9 Week Update

Fruit Size? This is always my absolute favorite thing in pregnancy, comparing the baby (babies?) to food.  This week they are 1-1.25 inches, or the size of a grape, or a green olive.

Due Date: According to the IVF calculators November 7.  According to my OB basing it on my LMP it's November 9.  And of course with twins, and with my history of pre-eclampsia probably more like September or hopefully October.

How far along: 9 weeks today.

Genders: We are not going to find out.  With P I begged my husband to let us find out, he was really against it.  So I have promised him that if we got another chance it would be a surprise...

Total Weight Gain: 2-3 lbs.  With P I was down 2 lbs at 16 weeks, doesn't seem I am on that track this time....

Stretch Marks: My white faded ones from my first pregnancy immediately got darker as soon as I got a bfp.  Hormonal maybe?

Swelling: Not yet!

Movement: Too early!  Although these last couple days I could've sworn I felt tiny, tiny flutters. But both times I felt them I had flatulence right afterwards.  LOL

Maternity Clothes: Haven't worn any yet but I did buy some bottoms!  I can still wear some regular jeans/shorts but waistbands make me feel sick.  I am showing MUCH more quickly this time, which I know happens with a second pregnancy and with twins.  

Sleep: Ugh, I have been having insomnia.  And of course the sinus infection isn't helping.  I am sleeping 5-7 hours straight at night, then trying to take a nap everyday.

Cravings: All the food.  Seriously I am hungry all the time.  I wake up with my stomach growling.  I go to bed and my stomach is growling.  Specifically been craving milk, pasta, oranges, and fried chicken.

Symptoms: Nausea, but not every day, and so far not as bad as my last pregnancy.  I think it may be because I am not constipated this time.  Which I think is because this time I am on rectal suppositories instead of vaginal ones.  You're welcome for this information.  Also a little boob tenderness, urinary frequency and weird dreams.

What I miss: Just sushi.  I have been craving raw salmon intensely.  But of course I am happy to forgo it. 

What I'm loving: Surprising people with our news! Don't worry, we haven't told everyone.  Just family and very close friends.  I know it is still early.  

I've talked to my husband several times since he left.  He and Pipsqueak are having a great time in Florida.  I can't believe I am missing Easter with my family :(   But I am getting better, and I know she is having a blast. 

Sinus infection during pregnancy is FUN

Obvi the title lies.  I have a sinus infection, bilateral ear infections, and possible pneumonia.  It is simply miserable not being able to take Sudafed, Afrin, Ibuprofen, etc.  I was lucky enough not to get much in the way of illness during my last pregnancy (nothing contagious anyway!).  I went to my GP yesterday and he said my right sinus was so swollen and inflamed that it had completely blocked my eustachian tube in that ear.  That explains why my head has felt like a balloon that needs to pop!

I started 36 hours ago on Amoxil three times daily, which I think is just starting to work.  I have the slightest bit of relief which is enough to make me grateful.  I hate taking an antibiotic while pregnant, but my OB agreed that it is the best one, proven to be safe, and the GP said the infection was bad enough that it wouldn't clear up easily without meds.  For the past 3 nights I have also taken Doxylamine 10mg (unisom) to help me sleep.  It is actually an antihistamine, so it helped the nose a little, but more than that it knocked me out enough that I could sleep sitting up with my mouth hanging open.  My OB swears this med is safe too, and I researched it and I guess it is commonly used with Vitamin B6 for morning sickness?  Maybe that explains why my nausea has been less severe the past couple days.

DH and Pipsqueak flew home last night.  I was supposed to as well but my Dr said no way could I fly.  Not only because of the sinus and ear stuff, but he took blood to test for Mycoplasma Pneumoniae.  Some highly contagious thing that is going around.  The results won't be back until early next week so I am flying home Tuesday night now.  So that means I am missing Easter with my daughter :-(  I am sure she will have fun with her Daddy, Uncle, cousins, and grandparents.  They've been gone 24 hours and I miss them already!  Although I did take a 3 hour nap today and that was pretty darn wonderful...

8 week U/S...

And everyone is still alive!! Woohoo!

At 8w1d:

Baby A: 18mm (8w1d) HR 186

Baby B: 17mm (8w0d) HR 171

She saw no reason for my spotting, assuming it was cervical irritation or growing uterus issues.  I guess it's normal in twin pregnancies?  I dunno.  I'm winging this!!!! :)

I am weaning off my meds.  Today I am stopping the estradiol pills, and decreasing the cyclogest suppositories from 4 to 3 a day.  In 2 weeks I decrease to twice daily, then at 12 weeks down to one a day.  Supposedly I will be on one a day for the rest of the pregnancy?  Yuck.

BP was 129/94.  She said that was fine but I know that's higher than 2 weeks ago.  Ugh!  

I am to follow up with a perinatologist in 10 days. We will be in the USA then for vacation so I need to find one and make an appt stat!!!

Thanks for all of the well wishes the last couple of weeks.  It's so nice to be blogging again and have everyone's support!!

7+2, 7+3 spotting...

Ugh.

Yesterday (7+2) I noticed the smallest, most scanty bit of tan spotting when I wiped.  I immediately texted my dr, who told me to go back on the PIO every other day this week until my 8 week scan.  I had to go into the clinic to pick up some more PIO.  While there my dr saw me, ushered me into an exam room and did a quick abdominal u/s.  She said she saw both heartbeats. I could see one clearly, and hear it I think (it was awfully muffled), but the other embryo was much harder to see, "below the other one" according to the dr.  But the dr said it also had a good heartbeat.  So that all made me feel a little better. I rested all day yesterday and the spotting immediately stopped.

This morning I woke up to cramps, it's hard to tell if they are any worse than they have been, I've had them on and off since  transfer.  I didn't have any spotting the first couple hours I was awake, but then it started back up again.  At first tan, then pink, then brown, now it seems to have subsided again.  I texted my dr, she said to do the PIO daily.

Google and my twin forum girls all tell me this can be absolutely normal, can be a loss of one twin, or can be the beginnings of a total loss of pregnancy.  5 more days till the next transvag u/s.  Please keep your fingers crossed for me!

7 weeks

I think I am 7 weeks today, as egg retrieval was 5 weeks ago today.  My clinic is dating me one day behind which is weird, I think I am right.

I am feeling good!  Had one episode of vomiting this week (into the kitchen sink, yuck), and have had lethargy and nausea, but nothing extreme.  Please oh please let me not be as sick as I was with Pipsqueak!

Lots of changes possibly in the works, fingers crossed: moving back to the USA!  Oh please let this work out!  Lots of things need to be figured out, but it's looking good!

I read "Expecting Twins, Triples and Quads" in one day.  So much information, a little overwhelming, but it is a great read.  I am trying to make a concerted effort to up my protein and calcium.

Next ultrasound in 8 days.  I am extremely impatient!

TWO heartbeats!

Today's U/S was everything an U/S should be, for all of us.  No doom and gloom, only good measurements, and a Dr saying, "Everything looks perfect, there are absolutely no signs that anything will go wrong".

I am 6+3, Twin A measures 6+1 with a heart rate of 132, Twin B measures 6+2 with a heart rate of 126.  Sac sizes and yolk sac sizes normal.

I could see the hearts flickering, so freaking insane!  We tried to listen but it wasn't picking up very good.  Could hear it for just a second.  Repeat U/S in 11 days at 8 weeks exactly, when we should be able to hear them more easily.

My bp was perfect, I've only gained 1/2 lb even though I am eating everything in sight.  Pretty much the perfect appt.  Oh I hope those stupid weird beta doubling times are the only blip in this pregnancy!


I am having TWINS. OMG.

First U/S - 5w4d

So I am finally publishing all of these blog posts about my super secret IVF #3.  We told our parents today so I can blog again, hooray!

Today was our first u/s.  I was alone as Pipsqueak was ill so DH had to stay with her.  The dr inserted the wand and asked, "What do you see?"  I said, "TWO?".  Then burst into tears.  She said, "We put back 2, what did you expect?".  And I replied, "Truthfully I expected to see nothing!".  She then chastised me for being so negative.  Unfortunately I have had a bit of time in beta hell, and I have kept my heart guarded.  Here are my betas for all of you to enjoy with me :)

8dp5dt  103

9dp5dt  135 (doubling time of 60 hrs) - beta done the next day due to spotting

12dp5dt 327 (doubling time 56 hrs)

14dp5dt 599 (doubling time 54 hrs)

18dp5dt 2147 (doubling time 52 hours)

So as you can see, numbers were pretty spot on for a singleton.  Doubling times weren't fantastic like I wanted them to be, but they were more than adequate.  The dr kept saying they were "fabulous".  

Today's U/S showed two perfectly sized gestational sacs, each with a perfectly sized yolk sac, and one had the first signs of a fetal pole.  She said this was perfect.  Repeat U/S in 6 days at 6w3d when hopefully we will see some heartbeats!!!!

Here is the U/S, not the best image, but on the screen up on the wall the sacs looked huge!  And the yolk sacs just looked so damn perfect.