Ultrasound pics

7 weeks 4 days abdominal ultrasound

7 weeks 4 days internal ultrasound

Circle of life

My grandmother passed away on Tuesday. She had been very ill recently and had been in the hospital over most of the summer.  She was moved from the hospital to a full care nursing facility about a month ago, and I was able to visit her there twice. My last visit was to tell her about the baby.  She was happy, but was so very tired so she didn't say much or have much of a reaction.  She knew though.  And she knew I loved her. Our last words to each other were to to say "I love you". 

Yesterday was a very bittersweet day for me.  We had her viewing last night, so it was a very sad time, but we are also overjoyed at the new life that is growing inside me.  Her funeral was today, and it was so hard to say goodbye.  I'm so glad I got to tell her about this little baby. 

The ultrasound was fantastic.  My sister was able to join me.  The tech took a lot of time, and we saw some wonderful images on the screen.  My little lucky bean has a heart rate of 168bpm, and we were even able to watch it wiggle around a couple of times.  It is measuring perfectly, 7 weeks 4 days on the abdominal view and 7 weeks 6 days on the internal view. 

I've been getting more nausea and a bit of gagging, but so far I've only thrown up a few times. Exhaustion is still the most major symptom I've got.  I can feel a more twinges and stretching down near/in my uterus now too.  I still have moments though, where I feel so totally normal that it seems like it's not really happening.  I'm starting to believe it more and more.  I'm even saying the word "pregnant" out loud now. 

I ordered a fetal Doppler online that I'm waiting to have delivered.  It should be here this coming week and I will hopefully be able to start hearing the heartbeat soon. 

I still need to scan the pictures I got, but I haven't been able to yet.  I'll post them as soon as I can get them done.  

I have the nuchal translucency ultrasound on Oct. 30th.  I plan on telling C that she's going to be a big sister that weekend.  Fingers crossed that everything continues to go well and that our dream of her being a big sister do come true!  

Ultrasound

We have one lucky little bean, measuring perfectly on target at 5 weeks 3 day! 

Beta #3

Beta #3 was 2,642.   From beta #2 it had a doubling time of 56 hours, but from beta #1 it was 47 hours.
Still well within range.  I had hoped it would be a bit higher, but I'm happy with it.

Now to wait until tomorrow for my first ultrasound.  I should be 5 weeks 3 days if my calculations (and OPK) are correct.  I know I likely won't see a heartbeat, I'm just hoping to see a little bean in the right spot.

My natural surprise!

When I last posted at the beginning of August, it was right after I had been offered my IVF treatment cycle with our fertility clinic.  I had just come off of an unusually short cycle of 22 days, and had accepted our treatment for the next cycle.

Because of the short cycle, I was worried that I would have another and that it would begin while we were in Las Vegas, so I started doing OPKs right away to give me an idea of where I'd be in my cycle while we were gone.  I had one that seemed very dark right at the start of the cycle, so I took some naproxen for a few days.  Awhile back I had read that nsaids can delay ovulation, so I figured I'd give it a try.  My opks stayed negative and when I reached cd12 I breathed a sigh of relief that I would be able to get home before CD1. 

My DH was leaving for Vegas before me, so I said "goodbye" (hint,hint) to him the night before he left.  The day after he left, on CD16, I had a blazing positive opk.   

I joined him in Vegas a few days later with our friends and we had a great time.  Because I'm a poasoholic, I took a test when we got home, at 8dpo, knowing full well it would be negative, but taking it anyway because I was bored. 

Out of the same poasoholic boredom, I took another one 4 days later on Saturday night.  I looked at it a few minutes later, while it was still pink (cheapy dip strip), decided it was negative, as expected, and then I fell asleep.  Sunday morning, with blurry eyes, I looked at it again, and then had to rub my eyes and look a few more times.  I thought I could see an ever so faint second line.  Since I've had evaps and visible indents before, I really didn't think much of it, but took another dip test anyway, just to prove it was an evap.  

This showed up instead.  

I waited about an hour, then took a frer, which is the test I posted on Sept 1st.  I was 13dpo by my calculations. 

Since then I went test crazy, and had a couple of betas drawn. Beta #1 at 15dpo was 230 and beta #2 at 17dpo was 595. It doubled in 34 hours.  The tests have gotten darker each day. 

I'm so hopeful this lucky little bean is a sticky one!  I am still stunned it happened naturally.  Lightning did strike us twice, once before our very first treatment cycle and now right before our very last treatment cycle.  

I have a third beta on Tuesday at 22dpo and then an ultrasound to make sure this one is in the right spot on Thursday.  I have a very good feeling about this one.  :)

Miracles do happen! 

Taking a detour, cause this happened...

 

Officially offered treatment!

We were initially supposed to have our IVF in July.  There ended up being a few miscommunications with my clinic.  The way it works with them, is that once you sign up into the IVF program, you have to call into them with every new cycle to maintain your place on the list.  I signed up in March, and called in my April and May cycles.  I had some testing done too, and it was determined that I needed to see a hematologist, so that appt. was set up for July, within a day or two of when my July cd1 would be. 

I spoke with a nurse regarding some test results in May, and happened to ask where I was on the list to start treatment.  I was at first shocked and then furious when she told me I wasn't on the list, as my last cycle recorded was in March.  I had that nurse record my cycles right then, and requested a call back to discuss why my day 1 call-ins hadn't been put in my file.  When another nurse called me back, she assured me that I would be offered to start my treatment with my next call in (with my June cycle), to have my IVF with my July cycle. She was aware that my hematology appt was scheduled for right around cd1 in July.  My June cycle came and I called in but didn't hear back.  I called them again, and this time was told that because I needed to see a hematologist and hadn't had that appt yet, they would not offer me treatment for July.  I was again absolutely furious and demanded to speak directly with my Dr.   When I got off the phone with the nurse, my DH said that he was okay with delaying until after our summer trip was done, and he felt that the universe was trying to protect me from something.  I wrapped my head around the delay, and decided to be okay with it.  

When my Dr. called me back, I caught him off-guard with my concerns, because the nurse had not told him why I asked to speak with him.  He thought he was calling to review my protocol.  In that phone call, even though I had intended on saying that I decided to be okay with the delay, he said there was no reason why we couldn't go ahead with July, as the review from the hematologist would be done in time to begin my cycle.  We agreed to speak the following week after I had discussed the options again with my DH.  That weekend our city flooded.  The clinic itself was okay, but most of the areas around it were completely flooded due to our rivers breeching their banks.  All the routes I take were either underwater, or were so congested with traffic that it was taking hours to make a trip that normally takes minutes.  My decision was pretty much made for me at that point.  I decided to just stay out of the way and wait.  

So, that brings us to now.  I had my hematology appt, called in my July cycle and then confirmed it all with the clinic.  I had a super short cycle (only 22 days) and called in my August cycle on Saturday.  Yesterday I was officially offered my IVF treatment for my next cycle.  

We are heading to Las Vegas in two weeks, so I'm hoping my cycle behaves and doesn't show up early again.  We will be flying home on cd24, and I need to go to the clinic for an ultrasound on cd2.  If I have the same short cycle again, I would be flying home that day.  They were okay with me starting on day 3 if necessary, but I'm hoping my normal 26 day cycle resumes for me.  

So, long story short...it's here!  This is hopefully my last cycle before I get pregnant!  Wish me luck!!