January 2018 Moms

***PGAL/PAIF - 7/26 Check-in

Since we have not yet had a check in for those who struggled to get to a birth month board, I thought I would start this dual thread. I'll post it every two weeks.
(Sorry I am a day behind this week!)

This thread is for women who are pregnant after loss(es) and/or for women who struggled with infertility and are now pregnant.

This thread is one huge trigger warning so if you just came to read, please protect yourself if you are not comfortable reading about loss or IF. This is a place where women can talk freely about their difficulties in achieving a viable pregnancy.

*****PLEASE DO NOT post losses here. Start a new thread. *****


(Image: https://emilymcdowell.com/collections/encouragement-cards/products/little-women-storms-quote-card)


1. If you're first participating here, share any part of your history you feel comfortable sharing.

2. How far along are you today? How big is baby?

3. How are you feeling today?  Struggles?  Successes?

4. Next milestone that you're anticipating?

5. GTKY: If you could have any job in the world (and the associated income was irrelevant), what would you choose to do?

Me: 40, DH: 35 / Married: 2009; TTC #1: 2013

2013 - 2015: 5 pregnancies —> 5 miscarriages

TTCAL with RE (RPL specialist): February 2016

2016: 3 medicated TI cycles —> 3 medicated IUI cycles: All BFN

Donor Egg IVF Transfer: May 1, 2017

May 11, 2017: BFP!! Beta #1: 449.1, Beta #2: 844, Beta #3: 1714

EDD: 1/17/18, it's a GIRL!  <3 E. L. A. born 12/7/2017








Re: ***PGAL/PAIF - 7/26 Check-in

  • 1. If you're first participating here, share any part of your history you feel comfortable sharing.
    not my first post, you can see the last post for more info, but we dealt with IF for about 3 yrs before being told IVF was our only option for a biological kiddo. 

    2. How far along are you today? How big is baby?
    I'm 17 weeks today!  Little Man is the size of an apple or a pear depending on what fruit comparison I'm looking at lol.

    3. How are you feeling today?  Struggles?  Successes?
    I'm still dealing with the "if I stay pregnant" voice in my head, and its not helping that we pushed my next OB appointment back a few weeks so we can just do our ultrasound and appointment on the same day.  My best friend has a doppler, I'm contemplating going over to her house and making her find the HB  for me lol! 

    4. Next milestone that you're anticipating?
    I think I felt him move last week, just a nudge, I'm looking forward to feeling him move more often!

    5. GTKY: If you could have any job in the world (and the associated income was irrelevant), what would you choose to do?
    I'd be a travel blogger!  I absolutely love to travel and experience new places and cultures.  I'd love to travel and get paid for it!

    Together Let Us Seek the Heights


  • 2. How far along are you today? How big is baby?
    13w2d, a pea pod

    3. How are you feeling today?  Struggles?  Successes?
    I'm having a hard time lately being in limbo again. I've spent a ridiculous amount of time researching Fifth's Disease and pregnancy outcomes. I can't say it's helped. Even the statistics don't help; I was on the bad side of statistics last time. 

    4. Next milestone that you're anticipating?
    u/s Monday.

    5. GTKY: If you could have any job in the world (and the associated income was irrelevant), what would you choose to do?
    I always wanted to be a Nat Geo photog.
    DD1 4.14.10
    DD2 8.22.13
    MMC 1.4.17 at 16w
    Expecting #3, EDD 1.29.18

    Pregnancy Ticker
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  • 1. If you're first participating here, share any part of your history you feel comfortable sharing.

    2. How far along are you today? How big is baby?
    15w today. As big as a travel size deodorant stick. HA!

    3. How are you feeling today?  Struggles?  Successes?
    Doing great today after a check up where we got an unexpected U/S. The last few days before this appointment, I could feel my anxiety creeping up, we had three weeks between appointments, and that was just a touch too long for my PGAL brain. That said, I am glad that I shared my concerns with DH. He and I decided it would be good to get out of the house last night for some dinner and then we walked around downtown a bit and went for ice cream. Nice (and yummy) distraction!

    4. Next milestone that you're anticipating?
    Anatomy scan in 4 weeks. But, before that we plan to have a shin-dig with our friends and family to reveal the sex of the baby! U/S today provided the opportunity, so we had the tech keep it from us, but put the revealing pic in an envelope and I plan to pass off to one of my BFFs who is hosting the party. Thankfully she is a great secret keeper. :)

    5. GTKY: If you could have any job in the world (and the associated income was irrelevant), what would you choose to do?
    I was a summer camp kid and have always daydreamed about running a summer camp. For nearly ten years I went to an all-girls summer camp in northeast Alabama and it was one of the best and most significant experiences of my childhood.

    Me: 40, DH: 35 / Married: 2009; TTC #1: 2013

    2013 - 2015: 5 pregnancies —> 5 miscarriages

    TTCAL with RE (RPL specialist): February 2016

    2016: 3 medicated TI cycles —> 3 medicated IUI cycles: All BFN

    Donor Egg IVF Transfer: May 1, 2017

    May 11, 2017: BFP!! Beta #1: 449.1, Beta #2: 844, Beta #3: 1714

    EDD: 1/17/18, it's a GIRL!  <3 E. L. A. born 12/7/2017








  • @BelhurstBride You have been in my thoughts. I am so sorry that you have to be in limbo and I also understand how statistics don't really make you feel better, especially when you have experience being an outlier. What are your next steps? How do they determine if there is any impact from the exposure?

    @JuliaGoolia719 How awesome that you have started to feel movements! I am really excited about that coming sooner than later. And, I totally get the voices in your head. I still make qualifying statements like that internally too. I try not to get too far ahead of myself. Go use that Doppler if it will help the gap between appointments! I know I would!

    I also really like both of your job choices. If my summer camp gig doesn't work out, I may pal around with one of you on all your adventures!

    Me: 40, DH: 35 / Married: 2009; TTC #1: 2013

    2013 - 2015: 5 pregnancies —> 5 miscarriages

    TTCAL with RE (RPL specialist): February 2016

    2016: 3 medicated TI cycles —> 3 medicated IUI cycles: All BFN

    Donor Egg IVF Transfer: May 1, 2017

    May 11, 2017: BFP!! Beta #1: 449.1, Beta #2: 844, Beta #3: 1714

    EDD: 1/17/18, it's a GIRL!  <3 E. L. A. born 12/7/2017








  • @fivetimesnoluck , I'm glad you were able to get out.

    Standard course of action are biweekly u/s to check for the various signs that indication complications. (blood flow through a specific valve, hydrops, NT thinkness) At my initial appointment my OB said she didn't think there was a point in the biweekly scans because there isn't anything they can do prior to viability, and at the time I was actually thankful. I went through 10 weeks of u/s during the last pregnancy and they're still pretty traumatic at this point.

    But I've found a lot of research and studies that indicate that she's wrong; there are things that can be done prior to viability. I found plenty of cases where intrauterine transfusions were done before 18w, and a case study (albeit in Germany) where the first one was done at 12w and some odd days- on a mom whose fetus developed anemia as a result of Parvovirus19 exposure. And the best possible outcome is when the transfusion is done prior to severe hydrops forming; hence the biweekly u/s recommendation.

    I ended up down the rabbit hole because I just wanted to know how quickly hydrops develop. If they're not there when I go at 14w how likely is it that they may form when I go back for the next u/s at 19w? (Literature disagrees in how long it takes complications to develop post infection; 8-12 weeks is what's been suggested.) My sister gets married four days before my final, "all clear" u/s, and man it would be nice to not be spending that time worrying that I'm going to yet again put my parents in the position of having to tell our extended family that we've experienced another loss.

    We had an early loss in between DD1 and 2. At the time it was painful and isolating; the only other people who knew were my two best friends. But man, for me anyway, 2nd tri losses are so much harder. People know by then, there's no way to hide it. There were so many people who had to be told and even then, months later, someone from church came up to me at a restaurant asking me when I was due and wow, weren't we getting excited?! We hadn't even told our kids what had happened.

    Sorry for the rant. I'm not great at being positive.
    DD1 4.14.10
    DD2 8.22.13
    MMC 1.4.17 at 16w
    Expecting #3, EDD 1.29.18

    Pregnancy Ticker
  • @BelhurstBride I can't imagine how hard it would be to even try to stay positive, we haven't had any indications something could be wrong and I still find myself googling missed miscarriage and every twinge or pain I get.
    can you revisit the biweekly scans/bring up the research you found and see what your OB says?

    Together Let Us Seek the Heights


  • edited July 2017
    @BelhurstBride That is a really tough spot to be in. Again, I am so sorry. Are you seeing a MFM specialist or OB only? At what point will they conclude the risk has passed? I am with @JuliaGoolia719, even though it's a different stress to have frequent visits, maybe you can revisit the idea of more ultrasounds. I think if I were in your shoes, I would be really anxious having to wait five weeks between 14 and 19 w scans. That said, the most important thing is that you do what makes YOU comfortable. I continue to keep you in my thoughts and prayers. I have to believe that the stats on on your side this time... hopefully the exposure did not cause any harm to your LO. Big hugs in the meantime.

    ETA: never apologize for feeling down, being pessimistic, writing novels, ranting, venting - any of that. It's all totally understandable and completely valid. That' is exactly what this space is for!

    Me: 40, DH: 35 / Married: 2009; TTC #1: 2013

    2013 - 2015: 5 pregnancies —> 5 miscarriages

    TTCAL with RE (RPL specialist): February 2016

    2016: 3 medicated TI cycles —> 3 medicated IUI cycles: All BFN

    Donor Egg IVF Transfer: May 1, 2017

    May 11, 2017: BFP!! Beta #1: 449.1, Beta #2: 844, Beta #3: 1714

    EDD: 1/17/18, it's a GIRL!  <3 E. L. A. born 12/7/2017








  • OB only. I'll only switch to MFM if complications do appear to be developing.

    Complications take 8-12 weeks; I'm in the clear if we pass 18w without complications. They couldn't get me in for an u/s that week, so I'll go at 19w.

    I'm going to request an u/s in between the one Monday and the one at 19w.
    DD1 4.14.10
    DD2 8.22.13
    MMC 1.4.17 at 16w
    Expecting #3, EDD 1.29.18

    Pregnancy Ticker
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