PgAL check in 11/14 (one day early!)

ikrystal

Hi ladies.  I hope you and baby have been well this week!  Please feel free to post any questions you may have for each other.  

How far along are you?

Do you have any upcoming appointments or milestones?

Any pregnancy symptoms or pregnancy cravings or aversions?

QOTW: What do you think has been the most comforting resource to you during this pregnancy (support group, family member, book, TB, writing, etc.)?

Open Topic. What is on your mind this week?

ikrystal

I have a crazy busy weekend coming up so I thought I would post this one night early. Hope no one minds! 

How far along are you? 24 weeks

Do you have any upcoming appointments or milestones? Besides weekly ultrasounds, a third growth scan in three weeks and then fetal well being monitoring starting at 28 weeks. 

Any pregnancy symptoms or pregnancy cravings or aversions? Eat all the sugar. All of it.  Leftover Halloween candy? Mine. 

QOTW: What do you think has been the most comforting resource to you during this pregnancy (support group, family member, book, TB, writing, etc.)? My husband and my blog.  If anyone misses the boys as much as I do, it is him.  And when I'm constantly worried about this baby, he finds a way to calm me down.  Or he tries to, anyway.  Calming me down is kind of like mission impossible right now. 

Open Topic. What is on your mind this week? Baby girl had a second growth scan today.  Her A/S showed her head in the 10th percentile at 20 weeks.  This week, it looks like the circumference is up to the 11th percentile, but her head width is down to the 4th percentile.  It is not IUGR, since her body overall is in the 36th percentile.  But we need to see some improvement.  It could be genetics (DH and I both have kind of small heads), but it could signal a bigger problem.  We will start fetal well being monitoring at 28 weeks, twice a week.  Hopefully she scores well each time, otherwise it could mean emergency delivery... early.  I almost broke down in the doctors office. 

issytex12

How far along are you?
20 weeks

Do you have any upcoming appointments or milestones? I have my A/s next week now its around the time my pregnancy started to go pear shaped with noah so experiencing a lot of anxiety

Any pregnancy symptoms or pregnancy cravings or aversions?
Tropical juice with looooaaaads of ice !! And prawn cocktail flavour stuff.

QOTW: What do you think has been the most comforting resource to you during this pregnancy (support group, family member, book, TB, writing, etc.)?
My daughter shes 2 and if i am having a bad day or crying she holds my head in her hands and says be happy mummy then squeezes me really tight.

Open Topic. What is on your mind this week? Noah would have been 2 weeks old

shandorfml2

Hi ladies, sorry I've been MIA...check out my post in the loss check in. I'm to tired to type it again  

Hi ladies.  I hope you and baby have been well this week!  Please feel free to post any questions you may have for each other.  

How far along are you?  17weeks 

Do you have any upcoming appointments or milestones? Thurs, OB. Felt good to get past 16 weeks, not really sure why. It will feel good to get passed my A/S on Dec 3rd

Any pregnancy symptoms or pregnancy cravings or aversions?  Been to busy to notice, but liking ginger ale

QOTW: What do you think has been the most comforting resource to you during this pregnancy (support group, family member, book, TB, writing, etc.)?
Um, my support group, family, friends, ...all of it! haha
Open Topic. What is on your mind this week?   Alot about my Mom's health issues, my Grandfather who died last week. Work being stressful...and me just being overwhelmed in general! 

dadalou

How far along are you? 17 weeks 5 days

Do you have any upcoming appointments or milestones? Regular monthly OB appointment on Wednesday.

Any pregnancy symptoms or pregnancy cravings or aversions? My hands are starting to fall asleep if I sleep on my back for too long. It seems really early for that to be happening. Also I can feel my hips moving when I move. It's really strange.

QOTW: What do you think has been the most comforting resource to you during this pregnancy (support group, family member, book, TB, writing, etc.)? Probably here. Everyone in real life is very supportive too, but no one really understands.

Open Topic. What is on your mind this week? DH and I are going to a seminar tomorrow (Saturday) about surviving the holidays. It's being put on by the grief share group that DH and I and step MIL have been going to for a few months. I hope it gives us some good info and ideas.

ikrystal

issytex12 **hugs** - it must be so difficult thinking about how old Noah would be. Your daughter sounds like a sweetheart. 

chickinNH FX for your next A/S.  I know this time must be so stressful but I'm hoping once the A/S is over and you get the results, you can relax a little. I am so glad therapy seems to be helping so far.  That is a lot of great insight!  I think alot of us can relate to imagining nothing but loss, but we all deserve to have a little happiness this time around. 

shandorfml2 I just read your post in the loss check in.  My heart goes out to you. I can relate to a lot of what you are going through - I lost my boys, my grandfather died, my mom was diagnosed with cancer. I'm so sorry for everything you are going through.  Please let me know if you need anything.  

dadalou Good luck at your OB appointment on Wednesday!  I hope that the seminar you went to helped.  I think that is a really great topic - let us know if you have any suggestions that you learned through the seminar! 

Mel&John2013

@ikrystal I'm sorry your scan didn't go as well as you had hoped. Still sending growth thoughts to that baby girl! Giving her mommy anxiety from the start, that little one!

@issytek12 Good luck at your a/s! What a sweet little girl you have!

@chikinNH I'm so glad your early scan looked good!  What great advice about enjoying this pregnancy and celebrating it. I've been like you I think, just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Maybe it's time for me to start seeing a therapist as well, it sounds like it's helping a lot.

@shandorfml2 I'm so sorry for the loss of your grandfather, and that your mother and family is going through this. Please just remember not to run yourself ragged, take care of yourself and give yourself a little space to breath and reflect.

@dadalou Thank you for posting the holiday tips. I especially like the idea of having a tree that can be decorated just for your angel. 

I feel like things are happening earlier this time around, too. I'm already having backaches and struggling to get up from sitting...it's a mess.

Mel&John2013

How far along are you? 20 weeks, 1 day

Do you have any upcoming appointments or milestones? A/S this afternoon. We'll find out if baby does have a club foot, and they'll take an extra look at his heart, liver and kidneys since that's what caused Lincoln so much trouble. Lincoln's liver difficulties were his major problem tho and the problem was inside his liver, so it likely wouldn't be found in ultrasound. Which means I don't think I'll be getting must reassurance on that today. At this point we're most concerned about the club foot, and any underlying problems that can come along with club foot.

Any pregnancy symptoms or pregnancy cravings or aversions? My cravings are always the same as @ikrystal. Must eat all the sugar! Leftover Halloween candy? Been gone for over a week now. It's a problem.

QOTW: What do you think has been the most comforting resource to you during this pregnancy (support group, family member, book, TB, writing, etc.)? My blog was for awhile, although I haven't posted in awhile. I think I will this week. My friends have been incredibly supportive, but most of my comfort has come from my husband and my sister and brother in law. They are the ones who saw Lincoln through every step and can understand my hurt.

Open Topic. What is on your mind this week? Nervous, nervous, nervous about the scan today. Can't really think about much else.

ikrystal

Mel&John2013 FX for a great ultrasound today - please update us!  I'm thinking of you and your little one today and sending T&Ps. 

GymSpaz26

How far along are you? 10 weeks 7 days 

Do you have any upcoming appointments or milestones? I have an ultrasound in a couple hours. I was rear ended on Friday and went to Urgent Care to get checked out. I figured they would have an ultrasound machine. Well, they don't and it was after hours to have it done at the hospital, so they set me up for today. (I could have gone to the ER if I needed to. But I talked to my midwife and both she and the Doctor in the Urgent Care thought the accident was small enough that baby should be fine.) So I was supposed to go to the ER if I started cramping or bleeding, which I haven't. I'm sure everything is okay, but I will be very relieved to see baby on the ultrasound today. Hoping and praying everything is fine. I also have a subchorionic hemorrhage, which was found last week on my dating ultrasound. So, hopefully we might see if it has grown or gotten smaller.

So after today, at less than 11 weeks I'll already have had as many ultrasounds as I had in my whole pregnancy with my son. (One at 20 weeks and one at 40.5 weeks)

Any pregnancy symptoms or pregnancy cravings or aversions? I can't deal with sweet. Even fruit and things like Almonds (yes, almonds are sweet) are hard for me to stomach. I have a really hard time finding things that sound appealing to eat. I've lost 5 pounds! I didn't lose any weight with my first. (It was kind of exciting though because I'm officially back at my pre-pregnancy weight from my first pregnancy. I know it won't last long, but it is kind of exciting! I gained 40 pounds with my pregnancy.)

QOTW: What do you think has been the most comforting resource to you during this pregnancy (support group, family member, book, TB, writing, etc.)? I've had some very good friends (new since losing my son) who have walked with me every step of the way and continue to do so.

Open Topic. What is on your mind this week? Just eager to see the ultrasound and make sure everything is okay. I'm kind of excited also that tomorrow will be 11 weeks! I found out so early this time that it seems like it has been forever already.

erinel

How far along are you? 24w5d

Do you have any upcoming appointments or milestones?  No, just trucking along for now.

Any pregnancy symptoms or pregnancy cravings or aversions? My hands have been falling asleep while I'm sleeping all the time, but mostly when I'm on my sides.  Maybe this is the start of pregnancy carpal tunnel?  It's not painful, just annoying, and wakes me up several times.

QOTW: What do you think has been the most comforting resource to you during this pregnancy (support group, family member, book, TB, writing, etc.)? Definitely my husband. I can't imagine going through this with anyone else.  I have been lucky, though, and feel support from lots of places, friends, support groups, message boards, etc.

Open Topic. What is on your mind this week? I don't know why, but I have been extra sad about losing our son lately.  I've obviously always been sad, but I find myself crying more and deeply missing him at more random times throughout the day.  I don't know if it's hormones or that it's been 9 months since he died or what, but it's been harder lately.

erinel

ikrystal : I'm sorry the scan wasn't more reassuring   This must be so scary and stressful, I hope everything is ok.  On another note, I never noticed your blog until today!  I jumped over there for just a second, and I really like it   You are adorable, and the way you write makes me think we could be friends IRL  

chickinNH : I'm so glad you started therapy and are enjoying it.  We started therapy very shortly after Q died, and went for several months, but have kind of fallen out of it for the past few months.  I think it is great, and I actually plan on going back soon.

ikrystal

GymSpaz26 I am so sorry you got in a car accident!  I can't imagine having to wait for that ultrasound.  FX that everything looks great and that the baby was unharmed.  Please update us when after your appointment!

ikrystal

erinel You are so sweet!  Thank you!  I look forward to your updates since you and I are just one day apart with our babies.  My hands are falling asleep too!  And I can totally relate to being extra sad.  I read in a psychological study that women felt that being PgAL was "the biggest reminder of their greatest lost" and I think that hits what most of us are feeling spot on.  Sending lots of love and hugs. 

dadalou

@erinel I've been really sad lately too. We also just have passed 9 months without our son. I think the holidays coming up is a big part of it for me.

erinel

GymSpaz26 : GL at the ultrasound!  I don't know how I missed your update, we were probably posting around the same time.  Getting in a car accident while pregnant is one of my biggest fears, I'm sorry that you were in one!

erinel

dadalou : You're right, I think the holidays definitely have something to do with it.  I'm stressed with DH's family right now for other reasons, but don't feel like dealing with them so much over the holidays along with fighting my sadness.  I may be "sick" for Thanksgiving.

Mel&John2013

Well, back from the a/s. Baby boy has two club feet. The good news is that he doesn't appear to have at least some of the things clubfoot is associated with. His spine looks normal so no spina bifida, and showing no signs of trisomy 13 or 18. I'm still pretty anxious that it could be a sign of something else, like cerebral palsy, that they can't test for, but I'm doing ok I guess. Heartbroken that we'll be spending more time at Children's hospital. I know it could be worse, but I'm still just sad.

GymSpaz26

We just got home from our ultrasound. They didn't really say much, I think we'll get a call from a doctor at some point, but did say everything looked fine. I was about to burst into tears after about 45 minutes though because it was a student and it took her about an hour to measure absolutely everything possible before she finally showed us baby. She also moved the screen so I couldn't see. So my husband was able to move himself to see baby moving and finally see the heartbeat after an eternity. I'm so relieved, but it was a horrible ultrasound experience. You'd think they could at least say "oh, here's baby moving around" and then measure things when I'm there because of a car accident and worried something could have happened to baby!

msunshine123

@ikrystal - I hope you receive nothing but good news at each of your visits and that your little girl scores well - big hugs to you as I can only imagine how stressed and worried you must be.
@issytex12 - hoping you get good news at your a/s. Your daughter sounds so precious.
@chickenNH - hoping you get good news on the 24th. Also hoping you are feeling good soon - it's no fun feeling yucky all the time. I like your thoughts on trying to enjoy this pregnancy - I need to work on that myself.
@shandorfml2 - so many hugs to you and all that you are experiencing.
@erinel - hugs to as it really is just a roller coaster of emotions we are on sometimes. I couldn't believe how sad I was the other day going into the grocery store and seeing the holiday decorations - I've been seeing them forever (some places had the up before Halloween), but for some reason it hurt even more the other day and I just couldn't explain it. I agree with @dadalou it must be the holidays getting closer.
@MelandJohn2013 - I am sorry to hear your little one has club feet and I am hoping that you get nothing but good news for all of your follow ups. I can only imagine how anxious you must be - thinking of you and sending you so many hugs.
@GymSpaz26 - I sorry to hear you were in an accident. I'm glad your little one is doing good, but I'm sorry the experience was so stressful - I would have been crying - no parent needs to experience that stress.
@dadalou - thanks for sharing your tips! My husband went to a similar seminar and found it to be helpful.

msunshine123

How far along are you? 10 weeks

Do you have any upcoming appointments or milestones? appointment next week

Any pregnancy symptoms or pregnancy cravings or aversions? nausea and vomiting, but meds are still mostly working so I'm happy

QOTW: What do you think has been the most comforting resource to you during this pregnancy (support group, family member, book, TB, writing, etc.)?
DH, family, this board, our support group, writing in my journal and counseling they all help
Open Topic. What is on your mind this week? Just trying to focus on the moment I'm in and not thinking too far ahead.

ikrystal

Mel&John2013 I am so sorry for the news... I am praying for you, your husband, and baby.  I hope that the club feet are not indicative of something more serious. My heart sank when I read your update. So many love, hugs, and prayers. 

GymSpaz26 I'm glad they found your baby moving, but UGH they could have reassured you right away!  I had an ultrasound like with my boys... I had excrutiating pain and thought I was miscarrying (turns out I had a twisted ovary).  But the ultrasound tech was SILENT during the whole thing and then I finally asked if they were alive. All I got was an annoyed "yes."  I hope you don't have to go through another scare like that again!

msunshine123 I think that is a good idea... focus on the moment.  I'm glad you have so many resources for support!  I hope that the nausea and vomiting subsides soon.