Grad Check-in for Week of April 27

[URMySunshine77]

sonpetitlapin, Divefrog, winogirl, radiantly, @jimbobcooter, beckyp005, flippinchica, colinsfebmommy, Maggie0424, @clgsquared, lucylulu, flyliceandcoffee, cml112, sunni1 b0710 manderslvt, meredithcarole, aswedishbee, mdogan29, boobacat, tiresiastheblond, lickwed, and teenybenoit

How are things going? We hope that all of you are doing well.

QOTW: What has surprised you most about your pregnancy?

[sonpetitlapin]

I am 13w1d today! In the second trimester or last week of the 1st??? Damn that is confusing. I am doing pretty good. Getting my energy back mostly. Still tired but not as bad. Had my 12 weeks appointment last week and it went well. Received the T21 results on Thursday. We are having a healthy baby BOY!!!! We are just thrilled and excited. Now to get through the anatomy scan on June 11 to make sure everything else is healthy with baby. Picking out baby name has started...I hate this process. Boy names are so hard. Have several months left to go for that.

QOTW: So far it has been...the exhaustion. With my other three I was very young 20-23 and not working..now I am 35 and work FT. Other than that...just enjoying every day.

[teenybenoit]

Hi guys!
I went to my first Dr appointment today, my betas are good 5014 and my progesterone is low 7.1, I have been put on suppositories as of today.
I have to go back Wednesday for more blood work to see how my levels are rising.
Monday is my ultrasound, this has me feeling a bit of anxiety as this is when in my last pregnancy we found out there was no baby....trying to remember joy over worry.
I also got put on metformin until I get to the endocrinologist for proper insulin dosing.

I'm surprised that I have no morning sickness, I was kind of expecting it a little.
Otherwise feeling tired but grateful.

Edit to add: I am 5wk4d today

[Deleted]

Hi ladies! 33 weeks and I don't want to complain about pregnancy to those who are trying so hard to be here, but I've just seriously hit the wall. My back, ribs, and belly just hurt all the time. I'm doing my best to find a way to rally so I can get through the next 5-7 weeks. I'm just keeping my eyes on the prize and reminding myself that this is 100% worth every difficult moment. Before long, we'll be on to the next phase.

QOTW: I wasn't prepared for how much harder this pg would be than my first. I only have one to compare to so I can't say it's because I'm in my 40's this time vs. every pg is different. I just know I'm so much more exhausted than I was with DS.

And I don't know if Becky will see this and check in because she's so busy, but I just talked to her on FB about an hour ago and know she is doing well and that her little squish is just absolutely adorable. But I'll tell her you all asked about her and try to get her to come give a personal update.

[Maggie0424]

sonpetitlapin Congrats and welcome to Team Blue!


As for me, by measurements I'm 18w3d, by EDD I'm 17w6d. Crazy to think I'm almost half-baked! I'm currently just waiting for 5/7 to arrive, which is when I have my a/s. Looking forward to that even though I already know the sex. Can't get enough of the u/s's. Other than that nothing else is new pg-wise.

QOTW - the thing that surprised me the most with this pregnancy is having m/s end at 8 weeks. All my other pregnancies m/s lasted through week 12 with the exception of my mm/c. I thought for sure something was "wrong" because I felt so good this time around. It's true every pg is different. I've been fortunate that this one has been the "easiest" so far physically especially since I'm older. Definitely thankful for that!

[lickwed]

sonpetitlapin, Congrats on team blue!

teenybenoit, I hope the progesterone works.

@jimbobcooter, The last part is pretty rough. Just because it took you awhile to get here, doesn't mean you have be puppy dogs and rainbows about how you feel.

Maggie0424, Hope the next week goes by quickly and you get to see your little bean.

I am 5 weeks today. They called this morning and said my first beta was 375. I go back in for another draw. They also are putting me on progesterone. I forgot to ask the number so I don't know how low, but is going to be oral so I'm hoping that means not too bad.

QOTW: How much more stressful beta/progesterone monitoring is. Right now I am finding it hard to be confident. It seems like it is one hurdle after another to get on progesterone. There was a delay in the testing the first time but then today when I go to pick up my prescription, they have no record of the order. Now I have to wait until tomorrow morning to call the doctor and find out what happened. That means I won't start progesterone until tomorrow night at the earliest. I just have this nagging fear that starting the progesterone so late is not going to make a difference. Our last loss was around 5 weeks, so I think that is the major reason for the lack of confidence.

[meredithcarole]

Hi all. I am 7 weeks and 2 days. I am still really exhausted, I have zero patience, and I am nauseous about 60% of the time. My mother doesn't know yet and trying to carry on a conversation with her over the phone tonight was slight torment because I just wanted to be able to say "I'm tired and I don't have the energy for a conversation."

QOTW: it surprises me how much food I can eat for someone who feels like crap most of the time. I am quite sure I have gained 5 lbs which is not good given that I am 5'1" and have 32 weeks to go.

sonpetitlapin, yay for a healthy baby boy

teenybenoit, I hope your follow up numbers give you some peace of mind

@jimbobcooter, I hope the next month and a half goes by quickly and relatively painlessly.

Maggie0424, I am glad this pregnancy has been easier than the others

lickwed, I know you're worried. I hope you get everything sorted out soon.

[teenybenoit]

@lickwed I hope it all gets sorted out too. I know my Dr wasn't even going to check my level just only give me a pregnancy test and beta count.
When they called yesterday we raced down there because of course clinic hours are short. It's so frustrating. I'm sure this was what helped cause our last loss.
FX that you get started and everything works out fine. Hugs.

[flippinchica]

I'm sorry you are so uncomfortable @jimbobcooter, congrats on your boy sonpetitlapin, Those early weeks are so stressful when you are PGAL and I'm thinking of you lickwed and teenybenoit.
Yay for almost half baked Maggie0424!
meredithcarole, hiding that feeling like crap part is really hard. We saw the inlaws for Christmas before my 1st u/s and hadn't told anyone and all I wanted to do was lay on the couch.

AFM I'm 25 weeks and it has been an emotionally charged week because of several things (some work related, some family related and some TCF related). Friday was 1 year since my D&C and then to wake up that morning and read the news about CLEcyclist was just a lot to take in. I'm so grateful for what I have but sad for the terrible things that happen to good people. I plan on doing the virtual 5k in June and it happens to fall on the day of my planned shower.
Pregnancy related, things are going well. It is fun to actually look pregnant and feel baby move.

QOTW: I was surprised how common it is to still have nausea and food aversions last past the end of 1st tri. I expected to feel magically great at 12-13 weeks. It is getting slowly better, though.

[Divefrog]

Hi Ladies!

I am 16-17weeks? Seriously I can't keep track this time around. Busy with lots of non-pregnancy stuff around our house, which is typical for the Spring in MI. As soon as the weather breaks we get right to work on lots of projects, so we have time to just enjoy the summer!

Anyways, due to said projects I overdid things and ended up having to take a day to just rest, and try and recuperate after pulling a muscle in my back. The SPD is getting worse too and making nights and sleep pretty miserable. I MUST discuss treatment/therapy options with my midwife when I see her on 5/8.

Aside from the constant chronic pain, I am feeling pretty good....Fairly confident I have felt baby flutters/movement a few times already.Which seems crazy because with DD I didn't know I did for sure until around 22weeks.

QOTW: I am constantly shocked at how different this pregnancy has been to DD's. From how I feel (worse), to food aversions & cravings (completely different), to how much earlier I am showing (I didn't look pregnant with DD until 26weeks).


@jimbobcooter, you are totally justified to how you feel. Seriously, I will most likely be complaining about pain for the next 20weeks!

lickwed & teenybenoit, those early weeks can be such a mind f%*K, hope you can find some calm and peace this week.

sonpetitlapin, Congrats on your Boy! and I totally agree boy names are ridiculously hard. We are team Green, but boy names seem to be harder to come up with for us then girl names this time around.

[b0710]

Thanks for the check-in URMySunshine77! I am 9w1d today. I feel pretty good overall, just a lot of little symptoms here and there. I am still waiting on my first appointment (seriously, May 12 still seems sooooo far away). I finally caved and bought a fetal doppler. I swore that I would never do this, but it's so hard to shake the PgAL brain, and I thought it might help. I haven't received it yet (nor do I even know if I could find a heartbeat yet), but I'm looking forward to having it...especially until I can feel the LO move.

QOTW - I know every pregnancy is different, but I am shocked by how different this one is. My skin has minor breakout issues, I have a lot of waves of nausea, most food doesn't sound good but then tastes ok once I eat, I have lightheadedness from time to time, and zero energy. I did not have hardly any of these symptoms with my boys. I feel deep down it's because this one is a girl, but that could be some weird mind trick. I have also had numerous thoughts about twins. Seriously, I have no reason to have twins, but yet I can't shake the "what if it is" questions. DH does not appreciate my twin questions, and told me that I have to stop thinking about it because one might just start growing (seriously DH? I think he thinks he's funny...but it doesn't work that way).

Hang in there @jimbobcooter! All will be better when you hold you new squishy LO.

teenybenoit - really hope that all those numbers go in your favor

lickwed - really hoping that things sort out for you too, and that your doctors get it together.

[winogirl]

Hi All!
Checking in at 9weeks-ish. They changed my EDD back to the original one based on LMP which is 11/24 because I was measuring ahead of the previous EDD of 11/30. I'm doing ok - I swear b0710, and I are having identical pregnancies! I've gotten a bunch of little breakouts and nausea in waves - no puking - and I'm just so darn tired. Otherwise all is good.

QOTW : I guess how tired I would be - and that I haven't actually puked at all. I believe that my sister was sick a lot and she had all boys so maybe this is a girl?? Although if it IS a girl I think that would be my biggest surprise of all - my sister has all boys and all of my in-laws also have all boys.

[mom2boxers]

b0710 - On the doppler - I found YouTube videos helped the most when I was trying to figure out what to listen for and where to look at different stages of my pregnancy. Also, clear aloe vera gel works great if you run out of the little tube that comes with it.

[b0710]

Apr 28, 2015 8:29:05 GMT -5 mom2boxers said:

b0710 - On the doppler - I found YouTube videos helped the most when I was trying to figure out what to listen for and where to look at different stages of my pregnancy. Also, clear aloe vera gel works great if you run out of the little tube that comes with it.

Thanks for the tips mom2boxers!  I told myself that I couldn't get upset if I couldn't find the HB on my own....but we all know I would be elated if I could!!!

[sonpetitlapin]

Maggie0424, lickwed, meredithcarole, flippinchica, Divefrog, Thank you!!

[flyliceandcoffee]

late to the party as usual. I'm so excited that there are so many of us here now!

Based on LMP, I'll be 14w on Thus, but according to our last u/s we were measuring 4 days ahead so yeah. I'm sticking with LMP since my EDD isn't changing. We had our NT scan done last week and all looked well and good. It was a relief to see this little one and hear the heartbeat even though he/she was being very stubborn and didn't want to provide a profile picture for the tech. Most of my nausea and dizziness has gone away but it seems that in the evenings it sometimes comes back which sucks. I've been told by my doc that I need to gain a lot more weight this time around too, bleh.

QOTW: Everything is different this time around. I didn't have a lick of morning sickness or was even that exhausted with DD. This time, I can barely hold my head up by 2pm and all the nausea/dizziness has kicked my ass. I also wanted sweet stuff last time and this time anything sweet makes me feel like shit.

[boobacat]

Still on edge with continued spotting but the cramping is gone. So glad to have the supportive bunch on the pregnant 35+ bunch.

Hemming and hawing over betas and calling the RE. They're so nice I'm sure they'd have me back. No appointment until 5/13 and u/s is not until 5/20. So far away.

Hoping to see more grads soon!

[tiresiastheblond]

Congrats, sonpetitlapin! Yay!
teenybenoit, FX for rising betas and peace of mind. Glad you're getting the progesterone.
@jimbobcooter, I'm sorry you're feeling crappy. Not too much longer! Say hi to Becky--I'd love it if she stopped by.
Maggie0424, Yay for being halfway and feeling good!
lickwed, I'm sorry you're feeling stressed. I hope your followup betas are great. I'm glad it looks like your progesterone isn't too low. Also glad you get to skip the suppositories. I am soooo over those.
meredithcarole, I'm sorry you're feeling so sick and tired. Great news about the HB!
flippinchica, sorry you'r having a tough week, but glad it's easing up physically.
Divefrog, Ouch--I hope you're feeling better. Cool that you're feeling movement!
b0710,you'll have to let us know how you like to doppler. I was too scared to get one last time around (I thought if I couldn't get it to work, I'd freak out completely).
winogirl, glad the nausea isn't too bad. You never know about the gender--DD was the first girl after 5 boy cousins.
flyliceandcoffee, sorry the MS is hanging around in the evenings, and that you've been ordered to gain weight. That is--not a problem I'm going to face. But it would be frustrating.
boobacat, all the hugs. I really hope the spotting stops ASAP. I think I'd probably call the RE, but I have no patience.

AFM, 5 weeks today. Random spells of slight queasiness and some weird food cravings/aversions (no to meat in general, big yes to ham ) although I know from my betas that my HCG isn't at all high. Maybe it's all in my head. Or in the progesterone in oil I'm shooting up.

The biggest surprise at this point is just being pregnant at all. I really, really didn't think it was going to work!

[happyktmom]

teenybenoit, I had low progesterone and had to do suppositories for both pregnancies. 1 m/c and 1 live birth and I took it for the first 12 weeks. The discharge sucks but if you read about all the possible side effects of the pills, you are very thankful you just set it and forget it
Good luck to you!

[colinsfebmommy]

I'll be 12w tomorrow. I had my second appt today and saw my little bug wiggling around lol I have to back next week for bloodwork for the genetics. I'm starting to get energy back but my sinus headaches have been killer also I have a case of sciatica which blows. But other than than that in all good.

Love reading about all of you!

[b0710]

tiresiastheblond - I will update about the doppler. You would think after having 2 kids I would be fine, but after the loss, it just all of a sudden seemed like a much better idea It is supposed to arrive today, but I'm a little nervous to try this early. I guess what can it hurt as long as I'm prepared that I might not find the little guy in there. I'll let you all know.

[lucylulu]

b0710 - I know you know this but 9 weeks is early to find it. I tried then then and really didn't find it til 11 weeks. Even last night at 14 I couldn't find it and then we saw him on the U/s today. But everyone is different so I hope you do!

AFM, I'm 14w2d. Just had my preventative cerclage placed. Feeling a bit crampy but otherwise good. LIttle Bear is measuring right on track and had a heartrate in the 140s.

QOTW: just surprised at how tired I've been. I don't remember this from my first so it's totally different. Hoping it lifts soon!

[flippinchica]

I am a big doppler fan. I ordered it after my doc was able to find the HB on doppler at a visit so I received it at about 10 weeks. That first day I had a hard time finding it, took a break for dinner and then was able to find it. After that I was usually able to find it in a few minutes.
I didn't feel movement at all until 18 weeks and change and nothing consistent till 20 weeks so from week 10 to 20 I used it several times a week. For me the reassurance was really nice.

[b0710]

My doppler update:

It arrived yesterday (Wednesday) after ordering it on Monday. DH was really excited about it, even though I had debated waiting a bit longer to try it. We got it out after dinner, and lo and behold, we found the heartbeat! I was shocked! I really didn't think that I would find it at only 9w2d, but I read the article, watched a few videos, and I managed it find it! It took about 2 minutes to locate it. I did probe around listening for all of the "other" noises too so that I would for sure know the difference, and it was definitely baby (plus this is my 3rd time around, so I knew what noise I was listening for). It sounded like a fast chugging train. My new dilemma is trying not to use it too often, as I know I may not be that lucky all the time. For now though, I am riding on the high of hearing my baby's HB for the first time!

[teenybenoit]

boobacat hugs. I hope that the spotting and cramps stop asap! This process is so scary especially when there are little bumps along the way.