Thursday was our appointment with the Periontologist. First was the ultrasound that showed our active little one. The Dr. measured and checked the heart, kidneys and nasal bone. ect. All looked good. The baby is actually measuring a little big. Then like a good little baby, the little one flipped over so we could get a view of the private parts and what do you know….It’s a girl!! I was overjoyed and Shane a little shocked..he really thought he was getting a boy but I know he will be smitten with his little girl. The subchorionic hemorrhage is still there and there is something going on with the umbilical cord, not sure exactly what but the Dr. said that “most of the time” everything is fine. They will just need to keep an eye on it because it can affect the growth of the baby but like I said so far she is measuring big, so that’s a good thing!
Next came the amnio and because of my tear and needing to keep away from the baby the Dr. had to insert the needle very low into my abdomen. I will not lie, it hurt like a bitch!! We will get the results in about 10 days but we also ordered FISH results which are rapid results for Downs, Trisomy and anatomy. They should be in by Monday.

As for the tear I am still on bed rest until it is gone. We go back to the Peri on Dec. 12 to check on it and the baby’s measurement.

I have been on bed rest for a few weeks now, plenty of time to dwell on my first trimester test results. I know, I know stop worrying but when I’m laying awake in the middle of the night there isn’t anything else to think about. All I do is lay around the house reading and watching TV. Somedays are better than others but on the bad days it’s really hard to stop thinking about what will be. I have played out every outcome that can happen and I have gone over and over all the questions I have for the Periontologist. I definitely regret not asking more questions at that last appointment regarding the nuchal test and signs for Down Syndrome. At the time all I cared about was the Subchorionic tear that they saw. I find myself making excuses for the positive blood test, “maybe it’s because of all the stim meds during IVF, maybe they have my due date wrong and the test is off, maybe I had my blood drawn too early.” Yes you can say that sometimes I drive myself crazy!  However I am getting through this because I have a wonderful supportive husband who has made bed rest a little easier and has been very positive through all of this. He has been amazing!!

One week until the Amnio and who knows how long it takes to get the results back. I am really looking forward to hearing that everything will be fine and to find out what we are having. Hopefully by Thanksgiving so we have something to really be thankful for.

During 2 week wait:

• extreme thirst
• no desire for chocolate

After the good news:

• still thirsty up til 7 weeks
• tired

After progesterone shots ended ( 9 weeks ):

• morning sickness all day all night. Need to snack  throughout the day.
• bathroom trips more frequent, waking up 4-6 times a night
• No more chicken, made me sick thinking about it.
• Water with lemon or lemonade always tasted good.
• Started thinking about chocolate again
• pants started to get tight.
• craving everything I shouldn’t eat….Ice cream, donuts, french fries ect.

 12 weeks:

• morning sickness eased up
• spotting and cramping/ subchorionic hemorrhage found

13 weeks:

• Felt babies first flutters 🙂

I got another call from my OBGYN the other day with the follow up results from my nuchal test. Although my ultrasound looked good, combined with my blood work  it came back positive for abnormalities. She told me to remain calm and that they see a lot of false positives but she referred me back to the specialist. I have an appointment on November 18th for genetic counseling, a level 2 ultrasound and an amnio. Until then we wait..

Yesterday was quite a day! It started with my monthly routine trip to the OBGYN where I learned that I haven’t gained any weight and I heard the baby’s heart beat. My second appointment was with a specialist for the NT scan to check for extra fluid behind the baby’s neck which can be an indicator for downs. I talked to a genetic counselor for a while about different chromosome abnormalities and amniocentesis. I told her that if the NT scan showed indicators of some abnormalities I would most likely have an amnio done. Then I had the ultrasound. It was a pretty large room, I guess you can bring family members with you. There was a large screen monitor on the wall for me to see the babes. It was the most amazing thing to see this tiny human with his/her legs crossed, moving all around. Cute as can be! I was really sad Shane hadn’t come with me but we have the next one. I told the ultrasound nurse that I had a small tear in my placenta and she said.. ” I see it.” About 1/2 hour of getting pictures and taking measurements she left to write-up the results. Dr. Stanco, the head specialist came back into the room and said that she was very concerned about the Subchorionic Hemorrhage or tear that I have in my placenta. I told her that I knew about it early on and was told to keep my activity level low, walking no running ect. She said ” well whatever you have been doing has not helped.” Jeez thanks! I asked her what can happen if it get’s worse and she said that the bleeding can cause the placenta to pull away from the uterine wall causing a miscarriage. She suggested bed rest but told me she was faxing all the info to my OB and they would contact me with their opinions. It was so surreal. I went in to find out about chromosome abnormalities, forgot all about everything once I saw our baby and then was hit with this news. I left very upset and still no answer about the NT measurements.
I got a call from my OB later last night. She said that Subchorionic Hemorrhage’s are fairly common and they are not exactly sure what causes them. She did say that most tears heal  themselves with time. She suggested for me to lay low, no work, no excercise, no carrying or lifting things. Basically stay off my feet as much as possible. I go back in  a month to my OB and back to the specialist in Dec. I have done a little reading on this complication and it seems that most do go away with time and rest. Here is some more information..http://www.justmommies.com/articles/subchorionic-hematoma.shtml

On a good note, my Dr. said that the NT scan came back and the fluid was low which is good. So I feel I can put that worry to rest!

Today is the 12 week mark and I feel 100 times better. I don’t want to jinx myself but maybe the horrible all day sickness has surpassed? It’s great to feel human again. I am actually enjoying my job again and not having to shove food down my throat every hour. I have also been thinking about chocolate again. The first thing I realized in my 2 week wait was I didn’t want chocolate after dinner… I always want chocolate after dinner. It’s been 3 months and my long-lost friend is back on my mind. As soon as I am done writing this I am going straight to the kitchen to whip up some dark chocolate bark with pecans and sea salt. YUM!
The other new thing that started today is a sharp stabbing pain on the right side of my stomach. Before I panicked I googled it and sure enough it’s common in the beginning of the 2nd trimester. It’s called round ligament pain and it’s the ligaments stretching as the uterus grows. It’s a good thing I guess.

I am 11 weeks and 1 day getting closer and closer to the end of the first trimester. I really really hope this all day sickness wears off by then. I have heard some women say it lasted all pregnancy, some say it lasted into the 4th month and others say it ended at week 13. I would love it to end tomorrow. These last few weeks have been hard. I just feel awful all day, around 6:00pm I start feeling good but it’s short lived since I go to bed by 8:30. I am waking up consistently at 10 pm 12 am 2 am and again at 3:30.
I had my blood test today for the first trimester screening, they will compare the results with my nuchal translucency ultrasound which is in exactly 2 weeks. I have been enjoying gathering nursery decor ideas, however there isn’t anything to really do until we find out what we are having. I think we should know by Thanksgiving.

Nothing much has changed in this last week. I still feel sick most of the day although I am not as tired. With my new energy I have gotten back into my regularly scheduled workout. If feels good to get the excercise however sometimes I do worry if it is too much. Since the Dr. appts are so far apart now I just have to trust my body and my instinct. Speaking of my body, the worst part of the end of the first trimester is the extra “paddedness” in my midsection. It’s not enough to show the cute baby bump but just enough to make people wonder…” hmmm has Kim gained weight?” The rest is all a waiting game. We do have something super fun to do this weekend and that is see Jack Johnson in our VIP box seats! That will definitely take my mind off the long wait. At least for a night.
“Love is the answer
At least for most of the questions in my heart
Why are we here and where do we go
And how come it’s so hard
It’s not always easy and sometimes life can be deceiving
I’ll tell you one thing
It’s always better when we’re together.”
Jack Johnson

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