Morning Sickness

Before I was pregnant, I thought morning sickness meant that you had to throw up. I've quickly learned that is not the case. Every morning, I wake up nauseas. I force myself to eat something for breakfast, because I know that it about a half an hour I will feel better. Then I get in the car and it all goes downhill. My hour drive to work is torture. I spend the entire ride thinking that I'm going to throw up. I haven't yet, and I'm hoping to keep it that way.

My noon I feel better, but the entire morning I feel like I've come down with the flu. I've begun to keep my car and desk stocked with saltines.

Also, the bloat has begun. This afternoon I was so uncomfortable! I might need to invest in a belly band or two to get me through the afternoons.

We have a little bean!

We had our first ultrasound last Wednesday. The doctor was very pleased with everything we saw. The gestational sac looks good and if we looked hard enough, we could almost see the heart beat. The doctor says that were a couple of days early to see the full heart beat. I'm going back Thursday morning for another ultrasound. Seeing our bean in the ultrasound made it seem real.

I have had a little bit of morning sickness - a little nausea in the morning and when ever my stomach is empty. I make sure that I always have crackers or something for me to nibble on.

Looking forward to Thursday and seeing the heart beat!!!

Increasing Betas and first U/S

So after our surprise positive pregnancy test two weeks ago, I've been through some test. I had my first blood test on April 10, the results came back with an hcG level of 80 (the doctor was looking for a number between 50-100 considering it was just before my expected period). After that they look for the numbers to double every 48 hours. On Saturday, my number was 156, pretty close to doubling and again the doctor was pleased. I had my third blood test five days later, and the numbers came back at 1342. It nearly quadrupled in five days!!!

I have my first ultrasound tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully, we will be able to see the heart beat. I still don't really feel pregnant, I'm hoping seeing the little bean will make it more of a reality.

It was positive!!

Yesterday morning I attending the required IVF class at Johns Hopkins. I learned about the entire IVF process and learned how to give myself the injection. I was excited and very overwhelmed by the end of the class. Afterward, I stopped by the office and had a meeting with Dr. Kolp. She went over my specific plan and we set a date. According to my cycle, I was due to get my period on Sunday, April 13, which meant that I could start the suppressant drug for IVF around the 26th of the month. I left the meeting extatic. We finally had a true plan.

So last night, like I've done for the past two months, I took a pregnancy test. (I have to, to see if I'm PG and if I'm not I stop taking the progestrone supplements and will get my period.) I was convinced it was going to be negative. It has been for the past 13 months. I knew that I didn't have any good pregnancy tests at home, so I stopped at Walmart afterwork. I picked up a two-pack of the First Response Early Response tests (only because all of the single packs were sold out). I get home and see that I have a dollar story test under the sink and figure I use that one tonight and one of the good ones in the morning. Well... as I'm taking the cheapie test out of the package, I drop in the toliet. Crap. Since I've already peed in the cup, I figure, why not. And I run down stairs to get on of the good tests. I dip the test strip in the cup, count to 20 and place the strip on the counter. I walk away and get changed. I glance over and see a faint line, but think that I'm just dreaming. I look a little closer and there is definatly an line. I check the clock, it has barely been two minutes. I wait the other minute out. Yup still a line. I run down stairs to grab my cell phone. I take a few pictures and send them to Micah who is in New York for a couple of days. He answers, but hasn't gotten the picture yet. I tell him that I think that I'm pregnant. He screams. We laugh and get a little chocked up. He finally gets the picture and says that he thinks he sees a line. I tell himt hat I'll take another test in the morning. He says that he loves me and try not to freak out to much.

Fast forward to this morning. I remember that I have digital test that I was saving for this exact moment. (who doesn't want to see the word "pregnant"). I once again pee in a cup. This time, I take use the last FRER test and the digital test. With a few minutes, a line appears on the FRER test. Within a few more seconds, the words pregnant appear on the screen. I can't believe it. I'm actually pregnant.

I called the docter this morning and went into the office for a blood test. I'm hoping to get the tests back tomorrow morning. If it is over 50 then I'll go back on Saturday for another test to see if the numbers double.

Dear god, please let this baby stick!!! I want a healthy December baby!!!

Meds messing with my body

This is my third month on the progesterone supplements, and you'd think that I'd be used to the side effects of the medication. I don't why, but the meds are hitting me a lot harder this month that the two previous months. I have had a constant headache for the best two days and I've been completely exhausted for the past two days. (I've almost fallen asleep while waiting in traffic twice.)

And now, the my stomach is a mess. From what I've read, the progesterone can make you constipated. Which is lovely and very unpleasant for a girl with Crohn's disease. One would think that I'd like not having to poop every couple of hours, but when it goes on for days, I just can't deal. I finally tool some medicine, so now I'm dealing with the cramping pains for a laxative. But at least I can poop.

Part of me thinks that maybe, because my symptoms are so bad this month, that I am pregnant. But the other half knows that that this is just wishful thinking. I mean wouldn't that just be funny now that we are finally making plans to move forward with IVF.

Only time will tell. I'm suppose to take a test on Friday, if I can wait that long.

Hope is a three letter word

IVF... for so many of us that are dealing with infertility, IVF seems like a miracle waiting to happen. Last Friday I went in for my post-coital test. After the test was complete, the RE and I discussed our next options. Since it appears that there are pelvic abrassions on one or both fallobian tubes, IUI will most likely now work for us. The doctor said it was up to Micah and I on what we did next, she would support us either way.

After a lot of discussion, we decided tomove forward with IVF since it has the highest percent of success due to my medical history. I never thought that making the decision to move to IVF would be hard. But it was. I think is some weird way I felt like we were cheating because we are moving straight to IVF. I know that is stupid. I should be excited to finally have the opportunity to finally have my baby.

Once we made the decision, it actually to a while for it all to sink in. For the first time in a long time I'm actually hopefully that in about two months or eight weeks I could be pregnant.

Now it seems like a lot of waiting, but I have a feeling it will go quickly. Next Wednesday I'm signed up to take an IVF class and afterward I'm meeting with the RE to go over my plan. I hope that I'll be able to start birth control some time after during the week of April 14.

Hope really is a three letter word.