Wednesday, July 28, 2010

My Perfect Day


That's my perfect little baby! Adorable, right? Couldn't be more perfect either! Measuring exactly 8 weeks with a heartrate of 160 bpm!!

What relief...what absolute relief! They are also calculating my due date as March 10th now...I know, due date-shmue date...baby will come when baby is ready.

Because of my previous miscarriage, my RE wants to see me again, my appointment is next Wednesday. I also see my family doctor next Thursday. One benefit is that I get more ultrasounds & more opportunities to see my precious baby!!!

What an amazingly perfect day!!! My Mom came with me again & we both saw my baby for the 1st time together. It was such a special moment to share with my Mom. She has been unbelievably supportive through this whole journey...she & I have had our disagreements & rough patches but there has been one common thread...her unconditional love. No matter how I've ever disappointed her, she has always loved me fully & unconditionally. Growing up with that has given me an excellent example of how I want to be a mother. Oh sure, I have my own opinions about some stuff that differ from hers...but when it comes to love? She's an inspiration.

I wanted also to thank everyone for all their comments on my last post. It was so cathartic to write it & put it out there...Before writing it, I was afraid to admit I was scared...it felt as though I took the power of the fear away by facing it, admitting it, sharing it...then to receive so much encouragement & well wishes really bolstered me when I needed it. So thank you all.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

7 Weeks

Today I am 7 weeks pregnant...the last 3 weeks since I found out I was pregnant have been...stressful. I have put on a positive outward facade...but inside I have been full of turmoil & fear.

From the beginning I haven't felt like I was pregnant & I just keep turning over in my mind if it's actually true or if I am headed toward another heartbreak. I am afraid to allow myself to be hopeful in order to steal myself against possible disappointment...then I think it has to be okay this time & I'm cheating myself by not allowing myself to feel the joy...it's a vicious circle.

I have exactly 3 symptoms...THREE!

1st: I have to pee ALL THE TIME...that's a good sign, right? This must mean everything is progressing okay, right? Everytime I have to get up AGAIN to go to the washroom, I feel myself get a little hopeful...then I remember that I had to pee all the time last time too...vicious circle.

2nd: I am EXHAUSTED all the time! I am so tired I want to stab myself in the eyes...even after a full 6 hours straight of sleep (between getting up to pee) & lounging all day on the couch, I am still so very tired. This has to be a good sign, right? I don't remember being this tired last time...& I get a little more hopeful...then I start thinking that maybe I'm tired because of the emotional turmoil I'm in & if I believe this is a good sign, I'm just setting myself up for a huge fall...vicious circle.

3rd: My breasts have gotten very tender & in a different way from last time...last time they hurt from the beginning & I'm sure it was a side effect of the progesterone more than the pregnancy. This time they didn't start hurting until a few weeks in & it was different...for 3-4 days they felt like they were...buzzing & they felt itchy but from the inside then they became tender...that's gotta be good, right? And the tenderness was more from the inside than just the normal period-feeling tenderness...I was really getting hopeful with this one, it seemed like such a good sign...then this morning...nothing, gone! No more tenderness at all...

I would be lying if I said I wasn't still obsessing about my low hCG levels with my betas too...sure they doubled but they doubled last time too...& don't forget that I missed 3 doses of my progesterone when I was so sure my period was starting...what if my baby was developing fine then by my not taking those 3 doses I changed the course...

Deeper than that, the fear that grips me is that if I miscarry this baby too, that will indicate a bigger issue...to miscarry once can be chalked up to a fluke of nature...the statistics say that 1 miscarriage is not an indicator of anything & "at least your body knows how to get pregnant"...but 2 miscarriages?

I believe that things happen for a reason & what's meant to be will be...after going through the process of realizing & accepting that I won't meet my soul mate in time to have my dream family...then contemplating & deciding to not accept that this means I won't be a mom...by taking control of my life & going after my dream of motherhood regardless how untraditional the method...am I supposed to believe that after all of this I may be childless in the end anyway?

After my 1st miscarriage, I was so bent on moving on, not dwelling, moving forward...I felt that I deserved the hurt & heartbreak of my 1st miscarriage but that it had earned me a place in the motherhood club...that if I just tried again as soon as possible, I'd be pregnant & it would all be worth it...now here I am & I fear the fates are breathing down my neck saying, "Not so fast, lady!"

What am I to do? Don't get me wrong, I have allowed myself to daydream about this baby & imagine a healthy pregnancy & what it will be like...but I catch myself before I get to wishful because of the vicious circle...but I've realized one very important thing: trying to remain unattached won't make a loss hurt any less.

So I wait...exactly 1 week...next Wednesday I go for my U/S...the moment of truth.

Monday, July 5, 2010

Twit

I have mentioned before about my iGoogle Homepage & the Useless Knowledge gadget...well take a look at this pearl:


I'm glad I'm not a Goldfish!!

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Very Excited!!

I can't even quite digest this all yet...I can't express exactly how sure I was that this cycle was a bust...but I am definitely pregnant!

I went yesterday for my 2nd BT & more than doubled...126.6 hCG...and as much as I would like it to be way higher, I have to remember that it's the doubling that matters & that it's higher than at this point last time!

I have my 7 week U/S on July 28th...25 days! It seems like so far away...more waiting...

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Twist of Fate

When I posted Monday evening, I just knew I was on the verge of getting my period. I was experiencing pretty intense lower back pain which is always my 1st warning that I'm about to start. Then late Monday afternoon I noticed my 1st signs of spotting...period was inevitable, right? I stopped taking my progesterone suppositories...what was the point, I might as well save them, right?

Tuesday morning (CD28), I expected to wake up to full flow...what did I wake up to? Nothing! Even my lower back pain had subsided...throughout the day I kept expecting it to come back...I mean, I wanted a CD1 so I could start the process for try #3!! But all day, NOTHING!

When I woke up this morning, still nothing! I was sure it was just taking it's time but just to put my mind at ease, I decided to take a HPT...I had a cheap one, why waste a good one, right?).

I took the test & got a 2nd line almost immediately! My 1st thought? WTF!!! I looked & looked again...I couldn't believe it!! And of course I started doubting it. How could this be? I had no symptoms whatsoever...no tender breasts, no nausea, nothing! The test was a cheap one, it was probably a false positive...

I quickly got ready & high-tailed it to my clinic for a beta...blood tests don't lie & I was sure it would come up negative...or maybe this was just a chemical...I mentioned I'd had no symptoms, right?

My nurse called at about 11:30am today...the verdict? BFP!! My 1st thought? WTF!!! I have a 51.98 hCG!!! She warned that my progesterone was very low...well, ya! I'd stopped taking it!!! I immediately hauled my ass home & deposited my suppository!!!

I can't even believe this. I was so sure this was a no go. When it felt like my period was starting, I wasn't surprised. I'm in shock that I've actually got a BFP! I don't know if it's even sunk in...

Then there's no guarantee it'll stick...I go back Friday to may sure my hCG doubles...it may not. Even though 51.98 is higher than this point last time, it's still not off the charts high...this could indicate another blighted ovum...last time I knew it wasn't my fault that I miscarried. This time? How can I not blame myself? If I had just kept taking my progesterone...okay, that's it. My 5 seconds are up...I let the fear in & now I am going to remain calm & positive.

Monday, June 28, 2010

No Need to Test...

Aunt Flo has been banging down my door all day...it also feels like she's drop-kicked me in my lower back!

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed...but what else can I do but look forward to try #3?

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

2ww Randomness

1 week down, 1 week to go...it hasn't been so bad as far as 2ww go...I'm experiencing the usual flop flopping of, "I think I feel pregnant" to "No way, this is a bust, I feel nothing"...

I bought some pregnancy tests yesterday...no, I didn't use any yet...I'm not ready to give up the dream...by not taking the test, I can still blissfully imagine that I am preggers...I bought the tests because they were on sale & thought that must be a sign...

Last weekend was dreadful...not because anything bad happened...it was actually nice in that sense, I was house & dog sitting so it felt like I was on a mini vacation...I didn't have to do anything but hang out with the dog, Murphy, a Westie who is an absolute sweetheart...it was dreadful because I didn't have much mental stimulation to distract me from thinking about whether I'm pregnant or not...I watched a bunch of movies & read a little, slept a lot...it was very relaxing & really was a great weekend but it was nice to get back to work on Monday.

Work has been extremely busy lately & I love it...1st because I love what I do & the people I work with & for & 2nd because it keeps my mind mostly occupied so I'm not obsessing...I can go whole minutes without thinking about it, lol!!

This coming weekend is a busy one (thank god!), I will be quite occupied...Saturday we're having a family BBQ at my house...which is CD25, 10dpiui, 3 days prior to expected AF...the soonest I could test...however, if I get a BFN, that'll ruin my mood for the BBQ & I don't want to do that...that takes me to Sunday, why not test then? Well, I'm taking my aunt to see The Tempest at the Stratford Festival starring Christopher Plummer on Sunday, I don't want to be bummed out for that!! So the very soonest I will test is Monday...

Also, to keep occupied, I am participating in my 1st International Comment Leaving Week...I am really getting a lot more out of it than I could have imagined...reading the inspirational stories of other women & their experiences & successes...even the heartbreaking stories are inspiring because of the unbelievable strength & bravery these women show both in how they deal with their situatons & for sharing it with the world...

Thank you to everyone for stopping by & offering your well wishes...but especially thank you to everyone for sharing these intimate parts of your lives.