I have made it safely to the third month… YAY! However along with it came the morning sickness….UNYAY!! I have felt completely horrible the last few day. I mean awful, nauseous all day and night. . I have found that if I eat a little something right when I wake up it helps the day go a little smoother. I must continue to eat something every 2 hours or forget it. Nothing helps it go away though, not ginger ale, Sprite, crackers, nada! The only time it’s completely gone is when I am sleeping, but when I am sleeping my bladder wakes me up. Lately it’s been 5-6 times a night. Ugh! Ok I am done whining.

Yesterday I saw my OBGYN, well one of them. The Drs at West Coast OBGYN rotate shifts at the hospital so each appointment I will have a new Dr. This way I will meet each one of them before delivery time. It’s such a different experience than with Dr. Garzo. It almost seemed like a cattle call. Sign in, pee in a cup. Undress waist down. Ask a bunch of questions. Ultrasounds. Out you go! I got a lot of info on genetic testing and cord blood banking to read through before my next appointment. Which might I add isn’t until 4 weeks away, and the nurse said this was my last ultrasound until 8 weeks away.  So it’s just me and my pregnancy books until the end of October. I am sort of tempted to buy a doppler on ebay so i can reassure myself that the little one is still going strong  inside me.

 I am hoping to get the nuchal translucency screening at 12 weeks.  This test “can help your healthcare practitioner assess your baby’s risk of having Down syndrome (DS) and some other chromosomal abnormalities as well as major congenital heart problems.
The NT test uses ultrasound to measure the clear (translucent) space in the tissue at the back of your developing baby’s neck. Babies with abnormalities tend to accumulate more fluid at the back of their neck during the first trimester, causing this clear space to be larger than average.”  Let’s see how hard it is to schedule this since everyone needs referrals and everyone tends to forget to send them.

We had our last appointment with Dr. Garzo today and it was bittersweet! We got to see Nubby and the heartbeat was very strong. Shane is convinced with a heartbeat like that it “has to be a boy!” Nubby looked like a gummy bear with the arm and leg buds beginning to form. Nubby was moving around too which was so nice to see since I will do all I can to make sure this little one doesn’t get his/her days and nights mixed up. After all the measurements were taken all the staff came out to say goodbye and congratulations. We were even given a diploma signed by all upon leaving. So nice!! Oh and I have also graduated from progesterone injections. I am now to take 3 suppositories a day but just until next Friday. Then I am done for good!
Tomorrow I am 8 weeks!

Here is a picture of our little one!   Nubby

I am 7 weeks and 2 days pregnant today. Just shy of 2 months and still a pretty uneventful pregnancy so far. Yesterday I did wake up with some cramping but the nurse assured me it was just my uterus stretching. The morning sickness comes and goes but it really hasn’t been that bad, nothing like some of the stories I have heard. My sense of smell is out of control, I have the nose of a dog.
Next week Shane will be gone a few nights and I wasn’t sure how I was going to get my daily injection of progesterone. I asked my nurse and she said that at my next appt. she will show my how to inject myself, complete with a drawn on circle for the target. This seems easier to me than having someone new do it.. At least I think it will be! I am hoping we will have a good picture of nubs to show you after Tuesday mornings appointment!!

Today is the first day I can actually say I feel like crud!! Tired and nauseous all day, except when I am napping. Maybe my theory about the progesterone levels and side effects was way off. I can’t imagine feeling like this all day everyday for another month…EW!

 I have been having a love-hate relationship with food and cooking lately. Sometimes I feel like cooking a feast but mostly I don’t want anything to do with it. I am craving foods I shouldn’t be like Spaghetti carbonara, chocolate souffles, burritos, and bread! I definitely don’t want anything to do with poultry. unless it’s fried or has a delicious crispy skin on it. God help me! Part of the reason may be due to Friday’s dinner. Shane and I went downtown to Searsucker the baby of Brian Malarkey. We ordered short ribs braised in red wine as an appetizer, mmmm. The most delicious caesar salad with anchovies which I couldn’t eat because of the stupid pregnancy rules. Shane ordered the Sea Bass in a cherry reduction with almonds which was very good and I went with the Duck with an apricot gastrique, which was raw. Well very very very rare. By the time I was able to tell the waiter I was so over ever eating anything more. They apologized, of course and re-cooked it but it really put a bad taste in our mouths. I should have ordered the scallops.

Well we have made it to 5 weeks which is longer than our last pregnancy so that’s a good thing 🙂 On the IVF forum I visited a lot during that past month I noticed that most women  agreed that  the worrying doesn’t stop once you get your BFP. Boy, aint that the truth. The days seem to go by so slow in anticipation for  next weeks ultrasound. The nurse said we may be able to see a heartbeat but if we don’t it just means it’s too early. Wowza! “How will we know it’s viable and everything ok?” I asked, and she replied with something or other about measuring and size and yada yada yada. It didn’t ease my worry at all. I am sure everything is ok but I just can’t wait to get past that first hurdle. Besides IVF websites I haven’t been on any pregnancy/baby sites since long before we started this. I used to browse baby stuff and nursery ideas but it all led to heartbreak in the end. So I vowed to stay far away until I knew I was PG. Yesterday I bookmarked some favorite sites and actually ordered some books, I am being optimistic.

So far so good with the early PG symptoms. I have been tired and my appetite is all out of whack but no nausea so far! A little part of me is actually hoping for  some morning sickness so I know something is going on in there. I am sure I will regret it as soon as it happens but not feeling “anything” just adds to my worry.

One thing I have come to realize is that everyone has their “2 cents” on do’s and don’ts during pregnancy. I sometimes find it hard to hear my own instincts as they are muffled by others opinions. The internet is no help either, one website will tell you one thing and another will tell you the exact opposite with a horror story along with it. I have a list of “can I’s” to bring to the Dr. next week and that’s the opinion I will listen to!

Be back next Wednesday for the update of the ultrasound 🙂

I have decided to write down all the different “things” I have been feeling and the changes I have felt in my body since the ET. Whether they are Progesterone side effects or early PG symptoms, at least I will have an idea for next time…if or when there is a next time.

2 dpt- anxiety and an increase in thirst

5 dpt- headaches on and off all day/Thirsty all day/ Get drowsy after PIO injection

6 dpt- headaches on and off all day /Thirsty all day/ Drowsy in the evening

7 dpt- AF like cramps on and off all day with light brown spotting/water intake is up to 50-60 oz by 2pm.

8, 9 , 10 dpt- light-headed on and off/ still drinking a lot of water all day/ anxious/ notice I haven’t had any desire for sweets or chocolate after dinner/ Seem  more tired than “normal” after PIO injection, can barely keep my eyes open after 7:00

This waiting game is so hard! I started out optimistic but the closer we get the more anxious I feel. I know there aren’t always symptoms this early on but come on. Can’t I just have one little hint of maybe getting a big fat positive? Yesterday I had cramping on and off and I thought for sure AF was on her way..even though I’m pretty sure she wont show as long as I am on progesterone but still. I called my nurse and she said…of course…”That’s normal” They have to say that!  I wish I had a pop up thermometer like they have on turkeys. As soon has the HCG is detected it pops out of the womans belly button! How great would that be? Oh well only 3 more days left!

I got my Progesterone level back yesterday and it was at 18.9. They like to see it at 30 at least. She assured me that they can not tell whether or not I am PG from the test and even though the numbers are low one can still have a viable pregnancy. I am now doubling my progesterone dose to 2ccs.  Shane is getting really good at giving me the shots…bless his heart! It used to hurt but the last few shots have been painless. Good thing because if this sticky bean stays around we will most likely continue with the shots for a while.

My nurse also told me I can start low impact exercise, meaning walking and swimming. No incline, stairs, hiking ect. I can’t lift weights either so I need to get myself into a exercise routine where I can still burn some calories while taking it easy. This morning we woke up and took a walk to the market for some coffee and stopped by a Mediterranean market for a quick browse.  All that did was make me think of how good a Gyro would be for lunch 😉

I am feeling a lot better mentally. Getting out of the house and working yesterday helped A LOT! The kids were so full of love and that will make anyone feel good.  I got some big plans to sit in the sun today and maybe try to talk Shane into grabbing a greek salad or a gyro for lunch…Mmmm.