Post IVF

[cakegal]

I don't want you to freak out, but I'm glad I'm not the only one! Just keep telling yourself - it will all come together. If everything isn't in place before they come, it will all come together afterwards. That's what I keep saying.

What do you mean you will be put on shots on Monday? For what?

For the gestational diabetes. I'm not able to control it with diet and pills. My OB will probably put my on steroid shots at some point too to help them develop their lungs better. It's really all very scary. It's crazy all this stuff I'm having to go through. When my Grandma had her twins,neither her nor her doctor had any idea she was having twins. I guess it's that old technology as a blessing and a curse thing....

I can't remember. Have you given your little girl a name yet?

[nostoppingme]

Ok, I really have to get my act together and order a bed or something!! I feel so disorganized! We aren't setting up a nursery just yet, even though we have a room for it, but that room is currently my office and I need to keep working as long as possible. The baby is going to sleep in the master bedroom in the beginning anyway.

I had an appointment yesterday with the 32 week scan. We couldn't see much detail of her because she was smashed in there. Everything looks great - heart, brain, etc, etc, but one problem - she's breech! It is still early and they are hoping she will flip, but I have to go back in 5 weeks for another scan to see if she's flipped or not. After the scan my OB was feeling my stomach and said it feels 'very tight' and it would be difficult to manually flip her as it is.. They said to hold off on any exercises to get her to flip now since she could flip on her own and then back again (theoretically). If she doesn't flip by 37 weeks and they can't manually flip her it's going to be a c-section. As much as I just want it all to happen naturally (plus epidural!), the thought of a c-section is now actually a little enticing. I don't particularly want the extra recovery time or infection risk, but the thought of knowing exactly when she's going to be born is very appealing!! But, that would be 7 weeks from now, instead of theoretically 8+.

YIKES!!

Also, she already weighs approximately 3 pounds 15 oz.. How cute!! And my rib pain is because her head is jabbing up into my rib cage -- another reason she needs to flip around!

Sorry baby girl is breech, but at least your OB has a good plan if she doesn't turn on her own. I bet it wouldn't feel too good having her physically turned by the doc even if there were more room in there! Everyone wants me to plan to keep the baby downstairs the first 2 weeks in the Master, but I don't want to have to have a bassinet or mini crib for a couple of weeks. I don't see why I can't just sleep upstairs in the spare room next to the nursery. DH thinks I won't want to climb those stairs after having a baby, but I told him it would do me good and if I don't have any stiches, what's the big deal. Then I started thinking anything could change and what if I end up with a C-Sect or I get a tear and need stitches. Maybe I need to get a Moses basket just in case.

I like the name Jackson. We thought about the using that name too. I'm a big Jack Benny fan. I honestly think they will NEVER have names at this point though.

OK Rhonda,I just want you to know that as I read your post I almost had a heart attach!! 34 WEEKS IS ONLY 6 WEEKS AWAY!! I feel soooooo panicky now! I mean we're not even done with birthing class or baby showers or even have names....I've GOT to get cracking!

See,I'm totally worried to because I had an u/s yesterday and A weighs 3.3 and B 2.12,they are getting too big because of my GD. Also A is using my bladder as a beanbag chair,so it's breach all the way for us right now. Pretty sure I'll be put on shots starting Monday. Everything feels like it's about to get really complicated!

Hope everyone is feel well!

Well, after I sent that post, I checked on my girls on another pregnancy site and one of our twin pregnancies had just started a new thread last week and she hadn't been on since that day. She was 32 weeks and she was hoping to make it to 36-37 weeks. Well, she had the baby 2 days after starting the thread and she now has 2 baby boys. I am waiting to hear when babies are going home. She had just posted that one of her friends that had twins went at 32 weeks and another went at 36 weeks. You just never know. Best to be prepared just in case!!! What are the shots about?

[nostoppingme]

For the gestational diabetes. I'm not able to control it with diet and pills. My OB will probably put my on steroid shots at some point too to help them develop their lungs better. It's really all very scary. It's crazy all this stuff I'm having to go through. When my Grandma had her twins,neither her nor her doctor had any idea she was having twins. I guess it's that old technology as a blessing and a curse thing....

I can't remember. Have you given your little girl a name yet?

Well that sucks that you can't control the Gestational Diabetes with diet and pills! So that's what the shots are for...well, scary, but necessary to be prepared. You will be fine and so will the babies, regardless of when they decide to make their appearance. Let's hope it's later than sooner, but you have time to now start getting prepared either way.

[HighHopesMama]

Ok, I really have to get my act together and order a bed or something!! I feel so disorganized! We aren't setting up a nursery just yet, even though we have a room for it, but that room is currently my office and I need to keep working as long as possible. The baby is going to sleep in the master bedroom in the beginning anyway.

I had an appointment yesterday with the 32 week scan. We couldn't see much detail of her because she was smashed in there. Everything looks great - heart, brain, etc, etc, but one problem - she's breech! It is still early and they are hoping she will flip, but I have to go back in 5 weeks for another scan to see if she's flipped or not. After the scan my OB was feeling my stomach and said it feels 'very tight' and it would be difficult to manually flip her as it is.. They said to hold off on any exercises to get her to flip now since she could flip on her own and then back again (theoretically). If she doesn't flip by 37 weeks and they can't manually flip her it's going to be a c-section. As much as I just want it all to happen naturally (plus epidural!), the thought of a c-section is now actually a little enticing. I don't particularly want the extra recovery time or infection risk, but the thought of knowing exactly when she's going to be born is very appealing!! But, that would be 7 weeks from now, instead of theoretically 8+.

YIKES!!

Also, she already weighs approximately 3 pounds 15 oz.. How cute!! And my rib pain is because her head is jabbing up into my rib cage -- another reason she needs to flip around!

Glad the u/s went well yesterday. Sorry she's breech, but hopefully she'll manage to turn around on her own. Glad she's a healthy weight and everything else is going well. So not only do you have to set up a nursery, you have to find a new space in your house for an office? That's a lot. I can see why you might want to wait until she gets here for you to do that, though if you have a C section, it will be a while before you can move around comfortably. Good luck picking out your nursery things - that's the fun stuff.

I like the name Jackson. We thought about the using that name too. I'm a big Jack Benny fan. I honestly think they will NEVER have names at this point though.


OK Rhonda,I just want you to know that as I read your post I almost had a heart attach!! 34 WEEKS IS ONLY 6 WEEKS AWAY!! I feel soooooo panicky now! I mean we're not even done with birthing class or baby showers or even have names....I've GOT to get cracking!

See,I'm totally worried to because I had an u/s yesterday and A weighs 3.3 and B 2.12,they are getting too big because of my GD. Also A is using my bladder as a beanbag chair,so it's breach all the way for us right now. Pretty sure I'll be put on shots starting Monday. Everything feels like it's about to get really complicated!

Hope everyone is feel well!

You'll get everything done and what isn't done, you just do afterwards. The good thing is that you can keep working on the nursery after they come home. Sorry you might have to go on shots on Monday, but if your doctor's ordering it;s probably for the best. And like you said in your other post, at least they can tell what's going on with all the technology and help the babies stay in there and stay healthy. I hope they don't come at 32 weeks so you have a bit more time to get things organized, but the most important thing is you and the boys being healthy. Everything else can be taken care of later. Hang in there, mama!

Rhonda - I agree with Sarah - I like Jackson/Jax too.

I just realized, am I the only one here who doesn't know the gender of our baby? We might not find out now (I keep flip flopping). While it presents some decorating issues with the nursery, for some reason I kind of like the element of surprise. Everyone says I'm having a boy, except for Pinkgirl and I who say it's a girl. We'll see...I'll change my times a million more times before my next scan.

Sylvia, Yukon Lady - how you doing?

[rss73]

For the gestational diabetes. I'm not able to control it with diet and pills. My OB will probably put my on steroid shots at some point too to help them develop their lungs better. It's really all very scary. It's crazy all this stuff I'm having to go through. When my Grandma had her twins,neither her nor her doctor had any idea she was having twins. I guess it's that old technology as a blessing and a curse thing....

I can't remember. Have you given your little girl a name yet?

Ahh, I see. That's a bummer that you have to have shots. GD is a drag. I'm not even sure my mom had u/s with me. Maybe, but imagine how weak the technology was back then - 37 years ago.. We have so much more information at our disposal these days! The good thing is they know you have GD and can weigh and monitor the babies and take all precautions to extend their time in the womb and make sure they come out safe and sound. Remember in the beginning when it seemed like forever until our due dates? And now we are suddenly racing towards them!!!

We have name ideas, but we're keeping them in. You never know if we'll want to change at the last minute.

Sorry baby girl is breech, but at least your OB has a good plan if she doesn't turn on her own. I bet it wouldn't feel too good having her physically turned by the doc even if there were more room in there! Everyone wants me to plan to keep the baby downstairs the first 2 weeks in the Master, but I don't want to have to have a bassinet or mini crib for a couple of weeks. I don't see why I can't just sleep upstairs in the spare room next to the nursery. DH thinks I won't want to climb those stairs after having a baby, but I told him it would do me good and if I don't have any stiches, what's the big deal. Then I started thinking anything could change and what if I end up with a C-Sect or I get a tear and need stitches. Maybe I need to get a Moses basket just in case.

I'm going to TRY to sleep with baby for the first 6 months, but we'll see how long that actually lasts!!! I hear they are noisy sleepers and I'm the lightest sleeper in the world, so it might be a short-lived experiment. I agree, I don't want to buy a bassinet or mini-crib, but I will (for starters) put the crib in the master bedroom. DH will just have to sleep in the spare bedroom if he wants some peace at night since he wakes very early for work (he's already agreed to that). I might get a moses basket, too..debating that at the moment.

BTW, love Jackson as a name, too.

Glad the u/s went well yesterday. Sorry she's breech, but hopefully she'll manage to turn around on her own. Glad she's a healthy weight and everything else is going well. So not only do you have to set up a nursery, you have to find a new space in your house for an office? That's a lot. I can see why you might want to wait until she gets here for you to do that, though if you have a C section, it will be a while before you can move around comfortably. Good luck picking out your nursery things - that's the fun stuff.

I just realized, am I the only one here who doesn't know the gender of our baby? We might not find out now (I keep flip flopping). While it presents some decorating issues with the nursery, for some reason I kind of like the element of surprise. Everyone says I'm having a boy, except for Pinkgirl and I who say it's a girl. We'll see...I'll change my times a million more times before my next scan.

DH has an office that he doesn't really use that I will take over. We will have to move his furniture somewhere else, though and for now we don't know where to store it. That and it's on the 3rd floor and I really don't want to do the extra stairs.

Do you have any scans between now and your 20 week one? I guess you could find out now if you do, or wait til 20 weeks and decide. Everyone I've met here in antenatal classes is waiting til birth to find out - I'm the only one (seriously) who knows! They all think I'm mad for finding out. I couldn't help myself! If you are able to hold out, I'll be very proud of you, but if you find out early, please tell us ASAP!!!

[nostoppingme]

Our master is the first room as you enter the house. I don't want the baby in the master because I think naps will be interrupted from the traffic with a teen at home. That is one of the main reasons I want the nursery upstairs. We have a full basement as well, and DH can go down there or sleep in the master when it's too much for him. Our bedrooms upstairs are the same size as our master...all very large with walk in closets. My spare room has a king bed, dresser, chest and armoir so I can just move in up there for the first 6 months. Any overnight guests like MIL can have the master and DH has a choice to go into his man-hole (basement which has a pool table, workout room, full bath & den) or come sleep in spare room with me. I'll have to show you ladies what my spare rooms look like one day when I actually take some pics. They have walk-in closets as I stated, but they also have two "extra rooms" attached. When you go into the walk-in closet, there is another small room attached that you can use as an office or whatever. In my DD's room, she has caged animals she keeps in that spare room. In her other spare room, she stores toys and junk. In the spare room, I store Christmas decorations and bunk beds and in the room behind the walk-in, it is another closet. So, we are going to turn the walk-in closet into a nursery. It is quiet and comfy and small, but perfect for crib/changer/glider. It is ventilated of course, but no windows and I don't have to worry about noise other than the bathroom which is a almost right next to the nursery. It will have to work. Sorry so lengthy!

[rss73]

Our master is the first room as you enter the house. I don't want the baby in the master because I think naps will be interrupted from the traffic with a teen at home. That is one of the main reasons I want the nursery upstairs. We have a full basement as well, and DH can go down there or sleep in the master when it's too much for him. Our bedrooms upstairs are the same size as our master...all very large with walk in closets. My spare room has a king bed, dresser, chest and armoir so I can just move in up there for the first 6 months. Any overnight guests like MIL can have the master and DH has a choice to go into his man-hole (basement which has a pool table, workout room, full bath & den) or come sleep in spare room with me. I'll have to show you ladies what my spare rooms look like one day when I actually take some pics. They have walk-in closets as I stated, but they also have two "extra rooms" attached. When you go into the walk-in closet, there is another small room attached that you can use as an office or whatever. In my DD's room, she has caged animals she keeps in that spare room. In her other spare room, she stores toys and junk. In the spare room, I store Christmas decorations and bunk beds and in the room behind the walk-in, it is another closet. So, we are going to turn the walk-in closet into a nursery. It is quiet and comfy and small, but perfect for crib/changer/glider. It is ventilated of course, but no windows and I don't have to worry about noise other than the bathroom which is a almost right next to the nursery. It will have to work. Sorry so lengthy!

Can I move in with you?! Sounds great!! I love all the big rooms and the hidden extra rooms. Sounds like so much fun!! Your little boy will love playing with all those rooms. You're lucky to have a basement, too. They are very rare over here, although more and more in London you see people digging out under their houses to build in a basement. I'd love a finished one.

[nostoppingme]

Sure, come on over! LOL Yes, my DD still has fun with her girlfriends hiding in the closets to get away from the adults. The hidden rooms are really fun for the smaller kids though. Basements are very rare here in SC also, but I am from the North and they were not rare at all. We have a brick home and it is our second home. Our first home was also brick, but much smaller (1400sq ft vs our now 3000sq ft). We also now have his & her garages and more bathrooms (3.5) which I love! Our home comes with a pond, but we let our neighbors all fish there too (my husband stocks the pond in the Spring). It's really a wonderful view from the back porch/balcony. I love the house, but I so want a home with 4 bedrooms even if we have to have smaller rooms. When it was just the 3 of us, the 3 rooms were fine, but with the baby on the way, we loose our guest bedroom and no place for overnight guests to sleep in the next year. We will probably look for a home that is slightly smaller with more rooms in the next 2 years if the market changes and we can sell our home without loosing any money!!

[bmelissa]

Sara~ I wanted to tell you that when my DS came at 34 weeks, had he had the steroid shots, I believe, he would've been able to come home. B/c he didn't then that caused him to have the preemie lungs which was a ripple effect in not closing his pda, etc. He has no long term complications and spent 7 days on a cpap and 15 days total in the nicu. It is all very stressful, but i'm glad you are at least in 'the know' of all the possiblities and they seem to be monitoring you closely.

I'm not being monitored any more closely than jane doe it seems, even though I had a preemie once w/out warning and 2 years to conceive this baby. That is very worrisome to me b/c I have been have lots of preterm contractions since prior to 20 weeks. Oh well, they check when I go in MONTHLY. A lot can happen in 1 month.

[HighHopesMama]

DH has an office that he doesn't really use that I will take over. We will have to move his furniture somewhere else, though and for now we don't know where to store it. That and it's on the 3rd floor and I really don't want to do the extra stairs.

Do you have any scans between now and your 20 week one? I guess you could find out now if you do, or wait til 20 weeks and decide. Everyone I've met here in antenatal classes is waiting til birth to find out - I'm the only one (seriously) who knows! They all think I'm mad for finding out. I couldn't help myself! If you are able to hold out, I'll be very proud of you, but if you find out early, please tell us ASAP!!!

That's nice you've got the extra office you can move into, even if it's on the 3rd floor. I'm sure you'll figure it all out and make it work. I have an OB appt. on /27 and I believe she'll do a scan then, since she just checked the heart beat last time. The good thinkg is that I can call into my peri and find out what they saw in the scan, so even if we don't want to find out at week 19, we can call in any time and find out. We're going to try to hold out, but who knows what will happen. And of course, I'll let you know ASAP if we break down and find out.

Our master is the first room as you enter the house. I don't want the baby in the master because I think naps will be interrupted from the traffic with a teen at home. That is one of the main reasons I want the nursery upstairs. We have a full basement as well, and DH can go down there or sleep in the master when it's too much for him. Our bedrooms upstairs are the same size as our master...all very large with walk in closets. My spare room has a king bed, dresser, chest and armoir so I can just move in up there for the first 6 months. Any overnight guests like MIL can have the master and DH has a choice to go into his man-hole (basement which has a pool table, workout room, full bath & den) or come sleep in spare room with me. I'll have to show you ladies what my spare rooms look like one day when I actually take some pics. They have walk-in closets as I stated, but they also have two "extra rooms" attached. When you go into the walk-in closet, there is another small room attached that you can use as an office or whatever. In my DD's room, she has caged animals she keeps in that spare room. In her other spare room, she stores toys and junk. In the spare room, I store Christmas decorations and bunk beds and in the room behind the walk-in, it is another closet. So, we are going to turn the walk-in closet into a nursery. It is quiet and comfy and small, but perfect for crib/changer/glider. It is ventilated of course, but no windows and I don't have to worry about noise other than the bathroom which is a almost right next to the nursery. It will have to work. Sorry so lengthy!

OK your house sounds AMAZING, Rhonda! I love the large spare bedrooms and the extra rooms. You can't find anything like that here in LA at all. But I understand you want ing to move to have a guest room after your little boy arrives. We live on a lake here, but we share it with about 70 houses. It's be so nice to have a pond on our property that was private. What a relaxing place to enjoy your pregnancy!

Sara~ I wanted to tell you that when my DS came at 34 weeks, had he had the steroid shots, I believe, he would've been able to come home. B/c he didn't then that caused him to have the preemie lungs which was a ripple effect in not closing his pda, etc. He has no long term complications and spent 7 days on a cpap and 15 days total in the nicu. It is all very stressful, but i'm glad you are at least in 'the know' of all the possiblities and they seem to be monitoring you closely.

I'm not being monitored any more closely than jane doe it seems, even though I had a preemie once w/out warning and 2 years to conceive this baby. That is very worrisome to me b/c I have been have lots of preterm contractions since prior to 20 weeks. Oh well, they check when I go in MONTHLY. A lot can happen in 1 month.

Hi Melissa. Sorry your doctor isn't monitoring your as much as you'd like - you trust him though, right? I'd request more frequent monitoring if it is causing you a great deal of stress. Let us know what happens. I can't believe you're 28 weeks already! Congratulations.

[rss73]

Sure, come on over! LOL Yes, my DD still has fun with her girlfriends hiding in the closets to get away from the adults. The hidden rooms are really fun for the smaller kids though. Basements are very rare here in SC also, but I am from the North and they were not rare at all. We have a brick home and it is our second home. Our first home was also brick, but much smaller (1400sq ft vs our now 3000sq ft). We also now have his & her garages and more bathrooms (3.5) which I love! Our home comes with a pond, but we let our neighbors all fish there too (my husband stocks the pond in the Spring). It's really a wonderful view from the back porch/balcony. I love the house, but I so want a home with 4 bedrooms even if we have to have smaller rooms. When it was just the 3 of us, the 3 rooms were fine, but with the baby on the way, we loose our guest bedroom and no place for overnight guests to sleep in the next year. We will probably look for a home that is slightly smaller with more rooms in the next 2 years if the market changes and we can sell our home without loosing any money!!

That's it, I'm moving in!!!!

Sara~ I wanted to tell you that when my DS came at 34 weeks, had he had the steroid shots, I believe, he would've been able to come home. B/c he didn't then that caused him to have the preemie lungs which was a ripple effect in not closing his pda, etc. He has no long term complications and spent 7 days on a cpap and 15 days total in the nicu. It is all very stressful, but i'm glad you are at least in 'the know' of all the possiblities and they seem to be monitoring you closely.

I'm not being monitored any more closely than jane doe it seems, even though I had a preemie once w/out warning and 2 years to conceive this baby. That is very worrisome to me b/c I have been have lots of preterm contractions since prior to 20 weeks. Oh well, they check when I go in MONTHLY. A lot can happen in 1 month.

Melissa, you look so darling in your pic!! I'm sorry to hear you don't feel like you are getting the care you deserve. Maybe it's time to get aggressive with your OB. At least you are almost 3/4 of the way there!

[nostoppingme]

Sara~ I wanted to tell you that when my DS came at 34 weeks, had he had the steroid shots, I believe, he would've been able to come home. B/c he didn't then that caused him to have the preemie lungs which was a ripple effect in not closing his pda, etc. He has no long term complications and spent 7 days on a cpap and 15 days total in the nicu. It is all very stressful, but i'm glad you are at least in 'the know' of all the possiblities and they seem to be monitoring you closely.

I'm not being monitored any more closely than jane doe it seems, even though I had a preemie once w/out warning and 2 years to conceive this baby. That is very worrisome to me b/c I have been have lots of preterm contractions since prior to 20 weeks. Oh well, they check when I go in MONTHLY. A lot can happen in 1 month.

I can't believe they are not monitoring you closer!!! I sure hope this pregnancy goes smoothly to the end and you don't go early, but I don't get why you are only going monthly in the 3rd trimester with your history.


I attached a few photos of our pond taken over the past 2 years. When we bought the house we felt the view was too nice not to enjoy, so DH decided to add a brick retainer wall, gate and fencing that looked nicely with our house. He also added a small concrete patio and circular drive way out back and does a lot of summer time entertaining (BBQ/cookouts, fishing, etc.). I think we bought the house more for him when I consider the pond & basement (man-den)!! LOL The young girl with the fishing rod is my best friends daughter. The one with the snowball is my DD taken this week. She & one of her cheer buddies is in the other pic (taken after church one weekend almost two years ago).

[runnergirl]

Rhonda, your pond looks fabulous! The house sounds great and nice you have a lot of space for the family and new baby! I live in a very old (120 year old) house in town. That translates to no closet space and very small yard. But we love it, and there are a lot of parks near by. I like the name Jackson.

Rachel, we are using the old office as a the baby's room. Right now it is being painted then I will order the furniture. The office for dh was mover to the basement, his man cave! I also plan to have the baby in our room, but only for the first month or two. So I was also contemplating buying a bassinet, or borrowing one.

Sara, good luck with the shots. At least the dr. is preparing for what may happen, but hopefully they won't be needed! I haven't had my glucose test yet, but I could also fail. I am hypoglycemic and over 40.

Michelle, I am team green also! We have decided not to find out the gender beforehand.

Melissa, sorry you are not getting the attention that you need. Maybe if you talk to the dr. about your concerns?

This last week has seemed so crazy. We have a painter at the house for the baby room and living room. Trying to finish up house projects. School has been busy also, we have mid-terms coming up. Everything is going well!

[HighHopesMama]

Rhonda, your pond looks fabulous! The house sounds great and nice you have a lot of space for the family and new baby! I live in a very old (120 year old) house in town. That translates to no closet space and very small yard. But we love it, and there are a lot of parks near by. I like the name Jackson.

Rachel, we are using the old office as a the baby's room. Right now it is being painted then I will order the furniture. The office for dh was mover to the basement, his man cave! I also plan to have the baby in our room, but only for the first month or two. So I was also contemplating buying a bassinet, or borrowing one.

Sara, good luck with the shots. At least the dr. is preparing for what may happen, but hopefully they won't be needed! I haven't had my glucose test yet, but I could also fail. I am hypoglycemic and over 40.

Michelle, I am team green also! We have decided not to find out the gender beforehand.

Melissa, sorry you are not getting the attention that you need. Maybe if you talk to the dr. about your concerns?

This last week has seemed so crazy. We have a painter at the house for the baby room and living room. Trying to finish up house projects. School has been busy also, we have mid-terms coming up. Everything is going well!

You're not finding out either, Good for you. What color did you paint your nursery? Sorry things have been so hectic, but it's good that you're wrapping up all your household projects before your LO arrives. Good luck with your glucose test - hope it goes well!

Rhonda - love your pond pictures. It looks so peaceful! What a wonderful place for kids to grow up.

[nostoppingme]

Rhonda, your pond looks fabulous! The house sounds great and nice you have a lot of space for the family and new baby! I live in a very old (120 year old) house in town. That translates to no closet space and very small yard. But we love it, and there are a lot of parks near by. I like the name Jackson.

Rachel, we are using the old office as a the baby's room. Right now it is being painted then I will order the furniture. The office for dh was mover to the basement, his man cave! I also plan to have the baby in our room, but only for the first month or two. So I was also contemplating buying a bassinet, or borrowing one.

Sara, good luck with the shots. At least the dr. is preparing for what may happen, but hopefully they won't be needed! I haven't had my glucose test yet, but I could also fail. I am hypoglycemic and over 40.

Michelle, I am team green also! We have decided not to find out the gender beforehand.

Melissa, sorry you are not getting the attention that you need. Maybe if you talk to the dr. about your concerns?

This last week has seemed so crazy. We have a painter at the house for the baby room and living room. Trying to finish up house projects. School has been busy also, we have mid-terms coming up. Everything is going well!

I love old houses! We have some beautiful old homes in our downtown area that are very expensive because of the historic southern floor plans. I wish we could afford to live in one of those beauties! However, I love my northern style brick home as I am a northerner and it makes me feel safe and comfy. The pond makes it peaceful and with the right weather, the kids can always go exploring, feed the turtles and go fishing. It's scary though bringing a baby into the picture and mommy will be SUPER protective as he grows up. My daughter is a fabulous swimmer and often swims in very deep waters at Columbia's famous "Lake Murray". That is a huge lake and we have lots of boaters in SC that spend their summer days out there. DD goes with some friends and they jump in when it's 80+ feet deep. Makes me nervous, but she loves swimming in lakes. We have "Weston Lake" which is a beautiful recreational lake off Ft. Jackson, and it also has a swim area. It must be a SC thing!! LOL

Can't wait to hear more about everyone's nursery plans!

You're not finding out either, Good for you. What color did you paint your nursery? Sorry things have been so hectic, but it's good that you're wrapping up all your household projects before your LO arrives. Good luck with your glucose test - hope it goes well!

Rhonda - love your pond pictures. It looks so peaceful! What a wonderful place for kids to grow up.

Thanks I think it's a great place for our kids to grow up and their friends as well. We also have many, many nice parks nearby, so it's nice to get out as well.

I think us APA gals need to plan a reunion with our kids in 3 years where we have access to a kind sun, water and parks. It would be fabulous to look back at our stories and watch eachothers miracles play together. I guess I'm just a big emotional mush pile that thinks those type of memories would make a person's life so much more meaningful. Actually, I do have lunch plans with two of my online pregnancy friends. One from APA who lives about 2 hours away and another from BabyCenter.com who lives in the same area as my APA pal. Both of these gals have been my cycle buddies and we just have a nice connection. I have prior APA buddies that I talk to on the phone and via email and facebook. I really have made some beautiful friendships and I value these ways for women to reach out to other women that can relate to their tough journeys.

[runnergirl]

Rhonda, it is great that your daughter can swim in the lakes. We have cedar lakes around S. Jersey, I used to swim in them a lot when I did triathlons. Problem is you can't see anything!

Getting together someplace warm sounds great. Especially as I look out the window and see gray skies and we are getting sleet mix tomorrow, ugh!

[HighHopesMama]

I agree - I think getting together would be a wonderful idea so we could all see each other's little miracles!

[pinkgirl]

Wow Rhonda... Love the house you have! I love that you have all that extra room in each bedroom. That is just so cool! And I love the pond. How amazing is that! I love the name Jackson. Awww, I cant wait for him to be born. He will be such a joy to watch.

Michele, I am waiting on your appt! lol. I can't wait. :-) I just want to see pics of this little rugrat... :-) I think you are having a girl. He He He. Let the guessing games begin and I cannot believe you still fit in your regular jeans. You are a hot momma! lol.

Lucas is great. We had him in his jumperoo yesterday and omg, he went to town with it! He is the most hyper baby I've ever seen. lol. He's not whiney and crying 24/7, he is a happy baby actually and he is just sooooo adorable and so much fun. I love being a mommy and I wouldnt trade it for anything in the world. You know, after struggling, I Thank God each and every day for my little bundle of joy. He is so special to me and going through IVF might have impacted me more and made me appreciate my baby so much more. He is so amazing and really makes DH and I so very happy with his little wild attitude. :-) Our friends came over this wkd, 2 diff days and both friends babies are soooo calm lol. It is so different. Lucas was hugging and trying to touch my friends daughter. He was so smitten. And then seeing her baby girl made me really want a baby girl. Whatever God gives us is a blessing, but I'd love to have another baby and have a girl.

[pinkgirl]

I wanna join in on the meeting!!!! :-) Don't forget me. lol. I just graduated sooner then you ladies but I still want in. he he he. :-)

[nostoppingme]

Definitely you HAVE to be there! Lucas will be the big brother of the gang! I am actually going to lunch next week with one of the ladies in my DD room. She lives in SC and I travel every quarter for workshops. I also have plans to get together with an old IVF cycle buddy who is also knocked up (naturally lucky her) and a month ahead of me in her pregnancy. I think it is so much fun to get to know eachother over the threads, but if an opportunity arises for any of us to get together, why not??? After all we've gone through together, it would be natural to be in eachothers company.

So, I went to L&D for monitoring because my contractions (which started getting more regular end of last week) also started getting a little more intense on at least 2 of them per hour. Sunday it started to really get concerning and after writing down contractions half a day yesterday I went on in as previously instructed. So the nurse came in after an hour and said you had two that were significant and over 50 seconds and two or three that were only about 20 seconds. They decided to do the Fetal Fibronectin Test and a cervical exam, but they gave me some meds first to help with the contractions (a pill that made me super groggy and a shot that made me fidgety). I swear after the shot, the few significant contractions were even stronger, but the small ones barely registered on the monitor. My LO's heartbeat was putting me to sleep between contractions. I was down to only 2 contractions per hour, but they are not Braxton Hicks. At the same time, I am not in preterm labor (test came back negative) and I therefore do not have any risks for going into labor over the next 2 weeks, possibly 3 weeks. So, they released me on limited activity and I went in to docs office for my glucose tolerance test this morning and my regular monthly OB appt. I had a strong contraction while on the exam table, and Doc was surprised with how tight my uterus was that I wasn't feeling any pain with the contraction. So, he decided to do another cervical exam just to be safe & found my cervix is closed & very tight...so much that he can't tell I've ever had a child. That was great to hear, so the contractions are not softening my uterus at this stage. A huge relief for now. With everything else going so well and looking normal, he said it is possible my abnormal Antiphospholipids have something to do with this. I'm a bit scared about the contractions because I never imagined I would be at any risk for preterm labor this early on for sure. Hoping we get past this scare soon.

[rss73]

Definitely you HAVE to be there! Lucas will be the big brother of the gang! I am actually going to lunch next week with one of the ladies in my DD room. She lives in SC and I travel every quarter for workshops. I also have plans to get together with an old IVF cycle buddy who is also knocked up (naturally lucky her) and a month ahead of me in her pregnancy. I think it is so much fun to get to know eachother over the threads, but if an opportunity arises for any of us to get together, why not??? After all we've gone through together, it would be natural to be in eachothers company.

So, I went to L&D for monitoring because my contractions (which started getting more regular end of last week) also started getting a little more intense on at least 2 of them per hour. Sunday it started to really get concerning and after writing down contractions half a day yesterday I went on in as previously instructed. So the nurse came in after an hour and said you had two that were significant and over 50 seconds and two or three that were only about 20 seconds. They decided to do the Fetal Fibronectin Test and a cervical exam, but they gave me some meds first to help with the contractions (a pill that made me super groggy and a shot that made me fidgety). I swear after the shot, the few significant contractions were even stronger, but the small ones barely registered on the monitor. My LO's heartbeat was putting me to sleep between contractions. I was down to only 2 contractions per hour, but they are not Braxton Hicks. At the same time, I am not in preterm labor (test came back negative) and I therefore do not have any risks for going into labor over the next 2 weeks, possibly 3 weeks. So, they released me on limited activity and I went in to docs office for my glucose tolerance test this morning and my regular monthly OB appt. I had a strong contraction while on the exam table, and Doc was surprised with how tight my uterus was that I wasn't feeling any pain with the contraction. So, he decided to do another cervical exam just to be safe & found my cervix is closed & very tight...so much that he can't tell I've ever had a child. That was great to hear, so the contractions are not softening my uterus at this stage. A huge relief for now. With everything else going so well and looking normal, he said it is possible my abnormal Antiphospholipids have something to do with this. I'm a bit scared about the contractions because I never imagined I would be at any risk for preterm labor this early on for sure. Hoping we get past this scare soon.

Yikes, real contractions? I'm sorry to hear that. I'm glad that everything is looking good and that your cervix is nice and tight and closed. I hope you get some extra monitoring, but it sounds like they are confident you aren't a preterm labor risk.

How is everyone else doing?

[cakegal]

Definitely you HAVE to be there! Lucas will be the big brother of the gang! I am actually going to lunch next week with one of the ladies in my DD room. She lives in SC and I travel every quarter for workshops. I also have plans to get together with an old IVF cycle buddy who is also knocked up (naturally lucky her) and a month ahead of me in her pregnancy. I think it is so much fun to get to know eachother over the threads, but if an opportunity arises for any of us to get together, why not??? After all we've gone through together, it would be natural to be in eachothers company.

So, I went to L&D for monitoring because my contractions (which started getting more regular end of last week) also started getting a little more intense on at least 2 of them per hour. Sunday it started to really get concerning and after writing down contractions half a day yesterday I went on in as previously instructed. So the nurse came in after an hour and said you had two that were significant and over 50 seconds and two or three that were only about 20 seconds. They decided to do the Fetal Fibronectin Test and a cervical exam, but they gave me some meds first to help with the contractions (a pill that made me super groggy and a shot that made me fidgety). I swear after the shot, the few significant contractions were even stronger, but the small ones barely registered on the monitor. My LO's heartbeat was putting me to sleep between contractions. I was down to only 2 contractions per hour, but they are not Braxton Hicks. At the same time, I am not in preterm labor (test came back negative) and I therefore do not have any risks for going into labor over the next 2 weeks, possibly 3 weeks. So, they released me on limited activity and I went in to docs office for my glucose tolerance test this morning and my regular monthly OB appt. I had a strong contraction while on the exam table, and Doc was surprised with how tight my uterus was that I wasn't feeling any pain with the contraction. So, he decided to do another cervical exam just to be safe & found my cervix is closed & very tight...so much that he can't tell I've ever had a child. That was great to hear, so the contractions are not softening my uterus at this stage. A huge relief for now. With everything else going so well and looking normal, he said it is possible my abnormal Antiphospholipids have something to do with this. I'm a bit scared about the contractions because I never imagined I would be at any risk for preterm labor this early on for sure. Hoping we get past this scare soon.

I noticed in May DD that you thought that it could be because of stopping IVIG. Granted,I really don't know much on the subject but if you stopped in the first trimester and are almost in the third that you would have had issues long before now. Perhaps you are being too busy,stressed or have an infection. I've read/heard that infections can cause you to go into PTL. I know when I had BV a few weeks ago that I had more contractions. Also lately and it turns out I have a yeast infection. Just a thought. Really hope you start feeling better soon!

I want to come too! Heck,I think I only live about 4 hours away from you Rhonda.
It's kind of sad though that some of our other sisters have drifted away. I miss seeing updates. Even after they graduated I followed their pregnancies and births. It would be nice to get together and kind of see who we really are. It's funny to say that though as most of us have talked about such personal and intimate issues with each other than most of our closest family and friends.

Update on me....
I'm a full fledged needle and insulin diabetic now. But you know he said I could have fruit so I'm happy! Also I'm kind of proud of myself because I can actually give myself the shots. I never could seem to with IVF.
Also my OB told me yesterday that my cervix was nice and closed but that I was about 20% effaced!! She gave me about 6 weeks,maybe 7 before they get here! That's like March 2nd! If I was not so tired and in shock I think I would have cried! Wow! Wow! Wow!

[cakegal]

Oh,yeah. Rhonda I am sooooooo stinking jealous of your really awesome sounding home! I could fit about 3 of my houses in yours!

[rss73]

Also my OB told me yesterday that my cervix was nice and closed but that I was about 20% effaced!! She gave me about 6 weeks,maybe 7 before they get here! That's like March 2nd! If I was not so tired and in shock I think I would have cried! Wow! Wow! Wow!

OMG!! That's even before me!!! Thankfully it seems like you are far more prepared than I am. At least you have beds, right?

Do you know if you will be able to have a vag birth, or will they have to do c-section? Or is it too soon to tell?

Sorry about the GD.. I am proud of you for being able to administer the shots yourself. Well done!

[HighHopesMama]

Wow Rhonda... Love the house you have! I love that you have all that extra room in each bedroom. That is just so cool! And I love the pond. How amazing is that! I love the name Jackson. Awww, I cant wait for him to be born. He will be such a joy to watch.

Michele, I am waiting on your appt! lol. I can't wait. :-) I just want to see pics of this little rugrat... :-) I think you are having a girl. He He He. Let the guessing games begin and I cannot believe you still fit in your regular jeans. You are a hot momma! lol.

Lucas is great. We had him in his jumperoo yesterday and omg, he went to town with it! He is the most hyper baby I've ever seen. lol. He's not whiney and crying 24/7, he is a happy baby actually and he is just sooooo adorable and so much fun. I love being a mommy and I wouldnt trade it for anything in the world. You know, after struggling, I Thank God each and every day for my little bundle of joy. He is so special to me and going through IVF might have impacted me more and made me appreciate my baby so much more. He is so amazing and really makes DH and I so very happy with his little wild attitude. :-) Our friends came over this wkd, 2 diff days and both friends babies are soooo calm lol. It is so different. Lucas was hugging and trying to touch my friends daughter. He was so smitten. And then seeing her baby girl made me really want a baby girl. Whatever God gives us is a blessing, but I'd love to have another baby and have a girl.

I'll definitely post pics of the next IVF so you can check out the baby. You, I and two other friends are on team pink; everyone else is predicting boy. I don't think my regular jeans will fit too much longer. I put them on today to take my maternity jeans to the tailor to get shortened and they were tighter than last time. At least I've made it this far in them!

Lucas sounds like a real little Romeo! Hoping your next LO is a girl, so you can dress her up! And yes, you definitely have to be at the reunion!

Definitely you HAVE to be there! Lucas will be the big brother of the gang! I am actually going to lunch next week with one of the ladies in my DD room. She lives in SC and I travel every quarter for workshops. I also have plans to get together with an old IVF cycle buddy who is also knocked up (naturally lucky her) and a month ahead of me in her pregnancy. I think it is so much fun to get to know eachother over the threads, but if an opportunity arises for any of us to get together, why not??? After all we've gone through together, it would be natural to be in eachothers company.

So, I went to L&D for monitoring because my contractions (which started getting more regular end of last week) also started getting a little more intense on at least 2 of them per hour. Sunday it started to really get concerning and after writing down contractions half a day yesterday I went on in as previously instructed. So the nurse came in after an hour and said you had two that were significant and over 50 seconds and two or three that were only about 20 seconds. They decided to do the Fetal Fibronectin Test and a cervical exam, but they gave me some meds first to help with the contractions (a pill that made me super groggy and a shot that made me fidgety). I swear after the shot, the few significant contractions were even stronger, but the small ones barely registered on the monitor. My LO's heartbeat was putting me to sleep between contractions. I was down to only 2 contractions per hour, but they are not Braxton Hicks. At the same time, I am not in preterm labor (test came back negative) and I therefore do not have any risks for going into labor over the next 2 weeks, possibly 3 weeks. So, they released me on limited activity and I went in to docs office for my glucose tolerance test this morning and my regular monthly OB appt. I had a strong contraction while on the exam table, and Doc was surprised with how tight my uterus was that I wasn't feeling any pain with the contraction. So, he decided to do another cervical exam just to be safe & found my cervix is closed & very tight...so much that he can't tell I've ever had a child. That was great to hear, so the contractions are not softening my uterus at this stage. A huge relief for now. With everything else going so well and looking normal, he said it is possible my abnormal Antiphospholipids have something to do with this. I'm a bit scared about the contractions because I never imagined I would be at any risk for preterm labor this early on for sure. Hoping we get past this scare soon.

Rhonda that sounds very stressful. But I'm gad they're monitoring it so closely and that you aren't sowing any signs of going into labor any time soon. I hope you get past this soon and I'm so happy to hear that your cervix is closed firmly. Praying this passes and your baby boy can bake as long as possible. Saying prayers for you and your boy

I noticed in May DD that you thought that it could be because of stopping IVIG. Granted,I really don't know much on the subject but if you stopped in the first trimester and are almost in the third that you would have had issues long before now. Perhaps you are being too busy,stressed or have an infection. I've read/heard that infections can cause you to go into PTL. I know when I had BV a few weeks ago that I had more contractions. Also lately and it turns out I have a yeast infection. Just a thought. Really hope you start feeling better soon!

I want to come too! Heck,I think I only live about 4 hours away from you Rhonda.
It's kind of sad though that some of our other sisters have drifted away. I miss seeing updates. Even after they graduated I followed their pregnancies and births. It would be nice to get together and kind of see who we really are. It's funny to say that though as most of us have talked about such personal and intimate issues with each other than most of our closest family and friends.

Update on me....
I'm a full fledged needle and insulin diabetic now. But you know he said I could have fruit so I'm happy! Also I'm kind of proud of myself because I can actually give myself the shots. I never could seem to with IVF.
Also my OB told me yesterday that my cervix was nice and closed but that I was about 20% effaced!! She gave me about 6 weeks,maybe 7 before they get here! That's like March 2nd! If I was not so tired and in shock I think I would have cried! Wow! Wow! Wow!

Congratulations on giving yourself the shots! Good job. And I'm glad you can still enjoy fruit - that's a nice treat. I can't believe you're 20% effaced already Still time to get everything done, but sounds like those boys want to meet their mama ASAP!

AFM - nothing new to report, just waiting to start feeling the LO moving around. Hope you're all doing well!

[pinkgirl]

Rhonda, I'm praying for you honey... I hope those contractions slow down and you get a break to enjoy the rest of pregnancy honey.

Michele, you should be super proud of how hot you look! :-) I can't believe you still fit (even if they are a little tight). lol.

[HighHopesMama]

Awww thanks, Dena.

I'm 17 weeks!

[rss73]

Michelle, congrats on 17 weeks! And even bigger congrats on still fitting into your normal jeans. You are my idol! I was out of mine almost off the bat. I can't wait to give birth and get back to my normal size.

AFM
Ok, ladies, you will be so proud of me. I took the time today to finally go grill baby store employees on product features and what I will need...and I just made a massive online order of baby stuff, so I can proudly say that about 99% of what I need I have or is in the post!!! I have a small list of the last few things, but I feel a million times better knowing most is out there on the way.

Now just looking forward to my DR appt next week to see if she can feel if the baby turned at all. Her head in my ribs is so painful, I really hope she turns and drops into position soon.

[pinkgirl]

Michelle, congrats on 17 weeks! And even bigger congrats on still fitting into your normal jeans. You are my idol! I was out of mine almost off the bat. I can't wait to give birth and get back to my normal size.

AFM
Ok, ladies, you will be so proud of me. I took the time today to finally go grill baby store employees on product features and what I will need...and I just made a massive online order of baby stuff, so I can proudly say that about 99% of what I need I have or is in the post!!! I have a small list of the last few things, but I feel a million times better knowing most is out there on the way.

Now just looking forward to my DR appt next week to see if she can feel if the baby turned at all. Her head in my ribs is so painful, I really hope she turns and drops into position soon.

YAY for ordering everything you need. :-) That is awesome. Now the fun part will be putting everything together. lol. Good luck. If you need any help or advice, I'm here and know quite a bit of info on everything seeing as to I've tried almost EVERYTHING! lol.

I dont think my friends baby turned til she was 34-35 wks, so try not to worry too much about it. Babies turn right at the end sometimes and I remember that happening with a lot of women from my DD room.

I saw your ticker says baby is the size of squash and I had to giggle... Lucas loves squash and just ate that last night. I was just thinking I have to buy him more.

[pinkgirl]

Good morning everyone! Just wanted to say Hello and Have a wonderful day!!! I have a super long all afternoon meeting, so I wont be around. xoxo

Rhonda, I saw your note on Lucas's FB pics. lol. Isnt he a trip? He was the stud holding my friends daughter and he totally looks like a little man! lol. He cracks me up. :-)