7w2d I'm having quite a bit more nausea today.

Wednesday evening I had to work very late (well into Thursday morning), so my eating and sleeping pattern (what little pattern that I have) was disrupted. I think I'm about back to "normal" on sleep, but my eating is still irregular. I'm having more trouble with nausea today, and crackers just aren't cutting it. I think I'll try some fruit since applesauce helped last night.

BabyCenter | Water Works!

Homebirth or hospital birth: Making the decision

When my brother dropped me off at home this evening, he said, "Take care of yourself, and the baby." And the baby! That still sounds so foreign. It's a good think that human gestation averages 40 weeks, because I think it may take close to that long for this all to seem real.

Babyblog. From a geek and expecting father. -- I nice blog, by an expectant dad, and I like the name. :-)

6w6d I am so tired today!

I stayed up too late last night, then got up around 4:30 to go to the bathroom (which is becoming a regular habit), and had a really hard time getting out of bed this morning. I need to do some nighttime work this week (they don't like it when I take the computers down during the day), and it's probably going to end up being tomorrow night because I don't think I could do it tonight.

Yesterday was my last POI shot, but I will still be on progesterone for a couple of more weeks. I'm done with the estrogen pills, too. I notified my PCP that I'm pregnant, and I have another OB u/s with my RE in 2 weeks.

I'm moving the IVF calendar to today's entry permanently, instead of leaving it floating on my template, but I will put a link on the main blog page to it. It just doesn't seen appropriate now. (For some reason there is a huge gap before the table, keep scrolling.)

My IVF Schedule in 2001		Color scheme Past	Color scheme Future - date set	Color scheme Future - medicine or date may change	May 25 Cycle start	26
27	28	29	30	31 AM - Begin taking BCP	June 1 AM - 1 BCP	2 AM - 1 BCP
3 AM - 1 BCP	4 AM - 1 BCP	5 AM - 1 BCP	6 AM - 1 BCP	7 AM - 1 BCP	8 AM - 1 BCP	9 AM - 1 BCP
10 AM - 1 BCP	11 AM - 1 BCP	12 AM - 1 BCP	13 AM - 1 BCP	14 AM - 1 BCP	15 AM - 1 BCP	16 AM - 1 BCP
17 AM - 1 BCP	18 AM - 1 BCP	19 AM - 1 BCP	20 AM - 1 BCP	21 AM - 1 BCP	22 AM - 1 BCP	23 AM - 1 BCP
24 AM - 1 BCP	25 AM - 1 BCP	26 AM - 1 BCP	27 AM - 1 BCP	28 AM - 1 BCP	29 AM - 1 BCP	30 AM - 1 BCP
July 1 AM - 1 BCP	2 AM - 1 BCP	3 AM - 1 BCP	4 Calendar 1 (Down Regulation) AM - 1 BCP AM - .1ml lupron subq PM - .1ml lupron subq	5 AM - 1 BCP AM - .1ml lupron PM - .1ml lupron	6 AM - 1 BCP AM - .1ml lupron PM - .1ml lupron	7 AM - 1 BCP AM - .1ml lupron PM - .1ml lupron
8 AM - last BCP AM - .1ml lupron PM - .1ml lupron	9 AM - .1ml lupron PM - .1ml lupron	10 AM - .1ml lupron PM - .1ml lupron * - down payment due to RE	11 AM - .1ml lupron PM - .1ml lupron	12 AM - .1ml lupron PM - .1ml lupron	13 AM - .1ml lupron 8:30 AM - U/S & estradiol test AM - call RE to check results & instructions	14 Calendar 2 (Stimulation) AM - 5iu lupron AM - 150iu follistim subq PM - 150iu repronex im - deltoid AM+PM - doxycycline (DH)
15 AM - 5iu lupron AM - 150iu follistim PM - 150iu repronex AM+PM - doxycycline (DH)	16 AM - 5iu lupron AM - 150iu follistim PM - 150iu repronex AM+PM - doxycycline (DH)	17 AM - 5iu lupron AM - 150iu follistim PM - 150iu repronex AM+PM - doxycycline (DH)	18 AM - 5iu lupron AM - 150iu follistim PM - 150iu repronex AM+PM - doxycycline (DH)	19 AM - 5iu lupron AM - 150iu follistim PM - 150iu repronex AM+PM - doxycycline (DH)	20 AM - 5iu lupron AM - 150iu follistim 8:20 AM - U/S & estradiol test PM - 150iu repronex AM+PM - doxycycline (DH)	21 AM - 5iu lupron AM - 150iu follistim PM - 150iu repronex AM+PM - doxycycline (DH)
22 AM - 5iu lupron AM - 150iu follistim 8:20 AM - U/S & estradiol test PM - 150iu repronex AM+PM - doxycycline (DH)	23 AM - 5iu lupron AM - 150iu follistim 9:20 AM - U/S & estradiol test 9:00 PM 10,000iu hcg AM+PM - doxycycline (DH)	24 Calendar 3 (Retrieval & Transfer) AM - doxycycline PM - doxycycline AM+PM - doxycycline (DH)	25 8:00 - retrieval check-in 9:00 - retrieval AM - doxycycline (after retrieval) PM - 16 mg methylprednisolone PM - doxycycline	26 AM - doxycycline 2:00 PM - call RE to check fertilization results PM - 16 mg methylprednisolone PM - doxycycline	27 AM - doxycycline PM - 16 mg methylprednisolone PM - doxycycline	28 AM - doxycycline 1:00 PM - 600mg ibuprofin 2:00 PM - transfer PM - 16 mg methylprednisolone PM - doxycycline PM - 1 cc progesterone
29 PM - 1 cc progesterone	30 PM - 1 cc progesterone	31 PM - 1 cc progesterone	August 1 PM - 1 cc progesterone	2 PM - 1 cc progesterone	3 PM - 1 cc progesterone	4 PM - 1 cc progesterone
5 PM - 1 cc progesterone	6 PM - 1 cc progesterone	7 PM - 1 cc progesterone	8 8:30 - quantitative PG test PM - 1 cc progesterone	9 PM - 1 cc progesterone	10 8:30 - quantitative PG test #2 PM - 1 cc progesterone	11 AM - apply Estrogen patch PM - 1 cc progesterone
12 PM - 1 cc progesterone	13 9:30 - quantitative PG test #3 PM - 1 cc progesterone	14 PM - 1 cc progesterone	15 PM - 1 cc progesterone PM - remove Estrogen patch	16 PM - 1 cc progesterone PM - 2 mg estradiol pill	17 PM - 1 cc progesterone PM - 2 mg estradiol	18 PM - 1 cc progesterone PM - 2 mg estradiol
19 PM - 1 cc progesterone PM - 2 mg estradiol	20 PM - 1 cc progesterone PM - 2 mg estradiol	21 PM - 1 cc progesterone PM - 2 mg estradiol	22 PM - 1 cc progesterone PM - 2 mg estradiol	23 PM - 1 cc progesterone PM - 2 mg estradiol	24 PM - 1 cc progesterone PM - 2 mg estradiol	25 PM - 1 cc progesterone PM - 2 mg estradiol
26 PM - 1 cc progesterone PM - 2 mg estradiol	27 1:45 - "OB" U/S	28 vaginal progesterone	29 vaginal progesterone	30 vaginal progesterone	31 vaginal progesterone	September 1 vaginal progesterone
2 vaginal progesterone	3 vaginal progesterone	4 vaginal progesterone	5 vaginal progesterone	6 vaginal progesterone	7 vaginal progesterone	8 vaginal progesterone
9 vaginal progesterone	10 3:15 - "OB" U/S

Wow! I heard and saw the heart beat.

I had my u/s today, to confirm that it is an intrauterine pregnancy and to check for heartbeat. I have 3 pictures from the u/s, all showing the amniotic sac, the yolk sac, and the embryo. The crown to rump length (CRL) is 7.8 mm, which is just under 1/3 of an inch. I had blood drawn to check estradiol and progesterone to see if I can stop the POI shots and E2 pills yet. And I have another appointment in 2 weeks.

I didn't realize how incredibly cool it would be to see on the u/s screen, or I would have insisted that my DH come to the appointment, too. I don't think I'll have trouble talking him into coming to the next one.

I'm home from vacation! As much as I enjoy going on vacation, particularly a relaxing and rejuvenating one (as opposed to a touristy one), it sure is good to be home.

While on vacation, I did two hikes (on the same day). One was a flat 1/2 mile loop around a lake. That one was nice. The other was 1.2 miles (round trip), at a higher elevation, with a small altitude gain. I had to rest a lot on the way up, and I probaby overdid it, because I was still exhausted the next day.

I have discovered that drinking more than a few sips of water before food in the morning makes me feel "sloshy" and a bit nauseated. If I get up and go to the bathroom, then eat a couple of crackers with a bit of water before walking around much, my stomach is okay until breakfast. (Bacon and eggs actually sit better than cereal and milk, too.) Even though I felt a little uneasy several times during the past week, I still don't feel like I "have morning sickness".

One last note about vacation... tonight is my last POI shot! Yippee! (I am confident that the nurse and/or doctor will find a heartbeat tomorrow and that they will tell me to stop the shots!)

Still on vacation and losing track of what day it is! (That's a good thing.)

I've been sleeping a lot, but not very well. I am sleeping pretty light, so every time I roll over I wake up, and I am tossing and turning more than usual because of my sore hips and the fact that I'm used to a water bed (so this bed is much firmer than I like). I have been napping a couple of times a day to make up for the bad sleep, but I'm starting to wonder if I should tough it out so perhaps tonight I will be so tired I sleep well even though the bed is very firm.

I had a little nausea today, only the third or fourth time that I can recall. It was either caused by the banana at breakfast, or the banana was just the flavor that was the most prominent. Some bread and butter, and toast and peanut butter crackers, plus a nap took care of it. I'm six weeks along today, and so far no serious nausea or morning sickness. Yeah!

2nd day of Vacation!
Aside from my hips being sore and pretty tender now from 22 days of POI shots, I'm feeling fine. We are vacationing at a much higher altitude than where I live, so I am being particularly watchful of altitude sickness by drinking lots of water (been doing that anyway), and resting a lot (been doing that, too). There is a hottub and a pool where we are staying. I know pregnant women are supposed to stay out of hottubs, but I couldn't resist because my hips are so sore. I was in the hottub for only 2 or 3 minutes, just long enough for my muscles to say "thanks". I did not let my overall body temp rise, I am sure, because my face didn't even feel as warm as when I get a hot flash. So after just a couple of minutes in the hottub, I switched to the heated pool. It was still pretty cool, considering how cool the evening mountain air is. It was just the right touch to finish a very nice day.

This article, Pregnancy: Fatigue in early pregnancy, sure is appropriate for me today. I just took a 30 minute nap at the end of my lunch break.

This article, Pregnancy: Your first trimester, is more general, with information about what is happening during the first trimester (first third of the pregnancy, generally 3 months, or 14 weeks).

I was kind of nauseated again this morning. I'm trying to figure out the best way to handle it. Today I ate several peanut butter crackers and sipped on some water before getting out of bed. That kept things pretty settled for a while. Then I ate a breakfast burrito from Burger King. (It's a local item, scrambled egg, cut up sausage and some melted cheddar cheese wrapped up in a tortilla.) The only other thing that is related to my pregnancy (that phrase is still amazing! -- my pregnancy) is that my hips itch where I have been getting the progesterone shots. The spots from the estrogen patches are doing much better, though.

We had a big discussion at dinner about my future caregiver. I would like to use a midwife, and my DH is more comfortable with a doctor. We are both trying to keep open minds, and I am trying to educate / convince him of the safety of using a midwife. Since I've never been pregnant before, I'm just going with my gut feelings and what I have read about midwife vs. OB care. From my perspective, the difference is primarily attitude... that as long as nothing is recognized as "going wrong" there is no need for a doctor. I think if our PCP, a family practice doc whom we have both been seeing for 10 years, still did prenatal care and "delivered" babies, then we could easily agree that I would keep seeing him during my pregnancy and labor and the baby's birth. However, I have a vague recollection that he stopped doing prenatal & labor care a couple of years ago. Tomorrow I will call his office; I probably should make sure the he knows I'm pregnant, even if I end up seeing someone else for the next 8 months (although my RE should have notified him, I think).

So far, I am only aware of one Certfied Nurse Midwife practicing in the area, so that does limit my choices. I would definitely consider a lay midwife and home birth, if I were the only person who's opinions mattered, but I know my DH would against that completely, and I am willing to honor his preference on that matter. I am well aware that even if I start with a midwife, I may need to go to an OB or transfer from a birthcenter to a hospital, if something goes wrong. Puberty, getting pregnant, growing a baby, giving birth, and menopause are all natural stages or events for women. Just because something "went wrong" and we needed medical and technological help with the getting pregnant part, does not mean that we will need medical and technological help with the baby's development or birth.

Since we're getting ready to go on vacation (travelling by car), these 2 short articles are timely.Road Tripping During Pregnancy and Traveling by Car

I'm switching to an oral estrogen! The nurse called me back and said to take the patch off and switch to the oral prescription. The spot where the patch has been for the last 17 hours is almost as red as the original spot. Fortunately it doesn't itch much, and the orginal spot is itching less, too.

I'm feeling better since I had a good (but not big) lunch. I do get tired climbing just one flight of stair or walking for more than 5 minutes. I probably won't be doing much hiking on vacation next week. :-(

I felt a bit nauseated early this morning, so all I had to eat was a piece of bread with butter. I have been drinking water this morning and now am getting quite hungry. I'm going to eat lunch early today so I don't get light headed.

Last night I peeled off the estrogen patch and moved it to another spot. My skin is pretty sensitive to adhesives, so I'm not surprised at how irritated the area has become. It was starting to itch after only 2 days. By the third day the area under the patch was quite red (the patch is clear), and by last night (the end of the 4th day), I couldn't take it any longer. I called the RE's office today and asked to be switched to an oral medication instead of the patch.

I'm killing time here at work before I can go home. I had to stay late just in case something went wrong, but nothing has gone wrong and I'm finished with what I was working on today. I've been doing a little surfing and have found a few interesting links. What I would really like to find is a "Baby Planner" book or checklist, similar to the "Wedding Planner" books and lists that are available. We're starting to think about all of the things that need to be done in the next 8 months, and we barely know where to start.

Associates in Women's Health, PA - All About Eating for Two
Here is an article about a somewhat controversial perspective on Gestational diabetes
Since I have chronic hypertension, this article was quite interesting to me.
Chronic hypertension: Does it mean I'll get preeclampsia?

I'm just a tad queasy this morning. It's probably because I slept late and haven't tried to eat much yet. I have to work late this evening, but that means I get to come in late. I should have gotten up at my normal time (especially since I woke up when my alarm would have gone off), but since I didn't, my whole routine is out of whack. I'm sure I'll feel fine soon.

Since my hcg level is going up so nicely, I don't need to go in for another beta test, just the u/s when I get back from vacation!

Still going strong

My hcg level was 537 this morning, over triple Friday's level 3 days ago! It doubled about 1 and 3/4 times. From what I have read multiples do not cause the hcg to increase faster, it still doubles every 2-3 days, so I don't really know if this number means anything specific or not.

My next bloodwork is scheduled for next Monday, but since I will be out of town, I have left a message for the nurse asking whether I should come in on Friday, have a test while out of town, or wait until I return.

Well, either the estrogen patch is working or my body decided on it's own to stop bleeding. The spotting is down to almost nothing. I'm guessing that the blood work results tomorrow may determine how much longer I should wear the patch. It almost came off twice yesterday. I guess I didn't pick a great spot for it, or maybe my sweating from the heat had something to do with it. I know pregnant women aren't supposed to get overheated (I'll really miss the hot tub on my vacation next week), and I've tried to stay cool as much as possible, but with the high temperature reaching in the 100s, just walking from buildings to my car and being in the car waiting for it to cool down, I get pretty warm.

Last night after I got the estrogen patch "system" I just about freaked out when I read the patient material. In big bold capital letters, the box and the pamphlet said to NOT take it if you are pregnant. It said that although the risk is slight, it may cause birth defects, and that estrogen does not prevent miscarriage. After fretting about it for a while, I decided to wait until this morning, call the nurse for an explanation, and then apply the first patch if her answer satisfied me. She asked why I had been prescribed the estrogen (she wasn't the nurse I saw on Friday) and said that all synthetic hormones have to have that warning, but that they consider this drug safe. They even used to prescribe it for all women having FETs. This is at least the 2nd, if not the 3rd, medicine that I have taken as part of the IVF treatment that specifically says to not use in pregnancy. It's too bad that the labeling doesn't include the common exception of hormone use in infertility treatment as part of the information.

I'm becoming a little less nervous as today progresses. With my good hcg level and my bleeding getting lighter, I am starting to relax a little, compared to yesterday and this morning.

My hcg level is 157 today, a little more than double 2 days ago (actually, it is a 125% increase). Since I'm still bleeding, I am going to get an estrogen patch. Hmmm I wonder what that will be like.

I think all of the people who knew we were doing an IVF now know it was successful, plus some family members who didn't know about the IVF already, know about the positive results. Oh, I just remembered one couple whom we haven't called (our pastor and her husband). Oops. I guess I'll be calling them tomorrow.

Nutrition:
Nutritional Guidelines for Pregnant and Nursing Moms
What should I eat?
Nutrition for you, Nutrition for two
Pregnancy: Dr. Brewer's pregnancy diet
Health Care Providers:
StorkNet Pregnancy & Parenting Articles - Finding Your Health Care Provider
Baby Development:
The Visible Embryo
Pregnancy Week-by-Week Guide from StorkNet, your online pregnancy resource!

It's Official, I'm 4 weeks pregnant!

My beta hcg level was 69.8 yesterday. I go in tomorrow morning to have it checked again. It should be somewhere between 110 and 140 if things are going well. The hcg number doubles every 2-3 days in early pregnancy, even with multiples. (It's just higher to start with when there are multiples.) Based on the averages that I've seen on the web, I think I just have one embryo that implanted, but we'll know in a week or three.

Baby Place Pregnancy FAQs
FertilityPlus: Table of Contents

T minus 0 days (but still waiting, for a few more hours)

I just got back from my blood draw for my beta pregnancy test. I'm feeling pretty optimistic this morning. The nurses and receptionist at my RE's office know me by name, they all wished me luck (the 3 or 4 that I saw), and so did the lab technician. The nurse asked how I would like to find out, so it sounds like I could have had her call me directly, but I chose the message system. I still haven't decided when I am going to check for the results. Right now I am leaning toward right after lunch, but last night I was considering waiting until almost 5, or even until after both my DH and I got home from work.

I'm still in a really grumpy mood, and if I weren't taking medicine that is supposed to postpone my period (the progesterone), I would be sure that it is starting today or tonight. Maybe it is, but I keep reminding myself that "breakthrough bleeding" at the time her period is due is common when a woman is pregnant. I even know two women who had a "normal" period and ended up being pregnant, so I am still hopeful.

Trying to keep my sanity for another 22 hours.

T minus 1 day and still waiting

I have continued to resist taking a test, but since I am continuing to have spotting, I am having a hard time staying optimistic. It's been a lousy morning at work... well not really lousy, but I am trying to solve 2 problems that shouldn't be mine to solve. Normally I like detective work, troubleshooting, and problem solving. But today I would just rather be doing "my" work instead of trying to figure out someone else's problems. Actually, I'd rather be at home sleeping.

T minus 2 days and waiting

I'm starting to think about taking a home pregnancy test. I previously had thought that I could and would resist, but that was when I would have had to buy one. I found one in the cabinet at home, so now it is much more tempting. I checked this web page, HPT Levels, which says the one I have detects 50 mIU.

One of the emails on my AdvancedHope list was asking about stuffy nose / congestion being a sign on pregnancy. That got me thinking about all of the "symptoms" I have now... they could be early pregnancy signs, or they could be other things: fatigue, small appetite, spotting 10 days past ovulation/retrieval, sinus congestion, smells intensified, acne.

My DH and I decided that we aren't telling anyone the results of the pregnancy test on Wednesday. Wednesday evening will be just for us! No matter what the results of the test, we want to be with each other only to deal with our reaction and plans for the future. We'll tell my family and the few friends who know about our IVF on Thursday or Friday. If it's positive, we'll tell his parents in person in a couple of weeks when we see them, then we'll decide when to tell our other friends.

T minus 3 days and waiting

Oops, I missed a day. Yesterday evening I noticed a small amount of brownish blood on the toilet paper once, and a small amount of reddish blood once, too. It could be from implantation bleeding, or it could be the common "small amount of spotting or bleeding" that my IVF handbook says may occur before the pregnancy test's scheduled date. Since many women have spotting or even a light period when they are first pregnant, it is not a bad sign. But since my body would be preparing for menstruation if I were not on progesterone and not pregnant, it is not necessarily a good sign either. It's one of those things that "often happens" during an IVF cycle, and really doesn't indicate anything one way or the other.

From Oh you just glow!
Acne -- Thought it was gone for good? Think again, while many women actually find that the hormones of pregnancy relieve their acne and leave them with that "glowing" skin of pregnancy, many women find their skin more oily and susceptible to acne break outs. Here's where the high school remedies come into play... Actually ensure you are drinking plenty of water, wash your face, avoid things that cause you to break out. Basically do what works, but it doesn't have to be fancy.

Rosacea

T minus 5 days and waiting

My face and neck are breaking out. I'm surfing the web trying to find out if it's from the progesterone shots, other hormone shots, or from being pregnant.

This isn't quite as "on topic" as other links that I post, but pregnant women pee a lot (or so I'm told). A Woman’s Guide on How to Pee Standing

T minus 6 days and waiting

Mark 11:24 [Jesus said,] "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." - New International Version of the Holy Bible

I am claiming Jesus' promise, therefore, I am 3 weeks pregnant!

Pregnancy dating usually goes by the woman's last menstrual period, because in non-ART pregnancies, the exact date of conception is not known. The gestation period for humans is actually 38 weeks, so assuming a 28 day cycle, going back to the beginning of the last cycle results in the common 40 weeks. And since there are 52 weeks in a year, that results in 3/4 of a year, or the common 9 months. Ta daa.

Here are a few articles about pregnancy dating.
Calculating Due Date after IVF
Pregnancy & Calculation of Length
Pregnancy - Facts to Know
Lunar months: Calculating your due date

Infertility Treatment. What is ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS)? is one of the FAQs answered in this e-book Frequently Asked Questions on Women's Health. It has a bug in the javascript, so it did not work with Netscape, but an error window pops up with Internet Explorer, allowing you to continue.

This table, Table 2 : Risk factors associated with OHSS ( 4 ), also would indicate that I am low risk. Unfortunately I haven't be able to access the article the table goes with.

This "slide presentation" is from ReproMED in Bristol, UK. Ovarian Hyperstimulation

T minus 7 days and waiting

The nurse didn't call me yesterday with the CBC blood results like she said she would, so I'm assuming that everything looked relatively normal. I felt pretty rotten by evening; very "full" and uncomfortable feeling, almost any movement felt bad, and my chest felt heavy. My weight was up 3 more pounds when I was getting ready for bed, and I didn't sleep well. This morning my weight was back to the same as yesterday morning, so that made me feel a little better. I would have been worried if it had stayed up those 3, which would have been 8 lbs in 3 days.

I decided to stay home from work today, then slept (sporadically) in the recliner until noon. My abdomen doesn't feel as firm as it did yesterday, especially the upper part. Last night the area between my navel and breasts was very distended and pretty firm. I was starting to get concerned. But today I feel better and my abdomen is still bloated but more squishy, like normal.

One other thing, yesterday I started using one of my husband's old belts because the loosest notch on mine was way too tight. The difference from my next to the last belt notch (that I was using before retrieval) to the one I am using now is 3", and in the evening yesterday I was using one notch longer at 4" difference. (Not that I need a belt to hold my pants up, my belly is doing that pretty well on its own right now.) Maybe this is foreshadowing my next 9 months! If so, I can get used to it. :-)