Sorry for not updating at 7 weeks. Not really much to tell.
Weight gain - I'm up a total of 1.4 lbs as of this morning. Although that is not much, my body seems so different. My boobs are HUGE! And my lower stomach has more of a pooch than normal. I've been reading Dr. Luke's book on having multiples and if I follow her guidelines, I should gain 24 lbs. by the end of week 20. I guess I need to pay more attention to how many servings of each food group I'm getting daily and my calorie intake.
Symptoms - Still exhausted. The odd thing is, I can't sleep through the night without meds. I can't get comfortable. I'm a belly sleeper and I'm trying to prepare myself for the next 7 months of not being able to sleep on my belly.
My boobs are still sore. Did I mention how large they are? My mom said yesterday that I looked like I had gained 2 lbs. in each one....gotta love how moms tell the truth, huh?
Morning sickness, AKA all-day nausea! It hit last Tuesday. I've only actually gotten sick once, but the feeling is constantly there. Dr. L prescribed me some Zo.fran and it's working, but wears off after about 6 hours or so.
Clothes - I have picked up a few more tops and bottoms. I figure I need to stock up. I must say that I LOVE my maternity pants. It is so nice to sit down an be able to breath. Not to mention that my jeans that I have are quite fashionable.
I'm also using my bella bands. I have a couple of pairs of pants that I can still wear with them, but it's not going to last for much longer.
In other news - Mr. MBC and I have been back to the RE twice since I last blogged. Both appointments went very well. I had an ultrasound at each appt so we now have pics of the babies at almost 6, 7, & 8 weeks.
Last week, the ultrasound tech measured Baby A's heartbeat to be around 125 and Baby B's to be closer to 150. Due to this difference, Mr. MBC is convinced that we're having boy-girl twins.
At our most recent ultrasound, both babies were measuring 8 weeks exactly, which is about 4 days ahead. It was so neat to see how much the babies changed from one week to the next. They actually look like babies now.
The biggest news is that I GRADUATED from Dr. L!!! Woo Hoo....I think? I love Dr. L and everyone at his office. I love the weekly ultrasounds. I love knowing that they know who I am when I call with a question. I'm going to miss all of those things. But, it also makes me feel very good that Dr. L is confident in my preganacy and is passing me on to my OB.
Coming Up This Week - Mr. MBC and I have our first OB appointment this coming Friday. I'm looking forward to it, and have a TON of questions to ask Dr. H. Most of the questions are twin-related. I have a lot of anxiety about bed rest, pre-term labor, NICU, gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia.....basically everything that could go wrong.
Any specific questions I should ask??
Monday, October 11, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
6 weeks
Hey, hey! Here's my 6 week update. Nothing too exciting. I plan on taking weekly pictures, but right now there's nothing to show other than fat and bloat.
Weight gain - None. I actually lost the 2 pounds I had previously gained. I finally pooped. But I can tell that my body is changing.
Symptoms - Still having some cramping, but not as bad as the week before. I have two major symptoms - sore boobs and exhaustion. I can tell that my boobs are larger. I'm still fighting buying new bras. I'm afraid of how many cup sizes I'm going to increase during this pregnancy (and post pregnancy when I attempt to BF).
As for the exhaustion, I feel like I cannot get enough sleep. I've been in the bed by 9 each night and that's after falling asleep on the couch. Luckily, I am sleeping better. Thanks to Dr. L prescibing Amb.ien. I'm trying not to take it every night, but I know how good it is.
Clothes - I went shopping with Mr. MBC last week after finding out about the twins. I figure there's no need in suffering through tight clothes when I'm cooking up a double dose of baby. Then my mom came up on Sunday and we went shopping as well. As of now, I have a couple pairs of maternity jeans (HEAVEN!) and a couple of dresses. I bought several shirts as well for layering under sweaters and cardigans in the coming months.
Coming Up This Week - Mr. MBC and I have our second ultrasound this week. We're both very excited about seeing our babies again. I'm hoping we can get a heartrate this week. Wishful thinking???
In other news - After seeing the heartbeats last week, Mr. MBC couldn't keep quiet any longer. We've told all of our family and many of our friends. I was hoping to keep it from my students for a little while longer, but kind of got called out yesterday by a student. It's only a matter of time.
Weight gain - None. I actually lost the 2 pounds I had previously gained. I finally pooped. But I can tell that my body is changing.
Symptoms - Still having some cramping, but not as bad as the week before. I have two major symptoms - sore boobs and exhaustion. I can tell that my boobs are larger. I'm still fighting buying new bras. I'm afraid of how many cup sizes I'm going to increase during this pregnancy (and post pregnancy when I attempt to BF).
As for the exhaustion, I feel like I cannot get enough sleep. I've been in the bed by 9 each night and that's after falling asleep on the couch. Luckily, I am sleeping better. Thanks to Dr. L prescibing Amb.ien. I'm trying not to take it every night, but I know how good it is.
Clothes - I went shopping with Mr. MBC last week after finding out about the twins. I figure there's no need in suffering through tight clothes when I'm cooking up a double dose of baby. Then my mom came up on Sunday and we went shopping as well. As of now, I have a couple pairs of maternity jeans (HEAVEN!) and a couple of dresses. I bought several shirts as well for layering under sweaters and cardigans in the coming months.
Coming Up This Week - Mr. MBC and I have our second ultrasound this week. We're both very excited about seeing our babies again. I'm hoping we can get a heartrate this week. Wishful thinking???
In other news - After seeing the heartbeats last week, Mr. MBC couldn't keep quiet any longer. We've told all of our family and many of our friends. I was hoping to keep it from my students for a little while longer, but kind of got called out yesterday by a student. It's only a matter of time.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Had our first ultrasound today....
One word - AMAZING!
Everything went as planned except one thing....Mr. MBC and I are expecting twins! Holy Crap! I didn't even think it was a possibility based on my ultrasound prior to my last IUI. Here's the first photo of the MBC Babies:
Please excuse the poor quality. I had to take a photo of the ultrasound print with my phone.
Everything is moving along well. Baby A is measuring 1 or 2 days behind Baby B, but the ultrasound tech assured me that was perfectly normal. Baby B is measuring 5 weeks, 5 days so perfectly in line with our IUI date.
I talked to the nurse about some things and feel better:
Everything went as planned except one thing....Mr. MBC and I are expecting twins! Holy Crap! I didn't even think it was a possibility based on my ultrasound prior to my last IUI. Here's the first photo of the MBC Babies:
Everything is moving along well. Baby A is measuring 1 or 2 days behind Baby B, but the ultrasound tech assured me that was perfectly normal. Baby B is measuring 5 weeks, 5 days so perfectly in line with our IUI date.
I talked to the nurse about some things and feel better:
- She assured me that all of the cramping was just my uterus expanding and nothing to worry about.
- She told me I could take a fiber supplement each day to help with my poop problem, more specifically lack of.
- She's going to talk to Dr. L about giving me some meds to help me sleep at night. Exhaustion hits me around 2:30 or so each day. I'm asleep by 8:30 most nights, but wide awake shortly after midnight. I've always had sleep issues, but not that I'm pregnant it's hard to push through the day after a night of no sleep.
- She gave me some free sample of Rx Strength pre-natal vitamins. I asked about switching to one that had DHA in it and she offered samples, so I took them.
- She told me it was up to my OB as to how long I would take the Metformin. So I guess time will tell on that. She said that Dr. L typically reccomends up to 20 weeks.
- Laslty, I asked about having sex. Mr. MBC has been quite neglected since my spotting scare the other week. I was advised "nothing in the vagina" until further notice. The nurse gave us the green light as long as sex isn't painful or leads to spotting.
Happy ICWL!
Hello to all the fellow ICWLers. Thanks for stopping by my blog. Here's a quick recap of our TTC Journey:
- July 2009 - tossed BC
- November 2009 - went to OB due to AF showing every 14 days; DX with PCOS
- December 2009 thru April 2010 - Clomid (aka: The Devil's Drug) + HCG trigger = all BFNs
- May & June 2010 - forced break due to Mr. MBC's work schedule
- June 2010 - met with RE, Dr. L regarding PCOS and treatment options
- July 2010 - Folli.stm + HCG + progesterone = BFN
- August 2010 - repeat of July 2010 = BFP!!
Monday, September 20, 2010
5 weeks
I'm going to attempt to post week by week updates. I was technically 5 weeks on Saturday, but the weekend was super busy with a birthday party, college football and date night with Mr. MBC.
Weight gain - 2 pounds...I really think this is all bloat and lack of pooping. I've barely eaten anything over the past week.
Symptoms - Still having some cramping, but no more spotting! YAY! My boobs still feel like punching bags and have began to overflow the bra cups. I'm exhausted by 7:30 or so each night. But the tale-tell sign is the constant trips to the bathroom. Last night, I got up 3 times to go pee. I already have sleep issues, and all the peeing is not helping. Lastly, indigestion. It doesn't matter what I eat or drink. I have it after every.single.meal. But I'll take that over morning (or all day) sickness.
Clothes - I'm still wearing my regular clothes. However, I did buy 2 Bella Bands last week. They are like heaven with some of my pants. I've decided I'm going to buy a couple of knit dresses that are work appropriate and mix them up with cardigans, scarfs, etc. I'm hoping I can make it for a little while without having to buy true maternity clothes.
Coming Up This Week - Mr. MBC and I have our first ultrasound this week, Thursday. I cannot wait to see the little blob that is growing inside me. I'm very anxious about it because several people have suggested to me that I may have twins in there based on my HCG's quick doubling time. Comparing my numbers to those on the Beta Base site, I'm much more in line with twins than a singleton. Mr. MBC and I will be happy with either, but the thought of two babies at once is a little scary. But as my mother pointed out, I don't know the difference between one newborn and two newborns. She's assured me that I'm going to be exhausted either way. Thanks Mom :)
Weight gain - 2 pounds...I really think this is all bloat and lack of pooping. I've barely eaten anything over the past week.
Symptoms - Still having some cramping, but no more spotting! YAY! My boobs still feel like punching bags and have began to overflow the bra cups. I'm exhausted by 7:30 or so each night. But the tale-tell sign is the constant trips to the bathroom. Last night, I got up 3 times to go pee. I already have sleep issues, and all the peeing is not helping. Lastly, indigestion. It doesn't matter what I eat or drink. I have it after every.single.meal. But I'll take that over morning (or all day) sickness.
Clothes - I'm still wearing my regular clothes. However, I did buy 2 Bella Bands last week. They are like heaven with some of my pants. I've decided I'm going to buy a couple of knit dresses that are work appropriate and mix them up with cardigans, scarfs, etc. I'm hoping I can make it for a little while without having to buy true maternity clothes.
Coming Up This Week - Mr. MBC and I have our first ultrasound this week, Thursday. I cannot wait to see the little blob that is growing inside me. I'm very anxious about it because several people have suggested to me that I may have twins in there based on my HCG's quick doubling time. Comparing my numbers to those on the Beta Base site, I'm much more in line with twins than a singleton. Mr. MBC and I will be happy with either, but the thought of two babies at once is a little scary. But as my mother pointed out, I don't know the difference between one newborn and two newborns. She's assured me that I'm going to be exhausted either way. Thanks Mom :)
Thursday, September 16, 2010
It's still rising...
I had my 3rd beta drawn this morning. It came back at 1556. I'm super stoked! Mr. MBC and I have our first ultrasound next week. So excited!!!
I thought I may get some funny looks for being there this morning, but my appointment was still on the books and everything was ready to go for me. I talked to the nurse about sex. Mr. MBC and I have not had sex since the spotting on Sunday. I'm still having some cramping as well, so I wanted to get the green light before we had some sexy time. The nurse said "Nope". She suggested that we abstain for another week (!) or so. I haven't told Mr. MBC yet....he's not going to be happy.
I am running out of clothes. Yes, I realize I'm not quite 5 weeks pregnant. But, with the 5 rounds of Clo.mid and the two cycles of Folli.stim I've gained about 10 pounds. Last winter, I squeezed into some of my work pants and jeans. Now, that's not even an option. This time of year is tough for me to dress for anyway. It's cool in the morning, but in the 90s in the afternoon. I'm just ready for fall weather.
To remedy my lack of clothes, I bought a few things at Targ.et yesterday. I bought a cheap pair of jeans thinking that I could wear them now and use a bella band with them when they got tight. WRONG! I went up 2 whole sizes from my favorite jeans and they were already skin tight - couldn't even get them buttoned. I bought a couple of dresses. One was a maternity dress, but it looked pretty straight. WRONG again! When I put it on, it sagged at the belly. It was very obvious that it was maternity. The second dress I bought was okay, but I knew it wouldn't last much longer. I could go back and get the larger size, but I don't want to look frumpy for the time being.
I thought I may get some funny looks for being there this morning, but my appointment was still on the books and everything was ready to go for me. I talked to the nurse about sex. Mr. MBC and I have not had sex since the spotting on Sunday. I'm still having some cramping as well, so I wanted to get the green light before we had some sexy time. The nurse said "Nope". She suggested that we abstain for another week (!) or so. I haven't told Mr. MBC yet....he's not going to be happy.
I am running out of clothes. Yes, I realize I'm not quite 5 weeks pregnant. But, with the 5 rounds of Clo.mid and the two cycles of Folli.stim I've gained about 10 pounds. Last winter, I squeezed into some of my work pants and jeans. Now, that's not even an option. This time of year is tough for me to dress for anyway. It's cool in the morning, but in the 90s in the afternoon. I'm just ready for fall weather.
To remedy my lack of clothes, I bought a few things at Targ.et yesterday. I bought a cheap pair of jeans thinking that I could wear them now and use a bella band with them when they got tight. WRONG! I went up 2 whole sizes from my favorite jeans and they were already skin tight - couldn't even get them buttoned. I bought a couple of dresses. One was a maternity dress, but it looked pretty straight. WRONG again! When I put it on, it sagged at the belly. It was very obvious that it was maternity. The second dress I bought was okay, but I knew it wouldn't last much longer. I could go back and get the larger size, but I don't want to look frumpy for the time being.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
I think I'm going to be "that" patient...
I'm still having some cramping, but nothing too bad. No spotting, so I feel much better.
After yesterday's appointment, I fully expected a nurse to call me. Well, no phone call just a message in my patient voice mailbox. The message gave me my updated beta and progesterone numbers, but didn't say anything about the urinalysis. No biggie, right? Like I said yesterday, no news is good new. Of course I couldn't leave well enough alone.
I called the nurse messaging center this morning and left a message regarding yesterday's urine sample. Also, I had quite a day with my stomach yesterday. TMI Warning.....I pooped like 6 or 7 times yesterday. I have IBS. Over the years, I've learned what foods to stay away from and how to avoid episodes like yesterday's. Well I didn't really eat anything to set me off, so I'm guessing it was stress related? Or maybe it's my hormones because I usually have episodes around the time AF comes to visit each month. Who knows??? Anyway, I asked the nurse if I could take Immod.ium to help with my stomach issues. My message from earlier today was the my urinalysis was "all clear" and take the Immod.ium "per instructions".
So, let's recap this week with Dr. L's office:
After yesterday's appointment, I fully expected a nurse to call me. Well, no phone call just a message in my patient voice mailbox. The message gave me my updated beta and progesterone numbers, but didn't say anything about the urinalysis. No biggie, right? Like I said yesterday, no news is good new. Of course I couldn't leave well enough alone.
I called the nurse messaging center this morning and left a message regarding yesterday's urine sample. Also, I had quite a day with my stomach yesterday. TMI Warning.....I pooped like 6 or 7 times yesterday. I have IBS. Over the years, I've learned what foods to stay away from and how to avoid episodes like yesterday's. Well I didn't really eat anything to set me off, so I'm guessing it was stress related? Or maybe it's my hormones because I usually have episodes around the time AF comes to visit each month. Who knows??? Anyway, I asked the nurse if I could take Immod.ium to help with my stomach issues. My message from earlier today was the my urinalysis was "all clear" and take the Immod.ium "per instructions".
So, let's recap this week with Dr. L's office:
- Sunday - call nurse on call for spotting and cramping
- Monday - go in for bloodwork and urinalysis
- Tuesday - call and leave a message for my nurse
Monday, September 13, 2010
What a Rollercoaster!
The last 5 days have been such a rollercoaster of emotions. Last time we talked, I was 10 dpiui. I went against most people's advice and tested last Wednesday morning. Mr. MBC was adamant that he be the one to actually look at the test. So I got up, POAS and got in the shower. I waited and waited and waited - in all actuality it was probably only 2 or 3 minutes. Then Mr. MBC came into the bathroom and started analyzing the pee stick and the instructions. Then he said "Looks positive to me." After almost a year and half of POAS, I took a little convincing. The line was light, but definitely there.
Thursday morning, I tested again. The line was darker and showed up almost immediately. Mr. MBC and I left home and headed to Dr. L's office for my beta. Around lunch time, I got the phone call that my numbers were "very good". Beta = 101, Progesterone = 43. That's when it really hit me - I'm pregnant!
Friday and Saturday were uneventful. Friday was a super busy day for me at work. Left home before 7:00 am and didn't get home until 10:30 pm. Saturday, Mr. MBC and I ran some errands and then had a lazy day. I was having some cramping both days, but nothing significant. Saturday night the cramps became more intense. I just chalked the pain up to residual cysts from the Folli.stim. Before going to bed, I told Mr. MBC not to wake me up on Sunday morning because I planned on sleeping in.
Sunday morning I woke up around 5:00 with major cramps. I tossed and turned for about an hour and then got up and got on the couch. Around 8:30 I went to the bathroom and there it was - blood on the toilet paper. TMI Warning....it was brown, not red so I knew that was the better of the two. Immediately, I called Dr. L's office. The on-call nurse called me back and told me spotting was normal as was the cramping. She adivsed me to take Tyle.nol as needed for the pain and to call back if the spotting got worse (or red). The spotting stopped around noon yesterday. Even though I know it's normal, I was still thinking the worst.
I didn't sleep at all last night. Analyzing every twinge, pain, etc. I went in this morning to have repeat bloodwork. I also had a urinalysis done because apparently spotting and cramping can indicate a UTI (who knew??). My bloodwork showed that my beta is up to 579 and progesterone is up to 57.3. "Great rises" according to my nurse. No word on the urinalysis. Right now, no news is good news.
So, I guess it's official! Mr. MBC and I are expecting in May.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
10 dpIUI
That's where I am today. I have no idea if I'm pregnant or not. I can't decide if I want to test tomorrow or Thursday morning. My beta is Thursday. This is going to be one of the busiest weeks I've had since returning to work. Not the best week for me to find out if IUI #2 worked or not.
What I do know is this...I HATE vaginal progesterone, AKA "vaggi-tabs" by Mr. MBC and myself. There are various reasons, but some are gross so I'll spare you the details. I also know that my boobs feel like they have been used as punching bags by Mr. MBC. Lastly, I know that I am completely exhausted! (But all of that could be from the hated vaggi-tabs.)
Things have been so crazy that I haven't updated since our appointment with our RE last week. Dr. L is AWESOME! He's very confident that Mr. MBC and I will walk away from his program with a baby (or two). He was honest and said he didn't know if it would be via IUI or IVF.
Dr. L said that he doesn't see or know of anything that would keep an IUI from being successful. So, if this IUI cycle is a bust we've planned an exploratory lap. We went ahead and scheduled it while there. Dr. L agreed that it was much better to schedule and have to cancel than to be forced to sit out for a cycle or two.
One thing that was not mentioned at the appointment was the bowel prep that is required for the lap. I had no idea. I mean, I would still have the surgery, but it would have been nice to find out face-to-face rather than a letter and instructions in the mail. After reading the directions, I thought "I can do this." I've had to do a bowel prep before for a colonoscopy and nothing can taste as bad as the liter of stuff I had to drink for it.
So my friends, I leave you with this....to test or not to test?
What I do know is this...I HATE vaginal progesterone, AKA "vaggi-tabs" by Mr. MBC and myself. There are various reasons, but some are gross so I'll spare you the details. I also know that my boobs feel like they have been used as punching bags by Mr. MBC. Lastly, I know that I am completely exhausted! (But all of that could be from the hated vaggi-tabs.)
Things have been so crazy that I haven't updated since our appointment with our RE last week. Dr. L is AWESOME! He's very confident that Mr. MBC and I will walk away from his program with a baby (or two). He was honest and said he didn't know if it would be via IUI or IVF.
Dr. L said that he doesn't see or know of anything that would keep an IUI from being successful. So, if this IUI cycle is a bust we've planned an exploratory lap. We went ahead and scheduled it while there. Dr. L agreed that it was much better to schedule and have to cancel than to be forced to sit out for a cycle or two.
One thing that was not mentioned at the appointment was the bowel prep that is required for the lap. I had no idea. I mean, I would still have the surgery, but it would have been nice to find out face-to-face rather than a letter and instructions in the mail. After reading the directions, I thought "I can do this." I've had to do a bowel prep before for a colonoscopy and nothing can taste as bad as the liter of stuff I had to drink for it.
So my friends, I leave you with this....to test or not to test?
Monday, August 30, 2010
IUI #2 Complete & Confession
IUI #2 was a success Saturday morning. Mr. MBC had nearly 27 million sperm post wash. At this point, I'm telling myself that AT LEAST one of those 27 million will reach my egg or eggs. Fingers crossed.
I have a confession....Mr. MBC has no idea about this blog. I was contemplating telling him a few weeks ago, but then I found out how he felt about keeping everything private. I've found myself wondering if this is considered lying? Mr. MBC is truly my best friend, but I feel like this blog has become my outlet. I don't cry nearly as much (at least not in front of people) and it's nice to get stuff off my chest. Does your husband know about your blog? Does he read it?
In other news, Mr. MBC and I have an appointment with Dr. L tomorrow afternoon. Dr. L is proactive and wants to discuss and modify our plan in case this IUI cycle is a bust. I'm hoping this appointment is a waste of time and money. I honestly think he will want to do a lap to make sure there is nothing hiding in my ute. I'm fine with surgery - oddly enough it doesn't even scare me. Part of me wishes we would have done this before starting IUIs. If that's his plan, I think I'll go ahead and schedule the surgery. If I have to cancel it, FANTASTIC. If not, then I don't have to worry about being out of the TTC game for another cycle.
Oh, and I've started taking Brome.lain each night. I figure WTH, it can't hurt? It's all natural and if I was eating pineapple daily I'd be getting the same stuff. But OMG - it's a freaking horse pill! How is it I'm okay with surgery, but complain about horse pills? IF really messes with your mind, eh?
I have a confession....Mr. MBC has no idea about this blog. I was contemplating telling him a few weeks ago, but then I found out how he felt about keeping everything private. I've found myself wondering if this is considered lying? Mr. MBC is truly my best friend, but I feel like this blog has become my outlet. I don't cry nearly as much (at least not in front of people) and it's nice to get stuff off my chest. Does your husband know about your blog? Does he read it?
In other news, Mr. MBC and I have an appointment with Dr. L tomorrow afternoon. Dr. L is proactive and wants to discuss and modify our plan in case this IUI cycle is a bust. I'm hoping this appointment is a waste of time and money. I honestly think he will want to do a lap to make sure there is nothing hiding in my ute. I'm fine with surgery - oddly enough it doesn't even scare me. Part of me wishes we would have done this before starting IUIs. If that's his plan, I think I'll go ahead and schedule the surgery. If I have to cancel it, FANTASTIC. If not, then I don't have to worry about being out of the TTC game for another cycle.
Oh, and I've started taking Brome.lain each night. I figure WTH, it can't hurt? It's all natural and if I was eating pineapple daily I'd be getting the same stuff. But OMG - it's a freaking horse pill! How is it I'm okay with surgery, but complain about horse pills? IF really messes with your mind, eh?
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