Wednesday, May 23, 2012

19 weeks!

We're one week closer to the halfway point! And we also found out some exciting news on Monday. After a nearly two hour u/s appointment, we were told the genders of the babies. Looks like we're gonna be blessed with a boy AND a girl! It was exactly the news I was hoping to hear. :)

Here are some photos from that scan:

Baby A - It's a Boy!

  
Baby B - It's a Girl!
 Nothing much else has changed. They are growing strong and actually measured 20 weeks 2 days (about 11 days ahead of schedule). The doc said that doesn't change my due date but I have a strong feeling they'll be here before the 17th of Oct. We shall see!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

18 weeks!

Today marks the start of week 18! It's been an interesting experience thus far. Over the last few months, so many things have happened. Let me just say this first - I will admit that I had no clue about the changes my body and hormones would go through. I never assumed it would be easy but I certainly did not think it would be so uncomfortable. In the first 10 weeks, my biggest complaint was the lack of energy and occasional spotting. I did not mind taking my afternoon naps...in fact, I really enjoyed them. The midwife and physicians told me that spotting was nothing to worry about so long as it did not get worse. Then around 11 weeks, the back aches were full fledged! I could barely walk in the store for 10 minutes before I started hurting (and I'd pay for it when I got home!). The only way I dealt with this issue was minimal movement or stress on my body. Fortunately, this seemed to lessen a lot by the time I hit week 15. Then it happened - I could no longer sleep on my back and was forced to become a side sleeper. Before pregnancy, I preferred to sleep on my stomach or back...sleeping on my side was rare. Now that I have to do it, I hate it. It took me several days to find the right position and get comfortable. A month later, I'm doing better but I still have my rough nights. I'm just praying I'll get use to it cause I've got about 22 weeks to go.    

As far as eating habits and morning sickness go, I don't feel like much has changed. I like to graze and eat small portions all day...seems like I'm hungry every 2-3 hours. I was fortunate enough to avoid morning sickness and only went through a little nauseous for a few days in the 1st trimester. I found removing artificial sugar from coffee made all the difference with that. I still crave salty and sugary foods, some of my favorites being McDonald's French Fries, Quaker Tomato and Basil rice cake chips topped with onion and chive cream cheese, and of course, ICE CREAM! Dairy Queen or store bought, I'm not biased. My favorite meals have been pancakes with bacon and BLT's with avocado....yum.  


The one thing I am really enjoying about the pregnancy right now are the babies movements. Every day I feel the bubbles rising in my tummy, mostly in late morning and afternoon hours. I am so ready for the day when those bubbles turn into real kicks so Erich can start experiencing it with me. :)

We've got a couple of appointments next week - the anatomy scan on Monday and then our biweekly check-up on Wednesday. This is when we'll find out what we're having! I've had dreams about having a boy and a girl, so it would be sweet if that came true. I'll post on FB and in my blog after we find out!

Monday, May 7, 2012

Crazy Coincidences

So a funny thing has been happening to me lately. Every time I go somewhere, I seem to meet someone who is a twin. When I was around 12 weeks, I had to go into Darnell's Women's Clinic for a quick check-up. The nurse called me back to take my vitals and after I told her we were expecting two, she told me that she was a twin. A few weeks later (right around 16 weeks), I had to go back to the hospital to meet with a nutritionist. After we sat down in her office, she explained to me that she was a fraternal twin - just like ours! Then today, I took a quick trip to Walmart to stock up on some stuff. While I was checking out, the cashier and I started talking about my pregnancy and she said that she was a twin. Huh....so crazy that all of a sudden I've met all of these twins and all in the same month. It makes me feel so much more comfortable with the idea of having multiples because all of these people appeared to have come out just fine. Whatever the reason, I'm happy to know that we'll get to be a part of this special baby club. :)

 

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

16 weeks!

Today, Wednesday May 2nd, officially starts week 16 of our pregnancy. According to one site, they are about 4 1/2 inches long and weight over 3 ounces. The crazy thing is they are supposed to double in size in the next few weeks. I'm actually pretty excited about that, tho. So far I feel like I'm barely showing (if at all), and it would be nice for people to see that I'm pregnant. 

Another new thing I've noticed are slight movements. I think that's what I've been feeling...some times it's hard to tell the difference between gas, hunger pains, and baby. It started a couple of days ago and the only way I can describe it is it felt like carbonated bubbles in my tummy. I guess I'll know for sure as I get further along. I just cannot wait for the day when I finally feel them kicking and moving. I may end up regretting that statement but I don't care. Even on the worst of days, pregnancy is amazing. 

I don't have another doctor appointment until next week but I was able to get some pictures from my last visit, which was taken at 15 weeks. Check out both their heads and one of the babies laying on its side. :)


 

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Drum Roll, Please........

As some of you may already know from phone calls or Facebook posts, Erich and I are expecting!! After years of trying, hoping, and praying, we are finally pregnant. The first round of IVF was successful, so much so that both embryos attached and now we know we are having twins. :)

Here is the first u/s at 7 1/2 weeks:

 

It's hard to say how happy the both of us were the day we received that phone call from the infertility nurse. I had gone in earlier on the morning of February 13th for my pregnancy test blood draw. We tried to keep busy the rest of the morning and afternoon but after hours of waiting, still no call. I was beginning to worry that the news was going to be bad and started preparing myself for word that it did not work. Around 4pm, the nurse called and said she was still waiting to get the lab results back but would keep checking until 5pm. After I hung up with her, Erich and I talked about taking an at home test - we were both so anxious to know if I was pregnant. After some convincing, I finally went and took the test (but was too scared to look and told him we had to walk away for a few minutes just to make sure it worked correctly). Then the phone rang. Literally moments after I peed on the stick, she called back. The first words out of her mouth were, "Well, I have the results. Congratulations, you're pregnant!". I was in shock. I couldn't believe it. I asked, "I'm pregnant?", and she said, "Yes, you are pregnant". I started crying as the relief of finally knowing left my mind and body. I asked her what my HCG number was (the level of the pregnant hormone that is present after conception). She said it was very high, above 3,000. Ah...relief. That is great news!

Once I hung up, Erich and I hugged. I cried some more, he was smiling from ear to ear. We were so excstatic for the next several moments that all we could do is smile and express our joy. We were finally going to be parents! 

Over the next couple of weeks, we kept the news at a hush. I felt like it was safest to wait until I was further along before we told the rest of the family and our friends. Given the fact that it was so difficult just getting pregnant, I did not want to take any chance of spreading the news before I knew all was well. Our parents and siblings were so happy for us. My grandmother told me that she was so excited that all she wanted to do is call her closest friend and siblings to share the news...but she didn't! I must admit, keeping the 'secret' was so hard because we were surrounded by family and friends those first couple of weeks. I found myself struggling a bit but knew it would be worth it in the end. Thankfully, we made it to week 11 and after a thorough check-up and ultrasound, we could not wait any longer. We got so many congrats from the people who care about us most....it was an amazing feeling. :)

Now that I am one day shy of 14 weeks (the start of my second trimester), I feel like everything is going to be okay. The babies are growing and have strong heartbeats. Even after a slight scare, they hung in there and are doing so well. My paranoia is lessening every day but I still have my moments. I guess that is to be expected after all of the ups and downs we have faced with infertility. I thank God every day that he has blessed us with this gift, the life of our babies. We have waited so long for them to come along and cannot wait to meet them. 

For anyone else who has suffered with infertility, please know that miracles can happen for you, too. Whether it happens naturally or it happens with an IUI or IVF treatment, everyone deserves to have a family if that is what they long for. I had my moments of doubt - that is a normal human response. It has not always been easy - we have cried and felt the pain of not getting pregnant for almost 3 1/2 years. But that 'one day' came around and now we are so lucky to be having two kids....how crazy is that?!?

I plan on continuing my blog throughout the pregnancy. I will post more photos and u/s shots, as well. Keep checking back for more updates!!   

Monday, January 30, 2012

The IVF process - Days 24 thru 27

It's Monday morning, the day after our embryo transfer and things are going well. Let me catch everyone up to speed by sharing what has happened up until this point. 

On Day 21, I had 11 eggs retrieved in total. Of those 11 eggs, only 1 one was found to be immature - essentially, it was not capable of being fertilized and thus no good. The remaining 10 eggs were fertilized - 5 through InVitro (sperm was directly injected into the egg) and 6 through natural means (sitting in a dish with sperm allowing them to fertilize naturally). The following images show how this process worked as well as what the eggs looked like as they began developing. 

Fertilization by injecting sperm into the center of the egg


All 11 embryo's - they are at various stages of cell division


The two embryo's that will be transferred

Of the two embryo's the doctor will transfer, one is already beginning to hatch

An image of my uterus - the bright dot in the center are the two embryos
Today marks day 27 and as per my doctor's orders, I'm on 24 hour rest. I'm not restricted to the bed but I have to take things easy. My plan is to do that for a couple of days just to make sure my body is recovering correctly. Since we are about 6 days into the process, the egg or eggs should implant around day 9 - that is on Thursday. I have to go in for blood work two more times and continue taking my progesterone shots until the pregnancy test is completed. They said that when I do get pregnant, I will have to continue with the shots. Can't say I'm too happy about that but it's well worth it!

From this point forward, I plan on keeping everything to a minimum. When we do get pregnant (and I know we will!), I want to make sure everything is ok before we make any announcements. I promise to keep family and friends in the loop as much as possible. Y'all will definitely be the first to know when we are expecting. 

Keep all of those well wishes and prayers coming our way. And thanks for all of the encouragement each of you have given us through this entire process. We are truly blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful doctors, family, and friends. :)

Thursday, January 26, 2012

The IVF process - Days 20 thru 23

Today marks day 23 of my IVF treatment process. On day 21 (Tuesday, January 24th), I went into the hospital around 6am to start the egg retrieval procedures. When I first arrived at the Day Surgery center, they had me undress and get into the hospital gown. About an hour later, a couple of nurses entered my room to ask some questions and begin my IV drip. That part was not as painful as I expected but the bruise it left is pretty big - I'd say about the size of a half-dollar.

Once they IV was in place, I rested for another 20 minutes or so and then two of the surgery doctors came in - one to explain the retrieval and lab process, the other to go over anesthesia. Within minutes of their departure, another nurse came into the room so we can head over to the OR. At that point, I had to kiss Erich goodbye so he could take care "of business" and I could get my part underway.

Never having surgery or anesthesia before, I was a tad nervous - the heart monitor and blood pressure machine picked up on that. The anesthesia nurse was wonderful. He comforted me, told me that was normal, and started asking me about school. The last thing I recall was staring at the clock so I would know how long I was in there once I woke up and a nurse saying, "We'll see you in a bit, Sheley". That was it. All of sudden, I'm being woken up by another nurse saying hello and wheeling me into a large room with a couple other patients. I came too fairly quick and felt little discomfort from the retrieval. 


Before we left, my doctor came into the room to discuss everything that happened. He was pleased to say that they retrieved 11 eggs (YES!) and that we were off to a good start. I was very excited to hear that news!

On day 22, I received my first call from the doctor handling the lab and fertilization process. He was happy to report that out of the 11 eggs retrieved, 8 of them were showing signs of maturity and were what he called "activated". He said they would now start looking at how well these fertilized eggs were going to divide. On day 23, I got my second phone call and again, it was positive news. Of the 8 fertilized eggs, they were starting to divide into two. He also said that two of the non-active eggs were showing signs of fertilization. He said those eggs would be slightly behind the others but as of now, we had 10 eggs to work with. 


Just to show you what those stages look like, I'll share a photo I found online (I'm in between days 2 and 3):


When he calls tomorrow, I hope to hear that all of those eggs have split again and that they will contain between 4 and 8 divisions within them. He anticipates that we will have more than enough eggs for implantation and should be able to schedule that procedure for this coming Sunday. Hopefully, we'll have plenty of extra that can be cryopreserved for future use - I'm almost positive we will! 

I am also getting daily shots of progesterone now. My doc has me injecting 1cc of the liquid into the muscle, which is never any fun. On top of that, I'm continuing to take my aspirin, prenatal vitamins, antibiotics, and another pill called dexamethasone. 

Here is what the progesterone shot looks like: 




So now we wait. I am feeling so great about everything that has happened thus far. I could not have asked for better results. I pray that one of the two embryos attaches and we are pregnant very soon. I will keep everyone posted and will share how the implantation goes after Sunday.