8w 5d - Ups & Downs & Decisions

Downs

• I thought I was getting sick yesterday (slightly sore throat). I didn't set my alarm this morning and planned to come in late but I was feeling better this morning. Hopefully it is just allergies.

Ups

• Time is starting to move faster for me. I feel a little better and I'm not as worried about losing the baby. I know we're not "out of the woods" yet though.

Decision, decisions...

• I've 99% decided to use a hypnobirthing practitioner in the Harrisonburg area who teaches the classes and provides the book/CDs. I asked her for references and I spoke/emailed with 2 of her hypnobirthing moms. I'm sold! I see no drawbacks to using this technique and I see how the relaxation and meditation techniques can be used in every day life. If you'd like to learn more, check the hypnobirthing link on the right, or go here.
• I've also chosen a new practice. I believe it has 2 OBs and 3 midwives. I've heard tons of positive feedback about the practice and midwives, including from a mom of 2 boys who uses that practice. She is also a nurse at the hospital where I plan to deliver and is accustomed to working with most of the area practitioners. I'm really looking forward to the experience of working with the certified nurse midwives. I'm staying open minded though and keeping my options open in case I am not comfortable there. My first appointment there is Tuesday with the nurse educator to go over medical history and such.

8 Week Belly Bump

A wee bump!

8w 0d - "Special K" This Week

• Your baby measures about 0.9 to 1.2 inches (2.2 to 3cm) from crown to rump.
• Your baby's arms and legs are longer and her hands are flexed at the wrist. The head is growing more erect and the neck is more developed. On an ultrasound, you may see your baby moving, though you still can not feel this.
• The organs are forming. Ears are developed and the eyelids have begun to cover up your baby's eyes. Hands and feet appear as well as small buds which will become fingers and toes. The paddles of your baby's hands have clearly defined finger ridges now, with the tissue between them (which previously made them look webbed) reducing to leave separate fingers.
• Your baby's back has started to straighten slightly and the tail is now shrinking. The head still seems large and is curved forwards on her chest. Your baby is starting to look like a tiny person!

Source: http://preg.fertilityfriend.com

"Special K" Last Week

• Your baby's crown to rump measurement is about 0.56 to 0.8 inches (14 to 20mm).
• Your baby's face has a recognizable shape with eyelids and the tip of a nose with formed nostrils, though his head is still very large compared to the rest of his body.
• All major organs are now formed and in place, though they still need to mature.
• A tongue has already formed. The ears are forming both internally and externally.
• The arms and legs extend forward and shoulders, elbows, hips and knees are detectable. Knees and elbows have begun to form on the limbs. Tiny fingers and toes are starting to appear at the tips of your baby's developing limbs and the arms may be slightly flexed at the elbows and wrists. All major organs are in place.
• Your baby is moving around a lot, moving his legs and flexing his spine, but you are unable to feel it at this point.
• Your baby's genitals have begun development, though they are still difficult to identify.

Source: http://preg.fertilityfriend.com

NE Trip - Survived

We returned yesterday from our road trip after driving 1,750 miles! We had a great time and are exhausted and are now catching up at home. We'll try to post some pictures soon. Here's a rundown of where we visited:

• 5/19 - Grizzly showroom, Muncy, PA
• 5/20 - driving
• 5/21 - Hancock Shaker Village, Hancock, MA; Boston, MA
  
• 5/22 - Boston, MA
• 5/23 - Boston, MA; Gillette Castle, East Haddam, CT; Montauk, Long Island, NY
  
• 5/24 - New York, NY; Shenandoah, VA
• 5/25 - HOME, Waynesboro, VA
  

6w 6d

We gained 3 days at our ultrasound! I'm not totally sure of the due date since there is a +/- 5 day range on the correct fetal size. But I will go with the current measurement of 6w 6d, which puts us at a due date around Jan 5. The little heart was being away at 140 bpm! It was so amazing and reassuring. Dr Williams "graduated" us to a regular prenatal OB or midwife. I made an appointment for June 5 with a joint midwife-OB office. Tomorrow we're leaving for a road trip in the northeast area so I will try to update more when we get back sometime next week!

6w 0d - "Special K" This Week

• Your baby is 0.16 to 0.2 inches long (4-5mm) when measured from crown to rump. It is now identifiable as a human baby.
• The limb buds are growing rapidly, developing into little fins with nodules at the ends which will eventually become fingers and toes. The arms have already differentiated into hand and shoulder segments.
• The cerebral hemispheres of the brain are growing, and the eyes and nostrils are appearing. Your baby's heart bulges from its body and the heart chambers are divided and formed. Blood vessels now circulate blood throughout the whole body. The head looks large and is bent on the chest.
• Your baby's face is forming, but its eyes are on the sides of its head and are still sealed. The discs that will become your baby's eyes will move over to the front of the face over the course of the next few months.
• Bone cells are beginning to develop and the outline of the baby's nervous system is complete. The pigment in your baby's eyes can be seen under the skin overlaying them. By this point there is also a pancreas and an appendix. The tail is still visible, but it will soon fade. The umbilical cord is growing and the placenta is maturing as well.

And about my body:

• Your blood pressure is lowered by pregnancy hormones, and as a result you may sometimes feel dizzy or faint when you stand for a long time.
• Morning sickness may continue.
• Cervical mucous coagulates to form a plug in your cervical canal to keep it closed and protected throughout your pregnancy. It will be expelled prior to giving birth.

Source: http://preg.fertilityfriend.com

6w 0d - Ups & Downs

Downs

• I'm feeling "ickier." (Is that a word?) Slightly queasy, but nothing too extreme. And pretty constipated... headaches... dry skin... dizzy... (It has gotten tricky trying to walk in a straight line at work! haha) At least the hot flashes went away for now. ;-) They only lasted a few days last week.
• Will my ultrasound day ever get here? :-)

Ups

• I'm looking more forward toward the ultrasound (Friday!) now rather than being as anxious about it last week as I was.
• We told our parents and my brother/sister-in-law (so far immediately family only) on Mother's Day. They are very happy for us. It was good to get the news out to them and not have to hide it!

5w 1d - Ups & Downs

To parallel my favorite podcast, Pregtastic, I will try to report at least 2 "ups and downs" for the week or particular day I am writing. I will model what the podcasters do by ending on a positive spin with my "ups." So here we go!

Downs

• I'm having a really hard time trying to choose an OB or certified nurse-midwife. I think I will be setting up interviews with practitioners once my RE kicks me out of their office and sends me on. (I'm so hoping they will hold me under their wing through week 12.)
• I'm still pretty anxious about the ultrasound and seeing a heartbeat. I'm starting to feel better about it, but it's a constant emotional mind game.

Ups

• I'm pregnant!
• Still feelin' pretty good symptom-wise

5w 0d - "Special K" This Week

Your baby is now about the size of an apple seed. That's about 0.08 to 0.16 inches (2 to 4mm) from crown to rump. It has formed a distinct head with the first stages of eyes and ears. The spinal column and cord are formed. Buds that will grow limbs have also formed. The heart is starting to beat and at this stage its beating may even be detected by sensitive ultrasound equipment, though, it's still very early. The kidneys, liver and nerve cells have also begun to develop. Ten dental buds are growing in the jaws. Blood circulation has begun and primitive red blood cells circulate. The neural tube has closed over along your baby's spine. The optic vesicles, which resemble tiny discs of pigment set in cups along the sides of your baby's head will develop into your baby's eyes. A distinct tail is still present. The body is shaped like the letter "C".

Source: http://preg.fertilityfriend.com

4w 6d - Anxious

I'm getting more anxious about our ultrasound. I go back and forth from "Statistics tell us everything will be fine this time. God will take care of us. You'll see..." to "Oh my gosh, what if there is no heartbeat? What if we go back again and there is still no heartbeat? Maybe I'm destined to be 'infertile' due to recurrent miscarriage..." I'm praying for peace in these precious early and crucial weeks.

Care Receiver

I have intended to post for quite some time about Stephen Ministry. I posted about it a while back. I went through hours upon hours of training last year to become a Stephen Minister at our church. Finally, after much patience and faithful S.M. "supervision" meeting attendance, I finally got matched with a "care receiver." Due to confidentiality, I will not reveal the source of her crisis or reason she needed a Stephen Minister. I simply express my thankfulness to God in allowing me to serve in this manner. The ministry is very quiet compared to other typical ministries in a church, as Stephen Ministry does not receive a grand amount of attention from a congregation. However, it is incredibly rewarding and offers vast room for personal and Christian growth. I look forward to more learning from and more listening to my care receiver in the coming months.

4w 2d - Second Blood Test Results

Numbers are great! The pregnancy hormone, hCG, has more than doubled in just over 48 hours! When the nurse told me the news, my heart was pounding because I was so excited. Here are my values at 15 DPO:

• hCG: 819
• progesterone: 31

4w 1d - "Special K" This Week

• Implantation is complete. Your future baby has now reached beneath the lining of your uterus and growth is rapid. Your baby is now called an embryo. The embryo is still about 0.05 inches (1.25mm) long. It is deeply embedded in your uterus.
• It is now possible to identify the fold of skin that will become your baby's head. A heart forming plate has developed and the central nervous system, muscles and bone are in the early stages of development. Your baby's heart has started beating. The brain, spine and beginnings of the nervous system are forming.
• By the end of this month, your baby will resemble a tiny tadpole, barely the size of a grain of rice. A distinct organization, however, is becoming visible. There is a stripe down the back of the embryo which is curling over to form a groove which will seal up to form the neural tube. This will turn into the spinal cord and brain. The top of the tube is flattening out and expanding to form the front part of the brain.
• The placenta, which will provide nourishment to your developing baby later in your pregnancy, is not yet formed. Right now your baby is nourished from you via hundreds of tiny "roots" that cover the amniotic sac. The nourishment is channeled from you to your baby from these roots through a stalk that will become the umbilical cord. The placenta will begin its development this week. It will form in the site that the fertilized egg attached to the lining of your uterus at the time of implantation. A bulge is developing where your baby's heart will be and the blood vessels are growing into place.

Source: http://preg.fertilityfriend.com

The Tangible, At-Home Proof

You can barely see the second lines, but they are there!!

I didn't want to believe the first test. I didn't use a timer, and the results are unreliable after 10 minutes. It was so early in the morning! I kind of believed it, but was in such shock. I truly was in the mindset that we would be going down the road of fertility testing for at least a few more cycles before getting another BFP. So, I decided that if my BBT was still up on the 30th, and still no AF spotting, that I would test again. And whammo! I got an even darker line, wahoo!!!! (If you ever need help with my jargon, please see the abbreviation link on the right hand side.)

4w 0d - Blood Test Results

I almost forgot! Yesterday I went to the AMC lab to get blood drawn. Dr Bateman's office ordered hCG (human chorionic gonadotropins) and progesterone. My levels are great, and I go back tomorrow to test again. HCG should double every 48-72 hours in early pregnancy. Please pray for the doubling! Dr Bateman's office likes to see progesterone over 10 or 15. The values at 13 DPO were as follows:

• hCG: 298 mIU/ml (milli International Units per milli-liter)
• progesterone: 29 ng/ml (I think that is the correct unit)

4w 0d - 4 Weeks 0 Days

To just find out you're pregnant, it's odd to say "I'm 4 weeks pregnant!" But such is the way the medical community needs to number pregnancy weeks. Did you know that numbering this way means there are actually 40 weeks of pregnancy? That's ten months instead of nine! Actually I've only technically been preganant for only 2 weeks, so it's really not ten months of pregnancy. It's just how "they" have to number it. They mark gestational age the same way, even though Special K is only 2 weeks old right now. If you really are interested to know the full explanation on this numbering scheme, let me know.

Whew.

On to the news. One can often see a heartbeat on an ultrasound at 6w 3d. Ours is scheduled for May 18. Oh God please let there be a strong heartbeat! (Our first baby died at 6 weeks and we never saw a heartbeat.) I'll have to remember, though, that it's possible we won't see a heartbeat and all might still be OK.