PGAL Check In 13 July

mdfarmchick

This thread is for anyone who has experienced loss at any point in pregnancy or experienced the loss of a child. ((Please feel free to share your loss story if you haven’t already.))

How far along are you? 

How are you feeling (symptoms, mentally/emotionally)? 

Any upcoming appointments? 

GTKY: What did you want to be when you grew up? Did you end up in the career you thought you wanted as a child?

mdfarmchick

How far along are you? 

10 weeks//Due Date is 1 February// Baby is the size of a wine cork

How are you feeling (symptoms, mentally/emotionally)? 

This is about 8 weeks earlier than my previous two successful pregnancies so I’m trying to not worry, but I’ve been able to have coffee this past week and the nausea has dropped off to almost nonexistent. I’m worried that symptoms are disappearing instead of trusting that this is when the placenta should be taking over and most people start to feel better. It doesn’t help that this is the same age as my loss last fall so I’m super nervous to make it past week 11. I’m trying very hard to trust and be positive that I will hold this baby in February. Some days are just harder than others. 

Any upcoming appointments? 

I have the NIPT and nuchal translucency ultrasound this Thursday. Yes I’m nervous. But I know every time I see my OB/MFM that he is so positive and believes so much that I can’t help be do the same. 

GTKY: What did you want to be when you grew up? Did you end up in the career you thought you wanted as a child?
I think all through elementary school that it was 50/50 between an art teacher and vet. It’s not the career I ended up before I got married ((bank manager)) but art is a much better fit for me. I’d like to get into family photography in the next few years, but it might get pushed back a little more since we are seriously considering homeschooling this coming year. 

WildMagelet

How far along are you? 10+3

How are you feeling (symptoms, mentally/emotionally)? The tenderness in my breasts has mostly gone away, but I had a bout of nausea last week. Hoping that's not going to me my new norm. I was doing well mentally/emotionally last week, but now I'm hyper focused on the fact that they haven't called me with my NIPT results yet, even though it's still pretty soon for that.  

Any upcoming appointments? 3 hr glucose this coming Wednesday. Otherwise nothing until 8/3. That appointment makes me super nervous, because 8/4 is the anniversary of my IL & D+C from our first loss. Also, 13 wks was the last US I had with a HB. I wanted to tell family after we got the NIPT results back, but now I think I want to wait until the next US although I have no idea when that will be because they didn't schedule one in conjunction with my next appointment. When do normal pregnancies usually have US? 

GTKY: What did you want to be when you grew up? Did you end up in the career you thought you wanted as a child?

A teacher or an actress. Not particularly, although my friend and I do cosplay competitions and lectures on the hobby, which gives me a bit of both the teaching and acting bugs.

@mdfarmchick - I don't blame you for considering home schooling, between the "plans" for my SKs schools and the nonsense I've heard from my SIL (teacher) and best friend (school therapist) I think this year is going to be awful.

babymamadimo

How far along are you? 10+5 due 2/3

How are you feeling (symptoms, mentally/emotionally)? I found out at my 10 week appointment last fall that the baby didn’t have a heart beat so I am grateful to be passed that point, but now that we are starting to tell people I am starting to think the worst again. I’m also feeling huge already for only 10 weeks, nauseous, exhausted, and not wanting to eat anything but carbs.

Any upcoming appointments? August 4th for my 14 week check. I’m surprised I won’t be seen more frequently after the loss but my ob isn’t concerned.

GTKY: What did you want to be when you grew up? Did you end up in the career you thought you wanted as a child? I wanted to be an equine vet (I grew up competing nationally with my horse) or a pharmacist. I didn’t end up being either of those.

birdiejo

How far along are you? 9 weeks

How are you feeling (symptoms, mentally/emotionally)? I'm feeling alright. I have three weeks til I get to hear the hb.

Any upcoming appointments? Nope, not for three weeks. I can't decide if I want to do the NIPT. My insurance most likely wont cover it because I'm low risk and I don't care about finding the sex I'm just nervous about any sort of issues.

GTKY: What did you want to be when you grew up? Did you end up in the career you thought you wanted as a child? I wanted to be a writer I think? I changed my mind every month honestly. I did not end up in any sort of career. I have been a SAHM since finishing school essentially. I started working part time from home for an event marketing company right before Covid, womp womp. @mdfarmchick I am super into photography and at one point decided to do the same but I am such a wimp I always give up on things that I'm interested in.

mdfarmchick

@WildMagelet I think the new “normal” ultrasound schedule for a “normal” pregnancy is a dating ultrasound, the nuchal translucency at 11 weeks and then it’s the anatomy scan? 😕
Ugh. All of these options for school suck. I’ll be thinking of your SIL and your friend.

@babymamadimo I feel exactly the same. Huge and blah for 11 weeks. 🤦🏻‍♀️

@birdiejo I ended up doing the NIPT after my very first loss with my pregnancy with DS2, mainly because I was worried it was genetic and doing the blood test would alleviate that worry. I paid for it out of pocket and called the company my OB used and it was like $250... which for me was worth it for the peace of mind at the time. 

I totally think you can get back into it if you want to... moms are not wimps. 😁

KLS123

How far along are you? 
9 + 4

How are you feeling (symptoms, mentally/emotionally)? 
I'm practically bedridden for ~18 hours a day from fatigue and/or nausea. It's been really rough but it has very much reassured my PGAL brain from worrying too much if the baby is still okay, so that's a positive. Between that and being quarantined away from my friends and family I am feeling really isolated lately. I really wish I had a vacation or girls weekend or something of the sort to look forward to. whomp whomp. 

Any upcoming appointments?
Not until the end of July

GTKY: What did you want to be when you grew up? Did you end up in the career you thought you wanted as a child?
I just wanted to be a bad a** boss babe. So I'm like 50% there on a good day lol

@mdfarmchick we opted to pull our toddler from pre-school and hired one of the teachers who was also uncomfortable with that much COVID exposure to come to our house and teach him at our home for 4 hours a day. She has a son the same age that she brings over as well so he has a classmate companion. It's been a huge win-win for both families.
There are a lot of families in our area (we live in an outbreak "hot" zone in Texas) that are grouping up with 2/3 other families with similar aged kids and hiring a teacher to do like a one-room school house situation for the year.

mdfarmchick

@KLS123 that’s an awesome solution. I hope that the nausea and fatigue ease up for you soon. I too am wishing I had a girls trip or something to look forward to with friends. This whole quarantine situation is crap. 

WildMagelet

A few of you had asked some details about our previous loss, and the communication screw-up of our perinatologist's office. I had forgotten I had posted about the loss on TB or I would have linked it sooner, but here's the write-up I did shortly after for anyone that wants the full story.

Trigger Warning for loss, chromosomal abnormalities, hygroma and hydrops mentioned.

https://forums.thebump.com/discussion/12713674/tw-late-term-miscarriage

mdfarmchick

@WildMagelet ♥️

jumpy57

Hello 11+2 here. Story in the spoiler

I went for my 8 week scan this past January and measured only 6 weeks. The nurse was awful, I knew we should be seeing more on the screen and after silently doing some measurements she just said "there's no baby in there, we should have seen one by now" then tried to tell me that a doctor may or may not follow up (I see a family doctor and the ultrasounds are usually with someone else). Fortunately the doctor did come in and was very nice. A few days  later they rescanned and showed no growth confirming the loss... Then I had to immediately go give a presentation at a conference. I ended up just waiting to pass everything naturally because I didn't want to deal with anything. I read a lot about what would happen so I felt prepared ish.

Nausea might be letting up or I might be suffering tomorrow when the zofran fully wears off 😬🤷🏻‍♀️ it will be a surprise! Mentally feeling pretty chill, having symptoms really helps as I felt awesome during the pregnancy I lost.

Appointment: was going to be Friday but doctor is on vacation so it will be a week later

GTKY: I really wanted to be a zookeeper for a long time and at some point that changed to vet. Then I had a terrible middle school science teacher that told me I didn't want to do that and would be bored with cats and dogs. So I became an environmental engineer because I thought I would get to play outside at work all day 🤣🤣🤣 I did actually take a detour and try to get into vet school with no success (I think they have like a 5% acceptance rate if you are in state) but that didn't pan out. That's ok though because I love my current job in engineering and I'm working towards being an engineer manager.

birdiejo

@WildMagelet I’m so sorry for your loss and that whole experience. Your story kind of makes me want to do the NIPT. I’ve really been on the fence about it. 

babymamadimo

@birdiejo I 100% agree! With my son I said no to the testing and this time I said no again, but now I am second guessing that decision. 

For those that have done it: are you glad you had the testing? Why would you recommend someone to get it?

mdfarmchick

@babymamadimo as I posted above, I opted for testing with #2 because we had an early loss right before that pregnancy. All of the doctors were trying to be reassuring—it was just probably a chromosomal problem/genetically it wouldn’t have been able to survive. But those things haunted me with the next pregnancy and I just wanted the assurance that everything was fine. The tests are super accurate and I’m doing my blood draw this Thursday for the NIPT. I’ve done all the genetic testing on both MH and myself at this point so I know the real risk we have are the trisomys or Down syndrome because MH and I are not carriers for any of the same rare genetic conditions. This time because I’m over 35, insurance covers it, but I would pay out of pocket again for the peace of mind. I’m a more information is better kind of person. I actually drive MH crazy because I prefer to prep for the worst case scenario a lot and then be pleasantly surprised. 

WildMagelet

@babymamadimo I had actually refused it with my first pregnancy until my irregular US. This time I was ready to ask for it at my first appointment just for the peace of mind. I didn't want to tell family and then have to go through the same thing as we did last time. But it's been over a week and I'm getting anxious for the results - trying not to focus on it too much!

moguippy

@WildMagelet depending on the test it can take up to two weeks and the wait is torture! I just called my insurance today and they will not cover NIPT. I called the two tests my OB does and one is almost $3000 and the other has a program where it’s $299 if you participate in a 20 minute questionnaire after you get your results. So I’ll be doing that one. I had a loss earlier this year so I just want some peace of mind before we announce to any more people. I was supposed to get it done tomorrow at my appt but I think she is going to make me go to a lab to get it done so hopefully I can get in on Friday 

How far along: 10+4

how are you feeling?  Physically? A little better. A little less nausea and not as tired. So of course that worries me. Mentally? Feeling less anxious than in previous weeks. Had an ultrasound last week and baby looked good and that has calmed me a little bit. 

Upcoming appts? Tomorrow at the OB. She’ll probably do the Doppler but no US. She’ll probably yell at me for not doing my glucose test. 

GTKY:  definitely wanted to be a vet. I am not a vet. I’m an engineer. 

hannahbananas11

@KLS123 I feel you on the bedridden and feeling isolated stuff. I’m spending my days supervising my son from the couch. We live in Alaska, and all of our family and close friends are at least a 6-hour flight away... and God knows I’m not about to fly with this clusterf*** of a pandemic we’ve got going on. 😑

How far along? 8+6

How are you feeling? Nausea, heartburn and exhaustion constantly. Still having heart palpitations, which the ob wasn’t concerned about and said to just keep an eye on in case they get more frequent. Anxious mostly because of fear of getting covid and what that would mean for this pregnancy.

Upcoming appts: I can’t remember off the top of my head, but it’s around 13 weeks.

GTKY: I wanted to be an archaeologist. Ended up being a librarian, and now a stay-at-home-mom. I do get to dig in the dirt now with my son, so close. 😂

jumpy57

@moguippy oh hey fellow wanted to be a vet but ended up an engineer instead 🙋🏻‍♀️ what kind of engineer are you? I ended up environmental but if I were to do it all over again I think I would pick mechanical

moguippy

@jumpy57 I’m a mechanical! I planned on getting more into biomedical but life didn’t pan out that way. I currently work for a chemical engineering company doing mechanical engineering

goldensunshine19

Hi ladies! 
How far along are you?
8+4

How are you feeling (symptoms, mentally/emotionally)? 
I have felt only very minor symptoms my whole pregnancy and it has been so hard not to be constantly anxious about this. But I try to comfort myself by focusing on what I do have - a little breast tenderness some days, a little fatigue most days, extreme thirst and some bloating every day. My 3 early losses were before 6 weeks so I am so thankful to still be pregnant now. 

Any upcoming appointments? 
I've had 2 ultrasounds already at my fertility clinic (weeks 6 and 7) and one at my OB at week 8 and they want to do another at week 9, then I assume a 5th one at around week 11. That just seems like a lot so I've asked if I can skip week 9 and just do the week 11 with the neuchal translucency screening. I keep reading about risks of too many ultrasounds. 

GTKY: What did you want to be when you grew up? Did you end up in the career you thought you wanted as a child?
Was determined all my life to be a doctor but became a lawyer instead. 

WildMagelet

@goldensunshine19 - I actually had to ask my midwife today about what's "normal" for US, because by this point in my last pregnancy I'd already had 4 or 5! Normal for her clinic is a dating one at 8-9 weeks and then only again at 20 wks. So fingers crossed for "normal" this go around.

goldensunshine19

@WildMagelet Yes you are right - from what I've read a lot of clinics do a dating ultrasound at 8-9 and then an anatomy scan at around 20. I think things start to vary for women who are high risk, have had MCs, or are AMA, or have other complications. Yes, hoping for everything staying normal for you!