Just had our midwife appointment, and she went over the ultrasound, checked the heartbeat, talked to me about labour, etc. Everything looks and sounds really good! She also believes baby is a girl.
I had a fetal echocardiogram this morning since this is an IVF pregnancy. Thankfully everything looks good so far so no more of these until he's born and then only if something seems off. I'm pretty sure I had one of these with DS but I forgot how much they hurt and will be completely surprised if there is no bruising. It was funny to see how much the baby disliked it too - every time they started pushing hard his arms/hands went up like he was trying to block something. It's always neat to see a little personality show thru!
@bradleysmommy28 Is that standard at your OB's practice for an IVF pregnancy, or does there need to be other risk factors as well? My pregnancy is IVF as well, but no one has mentioned a fetal echocardiogram to me.
@bradleysmommy28 I had to have one of those with DS because one of his ventricle walls was too thick in utero (ended up being a non-issue after he was born). It did hurt! So much poking and pressure.
Married: May 2012 DS1: May 2016 DS2: Jan 2019 Baby #3 EDD: 6/18/24
@AshVA I'm not totally sure. Both my OB with my son in 2012 and the MFM I see now requested them because apparently there is some research that shows higher risk of heart defects in IVF babies. Honestly, I've never seen the research myself and everyone I know with an IVF baby has had no heart problems. I'd maybe mention it to them at your next appointment or call and see what they say. I know they were pretty strict about wanting it done btwn 20 - 24 wks so maybe better to check sooner rather than later.
My BP and everything was good. We met with the genetic counselor ahead of time and denied any additional testing (since we didn’t have any reason to do any).
The actual scan went well enough but between my weight, baby’s position, and being the early end of when they do scans (20+2) they weren’t able to get all of the pictures and measurements they needed. The perinatologist did say that what they were able to see looked good (best views were of the heart and placenta (posterior which was kind of a surprise though I had been thinking it might be more lately) and cord inserting). But too much was missing (couldn’t get all of the spine, toes, pictures of hands / feet were not clear, couldn’t get some views of the kidneys and heart). I have to go back in four weeks. I’m a little disappointed because I was hoping to walk out of there today comforted that she looked healthy. And I mean - I am glad what they saw looked good. But now there’s the unknown of what they’re missing.
What threw me a bit for a loop is that I’m high risk this time because I’m 1pt over their threshold for BMI. He threw some scary terms out like fetal demise, placental issues, and growth problems. So now I’ll be monitored by the MFM through the pregnancy. The monitoring isn’t crazy. Just one scan at 28 weeks and then weekly scans starting at 36 weeks.
Me: 28 DH: 26 Married: November 2015 TTC#1: January 2016 BFP #1: 5/02/16 - MC: 5/27/16 BFP #2: 10/06/16: 6 - EDD: 06/20/17 DD Born 06/23/17 TFAS: April 2018 BFP #3: 03/21/18 - CP BFP #4: 04/23/18 - EDD 01/04/19
Love tit for support @BitterBetty12. Sorry to hear your anatomy scan didn't go as smoothly as you hoped and that the doc even said the words "fetal demise"
Hoping you get all the rest of your measurments at your follow up A/S, and that the extra scans just give you reassurance everything is on track.
Sorry @BitterBetty12 it sounds like he was pretty extreme about what could happen based on a higher BMI. Is that your regular OBGYN? Do you have any interest in considering switching? I just posted on another board but try not to worry too much about your weight. It might not be the perfect ideal but lots of people are overweight these days and often babies are born without complications.
I mentioned on another post, my doctor told me on Friday that I'm disqualified from the birthing center at her hospital because I'm considered high risk based on my weight. That kind of annoyed me. I'm a size 12 pants and a 38 FF bust pre-pregnancy and I'm short so I'm obese on the BMI. I think it seems stupid they consider me high risk. But luckily my doctor doesn't. Maybe it helps she also has a normal body size.
Also, it's normal at my doctor to get weekly check ups at 36 weeks. You're probably going to give birth within the next 4 weeks so they want to see you!!
Also for @BitterBetty12 and all the rest of us who have been worried about weight, I actually liked this article. It's less negative than many others. Sorry to be linking fox news
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 45 percent of women start their pregnancies overweight or obese. What’s more, a study in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology found that more than 47 percent of women gain too much weight during pregnancy.
@bradleysmommy28 Is the fetal echo similar to an anatomy scan? I found out today they want me to do one because I’m diabetic, and I didn’t have one with my daughter (just a ton of detailed ultrasounds).
@pttomato it's sort of like an extra long anatomy scan of just the baby's heart and umbilical cord. Basically it was a 60 minute sonogram where they watched the way the blood flows, took measurements of all the different valves/aorta/ventricles, etc and made sure there were no defects that they could see. It was a bit painful because they start pushing real hard in some places to get a better view (and the baby wasn't cooperating for a bit) but I'm finally feeling better today and less beat up. I just got the final report yesterday and it made me wish I had paid more attention in high school biology class LOL but overall everything said normal before it so that helped!
@bitterbetty12 I have been seeing only an MFM this pregnancy because of various high risk problems and I have to admit, I actually prefer her over a normal OB. I've had biweekly appointments since 16 wks and start weekly appointments at 30 wks. Its nice for a few reasons - 1. all her patients are OB only so I've never had a super long wait like can happen when you have GYN exams thrown in between 2. they have an in-house sonographer so all my scans are done right in the office before I see the doctor and I get immediate results 3. she's no nonsense and if everything is normal I'm usually in and out in 5 mins after she does her internal check. Also, I'm considered overweight and my weight has NEVER been mentioned because it hasn't had any affect on the pregnancy. And it gives me a serious peace of mind knowing that, should anything happen, she would be able to catch it or predict it since I'm there so much. I had a spontaneous rupture of membranes at 29 wks last time and my OB hadn't started internal cervix checks yet and by the time I was hospitalized, internal exams were a no-no due to increased risk of infection so we have no clue if there was an indication that something was going wrong and if so, for how long!
I had my Anatomy Scan this morning. Confirmed he's a boy and everything looks perfect! I'm forgetting the technical term at the moment but the ultrasound tech also noted that my placenta is up front which makes me feel a lot better about not feeling much movement. She also seemed pretty shocked that my OB hasn't officially changed my due date since he's been consistently measuring a full week ahead. I would personally LOVE this baby to be born in December so I don't have to pay a second health insurance deductible..
So I'm reading my U/S report from the MFM(they don't call if everything is ok but I'm nosy), my cervical length is good, I have a posterior placenta and apparently LG is measuring about a full week ahead. Everything looks normal from what I can tell. I see the OB in two weeks and my A/S is in three weeks.
Also, they added "obesity in the second trimester" to my record b/c my BMI increased. That's annoying and BMI is dumb.
My appointment went well this morning, though it was just with their nurse practitioner and not an OB. My biggest concern is possible cholestasis, as I have a lot of the symptoms (terrible itching, worst on my feet, worst at night, family history, etc). The NP said she had never seen a case of cholestasis this early (I'm 20+5), but various studies I've read show that it is possible, though very rare.
Most importantly though, she ordered liver function and bile serum tests so we can know for sure. The bile test apparently takes a week to come back though, so that's really annoying. It's going to be a long (and itchy!) week.
@gorgeousariel Thanks. There isn't a cure, but there are meds that can help reduce the levels of bile acids in your blood stream. There generally aren't long term health affects to the mother, but it can be serious for the baby and increases stillbirth risks. Most women with cholestasis end up getting induced around 36 or 37 weeks.
@AshVA I hope those lab results come back quickly and with good news.
Amnio went fine. I think I leaked a little fluid a couple hours later, but I'd probably been laying in a dumb position, and it stopped when I switched to laying on my back. No bleeding or anything, so hopefully everything is fine. This waiting for results thing totally blows though. How has it only been 3 days?!
Me: 30 DH: 32 ~~ TTC #1: Sep 2015 ~~ BFP: Mar 2016 ~~ Daughter: Nov 2016 TTC #2: April 2018 ~~ BFP: May 2018 ~~ EDD: January 2019
@greenhillgirl So the doctor I saw for the anatomy scan was a perinatologist (MFM). My OB refers out all anatomy scans to the MFM office. My regular OB is actually really calm and reassuring and she doesn’t think my weight will be an issue - she just wants me to not gain too much (or even stay the same / lose if it happens). And I trust her completely. So the weekly checks starting at 36 weeks would be ultrasounds with the MFM and on top of that I would still see my OB weekly as well for normal appointments. So all of my appointments with him will be extra monitoring to make sure baby is growing well and my placenta is functioning appropriately (which I guess are the concerns they have when it comes to increased BMI). His other concern is blood pressure because I had postpartum hypertension and had to be treated with magnesium (they didn’t call it pre-e because there was never any protein) and labetalol. So they’ll be keeping an eye on me for those reasons. But I’ll only have to go two times before 36 weeks
@bradleysmommy28 I hate any reason to need extra monitoring, BUT I am happy that a close eye will be kept on baby girl. I’m hoping it will help ease that third tri anxiety.
Me: 28 DH: 26 Married: November 2015 TTC#1: January 2016 BFP #1: 5/02/16 - MC: 5/27/16 BFP #2: 10/06/16: 6 - EDD: 06/20/17 DD Born 06/23/17 TFAS: April 2018 BFP #3: 03/21/18 - CP BFP #4: 04/23/18 - EDD 01/04/19
Just had my second appointment of the week. OB reiterated that everything on my A/S looked perfect and then basically just listened to the heartbeat and let me ask questions. I was really nervous for the weigh-in portion after my last appointment where my CNM was a little concerned I was gaining weight too quickly. But I only gained 3 pounds in the 5 weeks since that appointment and my OB seemed satisfied that I'm leveling off and my overall weight gain is looking on track.
@AshVA so glad they’re listening to you and running tests now to rule it out even if it’s uncommon!
I can’t wait for next week: Anatomy scan next Thursday and 20 week OB check up the following Friday. Then I’ll get to join most of you in the half baked GIF party.
My blood test results came back negative for cholestasis. It wasn't even borderline - bile acid levels above 10 indicate cholestasis, and mine were at 3.
I'm 99.9% relieved that it isn't cholestasis, as that would have had serious risks for the baby. However, without a defined root cause for the itching (and a corresponding treatment that could have made the itching stop), I'm also dreading the thought of potentially 19 more weeks of this godawful itching.
Thanks @MrsDho11. That's the hope I'm trying to hold on to. Since it's not cholestasis, maybe the itching won't last the entire pregnancy.
I was the same way w my first pregnancy. OBGYN ruled it out but the itching lasted a while. Hope it eases up soon and gives you some relief. It’s the worst!!
@AshVA glad it's negative! Last PG I rubbed coconut oil ALL over my body and then had " naked time" in the couch while it dried. That was the only thing that helped me.
I hope your itching gets better @AshVA . Maybe oatmeal baths would help? Not at all saying this is the case for you but just a random fact, so read with caution- A girl I used to work with had an allergic reaction to her pregnancy- I know sounds crazy. And she had a rash from about 20 weeks till she delivered. She has prescription strength cream and I think the MD told her to take Benadryl. I can't remember the exact name of what she had (I'll have to ask her what the name was). But baby was fine and once she delivered her rash cleared up. It was her 3rd pregnancy and she never had any issues with either of her first two.
so @AshVA I was waiting to see if that was ruled out, but I was going to say: I know a few people who have issues with hives (like out of nowhere, just hives) and they take a combination of Zyrtec or Allegra and Zantac (like for heartburn). This keeps their hives outbreaks at bay, which of course are very itchy. I take Zantac daily as part of my IBD maintenance anyhow, and I can say that I have less hives from it too. It might help with itching? And definitely with heartburn!
Thanks @wkuandrea, I'll have to look into that. Fortunately I don't have any hives or rash - just itching with no visible or apparent cause. The only meds I've tried so far are benadryl and claritin, neither of which have helped, so it may be time to consider other options.
I had a regular OB appt today. Dr seemed a little out of it and didn't remember that I was reffered out to my MFM forA/ S because of my SCH. When we mentioned that you could see the lightbulb go off and he was like" oh yeah how is that? He didn't remember that MFM sent over the results that it was gone. But because it's gone I don't have to worry about anything and go back in 5 weeks. It was just an off day for him.
SOOOO my 21 week appointment on Tuesday last week was kind of a crazy whirlwind.
My OB dropped the bombshell that she won’t be at her current practice anymore starting November 1st! I’ll see her two more times before then but she gave me her email so that I can get in touch. I already told her I would literally follow her anywhere - and I think she was relieved. She told me afterward that she was nervous because it’s a huge career move. She’s joining a small practice and has to acquire her own client base. So it looks like I’ll be delivering at a different hospital. DH will be so excited to do another hospital tour (so much sarcasm here). But with everything that happened with my pregnancy and delivery with DD I literally trust her implicitly. We’ll talk when it gets closer about how to transition care since I’ll be moving into my every two week appointments at the same time.
It was actually a nice appointment overall because we chatted more about life and family!
Oh also the MFM who is now following me because of my weight wanted me to do an early glucose screening. When I told my OB she suggested I just do it that day. And I did... and I failed by 4 points. So now I need so do the three hour. And even if I pass that I have to do it all over again at the normal 28 week time frame.
Me: 28 DH: 26 Married: November 2015 TTC#1: January 2016 BFP #1: 5/02/16 - MC: 5/27/16 BFP #2: 10/06/16: 6 - EDD: 06/20/17 DD Born 06/23/17 TFAS: April 2018 BFP #3: 03/21/18 - CP BFP #4: 04/23/18 - EDD 01/04/19
Re: August appointments
@galactickates FX for tomorrow!!
Married: November 2015
TTC#1: January 2016
BFP #1: 5/02/16 - MC: 5/27/16
BFP #2: 10/06/16: 6 - EDD: 06/20/17
DD Born 06/23/17
TFAS: April 2018
BFP #3: 03/21/18 - CP
BFP #4: 04/23/18 - EDD 01/04/19
DS1: May 2016
DS2: Jan 2019
Baby #3 EDD: 6/18/24
My BP and everything was good. We met with the genetic counselor ahead of time and denied any additional testing (since we didn’t have any reason to do any).
The actual scan went well enough but between my weight, baby’s position, and being the early end of when they do scans (20+2) they weren’t able to get all of the pictures and measurements they needed. The perinatologist did say that what they were able to see looked good (best views were of the heart and placenta (posterior which was kind of a surprise though I had been thinking it might be more lately) and cord inserting). But too much was missing (couldn’t get all of the spine, toes, pictures of hands / feet were not clear, couldn’t get some views of the kidneys and heart). I have to go back in four weeks. I’m a little disappointed because I was hoping to walk out of there today comforted that she looked healthy. And I mean - I am glad what they saw looked good. But now there’s the unknown of what they’re missing.
What threw me a bit for a loop is that I’m high risk this time because I’m 1pt over their threshold for BMI. He threw some scary terms out like fetal demise, placental issues, and growth problems. So now I’ll be monitored by the MFM through the pregnancy. The monitoring isn’t crazy. Just one scan at 28 weeks and then weekly scans starting at 36 weeks.
Married: November 2015
TTC#1: January 2016
BFP #1: 5/02/16 - MC: 5/27/16
BFP #2: 10/06/16: 6 - EDD: 06/20/17
DD Born 06/23/17
TFAS: April 2018
BFP #3: 03/21/18 - CP
BFP #4: 04/23/18 - EDD 01/04/19
Hoping you get all the rest of your measurments at your follow up A/S, and that the extra scans just give you reassurance everything is on track.
I mentioned on another post, my doctor told me on Friday that I'm disqualified from the birthing center at her hospital because I'm considered high risk based on my weight. That kind of annoyed me. I'm a size 12 pants and a 38 FF bust pre-pregnancy and I'm short so I'm obese on the BMI. I think it seems stupid they consider me high risk. But luckily my doctor doesn't. Maybe it helps she also has a normal body size.
Also, it's normal at my doctor to get weekly check ups at 36 weeks. You're probably going to give birth within the next 4 weeks so they want to see you!!
Hang in there
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 45 percent of women start their pregnancies overweight or obese. What’s more, a study in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology found that more than 47 percent of women gain too much weight during pregnancy.
https://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/01/17/10-ways-to-have-healthy-pregnancy-if-youre-overweight.html
We all want to have healthy bodies and babies and are doing the best we can!
@pttomato it's sort of like an extra long anatomy scan of just the baby's heart and umbilical cord. Basically it was a 60 minute sonogram where they watched the way the blood flows, took measurements of all the different valves/aorta/ventricles, etc and made sure there were no defects that they could see. It was a bit painful because they start pushing real hard in some places to get a better view (and the baby wasn't cooperating for a bit) but I'm finally feeling better today and less beat up. I just got the final report yesterday and it made me wish I had paid more attention in high school biology class LOL but overall everything said normal before it so that helped!
@bitterbetty12 I have been seeing only an MFM this pregnancy because of various high risk problems and I have to admit, I actually prefer her over a normal OB. I've had biweekly appointments since 16 wks and start weekly appointments at 30 wks. Its nice for a few reasons - 1. all her patients are OB only so I've never had a super long wait like can happen when you have GYN exams thrown in between 2. they have an in-house sonographer so all my scans are done right in the office before I see the doctor and I get immediate results 3. she's no nonsense and if everything is normal I'm usually in and out in 5 mins after she does her internal check. Also, I'm considered overweight and my weight has NEVER been mentioned because it hasn't had any affect on the pregnancy. And it gives me a serious peace of mind knowing that, should anything happen, she would be able to catch it or predict it since I'm there so much. I had a spontaneous rupture of membranes at 29 wks last time and my OB hadn't started internal cervix checks yet and by the time I was hospitalized, internal exams were a no-no due to increased risk of infection so we have no clue if there was an indication that something was going wrong and if so, for how long!
She also seemed pretty shocked that my OB hasn't officially changed my due date since he's been consistently measuring a full week ahead. I would personally LOVE this baby to be born in December so I don't have to pay a second health insurance deductible..
Also, they added "obesity in the second trimester" to my record b/c my BMI increased. That's annoying and BMI is dumb.
DS 05/29/2013
M/C 02/14/2017
M/C 06/05/2017
C/P 03/01/2018
BFP 05/17/2018 EDD 01/27/2019
Most importantly though, she ordered liver function and bile serum tests so we can know for sure. The bile test apparently takes a week to come back though, so that's really annoying. It's going to be a long (and itchy!) week.
Amnio went fine. I think I leaked a little fluid a couple hours later, but I'd probably been laying in a dumb position, and it stopped when I switched to laying on my back. No bleeding or anything, so hopefully everything is fine. This waiting for results thing totally blows though. How has it only been 3 days?!
TTC #2: April 2018 ~~ BFP: May 2018 ~~ EDD: January 2019
reasons. But I’ll only have to go two times before 36 weeks
@bradleysmommy28 I hate any reason to need extra monitoring, BUT I am happy that a close eye will be kept on baby girl. I’m hoping it will help ease that third tri anxiety.
Married: November 2015
TTC#1: January 2016
BFP #1: 5/02/16 - MC: 5/27/16
BFP #2: 10/06/16: 6 - EDD: 06/20/17
DD Born 06/23/17
TFAS: April 2018
BFP #3: 03/21/18 - CP
BFP #4: 04/23/18 - EDD 01/04/19
I can’t wait for next week: Anatomy scan next Thursday and 20 week OB check up the following Friday. Then I’ll get to join most of you in the half baked GIF party.
I'm 99.9% relieved that it isn't cholestasis, as that would have had serious risks for the baby. However, without a defined root cause for the itching (and a corresponding treatment that could have made the itching stop), I'm also dreading the thought of potentially 19 more weeks of this godawful itching.
TTC #2: April 2018 ~~ BFP: May 2018 ~~ EDD: January 2019
Andrea -- FTM at 39!
TTC #2: April 2018 ~~ BFP: May 2018 ~~ EDD: January 2019
I did... and I failed by 4 points. So now I need so do the three hour. And even if I pass that I have to do it all over again at the normal 28 week time frame.
Married: November 2015
TTC#1: January 2016
BFP #1: 5/02/16 - MC: 5/27/16
BFP #2: 10/06/16: 6 - EDD: 06/20/17
DD Born 06/23/17
TFAS: April 2018
BFP #3: 03/21/18 - CP
BFP #4: 04/23/18 - EDD 01/04/19