finally, have my first TWW ^^


----------



## sarah2211

Yay that's so exciting Fluffy!! And it didn't sound like you had too many side effects from that dose either. It really won't be long now until you get your BFP, I'm sure!

An update on the colostrum expressing, I have 21mls in the freezer already!! My midwife said to aim for 30mls to take with me, but the more the better. I got 8mls in one sitting the other night! It's hard work though and my hands are feeling it. 

Also no luck on turning this posterior baby yet. I've been spending most of the day on my hands and knees. I know there's still time but I'm really uncomfortable and want him back where he was.


----------



## Nita2806

wow, Fluffy, you can consider yourself lucky for ovulating on 50mg Clomid. Goodluck in the TWW.

How's things going Sarah? Any luck with the colostrum expressing?

AFM, Ive been feeling sick, dizzy and my blood pressure have been just above 120/80 - havent been this high for a while. 

Also bought my breast pump :D This week is my 4D scan and next week I am seeing my OB again, I suppose I need to discuss my higher Blood pressure and dizziness with her then.


----------



## ttc126

Nita I had severe preeclampsia with my oldest. I think you should call your OB and not wait a week. Your symptoms are very concerning.


----------



## Nita2806

Thanks TTC, I will contact my OB if it gets any worse and ask for an appointment this week.


----------



## Nita2806

I have decided to move my appointment, the earliest they can help me is in the morning, so I am going early in the morning.


----------



## Nita2806

Ironically after moving my appointment earlier my blood pressure is back to being textbook perfect 115/75 but I still get the dizzy spells, so better I go tomorow and just make sure that everything is 100% with me and baby :)


----------



## sarah2211

My blood pressure was 140/90 at my last appointment and my midwife said that's boarderline. 

I've managed to express 29mls now! 

I haven't been feeling him move as much since last night so tried all the usual tricks. Usually when DH talks to him he'll wake up but nothing. We can prod him and he will give a small movement back. So after eating ice cream, drinking cold water, having a shower, lying on my left and right side and getting DH to talk to him and push him, nothing was working. So I rung my midwife this morning and she wanted me to go into L&D in an hour. I'll keep you guys posted.


----------



## sarah2211

We just got home from the hospital. The baby was fine and of course as soon as the monitors were on my tummy he started moving. But they were concerned with my blood pressure and headaches (142/89 and 145/90 I think). Urine tests was clear but I had bloods sent away and follow up with my midwife on Thursday. She said at this stage we would call it gestational hypertension but I'll need to be monitored pretty closely to make sure it doesn't turn into preeclampsia. DH is annoyed because he thinks it was a waste of time going.


----------



## Nita2806

Oh gosh Sarah, thats really high!! I am glad that baby is OK though. Hope the bloodwork comes back okay.

My blood pressure this morning went down all the way to 106/69 which is normal for me. Now I feel kind of silly for moving my appointment - no dizzy spells since yesterday morning, and after some thinking it only happens when I sit for long periods of time, so perhaps walking more often will help. But I will hear what my OB says today, atleast I will know whats going on after I saw her. I think my blood pressure went a bit up because I was feeling sick.

I am scared of preeclampsia too, but after some research on symptoms, I dont have any really, but will see how the urine tests turns out today.

I was thinking of asking my OB for a letter for my work to take things a bit slower at work for a few days, its been a real stressed period the last two months. But I dont know if she will give me one. I have a short 15 minute appointment today, since they pushed me in.


----------



## sarah2211

Yep it is high. Especially for me because prepregnacy it was always really low, like under 80/60. It kind of explains the headaches. But I've had no swelling so it's just a wait and see at the moment.

We packed up the car and put the bags in there just in case so I think we will just leave them there now. I'm officially full term on Thursday! But I really don't think I'll go this early but who knows. 

Nita, I'm glad you managed to get in with the doctor tomorrow. You're better to be safe than sorry. That's how I was feeling with his movements. I'd definitely ask for a letter for work. It's important to take it easy.


----------



## Nita2806

Yeah headaches is quite a common symptom of high blood pressure, have they given you anything to help with the headaches?And its good you have the bags ready, you could be going any day now. I hope yoir DH will be home from now just in case? 

My appointment is in less than hour, and still no dizziness, hope they wont think I am wasting their time...


----------



## Nita2806

so just an update after my appointment. Everything looks good with baby - doc is happy with her development. She weighs 960 grams now. Her tummy is measuring a bit behind the rest of her body, but she isnt concerned with that now, I must just eat a little bit more now.

However my blood pressure was very high at her office, I have to take it a few times today and if it doesnt come down i need meds to bring it down. But I think I was just nervous when she took it, as it went down when I got home afterwards. She wants to see me at the least every 2 weeks now to monitor my blood pressure and I need to keep on checking it at home :( Urine test came back clean, which is good.


----------



## sarah2211

Nope nothing for the blood pressure. My midwife sent me a text message to say that the bloods were all clear but that with preeclampsia things can change very quickly so to stay in touch if I get swelling etc. She said that if I'm getting the headaches again to pop into the clinic and they can check my blood pressure. 

Yup DH is home now. He got home a few days ago. He did tell me he was going away again at the end of this week through until next week and I put my foot down and said he wasn't going anywhere! He agreed and is staying. 

I know sometimes with my blood pressure it would rise when I was at the doctors/midwives just because I was a bit anxious about it all. Lately I've been getting headaches and flushed face when I'm not at the midwife/doctor so I'm thinking it's probably less to do with that. But it might be a good idea to go off your readings at home Nita. And phew that your urine is ok. I think preeclampsia is one of those things that they really don't like to mess around with.


----------



## Nita2806

Good that your DH will be home from now. And thank goodness the bloods came back clear, phew! I think its important now that you just rest good and take things easy and obviously try and keep baby in for a little while longer :)

My blood pressure seems fine now, but I will keep on monitoring it, its easy that I have a monitor at home to do so any way.

Something the OB said made me wonder a little. Baby's stomach is measuring a bit smaller than the rest of her body, but her weight seems to be right on target. I haven't gained any weight the last 2 weeks, so I am wondering if I haven't eaten enough... but she wasnt that worried because she is still growing and their measurements can be a little off...will see at the next appointment. She did also check the blood flow to her and it was all good.


----------



## ttc126

Oh my ladies! What are we just a mess? 
I spent yesterday at the hospital being monitored because of preeclampsia symptoms! My bp was high for me but still in an ok range but because I had it so severely with my first my OBs office takes no chances and sent me for observation. Everything is fine for now but I do have to be watched closely for swelling and headaches etc. 

Also, with all of us having issues I thought you ladies would find it interesting that taking medications to induce ovulation is associated with a higher preeclampsia risk! You're also at higher risk after experiencing infertility and multiple miscarriages in a row. 

Hang in there both of you and let's get these babies here safely as soon as possible! For you Sarah I hope you'll deliver next week! For us Nita I hope August and September fly by so we can just get to Oct and safe gestation to deliver!


----------



## Nita2806

OMW TTC! So glad everything is OK for now. It seems like all 3 of us needs some additional monitoring from now on...and I thought being pregnant would be a walk in the park...although I know it will be well worth it in the end for all of us!

I have my 4D scan to look forward too on friday :D and tomorow is a public holiday (I was supposed to work, but said no today - think I need some rest) and on Friday I have a full day's leave, so sort of a long weekend - but I am working Saturday morning)


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, I'm glad he's home too! He got offered a trip to Mongolia for most of August, so I'm very glad he's not there! I'm definitely glad about the bloods, I'll just be taking it easy. I'm still getting headaches though.

I wouldn't put too much weight in the baby's measurements on the scan, unless they're over 90 percentile or under 10th percentile. Because I've had the three growth scans my midwife plotted the changes between scans and some of them jump crazy amounts. One of them would be sitting at 15th percentile one scan and then the next scan it would jump up to 85th and then back down to 40th.. With the stomach measurement they usually do it freehand around their tummy which isn't going to be greatly accurate. Plus growth scans are known for being off. Babies go through growth spurts in different areas at different times. We found one week his legs were shorter than average, then longer, then normal.. It's most important to compare them scan to scan than looking at one on its own.


TTC, oh no! We are a mess haha! I really hope you don't have preeclampsia again. Does having it once mean that you're more likely to get it again? I know having PCOS (and Lupus) increases your chances of preeclampsia too, that's interesting about the fertility medications. I'm still having headaches, but no swelling. I'm officially full term tomorrow!! But I'm thinking I've still got a few more weeks. I really don't want to be induced, I hear it's not very pleasant!


----------



## ttc126

Yes Sarah...so if you have it with one pregnancy you're at high risk of it reoccurring! And please don't worry about induction. People love to share horror stories but it was cake for me. Birth kind of sucks no matter what but you get through it and get that baby at the end. 

Nita! Can't wait to hear about your scan!


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks TTC, I hope it doesn't happen again for you. Last time, did you have lots of swelling? I'm still getting headaches but I've had no swelling. If I need to be induced then it is what it is. When did you get induced and what did they use? I'm feeling a bit better about it now that I'm pretty sure he's moved back around to the front.


----------



## ttc126

Thanks Sarah. I hope we can all avoid it!

So I had atypical presentation I guess. I had increasing blood pressure from 32 weeks. I started having random vomiting (different from morning sickness because I had zero warning) and moderate headaches. Then at 36 weeks I went from feeling fine that morning to that night I got severely dizzy. I started vomiting uncontrollably and couldn't see at all by the time my husband got me to the hospital less than half an hour later. My bp was very high and tons of protein in my urine. Never any swelling whatsoever! Blood work showed severe preeclampsia.
They induced me right away once I was stable on magnesium sulfate (to prevent seizures). I was already 2cm and fully effaced so they just used pitocin. It was about 16 hours from first pitocin to delivery.


----------



## Nita2806

That sounds so scary TTC ! I have however also not heard anyone here on the local forums complain about being induced, one women said she preferred it because she just couldnt bear with being pregnant anymore. Sure we would all like it to be as normal as possible, but in the end getting baby out safely is the most important.

I know I spent a lot of time in the ICU when I was born, and I am scared this will be case with my baby because she is also measuring small and a bit behind, so last night i just needed to vent and told my dh if its too much to ask to just have a normal baby, and his response was, dont worry daddy will be by her side the whole time if she needs to stay in the ICU like I did. Id be happy if she is anything above 2,5kgs. 

Good news on my BP, last night before bed it went down to 110/68 and this morning its 99/67 - also slept 11 hours last night and looking forward to a lazy day at home :)


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks TTC, I was basically told to just watch out for swelling as the key way to know. But it sounds like that's not always the case. I'm still having bad headaches and paracetamol is doing very little. Was there no protein in your urine before that point? Basically my midwife who consulted with my OB at the hospital has just said to come in and get checked at the clinic (which is open 8.30-5) if I get bad headaches and they'll keep a close eye on things but to ring if I get swelling. So I don't know. I see my midwife again this afternoon so maybe I'll know more then but I'm feeling pretty rubbish. 

Nita, the thing with induction is that here they like to do as little to augment labour as possible. Your body (usually) knows what it's doing and by inducing when not necessary you're taking away the body's natural abilities to build up the hormone levels needed. With some options, mainly the gel, they'll give you a small amount to see if it's enough but once they've started it you're stuck in hospital (and being at home as long as possible generally has the best outcome in normal situations). My friend who got induced with the gel had to stay in for 3 days before anything actually started. Then the contractions can start quickly not allowing enough time for the oxytocin to build up and you're often in a lot more pain. Of course, if it's a medical emergency it's not even a question of whether or not to induce, but if it's purely convenient or someone's just over being pregnant (before they're over due) it doesn't seem like the best option (to me anyway). So I'd rather not be induced unless it was actually medically necessary for me and the baby. 

You might find as you progress through the third trimester that she grows a whole lot more. Like we went from something like the 35th percentile to the 20th (and some measurements close to 10th) and now back up to around the 40th percentile. The growth scans aren't all that accurate and babies can have growth spurts in the days after the scan. Even my friend with her 11lb boy, he spent 4 days in NICU and my other friend with a 6lb was checked over and all fine. You just never know.


----------



## Nita2806

I hope you are right Sarah - she did only do the measurements quickly because of my short appointment, and I find it a little odd that her head measured so far ahead than her body.

Happy ticker day - this weeks tickers make me so hungry :haha:

It feels like baby is kicking my lungs this morning. I bet she is starting to turn head down... although thats what it feels like. I dont really feel strong kicks specifically, but a very busy body, like she is moving all around looking for space in my small body lol :haha:


----------



## sarah2211

Yeah I had a good chat to the sonographer at my last appointment about the accuracy of their measurements. It can be a particular issue if you have different people doing your scans (I didn't, all done by the same lady). But they have a special tool they can use to measure around tummy's and heads (like a circle shape) or they can do it free hand. Free hand is often more accurate especially for tummys. The sonographer ended up measuring his head 3 times and got anywhere between 95th and 50th percentile. Plus even if they do things perfectly, growth scans aren't 100% accurate. 

Yay ticker day. Ovia's ones were boring this week. 

She definitely could be getting herself into the head down position. Apparently when they do you can breath more easily and get less heartburn, hasn't been the case for me at all though! 

I've also got 60mls of colostrum stored which is twice as much as the midwife recommended by the time I go into labour. I think I'll keep expressing it and freeze it in bags. I've read that people give it to their babies when they're sick or constipated. 


I had the midwife today. Blood pressure is still high-ish 138/90. She wasn't happy with me having headaches so I'm being monitored for preeclampsia, blood and urine tests twice a week. She said any sign of swelling or vision changes I'm to ring her immediately and any reduced movements I'm to ring too. I know some other hospitals in my country have a policy where 2 lots of reduced movements past full term is automatic induction. So he just needs to keep wiggling. Also, very weirdly my fundal height has dropped. I'm 37 weeks today but fundal height is 33 weeks, after being 4 weeks AHEAD virtually all pregnancy. My midwife looked a bit concerned but said because my NST at the hospital was ok and so was my last scan then she'll see what my measurement is next week. Also I'm group B strep negative (yay!) so at least something seems to be going in my favour!


----------



## Nita2806

My OB does the measurements herself, always - says she doesnt trust anyone else to do it, but she doesnt do it free hand, she uses the tool with the circles. But I think she was just doing it really fast. but she didnt seem too worried about it though, she is just really concerned with my BP. But its been lower since I saw her, and I am writing down the numbers so we can look at it on the 21st. I have ugly marks on my arm from all the testing my BP, so I am going to measure it a bit less over the next few days just so my arm can get better.

I hope everything is OK Sarah, it looks like there are some concerns, I hope baby makes it out ok without any issues.


----------



## sarah2211

Our OBs don't do scans here unless you're admitted and they need to do one urgently. Otherwise you go to a clinic. But if she's doing it quickly with the circle rather than free hand I really wouldn't worry. That could be out by quite a lot. 

I have been doing some reading on gestational hypertension and apparently anything over 140/90 is considered high but even then only mildly. According to that mines only borderline. But I guess it's best to keep an eye on things especially with my headaches. 

I've been having the odd contraction this evening. Like one an hour, then two within 20 minutes and then back to one an hour. So I'm not getting excited or anything. Probably still weeks off the real deal haha. 

And the other good news I forgot to mention is that I've shifted him back to left anterior from posterior! I say "I" shifted him because I've spent the last week on my hands and knees/downward facing dog/leaning on my swiss ball etc so I'll take some of the credit haha. His head is still engaged at 2/5 so I'm going to do squats now to see if I can engage him further and stop him from spinning again. Little monkey will probably move again between now and labour!


----------



## Nita2806

Things are a bit different here - I pay more to see an OB, even though a midwife wont have me because I didnt conceive naturally. My medical aid have been fully covering my OB costs as well (they take about 2 weeks to pay out, but atleast they do). I am looking forward too more scans though, they will be about 1,5 weeks apart, or at the longest 2 weeks.

I guess they would rather treat high BP when its borderline than to treat it when it becomes serious. Thats why my Ob also freaked out when my BP went higher than normal.

I am glad you got to move your little monkey - phew. Hopefully he stays in position. I am glad he is still holding in though - but I think the end is in sight for you! The contractions sounds positive as well.. although they would freak me out a little (the BH does to be honest), the whole 'shits getting real feeling' - if you know what I mean?

4D scan tomorrow :) we are taking a DVD with to records it as well. On Tuesday she was sucking her thumb, we are hoping she wont be having her hand in front of her face for the scan. This is scan is free, and we wont pay for another, so hoping we will get some proper shots of her :D


----------



## sarah2211

Yeah, here a midwife will take you regardless but if you are complicated or conceived with IVF then you'll see an OB instead of or as well as. Some people have healthcare insurance here and pay to privately see an OB. But I would hate to not see a midwife. The OBs here are very clinical and everything is medical or it's not important. Whereas my midwife is much more holistic and caring. Plus you could end up seeing any of the OBs at the hospital where as I always get my amazingmidwife. I'll be sad when she signs us over :( she's been amazing. It makes me want to have another just so she can be my midwife still haha. 

Yeah I think it's best to keep an eye on the blood pressure thing. But I've seen in other groups that women have been sent to the hospital for BP when it's 120/70 being told that this is high. I can only imagine being told that and being sent to the hospital would make you stressed and your blood pressure go even higher! 

I'm glad he's back to LOL too. If he spins back around I won't be happy haha. I can now walk without pain and everything feels much better. The contractions I've been having aren't like braxton hicks. They're tightening plus period cramping/dull ache/back pain. They're not hugely painful but more painful than period pain. I had 2 before 8 minutes apart but then nothing for over an hour. So I'm guessing this is going to be my reality until he decides to arrive! I've seen others say that they get contractions like this for weeks before the baby is born. But we've put a waterproof mattress protector under my side of the bed in case my waters break. But I have a feeling they'll do that somewhere really public, like the supermarket haha. 

I hope you can get a great scan image. Unfortunately my last 2 haven't been very good because the cord has been in his face and then last time he was running out of room and had his face pushed up against me. But you're going at a perfect time. We got our amazing ones at 28 weeks. Please share them :)


----------



## Bonnie11

Hi ladies sorry just checking in quickly to say scan all ok, have been mad busy (and still being sick!) so haven't read through your posts but will be back soon hope all ok xx


----------



## Nita2806

What an amazing experience, to see our daughter in so much detail. :baby:
 



Attached Files:







SmartSelectImage_2017-08-11-13-48-33.jpg
File size: 18.6 KB
Views: 3









SmartSelectImage_2017-08-11-13-48-10.jpg
File size: 14.6 KB
Views: 3


----------



## ttc126

Wonderful Nita!


----------



## sarah2211

No worries bonnie. Hope you come out the other side of the sickness soon. So glad to hear the scan was all ok :) 

That's so exciting Nita. Did you feel it made it more real? It definitely did for us. It's hard to explain but I struggled to actually think about there being a baby inside me. Like I just felt like it was a wiggling blob. But when we saw his face it became so much more real. Do you reckon she looks like you or DH or not sure?


----------



## Nita2806

Its definately more real Sarah! The tech really put in a lot of effort to show us a lot of detail, the urine in her bladder, a full tummy, thr heartbeat, even the bones thats growing inside her ribs, the few hairs on her head, the bloodflow from me to her, etc. Things we dont see at regular OB scans.

I can see a lot of myself in her, the shape of her face and her cheeckbones are definately mine, we think she has DHs nose though. The tech also said she had long legs, which definately is my DHs. They also checked the amount of fluid and space she has, and said it looked really great. She was also awake during the scan so she moved around a lot :haha: oh and her head is already facing down and resting on my bladder. Amd ofcourse she wasnt shy to let us know that she is definately a girl ;)


----------



## sarah2211

I still sometimes feel like I have a blob inside me haha. I'm not sure how he could come out as a real person haha. That was cool to be able to see all those things. I asked at my last scan whether he had hair and she said she couldn't see any. I was surprised because I've had bad heartburn and my DH and I were both born with lots of hair. Plus you see such cute photos of babies with hair. 

I think our baby had flipped head down quite early too. I don't think it means they're going to stay there though. Usually by 36 weeks I think they chose their position to stay. But it's good that she's head down, I think it means she's more likely to stay that way. 

Still having the odd contraction with a bit of pain/cramping. 

We asked DH's family (and mine) to make sure they were up to date with their immunization and not visit us if they were sick. My family had no issue and have gotten up to date with their tdap and flu shots. But my husband's family are kicking up a huge fuss. Three of his sisters won't talk to us and neither will his mother. Even when I try to explain it's about my health (I don't want to get sick while trying to learn everything about a newborn) they're still calling me precious. Unfortunately my husband is starting to side with them too. Who would have thought trying to keep yourself and your baby healthy could cause such a stink?!


----------



## Nita2806

We saw some hair on baby as well, she has very short, thin hair on her head, and 3 longer hairs that we could clearly see on the lower of her head close to her neck :) I wonder what colour it is though.. I have brown hair and DH has dark blonde hair, I so hope its the blonde and not the brown.. I absolutely hate my natural hair colour.

Your DHs family sounds very inconsederate, its not like you are asking much, just be careful so you dont get sick...which really isnt asking much. Im glad my DH understands that, he totally freaks out when someone sick comes near me, he politely ask them to leave, and when a lady at my work was sick he didnt even want me to go to work :o


----------



## sarah2211

Our sonographer looked at the back of his head too. She said that's where they grow first. He might have just grown some in the past few weeks. I don't want a bald baby haha. My friend's husband said that their baby's hair is annoying because he always pulls it by accident when he's picking him up haha. I reckon she'll probably have lighter hair. All of my cousins and brother were born blonde and then some went darker after they were born. Not me though haha I had a full head of dark hair and it's always been dark. 

Yeah I'm feeling pretty annoyed about my in laws. It doesn't seem unreasonable to me that I want to keep our baby healthy. They've previously said they can't wait for him to arrive so they can give him lots of kisses and cuddles. So to be honest if they don't come, it'll be easier than asking them not to kiss him. I don't want to get sick either, I know what my immune system is like and the amount of time I spent sick this pregnancy should show all of them too. I can't imagine having to deal with pneumonia while also caring for a newborn. 

All this talk got DH and I talking about how he thinks I'm going to parent differently because of the infertility. He thinks I'm going to be over the top, not let him take any risks and be over protective. I don't think I will be, I'm happy for him to climb trees, eat mud, etc etc. but for now, I can't help thinking about the struggle it took to get him there, keep him in there and all that I've been through with this pregnancy. I'm sure I'd have a different attitude had things been easy and we'd gotten pregnant straight away. 

But on another note, we ran into one of DH's workmates and his wife said to me "so when are you due?" I said, "the 31st". She said "of what month? November or December?" I said "haha no August! Like 2 and a half weeks away!" She couldn't believe it and said she was bigger than me at 20 weeks. I can still hide my bump if I wear something loose haha.


----------



## Nita2806

Ugh Sarah, so annoying! I really feel that your wishes should be respected, when they are/have been pregnant they can set out what they want and expect it respected, not true? People here are also strange, when a baby is born everyone wants to see the baby immediately without giving mommy, daddy and baby a chanve to settle in. My mom however taught me otherwise, always give them space and make sure they know you are there for them, and wait till they are ready for visits and invite you over. With DHs friends we waited 6 weeks before meeting them, because thats when the mommy fully healed and felt like she was ready. With me on the other side, both our parents will come to the hospital and DHs cousin said they will also come visit in hospital already. I dont mind, but I feel like in that time I really only need my DH by my side.

Lol, you must really be carrying small then :) I get the same comments. Started telling clients from work I am pregnant and they all just say, you can barely notice it I am carrying so small. But I really have grown in the last 2 weeks, my clothes are getting really tight now, I am still wearing some pre pregnancy from timw to time though :)


----------



## sarah2211

I completely agree. People seem to think it's all about them and their wishes. They just want to see the baby without any respect for the immediate family. It's a bit like that here too. We've had family say that'll come visit in the hospital but that was before we made a stand about the immunization thing, now they're pretty much all staying away haha. I've seen women who have said they have their extended family all waiting outside the delivery room or even in there with them. I'm with you, I just want DH there. I think we will let our mothers come and visit in hospital but everyone else can wait. Have you thought about when you'll announce her arrival Nita? We definitely won't be saying anything on Facebook until we are home. I'll let you guys know though haha. 

I really thought I'd be bigger but my bump really isn't that large. DH said it's definitely grown in the past few days though and he said it's starting to look a little bit like a tumor haha. You must be carrying small too Nita. The lady we ran into yesterday said she was sure I was having a girl because of it (but we've confirmed 4 times he's boy haha). You've still got lots of time to grow Nita, I'm running out of time! Still no stretch marks for me and I can put my shoes and socks on, shave my legs and cut my toe nails haha.


----------



## Nita2806

I think my DH will be so excited when she is coming that he will just spill the beans and let everyone know immediately. I dont really have a problem with that, but I doubt we will put anything on Facebook as well before we are home and settled a bit.

I have 4 stretch marks on both my hips, but they are very very small, more like stretch dots lol. I am having issues putting shoes on and shaving my legs already - maybe because I am so short lol, who knows. You are very lucky that you are OK with that so far.

Are you also always hearing the same when people see you are pregnant? With me they always start with ' when is the due date ' then ' oh gosh you are carrying so small ' then ' Is a boy or girl, oh a girl, you must be so excited ' then ' are you going natural or c-section' I say normal and then its either ' oh you MUST breastfeed ' or ' how many hours a night do you currently sleep, you realize once baby is here you wont ever sleep again ' 
The other day DH said he wished that everyone would just stop telling us we wont sleep after she is here, we know that already and we will cope with whatever challenges there are..


----------



## sarah2211

That's cool. We've decided to probably let our mums know when we go to the hospital. Then after he's born, maybe 12 hours or the next day, we will send a group message to our family and very close friends. We will probably just let them know his name and all is well and we will let you know when we are ready for visitors. Then we might announce it on Facebook in the week after he's born. 

Last night was the first time I felt like my tummy was getting in the way when I slept. But apart from that it's not really felt that big. But we've been taking photos whenever we remember of my bump. Man I use to be so skinny haha. My tummy was so flat compared to now haha and my boobs aren't as massive! 

People usually just ask when I'm due, whether it's a boy or a girl and whether it's our first. People here don't really ask if it's going to be a c section or vaginally. If you knew them really well you might ask if they plan to breastfeed (like my friends and I have asked each other). Then people ask how I'm feeling etc and I usually just say pretty good, not as big and as uncomfortable as I was expecting or that I'm pretty tired but making the most of being able to nap whenever I want. Then people usually laugh and tell me to make the most of it. My DH is use to sleep deprivation being in the army. They make them stay up or wake up at crazy times for weeks on end. I think I'll probably struggle though haha. 

Do you find that people always look at you/your bump and smile? I find it's usually men, like aged from 20-50. 

Oh and I lost my plug tonight! I know that means it could be days or weeks away though so I'm not holding my breath.


----------



## Bonnie11

Eek sounds like your body is prepping Sarah! I went into labour the day after my plug went &#128540; Keep us updated. 

I didn't feel like visitors for at least 2/3 weeks after I had her. My immediate family came to the hospital (I was in there for 4 days after I had her) and I think I only had one or two people pop round in that 2 weeks, and to be honest it took me a good 4-6 weeks before I really felt like I wanted visitors but did give in a bit sooner! Just be honest with people and say if you dont feel like it, there will always be tons of people wanting to see the baby! Another good thing I did was go out for a girls brunch with quite a lot of my friends at about 4 weeks. It gives people the opportunity to see the baby without having to have people in your house and also you can leave when you want, people tend to overstay their welcome when they are in your house! 

Definitely do whatever you feel is right, don't be afraid to tell people to back off. You never get this time again so have it however you want!


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks Bonnie! No contractions today, so I'm not confident it's going to start anytime soon. My friend went into labour 24 hours after she lost hers.

That's good to know about the visitors too. I don't think we will have many visitors either. I'm quite happy just to chill at home, getting to know him. I feel like people would just come, demand cuddles, tell us what we are doing wrong and then outstay their welcome.. You're right about never getting this time again! 

Ugh, headache and heartburn are bad today :growlmad:


----------



## Nita2806

Oha Sarah, You could be going into labor at anytime now! How exciting! On our local forums, lots of women say they went into labor a few hours after losing their plug, others say a week or 2 later. How are your blood pressure? Since you still have headaches, hope its not too high.

Thanks for the advice Bonnie! Hope you are doing ok?

I just want a vent a little, my babyshower is around the corner, which all is pretty much planned and ready, but the 'nappy-braai' for DH is making me insane. The guy who must arrange it, is slacking so bad that I had to tell him to just do something. Then he told them what size nappies we want, now we have been getting msgs from people saying are we sure, because they never used that size... Well I dont freaking care... I ask for something for a reason. I am just so sick of advice at this point... Whenever I say I feel something I have to hear how someone else felt worse, etc. I am just like give me sympathy and don't make this about you. I feel so selfish, but good grief, I can only take so much... ugh (you can probably tell I am having a bad day)


----------



## rickyandlucy

Hi ladies, popping in to say hello. Thank you for the invite Nita! Got my first ever :bfp: this morning! Part of me wasn't sure I would ever be able to say that!

First appt with OB happens to be my husband's birthday. Waiting for the RE to call me back regarding getting bloodtests done in the meantime to confirm everything is good.

Side note: Is it normal to have ever so slightly brown tinged cm at this stage? AF was due today or tomorrow, trying not to overthink this, lol.


----------



## Nita2806

Yay, lucy, welcome and glad you made it over.

Just a reminder that we dont have any rules in this thread, go ahead and brag, laugh, cry, vent, chat or ask any questions you are unsure about <3

I apologize that you had to join just after my vent thread :haha:

Regarding your question on the CM, I think as long as its not red or heavy you are in the clear. But this early on I think iys a good idea to ring the OB and make sure, and I would push on getting the bloodtests done for peace of mind.And if you do have spotting they may want you to take progesterone until week 12.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Thank you Nita! And I love your vent post, I can't wait to be able to vent about those kind of things, lol!

Going for blood test tomorrow. Fx!


----------



## rickyandlucy

Another question. So my BFP was pretty clear. Not even sure I would call it faint. See attached. I am 13 DPO, and AF was due today or tomorrow. What are the chances of a chemical at this stage?

I have never had a BFP of any kind before so I am just so scared!!!!
 



Attached Files:







FullSizeRender-1.jpg
File size: 11.7 KB
Views: 7


----------



## Fluffycookie

(still following this thread, hoping to join one of these days)

Lucy, I had wondered the same thing while trying to pass this TWW and I found this statistic: https://www.countdowntopregnancy.com/pregnancy-test/dpo-chart.php?dpo=13


----------



## Nita2806

Lucy, that BFP is pretty clear! Have you taken another test a few hours later? If it gets darker its great, so keep testing :) . Like I said, I would push to get bloodwork done to have peace of mind.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Fluffy, I am still hoping you will be joining us shortly too!! <3

Nita: I did two Wondfo's this morning, FMU and SMU, and they were pretty similar. Might do another tonight just to see. Also planning to do another Wondfo and a digital tomorrow. The blood test has been set up for tomorrow morning, but that seems like an eternity away. And they won't have the results until the afternoon. Honestly, even 5 PM feels like forever away right now, lol!

I am very tired, have a headache, achy and crampy. But I am suspicious of this because now that I have had my BFP it could be all in my head; before today I felt fine, lol! But I swear I just want to go home and sleep!

Ladies, I also have to say that I love those tickers in your signatures that equate the size of your baby with food. Making me hungry, lol!!!!!!!!!


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks Nita, I'm getting a bit scared and freaked out. I'm 38 weeks today!!! It's all going to be happening pretty soon haha. Still nothing after losing my plug but I'm not surprised. DH is getting very impatient. He came home with hot curry for dinner last night haha. He told me I need to go gutter walking and he keeps talking to him and telling him to come now and gently pushing him down haha. He's doing all the research about how to bring on labour. But to be honest, I'm ok with waiting. I'm only slightly uncomfortable but it's manageable. I know I'm never going to get this time back and I'll never feel his kicks inside me again. He'll come when he's ready, I'm just hoping it's after I've had a good night sleep haha so not today! 

And I'm sorry you're getting so many people giving you their opinion. It sounds like that is more common in your culture too. It's definitely easier to take some people's advice than others. Like the mothers at my school would tell me that I should do this or that and I just say thank you, I'll look into it. But then when it's people you care a bit more about it's definitely harder! We are having issues with my DH's family all wanting to visit and not respecting our wishes about not being sick, having your immunisations, no kissing etc. but I know this won't be the first time they (or anyone) disagree with how we do things so just put your foot down. You're the mother. We didn't go through all we went through for people to come in and tell us how they would do it!

Still having headaches and I see the midwife again this afternoon. Also, I've got 166mls of colostrum haha. DH said to just keep going. It's definitely getting my nipples ready and it's reassuring to have a good stash. 

Rickyandlucy!!! OMG! Congratulations!! Seeing your BFP made my day!! There's no doubting that second line! Like Nita said, nothing is off limits here haha so bitch about whatever, we know even on those shit days we complain we are all still very grateful to be here :). As for the spotting, that's exactly what I had. I got my clear BFP on 12 DPO and I had brown (even slightly pink) spotting from CD14-18. It was mainly when I wiped or just a tiny bit on a liner. If it's bright red or heavy then it's worth being concerned about. Hopefully your doctor will run some blood tests for you to make sure everything is ok. 

I found that the first trimester went so slow! Even though it's really the shortest because by the time you find out you're pregnant you're already 4ish weeks into it. Your life will go from forgetting about whether it's AF-FP-ovulation-LP-BFP/AF. It's exciting because something new happens each week. Also Nita and I both use Ovia (the app). It's very cool and tells you things the baby is doing and how big it is. Today my baby is as big as a ukulele, Pomeranian, a spaghetti squash or half baking sheet on meringues. Crazy how they go from a grain of cocoa powder to that in just a few months haha. 

Basically the chance of a chemical/early loss is quite high unfortunately. I don't mean to scare you. But if progesterone is an issue they'll find that out in the blood test and you'll go on that until 12-13 weeks. When I had my early loss my tests got lighter before I started bleeding but that doesn't happen to everyone. So if you want to try and foresee it that could be one way. After you see the heartbeat (around week 7) your chance of a loss does go down dramatically (but unfortunately it's never really safe, even for me now, there's still a chance that the unthinkable could happen). I spent the first 12 weeks really really anxious about it. I have no real suggestions about how you get through that time. Except that having morning sickness and other symptoms is generally a good sign. There's also this website https://spacefem.com/pregnant/mc.php?m=08&d=10&y=12 that gave me some reassurance. I would tell myself that there's a better chance I would bring this baby home for cuddles than having a MC and that helped a little. I think it's quite normal to feel worried about this when you've either had a loss in the past or had difficulty getting pregnant. Either way, as Nita and I have said often, just enjoy each day, you're pregnant and have a life inside you today because that's about all that you can do. 

Fluffy- you're definitely welcome here and feel free to ask any questions or comment or whatever. I'm sure it won't be long until you get your BFP too :)


----------



## sarah2211

I just got back from the midwife. I have protein in my urine but my blood pressure was down to 130/85. So she said it can't be preeclampsia at this stage because my blood pressure is ok. I've got some swelling and headaches... I'm not feeling confident with her decision based on one blood pressure reading when it's been consistently high. But I'm not sure what else to do.


----------



## Fluffycookie

@sarah
Sorry to be giving random advice here and you're free to take it or leave it of course :), but: I'm from a medical family, as in everyone *but* me is a doctor, so I've picked up a lot of stuff and obviously asked a ton about pregnancy already. From my (non-professional, professionally-influenced ) point of view, that blood pressure is still pretty high and you're showing the other signs. I know there are some great midwives out there, but it's not the same as a doctor and I would insist on seeing one to be sure! Blood pressure varies a lot from moment to moment, personally I don't think she should exclude preclampsia just based on that reading. Not to frighten you, more likely than not everything *is* fine, but I would get checked by a doctor to be sure! Hoping that everything turns out ok and that you can just feel more reassured after seeing a doc :)


----------



## Nita2806

Oh no Sarah, I have to agree with fluffy - can you see an OB? 
I read that you should take your blood pressure over 4 hours, if it goes above 140/90 2 times in that 4 hours then its definitely something to be worried about. 

How many times did she take your blood pressure though? Here they take it 2 - 3 times to confirm the reading, and I was told to do the same at home.

You do have the other symptoms so I would definitely have that checked out - especially since you are so close to giving birth - wouldnt want anything to go wrong at this stage.


----------



## sarah2211

Fluffy, thank you, of course I don't mind. That's why I was a bit confused too. Especially when at the hospital they basically said they were waiting for the protein in my urine before calling it preeclampsia. Two of my uncles are doctors (although not obstetricians) and my sister in law is a midwife so I could check in with them. Good luck with testing in the morning :)

Nita, she just took it once. I haven't been to see the OB in a while. They thought everything was ok with the growth scans so I seem to have fallen off their books. I'm wondering if I should ring tomorrow though. I don't want to undermine my midwife, she is great. But I know it's something that is suppose to be taken seriously.


----------



## Nita2806

Perhaps you should tell your midwife that you are concerned? I am sure she will understand? It is my understanding that Midwifes are not really qualified to diagnose and treat serious pregnancy issues (please correct me if I am wrong, as this is only what I read on our local forums) - so atleast a second opinion should be able to tell you if you should be worried? (even if its just asking your family - doctors :) )

In the meanwhile is there any place near you to take your blood pressure? I would have that measured at least daily in the meanwhile.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Ok ladies, got home from work last night and caught up on the last couple of pages. I have to say I love it here already and really hope this baby sticks!!!!!! You guys have made me feel so welcome already!

Sarah, don't feel bad about putting your foot down re the immunizations. You have to do what is best for you and your son! And I would definitely ask your midwife to take a closer look, or even get a second opinion from a doctor. Definitely keep an eye on that blood pressure.

I can already tell you are right about the first trimester being a long one, lol. When did you guys tell your parents? My mom knew we had gone to see a specialist and asked me how it was going yesterday and I had to keep from bursting, lol.

And also, thank you for that link Sarah, that is awesome! And yeah the odds are not good at this stage, but I will try to keep the faith. Loving the Ovia app (and you ladies!) already!

Nita, you're having a baby girl! Gosh this gets me so excited!

So what I have been experiencing, I wouldn't really even call spotting. It is like barely tinged CM, and I can't even decide if it is tinged pink or brown or red or even yellow, lol. I think I am just paranoid. I took another test yesterday when I got home, and it looked as good or better than the mornings. Also took an OPK for the hell of it and it was positive too. This morning I took another Wondfo and a digital; Wondfo looks the same as yesterday, but the digital was positive, so that felt good!!!! Going for blood draw this morning. When would they have me go in for another one?

Fluffy, hopefully you will be joining us tomorrow!
:dust:


----------



## Fluffycookie

@sarah
slight update, just chatted to my mum (mum of three and doctor), she said: go see a doctor. Do you feel like you go to the bathroom less often? That could be another sign. The hospital/doctors should check how much protein there is in your urine (you will mos tlikely be asked to collect all your urine over 24h, that will give them a definitive answer), as that is important, and take your blood pressure a few times a day over several days (after sittin gdown for about 10 minutes first) to get a good picture. She said better save than sorry, preeclampsia can be very dangerous, especially at your stage. She said even without elevated blood pressure, unless you have a urinary track infection (UTI), the protein in your urine is something that needs to be checked by doctor. Good luck! :)

@Lucy
I hope so too, but I think it's unlikely... who knows! Hoping your blood draw shows great values :)


----------



## Nita2806

Lucy, I felt like the 1ste trimester was long as well, I got robbed of a wonderful 2nd tri though, as I had flu most of the time, and now I am already in the uncomfortable 3rd tri :) 

I was scheduled to go in for Ovarian drilling the next week after AF arrived and had to tell our parents, when I got my BFP I had to tell them no more OD as I got a BFP. Also told our close friends immediately who knew and supported us during TTC. But its all up to you, tell them when you are ready. Most women wait until 12weeks when the MC rate goes way down.

The Ovia app is Awesome, I cant wait to open it every day to see whats new, and the weekly updates and videos are awesome as well.

Yay, that the tests are still positive. :) they will typically have you come in for bloodwork again in 48 hours, oh I have my FX for you! please let us know when you get the results. Oh and I am 29 weeks already and still check my CM every single time I wipe, scared that I would see blood or maybe have an infection, the worrying never really stops :)


----------



## Nita2806

Fluffy, I see you mentioning you have normal AF cramps but AF is not showing.. I dont want to get you excited, but I had AF like cramps for 2 days before I got my BFP :o I have my FX for you!


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks everyone 

Nita, here midwives have 3 years of training. Most of them are nurses too. My midwife has been a nurse for 9 years and then a midwife for 21 years. So I feel like she's very competent. Also, pregnancy isn't viewed as a medical condition here, it's more of a normal, natural process. So very very few people see an OB unless there's something more complicated going on. Which is why I was seeing one. But it's been a few months now so I think I need to follow that up. It's now midnight (can't sleep again!) so I'm going to ring the hospital in the morning. 

Fluffy, thank you so much for asking your mum. That was really nice of you! I do agree with what she says. Definitely better to be safe than sorry and with all the different pieces of the puzzle I would feel more comfortable having them checked. Today, I've definitely been peeing much less than normal (and it's usually a lot!). My midwife only took my blood pressure once so I agree it could be inaccurate. My urine test showed no sign of a UTI. I'm going to ring the hospital tomorrow morning and talk to them about it. I don't want to go behind my midwife's back but I'm also concerned that this isn't something to take lightly if it is preeclampsia. Thanks again :)

Rickyandlucy, haha this thread has gotten so busy since your BFP :) you are welcome here regardless! Thanks for your comments about the immunization and the blood pressure :)

I found the first trimester the longest because I felt the sickest. You probably don't have time or care to go back and read the whole thread haha but I had 2 lots of IV fluid and eventually got some relief from the 4th antinausea tablet the doctor prescribed. I was a mess. But thankfully around week 10 things improved. We told our family after our 7 week scan. We were told the chance of a MC was less than 2% and to be honest, DH couldn't keep it a secret anymore haha. I also told a few friends who'd known about our infertility and I had to tell work because I was so sick. We then announced properly on Facebook at 12 weeks after our NT/12 week scan. The second trimester for me was awesome. I had heaps more energy but I did get pneumonia, then a chest/ear/throat infection. But I still managed to enjoy it. The third trimester has gone so fast for me! I can't believe it's almost over. 

I found that site reassuring because the chance of a loss did drop each day. There are other websites that have statistics about MC too. For me it was reassuring but for others it might not be, so if you think it would help you then go for it. Ovia is very cool until the middle of the third trimester and then it just tells you your baby is getting fatter each day haha. And everything is sounding really positive with your tests. Let us know about your blood test. Usualy they'll repeat it 48 hours later. The biggest thing is not how high your HCG/beta is but more whether it doubles in a 48 hour period. Mine went from 80something at 12 DPO to 320 at 15 DPO (it was Christmas time so I couldn't do my blood test within 48 hours). Also your spotting sounds exactly like mine was. My family doctor said it was implantation bleeding. 

Also, I remember when I found out I was pregnant I really didn't know what to expect in terms of testing, appointments, common symptoms etc. It was all brand new! If you've got any questions just shout out :)


----------



## Nita2806

I am glad that you will ring the hospital! you must be wreck by now :( I hope that its nothing, and we are worried for nothing, who knows baby might even show up 100% healthy in the meanwhile ;) Please keep us updated.

And Happy ticker day! We might not have so many of them together... one of these days I will have to celebrate ticker day on my own :haha:


----------



## rickyandlucy

Hey Sarah, so glad you are calling the hospital. I am hoping it is nothing too, but if nothing else they can ease your mind. Better to know for sure!

I actually love the link you sent me. Thank you again for that. Yes, it is a little scary right now, but I am also one of those people that finds comfort in statistics. Knowledge is power! Looks like each day the risk goes down pretty fast. In less than a week my risk will drop about 10%. Fx. Stick baby stick!!! I am literally talking to my tummy. Which I have done even before the BFP, but now I know there is actually something there, lol! Ovia app says my baby is the size of a poppy seed. :)

I really don't know how long I will be able to hide it from my family; my mom especially. I work with my family every day. Like, a lot of my family. My mom, dad, brother, and aunt. Mom knows we've been to the RE, and she knows I had blood drawn Monday. She is going to wonder why I had to go again today. Had to fudge it yesterday when she asked, lol. Trying to wait until at least the second blood test to make sure my levels are doing what they are supposed to. They should have the results from my first one this afternoon. Who knows; if those are good, maybe I will tell them this weekend. Do you think they will let me do the second blood test tomorrow if I just had one today? Or will I have to wait until Monday? I swear. You go from the TWW, and you think once you get your BFP things will be better, but it's just a different kind of waiting and worrying, lol.

Sarah, let us know what the hospital says when you call. Fx!


----------



## Nita2806

I am sorry Lucy, I dont know when they will do the second blood draw, if it cant be done in 48 hours. I never had a second blood draw as my OB only does 1 to look how far along you are. Mine were 87 on 15dpo (If I remember correctly) anything above 5 means you are pregnant. Did they test your prog levels as well? 

Ovia says my baby is the size of a huge ass pineapple this week lol, I am seeing my OB again on Monday so I am hoping she is above 1kg already :) last week she was just under 1 kg.

Oh I forgot to mention, I showed my video from the 4d scan to my granny (qnd you know how the old people always have thses old wifes tales to tell) she said our daughter does seem like she has long legs (yay) and her feet as quite big, so she doubt that she will be a very baby like I was...its the same the tech said, she also said she has long legs. Phew, what a relief. Everyone says she looks like me, but with DHs long legs.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Thinking of you Sarah. Please let us know if everything is ok! <3

So the lab apparently did not rush the results even though my RE's office faxed a revised order AND called to confirm. My nurse at the RE's office sounded pretty annoyed by them. So I suppose I will have to try to be patient and wait until morning. Fortunately I don't have to go back there again; it was a nightmare this morning just to get the draw done. My obgyn left me a message today that I can come there and do the next one. More convenient location wise AND will make it easier to keep hush hush. If only they had told me that yesterday! And Nita, they did not order the progesterone, but she said they will with the next one. They said they will do the next test Monday unless I can find somewhere to do it Saturday. Which, there are places, but it would be a bit of a drive. Going to talk to DH tonight and see how desperate we are for the peace of mind, lol. I feel like I would be willing to tell my mom after the results of the second draw.

Nita, that is one of the things I am most excited about; seeing what our babies will look like. I am sure they will look like DH; my genes are _all_ recessive and his very dominant, lol. Very excited for you to meet your little girl!


----------



## sarah2211

I rung the hospital and the midwife who was working was a total bitch. She said that if my midwife isn't concerned then I need to ring and ask her why she isn't concerned. I tried to explain about the Lupus and how my midwife doesn't know about that which is why I was seeing an OB at the hospital. She said "oh you're no on our books anymore. I'd recommend you call your mother for support". WTF. I was so upset.. my husband came home and even he was like wtf. He said I should go and see my GP so I'm going to do that today. 


Lucy, I'm the same. I'd prefer to have all the info so it was reassuring to me as well. Especially watching the chance drop. Haha I have often thought about the talking to my tummy thing. I found it kind of strange. I do sometimes in the car but I also figure he hears me talking throughout the day. 

It'll be entirely up to you whether you tell them now or wait. I didn't see my family that often so it was easier to hide. But if you work with your mum then it might be difficult, especially if you have a rough first trimester.

I had the second blood test and was offered extra monitoring for $300. Which I think was a scan and some more blood tests. We said no but I went to my family doctor and claimed I wasn't sure about my dates and they did a scan for free anyway. If they do a follow up one, it'll be fine to do it 3 days later (like mine). Just take that into account when you're working out whether it doubled. And good thing they're checking your progesterone this time. To be honest, if you can, I would do the drive just to make sure that your progesterone is ok sooner rather than later. 

Nita, happy ticker day :) you're right I probably don't have that many left haha. But I'll still follow your ticker! I hope your wee one has done some growing. We found ours has grown in spurts rather than gradually. So one scan things were small and then all of sudden they shot up. I can't remember if you said, but do you think her face looks like yours? Everyone says ours looks like my DH. It'll be interesting to see what he pops out like. Ovia says he has hair and eye colour now but they could change.


----------



## ttc126

Wow tons to catch up on!!!!!!!!

Lucy!!!!! Yay so happy to see you here!!!!! Congratulations &#10084;&#65039;

Sarah, I'm so nervous for you!!!!! I bet a million dollars you have preeclampsia. Your midwife should've run blood work to check your liver function at the very least. I hope your gp helps. Outrageous to hear the lack of care!!!!! 

Nita, haha vent away whenever!!!! That's what we're here for!

I saw my OB today and everything looks good! On the watch for preeclampsia here as my bp has been higher than normal still.... we'll see how it goes.


----------



## sarah2211

So I went to my GP and they did my blood pressure. The first one was 157/97 and I was running a temp. They re did the urine test which was normal, no protein. They redid my blood pressure and it was 163/98. So the GP was set to send me home to do some bloods but she rung the midwife (my midwife was at a birth and so they got the back up one). They decided it'd be safer for me to get checked out at the hospital. So I went to the hospital and had a NST and the baby was fine. My blood pressure came down to 140/90 or close. Blood tests showed my white cell count was up but nothing else. They said I have an infection and sent me home to bed. 

The back up midwife was a bitch and basically said I was searching for preeclampsia symptoms and when you know what they are you're more likely to be on the look out. Well I've had a headache for weeks, it's hard to dispute my swollen fingers and I'm pretty sure I can't fake protein or high blood pressure. 

So who knows. Now my midwife will think I've gone behind her back and that I'm a hypercondriac. Blah. I'm going to bed anyway, I feel like shit. 

Hope everything is ok for you TTC.


----------



## ttc126

Gosh Sarah that's horrible! I'm so angry for you!!!!!!! I'm sorry they've treated you this way.


----------



## Nita2806

Good grief Sarah, Thats the kind of service I would expect to get in South Africa, but not in NZ! I am sorry that they are so horrible, and them telling you that you are looking for symptoms are just crazy, one don't just imagine those things. Your blood pressure are really high though, hope you get some rest and it comes back down soon. :hugs:

Glad to hear everything is still looking good TTC :) It seems like all of us are struggling with BP at the same time.

I am seeing my OB again on Monday :o Hope I can control my nerves so she can get a true reflection of my BP, as it has not been as high at home since I last saw her. It was higher last night (136/75) at my first measurement but this was after playing with the dogs - second measurement after resting 2 minutes was 119/74.

I dont know if I mentioned before that DH bought a new car? We bought it last week Tuesday, but it was stored at an old airport at the coast, so they had to bring it up and install some extras for us. Any way, the car is ready and we are going to pick it up this afternoon - but, DH doesn't know he is getting it today :) he thinks we are going to sign papers for the registration and he is only getting the car Monday afternoon...eeeekkkk, excited much!


----------



## Fluffycookie

@sarah
Gosh that sounds so unprofessional!! I can only second what Nita said. I would feel a lot more comfortable if a doctor checked you out properly, but from what I know, no more protein in your blood and a possible infection could explain things. Still... if there is any way you can get someone to check you out (what happens if you just show up in A&E?), then do! Hoping you and baby are safe and well!!

@Lucy
So will you have your second blood draw on Monday? So exciting!!! I guess with weekends, there is no way around it, hu?

and with that...
I think I got my BFP this morning!! I phoned my clinic and they said they normally recommend testing now (16dpo) despite the HCG injections, so it should be a safe result! The nurse said to come in first thing Monday morning for a blood draw (beta HCG and progesterone), which will give me a definite answer, but a urine test today should be true. I'm shocked, excited... it feels unreal. O.O Also no more cramping since last night and obviously no sign of AF whatsoever.


----------



## Nita2806

HOW EXCITING FLUFFY!!! Congratz, sucks that they are letting you go for a blood draw only on Monday. I also got my BFP on a Friday, but I phoned just in time to get a referral letter for the lab (our labs are open 24/7) so I got my results about 30minutes after I had the blood draw done. Have you tested on a Digi yet Fluffy? Please post your test images here :) :) and I had a good hunce that you will get your BFP especially after you had AF cramps but no AF (exactly like I did)

I got so excited reading your news that my baby girl woke up and started kicking me :D


----------



## Fluffycookie

awww tell your baby girl Fluffy and tiny sesame seed say hello! At least my brand new app says baby would be the size of a seasme seed today at 4 weeks 2 days. Question about that actually: So we had the IUI on Wednesday morning, trigger Tuesday morning (so the doctor said I should have ovulated in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, from his scan). Does that mean I'm 4 weeks 2 days today or 4 weeks three days? Also, do you say "in week 5" once week 5 is complete, or when you are in your fith week (so 4w1d and onwards)? ^^" In case you can't tell, this would/will be our long awaited very first!
Can't wait for Monday, I hope they tell me the results of the first blood draw before the second one. I'm trying not to get crazy excited before then but... who am I kidding 

Image attached :D
 



Attached Files:







signal-2017-08-18-075650small.jpg
File size: 12.6 KB
Views: 3


----------



## ttc126

Fluffy yay!!!!!!!!!!!!! Congratulations!!!!!!! Haha I say I'm in week 28 when I am between 28 and 29 weeks :flower:


----------



## Nita2806

Thats definitely a BFP alright! This is also my first Fluffy, so I understand your frustration regarding the dates. But I wont worry about it too much, at your first scan (usually around 8 weeks) they will tell you how far along you are based on the info they see on the U/s and they will also give you a EDD - I just worked from that date. You will see with each scan your due will change as well. Mine have been anything from 1/11/2017 to 14/11/2017 - but the official day my OB decided on at my first U/s was 1/11/2017 and thats the date we are going through.

I don't know about others, but I would say now that I am 29 weeks (actually 29w1d) and I would say 4 weeks if I were you :) Hope you get the results soon after your blood draw Monday - and go ahead and ask any questions you may have... we dont always have the answers but between all of us I am sure we would be able to answer :D


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks ladies. I'm feeling absolutely exhausted. I feel like I've been given the run around and told different things and just so over it. I don't think I'm looking for any symptoms and regardless I was told to do that anyway! I'm glad to know the baby is doing ok, everything was great on the NST. 

Fluffy, I did see a doctor. I saw my GP and after the two high BP tests she sent me to the hospital. I only saw the back up midwife at the hospital but she talked with the OB. But I feel like the hospital just thought I was wasting their time. 

Anyway, I'm just going to take it easy for the next few weeks/until the baby arrives. My DH was really worried about it all. He came home from work this evening and I was asleep on the couch. He woke me up stroking my hair and told me that I don't need to do anything around the house and my job was just to rest now. He got angry when I went to take my plate to the kitchen before. 


Fluffy!! I'm so excited for you and your BFP!! It's literally the best news I've heard all day! And how exciting that you and Rickyandlucy will have pretty much the same due date! 16 DPO is pretty safe to say that AF is late and your test should be accurate. Hopefully you can stay sane waiting for the blood test Monday. Will you keep testing over the weekend just to see the line? That's what I did because it was Christmas/new year and I couldn't get blood tests done some days. I always say I'm 38 weeks until I actually hit 39 weeks. Also they calculate how far along you are based on your LMP (last menstrual period). But if you know when you ovulated, some calculators online will give you a more accurate date. Based on my LMP my due date is the 2nd September but I had a scan at 7weeks and my due date changed to the 31st August. There can be some variation in when you implanted too. Usually those early scans will be the most accurate in terms of dating. Anyway, congratulations!! I'm so excited for you. :) 

Nita, I hope your BP stays down. How exciting about DH's car! Have you got a car seat/capsule yet?


----------



## Nita2806

I agree with your DH Sarah, you seriously need to take some time now to just look after yourself and make sure you get proper rest! I am glad he feels that way.

2 more hours till we get the car, I am super excited. We already have 2 car seats, one for each of our cars. I will take the new one that fits into the stroller and the other one we got without a stroller (from my aunt) and will be permanently in DHs car. Its a nice big family car with loots of space and it has air conditioning vents at the back where she will be for enough circulation, with is just great.

This is the car we will be getting (only website I could find thats not South African so everyone can see lol) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuki_Ciaz


----------



## rickyandlucy

Sarah, I am so mad for you. That is ridiculous the way they treated you. Just remember that it is your job to be your own advocate, no matter how nasty they treat you. Sounds like you did just that and everything was ok. But I am so mad they gave you such a hard time about it. How dare they!!!! You have the right idea though. My friend had preeclampsia and they put her on bed rest, so taking it easy is a safe bet.

AHHHHHHHHH FLUFFY I AM SO EXCITED FOR YOU!!! SOMEHOW I JUST KNEW IT!!!!!!!! That is a definite BFP, there's no way that has anything to do with the injections!!!!! I have goosebumps, congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had just sent you a message before catching up on this thread, OMG, I am so happy for you! LOL! Geeking out! DUE DATE BUDDIES!


----------



## Fluffycookie

Thank you everyone who got back to me about the "what week do I call this?" question - I am in week 4 then! :)

@sarah
Sorry, in the excitement this morning, I somehow missed that you saw a GP X) Definitely get lots of rest!

@Lucy
eeek I know ^.^ I am so excited, I still can't really believe it!! Will definitely test again tomorrow, but can't wait for my blood draw on Monday. Never have I looked forward to being poked with a needle so much  Just saw your message as well ^^ So do you know when your due date is yet? According to my ovulation date (which I know for certain because of the IUI), my due date should be April 25th. As everyone has said though, I guess we'll both get a more precise due date in a few weeks time when we get a scan!


Another question for the fertility hive mind: If you were with a fertility specialist/clinic, how long did you stick with them before moving over to your "normal" gynecologist/obgyn once you were pregnant? I'm going to the clinic next week for the blood test (beta HCG and progesterone), but I'm not sure what to expect after that? My gynecologist is only a 20 minute drive, while the fertility clinic is in another city and takes me an hour to get to, so I hope I won't be going there for much longer but at the same time, of course I wnt everything to be as safe as possible so I don't want to leave the clinic too early!


----------



## rickyandlucy

Nita; nice car!!! That is exciting!

Fluffy: So I actually haven't yet gotten a blood confirmation (expecting that sometime this morning), but my estimated due date based on ovulation is April 26-27. You would switch back to your regular obgyn at 8 weeks. I have already scheduled my 8 week appt; just happens to be on my husband's birthday. :)


----------



## rickyandlucy

Blood confirmation is in! I am pregnant! My number was 115 :)

So if I am going in on Monday, that's 96 hours from the first one, so a good number would be 460 right?


----------



## ttc126

Congrats Lucy!!!!! Check out betabase.com for a good resource on doubling times! 

And fluffy, I think it depends. For me, since I had so many losses I stayed with my fertility clinic till week 10 then went to my OB. But others get a confirmation ultrasound at about 8 weeks and go to the OB. 

Very excited and happy for you both!

Nita! Love the car! It looks and sounds fantastic! 

Rest up Sarah! Thinking of you! 

Today I'm excited because we're getting our tile professionally cleaned.


----------



## Fluffycookie

yay for bloodwork confirmation Lucy! If you're April 26 and I'm April 25 so far, our due dates are literally one day apart! :D

Thanks to everyone about when I should expect to leave the clinic, I'll see what they say after the blood work. I know there is a concerned about higher risk in the first trimester due to my PCOS, so maybe I will be staying with them for longer, who knows. Letting everything settle in right now, still feels totally unreal after all this waiting and medication and things, somehow actually seeing that BFP was... unexpected? X) I feel like I spent so much time focusing on TTC, I'm not actually prepared for the eventuality of getting pregnant!


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks ladies. I woke up to DH vacuuming and house really tidy. He's doing a good job looking after me and I'm feeling a little better today. 

Lucy, that's awesome! Like TTC said, check out the beta base website. I think there are also calculators online to help you work out the doubling time. 

Fluffy, in terms of how long you stay with the fertility clinic depends on the clinic (and country). After my second beta they said to me to find a midwife. But if you have low progesterone or a history of losses or if you used IVF then you might stay with them a little longer. PCOS does increase the chances of a MC unfortunately. They should check your progesterone levels. Also, if you're on metformin they might suggest you stay on it first trimester. Maybe baby aspirin too? The dumb part is that there's not much else you can really do. You can prevent most MCs. We just have to keep our fingers crossed!! 

Nita, nice car!! I bet it is all starting to feel real. Our car is all ready and packed with my hospital bag now. 


I forgot to say that I saw my GP yesterday and told her about the hospital OB. She was shocked that they haven't been following me closer. She said I should be seen every day for NST, I should have very regular blood tests and BP tests and they should be looking to induce me next week. She said that I should be making a complaint because the OBs have gone against the recommendations of the rheumatologist and haematologist. So now I'm just freaking out that I really should have been watched much more closely. I just want him out so I know he's not relying on my body to keep him healthy. It's a scary feeling.


----------



## Nita2806

Woooot! We got our car, and we love it! :D :D

Lucy, thats a great number! Do you have any symptoms yet? You will soon start to feel bloated, think I started around week 6. And dont stress about MC rates too much, theres really nothing you can do to prevent it, just take care of yourself and enjoy the time you have with this baby :) And sure, the MC rates is very high in the biggining, but, looking at the percentages, chances of you having a normal healthy baby is bigger.

Fluffy, not sure when you will leave the RE. I was with my OB from when I started TTC. I think it depends if you need progesterone and how your numbers look. Here, the progesterone until week 12 regardless of your levels, if you didnt conceive naturally, as Clomid, IVF, etc. Does increase your chances of a MC.

Sarah, any idea what the plan forward is? Doesnt sound like the doctors there are really of much help, and I really think you need more monitoring especially at the stage you arr with your complications.

Afm, BP this morning was 106/66 - yay, and just spending some time resting and feeling baby kick before I get up to work.


----------



## sarah2211

Yay, exciting Nita. 

Lucy and Fluffy, I hope neither of you have a rough time in the first trimester. If you do, my advise is not to suffer through it and ask for help if you need it. Regular snacking and get lots of rest. 

Nita, I have no idea what the plan is. I thought I may have heard from my midwife today or yesterday but nothing. I'm feeling like my hands are tied because my midwife and the OB doesn't care but the rheumatologist, haematologist and my GP think things need to be monitored more closely but none of them can do anything about it. To be honest, I think my best move is to try and do what I can to induce labour. I know nothing's going to happen until my body is ready and there's no evidence to suggest that anything at home actually works. But he's developed enough to survive and probably safer on the outside. I see my midwife on Thursday and I'll be taking DH along with me too, but she's unlikely to do anything. I've had some cramping and back pain tonight so maybe he's going to be making his arrival soon anyway. I hope so anyway.


----------



## Fluffycookie

@sarah
Thank you :) Frustrating how your diffirent healthcare providers don't seem to be listening to each other! My mum was overdue with me and in order to avoid being induced, she walked up and down the stairs until her labour started X) Not sure if this helps if you're not overdue, but who knows!

@Lucy
How are you spending tomorrow to make time go faster?  I cannot wait until Monday!!! I think I'll have to distract myself with chores and tv, just trying to keep my mind of things. I'm planning on telling my family on Friday since I reckon I should have all the blood results on Thursday and we see my parents and siblings on Friday, so that would work nicely. Have you thought about when and how you'd tell people?



So I have another question already ^^"

I'm going in for my first blood test (beta HCG, progesterone) on Monday morning, and from what I understand for a second one on Wednesday morning. I've heard that being given progesterone is fairly common, I wonder if they base that of your first value (i.e. might I start taking something as soon as those results are available?) or is that based on how the amount of progesterone develops from the first to the second test?

I keep having slight period-like cramps on and off, they get less every day since Thursday (when AF was supposed to show), but I still have slight twinges today. Tomorrow is Sunday and I essentially can't ask my clinic about it until Monday when I go in for the blood test - I doubt they would do anything other than say "we'll take blood and go from there" anyway. Of course, I'm worried this is a bad sign somehow. I first tested Friday and then rested Saturday, and the Saturday test was digital and said 2-3 weeks along. So with me being 4 weeks 3 days, I hope that's a good sign! I was going to test again Sunday morning, but now I'm worried that if the line were fainter that morning, I would be sick with worry and couldn't do anything about it until Monday anway... so please, did anyone else have mild period-like twinges/cramps at this stage and everything was fine? I could really use some reassurance right now (please keep any concerns until Monday morning GMT/UK time so I can bring them up with my doctor then but not get crazy worried before, if that's okay!)...


----------



## Nita2806

Fluffy, not sure how it work in other countries but I was given progesterone regardless of my numbers, just because Clomid increase the chances of a MC, I had a day21 bloodtest that month that also suggested my prog levels was a bit low. Regarding the cramps, I had them since 13dpo (2 days before I got my BFP) right up until my second tri mester, I dont have them anymore now since the BH contractions started.

Sarah, my mom also say be very active to induce labour yourself, she was 2 weeks overdue with me as well. However, I wont suggest you to be active with your high BP. Hope your boy arrives soon and both of you are OK.


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks ladies. I'm not sure I have the energy to be that active haha. I've done a bit of reading on inducing labour and really there's nothing you can do unless the baby is actually ready. I've had period cramps, sore back and thighs since last night and some BH so I'd say it's probably a good sign. But I think I'll just rest and try and save up my energy. If I went into labour at the moment I think I'd probably just ask for the epidural straight away so I can sleep. I have no energy. 

Fluffy, I had some cramps too. I think with the implantation and the embryo nestling in there it's pretty normal to get some cramping. My progesterone on CD 21 was low 30s which says I ovulated but not great. Then at 12DPO it was fine and same on 15DPO. So I never got progesterone and didn't need it. But I'd imagine if your blood test on Monday says it's low they'd prescribe it straight away. They'd probably do follow up bloods to see if your levels are improving too. But it seems to vary from doctor to doctor and country to country.


----------



## Fluffycookie

Thank you Nita and sarah :) That calms my mind! I never realised I'd have all these stupid little questions. You spend so much time focusing on getting pregnant and so little on what the pregnancy would be like... or at least I did.

@Nita
I have been trying not to worry/thinkg about MC at all since it seems there is nothing you can do to prevent it... why does clomid increase the chances? :S Is that just statistically (since many women who have other underlying issues get clomid), or is there a medical reason? If it's a medical reason, I'm hoping 50mg of clomid = lowest clomid risk! X)

@sarah
Resting sounds like a good idea, you get to meet your baby so soon! I haven't read back all the way, so this has probably been asked before, but do you mind me asking if you've picked out a name yet (and are you happy to share or are you keeping it a secret)? Do you have a theme for your nursery? I'm getting a bit dreamy about these things today as I wait for my blood test tomorrow :3


----------



## Nita2806

Fluffy,I think the cramping is just our bodies adjusting to the changes. If the cramps are severe its obviously something to worry about, and I think severe cramping can also be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy (not 100% sure though) - however mild cramping every now and then that doesnt influence your daily tasks is nothing to worry about. I would get around 5 cramps a day that early on and eventually it weaned to 1 a day and 1 every few days to nothing in the second trimester. 

I think Clomid increases your chances of a MC because it thins out your lining, progesterone thickens the lining. This is what the lady at the pharmacy actually told me. But I am sure you will find more accurate info on Dr Google. If I remember correctly Clomid increases the chance for a MC by around 5% in the first 8 weeks or until you see the heartbeat. However I think you are safe with 50mg, Sarah did 100mg and I did 150mg and both our babies made it through that early.

So this morning I went to get me some new maternity shirts, as mine is a little small, and I had to buy a Large (I almost got a heart attack) I am used to buying X-Small or Small..and I still have 2 months to go, I hope it doesnt go up to a XLarge.. Ill just wear my birthday suit then :haha: Everyone tells me that I have really grown a lot over the last 2 weeks, and I can actually see a difference - supposedly I am going to grow even more and faster now...eish!


----------



## sarah2211

Fluffy, it's no worries :) you definitely do spend a lot of time learning and thinking about how to get pregnant but when you actually do get pregnant it can be a huge range of emotions and feelings. I know for me I was surprised because some were really unexpected. As horrible as it sounds, I don't think I've bonded with my baby in the way I expected to. I thought I would be beyond in love from the moment I saw the second line. im sure it will develop though. 

Unfortunately, there are quite a number of things that can cause a MC. The most common (from my research) is a problem with how the embryo develops. Shecee might pop in and add to this (she sadly had a MMC a few months ago) but there are certain points where it's more likely for the embryo not to make it because of developmental reasons and there is nothing you can do about that. The other causes are progesterone or lining issues (you can try to prevent that), immune system (like autoimmune and the body attacks the embryo), blood clots (usually aspirin is given), hormone imbalance (so for PCOS the advice is often to stay on metformin), or if you were to get sick with listeria or another illness. I'm sure there are other reasons. But as you can see, mostly there's nothing that can be done. I had a loss at just over 5 weeks in July last year. 

We have a first name picked out but we've decided to just keep it quiet for now. I have some opinionated friends and family haha. We are almost set on middle name(s). My DH's family have kind of crazy middle names but I'm not sure if we will do that. And as for the nursery, he'll be in our room for the first few months in his bassinet. We have set up his room but we are in army housing (we just bought some land and hopefully have house plans all drawn up in the next few months). So nothing too extreme. Lots of natural wood, like a wooden cot, change table, draws and shelves. But no theme or anything. 

Nita, I found I grew in spurts. Nothing for weeks and then almost overnight. My friend actually didn't fit maternity clothes towards the end haha. I can still wear some non maternity clothes haha


----------



## rickyandlucy

Nita: I really don't feel much different. My boobs are the main thing that feel off. They are a little tender, feel a little bigger, nipples potentially a little larger. They were actually my only symptom before the BFP. But I truly felt more pregnant other months when I wasn't, lol. But temps are sky high, and no bleeding. Second blood draw tomorrow. Still can't decide when to tell my parents. Part of me is ready to shout from the rooftops now, another part wants to wait for results of the second draw, and another part wants to wait for the heartbeat.

Fluffy: It is so hard to keep my mind off it, even when I am busy! Friday night DH went with me on a little overnight work trip. It was nice, we got to stay in a hotel, sleep in. He is already being so cute; "You need to sit, you need to drink water". He is one of those that doesn't show his feelings, but I can tell he is excited and nervous. We went to a beer festival yesterday with some friends and I told them I couldn't drink because of an antibiotic the RE put me on before the HSG. I thought it was a good excuse, because that's exactly what would have happened if I had gotten AF. By her reaction though I am not sure she bought it, but oh well! She's a LTTTC'er herself so she knows exactly how long we've been trying. Btw, I know exactly what you mean, I have had the cramps on and off too. But I think the biggest reassurance is no bleeding. Every time I go to the bathroom and see no bleeding I feel like celebrating, lol! If you are not bleeding it should mean things are ok.

Sarah: Keep taking care of yourself, taking it easy, and go with your gut. I truly believe this is one of those times when Mom truly knows best!


----------



## Fluffycookie

@Nita
Thank you for that info - that is actually good news to me because they checked my lining at my CD14 ultrasound and I remember the doctor saying it was "really good" - so hoping all is wel lin that department :) Aww I'm looking forward to buying maternity clothes for the first time <3 You know, a big advantage of your birthday suit is you will never outgrow it, it will always fit!  and it has no size label!

@sarah
I think some mums really bond during pregnancy and some bond more when baby is born, everyone is different. We're planning on keeping the name a secret as well because of the same issue with strong opinions from friends and family! It must be so awesome having the nursery all set up <3

@Lucy
hahaha, I do the exact same thing every time I go to the bathroom! Everytime I'm a little anxious and check and then it's "woop woop" X)
Right now I'm just waiting for the blood work, if that's all fine then I'm telling my parents and my sisters (we're a lot closer with my family than his as they are over here and his are back in the UK) - keeping it a secret from them would be impossible, they are *all* (yes, all of them) doctors and know we've been to the fertility clinic and all ^^" Just like your LTTC friend, I think some people will just catch on regardless! I kind of thought about it like this: who would I tell if this pregnancy went wrong early on? That would be the core members of my family, I would ask them for medical advice anyway, so that's who I'm telling before the 12 week mark :)

Do you get the results of your second blood draw on Monday? I should get my first results either late on Monday or early Tuesday, and then the second late Wednesday or early Thursday, I believe.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Fluffy: Yes, I am hoping to get the results of the second blood draw tomorrow. I actually want to tell my parents today, but once they know it will be much harder to keep it from other members of my family that I am not quite ready to tell yet, like aunts and uncles. My aunt lives next door to my parents, my other aunt is staying with her for a few weeks, and my other aunt I work with. I am not quite ready for them to know. And if something went wrong I don't think I would want them fussing over me. So for now I guess we are taking it a day at a time. But maybe I will feel differently if the numbers are good tomorrow. Fx!


----------



## Nita2806

Lucy, I didnt feel pregnant in the beginning at all, just the cramps and no spotting here as well. When I went for my firat u/s my OB also could not find her with an abdominal u/s so I was just so scared at that moment, and then she did a vaginal u/s and there was our little peanut and a strong heartbeat. But I was so scared because I didnt get sick or MC and everyone kept on telling me i should have gotton sick by now. Just hang in there, symptoms like bloating, constipation/diarrhea, MC make their appearance from around week 5/6 thats if you get some. Also if your boobs hurt or feel tender when you touch them, you are still pregnant. 

My advice regarding telling your parents, do it if you feel you are right. Mine understood that it was still early and didnt tell anyone else, and you know what, even they did it would not worry me, what happens, happens. Be positibe and think positive. I hope your second blood draw shows as good results as the first. 

Fluffy, it definately takes time to get used too, but it will all be very real when you 1. See the heartbeat and 2. Start the feel the movements. Maternity shopping is hard but fun, and my DH like me wearing these tight stretchy shirts, he just loves that everyone can see his wife is preggo. I can still hide it with a hoody but he gets real pissed if I dont look pregnant, lol. 

My DH and I also talk to her, A LOT, from early on :) this morning in the shops this family walked past me, qnd the mom looked at me and just smiled as she walk past. I can really notice a lot of people looking at my tummy. 

As for the 3rd trimester, my energy levels are non existant amd my feet hurt so baaaaaaaad :(


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks fluffy, we figure it's harder to give your opinion of a name (well say you don't like it) once it's stuck haha. But it's not an uncommon name so I don't think anyone will have a problem. It's also nice to have something that just DH and I know and share too. Have you thought about names? I know lots of people when they're LTTC have something in mind. 

And my good friend had her baby 4 weeks ago and she's been really struggling with the bonding. She had no issues conceiving or staying pregnant but they had a traumatic birth. Plus newborns can be all about take, take, take for the first few month. I'm just looking forward to the cuddles, I think that'll help. Like Nita said it kind of sinks in a little more at different stages like when you feel them move, get a proper bump and the amazing 3D/4D scans. 

It is exciting having it set up. Babies are expensive haha they need lots of stuff and we've managed to go pretty low key comparably. Good luck for your blood test! Please let us know your results. And the way we decided to tell people was that if we lost the pregnancy would we be ok with them knowing that? And we decided yes because we were planning on starting IVF in the next few months so probably would have had to put it all out on the table anyway. With your family being doctors I'm sure they understand it all! 

Lucy, thanks. I'm just taking it easy but also doing a few tricks to try and hurry him along. I don't have much confidence they'll work though. Definitely tell people when you're ready. I'd say your LTTTC friend is probably a bit suspicious haha but you get that way when you've been trying so long. But it's a good excuse, I would have bought it haha. Good luck for your next blood test! It's still early days for symptoms. I think mine started about 6 weeks. 

Fluffy and Lucy, you might both be lucky and not have a rough time in the first trimester. But if I'd known I was going to I would have done a big grocery shop because I didn't leave the house for weeks. Have lots of crackers, bread for toast and plain foods. Also, enjoy being able to sleep on your back and tummy haha. I'm pretty much stuck sleeping on my left side and have been for the past 3 months and my shoulder and hip are dying. 

Nita, my DH is the same haha. What will they refer to us as when we are no longer their pregnant wife? Are you getting lots of people looking at your tummy and smiling? I'm finding it more from middle age men. Not in a creepy way (well I don't think so) and old ladies haha. Third trimester is so draining. It doesn't get any better unfortunately. Since hitting 38 weeks it's all gone down hill. Maybe because I know he's actually ready. Ovia gave me an ovation for "bun's done" haha.


----------



## sarah2211

Oh and Nita have you noticed any colostrum yet?

Fluffy, I also wanted to add that I had a MC after conceiving with no Clomid. At that point my hormones were all over the place. My LH and FSH ratio were out, I had high prolactin, low estrogen and my free androgen was very slightly high. I had lots of PCOS symptoms. But when I took Clomid I ovulated earlier in my cycle, my skin was clearer and my hair looked better and my estrogen and progesterone levels are much more normal. I believe that it was because Clomid helped me to ovulate a good, strong egg that my pregnancy worked out. But I have no actual proof of this.


----------



## Fluffycookie

@sarah
We've actually had names for both genders picked out for years... though it's been so long we've got quite a list of girl names we like by now that we can't decide between ^^" We have a clear favourite for a boy though. I've heard that setting up for your first baby is quite the expense, but since we've had a lot of time to save up, I think we're prepared now (I hope) :)
Thank you for sharing about your MC - I'm really sorry you had to go through that, I honestly can't imagine. I really hope clomid balanced out my hormones too! It's encouraging to hear it did for you. :hugs:

A big grocery shop is a good idea, thank you! Perfect timing, am going grocery shopping tomorrow :D Does anyone have any further tips for early first trimester?

AFM:
Just got back from the blood draw, all the nurses smiling at me and telling me good luck (I told them I had already tested positive twice on the weekend). They said I will get the results from this first blood draw this afternoon and then they will tell me what happens next, possibly a second blood draw and then an ultrasound at 6 weeks or so. I'm on GMT+1 time, so that means I should get a call in 5-8 hours... the clock is moving unusually slowly this morning


----------



## Nita2806

Nothing yet Sarah - although not quite sure what to look out for lol - hope you are feeling better?

FX for the results Fluffy - I am on GMT+2 time so I hope to read your results before bed time :D

Getting everything for the first is really expensive, and DH buy 2 of most things, because for example she will be going to work with me so we need 2 cots, both will transport her, so 2 car seats, etc. But we are convinced it will be less for Nr. 2 and even though I wanted Nr. 2 soon after Nr. 1 I have decided that DH will first make some time for ourselves and our marriage so we will have some time to save up for Nr. 2

I have my OB in about 5 hours - so stressed about my BP ugh, and ofcourse the stress make it even higher.


----------



## Nita2806

Also Fluffy, I wont suggest going for a U/s at 6 weeks, it might be too early to see the heartbeat and it may only lead to more stress, If it was me, I would push it and wait for 7/8 weeks :)


----------



## sarah2211

Fluffy, I think that the longer it takes the more time you have to second guess the name haha. We had a girl and a boy name picked out before our BFP and I think if this baby had been a girl we probably wouldn't have gone with the name we chose. But the boy name is my DH's middle name so it wasn't likely to change. 

I agree about the money thing too. Plus we were convinced we'd need IVF and had $13,000 saved away for our first cycle. DH said to me when we got our BFP, "I feel $13,000 richer!" But definitely setting up for the first one is the most expensive. After that there's lots you can reuse. Just as long as you don't have your second too close the first I imagine haha. DH wanted Irish Twins but that's not possible for us! 

The MC was tough but I wasn't that far along so i don't feel like I have a lot to complain about. I'm grateful that I was one of the lucky ones to become pregnant again. I hope that the Clomid did help you to produce a good egg and sort out some of the PCOS hormone issues too! 

As for other first trimester tips, I found my boobs were really sore and sleeping in a crop top/sports bra really helped. There's also an acupressure point about two finger tips below the inside of your wrist that's meant to help with nausea. You can get little bracelets to press on there or just use your thumb. Oh and they call it 'morning' sickness. It really should be called all day sickness haha. I had an abdominal ultrasound at 7weeks and saw the heartbeat but like Nita said, don't go much earlier than that or you risk being disappointed! I hope you're lucky like Nita and manage not to have it too bad!

I can't wait to hear about your blood test results. I remember doing my blood test too and the lady was so excited haha. It's just the start of people being really excited and happy for you! 

Nita, some people leak colostrum but I haven't. I found that I had a little bit of (TMI) crustiness on my nipples but that's all. We are looking at getting some bobby calves for our farm and DH said I could feed them all my colostrum I can produce so much haha. 

And yup buying everything for a first born is expensive. Then you can just do hand me downs. I think boys clothes are easier to hand me down to a younger sister though. If we'd had a girl first I would have bought pinks and purples and flowers haha. I hope everything's ok with your BP. 

Ugh, I have the midwife on Thursday and I know she's going to be shitty with me about everything so I was going to take DH for support but he tells me tonight he can't make it. So I'm going to have to face her on my own.


----------



## Nita2806

Wel, my BP this morning is 128/99 - I am a nervous wreck, I can't get myself to calm down, literally. It have not been this high since my last appointment, if its high today she might put me on meds, ugh and the side effects can be quite severe. DH is also going with me, so he can also tell her that my BP is normal at home, not that I think that will help.

Goodluck Sarah - I generally hate going to appointment alone, ugh, I hope your midwife is not too shitty about everything and that she gives you a proper diagnoses regarding your high BP, and other symptoms. Do you think she might induce you if your symptoms stay the same? I hope not, I know you dont want to be induced.

Fluffy, another first trimester tip. I dont know if you are taking prenatal vitamins? If so, and you start to feel nauseous, try leaving them for a few days and only take folic acid. Prenatal vits made me very sick, my OB said all I really need is folic acid. Apparently the Iron can make MS worse or cause Nausea and vomiting.. 
OB in an hour, so over it right now...


----------



## rickyandlucy

Sarah: Thank you for sharing about your mc. Regardless of how early it was I am sure that must have been hard. How high was your prolactin? Before my BFP I was twice told I had slightly high prolactin. Just before ovulating this cycle my prolactin was 35. But the RE told me that it wasn't high enough that they would have treated it most likely.

Fluffy: Went for my blood draw this morning too. Went to my regular obgyn instead of the lab (closer to my work). Unfortunately that means I won't have the results until tomorrow. If I had known that I probably would have stuck with the lab. But it was nice, my doc congratulated me. They want me to come back again next week; is that normal? And Fluffy, let us know when you get your results back! Are you telling your fam after the first results or the second one?

Nita: Hoping that you get good news from your doc! Hang in there!

I've been having tummy trouble since yesterday. Went to my parents house last night for our weekly family dinner and ended up alternating between the couch and the bathroom most of the evening. Is this normal? Between that and the blood draws I am not sure how much longer I can keep this secret, lol. My arms are all bruised from the now THREE blood draws in a 7 day period, lol.


----------



## Fluffycookie

Sooo I just got the call back from the clinic and the blood test confirmed, I am pregnant!!! ^.^ Weirdly they don't do a second blood draw, just gave me an appointment for a 6 week ultrasound with my fertility doctor. Hubby is away on conference for 10 days after and she said it would be "a little late" to wait until he's back. Obviously there is no way he'll miss our first ultrasound ever, so the appointment is at 6 weeks exactly (Thursday 31st).

They also said I should take progesterone (vaginal suppositories). She said it's just their standard policy and they will check again at 6 weeks to see if I need to continue taking them. Does anyone here have experience with progesterone suppositories?

@Lucy
I'm guessing your gynecologist or their nurse/whoever asked you to came back next week doesn't know you already had 3 blood draws? I don't see why you even need 3, actually? Maybe call back to check?
As I'm not having another blood draw, I want to tell my family on Friday which is when I next see them. I cannot wait ^.^

@Nita
Sorry to hear your blood pressure is so high. Have you tried breathing techniques? Three short breaths in through the nose and then a slooow one out through your mouth (as slow as possible) is what I do and it really slows my pulse. You can do it for as long as necessary until you feel calmer. Maybe it helps!
I take (and have been taking since last November) a prenatal that only contains folic acid, Vitamin D and iodin. It's what my doctor recommended based on my thyroid values, so I'm sticking with that unless the fertility clinic recommends something else at my 6 week appointment :)

@sarah
Thank you for those tips! I hope your midwife appointment goes smoothly, surely you're not the first worried pregnant woman she is dealing with ;)


----------



## rickyandlucy

Congrats fluffy! That was fast! It's a good feeling isn't it! :) Did they give you a number?

So my first blood draw exactly one week ago was actually to retest prolactin; it was before I got my BFP. Thursday and today were HCG, and today I also made sure they tested my progesterone. They definitely knew about all the draws; she made it sound like they just want to check weekly to make sure everything is progressing as it should?

Now I really wish I had my second results! The next 24 hours are going to be so slooooowwww...

I am this close to ordering a little bandana for our furbaby that says "Big Sister", lol. We bought a onesie yesterday just because it was on clearance for $2, lol.


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, your diastolic number is a bit high but here they would call that ideal blood pressure haha. Even my 163/98 wasn't enough for anyone to take any notice. I think doctors know that your BP goes up at the doctors. So surely she would take that into account. 

I'm doubtful that she will induce me. I'm not sure she actually has the capability of doing much more than a stretch and sweep anyway. It would be up to the OB to induce me and I think they have policies about when and why they do that. If she offers me a stretch and sweep I think I'll take it but I they don't usually do that until closer to 40 weeks. 

Definitely agree about the vitamins. And if you have to take any medications try and do them at night time so you sleep through any nausea. My doctor said folic acid until 13 weeks and iodine the whole way through your pregnancy (and breastfeeding) is all you need. 

Lucy, definitely normal to have an upset stomach I'm sorry. It's no fun at all. Nita can probably tell you more about it than me but it's to do with the hormones and just another variation of morning sickness. Try and avoid spicy and fatty foods. I know they say constipation is a normal pregnancy symptom but I have had no issue with that. 

I haven't got the results of my blood tests on my phone but I know my prolactin wasn't hugely high but maybe 50 above normal? My fertility specialist didn't mention it being high or whether it was an issue. But, on the plus side, women with PCOS can have issues with breastfeeding (I know! Getting pregnant and staying pregnant is hard enough and we still have to deal with more shit!) but prolactin triggers breast milk and you're less likely to have supply issues if you have higher levels of prolactin. 

Fluffy, yay!! Congratulations. Some places don't do the follow up bloods, it's really just for reassurance that your numbers are doubling. But knowing this information doesn't change anything so don't be too worried. It sounds like a good plan to go on progesterone. Nita did progesterone so I'm sure she can help :). And at 6 weeks you may or may not hear the heartbeat. They'll probably do a vaginal ultrasound. If you can, and you want to try and work out the gender, take a photo or ask for one of your scan. There are different theories at 6-7 weeks and 12 weeks that can help determine what you're having. I'm no good at the early ones but Nita and I both used it at 12 weeks to accurately work out what gender our babies are. 

And I'm hopeful that the midwife won't be too shitty with me. But I'm even more hopeful I might go into labour before my appointment haha. I went for a long walk today, im drinking raspberry leaf tea, hand expressing, baby dancing (haha lives up to the name now more than ever!). Im having cramps still and some uncomfortable but irregular contractions.


----------



## rickyandlucy

@Sarah: LOL about the baby dancing!!!! Praying the midwife is kind to you. She shouldn't be in that profession if she can't be understanding and reassuring to nervous moms. Will be thinking of you!

@Fluffy: I suspect you feel the same as me which is excited but also terrified, lol. If you ever need some reassurance, I found another stats site like the one Sarah sent me before, but this one also shows your chances of NOT mc, which is of course common sense, but seeing the numbers with your own eyes is reassuring. You can enter more info about you like your age, height and weight, and other details. My chances of NOT mc at this point is 80%. They even have a "Reassure Me" tool, which when I click tells me that I am 4 times more likely to have a successful birth than mc. And you can click it over and over and it will tell you more reassuring stats: https://datayze.com/miscarriage-chart.php

I ordered the Big Sister dog bandana ladies, lol. Praying the second bloods come back good. Thinking we will tell my parents this weekend. My pants are already uncomfortable. Part of that I think is the upset tummy. But still!


----------



## Nita2806

Just a quick update after my appointment, ill write a proper reply later. 

I have been diagnosed with hypertension, and I am now taking blood pressure meds. Baby is measuring small still and OB is a little worried she isnt getting enough food. So I am not allowed to do any excercise whatsoever, and if my BP doesnt come down in 2 weeks time, then I must stop working and be put on bed rest. :(


----------



## Fluffycookie

@sarah
That's good to know, I will be prepared that we might not see a heartbeat yet then :) I will definitely ask for a photo! How should I try and work out the gender at 6 weeks though? 

@Lucy
awww that's such a cute idea! I have a dog too, what kind is yours? I'm telling my parents this Friday so then we're both telling our families this weekend :D
I'm the same with the tummy actually - it's bloating X) No way it's an actual baby tummy yet and mine is a bit high for that anyway, so definitely bloating. Trying to wear a lot of loose dresses and skirts is doing the trick for me right now to avoid having waistbands cut into it, haha. I also think I feel a little more tired and hungry, how about you? and thank you for that link, will check it out! I love positive, reassuring things like that - exactly what I need!


----------



## rickyandlucy

Prayers your way Nita. <3

Fluffy, our dog is a Shepherd mix. Ordered this hot pink big sister bandana from Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/253492...MIzqKN6Mzo1QIVSiWBCh3_BA-hEAQYASABEgK5TfD_BwE

Yeah def bloating over here. Pants are uncomfortable and are digging into my waist. I've been doing the hairtie over the button trick to try to make them more comfortable. Prob need to go ahead and sort my clothes so the comfy things are easier to find, lol. Can't wait for fall and leggings and sweaters! I am only mildly more tired and hungry. Friday night I got up to pee THREE times in the night which was very unusual for me, but that may have been a fluke, been pretty normal since.


----------



## ttc126

Nita how scary!!!!! Here they would have you taking baby aspirin. I'm glad your ob sounds very proactive. Try to rest lots and stay calm. Big hug to you!

Lucy and Fluffy, I just wanted to chime in about first tri worry. I had a chemical then 3 miscarriages before this baby. There's truly nothing you can do to prevent something from happening. Just try to relax and take it day by day. 

Fluffy I took progesterone suppositories all of first tri. No big deal at all. Just stock up on panty liners. 

Sarah, waiting for an update on you! Thinking of you!

As for me, I'm just waiting for my hematology appointment at 3pm today!


----------



## Nita2806

Thanks ladies. My OB said it might be early for meds but she would rather get it under control now, than to have to strugle later on, and most important now is for me to rest to make sure my baby is ok. No protein in my urine, thank goodness. High BP is in my family and my mom also strugle with it during pregnancy, so I am not surprised, just hoped it wasnt this early on.


----------



## sarah2211

Lucy, haha it is very very weird when the baby is dancing during baby dancing. I make sure he's asleep before we start (just because I find it weird haha) but a couple of times he's woken up and you just have to ignore it haha. Wow that website sounds SO much better! I'm glad you found that one. I think putting it in the positive and looking at the chance of bringing home your delicious healthy baby is far more reassuring! 

Nita, I'm sorry that you're having these troubles. Was the measurement based off an ultrasound or your fundal height? We had some little measurements on the scan early on (10-20th percentile) but things are looking a bit better now. Keep in mind if you're short then it's probably genetic that she's going to be little. And if it's your fundal height she's looking at that can be crazy inaccurate. I went from 4 weeks ahead of dates, to my bump getting smaller than the previous appointment, to measuring 4 weeks behind to then bring back to normal. It's crazy that she's started you on BP medication. My doctor and midwife would call your BP ideal. Just rest up. It might be good to finish work early. 

Fluffy, if it's too early to see the heart beat they'll likely call you back in a few days to try again. I can't imagine how scary it would be to be in that position but I've read a lot of times it happens and then they find everything's ok a few days later. The theory for the early scans is called Ramzi Theory. Something about where the placenta lies. I'm no good at it, but there's heaps of info on Google. It's not that accurate but just a bit of fun. And the bloating is normal! I think I was bloated until about 11 weeks, then my tummy went back to normal and my jeans started fitting again because my uterus moved up. It was so weird. Then my bump started growing at about 22-23 weeks. But even now if I was to wear DH's jacket you'd probably just think I was fat haha. Everyone carries differently. 

Lucy and fluffy, you two will be pregnant in winter right? It's been winter for my pregnancy and it's been pretty awesome actually. Your baby actually keeps you nice and warm. It's like a little heater in your tummy. I was wearing summer dresses with just a cardigan on when it was 10-13 degrees C haha. Others would be all wearing jackets and jeans. 

TTC, thanks. No update until Thursday. I'm still having headaches. Last night I took panadol and had a nap and it did nothing for my head. DH said he can't come to my appointment so I'm a bit worried about going on my own now. Good luck with your haematology appointment! Let us know how it goes :)


----------



## rickyandlucy

Sarah, yes we would be pregnant in winter :) I was always hoping for that, but eventually we had been trying so long I got to the point where I didn't care when, lol. 3rd tri would be late winter/early spring, but should still be nice and comfy. 

I am really, really sorry your DH can't come to your appt with you. Don't be shy about sticking up for yourself and your baby. Is there anyone else you can take with you?


----------



## ttc126

Fluffy I saw this baby at 5 weeks 6 days with a tiny beating heart! Hopefully you'll at least see the sac and fetal pole! 

Sarah!!!!!!! I'm so so worried for you! With your bad headache. I wish they'd induce you!!!! Here in the US you'd have been diagnosed with preeclampsia when you had the protein in your urine even though your bp wasn't terrible that one reading that day. Also they'd take into consideration that you had very low bp through the whole first 2/3 of pregnancy. Do you have any swelling?

My appt was fine. We just went over a plan for delivery and one for if I need a transfusion sooner... I really like my hematologist so it was an easy good appt.

Lucy, my second was a mainly winter pregnancy! Sooooo nice!!! This one I've been miserably hot!


----------



## sarah2211

Lucy, we were the same. I didn't even care if his due date was Christmas Day. I just wanted to be pregnant. So when my GP said that we had timed it badly with it being 9 months from Christmas/new year I wanted to roll my eyes haha. And definitely it's good that it's not too hot. You guys use Celsius there don't you? Today it's 12 degrees C and usually I'd wear a few layers. It doesn't really get hot here in the summer though so I probably would have been ok. But you 'planned' it well for a winter baby haha. 

Thankfully DH has managed to be excused from his work thing. I put the pressure on him. Usually from an army wife comparison I'm pretty chilled out, have no issue with him going away or working crazy hours. So when I rarely put my foot down he does usually listen. 

TTC, I know, and I don't feel comfortable with it either. I've seen women with lower BP, no protein and not as far along be induced! I've got some swelling in my fingers but not my face or ankles. When I see the midwife on Thursday I am going to stand up for myself, tell her what my GP said and make her realize how serious my autoimmune diseases stuff can be. But being that she is a midwife and they tend to be less about treating pregnancy and the medical complications I'm not sure what the outcome is going to be. In the mean time, I'm trying some different tricks. Bouncing on the birth ball, going for a walk, lots of hand expressing, sex and I'm going to try EPO from tonight. I'm glad your appointment went well. Is the transfusion for iron or for something else?

Also our Tula arrived today!! 


Weird TMI question, over the past few days I've noticed like an oil layer in the top of my pee. It's like when you see an oil slick and it's shiny like a rainbow haha. Google kind of says it's normal in pregnancy and also caused by dehydration (which I'm definitely not). Any of you ladies know about this?


----------



## ttc126

Ooh Sarah the oily pee thing is weird! If you aren't dehydrated I'd wonder if it's a kidney thing from possible preeclampsia? So weird! I'm glad your dh got excused and that you're planning to put your foot down. Please keep me updated you're in my constant thoughts. 
Oh and the transfusion is blood. Can't have iron with my blood disorder unless iron itself is low. It's a long explanation....but basically my disorder means I don't make enough healthy blood cells.


----------



## sarah2211

Yeah it is a bit strange. I was wondering if it was linked but I couldn't find much about it online. Thank you for your kind thoughts and concerns. I really didn't mean to have anyone worry about me. I know preeclampsia is really serious and I won't be mucking around if I start getting extreme swelling, vision changes, stomach pain etc. And I'll be putting my foot down on Thursday. I think I'll ask if she'll refer me back to the first OB I saw (who was really concerned and started me on the Clexane injections). I emailed my antenatal tutor because she understands how our hospital system works here and she said that I could also ask my GP to refer me back to them. I said I was concerned about it being 9 days until my due date now and she said that they would get me straight in because of that. So who knows. 

That's interesting. Is your condition genetic or autoimmune or something else? I'm glad they're so on to it.


----------



## Nita2806

Fluffy/Lucy - Congratz to the both of you on wonderful news and results on your blood tests. As for your questions:

- Diarrhea: Normal in early pregnancy, I had it too - ask your Midwifes/OBs for something to stop it, as diarrhea can cause dehydration and you need to make sure you are hydrated. I had it until around week 12, and by week 16 I had severe constipation, I am now taking Movicol 2 - 3 a week which is perfectly safe during pregnancy.

- Progesterone: Taking it vaginally is definitely a good idea. Orally just gave me insane side effects. IF you start to take it, don't stop until around week 12, that's when the placenta takes over.

- Bloating: You will feel bloated now (and you might even confuse it with a baby bump) - since you both are FTMs you will most likely also start to show a bit later, I only started to show after 20 weeks. Around 12 weeks you will start to feel your tummy tightening, thats when it really starts to feel real.

I really hope you get to see a heartbeat that early Fluffy.

I am glad both of you are telling your families you are pregnant - having family close to you that knows really help in the beginning (that was my experience) 

Sarah - glad DH is going with you. I was glad mine also went with me to my appointment yesterday, when my OB said baby is measuring small he stood up and told her small babies run in the family lol. When did you start to notice your BP went higher?

My mom told everyone that my BP is high and that I am on meds now - so Ive been getting sympathetic texts from my family. Everyone expect me to feel, I dont know, bad? But I feel perfectly normal...Ill be working less hours possibly from this week.
I hate being 25 and on BP meds. I am supposed to be healthy and normal, not true?
BP this morning was down again, first reading was 126/79 and second reading 99/66

Sarah, my OB said if you get a pain just under your boobs, so on the top side of your bump you need to get to hospital ASAP with high BP - so maybe just keep an eye out for that?


----------



## Fluffycookie

@sarah
That's good to know, thank you for reassuring me :) Of course I'm hoping to see a heartbeat by then, but it's good knowing it doesn't have to mean anything sinister if we don't see it that early. Yes pregnant in winter, I calculated I will be around 23 weeks during the Christmas period, totally planning on buying an obnoxious pregnancy-themed Christmas sweater ^.^
I don't know about the oil layer, but my dad (doctor family, I think I mentioned?) is a nephrologist, so a kidney&blood specialist, he should know about weird stuff in urine since that's all to do with the kidneys usually. I can ask him when I see him on Friday if you want?

@ttc
I must admit I have googled pictures of 5-6 week scans (I will be 6w1d), I really hope we see that :3 My first scan ever!

@Nita
Thanks for all that info! My doctor said I'm to take progesterone until my 6 week appointment, then they'llc heck my values and decide if I should continue taking it. Since I'm with a fertility clinic, I feel very well taken care of so far :) Really looking forward to 12 weeks then, I can't wait for my tummy to feel different <3
Hoping your blood pressure stays down, those readins today are good!


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, yeah I'm glad too. And after my DH switched all his work stuff around my midwife text back that she now had an appointment in the morning! So he could have come. Ugh. Anyway, he can come so that's fine. 

I find it really odd your doctor is putting you on BP meds Nita. It almost sounds dangerous when your BP is actually lower than even borderline. I don't know if I would be taking them with the side effects you mentioned. It sounds like it could do more harm than good! 

Yup my GP told me the same about the pain. She also said if I put on more than 2kgs in 24 hours it's a sign of preeclampsia. Plus severe headaches, vision changes, vomiting etc. I'm still having headaches and nothing is helping them. My BP has been around 140/90 since about 20 weeks although it went down to 120/80 when my DH was away last month but now it's shot up to 157/97 and 163/98. Oh and I've found that age doesn't disqualify you from having anything. I was diagnosed with arthritis when I was 8 years old..

Fluffy, my friend just told me today that she was pregnant. She went for her scan and is 6w1d and they heard the heartbeat. I also recall that they like it to be over 120 beats per minute. That's a nice strong heartbeat. Mine was bang on 120. Haha you should have a cute wee bump by Christmas! It's crazy to think we will have a baby at Christmas haha I still haven't got my head around it. My uncle is actually a urologist so I could ask him. But I think I'll ask my midwife on Thursday and if no luck then I'll ask him. Thank you though, it must be great having that wealth of knowledge!


----------



## Nita2806

Thanks Sarah - my OB is worried that there might be too much pressure in my veins to make sure she gets enough food. She also said at this stage its preventative, she would much rather get it under control before it gets really out of control now. I actually prefer it... I'd rather take it slow now and rest properly than to be put on bed rest in a few weeks time. The meds she gave me is perfectly safe in pregnancy, other than feeling really sleepy and a bit iritated (could or could not be related to the meds) I'm feeling OK. She said to use the meds to my own discretion, for now take it once a day, if my BP goes up take 2 a day, if it goes low enough for me to feel dizzy take one every 2 days. She knows I am measuring my BP at home as well.


----------



## rickyandlucy

How many of you temped and continued temping after your BFP? I think I am going to have to stop. Had a temp drop this morning that has me worried. More anxious than ever for those blood tests to come back. Temp drop could mean drop in progesterone; glad they tested that yesterday so they can put me on some if need be. Boobs are less sore today and my upset tummy is gone. I should be happy about that last one, but it makes me nervous because now I feel completely normal again.

Sarah: I am in the US so we do F (leave it to us to have to be different, lol), but Fluffy is in Germany so she would be C. Have always wanted a winter pregnancy! And SUPER glad your DH is coming to your appt after all!

Nita: Glad you are taking it easy, and I am glad they are taking preventive measures. Fx it is smooth sailing from here!


----------



## sarah2211

Lucy definitely stop temping after you get your BFP!! It will make you anxious. I got a big drop the day I got my BFP and thought it was all over. I haven't temped since then. Except the other night I thought I had a temperature and I could only find my BBT. I put it in my mouth and then I froze haha. All those mornings of lying very very still with a thermometer in my mouth. Symptoms come and go and I had so many days where I was sure it was all over because I didn't feel anything. I had convinced myself 100% that there was going to be no heartbeat at my 12 week scan. Of course none of us can guarantee it's all going to be ok but I remember at my 10 week appointment my midwife asked me if I was having any threatened MC symptoms and I said "well I don't really feel pregnant anymore, I don't feel nauseaous today and my boobs aren't sore". She laughed and said so no threatens MC symptoms. 

And yes you guys seem to do things differently with the way you measuring things haha, temperature and length and weight. 

Nita, that's good. It's just such a different way of doing things than here. I was talking to my friend who is 6 weeks pregnant about how we don't view pregnancy at a medical issue here. It's just a natural, normal thing. Which is why most women here see a midwife. Even our OBs here don't take preventative measures unless there's a huge risk. I think it's important to keep a balance. In my case I don't think the medical side of things has been strong enough but for the average, low risk pregnancy I think a midwife can probably manage things quite well. By the way, this is just general comments not directed at you or your OB in particular. I've been reading Ina May's book which is quite interesting. If anyone's interested in looking at pregnancy through a 'normal' lens her book is good and she has some ted talks too. Also, apparently there's a good documentary on Netflix called The Business Of Being Born. We don't seem to have access to it here on our Netflix though.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Thank you Sarah, that makes me feel a lot better. And hopefully the results from the second beta will come in this morning. And my husband is from Mexico, so they are on the metric system too. He likes to tease about how the US has to complicate everything, lol.

Sarah, you are in NZ right? Nita, where are you if you don't mind me asking?

We might be forced to tell my brother and his wife (in addition to my parents) this weekend. They have asked us to join them for tacos and beer. My antibiotic and HSG excuse is unlikely to work on them. And I hate to turn down their invitation just to keep our secret. Almost hoping for a legit excuse to pop up, lol.

Sarah and Nita, it is very interesting seeing how differently you two have been dealt with. Sarah, I think you hit the nail on the head. It sounds to me like they aren't taking you quite serious enough, but Nita is the opposite, lol. In any case, praying for happy healthy babies when they are ready to make their debut!


----------



## Nita2806

Lucy, I am from South Africa :) And I agree, stop tempting and even stop testing if you still are. If you don't see any blood, you are in the clear :)

Sarah - I think one reason why my OB is this worried about my BP is because I had signs of high BP even before I fell pregnant. She says high BP can lead to so many other issues thats its just best to get it under control before it becomes an issue. From today my working hours have been decreased as well so I can get more rest... yay. Working from 6am - 3pm now instead of 4:30pm


----------



## rickyandlucy

Nita, how did you know I was still testing? LOL :blush:

Ok ladies, you got me, I will stop! No more temping and no more testing. I have no bleeding, no cramping, so no real reason to think anything is wrong. Wish the doc would hurry up with the second beta results, lol!!!

Pretty cool to me how our TTC journeys have brought us together from all over the world <3


----------



## Nita2806

Haha lucy, we have all been there. And as you can see from our stories, being pregnant isnt all sunshine and flowers, so everyday you feel good, is a day to enjoy, things can turn at any point. Just enjoy being pregnant, you wont ever get the chanve with this baby again. :) cant wait to hear about your blood test results.


----------



## rickyandlucy

My impatience got the best of me, I just sent a message to the nurse asking if the results were available yet. I got all excited when I got a message back, but it just said they didn't have the results yet and would let me know when they do. But when will that be??? Feel like such an anxious mess. Not sure I want to do the weekly testing if this is how I am going to feel every time.

I don't know why but I feel like that will help make it real. I mean, they already confirmed that I am pregnant, but to know things are headed the right way, I am hoping will relieve at least some of my anxiety. Stay tuned!


----------



## rickyandlucy

Ok, I feel like can breathe again! Apparently my obgyn was out today, so they faxed the results to the RE without telling me what they were, lol! So I called the RE and they filled me in. Second beta came in at 500! Makes my doubling time 45.28 hours. Progesterone 17.9. They seemed happy with both of those things. First ultrasound will be at 7+1. Feeling more and more real!


----------



## sarah2211

Lucy, haha the metric system does make a lot more sense. Yay! I'm glad all your blood tests are looking fantastic. That's a great doubling time. Definitely stop temping but I still did FRERs for a few weeks. When I had my MC this was my first sign and I didn't have any follow up testing from my second beta to my scan at 7 weeks. They got darker which was reassuring to me. But from a point these aren't so accurate. But if you want to do them, there's no harm. The pregnancy tests measure your HCG which should be rising. But temping will measuring your progesterone which will fluctuate as the placenta takes over some of the work. 

Yup I'm in NZ. It is interesting to look at the different perspectives of birth. Ina May talks a lot about how it's become medical. Often women will be in labour and the hospital will put a timer on it. If she hasn't given birth in 24 hours then they think there's a problem. Well there might not be, why do we rush it? Our bodies know what to do. Yes there are times when there are issues but in the past few decades the c section rate has gone from under 5% to over 30%. And yes some of these are life saving and necessary. But some weren't. Anyway, her TED talks are interesting if you can't be bothered reading her book. But my friend recommended the book to help prepare for labour. 

Do you feel ready to tell people? If not, the excuse that you're not feeling well is still a valid one. I found something really interesting in people's responses. If we told them before 12 weeks, they were less excited and more apprehensive that we'd told them and something *might* go wrong. This was the case for everyone except my mum. People, including my MIL, asked why we're telling people this early. At 12 weeks everyone was so excited for us. It was just an interesting observation. 


AFM, ugh I thought it was the real deal last night. Contractions started at about 6pm. They were pretty irregular at first but definitely more painful than BH. They eased off for a little while and then I was getting period like cramping in my tummy, back and legs. They were becoming more regular, like every 20-15 minutes. My whole body went into shakes, I was nauseous and vomited, had lightening crotch. DH just kept saying how excited he was haha. I just had to tell him to be quiet because I felt like death. The contractions were painful but I could talk through them. They were getting more intense than that evening but still happening 10- 20ish minutes apart. I figured it was going to be a long night so I might as well get some sleep if I could. I fell asleep 4am And I woke up at 8.30 and haven't had much more than 1-2 contractions since then... so completely false start which I think is quite common and called prodromal labour. I'm glad I didn't ring my midwife or anything. Maybe they'll start back up again today. I think I'll need to prep DH to be saying something other than "this is so exciting" or I'm going to end up slapping him haha. Come on baby!


----------



## Nita2806

Yay,Lucy! What amazing news. And I am glad you have an early appointment :) Once you see that little peanut inside you, your whole world will change. I think I almost cried the first time. And ask them for lots of photos this early on, from 20 weeks you wont see much more than a blob lol, we only get 1 picture now with the measurements, at my last appointment my OB said sorry, there's nothing to see, she is lying in a weird position. She is still lying with her head down, which is great :)

Ahh Sarah, so close!! I agree with you though, if I go into labour and DH tells me how excited he is I will slap him silly. He should rather just be sympathetic lol. I also wanted to ask you, when was it that you stopped working? And how did you keep yourself busy at home? 

AFM - BP went slightly higher last night (my heartbeat was also much higher yesterday than normal) First measure was 136/91 and the second measure was 126/84 and third 124/78 and my heart rate was between 110 - 116Bpm, its down this morning to 111/66 and my heart rate is also down this morning to normal (90-100). I actually feel kinda good today, with a very active baby :)

We also use the metric system which makes perfectly sense for me. Weather is not nice here, the August winds have started and since we havent had rain in about 4 months here, its just dust everywhere. Yesterday we had a sandstorm that lasted about 3 hours and this morning...hello allergies :(


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, it will also depend on how many scans she gets too. I know some places, like here, it's only standard to get 12 and 20 weeks. I was lucky I got extras. But others don't. My favourite was the 12 week scan because you could see all of the baby on the screen. It was amazing to see the change from 7 to 12 weeks. He was also going crazy and moving heaps. 20 weeks was amazing because we got the gender confirmed. 

No more contractions today. Well a few BH but no cramping or anything. We've bought a TENS machine to use in early labour too. Haha hearing him say he was excited was the last thing I wanted to hear! My friends who have had babies in the past few weeks/months have all said it sounds really promising and that things could start soon. They reckon before the weekend haha. 

Keeping busy at home.. mainly just cleaning and getting the house organized. I cleaned walls and the ceilings and windows. Cleaned out all the cupboards. I sorted out the baby's things. I read lots about parenting/labour etc. I went for walks (I don't know if you can do that there though). Slept a lot haha. Made meals for the freezer after the baby is born. Hung out with friends who'd already had their babies. We were also in the process of buying our farm and getting building plans sorted so I was able to do all the lawyers/bank/council stuff too. Oh and more sleep haha. I spent quite a lot of time in positions trying to spin him while he was posterior and doing yoga. I also expressed colostrum (I've got about 230mls now). I also just lay on the couch and appreciated the sound of no baby crying and not being required to do anything at all haha. 

The days are starting to get longer here and the weather is warming up. I'm looking forward to summer. Our farm has a creek flowing through it too!


----------



## Fluffycookie

@Lucy
Personally, I wouldn't temp or keep testing because I know I would obsess over it and there is nothing you can do anyway. Knowing we'd do a monitored cycle this time and that the medications would throw off my temperatures anyway, I didn't temp at all from the beginning of this cycle. I did two pregnancy tests on the weekend and then the blood test at the clinic on Monday, that's it! I'd say keep checking/testing/temping by all means if it makes you feel calmer, but if it makes you feel more anxious, stop! 
Glad to hear your values are all good :) So is your ultrasound in early September?

@sarah
You are so close to meeting your baby boy, I can only imagine how impatient you are! I keep checking here every day to see if you've gone into labour yet, haha! Also, your farm with that creek running through it sounds lovely <3 I visited New Zealand about 8 years ago, mainly stayed on the North Island but took the ferry down for a couple of days to see the south island as well. We drove all around and I remember thinking it must be such a beautiful place to live! I think my highlight were the glowworm caves <3

AFM:
Taking the progesterone seems fine so far and my tummy aches (that period-like tugging sensation) have stopped completely since Monday. Not sure if that's the progesterone or if they would have stopped by then anyway, but feeling more assured that they're gone. I still keep needing to use the bathroom more often than before and for the last few days I've noticed that my feet and hands feel really cold even though it's been 27°C here! I keep having to wear thick socks - did any of you experience that or is it just me? ^^"


----------



## rickyandlucy

Ok, it's official, I am not temping and not testing anymore! It is liberating really. I do not miss it, lol.

Some moments I feel ready to announce it to the whole world! But in reality, I may want to hold onto our news a little longer. I am even thinking about keeping it to ourselves until after the first ultrasound (ours is September 8 Fluffy). Nita, I think you are right, I think that is when it will feel really, really real! Can't wait! I want to tell my parents now but I think it would be hard for them to keep it to themselves with other family around 24/7. But who knows, maybe I will change my mind if the right moment presents itself.

Sarah, sounds like the baby faked you out! LOL! Sounds like you are nesting and ready. Come on baby boy!


----------



## Nita2806

Thanks Sarah - I am preparing myself to go on maternity leave earlier than planned, and I know that there's a possibility that the OB will tell me to stop working at the next appointment. I think I will go crazy at home if I have nothing to do, DH suggested a get a puzzle or two and start to do fabric painting again. For now I have seriously cut back and just resting.

I kinda hope your baby stays in till tomorrow so we can celebrate one more ticker day together again hee hee, I doubt your baby will still be in by next week, so it better be damn good tickers this week.

Fluffy, I got warm and hot flushes in the beginning, but that could have also been the Clomid that was in my system. No cramps is also good :)


----------



## sarah2211

Fluffy, it's definitely getting closer and closer! Haha I will definitely let you all know when he's here. Oh that's very cool you came to NZ. I live in the North Island but grew up in the South Island. The South Island is definitely more beautiful than the North haha. I loved the glow worms when I was little haha. I was in Germany the year before last. I had a stop over in Düsseldorf but spent a few days in Munich. We had a very whirlwind trip to Europe. We went London, Salzburg, Zagreb, split, Dubrovnik, Sarajevo, Istanbul, Budapest, Vienna, Munich and stayed in each place 2-3 days. I can't say I remember the cold hands and feet. I have Raynaud's which is where you get cold hands and feet (related to the lupus) and I've found during pregnancy I've not had one flare of raynaud's even being winter. I currently have my feet out of the bed because they're too hot haha. 

Lucy, haha I really think this is just going to be the beginning of this cheeky monkey playing tricks. He's already proving he's going to be a handful. My SIL is a midwife and she said you can definitely tell their personalities by what they're like in the womb. He's a busy thing and moves heaps! Except when I try and get him to wake up he doesn't, but as soon as his dad talks to him he wriggles away haha. It's fine, I just took all these drugs to conceive you, went through 9 months of pregnancy for you to look like your dad and for dad to be your favourite haha. I can't wait to hear what yours and Fluffy's babies are like haha. 

Nita, I've found it really good being on leave early or easing into maternity leave. I also did a bit of sewing and knitting. I've made him a few blankets. It also took me a few weeks to get the hospital bag organized. It seems like hospitals in the US provide pretty much everything you need but here, not so much. I've had a couple of contractions tonight but nothing like last night so I'd say he'll be still here tomorrow for ticker day. Ovia says he's a small pumpkin, an American short hair cat, a French grain sack or a mini skateboard. 

I've managed to get to almost 39 weeks with no stretch marks, but this morning I noticed two small ones, only on my left hip. I wonder if that's because he's LOL (back to the from left). 

Midwife tomorrow morning. We'll see what happens.. I'm hoping if nothing else she might do a stretch and sweep but I won't hold my breath


----------



## Nita2806

Bump shot update : 30 weeks :D
 



Attached Files:







SmartSelectImage_2017-08-23-17-15-26.jpg
File size: 28.8 KB
Views: 7


----------



## rickyandlucy

Awwwww Nita I love it!!!! <3 I can't wait to have a bump!


----------



## sarah2211

Ha well your bump is officially bigger than mine Nita! I'll take a photo today. I went in to pick up my husband from work for our midwife appointment last week and when the other guys there asked when I was due and I told them, they wanted to know if we'd got the date right, like could we be wrong by a few months haha. I saw my friend yesterday and she said I'd definitely grown. Not long for you now Nita!


----------



## sarah2211

Ugh I can't upload my bump photo. What did you use Nita?


----------



## Nita2806

sarah2211 said:


> Ugh I can't upload my bump photo. What did you use Nita?

I just click on post reply, and then attach the photo to the message (I click the paper clip on top) I usually have to take the photo and then a screenshot of the photo on my phone before uploading or else the image is too big.


----------



## sarah2211

Hopefully this works!

Thanks Nita


----------



## sarah2211

So I had the midwife today. 

I was right she was in a bad mood. She was mostly annoyed with my GP and said she could write a letter making a complaint if she wanted too. My midwife was annoyed that the GP had "put the thought in my head that things haven't been managed properly". I tried to tell her my GP wasn't annoyed with her but with my obstetrician. Then I cried. My midwife said that now my issues are all anxiety rather than anything medical, which pissed me off! 

Anyway, more protein, +1. She said the hospital won't do anything until it's +3. My BP was better today, 134/88. My blood tests are all ok for my kidney and liver and platelets. She wants me to do bloods and urine again and come in on Tuesday for another check up as well as Thursday. She made out like she was doing it all to reassure me rather than actually monitoring, which annoyed me. She also said she'd do a stretch and sweep on Tuesday if I want one and said to start EPO. 

She measured my tummy and it should have been 39 but it was 33 (last week was 38) so I'm getting another scan tomorrow.


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah! You are so small :o no wonder you dont have stretchmarks - and you can still have sex (its a real mission for me and DH lol)! How much weight have you gained during your pregnancy? Are you losing some now (with your tummy being smaller now) 
I can understand that you are so annoyed! Perhaps she was like that because she felt guilty? Glad you are getting more check ups though, and hopefully baby comes on his own soon.

AFM - BP goes higher in the afternoon and really low in the evening and morning so I might be upping my dose of BP meds to not only take it at night but in the morning as well. Yesterday afternoon was 126/84 ; last night was 106/66 and this morning was 117/74 - we also got the cutest gift from a lady at DH's work, she gave us little socks, those with the rubber underneath so they can walk on it. It was so small I almost cried (ok maybe there was a tear or 2) when I took it out of the box. I can also say that one good thing from the 3rd trimester is no more constipation - havent taken my Movicol in a while and I have never in my life been this regular (Going twice a day at more or less the same time every day)

Happy ticker day Sarah - they should tick over in about 2 hours :D glad your little one is still in for this weeks celebrations.
Fluffy/Lucy - when you guys want too and are ready too, you should get tickers as well, its really fun and something to look forward too each week :)


----------



## ttc126

Sarah I agree with Nita. Maybe your midwife was feeling guilty. I'm sorry though she shouldn't make you feel like it's all due to your anxiety. You have real issues going on. I hope the sweep works if you decide that's what you're comfortable with! 

Oh and I wanted to add my bump! 29+ weeks :flower:
 



Attached Files:







IMG_9703.jpg
File size: 16.9 KB
Views: 2


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, haha when I took that photo I was like 'no way! I'm bigger than that!' Haha. I can tie my shoes, cut my toe nails, shave my legs haha. Haha sex is still a mission though but that's probably more mind over matter. I've gained 15kgs (33lb). I was looking at prepregnancy photos with DH the other night and like most girls, back then I thought I was fat haha but I was so skinny compared to now. Nope haven't lost any weight but i haven't gained any in a few weeks. I've lost my appetite in the last month too. 

And yeah my midwife was really defensive about it all. I tried to explain that the issue my GP had was with the obstetrician not her. I'm thinking of going with the stretch and sweep if he hasn't arrived by Tuesday. She was really ante me being induced and said once you start messing with things you're more likely to end up with a c section. 

Happy ticker day! I haven't had a sneak peek of this week. 

Are you having any symptoms of high BP? It doesn't sound like those readings are high at all. Speaking of constipation has your doctor tested your iron levels Nita? Iron tablets can give you constipation but I haven't had that issue with them thankfully. 

TTC, what a cute bump!! You don't look that big either. I agree and I think saying it was anxiety was just going to make her feel better about it all. I'm leaning towards getting the sweep. 

Scan tomorrow afternoon so hopefully he's growing ok. 

Funny story, my midwife suggested I start EPO so I went to the pharmacy to get some. I couldn't really read the midwife's writing so I asked the lady behind the counter. She didn't really know either but took it to one of the pharmacists. He read out what was on the piece of paper really loud, "evening primrose oil, 2 up and 2 down..." then at the top of his voice he yelled out "2 up, 2 down? What does that mean?" And then one of the other pharmacists called back "it means swallow 2 and put 2 in your vagina". Haha that wasn't the part I needed clarification on but everyone in the pharmacy looked at me and the other people working there were pissing themselves laughing haha. Good thing I have no shame and found it hilarious too haha.


----------



## Nita2806

I don't have any high BP symptoms, but as far as I understand you can have high BP without symptoms. Remember that I am taking the meds at this stage as a preventative and not a cure. My BP is borderline high, but its down since I started taking the meds - my heartrate is also more down today.. yay, atleast its helping. Yup, Iron levels are normal, but I am taking additional Vit B12, but my constipation started before then. But its gone now...phew.

I feel huge if I compare myself with you too, and people say that I am carrying very small lol. I am also very short (1.5m) so I probably only look bigger because of that. I remember the tech who did the 4d scan, said there was still a lot of fluid and space for baby to move around. My left side of my tummy is also definitely bigger, I have more stretchmarks on that side and I know her head is facing down with her body on my left side and her hands and legs towards my right side

I like this weeks tickers... and now I am hungry, those ribs look so good.


----------



## sarah2211

From what I've been told anything over 140/90 is considered mild hypertension. Mines been higher than that quite often and they've said it's not high enough for medication. I thought your BP would be considered pretty ideal. 

That's good about the iron. Magnesium is also really good for constipation, sleep and leg cramps. I've been taking it for leg cramps and it's been awesome for that. 

I'm 175cm tall and my torso is quite long. I've also heard you carry girls and boys differently. Like my boss said to me that I'm all baby. People have said that the baby must be in my back more, but he's in the optimal LOL position! Sounds like your wee one is in the same position Nita. Be careful not to sit too long with your feet up and pelvis tipped back. That's when they like to spin and go posterior. 

The tickers do look yum haha but I don't really know how big those ribs are. But the 'geeky' ticker said he's the size of a violin.


----------



## Nita2806

My BP at the OBs office was 147/99 (first reading) and 143/93 (second reading) - thats why she is worried. I told her its my nerves and it never go that high at home, but it has the ability to go that high easily and thus the meds. And since I am on meds I am supposed to have lower readings :)

I have no idea if she spins or what the heck shes up to, but she loves to kick hard at the weirdest times, but at every appointment from 26 weeks she was facing down, hope she stays that way :)

I am really in the mood for ribs :haha:


----------



## sarah2211

Does your OB use an electronic cuff or a manual one? Apparently the electronic ones measure way higher than the manual ones. So my doctor always rechecks it with a manual one if it's a bit off. My midwife only uses a manual one. 

It's still early days and she has plenty of room to move around in there. I think I read that they usually assume their birthing position by 37 weeks. And really as long as they're not transverse you've got a chance of a normal vaginal birth and transverse is very rare for FTMs. Breech babies can be delivered vaginally, my sister in law has helped deliver breeches babies at a home birth a few times. But I've heard they often jump straight to a c section here, so if that's the case here then it's probably more so overseas. If they're posterior there is a higher chance of going past your due date, needing an induction, more painful labour, need for intervention and c sections. My friend is currently 6 days behind me and her baby is posterior and she's really worried she'll end up with a c section. I'm so thankful I managed to spin our baby before he ran out of room. Hopefully he stays put now.


----------



## Nita2806

She uses an electric one, and a good one as well, since I am using the exact same one at home and I know what my mom paid for it. I read that the electric ones are more accurate than the manual ones? Now I wonder which way around it is.

There's so many things to worry about in the 3rd - tri :o thankfully she has stayed in her downward position and according to the hospital and my OB she is in a good position, and both were happy with that. I just hope it stays that way.


----------



## sarah2211

Hmmm. My midwife and the hospital both said the electric ones measuring higher. I've had them take it with an electric and manual cuff and the electric ones have always measured higher for me. And then they take it 2-3 times just to double check it's accurate. 

Yes there are so many things to worry about in the third trimester. I think the 1st and the 3rd are just worrry, worry, worry. Keep sleeping on your left side and try to keep your knees lower than your hips.


----------



## rickyandlucy

TTC and Sarah, your bumps are adorable too!

I will definitely look at getting a ticker. But I have to admit, I am feeling really apprehensive about everything. I am thinking about not telling anyone until after our first ultrasound at 7 weeks. If something happened I would of course tell my mom, but I just don't want people fussing over me in the meantime. I think part of the problem is I just don't really feel anything right now. Today my boobs aren't even really sore. Is that normal?


----------



## Nita2806

Perfectly normal Lucy, I found that some days I have no symptoms, and other days it was strong. But remember, all is good as long as you dont have any severe pain or see blood. It takes some time to get used to.. in the beginning I felt nothing as well, and I was so scared that I pitch at the OB and they would say I am not pregnant. But you had 2 really good blood test results, enjoy the time while feeling good, you will soon wish for those days :D


----------



## Fluffycookie

@Lucy
I have similar thoughts! I'm looking forward to telling my parents and sisters tomorrow, but I'm also a little apprehensive in case it's too early :S I will definitely hold off on telling anyone else until after the 12 week mark. I was thinking I might get a ticker at the 8 week mark - according to that calculator, I will be 95% safe by then which is pretty good. :)
I thought I wouldn't use it much but actually I keep checking nearly every day to see how my safety percentage goes up - it gives me 83% safe today, haha.

I also don't feel very different, other than needing to go to the bathroom more often and getting tired out more easily. I think it's quite normal to experience next to no symptoms before 6 weeks though... oh and the bloat, the bloat is crazy by the evening :|


----------



## Fluffycookie

I forgot to say: sarah, nita and ttc - love your bump pictures! :D


----------



## rickyandlucy

Thank you Nita and Fluffy, I feel a bit better! Logically I know you are right, but I am a worrier by nature, and we've been trying for this for so long, I just want it so badly!! It had started to feel like it would never happen. I just literally feel nothing today. No sore boobs, no bloating. Never thought I would want to feel those things, lol.

Fluffy, sounds like a plan on the ticker, we can be ticker buddies :) I am literally a day behind you; 5 weeks today! Our babies are the size of a sesame seed! And the bloat comes and goes for me, but when it come it really comes, lol! I've been using the hairtie on the pants trick a lot. I have been intentionally drinking more water than usual so it's hard to tell if I am using the bathroom more bc of that or the pregnancy, lol. I have been alternating routes to the bathroom to try to keep my coworkers from catching on, lol.


----------



## Nita2806

Lol fluffy and lucy, you two remind me so much of myself. If you read early on in the thread, youd see me complain about having symptoms and then complaining more if I dont have them. Congratz on getting to week 5. Once you see the heartbeat your MC chances goes way down! Like Sarah said, 1st and last tri is all about worrying! I am confident that both of you will be sticking around in here for the next 35 weeks :D


----------



## cb912

Congrats on your BFP!
My husband and and I have been trying for a year. We had a MC in April at 6 weeks. I never seemed to have had ovulation issues and we only thought I would need progesterone support. My husbands count is "slightly low" so we were planning to start IUI this cycle. I went in Monday *cycle day 15* for my first follicle scan as I usually O around cycle day 18 because of 30-31 day cycles. Follicles only measuring 6mm. Doc said they probably won't grow enough this week, I go for a re-scan tomorrow, which is cycle day 19. Based on this, he says I am either just not ovulating this cycle, or will ovulate super late "causing a bad cycle." He wants to start me on clomid for the first time, tomorrow, cycle day 19! I guess he is trying to help force ovulation this cycle anyway? I wonder if I still have a chance of becoming pregnant with such late ovulation? Did you start clomid so late in your cycle?


----------



## rickyandlucy

Hi cb! Personally I have never heard of starting clomid in the middle of a cycle. Not sure why your doc would do that, because typically it would still be 5-10 days after your last clomid pill before you ovulate. Days 3-7 and 5-9 are the most common days to take clomid. What kind of doctor is this if you don't mind my asking? Obgyn, RE?


----------



## sarah2211

Lucy and Fluffy, it's totally normal! The 'funny' thing is you'll spend your good days worrying that you're not feeling sick and horrible and then you'll have a bad day and wonder why you didn't make the most of it all when you were feeling well haha. My DH liked to squeeze my boobs when I wasn't expecting it and it would hurt so I'd say "ouch" and he'd say "yup still pregnant" haha. 

I did lots of googling about it. But basically you have lots of hormones in your body being produced by this baby. You might get a big surge one day that gives you lots of symptoms. Then you get "use" to it and feel a bit better. Same goes with the placenta, as it grows, it takes more weight off your body to provide for the baby. It doesn't grow in a linear way so you'll have days where it has grown more and you feel better. That's my understanding anyway. 

And I was the same with those MC sites. It was so reassuring to me to have those numbers in front of me. Tell your families when you feel ready. It's a really crazy time where you want the whole world to know but you also just want to protect yourself a little. I'm sorry to say but even though the first trimester is the shortest (you're already 4 weeks in by the time you find out) it is the hardest and the longest. The hair tie trick works well and you can also get Belly Bands that are like tight loops of fabric that'll let you wear your old pants for much longer. I also wore them over my whole tummy sometimes just for a bit of support because it felt like it was growing too much haha. 


Welcome CB. My doctor always wanted me to have an AF before starting a new round of Clomid. Just because you want a fresh lining there. I have read of women starting Clomid mid cycle. I'm not sure if this is common practice but I've read of it happening. I can't recall whether this resulted in ovulation or BFPs though. But I'd say since you're doing a monitored cycle your doctor is keeping an eye on your lining and wouldn't prescribe it to you if it wasn't a good idea. But you could ask him and see what he says. 

My husband has low motility and I have PCOS and don't ovulate regularly. It only took us 2 cycles of timed intercourse with Clomid at the right dose to conceive. I really hope it works for you. Feel free to hang around and ask questions while TTC, we almost all conceived using Clomid and all of us were on Clomid at some point. 


AFM, I think my body has started clearing out. I'm hoping I may not need to do the stretch and sweep! I've got my scan this afternoon so hopefully he hasn't dropped off in his weight. It's so close to the end I just don't want there to be any hiccups now.


----------



## cb912

Thanks everyone! I'm new to this site so I find it hard to find these same poss again to look for replies. Is there a way it will alert me if replies I'm seeing an RE. The month I was pregnant I ovulated (according to sticks) cycle day 21-22. So I'm thinking maybe he's thinking ill ovulate on my own anyway but the clomid will just help?


----------



## sarah2211

CB I think you can subscribe to the post and then on your individual profile you can see your subscribed threads. But I just find this post through the thread. But there are heaps of forums so it's easy to get lost. 

Just a heads up, if you have PCOS then OPKs aren't always reliable. For a lot of people they'll get lots of positives (OPKs pick up LH and many women with PCOS have high LH levels). For me, I only ever got 1 positive Opk the whole time (second Clomid cycle, not even the cycle I conceived on!). 

Clomid sends a message to the brain that you're not producing estrogen and then you produce more. So I'm not sure what it would do if you were already about to ovulate anyway. It sounds like with your doctor's monitoring he/she knows where you are in your cycle and wouldn't prescribe it if it wasn't going to help. What dose did he put you on?


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah - I am anxiously waiting for you to announce that you are in labour! I hope its soon and natural, without any issues! Goodluck at your scan, hope its all good news!

AFM - BP was down below 120/80 the whole day - so the meds are working. My granny is really worried about me, ask me everyday how I am feeling, and yet I still dont feel any different lol. My work have also decided that since I am working fewer hours, they will be taking away most of my work. I barely need to do anything, and their reason, is that work wont stress me up then and make my BP rise again. I kinda hate feeling so useless, my DH keep on telling me how I shouldn't do things, and that I must just rest. I can only rest that much. Sleeping around 10 hours at night at the moment as well - which is great!


----------



## sarah2211

Scan was fine. He is going to be a massive bobble head though haha. His head is still huge and the rest of him is in between the 25th-50th percentile. She measured his head and it was 10cm wide! DH said that was perfect because I'll dialate to 10cm... haha I'll let you all know how bad I tear! DH is a pretty clever cookie and so of course he thinks the baby's inherited his brain. But the baby was very squished in there and she said the fluid levels were a little on the low side but that the placenta was still doing a great job. The probe thing was actually quite sore on my tummy because he is so big now and was pushing back against it. So thankfully they shouldn't need to induce me based on any of this. 

That's good they've done that Nita. It's a bitter pill to swallow when you have to accept you can't do everything you use to be able to do. I didn't want to let my work down but actually I needed to put my health and baby first. Since I've stopped working I've realized how little work really matters. Haven't really thought about it and quite happy to focus 100% on the baby. 

Make the most of the sleep now Nita. I slept lots around that stage but now I'm dealing with third trimester insomnia. I've been surviving on afternoon naps. I think it's probably my body's way of getting use to crazy newborn sleep routines.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Sarah, glad your scan was good, you should be popping anytime now!!!! :) And Nita, glad the meds are working!!!

I am so stinking tired today. Making it really hard to focus. I've been waking up at 5 AM on the dot every morning this week. I am so ready for the weekend already!!!! Still not feeling ready to share our news. We are going out with my brother and his wife tomorrow; going to have to come up with a good excuse for not drinking, lol. Another blood draw Monday. First ultrasound is two weeks from today. Wish time would move a little faster!!!!


----------



## rickyandlucy

Sarah, glad your scan was good, you should be popping anytime now!!!! :) And Nita, glad the meds are working!!!

I am so stinking tired today. Making it really hard to focus. I've been waking up before my alarm at 5 AM on the dot every morning this week. I am so ready for the weekend already!!!! Still not feeling ready to share our news. We are going out with my brother and his wife tomorrow; going to have to come up with a good excuse for not drinking, lol. Another blood draw Monday. First ultrasound is two weeks from today. Wish time would move a little faster!!!!


----------



## Nita2806

So happy to hear you had a good scan Sarah :) 

Lucy, hope you arent too tired and you get to enjoy the weekend. Time seem to go by so slow for that first appointment, but atleast you got on nice and early.

Bragging a little, I know so many women who dont get along with their MIL and they absolutely hate each other. But I get along so well with mine, and she is doing so much effort for my baby shower, she is in charge of food and she even arranged a tester this afternoon before finalising her menu...how great right? I am so thankful..


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks Lucy, still waiting to pop! Hope you had a bit of a sleep in today. It's hard work in the first trimester and time just seems to go so slowly. 

Thanks Nita. That's exciting. When is your baby shower? I have an awesome MIL too. She's a knitting whizz. We have so many beautiful jerseys, cardigans and blankets. She can just whip out a beautiful jumper in an afternoon. 

So I went back and looked at the scan measurements. His head is in the 86th percentile and his arms and legs are in the 25th percentile. So I feel like we are going to have a little bobble head haha. It seems weird to me that his arms and legs could be 50 percentile smaller than his head. 

More stupid prodromal labour this morning. But then I found some energy and cleaned the house, got the last of the baby's room set up and also packed my back up hospital bag for if we need to stay a bit longer. I also went for a long walk with my friend and her 9 week old. Now I'm trying to bounce him out on my birth ball haha. I'm making DH not drink any alcohol now I need him to be sober to drive me to the hospital haha.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Sarah I would imagine you are ready for your little man to come on out already, lol!!!! Sounds like you are ready though! And Nita, that sounds awesome, you are definitely lucky. I know a lot of women who wish they had that. I have a great MIL too, but we have a language barrier so communication is limited. She also lives in Mexico still, so we don't see her very often. Looks like I won't be able to see her until after the baby comes.

Fluffy, I am excited to hear about you announcing your pregnancy to your family! Fill us in on the details!

Sleeping in has been a no go. Still going to try to sneak in a nap today though, lol. Our secret is still safe. My SIL seemed to buy my not drinking excuse, and I pretended to take sips of their drinks when they offered. DH and I felt bad about lying, but it is just so early still and didn't seem like the right time or place to tell. I am also still a little paranoid because I feel fine.

TMI alert, but yesterday when I got out of the shower I had a marble sized glob of clear stretchy cm! For a second I was like oh crap I hope that's not the baby, lol. And it can't be my mucus plug right? There was absolutely no blood. This is normal right? Was just so weird, have never had anything like that! Temped to take one more HPT this afternoon to ease my mind before the blood test tomorrow. Haven't taken one in a week. This evening we go to my parents for our weekly Sunday dinners. Going to try to contain myself for at least one more week.

Let me ask you ladies this. We are having a joint birthday party for my brother and DH in a few weeks. DH and I were thinking of giving my brother and SIL some kind of aunt and uncle gift as a means of announcing to them (privately before the party, not in front of other people). They haven't started TTC yet, but plan to in the next month or so. My SIL is older than me (32) and is stressed about her biological clock. Would this be an ok way of announcing, or possibly insensitive? DH thinks it's fine, they know how long we've been TTC. We've also been together, much, much longer than them, and they just got married this year. But I just don't want to come across thoughtless. What do you ladies think?


----------



## Nita2806

Lol, Sarah, you must be tired of waiting by now! Hope you are still doing OK? 

Lucy, loads of EWCM was a pregnancy sign for me, week before finding out and a few afterwards, I had a ton of CM, more than I ever had while TTC, so Id say its normal, you will moat likely see more in the next few weeks. Glad your night turned out a success. Regarding telling your news to your SIL, I think it would be ok, they know how long you have been TTC and I bet they will be so happy for you. I just think take it gently, dont we over the top and make a big thing out of it, even though it is, but to respect them as well, thats just my opinion.

So instead of resting this weekend, I fixed up our door, it was slightly broken, did some grocery shopping, cleaning and DH and I walked around the block. My BP stayed in the normal range through this all. I also got horrible heartburn, ugh. My baby shower is in 2 weeks :D :D I cant wait.


----------



## sarah2211

Lucy, haha after the weekend I'm SO ready for him to come. It's like he's got his ands and feet on my spine and he's pushing his squidgy butt out. Like you can see a big lump of butt haha, amazing but so uncomfortable. I'm getting uncomfortable and he's definitely nuzzling down. There's a lovely symptom called lightening crotch (also known as fanny daggers) which I've been experiencing in the past week. 

Definitely nap and don't feel guilty about it. Your body is working hard. I think the mucus sounds normal. I had increased CM in the first few weeks. It's quite normal. I'd say it's too early for your mucus plus but it sounds a lot like what I lost about 2 weeks ago. 

And I think that sounds sweet. To be honest, I didn't really feel the heartache of TTC until at least 6 months in. I would have been excited if my brother had announced like that before I knew the heartbreak of infertility. It might even be exciting for them to know that your wee one will be a similar age to theirs (we pretty much all assume it's going to happen straight away haha) plus they know you had trouble so I'm sure they'll be really happy for you. 


Nita, so tired of waiting and this weekend I've been really uncomfortable. And Ovia keeps asking me to report a birth and telling me he's ready to come haha. I'm ready to delete the app! Sounds like you had a busy weekend, did you find some energy somewhere? Haha.


----------



## Fluffycookie

So we told my family this weekend, it was great ^^ I had an extra present wrapped up for my mum and she unpacked it and kind of stared at it for a moment. I think she and my sister both assumed that it's just a "in preparation" present since they know we've been TTC. They then looked at me and I beamed and nodded and then it dawned on them. My sister couldn't believe it and said "really? really?! REALLY?!" and then we all broke into tears. It was really nice ^^ My other sister and my dad are both more calm people but they were also really happy. Feels really good that my family knows now, but very hard to keep it a secret from the extended family still!

@Lucy
I think it sounds like a nice idea :) If they know you've been TTC for a while, I hope they'd be happy for you!
Don't know much about the mucus I'm afraid, I can't really tell myself because of the progesterone I have to take mornings and evenings ^^"

@sarah
You're so close to the 40 week mark now O.O Sounds like your little one is growing a big brain indeed! :) All of my siblings had big heads too and we all ended up with doctorate degrees, haha! X)


----------



## Nita2806

thats fantastic Fluffy! I also felt good after telling close family - its nice to have someone that knows and support you that early on.

Any news Sarah? I am very uncomfortable and sore but somehow I did manage to get energy over the weekend. We have our antenatal class this Saturday (8 hours at the hospital) - scared and excited, have no idea what to expect.

I think my baby girl is growing big now with less space - she went crazy kicking and moving around just now, and I feel pain all over my tummy, like someone punched me in my tummy :o

And next Monday I am seeing my OB again - these appointments feel like they get really very regular now.


----------



## sarah2211

Yay fluffy! I'm glad they were all so excited for you. It must be nice not holding on to the secret too haha. That's awesome :) 

Haha yes my due date is fast approaching. I was told I'd be lucky to make it to 37 weeks so I feel like I'm already well over due in a sense haha. Haha well no pressure on my little one!! Let's hope he uses that big brain for something useful though. 


Nita, no news. Still waiting. On and off cramping but nothing exciting. I'm sorry you're feeling uncomfortable now. There's still quite a lot of time left until you're due! A friend of mine, his wife had their baby by emergency c section yesterday and he was only 30 weeks gestation. Hes breathing on his own but needs to be in neonates. 

I hope your antenatal class goes well. It sounds similar to mine in that it's a long day. Honestly it was overwhelming and there was heaps to take in. I'm usually all good concentrating for long periods of time but I did have to zone out occasionally because it was just a bit too much. Hopefully you can take lots away though, it was helpful for us. 

And I know what you mean. My scan last Friday was actually sore. It felt like my tummy was bruised. Especially because he was awake and pushing back. Last night he was keeping me awake by pushing his bum out the front and what felt like hands and feet pushing against my spine. I'm wondering if he is getting confused which way he's meant to come out haha. 

I've got my stretch and sweep at 9am tomorrow. So depending on how dialated I am there's a 25-50% chance of going into labour in the next 48 hours. It's also thought to shorten the duration of your pregnancy by 1-4 days. How they know this info, I'm not sure. Like what's my chance of spontaneously going into labour in the next 48 hours without the S&S? Probably quite similar.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Hang in there Sarah, you're almost done! Any moment now that little one will be in your arms. Got a good chuckle out of "lightning crotch", lol.

Nita, you sound like me. Can't rest, always moving. Glad it didn't affect your BP though! That's a good sign!

Fluffy, glad telling your family went well! I am indecisive, still can't decide when/how to tell. I suppose part of it may be that it still doesn't feel entirely real to me!


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah - by the looks of things we might have one more ticker day together? Keep us updated after your S&S :hugs:

I think the antenatal class might be a bit overwhelming, there's this major list of things they cover... and like I said, 8 hours long. I know both myself and DH will get either bored or irritated at some point, and although I can keep my cool, DH cant, so he might even tell them to hurry the hell up lol. We can do the classes over 8 weeks, but we really dont have time to go out in the evenings as well, one day to cover it all sounds good. DH just said only reason he is going is to see where the maternity ward is, so he knows where to get me when I go into labor (He still thinks if your water breaks, baby is coming immediately lol) My mom was in labor with me for around 18 hours so I tried telling him it takes time.

I can't believe its only 2 months till we meet our princess - so excited. If any of you ladies have time to watch a cute movie (that will definitely make you want to meet your baby earlier), watch Storks, its an animated movie, but at the end I was just in tears.

Lucy, words like 'bed rest' and 'take it easy' and 'dont exercise' are my biggest fear at this stage. I will go mad if I have to rest the whole day, I am taking it easy but not as easy as my OB wanted. I hope my BP stays low so my OB wont tell me to stop working... I like working :haha: it keeps me busy.


----------



## Fluffycookie

@Nita
I love cute animated movies, will definitely check it out ^.^

@sarah
Good look with the stretch & sweep! How do you feel about the upcoming birth?

@Lucy
I think you should tell them when it feels right for you and hubby :) I believe when that time comes, you'll just know that now you want to share your news!


----------



## sarah2211

I'll reply properly a little later. It's been a crazy day. I had the S&S. My blood pressure was high (before the S&S haha, definitely after!). It wasn't as high as previously but my midwife gave me a hug (so I knew something was up) and put me on a ctg. he's going ok but some reduced movements. 

I got sent up to the hospital. BP checked every 10 minutes. Still high but ok. I had a scan and fluid is a bit low. The obstetrician said there's definitely some signs of preeclampsia. I got admitted and probably induced tomorrow or Thursday with gel. 

So maybe I'll go into labour naturally but my midwife (who is pretty anti interventions) said we need to get this baby out and take the gel when they offer it. 

I'm about to have another CTG and more BP monitoring shortly and then all through the night for BP and then another CTG in the morning. 

Not how I pictured this but should have been expected I guess.


----------



## Nita2806

Goodluck Sarah!!!! Thinking of you and praying that all goes well!!! :hugs:


----------



## Fluffycookie

Thinking of you sarah :hugs: I'm glad you're being monitored well and someone is around to make sure everything will be alright! :) You will meet your baby boy soon!


----------



## rickyandlucy

Nita, I have seen Storks, so adorable! And it did make me cry. I am a crier, lol. And I don't blame you, bed rest would be my biggest fear too. Just keep doing what you are doing, it seems to be working!

Sarah, still excitedly waiting for your little one to make his debut! <3


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks ladies. The CTG was all good. Fairly regular contractions every 10-15 minutes but only slightly uncomfortable. 

I'm 1cm dialated and my cervix is soft and favourable (so weird haha). My good friend came to labour and delivery only 0.5cm and she was pulling her hair out in pain. I'm hoping I might dialate some more in my sleep. Actually I'm hoping I go to sleep and wake up with a baby in the bed haha. 

My mind is feeling all over the place. I didn't expect my day to turn out like this. I thought I'd have a stretch and sweep and sleep the rest of the day haha. The last 9 months have been crazy and I don't think it's even hit me that there's a baby in there and he's coming out and I have to look after him for the rest of our lives haha. I'm not going to be back in my bed again until I have a baby. It feels like only yesterday we were starting Clomid and thought it wasn't even possible. My brain could explode right now haha. 

I'll try and keep you guys updated. But if not I'll definitely let you know when he arrives. I'm enjoying these last little wriggles and kicks. Once he's born there's no way he can go back in there!! Ahh it's all crazy haha I'm going to try and get some sleep now.


----------



## rickyandlucy

So excited for you Sarah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :happydance:

Perhaps not quite as exciting, but I just got the results from yesterday's blood draw, and everything is looking wonderful:
14 DPO: 115
18 DPO: 500
25 DPO: 6,225


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah, I remember starting out the journey with you, both of us starting clomid and hoping we would fall pregnant, and now you are giving birth already <3 I hope every goes as planned and please share some pictures if you can of him. Enjoy every moment of it.

Those are great numbers lucy!!


----------



## Bonnie11

Good luck Sarah, hope all goes ok. And although it may not be how you imagined it the most important thing is that you and baby are safe. Can't wait to hear your news! X


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks ladies. I've had a pretty interrupted sleep with being under observation every 2 hours and the midwives must be bored because they want to have a conversation in the middle of the night so I'm wide awake! Plus mixed with nerves and excitement it's hard to sleep. 

I lost my plug just before! So I'm not sure if that means things will happen soon or it means nothing at all. Still hoping to avoid the gel and just go into labour naturally. I think it'll be a day of walking the corridors. 

I know Nita! We've been through a lot together haha. Right back when we were TTC and feeling so useless, to all of the pregnancy stuff. My midwife came in yesterday evening and talked to me about blood pressure meds and said that they might consider starting me on something in the morning but the length of time they take to work and the effect they can have on my baby it's probably not worth it at this stage. Especially because they're not up around 160/100 ish (so I'm not going to be in huge danger basically). But she said that high BP can cause the placenta to detach from the uterus wall and that's usually something that requires surgery and a blood transfusion. My DH was against me being induced but when she said that he changed his mind completely. The midwife also said it's worse having spiking BP than constantly high. So they wouldn't even recommend bedrest (that's unreliably lowering it for me, but it's still high when I'm resting). 

The obstetrician who saw me yesterday said that I have some signs of preeclampsia. Mainly the headaches, some swollen fingers and my reflexes are really jittery plus the protein I've had on and off. She did another ultrasound too which was crazy because I thought the last time I'd see him was at 36 weeks and we've seen him twice since then! 

It's 5.20am here and I've got another lot of obs at 6 so it's hardly worth going back to sleep now. I've got another CTG/non stress test at 8am. Then my midwife is coming into see me and then the obstetrician will decide if I'm more of a priority to be induced than the 3 women already booked in for their induction tomorrow. 

Lucy, that's very exciting!! How much longer until your scan? And Fluffy, when is your scan? 

Not sure if I'll make it to ticker day! But I had a wee peek haha. He's almost a Christmas turkey or the size of pikahu haha how big is pikahu?!?

And I'll definitely share a photo! The first Clomid buddies baby haha.


----------



## Nita2806

Oh Sarah, that sounds hectic. Still hoping you go into labour naturally :)
I hope your BP comes down a bit. They are right, the BP meds take a few days to work, mine is constantly low from Friday, well, not low, normal, it doesnt fluctuate like it has the last few weeks. 

Its almost ticker day, but if you have your baby boy by then, it will be one of the best ticker days :D


----------



## sarah2211

So new plan, I got to go home! Which is amazing haha because I thought I was going to be stuck there going into labour. It feels so clinical and I just wanted to be at home around my things. But also weird because I thought I was coming home with a baby. 

I'm booked in for 7.30am on Friday for an induction. But the plan is to get him out without it if we can. I'm seeing my midwife in a few hours for another S&S. I'm having contractions now that are painful but I can breathe through them. My midwife is excited and reckons we can get things well on their way without needing a medical induction and before the weekend when she isn't working. I had such a good sleep this morning but then woke up with a contraction.


----------



## Sheece

Reading for updates! Glad you got to go and be comfortable at home Sarah! Now come on baby, work your magic before Friday :happydance:


----------



## ttc126

Wishing you the best Sarah!


----------



## sarah2211

thanks everyone. Second S&S was pretty painful. I'm feeling really bruised from yesterday and she's doing another one tomorrrow. I've gone from 1 to 2cm and more effaced. I just need him born before 5am Saturday or my midwife won't be there. And of course Sunday is Father's Day haha so DH is very excited.


----------



## Nita2806

Almost there Sarah! Come baby, come! I dont know much about the S&S, other than people complaining its uncomfortable and it hurts - but I hope it works.


----------



## Nita2806

Today I decided to get my sugar levels tested - just in case - since my dad is a type 2 diabetic and it runs in my family, so I know I have a higher chance of GD (And my mom kinda insisted I do it, because of the high BP). So after fasting 2 hours it was 6.1 which is right there in the normal range (phew) - one less thing to worry about.


----------



## sarah2211

Still no baby. But I had a really good sleep. So maybe today (my due date!), hopefully tomorrow!

Nita, that's a relief. I was sharing a room with 2 girls with GD. I think I would die if that was my pregnancy haha. Poor things. But they gave me their desserts because they couldn't eat them.


----------



## Nita2806

Happy ticker day Sarah - and nicely done on carrying a full 40 weeks, I hope that today is the day. :D

Today is officially the last day of winter - with temperatures peaking at 29 degrees (Celcius) today - so much for winter lol. I ordered some shorts online a week ago, I hope they get here soon, its really hot in jeans and leggings.


----------



## sarah2211

Happy ticker day! The last one we will share together!! My not so little thanksgiving (we don't have thanksgiving here) turkey is coming out tomorrow! 

Basically a stretch and sweep is where they stick 2 fingers inside you, get inside your cervix and separate the bag of waters I think from the uterus. Yep it's painful. But it only lasts a few minutes. I made it through 3 in 3 days! It bruised and hurts on the inside, it feels like you're being punched, then you cramp and contract. Plus the baby's head gets a wiggle (how crazy that she touched my baby, I nearly cried when she said that haha) and he doesn't really like that so he wiggles and moves so much. Usually they'd do one, wait 48 hours and then maybe do another. Sometimes they wait a week between them. So I was feeling pretty bruised after 3. Plus the midwife said we needed to go home and BD. DH loved that haha. I said ok but be gentle and quick haha. She said I handled the pain very well, so hopefully that's a sign of how tomorrow goes (or I'll just be a whimp and get an epidural). 

Today I'm 3cm dialated. My cervix is looking softer than yesterday. The baby is in the perfect position to be born. The midwife can't feel his head anymore because it's fully engaged (and I can feel it haha). She's so excited because my body has done everything right to make this as quick and as smooth as possible. She thinks it'll just be 1 round of gel, maybe 2 but that his birthday will be the 1st September, the first day of spring! 

Wow, it sounds hot Nita. I think we had 18 degrees the other day and I was thankful for a winter baby haha.


----------



## Nita2806

It sounds like the both of you are ready for his arrival :D and I think Spring day is a good day to have a birthday. I am so excited for you! I hope you wont have too much pain, but it sounds like you had a fair amount already. Its almost over, and most ladies say you forget all about the pain the moment you hold your baby in your hands. Ah man I still cant believe you are about to give birth, after all these months and the long journey, the moment finally arrived. 

I am such a whimp! That's why my epidural will be booked in 2 weeks time lol. DH and I both agree that this last 2 months are going to take forever to go by. I am seeing the OB again Monday though..


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks. There are so many weird thoughts and feelings going on haha but I'm glad the day is nearly here. People keep saying how exciting it is. I'm not sure I feel excited haha. So much anticipation. My life is never going to be the same again. I'm going to be a mum and I can't send him back haha. I'll never feel those kicks from the inside again. This is it haha. 

With inductions because they're essentially forcing your baby to arrive before they've decided they're ready to be and because they're increasing the hormones quickly, you can progress quickly and then be in more pain. In my birth plan I've said I'll start with gas and air but epidural is my second option. I'm going to go for as long as I can without an epidural. My midwife sister in law said if you get it too early (before 4cm) it can slow things down but once you hit 4cm it will usually do neither or it'll let you sleep and relax and you'll progress faster. So potentially I will use it for that if it means my midwife can be there. I'm already 3cm so hopefully I'll be ok. But I can say all this now, haha I'll probably be in the corner crying and begging for an epidural straight away. 

I found the last 10 weeks to go so fast! Like I would lose track of how far along I actually was. People would ask and I'd think I was a few weeks earlier than I was haha. It's been the fastest trimester for me by a long way!! 

Well I'm going to go and have a long, uninterrupted shower, enjoy the sound of silence and having my boobs to my myself. Fingers crossed I can get some sleep tonight, it might be my last good night sleep for at least 18 years haha.


----------



## Nita2806

I am excited for you, only because I know what you went through to get here! I cant imagine being excited so close, I think I will rather cry and be scared. I am confident it will go well, and soon! <3 enjoy the sleep and try and get a good rest, you will need it tomorrow


----------



## ttc126

Thinking of you Sarah! I will say I was induced with my first through IV of pitocin. I didn't get the epidural for a long time. But once I did I progressed to pushing within hours! Easy peasy! Hope it all goes smoothly for you!


----------



## rickyandlucy

Thinking of you Sarah! September 1 will be a wonderful birthday!!! <3


----------



## Fluffycookie

Good luck sarah! My sister was born on September 1st ^^


----------



## Nita2806

Fluffy & Lucy, how are you two doing? Any new updates/symptoms?


----------



## Fluffycookie

Been a bit slow on the forum because morning sickness has been pretty much all day (until 8pm or so) since Tuesday ^^" However, today was very exciting! Went for my first scan at 6w1d and saw the heartbeat :) Everything looks perfect, so I'm going to see my gynecologist from now on. The doctor at the clinic still wants me to stay on the progesterone "jsut to be safe" for another two weeks, but hopefully that means I won't need it the entire first trimester. Phoning my gynecologist tomorrow to make an appointment for next week ^^

You can't imagine how relieved I was when he said "and there is the heartbeat". I actually cried a little and then fully burst into tears in the lift once we'd left the clinic. It just made it feel so real now <3


----------



## Sheece

Thinking of you Sarah!! First day of Spring sounds like a perfect time for a baby :) 

Hi girls :wave: I've still been checking in and following along with your updates, just been quiet. Starting IUI next week so happy to be moving forward again!


----------



## ttc126

Hi sheece! Hoping your IUI goes well! Would love to see you back here!

Sarah, hope the silence on your end means baby is here!

Fluffy congrats on a heartbeat!!!!! Best feeling in the world! 

Nita, how's your bp doing? Can't believe we're in the home stretch!

Well I had a growth scan, high risk appt, and OB appt Tuesday. Everything looks good. He's already over 3lbs and has some hair! I left my OB with a schedule of all my remaining appointments until my c section which is booked for Oct 31. I'll be 39 weeks exactly. So we have that set but it may be moved depending how things go as we progress.


----------



## Nita2806

Thats great news Fluffy - I bet it feels very real now?

Goodluck Sheece! I am confident that you will be back here soon :D

I am glad everything is still good TTC - and I cant believe how far we are already. My EDD is exactly 2 months from today - A little more to go, considering its been 7 months already. 

My BP have been really normal :D havent had a reading higher than 120/80 since last weekend - so the meds are working great, and I am only taking half the dosage at the moment.


----------



## sarah2211

I'm going in for an emergency c section in the next hour. I had my waters broken at 8.30, everything was looking perfect. Syntocin started and contractions came thick and fast. But I coped. Then they were back labour pains, I did an hour of back to back, no break between contractions. But unfortunately I haven't got past 4cm. He turned posterior and has his head in the wrong position. We tried an epidural just to relax my muscles and let me rest. I was coping with the contractions fine but my midwife suggested it to get things going. Unfortunately after 2 hours I'm still 4cm. He was quite tired and distressed so our only option is a c section. 

I am just gutted. So disappointed. I know we did everything but this is the last thing I wanted. Hopefully he'll be here in the next few hours.


----------



## Nita2806

You have been on my mind the whole day Sarah (I keep checking in for updates) - I am extremely sorry you have to do the one thing you didn't want to. I am keeping you in my thoughts and praying that you both will be OK! <3 Hang in there! Its almost over. :hugs:


----------



## rickyandlucy

Oh Sarah, I am so, so sorry...my thoughts and prayers are with you. I am sure it will all feel worth it when your baby boy is in your arms! <3

Fluffy, I am so happy for you that you got to hear the heartbeat! Do you have an official estimated due date yet? Our first scan is still a week away. I am so afraid we will get there and there will be no heartbeat. I still feel pretty much the same, and that makes me nervous. No morning sickness, boobs only slightly sore, I do have somewhat frequent headaches. But I have no reason to think anything is wrong so I am trying to think positive.

One of my co-workers found out by accident even before my family. This is a problem because I work with my family too, lol. The weekend after we found out, my husband went with me to a work function. One of my customers was pushing a beer on us, and I just said I can't. I had an excuse all prepared but I froze. And she said "are we happy about it?" and I said yes. Well earlier this week I was out of the office for work and asked one of my co-workers to check my email for me. There was an e-mail from that customer saying something to the effect of "congratulations on our growing family". Oops. Fortunately I know I can trust this co-worker not to say anything. But in any case, we are telling my parents tonight. And probably my brother and sister in law too, because they will be there. My other two aunts might be there too though (they live next door), so not sure how that is going to go because I am not really ready for everyone to know. Telling them would make my mom feel like we need to tell all the other aunts and uncles, and then it's a train wreck from there, lol. My other two siblings will probably want to know too. Ugh. I can already tell I am not going to like all this attention, lol. But anyways, I bought some plain onesies and some iron on transfers and printed my own designs. Stuff like "I love watching football with Grandma" and "Grandpa's First Mate" (my dad loves sailing) and "I Love my Aunt & Uncle", and then one for DH and I that says "I'm Told I Like Soccer" (we are both soccer players, it's actually how we met).

Fortunately this weekend is a 3 day weekend which should help make some of the time go by a little faster for the scan. I've been counting down since I made the appointment.


----------



## ttc126

Sarah I'm glad he will be here safe and sound!


----------



## Sheece

Im sorry Sarah you have to have an emergency c section :( you did everything you could, and while its not what you wanted im glad bubs will be here and healthy very soon xx


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks everyone. He arrived at 2.03am, 2nd September. The cord was twice around his neck and he needed help breathing initially. I was pretty drugged up but DH was amazing. We couldn't do delayed cord clamping because my uterus was too thin and there was a big chance of a bleed. He's 7lb 2oz. But we haven't put him in clothes yet. He is just in a nappy and hat mostly on mine of DH's chest. I've BF'd him three times but he is quite sleepy from the medication I think. 

We are exhausted and I know that I did everything to have a natural birth. My midwife was amazed at how I handled the contractions and asked me if I wanted pain relief (which she said she doesn't do ever!). I took an epidural to try and relax things but no luck. 

I'm in a fair amount of discomfort from my scar. I'm so frustrated I can't really move. But at least it gives me an excuse to not do anything except cuddle. 

We've called him William.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Oh Sarah! Congratulations mommy!!!!!! Sounds like they made the right call on the c section. I am so happy to hear that he is here, and that you both are happy and healthy!

PS, love the name, my nephew's name is William. <3 I am just about in tears for you right now!


----------



## Sheece

Congratulations Sarah!! Love the name William, enjoy your cuddle time!! xx


----------



## ttc126

Congratulations on baby William! Sarah it sounds like you did everything you could do! The incision will be uncomfortable for a bit but really after about the 3rd day it will feel tons better and moving gets easier!


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks everyone. I've been pretty upset about the fact I had to have a c section. There was nothing at all me or my midwife or the doctors could have done to prevent this or change the circumstances. But it still sucks. My midwife was in tears, we were all crying. I've still been getting upset about it. The worst part is I can't really move. My DH is doing everything except breastfeeding. I can't get up or touch him or dress him or change him. He's amazing with him, I'm so lucky. My DH is making sure he's next to me or cuddling me all the time. 

I know it was the only option. Without it we would both be dead. They've given me some stronger pain relief. 

All the hospital midwives and nurses have been coming in and saying what an amazing job I did and they heard about how hard I'd tried and how disappointed it was and how well I did with the highest does of syntocin, back labour, back to back contractions. 

We love him so much. He's so soft like a peach and loves cuddles.


----------



## sarah2211

Here he is.
 



Attached Files:







IMG_8814.jpg
File size: 21.6 KB
Views: 6


----------



## ttc126

Oh he's perfect!!!!!!

Sarah make sure you talk to someone if your feelings persist. It can be really difficult to process birth when it doesn't go to plan and especially when it's a situation that you were so so trying to avoid. There are counselors and I'm sure your midwife would be a listening ear as well &#10084;&#65039; Big hugs to you! :hugs:


----------



## Nita2806

Congratz Sarah!!! Little William is perfect! I am so happy to hear you both are okay. Make sure you rest properly especially with DH there, and remember that the pain and discomfort are only temporary. You are really brave to have gone through so much and the c section at the end, and I know that wasnt the plan, but you baby boy made it into the world with absolute perfection. Each day will just get better. I agree with TTC, if you feel the need, talk to someone about your feelings, make sure you work through it rather sooner than later. I am keeping my fingers crossed for a speedy recovery, and it sounds like your DH will be there with you all the way. :hugs:

Afm, antenatal classes in less than 2 hours.


----------



## Fluffycookie

Congratulations Sarah, and what a beautiful name!!! He's just adorable!

Glad to hear you are both well :) I know it might be hard now, but further down the line what will matter is not how the birth went but that he's here now and safe and well. You did everything exactly right!


----------



## Bonnie11

Congrats Sarah!! 

He's gorgeous. 

I know how you are feeling, I felt the same way after mine. I felt sad and like it had happened the wrong way and like I had failed but you did absolutely everything you could and honestly you will come to terms with it. It took me a good while to realise the thing that was important was that the baby and you are both safe and healthy. Unfortunately babies don't always have the same ideas that we do about things! 

Keep on top of the pain relief, don't wait till it hurts. Rest and eat well. You will be absolutely fine, congrats again xx


----------



## Nita2806

Bonnie, after you said the last time about how quickly the plan can change, and seeing that with Sarah, I decided to be more open minded and change a few things, especially thoughts. The anti natal class today was amazing. I wanted to walk out at the c section part, but decided to stay and watch the video and be prepared. Definately going to try for natural, but if the path changes then we will deal with it. DH will start to get everything ready for her arival in 2 weeks, and also get the hospital bags ready and car seat in the car. I realise that theres not much j can do to plan it all and be in control all the way, but those things i can control, i will. Hope everyone is still doing good?


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks Bonnie. That's exactly how I'm feeling. Both my nipples are cracked even though I asked them to check my latch every time. I'm being left unsupervised while on morphine to feed him even though I've said I don't feel safe. They said they don't have staff. DH can only stay tonight and then he'll have to go home. For the night. DH is amazing and doing everything to help but I can literally do nothing. I'm exhausted from 9 months, then a hard labour with no pain relief until the end, then major adominal surgery followed by needing to learn to breastfeed and do everything for a new born. It just hurts when he's crying and I can't be there to comfort him. I wouldn't wish a c section on anyone


----------



## Nita2806

Hang in there Sarah! I hope you are feeling better today, and taking the pain meds! I dont think anything we can say or do will make it better, but, I am still keeping you in my mind and prayers and hoping that the worse is ober now and from here on it will be down hill and it will just be getting better.

P.S. I learned yesterday that the hospitals here do laser treatment on your nipples if they are cracked or damaged. 2 quick sessions and your nipples are as good as new, and its perfectly safe during breasfeeding. If it gets too bad it may be worth while to ask about it.


----------



## Bonnie11

It's horrible not being able to pick them up or do things with them! You will get better much more quickly than you think. It's agony but the best thing is to keep trying to walk etc. I was up and about walking (slowly) in a week and ok after 2. You will be amazed how quickly you heal. 

Breastfeeding is hard. So hard. People never tell you how hard it's going to be! It's painful and difficult and you don't know if youre doing it right. And you aren't a failure if it doesn't work. Do you have Lansinoh cream there? It's great. And nipple shields help when it's hurting. I didn't get as much breeding help in hospital as I did when I came home from the midwives. And also there are private lactation consultants that will come out to you are are invaluable. They do cost money but you will likely only need to see them once and they can sit and fix the problems there and then. 

You will honestly feel much better when you're home. You've had major surgery and it's all emotional and hormonal and tired and hard. It honestly does get easier. Just cry as much as you need and carry on doing what you're doing. If you need to give a bottle of formula while your nipples recover or pump for a while or whatever you need to do it's ok. Don't feel guilty about it. 

Big hugs, day 3/4 are the worst hormonally xx


----------



## sarah2211

We are trying to keep him off the nipple and just feeding him my frozen colostrum. We are nearly half way through my massive supply. They've put me on a double electric pump and I did a bit of hand expressing and I got about 3mls in total. Usually the same amount of effort I'd get at least 10mls just hand pumping. He also has a small lip tie. 

In the middle of the night I was in so much pain and I was falling asleep with him. My DH had gone to sleep. So I rung the buzzer to ask for some help to put him back in his bed. She tried to get me to allow her to take him to the reception area so she could try to settle him. I was in so much pain I just said yes because it was all too much. As she wheeled him out in his cot she rammed into the end of my bad causing him to hit his head and me being in even more pain. I yelled at her to stop and my DH woke up and there were just lots of tears. 

We've had shitty nurses all day (except 1) and we are getting pretty much no sleep. I'm still in significant pakn and can barely make it to the toilet by myself. We are cluster feeding now so he won't sleep and just wants food all the time. My DH is exhausted. He's doing everything for him and looking after me.

My midwife will be here to visit in the morning and we are seeing a lactation consultant. I just don't know it all turned into this. I see women walking up and down the hallways, all vaginal births and carrying their babies for walks. I just don't know why this happened to me. I thought I dealt with the shit while TTC and pregnancy. i just wish I could rewind time and redo it. I would never have listened to the doctors about the induction. I think that's where the problems started.


----------



## Nita2806

I hope you are doing better today Sarah! :hugs: Dont be afraid to vent on here as much and as long as you want!!

Do anyone have advice for water retention? I realized with a shock after the long winter, that my one ankle is a bit swollen. I know it gets better after birth but I hate having cankles so if anyone has advice.. trying to keep my one foot elevated as my mom said this works?

I have my OB today, nervous as usual(Helloooo high BP) - hope everything goes well. I will be really happy if baby weighs 1.5KGs today - I know its still a bit small for 32 weeks but it will mean she picked up almost 300grams in the last 2 weeks. If she doesnt pick up enough weight my OB will put me on bed rest :( worst is DH wont be going with today as he dont have much leave left. :( makes me extra nervous.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Sarah, he is so perfect <3


----------



## Nita2806

Visit at the OB went well, she is happy with everything. My BP came down nicely which she is very happy about. Baby girl weighs 1.5kg and she said we can estimate her birth weight to be around 2.6 kgs. She assured me today that she wont induce me unless its absolutely necesary, or unless thats what I want. Fluid and all measurements are good. She is overall happy. The lady before me had intense heartbeats and very high BP and her fluid measured very low so she was on a machine right next to the sonar room, hearing my OB say everything was good with me was a real sigh of relief. I hope thay ladies baby was OK :(

Lucy, dont you have your first appointment this week?

Sarah, I hope we hear from you soon again. I really hope you are doing OK. :)


----------



## rickyandlucy

Hey Nita, first appt is Friday, can't come soon enough! 4 days 2 hours 49 minutes, lol.

We told my folks on Friday night. There was an extra family member there that I would have preferred to wait longer to tell, but we decided that there would never be a perfect time. This way we got to tell my parents and my brother and sister in law at the same time. We have so much family around it was pretty much unavoidable. My dad was racing in a sailboat race this weekend, so after dinner we told him we got him something for the boat. It was a onesie that said "Grandpa's First Mate". When he pulled it out of the bag he figured it out immediately, clutched it to his chest and immediately he and my mom started to cry. My brother gave me a high five, lol. On Saturday we told my other two siblings via FaceTime, and DH told his mom and siblings. Not planning to tell anyone else at least until after the first ultrasound. Still feeling pretty normal. Fx everything looks good on Friday!


----------



## Nita2806

I hope Friday comes soon enough for you!

Awesome that you told your closest family, I loved getting support from everyone I told that early on. If I fall pregnant with nr2 I will tell early again especially our parents. How many weeks will you be on Friday? I am hoping that you get to see your peanuts heartbeat (I say peanut, because really thats what they look like early on) remember if you go for your 12 week appointment to get lots of pictures of the nub :) exciting to guess the gender.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Friday I will be 7 weeks 1 day, so I am pretty sure we should be able to see the heartbeat. Fx!!!!


----------



## Nita2806

Yup, I am sure you will. Please keep us updated. So excited for you.


----------



## sarah2211

Sorry everyone I haven't had the chance to properly read all the posts. 

I'm glad everything's going well Nita. Sorry I don't know about water rention but my feet are so swollen after labour. I hope you feel better soon. Also, if I had my time again, I wouldn't be induced. 

Lucy, good luck for your appointment and how exciting telling your family. 


Thanks so much to all of you for your kind words and support over the past few days. It's been hell. I've cried so much and been so upset and disappointed with how things went. You all know I didn't want a c section, mainly because I could only begin to imagine the grueling recovery. Well it's been 10 times worse than I expected. 

We've had 5 obstetricians visit us today to explain what happened. Two of them left in tears (which I don't imagine is particularly common!). They've let us ask any questions we want and try to make sense of it all. I'm just so confused how things started so perfectly, they were all pretty much ideal for the perfect vaginal birth but then something happened and we ended up here. They couldn't really give us any solid answers. It's just one of those things that happen. But basically we've been advised not to try for another baby for 1.5 years, especially because of the state of my uterus. They have said we can talk about attempting a VBAC so we will see. To be honest I'm quite traumatized and don't even want to think about that yet. They all said how amazing I did to last so long in such intense labour and that there was absolutely nothing that I could have done to change what happened or anything anyone else could have changed. I can't help but think the induction was to blame. If he wasn't ready then perhaps that's why. But also, if I hadn't been induced, what would have been the alternative? No one knows. But I think I will talk to my midwife about the fact that my BP could have been managed with medications throughout pregnancy and then perhaps I wouldn't have needed to be induced and this wouldn't have happened. I know it's a whole bunch of ifs and maybes. But my DH and I are the type of people who need clarity. 

William is doing well. He's a fantastic breastfeeder but the latching is so hard. We've stopped taking help from random nurses/midwives because they aren't helpful. We are under the lactation consultants but tonight, DH and I just shut the door and curtain and decided to sort it out for ourselves. I've feed him 4 times over night and it's now just after 6/am. He sleeps so well after a feed and we've had 5 hours sleep tonight. I can't strongly recommend antenatal expressing of colostrum if you can. We would have had to use formula otherwise. I think we will get there with the feeding. 

If I can start looking on the bright side this has done the most wonderful thing for my DH and I. I am so in love with him. He's seen me at my worst. Like from mopping up amniotic fluid that's leaking everywhere, to helping me wipe my backside, to changing my pad for me. I've just been completely broken and he's seen me at my absoultworst and he still loves me. He said he loves me more than before. He said how inspired he is by me and how jealous he is of my stubbornness. I've never seen him cry before but we have had so many times when we were just in tears sobbing together. Haha we've made quite a few people cry when they've seen how well we work together and how in love we are haha. He's been amazing though. There's nothing worse than hearing your baby cry and literally not being able to do anything about it. He's been so fantastic with William, bringing him to me, letting me do what I can but also making sure everything I can't do is sorted. Work are giving him as much time off as he needs so we are just going to take some time to be a family and work out how we move forward.. I'm just SO lucky to have my little family. 

I really worried about whether I would bond with William. I didn't feel a whole lot during my pregnancy but now that he's here I just would do anything for him. I was also scared because I didn't get skin to skin immediately. He needed to be taken away to help with his breathing and then when I did get skin to skin I couldn't feel him from the block. But man oxytocin is a strong hormone and I just feel so warm and mushy and in love with him. Also, I didn't realise newborns had such amazing facial expressions haha. He is hilarious. 

We've had some really shitty midwives and nurses here. One walked in on day 2, DH was sleeping, and she said to me "that baby needs a hat on" and walks out. I literally cannot move, how the hell am I meant to find a hat. And the hospital is so warm anyway. Another told me that I was becoming addicted to the pain killers and I should take tramadol (which I'm allergic to) and that I probably wouldn't have the same reaction again now if I tried it. In fact I've been having far less of the pain relief that I'm allowed and yeah sure, I think right now, day 3 post c section with a newborn and troubles BFing would be a fucking perfect time to see if I'm allergic to a drug my doctor has told me not to take. Another midwife told me I needed to put the birth behind me and move on now. We'd seen the OBs only a few hours earlier, we haven't even had a chance to talk to our midwife about it all yet. So I'm going to be making a written complaint when we are home. But on the flip side there have been some beyond amazing staff here and I'll never ever forget them. 

I feel like we are slowly coming out of the thick of the fog. It's still disappointing. I still get filled with rage when I see another mother walking down the hall carrying her baby she delivered vaginally. I still feel useless and like I can't do everything that I want to. But I know each day is better than the last. 

Williams just waking so I'll finish my rant there haha. Hope everyone is doing well.


----------



## sarah2211

Day three!
 



Attached Files:







IMG_8832.jpg
File size: 31.9 KB
Views: 6


----------



## Sheece

Ahhh he's just the cutest little guy xxx 

It does sound like you're coming through the fog, I'm so glad for you. The nurses sound horrible but I'm glad you have had some great ones in there too. 

Despite all the bad, its so nice to hear about you and your DH being even closer because of it all. Sounds like he has been amazing and just what you need :)


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah, you are allowed that brag with that little man, babies usually all look the same to me, but you have a beautiful baby boy there. 

Keep on venting. But you do sound like you are coping a bit better, and your DH just sounds amazing. I read so many articles that says the man goes through the emotions with the women, and I think its so true, like they can somehow feel what you feel. Glad he is there with you. Is he allowed to stay overnight with you? We have very strict visiting hours here (which I am glad about) but the dad is allowed to stay from 7am to 10pm - which is great. 

I think in your mind you will always wonder, why the things happened in the way they did - but think about it this way - both you and baby are OK, and even though you are in pain now, it will all be over before you know it. You might have had other complications should they not have done the c-section. You still have a lot to work through, and you should cry and shout and be angry about it, until you feel you have the feelings under control. One thing that I do however agree on, is that your MW should have done more effort on monitoring your BP.

Very surprised to hear about the bad nurses there - that would really have pissed me off! You should definitely complain. You would think they would be more sensitive, especially after everything you went through! Surely they know giving birth isnt easy, but painful. Post natal depression is such a common condition (here it is) and giving birth can be quite traumatic - surely they should keep this in mind when talking to patients.


Saw this morning I have around 58 days to go - its getting real for me too! Ive been thinking a lot about the actual birth the last few days..I am so scared and so excited!


----------



## Fluffycookie

Thinking of you sarah :hugs: I hope everything gets easier from here on out!

Had my first appointment with my normal gynecologist yesterday, little pea measured 6w6d (at 6w5d, so one day ahead) :) Everything is looking good! Now starting a whole lot of organising: I have to set up an appointment for prenatal screening and find a midwife! She recommended someone who works in the hospital I would give birth at (which is also where my gynecologist works), so I've e-mailed her.

Any tipps on what I should ask her or expect from the first meeting? This is all so new to me, I don't really know much about what midwives do before the actual birth ^^"


----------



## Nita2806

On how many weeks will your first appointment be Fluffy? And great news that everything is going well. 

My appointments went as follow (I was at an OB though and not a midwife):
8 Weeks - Check that everything is fine and determine an EDD
12 Weeks - Blood tests to check haemoglobin levels, Blood type, HIV and do the downs screening. I had some of these tested when TTC so I didnt have to do it again.
16 Weeks - Find out the gender (although in many countries they dont do a 16 week scan at all, and then you only find out on 20 weeks)

Sarah should be able to tell you more about a midwife appointment..


----------



## Bonnie11

Fluffy are you in uk? 
I had an appt at at 8 and 10 weeks. There's isn't a lot to ask really unless you have any burning questions. They basically do bloods. Go through family histories and inherited diseases etc. It's not something I would bother getting your partner to come with if I'm honest. Basically just form filling and height weight etc. Nothing too exciting if I'm honest! Midwives basically just keep an eye on you till it's time to give birth and answer any questions you might have x


----------



## Bonnie11

Sarah I know your pain. Day 3 onwards is emotionally hard anyway despite what you have been through but the fog does lift eventually. It's a horrible experience not getting the birth you want but everyone should be prepared for the fact that babies do what they want! And you're right, if you weren't induced what would the alternative be? At our hospital we get the opportunity to meet with a midwife and consultant a bit further down the line (a few months after birth) to talk about what happened when you're not so tired and emotional and make a bit more sense of things.

Lactation consultants are worth their weight in gold. Are you having the tongue tie clipped? It's very short and sweet procedure if so, really nothing to worry about and that could be affecting the latch. Def keep on with pumping and give your boobs a break for a few days. 

Hang in there, you will feel so much better when you're back home x


----------



## Nita2806

Any news Sarah? Are you home yet? <3

Ticker day today for me :)

Having a horrible week. My IBS have gotten worse since the beginning of the week - having a lot of pain in my tummy, and baby is just having fun kicking me exactly where it hurts :(


----------



## rickyandlucy

Question ladies: 7 weeks today. Is light brown discharge ok? Was only there when I wiped and I haven't noticed any cramping, but my boobs are less sore so I am worried. First ultrasound is tomorrow. So anxious about it.


----------



## Nita2806

rickyandlucy said:


> Question ladies: 7 weeks today. Is light brown discharge ok? Was only there when I wiped and I haven't noticed any cramping, but my boobs are less sore so I am worried. First ultrasound is tomorrow. So anxious about it.

I think it is OK Lucy - As long as its not heavy or bright red - (It can be your body getting rid of old blood - or implantation). Please mention this at your appointment tomorrow, they might want you to take progesterone if you are spotting. Keeping my FX that it goes well, and dont worry about 'not' feeling pregnant - some women get symptoms and others dont.


----------



## Fluffycookie

@Nita
Already had my first appointment at 6w5d, my next one will be at 11 weeks :)

@Bonnie
We moved (from the UK) to Germany last year, so different health system now. Thank you for that information anyways! :)

@Lucy
I was told only to worry about bright red discharge or a lot of it. However, my gynecologist now told me to stay on progesterone until 12 weeks simply because it adds a little extra safety and makes it a lot less likely to have little bleeds like that. She said women (understandably) get really scared when there is any bleeding, so she would recommend to stay on the progesterone if only for peace of mind, since they can't test if I still need it now without me coming off it first.


----------



## Nita2806

Fluffy - I am glad your Gynae is keeping you on Prog until 12 weeks. Generally if they have you start it, you need to continue till 12 weeks when the placenta have taken over. I never had spotting, but as a general, if you didnt conceive naturally here, they give you Progesterone, just for that added peace of mind.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Yeah I kind of wish I was on progesterone. They only tested mine once, and sure it was fine then, but it's been 2.5 weeks since then. I am just so nervous ladies I can't stand it. Sent a message to the nurse at my obgyn just in case. Been talking to my belly. Cried on the way to work this morning. Trying to calm myself down. I just know these next 24 hours are going to go by so slowly. :cry:


----------



## Fluffycookie

A little thing you might be able to do for peace of mind: I called my pharmacy as I left the clinic with the prescription for progesterone, just to make sure they had it stocked and that I could pick it up immediately. Maybe they will start you on it tomorrow and if that's the case, I'm sure it would ease your mind to be able to pick it up and start taking it on the day. :hugs: Don't worry, try to distract yourself or do whatever usually eases your mind when you're worried or stressed! Tomorrow will be here before you know it :)


----------



## rickyandlucy

Just checking back in ladies. After the brown discharge this morning, I sent a message to my obgyn just to be safe and they had me go ahead and come in. All was well, and we saw the heartbeat; 132 BPM. Baby measured 6 weeks 6 days, LMP was 6 weeks 5 days. I think I am more like 7 weeks, but seems close enough! They printed us a whole bunch of ultrasound pictures!


----------



## ttc126

Lucy, so very glad to hear all is well!!!

Been reading but not responding much...sorry ladies! Thinking of all of you! 

As for me, I'm on the 8 week count down! Only 7 weeks 4 days till my section! I spent Tuesday in the hospital getting monitored as I almost passed out in a restaurant. My blood count is just very low. Unfortunately not much to do except hang in until he comes out. I wish people understood how horrible I feel ALL the time. Makes first tri seem like a joke! I feel so weak and nauseous constantly and just dizzy and lightheaded. I have 2 wild boys at home and a husband who works 12-18 hour days. It's very challenging and I literally rarely leave my house because when I do, I have a bad episode like Tuesday. I'm not meaning to whine. I'm extremely grateful for my baby. But I wish someone would take pity and HELP ME somehow. But there's not much that can be done I realize.


----------



## Nita2806

YAY Lucy!! Such wonderful news - Glad everything is OK! You must be so relieved? And now that you have seen the heartbeat your chance of a MC is much less :D Its so amazing how the heartbeat are developed so early, before the other organs. When is your next appointment?

TTC - our babies have a good chance to share a birthday if I am not very early or very late. With this small baby I actually hope to make it to 40+ weeks to give her a chance for maximum growth - but things chance right, so I am just patiently waiting. I am sorry you are having such a tough time, I think a lot of people dont understand what you are going through, because they have not been there. Just hang in there, I hope the next 7 weeks go by quickly for the both of us so we can meet our babies. <3

I have a mixture of IBS, infection in my intestines and constipation :/ ugh - it feels like someone is making fire in my tummy. I can barely stand up straight this morning :(


----------



## rickyandlucy

Hey Nita, we go back on the 18th :)


----------



## sarah2211

Sorry I've been MIA a few days. It's been a bit crazy here. 

We got home on Wednesday. It's so good not being in hospital. We are in the process of making quite a substantial complaint about the way we were treated while we were there. A lot of unsafe oractices. So we've been having phone calls with the directors of the hospital and the midwifery council. 

I've also been talking with my uncle who is an anethetist about the birth. In his opinion if we had kept waiting and had a vaginal birth then our baby probably would have had birth hypoxia, cerebral palsy or been still born. That really hit home to me. I can live with a few weeks of pain, the disappointment, missing out of delayed cord clamping and a delayed skin to skin for him to be here safely. My midwife said today that we both would have been dead if we lived in a third world country. C sections often happen unnecessarily but ours was life saving in her opinion. 

Physically I'm doing ok. Still in a fair amount of pain but managing. Emotionally I'm coming to terms with it. I still cry a few times a day. I looked at a picture of my bump I took in hospital and I just started crying. Just writing this is making me cry haha. My tummy is pretty flat again and I've lost 10kgs already. 6 to go. I'm not really very hungry so I wouldn't be surprised if it fell off quite quickly. 

Breastfeeding is going ok. We had his tongue tie cut yesterday and it's so much more comfortable. We are using nipple shields until the damaging is healed. I've had a few lumps in my breast and my midwife has said she has a low tolerance for sending me back to hospital and it'll be in the maternity ward again. So I'm doing all I can to avoid mastitis. He loves being on the boob and I have a really good supply. 

It's hard to believe he's a week old tomorrow. He has no control over his face and pulls different expressions all the time, it's hilarious. He loves to make funny noises, the best is when he says "whoop whoop" haha. Newborn cuddles are just the best. They smell delicious and just love being close to you. I can't wait for you all to have your babies so you can experience this too!


I briefly read through the past few pages. It sounds like you're all doing well! Sorry I'm so useless at the moment.


----------



## Nita2806

Oh Lucy - thats just around the corner - yay.

Sarah - it sounds like you are doing better - and happy to hear you are home! Glad you popped in for an update. Enjoy those cuddles - I heard they grow up so fast ;) I believe myself and ttc are next - whoop! Please keep on sharing pictures of him, he is just so adorable (and makes me want to have my baby girl in my arms as well) hee hee.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Sarah, William is so perfect, and so stinking cute!!!!!! <3 So glad you are both home!


----------



## Nita2806

Soo, I had my baby shower today. It was really fun ajd we got so many gifts, which is great. My dad actually spend the last few weeks building us a cupboard, which is really amazing. I am absolutely beat, its just before 7pm and I am already in bed. If I can give some advice to those who still need to have their baby showers, do so before 30 weeks. :)

In other news, finally my tummy is feeling better after the infection, and we currently have a heat wave, so the heat are making me feel so mich more uncomfortable, tempratures go up to about 35 degrees celcius during the days now.

Hope every one else is doing good?


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks ladies were doing a lot better now. Slowly getting into a sleep routine. DH is much better at it than me. I just can't get him to sleep anywhere but on me. 

Im having some mastitis symptoms and although im currently lump free I'm hoping I don't get an infection. I don't want to end up back in hospital 

I'm glad your shower went well Nita. Get all the rest you can now. Everything changes haha. I now eat most of my meals with 1 hand and am surging on 2-4 hourly stints of sleep. 

He was 1 week old yesterday! Crazy how the week has just come and gone. DH took some videos during the labour and it's so weird watching them. My tummy looks so different to now haha. I'm down 8kgs, but I've probably gained 5 in my boobs haha and my tummy is pretty flat again. I look in the mirror and can't believe how quickly it went back.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Nita, so glad you enjoyed your baby shower! I started a registry for us forever ago; definitely looking forward to having a baby shower!

Sarah, glad things sound like they are getting better. I can't get over how adorable your William is. <3

I am still feeling a little paranoid, but I am trying to chill myself out. I didn't have any more brown spotting after the doctor's on Thursday, but last night and this morning there was some clumpy brown stuff that concerned me. I know brown is not usually anything to worry about, I just worry about it turning in to something more. But it kind of makes sense with the doc poking around down there, and it seems to have cleared up now. Having a little back pain and some random abdominal pain, but trying not to make too much of it. Really praying we get to meet this baby, I am already so attached. Next ultrasound is a week from Monday, so at least I don't have to wait too long.

DH has been sick the last 24 hours (in the way I prob should be, we both find it pretty ironic, lol), so we've been taking it pretty easy. Done nearly nothing today. We both napped. It was glorious. But somehow I am still tired, from doing nothing, lol.


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks Lucy. I'm so in love with him haha. 

I'd ring your doctor if you're concerned. I hope it's all ok for you. 

Well things took a turn for the worst. I'm back in hospital with a uterine infection. When will it end!


----------



## rickyandlucy

Hi Sarah, I rang my doc on Thursday and they had me come in, and that's when they did an ultrasound and all was well. They couldn't really see where the bleeding was coming from. They also warned me I might see more spotting afterwards from them poking around down there, and no baby dancing for 2 weeks. I will def keep an eye on it though!

I am so sorry you are back in the hospital, I know that was the last thing you wanted! Fx they get you straight and back home with your guys ASAP! <3


----------



## sarah2211

That's good. It sounds like it's just your wee one making themselves cosy in there. They say brown is ok but bright red is an issue. However I know poor Shecee had brown spotting and had a MMC so you can never be too careful. 

I'm so over it. Sick of this hospital and I just want to be at home. DH took William home to look after him tonight. It was such a tough decision and I just cried and cried. But we want to get him use to his bassinet, not the hospital bed, I physically can't care for him by myself and we don't trust the midwives here, DH can cup feed him and I've got lots of milk. Plus DH's main concern was that I need to rest. I know he's right but this is the longest I've been away from him for about 10 months. So I'm currently curled up in bed (just finished pumping) with william's swaddle. They'll be back in 6 hours. I just miss them so much and want to be home.


----------



## rickyandlucy

I am doing my best to think positive. I definitely still feel the same symptoms as before. Right now I have a headache and am tired as all get out, despite having gotten plenty of sleep. Whacky dreams. Boobs still seem pregnant. Not as tender perhaps, but bigger and heavier for sure. The back pain I was having was more like a muscle cramp than an ache, and the abdominal pain was more like occasional pokes and twinges; I wouldn't have though anything of them without the spotting. I also realize that even if something is wrong there's nothing they would really be able to do. We go back in 8 days for another ultrasound anyways. If my symptoms disappear or I see more spotting I will definitely ring the doc, but I think I will give yesterday's brown stuff a mulligan with all the poking around the doc did down there on Thursday, lol.

Sarah, I am so sorry you are going through all this. You deserve to be home! What is their plan of care for you?


----------



## sarah2211

The symptoms will come and go but that all sounds pretty normal. Try to relax knowing that your scan is all good and those symptoms are reassuring. 

I look back and think I so didn't appreciate the time he was inside me enough. I'm not sure what else I could have done. But it's amazing knowing that you're growing a full human being inside you. I miss my bump and the kicks. He was a strong kicker inside and he's such a wriggler out here in the world 

Well it's 5.30am and I'm pumping again. But I have my last (hopefully) IV antibiotics at 8am. I haven't had a spiking temp all night so I'm hopeful they'll let me go home with a script for oral antibiotics. But I guess I'll find out in a few hours 

DH and baby had a boys night together. He sent me lots of pictures and messages and we video called. DH is so good with him. He's like a mini DH but he's got my blue eyes.


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah! After all you have been through, ttc, a dificult pregnancy, a crappy labour, I would have thought it would be easier by now :( i hope you get home soon and then hopefully stay home and have some rest. Your DH sounds like a pro already :)

Lucy, I am sure your little pea is doing great. Abdominal pain can be due to your uturus expanding, so dont worry about that. Also, dont know if this helps, but after I had a papsmear on 8 weeks, I bled (Red blood) for a few days, so if they were poking down there, its very possible that its just some tissue that got hurt. 8 more days are just around the corner. I have my appointment in 10 days :o

We had a hectic day, neither myself or DH slept last night, I was puking all over tmdue to heartburn and acid reflux and DH was puking cause his friends made him drunk :( today we just spend some time on getting Liezl's room ready, making a list of what we still need, starting to prep the hispital bags. This coming weekend we will get the last few things up, go shopping and work further on the hospital bags.

I will be honest, I felt so tired today and I am so ready for her to come. The heat is absolutely exhausting, and I had a horrible headache, drank some paracetamol and I feel like a mountain is off my shoulder. 53 more days to go :D


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks Nita. None of this has been easy. Seems quite unfair really. But we have such a healthy, happy baby so I can't complain. The good news is that the doctors are happy I'm doing alright today. They want me to have 1 more dose of IV antibiotics and then I'll be going home with a script. I'm quite a lot better today thankfully. The doctor said it was because they broke my waters in the morning and I laboured all day and all night and there was lots of time for an infection to set in. Plus the added complication of a c section. I'm just glad to be getting out of here. 

Nita, I'm sorry you're feeling so rubbish. Can you ask for Zantac? It's really good for reflux. Mine was bad towards the end too. Don't rush her to come haha. Enjoy spending time with your DH, eating with both hands, having nipples that don't hurt haha. Life changes completely.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Sarah, sounds like things are headed the right direction. Your DH sounds amazing. Praying you get to go home to your two guys ASAP! <3


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah! I hope this was the last hiccup in your journey, and that you will be home with DH and William soon.

I am sure I will regret saying that I am ready for her to come, but DH and I are so exited to meet her :D Already have my MIL/FIL, DH's cousin and aunt and a friend who all said they will gladly babysit if DH and I want to sleep :D DH will hopefully get a full weeks leave and after that my granny is coming to help me out for a week as well. So I feel we have things in place, we are ready. Now I just hope Baba grows big and strong before delivery :D


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks. We got to go home yesterday and today we locked the door and had no visitors. It was so good. 

Nita I get what you mean but enjoy the now and the feeling of her growing inside you. You'll never get that back. The reflux will disappear but you'll be left with lots more other things that aren't fun haha. Like cracked nipples, after birth pains, bleeding, living off no sleep, eating with one hand haha. Things like going to the toilet become a mission in between everything else that consumes your day. It's so easy for a whole day to pass and you not know what you've actually done. I just sit here feeding for hours and try to get him to sleep for hours. 

Also completely TMI but any dignity you once had is all gone in child birth, especially for a c section. Whether its people sticking their fingers inside you, your waters leaking out, peeing yourself, people seeing you completely naked, being asked when you last did a poo, if you've farted, lying there and having someone come and check your pad while you're half asleep. My DH has touched almost every body fluid of mine, changed my pad, and even watched them put my catheter in and pull William out of my tummy. Even on Sunday my midwife swabbed my vagina while he sat there and watched. There's pretty much nothing left to see haha. 

We gave William his first bath tonight and he hated it. DH has now been pee'd on more times than I can count haha.


----------



## rickyandlucy

So glad you are home Sarah! <3


----------



## Bonnie11

Sarah I completely agree! Any dignity I once had has long gone &#128514; I remember trying to shower a couple of days later in hospital and realised I couldn't bend down and pick up my dirty pants/pad etc from the floor so had to call a nurse in to help me pick them up and put my clean ones on! Looking back I can laugh but at the time it was pretty embarrassing &#128514; 
Hope you are on the mend now, having a real life baby and birth is very different to the idea you have about it in your head. It's real, raw, exhausting, cracked nipples, bleeding, crying, some days you wonder how you'll get through it but you do. No matter how many times you try to explain to people during pregnancy what it will be like it's still a shock. But honestly it's worth it and soon enough you will be up and about and a pro at doing things single handedly! Think it was about 6 months before I felt in control of things. 

Hang in there Sarah, lots of boob massage and cabbage leaves and hot and cold compresses will help any mastitis symptoms x


----------



## Nita2806

Haha, I have to share what I am doing with you ladies. I got home to burst water pipe and no water at home, no one in sight to fix this and it will most likely not happen in the next week, bcoz in South Africa, we work on African time (in other words we dont work) any way, DH and I decided to braai, or BBQ as you may know it. He is currently stuck in traffic(first day in months that he isnt wotking overtime) and who knows what time he will be home, so being 7,5 months pregnant, I started the fire by myself and I guess I need to braai the meat as well. I am absolutely exhausted so I am just sitting here laughing at myself, but I guess its not really funny. Ah fun and games.


----------



## sarah2211

Bonnie I think you probably know exactly what I mean haha. I was going to the toilet 3 days post c section and my pad dropped into the toilet haha. My DH fished it out and put it in the rubbish bin. Haha nothing has been left unseen by him or my midwife. Topics I would have been to embarrassed to talk about have just become part of regular conversation haha. I don't even try to hide it anymore. 

It's been really hard dealing with the emotional side of it. It's not what I wanted as you all know and I'm a person who likes to be in control, have a plan and be organized. But nothing went to plan during the labour. I still feel disappointed and a failure even though it wasn't my body that wasn't coping. There's no way to describe having your stomach cut open, your baby taken away, your husband leaving your side, your baby having trouble breathing and asking what's happening and getting no answer. Then for days not being able to do anything when your baby is crying. Then your boobs get so engorged and your stomach is so sore you can't even hold your baby. We've been told to wait 18 months before trying for number 2 but I can't even begin to think about that.

Bonnie, what happened with your daughters birth? And how did you cope emotionally and physically? And are you doing a TOLAC this time? Sorry you probably have said all this before but my brain is mush haha. 

We had a great night last night, he slept in 4-5 hour chunks, woke up to feed and change and then straight back to sleep. I doubt we will get a repeat of that tonight but I feel so much more rested so I'll take what I can get!


----------



## sarah2211

[/ATTACH][/ATTACH][/ATTACH][/ATTACH]

Im not sure what pictures I've already shared but here's the wee man :) he's got the grumpy face sorted.
 



Attached Files:







IMG_8910.jpg
File size: 18.4 KB
Views: 2









IMG_8871.jpg
File size: 33.6 KB
Views: 4









IMG_8884.jpg
File size: 27.3 KB
Views: 3









IMG_8888.jpg
File size: 30.3 KB
Views: 1


----------



## ttc126

Sarah I'm sorry. C section recovery is definitely not a joke. Don't beat yourself up or feel like a failure. You made all the best decisions you could! He's here and healthy and you WILL heal and feel good again &#10084;&#65039; I'm sorry about your infection. I had that with my oldest too. I had a traumatic birth with him as I've said before and everything went wrong. I felt awful about it for a long time. You will feel better and better, just be gentle on yourself.

If I go into labor on my own I think I want to try for a vbac. Idk. I might change my mind but I am really leaning towards that. If I don't, I'll be having my section 7 weeks from today!


----------



## sarah2211

You're right. It's definitely no joke. And now Kate Hudson has come out saying it was the laziest thing she's ever done... crazy. I know deep down that me, my husband, my midwife and the doctors did everything we could to make sure this didn't happen. I definitely did, spending weeks trying to turn him from posterior the first time, cutting down on work to lower my BP, all the stretch and sweeps and EPO. I'm sure in time I'll shake that feeling but it's so hard when the pain is a constant reminder. I've got some morphine but I'd rather not take it because I know it goes into my milk. 

Wow 7 weeks! I've heard that RCS are easier to heal from than EMCS. Maybe because you haven't been labouring and then had something go wrong? If I knew this was how it was going to have gone I would have packed my hospital bag differently and organized things at home differently too. I hope things go to plan for you this time TTC.


----------



## Nita2806

TTC - are you also feeling like the time is going by really slowly now? My EDD is exactly 7 weeks from today, and I feel like this last week was atleast 4 weeks long. Are doctors there willing to do vbac's? On our local forums, a lot of women want to go for a vbac but the doctors here dont seem willing to do it, due to the risks.

Sarah, I am just like you, I want to be in control! I have however made peace with not being in control. Yesterday I spoke to my work about maternity leave and I told them, its so unpredictable, I will work until I no longer can, and when baby comes (and we dont know when) I will be completely off for 3 weeks and I think I will start to work again in February. It seems like a lot of women with Gestational hypertension, ends up being induced - I am made peace with the idea, and I know induction can lead to an emergency c section. Whatever happens, happens - as long as both me and baby are ok and healthy I will be happy and cope with whatever is needed.


----------



## sarah2211

Here, VBACs or a TOLAC (a trial of labour after a caesarean) is encouraged. The c section rate has increased from 19 to 30-33% here and they want to reduce that. 

Honestly Nita, if you can avoid induction then do. Don't be in a rush to get her out if it's not necessary. Even if your OB is pushing it, I'd question whether it's necessary. I don't know if I'd not being induced what would have happened. Perhaps he would have moved himself to the right position in time. Maybe not. But I'll never know. I wouldn't wish an emergency c section on anyone. 

And I found the third trimester went so quickly. The first was the slowest. 

The little man has been clusterfeeding. I fed him almost straight from 2pm until 11pm last night. Unfortunately he's been losing weight. He lost 150g after he was born which is normal but by 14 days they should have gained it back. Well yesterday at 12 days he lost another 50g. My midwife is coming back on Friday to reweigh him. After all that drama with my midwife she's been amazing. Twice weekly home visits and she met me at hospital on Sunday morning with my infection and then came in first thing Monday morning to see me in hospital


----------



## Nita2806

I am happy to hear your midwife is so supportive Sarah. I hope he starts to pick up some weight soon. Luckily I was told that baby lose some weight in the first week, so I am prepared - would be very stressful if no one tells you lol.

I agree Sarah, I will be avoiding induction as much as possible. I want it to happen naturally - I want her to come when she is ready. My OB did say she want to deliver baby as close to the EDD as possible, and she wont induce before the time unless she has no other choice. She did mention with me there is 2 concerns that may lead to induction: 1.My BP might become an issue and 2. because she is so small, small babies have less of an urge to leave the womb.. if that makes sense? And at a point they stop growing - she will induce if I reach 40 weeks and baby shows no more growth. I am happy with this - I know the risks. I am just being more open minded now.

Friends of ours just announced they are pregnant again, with an oops. They are a bit older than us, and their kids currently are 10, 12 and 16 (all girls) - they are really hoping for a boy this time around. The husband said he is scared that he might be a grandfather before their baby will go to high school lol, I am so happy for them, its such a blessing to be able to be pregnant.


----------



## Fluffycookie

@sarah
From what I know, an emergency c-section (when you have laboured) is a totally different thing from a scheduled one, so that makes sense to me. Recovery is also different for different bodies no matter what kind of birth you had, so it's hard to compare! I'm glad your midwife is looking after you and you have your hubby to support you :) Those sweet pictures make me so broody!

@Nita
aww baby showers <3 They're not really a thing in Germany (we're from the UK but I have German family who we live nearby now), so I'm hoping I will still get to have one here!
I think an open mind is best, you are absolutely right. My mum said that babies (or kids in general) never go by your plan and that starts in the womb. I'm a huge planenr and hate uncertainty, so she started telling me early on that I need to learn to let go more and expected the unexpected with a baby, haha. I think it's going to be a tough job for me tbh, but it's good to know now so I can start to get used to the idea.


AFM:
Sorry I have been quite absent recently, first trimester tiredness is kicking my butt pretty badly ^^" I'm 8w1d today :) Next ultrasound appointment will be at 11+2, I think after that I will really feel like we're out of the woods. We plan on telling extended family and friends at 12 weeks, so looking forward to no longer having to keep it a secret then! Will also need to tell work at that point... less excited about that 
Nausea is still strong but I'm handling it a bit better, I've learned what foods make me less sick and I have some fruit and a cracker or something like that every 3 hours. I've been cleaning up the house and begun thinking about the room which will be the nursery. Currently cleaning it out a bit, don't really want to buy anything until I'm out of the first trimester!
That's all from me, not much going on other than work, cleaning and sleeping, haha X)


----------



## Nita2806

wow Fluffy! 8 weeks already - thats great. I remember feeling so tired in the first trimester, but I think it was mostly due to the progesterone - once I stopped it at 12 weeks, I felt much better. Just take it easy and take care of yourself - go to a spa or ask DH to massage you or just treat yourself - you wont have time to do this later on. I regret not spending more time on looking after myself, now I am just too uncomfortable and hot to even do anything. Time will go by quickly :D

Today is ticker day for me, yay! I miss my ticker buddy @Sarah :)

So irritated today - since my baby shower the weekend, the parenting advice from just about everyone have been flooding in. CANT HANDLE IT! The only person not giving advice is my MIL - she just says ignore everyone, you will know when the time is right to do whatever is needed <---- best advice ever!


----------



## rickyandlucy

Keep the pics coming Sarah! And I am so happy for you that it seems your midwife is now your biggest advocate.

Fluffy I am right behind you; 8 weeks today. Exciting to open the Ovia app this morning and see that our baby finally has hands and feet, albeit teeny tiny, lol. When is your next ultrasound? We go back on Monday and I am so anxious, really wish they could have gotten us in before the weekend!


----------



## Fluffycookie

@Lucy
I keep looking ahead and by 9 weeks, they really look a lot more like babies already :D My next ultrasound is at 11+2, so tomorrow in three weeks. Since everything was looking good, I will have ultrasounds about every 4 weeks until the third trimester I believe (and then every 2?). My doctor said too frequent ultrasounds without indication are not good for the baby as the ultrasound heats up the amniotic fluid, so there is a safe balance between too few and too many (depending on if there is any reason you would need additional ones of course, in which case the benefits might outweigh the risks, etc). Feels like forever away!


----------



## Nita2806

Fluffy, my appointments worked like this --> every 4 weeks until 28 weeks, then every 2 weeks until 36 weeks and then every week :D


----------



## rickyandlucy

Fluffy: Yeah that sounds like how my appointments will go. We live in a small town and there is only one obgyn here. One of my best friends is 4 weeks ahead of me and just had her 12 week appt yesterday. I can't wait to get to that point!!!!!


----------



## Bonnie11

sarah2211 said:


> Bonnie I think you probably know exactly what I mean haha. I was going to the toilet 3 days post c section and my pad dropped into the toilet haha. My DH fished it out and put it in the rubbish bin. Haha nothing has been left unseen by him or my midwife. Topics I would have been to embarrassed to talk about have just become part of regular conversation haha. I don't even try to hide it anymore.
> 
> It's been really hard dealing with the emotional side of it. It's not what I wanted as you all know and I'm a person who likes to be in control, have a plan and be organized. But nothing went to plan during the labour. I still feel disappointed and a failure even though it wasn't my body that wasn't coping. There's no way to describe having your stomach cut open, your baby taken away, your husband leaving your side, your baby having trouble breathing and asking what's happening and getting no answer. Then for days not being able to do anything when your baby is crying. Then your boobs get so engorged and your stomach is so sore you can't even hold your baby. We've been told to wait 18 months before trying for number 2 but I can't even begin to think about that.
> 
> Bonnie, what happened with your daughters birth? And how did you cope emotionally and physically? And are you doing a TOLAC this time? Sorry you probably have said all this before but my brain is mush haha.
> 
> We had a great night last night, he slept in 4-5 hour chunks, woke up to feed and change and then straight back to sleep. I doubt we will get a repeat of that tonight but I feel so much more rested so I'll take what I can get!


Yes you can't have any shame or embarrassment when you've had a baby I'm afraid &#128514;

My experience was different to yours but similar outcome.
I was induced as my medical team all thought it was best. My blood pressure was up and down, I had a slight problem with my heartbeat (nothing serious) and also bordering on gestational diabetes. Basically I think my body was done with being pregnant! I ended up going in very relaxed. Had 5 pessaries over 4 days, nothing happened. They tried to break my waters and couldn't. They said they would leave me another few days to see what happened but a few hours later her heartbeat started dropping with the contractions and then my blood pressure started dropping and we couldn't do anything else as they still couldn't break my waters.. so I was kind of stuck because I knew she was getting distressed. So they whipped me in for a section then and there and half an hour later she was right there! I don't think she was coming out naturally as they still had to forceps her out from under my ribs, she was stuck way up high. The surgeon said there was no way she was coming out naturally. 
I was upset afterwards like you but honestly it does pass. I felt like I had failed, it wasn't what I had planned in my head. I hated being dependent on other people to help me with her. I was angry it hadn't gone 'right' in my head but in the end I have a healthy baby and I can't really be cross about that. I'm sad for me not for her. 
It is hard, but I promise it will ease soon. When I think about how hard I tried to get her and how long we had to wait I'm just greatful she's here and healthy and I am too, and that's more important than my perfect birth idea. We would probably both have died if it wasn't for the section so it's what needed to happen. 

Next time it's up to me, they can't induce me due to previous section so it depends on me going into labour naturally, breaking my waters is the only thing they can do to help. It's a tough decision. A planned section is so very different to an emergency I've realised. You're mentally prepared as much as anything. And the recovery is much easier. I've spoken to so many doctors and midwives and friends about my decision and I still haven't made it yet! What I don't want to happen is to try again naturally and end up with another emergency section, I would rather have a planned one if that will happen but of course no one knows! At the moment I'm booked in for a section at 40 weeks and they will try and break my waters when I get there to see if I can go naturally. I would advise anyone against induction unless there is a medical reason to do it. I think babies come when they are ready and induction should be a last option. Thinking back I wish I would have waited for the induction and hung on another week but as I said she's here now and we are both healthy and I can't ask for more than that. 

Hang in there, time really does heal. In a years time you really won't care what kind of birth you had I promise you xx


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, I knew he would lose weight initially but he then lost more beyond that which was a concern. But my midwife came out on Friday and he's put on 80g in 48 hours so she's happy. I still have to express and feed him what I express. Which is ok but I wanted to start a freezer stash. I'm not sure if you guys have these over there, but if you're wanting to BF then look into the Haakaa pump. You suction it to your other boob and it catches the let down. Today I caught 150ml for doing nothing. 

Definitely avoid an induction if you can. Inductions lead to other interventions. Although in my case I don't think the induction was the cause of my c section. I think his positioning was the biggest factor but then again if we'd waited would he have got into a better position? But then again if we had waited I might have had complications with my BP. So you can't really tell. But I wouldn't jump straight to an induction just because you've reached your due date. Your baby will come when she's ready as long as neither of you are at risk. 

I wonder if they do tickers for when they're born haha. He currently 6lb 7oz haha so probably could still use a pregnancy one anyway haha. 

Fluffy, I can't believe you 8 weeks already! I've heard the same about emergency c sections too and it makes sense. Mentally I didn't have much time to prepare for it. Physically I'd been in labour all day so I was already exhausted. Plus I wasn't expecting to have this kind of recovery so that added to things. I hope that I can try to have a vaginal birth next time but it's such a risk that the same thing could happen again. 

Thanks Lucy! He's changing so much every day. It's crazy to think that he was inside me. I miss being pregnant! 

Bonnie, no shame at all haha. 

Wow that's a long time to wait for things to start! You must have been so bored haha. Was syntocin not an option? It sounds like all the emotions you were feeling was exactly what I felt too. I'm not sad for him, I'm sad for me. I'm disappointed it didn't go to plan and that we couldn't do delayed cord clamping or skin to skin immediately. I'm sad that I wasn't able to do anything to help him in those first few days. I'm feeling quite nub and detached from it all now. I said to someone yesterday that I'd had a c section and in my head, I couldn't quite believe what I'd said.. if that makes sense. It doesn't feel like it happened to me. 

That's good to know you don't need to make the decision right away. I know you can't have the prostaglandin gels to induce labour but I thought the foley bulb and syntocin was ok if you've had a c section? I'm thinking about next time already even though it's not going to be for at least 18 months. I've geared a planned c section is easier too. I think it must be emotionally anyway. It just scares me that if I was to try again and then have a birth that ended in a similar way, it would be much worse than a planned c section. I hope you can have the birth you want this time. 

So my infection isn't getting better. My midwife wanted me to go in to hospital yesterday when she came. Well actually she rung the obstetrician and he wanted me to go to hospital. My midwife told him I wouldn't be keen on the idea haha. I also tested positive for group b strep but it was negative before I delivered. So that also complicates things. But basically if I get worse DH is to ring my midwife and we go back in for another 24 hours of IV antibiotics. 

The midwife also took the dressing off my wound yesterday. I have to put a pad on the inside of my undies to protect it from rubbing. And when I saw undies I mean adult nappies/Depends haha. They are amazing postpartum. See what I mean about all shame going out the window with childbirth!


----------



## Nita2806

I think this might be a long post post, sorry.

The whole labour thing have been on my mind so much. I want to get contractions, have my water break, taken to hospital, have the epi and give birth, but this would be under perfect cicumstances, right? I have to remind myself constantly that when the time comes, I need to put faith in my OB.

I recently learned about my aunts experiemce, and would like to share it, if thats ok. Her due date was 1 week after my grandfathers bday (he is an abusive alcoholic and we all refer to him as the devil, its a long story) so she wanted a c section, which she booked the day after his bday so he wouldnt share a birthday with him. During her pregnancy the blood tests and a spot on his tummy indicated downsyndrome, so she was stressed about that aswell. The afternoon of my grandpas bday, she started getting contractions, the baby wanted to come, she was rushed to hospital and the baby went into distress, the doctor said, emergency section, now! It was 2 hours before midnight, and my aunt begged them to please just wait till midnight, and they said no, her baby wont make it. He was born on my grandpas bday, the one day she constantly have to be reminded about her past and what he did to her. So, murphy showed us that whatever we have planned, he has another plan.

Next is a vent section, my FIL offered to buy us a drawer, we didnt ask or hint he came and said he will buy one. I saw the perfect one, but now he refused to pay for it, he wants to buy us a kitchen cupboard, because those can be used in the kitchen when baby is bigger..WTF!!!!! Dont offer to buy something then just go your own flippen way... MIL offered to buy the last few things for the nursary, we chose everything and she paid with a smile...

When do you think the right time is to start washing her clothes? And to get the hospital bag ready?


----------



## Fluffycookie

@Nita
Not much to add yet in terms of birth ideas I'm afraid, but I so relate to your story about the relatives XD I have ones exactly the same!!! They offer to buy you something and then don't want to hear what you actually want or need and are dead set on buying you whatever they want you to have. When hubby and I were newly engaged and in fairly desperate need of household items (we were both broke students), his parents wanted to get us a "big surprise for the house". We thought it would be one of the many big items we needed or an ikea voucher or something. We said we didn't want a surprise but they said "it's a gift, you don't get to choose" - what is the point of a gift if not to get the person what they want?!  In the end, they got us a 100 pound worth giant super ugly purple crystal, because his mum is into crystals and energies and all that. We're scientists, let's just say we are very much not into that. We got rid of it immediately, such a waste X) Hubby was so annoyed, he outright told her that it was the worst present ever  Now they only ever give us money, haha!

About clothes and hospital bag: I have been told to have everything ready by 32 weeks, both in case you need anything early and because everything gets a lot harder to do near the end when - these are my mum's words - "you're a whale" ;)


----------



## Nita2806

Oh for goodness sakes! I wrote a long ass message and it didnt post :( lets try again, the short version lol.

33.5 weeks here fluffy and bags arent ready yet! Bought the last things today though, but for some reason we forgot the nipple cream, so I will have to get that.

Another question, regarding clothes to pack. What should I pack in her 'i was just born' bag? I must pack that seperate for DH as he will dress her. What else is needed, regarding clothes?? Totally clueless here (thats obvious haha) - keep in mind that shes coming when its super hot here, its only spring and the tempratures already rise to 35 degrees celcius during the day, I think thats 90 degrees F.

I already feel like a whale fluffy, my whole body are so swollen, I used to have long skinny toes, its short sausages now, ugh and this heat isnt helping at all..


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, that was my ideal birth. Contractions start at home. Stay home and get as comfy as I can until they get bad enough to go to hospital. Deliver the baby. Everything hunky dory. But it didn't happen that way obviously. I think there's nothing wrong with having the ideal birth in your head. In my head I wasn't going to be induced and I definitely wasn't having a c section. I'm not sure what I would have done better to emotionally prepare for it all. But I guess just be aware that things rarely go to plan. Of my friends who've had babies in the past 2 and a half months, only one of the 6 have had a smooth birth with no complications. I guess I shouldn't have expected things to go normally with that statistic. 

I'm sorry about your aunt, experience. It's unfortunate but these things happen and lifesaving measures have to be taken. Hopefully she can see that something so terrible turned into something pretty amazing and she doesn't resent her child because of it. 

Hospital bag, I'd recommend just chipping away at it and getting it as close to ready as possible. If you haven't packed Vaseline definitely do. Put it on her bum and the poo won't stick. Merconium is like sticky tar. We still use it now because William hates having his nappy changed and it makes it quicker to clean. I didn't have an outfit ready for him to go because I wanted 2 hours of uninterrupted skin to skin so I figured I'd have time. But in the end we only took a hat with us to the operating room. They wrapped him in a blanket and he stayed on my chest until we reached our room. Even then I don't think DH dressed him for a while. I don't really remember I was so drugged up for the first 48 hours. 

I washed clothes as soon as we got them but I'd say do that now too. You might go early and if not, you probably won't feel like doing washing soon. 

Also Nita, I recommend filling your freezer with meals, buying the shampoo, body wash, cleaning products you like in bulk, set up little boxes with nappies, a snack, wipes etc around the house, buy almond oil because their skin flakes after they're born, have extra pillows for feeding, have lots of water bottles because you get really thirsty breastfeeding, lots of facecloths and buy adult nappies for your recovery. 

Some women with PCOS have issues with low supply but not me haha. I have the opposite issue and poor William sounds like he's drowning when I feed him.


----------



## Nita2806

Thanks Sarah!! Baby clothes have been washed, just waiting for them to dry now. Hospital bags will be packed the afternoon with what we can and a list with things to get and things still to pack. I friend of mine had her baby a few years ago so she is helping me make sure I dont miss anything. We are also busy finalizing things in the nursary and we will setup the pram and carseats today.

The nurses here strongly advised us not to use vasiline on the baby at all, their recipe changed and one of the ingredients is harmful for the babies skins??!! They said we should use Epimax nappy cream instead.. I have both, so I will just pack both in.

We will be doing skin to skin as well, but we decided DH will cut the cord (amazing that he is allowed to) and then he will have the privilage of dressing her in her first outfit. The hospital here really make an effort to involve the father. They even have a dads corner, where coffee are served free of charge and he can complete a form for a free meal. They are allowed to stay in the NICU for as long as they want and they dont have to keep with visiting hours, heck they even pay the dads parking tickets for them. Not all hospitals here are like that, so I am happy with the choice we made :D


----------



## sarah2211

That's good. I just got all that stuff ready as soon as I could. I did the same with the hospital bag. Packed what I could and then had a list. I also packed a back up bag just in case we had a longer stay. That way someone could take the washing home and then bring back that back with replacement things. I'm so glad I did that because we needed that stuff and it was so much easier than asking someone to get specific things. 

Weird, they recommend Vaseline here. Definitely get your DH to put something on her skin before that first poo. Otherwise he'll have to rub quite hard to get the meconium off and probably irritate her skin even more. 

It sounds like you've got a good hospital. Ours was weird. They were fine with dads being there until the baby was born and then they kicked them out. My friend had her baby at midnight (ventouse, episiotomy), she was taken to the maternity ward and her husband got kicked out. Thankfully my DH managed to stay every night. It was a mixture of me crying hysterically and they made an exception, one lactation consultant put her foot down and said he must stay and then him just staying even though he wasn't meant to. 

DH is back to work for half days tomorrow. I'm hoping we will be ok. But thankfully he only works 5 minutes away from our house so he can come home quickly. My midwife is also coming tomorrow (she gets paid to do 6 pp visits in the 6 weeks after the baby is born. She's already done more than 6 visits in 2 weeks!). Hopefully William has put on more weight and she thinks my uterus is ok. I have my hospital bag all packed to go too Nita haha.


----------



## Nita2806

Lol Sarah, atleast with hospital bags there is one thing we have control over ;) the hospital gave me 2 lists one for notmal delivery and one with csection things to pack. I packed both lol just incase.

And I am sure you will be doing ok without your DH, hope you have some music or TV to put on in the background? If your place is all quiet without adult conversations it might make you a little crazy (although thats just me) I have lists with enya, gregorian, verde and bach ready so far to play in the house when dh goes back to work.

Oh and here is my 33.5 week bump - I am posting at an odd time because my bump have grown a lot this last week. Its suddenly in the way of everything and I just saw now that my stretch marks are huge and theres a lot. Lot of people keep on telling me how small I am carrying, but I dont think I am carrying small anymore. Going to the OB this Wednesday so I am curious to know her weight... (I am hoping for anything 1.8kg+)


----------



## Nita2806

Image attached now :)
 



Attached Files:







SmartSelectImage_2017-09-17-15-32-05.jpg
File size: 24.1 KB
Views: 4


----------



## rickyandlucy

Loving your bump Nita!!!!!

Just got back from our 8 week appt. All is looking good. Measuring right on time, and the heartbeat is now up to 160 BPM. Grow baby grow! <3


----------



## Nita2806

Thats wonderful Lucy! When is your next appointment?


----------



## rickyandlucy

October 16 (12 weeks). Did any of you ladies opt for the first trimester screening? I am torn. It wouldn't change anything for us, but if something is wrong I think I would want to know...

Also, any thoughts on the safety of flu shot in early pregnancy? They wanted me to go ahead and get it today but I wanted to do some research first.


----------



## ttc126

Lucy very happy for a good report!!! I did the first tri screening this time. I never did previously but for me it was so we'd have an idea of what went wrong if I miscarried again. It's a personal choice but I think either way you'll be fine &#10084;&#65039;
Also, I always get my flu shot but never in first tri. I don't see harm in waiting a few more weeks but that's my personal opinion.


----------



## Fluffycookie

Yay for a good checkup Lucy!! :D
We opted for first trimester genetic screening, it will include a detailled ultrasound and blood draw from me for genetic testing of the baby (down syndrome). Same as you, I would rather know early and have time to prepare if something is wrong.

Flu shots are absolutely safe, in fact you are safer with them. They are encouraged for the elderly, sick and pregnant because you would fare far worse if you got the flu. I am getting mine in 2 weeks :) (So I will be 11 weeks then) Both my gynecologist strongly recommended I get it and my parents said the same (they are both doctors). Everyone in my family gets flu shots every year (we pay out of pocket) anyway because you never know when a big dangerous flu comes around! So personally, I would strongly recommend it but of course it's your choice :)


----------



## Nita2806

Wow Lucy by the time you have your next appointment, I will be considered full term :)

Flu shots are safe. I dont get them or believe in them, and neither does my OB, she just said its safe and my choice.

I had tge bloodwork done on 12 weeks for DS, they dont really give a choice here. We were offered an anatomy scan as well, but said no.

Lucy, you need to do what feels right for you :) And those DS tests arent 100% accurate any way. My aunys tests came back with a high chance, and she has a perfectly healthy baby boy.


----------



## Fluffycookie

@Nita
That's why we opted for genetic testing, false results are 0.06% compared to nuchal fold measurement, where false results are 4-6%. Totally agree though that everyone should choose what feels right to them and think about whether they would, hypothetically, want to know early or not :)
Can't believe by the time I have my next appointment (in 3 weeks), you will be nearly full term! You must be so impatient to hold your baby in your arms ^^


----------



## Nita2806

Its crazy fluffy, i keep on thinking about things we need to do and whether its going to be before or after she arrives. According to my granny's old wifes tales, baby should come between 16 - 25 October, I will be 40 weeks exactly on 1 November. DH and I cant wait, the nursary is 90% ready, bags are packed for the hospital. We also started looking at a nursary, and think we found the perfect one...its all so real now..


----------



## sarah2211

Lucy, awesome! That's a fantastic fast heartbeat. I read that fast heartbeats suggest girls. Not sure if that's true. By first trimester screening do you mean the NT scan or the more thorough genetic blood tests? We did the NT scan. Partly just so we could prepare for whatever happened. I don't think we would have terminated the pregnancy based on the results.

In my opinion, definitely get the flu jab. I read an article about a lady in australia who was pregnant and got the flu. The baby is born but she's in a coma and it didn't sound good. But do your research and make up your own mind :) 

Fluffy, how are you getting on? 

Nita, it will come so quickly try and enjoy it now. I so miss my tummy. I look at the photos and feel a bit sad. It's great when they're here but you'll never feel those kicks from the inside again. You just feel them from the outside and they're not very nice if you've had a c section haha. 

Also, I found that Vaseline is perfectly safe for babies bums. Definitely out something between their skin for those first poos! 

AFM, we are doing ok. Thankfully my infection is improving, just very slowly. I need more antibiotics but I don't have to go to hospital at this stage. William is still a little mixed up about day and night and I feel like all I do is breastfeed him. I want to fast forward time so I'm all recovered but I love how small he is now.


----------



## Nita2806

I am so happy your infection is getting better Sarah! And I cant believe William is almost 3 weeks old. Time goes by so quickly.

I am definitely going to miss the kicks when she is born, but I am looking forward to not carry her 24/7 if that makes sense? Shes getting big, and her kicks are getting sore at times, if shes here and she is this energetic I can give her to DH to hold as well lol. I love putting my hands on my tummy and feel her hands/feet push against my hands, we are already bonding.

OB appointment today. We will be discussing my birth plan - and I also need to pay her for the delivery today already :o (Hope she has grown enough though - Ill be happy if she is 1.8kg+)

Sarah, is he only breastfeeding on you, or are you expressing so that DH can also feed him? My DH bought close to nature little bottles that goes with my breast pump, as he wants me to pump and keep a supply because he also wants to feed her.


----------



## sarah2211

I'm still feeling really sore so I'm not sure what's happening. But my infection symptoms (fevers, achy etc) are getting better. I guess I keep taking the antibiotics. 

Haha I still feel like I carry William 24/7! During the day I rarely get him to sleep in his bassinet. Even at night time too. Yesterday I spent pretty much all day breastfeeding. He had maybe 6 hours sleep off me in that 24 hour period and rest of it he was attached to my nipples. We have a Tula but unless he's really full he doesn't like being that close to me and not being able to feed. DH has far more luck than me at getting him to sleep in his bassinet. I think it's because I smell of breast milk haha plus I can't move that freely still. 

I wouldn't worry too much about the scan size they predict. They're more than often out. I hope you me appointment goes well and you can talk about your birth plan. I'd be interested to know what you guys decide. 

In terms of breastfeeding I was pumping, I have a unimom double pump and can get about 300ml in 20 minutes. But I think it was increasing my supply. Plus as soon as it was all sterilised, William would just wake up and want to feed. It happened 3 days in a row haha. So at the moment I'm using my Haakaa Pump. If you haven't heard of it, definitely look it up, it's amazing. What you do is feed on one boob and suction the Haakaa Pump on to the other boob. If I use it for every feed I get about 300mls too. Plus it doesn't increase my supply because it's just the let down that would go into a breastpad. So then I save all that I get from the Haakaa. My midwife wanted me to feed William everything I expressed in the same 24 hours but 300ml is too much. So I'm freezing 200ml and DH feeds him 100mls. We've been doing the nights in shifts. I go until 2am. DH from 2am-6am and me from 6am. During DH's shift he'll feed him. The thing is that you can't go more than 6 hours without feeding anyway because otherwise your boobs get too full and you risk mastitis. We aren't using bottles because we don't want him to get flow preference (a bottle is similar to a nipple but it flows quicker and with less effort so babies can go off the breast because it's too much hard work). So DH has been cup feeding or using a syringe. From 6-8 weeks introducing a bottle is usually ok.


----------



## Nita2806

Thanks for sharing Sarah. Everyone here tells me that shifts to feed baby doesnt work, but we are planning that DH takes the shift in the afternoon (7pm - 12pm) and I take over from there.
Any way, we will still figure that out.

The feeding bottles we got for DH for her first few weeks, is specifically designed for her to get fed while being breastfed, the hole in the teat is really small and soft (hence its called, closer to nature) so she still have to put in the effort to suck. We hope it will work.

OB appointment in about an hour :D BP is low at home, hope it stays that way.


----------



## Nita2806

Well, this wasnt a good appointment and I just came home and just like crying. I have a calcified placenta*and although my OB isnt too worried now, because the flow is still good amd she is still growing plenty (2kgs now) my blood pressure is very high and I need to increase my BP meds from tomorow. I need to make sure I feel 10 movements each day and if I dont I need to call her. Next appointment is in 2 weeks.

The part that I am most sad about is that if normal labour doesnt start at 38 weeks, I will be induced. So whatever happens, she will be here in 1 month. Ill just keep on praying that she makes it into world healthy.


----------



## sarah2211

Why do they say shifts don't work? That seems crazy. It's the only thing that's allowing us both to get any sleep. 

Even with the bottles that are meant to be close to the breast they can still cause nipple confusion. But try them and if she's fussy then you can decide what to do next. I think we will look at trying a bottle in a few weeks but DH doesn't mind cup feeding and he is really worried William will go off the boob. There are plenty of other jobs that DHs can do to bond with the baby like changing, taking them for walks, bath time and cuddles. We are only doing the cup feeding so I can sleep a bit and recover because I'm still sore. 

I didn't find the induction that bad. It was weird having my waters broken but I found the contractions fine. I actually kind of enjoyed them. If it's all too much there's pain relief options. How high is your BP now? I was told that the 10 kicks a day isn't a good way of measuring it. I had decreased movements and my midwife is 100% sure he was having trouble getting the oxygen he needed with the cord around his neck. She and all the doctors told me to look out for changes to the normal pattern. If the usual things don't wake him then call. Some days I'd still have 10 movements but the patterns would change.


----------



## ttc126

Nita I'm so sorry. I think it's good your doctor is so on top of things :hug: 

You won't believe this, but I got news today that my placenta is calcifying as well. I'm 33 weeks. I am seeing a specialist Monday for a thorough growth scan and look at the placenta. I'm also being tested for liver function and bile acid levels... so we will see what happens.

Nita, try to relax and I'm so sorry. I know it's all very stressful.


----------



## Nita2806

I am so sorry TTC! Its horrible news, thankfully everything was fine yesterday, she growed 1/4 of her weight in 2 weeks, and shes still very active. My OB didnt seem worried, but I am. Shes more worried about my BP thats staying high, and the fact that I am still working, she wants me to take things easy and get plenty rest.

Sarah my BP yesterday was 130/95 and then it jumped right up to 130/100 after a resting period. I need to have my BP measured over the weekend at a clinic and take a double dosage meds from today.

The good news though is that theres no sign of protein or blood in my urine.


----------



## Nita2806

Well, Dr googled reassured me on why my OB isn't worried about my placenta. Having Grade 3 calcification at 34 weeks will be a concern, but mine is only starting to calcify at 34 weeks, and anything up to grade 2 calcification in the 3rd trimester before 37 weeks is normal. I googled images and I definitely do not have Grade 3 calcification. However Hypertension causes calcification, and thats why she is concerned to get my BP down. I am going to get myself a wrist BP monitor today and use both my monitors for accurate readings - we think my machine might be giving incorrect readings, and if it doesnt come down in the next few days (will take about 5 days for the higher dosage meds to kick in) I will contact my OB and ask to come in earlier.


----------



## Fluffycookie

TTC and Nita, so sorry to hear you both had some worrying news from your doctors! From what I've heard though, if it's only beginning at your stage, the risk of any complications coming from it is miniscule :hugs:

AFM:
9 weeks 1 day today :) Still dealing with nausea, but I've gotten better at managing it (I focus on eating fruits & vegetables & whole grains, small portions every 2-3 hours). My next appointment will be tomorrow in two weeks, very impatient for it. I keep getting worried that I could have a mmc (for no reason, I just worry), even though I know it's unlikely. Oh and keen as mustard to be done with those progesterone suppositories, hopefully I can stop them after my next visit (11w2d)


----------



## Nita2806

You are right fluffy, thats what I have been reading aswell. I cant believe you are 9 weeks already :D 1/4 of your pregnancy are almost behind you. Most women with MS say that it starts to get better from 12 weeks (2nd Tri) but hopefully it will be sooner for you. I am sure they will tell you at your appointment if you can stop the Progesterone - I stopped between 11-12 weeks aswell - because I could not bare the SE anymore. My next appointment is also 2 weeks away - so I will hope with you that time goes by quickly :D

So my wrist BP monitor also gives me low measurements... really dont know what to do with my BP :o Ill just keep on taking the meds, and rest.

I am a bit pissed off today. I work with my family, and all they care about is whether I am going to work from home or at work, not once have I been asked if I am ok and am I coping. And then we got this old Baby monitor from my aunt, which is barely working, so I told DH I want a new one thats reliable and he simply does not think its necessary. I am an emotional wreck today and I felt like crying a few times today. I am most likely over reacting and my hormones are wack - but for goodness sakes - is it too much to ask for symphathy... just a simple, 'are you doing ok' would be fine.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Ditto Fluffy, I am 9+1 now and my next appt is more than 3 weeks away (12+4). I worry about MMC alot as well. But even if it happens there's nothing we can really do about it, and no way to know if it's happening/happened until the next appt. :( Supposedly the chances are super, super small. Like 1%. I just keep telling myself that. I know it seems somewhat common because we see it here on these boards so much, but I am sure that is because when it does happen to you, you need support!

Nita, I work with family too so I know how challenging that can be. Hang in there lady! <3


----------



## ttc126

Nita Im sorry youre having a rough time with family. Ive been on edge emotionally too so I think our hormones must change at this stage. Hopefully theyll try to be a bit considerate that youve gotten stressful news. 

Lucy and fluffy, I think that fear is so normal. You both have had every sign that things are going well so I hope that continues. Youre both right the chance is so very low. And as someone whos had multiple miscarriages Ill say I always had a doomed feeling so even when the doctors tried to reassure me I knew in my heart how it would end. No longer having a heartbeat was never really a shock. But with that said, I felt deep down ok about this baby even though i had a lot of fear. I think its a common common fear but truly you guys are in such a good place and things will 99% be fine :hugs:

Im just wasting time around here on modified bed rest.... cant wait for Monday. Hope theyll come up with a delivery plan.


----------



## sarah2211

Nita when William was born they said his placenta was calcified too but no one seemed that bothered. It's actually in our chest freezer haha. I haven't looked at it. We plan to bury it and plant a tree at our farm. But I'm still not well enough to go out there so we will just wait. It's pretty common here to keep the placenta. Occasionally you hear of stories of people being robbed and having their freezer full of meat raided, along with their child's placenta!!

My midwife said the electric BP monitors are wildly inaccurate. Everyone took mine with a manual cuff as well as the electric one. I'm not sure if I said but the best thing for my BP was an epidural. Too good in fact and it dropped to 80/60! I vomited and couldn't hear anything. They dropped the head of the bed and gave me extra fluids and some other medication through the drip. 

And I'm sorry about your family, my family are doing exactly the same. It's driving me crazy. 

Fluffy and Lucy that fear about the MMC. It's completely normal! But feeling sick is usually a good sign that things are doing what they should. I'd convinced myself that there would be nothing at my 12 week scan. 

TTC, please let us know how your appointment goes!

AFM, William is 3 weeks old today. Crazy how quickly it's gone but also it feels like he's been here and I've been sleep deprived forever. I spend most of my day feeding. Thank god for Netflix. I'm almost finished my antibiotics so hopefully my infection doesn't come back. Today is also our Election Day. Hopefully we have a new prime minister by the end of the day!


----------



## Nita2806

TTC, good luck for Monday, I am sure everything will go well!

Lucy and fluffy, right through your pregnancy there will also be some kind of stres, whether its MC, MMC, BP, GD or whatever, but just remember to cherish the moments you have with this baby, and so far things are going great with you both, and the odds of something going wrong is very little.

Sarah, my OB also said the placenta is only started to calcify and its normal, but its a bit early, it usually starts later. I got a new BP monitor thats much more accurate, and the double dosage meds are making super sleepy. I heard the epi makes your BP less :D which will be great for me.

Also, yesterday was my last day at work. Even though I will be working from home a few hours a day, i will be resting much more than now.


----------



## sarah2211

I agree. There's always something to worry about during pregnancy and when they're here. But I found that first trimester really stressful! 

Nita, it sounds like your OB won't let you go too far over your due date if at all. Hopefully she can wait until at least 38-39 weeks though. My doctor said babies born at 38 weeks are 10 times more likely to need to go to NICU than 40 week babies. Yeah the epidural can cause you BP to lower but that was far too low and they needed to bring it back up. 

Ugh my husband (who slept through last night) told me he's too tired to help with William tonight. He's now snoring on the couch. I'm still really sore, I've been breastfeeding all day, I have had about 4 hours sleep in the past 24 hours. It's going to be a long night.


----------



## Nita2806

Husbands, right?

You are right Sarah, my OB she wont induce unless necesary, but given my circumstances she dont see why baby needs to stay longer than 38 weeks(considered full term) if my BP stays up, as the risks for both me and baby only gets bigger. If my BP can come down and she grows enough she wont induce, but she doesnt think my BP will come down and the meds are just to try and get it lower till week 38. I suppose we will see what happens, for now I just need to rest and take it easy.


----------



## sarah2211

He ended up having a nap on the couch and then did help after that. He's just a grumpy bum. 

After spending the last 3 days with a baby attached to my boobs, he finally took a break today! He's been doing lots of sleeping so I guess it was just clusterfeeding for a growth spurt. 

Yes and that's why they induced me. Even with my BP at 165/99 they didn't start talking about induction until I was virtually at my due date. Even with protein in my urine. I've played it over and over in my head whether things would have been different if I hadn't been induced etc but who knows. But I know I would have felt safer being induced at 40 weeks vs any earlier unless things were at a huge risk of going pear shaped. 

I have to say, even after the shit time I've had I can still say I'd do it all again. Maybe I'm just crazy haha.


----------



## Nita2806

Lol Sarah, thats why women have more than 1 child ;)

I suppose each OB/midwife, etc. Does thimgs differently. My OB have not ever mentioned a C Section which I think is awesome! Lots of other OBs here just wait for any sort of complication and suggest a CSection immediately. For now Ill wait and see what happens at 38 weeks (who knows, perhaps she comes earlier on her own like my grandma said lol)


----------



## sarah2211

Haha I think there must be some kind of memory block and you just forget. 

An induction increases the risk of having a c section unfortunately. So avoiding interventions is the best way to have a normal birth, for the most part. But of course if the baby is safer out than in you have to make that call. It's harder when it's not clear cut. You will end up having to make decisions in the moment based on what you know at the time. That's been hard for us because we look back now and wonder whether we made the right decisions. Of course hindsight is a wonderful thing. 


Ugh so my midwife came back this morning. My uterus is too tender for having had all the antibiotics I've had and it's not contracted back as quickly as it should. So I spent the day in hospital. I had an ultrasound which looks like there's still some retention of products in there (left over bits of placenta etc I think). I go back to hospital in the morning and have to have a CT scan. They'll then decide whether that stuff will come out on its own or if I'll need a D&C. When will this end?!


----------



## Nita2806

You are right Sarah, having to decide under pressure with limited knowledge is not ideal, I am trying to read up as much as I can about my complications, but in the end, Ill probably look at my OB and tell her to do whats best for the both of us. I finished our hospital bags today, I needed some snaks to put in, but its in now. We are ready!

Good grief Sarah, hopefully DH is there to look after William? I was told one advantage of a c section is that they make sure to remove all the tissue :o hopefully those last bits can come out now, and you can stay out of the hospital!!


----------



## sarah2211

It's hard when you're in the moment, you don't have all the knowledge and sometimes the decisions need to be made quickly. At antenatal class they gave us a little card about making decisions. It's got the acronym BRAIN

B- benefits. What are the benefits of doing this?
R- risks. What are the risks?
A- alternatives. Is there an alternative?
I- intuition. What's my gut telling me to do?
N- nothing. What will happen if we do nothing?

This really helped us. And I don't think we would have changed any of the decisions we made even with the benefit of hindsight. You do have to rely on the medical staff but I also know from our time in hospital that even the doctors don't know everything. So trust your gut while also listening to medical advice. 


Yeah tell me about it! And poor William has spent most of his life getting antibiotics through me. I think he's got a bit of an upset tummy because of it. My DH is here to look after both of us thankfully. But he hates the hospital as much as I do! That's what I thought too, I was told they scrape the insides of your uterus so you don't bleed so much as well. But I'm still bleeding. 

I had the ultrasound at the same place we had the pregnancy ones. It's far less interesting with no baby in your uterus haha. But we got to introduce him to the sonographer and she just gushed over him haha. I guess they don't get to see the babies after they're born. I told her that his 10cm round head didn't even matter, I didn't have to push it out haha. 

Newborn babies do this thing where they develop the muscles in their faces by practicing different expressions. So within 10 seconds he'll go from smiling, to looking like he's going to cry, to looking like he's just eaten a lemon. It's crazy and hilarious. Well I'm currently breastfeeding him and he's got my nipple half hanging out his mouth, half asleep and he starts to chuckle away like the funniest thing has just happened! It's great because he spends 90% of his day looking like he's concerned about life haha.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Well that was interesting. Very, very nearly passed out in church yesterday. DH had to walk me outside to the car in the middle of mass. Didn't feel hungry but it is possible that my blood sugar was low. Going to nibble on something right before we go in next week and take a bottle of water with me. Guess I will also have to skip the whole sit stand kneel routine...


----------



## Nita2806

I am glad your DH is there Sarah. I think those questions will help with making decisions, however, I know myself, I will most likely also think about what Ive done after ai said do it lol.

Lucy, it can be blood sugar or blood pressure, have both checked out! During the first trimester your Blood pressure goes much lower than usual. Your blood sugar isnt suppose to go low due to pregnancy..

We had a public holiday today, so it was awesome having DH home for 3 days, tomorow will be my first official day on maternity (5hour working days from home) leave :p thought Id be bored, but I sleep a lot, the BP meds make me so sleepy, all the time!!


----------



## sarah2211

Lucy, it's definitely normal to feel like that in the first trimester. It's hard work on your body. Just make sure you're eating, drinking water and resting. Let your doctor know too. 

Nita, definitely and it's completely normal to second guess and question what you decided. But I think as long as you take the medical advice on board but also make your own decision you'll only be able to do the best thing at the time. I know we did and I don't think we would have made any ofher decisions if we did it again. 

AFM, no more antibiotics at this stage thankfully. There's still some tissue remaining and my uterus hasn't contracted back down as quickly as it should have. Basically it's just wait and see at this stage. If I feel worse then I have to go back in. Even the doctor said I'd been through a lot! I'm pretty over it.


----------



## ttc126

Sarah! I cant believe youre having more issues! You dont deserve it!!!! Hope it all resolves soon! 

Nita, thinking of you!

Quick update, I was diagnosed with cholestasis today. Baby is coming in about 2 weeks if I stay stable sooner if not.


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks TTC. I went to the hospital today and basically the advise is "wait and see if it gets worse". There's still some retained tissue and my uterus isn't as contracted as it should be but all within the 'normal' bell curve at this stage. So I just put up with being sore and hopefully I don't get worse. 

Oh no TTC, are you having a RCS then? I'm sorry that's so rough


----------



## Fluffycookie

@sarah
One issue after another, you poor thing! :hugs: I really, really hope your body will be okay soon so that you can really enjoy having your little one finally with you!

@Nita
How is your maternity leave going? If you're still working from home, that wouldn't be classed as maternity leave here, haha!

@ttc
I'm sorry but I don't know what cholestasis is - it sounds like it's pretty dangerous if they would induce you at 36 weeks because of it? :S

@Lucy
I've been having issues with low blood pressure pretty much since week 5, so I've gotten very used to only getting up slowly, drinking plenty of water and eating high in salt (my doctor recommended all of these and they help a lot!). Also, I make sure I get up regularly and walk around to keep my blood pressure up - I get low-blood-pressure-headaches if I don't ^^"

AFM:
10 weeks tomorrow :) Only 1.5 weeks until my appointment, hurry up already! Morning sickness has gotten a little better, so that's a relief. Can't wait to be out of the first trimester and tell everyone, go baby shopping and most importantly, stop worrying as much!


----------



## Nita2806

TTC - lots of hugs! Hoping there's no other complications and baby can stay in you until 36 weeks - which is just around the corner.

Haha Sarah - I can imagine your frustration! Hopefully the end of the complications are in sight for you!

Fluffy, be careful about the salt intake, I was advised against it, as salt is an addiction and you wouldn't want to sit with high blood pressure like me in your 3rd Tri due to the extra salt intake. Lots of water, a balanced diet should do the trick. I ate 7 meals a day in my first trimester and it worked like a charm (believe it or not, I had low BP as well then, with readings going below 90/60) Keeping your legs elevated above the rest of your body, will also help :) I have basicly cut out salt completely from the beginning of the year, best decision for my health that I have ever made.

My maternity leave started great, got up at 7am, started working 8am and then a client phoned that the bank need urgent info which I need to prepare, so much for a relaxed day. My BP have been between 120-140/75-90 today ugh... Its pretty standard here to work from home during Maternity leave here... No work, no pay LOL

Hehe Fluffy you are exactly 25 weeks behind me :haha: I will be 35 weeks tomorow, and I have 1 week 1 day till my appointment :)


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks fluffy. I hope so too. I'm getting really sick of all these complications. I thought we might have an easy time after all the trouble getting pregnant and then the troubles during my pregnancy. But I really should have known it wasn't going to go to plan. Wow, to me it feels like your pregnancy is going really quickly! I'm not sue if it feels that way to you haha. I'm glad you're not feeling as nauseaous. 

Nita, I hope so too. I'm just so sick of it. In NZ you working from home wouldn't be considered maternity leave either haha. I've heard mixed things about salt and BP. I was advised not to cut it out. Your BP sounds normal. Mines gone back to normal now that my infection has gone. Except they took it yesterday in the hospital. I couldn't see the display except in the reflection of the window. It beeped and I looked and I read 151/70 and had a little panic. But then realised the 5 was in reverse from the reflection so it was actually 121/70 haha.


----------



## Nita2806

35 weeks today, heehaa!! More or less 3 weeks to go, and 1 week till I see my OB again. I found my 16 week bump pic, I cant believe how small I was and how big I thought I was lol, comparing that to now, I am a whale lol with sausages for toes and fingers, well everything is just so swollen.

Sarah, atleast theres some hope that my BP will be normal again. Mine now feels high for me, considering I take meds twice a day to make it lower...i would have expected it to be even lower.

No working for me today, yay, I am going to colour and cut my hair and buy some frozen foods for the next 2 months :) and we are going out with DHs parents tonight.

When I just found out I was pregnant I was still seeing a dietician, and she said to me whatever I do, dont increase my salt intake. Its very bad for your health overall, and even if you think you are just taking it temporarily to keep your BP up, you will get used to it and your body will crave that salt. She suggested more and smaller meals, and including some crackers or unsalted popcorn will keep your BP up. It worked for me.


----------



## Fluffycookie

@Nita
I'll be careful not eating too much salt, but my doctor said to have a little more as it's only dangerous to people who are overweight and/or have high blood pressure or a family history of high blood pressure (likely to develop it). I have chronically low blood pressure and am pretty skinny, so she said for me, she recommends having "a little more" :)
I can't believe you only have three more weeks to go!! Stocking up on freezer meals seems like a really good idea. I will definitely do that too when the time comes!

@sarah
151 would be pretty high, haha XD It's the second number that matters more though, the first number spikes easily when you're nervous. Still glad it wasn't 151 though, that would have been near panick attack for a pulse 
Actually, this last week felt like it went by more quickly because we've been pretty busy. The new semester starts in a few weeks and I've been preparing my teaching. We've also had lots of social things happening at the weekends. Today I'm 10 weeks and I was thinking I might start showing now, but my stomach is as flat as ever X) Only in the mornings though, in the evenings I sport a bloat-belly 

When did you start showing? My mum is also very skinny but was much more sporty than me when she was in her late 20s, and she said with her abs, she didn't show one bit until 17 weeks! I hope it won't take that long for me, I can't wait!


----------



## Nita2806

Stock up both freezers with pre cooked meals - check
Hair cut and colour - check
The list of things to do before baby comes is getting really short. Our new cupboard is in and packed, I feel that we are ready for her!

Fluffy, every women is different, I started showing around 16 weeks, and I could still hide it until about 25 weeks (if I remember correctly) from 30 weeks onwards it was just all whale and sausage for me. I am very short and I have a very weird posture, my back is hollow(if this is the correct term) so my tummy looks bigger than it is. Oh I should post a 35 week bump pic :D


----------



## Nita2806

16 weeks VS 35 weeks :D
 



Attached Files:







SmartSelectImage_2017-09-27-16-44-51.jpg
File size: 29.3 KB
Views: 1









SmartSelectImage_2017-09-27-16-42-55.jpg
File size: 17.1 KB
Views: 1


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, cute bump. She doesn't look like she's going to be a little baby haha. 

I had low BP pre pregnancy and I was told to eat more salt. I spent quite a bit of time researching it because I was iffy about taking that advice but there have been a number of studies to show that the link between salt and BP is vague at best. So I decided I wasn't going to put any restrictions on it. There's enough you can't eat when you're pregnant. 

I got my hospital notes and when my epidural went in my BP dropped to 84/51! I felt terrible. 

The freezer meals have been awesome. But I really recommend finding foods that you can easily eat wth one hand and foods that you can easily have for lunch or snacks. We've got lots of apples, carrots, bliss balls, crackers, muesli bars. The quicker you can grab them and eat them with one hand, the better. My husband has to cut up my dinner because I'm usually feeding William and can only use a fork haha. He feeds me and I feed William. 

Fluffy, haha I had a little panic but it was 121 not 151! I just saw the 2 backwards in the window haha. Looking through my notes my BP ranged from 120-170 / 70-120 during pregnancy and labour. I also had protein in my urine on three occasions, swollen hands and jerky reflexes which are indicators of preeclampsia. I think they caught it pretty early though

I didn't start showing until around 22 weeks. I could hide my bump virtually my whole pregnancy though. If I was wearing one of my DH's jerseys you wouldn't have known. The postie said to me "you're home a lot these days" and I said "yes I'm on maternity leave now". She said, "really? Where's your bump? Let me guess, due in December or January?" My husband's boss thought I had another 2 or 3 months to go and asked if we got the dates wrong haha. I'll upload some of my bump photos. My bump has completely disappeared and tummy is pretty much back to pre-pregnancy, about the same as my 16 week photo 

William was 7lb 2oz when he was born which put him at the 35th percentile. He's now sitting at the 18th percentile. While is crazy because ALL I do is feed him. He does like to spill it all back up again, usually between my boobs haha.


----------



## sarah2211




----------



## Nita2806

Lol Sarah, my tummy looks bigger than it is, but hiding it is definately not possible. People still tell me that I am so small, and just to give it a week or 2, Im going to double in size..we will see Oh and I have stocked our cupboards with easy snacks as well ;) i got assorted crackers and mini cheeses, etc. Things thats easy to grab. But I always have things like that in the house.

Wow your BP went really high. Thankfully you made it out OK :)

Today is ticker day, still sucks to celebrate on my own lol.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Sarah, I got a little chuckle out of you feeding William and your DH feeding you, lol. Sounds absolutely adorable! <3

Nita, I am just waiting to hear good news from you one day soon!

So I am 10 weeks today. Cannot wait to get to 12, and the next appt! I personally can already tell that my waistline has expanded; I can no longer suck it in and even when I do I have a bit of a poke out where my tummy is usually flat. But that's something only I would know. I have not gained weight yet though. I am guessing I will be slow to show, and will be able to hide it for quite a while longer. Already wearing a Bella Band though; purely for comfort!

I know I have been spotty here. Our plate is a bit full these days. DH and I both work full time, plus I coach youth soccer at a local school, plus we are packing to move in just 10 short days! I've meant to pack a little every evening when I get home, but I have just been so exhausted. Hopefully I can get a lot done this weekend.

It's rather funny how the timing worked out on all this. We are currently in the process of building a house. Foundation is in. Framing is going to start any day now. But the house won't be done until Jan/Feb. We went ahead and listed our current house for sale, thinking it would take a while to sell. We live in a pretty rural area and things tend to sit awhile, and we didn't want to miss the summer buying season. Well, we listed, and 6 days later we were under contract at full price. 8 days after that we found out we were pregnant. Oops!

So we will be moving in with my aunt for about 4 months. I know I am going to hate living out of a suitcase (we won't really be able to unpack much of anything), but I suppose we can't really complain. In the end I know things are going to work out better than we could have ever hoped for. <3


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, your bump looks like a decent size to me. But my friend had a bigger bump than me and her baby was 6lb 9oz. William was just good at hiding. He found lots of room in my back. As you can see my bump grew a lot quicker towards the end but I could still hide it. 

Even though she will be out and you can pass her to DH for a cuddle, you'll spend a lot more time feeding than you think. I think for us, because my DH had to do so much of the caring in the first week, William is really comfortable with him. But I have friends whose babies would only settle with them, not the dad. So easy snacks are perfect. 

Yeah it was quite scary re reading my notes. I'm glad my BP is better now, it'll probably go back to being low again now. And sorry I can't join you for ticker day. Our new week starts on Saturdays. He's 4 weeks this Saturday. The Ovia parenting app isn't as good as the pregnancy one. 

Lucy, haha yes it's pretty funny. In hospital my husband would spoon feed me while I was feeding William. 

Has your husband noticed your tummy? It's probably bloating or your uterus just moving up at this stage. As you can see from my photos I didn't really start showing until 31 weeks. I didn't have any photos in the middle. 

Will your house be done by the time you're due? I can't work out the dates haha my brain is too dead at the moment. We are in the process of building too but we are waiting for the plans. They're taking ages. It'll be nice to be in a new house with your family! 


Well I'm not feeling any worse so I assume I'm not going septic haha.


----------



## Nita2806

Things have a way of working out perfectly Lucy! Hope your new house will be done in time, and it will be great to start the new house life with a new family member.

You know CD1 of my pregnancy was 28 January, on DHs birthday and also the day we moved into our new house. Amazing how things just work out perfectly, and it will for you as well.

Lol Sarah, just last night DH told me my tummy is getting even bigger, feels the same to me though lol. I only notice the difference in size when my legs needs a shave...which is today, ugh.

Lucy I started wearing maternity jeans early on because I was so bloated, but around 12 weeks that bloating dissapeared and I was back on normal jeans.

Sarah do you notice William having some of the sane characteristics in the outside world than he had in your womb? Reason I am asking, more curiousity than anything else, my baby kicks the whole day, and it would be interesting to know if she will be this energetic when she is born..


----------



## Fluffycookie

Thank you sarah and nita for sharing your bump picks :D Crazy how everyone develops so differently, right? Nita, my bloat is wearing off and I feel skinnier again, which has been very strange X)

Lucy, it sounds like you have a looot going on but all good things! Moving into your new place and getting everything ready for your baby there will be so special ^^ I remember when we moved here just a month before our wedding (that was a stressful time to move too, oh boy) and looking at the room we knew would become the nursery one day <3

I have a question about "First Trimester" for everyone. Here, my doctor always spoke of the end of week 12 (so 12+0). Online, I have often read that people consider 13+6 the end of their first trimester (seems to be a US thing?). What did you girls go by? If week 12, does that make your second trimester 2 weeks longer than the other ones? If week 14, did you wait until the end of week 14 to tell everyone? Week 12 is coming up quickly for me and we want to tell our extended family then, but I'm not sure when to tell friends and hubby is dying to tell his colleagues at work X)


----------



## Nita2806

Fluffy, I felt the same about the first trimester, I said I was in the 2nd trimester in week 13 - who knows when it really starts lol. Ovia only switched over to 2nd Tri on 14 weeks (13+7)

We told extended family right after our 12week appointment, when we got confirmation that the placenta have taken over and most risks of a MC / MMC were almost completely gone. 

I hope this helps.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Sarah, glad that you are feeling better (or just not worse)? Lol. You need a break from all this. You have definitely been through more than your fair share. And yes, the early stages of building a house take forever. Hopefully you guys can get your plans straight soon. We have been trying to make this happen for years now already. And all of a sudden things seem to be happening fast, lol!

My husband thinks I have a belly already. It does seem to come and go though, so it could just be bloating. Seems more prominent at the end of the day. I actually tried some maternity jeans the other day; the underbelly kind, but I am still too small for them I think. But I have been so uncomfortable with traditional waistbands on my tummy that I bought a Bella Band; it is the freaking best. So comfy. And the weather is finally cooling off a bit here. Wearing a sweater for the first time this season, feeling cozy and content!

We are hoping to move into our new house in February, so theoretically we should be settled in before baby arrives. DH is stressed about it though, because he is either doing or managing quite a bit of the work himself (DH works in construction). He already had his hands full even without our house. I have been pretty much left to pack on my own because he has been working 6-7 days a week. I have been bringing him dinner at the jobsites, lol.

Fluffy, personally I feel like I would consider myself entering the 2nd tri once I hit 13 weeks. Can't wait for us to get there! Now that we've hit 10 weeks, it feels so close and so far at the same time!


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, it'll definitely grow more in the last few weeks. I managed to shave my legs at 40+1 but the week after he was born, no chance. 

I had a think about his movements in the womb and now. I think there's some similarities. He use to be most active at night, between 10pm-2am. This is the time he usually feeds non stop. It's 10pm here now and he's currently eyes wide open feeding. The other thing would be how strong his kicks were and he's got REALLY strong legs. He also got the hiccups heaps and he gets them pretty frequently still. Babies usually have night and day mixed up when they're first born. 

Fluffy, that's completely normal. I couldn't fit my jeans from about week 6-10 and then they fit again for a few weeks and then there was no chance. It's to do with your uterus expanding. 

I have read different things about when the trimesters flick over. I think Ovia says 14. We decided to tell people at 12 weeks because that's when we got our NT scan done. I didn't think the chance of a Mc between weeks 12 and 14 was significant after we'd had the scan. But that's up to you guys. 

Lucy, thanks. I don't think I'm any worse although I had a temperature last night but it's gone now. I had some heavier bleeding earlier in the week but it's almost stopped now! 

I'm in no real hurry with the house but my DH is eager to get started on it. Have you got much land with your house? We have a small farm and in the process of buying some animals and planting fruit trees. My husband is planning to manage the build too. Hopefully you'll be in before the baby arrives. My DH is going to be working full time and managing the build. I don't think we will see him much. 

I found those belly bands really good. And when your bump gets really big you might feel like it's pulling and really saggy and uncomfortable. I put the belly band over my bump and it gave it a bit more support. Maternity jeans are so comfy haha. 

Also, just a postpartum heads up. No one told me about the crazy nightsweats you get PP. they're far worse than Clomid night sweats. Also, if you decide to breastfeed, when your milk comes in your boobs will be huge and engorged. They'll feel heavy and sore and swollen. It'll settle down after a few days. Also, in between feeds
You might get stabbing, pins and needles type pain in your boobs. It's really uncomfortable!

Nita, has your OB talked about expressing colostrum antenatally?


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah, my OB havent mentioned expressing antenatally at all, but I did ask the nurse at the hospital, and they strongly recommended that I dont do it, our local forums here say the exact same.

Baby likes to do this thing where she pushes he foot out just below my lungs, and it kind off hurts when she does it, so today I told my DH to look while she does it, and he went along and gave her foot a huge poke, that really hurt. Shes very active, day and night so I guess we are going to have a very energetic baby that doesnt sleep, she gets the hiccups 2-3 times a day now as well.

My DH was so kind today, he is working in the garden and I was sitting inside, so he pulled a chair out for me in the shade and told me I must come sit outside with him, he even got a chair in the shade for the Queen. It was so adorable and so much fun watching him do all the work :p


----------



## sarah2211

Really!? It's strongly recommended here. When I arrived at the hospital I had 270mls and everyone was saying how amazing that was. We used all of it! If I didn't have it we would have had to use formula. If things had been straight forward I might not have needed it but it was so good. It meant to could have a sleep and DH could do a feed or when my nipples were cracked because of his tongue tie I could take a break. My obstetrician and midwife said it was one of the best things I did to prepare for his arrival. And it didn't bring on contractions or anything. 

Babies do sleep. Even when he's asleep he's moving his arms and legs. So I think that you'll find she might be active but it won't mean she'll be awake all that time. In the womb babies usually sleep for a 40 minute stretch. That's what the obstetrician said when I had one of the many non stress tests.


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah, this is what the nurse said when I asked her: Both you and your DH dont touch or sqeesh your boobs or nipples until that baby arrives, its for your baby to do it at birth. And then she said not to worry, there will be enough for baby, mother nature will look after the baby, and the nurse that I will get that day will assist me. If my nipples get cracked or sore and I am unable to feed, they will send me to get laser treatment.

So we will see.

I think baby likes afternoon naps, thats when she goes very quiet until I eat dinner, lol then she is as happy to eat as I am.

Not having a good day today, BP is constantly 130 over in the high 80's, low 90's - I had stuff to do today, but I guess I will be resting. OB appointment in 3 days and from there on every week. Pretty sure she might increase my BP meds again this week.


----------



## sarah2211

Wow sorry but that sounds like the complete opposite of what I was told and that I've read as recommended. Touching your nipples isn't going to bring on labour. You need to do at least 2 hours of full on nipple stimulatinon to even produce enough oxytocin to bring on labour. You produce oxytocin when you have sex, kiss and hug. I wonder if she is against that too? If only human nature made sure things went to plan. I'm so thankful I had that colostrum stored. I'm not sure why they'd laser your nipples. If they hurt you would be wanting to make sure you've got a good latch and if that looks ok then check for a lip and/or tongue tie. 

So the world of what could go wrong next has delivered again. I have thrush in my boobs and nipples from all the antibiotics. 

William is 1 month old today and put on 300g this week. He's only on the 3rd percentile and he's still fitting prem/00000 size clothes. 

Weirdly, it says 7 guests are viewing our thread?!


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah, the people here simply dont believe in expressing before the time it seems. Asked DH's friend who had her baby boy about 3 months ago, and she said she also didnt express. The laser treatment is to help with pain or cracked nipples. 
If I remember I will ask my OB on Wednesday what she thinks about expressing before the time.. I have a whole list of questions for her this week, as we are fast approaching the 38 week mark...

Lol Sarah, we need to get you a checklist with things that can go wrong, so you can tick them off.. sorry, its no laughing matter, I just can't believe how so many things can go wrong with one person! I hope it goes away soon, and this is the last! How are the c-section cut healing?

I cant believe he is 1 month old already! it felt like yesterday when he was born. You should upload more images for us :)

I also see a lot of guests viewing this thread, if you search Clomid on google it post the link for the group due to the name :)


----------



## Nita2806

Well, Sarah, seems like you arent the only one with bad luck - my mum have just been admitted to hospital with a heart infection, after she have been having the flu on and off for the last 2 months :( Turns out, it wasnt the flu...


----------



## rickyandlucy

Sarah, you just can't seem to catch a break huh? So sorry dear.

And Nita, sorry to hear about your mum, will be thinking of you!!! <3


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, I'm sorry to hear about your mum. I hope they can get on to that infection really quickly. 

I was talking to my neighbour yesterday who is South African and her midwife is also South African. And she was told that she couldn't have sex during pregnancy and definitely not the first trimester because it increased the chance of a MC. This midwife has her PhD in Midwifery but that's not the advice given here unless you have bleeding or an incompetent cervix etc. So maybe that was the advice from her training in South Africa? But I had a South African midwife in hospital and she was great. She gave fantastic advice, sat with me until my midwife arrived when I was on syntocin. 

My other friend had a complicated vaginal birth and ended up having a major bleed. It took 7 days for her milk to come in so she had to use formula in the mean time. She tried expressing before she had him but she got nothing. She wishes she tried a bit harder she said. 

I seriously do need a check list. This pain in my boobs is much much worse than the contractions during labour. It feels like hot lava or broken glass in my boobs. The c section is recovering really slowly. I'm still in quite a lot of pain. I can't rock him to sleep. I can't twist, reach or cross my legs at all. I've been feeling pretty shitty with all this pain and William has been unsettled and not sleeping much more than30 mins-1 hour unless he's in the Tula (which you can't sleep while he's in there). 

Thanks Lucy. I'm just so over it.


----------



## Nita2806

This week has been really stressful so far. My mom had to get an emergency op to drian the fluid around her heart, and now she is lying in hospital while they try and figure out what was wrong (all tests so far have been negative) and with both me and her not at work, its one crises after the other, and they just expect me to sort it all out. With this I am not sleeping well and so tired.

Lol Sarah, advice seems to differ from person to person and country to country. My OB never mentioned anything about stop having sex, not even now with my high BP, and we certainly did not stop lol. I dont really know if I should start expressing or not. I will find out from my OB today what our plans going further are..

Oh goodness, I am sorry to hear that you are taking so long to recover, dont they say about 6 weeks? I hope it gets better soon though, I can imagine your frustration with the pain and not being able to do what you want..


----------



## ttc126

Sarah Im so sorry youre still having so much trouble. For what its worth I was feeling tons better 3-4 weeks out from my section. Hang in there a bit longer and dont hesitate to call your midwife if you dont feel better soon! 

Nita Im so sorry about your mom. It all sounds overwhelming. Youre in my prayers.


----------



## Nita2806

Baby girl didnt grow in the last 2 weeks, and my BP is still very high. I need to take more meds now. After my appointment I had to go to the hospital for tests, happened so fast, I dont even know what they tested, but all was good and I was sent home. Due to her not growing and my high BP she will arrive at 38 weeks, 90% chance it will be with a lovely c section. If everything looks good at 38 weeks, she will induce and we will go naturally, but if anything is wrong, like high BP or baby still havent grown she prefer doing a planned c section than an emergency c section. I am on bed rest as well...

Oh and she weighs only 2.1Kg (4.6lbs)


----------



## Nita2806

(still need to discuss this with my husband) But I am considering just asking my OB next week to schedule a c section. I read all articles I could find online and they say the same as my OB... Small babies who go through induced labour usually can't handle the stress and end up getting an Emergency C-section, and when a mother has hypertension its best that baby be born as soon as he/she reaches full term ( here they consider babies to be full term at 38 weeks)

So my question, those who have gone through a c section - what is a must to pack in our bags? I will most likely re-pack our bags (Even if I choose induction, it may still end in an emergency c section - so I need to be preped)

I will need to get some premature clothes as well :o expecting a birth weight of 2.2Kg(around 5lbs) (If we are lucky and she grows a little bit)


----------



## rickyandlucy

Nita, I obviously can't offer any advice, but just wanted to offer some love and support. I am sure none of this is what you wanted, but it sounds like you are handling it well and making good decisions for your baby girl. Love and prayers to you!!!!


----------



## Bonnie11

just half caught up with this thread after a long time! quick reply, Nita for your bag you will likely be in for 3-4 days after your section so at least 2-3 nightdresses that button down the front, i managed to get blood on 2 of mine! Ditto baby clothes for baby, more vests than you will need. lots of maternity pads. snacks as our food was not great in hospital. and some BIG pants, the bigger the better. a size uo from what you think you are and ones that come right up tp your belly button too as you wont want anything touching the scar. other than that I would just say the normal hospital stuff. lip blam and warm socks etc. Also a very light dressing gown, its very warm in there but sometimes you just want something to cover up when you're walking around. You will also find it hard to move around easily when you get home so organise yourself so everything is easy to find for other people that are helping you. Give yourself a good 3-4 weeks recovery time before you are expecting to feel better. Also if your baby is small will they expect to keep her in longer? You may want to keep a bag of clothes for yourself/baby at home packed in case you need hubby to bring them in unless you trust him to choose them for you (my hubby brought in a pair of jeans for me &#128580;). Also have a few pairs of large size tracksuit bottoms to wear when you get home, anything touching scar is sore so a size or 2 up at least so the waistband isnt pressing on it.

If i think of anything else i will add it! Sorry things aren't going as planned for you.. most important is that you and baby are safe. In my experience planned section seems to be much better and faster recovery than emergency so if you think it is likely I would go with a planned but it is soemthing you need to discuss with your OB.
Sorry things a bit mad here so I havent been on much, getting house re-decorated and my daughter currently being very tricky so not much time for myself! hope all is well with everyone


----------



## Nita2806

Thanks Lucy, I am trying to stay calm and sane, I suppose we will decide on Wednesday when we see my OB what we will be doing, ill be 37 weeks then.

Thanks for the advice Bonnie, not loking forward to the recovery time afterwards, but I am not willing to take a chance with induction to put my daughters life at risk just because I want to do a normal birth. We are however expecting her to spend some time in the NICU(from what I understand, she will need to pick up enough weight and ofcourse her organs will need to work properly - hopefully she gets a good Apgar score) so Ill be packing extra clothes in for her and me.


----------



## ttc126

Nita, Im sorry things arent going to plan. It sounds like youre doing all you can. I think Bonnie had great tips for you! I would add one trick and that is bring a hair dryer and dry your incision after showering. It helps it heal so quickly! 

Bonnie thinking of you! Hope things settle soon! 

Lucy and Fluffy and Sarah hope all is well.

I am having my baby on Tuesday evening. Repeat c section. Excited to meet him but quite busy with prepping this weekend. I got steroid shots for his lungs Thursday and yesterday so we hope for no NICU time.


----------



## Nita2806

Thanks for the advice ttc :) it sounds like my DH is keen to go with a c section as well. So it will most likely be one in about 2 weeks time.

All the best of luck for Tuesday ttc, Will keep you in my prayers that everything goes well. Please keep us updated when you can after his birth <3


----------



## rickyandlucy

TTC, will be thinking of you, prayers that everything goes smoothly!!!! <3

Nita, good luck on Wednesday. Let's get all the babies out safely! :)

Well, we are all moved out of our house and into my aunt's. That was utterly exhausting. The buyers are doing their final walk through tonight, and closing is tomorrow. It's been challenging trying to get settled at my aunts because there is truly no space for us to unpack much of anything, and so many people helped us pack I have no idea where things are. But we are trying to make the best of it without disturbing her house too much. Now we just have to figure out how to show her how grateful we are; she refuses to let us pay rent, so we are planning to try to pay at least the utilities, and hopefully make up for the rest by knocking out some things on her honey do list.

I will finally be the magical 12 weeks on Thursday. Our next appt is one week from today. Counting down. Fluffy you should be having your next appt any day now right?


----------



## Fluffycookie

@Nita
Afraid I don't have much advice about what to pack, but I would say (if this is possible, haha) don't be too worried about having a c-section! Every woman recovers differently and with a planned one, you have good chances of recovering well and swiftly. Crossing my fingers that this will be the case for you!

@TTC
Things are moving so quickly for you :O Thinking of you for tomorrow!

@Lucy
Nice to to hear you're all moved out :) Moving is one of the most stressful and exhausting things, tell me about it! Until last year, hubby and I moved every single year, sometimes twice a year (for the past 9 years...). We've been in this place since last summer now and it's been wonderful not moving.


AFM:
I had my appointment on Friday, little pea is still measuring two days ahead and SUPER active. We could see baby jumping and waving, doing little dances. Heartbeat was nice and strong. Everything looks perfect. Hubby came with me and said it was magical :) Since little pea is continuously measuring 2 days ahead, my date is now adjusted and I actually complete 12 weeks tomorrow, meaning I am through the first trimester! Such a relief! Also, I get to stop those super annoying progesterone suppositories now, phew. Beginning to get a tiny baby bump I think, I can mainly see that my tummy is not as flat/concave as it used to be when I lie down. Can't wait to be really showing <3

We're telling the extended German family this weekend at a family brunch and will then be skyping with the British family on the same day to share the news with everyone :) I'm also meeting my midwife tomorrow evening for the first time - does anyone have any tipps on what to ask her?


----------



## Nita2806

So glad you are moved out Lucy and settled in at your aunt. Hopefully you can rest now :) almost time for your appointment whoohoo

Fluffy, really amazing to see that little teeny tiny human go crazy in there, soon you will start to feel those moments :) when is your next appointment? If you got a nub shot at your previous appointment post it and we can guess the gender, thats if you are finding out? Also, if you are finding out, eat something sweet before your next appointment so baby can move around and its easier to see the gender. Goodluck telling the family, I felt relieved after everyone knew hehe.

Ttc, it felt like yesterday when we both got our BFP and look at us now, you are delivering your baby today, Ill be thinking of you today!

I cant believe another week has gone by OB appointment early tomorow morning, and im also 37 weeks tomorow :o


----------



## Nita2806

Csection booked for next week Tuesday, my placenta is calcified and the flow to baby is 'okay' - lots of amniotic fliud though, which is good. OB checked my cervix and its not ripe enough for normal labour yet, so she doesnt want to do induction.


----------



## Fluffycookie

Nita, we want to find out the gender but we won't have to guess :) We're going for a prenatal scan and blood test (like the Harmony test, just a different brand) next week and while the point of the test is to check for Down Syndrome, you also get to find out the gender. The pictures are a little blurry since little pea was moving so much. You can't see anything that's worth guessing at from the angle anyway though.

Definitely looking forward to telling all the family this weekend and then most of our friends (hubby is dying to tell his work colleagues, haha) next week. NOT looking forward to telling my employer though, still expecting that they will be majorly pissed and that will be the end of me at this university (sadly completely normal in academia and with fixed-term contracts, nothing you can do about it legally).

Next week Tuesday, that's so close!! How are you feeling about it?


----------



## Nita2806

Wow Fluffy, those bloodtests to tell the gender are very new as far as I know, and they are not available everywhere yet (not here though) we found out the gender at the 16 week scan. :) let us know the gender when you do find out.

I had a very long appointment with my OB about the risks and the safest option to give birth. She is willing to do induction if I really want to (and thats why she checked my cervix) but with the current state of my cervix she wont be able to handle it and it will end up being an emergency C-section. She said the safest option is a planned Csection. Waiting for natural birth to start is not an option - my placenta is already too calcified and the flow to baby is only ókay - she must be delivered at 38 weeks (considered full term here) and since she is growing absolutely zilch there is no reason for here to stay in me. I read many stories online similiar to mine and in my heart I know I made the best decision - its still a process to mentally prepare myself, but baby comes first - always! I'll be ready to meet her next week Tuesday. :D I am really excited and scared at the same time


----------



## ttc126

Nita Im so glad for your ob. I think youre doing the wisest thing. Prayers for you!

I had my baby at 5:25pm yesterday. And he was 5lbs 11oz!


----------



## Nita2806

Thank you ttc <3 congratz on your little boy. Is everything Ok with him? (Is he spending some time in NICU?) and how are you doing? Hope everything went smooth and you get to go home soon.


----------



## rickyandlucy

TTC congratulations!!!!!!! I assume everything went smoothly? Hope you and baby are doing fabulously!!

Nita, I can't wait for you to meet your baby girl! Sounds like you are making the safest decision you can for your baby, prayers for that everything goes smoothly!!!!

12 weeks today. <3


----------



## rickyandlucy

Nita, today is Tuesday, prayers that everything goes smoothly!! <3 Looking forward to your updates!!!!

Had my 12 week appt yesterday. It was short, no u/s, just doppler. DH laughed at me but didn't say a word to the doc about my having bought a doppler, lol. Listened to the heartbeat, felt my uterus and sent me on my way. Apparently the 16 week appt will be the same, plus blood tests. Won't get to see our little one again until 20 weeks. Going to be very, very hard to be patient. But it is so, so nice knowing I can listen for the heartbeat when I am feeling nervous.

Sarah, how are things going for you? No more complications I hope? TTC, are you home and everything going well? Fluffy, hanging in there? You should be done with your first tri now right? I am almost there!!! :)


----------



## Fluffycookie

Congratulations TTC!! Hope you and baby are well :)

Thinking of you today Nita! Hoping everything goes smoothly and that you and baby will be well taken care of.

Yay for passing the 12 week mark Lucy! :D I was considering getting a doppler too before, but then what if I can't find the heartbeat one day because baby is in a bad position for it and I drive myself nuts ^^" So I decided against it. Now, I feel so much safer already, so I won't get one.

I'm 13+1 today. We went and had an optional prenatal checkup today, which involved having some blood taken (for the Harmony test, which tests for Down Syndrome) and had an IN DEPTH ultrasound. And I mean it - it took about an hour and he showed us every single organ and bone. Not kidding, every finger, every little organ and how the blood vessles connect to it, everything. Even the different parts of the heart and brain, such detail!! The ultrasound was to check for a variety of things that the blood test doesn't check for, and I'm so relieved to say, *everything* is perfect. ^^ Baby was super active, but we still got a bunch of super cute pictures. He even made a guess at the gender, but we're not telling anyone until the end of next week, when we find out for certain anyway as we get the results of the blood test then.

Lucy, I think I won't be getting a scan at my next gyno appointment either, but I'm not sure. She said she will start doing CTG (doppler) in January, so I don't know what the two checks I have before then will entail... but we shall see :) Who knows, you might get to feel your little one before you next see him/her! :D I'm *so* looknig forward to that even though I know it will still be well over a month before either of us can feel anything.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Fluffy, I waffled on the doppler too. Thought about it, decided against it, and then changed my mind again. To each their own I suppose! For me I have no regrets. I don't let myself obsess over it; I am only using it about once a week, and that has been enough so far to keep me off of google searches for mmc, lol. The first time I used it I couldn't find the heartbeat, but I knew not to freak. Now I find it pretty easily. I feel safer now too, but it's nice just knowing that I have access to the reassurance.

Jealous of your ultrasound! I told DH I am tempted to go to one of those places that offer ultrasound packages outside of insurance; not sure I can handle not seeing our little one from 8 to 20 weeks! He thinks it's silly and unnecessary, but we shall see. Going to try to tame my crazy, lol.

Excited for you to find out the gender!!! Not sure we are going to find out. I am conflicted on this, but DH does not want to know. We will see what happens!

I thought I might have felt some flutters the other night, but more likely that was just digestion/gas, lol. DH put his hand on my belly this morning and claimed he thought he felt the babies heartbeat, but I am sure that was just wishful thinking. Sweet thought though <3 I am right there with you girl, can't wait to feel our baby move!!


----------



## Nita2806

Just a quick update. Liezl was born 17/10/2017 at 13:18 weighing only 2.3Kgs, but she got an Apgar score of 9/10 twice so she didnt spend anytime in ICU. She is already the love of our lives.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Congratulations Nita!!! That is wonderful news!!!!! <3 <3 <3


----------



## sarah2211

Sorry I&#8217;ve been MIA, we are still having issues. William has a problem with his wind pipe. We are waiting to see a oediatrician about that. I&#8217;m still in a lot of pain in my uterus and shouldn&#8217;t be this sore for 7 weeks. So I&#8217;m back to the hospital on Tuesday or Wednesday. They&#8217;ll ring me to let me know when they can get me in. Looking at starting medication for Raynaud&#8217;s next week too. Not getting his lip and tongue ties done at the moment. I feel like just crawling up and never leaving home so that we don&#8217;t have to deal with doctors and things going wrong anymore. 

Congratulations Nita. I hope it all went smoothly. I&#8217;m sure an elective is much easier to recover from. I hope you&#8217;re both doing ok. 

Congratulations TTC I hope your little one is doing well. 

Lucy and Fluffy, I hope you&#8217;re both feeling ok too. It must be a great relief to be out of the first trimester. I hope you&#8217;re both over any rubbish first trimester symptoms


----------



## rickyandlucy

Sarah, I am so sorry you guys are still struggling. We are here for you!! <3


----------



## Nita2806

Good hearing from you Sarah, im sorry you are still strugling.

Im not going to lie, I am in a lot of pain, unfortunately things didmt go as smooth as I hoped. Both my hands have been pricked so much that both are blue and swollen. Ive been getting up and walking as much as possible, and I had to see a physio as I strugled to breath yesterday. All that being said, its going good with the both of us.

Just wanted to say, regarding bfing, just as the nurse said, mother nature will provide...my colostrum came in immediately, she was strugling to latch and had high blood sugar so we had to express, it took is about 10 minutes to get 5ml at a time. My boobs are getting super full now and she is bfing every 1-2 hours.

I think I slept about 1 hour during the night, but she is so worth it <3


----------



## ttc126

Sarah! Im so sorry to hear youre still struggling! How awful youre still in pain! Please keep us updated!

Nita, I had trouble breathing when I first walked after my c section too! Its really hard! Do you have an abdominal binder? If not I highly recommend it because it helps soooo much. Im glad your milk came in well! 

Lucy and Fluffy! Everything is moving so quickly now it seems! Are you both finding out boy or girl? 

Im 9 days post op and very very grateful everything has gone so smoothly! Recovery wise this is much easier than my first c section.


----------



## Nita2806

I do have a belly binder, but it didnt work :( i asked to see a physio and she gave me some breathing exercises, which is working.

Im still feeding colostrum (its 7am and i am feeding for the 4th time) hopefully milk will come in today.


----------



## Nita2806

Our Perfect daughter! <3 all the pain and sleepless nights worth it.
 



Attached Files:







SmartSelectImage_2017-10-20-15-23-29.jpg
File size: 29.8 KB
Views: 3









SmartSelectImage_2017-10-20-15-23-12.jpg
File size: 34.4 KB
Views: 2









SmartSelectImage_2017-10-20-15-22-45.jpg
File size: 32 KB
Views: 3









SmartSelectImage_2017-10-20-15-22-21.jpg
File size: 25.6 KB
Views: 3


----------



## Sheece

Congrats Nita, she is perfect!! 

Sarah - I'm sorry you are having such a hard time still! You deserve a break, I hope if you have to go to the hospital they can actually help you out this time x


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks everyone. We&#8217;ve had a long weekend here and I&#8217;m going back in to see the doctors either tomorrow or Wednesday. My uterus is still really sore and I&#8217;m still taking pain relief around the clock and I&#8217;m now almost 7 and a half weeks pp. I really don&#8217;t think this is normal. 

I&#8217;m glad to hear you&#8217;re doing well Nita. The pain was much much worse than I was expecting. I still get shivers down my spine thinking about it all. She is so precious. Are you still in hospital? We don&#8217;t see to use binders here. I had trouble breathing too. I didn&#8217;t really get out of bed properly until day 3. I&#8217;ve been donating milk to a poor wee girl in hospital who&#8217;s mum&#8217;s milk hasn&#8217;t come in after a week. The girl is allergic to formula. I hope you&#8217;re not in too much discomfort when your milk comes in. I found sitting in the shower massaging the lumps out helped as well as putting cold wet face cloths on them. 

Ttc, I&#8217;m glad to hear you&#8217;re doing so well. Do you have any idea why your recovery was so much better this time? Have you chosen a name? 

Thanks Sheece, sorry I&#8217;ve been useless at replying to your messages! I&#8217;ll do that tomorrow hopefully. 

Maybe we should rename this thread Clomid and c section buddies! I wonder if there&#8217;s any correlation?


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah, i think you are taking way too long to recover. I hope they can give you something to speed up recovery or atleast find out why.

I was discharged from hospital friday morning already and DH went back to work today, and I am now home with baby. My MIL is making us dinner each night, yay. I was up walking the next morning after my c section, and on saturday I went to the mall. Its still sore and I find the lack of sleep really draining. Liezl switched her day and night. My boobs was extremely sore and huge when my milk came in yesterday, but its much better today.

I thought my blood pressure would atleast have come down, but it is actually going up. I am still taking meds 3 a day. Today is the highest it has been, 160/110 but I think the lack of sleep is contributing to it. My OB said to take the meds and wean off as my BP starts going lower again...hopefully its soon, I see most women say 4-6 weeks.

My little princess have to see her dr this week thursday and go for observation on friday, just to make sure everything is good. She weighed 2.135kg when she left the hospital and last night she was already uo to 2.4kg again :D shes feeding really really well.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Nita, Liezl is so beautiful! I love love love seeing the baby pictures here!!! <3

Sarah, I really hope they get to the bottom of things ASAP. You have been in pain for far too long!! Hugs!!

TTC, we are going to try not to find out what we are having. I say try because I am torn, but DH really wants to be surprised. But I wonder if that will change at the 20 week ultrasound! Next appt is just doppler and blood tests at 16 weeks.

We are starting to think about making our news public. We are having family photos taken on Wednesday. Not sure when exactly we would go public; still don't feel quite ready, but we are getting there :)


----------



## Fluffycookie

Congratulations Nita!!! Liezl is adorable (and I love the German name :D)!

Sarah, I really wonder what's going on. I hope they get to the bottom of why you're having such a rough time and that things get better quickly once they do.

Lucy, we just told friends this weekend and hubby started telling work colleagues today, so we've basically made our news public. I'm 14 weeks tomorrow ^^ I would say make it public whenever you feel comfortable! So exciting that we've made it through the scary first bit, isn't it? I feel so much more at ease these days :)


----------



## Nita2806

Lucy, my dh also wanted it to be a surprise, I told him its ok it can be a surprise for him, but I am finding out, otherwise people will buy my yellow stuff, and I hate yellow. He said he will then know as we will get blue or pink stuff, and I told its a risk he have to take. He wasnt happy but agreed we find out. When my OB at 16 weeks said, its a girl, he was so excited that he started tellimg everyone.

I cant believe you are so far along fluffy and lucy, youll have your bundle of joy in your hands in no time.

You will still get a lot of advice, but take this from me, sleep! Sleep as much as you can now. I get 3 hours of sleep a day, if I am lucky lol


----------



## Nita2806

Just for cuteness :)
 



Attached Files:







SmartSelectImage_2017-10-24-00-40-29.jpg
File size: 23.5 KB
Views: 3


----------



## sarah2211

She&#8217;s gorgeous Nita. Wow your recovery is much quicker than mine. I definitely think it&#8217;s the planned vs emergency. I&#8217;m glad you&#8217;re all doing well. 

Lucy and Fluffy, that&#8217;s gone so fast! Have you guys thought about getting a ticker so we can all see how far along you are? 


So I went back to hospital today. I have adhesions on my bladder from the c section and infection. I&#8217;m hoping they aren&#8217;t on my fallopian tubes otherwise it might cause infertility too. I&#8217;m going back again in a few weeks to see what the plan is.


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah, the recovery from an emergency c section is definately longer and its a lot harder on your body. My ob wanted to avoid an emergency for me as well as far as possible and thats why we just did the planned. Dont regret it at all. I am 8 days pp today and I can do most of my daily tasks, except I am not lifting anything heavy at the moment. Might even start to drive short distances over the weekend. I am also off all pain meds now, they make me feel dizzy and sleepy.

I still have some infection in my bladder but its getting better.

Hope everything turns out ok for you. xx


----------



## sarah2211

I think whether it&#8217;s emergency or scheduled has a lot to do with the recovery. I was exhausted before going into surgery plus had my waters broken for that long so I was already at risk of an infection. Wow, it sounds like you&#8217;re at about where I was 6 weeks pp. Crazy. Even though it might be easier to recover from I think I would freak out with the anticipation of knowing what was coming. I&#8217;m hopeful for a VBAC next time. I really hope to never have a c section ever again. 

William hasn&#8217;t been well. He caught some kind of bug and has been having trouble breathing. I put him down in his bassinet last night and he was making horrible gurgling noises and gasping for air. So I grabbed him immediately. I let him sleep on me for an hour and tried again to put him down but he made those horrible noises again so I just let him sleep on me upright for the night. We took him to the doctor this morning and basically got a lecture that we should have rung for an ambulance when it happened. He was showing some signs of respiratory distress so they monitored him all day. The doctors think it&#8217;s just a viral infection so we were sent home. But now I&#8217;m scared to let him go to sleep in his bassinet and have it happen again.


----------



## Nita2806

I think youve been through so much Sarah, dont be too hard on yourself. And take your time to heal properly! Take care of yourself.

And emergency c section has so many risks for for bothe you and baby, the fact that you both are OK is all that matters. I am ratger happy with how quickly mine went... I got my catheter at 12, they tried inserting the drips for 30 mins and both my hands are still blue and swollen from how they tried. I went to theatre at 12:50, 12:55 I got my drip, 13:00 my docter came and I got my spinal, 13:10 they helped me to lie down and put up the screen, 13:18 Liezl was born, 13:30 my doctor greeted me and left and I was taken to the recovery room, 13:40 I was back in my room where DH and Liezl waited for me. Got my first visitors at 14:30 and by 15:30 my spinal started wearing off. It went extremely fast.

I hope William is ok, they give us such frights!! And dont listen to the doctors lectures, you are his mother, you know whats best for him!


----------



## rickyandlucy

Fluffy, I am 14 weeks today, so now we are both officially in our 2nd trimester! I definitely feel more relaxed lately. Still loving having my doppler just to check though, lol.

Nita, Liezl is so gorgeous!! And I think you are right, I think it is ticker time! :happydance: Where did you ladies get your tickers?

Sarah, I am so sorry to hear about William, I can't imagine how scary that is. Hope he is ok!!!

We had some portraits taken yesterday of DH and I and our furbaby. Also took some announcement style shots. The photographer showed me some of the shots just after she took them, and they are going to be so good!!!!! Can't wait to get them back!! <3


----------



## Nita2806

Lucy, yay you got a ticker. So exciting about your photos.

So today I had a nurse tell me that I dont feed my daughter and she told me I have a beautiful baby boy... She was wearing pink with a pink blanky...real nice colours for a boy. But her doctor says she is perfect and she is exactly where she should be. Humpf stupid nurse, thinking of reporting her.

Sarah, been meaning to ask, do you still bleed/have bloody discharge? Womdering how long it will last...its like your body have no periods for 9 months and then just remind of it after birth.. LoL. I have a pinkish/brownish discharge.. Its not a lot, but my word, its annoying and these maternity pads arr horrible.


----------



## sarah2211

Wow that is really quick Nita. Even from when they decided Id need a c section it took 3 hours. Mainly because they had 2 emergencies and although williams heart rate was decelerating they turned off the syntocin which helped and I had an obstetrician in with us the whole time. The worst for me was the emotions around it. Like when they broke my waters the obstetrician commented on how amazing my cervix was for a FTM and how everything looked amazing. But then things changed and no one really knew why. I was so determined to have a vaginal birth but we were both in danger and had no choice. I felt like all my power had been taken away. Then the recovery was shit and I missed out on so much in those first few weeks. 

I had bleeding until about 5 weeks and have only just stopped spotting. But I dont think Im a regular case because I had some retained tissue so it took a bit longer to pass. 

Oh Id be pissed off if someone said that too. William has gone from the 3rd to the 9th and now is on the 7th percentile. Everyone keeps saying how little he is and implying Im not feeding him enough (it feels like thats all I do!). 

Lucy, thats so exciting. Yay you got a ticker, we both used the same as the one you have. How cool to get photos done. Are you going to announce on Facebook? 

Just a heads up about the doppler, my friend was 39 weeks and hadnt felt her baby move for a few hours. She had a doppler so just used that. She thought she heard the heartbeat so assumed everything was ok 12 hours later still felt nothing so she rung her midwife. She went into hospital and the baby had died. She had been hearing the blood flow to the placenta, not the babys heartbeat (they sound similar unless you really know what to look for). Possibly her baby could have been saved if shed called earlier. Just please go with your gut (when you start to feel movements) and dont ignore other symptoms just because all sounds well on the doppler. 

And thanks. William is doing ok. I didnt get much sleep again though because I just wanted to stay awake and make sure he was still breathing


----------



## rickyandlucy

Nita, that is one extremely insensitive and clearly ignorant nurse! So sorry you went through that!

Sarah, you are so right, I also read similar stories on the doppler; it is actually one of the reasons I tried to avoid buying one at first. I think I am just going to put the doppler away once I can feel the baby move. But at least for now, I find it extremely useful :)


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah, I can imagine how you felt about the c section afyer you had planned to go normal. You didnt have time to mentally prepare yourself, which must have been the worst. For me I had a week to prepare myaelf, I came to terms with it, it was hard but by the time I went in I was ready. Not saying it was easy, but I knew, it was whats best for my baby, and I kept on saying that to myself. I have a perfectly perfect little baby and I have a huge scar to show for it, my battle scar. I found inner peace, I am happy about all my decisions, and wont change a thing.

People will see a small baby and just assume its not getting enough milk. My baby is in the 3rd percentile if I remember correctly, but shes healthy, strong and they even think shes going to be longer than her mommy.just ignore other people Sarah, babies cry if they are unhappy and if they are starving. And the whole part of breastfeeding is feeding on demand, we know whats best for our babies. I fed my baby 18 times in 24 hours, I literally didnt sleep for 24 hours, aint no body gonna tell me I aint feeding my baby, they dont know shit. I am glad William is better, but do try to sleep, if something is wrong your mommy instincts will kick in, a lack of sleep wont do you any good! Take care of yourself.

Lucy hang in there, you will start feeling movement pretty soon, I think Sarah felt mobement pretty early on, I only felt it a bit later. I was also against buying a doppler, I just trusted that everything will happen as it should. Maybe stop using it when you feel movement? Just a warning in advance, the movement will be very unregular at first, its only at 28-30 weeks when they suggest you start counting kicks.


----------



## sarah2211

Lucy, I think its ok to use it, my midwife used it every appointment (although she could tell the difference in sounds between baby and placenta). I completely understand what you mean its definitely reassuring to hear a heartbeat and carry on using it after you feel your baby move. I just mean go with your gut and dont assume that because youve heard a heartbeat everything is automatically fine. If things dont feel right, dont wait. 

I felt the first kick at 15 weeks. It was more like a little kitten playing with soft little paws. The movements did change a lot. I cant remember exactly what weeks but I know they went from flutters to kicks and then swooshy movements. Then, in the third trimester I could tell what part of his body was moving and feel his back and butt. William was a wriggler, he moved heaps. But then I had days with decreased movements (probably due to the cord around his neck). So it went from one extreme to another. 15 weeks is early for a FTM, I think about 22 weeks the obstetrician said I should have felt movement by then. Awww I miss being pregnant haha. Just thinking about him inside me. While I was pregnant it was so hard to believe a little person was in there but now Ive met him its just incredible. 

Nita, I think thats a big part of it. The way mine happened I felt like I was in control one minute and then the complete opposite. I dont think you could ever fully be ok with your stomach being sliced open but with time to prepare Im sure it would allow one to come to terms with it. To be honest, I hate my scar. I wont look at it unless I have to. It still hurts and I cant wear normal clothes or underwear with it. I would have preferred an episiotomy and forceps/ventouse than what I ended up with. I dont feel like o gave birth. More like I had a medical procedure, my stomach was sliced open and then there was a baby. 

I think so too. William is 9lb 8oz and hes 8 weeks tomorrow. Im like you, Im feeding him a lot. Like almost every 2 hours at least. His arms and legs are still skinny little chicken legs and he doesnt have a big tummy either. I think hes ok, hes got enough wet and dirty nappies and is gaining weight. Its currently 8pm here Ive spent more than 5 hours feeding since midnight. DH and I took turns keeping watch overnight and my mum came out today. Im just not going to risk losing him over a stuffy nose.


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah, i dont blame you for feeling that way about your scar, what you have been through must have been so traumatic! But, I do believe you are a stronger women now. One day when William is all grown up, youll have one heck of a story to tell him about his birth.

Wanted to say before, I remember you were on those clexane injections - you have all my sympathy for those - I had 3 in hospital, they burn and they hurt and that was on my flabby tummy.

I am 10 days pp, so far I lost 7kgs - 10 more to go :D

I cant believe how fast time goes by, Liezl is 10 days old and have been home for 7 days already.


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks. Which makes me wonder about number 2. I would love to have a VBAC but if it ended in an emergency c section again I would be SO done. Never again. But a successful VBAC would be so amazing and probably a scheduled c section would be my second preference. But once you&#8217;ve had 2 c sections here you can&#8217;t have a VBAC. It&#8217;s still early days Nita but have you thought about number 2? 

I do feel like it&#8217;s made me stronger but I also feel like I have been through hell and I&#8217;ll probably never look at the world the same way again since going through infertility, a difficult pregnancy and then the birth and recovery. 

Haha and yes he will definitely hear about what he put me through! Little monkey.

On the height to weight chart in our baby book william doesn&#8217;t even make it on the chart for his age. He&#8217;s in the 70th percentile for height and his weight puts his way below the 1st percentile. Our well child nurse is coming on Tuesday so we will see what we have to do. I&#8217;m guessing expressed milk top ups but he&#8217;s on the boob, swallowing a lot! 

Haha yes. I felt like I was on familiar grounds when they brought out the Clexane injections. The midwife let my DH do one of the Clexane injections in hospital haha. They did hurt more with the wound

Wow that has gone fast. Does it feel like she&#8217;s been here forever though? How are you getting on with DH being back at work? And how&#8217;s the breastfeeding going? Good stuff on the weight loss. I think I&#8217;ve lost 9kgs and have 7 to go. But I think it&#8217;s going to be hard to budge. My body seems to be holding on to it with breastfeeding 

William is 8 weeks old today. It feels like it&#8217;s gone fast but the first 4 weeks were a blur.


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah, dh and I wanted nr2 soon after nr1 but that changed. The lack of sleep made us realise we shouldnt have another too soon, also after my c section we need to wait atleast 6 months before even trying again. However, I am NOT going on any BC whatsoever. Id rather we be careful. Also it will be a planned c section again, they dont really do vbac here, and ill most likely have hypertension again. I will have my tubes tied after nr2, there wont be a nr3.

Those clexane injections really are the worst, when I got the 3rd one, i was relieved, i really didnt want a 4th. I still have tiny marks on my tummy from the ones i had.

It feels like I was still pregnant yesterday and i had to wait for time to pass for my c section, time goes by really fast. Breastfeeding is going good i had a lot of milk, and suddenly theres a lot less, but shes getting enough, thats important. Its also so tiring, getting up 5 - 10 times during the night to feed is horrible. She drink less during the day maybe 4/5 times.

I dont know her percentile, but Ill check it out and post it. How does Williams height and weight compare to what it was at birth till now?

I lost a lot of weight due to diarrhea I had from the c section, it luckily stopped now, but i might lose less now.

Dh starts to work overtime again this week, i asked him not too because I need him at home. So far Im coping but I had a friend come stay with me. The coming week Ill be on my own, so we will see how it goes...


----------



## ttc126

Hi everyone!!! 
Sorry Ive been so busy and sleepy I havent replied though I keep up with you all.
Sarah, I am not sure why my recovery has been better this time, but i think a big part of it was that they got me up walking just a few hours after surgery. I also think planned sections are easier. Im sorry youre still going through so much! I hope they can fix the adhesions! 
Nita, glad things are going well for you! 
Fluffy and Lucy congrats on making it to second tri! So exciting!
As for me, Im just feeding my little guy constantly. I dont know how well hes gaining.... his checkup is nov 15. Curious to know how big he is!


----------



## sarah2211

Man I reckon it would be so hard to deal with the lack of sleep, breastfeeding and being pregnant. Especially first trimester nausea. F that haha. They said 6 months to you? I was told 12-18 months. Maybe it&#8217;s more if you want a VBAC? I&#8217;m surprised they don&#8217;t do VBACs there. They&#8217;re encouraged here if you&#8217;ve only had 1 c section. But if you have 2 c sections then they don&#8217;t usually allow you to attempt a VBAC. So I think this is my only chance. If I opt for a RCS then that&#8217;s that for any future births. But if I end up with an emergency c section I think I&#8217;d be done, no more babies. 

How are you going to go about being careful? I think it would be way too difficult to temp with sleeping. Plus breastfeeding you can still ovulate and not get periods (apparently). 

Haha I was looking for something today and found a big box full of clexane injections. The ones I had after my c section weren&#8217;t too bad. I felt like I&#8217;d been tortured already so what was a few more jabs. You know the big IV lines they put in your arm in case you need a blood transfusion? My veins were so bad it took them 7 goes to get it in properly. So comparably, the Clexane was nothing haha. 

The past 2 months for me feel like a blur but also like it wasn&#8217;t that long ago he was inside me. Time goes really fast. I hope you can keep your supply up. I found that mine was crazy high. I could pump 300mls in 5-10 minutes. But now it&#8217;s regulated. My boobs don&#8217;t get full if I don&#8217;t feed for a few hours, they feel soft and empty. But I can still pump a good amount. This morning after a feed I got 260ml in 20 minutes. Breastfeeding is tiring. How long is she sleeping for in one go? William varies so much. One night he&#8217;ll be up feeding every 20 minutes and other nights we&#8217;ve got 6 and a half hours. My friend&#8217;s babies are sleeping 10-13 hours in a row at night! It sounds like she has her days and night mixed up with is normal. But maybe she would feed less often at night if she fed more during the day? Are you pumping any milk to do bottle feeds? My DH usually gets up and does 1 overnight bottle feed. We&#8217;ve had no nipple confusion. 

Who do you see for after birth care over there? Like do you keep seeing your OB or a pediatrician? William was 3.2kg or 7lb 2oz at birth and now he&#8217;s 4.3kgs or 9lb 8oz. They don&#8217;t measure length at birth here but at 6 weeks he was 55cm and now he&#8217;s 59cm. His head has grown in the last few weeks. It&#8217;s crazy haha. 

Have you got the wonder weeks app? 

I found I lost weight but then gained a few with breastfeeding. I&#8217;ve heard people say breastfeeding is great for weight loss but I&#8217;m starving all the time haha. 

Awww that&#8217;s hard. I was so lucky to have my DH home for a while. What parts of it are you finding most challenging without him? My DH and I know William so well and I feel like anyone else coming to help with him is pointless. They can&#8217;t give him what he needs like we can. My DH is away next week, he&#8217;s off to Antarctica! So I&#8217;m flying completely solo for a week.

Ttc l, I&#8217;m glad you&#8217;re doing ok. How are you getting on with your other 2 boys plus a newborn? I managed to get out of bed about 12 hours after my c section but I can&#8217;t even describe how much of a mess I was. I tried I was more carried to the shower than walked. I then was almost in the foetal position as the midwives showered me. I hope he&#8217;s making gains, what is his name?


----------



## Nita2806

I do know its very possible to get pregnant while breastfeeding, but there's always the pull out method, however my DH and I both agreed, no BC. We will see, Dh and I both knew we would have to wait for 6 weeks pp to think about it, but at the pace that I am recovering we might not wait the whole 6 weeks :p I am 2 weeks pp and have a little pain when I move a lot, thats it.

Liezl usually sleeps 2 -3 hours in a go, but there are times (mostly during the night) when she wants to feed every 30 minutes - an hour. She has slept much beter the last 2 nights (only had to get up 2 times during night to feed)

For Liezl we see her pediatrician, saw him on 10 days and again at 6 weeks. As for me, I see my OB at 6 weeks for a check up.

I just find it easier with DH home so he can mostly assist with chores and nappy changes. But I am doing good on my own. There is no choice really lol.

I am also starting to work a few hours this week (from home ofcourse)


----------



## sarah2211

Yeah if it hadn&#8217;t been for the c section we would have done the same but I want to have the option to try for a VBAC. I also want to enjoNy William and have number 2 in a few years. That&#8217;s amazing you well that painfree now. I&#8217;m still too sore to have sex. Maybe I&#8217;ll feel ok in the next few weeks. 

The sleep is by far the hardest thing. But it gets better. William is doing 5-6 hour stints now. He still clusterfeeds some evenings but is much better. He also burps way easier and he&#8217;s more efficient at feeding. He smiles at us, follows our faces, coos and is starting to look like a baby. Last week he was having some tummy time and rolled himself on to his back! I think it was just him propelling himself rather than being coordinated enough to do it again. 

That&#8217;s different to here. My midwife looked after both of us until 6 weeks and then our well child nurse takes over until he&#8217;s 5 years old. 

Wow you&#8217;re keen haha.


----------



## Nita2806

I told my DH we will look at trying to have sex in a week or 2 again, however my granny is coming to stay with us nexymt week, so we might put it on hold until she goes home.

Liezl went to sleep at 9:30pm woke up for a quick feed at 2:10am (she was asleep by 2:45) again and the I woke her up for a feed at 6am. The sleep was so nice :D that was pretty much normal sleeping hours for me. I feel so sorry for her in the mornings and evenings, i am sure she gets hayfever just like her mom, shes fussy then and dont want to drink or sleep. She sneezes a lot and she tries to clear her throat as well.

I have a skin break out, much the same as when I ovulate, surely I cant be ovulating so soon? The elevating levels of progesterone gives me the outbreaks, but those should be going down now, not up. So confused.


----------



## sarah2211

Haha yes might be good to wait until granny has gone! We tried to have sex (funny how it&#8217;s not BD or DTD anymore haha) last night. It was pretty sore. I don&#8217;t know if I&#8217;ll rush into that again but DH enjoyed it. 

That sounds a lot like our nights at the moment. A quick feed at 2am and then again at 6am. DH usually gives him a bottle for one of those feeds so I can get some sleep. But if it&#8217;s been more than 6 hours I need to pump or I get too full. It&#8217;s nice when you&#8217;re able to get some good chunks of sleep. William has found his thumb (it&#8217;s so cute) and has been self soothing with that (we have a pacifier but he&#8217;ll spit it out and can&#8217;t put it back in) so it&#8217;ll be interesting to see if he sleeps longer because of it. DH doesn&#8217;t want him to be a thumb sucker. He reckons a pacifier is easier to wean off. I don&#8217;t care haha I just want sleep. 

Newborns can be quite snuffly and sneeze lots. It helps them to remove the fluid from their body. But she might also be adjusting to new smells and the dust and pollen in the world. William sneezes lots and he&#8217;s pretty snuffly. 

If you&#8217;re not going more than 4 hours in the day and 6 hours at night between a feed it&#8217;s unlikely to be your period. You could do an OPK if you have one. But your hormones take a good few weeks to regulate after birth.


----------



## Nita2806

Haha I thought the same, BD will have to wait a while again lol I dont know if my DH want to wait until my granny is gone, he has been throwing hints all over the place, I told him not this week, we need to wait a little longer...poor guy, havent had some in a while lol, with my high blood pressure we kept it to a minimum the last weeks in my pregnancy.

Liezl does some crazy things, like spitting her milk and making a lot of noise in her sleep, then I asked my mom yesterday and she said its normal, all babies do it. She started with tummy time yesterday on my breast before she drinks, its going pretty well, lifts her head and keep it up for 5 seconds at a time, like a champ :D

I too thought its not possible, perhaps just the hormones, and who am I kidding, I needed Clomid to Ovulate, why would I suddenly start again. Exactly my thoughts when I think about BC, I will most likely need Clomid again, so no worries there

Also, while having the c section a thought, never ever again. Now, I think about it, ill do it all over again.


----------



## sarah2211

Haha BDing can wait at least 10 months for me. But my DH might get lucky again sooner than that.. maybe haha. My DH was really good about it until 6 weeks and then he was like &#8216;great you&#8217;re back to normal&#8217; haha yeah right! My DH got some in those last weeks because we were hoping it would hurry things along. 

Yup both those things sound normal newborn things. William has just found his thumb so he makes heaps of noise in his sleep haha. We dthe same with William and tummy time. He can lift his head from one side and turn it to the other side. We don&#8217;t have to fully support his head anymore. 

Haha yeah I think if we manage to ovulate without clomid that&#8217;s be pretty amazing. And to fall pregnant again would be insane haha. 

Haha it took me about a week to say I&#8217;d do it again. Like maybe in 10 years time haha.


----------



## Nita2806

I think I kinda miss being pregnant, not being uncomfortable but I miss feeling the kicks, all I get now is kicks on my lower tummy where its still painful lol, I got a real kicker. They didnt lie when they said she is long, she is growing out of her preemie clothes (her tummy is g3tting too big) and her tiny baby grows, because her legs are too long. At the moment shes only wearing shortsleeved vests and nothing on her legs, its incredibly hot here.

Had 2 difficult days with her not sleeping at all, but luckily she decided to sleep for 5 hours last night, it was fantastic getting some sleep. She even started crying yesterday, and she usually never cries, I think she still had some winds stuck and this heat is insane.


----------



## sarah2211

I miss the tummy and the kicks too. I wasn&#8217;t hugely uncomfortable thankfully but probably because my bump wasn&#8217;t massive. I also miss how easy they are when they&#8217;re inside you haha. No bum changes, no feeding, you can do life without holding a baby haha. Life was easier then. He&#8217;s great haha I love him to bits but sometimes I wish I could pop him back in for a few days. Then maybe I&#8217;d get another go at this birth thing haha. 

Has she been weighed recently Nita? William is 4.5kgs now which is little still. I think it&#8217;s the 5th percentile. He&#8217;s 9 weeks old today and still in newborn. Most of my friends babies are in 3-6 months clothes. He&#8217;s still got 0-3months to fit before he&#8217;s in 3-6 months. 

We&#8217;ve had a few warm days but nothing too hot. The no sleep thing is so tough. But 5 hours is really good. Last night by some magic he slept for 7 hours and 40 minutes!! I had to wake up an hour before him to pump because I was too full. 

Williams been having tummy tummy troubles. Screaming in pain and lots and lots of small poos. I&#8217;m thinking it&#8217;s related to my oversupply but we&#8217;ve got a doctors appointment on Tuesday. I hate seeing him in pain and even the boob won&#8217;t setle him when he&#8217;s like that.


----------



## Nita2806

Oh boy, we have had a difficult 2 nights, I am so tired. DH stayed up with me last night for the first time, and he just said at around 3 am this morning, that he feels so sorry for me. We both had runny tummies last night as well, and a huge storm, our house got struck by lightning and a tree just down the road which burst into flames, there was a lot of smoke in the air, and I just held Liezl and hoped she didnt inhale any. So exhausting!

We weighed her last night, she is up to 2.68kg - she doesnt fit into any percentile lol, she is too small. Most babies dont even weigh this much at birth, never mind at the 2.5 week mark.

I hope William gets better soon!


----------



## sarah2211

That sucks Nita. Those early weeks are really tough. We are just coming out the other side and have had 5 nights in a row of sleeping through the night. Even though he&#8217;s letting me get heaps of sleep I&#8217;m more tired now than when I was getting broken sleep. Sounds like you have a lot going on. Have you got family to come and help? 

How did you weigh her? Is she back to her birth weight? That sounds pretty small, you probably want to check with your doctor about that. My friend&#8217;s 3 week old now weighs more than william. We are off to the doctor today. 

My DH is away for the week so that&#8217;s been a challenge. We are coping ok but doing bath time on your own is hard. Also when you&#8217;ve had the baby all day and then you&#8217;re waiting for him to come home and hold William so I can make dinner/go to the toilet/sort out the sterilizing. Mostly he&#8217;s chilled but dinner and clusterfeeding seem to happen at the same time. He&#8217;s also going through leap 2 so he&#8217;s a bit clingy. But this is such a cool age. We are getting lots of smiles (he has a resting grumpy face though) and he&#8217;ll try to talk back to you.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Fluffy, where are you girl? You need to get a ticker so we can celebrate ticker day :) <3


----------



## Nita2806

Wow Lucy, 16 weeks already!!

Sarah, we weigh her at home with a scale my FIL gave us, thats super accurate to measure anything below 10kgs.

Liezl is already 3w2d old, and changing so much over the last few days. I havent slept in days and my dh is working long hours, he also got sick last night and I had to do bath time, etc. on my own :( I am considering putting Liezl on formula milk on 6 weeks to make thinhs a bit easier. Wont be easy, but we cant carry on like we are now.


----------



## sarah2211

Wow Lucy time is flying by! How crazy that you&#8217;re well into the second trimester. Have you got a bump yet? I miss being 16 weeks haha. 

That&#8217;s cool. Have you spoken to your doctor about her weight? That seems small. Is she gaining enough each week? Here, we get monitored really closely for weight gains. If my baby doesn&#8217;t gain a minimum of 110g a week we will be on weekly visits. 

That sounds tough. Breastfeeding is relentless. But it does get easier. William is already more efficient at feeding, especially during the day. I spend most of the evening feeding him but I don&#8217;t mind. I&#8217;ve got no where else to be and no where else I&#8217;d rather be but snuggling up with him. At around 6 weeks your supply will regulate which means you&#8217;ll produce just what she needs. I only get engorged in the mornings now. 

We&#8217;ve had a busy week too. William has a really bad tummy. We&#8217;ve been working with the lactation consultant and our doctor. The first thought was a lactose overload/hind milk imbalance. Basically I produce too much milk and a lot of it is watery with not much fat. So I spent the next few days block feeding. So just feeding on one side all day (and pumping the other side). It helped a little but still not enough. So we think he might have a milk protein allergy. So I&#8217;m off dairy for the next 2 weeks to see. Hopefully that helps because he is miserable. BUT we have been sleeping through the night for the last week. Our shortest sleep has been 5 and a half hours and the longest was 8 and a half hours! We&#8217;ve also survived the week with DH overseas. Bath time has been the hardest but it&#8217;s been great. I felt like I lost a lot of independence with my birth and needed so much help. But being able to prove that I can do it all on my own has been awesome.


----------



## Fluffycookie

Sorry Lucy, have been pretty busy here with work and sorting out more baby things (our furniture is being delivered tomorrow and we've picked a pram!) aaand to top it all off my in-laws are coming to visit us this weekend from the UK X) A little bit hectic!

I'm 16+2 today ^^ I'm not sure I've udpated here yet - we found out little pea is a baby girl ^.^ Already going crazy buying everything pink and girly! There is *such* cute girl stuff <3

I want to get a ticker, but... how do I do that? ^^"


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah, shes gaining between 50-80grams every 2-3 days. Her weight when she left the hospital was 2.135kg and 3 days ago she was already on 2.75kg, I will weigh her again tonight. She already outgrew her preemie clothes. Her tiny baby clothes fits, but onky just. The small new bor things are a big big, but shes wearing it now because of her length. Im not worried about her weight, we see her doctor again in about 3 weeks. I love BFing, but I need to work as well. At the mo Liezl wants to drink every 2-3 hours and hourly sometimes at night. Its exhausting. Have you thought when you are going to start giving William food? I want to start introducing tea and some food at 3 months.. Also, I think we got our first real smile this morning :D it seems as though my bleeding might be stopping anytime soon, theres barely any at the mo.

Congratz fluffy!! You will see, you are going to love having a girl, and playing dress up is so much fun. I love all the pink stuff as well. Have any of you felt movement yet? It coukd start any time now. How exciting.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Awwwww Fluffy that is so awesome, congratulations!!!!!!

We have our 16 week appt tomorrow, but it is just the doppler and blood tests. We will get a full anatomy scan at 20 weeks; literally cannot wait for that!!! But we still think we want to wait to find out what we are having and be surprised! It is going to be interesting; DH says girl and I say boy, lol!!!!

Here's where I got my ticker, you just enter your info, and then it will give you a code to put in your signature: https://babysizer.com/ticker


----------



## sarah2211

Yay! Congratulations fluffy! You didn&#8217;t say you were having a girl. But that&#8217;s so exciting. I read in a book that Clomid is more likely to result in a girl than a boy. I can&#8217;t remember if you were on Clomid or taking a break the cycle you conceived. You do need to update your signature haha it says you&#8217;re TTC! Have you got a bump yet?

Nita, that&#8217;s good. They like a minimum of 110g a week here. Most weeks we make that. William is still in newborn size. I think he&#8217;s almost into 0-3 but only because of his length. He&#8217;s 10 weeks old tomorrow! Have you thought about expressing? I&#8217;m tempted to pump instead of BF. I&#8217;m a dairy cow and can get 2 feeds in 10 minutes. Where as he thinks it&#8217;s dinner and a sleep over on the boob. I love having him breastfeed though and I just have to remind myself I&#8217;ve got no where else to be and although it&#8217;s painful I can breastfeed so I should do it. If you get a pumping bra and have a pump with a battery (mine holds 2 hours of charge) you could go about your normal life as much as possible haha. It sounds like Liezl just wants to be close to her mumma. It&#8217;s so tiring and we are only just seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with that. We would be introducing solids until closer to 6 months. Here it&#8217;s recommended no earlier than 4 months but food before 1 is just for fun. What do you mean by introducing tea? It is cute when they start giving you proper smiles. And that&#8217;s great your bleeding is almost done. Mine lasted until about 7-8 weeks. 

Nita, I was chatting to a friend yesterday about the things we were told about for after you have a baby. Although I felt pretty prepared there were still things that I didn&#8217;t know about. Lucy and Fluffy if you like we could let you know some of those things so you&#8217;re slightly prepared haha.


----------



## Nita2806

So we weighed Liezl last night, and she was up to 2.915kg, she gained 600grams since birth and 800grams in the last 2 weeks :D Id say thats awesome.
I am struggling to express, I only get about 30-40mls per breast and she drinks much more than that. I will keep her on the breast until she is one month old (next week) and see from there.. Shes cluster feeding now due to her sinus infection, I am tired and miserable....

Haha, Sarah, I agree - lots of things that no one tell you about birth...the ugly truth if I can put it like that?


----------



## sarah2211

That&#8217;s awesome. As long as she&#8217;s gaining weight then that&#8217;s great. That&#8217;s a shame you don&#8217;t get much from your pump. I can pump way more than William will drink in the same amount of time. I know he&#8217;s at the boob for more than just a meal. It&#8217;s hard work breastfeeding. Far harder than I expected although it hasn&#8217;t exactly gone to plan for us. A month is good. It&#8217;s possible to mix feed so you could do both. I don&#8217;t think we&#8217;ve had time when he&#8217;s not clusterfeeding haha.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Sarah, I am sure both Fluffy and I would love any insight you and Nita have regarding things you weren't quite prepared for! My husband says I know too much, but I feel like I still have a lot to learn!

We had our 16 week appt this morning. Unfortunately for the first time I had to go alone; DH was meeting a crane at our new house this morning to set trusses! All was well, confirmed heartbeat via doppler. I opted to pass on the blood tests. Our insurance sucks, and we haven't met our deductible yet. I asked the doctor if the things that the testing looks for are things that would also be discovered at the 20 week anatomy scan, and he said yes. Since it wouldn't change how we handle the pregnancy regardless, I figure what's the harm in waiting 4 more weeks. Plus, I have a friend 4 weeks ahead of me, and when she got the blood tests at 16 weeks it caused a false alarm that had her absolutely panicked. I definitely don't need that, I worry enough on my own, lol!

Announced at work this morning. Planning to make it Facebook official tonight :) <3


----------



## Nita2806

Glad you are announcing Lucy! Hope everyone is happy for you :) Also, the only advice Id give you and Fluffy now, is if you are planning a babyshower, do so before 30 weeks, so you can enjoy it. And start to think about your birthing plan, even though it will likely change in the end... If you are terified of a lot of people seeing you naked and touching you down there, mentally prepare yourself, that it will happen lol.

So Liezl had a bottle of FM last night, and an hour later she cried for the boob..she did end up sleeping 4 hours afterwards. She weighed 2.95kg yesterday, so we are hoping she would hit the 3kg mark today! According to her chart she should weigh 2.8kg when she is one month old - but she is only 3.5weeks and already passed that..


----------



## Nita2806

For cuteness... <3
 



Attached Files:







SmartSelectImage_2017-11-11-07-34-27.jpg
File size: 27.7 KB
Views: 6


----------



## sarah2211

Yay Lucy! I don&#8217;t think it&#8217;s a bad thing to not have that blood test (I&#8217;m assuming you&#8217;re talking about the one that&#8217;s more specific for genetic conditions and you can find out the gender? They&#8217;re really expensive here and we didn&#8217;t get one. But man it&#8217;s hard to wait until 20 weeks to find out the gender. Haha and my DH would probably say the same about knowing too much you can read a lot but the reality can be quite different! It&#8217;s hard to put into words. 

So I wrote a big list haha but I&#8217;m not sure if I want to share it. You both might try and run in the opposite direction. Not that you&#8217;ve got a choice now haha. 

Nita, I didn&#8217;t have a baby shower but I&#8217;d say do everything like that early. You never know how uncomfortable and tired you&#8217;ll be by then. I was ok, I wasn&#8217;t really that uncomfortable even st 37 weeks. But I was pretty tired. 

That&#8217;s a good effort with the weight gain. Sometimes they just want the boob for more than just feeding. I hope if you decide to give up BFing that she&#8217;ll take the bottle. Have you got a pacifier? 

I copied you with the ticker haha not quite the same but still very cool. 

And she&#8217;s very cute! 

William has been sleeping so well lately but I think tonight might be a bit different. He had such a big afternoon nap and didn&#8217;t clusterfeed like normal. Hopefully he gives me a few hours. DH&#8217;s return home has been postponed an extra 6 days. Thankfully the little guy is being really good. He&#8217;s beginning to have conversations back now, he&#8217;ll coo back if you talk to him. He also smiles when you smile at him. And he cuddles into you when you give him a hug. He just melts my heart. When he had a nap this afternoon I missed him haha. I just love him being close to me all the time.


----------



## sarah2211




----------



## Nita2806

Aww Sarah, he is so cute, and have grown so much already. I actually wanted to tell you to get a ticker as well, but I must have forgotten while typing lol. Yeah, I also have a long list to share, but they might run, however, knowing what I do, Ill ro it all over again...totally worth it.


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks haha he&#8217;s grown so much! He&#8217;s a little boy now. I&#8217;m so in love with him haha. I had meant to get a ticker but then I never got around to it. We&#8217;ll be able to keep up with how old the babies are much easier haha. I can&#8217;t believe she&#8217;s nearly 1 month old!! 

Haha I thought they might run too, but where are they going to go? Haha sorry Lucy and fluffy, there&#8217;s no going back now. But I&#8217;d do it all again too. They&#8217;re so worth it.


----------



## Nita2806

I wanted to get a ticker a while ago as well, but for some reason couldnt get one to work and I was just too tired to try again lol, getting used to the little sleep by now.

Excited to weigh Liezl again tonight in the hope that she is up to 3kgs :D my parents came to visit this morning and fetch my granny to take her home, and they also said shes getting big and fat now, looks like she is a healthy baby. Did I mention before that we are getting real smiles? They're sooooo cute :) a milestone reached... :D


----------



## Four2Five

Hey ladies :wave: remember me?? I skipped out on this place in June on my last cy of Clomid as my dr wouldn't give me anymore plus dh and I planned to quit trying in July anyhow since we were moving to Alaska and it was my birthday and I was getting older so it was our cutoff. 

Anyhow...I took a test yesterday out of the blue and it was :bfp: aim still in shock! I have no idea how far along I am or when I conceived because my cycles have been crazy since quitting Clomid in June. My last af was beginning of Sept. boobs have been KILLING me last 3 weeks, I kept waiting for af to start, I took 3 tests the last two weeks and only did a quick glance to see a bfn right away and tossed them, then yesterday BAM dark dark line right away, darker than control line instantly it happened so fast I couldn't believe it! We are SO SHOCKED, very nervous, and really excited!! I was told I'd never get pregnant without infertility meds and here I am 6 month off Clomid and a surprising pregnancy! I hope to make a dr appt this week to get a scan and find out how far along I am, I haven't charted in months so I have no idea but I think I could be as much as 10 weeks or as little as 6!


----------



## Nita2806

Four!!! Ofcourse we remember you. How are you? How is Alaska? Are you and your family settled in?

A very big congratz on the BFP, thats wonderful news! I am so incredibly happy for you. Keep us updated xx


----------



## Four2Five

Thanks Nita <3 Alaska is wonderful, we love it here, it feels like home! We just bought a house (only 3 bedroom which I'm now kicking myself for!!) but we have plenty of room in our master and our 5 year old will just have to share closet/dresser space with the baby. Eventually baby will sleep in her room or we will convert our den into another bedroom and move our five year old next to our 13 year old and give the baby her room, that just leaves us with no room for guests but we will make it work :) We are still very shocked but excited, I can't wait to find out how far along I am and get a due date! Hoping to get into a dr this week!

Your babies are so beautiful I've missed out on so much, so glad you remember me <3


----------



## ttc126

Four! Congratulations!!!! Very happy for you!

Fluffy and Lucy, hope announcing went well!

Nita, sounds like you have a big healthy girl! Shes beautiful! Im a bit jealous Liezl smiles! Ford still doesnt and hes nearly 5 weeks...but being a preemie he may reach some milestones late...

Sarah, your little guy has grown so well! Hes gorgeous!!!! How are you feeling now?

As for me, Ive healed up well. My hubby went right back to his 80 hr weeks so being alone with the 4 and 2 year old and the new baby has been challenging. Doing dinner, bath, bed alone is tough. Very exhausted, but hubby let me sleep in today...waking me to feed baby and then back to sleep. Much needed!


----------



## Nita2806

Its really good seeing you back here Four! I am so glad things are working out for you in alaska, I remember you being stressed about the move.

I dont know how you cope with 3 kids on your own ttc, my DH works 72hour weeks, and its just me an baby.. I barely get time for dishes, food, etc. Im sure Ford is going to sneak in a smile very soon. :)


----------



## Four2Five

Thank you TTC and Nita!

Just made my first appointment, it will be this Wednesday and they said I will get a scan so we can figure everything out! So excited and nervous!!


----------



## ttc126

Cant wait to hear what they say!!!!!


----------



## Nita2806

Wow Four, how lucky you get an appointment so soon. Keeping my FX for you you. Please keep us updated xx I am so excited for you.


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, haha I was too tired to do anything for weeks. I don&#8217;t even know where September went. I kind of remember October but now it&#8217;s November and I don&#8217;t know how that happened haha. Yay it sounds like she&#8217;s growing well! Good stuff with the boob milk! I think William has gotten bigger overnight haha. I picked him up this morning and it felt like he&#8217;d doubled in size haha. So cute! The smiles are the best!

Four! Of course we remember! That is so unbelievably exciting!! Yay!! I bet you can&#8217;t wait to find out how far along you are. And that&#8217;s pretty typical about buying a 3bedroom house just before finding out haha! I&#8217;m sure you will make it work. Please hang around, and thank you!

Ttc, it&#8217;s good to hear from you. Thanks, he has grown lots! He is changing so much. Today he tried to roll over but I put him back on his back haha I&#8217;m not ready for that (and also my DH is away so I&#8217;ll try and stall that milestone. The first few weeks are so tough, you&#8217;re amazing doing it with 2 others and a premmie, let alone your DH going back to work 80 hours a week! I wouldn&#8217;t have coped haha. I&#8217;m doing ok, still sore and waiting for a scan and another appointment to see if I need surgery. 

Also, I can&#8217;t remember if I said but William has been having tummy. Turns out he has a milk protein allergy. So I can&#8217;t eat any dairy. How do I survive without chocolate? Haha. Life just seems to be a gift that keeps on giving!


----------



## Four2Five

Well I went in to a midwife today that we may use for this pregnancy. She said my uterus felt like I was about 8 weeks so she decided to listen with a Doppler but then couldn't find a heartbeat, of course this made me super anxious that something was wrong so she sent me down the road for an ultrasound. At first the tech couldn't find any sac but then finally found a gestational sac but it was empty. She measured and it only measures 5 weeks 1 day...she said that's too early to see a fetal pole so there's not much to do but wait and hope within a week or two that she can get an image of a baby. I'm super crampy tonight and just unsettled stomach over the whole ordeal. I still have hope everything is fine but I really thought I was at least 6 weeks if not further. My last af was Sept 15 and my normal O was anywhere between cd 26-33...not sure how those dates play a roll for dates or anything but I think I had to of O'd really really late. Still getting dark hpt's so hopefully that's a good sign. They did tell me that based on measurements my due date would be July 16th, which is my birthday <3 So I really hope this baby is okay!


----------



## sarah2211

Oh Four, that must have been so stressful. Fundal height can be inaccurate. I&#8217;m surprised she used the doppler without knowing for sure because it had the potential to freak you out like it did. I really hope it&#8217;s still too early and you will see that beautiful heartbeat next week. I think it&#8217;s a good sign your tests are getting darker and you&#8217;re not bleeding. Keeping everything crossed for you. 

AFM, after William being so settled and happy the past few weeks today was just rubbish. Flat out refused to sleep, fussy, couldn&#8217;t be put down, on and off the boob, over tired blah blah blah. DH is still away, he can&#8217;t get home because there&#8217;s a big storm. I got no sleep last night, none today. I just hope tonight&#8217;s better.


----------



## Nita2806

Four, I would say, as long as those HPTs stay dark and you dont bleed, you are in the clear. I had some confusion over my dates as well. I knew when I Od and when I got my BFP I should have been 5 weeks already, but the blood test showed HCQ of only 87, which put me in the 3-4 weeks region. I hope you get some clarity soon.

Sarah, I had a night like that Sunday! Its horrible!


----------



## Four2Five

Thanks ladies I'm trying not to stress <3 I have a repeat ultrasound in 2 weeks so we should see baby and a heartbeat by then! My new dr also ordered betas for today and Friday so that should give us a good idea too that things are going as planned. I honestly can't imagine loosing this baby since we had quit trying and won't try again, we are just trying to have faith this was meant to be <3 The dr did say that baby implanted perfectly and in a great spot so that makes me feel good! I'll keep you updated <3


----------



## Nita2806

Hang in there Four! Hoping and praying with you.

So today I am 4w2d pp, and I think its safe to say the bleeding has stopped, havent had any since Monday. Also, I barely have pain anymore, I have jab myself pretty hard in my tummy to feel something, and it really dont hurt actually. Id say recovery went very well. Knowing what I know now, Id do a c section again.

Touch wood - Liezl has some routine. I am waiting for the bomb to explode where she doesnt follow it anymore. We bath her between 7-8pm then she gets milk, twice - sleeps 3-4 hours then milk, sleeps 2 hours then milk, wake up at 5am and then her tummy goes - this takes about 3 hours of moaning while she poo and fart like a man, during the day she takes 2 hour naps and I keep her awake for 30 mins before feeding and letting her fall asleep again. (please dont let this change LOL)


----------



## rickyandlucy

Fx for you Four!!! <3

So we went public on Friday! Secret's out! I broke down and ordered some more maternity clothes this week; mainly pants and leggings, but also some comfy tops that I can hopefully wear after as well. My bump is still tiny, but I can't stand traditional waistbands on it! And now that the secret is out, I don't have to try to hide it anymore. :)

And...it's ticker day! I see now why you guys talked about it so much, it's so fun to log in and see how big baby is!

Hope everyone is doing well! <3


----------



## Nita2806

Lucy/fluffy, your pregnancies are going by so fast!! I cant believe you two are almost halfway there! Pretty soon you are going to have bumps and feel movement, if you dont already?? P.S. If you feel movement from now on, dont be discouraged if you feel it some days and others not, only from 28 weeks onwards should the movements be frequent :)

Four, when are you getting the beta's results? Anxiously waiting on you to share some good news.

Sarah/ttc how are you holding up?

Liezl had the worst stomach cramps, I wanted to cry, I felt so sorry for her. Shes getting some tea now at night and I got some medicine from the clinic for the cramps. She seems better today, not like she is in pain all the time. Shes not sleeping well, so I hope she feels better soon so she can sleep.

Last night DH had his friend and his GF over. (him:28 her:21) she wants kids, he doesnt well atleast not now. He drinks a lot, like really a lot and smokes and uses steriods...so we told them dont wait too long, as his sperm wont be ok undrr those circumstances for long. I feel like she also wants kids for the wrong reasons, just because their cute. They both love to party. I want to tell them to wait and atleast have his sperm tested... Am I wrong for doing this? Maybe I should just mind my own business, I just dont want them to have a baby with defects due to their lifestyle, thats not fair to the baby!


----------



## Four2Five

Got my results!

Wednesday my hcg was 2446, today it was 4260.

I'm a little worried as it didn't double in the 50 hours between tests (shy by a little over 600) but my dr said she liked the numbers and didnt need me to come back for another test. My ultrasound is scheduled for Nov 30th and we should be able to see baby and heartbeat by then. I'm still feeling scared and nervous, wishing I would have requested another hcg on Sunday or Monday but just trying to stay calm and have faith. My midwife is gone all of next week so she won't be back till right before my ultrasound so I guess there's nothing I can do but wait out the 2 weeks.


----------



## sarah2211

Sorry I&#8217;ve been MIA for a few days DH is still away and I&#8217;m doing everything at home. It&#8217;s pretty hard work especially when I&#8217;m still sore and have a cold. 

Lucy, so exciting!! It feels good when everyone knows. Haha I&#8217;m glad you like ticker day! It&#8217;s very exciting. I started finding normal clothes uncomfortable around weeks 7-12 and then it was fine from 12-15 and then uncomfortable again. I didn&#8217;t get a proper bump until about 22-23 weeks. I felt him kick at 15 weeks but that&#8217;s because he doesn&#8217;t stop kicking haha. He never has. 

Nita I&#8217;m glad you&#8217;re feeling good. Have you got a 6 week check up? I&#8217;m on the fence 50:50 about a repeat c section vs a VBAC. I know that a scheduled c section is much different to an emergency one. I know what to expect now and what to say and do. I know the recovery is way different. But also if I chose a c section next time then I&#8217;ll never get a chance a vaginal birth. And if I don&#8217;t try then I&#8217;ll never know. The whole thing just freaks me out so I&#8217;m trying not to think about it. 

What do you mean you gave her tea? Here we aren&#8217;t recommended to give anything except breastmilk or formula before 4 months and that milk should make up the majority of their diet until 1. 

That&#8217;s no good about her tummy. William went through a really spilly, cramping, windy stage at around 4-5 weeks. My friends was the same. So just know it may pass.

Four, this must be such a nerve wracking time for you. Especially know that you won&#8217;t be TTC again. Your numbers sound good but I understand why you feel nervous about it though. I hope the next few weeks go really quick for you. 


Afm, I&#8217;m not sure if I mentioned before (baby brain) but William has a milk protein allergy so I have cut out all cows milk. He has improved a lot. His rash on his chest has gone, he&#8217;s pooing way way less often and he seems less grizzly. There are still a few symptoms that should hopefully disappear in the next few weeks.


----------



## Nita2806

Those are great numbers Four! Hope you only het good news from here onwards. Keeping my fxed for you.

Yeah Sarah, I have a 6 week checkup on 27 Nov. I can definately recomend a planned c section. 4 weeks pp, no pain and no bleeding. Nr2 will be a planned C section as I will get sterilised as well. We decided only 2 and I said no kids after I am 30.

The tea that I am giving her, has 100% natural products and is safe to give them from birth and helps with cramps, i dont make it strong, it barely tastes like anything, but she loves it :)


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, that&#8217;s cool. I&#8217;m just so torn. I know if I went for an elective I&#8217;ll never get the chance to try a vaginal birth and i get a bit sad thinking that. But I&#8217;m also SO scared of going through what I went through again. Like I almost throw up thinking about it. I also do not want to go back to the hospital I had William at. The only way that&#8217;ll happen is if we move (possible but unlikely because we are building a new house) or we pay privately and I see a private obstetrician 2 hours drive away and have an elective. I won&#8217;t TTC again until I&#8217;m happy with the decision I&#8217;ve made. Honestly, even though we battled with infertility for 12 months that was easy compared to what I&#8217;ve been through in the last 12ish weeks. I just can&#8217;t explain how traumatized it has left me. I feel like I&#8217;ve lost myself and lost all control and independence. I&#8217;ve never been in so much physical and emotional pain. I&#8217;m only just starting to feel like I&#8217;m coming out of it but still not really. I&#8217;m having scans and more appointments for the pain. William still isn&#8217;t great. It just never ends. 

Oh that&#8217;s cool. Just be careful because other fluids can disrupt the electrolyte balance and can be very dangerous.


----------



## Nita2806

Any new news Four? Judging by the amount of tickers you have, I assume you have some good news? :D

How are you and W doing Sarah?

This week have been so weird so far: Liezl have been drinking less than usual since Monday. I bought some more Nr0 nappies for her the weekend - Monday it was too small - yes suddenly! Luckily I had 4 packs of Nr1 nappies - so she is wearing bigger nappies. Measured her yesterday and WOAH she had grown... Head 37cm (birth 34cm) Length 50cm (Birth 45cm) - curious to weigh her tonight. She's awake a lot now and still have cramps, but I am helping her dealing with it by moving her legs in towards her tummy. She also fits perfectly into her newborn clothes now. She's keeping her head up by herself, for a good few seconds and also looking left and right by herself. All this happened over night..just like that.

Friday night my in laws are babysitting as we are going out with my parents, last time we will be going out as my mom needs follow up surgery after her heart infection (They need to cut out a hard piece next to her heart that actually started growing onto her heart restriction her other organs - her heart is only pumping 50% of her blood) its going to be hard to go out and leaving Liezl with someone.

Liezl has her 6 week check up and vaccination next week and I also have my 6 week check up with my OB :o 

Liezl is also officially enrolled in a creche starting 1 February 2018 :( gonna miss her so much. The creche is 3 minutes walk and 1 minutes drive from our house :D which is great.


----------



## Fluffycookie

@Lucy
Yay, secret's out! It's nice once everyone knows, isn't it? :) I've gotten three pairs of maternity trousers so far, but my bigger jumpers still work for now, so no tops yet. Looking forward to get a cute one for Christmas pictures though ^^

@Nita
no movement yet, but can't wait! I keep thinking I feel something, but when I pay attention, it's really regular and just my pulse X)

@sarah
Please keep us updated, I can't believe you're still in so much pain. There *must* be something wrong that they still haven't fixed.

@Four
Hello there! :) Hoping everything is well with you and that you get to see the heartbeat at your scan.


Ladies... I finally figured it out and got a ticker! My next checkup will be the anatomy scan (20 week scan) next week Friday. Excited for that, I feel like it's another major milestone.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Hi Fluffy! Missed you! :)

I bet you are feeling baby but just not sure yet. I have been feeling things for about a week or so, and at first I wasn't sure if it was baby or gas. But it keeps happening, and though I still wouldn't say I have felt anything that was *definitely* baby, I am pretty sure. It just feels like small taps on the inside of my belly. I know others have described it as flutters, but that doesn't seem to be the case for me.

I know how you feel, I am super anxious for the anatomy scan. We didn't do the genetic testing or the 16 week blood testing, so are basically in the dark on everything! And haven't seen baby since 8 weeks!! DH is holding steady on not wanting to know the gender. My scan is a little over 2 weeks away and I am counting down the days! Can't wait to hear how yours goes! <3


----------



## Nita2806

Happy ticker day Lucy, and happy belated ticker ticker day fluffy :D

Wow, I cant believe you two have your 20 week appointments already! Almost halfway there...!!! :D The week 20 app was a nice one for me, baby is a very nice size and looks so human lol if it makes sense, share some pictures when you go and get some.

Your babies are a few cm below your belly button at this stage, so if thats where you are feeling something, then it may very well be baby. It also didnt feel like flutters to me, more like gas

Isnt it amazing how they grow from a little peanut (8 weeks) to a tiny little human :D

Speaking of tiny humans...here's mine..
 



Attached Files:







SmartSelectImage_2017-11-23-06-49-39.jpg
File size: 40.5 KB
Views: 7


----------



## Four2Five

Hi ladies! No new news, waiting for my next scan next Thursday and praying we see a heartbeat <3

Nita the tickers are based off the due date they gave me according to gestational sac size, I just needed something in my siggy that gave me hope and let me watch what is/should be going on inside;)


----------



## Nita2806

Fluffy/lucy/four have you thought about your birthing plan yet? Normal/C section, etc?
Four, maybe too early to ask you?


----------



## Fluffycookie

Aww Nita, such a sweetie pie! I admire both your baby pictures every time, they make me so impatient to meet my own little one ^^

I've thought about birthing plans, at least roughly. If possible, I'd definitely want a natural birth and so far, there is nothing against that. However, it is of course still much too early to say if certain complications will arise, so who knows - I will obviously do whatever the doctors recommend as safest for me and baby. I know which hospital I would have the birth in if everything is fine (my gynecologist is attached to it), but if there should be problems with baby, she would have me deliver in a different one that has a bigger neonatal unit. Both are about a 30 minute drive though, so I don't really mind. Hubby will be with me and my mum will also be there, so I should have plenty of support :) That's how far I've gotten! Oh and I would like to go home as early as possible and then be looked after by my midwife, if possible on the same day.

Do you have any good questions or things to think about regarding birth?


----------



## sarah2211

Four, I see you&#8217;ve got a few tickers! I don&#8217;t want to get my hopes up but I hope everything went ok!

Nita, we had a few nights like that too. I picked him up out of bed and overnight it felt like he&#8217;d gotten heavier. I don&#8217;t think I could put him into daycare! I miss him when he&#8217;s having a nap haha. 

Wow fluffy and Lucy, I can&#8217;t believe it&#8217;s going so fast for you both. You&#8217;re almost half way!! It&#8217;s so hard to go so long between seeing the baby on the scans. Towards the end I was getting scans a few times a week which was pretty exciting. 

Afm, we got william&#8217;s tongue tie released yesterday. It was pretty invasive. I didn&#8217;t realise with a posterior tie they cut so far back. He was so upset and wouldn&#8217;t feed and I&#8217;ve never heard him in so much pain. Today he&#8217;s much better.


----------



## Nita2806

Fluffy, sounds like a good plan.

Things to consider, what if something happens and baby needs to be delivered today and they ask you induction or c section, what will you choose? What if you choose induction and it ends uo being an emergency c section, will you be ok with that? So having a solid plan is good, but preparing for every possible thing is better.

You arent yourself when giving birth, you are in pain and hormonal and completely drained, preparing yourself is very important. And a birth not going as planned can cause depression and leave you very traumitized. I litterally cried all the way through and I couldnt stop myself lol.

Make sure your DH knows how you want to be supported. Would you want him to give you compliments, or hold your hand or encourage you or simply keep quiet and just be there. I am terrified of needles, so I told my DH not tintell me how big the needles is or tell me that its ok, cause its not, needles are never ok. He told me once to relax while they strugled the put the drip in and I shouted at him to keep quiet. He also watched me being cut open, so he sqw tge moment she came out, which he thought was amazing.

With that being said, that moment they take your baby out and put her in your arms is the most magical moment you can ever imagine. I remember lying there thinking, when they took her out and I heard her crying, shit just got real!!!! I am a mother now. Its the best feeling, I cant describe it.

Will you be breastfeeding?


----------



## Fluffycookie

@Sarah
My doctor sees me every 4 weeks (with a scan) until 30 weeks, and then every 2 weeks, then every week etc. So I feel like I get to see her fairly often :) Though I still get impatient between scans X) Glad you've got the tongue tie sorted, I hear it can make breastfeeding a whole lot easier.

@Nita
Thank you, that's some good questions! Basically, I'd always want natural labour if it's safe to do so for both of us. So it would depend *why* they would need to get baby early - if they say I can try natural labour, I would want to try, but if they say they need to get her out RIGHT NOW ASAP then of course go ahead and slice me open!  I'm aware the risk of ending up with an emergency c-section is higher if they induce you, but I feel like mentally, I want to "have tried". If it works out with a natural birth, great, but if it doesn't, I'll be happy to have tried :) At least that's how I feel right now.

Haha I would have thrown a pillow at him or something, I hate being told to relax! Always makes me think "Yeah, I want to see you relax when you're in this much pain/ under this much pressure!" ;) Hubby is going to 7 weeks of birthing classes with me in January/February, so I hope we will get to discuss lots of details then. Otherwise I've just said I want him to be there to hold my hand, look after baby if I can not, give me foot rubs etc. My mum will also be there and as a mum of three and a doctor herself, I want her to handle any medical stuff in case I'm unable to do so (too emotional, unconscious, God knows). But I plan to have a proper sit down with both of them as my "birthing team" after we've been through the classes.

Aww how you describe her coming out just made me tear up a bit :') I can't wait to hold little pea! I'm planning on breastfeeding and in Germany the opinion is "everyone will learn how to breastfeed", so I'm not even getting bottles, haha. I will also have a midwife to look after me for a few weeks after birth and I think they help you if you have problems breastfeeding too. Also, again, relying on my mum who is coming to stay with us (near us, not in our place) for the first two weeks after birth. She breast fed all three of us :) How long did it take you to "figure out" breast feeding? What was the most difficult and do you have any tips?


----------



## Nita2806

It sounds like you are very prepared Fluffy, thats great. And hopefully nothing goes wrong with you like it did for me and Sarah. Even though we have both healthy babies. It was perfect for me, would do it all over the same way, no regrets.

Just make sure your mom knows that she is the grandma and not the mom to baby, and that you will decide how things g3t done with baby. Grandmas can be overwhelming and pretty much tell you what to do...its your baby, your choices :)

Breastfeeding will be extremely hard and sore the first week. The first few days you and baby are finding each other, it will be uncomfortable, your nipples will burn and perhaps start bleeding, mine did, get a nipple shield for the first few days. Then your milk comes in, and OMG your boobs are suddenly 3 sizes bigger, hard like rocks and burn like hell. Massage them in a hot shower, it only lasts about 3 days, during those days baby might struggle to latch and it will hurt, again, use a nipple shield. After that it will hurt a little for another week or so and then it will be all natural. Lots of women give uo in the first week, its hard, its hell, but dont give up. Iys worth it to go through the pain.


----------



## ttc126

Fluffy, for me I have a different mentality approaching birth now than I did as a first time mom. With my first I had an emergency induction for preeclampsia. It was very scary but the birth itself was alright I just had a small tear. The recovery was hell for me. I had chorioamnionitis, a bad infection of the uterus. My son was in NICU and I stayed in the hospital for almost a week. I went home without him. Then he came home and at 3 weeks postpartum I hemorrhaged at Home and needed emergency surgery...they had left a piece of placenta. I was in the hospital 2 more days and away from my baby. I was not myself for months. Its just traumatic and not fun the first time I think no matter how things go. 
I beat myself up for months over how things went... what a waste! With number 2 and now 3 I was way more ready to go with the flow. Numbe 2 was a planned section because he was breech. Number 3 was planned because he needed to come early due to a dangerous complication and I didnt want a trial of labor because quite frankly for me the c section was a way better experience than regular birth. 
I think if you have the mentality to go with the flow, you can relax and not worry as much. Just my experience.
And Nita, omg you described breastfeeding perfectly! This time though mine stayed horribly engorged and burning for weeks and weeks. Its just now settling down after 6 weeks but still happens from time to time. 
Sarah! How is he doing today? I hope the release helps! My second was tongue tied. It hurt horribly and the pediatrician didnt want him to have it released. Nursing him always hurt. I hated it and ultimately quit earlier than I wanted when he was 10 months. I think youll be glad you got it done in the long run.


----------



## Nita2806

Oh yes, Ttc, I forgot thqt you also had complocations and had to go in early. You are so right about going with the flow. I never realized just how much can go wrong near the end, I dont think I have ever been so stressed than I was that last week before my section - I knew my BP was getting higher and higher and I already had a calcified placenta and this after my OB told me, the blood flow to Liezl is just OK, all this after a healthy pregnancy up until 32 weeks.

I have to say now at 6 weeks BFing is hurting a bit, but I can feel Liezl is sucking really hard now, my body just need to adjust to her needs now.


----------



## Nita2806

OMG!! Pretty sure AF is back! I stipped bleeding 4 weeks pp, and am basicly 6 weeks pp, I have all my typical AF symptoms... Cramps, moody, irritated, diarrhea, and bright red bleeding. Seeing my OB in 2 days so will discuss with her... But isnt 6 weeks too early??? I am exclusively BFing.

Perhaps the skin break out was Ovulation :o or maybe I didnt even O..who knows. If its the case that AF is back and that maybe my body is Oing on its own again, nr2 might be coming sooner than we think. Wishful thinking...why would I suddenly O on my own again :haha:


----------



## rickyandlucy

Nita, I've got a basic idea of what I want from a birth plan, but I have a lot left to do I know. We haven't even done a hospital tour yet (at what point would you recommend doing this?). For us things are a little challenging hospital wise; the nearest hospital is at least an hour away (but they don't accept our insurance), and the one we plan to go to is an hour and a half away. I also want to do some birthing classes. Not sure at what point we should do those either.

I would like to go for a natural birth, but I want to leave myself the option to change my mind if need be. The hospital we have chosen also offers hydrotherapy which is appealing to me. Many of the women in my family have had c sections (mom, sister, sister in law), but whether I would choose a planned c section or induction (risking an emergency c section later) is a tough call; not sure what I would do in that situation.

And Nita, congrats on AF coming back! Hopefully things are getting back to normal for you!

Fluffy you sound lightyears ahead of me in planning, sounds like I have some work to do, lol! :)


----------



## Nita2806

Lucy, you dont need to decide now...only when younget closer to 30 weeks :) regarding hospital tours and birthing classes.. I think it woukd be a good idea to enquire from the hospital no2 and ask them when it can be done.. Mine was at 31 weeks, but I had to make the booking for it on 20 weeks already.


----------



## Nita2806

Well, I had quite an interesting 6 week check up at my OB. She admitted today that she was extremely worried about Liezl in my last weeks of pregnancy, but she is so relieved it went well. :) my uturus is back to normal and I have healed very well. She gave me a prescription for the mini-pil but also gave us the go ahead to start trying for Nr2 immediately.. She says no need to wait, iys an old wifes tale. As soon as I am up for it we should try. So I guess sex is now turning into the baby dance again?

My dh seems keen to start trying now as well, but we have some things to consider before we decide. 

Sarah, I thought you might find this interesting.

Then Liezl went to pediatrician, weighs 3.85kg and shes 53cm long. He also confirmed she has reflux, but not bad enough for medication. The whites of her eyes is also blueish and we must keep an eye on it, as it could be a sign of brittle bone disease, however most babies have tge blueish white and it goes away with time.


----------



## sarah2211

Wow lots to catch up on. 

Sorry Fluffy I think we must have posted at the same time. That&#8217;s great you&#8217;ll have all those appointments. Do you know if you&#8217;ll get a scan each time? 

As for birth plans, I&#8217;m probably not the best person to ask. Some of this might be quite harsh, so I apologize, but this is more about if I knew what I was in for when I was 39 weeks pregnant, things would have been somewhat different- My birth plan was fairly loose. I wanted minimal intervention, avoid c section at all cost, whatever works at the time, whatever position I wanted at the time, whatever pain relief I want at the time, skin to skin ASAP, delayed cord clamping and breastfeeding. Of all of that, I got breastfeeding. Nothing else went to plan. I didn&#8217;t think our birth plan was overly ridged. But I think in all of it, my biggest disappointment was the lack of control and lack of respect I was shown. 

My first recommendation would be, unless it&#8217;s medically necessary or you&#8217;re 2 weeks overdue, avoid being induced. I think that&#8217;s where my problems started. Secondly, when you&#8217;re in that position, you&#8217;re in pain and overwhelmed. You don&#8217;t know what&#8217;s normal. It&#8217;s like this big thing everyone talks about as the most painful thing of your life and you can&#8217;t help but feeling nervous. I&#8217;d suggest reading Ina May Gaskin&#8217;s guide to childbirth. Skip the first half and just take what works for you from the second half (I had 16 hours of induced posterior labour with no pain relief using those techniques). You also need to have a birth team that you trust. I thought I had that but I didn&#8217;t. 

I don&#8217;t know. Im probably not the best person to talk about birth plans. But I&#8217;d just add that you want to be treated with care and respect and have your wishes listened to. I don&#8217;t think I&#8217;ll ever get over what happened to me. 

Anyway, breastfeeding. Haha you ask when did we feel like we &#8216;got it&#8217;. Can I let you know when that happens?? Again, I&#8217;m not the best person to ask amongst thrush, vascular spasms, 2 tongue tie revisions, cows milk protein intolerance, shields, low weight gain, oversupply (probably just need mastitis and then I&#8217;ve collected them all). I guess I&#8217;d say breastfeeding is about 90% determination and perseverance. Get help from a lactation consultant. Get checked for a tongue tie early. Make sure you have a good latch each feed. Get support from family and friends (but Nita is spot on about the grandma thing). You&#8217;ll feel like feeding is all you do. You&#8217;ll realise how much of your life you did other stuff when you have no choice but to sit there feeding for 4-8 hours. When your milk comes in it hurts and it&#8217;s not much fun. Your supply will settle down and your boobs won&#8217;t go from full to empty quite as dramatically. It&#8217;s worth it though, breastfeeding is kind of addictive haha. 

TTC, I hope everything&#8217;s going well for you. I think the tongue tie release is helping. We are almost completely weaned off the shield. I don&#8217;t blame you having a planned cs. I don&#8217;t know if I could go through labour to end up with an emergency one again. But also if I did that then I&#8217;d never get the chance to try a vaginal birth because they won&#8217;t do a VBA2C here. 

Nita, wow! That seems really soon for AF to come back. What did your OB say? We were strictly told not to TTC for 12 months and that&#8217;s the general rule with limiting the risk of uterine rupture. That can be deadly so I&#8217;m not willing to take the risk. It might pay to just do some research on it. But of course it happens. My sister in law had 3 c sections and then fell pregnant 3 months after her 3rd. I guess if you&#8217;re having a RCS it&#8217;s not as risky? I&#8217;m not sure. But I&#8217;m still way to sore to DTD and it&#8217;s way too soon to even want to go down that track. 

That&#8217;s good about your pediatrician appointment. We are the same with the reflux. Apparently the medication can cause sore tummies. Her weight is good! William was 4kg at her age. That&#8217;s interesting about the blue eyes, william&#8217;s is blue there too. 

Lucy, we did ours around 30 weeks I think. That&#8217;s exactly what I wanted from my birth too. I&#8217;m not saying you won&#8217;t get it because things will probably go perfectly for you. But I wish I&#8217;d stopped and considered what it would be like if things hadn&#8217;t gone how I wanted them too. I was blinded by my positive thinking. Hope for the best but be realistic about what could happen is what I wish I&#8217;d done. 

Afm, I just don&#8217;t know what I&#8217;m doing wrong. He&#8217;s slowed down again on the weight gain. For the 3 weeks before last week he averaged 80-90g per week. Last week he only gained 60g. 110g a week is minimum. He&#8217;s now below the 2nd percentile. His poos are green and mucousy and very frequent. I&#8217;ve cut out dairy and I&#8217;m sterilising everything perfectly. My GP said it&#8217;s definitely a cows milk intolerance but things aren&#8217;t improving significantly. My doctor won&#8217;t refer us to a pediatrician, apparently the advice would be to just remove more things from my diet. So I guess I try soy and eggs and see what happens. I also had a scan yesterday to look for the source of the pain. They found no hernias or retained placenta (which I knew already because I&#8217;d had other scans since then). So I&#8217;m waiting to go back to the OB/gyn to see what the next step is. I&#8217;m just so f&#8217;ing over it. When will it all end... but on a positive note, William has some how decided that sleeping 9 and a half hours at night is a good thing and I don&#8217;t disagree haha


----------



## Fluffycookie

Lucy, haha, don't worry! We just happened to have had a fairly in-depth meeting with my midwife at... 13 weeks pregnant, I think? We met her in the labour & delivery ward and she showed us around and explained everything, so that gave me a good idea. I still think I have a lot to learn from the birthing classes though :) I had to sign up for my birthing class at 8 weeks (!!!) pregnant and got the last spot - so I suggest you check them out soon! Mine are run by the midwife who will be there for my birth and postpartum care, which was important to me.

Nita, glad to hear you are healing so well and that your little girl is doing great :) How soon do you think you will try for no. 2? Will you have the famous 2 under 2?

Sarah, I don't know if I get a scan each time... I have so far? I know that in January, they start recording the baby's heartbeat for about 20 minutes or so each time, so maybe then they won't do scans every time anymore? Not sure ^^"
You don't have to apologise for however you feel about your birth or about sharing your experience - I think we're all here for exactly that kind of information! I find it really helpful to hear lots of different perspectives. Have you considered talking to someone (qualified) about your birthing experience? I think my hospital offers counselling for traumatic births, maybe you have something like that available? It is a massive, life-changing event after all.

I think the difficult thing is, you are so right, you truly can't know if your (medical) birth team is going to be good until you've been through it with them. I hope my experienced midwife will be great - but I won't know for sure until it's too late. I also hope my doctor will look after me well, she's a colleague of my sister's after all, but again, I won't know until after. I've heard the same about being induced, so that is somethign I would also really like to avoid. My own mum walked the stairs for 6 hours! to bring on labour naturally because they said they would induce her the next day - it worked. So I'm planning to do everything I can and hope for the best. 

I wish I was qualified to give you good advice on your healing process and William's weight gain :( What I have learned from being the only not-doctor in my family though: Seeing a specialist (pediatrician, OB etc. instead of a GP/general doctor) makes a *huge* difference. I'm sorry to say lots of general practicioners really don't keep up to date with medical research. So if you can, I would push for that - I understand of course that sometimes, your GP just won't budge and that's hugely frustrating.
Something my mum told me about breastfeeding that I wanted to pass on to you: She said that if you feed for too long or too frequently, your milk can dilute down and that can give sore tummies, runny poos and poor weight gain. She said even if it will make your boobs sore for a few days, not feeding too often (she said no more than every 2 hours and not longer than 20 minutes max) will often help sort things out. Babies often want to nurse for comfort, but if they have sensitive tummies, it can create problems. - Full disclosure, my mum is a doctor but *not* an OB/GYN or a pediatrician, so of course if this advice contradicts what your doctor told you for you specifically, listen to your doctor instead! I just wanted to share in case it might be helpful, you never know.


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah - (Don't shoot me for this advice :) ) Have you considered testing your milk? Or giving William Soy formula with some feedings and see what happens? I know you want to breastfeed, and I know its amazing...but it may be worth looking into. Let me be honest with you, Liezl will be going over to Formula with anti colic bottles and reflux formula milk during December and January, and she will be on formula only starting in February. Bfing is great, but I can see the reflux is hurting her, so I am willing to do whatever to make it better. Her pediatrician gave me the go ahead to put her on formula, he says she is doing well and only really need breastmilk the first month.

Fluffy - I understand what your mom says, but it rarely ever works out that way - going through a growth spurt (warning, theres one between 7 - 10 days) you feed every hour, and if you dont your baby will suck anything..hands, clothes, etc.
I try to feed every 2-3 hours, and her normal feeding time is 10minutes but sometimes it can be upto an hour - I just switch breasts. :) feed on the demand if you want a happy baby lol.

DH and I will NTNP for a few months and actively TTC in a few months :)


----------



## rickyandlucy

Sarah, you are so right. I suppose we need to prepare for the worst while hoping for the best. Will definitely take your advice and avoid being induced as much as possible. Not only have I heard of complications with it, but I have also heard that it is more painful.

I think I will start signing up for classes after our anatomy scan next week. Omg, literally counting down the days.

I am just dying wanting to order baby things with all the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. I have been looking, but nothing that I have been wanting went on sale. Some of the smaller things I have tried to hold back on because I know we will have lots of friends and family who will want to gift us things. Suppose it's for the best, we don't have anywhere to put anything since we are between houses at the moment. The house is under roof, but still a long way to go. DH has been working so, so hard.


----------



## Nita2806

Lucy - if you are planning on having a baby shower then don't buy any small things. I have a whole cupboard with creams and meds and grooming sets and all these small things, some I dont even know if I will ever use it. Plus I got a whole lot of free stuff and samples from the clinics and hospital. Even nappies, and if you buy some, especially new born nappies, dont buy a lot, they literally grow by the day and one day they will just be too small.
Something you can never have enough off is wet wipes...if you get them on special now, buy! even if you get a whole bunch at the shower. If you are planning on Bfing you will see your baby poops a lot, like 8 - 10 times a day and I sometimes use up to 5 wipes to clean her bum. I easily go through 80 wipes in 5 days.


So Liezl had her 6 week vaccination and it hasnt been easy, she refuse fever meds, she throws up and cry a lot, shes not drinking and when she does her reflux is very bad - I feel so sorry for her. She is just cranky the whole flippen time!


----------



## rickyandlucy

Fluffy, I love being able to cheat by a day or two and peek at your ticker, lol :winkwink:


----------



## Fluffycookie

@Nita
Haha, good to know I shouldn't beat myself up if it doesn't work out with the schedule! I just wondered if it's something Sarah had tried, since feeding on demand didn't seem to give her a happy baby ;) I totally agree that, especially in the beginning, whatever works for you and baby and makes you both happy is what you should stick with! Whether that's a schedule or feeding on demand, I guess you'll only truly know once you're there and have tried it, right?

@Lucy
Haha, we're only like 2-3 days apart, right? :D So cool! I love that we're going through things so closely together ^^
I also couldn't buy much (got a few cute clothing items) during the sales, the things I wanted didn't go on sale either. That said, we have already gotten the nursery furniture, the pram and the car seat, so I feel like we have sorted out at least the big ticket items that can take a long time to order.

I'm also holding back on some small cutesy items in case of a baby shower. I would like one, but it's not a thing in Germany and my UK friends and family can hardly all fly over here just for one... so I kinda doubt I'll be getting one ^^" Might just buy a lot of the small things after 30 weeks, I think :)

Lucy, do you have an idea of when you'll be moving to your new house yet? Must be so exciting to have your own place! We are currently renting and have moved house basically every year (the joys of woring in academia), but we're hoping to own our own place within the next 5 years or so ^^


----------



## rickyandlucy

Fluffy, yup, looks like we are just 2 days apart! :) I was this close to buying a travel system and glider the night before last. Now I am wishing I had, because they are out of stock. Grrrr... I guess at this point I might as well wait until after the anatomy scan. 7 days to go!

We are hoping to be in our house by the end of February. We can't wait to have our own space again! My aunt has been so gracious, she has basically vacated her house to give us privacy, but we are ready to have our own place to call home again. The build process is a little stressful, but so far so good!


----------



## rickyandlucy

Ok, I jinxed it. I was watching the website carefully, and the travel system I wanted came back in stock...so I ordered it. Then later today, the glider came back in stock too...and so I ordered that as well! LOL. Sorry honey!

I am fortunate to have a very understanding DH. But that's not to say he won't get a chuckle out of my obsessiveness, lol.


----------



## sarah2211

Fluffy, that&#8217;s cool. The scans are amazing but I found I still just couldn&#8217;t picture having him inside. When he was born and I saw him I wanted to put him back in there for a wee while haha. 

I&#8217;ve thought about talking to someone about it but my doctor could only recommend a regular counsellor. She wouldn&#8217;t refer me to maternal mental health because I&#8217;m not depressed or anything. I think if feel worse talking to someone who really has no clue. We could pay and see a private psychologist but that would be hundreds of dollars and I don&#8217;t know what I&#8217;d actually achieve. It&#8217;s done and we are alive. The only thing that would fix things is a rewind button. I dunno, I just don&#8217;t know if it&#8217;s just make things worse. 

It&#8217;s impossible to say whether being induced was the cause. I was told it slightly increases your chance of an ecs but then I&#8217;ve also read otherwise. And you can&#8217;t rewind and wait and see what happened. Your mum must have been exhausted! I tried all those tricks too. I had 3 stretch and sweeps in 3 days. Babies do what they want to do! And you&#8217;re right. You never know if your birth team are going to be good until you&#8217;re in that position. My midwife left before we went into the c section. Someone said &#8216;well she probably realized she wasn&#8217;t going to get paid for your birth&#8217;.

Thanks for the advice from your mum. I&#8217;m feeding him every 2-3 hours in the day but he goes 9-10 hours at night without a feed. We are going back to the doctor on Tuesday to get a referral. The lactation consultant said his poos do not look like a healthy breastfed baby should have. She wanted me to feed him more often! I&#8217;m just going to carry on as we are in the mean time. He isn&#8217;t starved and he&#8217;s happy. So I really don&#8217;t know. 

As for a schedule vs demand. I still would strongly recommend on demand. Babies don&#8217;t know what the time is and their tummies are so small. In my antenatal group there were 6 of us. Three followed a schedule and 2 are on demand and they do sleep (which we don&#8217;t do). The ones of scedules are no longer breastfed because their milk dried up because their babies needed more but the schedule said not for another 4-5 hours. They lay in bed listening to their babies crying because the schedule said it wasn&#8217;t time to wake up. William is sleeping 9-10 hours at night and having 2-4 good naps in the day. The others are still feeding their babies through the night and they&#8217;ve never slept more than 6 hours in a go. I think our issues are more to do with his digestive track rather than what and how often he&#8217;s being fed. I just found if you&#8217;re fighting against your baby for sleep and food then you&#8217;re not likely to win, at least in the short term. They&#8217;re only little for so long and we spend our whole lives on a schedule. Feed them when they&#8217;re hungry and let them sleep when they&#8217;re tired. Having a baby has been far easier than I expected I think it&#8217;s because we aren&#8217;t stressed about what he does. 

Nita, I just don&#8217;t think formula is the answer. Mainly because soy isn&#8217;t good for boys and cow and goat formula have very similar proteins. I can get a script for one but I&#8217;m just not convinced it&#8217;s the problem. I&#8217;ve donated my milk to 5 different babies and they&#8217;ve all been fine. Some of them in neonates too. I know there&#8217;s nothing wrong with formula but if he has a sensitive tummy I want to make sure we are being given the right advice and everyone has said breastfeeding is best until they are 12 months. If the paediatrician says he needs to go on formula then I will but in the mean time I think that has the potential to upset his stomach even more. 

Will you have a repeat c section next time? I&#8217;d just do some reading on TTC after a c section. Everything I&#8217;ve heard and read (including the WHO recommendation) is 12-18 months. Otherwise you&#8217;re at an increase risk of a uterine rupture. What did your doctor say about that?


Lucy, I actually found the contractions fine. I found when I got myself into the right headspace and could breath through them I was fine. But I&#8217;ve heard induced contractions hurt more. But I preferred no epidural. The epidural was the most painful thing on the day of my induction. So you might find you cope with the pain just fine. But if not there&#8217;s pain relief there. 

I agree with Nita about the little things. Don&#8217;t bother buying face cloths. I suggest buying stuff people won&#8217;t give you. Like mattress protectors for your cot and of course the big items. I have to say I don&#8217;t use our pram. I wish we&#8217;d gotten a travel system or not worried about a pram. It might be good when he&#8217;s older but I just wear him in the Tula. I so recommend baby wearing. We have a Tula Free To Grow and a Moby wrap. That&#8217;s the best thing I bought.


----------



## Four2Five

Hey ladies! Just got back from my appointment and everything looks great!! Still on track for July 16th due date and babys heartbeat was 148 <3 Huge sense of relief seeing its flickering heart!! Baby looks like a little gummy bear with arm and leg buds (its upside down in the photos) so cute!!

https://i66.tinypic.com/dlm39u.jpg
https://i66.tinypic.com/142a80k.jpg


----------



## Chickybaby

Hi ladies. I don't want to sound like a creeper here but have been reading along with your journeys. Congrats to all the mummy's on their babies and to the mum's to be. I just wanted to make a comment to Sarah, I have a 6 month old boy (also based in nz) and can relate to a bit of what you have gone through. I also found my birth experience extremely traumatic and felt a bit bullied by my midwife and let down by the system. All though my experience was very different to yours I can relate to some of your feelings. I have also been dealing with a CMPA baby which has been a challenge which we are only just coming though. It sounds like you are doing a great job though, being a new mum is hard enough without added challenges. Just wanted to throw that out there, sounds like your little guy is happy and doing great.


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah, DH and I will NTNP for now, I also asked on our local forums about it and a lot of women got the same advice. I do trust my OB so we will see if I can actually fall pregnant naturally. I will have a repeat CS as I want to be sterilised as well. Weve decided only 2 kids.

Thats great news Four!! I am so happy for you. Whats next? Another appointment?

We use our pram a lot, we take Liezl for walks occasionally. And we also bought it very early on, as soon as we found out the gender on 16 weeks.

I am trying to put Liezl on formula for 1 feeding a day to help the acid reflux, its a nightmare!! She still cries for the boobie. I am so frustrated and shes in so mich pain. Ugh!!!!


----------



## Four2Five

Next appointment is just after Christmas and we will get another u/s :)


----------



## Nita2806

What a great Christmas gift Four! How exciting. I bet you cant wait for the time to go by :)


----------



## Bonnie11

Hi ladies! 

Sorry just caught up (mostly!) on this thread after the longest time. Lovely to see so much good news! 
Pregnancy is kicking my ass currently hence why I haven't been around so much. Morning sickness back, I have bad SPD and am on crutches and have gestational diabetes so am now on insulin injections... that aside it's going well &#128514; Thanks goodness not too much longer left now, it's such a struggle to do anything I'm finishing work next week and taking some time to chill and try and rest as much as I can or I won't make it till the end! 

Nita so glad things are going great for you. Sounds like Liezl is doing well and you are too so I'm happy to see that after the rocky end to your pregnancy! Reflux is a killer, we had it badly too here, we tried a number of things but ranitidine was the only thing that made a difference. I see you are thinking about number 2! All I will say is it is so so hard having 2 close together, I know baby seems easy enough now but honestly it's a whole different ball game in 6 months time. I remember getting broody when she was about 2 months old and almost started trying but now I'm so glad we waited. A couple of my friends had 2 kids under 2 and it's incredibly hard work, just my warning haha &#128514; 

Sarah I'm so sorry things are still hard for you. Sounds like I could have written your story myself! My daughter was the same with cows milk protein allergy and bad reflux, and for me bad recovery from my section! Re allergies, my gp was not clued up at all and it wasn't until we saw a specialist paediatrician that she was diagnosed. She was out on hypoallergenic formula made from coconut and rantitidine too and she was a different baby in a week! But honestly hell in the beginning. Don't get fobbed off by your doctor, they made me feel I was going mad in the beginning but I knew something wasn't right! As for your c section, it does take time to get over it. We have something called birth stories here where you get to meet with a consultant and a midwife to discuss what happened if you had a traumatic birth and go through your notes. I didn't end up doing it as I wanted tot see how I felt but honestly just give it time. I felt very different at 6 months and then almost fine about it after a year. I have a little tinge of sadness now but if you can stick it out for a while longer you will likely find your thoughts on it change. I was absolutely adamant I wanted a VBaC this time but I don't know now, I do want to experience childbirth but at the same time I'm in so much pain now and with all he rest of my complications I'm pretty much done with this pregnancy already! They have offered me a section at 37 weeks if I want it, but I can't have induction this time because of previous section and they don't want me to go past 40 weeks due to my complications. So I don't know what will happen now as I can see me not being able to walk in another month! Having said that recovery from section is very different when you have another one at home already.. I won't get to rest and recuperate as school runs etc need doing and my husband will only have 2 weeks off... we will see! 

All you other pregnant ladies I'm so happy for you! Hang in there, it's a long journey but a lovely one! 

&#128536;&#128536;


----------



## Nita2806

Its good to hear from you Bonnie, not so good that you are having such a tough time. You are almost done, just hang in there! :hugs:
I have no doubt that having 2 babies so close together will be hard work, but my brother and I are also born close together, and iys nice having a buddy growing up (even though we dont get along now and barely speak to each other), I dont want LO growing up 'alone', we are hoping shes getting a little brother, DH says if its a girl he want us to try one more time lol, I told him the day I turn 30 I want to be sterilised, so if the next one is a girl theres not much time to try a 3rd time.

After Liezl started losing weight last week after her vaccinations, shes starting to pick up again, she finally weighs 4kg @ 7 weeks. We are hoping she will weigh 4.5kg @ 10 weeks (wishfull thinking) and shes still not taking the bottle, I wont give up though.

Fluffy/Lucy, your next appointments should be coming up soon now, right?


----------



## Bonnie11

Nita have you tried a few different bottles? Mine wouldn't take tommee tippee and a few other brands but finally found she would take NUK really well, it might be a case of trial and error to find a brand! Also get someone else to feed her a bottle and be out of the room/house when they do it as they don't like bottle from mum when boobs are right there! X


----------



## rickyandlucy

Nita, my next appt is Friday, and I am literally counting down the days. This work week is going to go by sooooo slooooow while I wait!!!! It's the big anatomy scan. We are still planning _not_ to find out the gender, but I am anxious and praying for a healthy baby!!!!! <3 We live in a rural area and have to drive into the city (about 1.5-2 hours one way) for this appt, but DH and I are planning to make a day of it and go Christmas shopping afterwards. I am looking forward to that; DH has been working so hard, he needs a break and I am looking forward to having some time just the two of us.

The glider I ordered will be here Thursday, and the travel system will be on our doorstep waiting for us when we get back from our appt on Friday. Time is moving both fast and slow all at the same time!!!


----------



## Bonnie11

Buying things is the exciting part! I have pretty much everything from last time so don't get to go shopping again &#128553; But I did get a new travel system as we got rid of our old one so got to buy something at least &#128514;


----------



## Nita2806

Wow Lucy, the time feel like its going so quickly with your pregnancy, before you know it it will be friday. Its good that you and hubby are spending some time together, when baby is here, you will see theres not many oppertunities for alone time :) spoil yourself now while you can.

Buying things are super excited :D I loved getting everything ready etc. The camp cot and travel system was the first things we bought.

Bonnie, she is taking the Tommee T bottles, but sometimes still strugle to latch, I am also BFing with a Tommee T nipple shield now. Shes not drinking a lot though, should be drinking 120mls per feeding but she drinks 70-100mls - I think she got too used to feeding on demand. Shes drinking 2 bottles a day now and I am Bfing her from the afternoon to the late morning.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Happy 20 weeks Fluffy!!! <3 :happydance:


----------



## Bonnie11

Nita have you tried changing the teat size? They have faster flowing ones that might help, could be she is getting annoyed if it's not flowing fast enough, or like you said she might just be used to snacking on demand! We found Variflow teats the best as it comes out however hard they suck. But to be honest it sounds like she's doing really well regardless!


----------



## ttc126

Happy 20 weeks fluffy! And happy early 20 weeks Lucy! Happy 30 weeks Bonnie &#10084;&#65039;

Nita, i think shell get used to the bottle soon! Try not to worry too much! With Ford he really fights bottles from me but will take them from my hubby or mom no issue. He only does a few a week because i dont like pumping but i may not breastfeed past 6 months so i dont want it to be a battle then...

Sarah how are you lately?


----------



## Nita2806

I feel like we are getting somewhere, She drank a whole feeding (120mls) in 20 minites this morning. Its getting easier now. It took a whole week though.

Hiw is Ford doing TTc? Have he smiled yet?

Happy 20 weeks Lucy/Fluffy <3 you ladies are officialy halfway there! Have your bumos started to show yet? If so, take pictures and share if you want to. :D


----------



## Fluffycookie

@Four
Congratulations!! So exciting to have that first scan and really confirm pregnancy, isn't it? :D Wishing you all the best!


Thank you Lucy, Nita and TTC! ^^ It's really nice to know I'm over halfway there now! We had our anatomy scan on Friday and everything is looking great. I wasn't too worried beforehand as we'd had the prenatal diagnostics scan at 13 weeks and that was really in-depth, but it's still good to know that everything is still fine. My doctor also confirmed that little pea is a girl, but of course we've already known that for weeks now ;) She looks like a proper little baby now on scans, so crazy! After the measurements, the doctor estimated her at just shy of 300g :)

More exciting things, I'm finally pretty sure I've felt her move! We went to our local Christmas market on Monday evening and walked around lots. After that when I was standing still again, I felt like little bubbles rising up on the right side of my tummy. Now that I know I have an anterior placenta, it makes sense that I've only ever felt anything on the sides of my tummy. I felt the same bubbling sensation (or kind of like popping candy? haha) again yesterday evening, so nice ^^ I hope hubby will be able to feel her on the oustide soon, but I'm aware that with the placement of my placenta, it probably won't be for another month or so. Still, so magical to feel her move!!


----------



## Bonnie11

Fluffy yeay feeling them move is so exciting! Initially feels just like that, bubbles/popping, then moves to taps and then proper hard kicks and somersaults! And during last few weeks like an alien trying to escape your body :haha:


----------



## rickyandlucy

Officially half baked :) Less than 24 hours until our anatomy scan now. I don't think I will sleep tonight, lol.

Every week feels like a birthday, logging into the app to see how big baby is. But this particular milestone feels especially significant! <3


----------



## Fluffycookie

Happy 20 weeks Lucy ^.^ It is a big milestone! In my head, the big milestones are: 12 weeks, 20 weeks and 30 weeks (my gynecologist says once there is a 3 in front, baby would have good chances if born ;) ). Crossing my fingers for your anatomy scan! Which apps are you using? I have What to Expect and Ovia on my phone.

@Bonnie
I hope I will feel proper kicks soon and especially that hubby can feel her soon too! Might take a while with my anterior placenta though, I guess we'll have to be patient.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Thank you Fluffy! I am a little nervous about the anatomy scan since we haven't even seen our little one since 8 weeks, and we didn't do any of the blood testing. But I have faith! I am using the Ovia app. Love seeing the hands and feet grow. :)


----------



## Nita2806

Happy ticker day Lucy!! Goodluck with your appointment tomorow :D please keep us updated.

Sorry to hear about your placenta fluffy, you are likely to feel movements later on though :) Try drinking ice water or eat something sweet, you are likely to feel movements then.

From 28 weeks you need to check and time the movements, baby is likely to survive on the outside world from then :D This is also generally the time when they start to lay head down, however they can still turn head down later on.


----------



## Nita2806

Fluffy/Lucy - check out this link https://m.facebook.com/parenting.official/albums/1754552448198316/

Tells you where baby is each week. :D


----------



## rickyandlucy

Update: last night we got the best reassurance we could ask for before today's appointment; I didn't just feel baby move, I SAW baby move! I could see them kicking through my stomach!

This morning, we got an A+ from the doc! She was happy with my weight and blood pressure, all the scans look good, and baby is measuring right where he/she should. We did not find out the gender. It is killing me to know that the doctor knows what we are having, but we don&#8217;t, lol! Baby did not cooperate to get a good shot of their profile or brain. I walked around, took the stairs, and even danced around to try to make them move, but baby was stubborn. Starting to think that is going to be a character trait, lol. So I have to go back next week to try to get those shots, but the doctor wasn&#8217;t worried. :)


----------



## Nita2806

Thats awesome Lucy! I bet you will feel the movements more regularely now. :D when you get into the 30 weeks, your tummy will be moving on its own LOL I loved when I could start to feel her body body parts, for example when she tried to kick my lungs with her feet, and tickle my hip bone with her hands.


----------



## Nita2806

Happy ticker day Fluffy :D

Liezl is 8 weeks old today - can't believe how the time has gone by.

How are you doing Sarah? I get worried when you are so quiet :( ... I hope its not due to more complications with you or William.

TTC how are you and Ford doing? I hope you got a smile from him by now :)


----------



## rickyandlucy

Better late than never, but happy ticker day Fluffy! I love this weeks update, makes me laugh :)

So I am probably super late doing this, but I finally sent a message to my hospital asking them to send me information on their midwifery service. Hoping they will guide me through everything I need to do next; tours, classes, etc. Hope I am not too late!


----------



## sarah2211

Sorry everyone. I&#8217;ve just been flat out looking after William on my own with DH away so much. 

I&#8217;m about to catch up on the thread. But I hope you&#8217;re all doing well. I can&#8217;t believe how fast it&#8217;s going for you all. Your little ones will be here so soon. 

As for us, we are still waiting for our initial referral to the paediatrician but now have another one. I can&#8217;t remember how much I said when I was last on, but we are still having slimy green poo and some blood and he fell off the bottom of the growth chart the other week. But he seems to have jumped back on at the 2nd percentile now. The doctor said there&#8217;s something going on with how he&#8217;s digesting food and that they&#8217;ll probably suggest hydrolysed formulas. Not sure what we will do if they suggest that, hard to go against doctor&#8217;s advice but we will wait and see. By the time we get an appointment things will either be worse or resolved. 

I&#8217;ve developed tendinitis in my wrists from picking him up, ironic considering he&#8217;s small for his age haha. 

We are going through a bit of sleep regression. Back to 1 wake up most nights. It&#8217;s so hard when you&#8217;ve had over a month of 10-12 hour sleeps. 

Anyway I&#8217;ll catch up and reply properly some time soon. :)


----------



## Fluffycookie

Thank you Nita & Lucy for the ticker day well wishes - and happy ticker day to you Lucy! :) Glad to hear your anatomy scan was all good news. Hoping it's smooth sailing from hereon out for both of us ^^ So cool that you could see baby kick!! Depending on how short they are on midwives in your region, you might not be late at all, it really depends I guess. For me, 7 weeks pregnant was already "late" apparently XD

@sarah
I can't believe it takes so long for you to be able to see a pediatrician, yikes! I hope they find out what's troubling your little boy soon.


AFM:
Have been a bit slow because we've been both busy and I caught hubby's cold, so not feeling too energetic. He felt her kick a couple of days ago though which was amazing ^^ I feel her 2-3 times a day now and LOVE it <3 So reassuring


----------



## Nita2806

Nice hearing from you Sarah :hugs: i am so sad to hear about William. What I cant understand now is why it takes to long for you to get to a peaditrician? I have mine on speed dial, I can pretty much call him now and have an appointment today.

Fluffy thise kicks are the best, and they keep on getting better as your pregnancy progress :D

Sarah what does William weigh now? Liezls birth weight (2.29kg) was in the 15th percentile according to her chart. She now weighs 4.4kg (feels like a ton to me) at 8 weeks, so she has jumped to the 50th percentile now :o


----------



## Bonnie11

Sarah you will see a longer reply in my other message but once I got my daughter on Neocate hydrolysed she made a rapid improvement in a few days, hang in there. And really push for the paed appt, we werent taken seriously till we took her to the children's hospital a and e as she was so poorly, once we saw the paediatrician there it was diagnosed very quickly x


----------



## sarah2211

Thanks everyone. 

We had an appointment with a GP who has worked on the children&#8217;s ward. She reckons it&#8217;ll be a few months until we are seen. Mostly because he&#8217;s not losing weight but he&#8217;s also a happy boy. He was smiling and chatting away to her all appointment. She said there&#8217;s definitely something going on with his digestive system and it will hopefully be something that he outgrows. She thought the paediatrician would recommend a hydrolysed formula but it would be up to us whether we went with that or stuck with breastfeeding. She said she would recommend breastfeeding but she isn&#8217;t a paediatrician so wait and see what they say. She said dairy may not be the issue but it&#8217;s probably irritating his gut more so I should definitely avoid it. So that is about where we are. 

Nita, he was weighed 2 weeks ago and he was 5.02kgs. He was 3 months old and on the 2nd percentile. We are still in newborn clothing. He is getting weighed again tomorrow. Liezl is doing so well. How are you doing? 

Fluffy, thanks. It&#8217;s unfortunately what our public health system is like. I think we would have to travel a few hours and pay hundreds of dollars to see one sooner. How exciting you&#8217;re having a girl! The kicks are amazing! I agree it&#8217;s really reassuring. Enjoy them all, they&#8217;re not quite as cute when you get kicked on the outside haha. 

Bonnie, thank you for your message. I&#8217;ll go back and read your other reply. The GP thought we would be prescribed hydrolysed formula too. I just really want to keep breastfeeding though :( but of course I don&#8217;t want to make him sick. I&#8217;m sorry your wee girl had to get to that state.


----------



## ttc126

Hi everyone! I lost this thread somehow but found it again! 

Fluffy and Lucy!!! Over halfway there!!!!!

Bonnie, not long to go! How are you feeling? 

Sarah, Im sorry youre having so much trouble! Im glad hes happy and not losing weight. Hang in there and keep us posted.

Nita, it sounds like Leizl is doing so well! 

Ford had his first round of vaccines and his 2 month checkup. Hes in the 6th percentile for weight but hes up from the second percentile. He is also finally smiling lots! He had a small eye infection and was put on drops for a few days. Hes also on ranitidine for reflux. Hes like a different baby on the reflux treatment. 

Hope everyone has a good week!


----------



## Nita2806

Thanks, Liezl is doing very well, and growing so quickly. We took her to the dam yesterday (it was 35+ degrees) and today I see her body full red spots, either bite marks or allergies. Hope it goes away soon. Shes full of smiles now, laughs open mouth, just no noise yet lol, cant wait for her to laugh out loud.

Sarah, 5kgs does not sound like a bad weight at 3 months though? I dont remember his birth weight? Its good to hear that he is a happy baby. :D

Great hearing from you ttc and that Ford is finally smiling, and lots as well. We are due for the second for a second round of vaccinations next week, but will only go the first week in January.

Hope everyone else is doing well?


----------



## rickyandlucy

Sarah, I am so sorry to hear you guys are still working through issues still. Sucks that you have to wait so long for an appt! Really hope things get resolved for you soon. And Nita, I hope Liezl clears up ASAP too!

We had a follow up to our anatomy scan on Friday to get additional shots of the brain and profile. It took some doing, baby was a little stubborn still, but we officially got the all clear. "Beautiful baby" according to the tech. <3

Picked up the crib and dresser yesterday. :) Now all we need is our house to be finished so we can set up the nursery!


----------



## Nita2806

Glad it went well Lucy :D 

Happy ticker day fluffy.

You two lovely pregnant ladies have not shared any bump images with us yet???? ;)

I am so excited - Liezl still has to gain 80grams (which she will in a day or 2) before she has doubled her birth weight - most babies only double their birth weight between 3 - 4 months. We also took the bamboo chair out of the cupboard today - sit training will officialy commence today :D Ill share some photos if she plays along.


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, I didn&#8217;t think it was that small but he had a few weeks where he was off the bottom of the growth chart, so I guess it was small. He&#8217;s had a massive gain in the past 2 weeks, 200g a week. So he&#8217;s jumped up to the 6th percentile now. We are almost out of newborn clothes and into size 0-3. He was 7lb2oz at birth but just gained weight really slowly. I think he&#8217;s doing much better with me off dairy and his posterior tongue tie cut. His rash has disappeared and he&#8217;s pooing 2-5 times a day, not 10-20 times. They&#8217;re still green and mucousy though. 

I hope Liezl isn&#8217;t allergic to anything. How is her rash now? Her weight gain is awesome. How&#8217;s the bottle going? We are a wee way off doubling birth weight. And have you thought about solids? When and what you&#8217;ll try her on? We&#8217;ve been told mixed things (he needs the calories, start at 4 months. His gut isalready sensitive and not developed properly until 6 months, wait until then). I think we will skip baby cereal and just start with some vegetables and go off his cues rather than a set date. But we aren&#8217;t in any hurry. 

Ttc, it sounds like Ford is doing really well. It&#8217;s so exciting when they start smiling lots. Was he fine after his immunisations? 

Lucy, so exciting! William was always really stubborn for scans. How is the bump coming along? Will you have the baby in your room with you initially? We will have William in our room in his cut until he&#8217;s at least 6 months old. I suggested to DH we could move him in March and he said no because he likes having him in here with us haha.


----------



## Bonnie11

Sorry to read and run, will catch up properly soon but mad time of year! Sarah we weaned at 4.5 months under paediatrician advice as she needed that calories and also helped massively with her reflux as it strengthens the stomach muscles. You should also follow the milk ladder (google it) to test for allergies but do it under dietician advice. I think we started it around 1year. We also had to cut out all soya/whey as the proteins are almost identical to milk so if you are still eating soya it may be why he's a bit upset still. It's a minefield! But sounds like he is doing much better. Catch up with you all soon!


----------



## rickyandlucy

Nita, I suppose it is time, lol! Here ya go! This bump photo is about 2 weeks old now, and I feel like my bump has really grown a lot since then, so I guess I will have to take some new ones!

Sarah, yes, we plan to have him in our room with us for the first 3-6 months. DH also wants to keep baby in with us as long as possible. We have registered for the Lotus Bassinet & Crib bundle; thinking it will be good as a bassinet in our room, double as a pack and play, and then also come in handy when we fly to visit DH's family.

Is it weird that I am getting excited to approach "viability"? Feeling much more secure these days. Feeling baby move is so reassuring, I haven't touched my doppler in about a week. <3
 



Attached Files:







IMG_8163 (1).jpg
File size: 38.1 KB
Views: 4


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah, how awesome that William is gaining weight so well now. Dh and I want to start Liezl on solids between 3-4 months, basicly end January. We heard that some food make then constipated, so I think we will start on bland veggies like butternut and sweet potato and see if she likes it. Im still a bit unsure about the whole food process, but we have an appointment at the peaditrician again on 18 January for Liezls 3 month check up, so I thought about asking him then to just assist me a little. I think her next check up after that one is only at 6 months, and he said start food on 4 months. We also have vaccinations 1st week in January and 3rd week in January, kind of scared to have her get them so close together as she didnt handle the 6 week ones that well. She was grumpy and crying for about 5 days afterwards :(

Liezl has doubled her birth weight, and thank goodness my DH found a way to give her the bottle, and she takes it. She slept tge last 3 days and today havent slept a bit. Amazing how they go through phases.

Yay for a bump pic Lucy. I think you are definately looking at keeping baby in your room up until a year :) mine will be moving out then :) just dont make the mistake to let baby sleep in your bed


----------



## Nita2806

Cant believe how she has grown. My baby is turning into a tiny human :baby: :baby:
 



Attached Files:







Photo_1513957069283.jpg
File size: 54.6 KB
Views: 13


----------



## Fluffycookie

Lucy, my bump really started growing more quickly after 20 weeks too! Such a sweet picture ^^ Feeling them move is the best feeling in the world <3 I'm also excited about approaching viability, so close now!

Nita, look at those cheeks! ^.^

To everyone, have a very Merry Christmas tomorrow :D


----------



## sarah2211

Bonnie, thanks. I&#8217;ve read that about the reflux too. Also that solids help. I&#8217;ll read up about the ladder. I have seen it mentioned but figured it wasn&#8217;t really important just yet. I&#8217;m keen to keep BFing if I can. I&#8217;m still eating soy but I&#8217;m not having soy milk, but just what&#8217;s in my usual diet. He&#8217;s had a few good days though. I hope you&#8217;re doing well, not long to go for you! 

Lucy, cute bump!! You&#8217;re not looking big at all. My bump was the same. Almost unnoticeable until 25 weeks and even the night before my due date my boobs still poked out more haha. Sounds like a good plan with the crop and room sharing. I agree with Nita about the bed sharing. We don&#8217;t do it and I&#8217;d never feel safe. It&#8217;s nice having them close though. 

Nita, here they say between 4-6 months for solids but definitely not before 4 months. I&#8217;ve read mixed things about closer to 6 months being better and closer to 4 months being better. I think I&#8217;ll just mush up some banana or avocado and try him on that. I&#8217;m keen to try some summer fruits too. They&#8217;re probably good for extra fiber. Our well child nurse just gave us the info last appointment. She&#8217;s grown heaps! I&#8217;m noticing William is putting on more weight every day. Tonight he held his own bottle when DH gave it to him &#55357;&#56877;&#55357;&#56877; he&#8217;s growing up too fast. 

Fluffy, merry Christmas to you too. 

AFM, this time last year we found out we were pregnant! What a crazy 12 months it has been!


----------



## sarah2211

Sorry it cut his arms out haha

1 day old vs 16 weeks


----------



## Nita2806

Well, what a Christmas (we celebrate on the 24th) went to my parents and last night I started getting sick, sever diarrheia, horrible tummy cramps and a fever. The fever is gone today, but I feel like shit. Liezl has been sucking on me constantly and it doesnt seem like shes getting full, so I am trying to get some electrolites back in my body to make sure shes fed and full. Tomorow I have Christmas with my inlaws at the dam, and I just feel like crying and puking! :(

Sarah, William have grown so much!!

Merry Christmas everybody!! Hope you have special time with your families :)


----------



## sarah2211

Oh no Nita! That&#8217;s pretty much my worst breastfeeding nightmare. You poor thing. Definitely get the electrolytes back into you. Can DH look after Liezl while you rest? Just eat what you can and keep your fluids up. You poor thing. 

Haha yes he&#8217;s grown so much. I just want him to slow down haha. 

Merry Christmas everyone.


----------



## Nita2806

Wow, despite being sick, Liezl puked all over me yesterday morning, and on our way back home she poo'd all over herself and her carseat..carseat is stained now and we had to cut her clothes of her body to avoid her whole head being full of poo!! A Christmas we will never forget.

Hope everyone had a wonderful time with family friends :)


----------



## sarah2211

Haha have a baby they said...it&#8217;d be fun they said.... haha awww Nita! No one ever tells you how gross babies are. 

We&#8217;ve been hit with the stupid 4 month sleep regression. I&#8217;ve been up with him all night. I put him down at 6am and when I woke up just after 7 he was in DH&#8217;s arms and DH turns to me and says &#8220;I&#8217;m just so exhausted, I need you to take him for a while&#8221;. I got about 3 hours sleep all up and DH slept from 10pm-6.30am. It&#8217;s 10am and DH is back asleep and I&#8217;m up feeding. I might just play the &#8216;I&#8217;m asleep&#8217; card tonight and let DH do it all. Then he&#8217;ll know what tired is.


----------



## Nita2806

Lol Sarah, my DH and I laugh all the time and everytime something happens, we just say, it wasnt in her user manual lol.

Oh no, goodluck, I think that phase lasts a few days? According to wonder weeks, Liezl is supposed to be little miss sunshine this week, but she is so clingy! Cries everytine we put her down, but sleeps when we hold her. Its so cute now shes discovering her hands, its in her mouth all the time. Is William laughing out loud? And how is he sitting?


----------



## Bonnie11

Ahh the 4 month sleep regression, I remember it well! It's a killer... it does last a few weeks usually but just rest when you can and honestly it does get better! My sympathies... 

My one mantra of parenting is 'it's only a phase' which honestly is so true! No matter how crap it is at the time it doesn't last. Hang in there girls! X


----------



## Ask4joy

Hi ladies! Nita and Sarah invited me to join the group. I am 6 weeks today after my first IVF FET with a PGS normal girl embryo. We DID try 6 rounds of clomid (1 clomid + IUI) which resulted in one of my CPs. Clomid wasn&#8217;t the answer for me, but it is great to keep in touch with the ladies I started this journey with! And I can learn from your new mommy experiences!

Feeling queasy this morning but hoping it dissipates as I have a bridal shower I&#8217;m helping throw this afternoon!


----------



## Nita2806

Welcome Ask, looking forward to follow this journey with you until you meet your little baby girl.

I think we have 5 pregnancies here now :D

I got to go shopping with my mom this morning for 4 hours, while hubby looked after Liezl, and she slept the whole 4 hours I was gone :haha: lucky for him, since shes refusing the bottle again.


----------



## Bonnie11

Hey ask! Good to see you again and so happy for your bfp! Morning sickness tends to peak at 8-12 weeks and then improve so you're halfway there &#128556;


----------



## sarah2211

Haha definitely agree about the instruction manual. I found the Wonder Weeks app to be off until we got to the 4th leap. Even so I think it&#8217;s just the 4 month sleep regression rather than a leap. Yup he is giggling and laughing. He likes when we tickle or blow raspberries on his tummy. He&#8217;s really strong and will sit on my lap with out my holding him but me just slightly leaning back. He&#8217;s rolling both ways,tummy to back and back to tummy. It makes tummy time difficult haha. 

Thanks Bonnie. We don&#8217;t have it as bad as others. I&#8217;m just use to him sleeping 11-12 hours and now is 8-9 and then afeed and then another few hours. I&#8217;ve heard different things from different people about what happens after the regression. Some say they are now just dealing with the multiple wakes every night now and others have said it gets better. 

Welcome Ask! I hope you feel better. The first few months were the hardest for me. Have you got an early scan coming up?


----------



## Nita2806

Happy new year everyone!! Its going to be a big year, we have 5 pregnancies/babies due in 2018...so far and 3 Clomid babies who will be one! How amazing... Love sharing the experiences with you ladies <3

Sarah, Liezl is making noises but not solod laughs yet, I think in a week or 2. We have leap 3 approaching this coming week and ofcourse lovely vaccinations. Only one more month until Liezl goes to Creche :(

She caught up nicely, weighing 5kgs at exactly 2months2weeks, thats a 2.7kg gain from birth. Today shes just playing and smiling all the way. Looking back at 2017, it was the best year, shes the biggest gift I can ever ask for.


----------



## Bonnie11

happy new year ladies! it will be a great one with your lovely bundles, so many babies due this year!

Cant believe Liezl starts creche soon, time is flying! 

did either of you have a post c section binder? they arent routine here in uk so was looking for recommendations of any... looks like a section is on the cards for me again, I have had so many issues and am now on partial bedrest... hard with a toddler but there you go! consultant wants to section me at 37-38 weeks, see how long I hold on for! 
happy new year to you all xx


----------



## Nita2806

I was the same Bonnie, I had to go for regular scans and NSTs near the end to make sure everything is ok, she just wanted me to hold on until 38 weeks, but she did the CS on 37+6. It sucks to be on bedrest, but enjoy the rest while it lasts ;)

I had the binder...what a bunch of garbage!! It hurst me so much on the first day, I thought it was the wound hurting that much and then I took off the binder...and RELIEF! I definately wont recomend paying for it. Holding a pillow on your tummy is much better.


----------



## ttc126

Happy New Year! I hope 2018 is filled with good things for each of you!

My kiddos are keeping me so busy! Sorry Im not on much! Ford has started giggling at me and i just love him! Hes sleeping from 8pm to midnight then midnight to 6am! Not too bad! I started my period again this week...so thats been fun! Hahaha not! I think dh and i will have one more! Im hoping without clomid and multiple miscarriages this time. 

Bonnie i used a belly bandit after my c sections and i loved it. I didnt use it early on with my first c section but this time i did and it was so much better.

Hope everyone is well!


----------



## Bonnie11

I've heard such mixed reviews! Some say it's amazing and others hate it... it's an expensive investment, but have seen some cheaper ones on amazon. I might try the cheap versions and then get a more expensive one if I like it! 

Hope 2018 brings more babies to those of you that want more... my husband has an appt for his vasectomy referral on Thursday, I'm done with pregnancy :haha:


----------



## Nita2806

Bonnie, I am short and I think thats why the binder hurt me more than anything else.

I hope to fall pregnant in 2018 again, without Clomid (yeah, right!) and when the next one is born I will be sterilised as well, unless iys another girl then we might try a third time. :)


----------



## rickyandlucy

Hey ladies! Just catching up. I have been off from work since before Christmas but have been super busy. Going back tomorrow is going to be tough, lol. Sarah & Nita, I can't believe how big your babies have gotten already!!! They are looking so adorable! Time flies! And Nita, that sounds like quite the adventure, hope it wasn't too cute of an outfit, lol :winkwink:

Ask!!!!!! I can't tell you how excited I am to see you here!!! Congratulations!!!!!!!! :happydance:

Anxiety is waaaaay down since I started feeling movement. Omg I love it so much. Yesterday morning I swear baby was doing flips in my belly. Was a weird feeling I never felt before. Last night in bed DH and I both saw my belly move with the kicks. It has become our routine to watch and feel for the kicks just before going to sleep.

Fluffy, happy early 24 weeks!!!! When is your next appt? I hit 24 weeks Thursday, and my appt is Friday. Seriously dreading the weigh in; haven't used my scale at home in a while, the holiday food and sweets really got to me I am sure, lol!


----------



## Ask4joy

Hi ladies! Happy new year!

I had MS and the stomach flu hit at the same time and it&#8217;s been a brutal few days, to say the least. I think it&#8217;s mostly MS now as everyone I know that got this stomach bug said it lasted 24 hours or less. I hope it eases up soon...I can hardly eat anything. I miss enjoying my food!

Lucy - thank you! :) How exciting that you are feeling baby moving! And that&#8217;s great that it&#8217;s easing your anxiety.

Nita - I hope your New Year wish comes true! How long will you try before trying clomid again?

TTC - congrats on your baby boy! How old is he now?

Bonnie - will you be having a c-section?

Hi to everyone else!

First scan is tomorrow morning! So nervous!


----------



## Nita2806

Lucy, I am so excited for you! Enjoy the kicks, you will miss them once he/she is born. Baby should also start to rapidly grow from now. Let us know on Friday how much he/she weighs :D


Ask, I saw you have been so sick! I am sorry. I hope MS doesnt get too bad for you and it gets better soon. I have heard that salted crackers and biscuits help for MS.

We said we will NTNP #2 until the end of this year, no tracking, no timed sex, nothing. If nothing, ill go see my OB again next year January... Thats the plan for now.

Sarah, just wanted to mention that I have been introducing vegies to Liezl, she seems to love sweet potato. Im only giving her small bits at a time though.

Liezl is sleeping 10 hours through the night now...such a blessing!! I am dreading her vaccinations on Wednesday. After the previous ones I stayed up 3 nights BFing and comforting her, not looking forward to that again since I started working again today, and I am started to study again in a day or two.


----------



## ttc126

Ask, Im sorry youre so sick. Thats how i felt the entire time i was pregnant. Maybe talk to your doctor about unisom and vitamin b6. It helped me function. 
And thank you for your kind words. Ford is 12 weeks old tomorrow! Please update about your scan! Im so excited and happy for you!

Nita wow! What does she think of veggies?

Lucy and Fluffy! Happy 24 weeks to you both!

Sarah hope you are well!

Bonnie good idea about trying less expensive first. Belly bandit also makes a binder called Under Wrapz which is way cheaper and works as well in my opinion.


----------



## Nita2806

Ttc, so far I gave her sweet potato and just normal potato, she liked the sweet potato. :) i want to give her some butternut when we make some again. But we will officially introduce solids in February and also start with a routine, like cereal each morning or whatever.

Can you believe how our babies have grown? Liezl is 11 weeks today :o


----------



## ttc126

I cant believe it! Kind of breaks my heart! Going way too fast! These are the best days of our lives i think! Im trying to soak them in :flower:

Im glad shes liking food already! Here the general rule is no solids until 6 months but my pediatrician starts some babies on cereal at 4 months. We will see what she thinks for him next month.


----------



## Nita2806

The amount I give her now, is more a taste, than actual food. The peaditrician said to me on 4 months, but I see no harm in getting her used to different tastes now :D


----------



## rickyandlucy

Good luck at your scan today Ask! Let us know how it goes! <3


----------



## Bonnie11

Not sure on c section yet Ask, it's looking likely but if it happens naturally before then I'm going with it! Saw my consultant this morning and he said we will make a plan after my next scan on 16th.. depends how baby is and how I'm feeling, they are happy either way at the moment. 

Nita time is flying with Liezl it seems! Same here for the 6 month rule but our paediatrician let us start her at 4.5 months because She was v underweight because of her milk allergy but she's definitely caught up now &#128514; She's so tall! 

Will check out the Underwrapz, thanks TTc. 
Some times I'm desperate to get this baby out, other times I don't know how it's going to be with 2 &#128556;&#128556;&#128556;

Hope scan goes well Ask! X


----------



## Nita2806

Bonnie, I hope the birth turn out the way you want it too, in the end as long as you and baby are safe <3 Not much longer to go now.

There's a lot of debate here on when to start solids, and it seems like moms are pretty much doing what ever they want. If Liezl was a bigger baby, I would have started her on food already. But since she is so small and was born early, I'd rather wait until February, Unless the Pead give me the go ahead when I see him in 2 weeks. Until then she can have tastes of our veggies.


----------



## Ask4joy

Hi ladies - scan went well! We saw and heard her heart beat! It was 119bpm. My doctor said they like to see over 120 but she isn&#8217;t concerned yet as it&#8217;s early and just getting started. Of course that worries me and it really bothered DH that she would say that when it was 119. At the end she said everything looks very good. So I&#8217;m trying not to worry too much!


----------



## ttc126

Ask that sounds like good news! My RE told me that anything over 100 is great. I have a friend whos baby had a 112 hb at 8 weeks. She freaked out. And hes a healthy 4 year old today. Try not to worry too much. I know how scary it is though. I was very worried especially since my last loss had a great hb then it slowed to 79 :cry: Pregnancy is so stressful. Im rooting for you.


----------



## rickyandlucy

So glad to hear that Ask! And I think your doc is right, it is early so no reason to worry yet. Our baby's heartbeat was also lower in the beginning than it is now.

My 24 week appt was supposed to be today, but go figure, we got a good snowstorm Wed night through yesterday afternoon, and now I have to wait until Tuesday. But movement is still feeling normal, and I celebrated 24 weeks yesterday by listening to the heartbeat with the doppler. Heart rate was right where it was been for as long as I can remember at this point. Nice and strong. :) DH says he thinks he can hear it through my tummy now. <3


----------



## Nita2806

Lucy, that sucks!! We have the opesite here, a heatwave, tempratures are rising above 42degrees celcius. I guess thays Africa for you.

I am now the proud owner of every type of feeding bottle, from the cheapest to the most expensive, and I am praying that Liezl takes one, if that fails, then we will try sippy cups. I also decided she is starting porrigde this week.

Advice to you ladies, if you plan on returning to work after baby and you wnat to EBF, give your baby a bottle at least once a day, it can be expressed breastmilk. Trust me, you will save yourself a lot of effort and money!! I hate where I am now, trying to get her on a bottle


----------



## Bonnie11

Ahh glad scan went well Ask! And really don't worry about heartbeat.. my midwife said decelerations are perfectly normal. 

Nita I don't know if you have NUK tears over there but they are the only one my daughter would take after trying loads! Also try feeding with nipple shields as they get used to the feel of plastic. I assume you have tried someone else feeding her? Make sure you are out of the house so she can't smell your milk. Good luck! X


----------



## Nita2806

I have tried those NUK bottles Bonnie, she completely refused them. I also drove away from home so my Dah could feed her, she cried all the way until I rushed back home, she just wanted the boobie. It looked like she took the pigeon bottle today, so ill see tomorrow if it was just a fluke.


----------



## Bonnie11

Ohh it's so frustrating isn't it! X


----------



## Nita2806

So much Bonnie! I wish someone told me before I started to EBF that it would be difficult! I wont suggest EBF for anyone other than a SAHM. Breast milk is best, but its not worth it if it means my sanity will suffer. Kiddie nr2 will be mixed fed from birth. First month I will pump and from month 2 ill introduce FM.


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, I&#8217;m sure it won&#8217;t be long until she&#8217;s laughing out loud. It&#8217;s crazy how fast they develop. William is rolling both ways. And when he sees me or DH he gives us a big smile. He&#8217;s laughing at all sorts of things. He loves having his bum wiped haha I guess it&#8217;s the cold wet wipe. 

Wow that&#8217;s early! I&#8217;m glad she&#8217;s liking it. Just be careful with starting solids too early. I was reading an article about it last night and how their kidneys aren&#8217;t quite ready for it. And early introduction has been linked to obesity. But waiting until after 6 months can be no good too. We are told between 4-6 months but no earlier than 4 months. I&#8217;m thinking we will skip cereals and just do fruit and veg and meat. He was 4 months on the second of January but we are in no hurry. I don&#8217;t want him to grow up any faster than he is haha. But I&#8217;m excited for him to have some new tastes. 

Have you tried to comotomo or MAM bottles? We use avent natural and have no problem. But I think it helped ignoring advice about waiting for 6 weeks to introduce a bottle. Have you tried getting someone else to give the bottle and you disappearing? Or BF with nipple shields?


Bonnie, no binder here. No one recommended them and I didn&#8217;t find much to suggest they helped. I&#8217;m sorry you&#8217;re having a hard time. Do you have someone around to help with the toddler? 

Lucy, how exciting to see your belly move like that. It&#8217;s so crazy to think there&#8217;s a little human in there. Enjoy it!! My hubby thought he could hear the heartbeat through my tummy too, I reckon he was full of it haha. 

TTC, it breaks my heart too! I don&#8217;t want him to grow up haha. I love the age he is now. He&#8217;s giggling and smiling away 

Ask, so excited for you!! I&#8217;m sorry you&#8217;ve been feeling rubbish :(. And what a stupid thing for them to say when it was only 1 beat less! That would have freaked me out too. But after seeing a heart beat you have a really really really good chance of holding your little princess in your arms. Of course nothing is 100% but it is all a really great sign!

AFM, life has been pretty busy but I don&#8217;t even know what I do with my days haha. William is having 1 wake up at 4am for a feed and sleeping 7pm-7am. He&#8217;s so delicious. He giggles and his face just lights up when he sees me. I&#8217;m just so in love with him haha.


----------



## Nita2806

I get it Sarah - days go by and I have no idea what I do the whole day (mostly BF and look after Liezl lol) She sleeps from 9pm until 4:30am (wonderful isnt it) and its been 3weeks now that she sleeps through.

She will only get a little bit of food now, my mom said its good to start on 3 months as they barely gets in something in the first month, they mostly play with the food to get used to it (Ill be feeding her with a spoon) Shes 12 weeks tomorow so ill start somewhere this week.

We are currently in leap 3 and what a wonderful leap - Liezl have been talking the whole time - shes on the verge of laughing out loud - shes really trying hard lol.

She took the pigeon bottleagain yesterday, so we will stick with that one... I have ordered 3 more, but they arent cheap - so my DH isnt happy that we are paying somuch for bottles.


----------



## ttc126

Sarah! Williams sleep sounds like a dream!!!!! Thats amazing! I need to get Ford on a better routine. He does sleep from about midnight to 7am but up until midnight hes a mess. Is there anything special you did to get him there?

Nita Im sorry youre having issues getting Liezl to take a bottle! Even though Im a stay at home Mom to my 3 right now i still give Ford a bottle of pumped milk every few days or so. But my experience is that some babies just take bottles easier than others. Hopefully your number 2 will be a bit easier! Have you had another cycle? Still ntnp?

So Ford has been giggling out loud! For whatever reason me saying hi to him is so funny. He is also cooing and tries to talk to me when i talk to him. He has absolutely no interest in rolling even when i put him on his tummy he likes it and wont budge :rofl: I had my first period last week. Extremely heavy. I think dh and i want one more but not very soon so were going to have to be diligent with protection now. I just know that Id fall pregnant right away if i assume i cant lol even though i needed help last time :rofl:


----------



## Nita2806

Lol tcc, I am so jealous that you get laughs. Liezl smiles the whole day, and she tries so hard to lol but no sounds.

Still ntnp #2, and I had what I thought was my period, and I may have ovulated over new year. We will see. I am in no hurry though, itll happen when it does.

Just wanted to say re sleeping through. We tried our best with Liezl, nothing worked, then we gave up and stopped trying, and voila, she slept through


----------



## Nita2806

We currently have an outbreak of Listeria in South Africa, our wonderful (super lazy) government only thought of telling us now, that it started at the beginning of last year already (while I was pregnant!!??!!??) and they waited for over 700 people to get diagnosed and 61 to die before they decided now, that they need to find the source. One would think they would have done this already.


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, haha the sleep is so so good. Enjoy it because around the 4 month mark it can turn to custard. 

Yes that is true about the food. It really is just an experience rather than for the nutrition to begin with. I&#8217;ve been doing lots of reading about when to start. William is showing lots of signs. I&#8217;ll hold a spoon to his mouth and he&#8217;ll open it. He just doesn&#8217;t quite have the core strength yet but we&#8217;ve been given the go ahead to start at 4 months. I&#8217;d really like to hold off until 5 months though. 

I think our plan for solids is to have him in his high chair (ice just ordered it) with us while we eat. Let him play with his spoon etc. then I&#8217;ll put some purée pumpkin on his tray and let him put his fingers in it and suck on them. Then hopefully by around 5 months he&#8217;ll be strong enough to swallow. Our family are saying it&#8217;s far too early. The whole &#8216;food before one is just for fun&#8217; which isn&#8217;t true! But we will see how we go. DH wants to start him now and I just want to keep him little and cute haha. 

I&#8217;m glad you found a bottle that works. I think introducing it early and me using nipple shields helped. I have a friend with the opposite problem. She desperately wants to BF but her baby will only take a bottle and she&#8217;s heart broken. 

TTC, how cute! Haha I love that he likes it when you say hi to him haha. 

William is rolling both ways. I went to get the washing out of the machine and left him on a blanket and he&#8217;d done rolypolies haha. He nearly reached the heater. That&#8217;s good that Ford loves tummy time! I&#8217;m sure he&#8217;ll be rolling in no time. 

I haven&#8217;t had AF yet. Not sure when she&#8217;ll appear. But I haven&#8217;t really had any PCOS symptoms. My skin and hair have been pretty awesome still. You&#8217;re brave for wanting number 4 but I heard after 3 it just gets easier hahahaha some how??

As for his sleep, I&#8217;m actually dying with his one wake up hahaha this is bad sleep for us. He use to do 7.30pm-7am no wake ups at all. Now he&#8217;s waking at 4ish and I&#8217;m exhausted haha. I need to harden up. Anyway, no real routine or pattern. Mostly let him feed and sleep when he likes. I&#8217;ve been focusing on awake times for the day time. So at his age he shouldn&#8217;t be awake for any longer than 2 hours. So during the day I kind of try to do feed-play-sleep but sometimes he needs a top up before sleep. Sleep sack on, dark room, white noise, pacifier in. I sit on my bed and lie him between my legs and hold my hand firmly on his chest and the other hand stroking down his nose. Once he&#8217;s deep asleep I&#8217;ll transfer him into his bed. Sometimes he&#8217;ll need rocking or feedingto sleep. Sometimes I can put his down in his cot with white noise and he&#8217;ll go to sleep on his own. He usually has a nap around 9ish, 12ish,3.30ish. But I don&#8217;t really care. Just whatever happens on that day. Sometimes we might go out around lunch time or in the afternoon and he&#8217;ll sleep in the carrier/car seat/stroller. The other day I had to wake him from a 3 hour nap. At night time we try and do the same thing every evening. It can suck because we can&#8217;t really go out for dinner etc too often. We need to be home by 6.30. But I pull the curtains so it&#8217;s all dark, have a bath together, who ever hasn&#8217;t bathed him gets him changed and dressed into a sleep sack. Then the bath person does the bedtime. Which is usually a feed, then lying down on the bed between our legs and then transferring him to his bed when he&#8217;s asleep. It&#8217;s currently 6.45 here and he&#8217;s been asleep for 20 minutes.


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah, I honestly dont read up anymore or do research or do anything by the book. I let Liezl guide me to what she wanys and needs. Sometimes a whole day goes by where she doesnt sleep. Sometimes she drinks every 20 minutes and other times every 4 hours. We have a routine, but its not hectic, and its only for night time.

Isnt it a bit early for a high chair? And where do you get time to sit at the table to eat lol!! My dh and I take turns to eat because liezl demands so much attention in the evenings. We havent had a meal together in 3 months.

We are now through leap 3. Next is the 4 month sleep regression..not looking forward to that.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Better late than never, but happy ticker day Fluffy!

Finally had our 24 week appt yest. All was well, and baby was even kicking while they were checking the heartbeat with the doppler. The bump has really popped in the last couple weeks, and over the weekend we hit the milestone where the first person who didn't already know I was pregnant said something. Then another on Monday, and another on Tuesday. So up to three people now, lol.
 



Attached Files:







IMG_8273-1.jpg
File size: 40.1 KB
Views: 4


----------



## Nita2806

Cute bump Lucy!!!! Enjoy it while it can still see and reach your feet!! Its going to start to grow a lot soon. Glad you and baby are still doing well. Any updates re your birthing plan? Do you know where and how and who yet? Here we need to do bed bookinhs around 20 weeks already :o


----------



## rickyandlucy

LOL Nita you are so right! It is already getting tougher! I think I did my own pedicure for the last time this past weekend. Just a good excuse to go get pampered I suppose, lol. Also going to try to make sure I keep shaved and groomed while I still can, lol!

I am planning on a natural birth with a midwife, but in a hospital, so I will have options if I change my mind. They also have tubs there that I can use for hydrotherapy. Can't birth in it, but can labor in it, so that seems ideal. Going to the hospital for a meeting with the midwives next week. :)


----------



## Nita2806

That sounds exciting Lucy! I hope that you can have the birth you want! It seems like its gettinh closer faster than we think. Also, make sure you are clean shaved when you give birth, or else they shave you! You wont be able to see it to shave it, so use a mirror or ask your DH, I suggest keeping it clean from week 38.


----------



## Nita2806

So, I am pretty sure I may have Ovulated over new years as I had EWCM on 31 December. I thought it cant be, but I started spotting this morning, and I had slight AF cramps this afternoon. If this turns into a full period, I did Ovulate :o Ill have to wait and see...promised my DH I wont track dates for the next year, but iys difficult lol.


----------



## rickyandlucy

That's great news Nita! Sounds like what DH and I plan to do after baby. Old habits die hard though right? LOL


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, the high chair is pretty supportive. He can hold his neck and body up with just a back rest. We&#8217;ve had him in it twice for about 3 minutes. Just trying spoonfuls of milk but he just pushes it back out his mouth. Haha I think somewhere about the 3 month mark he chilled out a little. Now he quite happily plays on his own. He does notice when we are eating though so I end up getting DH to cook or do the last bit of dinner and I&#8217;ll feed William. Then he&#8217;ll happily play on the floor or his bouncer while we eat. Or if that fails, I feed William and DH chops my food up into bite size pieces and I use a fork haha. Seriously, I did not think eating a meal was going to be one of the hardest things about having a baby. 

In terms of the reading about routines etc. I&#8217;m just trying to make sure he gets enough sleep for his development. When W was 3 months old I let him do what he wanted. Sleep, feed etc whenever. But the more I looked into it I realized we were missing his tired cues. Babies aren&#8217;t going to tell you there&#8217;s ready for a sleep apparently haha. So now, I do eat, play, sleep. He&#8217;ll wake up and I&#8217;ll feed him. Then change. Then we have awake time, so singing, going outside, playing with toys etc. then between 1.25-1.75 hours after he woke up, I just do a similar routine to our night time one. And he&#8217;ll nap for 20 mins-3 hours. He&#8217;s never been a grizzly baby but I notice he&#8217;s less agitated and he seems a lot calmer. It&#8217;s nothing strict. If I need to feel him to get him to sleep or if he wants another feed during his awake time, that&#8217;s no worries. But that seems to be the big feed (when he&#8217;s still a little sleepy and less distracted) and then he has top ups. 

Lucy! Cute bump!! Man it makes me miss mine haha. My SIL said that beyond a point (can&#8217;t remember now) babies can hear the doppler. So they&#8217;ll kick back because it&#8217;s loud and sounds weird haha. I thought that was kind of cute. I remember that milestone too. I think I was about the same as you and our new neighbor moved in and I went and said hello and she asked me when I was due haha. I told her later on that she was the first to ask without knowing (now we are good friends) and she was a bit embarrassed haha. I was just excited. 

Nita and Lucy, not sure that the shaving thing applies everywhere. They definitely don&#8217;t require you to be clean shaven here. Maybe check with your midwife Lucy?


AFM, we had a really scary incident over the weekend. I can&#8217;t say too much but we are all safe and ok. We have had police and police dogs around. Having to make statements today and there will be a trial in a few weeks I imagine. Sorry that&#8217;s really vague. But we are all ok and safe. 

I feel like the last 4 months have been a mixture of the best thing I could ever imagine and so SO many rough moments. Maybe we will catch a break eventually.


----------



## ttc126

Sarah, Im glad youre ok. It sounds scary! I hope things are smoother sailing now. 
I also agree with the routine thing. I didnt try to do that with my older two but this little guy is so much happier having predictability in his little day. 
We also dont have to be clean shaven here.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Sarah, glad you all are ok!!!!!!


----------



## Nita2806

I am glad everyone is ok Sarah!!

They request us to be clean shaved because its more hygienic when they put in the stitces. So ill recomend it if it isnt a requirement Lucy. 

Just a quick update on Liezl, shes 3 months today, shes not sleeping at all during the day! I have tried everything to make her sleep, she refuses. Shes fussy and all her clothes are getting way small, we are getting 3-6months clothes this weekend. She starting solids...its going great, she loves it.

I got a letter from the university to say I need to complete my degree this year, so baby nr2 has been put on hold. I am almost going bacj to work as well.

Pick for cuteness.
 



Attached Files:







Photo_1516162778798.jpg
File size: 38.1 KB
Views: 5


----------



## Ask4joy

Hi ladies! I love reading all of your updates. 

I had my 2nd ultrasound this past Tuesday and baby girl is right on target! Strong heartbeat of 180 and measuring 1 day ahead. Got to see her wiggling around! 

The nausea has vastly improved. I still have a lot of aversions but am getting my appetite back. Only a few more weeks until we announce to the world! So freakin excited!

Nita - such a sweet baby girl! We&#8217;ve had a few recent listeria outbreaks here as well. Freaks me out! 

Sarah & TTC - William and Ford sound adorable. Their little giggles and smiles must melt your hearts!

Lucy - you are too cute! Love the bump pic.


----------



## Nita2806

Ask this is such a big and exciting year for you, its great to have you here! The ultrasounds will be really awesome from here on as they turn into tiny humans. Enjoy it, from about 20 weeks they will be too big to see the whole body on one image. :) are you planning on getting a 3D/4D scan? I can really recommend getting one!!

Liezl went to see her peaditrician yesterday and he is just so happy with her growth, she started her life weighing what a prem weighs, and she has jumped up to an average baby. From 2.3kgs to 5.5kgs. She has a tongue tie, but shes not having issues so we will see if it resolves on its own. He confirmed her bidy is strong enough for solids and suggested I give veggies in die mornings..

Man I dont know what I did before her, my life must have had an empty spot, she fulfills my wildest dreams! Nothing beats this! Being a mom really is so rewarding.


----------



## Bonnie11

Ha it's so funny isn't it, you wonder what on earth you did with all your time before you had children!! 

Glad things are going well Ask, you deserve it after the journey you've had. 

Looks like the rest of you are all hanging in there, good to see! My SPD is so bad now I'm largely bed/sofa rest so try have scheduled a section for 39 weeks which they will hopefully bring forward to 38 when I see the consultant on Tuesday.. so not long for me either way thank goodness!


----------



## Nita2806

Any news Bonnie?

Have any of you used the Baltic Amber Teething necklace?
Liezl's gums are so swollen and she is very grumpy about it, not even to mention the drool.. so I am getting her one of them, dont know if they really work..but if it doesnt, it looks pretty.


----------



## ttc126

Oh my goodness ladies. Ford was hospitalized with RSV and Bronchiolitis this weekend. Very very scary. He couldnt breathe and was very dehydrated. Horrible. Hes home now and on the mend. 
Nita theres no science behind those teething necklaces and also theyre a strangulation and choking hazard. So i wouldnt use them personally. Also babies go through this drooly grumpy stage about this time thats not actually teething even though many parents think it is. Hope she feels more comfortable soon &#10084;&#65039;


----------



## Bonnie11

TTC we had that when B was young, absolutely terrifying how quickly they can go downhill. She has asthma too so we have a had a few visits over the years but none as scary as the first one in an ambulance! Hope he is feeling better. 

Nita we tried one of hose but I don't think it made much difference. I wouldn't bother again to be honest. The best remedy we found is Nelsons teething granules, bonjela and give ibuprofen and paracetamol at the same time as they work differently. Unfortunately teething can go on a long time! Gummy Gloves are also great, and put a wet flannel in the freezer and let them chew innit for their gums... teething goes on forever too! X


----------



## Nita2806

Woah TTC!! So scary, omg!! So glad Ford is ok.

The Peaditrician confirmed that shes starting to teeth, as he saw how swollen her gums are. However, it can take months for the first tooth to pop. The teething necklace is huge in Africa, just about every baby is wearing one here, some say it works, others say no but they keep it on cause it looks pretty. Im willing to give it a try. I got some powder en gel to put on her gums as well. :)

Out of the blue yesterday she pushed herself up from her cushion in a sitting position :o


----------



## Nita2806

I can't believe the time has come, Liezl is starting at her creche in the morning. :( :( :( :(


----------



## rickyandlucy

So over the weekend we found out my younger brother and his wife are expecting. It's super early; like 4 weeks.

I knew they had been trying and while I am definitely happy for them, I also feel guilty because there is this piece of me that is also jealous. Just seems like their road to everything has been so much easier than for DH and I. They had an extremely nice wedding that her parents paid for; DH and I paid for most of ours. They've been married less than a year; DH and I are going on 4. They've been together for maybe 2 1/2 years, DH and I are going on 10. They've been trying for a baby for less than a year, and never that seriously; DH and I were going on two years and pulled out all the stops when it finally happened for us. There's even more to it than any of that, but you get the idea.

I guess I was just hoping there would be a little bit more separation between our kids. And I know it makes no sense but I just feel like it makes our baby a little less special now...

I am super grateful that at least we are pregnant too; for a while I selfishly worried they would get pregnant first. I am trying to look on the bright side and think of all the fun things this means, and it helps, but I can't seem to squash this green eyed monster completely. And of course this is not something I can really talk about with anyone. I tried talking about it with DH but he doesn't get it. :(


----------



## Ask4joy

I understand those feelings, Lucy. While it will great for your baby to have a cousin so close in age, seeing others conceive rather easily isn&#8217;t easy. I have a friend who just announced on FB at 16 weeks. She&#8217;s 5 weeks ahead of me. She is 38 and just got married this past May. We started TTC when I was 33 and had 3 CPs and ended up having to do IVF + PGS. I was so happy for her but simultaneously thought, why the F did it have to be so hard and expensive for us?!


----------



## Nita2806

Its normal to feel that way Lucy!

A friend ours wers starting TTC when we were almost 6 months TTC, 6 weeks later, she was pregnant, DH and I were still trying. When she was 5 months, we finally found out we were expecting. If that wasnt enough, she had a perfectly normal pregnancy, she could deliver her boy normally, whereas I had hypertention, placed on bed rest and had no other choice than a C section, I thought to myself, wow can one person have it so easy and me have it so hard? That was not the end... Her boy is perfectly happy, nothing wrong with him. My LO had silent reflux and now shes starting to loose weight because she refuses milk at creche. When will it end?

So basicly, what you are feeling....you are not alone.


----------



## Nita2806

Congratz on the birth of your baby boy Bonnie - I hope he will only bring you joy and happiness. Hope the recovery after the CS goes smoothly and quickly.

<3<3<3


----------



## rickyandlucy

Congrats Bonnie!!!! <3


----------



## ttc126

Congratulations Bonnie!


----------



## Ask4joy

Congrats Bonnie! Hope you and baby are doing well!


----------



## rickyandlucy

Hope everyone is doing well! Things have been quiet around here!

Had my 30 week appt today. My doc was training a new nurse practitioner and we got a free ultrasound! :) Baby is measuring 3 lbs 9 oz and in the 45th percentile. Doc said that was perfect; not too big and not too small. And even the doc seemed surprised and commented (multiple times) on how active our little one is! Got an A+ on my blood pressure, and on my weight after being gently cautioned last time. Afterwards I celebrated with a mani/pedi (since I can safely say I can no longer comfortably reach my toes) and Chinese food :happydance:


----------



## Nita2806

I am glad everything is going well for you lucy, not much longer to go now, before you know it, baby will be here. Have you thought about names?

Myself, DH and Liezl have a stomach bug, possibly the worst one we ever had. Liezl is not drinking well, and shes losing weight. So we hope this virus gets on its way soon.


----------



## rickyandlucy

We have a front runner boy name and a front runner girl name, but we aren't really telling people what they are yet in case we change our mind once we meet our little one <3

Our baby shower is a week from tomorrow! It is supposed to be at our new house, but there is so much left to do. Poor DH has been working so hard. I think we will make it, but it has been tough.

Sorry you guys are dealing with so much sickness! Hope you all get better ASAP!!!


----------



## ttc126

Lucy, Im excited hearing how close you are!!!!!

Nita, i sure hope youre feeling better!

Hows everyone else? 

Were doing well here! Finally feel like things are settling down from RSV in our house. As soon as we all started getting over that we got strep throat. Horrid! Everyones finally better! Im actually warming up to the idea of a fourth baby. I want to be rested and healed fully before ttc but i think its in our future. Theres just all the worry of whether it will be difficult to conceive again or if Ill have to endure a bunch of miscarriages again. My doctor says that you just never know and fertility can change and reset between babies. So hopefully it will be fine :flower:


----------



## Nita2806

Oh Lucy, so excited for your baby shower. I hope you will get the house ready, it will be so worth it. I am glad you have names you like. My DH and I had a boy and girl name before we even conceived. We hope the next one will be a boy.

I am so glad things are better ttc...I have the same fear for baby #2, how long will it take, and will it be so dificukt again, atleast this I am not on the pill. I am still waiting for af.. I stopped BFing about 2 weeks ago so hopefully soon.

We had spent several hours at the emergency rooms this evening with Liezl, her stomach virus have lasted for a week now and its getting worse. Shes not dehydrated but she did lose some water and weight. Dr gave her some immune boosters and dehydrate so its a matter of waiting now to see if it gets better. We are waiting for her to make dirty diaper so it can be send for tests to check.


----------



## ttc126

Im so sorry shes so sick Nita! Glad she isnt dehydrated. Seeing your little baby getting an iv is something i wouldnt wish on anyone. 

I hope your period starts soon. Im on my third one since he was born and Im still exclusively breastfeeding. For whatever reason my body just gets straight back to cycling.


----------



## Nita2806

Thanks TTC, Liezl is doing better and started picking up weight for the first time in 2 weeks again.

Af started yesterday, 2 weeks after I stopped BFing...I could be optimistic and think that I Od just before Valentines day, but who am I kidding LOL. Ill probably have annovulatory cycles again and irregular cycles.


----------



## sarah2211

Sorry I&#8217;ve been MIA! We&#8217;ve been sick, busy, life has just been crazy. William is 6 months old tomorrow!! It&#8217;s going too fast. I&#8217;m going to catch up and reply in the morning. Hope everyone is well! Sorry for being slack


----------



## sarah2211

So I caught up tonight haha. I was too excited to see everyone saying congrats to Bonnie!! Congratulations, I hope everything went well and you&#8217;re recovering!

Ask, how are you getting on? I remember around 15 weeks I started feeling really great. Way more energy but no bump yet. Any movements? 

TTC, you&#8217;re brave thinking about number 4! How are you feeling in your recovery?

Lucy, you&#8217;re so close now. Exciting for your baby shower. How are you feeling?

AFM, life just doesn&#8217;t seem to get any less crazy. I had an appointment with the OB/GYN and my uterus stuck to my abdominal wall when it was healing from my c section. So I&#8217;m having surgery in the next few months. I&#8217;m still in a lot of pain. Then I got sick with some horrible bug. William got sick because I ate something I thought was dairy free but it wasn&#8217;t. He got dehydrated and had vomiting and diarrhea and lost weight. They sent off a stool sample and he is very intolerant to dairy. So I need to be more careful but at least we have confirmation. We started solids last week and the poo has gone in the other direction! He&#8217;s been really uncomfortable and he is on 2 different medications to get that going. Also, finally diagnosed with reflux after me saying to 3 different doctors that he is spilly and very uncomfortable. So he&#8217;s on Zantac, 3 times a day and I have a different boy!! He&#8217;s also crawling now. He&#8217;s so strong, he can make it across the room for a toy. Our well child nurse couldn&#8217;t believe it. She said he&#8217;s where babies usually are by 7 months. I just want him to slow down. I can&#8217;t even hve cuddles anymore because he thinks I&#8217;m a trampoline. Still waiting for the court case around the incident that happened earlier this year. He&#8217;s being charged with 3 different offenses. DH is busy building our house, doing his and his boss&#8217;s job and about to go away for 6 weeks. I hardly see him. He&#8217;s usually out of the house before 6pm and home after 10pm. But it is what it is. Still no AF for me, but I&#8217;m not complaining about that. 

And my little baby is half way to 1 tomorrow. I just want it to slow down!! It&#8217;s going too fast.


----------



## Ask4joy

Sarah - 6 months, wow! It doesn&#8217;t seem that long ago that we were all TTC at the same time and now you have a 6 month old! I had a dream last night that my baby girl was already growing into her 6 month clothes and I kept thinking, this is going too fast! I&#8217;m sorry you have to have surgery - you&#8217;ve had quite the rough go! 

I am feeling pretty good. Still getting a lot of headaches but nausea has improved. I&#8217;m definitely developing a little bump though much of it is probably still bloat. I&#8217;m part of a pregnancy group on Facebook and it amazes me how big some people&#8217;s bumps are at this stage! Usually those who have already had at least 1 child. 

Nita - glad to hear Liezl is on the mend and starting to gain weight back. And I hope you and your DH are feeling better too!


----------



## Nita2806

Hi Sarah - should I say welcome back? I am glad to hear William is doing so well, I can't believe time has gone so fast. Just be patient with the solids... he will get used to it. I am sorry to hear your recovery is still on going...

Ask, with a second child your uterus is already stretched out, so the bump shows sooner. I am pretty sure you are getting a real bump by now. The bloating lasts the 1st tri mester. Your baby girl are going to start to rapidly grow, very soon!

Myself, DH and Liezl have fully recovered from the tummy bug. However, AF is a nightmare. I had never had a period this heavy. I usually use thin small pads, but I had to buy extra thick ones for xtra heavy flow, and I have to change it atleast once an hour. Today is the 3rd day already. I didnt miss AF at all lol.

Liezl is sitting by herself for a few minutes, and she gets 2 meals a day along with her milk. Rice cereal in the AM and mixed fruit and veggies in the afternoon. I am introducing new flavours tonight...carrot and butternut. She is still so small, she only weighs 6.2kg (almost 14lbs). Sarah, how much does William weigh now?


----------



## sarah2211

Ask- time definitely flies!! It&#8217;s crazy. I can&#8217;t believe it&#8217;s been so long since I was TTC. I don&#8217;t want to say I&#8217;ve forgotten how hard it was but with all the other struggles and us being so lucky to get William, I know some of the pain has washed away. I hate saying that because it was hard and it&#8217;s still so hard for lots of people. Haha don&#8217;t rush your wee one, enjoy every moment. My due date was the 31st August.

You sound really similar to the symptoms I was getting. And I wouldn&#8217;t worry too much about not having a bump just yet. You&#8217;ll find that you&#8217;ll be getting rounder really soon. The first person who didn&#8217;t know I was pregnant and asked was about 25 weeks. I didn&#8217;t have a huge bump though. But definitely second + time mums seem to get bigger sooner. I could still tie up my shoe laces at 40 weeks. 

Nita, haha thanks. Sorry I&#8217;ve been slack. I don&#8217;t even know where my life goes. He&#8217;s not in love with solids. I thought he would be but that&#8217;s fine. I&#8217;m in no rush. I&#8217;d quite like to introduce some finger foods but it scares me haha. So I&#8217;m just doing purées. 

I&#8217;m glad you&#8217;re on the mend. I have heard that the first and second AF are usually the worst. I&#8217;m not looking forward to it! 

Wow Liezl is doing well. I just started 2 meals a day. I&#8217;m staying away from rice cereal because he&#8217;s been quite constipated from solids. Even though I have given him pears, apricots and prunes. He loves water. In the end we went to the doctor and got 2 different kinds of medicine and he&#8217;s finally gone. Are you making your own? I&#8217;ve made my own but I just can&#8217;t get meat to purée to a good texture and I want him to get some iron. We haven&#8217;t been weighed in quite a while. At 5 months and 1 week he was 6.9kgs. But now that he is on solids and I&#8217;ve cut out dairy I think he&#8217;s gained quite a bit. He doesn&#8217;t feel so small anymore.


----------



## Nita2806

The first month on solids are hard! they don't like it, however they get used to it. We haven't had any issues with constipation, even now that shes on formula and solids - her tummy goes once a day around midday. I won't be giving her any meat though until 7 months. The pediatrician advised us to give cereal, fruit and veggies and milk until 7 months, and introduce protein then :) I dont make my own puree's for her, I buy these squishy bags from the baby store. They are very cheap and taste good. The Pead also have us introducing finger foods around 13 months.

Have you tried giving William probiotics to help the constipation? We have drops here, only 5 drops in the am and pm in the milk. We chose a formula though that already contains probiotics

I wish Liezl would start to gain more weight lol, she gained so much on breastmilk and since then she only picked up around 100g per week, however we did have some issues with the milk and then having a runny tummy and the bug for 2 weeks. ugh!

I hope the 2nd AF won't be as bad...Oh my goodness this one have been bad enough - thank goodness it seems like it will stop today or tomorrow!

I am glad that William is doing so well though!! I know its still far away, but are you planning something for his 1st birthday? I wasn't going too, but then I saw some ideas from friends, and I am considering a small get together with closest friends and family, probably around 30 people and do a themed like... maybe hello kity hee hee


----------



## sarah2211

Yeah he&#8217;s gone off solids. Not interested. He wants the spoon but not the food. I think it doesn&#8217;t help we have to give him medicine through a syringe 4-5 times a day. We are still deialing with constipation but it&#8217;s getting better. We are giving him medication for it too. 

Here, we are told they have anything except honey. Also we are told to not give salt or sugar. I&#8217;ve given him meat, he&#8217;s hard salmon and chicken. I&#8217;ve also given him some peanut butter. The current research suggests introducing allergen foods early has better outcomes. The doctor thinks he might be allergic to eggs so I&#8217;ve held off until we see the specialist. 

I haven&#8217;t really thought about his first birthday but I think we will have a party! Maybe just family and close friends. We&#8217;ll see how we go.


----------



## Nita2806

dont give up on the solids Sarah. Breastmilk do not contain enough iron for babies older than 6months. He will absolutely hate solids for a month, but he will start to love it. Its just strange and new for them. But once you get something he loves, you will see he will love it. Try sweet potato and pear. 

Yesterday morning when I took Liezl to creche they told methat they are going to lower her cot because shes rolling everywhere and they are scared she might get out. And this morning they told me, I must keep an eye on her and child proof the house, her net step is crawling! Like woah - she is on the same level as the 6 month old next to her. When did she grow up so much??


----------



## sarah2211

Oh he had been great on solids. But then we had to start giving him lots of different medications and he has struggled with being spoon fed. We've been putting things in the Boon feeder. He definitely won't have pear. He'll have pumpkin and I've been slowly mixing a little bit of other things in with the pumpkin. I'm just taking things slowly, trying to let him feed himself. He's fiercely independent. 

I know what you mean about the physical development. William has been rolling both ways since 15 weeks. He's been crawling for a good 3 weeks now. He's got a pincer grip. I can hold his hands and he'll stand. We are doing a study at our local university and I have a questionnaire of things he can/can't yet do. Our next one has to be completed by 9 months and he's already doing all but 1-2 of the things on the questionnaire. I can't have cuddles with him anymore because he just uses me as a jungle gym.


----------



## Nita2806

Its good that he likes the pumkin. At the moment Liezl is getting sweet potato, carot and butternut all mixed up. I want to start giving fruits seprately in the evening.

Wow I cant believe he is crawling already. I find it hard to believe that Liezl has already been in school for 6 weeks, and that she is growing so fast. She can sit by her own for a minute or two now. And I know what you mean about the cuddles, she will just grab my shirt, or my ears and pull away. I cant even make her sleep anymore, its a nightmare getting her to sleep during the day, she simply refuses.

Ive attached a photo of my little busy bee during tummy time this morning. Excuse the mess in the back ground.
 



Attached Files:







SmartSelectImage_2018-03-11-11-11-43.jpg
File size: 34.7 KB
Views: 5


----------



## rickyandlucy

Sorry I fell off the map too! So much happening over here!

Our shower was wonderful! We had a co-ed shower, so it was really more of a party than a shower. My mom and aunt put everything together, and it was just as perfect as I knew it would be. And oh my goodness, this child is set with everything they could ever need and more! LOL.

We aren't quite able to move into our new house yet. But DH said he would start setting up some of the baby furniture this weekend after the painters finish so I can start getting organized. I am starting the baby laundry today and will finish the hospital bag this week. We also took a birth class over the weekend with a hospital tour. It is getting real! <3


----------



## Nita2806

Thats great to hear Lucy! Hope you can rid of the paint smell soon as well, newborn babies are so sensitive to smells. Do you have any idea yet if you have a small, normal or big baby? I have to say, the hospital bags does make it very real. Your baby will be here in no time. The last few weeks just fly by. I am glad to hear you got everything you need from the shower, its really awesome that people so much! I enjoyed doing the laundry, but now thqt I have to do it 3 times a week, not so much lol.


----------



## rickyandlucy

The first and second coats of paint have actually already been done weeks ago now, the painters are just coming in this weekend for the final touch up, so it actually shouldn't be too bad smell wise. I am just so excited to be able to finally get organized and put things away! So tired of living out of boxes!!!!


----------



## Nita2806

So exciting Lucy! I am glad things are getting done. It sounds like the paint smell should be gone by then. The only reason I am warning you about it though, is because Liezl was born in spring and the pollen count was a bit higher than normal, and she had a stuffy nose for about 3 weeks, and the nurse said they are very sensitive to smells, sometimes to things that we cant even smell.


----------



## Nita2806

Things arent going to great here. I had to go see a docter because I had bloody stool, its nothing serious though and will get better, however my blood pressure was still high, they want me to come back in 2 weeks, if its still high I have to get treatment :( and Liezl is sick...again! So Im not getting much, if any, sleep :(


----------



## rickyandlucy

Sorry to hear that Nita. Hope things are getting better for you!

37 weeks today and had another appt this morning; still less than 1 cm dilated, but 50% effaced. Whatever that means, if anything, lol.

We finally started sleeping in the new house over the weekend! Still working on getting settled. Lots to do still, but I am trying to reassure myself that no matter what it will be fine!


----------



## OnErth&InHvn

rickyandlucy said:


> Sorry to hear that Nita. Hope things are getting better for you!
> 
> 37 weeks today and had another appt this morning; still less than 1 cm dilated, but 50% effaced. Whatever that means, if anything, lol.
> 
> We finally started sleeping in the new house over the weekend! Still working on getting settled. Lots to do still, but I am trying to reassure myself that no matter what it will be fine!

Thats a good thing to be 50%. I was 3cm and 50% with DD2 and she came within 12hr!


----------



## Nita2806

Hi Ladies - its been too quiet in here!!!

Lucy - 38 weeks, any time now :) gosh I cant believe you are about to have a baby!! it feels like yesterday you got your bfp and now you are about to pop - like when did this all happen!!

Ask - I saw you were having some issues - and that its all better, great!! How are you feeling? I cant believe you are past the halfway mark... when did all this happen?? Scary stuff..

Sarah...How are you? I always get worried about you when you are so quiet.

TTC - Hope everything is well with both you and Ford?

AFM - Nightmare time behind us. Liezl was sick, common cold and then one morning she had a fever and couldnt breath, rushed her to hospital and she was admitted for RSV and Bronchiolitis. after 7 days of horror in hospital as we came home she got fever again...another freaking lung infection. Doctor gave us 2 days to treat her at home if not better, she goes back to hospital. After those 2 days her lungs were clear and she is slowly recovering at home. Her lungs got damaged and the pediatrician predicts it will take 6 months to fully recover. Otherwise she is eating good, sits by herself and almost half a year old :)


----------



## rickyandlucy

Hi Nita! I am so close I can taste it now. Getting impatient. Still working. Next Friday is supposed to be my last day. Tired as hell. So much to do at work and at home, but I am ready for this baby to come so I can find out if it's a boy or a girl already! No dilation or any other signs of progress yet though. :wacko:

Glad things are getting better for you! Sounds like things have been tough!


----------



## Nita2806

I cant imagine not knowing what gender baby is!! 

You are only considered full term now, so the fact that baby is still holding in is a good thing. :) Hopefully baby will be coming in the next 2 weeks. You should be on leave :o I never made it to 38 weeks, but I dont think I would have been able to work at that time...well done to you that you can! I hope you are getting some rest and sleep?? Enjoy those naps that last longer than 2 hours lol!!

Yeah, its been rough, seeing your baby sleep in a little cage in hospital - worse than my worst nightmare!


----------



## rickyandlucy

I work for my family, so there is a lot of self imposed guilt to try to wrap things up, lol. Sleeping is going ok, but I am definitely having to get up more frequently to pee. Four times night before last and three last night! This morning I had trouble finding a side to lay on because baby was literally laying across my torso, lol.


----------



## ttc126

Hi Nita and Lucy!

So glad Liezl is doing better! I was told the same with Ford that it could take months to fully recover and heal their lungs. I hope she only continues to get better and she manages to stay healthy now. How are you feeling Nita?

Lucy, so excited for you! Will be waiting on pins and needles to hear baby has arrived! And I remember the up and down and lack of sleep! Hang in there :hugs:

Ford is doing well! Six months old now and weve started solids. He does ok so far. Hes on a trial off of his reflux medication so we will see how it goes. We are moving so I have been busy selling our current home, preparing to buy the one were moving to, and planning renovations. 

Hi to everyone else!


----------



## sarah2211

Haha again, sorry for the MIA. Im just useless. 

Lucy, so close!! I cant wait to hear how it all goes. 

Nita, you guys have had a bad run. Do you think some of it is day care bugs?

TTC, how did the reflux med trial go? Hope the move goes well. 

Ask, how are you getting on? Crazy youre over halfway!!

AFM, life is just busy. Building our house ourselves and looking after the farm, DH away, the trial for the crime we were victims of a few months back, and William has been sick. The doctor is wondering if he has FPIES. Sweet potato, avocado, dairy and possibly soy seem to be his triggers. Ive cut out dairy and soy from my diet. Weve had 2 trips to the urgent doctors for rehydration after being exposed to those things and his aversions started after sweet potato. He also lost weight and we dont know why. Weve had a few rubbish days of fevers and screaming but no apparent reason. No teeth and his gums arent bothering him. Hopefully we will have answers in the next few weeks about FPIES. Still waiting to hear about the surgery. Im sick of how slow our healthcare system is. 

William is well and truly on the move. Hes crawling all over the place. Hell pull himself up on the chair and stand up. He can get himself into the sitting position by himself too. Hes getting pretty clever, I chucked the fly swat under the couch the other day and he crawled over and managed to reach right under to get the handle haha. He loves peakaboo and books!


----------



## Nita2806

Lucy, I get the kind of pressure you are under working for family, I didnt even get maternity leave, I had to work from home. And if it werent for bed rest I would not have stopped working at 34 weeks. I was even working the day before my CS. Enjoy the last few days.

I am glad he is doing well TTC, goodluvk with the move, I dont think I would have been able to handle a 6 month old and the move.

Good to hear from you Sarah! Glad things are OKish? Your healthcare system sounds pretty slow, her in South Africa we call it Africa time, everything thats super slow is being done on Africa time, because the people here are just so slow and pathetic (not all though) I hope you get some answers, I think you and William had it pretty rough so far!

She definately got sick from school, had gastro twice and then RSv, both babies next to her was sick just before her. And I am so pissed at the school, I told them to inform the other parents of the RSV that she picked up there, our hospitals including PICUs cant keep up, its very dangerous if not treated, and they just didnt feel the need to inform the other parents. Apparently they never heard about it before, such Bullshit, the virus goes around every year. Make me think what else they are hiding. Any way shes out there, thank goodness, and the nanny is starting soon.

On a lighter note, we had her ears pierced yesterday...she looks so beautiful :) <3 Solids are going great, havent picked up any issues. She loves sweet potato, pear and Avocado.

She didnt pick up any weight for 2 months as she was permanantly sick, but this week she is going tgrough a growth spurt, drinking twice as much as usual and picked up 220g so far.


----------



## sarah2211

That&#8217;s rough Nita. It sounds like she&#8217;s been really sick. I know child care centres are a breeding ground for bugs. Even so, William doesn&#8217;t go to child care and he has hand foot and mouth at the moment! Man I just want a break from shitness. A nanny will be good, I went and looked at a few childcare centers when I thought about going back part time, but they weren&#8217;t good. Even the ones that had good reputations nationwide I wouldn&#8217;t put him in. Probably because I can see what they do for show. 

Nita, are you still NTNP?


----------



## Nita2806

I had my lesson learned Sarah, she will be staying at home until she is 2 years old, and then she will go to daycare and only after that she will go to school again. I had it with her being sick. I hooe she doesnt pick up any illnesses from us.

Shame, William has had it so rough :( i hooe he gets better soon.

Yup we are still NTNP, i am on my 3rd cycle and surprise surprise, my cycles are all over the place. I dont expect to be pregnant anytime soon. We will probably ntno until the end of the year then decide..


----------



## sarah2211

Yes they&#8217;re definitely breeding grounds for bugs. Plus for their development, having a 1-1 care giving is awesome. One adult to tend to her 100% of the time. I think we will wait until William is 3. That&#8217;s when kindergarten starts here (I think it&#8217;s the same as preschool in the US). 

William is feeling much better now. But he still has a few spots. In the last week he&#8217;s started confidently sitting up on his own. Like functional sitting, so crawling along, he decides he wants to sit and swivels his body so he&#8217;s on his bottom. He&#8217;s also confidently pulling himself up to stand and starting to coast along. He did both those things a few weeks ago but now I can tell it&#8217;s intentional rather than just a bit of luck. 

Oh that is no good. I guess we can&#8217;t really be surprised! I hope it happens soon for you guys. I&#8217;m on the mini pill (and still BFing and no AF yet) but I skipped a few pills by accident and we didn&#8217;t take other precautions last week. I doubt I&#8217;m pregnant. DH is probably going to be deployed from November-April so we will think about TTC after that I think.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Well ladies, the wait is over! On Monday our BABY GIRL made her way into the world!!

DH was so hoping for a little girl. When she was finally out and I asked him if we had a son or a daughter, he cried when he realized it was a girl.

We were very lucky, everything went smoothly. DH was amazing during my labor. It was a funny story actually; I had been having contractions for a full 24 hours beforehand, but they weren't particularly strong and not regular. I wasn't entirely sure they weren't gas pains. Monday about 2 AM they turned regular and my ob's on call line told us to go to the hospital. When we got there the midwife basically said it was probably too early and we would be sent home, but since it's a long drive and we were already there she checked me anyways. She said I looked too calm, lol. It was a surprise to all of us to discover I was already 7 cm!!! And she accidentally broke my water while she was checking me! All I could do was laugh hysterically, I was so not expecting that! Baby girl was born about 6 hours later.

We are adjusting to living on less sleep, but have been very lucky to have help from my mom and aunt who live around the corner. First night home was rough. Second night my aunt came over to give us a couple hours sleep. Third night my mom came over, and stayed up all night just holding her and staring at her, lol. Last night DH and I split the night half and half, and it went ok. So hopefully we are getting the hang of this!

Hope you all are doing well! <3


----------



## ttc126

Congratulations Lucy!!!!!!!!


----------



## Fluffycookie

Congratulations Lucy! So glad to hear your labour and birth went smoothy and that your baby girl is happy and healthy ^^


----------



## Nita2806

Lucy, congratz again! I am happy to hear a good birth story in this thread, and it feels like the girls are taking over here :) if you dont mind me asking, how are you splitting night shifts with breastfeeding? For as long as I was breastfeeding I was always tge one to wake up to feed and do diaper changes?

Fluffy, how are you??? Any sign of baby coming any time soon??

I am happy to hear William is better Sarah. He is developing well, especially for a boy, Ive heard the boys can be a bit lazy sometimes. Liezl sits by herself, but if shes tired she just falls lol. No sign of crawling or standing up. Im not putting my hopes up to get pregnant this year, my DH keeps on saying the reset after birth will make me more fertile, and for a moment I wanted to believe that, but I have to be realistic. This month we BDed, if you can call it that, on day 14 of my cycle. I hate not being fertile, I can live without experiencing a lot of things, even giving normal birth, I am ok not experiencing that, but I really want to experience getting pregnant naturally, without pills and feeling like shit 24/7 (I however dont regret how I got my sweet baby girl, shes perfect in all aspects - but you get what Im saying) any way I am blabbering too much now, sorry.

Liezl gained 500g so far in the last 2 weeks, shes healthy again, and growing so well. Really dont have any complaints :) :)


----------



## Fluffycookie

@Nita

have been super tired and stressed beyond belief for the last couple of weeks because my midwife told me she could no longer be there fo rmy birth or postpartum care because she FORGOT to tell me she is going on holiday for three weeks. X.X Have finally found another one now, but not the kidn of thing you want to hear when you're 38+ weeks pregnant! 

Otherwise I've been good, but no sign of labour yet. Tomorrow is my due date


----------



## Nita2806

I am so sorry Fluffy, that must have been so awful! 

I guess in these last days you are praying for contractions to start?? :) Goodluck, anytime now.


----------



## sarah2211

Congratulations Lucy!! So exciting. Have you got a name? People say how rough those first few days/weeks are but I don&#8217;t think you really understand until you&#8217;ve been there. I know for us it was probably one of the hardest things with my recovery and infection and a baby that was really unsettled. But it&#8217;s a blur now and soon she&#8217;ll be making her own choices about things haha. 

Nita, haha he&#8217;s never been lazy! He always moved heaps (except when I had reduced movements) and wriggled all day inside. He&#8217;s developing and growing so much. It&#8217;s crazy. Like this afternoon he crawled over to his book box and pulled out a book haha. Instead of just being passive we are starting to notice what he likes and doesn&#8217;t like and what he wants to do a lot more haha. We never propped Billy up to sit before he was able to. He sat in his high chair or on our laps, but we never sat him up to play on the floor. Throughout my studies there was so much about not putting babies into places they can&#8217;t get to themselves. They learn their own centre of balance and where they are in space and if they do fall, they often are able to make it a bit more gentle. He&#8217;s coasting along and if I put my hands out he&#8217;ll grab them, pull up and start taking steps! 

I understand what you mean about being frustrated by it all. For me, I feel the opposite. I&#8217;d rather have had a smooth vaginal birth and have fertility treatments. But lucky us, we drew the short end of the straw for both haha. You never know, and it&#8217;s giving your body time to heal. My DH reckons the pregnancy is going to reset everything fertility wise too. Not sure it works like that haha. 

Oh no Fluffy! That&#8217;s terrible. Have you got a back up midwife? How long do midwives care for their clients after the birth there?


----------



## sarah2211




----------



## Nita2806

He is so cute Sarah! And growing up too quickly. Do also look at him at times and just wonder where the time has gone? Like he was a baby yesterday and today he is all grown :) I can look at L for ages and just see how much she has grown. She has tripled her birth weight, and grown 20cm already. She loves to chat and smile and laugh, so cute. We did a 6 month photo shoot with her Ill upload a pic or 2 a bit later. Life has just been a real bitch, barely ever get time to just come on here :( everything has just been so busy. 

Our nanny started today and next week I am back at work :( Its my birthday this week and my parents have decided to screw me over and go away on holiday - basicly saying they dont want to see me on my birthday (we always go out for dinner when its someones birthday) and I feel like resigning my work, as they are paying me shit to work like a slave - I can get double my salary somewhere else. 

Oh my, sorry for venting :(


----------



## Nita2806

A few photos from our 6 month photoshoot.
 



Attached Files:







SmartSelectImage_2018-04-15-14-27-02.jpg
File size: 28.4 KB
Views: 2









SmartSelectImage_2018-04-15-14-26-04.jpg
File size: 25.5 KB
Views: 2









SmartSelectImage_2018-04-15-14-25-33.jpg
File size: 26.8 KB
Views: 2









SmartSelectImage_2018-04-15-14-25-06.jpg
File size: 22.2 KB
Views: 2


----------



## rickyandlucy

Nita: So DH can't really help with the feeding part obviously (at least not yet, I have started pumping though and we may introduce an occasional bottle at about 4 weeks), but he makes sure I get sleep in between feedings. We are still working on getting her to sleep in the pack and play; she loves to be held. My aunt has been amazing and has volunteered herself to be our night nurse most nights since we got back from the hospital, and in the beginning she held her a lot, so she may have gotten a bit spoiled, lol. She's out of town at the moment, so we are working on finding our groove on our own. I definitely miss the company though; had no idea how lonely maternity leave would be! But the nights at least haven't been too bad, for me at least. Poor DH has ended up holding her for most of his shifts. I've been lucky and have been able to get her to go down in her pack and play for me. This morning I did two of her feedings side lying in our bed; that was awesome. So much more comfortable than sitting in the rocker. But definitely not something I would want to risk if I felt sleepy.

Sarah: Baby girl's name is Sofia <3

Fluffy: Great to see you back here! Any news? :winkwink:


----------



## Nita2806

Wow Lucy you are pumping already, thats great. I only had enough milk around 4 weeks to pump.

If I can gibe you some advice, you dont have to use it though. I assume you are going back to work? Start to introduce natural flowing bottles as soon as possible. If you wait she might reject the bottle. It took me 6 weeks to get L to take a bottle.

Sofia is such a beautiful name <3


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, oh my gosh yes. I just don&#8217;t know where time has gone. He&#8217;s cruising along. In the bath I sign a song about splashing and kicking and he splashed and kicks when I sign that bit. Like what happened to my baby?!?! Haha he&#8217;s a little boy now. But he is so much fun. He giggles over the cutest stuff and is so interested in everything. How&#8217;s Liezl going with her solids? Have you moved to completely formula now? I&#8217;m so sorry about your parents and your job. Will you do something nice with you and DH and Liezl? What&#8217;s your nanny like? Is it common to have a nanny in SA? I love the photos! So cute. 

So we had our paediatrician appointment (only 6 months after the referral was made!!) and William has been diagnosed with FPIES! So far reactions to dairy, sweet potato and avocado. I thought he had a cows milk protein allergy but with the nature of his reaction the pediatrician was sure it was an FPIES reaction. So we are just getting our head around what that means. She said he has FTT this first 4 months (so why we didn&#8217;t get the pediatrician sooner I do not know!!). And she said he definitely reflux. So screw all the stupid GPs who said it was just a laundry issue. 

Lucy, I love that name! So sweet. How old is she now? Haha oh my goodness you are spoiled. Could you maybe have sent your aunt overhere8 months ago? Haha. Those first few weeks are intense. I agree with Nita on the bottle, we introduced it at 2 weeks, no regrets. Go for a slow flow teat too. Instead of nipple confusion it&#8217;s usually more of a flow preference that babies develop. If a bottle is faster and easier than the boob they might take preference to that. I&#8217;m pretty sure it&#8217;s fine to pump and feed your baby what you pump before your supply regulates but you might not want to pump and freeze just yet. Definitely, if you think you might fall asleep feeding, it&#8217;s safer to be in bed (than the couch or a chair). Move all blankets and pillows away. And if you do fall asleep, move her back to the pack and play as soon as you realise.


----------



## Nita2806

Solids are going great. She is having 3 meals a day, along with 3-4 bottles of Milk a day. Ive pretty much introduced all fruits, She now has tropical and mix fruit flavours. Veggies, she loves Sweet potato, butternut, peas, beetroot. Carrots give her cramps, so we will leave that for now. I am introducing a lot of new veggies now. She also eats Chicken & beef on occasion. There really isnt much introducing left..

DH surprised me with a nice lunch, and we left L to have a picnic with her grandparents. He really made it special for me.

She is on formula only, for about 2 months now. And since she started eating 3 meals, she is growing A LOT.

The nanny is great. I wouldnt say its common, but a lot of parents here do prefer nanny's. Its a lot more expensive, but no way she is going back to that horrible school.

How is William doing on solids? Except for all the allergies. I am so glad you got to see a pead, honestly, GPs have no knowledge of babies whatsoever. Im glad its easier to get to a pead quickly here, I can phone today, and have an appointment today still.

And then...Another month has gone - and I am not pregnant. Not surprised (but you know...deep inside you cant help but hope) Atleast my cycle was a little bit shorter this month. Last month was 37 days, this month was 33 days. Hoping to go back to 28-30 day cycles. Cant help to think these are annovulatory cycles :(


----------



## rickyandlucy

Nita and Sarah, you are so right. We introduced a slow flow Kiinde bottle as a test case about a week ago to make sure she would take to it, and she sucked it right down. I won't go back to work until 12 weeks, but I did start coaching again this week, so I do spend a couple hours a day away from her. We wanted to make sure my mom has an option to feed her in case she gets hungry before I make it home.

Sarah, my aunt is so amazing, now the only problem is I think baby girl is getting spoiled being held all the time, lol! But she has been so incredible. She comes back in the afternoon so I can shower, brings us dinner from time to time, and so much more. We are very lucky! Baby girl will be 4 weeks on Monday!


----------



## Nita2806

Lucy, keep on giving the bottle, even just if its once a day. You will thank me when you go back to work. :) I am glad she is taking it though, its a good sign.

Your aunt sounds so amazing. Wish I had someone like that. While breastfeeding I did pretty much everything myself. DH has learned in the meanwhille to care for her, so I can go out and leave her with him - she absolutely loves and adores her father so much.

Cant believe she is almost 4 weeks, wow. Do you have the wonder weeks app? I can really recommend it. did you get a real smile from her yet?


----------



## rickyandlucy

Wow I realize your post is old at this point Nita, but sounds like things are going great!

Our little one is now 6 weeks old. She and I are both doing well. Got a minor case of thrush we are having trouble kicking, but otherwise can't complain.

Hope the rest of you are well! <3


----------



## Nita2806

I hope everyone is well? Lucy, your LO is growing uo so quickly...

Fluffy, I really hope you had your baby by now??

Sarah, I will take it that no news is good news :) hope you are well.

Update from my side: Liezl is doing well, growing up too quickly now, almost crawling now. Eating well, drinking well, the nanny is great with her, so we really are well.
DH and I decided to stop trying for a baby (not having success anyway, AF showed today, and my cycles are really long, anything from 33 - 37 days) so we are going to be careful, and try again next year. So I devided to go on a weightloss journey, not going to share much on here, but you are welcome to check out my fitness journey. Working on getting healthy and lose weight, I know this will help us get pregnant when we try again next year.


----------



## ttc126

Hey Nita! I will follow you! Glad all is well!

Hope you are well Sarah and Fluffy and Lucy!

Life is really busy here with the boys and we sold our house, renovated another, and moved with three boys!!!!! Ford is good. A little behind on motor skills in my opinion. 8 months old today!


----------



## Nita2806

Good to hear from you ttc! Sounds like you have been reaaaally busy.

Why do you say Ford is a little behind?


----------



## ttc126

Lol Nita! My number one tip for moving with kids is....DONT! :rofl:

And I can just tell hes behind. Its a mom instinct. Hes taking after my oldest who needed physical therapy at age two for his motor development. Ill bring it up at his pediatrician appointment next month. But hes nowhere near crawling, still a very wobbly sitter, he rolls but otherwise still mostly content to lay there and play.


----------



## Nita2806

oh ttc - I get what you mean! I often wonder about Liezl, is she on track, is she doing what she is supposed to do. But I heard that boys can be a little lazy sometimes? haha

Liezl rolls, very stable sitter, goes into crawl position from sitting and starts kicking her legs, like she knows how, but she is just net ready yet. The nurse at the hospital said they should be crawling around 9 months??? So I hope by the next visit she is haha.


----------



## ttc126

Liezl sounds perfectly on track!!! Boys can definitely be lazy so its tough to know when to actually be concerned... Ill give him more time!

Does Liezl have teeth? Ford has zero teeth still!


----------



## Fluffycookie

Hello everyone - long time since I last posted!! So nice that you are all still thinking of me :)

Our daughter was born right at the end of April, two days after her due date. Sadly, the birth was very difficult and after two days ended in a C-section. The operation was not easy either, I had massive blood loss and my doctor told me flat out if it had not been her (she is head of gynecology at the hospital) but the resident that night, I might not have made it. We spent three days in hospital during which my midwife decided not to show and there were no childcare nurses available - breastfeeding was very difficult and my hubby stayed with me the entire time and did everything. It was a weekend, the nurses were understaffed and we would ring the call bell for 2-3 hours before someone ever came. It was horrendous.

Finally home, our little girl had lost so much weight I needed to pump and bottle feed. She regained some, but after a week was losing weight again, so we had to supplement with formula. I got blocked ducts in both breasts from the change, so I was cooling them/applying warm compresses before feeding, pumping afterwards to keep up supply and making bottles round the clock. My midwife told me it was my fault for stressing too much - at that point I decided not to have her come anymore.

This is just a brief summary, but it's been the most difficult time of my life by far. Two weeks ago, we finally managed to see a lactation consultant and things have been going better since then. She is now entirely off formula again (yay!) and we are breastfeeding with nipple shields, trying to wean off them at the moment. She cries a lot (several hours each day), which I can't blame her for given what we have been through, and won't nap during thed ay usually. I hope things will slowly continue to get better from here. On the bright side, she is the cutest little baby and started smiling just before the 6 week mark (last Thrusday), and it's the sweetest thing ever :)

I have been reading along silently and I'm glad to hear you are all doing so well!


----------



## Nita2806

Fluffy, I am so sorry! I am SO GLAD that you both are well. Please dont be scared to talk to someone if you feel its all too much - post natal depression can creep up when you least expect it. Not saying you have it haha, just saying if its all a little much to handle, please talk to someone about it.

Those smiles are the best, right! Wait until they turn into little giggles - its the best thing ever.

I am glad you managed breastfeeding - even with help I found it extremely difficult, I cant even imagine what you must have been through. Things will just get better from here.

How are you recovering from the CS surgery?



TTC - Liezl has no teeth, NONE whatsoever, not even a little bit of white on her gums, nothing. I am wondering if she will ever get teeth by this rate. She is chewing on her gums, but gosh it cant be nice. I check each morning to find absolutely NOTHING!


----------



## Fluffycookie

@Nita
I have already contacted someone about postpartum support, waiting to hear back from them. I definitely need to talk to someone about this birth experience and the two weeks right after if I'm ever going to even thinka bout having another child... and I really wanted two or three before this.

I'm not sure you can say I managed breastfeeding, it's still a daily battle and I'm not sure we'll be able to get away from the nipple shields. Can you tell me a little more about how your feeding journey was? Everyone in my family just had an easy time and their babies latched "by themselves", whereas my little one has trouble because of the c-section and all the medication and she still hasn't learned how to latch properly without the help of a nipple shield :( At least she drinks with it now, but it takes her 50-60 minutes... she doesn't know when she's full, so she often spits up A LOT (projectile style) after feeding, or goes to sleep and then wakes up crying and mouthing like she's still hungry. Hearing everywhere that breastfeeding is so wonderful and great has just made me frustrated X) I had wanted to breastfeed for a year, now I'm googling how soon we can start solids 

The recovery has been pretty good after the first month in which my body had to replace all the lost blood. i'm still on iron supplements to help that, but I'm now allowed to walk around for 20 minutes each day, so I can take short walks with my dog again which has been nice. Luckily hubby has 8 weeks of paternity leave - things would be flat out impossible without that. I'm dreading when he goes back to work, but phyically, I think I'm strong enough again to do things by myself.


Haha, you checking daily if LIezl has teeth! My nipples were so raw, cracked and bleeding before we got the nipple shields, I cannot *imagine* breastfeeding a baby with teeth :S


----------



## Nita2806

I am glad you found someone to talk to. I think its important to work through this.

I didnt have a traumatic birth experience, but I couldnt cope with all the health issues, I gave myself over to food and chocolates, it helped me cope, and until last month I couldnt even look at the mirror at how fat and ugly I felt. I took control of my body and is working hard to get back into shape. So my point is just, you have to take control, you are bigger than this, you will get through it. Vent here if you want to as well...

My BF journey... Liezl was born with high sugar, so she mostly slept and didnt want to drink at all. Day 3, the day before we went home I met an angel (BFing Nurse) - she didnt give up, she helped me try every now and then to get her to latch, AND she did. It hurt a lot the first few weeks, it bled a lot, but eventually it feels like second nature. At 3.5 months she went to school and I stopped BFing. She has been on formula ever since, and honestly she is growing good, shes healthy and her milk tastes like Milky Bar, so she enjoys it. I am glad I could BF but I am glad she is on formula now, I needed a break, and dont regret anything.

I wouldnt suggest solids before 4 months... even then, you give a little bit just to get them used to it, but only after 6 months can you reduce milk and give 3 meals a day (This is how we do it in South Africa)

I am not a Dr, but it sounds like she might have reflux. Perhaps you can get to a Pead and just ask about it? Check her weight regularly, thats usually the first sign that somethings wrong. I remember Liezl gaining about 1.2kgs (Almost 3lbs) per month in the first 3 months.

Luckily not BFing so not worried about the teeth, but she's almost 8 months and most babies either have teeth or atleast signs that they are coming by this point. And she just have nothing - so a little worried. I want to get more textured food but I dont like her chewing on her gums.


----------



## Fluffycookie

I remember reading about your health problems, and later Liezl getting sick in the daycare as well - that's a lot to deal with! I have turned to chocolates a lot as well, I must admit. I had lost all but 2kg of my pregnancy weight at first, but not I have nearly 6kg to lose X) I have tried to buy more vegetables and cut them into sticks to eat with hummus as snacks instead, but chocolate bars are easiest to grab and store at my nursing station. Thank you, it really feels like I won't get through this sometime!

It's good to hear she's growing so well now, I think the first three months are the most important time anyway :) My pediatrician said formula is really good today and not to feel bad if I can't breastfeed. Honestly, I just really want it for myself, but I'm not sure if I can stick with it if it stays like this... she won't drink when they bleed too much *sigh* Does it really feel a lot better lately or does it always kind of hurt?

I asked my pediatrician about reflux, we got a same day appointment when she was not gaining weight. He said he doesn't think it's reflux after checking her out and that babies spit a lot. I still think it might be but what can I do? We try to keep her upright after feeds for a while... I will ask the ped again when she gets her first injections in a month.

About her teeth - our doctor said, when we were talking about how long to breastfeed, babies get teeth any time between 3 months (super early) and 12 months, most babies in the 6-9 months range. So based on that, I wouldn't be worried about her not having any at 8 months :) He also said the front incisors come first.


----------



## Nita2806

Fluffy, After the 6week BFing mark, it barely hurt anymore. Only when she went through growth spurts and she's on the boobie the whole day. But the worst was, I think the first 2 - 3 weeks. After that she could drink, and I wouldnt even feel anything. I agree, Formulas today are amazing, there is no reason to BF if its driving you mad. The formula Liezl is on, is probably the most expensive (not including soy milk) BUT it already contains a probiotic, and it helps with silent reflux. I am so happy, even if its so costly, with the formula. But to stop BFing is something you need to decide on and be satisfied with what you decided. 

Perhaps you can get a second opinion on the reflux? And do you have a place nearby to weigh her? Just keep checking her weight, if she picks up a good amount then no need to worry. Babies spit a lot, no doubt, but there's a difference between a spit from a burp and a whole feeding coming up. 

In my opinion, whether you BF or give formula, a baby with a full tummy is a happy baby.

I was never BF as a baby. I was in NICU and my mom gave formula from day 1 and honestly, there's nothing wrong with me (other than my BP being high, its not due to that)

The only reason I am worried about her teeth is because there are no signs of teeth...


----------



## ttc126

Fluffy! Im so sorry youve been through so much! Its so difficult when you have a traumatic delivery and little care afterward. Thats horrid about your midwife too. Being so unsupportive. Definitely talk to someone and make sure youre caring for yourself during recovery. My oldest had a traumatic delivery (not c section) and he started on formula and then we used a nipple shield for FOUR months! And when he was ready he stopped using it just fine. Your dr is right as well...formula is so good these days and no one (including YOU) should make you feel bad or guilty or like youre missing out. 

Nita lol! I check every day too! My oldest got a tooth at 9 months and my second was 13 months. They both have healthy teeth &#10084;&#65039;


----------



## Nita2806

Lol ttc that dissapointment when you check to find nothing hahaha!! Everyone keeps on telling me how she should be teething about now, and I get so annoyed, like shes not teething so mind your own freaking business hahaha!


----------



## Fluffycookie

Nita2806 said:


> Lol ttc that dissapointment when you check to find nothing hahaha!! Everyone keeps on telling me how she should be teething about now, and I get so annoyed, like shes not teething so mind your own freaking business hahaha!

Everyone keeps on telling me what my baby should be doing as well, I have started completely ignoring it - or well, I'm trying X) So annoying, right?!
I'm looking forward to my boobs not hurting in 2-3 weeks time then, haha! My dad wasn't breastfed either, so I'm hoping that if it shouldn't work out for us, we'll be fine too (have some allergies in the family, so I'm a little more worried about taht).

The pediatrician gave us a prescription for a scale which we are renting for free from the pharmacy, so we can weigh her daily and honestly, I often weigh her multiple times a day because I get so worried. Keeping a *very* close eye on her weight gain for sure.


@TTC
Thank you! Four months and still weaned off them successfully? That gives me hope! We've been using them for about four weeks now, I'm trying without them today but I don't know if she's latching right *sigh* Need to have faith and patience but I worry so much.


----------



## Nita2806

Fluffy, its so annoying haha. I try and ignore it too, but some people are so persistant, like my mom, she would tell me to do something and If I dont, she will keep going until I do it. It never ends haha..

As long as your baby is fed fluffy and dont let anyone tell you what and how you shoukd do it, you are her mother, and you k ow whats best for her. And if BFing isnt working out, then it isnt, thats life. She wont hold it against you, she will be glad you cared enough to try and not give up on keeping her healthy. We did the same for Liezl, weighed her every single day, and still do. It sounds like you have it under control.

Keep us updated, and we will be happy to help you when we can :)


----------



## Fluffycookie

Nita, my mother is just the same! She gets upset when I don't take her advice and says I should believe her, she raised three children after all ;) She will also keep suggesting whatever I reject on a daily basis.

The last two days I did every second feed without the shields, today I tried the whole day without it (still use them at night though, just too tired to try forever to latch her at 4 am!). It seemed to be going okay but now she has been crying for an hour straight *sigh* It's the worst when nothing calms her and then I'm tempted to just continually feed her so she's quiet, but if I do, she seems to get tummy aches after and it's worse.


----------



## Nita2806

Fluffy, to be honest with you something just doesnt seem right, and I am by no means an expert, but by this time you shouldnt have to use nipple shields and be in so much pain. Have you considered pumping and bottle feeding your breast milk?? Sorry, wish I had other advice, based on my experience and what I have heard, something doesnt sound right. I honestly think you shoukd have gotten more support after she was born.

How is the CS wound recovering?


----------



## Fluffycookie

Since the crappy midwife didn't help me at first, my nipples got *really* bad in the first week of feeding and I had to use the shields for them to heal after. That took three weeks, that's how bad they were. Combined with her weight gain issues and supplementing with formula, I've only now been able to try feeding without shields again, so I'm basically starting from zero. I've had a lactation consultant come in and I hope with her help, I will get away from the nipple shields! She said I could feed with them for months though if I needed to, so trying not to worry about it too much. I considered pumping (and was doing that for a while in the beginning when she was too weak to drink properly), but it's a lot more hassle than just feeding with nipple shields which has been going fairly well now I think. They are a bit of a hassle themselves with sterilising and you haveto take them everywhere, but less.

The wound has healed fairly well I'd say, just the scar now and obviously lack of core muscle to watch out for.


----------



## Nita2806

I fed with nipple shields as well, especially in those first 2-3 weeks when my nipples were bleeding and so sore. And I get what you say, they are a hassle, and honestly I didnt always sterilize them... maybe after 2 or 3 feeds, I soon gave up on those and luckily after that I could feed without them. I really hope you get the support you need now from the lactation consultant. Hopefully if her latch is correct you wont hurt anymore. 


Glad the wound is healing well, I am almost 8 months PP and my scar still itches some times and I still get pins and needles sometimes, but the scar is almost gone now :)


Post some pictures of your little one, if you can. :)


----------



## Fluffycookie

Breastfeeding still isn't working well (cracked and sore nipples again now without the shields, even though the LC said she's latching right..) :( Hoping it will still get better as I've only been off the shields for 5 days now.

Can you ladies recap your feeding journeys for me? I'm looking for some honest stories rather than the "breastfeeding is so beautiful and easy" ones I keep reading online *sigh* Also, when did you all start solids? Here, most people say at 6+ months and then only a little, not fully until they are 12 months old. That seems like a terribly long time to me right now, I've barely made it to 7 weeks :( Am planning to bring it up at my next pediatrician appointment, she'll be 14 weeks old by then and I'm kinda hoping they'll say I can start when she is 4-5 months old X)


----------



## Nita2806

Fluffy, I jist want to say, if BFing isnt working, dont feel obligated to continue, there are alternatives!

We started solids at 3.5 months, the pead confirmed then that she is ready! But to be completely honest, you make her milk/feedings less until after 6 months. Liezl still got all her milk, and had some cereal in the morning and a few spoons of veggies. Only after 6 months we incresed her meals to 3 times a day and making her bottles less to 4 bottles a day, as they recomended.


----------



## Fluffycookie

I remember reading (it's all a bit foggy now ^^") you breastfed initially and then bottle fed - can you tell me a bit about that, too? If you don't mind me asking, why did you start giving Liezl solids if she still needs the full amount of milk until 6 months anyway? I thought solids replace some of the milk, little by little?


----------



## Nita2806

I breastfed and then a few weeks before she started school i gave some formule, the idea was to breastfed at night and formule during the day but after a few days she refused the breast, wanting the bottle only, about 2 or 3 days later my breastmilk dissapeared.

In the beginning you give very little bits of food, they play with it and spit it out, its not enough to replace any milk, its mostly to get them used to different tastes.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Fluffy, omg I can't believe what you and your little one have been through!!! So glad you are both ok!

As far as bf'ing, personally I don't know anyone who can say it was easy. I couldn't get my girl to latch without a nipple shield either at first. And then when I did it was so painful I had to go back to it occasionally just to get through. I don't use a nipple shield anymore, but I have been battling a new problem now for far too long; THRUSH. It makes bf'ing a totally new kind of painful. Totally feels like my little one has teeth already! While it doesn't even begin to compare to what you went through, you are right that those "beautiful" breastfeeding stories and not as common as we might think. I had some serious bleeding 1-2 weeks after Sofia was born. Like instantaneous pad soak and running down both legs. Doc couldn't find anything wrong, but did say my bloodwork showed signs of infection, and put me on an antibiotic to be safe. My suspicion is that the antibiotic made me more susceptible to the thrush. I have been on two rounds of a pill to try to kick it, have been using nystatin cream, and both little one and I have had a round each of nystatin oral solution. Still haven't kicked it. Going back to her pediatrician tomorrow, but not sure what it would take at this point.

Hope everyone else is doing well! Hang in there Fluffy! Missed you, glad to have you back! <3


----------



## Fluffycookie

@Nita
Thank you for sharing your bf story :) and that makes sense, I kinda just assumed they would eat the bits you give them straight away without needing to get used to it, haha

@Lucy
and thanks to you too! Right? Why do we always hear that it's so easy and natural, and then when you ask actual people, few had it "just happen"? (medical background) Yes antibiotics make you more susceptible to thrush - poor you! A different medication might well do the tritck, but you should also consider treating hubby too because it can be passed through all three of you if you're unlucky. Also check in with your gynecologist, they are often better at treating thrush than pediatricians. I've heard it's really painful, I hope you kick it soon!
:hugs: awww, thank you, I've missed being here too!

I've started seeing a counsellor yesterday and the first session was pretty good I think - cried loads. My lactation consultant is coming again on Friday to check that the latch is better (and hopefully actually good now, pleasepleaseplease), the nipples have not been getting worse, possibly actually better now. Definitely bleeding less.

...and then my in-laws are coming from the UK this weekend. AHHHHHHHHHH X)


----------



## Nita2806

Ladies, how are you doing?

Liezl is 9 months old now, and it looks like she is teething, her gums look so sore, I feel so sorry for her. It looks like both middle lower teeth are going to cut through at the same time. Otherwise we are well. I have mainly been focusing on my journey to loose weight.


----------



## Nita2806

Hi Ladies,

So, I found out this morning that I am 6 weeks pregnant :o Very shocked, but excited.


----------



## ttc126

What????? Nita thats amazing! Congratulations!


----------



## Nita2806

Thanks TTC, still trying to work my head around it. I had long cycles, like 35+ days, and with Liezl we had to go the Clomod route, I mean you remember. And now I felt pregnant accidently, I believe everything happens for a reason, this is more like a dream come true


----------



## Nita2806

So happy :)


----------



## Fluffycookie

Congratulations Nita, that's great news!! Gives me hope that things can be easier the second time around :)

We finally go the hang of breastfeeding and now it's working out great, painfree and easy ^^ I especially love nursing at night, I just nurse her in bed (we have a co-sleeper, so a cot that attaches to the bed) lying down, don't have to get up or properly wake her up and end up getting a lot more sleep that way. She is three months old tomorrow and growing and gaining weight like crazy! She is still a little hard to settle at times and does not like being put down/being alone mos tof time, but things are way easier than they were and she smiles all day every day (ok, when she is not being fussy )


----------



## Nita2806

Fluffy, I had recently started to live super healthy, I lost around 6kgs in 2 months, I started excercising, and I had always read how women get pregnant easier when they're living healthy. I strongly believe this is the reason I got pregnant, to be honest DH and I had sex 3 times in the last 47 days and not even when I think I Od, we werent trying, in fact we wanted to wait till next year. I still dont believe it...no clomid!!

I am so happy to hear you got the hang of BFing. Those smiles are the best! Wait until she laughs out loud, your heart will melt! Liezl will sit and play and suddenly just laugh, those are the best moments.shes in a lot of pain now, looks like the 4 upper teeth might be coming soon!


----------



## Nita2806

My tests :)
 



Attached Files:







SmartSelectImage_2018-07-24-17-20-47.jpg
File size: 15.8 KB
Views: 1









SmartSelectImage_2018-07-24-17-20-31.jpg
File size: 14.8 KB
Views: 1


----------



## ttc126

How are you doing Nita?
Fluffy how are things with you?

I visited my fertility doctor this morning. I think we want to try one more time but i cant take the heartache of multiple miscarriages again. So he gave me a general exam and we will do an hsg and hysteroscopy next cycle and see about starting clomid again soon! My ultrasound showed a bit more endometriosis than i had last time ttc so we will know if its ok or i need more help after the tests in a few weeks.


----------



## Nita2806

I'm doing Ok ttc. You know how the first few weeks go, when you have symptoms you feel crap and when you don't have any you want to feel crap. I do however have slightly worse symptoms this time around. Have my first appointment next week Monday, so I am just hoping and praying for a strong heartbeat and that everything is ok.

Glad to hear you are going to try again. I hope you dont have to go through the MCs again, but it sounds like you have a good plan. Really hope you get a BFP soon.


----------



## sarah2211

Hello everyone! 

Ive been MIA haha again! Sorry. Life has been super busy! 

Anyway, today is Williams first birthday! I cant believe I have a 1 year old!!

Congrats on number 2 Nita


----------



## Nita2806

Hi Sarah, wow its been a while hey! Hope you are doing well?

Congratz with William's first birthday, how is he doing?

I bet you saw some unexpected things on here while you were gone for so long :)


----------



## sarah2211

Haha yeah sorry! Life has just been busy. My husband is building a new house for us and we had a really bad run of winter bugs. But we are doing well now. Thanks! He&#8217;s good, it&#8217;s amazing to watch him grow up and learn new things. 

Haha I did! But I might have missed somethings. You and Belle both have wee ones on the way and Ask had her baby girl. Did I miss abytbing?


----------



## Nita2806

Gla you are all doing well. Is W walking already? How many teeth does he have? 

I cant believe I have an 1 old year as well next month.

Nope, thats about it :) ill send you a pm a bit later though ;)


----------



## ttc126

Hey ladies!!!!!!

Good to hear from you Nita and Sarah! 

Sarah! Happy first bday to William! I hope you guys had a fun day!

Nita, how are you feeling????

So not great news for me. We wanted to try for #4. I had a hysteroscopy and hsg and apparently now have severe endometriosis. It appears both tubes were blocked on the hsg but i have to have it repeated with dye at the hospital to see for sure. If my tubes are not blocked I have a low chance of pregnancy but not impossible. I dont want to think about the chance if they are... Rough news.


----------



## sarah2211

Almost walking! He&#8217;s taking a few steps. But his favourite thing is climbing. He&#8217;ll use whatever he can as a step and get up on the couch/coffee table etc. He&#8217;s got 3 teeth and number 4 is coming through. 

It&#8217;s crazy! Not sure where the year went for us. He&#8217;s starting to seem less like a baby and more like a toddler. But I&#8217;m not ready for number 2 yet haha. Plus we might have a year overseas in Europe so I&#8217;m keen to do that with just 1 baby haha. 

Aww I&#8217;m sorry TTC, that&#8217;s tough news. Is IVF an option? Or an option you would consider? How is your family going?


----------



## Nita2806

Ttc, im doing well for the first time in this pregnancy, I was feeling sick but we got a scare on 6 weeks when my ob saw blood on the outside of my uterus, so she put me on progesterone again, literally felt like I was dying on it, and I took half the dose, I could cope with that but stopped 1 week early. Saw baby yesterday and its perfect with a heartbeat of 179. Im 10,5 weeks now.

I sm so sorry to read your horrible news :( :( I really hope they find a way to make it posdible for you to get pregnsnt again. 

Glad he is doing so well Sarah <3 we werent really trying for nr2, wsnted to wait till next year, but im going to love having my bsbies only 15 months apart. Had to cancel our holiday to the coast though :( but everythings happens for a reason.


----------



## sarah2211

G


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, I&#8217;m glad the scar didn&#8217;t turn out to be anything bad. Do you feel different about this pregnancy emotionally? I&#8217;m not sure how I&#8217;ll feel when I&#8217;m pregnant again. Like I don&#8217;t know if I could love another baby as much as W but I also found it pretty weird to imagine what he would actually look like when he was born. But now I reckon I&#8217;d feel more attached because I know what a brand new baby is like haha. 

That age gap isn&#8217;t much!! How do you think you&#8217;ll manage? Have you told your parents?


----------



## Nita2806

OMG W is such a cuty!! Can you imagine a life without him?? Ill see if I can take a nice photo of Liezl, but she's grumpy af - it looks like her 6 next teeth are coming together (give me strength)

Definitely feel different this time around - I haven't once opened a pregnancy app to see how baby is developing - got a shock at the OB yesterday when it looked like a tiny human already. I was scared at first - like WOAH how am I going to do this, but honestly I've come to love this tiny human inside me so much and I can't wait for L to meet her younger sibling - I just know they are going to be best friends growing up. Honestly, don't think about it too much Sarah - when and if #2 comes, you deal with it as it comes. I was sooo scared, but I am glad now it happened - and I cant wait :)


----------



## ttc126

Sarah, he is DARLING!!!!!! Seriously such a doll!

Nita, good news everything is going so well! My older two boys are 16 months apart and we loved it. The first year is challenging but now that theyre almost 4 and 5 its so perfect and easy.

And thanks ladies. Ill try to update here when I get the hsg repeated.


----------



## Nita2806

thanks ttc - thats the same response I get from everyone with children so close to each other, including my mom (my brother and I differ 18 months) even though we have nothing to do with each other today, it was nice having a friend growing up and looking out for each other.

I hope its only good news!! Goodluck - thing of you. <3


----------



## ttc126

Had the hsg repeated and my left tube is damaged but the right was ok! We tried this month and it didn’t happen. Well I’m 12dpo and negative test so i count myself out. Waiting for AF this weekend. 
I can call my clinic for clomid next month but debating on what to do... I kind of want to wait on clomid and see if it happens naturally. 
How are you Nita? How are you Sarah?


----------



## Nita2806

Hi TTc, good to hear from you again. Glad you have one tube thats ok! I hope it happens naturally for you, I wouldnt want to go Clomid again either. Goodluck!

Im doing good. Liezl turns one in 2,5 weeks, we have her party next weekend and we find out in 1,5 weeks if dhe is getting a sister or brother.


----------



## Nita2806

We are expecting another girl :) she is healthy is measuring 2 days ahead, heehaa!!


----------



## ttc126

Congratulations Nita!!!!!!


----------



## sarah2211

Congratulations Nita! How exciting! Sorry I’ve been MIA again. Life has been busy. 

In other news, I’m pregnant again! I stopped the mini pill back in July. I had a long cycle in August-September. Hubby went overseas. Came back at the end of November. BFP 20th December! No clomid or anything. I’m still breastfeeding 

To be honest, I’m not feeling excited. I guess we were NTNP but I didn’t think it would actually happen, and I definitely didn’t think it would happen on the first real cycle. I love just being at home with W and giving him all my time and attention. He’s still waking a few times in the night and will only settle with me (probably because DH has been away so much). 

I did a test thinking it couldn’t be positive, but it was. I messaged DH to come home from building our house because I had something to show him. W handed him the test! DH is OVER the moon. But it’s bad timing. He’s doing an intense 4 month course right when I’m due. It determines his future career and whether he gets a significant pay rise. He’ll also be overseas for 12 months in 2020. 

I think I’m about 5-6 weeks. I’ll have a scan in the new year. Beta was 1437 on Friday last week. EDD around 26th August, just under 2 weeks before W turns 2.


----------



## Nita2806

Hi Sarah!! Yes its been a while again. Havent been on here myself in a while, funny we both check in on the same day lol.

Your story sounds similiar to mine, lol, never thought it would happen, but it did!! I didnt feel excited in the beginning aswell, actually felt like I cheated on Liezl, she is actuqlly avoiding me now, pretty sure its the hormones, any way now I am super excited. Watching her plqy with other babies and enjoying it, she is going to love having a little sister. 

So I guess, congratz!! Please keep us updated, and you will different omce baby starts to kick, that changed everything for me.

Ive got some other news as well, I finally completed my degree after 8 years, guess when the grqduation date is? 3 weeks before my EDD in March, so blegh.


----------



## sarah2211

That is funny and coincidence that our stories are the same haha. I should have taken warning from you. I feel really guilty saying this but I’m far from excited and really don’t want this to be happening right now. Life is busy enough and I really wanted to wait until W was older. I really think I’m done after this, I don’t think I can go through the first trimester again. Hyperemersis is back although I don’t seem to be quite as unwell as last time but it’s really hard work with a 16 month old. I’m feeling pretty down about it all. My first scan is on Tuesday. I hope you’re right about the excitement building Nita. It feels so different to last time. Congratulations on finishing your degree. What did you study again?


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah, I think it is ok to feel that way - the guilt feelings in the beginning got the better of me as well. The moment she started kicking it changed, and seeing L play with other kids and how much she loves it made me realize that she is going to have a friend growing up. I have to say, being 28 weeks and having a 15 month old is not easy - this baby is huge ( L weighed 900g on 29 weeks, her sister now weighs 1.23kg on 28 weeks) and L is on her 4th round of antibiotics for ear infection in the last 2 months - so not sleeping at night struggling with a toddler with fever of 40+.

I am sorry you are sick again! Really hope its better this time. Second time was completely different for me as well. With L I had Gestational Hypertension @ 29 weeks - this time blood pressure is still normal (I am just like Woah!!??)

I studied financial accounting. My graduation is on 11 March and my CS date is 15 March :o hope baba doesnt come early - considering how big she is - I am a little scared.


----------



## sarah2211

Yeah I’m hopeful it’ll change. I just can’t help but remember how hard it all was when W was born and having a toddler to think about. It just seems so difficult. W is sleeping much better, just 1 wake up but I know sleep goes up and down so we’ll wait and see. Ugh, I just feel miserable about it all. 

I bet in 2 years time things will be different and they’ll be best friends (or not haha). 

I’m glad your blood pressure has been good so far. Hopefully she stays put until your c section date. Poor L, it’s tough when they’re sick.


----------



## ttc126

Congratulations Sarah!!!!

Nita, I’m glad all is well so far!!!!

And guess what? I’m pregnant again too. Very early...second beta tomorrow. Very surprised!


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah, please keep us updated on your first appointment - hope its all good news. And don't worry too much about the pregnancy - take it day by day - everything happens for a reason :)

OH MY WORD!!!! TTC - I know you wanted this, I am so EXTREMELY happy for you!! Please keep us updated.

Did this thread become lucky or making us more fertile or something? LOL

I am 29 weeks today, 9 weeks to go till my CS. This baby is huge!! Had my iron levels tested - its low so I will probably be starting iron supplements today, just waiting to hear from my OB


----------



## sarah2211

Haha this thread must have done something. Congratulations TTC! 

My appointment went well. I’ve been really sick and had a few IV fluids. I’m feeling very strongly that this will be our last baby. I’m not going to get my tubes tied but I’ll be definitely be getting an IUD or something. First midwife appointment on Monday. 

Hope you’re managing ok Nita. How big do they think this baby is? Hopefully you can get your iron levels back up again.


----------



## Nita2806

Sorry you have been so sick Sarah - Hopefully it gets better soon.

I hear you, pretty sure this is our last baby as well. I wanted to get my tubes tied but I hear a lot of negative things about it. I might just also go on some sort of birth control as well.

So far baby have been measuring spot on, last week she was 1.5kg already (30 weeks), and we are likely looking at birth weight of 3kg @ 38 weeks if nothings goes wrong (Liezl was 2.29kg @ 38 weeks) - I am on iron supplements now - no side effects from it so so far it is going great. I am only struggling with a lot of lower back pain :(


----------



## sarah2211

I’m feeling a bit better now. Still the odd vomit, but usually it’s in the evenings if I’m tired. Well I’m tired all the time haha. 

I’ve heard negative stuff about having your tubes tied too. So I’m not sure. I’ll probably go for a long term contraceptive like a Mirena. If we do this again it won’t be any time soon haha. 

That all sounds good and healthy. Hopefully everything goes smoothly. How’s your blood pressure? 

I had my 12 week scan yesterday. All is good. I feel a bit guilty for not being as excited as I was last time though.


----------



## Nita2806

So far things have been going really good with this pregnancy. I even spent a week in hospital with L 2 weeks ago as she had bronchopneumonia. Blood pressure is perfectly normal, I am still exercising, not picking up as much weight as I did with L. I am struggling to sleep but this baby is huge so tbh my tummy hurt.

I am pretty sure this will be our last. 

I am glad everything is still well with your baby - almost in the 2nd trimester already, hey?

I have my 34 week appointment tomorow - also exactly 4 more weeks until we get to meet the little one.


----------



## OnErth&InHvn

Exciting!!!


----------



## ttc126

How are you ladies? 

9 weeks here and hoping all is still well! Have an ultrasound in the morning so a bit nervous. Been very sick this time with hyperemesis. Lost 10lbs between 5-7 weeks. Otherwise doing well!


----------



## Nita2806

Good to hear from you TTC - so glad everything is still well :)

I am 35 weeks, baby started growing slower so guessing she will be smaller as well - otherwise still going good. Counting down the days now to meet her :)


----------



## sarah2211

Nita, I’m glad you’re finding it easier this time. Poor L, I hope she’s feeling better now. Not long now!

TTC, im so sorry you have HG. I had a rough time again and although I wasn’t vomiting excessively I lost 12lb and had ketones in my urine. The doctor called it HG but I think it was just intense nausea. I hope it doesn’t last the whole pregnancy for you. Did you have it for your other pregnancies?

AFM, I’m in the second trimester yay! Still feeling a bit nauseous but a lot better than I have been. I think I’m going to show much earlier this time.


----------



## OnErth&InHvn

Doing FE this cycle..FX this left ovary gets the message!


----------



## Nita2806

I have my 36 week appt this Friday - still wondering where time went. Getting stressed now as how I am going to cope with 2 babies and recovering from a CS - luckily hubby gets 2 weeks paid leave this time and when he goes back to work, my granny will stay with me for a week. But still - I am having sleepless nights. I am also on unpaid leave this time, so trying to claim from the unemployment fund but they screwed up my stuff so I have no idea if I will get any income from March :(

Glad you are doing better Sarah - any idea when you might find out the gender? 

FX for you OnEarth <3


----------



## OnErth&InHvn

I had 2 kids under 2 and had a 2nd cs, plus #2 was in the NICU. It wasnt easy but it wasnt the worst. Then we had 3 under 3 and I just prayed 1 and 2 walked before 3 came and danced when they all potty trained.


----------



## sarah2211

Good luck OnErth. 

Nita, I don’t blame you! I’m freaking out about that already. I haven’t decided whether I’ll try for a VBAC or book a RCS. Hopefully your recovery is smooth and straightforward. How long did you feel sore last time? I’m glad your husband will get some time off. I think my husband will get 2 weeks but can apply for another 2 weeks, plus can take annual leave if need be. 

Probably find out if it’s a boy or girl at my 20 week scan. I don’t have a gut feeling this time. I think I’d prefer a girl but I’m ok with a boy. 

I’m finally starting to feel better and get my energy back and not feel nauseous.


----------



## Nita2806

Happy you are feeling better Sarah - I found the second pregnancy going by so much quicker, I mean I get to meet my little princess next week Friday already, and here you are in the 2nd tri already, wow.

My recovery with L wasnt bad at all - The first week was sore but after I went home I barely took any of the pain meds, just the Voltarin suppositories when it was very sore. Was able to go on as normal around 10 days pp.

Even if I wanted to try for VBAC, so many things are against me. Ofcourse its only 17 months after L was born, there was the risk of my bloodpressure (even though its still normal - 120/70 at my last measurement) and then this little one is breech - which btw is not cool - the heartburn and pressure is so much more.

I am finishing work today as well.


----------



## OnErth&InHvn

I'd try for VBAc because you wouldnt want to look back and wish you tried.

I'll be going for a 2nd VBA2C. 

Got a + OPK today. Yes to FE!


----------



## sarah2211

You’re right, it does feel quick! I can’t believe next Friday is the day!! One week to go! How exciting. But crazy! Have you got everything organised?

I’m 16 weeks tomorrow. I’m dying to get to 20 weeks and find out what we are having. I put up a thread in the gender prediction forum and everyone said girl. I’ll be happy with either, a boy will be cheaper and W will probably play better with a boy. But I’d love to have 1 of each. 

We are in the process of buying a new car too but can’t decide what to get! Too many options haha. Any suggestions? 

The OB I saw said she would be ok with a VBAC with 16 month gap. 18 months is ideal from what I’ve read. But it sounds like with her being breech, the decision would be made anyway. I don’t feel super passionate about either option. I’m only leaning towards a VBAC for the recovery, but apart from that I don’t really care. I have no strong feelings of having to prove myself or any sense that I’d feel regretful either. My C section recovery was horrendous and I’m scared of having that again, especially with a toddler. And I’ve already ruined one hole haha why ruin both? But I guess the biggest thing playing on my mind is that I would HATE to have a failed VBAC end up in another emergency c section. Like that thought is enough to go straight to a repeat c section. DH reckons c section is the way to go. I’m thinking my current plan is to book a c section for just around my due date, maybe a few days after. If I go into labour before that then I’ll try, if not then I’ve got a date.


----------



## Nita2806

I cant wait to see what you are having Sarah :) I am glad I have 2 of the same gender, think they will grow up close to each other and get along just fine. Mostly because I have brother, and lets just say we fight all the time, and we are strangers to each other.

You still have plenty of time to decide on vbac or a RCS. I had my 37 week appt and last one todqy and she is still breech. My OB said she will only do a vbac under perfect circumstances, but even then the risk of an emergency CS is still too big. However its a CS for me, no way she is turning. Its nice, I get to plan everything.

Good news though, she is already weighing 3kg today and BP is still normal :)

RE new car, looooooaaaads of boot space lol I drive a Polo and some days this little thing surprises me, perfect for everyday travelling but too small for holidays, etc. So we got hubby a Suzuki Ciaz. Nice looking car, very big inside and then the boot...we can easily fit a months groceries and a pram in there. We go away for weekends with half the boot empty, and then we take everything from cots and prams etc. So yeah, check the boot space, especially with 2 babies.


----------



## sarah2211

I was just talking to my friend about that today. Having 2 of the same sex would help with the friendship side of it. My brother and I weren’t close either. I’d feel a bit sad not having 1 of each but then again I’d be ok with 2 boys. I’m just dying to know what it is haha. 

If this baby is breech then I’ll defi go straight for a c section. I think the odds of a successful VBAC are around 60-70% but I’m not sure that’s enough for me. The emergency aspect and having been in labour prior is shit. It sounds like a c section is the only option anyway. And definitely having a plan is a bonus of an elective. 

Yay! Sounds like everything is going well and to plan!

Thanks for the car suggestions. Definitely the boot space haha. We ended up buying a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.


----------



## Nita2806

Quick update. My water broke at home Wednesday, went into hospital and they kept me there for observation. Cervix was still closed so they did the CS yesterday morning at 6am. Little liane was born at 6:31 weighing 2.93kg and 49cm long. She took the breast last night like a real champ. She is perfect.


----------



## sarah2211

Congratulations!! I was going to say quite a few of my friends with breech babies seemed to go into labour/have their waters break early. I’m so glad she’s doing well. I hope your recovery is going well too!


----------



## OnErth&InHvn

Congrats!!!!


----------



## ttc126

Congrats Nita!!!!!


----------



## Nita2806

Finally have time to share my birth story. So my CS was booked for Friday at 9am at 38w1d, it was a few days earlier than what we wanted as my OB was leaving on holiday Friday afternoon. Wednesday night I woke up once again from horrible heartburn, as I was eqting some ice cream so sooth my throat I thought I peed myseld a little. It got worse and I had to wear new pants. It happened again a few minutes later and again. I told my hubby that either I have horrible bladder control or my water broke. This was 10pm. Phoned my OB and she said go the hospital, and so we went in. Got here around 11pm. They did some tests and confirmed that my water did break, but my cervix was still closed and no contractions. My OB confirmed that she will be there at 6am for the CS. Hubby went home to sleep and so I slept here as well. 

Woke up at 4am with mild contractions, and I went on to take a hot shower. Prepped for theatre and went in just after 6am. Everything went well, catheter and drip can off friday morning, I stood up and walked and actually felt very well. Going home today (sunday) qnd looking forward to spending some time with my daughters. 

Sarah, the recovery after this CS is going so much better than my first. Since I got up I hqve been going on as normal, even took a shower by myself without issues.


----------



## ttc126

So glad all went well Nita!!!!

My second c section was worlds better than my first one too!


----------



## sarah2211

Wow that’s awesome! I’m so glad everything went well and your recovery is much smoother. I’m still on the fence with my decision, but leaning more towards a c section. Hope your girls are doing well. How’s L doing being a big sister?


----------



## Nita2806

You still have plenty of time to decide Sarah. But so far the second CS is a breeze. I am 10 days pp and I can comfortably start to pick up L as well, and she weighs 10kg now (avoiding picking her up though, as I would like everything to heal up properly, but when I am home alone J hqve no choice). My scar looks a bit worse though, BUT baby being breech they strugled to get her out, my OB took longer this time. But I am sure as soon as the bruising goes away it will look much better. They told my hubby he can have a look while they try and take her out, but he gave me one look and said no, he told me afterwards how he could see them strugling and pushing and hurting me so he prefer to just not see it up close. So I am actually surprised that I feel so good.

She just adores her little sister, the smile on her face when she sees her is just amazing. She is still a little rough on her but I am teaching her to touch her sister gently.


----------



## sarah2211

It’s a tough decision. My midwife suggested I wait and see what the OB says because being high risk, they might say it’s an automatic c section. I’m not sure if I’ll get to a point where I’m 100% happy with the decision though. I guess until it’s all over. 

Wow that’s good you can pick her up. W is 11.3kgs now but he’s so muscly haha. Was she engaged breech? Like far down? It sounds difficult. I had a friend whose baby was too far engaged via emergency c sectionthat they had to use forceps to get him out. It was pretty horrific. Haha aww is your DH squeamish usually? My DH stood up and looked over the curtain for W. I know some places even do clear sheets so you can watch the baby being lifted out. 

Aww that’s sweet. I’m thinking we are going to have the same deal with being a bit rough. 

Anatomy scan next Friday! 8 days to go. I really have no gut feeling if it’s a boy or a girl. 

Did you end up getting your tubes tied too Nita?


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah, I hope you can come to a decision and be comfortable with it. I think I would feel the same if my first was an emergency CS too. I was scared my second would be when my water broke early, but everyone was so chilled at the hospital, lol. It was semi emergency, but not in the sense that baby was in danger. I have no idea if she was engaged or what not, I just know they struggled a lot.

My hubby have no issues with it, with the first he looked up closely and shared all gory details with me afterwards, so when he told me he couldnt look this time, I just knew it was that bad.

I am so excited to hear what you are having :D

Tubes not tied, hubby really wants a boy, so if in a few years we are up for it and can afford spermwash + IUI we are going to try for a boy.


----------



## sarah2211

Yeah I just really don’t want to end up with another emergency one. I think they consider it an emergency c section in your situation because it wasn’t when it was ‘planned’. It might not have been a life threatening one at that point but if your waters break before the date (even slightly before) I think they still call it an ‘emergency’ one. 

Only 6 more days until we find out (if he/she cooperates!). 

Haha men and wanting a son! I hope you do. Will you guys wait a while? DH today said he’d like a third but I really don’t think my body can go through this again. I’d like to do a really good job and give everything to the 2 we’ll have and not feel overstretched


----------



## Nita2806

Yeah, all my stuff for the medical aid and bills are for an emergency C Section. I still think it was all chilled. The surgery itself took a lot longer this time as well. Today I walked to the shops, feel pretty great, friends of ours looked at me and couldnt believe I had a CS just 2 weeks ago. 

I really cant wait, I hope he/she cooperates and I cqnt believe you are halfway there!! The last bit is the hardest, but it will be worth it. I found it easier to adapt with this baby as well, I cant imagine my life now with only 1 child.

We will definately wait a few years, no waaaaays I am putting my body through this any time soon again. I think we will end up only having the 2 girls.


----------



## ttc126

Nita so glad you’re doing well!

Sarah, I can’t believe you’re nearly halfway!!!!!

I’m 15 weeks today! I finally feel less anxious all the time which is nice. Hyperemesis really kicked my butt this time. This is my last baby too. I thought we were done at 3!


----------



## sarah2211

I’m glad your recovering is going well Nita! That’s pretty impressive. I was still struggling to walk to the bathroom at 2 weeks. It sounds like you’re managing the two girls really well! I’m thinking it’s going to be super full on in our house after the new baby is here. W is full on, he’s so much fun but he’s busy. 

It’s definitely tough on the body. I don’t know how people have lots and lots of babies. Like my MIL had 7. I’m exhausted now. 

It’s crazy I’m almost half way. My scan is on Friday. DH reckons it’s a girl and I think boy. I’ll let you know as soon as I know! 

I had the high risk OB today. He wants me on Clexane injections again but my hematologist said it wasn’t really necessary so at this stage I’ve said no thanks. I’ll be having regular growth scans and being monitored closely. The OB recommended an elective c section at 38-39 weeks but said if I wanted to try for a VBAC he would support that. He said “but we will talk more about that closer to the time, if things are not going perfectly to plan then I wouldn’t be recommending a VBAC”. So if my BP behaves, baby grows well etc then I might do a VBAC otherwise it’ll be a c section. 

TTC, I’m sorry you’re having such a tough time with HG. If I could get rid of any pregnancy symptom it would 100% be the nausea and vomiting. I did see today that mums who have bad morning sickness/HG often end up with more intelligent children haha. Probably not a legit study but I’ll take it.


----------



## Nita2806

Good to hear from you TTC, so sorry you have been feeling under the weather. I cant believe you are so far along already, wow. When are you finding out the gender? Maybe a girl after the 3 boys :p

Sarah, its good the OB is respecting your choices and is willing to try VBAC. You still have plenty of time though, I hope things go smoother this time. My OB said often women who strugle with high BP in the first pregnancy have normal BP in the next (she was right mine stayed pretty low - normal right through) hope it is the same for you.

I am soooo excited to hear what the gender is, I will likely stalk this page on Friday to find out, hee hee.


----------



## sarah2211

It’s still a difficult decision to make. If it wasn’t for the recovery, I’d go for an elective but I’m really scared about being so sore after. Also, not being able to drive sucks. And DH will stay at home overnight to look after W. And based on my experience last time, the midwives and nurses in hospital were so overworked and I got no support from them. Plus all my family and in laws are away/not able to take time off work then. So I don’t know how I’ll cope. 

So far, my BP has been all good. My midwife said you can never tell, for lots of women it isn’t a problem in the second pregnancy but we still need to monitor closely. The OB said because I had the same father for both pregnancies then the risk is still there. 

Less than 24 hours!! Haha.


----------



## Nita2806

Not being able to drive sucks!! I am 3 weeks pp today and so ready to get my life back, I am so tempted to drive, I feel fine though, absolutely no pain, but I just dont take the chance. I will probably start to drive when I am 5 weeks pp. I hope this time things are different and you get some support from the hospital staff. I was so lucky this time, the hospital have space for like 30 women, but we were only 3, the staff was so chilled and sometimes they just came by to chat or say hello. Also 1 shower in the maternity ward, so this time there was no ques, I even showered for half an hour on the last day, because I can lol. 

Its good you are so closely monitored, rather safe than sorry.


Eeeek, I cant wait :D


----------



## ttc126

Just curious why you all have such long driving restrictions? I was driving before two weeks were up both times I had a c section... do your countries do it differently? 

Ahhhh can’t wait to hear what you’re having Sarah!


----------



## Nita2806

Ttc, the rule here is no driving for 6 weeks. You need the go ahead from the OB qt the 6 week check up. We have this rule for 2 reasons, 1. They say takes the time it takes to heal properly enough to drive and 2. Insurance companies dont pay if you are in an accident and had a CS less than 6 weeks ago. So not really like we cqnt or dont want to, but thats how it is here.


----------



## ttc126

Nita2806 said:


> Ttc, the rule here is no driving for 6 weeks. You need the go ahead from the OB qt the 6 week check up. We have this rule for 2 reasons, 1. They say takes the time it takes to heal properly enough to drive and 2. Insurance companies dont pay if you are in an accident and had a CS less than 6 weeks ago. So not really like we cqnt or dont want to, but thats how it is here.

Wow that’s a long time to wait! Here you have to be cleared by the OB, but the only restriction they’ve placed on me in the past was going 3 days without any narcotics before driving. I think here if you get in an accident before the OB clears you it’s an insurance issue. 
I hope the rest of the time passes quickly for you!!!!!


----------



## ttc126

Also, it’s not like I think the US does a good job of taking care of women during or after pregnancy. It’s crazy how fast we’re supposed to be “fine.” I’d actually love if we were supposed to take more time to actually heal.


----------



## sarah2211

The driving thing sucks. It’s recommended 6 weeks here. The OB said you might feel fine and be ok to drive but if you have to brake suddenly then that’s when there’s the problem. I waited until 6-7 weeks last time. 

I forgot about how you pretty much have to go back to work straight away in the US. I do not know how you could even think about work that soon after a baby!

Did you not have your own bathroom/shower Nita?! Here, if you have a c section you get your own bathroom/shower to minimise the risk of infection. 

About to go pick up hubby to go to the scan!!


----------



## OnErth&InHvn

I had emergency section in 05 and 06, I wasn't allowed to drive for 6 weeks. 

My ovarian cancer surgery last year, I couldnt drive for 2 weeks. 
I'm in the US.

Last cycle didnt work out and this FE cycle I am sick and trying to figure out if my cancer is back so NTNP I guess. 

My 1st section was emergency, my 2nd wasnt. 1st was placenta abruption. 2nd was failure to progress and I wasnt educated enough at the time to push the issue like I am now. I would have told them to get me a new OB and ask for pitocin. 

But I'm stubborn. Lol


----------



## drjo718

Hi ladies! I just came across this thread tonight and thought I'd join. I'm 34, and DH and I are ttc #3. I had a miscarriage at 6 weeks in June 2015. I was later diagnosed with PCOS (which always assumed I had), hyperprolactinemia, and a submuscosal uterine fibroid. I had surgery and went on meds, including femara (Clomid didn't make me ovulate), and conceived my daughter on my 2nd cycle. 

When I got my first postpartum cycle, I took femara again, and conceived my son on my 2nd cycle. I then conceived spontaneously with my 1st postpartum ovulation, but miscarried very early. I waited for another period (which took 3 months), and started femara again. I conceived on the 2nd cycle yet again, but miscarried very early again. 

I'm now in my 2nd cycle of femara again (noticing the trend??), and got my bfp at 9dpo on April 1. Im nervous but hopeful. I'm liking my line progression so far, and feeling better about this one.


----------



## OnErth&InHvn

Congrats!! 

I did Clomid and FE years ago and I ovulated 50% of the time and that was with cancer! 

I am on cycle 2 of FE and od last cycle, waiting to O this cycle but I have been sick and I'm not supposed to be TTC this cycle.


----------



## sarah2211

Another boy!!


----------



## OnErth&InHvn

Yay!!!!!!!


----------



## Nita2806

Ttc, do you get maternity leave in the US? I think in South Africa its nice that we are supposed to take time ti heal but thats not me, I took a few days off afterwards the birth and then started working from home again. I would love to be able to drive again and just do things as normal, even though I have no pain, I feel pressure when I overdo it.

Sarah, we have a huge maternity ward at the hospital I go to, we have standard and private rooms, my medical aid dont pay for a private room so I havr been in a standard room with both births, which means I share the room. It only have 2 beds for 2 patients and a bathroom with a toilet and a bath. The whole ward then share a shower, but they clean it everytime someone showers. I dont know if the private rooms have their own showers though. The hospital is quite old and those days women did not have CS as easily as now, hence the baths..

Congrats on another boy, how do you and hubby feel about it?

Welcome drjo718 - sorry you had so many MCs, I hope this one is a sticky bean, keep us updated!!

I hope your luck change soon OnEarth, I hope you feel better xx

<3


----------



## OnErth&InHvn

We get maternity leave here. 4-6weeks. Sometimes unpaid though. Just for moms. 

I got a + OPK tonight.


----------



## ttc126

First, congratulations Sarah! My two older boys are so close. I love watching them grow up together. 

If I were still working in my field, I wouldn’t get any paid maternity leave. I stay home with our boys now because childcare costs are totally outrageous in my area. My husband’s job recently started giving “parental leave” fully paid for 12 weeks for moms OR dads. It’s amazing! We hope he can take advantage of that because c section recovery with 3 other kids is going to be tricky. Last time my husband went back right away so it was really tough especially because my then not-quite-three year old still needed me to lift him at times.


----------



## ttc126

Oh I should update... I’m 16 weeks!!!!! Yay! The hyperemesis seems to be gone so I’m very very glad for that! Still haven’t been able to gain back the weight I lost, but I’ll get there. 
It was a rough week. I had a ton of cramping all week and then I lost part of my mucus plug... which freaked me out but turns out it means nothing. I see my OB Wednesday and hopefully everything is going well.


----------



## Nita2806

Ttc, we also dont get paid maternity leave. We get a maksimum of 4 months unpaid, however we have to contribute monthly to the unemployment fund, by law, so when we need we can claim from them when we arent getting salary. This is Africa so they are pretty slow in paying us, Ive been on leave for 6 weeks and have only received payment from them for 6 days so far. Better than nothing I guess.

So glad you are feeling better!! :) I would freak out if I loose my mucus plug especially so early. Thank goodness didnt loose anything with both pregnancies. When are you finding out the gender?


----------



## ttc126

I go in about 4 weeks! I’m excited! Another boy would be super easy but a girl would be fun too. I can’t wait! It’s a happy happy thing either way!


----------



## sarah2211

Here, I think we get 18 weeks paid leave. They have been increasing it every few years. I can’t remem what it is now, but you only get it if both parents work. So because I’m at home I get nothing. Except they’ve recently brought in that all new babies are entitled to $60 per week for the first year and if you earn under a certain amount (we don’t) it continues for the next 3 years. Hubby will get 2-4 weeks paid leave not taken from his AL, but that’s only because the military like to pretend they care about families haha. 

Wow I’d hate to share a room! They have a few shared rooms at our local hospital, but it’s apparently very rare that you’ll end up with someone else in the room with you. Single and double rooms have their own bathroom with a toilet and shower. When I was there for my OB appointment I saw they had a sign on some new fold out couches that they weren’t to be moved or used as they were currently updating their policy on partners being allowed to stay, so hopefully that’ll be sorted by the time this one is born. 

I’m feeling ok about another boy. I think they’ll be great friends (DH is already talking about putting a secret passage way between their bedrooms haha). It’s going to be super cheap with hand me downs because it’s the same time of year as W. Plus we have trucks, trains, tractors etc everywhere haha toys, books etc. but even though I’m exhausted and don’t want to think about doing this again, I would really like a girl, but I’m not sure I’m keen to risk it haha I’ll probably end up with 3 boys. 

But we had a name picked out for a girl, but I’m super stuck for a boys name


----------



## OnErth&InHvn

We dont have to share a room at our hospitals here. The spouses can stay on those fold out couches.kids cant stay though.

When I had my gallbladder attack in 2013, I had to share a room and HATED it. I'm a people person and hated it. I can not imagine it in a post partum or labor situation being better. Oy. The hospital changed that right after my attack.


----------



## Nita2806

I am excited with you TTC, cant wait to hear what babys gender is :D

Sarah I agree with you on another one, but for now my body is so done with having babies lol

To be honest, it wasnt bad sharing a room in hospital, first time I was alone but this time around I shared the room. It was nice either way, I wouldnt pay extra for a private room.

I am so proud, Liane is 3w5d today and we got the first real smile, actually she smiled 3 times, she is so cute. Liezl on the other side is a lottle devil at the moment, shes got croup and cutting 4 molars now, its hel living with her moods and tantrums atm. I am so freaking tired.


----------



## ttc126

Nita, Ford is in that awful tantrum stage too! He screamed for an hour in a waiting room yesterday. I feel for you with a little newborn and still recovering from surgery.


----------



## Nita2806

Gosh what a week it has been. Liezl started running a fever early this week, despite having croup she also got ear infection, shes been getting it every 2 weeks since November. Finally her docter said its time for grommets, he reffered us to an ENT that very same day we got an appointment, he had space open that next day on his teatre list, so she got Grommets on Thursday. They found some blister thing in her ear, she must have been in so much pain. They drained it while inserting the grommets. She is better now, lets hope it gets better from here.

Liane is 1 month old, like woah, where did the time go? She seems like a happy go lucky baby, drink, sleep, poop no other issues.


----------



## sarah2211

Sorry I’ve been MIA, this pregnancy is really kicking my butt. It’s so much harder than last time. Even when I had pneumonia and was working, it wasn’t as hard as this. I’m pretty sure my bump is the same size as I was at 40 weeks with W. I’ve gained weight much quicker too. And W just wants to be carried, teething badly with molars and just clingy. We’ve almost weaned though, I think I’ve dried up and he’s not interested. I’m definitely leaning towards the RCS at 38 weeks with how I’m feeling at the moment. 

Wow such a rough week Nita. Poor Liezl, she must have been miserable. My friend’s boy got grommets and she said it’s been amazing. He’s hardly been sick at all since. Wow a month already! That’s just flown by.


----------



## ttc126

I’m so sorry you’re feeling so rough Sarah. I feel like every pregnancy just gets tougher. I’m very happy to have another baby but I am wiped out.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Hi ladies, haven't checked in in forever! Hope everyone is doing well!

Our lo just turned a year old and is the absolute light of our life! And...we just found out she is going to be a big sister!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Haven't told anyone yet besides DH so I had to get it out for fear I might burst, lol!!!


----------



## Nita2806

What are the odds that 4 of us came from the TTC group, strugling with some kind of infertility and eventually end up having a baby, then just surprisingly have another... something about this thread LOL.

Welcome back rickyandlucy, so good to hear from you again and glad your pregnancy turned out great. Congratz on the new baby.

Sarah, when nr2 is here things will be better. It was much harder when I was pregnant than it is now to just care for 2 babies lol


----------



## OnErth&InHvn

Cycle 3 of FE. Maybe this will be the magic cycle. 

I think its neat 4 got lucky!


----------



## rickyandlucy

It would seem I spoke too soon. I seem to be experiencing a miscarriage...


----------



## ttc126

Lucy I’m so sorry.


----------



## OnErth&InHvn

That 3rd cycle was the one!


----------



## Nita2806

Congratz On Earth - WOW you have been waiting a long time to get pregnant again. Thats wonderful news.

How is everyone else doing?

We all have the flu, and my car decided to break so things are pretty rough here.


----------



## ttc126

Earth!!!!!!!!! Congratulations! I am so very happy for you! Wishing you a happy and healthy 9 months!

23 weeks here! Having my FOURTH BOY!!!!!! Over the moon and especially grateful for a good anatomy scan and good genetic results.


----------



## Nita2806

Congratz TTC, glad everything is going well. I suppose your other boys are happy to have another brother? 

My hubby keeps on hinting that we should have another go at a boy, but I am just like nope. Going back on the pill at the end of June.


----------



## sarah2211

I’m so sorry Lucy. Congratulations on the first birthday!


Sorry life has just been crazy busy here. Nothing exciting to report. Baby number 2 seems to be growing well. My bump is massive compared to last time. I’m almost 33 weeks and definitely bigger than I was at 40 weeks last time. I’m having a repeat c section. My scar hasn’t healed properly internally and I’m at a high risk of rupturing. A VBAC is out of the question. Which is ok. It is what it is. Freaking out about the recovery with a toddler who is very much a mama’s boy. 

Hope everyone else is doing well!


----------



## Nita2806

Good to hear from you Sarah. You sound dissapointed without the repeat CS? Look at the positive side, you get the plan ahead (just dont go into labour earlier like I did lol) and the 2nd CS is far better than the first, healing is much quicker. As far as the toddler is concerned, you will make it work.. once that second baby is therr you will wonder what life was like with only one. I hope you get some rest and take things easy :) 

Do you have a CS date yet?


----------



## OnErth&InHvn

How do they know it isnt healed? They cant monitor you in labor to give you the chance? 
I had a VBA2C so I understand


----------



## sarah2211

I am a little disappointed. I hadn’t settled on either option but I was thinking of booking an elective between 40-41 weeks and giving it a go if I went into labour and everything looked good before that. 

But there are definitely pros to having an elective, which the organised part of me really likes haha. Haven’t got my date yet. If I haven’t heard in a few weeks I’ve got to call. I’m hoping it all goes much smoother and it’s all uneventful. 

OnErth, I was having a lot of pain 8-12 months post c section so I had an ultrasound done. Mainly to look for hernias. But they found that my left ovary was stuck to my uterus and I have a scar defect. They haven’t been well researched but it’s been found the rupture rate is much much higher. The two OB consultants I saw both said I’d be fine to VBAC without the defect but it’s just too risky. At the time they only said the defect could cause issues with infertility. We weren’t TTC so I didn’t look to have it fixed. We got a surprise BFP so I thought I had nothing to worry about. It is what it is. Will you try VBAC this time too?


----------



## OnErth&InHvn

1000% yes, we are having a homebirth.


----------



## Nita2806

You've got a few more weeks to go Sarah.. I hope what ever happens in the end is something you are comfortable with, and that both you and baby are healthy and the healing process goes very quick.

I have to honestly say that when I heard that baby was breech and she didn't turn and my gynae started mentioned a repeat CS, I was a bit disappointing as well, but she explained the risk to me, a VBAC in less than 18 months after a CS and if that wasn't enough, the risk of giving birth to a breech baby - I was at ease with the decision (in fact, I never knew the risks of a breech baby, until I had one - no one prepares you for the problems they can have, luckily Liane's was minor and could be treated at home). I am just happy that both my CS went well, and I have 2 very happy and healthy babies.


----------



## sarah2211

My decision is made, I’m not going to go against medical advice. It is possible that I try for a VBAC and it all works out. But the risk of a rupture is not worth is. Plus I’ve heard a number of women say their VBAC recovery was harder than their c section. I’m ok with the decision. I obviously don’t want surgery but it’s the safest option. I’m just hoping it’s all uneventful.


----------



## sarah2211

OnErth, that makes me super nervous. I’m guessing you are aware of the 1 in 55 chance of rupturing. And if you do that at home, you won’t be able to get into the OR in time to save your baby.


----------



## Nita2806

I would honestly never even consider home birth, just recently I heard about a mother and in another case a mother and baby who didnt make it. Both was fairly similiar, they gave birth at home with a midwife, things went wrong and they couldnt get a gynae to them soon enough and they passed on in the ambulance. This scares the living crap out of me tbh.

Sarah, my OB also told me about the ruptare and the % chance when going for VBAC in less than 18 months is much higher. I agree with you, the risk is simply not worth putting yourself or baby at risk. Hope you get a date soon, and perhaps not too late in the pregnancy, perhaps a date between 38-39 weeks? 

If you need advice, or need to talk or just VENT.. you know where to find me ;)


----------



## OnErth&InHvn

I had a good VBA2C with dd2 in 2007 so I'm trusting my body to do the same this time.


----------



## ttc126

Sarah I’m so sorry about your scar! You had such a tough recovery last time! I’m hoping this time is much smoother. My first birth was vaginal and I actually had a much harder recovery than either c section. I really hope everything goes very smoothly this time and you heal well. 

Since we got pregnant when the baby was 14 months, this time I’ve been told I’m absolutely not a candidate for a vba2c... which is fine. Not worth the risk of rupture to me and this is probably our last babe. But of course it’s always nerve wracking to go into surgery and recovery. They did say if it had been over 2 years, they’d consider vba2c.

I’ve been well. Had to get IV iron treatments but I’m feeling much better now. Did I tell you guys this little one is a FOURTH BOY?


----------



## sarah2211

Same Nita, it scares me. Especially after a c section. You’ve got about 20 minutes from rupture to getting the baby out. Which isn’t something you can do with a homebirth. 

From what I could find, my risk of rupture is between 6-43%. It’s 0.5% for a typical VBAC with no other complications. So it’s just really not worth the risk. They’ve booked me in for 39+2. My midwife is concerned that’s not early enough but they don’t have any other spaces available. I just have to hope I don’t go into labour before that. 

OnErth, I hope it goes smoothly. 

TTC, thank you. It was a tough recovery. And what you said about your vaginal birth being a harder recovery was something that played into my mind when I thought I had the choice. Yes, the gap between births does make things more risky. I’m 2 years almost exactly, which is a good gap. Another boy?! Congratulations. How are you feeling about that?


----------



## ttc126

Oh wow Sarah! For sure it sounds like a good choice to just do a repeat section. That’s such a high risk of rupture. I really hope everything goes smoothly for you and you have a good recovery. You’re really almost there! Only a couple weeks to go!

I’m totally thrilled to have another boy! A girl would be fun I know, but this makes room sharing and clothes and toys and just everything so easy!!!! I’m so happy!


----------



## Nita2806

Almost there Sarah :) how are you doing? I mean, how are you really doing? (feel free to vent) Just take things easy and hopefully your boy will stay put until its time - should he decide to come earlier will they be able to do an emergency CS? I really hope you get the easy recovery that I had after my 2nd CS - you deserve it after all you went through with W. How is W doing so by the way?

TTC what is your birth plan this time around? (also not long anymore ;) )


----------



## OnErth&InHvn

The hospital is a 5 minute drive from me and the dr would be on call should anything happen. Others arent that lucky to live so close of course and if they chose outside of the hospital, a good midwife is going to have them consider the risks of travel with a transfer. The first midwife I wanted to hire is an hour drive from me, a homebirth would not really work with her. The current midwife is 10 minutes away. That's just the midwife traveling but If she has to go a long distance and something bad is happening that's adding to the clock and danger. 

39 weeks is close, you're almost there! Are you feeling prepared?


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah, thinking of you! Hope everything goes well with the CS and I wish you a speedy recovery. <3


----------



## rickyandlucy

Cross your fingers for me please ladies. I think we have our rainbow baby. Waiting for the results of second blood draw later today. <3


----------



## Aphy

Fingers definitely crossed for you! Congratulations!! So happy for you


----------



## rickyandlucy

Aphy said:


> Fingers definitely crossed for you! Congratulations!! So happy for you

Aphy! We are due date buddies!!!!! Congrats to you too!!!!


----------



## Aphy

rickyandlucy said:


> Aphy! We are due date buddies!!!!! Congrats to you too!!!!

Yay, bump buddy!!!


----------



## rickyandlucy

Second beta just came back at 85. First beta was less than 48 hours before at 24. Headed in the right direction. <3


----------



## Aphy

All good news, great numbers!


----------



## ttc126

SO happy for you Lucy!!!!!!!!


----------



## sarah2211

Hey everyone, our little Archie was born on Friday. 7lb 11oz. The c section was flipping amazing. Everyone was so lovely and it was such a positive experience. I did begin to feel a bit of pain during it but thankfully some morphine and fentanyl did the trick.

The first few days were a bit tough but it was far better than I expected and remembered from last time. I’m home now and feeling 80% back to normal. Which for day 4, I’m just in disbelief.

Archie is such a good baby. It’s made me realise how fussy our first was. Archie will sleep in his bassinet for stretches of 4-6 hours, feeding great and never cries. He’s a bit jaundice but not bad.

My placenta was looking really calcified and my BP was high towards the end. Archie is measuring on the 21st percentile (compared to DS1 who was on the 7th) on my personal growth chart. So not growth restricted at all. They said that my uterus would be ok for another c section but I’m going to give it a few years before we think about baby number 3.

Congratulations on all the BFPs!


----------



## Nita2806

Sarah !! OMG, you had me in a spin - I kept on checking whether you have replied after the CS, and I thought no news might be bad news. However, I am so glad and happy it went so well. Hope you have a speedy recovery - sure you will be your old self in a couple of days. Hope Archie stays so good. <3

Gratz on all the BFP's - Whoooop :D


----------



## rickyandlucy

Congrats Sarah! So glad you and baby Archie are doing so well! And so glad your c-section was such a positive experience!

I had another blood draw yesterday and just got the results. 851 and doubling time is 36 hours, so all good there.

DH and I DTD this morning for the first time in quite some time, and now I am cramping kind of like my period is coming. Hope everything is still ok. This is still normal right? I remember cramping like this right around the time I found out I was pregnant with DD, but I don't remember it happening a week or so later. I just really need everything to be ok...


----------



## ttc126

Sarah!!!!! Congratulations! I’m so glad it’s been a better experience this time! I hope you continue to heal well and enjoy your sweet baby.

Lucy, it’s totally normal to cramp. My OB even thinks it’s a good sign that the uterus is growing as it needs to! Only worry if you are bleeding and cramping. Otherwise, totally normal. Especially after sex.

Have to update... so yesterday I had a 36 week growth scan. It took forever and was very stressful. They think I have placenta acreta. I have to have an MRI this week and will see the high risk again Tuesday to come up with a plan. If it is acreta, it is dangerous and life threatening and I will need a hysterectomy at delivery. Please send all of the positive thoughts and prayers my way.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Thank you for the reassurance TTC. And omg, lots of prayers your way!!! <3


----------



## sarah2211

Sorry everyone! Life has been busy and I forgot to check in on here haha. Didn’t mean to worry anyone. Archie is good, pretty cruisy. I’m a bit out of practice with the sleep deprivation though. 

He’s 3 weeks tomorrow and such a chonk. He’s put on heaps of weight and I’m about to put the newborn clothes away (W was in them until he was 3-4 months old!). He also looks nothing like his brother. A is much darker, lots more hair and more olive-y. Where as W had next to no hair and it was light. They dont look at all like brothers haha. 

Recovery wise I’m pretty good. Not driving or picking up W yet. Every few days I’m a bit tender but pretty good all things considering. 


Nita, hope you’re doing well!

Lucy, congratulations! That sounds pretty normal. 

TTC, oh man! That sounds bad. Have you had your MRI yet? You are close to early term if you have to deliver now. How do you feel about the hysterectomy if you have to have one?


----------



## ttc126

Sarah! He is so cute!!!!

Well my baby arrived before I made it to the MRI! I went into labor at 37+1 and had an emergency c section at 37+2!about 9 days ago. They had everything ready for the hysterectomy, but the doctor was able to get my placenta out. With the nature of the complication, I did choose to get my tubes tied. I don’t regret that decision but I’ve been pretty sad I’m officially done having babies. These have truly been the best days of my life. 
Baby Jett was 6lbs 13oz at birth and 19 inches long. He’s so amazing and I just love him and am so very blessed.


----------



## Nita2806

Omg Sarah!! Archie is so adorable. I am so happy to hear that both him and you are doing so good. How is W with his brother?

TTC, congratz. I hope recovery is going well? I am sorry you wont be having more kids. :( and I am so happy that everything went well with the birth.

I cant believe Liane is 6 months old today and Liezl is 2 next month. Where has the time gone?


----------



## ttc126

Oh wow! 6 months already????? Time is flying Nita!

And thank you! I’m starting to feel more at peace with being done. I mean it has been such a crazy journey. To go from all the losses and infertility and end up with 4 beautiful boys. So very grateful and thankful.


----------



## Nita2806

I agree with you TTC, any amount of kids are a blessing, especially when you reflect back at the past and to know what you have been through.

I remember those feelings of ttc with Liezl and just how it drained me emotionally, saying I am done while I actually should have no issues conceiving a third makes me feel a little guilty. But living in South Africa, having more than 2 is just not an option. Hubby still hints for a boy, but I cant :( 

A friend of mine have a 13yr special needs daughter. I always said she have had one more baby as she is smothering her daughter, little did I know, they have been ttc for 8 yrs now with 3 losses. She recently found out that she was pregnant...ecctopic pregnancy...she had to have an emergency op to remove her one tube. The docter then advised her to have the other one tied, as the risk of falling pregnant now again could cause serious issues to her health. After I heard this story, I just cant believe how lucky I am to have 2 awesome daughters.

I am sure your 4 boys are going to give you a full and happy life <3


----------



## sarah2211

TTC, congratulations!! I’m glad little Jett is here safely and you’re doing ok. I’m sorry that it wasan emergency section. It does sound like any future pregnancies would be high risk. But that doesn’t make it easier to accept that that stage of your life is done. I’m feeling that at the moment. I don’t feel like I can accept that I won’t be having another one. But we’ll wait a few years. How is life with 4? And how’s your recovery?

Nita, wow time has gone fast. W turned 2 just over a month ago. He’s such a cool dude, talking heaps and I’m just amazed at what he understands. But we’ve had some wicked tantrums haha. How are the two sisters going? Why is it not an option to have more than 2 in SA? 


We are good, but busy. W is a great big brother. There’s been no jealousy. In fact, he’s so protective. If someone else is cuddling A, he says “mama hold! Mama hold” haha. And if A makes so much as a peep he says “A sad, A sad, mama pick him up” haha. So sleep training will be fun! 

A is 6.5 weeks old now. He’s gaining weight really well, which is weird after W being small. I’ve put all the newborn clothes away and he’s almost in 3-6 month clothes haha. 

We’ll be moving into our new house soon too, which is exciting. DH is away this week so I’m parenting on my own. It’s going ok, challenging around W’s bedtime but A is a great sleeper so it’s mostly ok.


----------



## Nita2806

Wow Sarah, it sounds like things are really well with you? Its so good to hear good things after you've had it pretty bad.

I have to say, Liezl is also very protective of her sister, sometimes a little too much lol.

The thing is just, with a middle class life and income we simply cant afford a 3rd child. Our houses are mostly 3 bedroom (suitable for a family of 4), cars have 4 seats, etc. everything here is set up for families of 4, if you have a 3rd its a whole other class of houses, cars, etc. to invest in and we simply wont be able to afford it. 

Liezl turns 2 next week, having a school party for her. Liane is 7 months old next week, we are in 6-12 month clothing - she seems to pick up weight nicely as well. Taking her her for her vacs and weigh in next week.


----------



## sarah2211

Things are going great here. A is such a good baby. He’ll put himself to sleep. Naps for 2-3 hours. Never cries. His nights start at 5pm and he’ll sleep until 11pm. Then I’ll bath and feed him before bed. Then he’ll sleep until 6.30am. Wake for a feed and then sleep until 8.30. Then he usually naps from 9.30-11.30 and then again from 12.30-3pm. He’s gaining weight super well. He’s now 12 weeks and was 6.5kgs last week. His brother was 4.5kgs at 13 weeks. 

W is busy. But he’s so happy and excited. He’s talking so much. 2-3 sentences together, 10-20 words. 

We moved into our brand new house. Hubby has had shoulder surgery so he’s got 6 weeks off work to recover and then he’ll have 4 weeks for Christmas leave. 


Nita, that makes sense. It’s definitely easier to have 2. It is kind of the standard here. But people do have 3, rarely 4 or 5. Logically I know 2 is a good number, but I don’t feel finished. Your girls sound like they’re doing great. Remember when we were all TTC? Crazy to think we have 2 year olds now haha.


----------



## rickyandlucy

Hey ladies, just checking in. I am impatiently waiting on our anatomy scan which is on Friday; super anxious about it for some reason. I have been feeling this baby move for a few weeks now already, so that has been reassuring. Hope everyone else is doing well!! <3


----------



## OnErth&InHvn

Nora decided to make her birthday 12/16 at 34 weeks. I had to have a section, so no homebirth. Shes in the NICU.


----------



## ttc126

Wow congratulations Earth!!!!!!! How is she doing now?

lucy, how was your scan?


----------



## rickyandlucy

Congrats Earth! Is she home now I hope? How are you all doing?

Our scan went well! And this baby is a real mover and shaker! LOL!

We've moved our daughter into her new big girl room and are now cleaning out the nursery for our new arrival. I have started unpacking the baby things; newborn clothes, bottles, breastfeeding supplies, etc. Last time around, we didn't get moved into our new home until about 2 weeks before our daughter was born. Never really had time to get settled. Being able to truly nest this time around is so nice! Just having to try to slow my roll on a few things. Too soon to wash clothes and sterilize bottles, lol. Make freezer meals. Pack the hospital bag. I get ahead of myself as you can see, lol.

I've started re-reading some of the baby books. I am an absolute grump when I don't get enough sleep, so I am trying to come up with a game plan for both our nights and days once we have both a toddler and newborn to take care of. Any insight on that topic would be most appreciated!

How's everyone else doing?


----------



## OnErth&InHvn

She came home 1/2. Doing well


----------



## Nita2806

Hi Ladies,

How are you all doing?

I haven't on here a lot recently, as things have been rough. I am struggling with my hormones and was forced to stop birth control 2 months ago (in the process to get my hubby booked in for a vasectomy) but not being on birth control freak me out. Had to take the morning after pill a few days ago as well. 

Other than that, kids are keeping me busy. Liezl is already 2y3m and we are looking at potty training now. Liane already 10 months old. Both doing really well.


----------



## sarah2211

Sorry I’ve been slack at getting on too. 

We are pretty good. W is 2yr 7m. He’s been toilet trained for about 3-4 months now. Decided not to nap most days. And chats so much. Huge long sentences with words like calamity and predicament haha. But the meltdowns can be pretty extreme! 

A is 7m. He’s a chunky boy, 91st percentile. Loves food and sleeps so good. He’s been crawling since 5 months old. So happy and chilled. 

We are obviously in lockdown here like everyone else. My husband is in the military and still working. It appears we’ve got to outbreak mostly under control so I’m not sure we’ll be in full lockdown for too much longer. 

I got the Jadelle put in just before Christmas. I’ll probably look to get it out in a year-year and a half and we’ll try for a third. 

I’m sorry to hear things are tough for you Nita. I hope your husband can get booked in ASAP. Good luck with the toilet training. I hope it’s a smooth time for you guys!


----------

