{CLOSED GROUP} Journey to BFP and Beyond!

[NDH]

Hopefully it doednt progress. Plug does regenerate and can come away for weeks but 31 weeks is. so early for cervical changes that are making it come away. Hope he stays put another month at least.


I'm about to become a minivan mom lol. We haven't replaced our car yet since the fire show we've been deciding what to do. We thought about getting another car, but models that fit 3 carseats are not many in number, and since we hope to have more kids we'd just have to upgrade again in a couple years. Plus I have a twin vibe and as I haven't had a scan yet twins havent been ruled out. My parents would love for us to get a 4WD but aside from costing more than our budget I haven't found any that have more than 3 anchor points for carseats and trunk space together, so if it is twins or we have a 4th before Sara is 7 we'd have to replace it anyway.
So ya we decided just to look for a minivan (or people mover as they're called here)

Test drove a Kia Grand Carnival today and I love the versatility! So much trunk space and fits 5 carseats but seats 8 so it would last us ages. A Toyota Tarago is another one we're interested in and I've basically narrowed it down to those two. Hopefully we find one we can afford in the next couple weeks cause I'm sick of only having access to a vehicle 1-2 days a week

 

[jlw617]

Thanks Natalie, I feel better today and each day/week that passes is one week closer to having a healthy baby that hopefully won't need any intervention! I'm 32 weeks today so even if I made it another 3-4 weeks preferably atleast 4, I think he'd do pretty well! I'm just going to really have to rest more.

We bought a minivan a couple years ago and I love it haha! Never thought I'd say that but I do, it's great, I carpool with another family whose kids go to the same school my daughter does which would be impossible without the van, we've picked up furniture in it before by folding down the back seat so the entire back area is completely flat and then taken out the two middle seats, it's so versatile! We bought an older used model but it's still very nice, it's a Kia Sedona! Good luck in your minivan buying adventures

 

[tcinks]

Hey ladies
Just wanted to check in to see how everyone is doing? My break was very helpful, although I'm still having some rough days. I'm coming up on October15, which is the day we lost Ronen. Almost a year later and still empty arms And everyone around is pregnant. I feel so alienated from my friends. I don't want it to be that way but it's so hard. One especially was my pregnancy buddy, due 2 weeks after I should have been. I saw her 2 nights ago unexpectedly at a get together and had to leave early. I also just got an invite to her baby shower, and there is no way I could make it through that. Ugh.

Anyway, I'm really hoping I'm pregnant now. I'll be 11dpo tomorrow and am going to test! If I'm not pregnant, we'll probably put ttc on hold and focus on foster care. We have finished the classes and are waiting for the state to come out and license us.

How is everyone else?? Fleur you should be bringing home your little one soon!! And Jamie next, right?

 

[jlw617]

Hi Terissa!
So glad to hear from you! I'm sorry for what you're still going through, I think it's great that you all are looking into/have started the process to become foster parents, it's a selfless act. I think it's totally normal to feel that way, I remember feeling that way around someone that I knew that was due around the same time I was too. I'll be praying for you that you'll get your bfp! To answer your question, yes I actually have just a short while especially since they think he will come sometime between 36 and 38 weeks so that means 2-4 weeks from yesterday! Thanks for posting, you've been on my heart lately.

 

[Fleur828815]

Hello everyone, so sorry I haven't been in touch but lots of things have been happening. I'm on maternity leave tonight so will catch up properly!

 

[tcinks]

Hey! Glad you checked in, please update us!

 

[Fleur828815]

Hey Terrissa, thinking of you today Haven't managed to log in during the day, but will do so tomorrow (past midnight here).

 

[kdmalk]

Hi ladies!!!!

It sure has been quiet around here. All is well with me. Work has just been absolutely crazy and I have just wanted to relax after work since the craziness began in early September. Fortunately things will slow down November 1 and I can finally drop down a gear and focus on getting everything in order for maternity leave. I have a lot of things that will need to be done before I am gone because I am a one man department. So when I am not there, my department shuts down (don't worry, I'm not that important. Most people don't even know what I do. Lol). But I still need to get a number of things done before I can just disappear for a couple months. In my mind my last day will be December 23rd, but we will see. If nothing seems to be happening by then, I may work another week. Frankly, I would prefer the tax benefit of having him born by the end of the year, so I will be doing everything I can to try to get him out before then. Lol. I am a terrible person.

How is everyone else? I can't believe we have been talking for nearly a year.

 

[KTJ006]

Hi ladies...wanted to check in with you all since it's been a while.

Terrissa - hope you're handling today ok. I have been trying to keep my mind away from it.

Lots to update on my end, but am just too tired to even type it. One of these days I will.

 

[jlw617]

Hi ladies! Hope to hear some more updates soon! My last appointment I was told I'm 70%effaced and 1-2 cm dilated so I could go any day! I'm really in shock, and praying everything goes well with the labor and delivery! Can't wait to hear from everyone else.

 

[zaycain]

Hi ladies!

Terrissa - How are you doing? Any updates?

Jaime - Holy crap! Time flies.. any news?

Kylee - How are you feeling? I know you had a rough first couple of months.


AFM.. I'm 22 weeks today. 20 week ultrasound went great. He kicked the ultrasound lady and is so active. His little ultrasound he looks like he's smiling. I feel great and just came back from a work trip in Las Vegas.

Btw.. I say HE... but we are team yellow. 95% it's a boy.

A little nervous about taking time off from my business. Trying to figure out a game plan as my DH and I both own our own businesses. It's scary!

 

[tcinks]

Still not pregnant. It's so frustrating because the last 2 times it happened right away, and I can't understand why it isn't now! And what's worse is that all throughout my cycle now I get all the signs I used to get only during pregnancy, so I get my hopes up high that I'll get a bfp just to be let down really hard. :/ I don't know what we're going to do, keep trying for a while I guess. Still haven't heard back from the state about when they'll come out to license us to foster. So I'm just kind of stuck in limbo right now.

At least we have our trip to look forward to! Leaving 2 weeks from this Saturday.

Hope everyone is well.

 

[KTJ006]

Ladies....I think I got a BFP. Is it possible that after 13 months of trying I finally might be on my way? My fear is it's a chemical as I would have expected the line to be darker at this point. Though AF isn't due until Saturday so maybe not. I was in the process of getting my GYN records transferred to an interventional radiologist so he could look at my ovarian vein. I thought I should take a pregnancy test before going through that hassle JUST TO SEE...totally not expecting anything. And then I see the slightest line. It's light but not a squinter. I don't want to post a pic because I don't want to offend anyone. I'm going to see if AF shows over the weekend then might take another. I have a lot to update you all on. Will try to hop on later...

 

[NDH]

Oh Katie I'm praying this is it!

I'm a bit dumbfounded that I've made it this far but I'm 20 weeks today! Doesn't seem possible that I'm "halfway" but I feel Peep regularly and last night the girls and dh and I all got to see movement from the outside form the first time. My bump is also very obvious and has been for 4-5 weeks now when I stopped being able to hide it. I haven't showed til at least 20-24 weeks previously so I'm feeling massive haha.

We have 4 10 day old baby chicks in our family now too. We had a broody hen hatch some eggs last weekend - she started off with 8 eggs and chloe broke 3 of them at the halfway point. I didn't think any would hatch and they were 2-3 days late, but in the end they all did! One died at hatch and our mama hen abandoned the last egg just after it pipped (they get off their nest a couple days after then first one hatches as chances are slim that any still unhatched will be viable) but when I picked it up to discard it and clean out her nest it was cheeping! So I ran inside and put it in the dehydrator with a dish of water and crossed my fingers but I had no expectations of it surviving. But a little over an hour later Sara and I watched it hatch! Coolest thing ever. And that night we slipped it under mama and it integrated fine. The girls are *loving* the babies.

Nothing else really to update. Pregnancy is so smooth sailing, and doing self care really makes for a relaxed pregnancy. I am filling my time crocheting baby things (I only learned how to crochet 3 months ago and so far have made a blanket, a cocoon, 2 pairs of booties, 2 (well technically 4 but my guage was waaay off on the first two) ear flap hats all out of rainbow wool. And so far this week have made 3 wool covers and started on a pair of wool longies for nappies out of neutral colours.

 

[tcinks]

Natalie, sounds like you're having so much fun! Glad things are going well

Katie this is soooo exciting! Wow I can't believe it's been that long! I'm so happy for you and that you didn't give up! If you're worried about upsetting me (I think I'm the only one left not pregnant...) , please don't be! Post your pic if you like, I wanna see!

I'm about 4dpoish...I haven't really been keeping track. Every time it gets close to O, like a few days after af leaves, I always get the cramps and like ovary pain or something. I never used to get it but I assume it's related to O. Anyway it's so uncomfortable and leaves me not in the mood at all. I think we maybe BD twice this cycle so I'm not super hopeful. I did have a dream last night that I tested and it was a So sad waking up realizing it was just a dream. :/ But maybe it's coming up.

Any of you watching the World Series by chance? I'm not SUPER into baseball but I like to watch it when I can...and especially when my hometown team is in it! Go Royals!

Hope everyone else is doing well. Glad to see updates.

 

[KTJ006]

OooOo Natalie that is the sweetest and coolest thing!! When my oldest was in preschool two years ago they hatched 6 eggs. They had a webcam and everything. They gave each of the eggs a number and the kids were responsible for watching over that number. It was really cool. Makes me wish we had more land! So does the mamma hen treat the chicks as her babies? Or does she give up caring for them once they hatch? Will you just use for their eggs or eventually use them for other 'means' of food (if you get my drift..haha)?

Terrissa- I am privy to those dreams. I refused to look into them because it would either get my hopes up or down. Where is your pain and when does it come? I only ask because I spent months trying to figure out what my pain was. Take care of yourself - over the past year I have learned to be the best advocate for myself. When I felt something wasn't right I dug into it as much as I could even if the doctors told me otherwise. And DH is obsessed with sports so I've been hearing about the games through him!

So, since I have time to update I will fill you ladies in. I'm not quite sure where I left off. In August I jumped on Facebook. I just couldn't take it anymore and was getting a lot of anxiety from seeing so many people get pregnant. I think that was around the same time I jumped off BNB. It wasn't that I was jealous of other pregnant ladies, it was just that it was too big of a reminder of what we went through. Detaching from social media totally helped. I'm still not on it and I don't know if I'll ever go back. I figured the important people know how to get in touch with me.

Over the past two months I've been through every single blood test you can think of because I was still convinced things were not right. I started getting night sweats and thought I might be going through perimenopause. We never really found out what cause them but chalked it up to anxiety.

I started acupuncture about two months ago. I still have the pain and was still convinced it was influencing my fertility. I was officially diagnosed with unexplained secondary infertility and acupuncture was one of my last options. My GYN dr. said that my next step was to take Femara (like Clomid) with an IUI. I didn't want to go down that path. I found an acupuncturist who I was actually going to visit after having my youngest, but I never did. I started to see him every other week and it made a world of difference in regards to the pain and my mood. He said I have a deficiency of Yang and had blood stasis or blood stagnation, which is essentially when my blood is not flowing as it should be in the pelvic region and is getting old. We all know that blood supply is crucial to having a baby. Everything he was telling me made complete sense. He had me change my diet and eat warmer foods and drink room temperature liquids. He said all that was contributing to me being cold (I am constantly cold even when it's 100° outside!). He explained that cold food cools down your internal body temperature and also contributes to decreased blood flow. Your body has to work harder to break down the cold food and liquids. He told me to quit running, change to yoga, and put on some weight. My BMI was right at 18% which is technically considered low for conceiving. He was actually in the process of getting me set up on herbs when I took a pregnancy test a few days ago. I'll likely abandon that now, because I don't want to introduce anything new at this point. I truly think that the acupunture was what got me here. It has been an amazing experience and I will definitely go back to it if anything were to happen with this pregnancy or have any issues in the future.

I don't have any pregnancy tests to show. I'll test again on Sunday. My period is due on Saturday. I spot three days before I get my period and I have not had that at all. So I am hopeful. Cautious but hopeful.

Halloween is coming up here in the states. Is anyone doing anything? We have a Halloween party tomorrow for my oldest and will have a Halloween party on Saturday after trick-or-treating

 

[KTJ006]

Oh, one more thing. I have not been tracking my cycle as much as I was in the past. It has been much less stressful! However I can say if this baby is a sticky baby, we would have conceived them literally on the day I had the D&C last year. So that is pretty special

 

[tcinks]

Wow! Acupuncture sounds great. I'd like to do it but we just couldn't afford it right now. I'm so glad all these changes you've made have been helping! I can't really explain the pain I've been having . If I'm not pregnant this cycle I plan to go in to get it checked out.

 

[NDH]

Katie that's fascinating. I fully attribute acupuncture to this baby sticking too. In was going weekly in first tri and then switched to monthly. She would have preferred to have seen me prior to getting pregnant as my qi was pretty drained but we had to work with what we had since I wasn't supposed to have gotten pregnant for a few months. Because I hadn't had any preconception treatments I opted for the herbs. Nasty stuff and very expensive (and it made me super nauseous. I wasn't able to tolerate it for a week so she switched me to some more generic pilules instead)

And ideally the chicks will all grow up to provide us with food too - either eggs or meat. But we'll see. The girls are pretty attached to them already so we might not be able to bring ourselves to do that yet. But giving away any boys would be hard to do too so idk... I can't wait til we have some land and can have a much larger flock. It will be much easier to have a few dedicated family pets and the rest as livesrock.
Mama hen looks after the chicks. Right now they're just in a two storey rabbit hutch but we're building them a small run in the next few days so they can get outside and be safe from our drake. We let them out this afternoon for the first time and it was so cool to watch them all gather around their mama for lessons in compost scratching and dust bathing. They'll need some form of heat til they're 6 weeks old or so so hoping mama stays happy to look after them til then. Sometimes they lose interest in their babies after a few weeks when they resume laying.

 

[KTJ006]

So....I took 3 different tests. The ClearBlue digital said *pregnant.* The traditional ClearBlue with the lines had a very obvious plus sign. The First Response test with the lines had an ever so slightly darker line than the one I took Wednesday. I guess I would have expected it to darken much more since Wednesday's test, but it really wasn't much darker. So I don't know. I don't feel very optimistic given my history, but I guess time will tell. Whenever I choose to call the doctor they will give me blood tests every week to check my levels to ensure they are either rising or still in the pregnant zone. My first trimester is always a bumpy one as I usually start bleeding around 5 weeks - if it goes away then the pregnancy has progressed but if it lingers for more than 2-3 weeks then it ends. Blah. Let the waiting begin. Just wish I would quit waking up at 3am and not falling back to sleep. I am tired.