TPR Pregnancy Check-in 3/9

[longhornwino0907]

Hey everyone! Hope you’re all having a good March so far, and are ready to *ack* spring forward this weekend!

This is a check-in for those of us (or our SO) who are pregnant as a result of TPR including donor sperm, donor eggs, donor embryos, gestational carrier, surrogacy, or any combination of those. Lurkers are welcome to come in and ask questions or become part of the check-in!

Point of clarification: I am using 'surrogacy' to mean traditional surrogacy (using the surrogate's eggs) and gestational carrier where the carrier's eggs are NOT used. They are sometimes referred to as 'traditional surrogacy' and 'gestational surrogacy' respectively.

1. How far along are you?
2. How are you feeling?

QOTW: What are you looking forward to most as spring approaches?

If your status changes and/or you want to be removed, please let me know.

~~~BFPs~~~
Acting as gestational carrier
@bobyn1113 - BFP with twins; EDD 7/1 -- how are you doing?

Donor eggs
RN1175 - EDD 7/24 with singleton — have the name discussions started yet now that you know you’re Team Blue?
kaliRN - EDD 10/27 with singleton; update us on how you’re feeling, and let us know how the first u/s went!
longhornwino0907 - EDD 10/27 with twins

Donor embryos
twinkie0612 - EDD 8/4 with singleton — congrats on being Team Pink!!! How are you feeling?


~~~Soon-to-be Grads~~~
--


~~~Book List~~~
If you find other books you'd like to add, please let me know.
Egg Donation: The Pea that Was Me, Kimberly Kluger-Bell
Surrogacy: Sophia's Broken Crayons, Crystal Falk
Surrogacy: The Very Kind Koala, Kimberly Kluger-Bell
Egg Donation: The Very Special Ducklings, Wava Cirisan
All forms: What Makes a Baby, Cory Silverberg

[longhornwino0907]

So yeah, this happened at our first u/s last week:


We go back next Friday for a follow-up u/s and hopefully we'll hear the heartbeats. But both babies were measuring six weeks exactly (I was 6+1 that day), and we could see both heartbeats, so that was amazing! I also met my OB (was told I wouldn't until second tri, but now my next u/s is actually with him, so there's that).

I feel like I still haven't fully processed the news yet. We're going to announce on Facebook after next week's u/s, but family and close friends already know because I can't contain the excitement!

QOTW: I'm looking forward to spending more time outside with our pups before it gets too hot! We went directly from "fall" to spring here in Texas, though, so I'm sure it won't be long before we can see the triple-digit temps looming on the horizon!

[twinkie0612]

Thanks for the check-in longhornwino0907!

Overall I am feeling good. We've had a bad run of blood work though. My monitoring blood work from my RI showed that my NK cells are elevated (both count and activity) so they recommended 2 more IVIG infusions ($3,150 each OOP, ouch). The good news is that since I am getting the IVIG I get to lower my prednisone dose. My blood work also showed that my TSH was higher than they wanted (2.66) so I started synthroid. My clotting time also came back low, so I had to start heparin twice daily again.

When my second harmony test came back with no results, my OB ordered quad screening. The results came back showing elevated risk for down syndrome. My results were 1:161(less than 1%) and normal for my donor's age is 1:600ish. My OB consulted with the genetic counselor at the MFM group and she recommends testing for anyone with risk higher than a 35 year old (1:272). We decided on doing a level 2 u/s and then we will decide if we are going to do an amnio based on the results. I am still waiting on the MFM group to call to schedule the u/s.

My anatomy scan is next week on the 17th. Hopefully these scans will show that baby girl is completely healthy.

QOTW: I am looking forward to nicer weather and getting some projects done around the house so that we can start working on her room.

[longhornwino0907]

Oh my gosh twinkie0612! That's just a crazy mess. Good luck and keep us posted!

[twinkie0612]

Mar 9, 2016 17:06:13 GMT -5 longhornwino0907 said:

Oh my gosh twinkie0612 ! That's just a crazy mess. Good luck and keep us posted!

I think it seems worse because everything hit within a week. We've had lots of ultrasounds and haven't had any soft markers for down syndrome, so the odds really are in our favor. Hopefully the level 2 ultrasound will give us some peace of mind.

[king26]

longhornwino0907, COngrats on your TWINS!
twinkie0612, I'm sorry so much is going on but FX everything turns out ok!

[RN1175]

longhornwino0907 congrats on the twins!!! Wow that's exciting.
twinkie0612 positive thoughts for your U/S next week
@bobyn1113 I hear ya on feeling huge. I feel that way too and I'm carrying one. hang in there.
king26 welcome! Any questions on DE, feel free to ask me.


AFM, I am 20w4d today. More than half baked. Wow. Now I know the rest of the time will fly by. I am feeling ok. I just feel fat but not too uncomfortable yet.
I am going to start the process of registering on the Donor sibling registry and writing our donor a thank you letter.
Oh and we bought a family vehicle today! 2011 Chevy Traverse with captains chairs so it seats 7. It will take me awhile to get used to it but it will be much safer and more room.

QOTW: being outside and wearing capris! Going to the park every day is how we roll.

[twinkie0612]

My level 2 u/s was scheduled for the 16th. Since it is essentially an in depth anatomy scan, we canceled our anatomy scan on the 17th and I will just have an appointment with my OB.