Ultrasound #2

We got another sneak peek at baby on July 11th! At this ultrasound appointment I was 8 weeks & 3 days pregnant. Baby is measuring right on track (1.67cm), and has a good strong heart beat (170 beats/min).  Both intended mother and intended father got to be there, and it was so emotional for them. Their journey with conceiving has been a very long roller coaster for them, I feel so blessed to be able to help them achieve their dreams of becoming parents!

 

I have been feeling really good for the most part, despite lots of trips to the bathroom! I did have one little episode of morning sickness though, but it was for lack of not eating soon enough. Babies can be picky, and you need to eat when they tell you or else you pay! So I have been trying to eat small meals, VERY often, throughout the day to keep my tummy happy. So far it has been working. I am still taking the daily progesterone injections, the doctor said I would need to take them until 10.5 weeks or so. They are definitely not my favorite part of the day, but it's a necessary evil. We don't want this baby going anywhere! 

At this last appointment the doctor also informed the parents of the prenatal screening tests and what options are out there for them. Because of the intended mother's age, the couple opted to go for a prenantal Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) test as her age does put the baby at an increased risk for a genetic disorder. The CVS test is a prenatal test that detects chromosomal abnormalities such as Down syndrome, as well as a host of other genetic disorders. The doctor takes cells from tiny fingerlike projections on the placenta called the chorionic villi and sends them to a lab for genetic analysis. The main advantage of CVS over aminocentesis is that you can have it done earlier — generally between 11 and 12 weeks of pregnancy, although some testing centers will do it as late as 13 weeks, 6 days. (For an amnio, you'll have to wait until you're at least 16 weeks pregnant.)

I am not nervous that the CVS test will hurt (from what I've read it seems to be a simple procedure, similar to a pap smear). I am just nervous that something may be wrong with the baby. I feel like none of us can breathe right now until we know that the baby is OK. But for now, things all look great! So we need to celebrate that and embrace this part of the journey. 

At this last doctor's appointment with the couple's fertility doctor, I was also told to schedule an appointment with my regular OB. So we have two appointments to look forward to: my OB appointment on August 9th and the CVS test with a high-risk pregnancy doctor on August 10th! 

Up next... I will have my blood checked on July 25th to check my progesterone level, if it is high enough I can stop the injections at that time. Fingers crossed!

~The Baby Fairy 

Sharing the News

The IVF process can be a roller coaster, and I was extremely lucky to have been successful after just my first transfer. Knowing about how rare first time success with IVF can be ahead of time it made me want to wait to share the news with my oldest son, who is 5 1/2, until we saw positive results on the ultrasound. (My youngest child is only a year and a half, and will probably not be able to comprehend much of what is happening throughout this pregnancy.) On the evening after my ultrasound, my husband and I carefully explained to our son that I was helping another couple start a family of their own, because they were unable to do so on their own. I also explained that, unlike his baby brother, this baby would not be coming home with us after he/she was born. And that this baby would not be related to us, and he was not the baby's big brother. My son said, "I know, I know." But think got real quiet for a couple seconds, and said, "But..." (This is where I panicked, and wondered what his little brain could be thinking at this very moment.) "But... will I still be able to see the baby??" my 5 year old asked. "Of course," I replied. He said, "Ok, GOOD! Because then I will know if it's a boy or a girl!" It was so sweet. I should have known that he would be completely fine with the idea. Although I am sure we will need to remind him throughout the process, especially as my belly grows larger, that we are not giving up our baby - that this baby was never ours to begin with and we are simply giving him or her back. 

My 5 year old wasn't the only person to learn about my news last week. I ended up telling three other people, as well as making this blog "public" on the same day. Guess I was still feeling all the excitement from the ultrasound. :) 

~The Baby Fairy