I am at a loss for words...

A fellow blogger is going through a nightmare.  She just lost her twins at 20 weeks.  Please surround her with love - Miss Conception

26 1/2 weeks

Braxton Hicks continue - I called my doctor and was reassured that it was all normal.  As well is the right wrist pain (preg induced carpal tunnel syndrome) and pelvic pain (ligament pain).  

Our little girl has been quite active this past week!  I have seen my abdomen jut out literally like 3 inches! It is crazy - crazy awesome.

I'm up 18 pounds total.  I guess this is ok for where I am - but I know I am eating way too much and I can tell my ass and hips are growing right along with my baby bump.  I'm not completely depressed by this - but it kinda sucks.

I have my glucose tolerance test at my 28 week appt in 9 days.  I think I will be okay - the other day at work I ate a ton of candy and then checked it one hour later my blood sugar was 111.  I guess I know why I am up 18 lbs :)

Love to all~

Braxton Hicks

So I have been getting a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions.  Or at least I assume that is what they are - my uterus is rock hard on top and my bump gets pointy (as opposed to it's usual roundness).  It lasts a couple of minutes, happens more when I am on my feet (ESPECIALLY at work), and drinking water and putting my feet up makes them go away.  Dr Google says as long as there are not more than 5 an hour it's normal.  I think I have had about 10 today, once I had 3 in one hour (while at work running around taking care of a critical patient).

This is normal, right?  No pain during them, but I have had some achiness in my lower abdomen throughout the day, especially the left side, which I assume is round ligament pain.

Should I call the dr tomorrow just to check in with the nurse and make sure this is normal?

Besides that everything is great!  Holding steady at 24 1/2 weeks.  I hope all is well with everyone else.

Still hurts

I was curious to find out if pregnancy would 'cure' my infertile feelings.  Guess what?  It hasn't, it's numbed it at times, perhaps.  I don't hurt on a daily basis, I don't feel uncontrollable rage at every baby bump I see, I don't cry every time I see a baby on tv.  But I still see red when people make stupid comments, when people assume I am 'cured' by IVF.  Here are a few comments I have heard in the last few months -

• It's usually not as hard getting pregnant with the second one, I bet you'll get pregnant right away.
• What a blessing from God that you're pregnant!  I knew it would happen! (this only annoys me.  I do feel thankful to God or the spirits or whomever, but I am pregnant mostly because we paid a ton of money, went through an invasive procedure, and got so unbelievably lucky.  If I had sat on my laurels waiting for a miracle I have no doubt that I would not be pregnant right now, nor anytime in the future.
• I KNEW you were able to get pregnant!
• I bet you end up having 6 kids!

It is harder to get all worked up when I am standing there feeling my baby move around inside of me.  But it still makes me so fucking mad.  I always take the time to try to educate people.  For instance, when people talk about what a miracle this is I say something along the lines of, "It is a miracle.  I can't believe how lucky we are.  I'm so glad we went ahead and spent the $15,000 and decided to pursue IVF." That usually shuts people up.  Bringing up money and highly debatable medical science will do that.

On another note, pregnancy is going so great.  This second trimester is so amazing.  I have energy, I have no GI issues, I think my bump is cute, I get to wear elastic waist pants all the time, and my husband has been more attentive than ever.  I am lucky, I know that.  So lucky that I can't believe it.  

I hope you all get lucky soon.

20 week ultrasound

It's a girl!!!!

Measuring 50th percentile for everything - weight, femur length, head circumference, etc.  Normal size and location of placenta, normal 3 vessel umbilical cord.

SOOO amazing!

I thought for sure I was having a boy so I was thrown for a loop - but a happy one!  I was secretly hoping for a girl.

18 1/2 weeks!

I can't believe I'm 18 1/2 weeks pregnant!  OMG!

And to celebrate 50 followers (wow, I can't believe anyone cares what I have to say!) I have decided to put a photo up on this anonymous blog of mine - I will probably take it down in a few days but I thought you would all like to see my bump!

(removed)

It was taken this past Saturday on the day of my hubby's doctorate graduation :)

Things are going really well here.  I feel good - almost no nausea unless I let myself get too hungry, I have energy to clean/cook/shop/work etc.., I feel movement daily and I just have an overall feeling of health!  Even though I have been craving and eating some bad things (ice cream, chips, burgers) I am also eating plenty of fruits and vegetables.  So it all evens out, right?

8 days until our 20 week ultrasound!

16 week appt

I know my pregnancy posts are getting boring...and if you're still in the trenches fighting IF please know that it will not hurt my feelings if you stop reading my posts for awhile.  I so understand...I avoided some preg after IF blogs for a few months when times were tough.  Just know I love you and am rooting for you.

I had my 16 week check up today and it was perfect! I'll do bullets to update:

• I am down another half a pound (so down 1 lb total from pre IVF weight).  YAY!  I started out about 30 lbs overweight so I am so happy I'm not out of control.  The Nurse Practitioner asked me if I had any diarrhea or vomiting and I said, "Nope, not once this whole pregnancy, just dry heaves."  So she said I'm good!  Her only worry was whether I was eating and drinking enough.  BOY am I!  I drink water constantly (and a couple of iced teas a day) and eat probably anywhere from 2000-3000 cals a day (probably 2300 approx usually, more if it is a 'sweets' day:).  
• Heartbeat was wonderful.  Quote from the NP, "What a nice, strong heartbeat".
• My uterus is about two fingerbreadth's below my navel (which equals about 18 weeks) so I'm measuring about 2 weeks ahead (normal is 2 weeks either way so I guess I'm growing a biggie...maybe that's where all the calories are going!).
• My urine sample was negative....no protein, no glucose (so far so good..I am deathly afraid of gestational diabetes only because some days all that sounds good are carbs....if I had to be carb restricted I think I'd cry!).
• B/P 116/70
• My M.R.S.A. swab from last visit was negative (I have had one Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus abscess in my life so because of that I need to be tested 3 times to make sure I'm not colonized...if any of the 3 come back positive I will be in isolation when I deliver...LOL).

All in all a perfect visit.  She even kinda sucked up to me it seemed...said that I was going to have the perfect pregnancy - not too big during all of this ridiculous heat and by the time I'm huge it will be winter. This visit was really good for my self esteem!

Next visit in 4 weeks will be for the 20 week ultrasound!  I CANNOT WAIT to find out what we're having!  I go back and forth on what gender I'm hoping for so clearly I am happy with whatevs!!

I STARTED FEELING MOVEMENT A FEW DAYS AGO!  AHHHH!  COOLEST THING EVAH!  Enough caps, I know.  It totally doesn't feel like butterfly wings to me.  Feels like a fingertip tapping lightly.  SO amazing!  I only notice it lying flat or just after sitting.  

Oh and for those of you that want a bump pic...I don't know what it is, I haven't taken a single one.  Not even for my private eyes.  I'm certainly not ashamed...maybe just feeling guilty?  A couple of weeks ago my too small tank top was riding up in front and DH said, "You're showing!" and I tugged my shirt back down and felt weird - like my heart started beating funny and I blushed.  It feels so personal.  Maybe when I get bigger and used to it I will take some pics and post a few?  Maybe I have PTSD from infertility? :)

ONE LAST THING (damn this is a long rambling post, you deserve an award for reading this whole thing if you are:).  We picked a nursery color!  It is a very light light green with a hint of blue, perfect for either sex.  Paint was on sale at Sherwinn-Williams so we got it.  Now DH just needs to paint!

xoxo