Whoops, I forgot to post about my 32 week ultrasound and checkup and now it's been another two weeks and I just had a 34 week visit. I thought it seemed like it had been awhile...
The ultrasound at 32 weeks went well. It showed the baby was head down (even though kind of sideways) and helped me figure out what I've been feeling. She does this stretch move that really spreads my hips, which must be a back bend. And the little beats I feel on my left side are her feet, tapping away. Honestly, she does not move near as much as my first and her movements are slower and more about positioning--less about punching/kicking. The tech said she was nuzzled into my placenta (gag, haha), so let's hope she's a calm snuggler! She weighed about 4.5lbs. I was one day shy of 33 weeks--so my OB said she was a little ahead but measuring well. Yay!
My 34 week appointment was basically a handshake. There were no ultrasounds or tests. They took the heart tones and my belly measurement and asked how I was doing. I shared my main symptoms--Braxton Hicks, some discomfort, a little pelvic girdle pain, heartburn-- but all is normal/good. I go back in two weeks for another ultrasound (probably my last) and then the appointments start up weekly.
I was given a baby shower this past weekend which was so nice but that combined with my latest appointment seemed to wake me up. Wow, it's actually happening and getting close! I've shared before how this pregnancy has been pretty mentally challenging for me--from the fear, to the accepting, to the control aspects. Even though I'm experiencing the changes and feel the baby inside me, I'm still guarded. I feel like until she is out in the world and deemed healthy, I can't be totally comfortable. Well the clock is ticking and now I feel the pressure. I'm sure it's the nesting too but I need to get on the ball both personally and professionally. It's time to make some plans and get with the program.
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Thursday, March 3, 2016
28 weeks
Hello third trimester! Baby's getting bigger and so am I. I'm not totally uncomfortable (yet) but the belly is in full force and baby girl is moving all the time. I get physically tired more easily and my back can be sore from standing. My main annoyance right now is bathroom breaks. I don't remember this from my first pregnancy, but I have to go all the time! Not a lot of quantity but so frequent. It must be her positioning/pressure. No complaints though. I am so thankful to be pregnant and it is worth every symptom or discomfort.
I had another good OB visit. I passed my one hour glucose screening--which is fantastic not only because I don't have gestational diabetes but also because I don't have to do the three hour test. My weight seemed ok (it wasn't mentioned) and my fundal height measurement is on track. My next appointment is 32 weeks scheduled for late March. I'll have an ultrasound to check placenta and baby's growth. I have a little anxiety because after the 32 week ultrasound is when I was put on modified bed rest last time. I'll do whatever is necessary but would love to be up and active the whole 40 weeks.
More great news to report. A dear friend who suffered from other infertility issues began acupuncture about four months ago. She called last night and she is pregnant naturally! It is so amazing and wonderful. Although it is still early, I am excited for another miracle and praying for her family.
I had another good OB visit. I passed my one hour glucose screening--which is fantastic not only because I don't have gestational diabetes but also because I don't have to do the three hour test. My weight seemed ok (it wasn't mentioned) and my fundal height measurement is on track. My next appointment is 32 weeks scheduled for late March. I'll have an ultrasound to check placenta and baby's growth. I have a little anxiety because after the 32 week ultrasound is when I was put on modified bed rest last time. I'll do whatever is necessary but would love to be up and active the whole 40 weeks.
More great news to report. A dear friend who suffered from other infertility issues began acupuncture about four months ago. She called last night and she is pregnant naturally! It is so amazing and wonderful. Although it is still early, I am excited for another miracle and praying for her family.
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
24 weeks
I had another ultrasound to check measurements of my placenta and it has grown farther away from my cervix! Yay! Hopefully this means I can have less restrictions in later pregnancy and a vaginal birth. My next appointment is in one month, then another ultrasound in 8 weeks.
The only somewhat depressing news is my weight gain in the past month was a little more than my OB would have liked. I'll just say it...That is annoying and frustrating to hear. I respect my doctor and know it is her job to help me but believe me I know I'm bigger and I promise I won't go crazy. I've gained 18 lbs so far and wasn't overweight before getting pregnant. Yes, I had a jump this past month but I also really started showing--hello growth spurt. I'm not usually the type of girl that obsesses about appearances but with raging hormones and rapid body changes, the incessant reminders would irritate anyone.
The only reason I even mention and obviously care is for the health of the pregnancy and baby. My son was large (10+ lbs) and I was actually on modified bed rest for about a month with him due to his size, low head placement, and my cervix starting to dilate. He did not have gestational diabetes and has always been over 100 percentile in height (I come from tall people). I know there has to be a combination of mother's nutrition and baby's DNA when it comes to determining birth weight/size.
I have gone off the super restrictive fertility diet and am back to eating pretty "normal," but I am more aware and limit the amount of sugar and processed carbohydrates than I ever did before. Don't worry, I'm not going to diet or stress out over this news; instead just try and make better choices. But I will eat a piece of pizza or hamburger or cookie if I want it. Ok, rant over! Hahaha.
The only somewhat depressing news is my weight gain in the past month was a little more than my OB would have liked. I'll just say it...That is annoying and frustrating to hear. I respect my doctor and know it is her job to help me but believe me I know I'm bigger and I promise I won't go crazy. I've gained 18 lbs so far and wasn't overweight before getting pregnant. Yes, I had a jump this past month but I also really started showing--hello growth spurt. I'm not usually the type of girl that obsesses about appearances but with raging hormones and rapid body changes, the incessant reminders would irritate anyone.
The only reason I even mention and obviously care is for the health of the pregnancy and baby. My son was large (10+ lbs) and I was actually on modified bed rest for about a month with him due to his size, low head placement, and my cervix starting to dilate. He did not have gestational diabetes and has always been over 100 percentile in height (I come from tall people). I know there has to be a combination of mother's nutrition and baby's DNA when it comes to determining birth weight/size.
I have gone off the super restrictive fertility diet and am back to eating pretty "normal," but I am more aware and limit the amount of sugar and processed carbohydrates than I ever did before. Don't worry, I'm not going to diet or stress out over this news; instead just try and make better choices. But I will eat a piece of pizza or hamburger or cookie if I want it. Ok, rant over! Hahaha.
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Halfway there
Another milestone--I just hit the 20 week or halfway mark. I had "the anatomy" ultrasound yesterday which of course brings more anxieties. It is always magical to see the baby but as I have been the whole pregnancy, I was nervous that everything would look normal. My husband accompanied me to the appointment. We got to see our *confirmed* baby girl and poke around for about 10-15 minutes viewing all her different body parts and organs. The tech at my OB is very nice and chatted with us during the whole process, making sure we understood where and what we were looking at.
I had to wait another hour to see my OB. Annoying but typical. I mostly surfed the internet on my phone to keep my mind occupied. When she finally came in, she told me there was one issue she wanted to monitor but everything with the baby looked great. Turns out my placenta attached low on the front of my uterus. She mentioned the term placenta previa but said it was borderline and hopefully it will continue to grow away from the cervix. I'll have another scan in four weeks to check on the progress. I am most thankful that baby girl is healthy and happy in her little bubble.
I had to wait another hour to see my OB. Annoying but typical. I mostly surfed the internet on my phone to keep my mind occupied. When she finally came in, she told me there was one issue she wanted to monitor but everything with the baby looked great. Turns out my placenta attached low on the front of my uterus. She mentioned the term placenta previa but said it was borderline and hopefully it will continue to grow away from the cervix. I'll have another scan in four weeks to check on the progress. I am most thankful that baby girl is healthy and happy in her little bubble.
Monday, January 4, 2016
12 weeks
Hitting the 12 week mark felt good. Every day/week that goes by, I feel more confident and excited. I'm not going to lie though, I took my first pregnancy for granted (at least a little bit). I hardly ever worried if something was wrong or would happen. This time, I'm still shell shocked. I'm so grateful and so hopeful for beating the POF odds but I'm definitely guarded. I daydream and think about the baby and my son as a brother then quickly snap back and lock up the emotions. Maybe not the healthiest mental exercise...Like I said, daily lessons on who's in control.
After discussing with my OB, I elected to take the Harmony blood test which predicts the risk of Down Syndrome and other genetic conditions--trisomy 13 and 18. That's the stressful part of the test. The good part is it also checks the XY chromosomes, so you get to find out the baby's sex early. Obviously with doubts of "good eggs" ringing in my ears, I was a little anxious after I had my blood drawn. Oh yeah, and the fact that you have to wait 10+ days for the results.
The day before Thanksgiving I called my OB office like I had done for the last three days and asked if my results were in by chance. They were! Cue the heart palpitations. The sweet nurse did a dramatic pause and said, "You're having a...girl." I was literally speechless. She asked if I was still on the line. My husband predicts baby gender with amazing accuracy and he had been telling me for weeks it was another boy. I didn't care what we had but I was completely shocked to hear girl. I even asked her to double check if she had pulled up the right account.
The nurse was already wishing me a Happy Thanksgiving when I reminded her of the real reason we ordered the test. She shared great results--extremely low chance of abnormality. It was a fun Thanksgiving the next day sharing the good news and surprising our family with pink baby booties.
After discussing with my OB, I elected to take the Harmony blood test which predicts the risk of Down Syndrome and other genetic conditions--trisomy 13 and 18. That's the stressful part of the test. The good part is it also checks the XY chromosomes, so you get to find out the baby's sex early. Obviously with doubts of "good eggs" ringing in my ears, I was a little anxious after I had my blood drawn. Oh yeah, and the fact that you have to wait 10+ days for the results.
The day before Thanksgiving I called my OB office like I had done for the last three days and asked if my results were in by chance. They were! Cue the heart palpitations. The sweet nurse did a dramatic pause and said, "You're having a...girl." I was literally speechless. She asked if I was still on the line. My husband predicts baby gender with amazing accuracy and he had been telling me for weeks it was another boy. I didn't care what we had but I was completely shocked to hear girl. I even asked her to double check if she had pulled up the right account.
The nurse was already wishing me a Happy Thanksgiving when I reminded her of the real reason we ordered the test. She shared great results--extremely low chance of abnormality. It was a fun Thanksgiving the next day sharing the good news and surprising our family with pink baby booties.
Birthday scare
I was one day shy of 6 weeks along when I had a bleeding episode. It was a Friday afternoon and also happened to be my son's third birthday. It was more than light pink spotting, it was full on dark red, menstrual looking blood. Scary blood. My heart sank because I immediately feared the worst. I wanted to get pregnant so badly but how cruel to get pregnant and have this happen. Even worse, to have this happen today and scar my son's birthday for all future anniversaries. I pleaded with God.
My husband was on his way home and when he arrived 30 minutes later, I was still having some bleeding. I had called my RE and they wanted to see me ASAP. I went to the office by myself because my husband had to watch our son (children are not allowed). I was crying and praying the whole way there and as I waited in the office for nearly an hour! There were other appointments to be seen and it was 4pm on a Friday in a fertility office (some may know that as a prime time). The sweet nurses let me sit in a private room and several came by to encourage and hug me.
I finally had my blood drawn and was sent to the ultrasound room. A different physician came in with my regular nurse. I explained to him what happened and this would also be my first ultrasound. To all our relief, we saw the baby, heard the heartbeat, and didn't see any major tears in my uterus. I had a few more spotting incidents over the next two weeks but nothing like that particular day. I never really knew what caused it. Either way, like most pregnant women I am still slightly worried every time I use the restroom.
My husband was on his way home and when he arrived 30 minutes later, I was still having some bleeding. I had called my RE and they wanted to see me ASAP. I went to the office by myself because my husband had to watch our son (children are not allowed). I was crying and praying the whole way there and as I waited in the office for nearly an hour! There were other appointments to be seen and it was 4pm on a Friday in a fertility office (some may know that as a prime time). The sweet nurses let me sit in a private room and several came by to encourage and hug me.
I finally had my blood drawn and was sent to the ultrasound room. A different physician came in with my regular nurse. I explained to him what happened and this would also be my first ultrasound. To all our relief, we saw the baby, heard the heartbeat, and didn't see any major tears in my uterus. I had a few more spotting incidents over the next two weeks but nothing like that particular day. I never really knew what caused it. Either way, like most pregnant women I am still slightly worried every time I use the restroom.
Recipe for pregnancy success
I already mentioned how I feel God is ultimately responsible for my pregnancy, but here is my honest opinion on what changes I made and how I believe they contributed.
1. Acupuncture - I would say this was the biggest game changer. I cannot explain how or why it works but I do think I had internal inflammation that acupuncture relieved. I don't think it works in one or two sessions--not even one or two months necessarily. I estimate I did not really see improvement for six months. This is obviously hard given the hefty price tag.
2. Diet - I'm up in the air on this one in terms of its correlation with the pregnancy, but I would definitely say it was healthy. By eliminating processed carbs/sugar/dairy, I lost between 10-15 lbs. I am a tall person so weight is hard for others to distinguish. I didn't really change clothing size but I lost that bloated look and close friends and family noticed. My digestion was also much improved.
The diet was hard at first and never really fun--that's the biggest downside. Other programs let you splurge or cheat once in a while. I never did on this and it took a lot of the joy out of eating, drinking, hanging out with friends, etc. I decided to give it 100% while I tried and I was successful for at least six months, but since I was nearing the Thanksgiving hormone deadline I had begun to cheat here and there (a random glass of wine, a few chips with salsa, a bite of dessert).
3. Supplements - Not sure. I think they fall in the healthy for you section but again I don't know if they contributed to making my eggs better or ovaries more responsive or getting me pregnant.
4. Herbs - Similar to supplements but I would give them more credit. I do feel they helped alleviate my hot flashes when I first started. Once I had a cycle, I took herbs designed to help with the different phases. Lastly I was on Dr. K's special blend of who knows what. I probably took 5-6 bottles of that--he says most women are pregnant in 2-3. Another note about herbs, you have to take a lot of them and they smell funky (which makes you smell funky).
5. Hormones - This is referring to hormones when I was diagnosed with POF--the ones my OB wanted me to go on immediately due to early menopause and a lack of estrogen. I never wanted to take these and am actually mad at myself for taking them as long as I did in the form of birth control pills for the many years I was preventing pregnancy. Unfortunately, I will likely be on them again in the future. Once all the baby gestating and breastfeeding ends, I fully expect to be back in menopause. I will need to supplement until I reach older age.
I have heard other POF'ers discuss their use and seen a few pregnancy success stories but from everything I read and discussed with my RE, hormones will shut your reproductive system down even further. It synthetically supplies hormones so your body does not ovulate. My RE said the odds are similar to a woman getting pregnant while on the birth control pill (less than 1% chance)--then add in your already next to impossible chance of getting pregnant with POF. This is why I chose to go with Eastern/holistic treatment.
1. Acupuncture - I would say this was the biggest game changer. I cannot explain how or why it works but I do think I had internal inflammation that acupuncture relieved. I don't think it works in one or two sessions--not even one or two months necessarily. I estimate I did not really see improvement for six months. This is obviously hard given the hefty price tag.
2. Diet - I'm up in the air on this one in terms of its correlation with the pregnancy, but I would definitely say it was healthy. By eliminating processed carbs/sugar/dairy, I lost between 10-15 lbs. I am a tall person so weight is hard for others to distinguish. I didn't really change clothing size but I lost that bloated look and close friends and family noticed. My digestion was also much improved.
The diet was hard at first and never really fun--that's the biggest downside. Other programs let you splurge or cheat once in a while. I never did on this and it took a lot of the joy out of eating, drinking, hanging out with friends, etc. I decided to give it 100% while I tried and I was successful for at least six months, but since I was nearing the Thanksgiving hormone deadline I had begun to cheat here and there (a random glass of wine, a few chips with salsa, a bite of dessert).
3. Supplements - Not sure. I think they fall in the healthy for you section but again I don't know if they contributed to making my eggs better or ovaries more responsive or getting me pregnant.
4. Herbs - Similar to supplements but I would give them more credit. I do feel they helped alleviate my hot flashes when I first started. Once I had a cycle, I took herbs designed to help with the different phases. Lastly I was on Dr. K's special blend of who knows what. I probably took 5-6 bottles of that--he says most women are pregnant in 2-3. Another note about herbs, you have to take a lot of them and they smell funky (which makes you smell funky).
5. Hormones - This is referring to hormones when I was diagnosed with POF--the ones my OB wanted me to go on immediately due to early menopause and a lack of estrogen. I never wanted to take these and am actually mad at myself for taking them as long as I did in the form of birth control pills for the many years I was preventing pregnancy. Unfortunately, I will likely be on them again in the future. Once all the baby gestating and breastfeeding ends, I fully expect to be back in menopause. I will need to supplement until I reach older age.
I have heard other POF'ers discuss their use and seen a few pregnancy success stories but from everything I read and discussed with my RE, hormones will shut your reproductive system down even further. It synthetically supplies hormones so your body does not ovulate. My RE said the odds are similar to a woman getting pregnant while on the birth control pill (less than 1% chance)--then add in your already next to impossible chance of getting pregnant with POF. This is why I chose to go with Eastern/holistic treatment.
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