15 weeks- Merry Christmas and happy prenatal bloodwork!

We had  a very Merry Christmas and just knowing what is in store for us in 2012 makes us feel like the luckiest people in the world!

This week was not without it's drama, of course.  I had some spotting earlier this week followed by a call to the new doctor.  They returned my call and took the opportunity to share the results of my prenatal first trimester bloodwork.  The nurse said that my thyroid hormone was low, I was vitamin D deficient and that my antibody screen came back positive.  The last one really threw me.  I am O negative and M is O positive, which is not bad if it's your first pregnancy, but if you've ever had a D&C, miscarriage or any other opportunity for your baby's blood to mix with yours, it could be dangerous.  They give you Rhogam after D&C and any other procedure (amnio, CVS) to try to prevent the issues that it causes- my blood would build up antibodies to the baby's blood and then start attacking it.  This leads to anemia in the baby and possibly blood transfusions in utero and after birth.  So for my first m/c (blighted ovum) I didn't get Rhogam because there technically was no baby (just and empty sac) therefore no blood cells.  My second m/c I had the D&C so they gave me Rhogam in the hospital to prevent sensitization.  At my 11 week appointment with the RE, they gave me Rhogam just in case, because I had some spotting and the busted capillary issue.  So when my antibody screen came back positive (i.e. "sensitized") it was cause for much alarm.  It wasn't until my third hour scouring on the internet that I found out the Rhogam actually stays in your system for about 12 weeks, and will cause any antibody screen you have to be "positive" even though you aren't.  Eventually, it will go away and you will come back negative.  Wow, really wish the nurse had explained that one on the phone.  Could have saved me about 3 hours of complete and total panic, anger, and upset.

So BESIDES that, we had a very nice holiday weekend, and I am off this entire week for some rest and relaxation!  I am hoping to visit my IVF nurses this week to give them the gift basket I made them, along with cigars for the doc and a bottle of nice wine for each of the embryologists.

14 weeks

This week I had my first real OBGYN appointment and got to hear the baby on the fetal doppler again! I am pleased to say he is still alive and kicking in there!! I dream about him all the time....

This week's big developments: baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another.  From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body.  He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body.

13 weeks

This past Saturday I finally heard his little heart beat on the fetal Doppler! I was about to have a nervous breakdown and just went for it, knowing I might not have been able to hear it. It took me a couple of minutes, but I finally detected it by pressing on the lower left quadrant of my abdomen…so hard that I think I bruised. It was different than anything else I have heard and the Doppler registered about 165bpm, which is what was showing at the doctor’s office. It was thrilling and completely turned my mood around. All of a sudden I was full of energy and I felt a renewed confidence that everything was going well. Since my last RE appointment at 11 weeks I was feeling very anxious and depressed, just wondering what was going on in there. As of today, I am still feeling good about everything. I was supposed to have my first appointment with my new OBGYN today, but two of his patients were in labor so the appointment was moved until tomorrow afternoon. I suppose that will be a downfall of a smaller practice- when there are only two of them, appointments get shifted quite a bit. Hopefully it will all be worth it and I will like the new doc and he will listen to my concerns. I don’t even think I want to feign crying for an ultrasound; I would be satisfied with hearing the heartbeat via Doppler. That seems to be enough to calm me, though I always love a picture of the little bugger.

I bought more maternity clothes from Old Navy this week. I got like 10 pieces for $80 with all of their holiday specials and free shipping. They have pretty cute/cheap stuff on there but I told myself I’m not going to stock up too much because I’ll never wear these things again after my pregnancies. I do need a winter coat though- I can’t button any of mine across the chest or belly! I also am graduating beyond a 34DD- what is next? DDD or E?? I guess I should do some research because the girls are feeling restricted. We are still holding off on any registering, furniture, or clothes shopping at least until the new year and I am beyond 16 weeks. For some reason 16 weeks is sticking in my head as a good point to really cut loose and give into my nesting urges- that’s when I’m going to tell my employer (and anyone else who will listen) about my pregnancy. It marks the almost halfway point of my pregnancy and feels like the right time. But I must confess…I’ve already got some things bookmarked on Babies R Us.

12 weeks

I am so close. I don’t even want to say anything for fear that I will jinx it. But I am one week away from being officially through my first trimester. I am so blessed to be in this place I just can’t even believe it. I thank the Lord every day that I am able to carry this baby. I pray that I will continue to be able to carry him to term and everything will go just as I had imagined. The first part of this journey has not gone as planned (as most things in our life often don’t) but am hopeful that this second leg of the race will be successful!


I have officially started to wear the Bella Band that I bought for my pre-pregnancy pants. It is so comfortable to not use buttons! I think work people are starting to suspect, though. I am starting to move beyond the “just had a few too many beers” phase. I try to sit at my desk and not walk around a lot so I can push my chair in all the way to hide my belly. But I don’t want to hide it! I want to show it off for the entire world to see!! Nausea is gone, but the weird appetite is not. If I could have it my way, I’d have pizza for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Unfortunately (or fortunately), I live with a nutrition nazi who makes sure I get ample vitamins and a balanced diet every day – or he shames me. In a loving way, of course. I am really moody, lot of ups and downs. But I am trying to focus more on the ups because this is what I’ve been waiting for my entire life! I am living the dream that I had hoped for and I want to enjoy every moment of it. So many people can’t experience this and I thought for sure I was going to be one of them. But by the miracle of modern science and the Lord, here we are.

I have an appointment with my new OBGYN next Thursday. I switched OBGYN’s last week to be able to deliver at Christiana Hospital in DE instead of Chester County Hospital. Christiana has private rooms and a nationally ranked NICU in case of emergencies. Also, it is a little bit closer for us than riding those back roads to West Chester. I chose an OBGYN affiliated with the hospital, who also happens to be affiliated with a Birth Center in the same area. He was actually trained to be a midwife but became a doctor instead and I am EXTREMELY interested in hearing that story. He’s ranked very well on all of the doctor rating websites so I figured I couldn’t lose. I am intrigued by Birth Centers and natural, un-medicated births in general. The fact that everyone is telling me I can’t do it or won’t want to do it makes me want to do it more. To prove to them they are a bunch of p’s. I mean, my own mother gave birth to two babies naturally… and a 7 pounder and a 9 pounder no less! If she can do it, I have no doubt that I can do it, too. The Birth Center near me accepts patients up to 32-34 weeks so I have time to decide, and in the meantime I’m going to be cared for by the doctor. Stay tuned I guess.