IVF or FET November/December 2015 - chat thread

[Disneyfan88]

OMG amazing news, Klik! I’m keeping everything crossed for you and your little miracle! I’m so happy for you!

 

[Wish2BMom]

WHAAAAAAAAAAATTTTT??? That's inCREDible!!! I'm soooooo happy for you!!!! FX'ed things keep going safely and surely and you get your little squishy in your arms!!!
44!! Get the heck out of town!

 

[klik]

Thank you, ladies!

It is crazy... I'll try to write an update here every week, at least, to let you gals know how it's going... We are very much not out of the woods yet, but there is definitely reason for hope. I think our chances are better than 50-50 by now, finally...

 

[klik]

Hey, gals!


Scan today went really well... Embryo now has joints, which means it doesn't just move as a solid unit, but can also move its arms and legs--which it was, nonstop! I also caught glimpses of its spine, brain, umbilical cord, and--this was the best--fingers! It was awesome. I have some pictures but they don't do the scan justice--DP missed out... I know we're not out of the woods yet but it's hard not to be optimistic now that the little critter is starting to look quite baby-like. Even though it's the size of a grape.

Next scan is Wednesday next week--nuchal translucency. My current worry (there's always one) is, I did some bloodwork and... I'm due to stop oestrogen supplementation on Friday, but my levels are not high enough to justify that yet... And I don't even know if I'll be able to convince my clinic to prescribe me more patches. It would be really dumb to lose this pregnancy due to an avoidable issue... So I'm waiting for feedback from Dr March (California) and we'll see where we go from there... Feh, surely that will be fine, right?!

 

[Disneyfan88]

Amazing update, Klik! I definitely understand the concerns but am keeping everything crossed for you that everything works out great for you and that miracle bean of yours! I hope that your doctor and clinic are able to work with you on the supplements. I’m beyond excited for you and look forward to following along.

 

[klik]

Thanks, Disney! Apparently the numbers are actually good so I can start weaning myself from the various meds. Nerve-racking but good stuff!

 

[Wish2BMom]

Hoorayyyyy!!! I'm so happy that you got to see a wiggly bean and your numbers are so good that you can start getting off the meds. I believe I almost cried when I was told I could get off of my POI shots!
I can't wait for next Wed. So you are finding out gender, right? or do you want to know?
yeah, always something to worry about unfortunately, in our case. I white-knuckled through my entire pregnancy and only on the OR table right before my c-section did I shed a tear of relief. SOOOOO much on you for so long but you can do this!!!

 

[klik]

Thanks, Wish!!!
Latest scan was two days ago, and that was ok--the size is right on target. I think the heartbeat is a bit fast but the doc did not seem at all concerned about that... I find out NIPT results next Wednesday. Pretty nervous about that... I thought this week would have been nuchal translucency but I got that confused--that's actually next week... We'll see how it all goes...

 

[Wish2BMom]

how fast? fast usually means girl right? i think my boys started out around 170+ but then as they grew it dropped down to about 140 and stayed that way for the rest of the pregnancy. I'm sure everything is absolutely fine!! OOOOOH can't wait for your results!!

 

[klik]

Hey, Wish! I did see that thing about heart rates and gender but it seems to be true only at the time of giving birth (which is a bit late in the game, of course!) This little one was 186bpm at 8w3d, then 179bpm at 9w3d, then 178bpm at 10w5d. I've seen a couple of different studies about it, and one seemed to indicate that 178bpm at 10w5d is way too high... but then another one seemed to indicate that it's well within range and that the decrease starts a little bit later. Anyway, it's not too long til we find out more on Wednesday and then on Friday! Til then, kind of drowning in anxiety! xx

 

[Wish2BMom]

I think one thing that could be happening too is that they could have just 'worked out' a bit before they were caught on film! their heart rate goes up very easily if they wiggle around a bit.

Looking forward to your results tomorrow!!! SO CLOSE to 2nd tri!!!

I had a little scare this month - I don't think I O'd in Nov and we finally ended our drought a couple of weeks ago and still no AF. So of course, I started daydreaming about pregnancy and newborn stuff and ahhhhhhhh
THEN the stomach bug hit our house and I was nauseous and achy and it was really tough to try to 'mom' at the same time. I thought man, if this is how my next pregnancy would be (didn't have any nausea the first time!) and how it would be to have 2 sick kids at the same time as being pregnant or having a newborn - I can't handle it!! Suddenly AF arrived in the middle of the night as I was rocking one of the boys. How's that for divine intervention telling me what I could handle?!

 

[klik]

Ha, Wish, that's hilarious! I mean, not that you had to be nauseous while rocking one of the boys in the middle of the night, but sometimes it is a matter of "be careful what you wish for..."

I'm certainly not ready for motherhood yet... Still thinking like I'm TTC, rather than pregnant. I'm sure at some point it'll hit me that there will (hopefully) be this little creature dependent on us for everything. How do you do it with two?! I admire that they're babbling so early--do you manage to read to them both??

 

[klik]

Woohoo, NIPT results arrived early--low risk of Down's, Patau's, and Edward's syndrome (< 1 in 10,000)! And it's a boy. I feel so so so lucky... I hope it holds...

 

[klik]

To be clear, I feel lucky that the risk is low--I don't really feel any particular way about it being a boy... It just makes it more real!

 

[Wish2BMom]

AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
i'm sooooooooooo happy for you!!!

I can totally relate to how you're feeling - after TTC for so long, you have a hard time wrapping your head around the fact that you're in the next stage. It's such a weird transition and may not happen until month 8 of your pregnancy! My advice, for what it's worth, is to just TRY to enjoy the moment as much as possible. Enjoy every little pinch, weirdness, oddity that happens to your body; every little sign that peanut is growing and enjoying their rental property for now! Embrace it all!
As for caring for a little one - you'll be amazing. And it really is just SO natural. And they give feedback too, fyi. That was one thing I was so nervous about - I never gave babies enough credit. They really are smarter and more responsive than I made them out to be. Forget to do something, they let you know (burp > puke). Give them too much of something, they let you know (force feed when nauseous and you don't know it > puke). You'll do wonderfully!!!

And yes! I've been reading to them since they were a few weeks old. I'd lay on the floor in between them with the book above us and read. Now it's a little hard to get their attention but when I animate enough, they come over and listen and want to grab the book and turn the pages (or close it, or eat the book...).

 

[klik]

Thank you very much, Wish! I really appreciate the advice. I think I'm transitioning to "this is actually going to happen," probably, right now, as I'm kind of panicking and entirely unable to focus on anything else!

I love the graphic examples of how good babies are at giving feedback. I actually had a nightmare about this, about a month ago... I was carrying my little baby boy (!) to an exercise class in the park and I was entirely unprepared--I had no pram or blanket to leave him in/on. Then it occurred to me that I hadn't fed him in a couple of days and he hadn't complained--he just slept all the time. That is totally my fear, that I'll be somehow spacey and neglectful, but you're right, in practice that baby would NOT be sleeping peacefully!

I love the scene of you reading to both your babies... And I love that they're now interested in eating the book!

 

[Wish2BMom]

EEE! I love the excitement! Focusing is HARD!!

OHHH yes and you'll definitely forget stuff but ONLY once!! We have been out without the diaper bag and thankfully nothing disastrous has happened but the threat of it when you realize you don't have the bag is failsafe enough! That dream! Totally the same kind of stress I was going through - I made sure I read, like I was cramming for a test, before the boys were born. But allow yourself to learn along the way too - each baby is different, they'll have different likes/dislikes and use anything you read as just a guideline for ideas. Again, they'll let you know! Our boys didn't LOVE swings like some babies do. Some babies can stay in them for hours. And what they love this week, they may not the next week. As long as you give yourself grace and just roll with it, you'll be golden.

Just an idea - if you're super into books and want your son )) to be too, I don't know if you'll have a shower but I loved this idea - have everyone bring a book instead of a card. Whomever is planning the shower can include an insert in the invitation with a little request to do this (there are even cute poems online you can steal). Then people usually write a little something inside and you have that forever!

 

[klik]

Thank you thank you thank you, Wish! All excellent advice. Not that it's the same, but we read quite a bit when we got a puppy, and some of the advice was useful, but the most useful thing was really just to get to know him...

Good idea re. the books for baby shower! I don't know if I want one, to be honest, but if I do then this will be something to think about. Mom is visiting from Brazil in late January, and certainly I want her to bring a pile of books in Portuguese, assuming this pregnancy does continue...

I haven't even told her yet... I was all set to tell her yesterday, after the nuchal translucency scan, but as soon as I got home I started bleeding really heavily... It was such a mess, and I wondered I was miscarrying. It was really odd, as the scan itself had gone well--nothing worrying at all, healthy-looking foetus... But the instant I got clean, more blood would gush out, and there were a couple of large clots. I went back to the ob/gyn clinic and they scanned me again--little guy was still alive, thank goodness... It was a chorionic haematoma, which is when part of the placenta detaches from the lining, severing blood vessels in the process. About 1/3 of these cases ends in miscarriages, so it is pretty scary, but fortunately in most cases the foetus survives. Anyway, I've been told to take it easy for the next week--not quite bed rest, but not too much more activity than that either. Today, to my huge relief, I've only been spotting... So maybe we'll make it after all. But it's been terrifying... and so frustrating, to go straight from the belief that things will finally work out to the graphic horror of what looks like a miscarriage... Feh. I guess what's life without drama, eh?

 

[Wish2BMom]

omg, how are you doing now?? i'm so glad little peanut was ok!! SO SCARY and I'm sorry you had to go through that! I hope you're still resting up. Do you have a follow up or when is your next appt to check on things? Did you have a good Christmas?

Did everyone have a good Christmas? Disney, Hope - anyone else lurking?

I'll try not to be an Advice Pusher so ask away! If you're anything like me, while you're thankful for it overall, sometimes it gets a little much and you just want to feel your own way through things too!
Portuguese books!! SO COOL! I love when people have the opportunity to set up their children to be bilingual. I'm jealous, honestly. I know some French but certainly not enough to pass on in any impactful way. We have no relatives that live close enough either to teach them. One of DH's aunts taught French for years and even brings each of her grandchildren to Paris when they are old enough. I'd love to live near them so the boys could soak in their culture. They live out near Chicago though!

So we had an interesting Christmas Eve! Mr Timothy ended up having a reaction to his amoxicillin he was on for his ear infection. Day 6, so he was able to come off of it and we were told to just let it leave his system, the rash would get worse but he'd be ok. Well that night his face started swelling too, his hives were out of control. We did a telemedicine visit (super cool, like FaceTiming with a random doctor, but they can see him and assess him from afar). She wanted to call in a steroid for us to give him but our pharmacy was closed. So she said to watch him for 90 mins and if it didn't go down, head to the ER. Of course it didn't go down so at 10:30 Monday night, I packed him up and we headed to the ER. NOT the place I want to be on Christmas Eve!! It was packed but thankfully they look out for the little ones and try to get them in and out as quickly as possible. We got there, were seen and let go within 1.5 hrs. My cousin and aunt were actually there too at the same time for something she had going on so we even popped in for a visit! We were going to take a holiday family photo and post to FB but I didn't want T to be there any longer than he needed to be exposed to whatever was floating around! Anyway - he slept like a champ that night (thanks, Benedryl) and yesterday was SO fun with them. Probably a typical day but I just enjoyed it so much. They worked on their present-opening skills (yay tissue paper!!), only got a couple of presents to open. But just playing with them all day, staying in PJs for most of it, baking brownies, hearing them giggle in the other room playing with Dad...my heart grew 10 times that day! (I see you, Grinch! )
His hives started coming back last night - I thought they'd be on their way out since he stopped the meds! I gave him a little Benedryl again but he had a swollen eye this morning. So now I'm waiting to see if we need to bring him in again. The receptionists at the doc know my voice by now and they have so much sympathy for T and M - we are there so much! These first years of daycare are no joke! I hope they have immune systems of steel after 2 yrs though! Almost halfway through!

 

[Wish2BMom]

and your comment about the puppy and reading is actually exactly it! You can read all you want to get a few tips under your belt but ultimately, your little man is going to have his own personality that can't be found in a book!