Man, have we got an awesome group of prayer warriors or what?! It's a miracle! Baby Jane is catching up!
It feels so nice to get good news for a change. Yesterday's appointment was one of the best yet. Baby Jane is now only 3 days behind in size, and that puts her within the 'normal' range.
Last week she was 0.5 cm long, and this week she is 1.5 cm, so she tripled in size this week. WOW, that is so cool to me.
And her heart is beating 167 times per minute, which is perfect. I was amazed that my doctor was able to look at the little fuzzy dot on the screen and see a flicker (which I still can't see unless they zoom way in) and guess that the heart was beating 160-170 times per minute. How could he guess so precisely? Amazing.
We've got to go in next Wednesday for one more ultra sound just to make sure things are still on track. In the meantime I am staying on all my medicine just to play it safe.
It almost feels official to me.
Thank you all for praying so hard this week. We love you all!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Tinkle, tinkle little star
Just a quick post to say that my bloodwork from yesterday came back "perfect" and my urine sample showed no bacteria or protein. It did, however, have some ketones in it, and the nurse called me to tell me to drink more water.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
I am already getting up to pee 4 times during the night, and they want me to drink more? I'll do it, obviously, but geez, I can't stay off the pot these days :)
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
I am already getting up to pee 4 times during the night, and they want me to drink more? I'll do it, obviously, but geez, I can't stay off the pot these days :)
Monday, September 14, 2009
118 bpm
We heard the heart beat! Baby Jane's heart is beating 118 times per minute. Anything over 100 bpm is good, so it's right on track.
However, there is a little bit of bad news. Baby Jane is a runt! She's only 0.5 cm long which is about the size of 6 weeks + 2 days, not 7 weeks + 1 day. The normal range of growth allows a baby to lag behind about 3 days, but we're more like 6 days behind, and that's not good.
The doctor said it's a "soft" sign, not a "hard" sign, because at that small size there could be an error in the ultra sound reading. We're going back next Monday to have another ultra sound, so this week I need you all to pray for a growth spurt.
The doctor said if the heart beat had not been good, then the 2 factors together would have meant the end.
After getting pregnant through IVF, at least at my clinic, the average rate of miscarriage is 10%. When the baby is small at the first ultra sound, that rate increases to 50%. But that also means there's a 50% chance everything is fine. Let's stay positive.
I did ask if there was anything I could do, and he said what's done is done. There is nothing I could do or not do at this point to help Baby Jane along.
I was hoping I could get off some of my meds today, but we were only able to switch them around a bit. I am going to stop the unmentionable one and increase the amount of progesterone I am taking in the shots to 2cc per day. That's a LOT considering it already takes (feels like) 10 minutes for Kelly to drain 1cc from the needle. Still, it's way better than the unmentionable.
Oh, one more thing, the doctor said because I am on progesterone there will be no symptoms if I miscarry; no bleeding, no cramping. I guess the progesterone continually tells your body it's pregnant and to keep going. The way we will find out is by looking at the ultra sound to see if that the baby has stopped growing or that the heart has stopped beating.
Here comes another "longest week of my life".
However, there is a little bit of bad news. Baby Jane is a runt! She's only 0.5 cm long which is about the size of 6 weeks + 2 days, not 7 weeks + 1 day. The normal range of growth allows a baby to lag behind about 3 days, but we're more like 6 days behind, and that's not good.
The doctor said it's a "soft" sign, not a "hard" sign, because at that small size there could be an error in the ultra sound reading. We're going back next Monday to have another ultra sound, so this week I need you all to pray for a growth spurt.
The doctor said if the heart beat had not been good, then the 2 factors together would have meant the end.
After getting pregnant through IVF, at least at my clinic, the average rate of miscarriage is 10%. When the baby is small at the first ultra sound, that rate increases to 50%. But that also means there's a 50% chance everything is fine. Let's stay positive.
I did ask if there was anything I could do, and he said what's done is done. There is nothing I could do or not do at this point to help Baby Jane along.
I was hoping I could get off some of my meds today, but we were only able to switch them around a bit. I am going to stop the unmentionable one and increase the amount of progesterone I am taking in the shots to 2cc per day. That's a LOT considering it already takes (feels like) 10 minutes for Kelly to drain 1cc from the needle. Still, it's way better than the unmentionable.
Oh, one more thing, the doctor said because I am on progesterone there will be no symptoms if I miscarry; no bleeding, no cramping. I guess the progesterone continually tells your body it's pregnant and to keep going. The way we will find out is by looking at the ultra sound to see if that the baby has stopped growing or that the heart has stopped beating.
Here comes another "longest week of my life".
Monday, August 31, 2009
Due date
One more update for today......
The nurse called this afternoon to say that my bloodwork looks good, and that they want me to stay on my meds until my next ultra sound, and then they will start weening me off all the hormones.
I am 5 weeks along. Actually 5 weeks plus 1 day. And that's because they count from the day you started your last period, not from the actual conception or implantation date. That makes our due date April 30th. The date may change based on all the measurements they will take in the upcoming ultra sound. That's going to be on September 14th, by the way. We'll get to see the heartbeat!
Anyway, I am taking it easy for the next 2 weeks because I have to grow a heart! How cool is that?!
The nurse called this afternoon to say that my bloodwork looks good, and that they want me to stay on my meds until my next ultra sound, and then they will start weening me off all the hormones.
I am 5 weeks along. Actually 5 weeks plus 1 day. And that's because they count from the day you started your last period, not from the actual conception or implantation date. That makes our due date April 30th. The date may change based on all the measurements they will take in the upcoming ultra sound. That's going to be on September 14th, by the way. We'll get to see the heartbeat!
Anyway, I am taking it easy for the next 2 weeks because I have to grow a heart! How cool is that?!
Close call
Warning, this may be too graphic for some.
We had a lot going on this weekend, and I did several things Kelly did not approve of. First, I went to the grocery store and lifted a tray of bottled water by myself, and a watermelon. We also went to a concert, and I stood up for a lot of it and cheered and (according to Kelly) jumped up and down too much. I don't remember doing any jumping; I would say it was more like bobbing than jumping, but okay, I moved around a lot. We also had company this weekend, including 3 kids, and I lifted them as well.
I did not feel any pain or cramping until Sunday night, and when I was taking the clothes out of the dryer I just felt like something was not right. And in the night I had some bleeding, including a sizable clot, which I dug out of the pot to inspect. (I told you this might be graphic!) It contained some white tissue looking stuff within the blood and I was positive it was Baby Jane. This was at 3:30 am and I was up all night crying and convincing myself I had lost the baby.
Fortunately, we had a doctor's appointment this morning anyway. When we got there I, of course, burst into tears, but the doctor reassured me it was probably nothing to be worried about, and that 50% of women have first tri-mester bleeding, and even the white tissue looking stuff probably had an explanation.
We did an ultra sound, and there it was, a little gestational sac still stuck to the wall of my uterus. Just one, not multiples. We were so, so, SO relieved! The doctor said I have to take it easy, and Kelly has already given me the "I told you so" lecture. I promise to listen to him 100% from now on, and if he wants to do all the housework and lifting, then I am going to let him.
The doctor told me to take it especially easy over the next 7-10 days. He could see the spot that was bleeding in my uterus when we did the ultra sound, and he said there may be more, but don't worry unless it gets heavy or is accompanied by a lot of pain.
The doctor also referred to my being 5 weeks along. I can't figure out that math, but going with that figure, I should have a due date around the last week of April. I still don't have an official due date, or any more appointments for that matter. Everything happens one step at a time. They will call me this afternoon with my blood test results and tell me what the next step is. It's going to be a long 9 months, I can already tell.
We had a lot going on this weekend, and I did several things Kelly did not approve of. First, I went to the grocery store and lifted a tray of bottled water by myself, and a watermelon. We also went to a concert, and I stood up for a lot of it and cheered and (according to Kelly) jumped up and down too much. I don't remember doing any jumping; I would say it was more like bobbing than jumping, but okay, I moved around a lot. We also had company this weekend, including 3 kids, and I lifted them as well.
I did not feel any pain or cramping until Sunday night, and when I was taking the clothes out of the dryer I just felt like something was not right. And in the night I had some bleeding, including a sizable clot, which I dug out of the pot to inspect. (I told you this might be graphic!) It contained some white tissue looking stuff within the blood and I was positive it was Baby Jane. This was at 3:30 am and I was up all night crying and convincing myself I had lost the baby.
Fortunately, we had a doctor's appointment this morning anyway. When we got there I, of course, burst into tears, but the doctor reassured me it was probably nothing to be worried about, and that 50% of women have first tri-mester bleeding, and even the white tissue looking stuff probably had an explanation.
We did an ultra sound, and there it was, a little gestational sac still stuck to the wall of my uterus. Just one, not multiples. We were so, so, SO relieved! The doctor said I have to take it easy, and Kelly has already given me the "I told you so" lecture. I promise to listen to him 100% from now on, and if he wants to do all the housework and lifting, then I am going to let him.
The doctor told me to take it especially easy over the next 7-10 days. He could see the spot that was bleeding in my uterus when we did the ultra sound, and he said there may be more, but don't worry unless it gets heavy or is accompanied by a lot of pain.
The doctor also referred to my being 5 weeks along. I can't figure out that math, but going with that figure, I should have a due date around the last week of April. I still don't have an official due date, or any more appointments for that matter. Everything happens one step at a time. They will call me this afternoon with my blood test results and tell me what the next step is. It's going to be a long 9 months, I can already tell.
Monday, August 24, 2009
BINGO!
You know when you play bingo and you're always just 1 number away but you never win? And then there's that one moment when they call your last number and you're thinking, "did I hear that right?" and sit there and just keep thinking "that's not possible, have I just won?!"
That's what I feel like right now.
We just got the call from our doctor, first to scold me because he heard I had cheated and taken an at-home test, and second to inform us that the test was wrong, and that I am indeed PREGNANT! Holy cow, what did he just say? Did I hear that right?
Kelly actually took the call. I was too scared to answer the phone. I ran into the bedroom and prepared for meltdown. Then I heard him say, "THAT'S FANTASTIC," and those of you who know Kelly can totally imagine hearing him say that.
I am absolutely STUNNED. I really, really expected to get a negative result today. I cannot believe this whole process has actually worked. I really, really can't believe that God has decided it's time for me to be a mommy.
That's what I feel like right now.
We just got the call from our doctor, first to scold me because he heard I had cheated and taken an at-home test, and second to inform us that the test was wrong, and that I am indeed PREGNANT! Holy cow, what did he just say? Did I hear that right?
Kelly actually took the call. I was too scared to answer the phone. I ran into the bedroom and prepared for meltdown. Then I heard him say, "THAT'S FANTASTIC," and those of you who know Kelly can totally imagine hearing him say that.
I am absolutely STUNNED. I really, really expected to get a negative result today. I cannot believe this whole process has actually worked. I really, really can't believe that God has decided it's time for me to be a mommy.
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