# IVF Graduates thread!!



## Keria

Just wanted to start a thread for us who got their BFP after IVF


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## kewpie80

Thanks for starting this thread, Keria!

I saw the perinatalogist (sp?) this morning and he said my cervix isn't any shorter than when they saw me in the hospital. It's shorter than they'd like, so I'm still on full bedrest but he doesn't think I'm going to go into labor any time soon. In fact, he scheduled my followup for a MONTH from now. Holy batcakes! That's awesome!

Liam is measuring 2 pounds 5 oz and Maisie is 2 pounds 2 oz and he said they are looking fantastic! They threw us all for a loop and switched sides on us. Liam has been on my right for the last 14 weeks. Well, when the sonographer checked, she said, "Um, your left baby (which should have been Maisie) has a penis&#8230;" At first I panicked thinking we had 2 boys, but then she checked the other side and there was Maisie's hoohoo. So, they had completely switched sides. haha Silly babies! So, now I have no idea who might be kicking cause I had no idea they had switched in the last week and they may switch back.

The first 2 are Liam and the second 2 are Maisie


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## blueyezz4

I love this idea Keria!!!!! Good thinking!! Wonder why someone hasn't done this sooner!!! Sending you all







's and comforting thoughts as you go through your pregnancy!!!


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## Keria

Hey kewpie they are too cute did you figure out who do they look like DH says both our babies look like him ha , I'm glad you had a good appointment with your peri, will you be on bed rest till the end?

Funny about them switching sides I guess it's a good thing they are boy/girl so you know who is who, I was wondering if my little boy flipped, he's always been breech but now I'm feeling kicks pretty high. Now I wonder if they changed positions all together.

My next appointment is not until november 7 then I'll think we start doing more frequent visits. He is going to order the GD test and a bunch of other things then, I can't believe after all the needles I'm still scared of blood draws.


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## Tear78

Oh yay, fun idea! Kewpie, great pics! They definitely have different profiles: how exciting to get a glimpse of what they look like.







I had to laugh, because I searched ALL over the IVF thread looking for the u/s pics people were talking about, then I finally gave up and looked over here and voila! Keep baking those twinnies, you two!


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## kewpie80

DH thinks Liam got my mouth. He could see the 3D as they were doing it better than I could and the **** image we got doesn't show it well, so I have no idea yet. Maisie loves to have her hands either in her mouth or on her forehead, so it's been difficult to get a good shot in the last 6 or so weeks, so it'll be a while. haha

I scheduled my long 3D session for the monday before thanksgiving (21st Nov) so hopefully they will cooperate that day. I'll be taking my mom to that one with us and she is so excited.

I hope they look like either me or DH cause I have this irrational fear of embryos getting switched in the clinic. Am I alone in worrying about this?

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Keria*
> 
> Hey kewpie they are too cute did you figure out who do they look like DH says both our babies look like him ha , I'm glad you had a good appointment with your peri, will you be on bed rest till the end?


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## kewpie80

haha sorry about that. I had originally posted the pictures in that thread, but once Keria started this one, I deleted them and moved them here. It felt more appropriate.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Tear78*
> 
> Oh yay, fun idea! Kewpie, great pics! They definitely have different profiles: how exciting to get a glimpse of what they look like.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I had to laugh, because I searched ALL over the IVF thread looking for the u/s pics people were talking about, then I finally gave up and looked over here and voila! Keep baking those twinnies, you two!


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## kewpie80

I love this idea too. I love keeping up with everyone after they get their BFPs. I have no idea why no one thought of this sooner either.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *blueyezz4*
> 
> I love this idea Keria!!!!! Good thinking!! Wonder why someone hasn't done this sooner!!! Sending you all
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 's and comforting thoughts as you go through your pregnancy!!!


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## Tear78

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Kewpie80*
> 
> I hope they look like either me or DH cause I have this irrational fear of embryos getting switched in the clinic. Am I alone in worrying about this?


Absolutely not alone. We had discussed this and both felt that our DD was ours, no matter whose genes she ended up having, but we were both very relieved to see obvious trades of my husband in her. I see things in her that could totally be me, but nothing blaring, and I still sometimes wonder, though there is NO question: this is our sweet, charming, perfect girl. She has copper red hair, which would come from me and not DH: I do have some red in my hair (though more blonde). I had never really thought about it before, but it is there. My Nana had copperish-brown hair, but it definitely surprised us. We had anticipated white-blonde hair for her since that's what we both had as kids. She has very fair skin like me, and there's something about her when her eyes are closed that we think is me. Hubby went in to check on her last night and whispered "she looks like you." It definitely made my heart swell.


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## Keria

I have the same fear!, especially since we had a third sac that in theory was our little boy's identical twin, my little boy is healthy and looks great so I wonder why his twin didn't develop. I know for sure that the person next to us was having 4 embryos transferred ( thin walls), so it makes me wonder. I joke with DH that either way we'll love them and then we'll sue the clinic for millions and we'll never have to work again. But I'm pretty sure they are ours they actually put the video in your room when they are taking them from the petri dish and they were only two and the dish had my name on it.

Tear great to see you How is your little girl? did you went back to work already?

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Kewpie80*
> 
> DH thinks Liam got my mouth. He could see the 3D as they were doing it better than I could and the **** image we got doesn't show it well, so I have no idea yet. Maisie loves to have her hands either in her mouth or on her forehead, so it's been difficult to get a good shot in the last 6 or so weeks, so it'll be a while. haha
> 
> I scheduled my long 3D session for the monday before thanksgiving (21st Nov) so hopefully they will cooperate that day. I'll be taking my mom to that one with us and she is so excited.
> 
> I hope they look like either me or DH cause I have this irrational fear of embryos getting switched in the clinic. Am I alone in worrying about this?


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## rcr

Hi All. Just found out about this thread. Subbing. I love keeping up with you all.


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## renavoo

Hi ladies, I hope you don't mind my joining! I'm definitely going to be stalking the ladies on the other thread (and continue to respond to them!) but just in case anyone is sensitive about it, I'll post about the pregnancy here!

I always wondered about how it was possible they mixed up the embies in those high profile cases. At every step, they make us repeat our social security numbers, check the paperwork and jump through hoops in order to have something transferred. I love it, mind you. But then i hear about a wrong transfer and I wonder...huh, how did that happen?? I am with you, Keria...haha while I will love the baby unconditionally, i would still sue the clinic!

Kewpie, how are you feeling? there are more images!! i love how you see Maisie's arm moving towards her head!! (haha i hope that's Maisie!)

Keria, so with you about the blood draws...I think that if you don't get a good phlebotomist, it can REALLY hurt. I can't even stand to watch them draw the blood. And i always clench my fists so they end up telling me to relax.

Speaking of blood draws, I got my second one today. My first one, on 12dpt, was 1838IU/L. This one, 14dpt, was 4690IU/L. Thank goodness it's going up!! And doubling! This is good, right? ) 11/7 I'm going in for my first US because the clinic needs to make sure that it's viable so they can put it into their success records, I'm sure ) Now I'm nervous about that one!!!

I can't believe my HCG is so high and my nipples don't hurt as much. I am exhausted though. I am so excited about this score but i'm still really worried about the next steps. Any advice about how to handle the worry?

thank you!!!


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## kewpie80

*renavoo* - Yup, that one's Maisie. 

NICE beta numbers!!!! That is so awesome!! And yes, VERY good!!! I should add a few more exclamation points!!!!

As for the worry, I'm still trying to figure that out. Just take it one day at a time is all I can say. Time will always move forward.

*Keria* - haha yeah, I'd probably sue the clinic as well. That's a big deal! Our clinic made us repeat everything and had them color coded as well as my name and history number, so it's unlikely. I'll feel better once I can see some resemblance, though.


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## Keria

Hi Rena Welcome!, great news on the good number how many dpo are you again? my 19 dpo number was 3000 something,

I can't help you with the worry, except maybe keep yourself busy as much as you can. I also got a doppler at 9 weeks and hearing the heartbeats was very reassuring but you still have to wait a bit for that. In some ways the days are endless especially at the beginning but time flies, I can't believe I'm already at 23 weeks.


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## Tear78

Just have a moment and wanted to add that you worry about them once they come out, too.







I try to push out the worries with positive images and thoughts. I really struggled with PP anxiety and that helped (is helping) me a lot.

Renavoo, awesome numbers!!!


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## renavoo

Hi everyone! thanks for the encouragement! haha DH and i said that we'll stop worrying about the pregnancy when the baby gets to the point that he/she can survive outside the womb. Until then, I'm a porcelain doll. ;o) although I did just get the ok to go back to the gym and do some light elliptical workouts. i just want to get the blood flowing a little.

Tear, so funny! it's true, we'll never stop worrying again, will we. I must remind my mom how lucky she is to have such a easy daughter as myself







haha it really is amazing how I feel closer to my mom ever since even starting to try. Although she didn't have any trouble conceiving my brother or me, just knowing that she worried that same as me brings us down to the same level. My mom was always my best friend but now, there's a deeper level of understanding.

Keria, the 4690iu/L number i got was for 19dpo too (thereabouts anyway) I will find out how everything looks initially on November 7th. That's when I go to an RE's office for my first scan. I think it'll probably be too early to hear the heartbeat but I'm hopeful we will be able to find out how many are in there and whether things are looking relatively healthy! On the 18th, I will be going to my first appointment with an OB. Hopefully that goes well too. Those are my two milestones.

Keria and Kewpie, how did you handle finding out that you're having twins? Did you and DHs have an initial panic attack? I was trying to think how I would feel if I was told that I was having twins and I just don't know how I would react. Panicked seems to soft a word. haha I wouldn't mind having twins because if I did, then my family would be finished because DH and I really only wanted 2 children but the idea of taking care of two kids at once is scary, especially when we haven't had any experience at all before! Maybe I should babysit my newborn nephew...

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!


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## kewpie80

Renavoo - Nothing can prepare you for that moment when you see them on the screen for the first time. We knew it was a possibility, but seeing it is a whole other thing. At first, I felt ecstatic. We want a large family and having 2 at once would get us closer that much faster. After a few days, reality of the situation settled in and I felt very nervous. There's the added cost (though, we do live very simply and don't go for all the "gear" that so many feel they need) but still, there is extra cost that you can't avoid, like car seats, beds, and clothing and food. Then, there's the thought of taking care of 2 newborns and I worried especially about nights. What if they choose opposite schedules for sleeping and eating? Then I thought ahead a bit about 2 18 month olds running in opposite directions. I wondered if I could handle it.

Until I passed quite a number of weeks, I worried a lot about vanishing twin syndrome or losing one (esdentially the same thing, but how the body deals with it is different). VTS is when one baby stops growing and is reabsorbed by either the mother or the surviving twin. The other thing that can happen is just like a m/c but the surviving twin remains inside and is unaffected. I forget the statistics, but it happens in a lot of multiple pregnancies. My RE said it most often occurs before 6-8 weeks when most m/c happen, but it can happen at any time. Later losses usually result in a loss of both babies. I'm not trying to scare you, but it can happen and it's a good idea to be prepared for the possibility.

My SIL has a set of twins that are 2 years old right now. I have gleaned a lot of information off of her. She is pregnant with her fourth child right now (3/4 were IVF) She knows her stuff when it come to babies. She told me that when one would want to eat, she woke the other and fed them both. After about a month, they were on the same eating and sleeping schedule. I plan to follow her advice. She has a moby wrap and used that a lot to carry one of them and then she'd have the other on her hip. This helped her wrangle them when they were out of the house. As far as cost, I'm dealing with that by finding deals where I can (diapers.com had a sale recently on their britax car seats and I snagged them up) and I make a lot of things myself. (cloth diapers, crib sheets, blankets etc) So, what I'm saying is that it will probably feel overwhelming and nerve wracking at first, but given time, you'll figure out what will work for you and the fear eases up. At this point, I am very excited for them to come and I feel prepared. I will probably have a few more moments of fear, but I think all new parents do.

ETA: My DH has been excited since the beginning and unless he's hiding it from me, he hasn't shown any signs of fear.

Have you scheduled your u/s yet?


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## Keria

Rena I was scared at first, mostly because the health of the babies I was worried about prematurity and other complications with twin pregnancies, but I can safely say now that all those worries went away and I'm over the moon happy that we are having twins. Actually while the idea of triplets still terrifies me I kind of miss that one little guy that didn't develop ,we can still see him on the u/s next to our little boy and it always makes me wonder what if.


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## renavoo

Thank you Kewpie and Keria for sharing your experiences. I'm not convinced I'm having twins (and i won't be convinced either way until the US) but I know that my hcg levels are higher than the general mean of the population. So, I'm open to the possibility although, my gosh, that would be something. Funny story: I was talking to my mom and I was telling her that my hcg levels were a little high and that may mean that I would have more than one baby. She was quiet and then said, that's impossible because we don't have a family history and neither does DH. She then tried to reason it out by saying, and you didn't take any drugs and... I cringed at that one. Mom doesn't know that we went through IVF because she probably wouldn't understand it. At least i didn't think she would understand it. haha i don't know if I just made a mistake not telling her!

Kewpie, it's so wonderful that you're able to go to your SIL for help! i'm sure it'll be invaluable when you're just starting out. And yes, I'm all about looking for sales too. haha i am that way with everything though so i guess this is just another excuse ) As you were saying (and experiencing) i know that having a twin pregnancy is higher risk so I'm very concerned on that end but i would love to have twins, I think. Mostly so I don't have to think about going through IVF to have another baby after this one ;o)

Keria, i remember when you told us that the third little baby didn't develop ( that really is sad. I didn't realize you could still see him on the US. it must still hurt a little. But then you see and feel your beautiful babies moving around. Life is such a miracle! But







about your little lost, but loved, baby.


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## renavoo

Oh, i forgot, my RE wants me to go to get an US the week of 11/7. At first, I decided I wanted to go right on the 7th because I'm impatient. However, I'm not wondering if I should wait until mid week in hopes that I will hear the heart beat. What do you ladies think?

Thank you ladies for your guidance!!


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## Keria

Rena how far along will you be? I've heard people seeing the heartbeat as early as 5w5d, mine was a week later and we could see babies with their heartbeats.

We can only see the other little one because the doctor still looks for it to see if my body reabsorbed it at this point I don't think it will.


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## Tear78

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Keria*
> 
> Rena I was scared at first, mostly because the health of the babies I was worried about prematurity and other complications with twin pregnancies, but I can safely say now that all those worries went away and I'm over the moon happy that we are having twins. Actually while the idea of triplets still terrifies me I kind of miss that one little guy that didn't develop ,we can still see him on the u/s next to our little boy and it always makes me wonder what if.


DH and I were thrilled to see twins in there, though we then had to face the possible risks involved. Keria, what you described above is how I feel. In our first weeks after Anika was born we often looked at each other and said, imagine if there were TWO of them!







But at the same time, I still get a little sad when I think about the idea, or see pictures of smiling twin babies, and wonder how it would have been. Our little Baby B stopped growing at around 9 weeks and you could still see the baby and sac on u/s by the end. There was definitely a scary time when we didn't know if my body would miscarry the twin and pose a risk to Anika, but that never happened. My OB couldn't find it after birth, and I really hope that the twin didn't end up in the part of the placenta that got taken for testing. We planted what was given back to us under a raspberry bush in our yard. DH and I both are just so happy that Anika is healthy and strong, and who knows if she would have had enough resources if the twin had made it, so we focus on that without regret. Sorry, this turned into a bum-out post. I just connected with how Keria feels about her triplet. For what it's worth, Baby B was a little behind in the first few weeks (though it caught up and passed Anika the last time we saw it alive). I think probably the fact that it was behind has something to do with it not growing beyond 9 weeks.

eta - Keria, I go back to work in two weeks. waaaah!


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## renavoo

oh Tear, I'm sorry ( I didn't know that you were going to have twins and I bet that must have been difficult ( But it's so wonderful that you have your beautiful Anika with you there today. As for going back to work, ewwww! haha don't you wish you were independently wealthy so you could work only when you want to? That's a daily dream of mine.

Keria, I'm right now 5 weeks. Still so early yet! I can't stop worrying and whenever I talk to my mom about it, i always tell her not to get excited because it's so early yet and anything can happen. The earliest i would get the US would be 11/7- the order is set to come in for an US anytime this week. So I don't know if I should go in the 7th because i'm impatient or if I should go in the 9th because it'll give it a little more time. i can't wait any later because I have work meetings the 10th and 11th so I won't have time to go in the morning! I'm leaning towards waiting till the 9th.

By the way, I'm curious...according to some sites, I'm going into my 6th week since I'm at 5 weeks +; others count it as I'm going into my 5th week. I'm so confused about what is right!!! How do you ladies count it?

Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!


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## Tear78

Thanks, renavoo.







And yes, I do routinely wish I was filthy rich so I could continue living like I do now, but without working except when I want to. lol... But I wouldn't trade the lifestyle we have now: I love it!







We're definitely minimalists at heart. I'd probably buy a Playstation 3, though.









As for the u/s, I was told that at 5 weeks to just expect to see a sac and a yolk sac inside, at 6 weeks to hope to see a fetal pole, and at 7 weeks to hope to see a heartbeat. So even if you delay to the 9th and don't see a heartbeat, don't worry!

And as for counting weeks, oh that was always confusing. I always counted myself in the lower of the two until the week was completed, but that's because I was feeling superstitious about it. lol... And also then I knew that I had definitely finished that milestone by then, if that makes sense. I think you can do whatever you want, though!


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## kewpie80

I'm typing this one handed while laying on my side so forgive typos and weird stuff...









Tear and Keria - I feel so badly about your lost twin and triplet. That must have been/be so hard to see at each u/s.

renavoo - I usually count down... so if I'm 16 weeks and 3 days, I just say 16 weeks. Unless I'm the day before the next week (ex: 16w6d), and then I count up.

When I had my u/s this pregnancy at 5w4d we saw sacs and what looked like the beginning of fetal poles, but no HBs. We went in again at 6w4d and 1 had a HB that was clearly visible, and the second had one that we had to work to find, but it was there. If it were me, I'd choose to go in at a later date. When we had our u/s and saw sacs, but no HBs I was nervous for that week. I would have rather waited, but we had it done early cause of the bleeding from the SCH. If you think you can keep calm, by all means go for the earlier one, though.


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## renavoo

haha DON'T DO IT, TEAR!! We have a Playstation 3 and DH is currently playing with his friends. Battlestation something is the game, I think. If you buy it, you'll never tear yourself or DH away from it!! Just a warning. haha


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## Keria

Tear you are scaring me I'm going to have two of them lol. We are lucky to have tons of help but I'm sure we'll still be exhausted and sleep deprived the first few months. I've never drank coffee before but maybe I'll start then.

I remember about your little baby B, it's nice to know we have similar feelings about the little ones that didn't made it. I love the idea of planting what they gave you in the yard. I think DH will think I'm crazy if i tell him I want to bring placentas home. I hope you enjoy as much as possible the last two weeks home with your little one. From what I've seen the rich work 5 times as much so be careful what you wish for lol.

Rena I also like tear just say the lower week. I loved this calculator http://www.ivf.ca/fet5dayduedate.php. I think I would probably go on the 7th because I'm impatient but if you can wait a couple of more days to give your little ones some time to grow you should do it.


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## bungalowmama

Hey ladies! Thanks for starting this thread. After the "warning" on the other one I wasn't sure where to post.

Renavoo - Our first ultrasound was unplanned at 4w5d because I was having some insane swelling from late onset hyperstim. They saw "two possible gestational sacs," but no heartbeats obviously. Then our next one was at 5w5d and we saw both heartbeats flickering on the US screen and could hear baby A's. Baby B has always been at the back of my uterus and harder to get to. Both were very slow so the tech said they had probably just started beating. In terms of week counting, in my mind and to family I say 16w1d for example. But for everyone else I'd just say 16w until I hit 17w0d on Sunday. Keeps it simpler. Some people ask how many months but I hate keeping track that way since it's not as accurate and I count each week (and day) as a milestone.

Keria and Kewpie - When did y'all feel the babies move for the first time? People keep asking me, but I don't think I've definitively felt anything yet. I wonder if it's supposed to happen earlier with twins? It would be a comfort to feel them, but my constant morning sickness is reassuring at least.

We're starting to think about fixing up the nursery. I don't want to do it too early, but I also don't want to get in a situation where I'm not able to be up and about and do it the way I want. We'll probably hold off on the cribs, etc. until December when I'll be 24w but I am looking at little things now. And thinking about diapers since we're planning on cloth after the newborn stage. It still seems like I'm "playing house" you know?


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## kewpie80

bungalow - I *think* I felt some kicks at 14 weeks, but I know for sure I did at about 16 weeks. I could hear them through the doppler as well as feel them, so I knew that was definitely what I was feeling. Yep, you can feel twins sooner. My OB said that they are easier to feel early because of the cramped quarters.

I started on the nursery very early for the same reason you mentioned and I'm glad I did cause I was on modified bedrest by week 22 and strict bedrest at the end of my 23rd week. A friend of mine is also pregnant with twins and she's a week behind me and went on bedrest exactly a week after I did. It's not all done but the crib is up and the dresser is set up with early clothes and diapers.

A friend of mine is finished having kids and she brought over *6 large boxes* of clothes and cloth diapers! And as she was leaving she said that was just for 0-3 months. She had 2 girls, so Maisie will be well dressed. DH assures me that Liam won't care being a boy.







We have picked up some cute clothes for him, we're just not swimming in stuff like we are for Maisie.

If any of you all would like some girl stuff, I am very willing to mail you some if you pay for shipping. Seriously!


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## tenzinsmama

Hi everyone, I've finally made it over to this thread! It's been a crazy week, after the excitement on Friday of seeing the heartbeat on u/s and knowing that everything is looking good, and then the worry for my DS who has some kind of bug he's fighting. So we are trying to make sure he is not getting dehydrated, and at the same time trying to get him to eat a little so that he keeps his strength up. I'm confident that it's just a flu or cold bug, but still, it's so hard to see him not feeling good.

Anyway, I've just read through all of the posts, and I'm trying to remember what everyone has said. One thing that sticks out for sure, is the discussion about the losses of the twin/triplet. That must have been so hard to learn of that, and then, to continue to see the little one on u/s. I think parenting is the hardest but most rewarding job in the world, and it really does start when they are in the womb, doesn't it.









About the counting of weeks... I am currently 8 weeks 1 day. On Sunday I'll be 9 weeks, O days. Depending on who asked me, I would say just that I'm 8 weeks, or I would give the weeks and days. From what I've read, I could do as some women do, and say that I'm in my 9th week right now. I guess it is a matter of preference for people. I like saying the days with the weeks, because every day that goes by and I'm still carrying this little one, I'm feeling so happy and grateful that I want to acknowledge it. It's like a huge milestone for me!

I was wondering about getting a doppler... When I was pregnant with my DS, once the heartbeat could be heard through a stethoscope, I was content enough with that (my DH is a paramedic, so he has one and is up on that stuff)-- he would listen and tell me that he could hear the heartbeat, so it was really reassuring. I only heard it a couple of times, since I have a moderate hearing loss and I don't have hearing aids, and it's so soft through the stethoscope. However, with a doppler, DH asked me if it would cause me anxiety if I couldn't pick up a heartbeat all the time during the early weeks, if the baby moved, or if my placenta was in the front again... he knows me too well! But, I'm thinking about it. For those of you who have one, has it been a good purchase for you, and does it ever happen much that you have trouble locating the heartbeat?

I guess that's it for now... I hope you all have a wonderful day!


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## blueyezz4

*Renavoo* - This is the site i found that was really helpful to figure out dates. Not sure if it is the same one as someone posted above or not but figured i'd throw it out there. http://www.ivf.ca/duedate.php

*Kewpie* - I had looked for the u/s pics as well on the other thread at first and couldn't find them and then came over here and was so excited see your little ones. So cute! Are those 3D ones you ordered by the dr or are you paying for them separately?

*Bungalowmama*- after i posted my post on the other page i came here and saw that you had already found this site.... yeah!!!!

*Hi to everyone else.... Keria, Tear, Tenz and anyone else i missedi! Hoping to be able to join you and not just stalk here soon. Fingers crossed!!!!*


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## Keria

*Bungalowmama* I guess I was one of the slow ones to feel movement, I think I may have felt "something" around 18 weeks, but I didn't feel like wow someone just kicked me until closer to 20. DH has only begun to feel them since last week or so. My placentas are posterior so that was not it. The babies have always been super active on the u/s so maybe I'm not that sensitive lol.

Tenzin I'm glad that you got to see your little one's heartbeat on the u/s. I got a doppler and love it, I had a bit of trouble at first knowing who was who but after they got a little bigger I had no problem finding both heartbeats.

We bought everything but have not set up anything yet, we were planing to move before the babies arrived but at this point I don't think it's going to happen so we might as well make a little temporary nursery in our office.

Kewpie wow that's a lot of stuff, poor Liam lol. We have some clothing but not tons. I was wondering if the NB stuff will be too big since twins are usually smaller and they'll come at the 38th week at the latest but I don't want to buy preemie

Blue Nice to see you here, I'm really hoping you can officially join in about 11 days.


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## tenzinsmama

Keria, my DS was three weeks early-- he weighed 6 lbs. I only had regular newborn clothes for him, but I found that some of the things still kind of fit... it didn't really matter for some of the items. But then, we still had to go out and buy a couple of preemie ones. They sure didn't fit for very long though! It's not like they cost less, either.

I really, really liked the outfits I had for him that didn't have any legs, it was like a 'dress' but it was gathered in at the bottom with a large opening that was loosely elasticized. Great for doing a diaper change quickly and easily, especially in the middle of the night-- the snaps are a pain sometimes, especially with a little one who is squirmy.

If you love your doppler, then I might just need to go and buy one...

Blue, I hope 11/11/11 brings you over here!


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## kewpie80

*Tenzin* - I got my doppler when I was around 9ish weeks. I never had any trouble finding the HBs except for the first 2-3 times I used it. But, I also knew right where the babies were cause they had been located by u/s and I paid close attention. WIthout that knowledge, it probably would have been harder. For me, it's been a godsend and has saved my sanity.

I've been told those "cinch at the bottom" gowns are great and so I got a whole heap of them at a consignment for about $1 each. I think I have 20 of them in both boy and girl colors in sizes up to 6 months. lol They look like they'd be great for diaper changes!

*Blue* - The 3D was just a for fun freebie that the tech did for us. They didn't charge us. I do have a long 1 hour session scheduled the monday before thanksgiving to get videos and more 3D images and that one we are paying for. It's expensive, but we figure we've waited so long, we're going for all the fun pregnancy stuff in case this is our only pregnancy.

*Keria* - DOn't feel badly about not feeling them as early. I think I've mentioned this before, but I have had one full term pregnancy once before (the child was placed for adoption) and so I knew what it felt like beforehand. That makes a big difference in how early you feel kicks. Anatomy makes a difference too, I'm sure. I'm short (barely over 5 feet) so the babies are pushed really far forward. I don't know how tall you are, but that may make a difference too.

I've had a difficult time deciding on clothes sizes as well. I bought 1 preemie boy pajama set for $1 at a consignment sale and I figure that will get me through a day or two if he's really small. Because of my friend, I've got oodles of preemie girl stuff and I can stick Liam in something in a pinch. My SIL's twins and a friend of mine from school both had large twins that were 6-7 pounds and were too big for preemie stuff. So, who knows what will happen.

I'm predicting that I will deliver within the first couple of weeks in december (just a hunch) which would put me around 31-33 weeks. We could expect them to be about mid 3 pounds to mid 4 pounds at that age.


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## renavoo

Hi everyone,

Kewpie, WOW, then you're thinking that you're going to be giving birth pretty soon!! That's beyond exciting...I can't wait to hear the news.

DH and I are all about buying clothing and other stuff cheaply. I think my brother went on ebay and got a few pieces of equipment that normally sell for hundreds of dollars for like 25 dollars. It's such an amazing deal and I'm all for it. As for clothing, they grow out of the clothing so quickly that it doesn't seem worth it to spend too much money on it! So I'll definitely be looking for bargains when I finally feel comfortable about this pregnancy. (why isn't it past 12 weeks yet?! haha)

Tenzins, i may join you and get the doppler too. i hear that the one danger is that some people have trouble using it and then they just never hear the heart beat and they get stressed. But i think it would be wonderful to have, just in case.

Keria, wow, move before the babies arrive? That would be a lot to take on. If you were going to move, would you be moving much further away? Or would you be staying in the area but just moving houses?

Bungalow, thanks! It's so exciting that you're getting started on preparing for the babies!! You are going to do the gender scan and find out the sexes right? That's your next milestone, isn't it? I can't wait to find out what you are going to have!

Blue, I want you and Belly here by the end of the month. haha that would be my dream!!

AFM, nothing happening here. Some slight nausea (but at night) and breasts still hurt a little but i'm a little worried about the lack of symptoms. I hope it is because it is still so early (5 weeks 2 days) and I'm hoping that I regret saying that when I finally do get symptoms but i really would like something!! Otherwise, i may go POAS again soon! Maybe it was all a dream... ) And, now, I'm thinking that I will be going to get the us on the 7th because I just can't wait anymore!!

Hope everyone has a great day!


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## kewpie80

renavoo - Yeah, I'm thinking 4-6 weeks from now. I'm excited but also freaked a little bit. I'm hoping they stay in longer, of course, but I've just got that feeling, ya know? I hope I'm wrong. I'm mainly freaked because I worry about them being ready enough to be born early. It helps that I've had those steroid injections. There's a lady in my DDC who had her baby 2 weeks ago and he was the same gestational age then that my babies are now. It was kinda neat to see pictures and know my babies looked similar. He's breathing well without assistance, so that's pretty awesome.

My other worry is just handling the newborn period. I've heard some pretty horrific stories and I wonder how well I'll cope since DH and I are pretty much alone and he works a LOT. We have my mom nearby, but she's blind (she can see little bits of things that are close, but not really enough to help) and she can't drive. I haven't lived in NC very long and only know a couple people and they all have 2-3 kids themselves.

I'm hoping we get lucky and have really easy going babies.









I totally get that "looking for symptoms" stage in early pregnancy. I was the same way. I had days where they would disappear and I'd freak and then the next day it'd come back with a vengeance. I noticed that my symptoms seemed to come in waves when I'd have a growth spurt. I'd feel tired and hungry one day and then I'd feel lots of stretching and pressure the next and then I'd be sick as a dog and then a couple days of feeling good. That's repeat over and over (actually still does) It might have all been in my head, but it made me feel better to think of it that way.


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## Keria

Kewpie I would never guess you were short form your pictures for some reason you looked really tall to me I'm 5'4 so not that much taller. I just went to your DDC and looked at the pictures of the little guy he is so cute and sounds like he is doing great. Can you believe you have 2 of those in there? My doctor told me that after 28 weeks babies do really well, they spend some time in the NICU but the majority of them don't have any complications. I'm still hoping that they stay in for as long as possible.

Does your DH gets paternity leave?, hopefully you will get easy babies, even though they seem to be little trouble makers already.

Rena I did'nt have much symptoms until 6-7 weeks so don't worry about that. Nov 7 will be right here before you know it.

We currently live with my parents they are great and have a big place but we are ready to buy a place of our own, so far we haven't found anything that we love. So we'll probably stay here until we do. It's probably for the best that way my parents can help us with the babies at first. They are super excited these will be their first grandchildren.

Thank you guys for the advice about clothing, I think I'll buy one thing preemie for each just in case. I need to get some gowns as well.


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## kewpie80

Keria - DH gets 2 weeks paternity leave and he is able to work from home afterward for a while if he needs to. That's great that you'll have live-in help in the beginning. I bet that'll help tons! My MIL *might* be able to come out and help us for a little while.


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## tenzinsmama

Kewpie, in the city here where I live, there is a non-profit organization called Made by Momma-- it's a bunch of volunteer moms who "provide wholesome nourishment and nurturing care to mothers and young children"... so, meals, some childcare, some light housekeeping, dog walking, etc-- whatever is needed. So, if a person is overwhelmed, has post-partum, is ill, or whatever, they can come to your house and help with things. I found out about it after I had my DS, and while I didn't use them then, I would certainly consider it this time around. I think now, looking back in that first year of having my DS, I was feeling overwhelmed at times, but in denial (not to myself, but to the 'outside')... my DS was not one of those 'easy' babies when it came to a lot of things. Anyway, maybe there is something like that where you live?


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## renavoo

You ladies are so fantastic! You're all definitely helping to keep me calm ) I wonder if I had a little mild nausea today...check that. I had mild nausea today but i just don't know if it was more mental than real. haha my mind playing tricks on me?









Kewpie, it really must be scary that you don't have a good support system in place for when the babies comes. However, from what I hear, no one is ever completely ready and what ends up happening is you just DO it. You seem like an extremely efficient and self sufficient. You'll do great! haha I wonder if your MIL will end up coming over more than you want her to once the babies are here?









Keria, oooh I bet that your parents are excited about their first grandchildren! I'm asian so I come from a culture where it's absolutely normal to live with your parents and have them help with the children. My mom doesn't live too far away although too far away to come to see our child everyday but I often wish she was closer, especially since I feel like this process will make us even closer. I adore my mom and since getting older, my respect for her has grown. It's so much fun, now, to have my mom call every couple of days to remind me to drink a lot of milk or eat a lot of veggies and fruits. All things I know but i love that my mom is giving me advice again.









Tenzins, how are you doing? That organization sounds really cool, by the way! i don't know if there is something like that in NYC but I'm sure it would be needed where ever someone lived. I heard that sometimes, becoming a new parent could actually be a little alienating, especially for the mother, who has to stay home 24/7 with the baby the first few months. But having the company and help of these women would probably alleviate some of that isolation. If I was you, I would definitely take advantage, when your little baby comes!

I'm so exhausted now so I think it's time for me to go to sleep!! Hope everyone has a wonderful night!


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## Keria

Rena 4 more days till your u/s I have an u/s that day as well. It's normal here tas well to live with the parents because this freaking city is so expensive it's really hard for a young couple to get their own place. DH is canadian and think it's crazy that we are living with my parents lol. Especially since we lived by ourselves when we were in Canada and he has lived on his own since he was 18. We finally have the money for the down payment and hopefully we'll find a great place soon. I'm really close to my parents as well and we get along great.

Kewpie hopefully your MIL can go and help but if not I'm sure you'll manage. One hting that I've read is that you should not worry about landry or cleaning as long as everyone is alive byu the en d of the day that's what matters.


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## tenzinsmama

Hi everyone, I hope all is well with each of you.

Ummm, not sure about the doppler now... DH looked into it and it would cost $500 for one. We could rent one for $40 a month, though... still thinking on it. If I rented it, I wouldn't do it for the whole time, just maybe this next month, but we'd have to order it online and I'm not sure how long it would take.

Not much else happening here... no news is good news!


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## Keria

Tenzin look on ebay, there are some dopplers there for 29,99 I think


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## kewpie80

tenzin - I paid $50 for my doppler and it works well. If you want the site info, I might still have it somewhere.


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## renavoo

Wow, Kewpie, if you could let me know what brand it is, that would be great!! I went on Amazon and saw a couple of them but I don't know which is the best one to buy! How are you feeling?

Keria, It'll definitely be nice to have your parents support when the babies come! I hope that your US turns out great! Is it just a check in?


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## kewpie80

Whoops... it was actually $100... It's been a while since I bought it and was remembering wrong. This is the site where we got it

http://ababyoutlets.com/hi_bebe_fetal_doppler_bt200.htm

We got the BT-200. It's 2MHz. It looks like they now have a 3MHz for $20 more. It came with the u/s gel which I have yet to use up.

I started using mine at 9 weeks.

I also looked at the sonoline B and I've heard really good things about that one too from multiple people.

ETA: I've been feeling pretty good. I gained 3/4 of an inch on my belly this week and it's starting to get really heavy. I'm now 53 inches around.







DH and I are placing bets as to whether or not I will be bigger around than I am tall by the end.


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## BellyBean

Hi Ladies, I thought I would pop over here and see what was going on! I mean "technically" I am an IVF graduate from 2009  haha. I am excited for my beta today, but worried too! Worried it will be too low or too high...I know DH says I "like to thread the needle" all the time! Ideally for us, there is just one little bean in there, but we would certainly be happy with 2 as well. It would just take a little adjustment.

Renavoo, you made me laugh about your mom and her saying it was impossible for you to be having 2!  We also haven't told anyone, but if there were 2 I think most people would suspect (since I lost a tube and all). Not sure what I would tell people. Can't wait to hear how your u/s goes today!!!!!! My clinic would do my first u/s the week of Thanksgiving, I need to figure out how many weeks I would be by then...if my beta numbers are good.

Kewpie, wow December is right around the corner!! I am so excited to see your beautiful little ones!

Keria, congratulations on looking for a new house. I am one of the weird people who like moving and the "fresh" start involved. It's nice you will still be close to family though. Both of our parents live within 20 miles and it has been so nice having them around.

Tear, sorry you have to go back to work, but it looks like you were able to take a lot of time off to spend with Anika. I am so far ahead of myself, but if I were to have a singleton from this transfer, my due date would be 7/15 

On the "mix up" topic, I got really freaked out at my new clinic, because my first blood draw the lady asks me to look at the sticker to verify the information and my last name was spelled wrong - but it was another common last name! I was really freaked and wanted to go through my whole file looking for any other name errors. She said she had just mispelled it when she typed it and not to worry, but I it has stayed in the back of my mind.


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## kewpie80

Belly - I saw your beta # on the other thread. Fantastic!! I am so excited for you! Yikes aboiut the name mixup!! Wow, that would so freak me out too. I've had a dream or two where I gave birth to african american babies and that's how we found out about a "mixup."

renavoo - I'm bringing this over from the other thread too... Some info that I've gotten from family and friends with twins... Of course take and use what you want and discard the rest.









http://www.amazon.com/Youre-Expecting-Twins-Triplets-Quads/dp/0061803073/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320705327&sr=8-1 this book has been recommended to me multiple times over and I've read it twice now. The only thing that I disagree with it on is the rate of weight gain. They say to gain it as quickly as you can by 24 weeks. Their reasoning makes sense, but I was really freaking myself out in the beginning cause all I was doing was losing. After talking to a bunch of other twin mamas, I've found that my rate of growth is pretty typical. (gained slowly or lost in the first trimester, gained slowly in the second, and then gain rapidly in the end of second and all of third)

Some advice I got from SIL and I am SOO glad I listened is to slow down and take it easy as much as you can. Especially once you get towards the end of second trimester and onward. Twin pregnancies measure 6-8 weeks ahead of a singleton so it's quite a bit rougher on your body. My OB told me that it is very common to be put on bedrest at least once when you have twins, so try to prepare a little bit ahead of time. A singleton pregnant mom can spend third trimester getting ready for the birth and setting up, where a twin mom really needs to do this in second trimester.

After the birth, for getting the babies on the same schedule, when one gets hungry, wake the other and feed them at the same time. I've been told that after about 4 or so weeks, they will line up and wake up together and get hungry together.

I'm sure I'll think of other things, but these are the ones that popped into my head. I'm sure Keria and Bungalowmama will have some good ideas too.









AFM - We moved my 3D us up a week, so it'll be a week from today. We had an OB appt this morning and she said that earlier is better than later with twins since they get cramped so early and it's difficult to see their faces after a certain point. So, you all can expect to be bombarded with 3D pics next monday... I spent part of the weekend in the hospital again. It felt like one of the babies was falling out. It was an odd feeling. It felt like someone was scraping their fingernails over my cervix and then I had shooting pains through my vagina and then TONS of pressure like the head was pushing down. It turns out it's just a bladder infection. The bladder is so close to the cervix I couldn't tell the difference, I guess. They put me on an anitobiotic and it has a warning that it will change urine colors... and sorry if this is TMI, but they weren't kidding. It looks like I've been drinking yellow highlighter pen ink.







Good news is my cervix is staying put where it was at my last measurement and my last 2 fetal fibronectin tests have come back negative, so that means the likelyhood of me going into labor in the next 2 weeks is less than 2%. So, I should at LEAST hit 30 weeks!


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## Keria

Rena Yay for strong heartbeats, I didn't believe it either until I saw the two little ones in there.

Woohoo belly Yay for a great Beta. The mix up would freak me out too but I'm sure everything is fine. And I'm sorry to tell you this but I think you'll be joining us with TWINS.

We had a long day at the doctors office, the u/s was good the babies are looking more like babies and less like little aliens and all parts are accounted for. It seems like both babies have fallen a bit on their growth curve my little boy has always measured ahead and today he was measuring 2 days behind and my little girl was measuring 1 day behind on the last u/s and today she measured 6 days behind, the doctor wasn't concerned but I am. I'm feeling a little guilty because I stopped taking my prenatals a while ago and with the holidays coming I have had more work than usual. I'll start back with my vitamins and try to take it easy. Hopefully they'll catch up by the next u/s.


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## renavoo

Kewpie, THANK YOU FOR THE ADVICE!!! It is so invaluable to have people like you on the forums who are so willing and wonderful to share your advice. haha I went on amazon yesterday right after I found out and I saw this book so I immediately got it on my kindle. I started reading already! i loved that it said that i should eat ice cream if I'm unable to drink whole milk (I can only drink skim milk and I love skim milk) hehe i told my DH and he said that the book was definitely written for me. ;o) But yeah, their rate of weight gain scared me a bit...I just can't imaging eating as much as they are saying...I barely feel the urge to eat at all...I eat because I basically force the food into me since i know i need to but these days, I'm feeling quite nauseated. I'm not vomiting, so that's good but I know it's early yet.

Ugh to a bladder infection!! Is it starting to resolve with the medication they gave you? hehe very nice electric pee. i know this is off subject but when you described the urine, i immediately thought about mountain dew. ugh right? hahaah I cannot wait to see your 3D US!! Did you request it or does your ob typically just like to do those regularly? I know you didn't get to get one of Maisie last time so it's catch up time! And YAH to making it to week 30. Now just a few more weeks after that and you're golden.

Keria, I'm sure that the babies go through growth spurts and slow down only to get better again. However, out of curiosity, why did you stop taking your prenatals? Were they giving you stomach aches? I hear that a lot and seriously, my pills are horse pills...they are huge! i'm sure the one day, the nausea will get the better of me and I'll definitely have trouble swallowing them! as for working, i'm completely with you. I was just told that i have a big project to work on on top of all the work i currently have and I'll have to travel to San Diego in the beginning of Dec for a presentation. I'm already really bad about flying and sleeping when I'm traveling...this will just make it worse. I don't know if I need to talk to my boss to let them know that I need to take it easy or what? I mean, I don't plan on slacking but I also can't work until 10pm every night!! (typically, my hours are around 9-7pm but projects like this new one often necessitate working extra time)

Belly,







I'm so happy you're here!!! I also would get freaked out like you did, if that happened but , the clinic seems pretty buttoned up so I'm sure it really was just a clerical error. Hopefully, your beautiful beta numbers have now calmed your anxiety about that. haha there is so much else to be anxious about!!!

Seriously, I can't describe how happy I am for you that you're here. Stories like yours make the hardship all worth it!

Hugs ladies!!


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## blueyezz4

*Keria* - praying that the little ones catch up and keep growing strong. I guess it is good that your dr isn't as concerned b/c i'm sure if it was a big issue for them they would have said something.

*Kewpie* - how scary!! I'm glad it was just a bladder infection. Hope the antibiotic helps to clear it all up. That is the last thing you need right now.

*Tenzi* - how are you feeling? What is next for you?

*Renavoo* - good to see your name over here. Hope you get your book read and don't freak out. I remember that time for us, at first i was so overwhelmed thinking i needed to get 2 of everything and how stress I was, but after a while that initial shock got better and wore off. Deep breaths!!!


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## kewpie80

*renavoo* - haha yeah, mountain dew is exactly how I'd describe it. The pressure feeling has decreased, but now I've got fully fledged burn-when-you-pee complete with spasms, so I'm not a happy camper today, especially since I drink about a gallon of water per day. Ugh! I can't wait till it's over. I've been practicing positive thinking and relaxing when it hurts really bad. Not quite the same as a contraction, but any practice is better than none, right?

Some tricks I've picked up for drinking a lot of water as long as I'm on the subject: sliced cucumber in ice water is SO good. Lemon/lime added is pretty well known, but I really didn't try it until recently. Decaff tea and coffee counts towards water intake. I found drinking through a straw helps me get it down faster. Oh, and an ounce of fruit juice added to 2 cups of water flavors it just enough to make it interesting, but doesn't add a lot of sugar.

For eating, I SOOO didn't want to eat for weeks. I feel ya on that one. SOmetimes it was cause I was sick, but also food just didn't appeal to me. When I got to around 18 weeks, my appetite picked up and now I'm famished if I go more than 1.5 hours between snacks/meals.

For the 3D u/s, the OB does it for "fun." It costs extra, but we figure it's worth it.


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## Keria

Thanks blue doctor wasn't concerned because he said that at this point the u/s measurements are not that exact, also they seem to have long arms and legs but the abdominal circumference was throwing the measurements down so I guess they are just really skinny. Hopefully they'll chub up soon.

Rena I read "somewhere" that after 12 weeks the brain and nervous system is completely developed so it wasn't necessary to keep taking them. I stopped around 19 weeks because I was tired of taking pills. That sounds hard I would speak to your boss about taking it easy, you'll be in the middle of your first tri and everyone is different but at that point I was exhausted all the time. Hopefully your boss will be understanding.

Kewpie looking forward to your 3d pics.


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## kewpie80

I talked a lot with the OB yesterday about birth plans. I'm not making a birth plan per se, but I want to have some general idea of what I want to do in different situations. When I gave birth to my birthson 15 years ago, I did it without any drugs at all. I'm not 100% sure, but I think they gave me pitocin to bring contractions on harder, and it was really bad. It's kind of giving me anxiety, so I'm going to ask that they avoid it unless I REALLY need it. If they induce me, it will probably be necessary, but I'm really doubting they'll need to induce me with my recent history...

I talked to her at length about epidurals too. If this were a singleton, I'd probably opt out of having one, but the chance of emergency c-section is so much higher, not to mention the higher risk that they will need to do a breech extraction or turn baby B, I'm really leaning toward wanting one. If it turns to an emergency, they will do a general anesthesia and intubate me and DH will not be allowed in, so we'd both miss the birth. If I already had an epi, they could add a spinal block really easily.

DH is NOT a fan of epidurals cause he's been told some things that scared him. He was told that it can make the labor longer and stress the babies and his SIL (married to his brother) told him that it caused them to lose her baby's heartbeat and he came out blue and had to be resuscitated. I talked to an anesthesiologist when I was at Duke and also the OB yesterday and they both said it was very unlikely the epi that caused it and probably either the cord or something else. The OB said that the epi can make pushing last longer cause you can't feel the muscles to use as well, but it usually gets you to transition faster cause you are so relaxed. DH is still scared of them and I just don't know what to do. I would be CRUSHED if I had to miss the birth to go under a general and I'd never forgive myself. I also am worried that I will freak out and tense up and stall. DH wants to just wait and see what happens when we get there, but I'm a planner and want to have a good idea of what I plan to do ahead of time. Ugh...


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## kewpie80

Keria - I somehow missed your post yesterday... I hope the babies catch up! That would make me so nervous! Is this a sudden change or have they been lagging a little more each time?


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## Keria

Kewpie, It was only this recent scan in all the previous scans they have been measuring right at or ahead of their gestational age. I'll have anotehr scan in 3 weeks we'll see what how they look then.

I have not begun to think about birth plans right now both babies are breech so we'll see where do they end up. I'm thinking I will want an epi for the same reasons you mentioned. Can the anesthesiologist reassure your DH about the epi?


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## BellyBean

Keira, I am glad your peri isn't worried about the babies. I hope the next u/s shows them back on track!

Kewpie, I went about 20 hours of back labor without the epi and was only 1cm dialated (which i was the week before at my last ob appt). I got the epi, was able to take a few cat naps between the checks every 15 mins and was fully dialated in a couple hours with no more pain. It was crazy! But I agree the pushing was harder because I couldn't feel the contractions. If I were in your shoes and there was a risk for emergency c-section, I would want to be awake instead of knocked out. I hope you are starting to feel better!

Renavoo, how much weight do they want you to gain? Since I had a singleton, I only ate when I was hungry, but I am sure it is different with twins! They wanted me to gain 25-30lbs total, but I am not sure if they told me by trimester. I have a couple friends that gained 70+ pounds with singletons  Did you tell your mom it is for sure twins yet? What did she say?!?

AFM, second beta today...definitely worried about it. I am scared this is going to be a cruel joke. I have already let myself start "dreaming" about how it will be, and I just don't want the carpet ripped out from under me. If this beta is on track I am going to call my OB and get some appointments set up. That way I can have 2 u/s at my RE and then at least 1 more with the OB. I need to see this baby!!


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## Keria

Belly when will you hear? I'm sure you 'll get a great number. And yes teh TWW for the u/s is hard


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## renavoo

Hi ladies!! Hope all is going well.

Belly, just wanted to say that I'm rooting for you and hoping you get a great beta result today! I'm going to see my ob next friday so I'll hear about my weight gain requirements then. i think that all the sites/books suggests a 40-50 pound weight gain with twins.

sigh, I had some brown spotting and cramps today. Not to mention the heartburn and nausea from hell. I'm so worried! I contacted my nurse who said that it's normal, especially since I'm using endometrin still but I hate spotting!

it's been a crazy work day too so I have not been having a good day. But right now, i decided to hide in my office and just take a load off to relax.

Until my next meeting, anyway!

Kewpie, DH knows I'm completely gungho about an epidural. haha I want the route that gives me the least pain possible. I hope your DH comes around!! It's not like he's the one who has to deal with the pain of giving birth!


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## BellyBean

Renavoo/Keira, hopefully I'll hear soon. They normally call earlier so I am not sure if I should be worried or not?!

Renavoo, how many endometrim do you take each day? Do you have some come out? With my old capsules I expected it since it was more pasty, but since these are pills I was surprised I was seeing so much come out. I am taking 3xday, plus 200mg oral progesterone 2xday. Sorry you are having the spotting  Everytime I have a cramp out of nowhere, I start to worry. I wish I was like my friends that don't have a care in the world and don't go see their OB until 12 weeks, just assuming everything is fine!

I wonder if my symptoms have changed/reduced because I went from PIO to the oral/vaginal? Here's hoping that is what happened and not something much worse.


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## tenzinsmama

Renavoo, ugh, I hear you on the spotting. I'm glad the nurse didn't seem to be too concerned (they must see that a lot) but still, I wish it wasn't happening for you! You don't need that, on top of a crazy day at work. I hope you are home now and relaxing. And that your day tomorrow is much better-- no spotting, no bad heartburn and nausea. Keep us posted.


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## tenzinsmama

Blue, thanks for asking... I've been feeling really exhausted, and have had some nausea. I was also really grumpy yesterday with my DH about household things (feeling overwhelmed and tired and like I'm never going to keep up with things). I hardly ever get moody, so it really bothers me... Anyway, I'm hoping some of that will ease up soon, and I'm thinking that finishing up the prometrium and estrace this Sunday will help with that. It's a lot of different going through this pregnancy than with my DS, that's for sure. In a lot of ways, actually. We've got our first midwife appointment on the 25th, and then a couple days after that we have the NT scan. I'm feeling less anxious the closer I get to 12 weeks... except when I read about how a couple of people in the June DDC have sadly experienced m/c around the 10 week mark... hopefully the NT scan will bring good news, too. How are you doing? I've got everything crossed for you! I hope Abby is being a good girl, and keeping you busy (but not in a crazy way, by jumping around and stuff!).


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## Keria

Rena, I'm sorry about the spotting, for some reason spotting is really common on IVF pregnancies hopefully it will go away soon.

Here are a couple of pics of my little monsters from the u/s

little girl



little boy


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## renavoo

Keria, AWWWWW!!! Hey, did you name the babies yet? It's so exciting to see their image! I'm so happy we live in this age where we can do this. Imagine if we lived in an age or place where we couldn't do this and we had no idea about anything until they popped out at 40 weeks!!

Tenzins, ugh, yeah I totally get what you mean about the moodiness. the worst part is that I'm moody to everyone, including my boss! i probably need to tell him sooner than later. It's just that work is really stressful and I'm not feeling like my boss is running things well. He's in this mindset of doing extra work for clients who didn't ask for the work. That wouldn't be too bad if it wasn't for the fact that I have multiple clients and I'm trying to not push myself as hard. I'm lucky I'm really efficient because I feel like if I wasn't, I'd have trouble coming home at all! haha when i do come home, i don't do ANY household stuff. The place is getting really messy. I've decided, though, that things can hold off until I feel better because i usually come home and just crash. Luckily DH doesn't mind and in fact, he's picked up the slack, doing the grocery shopping and the laundry and once in a while, he'll even clean!

Belly, I take endometrin three time a day too. And yes, a lot leaks out. I've gotten quite used to panty liners. Wow, you're taking a lot of progesterone!! Don't worry, you're getting enough so it'll be ok. I think the symptoms just come and go...they have for me. A lot! So I am sure you're ok. But invest in panty liners...you're going to need them. haha i take estrace as well so blue discharge is the norm. Ah, December 3rd is when i get to stop and i'm really excited about that day!

Kewpie, how are you doing and feeling?


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## BellyBean

Renavoo, I am exactly 2 weeks behind you so I hope to be off all my drugs mid December!!! I can't wait either!! I just want this baby(ies) to be safe in there! My progesterone on Monday was 50+ and yesterday was 100+ so I definitely think I am getting enough!!! I wonder if they will have me reduce it next week when I go in for my final beta/progesterone/E2 test? I hope so, because I think most of my nausea is from that.

Keira, what beautiful babies!!!! I can't wait to see their "real" pictures next year!

Kewpie, is your next 3D ultrasound next week? Can't wait to see those photos too!

Tenzi, I have been reading WAY too much information on miscarriages, I think it's best not to think about it much at all! I think the NT scan will really set your mind at ease and hopefully a heartbeat will help me 

AFM, I really let the house go to crap this week since I have been so nervous about all the blood tests! I better try to get some cleaning done today! Oh and my MIL is coming over again so I might sneak to Starbucks while she watches DD and have a hot chocolate or apple cider and read a book....doesn't that sound like a wonderful "break".


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## BellyBean

So along with my AFM, I guess I should ask how much caffiene (if any) you guys are still drinking. I read under 150mg is okay. Some days I go without any and some days I have 50-75mg. With my DD, I had about 50mg/day and although everything is fine, I am a lot more nervous this time and don't want to take any chances...what do you guys think/do?


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## kewpie80

renavoo - I'm feeling...ok. Liam (if he's still on my left) has learned a new trick. He is big enough now that when he stretches out, he can press his feet against my rib cage and his head is RIGHT against my cervix and he's learned that he can stretch and press against both at once. It's very ouchy! He's been at it for a day and a half now and I'm starting to feel bruised. I told him last night that I'm very proud of him for being so big and tall, but to please knock it off!. haha With his head right where it is and since he's dropped slightly, I feel like I have a shotput ball in my vagina. I'm definitely waddling these days.

Belly - Yeah, my 3D is this monday! Woohoo!

As for the caffeine, I'm not much of caffeine person, so I really haven't changed anything. I drink maybe 1-2 cups of coffee per week and it's decaff maybe half the time. I don't drink hardly any soda while pregnant (trying to keep blood sugar in check) and when I do, it's caffeine free diet coke. That I limit to 2-3 per week cause of the aspertame. I'm not a big chocolate person either. I do enjoy it, but I don't crave it. If I did drink more caffeine, I would keep it to one single 8oz-10oz cup per day. I have no idea how many mgs are in that amount, though. Tea hasn't appealed to me at all while pregnant.

Keria - Awww what cute baby pics!!


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## blueyezz4

Grrrrrr.... i just typed a whole message w/ personal to everyone and now it is gone b/c i accidentally hit something. Here we go again....

*Tenzi* - I've only had the one big U/S with our boys where they do the gender/bone length/organ check so I guess I'm not sure what a NT? Abby is being pretty good and only wimpers if she does something she shouldn't like jump. Hard to believe how well she is acting after having all 3 of those things done on Monday (spay, hernia repair and tooth pulled).

*Keria* - Love the u/s pics!! It will be so cool to see your 3D ones. You really can see more distinct features of their faces which is really fun.

*Renavoo* - Did the spotting stop? I sure hope so. Take it easy if you can!! I probably would tell your boss and just make sure he will keep it in confidence maybe so that way he knows not to over-load you!! I kinda had to tell my boss when i got pregnant b/c of all the heavy lifting i have to do at work.. thankfully so of my co-workers were good friends so i totally trusted them. I know you are on the vaginal estrace like and i have a TMI question for you... do you have an easy way to get it up in there? Every night when i do it it seem kinda dry which makes it hard to get it up high enough in there. Any tricks?

*Kewpie* - ooochhh! That doesn't feel good at all i'm sure. Our boys never got that big ( 1 was 1lb 3oz and the other 1lb 2oz when born) but i remember that strange feeling of them moving around and kicking me in the ribs. I'm so glad to hear that your test came back saying you weren't going into labor for a little bit. You are doing a great job with those babes!! keep it up!!! When is your next appt?

*Belly* - I'm not a coffee drinker or pop drinker so i really can't tell you too much about that. I do like chai tea which i learned the one at starbucks has star anise in it which is really bad for pregnancy and can cause problems so don't drink that!!! HOw fun though that you can get out and enjoy yourself while your MIL comes over. Oh about your MIL and your hpt... how would she not know it was a old left over hpt from your DD?? Maybe if you don't say anything she will just let it pass and not think much about it. Keep them all guessing!!!!

*AFM* - so hoping to get to join you all here soon!!! Fingers crossed soooooo hard!! (not that i'm not here now stalking you all but i want to officially fit in)!!!


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## Keria

Rena Yes we named them it's Lucia Carolina and Oliver Matias. I usually talk to them by their names but refer to them as little girl and little boy or girl monster and boy monster lol.I have my u/s pic from 1980 and yeah it sucks. I do wonder what is going to be available once our kids will have their children.

Belly Thanks, I had dreams about them I wonder if they'll look like they do in my dreams. About caffeine I drink the odd cup of tea here and there, I usually don't drink coffee but I did wanted to drink some on the first tri to see if it would give me a little energy. DH didn't feel comfortable with me even having a tiny cup and it wasn't a big sacrifice so I didn't.

Tenzin I was really anxious in the beginning of the pregnancy. We had tons of u/s and that helped and getting good news on the NT sacn helped a lot too.

Blue I know after the 3d one the 2ds are a little disappointing but the doc doesn't like to use the 3d much I'll ask him again when can we do another one. I'm rally really hoping you can officially join tomorrow. How miss Abby doing with her bed rest?


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## renavoo

Belly, I usually have a hot chocolate and a candy bar (snack size) here and there a day. My nurse said that was ok. I'm lucky that i don't really crave coffee at all (once in a while I liked the taste but it hasn't been difficult to completely forgo it.) So generally, i don't think I get much caffeine intake at all. How are you feeling? i can't wait for your next test!!!

Kewpie, umm OW! haha that sound positively painful and definitely not comfortable. It's so odd to think of something growing inside of us. SomeONE I should say!! But I bet you're happy that they are snuggling and VERY SOON, you'll be meeting your babies!

Blue, THINKING OF YOU TODAY AND I can't wait until you JOIN us!!!!

Keria, what beautiful names! How are you feeling? haha i love that you call them little boy/girl monsters. that's really cute.

Oh Blue, yes the spotting has stopped so all is good. I can't wait to be off of endometrin and estrace. By the way, for estrace, I literally just use my index finger and push it up there. For one of the doses, I take it with endometrin so I use the endometrin applicator to get both in there but generally, I just push it as far as possible. I'm lucky though...I have long fingers so I can get some reach. Don't worry too much...my nurse says they dissolve fairly quickly so as long as they are there for a little while, you're ok! As for dryness, perhaps you can try to wet your fingers a little? that might counteract the dryness. I'm "lucky" on that account too because endometrin dissolves and always leaves a slickness (yes, tmi and believe me, it's not fun!)

Tenzin, that brings me to how jealous i am that you're pretty much done with the endometrin and estrogen!! haha. How are you doing?

big hugs, ladies!!


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## kewpie80

renavoo - I'm so glad your spotting has stopped. I still hold my breath every time I go to the bathroom until I see clean tissue and can relax for another hour...or 15 - 30 minutes lately.









Blue - I am SO hoping this is it for you! My DH is wishing you luck as well. I tell him about y'all pretty often so he's gotten to know your stories.

Keria - gorgeous names!!! I giggled at boy/girl monster too


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## tenzinsmama

I hope I can remember everything I want to say!

Blue, the NT scan is the nuchal translucency scan, where they look at the thickness of the back of the neck-- the thicker it is, they become worried that it might indicate something like Down's. They combine these findings along with the results of bloodwork that you get done before the scan, and they can give you a number which is a likelihood of the baby having something. It only measures for a few certain syndromes, and certainly there can be issues with false results. But, it can take someone like me who because of my age would be given a much higher incidence of having a baby with Down's or whatever, based on age alone... but then give me a more 'accurate' reading of what my individual likelihood is. It can be really reassuring, since everything you read in the literature about having babies when you are older can scare the heck out of you... Good luck today, I'm hoping and praying for you!

Belly, I used to have one cup of coffee a day and then I ate chocolate quite regularly. About a 1.5 months before I began my IVF cycle I switched to decaf, and made it a smaller cup than ever before. Now, since I've had nausea since my 7th week, I don't have much of the decaf, and I seemed to have turned off of chocolate. So mostly now I just drink tea. Even with that, there are so many different things out there that says that one tea is okay to drink and then you turn around and you read otherwise... it's frustrating. I just stick to rooibos. I'm a worrywart for the first trimester, so I'm glad that I've kind of developed aversions to the caffeine containing things... but even if I hadn't developed that, I would have chosen to avoid as much caffeine as possible-- but that's just me, like I said I tend to worry during this time.

Keria, I love the names! Thanks for sharing the pictures, too! I wanted to ask, what is the thing your doc has with the 3d u/s? I've never had one, but I was thinking it would be kind of fun to do this time around, but I'm wondering about what your doctor feels about it.

Kewpie, that's got to be uncomfortable! I remember how uncomfortable it was with my DS, a certain way I sat-- he would push right up against my ribcage, so I had to place towels strategically behind my back so I wouldn't kink myself/slouch and make it worse. I can't imagine with two in there-- you are getting it from all directions! By the way, I never did go look at the other site, because I've been so crazily busy with my little guy and so exhausted that I have been able to push some of the anxiety out... and as each week goes by, I'm feeling better. You must feel so much more relieved, too, as you see the weeks going by and those babies stay in there and continue to grow nice and strong!

Renavoo, so glad that the spotting has disappeared. That must be such a relief for you! Have you decided about getting a doppler?

I have to look back on this thread and see what the information was about purchasing a doppler, passed on from either Kewpie or Keria...


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## Keria

Tenzin he's just lazy lol, well not really but he says the 3D is just for fun all the measurements and parts counting is done in 2D. So he doesn't do the fun parts every visit just every now and then as a treat.


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## bungalowmama

Hey ladies! I've been reading along, but haven't had much time to participate. My last semester of grad school is in the home stretch so I have a bit more free time and I hope to join in more.

Keria - I love the pictures and the names! How exciting!

Tenzins and Belly - Congrats if I haven't said so already! Tenzins, do you know how many yet? Belly, when's your first US?

Renavoo - YAY TWINS! I just knew it after those betas. Even higher than mine! I agree with Kewpie about the Barbara Luke book. I have to take the nutrition advice with a grain of salt at this point because I'm still so sick and 150g of protein is impossible for me right now. My OB wasn't too worried on that front. I also got a book titled Mothering Multiples by LLL that I would highly recommend.I'm still working through it, but it gives a lot of good tips about what to do once they're born that really helped during my initial "OMG WE'RE HAVING TWINS" panic. I still have panic moments, but less and less. I figure since they're our first babies that it will feel normal to us, you know?

Kewpie: I'm just so excited for you and how well your babies are growing! Thanks for responding to my earlier questions about kicking. I'm still not sure I've felt them yet. I feel twinges and stretchy feelings a lot but not what I'd call kicks.

AFM: I'll be 18w on Sunday and have an appointment with my OB on Monday for the every 4 weeks visit. He always does a quick ultrasound so we're hoping to find out genders that day! If not then we have an appointment at the hospital the following Monday when I'll be 19w1d for the official anatomy scan at the perinatologist's office. Are y'all twin mamas all seeing a perinatologist regularly? I haven't actually seen him at all - just gone to his office at the hospital for the 12w NT scan and the upcoming anatomy scan. My OB seems to be very relaxed about twins and thinks I should stay on a regular appointment schedule with him unless a complication comes up. I guess that's ok? He does the US at each visit to check the placenta placement (baby A's is a bit low). I haven't had any complications and my blood work and initial blood glucose screening were normal (he checked early since I'm not the most dainty person). My doctor is a bit unusual in that he's a single practice and is known to be the best in town for natural births and VBACs. He routinely does twin vaginal births as long as baby A is head down or able to be turned. If it's a singleton he'll even do a breech delivery for first time moms. He's even done two natural triplet births! So I feel great about him from that standpoint, but want to make sure I'm not missing some sort of crucial monitoring.

Other than that, I've been so busy with working full time and finishing school that I haven't had as much time for baby prep as I'd like. My classmates are holding a shower for me on Sunday so I had to throw together a basic registry on Amazon which kicked my butt in gear a bit. But now it's opened Pandora's box in terms of researching breast pumps, car seats, baby carriers, swings, etc. etc. etc. There's so much to learn! We've also begun the great daycare hunt since I'm going back to work once they're 4 months. Care in our area is SO hard to come by - excellent school districts so tons of families with kids. We're currently on 4 wait lists (though a couple of those are likely pipe dreams - once said "maybe when they're 3" !) and are touring a fifth place next Wednesday. That reminds me to continue the pediatrician search. The first one I called has a two year wait list! Don't you have to have a pediatrician lined up before birth?


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## kewpie80

bungalow - yup, I see my perinatologist weekly as well as the OB. I started getting seen by him when I hit 18w and have been going ever since. They do the growth scans and check the organs at each visit as well as check my cervix length since I'm having trouble with that. I like seeing them cause their u/s are much longer. At the OB, it's a quick peek to check for heartbeats and movement and that's it.

For the amount of visits, I stayed on a normal schedule until I hit 18w and then they did double frequency at the OB's office. When I started having issues at 23w, they started seeing me every week. If everything looks to be ok, staying on a less rigorous schedule is probably ok. At least with me, my pregnancy didn't really start to feel different until I got to about 20 weeks, and then I started feeling odd, so I'd call if anything pops up and you don't feel is right. That's great that he's so good at multiple births!! That would definitely put me at ease knowing that.

For pediatricians, I think it's a good idea to have one set up before birth, but I don't think it's necessary. I met with our babies' pediatrician this past week and he said that if we haven't for sure decided before they come, the hospital will have one of the drs that is there doing rounds do the first check and then you can either schedule a followup with that same doctor or they can refer you to another one.


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## kewpie80

I've been reading a book that was sent to me by a friend. It's this one: http://www.amazon.com/Juggling-Twins-Strategies-Pregnancy-Toddler/dp/1402214057/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321039471&sr=8-1 and I really don't like it. She does have a few useful tips in there, but to be honest, most are pretty common sense. She has this attitude through the whole thing that if you don't schedule around the clock help for the first few months, you will die. I'm not kidding about the around the clock help either... she actually suggests having a calendar and making sure every hour even overnight is covered. Since I have a blind and disabled mother... and no one else for several states, this pretty much made me feel like I'm going to fail right off the bat. That really irritated me. Not everyone has tons of friends and family nearby who can drop everything and help. It would have been so much more useful of a book if she gave practical tips for the parents and not just passing everything on to other people.

Another thing I thought was pretty crappy is she suggests having a diaper party in addition to a regular shower that everyone has to bring diapers to in addition to gifts. Yes, twins are expensive, but dang that sure is gift grabby in my opinion. SHe also suggests having multiple crib setups and stuff like bouncy seats on every floor of the house. Maybe it's just me and my wanting to live a simple life, but it just sounds so excessive. Is it really that difficult to carry a pair of bouncy seats down stairs? Sure, it's an extra trip, but how often do you do that? I can see bringing them down in the morning and then taking them back up in the evening... Can you tell this book irritated me and I feel like venting???









The last day or two, I've been in a mood... I'm normally very even tempered and not grumpy, but something must be getting to me cause I was just so upset last night and it's carried over to today. I just sat in my living room last night and cried for no real reason. The thing that sparked it was DH had come home, spent about 20 minutes with me and then went to go watch tv. Being alone for hours, including weekends and then get less than 30 minutes of time per day with someone else really wears me down. I understand his need to wind down after work, but I don't think he truly understands what it feels like to be stuck in bed for months with not a soul to talk to. There's email, facebook, and forums, but it's not the same as one on one time face to face... I wish I could make him understand how truly lonely it is. I feel like a caged animal or like I'm in solitary confinement or something.

I woke up in pretty good spirits this morning, but I'm getting down as the day goes on. DH informed me that date night (we just get take out and watch a movie since I'm stuck) will have to be just food and sitting at the table while he goes over a bunch of forms. He will have to work all weekend again too. This is the 4th weekend in a row. Our house has become a wreck cause he is rarely home to clean and I'm not supposed to do it. I did clean off the dressure yesterday and I loaded the dishawasher cause I just couldn't stand it anymore. I needed SOMETHING to be clean. I'm really tempted to hire someone to come in and scrub the place down. A lady from my old church stopped by this past monday and she asked if she could help, but I told her we're fine. I've only seen this woman twice in my life and it just felt too weird to ask for help and I was kind of embarrassed at the state of the house even though she knows I'm stuck in bed. Don't get me wrong, my DH is really trying.... This probably sounds like he's being a complete douche, but he's not. His job just gets really crazy at the end of the year and he knows he may be on paternity leave at any moment and since he's the Lead on their team, he wants to get as far as he can before leaving. Him not spending any time with me when he is home is just him not understanding. I've told him I'm lonely, but he still doesn't quite understand.

Wow... this is turning into a novel... sorry about that. Just needing to vent, I guess. I am SO glad to be pregnant and I am SO loving every kick and flutter, but I wish I could find an answer for this emotional loneliness. I keep telling myself that I have at most 9 weeks left and it's more likely to be 4-5 weeks and then I can do things again. It still feels like such a long time.


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## bungalowmama

Kewpie: That book sounds NUTS and like complete overkill to me. I'm not going to have that kind of help at all. My mom works full time and lives an hour away. My MIL might help more, but she drives me absolutely insane and I think I'd prefer to rough it alone. DH has to go on a long work trip two weeks after my due date so I'm already psyching myself up for it. So many people are all alarmist when I say I'm having twins, but they're just babies for goodness sake not 800 lb. gorillas! My grandfather was a twin and was born in 1925. I tell myself that if my great grandmother could handle it back then with no electricity (they lived in the boonies) that I can deal. We are capable of taking care of our babies! They need love more than anything else and that will never be in short supply. Everything else will work itself out.

I'm sorry you're feeling so isolated. I really feel for you. My life is busy, but I have very few (if any if I'm being really honest) close-by IRL girlfriends to talk about this stuff with. I can only imagine how being on bed rest would amplify the feeling of isolation x 1000. And I completely hear you on having a DH who is swamped with work. Mine was recently promoted, and while I'm so grateful, he spends every single night on the laptop working. In bed, he's going through email on his phone. I had a nesting-related crying freakout a couple nights ago and said I needed help with getting the babies' room cleaned out and ready ASAP and that work would have to wait. So we made a nesting list for the next couple months. It's a start. I try to remember that this is a big transition for my DH too even though I'm the pregnant one. The responsibility of providing for a family is huge, so I try to imagine what he's feeling even though all I want to do is cry about him not cleaning up the basement. My insane hormones are not helping me in the patience department.

Feeling this way seems completely normal and in no way implies you aren't thankful for those babies. Yes you're their mama, but you're human first of all and have needs like anyone else. Don't be afraid to ask your DH for what you need to make YOU happy.


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## kewpie80

bungalowmama - I'm trying to keep DH's point of view in perspective as well, but it's easy to forget. A few years ago, we were moving ourselves about 10 miles away and the night before, DH volunteered to work an extra shift. I was livid at the time thinking that he was abandoning me to do all the work. I was angry about it for a long time when he finally told me he did it to make sure we had plenty of money and he figured the money was needed more. He said we'd get the move done one way or another even if it took a few extra days. That really hit me that we just had different perspectives on the situation.

It's probably the same way now. He's seeing this as a way to make sure work is set while he's gone and ensuring that he doesn't jeopardize his job or feel the need to check in while on paternity leave. I'm trying to see it that way, cause I'm pretty sure that's what he's feeling. I do wish he'd see my side at least a little bit and maybe spend an evening per week just spending time with me (and not watching TV) I'm all for watching movies and stuff... we actually don't have TV, just netflix, so it's easy to get roped into a show and watch episode after episode, but it doesn't cut it for filling up my social meter. I need conversation. I feel like I've been pretty direct in my needs, but maybe I need to be even more blunt and hide the remotes and tell him point blank that I need actual conversation and not just sit together watching something.

I do have 1 friend that lives about an hour away and I know she would come up to spend some time with me, BUT she has 2 young girls (ages 3 and 1) and her kids are not disciplined at all. The older girl talks back and sasses really badly, so even though I'd get some social time, I'd probably be anxious by the end... not to mention the girls are into EVERYTHING while they are here and I have a huge book collection that is very tempting to little hands. My friend also has a real problem with badmouthing men.... I hesitate to say men, cause her "husband" is actually transgendered male to female and is in the middle of the change, but she still talks bad about him. It carries over to my DH and that irritates me. My DH will be an awesome father and is the oldest of 6 kids and has been around kids his whole life. While that is different than raising one of your own, I know he will pick it up fast and I plan to lean on him a lot since I'm the youngest in my family. This friend of mine keeps saying that she wants to come down and help me and I can just send DH back to work so he's not underfoot. I hate confrontation and she's got a very strong personality, so I haven't said anything to her about it yet, but 1, DH will be awesome... 2, I cant stand the way she's raising her kids and don't want her influencing mine, and 3, she'd bring her 2 kids and I dont really want 2 newborns who will potentially be preemies around her 2 kids who are always sick. I'm dreading that conversation, but it's going to have to come up at some point. She's a good friend in many other ways otherwise I would just phase her out of my life.

man, I've been chatty today...


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## tenzinsmama

Bungalow, I'm only having one baby. I'm glad for that, because at this point I could only handle one, with my DS being a rather 'spirited' little guy! He's such a fun-loving person, so attuned to what's going on around him, and a big mimic (he likes to pretend cough when he hears someone else doing it, it doesn't matter if it's a stranger on the horse carousel at the amusement park or us!)-- and he's only 15 months! He hasn't been one of those 'easy' babies you hear about, for example, he screamed most of the time in a car seat and stroller from the time he was about 2 months until 7 months, when suddenly he seemed to enjoy it! And he hated every single type of baby carrier out there, and being bundled up with blankets, hats and too many clothes. But we love him dearly, and when we aren't experiencing the challenging moments (right now he's hating having his diaper changed about 80% of the time), we are having a blast because he's such a character. I think what they say about spirited children, or high needs, is that the very traits that can challenge you turn out to be gifts when they are older. He's intense with all of his emotions and how he communicates, that's for sure. Wow, I don't know where you get all your energy from... and I was going to say, your doctor sounds amazing! Keep us posted on how things go, are you wanting to be told the gender of your babies?

Kewpie, don't worry about writing a novel... we are totally hear for you, to listen and support you no matter what mood you are in. A person can't be in a positive mood all the time, that just wouldn't be 'normal'-- that's what I tell myself when I'm in that situation. I've been so grumpy these last couple of days, but thankfully today is better. I think it's important to vent about things that are frustrating you, because I believe it's better to get it out than to keep it bottle up. It's got to be really, really difficult to be on bed rest for such a long time, and not have a lot of friends or family to help out with various things. I mean, there's the emotional side of things and then there is the practical stuff that has to get done for daily living. It's hard enough when you are going through an uncomplicated pregnancy, and when you are surrounded by lots of people you know who you can count on. When I was reading your post, I was remembering what it was like for me the first year of having my DS. In the first months, I was going on this incredible high because of going through birth and feeling empowered, transformed, etc. But then, I started to feel a bit isolated-- my mom and dad live just over an hour's drive away out in the country, and they really don't like the city (in fact, my mom refuses to drive even close to the city limits, because she is so afraid of traffic). I had a lot of work friends, but I lost touch with most when I quit my job to go to school the year I got pregnant... and I ended up being in school only part time, and didn't feel like I quite connected that deeply with the folks there... my few 'true' friends have kids that are older teens or they don't have kids yet. The latter, they didn't know what it was like adjusting to parenthood and all that, so they didn't think to even ask to help me out with anything. (Boy, now do I ever know what to do when someone first has a baby and then that first year!) My DH is very quiet and doesn't like to socialize much, so any contacts with others would have to be initiated by me... so there I was trying, doing baby groups and stuff trying to make new friends and stuff. Sometimes, it worked out, and other times, you realize you have different parenting philosophies and that's it. It was hard because most of the new moms that I met, they wanted to do things like stroller walks and all that, but my DS would cry and scream the whole time so I couldn't do it. DH's family could have come to help because they live in the same city and not too far away, but I don't feel that close to them and I think for me it was kind of like I didn't want them to see me/us struggling with adjusting and keeping up with things, because my SIL (DH's brother's wife) seems to be so 'together' all around and 'perfect' with her family. It will be interesting to see what we do this time around, with a new baby and an almost 2 year old... I'll probably find it easier to touch base with that Made by Momma group than ask my in-laws for too much help or confide in them about anything.

Anyway, I'm wondering, how big is the place you live in? Are there mom's groups for multiples? I would think that even just having multiples, that you would have an 'easier' time connecting with other parents, because it's not the usual thing, you know? You would have all of those similar shared experiences, which would make conversations easier to start up and keep going, and then maybe you would find someone you really connect with. I think mom-to-mom support in real life is so important... our DH's, as typical men, seem to be so hard-wired differently in so many ways, and besides that, they can't possibly know what it's like to carry a baby and give birth, breastfeed, have all of those hormones surging through our systems, and etc. Even for the household stuff-- just yesterday I was telling my DH that I can't feel at ease when I walk into a room and it's cluttered, and so why doesn't he even notice the dog toys splayed out on the floor and the table covered with mail and crap, etc. I can't rest easy in my mind when my physical environment seems to be in chaos! He, on the other hand, can blissfully be unaware if the place doesn't get vacuumed for a week and we have hair balls piling up everywhere (we have two, majorly shedding dogs-- that's a lot of hair!). Actually, I think that he notices, but it doesn't bother him. He's so easy-going, which is good in a lot of ways, but still...

Would you be open to letting someone from your church come by? Maybe during a time when you felt that your house was more in order, and she could help with something? Even if it's seemingly insignficant, it could really help out. (I actually let a neighbour come in and help us hang pictures and finish off the nursery, 4 months after DS was born-- it felt weird at first but then it felt good!) Also, can you get someone to come in to do a housetidy? We bought a bunch of coupons off of Groupon, and we got a good deal on housecleaning for a few months before and after DS came along. I don't know, maybe you just want to vent and you don't need any suggestions or what-not... Whatever the case, I do hope that your mood is elevated in the days to come. Hopefully DH will not work as much and you can talk some more of the stuff out... and we're here for you, too!


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## kewpie80

Thanks for the comisery. I have to keep this short cause DH will be home with food in a moment, but just wanted to share that when he called to say he was on his way early tonight (hooray!) he told me that he is taking off a week from work not this coming week, but the week after and he plans to egt all the house stuff done and spend time with me. How's that for timing?


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## tenzinsmama

Kewpie, that's awesome! And yeah, what timing! Hmmm... what's for dinner?


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## BellyBean

Kewpie, I can't imagine how hard it is for you to be on bed rest so long and not have a lot of people to keep you company. You are truly doing an amazing job growing those little ones. I was actually talking about you to my DH this afternoon. He has some connections in northern S. Carolina and they were talking about different jobs back east today. I told him I had a friend in N. Carolina I could visit if we moved back there  He knew right away it was one of my "IVF" friends, it was really funny!! Sounds like your DH got the hints afterall!! I know with my DH, I have to say exactly what I need/want, he can't read between the lines at ALL! I have 1 friend IRL that has twins and she found a great mom/multiples group and made a lot of friends that way. When we go to their birthday parties there are always tons of mulitiples! I can definitely see how it would be something to easily bond over  Kind of like IF, we all share a common experience. About your friend, I am super non-confrontational, so it would be almost impossible for me to tell her not to come over...I would probably just make excuses, but from what you described I wouldn't want to spend too much time with her or her kids. Ugh, about saying your DH should go back so he's not underfoot!! I also don't like the sound of that book at all.

Keira, beautiful names!

Bungalow, it sounds like everything is going great so far! That's awesome that your ob has so much experience with multiple births! A list is the perfect place to start  My u/s is Nov 23rd, so a little less than 2 weeks. I have another beta next week and I think that will help put my mind at ease a little (at least until the u/s).

Renavoo, I am glad you mentioned the "slickness"...I was wondering what the heck was going on with that!!!

AFM, not much here. I made my first appointment with my ob for Dec.14. It was just a receptionist I was speaking with, but I wanted to come in sooner so I brought up my past ectopic and possible twins to see if they could get me in sooner  In reality it's probably a good date because I think I'll have 2 u/s with the RE, so maybe both of those and then this one would be last. I just like seeing the baby a lot to make sure everything is still ok in there.


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## Keria

Kewpie that book sucks. Now I'm glad I have not read anything on twins I was feeling a little guilty. Our business is keeping us super busy and I have not found a lot of time for reading even though a friend gave me a few books. Bedrest must be hard and crazy making, I was going crazy after my first embryo transfer and it was only a couple of days. I'm glad your DH is taking a week off work it sounds like it's the perfect time.

Bungalow my OB is a peri but I'm on regular visits like if it were a singleton pregnancy. He says if something changes he'll see me more often. Sounds like your pregnancy is going well. So what do you think you are having? I'm going with TWO BOYS for you.

Belly nov 23 will be here before you know it. My betas gave me peace for about 24 hours. I don't know how people that get pregnant normally do it without betas and early ultrasounds. we had weekly u/s from 6w to 9w and that gave a lot of peace of mind.


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## renavoo

Hi ladies! Im typing on my ipad so i am going to make it short today but i wanted to respond.

Kewpie, i have always thought that you are an incredibly strong person for being ale to stand the amount of bedrest you have required. I know it is a possibility for all of us and more so for those carrying multiples but still. I think that it isnt selfish at all to want some attention and conversation so you defnitely shouldnt feel guilty. I am so happy that your dh is taking off some time for you! Hopefully, you get to spend some quality time together too. as for your friend, wow, what a story. I always think that it is emotionally draning to be near someone who is so negative. I tend to be non confrontational aswell but i find that this just causes me to end up bursting out in frustration which is not good for anyone. I hope you get the time to have that discussion soon. I am so with ou about not haing help too and not wanting this to be too mercenary. I was thinking of not even having a baby shower mostly becausei dont accept gifts well and i hate being the centerof attention. Hey, this is why dh and i eloped! But wewill see as we get closer.

Bungalow, yah for bengso close to being done!! That is really exciting!
Belly, how are you feeling? I hope that the next few days pass quickly for you. Haha i have an appointment set up with an obstetrician already even though i havent been released by my RE. I hope it is ok but i also dont care that much either...i did it for the same reason you did...i wanted more visits to make sure everything is ok!
Tenzin, ah, isnt the nausea and exhaustion fun? It is also the busy time at work for me so literally com h ome and crash these days.
So i am reading this Luke book aout having multples and i have to say that i am not sure i agree with some of the things being said. Seriously...who can afford taking off of work from week 24? I mean, if medically necessary, sure, but it seems like they advocate taking off early, regardless. Also, they say that women having twins should cut down their work day to 6 hours or less. Ummm? That would get me fired. Do i ideally want to havea shorter work day? Yes. Wll i try to cut it down? Yes. But their levels are just insanity. At least for someone who works in NYC. Also, their suggestions about certain foods go against things that i have read and frankly, my own knowledge. For instance they suggest we eat liver....uh liver is extremely high in vitamin a and also, hghi in potential toxins, considering its function in life. Most places seem to advocate not eating liver during pregnancy. Yes it is great for iron but the risks outweigh the benefits, in my mind, especially if too much is consumed. i think the obstetrician i am going to specializes in multiples so hopefully i will get a better idea of what to do from her too. This is all so confusing...and, not just a little scary.
Ok, i think it is sleepy time again. I really want to get up tomorrow and do some house chores! It is so unlike me!

Hope everyone is doing well!


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## blueyezz4

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Kewpie80*
> 
> Thanks for the comisery. I have to keep this short cause DH will be home with food in a moment, but just wanted to share that when he called to say he was on his way early tonight (hooray!) he told me that he is taking off a week from work not this coming week, but the week after and he plans to egt all the house stuff done and spend time with me. How's that for timing?


Yay!!!!







I just hope he follows through with it all. I know sometimes I feel a certain way and if I don't actually spell it out for DH he just doesn't get it. There was one time where I just felt like I was going to get too emotional to vocally share my feelings about a certain issues with him, so I wrote them out. I was afraid that if I just told him my emotions would get in the way and I'd forget some of my main points, so by writing it out it really helped me. I was amazed at his response and I really think that he just didn't understand until I spelled it out in writing. So I'd say if you feel like you can't express your feelings to DH about how you are feeling lonely and how hard the bedrest really is for you I'd try writing it out and see if you get any better response. Just my two cents. You are so strong and doing the right thing for these babes! I wish I lived closer to you b/c I'd love to come and clean your house for you and come hang out with you (abby would love to give you kisses too). Don't you have a tv in your bedroom? Can't DH just hang out in there with you and watch his tv shows after he gets home?


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## bungalowmama

Tenzins - Yay for a singleton with your spirited little boy. I'm sure he's a handful, but kids like him are so much fun! I taught a pre-k program through AmeriCorps when I was in college and there was the most spirited little boy in my class named Malik. Yes, he required about 4 times more attention than other kids, but man did I get attached to that little guy. It was just constant exhaustion and laughter, alternating one after the next! I still miss him and that was 10 years ago.

Kewpie - YAY for your DH taking some time off! That will be wonderful on so many levels. My DH spent all day Saturday putting together basement shelving while watching college football. Seemed like a fair enough compromise to me.

Belly - I'm excited for your US next week! You're smart to get in to the OB sooner. I was with my RE until 10 weeks and didn't see my OB until 14 weeks and he ended up being kinda irritated about it even though it was his receptionist's doing. I know what you mean about wanting as many ultrasounds as possible. I still am not convinced I can feel kicking so they're the only thing that make me 100% calm. But I won't buy a doppler since I'd likely drive myself nuts with it.

Renavoo - I had the same reaction to the work section in the Luke book. I just had blocked it out and forgotten. Wasn't there a suggestion to find a place to nap at work? LOL! I will admit that I have to have a nap everyday when I get home or I feel like a zombie, but I'm still working full time. I have to! And I hope to work up until the very last minute if possible. I want to save all the leave I can for when they're born. I feel the same way about liver - no fricking way. It's a filter for toxins for goodness sake! I'm normally anemic but the prenatals I'm on (Rainbow Light Prenatal One) have raised my levels a lot. I'll move to Floradix if needed, but liver seems too risky.

AFM - I had my 18w visit with the OB today. Well he was at the hospital delivering but I saw the nurse practitioner who was amazing. I got lots of comforting answers to my questions and feel great about birthing with my doctor. My blood pressure was 94/56 which is super low for me - I'm normally in the 120/75 range. That would explain why I've been feeling so faint! The NP said the babies take the blood they need and I get the leftovers - little stinkers ;-) DH said he's going to put a salt lick on my bedside table. Their US machine is a little laptop one that gives crappy images, but she thinks baby A (the calm one) is a boy and baby B (the super active one) is a girl! She wasn't 100% sure, so we'll have to wait until Monday for the anatomy scan at the hospital with the perinatologist. She did say that baby A's placenta has moved up my uterus and is no longer a concern in terms of placement. And both babies have LOTS of fluid and are looking great. I'm just so thankful and can't wait for Monday to make sure their organs, cords, etc. are all looking good on the nicer US machine - and to confirm genders of course!


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## blueyezz4

Just stalking here:









*Bungalowmama* - Yay for maybe a boy and a girl!!!!







Sure wish they would have been for sure and not a maybe!!! Can't wait to hear after Monday. Glad things seem to be going so well for you so far and that you are still able to be working and taking your nap everyday!!! Aren't naps great when you are pregnant!!! Keep us posted!!!


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## renavoo

Bungalow, YAH to possibly having a boy and a girl!!! That's so exciting and i can't wait for the confirmation. You have to let us know! haha and yes about the Luke book!! A NAP?! My gosh, who the heck can do that?! I do have to tell my boss soon though...the guy has put me on multiple new projects which means that i'll be working really long hours and I'm really not in the mood to jeopardize my babies for work. Sigh. the problem is that there aren't many people in my position at the company so I can see why he's doing it. I just wish it wasn't the busy time at our office. But enough whining! I took the day off and I'm feeling very happy about it ) By the way, I was giggling as you called your babies the stinkers. I do affectionately call my babies names too, especially those days i'm feeling especially nauseated or exhausted. Like today!

Blue, I'm so sorry about your lousy news but I'm glad that you're looking ahead.







I'm really hoping for you during the FET. Did you speak with your doctor yet?

DH came with me to my early morning appointment today ) haha he is NOT a morning person. anyway, we heard the heartbeats and the doctor said that they were strong so that's good news. Now I'm just waiting for my visit with the obstetrician on Friday. I am still really nervous and looking up miscarriage rates is probably not the best idea but I can't seem to help myself. haha.

Anyway, I want to try to go to the gym today just for some light elliptical work. That's my big activity of the day aside for my US )

Hope everyone is doing well!


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## kewpie80

bungalow - YAY! So glad things are looking so good and YAY for possibly having one of each! I can't wait to hear about your anatomy scan on monday.

renavoo - Woot for HBs! That is always such a relief to hear each time. DO you know if you will try to find out their genders when the time comes?

blue - Thanks for the idea about writing it out. I may just do that. I feel sort of selfish when he is so busy already and then asking him for more, but I guess a sad mood all the time isn't good for anyone.

AFM - We had the 3D u/s today. In a nutshell - Both babies are measuring a week ahead of schedule and are 3.5 pounds each already.







My belly has now reached full term size and I guess that explains why half my maternity clothes don't cover my bump anymore. Maisie would not cooperate (again) during the scan and all we could get of her was the back of her head, so all the images are of Liam that I'm about to upload. We have an appt to try again on Friday. They have gone to transverse (were head down) and Maisie has her head on Liam's shoulder and halfway through the scan he rested his head on the top of her head. It melted my heart. I also have a video of him making kissy faces and swallowing, but I'm not sure if I can upload those here. The circle in all of the images to the left of his face is Maisie's head. The ball that he has his chin on in the last one is also her head.


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## renavoo

Kewpie, OH MY GOSH!!! These are amazing!! i'm so excited that you get such amazing images!!! I'm sad we don't get to see Maisie but it's such an amazing sight to see Liam. And your description of Liam putting his head on Maisie's head made me tear up. What a wonderful experience!


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## BellyBean

Bungalow, hehe I totally pictured a salt lick on a night stand! Glad the baby's placenta moved. Not sure if it was like me, but I had a partial previa (or however it is spelled) with my DD, but it was completely gone by 28 weeks!

Renavoo, yay for going to the gym and taking the day off. Your job sounds pretty intense! My job is fairly relaxed and I don't think I could get away with sneaking a nap in  But maybe I should try to build a George Castanza bed under my desk to try it out  Very cool your DH went to your u/s appointment!

Kewpie, what darling pictures of Liam (btw one of my top 3 fav boy's names!), I hope we get to see Maise on Friday!!! So is your DH taking off all of the Thanksgiving week? I am looking forward to the 4 day weekend with my DH 

Blue, everyone loves your company!!!

AFM, I said it on the other thread too, but I am really worried about all the cramping. Although, it isn't quite constant, it is very very frequent all day long. Like period cramps. I don't remember this at all with my DD's pregnancy. I wonder if I should call the RE...maybe I will just to let them know, although I am sure they wont think it's a big deal since there isn't anything they can do anyway. I also had to help my mom a lot today and she has no idea about any of this, so I felt obligated to help her carry stuff that was pretty heavy. I mean it would be really weird for me not to help her without an "excuse". I do notice when I lay down and don't do anything the cramping seems to go away...but that's really hard to do with DD (30lbs always wanting to be held), work, cooking, cleaning, ect... Luckily my DH insists I relax with him around so for a couple hours at night I have a nice break to sit and not overdue it.


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## tenzinsmama

Bungalow, thank you SO much for sharing your story about working with the spirited little guy, who touched your heart so much... It's really heartening to hear, because I find it can be so tiring with the challenging aspects-- but then most of the time it is so joyful and FUN. Lots and lots of laughter,especially now as he is getting older and you can really tell how he soaks things in like a sponge and tries new things. In the beginning, as a new parent, I often wondered if there was something I was doing 'wrong' (even though I knew temperament factored into it) because all the other mothers I knew seemed to have such 'easy' babies... now I know that's not true. However, having said that, there are for sure some things I'm going to do differently, regardless of what kind of baby I have, ha ha (like, being more consistent in the beginning with naptimes and bedtime routines). Ah, we can be so hard on ourselves, especially the first time around, can't we! I'm really happy to hear that things are going well with you. I can't wait hear your news when you have another scan!

Belly, darn that cramping. It's so disconcerting, isn't it! I had it on and off for a good while in the beginning, more so with this one than with my first. I don't have it anymore, but I do have this achiness sometimes down in my lower abdominal area, around where the ovaries are. Kind of like a mild, shooting pulse-like discomfort-- it goes away pretty quickly though. But I really, really dislike the feeling it evokes in me-- it's not like, 'ah, these are normal pregnancy aches and pains', it's more like 'ack, what's happening, omg, omg'. It helps if I distract myself, or lay down.

Kewpie, those images are just precious! I really want to do 3D this time around, it's really quite something to see. That's so awesome that they are doing so well. I noticed your ticker and I was, like, YAY! Are you super uncomfortable? When does your bedrest let up a bit, are you getting close to when they said it was okay?

Renavoo, I'm happy to report that my nausea started to ease up yesterday-- my DH is teasing me and saying that it's more of a psychological thing because my dose of my meds was last night... but we both know that it takes awhile with half-lives and all that... but really and truly, yesterday wasn't a bad day and today was great-- even had a lot of energy with just having had a 1/2 hour nap this afternoon. And I'm not feeling sick tonight! I'm still pretty picky about what what I want to eat at any given hour, but still, it's an improvement! So, I hope this is encouraging for you. Hey, that's so great about your u/s today! Do you think you will want to find out the genders later on?


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## renavoo

Belly, I get cramping too. My nurse says that the only thing i should be looking for is bright red bleeding with or without cramps. The cramps, she says, are normal. So, I'm taking that at face value. The cramps are light now but generally, the more tired i get, the more i feel it so definitely try not to overdo it. i was watching a TV show, Bones (about a forensic scientist solving crimes) and the title character is currently pregnant. Her partner (and lover) wanted to carry a really heavy looking bag for her due to her pregnancy. She told him that since the beginning of time, women were carrying heavy things while pregnant. It's just the way of the world. I know that our REs want us not to carry anything too heavy and I definitely follow that rule. However, I'm thinking one day of heavier lifting will probably be ok! Don't worry! The little embie is snuggling in and the placenta is burying deeply.

By the way, does anyone else think that the whole process sounds just so alien? haha

Tenzin, THANK YOU for giving me some hope. I just cannot WAIT until the nausea starts subsiding already. It really is exhausting to fight that and the general exhaustion. I'm also crazy hungry all the time. I wake up in the middle of the night twice because I'm nauseated from hunger. I think I drink a gallon of milk every four days now. It's just crazy!

I am not looking forward to work this week because it's going to be a majorly busy week. Thursday, I'm already slotted to work from 9 to 8pm although after 8, we will probably have a debrief so i will probably be working at least a 12 hour day. hey, i guess I should be happy because i could be working a 14 hour day. sigh.

I'm definitely going to find out the sex of our babies. DH says that I lack the patience gene. hehe. I don't care about being surprised. I would rather start preparing the room for our babies. oh and Tenzin, I'm thinking I'm going to buy the doppler. What about you?

Hi to everyone else! hope you ladies are doing well!


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## tenzinsmama

renavoo, I'm really torn about the doppler. Yesterday I was really wishing I had one, I just wanted to have some reassurance. But DH is worried that if I had one, and tried to locate the hb and couldn't find it simply because I wasn't looking in the right spot, that I would panic. And that would happen each and everytime if I couldn't find it. So he's wondering if the stress is worth it. He's telling me to have trust in my body and the baby, and to have faith that things will work out. I looked up the site that Kewpie mentioned, and it's pretty tempting... Have you looked at the site? I wonder why it says that before you buy one, you should check with your health care provider. I keep saying that I won't ask for the gender to be revealed to us, but my mom doesn't believe that will happen, she thinks curiousity will win out. ha ha The room that we have in our home that will be for the new baby is done in a colour that I think either a boy or girl would like when they are a little older (it's currently our home office). And we've got enough clothes for a wee one and we don't care what colour they are, since in those early days it's such a tiring (but fantastic) 'commotion'. ha ha, Days and nights are all mixed up and the days all blend together. If it's a girl, we can always go to this really great second-hand clothing store that I know of in my parent's hometown-- you can buy brand name, good quality, stylish, awesome condition clothes for a buck a piece. The clothes that are put out on the rack are for all seasons, too, so that will work out really well for getting clothes in a pinch. I love getting deals like that, I'm rather frugal. And, well, the money we save that way can be put towards stuff that we feel are 'must-have-new'. I don't like painting too much, because I'm concerned about chemicals and all that stuff, even when I'm not pregnant (I'm especially paranoid about the chemicals they put in diapers, and the parabens they put in things like diaper rash cream and all that.) Now that we are getting a new king bed and dresser and stuff, I'm really itching to change the colour of our own bedroom, since the whole effect isn't going to work that well. Since I'm alittle bit of a perfectionist (ha ha) and DH isn't, I don't trust the finished job if he does it, so it looks like we'll have to hire someone to paint it in the late spring when the windows can ventilate, and DS and I will go to my parents place for a few days. I'd rather do things myself though, to save money. Oh well.


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## bungalowmama

Thanks everyone for sharing the gender excitement! I'm still not sure I believe it. I was really thinking two girls. But something was definitely poking out from baby A that wasn't the cord. Who knows?! I was supposedly a boy named Michael until I came out a girl. My mom has taught me to be skeptical. So ready for Monday's scan.

Kewpie - what a cutie Liam is! I love that they interact with each other. I imagine mine keeping each other company. I hope Maisie cooperates next time!

Belly - I had cramping, too. I think the progesterone can actually make it worse. I had spotting in my 5th week, too that drove me crazy. Then lots of pain from my left ovary with late hyperstim issues that made me so worried about an ectopic. Then the stretching cramps started! It was a worrisome time overall. Just visualize the baby burrowing in and getting nice and snuggly. My acupuncturist suggested that and it really helped ease my mind about all of the uterine twinges.

Tenzins - Lucky you with the nausea ending! Mine is still going strong. I've just accepted that it might go the whole time for me. Luckily I just throw up in the mornings now instead of all day. So worth it, but goodness gracious! I told DH I will never drink again because it feels like I'm in for a 9 month hangover.


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## kewpie80

*Belly* - Yep, he's taking off the whole week. I'm so excited!

I had a lot of period cramping this pregnancy too. It was nearly all the time. When I talked to the RE and later my OB about it, they said that it was just my uterus being irritable from the growing. I didn't have it in any other pregnancies either. The laying down also helped me. The RE said that laying down with knees bent helps relax the uterus. Drinking even more water seemed to help too. As long as there is no blood, I'm sure everything is fine, but do call your RE if it makes you feel better.

*Tenzin* - I really don't feel bad at all until late evening and into the night. I feel really good during the day, but by about 8-9pm, my back and pelvic floor are killing me. SOme nights it just takes a warm bath to feel better, but then others, nothing helps. It's really not as bad as I was expecting, though.

*Renavoo* - I hear ya on the nausea and waking in the night to eat. The nausea for me, slowed down when I got to about 18-19 weeks and then it mostly stayed away until about 2 weeks ago. It's not as bad as in the beginning, but it's still annoying. I find that I'm sicker after a growth spurt. For the hunger, I really didn't have the hunger and waking in the middle of the night till about halfway through the 2nd trimester. It scared me a little cause I was losing so much weight. (Thanks to the Luke book) Now, I eat a peanut butter sandwich at 8 pm when I go to bed and then I keep walnuts or almonds by the bed for during the night. Protein seems to stick with me longer. Occasionally I have to get up and make something bigger, but usually the nuts are enough. If you find anything else that seems to work, let me know cause nuts do get a little old...







I try to stay away from carbs so I don't spike my blood sugar.

I don't know how you handle your job while pregnant with twins. I quit my job right after the miscarriage and was so glad I could be home during this pregnancy. You amaze me!

*AFM *- Absolutely no news from me... That's a good thing, I guess.


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## Keria

Kewpie what a cutie do you see a resemblance? Hopefully Maisie will want to say hi to the camera on friday.

Bungalow Congrats on one of each I guess I was wrong. I was feeling 2 girls for me as well but nope. I was a little scared of boys because I grew up with my brother who was lets just say a "spirited child" . The other day I was cleaning an old bookcase with my mom and she had like 12 books on parenting the difficult child lol. I am super excited to have one of each though and something tells me that our little girl is going to be our little terror.

Rena you are my hero, during my first tri I was lucky to squeeze an hour or two of work. I guess if it has to be done it has to be done. I'm going to guess one of each for you so you can follow the trend.

Belly I don't remember if I had cramping or not but I do remember the worry I'm hoping the days till the u/s fly for you. You are getting another beta this week right?

Tenzin I'm glad you are feeling better. I love my doppler but I did wish I was able to realx and just trust my body like my other pregnant friends.

AFM no news as well working like crazy, poor DH has a mancold so I have to work extra hard.


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## BellyBean

Renavoo, I agree, you working so much is amazing! I am so tired and just working part time right now 

Bungalow, I am on pins and needles waiting for the official gender anouncement next week!!!

Kewpie, super excited for Maisie's photo shoot on Friday too! 

Tenzi, I wish I could wait for the birth to find out the gender, but alas I am also missing the patience gene! It sounds like you guys are pretty much set with everything. I don't plan on buying much, maybe a couple blue sleepers if it was a boy, but we are set on basics and general "baby items". I wish I could find clothes around here for $1 each!!! What a steal! Do you plan on cloth diapering to save money and stay away from all the chemicals? It's hard for me to believe how much I love them! If you would have asked me 5 years ago I probably would have just said "Ewwww", but I have seriously converted most my friends too! Cloth diapers are probably my favorite baby item...and a good carrier!

Keira, are your twins due in February or will you expect them earlier?

Thanks for everyone's reassurance about the cramping. I think I'll wait till they call with my beta results tomorrow to ask them...of course if my beta is normal then I am sure they will say everything is fine. I am hoping my beta is around 3500 based on betabase and my betas with DD. Then I could probably relax for a few hours


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## tenzinsmama

Belly, we do cloth diaper. We love it; we have a few different kinds, but we have a favorite-- it's a pocket diaper, I can't remember which one it is. Darn, I've got pregnancy brain! We use a disposable at night, however... the other ones just got so soaked. I heard that boys have different bladder habits than girls, as in, they don't hold their pee as well as them and so they have more issues with soaking diapers. I wonder if this is true. I guess we'd find out, if we have a girl! Which diapers do you like? What carrier do you have? We couldn't use a carrier much with DS, because he seemed to really dislike it at different stages. We tried soooooo many different kinds-- ring sling, BabyHawk, MobyWrap. I hope the next one likes them. Yeah, we are pretty much set, too. One thing I wish I had was an ArmsReach Co-sleeper for those early months. We have a regular bassinett, but I found it was a pain getting in and out of bed. I loved night nursing, and so it would be great to just reach over and slide him/her over to me and then slide back afterward. A friend of mine has one and she loves hers. They are so expensive though! I know someone else who has one of those hammock style sleeping things-- have you heard anything about those? They are pricey as well-- probably out of our budget. But I'm curious if they help the baby sleep better, especially if they are colicky.


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## renavoo

Hi ladies! haha you are all so funny. Thanks for all your comments about my working but I think that you are all the SMART ones and I'm just dumb. haha seriously, I came home yesterday in a horrible mood because I had to stay late again and my boss put me on yet another big project. I love my job, I do. I just think that the hours are getting ridiculous. Funny, however, how before i got pregnant, they were more of an annoyance. Now, they make me upset. darn mood swings. The end of the year tends to be the busiest because our clients are all trying to use up the year's budget so hopefully, it gets better soon. I will be having a discussion with my boss about my pregnancy in a few weeks anyway so he'd better let up a bit or I may have to leave!

Kewpie, you have convinced me to eat something substantial right before bed. Last night, i got up at 2,4,and I'm now up at 5am to eat something. It is fairly ridiculous. i actually just drink milk typically (2 and 4 am. 5 am is when I eat something) but I've decided that that plan isn't working and i need to eat something before bed and, if I wake up, something substantial at 2am so I don't wake up at 4am! peanut butter and jelly sounds divine. ) i'm jealous that it didn't start for you until the second trimester although, yuck for the nausea. Ugh. Ooooh just a couple of more days and it's picture time for Maisie!!

Keria, hope DH gets over the man cold soon! It's been a really bad season for colds, I think. I know a lot of people who are sick here too. (In my office, if I see someone sick, I end up running the opposite way. it makes for some funny, if insulting, pictures. hehe)

Bungalow, that is so how i described the nausea to my DH too!! I told him I feel like I have been hungover for weeks now. it puts it in terms that he understands. haha hey, he's definitely been hungover a few times ;o) How are you feeling overall?

Tenzins, it's definitely a difficult choice. I'm going to get the doppler after 12 weeks because, well, I'm just that curious but yes, I'm worried that i won't be able to find the heart beats which will drive me batty. But I thought I might as well try and if I can't do it, I'll just give it up. I actually was thinking that I would get a couple of my friends (doctor and nurse practitioner) to show me how to use it first so I could just imitate them in hopes that it works that way ) Cloth diapers sound interesting- environmentally better and definitely cheaper but are they as absorbent? And how about cleaning them? I can't imagine that that would be fun! I'm curious though because i was considering cloth diapers as well.

Belly, How are you feeling? I can't wait for your results today! It's so exciting because I know that everything will go fine but you'll also be one done with one more milestone. Sigh, then you'll be on to the next milestone but still ) Since we're so close, we're going to take it one day at a time together!!

AFM, well, I've graduated from the RE clinic and I will see the OB on Friday. I heard the heartbeats on Monday (145 and 152) so that's good. The RE has also dropped my endometrin dose to twice a day instead of three times a day so I'm hoping that that cuts down on the nausea. I've decided, however, that that might not be the issue...apparently, my hunger is a huge nausea issue and since i'm always hungry, I'm almost always a little nauseated. Sigh. I've been eating like a pig but I haven't gained any weight yet. however, I am massively bloated so my pants don't fit as well anymore ( I need to buy bigger pants!! SHOPPING! )

Hope everyone is doing well!! Big hugs!!


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## kewpie80

Keria - Thanks! His mouth seems to look like mine, which I got from my grandmother. We think he got my husband's cheekbones. Ugh to mancolds! I have opinions about those, but I better keep it to myself









Bell;y - I'm so looking forward to your beta today! c'mon big numbers!!

Tenzin - How funny! You mentioned all the things I'm currently fretting over! We're planning to cloth diaper, but I have zero experience with them. DH has has some, but only with flats. I have a friend who brought by a hamper FULL of various ones and very few are the same. So, I guess I'll get to try a zillion types. Some of the diapers are HUGE. I don't think it would be possible to put any sort of pants over them. They make bumgenius look tiny if that's any indication. I'll take a picture of them if I can remember. I am making a bunch of flats to use in the early weeks and I plan to sew at least a few AIOs for when we go out.

We're also looking into carriers right now. We spent a bunch of time looking at them last night. We're leaning towards a Boba (used to be sleepy wrap) cause their organic ones are made in Colorado. Their "classic" are supposed to be made in China. The problem is, we couldn't figure out which were the classic and which were organic and buying from the US is definitely important. I'm hoping our little ones like to be carried in something like that. I'm not sure how I will carry them both up and down our 3 flights of stairs otherwise. The wraps seem so much less bulky than the structured ones.

We actually bought an Arm's Reach co-sleeper last year when we were expecting our first. We got it on an after Thankgiving sale and even got free shipping. I got it at either diapers.com or babyearth.com. We got the wooden sleigh type. I hope you can find a great deal somewhere and be able to get one. They are so pricey! The sheets are expensive too. At amazon, they are $18. Ugh! I bought one set and I'm tempted to use it as a template and just sew some more. I'm a little hesitant to make my own things for sleeping things though... I have a friend who has the arms reach sleeping hammock. Her baby has reflux and he can't sleep flat and it really seems to help. She got hers on craigslist.

Renavoo - Yay for graduating! I felt a little scared to be graduated. -not sure why...


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## tenzinsmama

The cloth diapers I was mentioning that I love so much are pocket-style Bum Genius...

Renavoo, cloth diapers can be really absorbent, and the pocket-style allows you to put in an extra insert for nighttime. We do a wash every 2 or 3 days, and we start out with a soak, then a wash and double rinse. With a breastfed-only baby, the poo stains come out quickly by simply putting them where the sun can hit them. Once they are on solids, it takes a lot longer to come out that way... we haven't investigated whether there is a different detergent we could use (there are only certain types that are recommended for cloth diapers; we use Claudia's Choice but I think Rockin' Green is another one)-- we're still relying on the sun. We didn't use cloth diapers right away when DS was born because of the meconium being so sticky and staining. DS has never had a rash, but sometimes we use a cream on his bottom as a preventive thing-- in that case, we use those disposable strips that come on a roll-- so it doesn't stain the diaper. I have noticed that our water bill is higher from all the washing, but I definitely feel better with having him in cloth. Oh gosh, your work shedule sounds daunting. I know how tired I've been with a singleton! Do make sure you are getting enough rest, it's too bad that it's the busy time of year at your workplace. What are you going to do, just plough through things until you tell him in a few weeks? What would happen if you told him sooner rather than later? I guess so much depend on the guy himself, and your work climate... When I was working, I was at a Children's Hospital, so it was very family-friendly and I had a woman boss who was devoted to her two young girls, so if I was still there I know it would be easy for me to share that news early on with her. In fact, she used to tell me that if I was going to have children, I better "get on it!". Ha ha. When I went to Africa on my own to meet up with a group once I was there, she told me, "Don't get yourself killed!". She was great. Ah, now I'm getting all sentimental thinking about my time there... darn pregnancy hormones! ha ha


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## Keria

The computer ate my reply 

Anyways

We got some really cheap diapers on ebay they were 10 for 36$ so we got 20 of them they are one size so we'll use disposable until they fit in them and we'll probably just use them at home.

For sleeping we plan to side car one of the cribs and keep the other crib at their nursery/our office. For the carrier we got a beco I love it so far can't wait to try it with the babes.

Belly can't wait for your results today I'm sure they'll be perfect. Our twins would be "due" at the end of feb I think they'll be born sometime in the middle. I have a feeling we are going to have to evict them at 38 weeks they seem to too comfy in there.

Rena Yay for graduating, how many weeks are you? I ate tons on my first trimester it was the only thing that kept the nausea away.

I finally went out and got DH some cold medicine he refused to take anything before and just whines all day. I'm really hoping I don't catch it.


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## BellyBean

About cloth diapers. We totally love them. We used disposables for the first week or so mainly cause i didn't want to stain my diapers  Then we used FuzziBunz x-small for the first 3 months, then switched to one size after that (till she potty trained at 20 months!) I actually found the one size trimmer than mediums and only slightly bigger than a small. They can be a little bulky on a newborn, but they grow so fast it can be hard to justify buying the xs or smalls! Diaper laundry is/was actually my favorite type of laundry since there isn't any folding  I washed every other day in Rockin Green, Eco Nuts, or Allens (all cloth diaper detergents). Like Tenzi said, breastfed poo is water soluble so it comes off really easy and we never had any problems when we changed to solid foods either because normally the poop was solid too and got dumped in the potty before washing. Fuzzibunz are also pocket diapers so you can change the number/fabric of insert depending on use (like at night). So easy, cute, cheap, environmentally friendly, and no chemicals on baby's bums (my DD has very sensitive skin). It might be harder with twins (we went through about 15/day in the beginning - DD peed often but only a little at a time), but I do have one friend IRL that did prefolds and covers with twins.

I love my Ergo. I am not sure where it's made, so that might not work for some. I got the organic green Ergo and have loved it. I also like that it has a pocket, so I could fit a diaper, a few wipes, and my small wallet for a quick trip to the grocery store  I have also heard great things about the Boba! Although I haven't tried one myself. I did buy a Moby on clearance that I am super excited to try this time around. I was a little intimidated by all the wrapping, but I am sure I can handle it and I have friends that swear by it (especially with tiny twins)

Kewpie, My girlfriend and I were talking about the arms reach co-sleeper at work the other day (she doesn't know I am pg). We both have really high beds so we didn't know if the sleeper would work. Do you know if it adjusts up and down? Or how tall it is? I guess I could probably look it up online, so don't worry if you don't know the answer off the top of your head! We both used craddles/bassinets with our firsts, but it is a pain to get out of bed to get them...although I made DH hand DD to me for a long time  We also had the "in bed" co sleeper that we used for the first 6 weeks or so...till she got too tall for it.

Renavoo, I love that we are only 2 weeks apart!!!

In case you didn't see on the other thread, my beta was still good today (4713), so I am still on for my u/s next wednesday...ugh it feels like a lifetime away!!!


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## kewpie80

belly - yup, the one we have adjusts from 18" to 30." From where I'm sitting, it looks like the wheels are attached to a pole that slides up and down within the legs and there seems to be a lock to lock it at the height you want.


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## BellyBean

Kewpie, thanks! I need to go measure my bed now 

Keira, I love that you think you'll have to evict the twins!!!! That sounds so funny


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## kewpie80

I'm feeling really angry tonight for no good reason. This is the second time I've felt like this this week. grrrr


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## tenzinsmama

Belly, that's great about the beta!! I cannot wait for your u/s on Wednesday, I hope the time goes by as fast as it can for you! What is your due date? I think I'm going to see about the Ergo, I have a friend who swears by it, too. I can always sell my BabyHawk if I like the Ergo better. I didn't get one at first, because I thought the straps and hip thingy would bother me... I do have a carrier that works the same way as a Moby Wrap, it's like a double sling and you just move them in a certain way to get the wrap effect (starts with a 'K', I can't remember the name). I bought it on sale after DS was too heavy for that material/kind. The wraps are so comfy for them when they are small, my friends have told me. I'd like to check out the FuzziBunz, too, if you like them so much. Nothing like hearing this stuff from other moms! Oh, and the Boba looks really good I think, too-- was it in the mothering newsletterthat I saw they have a giveaway for them? Isn't that amazing how even having a bassinette beside your bed can still be a pain, when you have to be the one to get up and get the baby? DS had some issues with reflex in the early days, so he was waking a lot and needing to be held, so it was exhausting. I'm so keen to get something else, like the co-sleeper or hammock.

Renavoo, when is your due date?

Kewpie, thanks for the info about the co-sleeper-- you always have such good info and the names of the websites that you share. Hopefully as the night progresses your mood lifts... it's frustrating when moods get like that, when there doesn't seem to be a reason. Pregnancy... it's kinda crazy what our bodies do, heh?

Have to run... must clean up the house while I have a window of opportunity before DH and DS come back from groceries. I'm hoping they come back with some boneless, hot flavored chicken wings from Tony Roma's. Ack, the money we've been spending on eating out lately... I just don't feel like eating what we have at home very much.


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## BellyBean

Kewpie, I am sorry you are angry/upset. I know it's really frustrating for me when I find myself in a "mood" for no reason and I can't shake it. Try to take it easy on yourself though, you are giving up so much on bedrest that you need extra love and support.

Keira, how is the house hunting going? A lot of exciting stuff for you guys!!!!! I have a girlfriend IRL that got a bunch of inexpensive diapers on ebay (I think BabyLand) and she loves them!!

Tenzi, As of now, my due date is 7/15/12. I love my one size fuzzibunz. The reason I love them so much is the way they adjust. They use elastic adjustments around the legs and waist (like maternity/kids pants) so they are always really snug around the legs/no blow outs and it's like a custom fit because of how many settings there are. So you set them and then don't have to change any settings until the baby grows and you want to make it a little bigger (several months in between). Since they adjust inside the diaper, they don't snap down the front like other one size diapers so there is no bunching in the front or snap marks on thighs. They just came out with the "elite" one size, which completely hides the adjustment inside the pocket (it was partially outside before, so easier to get to, but the elastic would curl in the wash sometimes and pop out and need tucked back in). I'll probably end up selling my ridiculously huge stash and go with the new style.

Oh and for everyone, I don't know if you know about diaperswappers.com but that is an AWESOME place to buy/sell new and used cloth diapers! That's how I tried lots of different brands without spending a fortune and where I have sold all of our diapers when they come out with new styles or colors  I might be addicted! Even so, we have probably saved at least $2500 on diapering our DD!

Also, most of the cloth diaper stores will be having black friday sales, they are already talking them up on facebook, so whatever I buy new will probably be on black friday. I don't like to buy anything diaper related unless it's around 20% off with free shipping. I have been around enough to know that those deals pop up a few times a year and to only buy at that point  Never pay full price! Then worse case you can sell them if you don't like them and not loose much/if any money  I have actually made money trying new diapers and selling them a few times!!


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## renavoo

Hi Ladies, i love reading about your purchases!! it gives me a list of stuff i need to go look into when it's time. I was thinking I would start shopping around 14 weeks or so. I don't want to wait too long but i definitely want to try to wait at least until I'm into the second trimester. I'm definitely keeping my eyes on the cloth diapers!!

Belly, I'm so excited for you!







Great beta!! haha i'll be curious to see if you have twins in there too ) I myself can't wait for your us ) Can next week get here ALREADY!?

Keria, haha aren't men babies when they get a cold!? i mean, here we are, having a baby or multiple babies growing INSIDE of us and sniffles takes down the big man ) I always found that very amusing. Be careful though and I hope you don't get sick!! Yesterday, at 2am, i decided to add some nuts to my milk diet to stave off the hunger. So, i got to sleep till around 5:30 today! yah! I'm still going to be exhausted tonight though...i'll be working around 12 hours today. sigh. Oh well, at least tomorrow is Friday!

Kewpie,







It's natural to feel upset. I hope that DH is a calming presence. Is he home this week? You're being amazing and doing things that would drive most people batty. The bedrest is hard!! but just wait until your babies are in your arms...I bet that the anger will just fly away and you'll just feel wonder and love. I can't wait for that for you!!!

Tenzin, how are you feeling?

AFM, tomorrow i see the OB. I had a little more spotting yesterday ( but I'm wondering how much of it is actually the endometrin usage vs actually something from the uterus. I was feeling a little sore yesterday and so i stopped using the applicator in hopes that it helped relieve the bleeding. We will see how it goes today.

Anyway, I hope that everyone is doing well. i have to start getting ready for my day so I just wanted to say that I was thinking of all of you!!


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## kewpie80

I figured out why I was angry last night. I was overly hot and my bedroom was messy. We've been running the A/C, but it wasn't cutting it. Thankfully a cold front came through during the night and it's cooled down. I took a cold bath and DH and I tidied up the bedroom when he finally got home and I felt much better after that. I keep telling myself that I'm NOT a neat freak like my dad, but I think I'm in denial. If things are even slightly messy, I get anxious. Thankfully toys don't seem to bother me, just paper and general clutter.

Belly - Thanks for the info about diaperswappers! I've never heard of it. I'll check it out in a minute.

renavoo - Next week is DH's vacation. He came home really late last night which probably also contributed to my mood. Sorry to hear about the spotting!  Nothing worse than seeing that. I wish blood that meant bad things was a different color so we could relax when it's just cervix (cervical?) blood or something...


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## blueyezz4

*Renavoo* - great heartbeat numbers!!!!! So exciting!!! I used to drink lots of water and i would keep pretzel sticks in little baggies in my purse, in my desk, in the car, and on my nightstand to snack on all the time especially when i was feeling nauseous. I really think the water helped a ton too though. I used to get annoyed b/c I'd eat a big dinner and then like 30mins later I'd feel nauseous again and have to have something else to eat. As long as I would eat then I'd feel much better. Good luck. At least you haven't started gaining weight yet. You need a ticker so I can remember how many weeks you are now!! Fill me in!!

*Keria* - hope your DH gets over his "man cold" I had to laugh at that. When my DH has a cold sometimes I just wish I had it instead b/c he can be so miserable. Hope you don't get it.

*Belly* - so excited for your u/s next week. What time is it at?

*Tenzi* - hope you are doing well.

*Kewpie* - glad you figured out what was bothering you yesterday and that the cold front moved in to cool you down. Glad DH helped you get the room cleaned up some. I always feel much better when my house is clean and if not it is like a weight on my shoulders sometimes.

*Bungalowmama* - i sure hope that the nausea lets up and you don't have to have it the whole time. They do say the more you have the healthier the babes are though, or so i have heard if that makes you feel any better, I don't know.

Okay, back to just stalking you all.







Hope everyone is well!!!!


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## Keria

Rena that sucks about the spotting grr. When are you stopping the progesterone?

Kewpie Dh gets mad at me if I'm picking up stuff or bending down to try to organize things but he won't do it either and the mess is driving me crazy. I should tale a pic of my place that would make you feel better lol

Belly Great Beta! one more week until u/s right? Those are the diapers we got they are super cute and cheap. House hunting is mostly on hold until after the holidays. People here already got their christmas bonuses so our business has been super busy. I don't know how we are going to do it next year with two babies to take care of.

Hi Blue 

DH is still sick and is driving me crazy. He says the cold pills I got him made his cold worse. He says he feels good for a while and then he feels 10 times worst. I told him that means he should take another one but nope he is back to doing it his way. I feel bad for being mad at him for being sick but I'm huge and my feet are so swollen and yet I have to do 70% of the work because he refuses to take a damn pill.


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## renavoo

Keria,







Ugh, it is pretty bad that he's behaving like this! I hope that he gets better soon. Maybe he just wants some coddling but don't get too close to him and get his germs!! haha you should see my place too...it's a huge mess. I'm just so tired when I get home that i don't want to clean. I think i need a housekeeper again! But DH wants to save money so I am giving him that but I am definitely not the domestic type, especially because of my job! I think that it's starting to bother me too though so maybe this weekend, since we're staying in, I'll do a little cleaning.

Kewpie, I think it was you who gave me the idea but I ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich last night before bed. And i slept all the way through to 5:30am!! i was so excited! haha i'm still tired but hey, I had fewer awakenings than usual. My nausea this morning was almost nonexistent too! So hopefully i'm getting better. I'm so glad your mood is better! haha i frequently wish that I was warmer. i joke that i know pregnant women were supposed to feel hot all the time but I am always cold still. i think i'm warmer than I usually am but I'm still really sensitive to cold!

Blue, I cannot wait until your also here with stories about your pregnancy. I just want you to get pregnant so badly. You and DH deserve it!!! I'm 7 weeks 5 days. haha i really should get working on that ticker! maybe this weekend! Today, I see my OB. i really hope that she is nice because she fits all my criteria. She's close by, affiliated with my neighborhood hospital, and specializes in high risk births. So hopefully she is nice. My SIL went to another doctor at New York University hospital and the guy was an ass so I'm a little wary but I'll definitely doctor shop until I have a doctor I feel comfortable with!

I had a weird dream last night where my DH and I were camping while i was about 6 months pregnant. The odd thing is that we were camping on my mom's roof and we were causing some structural damage (haha concern about weight, maybe) hehe But I loved seeing myself 6 months pregnant. i was pretty large and I saw some stretch marks but I just didn't care because my babies were growing well. ) Oh and work is continuing to get crazy so I decided to ask one of my coworkers (a lovely older woman) about what i should do. She said that I should really tell my boss early because this next month is crucial and he really should let me take it easy a little. Honestly, i don't think he will care but I will talk to him after thanksgiving. By that time, I will be starting week 9 so that will be closer to week 12 anyway. During the week of Dec 12th, it's going to be crazy. I have a huge client meeting on Monday and Tuesday, I have to fly to San Diego on Thursday and then rehearse for a meeting until late at night (in SD time!) and then fly back Thursday night to come home. It's going to be a week of long hours and stress because the trip to SD is also for another huge client presentation. I told DH last night that if my boss makes me go to dinner with clients on Monday of that week, I'm quitting my job. My boss frowns on us not going out with clients any time they are in town but seriously, i just want to relax when i can!! DH actually seemed relieved and said that he would totally support me quitting my job if it comes down to that. I think that the stress of my working such long hour is taking a toll on him too.

Sorry, I'm venting.

Anyway, YAH to it being Friday!!! (Kewpie, and yah to the start of your week with DH, uninterrupted!)


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## kewpie80

Keria - I hope your DH gets better soon. It seems pretty universal that guys have a hard time with feeling bad. Can you imagine if they went through pregnancy and felt icky for months on end? haha I think there'd be a lot fewer babies.

renavoo - I'm so glad the sandwich helped! I eat one before bed every night and I still wake up occasionally wanting more food, but usually it does the trick. There's something about PB&J that I just absolutely love lately and usually have one for breakfast as well. lol Wow, what a crazy dream! I'd hate to have to fly all over like you do. I'm not a good traveler... I stress way too much.

So, DH will have to work monday, but he promises that's the only day. I'm not holding my breath though. I'm glad he's so important at his job and it makes for good security, but I'm a little grumpy about it. I'll take what I can get, though. Maybe I'll make monday a girlie day and watch chick flicks and eat foods that I love and DH hates. Maybe I can convince a friend to come join me.... hmmm... I wish we all lived close enough to have a girl's night! How fun would that be?

I drank a whole cup of coffee before the 3D this morning to keep Maisie moving. This is my first cup of coffee since before the transfer and holy moley it worked. SHe was SO active we had to be quick to catch images before she'd flail about again. I'll post a couple good ones that we got of her here, but I made the whole Twinkie album public, so you should be able to see all the pictures from transfer day through today if you want to see them (thanks, Blue for the Twinkie name idea... such a cute name for them especially before we knew sexes) Man, she's got fat cheeks! I love it!

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150207986421091.311288.694466090&type=1





This next one is a face-front shot.



She looks so much like a baby doll to me.


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## kewpie80

Ok, posting one more cause it was just too cute!


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## BellyBean

Kewpie, I love the pictures! Maisie is so beautiful!

Keria, I hope your DH is feeling better!!! Ugh to sick men 

Renavoo, like I said on the other thread, I think it's great you found someone to talk to about your boss and the pregnancy. It's so different at every place of work. For me, I'll probably wait a while, at least until next year. I am trying to get a better part time job at the same company, so I kind of want that secure before saying anything, because it would have more benefits (like maternity!). They are working on the HR stuff but it could take several months...but I already have to use a ponytail to loop through my jeans on "casual Friday", so I am not sure how quickly I'll start showing 

AFM, my back started hurting really bad last night. Thankfully the uterine cramping has mostly stopped so I wonder if it just moved to my back. At first I totally freaked out because I read somewhere it was a sign of miscarriage, but so far no blood and I read other stories of women having back pain. Anyone's back hurt so early? It's just so weird because I don't remember any of this with my first pregnancy. Also I am STARVING all the time!


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## renavoo

Belly, ME TOO (starving, that is.) My back pain comes and goes but once in a while I do get back pain. I don't know why but I don't think it's a big issue. My RE just keeps saying that I just need to look for bright red bleeding. That is the biggest sign.

Kewpie, AWWWWW!! Maisie is adorable!!! I'm so glad you finally got a 3D image of her!!

AFM, i went to my ob today and i like her although DH thinks she's a bit young. Another doctor comes in and apparently, this is one of the doctors who specializes in high risk. We REALLY didn't like her. she was a negative nelly and really just did nothing to put our minds at ease. She kept talking about how ivf aims at giving us one baby so if one ends up miscarrying, it's still a good thing. DH and I looked at each other like, WHAT!? She can't possibly be saying this!! Apparently, the us technician called her in because we need a high risk doctor to check our US. she insisted she saw something like a hematoma. While I'm glad that she was really about following through (the technician kept saying that it wasn't anything big because when the sonogram was active, there really wasn't a dark spot to suggest a lot of blood there). Anyway, so after she does the checking herself, this doctor gives us the "death stare" and tells us that multiples are high risk and therefore, the risk of miscarriage is high so we need to prepare ourselves, even though everything looks fine now. Afterwards, we asked my actual OB about it and she said that the records didn't show anything bad and she will talk to the other doctor but she said that often, even if there is a hematoma, it resolves on its own. She then said that they will just keep watch over it. I mean, THAT sounds right...we know there is a risk but gosh, the first doctor just made us so uncomfy!

Argh!


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## deborahbgkelly

I found out yesterday that I am an IVF graduate- *due July 25, 2012*


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## kewpie80

Welcome, Deborah!


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## kewpie80

Belly - I'm sorry you're having pain.  I do remember having a lot of cramping and it felt like AF and I'd get it in my back a lot too. It was kind of a dull ache with occasional sharper jabs. RE said it was the area waking up and preparing to grow for baby. It is nerve wracking, isn't it? I was told to drink water and a warm heating pad on the back was ok. It seems water fixes everything, doesn't it?

renavoo - Oh dear! I am speechless about your doctor! Can you get a new one? There's enough worry without all the doom and gloom! Not all multiple pregnancies are high risk!!!! I wish I could share my perinatologist. He is so reassuring and calm even when things go a little off of what we'd like, he always had comforting words. Your doctor sure could use a lesson in bedside manner. I had a hematoma on Liam's placenta and it did heal on it's own in a few weeks. It's true that most of them do. Be prepared for it to possibly drain, though. Mine did and scared the crap outta me and I wish I had known what it was while it was happening.

AFM - I'm now in the 30s for week numbers and the babies will definitely be here in less than 8 weeks. I've got most things ready, but there are a few little things that I hope to finish up in the next week or two. (mainly my hospital bag, finish sewing diapers, and getting the newborn photographer squared away)

DH said he needs to work a little bit this weekend. I totally saw this coming... I have a feeling work will creep into his whole "vacation" and he's already working all of monday. At least he is home and I can go talk to him whenever I want to.


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## BellyBean

Renavoo, wow! (not in a good way). I can't believe the high risk person had such poor bedside manner. I mean if you deal with multiples all the time you think she would be a lot more understanding of the situtation. I hope you don't have to see her much and just get to work with the regular person that you liked. The only words that are coming to mind are bad ones so I wont post them here  I had an OB (for one appointment) when I was TTC#1 that was really mean when I brought up clomid because I had been charting and my cylces were like 53 days long. She admitted she had used it with one of her children, but went on to say every scary thing that could happen (in a mean voice). Let's just say after I got my prescription, I never saw her again. I hear the hematomas are common as well, but I am sure it makes you nervous. I'll be praying it goes away on it's own and maybe even un-noticed!

Kewpie, I saw your ticker at 30 weeks and thought to myself, wow, this is it! She made it!! I am so excited for your little one's to join us!!!! And VERY excited for your newborn pictures!!! I LOVE pictures! Sorry, your DH has to work a little this weekend and Monday. I know I am always a little disappointed/upset when my DH says he'll be home at a certain time and then it's like an hour or two later. I am happy that he will be spending so much of the week with you and at home too!!! Just having him around will probably feel much better!

Tenzi, how are you doing?

Keira, anything new with you guys! Probably just busy working 

Deborah, welcome!

AFM, I fell asleep at 8 last night and woke up almost 7. (DH took care of DD at 3am when she woke up, but poor him he wasn't able to fall back asleep). It feels amazing to be so well rested! I am dying waiting for my u/s on Wednesday. I need to know whats going on in there! If all is well, we will tell our families on Thanskgiving, and probably our friends towards Christmas. I also am SO tempted to make my ticker. I want one so bad, but I am scared of jinxing it before the u/s. I am pretty sure I made one when I got my BFP with DD, but I am so much more guarded this time after this long year of trying with FETs.


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## renavoo

Kewpie, YAH!!!! I'm so excited for you and i can't wait for you to show us the photos of Liam and Maisie when they are in your arms!! it's so exciting! How are you feeling overall? I hope you get some quality time with DH this week ) i know he has to work some but hopefully, he will be able to just be with you some of the time so you guys can really be together. the babies are coming! it's the perfect time for you two to really reflect on life as it is because it'll all change (for the better, I'm sure!) when the babies are here!









belly, YAH for a good night's sleep!! What a wonderful dh for taking care of DD at 3am to let you rest. hopefully, he'll get some rest later today! As for US, i'm sure everything is going great in there and your little embie is growing! i am looking forward to hearing about your results too. it'll be week 6 for you right? i hope you see the heart beat so you feel all reassured!!

Welcome Deborah!


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## Keria

Kewpie Maisie is so cute.I can't believe you are 30 weeks already time sure goes by fast. I'm right behind you and we are NOT ready for babies yet. Are your twins head down? Mine are breech and I'm getting a little worried. Enjoy your week with DH.

Belly yay for a good night sleep Just 3 more days till the u/s I still think you are joining us in the twin club.

Rena that doctor sucks I can't believe a doctor would actually say that.

Deborah Welcome!

AFM DH is finally getting better so I;m pretty happy about that.

My girl was having a sleepy day yesterday. I didn't feel her much and I got super worried. Thank god for my doppler she had a strong heartbeat. She is been super active today but I can't wait for my next u/s to see if she is growing as she should be.


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## kewpie80

keria - Both are transverse right now; they were head down until this past week. The OB says not to freak and that there's time. I'm a tiny bit nervous cause I REALLY don't want a c-section.

I'm glad your girl is ok. Sleepy days freak me out too!


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## deborahbgkelly

Thanks Kewpie, Renavoo, Bellybean and Keria!


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## BellyBean

Keira, that would make me nervous too, although I am sure it is totally normal for them to be less active somedays. I remember poking DD to get her to move if I didn't feel her for a while  I am such a nervous wreck this time I might need to get the doppler too  When is your next u/s?

Kewpie, did your peri/ob give you a % chance for vaginal vs. c-section? Hopefully those babies flip back around! Maybe they knew to go head down when your "labor" started, and now their just chillin' waiting for the right time 

Renavoo, yep I am 6 weeks today, so I'll be 6 weeks 3 days for the u/s. I really think they expect to see a hb if all is well, they are very thorough and I know they wouldn't try to schedule me too early. Plus, I remember seeing a hb with DD around this time. Then they have me come back in 2 more weeks for a fetal movement u/s.

AFM, I simply cannot wait for Wednesday, please please please let there be a healthy hb. I have already become so attached to this little one, I can't bear the thought of losing it. Still having cramps and a little back pain, but thankfully it's not very often anymore. My nausea has picked up a little. Oh and I already have to use a rubber band on my jeans to button them. Not sure if it's because I am eating too much, the drugs, or because it's my second. I don't really care either way, but it is a little embarrasing to be outgrowing clothes already! I got my maternity bin out of storage yesterday and will probably be in it before Christmas. I had to buy it early with DD because of OHSS, and felt the need to lie about my due date when checking out at the store because really I should have barely known by then...not needing maternity clothes yet


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## renavoo

Belly, I think it's bloat ) I actually weigh myself every Sunday and I've only gained 3.5 pounds so far but my jeans and other clothing don't fit well anymore. I think our stomachs are also a bit sensitive too. So I'm chalking it up to that for you and me, although both of us will probably show pretty early, especially if we're both carrying twins ) I had my first US at 6 weeks 1 day and the heartbeat is there so I can't wait until I hear that you just saw your baby (ies) heartbeat(s) too!! It's so exciting, isn't it? My clinic required me to get an US at 7 weeks so and I heard the heartbeat that time so I was just amazed. It's such a miracle. However, that doctor did it so quickly! This last technician was nice and slow and pointed out everything including our little babies limb buds and such so that was so amazing. I'm addicted to US already and I won't have another one for 4 weeks. sniff!!

haha oh well, I'll live vicariously through yours, Kewpie's and Keria's until then!

I'm glad that your backache has lessened. Things will be fine and you'll be announcing wonderful news at Thanksgiving! (And anyway, remember, nausea is a fantastic sign. they say women who suffer from nausea have a much lower chance of miscarriage). everything will go great!!

Kewpie, and Keria, I really hope you ladies don't have to get a c section as well! Turn, babies turn! They are probably just getting comfortable and will turn when it's time for them to meet their parents in person )

By the way, when did you ladies buy your dopplers? I'm definitely going to get one. I'm just wondering when they actually start getting effective?

Tenzin, how are you doing?


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## Keria

Belly my clothes didn't fit really early as well, I bought like 3 pairs of track/yoga pants and I wore that all the time before I went out and bought maternity.

I give the belly a little shake and they move but her movements were still faint not what I was used to. I'm sure she was just in a weird position and she was kicking her brother or something. Last night I actually felt body parts moving when I had my hand on my belly that was so weird but pretty cool. My next u/s is on the 28th they are doing a doppler study then has anyone had that done?

Kewpie Transverse that cannot be comfy.


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## kewpie80

*Belly* - Nope, I have no idea what my chances are. My SIL said that she was told she had a 25% chance of delivering her twins vaginally. I think I'll be ok with either. I'm just not looking forward to a c-section recovery. I live on the top floor of my building with no elevator and I'm thinking an abdominal surgery recovery would suck with that.







Plus, we're wanting to go for a FET a year after we deliver and I'm not sure I can do that with a c-section so close. I think I heard that they want you to wait 2 years. I'm 31 now and I'm hoping to complete our family before I hit 35 cause the success rates are supposed to go down a lot after that, so that darn clock is ticking...

I am hoping so hard for your LO and a healthy HB on wednesday! How have you been feeling? Oh, and I outgrew my clothes really early even with my cycle last fall that had a singleton. I'm thinking we just tend to bloat more with all the hormones or something.

*Renavoo* - I bought my doppler at week 9, I believe.

*Keria* - Transverse is actually more comfy than the head-down/tranverse combo I had a couple weeks ago. Baby A was head down and had his head against my cervix and then baby B was transverse on top of his feet. It felt like they were hammering their way out and since my cervix has been shortening and Liam had started to drop a bit, I felt like I had a bowling ball between my legs. haha I can finally walk now. I had the pressuer when they were both head down too, but it wasn't quite as bad. I'm hoping all our little guys turn in time!!

AFM - I have my next growth scan this wednesday. Last time, they were measuring a week ahead and were 3.5 pounds. I'm betting they will be over 4 pounds by wednesday, which will be bigger than I was when I was born, so I'm feeling a lot more relaxed now.

I had some fun playing with Maisie last night. She had her feet up and pushing out and I pushed back on her and she slid around inside like toothpaste. So I pushed her around a little more and she started kicking back. It was really neat to feel. DH joined in on the fun and she kicked him really hard...so hard that I saw his hand jump. We're really aching to hold them and waiting is starting to get really difficult. We haven't met them yet, but we feel like we miss them if that makes sense.


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## kewpie80

Oh, forgot to add... This time last year I was in the middle of my TWW of our miscarried cycle. I've been thinking a lot about that lost baby as I approach the anniversary of the loss. My due date is actually on the 1 yr anniversary of the miscarriage. I don't want to forget our lost little one and want to do something... I was thinking I would find a giving tree where they have cards with the name and age of a needy child hanging on them. Know what I'm talking about? I was thinking it might be nice to make it a tradition to find a child the age our baby would have been and get them a gift as a way to remember. If we can't buy for our baby, at least we can bless another child.


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## deborahbgkelly

That's what I 'm doing right now. I'm lucky though because DH's cousin had a baby in March, so she's sending me maternity tops. She's much bigger than I am on bottom, but we are pretty much equivalent on our upper bodies. She will still send some pants in case it's twins .

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Keria*
> 
> Belly my clothes didn't fit really early as well, I bought like 3 pairs of track/yoga pants and I wore that all the time before I went out and bought maternity.
> 
> I give the belly a little shake and they move but her movements were still faint not what I was used to. I'm sure she was just in a weird position and she was kicking her brother or something. Last night I actually felt body parts moving when I had my hand on my belly that was so weird but pretty cool. My next u/s is on the 28th they are doing a doppler study then has anyone had that done?
> 
> Kewpie Transverse that cannot be comfy.


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## Keria

Kewpie I think that would be a lovely tradition in memory of your little one did you ever name him/her?.

I know what you mean about not having met the babies but aching to hold them. We are so in love with our little monsters they are part of our family already.

Belly only two more sleeps! how are you feeling?


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## kewpie80

Keria - We always called the baby, "Little Mr Bean." DH affectionately called him/her that during an u/s and it stuck. We don't know what the gender was, so we just kept that the name.


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## BellyBean

Kewpie, I think that is a wonderful idea! It's so sweet of you guys! I loved playing with DD and watching my belly move...it's probably my favorite thing about being pregnant  How many frosties do you have left again?

Keria, how are things with you today? Are the babies back to moving normal?

Renavoo, oh man, 4 more weeks!!! I think I have it set up so I go this wednesday then wait 2 weeks, then another u/s with RE, then wait one week, then u/s with OB at 9 weeks...but then I'll probably be on the 4 week cycle if I am lucky. I don't think I had another u/s with DD until closer to 16-20 weeks. Just got to hear the hb with the doppler at my OB appointments. Hopefully, I'll be feeling a lot more confident by 9 weeks and it will be a breeze going so long without one.

AFM, feeling like crap! I am sick and an emotional wreck...I cried when I left the pharmacy today because my prescription was $50 more than last 2 times and they wouldn't let me use another coupon till next month. So silly right. I have also noticed my boobs are getting a little bigger (they are pretty small, so easy to notice changes!) I just don't know what I'll do if it's bad news on Wednesday...that would be so tough. I don't know if I have it in me to try again. It's even hard to keep it together after getting a positive. Hopefully our family will be closer to complete in just 34 more weeks. DH is ready to start telling everyone and I am like, I don't even believe it's real yet...so I think I need more time!


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## deborahbgkelly

Belly- My IVF nurse said that i could actually use a heating pad on low on the front as long as there's a blanket or towel between the heating pad and the abdomen. She also said tylenol was okay and repositioning might help. My acupuncturist says to do footbaths.


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## Keria

Belly, that sucks I was an emotional wreck during my wait for the u/s as well, just one more sleep seeing. DH was also super positive and told his entire family before the u/s. I could not do it until I saw those little beating hearts.

My babies are doing great I can actually feel my girl more now I can feel her arms and legs moving inside it's pretty neat, for my boy I only feel the big thumps but no body parts. I think I'm going to be one of those over protective moms that stays up all night watching the babies sleep.


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## bungalowmama

Just wanted to duck in and announce that we're happily expecting two healthy BOYS!!!

















I was completely shocked. At first I was nearly certain that they were two girls, especially B (we've been told that since 12 weeks at every single scan). Then last week my OB said A possibly looked like a boy and B was still a girl for sure. Thank goodness we had the baby A announcement last week to temper the surprise. Well fast forward to yesterday and the much better US machine at the perinatologist's and it was clear as day! I was in so much shock that I paid cash for another ultrasound yesterday afternoon at the OB's office where my mom works. *Definitely* two boys, and they made me a DVD for "proof." You can even see them pushing against each other back and forth - SO adorable! We're revealing genders to the families tomorrow at our early Thanksgiving meal and I just needed to feel 110% sure after hearing girl for so long.

Now that the surprise has worn off, I'm completely over the moon! Buying boy clothes online and picking a second boy name helped a ton  In other news the perinatologist wants me back in two weeks since baby boy B was wiggling too much to get all of the pictures they needed, then in two more weeks for a total of four weeks from yesterday's scan. Then she wants me back every four weeks after that to watch their growth and my cervix in addition to my normal OB appointments. I'm glad for the extra monitoring! More chances to see my boys!!!


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## Keria

Congratulations Bugalowmama!!


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## deborahbgkelly

Congrats Bungalowmama!


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## BellyBean

Bungalow, congratulations!!!! I think twin boys sound fantastic!!!! I have a friend with twin boys and they are like little best buds! If all goes well tomorrow (for me) we will both be announcing some fun news tomorrow!! Congratulations again 

Keria, great news about your little ones. I can't imagine what it's like to have 2 babies in there, I loved feeling/watching DD move!

Deborah, thanks for the ideas! I am willing to try pretty much anything and the footbaths sound relaxing too!

AFM, I wrote on the other thread too, but I think I have terrible heartburn right now. I say "think" because I have never had it before. I am hoping it is a good sign for tomorrow's ultrasound...I don't think I can wait another second, but it is still about 24 hours out. DH is going to try to join me, but his job is really demanding so I am not sure if he'll be able to get away. It doesn't bother me if he can't make it, it might be kind of fun to have a secret I get to tell him  Please everyone think good thoughts for me tomorrow, I am scared to death!


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## kewpie80

congrats bungalow mama! My SIL and friend both have boy twins and they are SO cute together cause they are like best buds!


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## blueyezz4

*Bungalowmama* - Yeah for two boys!!!!







Love it!!! I actually love baby boy clothes and the fun little boy hats that are so cute!!! That is crazy though that they thought for so long that one was a girl and now it's not!! Are you going to share names or is that a secret? If so do tell!!! Congrats again!!









*Belly* - all of those symptoms emotional, BB's getting bigger all sound like great pregnancy symptoms to me and also like things are moving along great in there!!! Can't wait to hear tomorrow. Maybe you answered my question on the other thread but what time is your appt? I'll be stalking! Sending lots of positive healthy vibes your way and praying all goes great!!

*Keria* - glad to hear your little ones are moving around like gang busters!!! Such a weird feeling but fun too!

*Kewpie* - how are you?

*Renavoo* - hope you make it through the night tonight. I used to eat a piece of peanut butter toast or a bowl of cereal right before going to bed and that would help me get through the night. Hope all is well!!


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## tenzinsmama

Hi everyone, I've been reading when I can, just not posting... My DS came down with a nasty cold virus and then I caught it, so all week the two of us have been sick. It's been really hard, and I've gotten a bit down wondering if I am going to manage having a new baby with a 22 month old. He's been really clingy and I feel totally stretched to the limit.

On top of this, we were out at my parents' place with our dogs, because our vet is out near where they live and they had their annual checkups... Well, something terrible happened on Friday afternoon, my parent's dog, Jake--13.5 years old--(which I'm really close to, since I spent some time living with my folks and then when I wasn't, I was there practically every weekend) was just running a little bit and his leg went out under him... we went to the vet and got him some Metacam for the pain/inflammation, thinking he had sprained it, but by Saturday morning he wasn't weight-bearing and so we thought we would take him to the vet along with our dogs for their appointment. Well, Jake went in first and after that we didn't even bother with our dogs, because the news was so bad... xrays showed a broken elbow, and a cancerous tumor in the same area (osteosarcoma). So, it was a very heartbreaking weekend, my DH helped my dad dig a grave on their acreage, we came home Sunday evening and that is when I had to say good-bye to him for the last time. This afternoon the vet went to my parent's place and Jake was euthanized.

We're huge animal lovers, my whole life we have always had pets of all kinds, and even if I never had a pet I believe that all life is sacred and so I am just feeling incredibly sad and depressed that things like this have to happen at all.

Anyway, I've been thinking of you and hoping for more good news from each of you! I'll do personals next time... I've had a lot I wanted to write but I just couldn't get myself up to it. I'm sorry if I've burdened anybody with my sadness... Everyone has their troubles, and we get through it... I must admit, it feels really therapeutic to write it out. I hope I have some good news to share when we go to our midwife appointment on Friday. Right now, I haven't been worrying too much about things, because of everything else...


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## blueyezz4

*Tenzi* - I'm sooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry to hear that!!! Our dog Jake that we just lost last April at the age of 12.5 had the exact same thing (bone cancer in his front shoulder) and we had to put him down b/c he was having seizures and it was really getting bad. That is so hard and I was just reading your post with tears in my eyes! So hard to lose a pet b/c they are our babies too!! Anyways, i just couldn't not post and send you lots of hugs and tell you how sorry I am!!!







You can do this with a new baby and all, I think right now there is so much going on in your life that you are doubting yourself and your abilities!!! Deep breath and know it will get better!!!!


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## tenzinsmama

Blue, thank you for sharing your story about your Jake... I'm so sorry you had to go through that, too. It's not just that the dogs themselves are wonderful creatures because of their unconditional love and the joy that you feel around them, it's that they are there through all the good times and the bad times, right along your side... and they become such an important part of you, don't they. My dogs, through all the years and the different ones I've had, have been with me during the times I have experienced love and loss... When you lose them, I feel like a little piece of your heart goes with them, too. I talked with my dad today, and Jake left this world in a very loving and peaceful way-- at home, at my parent's side, with their other dog nestled in close to him. Thanks for the hugs and kind words, it means a lot to me. Give precious little Abby a big hug for me, okay? I know she brings you lots of love, especially when the going gets rough...


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## renavoo

YAH Bungalow!! CONGRATS!!


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## kewpie80

I just have a minutes cause I have an appt this morning, but I wanted to let Belly know I'm thinking of her today! I can't wait to hear what you find out!

I catch up on everyone else when I get back.


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## BellyBean

Kewpie, thanks!!!

Tenzi, so sorry about your family dog. I still miss my dog that we lost last year. They are so important to us.

AFM, going crazy this morning. My appointment isn't until this afternoon and I feel sick to my stomach waiting (well actually, I usually feel sick to my stomach!) I can't wait to get off all this progesterone since I feel like that is causing the constant nausea! I probably spent too much time on the google...there are so many instances of good news at the first u/s and then bad news by the second one. I don't think I'll feel even a little "safe" until my 9 week appt with my OB. I just really hope everything goes well today and we are started on the right path! Even if I am worried for a few more weeks, it's totally worth it if I get good news today. Sorry for being so negative...this last year has really changed me


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## renavoo

Tenzin, How did I miss your post? Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry about your parents' dog. I think that losing any loving family pet (Personally, I think of them as family members) is heart wrenching. I still haven't completely gotten over the loss of my dog almost 10 years ago!! They just are such amazing, loving creatures and our lives are so much better when we are able to have some in our families, even if they aren't ours. I love my mom's dog to pieces and luckily he's young but I'm worried about my mom and me when he gets older.









Belly, I'm totally with you!! I tried to do searches online and then I'd get scared and i'd have to stop. it's a scary world out there. But I know everything will be fine. By the way, I dropped my dose of progesterone (twice a day instead of three times a day) about a week or so ago and my nausea has gotten a little better (although if I ever get hungry, it's game over!) and the fatigue isn't quite as bad anymore. So definitely, it's something to look forward to!

I won't get tested for another month and I'm nervous too. I think I'll get a doppler this weekend just in case.


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## BellyBean

Well, the results are back..........TWINS!! They are measuring a little small. One is 6w0d and one is 6w1d...they should be 6w3d. On the plus side we got to see and hear their heartbeats and they were both around 115. The RE said that since they are small he wants me back in a week. He said there was a chance we could loose 1 or both and they want to monitor them closely at this point. Oh my, I can't even tell you the emotions I am going through. Honestly, I am really scared. With my fresh cycle I was bummed we didn't get twins, but I have 3 friends IRL that have an older sibling and then a set of twins. In all 3 cases the older siblings have really had a hard time with the adjustment and it makes my heart ache to think of my DD getting the short end of the stick. I know I should be overjoyed right now, but instead I am just thinking of all the things that will be harder. I feel bad that I am not as excited as I should be, ashamed really, after all I have gone through.


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## renavoo

Belly, CONGRATS! i know you're still reeling from the news and it is a shock but it will be ok! Every family is different and plenty of people have twins after another child and are fine! I hope that your babies continue to do well and im looking forwrd to the results next week!


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## kewpie80

Belly - oh gosh! I am so happy for you and my heart jumped for joy when I saw your post. I seriously know how much of a shock it is. Your RE is probably erring on the side of caution with the warning and wanting you to come back in a week, but I wouldn't let that scare you. At this point the babies are SOOOOO tiny that the tiniest error in the measurement when they click can cause it to be a few days off. Our babies were measuring behind in the beginning too and I was reassured by both my RE and OB in the early scans that even though they were measuring "behind" that didn't mean they actually were. We're talking less than a millimeter can make a difference. Try to relax! The fact that you are sore in the boobs and have had all the other symptoms are good signs!

I will be rooting for your little ones to catch up or for accurate results next time... whichever is the actual situation.


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## kewpie80

I totally hit sebmit before I was actually done... haha

I wanted to also say that my SIL has an older girl before her twins. The girl was about 3 when they boys were born and everything worked out great. As Renavoo said, every family is different and the fact that you are worried about this makes me think that you will probably make up for it because you are aware of the potential problem.


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## kewpie80

gahhhh! I forgot I was going to ask if you transferred 2 embies??? I was trying to remember and had it in my head that you transferred 1 and were thinking identicals...? as you can tell, I've got big time fog brain going on today, so I'm probably remembering wrong.

AFM - We found out that Maisie has hair this morning and both are very close to passing over 4 pounds. We couldn't tell if liam has hair or not, but maisie's was floating all over the place.


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## BellyBean

Kewpie, yes we transferred 2 embies (this time and every time). I knew twins could happen, but I thought since we had 2 transferred so many times and ended up with nothing (or once with our DD), it was lower risk. Also my betas were so close to DD's that I still thought it was only one, but if they are measuring behind maybe they implanted a day later and that caused my betas to be lower? I am glad to hear it went well with your SIL, and all of her kids are well adjusted. Oh, and my DD had hair in the womb too, in our later u/s she looked like Calvin from the cartoon 

Thanks to everyone for being so kind. DH came home early and we went out to dinner and talked about all the reasons we should be happy it's twins. My DH always knows how to calm me down. I had myself really worked up, but I am starting to feel much better about it. DH and I decided we would definitely make time and go on special outings with all of our children independently. Our moms are very supportive, so I hope they can help with the babies while I take DD to her gymnastics or dance classes we have been doing together.

Is everyone open about their treatments? I am so private and I don't know what I'll say when I start getting lots of questions (from some friends, work colleagues, stangers, etc). No one wonders anything when you just have 1 baby, but twins (and triplets) really bring out a lot of questions. My friend IRL that did IVF is open about it, and I can't imagine getting all the questions and comments she gets. DH says it's easier to keep the story straight if we just tell the truth, but it makes me anxious just thinking about it.


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## tenzinsmama

Belly, what Kewpie and Renavoo posted sounds really reassuring... I know it takes awhile to process big news such as this, so don't be too hard on yourself. I can't say anything from the perspective of the twins aspect, but, I know that even with having a singleton there are similar kind of worries about how the first-born will react. The worries, which are totally normal, feel that much heavier on us when other stuff is going on-- and you've certainly had a lot of things going on this past year, and then recently the concern with the u/s and if things would be okay... so I would think that it can't be anything but overwhelming right now. I'm really surprised that there is another set of twins now, with yours--- you are in good company here!


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## tenzinsmama

Belly, we cross-posted, so I just saw your post now-- glad to see that you are feeling better. Your DH sounds wonderful. YAY for calming, supportive partners! And supportive moms, too! Are you telling your families this weekend?


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## renavoo

Belly, I'm so glad you're feeling better! It's an amazing event and I know that as the pregnancy progresses, you're going to feel better and better about it. As Kewpie says, since you're aware, you'll definitely be able to prevent your DD from feeling left you. And she will probably take swimmingly to being able to help her mom take care of her siblings!

I didn't tell anyone in my family about IVF. admittedly, most of my friends are aware of me going through IVF (if I tell one friend, they all spread it along. We're high school or buddies from even earlier on so its par for course.) My DH is the same way but his friends and family know. But, work people will not be finding out that it's IVF. The thing is, I'm 35 so I was reading that older women are more prone to twins anyway. Also, DH has twins in his family (although of course, these aren't identical so I doubt that really matters) but most people who hear that dh has twins in his family calm down (my mom did...haha)

I can't wait for you to tell your family!! This is such exciting news )

Kewpie, yah for hair on Maisie! that's adorable! 4 pounds! she and her brother are almost ready to come out and give you and your DH a hug!

Tenzin and Keria, how are you two doing?


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## renavoo

Oh and HAPPY THANKSGIVING to everyone who celebrates it!!


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## BellyBean

Hi ladies. Well, it's 2 am and I am wide awake because 1) I had to pee, 2) I am dying of thirst, 3) extreme nausea, and 4) I am having a mild panic attack from our news yesterday. I decided to come downstairs so I don't bother DH, he has been up with DD the last 2 nights since I have been so tired. Nights are always the worst for me in terms of panic attacks. When there is nothing else to occupy my mind it can really wander. I might just watch some TV and then go back to bed when everyone else is getting up 

We plan on telling the families that we are expecting today, but I am debating not telling them it's twins. I really haven't had time to process the news myself, and I am so fragile about it I am not sure if I am ready. It would probably help to have their support, but I have so much fear about the situation I feel like holding it in until I figure it out (or I explode).

Tenzi, you are right. My friend who is prego right now is also worried about her first. It is probably a very normal reaction and in my case amplified by expecting 2 little ones, all the hormones, and my natural tendancy to worry too much!!!

Luckily DH will be up in a couple hours. I feel like I really need his help to calm me down again.


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## renavoo

Belly,









i think that it's a great idea to hold in any piece of info that you're not comfortable with. Only tell people when you're ready for them to know!! I hope that your DH is able to make you feel better when he wakes up. Wait, forget that, I hope that you're back asleep by now )

By the way, I think that you should get used to getting up often, if your life becomes anything like mine. I still get up 2 to 3 times a night to pee and to eat because of the nausea. Sigh. I LOVE food but i have to say...I'm really tired of eating. haha I tell some of my friends who know that and they stare at me like I'm insane because they know how much I love food.


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## Keria

Belly Congratualtions! I wouldn't worry about the little ones measuring a bit behind at this point they are tiny and just a milimiter could throw the measurements off.

Take all the time you need to process it. It is BIG news. Very few people know we did IVF and I'm ok with that. I did get asked a few times if I used fertility drugs I lied and said no and that was it.

DId you tell your DD she is going to be a big sister? I'm going to guess TWO GIRLS for you since we don't have any of those yet and I think three little girls would be the cutest thing ever.


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## deborahbgkelly

You are welcome and they are definitely relaxing! Always thinking good thoughts for you!


> Originally Posted by *BellyBean*
> 
> Bungalow, congratulations!!!! I think twin boys sound fantastic!!!! I have a friend with twin boys and they are like little best buds! If all goes well tomorrow (for me) we will both be announcing some fun news tomorrow!! Congratulations again
> 
> Keria, great news about your little ones. I can't imagine what it's like to have 2 babies in there, I loved feeling/watching DD move!
> 
> Deborah, thanks for the ideas! I am willing to try pretty much anything and the footbaths sound relaxing too!
> 
> AFM, I wrote on the other thread too, but I think I have terrible heartburn right now. I say "think" because I have never had it before. I am hoping it is a good sign for tomorrow's ultrasound...I don't think I can wait another second, but it is still about 24 hours out. DH is going to try to join me, but his job is really demanding so I am not sure if he'll be able to get away. It doesn't bother me if he can't make it, it might be kind of fun to have a secret I get to tell him  Please everyone think good thoughts for me tomorrow, I am scared to death!


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## deborahbgkelly

Belly- Congrats on the twinsies! Easier said than done, but stressing is not going to help both beans stick around. Maybe watch a feel-good movie or something. That's what I do when I can't get myself in a good place emotionally.


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## renavoo

haha Keria, that is too funny! i love your predictions. I think 3 girls would be the cutest thing ever although poor DH would be horribly outnumbered. haha my aunt had 4 boys and she was always outnumbered but they always bowed down to her. as it should be!

Belly, i hope you're feeling better now! By the way, I have the worst heartburn ever too. i have to eat smaller meals every time because otherwise, my heartburn kicks up, which annoys the heck out of me. I'm the worst with GI upset. I would self medicate with pepto all the time to get rid of nausea or heartburn. Sadly, i can't take pepto anymore and that makes me want to cry. haha not really but still, I remember how effective it is! ah...

Hope everyone is doing well )


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## Keria

Lol rena yeah that's a lot of estrogen, I was thinking that I would dress them all matchy matchy until they wouldn't let me anymore. Anyways boys or girls it's all great.

I'm officially in the third tri which is amazing but I'm starting to get pretty uncomfortable. Sleeping is becoming pretty hard. Everything hurts and even switching sides makes me feel like I just ran a marathon. Other than that I'm excited to see my babies tomorrow and see how they are growing. Both have been moving a lot my you can see my belly moving on the outside pretty much all the time which is pretty fun. Now I can poke them and they poke me back. DH does not like me to poke them he says he is going to start poking me in the middle of the night and see how I like it lol.


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## BellyBean

Keira, yay for the 3rd trimester!!! I was always so conflicted about poking DD. I loved the response, but I didn't want to make her mad either  Let's just say, more often than not, I couldn't resist 

Renavoo, what day is your next u/s? I am 7 weeks today, so that makes you 9 weeks. IMO 9 weeks is pretty much past the danger zone, so I am sure you are feeling great about your little ones.

Kewpie, how are you doing?? How was your week with DH?

Bungalow, Deborah, all, how are you doing?

AFM, we have our next u/s on Wednesday. My part time job doesn't even cover the weekly costs of u/s, bloodwork, and drugs, so I am looking forward to being released to the OB. I think I'll call them tomorrow to see if they want to see me sooner since it's twins. I have been reading A TON on twins this weekend, especially the tough parts of having an older sibling. I think the best case for us, would be boy/girl twins (which is the most likely at 50%). I always wanted boy/boy twins, but girl/girl would definetely be the worst. Although it would be super cute, from what I have read twin of the same sex are often very close and might exclude DD from their activities. (and girls can be pretty mean) I know as a parent I have to manage that, but I think it would be easiest if there was a girl that might enjoy girly things with DD, and then the boy/girl twins would also have a special bond. Something I didn't think about until reading up was the room situation. We only have 1 spare room right now, and a lot of people recommend having everyone have their own room to cut down on jealousy...or maybe let DD decide if she wants to share. We could do that later on, by dividing the bonus room into 2 rooms (no more playroom/DH football room). I also realized we don't have 5 seats at our dining room table although the highchairs would work for a while. Oh, and we will need a minivan, but I have been dreaming of one for a while 

Also, I have been reading a bunch on breastfeeding twins. My goal is to make it to 38 weeks. I am not sure if that is possible, but I think that would really help with breastfeeding, and a vaginal delivery would be amazing! I guess it's pretty normal for twins to take several weeks to learn how to breastfeed properly. It was my favorite bonding thing with DD, I just hope we have a chance to do it this time. I was so sad when DD self weaned, but I *knew* I'd get another chance. I had a hard time pumping last time, so I'll have to get a hospital grade pump and really focus on making sure we have plenty of milk in the freezer.

I also wonder if I will be able to keep working part time. It really does keep me sane and the money helps. I can't ask MIL to watch 3 kids under 3, so maybe I can alter my work hours so it's only 1 day of child care (otherwise money becomes an issue, but perhaps my sanity is worth it...)

I know...I am way ahead of myself given my RE's *assessment* last week, but I am the type that has to be overprepared. At this point, it's the only way I can get used to the news. I am still plenty scared...


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## Keria

I worry a lot about breastfeeding I really really want to make it work. I've also read that it may take them a bit longer to get the hang of it especially if they are on the smaller side. But I'm hopeful it will work out.

I really really want a minivan, Dh hates them though also we have a good working car right now so no need for another one. Some day...

I would have thought 2 boys would be more likely to exclude a girl form their activities. I'm sure no matter what they are they'll have their own little personalities and special bond with each other and with your DD.


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## renavoo

keria, yah for starting the 3rd trimester!! That's so exciting! Let us know how the US goes. As for poking, I'm sure they love interacting with their mommy and it sounds like you poke them when they poke you so i think you should enjoy it. The babies must love knowing you're around and hearing your voice as you speak. :O)

Belly, how are you feeling? Are you feeling better about the twins? As for the type of twins you get, don't worry about the sexes. I'm sure the twins, whatever sex they are, will look up to their big sister. I feel like it's a good thing, actually, to have twins after a singleton because most of the younger kids always want to get in good with the older kid. So I'm hoping that is how things will be in your family, regardless of what the sexes are for your babies! I can't wait for your Wednesday results!

I don't have another US until week 12 so I'm kind of wondering what is happening in there. I'm hoping everything is going well! I have an ultra screen test to take this Friday but otherwise, another many weeks until I can go and get the US! The next time, they will be looking at the NT to look for risk of downs. Ugh to waiting though...haha I am so impatient. I did buy a doppler (still haven't received it yet) just because I think I'll go crazy not doing anything while waiting a month between visits!

I'm with you about work. I'm actually going to tell my boss about the pregnancy today because dh is worried about me working as much as I do. The next few weeks are going to be hard too so we would feel better telling my boss so if i need to leave early or not say, go to a client dinner after a full day meeting, he would hopefully be ok with that. Knowing my workaholic boss, he wouldn't be but hey, I'm going to try. i am still not sure what i'm going to say to him but I just think he needs to be told! But work is definitely something i'm concerned with when it comes to having children!

Kewpie and Tenzin, how are you doing?

Hope everyone is doing well!!


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## BellyBean

Keira, now that i think about it, you might be right about boy/boy twins being more exclusive. I guess I was thinking they would be, but DD wouldn't really be interested in playing with them either  and that would keep everyone "special". But I can see how maybe they would like playing together more if there were more girls...oh and it keeps me happy cause I wont need anymore toys 

Both you and Renavoo are right about it working out no matter what the genders!


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## kewpie80

*belly* - Having an older sibling sure adds an extra bit of stress. Does your daughter like babies or is she pretty indifferent? My SIL's daughter was about 3 when the boys were born, but she adored babies and was a little mommy from the start. I'm sure that helped. I hope you can find a good solution. One thing my OB recommends is to buy a gift for the older sibling "from the baby" to give the day of the birth. No idea if that brings the new babies up a level with an older sibling or not, but it may help.

I hope to breastfeed the twins too. I got one of those EZ twin pillows from my brest friend. I've heard really good things about it. The lactation consultant who did my BFing class had twins herself and she said it helps to get the easier feeder to latch first and then work on the second. Another tip I picked up from her is it helps to have a clip (like a safety pin or barrette) assigned to each baby on your bra strap to help remember which baby fed on which side each time so you can remember to switch them at the next feeding.

I hear ya on being overprepared! I'm the same way. I have to have everything worked out WAY in advance and I think way too much about things.









Good luck on wednesday!!!

*Keria* - We're debating about getting a minivan. Our main reason for wanting one is we plan to try for a FET in a year, so it may be necessary. Plus, it'd be easier for hauling a stroller. We have an audi A4 and it barely fits the car seats and with a stroller in the back, we have NO room for anything else. My DH is thinking of going the SUV route. His thought is safety... So many decisions!

*Renavoo* - The time in between visits is torture! The doppler saved my sanity so many times and I hope it works well for you. The wait does get easier once you start to feel them regularly.

Good luck with telling your boss. That's always tough... Last cycle, I dreaded having that convo and of course his first question was how long I would be able to work and if it would change what I could do.

*AFM* - Having DH home last week was awesome! We got a lot done and got lots of time together. We discussed some of my anxiety issues surrounding the birth and got that figured out. He's the type where he likes to just see what happens and then make a decision in the moment and I need to have things figured out ahead of time. He has certain ideas in his mind and can be very stubborn, so it felt like he had an idea of how things would go and then if something popped up, we'd address it then. That does NOT work for me. It took me a while to explain why I was feeling so stressed, but we got it worked out. I was worried that we'd get in there and be able to do a vaginal birth, but I'd feel the need for an epidural and I'd have to fight him about it. Being in labor is not the time to be arguing! He assured me that he's not a fan of them, but if I want one, he supports it 100%. He said we can readdress how I'm feeling every 30 minutes and just worry about those 30 minutes. If I decide I'm ready for one, we'll do it. That made me feel a TON better. He's being more reasonable than I expected him to be.

We got the crib set up completely, cleaned all the bedding, got my hospital bag packed just about completely, and we got the rest of the flat diapers sewn. We just need plastic pants and we'll be pretty much set. It's feeling so close now and I go through moments of panic and then it switches to "OMG I want them here now!"

I've got pubic symphysis dysfunction and sciatica going on so I'm seeing a chiropractor for that too now. She thinks that we can get me feeling better in 5-6 visits and we're going to bang them out every 48 hours. I had my first adjustment today and wow am I sore. I've been having so much trouble walking, getting dressed, sleeping and showering so I really hope this helps. This doctor specializes in pregnancy issues and she's gotten rave reviews so I'm feeling hopeful.

BHs are getting more frequent now. I'm getting them around the clock. Some of them are strong enough that I can see a rough outline of the baby lumps in there. My next OB appt is tomorrow and I'm curious where I'm at in measurement. A little over a week ago I was measuring at 40 weeks. Putting the pelvic and sciatic pain aside, I'm feeling pretty fantastic.


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## deborahbgkelly

Belly- I get to have every symptom in the book. I know it's a good thing, but it's not particularly comfortable.


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## blueyezz4

*Kewpie* - so good to read that you and DH got so much done last week when he was off and that you talked about how you were feeling about the epidural and all. That has to be a huge weight off your shoulders. Yay for 31 weeks you are AWESOME!!!!!!!!! Can't wait to see a pic of those babes in your arms!!!!

*Renavoo* - how did it go telling your boss today? I was thinking of you all day and sending you good thoughts that it went better than expected!!! So have you only had one u/s now and your next is at 12 wks is that right?

*Belly* - 2 more sleeps until your next u/s!!!!!! Yay!! Hoping and praying everything goes well!!!

*Keria* - I could totally see how a mini-van would be so good with twin especially b/c most of them now a-days have the automatic opening doors when you push a button on the key thing. That would make it a lot easier when you have groceries and 2 babes in tow!!! HOpe it works out for you.

*Bungalowmama*- what is going on with you? What is next? Hope all is well!!!

*Deborah* - what is next for you? Another appt soon?

*Lyndi* - you on here at all??

*Hope i didn't miss anyone else, I was jut kinda going from memory (which isn't the best) and the last page. Love being able to stalk you all and keep up to date!!!!*


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## deborahbgkelly

I have my 7 week ultrasound a week from Thursday.


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## Keria

Blue nice to see you 

Kewpie Dh wants an SUV as well, but we have to get our house first then the car. Right now we have a corolla and I don't think I can fit back there with the babies once the car seats are installed.

I'm impressed with everything you've done. I'm glad you and your DH figured the epidural thing out.

Quick update on the u/s before I go to sleep. I think something was off with the machine last time. Today little girl measured one day ahead and little boy measured 5 days ahead that is way more consistent with all the other ultrasounds we have had. The doc did the doppler thing and both babies and placentas have great bloodflow everywhere. Both babies are head down which is awesome. I passed my GD test but I'm a bit anemic so I have to take some Iron pills.


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## kewpie80

*Keria* - Fantastic news about the u/s!!! I bet that was such a relief! I can understand wanting to go for the house first. We would be doing the same if our house out west would sell. We put it on the market in the beginning of 08 right before the housing bubble burst and we weren't willing to take a huge loss on it considering we've owned it since 01 and have done a ton of renovations on it. So, there it sits 2500 miles away and empty. I bet now is a great time to buy. Good luck in finding the perfect one!

*AFM* - Well, I've got just about the weirdest thing going on this last week. Only my right foot and ankle are swelling. My hands and left foot all are normal. It doesn't matter if I'm sitting with both feet down or laying on either side, just that one foot swells. I did some quick google searches and it can mean a blood clot or preeclampsia but usually you have an extreme swelling change and tenderness in the calf and thigh. This pretty much comes and goes and I have no tenderness, so I'm not too worried, just confused. I do have my OB appt in the AM and I will mention it and see what they say. My body comes up with the weirdest things to do sometimes...

I am in so much pain after my adjustment today. She warned me I might and I'm glad she did or I'd wonder what she did to me. I grunt when I stand and I take 6 minutes to walk to the kitchen and forget putting on clothes... Good thing it's just DH and me at home or this could be really bad. Only a week or so more of this till I feel better.


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## lyndiramos

Blue- yes im on here but mainly stalking everyone!! I glad you are able to get your testing done even though tests are never fun!! Maybe you will get some answers!!

Its crazy to me how many twin pregnancies we have on here but very exciting as well!! Im keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers.

AFM- Im still on bedrest. But modified bedrest so I can do somethings but still very boring. I have been getting shots once a week to curve the contractions and we should finally find out thursday what we r having. They couldnt tell last time. This one we are paying for to find out the sex but if they cant figure it out then we dont have to pay which is nice!! I will update as soon as I know!!


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## renavoo

Kewpie, It'll take a week before you feel better? oh my gosh, poor you!! i hope you get better way before then. I'm so happy you had a good time with dh...it also sounds like that time was very stress relieving, which is wonderful. It's also great that you and he had decided that you will get an epidural if needed. I'm curious because i think Keria also said that DH doesn't want you to get a epidural either...why is that? My dh is gung ho about me getting an epidural if needed because he says he wants me in the least pain possible (I'm such a baby). I know there are some risks involved in getting an epidural but I don't think I realized so many people were against it. i'm curious why (and whether i need to be more brave and try to forgo it!) I love looking at your little countdown, by the way...You're so close!! YAH!

keria, YAH for a great US. I think that you felt that it was nothing anyway so I'm so glad that things are continuing to go well with the little babies.

Blue, I love seeing you here! Actually the talk with my boss went well. He thought I was there to quit first though...the look of panic on his face was priceless. I actually felt bad! But anyway, I told him i wasn't quitting but i was pregnant and he looked genuinely happy for me. I then told him i was carrying twins and then he looked really happy...he has twins himself and he said that if I ever want to talk to him wife about the experience i should let him know. Basically, it all seemed good and he said he would be understanding if I had doctor's visits or if I wasn't feeling well but i'm reserving my happiness until I actually need to hit him up for some time off or whatever. That'll come on the 12th when i won't be going to dinner with clients after an all day meeting...we'll see how he takes it. haha he's a great guy and i like him a lot but he really is a workaholic!

Belly, so excited about your US!!

Lyndi, awww i'm so happy you checked in. i can't wait until you can tell us what sex your babies are! I hope that you're no longer experiencing the bleeding. Did you kick that awful doctor to the curb? By the way, i echo your comment about the twins. haha i thought that we all had a 25% chance of getting twins with these procedures but it looks like we're beating those odds. I'm still a little in shock about the idea of twins but I get happier and happier because, well, that's it for me ) No more worrying about getting pregnant and stuff. DH and I wanted two kids anyway. So if everything goes well, we would be done after these little babies come!

Belly, I know you're feeling better about the idea of twins too and I can't wait until your US so you feel better telling your family! Here's hoping you hear two nice, strong heartbeats!!

Big hugs, ladies!


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## kewpie80

*lyndi* - Hello bedrest buddy! I'm sorry you're having to be on bedrest. It does get old fast. I hope they are able to tell what you're having next time! SO exciting!

*Renavoo* - My DH is against it because it *can* cause the pushing phase of labor to be longer cause the mother can't feel which muscles to use. With it being longer, it can cause fetal distress. That's his big concern. We've talked to 3 different OBs now and they all say it's a possibility, but it's pretty rare (the fetal distress part) That made him feel better about it because he was thinking it happened all the time.

That's AWESOME that your boss is so supportive. Not all bosses are and I think that's sad. I hope the support continues even when you need to hit him up for time off or something. I'm thanking the stars that I'm not working this pregnancy. I was last one and it sucked and I don't know how I would have done it this time. I'm a homebody and prefer to be home doing domestic-type things anyway, so it doesn't bother me at all. DH fully supports it as well, so it works.

*Blue* - Hello stalker! I love seeing you around!

*AFM* - Had my OB appt this morning and things are still looking good. My fundal height is still the same as last time, but he said that's normal and that I'm probably growing more outward now. Judging by how I feel while sitting in the tub, I'm not surprised. It's getting difficult to work the drain and knobs without help. I talked to him more about the birth and we talked a little about our wanting to go for vaginal if at all possible so I can get pregnant again in a year without worry of rupturing. He said that all the doctors at the practice are BIG supporters of vaginal births and see c-sections as a last resort. He said that all the doctors are very comfortable doing breech births as well as long as the first baby is head down. Liam is my first baby and he has been head down the entire pregnancy with the exception of 1 week. So, I'm am feeling really good about the possibility of going vaginal. The last few weeks have gone so smoothly and DH and I are seeing eye to eye on things and it feels too good to be true. haha

On the pain front, I woke up this morning feeling a LOT better. She said it'd probably take about a week to feel a difference, but I feel it now which is so awesome. I see her again in the morning and on friday for more adjustments and if I feel this good after the first, I'm excited to see how I feel this weekend!


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## deborahbgkelly

Our clinic told us it was about a 50% chance of twins with IVF. We have just over a week until we find out how many we're having.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *renavoo*
> 
> Kewpie, It'll take a week before you feel better? oh my gosh, poor you!! i hope you get better way before then. I'm so happy you had a good time with dh...it also sounds like that time was very stress relieving, which is wonderful. It's also great that you and he had decided that you will get an epidural if needed. I'm curious because i think Keria also said that DH doesn't want you to get a epidural either...why is that? My dh is gung ho about me getting an epidural if needed because he says he wants me in the least pain possible (I'm such a baby). I know there are some risks involved in getting an epidural but I don't think I realized so many people were against it. i'm curious why (and whether i need to be more brave and try to forgo it!) I love looking at your little countdown, by the way...You're so close!! YAH!
> 
> keria, YAH for a great US. I think that you felt that it was nothing anyway so I'm so glad that things are continuing to go well with the little babies.
> 
> Blue, I love seeing you here! Actually the talk with my boss went well. He thought I was there to quit first though...the look of panic on his face was priceless. I actually felt bad! But anyway, I told him i wasn't quitting but i was pregnant and he looked genuinely happy for me. I then told him i was carrying twins and then he looked really happy...he has twins himself and he said that if I ever want to talk to him wife about the experience i should let him know. Basically, it all seemed good and he said he would be understanding if I had doctor's visits or if I wasn't feeling well but i'm reserving my happiness until I actually need to hit him up for some time off or whatever. That'll come on the 12th when i won't be going to dinner with clients after an all day meeting...we'll see how he takes it. haha he's a great guy and i like him a lot but he really is a workaholic!
> 
> Belly, so excited about your US!!
> 
> Lyndi, awww i'm so happy you checked in. i can't wait until you can tell us what sex your babies are! I hope that you're no longer experiencing the bleeding. Did you kick that awful doctor to the curb? By the way, i echo your comment about the twins. haha i thought that we all had a 25% chance of getting twins with these procedures but it looks like we're beating those odds. I'm still a little in shock about the idea of twins but I get happier and happier because, well, that's it for me ) No more worrying about getting pregnant and stuff. DH and I wanted two kids anyway. So if everything goes well, we would be done after these little babies come!
> 
> Belly, I know you're feeling better about the idea of twins too and I can't wait until your US so you feel better telling your family! Here's hoping you hear two nice, strong heartbeats!!
> 
> Big hugs, ladies!


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## Keria

Thank you guys it was a big relief to see the babies were measuring right on track.

My clinic didn't say much about twins. Even though we transferred 2 and the betas were high I was still SHOCKED to see it was twins.

I'm starting to think that it's true that transferring 2 only increases your chances of having twins and not the chances of getting pregnant.

DH says he wold like twins again if we do IVF again we'll see if that changes once the kids are here.I think I would be more inclined to do a SET if there is a next time.

Kewpie I'm glad the pain is gone and everything with your OB went great are the babies still transverse?

Belly I can't wait for your u/s news I'm sure both of your little ones are growing healthy and strong.


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## kewpie80

keria - Nope, they're both head down again 

ugh... pain is back


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## BellyBean

Keira, great news about your u/s! Glad everything was good and a mother always knows 

Kewpie, sorry you are in so much pain. I am sure these last few weeks will be tough. Do you think you will have the babies before Christmas? Or after?

Renavoo, I don't know how you are working so much! I went in for 6 hours yesterday and almost collapsed on my desk  Good for you!!

Deborah, yay for you u/s next week!

Lyndi, keep us posted on your little one! Can't wait to hear if it's a boy or girl!

About twin odds, my new clinic has a 50% twin rate for fresh cycles, but it doesn't give a rate for FET's. My old clinic was closer to 20% for fresh cycles. I had so many failures, I really didn't think we would end up with twins, but I guess that's just the thing. They really can't tell which embies will be babies and which wont, just by looking at them. Look how many of us got twins from our FET's (supposedly not as good as the ones used first). My friend IRL also had a single fresh, and twin FET.

I am so sick, I don't even feel like I can move. I just lay in the fetal position as much as possible and think that I might not survive the day! Of course I will, but you know what I mean. I feel so guilty letting DD watch TV when I don't feel up to playing...like I should be spending more quality time with her, but I am so sick it makes it really hard. I had constant m/s with DD, but it was all day mild...this is all day horrible! I am hoping in the next couple weeks when I start decreasing the progesterone it will get a little better. I have also been cramping a little the last couple days. I am sure it's just growing pains, I am pretty sure we will see both doing well today and it's just a ploy to get another $500 out of me! It's not like they could do anything anyway... Too make my panic over these babies worse, my DH learned this morning that he might be up for a promotion (on the other side of the US). I already told my mom it was twins and she has been making me feel better about possible bedrest and the time right after the babies come with how her and my MIL could help (cooking, cleaning, helping with DD, helping with the babies, etc). Just the thought of doing it all by myself (DH will have really long hours) really pushes my panic to the next level. I just need to take it day by day, I know its so far away and so much could change, but I have a hard time not thinking/planning for worst case.

My u/s is in a few hours, should be back with results around noon pacific. I am sure eveything is fine, just looking forward to seeing what's happening in there.


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## deborahbgkelly

Yup. Officially 6 weeks along today and starting to think about what questions to ask at my ultrasound next week. I have a couple of them at the ready, but anyone have suggestions?


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## blueyezz4

*Belly* -







I'm just here patiently waiting (or not so patiently waiting!). Can't wait to hear how it went!!! Sorry to hear about the all day sickness!! I think i took vit B 6 when i was having my m/s (or all day sickness) and it helped some. Also drink lots of water and try to eat a lot of little meals really helped. OH and i kept pretzel sticks in my pockets or in little bags at all times everywhere I went b/c the salt helped a lot. Good luck!!!

*Kewpie* - i normally go to the chiro like once a month or every other if I can get there and i know when i first started going i was sore so i think that is normal but b/c you are also pregnant i think that will also make that soreness worse since your body isn't used to it. Hope you feel better soon. Does your chiro say to use ice at all? Mine is a big fan of ice esp. after an adjustment and you are sore.

*Keria* - 27 wks yay!!!!! How are you feeling?? When is your next appt?

*Renavoo* - glad your talk with your boss went well. I just lol when you said he thought you were quitting!! Sometimes it is nice to feel like you have the power!!! I hope he is a man of his word and won't work your too hard. It isn't worth the risk. You amaze me!!!

*Lyndi* - hope that u/s goes well and can't wait to hear what you are having!!!

*Deborah* - how your u/s goes well too!!!


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## BellyBean

Sorry to keep you waiting Blue!! I had a couple conference calls for work and then I thought I'd try to sneak a nap when DD went down...but I just laid there awake worrying about stuff, then the dog started barking, and of course the RE called with my blood results! So no nap 

U/S went pretty well today. Babies measure 7w0d and 7w1d, so they are growing at the right rate but still behind, should be 7w3d. He seemed less worried since they gained the 7 days in a week. Last week they were 6w0d and 6w1d (but should have been 6w3d).

The doctor didn't seemed too concerned at all, but I am a little worried for baby A. The "pregnancy sac" as he called it was smaller than Baby B and it looked like it was already running out of room. He said it's hard to tell since the u/s is 2D, but the sac is really 3D. He couldn't tell if it was bigger than it appeared in the other direction. Last time he was like 1 or both might not make it, and he didn't make any comments like that this time, so it seemed like he didn't think it was a big deal...of course here I am ready to hit up google for more answers 

I am kind of annoyed because they didn't call with my results last week and it turns out they wanted me to lower my dosage. Since I didn't hear anything, I just kept going as normal. Well, now they had me lower like they wanted me too last week, but it means I'll have to go in for an extra b/w and it will cost an extra week (or more) in drugs.

Hope everyone is having a nice Wednesday!


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## kewpie80

blue - yes she does recommend ice.... 20 minutes 3 times per day. I didn't do it the first day, but I did yesterday and today and it seems to be helping. I was pretty sore after my adjustment this morning, but I'm feeling better this evening.

Belly - I'm glad your babies had good interval growth. From what I understand, interval growth matters more than what they are supposed to be on the week/day rate thing. I was told that the week and day measurements are guidelines and all babies grow differently. I think having exactly 7 days of growth is a HUGE good sign!

deborah - At 6 weeks, I'd probably be the most concerned with rate of growth and making sure the HB was in the right range. They probably won't be able to see much beyond that until you get a little further along.

AFM - I had my 2nd adjustment today and while I was sore this morning after it, I'm doing much better tonight. Words of experience here... If you find yourself hurting in your crotch like you've sat on a bike and bruised the hell outta your vajayjay and surrounding bones and tissues and have trouble walking or pain when you lift your leg, get yourself checked. Apparently the sooner you fix Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction, the better off you are. It can cause permanent damage and can hinder labor and delivery. I've waited a long time (since august-ish) and I didn't need to. The adjustment is really quick and easy (a tap on the top of the pubic bone on the side that's out) and it can hurt the back as well if you don't get it fixed. I don't see a chiropractor often at all (maybe once every 3 years) but I could have kissed mine this week.


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## kewpie80

Haven't felt Liam move for several hours....freaking out... They're supposed to have a growth spurt this week, so I'm hoping he's just sleeping. Music, juice and poking have all failed. They're so big that I pick up HBs from all points on my bump, so I have no idea if I'm hearing 1 or 2... ughhh MOVE BABY MOVE!


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## tenzinsmama

Hi everyone, I'm so behind-- I just got caught up on everybody's posts this evening...

Kewpie, I sure hope you continue to get more relief from that pain you are experiencing, with each visit. It sounds rough!

Belly, I cringe just thinking about the nausea you are experiencing. I had it pretty bad from weeks 7-10, but it mostly would start in the later afternoon up until I fell asleep at night. It's so individual, I think, when it comes to finding something that helps alleviate it. But one thing I really liked was a natural lemonade. I hope it gets better soon.

Renavoo, a lot of things I've read about epidurals is that there is the possibility of getting a major headache that can last for a long time, and then there is the whole issue about one intervention possibly creating a situation where it leads to others being needed, like if a person is too numb and can't effectively push, then forceps may need to be used. And for some women, getting an epidural doesn't always work the way it is hoped, so if one is relying on it then they might not have as many other effective ways of dealing with pain and discomfort of childbirth-- not to mention the fact that the monitoring usually cuts out the option of walking around and using a lot of positions while lying or sitting. I don't know anything about deliveries of twins, how much they are the same/different than a singleton delivery. My only experience is of having delivered my DS with midwives, and I was low risk the whole time. If anything had changed with that status, I would have had an OB consult and then my birthing plans may have had to be changed... My midwives are not anti-epidural, either-- if I had changed my mind and wanted one, or if they thought that I would benefit from one, then that's how it would go. We had a planned homebirth with DS-- I knew that I could easily transfer to hospital with the midwives if I thought I couldn't do it at home after all after starting labour, but I discovered I could cope with whatever my body was experiencing. We attended Birthing From Within classes beforehand, and I think that really helped a lot. Like I said, though, I don't know what approach most OBs take with labour and delivery, and if they kind of encourage epidurals anyway in that case, or not. The most important thing is that mom and baby are healthy at the end of it all-- I should say 'babies' on this thread, with all the twins! ha ha

AFM, we had our first appointment with one of the members of the midwife team (same team as with DS) last Friday, and she could hear the heartbeat through the cord, and it sounded good. We are planning for another homebirth, if everything goes as it should and nothing arises. Then yesterday we had the NT scan (12 weeks 2 days) and our results were great. My adjusted risk for having a baby with Down's (or is it with all three trisomies they screen for?) has gone down to that of what a 30 year old's would be. There wasn't anything on the u/s that caused any concern for alarm. We were suprised to see how much the baby has developed since the 7 weeks 5 day u/s... in fact, measurements are showing this baby to be at the top end of the in-utero growth chart for this number of days/weeks. And I mean, right at the very top. We could see how long the legs were, wow... it was so funny, we saw the baby do a complete flip with legs are arms outstretched, and another time we saw the hand go up to the mouth. I have to admit, it was great to see that, but it sure isn't like seeing it the first time with your very first baby! I wanted to cry each time with my DS, and I don't feel as overwhelmed with the magic of it all this time. I think that's normal, though. Now I know why other women, when they saw me pregnant with DS and no other kids in tow, they would ask, "Is this your first?" and then give me this particular smile, like they recognize the feelings of that first-time experience and it stirs something within them about their own first time. Maybe first-timers just have a particular glow about them, if you know what I mean?

Sorry about missing others, I hope everyone is doing well and I'll try to stay more caught up next time!


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## blueyezz4

*Belly* - Yay!!!! So glad to hear all went well. I don't think being off just a little is a big issue. Drs don't know the exact day that they implanted so you may be right on target. I think medical technology can sometime scare us too much which only cause more concern and worry.

*Kewpie* - sending prayers and positive thoughts to wake Liam up!!!!! Keep us posted! That has to be scary!!! Glad that your adjustment today was better. So you are aloud to go to the chiropractor or does the chiro come to you since you are on bed-rest??????

*Tenzi* - so good to hear that your U/S went so well! Yay!!!! Are you guys finding out the sex of the baby????


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## renavoo

Belly, YAH!! I'm glad both continued to grow. I'm sure everything is fine with the sac. My DH always found it funny that depending on how they moved the want, the perspective changed so much so hopefully, your baby is comfortably snuggling in the little sac with room to spare! As for the meds, ugh! i hate that for you, especially since it means extra cost and possibly, you could have started to feel better the last few days, if you were taking fewer drugs! Well, not that your starting with a lower dosage, I hope you don't feel as sick anymore )Tenzin,

Tenzin, I'm glad things are going well!! It's so exciting! I'm so happy about the NT results for you. I go in 2 weeks for those results and I'm a little nervous. Did you do the ultra screen as well? I'm giving my blood tomorrow for this screening test and I'll find out all the results in a couple of weeks. The ultra screen is supposed to give more insight into risk factors as well. How are you feeling now that you're almost past your first trimester? I have the same type of M/S as you. I'm fairly ok in the morning but early afternoon, the nausea starts to hit and then night time I frequently have to self medicate with ginger ale. haha But things feel a little better, although I still have days of just sheer exhaustion! Yesterday was one of those days so I was happy I got to come home at 7pm. But from early morning to coming home, I was so tired!

Kewpie, did Liam wake up? I'm sure things are fine but he's probably tired from growing and kicking you ) I hope that he woke up again and is kicking you once again! Yah to feeling better and i'm glad that the adjustments are working! ) I'll look out for it as well.

I received my doppler yesterday (sonoline B) but I haven't tried it out yet. haha i'm almost worried that things won't work and then I'll be stressed. It's early yet anyway and they said that it may not start working until week 12. I know some people get it to work earlier so i'll probably try this weekend (I think they have youtube videos about where to put the sensor) so we'll see!

Hope everyone is doing well!


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## lyndiramos

Just dropping in very quickly to tell you all its a girl!! See is also measuring about a week ahead which is great!! I have a lot of people to call so I will check in later!!

Belly im glad the twins are growing well!!


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## tenzinsmama

Blue, we aren't going to find out the sex of the baby. We did last time with DS, and this time I want to have the big surprise on the birth day. It's kind of tempting because I'm curious, but the wish to be super surprised the day of is stronger. Another thing for me is, I'm trying to 'go with the flow' with things... I need to cultivate that in myself. I think it will serve me well when with two kids under the age of 2 and 2 big dogs... a small house, and no minivan. Ha ha. (The vehicle we have isn't bad, it's one of the smaller SUVs and we do have a carrier on top for things... but still, if we decide we're all going to go on a road trip or do some camping, that won't be that easy to do.)

Renavoo, yes, I did the bloodwork as well. Here, I believe we call it the First Trimester Combined Screening. Probably the same thing as what you are talking about. So, b/w with the u/s. I'm feeling much, much better... even my energy levels are returning a good deal. Though I'm still really tuckered by the time 9 pm hits. Hopefully you won't need ginger ale too much longer, yourself! Let us know how you like using your doppler.

Kewpie, how are things? Movement today with Liam?

Lyndi, YAY!


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## kewpie80

Lyndi - YAY! SO glad your little girl is looking so good!

Renavoo - You're probably wise to wait to try the doppler. I hope it works out well for you when you do try it!

AFM - So last night was full of anxiety. I didn't feel him at all before bed and I had a fitful night of sleep combined with juice drinking and poking. I thought I felt something around midnight, but nothing else. I could hear what I thought was him on the doppler (his HB is slower than sister's) so that kept me somewhat sane till this morning. I ate breakfast and still nothing... I was getting ready to call the OB when suddenly I felt hiccups on his side and then after about 2 minutes came a flurry of movement. He's been wiggling ever since. *shrugs* So either he was really tired from his growth spurt and had been sleeping tons or he was in a spot that I couldn't feel him as well. He does have an anterior placenta, so it does happen from time to time. Just not for this long...


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## deborahbgkelly

Kewpie- Actually, I will be 7 weeks, 1 day not 6 weeks when I have my ultrasound. I realize I won't be able to see much this early. I meant general pregnancy questions, not specific to ultrasound.


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## deborahbgkelly

7 weeks, 1 d that is.


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## renavoo

Lyndi, YAH to a girl!! CONGRATS!









Kewpie, i'm glad Liam woke up. Maybe he was trying to give mama a little rest from all his kicking. )

Tenzins, OOOOH you're much more patient than me. I couldn't wait if I tried ) I am soooo tired by 9pm so i'm really quite worried about the next two weeks because I foresee long nights ahead at work. That is going to really exhaust me and I know DH is already really worried about me. I'm noticing a lot of mood swings these days too. I sometimes have to talk myself out of crying because i feel so frustrated at how tired I am!! But generally, I feel ok. Hey, my nausea used to be all day and night so this new focus in the early afternoon to evening is at least an improvement! I really hope that you start feeling the pregnancy glow soon so I feel some hope about feeling that way in a couple of weeks too!

Did anyone else also experience pregnancy rhinitis? i blow my nose so much that it drives me up the wall and this has been happening since week 5 or so. i must use a box of tissues a week because my nose is always stuffed or running! ARGH! ) I know it's a symptoms of pregnancy but boy, can these pregnancy signs be any less attractive? Gassiness, bloating, odd gurgling in the stomach, nausea, and runny nose. Whoo hoo. And i'm still on meds so I don't want to BD with my DH because who the heck knows what those hormones will do to him! haha sorry, tmi. ok, back to my optimistic self again.

Have a wonderful Friday! TGIF!


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## kewpie80

renavoo - Yup yup yup! I thought I was going to blow my nose off! Worst part, sneezing and runny nose made me hurl on top of already bad morning sickness. I hope it doesn't hit you that way. For me, it eased up by mid 2nd trimester. I hope it doesn't last that long for you! I did get the go-ahead to take an antihistamine (loratadine) and that did help a lot. Maybe your doc will let you take something to help?


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## blueyezz4

Renavoo- OMG! That was probably one of my most annoying pregnancy symptoms! DH actually slept in another bedroom some nights bc of all the sneezing, snoring and blowing going on on my side of the bed! We moved a recliner chair into our bedroom and I tried to sleep in that bc of my nose and hip pain which helped a little. I'd spend most nights in bed with tissues shoved up both nostrils. My pereintologist said I couldn't take anything for it and everyone at work was scared of me bc they always thought I had a cold! So sorry to hear you are going through it too! I think I remember you saying you have allergies (me too) so all I can say is buy stock in tissues! Oh and maybe try a netti pot, have you ever used one of those? The day our boys were born that night my nose totally cleared up, it was crazy! There is hope, but I know it's annoying as heck!

Belly- so glad your u/s went well! What's next for you?

Kewpie- so glad they your little guy woke up and stopped playing possium! What a way to give you a heart attack already! Good grief!

Lyndi- Congrats on the girl!!!!!!

Tenzi- good for you for waiting! I wouldn't be able to do it. I need to know but that's just me! Hope all continues to go well for you! Keep us posted!


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## Keria

Kewpie I'm so glad Liam woke up, these kids and their sleepy days don;t they know how much mommy worries.

Belly I'm glad you got to see your little ones did they release you to the ob now?

Rena I had bad Rhinitis before pregnancy so I don't really know if pregnancy made it worse. I do take clarityn or benadryl when it's so much I can't sleep.

Blue I can't wait for you to get started with your FET.

Lyndi Yay on a little girl.

AFM everything is going well. I've seemed to have developed carpal tunnel syndrome which sucks but Dr google says it's normal. Our store is doing great but working with customers around the holidays while pregnant it's not great. For now I've recruited my mom to help me with some stuff. I have problems delegating my responsibilities because no one does things like I do but I needed the help so my mom it is. Only 22 more days to go.


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## deborahbgkelly

I had rhinitis too. I had it a week before my BFP and a week after. I still have random sneeze attacks, but no constantly running nose.


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## blueyezz4

*Keria* - sorry to hear about the carpel tunnel and you are right, it is totally a normal thing to get when you are pregnant b/c of just all the internal swelling and pressure. Get some of those cheap wrist splints from like CVS, Rite Aid or walgreens or what ever drug store sells them in your area and start trying to wear them at night. That can help. You might have to start by wearing them a few hrs at night and then keep increasing it b/c it might take you some time to get used to it. Just saw your post and wanted to let you know. Hope you feel better soon.


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## kewpie80

keria - Sorry to hear about the carpel tunnel! That doesn't sound fun at all! What kind of store do you guys have?

AFM- Soooo itchy! I have cocoa butter everywhere and yet my tummy is still itching like mad! I'm trying SO hard not to scratch, but I'm going crazzzzzy. *twitches*

Oh, and only 2 weeks left until they will not stop my labor if I go in... This is getting serious. Even after going on 13 years of waiting and trying, I still feel so unprepared emotionally for this.


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## Keria

Thanks for the tip blue I'll send Dh out for some, it's especially bad at night I wake up every hour to un-numb my hand and switch sides so the other one can get numb. I hope the splints help.

Kewpie we have a baby store. We mostly sell carters clothing.pregnant women can be a pain the butt lol

Do you know why are you itchy is it the skin stretching?


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## BellyBean

Kewpie, doesn't preeclampsia cause severe itching when pregnant and the only way to stop it is to give birth. Or your itching localized? I emember my tummy itching a little towards the end too. You are getting SO close! And I am so happy Liam is being active again!

Keira, haha about pregnant women  At least you have a good supply of clothes!!! I agree with Blue, my mom had to wear one of those splints for a while too.

Glad to hear there is finally a symptom I don't have!!! Yay for no running/stuffy nose here!!!

Lyndi, I can't remember if I said contrgats on the little girl! Yipee!!

AFM, I am still slowly getting used to the idea of twins. I know, can you believe I am still dwelling on that news! So my personality  We also found out there is a chance we might be moving before they arrive and that sent me to a whole new anxiety level. It would be so hard leaving our family/friends/support system at the most stressful time of my life (so far).


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## kewpie80

Keria - hahaha I can only imagine how annoying they are! Sounds like you'll be all set for your little ones having a store like that! How cool!

Yeah, I think it's cause of the skin stretching. It's itchy across the middle near my belly button which is where I'm stretched the tightest. *sigh*

Belly - No idea if it's a sign of preeclampsia, but they have been watching me closely for it. My mom delivered me very early because she had it and they think it can be hereditary. My BP is normal and my proteins are perfect, so it looks like I'm in the clear so far at least.  I think the itching is from the stretching if I had to guess.

lol don't feel bad about dwelling on the news. It still shocks me from time to time... We don't have a support system here really either. I do have a cousin or two nearby, but I've never met them in person. I've talked with some other twin/triplet moms and they assure me that it can be done alone if that makes you feel any better about possibly losing your support. It's too bad we're so far away or I'd help!

AFM - I had a scare tonight. - I thought my water broke. I was walking and suddenly I was all wet... turned out to be my bladder failing to hold things in







It about gave me a heart attack! Pregnancy can be so sexy, eh?


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## Keria

Belly are you moving far away? I can;t imagine having to move away form family just before the twins arrive.

Kewpie I get the stretching skin itchiness too. I think as long as it is only on the belly is fine. There is a pregnancy liver condition that produces itchiness on the hands and feet that can be dangerous.

lol yeah pregnancy is so sexy, I just started peeing when I sneeze so annoying.

All my friends tell me it's going to be impossible to get the kids a present, I just tell them I can give them my bank account number if they want  . We've been selling carters for 3 years and their stuff is pretty much the same now as it was 3 years ago so it's not really exciting anymore. Most of the stuff we have for the kids is Carters anyways because we get it for so cheap that it makes no sense to buy other brands at retail price.


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## renavoo

Hi ladies!

kewpie, oh my gosh, i'm glad things are ok but what a scare. and yes, pregnancy is definitely attractive ;o) are both babies moving nicely now? no more other scares? i can't wait until you give birth and we get to see little Liam and Maisie outside the uterus! as for the stretchy skin, i thought that was something that often happened in the belly and breast area?

Belly, ugh, where are you moving? I hope not too far away? Is it because of dh's work? I'm still getting used to the idea of twins too. I don't think I'll be used to it until they both graduate from college. ;o)

Keria, i LOLed when I read your comment about the bank account.

)


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## kewpie80

renavoo - Yup, they've both been super squirmy the last day or two which fills me with relief and I can't wait till they are on the outside too. Then I can look at them and know they are breathing and stop poking myself. As for the itching, this is the first I've ever had it. I guess it's normal? I put some vasaline on it last night before putting on my jammies and ahhhhhh soooo nice!


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## kewpie80

I finished one of the infant seat covers today. I'll post a pic if I can remember to. I hope to finish the second one tomorrow. Crunch time!


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## deborahbgkelly

Good news- Cousins on DH's side had a baby girl today!


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## BellyBean

Kewpie, my water broke slowly...was basically just leaking. I woke up wet in the middle of the night and couldn't tell if I had peed my pants or not  I changed my clothes and went back to bed and noticed I was getting wet again, but awake...still wondering if it was me or my water! Great job getting all your last minute sewing done!

We are trying to decide when to tell everyone it's twins. My mom throws a huge holiday brunch every December for her friends and our family (women only), and I am worried that if we tell people before then, that the whole time I am going to be getting questions from "strangers" about how we ended up with twins! On the flip side, we have a friend IRL with the same situation, DD and twins, and I would love to talk to her, but she is DH's cousin, so I know news would travel fast through their family....

I guess we will find out in January if we are moving, it would be cross country, so really far


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## kewpie80

Belly - The questions about the twins always throws me off. I've been asked by doctors (not OB related) strangers at the store/bank, people at church, neighbors and everyone in between. They all ask, so do twins run in your family? I know it will get even worse once the babies are out, cause the only people who know about the twins are those who ask and once they're out, there's no hiding it. With people I see often, I don't care if they know about the IVF. Most have known me long enough know my history of trying, so it's no big deal to me. The strangers and those I don't see often is weirder. I just don't like talking about it cause you always risk getting rude or intrusive questions.

Plus, you get the response of, "My SIL's half cousin's dog once peed on a guy whose aunt had twins." ...and then they go into a big long story about it when all you want is to cash your check and leave. That will be worse once they are born too and I'm not looking forward to that. I went out for breakfast with a friend of mine here who has twin girls and she warned me that we will get stopped at least a few times and I thought, "really? we're just eating breakfast." Sure enough, even though her girls are fraternal 4 yr old twins, we got stopped 3 times. SHe said it's worse when they are little.

I'm totally going on a tangent here, but I also have been told by a few twin moms that some people (usually old folks) will actually argue with you over whether or not your twins are really twins cause they think that twins HAVE to be identical. I'm preparing myself to have a few canned answers ready for that one. (as well as the response to, "uh oh, double trouble!"

In your situation, I'd be tempted to just not say anything to make it simpler on myself. Do you see this friend with twins often so that you could ask them questions later? On the other hand, news will travel either now or later and you'll probably be bombarded with questions either way. Maybe you can be kind of ambiguous when asked about them... Say, sometimes it just happens, or there's a first time for everything, or just answer that they don't run in your family and just stop talking? haha


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## Keria

Quote:


> "My SIL's half cousin's dog once peed on a guy whose aunt had twins."


That made me laugh kewpie. I don't even tell random people anymore that it's twins unless they say something like wow you are so big (Why do people think it's ever ok to tell a woman she is big) or if they ask if we know what we are having I say yep a girl and a boy. Usually I get the Oh you are so lucky the perfect pair whatever or the better you than me response which usually comes from people with tiny babies.


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## BellyBean

Kewpie, what questions/comments did you get with the twins at breakfast? I feel like if I can expect the questions I can used canned answers... I don't plan on tellling anyone let alone strangers about IVF. I think we are going to go with "clomid" for our close friends/family, and then "none of your business" for strangers. I feel like there would be less prying and personal questions...I don't know, it's so hard to find the right balance.

Let me know if you come up with some good answers!!!


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## renavoo

Hi ladies, how is everyone feeling? Kewpie, I love vasoline...my face sometimes gets dry and I'll slather on vasoline because it just feels so good in the morning. most people are shocked because they think it'll make me break out (I'm already prone to breakouts) but I never had an issue! I will have to get a big bucket of vasoline when I start to get bigger.

This conversation about questions about twins is very amusing to me. Keria, I'm so with you...how is it EVER ok to say to a woman that she looks huge?! And the better you than me response...wow... I think i would probably end up saying that it probably is better me than you because obviously, i would be able to handle it. Of course, that could just be my hormones talking and making me bitchier than ever. haha.

My response when people ask whether twins run in my family is that yes, they do on my DH's side (his father's brothers are twins). For those who don't understand fraternal vs identical twins, I plan to stop at that. For people more in the know, who understand that that wouldn't really impact fraternal twins, I have the added excuse that i'm older and twins are more likely in women older than 35. Many of my close friends know but i don't plan on telling strangers about the IVF. Or even acquaintances. And definitely no one at work.


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## kewpie80

Belly - they asked first if they were twins and then asked if twins ran in her family. She just said no to the second question. The last was just a comment on how busy she must be. (which is kind of duh)

renavoo - I had no idea you were over 35! I was thinking I was older than you for some reason. I'm 31...

Keria - I can't believe people tell you you're huge!!! I'd be tempted to say something equally mean back. I surprisingly haven't gotten that one. Actually, people usually comment on how fantastic I look. It could be that I'm a heavy girl to start with and the babies have actually pulled some weight off of my face, so I do look thinner overall.

AFM - DH took a baby bump picture of me tonight. I'm definitely starting to get a little pregnant-puffiness going on in my face. Thankfully I haven't been retaining much water, but my OB says that the amount of blood in my body will increase a LOT in the next few weeks in preparation for the blood loss at birth and it makes you appear puffy all over. I found that interesting. I never knew that before.


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## deborahbgkelly

So, really cool, the equivalent of my step-niece is due in mid-May! It will be nice to have kids so close together. For explanation, my mom is in a same-sex relationship, so legally there is no familial connection, but we consider each other family. This is my mom's partner's granddaughter. I believe this will be her 3rd. Quite a lot of precious gifts in my family this year and next!


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## Keria

Kewpie, you look great! I'll have Dh take a pic later I've been slacking in the belly pic department. I think I do look huge I have gained 46 pounds already







. I do retain tons of fluids so I'm hoping that the pounds will come off easy as a lot of it is water weight. I also have great hopes for breastfeeding for weight loss but we'll see.


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## kewpie80

Keria - Thanks! I'm hoping the same about breastfeeding. BFing twins is supposed to burn up to 600 calories per day! Sounds good to me 

I'm not sure how to count my weight... I lost 11 pounds in the first trimester and I've gained 27 back... so I'm not sure if that means I count it as the 27 pounds or the 16 from my pre-pregnancy weight...? I'm assuming I go off of my lowest and say I've gained 27 so far. I'm not retaining hardly any water (at least not yet) I sure did in my first pregnancy and couldn't wear shoes. I'm SO glad I'm not this time, but I'm not holding my breath that I won't before the end.

I'm looking forward to seeing your belly shot!


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## BellyBean

Kewpie, you look great! I love seeing your bump pictures! My second favorite thing about breastfeeding (besides bonding) is weight loss. I hear it's a lot harder with twins since they are usually premies, but I lost all my pregnancy and IVF weight in the first 2 months! It was awesome. My friend IRL with twins breastfed and she was tiny in no time! I always had supply issues, but looking back, I bet it was because I wasn't drinking and eating enough...so I will be really focused on that this time around. I also plan on renting a hospital grade pump, in case it takes a while to get latching right.

Keira, I would love to see a picture of your bump too!

Renavoo, hope these 2 busy weeks at work pass quickly!!!

Deborah, congratulations on all the new arrivals/announcements.

AFM, I am so so sick, I wrote my OB today to see if he would prescribe something. I can barely eat, drink, sleep, or take care of DD. I was in so much pain (from nausea) yesterday I just cried the whole day. Luckily DH was around to take care of DD. I really hate taking drugs while pregnant, but I need to be able to perform normal tasks!


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## Keria

Oh belly that sucks that you are feeling so sick. I'm hoping your doctor can prescribe something that helps.

Ok not the best pic but it will do for now plus you can see my doggie. I want to get dressed up with DH and have one last family pic before kids.


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## kewpie80

cute keria!!!


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## kewpie80

breastfeeding question that just flew out of nowhere and hit me in the head... Are you supposed to wear a bra at night when breastfeeding to keep pads in place and keep sheets from getting milky??? I dont like wearing bras at all and only wear one when I have to and this makes me afraid of what the answer is going to be.


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## Keria

Thanks Kewpie 

I have no experience but yes I've read you have to wear something at least at first or you'll wake up in a puddle of milk. I hate bras, I plan on wearing tanks which I hate a little less.


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## kewpie80

I might be able to handle a tank too. I'm a t-shirt wearing kind of person at night. I can't stand being restricted. A tank might be a good compromise.


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## rcr

kewpie - there are sleep bras that are so loose you don't even know they are there. I hate bras, and I actually ended up wearing the same few sleep bras all day and night until they were threadbare. It was not really because milk was getting all over the place, it was because my boobs were just so big it was uncomfortable without one. Plus I had to wear nursing pads at first because the milk would leak though. I don't normally wear a bra at all. I was feeding two babies too - mine and an adopted baby who I was pumping for.


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## rcr

Oh, and cute pic keira.


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## BellyBean

Keira, so cute!!!!! You are NOT huge at all, I would slap someone that said that to me! Actually, a guy I work with told me when I was about 30 weeks that I had gotten really big! He doesn't ever think before he says stuff, so I wasn't really offended. I think he was trying to say I was showing, but I did tell them it was rude to say that to any lady, pregnant or not...he didn't comment on my size after that  I love your doggie in the picture too!!! I am so so excited for you!

Kewpie, I am normally a t-shirt wearing girl too, but I had to sleep with bra and pads for several months after DD was born. I'll have to look up sleep bras, I wore a Bravado Seamless bra most of the time and I loved it, it was super comfy. I plan on buying a couple more of those and looking into tanks as well!

rcr, thanks for the sleep bra idea...I am going to have to look those up, sounds very nice!!!


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## blueyezz4

*Kewpie and Keria* - Very cute pics!!!!! Love them both!!


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## kewpie80

thanks belly and rcr! I'm taking notes and will look those up. I remember hearing good things about bravado once from someone else a while back.

Thanks blue!


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## renavoo

Hi ladies!

Keria and Kewpie, LOVE the bump photos! You guys look great! It's wonderful that you're capturing the memories now. it'll be something to show the kids later on.

interesting discussion about bras. I learn so much just reading these messages! I actually wear a sports bra every night to sleep anyway so I 'm sure I would feel more comfortable with something. When did you guys start to buy new bras? My breasts have gotten larger but I can still mostly wear my current bras although sometimes they get tight. i don't want to do anything until after my 12th week visit (I'm still a little worried that something bad happened in there because I don't know WHAT is happening!) so I'm just biding my time. DH is begging me to stop looking up miscarriage stuff. For instance, now I'm searching for terms like miscarriage without symptoms. Apparently, a lot of people do suffer from them. ugh, sorry i'm being morbid. It's a weird mood I've been in. Maybe the exhaustion? But it's awful what you can find on the web!

Belly,







sorry you feel so sick. Did you get morning sickness with DD? i guess it's double the fun this time around for you, huh? Sorry...I hope that it goes away soon. My morning sickness has started to go away. I get periods of of slight nausea but generally, I don't feel as bad anymore. So I'm hoping that this is what will happen to you too. Although 2 more weeks of awful nausea is definitely something to not look forward to!


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## kewpie80

renavoo - The mc stuff is pretty awful. When you don't have symptoms, it's a missed m/c and they are quite common.  I had to pry myself away from google especially in the beginning too. It feels like it would help to be informed, but I think it just makes us a little more paranoid cause there are so many horror stories out there and lots of people willing to share them.

As for the bras, my breasts didn't change at all, so I didn't end up buying any except for 1 nursing bra I plan to use in the hospital. Since I've given birth before, I;m assuming that's why my breasts haven't changed, but they probably will once my milk comes in cause I've never breastfed. I'll buy more once I know what my milk factories are going to do.

Just from reading various forums, it seems that some women change early, some late, and some not at all. It seems to vary a lot. Personally, I'd probably hold off as long as I could and then only get 1-2 bras until I was sure I was going to be at that size for awhile. Why do they have to be so dang expensive?? Bras are one thing that I really don't like buying, but at least we don't still wear corsets!









AFM - I had a growth spurt this past weekend and I can feel a huge difference. It's really affecting my back and I hardly slept last night.  Thank goodness I have nothing going on today so I can nap. Hopefully my back will let me.


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## kewpie80

Belly - I'm sorry you're so sick! There are some over the counter things you can try... certain B vitamins that my OB recommended for calming morning sickness. I'm not sure how well it works, cause I never took them, but I can look up the info if you think you want to give it a shot. Off the top of my head, I think it was B6 and unisom combination. I have it written down somewhere. There is a prescription drug that starts with a Z that is supposed to be really effective as well. I hope your doctor is willing to suggest or give you something. I had bad m/s but I was able to keep it somewhat at bay just by eating tiny meals almost constantly through the day and night. TBH, I'm not sure it was the best idea cause I still ended up losing quite a bit of weight. I hope you can get some relief!


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## rcr

Kewpie - yea, I agree to hold off as long as you can on buying bras. I bought some of those nursing tanks, which were really nice and really expensive, and totally fit before I had DS, and then my boobs got huge and I could never wear them. What a waste of money.


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## Keria

Thanks everyone 

I bought 3 sleep bras at 20 weeks and I started wearing them then and loved them but they don't fit well anymore. I'm hoping they'll fit again at some point. For now if I have to wear a bra I wear one of those camis with a shelf bra.

Rena I did the same thing at first, I think it's normal to worry especially since we have so little control or knowledge of what's going on in there. Did you get a doppler? I love that thing I want to marry it and have little doppler babies with it.


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## BellyBean

Kewpie, I waited a week after my milk came in before buying my nursing bras. It was a tough week, and in hind sight having one before would really help. I was crying and so upset that I didn't have one and my hospital didn't have the size I needed. I was a hormonal and sleep deprived mess  Luckily, I found it on the internet and it was at my house the next day (and I didn't pay for shipping!). Yes, my ob suggested half a B6 and half a unisom 3xday. I did it last night and it was the first time in a couple weeks I slept completely through the night. I also took a dose before work today and although I was a little more sleepy than normal, I managed not to fall asleep at my desk  It seems to be working a little, I wouldn't say the nausea is gone, but at least I can do "normal" stuff!

Renavoo, I am sure everything is fine in there!!! So natural to worry. I worried a lot with my DD, but this time I am more relaxed. It gets "better" once you start feeling movement! And your doppler should help too 

Keria, haha doppler babies


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## kewpie80

belly - I'm so glad you found something that helped at least a little. Looking back, I'm not really sure why I suffered through instead of just taking the pills... trying not to jinx anything, I suppose.

I've got 1 bra to hold me over until I see what's going to happen. The one I got is not molded and it has very stretchy cups, so I'm hoping it'll work well. The milk comes in about 3 days after birth, right? By then I should have a good idea of what size I'll need?


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## blueyezz4

*Kewpie* - I know my situation was different, but my milk came in like a day and 1/2 - 2 days after birth. So our boys were born on Sat early evening and then on Sunday night when i was laying in bed that night I felt my BBs starting to feel like they were going to explode a bit and then I think by mid day Monday I realize what was happening. (no one told me that would be happening). If you eat oatmeal as soon as possible after birth that will also help your milk to come in, but once it is in be careful of oatmeal (cookies or what ever) b/c it will cause you problems. I also had to sleep with a tight bra b/c that was very uncomfortable, but probably you will be better off since you will be draining w/ the babes feedings. When is your next appt?

*Belly* - so glad you found something to help. I took B6 initially (well maybe around 6-8 wks) and thought it helped but lots of water and snacking all the time was what helped me.

*Renavoo* - when is your next appt???

Hi to everyone else too!!


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## rcr

Kewpie - mine came in about on the second day too. My boobs were huge huge huge, so no, for me, that did not tell me the size that I would later need. They were as hard as a rock and so painful. I took like 6 showers a day because the warm water made them feel better. The size was all over the place for few weeks until we got nursing established and consistent.


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## BellyBean

My milk took 3-4 days to come in...so I guess on the later side. DD ended up a little jaundiced and we had to supplement at the breast with a formula tube. Another factor is at first in the hospital I was told to only nurse one side at a feeding (wrong, wrong, wrong!) When I bought my bra a week after my milk came in, I got one that was on the loosest clasps. Which was perfect because I ended up loosing weight quickly and my boobs ended up being a little smaller than they were at that point! It fit perfectly for the whole year DD nursed


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## renavoo

Blue, looking at Abby always makes me smile!! How is everything where you are?

Belly, ugh to having such bad nausea that you need to take something for it!! Oh well, it'll all be worth it once the babies are here!! Double the hormones, double the fun, right?

Oooh I tried using the doppler and I'm not sure if I did it right. haha. It was rather funny. i got my heart beat and then I aimed around my pelvic area and heart a very light heart beat but I keep thinking it was just my heartbeat carried over! I had trouble finding it so I decided that i'll just bring the doppler to the doctor's office and ask them to show me how to use it during my next appointment which is on Friday the 16th. I can't wait! I just want to see what is happening in there. Luckily, I think time will fly because I know that the next couple of days will be really crazy, I have to work Sat too and possibly Sunday. Then Monday through Thursday of next week, madness will ensue and then it'll be Friday!

I'm so excited about the holiday season too, mostly because my family isn't really that into celebrating so I think I'll be able to relax!

)

How is everyone else feeling. Kewpie, it's almost time, isn't it!?


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## kewpie80

renavoo - Yay for dopplers! I hope your doctor can give you some good tips! A few things I learned: if you hear a sound like wind through trees, that's the placenta (it has its own hb too) Bloop sounds are baby kicks and flips. The umbilical cord has its own pulse, but it sounds different than the baby. Baby hb sounds like galloping horses. It does start out soft sounding and gets louder each week. I still do doppler the babies once or twice per month if they've been really quiet and I have to turn the sound way down now. My babies each have a distinct sound to their hbs as well. My girl's is faster and sounds like heavier horses with a lower pitch haha

yeah, starting to get close... My BHs are getting a lot stronger now and some catch my breath and I have to stop and wait for it to finish. Nothing regular yet, though. I have so many little things I want to get done and I'm starting to feel anxious about that. I have 1 week left where they will stop my labor if I go in, but after that, they won't. It's kind of sobering.


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## Keria

Rena my only advice is to look really really low. Is your doppler digital? at first my babies heartbeats at the was in the 150-170.

Kewpie how do BHs feel like? The other day day I felt something and was wondering if that was it. I'm not quite sure how to describe it. It wasn't painful though.


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## kewpie80

I usually get 3 different types. Ill try to describe them. If the babies are kicking low, I get what feels like menstrual cramps That kind of dull achy feeling. It'll kind of come and go but usually doesn't last more than an hour or so.

The second kind is the kind I get most often. The whole bump will tighten and get really hard and it feels like there is pressure all over. If you press with your hands while sitting, you can feel how hard your abdomen gets. I've found that when I'm standing, my stomach stays hard all the time, but I can still feel the tightening during a BH. I usually get this type if I'm dehydrated, walked too much or if the babies are really active.

The third I get every so often and I didn't know what it was until I was at labor and delivery a few weeks back and was told it was a contraction. It feels kind of like pressure pushing down on the cervix and I usually feel like I have to have a bowel movement and sometimes breathing in feels a little more difficult. The tightening is there, but it feels different than the overall tightening in the 2nd type I usually get.

I've asked my doctors about all 3 and was told they were all BHs. Odd that they would feel so different...

Mine usually aren't painful, but they have been getting stronger the last couple weeks and I've had a handful that were actually a little painful, like medium gas pains in intensity. I can walk and talk through them, but I feel the need to stop doing anything tedious.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Keria*
> 
> R
> 
> Kewpie how do BHs feel like? The other day day I felt something and was wondering if that was it. I'm not quite sure how to describe it. It wasn't painful though.


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## kewpie80

I'm beginning to wonder if they've moved to transverse again. Usually they are side by side and head down with maisie slightly higher on my right. I'm getting a lot of low kicks on my right today and I feel what seems to be a "rebound bump" on my lower left right after the low kick on the right. It kinda feels like I'm getting the similar effect up top too.







My next check by u/s is next tuesday... I like to know who is who though so I know I'm feeling both of them. I guess as long as I'm feeling movement in multiple places, I can probably relax.


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## Keria

Thanks kewpie

I think I had the second one, I was cleaning and may have over done it. It felt like pressure I guess enough to make me stop what I was doing. I read about the uterus tightening but like you my bump is always hard so I didn't notice a difference when I tried to feel it. It didn't occur to me to sit down and check.


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## renavoo

You guys are fantastic! Thank you for all the tips. I want to try the doppler out again but i don't want to do it too much and I tried just a couple of days ago. Maybe i'll try again tomorrow. Keria, I found the heartbeat really really close to my pelvic bone but i don't remember how fast it was. I don't think it was really really fast so now I'm wishing I kept track of it! DH just wants me to wait until next Friday, which is when our next appointment is.

Kewpie, how are you feeling? Just a few more weeks (or less, if Maisie and Liam want to come meet you and DH sooner!)

Keria, how is everything going with you? How are you feeling?

Belly, how is everything going? How are you feeling? Week 8 going on 9 for you right? I love that you're 2 weeks from me so i can always remember where you are! I hope the Zofran is helping with the nausea!


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## kewpie80

renavoo - I'm feeling really good these days. I did have a rough night last night with bad back pain that didn't want to ease up despite ice, showers, and a back rub from DH, but I'm feeling much better this morning. I totally caved and had a slice of pepper steak pizza for breakfast to make up for a lousy night.









How are you doing? nausea? fatigue? I sure don't miss first trimester and I feel for you guys who are currently in it.

Belly - How are you?

Tenzin, deborah, keria? I know i'm missing some people... I hope you all are doing well!

AFM - I am in really good spirits today. DH took the day off yesterday and he was actually not distracted by work for once!







He usually has one eye on his laptop or phone, but not this time. It was really nice. We had a chiropractor appt really early and then he took me out for breakfast. Then we went and got all the baby toiletries we'll need, like baby shampoo and qtips. Then we went to whole foods and got some imported water to celebrate making it this far. haha

We took a 4 hour nap and then finished the day with really good pizza. I'm so glad to be moving off of bedrest and be able to do things again!! Today, I'm wanting to clear off the changing table and figure out what to do with all this baby stuff that has gotten shoved there. We live in a tiny apartment and there isn't much space and I have a feeling there will be a bit of hair pulling over this. I don't know how people who have a lot of stuff and feel they need all the gadgets for baby do it cause we don't have much and I'm already wanting to go crazy!


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## deborahbgkelly

I forgot to update on this thread. Our ultrasound on Thursday went beautifully and surprisingly. We are having identical twins! One had a bpm of 128 and one of 129. One is measuring 2 days behind and one 3 days behind (totally normal).


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## Keria

Congratulations Deborah!

Kewpie sounds like an awesome day with DH. I'm a little overwhelmed with everything that has to be done. But I'm hoping Dh will do most of it while i supervise.

My babies are super active and I have been really enjoying it. It's easy for me now to find a leg and annoy them for a little while. It's so fun to play with them and "touch" them. I think this is my favorite part of pregnancy. Other than that my hands are really hurting the brace helps at night but now my hands are swollen pretty much all day. I've also seemed to have lost strenght in my hands I could not open my water bottle yesterday. I'm getting a little worried about the fluid retention so I'm having DH take my blood pressure every day so far it's normal. I think I'll call my ob tomorrow to see what he suggests.


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## kewpie80

Keria - I'm glad your BP has been normal. You said your DH was a paramedic right? Or am I thinking of someone else? Bummer about your wrists, that's gotta stink.


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## Keria

Yes my DH is a nurse. He has not practiced in a few years but I knew those skills would come handy some day . He also came with a good trick that brings some relief he puts some mittens in the freezer and after wearing them for a bit my fingers start looking normal again. I should do that with socks too I bought one pair of bigger shoes and those are not even fitting anymore.


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## deborahbgkelly

Thanks Keria!


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## kewpie80

Keria - Oh that sounds so miserable!


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## kewpie80

We picked our doula today. I'm really wondering how all this will work if we end up having to do a c-section... But I feel a lot better having one more thing to check off my list.

ETA - I talked with the OB this morning and she said that the doula is welcome in the labor room, but I will have to deliver in an OR regardless of vaginal or c-section and she won't be allowed in there. Major bummer there.


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## Keria

Oh kewpie that sucks, at what point will they move you to the OR?, are you still hiring her for the labor part of it?


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## BellyBean

Kewpie, bummer about having to deliver in the OR either way. I have read a few twin birth stories and heard that a lot, so it must be common 

Deborah, can't remember if I congratulated you here or on the other thread yet! How exciting!

Renavoo, how is the crazy work schedule going? How are you feeling? I am 9w2d now so you must be 11w2d, right?

Keira, must be nice having your medically trained DH around!! I resort to the internet way too much 

Bungalow, how are you doing?

AFM, OH MY GOSH, I AM ALIVE!!! So after trying the unisom/b6 for a week I gave up and called my RE for a zofran prescription. I took my first one this afternoon and I feel SO GOOD! I am hungry and actually want to eat, I was able to play with DD, and feel like a person again. I am a little torn on it since it isn't proven safe or unsafe, but I plan to ration the small amount I got since I don't think my OB will refill it and I don't think the RE will since I will be "released" soon. So hopefully one a day (it's prescribed 3xday) wont hurt the babies at all. I go into my ob (midwife) tomorrow and I plan on asking her for more, but I don't think my Dr. will prescribe it since I wasn't vomitting non stop. But the nausea was causing so much pain I couldn't move, eat, drink, or sleep...I really thought I was dying, or maybe it would be better if I did.


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## BellyBean

Hi all 

I am back from my u/s, and both twins look great and have gained a little size in the past 2 weeks and are only measuring 1 day behind. My MIL was watching DD and when I got home I decided to tell her it was twins. She was so excited she cried. No imposing questions although I did mention "fertility", but I was relieved I didn't get a bunch a questions. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted and I can start enjoying the pregnancy.


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## deborahbgkelly

Wonderful Belly! I forgot to show you my twins from yesterday's ultrasound. Baby A had a heartbeat of 155 and Baby B of 161. Still measuring 2 and 3 days behind respectively. We got to hear the heartbeats and see little limb movements . Belly- My RE said Zofran was perfectly safe. I took it today, but it didn't last long, so don't quite know what I'll do.


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## blueyezz4

*Belly* - yay!!!! Glad all went well today and I'm glad you are feeling better too. Can't imagine having a little one running around and feeling like crap, well i guess I can b/c that is how it would be for me with Abby b/c she is like a hyper terrible 2 yr old. LOL

*Renavoo* - I'm a little worried about you b/c i haven't seen your name in awhile. Don't feel like you have to do personals and just come on and let us know you are okay!!! Thinking of you.

*Keria* - you poor thing!!! I sure hope that your dr ordered you some therapy or something for your poor hands. Feeling for you!!!

*Kewpie* - I know we used a doula for our boys birth but that is weird that you just got your doula now? We had one from the very first and met with her like every couple weeks. I really liked the idea, but was worried she was going to push the "no epidural" on me and I wasn't sure if I could do that or not. I'm torn if I will use one again if we ever get pregnant again or not. I love the idea and think it is good especially since my DH is not good with medical things so that made me feel like she could also be a support to him in the time of need as well. My obgyn was okay with my doula being in the OR w/ us but i know she had told us in the beginning to check b/c a lot don't let them in. I hope you get it worked out. How are you feeling? I know i read your last post and was like "wow, you are sure doing a lot for being on bed-rest and then saw you are off the bedrest! Yay!!! Hope you are feeling well!!!!! Can't wait to see those babies!!!!

*Deborah* - glad to hear your babes heart rates are so good!!

*Bungalowmama* - Don't make me send you a PM!







LOL. How are you doing girl????? Fill us in!!!!!

*Lyndi* - how are you doing??? Still on bedrest??

*Hi to anyone else I missed.... sorry!!!!!*


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## deborahbgkelly

Thanks Blue!


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## kewpie80

blue - we waited a long time to get a doula cause we were really on the fence about getting one. She's actually a friend of a friend and she's a pediatric nurse and lactation consultant as well. Our personalities mesh really well, so we decided to just go for it and hire her. I'm going to ask some of the other OBs at the practice if they allow doulas and see if it's just that one doctor or if it's hospital policy. The way they work it at this office is that you see all the doctors on rotation and you don't know who is going to deliver your baby until the day of... I'm not 100% thrilled with their setup, but so far I only dislike 1 of the 5 doctors, so chances are I'll get one I like.

belly - I actually read your update last night, but was too tired to respond, so I'm going from memory here... Yay for good HBs and catching up a little in size! I hope they continue to do so well!

deborah - great u/s pics! I hope they continue to do well!

AFM - I don't know if it's hormones or what, but I am crabby crabby crabby. They've been doing work on the roof of our building all week and I am just SO annoyed by it. They;ve been at it for 4 days now and they choose our bedroom window to put the ladder right over. The first day I had been sleeping and opened my eyes to see workers going up and down inches outside my window and here I was in my nightie that doesn't cover my belly and panties. My bed is right up against the window, so I'm sure they got an eyefull or two. I live on the 3rd floor, so stuff like having people peeking in my windows never crosses my mind. I was mortified!

Plus, they are SOOOO loud tromping up there and all the yelling in spanish back and forth. It literally shakes the entire building (the tromping, not the yelling). When we had that earthquake a couple months ago, we had fewer things fall off of shelves! I told DH that I'm so annoyed that I'm tempted to pop out our screen and push their ladder over. Anyway, I can't sleep with all the electric saws and tromping and I have to keep the blinds and windows closed so it's dark all the time and I'm just so grumpy about it! The silver lining is the babies are still inside and I'm not trying to get them to sleep with all this noise and crap.

I'm really starting to get super uncomfortable now. This time last week, I could still get down on the floor, but I tried it a couple nights ago and got stuck. I can't stand for longer than 3-4 minutes, so even though bedrest is now lifted, I can't do anything. I was still feeling good a few days ago, but I must have had a growth spurt that pushed me over the edge. I want them to stay in as long as possible, but there is a part of me that wishes I could speed up time by about 2 weeks. When they measured me on tuesday, I was measuring 47 weeks pregnant for a singleton. I really wish I were taller so I had more room for them to go. I think my back wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't so "out there."

I just realized I've been doing nothing but complaining. SOrry about that. I think hormones, pain, and the dumb roof workers are just getting to me.


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## renavoo

Kewpie, sorry about your doula and the pain you're going through. I think that you SHOULD be complaining considering what you're going through!! I hope that you're feeling better today and that yesterday was just temporary. As for the roof workers, we have people working on our building too and one day, they scared the heck out of me too. I now keep the window shade closed all the time. haha.

Blue,







How are you doing? Thank you for asking about me! I just got back from my trip and I'm so happy to be home. I'm so happy that this week is almost over too!! I have a doctor's appointment today and seriously, it couldn't have come at a better time because I bled a little yesterday. I wonder if they are going to suggest that I don't travel by pain anymore because not only did I spot but my legs are really sore. I need to make sure I move a lot today to prevent deep vein thrombosis. I wouldn't mind that because i hate traveling anyway but i'm worried about work.

Belly, YAH to measuring pretty much on schedule!! I am 11 weeks 4-5 days today so I'm going to get my NT scan today and quite excited about it (mostly because i just want to be sure that the babies are ok). As for the zofran, I hear a lot of women take it and are fine so I think you taking such a small dose is ok. It's probably better that you do so your body maintains the strength for the placental growth spurt. i LOVED reading that the zofran made you feel good.

Keria, ugh to fluid retention and swollen hands. I'm glad your DH can take care of you so that really is wonderful. How are you feeling now?

Deborah, hope all is well! the US images are great.

It is 6:30am here and I'm so tired that I may go back to take a nap before work. ;o) i really wanted to go to the gym this morning because I have been feeling a little pain in my legs but I'm tired so who knows if I will make it. And then i have to go into the office for a few hours. My appointment is today at 2pm (which means, if it is anything like last time, i won't be seen until 3:30!) I will write more later but i just wanted to check in and say that I was thinking of all of you. big hugs to you all!


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## deborahbgkelly

I'm still having a hard time with the flu shot decision and even calling the CDC is NOT helpful. So sick of pat answers.


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## deborahbgkelly

Thanks Kewpie and Renavoo!


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## bungalowmama

*Blue -* Thanks for checking in on me! I won't make you resort to a PM  I haven't checked the latest IVF thread. Is all still on track for your FET?

*Kewpie* - You are completely in the right for being crabby. You certainly have enough on your plate! I'm sure your babies are getting nice and chubby and cute at this point - can't wait to see pictures of them. But of course that growth is making you uncomfortable.

*Deborah* - Congratulations on your twins! That's great news about the growth spurt. In terms of the flu shot, I will say that I went ahead with it. My doctor is very low intervention and highly recommended it, saying that it's less risky than the chance of having a really high fever with the flu. I had the shot and zero symptoms afterward.

*Renavoo* - How many weeks are you now? You need a ticker! Achey legs are often my sign that I'm doing too much. I've always felt monthly cramps in my thighs so it's linked to my uterus somehow. It's definitely difficult finding a good balance with work. I'm going through that myself at the moment. I'm taking on different responsibilities to make up for being able to travel less.

*AFM* - I hadn't realized it's been so long since I posted (back when I announced the genders). My grad school graduation ceremony is tomorrow so more free time is in my future! Though that will be thrown into nesting projects, I'm sure. The nursery is currently FULL of boxes of all sorts. This weekend we're going to work on clearing everything out and starting demo in the closet (making new built-ins). The boys are doing great and are SO active. I can't tell which is which since they seem to change positions constantly (every US shows something different - breech/vertex, breech/breech, transverse/transverse, etc).

We're taking childbirth and breastfeeding classes in January and touring the maternity ward at the hospital. In February I'm taking the next two sections of the breastfeeding class and the infant CPR class. I'm hoping to have the nursery done by the end of February, including having an electrician come out to do a few things in the nursery. Then in March we're having the exterior of the house painted. Hopefully the boys will stay in until near their EDD (4/15). We have so much to get done before they arrive!


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## Keria

Belly Yay for a great scan!

Deborah cute pics do they know if they a membrane between them yet?

Rena I'm hoping to hear some great news from your scan.

Bungalow great to hear form you.

Kewpie I would have freaked if I saw someone on my window when I woke up. I think is ok to be crabby when you are uncomfortable so don;t worry complain away.

I'm doing good, still swollen I called the OB and he said all normal keep doing what I'm doing and that we'll talk about it on monday on my appointment. We are probably having a 3D scan next week so that's exciting. Babies are great still really active Oliver had the hiccups yesterday for the first time or at least the first time I felt it DH even felt him hiccuping


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## renavoo

Hi everyone!

Bungalow, I'm so excited you checked in and that everything is going well. It's going to be great to have some relaxation time, I bet. Although, boy, do you have a lot to do in the next few months. Ah, that is so exciting though!

Keria, I'm glad that the ob said everything is normal. Just a couple of more days and you will get a visual "everything's ok". I hope that you post the 3d scans so we can meet your miracles!

My scan went well. the little babies are doing great and we saw them move today which is amazing. I think this really makes us feel like it's "real" if you know what I mean. We were so excited. We wanted to take a video of the session but they didn't let us but it would have been so great for our parents to see the babies move too. Oh well, we'll just sneak in the camera next time ) It's easy now with the cameras on our phones!

I'm at almost 12 weeks now so they did the NT scan. With the results of the blood work, the babies' risk of down's or trisomy are quite low which makes me feel much better...at this time, I don't think we're going to be doing an amnio. Bungalow, you're right, I need a ticker! Maybe i'll make one this weekend )

By the way, the technician "guessed" at the sexes today and she thinks that I'm going to have a boy and a girl. haha we'll see how accurate she is with her prediction in about 8 weeks!

I'm also grounded from now on...my doctor stated that she would prefer that i don't fly, especially since I fly long distances. So she is writing me a letter to tell my boss that i am grounded during the pregnancy. I'm very happy about this!

Anyway, so that's what is going on with me ;o)

Kewpie, how are you feeling today? I hope you're feeling better!!

Hope everyone else is doing well! Belly, when is your next scan?


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## blueyezz4

*Keria* - glad to hear all is still going good. Love the name Oliver. So cute. What is your little girl's name? I don't think I have heard yet. Hope your OBGYN can give you some guidance w/ your hands.

*Bungalowmama*- So glad you came out of the Bungalow wood-work to fill us in!!!! LOL. Glad to hear that school is almost done so you will have a little more time. Sounds like you have a lot going on at the house but that's a good thing. Keep us posted and take care. Oh and yes, still on track for my FET probably the first or 2nd week of Jan. Just waiting for AF to show up so I can have my E2 drawn and then they will add estrace to my Lupron.

*Deborah* - there is a flu shot out there for pregnant women with out the preservative free or mercury free that is what I would ask for if I were pregnant. I know they scare me too. You kinda feel like you are stuck between a rock and a hard place b/c if you don't get it and get the flu you could end up in the hospital and it can increase you risk of problems, but then it is a little scary getting it as well b/c of the vulnerable babes growing in there. I ment to ask you... how much prednisone are you on and how often you take it??

*Renavoo* - so good to hear you were just away on business. I must have missed that or something. I saw on one of the threads that you are now "grounded" i think that is great!!! One less thing you have to do. Do others at your work know or just your boss. How will you get by this one if they all don't know and now you can't fly? I love your DR and think he/she is being very smart. Is it b/c of the spotting you had or what? What did he/she say about the leg pain? Glad your appt went well.

*Kewpie* - i see (about picking a doula later). I hope it all works out. I can't believe that there were roofers in your window. Nice. No wonder you were moody. That would make me moody too even when I'm not pregnant!!!! Hope all is going well and that you have a good weekend and start to feel better. You still going to the chiropractor? How's that going now a days? Feeling better after your adjustments?

*Belly* - how are you doing???


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## deborahbgkelly

Thanks BungalowMama! That is definitely helpful. Keria- They haven't seen one yet, but they are hopeful they will in the next few weeks. It could be just that it's too early. They are giving each other plenty of space, so the RE thinks we'll see a membrane since the few times she's seen mono-mono, the twins have been right on top of each other. Blue- That's the one that I was going to get. I just have to make sure one of my doctor's carries it because Walgreens won't give me the shot since I have a history of adverse drug reactions.They told me to do it at a doctor's office just in case. I'm currently recovering from an allergic reaction to my Estradiol patches.


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## deborahbgkelly

Blue- Forgot to answer the question. Sorry. I am on 15 mg/day (well under the 40 they say is okay) and will be on it until I am 12 weeks along. I take 10mg in the morning and 5mg at night.


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## blueyezz4

*Deborah* - are you on straight prednisone or is it another name. Have you been on 15mg ever since your transfer? The dr didn't up your dose after you got pregnant did he/she? So the only reason you are on it is b/c you have positive thyroid antibodies, is that why? I'm going to try and talk my RE on Monday morning about adding that. We will see how it goes.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *deborahbgkelly*
> 
> Blue- Forgot to answer the question. Sorry. I am on 15 mg/day (well under the 40 they say is okay) and will be on it until I am 12 weeks along. I take 10mg in the morning and 5mg at night.


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## deborahbgkelly

It is straight prednisone and they didn't start it right away. They started me just before I hit 6 weeks and will stop it at 12 weeks. It is because of the antibodies, but they only do it if pregnancy is confirmed I guess. The reason they do it is because sometimes the antibodies get confused and attack the babies (essentially you have an allergic reaction to the babies) and it can cause miscarriage. So, the prednisone is to maintain pregnancy. I'm not entirely sure why they wait until pregnancy is confirmed, I'm thinking maybe it isn't safe before a certain time (don't quote me on that though).


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## deborahbgkelly

Blue- Not trying to scare you and, honestly, if your RE didn't put you on it, you probably don't need it. There is probably nothing to worry about.


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## blueyezz4

*Deborah* - thanks for the info. Actually, some patients that have immune related issues will start prednisone up to 30 days before they even do a transfer so there doesn't look like there is any problem being on it before conception. I'm wondering if this might be our issue. I actually got pregnant with our twin boys while on it (for a sinus infection), so I know there isn't a problem so you aren't scaring me at all!

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *deborahbgkelly*
> 
> Blue- Not trying to scare you and, honestly, if your RE didn't put you on it, you probably don't need it. There is probably nothing to worry about.


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## renavoo

Blue, I hope that you get some answers during your calls and especially, that your doctor addresses your concerns adequately. It is always nice to feel like your doctor is there for you and interested in being your partner, not just telling you what to do! Have you never replicated your cycle that helped you get pregnant with the twin boys? If so, can I ask why your doctor's didn't put you on the same protocol? It obviously worked well. Regardless, I hope this is your month! I am hoping so badly for you. Little Abby needs playmates! How is she, by the way?

Kewpie, how are you doing? It's getting close! I hope you're feeling better.

Keria, you're close too! How are you feeling now? How is the swelling?

Belly, what's going on with you? How are you feeling with the twins now?

Big hugs to everyone!


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## deborahbgkelly

Bungalow- I forgot to ask you what week pregnancy you were in when you had your flu shot. I know I'm doing it ASAP, but I was curious. Blue- I seriously have no idea why they waited. When they called to confirm pregnancy, I asked about it and then it was another week and a half before they did. Very strange. Obviously, my body was able to support it naturally for that time (thank goodness!)


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## kewpie80

Bungalow - congrats on your advanced degree graduation!!! DH is working on his PhD (he's doing a straight to PhD program with master's awarded halfway) now and it's a whole different world from undergrad work. Great job to you!

Keria - I LOVE when they get hiccups! SO cute! Can't wait to see your 3Ds!

Renavoo - How neat that you got to see them move! The first time I saw mine move was on my birthday and I just cried! It is such an amazing thing and I could have watched them all day as I'm sure you could too! I'm really glad to hear you are grounded now! Hopefully your boss will be really understanding. What kind of work do you do?

Blue - yup, I'm still seeing the chiropractor, but I'm down to once a week now. SHe sure is a miracle worker. I always feel yucky the day of, but SOO much better the next few days afterward.

Deborah - I ended up getting a flu shot. My OB and endo both said that the ones they give pregnant women are very safe (no mercury and stuff) but I would definitely get it through the OB and not a pharmacy. I'm probably just being paranoid, but I think they'd be more careful about what they give you. I had no side effects when I had mine, but I got mine sometime this past fall... I think october, so I was probably arouns 25 weeks or so. No idea if that makes a difference....

AFM - Well, my crabbiness has subsided. The night that I was really angry and vented here, DH came home, took one look at me and said, I'm taking you out for dinner. Isn't he sweet? So, I felt much better after getting out. I've been feeling pretty good the last few days. My pain has been better since I saw the chiro on friday morning and that certainly helps. We got our bedroom completely deep cleaned as well as the big closet and my studio. It feels SOOO nice to have that done. We just need to wipe down the kitchen cabinets and I'll be satisfied with the condition of the apartment. I think I may be nesting cause the mess had been just killing me the last few days and when DH said he had friday through sunday off, I said WE'RE ATTACKING THINGS!!! And I've had more energy than he has this weekend for getting the things done. So, everything is all ready. The babies could come tomorrow and other than the early-ness, I'd feel ok about it.

My BHs are pretty much all day and night now. I really only count them a few times a day just to make sure they're not getting too close. I was a little concerned friday night cause I was having them every 7 minutes for 2.5 hours, but then they suddenly stopped. I have a feeling I will have a few nights like that where I will wonder... I've now passed the point where they will stop labor if it does come on and that has really hit us in the chest. Before, we always felt a sense of safety knowing they could do something, but not anymore. haha It's such a surreal feeling.

ETA - I just checked my DDC and there have already been about half a dozen babies born from our group. This is feeling way close!


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## BellyBean

Kewpie, how exciting you are so close! The next couple weeks are going to be crazy with anticipation! Can't wait to see your little bundles and hear your birth story! Glad you got a bunch of cleaning done, it always makes me feel so much better 

Keira, hope you can post some 3D pictures! You are getting so close too!

Renavoo, I am so glad to hear you are grounded. I honestly don't know how you have been managing, I can barely function and working long hours would not fly with me (haha, no pun intended!). How great you got to see your LO's moving around! I can't wait to hear if they are really boy/girl 

Blue, I really hope you get some answers today. Is there anyway you could "fake" a non-IVF need for prednisone to your normal doctor  Haha, I am so bad!!!

Deborah, I got the flu shot with DD when I was about 7 months pregnant. I was SO TORN on it, but figured with the preservitive free version it would be okay...they really pushed it at my OB. It was the year of the swine flu (there was so much mania going on) and they only had 3 shots left at the OB that were preservative free so I decided to get it while I could. I also got one this time, but it was a couple weeks before my transfer.

Bungalow, congrats on all your hard work at school!!! Sounds like you have lots of prepping done and a good plan to finish it up!

AFM, we have told a couple non-family members, but I don't want to do a big announcement until I have a chance to see a couple of my really close friends in person. They would be SO upset if they found out on facebook or thru someone else. Honestly, I am still trying to get used to the idea of bringing 2 babies home at once, and how that will change our family dynamic. I saw a girlfriend yesterday who has the EXACT same situation. Her DD was 2.5 when her twins were born and I think once I can openly talk to her (it was a huge group setting so I couldn't say anything) I'll feel much better. She has BTDT and although they have some issues with their DD, I am sure they can give us lots of advice and maybe a couple things they would have done differently. They are such great parents (calm, nurturing, loving...) I just hope I can handle it as well as she has.


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## deborahbgkelly

I was not objecting to getting one, it was the fact that I'm so early in pregnancy. I also realized that I'm probably pretty scared of having adverse reactions since that's been happening to me so much. The pharmacy did have the preservative-free, but they didn't want to give it to me because they thought it best done at a doctor's office. I will be calling today to find out which doctor has the right one.


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## Keria

Blue, I'm so happy to read that your RE is willing to try the predisone I was about to mail you some predisone myself lol. I'm so hoping this does the trick for you. Oh and Oliver was actually my DHs choice but now I really love it too. Lucia is our little girls name.

Kewpie It looks like you are going to have full term twins! That's amazing with all that you went through earlier in the pregnancy. I'm glad you are feeling better I'm pretty crabby myself but seeing my little monsters always cheers me up.

Belly I'm glad you were able to talk to someone with twins and an older DD and you are getting used to the thought of two babies at once. I'm a little scared myself as the dates are getting closer. Do you know yet if you are moving?

I didn't get the flu shot because they didn't have the preservative free one. I've been lucky so far and have not caught anything I hope it continues.

Our U/s yesterday went great both babies are measuring right on track Lucia weights 15020 grams and Oliver 1580 grams. I thought for sure Oliver was breech because I was feeling kicks down in my cervix on the right side which is his side and I thought Lucia was head down because I was feeling kicks near my ribs on the left side. I was wrong Lucia is breech with her legs to the left side and with her body across my stomach and Oliver is transverse with his body under my ribs and his feet on top of his sister head, no wonder I can't breathe. I'm really hoping they move to a better position soon. Oh and our 3d is scheduled for tomorrow I can't wait hopefully we''ll get some good shots I'll share them here of course.


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## kewpie80

Keria - can't wait to see your 3D pics!!!


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## Keria

No 3D pics  Both babies were facing my back, now the doctor says it may be too late but we can try again on monday. I'm super sad about it I think I got a new batch of pregnancy hormones lately because I just wanted to cry the only shot he printed was of our little boy's private parts while he was grabbing himself, why the hell would I want a picture of that. Dh thinks I'm crazy for being sad. And in my head I know it's the silliest thing to be sad about but like I said I think I have some brand new third trimester hormones or something. I've been super emotional lately.


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## kewpie80

keria - I'm so sorry you couldn't get any pictures.  I would feel really sad too. We've waited so long for these babies and we just want to catch a glimpse of them. Your feeling sad is totally understandable! It's such a long wait otherwise. I hope you can get something better on monday.


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## renavoo

oh Keria,







I would be so upset too. I hope that you have more luck on Monday!

Oh I had a really bad dream a couple of days ago that I give birth preterm so I decided to use the doppler even though my OB suggested we not use it (she said it was stressful because too many people couldn't hear anything). DH was initially against it but then he started playing with it and he found a heart beat! So then I couldn't get him to stop. haha. But seriously, that felt good, to hear the heartbeat. I won't see anyone until next Friday. What do they do during a prenatal visit? The receptionist said they won't be doing an ultrasound so I'm curious if I'm just going to be sitting there telling the doctors what happened 2 weeks before.

Anyway, Big hugs ladies! Workwise, I'm done for the year after today (although I have a big client meeting today.) but I'm so excited to hang out with my DH for a few days straight.


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## Keria

Oh thank guys, I'm feeling much better I think my little boy took pity on me and moved to a better position, I don't feel that overwhelming chest pressure anymore so I was actually able to get a good night sleep. It will be ok if we don't get any pics on monday we'll meet them soon enough. If we can't see their faces I'm going to ask the doctor to print us some tiny feet or hand pics, anything better than crotch pics.

Rena yay for finding the heartbeats, did your OB say why he didn't want you to use hte doppler? We always had an u/s with our visits but I'm guessing they'll weight you take your blood pressure and talk about your medical history etc. I'm so glad you are done for the year with work it sounds like your job is really demanding. When do you have to go back?


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## deborahbgkelly

Keria- Glad you are feeling better. Renavoo- I think Keria is right about what they'll do. I skipped the medical history part because we did that when we started IVF. AFM- I got an A in my class! Today is "graduation day" from the RE. It will be the last ultrasound I have with them and I transfer to my OB on 1/4. The RE will still monitor my hormones (but possibly from the OB's office). I'm in a very good place right now emotionally and hope to keep it there. I also am not nearly as sick as I was (for which I am quite grateful).


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## BellyBean

Keira, I would be sad too if I didn't get any face pictures. My DH says I always have my expectations set too high, which leads to a lot of dissapointment when things don't go exactly how I had planned in my head. It's so true and I wish I didn't do it. I hope you get some great pictures on Monday, and I think little hands and feet are ADORABLE! I must have taken 100+ pictures of my DD's hands and feet when she was born  So a 3D picture would be a great start!

Renavoo, glad you are off for the rest of the year, my DH and I are too, and it's so nice to have some time to breathe and relax  My first OB appoitment last week didn't have a planned u/s either (I demanded one though, since my RE needed it to graduate me). I had to get in with a different department though later that day. At my OB appointment I had to fill out a 10 page questionaire and then we discussed that, they listened to my heart/lungs, and then let me ask questions. It was pretty non-eventful and a waste of time (for me), but I guess they need all that info 

Kewpie, you are getting so close! Sorry to hear you aren't feeling well. You got sick at the beginning and now at the end! Must be the way your body wants to bookend the pregnancy! Can't wait to see your little darlings!

Deborah, congrats on graduating from your OB! And I am glad to hear you are feeling better too!

AFM, well the Zofran doesn't seem to be working anymore so I have stopped taking it regularly...I figure no sense in risking anything on the babies if I am not getting the relief from it. I spent all of yesterday in bed, luckily my mom came over and watched DD. I cry almost everyday from the pain from the nausea, and by bedtime I am ready to give up, but I am keeping hope that "this too shall pass". I will probably announce the pregnancy/twins on New Years to my friends. I have a couple close friends I'd like to tell in person over the break and then we'll let everyone else know. Oh and I have my first peri appointment next Thursday!!! 1 hour meet with doctor and genetic counseling and then a 1 hour ultrasound! Doesn't that seem crazy long!!! Most of my u/s have been 10 minutes tops! Hopefully I can get a good shot of both of them that I can post on facebook with my announcement.


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## Keria

Oh Belly that sounds miserable, I'm glad your mom is able to help you with your DD was you m/s this bad with her?. Hopefully it will go away fast I can't believe you are 10 weeks already. And yes I think my expectations were too high, I do that a lot too. I wasn't prepared at all not being able to see them. But I'm happy they are growing well and seem happy even if they didn't want to smile for the camera.


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## deborahbgkelly

Belly- Graduated from RE to OB. Thanks! Babies are doing great! Each have hbs of 180 bpms. We found a membrane today which means our risk went way lower because they are now officially mono-di. Baby A is measuring 8 weeks 5 days and Baby B is measuring 8 weeks 6 days (same as before 3 days behind for Baby A and 2 for Baby B). I'm posting the picture here, but I had

trouble getting a good orientation so Baby A's pictures (on the bottom) are sideways.


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## deborahbgkelly

Haha. DH said Twin B looked like a spaceship and I totally see what he's talking about now.


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## renavoo

Belly, oh my gosh, I really am sorry that your MS is so bad!! I hope that it starts to wane a little. My MS started to wane around 11 weeks so hopefully, one more week and you'll get some relief. My MS was NOTHING like yours though. I just had to eat a little to keep it at bay. Well, just think, the little babies are growing well and going to be so grateful when you're holding them in your arms!

Keria, YAH to having gotten some good sleep. I hope that this kept up for today as well ) And i think getting images of the adorable hands and feet would be a great idea. I am still hoping that you get your cute face images though mostly because I can't wait to "meet" your babies too. haha. As for the doppler, my OB was just worried that I would stress out if I couldn't find anything. My DH feels the same way too so I can't argue with them about that but I feel like i'm actually quite ok with things even when I can't find the heart beat (I couldnt find anything at 9 or 10 weeks). Anyway, DH was really excited when we found a heart beat a few days before so I'm thinking maybe we'll look again sometime next week. I think that the OB will probably also use a doppler to find the heart beats at the next visit.

Kewpie, How are you feeling?

Oooh so I haven't announced my pregnancy to my coworkers yet, except for my close friends at work (and my boss). My friends are now coming to me though and saying that people are asking them if I'm pregnant. So I've decided that this is because either i'm 1)showing a lot (and I'm willing to believe this because my stomach is sticking out but I think I just look fatter) or 2) because I "look' pregnant. My friend says I have the pregnancy glow. I disagree with her because personally, I think just look tired and pimply. haha I think that the fact that I'm always rubbing my tummy is probably a dead giveaway too but i do it without thinking about it. My stomach always hurts by the end of the day because the stupid pants I'm wearing pinch...I just received my shipment of maternity clothing so I'm quite excited to wear the pants which won't pinch my stomach!Anyway,

I hope everyone is doing well!! Happy holidays! I really can't believe the new year is just around the corner...


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## kewpie80

belly - oh, haha I had completely forgotten I had gotten sick at the beginning. You have a good memory! I'm SOOOO sorry you are so sick with m/s. I didn't have it nearly so bad as you do and I just can't imagine. I hope you can find something that works. Everyone I know who has had it bad seemed to love zofran, but since that isn't working for you, I've got nothing... Does your doctor have any other ideas? It sounds so miserable! Mine began to wane a little tiny bit around 11 weeks and was pretty much all gone by 18 weeks. I hope at the very least you have an end and it doesn't continue the whole pregnancy.

renavoo - I started wearing my maternity pants really early. I think I was around 10ish weeks cause I had the bad pinching too. Not fun!

AFM - I can't wait until this sinus infection is gone. My sinuses aren't burning so much anymore, but I've gotten to that point where there is the dry hacking cough that isn't productive, but you have to cough anyway from the itchiness. ugh.... My bladder is barely holding up to the weight of the babies, but then add in sneezing and hacking and... well, you get the idea. I am SO glad that this happened before the babies were born, but now I'm praying that I get over it before I go into labor. DH is fighting this thing off as well.

Just about all my maternity clothes don't cover me anymore. I have 2 sweaters that I can still wear, but all of my pants don't fit over the bump and my one skirt is starting to slide down with every step I take. They really need to make maternity clothes for those of us who are bigger than full term... When I'm home, I just let my belly hang out. DH thankfully doesn't care and I'm just tired of fussing with my clothes.

I found out I have carpel tunnel in my hands and wrists now too. Supposedly caused by the weight pulling from the front on the shoulder blades? *shrugs* The doctor said I can wear braces, but I'm thinking I just won't bother. I'm so close to the end that it just doesn't feel worth it.

Other than the sinus infection, I'm not feeling too badly. I was getting uncomfortable last week, but with my recent chiro adjustments, that pain has subsided. Anyone know of a good way to dull the itchiness from an irritated throat? I read about honey, but since I'm diabetic, I try to stay away from high sugar stuff like that.


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## blueyezz4

*Kewpie* - I have had tons of sinus issues and i can tell you that hot showers help to clear out my nose and then you can use saline spray but i know when my head is so swollen it does nothing b/c it can't even spray up in there. I know you have used a neti pot but that is the same when you are so swollen up there it can't even get through.

*Renavoo* - glad all went well with telling your boss. Kinda funny that people are asking your co-workers that know if you are pregnant. Sounds like you might have to let the cat out of the bag soon. You are at 12 wks now right so you are at the normal time that most people share. How are you feeling? Enjoying your time off work? When do you go back.

*Keria* - how are you hands? did the dr have any ideas for you? Sorry if i missed your update.

*Belly* - how are you doing? Sorry to hear the meds aren't helping. You poor thing. Have you tried B6 and ginger anything or the wrist motion sickness things?? Just throwing out suggestions to try to help you out. Hope your appt goes well on Thurs. Can't wait to hear your update.

*Debroah* - congrats on graduating and like I said on the other page.. yay, for a membrane.

*Bugalowmama*- hope you are still doing well and got all your project accomplished or at least started. Congrats on graduating too, if I didn't already say it!!

*Lyndi* - how are you doing??? Hope all is well and you are feeling better. Still on "bedrest"?

Hope i didn't miss any graduates. I was trying to remember everyone on this thread, but my memory isn't the best.


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## Keria

Merry Christmas everyone 

Blue, the only advice the doctor gave me was to wear the brace all day and if it gets really bad he says that he can refer me to someone to suck some fluid out or something like that No thanks, I don't think it's any worst right now and maybe a little better the braces do actually help a ton.

Kewpie I'm sorry you are having problems with your hands as well, the braces are actually cheap and they bring so much relief. I don't know if you do it already but the best thing for my sinuses is a sinus massage there is ton of info online on how to do it. Ginger is good for a sore throat my mom makes a tea our of fresh ginger root and honey and it works great I'm pretty sure you can leave the honey out. I'm starting to outgrow my maternity stuff as well I was measuring 39 weeks on my last appointment and I still have 7 weeks to go.

Rena the babies did let me sleep for a couple of night but last night they decided I slept enough. I think they are training me for the sleepless nights to come. Before I felt them move I was always wondering if the babies were ok so the reassurance that the doppler gave me was worth it. I waited the longest time to tell people I think 16 weeks or so. I did get a ton of comments on my weight gain before people knew. Maternity clothes are the best I waited till 20 weeks to get some and it was way too long.

Cute babies Deborah I'm glad they found a membrane between them.


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## renavoo

Hi everyone! Merry Christmas! I can't believe that another year has gone by...

Keria and Kewpie, ugh to carpal tunnel! I hope that it gets better after the babies come! Kewpie, you are almost there! I'm so excited for you. Is the sinus infection in anyway related to the pregnancy? i keep thinking that at the rate I blow my nose, I'm bound to get some infection. i once had a ENT (ear, nose and throat MD) tell me never to blow my nose. No way that will happen...it's so darn uncomfortable to have to stuffed!

Blue, How are you doing? Is Abby all excited about Christmas? ) And I saw in your other page that your on your way! It's really exciting. I'm going to reply to the rest of the post in the other forum but i wanted to give you a hug on this page too. Even though there seems to be a little stress and sadness, i'm just hopeful that this new protocol works and you get your much deserved baby out of this. My fingers are crossed that the prednisone (or are you on dexamethasone?) works (My memory is going too! i think I operate in a fog most days now!)









Belly, I hope you're feeling better today and you get incrementally better every day. Let us know how you're doing!!

Big hugs ladies!


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## renavoo

Ooooh i forgot to ask you ladies...what are you doing for strollers? DH and i have decided on tandem strollers because they make walking the city much easier. However, those things are majorly expensive. We're choosing between the Kolcraft (at around 250), city select (at around 650) and icandy (at around 1000+) DH prefers the icandy but i just don't know how the heck we can spend 1000+ on a stroller! the problem with city select is that i feel like it's just too narrow between seats and my DH and I are pretty tall (Well, he's 6'4, I'm 5'8) so we want something that we won't need to replace in a year or so. I'm also not sure if we need bassinets for when they are babies. Those bassinet or pram seats for the strollers are yet another expense and another storage nightmare...and considering we would probably only need them for a few months it seems like a waste of money! But I'll do whatever is best for the babies so I wanted to get your advice. What are you guys doing in terms of strollers?

Thanks!


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## blueyezz4

*Renavoo* - I'm sure there are others on here that will have more updated info for you, but when we did our baby registry we had picked out a double stroller (one in front of the other) and I forget the name. I went back to look at our registry, but it is gone now. Anyways, the one we were looking at was one where you could convert it once the babes get bigger and when they are smaller you can have the carriers on it and then once they get bigger you can get switch to the reg stroller type seats. Also, this one we picked you could have the babes looking at each other or both facing forward or one one way and one the other. Anyways, those were all things I thought were kinda convenient w/ two. Good luck picking!! I'm sure there are others that have more recent research experience. Merry Christmas!!!


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## deborahbgkelly

Blue- Was that the snap and go? I can't remember if that is a stroller or an adapter for a stroller, but it's something that I will be thinking more about as I get further along. I have started researching though .


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## BellyBean

Renavoo, I think I'll start with the snap and go double stroller (just put the carseats in a stroller frame). The babies can sit in their carseats for the first 8-12 months and from what I hear that is a life saver because it is so light and easy to use. After that you would probably have a better idea on what you'll need since they'll be bigger at that point and you can "test drive" some. From what I have read most double strollers are very heavy and the tandem can be hard to turn (but I think needed in the city!!!). I have an extra problem since I will also need to accomodate DD occasionally. I will probably get a stroller board that attaches to the stroller that she can ride on standing, or perhaps the really expensive stroller that has the toddler seat on top (read: expensive and heavy). I am not sure how much storage you have available but having all the different strollers for different needs would take a ton of space. The other thing I am considering instead of the bulky "triple" stroller, would be a small double side by side unbrella MacClaren after the snap and go with a boogie board


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## BellyBean

Sorry for the double post, MDC started freezing up and I didn't want to loose my thoughts 

Kewpie, I hope the sinus infection goes away soon and you aren't doomed to it for the remainder of your pregnancy! Do you have an induction date? I can't believe how close you are!! I have heard that twin pregnancies have to order "speciality" maternity clothes for multiples 

Keira, I am glad your wrists feel a little better, but fluid sucking sounds horrible! I hope you don't end up needing that! Wow, you are measuring almost full term too! And with 7 weeks to go!!! Oh man, I am not sure I am ready for that!!!!!! I remember how huge I felt with just DD 

Deborah, so glad they found a membrane, that is great news and so much lower risk!

Blue, I wrote on the other thread too, but I really hope these frosties are your BFP!!

AFM, still feeling like crap. I have almost had to completely stop the zofran because it binds your insides up. Hope it isn't TMI, but I am only able to go to the bathroom once a week and it has become extremely painful being so bloated all the time, plus the constant nausea...not sure what is worse, but I am completely miserable. I wish I was spending this pregnancy in bliss like last time and enjoying all my limited one-on-one time with DD, but instead I am just sick and second guessing all the decsions I have made that led me here. I really think being so physically ill has really affected my overall mood and I just wish I could turn it all around...hopefully time does.


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## deborahbgkelly

Belly- Yes, I believe this makes them only slightly higher risk than a singleton pregnancy. I'd have to check. I totally feel you on the tummy issues, only mine are kind of the opposite thanks to Prednisone. AFM- Hubby gave me lots of Christmukah/Hanukkahmas presents last night and this morning: two mystery rummy games and a Kindle gift certificate . The future grandmas also sent presents to the babies! They got adorable stuffed puppies (which the dog already tried to steal so they are being hidden), but I will take pictures later.


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## kewpie80

Blue - I accidentally figured out the steam from a shower trick the other night while trying to calm my back muscles down. I laughed when I came here to see you suggest the same thing.

keria - Thanks for the tip about the sinus massage. I'll definitely be googling that here in a few. I'm pretty sure I have some ginger root, I'll look into the tea as well. Sorry to hear your babies keep you up. Mine really never do and I'll count myself as very lucky. I guess you're getting in some practice for after they are born? 

renavoo - no, it's not related to the pregnancy. I have a friend whose entire family was sick, neglected to tell us and had a birthday party for her kid. We found out after we arrived that they not only all had bad sinus infections, but also had been throwing up all night the night before. NIce, huh? If I were her, I would have postponed the party, but... well... she's the type where a social event takes priority over anything. SHe's brought her kids to our house very sick in the past. She's also the same friend that complains openly on facebook that her kids were sick and she has to lug all kinds of blankets and meds with her as she shops all day with them. I'm really irritated not only cause I'm so close to giving birth, but we're now sick over christmas which forced us to cancel our plans with my mom, so she's spending christmas alone. She has a bad heart and cant handle getting sick very well.

For strollers, we got really lucky in that we had a friend give us a side by side jogger and then we bought a used in-line duo glider for about $30 on craigslist. It's in perfect condition, but just needs a good wipedown. So, we've got the side by side for trips to the park and zoo type stuff and the in-line (front to back) for narrow places like the mall. We plan to baby wear when the babies are too little for the stroller itself. We got britax convertables for car seats instead of infant bucket carriers, so that just seemed to fit. DH and I pretty much go everywhere together, so it works. Good luck in figuring out what you want!


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## kewpie80

Sorry for the double post, but I was afraid to switch pages before posting what I already had...

Belly - Thanks, I hope I get over it soon too (DH as well). Tentatively I have an induction date right around the 14th of January, but it hasn't been setup with the hospital or anything yet. It's just been briefly discussed with one of the doctors. I'm SOOOOO hoping to avoid an induction cause I don't even want to be touched with pitocin.

I'm so sorry you feel so lousy. I wish there was some sort of magic solution out there. 

Deborah - The word Christmakah made me laugh. I'm assuming you are a blended Jewish and Christian family?


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## deborahbgkelly

Kewpie- Actually Jewish and Atheist, but DH has celebrated Christmas his whole life with his family, so we acknowledge both; mainly because it's another opportunity to show appreciation for each other.


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## Keria

Rena we got the city select I'll give you my first impressions review tomorrow.

Just a quick post to say that we did get some pics!!!. I have to resize them because they are gigantic but here is one. I'll post more tomorrow right now I'm exhausted.


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## blueyezz4

*Keria* - So cute!!!! Look at those cheecks!!! I just want to squeeze them!!! So glad you got your 3D pics!!!


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## Keria

Thank you Blue







. Isn't he adorable?. I can't believe in 6 and a half weeks I'll get to kiss those cheeks!

Ok I'll get started on the rest of the pics.


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## Keria

Ok here are the rest of the pics

this is the best pic we could get of little girl but we got a hand and a foot too

  

These ones and the one from yesterday are from little boy

 

Now the city select review

I only played with it for a little while and then put it back in the box and it's in the storage room so take it with a grain of salt. I don't love it I hope to start loving it once the kids are here since we spent so much money on it. I think a lot of the reasons for me not loving it have to do with where I live so take that into account. My first impression was that it's big and heavy. I can see it being a great stroller if you live somewhere where you can leave it assembled in the garage and just put the kids on and go. Right now we live in an apartment and it won't fit in the elevator with the second seat on so I really don't see how I'm going to be able to take the kids out by myself. You have to remove the second seat in order to fold it so you have to put it together and take it apart every time you put the stroller in the car or take it out of the car we have to drive everywhere so that will be a pain in the butt.

Now the good things. Both seats do recline completely flat so you don't really need the bassinet, even though the seats do say they can only be used form 6 months+ I think that is just a trick to get you to buy the bassinets. The wheels are not plastic so it will be great to take it to parks or other places where the terrain is not as smooth. I love that one kid is up and one is down so both kids will be able to see. The handle goes up and down so it works for my tall DH and short little me. It has a good resale value so even if I end up not loving it at all I know we can get most of our money back. We got convertible carseats but you can get carseat adpators and use it as a snap and got for the first few months if you are getting bucket seats.

I think I want to get a single lightweight stroller and wear one baby for when I want to go out by myself but we'll wait on that and see how it goes once the kids are here.


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## kewpie80

keria - Your pictures ended up stretched on my screen, but I definitely see some super baby cheek cuteness going on! I'm glad you got some good shots this time!

..and in the first shot it looks like your boy is pursing up to give a kiss. So cute!


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## kewpie80

Well, I will be considered full term in 3 days. In some ways I feel SO ready to have these babies. On New Year's Day, DH and I will have been together for 14 years and sometimes I wonder how we made it this long with IF and not gone crazy. In other ways, I feel so unprepared and scared. I keep waiting for the "news of doom" to come and blindside us and take this all away. It's happened so many times before that it's difficult to let go of that.

I can't remember if I mentioned this last week or not, but at the last scan, the babies were each measuring at over 5 pounds and still both head down and in good position for vaginal birth for both. The tech said that at their clinic, they tend to underestimate size and the u/s also cannot take density into account, so we could end up with 6 pounders very easily. DH is scottish and is built like an ox, so I would not be surprised. Our boy seems to have gotten his bone structure from what we've seen. Maisie seems to be more like how I was as a child, very skinny and tall. (that changed as I aged.. haha) She's taller than Liam right now by a bit, but thinner.


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## renavoo

Keria, thanks for the review! That was fantastic. It's interesting too because on the websites, they really make it look like a snap to close the stroller for storage so I'm surprised that it is so difficult. It's amazing what good marketing can do, huh? But at least I know that I need to continue looking! Aww I love the 3D photos!! Do you have an idea of who he and she look like right now? I love the idea of 3D images and while DH supports me if i want them, he says that they look a little freaky to him (not your photos...I google searched 3D ultrasound images to show him what they are like and that's when he made the comment.) I personally think they look amazing and I can't wait until I can get my own!

Kewpie, this is so exciting! Just 3 more days...after all you went through, this is amazing news and i'm so excited for you. I can't wait for you to hold your babies in your arms. (And take photos to show us your beautiful babies...) ;o) It's also great that they are so well developed and that you are in a great position (or I should say they are!) to have a vaginal birth...are they going to induce you if you're not ready to give birth in a few days? By the way, i just started thinking that at the end of this journey, each of us will hopefully be having babies around the size your babies are...which is about a 10-12 pound baby, if it was a singleton. ummm ouch. haha i hope you're feeling better (and ugh to that friend! how selfish!) and thanks for the stroller tips.

Blue, I'm SO excited for you...just a couple of more weeks and then it's transfer time! I'll write more on the other thread but I just wanted to say that...I can't wait until you graduate!

Belly, how are you feeling?


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## mole

Hi! I'm definitely jumping into the graduates thread early, but I am pregnant now, and I want to join with the graduates, because I'm so optimistic and excited! I'm 16 DPO now, and had two HCG tests. 10 DPO: 45; 15 DPO: 589. It's taken us long to get here (not long compared to others' journeys, but it sure felt long to me), and we luckily got pregnant just before we started our IVF treatment (due to my sweetheart's dismal sperm). I'm feeling super hopeful because my high HCG levels put us in a statistically low group for miscarriage risks. My acupuncturist explained to me today what I need to do to start with my prenatal monitoring, and there's nothing to do for a couple weeks until the pregnancy is more certain. I'm going to keep visiting the acupuncturist weekly for the next month, to help the little one be cozy and loved and more likely to stay, then I'm traveling to the US and can tell my friends the wonderful news.

Kewpie- that is wonderful. I remember when I first joined the IVF group you were worried about your babies being born early, and now here you are, keeping them in full term! Congratulations.

Belly- I hope this unsolicited information isn't unwelcome- I have a friend who also had constipation problems during her pregnancy, and she found drinking psyllium husks helped her a lot. She just mixed it up in water and drank it down.


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## Keria

Welcome Mole congratulations!!

Rena don't take just my opinion there are many people that just love this stroller. If you have a buy buy baby near by have one on the floor for you to they usually have one on the floor for you to play with. The folding thing it's the biggest con for me. In theory you can fold it with 2 seats but only if they are forward facing which you cannot do with newborns and it ends up being gigantic. Even folding it with one seat rearfacing it still gigantic the most compact fold is with one seat forward facing. You still have some time to look around let me know if you find something better.

Our little boy looks a lot like DH's baby pics I'll scan one so you guys can see Our little girl is hard to say because we couldn't get a good look. But I'm really hoping she looks like me. I'm growing these kids from start to finish so least one of them has to look like me lol

Kewpie Thanks I love his little kissy face so much. That's amazing that you are so close to full term. I cannot wait to see little Maisie and Liam on the outside. Do you have an induction date? How are you feeling?


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## deborahbgkelly

Mole- Welcome and congratulations! I joined the graduates board the day I got my BFP, so it's never too early! I am now 10 weeks and babies are doing great. Kewpie- Great news about having full-term twins! That's so exciting! Can't wait to see them (outside of ultrasound pics, of course) .


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## kewpie80

*renavoo and Keria*- They won't induce me until the middle of January, so if things don't happen on their own, it could be a while yet, but with how the last week has gone, I don't think they will have to induce, which is definitely preferred! I'm scared to death of pitocin! How are you doing? You're almost in the second trimester, Renavoo!!! Woot!

*mole* - Congrats and welcome!

Thanks and yeah, it's amazing to remember back to when they were threatening to come so early and now we're thinking of ways to kick them out. haha I hope your pregnancy is nice and easy!

*Deborah* - Thanks!

*Belly* - I so hope that you're doing ok and that things in the tummy dept are starting to calm down for you. I'm thinking of you

*Everyone else* - I think of you all often!


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## rcr

Keira - love love love the pics! So cute. Those tiny little feet just make me melt.

Kewpie - full term! wow. Seems like yesterday you got your BFP. How time flies!


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## deborahbgkelly

Glad things are looking good for everyone. I actually had to buy maternity clothes today! It was fun . I couldn't resist the maternity/nursing nightgown that came with an adorable elephant onesie and was also on sale.


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## deborahbgkelly

Actually, all of the clothes were on sale, but I still managed to spend too much. LOL.


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## kewpie80

I think I may be in labor. I've been woken up twice tonight with a bad back ache and the second time, I realized that it was coming in waves, so I started timing them. Currently I'm at 3.5 to 4.5 minutes apart with each lasting about 1 minute 20 seconds. It's all in my back though, which I was not expecting. It feels like strong diarrhea cramps. I just downed a bunch of water and will take a quick warm shower and if they keep up for another 10 minutes or get closer, I'm calling in. .


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## mole

KEWPIE!!! That's so awesome! Welcome little ones, welcome!!!


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## renavoo

KEWPIE, YAH!!!!!!! I can't wait for you and DH to meet Maisie and Liam! Come on, babies!


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## renavoo

Mole, welcome ) I'm glad you're here. Those are great levels!

Keria, we did go and look at the stroller and we thought it drove well but it just didn't have the leg room we were hoping for (haha leg room...as if it was a car!) so we were concerned about that. This is one of the major reasons we were thinking more of the iCandy stroller, which seems to have a lot more room between seats. The only thing is that I like having them able to look at each other and the iCandy stroller doesn't let them sit that way...it's only back to back. So I'm kind of in a bind about which one I want.

haha your comment about how one of them has to look like you was so funny. I so agree! Hey, we're going through all the pain so come on! Although I would love it if both are blends of DH and I. hehe he and I both have things we love about each other's faces so we joke about how great it would be if the children have his eyes and my lips or stuff like that )

Belly, thinking of you and hoping you're ok!

rcr, can't wait until you're here with us! Blue, hope all is going well on your end too. I can't wait until you two join us here with your BFPs.









Ladies, I can't believe the week is almost over! The time is just flying which makes me sad because i don't want to go back to work. haha although i have been working a little at home which I shouldn't have to do but surprisingly, it has been a busy week. Typically, this week is dead for my industry because our clients tend to all be off too but I guess this is an atypical year. Oh well, at least I'm home and not working from the office. Hope everyone is doing well!

KEWPIE, I CAN'T WAIT FOR NEWS!


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## renavoo

Hey question...what did you guys do with your excess drugs? I have a stash of drugs that I didn't use and i actually don't know what to do with them. I mean I just don't want them to go to waste considering how much they cost. I should check the expiration date anyway...but I have gonal f, menopur, ganerilix and endometrin. It's crazy...it's like a fertility clinic in my house. *Shaking head*

)


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## blueyezz4

Running out the door to work but wanted to tell *Kewpie* I'm thinking of you and praying all goes well!! Can't wait to see those two little ones in your arms!!!!! Keep us posted the best you can!!! More later.

*Belly* - how are you feeling????

*Renavoo* - glad you have had a little time off to kinda relax. Enjoy the rest while it lasts.


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## Keria

Babies!!! I can;t wait to meet little Maisie and Liam (if this is the real deal)

Rena Hopefully my babies will get the best of both us. I hope they are tall like Dh. I read the Icandy is even heavier than the city select but I know what you mean about the legroom. I'm not too worried about it because we'll just sell if the kids outgrow it and there are many more and way cheaper options for toddlers than for newborns.

Rcr and Blue can't wait for both of you to get your BFPs it's about time.


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## kewpie80

It fizzled out after a few hours. We waited to go in until 6 and everything was still going strong, but about 3 hours after getting to the hospital, it fizzled to nothing, so we're back home again. Slightly disappointed, but more happy cause they get some extra time to cook.


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## BellyBean

I wasn't able to post yeserday so below is the post I copied to word. Hope this one works.

Kewpie, I bet that was an exciting night! I also had mainly back labor with DD. It's weird and doesn't feel good. Glad you get to cook those little ones longer, but now I am just hoping to make it to 36 weeks to get these monsters out 

Renavoo, darn, I was actually thinking about asking if you had any endometrim left. I just bought my last box I'll need and it stings paying so much, but atleast I wont need anymore! That's kind of you to think of us. I got really lucky during my fresh cycle and was able to donate a bunch of my drugs to a lady on these boards who was actually at my clinic!!!

Deborah, yay for maternity clothes. I think I started wearing them at 9 weeks because of all the bloat and I had them left over so figured I'd just start wearing them to be more comfortable.

AFM, feeling a tad bit better this morning. I forced myself to eat a bunch yesterday and even though it didn't really help then, I had extra animal crackers on my nightstand and snacked on them when DD needed a diaper change at 3 am (thanks DH to changing the stinky!). I am not sure if that made me feel a little better when I woke up? I also started taking tums last night in desperation of anything that would settle my stomach.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

From yesterday:

Keira, I love your 3D pictures! How cute!!! And sweet to hear that your little man looks like DH  The stroller not fitting on the elevator would really annoy me...can you tip it up at all  I think your idea of wearing one and a small unbrella stroller sounds like a great idea! And way easier than lugging a huge stroller around. I loved wearing DD when we went grocery shopping...it was just so much easier and it was nice having her so close.

Kewpie, full term! So crazy! I am so happy you were able to keep those babies in for so long, but I bet your ready now to get them out  My water broke with DD, but my labor stalled so they started pitocin (I made them wait as long as they would - 8 hours), then they would increase the dose every 15-20 mins. It was awful, so I hope you can avoid it!!! After about 14 hours on the pitocin I gave in and got the epideral (I was planning on getting one, but just wanted to wait as long as possible...not sure why!) Then my labor sped up and after a total of 28 hours my DD was born!

Mole, Welcome! And I'll take any suggestions out there!!! I'll have to look that stuff up and see where I can get it 

Deborah, love your combination of traditions!

Renavoo, glad to hear you are enjoying your time off! I can't believe you are already 13 weeks!

Blue, rcr, I am getting so excited for you guys!!!!!

AFM, ugh, I am really not sure how much more I can take. It seems to be getting worse not better and I really feel like I am dying a slow and agonizing death. We go in for our NT scan tomorrow so maybe I can talk with the peri about it. This pregancy is so different from DD's and I just wish for a second I could enjoy it or spending time with my DD (while it's just us). The constant nausea/vomitting makes me not want to eat and then I am so hungry it hurts and the nausea gets worse...it's like a never ending circle of misery. Oh and the constipation too. I am sorry if this gets anyone down, I hate being so negative, but it's hard to feel happy when I have been so sick for the last 4 weeks


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## bungalowmama

*Kewpie* - Eek! It's exciting that your body is gearing up for labor, while still giving those babes plenty of time to bake. The latest size estimates sound awesome!

*Belly* - I'm sorry you're so sick. I was in the same boat as you and even Zofran didn't help. It started around week 7 and was in full force by week 9. The worst lasted until about 20 weeks and I still have rough mornings now and then, but I can function and eat more regularly. I lost 27 pounds at my worst and there's just no way around saying it was an absolute crap time. I can only imagine if I had a child to care for. So my heart really goes out to you. The food I could eat most reliably was tart apples. Hopefully you can find something to keep down.

*AFM* - I'll be 25w on Sunday and the boys are kicking like CRAZY! My belly actually jumps around sometimes. I'm so glad to have passed the viability benchmark and look forward to each ultrasound. At the last one A was 61% percentile for weight and B was 93%! I'm hoping A catches up a bit, so I've been trying to focus on getting more protein now that I can eat again. We're making great progress on the nursery and baby gear front, which is such a relief for me.

The big dilemma at this point is car seats. I was thinking of just getting convertibles right off the bat, but DH thinks we should start with infant seats. I don't think it's humanly possible for me to carry two infant carriers + two babies, so they don't even seem that practical. Plus they won't fit in the stroller I'm looking at (City Mini Double). For getting the babies in from the car I'm thinking I'll put one in the Beco carrier and have the other in my arms. That's doable right? The logistics of twins are still a bit mystifying for me at this point.


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## deborahbgkelly

Belly- I probably should have bought them at 9 weeks. I ended up buying them yesterday because I had maybe two clothing items I could wear. I mentioned I had just bought my maternity clothes when I went for my blood draw and the phlebotomist was impressed it took that long. Have you tried changing prenatals and/or eating right before bed? If I eat right before bed it makes all the difference. I also noticed I do better taking my prenatals either in the A.M. or at lunch hour (night-time is no good). Kewpie- Glad your babies get to bake a little longer, but can't wait to see them when they get here!


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## rcr

*Rena and Keira* - thanks for the support. I am hoping to be over soon too!

*Kewpie* - I think it is going to be any day now. I can 't wait to see pics of you and the babies. I am so excited for you and DH!!!

*Rena* - I was planning to just donate excess drugs to somebody, but I don't have a huge investment in them like you do (we have insurance coverage). I think that there is some place online where people sell/buy IVF drugs illegally (person-to-person).

*Belly* - Gah, I wish you could start to feel a little better. This is supposed to be fun! I had no m/s with DS, but I imagine constant nausia is horrible. Sorry.

*Bungalow* - nice to see you!

*Deborah* - yay for maternity cloths!

*AFM* - for those of you won't don't follow the main thread (oh, wait, you all follow the main thread







), I am starting lupron tonight. please cross your fingers for me that it works this time. I really don't know if I can handle much more IF. We just passed the 4th year of TTC, and it is getting hard to keep hope alive. I don't mean to be a downer, but geez, I really need a break here.

*Everybody else* (mole, etc.) hi!


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## renavoo

Belly, OH DARN! I would have loved to just send you a few boxes. Sigh...it serves me right. I was thinking about offering some drugs up earlier but i was worried that the moderators would flag me. Are we even allowed to do that? I'm so sorry that you're not feeling well still. Wow, you have it bad. i hope it gets better soon but hopefully, it makes you feel better that obviously, the ms means that the babies are developing. Talk about future guilt trips for the little ones! Good luck at the NT scan. I'm sure everything will go right.









Rcr, i would rather donate them too. I mean, i spent a lot on them but honestly, I really don't want to go through the process of selling them. It is such a trying expensive process that I would prefer to help someone along. Yah for starting lupron! How did your first shot go? i only had to take lupron as my trigger so I don't have any idea of whether there are side effects. Is your lupron intramuscular? And if so, you have to take it twice a day?! Argh! But I hear that you start to get used to it anyway. Just a few more weeks!! i totally get that it's hard to keep the hope alive so I'll just echo you and say, come on baby!!!

Bungalow, yah for the babies kicking! I'm so excited for you and excited that they passed the week of viability. That's my goal these days too. It seems so long away but i can't wait until I get to the week that they could possibly live should something go wrong. (Hey, I'd also do well if I felt them kick because then I know SOMETHING is going on in there!) I found your comment about having twins being mystifying so much like i think so. I just don't understand it. I went through a period about whether the babies could sit in the stroller seats or whether we have to buy bassinets. It still confuses me. I really need to find someone who has twins and make them sit down with me to talk me through it ) Let us know how the babies continue to develop. I'm glad the nausea is less for you but darn it, it was supposed to be over around week 14 or so! I'm glad that regardless, the babies did grow. Grow more babies!!

Kewpie, oh darn, I was hoping you would have had your little bundles of joy already but hey, like you said, they now have a little more time to grow! I hope it happens soon though because I know you're tired of carrying them around in your stomach and would rather carrying them around in your arms )

Deborah, isn't it amazing how much more comfortable maternity clothing is? Especially the pants. I love them because now i don't feel like the pants are pushing into my stomach. I'm with you...I should have done this a long time ago. I'm a little annoyed that i waited as long as I did to buy the maternity clothing!









Ok, off to the gym to try to get the blood moving. Hope all is going well!


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## Keria

Kewpie, I'm glad your little ones get to cook a little more even if it means we have to wait longer for baby pics. I have been having contractions every day just braxton hicks because they are not regular or anything like that but it freaks DH out he wants to call the doctor every time I have one ha. I have made him read a million articles on braxton hicks but it still freaks him out.

Belly I'm so sorry you are still feeling horrible, my friend had severe hyperemesis and she tried 3 different meds before finding something that kind of helped. Can you ask your doctor for something else if Zofran is not working? I hope you get good news and cute pics in your scan

Bungalow, we went with convertibles because we don't plan to take the seats out of the car, we bought Graco Myrides whcih are supposed to be a great fit for tiny babies.

Rena we donated our meds to our clinic maybe you can do that or donate them to one of the ladies in the IVF thread.

Rcr I'm totally stalking you and everyone there and yes after all this time you definitely need a break . I'm hoping the fertility gods are good too you in 2012.


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## deborahbgkelly

Renavoo- Yes! I am loving it. I can actually breathe.


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## kewpie80

*Belly* - Yeah, the contractions in my back were quite bad, but once they moved to the front a few hours later, they just felt like braxton hicks.. no pain at all, but very close together and regular. They didn't make the switch tho the front until I had already been at the hospital for a couple hours. When they did, I told the nurse I probably would not have called or come in if I had known how weak they really were. I've heard back labor hurts more and they're not kidding. I hope when the real deal comes, it sticks to the front.

I'm glad to hear you're getting some relief from the m/s yesterday morning. I hope it continues to improve.

*Bungalow* - We thought long and hard about the car seats too. We ended up going with just the convertables for the car. My biggest fear has been that the babies might not be big enough when they are born to use the convertables home from the hospital. The minimum weight for ours is 5.5 pounds and babies usually lose about 10% of their birth weight right after being born. We're prepared to potentially have to run out and get some infant seats if they aren't big enough.

*rcr* - I am hoping soooo much for you!

*AFM* - It looks like I may be developing preeclampsia. I've got protein in my urine and my BP spiked between last week and this week. They're having me do a 24 hour urine collection on monday and if that comes back with high enough protein, they will be inducing me either tuesday or wednesday. The small sample they tested today didn't make him think we needed to do anything drastic before the weekend.

I've been having a lot of bloody show and GOBS of discharge (sorry for the TMI) that just started since last night, so the doctor thinks I may go into labor naturally before then. I really feel like a ticking time bomb that I can't see the clock... It could be in 2 hours... tomorrow... sunday... I'm such a planner and this is really hard for me. haha


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## deborahbgkelly

Kewpie- Things being so unpredictable will be good practice for being a Mom!


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## blueyezz4

*Kewpie* - Ughhhh to back labor.







I know my situation was totally different, but I had total back labor and the pain was awful that it was causing my pushes to be very unproductive so I had to break down and get an epidural when we when through it. It was crazy and I could hardly move b/c it was all in my back but at that point in time I just didn't care b/c we were in a different state of mind. I will totally keep my fingers crossed that you don't have the back labor pains when you go through the real thing this next time. Fingers crossed for a natural birth. Maybe you will have the New Years babies and then you will get a lot of free stuff which they would probably double since you are having twins!!!! Wouldn't that be nice!!!!!! Wishful thinking!!!

*Renavoo* - how are you feeling? Must be pretty good if you are headed to that gym. You go girl!!! I know in the past I had some people send me private messages asking me if I could use the extra meds they had, which was a true blessing for us b/c of the financial strain all of these cost has put on our bank account. You could try that. Are the boxes you have not open yet? I know that the stuff that is refrigerated and has been opened already they say is only good for 28 days I think the nurse told me. I hope to get a BFP this next FET cycle but if we were doing another fresh cycle I would totally love to take your meds off of your hands for you but I don't think we can do any more (even though I'm more willing than DH) but financially I just don't think we can take it any more. Sucks b/c I feel like I have to let go of my dream or being a mother b/c of money, but we will see. At least I will always be Abby's Mommy and who knows what will happen with our FET, but it is hard to get my hopes up at this point in time, unfortunately!!!

*Keria* - how are you hands doing and how are you feeling? 32 wks wow!!!! Where has the time gone? Funny how for me it seems like just yesterday but i'm sure for you it isn't that way!!! So excited for all of you ladies that are getting so close!!!!!

*Bungalow*- So good to see your update and glad things are going well for you!!! Glad the nursery is coming along and you are 25wks now.... wow!! Like i said to Keria... where does the time go. Easy for me to say, right??? Good luck with the car seats!!! I think Kewpie's idea of going out and buying them if they are too small to go home in the other seat is a good idea. I had been trying to think a head some too and I know we had gotten a few preemie clothes (not many b/c we were still pretty early), but i was going to leave the tags on them just in case we didn't need them and just throw them in the wash after they were born if the babes were too small and didn't fit in the other clothes yet. Have you gotten any 3D pics yet??

*Belly* - how are you doing? Anything else helping your m/s???? Did you try the sea sickness bands? Worth a shot or the Vit B6? Gosh I hope you start to feel better soon. What did your Dr say?

*Mole* - good to see you over here!!!! Yay, for your BFP. When is your u/s? Do you have one set up yet?

*Deborah* - hope you are feeling better now and the spotting is gone.

*Lyndi* - What's going on with you? Are you still lurking??

*HOpe i didn't miss anyone. Hard to keep track.*


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## Tear78

OK, dragging myself hardcore out of lurkdom. I have been reading, but I'm so short on time and I always feel like I don't have time to do a proper post. Well, screw it, I'm going to post a partial post because that's better than nothing, right?









Kewpie, I am so excited for you, and I hope you go into labor before your preeclampsia gets any worse. I had that, and it can develop quite quickly so I'm glad they're keeping an eye on it. However, it can also stay the same for a long time, so I'm hoping you don't have to worry about it. The good news is that labor with preeclampsia is USUALLY quite quick (unlike in my case, but I like to be special







). I hope to log on her soon and find out that you had a quick and smooth labor, your little ones are both out and super healthy, and you're over the moon in love.









I forget who was talking about City Select, and I didn't have time yet to read the full story, but we have that stroller and we love it. We did get the bassinet, because it's not great for baby's spine to use the seat until he/she can sit unsupported (she's close...WHOA!). I can't imagine how a newborn would go in the seat, since it's really designed for sitting upright, and when it's leaned back the knees are still bent into the sitting position. The bassinet is WONDERFUL, and we've even used it as a little bed many a time when traveling or when she was having a hard night. I put the little bed on the bed next to me and made sure the bed was next to the wall so it couldn't fall off. She slept so great in there on many a hard night. She also loved lying in there on walks until she got old enough that she wanted to look around and see the world, at which point we started using the Baby Bjorn for walks. We got it because it can accommodate a sibling someday if we're that lucky. One thing that made me grouchy is that they didn't mention that the bassinet frame is also the frame for the seat, so if you want to have one kid in the seat and one in the bassinet you have to buy another frame. grrr....







However, the stroller is really durable, the wheels can go over grass/dirt roads and rough terrain, and you can have two kids in there which is cool. And it is SUPER easy to fold together and carry (though a bit heavy). One more thing: you can supposedly get an adaptor so that those infant car seats can plug right in: I can see the two kids fitting better that way. We decided for the bassinet though, since it could be used as a bed, too. ok...happy to answer other questions next time I get two hands free. lol...

ok, blue, rcr, I am ALWAYS checking on you ladies and just simply wriggling with hope that you guys get your butts over here soon!























everybody else, I'm rooting for you all and enjoying seeing your pregnancies develop. I care about you all so much!









as for us: we're doing great. DD is almost 5 1/2 months old, and she's almost sitting unsupported. She's laughing and "talking" (a sometimes constant ayayayayarglarumum) and just so freaking adorable (unbiased report here). She stopped sleeping through the night pretty immediately after I went back to work. In fact, sleep has been monstrously lacking for everybody here since then, which is mostly why I dropped of the face of this thread posting-wise. She just misses her Mama so much, and I miss her so much too, and it's been hard. It's been amazing to see her develop a precious bond with DH though, since they're together all day now. NOBODY can make her laugh like he does. This week she's really started fussing around. She had a low-grade fever on Wednesday night and was up about every three minutes crying for a few seconds almost all night long. Poor baby. We saw the doc today, and she said that she's getting a double-whammy: a tooth is about to come in and she caught my cold.







Thankfully it doesn't seem to be a bad one so far. I am on holiday break from teaching and this week has been a dream spending so much time with her. I'm glad I can be with her when she's suffering so much.

eta - I've been thinking about Baby B this week: the little one left us about a year ago, and I can't help but think it has something to do with the horrible stomach flu I got over Christmas break. We're so over the moon with DD, and we often can't imagine what it would be like with two, but still I can't help but feel a little sad about the loss. I think a small part of me took a step back when I saw how many twin pregnancies are on this thread, and the "why us" voice nags at the back of my mind. I am so happy that all of your little twinkies are doing so well, and I want them to keep growing healthy and strong! I am absolutely thrilled for you ladies, and I hope you don't take it wrong, it's just something that I think I need to say for my own therapeutic purposes. I think getting it out will help me let go a bit. So...thinking of Baby B with love, feeling a little sad, but also knowing how overwhelmingly happy, lucky, and blessed we are with our perfect little girl, and we just want her to keep growing healthy and strong. Anyway, here is a pic of our little elf. I'm sending lots of love and happy pregnancy vibes to all of you!


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## blueyezz4

*TEAR* -







OMG... she is soooooo beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love her!!! So good to see your update and that you are surviving!!!! Hope she gets over her cold and all the teething fun too!!! Thanks for stopping by, the update and the well wishes!! Don't be shy my friend,i know you are crazy busy with everything but i love seeing your name pop up!!!


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## lyndiramos

Blue- yes still lurking







im doing well still on bedrest and have had an overnight at the hospital to stop contractions about a week ago but all is well now!! Still having contractions but 2 or less an hour. Im 25 weeks now so we are happy that we have made it to the viability point and our lttle girls chances only get better from here! our last ultrasound aboit a week ago showed her weighing in at about 1lb 5ozs so she is measuring right on track. They are saying that I have more amniotic fluid then normal but they havent really said what that means or could mean.... When I asked they said baby looks great so that is all they are concerned with... Weird... I have tried googling but it doesnt give me much...

Anyway kewpie I hope for a safe and wonderful delivery experience for you and your babies!!are they giving you steriod shots for their lungs or do they expect them to be developed?

Bungalowmama nice to see your update!! Glad that your nursery is well on its way to being done!! We pretty much have ours finished with the exception of a crib matress but for some reason that is the one thing ive been weird about buying. Im more comfortable buying it now that im 25 weeks but still feel like I should be father along .... You would think I would be weird about something else....

Blue I am glad you are getting your cycle started even though they backed it up a bit.. As far as letting them go to blast.. I do love our clinic and the doctors and trust them but I would be more worried about the embryologist that work there ... Im sure they are greay but how often do they take embryos to blast stage... They are use to growing two and three day embryos but I dont think blasts because the clinic really doesnt avertise that they do it if you know what I mean... Obviously your choice but thats my veiw point on it with this specific clinic....but maybe they do it more often then I know of maybe ask...

Hope everyone had a great holiday and lots of baby dust in the year to come!!!









Hello to everyone else!! Hope all is well I keep up with all of you I just do not post very often!!


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## lyndiramos

One more posy tear your baby is just beautiful!!! I love seeing baby pics of babies that were made with tears, needle pokes, meds, purpose.... Not sure if you know what I mean but to.me its onr thing to see a baby that a couple had after trying for a month and seeing a baby a couple had to try forever to have and had to go through the emotional roller coaster to get there... Its almost like the little babies have a pure sparkle in there eyes and are sent straight from God!! (sorry if your not religious)


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## renavoo

Tear, your little elf is SO CUTE! Oh my gosh! I love that smile! I totally get why you would be feeling sad though even though I know you must be so ecstatic with your baby. But it's still hard to know that there was a loss. I'm sorry you haven't been getting any sleep too, although it's so sweet that this is because she misses her mommy so much )

Blue, that makes me so sad ( I have absolutely unused boxes of all the drugs and a heck of a lot of them so I hope that someone can take them off my hands. I don't want to think of you taking them anyway because i want you to get your BFP. (However, if you don't get the BFP, then maybe your DH would be more amenable to continuing if he knew that the drugs would be covered? I mean, i have 5 boxes of gonal f 450IU and menopur, I probably have 6-7 full boxes of endometrin too and 5 boxes of ganerilix) My insurance was odd because it covered refills without cost so I refilled to the max in case I needed another cycle. I don't regret doing that but still, I wish that i had someone to give the drugs to!

I actually had another friend who was thinking about starting IVF in the new year (she had her son that way) but circumstances changed so she isn't sure when she will start anymore. I was hopeful I could give her the drugs when she started her cycle but now, I don't know when that will be! Oh well, whatever. I will be sure to give the drugs to the clinic I went to for monitoring, if that is the case. I noticed that the gonal f doesn't expire until 1/2013 so there is plenty of time!

Kewpie, ugh to preeclampsia. i am so hopeful that you are going to be giving birth this weekend though so it won't be too much of an issue. I am so excited for you!! haha and I get what you mean about it being a ticking time bomb although you don't have any idea when it's going to go off! But it will be soon and the end result are your beautiful babies! Yah!

Keria, how are you feeling? You're close too!

AFM, i had a prenatal check up today and the doctor was a hoot. He's standing in for my other doctor who went on maternity leave. He comes in and looks at the chart and sees that I'm having twins. He looks at the doppler, shakes his head and says, "ok, we're not using the doppler" and takes me into an US room because he wanted to see the babies. DH and I were so happy about it because we love seeing the little babies. They looked good and they were definitely bigger...so amazing to see. Of course, I had to ask the doctor about whether i could use the doppler at home and he laughed and said "If i'm not comfortable using the doppler, you shouldn't use it". He said that the problem is we wouldn't be able to tell which of the babies we were measuring and it really doesn't mean anything then. So I guess my dreams of using the doppler are now shot down (haha ask me again in a week and I'm sure i will have used it again). i also asked him about my miscarriage rate and he was really good about it. He said that there is always a risk and if it was a singleton, he would tell me not to worry but because it's twins other things come into play. But, he said my tests are showing great results, the babies look quite healthy and i shouldn't worry. All things I know but I like that the doctor said it. So I'm feeling better. I'm sure that in a couple of days, I will forget all this and start to worry again. haha.


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## BellyBean

Tear, wow, your daughter is absolutely darling!!! What a little angel. It's completely normal to mourn the loss of baby B, you lost a child and however small, there is pain that cannot be forgotten. I think it's healthy to talk about it and let it out. I am glad you were able to find a few minutes and post  It's nice having you around.

Blue, we are really pulling for you and I pray that the steroid is what has been missing this whole time! No one deserves to have a baby more than you!!!

Renavoo, glad you got to see your babes again! And I am so impressed you are going to the gym! I can barely get around my house 

Kewpie, new years day babies would be fantastic!!!! Better get started  I am dying to see pictures of your little ones! I am glad they caught the proteins early to keep you all safe!

Keira, when is your next appointment? How is everything going?

rcr, routing for you too!! Hope you are having a lovely weekend away!

Mole, how are you???

Lyndi, thanks for posting too! I hate when I can't find the information I want on Dr. Google  I am sure everything is fine, my experience is doctors tend to tell you the problems if they see any. Bummer about still being on bedrest, but if that's best for baby it's totally worth it!

Bungalow, great job getting everything ready!! I can't see back far enough without "risking" my post on who brought up infant car seats, but we'll definitely get another one (but we have one from DD). It was a life saver on getting her in and out of the car while sleeping or just getting her ready inside and then snapping it in quickly and taking off. We have the Chicco keyfit 30. We already had 2 bases so we could go in my car or DH's, so we'll just need to get one carseat (of course you have to buy another base with it). I know it would be totally different with twins than a single. The seats are definitely heavy and carrying 2 would be hard, but I am thinking for us to load quickly it would still be easier to have them both in the carriers and carry to the car than trying to hold one, strap one in, or only bringing 1 to the car at a time/leaving one inside (if I am by myself plus DD). We will also get the double snap and go stroller so I can take them out quickly, for running errands and just snap back in when we get back to the car. Not that I think I'll be running many errands with all 3 kids by myself initially!!! But things do come up!

Then when DD got to big for the Chicco we went with the Britax convertible. We have 2 of those too, so we wont be buying anymore, by then hopefully DD will graduate to a different booster (still 5 point harness). We will go from being able to use either car to being limited to 1 car (a minivan we need to buy now) that will fit everyone!

AFM, we had our NT scan on Thursday and everything went well. Our risks went way down so I don't think we'll do an amnio or CVS. Both babies looked great and the tech even surprised us and did some 3D ultrasound/pictures. She said it was the only time we would be able to get them both in the same picture. It was tough to get one where they were both clear, but it was so cool to see since I never had one with DD. My constant sickness has been a tiny bit better the last couple days which has made life semi-bearable. I hope things continue to improve...even if it's slowly. We have had a chance to tell most of our close friends in person (or on the phone) so I'll probably be announcing the pregnancy and twins on FB tomorrow. I am getting nervous/worried again about having twins since it is starting to seem more real. Everyone says I'll be okay and able to handle 3 under 3, but I have little panic attacks every now and then. My girlfriend pregnant with her second says she has the same fears, I think mine are just magnified because of having 2 at once.


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## kewpie80

*Tear*, Your little elf is GORGEOUS! I could just look at those eyes all day. Wow!

I appreciate your candor about the loss of your Baby B and how it affects your feelings with so many twins on the board. I often think of you and wonder how it makes you feel. * I think of Blue and Keria too. *I can certainly understand your feelings of sadness when you think of what could have been. I think all of us with losses can relate. When I see a baby around the age of what mine should have been, there is a definite ache. When I look at Liam and Maisie, there will always be a shadow where the lost one should be. You probably look at your sweet daughter and see the shadow next to her as well. There's nothing any of us can say to take away that ache, but do know that we understand if you need to step back for a bit and any time you need to talk, please don't hesitate to. I'm glad you feel comfortable enough with us to share your feelings.


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## tenzinsmama

Hi everyone,

I thought I would pop on here to say I hope you had some beautiful holiday moments with family and friends, and to wish you all much love, hope and happiness for the new year. I've been following along on here, and rooting for each of you, whose babies' birth days are almost near, those who have a ways to go yet, and those who are still waiting for that moment when they are able to announce their beginnings in whatever shape that is going to take. Peace and health to you and yours!

Sorry for not doing personals, I've barely had the time and energy to get through some days, where I've felt I've only been able to do the bare minimum. I've been mostly doing okay, but I've had spells where I've felt rather down about some things, and I felt guilty about that because one of my 'shoulds' is that I should be most grateful that I have my DS who I love very much and a new baby on the way. But the truth of the matter is that I've felt very overwhelmed at times, wondering how I'm going to manage things. Some things are really rough, mostly the issue we have with our DS not having an easy time getting the suggested number hours of total sleep per 24 hours, despite us doing everything the sleep consultant advised. It's definitely WAY better than what it was, but... I just never envisioned it being this way. It must be just part of who he is, and we just have to continue to weather it right now. But it makes me really worried about how I'm going to fare with a new baby, because of the time and energy demands. I am not sure how things will work out, like our vehicle size, house layout, balance of time with each other as a couple and the dogs, etc. I've been tossing around the idea of moving closer to my parents, as they would be able to offer some help more easily if that were to happen, but quite frankly I don't know if we will be much better off (financially, because of the real estate fees and maybe increased housing cost... maybe not enough of a change to warrant it all) and besides, I can't fathom a move right now (the packing, the actual physical move). At any rate, I have really appreciated the comments made about strollers, since I've been wondering how I will manage outings with 2 kids under 2 and 2 large dogs-- we tried so many different carriers so I could wear DS, but the only way he would allow himself to be carried is in our arms... and from 2 to 7 months he hated being in the strollers we had (we had three different ones-- snap and go, umbrella-type, and City Select jogger)... I'm really hoping the next baby will be easier.

Ack, right now my DS is having a terrible melt-down and is totally inconsolable... He is with my DH, who is trying to do everything in his power to help him, just like I have done... the minutes are stretching on and on nothing seems to help, and I just feel like leaving the house and not coming back for a couple of days. Being a parent is the hardest job in the world. I love my kid fiercely in a way that I just didn't know was possible until that day he was first laid in my arms, but some days I feel so depleted. And I didn't expect that. I knew that it would be hard sometimes, I just didn't know the intensity of that aspect. So I'm worried how I'm going to cope. It doesn't help that we have come through a month-long period where we have all had colds, then the flu, then my DS is just getting over an unknown gastrointestinal bug. Thankfully it's been nothing really serious, and we are blessed with our health. So yeah, I really should pull up my socks and make a list of all the things I am grateful for, and try to make some plans/changes so that we can simplify things and make things work even better around here so I don't feel so overwhelmed.

Thanks for being such a wonderful group of women, because really, so many of you inspire me. You really do!


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## blueyezz4

*Tenzi* - So good to see your name again and I hope that things end up so much better than you expect when this 2nd baby arrives. Maybe DS will come around and things will be better for all of you, or so I can hope. I have a feeling that this 2nd baby will be your easy baby. I have tons of friends that will have one of each and normally if the 1st one is easy the 2nd is a little harder or vise versa! Keep us posted and it is so good to see you are 17 wks now!!!!

*Belly* -Thanks for your kind words!!! I'm glad to read that your NT scan went well and that you are feeling a little bit better. I sure hope that it continues. I know i didn't start feeling better until after we got into the 2nd tri. maybe around wk 13-14 so keep your chin high and those salty crackers on hand... you can do it!!!!!!!!!!!!









*Renavoo* - i said it already to you but so glad that you got to see those babes and all went well!!!! Yay!!!!

*Lyndi* - thanks for sharing your opinion. I'm glad you brought up that point about the embryologist too. I didn't even think about that. HOpe things continue to go well for you!!

*Tear* - I'm so sorry I didn't even see your comments about Baby B. I think i got distracted by your beautiful little Baby picture. Sending you lots of hugs







in this time of sadness. I know i find the holidays are always a little hard especially when I think about how much fun it is to watch the kids open their presents and the excitement that they have (my nieces and nephews) and i think about how our little boys would have been at that fun age this past Christmas. Time goes on and time does help with the healing process, even though there will always be a place in our hearts that will never be filled for our little angels that have left us too soon. Anyways, I just wanted to send you my love since I totally missed the last part of your post earlier.

*Kewpie* - any progress? New years babies????

*Keria & Deborah* - how are you both?


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## Keria

Blue In some ways it does feel like it was yesterday this pregnancy has flown by. I hope the next few weeks fly just as fast because I'm starting to get pretty uncomfortable My hands are feeling much better though so I'm thankful for that. Even though I didn't "know" you back then I think about you, your little boys and the little one that you lost while we were on our first IVF. I'm sure they are watching over their mama and I'm so hoping they'll get a little brother or sister (or both) from this FET.

Tear what a beautiful baby she is just gorgeous. Don't feel guilty for grieving the little one that you lost, he or she was your baby too and it's completely normal to grief and at the same time be happy for your gorgeous girl.

Belly I'm glad you a feeling a little bit better and you got great results form the NT scan. My next appointment is on the 9th. Both babies are so active that I know they are doing great.I think I'll start going every 2 weeks now.

Rena I'm so glad you got to see your little ones and everything is going well.


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## deborahbgkelly

Belly- We are also announcing tomorrow (right after midnight). I'm already beginning to show- thanks twinsies! Blue, et al. - I had spotting again last night and this morning, but still only brown and pink. I had had cramping with it as well, but that turned out to be a bowel issue. It's so confusing since that feels a lot like menstrual cramps too (which is what stretching typically feels like for me)! The nurse that called said it was still totally normal and especially common with moms of multiples. I definitely believe the whole stretching thing possibly causing some of this. I'm posting pictures here so you can see how big a difference there was in just over a week. I also told DH we will not DTD again until after the first tri. It's just too nerve-wracking and it was a couple days after we did, that the first incidence of spotting happened. I think this one was from overdoing it on Thursday- I had a blood draw, went grocery shopping and cleaned all in one day. Won't be doing that again either. Even though I have permission to exercise now, I think I may wait until 2nd tri for that too, just to be extra cautious (not sure yet though because I plan on doing no-bounce water aerobics and that might actually help things be more flexible).

Okay. Here is a picture at 8 weeks 6 days:



Here's one at 10 weeks 2 days:


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## deborahbgkelly

Okay. Here are the two different announcements. Tell me which you like better. Also, DH doesn't like the "At long last". Any other suggestions to make sure I'm sensitive to those who may be struggling?


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## blueyezz4

*Deborah* - I vote for the 2nd one and I think I kinda agree with your DH. I'd probably just say "At Last". You are brave to be announcing at 10 weeks, we were too scared to announce until after we got over the 12 week hump. I know everyone does it differently.... so "to each his own"! What are you doing with it? Mailing it or emailing it or what?????????


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## deborahbgkelly

This is the Facebook one and also emailing. I really don't have much of a choice about announcing now because the twinsies have already made me pretty big. I'd rather avoid the awkward questions. See pictures above. I also feel that having had 3 good ultrasounds and finding the membrane made me feel it was okay. I did put cautiously in there just in case something should happen. Thanks for the suggestion on the wording change.


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## deborahbgkelly

I have a friend who announced at 7 weeks. I thought that was very brave! Actually at 10 weeks you have hit a major milestone as well. Most of the organs have developed and chance of miscarriage lowers significantly.


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## deborahbgkelly

Also, I'm actually 10 1/2 weeks (may not seem like much of a difference to you, but it is to me).


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## tenzinsmama

Blue, thank you for the encouragement. I'm really putting my faith into this next baby being a lot easier. When it comes to getting enough sleep, when it happens it's amazing how much of a difference it makes in so many ways, no matter what the age. I know I feel soooooo much better, and I can tackle things that are challenging with a more positive attitude and good energy. And, things are just so much better when DS gets it... I was talking recently with somebody who is a child development specialist, and she gave me a list of temperament traits that indicates if your child is more prone to having fussy periods/tantrums, and DS met all the 'criteria'. She talked about there being a green, amber and red period, and when it's amber you have a window of opportunity to meet the child's needs before they go into red, at which point it makes things a LOT harder to deal with. Also, at the age my DS is, it could be either a tantrum, or a power struggle, and there are different approaches. So, it made me feel better that we aren't the only ones going through this--although, if I talk with any of my friends who have kids, they don't really seem to have any issues... which of course makes me feel somewhat incompetent when I hear that... but then, they might not be fessing up to what things are really like, right? And the good news is, some of those same traits that DS has, those can be real gifts for when he gets older, and he can channel his intense emotions/energy into positive things. Anyway, it means a lot to me that you wrote what you did because it really did make me feel better. If I knew you in real life I would give you a great big hug. And, if there was a way I could align the moon and stars for you so that things work out for you with this upcoming FET, I most certainly would... You are such a caring and kind person, and I'm hoping, praying and crosing everything for you.


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## kewpie80

Deborah - I vote for the second one. Not sure why... I just like it better.

Tenzins - Good to see you! My sister uses the color-thing with my nephew. He is bipolar and has some sort of defiance disorder and when he can express himself in colors, it seems to really help. They ask him what color he feels like when he starts to get worked up and he'll say, green or red or whatever and then they are able to talk about it. I have no doubt that you love your son fiercely and the fact that you post about your worries proves that. That alone makes you a good mom and I have faith that you will figure a way to make it all work with the new baby too.

Belly - So glad you've been feeling better! And how cool that you got a 3D peek at the babies! Isn't that just SO neat?

AFM - I forget who asked me this, but I know it was on a previous page and I'm afraid to click back and lose everything I typed... Someone asked if I'm going to be getting steroid injections. Nope, I won't. I already had a couple of them in october when I had the bleeding and shortening cervix and the doctor is confident that they dont need them this late.

I've got major back contractions going on again tonight. OW OW OW. I'm not holding my breath that this is going to turn into anything, but man they HURT! The bleeding I had the other day slowed and then stopped, so I dunno what that was all about. I'm done looking for symptoms of labor for a few days cause I'm starting to drive myself nuts. I'm just gonna keep going on and when I can no longer walk during a contraction, then I'll know I've got something.


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## deborahbgkelly

Kewpie and Blue- Thanks. We did decide to go with the second one, but I added our names to the bottom. Toasting in 6 minutes. Posting in about 10 minutes.Feeling much better. Finally took some Tylenol and it really helped! Kitty cuddles, as usual, also helped . Twins are doing a number on me, but I know it's all worth it for these beautiful super miracle babies!


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## renavoo

Tenzin, so good to see you again! I'm sorry that you're having such a difficult time with everything, especially with your DS who we all know you love very much. I think it's absolutely normal to be thinking about the future so I am hoping that you're not putting more stress on yourself for worrying too! But definitely, stop comparing yourself to other people and finding yourself lacking. Some people are quite adept at hiding what is really happening in their households. Unless you're able to follow them around for 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week, you won't know what their life is really like, no matter how perfect it seems! So I hope that you are able to feel better soon.

Kewpie, uh ow! I hope that you get that sign soon just because i'm sure it's quite uncomfortable. I can't wait to meet your little ones.

Keria, you too! I hope that the next few weeks fly for you too.

Belly, YAH for a great scan! We were in the same boat so we decided not to do the amnio or CVS as well. I'm looking forward to you getting past the 1st trimester and hopefully, to your symptoms going away. I felt so much better starting around week 11 and you follow that trend soon (at least you've had a few better days!) Soon, you'll be going back to the gym too. haha although, I'm pretty lazy at the gym...I do the elliptical for about 45 minutes but I tend to do it with less resistance than i did prior to getting pregnant. I just keep telling myself that as long as I do something, anything, that is good.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, Ladies!!


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## renavoo

Tenzin, so good to see you again! I'm sorry that you're having such a difficult time with everything, especially with your DS who we all know you love very much. I think it's absolutely normal to be thinking about the future so I am hoping that you're not putting more stress on yourself for worrying too! But definitely, stop comparing yourself to other people and finding yourself lacking. Some people are quite adept at hiding what is really happening in their households. Unless you're able to follow them around for 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week, you won't know what their life is really like, no matter how perfect it seems! So I hope that you are able to feel better soon.

Kewpie, uh ow! I hope that you get that sign soon just because i'm sure it's quite uncomfortable. I can't wait to meet your little ones.

Keria, you too! I hope that the next few weeks fly for you too.

Belly, YAH for a great scan! We were in the same boat so we decided not to do the amnio or CVS as well. I'm looking forward to you getting past the 1st trimester and hopefully, to your symptoms going away. I felt so much better starting around week 11 and you follow that trend soon (at least you've had a few better days!) Soon, you'll be going back to the gym too. haha although, I'm pretty lazy at the gym...I do the elliptical for about 45 minutes but I tend to do it with less resistance than i did prior to getting pregnant. I just keep telling myself that as long as I do something, anything, that is good.

Oooh, I had to edit because i forgot to say...even with me trying to move more, I've been gaining weight like crazy!! I have gained like 10 pounds already. The weirdest thing is that my mom says that my face looks thinner now and usually my weight gain goes all to my face so I don't know what is happening. I'm so annoyed with the extensive weight gain...I know i'm eating a little more but i actually don't think i'm eating crazy amounts and I basically try to eat only when I'm hungry. haha hopefully, it's the holiday season bulge so I'm going to try to cut down some sugar!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, Ladies!!


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## kewpie80

*Renavoo* - I wouldn't worry about the weight gain. Your blood volume increases by a lot around this time, I believe and everything is going to start ramping up for growth. Throughout the whole pregnancy, they recommend a weight gain of about 50 pounds for twins, so 10 pounds already would be right on track I would think. I hear ya on the just feeling fat. I didn't really start to look pregnant until about 17-18 weeks. Before that, I just looked thicker. It's annoying, but the time does go quickly (a little too quickly) and you'll suddenly have an obvious bump and then that bump will turn into its own entity. When I get up from a laying position, I have to lift the bump up off of my thighs and move it to the middle, cause it's just so darn huge and heavy. Sometimes I look back and think, wow... I'm at this point already.

I'm going to be taking a bump picture today now that I've officially hit 36 weeks. I don't really feel all that bigger from 32, but DH says there's a huge difference. I do get lots of comments when I'm out and the kids are hilarious. At least once per trip, I hear a little kid say, "whoooooah!" when they look at me. It so cracks me up.


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## deborahbgkelly

Kewpie- I think the amount you are supposed to gain depends on where you start. I believe I'm supposed to gain somewhere between 25 and 42 pounds, but mostly I'm going based on how many extra calories per day (some days I do better than others, but figure it will balance out). I think in first tri they say no matter how many you have to add 300 calories and afterward for twins about 450 calories extra per day than you would eat pre-pregnancy.


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## BellyBean

So my thoughts regarding wieght gain would be that it is probably very individual based. I gained 30lbs with DD and it was a very healthy weight for both of us (she was 8lb1oz, I was 160lb at delivery). I plan on gaining around 40-45lbs this time by doing the same thing I did last time. Eating when hungry, eating whatever I want (in moderation), and walking as much as possible. Right now, I am struggling to keep much down, so no problems yet, although my stomach is a huge bloat. I can't figure out how the scale hasn't moved more than a few pounds, yet none of my pre-pregnancy clothes fit! I have friends that gained 50-70lbs for their singletons, but many of them weigh less now than before they were pregnant and all babies are healthy. The one thing that really concerns me weight/pregnancy wise this time around is the increased risk for gestational diabetes.

So Renavoo, I wouldn't worry about the weight gain (that's me personally). Most people talk about that Dr. Luke book where she recommends gaining 24lbs in the first 24 weeks, so you are doing a great job nurturing those little ones!

Kewpie, I can't wait to see your new bump picture, I am so scared of all the size changes those last few weeks, so I like hearing you haven't noticed much difference (tell DH to keep his mouth shut for my sake...haha!).

Deborah, yay for a little baby bump! And glad to hear your announcement went well!

Thinking of everyone!!

AFM, back to feeling sick, plust now I have the opposite problem from consitpation...ugh, I need a another "easier" day or 2!


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## tenzinsmama

Thanks, Kewpie and Renavoo, for your words!

Can't wait to see the new pic of you, Kewpie. And soon... of Maisie and Liam! Must be hard waiting!

Renavoo, I have an email subscription to Babycentre and for today, at 17 weeks, it says this : "You may be gaining weight rapidly at this point, even if you're not eating much. Experts say that the amount of weight you put on during pregnancy is dictated primarily by your genes, so don't necessarily blame yourself if the weight's accumulating faster than you'd like." Well, that would certainly explain my weight gain jump over the last little bit, ha ha. I have such a huge baby bump, people think I'm way further along or that I'm having twins. I am so much bigger at this point than I was with DS, and even though I knew that for second time around you show faster, I'm really surprised at how much. Anyway, I'm not worried about the weight gain-- after I had DS, I lost a bunch right afterwards, and then with all the breastfeeding I was doing, I ended up weighing less than pre-pregnancy. I didn't have my flat stomach anymore, though, despite that... but I didn't even care about that, either. I didn't expect my body shape to go back to exactly what it was, and quite frankly, after age 40 I think I've been doing pretty good with how things are. I think the lack of sleep post-pregnancy has had more of an impact on how young I feel/look than any pregnancy issues. Oh well!


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## deborahbgkelly

Thanks Belly! Lots of happy comments within minutes of posting (not that I'm surprised, but hard to keep up with it). Babies are seriously stretching me out right now. Ouch- but, yay for making more room for these beautiful little ones!


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## BellyBean

Tenzi, I am sorry you have had such a tough time with getting your DS to sleep. I can't imagine going so long without a solid nights rest, just thinking of those first few months and how exhausting it was is tiring. Even now when DD doesn't sleep through the night (normally bowel related for us), it is such a killer the next day. Patience is often the first thing to go  Our friends have a daughter that was a horrible sleeper for the first 2 years, it was really hard for them, but their other daughter basically started sleeping through the night on day 1. They were polor opposites, 1 super easy, 1 super challenging...but now that they are a little older 3 and 2, they are both doing great and little best friends. I am confident your baby in utero will be an easy baby!!! HUGS!!

Kewpie, haven't seen much of you on FB or around here! Are things moving?! I meant to write earlier about all the discharge. I remember getting in the shower one morning and losing my mucus plug. It was so scary and exciting at the same time! I hope you are doing well!


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## renavoo

Hi everyone,

Belly, I keep coming on hoping that you are going to tell us that the symptoms are letting us. Sniff. I'm so sorry you're having such a tough pregnancy.







I'm here thinking about you and wishing that you get over this hump soon! ugh to constipation by the way...I feel like constipation makes ups the nauseousness too. And the cramping...I've had HORRIBLE cramps because of constipation and gas. I really hope those pass you by because you've suffered enough now!

Tenzi, haha i'm blaming my mom for this then ) Poor mom, I blame her for everything ) she finds it rather amusing because she knows I don't mean it but i love just saying it.

Thanks everyone for the kind words about my weight. I guess i'm used to being in pretty good shape and relatively slim so this is all just really odd to me but as long as the babies are ok, I'll be ok. I'm looking forward to going back to work for just one reason...my work place is now around 2.5 to 3 miles away from my apartment (we just moved offices) and the last week before the holidays, I walked to work every morning. I LOVED it because I love walking and just taking in the sights. So I will be doing that once work begins again. I may end up walking to and from work actually because I really hate the subway but we'll see how i feel at night...I usually have much more energy during the morning than at night, especially after a long day at work. but I'll be going to the gym today anyway to try to get some blood moving some more so that will be good too. haha I really do hate the gym though. I call it the place of hell and torture.

Kewpie, you made me giggle with the comment about the kids saying Whoooooa. hahah that is too funny. I can't wait to see the baby bump photo!!

How is everyone else doing?


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## deborahbgkelly

Hi all- So, please cross your fingers for me that all three of us are fine. More than likely we are, but I am cramping a bit and had some red blood on my toilet paper this morning. This was after using Monistat 7 which has an applicator in the cervix, so I think it's probably a burst blood vessel or something, but I'm still a bit anxious (trying not to be because I know it's not healthy, but I can't really help it). I'm seeing my OB in an hour and a half (he's checking things out over his lunch hour- this really builds my confidence in him- I had strong confidence before, but many doctors would have just sent to the ER or made me wait until tomorrow so it's even stronger now).


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## blueyezz4

*Deborah* - fingers crossed it is just from the monistat and nothing else. Keep us posted.

*Renavoo*- I think when i was in your shoes my OB had told me that it is normal w/ twins to gain a pound a week. Not sure at what point that was but it was towards the end of the 1st Tri and the beginning of the 2nd tri I think. I think you are probably right on track.

*Belly* - sure hope you start feeling better soon. Did you Dr say there was anything else you can do or do you just have to wait it out?

*Kewpie* - how are you feeling???? NO babes yet? Can't wait to see the bump picture!!

*Tenzi* - deep breath!! You will get through this!!!!!

Hi to everyone else too, got to run.


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## deborahbgkelly

Blue- I responded in the other thread, but yes that's what it looks like. Babies are doing great and no tears in the placenta! My OB said that pregnancy irritates the cervix adn that the medications I'm on can also irritate it. He also said the baby aspirin I'm on can make me bleed more easily when absolutely nothing is wrong. I also got to ask him about vaginal births with twins and he said absolutely (even that if it was his wife he would encourage her to do vaginal) as long as the first twin is head down, so yay!


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## deborahbgkelly

Yay- My levels look good and I will be off the Prednisone and the Crinone by 1/7! Also, I was very happy that my OB said he is a big fan of vaginal births and would tell his own wife to have one if conditions were right. As long as the first twin is head down he will do one. Woot!


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## kewpie80

*Belly, blue, and others who asked* - Nope, no babies. No more signs of babies either. I've been getting prodromal labor almost nightly, but it never progresses to anything. There's a chance they will be inducing me tomorrow after they check my 24 hour urine collection, but my gut says everything will be fine and they won't need to induce. I'm taking my hospital bag with me just in case, but I really think I'll be back home after my appt. DH has been trying to suggest ways to get me to go into labor. He is so over the top excited and he doesn't want to wait any longer. Part of me will really miss being pregnant and doesn't want it to end yet. This may be my only pregnancy and we worked for so long, I know I will be sad when I know it's over. It's funny, cause then I will have 2 new babies to love on, but there's just something to special about carrying babies KWIM?

*Deborah* - Yay to getting off meds! And I'm glad to see your little ones are still looking good.


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## deborahbgkelly

Thanks Kewpie! The dog is being extra affectionate this evening. I wonder if she's beginning to figure out something is up. Animals do have a pretty good sense of these things.


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## Keria

Kewpie 36 weeks how great is that, I can't wait to see pictures of your little ones.I know what you mean about pregnancy even though I'm pretty uncomfortable right now I will miss having the little monsters kicking around in there. DH is also super excited for the babies we watched the happiest baby on the block DVD yesterday and he spent the evening swaddling teddy bears. I'm so happy to start this parenthood thing with him.

Rena I've gained a ton of weight 58 pounds last time I checked. My mom says she got really big with her pregnancies but managed to lose most of it by her first post partum visit so I'm hoping that's the case for me.

Deborah I'm glad your little beans are doing great!


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## kewpie80

This just made me smile.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Keria*
> he spent the evening swaddling teddy bears.


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## deborahbgkelly

Thanks Keria! Just wish I was more comfortable. I was trying to figure out if cramping and bleeding is more common in pregnant women with Endo. I know it happened to one of my friends and one of her friends who both have it. I just haven't seen any studies or anything. Also, your DH swaddling teddy bears is super cute.


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## kewpie80

The OB was really on the fence about inducing tonight. My BP and protein were higher again since friday and I gained 4 pounds in water. She took my BP a couple times and ultimately decided to wait until the have my 24 hour urine results in tomorrow at noon. She'll make the final decision at that point. So, I guess I still know nothing until then.

We're definitely doing the bump picture tonight since it really looks like this may be our last chance. We've been so tired, that it keeps getting put off.


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## kewpie80

Ok, final bump picture coming... I'm going to add my 32 week one first so you can see the difference. DH is right, I'm bigger...





You can also see what the pre-eclampsia is doing to my face and hands (you don't even want to see my feet)


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## deborahbgkelly

Wow Kewpie! 4 weeks really makes a difference. AFM-(re-post) Yay! Bleeding is almost gone and I'mm feeling sick again (never thought I'd be happy about that) along with other strong symptoms. My cramping is lightening up a bit too. It was pretty awful this afternoon, but seems to be better. I imagine I've grown some more. I will have to take a picture tomorrow to see.


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## blueyezz4

*Kewpie* - Love the new pic and you will be so glad you took them afterwards!! I still look back at my bump pictures and remember those days. Do you have the black strip up your belly too? I had that, but it went away thankfully. Can't wait to hear your news tomorrow and I hope everything goes well!! Enjoy your last quiet night sleep (well maybe)!!!! Sending you lots of positive vibes and praying everything goes smooth and easy for your delivery!!!! (whenever that may be)!!!

*Deborah* - glad things seem to be getting better.

*Keria* - so cute that your DH was swaddling teddy bears!!! #meltsmyheart! ) So excited for you to be getting closer too!!


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## BellyBean

Kewpie, I retract my statement asking your DH to keep quiet and not to scare me! Yes, you have gotten a little bigger in the last few weeks, I think I know why the kids are so impressed! You look fabulous and the ride is almost over!!! Bummer about the pre-e, but on the very great side, you kept those babies in there SO long and did a great job growing them!! So impressed!!! Wishing you a peaceful day tomorrow.

Keria, love the teddy bear swaddles! What a sweet guy!

Deborah, glad everything seems to be getting better! No more bleeding!

Renavoo, um, I might be on the weight gain train too! I had to go to work today (first day back) and even though I am wearing maternity pants, I noticed my non-maternity shirts were a little snug. I think my belly is the same size as it was at about 18 weeks last time...I might have to go through my old bump pictures. Our home scale is broken, so I'll have to wait till my Dr. appt next Thursday to see how much I have gained. I don't feel like I am eating much either, but in the last week I have been snacking more to help keep the nausea at bay (not that it's helping). I also really like COLD liquids, just like with DD, so I am now drinking V8 smoothies and Ensures which is obviously upping my calorie intake. Not concerned about the weight gain, but I am not sure how long I'll be able to keep the news from work 

Mole, Bungalow, Lyndi, Monte, anyone else out there? Hope you are all doing well


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## lyndiramos

Belly I wouldnt worry to much about weight gain as long as you are making healthy choices. Also how much weight you should gain totally depends on your starting weight and height. My ob has a chart and is more for smaller people and very little to almost none for over weight to obese women. Then of course it tells you if your having twins its a higher amount. Some states require women that are over weight when becoming pregnant to see a nutrisionist at the beginning of there prenancy and they go over all of it. I think that it should really be done by every pregnant women so they have someone to call for ideas on healthy snacks and things to help with nausea ect. They say singleton pregnancies only require 300 extra calories a day.. But I can promise I sometimes consume more then that!!! Anyway if you are concerned talk to your doctor and if they dont give you a good answer ask for a referral to a nutrionist even if just for one consult visit to get some goals for your pregnancy!! I enjoyed seeing one every pregnancy!! My state doesnt require but I think it should!!

Kewpie-Great pics and yes you have grown and looks like you have also dropped!! Good luck tomorrow I hope its your day and it goes great!!


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## rcr

Kewpie - I see why the kids are saying whooah. Wow. Wooah. There is no doubt there are two babies in there. What a different 4 weeks makes. I didn't take any bunp photos when I was pregnant. I wish I had. Good luck with the appointment!


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## tenzinsmama

Belly, thanks for your encouraging words! I guess I'd always kind of thought that it wasn't likely that I would have another kid who is just like my DS in terms of the sleep, but then this lady who taught the recent Parent-Child Mother Goose library program that we went to, said something that really made me scared-- that I could be in for some real trouble and have two kids that don't sleep well and such. But I'm going to go with what you say! Since you have gone through this already-- what is a kid at around 2 years of age like, in terms of them wanting/not wanting to walk alone/ride in stroller? Just trying to figure out what if there's a stroller out there that my DS wouldn't mind being in, along with the baby. I'm hoping to do some nice walks with them and the dogs in the summer/fall months. Winter time is so much harder. At least with where I live, with snow, ice, and cold temps. To escape it for a short time, we are heading off to Turks and Caicos for 10 days next month. We just booked the trip today. Cannot. wait. Although we should probably have chosen somewhere less expensive, or even not gone anywhere at all (we need a new roof this summer, and we'd like to renovate our kitchen one day and we'd like to save up some, instead of getting a line of credit or whatever-- our kitchen is from 1975, and is so ugly and non-functional). However, 2nd trimester is the perfect time to go somewhere, and this is the last chance for a winter getaway where DS can fly for free. So my mood has been better for the last couple of days, knowing that we were going to book this trip. Also, I've been feeling better because it turns out that DS now has a cold that has followed his GI upset-- that's why he has been so inconsolable and clingy. I was totally bewildered at why he was acting the way he was, but that explains it.

Kewpie, wow, I can't believe you are at 36 weeks! I know what you mean about missing being pregnant, it's an especially strong feeling, I believe, when one is thinking it will be the last time they are pregnant. I didn't know if I would get pregnant ever again after DS, and after I had him I not only missed being pregnant but also I was left feeling like the labor and birth wasn't long enough. I know, I know, it sounds crazy... but my active labor was 5.5 hours, and there were parts of that whole experience that I don't recall at all because of going inward and plus all the endorphins- fascinating how they cause an amnesia-like affect. I'll be thinking of you as you embark on this next part of your journey, I'm just so excited to 'meet' Maisie and Liam and I can't imagine how you and your DH must feel!

Hi to everyone else!


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## deborahbgkelly

Belly- Not quite gone, but pretty close!


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## renavoo

Kewpie, what a photo! I love it! I can definitely say that i said an initial Whooooooa too but in a good way. I hope that your babies come to meet you soon and that your meeting today goes well. Fingers crossed...while I know you'll miss being pregnant, I bet you'll forget all about that once your babies are safely and happily in your arms!

Keria, i too chuckled thinking of a grown man swaddling teddy bears. You definitely need to take a photo of that. I think it's adorable and I love how your DH is getting so into the pregnancy. I feel like we're all so lucky to have our men stand by us. At least with infertility, the men in our lives also understand how difficult it was to get to this point and appreciate the lives that are growing inside us!

Tenzin, when are you going? I'm so jealous! You definitely deserve it and people do say that it's best for you to take a vacation when you can since you won't be doing it for a few years after the little one is here... So congrats and enjoy.

I keep forgetting to ask my doctor how much i need to gain...Lyndi, thanks for the note about the poster. I'm putting a note in my phone to remember to ask the doctor next time and I'm looking to see if they have the chart too )

Belly, is the nausea getting a little better with time? I really hope that it's starting to lessen as time progresses. Also, I hear that regardless, you start to show earlier after you've already had a child so I think you're right on track and not necessarily gaining too much weight. Regardless, we'll gain weight together. I love that we're so close together in our timing! I've already started wearing maternity clothing too, not because my tops have been too snug, although they are getting there! But more because maternity pants have that stretchy panel that actually reaches pretty high and my shirts don't fully cover them. I love that maternity clothing is so much longer. haha I've started telling people at work so I think it's ok and soon to be out of the bag anyway.

Hope everyone else is doing well!!


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## Keria

Kewpie you look great! Can;t wait for the news of your little ones.

Blue Love the pic of Abby in the snow

DH is determined to be the best baby soother. It is really nice to see this side of him. I can't wait to see him with our little ones. I'll take a pic of him with his stuffed babies. I think he got the technique down now. I'll just cheat and the pre-shaped swaddling blankets.


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## kewpie80

*Time to have some babies.* Doc just called. My protein was at 1100 and the threshhold is 300, so we're leaving in an hour for induction. I'll post stats and pictures once we're all fed and settled.

I'm literally shaking I'm so excited.


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## BellyBean

Kewpie, oh my goodness!!! Yippee for babies!! Congratulations mama!!


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## deborahbgkelly

Yay Kewpie! AFM- No more bleeding, woot (it was definitely my cervix)! Also, today I am 11 weeks pregnant. I can see that 2nd trimester around the corner! Also, DH's cousin sent me a big package of maternity clothes and baby things- woot! Also, along with my step-niece, DH's coworker is due just a couple months before I am so that will be fun.


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## rcr

Good luck Kewpie!


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## Tear78

Oh, Kewpie, good luck!


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## rcr

Just popping back in to see if there is any news from Kewpie. Hope all is going well.


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## deborahbgkelly

Waiting on pins and needles here too.


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## renavoo

I'm too late to wish Kewpie well but CONGRATS after the fact! CAN'T WAIT to see the photos!!!


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## kewpie80

Liam Edward 6 pounds 9 oz and 19.75 inches at 9:30pm 1/4/12.
Maisie Faye 6 pounds even and 19.5 inches at 9:41pm 1/4/12.

Babies are doing very well. It was a swift labor of 8.5 hours and very easy delivery of 30 minutes for one and 11 minutes for the other. Vaginal for both.

pics will come...


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## blueyezz4

Posting from my phone.

Kewpie- Congrats! So glad to hear all went so well! Hope you all got a little sleep & you aren't too sore! You are a rock star!<hugs>. Can't wait to see pics of those beautil miricles!!!!!!!!!!


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## Keria

Congratulations kewpie!!! It sounds like everything went perfect. Can't wait to see pics.


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## renavoo

YAH KEWPIE!!! Congrats to you and your DH (and the little ones)!!! That is amazing!


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## BellyBean

Congratulations Kewpie!!! Wow, that sounds perfect!!! Glad everything went so well and everyone is doing so great!!! Can't wait to see you little ones!


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## tenzinsmama

Kewpie, WOW, sounds like everything went SO well!!! So happy to hear this great news, it just made my day! Can't wait to see some pics-- you must be feeling pretty good, if you posted on here already!


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## bungalowmama

Oh Kewpie, how wonderful!!! Congratulations on your beautiful babies and the vaginal birth you wanted! I can't wait to see pictures. The babies were such great sizes - you are really an inspiration to me!


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## monkeyscience

YAY KEWPIE!!! Sounds like the babies are very good-sized and labor went well. So happy for you!!


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## deborahbgkelly

Congrats Kewpie! Hoping to follow in your footsteps. Sounds like it went beautifully and looking forward to those pictures!


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## deborahbgkelly

No- I am not drinking wine. That's for DH. LOL. Belly pic- 11 weeks 1 day (looks pretty similar to 10 weeks 2 days). Although, I think looks a little more shaped. Bonus- Kitty!


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## Carlyle

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Kewpie80*
> 
> Liam Edward 6 pounds 9 oz and 19.75 inches at 9:30pm 1/4/12.
> Maisie Faye 6 pounds even and 19.5 inches at 9:41pm 1/4/12.
> 
> Babies are doing very well. It was a swift labor of 8.5 hours and very easy delivery of 30 minutes for one and 11 minutes for the other. Vaginal for both.
> 
> pics will come...


OH YAY!!!! YAY YAY YAY!!!! I'm SO thrilled for you







So thrilled!


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## rcr

Yay Kewpie! So glad that you had a quick labor after a not-so-quick time TTCing! Can't wait to see photos! Hope nursing is going well!


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## kewpie80




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## tenzinsmama

Oh my gosh, Kewpie, Maise and Liam are absolutely adorable!!! I'm tearing up right now, they are just so precious. Look how they are nestled in to one another like that!!! They are such a good and healthy weight-- what an inspirational story! Congratulations again!







How are you feeling?


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## BellyBean

Oh my kewpie!!!! Could your babies be any cuter?!?!?! So adorable!!! What a blessing! Can't wait to hear more about how everything is going! Rest up and give those babies tons of snuggles!


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## rcr

oh my. How sweet. Please give them a kiss on those cute little cheeks for me.


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## deborahbgkelly

Your babies are absolutely beautiful Kewpie!


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## blueyezz4

*Kewpie* - OMG!!!!!! They are so precious!!!! I don't know what DH looks like, but I say they look like you!!! So beautiful and so happy for you!! How are you feeling??? Make sure to take care of you too. Oh and start eating oatmeal, that will help bring your milk in faster!!!!


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## Keria

OMG look at those cheeks so so beautiful. They are so cute. Congratulations!


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## renavoo

Congrats Kewpie, They are GORGEOUS!

And they look so happy together! )


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## mole

yay Kewpie! Congratulations!

I've been wretchedly sick with a cold the past week, coughing so strong I hurt a muscle in my back, threw up, and couldn't sleep at night. Doctor took a blood sample, and it's a virus, so there's nothing to be done for it. My sweetheart has been taking an opiate cough syrup so he has been sleeping better, but un-medicated me has been miserable. What sleep I get is while sitting up, I can't lay down or I drown in coughing. I am getting better, thank goodness, but it's slow. Both yesterday and today morning I threw up water NOT after a coughing fit. Could this be morning sickness? Tomorrow makes 6 weeks. It feels like I am fine (apart from the usual symptoms of this wretched cold), then all of a sudden I need to throw up, I throw up some water, and then I'm fine. Is this what it is? I got all excited because if it is morning sickness, it's a sign I'm still pregnant and I haven't felt anything at all until now.

Deborah- what a beautiful cat you have! My cat has been avoiding me while I've been sick (my coughing throws him off my lap, and I think the noise bothers him) and it's been hurting my feelings. My sweetheart's been happy with all the extra attention, though.


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## bungalowmama

Kewpie - those are some BEAUTIFUL babies!!! They don't look one bit early. I love how filled out their little faces are!

Mole - That definitely sounds like morning sickness to me. Mine started around then. I always drink water first thing and would throw it up without fail - more pleasant than straight stomach acid. I remember being so excited when the vomiting started which sounds weird. That enthusiasm did fade over time ;-)


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## monkeyscience

*kewpie* - Such chubby, serious-looking babies! Love it!

*mole* - Sounds like morning sickness to me. Mine's starting to improve, but for the better part of two weeks, whatever went down first thing in the morning came back up. So I tried to just stick to water, as it's easy to get out and isn't so wasteful as throwing up food!

(back to lurking







)


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## Laggie

Kewpie - I am just popping in to say congratulations! Wow, they're so big, good work!! They look so pink and chubby and healthy and beautiful!


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## kewpie80

Maisie



Liam

I will post about how we're all doing tonight. Just wanted to pass out some baby cuteness. I will also catch up on how all of you are doing tonight. Breastfeeding isn't going too well cause they are on the young side and it's keeping me insanely busy.


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## rcr

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *monkeyscience*
> and isn't so wasteful as throwing up food!


Ha. That made me laugh, Monkey. I remember when I was in college and we would go out for dinner at a nicer restaurant and then go get drunk and if I puked DH (then-boyfriend) would make the comment that it was a waste of a good meal. ha.

Kewpie - hope nursing gets better. I think it is always tough at first, even with one baby born bigger. I imagine it is really really hard with two born smaller. So cute. Thanks for sharing!


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## deborahbgkelly

Mole- Thanks! I think he's quite beautiful too (no, really, I'm not biased). He is also very sweet, but has been not too happy with the canine addition. I also agree that you are probably beginning to have morning sickness. The worst of mine was between weeks 6 and 8. Monkey- (Raises hand) I'm here!


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## blueyezz4

*Kewpie* - Those babies are perfect, almost so perfect they could be perfect little baby dolls in those pictures. BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!! So glad you shared and I hope breastfeeding starts going better. Hope you are feeling okay and not too sore. What is the blue light for are they a little jaundice??


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## lisko15

Just a friendly stalker to this thread popping in to say *Congrats to Kewpie* and to agree that those are 2 of the cutest, most adorable, perfect-looking little babies I've seen in a long time (and personally, I think I have pretty cute chubby babies!).

Simply Adorable! I hope you get some newborn photos taken!

I hope nursing gets better!


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## renavoo

Kewpie, they look like adorable dolls!, awww! Are they not sleeping together anymore? I was wondering about the light too. But anyway, you must be so proud! How are you feeling? When do you and the babies get to go home?


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## Keria

Space babies! They are adorable I love their little faces. Hopefully they''ll figure out the breastfeeding thing soon.


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## blueyezz4

*How is everyone over here???? Seems awful quiet lately!!!! Just looking for an update from all you graduates!!!!*

*Kewpie* - Any baby (ies) update? You home yet, I wonder??? Hope all is going well and BF is going better. Know you are probably crazy busy, but update when you can.


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## deborahbgkelly

Hi Blue- Things are going great. Babies and I are all currently having a growth spurt (I know because it hurts, but I'm so happy to hurt for a good reason for once). I am completely off hormone support and Prednisone and will have blood drawn tomorrow to make sure all is still where it should be. I'm not too concerned since my bbs hurt like crazy. My dog Peaches graduates from her Grumpy Growlers class on Wednesday so I am a proud furmama. We will go on to do more obedience training I think. She seems to love it and could definitely use it.


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## renavoo

Blue, you're so sweet to be checking in! You're the best!

I'm waiting anxiously for news about Kewpie too...I hope she got to go home after a few days since it looks like it was a nice, uncomplicated pregnancy. However, i know she and DH are probably massively busy so they probably aren't even thinking about anything but their babies!

i'm doing well but rather bored. haha It's that in-between stage where I don't know what is happening in my body but I have no indication that things aren't going well. My stomach has been growing so I definitely have a bump but sometimes, the bump looks smaller than other days. I'm sure there are other things happening like fluid retention, etc. Otherwise, just waiting anxiously for the Friday the 20th, as that's my next appointment. i find it funny that i live appointment to appointment. Besides that, I'm also waiting anxiously for the ladies in our thread (including you!) to get your BFPs. It's so frustration when we received news of a BFN because i just so want everyone to graduate already and not be stressed about the process. IF really really sucks.

Belly, are you feeling better? Hopefully, the morning sickness is waning a little.

Keria, I love seeing your time ticking away. )

big hugs, everyone!


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## BellyBean

Hi Ladies! It has been quiet here. I am still sick as a dog, some days are better than others, but Saturday was absolutely horrible. I barely got out of bed, and poor DH had to take care of everything. I am lucky to have so many supportive family members near by. My MIL is coming today to watch DD while I rest. It's nice that everyone wants me to rest and is willing to help out with everything else (watching DD, cleaning, cooking...) I just wish I felt better, it really is miserable being sick for so long, you start to loose hope that it will ever change and get's me a little depressed about the way I idealized this pregnancy 

Renavoo, yay for an appointment soon! My next one is Thursday and I can't wait. It will be the first time I meet with my actually OB this pregnancy. So far we have seen a midwife and perinatology. My OB is the same one I had with DD, and he happened to be on call the night I was in the emergency room and removed my ectopic/tube. So I feel pretty close to him. I also meant to ask if you joined a DDC. I just joined the July one (I noticed Deborah is there too), but there are a few other sets of twins there too, so we would have lots of ladies to go through everything with (Kinza is there too!). I know you are super busy and already on several threads, but I guess I can't get enough of you 

Kewpie, oh my, your babies just get cuter and cuter!!! I hope you are doing well at home and the breastfeeding is starting to get a little easier. That's probably the part I am most stressed about this time around. My DD had jaundice too, so it was extra stressful trying to get the breastfeeding going as quick as possible to help with the jaundice. Until my milk came in, we had to use the tube you run down the breast to supplement with formula while teaching the baby to suck at the nipple. I spent lots of time crying and scared it wasn't going to work, but she figured it out and everything turned out fine. Truly wishing the 4 of you the best and I am hoping you are able to sneak in a little sleep here and there.

Deborah, glad everything is going well, and your dog is getting trained up!

Keira, thinking about you too! Any updated bump pictures? I am a little obsessed with twin bump pictures...trying to prepare myself I guess 

Tenzi, how are you doing?

Mole, haven't heard from you in a while, hope everything is going well with your little bean too!

Monte/Alpha, I haven't seen you guys over here, but we'd love your company!

Blue/rcr, you ladies are the best!! It is so sweet of you guys to come check on us over here!! I hope and pray you will both be getting your BFPs soon!!! They are WAY overdue!!


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## mole

Thanks for checking in, Belly! I'm doing well. This morning i tried to not throw up by moving slowly and eating a sesame cracker first thing, then i started panicking cause i didn't throw up (worrying that meant the end of the pregnancy), then i threw up a little and felt better .

It is so horrible to be sick, I wish you all sorts of comforting things and health.


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## deborahbgkelly

Belly- Thanks and I will be posting a bump picture shortly. I have my next OB appointment a week from today. I also found out we have EXCELLENT maternity coverage so I can breathe a sigh of relief.


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## rcr

Thanks, *Belly.* I hope to join you all soon too  Boy, you really need to get a break form the m/c. I thought it was supposed to get better around week 12? Hopefully you get some relief soon.


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## deborahbgkelly

RCR- Morning sickness varies from person to person, but I think for most people the latest it stops is arund 14 weeks. There are exceptions though.


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## Keria

Blue and rcr I'll join the love parade you guys are so sweet, I'm hoping with all my might for healthy babies for both of you.

Belly I'm sorry you are still sick, I'm hoping you start feeling better soon I'll ask DH to take a bump pic tomorrow.

Rena the 20th will be here in no time. I know what you mean about living appointment to appointment I did that especially before I started feeling movement. I love seeing the little babies move on the ticker I can't believe I'm almost at the end.

I had an appointment today both babies are big and healthy and already practicing their breathing Lucia weights 2.130 Kg and Oliver 2.250 . The only thing is that right now it looks like I'll have to have a c-section Lucia is breech with her legs covering my cervix and Oliver is transverse-ish. It would take some serious acrobatics for them to move into the right position. I'm a little scared of the surgery but I'll do whatever it's best for them. Other than that it doesn't look like they are coming any time soon, the doctor said he would even be willing to let them go to 39 weeks as long as everything is fine.


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## tenzinsmama

Belly, thanks for asking. But first-- That m/s of yours has got to go! Enough already, you need a break! I totally understand that it would wear you down, in all sorts of ways. I really hope there's an end to it, and you start becoming better able to enjoy things with the pregnancy. I'm glad that you have lots of people able and willing to help you out in the meantime.

We're looking forward to the anatomy scan this Friday. Recently, I had been feeling movement, and then I couldn't detect any, and then I felt it again just the other night-- so it will be reassuring to see the little one moving about. The times when I don't feel it seems to coincide with the times when I'm especially busy throughout the day and then crashing into bed at night. I'm not as tuned into it. It seems like forever in between appointments with the midwife, but then on the other hand, I can't believe I'm just over 18 weeks already. We aren't going to find out if it is a boy or girl, we'll leave the big suprise until birth day. My little guy is just starting to get over this nasty cold he's had since just past Christmas-- I wouldn't be surprised if it is RSV since it always peaks this time of year-- and we've had some really good 'back to normal' times with him and then some really trying ones. He's gotten another tooth in recent weeks, and maybe some more are coming-- and he may be on the verge of a developmental milestone-- so with all of that, it's been so challenging. This age is really fun, but it's also hard because for one thing, he's wanting to do so many things on his own, and he can't, and he gets frustrated. Well, you've been through this stage with your DD, you know what it's like...

I'm trying to figure out what to do with the IVF meds I have that I didn't even touch... our clinic doesn't have a set-up where patients can donate their unused meds. Wondering what others on here have done... I know it was mentioned a few times (by Renavoo)...

Hi to everyone else!


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## deborahbgkelly

Sorry- I didn't get a chance to post bump pic. Will have to try tomorrow. Now, I really truly "graduated from the RE". My hormone levels looked great- My Estradiol was well over 2,000 and my Progesterone was 79 (lower than it has been but well above the 20 they like to see) and Estradiol dropped considerably right after I got off the patches, so I suspect it's the same situation here and Progesterone will go back up. As long as I don't see any bleeding and babies keep looking good, I'm happy. My choir director made a huge announcement in front of everyone today, so it was hard to get out and leave. I had told him it was public information, but I was still surprised.


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## deborahbgkelly

Also, I hit 12 weeks on Wednesday!


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## renavoo

Tenzin, YAH to feeling movement! I'm thinking that i will be calmer, as Keria says, once i feel the babies move and i can monitor that way. Although once in a while, I break out the doppler even though our doctor doesn't think that it's a good idea. Sometimes, I just need to be sure that I hear the heartbeats. haha and I try to limit it to once (ok maybe twice a week). I probably won't use it again until end of the week. ;o) Let us know how the anatomy scan goes! I can't believe you're already at 18 and almost 19 weeks. It's amazing how time flies. I know I'm only a few weeks behind you but to me, it feels like a lifetime







Such impatience!

Keria, YAH to great growth. WOW, 39 weeks! I really hope that i get such great news when I get to where you are. I would love to be able to have the babies at a normal time period and not have to worry about preterm birth. Sorry about the c-section. Is there no way that Lucia will turn? I know that with singletons they expect that babies can turn during the last few weeks but i assume that it's very different with twins. i hope that there is still a chance for you but if not, I hope that the c section goes as well as possible. We have a few weeks for us to help you feel as comfortable about the possibility anyway )

Mole, haha you're funny! I'm the same way. I'm actually mourning the loss of my symptoms because that makes me feel more worried. i still have some breast tenderness and whenever that goes below a certain threshold, I get in a slight tizzy. However, I'm so sad that you and Belly are throwing up so much. That's awful. I hope that you start to feel better soon. What week are you? You need a little ticker too.








I didn't start putting together a ticker until I think my 11th week because I wanted to get closer to the end of the first trimester before i did it but now I realize how much fun it is to follow everyone's ticker.

Oh Tenzin, I posted that I had some drugs left on the different forums and some people started asking (through PM) if I would be willing to sell/give them the drugs. I have someone I'm waiting to give the drugs to, if another cycle is required so until then, I'm holding on to the drugs. However, I think you should post what you have on the IVF page and I think people will find you )

Belly, I'm so sad that you're not feeling better. I was hoping that by now, you would have at least more better days than bad days but it sounds like more of the same. Just wanted to send big hugs your way...







I'm so glad you have such a supportive family. Take care of yourself and your little babies! You three are the most important priorities and I hope that you start to feel much better soon. I didn't join a DDC thread yet. I think i will but I'm not sure which one to join. I mean, technically, I think my due date is july 1st but I also know that twins often come early so maybe I should join the June one? Although I'd want to be in the same thread as you anyway so I would join the July one just so I would continue to catch up with you ) I can't get enough of you either.

Deborah, yah to hitting 12 weeks!


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## deborahbgkelly

Renavoo-Yes, very exciting!


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## Keria

Rena The doctor told me well she is a GIRL so you never know what she may end up doing ha. Right now they are so cramped and both are in a horrible position that it's unlikely. Our best hope is that Lucia moves out of the way and Oliver goes head down and comes out first. It is really unlikely that Lucia will be able to flip upside down at this point.

And now...

The belly that ate the world



I really cannot imagine how big I'm going ot be if I make it to 39 weeks.


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## blueyezz4

*Keria* - you are such a cute pregnant mamma!!! You are all Belly!!!!!! No, not you Belly but baby belly. Looks more like you ate a basketball and not the world. LOL

*Deborah* - glad to hear you are off all the meds now and you graduated from your RE!! That has to be nice!!! Yay for the 2nd Tri coming your way!!

*Renavoo* - Yay for your appt on the 20th. Sure it can't get here soon enough!!! Keep us posted.

*Belly* - boo to still having the m/s !!! Yuck.....I know mine kinda slowed down around 13-14 weeks so I'll keep my fingers crossed that it is coming. Yours sounds awful, mine I just had to keep eating and that helped. They do say that some of the sickest ladies have the healthiest babies so lets hope that is a good sign. Keep us posted. Have you had to get into maternity clothes yet?

*Mole* - Yay for symptoms, just wish they were more pleasant symptoms. Like why can't we all have like the "pregnancy spot" on our belly and when you are pregnant it turns purple and then if you start to worry that something is going wrong you just look at the spot and if it is still purple you know you are fine. If it starts to fade then you can worry. LOL.

*Monte/Alpha/Bungalow* - how are you all????? Don't be shy... we want to make sure you all are okay too!!

*Tenzi* - so excited to hear how your appt goes on Friday!! I also hope that your DS gets health. Do you have to worry being pregnant if he does have RSV? That just popped into my head when i read your post. Keep us posted.

*Kewpie* - sending lots of love your way too!! Hope you are getting settled at home maybe!!!!! I'm sure it is crazy. Know we are all thinking of you and if you get even a min to post just about yourself we would love to hear (don't worry about personals - easy for me to say but i bet the others would agree).

*Wishing you all the best!!!*


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## deborahbgkelly

Blue- Yes. We are very happy about everything. AFM- Today I have a monster headache, so sorry you all will have to wait a bit longer for that bump picture. I have done some major growing though, so I think it will be good when I get the pic up.


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## BellyBean

Keira, LOVE the bump picture!!! All I see is basketball too! It's crazy you could have 6 weeks left, please keep us posted on everything!! I am loving the bump pictures, I am trying to imagine how this will all play out for me 

Deborah, sorry about the headache 

Tenzi, it's funny with DD I was always like "when she can do XXXX it will be so much easier" (like sit up, crawl, walk, talk to express her needs, etc), but now I know it just makes things different  I hope he starts feeling back to normal soon and cuts those teeth...both at once is a lot to take on!!

Blue, hahaha you made me laugh with the you are all "Belly". I am headed over to check on your updates from the other side 

Renavoo, I thought about joining the June DDC since I figured the babies might be early, but then I decided I would rather be the first of the July group instead of the last of the June group when everyone is off enjoying their babes. There is another twin mama to be with a early July date too! Hope you join us!

Kewpie, I know you are super busy, but I agree with Blue, no personals needed, just post about you and the babes when you get a chance!

AFM, had some cramping over the weekend on Baby A's side and then yesterday felt a million times better (still sick, but able to do a load of laundry and a little computer work). I kind of freaked out a little, but no worries, today I vomitted more than any day so far and had to go to work. It was horrible. I think people are getting suspicious so I will tell my boss later this week, and everyone else after. I am thinking Friday since I have an OB appt. on Thurs, just one last check everything is going okay. Also hoping one good day means more to follow soon.


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## deborahbgkelly

Had a vomiting episode tonight. Thought those were over. Just relaxing now. Hoping it helps.


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## renavoo

Belly, I'm surprised you managed to keep it under wraps for as long as you did, considering the severity of your symptoms! You go girl! i started telling people and the answer i usually get is, uh, we know. Apparently I rub my tummy a lot absentmindedly so that's a dead giveaway. Also, people are commenting on my breasts. I've always had ample breasts but apparently, according to people, they are HUGE. People have taken to calling them "porn boobs" which is pretty funny. DH loves them, as you can imagine.

Keria, LOVE IT! Oh my gosh, you're going to be like Kewpie! Belly, I totally get what you mean about how much fun it is to look at the belly pictures, especially later in the pregnancy. I'm also trying to scope out how large I'm going to be. And boy, is it eye opening! Another person in my agency also gave birth to twins 3 months ago or so and she promised to show me her baby bump photos (until 2 weeks ago, our companies were in different areas. Since we moved, we're now only separated by floors!) Anyway, Keria, you look FANTASTIC! I'm so excited for you!

Blue, LOVE your idea about the purple dot. haha I would be staring at the purple dot all day but still, it's better than getting freaked out and then going to Dr. Google and getting even more freaked out )

Deborah, I hope you're feeling better.

Everyone else, big hugs and i hope all is going well! (and I echo everyone else, Kewpie...when you have a chance to just check in and let us know how things are going, please do! No rush...just wanted to let you know that we're thinking of you!)


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## Keria

You ladies are too kind!

Belly I'm so glad you are feeling better. I hope it means you are in the upswing and you can start enjoying the pregnancy..

Kewpie I'm guessing the little ones are keeping you super busy. So whenever you can come in here with more cute pics!

Rena How are you feeling you are already in the second trimester that was fast!


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## deborahbgkelly

No vomiting this morning, but still major headache. I think it's just winter, but it is no fun.


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## alphahen

Hi everyone!

Belly and Blue - Thank you so much for checking in on me.

Blue - I hope the m/s eases soon.

Deborah - I hope you are feeling better soon too.

Kewpie - Was so thrilled to see your beautiful little ones!!!

Thanks to all for welcoming me to the Graduates board! I suppose I have felt a bit in limbo between the two boards which may have been why I was a little reluctant to post. I tested on Monday, 1/2 (18 DPO) and had a beta of 827. Last Thursday night, I started to have some intermittent brown spotting (TMI, i know). I called the RE first thing on Friday (freaking out of course) and they ordered another beta. It came back as 7668 (at 22DPO) which was a doubling time of about ~30 hours. Given the good second beta, the RE believes that that spotting is being caused by the progesterone irritating my cervix. The IVF coordinator estimated that roughly 50% of her patients on Crinone are having some spotting in early pregnancy. Nevertheless, it still worries me greatly and my first u/s is one (very long) week away.

Good thoughts to all


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## deborahbgkelly

Alpha- My spotting and bleeding were also determined to be irritation from the Crinone, so I wouldn't worry. As soon as I was off of it, I didn't have any more spotting or bleeding. Also, thanks for the well wishes. Headache is not as bad now.


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## kewpie80

I have a quick minute...

babies have lost a lot of weight so we started supplementing with SNS and formula at the breast. My milk is having a LOT of trouble coming in, but I started some supplements today (alfalfa and fenugreek) Babies are latching well, so we just need the milk to get better in supply.

Liam has very bad gas and has spent the last 3 nights screaming all night. We're extremely sleep deprived, but still loving this time with them. I can't even describe how much I love these babies already. We got some mylicon drops today and we're hoping that will help. Liam hadnt had a BM since sunday, but did at the doctor's office with some rectal stimulation, so we're hoping that was a lot of the cause.

I'm exhausted but SOOOOO loving life right now. I will post some pictures soon.... babies are stirring so I better go.


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## rcr

Kewpie - Sorry to hear about the weight loss. It is great that they were such a healthy weight to begin with though. I am sure the milk will come in and BFing will be easy going soon. Can't wait to see more pics. Thanks for posting!


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## rcr

*keira* - what a cute bump. I am jealous. When I was pregnant with DS I got huge like everywhere, and it is still there - even worse after all these IF treatments. You are going to be back to your normal size in no-time.

*Alpha* - I got irritated by critone even before I got my BFN for my last IVF cycle. Glad to hear about the great beta!

*Belly* - sorry for the cramping. Belly - good luck telling your boss. I hated that. It was such an awkward moment for me.It was actually fun once everybody knew though because everyone was so nice and excited for me. There is a baby shower for somebody at work on Friday. I plan to skip out on it. At least now that you have gone through IF you can be sympathetic if somebody has a weird reaction when they hear the news. You never really know what they are going through.

*Tenzins* - wow, where has the time gone. You are so much farther along than I realized. You are so patient for waiting to find out the sex. If you have extra follistim, I would be happy to put it to good use.

*Rena* - how are you?

*Deborah* - yay for being 12 weeks today!!!

*Mole* - I lol'd at you trying not to throw up and then freaking out and then throwing up and feeling better. Funny. I hope all is well.


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## kewpie80

Daddy with Liam



Maisie



HOME! It looks like day, but it was actually late at night.



Maisie in a milk coma



Daddy and Maisie


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## kewpie80




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## deborahbgkelly

Thanks RCR! Kewpie- So cute. AFM- My doggy is a graduate! She passed her Grumpy Growlers class. Also, my bump is getting bigger every day. I really will post a picture soon, lol.


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## blueyezz4

Kewpie- oh my gosh! They are beautiful! Can't believe how big they look when in clothes! The ones w/ DH they look smaller! So cute! Hope your milk starts coming in full force soon! Did you try the oatmeal? That worked for me and my friends. Sorry I sound like a broken record here! Thanks so much for sharing those pics!

Alpha- holy numbers batwoman! Lol. With that high a number you'd think they'd be willing to move your u/s up! Good luck and can't wait to see your update - twins?

Deborah- congrats to the pup! How old is she? I know I saw her picture from before but I forget if you said how old she was.

Posting from my phone so have to run. Hugs to everyone else!


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## renavoo

Kewpie, OH MY GOSH, they are so cute!! I also love the photos of daddy with the kids. It just makes my heart melt when I see your DH so happy to be holding his children. It's an amazing sight and reminds us all of what we're aiming for! haha the one with Maisie in a milk coma makes me laugh. That's how I look after I eat too ) I'm so glad you're doing well and I am hoping that your milk comes in with these supplements. Someone told me another supplement to use (from Trader Joes or Whole Foods) and I can't remember the name so if you're interested, I'll go and find out. but i hope that your current supplements work out!

Alpha, welcome! I, like the others, had spotting due to the suppositories. I was on endometrin and found that whenever i spotted, using my fingers instead of the applicator usually stopped the spotting. So that's what I did ) Can't wait to hear about your first US! It really is torturous how long a week feels both when TTCing and even after conceiving. I'm still waiting for time to fly. haha i think that in a couple of years when we've all become pregnant and given birth (RCR and Blue, I'm including you two!) we'll think that time did fly during this time. But until then, time is just craaaaaawling by.

haha

RCR, I'm going to check in on you in the other threads but I wanted to see how you're doing? Did the spotting end? Are you happy about the new plan with ganerilix? It is covered for you, right?

Ugh, Belly, i do hope that the conversation with you boss goes well too. I hated having to tell my boss but the good thing is that I totally underestimated how happy he would be for me so I hope it's the same for you. And Rcr, yes, now everyone is just being extra nice to me, which i appreciate. I still try not to talk about it at all...in fact, besides slowly telling more people (mostly because I don't want them to feel like i was skipping by them) I try to just stay quiet. Usually, people are coming up to me or bringing it up in meetings for a chuckle. I think the fact that i'm carrying twins is an anomaly and therefore, something to comment on. And it gets really awkward when people ask if we have a family history of twins because I don't want to tell everyone i went through IVF. So i nod because DH has a family history and I mention that twinning is more likely because of my age. People seem to be buying that.

Keria, 6 more weeks left! (If that much!) Are you done preparing?

So AFM, I'm doing well. Nothing really happening and I'm still in that awkward stage where I don't feel many symptoms and I don't feel the baby kicking, which of course worries me but generally I'm staying calm. I do have a nice bump right now but I think i just look fat in my stomach area. My face has stayed the same and in fact, because of all the walking I do, is probably a little skinnier but I'm definitely seeing the tummy extend. Oh and I have edema in my fingers. My rings are stuck on! DH is being great and constantly saying how much he loves my changing shape so that's sweet. I have an appointment next Friday and i think every 3 weeks to check for cervical shortening so I guess my thing will be that I'll be constantly waiting for 3 weeks to pass. This week has done a fairly good job of passing by though so i'm quite happy.

Hope all is well! It's almost the weekend! Whoo hoo


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## kewpie80

Blue - yup, been eating oatmeal every day for 4 days so far.

renavoo - I'd love to know the other supplements. I have about 6 strikes against me for milk production (PCOS, diabetic, induced, epidural, pre-e, delayed latch) so I'm willing to try anything and everything to bring the milk in. I'm only producing about 8-12 ml per pumping session.


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## deborahbgkelly

Blue- She's about a year and a half. Here's another picture: This is not from yesterday, but is one of my favorites of her. Everyone: "Meet" Peaches.


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## monkeyscience

So adorable, *Kewpie*! They look so much bigger than SIL's twins did when they were first born (they're 5 weeks now), but that's probably just because it's pictures. They're actually very close to the same size as her boys. They do look tiny in those carseats, though! Sorry breastfeeding is being so rough! I didn't know PCOS could affect that. Guess I have some more research to do.









And *renavoo* - every time I see your ticker, I feel like time is flying! But I bet it crawls from your end!


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## mole

I feel horrible. The smell of everything disgusts me. I'm forcing myself to eat, and I'm shuddering and crying from it. I can't even kiss my sweetheart because his breath smells so bad to me. This is AWFUL. My mom said she was sick for two months when she was pregnant with me, so I'm going to have to find ways to deal. I threw up in the shower this morning and i was so revolted i had to force myself to go back in and finish showering. moving is the worst, so i'm hating my walk to work now.

i hope everyone is doing infinitely better than me.


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## BellyBean

Kewpie, your little ones are absolutely adorable!!!! My milk took several days (at least 4, but maybe more) to come in. The fenugreek seemed to help, and I hope it helps with you too. Have you checked out the preemie/nicu forum here? I have been reading a little there to get prepared for what could happen, and I know I read something about supplements, but I just can't remember what it was. I'll go looking some more for you too! I am glad to hear they have good latch and that although exhausted you all are doing great! What an inspiration to the rest of us!

Monkey, I can't remember if I congratulated you, but how exciting that you are expecting!!!!! Congratulations!

Alpha, I feel like I have been waiting forever for your u/s, so I can only imagine how you feel! I think everything is fine though, and certainly sounds like twins!

Deborah, congrats on the pup diploma 

Blue and rcr, always thinking about you lovely ladies and praying for your BFP this next cycle!!!!

AFM, had my 13+ week ob appointment today. I really like my ob, he is so great. He was able to find both heartbeats with the doppler without moving it, just kind of changing direction, but did a quick u/s to double check. One baby we were staring in between the legs and I can't tell if I saw the cord or some boyish parts. Unfortunately, I will have to wait another 7+ weeks to find out. The system is really stupid because I can't make the appointment until the week before I could go in...well of course all those appointments will be gone so I will really be like 2-4 weeks past when I "could technically" find out.


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## monkeyscience

*Belly* - Thanks! I'm excited to be pregnant, especially since a lot of my MDC "friends" (and stalkees







) have gotten pregnant lately. I've been wanting to say, too, that I'm sorry you've been having such a tough time. At the same time, it's made me feel a little less alone, as I've also been having a pretty tough time with all-day morning sickness. Not that I would wish it upon anyone at all, just that I feel less nervous/alone knowing someone else is going through it. Mine is starting to slowly get better, so I hope yours does, too!


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## Keria

Kewpie they are absolutely adorable. I'm sorry little Liam is having a rough time. Hopefully your milk will come soon and they can start gaining again. Are they wearing preemie outfits?

Belly I'm glad you are little ones are doing great. think I found out at 16 weeks we had a scan then and the doctor was able to tell us for sure on the boy and 75% on the girl later it was confirmed at 20 weeks.

Rena we are not even close to being done. I can't believe we left so much stuff for last minute. Right now I feel like I'm running on low battery all the time so I think a lot of stuff is going to have to wait until who knows when. DH is painting the nursery this sunday and I still need to pack my hospital bag. Don't follow my example do as much as you can while you have energy.


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## rcr

Oh *Kewpie*. I am in love.

I gotta run, but for *rena*, the spotting turned into AF 2 days ago, and is not almost gone. so I guess it was AF. Just one more month, is AF arrives on time. I guess I am happy with the new protocol because they call it the sher protocol, and Dr. Sher is I guess somebody who is really well known. They said that they don't use this protocol a lot, but Dr. Sher has had good success with it. So, that seems hopeful. I have a total of 3 more tries under my own insurance (4 total, but I used one already), and I am thinking that if this doesn't work, I may even go out to Vegas to see him instead of moving on to donor eggs for my third IVF try (which was the plan). I'll still save my last try for donor eggs thought. I like to plan way ahead, but I hope it doesn't come to that.


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## deborahbgkelly

Thanks Belly. AFM- I seem to be having a resurgence of all-day sickness, not quite as bad as Monkey and Belly, but am surprised to have it come back at 12 weeks. I think maybe I'm having another rapid rise since my body has to produce it's own progesterone now. Just my hypothesis.


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## BellyBean

I have to run out the door to work...so I'll be back for more personals later!

Mole, it looks like we cross posted yesterday. I know exactly how you feel and it sucks! I actually have to remind DH to not sleep with his face close to mine because I can smell everything he ate/drank that day and it makes me want to hurl. This is after he brushes several times to try to help  I have noticed a slight improvement this week (between 13-14) so I am hoping the end of nausea is near. I hope you don't have to deal with it more than a few days!!!!

Monkey, ugh to the morning (all day sickness) too! It really is the worst!!!!!! Hope you start feeling better soon!!


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## bungalowmama

Hey ladies! Just checking in during a brief work break. I thought I'd have so much time after finishing grad school, but work has picked up all of the slack plus some. Normal projects plus planning for my leave is daunting to say the least.

*Kewpie* - I'm so glad your babies are home and hope the breastfeeding smooths out. My sister always had luck with tons of water (like a gallon per day) and lots of oatmeal. There's also a prescription drug that a friend of mine took.

*Mole and Belly* - I'm sorry y'all are still dealing with nausea. Have you tried Sea Bands? They didn't work for me, but I hear they do for lots of people.

I'll be 27 weeks on Sunday and the boys are still doing great. I had an OB appointment on Monday and baby A is still breech (he has never been head down the whole time). We started talking about the implications if he stays that way. Amazingly my doctor said that the position of baby B doesn't matter at all (though he is vertex right now) and that I can still attempt a vaginal birth even if baby A is frank or complete breech - just not footling. I was amazed! As of Monday he had one leg in the frank position and one in complete. I'm hoping he doesn't have enough room to stretch his little legs out and become footling.

There are several rules - deliver in the OR in case an emergency arrises, no pitocin, no extractions until I push him out to the torso, etc. I knew my doctor was a rare breed, but this really cements it! Due to the potentially intense nature of my delivery, I've decided to hire a doula. She's attended over 500 births, 5 of those being twins, and 1 being a vaginal breech delivery of a singleton. A big reason I want her there is to support my DH during the process. It's such a relief to know we'll have help.

Finally, while I was initially thinking about working as long as possible up to my due date, I don't think that's going to happen. I'm seriously considering working in the office through late February when I'll be 33 weeks and working from home after that. For one thing I'm already quite big and not sure how long I can continue to fit behind the wheel of my car. In addition to that, my weekly OB and perinatologist appointments start in March. I went to a mothers of multiples meetings and all of the ones who tried to work until the end went into early labor. I can't try for the vaginal breech birth unless I make it to at least 36 weeks since before that the body is relatively small and won't make enough room for the head to be delivered safely. I'm working up the nerve to talk to my boss about this. My angle is going to be that keeping the babies in as long as possible will ultimately let me come back to work sooner if we can avoid NICU and subsequent complications. Also, I'm starting to get so tired during the day that I really think I'd be more productive if I could rest mid-day and return to my work later. I hope it goes over well! Wish me luck!


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## renavoo

Hi everyone!

Kewpie, my friend said that she recommends fenugreek, which I think you're taking now. She said that it really is amazing how much more milk she produced so I'm hoping that is your experience as well!

Monkey, Belly, and Mole UGH to the intense sensitivity. Belly, I'm glad things are easing a little for you but I'm wishing that they would be close to gone now! I still get a little sensitive with smells so I'm betting that won't ever go away during the pregnancy/ ( But at least I'm hoping you ladies get a break from the nausea and vomiting! By the way, Monkey, I'm so happy you're here too!!

Rcr, I've heard about Dr. Sher. From everything i've heard, he sounds like he's a pioneer in this field. Do you live close to Vegas or is this going to be a long hike for you?

Bungalow, I just had my work meeting about how we're going to handle the pregnancy (about coverage, family medical leave act, etc) and that was really confusing. I still don't know what I'm going to do but I'm pretty sure I'm going to be like you where I'm going to need to work from home the last few weeks of the pregnancy. Good luck convincing your boss! I really hope that he's/she's supportive. Great thing about how your doctor really wants to try for a natural birth, by the way. I hope that this happens for you. It sure does sound unconventional but definitely welcome. And I'm happy you have support for your husband during the birthing. You're making me think about whether I should do that for my DH as well!


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## rcr

Rena - funny you mention Dr. Sher because I was just talking about him with DH yesterday. My REs new protocol is what they call "the Sher protocol" and they said that it is not one of their "tried and true" protocols, but they are using it on me because they Dr. Sher had had good results with patients with my problem (Oing early though lupron). I mentioned this to DH and I said that maybe we should just go to him if this doesn't work. We had planned on moving to donor eggs for my third IVF try (I get 4 under my insurance), but now I am thinking that I will try to go to Dr. Sher for my third try, with my own eggs instead of moving to donor eggs. I live nowhere near Vegas, but I am a professor and I have summers off work, so I could certainly go there and just stay in a hotel. I even have a cousin there who could maybe watch DS while I am at appointments. I have been feeling kinda hopeless - like this was my last try with my own eggs - but this thought about going to Vegas has given me a bit of renewed hope.

Bungalow - wow, sounds like a great doc! We had a doula for the birth of my DS too, and it was the best thing I could have done. We did not have such an understanding doc, but the presence of the doula seemed to make the nurses and doctors leave me alone more, I think.


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## blueyezz4

*rcr* - I don't have a ton of time right now, but I wanted to say that (as you know) Dr. Sher is my 2nd opinion Dr. All of his practice are related and they do free phone consultations if you want one. I had all my records sent to him and then he called me. Very nice, well educated, knowledgeable doctor!!! I forget where you live but he has a practice in NY and several places as well and they all use his protocols. I found him b/c of MomtoLex ( i think that is her screen name - i know her by her real name so i always forget) went to the NY office and she encouraged me to call her dr but then I got in with Dr. Sher. Here is the site: http://haveababy.com/ There is a discussion board as well on there and the Drs actually answer your questions so that would be another way to start. Would that still be covered by your insurance if you were in Vegas? That would be awesome if so and I'd totally do it if i were you. There is no way we can make it happen right now and I think if this FET doesn't work then we would have to start saving for adoption or give up all together. Probably should have posted this on the other side but since you were talking about vegas here I thought i'd speak up. Let me know if you have any questions.

*Bungalow* - so glad to see you and that things are going well.

*Belly, Mole & other m/s people* -hope you all start feeling better soon!!!!

*Keria* - hope you get a lot accomplished w/ all that still needs to be done!!!

*Monkey* - so glad to read that you have graduated. Just saw this above and am so happy for you!! Congrats!

Got to run. I Just shoveled the whole driveway - ugh!! Now have a bunch of other stuff to get done on my day off. SIL is coming to hang out tonight w/ us so that should be nice.


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## alphahen

Kewpie - They are so beautiful. No wonder you are madly in love







. Hoping things are going a little better with the bf-ing and that little Maizie and Liam are packing on the pounds soon.

Deborah/RCR/Renavoo - Thanks so much for sharing your experiences with Crinone. It definitely makes me feel a lot less freaked out about the whole thing. What makes me crazy is - if my doc and so many others are saying that spotting is common with Crinone - why the heck aren't they listing it as a side effect on their website ?!?!?! Seems like it is bordering on dishonest to me.

Blue - Yes, I wish they would move the u/s up too but the argument is that they want to be sure they can see the heartbeat or else the u/s could raise more questions than it answers. I guess i can see the logic in that. How are you doing?

Mole - So sorry you are feeling so awful! Any way you can skirt the walk to work? Maybe have someone drop you off?

Renavoo- I am sooooo looking forward to the day when all of this seems like it just flew by! The waiting is torture! Great job on keeping up the walking. I have been too scared to do much of anything for the last couple of weeks but I hope to get back into a little moderate exercise soon.

Deborah - I love Peaches! What a cutie! And with coloring much like my Jack. I hope the resurgence of m/s is short-lived.

Belly - I am glad it feels like a long time to someone besides me! UGH for having to wait so long to confirm gender!

Monkey - Glad to see the m/s is starting to ease up a bit. Hope the trend continues.

Keria - So sorry for all that there is left to do. Are there any non-essentials that you could maybe postpone so you wouldn't feel quite so anxious about it all?

RCR - Yay for a new protocol!

Bungalow - I think your reasoning is sound. Good luck with the boss!

AFM: Still in the waiting game - only five days to u/s. Spotting isn't completely gone but seems to be easing. My formerly mild symptoms seem to be intensifying - esp the nausea - but haven't reached a horrible stage yet.

I have a wedding this weekend and I am a little nervous about it. We are not ready to tell anyone yet and will be around lots of friends. I will not be drinking or dancing (avoiding the latter because I won't have the former for liquid courage







). I am a little concerned that folks will notice and possibly ask questions so I guess I am going to have to figure out how to address without feeling like I am telling a complete fib. Any ideas?


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## deborahbgkelly

This is now the 3rd time I'm trying to post. Alpha- Thanks! Let's see a pic of Jack . My m/s resurgence was short lived, but I am now having a lot of back pain (can't really move). I was supposed to help with an event tomorrow, but now I'm not sure I'll be able to do so. I keep reminding myself that there will be two beautiful babies at the end of this, but right now I just wish I could get back to a functional point.


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## blueyezz4

*alpha* - could you go with the "just getting over the flu" or "cold" or "sinus infection" (aka: just finishing antibiotics) hence the reason you are not drinking maybe. Just some thoughts. When I first got pregnant and we had a girls night out with some of my friends and some i wasn't too close too & i just ordered Shirley temples and they look like they are a mixed drink.


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## rcr

*Blue*/*Rena* - Ok, wrong thread for this, but I will post here anyway.... thanks for the advice on Dr. Sher. I think that my insurance would cover it. At the worst case, it would be out of network but that just means that they would cover a little less, or we would have to pay and then wait for insurance to pay us back. I think it would work. Like I said to rena, I have summers off, so I think that our new plan is that if this IVF does not work, I will go out to vegas and try to see him. I hope it does not come to that. Even if we go to Dr. Sher, after that we will still have one more try, so I can save that last time for donor eggs. I was going to save the last two for donor eggs, but I really want to give my eggs as much of a try as I can. Plus, the idea of this cycle being my last try with my eggs is kinda scary (Blue, I am sure you know what I mean).

*Alpha* - Like blue said, how about just faking kinda sick.


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## deborahbgkelly

Alpha- Re: Crinone-I don't know about the website, but I do believe the spotting is listed as a side effect in the insert.


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## renavoo

Hi ladies!

Alpha, I did the seltzer water with lime route. It makes it look like a seven up with alcohol. No one ever questioned me! but i see i was too late to comment anyway. I hope that you had a good time at the wedding and that it went smoothly. As for exercise, I was the exact same way! i barely moved in fear that that would jeopardize the pregnancy. Even now, I hate twisting and making sudden movements. I don't know what i think would happen and it's illogical but i snapped at my DH last night as he was starting to tickle me and I had to twist to get out of the way. haha i'm massively ticklish. Of course he said that it was all in my mind but he stopped tickling me ) Now, I mainly just walk although I think I want to find a video for prenatal yoga. I think i need some stretching exercises because I have horrific back pain on Thursday (i had to take acetaminophen even though I pledged not to take any meds at all! and that didn't work anyway). Anyway, how are you doing overall? Has the spotting stopped? Just a few more days left till your ultrasound!

Rcr, it's great to have a plan. Come to NY instead of Vegas though ) haha Seriously, i really do hope that it doesn't come to that. are donor eggs covered or does that have to be out of pocket? I was reading the other link and it seems that donor eggs themselves are massively expensive, which i guessed since they pay donors a pretty good amount of money to sell them. I just hope this next cycle is your cycle. That way, you don't have to worry about it at all. By the way, great thing that you have the summers off. That definitely would make things a lot easier and less stressful!

Blue, oooh interesting that Dr. Sher is your 2nd opinion doctor. I guess he's as close to an opinion leader as possible in the infertility route. hope you had a nice time with your SIL. How are you feeling overall? You're off the drugs now right and waiting for withdrawal bleed? Are you anxiously waiting for the test results or are you keeping busy (I am guessing the latter what with how much you need to get done this weekend!0

Keria, how are you doing? Belly, is your nausea gone? Kewpie, how is breastfeeding and motherhood? Bungalow, did you have a discussion with you boss? Deborah, hope you're feeling better! haha who did i miss?!


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## deborahbgkelly

Renavoo- The nurse practitioner at my RE said you don't need specifically prenatal yoga. You can find a regular yoga class and tell them you are pregnant. They will provide modifications. It tends to be better than a video because you can receive corrections and be sure the posture is correct. However, if it is not available in your area, you don't have time or can't get to a class then a video is a good option. DH's cousin had one that I did with her last Christmas and it seemed pretty good. I can ask her what the name of it is.


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## Keria

Bungalow good to see you it sounds like you have a great doctor and your little guys are doing great.

Alpha can't wait to hear about your u/s.

Belly I hope you are feeling much better by now.

AFM Hospital bag is packed so that's good. DH is getting the nursery ready and we side cared one crib. I'm so exhausted I wake up and feel like I need a nap a couple of hours later. I can't believe I still have 4-5 weeks to go. Yesterday I took a bath and had to ask DH for help getting out, I felt like a beached whale lol. Oh well at least I can tell my kids all of what I did for them when they are teenagers complaining that I don't love them or something


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## deborahbgkelly

Renavoo- Forgot to say: less back pain today. Also, I have my OB appointment tomorrow .


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## renavoo

Deborah, good point! I actually just don't have time for a class (work schedule is too unpredictable) and since I took yoga before, i was hoping I could just get tips on which exercises I was allowed to do so i could do them at home or go to the gym and practice on a mat. But I definitely understand what you mean about getting the instruction to be sure that the posture is correct. I'm glad your back pain is gone! let us know how the doctor's visit goes. That's always so fun. It should be your first trimester screening visit right? Yah!

Keria, yah for being packed. I hope the next few weeks fly by because I'm sure you must be exhausted. And how sweet that DH is helping you even out of the tub. haha I keep saying that I'll remind the babies about what I did for them during this pregnancy so they know how much I love them. I'm not sure they will appreciate it though, until they experience it themselves. ;o) on the plus side, you are looking beautiful for a beached whale. ;o) I can't wait until we "meet" your babies!


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## kewpie80

no time for personals, but I do read and am cheering you all on!

Keria - Your turn is getting close! I'm so excited for you!

I'm now producing about half an ounce at each pumping which is double what I was doing a day ago, so I think the supplements are starting to work. I'm feeding every 3 hours with a SNS (supplemental nursing system) at the breast and then pumping at the halfway mark, so my breasts are getting sucked dry and stimulated every 1.5 hours. I'm taking 32 pills a day of supplements and I need to buy stock in oatmeal... It'll be SO worth it if this all works, though. Liam vastly prefers breastmilk and complained quite a bit this morning when I had none to give him. It made me sad.

Liam's gas is getting better now too. We discovered that he didn't know how to poop. He would clamp everything down instead of bearing down so we've been working with him with some rectal stimulation daily and he's had 2 poops on his own now. We actually got a little bit of sleep last night. It was wonderful. Maisie sleeps really well and they are both SOOOO low-key and easy. DH and I are both really laid back people and I guess our kids will be too. We're starting to get the swing of things.

I weighed myself this morning and I'm under my pre-pregnancy weight and 3 pounds away from my lowest pregnancy weight. I gained about 50 pounds this pregnancy. The rest is probably still water cause my feet are still rather swollen. That can take 2 weeks postpartum to come off completely (which is wednesday for me)

Bleeding is finally slowing down a little which I'm grateful for too.


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## deborahbgkelly

Renavoo- I'll ask DH's cousin which video she used (it seemed pretty good to me). Also, the fact that you've done it before is a little different than just starting from scratch. The OB didn't mention the screening, but I'm assuming it will be offered today. I will agree to it if it is. Otherwise, I will specifically ask him. Last time I was there the RE's office had yet to send my paperwork, so that might be the issue. My back pain WAS gone. I think this is just going to haunt me the rest of the pregnancy. I used to be very prone to back pain so this is not all that surprising. Also, I'm under 5 feet (barely) and carrying twins so that is probably the other contributing factor. Kewpie- So glad things are getting better!


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## rcr

Glad to hear everything is going so well Kewpie, especially BFing!


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## blueyezz4

*Deborah* - how was your appt? Sorry to hear about the back pain. Have you ever tried chiropractics?

*Kewpie* - so good to see your update!!! Glad to hear that the babes seem to be easy going. What a blessing that will be if it continues!! Do you have previous thyroid problems, i forget. If so, be sure to mention having it check the next time you see your OBGYN. Mine was all out of wack after having our twins.

*Bungalow -* did you talk to your boss yet? Hope that goes well whenever it happens.

*Keria* - did you guys get the nursery done? Can't believe how close you are getting!!! Yay!!!!

*How is everyone else?? Hope everyone is doing well and those of you w/ the m/s that it is getting better. Just a quick post here.*


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## deborahbgkelly

Strange. I swear I've responded to this post already, but mine seems to have disappeared. Overall, the appointment went well. Babies were snuggled up with each other and measuring within a day of each other. 12 weeks 3 for one and 12 weeks 4 for the other. HBs 167 and 170. Still nice and strong. I'm now off the baby aspirin. The OB also did not feel we needed the NT scan because I'm young and basically healthy. We will have a scan at 16 weeks to check for birth defects. On a more disappointing note, I have an extremely narrow pelvis (OB said it was impressive how narrow it is) and I will likely need a c-section. He did say he's been known to be wrong, but wanted me to have plenty of time to get used to the idea. My next appointment is 2/13.


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## mole

Hi everyone, thanks for your support about my m/s. At this moment I just have a low-level stomach ache all the time. I did not throw up yet today! My acupuncturist treated me for nausea last night and gave me some small stickers with metal beads in them to put on three pressure points that I can push on when I'm feeling sick. I also bought sea bands and did not take my vitamins last night. I'm pretty sure I feel better on days when I don't take my vitamins the night before. Tonight I'm going to take half of them, and start a series of experiments to try to determine if there is one in particular that is causing my misery.

Deborah- Your doctor sounds great. I hope you feel like he is trustworthy, and will help you make the safest, best choice for you and your babies! Several of my friends have had emergency C-sections, and they are all so thankful it was possible to have the surgery to save their babies. A planned one must be an even better option, if that's what you need.

Kewpie- Glad the breast feeding is getting better! I hope it gets better and better for you.

Renavoo- I'm very happy with yogaglo.com. $20/month, lots of different classes/styles/teachers/lengths/skill levels etc. You can sign up for a free trial period, but then you have to pay very close attention to cancel your contract if you don't want to keep it. It is well worth the money for me, since I pay $20/class at my in-person yoga class.


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## renavoo

Argh, just typed something and it was erased. Here we go again...

Mole, thank you! i'll check out the site. Also, I'm happy you're feeling better and I hope you find one of the culprits that are exacerbating your ms.

Deborah, yah to a great checkup! I'm sorry that you have to prepare for a c section although I hope somehow that changes in the future. But at least you have a heads up.

Kewpie, yah to the twins being so laid back and to your milk coming in much better! i'm glad the twins are letting mom and dad sleep a little! Also, yah for losing so much of the weight already! i'm so happy for you.

Keria, thinking of you!

Belly, checking in to see how you're doing.


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## deborahbgkelly

Hi all, this will be a long-winded post. Just a warning.

Yes, my OB really is a pretty great doctor and was kind of trying to cheer me up a bit too. I asked him if there was anything I could do to widen my pelvis and he said, "Well, we could quick get you into an orthopedist and break your bones." Obviously, I'll pass, but I like that he keeps things light without making me feel like he doesn't take my concerns seriously. He did tell me we'd make sure to do a spinal so I could be awake for the whole thing and see my babies as soon as possible. I also told him I wanted skin-to-skin a.s.a.p. and he said that's always the goal. I have had a couple of big cries this morning about the news. Hence, the reason I'm up at quarter to six. I was actually up about 4:30. I'm trying to get over the feeling that my body has failed me once again. With the history of my body not knowing what to do with endometrial lining, attacking it's own organs and not being able to make a baby on its own, I'm feeling pretty down about it. I think it's not so much the surgery (though that makes me feel anxious just because I know how long recovery for abdominal surgery can be), it's more my body being uncooperative again. I will call my mom and my bonus aunt later today. My mom this morning and my bonus aunt this evening (my aunt is an infertility counselor so I think she can kind of help me get through some of these feelings, besides the fact that she's family). The doc did already ask me whether I planned to breastfeed (which I do) and all that stuff and he said he doesn't count weight gain until I get to his office, so it's almost like first trimester weight gain doesn't count...definitely liking that idea. I actually didn't gain that much anyway, but still nice. I also liked when he asked if we want to know gender and I said yes, especially since we have a difference of opinion. I think boys and DH thinks girls: he said, well you're both right. He's a fun guy. I'm so glad I switched late last year. Also, thank you to everyone for the positive c-section stories. If you happen to know of more, please send them my way.


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## Keria

Thanks Rena  Honestly I'm not feeling too pretty these days. I'm measuring 45 weeks and getting tons of comments when we are out. How are you feeling? are you showing yet? You should be able to start feeling movement soon. I think that is the best part of pregnancy I love feeling my little ones in there.

Blue DH is still working on the nursery hopefully it will be ready this week I'll post a pic when it's done. I'm so happy to read your mom is doing much better and you get to see her soon.

Kewpie I'm so glad everything is going better and that little Liam is feeling better too. I'm hoping I have the same luck and get easy babies/


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## BellyBean

Keira, you are doing great!!! I am really dreading the 3rd trimester, I wish I could look forwward to it, but I have so many fears and concerns...you are doing wonderfully growing those babies!!

Deborah, my online guessing isn't as accurate as real life (I am like 9 for 10 in real life), but I am really getting a GIRL feeling for your little ones! I like how funny your doctor is  I like keeping things light as well...God nows I can panic enough on my own, it's nice to have them there to keep me calm! Sorry you are disappointed with the planned c-section. From everyone I have talked to and read about, it sounds like a planned c-section is much better than an emergency one...especially when it comes to recovery. So although it sucks, atleast your doctor is on top of it and you wont have to worry about the "what ifs" later. hugs.

Renavoo, when is your gender u/s? You must be getting close since you are 2 weeks ahead of me! Mine will probably towards the end of February because of scheduling with the clinic and my DH going out of town.

Mole, glad your m/s is easing up a little. I had to switch back to gummie pre-natals. It didn't cure my m/s, but I don't get violently ill after taking them. Sounds like you got lots of great things you are trying out!

Kewpie, so lucky on those darling easy babies! I hope we get 2 laid back babies too!!! Thanks for keeping us posted, I love hearing how all of you are doing!

AFM, not much going on. I told my bosses and one took it really well, the other not so much. I am hoping the "good" one can rub off and talk down the other one. It's not the end of the world if I end up leaving when the babies are born, but I really like my part time job and I'd ideally like to see if I can juggle it all.


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## deborahbgkelly

Belly- Interesting you get a girl feeling. DH gets that and so does his cousin. I feel these are boys and so do several of my friends. It will be quite interesting. I forget- For the old wive's tale- is carrying high supposed to be girls or boys? I know it's still early, but so far I'm carrying these little ones pretty high.


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## renavoo

Belly, I love that we're so close in due dates. haha you're my pregnancy cycle buddy and I am so excited about it! I have an appointment this Friday and while it's to check my cervix, I'm curious if they will do an transabdominal US as well. I hope so because I live for those! haha I want to see how the babies are doing. I'm going to ask them if there is any way they can check for the sexes at this time. I'm not sure they will just because we have limited time with the doctors as we're not scheduled for it but I guess it never hurts to ask. Barring that, I should be seeing the doctor again three weeks later. Argh, 3 weeks feels like a lifetime! haha As for your bosses, the one who is not happy as of yet, will get over it. I don't understand why he's not happy (I assumed that boss is a male)...plenty of women work through their pregnancy and are fine and then come back afterwards. I really hope that he gets over it and starts to be happy for you. A new life is a miracle! (especially with everything we've had to go through!) D

Keria, I can't wait to see the room! I'm starting to look for stuff although not buying anything yet. My apartment has a balcony that we are waiting to get enclosed (hopefully, within the next month to a month and a half- it's been delayed for a while because the materials have been on backorder) but once that is done, we can get started decorating. I definitely want to get started sooner rather than later so I can be a more active participant in all this. Otherwise, DH will be doing it all himself! I am showing. it's rather odd because i still just feel fat. But people say I'm carrying like i'm pregnant rather than fat so that makes me feel better. haha. But I don't know if I'm just crazy or what but I think I felt a kick or punch yesterday! I was sitting in a meeting and suddenly i felt a poke on my right side in the area right between my pelvis and my belly button. I think I've gotten used to gas bubbles and pain and this felt nothing like that but I also thought it was a little early to be feeling the pokes. It hasn't happened again ( But I think I'm chalking that up to fetal movement. What do you ladies think?

Deborah, I said this in the other forum but my theory is that one can never get enough hugs so,







I hope the discussions with your mom and aunt helped you feel better. if not, your dogs and cats will )

Mole, how did your vitamin experiment go? I hope that you're starting to narrow down the culprit list.

Kewpie, just thinking of you.

Blue and Rcr, just wanted to say hi! I know i see you on the other forums but I love that you check in on us.


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## deborahbgkelly

Renavoo- Didn't talk to DH's aunt, but my mom was more supportive than I expected and even had a great suggestion for a little girl's name (should these be little girls)! I did talk to DH's cousin and she found some good tips on how to make a c-section as positive an experience as possible. Also, interestingly enough Mothering started a c-section forum (yesterday!). I'm beginning to feel better and am definitely preparing myself, but still hoping the OB is wrong.


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## deborahbgkelly

Also, thanks! You are right animals always make things better.


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## alphahen

Hey ladies,

Forgive my not posting personals and my long absence from the Board. I do not want to bring everyone down so I will spare the details but my spotting intensified to bleeding over the weekend. Though we saw the HB on Sunday, we confirmed at today's u/s that we had lost our little one. I thank you all for your amazing support and the warm welcome you have given me. I hope to be back in your ranks soon. Until then, I wish you all peace and good health.

I will leave you with a picture of my little guys. They are a big comfort right now.


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## deborahbgkelly

I am so sorry to hear that Alpha. My thoughts are with you. Your furbabies are adorable and I'm glad they are able to give you some comfort.


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## BellyBean

Alphahen,







I am so sorry for your recent loss. My heart aches for you and your DH. I hope that we will see your name again after you have had a chance to grieve and feel ready again. Sending many hugs to you.


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## BellyBean

Deborah, they say girls are carried high, that's one of the reasons I was thinking girls for you









Renavoo, I have been feeling movement for the past week. I normally wouldn't believe someone could feel movement at 13.5 weeks, but I know exactly what I am feeling (from DD). It's normally at night, right when I lay down in bed, a little bit of movement (mainly on baby B's side) and then nothing. It almost feels like he (I swear it's a boy too) is doing sommersalts, then gets comfy for the evening. I didn't feel DD until 18 or so weeks, so I really wasn't expecting it, but the first time I felt it, I just knew. So it probably was movement for you too!

Keria, how are you doing? So close!!!

Kewpie, thinking of you too!

Mole, any improvements the last couple days?

AFM, I was just laying on the couch talking to DH this morning before DD woke up and I turned funny to tell him something and have been in the most horrible pain all day. Can't really move my arms up or turn my neck. It's crazy because it's not like I was doing anything athletic, just a freak twist I guess. Ouch. I hope it's gone by tomorrow, it kills to pick DD up, or even just move myself around the house, or pick up a toy from the floor.


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## renavoo

Alpha, i am so sorry for your loss. I wish there was something we could say or do to help you feel better. Just know that we are thinking of you and your DH. (and your little guys) big hugs


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## rcr

Alpha, I am so sorry. I wish you all the best in getting through this. We are here if you need us.


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## blueyezz4

Don't have much time... but

*Alpha* - so sorry to hear you news. Sending you lots of hugs to you and your DH.....







Glad you've got those two little lovers (doggies)

*Belly* - so sorry to hear about your neck/back. Hope you feel better tomorrow. Can you find a chiro that is good with pregnant women your area?

*Renavoo* - i hope you get to see your little ones again soon at that upcoming appt. Hope you are feeling well.

*Deborah* - glad you are feeling better about the possible c-section. As long as those babes get here safe is all that matters, no matter what way they come!!

Hi to all you other grads!!!! Gotta run.


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## deborahbgkelly

Belly- I was trying to remember the rule about how they carry. I am definitely still carrying high. One of these days (probably Friday), I'll be able to post a new belly pic. I have definitely done some major growing. I'm beginning to get the pregnant lady shuffle. I can't believe that it's happening so early (just noticed today). Not quite a penguin yet. Blue- I agree 100%, just not entirely happy about it at this point. There are some definite advantages though. For one, I might get to know exactly when these little ones are going to arrive . Right now we all agree that as long as I hold them in until early July we are happy. My dad's birthday is 7/2 so that would be neat. 7/4 is 37 weeks exactly, so they could share a birthday with the United States. AFM- I think I shared this on the other thread, but I'm really happy that my OB said there are no restrictions on travel until 34 weeks as long as we are all healthy (so far we are, knock wood). This means I get to go to DH's grandma's 90th. She's had some problems recently so I think it's crucial we go there. I'll make sure we buy refundable tickets just in case, but I've been growing these babies pretty well so far.


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## renavoo

Deborah, haha to the pregnant lady shuffle. I think I have that too and I catch myself. When i walk quickly, which I usually do, it's not as noticeable but when I take my time, I definitely do shuffle. so funny! I bet the twins would love to share their birthday with their grandfather or the 4th of July! The fireworks can all be for them. I'm glad you're starting to get more comfortable with the idea of the c section. As for traveling, I was really happy when my OB said I probably shouldn't travel (although she said it in part because she knew i didn't actually want to travel but the bleeding after and during flying cinched it for her!) but for a 90th birthday party, traveling is definitely in order!

Belly, ugh!! You poor thing. ( I hope you're feeling better today. As for feeling the babies so early, I heard that women who have given birth before feel the babies much more earlier (or at least recognize what they are feeling!) so i'm not surprised that you felt movement. I guess I was expecting that i wouldn't feel them for a while longer because it was my first time! But I really do hope it's movement, although, yeah, I think i've only felt it on my right side. So, umm should I be worried? haha i will see in my appointment tomorrow. But yesterday, I felt like 4 little taps. Not as strong as the previous day but there was a definite series of taps around the area. It's still amazing to think about babies growing inside my belly!

Keria, how are you feeling?

Mole, what's going on with you?

Alpha, just wanted to give you another hug.


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## deborahbgkelly

Renavoo- I think the potential for bleeding when you fly is why they recommend staying hydrated, walking as much as possible and using compression stockings. We avoid clots that way and clots can cause bleeding. At least that is my understanding. I had been trying to figure out a non-flying way to get there, but DH could not take that much time off and I am most certainly not going to travel on a train or bus or in a car by myself at 19 and 20 weeks pregnant. I also think the little ones would love sharing either way. My dad does not live here in town so they'd share it, but have their own party, so it's even better. I'll let you know when I hit penguin status. LOL.


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## kewpie80

Alpha - I am so sorry to hear of your loss.

AFM -

When we were in the hospital after delivering the babies, I noticed that Liam's left eye was smaller than the other. I figured it was just from the birth and due to puffiness. After a while, it didn;t go away and I had them check it at the pediatrician's office yesterday. They sent us to a ophthalmologist this morning and they have determined that he has retinoblastoma. It is a malignant tumor in the eye. He is completely blind in that eye, but the cancer is treatable. He is scheduled for surgery tomorrow morning at Duke and we will be able to determine what type of treatment he will receive at that time (chemo, laser, etc)


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## lyndiramos

Kewpie- you and family are in my prayers!!


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## BellyBean

Oh Kewpie, I am sorry this is happening. What a great job catching it! I pray his surgery is uneventful and you are home quickly. My friend IRL with twins, the boy had a heart defect that required surgery. He was home quickly and recovered great! Babies are so resiliant. Sending lots of hugs and prayers your way.


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## deborahbgkelly

Kewpie- Thinking of you and your little guy. Positive thoughts for his surgery tomorrow!


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## renavoo

Kewpie,







to you and your family. What an awful thing to happen but it's such great news that it is treatable. As Belly says, babies are so resilient so I know that Liam will be fine. You all are in my thoughts and I am anxiously waiting for the good news after the surgery!


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## Tear78

Hugs to Kewpie today, and good luck! Liam is so lucky to have you for his mama.


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## Keria

Oh no kewpie, my thoughts are with little Liam and your family I'm hoping for the surgery is as uneventful as possible. Many hugs to you.


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## mole

Alpha, I'm so very sorry. Comfort to you and your partner.

Kewpie, I'm so very sorry. Thank goodness you discovered this so soon. Best of luck to Liam.


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## rcr

Kewpie - my heart breaks for your little liam and your family. Surgery at such a young age must be so hard. I am so sorry and wishing all the best for him.


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## blueyezz4

Posting from my phone:

Kewpie- I'm so sorry to hear about Liam. Keeping you all and his doctors in my thoughts and prayers! Keep us posted as you can, I'm sure things have to be crazy right now! <hugs>


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## bungalowmama

Kewpie - I'm sorry to hear the news about Liam, but you did a great job being so observant and following your instincts. He's so lucky to have you for his mama. I look forward to hearing about his recovery. How's little Maisie doing? How are you? Sending *HUGS* to all of you.


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## renavoo

Kewpie, just wanted to let you know that i was thinking of you and your family. Check in when you can. Big hugs!!


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## Keria

I'm too thinking of you and Liam kewpie I hope everything went well yesterday.


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## monkeyscience

*kewpie* -







Oh no! I'm so glad you were able to catch it early, though. The cure rate is very, very good for retinoblastoma, so I am very hopeful for your little guy. You are definitely all in my prayers. If it helps any, my cousin had a brain tumor when he was very little, which caused him to be blind in one eye. But I usually completely forget that he has vision in only one eye (he's 20-something now) because he functions just like someone with vision in both eyes. Hopefully little Liam will be the same!


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## deborahbgkelly

I have a baby bump pic with the added bonus of a kitty nuzzling "Mom's" pregnant belly. 13 weeks 3 days.


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## kewpie80

We found out that he does NOT have cancer as we first thought. He has unilateral anterior Persistent Fetal Vasculature Syndrome which is MUCH better than the retinoblastoma he was diagnosed with. He may still lose his sight, but at least there will be no chemo or chance of loss of his life.


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## Keria

Great News kewpie. I'm so happy to hear he does not have cancer. Did he still get the surgery? What's the next step?


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## deborahbgkelly

What wonderful news Kewpie!


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## renavoo

Kewpie, oh my gosh, this is such great news!! I'm so happy for you, Liam and the rest of the family. Big hugs to you all and I hope that you guys can breathe a sigh of relief.







Let us know how things go when you have a chance.


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## Tear78

Kewpie, I'm so relieved it's not cancer. I'm sure you are still overwhelmed with worry for him, so BIG hugs! Thinking of you guys, and hoping for another great report soon!


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## rcr

Thank goodness, Kewpie.


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## tenzinsmama

Kewpie, this is such better news than what you all had originally thought. Still, so very, very hard to go through, I'm sure. I wish that you didn't have to deal with any of this! As with everyone else on here, I'm keeping you and Liam, and of course Maisie and your DH close to my heart and in my thoughts and prayers.


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## kewpie80

They found out that he has the PFVS when they were doing the pre-op tests. They put him under general anesthesia and then did a bunch of u/s and scans of his eye while he was under. They had us scheduled with the oncologist for right after to discuss the surgery and if he had been a good candidate for laser surgery, they would have done it then. Thankfully he doesn't need any surgery now to save his life, so everything for the rest of the day was canceled. He can't see hardly anything (or maybe nothing) out of that eye due to the cataracts, but they will only operate on his eye if he develops glaucoma or another serious condition in the eye. They could operate now and possibly restore his vision, but they don't want to because of his age and size. The risk is too much. So, it's a waiting game now to see if he will need surgery later or just learn to live with monocular vision.

They can't wait until he is older because the brain will compensate for the bad eye and even if they fix it, his brain won't recognize the signals. SO, there is a window of less than 1-2 years where they can fix it.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Keria*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Great News kewpie. I'm so happy to hear he does not have cancer. Did he still get the surgery? What's the next step?


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## kewpie80




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## mole

That's wonderful news Kewpie. Best of luck to Liam.


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## blueyezz4

Kewpie- those babies are beautiful! So glad Liam doesn't have cancer. Hoping all goes well.

How is everyone else doing over here? On my phone so just doing a quick check-in! Hope all is well!


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## deborahbgkelly

Blue- Doing pretty well. Lots of round ligament pains (hurt like the dickens, but always a good thing when the body is stretching to make room for babies!) and a bit of a cold. Lots of work to do this week, which is nice because we can always use a little extra cash (who can't?).


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## deborahbgkelly

Blue- Doing pretty well outside of round ligament pains and a cold. Round ligament pains hurt like the dickens but it's always a good thing to stretch to make room for babies!


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## Keria

Kewpie they are just gorgeous I love Liam's serious face.

We had an appointment today, everything is good with the babies they are growing big and look great . They are still in horrible positions Lucia is breech/sideways and Oliver is completely transverse. We are scheduling the c-section on our next appointment which is next week. They'll probably be born sometime in the 38th week. I think I'm ok with having a c-section I've talked to a couple of friends who have had them and they had very good experiences so that was reassuring.Other than that I hate to complain but I've been feeling pretty miserable. I think it's mostly because of Oliver's position. I have tons of pressure in my chest and can barely breathe. Also my feet are gigantic Dh got me some 2 size bigger crocs for christmas and I could only put my feet about half way in today. My hands are also hurting a lot. I just keep reminding myself that the longer they cook the better it is for them and I only have like 3 more weeks to go.

I hope everyone is doing well.


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## Carlyle

Gorgeous pictures Kewpie!


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## renavoo

Kewpie, they are gorgeous!! You must stare at your babies all day! I love Maisie's photos where she looks like she is giggling! And Liam! What a future heartbreaker!!

Keria, oh no, Sorry you feel bad but yes, 3 more weeks! You're doing great and we can't wait to meet Lucia and Oliver! is there anyway to try to turn Oliver? I'm so glad you're ok with the c section. i know that no matter what, it's a difficult decision. I think I'd be like you though, especially since these will be my only children so if I need a c section, I'll be ok. Big hugs, Mama! The babies will be here before you know it!


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## Keria

Rena I have tried a few things from spinning babies and random things people tell me and he does moves sometimes and when he does it's so much better. He is a bit stubborn and for some reason he always goes back to transverse right under my ribs. How are you feeling? your anatomy scan should be coming soon I'm still voting boy/girl for you.

Belly how are you?


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## renavoo

Keria, I hope you're feeling better and that Oliver is giving you a break at least, when it comes to the discomfort. A few more days down ) It's really count down time for you! when next week are you making your appointment for the c section?

I'm doing well but i must have forgotten to post the news here because i was thinking of Kewpie so much! (By the way, Kewpie, still thinking of you and your family! Hope all is going well!)

The US technician confirmed at 17 weeks that it's a boy and a girl (still coming up with 2 names for each because I know they could still be wrong...we'll see if it changes in a couple of weeks during the anatomy scan!) She seemed pretty sure though and even gave me an image of the boy's private part because he wouldn't show us his face. haha he just wanted to show us his hand and his legs. The girl was cooperating all around, although she liked having her hands by her face so we couldn't get a 3D image. sigh. But it's so surreal that those two little beings are growing inside my stomach!!

Belly, are you done with the nausea? I hope that you're feeling tons better!


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## Keria

Congratulations Rena, Yay for one of each.It is quite a surreal but wonderful experience.

My boy did move a little, his head is a little down and I can breathe I just woke up and it's 9 am here I haven't slept this well in forever. So I'm happy and back to thinking that I can do this for a couple of more weeks. Last week I wasn't so sure.

I do have one more thing to add to my list of grievances. Spoilered for TMI

[SPOILER=Warning: Spoiler!]

Hemorrhoids ugh! I've never had them before. What a pain in the butt. Literally!

[/SPOILER]

The nursery is almost ready, It's coming out great can't wait to share.


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## blueyezz4

Revavoo- Yay for a boy and a girl!!!! So fun to find out I think!!! When is your next u/s? How are you feeling? Hope work isn't killing you!

Keria- so glad your little guy cooroprated and gave you some relief! Ugh to the "roids" though! What a "bummer"! Hope they go away fast after the babes are born!

Belly- where are you girl? I haven't been on as much w/ being away from my computer so maybe I just missed you I hope. Worried about you and hoping all is well.

Hope everyone else is good too! Gotta run!


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## Keria

Lol blue yeah a bummer indeed did you get your results back? are you still at your moms? I'm going to stalk the other thread now.


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## BellyBean

Hi everyone!!!!! Sorry I have been out for a while, I didn't mean to not post for so long! I am now getting about 4-6 hours nausea free each day!!! Yippee! I have been using that time like a maniac trying to get stuff done (which then leaves me exhausted and really sick in the evenings)...but so worth it! I have cleared out the third bedroom and closet so I can start on the nursery, and ran a bunch of errands I have been putting off for months!

Renavoo, yay for a girl and boy!!! How wonderful!! I think I am still about 4 weeks out from my anatomy scan (still can't have it ordered), and I am DYING to find out 

Keria, I have been thinking about you a lot and hoping that these last few weeks are bearable for you. You poor thing all swollen  I hear you with the hemroids, mine are back from birthing DD and it really isn't fun  You are so so close and doing an amazing job! Glad you got some sleep!

Kewpie, love seeing pictures of your cuties, and so relieved to hear it wasn't cancer afterall!!!!! Also, glad to hear you are getting a little sleep here and there 

DD just woke up so it's time to get this day rolling!


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## deborahbgkelly

Renavoo- Yay! If ours had been fraternal, we would have been hoping for a boy and a girl. AFM- I think they will hazard a guess at my 2/13 appointment. I also need to schedule a 16 week scan for the week before. So, we'll see what news we have for you all. Still having weird reactions to eating (not exactly to food). Hard to explain. I got some good advice from some people on FB and also from my mom, so we'll see how it works.


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## renavoo

oh my gosh, I feel like I'm drowning in the other threads. I feel so bad because i want to provide support to the ladies who are trying but there are so many posts that i can't possibly get through them all! Oh well, i'll focus on here then )

Keria, ugh!! I know that every book says that "roids" are a distinct possibility but I'm sad that you got it. I feel like you've gotten every pregnancy symptom in the book! Just 2 more weeks!! You are so amazing because you managed to carry the babies full term. GO YOU!

Belly, I'm really happy that you have 4-6 hours free from nausea although i wish you were completely free from nausea already!! geez, it's really keeping a hold on you. ) My anatomy scan is in 2 weeks but i went in for a 16 week scan because i had to make sure my cervix was ok and then the technician did an transabdominal scan as well then. I love that our technician checks so much but I also get worried about the ramifications of so many USs. i mean i know they are considered safe but then you do all these searches (ugh, to google searches) and you hear about the bad stuff. Interestingly enough, though, the technician said that the little girl had a little blood in her bowel (echogenic bowel) which she attributes to me having bled a bit at 12 weeks and then the girl swallowed it in the amniotic fluid. She said it should resolve on its own in a few weeks so I'll ask for an update during the anatomy scan. But I'm REALLY happy i'm not flying now since I started bleeding after flying. Belly, you're getting a heads start on preparations, which is fantastic!! I won't start until around 24 weeks for multiple reasons including the fact that our 2nd bedroom is still being used as storage until the stupid construction company gets on their feet and encloses our balcony. They expect it to be done by March but it's just really annoying to have to wait. DH is probably going to have to take the brunt of the nursery set up if that is the case.

Blue, get home safely!! How is everything with your mom and dad? I know you're coming home today, right? Also, what is happening with the test results. Do you have one more week before the results are available?

Deborah, my technician actually guessed at 12 weeks and she got it right! But watch, it will be different during the anatomy scan in 2 weeks. haha. But anyway, ugh to weird reactions to eating. Not sure exactly what you mean...and I hope you don't mean that you are developing pica.


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## deborahbgkelly

Renavoo- Weird reactions to eating and weird cravings are two very different things. I am not at all worried about Pica. What I mean is that, no matter what I eat, I take 2 bites and just feel disgusted. Yesterday was much better and I found salty things (particularly chips) help so maybe it is lingering morning sickness without the nausea and vomiting. Who knows. Yesterday was a pretty good day. I had a banana in the morning. I managed to eat 3 tacos at lunch and then had some Mexican-style chicken last night. In between, I had some veggie straws and a cupcake. However, this has been the pattern, lots of bad days with one good day in between. I lost 2 pounds in a week and now that I am in the 2nd tri, I am not particularly happy about this.The twins need some good food! I'm hoping my adding more goat and sheep cheese products, guac, and hummus will put that weight back on and get me going in the right direction. If it doesn't, then I will call my OB.


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## Keria

Belly, I'm so glad you are feeling much better at least a few hours a day. Is your DD excited to be a big sister? That sucks that you have to deal with 'roids too how fast did they went away after your dd's birth?

Rena Maybe I complain too much lol, overall I'm thankful that my pregnancy has been complications free even though I've had to deal with all these annoying symptoms. Do you guys have names picked out already? when are you planning to stop working?


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## BellyBean

Keira, I was lucky that I didn't get them before DD was born, just from the 28 hour labor and all the pushing. I would say they lasted about 6 weeks  Someone asked me today if I would be able to reach my arms around my belly at the end...I really didn't know, but it got me thinking...can you?

Deborah, hmmm...sounds a lot like a portion of my morning sickness symtoms. If I even think about a food for more than a few minutes I get completely disgusted. And if I think about it too long it will make me vomit...it doesn't seem to matter what the food. We have been eating out more because then I can choose something off the menu right then and I don't have to think about it/smell it while I cook. We went to the cheesecake factory for lunch a couple weeks ago and it was perfect because they have SO many options  I have only gained 3 or 4 pounds so far so now that I feel a little better during the days I have really been trying to pack on the pounds.

Renavoo, so cool that you are being monitored so closely. My OB did a quick u/s just to confirm hbs last appointment and it was literally like 30 sec tops with nothing else being looked at. Ugh to the construction, that would drive me crazy! I hope they finish early for you guys! Most of the stuff we had in that room just ended up in one of our other rooms 

Kewpie, Bungalow, Lyndi, mole, and others hope you are all doing well!!!

AFM, like I said above, haven't gained much weight yet and it makes me worry a little bit since I know I am not eating much (volume wise). I have started substituting higher fat/calorie options for my normal foods to help...I normally eat a pretty low cal diet. I have wanted to take a bump picture the last 2 weeks, so I will for sure take one this weekend. I can see exactly where the 4 pounds have gone! I compared my profile to my bump pictures with DD and I was probably 20-22 weeks when I was this size last time (I'll be 16 weeks on Sunday).


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## deborahbgkelly

Belly- My grand total weight gain so far is 2 pounds at 14 weeks 2 days with twins. I keep gaining 2 more pounds and then losing them again. I also have switched to higher calorie, higher fat foods. Never in my life thought I'd have trouble gaining weight.


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## Keria

Belly I can definitely reach my arms around my belly. I'll get DH to take a bump pic whenever I put clothes on next time. Lately I've just been hanging out in my pjs all day.


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## renavoo

Keria, haha i think that it's a woman's prerogative to complain, especially when you're getting really far along. I know plenty of women who complained starting way earlier and they are having singletons. No matter what, it's uncomfortable. But it's almost over for you (well, THIS part...) haha. When is your appointment? Do you have a date that you would like to schedule the c section for? As for names, yes, we're thinking of names but not too hard at this point. Interestingly enough, we are pretty sure about a male name (Colin) but we're having trouble coming up with a female name (although DH and I both like Sienna but we're just not as definitive about it as we are about Colin). We also want to come up with one more boy and one more girl name just in case they are wrong about the sexes. ;o) never can be too sure these days!

Belly, I hope that the high fat diet helps. Although I'm not a huge fan on the book, i did take away one thing from the Luke book "When You're Expecting Twins Triplets or Quads" and that is to eat relatively high fat/calorie diet (I've always typically been someone who tended to control what I ate as well). For my 14 week appointment, the ob also just did a quick 30 second check for the heart beat. I am in a university practice and the bad thing about that is that I've seen different doctors for almost all of my visits (although i've been able to see the same one the last two times). In fact, i think they are transferring me from the doctor I initially signed up for to a high risk specialist. who knows. So far, I like all the doctors in the practice although I definitely do like the doctor i've seen in my last two visits- he's really goofy and he jokes a lot. Sure, he's a man...but we won't hold that against him. haha. I always thought i'd want a female OB. Anyway, sorry for my tangent.

As for weight gain, I hope you gain weight soon. It'll be ok though. I'm sure the babies are nice and comfy in there. It's so cool that you can compare this experience with your previous one! And YAH to 16 weeks! It's so exciting. When is your next appointment? Have you been getting progressively better with the m/s? I'm hoping you're graduating up and getting a little more than 4-6 hours of no m/s now. i feel so bad that you're suffering so much during this pregnancy. But hopefully, this will be behind you soon.

I definitely don't have the problem with weight gain. I'm gaining weight steadily and I think I've gained about 15 pounds or so thus far. The weight gain is mostly to my stomach and breasts. I can still see my ribs a little when I stretch, which is consistent with when i wasn't pregnant (and honestly, this makes me feel better about myself. I never thought it would be this difficult mentally to gain weight...I am so used to being within a certain range and knowing even knowing that I'm carrying babies doesn't help my anxiety when I have to be weighed.)

I'm also experiencing some edema...i had to take off my rings because they were starting to fit a big tightly and I was having trouble taking them off. I think i'll buy a larger replacement wedding ring to wear for the rest of the pregnancy. Just something nice and cheap but i like being able to wear a ring on that finger!

Hope everyone else is doing well! Kewpie, hope Liam is recovering nicely and that you and your family are doing well too.

by the way, Keria, can't wait to see the bump pic!!


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## deborahbgkelly

Hi all- I have two things to share: one- I gained a pound, yay! I guess the change worked. Also, I have belly pics- 14 weeks 3 days. Please excuse the weird spot on the 2nd picture. This week we feature the puppy . She is nibbling *VERY GENTLY and AFFECTIONATELY* on my hand. We are working with her on the mouthing, but she is only a year and a half so it's taking some time. Also, RE: Swelling fingers- My ring is beginning to feel a bit snug too, which is interesting because at 6 or 7 weeks it flew right off my finger across a parking garage (boy was that scary).


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## BellyBean

Hi all, it's been a quiet couple days here! It made me wonder if Keria had her babies!!! Eeek! It's getting so close it could happen!!

Well, I finally got DH to take a belly shot, but he's not to good with the camera so it's a little blurry! This is 16 weeks. My next OB appointment is next week and I hope they do a quick u/s even just to check for hbs so I can try to see some baby privates 



I hope everyone is doing well!!!

ETA: I forgot to mention, I had stopped feeling baby movement for a week or so. It used to be on baby B's side, but today I started feeling baby A (more to my left). Baby B must be relaxing or just moving when I am sleeping or busy


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## renavoo

Belly, love it! You're still thin but I definitely see the bump ) I hope they do a quick US for you too. My OB said that he likes to do a scan for twins just to be sure because otherwise he's not sure what he's hearing. No arguments from me ) hehe if they are willing to do a scan, maybe you can just ask them whether they can quickly look for the sex? That's what I did during my 16 week scan and they just agreed to it. I think they realize that we love seeing our babies and they will accommodate whenever necessary.

When is your appointment next week? I'm going in for my 20 week scan next Friday and I can't wait.

I really wish I knew what the babies movements' feel like. i've been feeling weird things in my tummy area, like tickling or rumblings but i'm not sure if those are the babies. There have been a few pokes and some slight muscle spasms too (like 4-5 ticks in a row) so those sound more like my own muscle movements right? ARGH, I'm just so impatient to feel them move! Otherwise, I look fondly at my doppler because I want to check their heartbeats but i try to hold off so I don't use the doppler any more than once a week.

I was thinking that about Keria too...I wonder if she did give birth! Keria, when you have a chance, please check in. We'd love some progress updates!


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## renavoo

By the way, Belly, how is the nausea? Getting progressively better, i hope?


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## rcr

Hi All. It has been a few weeks, I think, since I last checked in here. There are way too many new posts for me to keep up with at this point.

Love the belly pics, *Belly* and *Deborah*.

And *Rena*, moving feels kinda like little flutters at first, but they get a lot more noticeable fast. If you are feeling tickling now that is probably movement, and you will probably feel some "real" movement very soon!

*Keira* - hi!

Ok, I am just replying to people on this page, so I am missing some people. Sorry.


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## kewpie80

rena - They feel like flutters or bubbles in the beginning. Sometimes it feels like a muscle twitch, like when your eye twitches. I'd bet you're feeling your babies. Before long, there will be no mistaking it!


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## deborahbgkelly

Thanks RCR! I think I really popped over the last 2 weeks or so. DH's aunt told me it might be time to "upgrade baby bump to baby bulge."


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## BellyBean

Renavoo, I agree you are probably feeling the babies already! Yay for your 20 week scan. Mine is on Thursday...really hoping I get a peak  The nausea is still getting better. Some days I get 8 hours relief, some days only 1 or 2, but the good days are really starting to outnumber the bad...yippee!!! I have even noticed an increase in bump size the last couple days, I am getting 3 meals a day in now and snacking a little too, so I think I'll start really gaining some good weight soon! I don't believe you have to gain 24lbs by 24 weeks, lots of good stories both ways, but I don't think it would hurt for me to get closer  You are doing such a great job!

Deborah, I bet you never thought you like the word "bulge" and you in the same sentence 

Keria, thinking about you!!!!!!!!!! When you get a minute stop by and check in!

rcr, it's sweet of you to pop over and see us! We are all really excited for your next cycle!


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## blueyezz4

*Belly* - Love the "Belly" pic!!!! You are all baby belly and that is it!!!! Seeing your pic at 16wks made me go back and look at my 16wk belly shot w/ our twins. You must have been really tiny with your first. Normally they say with your 2nd you really pop. I bet now that you are starting to feel better and not having such issues w/ m/s you will really start to pop. Is your new profile pic rain drops? I was trying to figure it out?

*Deborah*. - love how your pup is chewing on your hand in your 3rd pic. Our little Abby girl used to do that but has grown out of it thankfully.

*Keria* - how are you? Hope everything is okay.

*Renavoo* - i remember it feeling like little butterflies flutter around in my belly when I first felt movement. Such a fun feeling!!! I'm sure you will pick up on it soon. I think i remember my OBGYN telling me that i could gain a lb a week with our twins (that was like when i was 12 wks or so she told me that). That might have just been for my body size I don't know. I started off at like 120lbs and am 5'5". I'm sure you OB will tell you what is good for you.

*Kewpie* - how are you doing and how are the babies? Is your DH still home or is he back to work now?

*Lyndi & Bungalow* - how are you both doing??

Hope i didn't miss anyone, if so I'm sorry. I was just trying to go off the top of my head which is always a task!!!!!


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## deborahbgkelly

Belly- No, I did not think I would. I think, had it been anyone besides family, I might have felt differently. Blue- Not chewing, gently nibbling. AFM-Was actually able to eat tonight. I scarfed down chili chicken wings and had goat milk ice cream for dessert; washed down with pomegranate-cranberry juice.


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## renavoo

Kewpie, how are you? I think of you guys everyday and I hope that everything is going well with Liam and Maisie! Is it easier to breastfeed? Is Liam doing better? How is everything else? ) I know you're busy so when you have a chance, just check in please and let us know how you're all doing!

I think I felt a poke yesterday and this time, it was strong enough to feel with my hand. I was sitting there reading something for work and I sometimes sit with my hand on my stomach. So, there I was sitting and suddenly, I felt it! It was on my left side so I guess it was the little girl saying hi ) I loved it. Now I want to sit with my hand on my stomach all the time to see if i can feel it again. At the end of the night, my stomach feels really heavy though. Is that normal? It's really difficult to explain but just that it feels weighted down internally or something, like something is pushing on it. I wonder if that is due to growth pains? sigh, I think I'm analyzing things too much. haha.

Oooh here's funny comment from yesterday! So I'm at work and a girl is just leaving for the day (she's someone I know peripherally and i like her, but she has a reputation for being a bit weird). She walks by me and says, oh, Congrats, I just found out you're pregnant. I said to her, I'm sorry, i thought you knew (those that I told are quite good at spreading the news). She looked at my stomach and said, "nope, I thought you were just getting fat.". I looked at her and then just broke out laughing. I mean, it was such a funny comment that so few people would think to say out loud. I probably should have felt insulted but i just didn't. I told DH and he laughed along with me and then told me I'm beautiful. D I think these are the types of things i'm going to remember long after the babies are here in our arms (besides, of course, having the babies growing inside me...I'm still finding it amazing and even a little unbelievable that there are two living beings growing inside me).

Belly, YAH to m/s slowly (too slowly!) dwindling down! I'm so happy for you because you had it bad but it'll all be worth it. I can't wait to hear about your visit on Thursday (next Thursday, right)? I have mine next Friday so we'll have a lot to share that couple of days!

Rcr, Blue, I love it when you guys come check in on us. I can't wait until you join us with your own pregnancy news!

Keria, Lyndi and Bungalow, just thinking of you guys! Hopefully, Keria, you're ok and maybe even holding your babies in your arms! Lyndi and Bungalow, hope the pregnancies are going well. I bet you're buried deep in preparations for your bundles of joy!


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## Keria

hi guys just a quick note to let you know I had my babies my emergency c-section on sunday at 1 am Oliver and I got discharged yesterday but my girlie is sitll in the NICU. I'll post more when we come back from bringging milk to her and visiting.

Here are a couple of pics


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## deborahbgkelly

Congratulations Keria!


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## renavoo

Keria, CONGRATS!! I hope you and your beautiful babies are doing ok! I hope Lucia gets to go home soon too! Did they give you an estimated day when she might be able to come home? BIG HUGS!


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## BellyBean

Keria, CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!







Your babies are absolutely beautiful!!!!!!! Glad to hear Oliver was already discharged and hoping Lucia will be coming home soon too!! Please keep us updated if you have time, we would love to hear more!

Renavoo, I still remember some of the funny things people said to me when I was pregnant with DD (of course it was also at work!).

Blue, thanks for stopping by and checking in on us. You are so kind and caring!


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## blueyezz4

*Keria* - Congrats!!!!!







They are just beautiful!!! Hope you are doing okay and not too sore. Praying that your little girl gets to come home soon.


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## Kristal2146

Hi ladies.. I'm new to the thread, hope you don't mind me joining in here.

I'm a surrogate mother, carrying a singleton for a family in NY.

They have 3 children via IVF already, mom carried previously but all babies were extremely premature (and all survived.. good strong babies!) so mom was not allowed to transfer the last 2 embryo's.

I had my transfer Oct 8 with 5d embies.. BFP was 8d post transfer.

Currently I'm 19 weeks and we found out last week its a girl! EDD is June 25th

This thread is VERy long.. so I haven't been able to read through and get to know any of you.. but I'm happy to be here!


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## kewpie80

blue - yup DH went back to work after 2 weeks paternity leave.

renavoo - SO happy you're feeling your babies! It is the best feeling ever! Yes, it's very normal to feel the heaviness. I would feel it by evening and it would be stronger when I laid on my side. It will get worse  A pillow under the bump when laying down does wonders.

Keria - OMG! I'm so happy for you! They are beautiful! I hope your little girl comes home soon. I'd love to hear your birth story when you have the time. I know it will be awhile (boy do I ever know. haha)

AFM - We're doing well. We actually got a stretch of 3 hours of sleep last night. IT WAS HEAVEN! I woke up thinking something was wrong with the babies cause we've never been able to sleep that long in one go before. They were fine and snoring away. 

The babies are just about a month old (2 days from now) and man oh man has the time flown by! I was reflecting on the past month and wanted to put down a few thoughts of the things I've learned.


Being a mom of twins is the hardest job I've ever had, but I have never felt so rewarded and happy. 
SLEEP! Sleep when you can! And sleep when the babies sleep! I heard people say this to me over and over before, but I didn't realize what good advice it was until about a week after they were born. When we got home, I'd think, "oh, I can do this load of laundry or catch up on emails." No! SLEEP! You have no idea how LITTLE sleep you will get and everything CAN wait! Once you've had some good rest, THEN do the housework or have someone help you. The first few weeks are just about survival. Who cares if the bed isn't made?
Accept all help. I am a HUGE do it myself type person and this has been the hardest for me, but seriously, help from people who are willing to give it is worth gold.
It's ok to let one baby cry for a bit while you take care of the other. I felt like such a terrible mom any time one of them would cry. It IS ok. You only have 2 hands and babies are not patient. They will survive a few minutes of crying.
I am a musician and so music has always been a part of my life. I'm not sure if it's because I played lots of music for the babies in utero or what, but they LOVE music now. It puts them to sleep in a NY minute. 
If you plan to BF, try to tandem nurse if at all possible. I've tried it tandem and I've done one at a time, and tandem is SUCH a time saver. It's worth the extra headaches of trying to get them both to latch and stay latched. Plus, double cooing is the sweetest sound, even at 3am.
I love my side-car co-sleeper. Nuff said..
The first month is the hardest, but it does get easier. I'm just now crossing into the second month and I'm already feeling things ease up.
You will feel like death the first week or two, but your body does get used to the lack of sleep. 
Take TONS of pictures and videos. Seriously! You will be so sleep deprived that it will be a blur and you will be thankful to have those memories captured.
I was an idealist before they were born. I wanted to exclusively BF and cloth diaper and I was gonna b super mom. It's ok to change your mind after the fact. We're using disposables half the time and I've had to supplement with forumla due to supply issues. It's OK for plans to change. I was devistated at first, but I've allowed myself to adapt and be ok with how things have played out. Flexibility is key!
Going out with the babies isn't as bad as you may be picturing. We've gone to dinner and the grocery store several times and it went smoothly - not at all what I was picturing.
Do as much prep work as you can before they arrive... in fact, do it before you hit 3rd trimester. You will be huge an uncomfortable much earlier than you think. Think freezer meals! I have hardly cooked the past month and I am SOOOOO thankful I did all that cooking and prep work early.

Ok, I think that's pretty much it for now. These are just some things that I discovered for myself. Not everything will work for everyone, so don't take what I've said as fact, of course.


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## kewpie80

Kristal - Welcome! WOW, what an amazing thing you are doing! I've thought about surrogacy myself and I'd love to hear more about your experiences doing it if you don't mind sharing. Welcome, again!


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## Kristal2146

thank you







It's been an interesting journey, that's for sure.

My kids are going a little nuts right now so I can't get into the details of everything but to make it short, I worked with an agent who was not as good as she made herself out to be and had one match-up that went badly before I found this couple. We are 19 weeks now and I have no health insurance for the pregnancy.. thanks again to the agent who didn't do her job correctly. We've all been a little stressed about it all, but things are finally working out; we got set up with a birth center and thank goodness I"m not having twins cuz I don't know how my IPs (Intended parents.. the couple I"m carrying for) would pay for that since they are not rich by any means.

I'm new to Mothering so I haven't quite figured out how to get my notifications of when someone replies and such.. so if I miss a reply or something please forgive me while I figure this new forum out! It's nice to meet you and I hope to talk with you guys soon!


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## kewpie80

I also wanted to update y'all on Liam's eye. He was seen again by a couple specialists this past week and they determined that the pressure is still looking good and they will not need to operate at this time. They have decided to fit him for a prosthetic lens. (it's called a conformer and you cann google images to see what they look like) It will help to stretch his eyelid so that they remain looking the same on both sides. He will need to be refitted as his eye grows. (I've been told to expect him to have 7 different ones before he turns a year) Because his eye looks really good underneath it (it's just small) it will be clear for now and we will be able to see his real eye through it. He may wish to have it painted once he has his adult one when he is older. He has been poked and prodded so much in his young 4 week life, but it's hardly phased him.


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## Kristal2146

thank you







It's been an interesting journey, that's for sure.

My kids are going a little nuts right now so I can't get into the details of everything but to make it short, I worked with an agent who was not as good as she made herself out to be and had one match-up that went badly before I found this couple. We are 19 weeks now and I have no health insurance for the pregnancy.. thanks again to the agent who didn't do her job correctly. We've all been a little stressed about it all, but things are finally working out; we got set up with a birth center and thank goodness I"m not having twins cuz I don't know how my IPs (Intended parents.. the couple I"m carrying for) would pay for that since they are not rich by any means.

I'm new to Mothering so I haven't quite figured out how to get my notifications of when someone replies and such.. so if I miss a reply or something please forgive me while I figure this new forum out! It's nice to meet you and I hope to talk with you guys soon!


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## Kristal2146

thank you







It's been an interesting journey, that's for sure.

My kids are going a little nuts right now so I can't get into the details of everything but to make it short, I worked with an agent who was not as good as she made herself out to be and had one match-up that went badly before I found this couple. We are 19 weeks now and I have no health insurance for the pregnancy.. thanks again to the agent who didn't do her job correctly. We've all been a little stressed about it all, but things are finally working out; we got set up with a birth center and thank goodness I"m not having twins cuz I don't know how my IPs (Intended parents.. the couple I"m carrying for) would pay for that since they are not rich by any means.

I'm new to Mothering so I haven't quite figured out how to get my notifications of when someone replies and such.. so if I miss a reply or something please forgive me while I figure this new forum out! It's nice to meet you and I hope to talk with you guys soon!


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## renavoo

Kristal, welcome! It's such a wonderful thing you're doing, helping this couple out. It's wonderful to have you here. Is this your first time being a surrogate? How did you get into it? Ugh to the stresses that you and the couple are facing, what with the health insurance issues...I'm glad it's working out but I bet it must have been stressful during the beginning of the pregnancy.

Kewpie, LOVE your advice. Please keep it coming. I love getting advice from experienced people since I have to say, I'm really really nervous about everything. I know we'll get it done...it's not like we have a choice. But I'd love to be able to have my babies and for DH and I to enjoy the experience at least a little and having people like you give us advice is so helpful. I'm being told my coworkers that I should consider a baby nurse too but at $250 a day, it seems a little steep and DH isn't going for it. haha I'm not even going for it!

How did you "learn" to breast feed tandemly? I want to do that too but I'm afraid that holding two at once will be difficult to accomplish. I've also heard that you can breast feed one and then have DH feed the other through a bottle but I don't know if I want to do that either. Oh, I don't know what i want. But I think your advice about being flexible is the best advice. I've had friends who have gone into deep depression because of breast feeding and being unable to provide enough milk. I look at them and I get sad because they seem to blame themselves. It's not their fault and while I plan on doing whatever i can to breast feed, I also know that I was bottle fed and I came up pretty well so if heaven forbid, I can't breast feed (or need to supplement) for whatever reason, I'm going to move on and not feel guilty.

The babies look like angels, especially when they are sleeping! haha I love it. And I'm so happy that Liam is doing better and that you guys have a plan. He's such a great baby to make so little fuss but he's probably just happy to be with his mom, dad and sister.


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## Kristal2146

Thanks Renavoo- yes it is my first time as a surrogate. I wanted to do it after having my first child, but had to put it off due to the unplanned second pregnancy. I never thought I could have kids after 2 miscarriages when I was a lot younger (18 and 19) and not even so much as a scare for the next 6 years. Just when I gave up and decided to look into adoption (as a single parent.. not very good prospects) lo and behold I wound up pregnant with my oldest. I really feel that I was given a great gift with the ability to carry children and have relatively easy, uncomplicated pregnancies, and have felt a calling to give back to parents who (much like yourselves I"m sure) are not sure they will ever be parents but long for the chance.

Yes, the beginning was quite stressful, mostly because I was already established with an OB and happy with the practice. They were not willing to budge on their charges and therefore were out of my IP's price range. We had a lot of trouble finding a place that was reasonably priced to handle my care.. but eventually we did and while I know its still stressful for them.. I am relieved.

I was reading your post above and wanted to suggest to you looking for a postpartum doula. I am a birth and postpartum doula, and am relatively easy on the pricing scale because I haven't been a doula very long. If you search for postpartum doulas (I'm listed with doulamatch.net and doulas.com) you will find people who charge a variety of rates, usually depending on their experience. Postpartum doulas are really great for parents with multiples, or those who are adding to their families. Good luck! I have never and can't imagine having to go through the newborn stage with two!


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## kewpie80

renavoo - on the tandem feeding... I just figured it out with help from DH. I tried a few different things. The first time, I sat in a wide-ish arm chair and folded pillows in half and wedged them between me and the arms of the chair. Then, I football held the babies (feet to the back of the chair and baby bodies under my arms. I had DH bring me one at a time and latched one and then the other. This only worked when he was home, so when paternity leave was up, I had to find something else.

I ended up getting a twin nursing pillow. http://www.amazon.com/My-Brest-Friend-Deluxe-Nursing/dp/B0032Z81M4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328281640&sr=8-1 this is the one I ended up getting. It's comfortable and works well. There was a bit too much velcro and it ended up poking me in the back, but the stitches were easy to rip out and remove it. So, once DH was back to work, I set up the babies in the side-car cosleeper and then got myself ready with the pillow on the bed and then lifted them up one at a time. This worked ok, but it was a little hard to lift them up from a lower position and once one was done feeding, it was hard to put one back without disturbing the other.

Then I came up with what I'm doing now. I'm not 100% liking the setup, but I'll keep tweaking it. What I do now is sit on the floor in front of my arm chair and put on the pillow. I have each baby in their infant seat, one on each side. I lift each baby up, but wait to latch them until they are both up. I found out the hard way that babies will scream if they get delatched while you lean over to get their sibling. Once they are up on the pillow, then I latch my better nurser so I can concentrate on the second while the first one feeds. The pillow allows you to have both hands free to deal with latching.

One thing that I do is I put a pillow by my side on both sides in case one of them rolls off onto the floor. It's a short distance and I've never had one roll off, but I feel safer knowing the worst thing is they will faceplant into a pillow... The pillow is sturdy enough that you can sit a finished baby on top of it and burp them without disturbing the still eating baby.

The problems I'm still working on are how to not delatch baby #2 when I put baby #1 back to the infant seat after finishing. Usually I end up burping the finished baby and then just let them lay until baby#2 is finished.

BFing is hard. It's a lot harder than I ever thought it would be. My supply being low and the babies coming early really hurt things. They were very sleepy and hard to keep them suckling. They like to fall asleep. Even at a month old, I still have to tickle and poke them to keep them going. I've been told it takes about 6 weeks for supply to stabilize and for new babies to get good latching habits, so try to keep that in mind.

Also... pumping... It's not just a simple stick it on and let it go thing for everyone. I found out after 3 weeks, that I need to massage the breasts the entire time to keep the milk coming down. Not everyone has to do this, but just tuck that away in case you have let down issues. If you can find a lactation consultant who knows a lot about pumping, you will be in good shape. Try to talk to one before the babies are born if you can and ask the nurses at the hospital to set up some appts for you asap after they are born. I had a LC come and meet with me the same night and it helped a ton. Also, some LCs seem to want to just stick their head in and then are off and don't really help. Don't let them get away with that. I had a few try to do that to me. That is not their job! Another thing I learned that I had no idea about is the breasts are never empty. I was pumping and pumping and still getting drops at the nipple and I thought I still was full and kept pumping. I found out later that the breasts start replenishing as the baby feeds or while you pump, so they are never empty. You don't want to pump longer than 20-25 minutes at a time. One LC actually told me that 80% of the milk is out by 8 minutes and you don't want to go more than 5-10 minutes past that. Babies are better at emptying the breast than a pump. The amount you get in the bottle after pumping does not reflect what you actually make and what the babies are actually getting. They are getting much more. The pump just cant get it out as well as the babies can. A good way to measure is to count wet diapers (6-8 per day at the very least) If the babies are gaining, you are producing enough milk for them. You can rent a nursing baby scale. I found one for $45 per month. You can weigh the baby before and after a feeding and it is accurate enough to tell you how much milk was consumed.

If you do end up supplementing or needing to increase your supply, I have sources for supplements (herbal for you and supplemental nursing systems for babies) and tips I've picked up on that. Just let me know... I don't want to fill you with info you won't need.

oh heavens, this is turning into a novel... with the amount of trouble I've had with BFing, I feel like I've almost become an expert with the amount of reading I've done plus the amount of time I've spent with LCs!


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## renavoo

Kewpie, I'm saving your "novel" in my records because when i have the twins, I'm definitely going to refer back to it! Talk about multitasking. haha. But seriously, I'm putting that pillow into my registry. I'm contemplating whether to go to BuyBuyBaby today to start looking at stuff but I also made a pact with my DH not to look for anything until week 24. (We don't have room to store anything right now, anyway!) But I really want to go start looking anyway! Let me know how your month 2 progresses. I'm curious about how things go and whether it really does get easier. it sound, also, like Liam and Maisie are not fussy at all so that's good.

Kristal, thank you for your suggestion about a post partum doula! I must look into that. I'm definitely worried about being able to handle everything but I am also lucky because DH is very hands on with everything and he's so excited to be a father. But we could never have too much help, especially since his and my mom won't be able to help. Is this the only time you're going to be a surrogate or do you expect to do this again? I think it's an amazing thing to do to help people who are having trouble conceiving or carrying a baby. There are too many people who aren't able to have babies and it breaks my heart. As you said, I was worried that DH and I would be one of those couples but i'm happy that we did get pregnant. Otherwise, i would have been ecstatic to meet someone like you who would be so wonderful as to carry my baby!


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## Kristal2146

Thanks again Renavoo- I certainly hope this won't be my only surrogacy journey. I love being pregnant.. but I don't want any more kids of my own for quite a while so my surro babies will be 'filling in the gap' so to speak. I figure I"ll probably continue with surrogacy through a couple more and then decide if I want to have any more children of my own.

Let me know if you would like any help finding a postpartum doula. Being a student myself I have access to a great resource list. I can help you find someone, maybe even a student who would volunteer hours of care in exchange for using your case for certification


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## kewpie80

kristal - How late postpartum are the doulas willing to come? What kinds of things do they do?

renavoo - There was a discussion on another board I frequent amongst some MoMs (moms of multiples) and they were discussing BFing pillows. They had some really good sources for different types of pillows and pros and cons about each. I'll forward some of the reviews on if you like.

Yep, Liam and Maisie are not fussy babies for the most part. Liam does fuss at night for a bit, but it's never more than an hour or two. Maisie really never fusses and just lets out a squawk when hungry or dirty. Actually, when she has a dirty diaper, she goes from zero to pissed in about 3 seconds. It's actually quite humorous, but she doesn't fuss just to fuss. Granted, they are still pretty sleepy since I just barely passed their due date, so time will tell if they will stay easy going. Liam does this fast-breathing thing instead of fussing. It's quite funny too. Speaking of, he just spit out his sucky and is starting to breathe fast so I better go fix that.... haha


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## Kristal2146

Kewpie- typically postpartum doulas will come for anything from newborn to 3 mos of age. Sometimes longer, depends on the doula and her beliefs/policies.

They do a variety of things, help around the house with housework/laundry/dishes, etc..

run errands, child care, baby needs (helping with bathing, feeding if not nursing or doing expressed milk in bottles) help with breastfeeding, etc

They are also a good resource for information on the 'issues' that come up in early child-raising such as vaccinating, breastfeeding help, childcare arrangements, when to take baby to the doctor, etc.


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## Keria

Hi girls, I don;t have a lot of time to post running back and forth from home to the NICU is extra exhausting. I just wanted to update you on my little girl she is doing great and will likely come home on monday, I'm having some latch issues with Oliver so I made an appointment with an LC I only figured it out yesterday because I was able to feed Lucia and wow what a difference, you could see her mouth full of milk and it didn't hurt, Oliver just chews on my nipple for now I'm pumping and bottle feeding and he is much happier. I still put him on the breast every day and I believe we are making some progress. Hopefully the LC will help us.

Here is a pic of my girlie


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## BellyBean

Kewpie, lots of great advice there!!! Although I have yet to have 2 infants at once, I remember well what it was like the first few weeks with DD  It is a lot different that I expected! I think that was why I was/am so nervous about the twins, I might know just enough to be worried. My fears were eased a little today when my DD and I went to visit a friend that just had her baby a couple weeks ago. She even comented how much "easier" it was her second time...and her little girl was such a sweetheart and so easy going that I started to think we'll be fine afterall!!! I have been looking a lot at the twin nursing pillows and would love for you to post the links as well, from what I can tell the main ones are the Brest Friend and EZ2 nurse. I also plan on renting a hospital grade pump at first (not sure how long I would need it) but I think the Medela Symphony is the one I have heard recommended. I have the electric Medela pump and swing (I think that's what it is called) from DD and while it worked a lot better than my manual one I am not sure it will be "enough" for the twins. Thanks for sharing the pumping time information too. I didn't realize there was a time you should stay under! That totally makes sense! Tandem nursing is defintely a goal of mine, since I swear I spent 8 hours a day nursing or pumping for DD and doubling that doesn't seem like it would work 

About the cloth diapers, I don't think we started till DD was about 3 or 4 weeks and we had the rest of our schedules starting to fall into place. I am glad you aren't stressing about things you "planned" on doing! And with diapers, you can always make that change at a later date, my girlfriend wouldn't even consider it until 3 months.

I have a funny story from when I was prego with DD that kind of relates to Kewpie's advice about getting out with the babies!! I was at baby shower a couple weeks after DD was born and talking with another friend that was pregnant (with her second). I asked her if she was ready to go back to the sleepless nights we were experiencing, and she said she would trade the sleep for her demanding (active, talking, exhausting) toddler any day of the week. I responded "you're crazy!" Well, in hindsight, she knew what she was talking about. I thought it would keep getting easier, but really it just gets different and challenging in a new way! I look back often and think how hard we thought it was to get out of the house in the beginning, but really it's the easiest time to go to dinner or something...so definitely try to get out like Kewpie said and enjoy all that baby time, it goes by so quickly!

Renavoo, yay for our doctor's appointments this week!!! I am starting to feel much better, just exhausted all the time, but it's a huge improvement! I think my belly has doubled in a week 

Kristal, welcome! My OB also suggested a post partum doula and it does sound amazing! We are super fortunate because we have lots of family close that basically plan on moving in with us, but at the same time, sometimes it's just nice to pay someone and not have to worry about hurt feelings or guilty for asking for "too much" help  I am glad you were able to get your healthcare figured out, I can imagine how stressful that would be for both you and the parents!

Deborah, hello!

Keira, still just loving up those baby pictures, thanks so much for sharing! I hope Lucia is home or close to coming home now!!

My AFM is pretty well mixed in above  Hope everyone is having a great weekend...I really enjoyed my baby snuggles today!


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## deborahbgkelly

Hi belly and everyone else! AFM- We have a new car! It is a 2012 Subaru Outback so it is top-rated for safety, has AWD (important for Colorado) and lots of cargo space for the twins' stuff. The back seat is nice and roomy for the twins and their car seats too.


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## renavoo

Keria, awww Lucia is gorgeous! I'm so happy that she gets to go home tomorrow!

Belly, YAH for a doubling tummy ) It's great and I'm happy the pesky symptoms are lessening. I can't wait until you can finally start to enjoy the second trimester "glow" completely.









Hi everyone else! I can't believe the weekend is almost over but DH and I are getting ready to watch the Super Bowl. Not that i care about it but it's just nice to spend some time with DH.


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## Keria

Ugh I had a long reply typed (one handed btw) and somehow I lost it. I may have to start typing the replies in word first.

Anyways the short version.

Thanks kewpie for all the wonderful advice and thank you evryone for the good wishes L was discharged yesterday here is a pic


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## deborahbgkelly

Keria- So beautiful! AFM- Very happy that DH is now in charge of dishes (the bane of my existence) and that he is on board with trying cloth diapers when the twins get here. Also, Saturday we got a new car! We also got mobiles for the twins' nursery.


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## lyndiramos

Keria- so beautiful little babies and congrats!! So nice that they are both home now. Let the fun begin!!
Deborah- very cool that you got a new car!! I was very excited for my husband when he got his new truck last month!! Outbacks are very nice and last forever!!
Belly and renavoo- exciting to see you get to the half way mark!! Glad the morning sickness has subsided a bit!! I only have a singleton and 30 weeks and my morning/all day sickness returned about a week or two ago







hopefully yours will npt!!

Afm- sitting in the lab doing a 3 hour glucose test because I failed the first one. I hate having to sit here for 3 hours. Besides that Im doing well I will be 31 weeks friday. Im measuring abour 33 weeks right now. Baby looks great and is growing well. Im still on bedrest which I will happy to be done with by 35 weeks!! I want out of my house before LO comes!!

Blue-lm glad your home and your parents are recovering!! Happy you got some answers and even though it wasnt the best answers im hoping that this fet will be urs and u wont have to worry about a 30,000 dollar adoption!!

Hello to everyone else and hope all is well!!


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## kewpie80

Keria - beautiful babies!

lyndi - wow, time is flying by! I hope you pass your 3 hour

deborah - I hate dishes too!


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## deborahbgkelly

Lyndi- It's mostly DH's car, but it will be used quite a bit when the twins get here because I have no cargo space in mine. Kewpie- I think the car sales manager was a good influence on DH. He said he always does the dishes and the laundry. I'm grateful for just the dishes, but won't say no to more help. DH also said he likes the pond/pond friends idea for the nursery theme! He's so easy to work with since he doesn't like having to make decisions. The only thing he seems to have major opinions about are names, but I think we are making some progress there.


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## lyndiramos

Okay so possibly someone here can help... Tmi but I just realized about an hour ago I have pin worms... This is what I get for having school age kids and me being sick constantly having a tissue and hand to my face.... Urrrgghhh anyway Im looking for a remedy here I have read pumpkin seeds work very well but do I eat the seeds cooked or like the ones that come in the bag like sunflower seeds?... I have a obgyn appt tomorrow but looking for info now... I cant take meds I guess until delivery and that would delay breastfeeding two weeks... Someone help if you can... I have 8 weeks to get rid of these things....


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## deborahbgkelly

Lyndi- I wish I could help, but I have no idea. AFM- Latest belly pics 15 weeks 5 days and pictures of the mobiles we got.


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## renavoo

Oh boy, Lyndi, I don't know anything about this so I can't help. I just wanted to come on to the site and give you a big hug.







I hope you get some answers today!! By the way, how did your glucose test go? I am worried about failing mine in the future because i eat way too much sugar. I think that i'm going to make it a decree in my apartment that no sugar comes in the door (except for my cereal. I need my cereal!)

Keria, I LOVE how they are snuggling with each other!! Yah to Lucia being home









Hi everyone else!


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## Kristal2146

Lyndi- I'm not up on all things natural remedy related so I've asked a couple friends if they have any remedies. I'll let you know if they come up with anything.

AFM (what does that stand for?) I bought a minivan yesterday! And I was officially 20 weeks yesterday! Also got a tooth pulled and dealt with two sick kiddos all day. A good but not so good day 

Hope everyone is well!


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## BellyBean

Lyndi, I am not sure either, but I am sure your ob will have some answers today!! Ugh!!

Keria, oh my that is such a darling picture of your little ones!!!

Deborah, congrats on the new car, even if it is DH's for now  We are looking to get a minivan in the next couple months for me. Neither of our cars will fit 3 carseats, and while I'd love to go with an SUV, I just can't get over how much easier it would be with 3 small children if we had automatic sliding doors  Thanks for sharing your bump pictures, maybe I'll try to get one this weekend too!

Renavoo, hi  I can't wait to see how much weight I have gained in the past couple weeks at my ob appt. Thurs. Yay for yours on Friday!

Off to work!


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## kewpie80

lyndi - I have no idea  I hope you can find some answers soon

kristal - AFM means, "and for me," I believe.


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## deborahbgkelly

Kewpie- I thought it meant "As for me". Belly- I said "mostly" DH's car. I am on the title so it's not all his. I just haven't insisted on driving it yet, but I probably should before I get too big to drive. The weather we've been having makes me less inclined to want to drive anyway.


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## rcr

Lyndi - DH lived in rural west Africa for many years, and got all kinds of nasty worms. I will ask him if he knows of any natural remedies. Sorry you are dealing with this.


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## lyndiramos

Thanks everyone and thanks rcr- saw obgyn today and she said I can try any natural remedy just not medication! Also found out that I do in fact have Gestational diabetes. I have to see a specialist this week and hopefully I can control it with diet we will see within the next week or so... So we shall see...


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## BellyBean

Lyndi, bummer about the GD, I hope you can control it with diet. I am worrid about it this time since I think it is more likely with twins (or maybe I made that up  ) I hope rcr and Kristal can help with the natural remedies for the worms!!!!!

All, when I type AFM, I say to myself "and for me", but it sounds like we all think it means the same thing no matter what the "a" word is


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## kewpie80

lyndi - I'm diabetic and 3 things will help a ton with keeping sugars down. Limit carbs (even "healthy carbs" like peas and such), eat carbs with fiber when you do eat it (slows the absorption of sugar in the blood) Think whole grains! and walk if you are allowed to after meals. Walking will lower your blood sugar. I think I remember you being on bedrest? If so, it's quite a bit harder to keep sugars in check, but doable.


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## renavoo

Lyndi, ugh to having GD. and on top of the pinworms! i hope everything gets taken care of.

Belly, I'm with you...we seem to consistently know what AFM refers to, even if the words might differ slightly. Does it really matter whether the A stands for "as" or "and", in the grand scheme of things?







Can't wait to hear about your appointment on Thursday!

Kristal, yah to getting to the half way point! But ugh to the tooth pulling. I'm excited to reach 20 weeks on Sunday.


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## deborahbgkelly

Belly- You did not make that up.


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## renavoo

Oh, an AFM from me (this is for you Blue!).

Nothing doing right now. haha. So not exciting but I'd rather be status quo than worried! I'm just waiting for my 20 week anatomy scan (happening on Friday) and hoping that things go well. I'm trying to cut down sugar and failing miserably because i love sugar so much. ;o) (Kewpie, great suggestions! I'm happy to say that I walk a lot but i think not enough- I'm hoping to cut sugar intake down enough so that i don't have to worry about GD in the future)

And, I feel the little twins moving inside me (i still it find nothing short of extraordinary that two little beings are growing inside me). I just want them to give me a few solid (consistent) kicks so i can be sure that it's them that's making all the weird rumblings. But you ladies made me feel better when you mentioned that i'm probably feeling them move )

I do have to take belly shots too. I was walking by a coworker's office yesterday and he looked at me and he commented that i'm getting big, to which I replied, it's only the beginning.

Finally, I love how DH kisses my stomach every night and says hello and "Daddy loves you" to the twins. I think we've settled on the names Colin and Sienna (although the girl's name may still be up in the air but we've been looking and we just haven't found anything else we like as much!). So it's really heart warming when he calls them by their names.

That's it! hope everyone is doing well!


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## rcr

I always thought it was "as for me"

Rena - yes, it is amazing. I love that you can feel them. It is so wonderful, isn't it!


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## deborahbgkelly

Renavoo- How fun! One of each.


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## kewpie80

rena - I LOVE the names you've chosen! LOVE! I had a hard time deciding in the beginning if what I was feeling was actually the babies or just muscle spasms or gas. It got confirmed at an u/s that I was feeling them. I felt it and a split second later I saw the movement on the screen. It IS awesome. I do miss feeling them sometimes. It was kind of like we had our own little secret connection that no one else had.


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## Laggie

Keria - Just stalked you over here to say congratulations! Your twins are so beautiful.


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## blueyezz4

*Lyndi* - Oh my!!! You poor thing! I can't even imagine being uncomfortable from being pregnant in general and then adding the pin worms on top of it all! I sure hope you find a simple treatment. Does the rest of your family have them too? Good luck and I wish i had a solution for you.

*Renavoo* - thanks for the update!!!! Just was making sure all is well. Love your comment about your DH. How sweet!!! Also, love the names. Are you telling people other than us on here? We kept our boys names a secret but would always call them by name when it was just the two of us or i would say Dylan or Evan just kicked me. Belly pic???

*Kewpie* - how is everything going with you and your babes? So good to hear the report about Liam!! Hope all continues to go well.

*Keria* - your babies are beautiful!!! Glad your little girl is home with you all now. Hope things are going well and you are getting some sleep at some point in time.

*Bungalow* - how are you doing? Hope all is going well with you and your babes too!!!! How many weeks are you now?

*Belly* - hope you get many more days w/o the m/s. I think you are over-due. Loved the belly pic and can't wait to see more.

*Deborah* - that will be a great car for your winters and hauling all of the twins stuff around for sure. YOu can never have enough room when you have two babies.

*Laggie* - so good to see your name pop up again. Hope you are well.









*Just going from the top of my head and this page above, so I hope i didn't forget anyone.*


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## rcr

Keria - I don't remember if I told you congrats. Beautiful! I was reading from my phone, so I don't know if I replied.


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## deborahbgkelly

Blue- That is very true! We actually measured a double stroller before we went to check out cars. There is no question it will fit, plus some other items. There are something like 3 levels of storage in the trunk. One very large area (the one you can see from outside), underneath that: compartments (would work great for toys, etc.) and below that stores the spae tire. Pretty good!


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## renavoo

Thanks, ladies! We love the names too. Colin was especially easy for us to agree on. I'm not sure why although DH is English so it seems fitting. And i love the name (not to mention Colin Firth) haha

Blue, we've told our closest friends about the names. I also told my mom because I wanted my mom to start thinking about Chinese names that match the english names (typically, those would become their middle names) I haven't decided whether we're going to legalize their chinese names or just have those as our "back pocket" kind of things. However, DH and i want to be sure that they also keep involved with their Chinese sides so I need to look for a chinese school where they can learn some Mandarin. DH loves that idea because then he has someone to practice with. He learned Chinese after we started dating but in typical American born Chinese fashion, my chinese is a bit elementary and i'm more comfortable speaking in English. Therefore, the twins learning Chinese would help us both with our skills )

Kewpie, how are you doing? How are the twins? We'd love an update! I can't wait to use your guidance ) I also definitely love the little movements (even if I'm not positive they come from the babies). But it definitely makes me feel closer. I'm excited for them to get bigger so DH can feel them too!

Keria, update us when you can too.

Laggie, i hope you're feeling better!

RCR and Blue, big hugs!!

Deborah, yah to a new car!

Ugh, I'm seriously disturbed, by the way. I went on Facebook and someone posted an image of an aborted baby (or maybe it was a baby that was miscarried...I don't know since the caption was in spanish but i know her message was one about anti abortion). It was a friend of my SILs but she requested to be my friend after I photographed my SIL's baby shower. Anyway, that was NOT something i wanted to see when I first woke up (if ever, by the way, especially when pregnant). Another strike against Facebook. I've now blocked her posts. I really should start to clean my Facebook friends list. *shaking head*


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## lyndiramos

Renavoo-I also had a friend post the same type of photo







.. I get the message but it is very disturbing.. I have also seen then when I have googled stuff about pregnancy things.. I know it happens I just hate seeing it because its sad


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## renavoo

Hey Lyndi, how are you feeling? I just noticed in my previous post that I asked Laggie that, not you!! It was meant for you. I hope you have the pinwheel thing under control and that your GD isn't taking too much of a toll on you. I totally get the message with the image too and i'm completely with you about the searches. I used to come across those images a lot when I searched for information. That's why I don't search for info about things like that anymore. So it was so unexpected to get something about it on Facebook.


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## lyndiramos

Renavoo- im doing well. Trying everything naturally possible to get rid of the pin worms I can take meds when baby is born but then I wouldnt be able to breastfeed for two weeks which stresses me out since that it a very important time!! If I still have them I will breastfeed for a couple weeks then take the treatment and pump and throw away for two weeks. Im a milk factory when my milk comes in, or with my other children I was so im not to worried about supply. I us to be able to get a good six ounces at each pumping before so I should be able yo take a couple weeks and toss.. Hopefully they are gone by then obgyn said there life cycle is 6 weeks and as long as I dont reingest they will go away... My kids did have it about two months ago and took meds. who knows if they have it now ive made them an appt. As far as GD I am also a huge sugar eater so this whole thing has been crapy and hard for me. I see the nutritional specialist today to gey my diet plan and blood sugar monitor, then I follow up with my obgyn next friday to decide if insuln is needed. She seemed very worried at my appt because I was spilling so much sugar in my urine it was 1000+ (not sure what that means) and my fasting sugar was 80 and during my 3 hour glucose test my sugar stayed above 250 for two hours then only came down to 180 by the time I left... I know thats bad but not sure if thats really bad...maybe kewpie would know... I hope non of you ladies get it... Im just glad delivery is only 2 months away at yhe most!!


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## kewpie80

renavoo - thanks for asking about us. All in all we're doing well. We just had our first night of total chaos last night. By "we" I mean me and the babies... of course DH was late coming home from work. I'd tell ya what happened, but I don't want to scare you all. Let's just say that there was a lot of baby body fluids of various types and when DH got home, he took one look at me soaking wet, holding 2 naked babies, and I was laughing hysterically and said, go sit down, i'll clean up everything. (and he did!)


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## BellyBean

Kewpie, thanks for stopping by for an update! I laughed so hard when I read your FB post!!! It totally happens  And with two, it's double the fluids!

Lyndi, glad to hear you have a plan for breastfeeding and taking the drugs! I was wondering how that would work, but hopefully you get all cured from a natural treatment beforehand. So lucky to be a milk factory, I never had a ton 

Renavoo, that's pretty distrurbing  Can't wait to hear how it goes for you tomorrow. Great names!!! How cool that you have 2 cultures to incorporate!

Keira, hope all is going well at home with the babes!

Thinking about all the other grads too that don't post much!

Sending lot of positive thoughts to rcr, blue, and laggie!!

AFM, had my ob appointment today and I am measuring 5 weeks ahead for a singleton! I wasn't surprised comparing my 2 pregnancy pictures, but wow! I was also able to gain 5 pounds this past month!! So I am up about 8-9 pounds overall...headed in the right direction finally!!! Being able to eat totally helps  and now I feel STARVING all the time, even after I eat. The only bummer is I have to wait 2 weeks to get in for my anatomy scan, but I guess that's about right since Renavoo is going in tomorrow and I am exactly 2 weeks behind her...I was just hoping for next week!


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## Keria

Thank you all









Things are starting to settle, both babies are doing great and we are getting a little sleep.

Rena Love the names.

Belly can't wait to hear what you are having I;m happy to hear you are feeling better.

Kewpie how do you transfer the babies to the co sleeper? we kind of gave up and they sleep in the bed with us but we only have a full bed so I can't imagine this is going to work for long.

I'll get started on my birth story before I forget.

Now a pic


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## kewpie80

belly - haha yeah, I had to post about it cause it was just so insane it became hilarious. Yay for being able to eat!!! I was between 18 and 19 weeks for my anatomy scan. It's SOOO hard to wait. After the scan, the second half of the pregnancy went FAST for me despite bedrest. Waiting for that scan seemed to take for-ev-er

Keria - They are SO darling! They definitely look like siblings! I look at my two and I just don't see a family resemblance yet. They look like us, but not each other. For transferring to the co-sleeper... I'm not sure I know what you mean. DO you mean after they fall asleep in our arms?

We usually rock them after their night feeding after they've been changed and then just gently ease them down into the co-sleeper. Maisie will usually go down easily, but Liam is a challenge. We often hold him in bed and let him fall asleep there for about 40 minutes before moving him to the sleeper. SOmetimes he still won't go and we end up sleeping with him in bed all night. I keep him locked in the crook of my arm with a rolled blanket behind him to keep him from rolling away. Not sure if that's the info you're looking for...


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## rcr

Keria - wow, so cute. It must be so nice to have both of them at home. I love pictures of twin babies snuggling together.

Rena - I didn't realize that you are Chinese. My DS has a Chinese teacher come in three days a week at his school, and he is really catching on quick. In fact, the teacher commented on how good he is at learning languages. I want to learn too so that I can talk to him. He does say a lot of words to me in Chinese but he has to tell me what they mean. It is not a total foreign language immersion program, but it is pretty close because it is the majority of his class time (3 days)


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## BellyBean

Keira, oh my goodness could they get any cuter???!??! They do look a lot a like <3, I bet you are one of the twin moms that gets the "are they identical" even though they are b/g twins  I hear it's pretty common...haha!

I forgot to mention ealier how much movement I am feeling now. It's been almost constant all day, I wonder if it feels more frequent since there are 2 and 1 could be moving while the other rests, and then they switch  I got my first "major" quick and strong movement on Monday. I actually gasped quite loudly and grabed my stomach as a relex I couldn't control...it almost felt like someone was trying to get out! It really freaked out DH, but I just laughed, I remember when it happened the first time with DD too. I love this part of pregnancy! Now if only I knew genders...


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## Keria

They do look a lot like each other DH has some strong genes, Lucia does look a little bit like me but Oliver is DH's little clone.

This is a pic of DH



Kewpie Yes I meant how to put them in the crib without them waking up. They wake up about 5 seconds after we put them there.


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## renavoo

Keria, oh my gosh, they TOTALLY look like your DH! It's so cute! He must be over the moon. b

Belly, YAH to lots of movement. haha I had one of those moments during a work meeting. It's so great that you feel them all the time though. I still only feel them once in a while but I enjoy every second. I'm happy that you're gaining weight and that you're on track! I guess you didn't get a sono today?  sniff. Just 2 more weeks and then you'll find out. I can't wait for you!

Lyndi, I totally know what you mean about being a sugar addict. I swear, I'm MORE of a sugar addict now than I ever was. I think the babies make me crave chocolate. 2 more months and hopefully, things will get back to normal. But until then, we're here to see you through!







I'm glad you have a plan regarding the worms. It sounds like a great thing to do.

Kewpie, I started cracking up as I pictured you covered in baby fluids laughing hysterically. It is so something I would do myself! But now I want to hear the whole story! By the way, DH and I are hoping that the rest of the time flies by after this next scan!

Rcr, HOW COOL! I really hope that whatever school my children go to will allow them to learn chinese too. It would just be great because I know it will be an important language in the future and honestly, my mother feels much more comfortable speaking in Chinese anyway (that's mainly the reason my DH started to learn). I'm also fortunate that I work really close to Chinatown so I'm thinking that when they get a little older, i may put them in a preschool around here.

I love all these photos that we're seeing by the way!! Keep sharing, please!

Rcr, Blue and Laggie, we're waiting anxiously for your BFPs!!


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## deborahbgkelly

I am trying to decompress after a couple of very stressful days. I had an issue with a lack of professionalism at the place I had been getting my massages and will now have to pay considerably more for massages than I have been. The bigger problem right now is I found out that the lawyer I thought we hired has no recollection or records of being retained despite the fact that I sent him all the documents related to the estate for him to review. How is that not retaining? They hadn't communicated for several months, but I assumed they were just not on top of their caseload or something. I never signed paperwork, but I vaguely recall asking him if there was any paperwork to sign and he said no, so I have no idea what to do now. Our statute of limitations will be up in August so this is a major problem! We are hosting games tonight, but right now I honestly wish no one was coming over so I could deal with my anxiety and frustration so it doesn't affect the babies too much. Update- The associate is working on figuring out where things got lost in translation, so hopefully we will be able to get things taken care of appropriately.


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## blueyezz4

*Deborah* - did I miss something?? Maybe you explained this whole law thing and I missed it but I'm clueless on what you are referring to. Hope it gets straighten out. Why can't you stay with your massage lady??????

*Keria* - so cute. Don't you think that the babes look more like DH right now b/c they don't have hair? LOL... i'm sure they will start to look like you more and more every day!!! Fingers crossed.

*Belly* - glad to hear you are having so much movement and that you gained weight too!! Nice job!!

*Renavoo* - can't wait to hear about your scan tomorrow. What time is it at??? I loved that scan!! So cool to see all the chambers of the heart and all their bones and the measurements and all that fun stuff. One of our boys licked the other in our 3D part too and the dr said "boys will be boys"!!!!!!!! Enjoy it and i sure hope DH is going with you too!!!!! He won't want to miss it!!! Keep us posted.

*Kewpie* - glad to hear that DH was such a super-dad and helped with the clean up of the mess. You poor thing!!!! I'm sure it will get easier as you go. One day at a time!!!! Any new pics??

*Lyndi* - did you get any good suggestions about the worms?

*Hi to everyone else!!!*

*ps.* to those that don't follow the other thread I stared Lupron tonight!!!! Yeah!!!!!


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## renavoo

Blue, I'm sooooo happy with how things are moving along and how great your RE is!!

I have an appointment tomorrow at 8am ET so I'm really excited. Hey, did anyone ever get a video of the ultrasound? I hear that it's possible and i'm going to ask about it since they don't want us recording on our own. We may do some stealth recording anyway )


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## kewpie80

*Blue* - Sooo happy for you to get started!!! Seriously, that made my morning!

*Renavoo* - You sure you want to hear it?







Ok... So, it started when I was changing Liam. I always open his diaper, blow on him and them close the old diaper back up and wait a few seconds to see if he will pee. The cold air makes him go and I have been peed on many times before I learned this trick... Anyway, so I do that and nothing. So I start changing to the new diaper. He proceeds to pee all over the wall. I swear this kid could shoot across a football field. I try to catch it with a cloth wipe and he then shoots poo all over my arm. He of course is watching himself in the mirror right behind me and is oblivious to the chaos he is causing.

While I'm wiping up the poo and pee, I hear a gurgle behind me. I look over my shoulder just as Maisie throws up the entire contents of her stomach which just happens to be freshly pumped breastmilk that took me 25 minutes to pump. She's now empty and wet and starts screaming. I get a new diaper on him and move him to the bed to avoid getting his poo explosion on his new clothes and so I can get Maisie cleaned up. I'm working on her when I hear a gurgle from the bed. Liam spit up all over my bedspread and his fresh clothes. Maisie is pretty well wiped up so I move back to Liam.

Just then, I hear Maisie grunting and she's turning that shade of purple that tells me she's filling her pants. She HATES poopy diapers and usually starts to scream within a minute or two of going (usually before she's even finished) So, I stick Liam in his infant seat and I grab Maisie and stick her on a towel on the floor and I undo her diaper to assess the damage. SHe has completely FILLED the diaper and there is poo shooting down her legs... epic... So, I decided to hose her down in the shower. I get in with her and start washing her when I realize the tub drain is going slow and the tub is now filling up with poo-water....which I'm standing in.

Then I start to hear the cat retching and look outside the shower just in time to see the cat hurling all over the bathroom floor right outside the tub...hairball AND all the food it just ate. DH was late coming home from work and I had dinner in the over which has the timer going off during all of this. It's one of those timers that doesn't turn off until you manually turn it off.

DH called while I was in the midst of all this and he hears maisie screaming and I'm saying, "I've had a hell of a night." He was just on the freeway and got home about 10 minutes later. I had Maisie naked and wrapped in a towel and Liam was stripped down to a diaper and I didn't take off my clothes before getting in the shower, so I'm soaking wet and holding 2 naked babies when he walks in. You should have seen his face when he saw Miaisie's diaper (which I had left on the bathroom floor while I hosed her down. She is a tiny little thing and I have no idea where she kept all that poo.

*Keria* - We have that problem too (them waking up a few seconds after putting them down) We think it's either the change in position or the cold sheets shocking them awake... anyway, We've found that if we wait longer than we think we should and make sure they're really asleep, they will usually go down and stay down. I wait until I hear them start to deep breathe and then I wait about 10-20 minutes past that. I read to do that on Dr. Sears site and it seems to work for the most part. Sometimes we just end up sleeping with one of them (usually Liam) in bed with us. Maisie is pretty good about going down. SHe will wiggle for about a minute complete with grunts and flailing, but then she'll settle. I was told by a friend that she usually cotton jersey sheets and that helps cause it's not so cold. I have some of those for the big crib, but not the sleeper, so I don't know if that works yet or not.

AFM - I DO have new pics. We just got the pictures back from our professional photoshoot. I'll post a few of the cutest and possibly some of the ones I've taken recently. They are getting SOOO big! Liam has rolls on his arms now! I'm pretty sure they're approaching 9 pounds now.


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## kewpie80

deborah - somehow you got cut off of my last reply. Sorry to hear about the legal woes. No one needs that stress, but especially not pregnant mamas! I hope it gets rectified as painlessly as possible.

belly - do you know your babies' placement? Mine were quite far apart and I was able to determine which was kicking by the area of the kicks. After a while, I could figure out their sleep patterns. As they got bigger, it got more difficult to figure out who was who cause they overlapped. I cant wait to find out your genders!


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## deborahbgkelly

Blue- I haven't said much about it, but my MIL died in 8/10 and we have been having trouble getting funds from it so we hired a lawyer (or so we thought) and they claim we never retained them despite all my information to the contrary. The massage lady is fine, but the guy who runs the business is unprofessional and I don't support businesses like that.


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## BellyBean

Renavoo, just checking to see how your scan went this morning! Hope you got some video (legit or not!)

Kewpie, I know at my 12 NT scan baby A was on my left and B on my right, so I always assume it's the same...but I really don't know if that's true  That's just what they told me but some views they looked like they were in bunk beds!

Hope everyone is doing well and getting ready for the weekend!


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## blueyezz4

*Renavoo* -





















Thinking of you and hoping all went well this morning!!!!!

*Deborah* - hope it all gets worked out!!!

*Kewpie* - I'm so sorry to hear about your crazy day!!!!! You poor thing!!!!

*Belly* - hope you are well.


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## renavoo

Hi ladies! TGIF!

I had trouble sleeping last night and have been getting cramps in my left leg, probably because i have been trying to lie on my left ide or better circulation to the babies. How did you guys handle it?

Kewpie, one word... EPIC. HAHAHAH I was equal parts rolling on the floor laughing and horrified for you that you had to handle that alone. I know you handled it as perfectly as you could have. I think i would have been laughing hysterically if it was me too. Might as well throw in some crying there for me too!! i can't wait to see the new photos, by the way...are you using those for your baby announcements?

Belly, the babies changed fom right/left to up and down on me today! Baby B was on the right during my 16 week visit and was the boy. Well, today, the sonographer was looking and announced that baby A was a boy. We were so shocked because we thought that meant that we were having 2 boys. So we waited for her to look through everything and proclaim that baby a is fine. Then,we waited with baited breath for her to tell us the sex of baby B and she finally told us that it was a girl. So the girl moved from being on the left side to being on the on top bunk as you said. That may happen to you.







)

Blue, how is the lupron treating you? I will check in on you in the other thread too!

Deborah, hope it all gets worked out.

So, they didnt take the video for us. They didnt have a video function on their machine but DH stood there with his cell peeking out and managed to get a lot of the 40 minute US on video. I still don't know why we can't just take a video outi n the open! overall, it was a great visit. We got to see the babies and they are both looking great. The OB still wants to do a fetal echo because he says that ivf babies have a greater chance of heart abnormalities. So that will be happening in about 2 weeks. However he doesn't think he will find anything wrong.
And from now on, i will be seeing the octor every 2 weeks because he wants to keep an eye on my cervical length because of my previous LEEP. Everything looking great on that end now too but he is very cautious, which i appreciate. So, overall, everything went well!

Yah to the weekend! Big hugs, ladies!


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## deborahbgkelly

Thanks all! No update on that front, but my labs came back in pretty decent shape. My thyroid levels are the best they've ever been at about 1.21! This is down from 4.8 just a few weeks ago. The only thing that was low was Vitamin D and it was only slightly low. She said just about everyone she calls has low Vitamin D.


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## blueyezz4

*Renavoo*- Yay!!!!





















So glad to hear that all went well w/ the U/S yesterday!!!!

*Deborah* - Wow, 4.8 is high for sure. You don't want to mess w/ that while pregnant for sure, it can be really detrimental being high. I'm glad they are keeping on top of it and watching your numbers.


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## deborahbgkelly

Blue- It is actually only considered a little high, but it is high for pregnancy. Most doctors actually think it is fine up until 7.0 when not pg (this is crazy in my opinion). Ideally, it is 2.5 of lower for fertility and 3.0 or less in pregnancy. You were supposed to notice how low it is now, not how high it was then! Not meaning to be cranky, but want people celebrating with me, not worrying (I do enough of that on my own).


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## BellyBean

It's interesting we are talking about thyroid levels. I just had mine drawn on Thursday and I was concerned it was too low (.47), actually I was looking all over the internet trying to figure it out. I have had it drawn 4 times in the past 3 years and it is normally always around 1.8. I thought pregnancy was supposed to make it higher not lower? I think the "normal" cutoff it listed on the low side was .35, so I was pretty close. I might email my OB about it.

Deborah, glad to hear your levels are better now.

Renavoo, ha, I love hearing the "baby A is a XXX" stories, but glad they found your girl on the other side  11 whole days till we find out, it feels like an eternity!!

Blue, so excited you started lupron!!! Yippee, the waiting is over, well at least part of it! 

Kewpie and Keira, hope you are having a wonderful time snuggling up with those babies!!!

Everything is actually going pretty well now, the nausea is all but gone, but unfortunately the insomnia and total exhaustion has started  I am still getting a fair amount of stuff done during the days, but my friend with twins said I need to stop trying to do so much. She over did it during her pregnancy and ended up in preterm labor and on bed rest for 7 weeks. I have also noticed it's starting to get really hard to carry my DD around, I just get winded quickly and feel like my muscles are going to give out. So basically just impatiently waiting for the u/s so I can do some more shopping  Can't wait to get a real start on the nursery and the few things we would need for a boy(s).


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## kewpie80

Mine did switch sides once they got big enough, but after about a week, went back to their original sides. Mine looked like they were in bunkbeds too for quite awhile, but then eventually went to head down and were side by side. The tech had told me that they were actually laying that way though... one on top of the other across my belly. So interesting how many positions they end up being in! Your anatomy scan is coming up soon, isn't it?

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *BellyBean*
> 
> Kewpie, I know at my 12 NT scan baby A was on my left and B on my right, so I always assume it's the same...but I really don't know if that's true  That's just what they told me but some views they looked like they were in bunk beds!
> 
> Hope everyone is doing well and getting ready for the weekend!


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## kewpie80

renavoo - yup, we'll be using them for our announcements. I really need to get going on that... I wish we could have taken video of our u/s too. So lame that they dont let you! I'm glad their doing the fetal echo for you! It's another really detailed u/s and you'll get to see your babies again 

deborah - glad eberything looks good!


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## kewpie80

Maisie





Liam (you can actually see the PFVS in his left eye here)





Maisie



Me and Liam



DH and Maisie



These are some of my favorites. We have over 80 to choose from for the announcements. It's going to be difficult to choose.


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## Keria

Kewpie look at those chubby cheeks they are adorable. I love hte one of Liam trying to latch on on Maisie's head.

Blue I actually joke that they went to the same barber as DH before they came out lol.

Kewpie Oh my that sounds like quite a day. I though it was the cold too so i tried letting them fall asleep on a blanket and putting them on a crib on the same blanket but that didn't work. I also tried cramming myself into the side car crib and nursing them to sleep there and all I got was a backache. I think we just have little snugglers Dh was afraid at first of rolling onto them but now he is a snuggling pro. I think we just need a king size bed.

Rena that also happened to me during my 19w u/s. I'm glad everything looked good.

Belly Can't wait to hear what you are having. We still have not finished the nursery but it's getting there so yeah start early but don;t over do it.


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## renavoo

Kewpie, Oh my gosh, HOW ADORABLE! I also love the second one but I can see why it'll be difficult to choose! I was thinking it would be great to have 2 photos of you and DH each holding one of the babies on your announcement. You guys just seem so over the moon.

Belly, I can't wait to find out with you either!! Just a week and a half more and we will know what you're having. Do you have a preference? Yah for nausea being almost gone but boo to being more tired. I still walk a lot (to work) and sometimes back from work but I am starting to feel it more. I asked my doctor if it is ok to keep walking and he said that I should keep and eye on it but he thinks that by week 24 I will probably end up having to cut it down if not off. I'm just going to keep walking as much as my body allows me but i'll definitely listen to it. i think in a few weeks, I'm going to end up strolling instead of speed walking like i do now! By the way, the insomnia sucks. Definitely the worst part of the pregnancy so far for me!

Blue, when will you get your schedule? I can't remember if you have it already? haha is it bad that i want to program your schedule in my calendar so i can keep track? And i want to keep my figurative fingers crossed as hard as I can for the FET!!

Keria, I know that it's best to get the nursery done before the babies are here but with your and DH's love, THEY don't care, so definitely don't overdo it yourself either! haha I always joke that they could be sleeping right next to us for the next year and not care if they don't have their own space. We want to see more photos of your beauties too! I love seeing your and Kewpie's adorable babies!


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## blueyezz4

*Renavoo* - you are too cute!!!!! My RE just guesstimated that my ET might fall sometime around March 8-10ish, but we really aren't sure yet. The crazy thing is that I started back on the Lupron this past Thurs the 9th and today about 3 hrs ago when I went to the bathroom I had some spotting so now I'm starting to wonder if AF is around the corner maybe. Who knows. I'm sure the rest of the weekend will tell.

*Keria* - LOL.. that is pretty funny. "same barber". Hope things are going well. How are YOU feeling? Are you still pretty sore? Are you limited on lifting right now?

*Kewpie* - LOVE the new pics of the babes!!!! So sweet. I think my fav for like a announcement would be the 4th one b/c you can see more of both of their bodies or the last one is super cute too ( I love them all), but that is just my opinion. How are you feeling now? Are you still sore?

*Deborah* - Sorry,







No one had told me much about it, so I just wanted to be sure you were aware. Glad it is down to 1.2 . How many mg of meds are you on right now? Is your Dr putting you on over-the-counter Vit D now too?

*Belly* - I can't wait for you to find out what you are having as well!!!!







So exciting!!!! When is your scan again? Next Thurs or the Thurs after? I forget. Yay, for the m/s subsiding finally but boo for the insomnia. That sucked, I remember. I could try to take a little nap after work and sleep ok, but then at night I'd always wake up that the same time like 3am and couldn't get back to sleep. Hope it goes away!!! Did you have it w/ DD too?

*Lyndi & Bungalow* - how are you both doing?????

*Tenzi* - Where have you been girl???? We haven't seen you around in a long time. Hope everything is going okay with you!!! Fill us in when you get a chance. Thinking of you!!!


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## deborahbgkelly

Belly- My assessment (only relying on anecdotal evidence from my own pregnancy) is that it gets higher in the first tri and levels off later on because babies are now producing their own thyroid hormones.


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## renavoo

Blue,







Can't wait for you to be in the 2ww and on your way to a BFP! I think that breakthrough bleeding can happen on lupron but if it comes full force, maybe ask your RE. But I'm sure it'll be fine. Just thinking of you. D

Ladies, hope everyone else is also enjoying the weekend!


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## rcr

Hello all -I just read like 2 pages worth on my phone while DS was watching a movie on my computer, so I wanted to remember everything that I was going to reply when he was done and I could use my computer, but now I forgot. Anyway, just popping in, I guess.

Kewpie - love the pictures.


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## lyndiramos

Hello all!

Just popping in to say hello and see what was going on!!

Kewpie- the babies are sooo cute and I am a huge fan of b&w photos!! Quick qiestion as well. So I have a deit plan for mt GD and ive been following it exactly but my question is if I check my b sugar and its high do I wait to eat or still eat my next meal? Like I ate breakfast and checked 2 hours later and my sugar was still at 178 so ive waited and only eatten sugar free jello this afternoon and now many hours later my sugar is still 174?.... I will call my obgyn tomorrow but im not sure and figure you might have some insight..


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## Kristal2146

Hey ladies! Just stopping by for a moment here..

Renavoo- congrats! I hope you know that you have every right to deny the fetal echo if you don't feel its necessary. My midwives made the same recommendation but my IPs are comfortable that the anatomy u/s will detect any heart issues that need to be more thoroughly investigated and we are only doing the echo if the additional scan I have tomorrow (original scan we couldn't get good pics of the heart)

Kewpie- the babies are SO cute!!!

AFM- I have had a hell of a week with sick kids, homework I'm falling behind on, getting sick myself, and my brand new van breaking down.. well not much has gotten done around here and I'm feeling way more behind than I originally was. But the van is fixed now, and I have a repeat anatomy ultrasound tomorrow afternoon to get additional views of the heart.

Don't remember if I told you all.. we're having a girl, and my IPs are absolutely thrilled.


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## kewpie80

Definitely still eat! It's ok if your sugars are high here and there. It's just when they are high for a long time that it begins to be a problem, so if you have a high, don't fret about it and always eat! When I have a high like that, I usually go for a walk to bring it back down. That works really well for me. No skipping meals!

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *lyndiramos*
> 
> Hello all!
> Just popping in to say hello and see what was going on!!
> Kewpie- the babies are sooo cute and I am a huge fan of b&w photos!! Quick qiestion as well. So I have a deit plan for mt GD and ive been following it exactly but my question is if I check my b sugar and its high do I wait to eat or still eat my next meal? Like I ate breakfast and checked 2 hours later and my sugar was still at 178 so ive waited and only eatten sugar free jello this afternoon and now many hours later my sugar is still 174?.... I will call my obgyn tomorrow but im not sure and figure you might have some insight..


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## lyndiramos

Thanks Kewpie!!!! Also for the life of me couldnt figure this sugar high thing out... Then I did.. my husband brought me regular jello and I had two cups smh... I was wondering why they tasted so good lol anyway thanks again so much!!!


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## renavoo

Kristal, let us know how the anatomy scan goes! I'm glad everything is now ok but how frustrating it must have been for you. Yah to the girl! Did they tell you if they chose a name? I still think about how wonderful it is that you are fulfilling your IPs' dream. It's an amazing thing. I hope that the heart scan goes well. I know i can refuse but we love seeing our little babies and making sure that they are ok so even if we only get a view of the hearts, it'll still make us feel better. So while i don't think anyone thinks that something will be wrong, we're using it as another excuse. )

Lyndi, I hope it gets easier to navigate GD soon. You're doing great and obviously trying very hard. It'll be over soon! I agree with Kewpie though...if possible, go for a walk. I don't have GD but I know from knowledge about diabetes that exercise helps and walking is a great exercise and one that we can do without worry. (Unless your doctor told you not to!!)

Rcr and Blue,









Kewpie and Keria, hope you guys got some rest this weekend D

AFM, well, i'm sad that yet another weekend is over but i am excited because next weekend, we're going to see my MIL and we have a birthday party to go to. haha the birthday party is still up in the air though because I usually don't decide whether to go to night time parties until the day of. If I'm too tired, I usually just stay home. I feel bad sometimes because I've gotten much more hermit like in the last year or so...TTCing was hard and stressful so I didn't feel like socializing. Now that i'm pregnant, all I want to do is spend time with DH before things get too crazed. I know I should be going out more though and enjoying the time out with friends but I really don't like crowds and NYC is all about crowds!

Anyway, I think I feel a lot more movement from the babies so I love it. I just feel them tumbling about in there. It really is such an amazing thing. I talk to them but still feel a little silly doing it. But i'm going to maybe start reading aloud so they can hear me.

)

HAPPY MONDAY EVERYONE! Hope the week starts off (and ends) smoothly!


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## lyndiramos

Thanks renavoo! I wish I could just take a walk or exercise in general... Im still on bedrest for pre term labor







I think it would be much easier if I could walk!!
Glad you are feeling the babies move all the time!! Have fun this next weekend and hopefully your able to make it to the party!! Have a great week!!


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## renavoo

Darn, I forgot you were on bed rest, Lyndi. It'll be ok. Just a couple of months left, right? Big hugs! You're doing so well and your baby definitely appreciates it!


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## lyndiramos

Renavoo- No problem!







and yes im 31 weeks so 8 weeks or less!! Im having a scheduled repeat c section and she will schedule it no later then april 9th. We are getting excited!!


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## rcr

Lyndi - Sorry you are on bedrest (I must have missed that, I don't keep up with this thread as much as the other one). I hope you aren't going too stir-crazy. It will all be worth it in the end


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## BellyBean

Hi ladies!

Lyndi, yay for being so close to meeting your little girl!! Sounds like something my DH would do (bring me regular jello) glad you got it all sorted out and I hope you are able to keep those levels down without insulin.

Renavoo, infertility and a child has definitely made us more hermit like. It's nice just spending time at home with your family <3! I love the slow rolling movements in there...so far this morning everything has been dead center so I don't know which one it is  Not that I probably would anyway!

Kristal, glad the van is fixed, but that does sound like a challenging few days!

Deborah, Bungalow, Tenzi, Mole, and others hope all is going well!

AFM, I spent most of the weekend thinking about the twins. Inspired by Kewpie and my girlfriend here that just had a baby, I started looking into newborn photography in our area and found a few people I really like, but I'll need to get more information first because a couple didn't have any prices on their website and that makes me worry a little bit/a lot. Just looking at the different sites I was able to find some really cute ideas on maternity/newborn photos. It really got me excited about the babies! I also stubled across a few things I could make for the babies off pinterest and actually finished one crocheting project  I have several other things l'd like to make!!! My next project is in brown so that should work for us no matter what. Maybe I'll post some pictures once I get a couple things done 

I have a huge to-do list for today, even though I know i need to take it easy, but luckily DH cleaned the whole house yesterday so it's mostly running errands (which I enjoy much more!) I might throw a movie in during the day to make sure we spend some time relaxing


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## deborahbgkelly

I have an appointment with the OB this afternoon. I'm hoping he'll take a peek at sex organs (I know it's a bit early, but they can sometimes tell as soon as 16 weeks and I am 16 weeks 5 days) We will only tell family members the guess until the 20 week ultrasound or, if we get a percentage likelihood then we will share the guess along with the percentage likelihood. At least, that's my plan. I'm frustrated with left-side sleeping. I've been attempting to sleep on my left side for the last few weeks and, while it is mostly successful, I wake up in a lot of pain on my left side, so I'm not quite sure what to do. It is one of the several questions I will bring up to my OB.


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## renavoo

Lyndi, I'm excited for you and I can't wait to "meet" your daughter online! D I think the babies on this thread are so adorable!

Belly, what a fantastic idea! I want to do what you're doing and get an idea of how to take photos of my babies when they are here. I probably won't hire anyone since photography is my hobby and I have a pretty nice camera but I would like to get ideas. haha I'm more used to shooting animals and landscape than people and babies! Ooooh how wonderful is it that your DH cleaned your house! That's such a wonderful thing to do. D

Hmm ok, I think I'm going to sign off and try to leave work a little early today!

Hope everyone is doing well!


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## tenzinsmama

Blue and Belly, I'm here... Thanks for inquiring!

I've been following along, I've been really busy lately with a bunch of things (including getting another cold-- thank goodness my little guy and DH were fine-- pregnancy makes your immune system more taxed-- I thought I read that somewhere?) and then yesterday we just came back from a 10 day vacation in Turks and Caicos, and I've just caught up on all the posts (102 since before I left!-- wow!) I'm loving seeing the babies, Keria and Kewpie, they are so adorable! And I'm enjoying the pregnancy updates of everyone, too. Blue, I'm following what's going on with you, too (on this thread only now, since I haven't been going to the other thread)... I hope you can get started with things soon-- you have such patience, waiting for AF to make up her mind about what she is doing!

I've been having some issues with my pelvic floor-- it was a little weak before having my DS, and then I had some problems and it took a year before it got much better and almost to what it was before. But now, being pregnant, it's giving me some grief. And, another thing happening with me is that at my 18 week anatomy scan it showed that I had placenta previa, but for some reason the tech didn't switch to doing it trans-vaginal so I don't have much detail on it. On the report it just says "placenta is covering the internal os". So I don't know if it's marginal, partial, or complete. I'm having another scan at 32 weeks to determine if the placenta has moved away enough from the cervix-- if it hasn't, it means I can't have a homebirth like with my DS and instead I will be having a scheduled c-section. A lot of women will have scans again at 28 weeks, but my midwife recommended we wait until 32 weeks to give it the extra bit of time to move up and away-- the earlier scan may show it's moved somewhat, but if it's not enough then I'd need another one at 32--to make plans for the birth. I saw my family doc today and he likes the midwives' plan-- he agrees that it's better to avoid any unnecesscary scans. Anyway, the vacation eased my anxiety about things a great deal, since it took my mind off things-- I was quite worried because just before we left, a friend of mine (same exact due date as me) who has marginal placenta previa, had a bleeding episode (she said it was quite a lot)after sex which was totally traumatic for her and her DH... All is well with her and baby, thankfully... Apparently, 90% of women with any type of previa will have bleeding to some degree, especially when they hit the third trimester... I would be so scared, even if I saw a drop of blood. Anyway, it was good that we had chosen Turks and Caicos as our destination, because they have excellent medical care there, and they air-medivac to Miami if patients need it. We also had cancellation insurance, just in case... So we went, had a great time, and now I'm just floating on the post-vacation state of relaxation... hopefully it lasts for a good while!


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## renavoo

Tenzi, so glad to see you! Hope that everything turns out with the placenta ) It sounds like you've been having a nice relaxing time. Keep it going!

Rushing to work but i just wanted to wish everyone a wonderful Valentine's Day!


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## kewpie80

Tenzins - SOrry to hear about the placenta previa. I hope it moves out of the way and you cna have the birth you want! I'm so jealous of your vacation! Glad to hear you had a relaxing time!


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## deborahbgkelly

Appointment went well yesterday. The babies and I are doing great! We got the doc to take a guess and he said "They are looking boyish!" We will make the official determination at the anatomy scan in a few weeks, but it seemed pretty obvious to me and it was after 16 weeks.


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## monkeyscience

Just thread crashing for a moment to say two things:

*Kewpie* - I shared your eventful twin evening with my SIL (whose twins are a month older than yours) to try to help her feel better about how stressful her life is right now (twins are sick and have been put on 3x daily nebulizer treatments), and she both laughed and cried, and wanted to know she appreciated the story and cried for you!

*Belly & renavoo* - I a photographer friend recently shared this on Facebook: Don't Be Hanging Babies From Trees. I found it really eye-opening, so I thought I would pass it along. I always wondered how they got some of those baby pictures, and I never stopped to think about some of the safety concerns.

Other than that, quietly stalking and cheering you ladies on!


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## renavoo

Aww thanks for checking in, Monkey. We're cheering you on too!!

What a great article! It really is quite amazing how we don't think about the potential dangers of some of those poses (not to mention how amazing photoshop is...)


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## kewpie80

Monkey - I'm glad my story could bring a smile to your SIL's face.  I truly laughed my butt off that night. Nights like that are inevitable and you just gotta roll with it and remember that the young infant stage is temporary and things will get easier. I've been told that twins are harder in the first 6 months, but easier than a singleton in the second 6 months and beyond cause they have each other for entertainment.


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## renavoo

Kewpie, awwww is that Liam? How adorable!!


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## BellyBean

Hi Ladies!

My DD has been sick for about 2 weeks with a cold, but it got worse this week and now of course I have it  I think it might have something to do with her coughing basically in my mouth a few days ago, haha! Pretty much every cold symptom we have... sore throat, cough, sneezing, running nose, congestion, sinus pain, and low grade fever...ugh. Haven't called my OB yet, but I probably should let him know.

Monkey, thanks for sharing the link! I knew they used photoshop to make some of those kinds of photos, but it's a good question to ask when looking for a photog in general no matter what kind of pictures you are looking for...how they address the safety, temperature, etc for the newborn(s)!!

Deborah, wow, so cool you got a guess on genders already! I am dying for my ultrasound next week!

Kewpie/Keria, I hope all is going well with you and the babies...the time goes so quick!!! And probably faster when you have 2 to care for 

Tenzi, sounds like a fabulous vacation!

AFM, I know, I had some above too  I guess the other thing I have been working on is the "gender reveal" next week. I think we'll tell my parents when we pick up DD after the u/s, and probably call the inlaws while driving, but I want a creative little way to post on facebook (and for the baby book). After looking online a bunch, I have a little craft I am working on and will probably do it for all 3 options so I can just post the "right" one that night


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## kewpie80

renavoo - Yep, that's Liam during tummy time a couple days ago.


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## kewpie80

Belly - I'm so excited to find out what you've got in there!


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## deborahbgkelly

Blue- I was definitely aware of it, which is why we have been checking it regularly throughout pregnancy. I am on 125 micrograms (a 25% increase from pre-preg dose). I am on OTC Vitamin D- 2000mg/day (one pill).


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## renavoo

sigh, I had a moment yesterday. I have my belly photos on my phone and I take them weekly. I looked all the way back at week 5 and saw a relatively flat stomach (not completely flat...haha never had one of those!) but i was what I would consider slim. Now, I look so large! I mean, it's good because I look obviously pregnant and most days i revel in the feeling of being pregnant. Just some days, I remember...haha oh well, I wouldn't trade my previous figure right now for the world. i looooove that I'm carrying my babies. Maybe it's the mood swings that's affecting me. oh and I bought 10 boxes of girl scout cookies this season. I bought 5 boxes from one of my coworkers whose kid is friends with one of my husband's best friend's boy (yup, that was really roundabout!). And then, just yesterday, another coworker sent out an email to a few of us, telling us that her daughter wasn't able to sell her goal of 100 boxes (20 boxes short) so if we would buy one, that would help. I walked over there with the intention of buying 2 boxes but she showed me photos of her girl and mentioned that her girl was really nervous about walking house to house because she's afraid of dogs. Sigh, so i bought 5 boxes instead. haha anyone want some girl scout cookies? ;o) I told my DH the bad news when I get home and he shakes his head and just laughs. He's decided I have an overdeveloped sense of guilt and that I'm a sucker for a sob story. hahah Maybe...or maybe i just love thin mints...









Belly, I'm so impatient to find out what your babies are too!! It's so exciting! D When is your appointment next week? I love that you're being so creative about it! When you finish, definitely share it with us. D I hope you feel better soon.

Kewpie, look at Liam looking at mom (or dad) with love. TOO ADORABLE! Did you decide on the photo your using for the announcements?


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## BellyBean

Renavoo, 10 boxes of girlscout cookies never hurt anyone!!!  I wish I would have been hit up by some girls...I used to be a girlscout (probably like everyone else). I haven't seen them at the stores yet so it still must be preorder time! Yum, I can't wait!! It can stir up a lot of weird feelings being pregnant. I know sometimes it even freaks me out and I have BTDT. But twins really do make it harder since we know we will be gaining more weight! I often go back and forth, in a mental state of wanting to gain vs. not wanting to gain. But I really think I didn't hold on to enough weight post DD and that (and not being hydrated enough) caused my milk to dry up earlier than I wanted. So I kind of want to have some extra weight to help with BF'ing. Try to stay positive, I am sure you are doing great!!!!! Oh, and we'd love to see one of those bump photos 

Finished my facebook updates yesterday! Now I just have to wait till next Wed to use them! Ugh, I swear time is standing still. I started freaking out a little last night, did the same thing with DD, about something being wrong at the u/s. I get so caught up in the gender I forget that we are looking for abnormalities. We went for our u/s with DD on DH's birthday and I was so stressed by the time the day came that we would find something horribly wrong and it would be the worst birthday ever. I told DH about my feelings last night, and typical him said "well, so far everything has indicated only good things, right?" So I just need to stay positive. Then I had a minute wondering what if these babies aren't my embies....I know, weird night huh. I would totally give the babies back to whom they belong, but a huge lawsuit would be inorder, especially if I had to "out" myself to my friends and family!!!

So I guess not much going on


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## lyndiramos

Renavoo- lol I also bought 10 boxes of cookies!! I cant have them so I asked for them to be delivered after the baby is here!! 5 boxes are for my husband lol hes addicted to samoas. A couple for me and couple for the kids. Im glad that they wont be around the house because my husband would eat them all!! He has had crazy cravings.. I havent even had any.. I think hes put on 15lbs.. He the one running to the gas station for chocolate at 1am!!

Belly- Everything will be fine!! My husband was also super worried that the embies or sperm would somehow get mixed up. I said well if it comes out a weird color we will know!! He didnt find yhat funny...lol stay positive and good luck!!


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## kewpie80

Belly - I always had the same fear, that they weren't my embies. I'm so glad our babies look like dh and me cause it certainly calms the fears. I think that worry is pretty common.

renavoo - I haven't bought GS cookies in years. Now I want some. haha You could always freeze them and pull them out little by little over the next year. My mom used to do that when I was a girl scout and coaxed my parents into buying a bunch.  I haven't gotten hit up to buy any, but I usually buy 2-3 boxes when I see the girls at the grocery store. I remember trying to sell them as a kid.

...And Liam was looking at me in that pic. Much to my husband's dismay, he's picked me as the favorite. He cries for me at night when we're putting him to sleep. He calms down as soon as he's in my arms. I told DH that it's just cause I got the boobies and once he turns about 18 months, daddy will be the favorite cause he's fun and boobs don't matter anymore. Maisie doesn't seem to care who's got her.


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## deborahbgkelly

Lyndi- Sounds like your hubby has Couvade Syndrome: http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Couvade+Syndrome.


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## blueyezz4

*Kewpie* - how are things going??? Hope you are getting some sleep!! Love that Liam is a momma's boy!!!! So cute!!!! Don't buy any GS cookies!!! They are way too addicting!! DH and i finished off a box of thin mints in less than 4 hrs tonight!!!! By the way.. they have made their boxes smaller than they used to be so you don't get as much for your money. Probably good b/c then we get less calories and fat. LOL!!!

*Lyndi* - How are you??? How is the new Diabetes diet going and did you find any solution to the PW's? Thinking of you & hoping all is well.

*Belly* - I can't wait for your u/s!!!!!!! So excited to hear the news on the sexes!!!!







My guess is one of each maybe. Who knows!!!! What day and time is your appt again??? You are so cute getting all nervous that you got the wrong babies!!!! I think that goes through all of our heads at one time w/ ET's. HOw is DD doing?? Hope she is better!!

*Renavoo* - you are so cute w/ your cookie buying story!!! Loved it!!!

*Monkey* - don't know if i ever said it but Congrats to you!!!!! Loved the link you shared about taking pics of babies. So cute!!!

*Tenzi* - sorry to read about the things going on w/ you right now. Hope all goes well!!! When is your next appt??? How did you like the Turks & Caicos?? Was that the first time you've been there? I've heard it is so nice and would love to go there sometime in our lifetime. DH and I talk about if we can't ever have kids we will just go on more vacations and maybe that will be one of our next trips. We love Aruba and have been there several times and would go back in an instant.

*Keria* - how are you and the babes doing???

*Hello to everyone else!!! I'm sure you all might already have read on the other side, but our SFET is set for Friday March 9th as far as I know right now. Fingers crossed!!!*


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## renavoo

Blue, yah to getting a date for the SFET!! I'm so excited for you! Are you starting estradiol soon? My fingers AND toes are crossed for you (and as the date gets closer, I'll find more things to cross) haha

hehe i love how we are all quite aware of GS cookies. Seriously, those ARE addicting. I think the freezing idea is a good one. The worst part is that DH doesn't even like sweets too much...although i'm hoping that he gets hooked on the samoas because he loves coconut. However, we'll see. Otherwise, I can always share with the office too. But I'm so bad at will power...if it's there, I'll want to eat it!

What an interesting topic, being concerned about whether the embies are ours. I always thought that (especially after watching Law and Order SVU and also hearing the news.) I thought it was funny that the clinics showed us pictures of our embies at the time of transfer and made us sign something to verify that we saw them. I'm sure part of it is to make us feel closer to the process but I always thought, well, it's not like I would RECOGNIZE whether the embies were mine or not. haha they don't look anything like me or DH ;o)

It's a chilling thought to have to give the babies up to someone else if they weren't mine. Let's just hope that none of us will ever face that. In fact, let's just hope that no one else in history will have to face that!

Kewpie, AWWWWW that is too cute. I wonder if Maisie will gravitate more towards your DH as she grows and become daddy's little girl?

Lyndi, I haven't had any true cravings either (well maybe chocolate but i ALWAYS had those!) and I find that to be the most disappointing part of my pregnancy. haha ideally, I wanted a really crazy craving so I could go and tell people and get the shocked look on their faces. But noooooooooooo....haha

Belly, how are you feeling, by the way? Is the nausea gone? Are you feeling the 2nd trimester glow? I can't wait until Wednesday for you! i bet you're looking forward to this weekend flying by! Yah for coming up with a way to share the news...definitely share it with us once you've revealed it to your friends. D


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## lyndiramos

Blue- Im great still on bedrest and hoping to end that in the next few weeks!! As far as the pin worms I ate lots of pumkin seeds and took garlic tabs and have had no more symptoms or seen any... Im hoping they are gone... I talked to the obgyn and she said its totally possible they could be gone and the worst that could happen would be that I could possibly give them to baby after shes born. But since I havent seen any and no itching ect.. She thinks I broke the life cycle!! So possibly no meds after delivery!! She said I would know by delivery if I still have them. My diet is actually great!! I feel great and am getting use to it. I still had a couple higher sugars this past week but I saw the dr yesturday and she if giving me one more week without insulin to try amd get them down. I think I can... She did say that she knows im doing something because I lost weight since my last visit. Im not skinny by any means but not super over weight so she isnt worried about the weight.. since im on bedrest they are very pleased that I have only gained 15lbs!!

Deborah- I told my dh his diagnosis and he laughed and then said I have half those symptoms.... Lol

Renavoo- yeah Ive never really had any craving with any pregnancy.. But I do have everyone around me telling craving stories and sometimes I think some of the people make some of it up to be able to tell a story... And some are really out thier... I dont mind not having any.. Im a candy freak and so this gestational diabetes is torchure enough!!


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## BellyBean

Hi everyone,

Lyndi, glad to hear your diet is working and your sugar levels are going down!!! Plus it would be wonderful if the pumpkin seeds and garlic worked so no drugs or delayed BF'ing after delivery!!!!

Blue, SO HAPPY to hear you have a date and it's right around the corner!!!! I can't wait!! Thanks for asking about DD, she is still sick as can be, but it seems to have leveled off and not gotten any worse over the past 2 days. Either it hasn't fully hit me yet, or I have a milder version 

Kewpie, so cute Liam is a mama's boy!! Aren't their little personalities just amazing!

Well, I am not sure I can count it as a "weird" craving, but I have been drinking fresh OJ like a maniac the past week! I can go years without it, so it's pretty crazy I have gone through 2 liters in a week! It's just so yummy! It makes me worry a little with the sugar, cause I normally don't have much sugar in my diet...I guess we'll see, but maybe I wont buy anymore this week at the grocery store, can't drink what I don't have  Now I really want a box of girlscout cookies! I am not sure freezing them would keep me away...I love frozen somoas and thin mints!


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## kewpie80

renavoo - I really didnt have any cravings either. Though, I did drink a lot of OJ like belly. I was somewhere around 28-32 weeks when that set in if I remember correctly. Being diabetic, that one was torture.  With my first pregnancy, the only weird thing I liked was cheese popcorn dipped in peanut butter. It wasn't really a craving, though. I just liked it. But I didn't have to HAVE it. I've tried it since then and it's not bad. 

ETA: oh, I did remember one other craving... but it wasn't really weird... just weird for me. I craved chicken. LOTS of chicken. It could be cooked any way, I didn't care. I like chicken, but I don't crave it usually.


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## Keria

Hi guys I usually read but don;t have a free hand to post both babies love to sleep on mommy. We are all doing great.The babies are 3 weeks old today I can't believe how fast time flies.

Rena I would love to see belly pics

Kewpie I love that pic of Liam my little ones also do the wrinkly forehead thing.

My only craving was watermelon actually I still eats tons of it.

Blue I'm crossing all crossables for your FET.

Gotta go pump before the critters wake up. I'll try to come back and post a recent pic.


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## BellyBean

Keira, so great to see you stop by, and we would love a recent shot of the cuties!!!

Renavoo, I second (or maybe third) the bump picture!!!

Well, I didn't do very well at the grocery store today  Got OJ and 2 boxes of GS cookies!!!!! Can't wait for DD to go down for a nap so I can have a cookie or 2 without sharing! Still dying to find out what's "growing" in my tummy! As a "math" person, I have kind of leaned towards B/G since that is the most likely at 50%, but then I realized that if I add the same sex odds together, it is 50% too, so really I have the same chance of 2 of the same as 2 different...and 3 days 3 hours left till we find out 

Thinking of you all and hoping everyone is enjoying their Sunday!


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## renavoo

Hi ladies! ok, finally got a belly shot. haha i hope you like my little dog pajamas ;o)



Belly YAH to GS cookies. haha aren't they fabulous? I haven't received mine yet though. ( Just waiting anxiously for them to be delivered. hehe Hope you and DD are feeling better!!

Just 3 more days! I can't wait for you to find out...it's so exciting. How about movement? Are you feeling them much more regularly? I feel them, which is great, but i wish I would feel them more regularly!

Keria, can't wait to see updated photos. 3 weeks certainly did fly by really quickly!

Blue, hehe I will now have to beat you and DH by finishing a box of my thin mints before 4 hours, all by myself. ;o) Seriously though, like you said, they are really crazy addicting. I always just plan on having a couple and them I end up eating 5 or 6 before I finally stop. Ugh, such bad will power. I am trying to cut down my sugar intake but I'm failing miserably! I think I'll start trying again tomorrow, since today is a wash. haha

Lyndi, I'm really happy that you managed to get rid of the pin worms...I hope they stay away! Keep us updated on that. I hope you don't have to move on to insulin but YAH for doing so great at keeping the weight down. You're an inspiration.

Kewpie...mmmmm to cheese popcorn dipped in peanut butter. That sounds like something Elvis would have liked too. haha i'm so full because I went out to lunch with a friend earlier today (And then had some tasti delite for dessert) but otherwise, I think I would be salivating. ;o)

Ladies, hope all is well and that you're enjoying the long weekend! i'm so happy that we have off tomorrow too!

Big hugs!


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## lyndiramos

Reavoo- I sure hope theyare gone as well because I had some awful dreams about pin worms last night!! Very cute pic! I remember when I was that small!


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## BellyBean

Renavoo, SO CUTE!!! You definitely deserve some GS cookies  I had a really hard time just having 3 (or maybe 4...can't remember if I went back for one more!) I haven't been feeling much movement lately. It seems to come in waves, like I feel them a ton for a few days, and then only once and a while for a few days.

Lyndi, I sure hope their gone! Boo, to a bad dream!


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## renavoo

Belly, 2 MORE DAYS UNTIL THE US!! haha I'm so excited for you! Have you and DH started thinking of names or are you waiting until you know the sexes before coming up with the names?

Lyndi, let them be gone!! I think it's great that natural remedies managed to break the cycle so i hope that it stays that way. haha there are days where I think I'm still small and others where i think i'm huge. I look in the mirror and think I'm huge but when I sit in my seat with good posture, I think, hey it's not too bad. ;o)

How are you ladies feeling otherwise? Belly, did you get over the cold? I hope your DD feels better too.

Blue, keep forgetting to ask...how is Abby doing?

Rcr, said it on the other thread but can't wait until you start )

Kewpie, Keria,


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## rcr

Cute belly shot, *Rena*. And thanks for always being there to cheer me on 

I have a *question for grads* - Did any of you have a cyst during your cycle? I think I remember that Kewpie did, maybe? Do you remember how big it was? I am, of course, obsessing about a cyst that showed up at my suppression check today. It was not there during my baseline. It was 1.something (like 1.8 maybe). The nurse said that they usually cancel a cycle if it gets to 3.something. I have read conflicting things online about the impact of a cyst on a cycle. Some things I have read say it is no big deal, and some say that it results in less than optimal results. Gah! Why can't things ever go smoothly!


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## wissa19

Stopping by to say I've been stalking...

Cute Belly Renavoo! 

RCR - I'm sorry you have a small cyst to worry about. I hope it turns out not to be a problem!


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## deborahbgkelly

I had large cysts early in my pregnancy, but we think they were a result of the treatments, so I'm not sure about during a cycle. Sorry I cannot be more helpful.


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## blueyezz4

*Renavoo* - love the pic!!!!! You are all belly!!!! Hope you are feeling well and enjoy those g.s. cookies. I'm so tempted to buy another box of thin mints. They are haunting me and calling my name!!! Mmmmmm so good!!!! Oh and Abby is doing good. I'm taking her to Doggie Day care tomorrow and it is kinda fun b/c you can watch her on the net so DH can sit at his desk and check in on her. I only get to check my phone at lunch time but it is fun to watch her run around with all the other dogs. I have been working so much lately that i feel bad having her in her crate "aka condo" all day long and then sleep in it at night so i will take her once a week if i'm working all week long and it does her some good. She still has that lump in her ear and it might be getting bigger but i'm not sure. The vet said we might have to have it removed but we can give it a few more months i guess. I just started her on some vitamins so hopefully they will help her immune system so she won't get all these weird things. DH says she take after me!! LOL

*Belly* - can't wait for you u/s. Man why can't it be done already? The suspense is killing me and you are the one pregnant!!! LOL!!! Can't wait to hear. Belly pic for Belly???









*Keria & Kewpie* - how are both you mamas doing?? And how are those new babes?? Any new pics? Hope you both are adjusting well!!

*Lyndi* - that would be great if you got rid of the p.w's naturally. Fingers crossed for you that they are all gone. Where did you hear about the pumpkin seeds and garlic? I love pumpkin seeds. Wonder why that works? Hoping these last couple weeks goes by fast for you!!!!

*Bungalowmama* - how are you? I haven't seen your name pop up here for a long time!!! How are things with you? Did you guys get the room done??

*Hi to everyone else!!!!*


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## renavoo

Rcr, i'm so frustrated for you! I was so upset to hear about your cyst. I mean, can't anything just go smoothly?! But hopefully, it's small enough that it doesn't make a difference. I don't know anything about it but i just wanted you to know that i'm thinking of you and hoping that it doesn't impact you at all!!

Wissa, we love stalkers! how are you doing? I love following you along on the other thread D

Blue, i LOVE those doggie day care centers! In NY, many have windows where people can look in and when i'm lucky enough to pass one by, I'll just stay and stare a little. Puppies playing around always seems to make the world that much of a happier place. I'm so glad that Abby is enjoying her time there. i bet it also helps socialize her so she gets along well with other dogs.









Ugh to the lump though (

Belly,









Everyone else,


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## BellyBean

rcr, I wish I had some experience with cysts to share. I hope that yours stays small and doesn't impact your cycle at all. It is your time for a BFP!!!!

Blue, I love hearing about Abby at a doggy day care! It sounds so great, and how cool that you can see her from work/your phone! I hope her bump goes away, we had to have a small one removed from the back of the head of our old dog. It was minor and not expensive at all. So glad your cycle is off and running! March is seriously right around the corner, I am just praying and hoping the new changes are the key to your BFP!

Hope everyone else is doing well!

Today is the big day!!! We find out genders at our u/s!


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## Tear78

Coming out of lurkdome to say, squee, good luck today BellyBean!

Also, Keria CONGRATS!!! I know, I'm late. We've been a little overwhelmed here, and hands-free time is tough to find. I am sure you understand.

rcr, geepers hon, I'm so frustrated for you! It seems like you've been just waiting and waiting and waiting! I did have a cyst during an IUI cycle that got really bit and inhibited growth of other follicles, but it started out bigger than yours I think. I don't want to say it to discourage you, but just because I would have wanted to know ahead of time. I hope this cyst doesn't interfere, and that you have your bfp cycle!









blue, I'm rooting for you like crazy, too! Good luck with your intralipid treatment: you'll feel fine afterwards I think.

DD is 7 months old now, sits up on her own almost independently, is cutting her first tooth, and says "ba ba ma ma da da pblblblblb." She's perfect.







I'm trying to cajole DH into helping me find a good picture to post (the adaptor is hiding somewhere).

Hope all is well with you ladies!









OK, here goes:


and


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## rcr

tear - such a cutie! I love the photos!

belly - I can't wait for your news today!

AFM - thanks for your thought about the cyst. I do think I remember that somebody had one and ended up getting pregnant. the RE said to continue, since it is small. I started bleeding, so hopefully it will just go away.


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## kewpie80

rcr, yup, that was me with the cyst. I can't remember how big it was. I'll check my records and see if I have it somewhere listed. ETA: Just looked through my notes and it just says, "small cyst." Sorry I don't have a number for you.

tear - ADORABLE!


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## bungalowmama

Belly - thinking of you and your scan today! Can't wait to hear how it goes.

Rena - your belly is so cute! Glad you're doing well.

Blue - thanks for always checking in on me. I think of you often and hope for your success!

Kewpie - your babies are beautiful and getting so big!

AFM - I'm 32 weeks 3 days and doing great! On Valentine's Day (31w2d) I had an ultrasound and the boys were estimated at 4lbs4oz and 4 lbs13oz! I'm thrilled with how they're growing. At my OB appointment yesterday everything went well - my fundal height is 46 cm. I'm quite the sight to behold. My doctor said I'm on track to have 8 pounders if the boys continue at this rate and stay in until term! I'm 6' and DH is 6'5" so it runs in the family I guess.

I'm working in the office just until next Friday and then I'll be working from home from that point on (34 weeks - delivery). Hopefully that will help them bake as long as possible. I've been very fortunate to have an uneventful pregnancy so far and am so thankful. The nursery is mostly done and we're ready with the exception of our shower being next weekend and needing to wash and organize the supplies. I'm hoping to finish that ASAP because I'm so tired all the time! It feels like I'm back in my freshman year of college with mono


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## blueyezz4

*Bungalow*- so good to see your name come up again. I was a little worried about you!!! Glad all is going so well for you!!! Can't wait to see a pic of your babes when they get here if you are willing to share. Glad you are going to be able to work from home to make things a little easier on you. Keep us posted.

*Belly* - the suspense is killing me!!!! Sure hope everything went well today!!! Thinking of you!!!!

*Tear* - Hi my good friend!!!!







She is so stinking cute!!!!! Thanks for sharing her pics w/ us. Such a sweetheart!!!!

*Renavoo & Belly* - Yes, Abby loves day care. At first she always jumps and cries when i first drop her off which makes me feel really bad leaving my baby there and going off to work, but then once i'm gone she has fun. She loves all the other dogs and seems to have lots of fun running around and then at night she is just dead to the world. In the summer they have a little bone shaped in ground swimming pool for the dogs outside in the fenced in yard area, so i'm excited for her to swim once it gets warmer. She will love that. She gets a little report card that tells me about her behavior each time and today's report card said that for the warmer months she needs her own towel with her name on it. So we will have to work on that.

*Tenzi* - where have you been hiding???? Hope you are well.

*Deborah* - you still around too?


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## BellyBean

Hi Ladies, just jumping on quick between phone calls! Keira was right........it's 2 girls  and they are both looking great!







I'll be back tomorrow with more personals and info.


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## blueyezz4

*Belly* - Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!














So happy for you and glad to hear all went well!!!!!!!


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## lyndiramos

Bungalow- great to hear an update from you and glad your nursery is about done!! Are babies headed down for a vag. Birth or are you going to have to have a c-section? Also those are great weights for twins!! And wow possibly two 8lbers thats great!!

Belly congrats on two girls and glad they are looking great!!

Afm- very excited that I have a brand new bathroom. The remodelers will finish tomorrow but it already looks great and im very excited to give our new little one a bath in it when she comes!! Besides that not much here just hangin out still on bedrest. Now that the baby's birth is right around the corner, im getting nervous about all the changes that will happen in our house!! Luckly I since I am a teacher I have the whole summer off to figure it out!!


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## bungalowmama

Blue - my dogs LOVE daycare! We hired cleaning help to come every other week since I'm so enormous and that day the dogs get to go to daycare. I swear they look forward to it and absolutely freak out when we pull into the parking lot.

Belly - YAY for two baby girls! How exciting! I can't wait to hear the details of the scan.

Lyndi - Aren't our due dates super close? You must be getting so excited! And how great about having a new bathroom. We're about to have the outside of our house painted. Hopefully it will be done before the boys get here. Baby A is still breech (complete - aka butt down with hips bent up and knees flexed) and B is head down, like they've been for months. Luckily my doctor is one of a kind in our area and we can still try for a vaginal birth. We are so excited and thankful. But we are delivering in the OR just in case we need an emergency c-section.


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## Carlyle

GAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! That's ridiculously cute. And she looks like your dh with that pot on her head. What does that mean?  Not fair you have a professional photographer for a husband... (you can certainly tell which picture he took!)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Tear78*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Coming out of lurkdome to say, squee, good luck today BellyBean!
> Also, Keria CONGRATS!!! I know, I'm late. We've been a little overwhelmed here, and hands-free time is tough to find. I am sure you understand.
> rcr, geepers hon, I'm so frustrated for you! It seems like you've been just waiting and waiting and waiting! I did have a cyst during an IUI cycle that got really bit and inhibited growth of other follicles, but it started out bigger than yours I think. I don't want to say it to discourage you, but just because I would have wanted to know ahead of time. I hope this cyst doesn't interfere, and that you have your bfp cycle!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> blue, I'm rooting for you like crazy, too! Good luck with your intralipid treatment: you'll feel fine afterwards I think.
> DD is 7 months old now, sits up on her own almost independently, is cutting her first tooth, and says "ba ba ma ma da da pblblblblb." She's perfect.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'm trying to cajole DH into helping me find a good picture to post (the adaptor is hiding somewhere).
> Hope all is well with you ladies!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> OK, here goes:
> 
> and


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## renavoo

Tear, those eyes and cheeks! She is so adorable!

Rcr, when is your next check in with the RE?

Bungalow,







8 pounders?! Ouch! But that is fantastic and i am so happy that you had a nice, uneventful pregnancy. I can't wait to see the babies! And how great that you get to work from home for the last few weeks of your pregnancy. That's what I'm hoping to do but i haven't discussed it with my boss yet. haha. And I'm so excited that your doctor is willing to give for you to try to give birth vaginally. I hope it goes nice and smoothly!

Belly, YAH! 2 girls! That's so wonderful! DH must be over the moon! Soon, he's going to be surrounded by beautiful ladies D

Lyndi, yah to the bathroom almost being done! You should post pictures. I love home renovations photos too D HGTV is one of my favorite channels.

Blue, how about some updated photos of Abby? Your baby melts my heart every time I see her. D


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## lyndiramos

bungalowmama- I believe we are due the same day. Im due April 16th. Although I am having a repeat c section so April 9th at the latest she will be born. Thays great yhat you will be able to try a vaginal birth!! The recovery time would be so much better especially taking 2 babies home!! Yeah we need siding on the outside of our house.. Well I should say I want siding...our house is brick but some stupid previous owner painted it.. I hate when beautiful red brick is painted!!!


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## Tear78

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Carlyle*
> 
> Not fair you have a professional photographer for a husband... (you can certainly tell which picture he took!)


OK...I just have to brag and I said I took BOTH those pictures!







Ok, I used his expensive camera....but still, he taught me a couple tricks.







And wait...did you just call my hubby a pot-head?









Belly, yippee for two healthy little girls!!! How exciting to know!


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## Keria

Rena Love the pic you look great what a cute belly. Nd in case you are still looking at the strollers now that we have been using it for a while I have to say I love the city select. It's super easy to push and it's one of the places where my babies will sleep so I guess they find it comfy. Dh is also a pro in putting it together really fast. I also love the option of using it as a single or double. Right now our babies still fit into one seat together so we do that if we are going on a quick trip or into a small space.

Tear She is beautiful. She looks like a tiny little thing how big is she?

Belly Yay on 2 little girls! where is my prize for guessing right?

Bungalow that's great that you get to try for a vaginal delivery even with a breech baby A.

Here area few pics of my babies



And this pic reminded me of kewpie's little people


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## BellyBean

Tear, any of those tricks easy to share?  The pictures and your daughter are absolutely darling!!!

Lyndi, yay for a new bathroom, that sounds amazing!!! I would love to remodel either of our bathrooms!

Bungalow, nice work growing those boys!!! 8lbers would be fantastic and so healthy! My DD was around 8lbs and just perfect  So cool your OB is going to let you try for a vaginal birth first.

Blue, sounds like you are getting great practice for daycare/school drop offs. Abby is so cute and so human like!!! She is so lucky to have you!!

Renavoo, how is all the work going at your place? Are they going to be done in time for you to get the nursery ready?

Kewpie/Keria, hope you are enjoying all those baby cuddles!

AFM, so the u/s went well yesterday, but it was almost 3 hours! As far as we were told everything looks great. They are both breach (A was slightly transverse) so hopefully they decide to turn soon. Cervix is nice and long, but one of the babies (A) is pretty much non-stop kicking it  I have been a little surprised at how many people have told us we will have to have another child to get "our boy" (not that they know how hard that would be!). It kind of hurts my feelings, but I think it's just something people say to be funny. We are most definitely done having children, we were planning on 2 maybe 3. Our current house will already be bursting at the seams and the time/finances just don't make sense to try for another. Not to mention, I think trying for a certain gender is not a reason to have a baby...first you can't really control it and also just because it's a boy or a girl, doesn't mean they will have the personality you desire/picture in your head. I spent the first part of my pregnancy a little sad about the fact that I wont get to carry these 3 babies separately, and go through 3 baby stages, but now people are making me feel like I need to be sad about not having *their* ideal genders as well. I am probably just being pregnant sensitive/hormonal... I am just hoping all of our girls will be close and enjoy having eachother to play with as children and share a lifelong friendship.

The tech also kept telling us we'd have lots more u/s to see the babies, but my OB hasn't mentioned any further testing or regular u/s. Does anyone know if there are "standard" u/s for twins? I am pretty sure the last time we saw DD was at my 20 week anatomy scan.


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## BellyBean

Keira, hmmm...I'll have to think of something to send you  Love your pictures, especially the one like Kewpie's must be a twin thing!!!! They are absolutely adorable and I definitely see your DH in them  My DD is an identical clone of DH, but since i am home most with her, she has my manerisms, so we both kind of shine through!


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## rcr

*Kewpie* - yay! Glad you had a cyst







. Seriously, that gives me some hope. You got two babies out of it, with a cyst! Thanks. That totally made my day.

*Tear*/*Carlyle* - I am so jealous of your sisterly-ness. I don't have any siblings. That is part of why I want another baby so bad - so that my DS does not grown up as an only child like me, especially so that he has somebody close when he is an adult.

*Lyndi*/*bungalow* - you two are so close. I am excited for you!

*Belly* - yay for girl-girl twins! I think that two girls is wonderful.

*Keira* - is she sicking on his head? That is adorable!

*Rena* - thanks for asking. MY next appointment is not until next Thurs - a week from today. I start stims on sunday, and lupron tomorrow. So thurs will be my stim day 5 check (the same time when they canceled my cycle last time because I had already O'd). Did I mention that I am taking gannirelix from the start this time? I am. So hopefully it will help me to not O early. that was often my problem with IUIs too.

*all* - btw - if anybody is on FB and wants to me my friend, send me a PM. I love seeing kewpie's photos and updates of the babies on FB. I don't mind if you all know who I am - I just don't put my identity on here because I don't want people from work finding this and knowing about IVF and stuff.


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## Keria

Belly, I was just kidding about the prize  I can't believe people are telling you that







I always get that we must be done because we have a boy and a girl, we are probably done but having one of each is not one of the reasons.

Sometimes I get a little sad that I don't get to go through the baby stage of each of my kids separately. I feel that they get less attention and loving because they are twins but then I see my guys snuggled together and forget about it.


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## Keria

Rcr I missed you before I can't believe all the hiccups you are having with this IVF. I'm hoping your cyst doesn't give you nay troubles and you get your very much awaited BFP. And yes she is trying to suck his head  they both try to latch on to anything when they are hungry it's pretty cute and if a woman is holding them they go straight for the boob I have started to warn people before they hold them lol.


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## rcr

Belly - Ha! that is funny about latching on. I totally forgot about that. DS used to try to latch on to DH when he was a newborn. Ahh. such sweet memories.


----------



## Carlyle

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Tear78*
> 
> OK...I just have to brag and I said I took BOTH those pictures!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Ok, I used his expensive camera....but still, he taught me a couple tricks.










I'm so impressed! And mmmmpththt...pot head...haha!


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## deborahbgkelly

Belly- My doc does u/s at every appointment (every 4 weeks). He does not use a Doppler on twin moms because it is not sufficient at identifying number of heartbeats. I don't know if he does u/s for all twin moms or if it's specifically because mine are ID. I'll have to ask him at my 24ish weeks appointment. I won't have one for the 20 week because I'll be doing my anatomy scan/level II ultrasound.


----------



## Tear78

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Keria*
> 
> I have to say I love the city select. It's super easy to push and it's one of the places where my babies will sleep so I guess they find it comfy. Dh is also a pro in putting it together really fast. I also love the option of using it as a single or double. Right now our babies still fit into one seat together so we do that if we are going on a quick trip or into a small space.
> 
> Tear She is beautiful. She looks like a tiny little thing how big is she?


She's 15 1/2 pounds now. She's not a big baby, but hubby and I are both shorter so that may be part of it.







And we have the City Select too and LOVE it. Do you put them both in the bassinet? Anika slept in her bassinet better than in her crib until she outgrew it. It was a lifesaver. Plus, the stroller drives so easy over bumps and fields and trails. I LOVE the pics of your little darlings! I think you're right, the bond they have with each other will outweigh any loss of attention due to being twins. How are you doing with having two? I often think about how that would have been, often when I'm sleep-deprived and feeling inadequate taking care of DD. I hope you're getting enough sleep!
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *BellyBean*
> 
> Tear, any of those tricks easy to share?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The pictures and your daughter are absolutely darling!!!


Thanks!







My hubby showed me how to put a white paper in front of the flash to soften the light. I did NOT do that for the second picture, and you can see the difference. It's tricky, though, because if you don't cover it correctly you get a dramatic shadow across her face. I'm sorry people are giving you comments about having to try again. People just need to say something. When we found out we had twins, my dad said "oh you better hope they're the same sex." When I questioned him, he said because we only have one extra room. He didn't mean anything by it, but it still bugged me. Once you get farther along people will pull out the same questions over and over again....snore.








Quote:


> Originally Posted by *rcr*
> 
> *Tear*/*Carlyle* - I am so jealous of your sisterly-ness. I don't have any siblings. That is part of why I want another baby so bad - so that my DS does not grown up as an only child like me, especially so that he has somebody close when he is an adult.


Yeah, Carlyle rocks. I don't know how I would have made it through infertility without her. Seriously. I hope your DS gets his sibling soon!







C'MON, UNIVERSE, THIS IS RCR'S TURN!!! I'm anonymous on here for the same reason, including my students. I, like, NEVER go on Facebook and am a bit of a privacy nut on there too in terms of posting pics (did you know Facebook has the rights to anything you post, in case you get famous?), but I'd be happy to be friends with people there, too. Just pm me as well.

blue, my darlin', I have everything crossed for you! HEAR THAT, UNIVERSE. IT'S BLUE'S TURN TOO!

ok, I seriously have to go work on report cards.


----------



## kewpie80

Keria - OMG those babies of yours are SO CUTE! I love the nomming on the head one.

Belly - YAY FOR GIRLS! I bet your DD is excited to have 2 sisters to play with! I agree it is annoying when people try to tell you what you should or should not have as far as children go. We keep getting the, "oh, a boy and a girl, you're all DONE!" Excuse me? these are not your children nor your decision. My husband and I will decide when we're done. ugh! SO happy for you and your 3 little princesses!

About the u/s... we had an u/s at every appt from the beginning to the end. The OBs at the practice didn't trust catching both babies n doppler, so they looked for HBs and movement with the u/s every time. No idea if that's standard at every practice, but that's how they did it at mine.

bungalow - so good to hear from you!

Maisie is crying... finish personals and post new pictures a little later...


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## kewpie80

typing one handed with my nondominate hand while nursing... haha forgive lack of capitals.

rcr - glad my cyst could make your day 









Liam has started to bat at the toys on the baby gym. He coos when he eats or is comfy. They both smile a lot in their sleep, but no social smiles yet. Maisie has started sounding out some vowel sounds when she is alert. Ahhhh and Ooooh are the 2 she's working on now. They're both just over 9 pounds and can lift their heads for short periods of time. Liam can hold his for a minute or two at times. They LOVE baths and just coo the entire time. Still waking to eat at night every 2-4 hours, but they are waking and being alert more during the day and starting to sleep slightly longer at night. They love mirrors and will stare at themselves for up to an hour sometimes. 7 weeks old!


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## blueyezz4

Wow, lots going on here today!!!! So fun to be getting all these emails w/ updates from this side of the thread!!!!

*Kewpie* - love the new babe pics!!! So cute. Love the one where Liam looks like he is smiling in his dreams or something!! They are just adorable little miracles!!

*Tear* - thanks for you kind words and always rooting me on!!! Can't believe we go so far back!! Your little one is just so cute and I'm so glad that you have been blessed w/ that little miracle!!! Hope you got your report cards done!! Oh and I have also always thought you and *Carlyle* (hugs to you too and good to see your name show up as well!) have such a fun relationship. How far apart in age are the two of you? Are you guys the only siblings or are there more of you???

*Belly* - don't listen to all those people running their mouths about having a boy!!! Screw them, is what I say!!! It is your life and you can do what you want and be happy w/ what you get. I think your 3 little girls will be the perfect family and you can just get a male dog that way DH will have some Testosterone other than his own and not be the only male. Oh man, I don't even want to think about having to drop my child off at daycare or school. The first day I dropped Abby off at Doggie day care I almost lost it on my way to work... LOL!!!! I'm such a sap over this stinking puppy dog she totally melts my heart and has me wrapped around her paw for sure.

*Keria* - Love your new pics!!! They look so alert and sweet!!! Love the pic where your little girl looks like she is trying to eat her brothers head. So funny!!!!! That will for sure be a great pic to pull out when they are 16. LOL... Hope things are going well for you all!!!

*Lyndi* - How fun that you are having a bathroom remodeled!!! I love when we do little projects in our house that make improvements. I've been wanting to repaint our bedroom but i need to find a comforter first and then find a color. I liked our bedroom color when we moved in and was able to find a bedspread to match but now i'm tired of it and feel i need something new. It will probably take me another 2 yrs to find something that is right. Probably doesn't help that i'm not actively looking either. So you keep saying "she" when you talk about your baby? Did you find out that you were having a girl and I just missed it? I guess i was thinking that you weren't finding out but maybe that was Tenzi instead of you.

*Tenzi* - hope thing are going well for you and you are adjusting back to reality now after your vacation!!! How are the pelvic floor issues??? HOpe you are well!!

*Renavoo* - I'm going to try and change my profile pic to a new one of Ab. DH and I were taking a nap together on the couch and Abby was joining us spooning next to DH's legs and put her head on his legs when i snapped that pic. I don't have too many new pics of her and most of them are just her face when she is sleepy b/c she is always moving and active and i swear she hates the camera and knows when i'm trying to get a pic of her and makes it hard for me. Little snot!!! LOL!!! Sometimes she too smart for her own good!!!

Okay, well i'm stalling right now and should be working on our Taxes -yuck!!!! I think i'll go over to the other side and update there first b/c that seems like more fun then doing taxes right now!!!! Hope you all have a great weekend!!!


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## Tear78

Kewpie, SO cute! And yay for loving baths! DD SCREAMED through many of her first baths until I got in the tub with her, and then she decided it was ok.

Blue, it's just Carlyle and me. She's almost four years older than me (sorry, sis) but her lifestyle is way more energetic than mine so I think she seems younger than me sometimes. And yeah...taxes...that's tomorrow's procrastination..er..project.


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## lyndiramos

Blue- yes its s girl!! Not sure if I said so before... We have a first name but still no middle... Alina is the first. Possibly Jo or paige for a middle we will see..


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## blueyezz4

Cute names!!! Love Alina!!! What about Alina Renee or Alina Marie? I think those sound pretty together too! I know you didn't ask for my 2 cents, but i gave it to you anyways!!!! Might not go with your last name though which is always a factor as well, so who knows. I'm sure she will be beautiful no matter what!!!

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *lyndiramos*
> 
> Blue- yes its s girl!! Not sure if I said so before... We have a first name but still no middle... Alina is the first. Possibly Jo or paige for a middle we will see..


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## rcr

Lyndi - I know somebody who changed her name to Alina as an adult. I don't remember what her old name was, but she changed it when she was in her late 30s to Alina because she like that name. Love it too.

Blue - ugh to taxes. That reminds me that I need to take care of my moms taxes. Thankfully DH takes care of ours, so I just have to sign my name.


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## tenzinsmama

Blue, ha ha, I haven't been hiding, although I wish I could go somewhere and stay dormant for a few days... I've been sick. AGAIN. And so has DS. I developed a cough when we were in Turks and Caicos, but it didn't really bother me because I was so busy having fun and plus all the humidity didn't make me feel so bad. And then I started to get better, and then DS got sick and then my cold came back (or else it was a new one-- the one that DS had... otherwise, why didn't he get sick earlier, when I was sick?)... Anyway, it's been a brutal one, and all week it's been really tough. DS had to go to the doctors because of a fever that just wouldn't go away and got higher and higher-- ear infection. Now I'm off there tomorrow because my ears are bugging me, too. Seriously, can we not have a break over here with the cold/flu viruses?

About your question re: Turks and Caicos... we really liked it over there. It's a good place to go with families, because there isn't a malaria risk, low crime, good medical care, English speaking, to mention a few things. I normally like to do adventure travel and even rough it on the unbeaten path, but that's on hold until the kid(s) are older, whether for the reason that they come with us (and it would be safer/easier when they are older, i.e. more self-sufficient and able to handle the elements, OR, we leave them at home with grandparents. I'm not that brave, to do either of those things at this point-- ha ha, I miss my DS if I haven't seen him all afternoon when he's been out with DH.

And your question about the pelvic floor issues... well, both my family doc and midwives suggested I see an OB-GYN for a consult, which I did today. I got in within a week of the referral, because there was some concern that I might have some prolapse going on... and with the concern over placenta previa and all that... Anyway, they were thinking this because ever since I got the cough I had some incontinence and then now two weeks later this cold thing is way worse and in the last couple of days, the 'spillage' is REALLY bad. Coughing, sneezing, blowing my nose-- it's an 'oops'. So, I went from using pads to Depends. Yep, fun stuff. And, it was feeling really 'full' and 'bulge-y' down there (sorry, tmi). Good news is, I might only have some vaginal wall prolapse, which isn't anything to worry about. Apparently, 2nd (and beyond) time around, one kind of stretches out and the congestion (all the increased blood flow to the area) happens quickly and it can get really pronounced. He can't say for sure, because he couldn't do a pelvic exam because of the placenta previa. And also, when laying down, it looks pretty normal in that area. (It's when I'm squatting or doing the sneezing/coughing that I feel that sensation.) More good news is that he did a quick u/s, and he says he'd bet that the placenta will move up and out of the way, and I wouldn't need a c/s. And even more good news, is that I don't have to consider an elective c/s to save my pelvic floor (something my family doc had wondered)... because... and here is the bad news... that my pelvic floor is damaged from giving birth the first time. 90% of the damage done is from that, and so it's not going to get much worse this time around. My DS was asynclitic (sp?), but still, it wasn't a complicated case. Because of that, plus I didn't like the burning sensation, I held back a bit on the pushing (yep, I did... until one of the midwives said, "Do you want this baby to stay inside you?" in a firm tone), he came out slowly (two hours)... Apparently, the OB said that sometimes if babies pop out really fast, your body doesn't have time to stretch enough and you can have a lot of damage. Since that didn't happen to me, it might just be genetics wtih the pelvic floor being weaker, and my age at having my babies. Anyway, I hope this cold goes away soon, and I'm not experiencing incontinence anymore, because it's humiliating doing a diaper change for both me and my DS... plus those darn things are expensive.







Sorry for the long AFM... but I needed to vent my frustration and also, I'm hoping that I might have some advice thrown my way for this issue.

I'm trying to remember all that is going on with everyone, so I can respond to each of you, but my memory is failing me even though I've just read each of the last 30-odd posts carefully... ugh, I wish we could just scroll back a few pages without losing what we have typed! I'm afraid I'm going to miss out on someone if I start doing individual ones... so I'll try and get caught up once we are feeling better here.

Wishing everyone a good night!


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## deborahbgkelly

Lyndi- Alina is on my list for gilr's names too, but looks like we are having little boys. We will know for sure in a couple of weeks.


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## renavoo

Keria, I CRACKED UP when I saw your third photo with Lucia taking a huge bite on Oliver's head. They are both too adorable! Is one more attached to you and another to your husband? Or are both pretty similarly attached to both of you? As for the stroller, thanks for the tips! I actually decided to get the iCandy stroller because DH preferred it and felt it had more leg room. However, looking at both again, I don't believe that but we already bought the stroller. haha. whoops. It's good because DH is fast with it too but I need to get better.

Lyndi, I'm with you...i love beautiful brick much and will never know how people can paint that over. I always wanted an apartment with an exposed brick wall and fireplace. haha That always seemed so romantic to me. Yah to April 9th! Just a month and a half more. it'll fly by! By the way, love the name Alina!

Belly, that's silly that people are telling you to try for another baby! I think that your DH would be so happy to be surrounded by beautiful women (although, he'll have to get that shotgun out when they get older...haha) It's funny because people who know that I am having a boy and a girl say I'm so lucky that I have both so I can be done. I tell them that whether it turned out that I was having two boys, two girls or one of each, I was done. I wanted 2 children, regardless of the sexes and that was that. People just don't think about what they say. And anyway, girls are the best...speaking from the experience of being a girl. hehehe. By the way, in terms of visits, I actually have every other week visits scheduled mostly because they want to check my cervix (due to a prior LEEP procedure). The doctor says that he plans on doing a scan of the babies themselves every 4 weeks. So perhaps, because everything is looking so great on your side, you'll end up seeing the doctor every 4 weeks? It's odd that he hasn't scheduled anything yet though!

Rcr, I hope that the memories become reality for you again in about, oh, 10 or so months. D I really hope that gannerilix helps prevent your early ovulation...that way the egg has time to mature fully. I'm so hopeful for you this round, even with the darn cyst. I was really happy to read that Kewpie had a cyst early on and ended up with her two gorgeous babies )

Speaking of gorgeous babies...Kewpie!! Maisie is a doll. She's so beautiful! And I love the photo of Liam smiling in his sleep. What a handsome guy! Wow, 7 weeks already...that is so amazing. You and your DH must be so amazed every day when you look at the wonderful little people you brought into this world. D

Blue, Abby makes my heart melt. I LOVE her. And her nose. haha you know how some people want to squeeze chubby cheeks? With noses that cute, I want to find the equivalent and do that to Abby. D I know, DH thinks i'm a little crazy when it comes to dogs. I just love them so much. Sometimes, I think, if reincarnation were possible, I was either a dog in my previous life or I'm meant to be a dog in my next life. I made DH promise that if reincarnation was real, that he would become whatever I was in my next life too. haha too bad we don't believe in reincarnation! Abby looks very content just being with you two, lying on the couch. I bet she would be a great big sister to your baby! I am following along with you and your cycle but I am running out of time this morning (i had so much trouble sleeping through the night that I ended up getting out of bed a little later this morning and it's almost time to get ready for work!)

Tear, oooh I love camera talk. haha I haven't had much time to play with my camera, which I miss but I'm hoping to "torture" my babies once they are here. Hey, i need blackmail material for the future right? haha. I didn't realize you and Carlyle were sisters! How wonderful to have that relationship and to support each other like that!

Tenzi, oh my gosh with not feeling well ( You poor girl. it seems like you guys are just getting each other sick in stages! I hope you feel better soon. I'm glad that the doctor thinks that placenta previa won't be a huge issue by the time you give birth but I'm sad about your pelvic floor issues. I hope that it gets better. If it makes you feel better, I hear many pregnant women have to deal with incontinence so I think it's normal and definitely not something you should feel bad about. Although, yes, I do hear that Depends are expensive. Big hugs!!

By the way, taxes. Ugh. haha I just sent our stuff off to my accountant to have him take care of it. Because seriously, numbers and I just don't mix. ;o)


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## BellyBean

Tear, I am going to totally play with that trick!! I just took some pictures of DD the other day (it was a big day for her!) and most of them came out blurry cause I didn't use a flash, or totally whited out. I was so frustrated because I can usually get something good!! (of course 1 out of 1000 better turn out!!!...hehe!)

Lyndi/Blue, we must have similar naming styles  Paige and Renee are on my middle name list, along with Claire and a few others! Love the name Alina!!! Great choice!

rcr, so glad Kewpie had a cyst too! Funny thing to be glad for, but I am  I am so hopeful that this is your cycle, and I haven't had time to comment on the other side, but I love that you were told a December baby! The stars are totally lining up for you!!!!!

Tenzi, we have had a horrible cold here, it's already lasted about 3 weeks, and I sneeze so hard I have a little accident too. Luckily, the one time it was bad I was at home, that would have been so embarrassing (not to mention, I wouldn't have been prepared with extra pants) if we were out and about. Sorry you are sick and dealing with the pelvic floor issue too, but so glad to hear it wont impact a csect.

Shoot gotta run, my mom just got here, and I must go back into hiding  I'll post more later. Sorry Renavoo!!!!


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## lyndiramos

Belly- I also like the name claire for a middle name.... Only problem is it is my dhs ex fiance.. And even though this year we will be married for 12 years... She still is crazy about him... Last year we ran into her at a get together and after a few drinks she basically jumped my husband and the house owners had to make her leave... So needless to say claire is out!!! Lol


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## deborahbgkelly

Tenzi- I believe a regular panty liner you would use for your period will work for accidents as well. I did buy some Depends pads just in case, though. I have the peeing when I sneeze thing starting.


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## BellyBean

Back after work  So where was I...

Renavoo, that's interesting about the cervix and your previous LEEP. My u/s this week was the first time they have checked my cervix, but I knew I had a "long" one from when they checked with DD. I think it was 4 cm, but I can't remember exactly since there were so many measurements taken. I have my next 2 ob appointments scheduled 4 weeks apart, but so far I have only had one quick u/s during 1 appt to double check hb...they are so low key about everything, I wonder if that should bother me?!? I'll have to ask at my next appt if there are any other "standard" u/s, they keep talking about having so many because of the twins, but no one has given any details, and I don't remember any others with my DD. So jealous of how often you get to see your little ones!

Deborah, anything new with you?

AFM, looks like we sold my car to a family friend, so we might bite the bullet and get the minivan this weekend!! Eck! I am excited and nervous at the same time...but definitely looking forward to all the space. They are running a deal on the model we want, so all the incentives might make getting it early worth it...plus then I'll be a pro by the time the kiddos get here  Also, a mom at our school has twin girls and she offered us both of her strollers, a city mini and a city select!! I am going to have to insist on paying her because she keeps saying "give", and that's just crazy generous!


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## tenzinsmama

Lyndi, um... wow. That's crazy about your DH's ex! That's a good reason for Claire to be out for you... !

Deborah, I'm hoping I can go back to using regular pantyliners once my cough settles down, and then even better would be if I didn't have to use anything. I saw my family doctor this afternoon and I not only have bilateral ear infection, but also sinus infection. I'm now on antibiotics to fight that off, and codeine for the cough on an as needed basis (primarily at night, as it's been keeping me up half of it). I took one this afternoon after having a major coughing fit at Costco while getting the prescription filled, and it's working like a charm. Just had one little cough and no accident... Even without having a cough/cold, I guess it's going to be something that might be happening as baby gets bigger and everything in there gets more compressed. The things we go through to have our little ones! Oh well.

Belly, what a wonderful person to offer those things! We bought a City Select recently, to replace the City Elite we had, so we can take out both kids. We love it so far, we'll see how it goes with adding baby #2. At 22 months old when the baby arrives, he might be wanting to walk some, but hopefully he'll sit in the second seat. Apparently we can also get that piece added on so that he can stand if he doesn't want to sit. That stroller just seems to versatile... and I know that when we are done with it, we can sell it easily on Kijiji. There are always people on there looking for City Selects.

How is everyone else doing?


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## Carlyle

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Tear78*
> 
> her lifestyle is way more energetic than mine so I think she seems younger than me sometimes.


Don't believe a word of this anyone... The only time I seem younger is when I'm throwing a temper tantrum...


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## deborahbgkelly

Blue and Belly- Yes I am alive and here. I also have things going on. I am surprised I did not talk about my crazy weekend last weekend. My 60 lb. dog who is very loving and wonderful does not know her size. Last Saturday she jumped right on my abdomen which was pretty scary. Luckily the babies moved within about 1/2 an hour, but it seems to have caused major anxiety because I had a BP spike that caused a dizzy spell. They are considering it connected and a one-time thing, but babies will be fine. I did strain my abdominal muscle which was incredibly uncomfortable. Tenzinsmama- Hope your cough goes away. AFM otherwise- I have been incredibly tired lately, probably because sleeping is getting quite difficult. Moving is also getting harder. My bump is getting bigger by the day which is great, but I'm still in awe. I have discovered some of what makes babies move. They seem to react particularly to me sneezing, which is kind of hilarious. I have bad pregnancy rhinitis so I get to feel this a lot. It is still mostly flutters, but yesterday I felt slightly stronger punches/kicks. I think someone was climbing on top of the other one, but that's just conjecture. I have my profile pic that shows the latest bump, but I'll also post a few of them here.


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## kewpie80

We just started doing shifts yesterday with the babies. I take 8am to 6pm while DH is at work and then we both take 6pm to 9 pm and then he sleeps till 3am while I'm "on call" and then he takes over so I can sleep till 8. Why on earth had I not thought of this sooner? We had been both getting up and each taking a baby. We were each getting 3 hours of sleep a night&#8230; tops (and in tiny chunks of 30 minutes here and there!) It never fails that one of them won't go to sleep which means neither of us were.

Then yesterday I thought about how I handle them by myself all day and it goes fine and why couldnt we do that at night so we could each get a chunk of uninterrupted sleep. TOTAL DUH MOMENT! hahaha

It worked great and I got 5 hours of sleep! WOO!

(oh, and earplugs and a sleep mask are nice for the person on "sleep shift." That way the on call person doesn't have to be super quiet and can watch TV or something to help stay awake and not drop a baby. 

Just a thought to possibly tuck away and see if it works for you...


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## deborahbgkelly

Kewpie- Thanks for the tips!


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## Keria

Rena, DH says neither of us is the favorite, the boob is the favorite 

Tear I wonder if my kids will be small, right now they are tiny little things. I'm pretty small but Dh is tall so we'll see my friend's 2 month old is 12 pounds and looks gigantic besides my kids. Oh and we didn't get the bassinet but I'm ordering it this week the babies sleep in the stroller but I'm not comfortable leaving them there at night but if they sleep in the bassinet we could put it in our room and maybe they'll sleep there at night. That's what I'm hoping for anyways.

Kewpie Thanks for the tips I'm getting almost no sleep. I think I broke them lol the easiest place for me to feed them them at the same time is the recliner so they fall asleep there on top of me and wake up when I try to get into bed so I have been sleeping on the recliner with both babies on me. We really need to find a way that at least they'll sleep in the bed with us. Ideally they'll sleep in their side car crib but I'll take our bed instead of the recliner.


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## tenzinsmama

Deborah, glad to hear that things have settled down for you... Your pooch is the size of our two, and I sure wouldn't want one of them jumping on me-- it's bad enough with having my 21 lb DS climb all over me and rest his weight on my belly when I'm carrying him. How's the abdominal muscle doing? I don't remember if I posted my issue with that earlier, but from my cough I've had a pulled muscle over my rib cage on the one side for the past couple days-- it's a big 'ouch' having those strains, for sure. I love that t-shirt you have on in your recent pics!

Kewpie, that's great that you are now doing the shift thing. I know that in the first several weeks of having my DS, I was going on adrenaline, and then suddenly all the cumulative nights of lack of enough sleep really caught up with me. Our DS was colicky, and it was suggested that we do shifts, but we never did-- I just couldn't relax. It's great that you can do that-- I learned my lesson and will do that this time around if we need to get more sleep. How's it going with other things with Maisie and Liam? How is your recovery from the birth going?

Keria, same question for you-- how is recovery going? What kind of basssinett will you have? We bought an Arm's Reach Co-sleeper mini convertible bassinett, and I'm looking forward to using it this time around. I believe the original version is big enough for twins, but since we are just having the one, the convertible should do us just fine. Our dogs sleep on the side of the bed on the floor, so there wouldn't be room for the regular-sized one. Especially with our king bed which we got last fall-- we had a queen with our DS and when we did all the co-sleeping, it just seemed like we needed the extra room. I thought about getting a used crib and making a side-car arrangement, but then we were able to find this Arm's reach for a steal of a deal. Anyway, we'll see how it works-- a friend of mine, when she heard her little one crying to nurse, she just pulled the sheet that he was laying on so that she slid him over to her, and it didn't disturb either of them enough to really wake them up too much.

I thought I would post a pic... It's kind of a weird shot, the way I'm leaning back a bit and have my neck twisted to the side to snuggle into the puppy... But, this is me at 23 weeks, while we were in Turks and Caicos visiting a dog rescue organization. They call the dogs potcakes... We actually brought one home with us because one of the pups was being adopted by the nephew of one of the ladies who volunteered there, since we lived in the same city. It was so easy, the pup never made a sound, just slept the whole way and we had him in a soft carrier under the seat in front of us. Ha ha, we actually traveled with the pup and our 18 month old and I was almost 6 months pregnant... it went so well. Not only was the pup a little angel, it really helped that DS was so easygoing-- he was a great little traveler, actually. *sigh* It was so great being on holidays... Now that we are back home, it's either the fact that he has been sick or that he is back in his own environment with no novelty (or both), but there have been some major power struggles/temper tantrums the last two days. I read somewhere that around this age, the challenging behavior really starts to show up... It seems so easy, now that I look back, when they are in the first year. I think I'd rather deal with sleeplessness than the tantrums. Although I must say, this time is the most fun so far, with seeing all the things that he is doing and learning each day and becoming his own little person. Ha ha, I may be eating my words in about 3 or so months!


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## deborahbgkelly

Tenzins- The strain is getting much better, but now I am feeling the bruise that developed. It is not a huge one, but I am noticing it more. Of course, I am sure all this is mixed with round ligament pains and things and it's just hard to tell the difference. Everyone else- I'll catch up with personals later. I'm enjoying feeling the babies move a lot more. It is still flutters, but getting more regular and slightly stronger by the day.


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## BellyBean

Tenzi, you look great!!!!!! What a fabulous baby bump 

Deborah, how scary, but I am glad to hear everything is okay with the babies and you are recovering well.

Kewpie, good idea about shifts!

Keira, oh my, I hope you can get them into your bed or the sidecar!! That sounds exhausting!

Renavoo, I hope you had a great weekend! Do you plan on working less hours as you get closer to the end? I don't know how you do it, my part time job has me exhausted...or maybe it's DD 

Bungalow, rcr, blue, carlyle, hi 

AFM, such a busy weekend for us! We bought a minivan and sold my car to a friend...I can't believe how long it takes to buy a car! It was exhausting, but luckily they had free cookies and hot chocolate to keep me going  Hope all is well with everyone!

ETA: I just realized I am 20 weeks today...wow time is starting to really move quickly!


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## deborahbgkelly

Thanks Belly!


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## rcr

Tenzins and Deborah - nice pics!

Deborah - glad everything ended up ok. How scary. I can totally see our foster dog doing that kind of thing.

Belly - congrats on buying a minivan. DH totally wanted one last time we got a car, and I refused. I kinda regret it.

Kewpie - the shift thing sounds perfect! What do the babies eat when it is your DHs turn? Are you supplementing or pumping, or do they just not eat for those few hours?

Rena - hi!

Hi to everyone else.


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## lyndiramos

Tenzi-your belly pic is super cute also how nice that you were able to visit a shelter on vacation, how fun!!

Belly- your half way there!! Congrats on the minivan, new vehicles are always fun!! My husband just got a brand new truck that seat 6 his old one sat 5 . He loves his new truck but misses his old baby!!

Deborah- im glad you and babies r doing well!! It all icey here and I went down my steps today and almost went down!! The painful part was in catching myself and felling like I pulled 100 muscles doing it!! Anyway Im glad all is well with you!!

Kewpie-Im glad you are able to figure out a schedule!! I cant imagine!! Im nervous about being up with one baby all night and then having to get my older ones off to school on time!! Then you have belly who has a wee one and twins on the way, she going to be a super woman soon too!!!









Hello to everyone else!!

Afm-im excited and nervous all at the same time!! I day dream alot about how things will be when she is here!! We have everything ready!! The diaperbag is packed and sitting with one of the car seats. Bassinet in our room, pack n play with bassinet insert, swing, and bouncy seat are all in the living room, im a big couponer so I have enough diapers and wipes for at least 2 months that I paid about 4-5$ a pack for diapers and 1.00 a container of wipes. My husband has been wonderful picking them all up for me!! I think 25 boxes of wipes and around 600 diapers sit in the nursery!! I do have a question fir any of you that will be bottle feeding. I pump and bottle feed along with breast feeding and was wondering if anyone has used or know anyone who uses tommee tippe (spelled wrong) I have avent but I saw these at the store and liked them... Anyone have a opinion???!!!..


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## kewpie80

Keria - I had that problem too... that they'd fall asleep on me and then it'd be hard to transfer them. I found that with mine, swaddling under their armpits helped cause they were wrapped and couldn't feel movement as well. If yours like to be swaddled, you may try that. DH and I have decided that putting babies to bed is an artform and we're still trying to figure it out. 

tenszins - I'm recovering fine. I'm just about back to normal. I'm actually quite a bit under my prepregnancy weight, so I'm feeling rather good on that front. My hips, knees, and low back have not recovered yet unfortunately. I'm in a lot of pain most days, but I've been seeing a doctor. Your bump picture is adorable!!! What a cute bump!

rcr - I'm only producing about 2 ounces of breast milk every 2 hours and the babies are eating 2.5 - 4 ounces each at each feeding every 2.5-3.5 hours. Try as I might, I'm just not able to keep up with demand, so we've bitten the bullet and been supplementing. When it's DH's turn to feed, he gives half breastmilk and half formula in the bottles. Thankfully, they are able to nurse despite getting bottles without getting nipple confusion. I attribute that to using a SNS for the first 4 weeks instead of bottles.

lyndi - We have tommy tippees. I like them for the following reasons: They really do have nice soft nipples that do feel similar to the breast. They are easy to put together and the babies do seem to like them. My complaints: My son collapses the nipple in really easily. He does this with all bottles, BUT the tippee ones are supposed to prevent this. They obviously don't. Another complaint, they have a lot of parts to them. They are similar to the dr Brown's bottles if you are familiar with them. It's not a huge deal, but when you have a hungry baby, taking time to put it together can leave mom annoyed... All in all, they aren't bad bottles. I guess it depends on what is important to you. If you want something similar to the breast in feel, these definitely fit the bill. BUT they aren't so spectacular that I'd write home about them either. They don't seem to reduce spit up or gas so much. I haven't found a bottle that does yet. I think I have just about every bottle out there. I have avent, dr brown, dr andrew weilbaby, nuk, evenflo, similac, soothies, tommy tippees, medela and probably a few others that I am forgetting. TBH, my favorites are the 4oz medela with a simulac nipple. (because they are simple and I have a zillion of them)


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## tenzinsmama

Belly and Lyndi, yay for your new purchases/getting ready!

I have a question about cribs... What do you all think about 3 in 1 or 4 in 1 convertible cribs? We bought one for DS before he was born from Costco (along with a dresser that functioned as a change table, until we removed the side pieces last month), and though we co-slept for the first 13 months, he is now sleeping in it and loves it. We don't plan to take him out of it and use it for the new baby... aside from any upset to what he's used to for sleeping arrangements, as far as we are concerned the whole set is his-- he can take it all with him when he moves out type-of-thing. However, it's just occured to me that since the toddler bed uses the crib mattress, it really isn't going to be that big of a bed for him (though he's on the smaller side, it should last awhile) but eventually it will be too small... and yet to convert it to the double bed, that might be too big for him-- not to mention it takes up a lot of space. So what do people do in that in-between stage when they have a convertible? Put in storage and buy a twin bed? With a twin bed, it would give a lot more space for when he is wanting to play in his room, and even maybe leave enough room for a desk for him to do schoolwork when he's older... Our rooms are pretty small in this house, but I wasn't really thinking of that when we went for the convertible type...hmmm, not sure what to think. This is coming to mind now, because of looking at crib options for the new baby... So, convertible, or 'regular' crib? (I've been looking at ads on Kijiji for gently-used options, and it's just dawned on me to wonder why oftentime people are selling their convertible cribs and yet keeping their dressers...maybe they are finding this, too?)


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## tenzinsmama

Kewpie, just missed your post while I was doing mine... Just want to say, I'm glad to hear that you are recovering quite well, although I do hope your hips, knees and lower back get a lot better soon. Is it because of carrying the babies-- it just threw your alignment out of whack? Or is it pre-existing, and was aggravated by pregnancy?


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## kewpie80

I've always had lower back problems. My knees and hips are from everything loosening up and haven't gone back yet. I imagine the 14 weeks of bedrest didn't help.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *TenzinsMama*
> 
> Kewpie, just missed your post while I was doing mine... Just want to say, I'm glad to hear that you are recovering quite well, although I do hope your hips, knees and lower back get a lot better soon. Is it because of carrying the babies-- it just threw your alignment out of whack? Or is it pre-existing, and was aggravated by pregnancy?


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## Tear78

Keria, DD had reflux and I spent many nights sleeping with her in our reclining sofa chair. I hope you're able to get back to sleeping in bed, but don't feel bad about doing what works!

Kewpie, have you tried to Breastflow bottles? They have a lot of parts, too, but I wonder if they would help with the collapsing. They're supposed to reduce flow and let baby control how much comes out. We love it.


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## renavoo

Lyndi, definitely no Claire! I absolutely understand about disliking a name just because of a person. She sounds really annoying too and i'm sad she's still in your life causing drama. Yah to being prepared, by the way!! I can't believe it's almost time for you...it's so exciting. By the way, I am going to start purchasing diapers and such...i'm going to follow your model of coupons and sales. D Did you end up buying many different types or stick to one type?

It'll be so exciting to see your babies!

Tenzi, love the pic of the belly (and the puppy in your arms) haha. You really are all belly! Yah! it always is so difficult coming back from a wonderful holiday isn't it? We all work too hard. D I keep thinking I need to win the lottery. That would entail playing though, which I'm not inclined to do.

Belly, YAH for the minivan! What kind did you get? Did you get all the fixings (i.e. tvs, etc?) My DH has a company car so we'll use that but he was looking to see if he could get a minivan from the company and they don't supplement minivans. Such a shame! I don't drive so it's not a big deal for me (one of the perks of living in the city- i'm much more about walking on foot everywhere I go) but i know it's going to be a pain when we want to go visit my mom, who lives in queens, or his family, who live upstate.

Kewpie, Yah to being below pregnancy weight! I'm so jealous! Did you speak with your doctor about your back, lower knee problems? I'm wondering if they can put you on a stretching regimen to relieve the pain. As for needing to supplement, I hope you don't feeling bad about that! Your babies are still getting great nutrients from you but they just need a little extra. I'm sure that a lot of people with twins need to supplement and it's no reflection on you. You're doing great (and I can't wait to get some more pointers from you!)

Deborah, yah keep growing!

Keria and Bungalow, just thinking of you!

Rcr, yah to beginning stims!! D I can't wait for you and Blue to get to the 2ww and then your bfps!

Blue, how is everything going with you? glad your parents are ok and getting lots of help. Give Abby a hug for me!

AFM, Belly, I'm with you! Time is starting to fly. i mean, day by day, it feels like it is going so slowly but when I think about to the last few weeks, it seems to be moving faster than it did the first 20 weeks. i think it's also because i'm starting to worry less now that i feel a little movement. However, i can't wait until 24 weeks comes and goes... As for work, yeah I would like to ideally work from home the last couple of weeks, if it's possible but we will see. My job is odd in that there really isn't any cover from my responsibilities so they probably would prefer I be there in person. This next week (and actually, until mid March) is going to be insane with work due to a few presentations in the making) so I'll probably be MIA more. I am a little worried about working 14 hour days (including weekends) while pregnant but so far, I've been feeling ok. Sigh, oh to win the lottery!

;o)

Big hugs, ladies!


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## lyndiramos

Renavoo- I have mainly huggies because they have great coupons all the time 3.00 off then target has online coupons for typically 2.00 off huggies so combined thats 5.00 off a pack of diapers!! I really scored after christmas kmart halfed off huggies christmas diapers then 5.00 off so they were 3.00 a pack for those!!! They were size 3 but who cares!! The wipes I got one dollar off pampers wipes I always seem to find those so I have paid about .99¢ for those 60-72 count.


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## deborahbgkelly

Tenzins- This is the one I chose for the twins' nursery. I think it is 2-in-1 (crib plus toddler bed): http://www.amazon.com/Child-Craft-London-Style-Stationary/dp/B004ZWRG10/ref=reg_hu-br_item-added. We needed something a little smaller though since we will have 2 beds in one room while they are young. Also, even though we have registries, we wanted something not too expensive since we'll need two.


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## deborahbgkelly

Renavoo- Thanks! I was really amazed how much I popped between week 17 and week 18.


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## BellyBean

Tenzi, DD has a convertible (not sure if its 3in1 or 4in1), but it's a crib, toddler daybed, and full sized. We took the front off when she was about 2 years 2 months. She probably would have stayed in it till college, she loves the crib and never tried to climb out! For us, we don't have big enough rooms for a full size bed and I don't care for how high the footboard would be. About 2 weeks ago we moved her into a twin with 2 bedrails to give her some time to get used to it before the babies arrive. She still stays in it really well (calls for me when she wakes up to come get her, instead of climbing down herself). I kind of don't want her to know it's an option to get out of bed by herself  Plus, we were given the headboard and matresses, so I figured we may as well use that and then only need to buy one more crib/matteress for the twins. But I had always planned on passing down the "baby" furniture and getting a new "big girl" set for DD...we have friends that are going to keep the older sibling in the same furniture and buy a new "forever" crib for the baby. If you like the furniture for your DS, and he is comfortable, there is no sense messing with a good thing.

Renavoo, so cool you don't have to drive much, I despise driving...but will hopefully enjoy it a little more now  And a free car/SUV is an awesome car/SUV. With only 2 kiddos you'll have plenty of room for those occasional trips! We got an Odyssey because it is the only van that has 3 latch seats across the middle for carseats (currently). I didn't want to have to climb into a 3rd row with DD to try to get her buckled and have the 2 infant carseats to carry/climb around too. So this way I can push the button for the door to open  have DD climb into her chair, walk around to snap in the infant seats, come back and tighten DD up and hop in my seat...sounds like a piece of cake right  Oh wait, I forgot about load the stroller (double snap and go, at first) and diaper bags! Haha, it's going to be nuts! Your work hours make me tired to read! I hope you get some relief later next month!!

Lyndi, great job couponing!!! I need to get atleast a few packs of each size (even though we CD) on sale/with coupons soon. I noticed all diapers went up by a dollar a pack at our local store 

Hello to everyone else!!!! I am off to enjoy 30 min of just me time before DD wakes up from her nap!


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## kewpie80

Renavoo - I was worried about weight since I had gained over 50 pounds, but it melted off SO FAST! It took 3 weeks to lose all the water from the pre-e, but between that and the delivery, it was gone in no time. Don't worry about your weight! As long as you are healthy, I'm sure you will lose it quickly afterward too! I did talk to my doctor about the pain and yep, I've been stretching. It helps, but it isn't a cure-all, unfortunately. I think a lot of the pain stems from being on bedrest for soooooo long (from 22 weeks to 36 weeks) I seriously am SO weak right now it isn't even funny. I'm getting arm strength from carrying babies, but my legs are AWFUL. I used to have very strong legs (I ran track for years) so this is very new for me. I'm sure it'll get better with time.

I do feel badly about having to supplement. I know in my head that it isn't my fault, but my heart won't listen. I will be glad when they are on solids and I can stop dwelling quite so much on milk.

Oh, and regarding time... my 2nd half of the pregnancy flew by but it's nothing compared to after the birth. Oh man does time fly!

well, Liam's rooting in his blanket, so I better go feed him. Later all!


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## Keria

Kewpie we supplemented on the beginning because they were losing a bunch of weight. I almost cried when I gave them the first bottle of formula. How do you know how much milk you make? I'm always worried about making enough milk for them. I'm pumping like crazy to give them a couple of bottles a day somehow it feel reassuring to see the milk going into them.

As for bottles we used dr browns, avent and evenflo glass bottles. We like Dr browns so far no nipple confusion. I'm tempted to get some of those breastflow bottles though.

Rena I gained 66 pounds and lost all but 12 pounds. I was super worried about the weight gain but the weight does come off fast.

Tenzi we have 2 convertible cribs one side cared to our bed and the other one is in their room. thought about getting a co sleeper but the crib does the same job and we already had it so we went with that.

AFM Our sleep situation is getting better. The kids are sleeping for longer stretches at night and we seem to be getting better at transferring to the bed they still need us to snuggle them in bed but at least I can get out of the chair.

My babies were one month old yesterday, they are now staying awake for longer periods of time and are starting to get interested in other things besides the boob. They are cute as can be and we are enjoying them so much. They were definitely worth the wait.


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## kewpie80

Keria - right now, I'm pumping and I give them that first and then give them as much formula as they want afterward. I do nurse maybe a couple times per day. Some days, I'll nurse before every feeding and others I just don't have the energy and I'll only nurse a couple times. When I nurse, I have no idea how much they get, but I let them decide when they're done. If you're nursing exclusively now, they are probably getting enough if you get at least 6-8 wet diapers a day and they are gaining weight. If you're worried about it though, you can rent a nursing scale and weigh them before and after a feeding.

I'll post more later... I hear Liam stirring


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## renavoo

Hi ladies,

Can't talk long because I have to get ready for work. My mantra is Tuesday right now (Tuesday Tuesday Tuesday) because that is when my first big presentation is. After that though, we have prep for another big presentation but as I'm not allowed to fly and the presentation is in Switzerland, I'm just helping to prep this time around.

Kewpie, LOVE the picture. It looks so peaceful. haha I still have an image of that night when all hell broke loose. Too funny! I'm definitely going to need some advice from you mamas once the babies are here. Keria, so glad that the sleep situation is getting better )

Belly, how are you feeling?

Everyone else, HI! Sorry for the drive by. It's just crazy.

I just wanted to ask...are there any specific books you guys think have been extremely helpful books to prepare for twins? I was thinking that I'll probably need a book to educate about breast feeding (and getting them on the same schedule) as well as a book about sleep habits.

THANKS!


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## deborahbgkelly

Renavoo- A friend of mine who had twin girls after her 2 singletons said "When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets or Quads" was like the twin mama bible (my words, not hers).


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## BellyBean

Keira, I was talking to another twin mommy recently and she was telling me she slept in a recliner with both babies for the first 6 months, so it must be a pretty common solution! How are you doing?

Kewpie, so exciting that you'll be moving next year! I bet it will be really nice to be back around family. Was there a huge difference in FET success rates between the 2 clinics too? Are your frosties slow frozen or vitrified (I think I remember them being vitrified last year)

Renavoo, I hope you are getting a little break this weekend!!!!

Hello to everyone else!

AFM, so tired I can barely keep my eyes open...guess I should probably just get used to it, but DH is traveling for work and it's exhausting not having any help for a whole week. I am also starting to worry about finding names. I have a long list of names, but I honestly can't find 2 I like together.for whatever reason (one is popular - one is obsure, one matches DD's - one doesn't, they both start with the same letter, or end with the same sound/rhyme, or one has my MIL's name in it but nothing for my mom...ugh) I really feel like giving up on the name hunt.


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## lyndiramos

Quiet this weekend!! I just wamted to stop by and say how excited to say my obgyn took me off bed rest yesturday!!! Im 34 weeks tomorrow and although Im to take it easy the next couple weeks the swab test she did said my chances of labor in the next two weeks is unlikely so I was excited to make my way out of my house today!! I took my girls and we went shopping for our welcome baby party (coed baby shower after baby is here)!!!! Im pretty excited about this party. We have a huge family so we are expecting 100+ people... We will have a hall with a d.j. Ect... We decided to keep the babies weight and length a secret until the party to have people guess!! I found some great games online like bottle chugging, dirty diaper game, stuffing balloons in these huge clothes to see how many can fit!! Im excited!! If any of you have any coed game ideas let me know I would love some input!!

Hello to all and I hope you have a great weekend!! Oh I also got my c section date of April 10th!! But if I go into labor March 18th or after they will do it then!! So close Im getting nervous and excited!!


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## deborahbgkelly

Congrats on removal from bedrest and getting so close to your due date! Babies stay in for your mama!


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## lyndiramos

Sorry I said babies but its only one baby!! Lol thanks deborah!!


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## tenzinsmama

Thanks for the ideas around the crib... So, I'm looking for some feedback on my 'plan'. What we are leaning towards is using the Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper for the first while, then transitioning baby to a crib in his/her own room-- it will be a simple crib, gently-used with a new mattress. (Deborah, it's kind of like the one you are getting.) For a dresser, we'll buy a new one that is on the more expensive side (similar to one like DS's, which is from Costco--it's really well-constructed and solid wood and it doesn't dent/scratch easily) so that it lasts a long time, and can be re-touched if it needed it. We'll keep DS in his crib (which is convertible, just to jog your memory of my earlier post) until he's ready to move into a 'big boy bed'. At the point when he's adjusted to the new baby being here and he's okay with letting go of his crib, we'll move it into the baby's room and then the gently-used one can be just re-sold. We hope he'll be okay with letting his crib go, because we'll have a Little Tykes Car Bed for him then (again, gently used). The whole plastic car bed isn't my idea of what looks lovely for a child's room, but it's more important that he is excited about it and wants to sleep in it. Anyway, when baby #2 is ready to move out of the crib, we can use the toddler bed part of it, and then when he/she is ready for a 'big bed', we'll get him/her whatever twin bed he/she wants and store the crib and conversion rails down in our basement-- until either one of the kids is ready to move into a big room downstairs, where the double bed will fit easily, and/or they move out. And, once DS wanted to graduate to a more mature bed, then the plastic car bed gets re-sold... oh, unless baby#2 wants the car bed-- wow, I'd certainly be sick of it then, wouldn't I!

Sorry for the long post about this... I'm just trying to think it through myself... Hope it makes sense how I've written it... I know it probably seems kind of complicated to be doing it this way, but the thing is, I've read that if you have children close in age and are going to use your child's crib for the new baby, you better do the switch-out well in advance of baby coming, because otherwise it is just too much change/too hard to share on your older child's part. But right now, my DS is just not ready to move from the crib. And I don't know when he will be ready for that. (He's had major sleep issues, which only got better since the end of September-- I don't want to mess things up.) So I reallly think we'll have both kids sleeping in cribs for a time... and it's hard to justify spending all that money on a 2nd convertible crib, when I know that we wouldn't be able to use the double bed feature for both of them anyways, with their rooms being as small as they are. (Who knows, if it's another boy, maybe they would even want to share a room, and we'd get bunk beds at some point.) Oh yeah, I also read somewhere that one mistake parents make is moving a child from crib to bigger bed too soon... and a suggestion was to have both the crib and big bed set up and in the room at the same time so the child can transition at his/her own pace.

So much to think about with the ages/stages thing. With DS, it seemed like things were less complicated... I co-slept until he was 13 months, and breast-fed exclusively until he was 17.5 months (never pumped, never bottle-fed at all)... Lots of benefits to that, but I also discovered some things that weren't so easy in the end (which is why I want to get baby used to sleeping on his own, and taking a bottle of expressed milk on occasion). *I'm also not going to rely on the baby swing to get him to sleep... I created a huge sleep association with that, and that caused major issues it turned out... so, I'm not taking that chance with this baby. Even if he/she turns out to be an easy baby!!!

Anyway, please let me know if there's any flaws to my logic... Sorry this is mostly about me...

Lyndi, glad you are off bed rest-- Wow, you are getting close!!!

Belly, names are definitely hard. We can't think of one single boy name, and we've only got a couple of girl names, and we can't decide. Anybody-- do you have some ideas you can throw at Belly and I?

Renavoo, I don't know how you can work so hard... I'm really feeling like I'm starting to lose steam, as I near third trimester. Is your job a great one, and that makes it a ton easier?


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## kewpie80

for names, DH and I were having the hardest time and then we picked up this book - http://www.amazon.com/The-Baby-Name-Wizard-Magical/dp/0767917529/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330921786&sr=8-1 It's a good one and it's where we found the name, Maisie.  Anyway, it not only lists the names and meanings and origins, but also has a chart that shows popularity over the last 100 years and nicknames and it pairs it up with sibling names. So those of you who already have kids, you can look up your current kid names and then look at suggestions that go along with it. I thought it was a pretty good book at any rate.

ETA - If any of you would like to borrow my copy, I'd be willing to loan it to you by mail as long as you promise to send it back within a year 

ETA #2 I'm pretty sure liam has reflux  Poor baby can't catch a break!


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## BellyBean

Kewpie, oh no about Liam's reflux. I am hoping you can find a solution for the poor little guy. I did hear that babies should see a chiropracter, it makes me a little nervous, but I know you go often and have someone you trust. That might be worth a shot. Thanks so much for offering to use your baby name book!!! You are so sweet  I actually spent probably 15 hours this weekend working on names and think I came up with/narrowed it down to a set of top 3 combinations. I am scared to look anymore, in case I find more to add to the list! I am sure I have said so before, but I love both of your names!!

Tenzi, I think your plan sounds great. Simple, inexpensive (as it can be) and a good pace/comfortable for your DS. I am getting really good at re-purposing/using things around our house (see my AFM for more). So switching and moving stuff as they age seems like a great idea!

Renavoo, glad one of your presentations will be done tomorrow, we miss you!

Deborah, hope all is well with you too!

AFM, oh my gosh, spent the whole day rearranging furniture  I love it when my DH comes home and calls me crazy for doing too much! His words were "a 70 year old and a pregnant lady shouldn't be moving all that furniture" I had some help from my mom  We had the mover pads so it really wasn't hard...it just looks impressive! Anyway, we moved my daughter's big baby dresser (changing table and hutch) into the babies' room and changed the crib placement. Then we moved the old spare bedroom dresser, night stand, and desk into her room. It wouldn't fit with a double or queen sized bed, but with the twin bed and headboard we were given everything fits perfectly. Now I just have to rearrange everything hanging on the walls so it makes sense with the new furniture and placement. Ideally, I would have loved to buy her a brand new set of furniture, but I was able to use everything we already had (and don't have space for anymore) and all we need to purchase is 1 crib for the newbies.

Oh, and I have to figure out what we'll do for the first several months in our room - buy an arms reach or use the in bed co sleepers we have (1 was a gift/1 from DD) and we also have a pretty long bassinet we used for DD, but I don't know how long those solutions would last. I was also thinking we could sidecar one of the cribs....hmmm...lots to think about. Maybe I can use all 3 of the things we have as they grow, co sleepers to bassinet to crib instead of spending any money on an arm's reach.


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## tenzinsmama

Belly, how did you know your DD was ready to transition from her crib? Also, I'm not sure if you are in Canada or US, but we found it hard to find Arm's Reach in stores here in my province... And I think that they are way cheaper to buy in the US. Anyway, on Kijiji we lucked out and bought one as I think I mentioned before... it's a mini convertible, good for a singleton-- we payed $100 for it. We sold the bassinette we had and put it towards it so it wasn't too bad. We tried one of those co-sleepers that sit in the middle of the bed, and DS absolutely hated it. So we are looking forward to the Arm's Reach. If we had lots of room, we may have bought an inexpensive crib and made it into a side-car, but that isn't the case. I wish I could start rearranging things, too, like you-- but we still can't decide on a crib. My MIL was really surprised that we would keep DS in the crib still, but I'm just choosing to not react to her comments... ha ha.

Kewpie, poor little Liam... DS had reflux, too, but he outgrew it pretty quickly. We had him on meds for only about 2 weeks, and then were able to take him off because some of the things we were told to try, worked. (Keeping him upright after a feed was the biggest thing, and then I found that when he layed on his side he felt much better. Easy to keep him on his side when I was side-lying and nursing him on and off all night...) I hope he catches a break soon!

AFM, I found out today that I tested positive for the gestational diabetes screen. So I have to go back now for the actual test. Hopefully that one turns out negative. We have our u/s at the end of the month to check to see the position of the placenta, hopefully it's up and away from my cervix. Also, I'm going to have a consult at the Pelvic Floor Clinic we have here at one of our local hospitals; they have a multidisciplinary team and I'm hoping to find some help in terms of making sure my pelvic floor stays as intact as possible, given that it seems I have some issues from before. Been feeling discouraged how things are cropping up, but it could be worse. At least baby is kicking up a storm and seems to be doing very well.

How's everyone else doing?


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## bungalowmama

Hey ladies. I hope all is well with you. Things have gotten a bit more stressful for me and the boys. I've started having some crazy swelling in my feet and lower legs. At yesterday's appointment (34w1d) I was up 15 pounds from two weeks ago - so much fluid because if anything my appetite is way less. My blood pressure was ok - 114/78. Normal for me outside of pregnancy is 120/80 though it has been lower than normal during the pregnancy so far. Also, the dip stick showed +2 protein on my urine sample. So I was sent home with a 24h collection jug and am about to go turn it back in and get blood drawn to test my liver and kidney functions.

I'm honestly freaking out a bit. I've had no preterm labor scares, so I just got lulled into thinking that of course I would carry them to term. So I'm not ready emotionally or practically. DH is finishing up the nesting projects. He built the crib that's on my side of the bed last night. After I drop off my 24 hr sample at lunch I'm meeting him at BRU to pick up the last few necessities. Our shower was on Sunday so tonight I'm going to sort the baby clothes so DH can wash them. Then I'll pack our hospital bags and put them in the car. Then DH just needs to install the carseats.

My primary concern is the boys not being ready. I guess they'd get steroids to help their lungs if needed? I'm praying that they can stay in at least a few more weeks, but I want to be prepared just in case (if for no other reason than to help my skyrocketing stress level). I just don't feel ready yet.


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## kewpie80

bungalow - your story sounds so much like mine. My protein was +2 and after the 24 hr urine, they induced me an hour later. (BUT my BP was high) My protein levels were in the thousands... I forget how much now. They gave me 2 shots of steroids 24 hours apart a couple months prior when they threatened to come at 23 weeks, so they didn't give me any when they were going to induce. Plus, I was at 36 weeks which is much less of a concern. Take heart that twins lungs do mature sooner than singleton. I hope they don't end up taking your babies early, but I would definitely prepare myself for that if I were in your shoes. The fact that your BP isn't high is a good sign, but it could spike and I'd be worried about that. I was fine one day and then had it retested 3 days later and was high.  So sorry! You'll be in my thoughts.


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## kewpie80

You wanna know what's more fun than 1 baby with reflux? 2 babies with reflux... I need a clone of myself. I can't hold them both upright for feedings plus hold them upright for an hour after each feeding, especially when I'm supposed to cut their feedings in half and feed them twice as often. It isn't physically possible. I don't like to wish time to speed up, but I do right now. They are in agony and I can't help them fast enough.

I do have an appt for Liam with a chiro on thursday. That may help. And we have appts with the Ped tomorrow. I ordered 2 nap nannys as well. These poor babies!


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## Keria

Belly 6 months!







my poor back. Did you use those in bed co sleepers with your DD? I was looking at those but I don't know ifmy babies will like it. Do you think both babies will fit in the bassinet? I would plan to use that or side car the crib I would not buy a co sleeper.

Bungalow Hoping you little guys stay in there until term but is nice to be prepared.

Kewpie poor babies do you have a bouncy seat? They are on an angle maybe you can place them there after feedings.

I have list of girl names in my other computer I'll post when I'm on that one. Our final girl names were Lucia Carolina and Natalia Isabel.

We have had a rough couple of days babies must be going through a growth spurt or something because they want to eat all day and all night. We ran out of the pumped milk I had in the fridge. I'm considering giving them some formula which breaks my heart but I need to get out of this recliner and take a shower.


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## deborahbgkelly

Bungalow- Hope things go the way you want them to and you don't have to induce. The good news is that 34 weeks is not an uncommon time for twins to be born and I am sure the doctors will do everything they can to make sure the babies are ready. Belly- I was out of town which is why no one has heard from me in a few days. I had a major growth spurt in a week and a half and am posting pics here. Our anatomy scan is Thursday so we will see if these still look like little boys and, as DH put it (I like the positive spin), "how perfect they are". I like this spin better than if all is normal/if anything is wrong.

18 weeks 1 day 19 weeks 4 days


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## BellyBean

Bungalow, how scary. I hope everything turns out okay with your other tests and those babes stay put for a few more weeks! Please keep us posted if you can.

Deborah, I swear somedays I feel like I have grown a ton. It's funny how it sneaks up on you with each little spurt!

Keira, we used the in bed co-sleeper for the first 8 or so weeks. Then it seemed like we were keeping her up, and she was certainly keeping us up. Then we moved her to the bassinet and it was so sad for me to have her so "far away", but we all slept great that night...it was our first night we got 6 hours straight. I need to get the bassinet out of our attic, but I think it's 36in long by 18 in wide, so I am not sure if they will both fit or not, we swaddle, so maybe it will work since they wont be able to kick (or move much?). Otherwise, I was thinking maybe I'd just bring one of the two cribs in our room. My friend with twins says for them it was really important to seperate at nap, so they always kept a pack n play up (like 3 years) in their spare bedroom.

Kewpie, oh no about 2 babies with reflux now. I really hope you can find a solution quickly for your little ones and for your more than full arms!

Tenzi, I didn't really know if she would be ready or not  I think she would have stayed in there forever she seemed to love her crib. But we just took the front off the crib one day and it went okay. Then we put a twin mattress next to the crib in case she rolled off (which she did twice). We kept telling her the matress was the new big girl bed, and then after a couple months we just set up the twin in her room with the guard rails and prayed she'd be okay. The crib had to be completely disassembled to get out of her room, so we weren't going to be able to switch back in the middle of the night. I was really worried she wouldn't like it, but she handled the front off her crib really well, so I was hoping it would go just as well. She also LOVES stools, so we put one next to her bed to help her climb up and she loves that  Our next challenge is getting rid of the bink...seems impossible when there will be 2 other babies with them (if they want). Really nervous about that step!

AFM, not much going on. I have an OB appt Thursday, and don't have a sitter, so I plan on taking DD. It's just a 15 min appt and she is good about sitting still. Hopefully she is interested in hearing the heartbeats


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## blueyezz4

*Belly* - hope your appt w/ your DD goes well!!! One of my friends just went to an u/s appt w/ her little boy who is just over one and he was pushing all the buttons on the u/s machine printing u/s I guess she said. I think boys are a little more rambunctious than girls. Hope all goes well. Keep us posted!!

*Renavoo* - hope all went well w/ your presentation and you can relax a little bit now!!! Hope you are feeling well. Fill us in when you get a chance on how YOU are doing? When is your big u/s also?

*Deborah* - hope all goes well on Thurs!!! What time is your appt?

*Keria* - hope the growth spur goes by fast so you can get out of the recliner. Hope everything else is going okay for you!!

*Kewpie* - I had a friend that had a little guy that had like projectile reflux and she took him to a Gonstead Chiropractor (i'm sure you could find one close to you on their website. It is kinda a more gentle type adjustment that I swear by even for myself) and she said after like 2-3 treatments he was so much better. She didn't want to put him on meds and that was her way of getting past that. Hope they/you get some relief soon!!! Thinking of you!!!!

*Bungalow*- Keeping you and those little ones in my thoughts and prayers. It sounds like they are pretty big to begin w/ so you have that on your side. Did they say how much they weigh right now? Also, did they do that test on you like a swab where they can tell if they think you might go into labor w/ in the next two weeks? I realize that they might have to help them to come early if things aren't going the way they want. Fingers crossed that they can stay in there longer. Does the dr want you to start working from home now too? Keep us posted.









*Tenzi* - oh no, not GD!!!!! Hope you can get it under control w/ diet and exercise at least for awhile. Did you have it w/ your last baby too? Hope you can get some good advice about your pelvic floor too.

I'm sure i must have missed someone, but i'm just looking back over the last page so that is my excuse if i miss ya!!! Hope everyone is well!! Did any of you use PIO shots? I'm on them now and have only taken one so far this morning and man is my butt killing me. I haven't used them in so long, i forgot how bad they are, but they did work for our first IVF so i thought maybe i'd try them again, but now i know why i switch to something different. Uggghhhhh!!!!! Don't know if I can take it and it is only the 1st day. It didn't get that bad last time until like a day or two before we got the BFP beta then it got worse.


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## lyndiramos

Blue- yes I did pio shots!! I was glad when I was done!! I switched sides and also ran the bottle under hot water before I had dh give it to me. That seemed to help!!

Bungalowmama- your in my thoughts!! The good thing is you are 34 weeks!! I know the feeling of not being quite ready!! I was feeling ready but now pretty nervous about it all!!

Tenzi- sorry fornot passing the GD test. Goodluck on the 3 hour test!! That was the worst for me.. I hadnt slept well the night before and kind of dozed off to be woken by a nurse saying if I fell asleep again they would have to redo the test... Uuurrgghhh I didnt pass that one either and was pretty upset but now that Im use to the diet its not so bad!! The only crazy thing is that Ive lost 10lbs over the last two weeks... Obgyn doest seem to concerned but I was freaking out when she told me!! Anyway hopefully you pass and wont have to worry about it!!

Deborah- your definately getting bigger!! All of you twin mamas are at your half way point or past which is so exciting!! Im remember when you all first got your bfps!!

Kewpie- reflux urrgghh hopefully you can figure something out soon because Im sure that isnt fun especially during the night!!

Hello to everyone else!!


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## tenzinsmama

Belly, thanks for the tips on transitioning from a crib to a toddler bed. Also, you inspire me to get moving on making the changes around here in terms of preparing the room for baby, and other things that have to be gotten ready. I had my DS 3 weeks early, and who knows if this baby will come early, too-- so I don't want to be scrambling like last time to get the last-minute things done.

Bungalow, how are you doing? Have you gotten a little more ready and how about those tests you have to follow up on?

Blue, no, I never did have gd with DS...

Lyndi, I hope I don't test positive for gd... but if it happens, I'm going to ask you a few questions about it that's for sure.

Kewpie, how are you holding up, dealing with the reflux in both now? That must be so hard!

Sorry for so short, I've got to get to bed. I've been dealing with a pulled cartilage on one of my ribs, from all the coughing spasms I've had, and I've been in a lot of pain that gets worse when I'm sitting in certain positions. And being in front of the computer is one of them...

Sorry if I've missed someone, I'll catch up more later with everyone!


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## deborahbgkelly

Blue- My appointment is at 1:00, but I have to be there 20 minutes earlier. DH is taking the afternoon off in order to join me . Maybe I can talk him into shopping for baby stuff afterward. LOL. Lyndi- It is pretty amazing. I hadn't even realized how much bigger I'd gotten until I saw those pictures. I knew I had a growth spurt, but didn't realize how significant. DH and I were talking about baby-proofing and I said we should do it before I get too big and he said "honey, I think you already are". LOL. This was because I move around for just a bit and get horrible round ligament pains. It will be interesting to see how big I am just before labor. I will be induced at 39 weeks if the twins haven't shown up, so I am just past my halfway point. I am 20 weeks along today .


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## kewpie80

Maisie on left, Liam on right.



^ Liam



also Liam



Maisie


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## kewpie80

The reflux is definitely hard. Maisie's is much less severe, so she's ok for the most part. I just find her choking 3-4 times per week when she's in the co-sleeper. Liam is pretty much in pain for 2-3 hours after he eats, but he eats every 3-4 hours, so.... yeah... not fun. We talked to the ped today and she said that we can try him on some antacids, but I told her I'd like to try some other things first. I ordered some nap nannys for them (the chill version) and they should be here within a week. Several people told me about having him see a chiropractor. I guess some babies get out of alignment during birth and it can cause reflux. I'll be seeing her today. If neither of those work, I'll ask to have him put on the antacids. Thankfully they usually grow out of this within a few months. 9 months old is usually the latest. I feel so bad for the poor babies.

ETA: Liam is now 11.5 pounds and Maisie is 10.5. Liam usually tucks his legs up when I pick him up and he's so round that I've started calling him butterball cause he's the shape of a butterball turkey. We also call him potato for the same reason.  He's so adorable. Maisie, we've started calling banana cause she curls up into a "C" shape when she eats. Doesn't matter if she's at the breast or bottle... Head juts forward and tucked down with feet straight forward and spine curved. If I can get a picture of her doing it, I'll post it some time. It's really funny.


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## renavoo

Hi ladies, sorry I've been MIA. It has been so insane. 12-14 hours a day for the last week and a half and 10-12 hours on Sat and Sunday. Argh. I'm beyond exhausted. I got a temporary reprieve yesterday and got home from work around 6:30 but the insanity is going to begin again today because we're prepping for the next presentation. They are already talking about weekend work. sigh. Just another week and a half. (that's my mantra). DH is going insane though because he's worried i'm overdoing it. he's being very sweet and supportive and lets me fall asleep on him once I get home but he's going away in a week for 2 weeks so i'm dreading that too. i wish i just had more time to spend with him. March is a horrible month. Ok, enough whining. i think the little ones are doing well. I get little pokes once in a while but i'm really looking forward to tomorrow, when I'll be going in for my next check up.

Kewpie, sorry about reflux ( i hope that the nap nannies work for the little ones! I would be like you and would prefer not to have to give them drugs when they are so young. You are doing so great. The photos are fantastic and I love seeing them. They give me such a smile on my face. Love how peaceful they look. and haha to the nicknames! I can't wait to see photos of their poses ;o)

Tenzi, oh no to GD! I am worried that i will develop GD too with all the sugar I eat (and yet, I still can't stop. so sad...it was especially bad this last week because we were working long hours and someone bought in a lot of chocolate and jelly beans. sigh). i hope that the test shows that it was just a temporary fluke!

Bungalow, oh no!! I hope that things are going well for you! You were my beacon for an easy pregnancy. Hopefully, everything is ok. The great thing is that at 34 weeks, your babies have nearly the same chance of survival as a full term baby, i believe. I was reading about it somewhere because I started looking up the viability by week information. I'm at 23 weeks and just hoping to get at least another 11 weeks (and hopefully more!)

Belly, hope your appointment goes well today!! Yah for nesting and being so productive! It's exciting to see it all come together isn't it?

Keria, hope you got to take that shower! if you need to give them formula, please don't feel bad about it. It is just how it is. You're still giving them your milk so they are getting the benefits of a well rounded diet )

Hi, Blue, Rcr, Deborah!









Oh boy, sorry if I forgot anyone. I'm in a fog and I think i'll go lie down again before my day gets started. I just wanted you all to know i was thinking of you!

Big hugs!


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## BellyBean

Renavoo, oh my, I don't think I could make it through one of your days  Hope you get some more relief soon!!! Keep us posted on your appt. tomorrow!

Kewpie/or anyone, I have a question about the blood glucose test. I usually put a splenda in my coffee in the morning. Does anyone know if that would effect my test results...not sure if it "acts" like a sugar for the purpose of the test. They told me I should avoid sugar that morning (I am going in at 7:30 am), so I guess that means I shouldn't have my glass or 2 of OJ  or any honey nut cheerios either.

Bungalow, hope everything went okay with your extra tests. Maybe you already have babes in arm? Stop by when you get a chance 

Kewpie, so sorry about Liams bad reflux. I hope they can get it all sorted out quickly for everyone's sake.

Lyndi, glad the GD diet isn't too bad, you are really getting close to baby time!!!

Blue, sending tons and tons and tons of positive vibes for tomorrow!!!!!!!!

Tenzi, my friend just failed the first glucose test, but passed the 3 hour one. I guess there is a large group that falls into that category. Keep us posted!

AFM, had my monthly check up today. Nothing too exciting. DD was pretty well behaved, but kept asking relentlessly for a sticker. She just didn't understand why I wasn't getting one. She seemed a little interested in the babies' heartbeats, but was more concerned on why I didn't lay down right when the doctor came in and kept telling me over and over to lay down as the doctor was trying to get all the basic info. I think I'll make sure I have a sitter next time  The good news is both babies are currently head down (not sure if they'll stay that way), and I don't have any signs of preterm labor yet, of course it's early at 21 weeks. My OB signed me up for the preterm labor watch "group". The nurses call weekly and we discuss what's going on and evaluate any small signs like backpain, contstipation, cramps, ect to make sure I am not going into labor. Oh and I am measuring 6 weeks ahead! And I can tell, my bump looks like almost 30 weeks with DD 

Okay, so silly thought for the day....how will I know what name to give which baby??? With BG, I think it's pretty obvious  unless you go in with several names on each list.


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## kewpie80

renavoo - Sorry you've had to work so hard! That sounds exhausting! Do you plan to continue to work after the babies are born?

Belly - splenda doesn't affect my blood sugars. Definitely a no on the OJ and cereal.  For the names, maybe just assign the name to either A or B... or... wait until they come out and see which one looks like one name or the other.

Tenszin - Hope you feel better soon


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## deborahbgkelly

So, we have two little boys. However, the rest of the news isn't so good. They are tiny. Baby A is measuring at 2% and Baby B at 12%. IUGR- intrauterine growth restriction. Looks like hospitalization for me in a few weeks. My only job right now is to gain a bunch of weight and keep as low-stress as possible. Please send positive vibes/thoughts our way.


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## kewpie80

oh deborah!! I'm so sorry! Good thoughts are sent your way! I hope everything turns out well for you guys. DO they know what is causing it yet? Pre-e or HELLP or placenta problems? I'm assuming it's placenta related since they are identical...? My heart is breaking for you!


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## deborahbgkelly

Thanks Kewpie! Luckily, I've been hearing lots of positive stories with similar diagnoses (apparently my brother was 10th percentile). He was almost 7 lbs. at birth. Quite a few other positive stories too. Any good stories you hear, please share.


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## lyndiramos

Deborah- you are in my thoughts!! When do you have to go to the hospital? Hoping they hit a huge growth spurt over the next week!! I have heard positive things when it is found past 20 weeks and not a issue from really early on when alot of important development is happening. Sounds like your LOs have been good until now so im hoping that things go well for you!!


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## deborahbgkelly

I would go at 24 weeks, so early April. I have been hearing lots of good stories, so this is helpful. Doesn't make me worry less, but at least it is of some comfort.


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## renavoo

Hi ladies,

Argh, another sleepless night. Sigh.

Deborah, I'm so sorry but completely hopeful that everything will turn out ok. Keep us posted.

Belly, YAH to a great appointment visit (haha your DD was so funny! She just wants you to get the best care







) I hope she's as well behaved when it's her turn at the doctor's office. D As for knowing what name to give each baby girl...Umm good question ) I think you should just go in with a list of names and whatever name strikes you as fitting once you see your babies, that is what her name is! Yah to being ahead in growth! Hmm I wonder when I'm getting my glucose test. I hope it's not today because no one told me about it and I eat cereal in the morning. I can't wait to eat until my appointment anyway (it's at 9:45am) so I'm just going to hope they don't test me today (especially since i just ate some cereal...whoops)

AFM, I'll check in later after my appointment but i've been feeling the little babies tumbling around so I'm hopeful things are ok in there. As for work, yes I plan on working after the babies are here too. I will probably take the 3 months off but then I need to go back (we're planning on hiring a nanny). Typical days at my company aren't too bad (9 to 6:30 or 7) but this month has just been a bad stretch with special projects (new business basically, where we put presentations together and present to companies to win, well, new business for the company.) Those always result in longer hours but this recent stretch was worse because of shortened timelines. At work, we have mentoring circles that help us navigate working with parenting. I'm hoping that my being in one of those mentoring circles will help me face any issues that come up from me being a working mother!

Anyway, thinking of you ladies! I'll check in later.


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## deborahbgkelly

Renavoo- Thank you. Ladies- I'm trying to find names for my small twin that mean healer, strength, fighter (things along those lines). I think it would be helpful to me to have that inspiration. I prefer to avoid very religious names (particularly any that specify G-D). DH is an atheist and I don't want to offend his sensibilities. I have a couple names in mind, but am not convinced about either of them. We think we have a name for our other one.


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## deborahbgkelly

Also, seems like we have to get on it.


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## Tear78

Deborah, I'm so sorry! Did they give you details about what to do, how to help, how common this is? Go lay down with a bunch of comfort food and demand the princess treatment!







Grow, babies, GROW!


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## Tear78

I've been thinking about KellyTTC#1 with her pregnancy after the twins. Kelly, are you out there? How are you doing?


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## BellyBean

Deborah, I am sorry the twins have IGUR. I am not an expert, but I think it is fairly common with ID twins, so I am sure the doctors know exactly what to do to get them as plump as possible by delivery. I'll be thinking of you lots and if I come across any good fighter names, I'll be sure to pass them along. Are there any first letters, sounds, endings, or other requirements to the names?

Renavoo, don't worry, I am sure it's not today. The blood glucose is done between 26-3X weeks...they just scheduled mine while I was in yesterday! Enjoy some more cereal 

Hi to everyone else....off to work so I got to run  Of course I'll be back later!!!


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## deborahbgkelly

Tear- it is fairly common especially since they share a placenta. All I can really do is rest and eat, rest and eat. I have to gain a minimum of another 26 lbs. or so. My mom gave them some in utero names, but I don't think we'll use them outside of the womb. They are perfect for now though (Oz- pronounced- ohz means strength)- this is for Baby A and Ori (pronounced- oh-ree) means my light. in terms of later names- nothing that rhymes with Toryn and ideally there will be a J first or middle name. I am thinking of keeping my mom's in utero names as Hebrew names for when they are blessed in my parents' shuls.


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## blueyezz4

Wow, a lot going on over here that I'm trying to stay up on!!!

*Kewpie* - those babes are beautiful!!!!! Such adorable little miracles for sure!!! Did you have the chiro appt yet?? Sure hope that things start getting easier for those babes and that darn reflux.

*Deborah* -







Sending lots of healthy growing vibes to both of those babes!!!!!!!









*Belly* - glad your appt went well and how cute that your DD was trying to help out!!! I think you need an updated belly pic?!?!?!?! Hope you are feeling well. Funny how you mention about how to name which child which name. I never even really thought about that. We were just calling the babe that always seemed to be on the Left one name and the one that was on the right the other, but i think once you pick the two names you like and they are born you will know by looking at them which one should be named which. Did you finally pick two names? Are you going to share or no?

*Renavoo*- glad you made it through your presentation. Wonder if you should mention your long hrs to your dr and see if he/she thinks it is okay and if not maybe write you a script for certain hrs if you need. You just don't want to over-do!!!!! I know it is hard when you feel like you aren't doing as much as everyone else but you also need to take care of you and those little ones first!!!!! How was your appt today??? Can't wait to hear your update.

*Lyndi* - glad the diet is going okay. Keep up the good work!!

*Tenzi* - how is the GD diet going for you???

*Bungalow* - how are you doing??? Thinking of you!!!

*Keria* - how are you doing??? Any new pics of those babes?

*Sorry if i missed anyone!!!*


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## renavoo

Hi everyone!

Blue, I'm so happy things went well ) I'll write more on the other thread but I just wanted to say hi on this thread too! )

No weekend work (in the office anyway!) for me this weekend! yah! I have work to do at home but i'm just excited that I don't have to go in and i can take naps when I want to. haha the small things in life really amuse me.

Thanks for commiserating with me on work. One of my coworkers (who was suffering with me last week) stated that it was ironic how the powers that be protested when i picked up anything more than a pound and yet, thought nothing of me working 14 hour days for a couple of weeks. I found that hilarious (might have been the exhaustion) but so true. ;o)

So, my appointment went well. I really need to cut down my bad eating habits though because in a week in a half, I gained like 5 pounds. I can't believe it! I weighed myself this morning and I lost about 2 of those pounds but geez. I think it's actually just my poor eating during the presentation prep as I ate lots of awful stuff to stay awake. And I've been feeling a lot more edematous. I have my diabetes screen in 2 weeks so I'm going to get better about eating the next 2 weeks and into the end of the pregnancy!

Tenzi and Lyndi, you guys are my trailblazers in case i need help and fail my GD tests. Honestly, i'd be surprised if I didn't, although I'm happy that they haven't found any issues with my urine thus far. It gives me hope that even if my pancreas isn't working great, at least it's still working! (I know i know, I'm so pessimistic)

The babies themselves look good. Colin is on the bottom and Sienna is above him. her feet were by his mouth so while we were watching, Colin started nibbling on her foot. It was hilarious! my cervical length is good (3.8 or so) and it is tight so I feel better. I don't know if you ladies feel or felt this but once in a while, I feel Colin kicking (or actually, more likely punching) my cervix area. I was so worried about it because I didn't want him to impact the cervical strength; I didn't think he was strong enough now but I'm still a little worried about later, especially since i had a LEEP procedure. The doctors don't seem worried though. We got some images of the babies and I think that Sienna has some of my DH's characteristics, such as nose. So i'm really happy that we're starting to see them more clearly. Colin seems to hide more so we don't have as many nice images of him )

Anyway, that's my update. I'm so excited to get to the week of viability! The doctor mentioned that I should be keeping watch for the babies' movements because should anything happen to them, although they would prefer to keep the babies in my womb (uh, yeah!) the babies have a good chance of survival should they come out. Yeah, I'm telling the babies to stay in there as long as possible!

Bungalow, how is everything going for you? I hope that you're feeling better and that your edema is gone and the babies are resting comfortably inside you!

Belly, Kewpie, and Keria, (and everyone else!)


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## deborahbgkelly

Thanks Blue! Right now, I'm trying to stay positive, but the emotions are crazy. I'm sure the pregnancy hormones don't help anything either. There were good things we saw on the ultrasound, so I'm trying to focus on those and focus on getting fat (lol). The positives are that I have very bouncy little boys, there is plenty of fluid and they have very strong heartbeats. I am also trying to keep in mind that I'm very small, so I might just be making really small babies. I don't think they really have figured out how to compare babies to babies of other similarly-sized women. It is just a general comparison. I'm just under 5'.


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## Keria

Deboeah how scary hopefully the babies will gain as much weight as possible before delivery. I've also hear plenty of stories of IUGR with great outcomes.

Kewpie those cheeks! they are gorgeous.

Rena Glad the babies looked good do you have any u/s pics to share?

Blue Sending you all the sticky vibes I can muster. Pleas little embie stick around you have an amazing mom that;s been waiting for you for a long time.

Tear How is your little girl doing?

AFM babies are good I had a plugged duct for a couple of days and it wasn't fun but thankfully it's clear now. Babies slept well last night hopefully it's not a one time thing. Here are a couple of pictures of the crazy babies in their straight jackets.


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## deborahbgkelly

Thanks Keria!


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## kewpie80

Keria - Oh my goodness!!! SO CUTE! They look so much alike, I had to look back and forth a couple times! No denying they're siblings! They're so adorable!


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## Keria

Thanks kewpie







They do look a lot like each other people confuse them all the time. They do have very different personalities Lucy is so laid back and chill and Ollie is very intense.


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## BellyBean

Keira, SO CUTE! Glad to hear the babes are sleeping better!

Deborah, here are some names from one of the books have. I think boys names are so hard!

Jay: Victory (and it has a J)

Vincent: Conqueror

Vijay: Victory (and it has a J!)

Brian: Strong/Noble

Conan: Mighty

Bryce: Strength

Jason: Healer (another J!)

Andrew: Manly, courageous

Jabari: Fearless (yay for a J)

Renavoo, glad your appt went well. I am sure you'll do fine on the gludose test! 5lbs in 2 weeks seems pretty easy for me...I have really started to snowball the past few weeks! I can tell the babies are really growing!

Kewpie, how is the reflux going? Any improvement?

Bungalow, thinking of you. Hope you and the boys are doing well!

Lyndi, how are you?

Tenzi, anything new? How is the nursery prep going?

Blue/rcr, thinking of you!

AFM, got all our baby girl clothes out of the attic and washed them up. I only saved my favs, so we will definitely need to buy more. I have also been trying to figure out how I'll do the baby names for their room...oh and a crib and second bedding set too. We have narrowed it down to about 3 pairs of names. So getting close!


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## lyndiramos

Keria- so stinkin cute!! I think they look mostly like there daddy!!

Bungalowmama- hope you and babies are doing well!! Look forward to hearing from you soon!!

Renavoo- I hope work slows down for you and glad to hear you can feel the babies all the time!! I feel for you twin mammas!! Im uncomfortable with one little one stretching out inside me now!!

Kewpie- hope you are doing well with those little cute reflux babes!!

Tenzi- how did your glucose test go? Hoping you passed with flying colors!!

Belly- very cute names and im glad you are able to narrow them down early in the pregnancy!! I have enjoyed purchasing clothes for my little girl!! I have tried not to go over board because I wont be reusing them on anymore babes!!

Afm- im 35 weeks now which is very exciting but my aches and pains are increasing by the day!! I am also have been having problems sleeping uurrgghh! The main problem is itching especially hand and feet.. My obgyn said just take benadryl as needed and if its still happening on friday we would talk about it more!! I hope it goes away!!


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## rcr

Deborah -







Have you seen the movie "Secretariat"? the horse always came from behind, had low odds, and won the triple crown. If you have not seen it, rent it.

Keria - cute!

Rena - that is adorable, nibbling on the toes! What is the LEEP proceedure?

Hi to everybody else!


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## Tear78

Kewpie, DD had reflux, too. She was in so much obvious pain from it, it was really hard to watch. Our doctor prescribed Zantax for her, and it really helped her feel better. Like, it was almost immediate. She was on it for about 3 months (I don't remember exactly now), and we kept testing a day off it now and then until she seemed to do fine without it. I'm not pushing the meds if you're not up for it, but I thought it might help to hear that perspective.







It was HARD! I spent many nights sleeping in the recliner with her because when she was laying down she spit up and rolled around groaning. Also, I changed my diet: NO onions, for a while no chocolate. These were obvious triggers for her. The onions were so bad that I'm still nervous to add them back in, but I think I'll try soon. I hope you find a solution for you little ones!

Keria, oh what cuties! Thanks for sharing.









Ugh, I feel like I had something else to say...oh well. Happy Monday! mutter...mutter...


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## renavoo

Keria, they are so cute all wrapped up!! how is everything going? Hope the one night of sleeping well wasn't a fluke!

Belly, yah to starting the prep! Our balcony is going to be enclosed on Thursday and during the next couple of weeks, I'm going to start the prep too (without dh as he'll be traveling for business. Sniff) but hey, it's ok. I'm getting used to the idea but that could be because we just had a wonderful weekend of being lazy. Anyway, how are you doing? How are you feeling? I'm so excited that you're at 21 weeks!!

Lyndi, 35 WEEKS!! You're getting there! Oh no, about the itching though. ( I hope DH is dutifully and gently scratching the itches! Just a few more weeks and you'll be done.I can't wait to see the photos!!

Rcr, I can't wait for your BFP. I know you said you weren't optimistic on the other thread but I am for you! A LEEP procedure is one of the procedures they use to remove abnormal cells from the cervix. Since they remove a piece of the cervix, some women have trouble with pregnancy, especially if they have had multiple LEEPs. Luckily, I've only had one and the person was really quite good and removed a very small amount of the tissue. So my cervix seems quite competent.

Tear, let us know how you're doing!

Blue, how are you feeling after your FET? I hope that the PIO shots don't continue to hurt the way they did with the first shot!

Everyone else, hi! off I go to get ready for work. I'm thinking of all you ladies and hoping that we all have a great week ahead of us. D


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## deborahbgkelly

Belly- Thank you for the suggestions. I have Jase (also healer) on the list and Vincent. My best friend who will also be a surrogate uncle is named Jay and by my tradition it is like a curse to name someone after a family member who is living (he may not be biologically family- but he is absolutely family). I like some of the others, but am not thrilled with some (just personal preference). I love Jabari but think it might sound funny with Kelly as a last name. Very rhymey. What book are using because everything I've seen says Bryce means speckled or spotted. I did see something that said swift. I do absolutely love that name though. I found a few others I liked today- opinions? One I had before Eitan or Ethan (one is Hebrew, one is English) both mean Firm, Strong; Emmett means Powerful; Some aren't actually of the powerful/firm/strong/strength/healer variety but would require strength to do or represent something powerful in a person or in nature. These are Arnav- The Ocean; Rhett- Ardent/Fiery (awfully close to strong/powerful) and Ahanu (He laughs- Native American name). RCR- Thanks for the movie suggestion! I bet they have it on Netflix.


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## deborahbgkelly

Secretariat wasn't on Netflix or Hulu :-(. I found it at the Playstation store but only for purchase, not for rent :-(.


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## Tear78

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *renavoo*
> 
> Tear, let us know how you're doing!


Thanks for asking, renavoo! We're doing pretty great. DD has her first two teeth, and she's starting to be SUCH an efficient nurser! She's not crawling yet, but she can sit on her own, and when she's lying down she rolls all across the floor.







I'm just LOVING every minute with her.







She has recently started sleeping a little longer at a time (knock, knock) and DH and I have managed to get a little time together which is nice. I find myself potentially in a TWW, though I don't even know if I'm ovulating. I am having fairly regular cycles and lots of EWCM though. It's a very interesting perspective, since I think I'd be half relieved if it didn't work yet, but I'm also relieved that we're starting to think about the possibility since I don't want to wait a long time. I keep hoping that maybe, just maybe, we'll fall into the category of people who get knocked up easily after the first child. I really don't like that I find myself thinking about it, and I'm trying to drive it out of my head: I do NOT want to be TTCing again, and we're so grateful for DD I can't even put it into words. A big part of me really believes just plain old fashioned sex won't work, which kind of takes the pressure off...at least for now I guess. Anyway, it's on my mind.


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## BellyBean

Deborah, the book I have is "baby names made easy" the complete reverse dictionary of baby names. It lists the Celtic meaning for Bryce/Brice as strength. When I did a google search I mainly found speckled and swift, but if you include strength in the search it does have links with that as the meaning as well. I like all your names, especially Rhett, Ethan, and Jase/Jace. Others on my old list from 2009 with similar meanings were Nolan: Chariot fighter and Aiden (really popular now): Little Fire

Renavoo, thanks for the reminder  I went and updated my siggy. I am 22 weeks!! And really starting to feel the fatique. Whenever, I think I have it rough, I think about you working those long days!!! You'll definitely need to start taking it easier. The 2 twin mommies I know in person both told me not to overdue it (they both have older children) and could relate to me thinking it was like a singleton pregnancy. I am not sure how much it really impacts pre-term labor, but the one mom said she blames being on bedrest for 7 weeks because of trying to do too much. I am sure it all depends on the person and circumstances, and don't want to scare you, just passing on the info they gave me. Thinking about you!

Tear, that first year after DD was born was the absolute best (in terms of not TTC). It was so easy just to let things be and enjoy what we had (eachother and DD). I didn't ovulate until DD weaned at 13 months, and I knew exactly when it started again. That got me all anxious and we both wanted to keep working on our family. We gave it 3 months and then went back to the clinic for FET's. I remember really wishing it would work just having sex like "normal" people, but my impatience got the best of me...ha, and then it still took almost an entire year of FET's. In hindshight I wish we would have tried longer the old fashioned way. I had an ectopic with my first FET and that really took it's toll on me mentally since now I was even more "broken". IF sucks and honestly never gets any easier. I'll be praying that you get your baby the easy way and get to enjoy the making part  

Lyndi, sorry about the itching. I have a really hard time sleeping and my ob has recommended I stay on the 1/2 unisom I was taking for the nausea (only at night now), and boy it makes a huge difference! I wonder if something like that would be okay (if you are okay with the drugs).

Keria/Kewpie, anything new on the baby front?

Bungalow, thinking about you!

rcr, I haven't seen that movie either, but I heard it was really good! I am sending all sorts of good vibes for your 2ww!!!

Blue, praying for your little embie too!


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## deborahbgkelly

Thanks Belly!


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## Keria

Lindy, 35 weeks! did';t you get your BFP like a month ago? Do you have everything ready? Is your itching in the palms and soles? A friend of mine had ICP and she was super itchy in her hands and feet.

rcr Hi how is the 2ww treating you I'm crossing m y fingers for you.

Tear when did your cycle return? I'm hoping mine stays away for a while.

Rena how are you?

AFM My guys outgrew their newborn clothing . It's going by too fast. I'm excited to watch them grow but I'm going to miss my little snuggly newborns. They are sleeping so much better I can actually get off the recliner a few hours a day now


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## lyndiramos

Keria- yes hands and feet, palms and soles.. The doctor told me to take benadryl until I see her friday... I hope nothing is wrong. We will see on friday... Luckly im 35w 2d so by friday I will be almost 36 weeks so im not so nervous about delivery now!! Glad to hear those babes are growing!!


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## renavoo

Hi everyone, just a quick post. Still in the midst of work hell (Is it better that I've only been working 12 hour days!?) but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Shockingly, as exhausted as I am (and I come home in a really foul mood until I get some time with DH and then I get happy again), I wake up rather chipper. haha

Deborah, hope all is going well. I saw in the other thread that you have kicking on both sides. Yah!

Keria, oh no for the growth ( but there are so many things to look forward to! Time really does fly very fast but luckily, there will be so many milestones to look forward to. Including freedom from the recliner D

Tear, yah to DD growing well and sleeping well! D and I'm glad you're spending some quality time with DH (and not thinking about TTCing too much!) I hope it happens for you where you do end up getting pregnant when you are finally ready to and without any help. I was talking to a coworker who mentioned that she has a friend who underwent 6 rounds of IVF to get her twins and then a few months after they were born, got pregnant accidentally. So funny how things work out. These days, I think about what I should do to prevent future pregnancies. I'm not interested in taking BCPs again (mostly because of my age) and I really don't know if I want any IUDs. I guess it's a discussion with my OB once i'm done with everything!

Belly, believe me, I definitely want to take it easy! Sigh, I know that it's also worrying my DH and our families too but I'm also not really given a choice. In this economy, it's difficult to say no, even when pregnant. I'm hoping that after this next presentation, things will become more manageable!

Lyndi, i'm sure everything is great and that your little one is doing well. It seems like a natural part of pregnancy (remind me again why men don't have to deal with any of this burden?) Haha i think that all the time and then I get a little kick from one of the little ones and I just think, whatever, i love it and wouldn't give it up for the world. haha. 36 weeks! So close. D

Rcr, I saw your other post and i just wanted to give you a big hug.







I know you're frustrated and with reason. Continue to be positive...something good will come out of this! And maybe even this month!!

Blue, just thinking of you ) I know it's early but i'm following your 2ww anxiously D

AFM, really, nothing happening on this front pregnancy wise. Things seem to be going well. Babies are kicking and it's funny because I'm still not completely used to it so once in a while, I'll jump. I have to take a belly photo (a nicer one) because so many people are asking me for one. I've just been too busy but the belly is definitely growing. I'm kind of scared because if it's this big now, what happens with the growth spurt!? geez. haha. i will also post the images of the little ones in the near future. D I love going through the US images and seeing how things have changed since the beginning of the pregnancy. Sigh, so much to do. Don't people at work know I have other priorities?!

Ok off to get ready for work. I'm thinking of all you ladies and hoping everyone is doing well. I can't wait to get back into the swing of things on here and to really catch up on everyone!

HUGS!!


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## deborahbgkelly

Renavoo- Yes, that is very promising. I think the boys finally figured out that they don't have to be right next to each other. Pretty soon there won't be a choice again. My womb is probably pretty little since I am.


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## tenzinsmama

Hi everyone,

So here I am, behind again! I'm going to do just a quick update, since a couple of you were asking about my gd test, and then I'll have to come back on another time and do personals. I had the 3 hour gd test last Friday, and I should get the results tomorrow at our midwife appointment. I'm really hoping it comes back negative, because if I have one more piece of news that isn't positive I'm going to really be more of an emotional wreck... Because yesterday we had an u/s to check on the placenta previa and I still have it, it's complete, and the doc at the Maternal Fetal Medicine place where I had it done said it doesn't like it's going to move much, and if it does it won't be enough by the time the baby is ready to be born. So, unless some miracle of sorts happens, I'm having a medically necessary scheduled c-section no later than 38 weeks. It means that I have to transfer to an OB now because I'm high risk. But, the midwives are going to ask the OB if I can continue seeing them for pre-natal visits, because that's what we want and we're this far along with already and have such a good connection (plus, they are the same midwives who were with me when I birthed DS at home). And the one midmidwife who I really love, said she will still do follow-up care with me after baby comes. I'm actually having a hard time with all of these issues that are going on-- I've also got something called costochondritis going on-- 2 weeks ago I had coughing spasm when I was turning to shut the computer off, and I had that popping sound in my rib area, and now it's just getting worse. I can barely move when it's really bad, I'm in so much pain.

I did want to say, Deborah, that I have a friend whose baby was born at 6 pounds, 3 weeks early, and it was later determined that she had IUGR, but everything was perfectly fine. I mean, they didn't even know it was a problem, it was only when she had a her second that the new OB was looking at stuff from that first pregnancy and concluded that is what was happening at the time. I do feel for you, you are right, all of these pregnancy hormones sure don't make it easy either... Sending positive vibes your way!


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## renavoo

Tenzi, just wanted to give you a big hug







I'm sorry so much is happening right now but we're here for you when you need to vent. I'm thinking of you lots and hoping for a miracle!!


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## deborahbgkelly

Tenzins- 6 lbs. 3 weeks early is pretty good. I was a week late and was 6 lbs. 10 oz. Then again, neither of my parents are particularly large people. I get your point though- babies are resilient and I know that and I keep reminding myself of it.


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## tenzinsmama

Renavoo, thanks for the big hug!

Deborah, it's so funny, I must be not 'with it', because when I read your reply it just occured to me that it wasn't just my friend who had the 6lb baby at 3 weeks early (with suspected IUGR after the fact), but that was what my DS weighed when he was born 3 weeks early, too, without anything like that being a factor. I'm 5'3 with a slight build, and my DH isn't over 6 feet or big and husky-- so I guess genetics plays such a big part in that. Interesting, though, because another one of my friends was about 5' with a small build and her baby was over 10lbs! Interesting how there can be such wide variation, with or without things such as IUGR, and that the babies are just fine. I was getting worried when I thought about having gd, because babies can be big...!

Well, the good news is that I don't have gd! YAY! Just found out yesterday. Maybe when I had my screen, what came up was the fact that the day before I had 3 Cadbury Easter Creme Eggs and then hadn't eaten anything for a total of 15 hours before the blood draw (I ran out of time to eat breakfast before rushing out the door with my DS). Phew! But, I have been very, very down about being told I'll need a scheduled c-section... I mean, I can always hope and pray for things to change enough so that I would just have a low-lying, and then beg and plead with the OB to be able to go into labor on my own and vaginally deliver in hospital with midwives. At least yesterday I was told by the midwife that I love the most that she or another one that I really like on the team will be there with me in the OR, and that not only can I continue my prenatal visits with them but I will also do my postnatal visits with them. She said they would do all they can to ensure that we have as many natural things happening, and I'll get help from them with breastfeeding right away, and that the baby won't be left alone in a bassinett but will be held by her or the other midwife outside of the times when it's not me or my DH. I'll have another u/s when I'm 32 weeks, and then the consult with an OB will be when I'm 34 weeks. I totally realize that with a complete previa, there is a huge risk to me and the baby my cervix started dilating and I started bleeding... I mean, it could be a minor amount of bleeding in which I could get to hospital in time, or it could be sudden and severe, in which the outcome could be terrible. My brain knows this, but in my heart I'm feeling so much ache... In the last month, I've had so many stressors (many of which I haven't talked about on here), some related to the pregnancy and some not, and this news is the straw that broke the camels back, you know? There are so many things I am grateful for, but if I can honestly share this with you ladies, I have really started questioning myself on a number of things, and I'm sad to say this but I'm really afraid on not bonding with my new baby as I did with my DS, because of the complications and the circumstances that will be around the birth, given that it is now a surgery and I feel like I have no control over anything. In the last couple of days, I have pleaded with the baby to stop kicking me so much and so hard, because I'm reminded of its presence practically all the time and I'm having a hard time processing things...and over the last several weeks I have found myself disengaging more and more from the baby. It basically began after our holiday, when me and my DS were sick, and he started banging his head on the floor during tantrums (which apparently, is not that uncommon when a kid has an ear infection-- it was scary to see that), and I had to resort to wearing Depends because of the incontinence that was so bad at the time. When I shared with my mom how depressed I was starting to feel and how overwhelmed I was, she said that I shouldn't have tried for another baby, and maybe if I shouldn't have had DS either, if I found parenting so hard. I told her that I didn't know that I would have such a spirited child, and that when I had conceived he hadn't been having tantrums at all, had started sleeping through the night, etc-- everything was going so smoothly, it was great. I mean, we really wanted this baby so much that we were willing to go into debt with the IVF, and we had paid a bunch of money upfront to even just start the process... and then when I got pregnant while on suppression, it was like a total miracle. But now I'm so, so scared that the way I'm feeling now... a couple of my doctors along with my midwife believe that I'm depressed right now, and I have to agree with them. Maybe I wouldn't have 2 weeks ago, but the past few days makes me think, oh yeah, I really think I am. I'm so worried that if I don't feel better soon, and get my mind wrapped around the c-section birth and start feeling connected again to this baby right now leading up to when the baby comes, I'm going to be in trouble.









Anybody else have really bad, sad days during pregnancy, and/or haven't felt connected to the baby at any point? And if so, what did you do that you found helpful? Please, if anybody can give me some encouragement right now, I really need it... I feel bad even posting this stuff here, since I know how extremely lucky I am to even be pregnant, and as someone with IF issues, I can't believe this is happening to me right now. I'm sorry if what I write is hurtful in anyway. I almost feel like I don't even deserve to be pregnant, if I can't get it and keep it together.


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## monkeyscience

*Tenzi -*







I couldn't read your post and not reply. I've been quietly stalking you since you were on the IF ONE thread, and I'm so sorry for all the difficulties you've been having after getting your miracle pregnancy. And I'm so sorry your mother said such a terrible, hurtful thing to you. None of us know how easy or hard things are going to be until they are actually happening, and just because it's tough doesn't mean it was the wrong thing to do. In many ways, this pregnancy has been hellish for me. And I feel terrible that I'm not more excited or more grateful, since we were able to get pregnant on our own, while others are struggling on and on with IF treatments with no BFP to show for it. But the fact of the matter is, it's still hard. It's difficult to deal with your body not handling things well, and no amount of gratitude really changes that - at least, it doesn't for me. I would be devastated, too, to be told that I had a medical condition which really and truly made a vaginal birth very likely fatal to baby, and maybe to me, too. That's a lot to handle, especially since you were able to have such a good birth experience with your DS. I wish I could wave a magic wand and fix it for you, or even offer helpful suggestions. I really don't have any, I just want you to know that it's totally normal for you to feel upset and depressed and anxious with all that has been and is going on in your life. Do you think finding a professional to talk to would help? Would you consider medication for depression? Just some ideas. You and your baby will definitely be in my prayers, and hopeful some other people have some better advice than me. More







s to you!


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## deborahbgkelly

Tenzins- I am definitely going to be bringing up the genetics question since I am under 5 ft. and my brother was never above the 10th percentile on his growth charts. I'd rather treat as IUGR and find nothing wrong than not treat it and find we missed something. Also, the emotions of pregnancy are hard even without added indicators for not getting the birth you want and this is a place of support, so share away.


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## renavoo

Oh Tenzi, I'm so sorry you're feeling this way. I think it's totally normal to go through these types of emotions. I mean, you're having a really, really difficult time of it. I would think that your feelings of guilt for feeling this way are just contributing to your depression as well.

By the way, UGH to your mother for saying what she did!! I mean no disrespect but that was a really mean comment. You ABSOLUTELY should have had your DS and this baby and no amount of sadness now should take away from your initial feeling of happiness at getting pregnant. It's awful that she made you feel defensive about having your DS! Also, it is a hard time right now but you'll probably feel better once everything is said and done. The not knowing is probably the scariest part. I realize that there is a potential danger to your baby and you because of the placenta previa but maybe don't focus on that but instead, focus on just getting better emotionally, overall (not so much focus on the baby). Don't put so much pressure on making yourself feel like you HAVE to feel over the moon about the pregnancy!

Honestly, I'm not really into pregnancy. I mean, I love my babies. I am happy they are growing well (knock on wood!) but I don't like being pregnant. I don't like the changes to my body. My fingers and legs are edematous (I had to take off the ring that I bought to replace my normal rings!) My shoes don't fit right. My armpits are darker! (and I really hate how they look!) I'm constantly suffering from insomnia. I have hip pain and I'm starting to get carpal tunnel syndrome. I ALWAYS have heart burn. I get depressed when I weigh myself. The list goes on and on. I've had friends who have said that they have felt the most attractive they have ever felt while pregnant and I wish, more than anything, that I can feel that way too. But I accept that I don't and accept that I feel the way I do and THAT'S ok.

I know you had expectations about how the pregnancy was going to go because of your experience with DS. I know that this pregnancy isn't living up to your expectations. My one advice to you is to try to give up your predefined expectations. (I know, easier said than done). By giving up your expectations of how things are supposed to go, maybe you can focus more on what is happening with a calmer outlook and that will help with your depression. Also, maybe, as Monkey suggested, you should seek some help with your depression? Sometimes, just talking it out with someone in real life, someone who isn't judgmental, can help reduce these feelings. It's really difficult for me to say anything, I know, because I have never been pregnant before and therefore, maybe I was lucky and I didn't have any predefined expectations. However, I know that whenever I expect something to happen and it doesn't, I end up getting more upset than if I started with the expectation that anything could happen and I would just go with the flow. I'm thinking of you and I wish I could just give you a hug in real life. Big big big hugs.


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## kewpie80

I haven't posted in nearly a *gasp* week! SOrry I've been MIA. We're preparing to have a LOT of family coming from 3 different states for our babies' blessings next weekend and all my time is being consumed by that and also the babies are up most of the day now. They just take 2-3 naps. I've never been busier in my life.

I will just have time to do a couple personals, but I'll be back this evening to catch up with the rest of y'all.

*Tear* - thanks for filling me in on your experiences with reflux and meds. We did end up putting Liam on Axid. He seems better for the first few feeddings after a dose, but then he's hurting again, so I think we'll need to adjust it. He's only been on it for 2-3 days now. I'm sorry to hear your sweet girl went through this too.

I find it interesting too... the possibility of getting pregnant the "old fashioned way." My OB had mentioned BCPs at my 6 week check and I remember thinking... oh yeah, sex is for getting pregnant. It's such a foreign thing after so many years of fertility treatments and sex =/= baby.

*Keria* - I miss snuggly newborns too! I packed up their newborn clothing last week and found their preemie clothes and I was shocked to think they had once fit in them. They do grow like mad!

*Tenzi* - I'm sorry you're in so much pain and also about the placenta previa.  In the beginning of my pregnancy, I was so sad when I realized that I wouldn't be able to do a home birth or see midwives. I was also scared of having another m/c and felt myself distancing myself from the babies for many weeks. I also was worried that I wouldn't bond with them. When I actually delivered, they were taken to a room off of the OR and I didn't see Liam for more than 2 hours because he was having breathing troubles and had to go to the NICU to be watched. I can tell you that at this moment, my heart aches with love for them so strongly, that it literally brings tears to my eyes almost on a daily basis. I sleep on the floor with my hands on each of their chests cause I can't bear to be away from them. Even though my birth didn't go exactly as I wanted (though, I did at least get to have a vaginal birth in the OR) and I was upset for a long time and felt disconnected during most of the pregnancy, I bonded with these babies once they were here. That said, it didn't happen in a flood of emotion like it does for some women. That is totally normal, though. It was a gradual thing over the course of probably a month or so. Each day, it grew and grew. It's totally normal for it to happen that way.

I remember after they were born, I almost felt a sense of dread when the nurses would come wake them for temp checks or blood draws. I was almost afraid of being around them because I didn't know what to do or how to act. After about 2 weeks, everything changed and it became easy and I could read their cues and I just felt that connection beginning to grow and grow. Lots of cuddle time, skin to skin and smelling their sweet heads is what helped, I think. My heart would ache whenever I would hold them like this. Watching them sleep also helps. As far as during the pregnancy, I really can't say. It was always hard to realize that there were actually babies in there, which is odd to say since I was huge and felt kicking all the time. But it definitely came afterward.

I think what you are feeling is completely normal. You are mourning the loss of what you thought this pregnancy and birth were going to be like. I'm sorry your mother was so heartless in her comment. There is no doubt in my mind how much you love your son hearing you talk about him. I'm sure that with time, you will love this new baby as much.

*Ren* - If it makes you feel better, my armpits got darker, but it went away a few weeks after delivery. Not sure if that happens for everyone, but it did for me at least. Try not to look at the scale 

AFM - Liam has been on antacids for 2-3 days now and is doing slightly better. They are awake most of the day and smile a lot and have started to babble. It's adorable! Liam is now wearing 3-6 month clothes and is over 12 pounds now. Maisie is approaching 12. Liam's waking... I'll catch up more later...


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## BellyBean

Oh boy, sorry I have been out the last few days too. It has been crazy here! DH and I have been able to spend the past few days together without DD, just doing fun things around town. I am exhausted, but it was so worth it to have some grown up time  I don't remember the last time we did anything "fun" together (alone)!

Tenzi, I have had more "sad" days than I'd like to admit during this pregnancy...probably more sad than happy. The twins came as a surprise after a year of FET failures, and wasn't something I really wanted or hoped for. I spent the first 6-8 weeks after finding out it was twins pretty upset...mourning the pregnancy I wouldn't have, not being able to enjoy each babyhood seperately, and the effect bringing twins home would have on my DD. It's been a difficult adjustment, and I really can't say I am "over it" yet. I cry a lot, and often wish I could change my decisions. I want both of these babies...just not at once. I also feel bad when I don't think I am doing my "best" with DD because of the pregnancy, like she is getting the short end of the stick (which I know will be even harder when the babies are born). For me, I think the issue has been/will always be expectations. I have high expectations of how things should go and plan every part of my life, so when things don't go my way, I tend to dwell and not move on. It's unhealthy and breeds more anxiety about the situation. I wish I could stop...but I can't...at least not quickly or easily. Luckily my DH, mom, and MIL have all been very supportive otherwise I don't think I would have made it.

I do think your mom was out of line with her comment about you not having another child (or even having DS). Parenting is seriously the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I work part time and those days in the office are the easiest BY FAR! I have had many days were I am exhausted, in pain, etc where my patience is zero and I wonder how I'll ever make it with 3 little ones...especially when my DD is having bad day too, it really seem impossible. This age is rather difficult with DD (and I am sure your DS) constantly pushing limits!

I am really sorry you probably wont be able to have the birth you had envisioned. It's unfair, and I wish there was something I could do to make the previa go away. I bonded with DD in a similar fashion to Kewpie. I loved her right away, and wept with tears of joy when she was born, but I didn't feel this "insane" bond right away. It was something that grew day by day, until now it's to a point I can't even describe. My friend who just had her second, said it was completely different for her...she had the intense bond right away with her first, but she said she was so much busier and life was so different, that it took her much longer to bond with her second. She said she wished someone would have told her that might happen, because she felt really guilty about it for the first couple months after the birth.

Kewpie, I hope everything goes smoothly next weekend and I am sure all the family is just going to go nuts over Liam and Maisie!!!

AFM, time for lunch and a nap. I'll be back for more later.


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## renavoo

Kewpie, oooh a family reunion for the babies! That sounds exciting, if a little exhausting. ;o) Do you know, my family and DH's family have never met? I think that they will first meet the day of the baby shower! i'm excited and scared at the same time. haha I'm so glad Liam is doing better. I hope that he gets progressively better!

Thank you for sharing your experiences with your babies. I feel like everyone sets these expectations that all mothers will be absolutely in adoration with their babies when they are born no matter what. It's almost like women are made to feel guilty if they don't have these intense feelings and yet, they are normal. I think that although I love my little ones, I mourn the passing of the times when DH and I can just be silly and relax and not have to worry about anyone but ourselves. I am trying to get as much of that now as possible but knowing that it will come to an end makes me sad. I know we'll experience a different kind of happiness when the babies are here but seriously, I LOVE the way my life is right now. Knowing it won't be like this for long really does scare me!

Belly, yah for a nap! I love naps. D And yah to having some personal time with your DH.

Bungalow, hope you're doing better!

Tenzi, just thinking of you. By the way, yah to no gd!

Lyndi, how are you doing? You made it to 36 weeks. yah!

Keria, just thinking of you and hoping your babies are doing well. D

Hi to everyone else

AFM, nothing doing here. Babies seem to be doing well and I've been noticing their activity more. I have my first GD test this friday (urgh) so we'll see how I do. Otherwise, dreading the next 2 weeks because DH is away. He's going to a work meeting. I hate not having him here because he's the only person who can keep me calm and relaxed no matter what. I guess the one good thing is that I won't have to worry about waking him when I need to go to the bathroom 3-4 times a night!

I think (hope) work is going to slow down now that the presentations are done. I plan on just getting the apartment more in order during the next couple of weeks to keep busy. D I ordered our cribs already (we're just going to set one up but I thought i'd just order the 2 just in case). And I've started slowly buying more and more stuff now. I've just bought some diapers for the babies. Babies R Us was having a sale. Buy 2 boxes of diapers and get $25 back...it was too good of a deal to pass up so I went for it. )

Big hugs everyone!! Hope everyone is doing well.


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## kewpie80

renavoo - I absolutely mourned the loss of DH and me being just a couple. I SOBBED the night we came home from the hospital with the babies. I went from room to room looking for things that reminded me of our old life. Everything looked different and odd to me, even the cats. It felt like someone had come in while I was gone and switched everything I owned and loved and replaced it with something that looked the same, but was slightly different. It's a really odd feeling to describe and it was extremely unsettling. I even looked at the old laundry and thought to myself, the last time I wore this, it was just us. I felt very scared... VERY!

DH saw me crying and we talked it out. He handed me one of the babies, (I'm pretty sure it was Liam) and he told me that we will always make couple time and that our lives would be different, but in such an awesome way. I held my boy and looked at him and it eased those feelings a lot. I still felt pretty miserable that night, but by morning, I felt a lot better. Those feelings were completely gone after a couple days. Every time I felt it creep back in, I'd go and snuggle one of them. It seriously helped with those feelings. Sometimes I think to myself that it'd be nice to have a night where we could just watch TV all evening and relax, but the great moments with the babies make up for that. Even as I'm typing this, Liam is babbling in his seat and smiling huge toothless grins up at me. SO...WORTH... IT!

It's hard... VERY hard taking care of babies, especially 2 of them. I'd be lying if I said otherwise, but believe me, there are moments when you think you will not be able to carry on and then they will smile in their sleep or yawn and you will just melt over them. It does get easier, I promise. The first 2 weeks were the hardest as we got used to having them here and feeling like we were going to break them. AFter a month, it gets quite a bit easier and after the second month, it feels like old hat. You will learn tricks and find ways to be efficient with your time. Take it ONE day at a time. I live in 3 hour increments and I don't think much past the current day when it comes to the babies. It makes it much less overwhelming that way. If you have family nearby to help, it will be loads easier. It's just me and DH and he works long hours, so I'm by myself with them a lot. BUT I made it and you will too!  (I'm even already planning the next pregnancy, so you know it can't be THAT bad) lol

ETA: Be prepared for the baby blues on day 3-4. I felt SO SAD on those days and was told later that the hormones take a dive on those days postpartum. If you don't get them, you are very lucky. It does pass (unless you start getting postpartum depression, which I thankfully did not get... at least not yet... it can occur up to a year after delivery... fun fun.)


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## tenzinsmama

Thank you, everyone here who has shared their experiences with us all, and who have given me kind words of support and encouragement. It helps, it truly does...

My thoughts are all over the place, and it's hard to collect them right now, as I'm so exhausted and I've got so many things that I'm thinking about it. Maybe I'll just toss them out here, without worrying too much about how it flows or comes together...

I have been seeing a doctor (Dr. G) who specializes in pregnancy and post-partum issues, and over the last couple of weeks she's been pretty helpful and we both agree that I'm experiencing some depression and anxiety, and that I'm at risk for some post-partum difficulty. Given the issues of the last month (pelvic floor, gd scare, the incontinence, me and my DS being really sick, the stress of dealing with an increase in tantrums at this stage of his development, the conflicting information I've received about pelvic floor treatments and placenta previa from various medical professionals and my midwives, etc.), the confirmation of the complete placenta previa was the straw that broke the camel's back. I mean, it's not just that I'm forced to give up on my dream of a birth similar to that of my DS... It's about having to have a surgery which means there are more risks... It's fear around the procedure itself, and plus, if they schedule it too soon my baby might not be at term (I've been told that sometimes they do it at 36 weeks), and if it's too late then I might start bleeding and then it's an emergency c-section. And even if it's at a time that's 'reasonable', I could start bleeding at any point before that and then it's an emergency then, too. It's scary to read about the risk of pre-term labor with this, too... Actually, everything I'm reading about cpp is scary.

So DH and I are waiting to hear which OB we will have a consult with-- I really need to hear what her thoughts are. The midwives have one of 3 that they like in mind. But meanwhile, I saw Dr. G today--I'm kind of hopeful about some things, because she knows the three, and she thinks one will be especially open to being sensitive to my concerns, given the state I'm currently in. Seriously, the amount of disconnect to the baby that I've experienced in the last few days is scaring me...and I don't know how I'm going to fare in the aftermath, particularly when it's at night and DH can't be with me (even if it's a private room-- stupid hospital rules) and I'm dealing with all the emotions plus the physical discomfort, and then I've got a crying baby beside me who wants to be held and fed... what if I feel nothing towards it? I know it's possible that I could feel immediately bonded to it... but... I'm just so worried about not having the natural oxytocin in my system... that my milk won't come in easily because of that, too... and what about the effects of c-section on the baby? It takes 5-10 minutes to get the baby out, but then I'll be on the table for an hour, getting stitched up. If the baby has no issues, my DH will get to hold it. But I'll only be able to have a look and it won't be until the recovery room that I can hold it. Sounds like an average hospital stay when there is not complications is 3 days... my poor little DS is going to be so messed up because I'm not at home, and then I'll appear with this baby-- and we've already had concerns about his adjustment to the situation. Oh, I'm so sad about how all this is all going down.

I know that it goes without a hitch for many moms and babes who have c-sections... but my mind is really affected by moods right now, and I'm feeling like I'm in a dark hole. I really need some sleep-- the last 3 nights I've had only about 2-3 hours each night. And I've not been able to eat much, because I've pretty well lost my appetite. Dr. G. suggested I have a few days of rest in hospital because she says all of this is so not good for me or the baby, and with the risk of pre-term labor there to begin with... Not sure what I'll do.

Sorry this is all about me, once again. I hope each of you are doing well, I'm glad that I have you all here.


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## renavoo

Kewpie, thank you so much for your experiences! I can't tell you how much just hearing about them helps me. Your DH is something special and it's so wonderful that you two functioned as a team immediately. I love how he talked you down the ledge. At my company, we have a mentoring circle especially for parents and I was talking to someone who just had twins 6 months ago and she said similar things as you...the first month for her was difficult and DH and she were having a little trouble adjusting but then they became closer as they started functioning as a team. Now, she says that they are as tight as ever, more so even! That makes me feel so much better. I have complete faith that DH and I will be ok but i know I will mourn the passing of just us. I loved your story about how you even went into the laundry and thought about pre and post babies! And thank you for the warning of post partum depression! It's definitely scary to think about but the warning gives me something to be wary of.

How is everything with you guys now? Any new photos? ;o)

Tenzi, please don't apologize for venting on the board. We're here for you! I'm glad you like Dr. G and that she seems to be aware and open to your conditions. I hope that she continues to check in on you and that she is your permanent doctor. I can't give you any advice since i don't have anywhere near the experiences you have had or will have but I will say that my SIL also thought that she would be having a natural birth and when she was told the day of that she needed a c section (she had oligohydramnios or low levels of amniotic fluid) she was really upset. She was also scared out of her mind and just resistant. She kept wanting to put the c section off (in fact, she asked if she could give birth the next day for multiple reasons-she was scare but she also just kept thinking that she wanted to have the baby on the 21st. I think it gave her a measure of calm to feel like she could control something, anything).

Obviously, not sleeping won't be helping your frame of mind but as a fellow insomniac, I know that when you can't sleep, you just can't sleep. And you can't take anything at this point that will help. (although, if you're like me and get really sleepy taking benadryl, maybe that would be something to speak with your doctor about? I know you probably don't want to take ANYTHING but if it can help you sleep even a little more, it may be worth it and since it is pregnancy category B it might be ok. Definitely speak with your doctor about it.)

You talk a lot about not bonding with the baby. Would it be possible to just not even think about it? I mean, obviously, you have to think about the baby because the baby is growing inside of you but making yourself expect to feel certain things towards the baby at each step of the way is not helpful to you since it seems to be getting you stressed/ depressed. As for the C section, I feel calmer about the prospect of having a c section mostly because I knew going in that I had a 50% shot of having a c section so I definitely was prepared for the possibility. However, I also, therefore, know that perhaps i won't be able to develop milk for a while after the surgery and while I'm not happy about that, I've accepted the reality. I talk myself out of that funk by just thinking that I was bottle fed, as was my brother, and we turned out ok (hehe maybe) so even, in the worst case scenario, I can't breast feed my babies, they will be ok. Not having DS there for 3 days post cesarean is definitely not the best case scenario but perhaps you can set it up so you can talk to him on Skype if the hospital has wifi? DH and I did that last night because he's away and just seeing him made me feel better. I know it's not the same thing...I would give anything to just be able to hug my DH instead of being thousands of miles away from him but being able to see him is better than nothing! Otherwise, maybe just tape some cute message for your DS so that whomever is taking care of him can play it for him while you're in the hospital.

i don't know if any of this is helpful and I don't want to give advice that you don't want so I'll stop now. I just want you to know that I'm thinking of you and hoping that soon, you start to feel better. Big hugs!!









All other ladies,









I'm thinking of you all and hoping everyone is doing well!


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## tenzinsmama

Hey Renavoo, thanks for writing and sending me big hugs and encouragement. It's interesting what you wrote about your SIL being so resistant-- that is how I am feeling. DH and I talked about it last night, and he totally understands how I can't bear to think of having a c-section date planned out with the OB, because when I think of that having to be done, it means that I have given up all hope that a vaginal birth is at all possible. What I still carry in the back of my mind is that when I go for another u/s at 32 weeks (actually, I'll be 32 weeks and 5 days-- I gave myself a few extra days on top of the 32 week recommendation), there is a chance that the placenta might have moved some... and that maybe the OB I end up getting will say that we can do a 'trial labour', in which I can go into labor and then see how it goes. I've been reading that some OBs are willing to try for a vaginal birth if it's the lower grade of previa... but then, that could mean it ends up as an emergency if it's not going well.

I find it hard because I have had some negative experiences in hospital, from the start of when I was 2 up until later in my adulthood... I'm also somebody who is a perfectionist and likes to be in control, and I find everything about this situation so totally out of my control-- not to mention that I feel like my body has failed me. When my Dad was fighting his cancer for all of those months of my pregnancy, I was with him every step of the way, and it did get in the way of having a completely joyful and carefree pregnancy, even though it could have been that way otherwise-- my pregnancy was completely trouble-free and so much more than I had dreamed of. And I thought my DS would be the only child I would ever have, because of IF. So when I found out I had a 2nd chance, I went into it with so much hope to have the joy and carefree feelings that I had missed out on.

I'm not sure if I could just not think about bonding with the baby... Again, because I feel like I have lost all control, it is the one thing that I think I can maybe do something about to try to mitigate the negative things I'm thinking or the actual things that will occur, like the delayed time before holding the baby, and how I might prepare myself to deal with the pain/discomfort after surgery (especially when it comes time to positioning to breastfeed), etc. One of the ladies in my due date club on mothering.com gave me a link to a place in the U.S. which is practicing something called "Gentle Cesareans"-- I'm hoping that I can talk with the OB and then piece together what she says will happen with what the midwives have said about one of them being there in the OR with my DH, and then doing the post-natal care afterwards. One of the midwives even said that it will be her or another one from her team who will do the Vitamin K shot and all the rest of what they normally would have done if an OB and c-section wasn't being performed. But I need to hear it from the OB before assuming that's a 'go' 100%.

Must go, DS needs me. Thanks for engaging in this discussion with me, and don't feel bad about offering advice. There can be nuggets in all of it, things that I could find very helpful, so fire away! Also, one of the ladies in my due date club had gone through a c-section, and she had some interesting suggestions on how she made it the best it could be given the circumstances (even though she knew it would be far from what she experienced with a natural birth). She said I could pm her, and I'm going to-- maybe if I have nuggets to pass on, I will post it on here in case someone is interested.

Thanks again!


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## deborahbgkelly

Tenzins- I would be interested! Given the size of my boys, I'm almost certain I will be having a c-section, plus Baby A is footling breech right now.


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## lyndiramos

Deborah- how is the boys growth going!! Do you still have to go to the hospital!? I hope all is well!!


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## deborahbgkelly

Lyndi- I don't know yet. The follow-up is Thursday. I promise to keep everyone posted. They are still extremely active, so I know they are fine in there. I just keep talking to them and singing to them and my mom said she's been talking to them every day too (long distance, I might add).


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## wissa19

Deborah - FYI ...just stalking you over here! Sending you good vibes for Thursday!


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## deborahbgkelly

Thanks Wissa! I've been talking and singing to the boys and my mom says she's been talking to them every day too. Here's hoping! The good news is I have a huge appetite again.I hope it continues!


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## Keria

Tenzin don;t give yourself a hard time about it your feelings are valid. I had the opposite of the birth that I wanted. I knew I needed a c-section because baby A was a footling breech. and talked to my doctor about doing some of the gentle c-sections practices but all of that went out the window when I had a emergency section due to preeclampsia. My kids got taken away right away got eye goop I could not breastfeed until several hours later but even with all of that I bonded with them right away even with my NICU babe. My kids are 7 weeks old and I still wish my birth could have one differently. I have a pregnant friend who is planning a water birth and I'm crazy jealous.

My kids are 7 weeks old and I have to say breastfeeding has not gotten any easier. They had a couple of good days but I guess I jinxed it and they are back to waking up every hour or two at night. I'm thankful that I have a good supply for both of them but the all day/ all night feeding is hard. Last time I gave them formula they spit up all of it. Anyways I know it will get easier as they become more efficient nursers so I'm not ready to give up.

Oh and I really recommend this thing http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Deluxe-Lightweight-Sleeper-Snugabunny/dp/B005IWM73S/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1332346774&sr=8-2 it;s So far it's where they sleep better out of everything we tried.


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## deborahbgkelly

Well- I still haven't gained any weight since just before 17 weeks, but hopefully it doesn't mean much for the boys. They are still crazy active. I will know more tomorrow. I do recall hearing from a lot of twin moms that they hardly gained any until the 3rd tri when they packed it on, so maybe i will be following that pattern. Any twin moms want to share their experiences?


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## renavoo

Keria, thanks for the tip! Sorry you're having trouble breastfeeding ( i'm so glad you're not giving up. It will happen although it is an exhausting time for you. ( Big hugs!!

Tenzi, I hope you find peace talking to the other woman!! I find personal tips to be the best source of information and comfort. I totally get what you mean about feeling out of control and hating it. I'm totally the same way and as I said, if it wasn't for me getting used to the idea of a good chance of a cesarean from the very beginning, I'd probably be like you as well! I'm hoping that the placenta does move out of the way so that you can give birth naturally!! And I'm glad that your DH is supportive of you and understanding. It seems too early to schedule anything now anyway.

AFM, Worked 14 hours yesterday. Sigh, and I thought we would get a reprieve from the long hours but one of the stupid clients asked for a last minute follow up presentation. So, here we go again. May have to work late again today but I took off tomorrow! Quite excited about that. I have to go get my GD test done (the 1 hour one). i wish DH was here for that but I also just want to get it over with. Otherwise, things seem to be going well with everything in there. Babies seem to be moving well, although I want to start documenting the time I feel them move so I can ascertain whether there is a pattern! I can't wait to see them on US again. Hopefully, they do that again this time. I think that since I'm generally doing well (unless something changes this visit) I'll be moved to monthly visits instead of every 2 weeks. Sigh. It's good because the office is always so slow and i end up waiting so long but it's bad because I like seeing my babies. haha. I'm also suffering from edema...my legs and fingers seem to be much thicker (not preeclampsia bigger but still, I'm used to pretty slim fingers and legs and they are looking my stockier. Otherwise, I'm just cruising along. Cribs get delivered today (Babies r Us had a sale so I decided to buy those early) but i don't think I'll be home to accept them from UPS so I think I'll get them tomorrow. I have a feeling it's going to really hit home once i see the cribs!


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## Keria

Rena I can't believe you are still working that much. Does your boss know that you are 25 weeks pregnant with twins. As you know I had pretty bad edema I'm happy to tell you that everything went back to it's original size. Yay for the cribs! Did you guys started working on the nursery?

My babies actually had a good day and night yesterday whenever I feel like I want to run away and join the circus they give me a bit of a break


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## lyndiramos

Just a quick one to tell all Alina Jo was born March 21st after an emergancy c section for severe Help syndrome. Im feeling better today but still not well. She is doing great for a 36w2d baby. 6lbs 14ozs 20inches. She is a sluggish breastfeeder but im pumping what I can. I will try and post a pic!! Im not good with my tablet...


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## lyndiramos

Well I got one as my profile. Post more info later!!


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## blueyezz4

*Lyndi* - she is beautiful!!!!! Congrats!!! Hope BFing starts going better.

*Deborah* - Sending







to you over here too!!!!

*Hello to everyone else as well. Sorry I've been slacking on my grad side stalking lately!!! Hope you all are doing well.*


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## tenzinsmama

Deborah, I am so, so sorry to hear the news that you lost your little boys... Oh my gosh, I'm numb with shock and grief for you. You are in my thoughts and prayers. I wish you courage and strength right now, and comfort and healing in the time to come. Much love and hugs are being sent your way...


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## lesliesara63

I've never posted here before, but Blue told me about and asked that I put my update here. I had my GGG on June 7 after five weeks in the hospital. My babies are wonderful, sweet little things & even though triplets were not what I planned, I would not change it. Our life is much, much harder than I ever imagined it could be. Fortunately I have a lot of help - those sweet little angels turn into devils when the sun goes down!! It really is amazing, if anyone had ever told me that I would end up with five children I would never have believed it. NEVER!!


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## blueyezz4

*Leslie* - so glad you were able to find the Grad side. How many weeks were your girls when they were born and how much did they weigh? Did they have to stay in the NICU for awhile? So good to see you again!!! I know we go way back together and it's always good to see the blessing that actually do come to some people w/ IVF!!!! Fingers crossed and praying things continue to get easier for you as those babes grow!!!! Take care and don't be a stranger!!!!


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## lesliesara63

I was 32w6d when they were born after my water broke. It was very controversial but I had a vaginal birth -scary & amazing at the same time. Audrey was 4lb2oz, Sophia the same & Nina was 3lb5oz. Nina is the smallest but she is such a little spitfire! All three spent 27 days in the NICU. It was really hard at the time, hard to go there every day when I should have been at home resting & recovering from such a hard pregnancy. Hard to not have my whole family together. But in hindsight the NICU time was good - I really wasn't ready to care for them around the clock right from day one.


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## renavoo

Keria, it's tough to miss that i'm pregnant ;o) but yeah, I have two contingents at work...one group that is really worried about me and the other group of people who are worried but realize they need to have the work done so... Sigh. I ended up with a massive headache yesterday and had to leave work on time so it was nice to come home and just veg. Of course, i ended up having horrific insomnia so I didn't get much sleep at all. but I have a visit with the doctor today. My 1 hour gd test that will hopefully go well and then hopefully, I'll be able to see the little ones again. It'll be the first appointment where my DH won't be there (

Lyndi, she's gorgeous!!! i can't wait to see more photos. I hope you feel progressively better in the next few days!

Deborah, my heart still aches for you. I opened this thread first and saw Tenzi's post and honestly, thought that Tenzi got it wrong because I didn't want to believe it. Then I went to the other threads and my heart just broke. Again, I'm so sorry.

Leslie, thank you for sharing your story! It's inspiring.


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## BellyBean

I wish I had more time to write, but I am half out the door to work, and I hear my mom in the driveway.

Deborah, I have not had a chance to stop by the other threads, but my heart is absolutely broken for you right now. I am so unbelievably sorry. I wish there was something more I could do to help. You and your husband will be in my thoughts and prayers.


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## BellyBean

Renavoo, sorry you had to leave work "early" at normal time  I hope your GD test goes well today, please keep us posted!

Leslie, welcome!!! I have read a little bit about/from you on the multiples forum, but it is nice to "officially" meet you!

Lyndi, wow!!! She is beautiful! Hope you are getting some rest and the breastfeeding picks up soon!

Blue, thanks for always thinking about us  I know I am often thinking about you!

Kewpie/Keira, hi ladies!


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## rcr

Deborah - I just saw your news on the other side. I am so sorry. I am heartbroken for you and your DH.

Leslie - I have stalked you before to hear about the birth. Amazing!

Lyndi - Congrats! What a beautiful baby!

Everybody else - Hi! I haven't been keeping up with this side too much. Work has been crisis after crisis, and I am trying to stay out of it all, so I have been sneaking out to work from home more and more to avoid it all. So glad that I am lucky enough to be able to do that.


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## Keria

deborah THinking of you and your family today.

Lyndi she is beautiful congrats! My twins were born at 36w2d also

Rena I hope you get to see your little ones and hopefully things will slow down at work I can't imagine workig that hard while being so pregnant.

Bely how are you? .how are your girlies doing.

rcr Hi fiingers crosssed for this cycle.


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## renavoo

Hi Ladies!

Keria, I hope things slow down soon too because i have to say, I'm exhausted! But i did take the day off today so that was nice. I went to the doctor's office this morning and got the glucose tolerance test done and should find out on Monday (although they say that if they don't call me, then I am fine.) it's awful because I'm already trying to plan what I'm going to do when I find out I have to do the 3 hour test (work wise). sigh. So much for optimism. haha.

I'm missing my DH. I wish he was here. I find that i sleep better with him near me. Yesterday, I got like 2 hours of sleep in. I just kept waking up. It was really annoying. I'm going to go out to dinner tonight with a friend and then tomorrow, my mom is going to be coming over and spending the night with me to keep me company. Sunday, we're going to be babysitting my nephew so i'm ultra excited about that. Next week is bound to be another crazy week at work but i'm looking forward to the weekend at least. And then DH comes home on Friday! I just hope that i don't have to work during next weekend. argh. DH was cute though...he hid little notes around the apartment just to say that he missed me and to cheer me up.

Rcr, how are you doing??? How are you responding to the stims? I can't wait to hear the report from your US. Keep us updated. i must go to the other threads to see whether you've posted anything. And keep hiding...no good comes from crises in the office.









Belly and Blue, updates please!







Although Blue, I'll go find you on the other threads too. Have you set up your next transfer?

Deborah, just hoping things are going smoothly where you are. Big hugs...

Blue, I know you're


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## prayinghard

*Lyndi: * New little girl is gorgeous!!! Congratulations...


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## Tear78

deborah, thinking of you today.







I hope you're surrounded by loving, supportive people today.









lesliesara, it's great to see you! I'm glad you're doing well, and no wonder it's sometimes really hard! Being a parent is hard work, and you have THREE! I've never had so much responsibility and challenge, but it's so totally worth it and I've never felt so complete like I do with my little family. Ok, I'm babbling. I'm glad you joined!









lyndi, congrats! Beautiful!


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## renavoo

ok, I finally got a chance to take an updated belly photo. I can't believe how big I've gotten and I have a few months of growth left?!


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## prayinghard

*Renavoo: * I think you look beautiful!!!


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## kewpie80

renavoo - You are beautiful!!! I don't wish to scare you, but you do remember my last belly shot and Keria's as well, don't you? Lots of growth left, but oh so worth it!


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## blueyezz4

*Renavoo* - Love the pic!!! You look beautiful and have that great pregnancy glow for sure!!!!! Super cute!!! Hope you have a good weekend w/ you Mom and that DH gets home soon!! Do you both have iPhones? When DH is away or I'm away we always have facetime dates on our phones or iPad. It is kinda fun and helps me get through my week w/o seeing him in person!!!!

*We need some more belly pics on here ladies!!! Show off those bumps and be proud!!!!!!







*


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## tenzinsmama

Lyndi, your little one is SO cute! Looking forward to seeing some more pics soon.

Renavoo, what a great picture-- beautiful mama!


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## renavoo

HI ladies! Thanks ) haha Kewpie, I'm using you and Keria as my standards which is why I know I have so much growth left. haha D Actually my fundus is only 26in which had me a little worried because I thought I would be larger with twins. They said because i'm tall the fundus measurement is fine. I can't wait until 2 weeks from Monday when I go in for my next ultrasound. I didn't get one this last time ( sniff.

Tenzi, how are you doing? are you feeling better?

Blue, yah to AF and getting started again! I know it has to be so exhausting to keep doing this but I just can't shake the hope that you're going to be holding your beautiful baby soon. And yes, my DH and I FaceTime each other. D Technology is a wonderful thing!

Praying, how are you feeling?

Everyone else,


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## prayinghard

*Renavoo:* Thanks for asking about me. I just put a big post on the other board. I am still not real comfortable on this board I still feel like somehow, this is all going to go away. I am feeling okay. I am on so much progesterone, it is hard to tell if anything I am feeling is from the pregnancy, or just the meds. I am extremely tired, and getting lots of headaches. Seem hungrier than normal, but that is probably the drugs too. I am just so happy, but I am sooo afraid that something is going to happen to take this all away. It does not seem real yet. Can't wait for my appointment tomorrow for a little reassurance. Praying my beta is going up as it should and that my lining has improved. Would love to see a heartbeat, but I am pretty sure it will be too soon. I did not see that with DS until after 6 weeks. Maybe I will see the sac and fetal pole. I'll take what I can get.

*Hi to everyone else!!!*


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## wissa19

Renavoo - That is a beautiful baby bump! And just for the record you don't look big/fat at all. You just look adorably pregnant. With my DS I just got wide...my belly didn't go out front so much. (O.k....I'll admit. I just put on so much weigh it showed up all over!)  --Anyway, try to enjoy the baby belly.


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## deborahbgkelly

Thank you all. I shared my experience on the March One Thread grads section, but can't bear to write it again right now, so if you would like to read a little bit about it, that's the place to look.


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## renavoo

Deborah,







I'm so glad that you got to hold your babies and that the hospital was so good at taking care of you. I hope that the fever is completely gone. My thoughts continue to be with you and DH.

Praying, I'll stalk you on the other thread. I'm with you about not feeling comfortable with the pregnancy yet. After so long trying, it definitely takes a while to feel like it is real!

Wissa, can't' wait to see your more recent baby bump photos too!!


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## Keria

Deborah I'm so sorry. Mythoughts are with you and your Dh.

Rena you are beautiful. What a cute baby bump.


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## mole

Deborah I am so, so sorry.


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## Keria

Praying welcome. Hopefully you'll get to see a little heartbeat

AFM My babes are 8 weeks old! They are smiling and cooing and growing way too fast


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## BellyBean

Deborah, I am still so saddened by your loss. I am glad the hospital was kind and let you have the time you needed with your boys. I am still sending lots of prayers and hugs your way.

Keira, love the updated pictures of your little one's, I can barely believe it has already been 8 weeks! They are absolutely darling!

Kewpie, hope all your plans went well this weekend and the family enjoyed meeting your babes!

Renavoo, beautiful bump picture! You are beyond glowing! Hope this week goes quickly for you 

Praying, welcome, I hope your appointment goes well and you get to see a perfect heartbeat!

Tenzi, I hope all is well with you!

Blue, looking forward to hearing about your consult for the next cycle!

rcr, so glad this cycle is going well so far! I am on pins and needles waiting for your progesterone results tomorrow.

AFM, it was a pretty busy weekend here, we celebrated my DH's birthday and had a few friends over. Then today I took DD on a walk around our neighborhood to burn some energy before nap, and about halfway through I started getting an intense sharp pain on my right side. Unfortunately it was a loop so we were the farthest from home. It was so painful I didn't think I'd make it home and kept praying one of our neighbors would drive by and give us a ride home. Well a million baby steps later and we were home. I put on a movie for her and tried to rest on the couch. Monday is my "preterm labor call" so they called and I told them about the whole thing, and they have me resting the rest of the day. Before they called the pain had reduced some, so I got up to pick things up, but the pain came back on my left, so I laid back down. Now we are watching another movie (after her nap) and DH is leaving work early. Just hope everything resolves today and this isn't any indication of anything to come. Hopefully just "normal" cramping/ligament pain...but everyone wants to be on the safe side.


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## renavoo

Keria, awwww! I'm cooing at them too! I love how they both hold their hands closed up. Oliver looks so much like your husband! And Lucia looks like an angel. I love the expression on her face. I can't believe it's 8 weeks either!

Belly, I hope you're feeling better today and your pain has resolved. I hope it's just the ligament pain too but it's good you're relaxing and I hope you get to relax today too. Definitely better safe than sorry. By the way, i love your icon. Who's the painter?

Bungalow, just wondering how you're doing?

Lyndi, how is life with your baby?

Kewpie, just thinking of you and your babies. Has the babies' reflux resolved? Just thinking of you!

Tenzi, hi! Hope you're doing well.

AFM, no gestational diabetes! I'm so relieved and frankly, a bit surprised because I really did expect to have GD because of my sugar intake. I couldn't help it and a few hours before the test, I ate some cereal. I was good and instead of lucky charms (mmm marshmallows) I ate some Special K with fruit and yogurt but still, I was thinking that I would need to do the 3 hour test. I think my pessimism stems from when I was first getting all my tests done prior to all the IUIs and such, I had blood work that showed my HBA1c was a little high. Not so high that I was diagnosed with diabetes or even pre diabetes but high enough that i had to be retested. The second test came back ok but I was still worried about GD. Otherwise, I've been dealing with headaches. I may have a cluster headache as it's localized to one side of my head but it feels like someone is trying to poke my eye out. sigh. I do need to see my internist for a check up soon so maybe I'll try to get in to see her and find out what i need to do about the headache. I can't take anything for it anyway so I don't know if there is a point- tylenol definitely doesn't work for headaches. I wonder if it's because I have bad insomnia? Ok enough whining ) Just hope everyone is doing well! DH comes home on Friday! YAH! I can't wait! I just want this week to fly by!


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## BellyBean

Renavoo, great news about your GD test!!! So awesome you passed! Bummer about the headaches, I sure hope they go away quickly and your DH is home before you know it! You guys are so cute!

ETA: Renavoo, It's one of Monet's water lilies  I heart monet and impressionist paintings.

AFM, so I ended up in Labor and Delivery yesterday. I hadn't felt movement in my "right" baby for a couple hours in the afternoon after resting and I started having frequent braxton hicks contractions (just tightening no pain). I didn't think I was in labor, but they wanted me to go in to be on the safe side. It was like a horrible ER trip...it took forever! DH likes to play it safe, but I just don't like going into the doctor, I always feel so stupid when nothing is wrong, but he said that if anyone should feel stupid, it would be them for having me come in. Although, he thought it was a good idea to go in, but his spin logic made me feel a little better. For what it's worth, I do think my body was telling me to rest more, and I plan to spend more time relaxing instead of trying to get *everything* done.


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## Keria

Thanks guys! I think they are the cutest babies ever but I'm a bit biased.

Rena YAy for no GD boo for headaches are you keeping an eye on your blood pressure?

Belly better safe than sorry did you get to see the babies? Was the sharp pain like pelvic pain? I had a pregnancy belt that really helped with that. But yes definitely rest more.


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## blueyezz4

*Belly* - so what did they say? Both babes were okay I'm assuming since you didn't say differently? I'm glad you got checked out and I'm sure you and DH slept better that night. Always better to be safe than sorry is my feeling!! I agree, I think your body is saying to slow down some and take care!!!!!!!

*Renavoo* - glad you passed your GD test w/ flying colors!!!!!! Good job! Only 3 more Sleeps until your sweet DH comes home!!!!! Yay!!!!!

*Keria* - those babes are beautiful!!!!! So cute! Thanks for sharing. I can't believe how fast that time went, easy for me to say, they aren't keeping me up at night!! LOL

*Tenzi* - how are you doing?? Hope you are feeling a little better and not as stressed!! Thinking of you!

*Deborah* - sending hugs your way and thinking of you and your DH!!!

*Kewpie* - how are your little ones doing? Any better? Any more recent pics?

*Bungalow* - you still around?? Thinking of you and hoping you are doing okay too!!!

*Praying* - good to see your name over here!!!! Can't wait to hear your update after your appt.

*Lyndi* - hope things are going well for you and that new little one!!

*Hi to everyone else that i missed. My memory slips me on who I missed, but i'm sure there are a few.*


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## Keria

Blue Time actually has flown by. I wish I could slow it down. I'm stalking you in the other thread I'm really hoping you get your miracle baby.


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## junebug1

hi ladies - im threadcrashing with a question (i hope you won't mind).







i did a FET cycle earlier this month and had my first beta today, which came in at 520 (14dp5dt). in my last/successful FET cycle, my 14dp5dt beta was 932, so today's number has me a bit worried (well, that and betabase/googling that i shouldn't have done!). what do ya'll think? did anyone else have a similar 14dp5dt/19dpo beta number?

thanks so much in advance.

(x-posted in infertility one grads thread)


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## BellyBean

Junebug, I think all pregnancies are pretty different. I am not sure if for me the big difference was fresh/frozen, but my numbers were pretty close to the same with both pregnancies and this time I am having twins! I think it still sounds like a strong number (mine was 17dpo with the twins was 454). Do you have a second draw coming up? From what I have been told it's really the doubling time that matters most. Good luck and keep us posted!

Blue, thanks for checking over here! Yes, both babies were doing well, and I have had lots of movement the last day, so I am not very worried. I have my next OB appointment next Friday so perhaps they will do a quick ultrasound since I went into L&D. Any chance you'd do the intralipids this cycle without an FET. I know it's $300, but maybe you could get a semi free baby 

Thinking of everyone!!!! Had a busier day than I'd like, so I really need to put my DD down and go rest in bed 

Renavoo, I know we are about the same gestation (well you're 2 weeks ahead), but are you having killer back pain yet? Mine seems to come and go, tonight it's pretty bad, maybe it's just how I am laying, but it even wakes me up at night.


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## renavoo

Hey Belly, UGH to back pain. You know, my back isn't hurting too much. It's my front that hurts more, I think from the weight of my stomach. I just received my maternity belt, which I hear is supposed to help pain in both places so I'm going to try that. Walking home from work last night was a bad idea because I was really really exhausted by the end of the walk and my pelvic area burned a little. I guess i'm going to have to stop the walking when it gets after a certain point at night! Especially the distance I was walking! (about 2.7 miles or so)

Isn't movement wonderful? I loooove feeling and seeing my stomach move when the babies are kicking or punching or whatever. I know later on I won't love it as much because it'll probably hurt but it's just so much fun now!

So, how are you feeling now? I hope you got plenty of rest!! I'm with your DH...They were the ones that told you to go into L&D so if anyone should feel silly, they should. However, I don't think anyone should feel silly. i think it's better to be safe anyway so i'm glad you got checked out and that everything is ok. but rest!!

Keria, how are you doing? I know your adorable babies are doing well but I hope that you're doing well too and getting a little time to relax too! Time really is flying!

June, from what I've heard, it's the doubling of the numbers that is most important, not the levels. When are you getting your next HCG test? Also, although it didn't actually happen with me because i had really high numbers but I thought I read somewhere that FET pregnancies tend to have lower numbers. I know you're comparing one pregnancy to another but I really don't know if that is valid. I hope that your numbers climb as they should! keep us posted!

Blue, I love that you check in on us! Give Abby a hug for me! Hey, do you have cable and if so, do you get animal channel? My new show is called Too Cute, where they follow litters of animals from birth to like 10 weeks. The puppy shows are my favorite. haha And I remember pictures of Abby when she was still a puppy! I feel like on some level, we watched her grow! How is her cyst! I hope it's not bothering her too much! How are your parents? I hope they are doing well! i hope your mom got some of her function back!

Kewpie, HI!


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## junebug1

thanks ya'll. i have a second draw tomorrow, so







that it doubles nicely!


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## kewpie80

Not much time.... sooo busy..... so this will be quick.

Keria - LOVE the new pics! They sure are growing fast!

renavoo - Glad you dodged the GD bullet!

belly - So glad things worked out and you didn't go into actual labor. Thinking of you!

june - As others have said, each pregnancy is different. Both numbers are within the range of normal and looking good! Hoping for some good doubling for you!

AFM- freaking busy. Liam's reflux seems to be a touch better, but not where I'd like it to be. I'm giving it till next week and then I'll call the ped and find out if what he's got going on is normal or if we should try something else. This past weekend went well. I'll post some pictures of their blessing outfits once I get them uploaded. In the meantime, here are some other recent pictures....


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## tenzinsmama

Well, two nights ago I came on here, and had done personals for each of you, only to have my computer overheat and I lost them all! I tried giving it a rest and then coming back on, but before I even had time to type two sentences, it shut off again. DH, DS and I had gone on a 2 day getaway, and I guess my laptop didn't like sitting atop the desk in the hotel room (at home, it sits on one of those stands that let air ciruclate through it and it has a fan that blows cool air onto the bottom of my laptop).

No time to write much tonight-- I can't seem to focus on much of anything for too long, I'm just so tired. And I can't remember what I've written before, so I should probably look it up before even doing an "AFM". Actually, I found myself over at the One Thread for Grads or whatever it is called, and started reading the interesting dialogue about becoming a SAHM, the first months of having a baby, counseling, relationship stuff after baby is born, etc. I sure could relate to a lot of that! But now I'm mixed up between the two threads... ha ha. Love how my brain works these days...


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## renavoo

Kewpie, OH MY GOSH, THOSE CHEEKS!! I love it! They are so cute!!!

Tenzi, ah, isn't pregnancy brain fun? Hope you're feeling better! Don't worry about personals. Just check in and let us know how you're doing.

Nothing much going here...just fighting a cold. Bad hacking cough (productive-eww) but otherwise, feeling ok. I'm getting more tired more easily and starting to take longer getting stuff done but overall, things are good.

Big hugs to everyone!


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## tenzinsmama

Renavoo, one thing I had said when I had done up all the personals was that I'm really glad you don't have to worry about gd!

Belly, glad to hear that nothing is going on other than some ligament pain and had you said some Braxton Hicks?

AFM, I'm just plugging away. My moods have improved somewhat, but I'm still not out of the ante-natal depression I've been dealing with the last 4-5 weeks. I guess I should go back to Turks and Caicos, ha ha. Like I said, I can't remember what I've said in previous posts (sorry if I'm repeating myself) but there's all the complete placenta previa going on, and it was confirmed at a 28 week u/s that I need a c-section, unless a miracle happens and it moves enough to let me do a trial labor. (I go April 20th for another u/s, I'll be 32 weeks and 5 days then.) It just kind of threw me, because just over a week before the u/s I had a consult with an OB-GYN who did a quick u/s in his office and he said "I'll bet any money this isn't going to be a problem" and then the doc at the Maternal Fetal Medicine place had a different story... I think my hopes just crashed at that point, and tipped the scale for me.

Since that time, I have seen a different OB-GYN about my pelvic floor issues, and while it wasn't great to hear that I do have pelvic floor damage from my first pregnancy, it was nice to have confirmation that what I was seeing/feeling down there wasn't 'normal'. I have to see him again 6 months after baby is born, and we will look at surgery to repair the damage (I have a torn muscle in my pelvic floor, which is causing prolapse, which includes a rectocele-- plus, there might be other issues which he hasn't discovered yet-- he had to be careful of examining me because of the placenta previa). I'm thankful that the severe incontinence I had earlier when I had that bad cold, has resolved. Now I've just go the 'regular' kind of thing that goes with pregnancy in most women. Anyway, this doc offered to do the c-section since at the time I hadn't an OB-GYN picked out.

In the meantime, a doc I've been seeing for the depression (Dr. G, who I first saw during my pregnancy with DS) put in a referral for a different OB, and I will have a consult with her at some point in the near future. I liked the first OB enough, but I've heard amazing things about this other OB. Plus, I'm sure my doc would have filled her in on my current mood/thinking, which a lot of has to do with the fact that I'm utterly terrified of having a c-section and being in hospital for any length of time. So maybe she would be more sensitive to things. Whereas, this first OB doesn't have a clue, because I never mentioned anything about what I'm feeling-- we were focused on my pelvic floor stuff and things like how long he would let me go before a scheduled c-section (he's comfortable with 30 weeks as long as I have no bleeding).

This weekend I'm attending a day-long workshop called "Birthing with Love", put on by a highly respected psychologist who specializes in pregnancy, birth and post-partum. I'm going so that I can work through some of the disconnect I'm feeling with the pregnancy and the fears around the birth and post-op recovery and post partum. Dr. G thinks I should be on Zoloft right now, because I'm at high risk for post-partum depression, but I refuse because the anxiety over taking it is too much for me. I'm trying to deal with things in natural ways, like trying to eat well, getting enough rest, get outside in the sunshine, and surrounding myself with positive and supportive people. Ahhh, it doesn't help that a couple stressful things have been happening around here (an example is, my DH was getting DS out of the car, had the car door open, and some idiot decides to drive through the parking stall space and he clipped DH's door-- the insurance adjustor calls yesterday, and says DH is at fault because "he had his car door open in the flow of traffic". Absolutely ridiculous!)

I know many women (including on here) have had higher risks than me, and with many of you having twins, it just kind of goes with it... but I guess I was just so unprepared for facing things like bleeding, pre-term labor, and other complications that could be life-threatening to me and/or baby, especially after having had a pregnancy and birth like with my DS, and with me being in excellent health going into all of this. And it's just so hard for me knowing that I've come so far with not having a recurrence of anxiety/depression for such a long time (I went through a lot when my dad was fighting his cancer when I was pregnant with DS-- but then, I became a pillar of strength so I could be there for him). I just want to get through this, so that I can be healthy for when Baby comes...

I'm such a downer, I know it...


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## kewpie80

Tenzins - I'm sorry you're having such a difficult time with all of this. I was a bit upset about my birth as I said before, but as I look at my babies now, none of that matters to me now. The birth is such a small part. Trying to remember that helped me work through the disappointment. I hope you can eventually find peace in what has been placed on your plate. It's a hard thing to deal with, I know. I was on zoloft during my pregnancy (still am, actually) I'm also one who likes to try to work through things naturally, but gave in when the anxiety I was having got to be too much. If you do decide to go ahead with the medicine, try not to beat yourself up about it. It is not a sign of weakness. Feel free to vent here as much as you like. Even though we all worked so hard to become pregnant, that doesn't mean that pregnancy is all unicorns and rainbows either. We're here to listen anytime you need us.

AFM - Liam laughed for the first time today AND I got it on video. I just happened to start recording RIGHT before it happened. The babies were having "naked kicky time" so I've set the video to private, but if any of you would like to see it, just send me a PM with your email addy or youtube name and I'll add you to the "ok list." I also posted a video of Maisie when she was 7 weeks old (not private) and I'm uploading a few more to my youtube account. I can't believe my babies will be 3 months old in 3 days!!


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## prayinghard

*Kewpie and Keria: * Your little ones are gorgeous!!! Thanks for sharing the pictures...


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## Keria

Kewpie they are so freaking cute, what's their weight now? they look so big. I've been meaning to take videos of my kids it just seem they don't do much yet but I want to remember what they are like when they are little. I'll send you a pm I would love to see your little ones

Tenzins I have lost many posts it drives me crazy especially when I type them one handed and it takes me like half an hour to write a post. I'm so glad you are feeling a little better about the whole thing. Don't apologize for your feelings, there is always going to be someone that has it harder than you but that doesn't mean your feelings are not valid. Zoloft is the most studied anti depressant used in pregnant women so if you decide to take it in the future don't feel guilty about it your DS ad your baby need a happy mama more than anything else.

Rena hope youa re feeling better being sick and pregnant sucks.

As for us my little ones got their 2 month shots last week it broke my heart but after a quick boob they were fine. I don't want to say it out loud but things are starting to get much easier. They are taking longer naps and seem to be more efficient at the breast. I'm also able to pump more so we can give them a bottle whenever I need break.


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## kewpie80

praying - Thanks!

Keria - I'm not sure how big they are... At last weigh in a month ago, Maisie was approaching 12 pounds and Liam was 12.5 pounds. I'd bet Liam is 14 or more now with Maisie probably a pound behind. He's been wearing 3-6 month clothes for 2 weeks now ans she's transitioning now. How big are your little munchkins? I took videos cause I didn't want to forget their little newborn movements or cries. They are so different now from what they were. I look back now and I can't believe the change. I got out their preemie outfits a week or two ago and almost cried. I am so excited they're doing more now, but I miss my cuddle-babies.

AFM - Tonight was a test of my patience. (I passed) Maisie screamed for 2 hours straight while Liam whimpered helplessly anytime I came near with her. I'm sicker than a dog with a 102 fever, feeling miserable and DH texts me to say he will be at least 4 hours late coming home. Awesome. Maisie was overly tired and it took a LOT to finally get her settled (total of 4 hours) but she's sleeping now and Liam is awake but not fussing. I finally got a chance to pee and drink.  Oh, and there were a couple of epic poops in there too, complete with baby hands getting in it and then not wanting to unclench... Hoping for a better tomorrow


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## lyndiramos

Just a quick update before I head to bed. I have been keeping up just not a lot of time to post. Alina is 13 days old and doing well! She had some weight gaining issues but as of today she is almost at her birth weight!! She has finally .made it to 2ozs a feeding. Im pumping and feeding because she gets to tired breastfeeding. I am excited to say that I have 200 ounces of breast milk in my freezer so far!! Not bad for 13 days. Im a pumping machine getting 6ozs every 3 hours so I feed her 2ozs and freeze 4ozs!! She is a great baby not to fussy. Afm my hellp syndrome is improving and preclamsia is finally gone!! all the swelling is gone for the most part and im 15lbs under my prepregnancy weight!! Platelets are still a little low and enzymes are still a bit elevated but improving!! We Alina whinning time to feed her. I will try and catch up with everyone very soon!!


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## renavoo

HI ladies,

Kewpie, that sounds positively horrible but yah for passing the test! I hope that you get more rest today and that the babies are feeling better. Hopefully, you're feeling better too. Do you have the flu? Or why do you have a fever? Hopefully, DH can take over a little so that you can get some rest!!

Keria, I'm so happy that things are settling down! I will definitely be taking a lot of photos and videos of the little ones when I can. haha i always think that since these are going to probably be the only two I have, I want to overdo the photos and videos rather than wish I had more of them!

Tenzi,







I think that the anxiety you're feeling is normal although combined with your depression, it must seem unmanageable. I hope that, whatever you do, you start to feel much better soon. As Keria says, it isn't a bad thing to get treatment if the feelings overwhelm you. However, regardless, you're doing good, mom! Just keep it up and soon, the baby will be here and i bet you'll be a wonderful mom to both the new baby and your DS. By the way, UGH to the car door being hit and you guys being held responsible. So ridiculous!

Lyndi, YAH!!! Everything sounds like it's going great! So HAPPY!

Praying, hi!

RCR and Blue, since I know you check in on us, HI! D

AFM, I'm ok. My cold lingers and I still have hacking coughs although they now are less frequent. However, I do end up getting up 3-4 times a night for the coughs and i ended up falling asleep on the couch because I didn't want to go back into the bedroom and disturb poor DH. Ugh, my ribs hurt though from all the coughing but I did call the doctor's office and the nurse said that the babies are probably well protected since i don't have a fever. So while I hate the coughing, I'll make do. If it doesn't get significantly better in the next couple of days, I'll probably end up taking robitussin. But I'm avoiding it because I hate the taste (I know, I'm such a baby!)

)

Big hugs to everyone!


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## kewpie80

r*enavoo* - I hate robitussin too. I found that the sugar free version for diabetics tastes better, though. It's not quite so strong tasting. It is still yucky, but not as much so.

I'm not sure what I've got. It's not as severe as the flu, but I did have a serious fever for about 2 days, so I dunno. I don't think the cold has fevers.... right? Now I've got the dry hacking cough that makes me spasm and feel like I'm going to die. I'm right there with ya, unfortunately. I'll be thinking of you. haha

I hope you feel better too!! I got sick right near the end... over christmas, it was... I think I was around 34 weeks or so. Awful! NOthing worse than sick while being pregnant.

l*yndi* - SO jealous about your milk production. I have no freezer stash and I struggle to get 2 oz while pumping. You deserve a good pat on the back! That's awesome!


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## renavoo

Kewpie, ugh to the hacking cough!!! That stuff is just the worst!! I wish you weren't sick but I kind of feel better that someone else is going through this with me too. haha although, then again, I think a lot of people in my office are sick too. What the heck!? Winter is over...we're not supposed to be getting sick. But yes, no fever so I think it was just a minor cold.

Lyndi, which pumping machine do you use? I need to start getting on that and I'm not sure whether i should rent one or buy one. Kewpie and Keria, what are your suggestions too?

)

thanks ladies!


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## rcr

Lyndi - I didn't congratulate you! Congrats! And congrats for being a super pumper! I was a big milk producer too, and I ended up pumping so much that I also fed an adopted baby for almost a year.

Rena - I used the Medela Pump in Style. It is the most expensive, but the best (unless that has changed in the last 5 years since I had DS). If you are planning to do a lot of pumping (i.e going back to work), get the best. It makes a big difference. Sorry you are sick.

Kewpie - sorry you are sick too. Love the pictures!

Tenzi - Oh, I am so sorry you are having a rough time. Pregnancy is hard, especially after going through IF when you want it to be all wonderful and idealistic but it is just not. It is hard work making another person. Try to take care of yourself.









Keria - Wow, I can't believe it has been 2 months already.

AFM - as I am sure you all know, I had an amazing turn of events. We thought that we had zero fertilization, but 3 days later the RE called and said that one was growing. That is hopefully our little fighter baby that we are tranferring today. I feel good that we are doing assisted hatching, and I think it is going to give us more of a chance. So if you have any good vibes to send my way, please do so


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## lyndiramos

Rcr- I have a feeling there is a reason that ltttle one is growing!! Rooting this is it!!!!


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## kewpie80

renavoo - I have a Pump In Style by Medela. I've gotten the most milk from this one of the ones I tried. If I didn't have this one, I would be renting a hospital grade.

rcr - I have everything crossed and you've got all my good vibes! I too feel like there's a reason this one is fighting! Grow grow grow!!!


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## BellyBean

rcr, how exciting!!! I am hoping, praying, and sending all sorts of good vibes your way so that little miracle keeps on fighting and growing after transfer!!!!!!!!

Renavoo, I also have the pump in style by medela from DD. It worked well, but I was not a huge producer like rcr or lyndi. I plan on renting the hospitial grade symphony one for the first few months to get a good stockpile going and then maybe transition back to mine if it is too spendy (or there isn't much of a difference). In hindsight, I honestly think my supply issue was due to nutrition and fluids. I lost all my pregnancy weight, IVF weight, and then some in about 4-6 weeks. I was smaller than my little sister who is a rail and probably not getting enough calories/water to keep production high. I was so used to just eating for myself and went back to my typical small portions and was so busy with the baby I often would forget to eat/drink.

AFM, we started a small remodel project at our house...gasp...it's been keeping me pretty busy (mentally really, since I am working on finding contractors). It's going to repurpose some of our living space so it's a must for me before babies arrive. Also, I have really noticed my body being more tired and my belly actually hurts from stretching. I am also very pleased to report we bought our second crib yesterday and I just ordered the double snap and go on amazon a few minutes ago (it's on sale for $78!). I am anxious to get everything ready since I tend to stress about long lists of to do's. Another project on my list is picking baby names, and some sort of lettering for their room.


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## Keria

Oh rcr I'm so sorry your little embie didn't make it. I was so sure this was your cycle. I'm glad you are peace with moving on. I'm a big believer in changing clinics. If you look online there are tons of stories of peoples with tons of tries with one clinic and they get pregnant on the first try with another clinic.

Lyndi add me to jealous club. I have 30 ozs in my freezer that I got with a lot of hard work. I'm usually only able to pump between1-3 ounces. Do you have more pictures of your little munchkin? Are you getting some sleep?

Rena I also have a PISA I started with an avent single electric which I actually really like but there is no way to go hands free with that one so i mostly use the PISA. Also the avent has these soft cushion thingies which are really nice it took me some time so to get used to the hard plastic on the medela. Are you returning to work after the babes are born?

Belly you are a brave woman. Remember to take it easy though.

Inspired by kewpie I took some video of my babies I have to upload it and I'll post the link .


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## rcr

Thanks *Keira*. I do have peace with moving on. I need to move on as fast as possible though, as we are afraid that DH will be loosing his IF insurance/job, but I am doing everything I can. We have an appointment at a new clinic (the one that Montessortof used) on the 24th, and I am working on getting an appointment with a egg bank clinic that Vegan recommended that has had pretty amazing results. Plus there is always my old RE - we are still on their wait list for donor eggs, but I think that we will be moving on since other places look like they can get a donor faster. So yea, I am ok. I always feel better when I have a plan to move toward. Donor eggs were not my first choice, but I am ok with it.

Just trying to get my records from the old RE. Not looking forward to that phone call.


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## lyndiramos

Keria- Im getting sleep shes is a great baby!! I added new pics to my photo album on my profile but not sure how to get then on here with my tablet.. But all of you are more then welcomed to veiw them there!! As soon as I have a chance to get on my regular computer I will post them on here!!


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## renavoo

HI ladies!

It sounds like Medela is the way to go! I think I'm going to get the backpack one since i prefer backpacks as the way to travel ) Thanks!!

belly, whoohoo to getting all this stuff done! i was thinking about getting the double snap and go also and i actually saw someone using it the other day on the street (I'm a stroller stalker these days! DH is as well- he says that that's how he knows he's about to be a father...he checks out all the strollers these days. haha). My one concern is that we have too much stuff. In fact, my big task this weekend is to start cleaning up. DH and i need to start figuring out what we can donate, what we can throw away and how we can make room. Also, we need to build the cribs to make sure that the pieces are all there. I may have ordered the cribs too early but I was hearing horror stories about how people ordered cribs and they didn't come for months so I wanted to order them early. Of course, now they are here really early so I need to do something to make sure that they work out!

You have a glucose test today, right? GOOD LUCK! You'll do great! More bump photos please. Last I saw, you looked fantastic and were barely showing. ;o)

RCR, I said this in my other post but you are truly inspirational. You're positive outlook is amazing. I'm so glad, by the way, that you're settling on a place for the donor eggs. That place really does sound like it will be fantastic for you. I hope that your insurance does cover the bulk of it, if you have to pay out of pocket initially. Did you call the insurance company and did they say that they would cover it? I hope your dh's sperm analysis test comes out good though! that way, you won't feel like you've just wasted so much time on this. Although, whatever happens, I hope you don't think this was a waste of time...it was just your road to getting your next baby!

Keria and Kewpie, I want to see videos!! )

Lyndi, she's so cute! And I'm happy that she's giving her mom some well deserved and needed rest D

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! And a wonderful holiday for those who celebrate.

D


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## kewpie80

renavoo- I sent you a PM with the video links. They're nekkid in one of the videos, so I have them set to private and don't want to just post the links here.

Have fun decluttering. I'm still working on that.... it feels like we're never done. I'm hoping to get us down to the bare minimum for our move. (plus I just cant stand a lot of "stuff")


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## renavoo

Kewpie, they are gorgeous babies and the laughing video was wonderful! What timing!

Ugh, decluttering is such a difficult task...especially for a hoarder like myself. DH has helped my hoarder tendencies a lot but I still get a little anxious when I have to throw anything away. Admittedly, we didn't do enough this weekend so far because i'm still recovering from my cold and i've been fighting a nasty headache. However, we did manage to build one of the cribs and our friends started sending over some gifts. One of our friends got us a dutalier glider and another got us the graco twins bassinet/pack and play. So we put those together too. And noticed how LITTLE room we actually have. ;o)

We are putting together piles of stuff to donate. Hopefully, we get that done soon too!

Hope everyone else is well! Check in when you can!


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## BellyBean

Renavoo, ugh to decluttering! I tend to hang on to things and DH like to throw everything away, so sometimes I just have to turn my back and let him get everything out of the house! We are still in the midst of moving everything around so we have unearthed a lot of things I had stashed away 

Lyndi, your DD is absolutely beautiful and how great that she is a good sleeper! Congratulations again!

rcr, I really hope you are able to find a clinic that can get you in quickly. I don't know much about the subject, but from what you have written the frozen eggs in Atlanta sound like a great deal. I hope your DH's sperm tests come back good, does the clinic offer embryo's if needed?

Keira, HELP!!!! Did you ever find anything that helped with the hemorroids? I have spent the last week suffering and trying everything under the sun like creams, ice, baths, living on milk of magnesia, but all the sudden they wont go away and just keep getting worse  I am in so much pain now, I can barely walk, sit, bend down, anything. I had my OB appt last week, but they weren't this bad at the time and I was really frustrated because the lab wouldn't do my glucose test per the OB's orders, my OB (who is always on time) was 40 min late, and I just completely forgot to ask. I am going to call this morning, but I thought you might have some secret tips or if they gave you something prescription. There is no way I can live like this for the rest of the pregnancy and after!

AFM, we told the families the names we had *chosen*, and I didn't get the reaction I wanted. My mom even started giving more suggestions, and others started combining the names into other names I really don't like. It made me really sad last night and I ended up crying a lot. I took these cute pictures of how we announced it, but I haven't shared anything because I am totally doubting the names. I am still sad just thinking about it. I think that's why we didn't tell last time, but everyone keeps asking so I thought I would just get them "out there". I am probably being super emotional, but my feelings are really hurt.

I also took a bump picture to share....here I am  I swear I look a million times bigger in person. I am still measuring 5-6 weeks ahead.


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## Keria

Belly you look great! Oh the hemorroids, I forgot all about them. I'm so sorry you are in so much pain, warm baths helped a little but they never really went away until the babies were born. I'm sorry your family is giving you a hard time about names grr I had a friend that kept sending me lists of name suggestions after I told her that the names were final. Also no one showed excitement about the names we picked it was like oh why did you chose those? It kind of hurt m feelings too because we loved the names so much but anyways go with what you love who cares what anyone else thinks.

Rena it sounds like you've been quite busy. Remember to to over do it.

Here are some videos of my babies


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## renavoo

Hi ladies!

What I want to know is why everyone seems to think that they can just opine about everything to do with our pregnancies, without being asked. I feel like people get less and less polite with their opinions and forget that we're the ones who are pregnant and going to give birth to OUR children. They should be happy that we're telling them the names early and just ooh and aah. Belly, unless you're naming your babies something like Kal-el (that one always stood out because i love superman), I'm sure your names are just beautiful. I had the same reaction when I told people our babies' names too. I had people shaking their heads and saying that Sienna sounded too much like Serena and mispronounce Colin into "colon". Sigh. But DH and I are happy with our names and we just shrugged and moved on. I just nodded to the naysayers but didn't say much more after that. They will find out after the babies are born that we kept the names. ;o)

You look fantastic, by the way!! My gosh, you're still so tiny (i know you say you look bigger but seriously, if a camera adds 10 pounds then you look barely pregnant. You go girl!) I bet you're one of those women who will look like you weren't even pregnant a week after giving birth. Lucky!

Keria, AWWWWW I loved the videos (and Oliver and Lucia will forgive you for not giving them an easter basket THIS time but don't let it happen again. haha) But seriously, those smiles! Aww they are so adorable! They also seem quite long so I think your babies will be very tall )

AFM, I'm trying not to overdo it but another big presentation is coming up and they want me to be a part of it. I really hope that it doesn't mean extremely long hours again because honestly, I'm starting to feel exhausted so I think the third trimester is going to impact how well i feel. sigh. But regardless, had a scan yesterday although we didn't get any good images because our little boy was hiding with his face to the back and we just got a profile of the little girl. I didn't like the sonographer as much as the other two in the practice. I hope that the next visit I get another sonographer. I'm a little amazed though that the next time we see them will be in 4 weeks and that will be week 32! It's crazy to think. According to the tech, they are both measuring around 3 pounds so they are a little bigger than average but still within limits. haha at first I was a little shocked because I was hoping that I wouldn't have to give birth to 2 7 pounders or something like that. ;o) But anyway, things are good and as of now, they are both head down and side by side. We'll see how they look in a few weeks! Time to go get ready for work. Hope everyone is doing well! BIG HUGS!


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## monkeyscience

Crashing to say...

Sorry you ladies are having people poo-poo your name choices! This just further strengthens my resolve to tell NO ONE our name until the baby comes. People usually seem less likely to butt in with their opinion once it's actually a done deal. (Though I'm sure that won't stop everyone!)

*rena* - Sorry your work is exhausting you! Anyway you can politely tell your boss that you just don't have as much energy now that you are getting so far along? Also, everything I've read says bigger babies (unless they are like 10+ lbs, or even more) are actually easier to push out than littler ones, so maybe bigger babies isn't a bad thing! Interesting you have 4 weeks till your next appointment. I'm pretty sure after 28 weeks is when my appointments switch to every 2 weeks, and I'm only having one. But all they do at the appointments is listen to the baby and measure me, anyway. Good luck!


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## prayinghard

Hi all..... sorry that I have not been around. I was having trouble posting. I would hit submit and nothing would happen! Uggg! lost lots of posts that way. You would think I would have learned. Unfortunatly only time for a quick hello and to wish you all the best. I heard my little ones heartbeat yesterday for the first time. It was like music!


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## BellyBean

Praying, congrats to a sucessful u/s and hearing the little heartbeat!!! How wonderful.

Keira, I loved those videos! What a couple of cuties! Plus, your accent is awesome 

Renavoo, I really hope your work settles down soon! I can't imagine working such long hours! You are a real trooper. That is so great that your babes are growing so well! I have my next u/s in about a week and a half and I hope they can tell me about how big they are. That's part of my plan to keeping their names straight when they come out  Like bigger baby A is so and so, and smaller baby B is so and so.

Monkey, thanks for dropping by to side with us  We kept DD's name pretty much a secret last time. I would tell a few close friends and family what we were thinking, but waited till birth for a full announcement. Kind of wish, I hadn't said anything this time 

AFM, still bummed about the way our names were received, but I plan on talking to my mom about it tomorrow or Friday. We also got the crib we ordered and it's not exactly what I wanted (in terms of matching our other crib). DH says it doesn't matter, and it probably doesn't, I just wish I "loved" it more... Which reminds me I need to order another matress.


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## Keria

Rena YAY for head down and big babies. I'm hoping this will be your last big presentation I can't imagine working so much. And yes my little ones are long and lean they are only about 9 and a half pounds but are already outgrowing their 3 month sleepers by length I'm going to be the short one in the family lol

Praying I'm glad you got hear your little ones heartbeat. DId you get to see the little bean as well?

Belly As long as you and your DH love the names that;s all that matters. Hopefully you have a nice talk with your mom. From now on when someone tells me the name of their baby I;m going to tell them how much I love it.


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## blueyezz4

Hi All!!! Sorry I've been slacking on posting on this side lately, on the other side as well actually.

*Belly* - I wouldn't worry too much about the name thing. If you and your DH like them then that is all that matters. They are your children and you are the ones that are going to be saying the names most. Everyone is going to have their own opinion but your and DH's is the only one that counts in this matter I feel!!!! Love your Belly pic. You are so cute and all "Belly", isn't that appropriate!!! LOL When my MIL had her triplets (one being my DH) she painted on toe nail I think it was a certain color or used a colored ribbon on their wrist or ankle to tell them apart. My one friend has twin boys and the one boy has a vein down his forehead that helps to tell them apart b/c they are identical. I'm sure there will be some way to tell them apart or their hair may be different colored too you never know. How fun to think about it, though. Can't wait to see pics when the time comes!!

*Praying* -congrats on graduating over to this side!!!!! I'm just a stalker over here, making sure everyone is doing well.

*Renavoo* - I sure hope your work starts to slow down or they at least let you set up a little cot in your office for some mid-day naps to take care of yourself!!!!!!

*Keria* - loved the videos and love your accent too!!! Those babes are too cute.

*Kewpie* - how are you doing?? What is going on with your move are you guys still moving or no?

*Lyndi* - how are you and the new little one doing? HOpe everything is good.

*Bungalow* - you still out there? Just thinking of you and hoping all is okay. Anything going on? I'd guess you would have had those babes by now, right? I forget when your actual due date was but hopefully you are just busy w/ two newborns!!!

*Monkey* - so good to see your ticker moving!!!!!! Hope you are feeling well!!!!

*Tenzi* - how are you doing???

Well, i'm sure I missed a few people, but i'm drawing a blank and just trying to look back on this page. Hope everyone is well!!!!!!! Back to just stalking for me!!!


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## kewpie80

Keria - LOVED the videos! (add me to the list of people who love your accent. Where are you from? Your little monsters are just too cute!

Belly - Sorry your names were not well received. The only ones who need to love them are you and DH, though.

blue - yep, we're still moving. The big move will be happening in september. I've already started going through stuff and packing. I want to get rid of a LOT of stuff, so I'm starting now so I have time to really think about things. I'm also cleaning each item as I pack so it should come out clean on the other end and save me some time. I can usually easily get rid of most things, except books... I've have a few hundred and really need to pare down the lot, but having such a hard time doing so. I LOVE to read and they bring me comfort, but they just take up SO much space and are so heavy. DH bought me a Nook for christmas and I'm LOVING that I can have as many books as I want with no extra space. 

AFM - The babies haven't napped in 3 days and I'm having a hard time getting things done. They have been up from the time I get up until about 9pm. Once out for the night, they are out except for feeding time (which still happens twice between midnight and 6am) so at least we're not up rocking all night like we used to be. They have started reaching for toys and bringing them to their mouths which is really exciting cause it means playing on their own isn't too far off. They have started really noticing each other and the cats as well which is entertaining to watch.

Liam is doing awesome with tummy time and can hold his head up for several minutes (I'd guess 10-15) before getting tired. He smiled all through tummy time yesterday, so I'm thinking it's getting easier for him. He's started doing mini push-ups as well which makes me realize just how fast they are growing up. Maisie is not as strong and only can handle holding her head up for 4-6 minutes before getting ticked. We force her to go a little longer each day, so hopefully it will get easier for her soon.

They have gotten their first colds, but they don't seem to be doing too badly.


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## Keria

Thanks guys I"m form Venezuela my first language is spanish.

Blue I had no idea your DH was a triplet is he close to his sibilings?

Kewpie I can;t imagine going all day without naps I hope they go back to napping during the day. I hope they get rid of their colds fast


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## tenzinsmama

Just popped on quickly here to say 'hi' to all of you and to thank you for your kind words of support and encouragement.

We've been with a sad situation with one of our dogs... He hadn't been feeling well and we had some tests done that showed something suspicious on his spleen-- we still had hope for him in that a splenectomy could be performed and that not every mass is malignant... However, he had surgery this past Tuesday and he ended up having to be euthanized on the table, because the mass was huge and to the vet's shock and dismay she discovered there was something on his pancreas as well (which is very rare). So there wasn't any hope for him to recover from that, so he passed peacefully with my husband by his side. Our two dogs are very cherished, and so we are taking the loss very hard. Yep, even with having a human baby, my passion for animals has never waned. It's been really strange, DS doesn't even call out his name looking for him (he used to do that all that time), so it's like he knows that Azul is gone forever. And our other dog is really depressed and acting out of sorts, too.

In other news, I think I may have picked an OB that I feel comfortable doing the c-section. My only hope is that she can schedule herself in the OR to do it when she feels is best, which she says is 37-38 weeks. According to her, anything later than that would be negligent on her part since the risk of me going into labor will just keep increasing and then me and the baby would be at risk. Just hoping that now that I'm close to having some decisions made about an OB, that I don't have any bleeding or pre-term signs of labor before that-- if it happened, I would end maybe having her, or the other 11 OBs that form the team that she is on. Depends on who's working at the time.

Still having issues with ante-natal depression, but I'm doing what I can to work through things. Still not wanting to go on anti-depressant meds-- I've been on them before, and I'm so sensitive to them that I just end up having all sorts of side effects that take ages to wear off, and then I sense that I'm in an altered state the whole time. And then coming off them, even slowly, I have wicked reactions.

The good news is that DS has reached a new level of being able to communicate with us, so he doesn't get as frustrated over things like he did before (well, part of that was because he was popping out two molars at one time, and he was sick with that nasty cold/ear infection) and he has been absolutely joyful to be around. He is so much fun at this age! I love him to bits, I never would have imagined how much I would love another person so much.

Looking forward to hearing more updates from each of you, it's nice to feel connected on here...


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## kewpie80

keria - I can tell I need sleep... At first, I typed my own name in response to you instead of yours... haha They napped a TON today thank goodness and I curled up on the floor and slept with them. It felt so good to finally sleep. They went down earlier than normal tonight while playing too, so we put them to bed and they stayed out. They must be having a growth spurt or working on getting over their colds or something. Whatever it is, I'll take it! I hope your littles are doing well.

Tenzins - Glad to see you pop by. So sorry to hear about your dog. Animals are very special to me too and I dread the thought of losing one and it's always so hard when it happens. I hope you can find ways to remember him and keep his spirit alive in your home. I'm also sorry to hear about the depression. I'm sure the issues with your dog are not helping... (hugs)

AFM - Maisie *almost* laughed tonight. SHe was so close! I don't think it will be long before she does it for real. I was singing itsy bitsy spider to hear and moving her hands for the actions. She found that pretty hilarious apparently. haha Liam just about got me in the face with pee tonight as I was changing his diaper. He has never had diaper rash before, but looked like he had something threatening on one of his legs... I bent down to inspect and whooops! He missed me by an inch. That kid has distance! Anyway, I jumped back and yelled out which he found pretty funny and got a huge grin. The stinker!


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## renavoo

Hi ladies, sorry i've been MIA. It's been crazy here and I'm just tired all the time now but I'm trudging through!

Monkey, I love that you checked in here!! How are you doing? I'll go over to the other thread to check on you too D

Praying, YAH for a heartbeat! There is nothing lie that sound, is there? you should put a ticker on the bottom so we can follow your progress!

Belly, I hope that your conversation with your mom went well. You know the funny thing? After this conversation with you, dh was speaking with his mom on the phone and i heard, "no mom, we're set on the name". She apparently doesn't like the name Colin. At first, I felt bad but then I thought of our conversation and I felt better. Having all your support just makes these little bumps in the road seem manageable. Sorry about the crib though ( Maybe when you decorate the room or something, you can use the slight differences to your decorating advantage? ) As for the mattress, which mattress are you getting? I got the Moonlight Slumber Little Dreamer Foam mattress because the reviews seemed good but I still am up in the air about foam vs coils.

Keria, haha it'll be something to look forward to when your children are taller than you and they end up getting really protective of you! I am so happy that they are growing so well and they are such beautiful, happy children! how is everything else going?

Blue, i'm so excited that you finally got your drugs and you're starting the lupron for your next cycle. How are you feeling? How is Abby? How are your parents? Just wanted to give you a big hug...you're such an amazing, supportive person!

Kewpie, thank goodness you finally got a good nap in! That must have been tough to not get some sleep!! As for the pee incidence, HAHA! I'm worried about that with our little boy too but I also think it'll be hilarious. So funny because i'm a germaphobe (although i know urine is sterile) but i don't think i'm going to care about getting peed on or even pooped on when it's our little baby doing it. I guess there are no limits to a love of your own child. ;o) Ugh to having to move, by the way...that will be stressful. We are considering getting a bigger apartment in the future too but just thinking about moving gives me a headache. I may end up just throwing everything away. Speaking of which, we need to do some major purging today as weekend 2 of "prepare the apartment" commences.I can't wait until Maisie laughs! And I hope you get it on video!

Tenzi, Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. I totally understand what you mean about being an animal lover and taking their deaths hard. My fur baby passed away more than 10 years ago and I still haven't really gotten over it. Buster (my dog, springer spaniel) was literally my best friend and my baby and i really do think that he made me a better person and when we had to euthanize him because he had renal failure, my heart just broke. A piece of my heart is still with him. I'm so sorry. I hope that your family (including your other dog) heal with time although Azul will be remembered, I'm sure. As for your depression, I hope that you have more good days than bad. I love that your DS is bringing you such joy! That must help with your depression. And YAH to finding a good ob/gyn!

I find it so funny, by the way, that i'm being offered advice, as I get bigger, about whether to get a c section or have a vaginal birth. One woman told me outright that I should just bite the bullet and get a c section. It's faster. Other women say that I should have a vaginal birth and then they tell me how easy it was for them. *shaking head* still taking it as it comes but if there is a good chance that I would have a vaginal birth and then require a c section, i'm so going for a c section. no point in pain from other ways! I asked my doctor about that the other day and she said it's always possible. sigh. I hate these less than definitive answers!

thanks for your support about work. Yesterday was a hard day for me. Even working 11 hours now is so draining. My legs are almost always swollen and I had issues walking because they feel so heavy and crampy by the time evening comes. I'm dreading the 24th because I already know I'll be working 14 hours (focus groups for our presentation). I was in such a pissy mood yesterday so I feel bad for DH. This presentation will be over May 8th or 9th so after that, I'm done. I'm going to tell them that it's going to be impossible for me to work these hours anymore and I'm thinking that i'm going to tell my boss that starting june, I'm going to be working from home (if I get that far! I'm assuming that I'll reach 38 weeks, which is probably not going to happen but we can hope, right?) Otherwise, the little ones are having fun kicking me and I'm feeling like my stomach is harder so i feel like when I push in a little, I'm probably hitting the little ones. I love that! I'm admittedly not a huge fan of pregnancy because i feel like it limits the things i can do but I would never have wanted to forgo the feeling of the little ones kicking me and making my stomach move. It fills me with such wonder and joy. I'm also a science geek so I just find the whole process quite awe-inspiring!

Ok, off to start getting some stuff done. Big hugs to you all!!

Oh and Lyndi, Bungalow and Tear, check in when you can!


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## BellyBean

It has been so quiet around here lately!!!

Renavoo, yes the conversation went well...now I just need to go about anouncing the names I guess  She admitted not liking the middle names, but that doesn't really matter to me. Who ever "hears" middle names anyways, I am just glad I know what was bothering her...it's like now that I know I can just move on. We got the same mattress we got for DD, from costco LA Baby Organic 2 sided mattress (baby and toddler). It was the least expensive "organic" (I think all organic mattress are a bit of a stretch since they have to be fire proof or whatever). It has 240 coils which is more than I was able to find elsewhere and for $110 delivered, it met my budget  The one we have from DD has held up great and one baby will be using that one. I just heard of the foam/soy mattresses, so I don't have any info/opinions, I just went with what required no thought! I have kept the nursery door open so I can look in and check out the crib (even though it looks like a tornado has gone through there), and I think I am used to the other crib now...it is what it is, and not worth the effort to change at this point, plus I don't have anything else in mind that I'd like better. I think I might start slowing cut back on my "in office" hours. I can't imagine making it to 36 weeks even with my part time gig. I'd like to still be going in then, but maybe for just a couple hours/day. I hope you get some relief at work soon!!!!!

Tenzi, so sorry to hear about your furbaby  That is so sad. I am glad to hear things are going so well with DS though!!! I love it when after a rough stretch, something just clicks for toddlers and you get a little "break" from the chaos.

Blue, stalking you on the other thread! I am on pins and needles for this cycle!!!

Keira/Kewpie, how is everything going with the babes?

Bungalow, thinking about you.

AFM, I keep running into twins and twin moms everywhere. We took DD to the park yesterday and a lady was walking with her son and twin boys. Her babes were 8 weeks old and she said they were starting to get into a good groove  I think that is about when my DD started sleeping better and things seemed to click for us too. So 8 weeks seems totally manageable. My tummy is getting really tight, I am not sure how it's possible to keep growing so quickly. I didn't get stretch marks with DD, but I think it's unavoidable with twins right? Do they show up as your growing or shrinking after they are born?


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## kewpie80

belly - my stretch marks came right near the end and I got about 10 small ones... about an inch or less in size each and they're all parallel to the ground at the top of my belly. Not sure if they're unavoidable... probably depends on your skin type. I did use palmer's stretch mark cream throughout my pregnancy, so maybe that helped...?


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## renavoo

Hi ladies!

I've just been using regular lotion to keep my skin hydrated but perhaps I'll look up palmer's stretch mark cream! I did read that there's really nothing you can do about stretch marks and that it's really all just dependent on genetics. I haven't seen any stretch marks yet but I'm sure with the additional growth, I'll be seeing them soon. Did you ladies ever waver between "boy i'm huge" and "hey, am I not growing enough?" I sometimes feel like I'm not growing enough still and having almost everyone comment on how I don't look like i'm pregnant with twins is really grating because it makes me worry. DH has to keep reminding me that the scan shows that they are growing well and are actually a little above average in size. I guess the belly may not show as much because of my height (5'8).

Yesterday was a bad day because I was in pain. My belly was killing me and my back was hurting too. I think I'm going through major growing pains because once I got home and laid down, I felt a little better. Today, I'll try to wear my pregnancy belt since it'll probably be another long day. A colleague of mine who also had twins gave me a good talking to and told me that I have to start saying no to set the foundation today and for the future. Honestly, when I was younger, I was fine working late hours. Now and I know in the future when I have the babies, working so late will be the furthest thing from my mind. There was an interesting article on CNN about this tech exec who leaves work at 5:30pm everyday. I can't do that but that sure does sound nice (of course, my friend knows someone who works at her company and HE pulls 14 hour days. haha)

Belly, i actually joined a online club called Manhattan Twins Club where all the parents have twins or up (I don't know if you have something like that near you?). It's really nice to be able to read about what others are going through with twins to mentally prepare myself (and DH). 8 weeks definitely does sound manageable. I really hope you and I get to experience that too!! D

Ok, off to relax before work. I hope everyone is doing well!


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## kewpie80

I noticed a big difference at 8 weeks and an even bigger difference at 12 weeks. They are almost 15 weeks now and can actually swat at toys on their play gym now and I can get about 40-60 minutes of time where I can run the vacuum through or start dinner. I can't wait until they start actually grabbing and holding onto toys. That will free up so much time where they don't need constant interaction. I love my babies, but mama's gotta eat! 

I hear that as hard as it is the first 6 months, it gets THAT much easier over a singleton for the second 6 months becuase they entertain each other. Kind of a reward for all the hard work.  They will be 6 months on July 4th. I'll letcha know. haha Maisie is REALLY noticing Liam and starting to seek him out, so it must not be long.

The time does go so fast.


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## prayinghard

Hello All!

Just checking in quick, but not much to report!

*Tenzins: * I am so sorry to hear that you are having such a rough time. Your poor little dog. I am such an animal lover. It hurts my heart to hear that story. I have heard of many people who once they have kids leave their pets behind. I could never do that. I have to admit, that they probably do not get as much attention as they did before DS came along, but I try. I still love them dearly. I have lost pets it the past, and it is devastating. Hang in there.

*Belly: * I loved your "belly" pic. I think you still look tiny. How are you feeling? Did you mention your name choices in the board? Did I miss it? Or are you keeping it as a surprise? Good thoughts coming your way!

*Rena: * With DS I did not get any stretch marks (but I was only carrying one baby!). I just used cocoa butter every morning and night. Hope it works out that way with this pregnancy too.

*AFM: * Constantly hungry and tired, but otherwise feeling pretty good. Have some waves of nausea but they pass pretty quickly and I can usually fend them off if I keep food in my system. My blood sugar drops quickly these days. RE is weaning of all the progesterone that I am on. Glad to be off the shots. I heard the heartbeat again last week. Everything still looks really good. Hope everyone is having a great day!


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## Keria

I didn't get any stretch marks. I did use stretch mark cream every day from about 18 weeks on but who knows if it helped or not. I do have extra skin now and my belly button is a bit weird.

I don't know if if found my groove yet. We have good days and bad days last night was rough but they slept a lot during the day so I guess it was my fault for not waking them up. It is getting easier but I still spend a good part of the day on the recliner. I think I'm going to burn the damn thing when I'm done with breastfeeding lol.

Praying I'm glad everything is looking good with your bean.

My babies started refusing the bottle so I tested the milk and I found out I have high lipase so now if I pump I have to scald the milk before putting it on the fridge. I wish I didn't feel so much guilt about using a little formula I think a bottle here and there would make things a lot easier for me but I'm scared it will hurt my supply.


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## kewpie80

Keria - ugh... sorry to hear about your milk being high in lipase. BFing is hard enough without having to add extra steps. I gave in to the formula/bottle temptation and we're doing about 50/50 breastmilk and formula. I can feed one just BM all day while the other gets formula or I have to flip flop each feeding. I really wish I had stuck with the exclusive breastfeeding in the beginning and not let myself get pressured by doctors. The pressure plus being so flipping tired was a bad combination. I admire you for sticking it out!

By the way, I remember you saying you've had issues with supply. Have you tried eating oatmeal? I was told about it in the beginning, but had forgotten about it until recently and tried it and for the first time, I actually had to pump the last bit of milk out after feeding Maisie. I only got 25 ml, but it's better than nothing. It seems to be helping me and you may give it a shot if you haven't already.


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## Keria

Kewpie I think mix feeding is perfectly fine, formula is food and they are still getting all the benefits of your milk. I only kept at it because I'm very stubborn and because Dh is here all day I can't imagine doing it if DH had to go to work. I am seriously considering adding a couple of bottles of formula a day for mental health reasons. I don't know if I have/had a supply issue when I asked the breastfeeding counselor but she just gave me the trust your body speech which was hard to do when my babies were loosing weight. On the other hand the pediatrician told us to supplement which we did for a little bit until they started gaining weight. Right now they are gaining weight appropriately but they eat a LOT day and night I wonder if they are not getting enough so they need to wake up more often to eat.k. I do notice a difference in pumping output when I have oatmeal and when I don't


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## BellyBean

Keria/Kewpie, just wanted to give you both kudos for doing such a great job breastfeeding. It was crazy time consuming (and a difficult start) with DD and I am expecting quite the challenge keeping up with 2 little ones...not to mention I felt like my supply was much lower than my friends. You are both doing an excellent job!

Praying, glad to see you over here more  Glad your second u/s went well!

Renavoo, please tell me work has started to slow down a little... I can tell you have been really busy lately since I haven't seen you around much  I hope you are doing well!

Tenzi, sending lots of positive vibes your way. I hope DS is still on a "good" roll 

AFM, a few things new with me. I have been having horrible round ligament pain that completely knocks me off my feet for an entire day at a time, doesn't go away with rest, and literally brings me to tears (and I have a pretty high pain tolerance). They decided to check my cervix to make sure everything is fine, I guess some swab will tell them if I am at a higher risk for preterm labor. I think it's probably fine, but they like to play it safe. It has made it much harder to take care of DD when I am in so much pain, but my mom has been helping out a lot. My ob said he felt Baby B's head up today, and I have an ultrasound tomorrow (they were both head down last time), I wonder how long they can flip...I feel pretty tight, so I can't imagine there is a lot of extra room in there. I also gained the "standard" 1lb/week (x2 with twins) between appointments! That's crazy, 4lbs in 2 weeks. I am only a few pounds shy of my delivery weight with DD and still have hopefully 8 weeks to go! The best news is that I passed my glucose 1 hour test, so yay!!


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## renavoo

Hi ladies!

Praying, YAH for a great visit and hearing the heartbeats! I'm looking forward to hearing about your little bean's growth! Your ms sounds like what i had...I was nauseated but ended up being ok if I just kept food in my system. That's probably why I gained weight so fast! I'm feeling a less like eating these days (at least in the same amounts I used to). I don't think it reflects in the scales but hey, I've decided to just accept the weight gain and move on. )

Keria, booo to problems with the breast milk. Sorry about that. I'm with Kewpie about the breast milk mixed with a little formula. I don't know why but everyone around me has had trouble with breast milk supply so I'm sort of prepared to have some issues too. I'm going to stock up on oatmeal and fenugreek (for oatmeal, is there a certain type or could those little quaker oats packets suffice?) and try my hardest but honestly, I was raised on formula and I feel fine so I'm not going to stress about it.

Kewpie, 15 weeks?!







my gosh, time DOES fly!! I seems like only yesterday! I'm so happy the little ones are doing good and that Maisie is starting to seek out Liam. I did hear that they get easier after 6 months. haha well I have a ways to go!!

Belly, Oh no to the growing pains. ( i honestly don't know how you do it...being pregnant with a little child already must be exhausting. I hope that the pain reduces so you're not knocked off your feet too often. By the way, YAH to passing the glucose tolerance test! That is so exciting. haha i remember how happy I was that I passed it. DH was worried too because he knew that I would have a lot of trouble with reducing my sugar intake! Let us know how the ultrasound goes. And i hope your cervix is ok too!

AFM, exhausted. Work hasn't slowed down and will only pick up as the next few weeks go by. I'm fairly frustrated about it and I know it's up to me to speak up but it's difficult when you're working on a project with the CEO and Chairperson of the company. Sigh. Otherwise, i've been going through growing pains too and my hands are frequently numb while I'm sleeping, probably because I end up putting them under my head. I feel like a rotisserie chicken, constantly turning from one side to the other at night because my sides start to hurt. And, my legs are always sore- at night, they are edematous. I get a lot of charlie horses and heaven forbid I forget to flex and instead, point my toes. UGH. the pain is excruciating (and Belly, I have a LOW tolerance for pain.







) Otherwise, I've started to keep track of my belly growth through the protrusion of my belly button, which rather amuses me. hehe Only the top 1/3 has started to protrude while the other 2/3 is pretty flat but I do enjoy watching that grow out for some reason. Although, Keria, I'm not looking forward to seeing how it looks afterwards, considering what you said about a weird belly button!

Anyway, I'm off to get ready for work. Hope all is going well.

RCR and Blue, if you're still checking in, i miss you guys and promise to go over to the other side to just let you know i'm thinking of you guys. Blue, sorry about the lupron munchies but let us know what your schedule is again. RCR, I hope those visits help you make a decision that you can be content with. I'm sorry about the need for a donor egg and not necessarily donor sperm but I'm hopeful that once your holding your bundle of joy, you'll forget about the genetics. Especially when the baby looks up at you and coos!


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## Keria

Belly do you have pregnancy belt? My pain was never quite intense but I found that the belt diminished it. I cant imagine taking care of a toddler at the end of my pregnancy I'm glad your mom is helping. Did she come around on your names?

Rena I can't believe you are still working as much I hope you get a break soon.

I still have hopes for my belly button I just don't have the time or energy to exercise but in theory every thing looks better if you do few abs.

We are going to Canada next month and I decided to stop pumping after we come back from our trip. After that if they need a bottle we'll give them formula. My Dh also tells me that he was formula fed and turned out fine I jokingly tell him Did you? really? But no more guilt for me I prefer to spend the time playing with my babies rather than pumping/scalding milk/washing pump parts.

Here is a cute little video of my guy


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## blueyezz4

*Renavoo* - I hope you stand your ground even though it is hard. Maybe after this project is over you can say something just to at least let your boss know you need to cool it down a little bit since you are getting closer to the end. Or maybe talk to your OB about it and get their permission and then you might feel better b/c then you can say that your OB recommended that you start taking it easy. You are amazing is all i can say!!! 29 weeks... wahooo!!! I'm on Lupron now and will be starting prednisone here soon which will help my nose and asthma which is the only good thing about it. I'm just waiting for AF to come probably around the 24th or after and then I will have an E2 done and then I think they tone down the lupron and then I start estrace. I'll have one U/S and then my intralipids is scheduled for the 11th and the FET is scheduled for the 18th of May. That's the schedule and I'm hoping to stick to it.

*Belly* - sorry to hear about the pains. So glad your mom has been a help to you and DD. You are lucky to have her there. I hope and pray that the pain starts to go away and maybe it's just a growth spurt. Did you hear back about the swab test?? I remember my dr talking about that for us if we ever get preg. again. Glad you don't have to deal w/ GD!!! 27 wks... awesome!!!!

*Kewpie* - so cute that Maisie is looking for her little brother...... sibling love!!!

*Keria* - the new video is cute!!!! Dancing baby!!!

*Praying* - glad you had a strong heartbeat!!

*Tenzi* - so sorry to hear about your dog!!!!! Thinking of you and your family!!! I know how hard that is. Wishing you all peace and comfort!!!! Glad to hear that DS is doing a little better and hoping that it continues as time goes on.

*Lyndi & Bungalow* - how are you both doing??


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## renavoo

Keria, AWWWW! Dance, Oliver, dance! As for breastfeeding, yah for making a decision! It's definitely more important to spend time with the little ones than to worry about cleaning, that's for sure! And so funny about what you say to your husband when he says he turned out ok. I regularly say that about myself too. hehe I say things like "imagine how I would have turned out if..." ;o)

Blue, hi! You should take a video of Abby on her treadmill. It'll be like Caesar Milan or something! ;o) but seriously, how is prepping going? I can't wait until you start with the estrogen and then progesterone. Same protocol as before? Just a couple of more weeks!

Had a good, if exhausting weekend. Went to a friend's wedding. Technically, we had 2 this weekend but I couldn't fathom going to two so we went to the wedding of one of my DH's best friends. It was a blast and I was amazed because I actually did get up and dance a little and take some photos! So I was quite happy. Prenatal visit today but we won't see the little ones today. Just hoping things are going well in there. my belly button continues to pop out more and more though so I know SOMETHING is happening in there. I don't know why but it amuses me to no end now to play with my belly button. ;o)

hope everyone is well! Off to prepare for a week of hell. I think the next couple of weeks will be painful and then I'm going to tell the powers that be that i need to really start curbing how much I work. Although DH is fairly upset at my hours and is going to talk to the doctor about it today because he really wants me to stop working as much now. We'll see what the doctor says. Thanks for listening to me whine!

Ooh, ladies, how did you deal with the heartburn? I'm having massively horrible heartburn and i know I can take tums or rolaids which i will if needed but i was wondering if there was anything else i could do (besides eating smaller meals, which I have to start doing). I think the worst heartburn i have is after my stupid vitamins though...those horse pills are really grating on my esophagus and end up causing a lot of reflux.

Sigh.


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## Keria

Blue abby is so darn cute that pic made me smile, I've only met one german pointer before and she was a ball of energy.

Rena sorry I'm no help I just took a bunch of tums. I'm with your DH you are working too much for a third trimester pregnant with twins woman, hopefully the doctor was able to help. Time sure flies I can't believe you are 30 weeks already soon we'll have brand new baby pics.









rcr Hopefully your appointments go well tomorrow and give you clarity on how to proceed.


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## Tear78

blue, that pic made my day, too. Sending lots of love to all you ladies!


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## renavoo

Blue, I echo everyone. I laughed out loud when I saw Abby on the treadmill. SO CUTE!!!

Keria, that's a lot of help! The doctor said the same thing. I guess I'll go stock up on some tums! I am still trying to stay away from taking drugs but I guess once in a while, especially when i'm up late at night suffering from heartburn, a tums will be welcome relief. The doctor was very quick to agree with DH that we could get them to stop making me work so hard but I think that it's more me than anything...I don't want to stop working...I just want to work less. I am moving forward with my plan to get them to stop pushing as hard in a couple of weeks but I'll just deal until then. The doctor says that everything is going well, babies are growing well, so DH doesn't have to worry but we'll just keep watch anyway. )

Yesterday, I was sitting in a meeting and I got a really hard kick from the little girl, I think. I jumped up, everyone looked at me and just started launching. That was a little embarrassing but it was fun. I hope I get used to the hard kicks because I know that they are only going to get harder!!

Hope everyone is doing well!!


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## BellyBean

Renavoo, I always jump/gasp at the big kicks. I think it is really funny  I think I have been able to resist in meetings, but maybe I'll see what everyone would do next time  I haven't had much heartburn this pregnancy, but I just always take a couple tums and call it good.

rcr, I need to go check out the other thread to see how it went today!

Blue, thinking about Abby's picture still makes me smile!

Bungalow, I hope everything is going well with you and your family and you have the time to check in sometime.

Praying/Tenzi, how are you guys doing?

Kewpie/Lyndi, thinking about you two too!

AFM, exhausted sums it up! We finally finished our small renovation, but I still have lots of re-organizing to do in several rooms  I think we have most of what we need for babies, but I'd like to get the final touches in the nursery done and get the rest of the house organized, oh and freeze some meals...I should have several weeks left (hopefully 8) but I am starting to feel the time and energy crunch. Also, we had an u/s last week and I noticed some of the measurements for baby B were like 10 days behind. It was only the femur and humerus, so that really freaked me out because it could be a soft marker for Downs, but I wrote my OB and they said the twins are only 6% different in growth, and both within "normal" range. Still a little worried, but trying to trust them


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## kewpie80

blue - that pic of abby is hilarious! hahaha

rena - tums tums and more tums... sorry friend.

belly - yes!!! freeze meals!!! I still have 4-5 left in my freezer for night that I don't have the energy to cook. LOVE freezer meals! I would make some for you if I lived close.

AFM - um... so I can't remember what my last update said... so in a nutshell... We spent the last weekend in the hospital with Liam again. They fit him for his eye conformer. They basically made a mold of his eye so they can get a perfect fit. The conformer will stretch his eyelid as his face grows so he looks uniform. Because he's so young, they put him under general anesthesia. And because he's a preemie, he had to spend the weekend in the hospital for observation. Apparently there is an increased risk of apnea in preemies. Last time he ended up throwing up a lot (he was 2 weeks old at the time) but this time, it went very well and he was babbling and smiling within a couple hours after coming out of anesthesia.

He will have to have this done again in 2 months.... and again several times before he's a year... and then again multiple times before he's an adult. Poor little guy! He's SUCH a super happy little baby, though. He smiles constantly even when no one is around. I will walk into a room and he'll be smiling at a picture on the wall. He's such a joy!

Maisie is doing really well with tummy time now and she is hilarious. I think she is going to be a riot when she gets older. I accidently dropped a small stuffed toy on her and she laughed and laughed. So I did it again and she laughed again. I did it again today and again she laughed. She cracks me up. She also is SUCH a flirt. I hung a Simba stuffed animal over the changing table and EVERY diaper change, she turns her face sideways, looks up at simba out of the corner of her eye and smiles really big at him, like she's being coy. She has her daddy wrapped around her little finger too.

They are starting to get really fun now. They are just about 4 months old and have just started to grasp toys and put them to their mouths. I'm rediscovering all the old kid songs I knew as a child cause they sure love me to sing to them. I need to brush up on the words to some of them...


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## kewpie80

Easter



Maisie after bath



Liam picking up a toy for the first time



I was entertaining her with a jack in the box at the hospital and it freaked her out a little bit


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## renavoo

Kewpie, AWWWWWWW! Those cheeks! I just want to nibble on them! And I love love love your stories about Maisie. haha of course she has her dad wrapped around her fingers. She has ME wrapped around her fingers and I haven't even met her! ) As for Liam, what a trooper! Will the eye conformer permanently fix his eye through the years? With that smile though, I forget that he has anything wrong with his eye but I'm sure that he'll appreciate it as he grows!

Belly, I wouldn't worry about the measurements. i'm sure there are variations anyway so I'm sure things are going well! Yah for getting so much done! i'm so with you about feeling the time crunch...see my AFM. Can you believe how time has flown? it's really amazing! I'm definitely going to buy some tums. The heartburn has been better these last few days because i'm making a concerted effort to eat earlier and to take my pills earlier. I'm also eating less.

Hope everyone else is doing well. A late night tonight for me because of market research. I'm going to be in a dark room eating a lot of M&Ms to stay awake i'm sure! Baby shower this weekend, which I'm also dreading because, seriously, I hate being the center of attention! After that, it's going to be a whirlwind...next week is going to be insane with constant late nights because of the final push for the presentation, which is on may 8th. May 5th and 12th we have our child birthing classes and i'm sure the 6th, I'll have to work in preparation for the presentation on the 8th. May 19th, I have an important work dinner. And we STILL have to get the room set up, even though, geez, our weekends are eaten up with so much stuff. And I need to start interviewing for nannies! I hope i'm still mobile by end of May. My legs are feeling like lead and my fingers often are sore, probably because of the edema. sigh. And my ankle is a bit sore too, probably because of the edema as well, but it gives me a distinctive waddle. I just had someone comment on that recently. Ah, the wonders of being pregnant. ;o) But overall, the babies amuse me a lot because I can feel them move so much more. I do love that feeling!

hi to everyone!


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## Keria

Kewpie awww love those cheeks! Those litlte ones sure look happy.


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## renavoo

Hi everyone! Hope everyone had a great weekend! I have a question for you...I have this burning sensation on the top of my bump, right between but under my breasts. it's really uncomfortable, especially at the end of the day but this morning, while I was blowing my nose, it burned too. It feels like i have a sunburn but considering i haven't been tanning or even wearing light clothing, I'm guessing an actual sunburn is out of the question!

Did anyone else have this issue?

I'm dreading this week and having this issue during the week since it's going to be a busy and long one! But I'll get through it, as we have all gotten through everything!

Big hugs!


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## BellyBean

Renavoo, maybe it's your skin stretching super tight, or does the burning feel like it's inside? I haven't had any of that yet...but I do have a super itchy belly  I hope this week goes quickly for you and you can say something about working a little less as you get closer.

Kewpie, love the pictures of Liam and Maisie! I can't believe how big they are getting! Time has really flown by this year!

Keira, how are things going with you and your family?

Bungalow, I hope everything is okay with you, I think about you often and wonder how you and the boys are.

Tenzi, how are you doing?

How are the other recent grads doing? You guys still lurking around? 

AFM, We spent the whole weekend reorganizing 2 of our rooms and finding a new home for things since the purpose of the rooms have been changed to make space for the babies. I also did some painting of our downstairs baby furniture. And had a small "shower" of sorts with a few close friends (really just got together to enjoy each other's company). Today was catching up on chores that I didn't do on the weekend because of all the other projects, and I can honestly say I am exhausted. My body starts to ache after a few hours of "physical" activity. I thought I might die after all the work we did on Saturday, but it has to be done, and the sooner the better! Oh, and I ordered some more things for the babies which makes me even more excited to meet them


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## kewpie80

ren - I never had that. I agree with belly that it's probably your skin getting tight. Is it on the surface or deeper?

be;;y - you certainly are doing better than I was at this point in the pregnancy. ...I suppose that's cause I was on bedrest from week 22 onward... It's difficult to keep any sort of muscle when stuck in bed for so long. Good luck on getting it all finished!

AFM - Not too much going on other than Liam is getting his conformer put in on thursday finally!


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## rcr

Rena - My skin was so itchy when I was pregnant. It got red from all the itching. It was really uncomfortable. I even used to itch it in my sleep.


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## renavoo

kewpie, I LOVE your new photo of Maisie! SO ADORABLE!

Yah for Liam getting his conformer. how are you feeling about it? Does he have to go under again or will he be awake? I hope you're not too nervous!

Belly, Wow, you are getting so much done! I'm jealous! haha poor DH says that he's going to try to get a lot of stuff done today because we're so behind. I want to help but we have our child birthing class this upcoming Sat (all day, oye!) and then I have to work on Sunday. My week itself is shot because of work. So i think poor DH is going to do the brunt of it. What color did you paint your room? I don't think DH and I are painting but I did get some of those wall decals (all animal shapes!) to decorate. I am starting to get excited too. I can't believe we're so close! I'm excited to see them this Friday. When is your next visit? As for getting tired, totally understand. Just had my shower this last weekend and by the end of it, my legs were swollen and I was limping everywhere. I guess I should have sat more during the shower but I was trying to be a good hostess and talk to everyone. Bad idea... ;o)

Rcr, I'm so excited about your next try! Your schedule made me dizzy though...it's such a different protocol than your others, isn't it? That gives me hope. I wanted to ask you whether you're doing any monitoring here or whether everything will be done at the Sher institute? I monitored in a clinic near my home and only traveled when we were getting close to the retrieval time (and that still took 2 weeks because I ended up being a slow responder!) Anyway, can't wait to follow you! Come on, mid June! You're taking too long to come!

Blue, Just thinking of you









Keria and everyone else









Oooh i forgot to say...thanks everyone for chiming in about the pain. It's actually more external than internal, i think, so it must have something to do with the growth. i expected the itchiness but i guess not the burning pain. And the fact that it is right above my ribs is also weird. initially, i thought it was because my bra rubbed against the top of my belly but for the last couple of weeks, I've been wearing underwire free bras. So that probably isn't it. Oh well, I can survive anything for 7 weeks. It still boggles the mind that possibly by 7 weeks, we will have our babies in our arms! time really does fly!


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## Keria

Rena my skin is still super sensitive in some areas like it stretched too thin or something.

Belly yay for getting things ready

Kewpie Maisie looks like a little doll.

AFM My babies were 3 month old on sunday sniff snff. Things are going very well. After 12 weeks it was like someone flipped a switch now they can be comforted by other things other than the boob and they are so much fun, We are going out quite a bit and they usually just fall asleep in the stroller.

Yesterday I put them both on the bed and Lucia noticed she has a brother she kept laughing and wanted to grab his head it melted my heart.

here are some pics


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## kewpie80

ren - I've got mixed feelings. On one hand, I'm glad that he will have it and that it will help him to look more normal. His eye isn't very noticeable now, but when he gets to be a teenager and an adult, it'll be a big issue, so I appreciate the need for it. BUT I am really squeemish about things having to do with eyes. I can put my own contacts in and stuff, but seeing problems or touching other peoples' eyes... not so much. I actually had to turn off the movie Kill Bill cause of the eye scene... ugh! From what I've read, the conformer is removed and put in using a suction cup, so that helps... but still...

babies are up...will write more later


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## prayinghard

*Keria and Kewpie: * Your little ones are absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing your pictures!

*Renavoo: * It sounds like you need to slow down. Does your boss not realize that you are less than two months away from giving birth to twins??? He needs to ease up a little. Try to rest and take care of yourself.

*Belly: *Glad that you have been able to get some stuff done around the house, Can't wait to see your pictures when the girls arrive!

*AFM: * Still feeling pretty good. If I let myself get too hungry the nausea sets in. Very, very tired. I don't remember being this exhausted with DS. Of course, when I was pregnant with him, I did not have an infant to take care of too LOL! I am still seeing the RE because he is titrating me off my meds. I see him tomorrow, which will hopefully be the last visit. I like him, but he is a bit of a pain. He has limited hours in the office becasue he does surgeries in the afternoons a lot. They switched my appointment time for tomorrow twice because "something came up". Just a little annoying. Also, I am still asking for my refund and getting no where. I paid for IVF, but I ended up converting to IVF because of very little follicle growth. Now I would like some money back. I have asked and asked. I don't want to get nasty, but this is ridiculous. I have been asking for 6 weeks now! UGH! Like I need just a little more stress in my life!


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## renavoo

Praying, I bet it's difficult having to worry about a little infant while being pregnant! I'm always impressed by people who can do this...I can't imagine being pregnant and having another child to take care of! Did you tell your DS about his baby brother/sister to come? As for getting a refund, UGH! I hate how quickly these people are to take your money and when you need a refund, how slow they are to give it back. it really is quite ridiculous! Maybe your DH can go and take care of it? haha when I get really stressed about something, I make DH take care of it because I just don't want to worry too much!

Kewpie, I'm sure many people are squeamish about eyes! I couldn't watch most of the Kill Bill movies. haha but as for Liam, I'm sure he'll appreciate it when he's older although like you said, it's not too noticeable now. He's still a cutie pie, along with his sister!

Keria, Oh my gosh, I love that smile! That smile says, Mom, don't you think i deserve a hug? I wouldn't be able to pull myself away. haha. Your babies are so adorable but wow, I can't believe how time flies.

AFM, Ok, I've gotten into the role of waking up poor DH at night now. i mean, I snore like crazy because my nose is all plugged up. And I don't sleep well because my hands and sides get numb so I'm tossing and turning. And DH is a light sleeper. I feel awful about it but I also kind of feel annoyed because I also work long hours, I also can't sleep, I have physical issues like the burning pain, soreness and numbness of my hands, and lots of stomach discomfort and I'm carrying 2 human beings which is sucking all the extra energy out of me. I didn't have many mood swings during my early months of pregnancy but boy, the 3rd trimester seems chock full of them. Did anyone else experience that? Ok, enough whining. I'm going to get ready for work.

BIG HUGS EVERYONE!!


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## Keria

Praying I didn't know you converted your cycle that's awesome you got your BFP. I hope you get your money back.

Rena Thanks they sure love hugs. They are really happy babies as long as someone is holding them.

I had a very hard time sleeping at the end and I was definitely more emotional I think it's because I was so uncomfortable . Tell your DH you are getting him ready for the sleepless nights when the babies come.

Sometimes Dh is not quite there when I wake him up. A few weeks ago Oliver peed out of his diaper so I woke up Dh and told him that the baby was wet so he could go and change him. He felt the baby and told me Nope that's just from the water park and went back to sleep. I woke him up again and told him hey he hasn't been to the water park just get up and change him lol. He didn't remember any of it in the morning. Now every time it happens which for some reason happens around 3 times a week we say looks like Oliver went to the water park again.


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## prayinghard

*Keria: * The story about DH was so funny. I just had to laugh out loud!


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## kewpie80

keria - LMAO!


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## blueyezz4

*Keria* - Love it!!!! That story totally reminds me of my DH. When he is sleeping he is so totally out of it so I understand. One time we were sleeping and I felt like there was something laying on top of our legs while we were in bed. At first I thought that i was dreaming and then I was like "no what the heck is that". So i woke DH up and said "what is on top of our legs" he reached down and was like "it feels like a picture" and then just went back to sleep. I was like "DH wake up and why would there be a picture on top of our legs at 3 o'clock in the morning!!!" So then we turned the lights on and there was this big picture (maybe 24x36) that had been hanging above our heads on the wall, laying on top of our legs. He blames me and I blame him. I'm such a light sleeper I really think he must have done it b/c I just can't imagine that I would be able to take that picture off the wall. We will never know, but now it is hanging above our heads w/ an earthquake proof hanger. ps. love the new pics!! So cute.

*Renavoo* - I used to snore like crazy when i was pregnant. DH spent most night sleeping in the other bedroom b/c he could get any sleep w/ me snoring beside him. When i get pregnant my nose gets so bad especially at night. Good luck. I agree you are just getting him ready for being awake at night when the babes come!! Can't believe how fast it's going. (at least for me). LOL

*Praying* - glad things are still going good. Hope that you can get some of your $ back. That doesn't seem right!!!

*Kewpie* - your babes are too cute.

*Belly* - glad that you are getting things ready in the house and getting more excited w/ each purchase!!! So fun!!

*Tenzi* - how are you?

*Bungalow* - you around at all???? Hope all is well.

*Hi to everyone else... sorry if I missed you.*


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## renavoo

Blue, I LOVE little Abby's face! Oh my gosh, she is just a hoot. Happy birthday to her! Your day is coming so fast! I can't wait to follow you through this!

I feel so much better that you snored a lot too. haha poor DH is taking it really well and he's not upset at all but I feel bad about it! But there's nothing to be done. It's not like i can stop myself. Of course, he'll once in a while take an audio recording of me snoring and play it for me when he wants to make fun of me but I guess that's ok since I make him play pillow for me daily. hehe.

by the way, your "mystery of the fallen picture" as I have now dubbed it is hilarious! Keria, your story about what your DH says when he is half asleep made me laugh out loud too! I've been known to do things like that. In fact, DH says i'll often wake up and start talking to him in chinese, which is why he has decided to learn chinese so he can understand me. Not that I make sense those times anyway!

I have a doctor's visit today. It's a growth scan so we'll be seeing the little ones today. I'm excited about that! I hope they are growing on schedule although my stomach is pretty large so I think everything should be fine. I'm starting to also play more classical music because I know that they can hear and I hear it's good for relaxing them. ) Hope everyone is doing well!


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## hope4light

Hi Ladies!

Ok, so I'm not really ready to make the full jump to grads yet, but after quite a few positives on HPT I got my beta today and it came back at 488.2. My RE does the second beta a week later, so I'm going to go in next Thursday for that one, then I think I'll be closer to jumping this way!

What I did want to ask though, is if any of you dealt with hyperstim? They diagnosed me today with a moderate case, and actually did some IV Albumin because my Albumin is low, and they are thinking it may help my comfort level some as well as help my body to rid of some of the fluid in my belly. I look 6 months pregnant (OK, for me with pregnancy it's probably more like 4 or 5 months because I get huge, but either way). If you've dealt with it, when did the bloating go down? When did the discomfort get better? I'm trying to keep people from asking too many questions, and not let anyone know I'm pregnant yet, but it's hard when you look like this!

Rena - for what it's worth, I pulled a muscle on the side of my stomach (if I remember correctly) during my pregnancy with DD. It sounds like the pain you are explaining, and I did have to deal with it off and on for probably the last few months, so maybe it's something like that too (caused by the growth?).

praying - I've wondered how pregnancy with my toddler around is going to be, so I'm ready to commiserate. She's almost 2, and last night I sent her and hubs out for a walk just so that I could relax on the couch. I don't know if this is the pregnancy or the hyperstim though, or maybe a mix of the 2.

I am laughing about the husband sleep stories by the way. Cracking me up!!!


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## BellyBean

Keira, totally sounds like my DH! He will say crazy stuff at night sometimes and it's so fun to laugh about it the next day  And once in a blue moon, it's me doing the talking  Love the new pictures!

Blue, I can't believe you had a giant picture fall on you guys! That is just crazy! So excited for your next cycle, I am sending every positive/sticky vibe your way!

Hope/Praying, being pregnant with a toddler has been a completely different experience. It was much easier the first time around when I could relax and rest when I wanted to, without having to tend to the constant needs of a small child. I think it's probably harder for everyone, but in my case it might be a little extra hard due to the twin pregnancy.

Hope, I had a mild case of OHSS and was very bloated right after getting my positive beta (with my fresh cycle in 2009). I had to buy pregnancy pants just to go back to work after transfer. Unfortunately, I don't think it went down very much, it was more like I eventually grew into the bloating.

Renavoo, yay for a growth scan! Can't wait to hear more details...please keep us posted! I have no idea how you work so much. I could barely get through my 6 hour day today without collapsing from exhaustion. Luckily DD naps when I get home so now I am just resting on the couch 

Kewpie, how is the new conformer going? Is Liam okay with it? Love all the new pictures!

AFM, just exhausted and trying to keep working through my checklist of to dos, but just to tired to really do anything. Got my latest scan results and both babies are growing well, and I am now measuring a little more than 7 weeks ahead! We are all 3 running out of space and it seems like both babies want to take up residence under my ribs.


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## Keria

LoL blue I bet it was him since you dais you woke him up he felt the picture and went back to sleep. Happy birthday to abby I love her pic she looks so guilty.

Rena Let us know how the scan went. Do you plan to raise your kids bilingual? We are doing that with our babies.

Belly are your babes head down? I had one baby under my ribs pressing my lungs and it sucked.

Hope Welcome!


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## Tear78

Keria, we're raising DD bilingual German/English. It's fun to try to figure out if she's saying "Da" for Das or Dat (That). Or if she's saying "Up" or "Ab!" (away).

I'm loving the funny stories! I read daily but rarely have a free hand and time to post. Sending lots of happy thoughts to you all!


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## renavoo

Hi ladies!

Belly, totally get what you mean about being exhausted. I'm still more amazed at you taking care of a toddler (as that is a 24 hour job) than me working longer hours! Yah for a great scan! I'm so happy the little ones are growing well!

Hope, I'm so excited for you. I didn't get OHSS so I can't help but I was told after the procedure to drink a lot of vitamin water or gatorade. That's about it. They just kept an eye on me after the procedure to make sure that I was ok but otherwise I didn't get any other instructions, should i have developed OHSS. Anyway congrats on a great number! Twins? hmm... ;o)

Keria, ideally, we would love to raise our kids bilingual. I don't actually speak chinese completely fluently. In fact, I have the vocabulary of a kid. But we're looking for a nanny who is chinese who can teach our kids to speak chinese. It's important to us that they are bilingual. And chinese seems a good fit since dh is learning as well and the babies can speak with my mom well.

Tear, haha about not knowing what it is your little one is referring to!

Hi everyone else!!

So scan went well yesterday. The babies are both estimating around 4 pounds and are heads down. Didn't get any great photos of them though...the little boy was hiding again and the little girl was too close to the placenta. Sigh. Oh well! DH loves to feel them move and he's admitted he's a little jealous that i get to feel that much more than he does. haha i told him he has to take the bad with the good anyway and he looked at my swollen legs and hands and no longer feels jealous any more. haha.

In the last 2 weeks, I've only gained 1 pound so I'm on a "eat more protein" kick. Of course, that was before I ate two little angel food cakes this morning... ;o) Child birthing class all day today. UGH. But I'm happy to say that while I expected work to be insane this last week, it was manageable considering we were preparing for a presentation! I think everyone was just tired. I typically had to work until only 8pm! I know, 11 hours is still a lot but considering I was expecting 14 hours a day, I was very pleasantly surprised!

Ok going to shower and get ready for child birthing class. I hope it's worth 2 lost weekends!


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## Vegan Princess

Just popping in to say "hi" to everyone!  I have my anatomy scan this Friday. I'll be 19 weeks on Thursday. Hoping to have them write down the gender and seal it up - then I'll open the envelope on Mother's Day, when my mom is here. 

Cindy


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## hope4light

Belly - I am about to dig out my pregnancy pants from my first, right now I can't button ANYTHING up. I'm thinking this may cause us to tell people sooner than we planned, especially if like you it doesn't go away. Yeah for the babies growing well! 7 weeks ahead?? That's crazy!!

keria - Oh I'm so jealous. I wish I felt comfortable enough in another language to raise my kids bilingual. I think that's awesome.

rena - My husband thinks it's twins. I really don't have a feeling one way or another. We'll see in a few weeks! I'm laughing at your DH, I bet he got rid of that jealousy nice and fast ha ha ha. I can't believe how much you are working, you are an amazing woman.

Vegan - yeah for the anatomy scan!!

Thanks for the warm welcome ladies! I'm still uncomfortable, so I think it's just a waiting game to see if it goes away anytime soon. I'll take it though!!


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## BellyBean

Renavoo, how was class? I wish I would have taken a more formal birht class with DD. I am not really thinking about it yet, especially since we have one babe breach right now (although sometimes I feel like they are both breach or transverse). I hope you have an easier week at work this week!

Keira/Renavoo/Tear, love that your children will be bilingual. So jealous. I lived abroad for a while and dated someone and always thought how great it would be to have children that could speak both languages. It's such a huge benefit to children! And to have customs/traditions from each family is great too!

Hope, the babies are closer to the 90th precentile each, but since there are 2 in there, I am measuring 7 weeks ahead (fundal height) as compared with just carrying one. I think I am about the same size now at 30 weeks as I was when my DD was born....which makes sense since I am only a couple pounds off. Can't wait for your u/s!!!!!!

Vegan, WOW! I can't believe it has already been 19 weeks! That's amazing! And what a wonderful idea to share the gender!

Blue/rcr, thinking about both of you ladies!!

AFM, got quite a few things done this weekend, but geez the to do list never ends. Now that I am 30 weeks, it really feels like the home stretch. I am starting to wake up tired, so it's hard to imagine getting everything done in time. I have 3 friends that are due with girls right before me, the first just had her baby this weekend, I am still a little worried about taking care of 2 newborns (and my DD) at once


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## renavoo

Vegan, awww I love that idea of getting the tech to write down the sex and then opening it up during mother's day! What a fantastic idea! Yah to 19 weeks! My, how time flies!

Belly, I'm jealous because you look fantastic!! I am feeling bigger and bigger. my friends comment that I look like I get bigger by the hour. haha Everything will get done in time! And, if not, my friends always remind me that the babies just really need a place to sleep, food, and your love. Oooh how great that you have so many friends who are going to have little ones around the time the twins get there! Ready made play dates! I bet you'll do great taking care of all your babies although I know that it'll always be a worry until they are here and you figure out the routine.

Hope, I can't wait to find out if you're having twins!! How is your DH feeling about the idea of twins? Also, i know you have a lot of frozen embies so I'm curious what you're going to do with them...do you want more children? I have one frozen embie left and i'm not sure what I'm going to do with it. I think i'm done after these two but I also feel sad about that last embie.

funny story...My presentation is over! But during the presentation (to potential clients!) i had to present. And literally, COULD NOT CATCH MY BREATH. It was embarrassing. I felt like a rookie at presenting and it ended up that everyone was laughing at (with?) me. People said that they were worried that I was going to give birth right there. sigh. I was so mortified. I told them I'm not doing any more presentations. Apparently, standing prone for 10 minutes while trying to project my voice (I have a soft voice as it is) is not conducive to me being able to breathe. Oh well, here's hoping that my days are much shortened with the end of this presentation!

Off to get ready for work. Hope everyone is doing well!!

Big hugs


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## hope4light

Belly - that's crazy. The joys of twins, right? I can't wait either!! I don't have it scheduled yet, but should today after they call back with my second beta numbers. That's so exciting that there are so many of you having babies so close together!! I bet it'll turn out perfect, that you'll catch on real quick to taking care of all 3 

rena - he is oddly OK with twins! I was surprised when he admitted it, but I think it's just that they're our babies, and he doesn't want to lose any of them, you know? I have no idea what we are going to do with the frozen embies. We have 10. We are going to keep them for a while, just in case. I'd love to donate them to another couple, but DH and I agree that we just don't know if we could do that, so we might end up donating to science... a long time from now. It breaks my heart though. Those are my babies! We never planned on more than 2, so if this does end up as twins I don't see us having more since we'll have 3. Although I (semi-jokingly) asked if he would consider one more if it was twins. I worry that those two will end up so close because they're twins, and our DD will feel left out. So if it IS twins, I may wait until they're a year and then try to see if I can convince him to at least try an FET or two. I can't believe that I'm even considering it, I mean, I really only wanted 2, and now I'm talking about the possibility of 4? Yikes! I think part of my feeling also has to do with giving our babies a chance though. After our failed IVF (with none to freeze) 4 years ago I never expected that we'd have such an amazing cycle this time around! Awe, at least everyone knows that you're pregnant! Oh mean, I remember the difficulties breathing, I bet it's crazy considering!!

Vegan - that's a really cute idea to find out on mothers day the sex!


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## hope4light

OK, I had to pop back in. Got my results from my second beta - they are at 5105! I'm at a doubling time of about 42 1/2 hours, so I'm nice and happy. First ultrasound is next Thursday, and I'm hoping to 'officially' join you ladies quickly after that!!! Sorry - I just had to share my good news!!!


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## BellyBean

Hope, that is FANTASTIC news!! I am so so so excited for you ultrasound!

Renavoo, I get winded while just laying down  so I can imagine how hard that last presentation was!! I sure hope it means a little less work in your future!!!! How did your birthing class go?

Keria/Kewpie/Lyndi, hope all is going well with you and the babes!

Tenzi, how are you doing?

Bungalow, thinking about you...

AFM, not much new with me. I got all ready to go on an outing with DD and my mom, but I started having lots of cramping and contractions and by the time we got out to the car, we both decided I really needed to stay home and rest  Ironically, DH called me today from work and asked how much longer I planned on working...I hadn't really thought about it, and had kind of thought until I went into labor (like with DD), since I only work part time anyway...but now I am starting to wonder how long I'll really make it.


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## Vegan Princess

Hope: Yay!!!

Belly: Wow, can't believe how close you and Renavoo are getting to holding your babies!

Renavoo: Your story reminded me of when I was pregnant w/DD. I worked in investment banking. I was listening in on one of our daily meetings via phone from my desk towards the end of my pregnancy. Last minute they decided they needed me to come in and present to the group. So I had to run across the office while everyone waited. And when I got there I was all out of breath and some of the guys commented to me after that they shouldn't have made the prego lady run. Embarassing! 

I'm 19 weeks today. I weighed myself this morning. I'm not very pleased w/my weight gain! I so need more activity in my life! I just seem to be so much more worn out this time. Not sure if it's bc I'm home all day and doing cleaning and cooking and attending to my 3 yr old, instead of sitting at a desk 10 hrs a day. But I at least went to the gym after work last time. I think that counted for more than my cleaning does. LOL. Plus we lived in the city then and I walked around to get my lunch, etc. Anyway, I'm trying to remind myself that I wanted this pregnancy and everything that comes with it more than anything - and that having a healthy baby is really all that matters!

Cindy


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## renavoo

Hi ladies!

Hope, yah for a fantastic number! What DPO is it? Those are nice high numbers so i'm waiting for you to tell us that it's twins. Come on Thursday! ) So exciting!

Belly, I hope you're getting a lot of rest! I know it's normal to have contractions but we want the little ones to cook a little longer so definitely get some rest. I was talking about when I was going to stop work with some of my colleagues too and I think that at the end of the month, I'll start working from home, just in case. Right now, the babies seem to be in no a rush to leave my (i.e. no contractions and cramps so far! knock on wood). So I'm hoping they stay like that until the end of the month, since i actually have a lot to get done between now and then ) Are you feeling better? Question...are you feeling less movement? i hear it is normal to feel less movement but sometimes it worries me because i can go hours without feeling something. Typically, right now, they would be kicking me but they seem to be quite quiet. humph.

Vegan, I stopped weighing myself at home for that exact reason. haha i didn't want to know how much I was gaining anymore. I mean, it's one thing to be forced to know it when I go see the doctor...it's another to torture myself! ) Don't worry about the weight gain though. It just means your baby is growing nicely. ) How are you feeling? Are you in the throes of the second trimester glow?

)

Thank you ladies, for validating my "out of breath" incidence during my presentation! I feel much better now. haha I actually had to take another coworker through a presentation (sitting down, really informally) and also found myself out of breath after talking for about 30 minutes. Geez!

Yesterday was a nice day...busy at work but not too crazy and so I got to go home at 6:30! i was ecstatic. And even better, I'm working from home today so I'm excited to just get some rest. I'm actually going to go to babiesrus in the morning today (it's about a 15 block walk so it'll give me some exercise since I'm not walking to work today) but i'm basically stockpiling diapers now and they are having a sale (pampers megapack 2 for 32 dollars. I think that sounds like a good price)

DH doesn't seem to understand why I insist on walking so much. He keeps trying to drive me to work and seems surprised that I always turn him down and say that I want to walk (it's about a 2.7 mile walk to work according to google maps). I don't think he understands that I enjoy walking and that I also feel like if I don't walk, I'll feel less healthy )

Tomorrow is the 2nd half of the child birthing class. Honestly, I didn't find the first one too interesting. There were a couple of tidbits - when I'm in a lot of pain, DH has to make me laugh or entice me with hot or cold things. Also, we saw this cool video about how when a baby is put on the mother after birth for an hour, it naturally starts to search out for the breast. It reminded me of some animal videos where the babies search out the mother's teats. Apparently, the hospital i'm going to (NYU) is a huge fan of this and therefore, aims to let me have this time with the babies. I'm really excited about this prospect.

Anyway, I hope everyone is doing well! I'm off to get some stuff done before my trek to BabiesRUs. ) Talk to you ladies later!


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## hope4light

Belly - Thanks!! It was a great idea to stay home and rest. Make sure that you let your doc know! I was on bedrest for 5 1/2 weeks with my DD due to threatened pre term labor, it's no fun but it's better than the alternative.

Vegan - Wow, 19 weeks already? Like rena said - don't worry about the weight gain, it just means you're growing a health little one in there!! I can see how it's harder with a toddler at home, I'm worried about that myself as well, wanting to make sure that I'm getting enough exercise, while still hanging with my DD.

rena - The 5105 was 24dpo, or 21dp3dt. It was 488 at 18dpo or 15dp3dt. I can't hardly wait for the next week to fly by!! Yeah for working from home today and getting to rest a little! It sounds like you're doing an amazing job at keeping yourself moving, should make the whole process easier!!


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## BellyBean

Hope, I just can't decide if I think there are 1 or 2 beans in there! It seems like it could go either way, but how exciting that it's less than a week away from finding out!!!!

Vegan, seriously 19 weeks! wow, where has the time gone! Sorry for the weight gain, but not only does it help baby get nice and plump, you'll also have a great "stock" for breastfeeding (if you plan to do so). My girlfriend always has "whole" milk and just the cutest little round gerber baby faces  I only get weighed at the doctor like Renavoo, it seems to help my sanity! I totally agree with the difference between my first pregnancy while working, and this one chasing/trying to keep up with DD. I often feel guilty that I am not active enough with her anymore, but honestly, I really can't push myself any harder.

Renavoo, I'll have to check out the diaper sale  I have all my cloth diapers for the twins, but I plan on having a few emergency diapers, and use disposables for the first couple weeks while we get our feet under us with the new 3 on 1 situation  I can't imagine walking that far. We have a 1 mile loop that we used to walk daily, but if I do I have really bad round ligament pain that night and will be crying in bed from the pain. Good for you for being so active!!!!

AFM, I strained or pulled my neck muscle in bed while trying to re-situate in the middle of the night. It hurts so bad, I just hope it doesn't ruin all the "to do's" I want to get done this weekend. Right now I can barely turn my head or lift my arm...I have been using most of my before work time to use a heating pad on it and took some tylenol so hopefully that helps...


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## tenzinsmama

Hi all,

I'm not sure why, but I haven't been getting notifications for weeks now that there is anything new posted on the thread. It just got more and more sporadic until there was nothing, and then suddenly this morning there was the most recent post from Renavoo... I admit, I haven't been on the computer that much anyway, because of various things going on. It's been really crazily busy, and then I've been in so much discomfort the last couple of weeks, it makes it hard to sit in certain positions. (Baby had part of him/her up under my ribs-- I'm thinking bum, because he/she has been head down now for weeks and it still feels that way.)

Belly, I hear you on the cramps/contractions. I've had to do the same thing several times-- just stop what I'm doing and rest, and drink water, etc. The Braxton Hicks are sooooo much stronger and frequent this second time around, and then when you have an active little one to take care of-- it can make everything so much harder. I hope the pulled muscle or whatever it is that you have, gets better soon. You certainly don't need to deal with that on top of everything else!

Renavoo, wow about the walking... You don't get out of breath that easily while walking? I remember when I was in school giving a presentation to my classmates, I was just starting my third trimester, and I ran out of breath... I was surprised that it happened. Now I'm out of breath just getting off the couch, going downstairs to get the laundry, etc. I have some new pregnant mom friends who I've met through a mutual friend that we all have, and they are mostly first-time moms and they are a lot younger than me... we are all due within a month or so of each other (but I'm the one to go next, sooner than my due date it's looking like)... Anyway, they are so active and they are planning all this stuff, and between the severe BH I've been having (they became really intense the last couple of weeks-- I've had BH since mid-pregnancy, but they were so mild back then that I just kind of marveled at them-- now I can't even walk through them)... I just have to pass on most of it. Oh... one more thing... What you are talking about, the skin-to-skin right after birth-- advocate for that to happen as soon as possible, it's so good for you and the babies! I was able to do that with DS, and I really think that made such a difference with the bonding, the breastfeeding, etc.

Hope, nice to see you over here!

Vegan, the time has gone so fast! I remember when you first ventured over here... wow. How exciting to find out on Mother's Day about your baby's sex. I don't think they do that at the u/s places here-- put the sex in an envelope to be looked at later-- I had a friend who asked if they would do that and they said no.  Party poopers.

AFM, I had the complete placenta previa for the longest time, and then at the most recent u/s (about 3.5 weeks ago) it showed that it went to marginal. It's measuring 0 cm from the internal os. It needs to move a minimum of 1 cm in order for a trial of labor to be considered feasible, and even then it depends on the comfort level of the OB I guess. I know they were concerned that the maternal vessels were looking deeply implanted right at the os, but now it's not looking so bad... We get another u/s on May 17. It's been a roller coaster, because we started out with this one OB which was supposed to be more like a surgical consult for a c/s, but then she's had us come back for a second and then she wanted a third visit. She was thinking that she giving us 'lots' of choices around a c/s (i.e. we had initially brought it forward to her that we wanted to have a gentle/natural c/s as much as possible, which is a movement that is occuring in the U.S. and England it seems-- but hasn't caught on here yet... she seemed pretty receptive, so we thought she was going to be a great fit for us)... Of course, a lot of would depend on how the situation is going, i.e. the amount of bleeding and if it stays within control. Anyway, my DH and I have had a change of heart about this doc and even more so, about the hospital in which she practices-- at this hospital, they don't let up on their 'no partners staying with the woman and baby overnight' (even with their 5 private rooms, partners can't stay-- and wow, isn't that a lot... *sarcasm*). So we decided to switch OBs last week, to get one who practices at one of the other hospitals-- but get this--the first OB said it was too late to switch, because she booked the c/s for May 21st (yeah, her initial statement of, "There's 4 dates within this particular week that I can get OR time, which one do you want" turned into a, "You have no choice; it's the 21st"-- Nice.) So we had to go through my family doctor, and he got us a new OB. At this particular hospital we'll be going to, they have between 15 and 20 private rooms, plus they have two 'deluxe' rooms. And they have a much more relaxed policy of partners staying, because in that area of the city there is greater cultural diversity and they wizened up to the fact that they needed to be more patient and family-centred for a host of reasons. So we have an appointment on the 14th (Monday) with the new OB. It might not be this particular OB that we're seeing who does the c/s, because they have only certain days when they can schedule c/s-- but it doesn' matter. We knew anyway that if I had started bleeding I'd have an emergency c/s, and we would have gotten whoever is on call. Agggghhh... GRRRRR... it's been so frustrating, learning just how much the system can bowl you over... how much politics there can be... how a person can get caught in between two different systems when there isn't a formalized shared model of care (i.e. between midwifery and the purely medical model). Makes me want to get back to finishing my masters and effecting some change in the maternal-child health area!!!

Anyway, I'm really hoping that any plans for a c/s become a moot point after that u/s on Friday. I would SOOOOOOO love to put all the stressful stuff behind me and go in to have a vaginal delivery. I still have hope, even though the first OB didn't have any, and she was so gung-ho to get me to sign the consent form for the c/s and all that. I kind of crashed after she talked with me about all that stuff, because she was telling me I'd need to have two really big IVs (one in each arm), and she wanted consent signed for blood transfusion... then she told me about the risks to me and baby, blah blah blah. I think if she had delivered all the info in a much more compassionate way, it would have been better... I mean, give me the facts, but remember that I'm dealing with some pretty difficult emotions these last couple of months (she was aware of all that, so she shouldn't have any excuse). I'm getting more used to the idea of a c/s, but I still have my days where I'm really struggling with it.

One other thing... Does anybody have any ideas what I can do with all the IVF drugs that I haven't used at all? Still in the original packaging, has been safely stored according to directions, etc. I just want it out of my fridge and nightstand... Send me a PM...

Sorry if I've missed anybody...


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## kewpie80

I will be catching up on this thread tonight, but first a picture from today:


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## Vegan Princess

Kewpie: That is so precious!!!

Just a quickie here...we opened the envelope today...we're having another little girl!!!!  I'm so excited to start to have an identity for this babe. And think about names! And now we don't have to buy any clothes!!!

Cindy


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## tenzinsmama

Kewpie, that is just SO adorable!!!


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## hope4light

Belly - I can't decide either, but I'm happy no matter what!! I hope you're neck is feeling better today, and that you got at least some of those to do's done!!

Tenzin - That's great that maybe it's not as bad as they thought!! I think it's dumb when they won't let spouses stay the night. It's their new baby too!!! Let us know how the u/s went!!

Kewpie - They are SO adorable!!

Vegan - Yeah!!! I love little girls, congratulations!!!


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## Keria

Vegn Congratulations on GIRL!

Kewpie awwww they are adorable.

Just posting a quick note I have a cold, taking care of the babies while sick is hard.

Here are my rully rully happy babies


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## Keria

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## Keria

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## Keria

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## Keria

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## BellyBean

Kewpie, what a great picture of Liam and Maisie! So cute!!!

Hope, only a few days to go! Can't wait!

Renavoo, I forgot to mention last time that I definitely have felt less movement the last few weeks, especially from my head down baby. The transverse one seems to really be agressively trying to get more space (she is also the bigger one). Oh, and there is this area right below my belly button that feels like a blow torch is on it constantly...I am guessing from the stretching since it "feels" really thin too. Maybe like your spot?

Vegan, congrats on the little girl!!!! How wonderful and exciting!

Tenzi, glad to hear there might be a chance for you to have your labor! That's great news! Keep us posted on your next scan(s)! I don't understand the no spouse thing?! That seems just crazy to me! Especially if you have a c-section, how are you expected to get up and constantly tend to the baby. I didn't even realize that some hospitals didn't allow that. The "accomidations" for the spouse at our hospital are pretty pathetic, but it's not like I'll be enjoying spa like relaxation either  I hope you are able to get one of the private rooms at the new hospital.

Keira, Hi 

AFM, luckily my neck only hurt for a couple days, so that was way less than last time. I almost went to L&D again early Sunday morning (like 3:30 am), but decided not to go, despite the recommendation. I didn't believe I was in labor, but I was having a lot of cramping and contractions....that said, I knew I had overdone it on Saturday, so I was pretty sure that was the reason. I had an OB appointment today and the DR. reinforced the need to be checked out if I think I am in labor or if seems to be increasing in intesity. He also checked my cervix and there has been no progression so that is fantastic news. The only thing is that I have only gained 1lb in the past 2 weeks and am only measuring .5cm more than 2 weeks ago. I am not sure if the "crowding" has started, but I feel like I am going to burst any moment...I have my next growth scan in 2 weeks, so I wonder what it will show.


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## renavoo

Hi ladies,

How am I so behind! Kewpie and Keria, I cracked up laughing when i saw the photos. Your babies are so precious...you ladies must feel like the luckiest people in the world. i love happy babies!

Tenzi, I'm so excited that you may be able to have a natural birth! You still have some time so hopefully, things will continue to improve. As for the c/s, if you end up needing one, I'm sure that once the time has come, holding the baby in your arms will make this stress seem a distant memory (that's what i'm hoping for myself, if i need one too!)

Vegan, yah for a girl! Sugar and spice and everything nice!!

Hope, how are you doing?

Belly, I'm glad your neck feels better although I agree with your doctors that at any sign of anything, you should call your doctor. haha i'm such a worry wart that i would definitely do that although I'm lucky and haven't really felt anything untoward yet. Although boy am I constantly exhausted and DH even commented on how heavy my breathing is now. Oooh i think that your description of the blow torch area sounds exactly like my spot. My secret now is OVER moisturization, which does seem to help (not sure if it's all in my mind. haha.) But when it gets sore, I put some cocoa butter on top and it isn't as sore. Of course, that could be because i'm addicted to the smell of cocoa butter. ;o)

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's day!! Big hugs all around.


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## hope4light

Keria - They are SO stinking adorable!!!

Belly - glad that you're neck doesn't hurt any longer! I agree with the dr, make sure that you're seen just in case. I'm glad that there's no progression!!

rena - Hanging in there, can't wait for tomorrow's ultrasound and hopefully hearing at least 1 strong sturdy heartbeat!!

For those of you that are pregnant with your second: Were your pregnancy symptoms much different between the two pregnancies? I know that every pregnancy is different, and I keep reminding myself of that, but I don't really love it right now. With DD I had tons of symptoms, and they were early on! Within the 2ww my boobs hurt (and I wasn't on progesterone), I had horrid heartburn and headaches, constipation (but I have eaten way more fiber since then, so I'm not worried about this one so much), and by the time I was just over 5 weeks I got horrible m/s, I couldn't stand the smell of coffee, exhaustion to the point where I couldn't hardly function, and of course the round ligament pain; and these are just the ones that I remember right now. Turst me, I'm not asking for all those, but right now I hardly feel anything! I mean, I am a little more tired than normal, and I think I'm feeling a tiny bit of ligament pain now and again, but that's about it. I think my nipples are a teeny tiny more tender than normal, but that could really be the progesterone. Nothing else really. I know it means nothing, but since I haven't heard a heartbeat yet I have a little bit of nerves in the back of my mind. On the other hand, I just know that this is going to be my take home baby (or two), so I know I should just listen to my intuition, but I just can't help but worry a little bit. Tomorrow is u/s day, and I'll be 6 weeks 3 days. I can't wait!!!


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## Vegan Princess

Hope4light: This is my 2nd. I don't get bad morning sickness - just some mild nausea here and there. That has been somewhat similar between the 2 - though probably even more mild this time around. Doesn't start until around 7 or 8 weeks for me. Last time I had TONS of very strong food aversions. I ate HUGE bowls of kale salad until I got pregnant w/DD and then all the sudden, the mere thought of kale made my stomach cramp up. But I really didn't have any aversions this time around. Also I haven't noticed that my sense of smell is all that strong this time - whereas last time, DH would come to bed after having a glass of wine and I would feel so grossed out laying next to him. Consider yourself lucky if things are milder this time around. I was always SO nervous when I went in to see the RE and he would be like "but why??" and I'd tell him I wasn't nasueous and he'd tell me you don't have to be sick to be pregnant. Oh and round ligament pain didn't start bugging me until closer to the end of my 1st tri - but I only notice it if I move wierdly in bed. GOOD LUCK today!!! Can't wait to hear how many are in there!

Cindy


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## BellyBean

Keira, LOVE those big smiles! What darling babies!

Hope, I had the opposite situation, DD was a breeze pregnancy and this one has kicked me in the butt since day one (both IVF, and both on all sorts of drugs), so it might have something to do with the twins this time, or it really could just be that every pregnancy is different like they say. Plus, you are still pretty early. I don't think I started getting m/s with these 2 until a little after 7 weeks. Hopefully, you just have a low key baby or 2 in there! Can't wait for your u/s tomorrow!

Renavoo, hehe, I always sound like I just ran a marathon! My mom called the other day and asked if I needed to sit down...I had been laying down for like an hour already  Are you working a little less now?

AFM, I feel like I have been complaining a lot lately, which is so not my normal behavior...I just can't believe how hard this is getting. At 31+w I am now about the same size/weight as when I had DD, so every extra inch/pound seems to be the straw that broke the camels back. My back and stomach are pretty much constantly in pain, I am exhausted all the time, and even small trips to the store or a little chore pushes me over the edge. I don't know how my OB thinks I can go for another 8 weeks, I think 8 days would be something to be proud of (I am sure I will go much longer than that, but it just seems so challenging). We also had an issue in our attic that is going to require a week of construction to repair. It's going to completely disturb DD's sleep schedule during the day and I am not sure if I'll be able to get anything done around the house while they are here, since we will be trapped in just a couple rooms. Just one thing after another, all I can do is try to get through one day at a time....


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## kewpie80

*hope* - I've had 3 pregnancies with 2 of them going to term and 1 ending just before 2nd trimester and each one was very different. The first pregnancy resulted in a healthy baby and I had NO symptoms whatsoever other than missed period. 2nd pregnancy (the m/c) I had quite a few symptoms and they came on fairly quickly. This last pregnancy I had symptoms right away and was sick sick sick. So, each one, at least for me, was very different from the next.

*Keria* - AODRABLE! haha your babies' smiles are so cute!

*belly* - I'm sorry you're having a rough time. I remember the last weeks. It's ROUGH. I remember walking from my bedroom to the kitchen and needing to sit down and take a break. I wish I had some magic words to make you feel better, but of course I don't. Hang in there. I don't know how you feel about chiropractors, but I saw one who knew a lot about pregnancy and I attribute my ability to go on walks and run errands the day I delivered at 36w3d to her.

*vegan* - congrats on the little girl!

*AFM* - Maisie now rolls from tummy to back and from back to tummy. Liam's still working on back to tummy. He's sooooo close! I posted a video of DH playing with Maisie and Liam. Maisie was cracking up the whole time. There is a part 2 and 3 (each video is really short) and Liam laughs in there a couple times.






They are 4.5 months old now. They can sit up in their Bumbo seats and are holding onto and chewing toys now. Liam has been cutting a tooth (yes, this early) for a couple weeks now. The doctor said it could be months before it fully pops. ugh! The doc said they will be ready for solids next week. We're going to start them on avacado and then homemade toasted brown rice.


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## renavoo

HI everyone!

Hope, let us know how it goes! Yah for the ultrasound! Count yourself lucky if you don't have too many pregnancy effects! I never had another child but I didn't really start getting GI symptoms till around 8 weeks so you still have time. haha but hopefully, they will be mild like they were for Vegan.

Speaking of which, Vegan, how are you doing? What week are you now? You need a ticker!

Belly, I'm such a whiner too!! I think it's our prerogative to whine. haha. Seriously, though, of course you're uncomfortable! I think about that a lot too...right now I'm carrying what would be a full term large baby in my womb, if I just had one baby. I would be ready to give birth any day now. Instead, I have 1 more month (at least). I'm hoping the doctor will tell me what the plan is for the next month during my visit on Monday. I'd like to know when they think that I will go into labor or when/whether they will induce me. Big hugs and remember, when you feel like whining and complaining, that's what we're here for! Just think, one day, you'll look at the twins playing with their big sister and you'll feel such peace and happiness. I think that's what you have to look forward to.

(By the way...8 more weeks? Really? I think they want me to go around week 38.)

Kewpie, how did the fitting for Liam go? Oh, they are so cute! I love Liam's inquisitive face. And Maisie just looks like such a sweet natured baby! I don't think i realized you had another baby and a miscarriage before. i think it's so amazing how our bodies react to the same hormones differently. The human body never ceases to amaze me. I'm amazed every day I talk to you ladies and realize that each of us has a baby (or two!) growing in our wombs. I know, it's the most natural thing but I guess considering how hard we had to work to get pregnant, I still think it's a miracle each day!

AFM, work has slowed down a bit so I'm happy (although I'm still working around 9.5 hours but it's manageable for now.) Of course, i start to get exhausted around 5pm...I admit that my eyes started closing around that time but I couldn't leave because i had work to finish. Otherwise, my fingers are numb and a little sore, my stomach is sore, I'm having GI issues, my legs literally get twice the size by the end of the day, and I'm constantly exhausted. (See, Belly, I'm a whiner too!) but when I feel the little ones kick and play around and especially, when they seem to respond to my dh's voice, I just don't care. I love it.

I know this is awful but I started looking up reasons for stillbirth because I'm nervous about that. I just think that generally, things have been going pretty well so SOMETHING bad is bound to happen. argh, I hate this feeling! *Shaking head* Waiting for my appointment on Monday and although there won't be an ultrasound (i think after this next visit, I'll graduate up to weekly visits) I at least like these visits to start feeling like they're watching over my babies.

Ok, enough of my negative feelings. DH and I have to get moving with prepping the room. DH also has a work function this Sat but for once, I'm free so I'm going to try to get some stuff done. i think we found a nanny which is exciting but I'm also worried because she obviously needs work but i don't need her for another month. I hope she waits (she says she's fine waiting). i don't know why I've become such a nervous nelly! ok back to breathing!

Hi Tenzi and Keria and everyone else I missed! Big hugs, everyone!


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## Vegan Princess

Rena: Ugh - I forgot about the swelling at the end of preg. I'm sure you have it way worse than I did with a singleton! I just recall being at work and taking my shoes off and seeing deep lines in my feet. I figured I should walk around the block to get things moving. I used the restroom before going. And I still only made it half way around my building (so I went 2 city blocks) before having to duck into starbucks and use the bathroom. LOL! But feeling baby definitely makes up for a lot of it. 

AFM: I hit 20 weeks today! Baby Peanut Butter is kicking me as I type. DD has named her Peanut Butter. She thinks we should have a 3rd kid and name it Jelly. DH got to feel her move for the first time last night.  I'd been looking forward to that. Now I am looking forward to DD feeling her - but she doesn't have a lot of patience to leave her hand in one spot and wait. So that may take some time. I'm feeling pretty good. Just getting pretty worn out by the end of the day, especially on days I try to take a long walk or get some exercise in.

Hope: Come update us!

Cindy


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## hope4light

Belly - I imagine with twins it's harder so much earlier. Does your OB think you'll make it full term, like 40 weeks? That would be amazing! Sorry about the attic issues, I know what a pain it is to mess with the little one's schedule, ugh. Hope it gets done quickly!!

Kewpie - Seriously, they are SO adorable!!! Wow, they are really growing up, it happens too quick, doesn't it?

rena - I'm glad that work has slowed down for you! I remember dealing with the same thoughts nearing the end of my first pregnancy. I think after all we've been through to get pregnant, it's only natural to think the worse. They will both be GREAT! And the nice thing about weekly visits is hearing their heartbeats every week!!

Vegan - Yeah for 20 weeks!!!

AFM - It's official, I've graduated from the RE!! There was one little bean in there, with a beautiful heartbeat of 118. I cried. Oh man did I cry. The u/s tech laughed a little and told me she knew I was excited but to try to hold still. My ovaries are still HUGE, she said it may take up to another couple of months for them to go back down. I'm not retaining all the fluid any longer, so that's good. Thank you ALL for the reassurances with my 'lack' of symptoms. When I really think about it I know that there are some there, they are just so much more mild than the first time around. I really should be thankful for that and enjoy it while I can!! Yesterday afternoon I got some floaters in my peripheral vision, which I did have last time, but thought it started later in pregnancy. I have very low blood pressure, so with all the extra blood pumping through my system I get some 'side effects' so to speak. With my first my OB told me that she couldn't say to eat more salt, but to eat more salt LOL. I'm getting ready to call my OB (different from the one that delivered my DD sadly as we now live in a different state) and set up my first OB appointment. I am SO excited! But, as you all know too well, in the back of my mind I still have those worries that something will happen during this first trimester. I know a heartbeat helps a lot, but it's just there. I'm going to do my best to not worry about it, and to enjoy every minute of this pregnancy, which could be my last.


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## Vegan Princess

Hope: Yay for your healthy little bean!!!  Very exciting!

AFM: I'm a little torn today. I've chosen to try for a homebirth this time (had DD at a free standing birth center with a midwife). I had first interviewed an awesome midwife who is older and has over 30 yrs experience. She charges $4500. That was too much for us, after having spent SO much getting pregnant (and my insurance will reimburse none of it). It turns out the student midwife who did many of my prenatals w/my daughter just passed her boards to be a homebirth midwife. She said she'd charge me $3,000. And the homebirth midwife she has been apprenticing with for the past yr (who has over 20 yrs experience) has agree to be the 2nd midwife at the birth - so I know someone experienced will be there. So we decided to go with her. But the other midwife called today, thinking we were still going to work together. Was saying she would gladly work with me for 3k - that she felt attached to me after my miscarriage, etc (I had planned to work with her when I was pregnant and miscarried). Said she would never not work with someone over money. I told her I dind't feel right not paying her her full fee. But anyway, I'm feeling torn right now about who to work with. I really like them both. I suppose I should just stay with the gal we already said we'd work with. It would be akward to tell her we changed our minds.

Cindy


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## kewpie80

renavoo- His fitting went well, but he developed a problem with the shell a few days later. The poor baby's eye was so swollen you couldn't see his eyelashes! So we took it out and are letting his eye heal for two weeks (will be done tuesday) and then we'll put it back in. His ocularist believes it just got flipped upside down from him rubbing it. Good luck with finishing up projects! You're getting close! Hang in there! You'll forget all about the pains and discomfort soon after delivering. I read your and belly's woes and I think, "oh yeah... I remember." but beyond that, it's just a distant memory. Once you have your babies, it won't matter anymore. I understand about the worry of stillbirth. I worried a TON about that too. When I heard Liam cry after birth, I remember being startled and thinking, "he's alive? really?" I had so expected something to go wrong too. Even after birth with SIDs... ugh... the worry never ends!

and for the previous pregnancies.... Yup, I had a teenage pregnancy when I was 16 and placed him for adoption with a lovely family who were infertile. I've now seen and can appreciate both sides of the coin there... My second (the m/c) was after my first IVF cycle. I lost the baby early last year.

vegan - oh I miss feeling movement! It's so magical, isn't it? and that;s a tough decision... Good luck in making it.

hope - I'm so glad you had a good u/s! I didn't cry when I saw the babies (I was still stunned from seeing the two bubbles) but I did cry when I saw them released during the transfer. I didn't cry during my first transfer. It's odd.. it's almost like I knew this one would worj and that the other wouldn't.

AFM - We started the babies on solids last night. Maisie LOVED it! We gave them avocado and she kept lunging at the spoon with an open mouth. They both took to the spoon really fast. I was surprised. At first they kept trying to latch on and suck, but they got the idea quickly. We had wanted to wait till 6 months, but since they're getting mostly formula, they were getting hungry and were still hungry after a bottle and kept stuffing their hands in their mouths. The doc said it was nearly time so we just went for it. We also put them in door jumpers for the first time yesterday. Oh man! Hilarious! Liam had a huge grin on his face and jumped and jumped. I had to pry him out of it after 30 minutes cause it was time for diaper change and to eat. He clung to it like a life boat. Maisie liked it as well, but not quite as much as Liam did.

I got videos, but DH took the camera with him out of town for the weekend. yikes... I'm alone with them for the next 4 days and nights. Heaven help me! hahaha


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## renavoo

Vegan, 20 weeks!! YAH! Did you have the anatomy scan yet? I loved that scan because we got to see the babies so much. Ah, I love that we live in this time because of the technology (both to get pregnant and to follow our babies!) Your dd is so cute!! I love the nickname peanut butter! )

Hope, I know I said it in the other thread but YAH for a healthy little bean! I'm so excited to follow you for the next 34 weeks!!

Kewpie, I want to see the videos of them on their door jumpers and getting fed avocado! I love how your describe their enthusiasm!! Awww 4 days and nights alone with them huh? haha i still remember that night when all hell broke loose and your DH came back to find you incredibly wet from various fluids, cracking up! it'll be a great 4 days! you're an old pro and I can't wait until you give me some pointers when our little ones are here!

Belly, Keria, Tenzi, Hi!










TGIF!!! Nothing on the schedule this weekend so i'm ultra excited to just relax. I can't wait. And then appointment on Monday where i'm going to ask them to detail out what will happen in the next 4 weeks. i can't believe i'm going to be at week 34 in just a couple of days! The days literally flew by and i still have so much to do. We did find a nanny but the funniest thing is that she only speaks chinese, which will be interesting. We wanted our babies to grow up speaking chinese. DH has been learning but isn't completely fluent yet. And neither am I, although i do ok. We were thinking that this way, DH and i can build up our speaking skills and my mom wants to help so that will be good. Also, this woman has experience taking care of twins and she really is amazingly sweet. So I'm hoping that the trial run (first month) goes well!


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## hope4light

Vegan - oh man, that's a tough choice. I know this probably won't help any, but who is it that you are MOST comfortable with being with you to help make the appropriate decisions when your judgement may be clouded? If you instantly think 1 vs the other, then that is the person you should go with!!

Kewpie - Awe poor kiddo. I think it's crazy that you ended up being on both side of the coin, does it make you look back at placing him with that family in a new light than what you did at the time? I can only imagine how difficult that was, and think you are an amazing woman for doing it. It's funny, I cried when they released them during transfer too, but didn't with my failed IVF back in 2008. I think it was the same thing, somehow I just knew it was going to work and I just saw my babies go in where one ended up settling in!! Ohhh, I love how they react with solids the first time! My DD we started with peas and she LOVED them! And yeah, so want to see the videos.

rena - Yeah for relaxing! 34 weeks, wow. That's really cool that you found a nanny to help raise them bilingual. I'm so jealous!!


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## renavoo

Vegan, I forgot to answer about this in my last post. I agree with Hope. Giving birth is already hard enough...you don't want to regret who you go with just because you already promised them. If you're perfectly comfortable with the student/teacher, go for it. But otherwise, if there is a niggle of doubt and you keep reaching for the other one, go with her!


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## blueyezz4

Hello all!!! Sorry I've been such a slacker over here!! I do get updates when you all post on my phone but don't always get over here to post, but know that I'm always reading and thinking of you all and hoping your pregnancies and those babes are all doing well!!!!! I'm on bedrest after my transfer yesterday so I had some free time today to try and get all caught up. Also, see my question for you ladies below. Thanks!!

*Keria* - Love the new pics of the babes soooooo cute!!!! How is your cold and are you feeling better??? I hope so and i hope no one else in the house gets it!! Spring colds are the worst!!!

*Vegan*- Don't you hate those kind of situations!!!! We were going to use a Doula for our twins pregnancy and had only had like 3-4 meetings w/ her when I went into pre-term labor w/ our boys and ended up calling her in at their birth and now I always feel like if we get pregnant again I'd feel bad not using her again but w/ all that we spent over these last 6 yrs trying to get pregnant again I don't know if we can afford it or if we really need it since now I know that DH won't pass out since he has seen the whole birth process already and did okay. That was one of the reasons i wanted to have a doula b/c I thought DH would be on the floor when I needed him the most. LOL Good luck w/ figuring it out. You could always just tell the other girl that the one you had used before called you back w/ an opening and you feel really bad but feel some loyalty to her since she delivered DD. I'm sure she would understand.

*Kewpie* - love the swimsuit pic!!!! So adorable!!!!! Sorry to hear that Liam's had the issues w/ the shell. I'm sure it will just take some time for all of it to calm down and the socket to get used to it. I know when i was 9months old I had to have eye muscle surgery and my parents said it was harder on them then on me as a baby. I might have already told you that. He seems like such a trooper!!!!

*Hope*- So good to see you over here!!!! Awesome beta numbers!!! When is your next appt? I'd assume it is w/ your reg OB right?? Do you have a reg OB here in the area? If you need a name PM me and I could give you mine. I think she is great... maybe a little too thorough but it is better than my last one that I felt was too laid back I guess.

*Renavoo*- Hope you are getting lots done this weekend and also resting as well. Glad that work seems to have settled down a bit for you. You are amazing working all of those hours!!! I'm glad that you found your nanny. That has to be a weight lifted off of your shoulders.

*Belly*- How are you doing?? Hope you are taking it easy too! How is the work coming in the attic?

*Tenzi*- How are you??? Did you have a recent appt? If so how did that go?? How many wks are you again?

*Praying*- Haven't seen your name pop up here for a little while so just thought I'd check in on you? I did see your name over on the other side but I don't think there was much of a AFM. Fill us in on how you are doing!!!! Hope DS is doing better, i do remember that part.

*Bungalow*- I really hope all is well w/ you. I'm sure you must be busy but we would all love to hear a quick update. I think the last time you were on you mentioned that things might be happening a little sooner than you expected. Thinking of you and who knows if you even are online to read these post but just wanted you to know.

Okay, I think i remembered everyone... if not, i'm sorry. I was just looking back a page or two to try and get caught up. *Okay, here is my question for you ladies.* Yesterday we did our last and final FET/fertility procedure ever. We transferred one embryo that was a 10 cell grade 2+ which sounded great to me. In the last 5 transfers that we have done, I don't think we have ever transferred an embryo that had more than 4 or 5 cells, so this sounded good to me. After we left his office and I started to think about it, my RE didn't seem as excited as I was (maybe I was just reading into it too much like i normally do with things) so then I started to wonder if it wasn't as good as it sounded. So... I was just wondering what were the cells/grades of embryos that you ladies that got pregnant or if you know anything more about this?? I know that our embryo was frozen, I think on like Day 2 or 3 so I'd think that once it was thawed it would more like a Day 3-4, but I'm not too sure. I guess an embryo can divide too fast too at a certain point and that is not good. Ugghhhh!! My mind is so mean sometimes!!!!!!! Anyways, any help would be nice. Thanks!! Hope everyone is having a good weekend. It is a beautiful day here and i wish I could be outside instead of being stuck on the couch but hopefully it will be all worth it.


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## Vegan Princess

Blue: I'm no expert, but 10 cell sounds great to me! I transferred an 8 cell on day 3. So if it had time to divide a little more, then it's right where it should be! I have everything crossed for you!!

AFM: Well I finally talked to DH about the midwife choice. We've decided to stay w/the newer midwife that we already agreed to work with. We both like her and feel comfortable with her. And we know that if she has any questions during prenatals she can discuss them with her mentor - and her mentor will be at the birth. So we shouldn't have anything to worry about. She has a very sweet, calm demeanor - and she is great with my DD at prenatals.

Monday I am meeting a doula. Not for myself. But to take care of DD. I want someone to be there who can be focused on her and take her away from me if she is scared or something. I want DH to be able to focus on the birth and we don't have relatives in the area - and it isn't possible to ask anyone to come stay for 3 weeks and wait around. I have plenty of friends who could take her, but they all have little ones of their own and couldn't really come stay here without bringing a house full of kids.Might be nice to let DH watch DD on earlier labor and let the midwife work with me though. DH didn't really do anything for me during my last labor. All I really remember of the 6ish hours I labored at home while he was there too, was him showering and getting things packed in the car. Of course that couldn't have taken 6 hours! LOL. I guess he hung out with me and kept me company. But that's about it. My last labor was less than 8 hours total so maybe this one will be shorter.

Cindy


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## renavoo

Blue, I'm so excited for you. I didn't answer your question on the other side because honestly, I didn't know! I only had a 5 day transfer and they never did tell me how many cells each embie was. When I asked them to grade it, they pretty much said that they didn't grade frozen embies but rather just told us how much of the cells thawed as opposed to didn't. My thing is that for an approx 3 day embie, the fact that you had 10 cells thawed sounds AMAZING to me. So I'm going with my first gut reaction and hoping that i'm right. It could be that the RE is just being cautious because he also doesn't want to get his hopes up too high. He seems to really care for you too.

Vegan, I was just thinking about your doing all that during your last labor and i chuckled. it's so funny because I feel like a lot of time, dhs just really don't contribute that much during this process. We're the ones experiencing all the issues during the 9.5 months of gestation and then, the hours of pain during labor. Men, well, they hold our hands. ;o) I know I'm simplifying things because my DH has been so supportive and wonderful through this whole thing but I think about how i have to deal with all the swelling, GI upset pain, carpal tunnel, back pain (just got some bad pack pain last night) etc and he can just watch sympathetically and give me a few back rubs or scratches when I ask him to. Love our men but yes, if you think it's better for the MW to work with you, do IT! and YAH for a short delivery! (relatively!)


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## Vegan Princess

Oops - I meant to say it might be nice to let DH take DD and let the DOULA work with me early one. But I will also have my midwife, a 2nd midwife and a student midwife here - so plenty of people who know what they are doing will be focused on me. Last time, we stayed home alone and then only were at the birth center 1.5 hours before DD arrived - so the midwives there told me positions to be in and couched me when I was pushing - but I think a homebirth midwife will come over much earlier than I went to the birth center? Not sure. I do know a doula will come right when labor begins if you want.

Yep, men get off easy! DH gives lots of great foot rubs while I'm prego (when I'm not too, but I get MORE now). I'm letting him pick up some slack w/DD - letting him do bath and most of bedtime. He lets me nap a bit more (naps are SO rare when you have a little one that gets up early and no longer naps). I still feel guilty though.

Rena: I hope your back feels better!

Cindy


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## Keria

Blue fingers crossed for a very sticky embie did you thaw both of your embies? I had a 10 cell on my first cycle the embryologist said it was a very good embryo.

My babes ended up catching my cold poor little things were so snotty they couldn't eat and breath at the same timem thankfully we are much better now.

My girl is screaming I'll be back later.


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## blueyezz4

*Keria* - Yes, we did thaw both... they were frozen together so we had no choice. The Dr said that the other one didn't look so good. Sorry to hear that your babes got your cold, but hopefully everyone is on the mend now!!


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## kewpie80

blue - both cycles, all 4 embies of mine were 3 days and 8 cells. I dont remember fragmentation on the first cycle, but Liam and Maisie were really good. I don't remember how they graded... I'll have to look back and see if we got grades. Your 10 cell is the best I've ever heard of. I only know one person who had 9 cells, but never more than that. I think that sounds REALLY promising!


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## kewpie80

ok, *blue -* I just went back to my last cycle to see what I wrote about it...

Quote:


> Just wanted to let y'all know that the transfer went perfectly. As you know, we had 100% fertilization rate, Well, we also had near perfect quality too. They were all 8 cell 3 day blasts and they are rated by how much fragmentation they have. 1 is none, .75 is a small amount, etc. (not sure if all clinics use the same scale) We had 1 rated at 1 and the other 3 were at .75 and all 4 were symetrical. We got to keep the pictures of the blasts and also the petri dish they grew in. If I think to do it, I'll post the picture later. I could not believe how clean they looked.
> 
> The doctor said, "you sure focus on quality, not quantity." So, 2 were transferred and 2 are being frozen. Since I knew where to look this time, I got to see the flash when they got injected. The doctor said it was a beautiful textbook transfer.


So, it looks like my clinic uses a different scale than yours does. I wonder where +2 stands then?


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## renavoo

I wish that they actually set standards for grading so that everyone is consistent. I believe that every fertility center is different in terms of how they grade their embies.

Blue, how are you feeling?

How was everyone's weekend? it was a glorious weekend, in terms of weather, in NYC. DH had to work Sat night so that was sad but otherwise, we got to spend a lot of time together which was fantastic. Built the second crib yesterday and started to decorate the nursery with wall decals. So cute! We went with an animal theme, which is not surprising to anyone who knows me. haha I'm still up in the air about putting the second crib together since we're going to have the babies sleep for a couple of months in bassinets in our room and then share a crib for another few months in the nursery. But I thought, just in case they don't sleep well together, might as well get that together. Still need to get a mattress though!

I have an appointment today and I'm going to ask what to expect the next few weeks and when would be the latest that they expect to induce if i don't go naturally. i am also up in the air about this all but I just hear that 38 weeks is the optimal time for twins to be delivered so I don't want to wait much longer than that. But maybe, if they want to stay in there, there is a reason why? hmmph.

Vegan, no feeling guilty! Your DH probably is so happy that he can help out in some way so i would definitely try to revel in it. I know my DH tells me that all the time- he loves when he can do something for me because he feels so bad for me when he sees how swollen my legs are or whatever. Oooh funny story though...Last night, I was preparing to go out with friends and I put one sock on and end up breathing hard because it was so difficult to twist and turn to get it on. He comes into the room and starts looking panicked because of my heavy breathing. I look at him sadly, holding the sock, and said- i can't put this sock on. He thought that I was having contractions. We got a good laugh...until I had trouble putting my sneakers on too. haha.

Anyway, that's pretty much all that is happening! I am looking forward to checking in on the little ones. I'm hoping I graduate to weekly visits after this visit but we'll see.

Hope everyone is doing well!! Big hugs!


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## Vegan Princess

Rena: LOL about the sock story. He should have done it for you! As for birth timing. My friend had twins and so did her sister (both natural conception). Her sister made it to at least 39 weeks and then the docs were trying to manufacture reasons to induce. Her babies were born strong and healthy. I believe my friend made it to at least 38 weeks too and her boys were each as big as my little girl was when she was born at 38 weeks! I would think that if they stay in, it can only be a good thing. Babies that stay in longer are more alert and nurse better and they are bigger. It's pretty unlikely you'll go much past 38 weeks anyway, I would think?

Yeah so yesterday I was just really tired and maybe waited a bit long for dinner. I did rest on the couch for an hour before dinner (DH made it). Was really crabby at dinner and actually cried afterward bc I didn't want to clean up the mess that was created in the hour I was resting. I had vacuumed before I laid down. DH gave DD a bowl of coconut flakes and let her walk around eating it! So the entire house was covered with coconut. Plus he messed up the kitchen floor and the stove. I think it's funny I started crying! But it bought me a nice bath and getting to sit and read for the rest of the evening.

Cindy


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## blueyezz4

*Vegan* - sorry to hear about your rough day yesterday, but I'm glad you got a nice bath and a little time to relax out of it. Hormones are a pain esp when you are pregnant.

*Renavoo* - loved your sock story!!! So cute and I'm glad that your DH takes such good care of you!!! Someone needs to keep you out of trouble!!! I'm feeling fine, i guess. Normally after a transfer i don't feel good and this time I haven't felt that way so we will see. It's out of my hands is all I can say. I have been waking up in the morning w/ a sore back so not sure what is up with that, probably from laying on the couch for 2 days. Hope your appt goes well!!! Keep us posted.

*Kewpie* - thanks for sharing your info about your grading. Who knows, I'm sure I'm just over thinking it all (or that is what DH tells me, and he is prob right).


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## BellyBean

Blue, I only had one 3 day transfer, and I just went back and looked at my records. One was a 8 cell and one was a 10 cell. They had 7 to choose from, and those were the 2 the picked! Although it wasn't a successful pregnancy (ectopic) one of them took!! The ectopic part I would say is completely non-related. So hopeful for you!!! See AFM for belly pic you requested 

Vegan, glad you have decided on your Doula! I am sure you made the right choice! I have such a hard time telling people "no" even when it's my money and decision, so I would have had a really hard time sorting that out  Crying is totally normal and actually, I kind of feel better after a good cry! I got all caught up in a movie (comedy) and ended up bawling for no reason last week 

Renavoo, glad you had a nice and fairly relaxing weekend!!!! An animal themed nursery is adorable!!! Keep us posted on how it goes today!

Keira, sorry for the sick babes and mama  I hope you all are feeling much better now!

Thinking of everyone else!!!!

AFM, had my weekly OB appointment today. I am measuring over 40 weeks now...and it feels like it too! Blue convinced me to take a belly shot, so here it is  My doctor wont really finalize a birth plan, I guess there's still too much up in the air. We have another u/s next week, but I still feel like at least one baby is breach....he is fine (actually pushes) for a vaginal delivery with only 1 breech/transverse. I am just so worried about having a vaginal and c-section delivery. I guess we'll keep waiting and see if anything changes. He says if labor doesn't start we would discuss induction after 38 weeks. I also get to start going in for weekly non stress tests, I don't mind the tests, but all the appointments is becoming a lot to manage.


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## Vegan Princess

Belly - you are too adorable! You're still tiny everywhere else!!!

Cindy


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## tenzinsmama

Hi everyone! It's been great getting all the updates, and seeing the pics. I can't believe how fast the time is going, for those of us who are pregnant and those who have had their babies already.

Blue, good luck with everything! I'm hoping and praying for you.

Just a quick AFM... We switched OBs, to someone who I absolutely love and trust. Not only that, but he asked if I could do the c/s this Friday, the 25th, but my dad is having day surgery then and DH and I had planned on taking him to hospital and home at the end of it... So the OB said he would do it Monday the 28th-- it was to be his day off but he changed it so that he could come in and do the c/s on me. Wow. And we are birthing at the hospital where there is a greater chance of getting a private room, and the partners are welcome to stay if you do get one. I've become more accepting of things-- and my mood has lifted substantially. I actually don't feel depressed anymore. It helps that I no longer have any hope of having a trial of labor (at my u/s last week, it showed that in 4 weeks my placenta didn't move at all)-- I simply have no choice but to move forward and try to do things that will make this birth have as many positive moments as possible. I've been seeing a psychologist weekly for the last 3 weeks, someone who specializes in pregnancy and post-partum, so that I can work through some things around being in hospital, having a surgery etc. It's been very cathartic, being able to express the grief around having complications with this pregnancy as well as my anxiety around being in hospital (never had a problem working in one for 13 years-- rather, it's got to do with me or family being patients). Everybody in real life was just so eager for me to 'get over it', that it just made me feel all the more worse that I wasn't coping better than I was-- that I was failing. Anyway, it's been scary having this previa, with pre-term labor and bleeding hanging over me-- but thankfully I didn't have any problems. And now we're just hoping this baby stays put until the 28th. Now that I've got this great OB, I certainly don't want to go into labor on my own and then have to go by ambulance and have an emergency c-section by whichever OB is on-call. So, 6 more sleeps! I'll be 38 weeks 1 day then.


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## renavoo

Hi everyone!

Vegan, love the mood swing stories. I totally think that it's just a fact of life for us during these months. I've had moments where I just sit there listening to music I've heard a million times before but suddenly, I just start tearing. And anyway, as Belly said, a nice cry sometimes just makes us feel better. Release some of those emotions! )

Belly, you really look fantastic! I'm glad things are progressing well. I'm so with you about the inconvenience of the appointments though. I did graduate up to weekly appointments and now I'm worried about how to juggle things at work, especially because next week will be a busy one for work. sigh.

Blue, I think we all over think everything because we have so much energy put into this process. Are you going to test before your beta? Or are you going to wait? I'm hoping you feeling well is a good sign )

Keria, are you all recovered? i hope your babies are feeling better!

Kewpie, how is everything where you are?

Tenzi, yah to feeling better and to getting an awesome OB! I hope that everything works out the way you planned and I'm so happy that you're feeling better about everything now! I can't wait to see pictures of your little one!!!

AFM: ok so everything seems to be going well although I'm getting mixed signals from the doctor. I went in last time (2.5 weeks ago, about) and the boy was measuring about 3lb 14oz and the girl was measuring 4lb 2oz (I think...something thereabouts anyway). So I was told that everything looked good. They signed me up for a "doppler" which I assumed was just to hear the heartbeat. Well, apparently, unbeknownst to me, they wanted to do a check of the heart but also the umbilical cord, brain, etc because they were concerned about intrauterine growth retardation for the little boy! I was a bit annoyed because they never told me that I had ANYTHING to be concerned about! So yesterday, the boy was measuring 4lb 14 oz and the girl was measuring 5lb 4oz; the doppler showed normal blood flow in the umbilical cord and brain, suggesting that the boy is doing fine. Again, they told me that things looked good because it seemed like the boy and girl were growing at the same rate, just one was smaller than the other. Fine. But then they signed me up for a biophysical profile test. When I went home and looked it up, the uses were typically for babies that were high risk or demonstrating certain issues. So now, I'm back to wondering whether there's something wrong that they aren't telling us about. It's really frustrating. Also, they didn't have any appointments next Tuesday in the office and next Wed and Thursday are going to be crazy work days for me so I'm now forced to go to the hospital to get the test done. I'm hoping that a physician will be there so I can really ask questions about what these tests mean! I'm not going to worry too much because these babies are at least growing and close to 5 lbs but still. Some answers would be nice. Also, when did you guys (or when are you expecting to) get a beta strep test? They haven't mentioned it to me yet and I forgot to ask yesterday. Sigh. I knew I forgot something. I'll probably call later today to try to find out.

This dreary weather is making me more and more tired (or it could be sleepless nights!) ;o) And I think I'm finally starting to slow down...it's getting more difficult to walk to work these days. But, I have a 4 day weekend coming up so all is good!


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## hope4light

blue - I actually answered you over on the IF thread too, but I think that 10 cells is amazing! I had 1 8 and 1 9 cell for my day 3 transfer. I'll answer your questions on my AFM below, but I'm going to PM you to find out the name of your OB. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you! Will you test?

Vegan - I think it sounds like you are both comfortable with your choice, and that's awesome!! I think having a doula around would be cool - take a little advantage of it yourself!! Oh, the mood swings. We're allowed! Plus, that's awesome that it got you a nice bath and relaxed evening!!

rena - I'm laughing about the sock story. That seems kinda crappy that they don't seem to be telling you everything. I would call and ask! I think with DD I had the beta around 36 weeks maybe? I know it was late, because they say that the status can change, so they want to do it as late as possible before they think you might deliver.

Belly - Awe you are so stinking cute!!! If the twin doesn't turn after the first is delivered, they could always try to turn the second one for you, which would hopefully help from having a vaginal and c section. Just a thought though, I'm not sure if your OB talked about that at all, or if it's something that he'll try.

Tenzin - Glad to see you! Sorry that you still have to go the way of a c section, but it sounds like you've come to terms with it, and that's great! Glad you love your new OB and that he delivers where you want to! And amazing that he changed up his schedule for you.... just a week left!!

AFM - I'm annoyed at my OB. I'm new to their practice, got my first annual with them right before we started IVF. I moved here at the end of November from out of state, and LOVED both my OB and the OB that delivered my DD in 2010. I liked this one OK, but I called on Thursday to set up my first OB appt, told them it was IVF etc, and they want to set up the first appt for 10 weeks. When did all of you have your first appts? That part isn't the part that annoys me though, she said she'd have to call me back with the appt because they were full, and she STILL HASN'T. This doc has come so highly recommended by people around me, and I can't really ask anyone else because they'll all wonder why I suddenly need to find a new OB, you know? I was going to call them yesterday but work has been insane and I haven't had a chance, so I'm going to as soon as I'm done typing this. It just makes me wonder how the rest of my appts are going to go. I know I'm RH negative, and I had some spotting during my first pregnancy, plus threatened PTL, so I was seen a little more often, and that OB ALWAYS got me in that day when I called with concerns. If this one can't even call me back for my first appt.... I don't know.... ugh.


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## Vegan Princess

Rena: I'm sorry they have you stressed bc they aren't telling you anything! I'm sure if there was anything to really worry about they would be telling you? Perhaps they are just being cautious? I know they do the strep test at 36 weeks w/singletons, but I have no idea if twins is earlier.

Hope: My OB told me she didn't want to see me until 10 weeks - but she also knew I was seeing my RE at 6 and 8 weeks. I had to wait for my new OB office to call me back to schedule. I usually schedule online, but they woulnd't let me for prental. Not only that, they made me come in for what I thought was my 1st prenatal but really they just called if "confrimation of preg" appt - so I had to go back a week later for my 1st prenatal AND I had to go back another time to spend 30 seconds going over a questionnaire about my health history with some lady who was just putting the info in the computer (my doc had already seen my answers). So annoying.

Tenzin: I'm so glad you found an OB you love and that you are feeling better! Your baby will be here SO soon! That is super exciting!!

Cindy


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## Gemmine

Crashing to say yaaaaaaay Cindy for your 2nd little girl!


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## Vegan Princess

Aww, thanks Gem!! BTW, right now DH and I both really like the name Gemma.  Not sure if we'll end up with it or not. How are you feeling??? Are you going to find out what you're having?

Cindy


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## BellyBean

Tenzi, so happy you found an OB you love! And how exciting you are just a couple days away from meeting your little one!!!!

Hope, I am hoping your flaky OB has gotten back to you! I think the earliest mine would let me in was 10 weeks too (even with my previous ectopic and known twins). I wasn't too happy about that either! It sounds like you have lots of valid concerns with your pregnancy, so definitely find someone you are comfortable with.

Renavoo, were you able to find anything else out? I am sure everything is fine, but the peace of mind would make it feel much better...especially when it seems like they are hiding things from you. I got pretty freaked out at my last ultrasound because I could tell the measurements for one baby were off, but no one would tell me anything. Are both your LO's still head down?

Vegan, Gemma is an adorable name! How fun that you have something you are already thinking about!

AFM, still overwhelmed that I am running out of time to get all my "to do's" done...need to start prioritizing for the weekend!


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## renavoo

Hi ladies!

Belly, everything will get done ) Don't stress. And even if it doesn't get done, they say babies just need love, food, and a place to sleep anyway ) haha although I admit that as the time moves on, I'm getting stressed too. the one thing I will have to say, though, is that I don't know what I DO need so I can't be stressed about not having it. As for finding out more, sigh, no, things got so busy I forgot to call the doctor's office today. Oh well, I'll speak to someone on Tuesday. The babies have been kicking up a storm so they seem to be doing quite well. I have to say that I love it when they kick. It's just so amusing and it really does make all this pain worth it. I feel so bad though...DH is relegated to sleeping on the futon in the living room because my snoring is way too loud. I don't know what to do. I try to blow my nose to get the stuffiness out but it really isn't working out ( I'm embarrassed but mostly, sad for my dh.

Tenzi, can't wait for your little one to be born! it's so exciting!

Hope, how are you doing? I'm sorry about you getting the run around. I hope that you get to see the OB soon for a real appointment!

Vegan, hi! How are you?

Yah to the long weekend! Have a great weekend, everyone. D


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## BellyBean

Not sure where the long weekend went...but it's gone now  I didn't get as much done as I'd like, but we did take time to enjoy a dinner with friends, a movie out, and a couple naps too. If only, my to do list was ta done!

Renavoo, is this your last week at work? Can't remember if you said you were going in until 36 weeks or not? Speaking of, I think I might only go in for 2 more weeks, it's getting hard to get up and go in (even part time). Of course, I think it might be harder at home 

Tenzi, it's baby time for you!!!!! Please let us know how it went when you have a chance!

How is everyone else doing???

AFM, we had another ultrasound, and one baby is still smaller than the other. Baby A is measuring about a week ahead, and Baby B's measurements are close to 3 weeks behind. Not sure if it's a problem or not, but I'll be asking at my OB appt this week. They didn't seem concerned last time, I think they were 2-3 weeks apart but it was only a 6% difference overall. I have lots of "parties/celebrations" for friends the next 3 weekends, I just don't know how I am going to physically be able to handle them...one is about an hour away! Maybe I wont think about it yet....


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## Vegan Princess

Wow - so exciting that Belly and Rena are almost done with work and ready to focus on babies!!

Belly: Don't feel like you have to go party if you don't feel up for it! I'm sure everyone understands!! Lots of twin moms are even on bedrest at this point.

Renavoo: Have you tried a neti pot? I just bought myself a new one bc my allergies are so bad they keep up half most nights. It really does wonders to clear out your nose. Worth a try. Sorry your DH has to sleep elsewhere.

AFM: I'm pooped! I just sorted through every bin of clothes that my DD wore. I arranged it by size, pulled out the little baby stuff and found all my small diapers and covers and swaddling blankets, etc. I also sorted some of my stuff for goodwilland rearranged the linen cabinet. I feel like I got a lot done but also feel like I should sort and get rid of more stuff. LOL. Feels good to have inventoried all the clothes and to see that we have WAY more than we need. Thank goodness we are having a 2nd girl!

We managed to get out on a 5 miles walk around SF yesterday (with lots of stops). My pubic bones are pretty sore after that much walking. And now my back feels a bit out of alignment from all the sorting. But I think I'll be feeling much better after some sleep.

Cindy


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## renavoo

Sniff I'm sad that the weekend is over too. oh well. Hi everyone!

I ended up not doing much this weekend either! I went out to dinner on Friday for a friend's birthday, pretty much played hermit on Saturday, went out to dinner with DH on Sunday and brunch with DH on Monday. We decided we were going to play hermit and enjoy each other's company before the babies came. And it was just what I needed. Still so tired because I get up multiple times a night but I feel better...and my legs are not as swollen. haha.

Belly, I'm still working although I think i'm going to talk to my boss about the possibility of working at home starting end of this week or next week. This week, we have clients in town so I don't want to let my team down. It'll be exhausting though because one of the meetings is from 8-6pm and the other is from 9-5 or so and honestly, I'm always feeling done by around 3 now. But i'll just deal and luckily I'm not leading any of the meetings. I'll just be a semi active participant. ) I'm not sure if I need a doctor's note to work from home but since my boss has twins and the president of the company has triplets and she was on bed rest from 24 weeks on, I'm hoping they understand. We'll see )

As for the size differential, I'm think it's so funny that our babies are similar in terms of the size differential. My doctors, unbeknownst to me, did a doppler to check if there were any issues, which came out fine, but from what he said, as long as they continue to grow and have a similar trajectory of growth, things should be ok. Of course, I'm not sure why we're doing a biophysical profile and non stress test then but whatever. I'll go with it. That'll be happening today. I have to get some orange juice just in case the babies decide that they want to sleep through the tests! Oh and i agree with Vegan...don't feel forced to go out if you don't want to. i find it more and more difficult to walk around now and I was huffing and puffing to walk to brunch yesterday. We are supposed to have dinner this weekend and as of now, I'm not sure that that's going to happen because I'm feeling so exhausted so regularly!

Vegan, yah for getting organized! i think it's fantastic that you have almost everything for your new baby! As for getting rid of stuff, that's always the hardest step for me. haha i go through the "but what if I need it" phase!

I hope your back and pelvis are feeling better! 5 miles is a lot but it's good exercise! Good for you!

Tenzi, checking in!

Kewpie, Keria, Hope Hi! How is everything going?


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## hope4light

Belly - I actually finally called them again. First OB appt is June 11. Ohh, I can't wait!! I can't believe how close you are getting1 Like rena said - they just need love food and a place to sleep in the beginning, so if it doesn't get done, you know that it still can. Just remember to ask for help!!! I hope you get some answers on if the size difference is anything to worry about. I'd say only do the parties that you feel up to doing, but don't overdo it.

rena - I'm doing pretty good. Been oddly short of breath lately though, and it's kinda making me nervous. I'm glad that you took the time to relax, and that you're going to ask about working from home.

Vegan - That's awesome! I can't wait to do that with clothes. We aren't going to find out the sex (didn't with our DD either), so that will be interesting. Luckily we have a ton of neutral stuff in that newborn to 3 month age span. Wow, good for you walking so much!!

Things are going good for me. For some reason I'm short of breath lately, and it's not like I'm so far along yet, you know? It's strange. I'm trying to decide if it's worth calling the RE.


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## Vegan Princess

Hope: It couldn't hurt to call the doc. That said, I found myself very out of breath in the beginning too and found it quite disconcerting. Like I'd be all out of breath trying to read my daughter a book, etc. I did read that it's normal - but I can't for the life of me remember why! But I bet if you google it, you'll find the explanation. 

Good luck at your apppt. today Rena!

Cindy


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## tenzinsmama

Hi everyone,

Just doing a quick check in to see what's happening with all of you and also to give you an update...

We had a little baby girl! Raya was born at 7:29 pm on May 28th, via c-section. She's absolutely healthy and cute as anything... 7 lbs 2 oz. 20 inches long. Ha ha, no wonder I was getting so uncomfortable towards the end-- I'm only 5 foot 3 and have a slight build-- it was looking like a basketball in my belly these last couple of weeks! With our new OB, we were able to incorporate things from the 'gentle/natural cesarean' approach I had read about, which happens in places like Australia, US, and England. Of course, all of it was dependant on the status of me and baby during the surgery, i.e. no massive bleeding, no breathing issues for baby, we were both stable throughout. All went well, and we did delayed cord clamping, meaning he took the baby's head and shoulders out, let the cord stop pulsing, and then clamped and cut it. Also, between the OB and the anesthetist, it was agreed that DH could stand up and peer over the screen, and take pictures of Raya being born. (This particular anesthetist wouldn't normally allow that, but he did for DH and I because of DH being a paramedic and he knew DH wouldn't pass out.) We have pics of her being half in me and half out, all the way out, on the warming table, doing skin-to-skin. Yep, we could do skin-to-skin after our midwife received her at the warming table and did a minute or so long dry-off... I had her laying on my chest while they were stitching me up for awhile, although I did have to ask DH to take her into his arms after a bit because she was crying so loud in my ear so much (music to my ears, really, but it was SO loud! ha ha). So DH held her for quite a long time, and our midwife took pictures of the three of us, and then took her back to the warming table for some more clean-up. It truly was the best experience I could have had given that it was a c-section. I sure couldn't have really anticipated exactly what the sensations would be like, but now that i know, what I can say is that it's the strangest thing I have ever felt in my life. No pain, just the tugging and pushing sensations... so weird! Thank goodness we have medical care and surgical techniques like we do in our countries...

And, as for post-op, I have to say, once the morphine that was injected into the spinal cavity had started wearing off (about 12 hours afterward), it started to get painful, and then 24 hours later it was pretty bad--I have a really high pain tolerance level, too-- so I've been pretty thankful for the drugs for pain management. In my experience, the pain from a natural birth from the planned homebirth with midwives for DS, from start to finish, was easier for me than what this has been... but it stands to reason, since I had a short active labor phase during his birth and then this time around it's major abdominal surgery. Ah yes, I'm not trying to be 'strong' and avoid taking meds... bring them on!

A couple of other things I wanted to share... I felt an immediate bond with our little girl, I'm totally in love... Nursing is going reall well, lots of colustrum and already my milk is soon to come in-- should be in by tomorrow, I would think, which is Day 3. Same as with DS-- so the effects from having surgery is something I guess I should have spared myself some worry... but how do you know this, one doesn't have a crystal ball... I think I'm starting to experience the drop in hormones, because I was really weepy today, but also maybe because the adrenalin coursing through me the day of surgery wore off (I actually cancelled the surgery booked for 2 pm on the 28th, because I didn't feel like I could go through with it and needed to talk with the OB some more... wasn't in a good head space with all that has been going on these last few weeks, but then gathered up the courage to go through with it and we booked for 7 pm-- what a great OB, he was so patient and compassionate with me!) It's hard to experience the weepiness at all, given that it's been hard for the few weeks and then the last two before the birth I was feeling soooooo much better, like a black cloud had been lifted... Oh well, enough info, how about a picture to introduce little baby Raya... Here it is:


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## Vegan Princess

Tenzin: Congratulations!! She is so precious and beautiful!! I am so glad that your doc worked to make this experience the best it could be under the circumstances! It sounds like things are going awesome. I'm sorry you are weepy - but as I'm sure you know, it's just par for the course. I cried so much w/DD - often I didn't even know why. But my midwife said she would have been more worried if I didn't cry at all. My mom is still a bit traumatized from seeing me like that and not being able to make it better. I am NOT looking forward to that part. Anyway, enjoy your baby moon!

Rena: How did your big appointment go?? I hope it was just uneventful so you forgot to update us.

Cindy


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## renavoo

Tenzi, YAH! She looks wonderful and I'm so glad that the c section wasn't unbearable (before, during, or after!) i'm also really glad that you got some skin to skin time. I actually never heard about skin to skin time until I went to the class at NYU and apparently, NYU is one of two hospitals in NYC that is designated baby friendly so they support skin to skin time immediately. They say it helps with the breast feeding too. Anyway, Raya is gorgeous (and what a beautiful name!) Those cheeks! And that hair! So perfect! You, DH, and DS must be ecstatic!

Vegan, whoops, i did forget to post. It's been so insanely busy and I ended up posting on the IVF thread to support Blue and to share my experiences with Teresa! So thanks for asking! Appointment went well. Apparently, they are doing a biophysical profile on my little ones because of I'm carrying twins and of "advanced maternal age". Those are my two indications. The babies are doing well. They each received 8/8 although they made the tech work for it because the time we went was typically their sleeping time. They literally did not want to wake up! But after much prodding, they finally did and started moving. Otherwise, their heartbeats look good, there is enough fluid in their sacks and they practice their breathing just fine. I have to do this test every week until birth and while i'm always happy to see the little ones, I'm a little concerned with the amount of US being done...I know nothing has been proven regarding any dangers but still...I just don't like having them be exposed to so much- the test can take 30 minutes!

Ended up having to work 11 hours yesterday because of a client meeting. And I sat in an awful chair without my legs elevated so now my legs are exhausted and really achy. I'm also really really tired. I went to my boss yesterday and told him that my doctor really wants me to take it easy so after this week, unless we have important meetings (i.e. client meetings, etc) I would like to work from home. He agreed. haha i think he could tell how miserable and uncomfortable I am. Sadly, I don't see myself being able to walk to work anymore. ( i'm still going to try to walk the half mile to the subway station but no more long walks because I just don't think my legs can take the weight. I have another long day with clients today but then tomorrow, it should be more relaxed with just a couple of meetings.

Hope, I found myself short of breath a lot earlier on too. Did you speak with your doctor? How did that conversation go?

Vegan, how are you feeling? Update please?

Belly, Keria, Kewpie, Praying, everyone else, HI!

Must go get ready for work again. Will check in tomorrow!


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## deborahbgkelly

Tenzins- Gorgeous little girl! Congratulations!


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## BellyBean

Oh Tenzi, what an absolutely beautiful little girl!!! I am so glad things went so well, and you were able to get the best possible c-section possible!

Renavoo, glad to hear you will be working from home soon! I went in for my first NST today and they ended up doing the other tests you did as well. Once I hit 36 weeks, I will be going twice a week for the NST and prenatal exams. They also said that my strepB will be soon (I think you were asking about that), it's normally at 36 weeks, but they aim to do it 4 weeks before delivery, so probably next week for me (34 weeks). How many times are you getting up in the middle of the night to pee now  ? I must get up 4 times a night...it's so much worse than with my DD, all that weight is adding a ton of pressure at all times.

Hope, I am out of breath all the time, and it started really early for me too!

Vegan, so great you have everything you'll need for your little girl! We saved a lot of stuff, but I think most will be off season, and then having 2 means we'll need more anyway! Great job getting organized early!

Praying, you over here yet?

Grads with babes, how are you all doing....probably busy!!!

Bungalow, thinking about you.

AFM, not much going on here. I got a little more work in our bedroom done this weekend to set it up for when the babies arrive. It makes me feel so much better to have things done. My to do list is still pretty long, but I am able to get through a couple a week  slowly but surely  I feel so lucky that we live in a time were the "essentials" can be ordered online. Today I need to get some newborn diapers and baby wash/lotion ordered! So easy to do online while I rest on the couch (DD is napping)!

Renavoo, that reminds me....I am planning on ordering a PUJ bath tub for the babies because the one we have for DD is big/bulky/and hard to comfortably use. Thought it might be something you would be interested in too since I am sure space is tight in the city.


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## hope4light

Vegan - I really should call, but haven't had a chance yet. I don't remember how I felt at the beginning of my first pregnancy!!

Tenzin - She is SO beautiful! Congrats on what sounds like a really great experience, even if it did have to be a c section!

rena - Glad the babes are looking good and that it's all just a precaution! I'm also glad that your boss is going to let you work from home! Yeah for being able to take some more 'relax' time!!

Belly - Oh how nice it is to get some things done.

Not much going on with me. Starting to feel more symptoms, which I'm oddly OK with. It's just that sweet reminder that I have a little one growing inside of me!!


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## renavoo

Hi everyone! Happy Friday! I'm so happy that it's Friday. haha and it was a short week!

Belly, i get up to go to the bathroom 4-5 times a night too! I just can't believe how often it is and I actually have a lot of pee each time too! *shaking head*. i'd wake up anyway because my side aches from sleeping on it and I need to turn anyway. Yesterday, my legs were swollen to double the size because i've had to sit without my leg propped up and as a result my legs hurt and itched at the same time! i'm so done with this. I'm looking forward to being at home so I can get more stuff done too!

Why do you need a NST 2x a week? Are your doctors extra cautious? I ended up having to ask about the beta strep test which kind of annoyed me because, uh, don't they think they should be keeping tabs?They said that they routinely do it at 36 weeks. I asked if that was the case even for twins because I know twins typically come early. The nurse said yes but I don't know if I believe them. I personally think they forgot and since i see different doctors, they don't check these things out as much as they should. Oh well, it is what it is! After she said 36 weeks, I asked her if that means that we will do it during my next visit. She asked me what visit that was and I said, uh, 36 weeks to which she answered, oh, yes, I guess i'll put it on the schedule. Sigh.

Thanks for the suggestion on the PUJ bath! I'm sad because I already bought a big bulky bath but the puj bath definitely looks better suited for our apartment living. sigh. Oh well, We'll see how things work out anyway and if needed, I'll just replace the current bath with the PUJ bath! How else are you doing? Oh and how many diapers are you stocking up? I've stocked up with many many boxes of size 1 diapers because i have no idea how many boxes of newborn diapers we're going to need. What do you all think?

Hope, yah (I think) for symptoms. haha Actually, I know exactly what you mean. I used to feel really nervous when a day came when I didn't feel any symptoms. These days, I feel nervous when i don't feel the babies kicking even though i'm being watched carefully. It's a never ending cycle that i'm sure will get worse when the babies are here!

So, I feel like i may have overstayed at work a bit. I sent out my email to the different teams i work on to tell them i'm going to be working from home and I've gotten a lot of replies of basically "good!" haha i think people are relieved that I'm not going to be there until my water breaks. Also, yesterday, I found out that the former CEO of my company (he's now our chairperson and he showed up at our client meeting) was really really concerned that i was going to give birth right then and there and was panicking to one of my coworkers (who of course, told me afterwards). I didn't realize he had this conversation when my chairperson asked me later in the day when i was going to be going on leave and I told him my plan of working from home until the birth. He quickly nodded and said that that was a very good idea. Who knew i was carrying so poorly? So what if i'm always wheezing, waddling and my stomach is OUT TO THE MOON? hahahaha i find all of this amusing. DH thinks I'm going to go into labor on the 11th. I think the 9th for no reason whatsoever. We'll see!!

Anyway, hope everyone has a wonderful day and weekend! Belly, here's to getting a lot more done!


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## blueyezz4

Hi all!!! I'm home "sick" w/ strep throat today so I thought, what a good time to get caught up over here since I've been slacking on my stalker duties!!!!









*Renavoo* - you poor thing. I'm glad that you are finally slowing down and going to be working from home. You are amazing, is all i can say!!! Sure does sound like someone is dropping the ball w/ your Strep test. Good thing you are on top of things. That always annoys me how now a days we have to totally be our own drs it seems. Healthcare isn't what it used to be. Man, I feel so old say that!!! LOL Where is your newest belly pic???? I think it is time to share, especially since Belly shared hers a little while ago!!!

*Hope* - I am drawing a blank.. did you have a little OHSS going on? That might be what is causing the SOB this early on (that is a medical term and I'm not calling you names, just so you know. LOL). I'd call if it is still going on just to be safe. Hope everything else is going well.

*Tenzi* - so glad all went well and she is so precious!!!!! Hope you are recovery well!!!! Thanks for sharing your story and the pics!!

*Belly* - glad you are getting through your To-Do list. Slow but sure is fine!!!! Keep up the good work!!! Hope you are doing well. Is your DD excited about her new little sisters coming or is she kinda unaware? How old is she again?

*Kewpie, Keria, Tear, bungalow,Lyndi* - Hi to all of you as well!!! Hope you all are doing well and so are all of those babes!!!!!! ( i think i remembered everyone, sorry if I missed ya).


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## Vegan Princess

Rena: I'm glad the appointment went well. And SO happy you are done going into the office!!! So funny the chairman was panicking! LOL! Men!! I did end up working until I went into labor - bc I had my daughter 2 weeks early. I had planned to work from home after finishing 2 more days. But my silly boss kept wanting to schedule me to attend meetings with clients (in their offices) when I would be past my due date. He didn't get upset that I laughed at him and said no. But I guess his wife was 2 weeks late with both their kids so he figured I would be too. Anyway, enjoy the time to take it easy (easier?).

Belly: So exciting to have your bedroom done and ready, huh? I love shopping online!! Did you know if you create a baby registry on amazon that you can get 10% off any of it left within a month of your due date? I had been adding things to my shopping cart to buy later but now I put them all on a registry (that I prob won't share with anyone) so I can get the 10% off later.

Blue: I hope you feel better!!!

AFM: Nothing exciting here. My doula was just over to play w/my daughter (since she will be in charge of my duaghter during labor). But that's about it. I've scored a few great deals on some of the few things we need - like boppy for $5 and a free changing table and a baby scale for $20 (we rented one for $80/mo last time). But I feel a bit weird to be accumulating stuff so early on. I didn't buy a single thing until 6 mos along last time. I still worry about jinxing myself. Oh and I found out my breast pump doesn't suck as hard as it should anymore - so I need a new one. Dang - those things are expensive!

Cindy


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## blueyezz4

*Vegan* - how did i forget you!!! Glad to hear that got some good buys!!! Whatever happened w/ the mid-wife situation that you had? Did you tell the newer one you weren't using her? How'd that go??


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## Keria

Sorry I've been MIA I'm in Canada visiting DHs family and it's a pain to type from my phone. Yesterday I had a long reply posted but lost it grr. I've been reading and keeping everyone in my thoughts.

Tenzin Gorgeous baby Congratulations!


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## Vegan Princess

Blue: You're so cute. 

Re: the midwife decision. We decided to stay with the new midwife that we had already agreed to work with. DH said he feels comfortable with her and so do I. I love that she is familiar bc we had her at so many of our prenatals and at DD's birth. I got a text from the other midwife yesterday saying the senior midwife that works with the new midwife is great and that it's nice that we know the new midwife already that she wishes us blessings on the birth. So that was very sweet of her to still be thinking of me. I think there was just misunderstanding on her part and on mine as well about her fees - so I feel bad. I know I would have been happy going with her too. But we already started care with the new midwife. Plus she is so great with my daughter! She lets her help with absolutely everything. I know my DD feels pretty proud about being able to help. And it was so cute today - she came over and pulled my shirt up and rubbed her hands together to get them warm and then started feeling my belly. I was wondering where she got that from until I realized she was copying the midwife.

DD also came over and pulled up my shirt and pushed aside my bra and tried to nurse while I was on the phone w/my mom talking about nursing. Cracked me up! She's been weened for 1.5 yrs. She doesn't even remember how to suck. But it still makes her happy to try. LOL.

Cindy


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## tenzinsmama

Just popping on here to see if anybody is close to having their babes... Have to say, Vegan, that is such a cute thing that your DD did... We just got discharged from the hospital and I saw my DS today for the first time, since having DD... He's been watching me nurse her but so far he hasn't tried to get on the other side or anything (I thought that since he's been weaned for 5 months, he wouldn't... but now after reading your post, I'm not so sure! ha ha)


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## Vegan Princess

Tenzin: My daughter forgot how to truly suck very quickly after she weaned. I'm sure your son likely has too! She just puts her mouth on my nipple and doesn't suck and def. doesn't use her tongue to get milk. I am wondering if she will be trying to nurse again when she knows there is milk. But mostly I think it's just a novelty idea to her. She doesn't REALLY want to nurse, she just gets a kick out of the closeness when she tries occassionally. I think she is sort of just being silly.  Congrats on going home!!


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## monkeyscience

*Tenzi* - Yay, yay, yay for such a great birth and for getting to go home! I am glad that you were able to have such a good experience after all your previous concerns/fears. Enjoy your new little one!

*Everyone else* - I think this is the beginning of another avalanche of babies being born for this thread. Good luck!


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## renavoo

Hi ladies,

Something funky is happening to my mothering.com account. i used to be able to click on subscriptions and i would see the listing of the threads I was a part of. Now, I have to go through many more steps to get where I was. However, I clicked on this thread and it landed me on page 1 and I was amazed that we started this thread in October 2011. And Kewpie had just put some US images of Liam and Maisie on the site! Wow, how time flies and I was thinking what an amazing journey it has been with you ladies!

AFM. I'm going to be working from home from today on! yah! i hopefully will have enough to do because sometimes I feel like "out of site, out of mind" but i'm not going to stress too much about it. Anyway, otherwise, things are moving along here. i have a doctor's appointment tomorrow so I'm excited to see the little ones again and especially, to ask some questions. I've been having some cramping (really light) and while i don't think it's a big deal, I want to ask the doctors about it. Also, and i know this is tmi, I've had to go to the bathroom multiple times a day with loose stools. I hope this is a sign that the body is readying itself for the babies' arrivals! but generally, i feel fine and the babies continue to amuse me with their kicks and punches (and I can feel body parts much more easily, even when they are resting! I can't tell what it is i'm feeling though, but I can guess, since i know how they are positioned). i've been trying to film them when they move but the little ones seem to know just when i start and they move a lot until I pick up my phone to record them. They they are still until i put my phone down. haha i scold them and my DH just laughs at me. I'm so excited that in another few weeks, we'll have them home with us. I also want the doctors to pin down a time that they will be inducing if I don't naturally give birth- I was reading some medical papers and they say that with twins, the optimal time for the babies to be born is around 37-38 weeks. Anything more than that and the babies have a greater chance of some harm coming to them. DH and I just want definitive answers to that! Anyone know of this?

I hope everyone had a great weekend! Check in please and let us know how everything is going!


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## hope4light

rena - I'm glad that you finally asked about the beta strep as it sounds like the office wasn't remembering it. I can't believe that you're almost there!!! The nerves don't get any better once the baby(ies) are here... I know I still worry like mad about my DD (not waking up, finding something horribly wrong, etc) and she's almost 2!! I am laughing at the people's reactions at work. I agere with a PP - MEN. They really have no idea ha ha. Can't wait to see if one of you is right on the date!!

blue - Yes, I had a moderate case of OHSS. I know a few weeks ago my ovaries were still swollen and huge, but most of the fluid is gone, thankfully. I did wonder if that was maybe the issue though. Glad to see you stopping by, you really are an amazingly strong woman to still be able to.

Vegan - Again, MEN! Duh, just because someone went 2 weeks late doesn't mean a different person will!! Bummer on having to buy the new pump, that really sucks!! I'm laughing at your DD! Mine is 22 months and when I'm carrying her will automatically put her hand down my shirt and play with my nipples. I weaned her at 19 months to do IVF, I'm pretty sure she's not happy about that LOL.

Tenzin - glad to know your'e going home!!

AFM - not much going on. Seem to be getting more symptoms every day, or at least the ones I have seem to be a little worse every day. Still nothing bad, but I just keep reminding myself if that little bean wasn't still in there with a heart beating away I'd have symptoms going away, not getting worse. My first OB appointment is next Tuesday, I really can't wait! Especially as I am not sure just how long I'm going to be able to hide it, and I REFUSE to tell before that appointment. My first pregnancy I waited until 13 weeks, and I'm not so sure that's going to be an option this time around. I'm hoping to make it 3 more weeks, and the helper there is DH and I are going on vacation the week of the 18th, so I'm thinking I'll make it to 12 weeks for sure!!


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## Vegan Princess

Hope: I FELT like I was huge super early on. I def was showing - people started asking me if I was pregnant around 8 weeks. BUT I also think I could definitely have hid it if I'd have tried.  I've found it crazy how much faster I've gotten a true pregnant looking belly this time. I didn't tell my boss until 12 weeks last time and he had no clue.

Rena: Ooo maybe your body IS getting ready!  Though I think mine didn't have that emptying effect until I was actually in labor. But I'm sure it is dif for everyone. I also didn't get any cramping until early labor. So perhaps things are already in motion!

AFM: I got some crazy stomach thing on saturday out of the blue. Horrible stomach cramps and upset tummy. The cramps had me doing labor breathing and practically crying. I had sweat pouring off of me. It came out of no where and I was fine an hour later. So I have no idea what caused it? But the cramping reminded me of labor and kinda made me be like "oh crap - can I do that again??". LOL. Though I knew the cramps were from my stomach, not my uterus. I suppose labor cramps build more gradually too.

Cindy


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## BellyBean

Renavoo, yay for working from home! I do a little more than half my work from home and it is so much easier/comfy on those days. I think I am planning on going in for another 2 weeks (till 36) but I am only in for a few hours on 2 days  so way more manageable than your long hours. You are definitely getting close!!! My OB originally said 39 weeks is when they would induce, but at my last couple appoinments he was saying 38 weeks (but saying it was controversial...didn't say which way or who thought that), but it's hard for me to imagine making it past 38. I am almost (sometimes actually) in tears by night because I am already so uncomfortable and in pain...and I know it's going to get way worse!

Monkey, glad to see you stop by 

Keira, hope you are having a wonderful time on vacation!

Kewpie, I can't believe how big your little ones are getting! Time really does fly!

Vegan, haha, I am the same way about my more painful braxton hicks contractions...I am like "hmmm....maybe this wasn't such a good idea"  I always get to the end and remember that the baby (ies) have to find a way out eventually!

Hope, yay (I think) for more symptoms  Can't wait for your OB appointment next week! I think everyone noticed at work when I started wearing bigger/baggier clothes, if I remember correctly, I came clean around 13 weeks.

Tenzi, still so excited about your little girls arrival!!! Keep us posted on how your DS does with a new sibling and wanting to nurse 

AFM, not much going on, just plugging along. Oh, Renavoo, I ordered 2 (72 count) boxes of newborn huggies pure and natural diapers. I think those will last about 6 days. I will probably end up ordering another 2 boxes after they arrive, then around 2-3 weeks we'll plan on making the switch to cloth. I have an embarassingly huge stash of cloth diapers so as long as my expectations of using cloth diapers with 2 is realistic (based on doing it with DD), I'll be able to stop using sposies pretty quickly.


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## kewpie80

*renavoo* - My OB didnt want me going past 38 weeks cause the placenta ages faster with twins and it can cause problems with them not getting enough oxygen. I've read that it doesn't happen with all twins and that's why some women go further, but it is a concern. The cramping, if it's anything like I had, was just braxton hicks. They will get more and more frequent. I would time them for an hour and as long as they were sporadic and not closer than 4 minutes apart, I would relax. There were a few times when they were consistent and close together and I'd wonder if it was time, but then I'd drink some water and lie down and they'd stop. If it's go time, they won't stop. My OB wouldn't stop them at the hospital once I hit 36 weeks, but before that, they will give you something to stop the contractions. Even when it's "go time" the contractions don't hurt in the beginning.

I delivered at 36w3d and you are just about there and I'm remembering back to what it was like. Part of me misses being pregnant. but the next part is so amazing! It's tiring SO tiring! But oh so worth it.

*Hope* - symptoms always gave me relief too.

*vegan* - Ouch! Glad it was just your stomach

*Belly* - I've been using cloth with my 2 and it's working out fine  I do do a cloth diaper load every night, though... You are getting so close! I'm getting really excited for the baby boom!

*Tenz* - Congrats! She's beautiful!!!

*AFM -* Liam and Maisie are 5 months old today. Can you believe that? They are laughing ALL the time now and even making each other laugh. When you all think about how hard it is in the early months, know that it gets REALLY fun at about 4-5 months and onward. Maisie can sit up unsupported for about 4-5 seconds and Liam still pretty much immediately folds in half, but I feel him resisting so it won't be long. They LOVE their door jumpers. If you have the money and space to store them, I HIGHLY recommend them. They are SO much freaking fun to watch in those things and they laugh and laugh. I'll have to post a video of them in them soon.

We took them to the park to swing in the baby swings yesterday and they LOVED it, especially Liam. He laughed so hard. Maisie loves it when I make funny noises and I had to stop myself last night from doing it too much cause she was laughing instead of going to sleep. Making them laugh is SO addicting. They are noticing each other more and more now and when I put them in their bumbo seats, they smile and stare at each other. It's adorable.

We've been doing solids for a few weeks now and they get so excited when they see the spoons. Maisie likes to "help" by grabbing my hand and pulling the spoon towards her. Liam dances and squeals the whole time. I will post some pictures and maybe a video tonight. They're waking up now.


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## blueyezz4

*Kewpie* - wow, 5 months!!! Can't even believe it has been that long!!!!! How fun!

*Belly* - love seeing your ticker move!! i can't believe you are already 34 wks. I'm sure you want the to start speeding up for sure!!

*Renavoo* - I might have told you about this before, but there is a program online and there is also an app, i think for your phone that measures your contractions. I found it when I went into labor yrs ago and was pretty impressed w/ it. The website is http://www.contractionmaster.com/ Like i said, i forget if i already told you about, and if so just ignore my post. Glad you are working from home now and hopefully resting up!!! Can't wait to see these precious babes!!!

*Hope* - So did you ever call your Dr or are you just ignoring it or are you feeling better? Thanks for your nice comment... I feel like you all are kinda like my internet family so it is hard to leave you all when I've been around so long, I guess. Like they say... what doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger. I wouldn't wish IF on my worst enemy, so anytime anyone gets a BFP I think it is a good thing.

*Vegan* - hope you are feeling 100% again. That had to have been scary!

*Tenzi* - hope things are going well at home! How is your little guy adjusting?


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## rcr

Hi All: just popping over here to stalk you all! I just skimmed the last three pages, so forgive me if I miss anything big.

Tenzi - yay! Congrats. Sounds like a perfect birth, or as perfect as a c-section can be.

Vegan- congrats on another girl!

Belly and Rena - you are both getting so close, I don't want to miss the births, so I am going to have to stalk here more often!

OK, I gotta run. The cat just pooped in the bathtub and DS is whiny and ready for bed.


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## kewpie80

In this picture where Liam has a huge grin. He's not smiling at me. He's not smiling cause daddy is funny. He's smiling at a picture on the wall. This picture gets a huge smile every.time.he.sees.it. He loves the dang thing and it gets more love than me or my husband. The picture?

This:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/Leighton-God_Speed!.jpg/435px-Leighton-God_Speed!.jpg





sorry about the zillions of pictures... it's hard to pick just one


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## Vegan Princess

Kewpie: The pics are great!! So funny that that picture makes him smile so much! LOL! You guys are hitting so many fun milestones at once!! I love it!

Belly: What is in your huge stash of diapers? I've been having so much fun building a newborn stash. We did diaper service the first 3 months w/DD bc we were in an apartment and shared a washer. But once we moved I bought our own - mostly one sized - that are too big for a newborn.

RCR: Your cat pooped in the tub? eeck!! I had to read what you wrote twice - I thought your DS had pooped in the tub. I think I'd take cat poop in a dry tub over kid poop in a tub full of water any day. LOL. Cleaning a poopy tub and a poopy kid was not one of my finer mothering moments!!

Cindy


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## renavoo

Hi ladies! I'm off to a doctor visit but i just wanted to check in. I'm also attaching a latest baby bump photo )

Kewpie, oh my goodness, the babes are ADORABLE! I loooove Liam's smile. And I love that photo of him laughing because he's laughing but also because you DH is behind him with the same infectious laughing face. PERFECTION!

Rcr, cat pooped in the tub? oh boy. haha. that is too funny. well, all the world's a litterbox!

Blue, I'm definitely downloading the app! Thanks for the tip...i needed an app to help me count because we got strict instructions not to show up to the hospital until the contractions are 5 minutes apart. How are you doing? How is your mom, by the way?

Hope, yah (I think) to symptoms! haha I actually loved having symptoms because while they made me feel like poo, at least i felt like the babies were doing well! So yah to that feeling, at least!

Vegan, UGH to cramping so severely!! i hope everything is ok now? i hope you don't get any more of those cramps until it's time for you to push! (i hope i'll be able to tell the difference between stomach cramps and labor cramps when the time comes!) ;o)

Belly, I have like 140 newborn diapers and about 500 stage 1 diapers. I think I went overboard. haha but the funniest thing is that you said 72 will last about 6 days. So I have only about 2 weeks of diapers with my 140 newborn diapers and a little more than 6 weeks with my stage 1 diapers? I guess I'll stop buying stage 1 diapers though! maybe i'll put my hoarding tendencies towards stage 2 diapers ;o)



I'll let you ladies know how the appointment goes!


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## BellyBean

Headed to work, so I have to be quick. But I'll be back later!

Renavoo, I have 2 boxes of 72, so 144...I think that will last about 6 days  Keep us posted on your appt. today! Your looking super tiny!

Kewpie, love the pictures on the swing! and Liams super big smile!!

rcr, sorry but I had to laugh, the cat pooped in the tub  haha

crap MIL is here.......


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## Vegan Princess

RCR: Your belly looks big and lovely and the rest of you is SO tiny!! I think I hate you and Belly!! just kidding. I think I actually had smaller thighs when I gave birth last time than when I got pregnant - the baby sucked some of the fat off the rest of me. I'm hoping that will happen again. LOL.


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## kewpie80

You guys are so cute with your little bodies and bumps! I felt like a ginormous blimp! haha Well now I'm curious about the difference... lemme see if I can dig up my last bump pic...

ok, found it. This was 36w2d. the day before I delivered. It doesn't help that I had extra "fluff" to begin with. I still have a lot of fluff to get rid of, but I'm down 12 pounds from my prepregnancy weight so far and I lost another 2 pounds this week.

I was comparing this to my 32 week picture and you can tell I definitely dropped by 36 weeks. I'm carrying low low low...


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## renavoo

Kewpie, I love that you pulled out your 36 week photo to compare! haha you definitely had a big belly but oh so beautiful! Especially when you think of Maisie and Liam who came from inside there! Personally, I am with Belly in that I think the clothing is hiding the true girth of my tummy. And my belly is ROUND. Really round. I walk around now and people comment that I must be having twins...I want to say to them that I'm only having a singleton and maybe they would feel bad? haha Anyway, you are so cute! And good job on the weight loss!

Belly, 144 diapers to last 6 days?! hahaha oh boy. That makes sense because 10 diapers a day for each baby. My math in the morning is a bit off- I blame the insomnia. ;o). wow. Ummm lots of poop and pee... ;o)

Vegan, I can't wait to see your belly photos too! It's so much fun to see the growth)

So, doctor's visit went well. The babies passed their biophysical again and they were measured for growth. Colin measured 6lb 5oz. he had a major growth spurt because just 2 weeks ago, he was only measuring 4lbs, 14 oz! Now he's bigger than his sister. Sienna measured 6lbs, 2 oz and she grew slower- 2 weeks ago, she measured 5lbs, 5oz. So both are doing quite well at this time. The doctor also gave me an appointment for induction- I'm going to be induced June 18th (at night) so probably, I'm going to give birth by June 19th! I mean, assuming the babies don't come earlier. Right now, my cervix is 1 cm dilated. i am so excited. I think I'm going to be more and more scared as time goes by but right now, I'm hoping to hold my babies within the next two weeks, which is a dream come true! yah!


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## Vegan Princess

Renavoo: Those weights are awesome for twins!! My DD was born at 38 weeks and was 5lbs 12 oz! Though I think they aren't always accurate with their weight predictions? Not that anyone made any predictions for me. And OMG - I can't believe you're definitely going to be holding them in 2 weeks!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! Yay!!

Kewpie: Holy moly your tummy was big! I think the horizontal stripes make it look bigger.  How big were your babies?

I'll post a belly pic soon. I took one this weekend (that my head looks AWFUL in, so I don't want to post LOL). I didn't take one last week - I can see a definite difference in the 2 weeks since the last pic!

DH called in sick to work today even though he's not sick. So we are off to get breakfast, er brunch bc he slept so late.

Cindy


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## kewpie80

renavoo - YAY! I'm so glad you have a date! My birthday is the 23rd, so I was hoping you'd go on that day, but sooner is better!  My OB said the growth scans can be off +/- 12 ounces, but they're pretty darn accurate considering how hard that would be to measure.

vegan - They were 6 lbs 9 oz and 6 pounds even. enjoy your breakfast date!


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## BellyBean

Renavoo, GREAT news on getting a "date" and having 2 good sized babes too!

Vegan, can't wait to see your bump pic and how fun to spend the morning with your "non sick" DH!!! We are a pocket diaper family, so FuzziBunz are pretty much my entire stash. I swear I tried every brand of pocket out there and they were by far my favorite, especially the one size because the elastic adjusts around the legs and waist. I have a lot of both FuzziBunz sized and one sized diapers and honestly, I think the onesize get smaller than my newborn/preemie size and because you can get the legs super small/tight, no newborn blowouts. I just use my smaller newborn inserts/washcloths in them so they aren't as bulky. They also don't have the snap down front (like most one size), so I think that helps with reducing bulkiness too.

Kewpie, my u/s tech said the same thing about +/- 12 oz. Love that you re-posted your 36 week photo, I can't believe how fast the time has gone! Maybe I can hit the 23rd 

Lyndi, Keira, Bungalow, Tenzi, Hope, how are you ladies doing?


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## rcr

Rena - you look amazing! When I had DS I was even bigger than that, and he was only one!

Kewpie - I love the photos. Especially that picture that makes liam laugh!

All - well, the cat poop in the tub was funny, but this morning I caught him peeing blood on the couch, so he went to the vet. He does not have a UTI, which is what everybody assumed it was. So he is there overnight. Poor old man. I have had him for 10 years, and he was old when I got him. I sure hope it is nothing serious.

Rena - Oh my, I am fairly certain that you will be able to tell the difference between labor cramps and regular cramps. June 18th is the day that I have to be in Vegas for my cycle! I am flying out the night before. But I do hope is happens before that for you.

Vegan - can't wait to see your pic either.

Belly - how is the visit with MIL?


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## Vegan Princess

RCR: I hope everything is ok w/your kitty!!! I'm so attached to my cats - they were my first borns.

Belly: I can't picture a fuzzi bunz one size on a newborn! I despise stuffing pockets. Not sure why it bothers me so much. But we do have 3 fuzzy bunz one size that were our night time diapers. I just pulled them out again a few days ago bc DD's has been leaking out of her bum genius at night (she has been day trained for a yr but never wakes up at night - at least not to pee anyway). DH put one on her the other night after she fell asleep on the couch - she immediately peed and the pee all came out of the diaper - didn't even soak in. I stripped my dipes a couple days ago but we are afraid to try them again. Our current stash is mostly bum genius organic one sized AIOs with the few fuzzi bunz, a few sposoeasy AIOs and a few grovias. For newborn dipes I bought an assortment of AIOs (mostly grovia and bum genius but there are 2-3 others thrown in) and fitteds. I plan to try wool over fitteds this time.

Ok, I cropped my belly pic from this week so you can't see my head. I SOOO need to color my hair.



Cindy


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## renavoo

Vegan, you're so cute! What a cute baby bump! As for getting your hair done, haha better get it soon. I hear it's much more difficult when the babes are here ;o) Hope you and DH had a great brunch!

Rcr, I'm hopeful that your cat is ok too. Poor kitty had to be there overnight ( I hope that they tell you that whatever he has can be easily treated. I'm so excited for you!! You're going over the 17th and then I think you said that you will be there for 7 days for follow up and intralipids before retrieval, right? so exciting. I'm really hoping this is your cycle! As for labor pains, haha I'm sure I will know! But I'm thinking more the early cramps; I also want to stay home for as long as possible so I'm thinking that will take some timing. But generally, I know that things will get done.

Belly, when is your next appointment?

Kewpie, haha I'd try to hold off but I'm sure I'm going to be feeling so uncomfortable. I'm already feeling quite uncomfy and my stomach is driving me crazy because it's so itchy. I've been trying not to scratch and instead, just put on lotion but it's not working! Argh! and it feels so good when i scratch it!

Ooh I thought it could be off by 1 pound! I just want the babies to be big enough that they don't have to go into the NICU if they were to come early. Starting next week, though, I'm going to be doing things that could induce labor naturally, like walking more and getting DH in the mood (although honestly, I don't know if I'm much in the mood because I'm so huge!). Any other suggestions?








EVERYONE ELSE!!


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## rcr

Vegan - you are so cute.

Rena - I am not sure if the kitty is ok. The vet is going to do an u/s today and let me know. It was not a UTI, which I guess is what I was hoping for because that is easily corrected and he has gotten them before. Poor guy. Yes, I am doing the interlipids on the 18th in Vegas.


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## hope4light

Vegan - I'm glad I'm not the only one. I'm down to just a few shirts that somewhat hide it, and the rest that I'm wearing don't really, so it just depends on how observent one is LOL. The cramps sound crazy!!! And so strange that you were fine an hour later.

Kewpie - they are SOOO cute!! I love the picture of Liam laughing at the picture. So funny that he loves it so much. You were SO cute at 36 weeks!

blue - I haven't called my doc. It comes and goes, so I'm thinking it is just from the OHSS. It's been a little better lately too.

rena - Oh you are SO cute!!! For what it's worth, I found that my DD spent a TON of time in stage 1 diapers, and very little time in stage 2. I know it all depends on the baby, but comparing the weights on them (we use pampers), you might want to watch how many stage 2's you buy now. I agree that late term weights tend to be off, but I will say that at my 40 week appt with my DD they said she was going to be 7lbs 4 oz, and she was 7lbs 2 oz, so in my case it was pretty spot on. I can't believe that in the next 2 weeks you're going to be holding those little one's!!!

Vegan - Oh how I love morning dates with DH. That's so sweet. You are SO cute!! Look at that adorable baby bump


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## Vegan Princess

Thanks guys. 

Rena: I think I'll be needing my hair done another 3-4 times before baby comes! LOL! But actually, once I had my daughter, my hair colorist started coming to my house! Then last yr she showed DH how to do it. So I see her occasionally and she gets me my color and then I have to get DH to do it. Saves us a ton of money and is SO much easier than trying to plan 3 hours away from a baby to go get it done. Not that DH is thrilled to have to spend his evening covering my grey!!

Cindy


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## BellyBean

Vegan, you look great!!!! I really got a kick out of picturing DH color your hair  What a nice guy!

rcr, sorry to hear that your kitty isn't feeling well. I hope they find out what's wrong and can treat without being super expensive.

Hope, when is your appointment again?

Renavoo, I go in again tomorrow for my weekly OB/NST appointment. There is like an hour gap between them, but they said sometimes the OB can come in during the NST and do his appointment while I am on the monitors. I hope so, because 3 hours at the Dr. office sounds horrible. I think I'll bring a book just in case! So excited for your babes to come!!!

Thinking of everyone else too!


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## tenzinsmama

Vegan, I love your bump! That's great that you have had your colorist come to your house, and DH can do it for you. I cut my bangs myself all the time, which saves me a ton of time and then I can stretch out my visits to the stylist, which saves money... But I did go in and get my bangs done the other day, because we had some family/newborn photos done by a professional photographer yesterday. I certainly didn't want a bad cut-job showing up on the pics.

Rena, your bump is adorable as well! I don't think you look that big-- truly... I think I was that big with my little girl towards the end. I guess it depends so much on our body and how we carry. Because really, those little ones of yours have some pretty good weights-- how are you managing to carry them so compactly? ha ha. I can't believe that you are having them soon... It seems like not that long ago that you were doing the second IVF attempt-- that was when I was first joining the thread. And now look at how far things have come along for us, and the others on here!

rcr, how is your cat doing? It's so worrisome when our fur-kids aren't doing well-- they can't let us know what's going on, how they are feeling. Let us know what's happening; hopefully the vet discovers something that is highly treatable.

Belly, how are you doing? The babes, and DD? I'm trying to think back to your lat few updates... My memory is failing me. I think you were really busy with trying to cross things off your to-do list? I hope all is well. Do you think DD is understanding the babies' arrival and is prepared for the changes?

Blue, how's things? Your last update was on the other page, and if I go back I'll lose what I have typed here already... So I'm not sure what you have been up to with things. How is Abby doing?

Hope, how far along are you? Ahhhh, I miss being pregnant and the bump starting to show... Beautiful baby bumps... Precious.

Hi to everyone else, sorry if I've missed you!

AFM, I'm really enjoying my little girl. I was saying to my DH, I wish I would have had a crystal ball, that I could have seen that I wouldn't have any problems breastfeeding from the surgery, and that I could have seen that I wouldn't have any problems with bonding even with the ante-natal depression that I experienced during the third trimester. It really helped to have switched hospitals and to find the new OB, and maybe the last two weeks before my c/s was a real blessing, too-- as that is when so much of the heaviness lifted. I guess it's all woven together, those things that helped... Anyway, I love, love, love her so much... Some of my favorite times are the skin-to-skin, when she is sleeping on my chest and I close my eyes and just inhale her newborn smell, and feel the softness of her hair against my cheek. Nothing quite like it. And it's so beautiful to see DS interact with her-- he LOVES her. He wants to kiss her and hold her, and to have pictures taken of the two of them together. He's very gentle with her, wants to say good-night to her as part of his bedtime routine now, and so many other cute things. I'm very surprised that he hasn't become jealous or anything like that, to cause him to act out. It's not just a relief, but it's also a delightful sight to behold. The only thing I wish would happen now is that the touch of baby blues that I have would go away... I understand that it is very normal to have this happening, though I can't help but wonder, 'Is this the start of my moods slipping down again?' Thankfully, it seems transient and hopefully it's not something I have to really worry about in the post-partum period. I already feel bad that I spent so many weeks in a depressed state, when I could have been enjoying my pregnancy all throughout. I regret that-- I so wish it could have been different. Anyway, I think I'll feel much better all around when I start to have more recovery from my c/s... I've experienced a lot of pain these last few days, when I thought things would start to get better by now... but my doctor today told me that it's about two weeks when I can start to notice a real improvement... and then a friend today told me that for her it took about 3 weeks-- she had the same pain as I am having-- sharp shooting pains on the sides of my incision, one side being more affected than the other. It happens when I move-- and it doesn't take much to tweak it so that the pain happens.

Question for those of you who have had your babies... Do you miss being pregnant? Do you think about getting pregnant again soon? Gosh, I certainly don't feel like my family is complete... Maybe it's a good thing that I still have all my IVF drugs... ha ha. I'm certainly going to enjoy my two children, but hey, I can always dream about one more, right?


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## Vegan Princess

Tenzin: Awww I can't wait for that sweet sweet time you are in! It is too bad that post partum hormones have to cast a shadow over such a special time. I'm so glad things are going well and especially with your DS! I watched my DD with her friend's 4 month old baby brother today. She was so gentle and sweet - and volunteered to stay with him while his mom brought some things in from the back yard (even though I was there still). I think she was practicing and you could tell she wants to do a good job. As for wanting another...I had baby fever from wayyyy before we were ready to actually start trying again. I just loved having my DD so much that I couldn't wait to do it again. Pregnancy included. I loved being pregnant. I was actually thinking today - do I love being pregnant this time? I am enjoying all the movement that has been getting stronger and more frequent. I think I haven't quite gotten to the totally magical part of it. I don't know how to explain it. But I am truly thankful I am getting to experience this again and I did miss it after it was over last time. Though I suppose after it's over we tend to overlook the discomforts a lot more than while we are in the middle of it! Do you mind me asking what kind of breast surgery you had? So glad it's not hindering breast feeding! I was dumb enough to get implants at the age of 20 and it soooo impeded breastfeeding. We struggled a lot at the beginning but managed to keep it up for almost 2 yrs. I'm expecting to have to supplement again this time, but I know so much more about what to do and not do - I'm hoping that it won't cause me nearly as much stress as last time! That really marred my newborn enjoyment last time.

Cindy


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## deportivo4

Hey Everyone- I just wanted to come on here and ask a question. Sorry, I am not part of this group and don't have children but just wondering from a different perspective.If you don't mind would anyone be willing to answer What it feels like after infertility or loss etc. to get pregnant and keep a pregnancy after so long of heartache and struggle and watching friends and family announce pregnancy after pregnancy. I was just wondering how it feels to finally be able to be on the other side of Infertility and finally be able to go out and buy diapers. What is it feel like to see your tummy grow and be able to take pictures of yourself. This isn't a question out of jealousy, it is a heartfelt question of what it might feel like for me not knowing if I will ever experience a kick at all ever in my lifetime. If anyone has ever felt that and when there was the turning point and realization that it was happening for you finally. Or am I alone in feeling this way. I have experienced miscarriages and love being pregnant for the short time I was, I know it is harder in the end but how does it feel to finally get to the point where you know now you brought that little life to the end and can take them home!


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## kewpie80

deportivo - (hug) I know it's hard. There were many times I'd wonder if I would ever be pregnant and when we finally did, I lost the first one at 11 weeks. I'd like to tell you that it's all rainbows and sunshine after "beating infertility" but that's just not the case, at least not for me. I love my babies with every fiber of my being, but the pang is still there. When I see pregnancy announcements on facebook, there is still a little bit of jealousy. When I see women sporting huge bellies, I feel sad inside. The pain of infertility never goes away.

Being pregnant after loss is difficult in its own way as well. There is the constant fear that the baby will be taken away at any moment. Even after you get to the "safe zone of pregnancy" there is always that fear of late term loss. Even after the baby is born, there's SIDs to worry about.

Now, that said, there is a lot of joy too, more so than the pain, of course. To be honest, the first time I bought diapers, my first thought was, "holy crap these things are expensive!" But then you get over the cost and just enjoy your new life. There were some times that I would think, "wow, this is finally happening," but it feels surreal a lot of the time. I remember being in the delivery room and when I heard my son cry I was surprised at first. It always sort of felt like a dream and that I was just getting fat and that there wasn't a REAL baby (or babies in my case) inside of me. Even after they were born, they didn't feel like mine for a few weeks. They do now, but it took quite a while.

The other thing I felt a lot was fear. For years I had focused on being pregnant so much that I forgot about the after part. When the pregnancy lasted and it looked like I was going to stay pregnant, I had to think about ACTUALLY going through labor and ACTUALLY being a mom. It's scary. Very scary!

Now my experience might be different from others because I have been dealing with infertility for a LOOOONG time. More than a decade and so it might have felt more surreal for me because I had given up a long long time ago. Or it might be the same, I don't know, I only have myself to compare to (until the others chime in)

I wish I could do something and make others have their dream babies. That's another thing you feel after you have one. You see all your sisters of infertility still suffering and it hurts. A LOT! There is a bit of something like survivor guilt. I see some of the women here give up or still struggling and I feel guilty that I have my babies. That's why I don't post much on the other thread. I read daily and cheer them on, but usually silently. I just feel so dang guilty... and like I've been voted off the island. If we didn't have this thread here, I would probably not come to the site at all anymore, to be honest.


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## Vegan Princess

Deportivo: I think Kewpie wrote a great post. I think my experience is a little bit different bc I went through the wonders of pregnancy the first time a little bit naive - I really didn't have a whole lot of trouble getting pregnant with my first and hadn't had any losses before her. But knowing the problems both DH and I have, I now know that she was a true miracle baby!! Baby #2 seemed like an impossibility to me once we realized all we were up against. But I think I have to agree with kewpie - that having had 2 losses before this pregnancy, it is hard to let yourself get excited or feel like you will actually end up with a baby. I hit 23 weeks today and it's becoming more real but I don't know that I will fully believe that I will have a healthy baby until she is here and healthy! I think I've been waiting for 24 weeks bc that is when they will actually work to save a baby if they come early. I think even my husband has felt very similarly after going through loss. I do look at myself in the mirror and think how I never thought I would be here again all the time! I am so thankful and greatful but also still very scared.

Don't lose hope deportivo! You have found out more clues on your journey and I have lots of faith that IVF will bring you the baby your heart longs for!

Cindy


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## deportivo4

Kewpie- Thank you so much, you're answer made me cry. I just really wanted an honest heartfelt answer and that is exactly what you gave me. I am glad you let me come on here and ask that question. For so long I felt that it was just impossible for me to continue on with infertility, but now after years going my I sometimes feel not so sure. Actually I am very scared and very unsure. I have had early losses and don't know wht it is like to get past 12wks. But I want more than anything to get the chance. I am so happy that you got your twins and knowing what it feels like from this end of infertility, I would never feel jealous or anything but that it is well deserved all of the happiness and everything else that goes with parenting. So, appreciate the candid answer.

Vegan- Thank you! IVF feels like a mile away but, also like a good shot for me. Thanks for the honest answers. So happy for your pregnancy, but most importantly that you are carrying a healthy baby. Hope everything goes well.

Thanks for letting me come on here!


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## renavoo

Deport, I'm so hopeful that you will get your BFP. I'm absolutely with Kewpie that even after a woman moves past the "danger zone", (ie into the second trimester) the fear doesn't go away. I never miscarried because I never got pregnant in the 1.5 years we tried. I remember blaming myself and just feeling like there was something wrong with me because I was unable to get pregnant even when we were taking drugs and each IUI (I had 4) seemed perfect. And DH's sperm analyses came back perfectly. Even after I got pregnant, I couldn't let go of the fear of miscarriage. After the first trimester, I started researching late miscarriages. Now, even into my 36th week, I still can't stop myself from researching stillborn births. I mean, the brain is evil because it took us so much effort to get here that I just can't even relax completely. I mean, after week 24, I started to feel a little better because that was the week of viability. And I ended up setting milestones every 4 weeks afterwards to help me get through the pregnancy. These small steps made such a difference.

I agree with Kewpie and I sometimes feel like such a mean person but I HATE it when I go on facebook and I see people posting about pregnancy, especially those who post every day or every few days about their pregnancy. I keep thinking, well what if there is another woman out there that is reading their posts and crying because she hasn't been able to get pregnant? It breaks my heart. And really, there is an element of jealousy, as Kewpie says. Thinking that those people didn't have to go through what I and we on these threads have had to go through sometimes still makes me sad. I don't want anyone to suffer from infertility...I just don't want to have suffered either.

Now, as the time for my babies being born comes closer, I have that fear that I will lose them during birth or to SIDs. This constant fear is something that I've always wondered whether other people who haven't suffered from infertility truly experience; this is difficult, especially because I tend to be an optimistic person so just feeling this pessimism is so unnatural for me!

Anyway, I am rooting for you, as all of the other ladies are! Nothing makes me happier when someone I know who was suffering from infertility beat the odds and becomes pregnant...soon, I'm hoping that it will be you!

Tenzi, I'm so so so happy that things are going well. I'm sorry that you're still suffering from baby blues still. ( I hope you find relief soon. I'm also sorry that you feel bad about your depression during the pregnancy but that's the problem with all those hormones coursing through your body! The most important thing is that little girl and how much you and your family adore her! I am looking forward to more photos!

Rcr, any news on the kitty? How are you doing overall?

Belly, any news from your NST? I'm sure that things went well...although a 3 hour appointment sounds exhausting and frankly, like overkill. Hopefully, it didn't take that long!

Vegan, what a great DH! I need my DH to color my hair. haha although I just let my highlights grow out so now, I'm used to my black hair again! by the way, I know I'm sort of a pariah to admit this but besides the magical part of feeling my babies, I'm not really enjoying pregnancy very much. I mean, I'm exhausted, swollen, and fighting constant GI issues. The babies moving and kicking make it all worth it but I'm quite curious whether I really will forget all the hardships once the babies are born. haha maybe! Although DH and I just want two children so we're done after this anyway!

Hope, how are you?

Keria, Lyndi, Bungalow, Tear, just thinking of you all. And anyone else I missed!


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## Tear78

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Kewpie80*
> 
> deportivo - (hug) I know it's hard. There were many times I'd wonder if I would ever be pregnant and when we finally did, I lost the first one at 11 weeks. I'd like to tell you that it's all rainbows and sunshine after "beating infertility" but that's just not the case, at least not for me. I love my babies with every fiber of my being, but the pang is still there. When I see pregnancy announcements on facebook, there is still a little bit of jealousy. When I see women sporting huge bellies, I feel sad inside. The pain of infertility never goes away.
> 
> Being pregnant after loss is difficult in its own way as well. There is the constant fear that the baby will be taken away at any moment. Even after you get to the "safe zone of pregnancy" there is always that fear of late term loss. Even after the baby is born, there's SIDs to worry about.
> 
> Now, that said, there is a lot of joy too, more so than the pain, of course. To be honest, the first time I bought diapers, my first thought was, "holy crap these things are expensive!" But then you get over the cost and just enjoy your new life. There were some times that I would think, "wow, this is finally happening," but it feels surreal a lot of the time. I remember being in the delivery room and when I heard my son cry I was surprised at first. It always sort of felt like a dream and that I was just getting fat and that there wasn't a REAL baby (or babies in my case) inside of me. Even after they were born, they didn't feel like mine for a few weeks. They do now, but it took quite a while.
> 
> The other thing I felt a lot was fear. For years I had focused on being pregnant so much that I forgot about the after part. When the pregnancy lasted and it looked like I was going to stay pregnant, I had to think about ACTUALLY going through labor and ACTUALLY being a mom. It's scary. Very scary!
> 
> Now my experience might be different from others because I have been dealing with infertility for a LOOOONG time. More than a decade and so it might have felt more surreal for me because I had given up a long long time ago. Or it might be the same, I don't know, I only have myself to compare to (until the others chime in)
> 
> I wish I could do something and make others have their dream babies. That's another thing you feel after you have one. You see all your sisters of infertility still suffering and it hurts. A LOT! There is a bit of something like survivor guilt. I see some of the women here give up or still struggling and I feel guilty that I have my babies. That's why I don't post much on the other thread. I read daily and cheer them on, but usually silently. I just feel so dang guilty... and like I've been voted off the island. If we didn't have this thread here, I would probably not come to the site at all anymore, to be honest.


Kewpie, I feel like this is what I would write. Honestly. Except when I heard Anika's cry in the delivery room I thought, "Oh, thank God!!!" and I started bawling happy tears. It was like I was holding my breath and terrified, and so relieved when I heard she was breathing. I don't think the pain and fear ever go away. I still worry about DD so much, but there is OH so much joy. It outweighs all else!

I think I also felt a bit of guilt every time I felt so sick and miserable while pregnant, and every time I'm exhausted now, because how dare I see anything as difficult when I know how desperately we love and want our daughter. I think that's probably normal, too, and I think if anything it helps me see every day how much I appreciate her, even when, or especially when, things are challenging.

deportivo, I also find myself terrified of saying the wrong thing, as so many people said to me as we struggled with infertility. The mere fact that we have our daughter makes me unqualified to know really anymore what infertility is like. I remember...vividly...but that uncertainty of not knowing if we will ever have a child is gone. I wonder if we will ever have a second: oh I hope so! I also feel bitter at people who tell me that tons of people get pregnant right away the second time, after infertility. I strongly feel that will not be the case with us: I just can't shake that feeling that we will not be among that lucky group. But it's different because we have our DD to love and hold. I hope that you get to hold your own baby in your arms. I read every day too, and don't post much, but I'm rooting for all of you SO much. I hope it's ok what I shared.


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## tenzinsmama

Vegan, sorry, the way I wrote my last post was kind of unclear-- that bit when I was talking about breastfeeding after surgery... What I meant was that I was worried about any effects that the cesarean section would have on my body's ability for my milk to come in-- whether it might be from the anxiety I was feeling about having it done, or the meds I was given-- or if the baby had any issues from being born that way--if it would impede her ability to latch/suck. But it turned out that my little girl latched on well within the hour of being born, and I had ample supply of colustrum... and then my milk started to come in on Day 2, and was fully in on Day 3 (which is what happened with my DS, which was a vaginal birth-- a planned homebirth with midwifes). I was kind of expecting there to be a difference, and in fact our midwives who continued to care for us throughout this pregnancy even with us having to go the c/s route, they had told me to prepare myself by not getting too worried if my milk didn't come in later-- as late as Day 5-- after having a c/s. Also... I wanted to tell you that what you wrote about how you felt about your first pregnancy, and then this one, it SO resonated with me. I found that while I was so in love with being pregnant both times, it really was the first time where I really felt the magic-- I think because so much was about having all of those firsts. And with the second time around, I was just so busy with my DS... I didn't have time to revel in the magic. I still thought it was a miracle to be able to get pregnant and then go through that experience... And really, it was maybe about 8 weeks in my third trimester that I was hit with the low mood-- but I know that was because of the complications... It was really getting me down. And oh my goodness, you are so right about how we kind of forget about how uncomfortable things can get with pregnancy. One thing I've forgotten about already is the sensation of how tight and sore my belly was in so many positions towards the end... Although in the weeks leading up to the birth, it was all I could do to get my mind off it (there was really only one position for sleeping and one for sitting-- I was constantly seeking these comfy spots for myself!). About the breastfeeding.. that's great that you perservered with it, despite having some trouble from your past surgery. I hope it goes smoother for you this time around. I definitely find it so much easier, in that I'm so much more relaxed about it. It took about 3 or 4 feeds before I got all my confidence back again with it-- it just all came back to me, like I didn't really forget but just needed a refresher for myself (.i.e confirmation from my midwives/the nurses at the hospital that I was doing what I needed to do with the latch, the holds). I'm sure you'll find it the same way. I think it's kind of like riding a bike; you get a little rusty, but you don't forget!


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## rcr

Kewpie/Tear//Rena/Vegan - what you all wrote was really sweet. I loved reading it.

Deport - Unless you are giving up (which I think is fine too), just hold on to hope. That is what I do to get through it.

AFMK (As for my kitty








): he is fine. He had a inflamed bladder and is on meds. He pooped in the bathtub again last night. At least it is not on the bed or couch or something. He is licking his little penis a lot too. Poor guy. We go to a vet school, which is super-cheap because they have students working on the animals (overseen by the vets).


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## Vegan Princess

RCR: So glad it's not anything major. I hope kitty feels better soon and stops pooping! You're lucky you have a vet school around. It's insane that a simple trip to the vet usually ends up costing $150+.

Tenzin: Oh duh, I should have known it was your c-section you were talking about! I'm glad it didn't impact your milk coming in! I'm just praying my nipples don't hurt as bad this time as they did last time!! But I think it was made worse last time by the bottle supplementation. She got nipple confusion and her latch went to crap - but it was bad before that. I plan to supplement at the breast this time - no bottles. Originally I had hoped to not stop breastfeeding in between children and way happy thinking my nipples would stay tough. But when the 2nd kid takes 2 yrs to concieve it sort of doesn't work out. ;-)

Cindy


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## hope4light

Belly - My appt is Tuesday! THANKFULLY!!! How was your OB/NST appointment? Did they manage to do them together?

Tenzin - I am 9w4d. I can't believe I'm already so close to being out of the first trimester. I'm so glad that you're enjoying her so much, and that all the 'crap' things that could have happened, didn't!!! Yes, I missed being pregnant, pretty quick after my DD was born. A lot actually. If it hadn't been for a severe case of reflux that she had, I would have been ready to try mere months after she was born. Instead, I felt like I was just about ready when she was around 6 months, but we were planning on trying around her first birthday. That didn't happen, mainly because I couldn't convince myself to wean her. I just wasnt ready to make that dive when I had no guarantee that I would ever get to do it again, you know? So we ended up nursing until she was 19 months. She is 22 months now, and I am SO excited to be pregnant again.

deport - I think so many others said it so well. I was scared out of my wits through the entire pregnancy. It got easier after viability, but yes, I feared stillbirth, or a very sick baby, or SIDS. She's 22 months and I still worry that she won't wake up every morning. I have felt so very blessed and lucky, and everyday I thank God. But it hasn't been easy coming from the IF side. We dealt with IF to get pregnant the first and second time, so I knew going into it how special it was that we were able to happen. I struggled a bit through pregnancy and some through parenthood because you feel like you can't vent as you watch your sisters in infertility still trying to get their miracle. It's makes you fear that they will snub you and feel like maybe you didn't really deserve the baby you got because they wouldn't complain if they got so lucky. I don't know if that makes sense? Infertility still hangs like a cloud over you when you are pregnant and parenting after IF. It's always there and colors every decision you make. Sometimes that's not a bad thing, and other times it is. But yes, I still get jealous when I see pregnant bellies, knowing how difficult it was for me. I honestly remind myself that they may be carrying an IF baby and sometimes it helps. When friends announce pregnancy after just a mere few months of trying it still jades me. I keep hoping with time the effects will not be so tough, but I never want to forget. For me you add in that it almost ruined my marriage (we were separated for a year), so there are always the after effects of that as well. Not like either one of us holds it against each other, but sometimes you just remember what you almost lost, you know? I think for us this pregnancy is still very surreal because my DD is mine biologically, but not DH's. This new baby is ours biologically, and we never thought that would happen. I can't imagine seeing a little one with both of our features, but I still joke with DH that our DD will always be his favorite, they are like 2 peas in a pod. She may not be his biologically, but she has SO MUCH of him in her it's not even funny!!

rena - I'm doing pretty good!!

Tear - We love it when you share!

rcr - Glad the kitty is OK!

AFM - doing pretty good. Everyday I sense a little more fatigue, m/s and/or heartburn. This morning when I was taking a shower I realized that the stream of water hurt my nipples, so those are getting sore now too! I can't wait for my appointment on Tuesday, just a few more days. On another note, DH works evenings and weekends right now, so we rarely see each other (boo). Last night he had the evening off, and after dinner we took DD down to the beach for a little bit to wear her out (it's a lake beach, and really close to where we live). As we were sitting there hanging out we talked about getting the boat out (haven't been able to yet this year with his schedule) and having my mom babysit and getting a nice sunset ride in. It was a dreamy conversation as we knew it may not happen this summer. So I got a random text from him while I was in a meeting today telling me that it was last minute date night. He had rearranged his schedule, asked my mom to babysit, checked out the lake conditions (set to be perfect for a sunset ride) and that we were going out for that ride. I almost started bawling. I am so excited now to get out of work today!!


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## monkeyscience

*kewpie* - Survivor guilt - thank you for putting that term out there. I've been trying to find the right words to express those feelings, and you're right - that is the closest. It's irrational, but it's real.

Thank you to everyone who's shared their story so far - it's helpful to me, too. I hope you don't mind if I share a few of my feelings, *deportivo* (and others), even though I don't have my baby yet, and didn't do IVF.

I often feel like an IF "fraud" because we were only trying for 18 months - and we knew darn well I wasn't ovulating most of that time, and weren't doing treatments, so "trying" seems like the wrong word. But IF still hangs over my pregnancy and the rest of my life. After at least a year watching the TTC boards, I was convinced there was no way I could have a pregnancy really stick the first time. Hearing a heartbeat was temporarily reassuring, as was getting into my second trimester. But I have always (and still do) fear loss. One part of me feels very at peace that this baby is ours to keep, but the less rational side, the side that remembers all the months of not ovulating, and the three BFN cycles when I finally did ovulate, can't believe we could really be this lucky. First, there were all the stories of people who lost babies after hearing heartbeats. Then the people who had second-trimester losses. I could never get Blue and her sweet twins out of my mind - you aren't supposed to lose babies that far along. (And Blue, if you read this, please - do not ever feel bad about my worries, not for one second! They are on me, and were obviously unfounded, in any case.) Then, within about a week of each other, Deborah lost her sweet boys, and two mamas in my DDC lost their babies at around 20 weeks. (And again - I am glad these mamas shared their experiences here, and glad to be able to offer what little I could in the way of comfort.) I was TERRIFIED to go to my 20 week appointment, especially since I hadn't yet felt my baby move. I still get little prickles of fear every time they look for the heartbeat, until they find it. Despite having no symptoms of problems and feeling my baby move. Again, like renavoo, reaching week 24 did give me some comfort. A mama in my DDC recently had her baby at 30 weeks (where I am now), and he was big and healthy (for his age), and actually breathing on his own, and that was very reassuring. But like other ladies have mentioned, I still worry about stillbirth. I'm sure I'll want to check every 5 seconds that he is still breathing, once he is born. I think the fear of loss is very hard to leave behind after IF, and I can only imagine it is more so after having lost babies, whatever the gestation. Some people do seem to do it, or at least do it better than I have so far. I think part of it comes back again to the feeling that we can't take this for granted - that so many of our IF sisters are still waiting for their miracle. So to assume that our miracle will be fine from here on out seems both naive and ungrateful. Which may be silly, but I do think that's part of it. And I do feel ungrateful that, honestly, I have not really enjoyed pregnancy. But I also decided, while still trying to TTC, that having dealt with IF did not magically make pregnancy easier. I definitely try to keep any complaints off the TTC threads, but I don't always do the same for graduates. The pain of IF is still there for me, which is hard enough to explain to people when I am pregnant, and everyone thinks I should be over it. I couldn't deal with also pretending like everything with pregnancy was roses. And I feel guilty about that sometimes, but I still think it is the right choice.

I am really sorry that you are going through such a rough time right now, especially when you ILs are so very unsupportive of you and your struggle. It breaks my heart reading what you're struggling with. I'm definitely in a much better place now with regards to IF than I once was, but I haven't forgotten the really dark and depressing and desperate times. I'm not sure that everyone goes through that with IF, but I have definitely seen a lot more people than me go through those times when NOTHING seems like it's looking up or going right, when everything feels like getting kicked in the face. I'm glad you are working to see if you can see a counselor. Know that everyone (including me) I have watched go through the really bad times has eventually had better days - whether or not TTC was successful at that point. And the good feelings may or may not last, but they do come, sometimes sooner than others. Counseling will hopefully help your good times come sooner as opposed to later.


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## renavoo

Hope, oooh enjoy your spontaneous date night! It sounds fantastic! I'm so happy that this time around, your marriage didn't suffer any ill effects from the stress of infertility. It's such a trying time! And it's wonderful that your DH and DD are so close regardless of a genetic link. Personally, I think that a genetic link is such a small, infinitesimal part of a parent's bond with their child. Too many genetic parents are horrible to their babies and too many amazing adoptive parents adore their adopted children and treat them as their own. I still think that one day, DH and I may end up adopting a child...even though I don't want another one of our own. My thought process is that there are so many kids out there that need a good home. I'd love to help give that to even one of those. my MIL actually inspired me to do that...even as a single mother of 2 rowdy boys, she took in my DH's best friend (when they were 12 years old) because his mother left him. It's an amazing story and I recognize how blessed I am to have her as a MIL. (not to mention I'm blessed with an amazing mother who, even after my dad and she were divorced for 10 years, took him in when he developed cancer and helped me take care of him, just because he was my father and therefore, family, even though their divorce was pretty contentious) I only hope to one day become a role model to my children the way my mother and MIL are to me! Ok, sorry for the tangent. haha pregnancy makes me much more emotional!

by the way, the sore nipples were my first sign of pregnancy. Ouch! That went away during the middle of the second trimester for me and although they are a little more sensitive now, they aren't as sore as they once were. I sometimes worry that means that I'm not going to be able to produce as much milk. I know, there isn't a correlation, but I keep feeling that i should be experiencing some discharge by now!

RCR, yah to the kitty being ok, although oops to him pooping in the tub again. haha like you said, at least it isn't the bed! I think it's great that your near a vet school and can utilize that venue! I would do the same!

Tear and Tenzi, thanks for sharing your stories!


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## tenzinsmama

Hope, I can really relate to some of the feelings you have had about seeing other women pregnant, with the IF lens coloring your world as it has/does. I've had two miscarriages in between each of my pregnancies, and in conceiving DS we did IUI with Clomid (two rounds), and then with DD we were doing IVF (I was on the suppression drugs when I conceived-- what a miracle that was for us!). Before that, it was a long time with charting cycles, etc. and nothing happening... I would give up after awhile, only to begin trying again. In recent years, it was really hard for me to hear about pregnant friends who had thought it was taking forever to have a baby, after they had been trying for 6 months or something like that. I felt that for so much time before then, I had taken my fertility for granted and that even when I was given the Unexplained Infertility diagnosis with my first husband, I still didn't think it 'applied' to me too much because I just attributed the unexplained aspect to the stress I was experiencing from being in a relationship that wasn't exactly the healthiest (young love, stayed for 12 years in it). In fact, I would sometimes tell myself that it was better that I didn't get pregnant after all in that case, because things were so up and down. Then, when I met my DH a few years ago, I realized how the time was going by so fast, and I was wanting a baby more than anything-- more than furthering my education, my career, etc. My age was definitely weighing heavily on my mind, too... Once pregnant, I felt better when the baby reached the point of viability-- before then, I was so fearful of having a miscarriage with them. Hope, I can also relate to what you say about not feeling like you can easily voice your thoughts/ feelings about difficult times experienced during pregnancy and parenting... I felt some of that with DS, but especially this time around with DD, with the depression I was experiencing over the complications. With her, I was so worried about the suppression drugs having an adverse effect (I had to go on estrogen and progesterone supplments), and then the placenta previa-- the risks of pre-term labor and bleeding, plus the concerns about the birth itself (though it went from complete to marginal in the last few weeks, they were really concerned about the maternal vessels that were right near the os... if they didn't time the c/s right, and I went into labor on my own, it could have been very detrimental to me and the baby). It took so much out of me, and yet, I felt so bad that I couldn't be more positive about things-- after all, here I was pregnant and soon to have the baby-- so many 'shoulds' around it all. And since most people didn't know my IF struggles, I would hear things from people who tried to make me feel better by telling me that I was "worrying too much" or "thinking too much"-- that I should "just relax". I just felt so guilty that I couldn't just experience happiness-- and I even felt ashamed of myself for feeling disappointed and scared to have a c/s. I think that with IF, I didn't have a sense of being carefree to begin with-- and then when things weren't going as I had hoped or thought they would, there is another layer of loss to contend with. Being depressed when I should be nothing but grateful and happy-- it really added to making me feel worse. And, speaking about loss, even though I didn't have an easy time in the third trimester, I really loved being pregnant-- and I really miss it. I have seen a couple of pregnant women since having DD, and I can't believe I feel such longing to be pregnant again (and I'm even envious of them!). I just don't feel 'done', and the pain of IF along with my age makes me wonder if I will have the chance to experience it again and add to our family, or if this is it. It's so complicated... I really love my DD and I'm so happy to have her in my arms, but I want to be pregnant again... and if it wasn't for IF, I would have had my babies a lot sooner than this, and I would have more time than I do for another chance. But then, I feel guilty for saying all of that, because someone could look at me and think, well at least you have your two.

Agggh, not sure if this is making much sense... I'm on T3s for pain management from the c/s still... Still kind of fuzzy. But really, a lot of what everyone else has written about IF echoes for me, too. I just didn't have a clear enough mind to comment until now... ha ha.

Oh yeah, I hope your date night was fantastic!


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## renavoo

Argh, I think I may have PUPPP. My stomach is so freaking itchy no matter how much lotion I put on it and I'm seeing some of the papules. Sigh. Oh well, one more week! Otherwise, I'm enjoying time off with DH. Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!


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## Keria

Just checking in really quick I'm still in Canada with limited internet access. We will be going back home on the 13 the visit was fun but I'm ready to go home now.

Rena sorry about PUPP that sounds miserable hopefully you can get some relief. I can't believe we are going to have Rena-babies soon.

Kewpie love the pics of your little ones how big are they now?

DHs cousin is a photographer and took some pics for us here are a couple of them


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## Vegan Princess

Keria: Great pics!

Rena: Oh no, that sounds awful!! I hope you get relief soon. You are SOOO close!!

Cindy


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## rcr

Keira - those are lovely pics!

Rena - any day now!!! I am so excited for you. What is PUPPP?


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## renavoo

Hi ladies!

Just a little more than one more week and then the babies will be here (if not sooner!) I'm very excited ) Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Rcr, PUPPP stands for Pruritic Urticarial Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy. My stomach is insanely itchy and I'm getting these little rashes on the stomach. I'll check with the doctor this afternoon about it but I don't want any meds because my friend took something for it and it dried up her milk. Therefore, I'm more interested in just making sure that everything is ok. I keep trying to stop scratching but I'll admit that there are a lot of times that I fail! It just feels SO good to scratch!

Keria, the babies are SOOOOO CUTE!!! I love their smiles and I love the one with them looking at each other. haha so adorable!

Vegan and everyone else, how are you guys doing?

D


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## BellyBean

Rena, oh no  I am so sorry you have PUPP! But luckily it is just one more week (or sooner!) My OB went back, and has now documented in the computer that he will let me go 39 weeks...I am not a huge fan of this plan, cause I think 37/38 is just right 

Keira, glad you were able to check in while still on vacation! Love the new pictures of your little ones! SO CUTE!!!

Hope, what a sweet DH! Hope you guys had a wonderful date! Keep us posted on your appt tomorrow! yay it's almost here!

Vegan, how are you going?

Tenzi, I love hearing how well your DS is adjusting to your new addition. It's by far the thing I have been stressed about most this entire pregnancy. I hope we are as lucky!

Kewpie/Lyndi, hope all is well with you!

AFM, not much going on (like usual). I think I have turned a corner on how my body is coping with the pregnancy. I am constantly sore with body aches and completely exhausted. DH has really been picking up everything at home from chores to DD, so I have been lucky enough to rest as much as my mind will let me...it's hard to sit around when my thoughts start wondering about things I should be doing. Big goal in the next few days will be packing my hosipital bag. I have had a couple laborish type experiences in the past week or so, thankfully after a couple hours everything settled back down. It's starting to get real, these babies will actually be here soon.....yikes!


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## deportivo4

Thank you everyone for sharing your stories with me. I didn't want to come on and interrupt your thread! I can understand all of those feelings that were mentioned, because, I know that I would feel very similar. Going through IF for me, some of the reactions I have and how I deal with things are different because of course everyone is different. I would feel the exact same way, and know that I am going to have a hard time throughout any pregnancy I could hope to have. Not only from dealing with family members or anyone not understanding what I am worried about. Also, I know the sting of IF will be with me forever, it doesn't matter how many children I could have in the future if I do have children.

I never feel jealousy towards women who I know struggled with IF. It really isn't fare for any women to experience this, whether they end up with children or not.

Most women I know have the choice also of how many children they want to have as well. Even have one or two, if you wanted to have a large family and it is not possible that is not fare either. I am from a large family and assumed that I could have as many children as I wanted. It is always going to be a struggle for me, always. It helps me to hear from women that do end up having children, really there is no jealousy and never would be. There is always a deeper understanding of what I am going through from those women than from anyone else in my life.

I just went to a baby shower the other day. Even though I wanted to poke my eyes out and had to keep myself from crying for myself. I just found out through that experience that it really depends on some women's character. Some are brutally ignorant. Some women have a lot more character and understanding than others.

It is very different from my point of view to see someone struggle with IF and conceive doing IVF, rather than see someone who just assumes everyone can have babies whenever they chose and how many they choose. A lot of women do think that! It is true.

My sister in law announced at her baby shower yesterday that the doctor told her to just keep having babies, and she could have as many as she wanted.

To me I had never heard of anything so ridiculous in my life! Yes, not only did I feel a pang of jealousy, but I was so appalled that some women think that way.

I guess I will see how many kids she actually ends up with. I can't help but feel that if she only knew what it was like for me, she might be a little more apt. to try and be supportive of me. She might actually see how miserable it could be. That is what makes all the difference when seeing someone pregnant, is ignorance and apathy vrs. knowing and empathy!

Thank you ladies for being supportive of me. Wish all you the best!


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## hope4light

Rena - date night was AWESOME! Until we stopped the boat to eat and the slight movement of the waves left me feeling quite ill. I agree - genetics really mean nothing. I'm lucky in that my DH truely feels that way as well. your Mom's sound like really great people!! Don't worry about discharge - I never had ANY during my entire pregnancy, and I ended up BFing for 19 months, continuing to feed pumped milk until just last week (22 1/2 months) as well as supplying one other baby with breastmilk from the time she was about 8 weeks until she was a year old, AND a second baby with milk on about 4 different occassions. I donated THOUSANDS of ounces of frozen milk because my deep freeze would become overfull. Oh yeah, and I'm small chested, so that made no difference either!!! I did make sure I drank lots of water, ate oatmeal regularly and took fenugreek as well as I was always afraid I'd lose my supply. I stopped the fenugreek (and worrying about it) maybe around 10 months or so.

Tenzin - It's so hard, isn't it??

rena - ohhhh noooo to PUPPP!!!

Belly - Thanks, we had a blast! Oh my gosh, I can't believe that they could be joining you soon!!!

deport - I hope we were able to help you out. I think it's good for us all to talk about it too, to get it out in the open, you know?

AFM - Not much, just waiting anxiously for tomorrows appt. I can't wait to hear the hb and be reminded that there really is a baby growing in there! (although the symptoms have been getting worse, I still just want to be reassured, you know?) But, I'm 10 weeks today!!


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## prayinghard

Hello All!!!

So...I am making the big jump to be over here permanantly. I realized, after reading all of the above posts, that I was being totally selfish staying on the other thread. It was for my comfort only, and I was not thinking that I could be hurting the other lovely ladies. I hope that I was sensitive, but from now on...I will be over here, other than to pop in and root them on. "Survivor's guilt" really is a perfect term....

*Renavoo: * I can not believe that you are almost there. I still remember you sharing your story of POAS at like 430 in the morning and waking DH up to tell him the news by jumping on the bed! Man...time flies. I am just so excited for you. Sorry about PUPPP, but it will all be over soon. Hang in there. Have you tried Aveeno oatmeal baths? They may help!

*Belly: * You are not that far behind Renavoo! I remember your BFP story too...crying as you made DH look at the results of the HPT. Remembering how far we have all come makes me smile. I just hope all the ladies from the other side can share their BFP stories too. I know what you mean about worring about your little one and how she will adapt to the babies. I worry how DS will do. We are so close, and I never want to lose that. I love him so much, it it hard to believe that I can and will love another little baby just as much. It scares me because I think I havet o take some love from him to give to the new baby...if that makes any sense. But, my logical side knows that I will just love twice as much. you will havet o let me know how you handle everything and how it goes. i would love some pointers before my little one arrives.

*Keria: * I love the pictures. How sweet! They are perfect. Just curious...how long of a trip was it for you to Canada?

I have so much more to say, but I ran out of time....have to get back to work. I will post again soon. Take care all!


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## Vegan Princess

Hope4light: Glad you had a nice date night! I need to schedule one soon!! Sorry the boat made you sick. I have to say - you are so awesome for donating so much milk!! As a mom who had to supplement with donor milk, I am SO appreciative to moms who take time out of their busy day with their own little one to pump when they totally don't have to! I pumped at least once/day until DD was close to weaned in order to have extra milk for the next day - and I hated that 1 time and it was for my own daughter. I just rejoined Milkshare this weekend so I can start looking for milk in the next month or two to have on hand before baby is born. Enjoy your appt tomorrow!

Belly: I'm glad you're getting lots of help. I know what you mean about not being able to sit still and not do things. LOL. I can't believe you're 35 weeks already! So crazy!

AFM: Nothing exciting to report over here. DD and I are headed down to San Diego on wednesday to visit my family. I grew up there and moved to the Bay Area about 8 yrs ago. I can't wait to see my family and good friends and to take DD to legoland and Seaworld. I think my energy is still ok enough to do plenty. 

Cindy


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## kewpie80

monkey science - Thanks for sharing your story! And you are so not a fraud. IF is IF whether it;s a year or 20. It sucks all the way around! Glad to see you pop in!


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## kewpie80

keria - LOVE the pics! Your little monsters are sooooo precious! I love how expressive their little faces are!

Renavoo - I am so freaking excited for you (and belly too) I feel like I've been through everything with your pregnancies and I can't hardly wait to meet your babies! Just a tidbit of advice that I wished that I had in the beginning (as always, take it or leave it) Sleep whenever you get a moment. Sleep sleep sleep. You haven't known exhaustion until you are taking care of two newborns. Seriously. And remember it will get better month by month. I feel quite good most days now. And make a list on paper or a white board or something and when someone asks what they can do to help, just point to the board and ask them to pick something. This way you get help and you don't have to "tell" them what to do. Makes it so much easier to accept help that way. and sleeeeep!!!

tenszen - Hope you are doing well with your new bundle!

praying - Don't feel badly. There was never a time that I thought you were being insensitive. You are very welcome here, of course!

hope - I've got my fingers crossed for a good appt tomorrow!

vegan - Have fun!!

AFM - My babies are mobile! EEEP! They're no where near crawling yet, but they roll... ALL... OVER! And usually in different directions. It's kind of hilarious if you picture it, but not so hilarious when you just run to the bedroom for socks (just down the hall 2 doors) and come back to find one baby 10 feet away and under a chair and the other rolling the opposite direction and getting caught up in books and cords. I'm beginning to see what crawling will be like and I'm a bit frightened. It'll be ok now, but we're moving to a house where every room is either a step up or down and there is a second story. Packing is getting interesting cause the babies don't stay where I put them anymore. I see a pack n play in our near future.

solid foods are still going well. I made some toasted brown rice for them this weekend and it's hands down Liam's favorite. After every bite he pumps his arms up and down (think muppet flail) and kicks both feet really hard together with a grin on his face and saying, "gooooo gooooo" over and over. This little party happens after every bite. He loves carrots too and when I mix the two, he's pretty much the happiest boy in the world.


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## rcr

Belly/Rena - just popping in to stalk you!

Hope/Rena - I also had so much breastmilk I donated a ton of it to an adopted baby. We had to buy another deep freezer to store it all! I am not huge chested either.

Praying - don't feel selfish. I think we all understand why people are slow to move over here. I joined a DDC last time I got pregnant, and had to be one of those sad posters saying "i'm out" I see them on the new posts section at the bottom all the time, and I feel terrible for the women having to post it. I always say that next time I get pregnant I am not joing a DDC or telling anybody until the baby is crowning.

Kewpie - DS rolled too. He never crawled - he went straight from rolling to walking. It was so cute!


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## kewpie80

renavoo - One other thing... you will probably feel really weird in your abdomen after giving birth. Everything moves around with all the extra room and no muscle strength anymore.  I found a belly band helped a lot. Unless you have a c-section, then I'm not sure it will help. I was also not prepared for how much pain I was still going to be in. Showering hurt a lot. My back would be KILLING me by the end of a quick shower. It took a couple weeks for that to go away. You may feel fine and I hope you do, but just in case, be prepared for yourself to feel pretty awful. I had been expecting to feel relief right after they were born. I got it, but it took about 3 weeks before I felt good, but before then I was pretty frustrated cause I thought I'd go right back to normal.

Snuggling in bed with babies makes up for the aches and sloshing tummy though


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## renavoo

kewpie, oh my gosh, you must take videos of them rolling over and eating (by the way, YAH to Liam loving healthy foods! Brown rice and carrots?! that's amazing!)! They sound adorable and I'd love to see them. ) Thanks for the tips, by the way. It's good to know what to expect because honestly, I was expecting to feel much better after the babies were out (except for the inevitable pain down there, of course) and knowing that I probably will not is a good thing to be aware of. Like you said, it may be ok for me but I'd rather be prepared for the worst. haha off tangent but when my DH drinks too much water before lying down, we play a game called sloshy tummy, where I get to listen to the water sloshing around in his tummy. ;o) I just thought of this as you mentioned the sloshing tummy! As for sleep, YES! Definitely. I can fall asleep on a dime though. I'm more worried about DH who has to have things JUST RIGHT before falling asleep. i told him he has to get over that or else he's going to be exhausted beyond exhaustion.

Praying, I agree with the others. in no way did I think that you were being disrespectful. I thought you were extremely respectful and really supportive of the other girls. I'm happy you're here though, of course! So how are you doing? How is everything going? Let us know!

Vegan, have a safe trip to SD! I've only been there once and only for business but the weather is so spectacular and hey, you can't go wrong with sea world, right? Good for you! I hope you have a wonderful trip!

Hope, how did the appointment go? ) Update please!

Belly, I'm so glad that DH is being so great and pitching in! Just think...a few more weeks and you'll be holding your babies! And DD will be able to play with her sisters. Did your doctor say why he's aiming for 39 weeks? I just get a little nervous because I was reading that 38 weeks really is optimal for twins due to placental breakdown. That's why we kept mentioning 38 weeks to our doctor. One of the doctors seems to be wavering about whether 38 weeks really is the best week while another firmly believes that the babies should come out sometime the 38th week. So we're going with the latter doctor. haha. i don't think 1 week will make a difference but one of the doctors put it best when he said that many times, they suggest 38 weeks to put the mother out of her misery too!

Deport, I've been following the drama with your SIL on the other thread and really, I'm just so surprised that someone could be so self absorbed. Your SIL really needs to learn to think about other people. I don't know if the baby shower you mentioned you went to was hers. i think initially you were not going to go to her baby shower and honestly, who could blame you?? I hope that you're feeling better after that awful encounter.

RCR, I go over to the other thread to stalk you too! I just can't wait for you to get your BFP. As you say, COME ON BABY! It's time!

I hope i'm like RCR and Hope and I have plenty of milk! haha I don't know where we would store it if we did though but I'm hopeful I have at least enough to get my babies to grow nice and big. )

Anyway, big hugs to everyone. I'm off to do a conference call!


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## hope4light

Vegan - I love hearing from people who used donor milk! It was really strange, because as the donor I think I felt so emotional about it just like the family that I donated too. I did work hard to pump, but I was doing it because I wanted to make sure that my baby had enough, and I was going to do it regardless. I was happy to stop pumping at a year, don't get me wrong. But the thought of having to throw away any of that liquid gold brought tears to my eyes. From my perspective I wanted to give it to someone who felt it was as important as I did to use breastmilk. There's no problem at all with Formula, but to know that I could give another mama something that they felt strongly about, as did I, it made me a happy mama. Enjoy your visit to San Diego!!

Rena/Kewpie - I agree with Kewpie. I didn't listen to the get sleep and was MISERABLE until I started listening!! It's easy to want to get stuff done, but don't give in to that urge LOL. And yes, you'll feel really really strange after birth. If you go vaginal, the lady bits will be tender for a bit too. I've heard the first bowel movement sucks, but I'll be honest, mine really wasn't that bad so don't freak out too much, you'll know pretty quick if it's gonna be bad. YIKES for mobility! Ohhhh the insanity gets more insane ha ha.

AFM - First OB appt went fantastic! Heard that beautiful heartbeat and the waterworks started. We turned down all the genetic testing, it won't matter anyways. Next appt is in 4 weeks. Today made it feel a little more real, actually hearing the hb (we only saw it at the 6 week u/s). She found it right away too!! I had an amazing date night with DH on Friday, which was awesome. M/S is still pretty mild, heartburn everyday, but now it's the headaches. I think I mentioned them before, but now they are getting really bad. I'm hoping a few more weeks at most and they'll be gone when I head into the second trimester. I also gained about 3 pounds (after I gained the 9 or 12 or whatever it was and then lost it all - from the OHSS). Oh yeah, and my second employee asked me today if I was pregnant. I said NO, even though I will probably be telling them in 2 weeks. UGH, why do people ask such inappropriate questions?!


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## Vegan Princess

Hope: Yay for a good appt!! I have been getting headaches too. For me they really started when the 2nd tri hit. They are much better but I have one today. Blech. As for the milk - I only got it from 2 dif mamas. But each seemed attached to their milk. One in particular (who we got milk from more than once) really wanted to meet my daughter and chat with me before handing it over. I actually really enjoyed that - it made it much less wierd taking milk from a stranger.

Rena: I keep thinking about you throughout the day and wondering if you've gone into labor. 

Cindy


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## deportivo4

Renavoo-Thanks, yes it was her shower. Uhm, yes her shower was very over the top. I found it to be ridiculous, even women with children there found it a bit much! I don't think that anyone spent less than a hundred dollars each, even acquaintances. Most showed up with five large gifts each. There were thirty people. The only reason I got through it, was there were a few that were not as thrilled about the crowd either.

She is definitely spoiled and needs someone to talk about her pregnancy non stop; baby shower or no baby shower.

I over the years have had many pregnant women invite me to showers and I have seen them pregnant. It has never been like this for me, they have never expected everyone to gush over them in that way. If you ask her how she is, the answer everytime is, well I am pregnant. You try to have a conversation with anyone around her and it quickly goes back to she is pregnant!

Babies, I love babies. I already have two nephews and three nieces that I am really close with, my sisters never acted like that with even their firsts. Sure they got attention and well deserved, pregnancy is hard! Its amazing. But I have never experienced this where everything has to revolve around them even someone going through something difficult. There were some women that told her because she got so much from people, she doesn't have to do laundry; she can just through baby items in the garbage! Like come on. Other women took time to be thoughtful and she yelled this out. WHo does that?

Anyways, thanks for your thoughts.

Thanks for your support. You guys are great.

Everyone I love seeing the baby pictures and like hearing about the baby stuff and pregnancy stuff. It helps me to prepare for a pregnancy that I might have. Is it ok, with everyone that I pop in and stalk everyone! I don't anyone to feel uncomfortable. Even though I have my struggles and it has been four years. I still buy baby things. I love knowing new info, that I may not have been aware of. Honestly the only pregnant women that has effected me is SIL, and that is just because of the circumstances.

So, may I eves drop on you guys. Or is that wrong?


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## kewpie80

deportivo - stalk away!


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## deportivo4

kewpie- thanks!


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## kewpie80

Video of Liam


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## kewpie80

Here is Maisie and Liam in their door jumpers.


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## Tear78

Kewpie, SO funny how Liam loves that picture! What adorable videos, thanks for sharing!


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## renavoo

Hope, YAH for a great visit! i'm so happy that you heard a nice strong heartbeat (although I didn't have any doubt that you would!) Ugh about the headaches though! I hope you feel better. It is awful to have all these aches and not be able to take anything effective for it (I love acetaminophen but i don't think it works for me for aches and pains, only fevers!) I'm glad everything else is pretty minor though.

Deport, stalk away and keep us informed on how things are going on your end. i hope that we provide hope for you...I know that we all went through some trials and tribulations during our quest to have our babies (and are still going through them!) so i hope that at the least, we can provide some help to you. Big hugs!

Kewpie, i watched the videos and I was giggling so hard dh started to make fun of me. haha he was so amused with the videos too. He LOVES the bouncers and Liam and Maisie are SO cute! they really did look so happy in their little bouncers. The other great thing is that I expect those bouncers help build leg strength right? Yet another thing to put on my list. haha

Everyone else, hi!

So, not in labor yet! In fact, I'm freaking out a bit because while the little girl is moving around a lot, my little boy doesn't seem to be moving too much. So i called the doctor's office because I didn't feel comfortable with my biophysical that I had on Monday. The technician literally put the wand in the middle of my stomach, stared at something for like 3 minutes and said everything was fine. I mean, I didn't see them doing their breathing exercises, I didn't see a heart rate, nothing. I don't know if this contributed too much to my worry but I'm still just concerned that I'm not feeling the little boy moving as much. I guess it's better to be safe than sorry! Waiting for a call back but I'm about to hop onto a conference call for work. ARGH. Talk about timing. Oh well, DH will take the call anyway!

Big hugs everyone!


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## wissa19

stalking/lurking...

*Hope* - I'm so glad you had a wonderful appointment and got hear that lovely hb!!! Sweet. As to why people ask those kinds of questions...who knows?? Even when I think it I never ask!

*Rena* - Let us know what the doc's office has to say. I hate that you are having these worries so close to the end!! I have heard that baby movements tend to slow down before you go into labor.

*Deport* - I still stalk the Infertility thread too. I think you handled the situation with your in-laws and SIL well. They all sound pretty annoying even to some one not dealing with infertility! I was fortunate to have a MIL and family that understood. The come back that always seemed to keep people out of my business was "Well, whenever you feel like giving us about 10 grand I'll be happy to have another baby!" hahahaha.....No one ever really asked again after that. I hope you get to use all that baby stuff one day.

Love the cute baby pics..they remind me of my DS when he was about that age! Bald is beautiful.


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## kewpie80

renavoo - Movements do slow down right before labor. Maisie did the same to me. BUT if you are worried still after talkign to your OB, I'd consider going in to L&D and having them check via u/s. There are a multitude of problems that can come at the end and I wouldn't push your luck. Him not moving much could be a bad sign. I'm not trying to scare you, but I would hate to see something happen. Have you done your kick counts? Have you drunk some juice and then laid down on your left?

ETA: SOmetimes I wouldn't feel anything but I could SEE them moving cause they didnt have room to get some oomph behind their kicks. Try watching his side and see if you can see him but not feel him...


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## renavoo

Thanks ladies! We ended up being told to go to L&D to go get checked out. The little girl was sooo active she kept moving the monitors. It was hilarious. The little boy continued to be really quiet though. sigh. So they did another biophysical and that, with the monitoring, shows that the little boy is doing well. However, they had the hardest time getting the boy to move a couple of times. Poor little Colin. Anyway, when we got home, little Colin finally started to move a little which made me feel better. Kewpie, juice and lying down didn't work ( So that's another reason I was so worried. I'm seeing my doctor again tomorrow and we'll see what they say. DH was hoping that we could just go into labor today since they technically are full term and he's worried about Colin. The doctor said that schedule wise, it wasn't a good day so we should wait until Monday. Sigh, I hope things go well! They may want us to go back in on Sat to get another biophysical so we'll see.

Ugh, after practically a problem free pregnancy, I'm sad we have to worry. Also, I have the rash on my stomach and it has spread a little to my hands and feet so they are checking to see whether I have choleostasis. I don't think i do because besides the itching and rash, I don't have any other symptoms. However, better safe than sorry. We'll see what the doctor says tomorrow!

Anyway, hope everyone is having a great evening!


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## deportivo4

Liam and Maisie are soooo adorable!!!


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## kewpie80

ren - whew! You guys have been on my mind all day today. I'm glad to hear that Colin is doing well. Wow, monday is a long way away. Maybe you will go into labor naturally before then.

deport - thanks!


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## tenzinsmama

Hope, that's wonderful that you had such great news at your visit-- so reassuring to hear the heartbeat, and especially so when it's nice and strong!

Renavoo, I'm glad that you got things checked out. I also had to go to L&D with my little one, a couple of weeks before she was born, because I hadn't felt movement for several hours. It was something like from 9pm to 6 am. I was so scared, and then as soon as we got there, I felt two tiny moves... then they hooked me up to the monitor, and then she started moving like crazy. At one point her heartrate went up to 180 for a short while, when normally it was around 150. The midwife said I probably wasn't paying attention to the movement... but I am pretty perceptive to what goes on in my body and I was positive that I hadn't felt any. I mean, even with all the pee breaks during the night, usually I would feel something upon getting back into bed at least once or twice... Who knows why it happened, because she was normally a big mover all the time. And she was perfectly fine after that period of not moving, or barely moving-- whatever. But I can understand your worry, definitely. Keep us posted on how you are doing. Wow, not much time left, heh?

Kewpie, seems like you are having so much fun with Maisie and Liam! They are cuties, for sure!


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## rcr

Rena - thank goodness! I hope you go into labor today too, so I don't have to worry along with your DH


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## BellyBean

Renavoo, so glad to hear that Colin is doing well. That is so scary. My little ones keep changing positions so I have a hard time telling who is kicking me in the ribs all the time, because both of their feet are in the same spot right now. Is Colin your smaller babe? I have a problem feeling my smaller baby...I think because of how much my other overcompinsates. Any signs of labor coming before your induction?

Hope, so glad you got to hear the heartbeat!!!! yay for a healthy little one!

Hello to everyone else!!!

AFM, it's been an absolutely crazy week here. My contractions have increased significantly. I am now having much longer stretches of contrations and cramping, but they are still fading away after a few hours. On Tuesday, I had 2 or 3 long stretches with a couple hour break between them. It is so confusing and I just don't know when I should go in or not. The nurses say if you have more than 6 in an hour now, but sometimes I do and then they go away, so I don't know when to take the contractions seriously... To help keep them at bay I have been basically on a modified bedrest this week. My labor with DD was totally different because my water broke so it was obvious when to go in


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## hope4light

Vegan - That's how we did it too! It's so nice to get a bit of a relationship with the person first.

deport - feel free to stalk away!

rena - I am so glad to hear that Colin is OK, but can't wait to see the pictures of your little ones in your arms!! I'm glad you went to l&d. better safe than sorry.

Tenzins - Very reassuring! How's the little one?

Belly - Wow on the contractions! I can't believe that you're so close too! When it's time, you'll know, even if it isn't your water breaking. The contractions won't go away.

AFM - DH and I are taking a week vacation to the blue ridge parkway in NC. My mom is watching our DD as it is our 10 year wedding anniversary. I am so excited! We leave on Sunday, so I will probably be pretty quiet for a week. Although whenever I have reception I'm going to be checking back in for baby news from our two that are closest to having them!!!!


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## renavoo

Hi everyone!
No labor yet. Haha I don't see these babies leaving my womb until forced. Speaking of which, Belly, did you see the recent news about twins and optimal delivery time? It is a study from Australia and the data suggests that women with twins should give birth in the 37th week. I haven't read the actual paper but i thought it was interesting and timely news. Im not sure what i think about the news but I think it is just additional support for many physicians who prefer to induce erlier than 40 weeks.
Earlier Birth, at 37 Weeks, Is Best for Twins, Study Suggests

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120613073008.htm

Colin has started to move normally again so i think everything is fine gain. They are a bit concerned that i may have choleostasis because the rash is spredaing but the blood test wont be back in time before my induction. So, i guess it is just a waiting game!

Hope, yah to a wonderful anniversary! And yah to getting some alone time with DH! Enjoy!

Belly, you seem much further along than me in terms of labor signs! I know you're uncomfortable so hopefully the girls come when they are healthy but before 39 weeks!

Rcr, can't wait until tomorrow's us for you! Let us know how it goes!

Tenzi, thank you for your experience. It definitely helps! How is everything on your end?

Kewpie, you're so sweet!

I want to walk and do squats to induce labor but I'm so uncomfy! haha darn it!
Anyway, hope everyone is doing well! Sorry for typos! I hate typing on the ipad!


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## rcr

Just popping in to see any news from Rena (and belly close behind!).

So, this is probably more appropriate for the other thread, but since rena mentioned my appointment tomorrow... I am doing my appointment tomorrow at the sattelite office of my old RE - which usually has only the RN there and not any doctors. Once a week one of the doctors (there are 4) comes to the sattelite to have appointments there. I got a call a day or so ago from scheduling asking me if I wanted to switch my video conference that I have scheduled in July to tomorrow, since I will be there anyway. My video conference is for donor embryos, because we finally made it to the top of the list (it is my back-up plan if this does not work), and the scheduling lady said that my doctor will be in the office tomorrow so I can have my apppintment then. I explained to her that I am cycling at another clinic, so I only have the donor embryo meeting scheduled in case that doesn't work, so I don't want to do it tomorrow because it could be premature. So... now I am worried about bumping into my old RE there tomorrow. She knows I am cycling with another clinic, because she is the one who decided that they would do the monitoring, but I have not seen her in person. I hope it is not awkward. Another kink is that they technically don't allow children in the back, but they do allow it as long as one of the doctors is not there... well, I have to bring my kid tomorrow. I hope it is not a problem. I am going to bring the kindle so that he can watch a movie on it in the waiting room just in case.


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## blueyezz4

*Just a quick one...*

*Rena* - glad Colin is moving more and I hope that you start feeling better... if that is possible this late in the game.

*rcr* - i posted to you on the other side but hope all goes well tomorrow.

*Hope* - that is great that you are going on vac w/ DH!!! I hope you have an awesome time!!!!

*Belly -* sorry you are so uncomfortable, but you are getting so close!!! I'm always excited when i see posts from you and Renavoo b/c i keep hoping we will have some new babes soon.

*Kewpie* - your babes are so cute!!!!!

*Tear* - always good to see your name pop up!! Hope you are enjoying your summer so far!!!! How is your little one doing?

*Tenzi* - how are you feeling now and how is that little one doing?? Hope all is well.

*Vegan* - how are you feeling? How far along are you now?

*Lyndi* - how are you doing? You still around now and then?

*Hope i didn't miss anyone... just trying to look back on this last page and trying to remember.*


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## tenzinsmama

Rena, when is your induction date? I believe you said it before, but I can't remember. Is it Monday? Oh my goodness! Surely you are done work now?

Belly, I know you've had a lot of Braxton Hicks with this pregnancy, as did I... I found that I was experiencing really strong ones in the last couple weeks, combined with the menstrual-type cramping, so I knew I was getting really close. Because I had to monitor them so closely, with the previa issue, it really left me thinking "This just might be it" more than a few times, but they also subsided. The midwives just told me to watch to see if they go more intense or more regular, but I agree, when your water breaks there is no ambiguity! (With DS, mine broke at 4 am and then I didn't start active labor until later that evening.) Anyway, with DD, all the strong contractions and cramping of the couple of weeks before the c/s meant that she was getting ready to come out-- I don't think I would have lasted too many days longer after the c/s, because when she came out she had a conehead as though she had come through vaginally. How is your DD doing, I imagine that there have been a number of things she's noticed that have been different than what she's used to, especially as it gets closer to the little ones coming.

This week has been a bit tougher for me, compared to the first week and a half. The adrenaline/euphoria from the birth has worn off and the fatigue is catching up. I should be napping more when I get the chance, that I know... DS still seems to adore his baby sister, but in this last week we've seen him start to show some signs of jealousy and he's been really clingy to Daddy. It hurts me to see the occasional reaction he has when he sees me nursing the baby-- he feels hurt. I know that this is not unusual, but, I thought maybe judging from the first week that he wouldn't feel that way at all. DH went back to work this week, and my parents came to stay a couple of days to help out since I'm not recovered from the c/s yet and I really need the help... I think that we were all off our routine in so many different ways, and that made it harder on DS. (While it was helpful having my parents, in some ways it was stressful for me because I had to give them quite a bit of direction on what needed to be done--especially my dad-- and sometimes I found that they were focused on getting their own needs met, e.g. getting that cup of java to start the day, when I hadn't even had a sip of water or a piece of toast for myself.) I know I should probably feel more grateful, but I did get super frustrated sometimes... I've just had major abdominal surgery, I have a newborn plus a super active toddler, I'm breastfeeding every 2 or 3 hours, etc. My mom said I need to get on a schedule, and then things will be better... How do you get a schedule on the go with a newborn when everyday seems to be different from the one before it? I do agree that DS is much happier if we keep his routines as much the same as possible. Having said that, I'm hoping next week is better, because DH is taking more time off-- so he can help with that and we both can make sure that he feels supported while he learns to adjust to the changes. I'm trying to finish DS's baby book (*sigh*-- how did I let it go so long) so that I can start writing in DD's book and keep up with things-- and I'd really like to write out DD's birth story so I can process the experience and have some catharsis effect, and also have something down for memories/keepsake for her/us. As for other updates, she really is an easy baby so far-- I think that the first couple of weeks is considered the babymoon usually (is that right?) and they are generally easy because they are so sleepy from the birth?... Well, anyway its still like that as we approach week 3. Maybe I have an all-around easy baby! We had our second-last post-partum visit with the midwife this morning, and she gained the bit of weight she lost after birth plus a whole pound and ounce on top of that-- she's doing great!


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## deportivo4

Rena- thank you so much. I see you are close to giving birth! I am excited for you too! I am very excited about my BFP it is a nervous excitement. Yes, your right today I am pregnant. I have to let go of everything else. It's just been so long, I can't believe it now. And I can't believe I got this BFP on my own. The doctor told us we couldn't even do IUI, because of his sperm. I just hope and pray that the genetics are ok. That I can have a baby! I am having some light crampiness in my stomach. It feels almost like mild diahria cramps. Is this ok for this early! I should just enjoy this, I thought I would be able to but the fear is unsettling.

I will know more on Monday. I really hope this is it! I don't think I could bare anymore.


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## monkeyscience

Just popping in to say to *deportivo* - Cramping was the only "sign" I had very early in my pregnancy. And I took it for a sign that AF was definitely, definitely coming. It wasn't till after my BFP that I asked around and found out it can be pretty common as the baby implants and the placenta starts to form. Hoping it's a good sign for you, too!


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## Tear78

monkey, WHEN did you get to be 31 weeks? I know it was forever for you, sorry...







For that matter WHEN did DD get to be 11mo old? Next week she'll be driving.


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## BellyBean

Renavoo, you are so so so close!!!!! Just 2 days tops! So excited for you and your DH!

Tenzi, I completely know what you mean about the contractions and cramping! My body didn't go into labor after my water broke with DD, so they started pitocin after the first day. I really feel like a newbie with all this  The nurse did say that you tend to have way more contractions with the 2nd since your uterus knows how to contract from the last time. Also, she said that when the babies push the uterus out, it normally contracts back as a reaction, and with 2 babies pushing and growing in there it's no wonder I am having so many.

I imagine things with be a bit of a rollercoaster with DD when the girls arrive. I anticipate good days and then those filled with jealousy and tantrums. It sounds like your DS is still doing great, but I totally get that pang when he goes to DH instead of you. I have several pet peeves when my in laws or parents are helping out...and even though I appreciate it so much, sometime I have to go in the other room, roll my eyes/clench my fists and think about how much help it really is and that I need to just get over the small stuff...easier said than done sometimes  Yay for an easy baby so far and that she has already gained her weight back, great job mama!!!

Blue, so great to see you stop by! Always thinking about you!!

Vegan/Hope/Teresa, thinking about you ladies too!

Kewpie, For some reason the videos didn't show up for me until now! SO CUTE! Love seeing your little ones!

Keria, hope your vacation is still going great!

AFM, I don't think I mentioned it here, but I did go in to L&D this week because the contractions were about 5-8 min apart for several hours with tons of cramping, back pain, and change in cervical fluid, but of course they sent me home. They told me to wait until they are 3-5 minutes apart next time. My cervix is still closed, so I have resigned myself to the fact that if my water doesn't break I'll go until the end. It took almost 2 days of pitocin to get me dialated last time so I am not confident I'll dialate on my own, my only glimmer of hope is that perhaps since it's the second time around it will react properly (but that still doesn't mean before 39 weeks!) On the bright side I am working from home now, so that provides a little relief and just having the sun out more helps too!


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## monkeyscience

*Tear* - I DON'T KNOW! I wonder that, too, sometimes, even though it continues to feel as if I have been pregnant for all eternity. I can't believe your little one is almost a year! I feel like it was just a few months ago that I was following your pregnancy saga!

*Rena* - It's your last pregnant weekend!! Still holding out some hope your babies might decide to get things started on their own, but if not, praying for a successful and quick induction next week! It's really time!

*Belly* - If it's any consolation, SIL went to 41+ weeks with her first, and ended up being induced. She was also convinced she would never, ever dilate with her twins (this despite preterm labor!), and she did go on to have them spontaneously and vaginally, no augmentation needed. So hopefully your body will do the same!


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## deportivo4

Monkey- that is good news. I think it may also be gas and stomach cramps from constipation! I have been stressing over my progesterone level. Since I am pretty constipated and tired, is this a good sign that I have enough progesterone to suppor the pregnancy! Anyone have thoughts?

I have topical progesterone, but the dosage is hard to regulate and I dont' want to mess with anything unless it makes sence. Should I take it to be safe than tell obstetrician at my appointment. Should I wait till Monday and see what the level is? Or should I just wait to talk to obstetrician before using anything?

What is the safest and smartest idea? Any thoughts?


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## wissa19

Deport - Congratulations on your BFP!!!!!!!! Whoohoo!!! That's two BFP's for the infertility thread. Are you talking about over the counter progesterone cream? If you are, I'll give you the same advice I gave Chica. In my experience non-prescription prog cream does does not do much. It didn't stop my pre-AF spotting like the prescription stuff. It's not as strong and as you mentioned it's hard to regulate. I would say wait and talk to the doctor, but I know that's easy advice to give and not take!!

---Checking in on Rena---


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## deportivo4

wissa- that is what my gut feeling was telling me. I have asked so many times about my progesterone, just worrying! If I start taking over the counter progesterone. I don't want to have to keep taking it, if I am not given suppositories. I am just scared that doctors are not listening to me. If I don't get to the obstetrician on time.


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## deportivo4

Rena-I hope everything goes well for your birth!


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## Keria

I;m back home and catching up on the thread.

Rena hopefully your birth will be as smooth as possible and we get to see some cute pics soon!

Belly tell those girls to hang in there for a little bit longer.

Deportivo Congratulations


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## BellyBean

Renavoo, wishing you all the best today!!!!!!









Keira, welcome home!

Monkey, thanks for sharing the story about your SIL...I hope these babies decide to come on their own without induction!

AFM, I have my last growth scan today, well at least the last one that is scheduled. I have started worrying more and more about my small baby as I feel like she is moving a lot less than the big one (or maybe it's just I feel her less because of her size?). I guess I am most interested in their size difference, since that's what they have been watching the closest, and it has been getting bigger over the past 6 weeks. I guess we'll see a little later....hope everyone has a great day!


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## renavoo

Hi ladies!

Thanks for the wishes! I'm excited but a little nervous. I'm hoping that my body has started the process because I'm having some abdominal cramps and it's feeling very heavy but who knows (not me, since they are my first ones!) I'm still trying to get some work done before going in tonight at 9. haha it keeps my mind off of the inevitable pain. ;o) But I'm so excited about the babies coming...I can't wait to see them and honestly, I'm looking forward to the rash going away and to the carpal tunnel going away too. So odd to have no feeling in my fingers for a couple of months! And finally, please swelling, go away! haha

Belly, I am sure that your babies are fine. I think that they would have been more worried and would induce you earlier, if they were worried about the size difference. But how exciting that this is your last growth scan! Let us know what happens during your appointment. And I hope that you do have your babies without induction! They do say that the second baby (or babies in your case) should come out easier because your body knows what to do.

Monkey, I'm so excited to keep following you too ) You're just behind Belly and me!

Deport, like Monkey, I had a lot of cramping in the beginning. It's just the implantation probably! I hope you get your confirmation soon! Very excited for you. By the way, I wouldn't use the progesterone. I would try to get to see a doctor asap, as you're doing, and wait for him/her to give you an idea of what you need to do.

Tenzi, awww I'm sorry DS is getting jealous but I'm sure that he loves his little sister so much too! yah for having an easy baby! Very jealous! She owed you though for your concerns during the pregnancy! ;o)

Wissa, Keria, Kewpie, Vegan Hope, Hi! How are you guys doing? Keria, welcome home! Blue, just thinking of you!

Argh, have to go get some work done. Big hugs everyone! I'll check in again when I can ) I'll definitely be reading along though!


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## Vegan Princess

Wow Rena - it's TONIGHT?! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! I can't wait to see pics of your babies!!!!!! Good luck! And I hope it truly is happening already so you don't need the xtra meds. 

Belly: I hope all is well at your scan! We'll be getting baby news from you too in no time!!

Deportivo: I was SOOO elated to read your news! What an AMAZING surprise!! I'll be praying this is your sticky baby! I woulnd't bother w/the cream. If you truly need progesterone, I don't think the cream has nearly enough to do the trick.

AFM: I am back from San Diego. Had a nice trip and my energy held up pretty well. I slept SOOO horribly though, despite the beds being comfy. Just wide awake most of the nights. It felt amazing to sleep in my own bed last night. I actually slept!! My sister is going to visit my parents in early August and now my family wants me to come back then so that everyone can be together (rarely happens). I'll be 32 or 33 weeks then. I don't think I'm going to go. I think I'd just rather be home in my own house - in my bed and with my DD having her own toys, etc to entertain her. It's more work living out of a suitcase at someone else's house and tyring to entertain a 3 yr old. I doubt I'll have the energy to do the zoo or anything big in the august heat at that point!

Cindy


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## kewpie80

renavoo - Sososososo excited for you! I can't wait to hear how it went and see pictures! Good luck, Mama!!

cindy - That's a hard decision. I'd probably rather be home too. It's bad enough living out of a suitcase but to do so while so very pregnant and also with LO too. It's kind of sad that families spread out so much now cause we rarely see each other.


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## rcr

Rena - good luck. I will be thinking of you.


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## blueyezz4

*Renavoo* - thinking of you and hoping that all goes smooth and easy for you tonight or tomorrow!!!! Can't wait to hear and see pics of those little ones!!!!









*Belly* - you are getting close too!!! How was your appt??

*Vegan* - glad you are home and in your own bed!!! Funny how much you miss your bed when you are away!! Nothing like your own bed and your own space. How many wks are you now? You need a little ticker!!!

*Keria* - glad you are home too. Hope you had a good time! How are your little ones doing and how did they do being away from home?

*Deport* - What is next for you? Did you make an appt w/ your dr???

*Monkey* - wow, i can't believe that you are 31wks or coming up on 32 this week. Hope you are doing well.

*Tenzi* - thinking of you and hoping you are adjusting and so is DS.

*Kewpie* - I know you were talking about moving back to your old house... when is that happening?? Sorry i forget the date. Hope you all are doing well.

*Hope* - how are you doing??? Did you have your appt w/ your OB yet? Maybe you already updated on it and its on the page before and I don't want to lose my post so i can't look back. Hope you were happy w/ your new dr.


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## deportivo4

Hi everyone- I just got my numbers from a crazy doctor! My doctor was not available. Non the less got my print out. This doctor was nutso, and couldn't help me with this print out. So, here it is, Progesterone is:61.6 nmol/L HCG : 97, iron 40. This is Farly normal, but I am still unsure of the progesterone. Can anyone help me out with this? These results were taken on day 35 of cycle, I have gone to day 38 or 39. So, this would be the day around I expect my period. Is this progesterone number ok, for this early! anyone one know?

Cramping, I am still scared of and unsure of. I hope it is extreme digestive problem. Has anyone else had bad stomach cramps at this early! It is high in my stomach, middle of my stomach. Like extreme gas pain or diarrhea pain!


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## kewpie80

blue - We're moving around the 20th of september.

deport - That high up. I doubt it's anything wrong with the baby. Remember cramping is normal. spotting is normal. Both together is not. Sorry I have no idea about the progesterone.


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## wissa19

*Deport* - Progesterone is excellent!!!!!! HCG is good, but it's all relative to whether or not it doubles.

The high progesterone can cause digestive upset...it slows everything down and gives you gas. 

My progesterone was 55 the day before expected period...


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## deportivo4

Kewpie- thanks, good to know! It helps to get reassurance until I feel secure in the pregnancy; it is nerve racking! thanks that boosts my confidence!

wissa- so I don't need to worry about this level than? yeah, everything has slowed down, gassy and constipated with headaches. I take it that is a good sign of progesterone doing its job right!

Vegan- thanks again, prayers are always needed and appreciated. I have been praying non stop for this little one! I can't bare to lose!

Rena- thinking of you and hope to hear some good news and see some cute baby pics!

blue- waiting for an appointment with obstetrician! I will do an ultrasound at six weeks. Hopefully this one is it!


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## teresaresa

Rena: So, so excited for you! From the moment I joined the Infertility One thread (when was that again!?!?), you've been a constant cheerleader! I feel so lucky to have had you rooting for me! I Can't wait for you to hold you babies. I'll be thinking of you


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## tenzinsmama

Just a quick note to say that I'm thinking of you, Rena! xo


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## Tear78

Ra ra ree, go renaaaaa!


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## BellyBean

Renavoo, thinking about you! I hope everything went smoothly and you are snuggling with your babies as I type.









AFM, everything went well at the OB/NST today. Babies are maintaining their weight difference between eachother (15%) but are falling on the overall growth chart compared to all babies, including singletons. The OB says it's totally normal since they are running out of room and that there is nothing to worry about. If I am still pregnant at 37+2 (my next appt), they will schedule my induction for 39 weeks. I have a feeling I'll still be pregnant next week, but mabye something will happen between the 2 dates.


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## prayinghard

Thinking of you Renavoo.

Belly...sounds like good news. It will be your turn before you know it.


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## rcr

Rena- I can't wait to see photos!

Belly - you're next!


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## lyndiramos

Rena- thinking of u hoping babies are in ur hands and you all are resting and enoying your moments together!!


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## blueyezz4

*Lyndi* - cute new pic. She sure is growing like a weed!!!

*Keria* - what is up w/ the new youtube video you posted? Did you mean to post that??

*Renavoo*- Can't wait to see a pic of the little ones!!!! Hope you are resting up and enjoying having them in your arms!!!!

*Belly* - glad your appt went well. You are next!!! Are you ready? Fingers crossed those little girls show up on their own here pretty soon.


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## Keria

Rena thinking of you can;;t wait to hear how it went.

Lol blue we caught one of our employees at the store stealing money while we were away and he was denying it so I uploaded a video and sent it to him. I'll post a cute baby one to make up for it  How is miss Abby girl? You are never far from my thoughts.ws about tthe u/s

Belly great news about the u/s how much are they weighing right now?

Lyndi what a cutie!

The babies are 4.5 month old and they are really fun but a lot of work they demand our attention every single second while they are awake. We are still adjusting a bit to be back at home and managing our store hopefully things will settle soon. Oh and Lucia slept form 11pm to 6 am this morning and Oliver only woke up once I couldn't believe it hopefully it was not a one time thing.


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## renavoo

Hi ladies! Quick check in and i will post photos tomorrow because it is difficult to on my ipad. Thank you for thinking of me ! Everyhing went well, although inuction was a big failure and after 24 hour of labor, i needed a c section. So my babies were born Tuesday night at 11:54-55 pm! They are adorable and i am over the moon! Of course they require insane amounts of work which DH has the brunt of because i am in so much pain. However, i am able to breastfeed, which is wonderful!

Sienna came out at a whopping 6lbs, 15 oz. Colin was smaller at 6lbs 5 o. He was out first,

Ok, I'm going to sleep now! Will catch up tomorrow!


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## monkeyscience

So glad to hear from you! I've been worried! Glad the babies are doing well, and are nice and big! Good luck with your surgery recovery!


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## Vegan Princess

Rena: Yay!!! I'm sorry you ended up needing a c-section. I'm guessing you're still in the hospital? Yay for breastfeeding going well!! And holy moly - you didn't look big enough to have two babies that big! My DD was born at 38 weeks and was 5lbs 12 oz - and there was only 1 kiddo in there. I'm so excited for you. Can't wait to see pictures! Enjoy this amazing and special time. Congrats mama!!

AFM: Nothing exciting here. I hit 25 weeks today.  I over nested today and now my back hurts. LOL.

Cindy


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## Tear78

rena, yay! Thank you for updating! It took me a full week before I could find the time/energy, so I appreciate the effort. We were all thinking of you and hoping for the best! I also had an induction that led to a c-section, so I'd be happy to help you process if you'd like. I had some emotions to work through from that. I'm so glad everybody is healthy, and I can't wait to see pics!


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## deportivo4

rena- that is so awesome! wow, I can't believe your twins are so big. Congratulations!!!!! I hope your healing goes as well as it can go! So Happy for you!!! Can't wait to see some pics!


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## BellyBean

Renavoo, so great to hear from you!!! What great weights for your little ones!!! I am really hoping I can get both of mine over 6lbs (right now they estimate baby A is, but not B). My MIL made a comment the other day about how in the old days DH wouldn't stay in the hospital with me, I was like um, I am going to need his help with 2 screaming babies! Plus in the old days I think they took the babes to the nursery so the mom could get some sleep  I hope you are able to find some time every now and then to get some rest and your recovery is speedy. Super great news about how well the breast feeding is going, I am still stressed about that. Did they offer you a pump at all? I am hoping I can get approval to rent a hospital grade one, since I only have a single from DD.

Enjoy all those baby snuggles!!! I am so happy for you and your DH!


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## rcr

Yay rena!


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## wissa19

Congratulations Rena!!! It sounds like the babies are absolutely perfect and they were born on the best day possible (my B'day)!! I can't wait to hear more about those two BIG babies. I had a c-section with DS and the recovery is not much fun, but I promise it does better! If you are in a lot of pain, you might want to talk to your doctor about changing it or getting more meds. My doctor was great to work with on the pain issue and would have given me way more meds than I actually needed.  (I say changing because some pain meds just don't do much for me, plus you are dealing with two babies...)

Congrats again!!!


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## kewpie80

COngrats, Rena! I am so happy for you! I'm sorry you didn't get the birth you were hoping for, but I'm so glad they arrived safely! I can't wait to see pictures of them! And WOW on the sizes! Sienna is half a pound bigger than my biggest. and your Colin is 5 oz bigger than my smallest! Way to go! I'm happy you are able to breastfeed. That will sure be a blessing to all of you. I've never had a c-section so no ideas on the pain, but I agree that your doctor should be able to help you out more there. Enjoy your babymoon!


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## Gemmine

Congratulations Rena!!!! (thread crashing)


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## deportivo4

Can I come on here and ask a question- I am wondering about my first ultrasound! I made my appointment for at six weeks or around there. Is this too early. I know it will be a vaginal one too, cause it is so early. Is this a bad idea, good idea. I don't want them to disrupt anything, does that make sense. Because of my miscarriages I am told to not have sex but what about the ultrasound?

When was the first ultrasound everyone here has had? How did that go?!


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## renavoo

Hi ladies! I hope all is going well. I'm back home and just so excited. I hate being in hospitals even for such a happy occasion. haha I'm attaching a photo of my little ones. This was taken Wednesday morning.  Colin is left and Sienna is on the right.

I may have spoken too soon about breastfeeding. Sigh. Colostrum seemed to come in well which is probably to be expected considering how much pitocin I got even after the surgery. However, we realized today that I don't have milk coming in which is a huge issue. I had to feed the little ones some formula today. That made me sad. Anyone have suggestions on how to get my milk to come in faster? I got a Medela pump so I'm going to keep pumping and I've started to take some fenugreek. I mean, if my babies have to be brought up on formula, so be it. But I would like to at least try to supplement with some breast milk then!

Deport, I say my doctor at 6.5 weeks and by then, I was able to see the heart beats. The next week, I heard the heart beats. It is fine to go so early. I don't think that there is any harm the ultrasound can do to the embie at that time. However, I certainly understand your concern!!

Wissa, thanks for the advice about the pain. I ended up giving in and taking the motrin plus percocet as needed. i'm limiting percocet and trying to exist on Motrin and it has been ok. but boy, is this painful!!

Belly, DEFINITELY have DH there. I'm still pretty immobile and DH had to change diapers and do basically everything!! No going home!!

Cindy, yah to 25 weeks!! 40 weeks will be here before you know it!!

Hi to everyone else!


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## deportivo4

Rena- Oh my gosh!!! So, cute!!! love the little hats by the way!


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## blueyezz4

Rena- Did you try the oatmeal trick???? Just start eating anything oatmeal especially a bowl of it will do. Love the pic. They are so cute!! Thanks for sharing!


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## Tear78

aw, rena SO cute!!! I'm glad you're home: keep taking it easy! As for getting your milk to come in: keep at it! Keep trying to nurse them so they practice the latch even if they don't get milk. That will also give your boobs the BEST signal to produce milk. Then after each nursing attempt, pump, both sides at once if possible. Cup feed everything you get to your babies. Spend as much time skin to skin as possible, and eat oatmeal, drink lactation tea, and take fenugreek. Fenugreek made Anika really gassy when she drank the milk, though, so be aware that this could happen. Good luck! Milk takes time to come in, sometimes more for some than others. You can do this!







Enjoy your babymoon!


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## BellyBean

Renavoo, ha, like I would ever let DH sleep comfortably at home while I am at the hospital recovering with 2 little ones  They are absolutely adorable!!!!! What a couple of real cuties! It hasn't quite been 3 days since your babies were born, so I wouldn't get too worried about breastfeeding yet, but all the suggestions Tear made are great for helping!!!!!! I think it took about that long for my milk to come in with DD, so they had me feed with a SNS (so she was getting formula, but stimulating the breast as well). DD also had some jaundice so that might have been why they really wanted me to use the SNS.

Deport, I went in at 6.5 weeks with both pregnancies and was able to see the heartbeats. However, I can understand your concern with the losses. Is your OB of any help on deciding when it would be "safe"?

AFM, in almost constant pain...wondering when/if these 2 will make an appearance.


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## kewpie80

Rena - SO CUTE!!! I love them!

For the breastfeeding... Oatmeal, fenugreek, blessed thistle, and alfalfa can all help 3-4 of each supplement 4Xs per day). Keep attempting to nurse as much as possible. Pump for 30 minutes after each nursing session. Do breast massages before you nurse for a few minutes.

If you do need to supplement with formula, ask your lactation consultant for a couple SNS (supplemental nursing system). It's a bottle that hooks to your bra and has a thin tube that you tape (with bandage tape) to your areola so that the tip of the tube is in baby's mouth. They suckle at the breast and get any milk you have, but they also get the formula. It helps to stimulate your breast tissue and the babies learn to suck still and have to work for it the same way they do when the nurse normally. You'll need 2 to tandem feed (which I HIGHLY recommend)

If it gets really bad (like in my case) you can ask your doctor for domperidone prescription. It is difficult to get in the US, but there are ways if your doctor won't. PM me about it if you are interested and I'll explain more about it.

Eating regularly (like 6+ times per day) and drink TONS of water will help as well. I had to drink about a gallon a day to keep up with supply. Sleep is also very important. Whenever I didn't get sleep, my milk took a dive.

My milk was late coming it too (about 5 days for me). Induction unfortunately can cause that. Just keep working at it and it'll come.


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## Carlyle

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *BellyBean*
> 
> It hasn't quite been 3 days since your babies were born, so I wouldn't get too worried about breastfeeding yet, but all the suggestions Tear made are great for helping!!!!!! I think it took about that long for my milk to come in with DD, so they had me feed with a SNS (so she was getting formula, but stimulating the breast as well). DD also had some jaundice so that might have been why they really wanted me to use the SNS.


Great suggestions! My milk didn't really come in with dd1 (difficult birth) until 4-5 days after she was born. Don't panic! You're doing great. Also, you should find an "IBCLC"...this is an "international board certified lactation consultant," which is a high level of training. Search here: http://www.ilca.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3432 Apparently, you can call yourself a "lactation consultant" without significant training, but IBCLC's have studied breastfeeding issues extensively. GOOD LUCK!


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## kewpie80

deport - my first u/s my second cycle I had at 5w4d. I had it that early because of a subchorionic bleed. All we could see were 2 sacs. At 6w3d we could see the beginning fetal poles and HBs. At 7w3d we could see the fetal poles well and yolk sacs. At 8w4d (the anniversary for this one is tomorrow) we saw movement on both.

I wouldn't worry about the transvaginal u/s and m/c. They are very gentle and won't disrupt your uterus. You may get some slight bleeding afterward, but it won't cause a m/c.


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## Vegan Princess

Rena: I second (or third?) the SNS idea - or try to order a Lact-aid online w/rush shipping. I found the Lactaid so much easier to use. But I had major supply issues and one we started supplementing with a bottle, DD's latch got really messed up! So supplementing at the breast is definitely best - and it gives your body the stimulation to bring your milk in. I think it took 3 days for my milk to come in, even after a natural birth! If you need to stick with bottles, find the Breastflow bottle - the setup of the nipple actually fixed DD's messed up latch! It mimics the breast really well in how they have to use their tongue to pump in order to get milk.

Try the herbs and hopefully just with a few more days time, all will be fine. But if you do need more, like Kewpie said, there is domperidone. It made a HUGE difference for me! Brought me from like an ounce per feed to 3 ounces! It's not available in the US but you can order it online from www.inhousepharmacy.biz. But be forewarned - it can take 2-4 weeks to come bc it comes from abroad and sometimes has customs issues. You may be able to get it compounded here in the mean time, but it is really expensive. I doubt you will need it though!

Oh and the babies are just SO precious!!! 

DEPORTIVO: I was very anti u/s w/my first preg. But after my miscarriage, I knew I needed them to ease my mind. IVF docs require an early one to make sure it's not ectopic. I had my first at 6.5 weeks this time. I felt pretty comfortable. They are gentle and it doesn't make your uterus contract like the big O does. If you are really uncomfortable, skip it - it's not going to change the outcome of things. But for me, I needed to know one way or another and not have so much anxiety hanging over my head. It would calm me down for at least a couple days. ;-)

Cindy


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## tenzinsmama

Rena, congratulations on the safe arrival of your beautiful babies. Colin and Sienna are absolutely adorable! Sorry you had to undergo a c/s... It's not easy, that's for sure. It is painful! I'm at 3.5 weeks post c/s recovery... Try not to worry about the meds-- I found that any worry I had about taking them went out the window completely, because I realized that I needed them. If I didn't take them, it would have been so hard to care for DD...and especially if you are trying to nurse, you definitely need to make it as comfortable and pain-free as possible. (There's only so much that pillows can do for providing a comfortable-enough position). So many great tips on nursing here... My midwives told me that my milk could come in as late as Day 5, and not to worry. Snuggle those babies as much as you can, skin to skin... drink lots of water... Kelly Mom (or kelly.mom?) is a good website for breastfeeding. Like the others say, there are those options for getting colustrum or formula mixed with your colustrum/milk into the babies without having to use a bottle... for DS, he was such a 'lazy' nurser the first few days (he was barely term at 37 weeks, had some jaundice)-- he did have a good latch the first couple of times, but then went into 'sleep-mode' for the next two days-- I had to hand express my colustrum into a shot glass, then take a syringe and suck it up from the glass and squirt it into his mouth while he sucked on my pinky... this is what the midwife suggested, and it totally worked. Oh... And don't overdo it during your recovery...I learned the hard way. I would feel pretty good one day, do too much and then be set back 2 days or so in my recovery. I think it might be hard for you cause you're used to being so active, but, honestly when they say take it easy for the next 6 weeks, there is a reason. Congrats again!!


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## Keria

Rena Congratulations







They are absolutely beautiful.

Welcome to the world Colin and Sienna!

It's way too early to worry about bf issues, I wouldn't even take herbs or other stuff since is so early and your supply may drop if you try to get rid of them. Find a good LC for a consult and supplement if babies are hungry, My milk was late coming in and we supplemented with formula fr the first 3 weeks or so. The most important thing is let the babies nurse as many times a day as they want if they are getting frustrated with the lack of milk give them some formula take a nap and pump if they are still sleeping when you wake up. One thing that helped me a lot was a nipple shield my nipples were raw after the first couple of days and with the shield I was able to bf without pain. Once my nipples healed I was able to get rid of them without any issues. Both my kids took a bottle from day 1 without any issues going back and forth. Feel free to ask me any questions.


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## prayinghard

Rena...they are both just gorgeous. Way to go. You did great mom. Don't worry about bf, I am sure everything will fall in to place. Give your body some time to make the necessary adjustments. I hope the healing process is going well. Remember...use the meds as you need them. It will only help your recovery. God bless Colin and Sienna.

Belly...I am sorry that you are so uncomfortable. Your day will be here before you know it and you will forget all about the discomfort of pregnancy.

Deport...I had a u/s at least once a week starting the week after iui. It caused no problems. But..like Vegan said, if you are not comfortable skip it. It won't change anything at this stage of your pregnancy. Good luck.


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## renavoo

Hi ladies, thanks for your amazing advice. I've been doing what you all said...trying to rest as much as possible (which wasn't much yesterday), continuing to breast feed even if the results are minimal and then supplementing with formula. I think it's going well. Colin is a lazy feeder but he seems to get jealous of his sister and last night, he was LIVID that she was breastfeeding so he started crying. DH and I do shifts and I ended up being unable to control both the babies so I had to wake DH up. sigh. I was so frustrated about it! He's the little devil. haha he looks like my DH so i compare the two. ;o) Yesterday, while pumping, I noticed little drops of brownish liquid and my breasts are definitely getting a little more sensitive so I think it's a matter of time. Keria, do you have specific nipple shields you like? i'll buy those immediately because my breasts are feeling a bit raw now too!

i let the hospital photographer take photos of my little ones because, well, he had the same camera I do and I love photos of my babies. This is my favorite because it's of the both of them and Colin is playing with Sienna. Sigh, the disk with 22 photos was 175 dollars and while dh wasn't keen on spending that much money, i couldn't resist. With tax and shipping, that's $200 for 22 photos. I guess they are worth $10 each ;o) We spend so much money on everything else. Seriously, I feel like we're going to go broke soon!

Belly, I CANNOT wait until it's your turn. I can't believe you may still have another couple of weeks. That's just not fair, considering how uncomfortable you're feeling. Hopefully, the girls give you a break and come soon. Tell them we're all waiting anxiously for them to get here. )

Praying, how are you feeling?

Vegan, Sienna has really taken to the breastflow bottle. Colin still likes the evenflo glass bottle (or the nipple that comes with it anyway!) I think he's a lazier feeder though. Sienna is great at latching on which makes me happy. How is everything going with you?

Caryle, THANK YOU! I am definitely finding someone certified. In fact, there is someone who is very well known and suggested by one of my good friends as well as by the hospital. I should be meeting with her on Tuesday. However, the hospital also has free meetings for new mothers who are breast feeding. Tomorrow at noon is one of those meetings so i'll definitely be going there!

Keria, Kewpie, Tear how are your gorgeous babies?

Blue, yah to oatmeal. Mmmm that always hits the spot. How are you, your DH and my favorite puppy, Abby?

Deport, did you decide what to do?

Hi to everyone else! i hope, in my sleepy state, I didn't miss too many people!

Big hugs!!


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## auraleigh

renavoo- congrats! they are beautiful! my dh leaned over my laptop screen and asked who these cuties are... they are ADORABLE! i hop you and your dh are able to get some rest, but i'm so happy for you right now!


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## Keria

Oh Rena the are so cute Colin looks so skinny next to sienna. I think the pictures are worth it. They are only that little once right?

I used the avent shields because I had those on hand and they worked fine. I never got to try anything else though so I don;t know if there is anything better out there. Another thing that I got was this thong http://www.amazon.com/FAO-Schwarz-Toddler-Scale-White/dp/B0054L4VB4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1340543190&sr=8-3&keywords=baby+scale It's pretty accurate and it was nice to see just how much they were getting from the breast. Don't feel guilty about waking up DH I'm sure he;s happy to help.

My little ones are doing great we are going to start solids next week and I'm super exited about it.


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## Tear78

rena, awww, look how Colin is holding Sienna's hand. It must be cool for them to finally be able to touch after kicking each other through membranes for so long.


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## Vegan Princess

That is seriously the most precious picture!!! I think it was money well spent. I'm debating having a newborn shoot done, even though we are totally broke too. I just adore teeny baby pics - especially when they are well done!

Gotta run, more later.

Cindy


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## Silverbird

I'm late to the party but just wanted to say congratulations Renavoo! Your teo are gorguoues! And Colin shares a name with some I'm very close to so I approve! Hope eveything picks up the the bfing and congrats again.

And hello to eveyone else hope your all doing well!


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## blueyezz4

*Renavoo* - Sorry to hear about the c/s but I'm so glad that all is well and they seem so healthy and big!!!! You go girl!!! Hoping and praying that you heal quick and are pain free soon. Glad to hear that they are nursing so well, that's great!!! Take care of yourself too and keep us posted only as you are able. Know we are all thinking of you/DH and your little ones.

*Belly* - you are next!!!!! Wahooo!!!

*Vegan* - yay for 25 wks!!!! Don't over do!!!!!!

*Keria* - That is awful!!! I'm so sorry to hear that happened to you. Never know who you can and can't trust. It was so funny b/c i'm watching the video thinking that might be your DH (even though i know i've seen pics of him and now that i think about it it doesn't look like him w/ that dark hair - haha) and I heard a female voice in the background thinking it was you and then the baby crying so I was just trying to piece it all together. LOL. I kept watching thinking that pretty soon you would be showing us the babies or something. LOL Hope you get your money back. Can you press charges? To answer your question... Abby is good. She is having a hard time w/ this extreme heat we are having though. I took her for a little walk to get some energy out and she was walking around w/ her tail between her legs and every time we came to a shady spot she would just lay down, poor little girlie. We got home to a big bowl of water and the A/C so she was fine. It's suppose to cool down today thankfully. DH and I may take her to the lake to swim this weekend. She loves that. New profile pic of her and her ball loving life!!

*Hope* - how are you doing? Did you and DH go on your vacation yet? Hope it was good!

*Praying* - how are you? Just checking in.

*Kewpie*- hope you and the babes are good too!!!

*Tenzi* - how are you feeling now? I'm sure DD is growing like a weed. DS adjusting any better?

*Tear* - how is your summer so far?

*Hi to everyone else... hopefully I didn't miss anyone!*


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## rcr

Yay rena. What cuties!

Belly - sorry you are in so much pain.


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## hope4light

rena - They are SOOO adorable! I'm so happy for you! Sorry that it wasn't exactly the experience that you wanted, but look at those cuties! Oatmeal and lots of water (along with everything everyone else said) are the best pieces of advice I can give. I used a medela shield and loved it (but I have small nipples and they had a nice small size). I hope your milk comes in soon!!

Tenzins - It's so hard after the euphoria wears off and you're just plain tired. Make sure to get some sleep when you can. Don't feel too bad, I only made it through the first month in DD's scrapbook and babybook, so I'm right there with you.

Belly - I'm sorry you've been in so much pain!! Hang in there, it'll all be worth in when you're holding the little ones!! Did the doc seem worried about the size discrepency?

Vegan - I'm glad you had a nice trip! But I'm sorry about the crappy sleep. I don't blame you for not wanting to go again in August. It's gets harder the closer you are to delivery to travel.

blue - I did have my first OB appointment, and it went well. I do like her, and it seems like things should be better from here on out!

AFM - 12 weeks today! We had a great vacation, although I got nervous for a few days because I wasn't really feeling any symptoms. Then we got back and the heartburn came back LOL. I said the thin mountain air must have been good for me. But I am also reminding myself that I'm nearing the end of the first trimester (when the heck did that happen???) and my minimal symptoms may just naturally be going away. I've def popped, so I told my bosses today. The one knows our history, and was super excited for me so that was really nice (he's our VP). Other than that, DH and I celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary on Friday, I can't believe it's been so long!! We started to tell our siblings over the weekend, and I told a close friend who lost her first baby at 31 days old (born 2 days after my DD). So, we are slowely coming out of the pregnancy closet LOL. Glad to hear that things are going well during my time away!!


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## Vegan Princess

Hope: Congrats on hitting 12 weeks!! And yes, you should be feeling better from here on out.  12 weeks was like a magic line for me!

Cindy


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## prayinghard

Only have 2 minutes so I will make this quick! Rena: Your two peanuts are delicious! The pictures are so worth the money! Blue: See my AFM. Thanks for asking after me! What's new in your world? How is the pup? AFM: Had my 18 week anatomy scan this morning. I am carrying a healthy baby girl!!!! I can not believe it. We were secretly hoping for a girl...now we will have one of each which is just what we wanted. Lord knows I can not go through the cost and emotional rollar coaster of trying for another! Still can't believe it. Floating on air! We still have not told our parents or anyone else. Wanted to video chat this AM with DH's mom, but she was out of the house. I work straight through until Sunday and I want to tell out parents on video chat so that we can see their reactions and I want both of us to be part of it...so guess it will be another week until we talk! DH is dying!!! this will be his mom's first graddaughter (she has 4 grandsons) and my parents only grantdaughter is 12, then they have 3 grandsons. So excited for another girl in the family! Hello to everyone!! Will try to catch up more another time!


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## deportivo4

Hope- so great that you got to 12wks amazing!! Congratulations.

Praying- that is such good news. Congratulations for healthy baby girl!!

Thanks everyone for encouragement and support. I have an ultrasound on the 3rd. Nervous, glad to be pregnant! I don't have many symptoms. I do have super horrible headaches though, really hard to focus. My emotions are all over the place, it is making it hard for me to control my feelings. I am all over the map. I will feel more comfortable if I can make it past the first trimester. I know though that I am in for an emotional ride!!!!


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## Vegan Princess

Deportivo: Hugs! It IS such a roller coaster! Try and stay positive, even though it's hard!

Praying: Congrats on your little girl!!  Such a blessing!!

Rena: Thinking of you and hoping you're overflowing with milk right now!! I hope the lactation consultants are helpful. I had an awful one come to my house when DD was a few days old and I felt like she made things worse, not better. But I'm pretty sure I just got the worst one out there.

Cindy


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## deportivo4

Thanks Vegan- hormones are taking over my brain. is a good thing but makes it difficult!!!


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## Keria

Blue How hot is it where you live? good thing she has short hair. Love the new pic my little dog is though with tennis balls they usually don't even last a day. And with the store thing we decided to not press charges because this guy was a "friend" of DH some friend he turned out to be but DH still was not wanting to get him in trouble so e just fired him.

Rena How are you recovering? Most of my post c section days are kind of a blur now but I wanted to tell ou that I was mostly back to normal around day 12, How are those sweet little babies?

Belly You are next!

Hope WOW that was fast congratulations on 12 weeks


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## renavoo

Hope, yah for 12 weeks!

Praying, so excited for you! Yah to a beautiul baby girl! I'm so excited for her grandparents too!

Deport, we all absolutely understand about the ups and downs and the fears. We're here for you! Looking forward to good news for your ultrasound!

Vegan how are you?

Keria, this was a friend?! Wow, what a let down! How are you doing? How are the babies?

So, im doing better. Pain is less and i don't need to take anything for it anymore although i walked a little today and felt a little more pain. I rented a hopital grade pump to help with the milk. And i am exhausted but absolutely in love with these two little babies!

Be back later! Hi everyone else!


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## deportivo4

I just wanted to pop in and give an update. My hcg is over 5000 which is good for now. I have my ultrasound on the 3rd, and it all depends on that at this point. If I see a heartbeat than everything should turn out ok. If not, than I don't think I will know how to handle that until the time comes. I am deathly scared though. Things have gone ok so far. I am so so scared. Any prayers or positive thoughts would be so so appreciated!


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## Carlyle

Hey ladies, I thought some of you might be interested in this: 




It's a book about "What Makes a Baby" that is open ended enough to explain everything from IVF to surrogacy. I got a copy for Tear and really like it. I am going to have to let my friend who is a being a gestational surrogate right now borrow it for a while first!


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## hope4light

Thanks to everyone for the congrats on making it to 12 weeks! Getting closer to being out of the woods!!

Deport - glad to hear that your HCG numbers are nice and high. Keeping you in my prayers for the u/s coming up next week, can't wait to hear the update that you saw a beautiful little heart beating away in there!

rena - how's the milk coming along?

Hi to everyone else!


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## deportivo4

Hope- thats kind of you to say, seeing a heartbeat would be such a dream come true, finally! So, glad you got to 12wks!!!!


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## BellyBean

Hi everyone, I don't have much time  but I did want to stop by really quickly for an update. It will take me a while to get caught up on personals (sorry). We had our girls on Monday and are just getting home (super long story and lots of complications), but I wanted everyone to know we are all doing okay and trying to get used to this new larger family. I have to admit, although we haven't had time to get into a routine yet, that this is just as hard, if not harder than I expected! Which really says a lot because I had very low expectations to begin with...having to go off how it was when we got home with DD.

Wishing you all the best, and I will try to come back soon for a full update and personals!!!


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## Vegan Princess

Belly!!! I was wondering if you'd had your girls bc we hadn't gotten an update from you. Congratulations Mama!!!! I'm sorry to hear there were lots of complications, but I'm hoping the fact that you are all home now means everyone is doing pretty well now. I'm guessing the difficulty is arising from maybe a c-section and the fact that you have TWO newborns? I hope you all settle in soon and things get easier. Can't wait to hear the story and see pics!

Deportivo: Thinking good thoughts for you!!

Cindy


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## kewpie80

Belly - I saw your pictures and update on facebook and I've been having the hardest time not spilling the beans here







I'm so glad they all arrived safely. We all understand how hard it is in the beginning (especially with DD too) so take your time and rest rest rest! (hug)

deport - I'm glad your beta numbers are looking good.

AFM - Everyone kept telling me that it gets easier with twins once they hit 6 months and yup, they're right! It feels like someone flipped a switch! They play by themselves on the floor for long periods of time and they entertain each other if I put them in the bumbo seats facing each other. Today we spent 4 hours in the dr's waiting room and we didn't even need to pull out toys cause they played with each other. They'd grab each other's feet and hands and smile, babble, and laugh at each other. It was quite amusing! They used to demand every second of our attention so this is a breath of fresh air!

They are trying so hard to crawl. DH crawled at 7 months, so it may not be far off. They both balance on their tummies and lift their arms and legs off the floor like an airplane. Then they make swimming motions and push on the floor with their feet. I have to be careful with Liam cause he does scoot forward. He got about 2 feet a few days ago.

They've been going down for naps and at night SO easily too. I changed up my routine and made some changes to the room and it's made a world of difference. It's 7pm and they are sleeping away a few feet from me and DH isn't even home from work yet. It used to take 2-3 hours of solid rocking to get them down so I am very relieved! I do miss my snuggly little newborns, but this is a lot of fun now. I may post some pictures tonight if I get the chance.

DH and I have some difficult decisions to make in the next couple days/weeks and it will affect Liam for the rest of his life.

We've had to pull Liam's conformer out again because his eye is cone shaped and the shell spins on the surface and irritates his eye and lids. The conformer is a hard plastic shell that is bigger than the eye itself and sits under the lids on the surface of his eye. When it irritates, the lids swell (almost completely shut) and it oozes pus. Liam screams when this happens and the only way to get it to stop is to take it out for a couple weeks and try again. This has happened now 3 times.

The Ped. Ophthalmologist saw him again today and she said that with his eye being such a steep cone shape, it will be very difficult to keep going in this direction, but she did gives us some options. Right now, we've got it in and we're going to be putting in antibiotic drops in his eye every day.

If this doesn't solve the problem, the next step is to decide whether we want to A) remove his eye and put in an implant (his muscles and blood vessels will fuse with it and give it natural movement) or B) graft part of the white part of his over the cornea. This will prevent feeling the conformer since the cornea is the most sensitive. It doesn't always work, though. She did say that he sees a tiny bit of light through that eye, so we're hesitant to remove it completely. We're soooo hoping that the antibiotics will keep the infection down and keep it from irritating.

Both surgeries are very invasive and I'm sooo hoping we don't have to go down that road.


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## Tear78

Belly, congratulations!!!














Based on how big a shift it was with one baby (though WONDERFUL), I can only imagine how it is with two. I hope Kewpie's stories of how much easier it gets helps (ADORABLE stories, btw). How is breastfeeding going? Thinking of you!









Kewpie, I'm sorry Liam's having trouble with his conformer. I hope the antibiotic drops do the trick. Keep us posted!


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## kewpie80

popping in to add some 6 month old photos


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## Keria

Belly congratulations! I can only imagine how hard it is hopefully you are getting some help. Can;t wait to see pics of your girlies.

Kewpie Poor little guy hopefully the drops work so you can avoid having surgery. They are cute as ever.

Rena How is everything going ?


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## prayinghard

Belly..... Congrats! Can't wait to hear the details. I am also dying the hear the names you picked. Thinking of you.

Kewpie...I am praying that the antibiotics work for little Liam. They are both super adorable.

Rena....how are you, DH, and the babies settling in?


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## renavoo

Hi ladies,

Kewpie, awww they are so cute! I love their smiles. It's wonderful to hear that once you hit the 6 month mark, the babes are so much fun! I really hope the antibiotics work! Keep us updated. I'm so sorry you guys have to go through this though.

Belly, YAH! I'm so glad that everything is ok and you have two beautiful baby girls. I am sorry you suffered from complications, though. Here's hoping you're recovering well and that you have time to check in soon.

Hi everyone else! Quick email here. I'm really exhausted.

I've developed a really bad total body rash. I have huge wheals all over my body and they itch like heck. it got bad Friday night and Saturday, I went to the ER twice. Once, they gave me an epinephrine injection but after 4 hours, the rash returned and progressed. The next time i went, they gave me steroids. That seems to have done the trick. DH is really upset and doesn't want me to breast feed anymore. He thinks that its either the breast feeding (apparently, some people have these reactions to BFing because of the shift of hormone levels) or the fenugreek. I've stopped the fenugreek so we'll see. I'm so frustrated and afraid that if I stop pumping or feeding, my milk will disappear. I don't know what to do. ARGH. Sorry that I'm a downer today. I wish that could just feed my babies without worrying about these issues!


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## kewpie80

oooooh renavoo!!! (hug) I'm so sorry! Is there any way to know for sure? Hopefully it's just the fenugreek and you can continue to BF. If you find you can't continue, don't beat yourself up. It is hard to quit (I cried a lot) but your babies will thrive just the same. I'm so sorry. That sounds so awful!


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## Vegan Princess

Rena: Hugs!! I hope the rash goes away asap!! I'm sorry you had to go to the ER twice when you already have so much on your plate! My guess is that it's unlikely it's just BFing. Fenugreek sounds much more like the culprit to me. Or are you on any meds from the surgery or allergic to the sutures or tape or something? I don't like that your DH wants you to quit. If you need to quit bc you decide it just isn't working, that's one thing. But Id stop the fenugreek and see if it gets better first. Sounds like your milk came in - how are things going with nursing now, other than the rash? Definitely don't stop breastfeeding or pumping unless it's your final decision - you are right, it will damage your supply and it won't likely come back! I had a hell of a time the first month from my low milk supply issues. And I never ever got my supply to the point I didn't have to supplement. But I am SOOOO glad I didn't give it up!

Cindy


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## wissa19

*Rena* - So sorry you having issues on top of just trying to heal and take care of your babies. Are you still taking some pain meds? Some of them give me a rash! It is total misery.

I agree that if you decide to stop because that's what you want to do...then it will be fine. You shouldn't feel guilty about stopping breastfeeding. You have been giving it everything you have you have and it's clear you have tired.

Of course, if you want to keep going you can do that too! I do know some women that just pumped and gave whatever they got to the baby along with whatever formula they needed to. So, you have options and I say do what will work best for your family. Remember if Mommy is not happy then no one is going to be happy.

Here's some hugs...things will get better for you.


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## rcr

Yay belly!!!!!!


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## blueyezz4

*Good grief... I feel like I have so much to get caught up on!!!!!*

*Belly* - Congrats!!!!!







Can't wait to hear more about the birth and their names and all that jazz when you are up to it and have more time, whenever that might be. I'm sure it is crazy right now which is to be expected, I'm sure. I know my MIL always said she thought she wouldn't make it at first and she had twins first and then 4 yrs later had triplets to deal w/ and she did survive and it has to be good to hear Kewpie say it will get easier too. Thinking about you and sending up prayers that things start to get easier w/ every day that passes.

*Rena* - so sorry to hear about the rash and having to go to the ER. So not fun, i'm sure!! Has it gone away completely? They weren't worried about it spreading to the babes at all right? Hope it has cleared up and all is going smooth. They are just so precious!!!

*Hope* - how are you doing??? Just checking in on you!

*Praying* - love to see your ticker moving!!!! How are you doing? Congrats on a little girl!!!

*Kewpie* - so sorry to hear about Liam's eye issues. I hope the drops work well and clear it all up. So tough to have to make decisions like that when he is so small, i'm sure. Thinking of you!! Love the new pics by the way. They are too cute!

*Deport* - the 3rd is so close!!!! Keeping my fingers crossed and praying all goes well for you at the u/s!!!

*Keria* - That must have been hard since the guy was a friend of DH's. Man, what is wrong w/ people now a-days????? To answer your question from way back... it was like in the mid to high 90's here and when DH was driving home from work the one day he said his car said 104 degrees. Yuck!!!! Way too hot for June!!!

*Carlyle & Tear* - two of my favorite sisters!!!!! Hello to you both!!!! Hope you both are doing well. Tear welcome to summer break!!!! Enjoy!!! Wahooo!!!

*Vegan* - you are always checking on everyone else and I never see an AFM?!!? How are you feeling these days? I hope you are doing well!!

*I'm sure i forgot someone, so sorry in advance. I was just looking up at this page above, so if your name wasn't on there that is why i missed you.*


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## Vegan Princess

Hi Blue. Haha, there isn't usually an AFM bc I don't have a ton to say these days about myself. I think that is mostly good though!

So...

AFM: I am 26 weeks and 3 days. I think that pretty much puts me at the start of my 3rd trimester! Completely hard to believe that it's here already!! And hard to believe that within 3 months time I could be holding my little girl! I feel mostly pretty good. Still get the back pain thing in my tailbone a few evenings/week. And heartburn has arrived in full fashion. It's every day now and super intense. I've tried a lot of the remedies on the list my midwife gave me and they are mostly utter failures. Even tums doesn't get rid of it. So I had DH bring me home some ice cream to have this evening. LOL. But i don't really want to complain too much about things bc I am so grateful to be pregnant - discomforts and all.

We are off to the midwest on Wed for the remainder of the week. It's supposed to be 94 there. Gah. It's never usually all that hot where I live. I don't deal well with heat right now and I always hate humidity. So I'm guessing we'll mostly be inside in the AC or in the pool. My SIL that we are staying with is due in 26 days, so I'm sure no one is going to be trying to run us all around. Though she's probaly more used to the heat than me.

Someone in my due date club on here already had her baby! At 26.5 weeks. So scary! But she said he is doing well. So that is a bit of a relief to know that if a baby comes this early they can be ok. I don't know why I am so scared of pre term labor this go round. My daughter was 10-14 days early. But that is still considered full term.

Cindy


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## hope4light

Belly - AHHHH! Congrats! I can't wait to hear all about it! Like a PP said, since you are all home I'm hoping that means that all is well, even though you had some complications.

Kewpie - Oh man, I'm sorry about the tough decisions for Liam. How very difficult that must be, knowing that whatever you do will be something that he will live with forever. I agree with you, if he can see some light I'd have a hard time removing it completely too. Big hugs, I hope the drops work out. They are SO CUTE!! And PS - I'm so jealous of the good sleeping... my DD didn't start sleeping through the night until 19 months, then regressed around 22 months, and we just got her back on track last week at 23 months. She's never been a good napper either!

rena - oh man, I'm sorry about the rash. i agree with pp's - I doubt that it's the bf'ing itself. If you decide to quit then do it because YOU decide to, not because DH thinks you should. My DH suggested I quit before my DD was a week old, and I'm SO glad that I stuck it out. Those hurdles, especially when you're dealing with them for the first time, are so difficult. Hang in there.

blue - I'm doing great! Can't wait til my next appt though to hear the heartbeat. Makes it so much better this early on.

Vegan - Oh the heartburn. I wish I had something to help, but I never found anything either. Let us know if you DO find something! So sorry for the mama in your due date club, glad that they are doing well.

AFM - not much to say. I hate the waiting game this early on between OB appointments. Symptoms continue to be very mild, and are even going away a little which makes sense. But since it's still way to early to feel this little one move, I can't wait to hear the heartbeat again. Next week, thankfully.


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## kewpie80

hope - Oh, don't be too jealous. They still wake up every 2 hours all night to eat, but they do go back down easily. If they ever go longer, I usually wake before them and then I panic thinking something is wrong. Thankfully the crib is about 2 feet from me so I can get to them quickly. (and about half the time they just sleep in the bed with us.)

I'm hoping you get to feel your LO soon!


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## rcr

Belly - just thinking of you. I hope everything is going well.


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## kewpie80

cindy - I somehow missed your post last night. Sorry to hear about the heartburn. That stinks! I had it really bad too, but rolaids usually worked along with eating smaller meals. Sorry I have no new ideas for you!

Have fun in the midwest! I grew up in Northern IL and I miss it terribly! And just be glad you're not coming down south where I am. It's been 105+ for days now. It gets that high where I lived in Utah too, but here we've got high humidity. That sucks the life right out of me and all I want to do is lay down and drink. I think RCR lives further south than I do? I bet it's worse there!


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## renavoo

HI ladies! I just wanted to wish you all a great fourth of July!

Cindy, ugh to heartburn. That was definitely not fun and I didn't get much relief from tums either. Ice cream on the other hand...hahah I hope you have fun in the midwest! and YAH to the third trimester! so exciting!

Hope, thanks for the advice!! I also still remember living for appointment to appointment to make sure that the babies were ok. I am looking forward to as you get further along and you share your baby movements with us!

Blue, how are you doing? I love Abby's mugshot! She is so adorable! I just want to give her a big hug and a wet kiss. haha I bet she does the wet kiss better than I could do though!

Wissa, how are you doing? What's going on with you?

Belly, check in please! We can't wait to hear some more about the babies!

Keria, Kewpie, Tear (and anyone else i missed...ugh, pregnancy and rash brain!)









So, AFM, still have the rash and its worse than ever. I went to a derm and an allergist. The derm thinks it is plausibly a fenugreek allergy, especially as there is cross allergies between fenugreek and peanuts (both are legumes). I've never had a peanut allergy though and so, it didn't seem likely although his theory is that my mom force-feeding me peanuts helped increase my sensitivity. He sent me to an allergist. The allergist, who I saw today, does not think it is the fenugreek at all, although i'm done using the fenugreek. She attributes it to hormones that are out of whack and need to normalize. That is probably the prevailing theory. All docs say I can continue breastfeeding even though i'm on prednisone and an antihistamine. I want to continue pumping until i can get this fixed up but otherwise, the babies are growing so well on formula, I'm ok with that being the mainstay. Little Sienna is now 7lbs 9oz (up from 6lbs 13 oz) and little Colin is now 7lbs, up from 6lbs 3oz. I don't want to jeopardize their growth. Generally, they are such good little babies and life is great. If only I can get rid of this pesky rash but now that my mind is a little more at ease with this rash not causing problems with the babies, I'm dealing with it well. Still have my own obgyn appointment on Thursday and then a follow up allergist appointment on Friday. Thank goodness for the nanny!

A couple of photos of the little ones. They are starting to smile...or is that gas? haha


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## Tear78

rena, omg, what sweet little faces! I'm glad the rash isn't interfering with breastfeeding, and I hope it goes away soon!

belly, hope you and your babies are doing well!


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## kewpie80

oh rena! What sweet faces! Give them an extra snuzzle from me! So sorry to hear about the rash.


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## deportivo4

Hi everyone! I got my ultrasound today. She showed me, and I sneeked a peek at the pics. Looks like a mini baby, thats just so chubby and short legs and arms lol. It was the cutest thing in the world!! So, amazing!!!! I saw the heartbeat!!!! I can't believe it.


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## rcr

Rena - they are so sweet! How much time off work do you get? Sorry about the rash. That sounds aweful.

Kewpie - yea, it is crazy hot here. Our A/C was broken this weekend too, but it is fixed now.

Everybody else - happy 4th of July! I am going to a party tomorrow night, so I will be avoiding questions about why I am not drinking. It is kinda far from my house (1/2 an hour), so I am going to use driving as my excuse. Maybe I will carry around juice for a while and pretend it is a mixed drink.


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## Vegan Princess

Rena: Sorry you are still suffering! I'm glad everyone says you can still breastfeed - and it sounds like the babies are doing awesome! So adorable!!

Belly: Thinking of you!

RCR: I've got everything crossed for your beta on Thursday! Wow that went fast! For me at least. LOL.

Deportivo: Yay - such fantastic and amazing news!!! I said a prayer that your pregnancy continues to be healthy. When is your next appt/ultrasound?

Kewpie: Yeah, I'm so not used to heat. There is a reason I have stayed in California, despite the high cost of living. ;-) DH and I actually talked about moving to North Carolina. But I just hate humidity and mosquitos!! (plus my family would be soooo far)

Cindy


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## deportivo4

Vegan-Thanks for the prayer! I can't believe I know what my little one looks like, it is so cute. I am now walking around with an image of my little one sleeping inside me. Its amazing! I have been feeling super ill, and I wouldn't trade this for anything. It is crazy to see the heartbeat and the baby looks a lot more baby like than I expected. Just like a miniature baby thats chubby and short arms and legs. Sooooo cute!!!!!!

Thanks for the prayers, I have to keep this little one with me


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## Vegan Princess

Deportivo: Remind me how far along you are? It truly is amazing how fast they grow! By the end of the 1st trimester, pretty much all the major things have formed! I was blown away at my 13 week ultrasound - baby looked just like a baby you'd seen in an ultrasound from much further along! Truly a miracle!


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## deportivo4

I was at in-laws cottage last weekend. They have been using mothballs. I dont know if it has been recently or how much. But the entire cottage smells so strongly of mothballs that everytime I go their all of my clothes smell overpoweringly of mothballs!

Should I stop going to the cottage? Does anyone here know if this would effect the fetus? I don't know what to do and I don't want to take any chances!

Any advice!

Also, is it a myth that driving down a bumpy road can cause pre-term labour? Riding in our truck on some roads can be bumpy! Should I not ride in our truck or go down bumpy roads? Any advice!

If I talk to my obstetrician that I have at the moment, he is just going to say that nothing will harm my fetus, which I don't believe. I am sure he probably thinks that eating rat poison is fine! He is not that helpful!


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## deportivo4

My sister has most moderately supportive compared to most people about my infertility issues and miscarriages. Today though she told me everything happens for a reason. Also, if I only am able to have one child to just be thankful for what I have!

I don't know if it is the hormones right now. It just really bothered me that she said that. I don't know why people come up with the stupidest things to say. The worst thing is, when she was pretty young a doctor told her. or she misinterpreted something a doctor said. She thought she couldn't have children. She was like 17, not ready to have kids at all. She cried and cried to me. I know she forgets this now. I also know at the time she thought it was the end of the world. She has two girls, no problem! I wish people could take their own heads out of their asses!

I know I am hormonal. I just wish people had more compassion, you know.


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## hope4light

Kewpie - ah the things I have to look forward to again  But I can't wait for that!!!

rena - HI!! The babes are SO STINKIN ADORABLE! I just want to gather them up and love on them!!! I'm sorry that the rash is still hanging around. I hope it goes away soon, but am glad that it's not interfering with whatever it is that you can pump.

deport - YEAH!!! I'm so happy for you! How far along are you?

rcr - I did the juice thing a couple of times. At a going away party I did tonic water with lime too and said it was a Gin and Tonic when asked. Seemed as though no one was the wiser. I'm still praying for your BFP today.

AFM - Just the other day (after mentioning on here I can't wait to feel movement) I swear I felt the baby all cuddled up and pushing out a bit. I put my hand there and the feeling went away and then came back. But it seemed kinda high for how early I am, so I don't know what it was. When I layed down that night I tried to feel where my uterus is, and I think it's about at my belly button, maybe a little lower, but I don't know if that's right or not. (Keeping in mind that I am SUPER short, so there's not much space for everything to go). Hmmm... I haven't felt anything since, so we'll see. Either way, my next appt is Tuesday, so it's coming up soon.

OT - for those of you that have older children... my DD's 2nd birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks. She ignores MOST of her toys, and I'm trying to figure out what to get her. I'm thinking of a jungle gym type thing that I can move indoors (she LOVES to climb) and/or a sand table. Any other ideas though? (she's not a talker yet, so I can't really ask her what she wants LOL)


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## rcr

Hope - we got DS a wagon for his second bday. One of the old-school red metal ones with tall wood sides. It is actually one of the best gifts we got him because he continues to use it today (while most toys have been forgotten about), but we kinda got it more for us because it is nice to pull him in if for walks instead of a stroller.


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## BellyBean

Hi ladies, sorry I have been MIA so long! I actually started a post yesterday and then all of our 4th guests arrived and I accidentally closed the window 

Deport, so glad you got to see your tiny baby on the ultrasound!! I hope it makes you feel a little bit better. I don't think driving down a bumpy road is any cause for concern, but I am not sure about the mothballs, although just the sounds makes my stomach a little uneasy.

Renavoo, oh my!!! So sorry about the rash friend! That sounds rough, especially with your 2 little ones to care for. So are you only pumping now? Glad to hear the babies are growing well though! That is the most important part...and boy are they ADORABLE!!! Do any of the doctors know how long the rash might last if it is just an allergic reaction.

Hope, my DD LOVES her strider balance bike and with it being summer it's a great time to have one.

rcr, Hi! I haven't had a chance to make it over to the other thread yet, but I hope everything went well in Vegas!!!

Vegan, sounds like everything is going great with you! I keep forgetting how far along you are, but I know I am always surprised when I am reminded...probably right around the corner now!

Kewpie, what a hard choice about Liam. I can't imagine having to make such a difficult decision about a child. I am glad you have a little time to keep trying what you are doing and fully weigh the other options. Hugs.

Keria, Tear, Blue, and Lyndi, Hi!!!

AFM, we have been home for about a week and DH went back to work today. Luckily my mom is helping out today and tomorrow basically full time, so that has been HUGE! DH, my mom, and MIL are helping SO much, it is a full time job with the twins, but what makes it crazy here is having a 2.5 year old to boot. Every spare second is spent with her, so even eating/sleeping/showering is at the bottom of the list. We are really focusing on making sure she doesn't feel left out and is getting enough one-on-one time with each of us.

We have done a pretty good job of getting the girls on a schedule so far. They eat every 3 hours (for the most part every 7, 10, 1, and 4 o'clock hour). The problem is right now we have to feed, bottle (breastmilk & formula), pump, and together it takes about 1-1.5 hours...so that's half of the day (and that doesn't count all the other basic care). I have done a few tandem feedings so far and once we can prove the girls are getting enough from the breast, and can stop pumping at every feeding, I think the time issue will be much more manageable.

So I woke up in the middle of the night Sunday and thought my water had broken but when I stood up I was just gushing red blood. We went straight to the hospital (lucky we have relatives close that could be over to watch DD in 10 min). I was full on contracting by the time we got there and got the epideral right away, within an hour or so I was fully dialated and we were in the OR to deliver. Baby 1, came out in just a couple of pushes, but then my cervix started closing and Baby 2 wouldn't drop. Her heart rate dropped and they started prepping for an emergency C-section. Luckily one of the nurses who had been with us the whole time knew I was concerned about both delivery types, so she watched and called out when the heart rate started going up. Unfortunately, they had already started pushing some of the drugs, so they weren't sure if I'd be able to push anymore. They started pitocin and were patient enough to let me re-dialate and vaginally delivery baby 2 as well about an hour later. I tore significantly and lost a lot of blood before (from the placental abruption) and during/after delivery, so I ended up needing a series of blood transfusions  My recovery has been slowed down by everything, but there really isn't time in the day to think about it or even notice the pain.

I'll be back later for more...just had some family show up to visit.


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## deportivo4

Belly- wow, congradulations on the birth. That sounds crazy, I am glad you got to deliver vaginally for both. Yeah, you must be super busy now!


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## renavoo

Hi ladies! I hope everyone had a great 4th of July!

Hope, awwww i love that you feel the baby all cuddled out! Ah, I already miss that feeling of them being inside me. I love that they are outside where i can cuddle with the babies but it was so much fun for them to be with me all the time and for me to feel their movements!

Rcr, I'm with Hope. i always got a club soda with a lime and everyone assumed it was a seven up and vodka or something thereabouts. I hope you had fun at the party!

Deport, i'm so happy for you and excited! I think you should just focus on yourself. It seems you are surrounded by insensitive people! it's really quite a sad state of affairs so focus on you and your little bean! By the way, i wouldn't worry about bumpy roads. Just eat well, try not to stress too much, and take it easy as much as possible (while still trying to get some exercise in!) and you'll be fine!

Kewpie, Tear, Keria, HI! Cindy, how are you feeling?

Belly, just thinking of you!

RCR and Blue, HI! i am always so happy to see you ladies when you visit us!

AFM, well, the rash is being taken care of by my arsenal of drugs. haha i am on high dose steroids, 2 different antihistamines plus another histamine blocker that technically is for heartburn. So, I don't have a rash anymore! But we're doing a steroid taper so we'll see what happens when my dose of steroids goes down. i hope the rash stays away! Otherwise, things are doing well. I saw my ob/gyn today who said that I'm healing nicely (she knows nothing about the rash though and was surprised that I got such a bad case!). I also am having to deal with the disability papers- i'm planning on taking off the full three months so i can spend as much time with my little ones as possible since these are plausibly the only little ones I will ever have! I may try to work from home the last 2 weeks of my third month, if the office needs me but generally, I don't want to leave my babies until i have to!!

I hope everyone is doing well!!


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## deportivo4

Hey I have been so sick, I can't stand the thought of food morning noon and night. I can only eat maybe a hand ful of food all day. Is this going to effect the baby. Should I try to get to the doctor. They didn't give me an appointment till the 25th. Should I see someone. I really can't eat at all. I just choke down something so the baby doesn't starve. What should I do?


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## Keria

Belly that must have been scary, I'm glad everything turned out well can't wait for part 2. It sounds like you are doing great adjusting to life with two new babes.

Rena I hope your rash has cleared by now did they ever knew what caused it? How are the little munchkins doing?

AFM We are doing good it's just hard to to get in here and have hands free to type. Before I could nurse them in the boppy and could do whatever in the computer while they were eating but now they get interested in whatever I'm doing and pop on and off a million times to smack the keyboard, look at the screen grab everything is sight so I basically just have to sit and stare ahead while they eat lol.


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## renavoo

Belly, I have no idea how i missed your post!! Oh my gosh, what a scary time but i'm so so so happy that you got through it ok. And by the way, i know that it would have been ok either way but i'm so happy that you didn't have to go through both the vaginal and cesarean birth! I can't imagine taking care of both twins and your 2.5 year old but of anyone, I'm sure you and your DH are doing the best possible. Yah to breast feeding and tandem feeding, by the way! I've found that the brest friend pillow works wonders when trying to tandem feed. I ended up propping it up with a small pillow on the bottom too so they had additional leverage. Keep us updated on how you're doing!

Deport, I think that the nausea and not eating is actually normal for many women so I wouldn't worry too much. Try to eat small meals and just have some crackers nearby. I found that if I ate immediately after waking and just constantly chewed on crackers (including ginger crackers) my nausea was under control. It's when I didn't eat that i felt the worst. I hope you're doing well!

Keria, haha! i love that they are now trying to interact with what you're doing! When you have more videos, let us know. I love watching your and Kewpie's children in action. It gives me something to look forward to when our little ones get bigger!

So, I'm already sad that my babies are growing although I love love love that they are. It's such a weird feeling because it totally doesn't make sense. I guess i feel this way because i know these are my only two children (and believe me, I'm happy about that!) but I do love them at this stage (when they aren't crying!) haha, so many conditions!

My rash is gone and the itching has stopped for the most part. I'm on steroids still as well as antihistamines and so I'm still worried that things can regress. The allergist says that I will be on antihistamines for at least a month in order to try to prevent relapse (we're treating symptomatically so she thinks that I have to wait out the hormonal reaction- as such, she wants me on longer term treatment). I'm not breastfeeding directly anymore and haven't been since I got the rash. I just pump and give the babies the milk but I plan on getting back on that wagon once i'm done with the steroids . I know, it doesn't make sense since i'm still feeding them my milk, but I just don't feel like breastfeeding them while i'm worried about the rash. I'm sad though because I'm worried that Colin has forgotten how to breastfeed. Sienna, on the other hand, still latches on like a dream and seriously, it hurts more to pump than it does to have her breastfeed (i've done it a couple of times just when she was fussy) Otherwise, I love motherhood. I still look at wonder at these little two beings who are so dependent on us. it's amazing and I'm ever thankful that we live in a time when my DH and I were able to have them, even though my body wasn't allowing me to conceive them naturally!

Ok, the babies are crying. I'll be back.

Hi everyone! Big hugs!


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## Vegan Princess

Rena: Glad the rash is under control!! Nothing wrong with pumping and feeding. Just be warned - if you wait a month to go back to nursing, it won't work! It's amazing how fast a baby forgets how to properly suck. Like truly amazing. I know what you mean about wanting them to grow but not. I felt that way with my first, even though I knew I wanted more. In fact, I knew right away that I coulnd't wait to do it again bc it was so amazing (even though it was SO hard). LOL.

Belly: What a story! I'm glad you didn't end up w/the c-section! Sounds like it went really fast! Pumping is so draining. I remember doing it for the first month after I had DD bc of my supply issues. It took 1.5 hours to nurse, pump and feed and then we'd do it again and hour later. Ugh. I so am not looking forward to that! I do think I'll try and pump after at least some feeds in the beginning this time, but not all and not for so long.

Deport: Sounds normal. Baby gets what it needs from your body no matter what at this early stage. Just find something that you can tolerate and eat it. My midwife told me she had a patient that could only eat KFC mashed potatoes the first tri - and that was fine. LOL. Try taking gummy vitamins for kids in order to get some vitamins down that won't make you throw up (I think make you take 2x as many - not sure though so I'd check).

AFM: I'm home and so happy to be! Gotta run though - my 3.5 yr old is very whiny and needy this morning. I hope she's not getting sick from travel.

Cindy


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## deportivo4

Vegan- yeah, thanks. Thats what I have been doing so far, thats reassuring that I could choke down one food and be fine for this trimester lol!! How are you feeling!

I have been taking my pre-natal, but I wonder if I should try the gummies for the rest of the trimester. Good tip thanks!

Renavoo- that sucks about the rash! Hope you can get back to them latching again soon. Now what you mean, too bad you couldn't slow down time at this stage so you could enjoy that time more! I still can't believe how cute your babies are!

yeah, I will start eating some more crackers. The other day a cheese bun helped. Bread seemed to calm my stomach a bit. Pretty challenging I must say with nasea morn, noon and night. Actually I couldn't sleep last night cause I was sick the entire night and it just keeps going. Anything for this little one though! Whatever it takes!

belly- thinking of you. How are you feeling and adjusting. I am also glad you didn't have the c/s with everything! Hope you are healing well!

Hope, Kewpie, Keria, Tear- Hi How are you!!!

Trying to do persies. AFM- I am so sick. If I could just complete this trimester, oh I would feel on top of the world I am getting close. A few more weeks! It is challenging trying to keep my mind on the goal and choke down some food and not vomit on my floor lol. Its great that I am feeling so miserable though because I think this means good things for my baby hopefully!!!


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## renavoo

Hi everyone!

Deport, that's the spirit! I always felt comforted too when I felt the nausea because I thought that it meant the babies are doing well. haha it's amazing what we go through!

Oooh, Vegan, so I had a lactation consultant come to my home. Apparently, she is a pretty famous one (she's been interviewed on CNN, NY times and various other news networks and is known in this area as the "savior of brooklyn". So odd. she's a quirky woman and so it's rather amusing. i just had her come once. Anyway, she told me that I should just breastfeed the babies about 15-18 minutes and then pump for no more than 8 minutes after the breastfeeding. That was it. I think in one of her interviews, she said that women end up spending too much time breastfeeding/pumping. Here is a link to her interview in the NY Times! http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/21/nyregion/21freda.html?_r=1

I definitely don't want to wait too long before i start breast feeding again. I tried with Sienna again and she latches on like a dream. I love it. I think I will try with Colin again later today. D Just 4 more days on the steroid!


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## Vegan Princess

Interesting Rena! She did say 12 minutes then 18 minutes on other side - so half hour nursing. But yeah, an hour of nursing was NOT getting her anymore milk! I know that NOW! Then I'd pump for 10 minutes. I had a horrid lactation consultant come when DD was a few days old. I didn't actually think we had supply issues at that point - just wanted to make sure everything was going ok. But she was awful. I did end up seeing better LCs down the road. She really upset me though. I'm thinking I might do some research and have a good LC lined up for this time, just in case. I know we'll have issues and I know what I should be doing but I'm still nervous about when I should start to supplement and whether or not I'm starving/dehydrating my baby before I do. Though I feel good knowing DD never lost more than 10% of her birth weight in that first week, even with all my problems last time. And I've already bought a scale to check her weight and to see how much milk she is transferring at feeds. This time I plan to be on lots of meds to make more milk from right after I deliver. I didn't start the most important one until she was 2 mos last time. So I'll likely have enough not to have to supplement right away - since their tummies are so tiny.

Cindy


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## hope4light

Belly - Wow, that's quite a story! I'm glad it turned out OK in the end, but I can only imagine how scared you must have been. I'm also glad that you were able to deliver both vaginally!!

rena - I'm so glad that the rash is gone. Like everyone else said, don't wait too long to relatch. I hope that you're successful!!

deport - just eat whatever you can manage to keep down! I still get this random m/s around 9:00 am everyday, and the ONLY thing that takes care of it (I've tried lots of stuff now) is a bagel. I think it's because it's bread.

Keria - Ohhhh yes, those times are SO much fun because they are starting to be so curious! It doesn't get any better now, I can only manage to post on these forums from work LOL.

Vegan/Belly - The joys of pumping. For what it's worth, with my first I would only pump afterwards typically for 1 feeding a day, and I would pump until the production slowed down. Keep in mind though that I always had a great supply, so when it started to slow down I knew I was pretty close to being empty. When I went back to work I found that I did still have to pump after she nursed in the morning because I would get SO full overnight that it was painful (and no, she didn't sleep through the night, she would wake up multiple times to nurse still, just not as often as during the day). It was crazy. I cringe at the though of pulling that pump back out of the closet LOL.

AFM - Sorry I've been MIA! I only have time to post ever at work, and well, work has been INSANE lately. Which is fine, but I feel so far behind. Anyway, I'm 14 weeks, and am heading out from work to my next OB appt in about an hour and 40 minutes. I am SO excited, I can't wait to hear this little one's heartbeat again!! So, it's crazy, I compared pictures the other day, and I am pretty much the same size now at 14 weeks as I was at 20 weeks with my first. I got pretty big with my first, so I'm admitedly a little nervous ha ha. OK, I tried to post some pics, and they showed up when I posted them, but then they hid, so I had to remove. Boo


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## blueyezz4

Just coming out to pop in!!!!

*Belly* - so glad everything worked out for you w/ the birth. Hope things continue to get easier as the weeks go on. Hopefully you have lots of help still giving you a hand w/ the twins and DD. Did you post a pic and I missed it? Just making sure i didn't miss a pic.

*Renavoo* - glad the rash i gone and i sure hope it stays away. So does your allergist think it is just from all the hormones in your body after the birth or what? Do they know for sure? Love the pics of your little ones.

*Keria* - hope you are well and I'm sure the fun has just begun w/ not having a free hand to type. I need to get caught up on your videos here soon. They are too cute.

*Hope* - good luck at your appt today!!! I always thought those check up were kinda a waste of time w/ how long you have to sit and wait for the Dr and then only see her for a bit but it is always nice to hear heartbeats, that is for sure....makes all that waiting worth it. I tried to look at your pics but it just took me to a login for a Google mail account? Maybe it's just me but i wonder if anyone else had issues.

*Deport* - I used to keep little bags of pretzel sticks everywhere and would snack on them all day when i would feel sick and also drinking lots of water helped when i had all day sickness.

*Kewpie* - how are you and the babes??? How is Liam's eye doing now?

*Vegan* - hope you are doing well. Hope your little one isn't getting sick!!

*Praying* - how are you doing??? Hope all is well.

*Lyndi & Tear* - hope you both are doing well and enjoying summer w/ those little girls!!

*I'm sure I've missed some but i was just wracking my brain and looking up on this last page to try and get caught up.*

Okay, I'm back to lurking.......


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## auraleigh

belly, so glad you're okay! and happy that your babies are healthy and happy. i can't imagine how busy you are these days, but it will be an exciting ride!


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## Tear78

I know i haven't posted lately and I'm not caught up on personals, but I'm in a bit of shock. I feel weird sharing this here because I don't want to hurt anybody as I know that these things hurt me even still, but I would feel more weird not sharing with you ladies who I love. I'm pregnant.







I have been suspecting it for a few days, and I took a test today and there it was. Just like that. I can't wrap my brain around it, and it's super early, and I know that all sorts of things could happen, but today I'm pregnant. I got some bloodwork, but my RE said that unless I stop nursing, which I don't want to do, I shouldn't take progesterone or baby aspirin. I hope the numbers are good. Thank you for letting me share this, and I sincerely hope I'm not causing anybody pain. I know that seeing somebody get pregnant so easily always gives me a pang. I love you ladies!









In other news, Anika took two steps today, and it's also the year anniversary of getting admitted to the hospital for induction. Her birthday is Sunday. I hope everybody is doing well. Belly, I hope you and the little ones are adjusting smoothly.









blue and rcr, sending you ladies TONS of love!


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## Carlyle

Annnnd reading this here made me cry all over again. I'm so happy for you sweetie. I love you!


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## Vegan Princess

Tear: Congratulations!!!! That is amazing news!! It always makes me so happy when people get a free baby. 

Cindy


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## blueyezz4

*TEAR!!!!!* -



































Congrats girl!!!! That is awesome and I'm soooooooo happy for you that you got a free baby!!! I've heard many times that after you get pregnant once, even w/ ART, there is an inc chance of getting preg on your own, so that is great!!!! You and DH so deserve it!!!! Keep us posted and I'm sending you tons of sticky, healthy, growing vibes


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## prayinghard

Tear: That is wonderful news! Congratulations.







I know it is hard, but try not to worry. One day at a time! Woohoooo!!!

Belly: Hope that you are getting in to a good routine with all of your girls and you are able to get a little rest. I am dying to know....what did you name them? How big were they are birth? Sorry that you had some scary moments, but so happy that you were able to deliver both girls on your own and that everyone is healthy!

Blue: I am hanging in there, thanks so much for asking. I am still keeping my pregnancy under wraps at work, but not sure how much longer that is going to work. I wear a big jacket over my scrubs, but it is July in South Florida, so that is getting a bit difficult. It hid DS for 6 1/2 months. Not sure why I feel the need to not say anything... I still have friends that I have not had a chance to tell. Life is just very busy these days. I am starting to feel very tired again. I have trouble carrying all of the weight (I have gained 16 pounds already!!!) which makes me uncomfortable and sore. Also, sleeping is hard...up to pee alot and have major heartburn when I lay down. I know that this little jellybean is well worth it though. How are things with you? Have you and DH made any decisions as to what your next step is? Saw you mention that you were on the adoption page. I think that is a wonderful option to explore! Thinking of you!

Renavoo: How are you and those beautiful babes?

Rena,Keria and Kewpie: Love all the pictures of your little ones. They are all gorgeous. I just want to reach out and squeeze them!









To everyone:


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## Keria

WOW Teat congratulations!! so so happy for you.


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## renavoo

Tear, YAH!!! Congrats! I can't wait to follow you through the pregnancy and beyond! And yah to Anika's first steps!

Praying, ugh to feeling more tired but i'm so excited you're more than half way done! Yah! I'm curious why you're trying to keep your pregnancy under wraps at work. Are you afraid that they will treat you badly?

Hope, how did the visit go? I hope you got to see your little baby and hear the heartbeat! Yah! Hope work slows down for you soon.

Blue, how are you doing? How is Abby?

Vegan, oooh yeah I'm not sure why Freda told me that i was only supposed to nurse each baby around 15-18 minutes...I guess that it had to do more with the fact that i was trying to tandem feed!

Belly, Keria, Kewpie, everyone else, HI! I hope you guys are enjoying the summer!

AFM, things are going well here! the babies are just heart wrenchingly cute and I am loving being a mother. I'm missing sleep but I'll deal with that any day just to see and hug the little ones. I can't believe they will be a month old soon! DH and I are trying to figure out how to cut out their 3am feeding. Our pediatrician said not to wake them at night but our nanny suggested 3am feedings (feedings every 3 hours); now that this is the settled schedule, the babies are hungry then. We're trying to cut this one out because DH goes back to work soon so not having a 3am feeding makes the schedule more manageable. )


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## deportivo4

Hey Tear- amazing! congradulations. Hope you update with numbers and such. Very happy for you. Incredible.


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## prayinghard

Rena...No, they would not treat me bad at work. It is just a very personal journey for me and I have trouble sharing things like that. I am slowly telling those that I am close to here, but as I mentioned I still have family that we have not had a chance to share the news with so they are my priority. However, since my due date is 11/26 there is a very real possibility that I will be about for all 3 big holidays, so that will not make work happy. But that is there problem, not mine...lol! Hope things work out with the weaning of the 3am feeding. I am sure that the nanny is very knowledgable but if the MD says it is okay..I think you will be fine. I did not realize that you had DH home with you all this time to help. How wonderful for all of you. What a Beautiful opportunity for all of you to bond and settle in. Granted...I only a had one to contend with when I had DS but I would have loved for DH to have been able to stay home a little longer with us...he would have liked it to..... Best of luck.







:joy


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## hope4light

TEAR!! That is SO exciting!!! Anyone that has dealt with IF deserves a free baby. I get happy when IF'ers get a free baby! I'm trying not to dance in my office for you!!! Keep us updated, it's amazing. And YEAH that you get to keep nursing!!! Oh yeah, don't want to forget, it's awesome that Anika took 2 steps!

praying - Wow, I'd NEVER be able to still be hiding my pregnancy, and I'm just at 15 weeks. That's awesome that you can still make that choice! I'm sorry it's so hard for you to share the news, but it really is OK to share, you won't jinx anything ~ just remember that!

rena - The visit went great! Other than them saying that I need to gain more weight. Strange. Ohhh good luck getting rid of that feeding. I wasn't able to do that until my DD was, well, let's just say it took forever. So I really hope it works for you!

AFM - Heading to our hometown on Thursday, as we still own a home there that we rent out. Our renters moved out yesterday (DH is already there) and our new renters move in on the 1st. The old renters didn't take care of the yard/gardens, so I have my work cut out for me. Lucky for me though, I don't have to deal with any of the inside stuff since I'm pregnant  DH get's that joy LOL. Otherwise, not much going on here. Feeling this little guy cuddle up more and more. Can't feel the movement per se, but the cuddling. It's SO nice. Ahhhh.


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## BellyBean

Tear, congratulations!!! That is fantastic news!!!!!!!! Please keep us updated on everything pregnancy related 

Renavoo, any luck with the feeding change? We woke our girls up every 3 hours for the first week or so, until they got back to birth weight. Since then we let them sleep until they wake us (or my boobs wake me!) We tend to get one 4-5 hour stretch, and then a 3 hour stretch. So cool your DH got so much time off!!!! My DH just got a 7 days, but I am lucky to have my mom and mil close and helping since he went back to work. I feel horrible for him, since he has to get up for work at 4:45 and generally our last feeding is around 4-5, so he doesn't get to go back to sleep after that  How is everything else going with you?

Hope, try not to work too hard in the yard  Yay for not having to do any indoor cleaning!

Praying, I always felt weird telling my work, but there is no way I would have made it to 20 weeks! I think it started getting really obvious around 15 weeks.

Kewpie, did you make any decisions about when/where you would do your FET? Sorry if I missed that on past pages.

Hi to all the other grads!!!

AFM, not much going on here. As much as I appreciate all the help my mom and mil have been, I felt like it was time to start managing on our own in the afternoons. So today is day 3  It's going well, I mean it isn't always easy, but I think it is helping DD adjust better. There was just too much going on with everyone always here and I think it was over-stimulating her. We seem to bond more as a family when it's just the girls and I (and then DH when he gets home). I still have help in the mornings and it helps me "set up" for a successful afternoon where I can care for the girls and still play with DD.

We go to our lactation appt tomorrow, and hopefully we will get the go ahead to stop pumping and bottle feeding after the breast at every feeding. It would save hours everyday!


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## renavoo

Hi everyone! I hope everyone is doing well! I'm just checking in to see how everyone is doing. I'm so annoyed because I typed a whole long post in and I lost it. Sigh. Here's hoping I don't forget anything!

Belly, yah to things settling down! Is your DD "helping" with the twins and bonding? Does she like being a big sister? I bet you're getting a lot of visits considering how adorable your little girls are! How did the lactation appointment go?

Praying, I hope that they don't give you too much trouble when you finally tell them. Maybe the holiday season will slow down so they don't get too upset when you have to take leave. And even if they do, who cares! ) It is wonderful to have had DH with me and it definitely helped with the bonding. We're trying to get him acclimated to going back to work so I'm taking over from midnight on&#8230;it's difficult though because that means I'm on call from 12am-8am and I'm feeling quite exhausted. I try to sleep when they sleep but the 3 hour feeding schedule is exhausting, especially since I'm still pumping, which takes an additional 30 minutes, when all is said and done.

Hope, ah don't work too hard! Yah for a good cuddle! ) I miss that already. I loved having my little ones with me all the time. And while I love having them here even more, there is something to be said about being the only one to feel them kick me&#8230;it was our little secret! Enjoy it!

AFM, still trying to pump and not making too much milk but at least I get a little. Each pump gives me about 3-5oz, depending on the time, which is definitely not enough for the twins so we still supplement. Now, I think I also have either thrush or a blocked milk duct on my right nipple. It is just a little white. It's not horrifically painful, just a tiny bit painful though. I guess I'll just keep an eye on it! I am sad because Dr Google images didn't have any good examples of either thrush or the blocked milk duct for me to compare. Oh well, the twins have a ped visit tomorrow so I'll ask them to keep an eye out for signs of thrush!

Anyway, we're going to take the twins to the playground for a little while the weather is still bearable. I will check in later!

Hi to Kewpie, Keria, Blue, RCR, Tear (still so happy for you!) and everyone else! Big hugs!


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## rcr

Tear!! Wow! What a wonderful surprise!! Congrats. I am so happy for you.


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## Vegan Princess

Rena: I never had thrush so I can't describe it - I think it is a burning pain while nursing? If you think you may have a blocked duct, put warm wash clothes on it and then have your DH massage you really hard while you pump (or do it yourself if you have a hands free). It's important to clear the clog bc it can turn into mastitis which is NO fun! You'll get a super high fever and chills out of no where and feel like you got hit by a truck - and it can ruin your supply. I got it twice early on and it killed my already crappy supply on my right side. But once I learned, I found the plugged ducts were pretty easy to clear. I hope it's not thrush!! It sounds like hell to treat. Enjoy the playground! 

Belly: Sounds like you are doing awesome! I have no idea how you manage twins and a toddler AND pump after every feed!! I had a hard enough time doing it with one baby. I so hope you get to drop the pumping soon!! And I am still waiting to see pics of those babies!!! I need some twin cuteness.

UGH. I barely slept last night. My midiwfe thought I was getting a UTI so I drank a lot of unsweetened cran juice yesterday - and it gave me the nastiest heartburn! Plus I had restless legs last night. So I got a few hours sleep in this morning. And I am supposed to leave in 20 minutes to take my daughter into the city to a science/play place. I just don't think I have the energy to run after her today. I might have to bail on my friend and rest today.

Cindy


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## Tear78

Hi everybody! Thanks for all the congrats!







I'm definitely starting to feel exhausted and needing naps. I also have moments of crampy/stretchy feelings every day. We're on vacation with family in Maine, and DD is having so much fun but very overstimulated and her sleep schedule is a little off. Luckily her Nana is around to take over and give me some rest. I need to go to bed soon, but I wanted to pop in and send love.







You guys are amazing for being so supportive and happy for me!









renavoo, I pretty much almost never got more than 5 oz. per pumping session even at my exclusive breastfeeding times. Your body is doing a great job, but like you said with twins you just need more. Don't feel bad about it. They're getting the benefits of your milk!









belly, I remember what a relief it was to stop pumping after every feeding. I hope you get the go-ahead, and I'm glad that things are going better for you.

rcr, thanks love! I look so forward to your next cycle. I'm rooting for you like crazy!!!

ok, I know I'm laming out, but I'm so tired. deportivo, thanks for asking about numbers and updates. My hcg at around 15dpo (I think) was something like 1200. My midwife didn't want to send me for another blood draw, and I agree with her outlook. She wants me to not agonize over numbers, and she said that I feel fine, no heavy cramping or bleeding, so she says just keep going and think positive. She did schedule me for an u/s on July 30th so we can hopefully see a fetal pole and maybe a heartbeat. I forgot how agonizing the first weeks are, but I'm trying to stay busy. On that note, off to rest with me. Love you ladies!


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## kewpie80

oh my goodness I am behind! I;ll try to catch up... sorry if I miss anyone.

Tear - Holy fanfreakin-tastic!!! I am so excited for you!! Congrats!

Renavoo - If you find a way to cut out night feedings, let me know, please. I'm still up every 2-3 hours for feedings.

....maisie is up. I'll try to catch up more later


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## Keria

I'm super behind too

Rena 3-5 oz is not bat at all. If you wanted to get more you could pump more often but I understand not wanting to be tied down to the pump in hindsight I wish I spent more time with the babies and less time with the pump. Time is precious and they are only little for such a short time. I had a blocked duct once it was very very painful it sounds like you may have thrush I hope it's clear by now.

Belly it sounds like you are doing great. I hope you got the all clear to stop pumping after feedings.

Tear congrats again you must be on cloud nine.

Both babies screaming I'll be back later.


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## deportivo4

Tear- thats great! Yeah, I didn't frequently check or obsess about numbers either. I just checked at the beginning if they within the normal range. Really I didn't feel pregnant really so I just was nervous about a chemical pregnancy again. I hope your u/s goes great. It can be such an amazing relief to see a positive sign and heartbeat on a u/s.I was so cautious up until now basically, I am a tad more relaxed now. Actually I stopped checking the toilet after I pee a few weeks ago. I hope everything continues this way for you.


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## Vegan Princess

Deportivo: You're worlds ahead of me - I still check the TP every time I pee and I'm 29 weeks! Will till the end, I'm sure.

I hope everyone is doing well! 

Cindy


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## hope4light

rena - sounds more like it might be thrush to me. I struggled with Thrush a lot, and plugged ducts a couple of times. If it is a plugged duct, you will feel a really hard spot on your boob where the plugged duct is, and it will be really red. To get beyond that, use heat, massage, pumping and gravity. Seriously - I always got over mine by laying DD on the bed (so in your case the pump) and hovering over it to nurse, all while massaging. Sounds funny, but it worked.

Thrush on the other hand... was never quite as painful for me when I pumped as it was when I nursed, so that makes sense. The nipple may get white, or red, and sore. Chances are if you have it, so do the babes, so take a peek in their mouths and see if you catch any white spots or bumps. There are some natural remedies to getting over thrush (although I don't remember what they are right now). I ended up having to get some meds from the doc for both of us because we Just. Couldn't. Fight. It. Off. If you were to put one of the babes to the breast it will BURN when nursing. I don't remember it really burning for the pump though.

Good luck 

Also - remember when it comes to pumping you never get as much as a baby will direct. 3 - 5 oz is actually pretty good, people with really poor supply will get only an oz or less. Keep up the good work!

deport/vegan - I still also check the TP every time I pee, and I'm 16 weeks now. I think I did for the entire pregnancy with my DD and suspect this will be no different.

AFM - I worked too hard on the garden. The house and yard were a wreck. I hate renters. I'm still exhausted. Ugh. Nothing else much going on here. I have to get around to scheduling my u/s, which is exciting! We won't find out the sex though. We didn't with our DD and we like the surprise. We both suspect it's a boy


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## renavoo

Hi ladies!

Hope, get some rest! Don't overdo it. i'm excited to learn whether it is a boy like you two think! it's so exciting.I wish I had the patience to wait until the babies were here before learning their sexes. haha i wanted to know once i got pregnant so there was no way we were not going to find out. 16 weeks!! WEEE!

Vegan, 29 weeks!? Oh my gosh, that is fantastic. I can't wait to meet the little one in just a little more than 2.5 months! how are you feeling now? I hope the heartburn went away and you're UTI-less!

Deport, glad things are going well! )

Keria, i totally get what you mean about not pumping because it feels like we're not spending time with the babies. I especially feel that way then they are crying and I feel helpless tied to the stupid pump. Argh. But breastfeeding doesn't seem plausible either. Sigh. this is so frustrating. But i still want to provide them with some breast milk so i guess i'll continue to pump.

Kewpie and Keria, updates please! Any new videos of the cuties?

Tear, I hope you're getting a lot of rest during your vacation! I'm excited to follow you throughout this pregnancy. It's such an exciting time!

AFM, the babies don't seem to have thrush, at least according to the doctor. My nipples still sting a bit but they feel better. I think that things will be fine. Did you guys find that one breast has much less milk than the other? My right breast always gives about 1/2 the amount my left breast does. I don't know why. I would ask my OB during my next visit but i doubt they would know either!

Sigh.

Anyway, hope all is going well!!


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## Vegan Princess

Rena: Are you lubing up your nipples when you pump? I always used the earth mama angel baby nipple cream around my areola when I pumped and it made it sooo much more comfortable. It's a thin,greasy cream. Or you could just use olive oil. Pumping often can cause it's own pains! Also, it's really normal to have one breast that produces a lot more than the other. I am not sure why that is? I always got 2 ounces on my left and only 1 max on my right when I pumped. I couldn't imagine trying to nurse twins - dealing with one baby was hard enough!! You are doing awesome. 

AFM: I stopped drinking the cran for the UTI. I don't feel like I have any UTI symptoms at this point. I'm sure my midwife will tell me next Monday is my pee is still cloudy. And since I stopped the cran, the heartburn is much better. Now I am feeling decent, other than the incredible pubic soreness and some back pain. I think I may see a chiropractor soon. I'm putting it off as long as possible though bc it's not covered by insurance and I know you have to go often to get relief bc the adjustments don't hold when you have so much relaxin.

Last night I had a lovely anxiety dream about nursing. I dreamed I had my baby a little early (and was frantically running around trying to wash the clothes and diapers so I could put them on her). And I dreamed that I kept trying to nurse her but she had cat teeth and wash chewing on me. I woke up covered in sweat! LOL! I think I dreamed it bc I visited my friend yesterday and her 2 week old baby boy. My friend is doing awesome on her supply (he's up a pound at 2 weeks old!) but in a lot of pain from his latch. It's a bit disconcerting to hear that it can still be as painful your 2nd time. I'm not looking forward to that part of nursing!

Cindy


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## Keria

Rena that reminded me of when my kids were tiny. I was almost done pumping and Lucia woke up. I was wearing a hands free pumping bra so I just disconnected the tubing and went to get her I leaned over to pick her up and I spilt all the milk on top of her. At that point I just mixed a bottle of formula and gave it to her. Then I crawled into bed and stayed there until DH got home.

I think is pretty normal for one breast to produce more than the other for me the left one is my under producer.

I have of bunch of videos I need to upload

Here is an "old" one of the babies having solids for the first time






And a couple of pics


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## deportivo4

Vegan- that makes me feel reasured about checking the paper. I havn't had too much discharge so maybe that allows me to relax a bit more. At first I would feel this wet feeling and run to the bathroom. I still have anxiety that I think will be with me until 40wks. At the beginning it is so hard, sometimes I just feel like where is this baby. I know I saw it before but there is no physical sign to me of a baby being here. So that makes me anxious.Plus I am feeling like I really want to find a new OB.

Your getting so close to the end. That is so exciting. How are you feeling, are you uncomfortable.


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## Vegan Princess

Deportivo: My daughter came at 38 weeks so I could only have 8 weeks - which sounds crazy soon! Or I could have up to 12if I go late - which doesn't sound as close. LOL. Yes, I am definitely uncomfortable! I hate to complain after all I went through to get here and how happy I am to be here - aches and pains and all. But yeah - walking around is an effort even these days between my sciatica and the pelvic pain and feeling like I have to pee with every step I take, despite having just gone 2 minutes ago. I think I am more uncomfortable this time than last bc I think my muscles aren't doing as good a job holding anything up anymore. LOL. Do you have or are you getting a doppler? My friend loaned me hers - it really helped me to be able to hear the heartbeat, especially after the couple times I had some spotting. I tried to only listen once/week but I just felt good knowing I could.

I'm pretty exhausted. I took DD on the bart train (our subway) to the gym. I worked out for 1/2 hour and then we got lunch. Then we went back and played in the warm pool together for an hour and then the kiddy gym and then the library. Then train/walk home. Walking 2 blocks to lunch after working out (pushing a heavy stroller w/a 30lb kid and tons of library books,etc) nearly killed me! LOL.

Cindy


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## deportivo4

Vegan- looking forward to those baby pics than, lol! I know what you mean about not wanting to complain. I am so thankful that I got the opportunity I have finally. These last two months though have been so uncomfortable, I would almost say unbearable. I have always said I would gladly vomit for nine months and chop my arm off to have this opportunity. I would endure that. I have been worried though the amount I am eating, and vomiting is pretty extreme. I mean how little I can stomach. One day I felt so terribly guilty that I could only stomach eating sour gummies one day. Even the taste of water is disgusting to me. Its pretty bad. I guess, even though it feels unbearable I am a bit more worried about my little one being healthy.

Every pregnancy is different, all of my pregnancies have been different. Have you found anything to help, what about pregnancy pops. Do those work? And is it possible that I might continue on with this nausea into all three trimesters?

Yeah, getting a Doppler would be a good idea. Where do I even get one?

That sounds like a crazy busy day for a pregnant lady,lol!


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## monkeyscience

*deport**ivo* - I sadly cannot offer you any sure-fire way to stop the vomiting (though you could ask your doc about a prescription for Zofran, which I never tried), but I want you to know that everything was disgusting to me for the first 14 or more weeks of my pregnancy, I wanted water but it made me nauseous, and I mostly laid on the couch and moaned for two month straight. And I'm now 37 weeks pregnant with what seems to be a very healthy baby. Your body is capable of remarkable things, even with minimal food input. Definitely keep looking for things you can keep down and things that help, but at the end of the day... energy from sour gummies is something, you know?


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## deportivo4

monkey- great input thanks. yeah, everything taste different and in a terrible way. One of us is still really small so I am sure you are right on. I am going to see what the OB says tomorrow. Glad you mentioned that.


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## Vegan Princess

Deportivo: I've also heard unisom and B6 can help a lot. I don't have a ton of advice as my morning sickness was super mild - I am so thankful for that!!! I know my mom had it awful with all 3 of us. She used to keep saltines by her bed and eat them before she even moved to get up. I've heard the sea bands for nausea can help (they are acupressure). As long as you are able to function and not get dehydrated, I'm sure everything will be ok!

Cindy


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## BellyBean

Hi everyone! I have been meaning to write for soooooo long and then of course something comes up with one (or more) of the 3 girls 

Renavoo, I am sure your breasts are better by now, but I ended up having mastitis at the girls 2 week appointment. My right breast hurt all the time, not just when nursing and then the bottom half of the breast turned red. My left one is also my "good" one and produces more than the right.

Kewpie, it looks like one of our girls has reflux. Did you end up using the prescription? We started 2 days ago, and it seems to reduce the pain since there is less screaming, but did you find it worked better over time or is the whole benefit there from the start?

Deport, I used the unisom/B6 combo and it helped a little, but my morning sickness was so bad I ended up on zofran. It didn't even completely get rid of it, but it helped a lot more than the over the counter combo. I thought I was going to die for the first 16 or so weeks, so I hope you aren't dealing with anything that bad...it sucks 

How is everyone else doing???????

AFM, things seem to be getting crazier around here  The twins seem to go through mini stages/growth spurts that can really limit our sleep  And between the 3 girls and keeping up the house (which is in a constant state of disaster), I barely sit down a minute during the days. One of our girls has had some minor problems - eye infection, baby acne, and reflux...while the other is completely fine. It makes it hard to give them both the same amount of attention since one needs more "help". It makes me feel bad for the healthier twin since she gets less one on one time with me, but then she is the one everyone seems to favor more (I think based on looks)...which hurts my feelings. I knew I would have a hard time with that aspect of twins, I just can't stand the constant comparison between them. Any of the other twin mamas have this happen? If so, how do you respond/deal with it?


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## Keria

Belly does she have a clogged tear duct? My son has that he had a constant infection on his eye. It's getting better now. I have dealt with people favoring one kid over the other it drives me crazy. Right now my girl has some serious stranger anxiety so everyone is more drawn to Oliver snce he s a bit more social and yeah it hurts my feelings.


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## kewpie80

Belly - Which one is she on? Liam was put on Axid, which is different than zantac or the other reflux meds in the way that it works. It definitely built up over time and we saw a steady decrease in symptoms until about 3 weeks on, when he was nearly symptom free. My only experience is with this script, though. I believe Tear's girl was on a different med?

as for the attention, Maisie gets a lot more attention from strangers and it bugs me. She is more social and smiles and laughs at strangers. Usually I just answer questions quickly and kind of edge away as I talk to get them out of the situation as politely as I can. Some people make comments about Liam's eye too, like, "oh he's being a little pirate." or something like that. I usually quickly explain that he is blind and has problems with that eye. It's not a big deal now, but I worry about when he's older. I'm going to try to not make a big deal about it so that he won't feel like he needs to make a big deal either. Like, "oh, yeah, my eye is small because I have XYZ and I was born that way. I also like cars and things that go beep." It's kind of surprising that it's usually the adults that make stupid comments. The kids just say what a cute baby he is.


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## kewpie80




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## Tear78

Belly, Kewpie is right. DD was on Zantac for reflux, and we noticed a difference right away, if I remember correctly. The difference was so obvious, and she was in so much clear pain before, that I never second-guessed giving her meds.







Reflux is hard!









I would like to be posting personals, but I'm so wiped and we're flying to Germany tomorrow and I'm not packed. So I'm going to be lame and just afm, but I love you ladies and send lots of hugs all round! Here it is:
afm - I've been feeling pretty nauseous all day every day, and very tired, which DH and I both had a good feeling about. Yesterday we had our first ultrasound and we saw a little baby in there measuring 6w6d and with a heartbeat flickering away. We're both just amazed that this could really be true, and so thankful, and hopefully this little one will keep growing healthy and strong. Yesterday afternoon I went for acupuncture, and today I felt so much better. She left in some little needle-bandaids, so hopefully I'll feel ok on our flights. I'm pretty nervous about how DD is going to sleep on the trip, but we'll bring the ergo and hopefully she'll sleep well. I'm following along and sending you love, but I'm not sure what my connectivity situation will be for the next three weeks in Europe.







all around!


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## hope4light

rena - I'm glad that there's no thrush, and hoping that your nipples are feeling even better!!! It's pretty typical to produce diff amts in diff breasts. I always called my left boob my over producer and my right my slacker.

Belly - Ohhh my DD had reflux and it was miserable. We got her on Axid also, and within a week she was like a whole new baby. I never regretted giving her the meds, and I'll do it again in a heartbeat if this one has reflux. DD's wasn't diagnosed right away, so almost my entire maternity leave consisted of one miserable baby and one miserable mama. I do know that for a few weeks after starting the meds she continued to get better as it built up in her system. We unfortunately weren't able to wean her off of it until just a few months ago, maybe when she was around 18 or 19 months? I was so glad to get her off of it, but would have given it to her as long as necessary. DH and I joke that she's either going to have a strange love or hate of mint because the smell/taste of the axid reminded us of mint LOL. Good luck ~ I hope she feels better soon!!

Kewpie - I LOVE the pictures!! What cutie pies!!

Tear - Ohhh I love Europe, I'm so jealous. I've been a few times, but it's been 6 years since we last went. I hope that you get to fully enjoy the trip and that you're not too sick and tired!! YEAH for seeing a nice strong heartbeat!!!

AFM - Not much going on. Plowing away at work (super stressful still), and fighting off the terrible two's as basically a single mom. (DH works almost every evening and weekend). But I've been working really hard at getting my DD to communicate better, and I think it's helping the massive tantrums. I have my ultrasound next Tuesday, and I'm excited to see our little one! Hope to find all is good, and that the u/s tech doesn't slip up and tell us what we are having


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## BellyBean

Keira, yes she has clogged tear ducts in both eyes. They keep getting little infections and are goopy almost all the time. Sorry you have had to deal with people favoring one twin more than the other but it is nice to know it isn't just me (and that it upsets me so much)

Kewpie/Tear/Hope, she is on Zantac and there was a dramatic difference right away, but I wasn't sure if it would keep getting better. I don't think she is in much pain anymore, but there is still A TON of spitting up.

Kewpie, ugh to the adults and their stupid comments. Talk about foot in the mouth!!!!!

Tear, still so excited for you and your pregnancy. Glad everything is looking good! Super jealous about your trip, I hope you have a great time!

Hope, terrible twos and pregnancy are a tough combo! Hope you find some relief, even if it's just an extra long shower (my new vacation!)

Renavoo, how are you?

For those who don't visit the IF thread much anymore, you might want to check it out....there is some pretty exciting news over there!!!!

AFM, what a week! I ended up with mastitis in the other breast and a migrane with it that lasted 2.5 days. I am starting to feel a little better now, but it's crazy with no sleep and this 3 ring circus  THinking of you all!!


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## CA Country Girl

Belly-Sorry to jump in, but the clogged tear duct caught my eye and I thought I might have a helpful suggestion







. Both my DDs (DD1- now 6 and DD2 1 month) have had clogged tear ducts. DD1's resolved itself before she was a year I think, though she would get a watery eye with a cold for awhile. DD2 now seems to have clogs in both eyes. Though it won't resolve the clog, squirting breast milk in her eye (if you are nursing your girls- I know twins are harder) seems to really help with the little infections that make them goopy. This may sound strange, but my Ped agreed the breast milk is the best antibiotic for babes. Sorry- people seem to prefer one twin- that must be really hard,







but all her little baby issues will resolve themselves and you can make sure they feel equally loved.


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## blueyezz4

*Rena* - how are you and the babes doing?? Glad to hear there wasn't any thrush.

*Hope* - hope you are feeling well and that the terrible 2's go by fast!!!

*Tear* - hope your trip is going well. You go over there a couple times a year don't you? Do you or DH have family over there that you visit?? There isn't any risk in flying like that when you are first preg i'm guessing. See my AFM.

*Kewpie* - love the new pics. So cute!!

*Belly* - i have a friend that swears by the Gonstead chiropratic method helping her little guy w/ his reflux. She did that b/c she didn't want to put him on drugs. Just a thought. Sorry to hear about the headache and mastitis. You have had it all. Gosh.

*Deport* - hope you are feeling some better. What did your OB say? Did he/she give you something.

*Vegan* - Hi. i asked on my other post on the other side... how far along are you??

*Sorry if I missed anyone... i was just going off this last page.*

AFM - (part of it copied from my IVF side post so i didn't have to type it again)

So for those of you that didn't know.... i got a BFP this morning w/o any help from ART!!!!! I'm totally in shock and don't believe it yet and may not until i see if for a fact on an u/s.

I'm trying to just stay positive and not think about all the things that are stacked against us w/ my immune/health in general. I just have to believe that if it is ment to be it will continue to all work out for the best and we will have a great story to tell for sure when this works out - trying to keep the faith alive. DH and I have been married this Sept for 9 yrs and we have been trying for a little over 6yrs w/ no luck. Those of you that asked about the immune stuff.... I don't really know what to do. Dr. S from SIRM in Vegas recommends me doing the intralipids up until week 24 even now, so on Monday i really need to see if my RE that is out of state would maybe be willing to order it for me again. I don't know if he will or not, but i really need to get it asap. Also have to find out if I need to get back on prednisone too or not. It's so weird b/c i feel kinda like i'm alone in this b/c I'm not under my RE's care at this point in time. It's rough b/c this week is crazy busy w/ work and then not this coming sat, but the next, i'm suppose to fly to London which my Mom was telling me I shouldn't go, but I can't imagine it would be that bad. Any thoughts???


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## Vegan Princess

Belly: You have so much on your plate with twins, reflux and eye duct stuff! Were you able to stop pumping? Nice to see an update from you. I'm STILL waiting on pics! 

Blue: My thoughts on flying are that it's probably fine for baby. You just need to feel totally comfortable being over there if god forbid something were to happen while there. For me, I chose not to travel at all in my first tri this time - even though I traveled plenty during my pregnancy w/my daughter. I was just so afraid of something going wrong and being away from home on top of it. Plus I didn't want any extra stress. I so hope your RE is willing to treat you the same as if he helped you conceive! I would think he would be so happy for you and want to help still? If not, I would call and call and call until I found a place willing to help! I know there aren't a ton of clinics that specialize in immune issues, but I do know there are at least a few. I just have to say again - I am SO thrilled for you. I've been thinking about you all day! I even told my DH your story. 

AFM: I know, I'm too superstitious to make a ticker. LOL. But I'm 31 weeks now.  Nothing major to report. Starting to feel pretty stretched - and can't help think how crazy it must have felt for you twin mamas! I just hosted my brother, sister-in law and their ELEVEN kids for 3 nights this week! (blended family - he had 4, she had 6 and they had 1 together. And actually she had her tubes tied and then decided they wanted another so they did IVF - and even though she had 7 kids already, it didn't work for her). My house is pretty tiny! But it went pretty well. They range so much in age (4-19) that the big kids really do a great job of keeping the littles under control. Plus they were out exploring most of the time. My daughter had a great time! I do feel relieved to have my calm house back to myself though. That was one of my big things I've been needing to get through before baby comes. Next week we're ripping out our bedroom closet and fixing a bathroom leak and doing mold remediation. SO not looking forward to that! But that will be the last major thing to do. Then I can just relax and mentally prepare for baby. 

Cindy


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## renavoo

Hi ladies!

Sorry i've been MIA. I've been dealing with a few things here. My right breast developed either mastitis or a blocked duct. i was going with the blocked duct theory but I did have a fever of 102 so I think that there may have been an infection in there somewhere. Perhaps, because i know you can have a low grade fever with a blocked duct but 102 seemed a little high to me (and accompanied by chills- It's odd to be wearing sweaters and sweatshirts in 90 degree plus weather, isn't it?). Ibuprofen is my friend. And then, Sienna has been having blood in her stool. That freaked me out but the doctors seem to not be as freaked out (they think it may be a milk allergy but seriously, it shows up 5 weeks later?!) and so I'm trying to cut down my dairy intake. Well one of the doctors thinks it may be a milk allergy and the other is of my frame of mind that it shouldn't have presented so late but suggests I cut down my milk. I'm looking for alternative sources of calcium them. Almonds, I know. Any other suggestions?

BLUE, I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU! SO HAPPY. Ugh this medium doesn't even let me express how happy I am for you!!







I know it is nerve wracking but we will get you through this and I can not wait until you are holding your beautiful baby in your arms!! I'm so excited!!!!!!

Belly, ugh to the mastitis, migraine and clogged duct/infections. ( I'm so sorry you're going through all that. It is difficult enough taking care of twins without those other things added on! i'm thinking of you and your beautiful family!

Kewpie, OH MY GOSH, they are getting so big but just so adorable! I just want to nibble on their cheeks. haha i do that ad nauseum with our own kids too.

Keria, Kewpie, Belly, I totally get what you mean about people being drawn to one twin over the other!! My nanny seems to be more drawn to Sienna which annoys me. I'm sure that it's a little bit of jealousy too because I don't get to hold either child as much when the nanny is here. DH thinks it is because the nanny wants to prove that we need her but sometimes, I just don't want to feel guilty when I want to feed my own children. argh. I'm also afraid of nanny mother confusion of course. I think that Colin will have less problem with it because i swear, he stares at each of us and seems to comprehend who we are. Sienna is more lethargic but she does smile. She smiles more at the nanny though ( Argh, i have to get over this though, especially because I'll be returning to work soon. sniff.

Tear and Monkey, how are you ladies feeling?

Hope, I hope the scan goes well! ah the terrible twos! I'm glad your dd is responding to learning to communicate better.

vegan, 31 weeks!







Where does the time go?! and WOW to getting so much work done during your pregnancy and hosting such a large family event. haha there was no way I was going to be doing that. haha in fact, I probably wouldn't do that even during my non pregnant times. ) but I'm glad it went well.

Ok, back to lurking. i'm still trying to get the babies on a better schedule, especially in preparation for going back to work (still a month away but I'm nervous!) Actually, they are asking me to start working from home a little early and to go to a big meeting August 22nd. So I have to get my bum in gear!

Hope everyone is doing well! Big hugs!!


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## kewpie80

Belly - I'm so sorry you're having so much trouble. If I were closer, I'd so come help! As for the spitting up, my ped. said that the anti-reflux meds just help with the excess acid and don't help with spit p cause that's a physical issue of the valve being immature and not closing at the top of the stomach. Liam have projectile vomiting and huge spit ups for weeks, but it gradually decreased as he got older. Now at 7 months, he spits up a tiny amount every few days. I've been told that by 8 months, it's *usually* all gone.

Blue - OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG!!!! I am FLOORED! And sosososo happy! Stick stick stick!!!!! You just made my day!

Vegan - You're getting so close!!!

Ren - Just remember they're YOU'RE children! If you want to hold and feed them, go for it! You worked too hard to let someone else push their way in!

AFM - My babies turn 7 months old today.... how did that happen? Maisie is scooting backwards now and she can kind of lunge forward when she gets up on her hands and knees. Liam still scoots forward while keeping his face on the ground. He refuses to crawl using his arms. It's really sad to watch cause he ends up with red marks on his cheeks. He's SO insistent that arms are over-rated.


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## Keria

Blue Again so so happy for you guys, hopefully you get everything figured out fast for the intralipids and the other stuff. I don't think the flight would be bad if you are up to it but your morning sickness may start already by then and I can't imagine being stuck on a plane for such a long flight while feeling like crap.

Belly I tried everything for the eye infections, eventually he just woke up one day and his eye was clear, I think that all they need is a little time and eventually she'll just outgrow it.

Rena I think it;s great that the babies are bonding with the nanny but by all means grab your baby when ever you want to. Sometimes my mom it's a little too helpful and I had to tell her a few times that these are MY babies and we are doing things my way.

Kewpie 7 months! We are right behind you at 6 months I can hardly believe it.


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## deportivo4

Blue- I sent you a post on the other thread. Basically, woo hoo! I can't believe it. So, happy for you and congratulations! I can't wait to see how your pregnancy progresses. I did get something for the nausea, still puking at night. I am feeling a bit better though and starting to find things to eat, so my baby will not be starving lol. I am good. I am blessed. It is a miracle that I am pregnant at all. And oh how amazing it is to finally get thought the first trimester. I still am gun shy, I think the hormones are partly why I just can't relax and let go. It is a challenge. Well worth everything!!!

I couldn't ask for anything better, after everything I have been through, I know this just makes me a more compassionate person. I couldn't ask for anything better to happen for you. I would love to try and be as supportive as possible for you through your pregnancy! So, excited. How, did this happen anyways?

Congratulations!!!!


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## Vegan Princess

Deportivo: How far along are you/when are you due? You're done w/the first tri already?! WOO HOO!!! Awesome!! Hopefully that means the nausea will soon be a distant memory. 

Kewpie & Keria: It's amazing and a little sad how fast time flies and little ones grow! I still can't believe I have a 3.5 yr old. She and I were sorting baby clothes today that she wore and I still find it a little hard to believe that she has grown SO much since then! That said, you guys are getting into SO many fun stages these days.

Rena: That definitely sounds like mastitis. I think the tell tale sign is the chills that just come out of no where. So horrid! I'm sorry. I hope you're feeling better! If you think your supply took a hit from it, I found that goats rue restored what the mastitis took away (unfortunately it took me 8 months to figure that out!). I like what the others have said about not being shy about taking your time w/your babies while the nanny is there. This time you have with them before you go back to work is so precious.

Cindy


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## hope4light

Belly - I did just that last night while DH was actually home (woo hoo!) and putting DD to bed. It was by candlelight and SOOOO nice!! I'm glad the Zantac is working, but I agree that the spit up will probably stay around for a while. I'm so sorry about the mastitis and migraine, I've heard they can go hand in hand. Ugh.

blue - I am feeling good! STILL dealing with some headaches, but I think I'm noticing the m/s less and less these days, thankfully!! I know that I posted it on the IVF ONE thread, but I have to say it again - CONGRATS!!! I am so excited for you! I think that flying won't be an issue, I did early in the first tri with my DD with no problems.

Vegan - Wow, 31 weeks... where did the time go?! OK, and 11 kids?? Wow. That's just crazy!!

rena - Oh hun, sounds like mastitis to me. It may have started out as a clogged duct that turned into mastitis if you weren't able to get rid of it. I hope that you're feeling better. And blood in the stool? I'd push them to make sure nothing else is wrong, trust your instincts mama. It doesn't make sense that it would have taken this long to show up if it's a milk allergy, but I guess cutting it down/out is a good starting place. And I agree with EVERYONE else. They are YOUR babies that you worked so hard for. If you want to hold them and feed them, then just take them and do it!!

Kewpie - wow, 7 months.... crazy how quick the time goes. I'm laughing at how Liam wants to crawl though, how adorable is that (OK, except for the red face he gets, poor kiddo).

AFM - Just SO excited about tomorrow's ultrasound. Can't wait to see this little one and be reassured that everything is as it should be. I'm feeling movement a LOT more lately. I think it helps that it's my second, so I know that it's movement versus something else. It's still inconsistent and strange feeling, but oh how I've missed this. I'm enjoying every movement as I know I only have just over 5 more months of this and then probably never again. I love it.


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## prayinghard

Blue: That is the best news!!! Congratulations!


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## Tear78

omg..OMG...WHAT?! BLUE!!!!!!! what...umph...must go read back! I'm SOOOOOOO happy for you and hoping hoping with all I can muster that this is a sticky baby!!!

ok...breathe...flying in first trimester. I asked my midwife and she said I shouldn't be concerned at all, and we flew to Germany and then Mallorca within a couple days. She said if it's not strong enough for that, then it's probably not a healthy bean anyway. She's very to the point, which I like, because she reassures me. Hopefully all is well. Last pregnancy I flew around now and got the stomach flu, which was AWFUL while pregnant, but it's not flu season now. I know kind of how you feel about not being under the RE's supervision...it feels weird for me too. I've tried to take the stance that this baby just wanted to be here because it dug right in on its own, so I feel like it just has to be a fighter. Hang in there, and definitely keep us updated!!! We're 8 weeks now, and i hope the little one is ok. My morning sickness has been a bit better, which freaks me out, but I've been really low energy and getting light-headed easily, and I got a migraine yesterday, plus I'm feeling stretchy uterus feelings, so I have to continue believing that everything is ok. All right, MUST GO STALK YOU!


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## blueyezz4

Thanks ladies!!!! We are truly still in shock!!! I got my 2nd beta numbers back today and they went from 1300 to 2771 so that is good. My fear is that I feel like I have lost all of my symptoms today. Gosh this sucks. The symptoms were driving me crazy and then today they are all gone and now I want them back. The other 2 times I've been pregnant in the past my nose gets to be a wreck and DH has to sleep in the other bedroom b/c I snot, sneeze and snore all night long. Last night DH actually slept in bed w/ me and it wasn't that bad at all and today I can breath fine, also the last few days I haven't had any appetite and food tastes funny but today my lunch tasted great and I was hungry too. Ugghhhh!!!







This is going to be the longest 8 months of my life if all works out. I go tomorrow at 1:40pm for my U/S w/ our high risk Dr that we have used in the past w/ the other 2 pregnancies. I sure hope that I wake up tomorrow w/ those awful symptoms again.

*Tear* - thanks for the info about flying. That made me feel better. My RE, OBGYN all said they want to wait to see what the u/s shows before they give me to go ahead. My feeling is even if it is bad news tomorrow i should still go. Last time I m/c'd it took over a month before i even started bleeding and it was only a bit and i was taking the drugs too get things started as well, even though they weren't working. We will see. I'm glad to hear that you are 8 wks now. At how many wks were you when you found out? I will be 6 this Sunday I think so we are pretty close if all works out for us (meaning DH and I). That is fun!!

*Thanks again everyone for your support.*


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## Vegan Princess

Blue: Did you start taking prednisone or another steroid this week? That would clear you right up! My allergies were SO awesomely gone for the early part of this pregnancy bc of them. But man did they get bad again after. Good luck tomorrow!

Cindy


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## blueyezz4

*Vegan* - nope! They didn't put me on any steroids. My nose loves prednisone it is like a miracle drug for all my sinus issues normally. I had the intralipids on Tues so maybe that helped, who knows. I just feel better when I feel something even though that "something" usually sucks. We did have ice cream tonight and that just seemed really too sweet for me and my first pregnancy I was the same way. Not interested in sweet things but like salty.


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## Keria

So exciting can't wait for the u/s results the little bean will be in my thoughts all day. Hopefully you'll see a little heartbeat flickering away. FWIW I didn't get any symptoms until 6 weeks or so but I hope you feel yucky today. And I'm sorry to tell you the worry doesn't end after the 8 months you just find new things to worry about.


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## blueyezz4

*Keria* - Thanks!!! The problem is that I had full symptoms and now they are gone which kinda bothers me. Fingers crossed though and praying all is well. U/S is at 1:40pm, but i'm sure it will probably be more like 2ish instead b/c it seems they always run late. We have "bird camp" tonight w/ Abby, but I'll try to pop on to at least let you all know. I know I'm not really an "IVF" grad exactly, but I hope you all don't mind my updates over here. Not sure where I will fit in to begin w/, but not exactly comfortable anywhere right now I guess until I know more.


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## hope4light

blue - you're always welcome with us!! I think after so many IVF's you are still considered an IVF grad in my book  Not that it matters, you're welcome regardless!!

My u/s went great on Tuesday, the tech managed to fly over the genitals and not slip up and tell us, so we are still blissfully unaware of what we are having! YEAH! But man I've been feeling uncomfortable. I think it's round ligament pain, but I don't remember it hurting like this with my DD. It gets worse when I get home, after being up and about all day and then picking up my 2 year old. Ugh. Other than that I'm feeling pretty good these days! Although I thought I caught a case of some kind of poison something when I was working on the yard at our rental home in July, but after a while it randomly spread (and not like poison things do, but I'm not typically allergic to them). One spot on my leg has managed to bruise from my itching! I have my next OB appt on Tuesday, so I'm going to have her take a look.

On a totally different note... work is killing me. I didn't fill an open position in my staff from someone who retired in April, and I had one person on loan. Then 2 other people who didn't report to me left, but I had to do their work because my boss is brand new and was clueless. So finally he hired 2 people, one starts on Monday and one started on 8/1, but the one that started on 8/1 was one of my reps, so now I'm short another person. Then on Tuesday right before I left for my u/s another rep resigned, and then on Wednesday another one got called up to active duty! I'm down to 1 1/2 reps when I typically need about 5 1/2. Talk about stressful. My new boss is real good about trying to work through this the best we can, but HIS boss (our VP whom I've worked with for years) is NOT. He seems to think I can carry the weight of the world on my shoulders, and I told my boss yesterday that I can't; that I can only carry 1/2 of it. I'm trying not to be too stressed, and somehow I'm doing an OK job at it. I think because I'm just at that point where I'm realizing that I can't change it, and people have to understand just how short staffed we are. I take 3 open positions to HR for approval in a week and 1/2 and I'm praying they approve all 3. But then I still have to interview, hire, train, etc. UGH. Why couldn't this have happened when I'm not pregnant?!


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## blueyezz4

*Hope* - Wow, your work does sound crazy right now. I sure hope it starts to calm down a bit for you so you don't have so much stress. Glad to hear the u/s went well.

*AFM* - Well, the u/s went okay. I guess they are saying that I'm only like 4 1/2 weeks and I'm not almost 6 weeks which from my last period that is where it would put me. They saw the gestational sac and the yolk sac, but they said it is too early to see the fetal pole or a heat beat yet. I have to go back on the 27th which is the day after we get back from London. I'll probably be half asleep for it, but that is okay. My OB also got the report and just called me which I thought was very sweet. She said that if the high risk Dr was comfortable w/ me flying over seas then he must have felt that it looked pretty good. She said if i start having any bleeding before I leave to call her right away. I also asked her about the high hcg levels of 1300 and 2771 and she said that they are in the normal range and nothing to be concerned about. So over all I feel better about the whole thing and know I just have to take one day at a time and it's out of my hands if this little bean will end up strong and healthy.


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## Keria

Sounds like good news to me.I think it's normal to just see yolk sac in the beginning of the 5th week. My re doesn't do u/s before 6.5 weeks to make sure he sees a hb. Have a fun trip. Is it for work or vacation?


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## blueyezz4

*Keria* - Thanks! With the date of my last period, this Sunday I should have been 6 wks so that is why the high risk Dr did the u/s now. Maybe I Ovulated late or something, I'm hoping. DH is going over the week before me for work and then I'm flying over for fun to meet up w/ him and we will stay w/ and see my Brother who lives over there. We figured since DH's work will pay for his ticket this is the time to do it b/c we'd just have to buy one ticket and since we were done w/ ART and didn't have anything holding us back like we have in the past 6 yrs, we jumped on it. Go figure!!!! LOL

*PS* - I forgot to mention that the high risk Dr was kinda freaked out about the intralipids like i was putting something toxic in my body that has no evidence, so it kinda scared both DH and I. Good grief!!


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## renavoo

Blue, I'm so happy that things went well at the US. I think you probably ovulated late. With the HCG growing, I'm sure everything is going well. Big hugs and just wanted to let you know I was thinking of you!!

Hope, I hope things slow down for you soon!!! This is so unfair that you have so much you have to deal with at work. They should be more understanding.

Tear, i hope you feel better soon (Without going into the worry about whether the baby is ok! He/she is!) I'm so excited for the babies we're going to "meet" soon D

Ok, off to pump. Argh, I was bad and didn't sleep when the babies slept so now I'm tired. Oh well, i'll take a nap when DH wakes up )

Big hugs to everyone. I am thinking of all of you, even though i'm MIA.


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## blueyezz4

*Renavoo* - thanks!!!!

*AFM* - Well, my favorite nurse at my RE's office sent me an email this morning and said that she reviewed my U/S w/ my RE (even thought he isn't really my Dr right now but has been so great at following us w/ this) and he really wants me to have another u/s this coming week before I would head over seas. Not sure if it will make any difference w/ flying and what-not. So now on Monday I have to call and try to schedule another u/s hopefully for Thurs. That is the scoop here.


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## prayinghard

Blue: Still thinking of you everyday and praying that your little bean is a fighter!

Hope: I hope that things slow down for you. Glad that you stuck up for yourself and told them you could not shoulder everything alone.

Renavoo: Get some rest! And kiss those sweet babies!

AFM: Doing ok. Will be 25 weeks on Monday. Still not out at work, but can't hide it much longer. I feel HUGE! We are having a lot of trouble coming up with names that we both agree on. I would love some imput from all of you. I am considering Ella as a middle name after DH's grandmother, but that is not set in stone. He really like Kaitlyn...but that is so popular. I like the name, but I kind of wanted something a little less popular. Help!!!!


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## Keria

Blue, I think you'll be able to fly with no problem, I'm sure your RE just wants to make sure everything is progressing well.


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## Tear78

ok, I'm finally back in real internet access and can reply, but I'm hopelessly behind, so I'm just going to reply to blue and hope you'll all forgive me.









blue, I think it's totally possible you o'd late, since you weren't really trying and paying attention to your cycle, right? My hcg levels were in that range around 4-5 weeks. I'm really glad that your RE is going to give you another u/s, because waiting for weeks is agony. I hear you on the loss of symptoms worry. I have to wait two and a half more weeks for my next u/s, and I'm trying so hard not to worry. My morning sickness is better than before, which freaks me out. I was really sick until 13-14 weeks last time, but I was also injecting hormones into my body. I have other symptoms, including stretching uterus feelings from time to time, so I'm trying to focus on that. The past week I felt MISerable in Mallorca because it was 90-100 degrees and humid, often still at night, and there was no air conditioning. Heat intolerance was a big thing for me last time, too. Anyway, I would appreciate another ultrasound right now, but since I can't have that I have to just try to think positive and wait. At least we're back in Germany now where it's cool and comfortable.







I forgot to answer your earlier question, though, which is that my husband is German and his whole family is here, so that's why we visit. It's becoming more like once a year as fares go up, but we'll see. Anyway, back to you: I think my point was that it's really stressful when symptoms go away, but I do think they come and go, and slowly change. I'm very glad you have an u/s coming up, and I hope you see awesome news. I'll be following and rooting for you!









ok...gotta go but I'll be more connected now.


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## blueyezz4

Praying - I love the name Ella and think it's really cute as a middle name. Does DH want KAitlyn to be the first name or the middle name? I guess I'm confused. Names are hard and Im thankfully my DH isn't really opinionated on things like that. Or wasn't when we were picking our boys names. Good luck!! Love to hear what other first names u are thinking about to go w Ella! I still can't believe u haven't come out about the pregnancy. How the heck do you hid it???

Keria - yeah I think even if this next u/s comes back neg they will still let me go but then at least I know to be prepared just in case while over seas. Fingers crossed! Hope you n the babes r doing good.

Tear- thanks so much for the info. Sorry to hear your symptoms are light right now but it still sounds like you have a few. I keep reminding myself that this cycle is totally different bc it's natural which is so foreign to us that this might alll be normal and how my body reacts w/o all the extra hormones and what not. Still feel like I need more symptoms though. Lol
I also wanted to ask you if when you flew if you went thru the x-ray scanner at the airport or if they let you do someting different? I really don't want to do that of I can get out of it even though I'm sure they say it doesn't hurt anything but still. Wonder if I need a drs order sayInf I'm pregnant or anything?? Maybe I'll put a post up n see what others say in case you don't get back on the computer soon. How much longer are you there? Hope you have a great trip!!!! Also did you try to get up and walk alot on the plane?? I hate to ever get up on a plane to begin w/. I just stay put w my book or magazine n don't normally move. Thanks again.


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## Tear78

blue, I just declined the xray scanner and they gave me a very thorough pat-down instead. You don't need to give any explanation. I didn't think about getting up and moving on the plane. I guess my bladder maybe took care of that.


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## blueyezz4

*Tear* - thanks for sharing!!! I guess from what I hear that you get more radiation from the plane than you do the x-ray machine. I know my dentist has told me in the past that there is more radiation coming from our tvs than his dental x-ray machine. So i guess it is everywhere!!


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## blueyezz4

*Quick update:* I'm now scheduled for my next U/S this Thurs at 9:20am and then i have to go into work late. I'll try to keep you all posted after, but I might not be able to until lunch time or after work. After seeing the last u/s my RE said that he wanted one more u/s before I'd fly over-seas just to be safe (not that it will change anything w/ flying, but will at least make me more aware). With our first IVF m/c the 2nd u/s, a wk later than the first, the yolk sac disappeared and the gestational sac was continuing to grow, so i wonder if he is just playing it safe even though i'm technically not really his patient, but i sure appreciate him looking out for me like this. Such a great guy!!!

*How is everyone else doing????*


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## kewpie80

blue - your RE sounds like a fantastic dr! I can't wait to hear how little one is doing.

AFM - Here's a snapshot from this past weekend. They're getting so big.


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## deportivo4

blue- hey more reasurance the better! I have my second ultrasound on thursday too! Hope we both have good news to share! Can't wait to hear yours!

Kewpie- so so cute, love Liam's outfit so handsome haha. And they are getting so big!


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## Keria

I sit thursday yet? lol Hope you two have wonderful news to share tomorrow.

Kewpie they are adorable I have baldies too I wonder when their hair is going to come in.


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## Vegan Princess

I know, I woke up and got excited for Blue and Deportivo and then realized it's still Wed. LOL. Hoping for fabulous news for both of you guys tomorrow!!

Nothing really exciting going on over here. I'm getting a 90 minute prenatal massage tonight. It was DH's birthday gift to me. I am sooooo looking forward to it. My hips have been so achey and my sciatica was so bad last night.

Cindy


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## Tear78

Good luck tomorrow blue and deportivo!


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## blueyezz4

*Kewpie* - your little ones are so adorable!!! I love her little dress and his little tie!!! What were they all dressed up for? Too cute!! Give them each a kiss on the head from me!!

*Deport* - How fun that we both have u/s's on the same day! I'll be thinking of you and praying all goes well!!! What time is your u/s?

*Vegan* - enjoy your massage!!! I know when i was pregnant my hips killed and i could only sleep in bed so long at night. Have you ever tried chiropractics? I know there are some that will work on pregnant women too and that helps, i think. I really need an adjustment now but have too much work and no time plus i fly out of Sat so not until i get home i guess. Bummer!!

*Keria*- thanks!!! Hope your doing good.

*Belly* - how are you? I'm sure you are going crazy w/ the new little ones but know i'm thinking of you and praying that your adjustment is going smooth. Haven't seen your name for awhile so I was just a little worried about you.

*Tear* - Thanks girl!!! You home yet or still across the Pond?????? When does the "S" word start? I know you got out late so maybe you go back later than everyone else too.

*AFM* - U/S at 9:20 am and I'm trying to brace myself for either good or bad news. Yesterday I felt much more pregnant than i do today. I hate to complain b/c it is nice not to have symptoms but gosh I would rather feel something so I knew good things were going on in there!!!! Can't win!!! LOL


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## Vegan Princess

Kewpie: I totally forgot to post that your little ones are so precious!!! 

Blue: I got a lot of chiro adjustments when I was pregnant last time. It really helped a lot. But it would always slip back out of place a few days later, thanks to the relaxin. I had dif insurance then and it was mostly covered (plus I was employed and didn't worry so much about money then!). I got the name of a good chiro for pregnant women and someone even gave me a coupon for 1/2 off the initial consult. But I am trying to hold out until I really need it since it's 100% out of pocket now. And yeah - the hips - i find myself staying up kinda late bc I know I only get so much time in bed before becoming really uncomfortable.

The massage was amazing!!! One of the best I've ever had and definitely the best prenatal (I had a few last preg). 

Sending up lots of prayers tonight for good news for Blue and Deportivo tomorrow!!

Cindy


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## Tear78

gah, blue I'm still in Germany so even though it's after 9:20 here I still have to wait at least 6 hours to hear how you're doing! I have my fingers crossed for your little bean!


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## hope4light

Blue and Deport - can't wait to hear the good news from your u/s today!!

Vegan - so jealous... I really need to get a massage


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## kewpie80

blue and deport - I'm dying here!

Blue (again) - They were dressed up for my niece's baptism.


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## Tear78

Blue, thinking of you and hoping you're off celebrating!


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## blueyezz4

On my phone and at work.

Just a quick update: We've got a HEARTBEAT!!! I think it was like 118 and they said I'm 6wks 4 days, I think it was!







Baby is on track and est due date of April 7th!! Thx for all the thoughts n prayers!

More later gotta get back to work!!!!


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## monkeyscience

*YAY BLUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!* Stick, baby, stick!!! So awesome you got a heartbeat! Now one of my top three "Ladies Who Really, Really Need a BFP" has got one! (Not that there aren't more than 3 ladies out there deserving a BFP... just the 3 I've been cheering on the longest!)


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## Vegan Princess

Blue: Yay!!!!!!!!!!!! You made my day!!! I am just SOOOO thrilled for you and your DH!! NOW, have an amazing trip to London!!!!  When do you have to do intralipids again? Or are you unsure if you are going to continue them? See - symptoms aren't everything. I was constantly complaining to my RE I didn't feel sick so I was nervous and he always said "you don't have to be throwing up to be pregnant!".

Cindy


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## Tear78

yippeeeeeeee!







Blue, I am SO happy for you!!! That's much farther along than the first u/s showed, right? Your baby is blossoming!







And yay for being pregnant and not throwing up!


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## BellyBean

Blue, so incredibly excited for you!!!!!!! I am so happy to hear it went well today, I have also been thinking about it all week 

Not much time right now, but I'll be back for more personals later (I hope!!!)


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## Keria

YAY!!!


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## rcr

yay Blue!!!! btw - I never had many symptoms with DS. I never puked - my only symptom was that I felt really tired all the time for the first few months, but then that went away.


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## blueyezz4

*Deport* - Thinking of you!!!! Hope all went well!!!!!

*rcr* - thanks!!! Yesterday I didn't have much symptoms at all but today i woke up w/ them in full force and felt like I needed to keep eating all day. I usually stick w/ water and pretzels which the salt seems to really help. I totally have the pregnancy insomnia going on which sucks!!! I'm sure going to a different time zone here this weekend will really mess w/ my body and sleep. Joy!!!

*Vegan* - I have a message out to my RE about the intralipids. I think I'll probably do it, I mean, it is just soluble fats so i'm not sure how it could be bad but i asked the question. I need to try and see if i can research it somehow. I think I'd either need them every 2-3 wks or once a month, that question is out there too, until like 24 wks i think it is. Have to get all my questions answered first but it's all in the works.

*Belly* - glad to see your name. I felt like it's been awhile but know you are probably crazy busy!!!


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## renavoo

YAH BLUE!!! I'm jumping up and down for joy right now!!! I can't wait to follow you through this pregnancy. i'm just so happy for you (even though you're now suffering from the symptoms but hey, it's all good!!) Grow little bean grow!! This is so exciting and I am so happy!


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## kewpie80

blue - So excited for you! You so deserve this!

deport - thinking of you today


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## Tear78

deport, I hope you're doing well too!


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## blueyezz4

*Deport* - Thinking of you!!!!

*Renavoo & Kewpie* - Thanks ladies!!

*AFM* - My hormones must be in full swing tonight b/c my parents just left w/ Abby and I about started to cry when I walked back into my empty house. I did fine all week w/o DH around, but now it just seems so weird not to have my little girlie here to keep me company! Our friends were going to watch her but she has that stupid virus back again so she can't be around other dogs again. Grrr. So thank God for Grandma and Grandpa b/c they were willing to drive from PA to pick her up and take her back home w/ them. I sure hope she doesn't terrorize them w/ her high energy tactics. I'll be worried about them all week, but hopefully it will all go smooth. Fingers crossed!!!! I fly out tomorrow at like 2:40 and get into London at like 6 something am on Sunday London time so it is going to be a whirl-wind adventure. I'm excited to see DH though and to hang out w/ my Brother as well. Oh I just found out that our neighbor works for the TSA in the airport that I'm flying out at. Watch it will be my luck i'll end up getting him and he will have to do my pat down b/c I'm going to refuse to go through the x-ray machine. Guess the cat might get out of the bag in the neighborhood tomorrow, actually I don't have to say why technically. Fingers crossed I don't get him!!!


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## blueyezz4

Also ment to ask if any of you had pregnancy insomnia!??? I totally have it and last night i laid awake in bed from 1am until like 5am and then finally went to sleep for a bit. I tried to take a nap this afternoon but couldn't even fall asleep then either. I feel like I'm in a hyper mode or something. It is really weird. I guess it is good b/c i'm not crazy tired like I should be but I know I need sleep.


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## Vegan Princess

Blue: I get horrid pregnancy insomnia. It sucks. I wish I could say I had a great answer, but I don't. Although, I've started taking magnesium supplements before bed to help ward off restless legs. And I find that the mag really knocks me out and I sleep really well on nights that I take it. So that might be something worth trying. Or a warm epsom salt bath before bed (it's magnesium salts). But yeah - I've never in my life actually gotten out of bed at 3 am and surfed the net or made a snack until this pregnancy! Hopefully you'll sleep better once you're not so excited about your big trip tomorrow! I'm sure a big international trip would keep me awake even if I weren't pregnant.  Safe travels and have fun!!

Deport: I hope all is well with you!!

Cindy


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## Tear78

Blue, you'll get a female security person to do your pat down, that's how they do it. No worries! Sorry to hear about Abby, but I'm glad your parents are able to take her so shes with loving family. Safe travels over to this side of the ocean! I've had pregnancy insomnia with one of my first pregnancies. It was no fun, but it didn't last long. I hope yours eases up. Have fun overseas!


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## renavoo

Hi ladies! Just checking in to see how everyone is doing.

Tear, Vegan, Deport, Hope, how are you ladies feeling? I hope the pregnancies are treating you well! Hope and Vegan, we're moving along!! Soon you guys will be sharing photos of your little ones, I hope!!

Belly, Kewpie and Keria, Hi, how are you ladies doing? How are the babies?

Blue, Safe travels and I hope you have fun! I bet Abby is missing you like crazy!

Everything is good here. We're getting into the swing of things and the babies are insanely fun. I'm so sad that I have to go back to work in less than a month; it's really depressing me because I love love love being with my babies. I'm sure I will enjoy being back at work too but seriously, I am so jealous of my nanny, who gets to spend all her time with my babies. It makes me so sad. But otherwise, loving being a mother and especially to my two little babies. They have grown so much! They still share a crib because we still have the crib in our living room (the nursery is right near our room- NYC apartments are so small!) and DH is such a light sleeper that we have the little ones living in the living room to prevent them from waking my husband after his shift. They are quickly growing out of the sharing though- they are a little long now to be lying vertically! I'm curious what their length is now. Their 2 month visit will be on Tuesday!

Recent photos ) Their smiles kill me. I also torture them by nibbling on their cheeks constantly.


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## Keria

Blue did you tell your parents yet? I flew at 19 weeks and was ready to deny the xray but I never got selected for it, Dh did get to go to the machine in one of the flights and my babies got the pat down because they were in the stroller sleeping and I didn't want to take them out to put the stroller in the machine. One of them woke up anyways with the pat down.

And I did have insomnia it sucked, Hopefully you'll be able to sleep soon.

Have a fun trip!.

Rena omg they are so beautiful and look sooo big. I love little Siennas arm rolls. Is she bigger than Colin?.

We are self employed but it's getting pretty hard to get anything done while taking care of the babies. We are considering daycare a couple of days a week but right now the babies have huge separation anxiety do I don't know if it will work.


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## renavoo

Thanks Keria!

Sienna is definitely chubbier, especially around the face area. Colin's nickname is Piston because is constantly kicking and punching the air. He's building some really strong muscles and I have been telling him that he needs to become an olympic swimmer or soccer player ;o) Sienna, on the other hand, sleeps more and just likes to snuggle. I think that that is why she is chubbier even though they are about the same weight.

Oh no about the separation anxiety!! How does one overcome that? I imagine that I'll have to deal with that in the future too and I'm really anxious about it. haha I think I'll be the one who will eventually suffer from separation anxiety ;o)

Kewpie, I just saw the photo with Liam and Maisie in their "Sunday best"...OH MY GOSH, they have gotten so big and SOOOO ADORABLE! Maisie is gorgeous and Liam is so handsome in his little tie and pants combo. I just melted!

Keria, photos please! Your babies must be getting so big too!


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## Vegan Princess

Rena: Seriously - I could eat them up!! SOOOO beautiful and squishy! 

Cindy


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## Keria

Rena my babies are the same my guy has jumping beans on him and Lucia is very mellow and prefers to observe. You don't have to ask me twice for pics I love showing them off/

My boy looking cute in his crib



Girlie making a mess eating some bananas



6 month birthday


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## renavoo

Keria, oh my gosh, they are SO CUTE!!! I looove their 6 month old photo! They have gotten so so big and their smiles! Makes my heart melt...I love it! With such beautiful babies, of course you love showing them off!


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## blueyezz4

Keria - love the new pics !! To answer your question about my parents, they were actually at our place when I took the first pregnancy test and we ended up telling them then. With my mom and her condition after her last stroke she really can use some good news to brighten her day.

Renavoo- love the new pics! Can't believe how fast they grow. Hope you had a good Birthday!

Tear - yep you were right about the female pat down. I survived.

Hi to everyone else!!!

AFM - I made it to London. Man was that a long flight. I ended up telling one of the flight attendants that I was pregnant bc she wanted me to switch seats and I told her I needed to be on the end to get to the bathroom often and why. She snuck me a huge bottle of water and said to stay hydrated and then the when they were getting ready to pass out dinners they asked us (myself n another guy) what we would like chick, beef or veg before they went to serve the rest of the plane since we were in the total last row. I'm assuming it's bc I told her i was expecting but maybe it's normal who knows. I'm sure the guy sitting a seat beside me thought you always get that kind of treatment maybe sitting in the last row. Lol so my brother picked me up at the airport and we took the train n then a taxi to his flat. When I walked in the door the heat kinda got to me n I headed to the bathroom to hurl! Felt much better after that and had some peanut utter toast n water then took a nap and shower and came back to life. Still a bit tired but better than expected.


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## Tear78

Rena and Keria, you both have absolutely adorable little munchkins! Rena, I hear you on going back to work. That was hard, brut you do adjust. I'm facing that again as school starts again soon. Keria, ugh separation anxiety breaks my heart. I hope it ges easier!

Blue, I'm glad you made it safely and didn't have to get patted down by your neighbor. ;-). That was a smart move telling the flight attendant. I may do that on the flight bck, because I feel like they nev bring me enough water. Have fun!

Afu, I think we may start trying to slowly wean DD. :-(. My milk is almost gone, if not completely, and she seems to get upset by nursing. Last night she was wailing for an hour because I decided to pull her off after dry nursing for a while. Often she will nurse and nurse and won't fall asleep because shes not getting the milk she wants. I just don't see how it's really sustainable for when the baby hopefully comes, and I don't want her to associate her milk going away with the baby coming either. Anyway, after an hour of wailing while we hugged her, snuggled, bounced, walked, DH had the brainstorm to put cows milk in her old bottle, and she sucked it down and fell asleep. We've tried that before with her sippy cup and she just pushed it away, but as soon as she saw her bottle I think she knew what we were doing. I was sobbing uncontrollably because the look of relief and satisfaction on her drowsy eyes as she sucked from the bottle is what she used to have while nursing, but I haven't seen it for at least a month because she's just not getting enough milk. My poor baby, and also I feel sad for losing that time with her. I am so thankful to be pregnant, and I want this baby to be healthy, it's just that this is a hard transition and I didn't want my little girl to have to go through it all of a sudden. We'll get through this, and ultimately having a sibling for DD is a wonderful reward, but for now it's hard. Plus I hope the baby is ok, though I've been feeling crappy enough that I feel hopeful. We have our next u/s in a week from today, at just before 11 weeks. Oh, I hope all is well.


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## Carlyle

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Tear78*
> 
> Afu, I think we may start trying to slowly wean DD. :-(. My milk is almost gone, if not completely, and she seems to get upset by nursing. Last night she was wailing for an hour because I decided to pull her off after dry nursing for a while. Often she will nurse and nurse and won't fall asleep because shes not getting the milk she wants. I just don't see how it's really sustainable for when the baby hopefully comes, and I don't want her to associate her milk going away with the baby coming either. Anyway, after an hour of wailing while we hugged her, snuggled, bounced, walked, DH had the brainstorm to put cows milk in her old bottle, and she sucked it down and fell asleep. We've tried that before with her sippy cup and she just pushed it away, but as soon as she saw her bottle I think she knew what we were doing. I was sobbing uncontrollably because the look of relief and satisfaction on her drowsy eyes as she sucked from the bottle is what she used to have while nursing, but I haven't seen it for at least a month because she's just not getting enough milk. My poor baby, and also I feel sad for losing that time with her. I am so thankful to be pregnant, and I want this baby to be healthy, it's just that this is a hard transition and I didn't want my little girl to have to go through it all of a sudden. We'll get through this, and ultimately having a sibling for DD is a wonderful reward, but for now it's hard. Plus I hope the baby is ok, though I've been feeling crappy enough that I feel hopeful. We have our next u/s in a week from today, at just before 11 weeks. Oh, I hope all is well.


Oh sweetie, that sounds so hard. ***HUG*** One thing to think about is that once the baby comes there will be more milk...so if you didn't decide to wean, she wouldn't need to nurse as long to get what she wants. It might be sustainable just because it would be so different from how it is now. For us at any rate, it was infinitely easier to tandem nurse than to nurse through pregnancy. But yeah, that does sound hard, and maybe weaning is the right thing for you guys. Oh jeez. If you do want to keep nursing, maybe you could nurse some and offer the bottle some (at least through 14 weeks or so)? I have no idea. It was so different for me because Nell was over 3 years old and so not needing the "food" aspect of the milk, just the comfort of nursing. Remember that you can still snuggle and have special time with her while she falls asleep even if she is sucking on the bottle instead of you. Dh doesn't have to be the one giving her the bottle. Hugs honey.


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## kewpie80

Rena and keria - Oh man your babies are all sooooo freaking cute! I love them! My babies are the opposite. Maisie is the firecracker and Liam sits back and observes and is so mellow.

Blue - So glad you arrived safely. That's so nice the attendant took such good care of you on the flight! I am praying hard for you and your little bean! It makes me happy to write, "your bean" after your name. I am still blown away by your news.

Tear - I'm so sorry.  My situation is not the same, but I cried and felt so defeated when I found I couldn't breastfeed and had to resort to formula. It sure cuts deeply when we want so hard to provide for them. I'm sorry

AFM - Maisie is crawling and came close to pulling herself up.  Liam is now butt scooting. He sits and rocks back and forth and uses momentum and his feet to pull himself forward. This boy is hilarious!


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## Tear78

Kewpie, it's so cute how they get themselves around in their own individual ways!







. It's exciting and nerve wracking at the same time. Thank you for sharing your thoughts about breastfeeding. You reminded me how thankful I am that we were able to breastfeed for so long, and you also made me feel not alone.









Carlyle, I love you! I thought about tandem nursing, but I'm not sure it's going to be the best solution for us. I think any extra milk will have to be pumped and put in the freezer for when I have to go back to work. Our freezer stash with DD was barely adequate. I'm not committed to completely weaning her at this point, but we're going to focus on the nap feeding since I won't be pumping at work, and maybe eventually the nighttime feeding once I hopefully get farther along with this second little one. In the meantime, I will continue to offer her the breast at bedtime and in the night, but if that isnt enough then we will use the bottle. I was the one that gave it to her last night, and you're right, we can still cuddle. It just hurt to see that I couldn't give her that complete comfort and satisfaction myself any more. Sigh...i guess i have to share with dh now.







thank you for empathizing.







. I'm hoping that this isn't all worry for nothing and that the little fighter baby two is still growing healthy and strong. I miss you!

Eta - I posted in the wrong thread for deportivo. I hope you're doing ok, and I'm thinking about you! Please come share when you can.


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## KeliG

Hi all! I have been stalking this thread for a few days now and even though I have a few days to go until my first blood test everything is looking really, really great. I have wanted so much to share but with the way the Summer IVF thread has gone (lots of disappointments







) I felt kinda awkward saying how great things were over there. So even though I know its a bit premature I figured I would pop in here. I am really looking forward to getting to know all of you and have to say the pictures are soooo precious!

Hi Blue and Deportivo! Good to see you guys. I promise to get caught up soon with all the things going on.

Tear~ It's good to meet you and I just wanted to second what Carlyle said and suggest that maybe instead of your DD seeing the baby as taking the milk away, maybe she will accept the idea that the baby brought the milk back even if just for sips... Just something that popped into my head as I was reading your post. I don't know if that would work or not as I have no direct experience with it, but I thought maybe the re-frame could be help.

afm~ So far I have all good signs after my two beautiful embies were transferred on day 5; I have had two distinct episodes of cramping followed by implantation spotting 36 hours after my transfer, then no more bleeding and only very mild cramps and I am now a full day late for my visit with AF! Also, I am tired already and having bouts of being super hungry and emotional! Plus the sore bbs thing....







I know some of that could be the hormone support I am on but I am thinking the odds are climbing that I am going to get a bfp on Friday.







Anyway, if it is OK I think I will wait here with you guys, especially since the IVF thread seems to be dying...


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## Vegan Princess

Keli: Sounds so promising!! Are you going to test before your beta? I'm a chronic tester and a pusher. LOL. 

Blue: I'm glad you made it safely! Have a great time!

AFM: Washing washing washing. Washing baby diapers and clothes right now. Too cute!!!  I had my baby shower yesterday. It was really nice. Mellow. Very nice to catch up with my friends, many of whom have kids DD's age, but with no kids around to interupt!

Cindy


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## BellyBean

Hi ladies, sorry I am so long between posts, I feel bad about it....I do read nearly everyday, but normally while nursing or right before my "help" arrives and I don't have time to respond.

Renavoo, can't wait to hear about the 2 month visit today. Ours is next week  Sorry you are bummed about having to go back to work  Hopefully you wont have to work those long crazy hours all the time again! Your little ones are absolutely darling!

Vegan, yay for little diapers  Glad your shower was fun, mine was super low key too (the second time around and all).

Tear, I remember when DD weaned (her choice) it made me so sad I cried for days. I wasn't ready to loose that bond yet, but after the initial disappointment we found so many other ways to bond, and I "knew" I'd have the chance with the next babe. Sadly, It hasn't been nearly the same with the twins. I completely understand your feelings, they really hit home with how I felt. It sounds like snuggling with a bottle might be a good alternative and it is nice for DH to get in on the bonding time too. Hugs!

Kewpie, your babes are adorable and I love hearing about how they are growing! How cute that they "move" differently. I love seeing how different my girls are even at just 8 weeks.

Keira, oh my goodness your little ones have grown so much! Their smiles are infectious! I still see a lot of your DH  I can't imagine trying to run a business with 2 active babes under foot! Great job!

Keli, sounds very promising! Hope you get your BFP friday! The IVF threads can be super active or a little slow depending on where everyone is in their cycle, but I am sure it isn't dying  I was on the threads back in 2008/2009 with my first pregnancy and sure enough they were still here when I started cycling again in 2011. So many wonderful women here to support each other, friends made, and babies born. It makes my heart warm just thinking about it.

Blue, Glad the trip went well and you got some "special" treatment!!! You totally deserve it! Can't wait to follow your entire pregnancy friend!!!!

Hope, how are you doing?

Deport, I really really really hope all is well with you.

AFM, just doing my best to keep up with my super busy household  Always seems to be a meal to make, laundry to do, diapers to change, games to play, and lots of messes to clean up! It keeps me on my toes, but I feel like we are starting to get into a little groove. I have successfully got a morning nap for the babes going, but our afternoons still need some routine...that's my next goal. I can make it till about 3, but then it's pretty chaotic as I try to prep dinner/clean up and all 3 girls are awake. The girls are sleeping in 4 hour stretches at night, sometimes a rare 5. It's hard because the stars have to align for both girls to sleep a long stretch. Seems like one or the other will make it, but we wake them up to help us from getting up again like an hour later. Just looked at DD's baby book and she was sleeping 8 hours at night at 10 weeks, but I don't think we'll get that with the twins  Fingers crossed for 12 weeks!!!

Thinking of you all


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## kewpie80

Belly - Oh how I would kill for a 4 hour stretch of them sleeping. Mine still wake up every 2 hours all night. Occasionally we will get 3 hours, but that's it. Our ped. said we should try sleep training, but I couldn't do it. It lasted 2 nights because I couldn't listen to them cry. I've been reading a lot about it and it seems that most experts say to not try it until a year old, so that's what I'm going to do. Some kids just need to get up at night, I guess. I think Maisie would sleep if we'd let her, but like you said, we wake her to avoid getting up the next hour. You are quite lucky to get good sleepers!


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## KeliG

Hi BellyBean (great handle btw). Thanks! There is a new thread for August that is very active but it's mostly a new (to me anyway) group that is starting a new cycle together. I felt it would be sorta rude and maybe hurtful to show up there as a new person to them and be days from a likely positive, but a lot of the group I did cycle with has gone silent. And understandably so, it was a rough summer on our thread. I recognized some names on this thread and sorta migrated. I am certain they will all be back eventually. I will be stalking the other IVF/TTC threads looking for them, because as you said they are an awesome group!

Hi Vegan Princess! I am glad you enjoyed the shower. I bet the clothes are just precious! I was going to try to hold off but I cracked and have a test sitting in its box in the master bath. I will likely use it today and then do a second one in the am too. Perhaps I am a chronic tester too!


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## kewpie80

keli - forgot you in my last post! Welcome! I hope you do get your BFP! Please keep us posted!


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## kewpie80

Vegan - I missed you too! sorry! I'm glad your shower went well. I loved washing all the little baby clothes and diapers! I actually didn't have a shower. Kind of a bummer, but oh well. Have fun organizing all your baby gear! How many weeks do you have left?


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## Tear78

Belly, that sounds to hard having two separate sleep cycles to link up. i hope they find a mutual rhythm soon. Thanks for sharing about the other ways of bonding: that's such a great way to look at it.









Kewpie, I think you're totally right: some babies just need to wake up more. I think you're doing them a huge service by attending to them even though it's exhausting. DD went through a phase where she was up every 45 minutes. Now she wakes up about once a night, though sometimes she sleeps through. It's so hard in the moment, but I say just do what feels right and know that time will help.







ps - I didn't have a shower either, but my cousins gave me a tiny impromptu shower with just them and gave me lots of stuff. I hope you're inheriting things too!

Keli, welcome! I'm hoping hoping hoping and will be stalking you!
















afu - well, we spent the morning in the German ER investigating what was probably a gall bladder attack last night. I've been having pain under my right rib cage for almost 2 weeks, often after eating, and last night I ate a cheese casserole. Within 30 minutes I was in lots of pain from my side up through my shoulder and teeth. After bloodwork, urine tests, and ultrasounds, they found nothing to explain it and chalked it up to gas (which is, btw, a symptom of gall bladder disease). I talked to my mom and she said that she thought she had just gas for years until her last attack when she was doubled over and couldn't breathe right. Her gall bladder was full of stones. She thinks I probably passed some debris last night and they couldn't see it today. I had some ice cream today and had more "gas" pain in exactly the same spot: where my gall bladder is. Anyway, I'm cutting out fat until I get home and I'm going to follow up. Ugh... The upside of this is that we got to see our little wiggle worm #2, and he/she seems to be doing well, with arms and legs and everything, measuring punctually at 10w0d.







It made everything seem so much more real, and what a relief (for now at least)! And we get to see the little one again next Monday. Now....to bed! What a day! DD was a champ and such a good sport.


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## Vegan Princess

Keli: Oooo good luck if you use the test tonight!!  I won't tell you how many tests I took. LOL. I tested out the trigger and then tested like 2x/day until after my beta. But I'd bought a pack of like 50 cheapies off amazon for $9.

Tear: I hope you are feeling better! My mom had her gall bladder removed a few yrs back. She had an attack that ended her up in the ER and then she had it out. Hopefully you won't have to go that route. My mom seems to be incapable of altering her diet to improve her health, so. Anyway, I'm glad you got to see your little babe in there! 

Kewpie: I have 6 weeks and 2 days until my due date. But I'm sort of expecting to go early. I don't know what to expect. LOL. DD was 2 weeks early. I'm sort of figuring I might be ready to go around 38 weeks again - though I certainly would't mind if this little one baked a little longer. DD was a tiny 5 lbs 12 oz and a sleepy nurser. My family and DH's family seems to only produce 6-7lb babies - so I do think DD was on track to be 6 something if she stayed in 2 weeks longer - but it was a wee bit nerve wracking having such a tiny baby. But she was also my first - maybe I wouldn't be as nervous this time. Maybe. LOL.

Cindy


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## blueyezz4

Posting on my phone which I hate bc I can't see back to many older posts. Might be short...

Tear - I think it's a little more common for pregnant women to have gallbladder issues. I had mine removed many yrs ago but my pain was mostly in the middle of my chest/stomach below my sternum. I'm so sorry you are going thru this now esp being away from home. I hope you have a good medical plan too. I checked w ours before leaving the states just in case of an emergency and we'd have to meet our huge deductible again bc it's out of network. Ugh! Glad you got checked though and nice to hear you got to see your bean! Yeah!!! Hope the change in diet helps calm things down. I tried a disgusting natural cleanse before I had surgery but I still had to have mine removed. Personally I think my immune system killed it but that's my theory. Keep us posted and hope you can enjoy the rest of your trip and not be in pain.

Belly - hope the babes sleep keeps increasing. Sounds like you are doing a great job!

Vegan - wow little over 6 wks is great. I always lose track of how far people are, even in real life.

Keli- keep us posted. You need to test for sure. Just get it done and let us know!! Also about the whole threads. I was a part of the infertility one thread for awhile before moving to ivf, I still stalk there now and then to root for those ladies. A lot of them are in the process of IUI's it's seems so I think that is why someone branched off and started the ivf thread as well. I think it's a little quiet on there (ivf thread) now bc so many women are kinda in between cycles, but I'd guess it'd pick up again soon.

Hope - how are you doing? Is work any better?

Kewpie & keria & Renavoo - hi to you both. love all the pics you all share!

Deport- we are all worried about you!! Please check in when you are able!!

Hope I didn't miss anyone. Love how I say it will be short and then write a novel!!

Afm- not much going on. I'm so tired of eating all the time non stop it seems. We eat dinner and then I'm done and I have to make myself some peanut butter toast to get me through. Uggggh. With our boys pregnancy I had the same thing and it seemed to get better around 12-14 wks so I have hope. Just keep feeding the bean!! Lol. Ive been really tired today too. Still trying to get my body switched over to this time zone. Oh and then after the long flight I've had this pressure in my one ear that I seem to get from flying so that's a pain bc it's still filled up. Not looking forward to the flight home on Sunday. It might be very painful.


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## blueyezz4

Can you all tell that I can't sleep?

Forgot to ask you ladies a question. What kind of at home monitor did you all use to listen to your baby/ babies heartbeats? I'm not there yet but just thought I'd ask the question. I know several of you bought one.


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## Keria

Thanks for the comments I think they are pretty cute. I may have to keep them 

Blue I hope you are having fun on your trip. Your parents must be so excited do they have other grandchildren?. I ate ALL the time in the first tri it was the only thing that made the nausea go away I guess that's why ended up gaining 60 pounds







. Are you still having another u/s on the 27?. I have a Sonotrax doppler. I loved it. You can have it if you want I'm pretty sure we won't be needing it anytime soon.

Tear So glad you got to see your little one growing healthy and strong.

Belly I'm a little jealous my kids are not in any kind of schedule but I guess that's my own fault so I can't complain.

Keli fingers crossed for you let us know if you test!

Vegan Wow time sure flies fast your little one will be here before you know it.

AFM Oliver is going through a nursing strike I wonder if he is teething. Poor Lucia is drowning with all the milk. I hope things are back to normal soon I got lazy with the pumping and now my kids forgot how to take a bottle so I really need him to start eating again.


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## Keria

Blue I can't sleep either it's 3 am and both babies area asleep so I should really be sleeping. I'm going to try to head to bed to see if there is room for me in there.


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## Tear78

Thanks, ladies!







I'm not surprised this happened while over here. Normally I dont eat so much fat, but Germans live off of meat and cheese and it's hard to eat low fat here when living in someone else's house and also trying to get lots of protein to help avoid preeclampsia.. I live mostly dairy-free at home, so hopefully the issue will resolve itself when we get back home, but I'd still like to ask a doctor for next steps...yknow, in English. It was so hard yesterday because they wouldn't let DH in the room with me and insisted the doc would speak English wih me, but he still spoke mainly German. It was really nerve wracking. Anyway, thanks for the support. I hope you ladies get some more sleep soon!


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## Vegan Princess

Aww Blue - i was hoping your insomnia was better once you had the big travel out of the way. Sorry. I've been borrowing a doppler from a friend. It's a "Hi Bebe". It seems to work well - it never took me all that long to find a heartbeat, even fairly early on.

Cindy


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## blueyezz4

Keria - yes, this is the first grandchild for my parents & will be the 7th for DH parents. I have one brother but he will never have any children so they are cautiously excited. If I can make it past 24 wks I think everyone will be relieved. No they cancelled my u/s for the day after I get back and re-scheduled it for the 21st I think it is and that's a scan for downs maybe? I'm not sure bc this time I am of "advanced maternal age" I guess so I'm not sure exactly. You are so sweet to offer your Doppler. Is it something that would be easy to ship to the states? I would happily pay for your shipping and send it back when we are done. Let me know. Not sure if I'm ready for it right yet! I have my first ob appt on the thurs after we get back which I think is the 30th. So maybe after that appt and I hear it there I'll feel better.

Vegan - I had the insomnia w my last preg too but this seems worst for some reason. Joy!!!

Tear - hope you are feeling some better today!! Isn't it funny how they eat all that stuff but you rarely see someone over weight there. I guess it's all the walking and biking they do. I had a german exchange student living w us when I was in junior high and she couldn't believe the obese people she saw in the states.

Praying - how are you doing?? Haven't heard much of an update from you lately. Hope all is well!!


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## blueyezz4

Just thought I'd share this for those of you that are breast feeding and worried about your supply!! I saw it on pinterest.

http://www.simplyrealmoms.com/posts/does-breastmilk-come-in-chocolate/


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## Keria

Blue it's only costs about 12$ for me to ship it. You can pass it along to someone else when you are done with it I'm 99% sure we are done. Just let me know whenever you are ready.


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## hope4light

blue - YEAH for a heartbeat!!! I'm also so glad that your travels went safely, and it sounds like the stewardess was so nice.

rena - Feeling pretty good  I'll post an AFM... glad that you are getting into the swing of things, but I'm sorry that going back to work is creeping up on you. That is SO hard! I am LOVING the pictures, they are soooo darn cute!!

Keria- they are getting so darn big, and so stinking adorable!!

tear - I'm sorry about the possible weaning. I know I weaned my DD at 19 months just to do IVF again, and it was SO hard. I cried for days. I still really miss it sometimes, especially as I have no idea if it will work out so well with this new one. However, like others have said, we do still snuggle and it is really just as good. She still loves my boobs LOL. I'm so sorry that you spent time in the ER, I hope it goes away and doesn't drive you insane with pain for the rest of this pregnancy.

Kewpie - yeah for crawling and butt scooting! I can't believe how fast they are growing up!!

Keli - welcome, and I'm hoping to hear about your BFP here real soon!! I also tested, and I'm not typically a tester, but I just KNEW that it worked, so I was OK doing it!

Belly - I have to imagine life has been a bit insane lately  I can't believe they are 2 months already! Where has the time gone?? I'm doing good, thanks  Good luck with the sleep issue.

Vegan - I can't believe how close you are! I'm so excited!!

AFM - Well, work isn't any better, it's still absolutely insane. It's hard to be pregnant and dealing with everything that is going on, but it is really forcing me to not let the stress get to me. Amazingly at my last check up my BP was still nice and low, so whatever I'm doing (I can't even pinpoint it ~ lots of smiling and taking things in stride, going through each day with a positive attitude, etc) I guess I'm doing a good job of it. But it seems like every day it's something new. Ah well, this too shall pass. On the pregnancy front, I'm officially 1/2 way, and I can't figure out when or how that happened. I mean really, 20 weeks? Wow. This little one is a moving machine. I don't know if I mentioned it before, but I started feeling the movement minimally around 17 weeks, then a lot more around 18 weeks, and now I feel it all the time. I LOVE IT. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! But, that's about it, and now I'm going home. Have a great one!!!


----------



## Carlyle

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Tear78*
> 
> Thanks, ladies!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'm not surprised this happened while over here. Normally I dont eat so much fat, but Germans live off of meat and cheese and it's hard to eat low fat here when living in someone else's house and also trying to get lots of protein to help avoid preeclampsia.. I live mostly dairy-free at home, so hopefully the issue will resolve itself when we get back home, but I'd still like to ask a doctor for next steps...yknow, in English. It was so hard yesterday because they wouldn't let DH in the room with me and insisted the doc would speak English wih me, but he still spoke mainly German. It was really nerve wracking. Anyway, thanks for the support. I hope you ladies get some more sleep soon!


Wow sweetie, I'm thinking of you tons. Just make sure that you're still eating enough protein, okay? I love you! (So glad the baby is doing so well!!!!)


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## Tear78

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Carlyle*
> 
> Wow sweetie, I'm thinking of you tons. Just make sure that you're still eating enough protein, okay? I love you! (So glad the baby is doing so well!!!!)


Thanks, Hun! I've been thinking about thisq too. It's hard, to be honest, but Ive been trying to eat chicken and eggs. Love you!

Everybody else, sorry to be brief, but dd is howling.


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## Keria

This is why I can't post more regularly


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## Carlyle

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Tear78*
> 
> Thanks, Hun! I've been thinking about thisq too. It's hard, to be honest, but Ive been trying to eat chicken and eggs. Love you!
> Everybody else, sorry to be brief, but dd is howling.


*MWUH!*

eta: Keria, that is seriously cute. OH THE CHEEKS AND SMILE!


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## Keria

Thanks Carlyle I love to munch on those little cheeks.


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## prayinghard

Deport. .....you out there? Everything ok?


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## blueyezz4

*Tear* - how are you feeling??? I hope you are doing better. When do you guys fly home?

*Carlyle* - always good to see your name pop up.

*Deport* - thinking of you!!!

*Keria* - cute video!!! Love it.

*Hi to everyone else too!!*

*??? for you all -* Did you ladies eat lunch meats when you were pregnant? I've been craving Hard Salomi lately, but I know that you aren't suppose to eat lunch meat unless it heated. So I just thought i'd see how you all did it? Do you just heat it up in the microwave and then put it in a different bag and put it back in the fridge and eat it the next day?

*AFM* - I feel like crap today. I'm just blaming it on the whole jet lag and needing to get my body back on a eating routine again and maybe some more sleep. We got home last night at like mid-night so that doesn't help my cause but hoping tomorrow will be better.


----------



## Carlyle

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *blueyezz4*
> 
> *Carlyle* - always good to see your name pop up.


Hah! This is how I feel about your pregnancy ticker. Every time I see it I get a BIIIIIIG ole' smile


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## Vegan Princess

Blue: hi. Are you still abroad? I've eaten lunch meat. Organic fresh deli turkey...not the packaged stuff that lasts forever. And also salami. It never occurred to me that I shouldn't eat salami? Does it have nitrites? I think that is the concern. I'm not overly cautious with food though. I've eaten some raw cheeses. Just not a ton.

Soooo achey over here! 34.5 weeks. It occurred to me yesterday that this baby is ok to be born at home in 2.5 weeks! That's insane. And hopefully she stay in a couple weeks longer than that!

Cindy


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## Keria

Blue I ate everything even sushi I started super being super careful but by the middle of the pregnancy I just ate whatever I wanted.

Vegan do yo have everything ready? did you pick a name? . I can;t believe you are almost done.

My babes having a bath


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## Vegan Princess

Keira: you twin mamas go thru the ringer with tough pregnancies and extra work but man do you get double the cuteness!

I have most things done. Everything is bought, almost everything is washed. Need to get the car seat out of the attic and wash it this week and move the changing table up to our room and then arrange her things how I want. I also need to do some washing and organizing of my home birth kit. But really I don't have a lot left to do. Which is good bc I have no energy and it hurts to walk right now. I'm finally breaking down and going to the chiro...hoping they call me back to schedule ASAP! Oh and still no name. Lol.

Cindy


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## prayinghard

Keria>>> I love the video and the picture. So stinking cute!

Vegan>>> Sorry that you are hurting but yeah to being on track with everything. I feel like I am way behind, but since we can't seem to make any decisions...we are stuck. See AFM for further explanation.

Blue>>> I am sorry to hear that you are feeling so crappy. As far as lunch meat...everything in moderation! I love hotdogs, but I have had about 5 since I found out that I was pregnant. I have also had a couple of sub sandwiches along the way (there is a Subway in the hospital where I work). If you want some salami, I say go for it, just don't each the whole package! It has nothing to do with cooking it...it is cooked already. It is the nitrates and preservatives and sodium that are no good for you or your little bean. Cooking it won't change that. But as long as you don't overdo..I think you be be just fine. Still walking on air to hear about you having to worry about such things. Keep fighting little bean!!!!!

Belly, Renavoo, Kewpie>>> I think of all you ladies. Sorry that I am so bad about posting. When I am off, I am either trying to catch up on rest or getting things done. At work, I read along on my IPad, but it is such a pain to write anything on that. I pipe in, but mostly just follow. Wishing all of you the best everyday!

Hope>>>thinking of you!

AFM>>> Still no idea on the name, have not picked a crib set and therefore have not painted the nursery. Have not picked out furniture yet...Like I said...way behind! I have an old back injury, so pregnancy is wreeking havoc on that. I am starting physical therapy again to see if that helps. And oh..the round ligament pains are really starting to kick in. Joy! She is kicking alot. I go back to the OB next week, then will start going every 2 weeks. Can't believe that I am 27 weeks already. It has taken forever and flown at the same time...if that makes any sense! I finally broke down and told my bosses last week. I was told by a friend who knows that I am pregnant that my co-workers have started asking questions, so I figured if I wanted my boss to hear it from me I better go fess up. They were very happy for me and gave me no trouble at all, not that I was expecting them too. Anyway...doesn't really matter. This baby is coming whether they like it or not! Can't believe that I have been able to cover it up for this long! Looks like my mom and DH's mom are coming for Thanksgiving so they will be here for my girls arrival. My dad will come after she is here. Getting very excited! I am still working my 7 days on 7 days off schedule, which it hard. But I just try and take it one day at a time. Glad this is my week off as the roads are a mess from Isaac. Thought my car was not going to make it home the other day with all the water on the roads. I had DS with me so I was frieking out. But we make it..thank God. Well, I better get to my to-do list.

I am sorry if I missed anyone. God bless all of you and your little ones!


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## KeliG

About the lunch meat thing~ my IVF nurse said absolutely not because it is a breeding ground for listeria, a bacteria that usually causes only minor problems for healthy adults (if any at all) but causes miscarriage. The only way I was told it would be ok was if it was heated until steaming to kill everything and then eaten right away. That went for all sliced meats and hotdogs.

Loving all the pictures and beating heart tickers btw!

*goes back to stalking*


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## hope4light

On the whole lunch meat thing - I was told the same thing as Keli. I know that the FDA has a section on their website about it, as I did a bunch of my own research during my first pregnancy after the OB advised what she recommended/didn't recommend eating. She was great though because she gave me her recommendations and then referred me to the FDA site. The chances of you catching listeria and then passing to baby are minimal (hence why so many eat it without a problem), but if you DO happen to, it can be fatal to the baby. Not to scare anyone, please do the research and make your own decisions, but to me it wasn't worth eating it unless I have it super heated.

Vegan - We made the short list of names with my first (so many boy and girl names) after I was on bed rest, which was at 31w4d. So don't feel too bad. We picked the final name in the hospital after DD was born. We keep talking about it, and DH knows what he likes best if it's a boy, but we haven't made any real decisions yet, so don't feel bad!

praying - wow, 27 weeks! Time is flying!! I hope that the PT can help the back pain. I still can't believe you managed to make it this far before people starting talking, that's amazing.

Hi to everyone else!

AFM - not much going on, work is still insane. But, I finally got approval to hire 3 people, so hopefully in the next few weeks I'll be interviewing and making some choices. Once I get people on and trained things will really start to look up. Little one is kicking up a storm these days, and I really do love it. It's not keeping me awake yet, but I'm sure it will as I get closer to the end LOL. Looking forward to the long weekend, we're going back to our hometown and seeing some friends, which will be a ton of fun.


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## blueyezz4

*KeliG* - yes that is exactly what I had read too. I'm going to ask my OB about it more today. I just heated the meat and put it back in the fridge in a different package and it was fine.

Thanks for sharing.

*Praying* - glad you are out of the closet!! LOL. I still can't believe you hid it this long. Glad everyone was good about it. Hoping the rest of your time goes easily!!

*Vegan* - sounds like you are pretty well prepared!!! So excited for you!

*Keria* - love that pic of the babes in the bath. So cute!!!!!

*Carlyle* -









*Tear* - you still away??? My first day back was rough but the next day was a little better. Hope you adjust okay.

*Renavoo* - how are you doing? Are you back to work yet?







How are things w/ the nanny going??? Will she make you guys dinner too? I can't imagine working all day and then coming home to twins that want your attention and you want to give them attention and having to make dinner too.

*Belly* -how are things in your neck of the woods??

*Hope* - how are you?

*Deport* - sending you hugs!!!

Kewpie - what is going on with you all?? HOpe all is good there too!!

*AFM* - I'm sure i've missed several people (sorry), but i'm trying to get ready to head off to my first OBGYN appt here in a min or two and then have to go to work. Hoping that we get to hear a heart beat today on her little doppler but not sure if it is too early. How early did you all hear your heart beats on the little ob doppler??? Have to talk to my OB about doing a cerclage. My high risk Dr said he thought that was a good idea for us w/ our pre-term issues from before in case my cervix is incompetent which they weren't sure about. I guess they would put that in at like 12 wks but i want to see what my OB thinks about that idea. I'd rather be safe than sorry. Gotta run, don't want to be late. I'll try to update tonight b/c i have to work after my appt.


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## Vegan Princess

Blue: I hope all is good today! I don't think my ob tried the Doppler on me before 14 or 15 weeks bc I had ultrasounds with her at the previous appointments. My midwife doesn't try before 12 weeks. I think I would opt for circulate for piece of mind. Will that mean bedrest too? Preterm labor has always been a big concern of mine bc I had a leep done years ago.

Cindy


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## blueyezz4

*Hope* - we kinda cross posted earlier. Glad you are going to be able to hire some help! That sounds crazy!

*Vegan* - see my AFM. No, no bedrest.

*AFM* - Well, my appt went well, but we didn't get to hear the "bean's" heartbeat. She did try though w/ her doppler, but she said it is too early. She likes to at least try early on b/c i guess sometimes she can get it depending on the location of the babe. She said it is more common between like 10-13 wks I guess. My appt was at 9:20am and we didn't get out of there until 11:45am. I felt bad b/c i asked DH to come to this first appt w/ me b/c he has never met my OBGYN b/c she is new to me like 2 yrs ago so i told him this one would be a good one to go to. He was a trooper and didn't complain. I was suppose to see the nurse at 9:20 for like an interview on health related items and then the dr was suppose to be at 10am but we didn't see her until 11am. She was all excited that it was a total miracle BFP. She was cute when she found out b/c she assumed it was from IVF. She talked to us about doing the cerclage and she plans to do it at 13wks and then i'll be limited on lifting which will mean I probably will have to stop working. I'll do whatever I have to to get a take home baby. Might make for a long couple of months though, but Abby will love it I'm sure. I guess also she said no sex.


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## Vegan Princess

Blue: Bummer you didn't get to hear the heartbeat. You are pretty early on though still. That is a huge change to have to stop working. But it will be a nice time for you (and Abby!).  When is your next appointment with the OB or RE? Are you done seeing the RE?

AFM: I finally went to the chiro today. I'm really super sore in my pelvic bone area now bc she did a lot of adjustments there. I'm hoping to get an amazing night's sleep and not be sore tomorrow!!!

Cindy


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## Tear78

I have pretty much no time to post right now, but since blue was asking so nicely, I'll peek in.







We got home Friday night and I went back to school (to prep for next week) every day this week. We saw our little one again on Monday, and it was measuring a couple days ahead at 11w1d. I have a definite bump, it's ridiculous (but cool). I guess it's normal the second time? I'm trying to figure out how to hide this from my students in the first weeks, because it would probably mess up our bonding if they know I'm hoping to leave in March. My mom just gave me a bunch of long flowy shirts from her wardrobe, and my sister secretly left me maternity clothes this summer I just found out (you rock, Carlyle!)









blue, I'm so glad your appointment went well, though long! I think the earliest I've heard of hearing a heartbeat on doppler was 10 weeks, so don't worry. Thank you for reminding me about the lunchmeat thing







. I'm glad you'll get to take time off work to help nurture your little one, though I know you'll maybe get a little restless. Thinking of you and sending your little one lots of love!









Everybody else, I'm so sorry to flyby. Love you, and sending lots of hugs all around! Gotta go to school...


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## Carlyle

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Tear78*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I have pretty much no time to post right now, but since blue was asking so nicely, I'll peek in.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> We got home Friday night and I went back to school (to prep for next week) every day this week. We saw our little one again on Monday, and it was measuring a couple days ahead at 11w1d. I have a definite bump, it's ridiculous (but cool). I guess it's normal the second time? I'm trying to figure out how to hide this from my students in the first weeks, because it would probably mess up our bonding if they know I'm hoping to leave in March. My mom just gave me a bunch of long flowy shirts from her wardrobe, and my sister secretly left me maternity clothes this summer I just found out (you rock, Carlyle!)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> blue, I'm so glad your appointment went well, though long! I think the earliest I've heard of hearing a heartbeat on doppler was 10 weeks, so don't worry. Thank you for reminding me about the lunchmeat thing
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> . I'm glad you'll get to take time off work to help nurture your little one, though I know you'll maybe get a little restless. Thinking of you and sending your little one lots of love!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Everybody else, I'm so sorry to flyby. Love you, and sending lots of hugs all around! Gotta go to school...


MWUH! So excited  When do I get to tell my kids....?? Specifically Nell, who will be super excited (and will understand what it means). Funny that I planned to take the clothes to mom's house before I knew you were pregnant. We figured you wouldn't want them in your house until you *needed* them, you know? Just in case. But it seems like it's going so well now, I'm getting more and more excited for you! EEEEEE!


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## renavoo

Blue, I'm sad you didn't get to hear your baby's heartbeat but it gives you something to look forward to next time! I can't wait until you can finally hear it and when you can also listen to it at home ) I still miss those days when the babies were with me everywhere, especially now that i'm a week away from going back to work. ugh to clerage= it's amazing what we woman have to go through during pregnancy but once the little baby looks up at you, every pain disappears. haha I used to think that that was impossible but now i know.

Crud, baby crying. I wanted to just say hi to everyone. I've been MIA because it's been busy but I'm thinking of all of you!!


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## blueyezz4

*Tear* - glad you made it home safe and sound. When does school actually start for you? Hope you can wear some big shirts to hide your belly bump. I seem to be popping early too or I just feel thicker through the middle (aka: just feeling fat!! LOL). Did you cut lunch meat out all together or just make sure that you heated it up? I hope i did it right, but i'm not sure. I just have had cravings for salami and cheese sandwiches w/ mayo..LOL so i had to cave to the cravings. What's a girl going to do when the baby wants it, right??

*Vegan* - how are you feeling now after your chiro appt? I hope better. I really need to get in there and get an adjustment. I noticed when i was in the OB's office just sitting on that stupid table forever was making my back sore. I've technically not really been w/ my RE at all this time but he did order the 2 hcg's and the u/s's but I've not seen him since he is like 5 hrs away. I was just kinda working through his nurse who was hooking me up. My next OB appt is on Tues the 18th. I guess normally she wants to see you every 4 wks but she said for me to come back in 3 so we could get the whole "surgery" date set up and what-not for the cerclage which will be around 13 wks. I have my next U/S where they check the "bean" for downs I think w/ something to do w/ the neck on Friday the 21st so things are moving along.

*Renavoo* - Glad to hear that the pains disappear and the babe makes you forget all that you went through. Can't wait to get to that point!!!! Uggh... to having to go back to work! I'm sure I would cry the whole way to work the first day you have to leave them. How is the nanny working out??? Things any better?

*Hi to everyone else! Hope everyone is doing well and all those babes are growing big and strong (inside and outside the womb)!!*









*AFM* - Not much to report here. Feel like I'm gaining weight, well I am gaining weight, as per the scale!!! I still feel like i have to eat all the time to keep the nausea down. I'm so tired of eating at this point in time that it's disgusting!!! I have my 2nd intralipid appt tomorrow morning at the new place. It is actually w/ my own allergist now so that will be nice and I won't have to drive so far. I have to be there at 7:45am though, so I'm hoping i'll be able to sleep maybe in the chair while I'm on the IV. My next OB appt is on Tues the 18th and my next U/S is on Friday the 21st (as i said above) for some kind of neck type screen for downs I think it is. Did you ladies have that u/s? or is it just b/c I'm "of advanced maternal age"??? How long of an u/s is it do you remember??? I think we are both (DH & I) still a little guarded b/c of our last pregnancy, but I'm still trying to stay positive and I just keep sending the little "bean" strong, healthy growing vibes and praying all is going well in there!!!!


----------



## Vegan Princess

Blue: I'm back to mild nausea and no food sounding good. And eating generally makes me feel a bit I'll or have heartburn. Not fun. I didn't have this with my daughter at the end, even though i know it's common. Though last time my jaw went out of alignment and I hadntonliveon smoothies and ice cream. So that was worse. I had the nuchal translucency u/s. I think it took about an hour. I think they offer it to everyone. I thought they tried to push amnio if over 35... In which case you could skip the nt scan. But even though they push the amnio doesn't mean you have to do it!

The chiro made me sore for a day and a half but I do feel a lot better! Going again next week.

Cindy


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## BellyBean

Hi everyone, finally have a few minutes 

Blue, I didn't eat much lunch meat with my first pregancy, except a couple times at work when we had meetings and they provided lunch...and that's all there was! The second time around I ate it several times, I hear you on the salami!!! YUM!! I had a couple italian sandwiches from the same craving  We did the NT scan with both pregnancies. 45 min minutes per baby for us. I am not sure what/if anything I would have done with the results, but I am the type of person that likes to have all the information and be SUPER prepared! I am so so so so so excited for you and can't wait to hear about all your appointments. I think the cerclage sounds like a good idea as a "just in case" measure!

Renavoo, I think I might cry when you go back to work too  It will be a tough day, but I know you can do it. Like I said before, I hope you don't have to keep working those crazy hours of the past.

Vegan, ugh to nausea! I had it pret this last time around both in the beginning and end of pregnancy...no fun at all 

Tear, glad you made it back safe and sound! Can't wait to hear about your upcoming appointments too! Will you find out girl/boy?

Keria, your little ones are darling, love the video! My daughter will come up to me now and ask if she can close the computer if I get distracted too long 

Kewpie, move is coming up soon!!! crazy! I am sure you are super busy getting everything ready!

Praying, Hope, Lyndi, Hi 

AFM, not much here, just more of the same  The girls did have a killer night sleep last week, 7.5 hours! Unfortunately, my breasts were killing me and woke me up after the new "normal" 5.5 hours. I wasn't able to fall back asleep, so I think I got less sleep the night they got more! After about 30 minutes I had to go check to make sure they were breathing  I remember doing that with my DD too when she started sleeping more. Clearly, the only reasonable explanation for them not being awake is that they stopped breathing  We haven't had any other "stand out" nights since. My DD starts up preschool again soon (2 days for 2 hours) and we signed her up for soccer 1 day for an hour too. We haven't been able to be as active as usual because I am pretty much tied down nursing so I thought a little "run" time would be good for her. Thinking about you all!!!


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## rcr

Hi All:

Just popping in with not much to say (except hi!)

*blue* - I didn't eat lunchmeat because we are veg. But I did eat stinky cheese and raw milk. I don't think I would do it this time around though... pregnancy was still carefree back then - before m/cs, IF, IVF, etc.. I even drank a little wine while pregnant with DS, in my third trimester. Ah, the days of being able to be pregnant and worry free... I knew the advice not to eat those things, and did it anyway, and DS turned out great.

ETA - *Rena* - when do you go back to work? I have been out of the loop for a while.


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## renavoo

Belly, i'm soooo jealous! On a good day, our babies get about 5 hours of sleep. Of course, with my pumping, that means I get about 3.5-4 hours because I often can't go back to sleep after I pump. Case in point... haha so much for sleeping while they do! Additionally, my darling boy grunts like a truck driver in his sleep. It makes for a lot of amusement during the day but a little frustration during the night. I don't care though...I check in on him and just smile anyway, regardless of what time of the day it is. We had to move the babies into their nursery because they outgrew staying in the same crib. I almost cried at that because it just means that they are growing bigger. Can't they stay small forever? Ooooh soccer is great! Will you be able to go see some games? I think that would be fun!

Blue, I gave in to my lunch meat cravings (I love boar's head ham) and just warmed it up. It didn't taste as good to me but hey, it satisfied a craving! haha I too am so excited to hear every detail about your visits. By the way, I had the NT scan too. I think everyone gets it and they use that plus blood tests to give you the risk of your baby having a genetic issue. Like Belly, I didn't really know what i would do with the results...there was no way I was going to abort the baby so it was more of a fact finding thing, I guess. Plus, I just wanted to see the babies.

Rcr, how are you doing?? I can't wait until November/december! Have you been keeping in touch with your doctor? Did you get your schedule yet?

Vegan, ugh to more nausea!! Yah to being close to the end though!!! ) I can't believe the time is coming up so fast!!

Tear, how are you feeling?

Hi to everyone else! I'm thinking of you all!

AFM, well i go back to work on Tuesday. Yesterday, I received an email telling me that i was most likely going to be put on a presentation- this means late nights. I went ballistic. Not only am i not performing to the best of my abilities because of lack of sleep but most importantly, I am not going to go back to work and not see my babies for days on end. I was going to give in my notice right then. Luckily, I wrote to one of my coworkers and she talked me down the ledge. I called my (new) manager and told her that I just can't work those long hours this early back and I'll be completely willing to come home and work from home when needed but I need to be home. I also told her that I intend to work from home one day a week. She took it well. My manager used to be this workaholic but now that she has a boyfriend who she adores and loves to travel with, she's much more about life work balance. I know her bf and personally, I just want to thank him a million times over.

I have to go dairy free, I think, for my baby because she's continuing to have blood in her stool. I've already cut out the obvious sources but there must be other things I'm eating. Right now, we're really testing by just giving her hypoallergenic formula and Colin gets all my milk. Anyone have any experience with that and have suggestions about what to do?

Thanks ladies! Babies are stirring! Check in later!


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## rcr

*Rena* - I am ok. Thanks for asking. If it helps at all, when I went back to work after DS, It felt like the most horrible thing in the world. I was so close to quitting my job many times. The only reason that I didn't is because my job is really, really stable, and DH is always afraid of loosing his job. However, once I went back, and got busy with work, it was ok. I also shifted my priorities. I was offered a position in administration, which would mean more money and a lot better job title, but I turned it down because it also meant not being at home as much... So, things shifted, but work turned out ok, and I am happy that I didn't quit. You will get through it. It sucks and is horrible, but in the end it will begin to feel normal and good. Oh, and we drink almond milk and love it. Cheese is harder to give up though.

*All* - I posted a new fall IVF thread.

*Blue* - like I said on the other side, I didn't know where to put you. Are you comfortable with being graduated? Free baby?


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## rcr

Oh, one more thing. There are a lot of black spaces left for birthdays in the grad section of the IVF thread. None of you on this thread (except tear) have birthday dates. Post them on the other thread and I will be happy to add them.


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## blueyezz4

*rcr* - Yes, i'm fine being graduated but maybe w/ an "expensive free baby" LOL. I'm confused on what you are talking about w/ Birthdays?? Are you talking about due dates/birth dates of the babes??? Sorry, it's late and i should be in bed. Maybe it will all come to me tomorrow when i re-read it.

more later... off to bed.


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## Carlyle

Oh Blue.







Your ticker makes me smile like no other...


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## rcr

*Blue* - the birthday thing that I was refering to is on the other thread - the people on the list of graduates near the bottom all have dates (example: "Tear - Thanksgiving Day - 11/25") I am assuming those are baby birth dates? I was so happy to add you to the graduates list, and yea, free baby does not seem really free after IF. We should come up with a different word.


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## deportivo4

Hi everyone, sorry been away. i moved and in between being exhausted and my puking marathon, had so many things to do. I didn't have access to my computer either for a few weeks there.

My news with last u/s at 13 wks was great. I cried. Was jealous though that DH got to see all of the jumping and hand waving. I saw all the cute little fingers. So cute to see the littlest fingers in the world lol. So precious. I am now 16wks and about 4days pregnant.

Next u/s at 19wks. I have been feeling a little nervous lately about losing the baby, I think this fear is more my hormones making me so sensitive!

So, I have had a lot of time in the bathroom lately! Now it seems as though I can manage to eat normally through the morning and day, still having trouble at night. Also, oddly I am more exhausted now, I think my iron must be so low. I do take iron, but I drag myself everywhere, so exhausted with no energy at all.

Side note- Hormonal! I decided that I really want to try breastfeeding and for some reason, everyone in DH's family is against breastfeeding. Isn't this odd! Most people encourage others to breastfeed. And I think either way is great, I wouldn't discourage anyone either way. But for some reason they have it in there heads that there is no way to tell how much your baby gets fed and that you would end up overfeeding.

Mother in law asked me if I was going to breastfeed or bottle feed. I already told her I was going to breastfeed. I think she just wanted to share her opinion you know! So, than my brother in law tells me that 90% of breastfed babies develop colic because of being overfed. I told him that does not sound right at all! (I am sure he misread or misunderstood this statistic) So, he than adamantly tells me no, it is a FACT! Mother in law chimes in and agrees yes it is TRUE. So, I was a bit frustrated with not only two people trying to tell me questionable info about breastfeeding. I am getting lectured on breastfeeding from a man, that has not breastfed or given birth. Before, this he was giving me tips for my birth. Also, my sister in law tells me to not get a midwife even though it is my choice, and she is basing her info on one persons experience that is not her own.

I hope that once the baby comes, DH will keep his word and intervene for me. I don't want to constantly have to tell them to butt out!

My hormones get in the way of me just ignoring it, and it is such an annoyance. I just want to have my own experience I am not my SIL and I don't know why they would think I would do things the same as her.

Besides this, Looking forward to the future. Anyone, have some useful tips for breastfeeding(in a positive light). I don't expect it to be easy or that it will automatically work. But lots of women succeed so there must be a reason for that! And when did everyone start getting there first movements?

I am going to go back now and try to catch up, sorry AAM I just know I never updated and wanted some advice or tips. Saw all the cute baby pics too. I am starting to see how challenging it could be to be pregnant with twins! I am exhausted and having a hard time with one!


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## Vegan Princess

Deportivo: Yay!! I'm SO glad you came and updated us and that everything is awesome!! We were all really worried about you bc you never updated after your u/s. Hooray!! I think I felt movement really early this time - maybe 13 or 14 weeks. But I didn't feel it until around 20 weeks last time. As for breastfeeding. It's a hugely personal choice, but it's tough to persevere through the tough beginning without support. I hope your DH will at least be your support. Breastfeeding is often painful or challenging at first, but then it gets so much better and ends up being easier than bottle feeding - you never have to wash or prepare bottles or remember to pack enough for an outing, etc. Also, it's really hard to describe how amazing that bond is. For sure you often don't feel that way at first though. I think formula fed babies have a lot more digestive issues and tend to get sick more and get more ear infections. Not the other way around. Breastfed babies are not overfed - babies know when they've had enough! On the contrary, I think babies often drink more from a bottle than from the breast bc they don't have to work as hard to get it. Anyway, I'd say to keep an open mind and see how it goes. You may love it. Or you may find it just isn't for you. I had a ton of trouble with my first (mostly bc I have breast implants)...but I am sooo happy we stuck with it bc it was just such a sweet thing we shared - that bond really shows more as the baby is older.

Cindy


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## deportivo4

Hey- thanks Cindy, good answer. That is the same information I have come up with too. Yeah, i want to breast feed, it may turn out to be too difficult. But I won't know until I try. I would be happy to know if i could do it. I guess I have to be prepared to bottle feed if it doesn't work. I just thought that the info I was getting from inlaws was not correct at all. I was just suprised that they had such an opinion of me breasfeeding when they have never done it themselves.

So, thanks so much for the positive feedback. Has anyone supplemented with formula. And how have you found pumping?


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## rcr

*deporto* - Glad things are going well! I second all of what *vegan* said. I was like a pumping machine for a year. I BF for 2 1/2 years, but I only pumped for a year. Pumping was easy and fast, although not everybody has the same experiences. I was getting so much milk we had to purchase a second freezer, and then that filled up and I knew DS was never going to drink it all, I donated it to an adopted baby who I found online. Then I kept feeding the adopted baby for about 6 months. I am not huge chested either (36B), so I don't think it had anything to do with breast size. Some people have an easy time, and some people have a really hard time. Talk to *Kewpie* about supplementing with formula.


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## deportivo4

rcr- ok, good to know. thanks. i should try not to be disapointed if I can't breast feed. I just have an urge to try I guess. But yeah it would be nice to know if I could supplement if I don't produce enough. Or if it would make it easier for DH to help feed maybe one shift. It would be nice for him to have that experience too. Thats crazy that you had so much milk and awsome that you were able to feed an adopted baby!


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## deportivo4

again- sorry havn't been on here for few weeks. its been crazy. I did see some updates. Blue, so happy things are moving along!!!

I am looking forward to well I kind of want to skip to the last part of pregnancy! I get nervous and scared sometimes. The unknown is scary. I love love love that I have this chance finally. If I could make it to the birth. So, excited for the birth of my baby!

I will try to catch up this week!


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## lyndiramos

Deporto- I am a worrier and like to keep track of feeding especially since we spent the first few weeks supplimenting because I wasnt producing enough so I pump and bottle feed.. This way I can track her consumtion also I started producing so much I froze the rest. I still supplement when I somewhere I cant breatfeed comfortably and I like saving my frozen breast milk for when Im done breast feeding and my child gets a cold or sick.... I feel like it helps boost her immune system to recover faster, but that part could be totally wrong!!







glad everything is going well!!









Blue-God is so great!! Im so excited for you!!









Hi to everyone else







back to stalking


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## kewpie80

deportivo - I don't have much time, but just wanted to say YAYAYAY! I was really worried about you and thought the worst had happened! I'm so glad things look great!

Your in laws are WRONG! It is much more likely that a child will be overfed on formula. A baby has to work to get breastmilk, but the formula just flows and so it's easy to drink more. Plus, the breasts make what the baby needs. As a growth spurt nears, the baby will do what's called cluster feeding to prepare for the extra demand.

There are ways to tell how much a breastfed baby has eaten. They make super sensitive scales and you weigh the baby before eating and then right after without changing a diaper and that will tell you. They can do it at the dr's office (nurse while you're there) or you can rent them from the hospital or I'm sure there are other places. You can also buy them, but renting makes more sense IMO.

I breastfed my babies as much as I could, but had to supplement with formula starting day 3 till 5.5 months and then I had to drop breastfeeding altogether. It was TOUGH! I was determined to do what I could, though. I can probably tell you everything you need to know about increasing supply, hand expressing, pumping, and supplementing, so feel free to ask! I read and read and read everything I could.

I'm actually still making milk (some women don't dry up for years... or ever) and so once I'm done with my move, I do plan to start pumping again and mix it in with my babies' food and maybe start a freezer stash for the next baby, so I can avoid supplementing at all. If you want to breastfeed, go for it! You have lots of support here. If it doesn't work, try not to feel too badly. I was crushed when it didn't work out and beat myself up for it. I really shouldn't have.

babies are up...gotta go!


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## kewpie80

deport - ok, so with the supplementing with formula... If you have to supplement, try to use a SNS (supplemental nursing system) if you can. A Lactation consultant can get one for you. It's a bottle you hook to your bra and a small tube goes in baby's mouth next to your nipple, so they get breastmilk AND the formula at the same time and your breasts get the stimulation they need to produce more.

http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/products/51/supplemental-nursing-system-sns This is what they look like... mine was a little different, but the idea is the same.

There is a really good book about breastfeeding and increasing supply. It's in the other room so I will have to wait to get it... remind me if I forget.

Liam's up again... gotta go again... lol


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## Vegan Princess

We ended up nusing for 20 months but I always had to supplement. I started off using formula but then I switched to donor milk. It made me so happy to be able to supplement with human milk, even if I wasnt the one making all of it! I used a lact-aid at the breast - like the SNS. But honestly, most moms of singleton babies make plenty of milk for their little one! I had breast sugery and screwed myself up. And it's pretty common to not make enough for twins. But otherwise, there really isn't any reason to think that you won't be able to breastfeed! It's how we humans were meant to feed our babies - it does all work out in the end. And if you do have to supplement, it isn't the end of the world. My daughter still LOVED nursing even at the end when I was off all my meds and herbs to make more milk and had very little milk left bc by that point it wasn't about the milk anymore. And speaking of supplementing - i am hoping I make more milk this time around - but I already have 300 ounces of donor milk in a deep freezer, just in case. And two moms who are willing to donate on an ongoing basis. I feel so glad knowing these awesome women are able to help us out!

Cindy


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## deportivo4

lyndiramos- good to know thanks!

Kewpie- awsome info, yeah I knew that the info about women overfeeding their babies by breasfeeding was totally wrong. Thats the same thing that I have read as well that it is easier to overfeed with a bottle. I am glad I got to talk to other women who have experience with both. So did you find pumping easy, hard or time consuming? I was hopeing to pump some bottles for DH to use so he can have that closeness as well! Thanks for answering, I know I am not there yet, but I am still getting excited! yeah your right, I think I would be ok if it doesn't completely work out. Definately like to try and see if it works! Even with supplementing that would be ok with me too!

If you do find the book, I would definately buy it right away. I just want to be prepared. Does cream for your nipples help at first? I was told to get cream before?

Cindy- yeah that is great that other women donate their milk as well. I didn't know that! I also wondered how hard it would be to breastfeed twins! I though of that a lot before. You must get some amazing experience after doing that lol! thanks for sharing, apreciate it.


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## Tear78

Oh, deporting, yay WHAT a relief!!! Thanks for updating.







everybody said it so well above: breast feeding is less likely to cause over feeding than bottle feeding. Whats wrong with DH telling you inlaws to butt out now? It'll be good practice.







I started feeling movement that I was sure was movement around 20 weeks with DD. don't worry if you're not feeling it yet, it's different for everybody. Great to hear from you!

Ok...gotta run to work.


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## deportivo4

Tear- yeah, good advice. I will mention that to him! We have to start some time. I really thought for sure I felt movement at 13wks. I know that is early. It was like a quick fluttery feeling low in my uterus. I know it wasn't digestion, for sure. But now I don't feel that at all, makes me worried, and I don't know what is going on.


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## deborahbgkelly

Subbing for stalking. Deportivo- Even if you felt movement that early, it doesn't become regular until much later. Obviously you need to put your mind at ease, but I hope that's somewhat reassuring.


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## Tear78

deport, earlier on your uterus is down in your pelvis and the baby has less room, so I think you probably feel movement better. Baby probalby has more room to move now, so you can't feel it as much.


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## deportivo4

Tear- yeah, that is what I thought. That the baby has moved up where there is more padding so I can't feel it anymore. I hope that is what it is. Thanks.


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## blueyezz4

*Deport* - It is your baby and you need to just do what you are comfortable w/ and not worry about what the rest of the family thinks. If you want to breastfeed then do it and if they give you crap about it that is their problem. I believe breastfeeding is one of the best things you can do for your child at that early age so more power to you and if it doesn't work then just pump and bottle feed your breast milk and if that doesn't work then do formula.

*Lyndi* - Thanks girl!!! So good to see your name pop up!! How are you doing????

*Renavoo*- sorry to hear about the blood in the stool. My one friend's little boy had the same thing and when she went dairy free it all cleared up. Hope it works for you. I think once she switched to formula she had to use the more expensive brand called like Alimentim or something like that. So you go back to work this Tues right? Fingers crossed it goes well. Are you going back full time like 5 days a week or starting off part-time? I sure hope they don't run you into the ground. I also hope you get lots of sleep at night so you can function during the day.

*Hi to everyone else!!!!*

*AFM - * Not much going on here. I can't believe that I'm 10 wks today!! I actually broke down and took some tylenol tonight b/c my neck has been out of wack and it has been killing me. It was fine, but i went to the chiro last Thurs just for a routine adjustment to stay on top of things and when he was palpating my neck there were 3 sore vertebraes so he adjusted one of them and after that my neck was so painful and sore. I had been thinking my nausea was doing a little better until then. After that it seemed like it made it worse, so i had an emergency adjustment yesterday evening and i think i might have to try and get in again tomorrow after work b/c it's still messed up and bothering me. My nose is still a mess and I can't breath out of it and DH has officially moved to the other bedroom to sleep every night now b/c I sneeze/snot and toss and turn all night long. So at least one of us can sleep with him in the other room. Other than work this week and DH being away on business several days not much else going on this week. Then on Tues the 18th I have my next OB appt and then Fri the 21st is the next U/S. I'll feel better after that u/s when I can see that the bean is doing well and growing strong still. We didn't do this NT scan w/ our boys but i figure it's better to know things in advance even though i know several people that have had it and they scare them half to death saying something is wrong and then the baby turns out just fine. We wouldn't do anything different even if they did see downs... we will love a baby no matter what. So that is all from my end.


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## hope4light

Hey Guys,

I'm going to apologize now, this is going to be AAM. I've been following along but haven't had much time to post.

Some of you that stalk the IF threads may remember that DH and I were separated for a year after our first IVF failures back in 2008 (I've mentioned it many times through this cycle). We worked things out, and actually went through counseling before we started this IVF cycle and kept up with it through the cycle. We called last week to set up an appointment after not having been for a few months (we both really like the therapist) because our marriage suddenly hit a very sudden, very rocky issue. She is out until tomorrow, but we will be calling first thing in the morning (after leaving a message as well) to get in ASAP. I'm not so sure that I'm ready to talk about it, but we need the counseling before everything falls apart. Please please keep us in your t&p's. The stress caused me to lose some weight, and the OB (had an appt this morning) is a bit concerned about my lack of weight gain. Luckily my BP wasn't horrible, but it is higher than normal. I just could really use the good thoughts if you have any to spare, even though my issues aren't baby related. You ladies are the only ones I feel comfortable turning to right now and so here I am. Thank you thank you and thank you.


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## BellyBean

Hope, I am so sorry to hear things are a little rocky right now. I pray that you and DH will be able to work through the situation and come out stronger once again. Hugs.

Renavoo, thought about you a lot this weekend. Can't believe you go back tomorrow. Sending lots of good thoughts your way too!

Kewpie, yay for your post on the other thread! Can't wait to follow you through another BFP cycle!

Blue, LOVING your ticker! Can't wait to hear more good news next week!

Deport, glad everything is okay! I would definitely give breastfeeding a try, it's worth it and your in laws are being rather silly. Ignore them and make DH tell them to hush!

Hi to everyone else!!!


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## blueyezz4

*Hope* - thinking of you and praying that you and DH can get things worked out not only for your relationship, but also for your kids sake too!! Thinking of you!!!









*Belly* - Thanks!!! How are you doing??? You forgot your AFM. I hope things are going well.

*Renavoo* - thinking about you and your day tomorrow.


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## Vegan Princess

Hope: Sending t&p your way!! On my due date club on here someone started a thread about emotional turmoil in preg and issues dealing with her partner. I hope whatever you are experiencing is just seeming worse than it is bc of the hormones. I hope the counselor can work her magic. Try and do some things that relax you if you can - baths, cups of tea. Please take care of yourself mama!

Blue: Wow, I always marvel at how fast other people's pregnancies go by! 10 weeks already! Awesome! I hope the chiro was able to fix you up. That is always a fear of mine - them making things worse! I was sore for a couple days after I went but then felt much better. I'm going tomorrow again and can't wait!

Rena: I hope this week goes ok for you!!

AFM: 36 weeks 4 days. Had my big birth team meeting today. Been having tons of braxton hicks and a bit of a menstrual crampy feeling. Baby has dropped too. I really really dislike the feeling of having a head in my crotch whenever I stand or walk. I didn't feel this last time. My DD didn't drop until the day before I went into labor. I was really freaked this weekend that labor was imminent and I wouldn't be able to birth at home. But my midwife said she is ok delivering me at home any time after today - so that is a big weight lifted! I have everything ready for baby but I feel like I am not quite mentally ready and really would prefer her to stay in for another couple weeks - so she is bigger and healthy. My midwife is betting it's going to go fast when it happens bc my body is getting ready. Plus I had a fast first labor.

Cindy


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## renavoo

hi ladies!

I'm sorry I've been MIA so much...it has been so crazy. Thanks for checking in about work. It was ok and I got to leave at 5pm every day to relieve the nanny since DH was traveling. We'll see about this week though- I had an excuse this time...who knows what will happen next week!

Hope, I'm thinking about you and wishing for the best. I absolutely know how difficult infertility and then pregnancy is for the marriage. i really hope that the therapist continues to help and that you're doing ok. BIG HUGS!!

Blue, how did the visit go? I can't wait to hear the news.

Belly, how is everything going where you are?

Vegan, YOU'RE SO CLOSE! I'm so excited! I hope she stays in there a couple of more weeks but i'm happy that no matter what, your baby is probably very healthy right now! YAH!

Deport, I totally get where you're coming from with breastfeeding (my family and DH's family want me to stop). I have the added problem of my DH also wanting me to stop breastfeeding (technically, pumping because I can't get them both to latch and so I ended up having to pump for them). He thinks it's too exhausting and while it is, I'm not ready to stop. My baby girl also has a dairy allergy so I've has to stop all sources of dairy, which is insanely difficult because apparently, dairy is everywhere. I ended up having her drink formula for a week and a half while I tried to figure everything out and she's back on breastmilk as I look for blood in her stool. But I just told my DH to understand that this is what I want and what I NEED and he's supporting me...although I know he's also looking forward to me stopping too! Hang in there and good luck!

Hope everyone is doing well! Big hugs!!


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## blueyezz4

*Renavoo* - glad to hear that your first week went well. I think you need to keep using that excuse so you can get home to your babes every week. LOL Was it hard leaving home the first day? My appts are this coming week on tues and friday so the wait continues.

*Vegan* - So funny that you feel that my pregnancy is going fast b/c i feel the same way about yours. Almost 37 wks for you is crazy!!! So glad that you are able to deliver at home like you want!!! That has to be a huge weight off your shoulders. My neck felt a little better after the last treatment, but this morning i woke up and it was kinda off again. So annoying but i'm sure that w/ all the hormones it makes it hard for things to stay in place like they should. I only have like 5-6 visits left w/ my insurance so i'm trying to space them out some up until Jan when we start w/ a new deductible and have to start paying out of pocket for everything again. Uggh!

*Hope* - still thinking of you and praying that you guys got to see the counselor and are starting to patch things back together. Sending hugs!!









*AFM* - I have kinda felt like crap the last couple of days. I was actually thinking I might have to call the on-call ob today if the pains i was getting didn't go away. Yesterday i was having like baby belly pains. It is really hard to explain and it is kinda hard for me to even figure out how i feel, but i just know that i feel like crap. At first it felt kinda like it did when my gallbladder was going bad and i was having these middle quadrant pain above my little baby belly and then kinda also under my belly button. I feel much better sitting or even better laying down than i do standing. I keep telling myself that it is just growing pains, but then i remember when i went into pre-term labor last time i was saying the same thing (not that i was having these kind of pains but still I didn't know what was going on then either). My head is a mess and so stuffed that i think that is making me feel yucky too. Uggh i sure wish there was something i could do to clear my head. I work Mon and Tues and then tues afternoon at 4:45 is my appt but i will call in advance b/c she is always running like an hr or 2 late. Friday is my ultrasound and i'll feel much better after that. DH and i worked on our little announcement for hopefully next weekend as long as all goes well on Friday at the u/s. I'll post it on here. We made a cute little sign that says " I'm going to be a Big Sister to a Little Miracle!!!" and we put a string on it and will hang it around Abby's neck and take a picture. The hard part is going to be to get her to sit still enough and look at us to take the picture and to get a good one. Fingers crossed.


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## renavoo

Blue, ugh to feeling like crap...i'm sure it is just growing pains too although with your past, i can definitely understand you being worried. I can't wait to hear about the US on Friday and I'm glad your doctor is see you pretty frequently. I love love love watching your ticker move!!

haha and your announcement idea is hilarious! i love it! i bet Abby is going to be the best big sister any little baby could ever want. How is your DH in all of this? I bet he is also over the moon happy!!

By the way, my neck is killing me too- i must have slept on it wrong. argh...maybe something is going around )


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## prayinghard

Hope: I am thinking of you , my friend. I really pray that the counsellar is able to help you and DH figure everything out that you are going through. Hang in there, and don't forget to take care of yourself. I know that it it not easy in times of turmoil, but it is really important!

Rena: Glad work was able to get you out on time. Hopefully that will continue for you. Must be hard to be home with DH travelling. Love seeing all of the pics you have posted!

Vegan: Glad that your midwife is ready to go when you are. Sounds like it won't be long now. Had to laugh at the comment about the baby's head in your crotch. What we go through to have children! I never felt that with DS, hoping it will be the same with this one as it sounds downright uncomfortable! Are you still working?

Blue: So excited to see your announcement. That is a lovely idea to have Abby be part of it. How creative. Thinking of you and hoping that you feel better soon!A

AFM: 30 weeks now. Can't believe that my due date is right around the corner...although I part of me wants her to come tomorrow. Very uncomfortable and getting terrible restless leg at night so getting minimal sleep. My mom and dad were here from NY all last week. It was great to see them...but exhausting. Now I am back to work. I have nothing prepared for the baby...we still have not picked a name, or even a crib set, so the nursery has not been painted. Have not picked out furniture.... We are really dragging our feet... We are so busy with DS and his feeding issues that when we have down time we both just collapse. Oh well, I am sure it will all work out. The baby won't be in a crib right away anyway, but in the cradle. We will get there....But I really need a name. HELP!!!!


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## Vegan Princess

Rena: Glad work got off on a good foot. I hope the trend continues! And yes, must be hard to be home with 2 babies without your DH!

Blue: Very cute idea! Sending great appointment vibes your way for this week!!

Praying: I'm not working. I'm home with my daughter. Which is a bit easier and bit harder bc at least when I worked during my last preg I was just sitting on my arse all day - instead of getting up every 2 seconds to get someone milk or wipe a tushie.  I get restless legs too - it's so horrid! I've found that taking magnesium as well as Hylands Restful Legs (homeopathic) helps me to sleep. It still sometimes will bother me while awake and trying to watch tv but this combo at least lets me sleep (er well at least it's not the restless legs keeping me awake). Good luck on the name. You still have time!

AFM: 37 weeks 4 days here.  I'm actually having fewer contractions than I had been and not really having the painful ones at night anymore. I'm 3 days away from when DD was born. But still hoping to make it another 10 days or so. I know DD was fine being born at 38 weeks but she was so teeny. So while I wouldn't be scared for baby to come, I'd like her to bake some more. I have plenty of discomforts but even though I want to cry from pain sometimes, I still don't feel ready to be done. Trying to savor the last moments of being pregnant! Getting pretty excited to meet this little girl though and have a little nursling again!

Cindy


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## Keria

Blue Good Luck Today!!! Love the idea can''t wait to see the pic.

Rena nice to see you is Sienna doing better now that you cut out dairy?

Praying You are having a girl right? My little one is Lucia and I love her name. I'll lend it you 

Vegan can;t wait to see your little one but I hope she stays there till 40 weeks. I have a friend that had a baby at 41 weeks and the difference between her and my little 36 weekers was gigantic. Even though they are fine now I really wish I could have kept them in there longer.

AFM I think Lucia is allergic to eggs I gave her scrambled egg yolks and she vomited a million times when she started vomiting bile and was very drowsy we took her to the ER. After some fluids and some meds she is as good as new but I'm still recovering from the sleep deprivation. That was a looong night. Also I think we are ready to try some gentle sleep training my son wakes up around 6 times a night and I'm going crazy.


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## hope4light

Hi All! Thanks for the good wishes. DH and I had our first counseling appt last night, and I know that we will work things out. We have to work on some trust issues now, but I have faith we can work things out. It's not easy at the moment, and I'm having a lot of emotional days, but I'm trying my best to not let it get me too worked up. It has affected my weight gain (or lack thereof) but I'm trying to fix that.

I've been following everyone, I promise! Just not saying much as I'm trying to get through these rough moments.

Vegan - I can't believe you're getting SO CLOSE!!

Keria - awe, sorry about the eggs. At least you know now and won't have to (hopefully) deal with it again!!


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## blueyezz4

*Hope* - Glad you guys got into the counselor and I hope all continues to improve for your relationship. I'm sure the hormones of pregnancy don't help a rocky marriage at all. One day at a time and try to keep your head up.









*Keria* - ughhh to the egg allergy!!! Sure glad you found it out but still what an awful time that must have been. You will have to make sure she doesn't get a flu shot now b/c i think it is made w/ eggs and they always ask if you have any egg allergies. Crazy how he is fine w/ them but she isn't, or didn't he have any eggs?? As long as all goes well Fri i'll post the pic, once we actually take a good one that is.

*Vegan* - glad to hear you are doing okay and feeling alright w/ your little one baking a little longer. You are almost there!!! Did you do a homebirth w/ DD??

*Praying* - you still have some time to get things organized. With our last pregnancy we had actually picked out the cribs at like 22 wks but i hadn't ordered them yet thankfully. I'll probably wait on this one too just to be safe and not feel like i've jinx'd myself. I forget, do you know if you are having a boy or girl??? You don't have any names picked out at all? As long as all goes well Friday I'll post a pic.

*Renavoo* - DH is still in shock I think as am I, and we are both pretty gaurded this early on unfortunately. I think we will both feel much better after seeing the "bean" on friday at the ultrasound. That will for sure calm my heart and i think I'll be able to believe that this is all actually happening and i'm not just in a dream. I know it sounds crazy, but that is kinda how i feel. Don't get me wrong, I feel very blessed to have even gotten this far, but sometimes I don't feel pregnant other than my stupid nose being so stuffed I think I'm still just in shock that it has actually happened.

*Hi to everyone else!!* *How are the rest of you grads doing???*

*?????? Here is a question for those of you that have had babes.... did you have any idea if you were having a boy or girl even early on and what made you think that way???* *One friend of mine that has had 5 kids said that when she is prego w/ a boy she wants to dtd more often than w/ a girl and that she gets more hair growth. Just thought i'd ask since it kinda a fun question.*

*AFM* - Well, I'm feeling better (all but my nose is still a mess) and today was suppose to be my OBGYN appt, but I called to see how far behind she was and the receptionist said "oh, actually I think she might have to cancel your appt b/c she is going to have to do an emergency surgery" and then she put me on hold to check w/ the Dr. When she came back she said "you were coming in for an issue weren't you" and I told her the story about my OB wanting to see me a week early b/c of the stitching and she said to still come in and that i'd see another dr if she had to go off to her surgery. So then i sat down to eat something b/c i figured I'd be in there all evening. As I'm eating she calls back and said that the Dr said she wants to see me on Thurs morning instead, so now my appt is rescheduled for Thurs morning at 8:45am and the ultrasound appt w/ the high risk Dr is on Friday at 9:20am. What a pain, but i totally understand and if it were me that needed the surgery I'd appreciate her dumping her schedule to take care of me. So that is all I know from this home-front!!


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## Tear78

Keria, we waited until a year for egg whites, but dd reacted similarly to eg yolks. Our doc said wait until a year and then intro eggs baked into things. We did that and she had no problem. Yet to try eggs alone again though. Sorry, that's no fun and definitely scary!

Blue, SO excited to see you at 11 weeks! I'm sorry your appt got put off, but I'm glad you feel like your doc had her priorities right. I'll be thinking of you this week!

Afm, lurky lurker here. School starting is always overwhelming. 14 weeks and still feeling pretty gross at times, which is reassuring since I have to wait another week before our next appointment, during which we will try to hear the heartbeat with Doppler. I'm a little nervous, but feeling pukey helps.

Love you ladies! Sorry to be so brief.


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## hope4light

blue - I think I'm one that the gut instinct of girl vs boy doesn't work LOL. We didn't find out what we were having with our first (haven't with this one either) and we both thought for sure it was a boy. It wasn't until sometime in late 3rd trimester that my gut attempted to prepare me for a girl, but even then I would fleetingly think it was a girl, then go right back to boy. The moment I figured it out for SURE? Oddly enough when I was doing test pushes and the nurse said she could see a head full of dark hair. Not that a boy can't have a head full of dark hair, but for some reason, at that moment, I KNEW it was a girl. And now, 2 years later, I'm so glad that she was a girl and not a boy LOL.

So now, with this one I keep thinking it's a boy again. So I joke with DH that it'll be a girl since I'm thinking boy again, to which he jokes back that this time my gut instinct is probably right and we'll think it's a girl because we really think it's a boy and it'll end up being a boy. Oh man that sounds funny just re-reading it ha ha.

For what it's worth, and not that it means anything yet, but for me this pregnancy is completely different than last. I'm carrying lower, had less m/s, my heartburn comes less frequently but worse bouts, I haven't had any yeast infections or cold sores, my gums aren't bleeding, the stuffiness isn't as bad, the plantar fasciatis isn't as bad.... I think you get the point. So we'll all find out in another 16 weeks or so if that means anything


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## deportivo4

blue- hey, that is an interesting question. I was wondering that myself. DH's mom and grandmother told us they had a feeling ours is a boy. But I also had that feeling. I guess it is hard to describe. This may not make sense, my feeling was also based on my mood. like there was some extra testosterone around or something. Anyways we found out today, and it was as clear as day that it is a BOY!!!!!

I am so excited that I have a gender and I did want my first baby to be a boy! So ecstatic.

I hope you are feeling better, I had a lot of cramping before and it scared me to death. I still have light cramps. I did get the tummy pain before that I think you are describing too. I know how scary it is. I was also so nervous about this ultrasound and scared, but he is doing fine and really active. I hope things just go really well for you and you have some reassurance.

renavoo- thanks for that. Yeah I am going to breastfeed no matter what they say. I know they don't know what they are talking about anyways. DH is really supportive with me breastfeeding and I told him to stand up for me if they continue on. He understands. He is getting more involved now, so I feel more confident.

Vegan- getting so excited for you and meeting your new girl soon! I am so happy for you and can't wait to see some pics if you get them of your daughter. I hope the birth goes well too! Are you excited for the birth?

praying- are you having a boy or a girl? I just found out today that we are having a boy, and finding a name is so difficult. I have about three names to choose from well only two cause DH doesn't like any of the names. I think we have narrowed it down and might stick with the one I really like.

hope4light- Hope things will get better for you guys. Me and DH need to go to counseling too. Things have gotten better lately, I hope things work out for the best with you both.

Keria- How old are your twins now. Thats really scary that Lucia was that sick, How do you find out if it was a food allergies?

Hi to everyone else!

AFM- we found out definitely it is a BOY!!!! I had a feeling it was a boy and he is so so active!!!! lol. I can't wait to pick out clothes now and start decorating the nursery with boy things. I am afraid that DH is going to fill the room with hockey stuff now though lol. He looks really good really healthy. And he moves all over the place!!! so he must be pretty happy in there. I on the other hand have been really tired and cranky and crappy. As long as he is happy doing whatever he is doing I am happy lol!!!

Thanks to all of you giving pointers with breastfeeding, I feel a lot more confident about it. DH is completely supportive with my choice and looking forward to learning more.


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## Vegan Princess

Hope: I'm so glad you guys got into the counselor and that you feel like you will work things out!! Please put your health first right now mama!

Blue: I had my first daughter at a birth center. Natural, water birth. It was pretty great. But it will be extra great to not have to go anywhere or to drive home a few hours later with a brand new tiny baby. I remember being up all night and leaving 5 hours after birth, at 10am. It was just so surreal - and my DH was so freaked out driving us home. LOL. As for intuition - mine is always wrong. Ha. I thought boy both times and both are girls. My pregnancies have been very similar in many ways but different in others so I don't know if you can go based on that. I've had friends have 2 very dif pregnancies and have 2 girls. Will you find out the gender? Sorry you have to wait longer - still sending good appt vibes your way!

Deportivo: Yay for a little boy!!! And yay for another good ultrasound! So exciting!!!!  Are you feeling him move these days? Am I excited for birth? Um no. LOL. I'm feeling kind of ambivalent and kinda dreading the pain. A bit scared but also knowing I can do it. It's hard to explain how I feel. I feel like I could be pregnant a while longer. I am excited to meet my little girl - but haven't felt quite ready. I am feeling more ready with each day. But still having a hard time graspig that I might actually have a baby in my arms after all I've been through in the past couple yrs! Not that having a baby isn't such an abstract concept anyway, without all the infertility stuff on top of it! I think there was a different excitement and energy before my first birth. My day to day life seems too normal for me to be in labor a few hours from now, ya know?

AFM: See my thoughts to Deportivo above. Feeling like maybe baby will stay put for a while. My midwife is having a big surprise dinner/party for her husband this sunday - so murphy's law says that is probably when baby will come. LOL.

Cindy


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## blueyezz4

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Vegan Princess*
> 
> Will you find out the gender?


Oh yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!







I'm way toooooooo much of a planner to not know. I'm even going to ask the u/s tech on Friday to look, even though I know it's way too early!!!!!!


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## Vegan Princess

Blue: I've had more than 1 friend find out at 12 weeks that they were having boys. And actually, at my NT scan, the lady said she def could have told us the gender. I was 13 weeks. She says that when people come in a few weeks earlier they aren't as sure - but I think often they can tell! We weren't sure if we wanted to know then so we didn't have her tell us.

Cindy


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## Keria

Blue my intuition was 50% right I thought I was having 2 girls.

Oliver had eggs too and he was fine, they kept wanting me to send DH home with him so he wouldn't catch what Lucia had nevermind that he forgot how to take a bottle and still wakes up one million times a night to eat.

I guess we don't know it was the eggs for sure but 1 hour after dinner she started throwing up, so I'm betting it was that. i'm not willing to try them again for a while. I sure hope she outgrows it.


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## blueyezz4

Thanks all on the input about genders. It is interesting for sure!

*AFM* - Well, I had my OB appt today and all went pretty well. I was telling her about the pain and crappy feelings i was having over the weekend and how it kinda felt like the gallbladder pain I had when i still had my gallbladder. Anyways, she said that sometimes even when you don't have your gallbladder you still can get stones or an issue w/ the duct that is left I guess and that pregnancy can increases the chances of this. So she wants me to go to see a GI Dr just to check it out and make sure all is okay. I was trying to get out of it, but she was kinda pushing me to just go and get it checked out. She also ordered like 13 vials for blood.... holy cow!!! So I'll try and make an appt, maybe I'll call tomorrow after our u/s is over. I did hear the heartbeat again w/ my own heartbeat kinda on top of it which was kinda weird sounding, but it made me feel good that she found it. What else.... oh, they scheduled my surgery for putting the stitch in which is going to be on Oct 3rd and we have to be there at 8:30am and they will put it in at 10:30 w/ a spinal block. Not too excited about that process, but whatever they have to do is fine by me. I think that is it for todays appt. Tomorrow my u/s appt is at 9:20 but i think DH and I are going to try and go at 9am b/c DH has a presentation to make at work at 10:30 and it takes a while for him to get to work from the u/s place. Fingers crossed and praying all goes well tomorrow.

Sorry about the AAM, but i'll try to catch up this weekend.


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## Vegan Princess

Blue: So glad you heard the heartbeat! Good luck tomorrow!!! Can't wait to hear if they tell you the gender!!

Cindy


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## blueyezz4

Okay, i'm getting ready to run out the door to meet a friend for lunch, but wanted to share these pics!!!! Dr. said he/she is beautiful!!! All is well and next big ultrasound is on Nov 9th!! So blessed and still in shock!!!


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## Keria

Oh what a little cutie.

Love the boxing hands.


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## kewpie80

blue - those pics brought tears to my eyes. I am so happy for you I could just scream! I'm predicting boy


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## Vegan Princess

Yay Blue!!! Bring on the cute Abby announcement pics! 

Cindy


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## BellyBean

Yay Blue!!!!! He/She is beautiful. I'll guess girl since Kewpie guessed boy  So So So happy for you!!!

Gotta run, sorry for the fly by


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## monkeyscience

Oh, *blue*, stalking by to say I'm so excited for you! I've been waiting and hoping and praying for your ultrasound. I was very put out when your OB appointment was delayed... I wanted to hear good news! Glad everything is looking wonderful with the baby. I hope you don't turn out to have gallbladder problems.


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## blueyezz4

Thanks all!!!! Well, the "Cats out of the bag" and the world now knows. Here is our little announcement w/ our little Miss Abby. Was not easy getting her to sit still for this photo at all.


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## renavoo

Blue,

YAH! YAH! YAH! I love the US pics and of course the pic of your baby's big sister ;o) What a great announcement!

By the way, my US tech actually told us our babies' sexes at 12 weeks. We kept track of her educated guess until the anatomy scan when they confirmed the sexes. So they are definitely able to tell with some reasonable accuracy. Our tech mentioned that it had to do with the slope of the genital area. Up is a boy, down is a girl, I believe she said.

I can't tell you how excited I am for you!

Hope, just thinking of you and hoping everything is ok. Vegan, can't wait to hear the news!

Everyone else, thinking of you all and hoping everything is going well!









Time to feed the babies


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## blueyezz4

*Renavoo* - How was this past week of work for you? How are the babes adjusting? Are you back full time now or no?? Thanks!! I forgot to mention that we tried to talk our tech into looking at the gender while she was doing the u/s but she pretty much refused. She said "I don't want to be responsible and feel like I have to go to someone's house and repaint their pink wall blue b/c of what I said at this early stage". We told her that we understood that it's too early to be sure, but just wanted her to take a guess and she just would not even do it. Bummer. She said "I'll tell you this, you have a 50% chance that it's going to be a boy".... Thanks a lot!!!! I really don't think she would have been able to see anything b/c the bean had legs kinda together. He/She was awake at first and moving arms all around and then fell asleep like the 2nd pic above w/ hands over eyes. Too cute.


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## Vegan Princess

Blue: Bummer! When I was pregnant with my daughter, I only had 1 ultrasound at 16 weeks. Back when pregnancy was still this innocent thing. Anyway, we wanted the tech to write it down for us and she started off on this diatribe about how it's hard to tell at that point bc girls can be swollen and look like boys, etc and she didn't want to do it. But finally by the end she said she was reasonably sure and wrote it down for us. We didn't know how much credence to put it in though and I never had another u/s to confirm - so we tried not to buy too much girlie stuff. Got plenty as gifts though. I love the pic of Abby!!! Perhaps that should be your new profile pic?  They'll be doing another u/s at the cerclage appointment, right? Maybe they'll tell you then!

AFM: Nothing to report here. Don't feel any closer to labor than any other day. Feeling ready though. Did a trial run inflating the birth pool this morning.

Cindy


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## Keria

Aww, love miss Abby, are you doing any training before the baby comes, we did a bit with our dog because she didn't seem to like kids, so far she is very good to them she licks them clean whenever she can


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## deportivo4

This is my baby boy! you can see his knee cap and is filling out nicely since last time I saw him. He was really active when we were at the doctors office. Just wanted to share this photo. This is at 18 wks and he measured 18wks and two days. Hopefully things continue this way! Still can't believe I am pregnant at all. For the longest time I only had these fantasies and dreams of what it would be like. Finding out the sex of the baby is really like a dream come true! This pregnancy has been really hard and challenging but these moments, and seeing a little baby move around thats mine is so precious and so amazing.


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## tenzinsmama

Coming out to do a fly-by... Blue, I welled up with tears when i saw your pictures... Deport, so happy to see your pics, too! Can I tell you all how uplifted I am by all of this joy????!!!!!!! I want to dance, dance, dance!!!!


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## rcr

blue - abby looks so proud!! I love it.

Deport - nice pictures!

ETA - blue - maybe it is not proud... maybe that look is "you have food in your hand and I am staring at it" ? In any case, nice picture. and I love the u/s pictures too!


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## rcr

*Hope* - I just read back a little bit, and saw your post about your and your DH. I hope the counseling went well. As I have said, DH and I have gone to counseling, and it does good things for us. It doesn't work miracles, but it does get us taking and not just fighting, and puts us in a better place. I hope you work it out. You made it last time, so hopefully you have more tools and ideas to make it through whatever is going on this time. I will be thinking about you.


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## rcr

Vegan - waiting for news from you! good luck!


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## blueyezz4

*rcr* - She doesn't know what is coming for her. I just hope that she matures a lot more before a little one comes.

*Deport* - Those pics are beautiful!!!!! So funny how babes in the womb can look so much alike. LOL

*Tenzi* - Thanks and it's so good to see your name and I hope that your little one is doing good.

*Keria* - That's some good info about the dog. I think Abby will do fine b/c she loves kids but we might have to start playing some u-tube videos of babies crying or something so she gets used to that. I'm just afraid she will try to lay on top of the baby which won't be good. She does this crazy thing if one of us lays on the ground where she tries to lay on top of our head to cuddle or something crazy. Not sure what that is all about.

*Hope* - how are things??

*Vegan* - Anything going on there??? Good1` thinking about having them check maybe after the stitch goes in!!! Great idea. I know it still will be early but worth a shot b/c i know they will do a u/s afterwards to make sure the procedure didn't cause any contractions i guess. Hopefully whoever does it will be more easy going about looking than my first tech was. I'm not sure if the dr does it herself or if someone else does it. We will see.

*AFM* - this will be my last full week of work. I had to break the news to my manager at the main place that I work on Friday after our ultrasound and she took it really well. I guess she herself went through infertility and they ended up telling her that she would have to use donor eggs and it was too expensive for them so they just never did anything and said it just wasn't ment to be. So I will work this week and Mon/Tues the next week and then the cerclage goes in Wed the 3rd. Kinda how crazy things are happening. Not much else happening here. Hope everyone else is doing well.


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## Vegan Princess

Blue: Wow - I didn't realize you'd be off work. I'm sure you said and I forgot. That's extra exciting! I forget also - will you be on bed rest of some sort?

RCR: I'm waiting for good news from you too!  I hope the next few months fly by for you!

Deport: Love the pics!

AFM: Nothin happening. I think I might text my midwife soon and tell her I'm having contractions bc her party is probably starting fairly soon. But it does appear baby is playing nice and waiting until after the party. 

Cindy


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## blueyezz4

*Vegan* - how exciting!!!! Hope you have that babe this week. How many wks are you again? Sorry i always ask you that question, but when someone doesn't have a ticker I always forget. Yes, I have to be off work only b/c my job is kinda physical and I'm suppose to not be lifting after they stitch me and w/ my job it is hard to avoid. Also, there is always a risk of someone falling that I'm working w/ and it's hard not to try to catch someone if they start to fall which could also be bad. So it's probably best over-all. Keep us posted as you are able.

oh and I don't think I'll have to do bedrest. She said she wants me to take it really easy the first couple of weeks though.


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## tenzinsmama

Vegan, where on earth has the time gone? I can't believe it is almost time for your little one to be welcomed into the world. Super exciting!

Hi to everyone else, too! Sorry, this is another fly-by... I haven't been posting much, however, I've been reading along all this time. Thinking of everyone on here and hoping all is well with each of you!


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## Vegan Princess

Yeah seriously - time has both dragged by and flown by!!

Blue - I'm 38 weeks and 3 days today. 

And off to have seconds of my ice cream sundae...


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## Carlyle

Oh Blue







SO excited for you!!!


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## Tear78

blue, omgosh, I can't tell you how happy I am to see pics of your little one when I log on after a weekend away!!!







I love the announcement pic! Abby is SO cute!









deportivo, you too! I'm so glad for you!!!

vegan, holy cow, it's your time lady! Easy labor vibes to you!









Carlyle, why is my stalker setting on Mothering not emailing me that you posted? harumph! Love you!!!


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## rcr

*Blue* - I missed something. What is this about a stitch?


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## blueyezz4

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *rcr*
> 
> *Blue* - I missed something. What is this about a stitch?


*rcr* -They are going to be stitching my cervix (cervical cerclage) closed to help keep the babe safe and in there as long as possible. They don't know if I had an incompetent cervix and that is part of the reason we went into labor w/ our boys or if I went into labor and the contractions just opened my cervix so they are being safe and going to stitch it early on. I'm fine w/ it if it is going to keep the little on safe and give us our take home baby. They say there are always risk in any surgery, infection, break the water bag, cause contractions to start but I know that w/ everything there are risks and that is part of life. I think the benefits will outweigh the risks in the long run.

*Vegan* - thinking of you!!! How are things today?

*Tear & Carlyle* - my 2 fav sisters!!! Thanks to you both!!

*AFM* - I'm suppose to have my intralipids tomorrow at 7:45am, but i messed up and forgot to order them early enough (pregnancy brain), so now i'm just crossing my fingers that they will come by 10:30 tomorrow morning and then I can still have the treatment tomorrow, but if not then it will have to be on Wed instead. Not the end of the world, but I'd really like to do it tomorrow.


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## deportivo4

vegan- hope everything goes perfectly for you and your birth coming up.

blue- I hope the stitch that is put in turns out succesful and can put your mind to rest somewhat. Glad things are going well!

everyone else- hello, hope your enjoying your babies lol etc....







put together a swing for my baby today! I am getting so excited (also very nervous). I just have jumped right in and have some baby things some outfits and had the room painted already.

Sorry for short msg. I am off to bed now. but so glad I get to be here.


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## hope4light

deport - yeah for a boy!!! I am also so glad that you are making the decision to breastfeed no matter what the family says. If it's right for you then who cares!! What a super adorable little one!

blue - I'm sorry about the gb issues.... but that little one is SO freaking adorable!! I also LOVE the announcement! I'm doing good - I'll give an update below! Can't believe that the cerclage goes in in just over a week!

Vegan - I'm biting my nails I'm so excited for the next new baby to be born on this thread!!

rcr - thank you! I'm going to give an update in my AFM. I agree though, it does good things and gets you talking.

AFM - thanks to everyone for the kind words and making sure I'm doing good. Our first appointment last week went well, and our second is tonight, although our DD will have to go with us. As it turns out we weren't communicating as well as I thought we were, (and not trying to point blame here, but....) it was a lot of DH not communicating. Our schedules were very off, we literally would go days and days without seeing each other as I'd be asleep when he got home and he'd be asleep when I left for work. He has been working 7 days a week. I've been sensing some stress from him in the last few months and kept reminding him to TALK to me about it, but he wouldn't (my work stresses I would call and talk to him about when they happened to help me calm down to move on with my day). Turns out he was instead talking to someone else, a student (he's a flight instructor). I guess it was mainly emotional, but I honestly don't know if that makes it better or worse. Apparently just one instance of making out, but they spent a lot of time together before/after their lessons hanging out and talking, eating meals together, cuddling. He's been open and honest with me and has given me all his passwords to everything to help assure me that it's over. I found out because we randomly went over in our minutes on our cell phones, which we NEVER do. So I looked and found one number with lots of calls and texts. When I confronted him he lied about it, but I didn't believe him, so I hacked his email the next day at work (yeah, that was stupid). Then I called him from work and confronted him again, at that time he admitted it. He took the steps to get the counseling set up, but it's really hard. Now looking back there were other signs, and I think some of those were the signs that wouldn't let me believe he was being honest when he first denied it (ie not interested in having sex with me to name the biggest one - actually turning me down when I tried to initiate just 2 weeks before I confronted him). I'm really really struggling with it and having a hard time trusting him. I'm trying so hard to take care of myself. Sometimes I find myself just not being able to handle the little things, like my DD's serious melt down last night, and ended up in tears after biting my mom's head off for no good reason. The only other person that knows what's going on is my IRL best friend. not even my parents. I'm embarressed and I don't understand why!!! I get that I'm not the perfect wife, but really, I'M PREGNANT. With YOUR child that cost US almost $15,000 to make!! I questioned him why he would go through with the IVF if he felt that our relationship wasn't good? Apparently he didn't at the time. He got some God complex by becoming a flight instructor (right around the time I got pregnant) because all of these really smart, wealthy people were suddenly worshiping the ground he walked on. OK. That's it. Deep breathing and eat some lunch, then on to the next meeting for work. Thanks for listening, it feels good to get it out to a group of women that are so insanely supportive.

(PS - for those of you that remember our separation, that was MY doing, my inability to deal with infertility and what had happened to me as a person at the time. We both got counseling at that time. So this isn't something that he's done before. But I am SO angry at him right now, and SO hurt by what he's done to us. I just wanted to clarify that it wasn't a two strikes and shouldn't you be out kinda deal.)


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## blueyezz4

*Hope* - I'm so sorry to read your story and all that you have been through!!!! I give you a lot of credit and hope and I pray that you guys can work things out and that your relationship will become stronger even with this little bump in the road. You have every right to be angry!!!! Thinking of you!!


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## prayinghard

Blue: I love love love watching your ticker! The picture is so awesome. Abby is adorable and I cried at the us pics. So insanely happy for you! Go baby go!

Hope: Your story made me sad...and angry at your DH. You must be a very forgiving person. I just don't know if I could do it... I admire your ability to hand in there. Thinking of you...









Deport: Your little boy is precious...

Aura: Have you in my prayers today and everyday. I pray this is it for you. Your so deserve it.

RCR: Read about your poor little chicken of the other page. I am so sorry. You must be pretty strong because there is no way that I could have taken care of one of my pets remains. You totally did the right thing. I am glad you will be able to bury her. Can't wait until December is here for you. Like you said...it is right around the corner!

AFM: In my third trimester and feeling every bit of it. My back is really bothering me and I am having trouble eating as there is just NO ROOm in there for food. When I do eat I birp alot and have to sit upright for quite a long time to be comfortable. It stinks, because the rest of me just wants to lie! I think that I mentioned that my hour gour glucose test was way high. I did the three hour and that came back fine (the same thing happened with DS). However, my OB sent me back to the high-risk OB "Just in case" My OB also said the baby was measuring small so they repeated the US. When DH and I walked out I said to him "is it just my imnagination or did the tech keep referring to the baby as he"? We were told it was a girl. Of course he did not notice so now I have been wondering. But yesterday the high risk did another US and we have been told that it is definately a girl. It is a good thing because otherwise my boy had better really like pink because I already have a closet full of it!!! So yes...girls names please!!!!! Still looking for some guidance there.

We picked a crib set and it arrived yesterday so hopefully we can get the nursery painted this weekend. I will feel a little better once that is settled. Maybe I will go look at furniture today. Hoping to rest my back some. I am back in physical therapy but I am not sure how much that is helping. Otherwise we are just hanging in...trying to prepare DS for what is to come and enjoy this last little bit of alone time with him. Thinking of all of you...

To all those I did not spcifically mention... I think of you all and am always rooting for smooth sailing for all of you!!! God bless you all!


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## Vegan Princess

Hope: I'm sorry for all you are going through!! It sucks no matter what but while pregnant is just an extra huge blow! I so hope that you guys can truly work things out and that your DH never does this again! MEN! UGH!

Praying: Sorry you're feeling uncomfortable! I hear ya!!! Have you visited a chiropractor? If you find one w/lots of experience on pregos, they can work wonders!

RCR: I too saw about your chicken. I'm so sorry! I have 4 girls too and I would be so sad to lose one - I can't imagine having to clean it all up. :-(

AFM: I think I lost my mucous plug. 39 weeks tomorrow. But that doesn't necessarily mean labor will happen in the next day or two. My friend lost hers a month before her baby came! I felt like such crap yesterday - coughing and just so sore all over and didn't sleep the night before. I slept pretty well last night and feel like a new person! I've been saying the 27th sounded like a great day for baby to come - that's tomorrow. We shall see. LOL.

Cindy


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## auraleigh

hope, i can't imagine all you've been going through! i think you and your husband are doing the right thing by going through counseling. obviously there is something there worth saving, and you have a baby on the way! i'm rooting for you, and i hope that everything works out. sending you hugs!!


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## deportivo4

HOPE- i just read what is going on with you. Wow, you have to deal with a lot right now. It is so hard while you are pregnant to have to sort through your feelings like that. I really wanted to say I feel for you a lot. Especially that he would do that after IF and you being pregnant now. Me and DH have had a lot of issues. I have made appointments and he cancel es them every time. We have a long way to go too, so I understand where you are coming from.He also makes me wonder all the time, even though I don't have proof of him cheating. He turns me down for sex all the time. Also never initiates sex. I have actually only had sex twice since I got pregnant. But I really can't believe that you caught him cheating while pregnant. Wow, I just hope he completely does a 180 for you and things turn completely around. I just wanted to know I was listening to you, I wish you the best feel for you. Must be very difficult right now. How are you feeling with your pregnancy?

praying- what kind of girls names have you come up with so far. I found that thinking of boys names were so much harder, I found a girls name that I really liked right away. I want to name my boy Cole, still thinking about it though.

Vegan- I am still excited to find out when you are going to go into labor !!!!

How do I do the chart at the bottom to show how far along I am?

Anyways thinking of everyone!

AFM- I am completely exhausted, the baby is taking away all my energy but I hope that means he is energetic and happy. I feel him moving a bit so hopefully he doesn't feel the way I do.


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## renavoo

Hope, my goodness, I'm so sorry that you're going through this! I'm glad you're working through it for your baby's sake but your DH has a heck of a lot to make up for and I really hope that you make him do that. At least he sounds very apologetic and willing to make amends. Big hugs and I'm thinking great thoughts for you.

Vegan, ALMOST! YAH! haha i'll root for tomorrow for you then! keep us updated and big hugs to you too!!

Praying, I can't believe you're so far along...where the heck does the time go? I'm glad they reconfirmed that your baby is a girl. haha i walked into my pregnancy thinking, my gosh, what if they got the sex wrong? i remember reading somewhere that they have a 3% chance of getting the sex wrong!

Deport, sadly, you just have the draw a little ticker. Mothering.com doesn't allow you to use premade tickers

Blue, LOVE watching the ticker!! I can't wait until you bring your little baby home!

Thinking of everyone!


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## hope4light

blue - thank you for the kind words. I am hoping that we come out stronger, we really are so good together even though we've had some troubles.

praying - If you had asked me 5 years ago if I would have forgiven I would have said no. I think having already gone through a separation with my DH and everything we dealt with during that year apart (and after getting back together) is what changed me there. It's been very hard, don't get me wrong, and if it EVER happened again we'd be done. Period. And I've made that insanely clear to him ~ I'm not going to let him walk all over me, but (while I don't understand per se) I am willing to try because I love him. Plus I think that my brain went into survival mode and I didn't want to make life changing decisions when I was pregnant. ~~~~Wow, I can't believe it's finally the 2rd trimester!!! Glad they were able to assure you that it IS a girl  Yeah for the crib!!!

rcr - Oh man, I'm so sorry about the chicken! I don't know that I could have cleaned it up, ewwww. Good for you! I can't wait for December either, I'm really really really hoping this will be it for you!!!

Vegan - That makes 2 of us!!! ~~I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will be soon, I really can't wait to hear all about our next miracle baby on this thread!!

aura - Thank you! I agree, I feel we have something worth saving, and I really think that he feels the same way. I'm stalking you on the other thread and hoping that you get amazing news on Monday!! (or before when you POAS 

deport - I know that you guys have had some issues too, and I'm sorry that your DH hasn't been as willing to get counseling. Have you considered going alone? Maybe it'll help your end of it and he'll eventually realize that he's being a mean-o by not going too? I know I've considered doing a couple of sessions alone to just try to help me get past some of the things I'm feeling that I'm having a tough time dealing with. On the sex front ~ is this normal for your relationship? For us, it wasn't, which was why the red flag went up. Don't get me wrong, when IVF started we stopped until we were given the OK back in June, but to be honest after that it dwindled and at first I just chalked it up to not seeing him often. But being that I am married to a horny horny man I should have known right away that something was up. I'm just saying it because if this is a new situation then I don't blame you for being worried. Pregnancy wise I'm doing good! Finally gaining some weight, so I'm hoping the doc will be happy at the next appt. EXHAUSTED though, so I completely know what you're feeling there 

rena - He does have a lot to make up for, and I'm making sure he does. He's been very good about it, so that's a plus. Right now I don't have to do any prodding, he is just going out of his way to do nice things for me, and help me out where maybe in the past he hasn't been so good about doing. How are you and those adorable babes doing? Settling into the work routine? I want some recent pictures!!

Thanks again everyone! Right now we are just taking it one day at a time and things are doing OK, considering. Our appt went well and the therapist feels we are on the right path and doing a good job keeping the lines of communication open, and telling each other what we need. I think stress from work and then this is what was keeping me from gaining weight, but I'm now up just about 4 pounds since my last ob appt, so that's good. Otherwise, just plugging away, stalking everyone and excited for hopefully some new BFP's to be joining us soon and excited for new babies being born!!


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## rcr

Hope - Oh my, I am sorry. I hope you find some peace and take care of yourself. I think that taking it one day at a time sounds like the best approach.

Blue - ouch. I don't know what is involved with stitching, but that sounds unpleasant. But yea, a good choice.

Vegan - Ahh!I am excited for you!


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## hope4light

Blue - hope the stitching went well today, let us know how you are!!


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## blueyezz4

*Hope* - glad you guys got to your 2nd counseling session. Hope they keep going well. My stitch actually happens next Wed!!

*rcr* - Hopefully the procedure won't be too bad. I have to have a spinal block for the procedure and I've never had good luck w/ blocks, but hopefully this one will be better than the last 3. So my OB I guess will just go in there and stitch my cervix closed w/ either one or two stitches in there and then they will monitor me to make sure I'm not having any contractions from the procedure. After the block wears off and I'm able to get up and pee then we can leave. They will take the stitch out at around 36wks. That's about all I know. Oh and I'll be awake for the whole procedure too and might feel some tugging but hopefully no pain.

*Praying* - wow, that would have freaked me out if all that time they were saying one sex and then they switch it!!! So funny that your DH didn't notice at all... sounds kinda like my DH.

*Vegan* - any news??? Thinking of you and hoping all is well and maybe you are holding your little bundle now!!!

*Renavoo* - hope you and those babes are doing well!!!!!

*Tear* - how is school going and how are you feeling now? How far along are you? I know we are only a couple weeks apart.

*Kewpie & Belly* -how are you both and your little ones???

*Deport* - glad you are feeling some movement. I can't wait to get there!!

*Hi to everyone else I missed, which I'm sure I did. So tired tonight b/c it was a long day at work.*

*ps. Did any of you have the P17 shots or 17 P shots???? I was talking to my insurance company and they put me on some free pregnancy program and i was talking to the nurse on the phone and she said I should ask my OB about it.*


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## Vegan Princess

No news over here. Thought maybe something was starting this morning, kept DH home from work and then it just went away. C'est la vie.

Blue: No experience with the shots over here but I've def read of other women who have had preemies taking them in subsequent pregnancies. I don't see how it could hurt. So many of us use progesterone in early pregnancy.

Cindy


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## hope4light

blue - ah dang it, that's right. I don't know why I kept thinking it was this week, I did that every time I read your posts about it, even though it is clearly next week in your posts. LOL ~ pregnancy brain!! I've heard of the shots as well in people who have had other preemies, but that's about all I know. I think there was something in the news semi recently about the FDA maybe taking away the rights of pharmacies to compound it and it went up in price drastically, but I don't know whatever came out of that. It was maybe a year or 2 ago?

Vegan - aw man, I was hoping to find news! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you, can't wait to hear!!!


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## blueyezz4

Just a quick one here...

*Hope* - no problem!!! Just blame it on Preg. brain!!!

*Vegan* - thinking of you!!!

*?????? Any of you out there that are pregnant or were, get a nasty taste in your mouth all the time? Not sure if it is just b/c i can only breath through my mouth and it's b/c my mouth is always drying out or if that is kinda normal.*

*AFM* - Ughhh.... seems like dinner time hits and i just kinda start feeling like dirt! Morning/mid day seems to be the best time of the day for me. Today we took Abby to get her first taste of Bird hunting in fields like 45 mins away and on the way home i thought i was going to lose my cookies. It was bad!! Then DH and I traded and I started to drive and it was so much better. So weird. We are suppose to go to NC for Thanksgiving this year (driving) so maybe i'll have to drive the whole trip, so i don't get sick. Hope everyone else is doing well. Off to bed I go.


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## Vegan Princess

Aria Rose joined us last night. Born at home in the water. 7 lbs 8 oz 19.5 inches. So precious! Labor was fast and intense and I bled a lot after so recovery has been tougher. Feeling better though.


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## hope4light

Vegan! Yeah! That's so exciting! Congrats mama, I can't wait to hear the birth story and see pictures! Beautiful name. Try to get some rest.


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## prayinghard

Vegan: Congratulations!!!! What a beautiful name. So glad that you were able to have the birth experience that you wanted. Hope that you start feeling better soon...when you do...have a drink for me!!! Post pictures when you are feeling up to it!


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## blueyezz4

*Vegan* - Yay!!!!







Congrats on your little bundle of joy!!!! Hope you both are doing well!!!! Can't wait to see a pic when you get a chance. Cute name!!


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## tenzinsmama

Vegan, congraulations on the birth of your little Aria Rose. What a beautiful name. I'm so happy that you had a home birth as you had wanted. Cannot wait to hear the birth story when things have settled down. YAY, yay, yay! I love these moments when we can share news like this!


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## kewpie80

Vegan - CONGRATS!!!!

Hope - I don't have much time, but wanted to let you know that I was in a somewhat similar situation 2 years ago. I was having major depression issues over the infertility and found my haven in computer games. DH and I rarely saw each other as a result and he started going to strip clubs and he dated one of the strippers. It was mainly emotional as well, but there was some lapdances, touching, and talk of sex. If you ever need to talk, I'm here. I'm right in the middle of a cross country move (currently in illinois and leaving for nebraska in the morning) but I will respond when I get a chance to. We never had counseling, but we did get better over time with a lot of honest talking on our own. It also took a lot of honest looks at myself too... There are days when it still cuts deep, so be prepared for that to happen after you feel that things have gotten better. Those days always blindsided me. Hugs to you!

AFM - This trip is insanely long (traveling 11 states over 12 days) and super stressful, but babies are handling it well. Our 4 cats are not handling it well, though (pee in the suitcase 3 times today....)We're surviving and I cant wait to reach the other end. I miss talking with you guys as much as I used to. L&M are approaching 9 months old the end of this week... crazy!


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## kewpie80

They're pulling up to standing now and Maisie cruises along furniture.


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## tenzinsmama

Just had to drop in quickly to say, Oh my gosh, Kewpie, those two so darn cute!!!! I love the one of them standing, from behind. I just want to pick them up and snuggle them! (I see all the boxes in the picture... That must be a lot of work to do a big move like that. Wow!)


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## renavoo

Vegan, YAAAAH! What a gorgeous name and I'm glad you're feeling better! CONGRATS!










Kewpie, OH MY GOSH, THEY ARE SO CUTE! Liam is so handsome and Maisie is beautiful! Those eyes! I can't believe that they are almost 9 months old! How time flies!

Hope and Kewpie, I read about your struggles and I am just so sorry that you had to go through that, especially since we all had to deal with the emotional fall out of infertility. I'm happy that you guys are able to move on, even though it bugs me that you had to deal with it at all. You two are such amazing, strong women!

Blue, YES to the nasty taste. I think it was because my mouth was always dirt dry- i had to drink water CONSTANTLY. It was nonstop! I hope that by the time you go to NC, the morning sickness will be gone anyway!

Hi to everyone else! My baby girl decided she didn't want to sleep last night so I'm exhausted. haha not the best way to start the week but it's my first day of working at home! So I'll forgive her and perhaps, now that the nanny is here, go take a 20 minute nap before i start my workday! yah!

Big hugs! Sorry for the quick drive by!


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## rcr

Vegan - Yay!!!

Kewpie - cute photos. Sorry the trip is hard. I couldn't imagine traveling that far with two babies and two cats. I don't follow along here very closely - did you decide to ship your embies out there or travel for the IVF? Any plans for when you are going to get started?


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## SilaMarila

Congrats Vegan!!!


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## auraleigh

Congrats vegan!!!!!!


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## blueyezz4

*Renavoo* - sorry to hear that your little girl was awake all night!! Ugh!! Glad you were working from home though and could get a nap. So how many days do you get to work from home? That is great but I hope that you can get some work done while you are home. Thanks for the info about the yucky taste in your mouth too when you were pregnant. I read that you can use a little baking soda and water mix to just rinse and spit and it helps so i'm thinking of trying that to see if it works.

*Kewpie* - hope you survived the move!!! Love the pics! That last one looks like they are helping you pack, which I'm sure they are better at unpacking but I thought it was so cute! Hope the rest of your trip goes smooth!!

*Aura* - can't wait for you to come and join us!!!! Wahooo!!!









*Hope* - I hope you are doing well and things are still getting better w/ every day.

*AFM* - one more day before my stitch surgery (Wed). Oh and that means one more day of work.... HOLY cow! Where has the time gone????


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## tenzinsmama

Renavoo, I wish I had your energy! Even if you were up most of the night, that's amazing if just a 20 minute nap is enough to get you going for the day! Any particular reason she was up? I find that my little girl isn't going to sleep as easily the last couple of nights, I wonder if it is some kind of pre-growth spurt happening.

So, I have a question... For those of you who have done both Clomid and IVF cycles, which one was most problematic in terms of side effects? I've gone just about crazy on Clomid, and swore I'd never, ever take it again (even though DS was conceived on 2nd cycle with it). I'm very sensitive to the effects of anything I take, and I had heard that the IVF drugs have a different mechanism so that same kind of crazy feeling doesn't happen. Is this true?

The reason I ask is because our RE has me thinking about what next steps are for trying for #3. We saw her a couple of weeks ago and she suggested we do Clomid/IUI, provided we get good results from all of our testing (Day 3, HSG, pelvic u/s for me-- apparently a c/s can cause some fallopian tube scarring, so she wants to rule that out-- and SA for DH). I'm not sure why she didn't tell us to go straight to IVF-- I've got all the IVF drugs on hand, except for the suppression drug since I had been on that when lo and behold I got my miracle bfp... And I'm willing once again to go through the whole process. Perhaps she's hopeful because of our conception history? She did say that sometimes, with women who are nearing the time when their natural fertility declines dramatically, they experience a jump in fertility when their bodies go all out in a last ditch effort type-of-thing... I still haven't had a PPAF yet, so of course none of this is going to happen anytime soon... and I'm still bf'ing a ton. But still, I can't stop wondering about her recommendation. It worries me to think about feeling nutty on Clomid when it's now more than just my DH that has to deal with me. And... You know how it is when you leave the RE's office and it's only then that you think of questions to ask? Well, I should have asked the RE if she is hopeful for us... But I was just too darn afraid of putting it out there in words, in case she said something that was less than hopeful. I guess if she's sending me for all those tests once AF comes, that there is a chance, right? I'm just glad that she didn't tell me I was crazy for wanting one more...

*Hi!!! To all on here, and I hope all is well with you and yours and I look forward to more updates from each of you!!!*


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## tenzinsmama

Blue, in case I don't check in tomorrow, I'll be thinking of you on Wednesday when you get your stich. Sending you lots of positive energy for a smooth process with that!!


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## tenzinsmama

Okay, here I am again... Just got a call from the Fertility Clinic, and DH's SA from last week came back as abnormal. The person who phoned said she wasn't able to tell us what exactly it was showing... and she said the RE stated that we could decide to still go ahead with IUI when we reach the point of being ready for it, or we can go in now and find out what exactly the results are from the SA. The person on the phone (was she a nurse? receptionist?) said "obviously it isn't that urgent or anything to worry about it if you can still go ahead with the IUI". So we made an appointment; can't get in until the 26th.

????? DH has never had a problem before, in fact all his SA came back great in the past. I suppose it's possible something can happen within the last year? And it's also a possibility for the lab to have made an error? At any rate, he should probably be re-tested, right?


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## auraleigh

Tenzin, I was a lunatic on Clomid with crazy headaches, and barely had any side effects from Ivf drugs. But the IUIs are so much cheaper and easier, I wonder if it is worth a try if the SA comes back okay? How exciting for you! Maybe there will be another miracle?

Blue, I'll be thinking of you tomorrow!!


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## tenzinsmama

Aura-- Yup, lunatic would be a good word to describe how I was on the Clomid, too. Funny how the IVF drugs are so more intensive, and yet they have less side effects for some people. I felt crazy emotionally, but also, I had these weird physical side effects that were affecting how I was perceiving things-- visually, how I was processing what I was seeing. Hard to explain. But I really, really don't want to take it again. Of course I will though because if it ups my chances of conceiving. Awesome beta you have-- I can't say enough how happy I am for you! I may have missed it somewhere, but, is there a chance you may have twins?


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## laura-belle

Tenzins -- I actually felt GREAT on the IVF drugs, mentally better than I have felt in ages. I have struggled with depression off and on since adolescence and this was the first time I wasn't at least a little depressed. Clomid wasn't as bad for me as you are describing, but it certainly wasn't fun and I got weirdly dizzy/lightheaded.

Re the sperm analysis, hopefully it was just a bad day or something, although it can fall off of a cliff like that fairly quickly in some circumstances. Yuck!

Blue -- Thinking of you tomorrow. Hope it goes quickly and smoothly.


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## tenzinsmama

Laura, I'm glad to hear that the IVF drugs weren't too bad for you. And I'm so happy that you have your bfp after all of that! I can't wait to hear updates from you as you go along!!! Yah, hopefully it was just a bad bunch of swimmers that day. I wonder what kinds of things would make things fall off a cliff, as you say? Stress over the last few months?


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## rcr

Kewpie - I have been following your posts on FB. I could not iagine traveling across the country with two babies, and cats - especially a sick cat. You are amazing.

Tenzins - I guess given that you conceived before - maybe a month or two of clomid woun't hurt. But given your age, I certainly would move to IVF pretty fast . Just my 2 cents.


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## Vegan Princess

Tenzin: Could you try femara? It's supposed to have fewer side effects. That's what I used for all my IUIs. I'm surprised you're thinking about all this again so soon! 

Blue: Thinking of you tomorrow!! I hope they let you peak at the gender!

RCR: Saw your other post. Big hugs. I'm sorry about your cat. :-( I hope you and your mama feel bettr. I hope there is no more bad news for you!!

Cindy


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## Tear78

Blue, thinking of you today! I can't tell you how happy I am to see your ticker past 12!


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## BellyBean

Hi Ladies, sorry I haven't been able to check in recently...my free time is limited to about 5 min per day 

Blue, hope all goes well today!

Aura, glad to see you over here, I need to go check the other side for your beta numbers!!!

Tenzin, I would be rather annoyed by that "nurse", "somethings wrong, but I can't tell you...oh and it doesn't matter on top of it." Gesh people. Glad you have an appointment to find out what's up, but I am guessing/hoping it was an error on their part since nothing has been wrong before. Keep us posted.

Kewpie, I can't imagine such a long trip with pets and babies, sounds like you guys are doing great. I hope the kitty feels better soon! I also love the picture of the babes from the back!!!!

Renavoo, yay for working at home. How often do you get to do that?!

Hope, I am so sorry about the problems with DH  It's hard to say how you would handle any situation until you are the person in it. It must be very difficult for you, I hope your DH is able to make it up and you will be able to have a trusting/open communication relationship again. My thoughts are with you.

No time for an AFM today...pretty much same same anyway


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## blueyezz4

*Belly* - always good to see your name pop up here!! Hope the girls are doing well and you are all adjusting!!!

*Tear* - thanks!!! I will feel much better when my ticker gets past 24 wks!!!! All is well so far though. How are you feeling now a days??? How many wks are you again? I think you need a new ticker so I don't have to keep asking you the same question b/c I'll forget, i know it.

*Vegan* - thanks!! Hope you are doing well and healing!!! Getting any sleep?

*Renavoo* - Hope things are going smooth this week and that the babes are sleeping thru the night!!

*Tenzi* - how old is your youngest?? I agree w/ Vegan to maybe try femara instead they say that is better on the lining as well. Never hurts to ask the question.

*Hope & Aura* - thanks for your well wishes too!

*Kewpie* - I hope you all survived the trip!!! Update when you get a chance... i'm sure you will be crazy busy unpacking and getting organized though.

*Hi to everyone else that i missed.*

*AFM - * Had the stitch today and all went well. Ugh to that feeling like you are a paraplegic! Didn't like that at all. I was numbed from the belly down and it was an awful feeling. Thank God it is over w/ and I can now feel my legs and butt again. It was kinda scary b/c i had a student Anestheologist (which if they would have told me initially i would have refused but they didn't tell me- grrr) and when she was putting the needle in my back the Head guy stopped her and said "wait don't go any further b/c it can be a matter of life and death".... glad life prevailed!!! When i came back to the room then i was shaking like I had parkinson's from the medicine, so that was crazy too. DH and the nurse were laughing at/with me b/c i was trying to eat jello and the spoon would not stay still which made it awful hard to eat. LOL Anyways, they put one stitch in and I'm good to go, gently that is. Laying low today and tomorrow and then hope to be back to normal. DH took Abby w/ him to the store so at least i have the couch to myself and don't have to worry about her jumping on me or wanting to go out for a few hrs. My OB tried to see the sex but the little bugger had his/her leg crossed at the ankles for part of the time. Darn. Might have to wait until the big u/s on Nov 9th. Thanks everyone for your kind thoughts!!!


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## tenzinsmama

Just doing a quick fly-by... I have to get off the computer before DH comes home with DS, otherwise he will want to watch diggie videos on YouTube-- we are trying to limit screen time for him. Hard in this day and age, though! But I wanted to check in to see how Blue's procedure went...

Glad to hear that the procedure went well. What the doc said to the student-- that is one thing that you don't want to hear! Oh my, I would have been freaked out! Glad that you could have a little laugh after it was all over, with the shaking Jello.

Will do more personals later, if the kids go to bed okay and I'm not exhausted.

Oh, and thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts! I totally forgot about how some people use Femara.

And, RCR-- I read your post on the other thread. What a week you've had. ((HUGS))


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## auraleigh

So is it too early to cross over? I'm scared! Should I wait for a heartbeat before making it official?


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## rcr

go for it Aura! I would jump at the chance to be out of that thread.


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## rcr

Blue - glad the stitch went well. It sounds pretty scary. I am glad you made it though and had some time to relax afterward.


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## kewpie80

Blue - Thanks, but we're still traveling. We're in CO right now, so only one more day of driving. Our house isn't ready to move into yet, so we'll be staying with family out there for a week or two. (not all with the same family)

I'm glad to hear your cerclage went well.

Aura - HUGE HUGS! I am so happy to see you got your BFP! If I were you, I'd totally make the jump over here.

RCR - Thanks!

Laura - Welcome! I'm glad to see you over here!

AFM - sososososo busy. I will be around more and able to follow everyone better once we're settled... which should be in about 4 weeks.


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## auraleigh

kewpie, can't wait for you to arrive, get settled, and take lots of photos! you're such a trooper for taking on such an epic move.

blue, so glad the cerclage went well! that must be a great feeling to know you've got an extra level of protection there.

belly, how are the girls??

renavoo, how is working from home working out?

we need more baby pics, ladies! this means you!

afm, slept for 10 hours last night, other than waking up to sleep eat a granola bar. i was too tired to even wash my face, i thought i'd fall over before i got into bed. dh just shook his head and laughed at me, but i needed it. today i fell fine, sore nipples, but that's it. much better than yesterday's headache and mild nausea. so glad it's friday!!!


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## renavoo

Darn, my page crashed and i lost everything i wrote and now the babies are up.

Fly by because I wanted to let you all know i was thinking of you!!

Aura, I'm so so so so glad you're here! I love that you're on this thread because i don't get to the other thread as much as I'd like to and I love being able to follow you through the pregnancy!

Tenzi, yah to trying again! i hope you get another free baby ) I was fine on both clomid and IVF regimens, with the exception of a bit of nausea with clomid but i agree with everyone that you should try femara.

Blue, I'm so happy that the surgery went well! Now get some rest and I can't wait to see more images of your little bean!

Kewpie, hope you're getting lots of rest after the big move! how are the babies taking the new home?

Belly, Keria and Vegan, just thinking of you and looking for a check in!! Belly, I'm so with you about how everything is the same on my front too!

Everyone, just sending out virtual hugs! Fingers crossed that my browser doesn't crash again!


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## laura-belle

Tenzins -- Yeah, stress probably does not help at all. Also, if he was sick with a fever at any point in the last three months that could cause problems.

Blue -- I see your child is being unhelpful already







. Glad that it went smoothly. I laughed about the description of you eating jello remembering my reaction to the drugs they used when they removed my uterine septum. It was not dissimilar.

Kewpie -- You are a brave, brave woman







.

Aura -- Hey! Here you are too! I find that eating helps with the tiredness. That and sleeping a lot. Are you oddly happy to have symptoms? I am--it helps convince me that this is real.

AFM -- For anyone who isn't stalking the other thread, I'm Laura and I'm 5w3d along after my second IVF and 5+ total years of trying. Yay! I am conciously choosing to be optimistic at this point (although I have my moments of obsessing about everything that could go wrong). Also, PIO is still not my friend. Yesterday's PIO shot was awful. Today's was fine--I can't even find the spot anymore--but yesterday's still hurts a lot. The joy







.


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## blueyezz4

*Laura* - Welcome to this side!!!! Glad you are able to join us!! I hated PIO shots and thought the Crione was so much easier and no pain just some discharge which i could deal w/.

*Aura* - Glad you are here too!!!!







So sorry to hear about your cat!! Did the spotting stop? How are you feeling? When is your next appt? Do you have any more betas or just the u/s next?? Fill us in!! I always kept and still do actually, pretzels in a little bag on my nightstand in case of emergency's. Haven't needed it lately though. I do drink water all night long though b/c i can't breath through my mouth so i'll wake up every couple hrs and my mouth is cotton dry so i have to drink water which just adds to the bathroom trips which aren't as much fun now that it is getting colder here. Brrrrr!!!

*Kewpie* - hope you are finally there and things are calming down.

*Tenzi* - did you decide on anything or talk to your RE at all?

*Hope* - how are things going w/ you? How many wks are you now?

*Belly, Keria, & Vegan* - hope you all are well!!

*Renavoo* - Always nice to see your name pop up. I'm sure you are busy. Are you back to full time work?

*Hi to everyone I missed.*

*AFM -* Feeling a little better each day but not back to 100% yet. My back is still pretty sore from the stupid nerve block and I've been feeling some pressure down kinda low in my belly which i didn't have before so i'll have to ask her about that when i see her on Thurs. Tomorrow i have an appt w/ my allergist so I'm hoping maybe he has a miracle solution for my stuffy nose.... wishful thinking. Not much else going on here as far as I know.


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## rcr

So *Aura*, can I move you to the grads list on the other side??


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## kewpie80

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151050459546091

Maisie and Liam playing chase!


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## auraleigh

Rcr, I'm not quite ready to make it official. Maybe once I have a heartbeat?

Blue, how did the allergist appt go? Any solutions? Not being able to breathe through your nose is the worst! How is your back today? I'm good, my next appt is next Monday, and it's my six week ultrasound. No more betas!

Laura, the PIO is pretty nasty! I hobble like an old lady. Last night the shot hurt so bad (either we hit a nerve or it was just a sore spot) but I almost crawled away and dh had to hold me down. Some are worse than others for some reason, but each one reminds me that I'm pregnant, so I suck it up and keep injecting!

Kewpie, your kids are so cute!! Maisie is a speed demon! They must be so fun these days.

Renavoo, hello! How are the twins? How has it been going back to work?

Afm, I've had a headache for days. The kind of headache where it hurts if I turn my head or move my eyes too much. Honestly, it feels like a bad hangover! There are moments of queasiness, but mostly it's the headaches. Any remedies? I am trying to save Tylenol for when I really need it.


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## rcr

Aura - ouch. Sorry about the headache. Pressure points work well for me, although I don't really know where they are. My friend who does massage always just does it and it works pretty well. I am sure you could find some info online. He always does something on my hand to make a headache go away.


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## Vegan Princess

Aura: I got a lot of headaches this pregnancy. I often did breakdown and take 1 tylenol. But a lot of people swear by cold washclothes on your neck or on your forehead. My midwife also told me to ask my DH for neck massages. I hope it goes away soon!

Blue: I had horrid allergies while pregnant. I took Sabadil. It's a homeopathic allergy treatment. Homeopathics are supposed to be fine for preg. And I do actually think I got some relief from it! Not a total cure. I also got an air purifier for my bedroom and did mold remediation on my closet that actually didn't turn out to be all that moldy - but it was driving me nuts.

AFM: I'm having some breastfeeding challenges over here. I had supply issues with my first and anticipated it this time. Turns out that so far, I have enough milk for my baby! But she is a sleepy, lazy nurser and isn't draining the milk from me. So I am pumping after feeds and feeding her the expressed milk via an at the breast supplementer that has a faster flow than my boobs do so she doesn't fall asleep as fast. Other than the nursing issues, whihc hopefully will resolve as she gets back to birth weight and gets stronger/more awake (she is gaining weight but isn't back to birth wt yet), Aria is a dream. She sleeps so much and is just so easy. My first DD was not like this at all! Not sure if this will all change once she is awake more though. LOL.

I am feeling a lot better. I got out of the house for a little while today to run an errand, take DD into preschool (and show off the baby a bit) and get some coffee. Felt nice to get out of the house a bit. I need to head to sleep now though. I'm already up later than I have been! Had been going to bed after dinner each night for a nap before the next feed.

Cindy


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## tenzinsmama

I can't believe it's been 5 days since I've last been on here-- where is the time going?!

Aura, so sorry to hear about your cat. It really has been a sad couple of weeks for the poor kittys.

Vegan, glad to hear that things are going well with Aria! My situation is kind of like yours-- DS wasn't an easy baby at all, but this second one is. She's 4.5 months now and that hasn't changed, so it's sounding good for you to be able to have an easier time. Enjoy! And YAY for good milk supply! I think, too, that with a few more days of growth she will become less sleepy and feed longer. I really don't like pumping, I didn't realize what a pain it is (I pump in the morning before I head off to my class, so that DH can feed DD). It's only once a week that I have to do it, but still... if DS starts needing me in the middle of it, my flow stops and then I can't get it back easily because I'm not relaxed.

RCR, did I read over on the other side that you may start your cycle in November? I'm on Team RCR too!

Laura, thanks for the info about the fever and stress.

Darn, I have to go before I finish personals... DD is crying...


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## laura-belle

Blue -- Sadly, I am betting that there was no miracle cure for your stuffed up head.

Aura -- Yuck, yuck, yuck on the headaches. No fun at all. PIO still sucks over here too--but if it has gotten me pregnant and can keep me that way, I will live with it.

Vegan -- Glad things are going relatively smoothly.









AFM -- Not much exciting here. My ultrasound is on Monday and I wish it would get here faster. PIO is still not my friend. So, yeah.


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## blueyezz4

*Laura* - Can't wait to hear about your ultrasound!!! Yay!!! Allergist said I could use my steroid nasal spray if i really want to but i'm not sure I'm comfortable doing that. I think I'll just suffer. It is a bit better since it has gotten a little colder outside which I think cuts the ragweed.

*Vegan* - sorry to hear about the breastfeeding issues. Hope that things have gotten better!! Thanks for the suggestions about the allergies. I have been using a humidifier at night in my bedroom every night. Not sure if it does anything. I also tried one of those Vick plug in things and DH said it made the whole upstairs smell and I couldn't smell anything and it was in "MY" bedroom (which is our bedroom but DH hasn't slept there for 3 months now b/c of my head and nose.

*Tenzi* - what is going on w/ you??? When do you think you might start a cycle?

*Aura* - how are you doing??? How are the headaches? Hope better!!! You never said if the spotting stopped or if you did i miss it. See my AFM to answer your other questions.

*Hi to everyone else.*

*AFM* - Allergist appt was fine. I had a great breathing test so that was good (asthma) and not much w/ the allergies. He said i could use my nasal spray, but it is a class C so i'm kinda scared of it and will probably just suffer. It has been just a little better b/c of the drop in the temp lately. Still feels like i'm recovering from my stitch procedure. I still have this pressure type feeling kinda lower baby belly and have had an inc in need to pee and also my back is still sore. I have had back problems in the past, but usually sitting bothers me if i do it too much, but since the nerve block it hurts even when i am standing or sitting and radiates into my hips. Grrr. I do have a chiro appt on Mon so hope maybe they can help!! I had an OB appt today and told her about all of these issues and i guess they found that i have a trace of protein in my urine, so she ordered a urine analysis today and I haven't heard anything, so i guess it must have been fine, but we will see tomorrow. She said that a UTI can cause pressure and inc in urinating. Who knows, even the babe growing can cause this too I'm sure, but i think it is weird that all of this started the day of the stitch. We will see. Hope it all goes away soon.


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## auraleigh

blue, sorry to hear about your discomfort! i hope they figure out what it is. i also feel you on the allergy meds. i have taken symbacort for quite a while to manage my asthma, but it's a class c and dr t said i should take something else. i just had my gp switch me to pulmacort which is a class b. i guess it's still gray area, but i feel better about it. they keep stressing that breathing is most important. ha!

laura, i feel ya on the PIO. i am counting down the days. i hate it. are you having other side effects? morning sickness? tiredness? i can't wait for your ultrasound on monday! what time is yours? they won't tell me what time mine is until some time this weekend. i am so anxious about it.

vegan, sorry about the breastfeeding issues, but i'm glad that Aria is such a dream baby! I can't wait for photos!! How are you holding up?

afm, the PIO is pretty unbearable. i have red welts on my hips that are six-eight inches wide. and they hurt. i can't sleep, i can't sit, i can't walk. i had to go buy elastic waistband jeans (i feel 90!!) because the pressure from my pants was excrutiating. i've got night sweats, and i think last night i had my first real experience of nausea. i drank a lot of ginger ale and couldn't do anything but lay on the couch with a pillow over my head. my poor husband! he asked me when pregnancy gets fun. lol! i am so elated that we've made it this far, and i'll feel better once i see the ultrasound on monday. i think i just need the weekend to rest.


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## hope4light

Hi All!

I'm still around, sorry I haven't been posting lately, but I swear I've been stalking!!

Laura and Aura - it's so good to have you both over here! I can't wait to hear all about your u/s's on Monday. Aura - I've had headaches with both of my pregnancies... unfortunately each time I would end up giving in to some medicine and/or caffiene to help... actually, each time they had to prescribe me something stronger that was safe with pregnancy because they got so bad (like migraine level, this pregnancy I even had hallucinations from them). Sorry I can't help with the non medicated route, but just wanted to let you know that I feel your pain!!!

Blue - I'm so sorry that you're uncomfortable, I hope it goes away quickly!!!

Vegan - ohhh you give me hope. My first was a very difficult baby (reflux), and I keep hoping and praying that this one is easier!! My DD was jaundiced so we had the same problems with her falling asleep at the breast and not eating enough. All I can say is keep it up and hopefully she'll get over it soon! We used an SNS due to the problem as well, and I think it took a couple of weeks for her to start staying awake for feedings, and we were able to ditch the SNS.

Tenzins - I think you were asking about clomid versus IVF drugs... I only did one round of clomid before we realized that IVF was our only hope and it made me psychotic. With our IVF in 2008 I had a hard time with the IVF drugs too (Lupron and Repronex were pretty much it between the 3 cycles). This time around I didn't use Repronex but one of the others that everyone mentioned (ummm... can't remember the name... pregnancy brain?!) and Lupron (at a lower dose) and had no problem at all. I think it depends on the meds, the dosing, and how your hormones are after giving birth too!

OK, those are the posts that I can remember right now LOL.

AFM - Monday I will be 28 weeks pregnant, holy cow, when did that happen? I can't believe I'm just about in the 3rd trimester!! I'm so excited to meet this baby, but not ready for time to be flying like it is. DH and I are doing much better, and really focusing on each other right now. He's spending more time at home and making a point of being very good to me. My DD suddenly has an interest in potty training (which is awesome!) and is trying to talk more. And I'm exhausted. Lower back pain is insane, and TMI but I think I might have a yeast infection, ugh. My mom told me that she's starting to see some waddling going on too ha ha. Monday I have my 28 week appt, my glucose screening and my Rhogam shot (so not looking forward to that sucker b/c it hurts!!!). I've put on about 6 pounds since my last appt 5 weeks ago, so I'm hoping that my doc will be happier with my weight gain. Other than that, this little one is sooo active, and I love every minute of it! Sometimes it still feels unreal that I'm actually pregnant again. I think it's because there's so much other stuff going on between work and home that it doesn't always leave time to think about how life is going to change in approximately 12 weeks or so. But every night I lay in bed and play with this little one and enjoy the time we have that is just ours. Especially the hiccups that I started feeling this week!

Happy Friday everyone!!!


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## auraleigh

hope, i'm so excited for you!!!! it sounds like things are really going smoothly. i'm glad you and dh are both fully committed to this. and it sounds like everything else is falling into place!

afm, i forgot to add that there hasn't been any spotting since the last time. which is nice. i can't deal with any more stress!


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## auraleigh

ladies, i think my PIO shots have crossed from "ouch" to "i don't think i can do this anymore"



i mean, am i wrong? this is just my right hip. my left is similar. as is the area near these areas. i'm out of spots. i've had constant headaches from the pain, i can't sleep because i can't find a position that doesn't hurt. i'm terrified to show dr t because i am guessing they will tell me to stop. but we've proved in the past that the endometrin and the crinone don't work for me. i'm really stressed about this.


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## blueyezz4

*Aura* - OMG!!! That looks awful!!!! I seriously think that PIO shots hurt even more once you get pregnant in my opinion, even though I've only had one experience w/ it but it didn't last. I would totally email Dr. T or call and explain your concern about the PIO and the things that didn't work w/ you from before. I actually was just watching a video tonight when i was doing some research on 17P shots that they want me to start in 2 weeks and came across a video on a natural progesterone that I wonder if you could use possible. I will try to post the link and if you scroll down you can click on the video and watch it. I was pretty impressed and if we didn't get pregnant I might even think of trying it maybe. DH probably would have a fit if I would have tried more things and spent more money. LOL So go to the link below and scroll to the bottom and click on the video w/ the girl w/ her hand up and watch that one. Might be worth asking especially if you can issues w/ the other stuff. Just a thought.

http://www.chiff.com/health/pregnancy/17P.htm

*Hope* - glad things are coming along well for you and that you and DH seem to be doing better.


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## laura-belle

Aura -- That looks awful! Mine is not nearly that bad; I have some bruising, but nothing like that. O. M. G. Maybe they could drop the amount per shot; you're doing 2mL right? 1 mL at a time might be less bad? Ugh! In other news, my ultrasound is at 10:30 am (PDT) on Monday. Have you gotten a time for yours yet?

Blue -- I hope you are feeling somewhat better.

Hope -- I am glad that things are going better with you and that everything seems to be going smoothly with your pregnancy. Also potty training, it would be great if that could mostly happen before you have another set of diapers to change







.

AFM -- I am 6w2d and the nausea is definately kicking in with a side of reflux; it is pretty livable so far and it would be nice if it stayed that way. I think that I am less tired than I was last week, but I could just be more used to it. I find these symptoms oddly reassuring. The thing that is bugging me most is that I am already in maternity pants. I have gained, per my scale, possibly as much as two pounds, taking me to a weight that is still more than 5 pounds below my high point while on stims (throughout which I wore my normal jeans). My jeans should still fit. But they don't. So at 5 and a half weeks pregnant, I went out and bought maternity jeans. The joy.

My ultrasound is on Monday; I hope the weekend goes quickly.


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## auraleigh

well i talked to dr t and he took me off the shots. i'm back on crinone 2xday (thanks again blue!!!). my biggest fear is that i won't be getting as much progesterone, but he said "it's enough progesterone to support a hundred pregnancies". i just don't want to do anything to risk this little baby. i think i'm also overly anxious because of the upcoming ultrasound on monday. they still haven't called with a time yet, but i am assuming they'll call tomorrow. DH is going to meet me there. i just hope i see a heart beat! it would really put my mind at ease.

laura, i lol'd at your post. i too bought pants with stretch. my jeans weren't cutting it any more. i'm fine in the morning, but by afternoon into night i am SO BLOATED. might as well be comfortable, right?? how is your nausea? how strong is it? mine seems pretty mild so far, i'm not sure if it just hasn't really kicked in yet or if i just won't truly get sick. my mom said she didn't really have morning sickness. who knows?

blue, are you definitely doing the shots? i say anything to help keep that baby safe inside you is worth it!!


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## blueyezz4

*Aura* - Glad you talked to Dr. T and they are going to change things around. I totally remember that pain and those welts. Ughhhh.... so sorry for you. I hope that they go away fast. I think the last ones I had took a wk or more to go away, it was crazy. Yes, I just found out on Friday that starting wk 16th they will be starting to give me the 17P shots (ugh... so not looking forward to shots in the butt b/c they are Progesterone so I'm afraid of them just like the PIO shots) but I will do whatever we need to to get our take home baby and keep this little one in and healthy. I guess the stitch will help if i truly do have an incompetent cervix and the P17 shots will help to prevent preterm labor. In our case they really don't know why we officially went into pre-term labor or if it was one of those 2 or if it was just b/c there were 2 babies in there and my uterus just couldn't handle it. So they are really just trying to do everything they can which we appreciate. I'm lucky to have such a great OBGYN.

*Laura* - Yay for your upcoming ultrasound. Only 2 more sleeps!!!!

*Keria* - how are you doing??? Haven't seen your name lately. All okay? How are the babes?

*Tear* - you still around? How are you feeling? How many weeks are you now?

*Hope* - wow, 28 wks! That is great!!!

*Hi to everyone else too.*

*AFM* - Still haven't heard back fully about my urine analysis from Thurs. I talked to my OB on Friday and she said something about them finding rare white blood cells and also rare bacteria and a rare something else, but she said not to worry about it. She said there was still one more test out that hadn't come back yet, but I never heard back on Friday so i'm assuming that all must be fine since I never heard. She also talked to me about doing the 17P shots (more info in Aura's post about this) starting at 16wks once a wk and a nurse will come to my house to give them to me. Shots in the butt.....














I hate that, but i'll do whatever I need to. I think that is about it here. Hope everyone is doing well and having a good weekend.


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## Tear78

Blue, I'm still here lurking and supporting. I'm 17 weeks along and feeling a bit better, though I'm also in nasal congestion land. We have our anatomy scan in a week and a half. School is pretty much all consuming right now. That's what fall is like for a teacher I think, but I have a really nice class. I hope your bloodwork comes back saying all is fine!


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## auraleigh

laura, how did your ultrasound go??

ok, i don't know who voted for team twins, but..... THERE WERE TWO!!

dr t didn't even ease me into it. i was so nervous, hoping that there was one healthy little heartbeat, and the first thing he says are "i see two heartbeats". i may have cursed a few times. maybe more than a few times. my sister, who was there with me because dh couldn't make it, just laughed! both heartbeats were in the 120s, and even though i'm 6w1d, baby a measure 6w2d and baby b measured 6w3d. dr t said just to keep doing what i'm doing, and he'll see me back in two weeks.

i am flabbergasted. speechless. i just wasn't really thinking twins, so i'm not quite sure how to process it all.


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## blueyezz4

*Aura* - OMG!!!!!!!!!














So excited for you!! I know it can be really overwhelming at times, but the feeling does go away after awhile and comes back at times, but so many on here have twins and I'm sure they will have great advice for you as you go!!!!!! So what is next? Do you have another u/s or are they turning you over to your reg OB now that they have 2 heartbeats????

*Tear* - good to see you are still lurking. Can't wait to hear about your anatomy scan. Will you guys find out what you are having???


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## blueyezz4

Aura - Ps. How are the butt welts? Loving that Crinone yet??? LOL


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## Vegan Princess

Aura: Congrats again!!! Eeck!! I would have a hard time processing too. 

AFM: Here is a link to our newborn shoot. No password needed.

http://deborahjeanphotography.zenfolio.com/p965547044

I can't recall what I've posted where. We found out last week DD had a posterior tongue tie. She got it clipped on Friday. She has been nursing ever since! It's a miracle. I just couldn't help but think there had to be a reason she wasn't nursing right. My supply is doing really well. It has jumped a bunch in the few days since she has been nursing normally. I think I might actually have a full milk supply this time! She is still a great sleeper. She has more awake time and wakes herself to eat now. We are no longer supplementing at all and she is still pooping and peeing and gaining weight. She is 3 ounces over her birth weight now. The LC said I don't have to wake her at night for feeds anymore - so she will go 4 hour stretches easily. I got a great night sleep last night since I wasn't up pumping every 3 hours and trying to nurse. Just up 2 times (after she went to sleep at midnight following 4 hours of being awake). I am still pumping after feeds a few timesd/day to maximize my supply, but at least I'm not tied to the pump like I was when she wasn't draining my breasts. Not sure how much longer I'll pump - but I am accumulating a nice freezer stash. My MIL is here for 1 more day. Then my mom comes next Tuesday for 4 days. So I'll be on my own w/my 2 girls for a few days this week. I think we'll be fine though. Aria is pretty mellow. 

Cindy


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## blueyezz4

*Vegan* - So beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How old was she in these pictures? Did you bring all the outfits or did they have them? Love every single one of them. Beautiful!!!! Thanks for sharing!

ps. glad they figured out what was going on and that now things are going better now w/ nursing.


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## laura-belle

Aura -- Congrats!







Two babies







How is your back doing since you've been off of the shots?

Vegan -- Very cute! You are a lovely family. I am glad that they figured out what the nursing trouble was and that it is going better now. Yay!

Blue -- Yuck, more shots. At least these come with a nurse though. Good luck with them.

AFM -- We are only having one baby







. Confirmed today by ultrasound. All is as it should be. My doc didn't measure or anything, just looked for the heartbeat--which was quite visible. DH has started quietly freaking out; I think he may be figuring out that we're actually having a baby.

My symptoms are getting more obnoxious; the nausea isn't too bad, but nothing looks good a lot of the time and I'm tired and crabby. I also seem to be moving directly from not hungry to that stage after hungry where you can't make decisions about food anymore and are crabby and unreasonable; I am going to try better planning and eating every three hours regardless and see if that helps. But hey, I'm pregnant!


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## renavoo

Yah Aura!! Twins are so much fun! I mean, all babies are fun but you get twice the fun. haha. ;o)

Everyone else, hi! Big presentation tomorrow. Just trying to get pumping done before I go to sleep.

Will do more personals soon!

Big hugs


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## tenzinsmama

Aura, OMG, YAY!!!!!!!! Congratulations! Two babies to love, yes I imagine it would be a shock but I'm sure it will settle in, as others have pointed out. I can't wait to follow your pregnancy along! (And I hope you completely recover soon from that nasty reaction... I couldn't believe it when I was reading about it, that must have been awful!)

Laura, YAY!!!!!! for your good news from the u/s!!!! Looking forward to more updates, too! It gets better with the appetite thing that you are going through right now... hang in there!

Vegan, thanks for sharing those pictures of your family... SO precious. Your kids are just so darn cute, if I saw them irl I would want to just pick them up and give them big squishy hugs! And I'm really glad to hear that nursing is going even better than ever now that the tongue tie is fixed. DD had a small tongue tie, but after 6 weeks she had adapted and her mouth had gotten stronger, etc. so it turned out we didn't need to do anything. Are the posterier ones harder to detect sometimes? I think I read something about one being more difficult to diagnose, I think that is the kind?

Blue, how are you feeling now?I smile every time I see your ticker...

Rena, HI!!! Any new pics to share of Colin and Sienna? You must be so busy with them, and work. I can't believe you are still pumping... I would guess you had a really good pump... I

Tear, I wanted to ask you, were you still nursing when you conceived?

Deport, are you still on here? Just wondering how you are doing...

RCR, I'm getting excited for you to start things soon! I hope good things have been happening since you had that one week that was so difficult...

Hi to everyone else I may have missed!

AFM, I'm still waiting for my first PPAF. I dream about catching the first PP egg, but then reality sets in about my age and IF, etc. I keep getting signs of returning fertility (well, to whatever extent it is that I have-- such an unknown, really), so I am hopeful I can get my cycle and then see what the possibilities are. I wish I had more time where I didn't have to be thinking about next steps, but, since I really would like to have three children, I feel like I have to be coming up with a plan now. At first, DH was thinking it was kind of crazy to be thinking this way, given the issues of the last pregnancy with the previa and the anxiety/depression I experienced, but, hey-- I feel completely back to normal now, my sweet little girl is so enjoyable (she is such an easy baby), and I love both kids soooooo much. Yes, it's been really hard sometimes having two kids so close together in age, especially with DS being 'spirited' or 'high needs', but it has also been so wonderful most of the time. Parenting isn't easy! Hardest job in the world! Anyway, we go back to the RE in a couple of weeks to find out what the deal is with DH's SA that came back a little wonky. I'm going to ask her about Femara instead of Clomid, and also, if we shouldn't just go straight to IVF. I'm not ready to throw in the towel and say that I'm done...

Anybody on here who has had their babies, have their cycles return yet? If so, did you have signs it was coming?


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## Vegan Princess

Laura: yay - so glad all looks good! lol about your dh! which clinic are you at?

Blue: the pics were done at 9 days old. the photographer came to our house and brought tons of props. one hat and the diaper are mine...and the "welcome" sign in the fall pic...that was one of my things to focus on in labor, a welcome to my fall baby. 

tenzin: yep, posterior is the sneaky one. one lactation consultant and my midwife missed it. they can stick out their tongue so everyone assumes they are fine. but they can't lift their tongue up. it has to be found by feeling in the mouth, not just looking. as for cycles - i take a med to increase my milk supply that makes prolactin levels really high. so as long as i'm on this dose, i won't get af. i got af at 14 mos last time, when i cut way down on the med in the process of weaning off it. i'm cool with that!

cindy


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## Tear78

Aura and Laura, yay congrats!!







.









Blue, I'm pretty sure we're finding out, though the idea did come up to wait. I guess we have just over a week to decide.

Tenzin, I was still nursing when we got pregnant. My Ppaf came back at like three months pp because dd went through a phase of sleeping 12 hours a night and I didn't pump during that time, so it wasn't our first pp egg I think though I guess that's possible. I hope you conceive easily and have an easy pregnancy!

Ok, I know I'm missing people but I have to run. Sorry! Lots of love, ladies!


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## Keria

Aura congrats!! welcome to Twin mommyhood.

Vegan your little one is so precious and your other DD is gorgeous as well.

Blue 15 weeks!!! My allergies were horrible during my pg nothing that was "safe" worked, but they actually got much better after the babes were born.

Tear I'm betting for boys for you and blue!

Tenzin I'm 8.5 months pp and no AF in sight I hope she stays away as long as possible.

Quick AFM. I've been MIA but we are ok, just super busy, both babies have been teething and waking up a million times to nurse. I haven't been so sleep deprived since they were tiny. We also put an offer on a apartment and then the owners decided not to move grrr, since then we found another place the only thing is that this new place needs to be remodeled but it was way cheaper so we made an offer and it was accepted. We are going to be homeowners soon!. And lastly our business is picking up for the holidays already so that is keeping us busy as well hopefully we'll be able to hire some extra help because I can;t imagine doing it all with the 2 babies.


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## rcr

Vegan - I love the photos. So cute. Your older DD looks so happy.


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## tenzinsmama

Keria, nice to hear from you! Wow, you are super busy. Teething is troublesome, isn't it? Although apparently some kids don't seem too bothered by it I hear. I thought DD was starting to go through it, even though she is only 4 months old-- lots of drooling, mouthing really hard on things, irritability, etc-- but it might also be because we've had so many cold viruses sweep through our household the last 1.5 months, since DS started daycare two days a week. We are going to pull him out though, he'll be done at the end of this month-- we decided that we'd like to save the money by me taking the kids to my folks place for a couple of days, with me staying with them since they live an hour away. I thought the daycare would give me lots of time to work on my school stuff but DD doesn't nap much during the day it turns out. So I'm feeling constantly behind, and that's super stressful. Hmmm, they say women can have it all... but I don't know, something's gotta give sometimes...









ETA: Anybody else notice that their babies, around 4- 4.5 months, became super upset about being separated from you that they didn't want to go to sleep on their own for naps???


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## hope4light

aura - congrats on twins!! Has it sunk in? How's your back healing?

vegan - the pictures are so so so adorable!!! I'm glad they figured out the issue and now she is nursing like a champ 

laura - congrats on one healthy singleton!!

tenzin - I didn't have my first PPAF until about 10 months PP. I also dreamed of catching the first egg, but knew it wasn't going to happen, so I totally know what you're going through!! I do remember some pretty severe separation anxiety with my DD, but I honestly don't remember when it hit.

Keria - oh man, I can't imagine having 2 teething at the same time... good luck and hang in there! Congrats on the accepted offer too!!!

Not much going on with me. My back is getting to the point where it hurts so bad to do much of anything, so my OB told me I needed to get a maternity support belt. Any experience with these ~ any suggestions on one that worked well? I had some back pain with my DD, but I carried her much higher than this one, and I think carrying this low along with where the baby must be sitting is really killing me. I can't hardly even snuggle with my DD right now because her added weight (even sitting down) shoots pain through my back :-( I suck it up because she's not going to be the baby much longer and I want to take advantage of the individual time we have left together but it breaks my heart that I'm not enjoying it as much as she probably is.


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## BellyBean

Aura, WOW! Congrats! Welcome to the twins club  It took me my whole pregnancy to get used to the idea of twins, it's really life changing and wonderful at the same time! I can't wait to follow you and Blue through these pregnancies and hopefully rcr too 

Blue, still so happy for you! Glad you guys are doing everything possible to keep that baby growing, you are right, it's worth it no matter what it is!

Vegan, those are BEAUTIFUL pictures!! What a lovely family 

Hope, I wore a support belt towards the end of my pregnancy but it was borrowed from a friend so I don't know the brand. It helped, especially if you stand a lot, but when I was sitting it would bunch up a bit.

Tear, keep us posted on your atatomy scan! Especially if you decide to find out 

Tenzi, I got my ppaf at 13 months with DD, I am not expecting it anytime soon 

Laura, congrats on your singleton!!!

Kewpie, rcr, renavoo, keira, hi ladies

AFM, it has been so busy, I haven't even had time to stalk. We have another couple weeks of craziness and then things should hopefully settle down a bit. One of our girls has taken a few steps backwards on the sleeping and I really hurt my back somehow, so I dont' think I have had more than 4 or 5 hours sleep (not even continuous) a night in the past 2 weeks...getting to the point where my patience is almost non existent and I can barely function. Hoping things improve soon.


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## MOMTOALEXIS

BELLY- Just wanted to crash cause I remember those days all so well. Things get much much better and for me I think it got a lot better when the twins started walking cause it was easier not to carry both around all day long, I used to get major back pain and major chest pain from it. Raising twins has been the hardest thing I have ever done but they finally sleep well(took till about 18 months for that) and they play pretty well ( went through biting each other faze till about a month ago). My biggest savior has always been to just get out of the house even though its hard to do it does help. We go to all the local library programs to keep busy and they r free and we go in the yard as much as possible. Just wanted you to know there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Hope that helps a little cause i know how ur feeling.

Hi to everyone else. Ohhhh my friend Blue I love seeing that ticker move. Aura so happy for u still.


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## tenzinsmama

Hi all, the thread's been quiet... How is everyone doing?


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## hope4light

Tenzin - I was thinking the same thing! I hope quiet means everyone is doing good


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## blueyezz4

*Tenzi* - so funny that you asked b/c last night I was going to post on here b/c I thought it seemed way too quiet too but then ran out of steam and decided to go to bed and post today instead. How are you doing and what is going on w/ you and your next cycle?

*Hope* - no AFM?? That's not fair! Hope you are doing well and how are you feeling? Did you find a good support belt and is it helping?? I sure hope so.

*MomtoAlexis*- always good to see your name on here!!! You are a wealth of knowledge! So glad you are willing to share.

*Aura* - you still w/ us and how is the idea of twins sinking in? How are you feeling?? What is next for you?

*Tear* - when is your anatomy scan? I can't wait until mine!!! Keep us posted!!

*Keria* - how is the teething going??? Hope things are letting up a little. I know, the whole allergies, full head sucks!!! I had the same thing w/ the twins and then night they were born my nose totally opened up so i know there is hope. I guess i just have to embrace it and be thankful that a stuffy nose still means i'm pregnant. I love your boy guess b/c everyone i talk to tells me girl and my one friend is kinda annoying about it so in some ways I want her to be wrong or i'll never hear the end of it. LOL I also still have boys clothes left over that were never worn so it'd be nice to take advantage of those since i have them. We will see on the 9th.

*Praying* - how are you? Haven't seen your name in awhile!! Fill us in! HOpe all is well!!

*Laura* - how are you feeling???

*Renavoo, kewpie, vegan* - how are you all doing and how are your little ones?

*Hi to everyone else! I'm sure I missed a few but i was just looking back on this page.*

*AFM -* Can't believe we are 16wks last Sunday!!! I had my intralipid IV today and that went fine.  Only 2 more to go and I'll be done w/ them!! Yay!!! Tomorrow I have a reg OB appt but my OB is on vacation so i'm seeing one of her associates so that is okay. Then in the afternoon the home nurse is coming to my house to do vitals and to give me my first shot! Not looking forward to that but hopefully it will be better than the PIO shots from what she said. I just hope I don't get the welts like I did from the PIO shots that were so uncomfortable to sit or lay on. Lets see what else... everyone keeps telling me I'm so tiny for 16 wks and if they didn't know i was pregnant they wouldn't never guessed it. The one nurse today at the IV place said it is good that I'm not gaining a ton of weight b/c the more weight I carry will only put more pressure on my cervix. I already have pressure especially if i am on my feet too long or over do in a day. Counting down the days to my big ultrasound on Friday the 9th!!


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## auraleigh

mom, your post was both wonderful and terrifying. hardest thing you've ever done, eh? i'm shakin in my boots!! i don't think i really fully have an idea of just how hard having twins is going to be. and if i'm clueless, then my DH is REALLY clueless. my friends keep telling me that since we don't have anything to compare it to, it won't be that bad. uh HUH. goodbye sleep! goodbye sanity!

blue, 16 weeks!!!! every day is a celebration. i'm so happy for you! please make sure you rest and keep the pressure off that cervix. good luck with the shot, i'm sure it will be fine... especially if a pro is administering it! i'm jealous about your lack of weight gain too. i've put on about 7 lbs already and i'm only 7 weeks! i don't seem to have too much morning sickness, instead i'm just hungry. or as i like to say, hangry.

keria, how are you feeling? and is the teething getting any better?

belly! how are all your little ladies?? i'm glad i'm not the only one who is/was in denial about the twins. i start hyperventilating if i think too much about it. mostly how much it will cost. and how we're going to need a bigger/more reliable car. and two of everything. *faint*

hope, what's new? did you find the belt?

tenzin, i know my friend's daughter went through a phase at 4/5 months where she got very clingy. i'm sure it's just a phase!

vegan, such beautiful photos!! what a lovely family!

laura, what's new? how are you feeling??

afm, 7 weeks! my little blueberries are hopefully doing well. i go for my final ultrasound with SIRM on Monday, and if all is well they release me. so far my symptoms seem so random. i do pee all the time, but that seems to be the only constant. some days i am starving, some days i'm slightly queasy. some days i feel great, some days i need toothpicks to hold my eyelids up. i had a split second of spotting last night but it went away instantly. today i feel a lot of "activity" in the uterine area, but nothing too crazy. i just seem to have a lot of time to worry about things!

has anyone else been on supplemental estrogen? after my last failed fresh cycle we discovered that my estrogen levels were SUPER low, which was preventing me from absorbing progesterone. since then i've been on twice weekly IM estrogen shots and voila, pregnant. i assume they are going to take me off of the estrogen when they stop my progesterone on november 16th, and i'm getting really anxious about it. has anyone ever taken estrogen through a whole pregnancy? if I was so low to begin with, will my body be capable of making its own?


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## MOMTOALEXIS

AURA- Oh no, I promise I didn't mean to scare you, twins are fun, amazing, and wonderful but just a lot of work. Whenever things get crazy I always remind myself that these adorable little babes are miracles and I still cry at times when I look at them cause I can't believe they are here after all we went thru.

I'm not sure about the estrogen but I remember Dr T telling me that the placenta starts making progesterone by like 9 weeks or so and it's not ur body that makes it cause I was terrified of stopping the progesterone. Ask him maybe on Monday cause the placenta may be making the estrogen also. Good luck with next u/s.


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## tenzinsmama

Aura, 7 weeks already, yay!!! When I was on the suppression drug and then got my bfp, they put me on estrogen and progesterone supplements (both were oral) to make up for any wonky levels the drug would have caused... I can't remember how long I was on them, maybe until 9 or 10 weeks? As Mom said, until the placenta kicked in.

Um, I'm supposed to be doing a paper for school that is due in 2 days, so I'm not supposed to be on here, ha ha. Am I allowed to just ditto the questions and comments that Aura made?  The paper just isn't happening, I'm too distracted-- and part of it is wanting to come on here, because I'm so excited for you ladies!!!


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## blueyezz4

I always have to laugh when people talk to "MOM".... it makes me feel like she is the "Mother" of the thread!!!

*Aura* - wow, i can't believe you are 7 wks already too!!! Awesome! I know i freaked initially w/ the news of 2 but it seriously does sink in and gets easier to wrap your head around the whole situation!!! Sorry I don't know much about the whole estrogen... i'm sure Dr. T will lead you in the right direction. I hated that hungry feeling all the time in the 1st tri. I would eat a nice sized dinner and afterwards i'd start to feel nauseous and then I knew i had to eat again even though I had just eaten dinner. It was so annoying. Glad to hear that you aren't feeling too sick.

*Tenzi* - ughhh.... to papers!!!! I don't miss that at all!! What are you studying? Hope you get motivated tomorrow to get it done!! Good luck!

*Belly* - how did i miss you???!!!! How are you doing and the girls?? Hope that things have settled down and that the one little one is sleeping better. Do you ever go to a chiro for your back?? That seems to help me so much or a massage.


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## Keria

Aura I won't lie twins is hard work but totally worth it. Sometimes I do wonder how different things would be if had only one baby. There are some things I wish I had done differently to make our life easier but what's done it's done and now you have all of us here with twin experience who you can ask questions to 

my girl woke up will be back later.

Here is some proof of the teething


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## Tear78

Keria, ouch!!! I looked at the pics (adorable, btw!!!) and thought...holy cow, does he have EVERY tooth coming in at once?!

blue, keep taking it easy on that cervix.. It's so great to read your updates!







And yeah...MOM is definitely the mom of this thread.







I love when she updates!

Tenzins, you sound like me at report card time, lol. I hope you get your paper done.

aura, no wonder there's so much activity in there: your little blueberries are growing strong! I know you'll find things about being a mom of twins that are wonderful and special, and you will be GREAT!

belly, I hope your sleep improves soon. I know how hard it can be when DD is having a rough week, or two, or three. I can't imagine if there were two going through that together.







I hear you on being crazy busy. I'm glad you checked in when you had time! (Just like I hope people forgive me for rarely checking in, and only lamely when I do).

hope, I'm sorry your back is hurting so much! I got a belly belt last time but never really used it because it was bulky under my clothes. I obviously didn't have a pressing need like you. I hope it helps!

rcr, I can't WAIT for you to join this thread in December!!!






























afm - Please forgive me for missing anybody: I just responded to the current page of posts. I've been super busy with school (being a teacher right now is doubly stressful what it used to be), and DD went through a two-week cold, a (thankfully) short stomach flu, and now she's pushing in what appears to be two molars and two other teeth at the same time. We're all a little worn out here, but she's so wonderful and precious and I can't believe how she grows and changes every day!!! Lately she's taken to growling like a tiger and charging around the house laughing for us to chase her. She has developed such a sweet "mischief laugh" that I think she picked up from us but it's SO much cuter from her. And she throws her arms up in the air when I ask her how much Mama/Papa/Nana/Grandpa/Auntie Carlyle/etc. love her. There, that's just a tiny piece of how much the good outweighs the tiredness.









On the topic of our second little one, we had our ultrasound today and we are definitely having a *boy*, and he appears to be healthy!





















I am still wrapping my head around what that will be like, since I grew up with a sister, even though I was convinced ahead of time it was a boy. I'm THRILLED but realizing how, even though so many things are not gender specific, there are things that are: like puberty, circumcision (which we're not doing Carlyle, fyi), nurses and doctors trying to retract, boy stereotypes. I dunno. I realize that I feel less prepared than I did with DD since I went through all those things for girls myself. But I'm also really glad that DH will have a son who will probably come to him for those things, where DD will more likely come to me. Another little part of me is sad for Anika because she won't know how amazing it can be to have a sister to share those "girl" life milestones with. But I'm also excited because they will have their own special, close relationship that is new to me and exciting for me to see how it develops. How's that for a whole ball of thoughts whirling around? Does it make it shallower to say that one of the first things I said was "oh my gosh, now I need to learn how to clean a penis when changing a diaper without getting pee on my face"?







So...to summarize...THRILLED...and more THRILLED...and also still wrapping my head around it...and more THRILLED.


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## blueyezz4

*Keria* - so cute!! Hope you survive the teeth!!! Hope you got the economy size bottle of orajel for babies!!!

*Tear* - Yay for a little boy!!!!!!







I'm sure it will be an adjustment but excited for you and I bet DH is a proud papa!!!!!! You can get some Pee Pee Teepees for boys. LOL they really do make them.

*AFM* - had my OB appt today and it was w/ one of the OB's in my Drs practice b/c mine is on vacation this week like i had said before. So she decided to check me just to make sure the stitch look okay I guess. I told her what ever she wanted to do was fine by me. I'd always rather be safe than sorry. So after she checked the stitch she said it looked great and then she asked me if i was having any itching, odd discharge or odor ( i can't smell anything b/c of my stuffy nose, so I told her that) but I said that I wasn't having any issues. She wanted to take a sample/swab just to make sure all was okay and to make sure I didn't have an infection, I guess. So she did and I won't hear until tomorrow how it came out. Everything else went fine and then the nurse came to my house this afternoon and gave me my shot which hurt, but isn't bothering me at all after the fact. She kinda did it a different way than we did the PIO shots before. She had me kneel and lean forward onto the couch in front of me. Then she kinda poked around and got right to the muscle by i guess kinda getting any fat out of the way and then jabbed it in and released it really slowly. No rubbing afterwards or anything. I totally felt that she might have been really close to a nerve b/c it shot down my leg, but oh well. She is coming back on Monday for the next one b/c of her schedule. She was really nice and easy to talk to so that is good b/c she will be my nurse up until 36 or 37 wks giving me these shots.


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## tenzinsmama

Blue, I'm doing my masters in social work, with a specialization in international and community development.

Keria, the little ones are SOOOO cute!

Tear, LOVE the heartfelt musings... So excited for you! By the way, changing a boy's diaper is way easier than a girls, I think... A lot less places to clean up, you know? And I never did get peed on by my little guy, I even had those teepee thingys but never had to use them.

I love reading about the u/s and pregnancy experiences on here... I miss being pregnant... Two more sleeps and then we find out about DH's wonky SA, yahoo. Just have to get this paper done and then I can breathe a sigh of relief and focus on the fun things around here!


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## kewpie80

aura - congrats on the twinsies! Try not to freak out. The first few months are difficult, I'm not gonna lie, but it gets WAY easier. I hardly think about having 2 these days and everything just flows. Even when the unexpected happens, you just deal and move on. It becomes a way of life, I guess. You figure out what works and what doesn't and it's no big deal.

Blue - I love watching your ticker, my friend!

keria - Your babies are so stinking cute!!!!

Tear - YAY FOR A BOY! I'm thrilled for you!

AFM - SO freaking busy. so sos osososo busy! We're still not in our house (we left NC 22nd of september to give you an idea how long it's been. It's a long story, but suffice it to say I'm so over this living with relatives and out of suitcases. It looks like it will be another 3 weeks at least. Not happy about my babies' first thanksgiving not being in our home...

They are approaching 10 months old and I've been thinking about their first birthday party. Can you believe they're nearly a YEAR!?!?!? How the heck did that happen??? Maisie is standing and will let go of support and just stand. Liam is starting to cruise the furniture. Maisie says, "ba-ba" for bottle and mama and dada (but they're still interchangable at this point.) She shakes her head when she doesn't want any more food and she likes to mimic sounds and expressions. Liam hates crawling on his knees, so he does this funny kind of walk/crawl... He basically crawls on one knee and uses the foot on his other leg... so it's hand...hand...knee....foot....hand....hand... and so on. It's funny to watch. He is my super cuddler and gives kisses ALL the time.

picture time!


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## hope4light

blue - you crack me up  There's an AFM this time, I promise! I can't believe you're 16 weeks already!!! Glad the intralipids went good and you only have a couple more to go. Also glad the shot went good, it'll be worth it to make sure that little one stays put!! I wonder if she thought you maybe had a yeast infection or something. The first one I got with my first pregnancy I had NO idea I had it. Hope it all comes back good!

aura - sleep and sanity would be gone even if it was only 1, so just look at it that way LOL. (even if it's a bit harder with 2.) Like someone said, you'll never know any different, right?! Don't feel bad about the weight gain, with my first I'd gained over 10 pounds before I ever got out of my first trimester... this time around it took me until like 25 weeks to gain any more than 10 pounds. It just depends, and doesn't mean anything. With my first pregnancy I gained a total of about 28 pounds. 7 weeks already! Wow, the time is flying!!!

Keria - what a cutie pie!! Looks at those buds, here's to hoping they'll both pop through soon 

Tear - Loving the mischief laugh and tiger noises  SOOOO adorable. Congrats on a BOY!!! I think I'm having a boy (so do a lot of other people; DH thinks it's a girl), and I've struggled with a lot of the same thoughts. I'm seriously afraid that I won't know how to take care of a boy!! We can't even decide on how we'll handle some of those boy specific things.... I know we'll figure it out, but it's so strange. I grew up with a brother and it wasn't always the best situation/relationship so I think that weighs on my mind a bit. DH had a GREAT relationship with each of his siblings though, so that helps a bit (2 brothers and 1 sister). I'm sure you'll figure it all out!!

Kewpie - I can't believe you still have another 3 weeks to go, man that has to be hard, especially with the twins!!! Wow, a year. Where did the time go?! OMG they are so cute, I just want to eat them up!!!

AFM - I did get a maternity support belt. Called a resale shop near me late last week and they had 1 for $5. So I had them hold it and my mom ran and got it for me (she had the day off and I was going to be getting off work too late to pick it up). Over the weekend I didn't think it was really helping, but then I figured out exactly where to wear it, how to best keep it in place, etc etc. Oh My has it made a HUGE difference!!! It really made me realize what severe pain I was in, once I started to lessen it. My back is still tired and a bit sore by the end of the day (hello, that's just being pregnant in general!), but NOTHING compared to what it was. There's a nurse that works with me and we chat regularly, and she saw me yesterday and asked how I was doing, she said she could tell in my face, how I carry myself, etc that I was really drained and uncomfortable last week and this week she said she can tell I have more energy and am feeling much better. Thank you Maternity Support Belt - you are SO worth it. I have begun wearing my belly band over it to help keep it a little smoother against my skin (to get rid of that slightly bulky aspect) and that helps a lot, plus it helps keep it in place (because it is one of the cheaper versions). Other than that, things have been going well around these parts. Not much exciting going on. DH and I are doing really well and he continues to make a HUGE point of being home( and really being there when he is if that makes sense), keeping me in the loop on where he is, and really treating me like a princess right now. We've been working really hard on keeping open the lines of communication, and I THINK we're doing good. I finally hired 3 people at work and they start within the next week, so that's a huge stress relief too. So yeah, I feel like things are finally settling down a little bit. Oh yeah, and last night was the 4th night in a row that DD slept in her big girl bed, and the last 2 nights she's gone down by herself pretty well and slept through the night!! I'm SO excited! This means we get to think about setting up the nursery in the next few weeks, which is scary and exciting all at the same time. YEAH!!!


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## Carlyle

Quote:
Originally Posted by *Tear78* 
On the topic of our second little one, we had our ultrasound today and we are definitely having a *boy*, and he appears to be healthy!























Woo HOOOOO!!! (again







)

Quote:
Originally Posted by *Tear78* 
I'm THRILLED but realizing how, even though so many things are not gender specific, there are things that are: like puberty, circumcision (which we're not doing Carlyle, fyi)

HOORAY! HOORAY!!! HOORAAAAAAYY!!!! So glad to hear that!!! Have you read this thread?: http://www.mothering.com/community/t/1196786/i-grabbed-the-docs-hand-off-my-sons-penis/0_50 Okay, that's not really the thread I was looking for, but I can't find the right one! But that one is pretty good. I'll post again if I can find the one about intact penis care (since so many pediatricians in the US are mis-educated about intact penis care).

Originally Posted by *Tear78* Another little part of me is sad for Anika because she won't know how amazing it can be to have a sister to share those "girl" life milestones with. But I'm also excited because they will have their own special, close relationship that is new to me and exciting for me to see how it develops. How's that for a whole ball of thoughts whirling around? Does it make it shallower to say that one of the first things I said was "oh my gosh, now I need to learn how to clean a penis when changing a diaper without getting pee on my face"?







So...to summarize...THRILLED...and more THRILLED...and also still wrapping my head around it...and more THRILLED.









Awwww, this is SO what helped me feel so happy that Maggie was a girl (because a little part of me was hoping for a boy for a little while)...knowing that she'd get to have a sister like we do







Cause I feel pretty lucky to have you! But I have to say that after watching my neighbors Dominic and Joy (brother and sister) it seems like brothers and sisters can have a super sweet amazing relationship too. So I'm sure Anika and your new little one (!) will love each other to the stars and back  Plus, if Anika doesn't have a sister to talk to about girl issues, she'll be more likely to ask YOU instead of her sister.







And HAHA on getting peed on. I plan to have some good laughs at you about that


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## blueyezz4

*Hope* - so glad to read your AFM and that the belt is helping. Can i ask the name of the store was it Jelly Bean's? That is the only place I can think of but always good to know of places to get maternity clothes cheap. I really need to find a sm pair of maternity jeans. I got a pair from a friend today but they are still just a little too big but i'm sure i'll grow into them. I really should stop at that store and see what they have. I also may go to a local baby sale at one of the h.s's one of these weekends. That is another good place to find maternity clothes. See my AFM about the infection issue. Thanks for sharing though.

*Carlyle* - I love how you and your sister support one another. It is so refreshing!!! Kinda makes me wish i had a sister!!! Hope you are doing well w/ your little ones!!!

*Kewpie* - love the Halloween pics too cute!! Where did you find those cute costumes? Hope that these next few wks go by fast so you can get into your house soon. What seems to be the hold up? Is your DH doing the same job there that he was in NC? Or did he have to find a new job? Glad you have family close though so they can at least put you up for a bit so you don't have that extra expense!

*Tenzi* - did you get your paper done? Sure hope so. Interesting field!! How much more schooling do you have until you are done?

*AFM* - well, I got a call from the OB's office and i do have an infection. I'm guessing that it must be b/c of the stitch procedure b/c there is nothing else that could have caused it. I guess sometime you can get infections from DTD but we aren't aloud to do that so i know it wasn't from that. So now I'm on an antibiotic (yuck) and they said it is good that they caught it b/c i guess it can cause early rupture of your membranes if not treated and pre-term labor. Not what i need!!!! Been there done that!!! The thing that scares me is that I don't have any symptoms so i'd have no idea and i also have no idea if it will be gone after the 7 days of antibiotics since it isn't like I will notice the symptoms going away. That kinda scares me as well. I have kinda felt really nauseous today and not sure if it is bc of the antibiotic that i took at lunch and dinner or if it is the infection in general just wearing at my body. The thing i hate about antibiotics is that it kills the good bacteria as well as the bad so they say a lot of times you treat this and then get it back again. I'm thinking of trying to find a really good probiotic to start taking too as long as that is okay to do while pregnant. We will see. I have to go tomorrow morning for fasting blood work for DH's work for some stupid health assessment we have to do for our insurance. So i may ask that dr that i see if they have any suggestions or maybe i should call my chiro b/c they might have a better idea than the dr since they like drugs instead of natural things. I'm a little afraid i might fail my cholesterol test tomorrow.... we will see. I've had high choles before and i'm not over weight but it is hereditary. So that is about it.


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## Vegan Princess

Blue: Probiotics are not only fine during preg but they help with so many things! They can help prevent being group b strep positive too. My midwife had me taking them for a possible UTI and to make sure my group b strep test came back negative. I'd def take them with your abx.

AFM: Baby has been awake a lot more lately! Still having some nursing issues and baby really won't go to anyone else when she is awake. So I've been busy! Still reading along though. 

Cindy


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## Carlyle

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *blueyezz4*
> 
> *Carlyle* - I love how you and your sister support one another. It is so refreshing!!! Kinda makes me wish i had a sister!!! Hope you are doing well w/ your little ones!!!










Aw, thanks. I just wish we lived in the same town!!! I hope your infection goes away quickly! I second the probiotic idea. Good stuff, that. I still love seeing your ticker every time I log on here. Am so hoping that all goes smoothly for you!


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## kewpie80

*Blue* - Oh man, not what you need is right! I hope it clears up quickly! My OB told me to eat a lot of yogurt while on an antibiotic while pregnant. I'm not sure if that's different than a probiotic. I'm glad they caught it before something awful happened!! You've been through enough!

The hold up with our house is that the entire back end of the house was resting on the gas line (yes, really) and it turned into a much bigger project. Right now, there is a big dirt hole where my bathroom used to be. It doesn't help that it's been snowing the last 3 days either... (off and on)

DH is working for IBM still. They are letting him work remotely.

The banana costume we found at Target. We called Maisie banana when she was tiny, so that fit. We tried to find a potato costume (what we call Liam) but couldn't so we went with monkey. We got his costume from amazon.

*Vegan* - Enjoy those baby snuggles!

*Tear* - Still so thrilled for you! If it helps, the worst pee incident I've had is he got the wall and he got my shirt. I've never been hit in the face, though I guess your boy may have stronger "go force" and better aim... I guess I'm not really helping, am I?  He did grow out of peeing when the diaper opened pretty quickly, so you might get lucky and your boy may too.


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## tenzinsmama

Kewpie, those are seriously cute pictures! I've got the cutest costume for DD, it's a ladybug one from Costco... For DS, I found a brand-newish bug costume at a second-hand store for only 3 bucks. But, I don't think he will wear it, because he doesn't like putting on things that feel weird-- and this one certainly would, as it has a big stuffed belly. I really hope though that he would wear it long enough for me to get a picture of the two of them together.

Blue, I just now got my paper done... with 10 minutes to go before the deadline! It's not easy doing this with a baby, and if I had my way I would not be doing it right now, but I have to (did I mention before that I couldn't get any more parental leave from the university-- I had two years already, for DS). At least it is only one class, but DD is not napping like she used to.

Vegan, nothing like mama's arms, is there... Makes it hard for us, though!

I'm sure there's people I've missed catching up with, but I have to go and try to wind down and get to bed... Hope all is well with everyone!


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## blueyezz4

*Kewpie* - that is great that DH is still able to work for the same place. So does that mean that he is working out of the home and is around more to help?

*Tenzi* - my hat goes off to you b/c I'm sure that has to be super hard. You go girl!!!! Keep your eye on the prize!! You can do it!!

*AFM* -







I'm a little frustrated right now!!!!!!!!!!!!! So I took two pills of that antibiotic that they prescribed me yesterday and I felt like crap. I know that antibiotics in general can make you feel like crap, but this was way worse crap then I've ever felt taking an antibiotic and I have been on a bunch due to major sinus infections yrs ago, so i know. Anyways, I really thought i was going to hurl all evening and when i went to bed last night i just felt awful!! So today I call in to let the Dr.that was covering for my OB that i saw that prescribed it know.  We will call her Dr. M. My Dr. J is my regular OB and is on vacation and not back until next tues. So I tell the receptionist what is going on and she says she will get a message to the on call Dr. who is Dr. S (never met her before). So i get a call back from the receptionist and she says that Dr. S called me in a vaginal medication and I can pick it up at the pharmacy and to stop taking the other one that is making me sick. Then after getting off the phone, i got to thinking, Dr. S doesn't know me from a whole in the wall and i wonder if she knows that i have a new stitch and that i'm at a high risk already even w/o the infection for pre-term labor. So I'm going to be "THAT" patient and I'm going to call back and make sure this Dr S even looked at my history. So i call and get a different receptionist, gotta love it, and tell her my story and that i just want to make sure she is aware of my past history (hoping that she would have looked at my history before prescribing the new meds - i didn't say that part, but I was thinking it and laser beaming it through the phone ). So the 2nd receptionist says she will get the message to Dr. S. About a couple hrs later the phone rings again and it is the 2nd receptionist and she says "Dr. S has now changed the meds to an oral med instead". Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr........ now i'm laser beaming the message that she needs to strangle Dr. S in the nicest way possible for not looking at my past history and then i politely say "okay thank you"!!! I also have a call out to the perinatologist office as well b/c i know he knows my history and it will make me feel better if he also feel this is the right course of action. Drives me nuts that this whole thing has gone down like this, but you totally have to be your own advocate in medicine now a days and it is kinda scary to tell you the truth. I mean what would have happened if i wouldn't have asked???







I need to go to my happy place!!! Okay now i can stop venting. Thanks for listening!!


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## hope4light

blue - it was Jelly Bean's!!! I actually just went into it for the first time maybe a month or so ago, and I love it. They didn't have a TON of maternity stuff, and when I was in there it was all still short sleeved, but none of the other consignment shops in the area carry maternity stuff. Def check it out, they have TONS of kids clothes, toys, etc. When I was there the first time they even had a co sleeper, bouncers, jumpers, stroller, monitors, etc. DD is getting some of her Christmas stuff from there for sure. If you're ever willing to meet IRL, and can make it another couple of months, I'm willing to pass on my stuff after I deliver, that'll put you probably somewhere around 26 weeks or so, so you'll still have some time to go, and it's almost all smalls. Except for a few random mediums that I got from a friend. I'm so sorry about the infection :-( But I"m glad they caught it. Are they planning on checking to make sure it's gone in a week? They should. On the cholesterol thing ~ they shouldn't put TOO much stock in it if they know you're pregnant, because pregnancy and nursing can raise your cholesterol. I have to do a health screening too (checks cholestorol, BMI, HBA1C, etc) and the nurses pretty much laughed that I was even doing it; but I get points that save me money on my health insurance.

Vegan - Sorry there's still some nursing issues. It's so nice when they spend more time awake, and isn't it nice in a lot of ways that she only wants her mama?

Tenzins - Glad you got your paper done 

AFM - Man have I had a day. DH is in NC for a few days, and DD decided to wake up at 5:00 am and be nice and grumpy while I tried to get us ready. So I ended up just drinking an ensure and planned on eating when I got to work. Then right before I got to daycare to drop her off I noticed my car making a strange noise and I just knew it was the tire. So I dropped her off then made it to a gas station and tried (unsuccessfully) to put air in it. Yeah, that little bit of extra driving managed to demolish the tire (and dang it my stupid tires are EXPENSIVE). So the donut is on it now, but I ended up being there for like an hour and a half, so I was late to a meeting. Luckily the meeting included food, so I grabbed a bagel, which I promptly dropped. Then one of my employees was grabbing me a new one and I somehow managed to practically toss my cream cheese packets. So then I decided that I was gonna have some decaf coffee (because it was turning into one of those days and I don't allow myself that luxury very often) which I ALSO promptly dropped and got all over my WHITE shirt. Mind you, this meeting had lots of people from different departments, and needless to say by the coffee the ones that were sitting close to me couldn't stop laughing (at that point though neither could I ~ it was better than crying, you know?) and the other half that couldn't see what had happened was all looking at us like we were crazy. SIGH. Glad the day's almost over, that's for sure. DH will be home tomorrow, and he's just going to put the snow tires on the car so that we can wait to replace the tire until spring. Especially since I just shattered the front of my cell phone earlier this week and have to replace that this weekend too, and we are broke. UGH, when it rains, it pours!!! Thankfully pregnancy wise all is good!!


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## hope4light

blue - we cross posted and I just wanted to say I am SO sorry, that really sucks!!! It's good to be your own patient advocate, but WTH, a doctor that is prescribing you any meds should KNOW!!!


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## Keria

Kewpie Love the pics what a couple of cuties. I see Liam is getting hair. My guy is still pretty bald but Lucia started to get hair as well but just on the top of her head.

Blue Man that sounds frustrating a hell as you going to stay in the oral meds?

Tear Yay for boy I have never gotten pee in my face but the other day he managed to pee in his eye lol. Is this your last babe?

Hope WHat a day. Tomorrow HAS to be better


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## auraleigh

Hi ladies! Just hunkering down for the hurricane, wanted to say I hope all the east coasters are safe! Renavoo, hope you weren't evacuated!


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## blueyezz4

Thinking of you all on the East coast!!!! We are getting a nasty storm too here in OH and i'm just hoping that all of our trees stay up and the power doesn't go off. It almost went off this afternoon but then came right back on.

*Keria* - yes, i ended up going w/ the med by mouth instead since it sounded like the vag. one was bad news in my situation. How is the teething going?

*Hope* - Wow, what a bad day!!! Glad you were all able to laugh about it in the end though. You are so sweet to offer me your clothes. I actually have really broad shoulders so even when I'm not prego I don't fit in smalls of things b/c of my shoulders, but that was really sweet of you and I appreciate the kind offer!!! I just needed to find a pair of size 6 jeans right now and didn't want to buy a new pair b/c it won't be long that I'll prob be wearing them (or at least i hope), but I keep wearing my reg jeans w/ a rubber band and a belt to keep them up so that is working so far and i have a pair of size 8 jeans that hopefully will fit in a few weeks. I'm not scheduled to see my OB for another 3 wks. Next week is my big ultrasound (can't believe it is so close) and then the week after I have an appt w/ my OB. My ob is pretty on top of things so when the medical assistant called to tell me that i had the infection i asked her if the dr that was covering said i need to come back and see my OB sooner than 3 weeks and she said she didn't say anything about that. Maybe i should call this week and ask. My OB is back from Vac tomorrow so maybe i'll call on Wed if i don't hear from her. it would really make my day if she called me tomorrow which she might but we will see. I know she will be very busy being the first day back and all.

*Kewpie* - That whole house issue sounds like a mess! Hope they get it figured out soon!! I do eat yogurt and will continue but the probiotics are also still good to add as well they say.

*AFM* - Only have 2 1/2 more days of antibiotic left and it seems to be treating my stomach better thankfully. Next Friday is our big anatomy ultrasound so that is exciting and a little nerve wracking too. Just hoping and praying all is going well in there. I really hate that i had to take this antibiotic, but it sounded like it was a real problem if i didn't. Not much else going on here. Oh, I had my 2nd progesterone P17 shot today too which went fine. Seems like the nurse knows what she is doing and it doesn't hurt as bad as when DH was doing it. Just hoping that this storm calms down and isn't as bad as they are expecting. Take care everyone.


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## blueyezz4

*Aura* - how are you feeling and when is your next scan? Was it today? Be safe and stay inside.


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## kewpie80

aura and renavoo - You've been on my mind all night! I hope you're both safe and everything!

blue - I sure hope you can get over the infection soon. The fact that you had no symptoms is scary to me!

AFM - Maisie has a double ear infection and a viral exanthem (head to toe rash due to a virus) and she's cutting tooth number 4. Liam has 1 ear infection and the rash as well. He's cutting teeth #5 and 6. We've had up and down fevers for 8 days now. This too shall pass....This too shall pass....This too shall pass....This too shall pass....

I've got to count my blessings that while we aren't in our house yet, at least we DO have a house. And although the babies are quite sick, they could be much sicker! AND I have the means to care well for them! I've been grumbling a lot the past few days and I need an attitude adjustment!!


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## BellyBean

Hi Ladies, I just read this page so I am pretty far behind. But I wanted to stop in and say that I think about you all often, and hopefully I can catch a break soon and write more!!!!!

Things are crazy busy here, and the babies (well mainly one) has stopped sleeping, so I am completely sleep deprived. I am having surgery on Friday to repair an area where I tore during labor but it hasn't healed correctly. They are putting me completely under and while I am scared of surgery, I like to joke that I'll finally get a nap


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## auraleigh

hi ladies! just popping in to say we're safe and just had minor damage to the gutter of our house and some short term power loss. we were insanely lucky. haven't had work in days because there is no power or phones there, so just hanging out with dh in the house. we're a little stir crazy. my ass is fused to the couch after laying here for five days straight. i'm a little stir crazy!

i hope renavoo is okay, that she wasn't in an evacuation zone, and that she hopefully has power. having lived in nyc for ten years, my heart breaks when i think of the damage that occurred. it's going to be a very long recover process for ny and nj.

belly i hope your surgery goes well and makes you more comfortable! and blue, glad the antibiotics aren't making you as sick! and to everyone else, i hope things get better and your days have all been a little less insane than the last week has been! want to conserve laptop power just in case, but wanted to say hi to you all!

oh and of course, since nyc has no power, sirm has no power. my 8w ultrasound was cancelled and i'm being told to call next week to reschedule. which means that i probably won't be released and have my records in time for my first ob appt on wednesday, so i'll probably have to reschedule that too. *sigh*


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## blueyezz4

*Aura* - LOL.. i just posted to you on the other side and was hoping for an update over here and i pop in over here and look what I see. Good minds think alike!!! Glad you are okay!!! Sucks about not getting that u/s but i hope they are up and running soon so you can get in there. Keep us in the loop as you are able.

*Belly* - i will be thinking of you on Friday and praying all goes well w/ your surgery and afterwards too. Do you have some help coming in to help w/ your girls? Keep us posted as you are able to.

*Kewpie* - you are so aloud to complain b/c it really sounds like you are going through a lot right now. I hope things start to calm down for you and the babes start to feel better and get over their sickness soon. I know, it scares me too that i had no clue about the infection and i wonder if that might have been our problem before when we lost our twins. You just never know. It sounds like it is a pretty common infection that healthy pregnant women get as well. I really think that having all that stuff going on in there when they did the stitch totally threw off the pH and caused this infection. That is my only explanation.

*Tear* - how are you adjusting to the boy factor??? Has it fully hit you yet? Now you can start adding some blue to your collection!!! I can't wait to find out b/c i see cute baby things and just hold back from buying b/c i don't know the sex. Which technically is a good thing since we are down to only one income since i'm not working any longer so at least the not knowing factor is saving me money. LOL Hope you are well. You get damage from the storm? I'm trying to remember where abouts you live.

*Renavoo* - are you all okay??? I sure hope so.

*????? for all of you prego or past prego women..... Did any of you use a body/pregnancy pillow to sleep w/ or on? I am finding that my hips are really hurting since i have been laying on my sides so much at night and it makes it hard to sleep. I was just wondering what your thoughts were or if any one had any suggestions of a good one.*

*AFM* - only one more pill tomorrow and I am done!! Sure hope the infection is gone. I called my OB's office today to see if she needed to see me sooner than the 3 wk appt i had originally made before knowing about the infection w/ the covering dr while mine was on vac. I didn't hear back from her which is odd but i know a lot of people are w/o power still and when I called a male answered the phone which was really weird so who knows if he was training and new or what. If i don't hear back tomorrow maybe i'll call on Friday again. I hate to be a pest but it'd be good to know. Just counting down the days until our big ultrasound next Friday. Thinking of all of you on the east coast and hoping you all are okay.


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## laura-belle

Hey all. I've been reading, but not posting--don't really know why, just been weirdly anti-social. Not going to try to reply to everything, but I am glad that the east-coasters here are largely ok (and I hope renavoo posts soon, although lack of power would make that difficult, I suppose).

I am 9 weeks along today. As far as I know all is going well. I have 13 more days of PIO shots remaining (and 7 of those are at half a dose)! I count down every day. My next appointment with my RE (with ultrasound) is next Tuesday (at almost 10 weeks). I should be released to my OB after that appt. My first prenatal is the Monday or Tuesday after Thanksgiving (I should probably figure out which one). I am fairly certain that my child is getting the energy for its exponential growth by leaching it from me; this is not doing good things for my attention span or short-term memory.

I have spent several Tuesdays in a row helping out my friend who has 9 week old twins (also IVF). They are adorable and still way too much for her to handle alone (a different person comes MWThF). I have not completely forgotten how to handle babies; it is good practice







.


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## hope4light

Belly - glad to hear from you!! Sorry that you're so sleep deprived :-( Good luck on Friday ~ and yeah for a nap LOL.

aura - HI!! I'm sorry about things being pushed back, I hope they get rescheduled soon so that you're not stressing about things!!!

blue - For both my pregnancies now I have used either a body or regular pillow to put between my knees and under my tummy to help. Not only does it help with the hips/shoulders, but as you get larger it helps just to have the support under the tummy in general. Yeah for only one more antibiotic day!! I hope you hear back soon.... sounds like they are really getting people back up and running in our part of the woods.

laura - glad to see you and know things are good! It's SO nice to finish up the PIO shots.

AFM - not much going on here. Exhausted as DD isn't sleeping the best during this transition to her big girl bed, plus she had some constipation for a few days that wasn't helping either. I'm dealing with a lack of motivation at work, and have too much to do to be dealing with it LOL. Here's to hoping it's not going to last the rest of the pregnancy! Otherwise, I'm now 30w3d and can't believe it. For me it's like getting into the 30's makes everything feel so close. I mean, really, I'll be full term in less than 7 weeks. Whoa, crazy!!


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## blueyezz4

*Laura* - So good to see your update!!! Glad you are doing well and I'm sure that you will be happy to have the PIO shots done... I'm just starting mine but they are P17 which are progesterone and are given by a nurse so they don't seem to hurt as bad thankfully. Keep us posted as you are able.

*Hope* - thanks for the info. Hope your DD starts sleeping better and you get some motivation back. Ughh!

*AFM* - this is the pregnancy pillow that my parents actually found and my Mom so graciously ordered it for me. I'm excited to try it out when it gets here. Figured I'd share w/ you all in case you want to check out the website. She said on there she also went through fertility treatments and got preg w/ iui's I think it was.

http://www.bellyrest.com/


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## Keria

Blue I can't wait to hear! today is the big day right?

I don't have a lot of time right now but I'll try to comeback tonight and catch up.

I do have time to add a cute pic of my little ones


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## blueyezz4

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Keria*
> 
> Blue I can't wait to hear! today is the big day right?


*Keria* - I wish it was today (except that DH wouldn't be able to make it b/c of a busy day at work if it were today)!! It's next Friday the 9th @ 2:40pm!! Bummer!! Your guess was a boy for both Tear and I right??? Everyone IRL keeps saying girl, but i lean towards boy when all the girl talk isn't around. I've had the exact same cravings as before, but you never know, I guess.

ps. cute pic!! Did you already convert their crib or where are they?


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## Keria

Yes my guess is BOY!!, I I'll have to wait not so patiently until next friday then . That's a big day for us too is when we finalize and get the keys to our new place. We have one of the cribs side carred to our bed and one of the babies sleeps there and the other one in the bed with us. If we had more space I would put one crib in each side of the bed. Both babies sleep way better in their own space.


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## SplashingPuddle

I am wondering if anyone experienced hyperstimulation during their IVF cycle? I had to have my abdomen drained and I still believe there must be fluid because the midwife said that I am measuring a month large. Has anyone had experience with extra fluid not disappearing until the second trimester?


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## tenzinsmama

Belly, hope your surgery went well today! Sorry to hear that sleep is so evasive for you, that's rough!

Laura, nice to hear your update, and that things are going as they should. That's so great that you help out the friend with the twins. I'm sure she really appreciates all the help that she gets, I've had some struggles with just one sometimes, and I've had some extra support coming in. Makes a huge difference.

Blue, I can't wait until next Friday for you!!!!!

Keria, I can't believe how fast they are growing! How exciting that you will get your new place soon.

Hope, my little guy transitioned recently to a toddler bed, and we found that he did much better when we put body pillows along the side as well as a huge square pillow at the foot-- it kind of madea little next for him and he felt really secure in there, so we all got a lot better sleep after that. Not sure if something like that would help, or not.

Oh, I know I'm missing so many others on here, but on the topic of sleep, I really should get off to bed.

But a quick AFM... We had our appointment at the RE, and it turns out that the problems with DH's SA isn't really a problem after all, but, it was just nice to get back in there and ask a few more questions that I didn't ask last time. I asked about Femara vs Clomid, and then we went on to talk about other things. It's not really encouraging, to see the statistics for pregnancy and miscarriage in all the different age groups (well, the one I'm in, anyway). DH thinks we should just be really happy that we have two kids now, and that this last one was a miracle, really... And while I agree, I can't help but believe that we have a chance to conceive and carry a pregnancy to term just one more time. I mean, I received the Unexplained Infertility diagnosis with my now-ex DH many years ago, and perhaps our combined fertility was the culprit... It makes sense for DH and I together to have a different fertility factor, right? And I guess I'm hopeful because I just got my first PPAF this week. Amazing... DD just turned 5 months on Monday and I get it on Tuesday. That's 2 weeks sooner than when I got it back after DS. Please, body, please... Let me have one more chance, so cycle sanely and stay healthy... please, please, please! Darn statistics, anyway... They are a downer, that's for sure. And apparently, the RE says that at my age, IUI with Clomid has just as much of success rate as IVF does. I guess that's why women go with donor eggs with IVF when they hit a certain age. Yet, I have a friend whose mother got pregnant with her when she was 45 years old-- and that was 43 years ago. And according to the REs stats, at age 45 there would be 0 pregnancies and live births-- go figure.


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## renavoo

Hi ladies!! I hope all is going well. I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while. It has been insane at work and then with the hurricane. Thanks for asking about me. We're all fine although we did lose power for 4 days. I wasn't in an evacuation zone but there was a huge explosion in one of the power substations and that took out our power. It was tough because we live on the 17th floor and we couldn't leave because the babies needed to sleep in their cribs. DH and I took turns going to friends' apartments to charge our electronics, although we didn't get great service (he didn't get any service on his cell; mine was really really spotty) and to take showers. It was a minor inconvenience. My heart goes out to the people who continue to suffer. ( I don't know why I expected this storm to be minor. I guess I was wrong!

Anyway, I'm going to miss people but I just wanted to say that I'm thinking of everyone!

Keria and Kewpie, OH MY GOSH!! Your babies are SO ADORABLE!! I just want to hug them! They look so fun. I love their costumes, Kewpie and Keria, those skeleton onesies are hilarious. But the most amazing thing are the smiles on their faces. I love it!

Belly, how did the surgery go? I hope it went well and that you enjoyed your "sleep" ;o) I hope everything is better at home too and that your girls are sleeping better. It will it get better...it has to, right?

Aura, i always laugh at how people say that we first time mothers with twins truly do not know what it's like to only have one baby to take care of and therefore, we don't know what we're missing. It's so true! I do have to say that while it is difficult, I also think that it would be really difficult with one baby and the joy overrides everything (the joy of having a baby or two- it doesn't matter). I think it comes down to the fact that we will always do what needs to be done and that the joy that you feel when you see your babies will overcome the pain of the first few months (or longer). haha. How did you make out with Sandy? I hope you're ok too!!

Tenzi, I'm so excited you're trying already and yah to getting PPAF!! I can't wait for you to get your next BFP. ) I'm holding out for another baby for you...if you feel like it's meant to be, I think it is!

Blue, how are you doing? I'm glad your infection is better. I CANNOT wait until your next appointment...I hope they are able to tell you the sex of your baby. At least, they should be able to guess. I think it's a boy too. I don't know why...I just feel like it will be a boy. I'm so so so jealous of your lack of weight gain. sigh, I gained like 25 pounds by week 24 so I remember feeling like a hippo! By the way, I used a pillow. I can't remember what the pillow's brand was but it was like a half pillow (I like my head pillow) and it was ok but necessary. Definitely get one. I think the biggest issue is that I needed to turn from side to side every hour or so and the pillow was difficult to manuver but I bet it would have been more so if it was one of the full body pillow

Hope, 30 weeks!! I can't believe it's been so fast!! I can't wait to see pics of your little one. And I'm glad that the pregnancy is going so well. (Even though you're feeling a lack of motivation...but who can blame you? Your little one is coming!)

Tear, YAH for a baby boy!

Babies are awake and wanting food. Will come back later. I know I missed people but thinking of all of you!


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## tenzinsmama

Just popping on here quickly to say that I'm glad you are Ok, Renavoo! And to thank you for your encouragement, it helps me to stay in my positive thinking mode!


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## blueyezz4

*Tenzi* - glad to hear that your appt w/ your RE gave you and DH better news than you expected. Wow, I can't believe that DD is 5 months already. So what did you end up deciding to do next and when will you start? Are you going w/ the IUI's and clomid or injectables? I'd skip the clomid and go w/ injectables w/ IUI's if IUI's are the route you are going to go. Just my two cents.

*Renavoo* - so glad you all are okay and survived the big storm. So scary!! Hope you got your power back and are starting to get back to a normal life. My heart just broke for all of those in NJ and NY affected by the storm. I couldn't believe the devastation. I saw too that the NY metro (or what ever they call the under ground subway system) was so flooded. I sure hope they can get that back up and running. I'm so excited for Friday too. I'm trying to figure if I should maybe drink something kinda sweet like apple cider or juice like a half hour before the ultrasound so that way the Baby will be moving around more b/c of the sugar. I think that might be what they tell you to do to get the baby awake. I think they say the babe usually is awake after women eats a meal, but my appt is at 2:40pm so that is a little late. We will see. I sure hope the "bean" isn't shy on Friday b/c we are really excite to find out the gender.

*AFM* - not much going on here. I'm still in shock that this weekend we will be 19 weeks. So thankful w/ every week we make!! Had my 3rd P17 shot today and it is amazing how much easier it is when a nurse does these progesterone shots. They have this technique that i sure wish we knew about when DH was giving me the PIO shots. These seem so much easier. Still having back pain from where they gave me that nerve block from the stitch which is annoying but I'm hoping that it will go away soon. My OB's office called today and cancelled my reg OB appt which was scheduled for next Tues so now tomorrow I have to call and be on hold for at least 10mins waiting to talk to someone and then find another day to go in. Not what I like to hear. I always try to get the first appt of the day b/c if not then sometime you have to wait hrs to see her. Ugh!! Hope you all living in the USA voted today!!!!


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## blueyezz4

*Aura* - did you have your ultrasound that got cancelled b/c of the storm??? Hope all is well.

*Splashing* - I don't know anything about hyperstimming b/c lucky i have not had any issues w/ that but I'm sure that someone has. You might want to ask on the IVF Fall thread maybe you will get more response. This thread is a little more slow moving compared to the reg IVF thread. Are you actually pregnant or just in the process of doing IVF and having this issue??? Good luck to you !!!

*Hope* - how are you doing? How is your back?

*Laura* - how are you feeling????

*Belly* - how did your surgery go? I hope you are doing okay and healing!!!

*Kewpie* - are the babes feeling better? How is the house issues coming?? Hope you can get in soon! Who are you staying w/ your family or DH's?

*Keria* - how's the teething treating you? How exciting that you get the keys to your new store on my ultrasound day!!! Exciting day for both of us!!!! Yay!!!

*Tear* - how are you feeling? How many weeks again?

*Hi to everyone else that I missed.*


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## auraleigh

hi ladies!!

blue, so annoying about having to move that appointment! i am on pins and needles waiting for your appt on friday. come on baby, SPREAD THOSE LEGS! heheheheh

renavoo, i am so glad you're all safe! i was worried about you guys, good to hear from you.

tenzi, congrats for the PPAF!!! it will be so exciting to get the ball rolling again.

keria, love those little ones! i love their smiles!

afm, i still haven't gone back to work! rumor is the power is back as of tonight, so i am hoping to go in tomorrow. i wasn't expecting to get 7 days off! i did a lot of laying, and am more than ready to go back. there are only so many episodes of a baby story i can watch.

i was able to switch my RE appt to today, so dh and i went in and got my ultrasound done! today i am 9w2d. baby a measured 9w4d and had a heart rate of 155, and baby b measured 9w6d and had a heart rate of 180! dr t said he was really happy with their progress, and he felt i was going to have a healthy pregnancy based on how they were measuring and all. i've graduated! later this week i'll be able to pick up my records to bring with me to my first ob appt next friday. i have a feeling baby a is a boy and baby b is a girl, but that's just random speculation. i can't believe i have to wait another two months to find out.


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## tenzinsmama

Blue, Wow, 19 weeks... That is so great!!! I hope that pain goes away for you. How's everything else going? You must have a little bump now heh? I can't believe we have to wait until almost the end of the day for your ultrasound... So excited for you!

Aura, are you feeling good? That's great news from your u/s. What was it like to see your little babes-- I can't imagine seeing two inside of me, and then when they start to move around-- oh my gosh, that must be such an incredible experience. I'm chuckling about the Baby Story... That was one of my indulgences whenever I would accompany DH when he had business meetings, and we'd stay in a hotel-- we don't have cable at home-- I would watch it each morning we were there, and then it was followed by "I didn't know I was pregnant" or whatever it is called. Then, the one where they had the pregnant women in prison, as part of that program...

AFM: So, the RE explained to us that the 'abnormal' results with the SA weren't really so-- it was about morphology-- and the results weren't that different than when I conceived DD last year. There was a percentage of abnormal shape that was a little high, but it was not a concern because of the high numbers in total. And the numbers go up and down all the time... So while it looked abnormal on paper to the nurse who was reviewing it, it wasn't a concern at all to the RE. It was weird how it worked out-- we had our appointment with the RE on the Friday, and there she was asking if I had PPAF yet... and then I end up getting it 3 days later. From the other visit with her, I already had the requistions for the work-up, so I've gone ahead and done the Day 3 bloodwork, and had an HSG (just yesterday). With the HSG, she wants to be sure that I don't have any internal scarring in my tubes/uterus, from the c/s-- thankfully, the RE doing the HSG said they looked fine. Next week I do the pelvic u/s. I'm reall glad to be able to get everything checked out. The plan I have for right now is use OPKs and see if I can time it well to DTD with DH, and hope that something happens naturally. I imagine it will take some time for my cycles to get back 100% to what they are normally, and I know that my body should have more time to recover after having DD. I'm also bf'ing a lot yet. Then... If months go by without a bfp, then I'll be staring the IF right in the face again. The RE still maintains that Clomid and IUI is the way to go right now... She gave a whole bunch of reasons, and they made sense to me. We didn't even talk about the injectbles with IUI-- I'm thinking it is for the same reason we didn't go with it when we were trying for #1-- because it still ends up being quite expensive, and with IVF they have better control of the cycle/how many embryos you end up with inside of you. Anyway, one of the reasons for Clomid is that they find that it does something with the outer part of the egg to make it more receptive to the sperm, or something like that. When she said that, I felt encouraged-- thinking I can do it, despite the awful side effects I get from taking it. It was also good to hear what she said about 'older' mothers-- she also said that often what they see is women who experience an upwards surge in their level of fertility just prior to their body starting perimenopause-- as though the body does one last kick at the can to get pregnant, you know? And she does feel some hope for me, because though I've had two m/c, I've birthed two babies.

Has anybody heard about this about the Clomid, or about the fertility jump?


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## auraleigh

Tenzin, i TOTALLY have been watching i didn't know i was pregnant. these shows are insane. especially the women who have had two prior pregnancies. REALLY? you didn't know? no idea? also, so excited that your dh's sperm is actually okay! i feel good about you getting pregnant quickly. clomid stinks but if it brings you results it is worth the hassle. hooray!

blue, is your appt tomorrow??


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## hope4light

Splashing - I had OHSS during my IVF cycle, but luckily didn't have to be drained, although I was close to it. My albumin was low, so they gave me a couple bottles through an IV and it helped a lot. My RE told me if they drained me that I would still accumulate fluid for a while. I'm not sure exactly when it went away, but I don't think it lasted quite into the second trimester, sorry I'm not of more help, but here's to hoping this meant you got your BFP!

belly - how are you?

Tenzin - Ohhhh, I like this idea, I'm going out and getting pillows this weekend to try it out. I'm hoping it'll help her out ~ she's killing me with these early mornings LOL! I'm glad that the SA problems really didn't turn out to be problems for you guys!! I'm keeping everything crossed that you'll be able to make it happen naturally before jumping back on the meds horse 

rena - Glad to hear that things were OK, but UGH on living on the 17th floor and having to deal with everything!

Keria and Kewpie - the pictures are killing me, they are SO FREAKING CUTE!!!

blue - I can't believe we have to wait until the end of the day tomorrow to find out if the little one decided to show off the goods. I'm thinking boy too  Can't believe you're 19 weeks already!!! Hope you got your appt rescheduled.

aura - HI!! Wow, 9 weeks already, woo hoo! Sounds like both those little beans are looking great in there, and SO excited that you've graduated!!!

AFM - My back is doing good, but as I continue to grow I notice that even with the belt it's hurting. There are certain ways I can't sit because it's too painful, but the belt really does make a HUGE difference. I had my 3 new staff members start, and they've been in training this week, but everyone at work is starting to really freak out how close I am getting to the end, with so many new people (there's my 3 new staff members, then 1 that has less than a year in, and 1 that has this amazing experience in half of what we do, but not so much in the other half as she was specialized, and my boss is new. It's crazy!) I really feel like things are settling down and I'm feeling pretty good. Motivation comes and goes, but that's OK. I'm SO excited to meet this little one!! But I also don't want to rush the last couple months of pregnancy since I know I'll never experience it again.


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## tenzinsmama

Aura, I know... it's hard to believe that some people wouldn't feel movement as the baby gets bigger, and clue in that way. Hope you and Renavoo don't have a heck of a lot more problems with that second storm, yikes.

Hope, sorry to hear that your back is still hurting so much. What else have you tried or can try yet, in addition to the band? Ha ha, just looked back at my other post to you and saw the typo (next, instead of nest). One hand typing while nursing... no wonder my upper back hurts so much sometimes! I hope the pillows help. It was suggested to me by an occupational therapist who works with kids who have some trouble sleeping. Has to do with their proprioceptive senses, and helps themnot have that 'falling through space' sensation that can jar them during certain sleep cycles. Those early mornings are HARD, I know!

A quick AFM: I appreciate the encouragement-- Aura and Hope, I certainly do hope that something happens naturally. But like you say, if I have to take Clomid, then I do... I think DH would have to take 5 days off work, though, because I would worry about the side effects impacting my ability to parent well. Ugh to those side effects. I'm really finding that I'm going through some sentimental moments, remembering my pregnancy last year with DD. In a good way, I mean... I'm remembering going for walks in the snowy woods down by the river, feeling my belly and thinking about her (though I didn't know I was having a girl until her birth), and feeling so connected with the earth, with life. I found so many moments to be uplifiting and very spirtual. Of course, towards the end, I was getting pretty uncomfortable, but oh, how much do I want to experience that one more time and add one more little munchkin to our family. You ladies will be so tired of reading my posts if I keep saying that each time, ha ha. Anyway, the fertility clinic called me this morning to say that my prolactic levels are high, which they say is likely due to the bf'ing. I'm not surprised that it is, but I do find it interesting that even with high prolactin I still got my PPAF already. So I'm supposed to re-do the bloodwork once I'm done (or, cut down to a lot less). So, kind of in a holding pattern, holding out hope for a natural bfp.

Hi to everyone else!


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## blueyezz4

*Tenzi* - does your RE want to wait until you are fully done BF'ing before you'd start anything? Maybe i missed that above but I wouldn't think taking the drugs and BF'ing would be a good thing but who knows. I know that they say BF'ing supposedly lowers your chances of getting a BFP but you did get AF back so who knows. Fingers crossed for you that you get another free baby and don't have to go the drug route what-so-ever.

*Hope* - Glad you got some help at work and I can imagine why people are starting to freak that you are going to be going on maternity leave soon. How much time will they give you off at your work? Have you ever tried a chiro? I found one that works on pregnant women in Westlake but they don't do any cracking at all it is all stretching and muscle work. My insurance covers 12 visits a year so I'm taking advantage of it but in some ways i kinda like the mild cracking part but oh well. PM me if you want any more info.

*Aura* - how was your u/s? Hope it went well! I can't believe you are at 9 wks already. I'll be 19 this Sunday so i'm getting close. Can't wait to hear how things went for you today!!!

*AFM* - I got my OB appt switched to tomorrow morning at 10am and then I have the big ultrasound at 2:40pm so it will be a big day, When I called to reschedule my reg OB appt the lady said that my OB is going to be gone a lot so had to get me in this week b/c next week is not open or filled. I'm not sure I like that at all and i plan on asking her tomorrow what is going on and if i need to be looking for a different OB. I really need to have an OB that is around so i'm a little worried about that. We will see tomorrow what she says. Here is a little pic we took of Abby i was using in a little guess the gender poll - Team Pink or Team Blue?? I can't wait until tomorrow afternoon. I have a lot going on tomorrow so at least it will hopefully make the day go by faster. Here is the pic.


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## Tear78

Blue, good luck tomorrow! I can't wait to hear! I think I checked six times this week wanting it to be Friday for you! And thanks for asking and sorry for being so absent. I'm feeling pretty good except my back has started hurting on a daily basis. I hope that doesn't get any worse, and I've been thinking about hope and her back pain. Dd has been teething terribly and/or sick almost nonstop since September so DH and I haven't had much time together, let alone time to ourselves. I feel so bad for dd! Poor little girl. I really should get a ticker, like you requested, lol, but I just haven't felt like messing with my siggy. I think it might be slightly OCD of me, but that's my load to carry I think. Blush. Anyway, we're 21 weeks now and just in the last two days his kicks have gotten much stronger. Ysterday I felt one from the outside, but DH and dd haven't caught any yet. I'm excited for that! Other than my back I actually feel pretty good, which is really nice. I am not sure I got that last time. Oh oh, dd waking up, gotta run. Love to you ladies!


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## Tear78

What...no updates?! Lol.... Taps foot... I hope all is well, blue!


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## blueyezz4

Well..............

It's A BOY!!!!!!!!!! He looks healthy and is measuring 2 days ahead right now, which i think is good. I have another ultrasound in 5 wks to check growth again just b/c I'm hypothyroid and also to look at my cervix length again, but we are really excited and so thankful that he looks healthy!!!!


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## Keria

Yay A healthy little boy!!!! does he have a name? do you have any pics to share? Love all the abby pics!

Hope I cnat believe you are so close to the end. I hope you get some relief.

My back was horrible on the third trimester. And now is starting to hurt again since my 2 like to be held all the time.

Tenzi I hope you catch an egg the old fashion way 

Rena How are the babes any new pics hint hint!

AFM We are finally Homeowners for the first time ever! we won't be moving for a while but we're still happy to have a home.


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## blueyezz4

*Keria* - We have not officially picked a name, but i have a list that we are trying to pin down. DH kinda half gives his opinion on if he doesn't like a name that I throw out there and I keep joking w/ him that he needs to come up w/ a name. We will probably keep the name quiet until the little man is born too. I do have a couple pics, but they are not very good at all. I was really bummed b/c we went to one of the newer buildings for our ultrasound and got put in this really small room w/ just a portable u/s unit so the pic aren't that great, but i'll try to post the "package" shot and a side profile, but like I said, they are kinda blurry and not that great. I hope in 5 wks when i go back we get to be in the regular room w/ the good machine that gives really good pictures.

Okay the first pic is the little guy w/ his knees bent up and you can see that he is a "boy" in the middle of both legs. The 2nd pic is a side profile but isn't that clear due to the crappy u/s machine. Bummer!!!!


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## blueyezz4

*Keria* - Forgot to say......congrats on being a home-owner too. Didn't you just get the keys to your new shop for your store too???? Wow, lots going on for you guys!!! Congrats!!!!!


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## Keria

Oh that sucks about the old machine my obs office also had a "bad" room but I always asked the nurses for the good one. He is a cutie though!. Are you getting a 3d done?

We did open up a new store a couple of weeks ago I forgot to mention that.

Here is our new store



And we hired a tiny salesman


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## tenzinsmama

Blue, wow, a boy!!! Ahhhh, I'm so happy for you to have had great news from the u/s, even though the pics aren't the best that they could be, he looks perfect in there! I was trying to see if I could tell what are his knees and what everything else is, but I'm really bad at deciphering u/s pics. Did you figure out about the OB, will you stay with the same one or switch to someone who will be around more? (Or did I miss one of your posts in which you mentioned this?) ha ha, love all the pics of Abby too.

Keria, congratulations on the new home! The pics of the store are great-- so much going on for you right now. Do you have a nanny?

AFM, I'm just too darn tired to see what I posted last... so maybe I said this already?... But the clinic called me to say my lab results were back, and my prolactin levels were high. From bf'ing. So I wait a bit and then b/w done again. DD starts solids in less than a month, so that should help to bring it down. Who knows when I will get a 2nd PPAF, but hopefully my cycles won't be too wonky for too long, and then we'll just coast along ttc'ing the natural way for awhile. Blue, in answer to your question,when it comes to taking Clomid my RE is okay with me bf'ing if it was once in the morning and once at night type of thing. I've done some research into what Thomas Hale says about it, and also with Mother Risk-- there doesn't seem to be much to it, given the frequency and the baby's age by the time it's down to twice a day, the metabolic side of things with the molecule size/type and the ability to pass through, etc. I haven't thought much past what she has said, because it's so early on... and to be quite honest, I'm so darn tired all the time, it's not like there's much going on with DH and I anyway. I think we'll be doing more coasting thand ttc'ing for awhile...


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## rcr

Keira - congrats on owning a home! and a cute new store too! wow!

Blue - YAY for a boy!!! Love the abby photos!!

Tenzins - I haven't heard about the upswing in fertility before perimentopause (yea, I can't spell that word), but I hope you are right. It kinda makes sense that a womans body would do that. I have also heard that women are very fertile when AF returns for a few months after being pregnant

Aura - glad you survived the storm and the days without power.


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## tenzinsmama

rcr, I haven't heard that about the increased fertility with AF's return after pregnancy, for a few months... Hmmm, I hope that's true, too!


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## Keria

Tenzin No nanny, DH does help a lot with them thank god. We padded and put a gate around an area in the back room in the new store so we hang out there when we need to. Still some days it feels like I bit more than I could chew specially now with the holidays. Natural pregnancies after IVF seem pretty common, something about pregnancy fixes you or something. I hope it happens for you.

Rcr Nice to see you I still lurk on the other thread and I'm rooting for you.


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## Vegan Princess

Keria: What a fun store!! I love baby stuff.

Blue: Congrats on your son! I loved the Abby pics. I'm so stoked for you!!

Hope: You're almost done! I felt like you about not wanting to wish away the end of preg bc I knew it was my last - yet so uncomfortable.

Speaking of knowing it's your last - part of me still doesn't feel done. I know realistically, it's unlikely we would ever decide to go thru IVF again - and I can't imagine putting myself thru that emotional turmoil again. But I can't help fantasize. Though I would so be ok never having to go through labor again! LOL.

Sorry I've been MIA. I read on my phone but hardly ever have time to sit at the computer and type. Baby is asleep in the ergo right now. Anyway, I am enjoyign every moment with Aria. She is really becoming a little person now - really focusing on things and cooing at them and has tons of smiles for me these days (she is 6 weeks old).  We are STILL getting the nursing sorted out. She actually had her tongue tie revised for the 3rd time today with a different doc than the first 2 times! Today they also fixed a lip tie. I do think this time finally did the trick! If not, we are done messing with it for sure. I have still been pumping after every freaking feed bc she still couldn't get all the milk out. But I've nursed her 1x since the procedure earlier and she got 2x as much milk out as she normally does in the same amount of time (I have a rented scale to check). So hopefilly pumping will soon be a thing of the past!

Cindy


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## tenzinsmama

Vegan, poor little Aria, having all the troubles with the tongue tie. What is a lip tie, and how do they fix that? That must be hard on you too, to see her have to get those things done. I hope that all of that is over and done with now, and she can nurse well. How do you prounounce Aria's name? I love the spelling of it, and either way I find myself saying it, it's pretty... I suppose that as time goes on, you will be more at peace with it being your last, if it truly is going to be that? I know it's hard, when you have that beautiful baby in your arms... I can get pretty sad when I think about not being able to have another one, after deciding that we will try for one more.

AFM, I'm just trying to figure out the deal on my prolactin levels, which the RE's office phoned me about-- the nurse said it was high, but didn't give me a number. I have no idea how high it is, but I did find an interesting chart on Kelly.mom that shows levels corresponding with the time of pregnancy and months of lactation. It really drops once the baby is 6 months old. I'm just glad that the levels are low enough for me for me to be able to have a first PPAF already. I must say, now that I'm back to cycling, I realize how much I dislike the hormonal shifts. I wonder if they are worse for the first few PPAFs and then settle down back to what they were pre-pregnancy? I was pretty grumpy today!


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## rcr

Vegan - poor little aria. I am glad to hear she is nursing better though. I hear ya on the being done thing... whether or not this works, we are done after this try. It actually feels really good to make that decision and be ok with it.


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## blueyezz4

*Vegan* - Oh my!! I hope this last surgery fixed the issue. Do they have to put her out each time, I'd assume???

*Tenzi* - i hope you get your levels figured out. How confusing!!! About the u/s if you look in the middle of the black you see what looks like might be a fist kinda w/ white knuckles and if you look right below there you can see his boy parts w/ a little white tip kinda. About my OB i guess she had a lot of vacation time that she needed to use up and just happens that she has taken them in the last few and next couple weeks a day here and there but all is fine. I told her i was nervous I was going to have to find another ob but all is well.

*Keria* - your store looks great!! Love your new little salesman!!! LOL I'm a sucker for baby clothes so it's good i don't live close. LOL

*Hope* - how are you doing???

*Hi to everyone else!!!*

*AFM -* Well, I was really bummed yesterday b/c my OB told me that I really shouldn't be traveling for Thanksgiving. We were suppose drive to NC to meet up with the whole family (my side) and my brother is flying in from London as well. My OB is very cautious, so in some ways i just wanted to blow it off and go. I even called my high risk dr b/c he is more laid back and he said that he would not go against my primary OB's opinion. I then called my OB's office back just for some clarification and was waiting for a call back from the receptionist and didn't, but then at like 10:15pm my phone rang w/ a blocked number and it was my OB calling me from her house. She is so sweet and works way too much. She expressed her concern and how we are getting close to the time where we went into labor last time and she just wants me to be extra cautious. She kinda left it in my hands, but stressed that she didn't really approve of it basically. So DH and I talked after i had made my decision to stay home and he felt the same way too.... just that we have waited 7yrs to get here and spent so much money trying and it is not worth the risk at this point in time. So that is the story. Thanksgiving w/o my family







, but I still have lots to be thankful for, for sure!!!!!


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## Vegan Princess

Blue: Sorry you are missing your family but I think it's nice your OB is willing to be so concerned - and to call you at home. Best to be safe! We are not going to be around family either. Extended family invited us for a late t-day dinner on sunday so we'll do that. Not going to be around family for x-mas this yr either bc we don't want to travel with a new baby. As for Aria's procedures - no, they never put her under. The first 2 times the doc clipped her tongue with a scalpel or scissors of some sort. He used a topical numbing cream and it was over in 2 seconds. This time the dentist numbed her with the shot kind of novocaine and used a laser to cut. It took a bit longer than the quick snip but I'd say the entire ordeal took like 5-10 minutes. I have been giving her tylenol but I don't think she's in too much pain - she's still super smiley this afternoon. But after the first 2 times she was whimpering a bit when she'd go to nurse - not acting like she was in pain otherwise though. Thankfully! I hate that I've had to put her thru this so many times!!! Poor baby.

RCR: So if this time doesn't work, have you decided to not try donor egg either? I am hoping with everything in me that this cycle brings you your baby!!!!

Tenzin: I take a med to help my milk supply that increases prolactin levels - I love that it keeps PPAF away!  It's like birth control. Oh and yes, Aria is most likely our last. I think even if we didn't have infertility, two would be the prudent choice for us. But I know DH and i both sort of waffled on the idea of a third bc we both come from families with 3 kids. Sort of sucks that that decision was taken from us bc of infertility - but I suppose it's for the best and we should just thank our lucky stars we have the two that we do! At least I don't think I will feel that ache and emptiness over wanting a 3rd that I felt while trying for Aria. I still can't believe I am lucky enough to have her here.

Cindy


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## hope4light

blue - YEAH!!!! Congrats on a healthy boy!!!

Keria - Yeah for becoming homeowners! Keeping my fingers crossed that the move will get to happen soon 

Vegan - I've wondered how I'll feel after this one is done, so I understand where you're coming from!!

Tenzin - I think you're prolactin levels even out more around 6 months because that's typically when you add in solids, so the baby is nursing less. If you have your cycle back it's possible to get pregnant, so I'm keeping the hope for you!!! I think my hormonal shifts were ugly for the first few cycle's back... I used to joke that it was making up for lost time LOL.

blue - I'm sorry you can't travel for the holidays :-( Like you said - better safe than sorry after everything you've been through. It was so sweet for her to call you at home!!! Maybe it'll be nice - just a small thing you and DH before adding in the baby.

AFM - Doing well, just trying to keep a balance between moving and sitting (in all different ways) to help with the back pain. Pregnancy wise, all is looking well. Went for my 32 week check up, so now I start going every 2 weeks. I feel in a bit of shock at how fast time is flying. We finally started looking at a baby name book a couple of days ago, but we have no idea on names yet. We'll make a short list since we don't know what we're having, but we still have to get to that point! The nursery is STILL set up as a spare bedroom, so we have to get that changed over too. I need to have DH go to our storage trailor and pull out all the newborn and 0 - 3 month clothes so that I can start washing them. Yikes!!! DD hasn't been sleeping well still, but we are trying the pillow thing, which I think maybe helping some. I think she senses some changes are coming. We also realized on Monday that (even though I swear I kept checking and didn't see ANYTHING) her top 2 year molars have just broken through, so I'm thinking that plays a part too. We gave her advil the last 2 nights and she slept better than she has been.

On a sad note :-( If you could all keep my family in your prayers.... I lost a close cousin last Thursday night to a drunk driver who rear ended her car at a stop light doing somewhere between 80 and 100 miles an hour. Her SO and 10 month old baby were in the car with her, she was in the back seat. She threw her body over her baby girl and helped to save her life, but lost her own. The car caught fire, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Her SO and baby have both been released from the hospital, but have a lot of healing to do. She was only 36. It's been a rough week, with lots of tears. She was a genuinely good person inside and out, and was taken from this life by a man who should have already been in jail (5 prior DUI convictions, plus others for fraud and identity theft. No valid license in 20 years driving his employers truck, blew more than 3 times the legal limit, and showed no remorse when advised what happened). Oh yeah, and we lost this cousins mom, my Aunt, 12 years ago on Christmas Eve to a drunk driver. So that's made it extra rough.

Please hug your friends and family and remind them how much you love them all, as you never know when you won't have the opportunity to do so again.

With that being said - I love you all! Every last one of you has been such a great source of support for me through everything; getting pregnant, staying pregnant, dealing with my recent personal issues, etc. I can't imagine what I'd do without each of you!!!


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## Vegan Princess

Hope: I'm so sorry! Reading about your cousin brought tears to my eyes. I am so sorry for her little baby! Just awful. :-(


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## tenzinsmama

Hope, the tragic loss of your cousin and the whole circumstance around the accident has brought tears to my eyes, too. It is heartbreaking. It also makes me angry that the person who did that has the history like he has, it's just crazy how these people make decisions like that and it costs other people's lives. Your cousins SO has so much healing to do now, and her poor little girl... oh my gosh. I'm giving my loved ones extra hugs tonight, and keeping your family in my thoughts and prayers. I'm glad this thread is here, offering support throughout all the things you've been through. I certainly am grateful for each one of you on here, too!!! It's huge.

And on the topic of family, Blue, I'm sorry that you aren't able to physically be with your family on Thanksgiving, but it sounds like you have thought it through carefully and are making the best decision for yourselves. Your OB sounds like such a caring woman!

Vegan, oh I know that ache and wanting, for baby #1 and then #2! Every time I look at my kids, I just feel so blessed. Right now the ache for #3 isn't the same in intensity, because I have them, but it's still pretty strong nonetheless. I didn't really have a family size in mind when we started trying, but three feels right for me. But if it's only two that I have, then that is what is meant to be. For now, every time DD outgrows an outfit, I put it away downstairs along with the clothes I had for DS. I'm hanging on to them, as I'm keeping the hope! I'm not sure how I would feel about a third if I had to have gone through the whole IVF process for one or both of my kids... It's a lot to go through. I just had the beginning part of it, so I was spared so much of what happens throughout it all.

Other AFM stuff: I had a pelvic u/s done today, as part of the fertility workup. At our clinic, everything has to be done within a year's time of doing anything with them. As I mentioned before, last week I had done the Day 3 bloodwork, and the HSG. Because of the high prolactin levels, I need to wait to get the bloodwork re-done when bf'ing has decreased, so the levels will be lowered. I have no idea when that will be. No use going to get the results of the other stuff right now, I figure. Might as well get it all in front of me when we are able to go ahead with something, if nothing happens in the meantime. I guess that if they saw something really wonky with the other tests, they would call me to come in. Also, I'm not sure if anybody remembers, but, there was that friendship of mine that dissolved at the end of my second trimester... the gal I was best friends with for 6 years who distanced herself from me because I suspect it was hard on her to be around me as I was pregnant and she wasn't (she had a m/c 3 months before my bfp). (For example, she couldn't even congratulate me when she saw me for the first time when I was 2.5 months. We had gone for a 2 hour lunch and me being pregnant? well it was like the elephant in the room.) Which I totally understood and accepted if that was what was happening (I would have done the same, if I had to process my grief and loss)-- the only thing is, she never talked about it with me, so I just figured she needed space and I gave it to her. Anyway, I told her that I didn't expect her to be at the birth like she was with DS (that had been the plan, for us to be at each others' births) and that since I was going to have a c/s anyway it was better for my parents to be involved (so they could look after DS-- he wouldn't have been comfortable with her since she hadn't been around for months) and then she just got all snarky and stuff... I told her I had missed her, cared for her, wanted our friendship to endure, etc. but was met with a stone cold attitude and nothing was reciprocated-- she just got really defensive. This was all done through text, which was really stupid, but I was feeling that the pregnancy had been fragile from day one and I didn't have the emotional strength to even be on the phone talking about all of the stuff, hearing her voice and all... It was like a breakup, you know? Anyway, it still hurts to this day, and I just found out a couple of days ago through someone that she is 14 weeks pregnant. It makes me really sad to think about how things could be if they had stayed the same with our friendship. We could be sharing pregnancy stories, and in the spring we could be walking together with our babies. So many things. Like Hope points out, you don't know what life brings you, if you have the opportunity to say or do something tomorrow-- there's no guarantees there will be a tomorrow. So... I could send her a FB message privately right now, or I could comment on her page if she chooses to announce it on FB at some point. Or do nothing. The pull in different directions comes from part of me wanting to send her a little message wishing her a happy and healthy pregnancy, and telling her how happy I am at her news... and part of me says, screw it and that I shouldn't care anymore-- after all, she didn't contact me when DD was born and we were both safe and sound after all the complications there were. That's a pretty big message from her to me, saying that we are done. *sigh* I guess I'm hoping that she might be able to put herself in my shoes when it comes to certain things that I was going through, as I was able to have empathy for her with the m/c (I've had two, and then all the IF stuff to boot). I have been hoping all this time that if she got pregnant she would get a hold of me to share the news, and want to move forward. However, I don't really have much hope for that now, given how far along she is when she's announcing it to everyone else. DH says I need to let it all go... He points out that we had been leading different lives for the past two years with us becoming a family, me not working at the same place with her anymore, etc... that maybe the friendship would have found itself fizzled out anyway. Ugh, I thought I had healed from this... I even brought it up with a counsellor I had been seeing a few months ago when I was dealing with all the pregnancy issues. But I've spent the last couple of days spending precious energy thinking about it. Really-- if I send her a heartfelt congratulatory message, and she doesn't respond back with even a 'thanks'-- yikes-- I can't bear to think that there's a chance she would feel I wasn't worth even that, in her books. Oh well, enough about that. Look at me writing on and on about this! Any advice on how to let all of this go... to accept the loss, move on and focus on the friendships I have now? It's like I need something tangible. I still have this scrapbook she did for me a few years ago, telling me how much our friendship meant to her, with all kinds of pictures of us hanging out, and that we would be supporting each other throughout our lives no matter what life brings. Feels like such a lie. Life's too short for things to end the way they did.


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## auraleigh

So much happening!!

Blue, congrats on finding out it's a boy!!! How exciting. And I love the photo with Abby, that is so freakin cute!!!

Hope, I'm so sorry for your loss. I bawled reading your post. My heart goes out to you and your family.

Vegan, so interesting about the tongue tie and the lip tie! I'm glad you're figuring it all out.

Keria, the store looks amazing! I'd buy anything from that tiny salesman of yours!

Tenzin, so sad about your friend. I know everyone handles IF differently, but all of my best friends have gotten pregnant and had babies while we were struggling with IVF, and even if I cried my eyes out privately, I would never let it affect my friendships. I am sure your friend was having a hard time, but to abandon you when you were in a fragile time as well... it just seems unfair to you. Friends should be there for you through the hard times, even more so than the easy times. It's obvious you still miss her, so I understand wanting to touch base... Just trust your gut. If you're meant to reunite, it will happen, and if not, it's her loss.

afm, my first OB appt is tomorrow morning. I have no idea what to expect. I am going to bring all my meds for her to see, and my list of questions that is a mile long. I just hope that she's fully equipped to handle this pregnancy, being twins and high risk. And I hope that I like her. I'm nervous! Tomorrow I stop my progesterone and estrogen supplementation, and I think I'm also a little nervous about that. I really hope these babies can make their own!


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## Vegan Princess

Aura: I still get so excited when I read that you're having twins!! I think I forgot. LOL.  I was scared to stop the estrogen and progesterone - but your docs know what they're doing. Two babies are surely making double the hormones!


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## tenzinsmama

Aura, thanks for those kind words. Yes, I really feel sad about the whole loss of the friendship... and I'm with you-- even with having IF, and finding my friends all around me getting pregnant, it really hurt and I dealt with it privately.. yet I would still send off congratulatory notes, etc. because even though I wanted to be pregnant also, and even felt jealous/envious at times, I still didn't let that get in the way of wishing someone and their baby well. If it had involved my best friend, I would have been honest and discussed it, even if I had to say, "I'm sorry I just can't be around you right now because it hurts too much". I'm not sure what my gut is saying right now, about contacting her or not... I'm just mulling it over some more. Trying to find a way to be at peace, at any rate. Wow, another milestone for you-- dropping the meds! I was nervous as well, but they really do know what they are doing. Is it kind of surreal, knowing you have two little babes in their? Can't wait to hear how your appointment goes!


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## renavoo

Hi ladies, I don't have much time but I just wanted to let you guys know that I am thinking of you!

Hope,







I am so so so so sorry for your loss. I'm also SO incredibly angry at the system for letting that disgusting person out so that he could hurt more people. Your cousin's DH and child are in my thoughts. I'm so heartbroken for all of you and so sad for the baby who will be missing out on having a wonderful mother.

Tenzi, I remember that story about your friend and I'm so sorry ( I wish I could tell you what to do. You know, i have a husband/wife friend who also stopped contacting me. I didn't think they were trying so I don't think that it was because they were faced with infertility (I have no idea if they are dealing with that! I know they were waiting to try until after she finished her schooling). They didn't come to my baby shower and then from then on, I just haven't heard from them besides a facebook "congrats". I haven't really reached out either. I guess this just made me more thankful of the friends that I do have and I just thought to myself that I wish them well and moved on. But they live relatively far away from me so I didn't see them often even when we were close so it's a different story than yours.

Hope, so close!! I'm so excited for you! This pain will all be worth it in the end. haha I didn't used to believe it but I can't remember anymore the annoyances of pregnancy. I just look at my little ones and I am so happy that I think, I could get pregnant again. But alas, we are done.

Vegan, oh I'm so sorry your baby has to go through so much so young but she's lucky that you're so on top of everything! let us know if everything is fixed with this next procedure!

Blue, YAH for a boy! I'm so happy for you! He's going to be the luckiest little baby with you, DH and Abby to watch over him. Sorry about not traveling for Thanksgiving but it probably is better to be safe than sorry. And, you get to miss out on all the nasty traffic!

Keria, Congrats on the new home and store! The picture of Oliver made me crack out loud! SO ADORABLE!

RCR, I have to go check in and see how you're doing!! Your cycle is soon, right? Argh, I wanted to follow you all through and I've just been swamped. ( I'm thinking of you though!

AFM, Busy as all heck and not in a good way. Work is crazy- just got back from my first business trip away from the babies which was so hard. Only to come back to work and have to work late into the night and during weekends. I'm ready for a career change! But I feel better after getting some sleep- I don't sleep well while traveling so I ended up only sleeping 2-2.5 hours a night while away. Now that I've gotten 3 days of around 4-5 hours of sleep, I feel positively refreshed. haha.

I haven't really had time to take photos of my babies besides the occasional snapshot but here are a couple of ones. Is anyone else sad that their babies are growing so fast?


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## renavoo

argh, hit the submit button accidently. Anyway, just wanted to say that I'm thinking of you ladies a lot even if i can't sign on and type! BIG HUGS!!!


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## tenzinsmama

Renavoo, oh.my.gosh.SO CUTE! Yeah, it's sad that they grow up so fast... everytime Raya outgrows an item of clothing and I pack it away, the moment is tinged with a bit of that feeling and also one of surprise-- how does the time go by so fast?!!! How is the nanny situation, is it all working out for you? So nice to hear from you, I miss you on here! But I totally understand how you are so busy. I honestly don't know how you can function. I didn't get much sleep the last couple of nights, and it's so rough on me... You must really have to like your job, to put in so many hours. I think that makes a big difference-- I remember when I was getting close to the end of my job, before I went back to school, I was so ready to be done-- and even a regular work day was brutal!


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## auraleigh

quick question ladies... did anyone have any spotting when they stopped progesterone? i took my last dose on thursday and was fine.... but today i had brown spotting and light cramping. the spotting was a full wipe's worth, but stopped immediately and hasn't come back. the cramping also stopped. i also absolutely overdid it this weekend... went into the city to look at strollers with a friend and ran all over the place. also went food shopping with my mom today for thanksgiving (which is a multi hour affair) and i did a lot more lifting than i should have.

should i be worried? i read online that it can happen and i'm trying to reassure myself, but any bleeding is scary. especially this close to the holidays.

thanks for any advice!


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## tenzinsmama

aura, i don't like to speak for someone else, but, I just feel so bad that you are having to worry about this-- but, I remember Renavoo having some spotting-- maybe on a couple of occassions early on-- and she was told it was quite a common thing to happen. Were you able to contact your doctor's office just the same, to get some reassurance-- or do you have to wait until tomorrow?


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## hope4light

Vegan/Tenzin/aura/rena - Thank you so much. It was a rough weekend, but I was amazed at the turnout. She was well loved.

Tenzin - I'm so sorry about the friendship. I can imagine that you're very torn between reaching out to her and not. Here is where you really have to look at your heart and see what it wants you to do, then follow it. I know that is easier said than done, but if you keep thinking about it and thinking about it and thinking about it (and not being mad), then maybe you should reach out, and if she doesn't respond then you know where she stands, you know you did what was right, and you can wash your hands of it.

aura - how did the appt go? I did not spot this time around when I came off of progesterone, but I did have 2 spotting incidents during my first pregnancy and they freaked me out. Are you RH negative by any chance? I am RH negative; the first time they did an u/s and said I had irritation, probably from sex/overdoing it. The second time I don't remember what they said, but they decided to give me my rhogam shot early because of it, and I didn't have any more spotting incidents (the second time was at 17 weeks). It could be just a tender uterus due to the over activity. I'd call if you haven't already ~ better safe than sorry. They can check it out and see if it's just something that is irritated.

rena - They are SO adorable!!! Wow, it sounds like things have been really crazy for you!!! How is the nanny situation going?

AFM - not much else going on. Looking forward to a small thanksgiving this year, it'll be us, DH's mom and my mom, although my dad will probably be there long enough to eat and then go back home (he's on meds right now that make him SO sick). Going to try to work more on the nursery this weekend, so fingers crossed that we'll get some stuff done.


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## auraleigh

hope, i'm actually RH positive, so i don't think that had anything to do with it? i forgot i did also have a pap smear on friday, but i had some red spotting shortly after the pap so i assumed the sunday spotting was unrelated... but it was brown blood so maybe due to that? i think because it timed so precisely with coming off the crinone that i couldn't think of anything else?

renavoo, seriously, those babies are delicious! i love the photos!

i called the dr today they didn't really know what to tell me. they told me to keep an eye on it, and to let them know immediately if there is any more spotting. they also said if i wanted i could go get an ultrasound done, so i scheduled one for wednesday morning before work. it was the earliest appt i could get without having to miss work (i'm going to have appts every two weeks and will be spending a lot of time out of the office). i haven't had any spotting since, although i did have a moment of panic this morning where i took one more dose of crinone. i figure it can't HURT. i'll have the ultrasound wednesday just to check on things, and then an early glucose test next thursday and my nuchal test on friday.

i am going to try to take it easy this thanksgiving, which is impossible, really. dh is offering his help, as is my sister and my father in law. but i know i'll be running around since i do most of the cooking. i have to remind myself that the babies are more important.


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## blueyezz4

Oh i could just scream!!!!!!!! I just wrote this long response to everyone and an AFM and i was about to post a pic and i lost it all. So frustrating after all that typing. Here we go again but it might be shorter so sorry if i miss you.

*Aura* - i have heard of spotting after stopping. I'm glad to hear it was brown and not red. Red is when you for sure need to worry. How was your OB appt or when is it?

*Tenzi* - sorry to hear about the friend drama. Not sure what to do. You could try and be the bigger friend and send her a private message but then again it has to sting that she never contacted you either. Hard one!

*Hope* - i'm so sorry to hear about your family death. Broke my heart!!!! Keep you all in my thoughts and prayers esp this thanksgiving season. <hugs>

*Renavoo* - love the new pics. So cute. They have such expressive eyes.

*Vegan* - how is your little one doing now after the last surgery? I hope better.

*Tear* - how are you?

*Belly, Kewpie, Keria, Lyndi* - how are you all doing?

*HI to everyone i missed. Still mad that i lost my whole post. Grrrrr!!!!*

*AFM -* I almost pasted out yesterday. It was scary!! We were at church and i had been sitting for like 10 mins when i started to feel nauseous a bit and then i felt really warm and my ears started to close up like my hearing was going. I leaned forward to try and get my head between my knees and that helped a little and then i started fanning myself w/ the bulletin. I leaned over and told DH that i felt like i was going to pass out so he could catch me and not be totally freaked out which i think might have freaked him out even more... LOL. Then people around me started to notice and my one friend sitting behind me asked DH if i was okay and he asked her if she would walk me to the ladies room. DH knew he could do it but couldn't go in w/ me. So she did and then i started feeling a little better but had a bad headache after and still have a little one today but feel better. My OB wants to see me tomorrow just to check me out. On another note.... poor little Abby had surgery today. She has canine ear margin dermatosis (which basically is a big word for dry flaky ear tips). Anyways, one area split open and has become a bleeding ulcer and we have been treating it for weeks now and it's not going away so the vet put her under and took a biopsy today to try and determine what is going on and make sure it's nothing else. Poor girl has stitches and everything. I have to take her back tomorrow afternoon for a dressing change and re-check. She is sleeping soundly now on my lap, so that is good. I'll post a pic of how pathetic she looks w/ her ear bandaged, but we still love that cute little face.


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## tenzinsmama

Thanks for all the words around the friend situation... I'm going to continue to sit on it for awhile and think more about what I'll do. If she announces on FB, that will mean I will need to make a decision then.

Blue, 20 weeks!!!! Sorry to hear about the near-fainting episode. I know of someone who had that happen to them a few times during pregnancy-- well, she actually did faint completely, in the grocery store and places like that, and people would call an ambulance for her... But it nothing serious each time-- it was just what happened with her during pregnancy (happened to her for both of them). Hopefully this is a one-time thing for you! Poor Abby... That girl has had a few things over the past year, hasn't she. Musn't be easy on the pocketbook, but pets are so precious, aren't they. You do what you have to do to take care of them. Let us know what the doc says about you and the near-fainting, and the vet about her ear thingy!


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## renavoo

Hi ladies!

Just checking in quickly. i just got in from work so I'm fairly exhausted.

Aura, I had some bleeding early on. The doctor said it was completely normal and that I should keep watch over it. The last episode was at 11 weeks, while traveling for business. After that episode, i stopped flying. No more bleeding after that and everything is fine )

Blue, OH poor Abby! But that face. haha she is just so cute and I just want to nibble on her nose! I hope you don't have another one of those episodes! It must have been scary but I think it's completely normal for women to have fainting episodes when pregnant. I'm glad you're getting it checked out though! Let us know how it goes.

Tenzi, I think it's a good plan to take everything as it comes, in regards to your friend. She's definitely missing out though; so, no matter what happens, just remember that! I feel so happy to have you as one of my confidants on this site. By the way, the nanny is great although I still have residual feelings of jealousy, of course. But I really like the nanny and she loves the babies so that's all that matters. I'm quite happy although I wish I didn't have to work as much as I do and could, therefore, spend more time with my babies.

Hope, yah to a relaxing Thanksgiving and getting the nursery fixed up! That's such an exciting, fun time. Is your DD going to help?

Ok, time to pump and then feed the babies and then sleep! Big hugs everyone. I can't wait until work slows down so I can spend more time with you ladies!


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## renavoo

By the way, in case I don't have time to check in before, HAVE A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING!!!


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## auraleigh

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

Blue, sorry to hear about the fainting episode. So much is going on in our bodies, it totally makes sense. Was it hot in there? So weird! Also, poor little Abby! That pup has gone through a lot and is lucky to have such a diligent parent. That ear cast is the cutest thing ever! Give her a kiss for us!

I had another small brown blood spotting incident this morning. I am glad I'm going for an ultrasound this morning! It will be nice to see the babies, I hope everything is okay. I also emailed Dr T because my OB said she had never heard of anyone spotting while coming off of progesterone. I know the internet is not the best for medical advice, but there are thousands of women who report having the same spotting when stopping. It must be a thing, right? I don't think it's related to overexertion? I baked a bourbon pumpkin cheesecake and my grandmother's apple cake last night, but DH lifted anything heavy and cleaned up, so it was really not that hard. Hrm.


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## MOMTOALEXIS

I had heavy red bleeding with the twins at about 10 weeks and it lasted for like 2 weeks and those silly little almost 2 year olds and sleeping peacefully as we speak. Hope that helps. Let us know how it goes.


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## Tear78

aura, thinking of you!!!

I'm starting to swell, and it's bringing up some serious panicky anxiety feelings from last time. I dot NOT want to be preeclamptic again!


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## auraleigh

all is well! i saw the babies this morning and they are just fine. heartbeats are both around 150 now, and they are BIG! baby a is measuring three days ahead, and baby b is SIX days ahead. baby a was moving all over the place. i don't know why, but i never realized that babies that small could move that much. they moved like... real babies? i guess in my head i still think of them as cells, not as independently moving creatures.

tear, sorry about the swelling! is it one part of you in particular or all parts? just take care of yourself.

mom, i can't imagine how scary all that bleeding must have been. i wish our bodies would be kinder to us! so far the bleeding has stopped, and has only been brown, so my panic attacks aren't at full throttle.

and again, happy thanksgiving everyone!


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## Tear78

aura, I'm so relieved! The swelling is in my hands (I had to remove my wedding ring) and my legs/ankles. It's not extreme yet, but uncomfortable and very familiar. I hope that's all it is, and not foreshadowing for a repeat experience.

afm - two years ago today we got our bfp phonecall while visiting Carlyle in California. I was in tears this morning with gratitude and love. We're so thankful for our little girl!!! And now we have our little boy coming. I just feel so grateful, and I hope that all our IVF ladies graduate to here!!!


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## auraleigh

okay ladies, sorry to bombard you with questions.

looks like i have a yeast infection (blech). i believe this is what has caused the spotting, or at least, it seems likely from what i've read online. my dr's office doesn't seem to be open today, nor will they be open on the weekend. it's not an "emergency" so i feel bad calling the emergency line. from what i have read online, it seems like most drs say you can use monistat 7. other sites say it's safe after the first trimester. i will be 12 weeks on sunday. so... what do i do????


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## Tear78

aura, I would call if you're going to use medication. That's just me. Usually the emergency line asks why you're calling before they page the doc, so they can decide how quickly to call you back. Just my 2cents. I would feel guilty too but want to call, so hopefully that helps you feel better about it.


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## blueyezz4

Aura- I don't know much about yeast infections so I'm prob not going to be much help unfortunately. I'd probably call the on call line as well just to be safe and I'm sure the on call dr would rather have you call today than tomorrow. You can just say you didn't know what to do and bc of the long weekend you felt it would be better to call. Let us know what you find out.


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## tenzinsmama

Aura, I'd put in a call, too, if I were you... Ask about probiotics, too. And I was thinking-- do you have all the full-on signs of it? For me, sometimes it isn't a yeast infection, but it's more of an irritation. It clears up on it's own. Just wondering if that might be it, given that you had a pap recently? Maybe with the hormones of pregnancy, too? I used to get irritations quite easily when I was on the bcp, under stress, and dtd. My doctor told me to avoid eating too much sugar, in that case. Anyway, regardless, it's all annoying!! Hope you get back to normal soon! Keep us posted if there is a med suggestion, as it's always good to know these kinds of things. I had a full-on one this last pregnancy, bleh!


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## blueyezz4

Aura - how'd things go??? Whatever happened??


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## kewpie80

Just a quick pop-in...

We've been in our house for a week now. We still don't have a toilet, shower, dishwasher, washer or drier and our car is broken down, I'm super sick, and we're still unpacking, so I'm more than a little busy. We finally got a stove thursday! I am reading all your posts, though!

We're doing well, just super busy. We tried sleep training again when the babies were just turning about 9.5 months and they are sleeping through the night now. I feel amazing! They are 10.5 months old now. Maisie is getting very close to walking. She stands up in the middle of the room without holding on to anything and she will often get really excited and start clapping. It's pretty adorable. She loves to mimic us and her favorite right now is to stick her tongue in and out and go, "la-la-la-la" as she does it.

Liam is cruising the furniture, but not up to standing alone yet. He eats a TON. They are self feeding now and he eats his food by the fistful and will go through 3 dessert plates full without batting an eye. Maisie is very careful when she eats and picks up each piece one by one. She says, "ba-ba" for bottle and mama and dada and she says something that sounds like "yay" when she claps, but I'm not sure about that one.

Liam is slower in his speech, but that's to be expected as he tends to focus on the physical. He loves to give kisses. He leans in with an open mouth and then plants a nice wet kiss and then leans back with a huge silly grin. I always say, "awww, I love Liam kisses!!" and then I kiss him back. He looks so proud and repeats his kiss usually a few times. It's so sweet. He kissed Maisie on the forehead today and I just about melted.

Liam LOVES balls and bats them around the room and chases behind. He will play this game for hours every day. He also likes hammers. He has wooden one that he usually has in hand that he usually bats at the balls with.

That's us in a nutshell. I hope to be able to catch up better once things have calmed down here.


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## auraleigh

thanks for the help ladies! i did wind up calling, and when i went to pick up the prescription it turned out she had called in an over the counter product for me. so weird! why not just tell me which one to buy? in any case, it was a three day treatment, i forget the name but the active ingredient starts with clot. i'm feeling relief already, thank goodness. this has me all worried now that i may have gestational diabetes, because i know that could be a symptom. i am having an early glucose test done this thursday, so i am sure i will panic all week.

kewpie, it's so fun to hear about their different personalities! the photos are the best.


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## Vegan Princess

nak

Aura: my guess is it is from any antibiotic you took while cycling. did you take one during retreival or anything? i got a yeast infection from abx i took before my cycle (for ivf purposes) and i never get them. plus your whole body and ph changes when prego - so def doesn't mean diabetes on it's own! don't worry!


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## hope4light

Just a quick drive by 

Tear - oh no, I HOPE HOPE HOPE it's just a bit of normal type swelling/bloating and NOTHING more!!! Happy BFP Anniversary  Mine is officially today back in 2009, but I knew it on Thanksgiving!

aura - glad the babes look great and the doc called you something in. Also glad that the spotting has stopped. It is funny to see them moving all around, isn't it?!

Kewpie - glad to hear you're in your house!! Even if things still aren't all working appropriately. LOVE the pictures!! They are SO stinking adorable, I just want to scoop them up and kiss them all over, and get some of those Liam kisses!!!

AFM - had my 34 week check up today, all looks good. Next check up is my strep b, then I start my weekly appointments. I just can't believe that I only have 6 weeks to go.


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## tenzinsmama

aura, glad things are figured out. Any pics to post yet?! I'm so excited to see your babies!

Tear, how are you doing the last couple of days-- swelling subsided? That's a worry, for sure, but hopefully it turns out to be nothing.

Kewpie, are you planning on adding a few things bit by bit, or will you have everything up and running at once when you figure out what you need to get it done? How does the move feel, though-- a good fit? That's a big move! The pics are so, so cute! Do they interact with one another all the time, and have a lot of fun together?

Hope, I can't believe you only have 6 more weeks to go! What are your plans for the birth? You might have mentioned already, though, sorry...

Vegan, how is your little one doing? The nursing?

AFM, I'm impatiently waiting for another AF to show, so I can start to figure out what's going on with my cycles. We're going away next week to Antigua for a little vacation, and I'll probably get it then... I'm wanting it to come, but that will be bad timing!


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## kewpie80

Hope - Wow! You're getting close! SO exciting!

Tenzins - We're adding bit by bit. It's stressful, but I look around and all needs are met even with all the "with-outs" so I do feel very blessed. I do feel like we made the right choice with this move. We've owned the house since 2001 and it's been sitting empty since 2008, so these issues aren't too surprising. We just didn't expect them to be quite so bad.

They do interact a LOT. They follow each other around and almost always are playing right next to each other. When their little cousin who is 2 months older is there too, all 3 of them tag around together. It's pretty cute. They trade toys back and forth (sometimes taking away and sometimes handing a toy over) and they hug and kiss and pat each other on the head. They make eye contact and smile at one another and sometimes they babble back and forth as if having a conversation. I do wonder if they are formulating their own language sometimes. They do fight, of course, but most of the time, they get along very well.

Have fun on your vacation! ARe the kids going too?


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## Vegan Princess

Tenzin: Your vacay sounds amazing!!! I hope AF makes an appearance before you go or after you get home! Thanks for asking about us. I'll post an AAM below.

Sorry for lack of persies - I feel so short on time these days! I feel very blessed to be short of time though. ;-)

AFM: I hate to jinx it, but nursing seems to be finally going well! I haven't used a supplementer in like 5 days and have pretty much totally stopped pumping! I may pump here and there to keep adding to my freezer stash, but that is the only reason. Aria is transferring milk well and seems to be getting faster at it! So now instead of nursing for 45 minutes, supplementing for another 20 then pumping for 15 minutes, I can just nurse her for half an hour and be done! It's amazing!!  I still feel short on time though. LOL. But at least now maybe my house won't be QUITE a disaster. I'm sure it'll still be a disaster to some degree - I have a 3 yr old who works very hard to dirty it up. Ha. Can't believe my tiny baby will be 2 month old on Wed!

I said something to DH about these fertility omens someone gave us that I was dusting this weekend - about maybe they will bring us a 3rd child without us trying. We sort of talked a bit about a 3rd. Sounds like neither of us wants to close the door on the idea of a 3rd child. But I think neither of us is willing to put ourselves through the emotional turmoil of IVF and "trying" again. He especially feels so strongly about not putting ourselves thru that again. But I was surprised that he is sort of even open to the idea of another. So perhaps one day we'll get a happy surprise. My guess is maybe when the time is right, we just won't use birth control. Likely nothing would come of it - but who knows. Or maybe we won't even risk that. I suppose we are still so new into having a 2nd!

Cindy


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## tenzinsmama

kewpie, that sounds so amazing, how Maisie and Liam interact with one another. I would love to have twins, for that reason and others... but I'm not thinking for a minute that it is easy! I suppose there are times when it is easier than others, though-- depends on the developmental stage they are at, like having a singleton-- some stages they don't seem to be able to get into too much trouble, and other times, well... ha ha. Glad to hear your thoughts about your move, and how positive a step it is for your family. Can't wait to hear about how you make out with the search for a new doc, btw! ETA: And yup, the kids are coming to Antigua with us... Looking forward to it so much!

Vegan, that is wonderful news about the nursing. And about keeping your hearts and minds open to possibilities. I appreciate what you are saying about how hard the process has been, and so perhaps there will be a time down the road when another baby enters your lives, when you don't have to go through it again, and it will come as a lovely surprise. We've seen a few on here, so... And if it doesn't happen, it sounds as though you consider yourselves very blessed with the beautiful children you have. Ha ha, can't believe it... AF is starting to show. Looks like it will be a 30 day cycle for my first PPAF. I'm really happy, as that is what my normal pre-pregnancy cycle is. And happy, too, that I'll have it out of the way in time for our trip!


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## Keria

Rena! they are so adorable and those eyes I feel I could stare at them forever.

Aura Glad everything is well. I hope you get rid of the yeast infection fast!.

Blue Can you believe you are 21 weeks? Hope you had a good thanksgiving even if you had to stay at home.

Kewpie your little ones are just the cutest. I always say that I don't think my kids like to be twins. I think so far they just see each other as the competition. If I leave them alone to play there is usually someone crying in less than 5 minutes. There are definitely not hugs or kisses going back and forth in here plenty of hair pulling and fighting over toys though lol. I hope that changes SOON! I want some sweet twin moments too.

Hope. You are so close do you have everything ready? I'm betting you have a BOY too since it seems to be boy season.

AFM We are just getting over the flu. Taking care of sick twins while sick was quite an experience, suffices to say next year I'm getting the flu shot. Other than that Oliver took 2 steps yesterday but the little monster refuses to do it for the video camera. Lucia is just behind him she can stand on her own but no steps yet.


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## blueyezz4

Wow, it took me awhile to find this thread b/c it was so far down on the list!!! I'm way behind on catching up so i'll do my best in the time i have. Suppose to meet SIL and a mutual friend for lunch in a bit. I'll do my AFM first and then try and catch up on personals.

*AFM* - Not too much going on here. It's been awhile since i posted so i don't even remember what i was saying last time i posted and not enough time to go back and look now. Anyways, we are coming up this weekend on 22wks and that is the big week for us to get through since we lost our boys at 22.5 wks. I'm feeling good and i know it is out of my hands so i just have to trust that all will be okay. I say that and then i think back and at the time then i felt okay too but was much bigger and didn't have all of these extra precautions taken ( stitch, and prog shots and what not). So I'm staying calm!!! Next Thurs i see my OB for a reg appt and then on tues Dec 11th we have our next ultrasound to check his growth and my cervix again. I'll feel much better after that ultrasound. Isn't it awful that we live for those ultrasounds and getting to see our precious little one again. On a side note, got a message from my dad that my mom was in the ER this morning and now she has been admitted to the hospital b/c they aren't sure if she had a mini stroke or if she had a seizure. She has had one seizure in the past and was trying to wean off her meds b/c she was just on a childrens dose and the drs thought she prob wouldn't have another one so we will see. I know she is worried if it was one she won't be able to drive for 6 months so i'm worried that might kinda put her into a depression. DH and i and Abby are thinking about going over there tonight for the weekend. They are like less than 2 hrs away and i just feel it would probably be a good idea. My dad is diabetic and i worry about him too when my mom isn't around. So we will see. Abby has the "cone of shame" on her head until next tues b/c they took the stitches out and couldn't get her ear to stop bleeding so i had to leave her at the vet for the day so they could give her meds to calm her and crate her to get it to stop. I've been doctoring it at home now and it looks pretty good. We go back to that vet on Tues. Thinking we should have bought pet insurance long ago. Good grief!!! I think i need a money tree to grow in my back yard. Oh and why is baby furniture so stinking expensive? I'll get a few personals in and then i have to run but will try to stop back later to finish.

*Ps*. Anyone drink Red Raspberry Leaf tea during their pregnancy and w/ labor to make things go smoother? I have been reading about it and it seems interesting.

*Keria* - so sorry to hear about the flu. I hope everyone is healthy now. yeah oliver!!!! Thanksgiving wasn't too bad. We have a lot to be thankful for and that's all that matters.

*Vegan* - yay that nursing is going smoother!! Also that is great that DH is on board w/ maybe #3.

*Kewpie* - Can't believe how fast your little ones are growing. they are too cute. Glad you are in your house and i hope the projects get finished quick... which i know in house project usually isn't the case, but at least you are there!!!

*Tenzi* - hope you have a good vacation!!! Jealous!! )

*Aura* - how are you feeling? did you get over your infection? When's your next appt?

*Hope* - how are you doing? Getting so close!!!! yay!!

*Belly & Tear* - how are you both?

*Laura* - are you still around? HOpe you are well.

*I'm sure i've missed some but hello all!!! I just was looking up at this last page so if you didn't posted that is part of the reason i missed you. Pregnancy brain doesn't help either. Okay off to lunch. HOpe everyone has a good weekend.*


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## BellyBean

Hi everyone!!! I am like 150 posts behind  sorry!!!!

Blue, a BOY! congratulations!!!! I can't believe you are already 21 weeks that is just amazing. I am wishing you peace and a very uneventful couple of weeks.

Aura, I hope you are feeling better and everything is going smooth for you. I only read the page where I left off and this last one, so I hope you are feeling better about the twins. Honestly, I think it's the added toddler that makes things so difficult here. Any combination of 2 is okay (busy, but okay), 3 just makes things nuts 

Keira, sorry to hear about the flu, we all got the shot and have been sick for over 3 weeks now. Yay to walking! I remember being so surprised when my daughter took her first steps, it was pretty much out of nowhere! Hope you can get Oliver to cooperate with the video!

Tenzi, jealous of your vacation! Enjoy!

Hope, you are so close!! Time has sure flown (from my standpoint anyway!)

Vegan, glad the breastfeeding is going better, sounds like all that hard work has paid off! Great job mama!

Kewpie, I love hearing how much your LO's are playing together. Mine don't really seem all that interested in eachother yet, but I hope we are getting close...or maybe our twins just don't like eachother 

AFM, sorry I have been away so long (not even reading along). Besides our horrible sleep issues, we have all been sick for 3 weeks 4 days. I mean really really sick, all 3 girls and me. First it was the flu, then head cold, now ear infections for them and a sinus infection for me. It has been pretty miserable being so sick and not getting much sleep. On the very bright side we contacted a sleep doula and she came the Sunday before Thanksgiving. With her help we created a plan that we were happy with and could implement (CIO is not something I can handle emotionally). And after a week+ of hard work, both girls are now sleeping from 7/7:30 to 4 without any fussing. They normally fuss a little around 4, but we don't feed and then feed around 5/5:30 when they wake up next, then back to bed till 7:30. I am still getting up to pump and with my sinus infection (and migraine) I haven't been able to fall back asleep, but I at least have hope that I will be sleeping more soon, since everyone else is now 

Thinking about you all. I am already FB friends with a few of you, but if anyone else wants to stay more "current" with me shoot me a PM so we can be friends there too. I know most of us have known eachother for a LONG time here! We keep our infertility a secret with our IRL firends, but I am happy to share my real life with my secret friends


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## tenzinsmama

Keria, sorry to hear that the flu bug caught you-- glad that you are all on your way to feeling better. It's not good when mom gets sick, in addition to the kids... Everyone counts on mom so much!

Belly, you all have been through a lot of bugs... I hope you have clear sailing now for a long time, especially with the holidays around the corner. I wish for you to enjoy the season with good health and lots of sleep... I'd actually love to know how you handle the twins' crying, in terms of trying to make sure that your oldest doesn't wake up. We've been really struggling on what to do with that-- when DD cries, I pop her on the boob right away... but that is just making her unable to learn how to self-soothe... so now she wakes up more and more as the weeks go on, instead of sleeping for longer periods-- she's not even hungry, she is just pacifying herself. But I'm so worried that if I don't giver her the boob, that her crying will just get louder and louder and then DS will be up-- and then we'll have two unhappy kids to deal with. The walls of the kid's bedrooms are shared, noise carries. Ideas?

Blue, sounds like you are doing everything possible with your care providers to ensure things are going to be okay. Once you get through this time period, it will be yet another milestone reached and then you can breathe easier as they keep coming and going. I still feel so much joy when I think of this little miracle of yours!

Actually, I think of each of you on here and feel so much gratitude that you have your little babies, or they are on their way. I love seeing the pictures and hearing the updates. It's like you are all part of a little family on here. It's great to have this connection with you, since these things aren't something that is easily shared irl.

RCR, I've got you in my thoughts and prayers for it to be your turn now!

Sorry I've missed others... I've got to get to work on my last paper for the semester. Class is finished on Monday, and then we leave on our trip Tuesday. It's going to be so good to get away, it's been a year full of ups and downs with everything that has happened.


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## auraleigh

so angry! i typed out a giant post with personals and lost the whole thing. grrr. take two.

vegan, i can understand not wanting to go through "all this" for another baby, so maybe you'll just be granted with a lovely surprise!

tenzin, so excited for your vacation! i hope it is relaxing and recharges you for the year ahead.

kewpie, i love how the twins interact with each other. are you feeling more settled? are you feeling better?

belly, so sorry you were all sick! are you feeling better? i'm glad the twins started sleeping longer, it should be a relief for you to be a little more well rested.

blue, sorry to hear about your mom. how is she doing? any improvement? how is abby? i am so excited you're already more than halfway done! can't wait to meet this little fella. i hope he takes his time and grows to perfection.

keria, how exciting that oliver is taking steps! soon both twins will be running in opposite directions.

hope i didn't miss anyone!

afm, had the nuchal on friday. the ultrasound portion went fine, even though baby b was non compliant for the abdominal scan. we had to go vaginal and finally got the measurements we needed. by next week i should have the results for both my early glucose test and the nuchal. as of today i am at week 13 and officially out of the first trimester! every milestone is a relief, eve though i know i'm not out of the danger zone yet. i asked my dr when i can stop worrying, and she said 28 weeks. gee, thanks. i've had some issues with my dr's office, so i am looking into switching. they just keep messing up all my information, and that scares me. if they can't keep information like my meds/pharmacy/prepregnancy weight correct, what would happen if there was a bigger issue? i have yet to see the same dr twice, no one knows what is going on, and i somehow still haven't gotten my flu shot even though they should have given it to me a month ago. it doesn't sit well with me.

in any case, here is a photo from last week's ultrasound. the nuchal scan didn't give me great photos, but this one is my favorite so far. my aunt in law told me she thought they looked like lobsters. hehe.


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## Vegan Princess

nak

aura: welcome to the parent club - you'll never stop worrying! once they are here you'll just find something else to worry about them. lol ;-)


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## tenzinsmama

aura, YAY!!!!!!!! Beautiful!!!!!!!


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## blueyezz4

*Aura* - love the new pic!!!! Glad it went well. My mom is out of the hospital but her heart is still racing so she is on a new med (along w/ all the other meds) to help slow her heart down and it is making her feel even more tired then before. She is suppose to see her cardiologist hopefully this week and i hope he can adjust the med to help her get her energy back. She did have a little seizure but doesn't seem to have any other issues other than the racing heart from it. So that is good. Abby is doing much better and we took the "cone of shame" off her head while we were at my parents b/c she kept taking off all their Christmas ornaments and balls w/ it when she would be looking out the window and turn her head by the tree. LOL. It is looking much better and no bleeding. We go back to the vet tomorrow around lunch time.

*Tenzi* - thanks for your kind words. I hope you got your paper done and are almost all packed for your trip. Are you staying w/ family and are just the 4 of you going? HOpe you have a blast.

*Belly* - i sure hope that everyone in your house is now healthy!!!! I can't even imagine!!! Sending you healthy vibes and praying that all is well.

*AFM* - not much going on here. DH got to feel the little guy kick for the first time last night. I've been feeling it for awhile, but he had his hand on my belly and felt it finally. Always kinda exciting. I also let my parents hear the heartbeat this weekend which they thought was cool. I think my dad is more excited than my mom but i think my mom is just guarded after what happened last time so i understand. My dad already was talking about going to Disney w/ the little one which i thought was cute. My next OB appt is Thurs this week and i normally get my shots on Wed. A friend gave us some of her baby clothes which was so nice!! Her little guy was born in Oct so the dates are a little off but that's okay. It was much appreciated and i love hand-me-downs which will help us a ton. So that is about it here. Hope you all are well!!!

*??? for you ladies.* - I know they tell you to sleep on your left side around 20 wks or so, but i just can't spend the whole night there and end up on my Right side and then last night i woke up and was on my back actually- oops!! How do you ladies handle or did handle sleeping on your sides? Do you stay on your Left side most of the time or no???


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## auraleigh

blue, a friend of mine is a week behind you with twins and is seeing a high risk dr. her dr told her the left side thing was an old wives' tale, and that sleeping on either side is fine. i think it's probably okay that you were on your back for a bit. i would think your body would alert you if you were squishing your lungs or organs? probably once you are even bigger it will be so uncomfortable you won't accidentally roll that way. but that's just my guess, as the girl who hasn't even really started to show yet  so take that as you may. i hope they fix your mom's meds. sometimes it just takes a while, but she should get adjusted soon enough. and i'm glad abby's cone of shame has been removed!


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## monkeyscience

Stalking by quickly to say *Blue* - I am thinking of you as you go through this milestone week. Hope your OB appointment is full of lots of reassurance! And I constantly swapped between sides - my hips hurt too much to lay on any one side too long!


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## Carlyle

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *blueyezz4*
> DH got to feel the little guy kick for the first time last night.


Oh yaay! That's always so great when they can start feeling the baby. I slept on either side with both my pregnancies. Actually for Maggie's pregnancy I think she would fall to a better position when I was on my right side, so don't worry about it. Do what feels comfortable! I love seeing you on here even though I don't post much


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## Tear78

blue, I'm constantly waking up on my back. I think I wake up because I'm on my back and my blood flow is slowly restricting. yuck! lol... I think it's ok. Your body will let you know where you need to be. So happy that your DH got to feel him! My DH has yet to catch the right moment over here, but that's partly I think because we're so on the go these days. Thinking of you this week: keep up the good work,, little guy!


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## tenzinsmama

Off to Antigua today, and I've still got to pack!!! Ack!!!! Anyway, just wanted to pop on to wish all of you a good week, *Blue,* thinking of you this week especially. Glad to hear that your mom is getting things figured out, and Abby is doing so much better. Oh, and I think it was you who was asking about our set-up in Antigua? It's just me, DH and the kids going, we have a condo on the beach that we are renting for the week.


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## blueyezz4

Thanks all for all your kind thoughts and words of encouragement this week!!! So far, so good. Today is 22 wks 3 days and going strong w/ only 124 more days to go. I only know that b/c of an app on my phone that keeps track. I'm really not that anal. LOL Thanks too for the info about sleeping. I know it was my OB that said to start sleeping more on my Left side, so next Tues when i see the high risk dr for our ultrasound I think i'll ask him as well. Okay, i'm off to bed. Tomorrow I'm going w/ a friend for her big Ultrasound b/c her DH can't go so she asked me to tag along. She isn't finding out the sex of the babe though so i'm hoping i can try and sneak a peak and just not tell her. LOL


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## BellyBean

Blue, how fun! I think I would really enjoy going to a friend's ultrasound and trying to sneak a peak! After all the research I did online I feel like I am practically an u/s tech anyway  I remember ending up on my back for a while, then eventually (later than "suggested") it mostly stopped. Love that DH felt the baby kick, such a magical time.

Tenzi, I hope you have a wonderful trip and see my response when you get back  We went through the EXACT same thing with our girls. We were so concerned with them waking eachother up or our older DD that we would feed right away. And instead of sleeping longer they started creeping back. We went from a solid 5-6 hour stretch back to 3. It didn't help that we would wake the other twin to feed so we wouldn't get woken up right after getting back in bed. We trained and allowed them to become horrible sleepers...which was necessary for survival at first, but we finally had to draw the line. So we put the "better" sleeper in the room next to our older DD and the "worse" sleeper stayed in our room (and still is, although I am not sure she is still the worst sleeper, the flip back in forth perfectly so that no night is good for us...just for fun, I am sure!). Our older DD is a very light sleeper, so I thought for sure the "better" yet much louder one would wake her up, but she hasn't...or atleast not enough for her to start crying/screaming too. And trust me, she does, when she wakes up in the night our oldest DD screams for me, so I really don't think the crying has bothered her. All the girls have sound machines so that might help drown out the noise a little too. The babies cry for about 5-10 minutes and usually go back to sleep. If they need help soothing we rock, give one a bink, or bounce until they fall back asleep. You could always try for a night or 2 and see what happens with your DS, it'd be worth it if he sleeps through it and your DD works herself back to sleep!!

Aura, glad you are switching doctors if you don't feel you are getting adequate care! You have to do what's best for you. Your babies look lovely! I can't believe you are already in the 2nd tri! I am sorry, I might have missed, will you be finding out genders?!? If so, I can't wait!!!!!!!!

Hi Hope, Vegan, Carlyle, Tear, Kewpie, Keira, Monkey, and Renavoo!!!!

Nothing new for me, just wanted to see what ya'll are up to!


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## kewpie80

blue - I would fall asleep on my left and if I woke up on my back or right, I would just flip back to my left. Once I got pretty big, laying on my back would actually make my legs tingle and would wake me up. I don't think laying on your right is bad, just that the left is better for opening up a major artery.

aura - Love the pic!


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## hope4light

Tenzins - Birth plans? My only real plan is to deliver vaginal. Other than that I'll be at a hospital and will just take it play by play. It's what I did with my first and it worked out so much better that way as I had a LONG labor (I had some scar tissue that kept me from dilating) and lots of interventions (pitocin, they broke my water, they broke up the scar tissue, internal monitoring, plus I was GBS positive so had the IV antibiotic, got the epi, etc). It really allowed me to look back and love my l&d experience. I hope you are having a great time in Antigua! Let us know all about it 

Vegan - Yeah for nursing going well!!! And that's awesome that you are both on the same page, if it were to happen!

Keria - We finally have some things ready. The bassinet is in our room but we still have to wash the sheets/etc. The nursery has the crib and glider in it, and we've found the car seat and one base. We still have to find the other base. (We moved after DD was out of it, so it's there... somewhere....) We also still have to get out all of the newborn and 0-3 month clothes. Oh yeah, and we still have to make the short list of names. I started freaking out about it right around Thanksgiving, because I'm getting so close and at the time we had NOTHING ready. So, we're getting there, step by step LOL. I'm sorry that they got sick :-( It's so sad when they don't feel good. Can't believe that walking is coming so soon!

blue - big hugs to get through the next couple of days. You're almost there!! I'm glad that you're mom is OK as well, I hope they get the meds figured out so that she can have more energy. Sleeping - I go between sides and sometimes wake up on my back. I have a pillow on either side of me, so even if I roll I tend to not be flat on my back. I wouldn't worry too much - as PP said, if you're legs start to go numb it'll wake you up and you'll know to roll.

Belly - glad to see you!! I hope you have no more sickness for a while, you deserve a healthy home!

aura - They look so cute!!! I'd consider changing too... they have to take care of you for quite a while yet, and you should be able to build a good relationship with you're OB.

AFM - Tuesday I have my 36 week appt and GBS test. I still can't believe how close it's getting. Last night I was thinking how I'm not ready for this pregnancy to end, even though in some ways I am so ready (sooo uncomfortable these days!! Plus, I just can't wait to meet this little one!!). People at my work threw me a little baby shower yesterday, it was SO very sweet. They scared the crap out of me though, telling me that my VP had called an emergency meeting with me and our director. So I'm thinking paybacks to my VP can include me in his office with a bottle of water behind my back that suddenly loses all of it's water. Evil, I know. On another note, my pregnancy brain is getting WAY worse.


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## vireoes

Finally time to move my self over to the graduates thread. A quick bio for those who don't know me. We started TTC in 2007. We were diagnosed with MF infertility. We moved overseas in 2010 and did our first round of IVF/ICSI. We we blessed with a BFP on the first try and had DD in 2011. I am still BF DD so we had to wait to this summer to get first PPAF. Given our age and that we wanted to take advantage of more affordable IVF services before we return to the US, we didn't waste time TTC the natural way and went straight back for high tech solutions. We did a failed FET in Sept with embryos leftover from our first IVF. We just completed our second fresh cycle and were rewarded with a BFP. We did our 7 week check today and have one little embryo with a nice strong heart beat. We are due in late July 2013. Most likely we won't move until after the birth, but we are not 100% sure yet. DD loves playing with real and stuffed babies so I know she is going to make a great big sister.


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## blueyezz4

*Vireoes* - Congrats on graduating!!! You will notice this thread is a little slower moving than the other one. So glad to have you here. Are you still w/ your RE or did you get transferred to your reg OB already?

*Hope* - can't believe you are getting so close!! Yay!!! What is a GBS test? That is a new one to me. Thanks for the info about sleeping. I've been doing pretty good sleeping on either side and mostly on my L side, so that's good. How are things going w/ DH? Hope things are much better now.

*Belly* - my friend didn't get to have her big u/s b/c she wasn't told that she had to schedule two different appts on the same day. She did have to have a cervical check w/ u/s though and the tech was nice and did give her a few other shots on top of her belly so we saw the little one. I'm going back w/ her on Mon morning now and then i have my next big u/s on Tues afternoon. Big week for ultrasounds.

*Tenzi* - hope you had a good vacation!!!! How did the babe do on that plane ride?

*Kewpie* - thanks for your sleeping in put. How are the repairs on the house coming?

*Tear* - hope you are doing well. Anything coming up soon for you or just the reg ob appts? How often do you go??? How many weeks are you again? I wish i could remember but i also have 3 other friends IRL that are pregnant and i can never remember how far along they are either. LOL

*Carlyle* - thanks for sharing your insight too!!! Hope you all are well!!!

*Laura* - how are you doing??? haven't seen you in awhile. Hope everything is okay.

*Hi to everyone else i missed. I was kinda just looking up at this last page and those of you that posted recently.*

*AFM* - Today is 23 weeks yay!!!! Saw my OB on Thurs last week and she checked me manually.... ugh does anyone else get checked or is it just b/c i'm stitched?? Man does that hurt when she does it. Don't like it at all but oh well. She was seeing me ever 4 wks and now she told me she wants to see me every 2 weeks. Kinda freaks me out b/c then i left there wondering if there is something she isn't telling me after checking me. Women's mind can be so mean!!!! Go figure i don't think to really ask much until i leave. She did say just b/c of my history but wouldn't you think she would just move me up to every 3 weeks instead of 2. Who knows. I'll do whatever it takes. I have my next big ultrasound tues afternoon at like 4pm to check his growth and my cervix length. I think he is growing b/c his kicks and punches are for sure getting stronger and i feel like i'm popping now. Still carrying high enough that i can wear my reg jeans w/ the rubber band and a belt. My mom is having troubles w/ her heart rate being too high (150 resting) so they gave her another pill so she is really feeling it. Poor lady can't catch a break. They were talking about if this new med doesn't work then she will need to have a pacemaker put in. That scares me a bit too just b/c of her history of strokes and also being on a blood thinner. We will see. Keep her in your thoughts and prayers if you think about it. They normally go out west for part of the winter and they drive all the way there and normally leave Jan 3rd so i don't know what will happen now. Last yr she had her major stroke on that trip and i flew out to be w/ them but this year that will be a little harder so the whole thing makes me a little nervous that they would be out there all by themselves. They do now have drs out there after last year so at least that is good. Okay, i think that is about all that is going on here.


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## kewpie80

vireoes - Welcome and congrats!!!!

Hope - So excited for you!

Blue -I'm so excited for you too! I also know how you feel about your mom. My mom had a history of strokes and minor heart attacks from about 1998 till 2008. She's on blood thinners and she was having troubles with her BP bottoming out. She had a pacemaker put in in 2008 and then a triple bypass later that year. She moved in with us during that time and it was extremely stressful and scary. She is doing fantastic now! I hope everything goes well with your mom and her procedure. Keep us updated, ok? You all will be in my thoughts and prayers.


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## auraleigh

blue, 23 weeks!!!! i am terrified of the manual checks. i have not heard great things about them. how do you feel? has the sleeping gotten any better? how is your mom? i think kewpie shared a wonderful story, and hopefully they can get your mom up and running soon!

tenzi, hope vacation is great! can't wait to hear all about it.

viroes, congrats!!! so nice to see you on this side. how are you feeling?

hope, you are SO CLOSE! do you feel ready? do you have all the baby things you need? i can't wait for this baby to be born!

hope everyone is just quiet because their babies are keeping them busy!!

things are good here. i'm 14 weeks currently, and i've decided to finally switch my OB. my practice is totally incompetent. i finally called and asked them if they ever planned on taking blood, and the nurse freaked out when she realized they had NO RECORDS for me. they didn't even know my blood type. what if something terrible had happened??? what if i have a vitamin deficiency or something that could easily be remedied? they had me come in right away to draw blood, and the nurses, not realizing I could hear them in the waiting room, were all "how does this even happen?!?!". the fact that they were so freaked out really freaked me out. so i found a new dr that works with a perinatologist, and my first appt with them is on december 27th. i believe the receptionist said that the dr would do an ultrasound. i'll be 16.5 weeks then, so i am hoping they can tell me the sexes of the babies! i hate surprises, i want to know asap. other than that, i'm holding steady at 7lbs gained in 14 weeks, which i'm pretty proud of. one dr told me to gain 30 lbs, the other told me not to gain a SINGLE POUND. with twins. that's another reason why i'm switching! i can't go to one practice where every dr tells me something different.


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## kewpie80

aura - wow! That shocks me! I'm glad you found a new doctor. I am very overweight. I'm 220 lbs at 5'3 and they told me to gain 40 or 50. I can't remember exactly what at this point. Not gaining anything with twins is a BAD idea. And no blood draws??? YIKES! It sounds like you found a good one. I loved seeing my perinatologist. Not just cause I had another set of eyes watching my babies, but I also had twice the u/s and could see them all the time.


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## auraleigh

kewpie, i am so glad you agree that this is insane?!! i mean, the only way to not gain weight is to DIET. and everything i have ever read said not to diet while pregnant. i'm about the same as you, and while i understand i shouldn't be eating everything under the sun, i can't listen to the crazy of that doctor. i eat healthy, my portions are pretty small (otherwise i feel really sick), and i eat a lot of protein. i thought i was doing everything right. i am SO curious what the new dr will tell me.


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## blueyezz4

*Aura* - i'm also glad you are getting another Dr. That is crazy!! I think when i was preg w/ twins my Dr had told me it's common to gain like a pound a wk even in the beginning. I know w/ a singleton they say once you hit the 3rd tri you may gain a pound a wk i think it is. Glad you are changing and going to be better monitored and followed!!! I can't wait until you have your first Ultrasound!!!! So excited for you and so glad you are finding out sexes. I'm a total planner too so i have to know myself but understand some people like the surprise. I'm doing some better w/ sleeping and my Mom is doing okay but really tired i think from all the meds they have her on to slow her heart rate down. I talked to them after my ultrasound today hoping the news would cheer her up so and she sounded a little better just tired. I feel bad for my dad too b/c he has to watch her suffer like this and is all alone since i live 2 hrs away.

*Kewpie* - thanks for sharing your story about your mom. It is good to hear that things cleared up and the pacemaker helped. We will see if they have to go that route or not. She is suppose to be getting some kinda heart monitor here soon too so they can watch her heart rate closer to know if she needs it. I think the pacemaker might actually be a good thing if she can make it through the surgery w/o any other complications b/c then it might dec her risks of stroke b/c then her heart would be at a better rhythm. We will see.

*AFM* - saw the high risk OB dr (perientologist) today and had our ultrasound. Love seeing our little guy. We had to wait an extra hr or more b/c the dr was running behind and we were the last appt of the day. All is well and the little guy is measure right on. She gave us some good pics and confirmed that he still is a boy b/c i was worried since i had just sent out Christmas cards saying we were having a boy. I didn't want to have to call everyone on my list to tell them they had made a mistake. LOL Here is one of the 3 or 4D pics that we got. It's a little blurry but still cute. So in love already!!!!


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## MOMTOALEXIS

BLUE- Love love love love love that little boy too!!!!!!!

AURA- Was your doc and male, screw them lol, how is it possible not to gain any weight with two babies. I gained 65 lbs and took about a year to lose it all and even lost 5 lbs more. One doc would comment about the weight gain but the other 3 were fine about it. Hope you find someone you love cause you should be enjoying every second of the pregnancy and not stressed out by some doc. Still so happy for you BTW.

Hi to everyone else!!!!


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## deborahbgkelly

Subbing for stalking- Aura- that doctor is nuts! You need to gain more in the first 20 weeks with twins than with a singleton. Every twin book I read (sadly I read them too late) said the first 20 weeks are your most important for weight gain. My perinatologist told me to gain 35-40 pounds with my pregnancy and I was about 45 lbs. overweight at that point. I have a friend who is probably double my size and was told to eat like 3000 calories a day. I say, 7 lbs gained at 14 weeks is perfect.


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## auraleigh

BLUE!!!!!!! I almost cried looking at that photo. It's magical! I can't imagine how full of love you must be! Sending healthy thoughts to your mom, I hope they figure this out soon.

Thanks ladies for backing me up on this weight thing. Surprisingly both doctors were female. I always thought a female dr would be more understanding, but so far my experience is that men seem to be a bit more gentle. Dr T was a dream, and my new dr is a man as well. I hear he has GREAT bedside manner and is really sharp. I can't wait to meet him!

Oddly enough, I have lost two pounds in the past week or so. I am eating non stop but obviously the babies are eating more than I think they are? And it's not like I'm depriving myself. I may have had a chocolate donut and some ice cream yesterday. heheh I balanced it out with a salad for lunch.


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## auraleigh

also, i had to share. my life is ridiculous these days.

my just cat started puking. which triggered my gag reflex and then I threw up. my husband is one lucky guy!


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## hope4light

vireoes - Welcome to the grads thread - so glad that you're here!

blue - YEAH for making it through the 22 week mark  The GBS is a Strep test where they check your vaginal canal to see if you have strep there. Apparently it's not uncommon, but it can come and go so they don't check it until around your 36th week. If you have it and have a hospital birth they will give you IV antibiotics during labor and delivery to ensure that you don't pass it along to the baby as the baby descends through the birth canal. It can be bad for the baby if they catch it. After all I've gone through to get here, I'm one of those that isn't willing to take the chance. I was positive during my first pregnancy, and even though I had like 4 or 5 bags of IV antibiotics my DD was STILL running a fever... so for me I'm glad I didn't chance it. Things with DH are actually going great, thank you for asking! It seems like he's really realized what he did and wants to make up for it. We still have tough conversations some days, but every day is better than the one before. Now I hope that nothing reverts in those first few days/weeks/months after the baby is born. I don't remember when I started my every 2 week visits, but it sounds like you're just a little earlier than normal, so I'm betting it's just caution. I hope they figure everything out with your mom, and soon!! What a great picture!!!

aura - I feel ready in some ways, and SO NOT READY in others! I think for the most part we have everything we need, so that is good. I'm so glad that you decided to switch, sounds like that office has some serious issues, and it's not worth risking anything.

AFM - for those of you that have had your babes - did you notice feeling different in the few weeks leading up to delivery? In the last few days I suddenly have no appetite, and have even lost a couple of pounds. My tummy has been hurting a bit and I'm more worndown than usual. Sleeping has taken a turn for the worst and I know for sure that I've had some contractions.... I know that they are just the braxton hicks getting a little stronger, so some nice practice labor. Had my strep test and will get the result next week. She asked if I wanted her to check while she was 'there' and I normally would have said no because it really doesn't matter, but for some reason, at that exact moment, I said yes. I have no idea why. But as of Tuesday I was 2 cm dilated and the babe was really low (which I knew - thank you for using my bladder as a trampoline  I'm 37 weeks on Monday. On the one hand I am ready. I'm uncomfortable and can't wait to meet this little one, can't wait to know what we are having and provide my DD a baby. I can't wait to nurse again and have that relationship. On the other hand, knowing that it's my last, I want to hold onto this pregnancy for as long as I possibly can. I'm not ready to give up feeling those kicks and jabs, the hiccups and stretches, the movement that lets me know we grew another little one. I'm having some stress over that to be honest, does that sound strange? I mean just typing it brings tears to my eyes. (awe, and now little one is moving for me!) I never wanted more than 2 kids, and that hasn't changed now, but I really do love being pregnant. Even if this pregnancy had some serious stress at times. It's just hard to know that the things I love about being pregnant I'll never have again. So, I'm just trying to love every second and see when baby decides its time to come and grace us with his/her presence!


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## shesaidboom

Hi ladies! I've been feeling unsure about jumping into the grads thread, but I just decided I would go for it. DH and I got our BFP after our first try at IVF. We transfered one beautiful embryo (5 day blastocyst) on November 25th, so we're very still early. I'm nervous about having another miscarriage, but I do have a good feeling about this pregnancy and am very excited! I'll be reading back a bit to catch up on everyone, both the names/faces I recognize and ones I haven't gotten to know yet!


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## renavoo

Hi ladies!

Aura, good for you! I will just chime in and say that my doctors also wanted me to gain a significant amount of weight. And, I read books that suggested a 24 lb weight gain during the first 24 weeks. So I ate whenever the nausea would let me and i gained the weight.

Blue, oh my gosh, what a GORGEOUS image!! He's so cute, just like his mom and dad! ) I am so excited that you're doing so well. I think of you all the time, even though I don't sign on as much because everything is so crazy.

Hope, I totally understand now, what you mean about wanting to keep the pregnancy going while at the same time, wanting it to end. I've had my first and final pregnancy. And while i'm over the moon with the babies and so happy that they are here, I still get twinges of sadness, especially when I see my pregnant friends, that I will never be pregnant again. I will never feel the little kicks. I used to giggle over their hiccups. I used to play with their hands (or feet) when they stuck them out. Sometimes, this feeling is overwhelming and i just sit there and stew quietly. (It actually makes me wonder if I have a weird form of post partum depression- weird because most of the time, I'm very happy but there are just these bipolar swings that really affect me). But all I can say is to enjoy the last few weeks!

Shesaidboom, YAH!!! I'm so excited for you!!!! Congrats!

Vireos, congrats and welcome!!

Belly, i hope you're getting more sleep again. )

Tenzi, hope you had a great trip!

Everyone else, hi ) Sorry I'm MIA so much. Work is insanely busy and then I rush home to be with my babies (hah including my big baby, DH). my little ones are smiling and interacting so much and it is so incredibly fun and at the same time, so sad that they are growing so quickly. My boy is now more than 20lbs!! I can't believe how fast he's growing. My little girl is around 17-18lbs. We have a doctor's visit on Thursday so I'll be asking if my baby boy is getting too fat- he's definitely a chubster but he doesn't actually eat that much! At least I don't think he does. He eats about 6oz breast milk 4 times a day and rice cereal two to three times a day (rice cereal mixed with some breast milk). The latest feeding at 6:30pm, he often doesn't even finish his 6oz! So I'm hoping that it's just that he's got the genes to grow large. I think last time we measured him, he was in the 95th percentile for all the measurements. Anyone have any thoughts about this?

My little girl has crazy chipmunk cheeks that I bite any moment I can ;o) She's also getting so much more limber and now has a habit of rolling to get where she wants to go. She's also so cute because we have toys on a table by her crib and she will frequently be seen sticking her hand through the slats of the crib to grab a toy. But her favorite toy of all? A piece of tissue. She'll sit there patiently shredding the piece of tissue paper.

Every day is a wonder. That's why my heart is so broken when I think of what those poor parents have to go through in CT. I want to stop watching the news because I feel like it is only making me more fearful for my children's future. *Shaking head*

Anyway, sorry for rambling. just wanted to check in and to say hi and to hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!


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## vireoes

Aura-I am glad you made the switch to a new doctor. Your old clinic doesn't sound like a place you can really trust. Regarding weight gain, even with good doctors I take what they say with a grain of salt. My first pregnancy one visit they would complain I gained too much weight, so I would be very careful with what I was eating. The next appt they would complain that I hadn't gained enough weight. Even just before my dd was due I was still getting this. One week, eat more the baby is too small, the next stop eating the baby is too large. Turns out she is a really tall girl with a really small head circumference (just like her daddy), they just couldn't decide what measurement was most important. In the end as long as you have a reasonably healthy relationship with food, I would trust yourself and your body to know what you need. You can diet after the babies come, no is not the time to cut back. Feed those growing little babies, just try not to go to overboard on it.

Tenzin-I hope you had a wonderful trip.

Hope-Wow you are getting so close. I had lots of mixed feelings before the birth of DD. I image feeling the same way as we get close to the end of this pregnancy. So with this being your last, having mixed feeling is pretty normal. Wow it is going to be an exciting new year for you. I hope everything goes smooth for the delivery. It is our second and baring a natural miracle will be our last. I will be 40 when this one is born, so I can't image going through this process again. Two was what we had always thought would be ideal for us. I am waiting to get to the fun parts of being pregnant that I will miss. This first trimester business I would be happy to never revisit or think about again.

Shesaidboo: Yeah, welcome to the other side.

AFM-I am totally exhausted all the time now. I try to nap with DD every day and go to bed early as well. Consequently I never seem to have a minute to myself anymore. My free time used to be while she napped and after bedtime. I have only thrown up a few times, but I live in constant yuck land. I will be glad to see the end of the first trimester and start feeling more like a human being again. I go back in early Jan and should get an appt to do the nuchal screening shortly there after. I can't wait to see how the little bean has grown. We will probably start telling people after that screening. Our immediate family and a few friends know now.


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## shesaidboom

Thanks so much for the good thoughts!

I have sort of a weird question. Has anyone had a negative experience with their fertility clinic after getting their BFP? Have they been rude, or even hostile towards you? We've had amazing experiences with some of the staff at our clinic, and not so good ones with others, but ever since we got our BFP they are rude every time we talk to them and don't seem to want anything to do with us even though they're supposed to keep seeing us until 10 or 12 weeks. I know that we're really just a paycheck for them, but it really caught me off guard. Any similar experiences here?


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## blueyezz4

Just a quick one right now b/c i have to go into work to do a continuing education thing so i have to run but wanted to respond to SheSaid's ? Hopefully more personals later.. i'm kinda crazy busy b/c we are going to have about 20 family here on Christmas eve and then part of my family will stay until the Friday after Christmas so i'm trying to get everything ready

*SSB* - that does seem really weird. Both RE's that i have gone to that I got BFP's w/ (one IUI and the other IVF - none that resulted in a take home baby) released me to my reg OB after he had found a good heartbeat on the ultrasounds, so if you have that already i don't see why you can't just go to your reg OB now and dump that mean RE's office!!!!!! That is my thought!!!! You were the one that the receptionist was so rude to initially on the phone when you called in to tell her you got a BFP right, I remember reading that on my phone from the other thread but w/ pregnancy brain i can't remember if that was you or someone else.


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## auraleigh

shesaid, that's ridiculous! especially since your bfp will increase their stats, you'd think they'd be nice to you! everyone was really nice to me post bfp, as it just made them look good. at least you'll be out of there soon!


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## deborahbgkelly

Joining you over here . Guess date is 9/4/13.


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## shesaidboom

*blueyezz* and *aura* - thank you for your thoughts on the weird vibes from my clinic. We're having our ultrasound on Jan. 8th, and if we get our heartbeat then I think we're out of there! Our first RE said we stay there until 10 weeks, but what are they going to do for those extra weeks? Our "guess date" is August 17th. I already cannot wait!

*deborah -* congrats! I'm so so glad you got your BFP and are joining us! YAY!


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## auraleigh

renavoo- love hearing about the babies! i can't believe they are growing so quickly! i'm waiting patiently for more photos 

congrats deborah!

shesaid- it was actually weird for me to graduate from the ivf dr at 10 weeks, because my ivf dr didn't do any OB stuff, and by the time i went to the OB, they assumed the ivf dr did everything!

afm, finally met my new ob and i love him. he's really easy going, very up front, and answered all my questions. he actually spent 40 minutes with us, which was 30 min longer than both my appts combined at the last dr! he told me that he is not concerned about my weight. i'm not gaining an insane amount, so he said to just try and eat healthy and not stress out about it. tomorrow i need to call the peri and set up my anatomy scan, cervical length check, and fetal echocardiogram. he said the echo was because we did ivf. did anyone else have this? he also did a two minute ultrasound (i begged!) so we got to watch baby b beating up baby a. he didn't check for sexes though, so i suppose i have to wait for the anatomy scan. i am SO IMPATIENT. i'm tempted to go to the local 3d ultrasound place and just pay for a gender scan!


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## deborahbgkelly

I forgot to update that EDD is now 9/2. Thanks for the congratulatory messages! I'm feeling nice and tired and having boobie pain .


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## Keria

Hi everyone,

We were super busy with the stores so I've been MIA but I've been reading on the phone its just from a pain in the butt to post from there. i hope everyone had a great holiday.

Deborah Congrats!! glad to see you here!

Blue I love the u/s pics what a cute little guy. Can't wait to see him.

Belly what does a sleep doula do? I'm interested in some kind of sleep training that does not involve CIO. My kids still wake up several times at night and it's getting old. I'll send you a pm about fb. I'll do the same so if anyone wants to add me in fb send me a pm.

Congrats and welcome to all the recent grads. I'm cheering on all of you.


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## deborahbgkelly

Thanks Keria!


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## BucketOfRain

Hi ladies, I would like to join your group!

We completed our first ivf cycle in November and were successful! I am currently 9 weeks, due August 4th. This is baby #2 for us and we dealt with two years of unexplained infertility before getting our bfp. I still am having difficulty accepting that this is really happening. After trying for so long I just didn't think it was ever going to happen and had even gotten to some sort of zen zone with that reality. Anyone else have difficulty adjusting to the pregnancy world from the infertility world?. I don't think I will ever really leave that world after struggling for so long.


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## Vegan Princess

Bucket: Congrats! I could accept I was pregnant but couldn't believe I would actually have a healthy baby. And even now that she is here, I have this fear that I am going to be told something is wrong with her. It's not overwhelming or anything too crazy, but I just still and SO incredibly grateful and amazed that she is even here! I took my first shot on xmas day last yr - after hearing my SIL was pregnant with her 3rd baby - I cried my eyes out before that shot bc I felt like it would never happen for us. I felt so truly blessed on xmas this yr, holding my baby!

Aura: I'm so glad you got a new doc and that he had time to spend with you! I used a midwife for my first baby and when I started seeing the OB after IVF this time, I felt so sad for how little time the doc spent with people compared to the midwife. I did switch to a midwife halfway thru this preg and those visits were all at least an hour long.

I'm so happy to see new faces in here!!

I can't believe my baby turned 3 months old yesterday! Time is going way too fast for my liking! Aria is probably about 12 lbs now. So smiley and just generally a sweet, easy going baby. #2 has definitely been easier than #1 was. LOL.

Cindy


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## deborahbgkelly

Bucket- Congrats and welcome! For me, the pregnancy isn't hard to adjust to, but it is hard to believe we will have a LO in our arms in September. I mean, I actually feel really good about this pregnancy resulting in a take-home baby, but I have my anxious/doubtful moments.


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## renavoo

HI everyone! just checking in...

Deborah, I'm so happy for you! I can't wait to follow you through your pregnancy!

Bucket, Welcome! I agree with Vegan...sometimes, i can't believe that i have my babies, much less that I was pregnant. Those years of BFNs really do a number on us psychologically, I think, but I'm just grateful at all our successes. We're the lucky ones and I am just hopeful for all women who were in our shoes and dealing with infertility. YAH and congrats!

Keria, UGH to the babies still waking up! That has got to be exhausting! I hope that this changes soon. What are you thinking are your next steps?

Aura, I love love love reading your updates ) i'm so happy you love your new OB. Considering how important they are and what a role they play in our lives, it's important we have a great relationship with the OBs. haha you know, at 12 weeks, my US technician guessed at the sexes of our babies and she was right. Maybe you can have them do that? that would be fun. Do you have a "feeling" about what the babies are?

Shesaidboom, aim for August 18th. hehe the best birthday ever besides June 19th ;o) (Aug 18th is my birthday hehe June 19th is my babies so I'll give them the edge in best birthdays. haha) Also, ugh to the fertility clinic. I graduated from the fertility clinic once they got notice that we heard the heartbeats (my fertility clinic was out of state so I went local for the US.) But both clinics were so nice to us. The local clinic was the clinic I left to go to the out of town clinic too. So, they had a good reason to treat me more coldly but they were really happy for us. So i DEFINITELY do not like your fertility clinic! I hope, since you have to be there for an extended period of time, that this was just a fluke and they are nicer for your next visits!

Blue, how are you feeling? I hope you're not too tired out after the large family festivities! Give Abby a hug for me!

Everyone else, hi! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Here are a couple of pictures of my babies. Things are wonderful here, although I'm also still exhausted all the time. It's not the babies' fault since they pretty much sleep from 9pm to 5am and sometimes even 6am. However, I'm still pumping for them so I'm up at 11pm pumping and then again at 5am. But the worst thing is, I end up waking up around 4am and not being able to sleep again. ARGH! But then I see my babies smiling and all is well! )


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## shesaidboom

*aura* - your new ob sounds wonderful! I'm glad the appointment went so well. How far along are you now?

*deborah* - isn't the boobie pain awful? Mine ache, but when I go outside in the cold it just gets terrible!

*bucketofrain* - congrats to you! I saw you somewhere in the August DDC and got really excited to see your name pop up. I'm due in August too, but am 7 weeks right now. I can definitely relate to the difficulty adjusting to pregnancy from infertility. I am not sure I will really believe this is happening until I have that baby in my arms. It just feels so surreal. I hope it does get easier for both of us as we get further along.

*vegan* - I'm loving the baby updates from everyone! Aria sounds wonderful.

*renavoo* - it would be nice to have the babe on your birthday! I do not like my clinic either, aside from a couple of the people there, so I'm really hoping they kick us out once we see the heartbeat on Jan.8.
Also, could your babies be any cuter? They always look so smiley! I love it. You are a great photographer too.


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## tenzinsmama

Hi everyone! Thanks for asking about my holiday. We had a great time in Antigua, it was really hard to come back home so soon-- it was 7 nights, but it would have been better if it had been 10. It is a beautiful island, and it was plain fun being there with the kids, but also, more time would have been good because it takes time for the kids to adjust to the time change, for us to get settled in to our surroundings, etc. It was sooooo nice, it was 30 degrees Celsius, and back here at home it was minus 25 C a few nights. DD was a little bit fussier on the plane than DS ever was, and well, as for him, he was a superstar traveler like always. He amazes me sometimess... well, so much of the time. We are at a really fun age now-- 2.5 years. He's really talking a lot now, and the tantrums have decreased dramatically. Phew! Everyday is full of wonderment and discovery, and I love witnessing that. He is SO much fun! Kids live in the moment, and it's such a gift to be part of that with him. DD just turned 7 months a couple of days ago. She's really sweet, and I call her my little angel. The two of them adore each other, although once in a while DS gets a little jealous or he doesn't want to share his toys. But most of the time he takes care of her, telling me when she needs 'booby' and giving her toys, etc. When he's around, she doesn't even look at me, her eyes are on him the whole time and her face is lit up with the biggest smile.

Rena, cute children, or what! Are they sleeping right through the night, or are they waking up? Oh my gosh, I.am.going.crazy. because DD is actually sleeping worse now than she ever has. Kind of my fault, because I've ended up bringing her to bed so I can nurse her, and then I fall asleep... so she has gotten used to sleeping with me and latching on and off through the night. I never really made much of an effort to wake up and transfer her back to her crib, because I was always so worried about her waking up DS if she cried too hard. Her sleep became bad just the past month, and I'm now looking to make some changes because it's not healthy for me to have so little sleep (seriously, the last couple of nights she has been up every hour or two)-- I feel just awful without having more sleep. Basically, she can't self-soothe... She's teething now, too, so that could be making things worse. That's great that the pumping is still working out for you. I pumped for the first time in weeks, and I quickly remembered why I don't like it-- I just have the $135 Medela pump, so it's not very efficient. And that's with me having a good supply... good thing I didn't get the handpump, because I'd have no patience for sure.

Belly, I don't think you are on here much anymore, but if you read this, please know that I appreciated your response to me about the sleep and how you have had some luck with a sleep doula. I may need to 'talk' with you further, if you don't mind...

Aura, so glad that you really like your new doc. You need to have that on this journey. I've had some really great experiences with midwives and then a not-so-good experience with one was part of the team this last time with DD, and what a difference. It got to the point that I just said I didn't want to book appointments for when she was working. How are you feeling?

Blue, how are things?

Hope, have you had your baby yet?

Vegan, 3 months already, wow! Things must be getting into a nice 'routine' for you now, I would guess.

I know there are others on here that I've missed... I've got to run and get my son to bed, so I'll catch up more next time. One question before I sign off, however... *Has anyone ever heard of women taking Gonal F, who aren't doing IVF?* I read about someone doing that, to increase the number of follies, without doing the whole IVF thing... Seems to me that it was kind of like the whole idea of taking Clomid or Femara. So I started thinking about that, and wondering if it really is the same or there is something that I'm not 'getting'. I mean, why wouldn't REs prescribe it on it's own, if that were the case?

*Hope everyone had a nice Christmas, and all the best to each of you in 2013! xo*


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## blueyezz4

Wow, I just logged on and saw that I hadn't even updated my ticker since I was 23 wks and now today I'm at 26wks!!! With all the holiday craziness I've been reading along on my phone but just too busy to sit down and type.

*Debroah* & *Bucketsofrain* - welcome to you both!! It's always nice to have new names over here.

*Bucket*- I'm still in shock that we are pregnant and I think my DH is even more. I'm so very thankful that I'm in this place, but it is kinda hard not to guard yourself from something bad happening or something not being right. At our last big ultrasound DH and i were walking out and he said to me "i don't know if I could go through this again to have another child b/c at every ultrasound I'm on the edge of my seat in fear that something could be wrong and it is mentally and emotionally draining & let alone scary". We are just so thankful that all is going well and our babe is healthy so far and i really don't think we will believe it is all true until we are in that delivery room holding him. I guess this is just the start of the worrying b/c it will never end even after we all give birth, you just worry about different things then. Praying that you can find some peace in your pregnancy!!!!

*Aura* - so glad that your new OB is awesome!!!!! We had a cervical check w/ our ultrasound w/ our twins but didn't do the fetal heart echo thought that i know of, but our twins were from an IUI so i don't know if that makes a difference or not. Keep us posted on how it goes. Can't wait until you get to find out genders!!! Fun fun!!!

*Rena* - so the pics!!! Your babes are too stinking cute!!!! How are things going w/ work and all? Still have the same nanny and is that going okay?? Hope things are well!!!! See my AFM to answer your questions.

*Vireoes* - how are you doing?? Hope you are feeling better. When is your next ultrasound? I know you said beginning of Jan. Hope it goes well!!!

*Keria* - did things settle down some now that Christmas is over? Is that why the store was so busy???

*Vegan* - can't believe your little one is 3months now!!! Where did the time go?? Hope all is well w/ you!!!!

*Kewpie* - how are you doing?? How is the house coming too?

*Belly* - hope you are doing well too!!!

*Tenzi and Lyndi* - how are you both doing??? Tenzi how was your vac??

*Hope* - any baby news yet??? I forget when your official due date it again?? Thinking of you and hoping all is well!!!

*Hi to everyone else i missed... i'm sure there are some but i was looking back just on this page and trying to rack my brains.*

*AFM -* 26 wks today!!!! So glad to get one more week under my belt every Sunday!!!! Christmas eve day I ended up w/ a sinus infection and had to go into my pcp's office and they gave me an antibiotic (old school) so i finally feel more human, but we were suppose to have about 20 people here at our house and i really just felt like crap so my SIL took it instead. My parents came over and my aunt and uncle from NC were also here though, but DH's family stayed away and he just went by himself to his sisters for their family gathering on Christmas eve while i stayed home w/ my family. Still not 100% but much better than Monday. I hate taking meds while pregnant, but it would be dangerous not to i guess and i am still blowing yellow so we will see what my OB says Thurs when i see her for my reg appt. Tomorrow I have my 1hr glucose test, so i'm going to do that first thing in the morning. We or I should say DH started to work on the nursery this week since he has been off work. He is a perfectionist and it is becoming a bigger project than i expected. I just asked him to paint and he needed to tear out the old carpet and it has turned into a drywall repair project and now he is finding that the previous owners must have finished those two room above our garage themselves after the house was finished (which the rest of the house is good quality) but those two rooms were not done by anyone w/ good skills. DH keeps saying he wants to call Holms on Homes. LOL. So today he had to ripe out the closet trim and the door trim b/c it was all done wrong i guess. We really haven't used those two rooms in the 8 yrs we have lived here they just have been kinda storage (one room was like an office and the other is a bedroom that we were planning on using as our nursery for our twins 3 yrs ago but hadn't done too much to them other than paint the ceiling and put in a ceiling fan). I've also been looking at baby furniture as well and need to order that tomorrow b/c there is a sale and we need to make a decision b/c the one place told us that prices are likely to go up come the new year (maybe that was just to get us to buy now). I'm trying to decide on color of wood and it has been such a pain b/c the set i like in the store looks like a different color than the brochure and online and i like the online/brochure color better but don't want it to lighten like it has in the store, so i'm stuck. I'm going to call another store tomorrow to see if they have the set in a different color so maybe we can look at it there. Ugh!!!! Decisions, decisions!!!! Hope to have ordered something by tomorrow night!!!!! Fingers crossed!!! I think it takes like 5 wks to get in so figure I'm not too early and then we have to figure out carpet. Gosh, this is getting expensive!! I need that money tree to grow in my yard for sure!!!! Figure we will only do this once and if we happen to have another child that one will just have to have 2nds. Who knows if that will happen... at this point, i'll be happy w/ one!!! Funny how before we ever started trying I thought I wanted 3 children and now after all we have been through I'll feel blessed w/ just one!!!


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## shesaidboom

*Tenzin -* I used Gonal F (and the cycle before that Puregon, another injectible) when doing IUI in hopes of getting more than one follicle. I was on a very low dose though (50 units) and didn't end up with more than one follicle either time. Someone else in the Infertility One thread had the same dose of Gonal F and ended up with too many follicles to continue on an IUI cycle, so it does depend on the person, and it can be tricky to get more than 1 follicle, but not so many that you'd risk ending up with high order multiples.

*Blueyezz -* WOW! 26 weeks! That's so exciting. I'm glad you're feeling a little better, and I hope your glucose test goes well tomorrow.

I love Holmes on Homes! It used to be one of my favourite shows when I was going through a serious decorating phase. I can sadly relate to yours and your DH's home woes. The people who lived in this house before us DIY-ed everything and did a TERRIBLE job. It is so frustrating having to fix everything when we start a new project. Hopefully you'll be able to fix things up without too much trouble. Good luck on the furniture choosing! I am definitely not looking forward to those decisions. There are so many options out there.

*AFM -* 7 weeks now, and am very excited about getting closer to the end of the first trimester. In just over a week we're having our first ultrasound and I cannot wait to see our little birdie. My symptoms are still the same...sore breasts (especially when I go outside in the cold..I think I need a padded bra to keep these babies warmer), and lots of nausea. I am having a lot of food aversions, which had been interesting, but not many cravings. Mostly just grapefruit. Speaking of which, I think I'll go have one now!


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## deborahbgkelly

Today, my boobs don't hurt much but I'm really sick to my stomach. Hoping I can make it through the party tonight. Here is the update: Rainbow Baby Kelly update- All looks good so far. I was a little nervous when I saw my progesterone dropped, but the nurse said it was fine because it will fluctuate and it was well above 20 which is what they want to see. My Estradiol nearly doubled too (yay!) and my TSH is around 2 which is great for pregnancy. It was more than double that with the boys at this point last year.


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## hope4light

SSB and Deborah - I said it on the ONE grads thread too, but congrats!!!

vireoes - I hated that feeling in the first trimester, never having me time on top of feeling really tired. I hope you are feeling more human!!

SSB - I didn't have that experience. I was released once we had a heartbeat which was nice, except then my OB didn't see me until like 10 or 11 weeks, which sucked.

aura - I am so glad that you met your new OB and that you love him! He sounds great  I did not have any of the things you mentioned, but I am only pregnant with 1, so maybe twins makes a difference? Did you end up going to a 3d place?

Bucket - Welcome and congrats!!! I don't know if I would say I had a hard time adjusting, just a hard time believing. I'm 39w2d and still can't hardly believe that I'm pregnant and about to have a baby. This is #2 for us, but we struggled with both primary and secondary IF due to severe MFI.

Vegan - 3 months already? Where has the time gone???!!! I hope I'm as lucky as you and this one is easier ha ha.

rena - They are so stinking adorable, I just want to eat them up 

Tenzin - Sounds like you had a great time! Nope, no baby yet. I've heard of people taking it for IUI, but no experience since we go right to IVF due to severe MFI.

blue - I can't believe you're 26 weeks already! That's AWESOME!!! We also own a house like that, and it is a constant struggle to clean up the mess they left. *sigh* I hope it turns out easier for you.

SSB - Yeah for getting close to the end of the first trimester!!! I LOVED grapefruit in my first trimester too for some reason... funny.

AFM - 39w2d. Still pregnant LOL. I'm surprised, but this little one can bake just as long as he/she needs to. (but I can't wait to meet him/her!). I have an OB appt today, so I'm curious to see what she says. I am, admittedly, ready. Sleep seems to be a thing of the past, I lie in bed exhuasted, but just toss and turn and get up to pee every 5 mins. Once I'm finally asleep it starts all over again a couple hours later when I have to get up to pee again. Ahhh, the joys of the tail end of a pregnancy ~ but I'll take it any day. And when I'm laying there at night? I put my hands on my tummy and enjoy the feel of the baby moving (although the movements have slowed down lately). I'm loving every last minute, even the uncomfortable ones


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## tenzinsmama

I'm just realizing that I don't know if I gave a big hearty welcome and congrats to vireos, SSB, Bucket and Deborah! I wish I could say I have pregnancy brain, but nope, I'm just sleep deprived.

Hope, it will be soon... I love the image of you holding your hand on top of your belly... I remember doing that, awwwwww... sniff, sniff.

Laura, are you checking in from time to time? Thinking of you and wondering how you are doing.

Not much going on in my world, other than spending a few days at home after the excitement of the holidays (the kids' schedules are off) and I'm trying to get some things organized. I've got another class starting on the 11th. DD has been getting a bit more formula the last couple of weeks, as DH has tried to give me a couple hours of extra sleep... I kind of feel guilty about it, because there is no other reason why I can't let her have the boob. But then I kind of feel relieved, because she has this tendency to knead my boob with her arm that is tucked under, on the side-- it is driving me crazy because it hurts (no matter how many times I cut her fingernails, they seem to grow back the next day). I've now got to tuck my shirt a certain way, which of course she doesn't like, so she squirms in protest... I LOVED breastfeeding DS, and with DD, I don't love it as much. She's really distracted with DS around, so I now have to go into a secluded room with her, and then he ends up barging in-- I'm now trying this because she ends up 'snacking' so much, she isn't filling her tummy and that might be why she doesn't sleep as long as she should during naps and is waking up so much at night. She's growing well, doesn't seem to have any issues with being given formula, so I'm really glad about that. I guess I feel guilty because DS never had formula at all, and it seems like I'm not putting in as much effort with DD, if that makes any sense... The joy of mommy guilt.


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## deborahbgkelly

Thanks Hope and Tenzins!


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## shesaidboom

*deborah* - glad everything looks good!

*hope* - thank you so much! I'm so glad you're enjoying the last part of your pregnancy. I'm sending lots of good thoughts to you and baby.

*TenzinsMama* - thank you!! I hope the changes with DD let you get some more much needed sleep. I wish you didn't feel guilty about it, from what I've read you sound like a wonderful, caring mama.

*AFM -* not much going on. Still having the same symptoms, along with waking up several times a night to pee. From what I've read this only gets worse as time goes on (makes sense), so I think I can say goodbye to a full night's sleep for a long time! Oh, well. Still very worth it of course.


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## SplashingPuddle

I am 23 weeks along after having done IVF this summer. My first daughter was conceived through IVF a couple years ago. As I talk to more and more people about my pregnancy, I am getting asked if we did IVF. Although I wasn't reluctant to say so last time, I am feeling less willing to discuss our exact conception. How do others handle this? Do you mind telling others? And if you wish to avoid it, do you have a polite way of responding.

The one thing I do like about saying we conceived though IVF is that others sometimes say the same. And I do like breaking the silence around fertility issues. Yet I am not always in the mood for it. In many ways, my pregnancy seems like any other at this point. However, when I do have difficult pregnancy symptoms (and I've had a lot of nausea and still do), I tell myself that we are lucky to be pregnant. It's amazing how IVF can bring such gratitude. (I didn't feel that way while doing injections.)


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## tenzinsmama

Deborah, I can't recall-- did you do acupuncture this time around?

SSB, thank you for your kind words... means a lot!

Splashing, hi there! I was thinking of you just yesterday!!! Wondering how far along you are, and how you are feeling. I'm sorry to hear that nausea has been bothersome... Hopefully it abates soon!


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## Vegan Princess

I've been somewhat open that we had to do IVF. I find a lot of people tell me about struggles they have been through and it has made me feel a bit less alone in my struggle with infertility. While going through it, you just see the pregnant bellies all around you and think everyone else has it so easy. And though it mostly is the case, it's not entirely. But I still don't tell everyone. And I find I am more willing to talk about it now that my baby is here than even when I was still pregnant.

Hope: I'm so excited for you to meet your little one! I'm going to be stalking this thread, waiting for an announcement.  And I hope #2 is easier for you too. I think it will be. You just cannot get nearly as stressed about a baby pooping in public or crying after you've dealt with your first wailing away for a couple yrs. LOL.

I went to a lactation weight check thing today. They weigh your little one and then everyone sits around nursing and eating cookies.  It's a nice gathering. Aria was the tiny one when we started going at 10 days old. Now I am always shocked at how tiny the new ones there are compared to my baby! She weighed 12lbs 3 oz today - up almost 5 lbs since birth! It's insane how fast the newborn period goes!


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## deborahbgkelly

Tenzins- Yes, I did. I did it with the IVF that resulted in the boys too. Also, I am still doing it for nausea and pain.


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## kewpie80

hey all... sorry I have no time for personals today, but I have read up! I'll try to get back on later today and catchup with you all.

*Today is Maisie and Liam's first birthday!*



*Liam was born first at 6 pounds 9 oz. Maisie was born 11 minutes later at 6 pounds*



*Maisie likes bananas, stuffing, bread, chowders, watergate, and macaroni. She loves to walk, pat her brother on the head, her stuffies, and dancing. She dislikes being tired, hungry, and when Liam steals a toy.*



*Liam likes bananas, spaghetti, BBQ hotdogs, watergate, milk, actually any food&#8230; He loves to give kisses, his sister, anything that makes noise, cars, lights, and being tickled and bounced. He dislikes being tired or when his eye is hurting.*



*Happy birthday!*


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## renavoo

Kewpie, LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE! I can't believe it has been a year. It's been amazing being able to watch them grow. And I love your little overview of their likes and dislikes. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Liam and Maisie!

Will come back later for other personals! Babies are crying.


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## MOMTOALEXIS

OMG time flies HAPPY 1st birthday Liam and Maisie, you two r way too cute!


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## deborahbgkelly

Wow Kewpie- A year already! What is watergate in the context of food? AFM- I have a big ol' baby belly already.

This was yesterday at 5 weeks, 6 days along (the second one says 5 weeks and 4 days because I was confused yesterday).





Last year with the boys:

7 weeks 3 days



13 weeks 3 days


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## kewpie80

Thanks renavoo and momtoalexis!

Deborah - watergate is a dessert my mom used to make and now I make it too. It's 2 pkgs pistachio pudding, 2 small tubs of cool whip, 2 cans of mandarine oranges, 1 package of colored marshmellows. You just mix and chill. It's really quite good. I make it for christmas and the babies sure loved it.

I can sure see a difference in your pictures. How exciting!


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## deborahbgkelly

Mmmm. I'd have to find some way to make it Deborah-friendly, but boy does that sound good.


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## auraleigh

Kewpie, what a wonderful year it has been! The babies are beautiful and I love how their personalities have formed. You must be so proud!

Vegan, three months! That lactation meeting sounds wonderful, what a fun experience!

Splashing, I am pretty open about IVF. It was such a hard road, that I feel like people should know about it. And if there is any way I can offer comfort to someone else who is going through it, even better. Since we're having twins, EVERYONE asks if twins run in our family. If we simply say no, then it leads to 100 other questions. Sometimes it's easier to just say "we did ivf".

she said- at 18 weeks i am STILL waking up 2-4 times a night to pee. or if it's not that, i wake up from heartburn. or just being uncomfortable. sleep is already a distant memory. but the fun of being pregnant makes it all worth it! how are you feeling otherwise? when is your next appt?

tenzin, it must be hard to feel guilty about the breastfeeding, but at least you still have that bonding time with her. i think with the twins i'll start out feeling what you feel with your second... how on earth do you split time equally when there is always another child that needs you? if you figure it out, please share! i'd be curious what other twin moms have to say about it.

hope, i'm so excited for you! i keep checking back to see if the baby is here yet! i hope you are finding comfort in these last few moments. thinking of you!

deborah, you've got a more impressive baby bump than i do and i'm at 18 weeks! how exciting.

afm, still chugging along. i've got my first consult with the peri on friday along with a cervix length check. still feel good, just wish i felt the babies more. and still wishing for their sexes. i've got a one track mind!


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## tenzinsmama

Aura, I just noticed that your twins' due date is the same as what DD's was (although I had the scheduled c-section on May 28). I really enjoyed having a spring baby... I think back to how much time we spent outside, since we had the whole summer and then the fall which is a nice time of year weatherwise for us here-- and how now we spend too much time indoors because so often it is too darn cold outside even with dressing in layers and having wind protection, etc. How have all your OB appointments been, with the new one that you really like? Just thinking... you may have to divide your time up between the two, but, they have each other for company. I can really see how much my DD benefits from the interactions with DS, so even though I feel like I may be shortchanging her sometimes with my time and attention, he makes up for that in a nice way. So I guess it works out. The breastfeeding thing is tough for me, though... Take today, for example-- I was out this afternoon for an acupuncture/massage appointment, then walked the dog-- so DH gave her formula twice in a row. I was able to nurse her after dinner, but then, before bed, DS was having a tough time and needed me just as she was getting ready to go to bed herself-- so DH gave her a bottle. I say it's 'tough', because there is a part of me that is very relieved that I don't have to nurse her all the time. It's like a big break sometimes. With DS, I never felt that way at this stage. Oh well, that's just the way it is.

Kewpie, Happy Birthday to Maisie and Liam (for yesterday). Did you have anything planned for the day, or was that this weekend?


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## deborahbgkelly

Thanks Aura. There is someone in my DDC from another board questioning whether people can have baby bumps at 6 weeks despite my evidence to the contrary (showed pictures). Pissed me off. I don't want to start drama so I didn't say don't be a bitch, but I really wanted to say it. LOL. I hope no one is offended by my use of language.


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## tenzinsmama

Deborah, I love your bump! And you are positively stylin' in those glasses, I might add!


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## deborahbgkelly

Thansk Tenzins. Now, someone from the FB group for the PAL board questioned it too. How obnoxious are people? I do not have a round belly when not preggo. I have a thick one but not a distinctly round one. I may have to disappear. I want the support, but it's not happening right now and is only upsetting me. Thank you all for your support.


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## laura-belle

So, I did actually read the month of posts I missed, but I won't try to reply to all of them. I am glad to see some more faces from the IVF thread!

Deborah -- I was in maternity jeans at 5 weeks along -- and this is my first pregnancy. I sympathize.

TenzinsMama, Blue, whoever else -- Thanks for wondering/worrying. I am still around and all is currently well. (See below.)

AFM -- So, yeah, I am sorry for just vanishing for a month. I woke up at about 6:30 the Thursday after Thanksgiving (13w1d) bleeding profusely and leaking fluid. An ultrasound later that day verified that the baby was "happily oblivious", but I was, needless to say, really freaked out. I kept bleeding/spotting off and on for the next 3 weeks or so. I was put on bedrest (which I was released from a couple of weeks ago) and had weekly checks. For whatever reason, I couldn't deal with baby stuff at all or read about other peoples pregnancies. I sort of hid from the whole subject while taking things one day at a time. *shrugs* All is looking well now; I haven't had any red spotting since before Christmas and the baby looks fine. My anatomy scan is on Monday and we are pretty excited. That is all.


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## deborahbgkelly

Laura-Belle: How scary! Did they determine the cause of the bleeding? I think I was in maternity jeans pretty early last year but it wasn't obvious to others. My dad saw me throughout my retrieval and transfer and was amazed when he saw my belly. Those were in the first and second weeks of December, so not long ago.


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## auraleigh

Laura, so good to see your name here! I am so sorry you had to go through that, it must have been terrifying. Did they ever figure out what caused it? I had spotting a lot in the first trimester, but luckily nothing since. Hopefully the scary part is done for you and you can spend the rest of your pregnancy in peace! Good luck at the anatomy scan, mine is on the 25th. I can't wait to hear all about it!

Tenzin, you're right, I think your DD gets so much from your DS that she doesn't feel any neglect at all. The blessing of having a sibling will last her way longer than breastfeeding will! And how incredible that your DH can pitch in with formula so you're not totally overwhelmed.

Deborah, I think at 6 weeks it's probably just massive bloat, but that doesn't make it any less of a bump. I was also in maternity pants pretty early, I had to wear a bella band almost immediately because my stomach was SO bloated. I think I look less pregnant now than I did then! In any case, who cares what it's from, it's because you're pregnant, and that's an incredible thing!


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## deborahbgkelly

Aura- I disagree. I had originally thought it was bloat until I saw the picture. I have a friend with a similar story to mine who had the same experience. It never went down for her. Remember that we get bigger faster with each pregnancy because our bodies remember what pregnancy is and I was pregnant for 22 weeks with twins. Additionally, I am very short. I showed you the comparison pictures. I'm not sure I shared what I looked like just a couple months ago. So, here's me at Halloween.Wide, but definitely not distinctly round.


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## deborahbgkelly

Aura- I forget, is this your first pregnancy?


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## BucketOfRain

Vegan: I feel those worries about having a healthy baby starting to creep in. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, its always nice to know that your not alone Its also nice to hear that #2 is easier, how far apart are your kids? This is #2 for me as well.

renavoo: I agree, I feel so grateful and I am so hopeful that everyone who has to deal with infertility gets to experience all of the weird and wonderful emotions that we are so fortunate to get to deal with. Your babies are adorable!!

Shesaid: how are you feeling? Did you have your US yet? I'm waking up to pee all the time too, even if I am napping I have to wake up to pee.

Blue: Wow, that sounds like a serious home renovation project. Good thing you guys started early! I hope it all turns out perfect!

Hope: So funny that even at the point you are at it still is hard to believe Thinking of you of hope for a smooth birth!

Tenzins: I'm sorry that BF is so difficult with your DD. I never figured out how to bf my daughter, she never latched properly and we just couldn't seem to get it right. So I ended up pumping and giving her bottles for a few months. Once I went back to work it was just too much for me to keep up with so I stopped when she was about 4 months and she was on formula from that point on. I felt incredibly guilty, and worried that she would have allergies, or be constantly sick and a million other things. But, she was fine, totally fine and I was sane. You have to find what works for you as a family but also what works for you as a person. Good luck, it is so hard to find balance.

Kewpie: Happy birthday to your babies, so stinking cute

Aura: You will be feeling them more and more as the weeks go by. It such a special, strange feeling, I can't wait to be there!

Deborah: You look great, you know your body...try not to let what other people say impact how you feel. I'm feeling like I have a bump too even though I know the baby is only the size of a grape in there, something is happening for sure.

Laura: how scary, I'm glad to hear that everything is ok. A girlfriend of mine had excessive red bleeding right around 12 weeks or so. Her doc said it was likely the placenta attaching and it was not a problem. She now has a beautiful, healthy baby girl. Good luck with your anatomy scan!

Thanks for the warm welcome ladies and for your insight into adjusting to pregnancy from infertility. I finally stopped Crinone last week, yay!!, and I also graduated from my RE so I think those two things are helping me feel this is really happening I am 10 weeks and have my first apt. with my ob tomorrow. I think the nausea is settling down a bit. It is no longer constant, just waves Still exhausted though.


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## deborahbgkelly

I hope my nausea lets up in a few weeks. I've vomited so many times already and it's still pretty early.


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## vireoes

Hi everyone. Sorry it has been a bit since I have had the energy to check in.

Deborah-You look great and it sounds like everything is going well, so don't worry about what others say. I am long in the torso so for my first pregnancy I had the opposite problem of never looking pregnant enough. I didn't have the nice round belly until the third trimester, so I just got taken for fat/wide. I am definitely showing more belly already with this one. Most of mine is pudge at the moment since I have been staying at home more resting. I also have to eat little bits all the time to keep the nausea at bay. Hopefully you will start feeling better soon. This week is the first time I am starting to feel better with occasional rather than constant nausea and more energy as well.

Laura-So glad that things are looking better for you now. What you went through sounds really scary, so nice to have you back. I hope the anatomy scan goes fantastic.

Buckets-Nice to make the transition to the OB. Are you using the same OB as last time? I am doing OB with my RE, since he does both. I switched to a different OB in the third trimester last time so that I could have a water birth and the only birth center in town. I will probably do the same again this time, although I may switch a bit sooner after the anatomy scan. My current OB is closer, but the waiting time at appointments can be long. So while Ihave to travel further to the other OB it may end up being a quicker appointment since I never waited more than 5-10 minutes to see him.

Blue-Good luck with all the home renovations.

Hope-Can't wait to hear the good news! I hope everything goes smoothly for you.

Tenzins-Sorry to hear things have been rough with the BF. Hopefully it is a phase and things will smooth out for you soon. I felt guilty when I night weaned DD, but she was making me crazy and I was started to get cracked nipples which made nursing painful as well. Cutting back actually made the nursing relationship better since my body was able to heal and I started getting better sleep. So when we did nurse I was happier and pain free, which made me a better mom. You do what you have to do, because when you are not happy it is hard to be the best mom possible. I already know I will have to do things different with this babe, since I will have an energetic two year old running around the house.

Shesaidboom-DD is turning two next week, I it seems I was only getting full night sleeps for a few months before we got our BFP. I am up several times a night now to pee as well and sleeping is already uncomfortable. Totally worth it, but I dream of the day a few years from now when I will start getting full nights sleeps again.

Splashingpuddles-Welcome. I became more open about IVF about half way through the pregnancy with DD. Once I could feel her moving and it became more real I didn't feel the need to keep it a secret. I am a fairly private person, so I rarely go into the details of it with people unless there is some connection there that makes me want to share more. If you want to move the conversation along quickly I would just glance over the conception or just say it was a challenging time for you and go right into talking about how excited you are about the pregnancy. Most people should get the hint and follow the conversation to something you are more comfortable talking about. I did that a lot during the TTC phase this fall with people. Since I am involved in a playgroup with DD that has many different parents, lots of people knew that we were TTC and had used IVF last time. I did not want to keep everyone updated with the details of the process so went with the we loved to be pregnant soon and are working on it.

AFM-We had first regular check-up last week. Baby had a nice strong heartbeat. We do our Nuchal screening ultrasound this week. We can't wait to get a first real look at the baby. I am starting to feel better which is good, since I have to put together a small birthday party for DD who is turning two. She loves birthday parties, so it is all she has been talking about for several weeks.


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## Vegan Princess

Bucket: My kids are 3 yrs 8 mos apart. If I were super fertile and got prego when weity started trying, they would be exactly 2 yrs apart! I am NOT glad we went thru the traumas of infertility, but I am really glad we ended up with a big spacing. This age dif has been great so far. My older DD can get herself her milk, take herself potty and sometimes even dress herself. She still needs a lot from me, but it is nothing like a 2 yr old needs. She also understands so much about why I can't always do things for her right away. I just hope my girls are still close when they are older - but I see other girls spaced the same and they do play well together. And my husband is closer to his brother that is 4 yr younger than the one that is 17 mos younger. He says he fought too much with the closer one.

Laura: So good to hear from you. I can't imagine how scary that was! I am so glad everything looks good! Will you be finding out the gender at your anatomy scan?

Aura: I can't believe you're almost half done! Crazy how time flies when it's not your own pregnancy. 

Blue: I get so happy when I realize how far long you are! 27 weeks now right? Yay!!! I totally get what your husband said about the stress before each scan!

Deborah: I started to show super soon with #2. I do think for me it was bloat, not my uterus bc it did seem to come and go a bit. Like I would be super huge by the evening but wake up with not much of a bump in the morning. That didn't stop happening until the 2nd trimester. But people started asking me if I was pregnant by like 8 weeks. And my uterus did actually measure ahead furhter along when they started measuring, a lot of time with #2 - I think that is normal. Enjoy that bump! 

Tenzin: I'm sorry you're having a harder time w/nursing. I sort of wish my DD would take a bottle but right now she won't and we haven't been trying hard to get her to take one. It just seems so much easier to just nurse rather than have to pump. But I really want to be able to go to a yoga class or out on a date w/DH. Maybe we'll try tonight. Every night I think "of we should try" and then life is just so busy w/2 kids and baths and bedtime, etc that I totally forget about it.

AFM: My little one is snoring away in the ergo on my chest while I type. So snuggly! We booked a trip to Hawaii for a week at the end of next month. She'll be shy of 5 mos old. I hope we aren't setting ourselves up for disaster. LOL. We're renting a condo with a king bed so we all fit and a kitchen. I just remember we went on a family trip to colorado when DD1 was 5 mos and we had fun but we got very little sleep! I feel like sleep is totally different this time though bc I am cosleeping. Last time we were *trying* to get her to sleep in the arms reach cosleeper that the rental house has (used as a sleeper on it's own, not attached to the bed). I recall dh spending ages trying to get her to go down for the night. Right now I am having a hard time nursing DD2 down and being able to get up a leave - last night was like the 2nd time ever I've beeen successful. I'm hoping to have that figured out by the time we go though bc I'd love to be able to spend evenings with my husband again - especially on vacation. But the night waking is no big deal this time bc I just go back to sleep while I'm nursing.

Cindy


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## deborahbgkelly

Thanks all. Aura- I hope you didn't take offense at my response. AFM- Today was a rough day physically. Started off constipated. Ate an avocado which fixed that problem but then proceeded to lose some of it. This on top of being tired and in tons of pain from the PIO shots made it so hard to be appreciative. It looks like I may be having an allergic reaction. Hoping they will switch me to the suppositories.I am, of course, appreciative but it was hard to focus on that today.


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## laura-belle

Deborah -- Yeah it was pretty awful. Turns out that I have placenta previa, which is a likely cause. Hope you are feeling better.

Aura -- Turns out to have probably been caused by placenta previa. Joy.

BOR -- Thanks! For me, I felt a lot better after 12 weeks, so have hope.

Vireoes -- Good luck with the b'day party.

Vegan -- Aww.







Tks. And yes, we did find out gender.

AFM -- So, my anatomy scan was this morning. The good news is that all is well with the baby. It is a BOY!!!







(And my guess was right.) The bad news is that I have a placenta previa. They will recheck it at about 30 weeks and probably at least once after that if it hasn't improved, but If it doesn't, I will be having a scheduled C-section. Joy.







They didn't seem too optimistic because of where it was placed.


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## tenzinsmama

Laura, that must have been so scary for you to have gone through, with all the bleeding. I'm glad that it has stopped and baby is doing great-- a BOY! Yay!! I, too, had placenta previa, but I did not have any bleeding. A friend of mine had a similar episode of bleeding profusely as you did, and other than that she and baby were fine throughout the rest of the pregnancy. She had a vaginal delivery. I don't know how far away from the os the placenta was in her case, but in my case, I had complete previa. I had a few u/s as the pregnancy progressed, and it didn't move much in the beginning but towards the end it moved a lot-- but then slowed down. In the end, it was 0 cm from the os, and I had two maternal vessels that were situated close to the cervix in such a way that they would not let me have trial of labour-- I had to have a scheduled c-section. So much of the time, the placenta does move-- why are they thinking that yours won't move enough? If you ever want to private message me about anything, please feel free-- I researched things quite a bit, and I found that having that 'scheduled c-section' hanging over me to have quite an effect on me-- and there are things I know now that I wished I would have known about then... I may be a resource in some way, if you ever need it. At any rate, ((HUGS)) to you for having to go through that episode, and for having the previa. I really, really hope it moves!!!!

Vireos, glad to hear the appointment went well. Exciting to see the baby at the next u/s! And I'm happy to hear that you are feeling less nauseous and more energetic. Thanks for the words of encouragement around the nursing. I agree, it is just so much better if I make some changes so that I'm happier and that I can enjoy the breastfeeding relationship more. I have read Dr. Sears, and one thing he says is that if something you are doing is ending up leaving you feel unhappy or resentful, then you have to make a change. This past week has been so much better, because of DH taking over some of the night feeds. And also, on the w/e, he does a couple so that allows me to be more present for DS and not feel like I'm being torn in different directions with all the different needs of everyone. How much of an age difference will there be between your two? With mine, it's 22 months.

Deborah, sorry to hear you had a rough day. It's a good thing that not all days are/will be like that... I hope you have a good sleep tonight and you wake up to have an exceptional day tomorrow!

Vegan, how fantastic that you are going away! Nah, it should be an easy time with your two. I always find that my kids are great when we travel (well, this last trip was DD's first, but DD has been on 3 now). We had the kitchen, laundry, two bedrooms... king size bed in ours, and DD slept like a log because of all the fresh air and being snuggled in the Ergo so much when we were out and about. (We've been co-sleeping up until this past week). She only just started being an all-night nurser, since having a virus before Christmas and going through separation anxiety (oh my gosh, I can't even leave the room during the day without her crying). I miss those blissful half-asleep night feeds, when she would nurse every 2 or 3 hours and then just go back to sleep cuddled in next to me... I TOTALLY get what you are saying about wanting to spend some evenings alone with DH... in Antigua, once the kids were in bed, we would get a second wind but we couldn't go anywhere-- and it seemed like the nicer restaurants opened late. We ended up watching a whole bunch of cooking TV shows-- the ones where they had all kinds of competitions to be called master chef and all that. We still enjoyed ourselves, though. Our alternative would have been to have asked my in-laws to come on holiday with us-- and that wasn't going to happen! I love them dearly, but to spend more than two days with them would be just too hard.

Bucket, yes, yes, yes, the worry about allergies and all that has definitely come into my head. Thanks for sharing your experience. It`s so true, a person has to find what works for not only the family but for herself. Sanity is a good thing to have, I don't want to be sleep deprived and be a grumpy partner and mother, and above all, I don't want to be holding DD and have her pick up on negative vibes from me during the times when I'm finding her pats and kneads to be painful and annoying even. (When she is doing this, she also often squirms around and goes on and off repeatedly to see what's going on.) That's just the thing, she doesn't do it all the time... most of the time she's quietly nursing happily. I know that part of it is feeling 'touched out', which is something I know other mothers feel from time to time, too. And it's worse during certain times of my cycle. Since DH has taken on some of the night feeds this past week, I don't feel like that as much, and I have enjoyed nursing even with all the patting/kneading going on-- I still have to remember to make sure I have fabric between my side and her fingers! Anyway... Hey, I'm really glad that you are feeling better! No more Crinone, and the graduation from your RE!

Aura, have you been having fun thinking of names?

Hi to everyone else I have missed this time around!


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## tenzinsmama

Oh, and on the topic of vacations with baby, check out this website: http://www.travelswithbaby.com/blog/ask-shelly-best-winter-weekend-getaway-with-a-baby-in-northern-california/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TravelsWithBabyTips+%28Travels+with+Baby+Tips%29

I really like her site, with all the tips she has for traveling with kids.


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## deborahbgkelly

Thank you for all the well wishes. Today, I get to switch to Endometrin so hopefully I won't be in so much pain and I'm thinking that my nausea may have been exacerbated by pain. Unfortunately, 9 months later and someone asked me how the twins were doing. I didn't quite know how to respond and had the deer in the headlights look and she continued to push and say "the babies". That made me pretty sad having to tell someone again. My friend said, "I'm sorry" and "I've found she's not the brightest." and I said to my friend," that's why I don't want people guessing early about this pregnancy." My body has other plans, but it does make me very guarded. First ultrasound is Thursday. Today, if I'm up to it and my friend is up to it, we will go for a walk around 1 and I hope that will give me some stress relief. I watch her older kiddo regularly and got to hold and feed her new one (rainbow baby) the other day.


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## Vegan Princess

Tenzin: Thanks for the link to the site. I'm going to check it out this morning.  My oldest could not be in bed with me without being attached to my boob the entire time - until we night weaned her at 15 months. Then she *finally* learned to sleep next to me. This one does take herself off the boob eventually, but she is taking longer and longer to do it. Like usually I will nurse her and fall asleep and when I wake up she is not attached anymore. When she was more of a newborn she would take herself off as soon as she was done. Now I think she is spending more and more of the night attached to me since she is better at putting herself back on - it's slightly concerning as I don't want her to have to have a boob in her mouth the sleep, like my first kid did (though my first kid slept in a crib in her own room until about 3am when she would come into our bed - then we started cosleeping full time when she night weaned bc she was still waking 2-3x/night and we gave up).

Deborah: I hope you get some relief from the med change and enjoy your walk! I am so sorry you had to deal with telling someone about your loss. :-( That would definitely rattle me!! Yesterday we drove by the place where I had my u/s to confirm my baby had died when I had my miscarriage - I will never be able to go to that part of town without it bothering me and making me think of the son or daughter that isn't here. Hugs!

Cindy


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## deborahbgkelly

I'm not feeling real well today, so I may postpone the walk. I just woke up again and don't really want to be up, but I need to eat and the furchildren are being pests. Laura-Belle: Glad they figured out the cause of the bleeding and the LO is okay.


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## blueyezz4

*Ughhh... I'm so behind!!!! Lets see... where to start!!!*

*Deborah* - hope you get feeling better!! When's your next ultrasound?

*Tenzi* - I'll have to check out that site when i get a free min. Thanks for sharing!!!

*Laura* - so good to see your name again!! I was really worried about you!! Glad that the ultrasound went okay and that they found out why you are having the bleeding. Fingers crossed it goes away and all ends up well in the end so you can deliver the way you want.

*Vegan* - how do you like the Ergo?? I'm trying to work on a registry for showers and am always looking for suggestions on what i really need and what i don't need. Have you ever tried the baby bjorn? I got one of those for $6 at a baby sale and figured I can't go wrong for 6 bucks. Hope you get the sleeping thing figured out before vacation!!! Hawaii sounds fun! Never been there but would like to one day maybe.

*Vireoes* - what day is your scan?? Hope it goes well!! Keep us posted!

*BOR* - congrats on graduating!!!! How did your reg OB appt go??? Hope the nausea is letting up some as you get closer to 12 wks!!!

*Kewpie* - Happy B-day to your little ones!! I can't believe it has been a year!! Where does the time go!!

*Renavoo* - how is your little guy doing now w/ the cold? Hope that your princess didn't get it. Thinking of you!!!

*Belly* - how are you? Hope all is well.

*Hope* - thinking of you!!! Hope all is well!!

*Aura* - how are you doing?? I can't wait until you find out what you are having!!

*Hi to everyone else i missed. I just was looking up on this page and trying to remember so i'm sure i missed some!! Sorry it is late and it's been a long day!!*

*AFM - * We have our next ultrasound on Friday this week. It's either for a cervix check only or both a cervix and a growth check, won't know until we get there and the high risk dr. decides. Next week i have to start non-stress tests which are totally new to me and then i guess i have to start going every week there after. Those people are going to get tired of me. LOL I really over did today and am hoping that i can kinda lay low tomorrow. DH has been making good progress on the nursery and just has to paint trim and tomorrow the lady comes to measure for carpet. We ordered furniture but am waiting on an email telling us that it has shipped. Things are falling in place. That is it for me, as far as I can remember, but it is late and i'm tired so who knows what else i'm forgetting.


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## deborahbgkelly

Blue- Our first ultrasound is this Thursday.


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## hope4light

Im posting from my phone so itll be short but wanted to let everyone know....

ITS A BOY!!

We welcomed Beckett Callum, 8 lb 9 Oz 20 1/4 inches at 840am on 1/8 after a mere 3 1/2 hour labor.


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## deborahbgkelly

Congratulations Hope!


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## blueyezz4

*Hope* -





















Congrats to you and your DH and big sister!!!! Can't wait to read your birth story and hear how everything went. Hope you are feeling okay and that the little guy is doing well!!!! So excited for you!!


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## blueyezz4

Oh I ment to post a belly shot. So here it is!! Me at 26 + weeks it was taken last week.


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## Vegan Princess

Hope: Yay, congrats!! I love the name. My labor was equally as short - I'm wondering if yours was overwhelming too? Enjoy your babymoon!!!! 

Blue: We have a baby bjorn and I hate it. But it is all DH will use right now. He wore that thing a ton w/DD1 too. He did use the ergo once she was much bigger. It hurts my back and cuts into my shoulders - though I think they may have redesigned them now to have a waist strap like an ergo? I adore my ergo once babies are big enough to go in without the infant insert. It is SO comfy. I could comfortably wear my older daughter on my front still at age 2! Aria at 3 mos is big enough to not use the insert. The insert annoys me a bit btu isn't that bad. I actually just bought a Boba 3G - you don't need an infant insert! So I would reccomend that. Also, the moby wrap is awesome for newborns. I don't like how the legs hang down in the bjorn. In the moby you can froggy up the little one's legs and they are so snuggly on you. Moby is annoying to put on when out of the hosue bc it is so long and drags on the ground - so you have to put it on before you go out if you care about that. But DD napped in the moby until recently when I could stop using the insert in the ergo. Now I love how easy it is to snap on the ergo and pop her in and out without the insert. I love baby wearing! Love you pic!! 

Ugh, my older daughter has pink eye! Yuck yuck yuck!! Off to go pick up drops. Praying I do not get it, Ewww.

Cindy


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## MOMTOALEXIS

HOPE- Congrats so exciting, hope everyone is doing well.

BLUE- love seeing your pic, u look so incredibly adorable for 26+weeks. Getting there my friend.

Hi to everyone else


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## shesaidboom

*splashing* - I'm very open about having done IVF. Same reason as Aura pretty much.

*Kewpie* - happy birthday to your little ones!

*Aura* - I had my last appointment at the fertility clinic yesterday. I'm so glad to be out of that place!

*deborah* - you look great! I'm so impressed with your baby bump. I have absolutely nothing yet. That's really rude of the person on your DDC. I've seen lots of women with impressive bumps at 6 weeks. Most of them are really tiny so there's nowhere to go but out! Plus, as you said, many women show much earlier when they've been pregnant before. I can't believe people are even questioning it.
I really hope the med change makes a difference.

*laura-belle* - I'm so sorry you had to go through that, and I'm so glad that everything is looking good now with your little BOY!

*bucketofrain* - I'm feeling pretty blah, but still excited. We had our US yesterday, which was a frustrating experience but thankfully everything was ok with the baby.

*vireoes* - I'm glad you're feeling better and everything looked good on your check-up!

*vegan* - a trip to Hawaii sounds wonderful! The co-sleeping does sound easier, I hope it gets you some more sleep this time.

*Hope* - Hurray! Welcome little Beckett!

*blueyezz* - your belly is beautiful!

*AFM -* have graduated from the fertility clinic and couldn't be happier about it! Yesterday was my first ultrasound and last appointment there and it was extremely frustrating. They didn't prepare me for what the ultrasound would be like, so it was upsetting. DH wasn't allowed in the room at all, the tech refused to let me see the screen at any point, and we weren't allowed to see the pictures they took. They were sent the wrong information for me - it said our transfer had been on December 10th and they transferred two embryos. Our transfer was really on November 25th and they transferred one. I had thought for some reason our transfer was on the 24th so I messed up correcting her, but it was one day anyway.

At the clinic we saw the replacement for our usual dr who is on maternity leave. She was ok, but she gave us a lot of information that would have been very helpful to know about before now. Like, my blood type is O negative, and DHs is O positive, so the baby could be O positive. If I have any bleeding or cramping at all, even just spotting, she said I have to go right to the hospital and get a rhogam shot. Thankfully I haven't experienced cramping after the first few weeks or any bleeding, but what if I had? Our first RE had talked about this and just said I'd need a shot at 28 weeks and then again during labour. Nothing about early pregnancy. I also got a ridiculous speech on what I can't take medication wise and what I can't eat, don't drink, don't smoke, etc. I just sat there thinking "a little late, lady.." and thankfully I already knew all of it. She got annoyed with me because the nurses who called with my second beta results were supposed to tell me to go see my GP and get hooked up with an OB. They didn't, and from what I was told in the past, I thought I was to wait until they were done with me and THEY would send me to an OB. Nope! So she told me to get on top of that because "all the good ones will be gone already". They really never tell me anything and then get annoyed if I don't know. I've never gone through a pregnancy with a fertility clinic before. I don't know the protocol.

She also gave me a prescription for Diclectin because I'm nauseous all day pretty much every day and have been throwing up a lot. I've been losing weight and even though I can afford it, it's probably not healthiest for baby. I've also been feeling awful because of it, so hopefully it will help.

Anyway, everything with the baby looks fine. The baby is measuring at 8 weeks 4 days, although she calculated me to be 9 weeks. I thought I was 8, so I guess 8, 4 is in the middle. Baby's heart rate was 174bpm, and everything else looks fine. I'm waiting to hear back from a midwife practice to see if they have room for me in baby's birth month and if they do we'll probably go with them. They said they'd call back within a week. I made an appointment with my GP tomorrow anyway, and she'll probably try to convince me to go with an OB, but I'm not sure DH or I really want to. We're planning to birth in a hospital, but would rather have midwives if we can.


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## auraleigh

hope!!!!!!! i am so excited for you, his name is wonderful and he sounds like he graced you with a nice and easy labor. i can't wait to hear more details!!

blue, you have the cutest baby bump ever! i feel like my stomach is just as big and i'm weeks and weeks behind you. there isn't going to be anything cute about my belly! please get some rest tomorrow, that's most important. are you having fun registering? i keep updating mine and changing my mind about things, but it's private so no one can see it yet. i'm scared to go public! where did you register? also, so excited the room is getting done! you'll have to post a photo when it's done.

deborah, no offense taken. funny enough, my coworker just announced her pregnancy and she has more of a bump at 7 weeks (it's her second) than i do at 18 with twins. anything is possible.

vegan, i hope you don't catch that pink eye! it's so gross. and thanks for the carrier recommendations! i registered for the ergo, but one of my friends was complaining that her baby likes to face outwards so she will only wear the bjorn now. i'm not into the wraps because i think they're too annoying to wrap up (maybe i'm lazy?) but someone lent me a sling and it seems convenient. i think with the twins i'm going to need free hands now and then and wearing them seems like a great option.

shesaid, so glad you're out of there! i had similar issues leaving SIRM. they were great, but due to the storm my final visit got postponed until i was 10 weeks. and the ob wouldn't even give me an appt until i was released, and then i had to wait for an appt, so my first appt wasn't until 11 weeks and i felt like i was getting information from them that i should have received the moment i knew i was pregnant. oh well, it wound up being fine in the end. i will cross my fingers that the midwives have space for you!

hi mom! hope all is well with you too!

afm, my belly has started to pop! it's not the cute round belly i've always hoped for, but i had a belly before i started so i suppose it was unrealistic to think it would be magically perfected. i think now people are starting to think i look pregnant. i don't know if strangers would approach me yet, but coworkers and family are all about rubbing my belly. what's hilarious to me is that the bump is probably my organs being all pushed up, because as far as I can tell, the babies are still below my belly button? i want to tell them they are probably rubbing my intestines, but it's funnier just to think it. heheheh. friday i have the consult with the peri, hopefully a gender reveal, and then i wait another two weeks for the anatomy scan. even though my appointments are ever two weeks i'm still incredibly impatient.


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## Vegan Princess

Aura: So funny about people rubbing your intestines! LOL! I know you said you don't want wraps - but I've seen people wear twins at the same time in a moby. Not sure you can do it in anything else. Of course I'm not sure it would be very comfortable beyond the tiny baby stage to wear 2 anyway. Anyway, you might google baby wearing twins and see what kind of carriers come up? Someone on an IVF cycle buddy board that cycled with me posted a pic of her wearing her twins in her moby - it was SO cute!


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## tenzinsmama

Hope, congratulations on your little baby boy! Welcome, Beckett! Can't wait to hear more, when you are feeling up to sharing and you have time. I hope all is going great!

Blue, that is one cute bump there! Nice to hear that things are going well with the renos. I hope we get to see more pics as you progress!

Aura and Blue, about the baby carriers... I agree with Vegan about how great the Ergo is. I wish I would have had that for DS from early on, but I only just got it when I was pregnant this second time. However, I can still use it with DS-- he likes to be in it on my back. I had it on holidays with us when we were in Antigua, and sometimes I carried him but most of the time I had DD in it (front carry), when either of them weren't in the stroller or DS wanted to walk himself. It was so convenient to have, especially in places like the public bus (very crowded, a mini-bus), and the market in the island's downtown core, as the stroller would have been too cumbersome along the narrow sidewalks, market stalls, and people. We were really wishing we had a second Ergo. The thing is, they are so comfortable for both us and the kids. I have some back soreness and stiffness from having a moderate scoliosis curve, and yet the Ergo doesn't bother me one bit. DD falls asleep in it every time, and I can even nurse her in it as I walk. Even DS fell asleep one time while being carried on my back. I have a light grey colored one, so I didn't get too hot having it on-- I'd recommend taking that into consideration. They are expensive, but I got mine for much less off of Kijiji, as it was very gently used. It was like it hadn't even been worn before, actually. I did try a Bjorn-- a friend had given me hers-- however, I had to take it off after a couple of minutes because my back hurt really bad. Also, like Vegan says, I don't like the dangling legs from being suspended by the crotch. As for the wraps, I love the Moby wrap in concept but I wasn't patient with learning how to put it on and have it all neat and tidy looking, so I didn't bother trying anymore after a couple of times. I do think you can buy wraps (Moby or otherwise) for shorter people, though?

Aura, I was chuckling about the rubbing the intestines image... ha ha.

SSB, so glad you are done at the clinic! That must have been so frustrating getting the u/s done, with the mix up and not being able to see the screen and all that. What was the reason for that, anyway? And what's up with DH not being allowed in at all???!! I've had the experience at the 18 week u/s (anatomy scan) at one place, for DS, where DH wasn't able to come in until the measurements were finished (they said it's so the tech can concentrate fully on the task at hand)-- but once they were done, the rest of the u/s was completed and he was able to come in and we could talk freely with each other and the tech. My clinic can be frustrating, too, in ways. I was completely frustrated when I got my bfp after being on suppression drugs-- I received differing advice on what to do with taking baby aspirin, and one nurse said I didn't need estrogen and progesterone supplements while another said it was absolutely necessary. And then it took a third phone call with yet another nurse to get the dosages all straightened out, and it was her who offered that I come in for an u/s at 7 weeks to make sure there was a hb. Hopefully you get in with midwives, I love having them!


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## deborahbgkelly

Aura- Glad I didn't offend you. I didn't have as big a bump with my boys at this point last year either. I believe there is a website called babywearing twins. You can Google it. She shows many different ways to use wraps and carries and several different types of them. I also liked your rubbing intestines image. Haha. AFM- First ultrasound tomorrow. I'm anxious, but not because I have any concerns. I just haven't had a pregnancy ultrasound since the one where we found the boys had passed. Glad DH will be able to come with me.


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## renavoo

Hope, yah!!! CONGRATS! I hope you're recovering well and that you're enjoying your baby boy!

Blue, adorable belly! I'm so excited for you!

Cindy, ugh to pink eye. i hope you don't get it either and that your daughter gets better soon. We have two carriers but DH refuses to use the carriers when we go out. I think that i would use it more if we only had one baby but with twins, since i can't carry both, we just use the stroller. i just like the idea of having the babies on me. But yes, the hip strap is important. I have another brand of sling (and I can't for the life of me remember which one it is!) and it really makes carrying the babies quite easy.

Aura, haha you made me crack up with that image of people rubbing your intestines. Funny way to look at it! How are you feeling overall? i remember always being so impatient to see my babies and I was so disappointed when i went to an appt and they didn't US me. haha But luckily that didn't happen often!

SSB, yah to getting that clinic out of your life! On to better things! Do you have specific midwives in mind?

hi to everyone else!!


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## Tear78

OK, I've been in lurkdom. Anika and I both got a bad cold, and after two weeks my midwife said it's time to stay home and rest, so here I am. As a teacher, it's hard to take a day off because you have to spend extra hours writing sub plans, but she got me with saying I don't want this to turn to an infection. Anyway, so here I am!

I wanted to say congrats to Hope, woohoo!!!! I can't wait to see pics and hear your birth story when you're ready!

Blue, your belly is adorable! It makes me so happy to see your updates.

Welcome to all the new graduates, what a wonderful surge there has been!









My belly feels like it's getting huge, and little boy is starting to really rock and roll so much my students have been able to see him move. We're going to have an ultrasound in two weeks because my fundus was measuring 27 weeks this week (30 weeks). My midwife assured me that she is NOT concerned at ALL (because DH pointed out I was going to go home and spazz...he was right). She just wants to check to be sure he's growing just fine. Of course, now my pride in only gaining 2 pounds this month is turning to "oh, crap, I only gained 2 pounds!" Any words of assurance?

Love and hugs to all you ladies! I'm off to correct papers (yes, on my sick day), and take a nap.

eta - deborah, people like to make all sorts of comments about pregnant mama's bodies. Don't worry what they say: you know your body better than anybody. Congrats! ps - don't you have an u/s today?


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## blueyezz4

*Tear* - so good to see your name pop up again!!! Sorry though that the reason you are home is b/c you are under the weather!!! I hope that you listen to your Dr and take it easy today and maybe even get a nap in too. I secretly think that my OB may have put the order in the computer for my ultrasound tomorrow as a growth check b/c she is concerned about my fundus length as well. Originally it was just suppose to be a cervix only check and she put it in the system as a growth check and when i asked her about it at my last appt she just kinda said that my perinatologist may just want to check growth as well since he hasn't seen me in 4 wks and is just not telling me to not alarm me. Also, this last time i was in she measured me twice which I kinda thought was weird but didn't ask. Normally she only measures me once. Hopefully it is all in my head. LOL Wonder what they do if the babe is measuring small? Do they make you supplement w/ like ensure or something? Hopefully not bedrest!!!! Oh my... I don't even like that word!!!

*Renavoo* - no AFM?? Hope your little guy is feeling better!!!

*Deborah* - what time is your Ultrasound? Hope all goes well! How many have you had w/ this pregnancy so far?

*Tenzi* - thanks for the info on the sling/carriers!! I always like to hear it from Mom's that know best b/c they use them!!! Anything else you would highly recommend adding to a registry??

*Aura* - I literally LOL when I ready your rubbing my intestines comment!!! So funny!! I was bigger than I am now w/ our twins so the fact that I'm farther along now w/ one than I finally got w/ them and I'm smaller is still an adjustment to me. We will see tomorrow hopefully how the little guy is measuring (as long as they check that). The baby's room is really coming along. DH has been awesome and really working hard which I'm very thankful for. I just wish that I could help or just even hang out up there w/ him to keep him company while he works but b/c he is painting, i really don't want to take that chance. My OB said "Daddy paints, while Mamma goes shopping". LOL I love helping w/ those kinds of projects though and normally I'm the motivator to keep DH going b/c he gets burned out. He renovated a almost 100yr old house in spare time for about 9 yrs, so i think that kinda did him in. I got to help w/ the last couple yrs of it, which I was the motivating factor of actually getting it done, well that and the fact that we bought a different house and had the push to get it finished to put on the market about 8 yrs ago. I registered at BRUs and Target. It is really overwhelming though. I took a girlfriend w/ me the first day (and DH the 2nd time) who has 2 young kids so she could really help me. DH and i had done one for our twins right before we lost them and we left there extremely overwhelmed by all the choices and how much stuff we needed. This time i got that book Baby Bargins that is like a consumer report on baby products and it is really helpful knowing what is good and what isn't b/c they grade the items and give you lots of tips. You should look into that book too or get it at the library. I have found though that my friends (since pretty much most of them have already had 2 kids by now) are great resources on how many of what we really need. One was telling me about making the crib like a lasagna where you do the same layers like twice so if they wet/mess in the middle of the night you just take off the first layer and the 2nd is still fine (that is with using those waterproof pads in between). Thought that was an interesting idea and could be helpful.

*Keria* - how are you doing??? Just checking in since we haven't heard from you in awhile.

*Kewpie* - loved the pics of the kids! Can't believe they are 1. How's the house coming?

*SSB* - I'm so glad you are done w/ that practice!!! What the heck is wrong w/ them!!! Wow, is all I can say! I sure hope your experience w/ you reg OB is much better!!!!

*MOM2Alexis* - thanks girl!!!!

*Vegan* - thanks! A couple people have recommended that Moby wrap to me so i'll have to check it out.

*Hope* - I hope all is going well adjusting to having 2 at home now! Is DH taking some time off?

*AFM* - Not a ton new since last time i posted. DH got almost all the trim painting in the first room done. Kinda hard to explain, but there are two rooms over our garage and the first one you walk into was an office that the people that used to live here before us used as her home office, so no window or closet but it has a built in book shelf (that DH has to repair botton of b/c whoever did it messed it up and it has been sagging) and then the next door you walk through is the nursery which has a window and a closet so we doing both rooms b/c they both needed a little TLC. I ordered carpet yesterday and they are suppose to instal that next Friday so i'm excited b/c that means DH has to be done w/ all of it by then which is good b/c it will light a fire under his tush to get it finished which is normally my job but since i can't help... this will be the motivating factor. He is really doing well though, which I'm very appreciative of and know our little guy will too!!! Ultrasound tomorrow to hopefully check growth and cervix at 10am. Been having more indigestion lately too. Yuck!! Tums are my friend and this morning I felt like I could have slept the whole day away!! Wow, was dead tired but needed to get up b/c if i lay too long my hips kill me and i was to that point. Hope you all are well!


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## deborahbgkelly

Today was my first ultrasound and it went great. Baby was measuring 6w3d and I'm 6w6d which is totally normal range and hb was 126. They like it at 120 or higher so we are good there too! I also have no cysts so I can start my prenatal yoga and she thought it would even be a good idea to keep me centered and my anxiety levels low. I will post a picture for you all later.


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## shesaidboom

*Aura* - that sounds really frustrating! We probably won't have our first appointment until 12 weeks, but I saw my GP today and she booked the first trimester screening/nuchal scan for us so we can still do that. Thank you! I really hope they're able to take us since they're the only midwives that deliver at the closest hospital to us.
That is so funny about people rubbing your organs and not the babies! You must be so excited about the gender reveal. I cannot wait until I'm far along enough to find out. Do you have any feelings about what the babies may be? I bet your belly is super cute, even if you don't think so. Most baby bellies are!

*vegan princess* - I've seen pictures of twins being worn in a moby and they are always SO cute!

*Tenzin* - Thank you! I'm so glad too. The tech told us that she wasn't allowed to give us any results or information and that was the reason. I told her I understood completely, but would it be possible for me to just look at the screen (and then later the pictures) without her saying anything, but she said no. I'm really upset because in my due date club a lot of women had the exact same ultrasound and they all got to watch and see the baby move around. I feel like I missed out on a lot. I've never had an ultrasound in my previous pregnancies so this would have been the very first time we saw any of our babies beyond the embryo picture we have. I know the ultrasound place we normally go to does what you explained with the measurements and then calling dad in. I imagine that will happen with our nuchal scan, but I'll ask when I book the appt. Your situation with the suppression drugs sounds so frustrating! I'm glad you eventually got that nurse who straightened everything out. I hope so too! They sound like a great group of ladies and they're the only ones who deliver at the hospital nearest us.

*renavoo* - I know, right? Thank goodness for being released from the clinic! Yes, these are the midwives we have in mind. I want to deliver in the hospital for this first birth, and they're the only ones who use the hospital closest us.

*Tear* - that's so exciting about your students being able to see baby move! Great spontaneous learning! I'm a teacher too 

*blueyezz* - thank you! I imagine it'll be a lot better than with the clinic! I saw my GP today and she was so shocked at how the clinic was acting.
What colour are you painting the room? I love decorating projects. Good luck with the ultrasound!

*deborah -* I hope your ultrasound went well!

*AFM -* I saw my regular GP today and she ran some bloodwork and gave me a requisition for first trimester screening and a nuchal scan. She's going to have me do it at 12 weeks and she said they should allow us to see the ultrasound so I'm very excited for that!


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## wissa19

Hope - Congratulations!!! Can't wait to hear more about your little guy.


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## tenzinsmama

Blue, the one thing that pops into my head is an Arms Reach Co-Sleeper. We had the mini one, because our room is smaller... I loved it. With DS we had a regular bassinette, and I found it made quite a difference to have the co-sleeper because of the side-car concept. Plus, it was super sturdy which made me feel more comfortable with our dogs (my one dog sleeps right beside our bed, so she was in line with the co-sleeper). I also found DD had a lot more room than what DS did in his bassinette. The lasagne thing with the crib-- I hadn't done that with my kids, because I never thought about it (even though we had done that with our bed, using a cheap waterproof shower curtain liner, because we had a homebirth --it was great because of the same idea... birth the baby, rip off the top layers, and then the bed is ready right away for sleep!). I don't know if doing the crib, it would be made up that easy because the waterproof mattress pads we have are thick and even just putting one on over the mattress is snug. And then it might make it too 'puffy' for DD and she might get her face down in it and have trouble. Oh, and I guess the other thing that comes to my mind is how much I love my City Select stroller. They are pricey, and hard to find gently used in my area, but I sure do love it. Ha ha, just thought of another... I really liked my muslin swaddling blankets-- I bought a 3-pack for DD, and I forget the brand but I think it starts with 'A'. (I also found that we really appreciated gift cards, because months later something would come up and we would realize that we really need this or that, and didn't need some of the stuff we had bought/received at all. One of my mom's friends sent us a Visa gift card months after DD came, and it came in SO handy at that time. And I had some friends that didn't have time to cook a meal for us, so they gave us some gift cards for restaurants, and that was great. We sure didn't feel like cooking anything ourselves for the first while. But, I find that not a lot of people want to buy gift cards, they want to buy actual items.)

Deborah, great to hear that your u/s went really well. I'm sure you will really enjoy the prenatal yoga, when will you start?

SSB, still... If they wouldn't even let you look at the screen to see the baby, that's really different. Oh well, you are out of there and now you can look forward to the next part of your journey, and you will see your little one soon at the NT scan.

Tear, nice to see you pop in on here. It's inspirational and I'm hoping I find myself in your shoes soon-- nursing a little one, and getting a bfp!


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## deborahbgkelly

Whenever I feel like starting. I inherited DVDs from family members . My numbers on progesterone and estrogen were fantastic too! Here's the babe:


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## vireoes

Hope-Congratulation!!! Welcome to your little man.

We use and Ergo and really love it for DD. I knew lots of people with Bjorns who thought they would great with newborns, but by 8-9 months most mom's found them rather uncomfortable. When DD was old enough to really want to look out, I put her on my back in the Ergo. DD did not like the infant insert in the Ergo, so it didn't get used much until she was 3-4 months and big enough to do without. She really liked the Moby Wrap, during that phase. We also had a sling, but DD hated it so we got used to the wrap. You really need to watch a you-tube video or have a friend show you how to do it the first few times though.

Aura-Now anytime I see someone rubbing a pregnant belly I am going to have a chuckle and think about intestines.

SSB- I am so glad you are done with your RE clinic. That place does not sound good at all and you don't need all the BS. You get a much better look at the baby during the 12 week ultrasound, if that is any consolation. I got to see my first two ultrasounds and while it was reassuring it was nothing like the 12 week when you really seem to have a little person in there. I hope you find a great OB/midwife that you like and that the rest of your experience if much better.

Tear-Hope you both recover from the cold quickly. That is really cool that your student can see the little one moving around.

Blue-It is good that DH has a time line for finishing the work. I know how those remodeling projects can really drag out if you don't have firm deadline. That will be exciting to have it all together and ready to put the furniture into.

Deborah - Glad your ultrasound went well.

Vegan-Fingers crossed the pink eye doesn't get passed around. That is not fun.

Hi to everyone else I missed.

AFM-Ultrasound went well and everything seems normal. We had DD and DH in the room for the whole thing, I am thankful for having friendly staff manaing our clinic, they would have hated waiting outside and missing out on it. DH had the amazing revelation that we are actually pregnant now and got all excited to pick out names.


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## deborahbgkelly

Vireoes- thanks. What a beautiful baby! Was this your anatomy scan?


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## vireoes

No this was the 12 week Nuchal scan. So tiny but already a little person. DD started crying in the middle of the US since she wanted to hold the camera daddy had. The baby immediately started jumping all around and didn't settle down again until she stop crying a minute later.


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## deborahbgkelly

Vireos- Oh- That's great! What a sweet little babe already. DH and I are debating about the nuchal scan, but if I get a pic like that, no way I'm not doing it!


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## Vegan Princess

Vireos: Wow, so cool the baby responded to your Dd crying! She will respond to your DD so much when she is here. 

Deborah: So glad your u/s went well!  I love prenatal yoga.

Well DD got drops for her pink eye. Putting them in her eyes has been the single most challenging thing I have ever done as a mother! She was running away and screaming like I'd never heard. Cowering in corners and just spazzing out. I've never seen anything like it. If we had closer neighbors they surely would have called the cops on us. But we weren't even touching her. She had let me do it 2 times and then started refusing. Thankfully we managed to get it done and after the next 2 times she stopped spazzing out. Now she lets me. Of course she has to have candy after each time - all 4 times/day. But the good thing is, she was no longer contagious (supposedly) after 24 hours of drops. I'm still washing like a mad woman though!

Aria just started reaching for her toys on her activity mat this morning.  And she is constantly doing raspberries. Raspberries might be one of the cutest phases! DH and I both love it! LOl.

Cindy


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## laura-belle

I just spent 30 minutes writing up replies to everyone and the browser seems to have lost them all. Aargh!

Tenzins -- My placenta is around the back, right up against my spine, and the perinatologist said that placentas in that position don't move as much in her experience. I am not at all happy about the scheduled C-section idea, but if it doesn't move, the other options are much worse, so... Thank you







.

Aura -- The patting your intestines thing made me laugh. I too am starting to look pregnant and my baby sister (18) does that all the time.

Cindy -- I am sorry, but your description of trying to get eye drops into your DD made me laugh out loud. Pinkeye, Eeew.

AFM -- I am currently sitting in the lab taking the 3 hour glucose test, which I am quite certain that I am going to fail miserably. If there were any justice in the world, we would all get nice, calm, uncomplicated pregnancies, but no... I am up to maternal obesity (5'6", 206 today), second trimester bleeding, placenta previa, and gestational diabetes so far. And I am not even 20 weeks along yet. I am running of of cope.


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## auraleigh

vireos, so amazing!!! my nuchal was a regular ultrasound, not a 3d, that is so lucky! it's really cool to see them that early so defined. hooray for the baby recognizing its sister's voice!

tear, hope you two feel better soon!

deborah, what were you debating about the nuchal? love the ultrasound!

tenzi, i LOVE the city select. if i was having a singleton i'd be all over that. it is cost prohibitive for all the extras you have to buy for twins, and i don't like that i wouldn't be able to see the second baby (since the rear baby is so far down). i am going with the city mini double though. such a great brand!

shesaid, so freaking annoying that they wouldn't let you see the screen. my nuchal was like that. my dh was able to watch but she wouldn't let me see! finally i said something and she said she'd let me look when she was done, but it was like a 30 second glance and she was over it. not what i had expected. my peri's office has a tv on the wall so i can watch what they are doing without breaking my neck trying to sneak a peak. it's much nicer!

blue- it will be so great when the house projects are done. then you can really get to arranging! what color are you painting? i love decorating so much, i can't wait to do it! i agree that registering is totally overwhelming. i am taking all the advice i can from friends, and i've been doing it online. it's easier to read reviews and compare the items. we took one trip to babies r us and one to buy buy baby to see a few products in person. i HATE babies r us. not a single person asked us (in the two hours we were there) if we needed any help. their twin merchandise is severely limited, and i found them to be overpriced on a lot of the items. i'm thinking of doing an amazon registry only. i'm sure i'll hear about it from a few of my mom's friends (and my dh's family because i was told they "like to touch things", but all our friends and everyone else orders online. it's cheaper, easier with returns, and has a great mom program.

renavoo, how are you doing? babies keeping you busy? you're right, with these twins i'll be getting an ultrasound every two weeks or so. it's pretty amazing. the only thing is that i came home COVERED in blue goop. they did vaginal and abdominal, and the paper covering wasn't enough to wipe it all off. the tech was goo happy or something. i'll take it though! i love photos! my fridge is almost full of ultrasound photos already and we're only almost 19 weeks.

vegan, your comments sent me on a youtube binge, and i forced my dh to watch all these videos about wearing twins with a wrap. i almost peed i was laughing so hard. it looks like it will take some training to get it done right, and maneuvering the babies into place is certainly funny to watch. but so freaking cute! i'm going to try to make it happen.

afm, met the peri today. i LOVE him! he made me feel so good, spent over an hour just talking to me, answered every question honestly, and made me feel like i was doing a great job (at doing something that just is happening naturally.. heheh). yesterday my ob had called me with an abnormal AFP and i freaked out, but when the peri looked at it closer he saw the lab had calculated it for a singleton pregnancy. no wonder it looked abnormal! in any case, the peri told me to totally disregard the afp, said it was antiquated, and that the anatomy scan is going to detect anything wrong anyways, so the test is useless. it made me feel a lot better, because yesterday i was practically in hysterics.

ooh and also, baby b is definitely a boy! the tech said he *thinks* baby a is a girl, but couldn't really tell. she (?) was only partially cooperating, so i'll know for sure at the anatomy scan. i'm so excited though. fluids look good, cervix is long, and all is well. i couldn't be happier.


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## auraleigh

laura, we must have cross posted! when did they do the first 1 hour test? i had one at 14 weeks and passed but they want to repeat it in a few weeks. they seem pretty convinced i am going to get it because of the twins. awesome. maybe you will pass the 3 hour? i am crossing my fingers that this gets easier for you! we all deserve easy pregnancies. seriously. we've been through enough.


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## deborahbgkelly

We just wondered if I really needed it since I'm not of advanced maternal age and whether the anxiety it could cause might be worse than not having it done. I think I want one though. DH may be harder to convince.


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## deborahbgkelly

Geeze. It acted like it didn't go through so I pressed submit a couple of times. Oy.


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## pokeyac

Moderator Note:

We're having some sort of an issue. Please do not hit "Submit" more than once. Please refresh after you submit the first time and you should see your post.


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## tenzinsmama

Aura, oh my goodness, approaching 19 weeks already?! Wow! So happy that you had such a positive visit with the peri, and how reassuring that everything looks good. Yay!

Laura, how did your test go today?


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## MOMTOALEXIS

Vireos- just had to st OMG that pic is amazing!!!


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## tenzinsmama

Yeah, Vireos, that picture is incredible!


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## deborahbgkelly

Pokey- I realize that now, but couldn't know until after it happened. I have issues with multiple postings whether the site is having problems or not. Aura- Glad you had a great appointment! I still need to schedule a meeting with the peri.


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## pokeyac

No problem, Deborah. It was happening to me and everyone else. I just wanted to spread the word by posting to some active threads.


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## deborahbgkelly

Okay. AFM- I am itching like crazy today! I have a rash on my right boob. Weird!


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## blueyezz4

*Tenzi* - thanks for the suggestions!! Keep them coming as you think of things!! I don't know much about the whole lasagna bedding thing but I do know that there are a couple different sized mattress sizes from like 4"-6" so maybe the friend that told me about that had the smaller mattress. We will see.

*vireos* - wow, that is a really cool pic. We didn't get any pic like that at our 12 wk ultrasound. That is a keeper for sure!! So cool!! I love how surrounded and protected the little bean looks in there.

*Deborah* - glad your ultrasound went well. Can't believe that was your first one w/ this pregnancy. So are you still with your RE, I take it?

*Aura* - glad to hear you like your peri!! That is great!! How cool that you got to see that one babe is a boy and maybe the other is a girl!! About the paint color... we went from a lighter green to a blue color. I'll try to post a pic below w/ the old color on top and the new one on the bottom. DH will be close to done tomorrow I think. He just has the windows and one more door and then the shelves in the first room to paint now. Carpet on Fri and then we just wait for the furniture to arrive which I'm not sure when that will be. I've been having lots of fun being crafty. Was working on his name (we think we are set but not 100% sure but can always change it) to go above his crib in wooden letters w/ scrapbook paper mog podged on to them and then tomorrow i'm hoping to work on recovering a old rocker that was my grandparents to match the decor.

*AFM* - ultrasound on Friday went great!! He is measuring 2lbs 11ozs right now and i don't have to go back until 34 wks now. My cervix is also looking good the peri said, nice and curvy which i guess they like to see. LOL There are two new pics below. He slept through most of it and I almost passed out from laying on my back in that position. The tech had me roll on to my L side which helped and gave me a cold wet washcloth for my neck. The Dr said that it's pretty common at this point b/c of the pressure of the baby and the fact that laying in that position can lower your BP which mine is normally low to begin w/. Here is the little guy giving us a little smile and his left foot. LOL


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## tenzinsmama

Blue, awwww, so nice to see the pics! I loved seeing my baby's feet, and I always like to look at their little toes because they are just so cute! About the lasagna idea, it's the bedding (mattress pad) that I'm referring to, not the actual mattress itself. I think our mattress pad is a little on the thick side just because of the fabric. So glad everything checked out well and you don't have to go back for awhile!


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## deborahbgkelly

Yes, Blue, I'm with my RE until about 10 weeks when I will see my regular OB. I also will be scheduling a consult with a perinatologist within the next couple of weeks. I'm just 7 weeks and 2 days today and the clinic likes to wait until close to 7 weeks to be sure we can detect a heartbeat. I have another one at just shy of 9 weeks (1/24) with them. My OB appointment is on 1/31.


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## laura-belle

Aura -- I did the one hour test on Monday. And no, I didn't pass the 3 hour. To be honest, I am not at all surprised that I am gestationally diabetic; I was pretty borderline before I got pregnant.

Tenzins -- The test didn't suck as badly as it could have. They only had to stick me twice on one of the four draws. I failed it miserably though.

Blue -- Wow! You can practically recognize the kid from that ultrasound pic. Glad all is going well.









Deborah -- Making progress







.

AFM -- My fasting number was decent (actually lower than I've had in a few years), but I failed all three of the other draws. I'm not actually surprised; I have been well aware that I have blood sugar processing problems for years--they just haven't gotten bad enough for an actual diagnosis. I am pretty sure that I can control it with diet (at least I hope so). The results came back Saturday, so I am expecting a call from my OBs office or from perinatology on Monday. In other news, today I have been married to my wonderful DH for 6 years!


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## vireoes

Tezins-My two will be 2.5 years apart. It is great the DH has taken over some of the night work for you. To night-wean DD I had to turn the job over to DH for a week or two. For me to have done it would have been so much more difficult. It is great when they can step up to the plate to help out in times like this. It is nice for them to have the special bonding time together too.

Laura-Congrats on the anniversary. Fingers crossed for you that you can keep the GD under control with diet. Hang tough, soon enough this will all be past and you will have the sweet little bundle of joy to hold and love and you can put all these challenges behind you.

Blue-Awesome picture-love it. Sorry the ultra sound was rough on you, that must have been a bit scary. Glad your medical team was paying attention and able to respond to the situation right away.

Deborah-Yuck to the rash, how weird. I hope it clears up fast.

Aura-They don't do nuchal screens here routinely so I got to go to the high tech lab. They switched on the 3-D when they were done with their measurements mostly for our benefit. DH even managed to sneak a couple of quick videos while they were doing it, so we can see the little babe wiggling around in 3-D. I wish they could have given us a CD with it, but it was not that kind of place. I only got the one 3-D ultrasound last time, so we tried to really enjoy it. My next scan they do at the regular clinic where you are lucky if they even give you a print out of a regular image.  I am glad to hear that your peri is great, you deserve that after the last crazy OB clinic you were at.

Vegan-I feel your pain on the eye drops. DD also got some eye issues this week and we had to put in ointment. Nearly impossible task the first few times, I felt so bad about having to do it. Now that her eye is improving it is getting a little easier, but still not fun for anyone. I hope your DD is doing better. I love the raspberry stage too. 

We had a fun day for DD birthday. She was so excited for her cake and all of today she has been super quiet as she is totally absorbed in her new toys. I was hoping they wouldn't be too challenging for her, requiring me to sit and help her continiously. Fortunately I think we hit the sweet spot and she has quietly played on her own as happy as can be. Gotta love a few minutes of peace for mommy, I know it will be hard pressed to come by once the second one arrives.


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## deborahbgkelly

Vireos- It seems to have gone away for now. I suspect it is related to the redness and itchiness from the Estrogen patches. It was just an odd place. My morning sickness (read afternoon/evening sickness) has been pretty awful. I think I'm going to have to tell my choir director I'm pregnant and see if he'll make an exception to the only missing one rehearsal rule; especially since we have more rehearsals for this concert than we have all year. I wouldn't ever try to miss more than 2 though.


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## Carlyle

Oh Blue, YAAAAY!


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## deborahbgkelly

I totally forgot to say, yay for an excellent ultrasound Blue!


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## toothfairy2be

Okay I know I have a ton to catch up on but wanted some advice before I just go ordering all over the internet. Anyone have book recommendations for a first time mama-to-be. I am thrilled to be tossing out Taking Charge of your Fertility and upgrading to some 'What to Expect when you're Expecting' but are there any other books I should order that are fan favorites??


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## deborahbgkelly

Just a warning, Toothfairy. I've heard that What to Expect has quite a bit of what can go wrong, so if that will worry you, I'd say skip it. I like the book I have pretty well: Great Expectations. It has a couple sections on what can go wrong, but it doesn't overwhelm the book. I also think a pregnancy journal is a good idea. I'm glad I had one with the boys and am planning on getting one for this babe.


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## tenzinsmama

TF, I second what Deborah has said about the What to Expect Book-- it was one of my midwives who mentioned it to me, and then as I read it I was like, Oh yeah this is why she said it... I'm trying to think of the books I like, but it's late and my brain is turned off...


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## Tear78

Wait...did I miss something? Tooth fairy, yayyyyyyyyyy!!!


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## blueyezz4

TFT - I'm still laying in bed, so I don't have the book in front of me, but I've been reading, 1 book mostly as I wait at appts, it's called "A girlfriends guide to Pregnancy" - I think that's the full name but once I get up and go downstairs I can check for sure. I'm not a big book reading type of person, wish I enjoyed it more, and that book is actually really good and is keeping my interest. It's written like one of your GF's is advising you on things that will happen in pregnancy and I've actually leaned some interesting facts - lol. I also have the what to expect book but that seems like way too much info for me. I'd rather stick to searching the Internet if I need it to be more in depth. Just my two cents.


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## blueyezz4

Tear - are you feeling better??? Hope so. When's your ultrasound too???? Keep us posted!!


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## Vegan Princess

Yeah I did hear a lot of people don't like all the what ifs in what to expect. I was already wigged about a lot of that stuff so it didn't freak me out any extra. LOL. I enjoyed "your week by week pregnancy" - though it too talks about problems of pregnancy. I suppose a lot of them do. I so wish I could just GIVE you all my books. I really enjoyed the Ina May Gaskin books too - it was really nice for me to read the birth stories - though they are pretty hippy dippy. Birthing From Within is also a nice labor prep book if you are looking for something along those lines. Now that you are pregnant you have to start thinking about giving birth. LOL!

Well my baby did indeed come down with pink eye yesterday. :-( But thankfully she is MUCH less dramatic about the drops than her big sister. And the drops do a great job of clearing it up in only a few doses (though they have to keep taking it a full week!). Oddly enough, my big girl now says she likes getting the drops. I think she realized it doesn't hurt and she loves that she gets junk after. Also I promised her a car seat for her doll if she did it nicely the entire week and now she is holding me to it. Thankfully she wants the instant gratification of buying it right now from Target than ordering it from the American Girl doll catalog where she first saw the one for her baby and waiting for it to come - saves me a boatload of money!

Blue: The u/s pics are incredible!!


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## monkeyscience

Happily stalking by to say:

Yay again TF!!!! So, so excited for you. Also, I have mixed feelings about What to Expect When You're Expecting. It's going to present you with a lot of stuff that's irrelevant to HB midwifery care and delivery, and it's not going to be very supportive of choosing less overall intervention. It's pretty much worthless for the pros and cons of various pregnancy choices - the ultimate recommendation is always "Do whatever your doctor says." On the other hand, it's a great resource for basic information on virtually everything that can happen (good, harmless, and bad) in a pregnancy. I found it to be more thorough in that regard than the Dr. Sears book (The Pregnancy Book), which was helpful because just about every pregnancy symptom to ever exist happened to me. (Except breast tenderness - not sure how I skipped what has got to be one of the most common symptoms ever!)

For me, personally, if/when I'm pregnant again, I'm going to get Pregnancy Sucks, because mine did, and I got tired of all the excessive cheeriness of other books. But I think you will have a better pregnancy than I did, so I'm not going to recommend that for you.

Also... Blue... you've come so far! It seems like just yesterday you got your BFP. So excited your little one is in a pretty safe zone now - though I hope he keeps cooking until he's fully baked!


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## tenzinsmama

I LOVED the Pregnancy Sucks book! I read it a couple of months before I got my bfp; I was trying to make myself feel better that if I didn't get pregnant, then I would spare myself all of the 'bad' stuff. LOL. I really liked all the books I could find (i.e. library) that showed the week by week changes, with lots of pictures and information about the baby's development and changes in the mother. I had a great one, but then I didn't think I would be wanting to tt#3 so I didn't keep it-- I can't remember the title of it.


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## deborahbgkelly

I also love the Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy! I'll have to check out the Pregnancy Sucks book.


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## rcr

Hi all:

Just stopping by to stalk you all.

Blue - I loved the pics, and the fact that your ticker has moved so much since the last time I was here. Last time I checked in here you were in the same week as when you lost your boys - and now look at you! You are going to be packing going-home clothes for your baby before you know it!

AFM - I haven't been to the "old thread" in a while. I am working on moving toward donor embryos, but haven't really felt like chronicling it there. It is something that I am really excited about though.


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## rcr

Oh, and I have the girlfriend's guide to toddlers. It is good too.


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## blueyezz4

Rcr - Thanks for your kind words!! It's going pretty fast thankfully!! I'm excited for you and the donor embryos. Are you going back to Las Vegas for this or staying put??? When might you do a transfer, any idea???

AFM - I have my first NST on thurs before I see my OB. Never had that test before so we will see. DH just has to paint the two windows and then the room is done, other than carpet coming on Fri and then we wait for the furniture and need to decorate a bit. That's the fun part!!


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## tenzinsmama

rcr, that is exciting about the donor embyros! Glad to see you are still popping in, and keeping us updated on your plans. I'm going to have to check out that book you mention...

Blue, rcr is right-- that ticker is moving on to the right more quickly than I realize! Nice to hear that the renos have done so well and the fun part is just around the corner. What colors are you going with?

AFM, I had my blood drawn yesterday for a re-check on my prolactin levels. Tomorrow I go to the RE to talk about all my fertility test results, which were done at the end of October (I've been waiting this long to talk to the doc because I needed to wait for time to pass and a decrease in the nursing, so my prolactin levels would get back down). We shall see what she says. DH isn't coming with me, since he's staying home to look after the kiddies. As for other news, DD's naps during the day have been stellar and plus she is now sleeping through the night and she is night-weaned... and I can't tell you enough just how good it feels to have that happen! The only thing needing to be worked upon now is me getting to bed earlier. I get sucked into doing things in the evening-- things I can't get done during the day, plus watching a bit of TV (I'll admit, I've been watching The Bachelor). And the other bit of news is that we are close to adopting a dog, so that our sweet Asha has a companion again. Well, the dog isn't just for her, she is for us too. We have a second visit scheduled for Saturday, and then we make our decision.

Hope everyone else is doing well!


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## rcr

Blue - I am not going back to Vegas. I could never afford donor eggs there. We were looking into California Conceptions, but then some donor embryos came available from my old RE. So I am kinda pursuing both. they have the same prerequesites (saline u/s and bloodwork, dye test, etc.), so I am doing those at my old RE and sending the results to California Conceptions in case the transfer from the old RE doesn't work, I can move quickly to California. The old RE has a much lower success rate (because CC is new embryos from donors, and old RE is from frozen embryos from people with fertility problems). the thing that kinda annoys me about CC is that they don't believe in NK cells, so he won't do interlipids. I am talking to my old RE on Friday to see what she thinks and if she will do it.


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## Vegan Princess

RCR: I'm so glad you came an updated us! Please keep us posted. You know we are all rooting for you!!! What does your timeline look like? Will you need to wait until school break to transfer? Maybe not since you don't have to go through retreival and stimming. Oh I hope this is so much easier and less stressful on you than your own IVFs were!

I am sick. I've been coughing for weeks. Now I think I have a fever and the cough just sucks. I finally got an antibiotic today. It's tough taking care of 2 kids when you feel like crap. Coming here though just reminds me to be so thankful for this opportunity to take care of them - sick or not! But the tv is still my friend.

Cindy


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## rcr

Vegan - I am trying to get all the required tests out of the way so that I can transfer during spring break, which is the second or third week or March. So If I do it all during my next cycle then I think that will happen. I will keep you updated. Sorry you are sick. I have been washing my hands like every half hour trying to avoid getting sick!


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## Vegan Princess

Oh yay RCR - that's not too far off! I'm excited for you!! And if you do end up out my way, be sure to PM me for ideas of fun things to do with your son. 

Cindy


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## rcr

Thanks Vegan. I am hoping that I won't have to go out that way. I am trying with my old RE first.

Blue - Did you do the interlipids after you found out your were pregnant? I am a little concerned because neither of the REs I am considering want to do them. One (my old RE) says that she can't because it is considered experimental and she would have to go through a review board at the hospital that would cost $1,500. Although I think that if I pressed her I could have Dr. Fisch order it (she mentioned that). The other one (in California) seems to not want to do it at all.


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## blueyezz4

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *rcr*
> 
> Blue - Did you do the interlipids after you found out your were pregnant? I am a little concerned because neither of the REs I am considering want to do them. One (my old RE) says that she can't because it is considered experimental and she would have to go through a review board at the hospital that would cost $1,500. Although I think that if I pressed her I could have Dr. Fisch order it (she mentioned that). The other one (in California) seems to not want to do it at all.


*rcr* - Sorry i wanted to post earlier when you first wrote about the intralipids but things have been crazy busy around here lately. Anyways, you had your testing done for the NK cells through Sher right?? So they sent them to like Reprosource or somewhere legit?? If you have elevated numbers I would be very leary to do a transfer if they won't treat you for them, but that is my opinion. I had mine done though a allergist dr who was willing. So my RE sent the order and he was willing to infuse them. Maybe you could do that have Fisch send an order and find someone one else that does regular infusion do it. I did have intralipids done when i got pregnant once a month up until 24 weeks i think it was. No big deal at all. I'd order it from Freedom (28$) and it would come to my house and then next day i'd take them to the allergist office and the nurse would infuse over like 3 1/2 hrs or so. Let me know if you have any other questions.


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## Tear78

Blue, didnt you have an us today? Happily following you! We have to start getting things ready, too. Holy cow! 

RCR, it's so good to hear from you! You could always fly out here and go to my clinic. They're awesome and they do Intralipids and donor embryo transfers. And i think theyre a lot cheaper than many places. its called cny fertility. i don't know how realistic that is, but you were flying to Vegas so I threw it out there. Plus. Could visit!









Blue, I'm feeling pretty good, thanks for asking! I'm starting to feel like my body and brain can't quite keep up at work, and I'm clonking out with Anika pretty much nightly. I'm 31 weeks now, so I really do have (hopefully) a ways to go yet. My us is next Wednesday. I'm trying to go one day at a time and ignore my growing senioritis at work. ;-)

Ok...must go back to bed now. Love you ladies!


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## blueyezz4

*Tear* - No, actually it was last Friday!! That's okay i know it is hard to remember. I have a hard enough time remembering my own things. LOL There are pictures on the page before this one. All went well thanks!!! Hope that all goes well w/ your u/s Wed. Keep us in the loop!!!!

*Rcr* - when i was looking for places that would do my intralipids i called all over and finally found that you have to find a place that does IVIG which is commonly done at an allergy/immunology office so if you can figure that one out you might have better luck. When i talk to them you can tell them that it is simpler than doing an IVIG iv which they will like and if you can get Dr. Fisch to send the order to freedom and to them to do it that will kinda take the responsibility off of their backs which they will also like. I'm excited for you to get things going!!!!!

*Hope* - how's that new baby doing and how is everyone else adjusting?? Hope things are going well!!!!!

*Aura , and all others that asked* - The walls went from like a celery green to a blue. I remembered to put the pic below w/ the old color on top and the new blue on the bottom.

*How is everyone else doing??? I think we need some updates on how everyone is doing!!!!!!*

*AFM* - had my OB appt yesterday w/ my first NST (non-stress test) and I passed the test (or should say the boy passed his test since they are looking at his heart rate when he moves around) and i didn't have any contractions which is good. They only bad part was that I was in a seated kinda reclined position again and almost passed out again. Good grief. The girl had to lower the head of the bed/chair thing so i could lay down and get on my L side fast before I really passed out. It took some time this time to get back to feeling normal again. My BP was like 94/62 Ugh!!! My OB said w/ the rest of this pregnancy to not lay/recline on my back what-so ever b/c it's only going to get worse as he gets bigger and puts more pressure on my body. So next week when i have the test again i have to either sit or lay on my L side she said. I was awake last night from like 3am until 6:30am b/c i just couldn't sleep for some reason and then the bean was kicking/punching away which didn't make it any easier to sleep. Carpet came today and looks great. Oh and my OB told me that the Ultrasound reports actually said that he is a little bigger than normal and is in the 63rd percentile. DH was pretty big when he was born and he was a triplet and 4 weeks early and weighted 6lbs 1oz and was the biggest of the 3 of them. So we will see.


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## deborahbgkelly

Blue- How wonderful! You must be getting excited. AFM- My nausea has dissipated quite a bit so I'm actually functioning again. Yay! The switch to Zuplenz combined with frozen lemonade seems to have done the trick. I get slightly queasy once in a while but no multiple trips to the toilet. My pup decided to do yoga with me the other day. It was pretty cute and funny.


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## Tear78

Blue,







I saw those pictures! Lol. They're awesome! Seriously, lately, ive had a brain sucker sucking out all my smarts. seriously. im at meetings and im like, ok...sloooooooow dooooown. what are we talking about? please tell me other people have experienced this in pregnancy? lol. I think I got confused because I knew you had your NST yesterday and I didn't know what that was. I. Glad you guys did well! I get really woozy within a minute of lying on my back now, too. I'll be trying to help dd sleep, and I'll doze for a minute and wake up feeling panicky and short of breath and have to quickly go onto my left side. Sorry you almost passed out again! Are you still on bed rest, btw? How are you doing with that? As I drag myself through each work day I sometimes think how nice it would be to just stay in bed, but I know that I would go nuts if I really I had to do it. Thinking of you! I'm so glad to see you getting all big and round and decorating your nursery! Btw, dds room is almost the exact same blue.


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## hope4light

hey all! Im posting,from my phone so can't really catch up on personals but wanted to let you all know I've been keeping up on you, late at night lol. Tf2b _ yeah, congrats!

We are doing good, adjusting well. Little guy has witching,hours in,the middle of the,night and dh has been gone since Tuesday so I'm a bit tired lately. Dd loves ds and wants to hold him all the time. Shes had a couple bouts of jealousy but shes doing,great.


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## hope4light

Dang dup posts... So I will mention that bfing is going great, and ds was back to birth weight by a week old!


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## deborahbgkelly

Tear78- Blood is going to baby not to mama, so totally normal. Also, it doesn't go away after baby is born. I hear it just gets worse and mine didn't completely go away after the boys. It definitely is magnified during pregnancy though.


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## laura-belle

RCR -- Yay, that is moving fairly quickly







.

Blue -- I like the new colour! No fun on the passing out bit though--I worry about that.

Deborah -- Cute dog







. Glad you are feeling better.

AFM -- I went to the Gestational Diabetes class on Tuesday. Their dietary advice sucks a lot--not a shock really, but still. The dietician told a room full of not terribly overweight pregnant women (I was probably the heaviest) not to worry about getting enough calories, then recommended eating enough carbs to keep me going for 3 days in normal circumstances. Not impressed. I have my meter and the numbers I need to meet though, so... Other than that, not much is going on here. I am feeling him move a lot more though







.


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## rcr

Blue - thanks for the info about the interlipids. My local RE is going to look at my info from Fisch and see what she thinks. I don't know what to do. I think that she may do it if I press her (well, not do it herself, but I could ask Fisch to do it). But if Fisch orders it it can't be done in my state, because there is a law that only doctors in my state can write orders (I found that out when I was doing cycles in Vegas), so I would have to fly to Vegas. I guess I will just wait to see what she says. Thanks for the info.


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## Tear78

Knock, knock. Where is everybody? Our u/s went well and the little guy is measuring a bit ahead actually according to the u/s. hopefully everything will continue to go smoothly and we'll get our vbac. We're 32 1/2 weeks so it feels equally right around the corner and ages away. How is everybody else doing?


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## shesaidboom

Hi ladies! Sorry I've been so quiet lately. Things here have been okay. I'll be 12 weeks on Tuesday. I was put on medication for nausea and it has made a huge difference. I'm still nauseous 24/7, but am only throwing up a few times a day and can keep food down. I've also gotten a lot of my energy back! For a while I couldn't do much at all without getting completely exhausted. I've heard it's normal to feel best in the second trimester, so I'm hoping that rings true. I will be having an IPS screen on Tuesday and my GP promised me that this time we will actually get to see the baby on ultrasound and get pictures to take home. Sorry for not posting personals, I will catch up on everything I missed after hitting the submit button.


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## deborahbgkelly

Hi- I've been feeling really sick today and also have some other stuff going on, so I'll fill people in more later in the week.


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## Carlyle

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Tear78*
> 
> it feels equally right around the corner and ages away.


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## auraleigh

hello ladies!

blue, i LOVE the color. it looks beautiful! how are you feeling? i didn't realize your dh was a triplet! that is so cool! and a huge triplet, at that.

deborah and shesaid, sorry to hear you are both not feeling well.

tear, you're so close!!! is he head down? you'll be in labor before you know it!

hope, so glad to hear all is well! i'm so happy he's feeding like a champ, and how sweet is it that your dd loves him so much! hopefully once your dh comes home you'll be able to catch up on some sleep.

laura, did you get anything good from the class at least? my peri wants me to do another glucose test because my last ob gave me one knowing i was on metformin. and i guess the metformin totally negates the test results. duh. so glad i switched from that stupid place. they are worthless. i've been off of it for almost two weeks now, so once they feel it's totally out of my system i'll have to do another 1 hour test. blech. how are you feeling? how has your blood sugar been?

i had my anatomy scan on friday and all looks good. we're having a boy and a girl! i've already picked out names, it feels so nice to have that out of the way. we may change our minds a million times before they come, but i have a feeling these names will stick. our little lady is head down against my cervix (impatient like me) and is in the 34th percentile for weight. her brother is breech and high up on my left side, and he's in the 51st percentile. I was concerned about the 15% difference in size, but the dr said because she's a girl it probably explains why she's smaller, and he will keep an eye out, but isn't concerned. it was really funny to watch them moving in the ultrasound, especially when they went to measure her skull and all we kept seeing were little feet kicking her in the face! i can't believe it's starting already! heheh


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## blueyezz4

*Aura* - Yay!!!!!! A







&







!! How awesome!!! Glad everything looked good!! Are you keeping the names quiet until they are born? That's pretty much our plan. I'm hanging in there, see my AFM for more details. Hope you are feeling well. I have to say, enjoy the 2nd tri b/c it's for sure the best time of pregnancy!!!!

*Carlyle* - always love seeing your name pop up around here!!!

*Deborah* - How many weeks are you again? Hope all that nauseousness goes away once you hit the 2nd tri!!! Also, hope that the PIO welts go down too. I know i had mine for like 2 months before they finally went away, but they did. It is crazy b/c i get progesterone shots once a wk from a home nurse and her technique is so much better than DH's (she has way more training I should say) and it hurts for a bit and then goes away that day and no welts what so ever. She kinda pushes the skin to the side to get to the muscle and then inserts the needle all while i'm standing and i kinda lean on the leg/side I'm not getting the shot on and then really slowly injects it and then when she pulls it out she does that slow too and i think when she jabs it in there it is slower than DH was taught as well. All of those things help. You aren't still on PIO are you?

*Shesaid* - sorry to hear you aren't feeling well. Are you drinking lots of cold water and eating salty things like pretzels? Those were my go to saviors!! I also had to keep eating even though it sounded awful it seem to help if i could try and keep things in my stomach. Hope your 12 u/s goes well. Is this for a downs screening or what??

*Tear* - so glad to hear that he is doing well and measuring ahead!! How funny that both of our boys are overachievers already!!!! LOL Must mean they are going to go places in life!! Or so we can think!!! So do they think you are just carrying differently or why are you measuring small then on the outside? I have a long torso so i think that is why people keep telling me that i look small. All i can say is that clothes hide A LOT!!!!!!!!!! I feel huge when i look at my naked belly.

*rcr* - any luck w/ the intralipids?????? Just checking in on you and hoping things are going well. Keep us updated! You know we are all cheering for you and soooo soooo want this for you!!!!

*Hope* - how are things for you???? Hope all is getting into a routine at home and that he is doing well. Who is your pediatrician by the way? When you get some free time (who knows when that would be) you should try and fill us in on your birth story. Would love to read how it all went down and how your labor went. Thinking of you and hoping things are good.

*Laura* - hope you are doing well and having luck getting that sugar under control.... yuck but it will be worth it!!!

*Kewpie* - any news? The house done yet? How are the babes?

*Keria* - haven't heard from you in awhile either!! How are things?

*Tenzi*, *Belly, Rena*, *Lyndi -* Hope you ladies and babes all are well!!

*Hi to everyone that I missed.... i'm sure I missed a few.*

*AFM* - Can't even believe it, but today we are 30 weeks!!!!







Where has the time gone???? 10 more weeks to go! I think I can do this!! I am realizing though that the 2nd tri was so nice. Once I hit the 3rd tri I feel like I'm getting some of the 1st tri yucky symptoms back. Anyone else have this??? I have found two times this week that if i over do one day (like on my feet too much and skip my 30 min cat nap) then the next day I feel like crap and have to be plastered to the couch the whole next day. The first time it happened I was worried that I was getting the flu or something b/c i could hardly move and was so tired i just laid on the couch most of the day. Even sitting up made me kinda feel nauseous and light headed, so i'd have to lay down again. Then the day after spending the day on the couch chilling i felt fine and then later in the week it happened again and i knew it was my body's way of telling me to take it easy and that i must be over-doing. So annoying b/c in the 2nd tri i felt like i had so much more energy and could keep going. I had my 2nd NST last thurs and he was moving around like crazy during it. The tech said she also thought he had hick-ups too which was only adding to the noise you could hear. Oh, i wanted to let you ladies know that I spoke w/ my insurance company and they cover a breast pump, so you ladies might want to look into that. There have been changes in healthcare and some insurance companies are now covering them, so be sure to call and ask b/c you can get one free or maybe some charge. I was worried b/c we have a massive co-pay and we haven't met it yet, so i thought for sure we would have to pay for it, but nope. I have to call after he is born and they will ship it to me in a week they said. So be sure to check into that. Not much else going on. Just been finding fun things to decorate the walls of the nursery and working on organizing his closet now that the carpet has aired out I can move stuff from the one bedroom closet into his. Kinda excited. Can't wait for the furniture to come in and then it will really seem more real. Oh and was trying to do research on a pediatrician too!!! Hope everyone is well!!!


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## deborahbgkelly

Blue- I actually have nodules that they may need to drain as a result of the PIO shots. I am not on the shots anymore and told the clinic that they need to put in my chart not to put me on them again. I am on Endometrin Suppositories, but will be starting to wean off next week. I am 9w1 day along today and they start weaning us off around 10 weeks. I have blood-work 2/1 and that determines how things will be adjusted. How exciting to be at 30 weeks! AFM- Had a ton of pain all over today and started to worry. I did some yoga (kitty joined me) and then took a really long nap. So much better!


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## deborahbgkelly

Rainbow Baby Kelly belly pic time: 9w2d


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## shesaidboom

*deborah* - sorry you've been feeling so sick. Love the pictures!

*auraleigh* - a boy and a girl!! That's so exciting. I'm glad everything looks good. How funny the little guy was kicking his sister in the face on the ultrasound!

*blueyezz* - yes to the cold water, but I didn't know that salty things can help. I'll have to pick something up! Thank you. The ultrasound is a screen for downs and some other trisomies. We weren't going to do it but since we didn't get to see birdie on the first ultrasound we changed our minds.
Congrats on 30 weeks! You're 3/4 done! I'm sorry some of the symptoms are coming back.

*AFM -* I had the nuchal scan today and DH and I finally got to see something! Birdie was sleeping for most of it, so the tech kept making me cough to wake him/her up. Then he/she was bouncing all over. It was really cute! The quality of the ultrasound and pictures are so terrible though. Much worse than any I've seen around. I don't know if it's due to quality, but birdie's head seems a funny shape to me. I hate over analyzing things, but the forehead seems huge and really curvy. They didn't say anything (I actually had two techs since one was training), but I'm a bit worried about it now. What do you think?


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## auraleigh

shesaid, i also had a terrible quality ultrasound screen for my nuchal! the photos we got were probably the worst quality of all the photos i've received so far. i don't know if it has something to do with positioning? high enough for abdominal ultrasound but not high enough for good resolution? i wouldn't worry about the head shape, it looks fine! i was convinced one of my babies had spine issues and it was just positioning and shadows. at the anatomy scan he looked perfect. congrats on getting to see the baby again! it's so fun, isn't it?

blue, what's funny is i've told all of my close friends the names already. and our family. granted, they could always change, but for right now i think we know the names we are going with. it feels good to have the names chosen, because it makes the babies feel more real. sorry to hear you are feeling so exhausted! please take it easy. the little guy has 10 more weeks to hang out!

today i was so tired that i was really tempted to call out of work. so tempted. but i also know i need all the time i can to use for drs appts and babies. my stomach is starting to feel huge. the babies were doing something odd today, maybe twisting, and it was almost painful. and they're still tiny! i can't imagine what is to come. i will say though that i am majorly in love with my snoogle pillow. it took my insomnia away, and i toss and turn a LOT less than i used to. and there's still room for dh on the bed!


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## rcr

Blue - my local RE is going to look at the info that Fisch is sending her.

Jut popping in to say hi. I was out of town for a week cleaning out my mom's house. It felt good to see everything through to the end - I have been her sole caretaker for so long, it just felt right to take care of all her her last tasks. I cried many times, but it felt good to be the one to do it.


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## Carlyle

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *rcr*
> It felt good to see everything through to the end - I have been her sole caretaker for so long, it just felt right to take care of all her her last tasks. I cried many times, but it felt good to be the one to do it.










That's got to be so hard.


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## hope4light

hey everyone! Posting,from my phone,again, so im gonna catch up some.

Tear I cant believe youre 33 Weeks! Time is flying.

Aura yeah for a girl and boy! Thats so exciting, and funny that the beating up has already begun lol.

SSB im sorry that youve been so sick! Glad youre feeling a little better though.

Blue oh my time is flying, 30 Weeks! Yikes! With my DD I had the symptoms come back in the third tri, I think its pretty normal. My ped is Dr Christine Wu in Westlake on Clague. I think the practice name is partners in pediatrics, its part of UH. I like her a lot, plus she does interviews which so many dont. She has been so supportive for , extended breastfeeding, taking care of reflux with both kids now, when I call with questions I get calls from her and not a nurse, etc. there is one doc I hate there, so let me know if you end up there and ill explain that. Dr Wu works PT but always gets us in.

Deborah that sucks on the nodules! You are looking so cute!

Aura I think the head is normal!


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## hope4light

r cr hi! Glad to see you and see that you are making the decisiona that are right for you.

Afm ds is 3 Weeks old now and we are in reflux he##. Hes been on meds already for a week and they arent helping. Ped wants me to pump and do bottles for 2 days with cereal to see if it helps, that way we know ots just reflux and not something more that would require an ultrasound to further diagnose. She wont give stronger meds til hes a bit older which I totally get but in the meantime its been rough. Especially BC dd wants some attention too! She is home with me during maternity leave. Fun times.

I promise ill post my birth story as soon as I can get on the real computer! Please know im reading every day! Hugs to everyone!


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## deborahbgkelly

Thanks ladies for the compliments and support. The nodules are now a skin infection :-(. Hoping that my OB will give me some antibiotics tomorrow and/or make a recommendation as to next steps. I was supposed to go back to the internist yesterday, but she tested positive for the flu, so we didn't want me going in since she had been in the office that day.


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## deborahbgkelly

We lost this baby. No heartbeat this morning.


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## tenzinsmama

Deborah, oh my gosh, I had to read your post 3 times because I did not want to believe it. I just don't have any words... I am so, so sorry for your loss. My heart is breaking for you right now. I can't imagine what you are going through right now...


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## blueyezz4

Deborah- I'm so sorry to hear about this loss! Did your Dr have any idea what is going on? Have you ever been tested for natural killer cells or done genetic testing? Life is so not fair for sure!! Keeping you and your DH in my thoughts and prayers.


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## Vegan Princess

Oh Deborah NO! I am so so sorry. :-( I have no words that will make you feel any better. Please know you and your DH will be in my thoughts and prayers. Sending you hugs.

Cindy


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## deborahbgkelly

Blue- I haven't been tested for NK cells, but I have had genetic testing. I had the Ashkenazi panel done before our first iVF, we did find that I'm homozygous positive for MTHFR after we lost the boys, but had therapies in place for that, and we tested for clotting factors which came back negative..The doctor doesn't have any idea what's going on but said that I am at higher risk for miscarriage b/c of the MTHFR. I will ask about NK cell testing.


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## deborahbgkelly

Do you have any favorite articles on them? I do have several autoimmune issues and I wonder how much of a role they are playing in these losses. Everyone- Thank you for your kind words.


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## toothfairy2be

deborah- I'm so sad to hear you lost your baby. My heart hurts for you.


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## auraleigh

deborah, i'm so sorry for your loss. there are no words.


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## vireoes

So sorry for your loss Deborah. I can't imagine what you are going through.


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## laura-belle

Deborah -- I am so sorry.


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## Tear78

Deborah














. I'm so sorry!


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## shesaidboom

Oh Deborah, I am so very sorry. My heart sank when I read your post and I really cannot believe this. There are just no words that suffice. You are in my thoughts and prayers.


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## deborahbgkelly

Thank you everyone.


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## hope4light

Deborah I am so so sorry. My heart sank when I read your post. There are no words that any of us can say, but please please,take care of yourself. You and your dh are in my thoughts and prayers.


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## blueyezz4

*Hope* - so good to see your name pop up again!!! I had a friend and her baby boy had awful reflux and i think like projectile reflux/vomiting and she took him to a special chiropractor and after just a few sessions it went away. She didn't want to put him on meds so she tried that first and it worked. I'll send you a PM w/ the name and info. in case you are interested. Just a thought.

*Deborah* - I don't have any articles for you...sorry. You might be able to do a google search or the other option would be to go on to Dr. Sher's website on his discussion board (he actually answers question on his Vegas board) and post a question about it. I'm sure though that w/ all your other immune things that are going on you could very well have active natural killer cells and if that is the case, they could be attacking the fetus. Supposedly there is only like 2 or 3 places in the US that do the right kind of testing for it though. It can't just be Natural killer cells from a reg lab... i had that done first and they said it was fine but then when i had the other place do their test it was high. I had mine done through Reposource which is out of like NH or boston area, but i think there is another one in CA too. Dr. Sher also will do phone consults too. You have never done chromosome testing though, right??? Something is going on and it's just not fair!!

*rcr* - sending







your way!!!! Hope you are continuing to heal from your mom's passing. I'm glad you were able to be the one to go through her stuff and have that kind of closure. She will always be watching over you and in your heart!! I know w/ the intralipid thing you could have gotten preg w/ your DS and didn't have the natural killer cells then, but b/c you have done so many transfers since then, your body can actually build up NK cells since then, is my understanding. I got preg w/ our twins (no ones knows if our pre-term labor loss could have been b/c of killer cell though or not) w/ no intralipids. I just feel that since it supposedly can't hurt anything and is simple and causes no side effects, I decided to stick w/ it even after we got preg on our own (but had done intralipids like 2 months before, so it still might have been active in my system at the time) just to be safe. My RE and Dr. Sher recommended for me to continue. My RE said if i was his daughter or wife he would recommend it if they had my NK numbers and there was no benefit to either dr since i was doing it all on my own. Just my 2 cents.... I'd hate to see you spend all that $ on doing donor embryos if your body is going to attack it no matter what, if the whole killer cells is legit. I know it is so hard to know what to do and can be so frustrating trying to make a decision esp when you don't have a dr in your town that is willing to believe that it could be true. Thinking of you!!

*Aura* - you need a ticker!! I keep forgetting how far you are??

*How is everyone else doing??? So glad tomorrow is Friday!!!!*


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## rcr

Deborah - I saw your post on the other side. I am so sorry. I don't know what to say. But I am so sorry.


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## rcr

Blue - Thanks for the advice about the NK cells. I don't know what to do. the two options that I have right now are my local RE and the california conceptions clinic, neither of which will do interlipids. So my only other option is to not do donor embryos. I guess I am going to take my chances, since I am not really ready to stop TTC. I did just have the interlipids done for my last cycle on Dec 3. Do you know how long they are good for? I think I am going to do the FET in March. Maybe (hopefully) there will be some leftover effect from the interliid by then?


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## LeeNYC

Deborah - so sorry to hear of your loss. Having been through a couple of miscarriages myself (at 7-8 weeks, also after hearing a heartbeat) I know how awful it is. There's nothing you should have done differently - it's just bad luck.

When you're ready, if you think you might have immunological issues, perhaps check out Dr. Beer's work: http://repro-med.net/

Wishing you well in your grief, your healing, and your journey. I hope you have good support from your family and your doctor. Hang in there.

--Lee


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## Tear78

RCR, I forget if I said this but my clinic tests for NKC and does Intralipids infusions. They have locations in Rochester, Syracuse, and Albany ny. They also do donor embryo transfers, and I've heard they're fairly inexpensive as clinics go. It's called CNY Fertility. I don't know if any f those locations are possible for you.







. I'm sending you huge hugs as you process your mom's passing.


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## Carlyle

Oh no Deborah. I am so so sorry.


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## deborahbgkelly

Thank you everyone. Blue- We did do chromosome testing on the boys and everything was just fine with them. At this point, neither DH nor I feel we can try again, but if we change our minds, I will look into NK cells. My clinic does use Reprosource for testing, but I'm not sure if they tested that. Lee- This one may have just been bad luck, but we had a clear reason for the loss of my sons and it had to do with a genetic issue with me. We had therapies in place to hopefully prevent a repeat. I'm still trying to decide whether I want chromosome testing on this one. I probably will want it, but am not positive.


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## auraleigh

blue! i'll be 22 weeks on sunday. it's kind of hard to believe. i can't figure out how to make tickers work, i have issues. i blame it on pregnancy brain as i'm pretty tech savvy otherwise. the other night i finally felt our little boy from the outside. it was so weird to have this strange little lump! i made dh touch him (he is so gentle, i think he's scared of crushing a baby) but i was poking around and he rolled over! it was so crazy. that's the first time i've felt them in that way, it was exciting. our little girl is so far down against my cervix, and i think the placenta or something is in the way, because i can't quite feel her lump yet. i keep searching for it though! next week is our fetal echo. kind of nervous, although they didn't see anything at the anatomy scan so i guess i shouldn't freak out too much. just another chance to see my babies. how are you feeling this week? keeping busy decorating?

hope everyone is doing well and that your babies are keeping you happily busy!


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## rcr

Tear - thanks. I didn't know that CNY did interlipids. That is good to know. They are popular on the egg donor forum that I stalk sometimes. I think that they are one of the more affordable options. If this donor egg cycle with my local RE doesn't work, I may look into them instead of the California clinic.


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## BucketOfRain

Deborah: I am so, so sorry for your loss. You will be in my thoughts.


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## BucketOfRain

It has sure been a while since I have checked in. First trimester exhaustion is no joke

Vireos: your ultrasound pic was amazing, so glad that all is going well! When did you tell your daughter? We are still waiting to tell mine but can't wait, she has been talking about her imaginary brothers and sisters so I think she will be so freaking excited!

Vegan: your kids are spaced exactly what mine will be, 3 years, 8 months. I always thought I would have kids really close together because I also close with my brother who is only 18 months older and I wanted that for my kids. Now, I feel like this spacing is going to be just great, I hope it goes as well as your has. I am just worried about it being such a big adjustment for my daughter to is used to being the center of attention

Laura: how exciting, a baby boy! Congrats on 6 years of being married!

Tenzins: I hope some of bf uneasiness has worked it's way out one way or another and that you are finding a balance to maintain sanity! I remember going through it and feeling so alone, and thinking why am I finding this so difficult when everyone else has no problems....I was of course, so wrong. It was one of those things that until i started talking about my own struggles that I just didn't realize so many other people had been through the same thing and had the exact same worries

Hope: congratulations!!

She said: 12 weeks, yay... I'm sorry you have been so sick, I hope you start to feel better soon. So glad you got to see the baby at your scan, I'm sure the forehead is just fine! Their heads are still way bigger than the rest of their bodies at 12 weeks so it will probably not seem as big when the rest of the body catches up!

Tear: 30 weeks is close, I hope getting everything set up is going well, what a fun, fun time!

Blue: love your colors, hope you are feeling good! That baby foot is adorable!

Aura: it's so cool that you know which baby is which when you feel them move. I wake up everyday and feel tempted to call out of work but I just keep trying to push through because I know I will need those days later, it would just be so nice to lay around on the couch one extra day a week

Tooth fairy: did I ever say congratulations, I think I did somewhere else but just in case, congratulations!! I'm sure you have gotten tons of books by now, my two cents is that what to expect has so much information, which I really wanted with my first pregnancy as I felt so unsure about everything, so it was a good reference to have around. The girlfriends guide, I never had it, but many of my girlfriends recommended it. Also, belly laughs, it's Jenny McCarthys pregnancy book, not good for any real information or anything but quite a funny take on many of the body changes etc. that come along with pregnancy - good for a laugh when you need one! Hope you are feeling good!

RCr: I love your new plan and so, so hope that you find a way to pull it all together!

Hi to everyone else!

Afm: I'm 14 weeks today, yay! 12 week scan and blood work were good. I just told my job this week and am starting to feel better I'm still exhausted but nausea is way down/mostly gone!


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## auraleigh

bucket, so glad to hear you're feeling better! and hooray for a good nuchal! passing each test is a major relief. i sympathize with wanting to to stay home. every morning i drag myself out of bed. last night i had terrible heartburn, couldn't get comfortable, and then had crazy nightmares... plus i had to wake up an hour early for work. i wanted to cry i was so tired! and then my dh tells me he thinks he has a little cold and is taking the day off. i was so mad i couldn't even talk to him. i believe i stomped off to take a shower. heheh. jealous much?

how is everyone doing? i've been feeling kicks like crazy this week, which is a nice change. and tonight dh and i watched my stomach start moving and changing shape! it was so weird and creepy and magical. baby boy is a squirmer!

i have a question for all the moms. did you have crib mobiles? i had been hoping to sleep train with a white noise machine (white noise on = sleep, white noise off = get up!) because i know it works for a few of my friends. i was planning on getting some pretty mobiles that hang from the ceiling to give the babies something to look at. however some of my other friends are insisting that i need crib mobiles that play music and move and all that. how does that work with twins? i am just imagining out of sync competing lullabyes. did anyone skip a musical crib mobile? or is it something i need to get? they also all seem to be jungle creatures or sea creatures for some reason. so weird!


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## tenzinsmama

BucketofRain, I'm feeling much better about nursing... I just had to come to terms with the fact that my nursing relationship with my son and daughter have turned out to be different, and basically let go of the guilt I felt for not enjoying bf'ing as much this time around. My toddler has just kept me so busy, that I never had many times when I could just sit and nurse and be totally caught up in the moment of it... not to mention that it wasn't as wondrous anymore a few months in with my daughter. It's gotten better in terms of her not kneading my side like bread dough and digging her nails into me, too. Funny how annoying that made me at the time, but I was so freakin' sleep deprived after a few months-- I'm still sleep deprived but not as bad. Ahhhh, sleep...I think the last time I slept through the night was... ummm, yeah, that would be before I got pregnant with DS-- so, 39.5 months ago!

Aura, I ended up buying an expensive crib mobile for DS, but they are used for such a short time, I don't think it was worth it. And it wouldn't fit on the crib either, even with the adaptor, because of the design of the wood (flat, as opposed to round). So we had to forgo the frame part and just hang the stuffies with the music box on a line from the ceiling. For DD, I went to Ikea and bought one of their little mobiles without the music-- so cute, it had a dragonfly, bee, ladybug, and something else on it. I hung it from the ceiling on a line, it ended up being very dainty and had a neat look to it. It's up for such a relatively short time, I didn't feel bad when I took the Ikea one down because it was something like $10, whereas the other one was $60. Crazy, how much a person can spend on babies! I have a couple of items in her room that play lullaby music if we want to listen to it. We use a white noise machine for each child, on the rain setting (that was what was recommended to us by the sleep consultant we used when we had problems with DS's sleep). I have a friend who has the Graco machine, and says it was really expensive and not worth the money. I really like the ones we have, they only cost $20 and $25 (two different brands/models, but basically the same). For us, the white noise machine is so good, with having our two kids... It's prevented one from waking the other up on many occasions.


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## Vegan Princess

Aura: So fun watching bellies move!!! I miss that! As for the mobile. We bought one for my older DD that I don't recall using much or she never cared for. She was the kind of kid who had to be soothed to sleep by mom or dad and woke up screaming her head off - no hanging out in the crib without being upset. We lost the piece that makes it turn but are using it for DD2. She loves to lay in the crib (we have it sidecarred to our bed) and look at that and at the mirror I have on the side. If she wakes up too early in the morning I just change her and put her in the crib to look at stuff and doze off for a while until I can nurse her back to sleep. Never would have worked with my first. Anyway, ours doesn't move and she still likes it. I caught a glimpse of my friend's crib last week. She has boy/girl twins that are 6 mos old. They were still sharing a crib and she had a mobile hanging on each side of the crib. I don't think hers turned either (Ikea I think). She just started putting them in their own cribs right after that bc their sleep schedules are not in sync right now (plus her boy is getting really big).

I find myself thinking about a 3rd baby so much lately. That is not good. LOL. Though yesterday was such a rough day that I was like "why on earth would I want another?!". The baby was still sweet and easy but my 4 yr old really was pushing all my buttons and it was just an exhausting, trying day. I know my baby is so sweet and easy now but of course in time she will become mobile and learn how to talk and become much more challenging. Thankfully, today has been a much more normal day. And thank goodness for preschool today!

Cindy


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## tenzinsmama

Vegan, your post made me smile... And I can't wait for preschool to start... ha ha. Challenging days of late over here with the oldest, phew!


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## renavoo

Hi ladies, sorry I'm MIA- It has been insanely busy at work so i haven't had time to check in. i still don't have much time but i had to write in and say:

Deborah, I am so so so sorry. my heart is broken for you. Whatever your next steps are, I'm so hopeful that you will find peace soon (and hopefully, a baby in your arms.)

Rcr, huge condolences on the loss of your mother. And i hope you get all the stuff with the intralipids squared away so that you can be holding your baby soon!

Everyone else, hi! i promise to check in soon to follow up with everyone else!


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## deborahbgkelly

Thanks Renavoo. Today has been a week since we found out we lost this one,so it was a harder day. However, I am organizing my house in an effort to prepare for a home study when we are ready. I have been getting a lot done with it and it has been surprisingly therapeutic.I struggle with organization due to a spatial learning disability, so that's why it's such a surprise that I'm enjoying it. I have a long way to go, but my coffee table is clear, one of my end tables is clear, a tv table is clear and usable again, the dog toys arepicked upandthere is no pile of dishes in the sink. These are huge accomplishments for me.


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## laura-belle

Aura -- The part with the perinatologist explaining gestational diabetes and the part with the nurse teaching us how to use the meter were both great. It was just the part with the dietician that sucked. I have been at this for a couple of weeks now and the test with the glucola was definately worse than anything else has been. I haven't had any trouble controlling my sugars with diet. Glad things are going well with you--one of each!

Blue -- Glad things are going well for you! And yeah, that is about what I've heard about the third trimester.

SheSaidBoom -- Aww.







Looks fine to me; there may be an arm up there in the pic, which might be confusing you.

Hope -- I hope things are going a bit better for you this week.

BucketOfRain -- Thanks! Hope you are starting to feel a bit more energetic.

Deborah --









Hi to everyone else!

AFM -- So far the gestational diabetes is under easy control with diet alone. I am hoping that it stays this way for a while. Sadly, my body seems to have decided to take the major pregnancy complications list as a todo list. I am not pleased. I already had maternal obesity (although with the weight I am not gaining, I may actually be exiting that category), a subchorionic hemmorage (at 13 weeks, resolved), placenta previa (may yet resolve itself), and the gestational diabetes. This week I added cholestasis to the list. It is a liver problem, highlights include itching everywhere all the time and a significantly increased risk of preterm labor and stillbirth. My pregnancy is unlikely to be allowed to go past 37 weeks.

I wanted a boring, normal, natural pregnancy. This sucks.


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## auraleigh

laura, how did they diagnose the cholestasis? just reading what you wrote makes me itchy. this baby will be worth it, and you're already past the halfway point!

renavoo, hope all is well and you have an easy time dealing with snowpocalypse!

afm, saw the peri today and everything is looking good. our little boy flipped so now they are both head down and snuggling. i prefer that to kicking each other in the head! they are now both laying diagonally across my stomach. hello stretch marks! my cervix is at 3 and holding, so the dr said he was pleased. next week is ob appt and the week after is the fetal echo. i love seeing these babies so much.


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## blueyezz4

Hello all!! I've been meaning to post, I just haven't found the time. Tomorrow is my first shower!! Ugh, I'm so not the type that likes to be the center of attention, so I'm a little nervous which sounds stupid. I'm sure it will go fine. I'll try and catch up w/ personals on Sun or the beginning of next week. Hope everyone is well and survive the big snow storm too!! Keep warm!!


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## Tear78

So bad with personals here, too, but I'm reading along and cheering for you all! We are 34 weeks here, and at this point last time I as showing some clear signs of pre eclampsia. So far, so good. I so so so hope that everything goes smoothly and we can have a healthy, vaginal birth! I can't believe that DD was born less than three weeks from this point! I'm really hoping to be able to work until my due date so I can stay home for the rest of the school year. We'll see! . I was supposed to see a chiropractor today for my hip, for which I was very excited, but the storm forced me home insteAd. I put it off until Monday. Halfway home I started to just be thankful to get home safely. Phew! Lots of snow!


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## auraleigh

blue, how was the shower!!

tear, you are so close! i'm so glad to hear that there are no pre e symptoms and it's looking good for a vaginal birth. how exciting! how much snow did you wind up getting? we only got 6 inches, it was pretty but nothing crazy.

spent all of yesterday on couch rest, so today i cleaned a bit and am on a cooking binge. chocolate chocolate chip zucchini cake is good for you, right? it's made of vegetables! i've also got a pot of mushroom barley soup going, and the house smells so good!


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## blueyezz4

Okay, I'm finally back and ready to get all caught up!! I read along on my phone, but w/ the shower and everything I have just been slacking on posting lately. Need to be better about it b/c if I'd stay on top of it it wouldn't take me so long to get caught up. Okay, here we go...

*Aura* - Mmmm.... your zuch cake sounds awesome!!! My grandmother always made zuch bread and I loved it!! I should see if my aunt has her recipe and try to make it. It was so good just warmed up in the micro for a few sec and then a little butter on top. Now i'm getting hungry!! LOL Glad to hear your little boy flipped. I think our little guy is still head down (has been for all the ultrasounds so far) b/c i think he has been kicking me in the diaphragm and ribs. It just seems like it's too high to be his fist punching me that high so i'm guessing it's a foot. Such a weird feeling being kicked from the inside and seeing your belly move at the same time. Odd, but everyone says that after you deliver you miss that feeling so i guess i'll enjoy it while it lasts. When is your next appt? This week right??? Keep us posted. Hope all goes well. About your mobile question. A dear friend gave us hers actually and it is one that projects onto itself and then later on it will project onto the ceiling. One thing that I've been told to be sure to look for in a mobile is a remote b/c you can just stand in the doorway to restart it and not actually go into the room which helps b/c sometimes when they see you it's all over.

*Tear* - glad to hear that the Pre - E is not haunting you this time!! That is great!! Wonder what makes the difference? Did the dr say? Hope you survived the snow storm and aren't still snowed in!! Do you have your Step B test soon? I think they do them around 35-38 wks? I never have had one but grabbed a info on it the other day when i was in the OB's office... being there every week gets boring so you start looking for things to occupy your time. Must be bad if I've resorted to the brochures. LOL What is up w/ having to take a sample from two places? That doesn't sound like fun at all.

*Laura* - yay for getting the diabetes under control w/ diet but boo to all the other crazy things you have going on!! What is up w/ that, you poor thing!!! I'm hoping things get under control so you don't have to deal w/ all that extra stuff. Yuck!!! Yes, easy pregnancy would be nice for sure.

*Bucket* - glad that your scan went well. How are you feeling?? How many wks are you now??

*Hope, Keria, Belly, Renavoo, Kewpie, Tenzi, Vegan, Lyndi* - how are all of you doing and how are the babes????? Prob forgetting someone, i really should have a little cheat sheet but I don't have one.

*Hope* - I just realized i never PM'd you, did I!!!! Ugh, pregnancy brain. Maybe you don't need it and he is doing better, I hope. If you do want the info just let me know. Sorry. Hope you are doing well and adjusting to having 2 at home now.

*rcr* - How are things on your end?? Any luck w/ the lipids?? I think they only last like at most 2 months in your system if that. I was having mine w/ this pregnancy every month up until 24 wks and then i stopped.

*Shesaid* - how are you doing??? How many wks now??? Keep us posted... what is next?

*Vireos* - how are you doing???

*Toothfairy* - you too, how are things????

*Deborah* - thinking of you and glad you are moving on to adoption which can hopefully fill that spot in your heart!!!

*Hopefully i didn't miss anyone.... i was just looking back on the 2nd to last page to try and refresh my memory!!!!*

*AFM - * Wow, lets see where do i start... Just hit the 32 wk mark last Sunday, can't even believe it is going so fast which is good b/c it is only getting more uncomfortable as we go. We got our nursery furniture last week so we are just letting that air out and I'm waiting on our rocker to get fixed. I had this really old rocker that probably both my dad and aunt were rocked in when they were babies and i had to take it to get the springs fixed on it and am having it recovered to match the nursery. I was going to do it myself and bought all the stuff but then found that the springs were shot in the chair so i just took all the stuff i bought and the place is doing it all. Once I get that back then we can start hanging decorations on the walls b/c we will know where the furniture needs to be exactly. So fun. i also need to get a crib mattress which i'm hoping to do this week and start letting it air out too. So much airing out to be done... LOL. Had my first shower last weekend (my church friends) which was really nice. Couple of the fun gifts that i didn't ask for but got were a Baby Bullet mixer thing to make baby food and also two friends went together and got me a big basket and just filled it w/ tons of books for our little guy which i just loved. Our next shower (family and work/some other friends) is on the 23 of this month and that one should be fun b/c it is at a friends house and she loves to host/plan parties so it will be nice i'm sure. Then my Mom and a couple friends from my home town (2 hrs away) are having a little one there in the beginning of March. I finished my thank you notes last night for this last shower and wanted to get that done before I did much else so i was waiting to post on here until I got my work done. Normally have my OB appt every Thurs w/ a non-stress test first and then see my dr afterwards and our next ultrasound is Friday March 1st in the late afternoon. Still getting weekly shots and my stitch will come out when i hit 36 weeks. I think that is about it for now. ?*??Oh, do any of you ladies or you grads have any solution for your hips hurting when you are sleeping? * I have a chiro appt soon, but ugh... by morning they both are killing me and i've tried the pillow between the knees and all and it still hurts.


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## deborahbgkelly

Blue- Thanks for the encouragement. In terms of hips, I highly recommend getting a maternity pillow. They lift your hips and you have a more even body position. Unfortunately, my fantastic one isn't sold anymore. I sometimes use it even when I'm not PG because it helps my back so much.


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## Vegan Princess

Blue: Keeping top leg elevated to at least hip level - so maybe add an extra pillow between legs. Hip stretches before bed. Epsom salt baths. But some things are just unavoidable and I think that is one of them. I just walked with my midwife today and she is 37 weeks and knows all the tricks and that is her biggest complaint bc nothing is helping her anymore either. I can't believe how far you are! So fun!!

I felt so sick last night I actually took a prego test. Never hoped a preg test would be negative before! LOL. It was though. That would be some luck to end up with kiddos 13 mos apart!

Gotta run - my 4 yr old just undressed the baby...

Cindy


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## hope4light

blue - I'd love the name when you have a chance!!! I can't believe how far along you are already. Where has the time gone?

aura - yeah for both being head down! I can't believe you're so close to the 3rd tri already. Wow.

Bucket - it really is exhausting isn't it? LOL

Vegan - Uh oh, the itch is starting 

laura - sounds like you have things under control for the GD, so that's good! I'm sorry for everything else you've been dealing with, big hugs to you.

Tear - yeah for no signs of pre-e! I can't believe how close you are, here's to hoping for a healthy vaginal birth!

AFM - Lot's going on. DS is just over a month old already, and I'm not sure when or how that happened. He really is a great little boy, but we are still struggling with reflux. We switched up his meds and had an ultrasound last week to make sure that his tummy is as it should be (it is). So, we just keep trying new things. Colic Calm is a God send, it's what allows us to get some sleep at night. We are still nursing, and he is a PIG. He wants to eat all the time. We had his 1 month check up yesterday, and he's up to 10 pounds 14 ounces (born at 8 pounds 9 ounces). He's a hoss. Crazy little guy LOL.

A week and a half ago DD got real sick. We weren't sure what was going on, but she ended up with herpes. Apparently she put her hand in her mouth after touching something that was touched by someone with a weeping cold sore. She was covered in mouth sores, had them on her tummy, her arms, her back, her neck, her face. After a number of days she stopped drinking (she already hadn't been eating solids) and ended up in the hospital for 3 days due to dehydration and the need to get an IV anti viral to get over the sores. It was horrible, and I still sit here thinking how in the he** did she get herpes of all things. Apparently by the age of 20 soem 90% or more of people have the virus i their body (because cold sore, shingles and chicken pox are all Herpes). So I know it's not the 'bad' thought of herpes, but it was horrible. She was so not herself and you could tell how miserable she was. She is still on the antiviral, but she's herself now. I'm so glad she's doing better, but it was horrible running back and forth. DH stayed with her at the hospital, but then each day I would go for about 4 hours or so to see her and hang out, and DH would take DS and come back home to shower and try to get more human. It was exhausting.

OK, I'm going to post my birth story next!!


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## hope4light

Well, it all started Monday 1/7/13, when I went in for my 40 week check up. I hadn't made any progress from my prior check up, so was hanging out at about 4 cm dilated. I was exhausted. She stripped my membranes again, but I went to work afterwords and had no inkling that labor might be coming on it's own. At the appointment she wanted to schedule my induction, and I oddly gave in and let her. I'm not even sure why, maybe just from being exhausted, maybe a little gut instinct, I'm not sure. I didn't let them push me so much with DD, so it surprised me that I did with DS.

Well, we scheduled the induction for the next day, Tuesday the 8th, at 4am. Yep, 4am. So after work I went home and we finished getting everything ready to go. My mom came over and stayed the night to take care of DD. We got up about 2:45 and ran by dunkin donuts for some breakfast on our way to the hospital. We got there exactly at 4:00.

They took us back, did all the paperwork, asked the myriad of questions, got my IV going, started fluids. At 5:00am they started the dreaded pitocin. I felt it strengthen my contractions pretty quick, but handled them well at that time.

So around 6:00 they had upped the pitocin twice, and the contractions were getting worse. The nurse asked if I planned on a epidural, and I said yes. She let me know that since I was already a 4, I could get it at any time, so she'd have anesthesia come in to just go over everything so that I could get it when ready. They came in maybe just before 6:30, went over everything and told me to let them know when I was ready. By now, the contractions were just plain evil, so I let them know I was ready. It took them a WHILE to get the epidural in, and DH finally got to come back in the room around 7:15. The epidural had worked on my left side, but I was still feeling everything on my right side, so we were trying to get it to spread to the right leg.

The OB from my office that does rounds came in around 7:30 to break my water. She checked me and quickly advised she wasn't going to break my water as I was fully dilated, and if she did, my doc wouldn't make it to deliver the baby.

Huh? Fully dilated? Already? With my DD I labored for around 29 hours (scar tissue problems). I'd only been at the hospital in labor at this point for 2 1/2, so it was a huge surprise that I was fully dilated??

I was still at 0 station, so I was good with laboring down while waiting for the doc. I didn't have the urge to bear down yet, so I was good. So we wait for the doc, the nurse gets the room all ready, and suddenly I realize that it doesn't feel like the epidural is working much anymore (not like it really ever did). Yikes. OK, deep breathing through the contractions, DH was being super helpful in helping me get through. My doc gets there, they finish everything up, and she breaks my water (it was clear).

I immediately need to bear down. They didn't even get to clean up the mess from breaking my water and I was trying to crawl myself up the bed because I needed to push. People were trying to come in my room and my OB was kicking them out saying she was about to deliver a baby. She was great, she let me follow my body's natural instinct to push. There was no counting, no 'here's a contraction, time to push' none of that. I pushed with the natural rythym of my body telling me when. And I felt every bit of it. 4 pushes, less than 10 minutes, and my sweet baby boy was born. From the start of the pitocin through delivery, my labor was a mere 3 hours and 40 minutes. He pooped on his way out.

They put him up on my chest and DH cut the cord. I honestly don't remember delivering the placenta, nor the stitches from the second degree tear. He had the cord wrapped twice, but came out SCREAMING (and boy does he have a set of lungs on him!!!) They immediately placed him on my chest and we did skin to skin. He latched on and nursed within 20 minutes of birth, and did an amazing job!! They didn't take him away to weigh him or wrap him up until over an hour after he was born. It was all skin to skin and nursing. It was amazing.

He came out with some bruising on his face that came from his speedy trip down the birth canal. It was gone by that night.

Afterwards, DH asked if I had known it was only going to take an hour after the epi if I would have tried to make it, I said yes, and I really would have.

We are so in love. DD just wants to hold him all the time. She walks around the house saying 'baby, baby' it is SO adorable. He continues to nurse like a champ, which is such a different experience than what I had with DD in the beginning.


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## deborahbgkelly

Hope- What a beautiful birth story. May you continue to have a beautiful experience as your LOs grow.


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## vireoes

I will write my update first and then get to personal if I have time. I keep putting off updating, because I know DD will wake up from her nap before I can finish. DH went away for work for two weeks, so I got the joys of single parent life. Every time he goes I have to bow to the single parents who do it every day. I need whatever little break I get at the end of the day when DH arrives home. When DH came back he immediately came down with a bad case of flu, so I ended up with taking care of two instead of catching up on rest and personal time. So finally this last week I have gotten a bit of time to catch up with things. Thankfully everything is going well with the pregnancy and I am entering the happy second trimester stage. We had a check-up last week and everything seems to be going well. Next appointment is the anatomy scan. I can't wait to find out the gender, so we can start sorting through leftovers from DD and know what needs to be kept and what can be passed on. If we have another girl, we should be mostly set for the first year. My sister had a boy last year, so she will pass down quite a bit to us if it goes that way. We have been holding off on really looking at names until we find out the gender. Of course, last time with DD, she refused to show herself even after lots of prodding by the ultrasound tech. So we were not really sure until late in the third trimester when they ran another ultrasound to check position for delivery, so we are not counting on knowing at the next scan. We are hopeful that this little one will be more cooperative. DD is still kind of like that at two, she doesn't like people messing with her. She has no problem telling people to not touch or talk to her if she doesn't feel like it. She can be super cuddly and affectionate, but those are only on her terms when she is in the mood for it. Seems like good traits to have in a little girl, hopefully she will remember when she is a teenager.

Hope-Thanks for sharing you wonderful birth story. I am glad everything went so quickly and smoothly for you. I am sure starting with induction always makes you nervous, but sounds like things really turned out well. How wonderful that they let you have so much good skin/bonding time after the delivery. Hopefully you will get the relux situation figured out. Glad to hear that DD is feeling better that must have been really difficult having her sick and juggling the little guy.

Blue-Wow 32 weeks already. Wish I had something useful to add about the hip pain. Stretching, warm baths, keeping fiddling with pillows (more, less, different). Sounds like you are getting close on the nursery. It will be fun to get the final decoration ups and be all ready for the little guy.

More personals will have to wait DD is up and about. I hope everyone else is doing great!


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## shesaidboom

Hi ladies, I'm still around and reading. I'm 14 weeks now. My mom just got diagnosed with breast cancer, so I've been busy being her support. She goes in for surgery next week. I'm trying not to get too stressed out because I know it's not good for the baby, but it's hard to avoid. I will do personals later on, I just wanted to post a little note. I have been thinking of all of you.


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## blueyezz4

*Shesaid* - So sorry to hear about your Mom!! I will keep her, you and your family in my thoughts and prayers!! Now a days they have such good treatments for cancer hopefully she will make a fully recovery!!! Be sure to take care of yourself and the little bean too!!!

*Vireoes* - Ugh That doesn't sound like fun at all! Glad that your house is healthy now. Did anyone else get what your DH had? I hope not. Can't wait to hear how your U/S goes and what you are having!!!!

*Hope* - OMGosh!!!! Can't believe about your DD!! That had to of been so rough! Glad that your DH was around to help you out b/c if he would have been working and out of town that would really have been hard w/ a new little one. Glad she is doing better. Loved reading your birth story!!! Glad all went well and so much shorter this time. Did they make you get the Tetnus and the other vaccine for whopping cough I think it is? My OB office just told me about it today and are recommending it before or right after our little one is born and also said that DH and anyone that is going to be around the babe should get it. I don't like all these decisions b/c these new vaccines out there kinda scare me.


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## Keria

Sorry I've been MIA life has been really busy. Ive tried to write a few times but these little people always demand my attention before I have a chance to write anything.

Deborah I'm so sorry. life is so unfair. I hope everything goes as smooth as possible with the adoption.

Can't wait to see all new babies , i;m cheering for you all.


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## deborahbgkelly

Thanks Keria.


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## suzie mccool

Hi everyone  I've been graduated from IVF TTC to 6 weeks pregnant so here I am, on the right page!

I'm still in shock that the cycle worked and pretty excited! I promise I won't be a complainer, and last time i was pregnant (14 years ago) I went through the whole thing with no side effects except extensive eating... and a 30kg weight gain! It took me 6 years to lose 20kgs of it, the other 10kgs stayed to keep me company for the rest of my life it seems lol. Fingers crossed that this will be the same aside from that weight gain, but I am a million years older and achier and less tolerant of just about everything, so we shall see ...

Good luck to everyone! I have a wealth of knowledge for pregnancy questions - my best friend just had 2 babies in the same year and I am her babysitter and pregnancy companion, so feel free to hit me up with anything - I also have no shame and NOTHING embarrasses me anymore.. the joys of being old and awesome hahahaha

Blueyezz: I have shocking hip pain when I sleep ever since my first pregnancy - the only thing that ever gives me any relief is acupuncture (aside from proper anti-inflammatories). It took a couple of sessions initially and then follow ups when it flares back up, but it really makes a difference! I just wish I found it sooner, that pain is such a sleep wrecker!


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## rcr

Hope - Congrats! I loved the birth story.

Blue - I am not doing the interlipids, the doc won't (can't actually). she would need approval from an institutional review board (because it is considered expimental), and the hospital does not have one, so to pay for one to get together would be like $5000. The donor embryo/FET is only costing us like $100 or less even. I am just hoping for the best anyway, since there is nothing that I can do about the interlipids. If it doesn't work, the next plan is california conceptions, which is a lot more expensive, so I will put up a bigger fight for the interlipids.


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## rcr

And welcome, and congrats Suzie!


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## hope4light

I'm trying to post some pictures from my phone... This one,is shortly after birth. The next one is both the,kiddos from maybe a month ago.


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## hope4light

welcome and congrats suzIe!


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## tenzinsmama

Welcome Suzie! Congrats on your pregnancy!

Hope, your children are so adorable! How is your daughter adjusting?

rcr, sounds like some really good plans are shaping up... I hope this is it for you!

Hi to everyone else!

AFM, things are going well. We have reached a very nice state of relative calm in our household, as of the last month or so. DD is doing well at night, having learned to self-soothe. Phew! I'm starting to feel like a fully functioning human being again, ha ha. With my new-found energy, I've been enjoying my MSW class immensely (it helps that I love the topic and the professor). I've also starting becoming active with things related to birth-- I attended a documentary showing of Ina May Gaskin's life and The Farm (can't remember the title of it, right now) as well as one that was made by three medical residents who are promoting collaborative care with midwives in our province. I also went to a meeting where I met our city's current midwifery students-- one of our universities started a midwifery program going on 2 years ago. Close to 300 people applied for 15 spots the first year it opened up! Alao, I'm paying attention to a lot of the stuff coming up in the news, related to studies and such. I'm posting this link, as this was something that came up on our Canadian newsfeed, about vaginal births of twins-- interesting. http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/c-sections-not-better-for-twin-births-canadian-study-says-1.1160754 . DH is afraid that if we get pregnant again, it would be twins... not about the birthing aspect, but how we would get into a chaotic state in our home all over again, lol. We'd have to get a new vehicle, try to find another room of the house to convert to another bedroom, etc. I was thinking the other day when the last time was that I had a full nights sleep, and it was before I got pregnant with DS-- over 3 years ago!


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## auraleigh

hello ladies!

hope, thank you so much for sharing your birth story and photos! i love all of it. i especially love the photo of your ds and dd snuggled up together. you must be such a proud mama!

blue, my hips and shoulders hurt at night, but i've been sleeping with the snoogle and it's *better*. not great, but better. i also try to do butterfly stretches to stretch my hips out when i lay down to go to sleep, and i think that helps too. also, 32 weeks!!>!?!?!!

vireoes, so excited for your anatomy scan! i loved it. fill us in!

shesaid, hope your mom is doing okay. it's amazing that you can be there for her through this, but just remember to take care of yourself as well.

suzie, congrats and welcome! i love to see people graduate to this side.

rcr, when is your transfer going to be? i have EVERYTHING crossed.

tenzin, thanks for the article! i just talked to my ob about it this morning and they are VERY pro vaginal delivery.

afm, 24 weeks! i feel huge, and can feel the babies all the time now, which is the greatest thing ever. our little girl is still head down against my cervix, and this week the boy is transverse. he's all over the place. my ob said my cervix is a mile long, my fluid is great, and my blood pressure is low and there is no protein in my urine. from the looks of things, these babies are staying put, so she said they'd probably induce around 37 weeks barring any unforseen circumstances. i'm still terrified of going into labor, but my ob said she's delivered 10 sets of twins vaginally last year and all were totally fine. she did laugh and say that i may want an epidural, but i am not trying to win any awards for bravery and am more than looking forward to pain relief if that is the direction things take. i'm a big baby about pain. i have my fetal echo on friday and am nervous about it, but not overly so. just excited to see the babies again!

the weirdest thing is that my left foot and left leg keep swelling up. it's like i have one giant food and one normal one. even my left shoe is tight! did anyone have this? my dr said that one of the babies may be leaning on a vein weird or something.

now that we've reached the stage of viability i think i will order the cribs soon, and go to ikea for some of the other furniture. we already ordered the rug (going with flor tiles because they're washable and replaceable), and i've been getting odds and ends to decorate with. i am so excited!


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## suzie mccool

auralleigh: nice to see you again  take all the drugs they offer you LOL i only had one baby, and the hours with epidural, compared to those without are beyond comparison!

You must be so excited - i'm excited for you!! Enjoy baby shopping x


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## kewpie80

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *auraleigh*
> 
> the weirdest thing is that my left foot and left leg keep swelling up. it's like i have one giant food and one normal one. even my left shoe is tight! did anyone have this?


Yep! It's the oddest feeling, isn't it? My doc said it was the babies' positions too.

Blue - Thanks for asking about us MIA grads. I'm doing well and the babies are great, but keeping me very busy. Maisie is walking 95% of the time now, but Liam is still really cautious and hasn't taken any steps. Maisie is saying a few words and can answer simple questions with a nod or shake. She seems to answer correctly to what she wants most of the time. Liam has 9 teeth and jabbers constantly, but no real words yet.


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## guppyluv

Feeling braver after a repeat HCG today... BCP last monday IVF#2 baby #1 (hopefully!)... breathing... all signs and symptoms vanished saturday... hoping it sticks!


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## toothfairy2be

guppy- I think the loss of symptoms may have to do with the IVF drugs. I felt way more pregnant at 4-5 weeks than I do at 9 weeks (except for the nausea that kicked in right before 8 weeks, that part sucks). I was terrified for every appointment thinking my baby would be gone. So far so good.

Kewpie- Your video made me laugh, they are so stinkin cute!

Aura- It must be so amazing to see and feel both of them. I can't believe you are at 24 weeks already, it seems like just yesterday you were starting the new protocol for you FET.

hope- I love your pictures and your birth story. What a great way for your daughter to be with your son. So sweet.

Tenzin- 3 years without a full nights sleep, whoa. I get cranky with one night of broken sleep. Are you studying to be a midwife? I don't know what MSW stands for









suzie- glad you found it over here!

AFM- Went to my first OB appt and was disappointed. The nurse I met with was super nice but I didn't meet either of 2 OBs or the 2 midwives. They didn't ask me anything about my plans for birth or who I wanted to be treated by, no exam, no doppler, no u/s. Coming from an RE and having concerns about a small gestational sac I am really sad not to get more info. I go back in a week but it is so stressful not knowing if baby & sac are growing or not. They want me to stop my Crinone in a week as well. How long did you all take progesterone supplements for? I will be 10 weeks... I am considering going to 12 regardless.


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## blueyezz4

*Toothfairy* - sorry to hear your first appt was kinda a bust. Did they say why you didn't meet the drs or MW's??? That is kinda weird. I hope at your next appt you get better attention. Sorry I can't help w/ the crinone question but I'm sure someone on here has experience w/ that. I can't remember now how long my RE had said he would keep me on it but i think 10-12 wks kinda sounds normal.

*guppy* - Congrats & Welcome!!!!! Symptoms coming and going is always disconcerting. It's totally normal and I know there were times where I would feel just fine like I wasn't pregnant at all. I got a doppler from a friend and sometimes if i was really worried I'd use it just to calm my heart. I really don't like to use it much at all but sometimes if i'm extra worried for some reason it really puts my heart at ease. You have to be past a certain point though to be able to hear the heartbeat though, which I'm sure you are aware.

*Kewpie* - Your little ones are so cute. Love how they are playing w/ that ball. It's the little things!!! Do you cloth diaper? Have you always? I've really thought about it but not sure. Let me know how you like it. I know you can save money doing it.

*Aura* - butterfly stretches? Is that kinda like sitting indian style but w/ your feet touching??? I did do that one day but my chiro told me to be very careful w/ that b/c you don't want it to stretch/open up your cervix at all. I had the same thing when i was preg w/ our twins where one foot swelled. I think it is more common w/ 2 in there. Annoying i know. I can't believe you are 24 wks now. That is awesome!!!! When is your other test again?? Hoping it all goes well.

*Tenzi* - that is great that you feel like you are getting into a routine and things are calming down. That has to help when you are in school.

*Hope* - love the new pics!!! They both are precious!!!!

*Suzie* - Welcome and congrats!!!! So you had the acupuncture when you were pregnant? I did try acupuncture to help get pregnant but haven't done it since. The worse part of it I would have to lay on one side and then after so long they'd have to take those needles out and then i'd have to flip to the other side and do the same on the other side since I can't lay on my back. I did just get a massage today but i was a little disappointed w/ it but it can't hurt I'm sure.

*Keria* - good to see your name pop up again!! Hope you are well!!

*Shesaid* - how is your mom doing and how are you feeling?? Thinking of you!!

*Hi to everyone else!!!*

*AFM* - 33 wks this week and then this Sunday will be 34wks. Wow, can't even believe it. We have our 2nd shower on Sat w/ work friends, other friends and family, so that should be good. Still have a few things to do in the nursery like get the mattress which BRU is driving me nutty and i feel like they are playing games. The price of the same mattress has like changed 3 times. Ugh!!! I had a prenatal massage today and it was just okay. I'm used to being able to lay on my stomach and back for a massage so it was a little odd and i felt a little uncomfortable w/ the way the prenatal pillows were kinda uncomfortable. Who knows. DH had gotten me a gift certificate for it this past Christmas which was nice but i think i'll use the rest after the baby and enjoy it more. OB appt tomorrow w/ a NST and check up w/ a different OB than my norm b/c mine is on vac this week. Next Fri the 1st we have our next u/s so that is exciting. I know he is growing b/c my belly isn't getting any smaller. ugh!!!


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## suzie mccool

Toothfairy: my progesterone was stopped just before my beta - but if my levels were low they would have put me back on them. I'm fine with that, because I tested really high for it, but if you feel uncertain you can ask for another bloodtest to check your levels, to make sure that's right for you? I hope you always get the nice nurse!

Blueyezz: I was recommended acupuncture by a 7 month pregnant lady last year with a funny knee. She was so convincing I gave it a go and never looked back! Honestly - i've tried EVERYTHING and that was the only thing that made a real difference. It didn't get me pregnant either (neither did the fertility massage, the iridology, standing on my head after sex or drinking cough medicine LOL)

Hope: your birth story is amazing and beautiful!

Guppy: Did you ask for the HCG test? How did it go? It's far to long to wait for the scan - I was toying with going to a local doctor and asking for a blood test (pretending to not know) just to double check my levels!

Apparently sleeplessness is a symptom (I woke up at 4am this morning) but I'm thinking it was the nightmare I had about my ex-husband attacking me with a shovel! Luckily, a lady was in my dream with a tazer and she zapped him. Still, a crappy way to wake up  But at least I have a nice early start to the day LOL


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## auraleigh

blue, so annoying about BRU! i really hate them. i hear they are a pain to work with for returns as well, i am sure it will be interesting post shower. yes, those are the stretches i do, but i usually do them laying down (i figure i won't be able to be on my back much longer but for now it works). i didn't know it could affect your cervix. maybe i shouldn't do them anymore? also boo to your massage. definitely save the rest of your gift certificate for when your back hurts from lugging a baby everywhere. you'll appreciate it much more!

kewpie, i cannot believe how grown up they are! the video was fantastic, i was giggling watching. how is everything?

guppy, i had no symptoms and my hcg was pretty high, so don't worry. i also never had morning sickness, so symptoms aren't everything. i also never had breast tenderness (still don't, although my nipples are CRAZY). if the blood test shows good levels, you're good! you have no reason to doubt it!

toothfairy, so annoying about your ob appt! give it a little time, but i say if you don't like them, switch. i graduated from the RE at 10 weeks, and by 14 weeks i was 100% positive that i hated my ob's office and switched. it was the best decision i have ever made. i just had a gut feeling that the first place wasn't taking my pregnancy seriously enough. i felt like they were too busy to keep track of me, they messed things up left and right, and didn't listen when i spoke. my new ob's office is magical. i feel very confidant that they have my best interests in mind, and they actually take the time to make sure everything is going smoothly. trust your instincts! if they aren't giving you the experience you are looking for, find someone who will. also in regards to crinone, they made me stop cold turkey by 11 weeks. i cheated and went a few extra days, but everyone assured me that by 10 weeks the placenta is doing what it needs to do and anything else is unnecessary. i had nightmares about stopping, and no one ever checked my blood to see what my progesterone levels were which made me nervous, but they were right! also, once i stopped taking crinone all of my spotting stopped (i had several instances of spotting while on crinone due to cervical irritation).

afm, fetal echo is tomorrow morning. i'm a little nervous. dh can't come to this one so i'm hoping that everything goes smoothly and i get to brag that i got to spend time looking at the babies again. my ankles are very swollen today and my feet were aching, so i went to the mall to buy some backless slip on sneakers. the pair i got are terribly ugly (black with hot pink piping), but they have memory foam in them and are like walking on pillows. the scary part is that i normally wear an 8.5 and these are a size 10!! i couldn't believe it. i hope my feet shrink post pregnancy, but i can literally feel my foot bones spreading. ugh. i slept terribly last night and everything aches, so i will probably go to sleep early and hope that i can sleep through the night.

here is my belly! i am saying goodbye to my lap because it is slowly disappearing.


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## kewpie80

Blue - Yep, I cloth diaper and have since the beginning. I still use disposables here and there, but not often.

I thought about getting a prenatal massage when I was pregnant, but now I'm glad I didn't. I would prefer to be on my stomach too. I can't believe how close you are!


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## Vegan Princess

Aura: Love the pic!!

Cindy


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## blueyezz4

Rcr - I was standing in the shower this morning trying to wake up and it hit me that I forgot to respond to you in my above post. Wow, that's awesome that it's only like around 100$. That's great! Is that bc you still have the insurance to help?? Fingers crossed so hard for you that it will work out!!

Aura- love the belly shot! Cute, kinda looks like my belly! Lol! Bending over to put socks on is getting harder, oh and trying to shave I feel like I'm cramming the little guy!!

Suzie - thx for the info on acupuncture! I think I'll stick w the Chiro for now just bc of money but down the road if it gets really bad I'll keep it up my sleeve!!

Kewpie - did you start them off w/ the cloth right from the very beginning or after they were so old???

Hope - hope all is going well w/ you!! How's the little guys reflux?

On my phone so it's hard to type much more.


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## kewpie80

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *blueyezz4*
> 
> Kewpie - did you start them off w/ the cloth right from the very beginning or after they were so old???


We did disposables while they were in the meconium stage and then went to flats with covers until they were big enough for fitted pockets.


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## guppyluv

*Suzie*-- I called the nurse re thyroid issues and said I wanted to have a repeat beta HCG since this was the same time I lost the last one. My levels were soooo much higher than last time. So hoping that's good sign. I am exhausted with headaches today so am guessing that's good.

Interestingly my re doesn't measure my progesterone. They told me unless it was really a problem with the cinone they would keep me on it until 10 weeks (about when I'd be "released" to a midwife/Ob).

Being über optimistic and heading to an open house/tour on Monday at a local birthing center that I'm interested in working with. Next one isn't until April so figured I should go now regardless. Definitely midwife & OB shopping to find the right place/person.


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## suzie mccool

Guppy : So glad your levels are high!!! That news made me as happy as if it were my levels







It must be such a relief! And even though headaches are... a headache, they are a great symptom of an intelligent baby lol.. actually I made that up, but it is a common symptom and better than throwing up!

Hope the birthing center is awesome! In my dreams that's such a lovely way to give birth, but I will be stuck with a c-section. With my first I had a relatively awful 2 day labor followed by a c-section and pretty much sealed my fate forever. Sigh..

Getting result from my second blood test today - couldn't wait for the scan so I just asked for it and apparently it's not an issue. I should have done that earlier!! Still feeling really quite good except for falling asleep before 9pm every night (lame) and being quite bloated (thanks IVF drugs!)

Uber optimistic is the way to go!! Have fun Monday


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## guppyluv

Suzie - how was the repeat? Hope alls well.

I managed to avoid the IVF bloat - but I think it was purely b/c I didn't use Menapur this time. (it was evil for me last time!) so WYSIWYG when it comes to my untoned belly


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## suzie mccool

Guppy:  Great news. I'm doubling every 2 days and 6 hours which is apparently just right! So relieved you have no idea!!!

Seriously - I've been wishing for some sickness or something extreme to make it seem more real, but this has sated the beast for at least the next few days lol.. The doc said she's happy to monitor my HCG every week til the scan which is awesome (and free!! yay!) so I'm totally gonna do that. Still haven't got a real doctor yet, but I will continue that search on Monday.

By the way... you are SO lucky not to have this bloat! So hard to pull off looking normal when all my skirts are done up with rubber bands and my belly (which was never very toned at all) is now almost as far out as my enormous progesterone cleavage LOL









Everyone: Can anyone tell me if this is cause for concern or relief? My progesterone levels have been over the maximum reading both times, one week apart (in Aust it's 190 max) - I've tried googling and that told me nothing... does anyone know for sure if these very high levels are OK? My HCG is rising normally from the first beta, and the numbers aren't high enough to look like a multiple, and I stopped taking progesterone a week and a half ago. Thanks in advance!


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## auraleigh

suzie, my dr always told me you couldn't overdose on progesterone, so i assume high levels are just fine. your body is making what it needs to i suppose. they never tested my progesterone so i am not sure what my numbers were, but no one ever seems concerned unless the numbers are too low.

guppy, i had tons of headaches. although annoying, it's just your hormones going insane!

afm, had my fetal echo on friday. as usual my little girl was posing for the tech and gave him the shots he needed instantly, while my little boy was curled up, face down, and refused to budge. they had me walk around, chug orange juice, roll around on my sides... that kid was not moving for anyone. i can tell already he is stubborn like his father! they did manage to get one good shot which is apparently good enough. the dr said that while there is always a small chance that there is a tiny hole or something that can't be detected by ultrasound, structurally both of their hearts look normal. my stomach was so sore after from all the jiggling and pressing they did trying to roll that baby! right now my little lady is weighing in at 1 lb 8 oz, and my little boy is 1 lb 12 oz. hooray for 25 weeks!

my dh and i also took an infant care class yesterday. he hasn't changed a diaper or held a baby really since his niece was born 19 years ago, so i thought he could use some lessons. the nurse was lovely and it was good to visit the hospital where i'll be delivering. i have a tour set up for next sunday so we can see the maternity ward. what i really loved though is that the hospital is part of a pro breastfeeding community, so all babies room in with you, no bottles or pacifiers are given, and they have lactation consultants around the clock to help you get started. they said babies are usually immediately put skin to skin, and even with a c section, given there are no serious complications, i could have the babies on my within an hour. i love it!

hope everyone is doing well and just busy taking care of their beautiful babies!


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## suzie mccool

Aural: Thanks for the advice. When I got my both my results it was from a receptionist, so nobody really told me anything except what the numbers were, and my clinic closes on weekends, so when I started worrying about the numbers, there was nobody to call.

Your hospital sounds amazing! We had a similar set up when my son was born, and the lactation advisor saved my sanity.

It must be awesome to see the babies again, your stubborn one cracked me up  Congrats on 25 weeks!


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## rcr

*Blue/Aura* - I am not here much (and even less frequently on the other thread) - because it has been really unhelpful for me to obsess over this, and staying away from MDC keeps my mind away from TTC. So I am not avoiding you, I just need to keep my mind elsewhere right now. After 5 years of TTC, I am kinda sick of obsessing and being dissapointed, and would rather concentrate on the present (my DS, DH, work, garden, etc.). I have started a big spring garden and I am putting all of my energy into that. I have about two flats of tomatoes growing under lights in the basement, and I planted carrot, lettuce, cabbage, and collards seeds outside already (the south has an early growing season). Obsessing about it hasn't gotten me a baby yet anyway. I do still check in because I care about how all of you are doing though. Anyway, to answer your questions, my transfer is likely going to be in a few weeks - March 14 is the estimated transfer date. I started estrogen yesterday. *Blue* - the reason it is so cheap is partially because of my insurance and partially because they are on sale (Dh and I call them our clearance babies). They are embryos that nobody else wants - not because of their quality (which is fine, plus there are so many that if they don't get two blasts they will keep thawing more until they get two), but because so little is known about where they came from - they are older and the RE didn't keep very good records about parent's characteristics back then. So essentially they offered them to me at half the price they normally charge for donor embryo FETs because they probably would have been disposed of otherwise. That fact was actually kinda my draw to them. It felt good to give them a chance at life they would not otherwise have. Blue, I have been looking online for info about what to do when your doc refuses to do interlipids, and found some info about taking fish oil as a "poor mans interlipids" so I am trying that. I can't hurt. It does worry me that I am not doing interlipids.

*Blue* - I hope the showers were fun. You are so much farther along every time I check in here is makes me smile each time!

*Aura -* Your hospital sounds like a great place!

*Suzie* - congrats on doubling! that is wonderful news!

Hi to everyone else. Sorry to crash your thread with TTC stuff. I will go back to stalking now.


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## gumby74

RCR: I don't ever post on here, but have been down the infertility path in the past and was pregnant at the same time Blue was pregnant with her twin boys. I follow some of your strories because I also follow Blue's story and consider myself her online cheerleader. Actually, I secretly cheer for all of you because even though I know I am never having any more children, I remember the pain, frustration, disappointment and anger that came with trying,trying,trying. I also remember the joy and elation everytime I got a BFP...even if it wasn't for very long. When others in my infertility group got their BFP's....I remember the elation and then silent sadness that always occurred because it wasn't me. When it finally was my turn, I celebrated while also remembering the sadness that others were also still feeling.

The reason I felt the need to post this, is because I think that any of us who have been down the path of infertility understand when someone has to take a break from obsessing to protect themselves. It can be too much to spend so much energy on analyzing every single detail and then over analyzing it some more. One can only handle going from hope...convincing yourself you are pg.....only to learn you aren't and then start the cycle all over again. It's mentally and physically exhausting. Not to mention the real life reminders of baby shower and birth announcements that seem to happen more frequently when you are in the midst of ttc.

I also want to say that the fact that you are using the embryos you are using is awesome beyond words and I hope beyond hope that you are given the chance to provide these embryos with a lifetime home filled with love. Best wishes to you always!


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## toothfairy2be

Hi all,

We found out today that our baby stopped growing at 8w1d so about a week and a half ago. No longer had a heartbeat. We are sad and all the emotions that go along with it. Trying to process and prepare for a different future.


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## auraleigh

toothfairy, i am so sorry. there are never the right words to express sympathy, but i am sorry this happened and i hope you find success soon.


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## hope4light

Toothfairy my heart is breaking for you. I am so so sorry. You deserve your take home baby. Big hugs


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## suzie mccool

My heart goes out to you Toothfairy. I'm so sorry this happened to you xxx


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## blueyezz4

Toothfairy - I am so sorry!!!! My heart totally breaks for you!! Keeping you and your DH in my thoughts and prayers!!!


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## rcr

TF - I am so sorry.


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## BucketOfRain

Toothfairy: I am so, so sorry to hear about your baby. Take care of yourself in whatever way you can muster to do so.


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## tenzinsmama

TF, my heart hurts for you. I am so sorry for you loss. Thinking of you and yours ((HUGS))


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## vireoes

So sorry for your loss toothfairy.


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## Tear78

Toothfairy, I'm so sorry. It's so unfair! I'll be thinking of you and sending hugs.









I've been reading along and wanting to post the kind of post you guys deserve. I'm 37 1/2 weeks, farther along than when I was induced with dd for pre-e, and still no signs. Knocks wood. I have one more week of work and maybe then I'll have more time to post personals. I'm sending love to you ladies!!!


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## toothfairy2be

Thank you all for being so nice. I hope we make it back soon. We have 2 frozen blasts & are hoping to transfer both in a few months. I know a few if you are expecting from frozen transfers. Any advice or what your docs did differently would be great.


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## blueyezz4

*Toothfairy* - glad you are going to try again!!! Fingers crossed for you the next time around!!

*Aura* - glad that your echo went well! That has to make you feel better for sure to have it done and over with.

*rcr* - you are getting closer right??? Fingers crossed for you and hoping and praying w/ all I have that this is your time!!! I've been on fish oil for probably 5 yrs so I'm sure it can't hurt.

*Suzie* - what did the drs say about your progesterone levels???

*gumby* - always good to see your name pop up my friend!!!

*Kewpie* - i think i need to educate myself more on the whole process of cloth diapering!!! Thanks for sharing!!

*Tear* - glad things are going so well and that you are almost done working and can try and relax a bit before the little man comes. Yay!!

*How is everyone else doing??? I think we need to have a group check in.* *Even if you don't do personals, fill us in on how you are doing?*

*AFM* - We had our ultrasound on Friday and the little man is sideways and measuring a little big they said (72%) even though everyone tells me that I look small. Sometimes I wonder if they are right or not though. They said he is already 6lbs if he would be born now. They also said that the fluid level is one notch higher than normal (normal is 24 and below and he is at 25 so not that much off), but the high risk dr said that bigger babies "pee more", so I have to go back and see him (high risk dr) again in 4 wks for another ultrasound to check it all again. He said if his fluid level stays high and if he continues to measure big they may want me to go a week early and he said if he doesn't turn then he said I'd need a c-section. Ugh!!! So we will see. The tech couldn't get any good pics of his face b/c he was all curled up and had his hands and arms in front of his face, that little stinker!!! I really haven't done much today and I've been getting some shooting pains in my cervix, so i'm trying to lay low right now. The stitch comes out either on the 13th or 15th I'll find out probably this Thurs for sure when it will be. One more little shower back home next weekend as long as everything goes okay up until then. Once that shower is over then we have to go and get a few things to be fully prepared b/c there are still several things that we still need like mattress pads and waterproof pads, swing, monitor, nursing pillow, oh my!!!!!


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## auraleigh

hi ladies!

toothfairy, my FET was the first time i've ever gotten pregnant. aside from other things, i think my body really liked having the rest from my stim cycle. i was so much more comfortable, more relaxed, and it was good to see my blasts thaw and re-expand.

blue, getting so close! i bet that baby turns before it's time though. are you comfortable?

tear, any day now!! can't wait to hear all about how your labor goes, once it happens. i hope you too are comfortable and rested in preparation.

hello to all the other moms to be and moms who are busy running around after their kids!

afm, went to the hospital for a tour of the maternity ward. it was a really nice hospital, and i'm glad i got to see the rooms. it is starting to feel more real! today i did my first two loads of baby laundry, and bought some bins to store the larger sizes until we're ready for them. we're ordering furniture this week although my mom is giving me a hard time about it. being jewish, she's very superstitious about bringing things into the house before the babies are born. i've already broken all the rules by buying stuff, having clothes and toys around that were gifted to us, and i'm having a shower. all huge no nos. so what's the big deal if we get the cribs? i'd like to have everything ready so that way when the babies come home we are prepared. with twins i won't have the luxury of doing things after the fact. not that singleton moms do either, but with twins i know we'll be especially crazy. my mom was under the impression that she would come to my house while i was in the hospital to set things up for me, but not only do i not trust her to follow through, i refuse to leave these things up to her judgement. she can be rather flaky at times and i don't trust that things would be done the way i want them. part of me is scared to break these superstitions, as i don't want to jinx myself (again, i don't believe it but who wants to tempt fate?), but i am also being practical. so annoying!


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## Tear78

Blue, sorry about the positioning and fluid. If it makes you feel better, I forget when it happened, but this guy was sideways and at some point he flipped head down and has been there for a long time (knocks on wood). I hope yours does the same. How exciting to see you getting close - I think I hit hard core nesting at around 35 weeks. 

Aura, thanks I am looking forward to a little rest and more time to clean and get ready, too. Isn't it awesome to start washing those clothes? I know what you mean about being superstitious, but it's also really mentally helpful to have a few things ready, and I would think a place for the babies to sleep would be one of them. . So excited to see your little ones grow!

Ok...gotta give the iPad to hubby. Had about a half hour of tough contractions that left me in the tub during dinner. I think I just needed to drink and lie down, cause the tub and chugging water totally helped. Intense, though! It spooked dd, poor thing.


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## Carlyle

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Tear78*
> 
> Had about a half hour of tough contractions that left me in the tub during dinner. I think I just needed to drink and lie down, cause the tub and chugging water totally helped. Intense, though! It spooked dd, poor thing.


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## suzie mccool

Hi Blueyez  I had my third beta on Friday and my progesterone was over 190 again, and HCG levels still doubling every 2.2 days. Getting a call through to my dr is impossible, so I gave up but from what I have found out for myself, high progesterone should be a good thing so I'm going with that... only because the HCG still looks good tho! Scan in one week 

Hope your next scan shows a face this time! When I had my son, I had ridiculous amounts of fluid, a sideways baby in labour and a C-section in the end.. would have been a much easier recovery with a planned C that the emergency one.  I only had one scan in the whole pregnancy and nobody knew where he was until it was crunch time. You are so lucky that you're being monitered! Enjoy baby shopping and get the best nursing pads you can







Your nipples are important LOL

Auraleigh: In the same position I would be inclined to be practical as well - it would be impossible to find the time/energy after having one baby, let alone 2! But I understand not wanting to tempt fate (I also throw salt over my shoulder and try to keep my mum's back healthy by avoiding cracks in the footpath)... Can you move everything in but not put it together until the last week or 2? Kind of make a collection of baby things room in boxes, but not an actual nursery until the last minute?


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## monkeyscience

I know I'm really late saying this, but I'm so sorry *Cait*. Lots of hugs and prayers to you. I am glad you have some snow babies to try again with.


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## kewpie80

Toothfairy - I am so sorry to hear of your loss.


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## kewpie80

aura - They don't need much in the beginning, so maybe a compromise of just having the bare minimum set up would work? They really only need a place to sleep, some diapers, the car seats installed, and some clothing the first week. If you don't plan to breastfeed, you'll need the bottle stuff too, of course.


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## guppyluv

Quick check in after some radio silence. Wasnt sure what to post...

I found out I'm pregnant with triplets (tri/tri) after IVF. Three heartbeats last week. I'm still in shock and processing. Lots of Dr appts coming up but no decisions yet. At 7w0d hoping they self select as the alternatives are heartwrenching. No options for CVS testIng locally and no idea how to choose a reduction. It's all a bit overwhelming.


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## toothfairy2be

Whoa guppy, that is a shock. I thought you transferred only 2 embryos? I have a good friend pregnant with 3 after IUI last fall, it is a lot to process. All 3 of hers are 22 weeks now so if you are thinking selective reduction it is probably good to start researching (just because in my experience all 3 can definitely stick for good!). Congrats though on 3 healthy heartbeats!


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## guppyluv

There was a third that was written off because it seemed to have stopped growing and was just barely 4cell so I mentally discounted it... Silly me (or silly embryologist!). Here's to being a different kind of 1%...

Sigh. My big concerns are my health - I'm quite a bit overweight and have some mild asthma issues that have already been exacerbated by early pregnancy - and the health of the babies making it to "full" term. Not to mention my being single... The statistics are scary and intense but nebulous enough to make one realize that it is possible to make it happen either way. So such a decision.

I had an appt at MGH today and have another next week with another MFM doc after my 8w u/s. Somehow I just sense it is sticking, but perhaps because I have zero symptoms ( except for exhaustion) and figure id have some if something changed.

Interestingly there is no one in MA willing or capable to do CVS testing on triplets. I was intrigued. Apparently there's someone in NYC who will. So yes I'm in research mode already.

Fertile thoughts forum has a more active board in this area so I've been over there reading past & recent posts.


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## suzie mccool

OMG Guppy!! Talk about beating the odds! Congrats on heartbeats, but I understand your concerns - they are all valid! I can't offer you any advice, but I wish you all the best in what happens next







wow... after so little symptom wise who would have thought???


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## guppyluv

Thx. Exhausted from it all and pretty sure my BP is up. Such a mixed blessing. it's been hard to be happy about it.


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## rcr

Wow, Guppy. Wow. I wish you the best in whatever happens, and whatever decision you make. There are no easy choices in IF, but I think everybody ends up doing what is best for them.


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## kewpie80

wow, Guppy. I have no words of advice, but I wish you luck in whatever you choose to do.


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## hope4light

quick drive by to say Congrats to Guppy, and that I know you will make the right decision for you, and I hope that you have an easy time finding peace with that choice (and that no one says the wrong thing to you about it as we all know so many are good at doing!!!)


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## auraleigh

guppy, so crazy! on one hand a blessing, on the other, certainly something to seriously think about. i know we didn't really expect to get pregnant with twins, and there was a major shock period. i imagine with triplets it's even more. trust your gut. i didn't have any symptoms either, with twins, and i'm also overweight and have asthma, so i kind of know how you feel. having multiples is a whole other ballgame. sometimes i forget, because on this board there are so many women with twins, but every time i'm at the dr or at the hospital for a tour or class, it's like i'm a walking freakshow. when is your next appt? what do your drs say?


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## guppyluv

Another u/s Friday. Drs are extremely against keeping all 3. I just want a crystal ball... Lol.


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## rcr

Sorry Guppy. Can you wait a while to make a decision?


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## guppyluv

They don't do anything until 11 weeks anyway... So I have consults with two other Drs in the meantime.


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## renavoo

Oh Toothfairy, I'm so sorry. (And sorry I'm late in responding). Big hugs and I'm looking forward to your next BFP. By the way, ask your doctor about the possibility of assisted hatching. I personally think my babies are here because we had that done. My clinic does that for all frozen embies.

Will sign in later for other posts!!

BIG HUGS EVERYONE!


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## blueyezz4

Gosh, I'm behind like normal w/ my posts. For some reason my automatic email when there is a new post got turned off so I have missed so but was just trying to get caught up before i head out the door to do a couple of things.

*Tear* - how are you feeling?? Getting really close aren't you?? I always for get your due date.

*Guppy* - Congrats but I know that has to be so hard. I'm sure if i got preg w/ multiples again they would of probably encouraged me to reduce too. Can't even imagine what you are going through but know that i'm thinking of you and hoping and praying that the answer will find you easily. I know we were only preg w/ twins and my body for some reason just could handle it and we lost both so i totally hear you when you say you wish you had a crystal ball so you could know the outcome before you had to do anything. Ughh... so tough. Keep us posted and know that we are here for you no matter what to support you.

*rcr* - things are coming up here soon for you too right? I know i posted to you on the other side but i like that you keep up to date w/ us over here too b/c something i feel like a foreigner over there. Thinking of you and crossing my fingers and praying this is it for you!!!!

*Suzie* - thanks for your input and sharing your story about the c-section. How are you doing and what is going on w/ you?

*Aura* - how are you doing? How many weeks now? Hope you are feeling okay. What is next for you and the babes? Did you order your furniture?

*Hope - * how are things and how is the reflux? Did you get my PM? Hope things are better!!!

*Hi to everyone else......I'm sure i have forgotten people but i'm on the 2nd to last page and can only see those names.*

*AFM* - This Sunday we will be 37 weeks. Wahoo!!! I have my reg OB appt tomorrow (every thurs) and then Friday morning i go into the hospital at 10am and my OB will take the stitch out and we will go from there. Today was my last progesterone shot so that is also a good thing. I've been doing pretty well and really can't complain other than indigestion, hip pain w/ sleeping and pressure if i do too much or am on my feet too long. I went to my beloved Chiropractor who does a technique called the Webster Technique (to help a baby turn that is not head down) and he did it on me once which was a simple little adjustment of my SI joint & one other little thing and that night i think the baby might have gone head down. My OB said she would do a quick ultrasound on Friday when she takes the stitch out and see where he is at b/c the chiro doesn't want to adjust me again like that if he is head down which i think he might be b/c i've been feeling kicks or movements more in the middle of my belly at the top instead of the R side. Crazy how just one adjustment that can happen. I guess it works even better w/ breech babies he said. We will see. I'm kinda excited about Friday and finding out where he is. My next big ultrasound w/ the high risk Dr is on the 28th so we will check his fluid levels and size/position then too. I think that is about all from this end. Hope you all are doing well!!


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## kewpie80

Blue - I am so excited for you! I hope little boy is head down and staying there!


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## MOMTOALEXIS

Blue- Almost there, can't wait to meet that little boy!!!

Aura- how ya doing????

Hello to everyone.


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## guppyluv

I'm glad the thread picked back up... I was worried I broke it with my insanity  Still chugging along. No decisions yet. Support on both sides and a great MFM in my court. All options open and I'm going to California next week for work to stop thinking about it for a few days. Hope all are well. 8w3d w. nice heartbeats this week.

Suzie, Others? -- any updates?


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## Tear78

blue, that's so cool that the chiro may have helped your boy get head down! Kicks at belly level are a good sign.







I'm 39w2d and trying not to turn into a grumpy hormone ball.







I'm not working anymore, so that's helped a lot, especially the afternoon naps when DD sleeps. I'm feeling on and off crampy, but I have been on and off for weeks. I'm trying to bide my time and be thankful that I'm not showing signs of pre-e again (knocks on wood) and remember that I'm not even at my due date yet. Good luck with your upcoming appointments!









Love and hugs to everybody, I love hearing updates!


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## hope4light

Blue - 37 weeks?!?! Where has the time gone??? Wow! I am so excited for you to meet him and share pictures with us  I did get your PM, but haven't managed to make it out to a chiro yet. The rest of my maternity leave was spent on doctors appts for DS (regular check ups plus a pediatric GI doc) as well as for DD (she ended up really sick and in the hospital for 4 days due to dehydration, then she had to see her ped a bunch plus a pediatric infectious disease doc). It was miserable. I still have to get DS an upper GI but I keep putting it off because I don't like the thought of doing it to him, but we go back to the GI doc in 2 weeks, ugh. We've doubled his dose of meds, and it seems to be helping some, but he still has pain when he spits up about 1/2 the time, and his chocking seems to be getting worse. But he continues to eat like a pig!!! Well, that seems to be a lot of my update LOL. This is my second week back to work, and it has really been spent playing catch up. My little guy turned 2 months last Friday, and he's really starting to show his little personality. He's a huge mama's boy, he really doesn't like to be held by anyone else if I'm around. He's so much more laid back than my DD was at this age (he cries when he's tired, hungry, dirty diaper and reflux-y - which of course is a lot unfortunately but getting to be less), and he's a MUCH better sleeper than she was. Adjusting to 2 in the beginning was a bit rough just because of the sleep deprivation, hormones, and the fact that DD would get a bit jealous and throw a fit in the afternoons when she got tired. Other than that I think it's been a pretty good adjustment. It's been interesting because DH has made a couple comments about if I want another one, we can... we only ever planned for 2 but we do have embabies on ice. It's surprising to me that he'd say it, but I know he'd LOVE to have another little girl, so I don't know if that's where it is all coming from? I don't know that it'll happen, but who knows.


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## auraleigh

hello ladies!

blue, 37 weeks! ahhhh! i'm glad to hear you've had success with the chiro. i just started going and i'm in love! after one adjustment my sciatic pain went away as did my hip pain. and i think opening up my pelvis pushed baby a a little further down, so she is RIGHT up in there. is the nursery ready? are you feeling okay?

hope, that's exciting about leaving the door open for a third! especially when you're still in the thick of things. sorry to hear that everyone isn't feeling well, but i hope that your ds will get the reflux under control soon.

tear, i am on the edge of my seat waiting for this baby! you're so close! i'm glad you stopped working. i DREAM of the day i can stop. seriously. not because i can't physically do it, just because i mentally need some time to prepare and rest and nap. mostly nap. i'll be thinking easy labor thoughts for you!

guppy, there is nothing you could do to break this group! we're vets, we've all seen so much, and we are all here for you. i think the trip sounds like a fabulous idea. i hope you get all the fun and relaxation you're hoping for.

what's happening mom? how are you doing??

afm, 27w4d. on the cusp of the third trimester and feeling great! i have to say, after the two years of IF, this pregnancy has been relatively easy. i passed my gd test (can't remember if i mentioned that?), my cervix is at 2.5, and both babies are looking good! i've got an ob appt on tuesday, and then the peri on thursday for a growth scan. those are my favorites because i just love data. i've also got an appt that day with a local pediatrician that a close friend recommended. not sure exactly what i'm supposed to ask, but i know i'm supposed to do it! i'll have to do some google research on that one. the nursery is coming together and we've set up the rug, couch, ottoman, dresser/changing table, and finally the bookcase. thank goodness for ikea! now i just need to hem the curtains, put together the cribs and put in the matresses, hang some art, and empty the closet out. i've been doing loads of baby laundry (we've received a lot of hand me downs, a ton still with tags on them) and we bought some bins so i can separate them out by sizes. looks like my little girl will have an entire wardrobe, and my boy has a handful of geeky onesies. maybe i'll get some clothes at the shower? i think it's being planned for april 6th, but other than that the details are all a surprise. i can't wait!


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## suzie mccool

Guppy ... Sorrry I've been a bit absent. DH's mum has been in hospital for chemo which went wrong and today she passed away. V sad times.

I had my scan on Tues and all is well, heartbeat good and strong but that was the day his mum took a turn for the worse so it all got a bit overshadowed.

I'm so glad you have good support and an open mind - the best decisions are made with those things in place, and some time away is prob just what you need xx


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## hope4light

Suzie I'm so sorry for your loss!


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## hope4light

tear wow, so close! I cant waIt to hear the good news! (we must have cross posted yesterday.) guppy _ good for you gettIng away!


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## rcr

Suzie - I am sorry for your loss.


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## guppyluv

Suzie- so sorry to hear! take care and take things easy. So bittersweet in many ways.

Afm. I'm home from work today. Rough week at work and I was not feeling so well this am. Hopefully not sick - most of my students are super sick. Anyway good day of rest.


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## suzie mccool

Thanks guys  Really hard to see DH and his family so sad, but she was very sick so this is possibly a better outcome than the few months she was predicted to have left. She would never have left the hospital, and possibly have lost her communication abilities so although it is sad, it may have been worse for her family and her if it were dragged over months.

Aural: Nursery sounds awesome! And yep, where were we all before Ikea?

Guppy: Hope you're feeling better. It's so hard to feel good when working makes it impossible to get any real rest. Glad you could take some time out for proper rest.

Blue: Happy to hear your chiro is doing a good job  You're so close now!! You must be so excited/relived to get to this point!

Everyone: Hope you're all happy and healthy, well rested and eating well!


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## renavoo

Hi ladies! I'm so sorry i've been MIA. It's been a crazy few months what with work being insanely busy and then the twins. Crazy but amazing.

Guppy, Triplets!!







No matter what you do, I'm sure it will be the right choice for you. I only have twins so I can't personally comment on the impact of triplets but i will have to say that the president of our company has triplets and she's AMAZING. She's extremely hands on and her triplets adore her. How she is that way and still is the president of my company boggles my mind but she makes it a point to leave at a decent hour whenever she can so she can spend quality time with her babies. Good luck with your decision!

Blue, SO CLOSE! I'm so beyond excited for you to hold your beautiful baby in your arms. Did you end up getting the stitch out? Did the baby turn yet? How are you and your DH feeling about the impending arrival of your son? I bet you both are so ready!

Aura, so funny about your superstitions! Chinese people have the same superstitions so my mom didn't want me to buy anything and especially, to put the cribs together. She wanted my DH to come back once the babies were born and do it then. I nodded and then purchased the cribs and had DH put it together sometime in the third trimester. haha I, like you, couldn't imagine what the heck we could actually get done when the babies were actually here so I wanted to get as much done as possible. I "compromised" with my mom and kept the mattress out of the crib so the crib wasn't fully "assembled" but decided we needed to do what was right for us. I'm so excited for your twins! Does your hospital usually induce at 38 weeks if the babies don't come naturally?

Tear, SO CLOSE!! I'm hoping it's any day now so you can hold your bundle soon!

Suzie, so sorry about DH's mom. I hope she had some peace during her passing.

Hope, Kewpie, Belly, Keria, and everyone else, HI!







I think of all you ladies often and stalk, even if i don't have time for personals!

AFM, things going great although insanely busy. My babies are growing so big and so fast that it almost makes me sad...almost 9 months already! Sienna is crawling and starting to try to pull herself up and she's smart and difficult to trick. Colin is so nice and relaxed, generally. he's a round one (haha I love it!) and therefore, not as mobile as his sister but he's always babbling. I love watching them grow but I hate it at the same time because i just want them to stay my babies! Anyway, here is a pic of them smiling at each other (I clipped it from a video). I love that they are interacting now, although Colin seems much more into Sienna than she is into him. That girl definitely plays hard to get ;o)



thinking of you ladies! Can't wait to see updates and see the new babies!


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## blueyezz4

*Suzie* - So sorry to hear about your & DH's loss!!!! Glad that your scan on Tues went well!!! Yay, keep going strong little one!!!

*Aura* - Glad you are having good luck w/ your chiro and that it is helping!!!! Wow 27 + wks that is awesome!!! How'd the appt w/ the pediatrician go? I have picked one but didn't actually meet w/ her I just know that a lot of my friends go to her and she sounds perfect for what i want. As for how i'm feeling see my AFM.

*Hope* - I hope that things keep getting easier for you and that the sleep deprivation starts to go away soon. I'm sure it is a challenge going back to work and balancing 2 for sure. Who watches your kids while you work? I think that is so sweet that your DH is talking about maybe having more. Before we ever started trying to get pregnant i always thought i might want 3 kids but then when i saw how crazy it was for my BIL/SIL w/ 3 it kinda changed my mind and I thought 2 might be just right for us. But after all we have gone through now I think 1 might be enough at this point... we will see.

*Tear* - thinking of you and can't wait to hear your big news when it happens!!!!!

*Guppy* - hope you have a great trip and got to relax some too!!!!!!

*Momtoalexis* -







my friend!!!

*Kewpie* - thanks!! Hope your little ones are doing well!!! How is the house coming???

*Renavoo* - hope your babes and you and DH are doing well too!!!

*rcr* - fingers crossed for you and your last transfer!!!!!!!!!! Sounds like things went great and I can't wait to hear!!

*Hi to everyone else!!!! Just looking back on this last page so if your post wasn't there that is why I forgot you!!!*

*AFM* - Well, the dr took the stitch out on Friday morning at 10am in the high risk unit at the hospital and then they hooked me up to the monitors for a non-stress test like I have every wk in her office and his heart rate was around 125 and then like 5 mins or so later it jumped up to like 160 and then dropped to like 110 and my ob didn't like that. So then after waiting like 3 hrs they finally wheeled me to see the high risk dr in his office in for a bio/physical ultrasound to check the baby to make sure we didn't need to deliver right then and there. They wouldn't let me eat either only a liquid diet, so I was starving and so was the babe!!! So I had the ultrasound and the boy passed the test w/ a 8/10, i guess if it is below a 6 then they want you to deliver right then. I think he missed 2 points for movement b/c he was sleeping through the whole thing probably b/c I hadn't had anything to eat in like 5 hrs only liquids. So I finally got to leave hospital and go home around 4pm. My ob wants to see me on Mon morning now and then i have my reg appt already set for Thurs unless she lets me cancel that one, but I'd doubt that, but we will see! I guess it is better to be safe than sorry. Oh and he is head down too, we found out!!!! His fluid level is also great compared to the last ultrasound that we had so who knows. He is weighing in at 6lbs 6ozs as of Fri. My OB said i might have spotting after taking the stitch out but i haven't had anything which is awesome. My pubic bones are still really sore and have been for weeks now....ugh, just everything separating I'm sure.


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## blueyezz4

*Renavoo* - just saw your last post for some reason it didn't show up when i was posting. Love that pic of your two little ones!!! We are doing okay just a little nervous maybe. We didn't take any classes b/c we have kinda been though it in in the past w/ our twins birth (this one will be different I know) and he will be bigger for sure... the twins were only 1lb 2oz and 1lb 3oz and i had major back labor with them so i'm just hoping that I don't have the same w/ this one b/c that was awful!!!!!

*Ps.* I forget (Maybe Aura) who asked, but yes the nursery is pretty much done. I want to hang his name above his crib and then we have some sticker decals that go w/ the bedding set to also put on the wall somewhere which isn't done yet but no biggie. I also want DH to put in two more outlets on the two main walls b/c there isn't enough outlets in that room. We also still need to get our monitor as well. Oh, and i want to do one more layer of bedding (they call it lasagna bedding) and need to get another waterproof pad. He might not be sleeping in there for awhile but we will see. Just found out the ladies in our little culdesac just arranged to have a little culdesac shower and that is suppose to be on the 28th which is pretty late but so sweet of them. It will be really small like only 7 or so of us ladies that live on the culdesac.


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## vireoes

Suzie-so sorry for your loss. It can be a difficult time even when it was expected. I am glad to hear that you and the baby are doing well.

Guppy-Wow. What an impossible decision. At least you have some time to learn more and reflect before having to make it. I wish you all the best with whatever decision you come to on it.

Aura-Good luck working things out for the nursery. Those old superstitions are difficult. They seem left over from a time when few women worked, everyone had extended family around to help put things together, there were few things to get and little choice in what you got. With twins coming it is hard to wait and try to do things afterwards, every minute with the babies or resting is just too valuable after they are here. Sounds like you have things under control though. I am so glad that everything is going well for you.

Blue-I am glad everything worked out and you were able to be released. That must have been a difficult day with no food and worry for the little one. Fingers crossed for smooth sailing till the end and an easy delivery. Wow you are so close.

Hope-wow back to work already, good luck with the transition. I hope everyone starts feeling better as spring comes. It is hard enough starting back to work, without all the illnesses that you have had to deal with on top of it.

Tear-Can't wait to here the good news from you. Fingers crossed for a smooth delivery.

Renavoo-so cute to see the pic of the little ones interacting.

AFM-Had our anatomy scan this week and everything is looking good. We have one large little boy growing happily. I guess it is time to pull out the names list, we had been putting it off till the scan. My sister is sending a big box of her boys clothes hand me downs and I will have to start packing up all the girly little clothes we have. A lot of DD things from early on were pretty neutral, but after those first few months even simple things like blue jeans seem to have hearts stitched on them somewhere. DD has been starting to drop her nap, so things have been a bit more grumpy in the house lately as we could both use some more rest. Hopefully we will settle into a new pattern soon and then she can go to bed earlier and I won't have to deal with two kids napping and waking each other up.


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## laura-belle

Suzie --







Yeah, we had a situation kind of like that in my family. Still sucks though.

renavoo -- They're adorable!

guppy -- Hope you're feeling better. Three--that is a lot to take, whatever you end up deciding.









Blue -- Not a great day, but it is at least done and you're good to go whenever. I am excited for you!

vireoes -- Glad that all is well.









AFM -- Still reading, just not posting much. Things are going pretty well for me; the gestational diabetes and the cholestasis are under decent control for now and per the ultrasound today, the placenta previa has solved itself. My OB says that presuming all continues to go well I may be able to go to 38 or 39 weeks (I had previously had a hard end date at 37 weeks), so I am pretty excited. I might not have to have a C-section after all! Now I need to actually schedule the myriad classes that first time parents are supposed to take--childbirth, infant care, breastfeeding. Really, even though I could live without some of them, my husband needs the info, so...


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## blueyezz4

*Laura* - glad things are going well and under control. Hope it all continues to go well for you!!!!!

*Vireoes* - Yay for another boy!!!! That is great when you get hand me down clothes. We have been blessed by those as well and it makes it so nice. Hope the classes go well. We are just going to rough it. We kinda know what we are getting into a bit since we had to birth our twins but we will see. DH thinks i'm crazy b/c i have been watching you tube videos on childbirth. LOL

*AFM* - forgot to post this latest pic of our little guy at almost 37 wks. I'm really confused though b/c i saw my ob today and she said that now he is in the 42 percentile for growth and the last 2 scans we have had he has been measuring big like last time he was in the 72% so we have our next u/s w/ the high risk dr next thur the 28 and i will be 38 wks so we will ask more questions then. Cervix is closed as of today. Keep getting shooting pains in it though. ugh!!


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## Tear78

Feeling kinda (ok VERY) grumpy and withdrawn (please be a sign of impending labor!) but I wanted to tell Blue that I had shooting pains in my cervix for a while too and my midwife said it's because of baby's head pushing down on it. Normal!







Also u/s can be inaccurate at times for growth, so hopefully this u/s was a fluke. Your guy's doing great! Keep us posted!









oh! and...also...Happy due date to me, happy due date to me, happy due date, happy due date, happy due date to me.














Not that I put too much stock in the date itself, but still: it's a big deal for me since we never got this far with DD due to pre-eclampsia.


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## blueyezz4

Tear- Yes, happy due date to you for sure!! So excited that you got farther this time w/ less issues. Do they think its bc your body has been pregnant before or could the sex of the babe make a difference?? Thanks for sharing about the cervix pains. I was getting them now and then even w/ the stitch at times. Yes, the whole ultrasound thing just seems odd bc out of the last 3 they told us he was a little big and now w the 3rd u/s he's no longer. Who knows. This tech that I had on fri has 9 yrs of experience too, so who knows. I won't worry about it and we'll just see what the high risk dr says next week.


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## Keria

Happy due date Tear! Can;t wait to see your little guy.

Blue what a cute boy. I wouldn't worry to much about the size. we got a couple of conflicting u/s. The doc did do a U/s before my c/s to check for positioning and in that one the weight was the exact weight they were born with.

Rena Colin and Sienna are so adorable.

Hi to everyone I'm cheering for all of you pregnant ladies.

AFM we are doing very well, this past year has been really fun. Watching my kids grow and learn has been an amazing experience. Right now I have a bit of baby fever, NOT going to happen though. Unless we win the lottery which it would be kind of hard since we don't gamble lol.


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## shesaidboom

Hi ladies. What a busy time it has been. I'm so sorry I haven't been here for you to lend support. I have dropped in to read from time to time and cannot believe how much has happened. I hope it's okay if I join back in now.

I'm so sorry for those who are going through hard times. I am thinking of you all and have been over the past several weeks. This journey is such a hard and unfair one. Nobody should have to go through what you are. Much love to you.

Congratulations to the new BFPs. Even triplets! How very exciting to have you here.

Everyone else, whereever you are in your journey, I have been following and hope to read more about it. I'm on the edge of my seat with some of you, sending lots of good thoughts, and well wishes.

I have been very busy with two ill parents, a sick father in-law, and a grieving cousin who just lost her sweet elderly kitty cat to cancer, and of course work on top of that. This is mostly why I haven't had time to update. I need to make time though. I miss you ladies.


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## tenzinsmama

Hi everyone,

I've missed you all as well. I've been faithfully reading along, rooting each of you as you go through all the highs and lows of ttc'ing and new bfps and pregnancy journeys, and, well, all the other life stuff. I've been doing some soul-searching about what I want to do in the next year, and trying to juggle working on my masters program and get more involved in community stuff so that I'm more connected for when I'm ready to graduate. On top of that I've been advocating for some funding for my little guy, as he has some Sensory Integration issues, or Sensory Processing Disorder as it is also known-- we found a wonderful pre-school for a September start and have some assessments in place (OT) in the next month, through the director, so hopefully we can get him some extra support when he starts there. Both kids are growing fast, and we are feeling like we are in a nice rhythm now (okay, the month of February was awful because all 4 of us were sick with about 2 different cold viruses, plus a gastro bug-- all back to back over a 4 week period!). We have been ttc'ing the last few months, but sometimes I think we might be insane for doing that lol. Anyway, hugs to all of you!

I will start doing personals now that I am 2 days away from finishing my final paper for the semester... HAPPY SPRING!


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## Vegan Princess

Tenzins: I am beginning to wonder if my 4 yr old has SPD in the touch realm. Do you mind me asking what symptoms your son has?

I keep thinking Tear had her baby whenever I get an email! 

I too am reading and cheering everyone on! I so cannot wait to see pics of Blue with her little miracle man!!

Life is keeping me busy. Mostly my 4 yr old is driving me insane - the baby is easy and so precious. She is almost 6 mos!! Just a happy person. Makes me want more - but then I wonder - what if the next is not like her. Ha. My first was not this easy - or maybe I just figured some things out along the way. Who knows. I am bringing all of my baby clothes to my midwife tomorrow. She just had a baby girl last week. I felt a bit sad packing some outfits up that I loved seeing both my girls in. We are def getting rid of all our baby stuff and not planning for a 3rd baby. Isn't that the easiest way to get pregnant? LOL.

Cindy


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## Tear78

Hi everybody! I'm exploding with happiness! My sister is coming, my sister is coming!!! She'll be here on Saturday evening. We didn't think it was a possibility, but it's going to happen!







I don't want to wish labor to wait, because I REALLY want my VBAC, but MAN do I hope she can be here when the little baby guy is born!









Vegan, everybody is answering their phones for me very promptly lately, lol. We've already started getting rid of baby girl stuff. It feels good to clean house a bit, but there's definitely a pang of awwwww. I am definitely saving some outfits for her and DS for "someday" though.

Tenzins, don't worry about personals! I think everybody understands if you are overwhelmed and would like to hear your updates anyway. At least I hope so, because that's what I usually do.









shesaidboom, I'm sorry you've had such hardship in your family lately! I hope things look up soon.









Keria, lol. I wonder if I will end up with baby fever again someday. DH and I both feel pretty happy with hopefully two healthy little ones. We're not going to do anything permanent, but we're going to have to be careful. (I NEVER thought I'd end up saying that!)

blue, I've started wondering if you're going to have your baby before me, because I'm going to be pregnant FOREVER. lol... Hang in there, I'm glad you're trying not to worry!


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## tenzinsmama

Thanks, Tear, for encouraging me not to feel badly if I don't respond often... I don't know how everybody else does it, but it seems that sometimes there is just so much going on it's like I have to keep notes so that I don't mix everybody and their happenings all up. How are you feeling? Nice to hear that your sister is able to come, and hopefully things hold off until she arrives so she can be there! It must seem really strange to be saying how you may need to be careful now... I always wanted to ask you, if they could peg a possible reason why it was easier to conceive this time around?

Blue, your little guy is so precious! I can't believe you are at 37 weeks now.. seems like the time has gone by fast, but maybe not so much for you as you are in the middle of it? lol

Vegan, I will pm you when I have more time. I've got to get a paper done by tomorrow... yikes.

Hi to everyone else!


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## Tear78

tenzins, I'm feeling all right, just easily tired. I'm taking lots of rests though, and relying heavily on those around me, for which I'm really lucky. Our RE said that sometimes the best cure for infertility is a successful pregnancy. They don't really know, but think that maybe having DD jump-started my hormones, or maybe being so busy taking care of DD helped us relax and get pregnant easily. They never really found an explanation for why it was so hard the first time either. So, no...no real answer. lol...


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## Carlyle

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Tear78*
> 
> Hi everybody! I'm exploding with happiness! My sister is coming, my sister is coming!!! She'll be here on Saturday evening. We didn't think it was a possibility, but it's going to happen!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I don't want to wish labor to wait, because I REALLY want my VBAC, but MAN do I hope she can be here when the little baby guy is born!


Me TOO! And I hope he comes at the best, safest, most wonderful possible time. And I hope that time is this Sunday.
















And Tenzins, I totally agree that I love reading updates even if people don't do personals. It's really good to see what people are up to! (And BLUE!!! I'm so excited for you!)


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## Tear78

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Carlyle*
> 
> Me TOO! And I hope he comes at the best, safest, most wonderful possible time. And I hope that time is this Sunday.










and


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## tenzinsmama

Big smile, Carlyle, at your comment about hoping baby comes Sunday! I just love seeing the dynamics between the two of you! Makes me so happy!

Tear, our RE said something similar as to what you were told. I had unexplained infertility for many, many years with my first partner. Now, with my current partner of just the last 5 years, it doesn't seem like we have the same issues at all, just some morphology on DH's part and then my 'old age' . Maybe it was all the stress of that first relationship. Maybe one pregnancy in me jumpstarted my hormones, like you say. Who knows.My RE said that sometimes, when a woman gets older, their bodies experience a surge in fertility as nature's way of getting one last 'kick at the can'-- their fertility goes way up several notches. It's a rather interesting concept. I haven't quite figured my body out when it comes to all of this... I had an FSH level of 11 when I as 29, and then at 43 it is 6?


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## Vegan Princess

Tenzin: That is so interesting that your FSH was lower when you were much older! My highest FSH was 13 when I was 32. But then it went down to 6 when we tested later. But I did have the signs of problems that go with high FSH. Anyway, it gives me hope that if we do decide to go for another baby that my body won't necessarily be pre-menopausal at the age of 36 (I'm 34 now). Part of me wonders if my secondary infertility wasn't related to the mirena I got after baby #1 and also wonder if maybe having another baby fixed that? Who knows.


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## rcr

Tear - I am so glad that Carlyle can come for the baby. I hope the birthday is Sunday (my birthday!).


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## rcr

Tenzins/Vegan - I wonder if my secondary infertility is somehow related to having DS too. I never had problems with fertility, and DS was the result of only one time BDing in 6 months (DH was living out of state), and we weren't even trying.


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## Tear78

rcr, I totally didn't connect that until you pointed it out. That would be so COOL! Everybody is predicting Sunday, so we'll see. I'm just...GAH...so excited for you!!!!!!!!!!! erhem....sorry. I mean...did you want to say something?


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## rcr

Tear, oh yea, now that you mention it... I am pregnant too! I know everybody here read it over there anyway. I am not wasting any time moving on from the "old thread" I was ready to put IF behind me years ago.

March 24 is a wonderful birthday, and once in a while it falls on Easter weekend, but usually it is just before. And so are Aries babies.


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## auraleigh

rcr, hooray!! i think you're more than done with the other side, glad you're here!

i can't believe how many babies will be here soon!


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## hope4light

Woo hoo rcr!! It's been your turn for so long, im glad it's happened!

Tear agh I cant wait for the news!


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## tenzinsmama

Welcome, RCR!!! And happy, happy birthday to you!


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## wissa19

RCR - Woohoo!!!! Yeah! Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's so gerat to see you over on this thread!


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## suzie mccool

Hey RCR







So happy to hear you got your BFP!! Congrats xx


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## blueyezz4

LOL.. total preg brain here. I wrote this a couple days ago and just saw i never hit the post button. Oh well. Might be old news. I'll add a little more update at the bottom.

*Tear* - Yay!!!!! I only know Carlyle from here but I'm even excited for you that she is coming!!!!! Is the whole fam coming or just her?? What a great time it will be if you have your little guy while she is here!!! I'll be hoping and praying that they timing work out perfectly just like the birth will too!!!!!! How fun!!! LOL... i don't think i'll be going into labor anytime real soon b/c my OB checked me today and i'm still high and closed. Kinda crazy how high my cervix is actually. After taking the stitch out it seems like it has scooted up higher now. Not sure if that is good or bad.

*Carlyle* -














Safe travels!!!!!!!!! Enjoy! Crossing my fingers that you get to meet your new little nephew in person while you are on this side of the country. Bring warm clothes by the way!! Brrrr it's cold over here!!!!!

*Tenzi* - i agree w/ Tear. I'd rather have people check in and update us on how they are doing than someone not post at all b/c they feel like they have to do personals. I say only do personals if you have the time and want to and if not then at least let us know how you are!!!! I hear you on feeling like you need to keep a note book w/ a little cheat sheet on everyone on here. I'm the same way and might make one here one of these days. LOL

*Vegan* - wow, can't believe your little one is 6 months already!!!! So is your MW not planning on giving you the clothes back in case you happen to have another one?

*Shesaid* - wow, it sounds like you have been going though a lot lately!!! Hope that things start to settle down for you and you can relax a little. What is next for you?? Appts or anything coming soon?

*Keria* - good to see your name pop up again!!! Glad things seem to be going well for you. I'm sure those babes are getting so big. Hope things are going well w/ the store too!!

*Hi to everyone else!!!*

*AFM* last Thurs - Last night i put together our swing and DH worked on the pack n play. Glad i decided to do the swing b/c it was easier than the pack n play. LOL. Saw my OB today for my reg Thurs appt and my cervix is still closed and really high too. It is even higher than it was w/ the stitch, which is kinda crazy how it shrunk up there. I'm starting to wonder if maybe i'll end up going late now. She said that if i do go late w/ our next (if there is a next) pregnancy she probably won't stitch me again. I'm hoping to work on a week of freezer meals this weekend or next week. I need to clean out the freezer some though so i can make some room for the stuff. I guess i've hit the nesting phase between that stuff and just wanting to nap. LOL I need to get off the computer and get dinner made.

*Tear* - any news????? Hope you are having fun w/ your sister in town.

*rcr* -














Congrats!!! So excited for you!!!!

*Laggie* -














Excited for you too!!! Not sure how often you are over here but still had to say congrats here too!!!

*AFM* - spent the whole day working on freezer meals. Ugh!!!! Man, I'm way too far along to be doing that right now. My poor back was killing me. I also feel like i have a cold or sinus infection or something. My head is so full. In the beginning it was bad all stuffy and whatnot and then it got better and now it's a mess again. I feel like i have a sore throat too though so i think it is a cold maybe. Ugh!!!!


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## blueyezz4

*Aura* - how are things going w/ you??? How many weeks now?? Any upcoming appts?? How's the decorating coming?


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## Vegan Princess

Blue: Feel better soon! I was a bit sick when I had DD. I kept feeling like I had to cough after DD was born (like right after) and I could feel my insides moving around in all that extra space. The midwife's assistant actually bound my belly with a cut up sheet so I could cough and not feel like that! I have heard though that some stuffiness could be a sign of impending labor. As for the clothes - nope, I didn't ask for them back and don't want them back. We are not *planning* for another baby - if god blesses us with one then I guess we will have to deal with finding everything all over again.

Cindy


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## Tear78

blue, I hope you're not getting sick! Hopefully it's just more of the same pregnancy-sinus stuff and it'll clear up soon. It's awesome having Carlyle here.







She came to an acupuncture appt with me today and helped me through some tough emotions about birth and about being overdue. I'm also still closed tight, but I'm hoping I'm just one of those people that do all their work quickly during labor. 40+6 today! Here's a pic of our little guy:



He has something uterus-ey in front of the right side of his face, but he's all chubby cheeks and adorable-ness! And apparently approaching/over 9 lbs! If the u/s is accurate...


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## blueyezz4

*Vegan* - So were you actually sick when you delivered or do you think it was just part of the labor process??? Funny you said that b/c i googled about it being a labor sign b/c more recently my head has been fuller in the evenings again like it was in the beginning and i was thinking maybe hormone changes might be causing it to start up again. I did see some people mention about stuffiness as a labor sign. We have an ultrasound on Thurs, but i really want to hold out until April 2nd if i can. Esp since it is still so cold out and we got snow today. I want to have a baby close as possible to summer. I know that i have no control over it but we will see.


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## blueyezz4

*Tear* - i think we cross posted b/c i didn't see your post. He is so cute. Looks like he is pondering if he should come out soon or wait a little longer. Too cute!!!! Fingers crossed and praying he comes soon and on his own. I'm hoping it is just preg related but i have a sore throat and haven't the rest of the times i've been stuffy w/ this pregnancy so we will see. So annoying though. I've done so well this whole pregnancy staying healthy for the most part, so i'm a little bummed. I'm trying to drink Mrs. Braggs apple cider vinegar w/ water to boost my immune system to see if that will help. Keep us posted. Thinking of you!! When does your sister have to go back???


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## lilacvioletiris

Tear, that is such a cute photo of your little boy. I hope your body let's him come into the world as soon as he is ready.


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## rcr

Tear - Cute photo. I hope you sister is able to stay for a while, at least until the baby comes. I was a little sad that it didn't happen on my birthday


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## Tear78

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *rcr*
> 
> Tear - Cute photo. I hope you sister is able to stay for a while, at least until the baby comes. I was a little sad that it didn't happen on my birthday


Me too, but happy birthday (late, sorry)!! She's staying until next Tuesday, so I HOPE!


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## tenzinsmama

*Hi everyone, okay, I ended up mistakenly posting on the other thread. Sheesh, here I thought I was doing well with remembering some specific things that people had going on, so I could write some personals. So I just copied and pasted here. I hope I get more with it, now that I'm done my final paper for school, but, ummm, maybe that's not going to happen anytime soon...*

Laggie, just read your news on the other thread! That is fantastic! It is gut-wrenching to be doing the HPTs, isn't it... Tear is right, there are so many things that factor in to how dark or light the line is. I read online that even with the sticks in the same box, you can have varying amounts of dye in them-- HPTs are qualitative, so the intensity of the line can't be relied on. I had done a search for myself about the line being lighter than it was the day before, and it was completely reassuring to read about the whole qualitative thing. And for your beta, that sounds really good-- as per the nurse's comment, too.

RCR, is it sinking in more now that you've had a couple days to think about things? Did you do anything special on the weekend?

So happy for both of you!!!!!!

Tear, cute little guy! He does have chubby cheeks for sure. Must be so nice to have Carlyle there with you now. How long is she staying?

Blue, sounds like you have everything ready now. I thought of you the other day-- remember when you were asking our opinions on baby stuff to get? I was thinking of how great it is to have little washcloths that are used only for bum wipes. We just wet them with warm water, and use them to clean baby's bum up. With pee, it's nice to wash it all off their skin. With poo, we use the diaper wipes to get all the mess, then follow that with the warm water rinse with the cloths. We always then dry with little bamboo cloths. It's a good way to save on wipes, plus baby doesn't have the coldness from the wipe all the time, but even more important is that we have never had a bad diaper rash, ever.

Vegan, still planning on sending you a pm about the SPD. I'm feeling like I'm just getting over my paper-writing...

AFM, looks like we are on our way to having #3, if all goes well. I had been feeling 'off', and at first I thought it had something to do with trying to get my final paper done (I had been neglecting to eat at regular times this past week, and having a medium coffee a day (I normally have a small) with chocolate here and there-- so I thought it was related to that). So then DH suggests I test with my internet cheapies, and I was so shocked to discover two lines. I'm just taking things one day at a time...


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## Vegan Princess

Holy crap Tenzin!!!! Yay!!!! That was easy! 

Cindy


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## rcr

Wow, Tenzins!! Congrats! That is wonderful news!!


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## auraleigh

It is a baby explosion on here!! Congrats Tenzin!! Also, that's great advice about the diaper wipes. I'm taking notes! Do you just store the dirty ones in a wet bag until you can wash them? How many do you keep on hand?

Afm, babies are doing great. I'm insanely uncomfortable though. Did any twin moms have bad round ligament pain? 99% of my pain is in my inner thighs, and sometimes my crotch hurts so bad I can't walk. The dr said to use a heating pad and take tylenol, but it's not really helping. I tried some yoga stretches (cat/cow) but they hurt more than they help. Any advice? I'm currently 29 weeks measuring 35 and I know it's just going to get a lot worse! I've already got about 6 lbs of babies in me, and the dr suspects they will each be 6 lbs at birth. How big were everyone else's twins? I just assumed they'd be tiny and now it's not looking that way!

Hope everyone is doing great, thinking of you all!!


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## rcr

Aura - we used cloth wipes for DS too. For the first few months we used the disposable kind, and then switched to the cloth ones, and I was so glad we switched. We would have to go through like 10 disposable ones to get all the poo off, and even then some of it ended up on my fingers. The cloth ones were so much better. We had a lot of them - like maybe 20-30. They sell them in packs of 10 or so. We had a bag that was made of some kind of plastic-ey stuff that was waterproof that we kept as a liner for a garbage can, and just threw them in there. After the dogs got into that a few times, we bought a garbage can with a lid.

Yay to the baby explosion!


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## tenzinsmama

Thanks for all the congrats, everyone!

About the cloth wipes, when it was a poop I didn't use them for the first swipe or two of the bum, I used the disposables... especially once the kids began solids. But once it was mostly all off, I used cloth. I had them pretty wet, too, so that I could squeeze the water out and get a sponge bath type effect-- I find it to be especially useful on DD, because her poo is mushy and it gets kind of everywhere... I'm always so careful because with a girl, there seems to be more of chance of poo bacteria getting into where its not supposed to go. Boys are so much easier to clean up, with everything on the outside!

Oh, the things we talk about sometimes! lol


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## Vegan Princess

We use cloth diapers and wipes. I just use flannel receiving blankets that i cut up. I soak in water and store in a wipe warmer. No disposables. i use disposabe wipes when out and they cause iritation sometimes.


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## rcr

I am not feeling any pregnancy symptoms yet. In fact I feel great. I have to remind myself not to bounce down the stairs at work because the RE said no bouncing. Did anybody else feel zero symptoms at this point? I am getting worried.

btw - we used fuzzy buns diapers. That was 5 years ago though, so there are probably different brands now.


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## Vegan Princess

me - i felt none. i barerly had morning sickness at all. just a few cravings.


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## rcr

Thanks for replying so fast, Vegan. That helps.

I went over the stalk the Nov due date club. I vowed to myself never to join a due date club after my last m/c and I was one of those people who had to bow out early on. ugh. I shouldn't have stalked it. They are already talking about how to announce it to family and friends, and even on FB! I wish I was not so full of worry.


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## auraleigh

i had no symptoms either, once the initial cramping went away. and the stupid crinone caused bleeding occasionally, so that was another thing to freak out about. i made it this far with twins and maybe one day of minor morning sickness? enjoy it while you can! i also joined a due date club, but most of the women on there annoy me (it's on baby center), and i've personally found more helpful information on the twins board, so i've been reading there instead.

thanks for the advice on the wipes, ladies! how did you keep them wet? or did you just run to the bathroom to wet them first? the nurse at the hospital suggested keeping a large water bottle of water with a few drops of lavender oil or some other essential oil in it to make it smell nice. is water sufficient to get them clean? does it need any soap element? i know nothing!

i've been waddling all day. i had the worst night's sleep last night, and in fact had all these nightmares that i was having the babies, or had the babies, but had to blowdry my hair first (?). i woke up exhausted and anxious and angry. plus i'm reaching a point that my bladder HURTS if i have to pee, but getting out of bed and walking to the bathroom hurts just as much, if not more. and it happens once an hour! 8sih more weeks to go though, so at least the end is in sight...


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## blueyezz4

*Aura* - I remember having worse round lig pain when i was preg w/ twins than this time. I also had the kidney pain when i would pee i think mainly on one side. Ugh!! I'm sure everything is just so cramped in there. Keep up the good work. Can't even believe you only have 8 wks to go, that is crazy!!! I also can't believe WE only have somewhere around 11 days to go (or more or less). LOL I have pain in my front pelvic bones and have for a month or more and my one chiro was working on some ligaments around that area today and wow, was it sore. She said to try a cold pack on it. Rolling over in bed and getting in and out of the car hurts. I'm sure everything is just separating in there. Ugh!!

*rcr* - i initially joined a due date club, but then i kept getting the updates on my email and it would annoy me so then i changed it so i didn't get instant email updates and i haven't been back there. I basically only stay here and stalk on the IVF thread. It was just too hard to be on a DDC where it seemed like no one had the same fears that I did w/ losses after doing so much to get pregnant. I can't even express to you how excited I am about your BFP!!!!!!







Also, I remember in the beginning I totally didn't feel like i was pregnant and it always made me nervous. I'd say enjoy it while it lasts, which is easier said than done i know. Did you have much morning/all day sickness w/ your DS??? How is DH feeling about it possibly being twins??? When will you tell DS you are pregnant? I know that can be a tough one for a young one and some people wait for a little while.

*Tenzi* - Congrats!!!!!! Wow, how old is your youngest now??? Thanks for sharing about the wipes. Always good to hear others opinions. I got a bunch of wipe boxes as shower gifts for i'll probably use them up first before i'd do anything else since they were free. I think all of them are the sensitive ones too so that is good.

*Tear* - sending you lots of birthing vibes!!!!!
















*How is everyone else doing??????*

*AFM* - Not much going on here....only 11 days from today until our due date. Except i read something the other day that said when they give you a due date you should add a week or two onto it. We will see. I have my reg OB appt tomorrow morning at 9am and then ultrasound at 10:20am. DH is going w/ me to both so that will be fun b/c he normally doesn't go w/ me except he will show up for the ultrasounds. Poor guy will probably be so bored and chopping at the bit to get to work. LOL These ultrasounds kinda scare me b/c I don't want them to tell me that they want to induce me. I really want him to come on his own. I do feel like i have been maybe getting some contractions or BH now and then. We will see. Still have a full head and my sinuses are kinda a mess. Ugh!!


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## Vegan Princess

I just wanted to come on here and vent and to warn all you ladies! My husband is taking a new job and will be considered self-employed so we have to get our own health insurance (not on a group plan). I just applied a few days ago and I found out today that i was denied! Turns out Cigna just straight denies anyone who has had any infertility treatment in the last 5 years - even though their stupid plan doesn't even cover infertility treatments! So now I have to shop around for another insurance provider. Blue Shield seems that if you were successful with your treatment and have had your baby and been released from post natal care then you can apply - but it also says they can deny you if you've had treatment in the last 2 yrs. Now the broker just told me to leave it off my application since I don't plan to ever file any sort of claim related to it in the future. I had no idea infertility was grounds for denial. Just thought I'd warn you guys, in case you ever find yourself applying for health insurance aside from through an employer.

Cindy


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## laura-belle

Vegan -- My god is that a stupid policy. I can see not taking someone who is currently undergoing treatment (maternity is expensive to cover), but I don't think that infertility is otherwise correlated with anything major. That said, you should get a new insurance broker--one who doesn't tell you to lie. If you lie on the application, the insurance company can kick you off for fraud at any time. This usually occurs just after you try to actually use the insurance in question. Do not knowingly omit anything on the application. Current law protects you for forgetting minor things, but not for knowingly omitting information.

Blue -- Wow! I can't believe that you are almost done! I have always liked ultrasounds; I find them reassuring. My DH has trouble seeing anything in the images though. Ah well.

Aura -- 8 more weeks! We should actually be delivering at right about the same time--my due date is June 5, but, because of the Cholestasis, if I haven't had the baby by 38 weeks they will induce or section. As of today I am looking at 8 weeks or fewer remaining as well. I have a good friend who had twins (IVF) about 7 months ago, and the end of her pregnancy was pretty hard on her physically as well. Her babies were almost 7 lbs each at just shy of 37 weeks (they are huge babies though--20+ lbs each at 7 months old and soon to be growing out of infant carseats height-wise). On the wipes--my mom friends kept a spray bottle of plain water to wet down the cloths. I don't think anyone has used soap.

Rcr -- Yay, you're here! Even with the PIO shots and estrace pills, I didn't really have symptoms until after 6 weeks along and even then they weren't major. I think your experience here is pretty normal.

AFM -- Today I am 30 weeks along! It feels like some kind of milestone. I have about 8 weeks remaining (maximum) because of the Cholestasis. I start non-stress tests weekly on April 10 at 32 weeks along. Baby prep is definately going to be the theme of April. Between the non-stress tests, regular appointments, and classes, I have 13 separate appointments scheduled already (counting my weekly phone appts). I also have a baptism class, a baby shower (or maybe two), and I need to get together with my mom and finish the nursery mural and the nursery in general.

I have noticed that I am getting much more spacey lately. I have a fairly complicated medication and food schedule going and I have been not doing very well at it. Today I can't remember if I have taken the 4th dosage of one of my meds. Yesterday I straight out spaced on the second dosage of a different one. This is not good. Tomorrow I think I wil try putting all of the days pills in a little bowl--at least then I will know which ones I have taken.


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## renavoo

Hi ladies!

Tenzi, YAH! CONGRATS!!

Vegan, ugh, i can't believe that. What a horrible policy and so discriminating, especially if they don't have coverage anyway. So stupid. Good luck finding a good insurance company!

Blue, I. CAN'T. WAIT! I am soooooo excited for you.

Aura, I had pain too and ended up just wearing my pregnancy belt all the time. That was also uncomfortable but better than the alternative! My baby boy was 6 lb 5oz and my baby girl was 6lb 15 oz when born so definitely on the larger size (and oh do i miss them at that size...they have grown so fast and so large!)

Rcr, i had some minor nausea which was relatively easily controlled with eating. Otherwise, alone with a bit of breast pain, i felt fine. So no worries! Can't wait for updates!

Hi to everyone else!! Off to go feed the little ones!


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## rcr

*Aura* - I had a spray bottle that I put some lavander and calendula oil in at first, but then the lavander clogged the bottle (duh), so we just wetted the wipes in the sink after that. Our house is really small though, so we are never far from the bathroom. If you think you will find yourself in a pinch then I would get a spray bottle.

*Vegan* - ugh. I am sorry for te insurance trouble. I can't imagine lieing would be a good idea either. We lied to an insurance company once and told them we were married but we weren't. We were so afraid they would find out, we ended up getting married.

*Blue* - any day now! I am so excited for you. I seems like your pregnancy has gone by so fast! My pregnancy with DS was so carefree, It is hard to compare. I didn't even know I was pregnant at this point. I had some gagging when I brushed my teeth, but never real morning sickness. But I had no reason to worry back then, and now I worry more. Things were so easy with him. I drank coffee, even drank a glass of wine once in a rare while for special occasions. I lifted heavy stuff. I skipped appointments. I announced early to everybody. I haven't mentioned the possibility of twins to DH. I don't want to freak him out unnecessarily, so I am just going to wait until I know one way or the other. He will be really happy eventually, but his initial reaction will be to freak out a little. I think I may just email him so I don't have to see it in person  As for telling DS, I wish I could tell him now. He is going to be SOOO excited!! I can't wait. But once I tell him he is going to blab to everybody, so I really need to wait. I did tell him last time I was pregnant (m/c), but he didn't really get it, and he never brought it up afterward, so I never had to tell him about the m/c. I don't mind talking about that with him - he watched my mom slowly die for 5 years, so he understands death and is comfortable with it (I took him to see her after she died even), but I am afraid of him blabbing to everybody before I get to where I am comfortable and feel save from a m/c.

*tear*/*carlyle -* any news?

*Laura* - I put my pills (and the dogs pills) in a little bowl in the morning. Otherwise I always forget what I have taken (or given to the dog)

*Rena* - thanks for your input that you didn't have much sickness either. That helps.

*About wipes* - We used the disposable kind for my mom (that probably sounds gross, but it is normal when dealing with alzheimers), and I always got the "toddler" wipes. They were the same price as baby wipes, but much larger. So I think if I was going to use disposable again for a baby, I would buy the toddler wipes. Much less chance of getting any on your hand. Target makes flushable toddler wipes that are big, and you can flush them.

I woke up with sore boobs today! yay! Thanks for all of your reassurance about not feeling symptoms - it made me feel a lot better.


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## kewpie80

Tear - Your u/s photo of your boy just melted my heart! I want to nom those cheeks!


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## kewpie80

*Aura* - we use cloth wipes along with diapers. I made about 80 and it's way more than I need on any given day, but they are great for more than just wiping bottoms. We use them for reuasble kleenex, spit up clean up and a zillion other things. We just put them in the pail with the diapers and wash them along with them. We use just plain water to wet them. I also use terry cloths when a diaper is particularly sticky. That works well. Our regular wipes are flannel that have been serged.

My twins were 6 pounds 9 ounces and 6 pounds at birth. I went to 36 weeks and 3 days. I had a lot of pain in my groin and I saw a chiropractor who knows how to handle pregnancies. She adjusted my pelvis, the pubic bone specifically and it made it so I could walk and run errands even on the day I delivered. HUGE difference! There is a name for the condition that preggo women gets... I'mm go look it up... Ok, it's called symphysis pubic dysfunction. Maybe google it and see if it sounds just like what you've got. If it is, I highly recommend seeing a chiro. If you google chiropractor and symphysis pubic dysfunction together, you may find one who specializes in it.

*Tenzi* - CONGRATS!!

*Laura-belle* - wow! Getting close!

*AFM*- Well, we've decided that sept 1st is when we're going to start the process for our next IVF. We'll be doing another fresh and saving our snowbabies for when I'm older.


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## Tear78

rcr, I LOVE your story about why you got married! I was preparing to grumpily post a pity party but now you cheered me up. As for symptoms, I remember not feeling much of anything until 5-6 weeks with both pregnancies, and then I started to feel sick. And for the first, my hcg levels were almost as high as yours (350ish at 14dpo). The worry is SO hard: hang in there!

vegan, omg that's really frustrating about the insurance! I agree: don't lie or you could get denied coverage when you really need it. I hope you find a company that isn't obnoxious!

kewpie, thanks!







That's exciting that you have a start date!

blue, how was the u/s? thinking of you!

tenzin, wahoo!!! congrats!

ok, I just burnt out. Sorry to everybody else, I love you tons! I'm so ready to go into labor, seriously...PLEASE?! OK, safe and healthy baby first, PLEASE, but second request: NOW PLEASE!


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## jenger

Hi All

While not quite an IVF graduate, I'm an infertility graduate, and I am here stalking my old friends from way back when here all the time anyway... Hi Old friends from way back when!

So HI!! I'm Jenger, 11 + weeks with #2 which was conceived after 3 1/2 years or trying, followed by giving up and selling all the cloth diapers on ebay... (And no, I don't believe that selling cloth diapers on ebay is a sure-fire way to get pregnant, despite what well-meaning friends seem to think... but I digress...)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *rcr*
> 
> I am not feeling any pregnancy symptoms yet. In fact I feel great. I have to remind myself not to bounce down the stairs at work because the RE said no bouncing. Did anybody else feel zero symptoms at this point? I am getting worried.


RCR - this freaked me out too, but I finally got sick at 7 1/2 or 8 weeks. And I got SICK. I still feel sick. I am very much looking forward to not feeling sick... However, I am glad that I have been sick, for reassurance...

Quote:



> Originally Posted by *rcr*
> 
> I went over the stalk the Nov due date club. I vowed to myself never to join a due date club after my last m/c and I was one of those people who had to bow out early on. ugh. I shouldn't have stalked it. They are already talking about how to announce it to family and friends, and even on FB! I wish I was not so full of worry.


I joined October DDC, but then couldn't go back there with any frequency... There are a few of us there that have had experience with infertility, which is nice, but most took 0 - 3 months to conceive - and they have huge families which I was NEVER jealous of 4 years ago, but now am green with envy that 5+ kids is even a possibility for someone... Now that I heard the heartbeat at 11 weeks, I am feeling more able to go over there... I never got email notifications...

TEAR!!! - Thinking of you!


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## Laggie

rcr - if it makes you feel any better, when I did have morning sickness it didn't start for another couple of weeks.

I'm so terrified of losing this one too. Grow babies grow (mine and yours and everybody's)! I'm feeling very superstitious about doing any of the things I did last time, and even though I think all of the "no sex, no lifting, no vacuuming" stuff is irrational and ridiculous (wouldn't the human race have died out by now?) I'm being really really cautious.


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## blueyezz4

*Jenger* - I think your name looks familiar to me too. Congrats on your newest pregnancy!!!!! Hope all goes well!!!

*Tear* - are you dilated at all did they say? Start eating the spicy food, walking and dtd (ugh)!!!!! Still having contractions??? See my AFM below about u/s.

*Kewpie* - excited for you to start your next cycle!!!! All i have to say is you are amazing!!!! I hope you have an easy next pregnancy w/ twins running around. I just have the puppy dog and i've had to balance my naps around her schedule while being pregnant b/c if she awake i'm awake. LOL I have to nap while she is napping or i'm screwed.

*rcr* - i hope that this pregnancy is as smooth as DS's was even though I know it will have more worry. In the spirit of Belly....4 more sleeps until your next beta!! Yay!! Can't wait!!!

*renavoo* - so good to see your name pop up!! Hope your little ones are doing well. Growing like weeds!!!!! Hope work has been treating you well too.

*Laura* - wow, you are getting closer too. Great! Crazy how fast time flies!!! What is the mural of???

*Vegan* - ugh... that sucks about the insurance stuff. I agree about not wanting to lie you might want to ask the agent about that for sure. I know one time when i had to get on like a cobra or something i think they wanted records from my last insurance comp about pre-exsisting conditions so i'd be careful. I think it is crazy if they don't pay or cover it anyways what is the big deal. The only thing i can think is maybe they might say that all the drugs we woman have taken to get preg may inc our chances of getting cancer or something. Who knows. So frustrating. I hope you can figure something out.

*AFM* - had my OB appt this morning and man, i swear my cervix is getting higher and higher instead of dropping. Today she was trying to find it and finally did and it was still closed, but then she was trying to feel and see if she could feel if he was head down i guess and whoooaaaa, i thought she was going to find my tonsils!!!! She didn't feel his head and was wondering if maybe he wasn't head down anymore. So we went to the ultrasound after that and he is head down just kinda off to the side, i guess and all looks good they said. I don't have to go back as of now and we just wait it out. So then i get home and i notice i'm spotting a bit. Then later on in the day i go to the bathroom and more w/ some fiber-ish stuff too. TMI sorry.... kinda looks like tree bark all groud up but like an old blood color. Not sure if that is part of my mucus plug coming out or what. Might just be b/c she was rooting around in there getting it all angry!!!! I called just to be safe b/c they have been checking me for a long time now b/c of the stitch and i've never had spotting not even after the stitch came out but she said it is normal and to call back if the bleeding gets heavier. So far it is pretty much stopped and i only have real mild cramps now like really mild period cramps but those seem to be getting better too. Okay, well i need to go get ready for my little culdesac neighborhood baby shower and the guys are taking DH out for a little "daddy shower" which just means having a drink at the bar i think, not sure what they will do. Kinda cute though!!! Hope everyone is doing well!!! So fun when this thread gets hopping!!!! Happy Easter by the way in case i don't get back on before Sunday!!!!


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## blueyezz4

*Laggie* - i missed your post b/c it was on the other page. So good to see your name over here!!!! I'd say right now it's better to be safe than sorry!!!!! So excited for you!!!!


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## Vegan Princess

Oooo Blue!!! I wonder if this is the start of labor???? Bloody show has been the first sign of labor for me both times!!! And my contractions started off feeling like period cramps. I guess we'll see if they get stronger! I lost my mucous plug in the middle of labor the first time (a few hours in) and a week or 2 before the second time. it was so disgusting - came out like a golf ball sized wad of phleghm. It had no blood in it and often does not unless you are in labor or close to labor.  I'll be thinking of you!!!

Well I am thinking worst case scenario, insurance wise, we will have to do cobra until 2014. I think the rules change in 2014 and they can no longer exclude people based on pre-existing conditions.Lame!

Cindy


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## Tear78

Vegan, I'm glad you have the cobra option!

blue, the spotting could totally be from the exam. Vegan could be right about early labor, but to play devil's advocate I've had period-like cramping on and off for about a month, and also some bloody show about two weeks ago (nothing golf-ball sized or anything, though). When I talked with my midwife she said "sounds like you might be having a baby in the next 1-2 weeks." Har har, I was 39 weeks. I'm glad everything looked good with the ultrasound!









Laggie, there's nothing wrong with playing it safe, even though it feels irrational. Thinking sticky thoughts for your bean, and everybody else's too!

afm - a little more cramping but nothing regular or even suggestive of being regular. I'm glad to have them, though. C'mon, let's do this, lol!







(if you're ready, little one)


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## rcr

With Blue's bleeding, now I am wondering who is going to have their baby first - *blue* or *tear*

I am not going to tell anybody that I am pregnant until the baby is crowning. Seriously. I am going to have to find a way to hide it because I am not telling anybody. Last time I was pregnant (m/c I started showing really early. I think because of all of the weight I have gained with IF treatments (about 30 lbs).

*Laggie* - what is this about vacuming!! I didn't know I had to avoid that too!


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## tenzinsmama

With the cloth wipes, we just use plain warm water from the bathroom. Our bedrooms and the bathroom are close, so its easy. For a shower gift I did get this product, I forget what it was called, but it had calendula in it, it was so nice smelling and made baby's bottom so soft after. I would use it for the poop diaper changes-- just spray it on after the clean-up was done, then wipe it off.

Blue, my DD just turned 10 months old yesterday. Exciting things may be happening at your end!

Tear, any news?

Excited to check in later!!!


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## Tear78

Tenzins, still here.


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## Laggie

Rcr, the list of what not to do from my doc specifically says no vacuuming. We always joke that it should really say no housework! Or that a woman snuck that on there. DH does all the vacuuming anyway. I really need to get my garden cleaned up and started, but DH needs to turn the soil for me first. Normally I wouldn't mind doing it myself but I better not.

I have 1 friend who knows about the pregnancy but she's sworn to secrecy. My sister has eagle eyes though, and we're having dinner with her twice this weekend. I may have to fake drinking wine or beer.


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## hope4light

Laggie - welcome over here!

Tenzins - I said it on the other side, but CONGRATS!

blue and tear - I'm waiting LOL. I keep checking on my phone to see if either one of you has had your baby!!!


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## tenzinsmama

I don't want to tell anbody in IRL about my pregnancy, either... Would like to keep it under wraps for as long as possible. My mom has eagle eyes, too, and we are at my parents' place for Easter dinner...

Thanks, Hope!


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## suzie mccool

rcr.. at 11 weeks I still haven't had any morning sickness or big symptoms, aside from sore boobs and eating like a horse! Oh, and napping like a toddler  I figure after all the IVF drugs, the side effects of pregnancy are so much less extreme that it almost feels normal? And I honestly didn't do ANYTHING for the first few weeks. No housework, no bending at the waist and no sex until after the 8 week scan. The most boring weeks of my life LOL

Laggie.. we also told nobody at all aside from our mums. We were really lucky we had the 8 week scan before DHs mum passed away, so at least she knew..

I just told my son last night and he was just so awesome about it - I'm so proud of him







At 14 I was expecting a crappy reaction, but he had so much fun choosing awful names and kidding around, I am still in shock! We are telling people who ask over the next few weeks. I gained so much bloat with IVF I've looked 4 months since the transfer and it's summer here, so I guess lots of people have been assuming anyway.

Got told I had high blood pressure after my feet and legs swelled up, and the doc (not my preg doc) wants to put me on magnesium. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

I haven't filled the script yet, and am thinking I might just get the prenatals with magnesium added instead. I would expect high blood pressure after the last few weeks with DHs mum passing and all the related stress, and am not entirely comfortable with the dosage it gives me.


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## Tear78

suzie, did your doctor check your urine for protein? Whatever you decide to do, please do it while in full communication with your doctor. I was pre-eclamptic in my pregnancy with my daughter, and it's important to keep monitored and get checked. Magnesium is a common medicine to take, fwiw. I'm glad you've been feeling great otherwise!


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## suzie mccool

Hey Tear  Urine was clear of protein and blood pressure went down to 140/75 which is a bit better. I'm only 11 weeks, so pre-eclampsia is not really a concern at this stage, just the fluctuating blood pressure and swollen legs. After the Easter break i have an appointment with my real doctor, so will follow up with him then. In the meantime I'm taking the prenatals with a small amount of magnesium that the hospital has approved - they essentially told me that they would only recommend magnesium supplements for women over 32 weeks.

Trying not to stress about it - I'm sure that will only make it worse LOL

How are you feeling today?


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## Tear78

Suzie, I hope I didn't make you feel stressed. I just wanted to make sure that they kept close watch if there was any concern about pre-e. I was told this time to take magnesium supplements (like, over the counter vitamins) as a precaution, and fwiw I showed no sign of it this time. I'm glad to hear you're feeling better!  I'm doing all right, just one day at a time. Yesterday was a meltdown day. Maybe today I'll enjoy the sunshine and have a nice day.


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## suzie mccool

lol Tear - takes more than that to stress me! The last month has been more stress than I thought possible, so I'm blaming the blood pressure on that for now. I will keep it monitored though, and if my ob gyn also thinks I need the supplement, that's another story. I just wish it was easier to get an appointment! He has a 3 week waiting list, so all my monthly ones are booked, but bad luck if something comes up inbetween..

The last few days are the worst - I know!! My lovely son was 3 weeks overdue (I was aiming for a birthing center and that's their limit) during a 40 degree heatwave (over 100 in your land) and I'm not sure what's worse... all the waiting, or all the people saying "haven't you had that baby yet?" hahaha people.. hope your little one doesn't keep you waiting too much longer


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## Tear78

Please think of us tomorrow. We have our BPP ultrasound and afterwards our appointment with our OB to talk about "next steps" aka most likely a c-section. And the stomach flu may have made it's way into my house: DH is not feeling well. I can't even imagine having the throw-up bug after a c-section. We have a lot to talk about tomorrow.

ps - (Carlyle, stop feeling guilty. I love you!!! I can't believe how crappy this week has been, but I'm still glad I got to spend a little time with you! Happy Easter, from across the road!)


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## hope4light

Tear you're in my t&p, let us know how it goes. How many days overdue now?


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## blueyezz4

Tear - thinking of you and hoping all goes well today!!! Is a BPP u/s a bio/ physical ultrasound? Good luck w/ everything and I'm sure you already have your bags packed and ready to go. Hope DH gets feeling better and no one else gets it!!! Keep us posted as you are able!!


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## rcr

Tear - I hope everything goes ok. I am thinking about you.


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## Vegan Princess

Tear: Hoping everyone is healthy and baby decides to come soon!

Cindy


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## rcr

Second beta was 8704. Doubling time of 39.12 hours. They want me to come in for a scan in the next few days, but said that is is probably too early to see anything.


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## Tear78

Keep those good thoughts coming!! I was a little bit dilated (yay!!!) and she was able to strip my membranes!  And tonight we go to the hospital at 8 o'clock to get a foley cathether to try to get my cervix dilated more. Either way, we're going to the hospital tonight to start our birthing process! I'm SO thrilled to have a chance at delivering naturally! They think he's close to 10 pounds, yikes!  Think wide open birthing channels for us!









rcr, that's AWESOME! I can't wait for your scan! There's a sign in my OB's office for RCR something-or-other offices, lol. I think of you every time I leave pee in a cup. How flattering, eh?


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## guppyluv

RCR! Congrats! I missed the boat as I've been offline and traveling for work the past few weeks. YEA!!! This is wonderful news.

As for symptoms, I'm at 11 weeks and have only had three total days where I felt nauseous/pukey (2 at 4 weeks and 1 day at 10.5 weeks). Otherwise just some big boobies and tired from the progesterone. As soon as I stopped progesterone supps last week, my energy definitely shot up a notch! I have some sore nips this week and a little sciatica pain from starting to sleep on my side but nothing else really. I was remarking last week (before my puke day) that I barely felt pregnant -- won't say that again, b/c my next day after SUCKED!!! lol...

And Tear!! YAY Hope all goes wonderfully tonight! Blessings!!

As for everyone else, so much good news... I'm waaaaaay behind so will take some time to catch up... but congrats to all the new BFPers!! I'm rooting for all and will try to catch up next weekend, as work is insane this week.

AFM -- 11w0d, best I know the three beans (now "limes") are still ticking, another U/S later this week to confirm. Hopefully all still going strong. Broke a tooth this morning (sux!!) but otherwise just dandy...


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## auraleigh

i'm cheering you on Tear!! Go baby GO!!!!

guppy, great to hear from you! glad all is going well and you're feeling good!

rcr, i did a mental cartwheel for you and your beta. i'd do a real one but i'd probably hurt myself.

afm, only got 2 hours of sleep last night and was SUPER cranky. plus it felt like i was having a day long hot flash, and my back started hurting out of the blue. i went to the chiro for an adjustment and hopefully that will help. all i want to do is call out of work tomorrow. it's terrible. i know i should save my days. plus i have an ob appt tomorrow so at least i can sleep in a little longer. i know i'll be even more tired after the babies are born, but at least then i'll have babies to look at. right now it just feels like i have a boulder on my lap.


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## rcr

Tear - I hope all went well last night. Maybe you are in labor now?

Aura - thanks for not really doing cartwheels and hurting yourself.

guppy - glad you are doing well, and that your three little limes are doing well.

AFM - I have an u/s appointment for Thursday morning. I won't yet be six weeks yet, so they might not see anything. I am kinda wishing that I wasn't doing it, because if they don't see anything I will just worry. I would rather wait until they are supposed to see something so that I will know for sure one way or the other. Last time I was pregnant, my betas were rising and rising, but there was no fetal pole - just an empty sac. So I know that a missed m/c can still happen with rising betas. My betas were still rising even when I had a D&C several weeks later.


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## blueyezz4

*Tear* - thinking of you and hoping all is going smooth and you are making great progress and maybe holding your little guy in your arms already!!!!! So excited for you!!!!

*rcr* - Holy beta!!!! What was your first beta number again? Your first one was last Monday right??? So this one was a full wk after???? Is that right??? If i remember right, I think w/ our twin preg we saw two sacs at 6wks and they told us then that one had a good heartbeat but they weren't sure if the other was going to end up being a vanishing twin and then i think we went back at 8 wks and you could see both heartbeats and hear them clear as day. So you just never know. Also, sometime the dates are kinda off so if you don't see anything right away if you wait a wk or so there might be a huge growth the next time you go in. I totally understand how it can be totally nerve wracking. Is DH going w/ you or will he be out of town on work? Can't wait to hear your news. What time is your appt so i don't have to keep stalking my email w/ excitement??

*Aura* - ugh for the back pain and not sleeping!! Hope your chiro helped and that you got more sleep last night and that your appt today w/ your OB goes well. Keep up the good work mamma!!!!!

*guppy* - I can't even believe you are almost to that 12 wk point!!! Yeah!!!!!! What is your next step?? What day is your next u/s? Keep us posted!!!

*Hope everyone else is doing well!!!!!!*

*AFM* - *5 days to go*- not much going on here!!!!!! Yesterday i was having a lot more pressure and shooting pains in my cervix which i'm hoping is a good sign. Haven't had any more spotting since last week. I'm really going to be disappointed if i see my OB on Thurs and we have gotten no where when we are due this coming Sunday!!!!! Ugh!!!! We will see. Just trying to tie up loose ends and hoping to drag DH to BRU tonight to get a few items that we still need off of our registry so we will be all set. DH was convinced yesterday that we would have to baby today b/c i kept saying that I just wanted to get past April fools day and the 39 wk mark for sure and then I'd be fine w/ him coming when he wanted. Oh and I think DH has pregnancy brain... is that possible for it to rub off on him??? LOL. Okay, well i need to jump in the shower while Abby is sleeping or i'll be in trouble. Good training for having a baby!!!! Picking up a craig's list baby item today too which is a little scary after all these stories you hear about the crazy people out there. I'm sure it will be fine.


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## Tear78

Thanks, you guys! Still here, but feeling good about DOING something. They put in the foley catheter last night, and I had some pretty owie contractions for a few hours as things started stretching. Around midnight it started spacing out and not hurting so much and I was able to doze, and then they gave me some Ambien at 1am so I could finally sleep, which is what my OB wanted me to do. I've been having contractions on and off all day today, some of them intense, and we're all just waiting for this foley to fall out: apparently it's inflated to about 5cm, so when it falls out that's how dilated I would supposedly be. My OB called and made them let me eat real food, so I feel a lot better after a good lunch. My sister flies home this afternoon (pout), but it was awesome to have her come visit me in the hospital this morning. I gave her permission to update if I can't, but hopefully things will pick up soonish. My OB didn't expect things to move too quickly. I'm sitting on a birth ball now and getting ready for another walk through the hallways. Thanks for thinking of us!


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## hope4light

rcr - I am so excited for you! That's a GREAT strong beta! I know how you feel, too early isn't going to help your mind rest any.... I'm hoping they can see something!

guppy - That's not so bad for 3  Let us know how the ultrasound goes.

aura - that sucks, I'm sorry, hang in there. Can't believe how close you are getting!

blue - almost there! Man the last 39 weeks have flown by (for me LOL). I had so much pressure and pain in my cervix before I had DS, the good news there is it was in part because he was so low, which was what made my labor nice and quick! Can't wait to hear!!

Tear - YEAH!!! I am so freaking excited, I cannot wait to hear. I keep thinking about you and checking in to see what's going on!


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## lilacvioletiris

rcr, I was looking for a collection of what scans looked like at different weeks gestation. Found this cool website that goes week by week. Here is what week 5 would be http://www.baby2see.com/development/ultrasound_sonogram/first_trimester_scans.html#week5

I hope that little ones are here for the long hall!

blue, lol, have to laugh about the April fools baby. My sister had her baby girl this morning April 2 at 1:30 a.m. My sister was so scared her daughter would be born on April fool's day but once her water broke, my sister just kept praying that it would happen sooner. Glad you made it through April 1 still pregnant as well.

Tear78, I hope your little boy makes his exit into the world sooner rather than later! I know you are ready.


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## Vegan Princess

Tear: I am so excited for you!! And I think it's awesome they used a foley bulb instead of meds! Sounds like it is working. 

RCR: I think my beta was around 5k at the 1 week later beta - I'm betting you have 2 in there! They should be able to see how many sacs - it's just maybe too early for a heartbeat.

Cindy


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## rcr

Lilac - that link was really helpful. Thanks!

Tear - hang in there! I am glad things are moving along. I can't want to hear an update from Carlyle.

Blue - my appointment is at 9:15. The office is an hour away, so I will probably update when I get back to work around 11 or so. DH is going to be out of town for work. I can't believe you have 5 days to go! I can't wait for you to meet your baby, after such a long wait!


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## tenzinsmama

So many things going on in the last couple of days... !!!! Will be checking in early tomorrow!!!!!

Lilac, thanks for that interesting link!


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## Carlyle

So Tear is still in labor (!tough cookie!) and is now dilated to 6cm, having regular contractions, and progressing slowly but steadily. Sounds like she's having some back labor (counterpressure is helping), and she's been laboring all night (from what I hear she wasn't able to sleep through the contractions even with the Ambien). Our mom says that they're giving her some Nubain to help her get a little sleep this morning and I'm really hoping that her body and baby's body respond to it better than mine did (I got whacky on Nubain) because she could really use some sleep. I'm hearing all of this 3rd hand (through her dh and our mom), so I'm going a bit crazy over here (having spent most of the day on a plane yesterday) and just sending her love. It was incredibly difficult to leave her yesterday! It sounds like her labor is so similar to my first, and it was a bear. I'm hoping that she's feeling good and proud of herself to be dealing with such a long labor--it's hard!!! Send some love!


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## Carlyle

Just heard another update--sounds like the Nubain helped her sleep well, so hooray! She's going to get up and walk some more now.


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## blueyezz4

Carlyle- how sweet of you to keep us in the loop!! Sending her lots of love and prayers that things start easing up for her and that baby starts moving his way out!!!! Yay Tear!! You can do it!!!!!!!!!! We are all routing for you and your little guy!!!!!!


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## blueyezz4

Yay for some sleep!!!! I was put on Nubain w/ our last birth and it just made me feel like i had drank strong wine and was tired from it!!! Glad it worked for her!!!!!


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## tenzinsmama

Come on Tear, come on baby-- you can do it!!!! Sending lots of love and positive birthing vibes their way! Must be hard on you Carlyle, to not be there...


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## kewpie80

Thanks carlyle or keeping us updated. We love you Tear! C'mon baby! I'm thinking stretchy thoughts.


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## rcr

Tear - thinking of you. I hope the rest brought lots of baby movement!


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## laura-belle

Tear -- Hoping things are moving right along for you! Thanks for the update Carlyle!


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## suzie mccool

Cheering for you Tear! C'mon little one


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## hope4light

yay Tear! hang in there!!


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## Carlyle

Yes! So hard not being there. She's still in labor as of a little bit ago. Hoping all is going smoothly!


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## blueyezz4

*Tear* - still thinking of you and hoping that you are holding that baby boy by now!!!!









*AFM* - I went into the hospital this afternoon b/c it felt like the baby wasn't moving like normal today. So I went into the high risk unit at the hospital and they hooked me up for a non-stress test and it didn't really feel like he was moving much at all, but he passed w/ flying colors so that was good and then the whole drive home he was moving like crazy. Go figure!!!! He's already playing games w/ my heart. I wasn't getting myself too nervous and just kept telling myself not to worry until the nurse/dr was worried. Poor DH, I think he was more stressed than I was. I have my reg OB appt tomorrow morning so we will see how that goes.


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## Carlyle

He's HERE! 9lbs 9oz (I think) and no name yet. HOORAY! Tear's temperature spiked to 102 before he was born (although I hear that she's looking and feeling much better right now), so they're sending the placenta to be checked for "infectious agents." If they find anything, he may have to go to ICU (I so hope this doesn't happen; even though they can have unlimited access to him in the ICU--that's hard to do if you've just given birth I imagine), but for now he is nestled in her arms and latched on well. Thank God.


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## shesaidboom

*blueyezz* - so glad your little guy was moving like crazy after all that! Good thing you got checked out though. So glad he's okay! I hope your appointment goes well.

*Tear* - CONGRATS! Fingers crossed that everything is well and he will avoid the ICU. Thanks for the update, Carlyle. Sending lots of good thoughts to the new family!

*rcr* - CONGRATS!! That is wonderful news! Thinking of you. Once the cramping went away, I had no symptoms for several weeks either. I think it's totally normal at that point.
Thanks for all the cloth diaper/wipes advice you posted for others. We're planning on using cloth too so reading about it helps a lot.

*guppyluv* - so glad your "limes" are doing well.

*auraleigh* - hope you're feeling better. Things can get so uncomfy.

*Vegan Princess* - insurance is so frustrating. I'm sorry you have to deal with it. That policy is just weird.

*Laggie* - lots of sticky thoughts to your little one. Being cautious isn't a bad thing.

*Tenzin* - congrats! So glad you are expecting #3.

*laura-belle* - You're so close! I bet it must be exciting. I hope you're feeling better.

*Kewpie* - exciting that you're going to be starting IVF in September!

*AFM -* my mom started chemo today, so that has been pretty stressful. She's keeping distracted by knitting lots for the baby. I saw my OB today and everything is looking good. I am 21 weeks along and we are having a little boy. We had a bit of a scare with our anatomy scan, but I wasn't too worried because the lady doing it was just awful! She kept complaining about the baby moving too much, she took two hours and didn't even finish then, and we only ended up with one somewhat decent picture because she didn't know how to use the camera.I went in for a repeat last week and it turned out her measurements were way off and our little birdie is just fine. My placenta was laying low, but was fine at the repeat, but my OB wants to check it again around 30 weeks. Anyone else have this happen? Here's the picture from the anatomy scan..



I hope everyone is doing well! I can't wait for more updates.


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## Vegan Princess

Shesaid: Great pic! I'm glad everything turned out ok. Congrats on your little boy! I'll keep your mom in my thoughts.

Tear: Yay!!! Congrats on your big baby boy!!! You are a warrior mama. What an intense labor! Rest up and enjoy those baby snuggles.

Blue: Glad baby passed the test with flying color! I think they just slow down a lot once they are so cramped - never hurts to be cautious though if it doesn't seem right to you. Can't wait until he is in your arms! 

AFM: Well I had my phone interview today for the 2nd insurance company. I did leave the IVF off of my written application but the phone interview was with a doctor and I was totally honest about everything. The funny thing is, he really didn't ask me much of anything about it. He asked if I ever had any infertility treatments and I said that I did IVF to have my baby and that it was obviously successful. He didn't ask a single other question. Whereas with any other condition I mentioned for my daughter, etc he asked 50 million questions about it. I spent 70 minutes on the phone with the guy talking about myself and my 2 girls and DH spent another 20 minutes on the phone about himself. He also told them we did IVF but they didn't question him about it either. And a couple times the guy would put me on hold and I think ask someone else if he needed further questioning about whatever we were talking about but he didn't do that about the infertility. So I am hoping it's not a big deal. My insurance agent had told me this company will cover you if you had treatment, were successful, have had your baby and been released from post natal care - all which I have done. But they also say they may not cover you if you've had treatment in the last 2 yrs - which I have. Though I am hoping that is only if you have not had a baby from it. Anyway, hopefully we will hear soon. I know we can do cobra until the law changes in January - i was just really looking forward to switching to a PPO from our HMO network and being able to switch back to our old doctors that I loved from before DH took the job he has now 1.5 yrs ago.

Cindy


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## rcr

Yay tear!! Congrats! I can't want to hear the whole story!

Great news! One little bean with a heartbeat. A little part of me was sad about not having twins, but now I can have a homebirth, which makes me really happy (the only two MWs in the state won't deliver twins). DH was really sweet and drove 3 1/2 hours this morning to meet me there to see the u/s.


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## Vegan Princess

Yay RCR!! Such happy news!!!! I'm sorry it wasn't twins. But yay for a potentially easier pregnancy and homebirth! I had a homebirth this time - pretty awesome.  One strong healthy bean!!!!

Cindy


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## shesaidboom

*Vegan Princess* - Thank you so much.

That sounds like good news from how your phone interview went. Crossing my fingers for you guys! It would be nice for you to get back with doctors you love. I find it rare to really find doctors you feel that way about.

*RCR* - yay!!! I'm so happy for you and your DH. I can't wait to hear more updates about your little bean! I understand the twin disappointment forsure, but hopefully an easier pregnancy and like you said, a home birth!


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## tenzinsmama

Tear, congratulations on your big baby boy!!!! I hope the of you are resting up from the birth and enjoying getting to know one another. I hope that your fever is gone down and they found everything is okay with the placenta and all that. (Carlyle, thanks so much for the updates!)

SheSaid, sorry about your mom having to go through all that. I went through a similar thing with my dad having cancer when I was pregnant with DS (it was in his neck and had spread to lymph nodes). Dad had surgery, chemo and radiation. We made it through, and I know that having the baby coming really helped him with his fight. Me and my belly accompanied him every day to his treatments over an 8 week period. The staff were wonderful, and that made a big difference because they were not just supportive of my dad but of me as well. Keep us posted on how your mom is doing, and in the meantime, you and baby keep doing great! Love the picture! (And sorry you had to go through that stress because of the inexperienced u/s person... ugh!)

Blue, isn't that scary when our babies do that?! DD stopped moving (where I could feel it) for a good 10 hours or so... I was SO in tune with my body the whole time, and my midwife kept saying I had probably been too distracted to notice, I said no, baby is really quiet and I'm worried... so we went to get checked out, just like you did. And the same thing happened, suddenly baby starts kicking up a storm. For me it was just before they were attaching the monitors... It was really close to the end,too. Guess she was sleeping, or didn't have much room, or whatever!

Vegan, glad things aren't too bad with the insurance stuff. Being in Canada, it's hard for me to wrap my head around how that all works, but it sounds like a big pain in the butt! And I'm still planning on sending you a pm... I am waiting for more than a few minutes at a time where I can sit down and type. My little guy has been especially 'demanding' of my time and energy this last week.

rcr, wow, that is wonderful about your little bean doing so well! Amazing that they could see the heartbeat so early, he/she is a strong one! Sorry about not having twins, I can totally understand feeling sad about that...but then I can also get the happiness you feel about getting to plan for a homebirth! I had one with DS, and I loved it. And how absolutely sweet that your DH drove that far to be with you at the u/s. I'm so excited for you!!!!!!!

AFM, not much to report. I feel really tired, but other than that, I don't feel much different. I had initial cramping sensations early on, but now I don't have that. I'm really bloated though-- my normal pants that I've been wearing don't fit me anymore. I kind of forget that I'm pregnant sometimes, otherwise. I hope the little bean is okay in there.


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## lilacvioletiris

Oh rcr that is awesome! I hope your pregnancy stays nice and low risk so you can have your home birth. I want that myself when I get pregnant so I am hoping for just one baby at a time. But I will take two if that is what is growing now inside of me.


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## Laggie

rcr - Wow, that is wonderful news! Sorry I was SO convinced that it was twins. But then when I kept reading more info about beta numbers, it seems like it's not a good indicator. A heartbeat already is great!


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## Carlyle

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *rcr*
> 
> Yay tear!! Congrats! I can't want to hear the whole story!
> 
> Great news! One little bean with a heartbeat. A little part of me was sad about not having twins, but now I can have a homebirth, which makes me really happy (the only two MWs in the state won't deliver twins). DH was really sweet and drove 3 1/2 hours this morning to meet me there to see the u/s.


HOORAY! Oh so good to hear that you have a healthy heartbeat. I'm sorry about the disappointment about twins, but am so glad that it's likely to be an easier/safer pregnancy and birth. So excited for you!


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## shesaidboom

*Tenzins* - thank you so much for sharing your experience with your dad. You are a wonderful daughter for going through it with him, and I'm glad looking forward to the baby helped him. It's helping my mom too. She's keeping busy knitting up baby things when she's not feeling too badly. The only thing is the hospital she's going to for treatment have a no pregnant women policy and they wouldn't change it for us. I feel awful not being able to go with her.

*lilacvioletiris* - when do you get to find out how many you are having?

*Laggie -* I think it's very widely believed that beta numbers point to multiples, because everyone was saying the same thing to me about twins when my numbers were high. Even one of the lab techs said it! Turned out it wasn't so for me either.


----------



## rcr

shesaid - love the picture. Sorry about the u/s experience. There are so many bad u/s techs out there. It seems like most people have had bad experiences. Sorry about the no pregnancy policy - I bet it is hard not to be there.

Vegan - congrats on getting through the interview without too many questions about fertility

Laggie - that is ok, the numbers kinda had me convinced too. I am only a tiny bit dissappointed, no big deal. When is your u/s?

AFM - earlier when I said i was a bit dissappointed, I really only meant a tiny bit. like really tiny. After 5 years of IF I really can't complain about finally getting pregnant!! Plus now that we have moved on to donor embryos it is easier to do again. So maybe a third is not out of the question (will just have to convince DH that someday







) Three kids is my idea, and two is his. In any case, I am so excited. We went out for coffee and talked about names (which we have had picked out for like two years), and fun stuff like that. I called around to midwives. I am in one of the two states in the US where midwifery is illeagle, so those that do it are underground. There is another state that is two hours away where it is legal, so people sometimes get one of them to come here for a homebirth, or figure out how to do it there. In any case, I am so excited and it feels so real now that there is a HB!


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## blueyezz4

*rcr* - yay!!!!







Super excited for you!!!!! How sweet that DH came all that way to be there to see his new little one!!!! What was the heartbeat at???

*Laggie*- how are you??? No AFM???

*Shesaid* - great ultrasound pic!!! Thinking of your mom and sending up prayers that all goes well w/ her treatments. Glad she has your exciting news to kinda distracted though this tough process.

*Tenzi* - glad to hear that maybe it is more common towards the end and i'm not the only one. Not that I'd wish it on anyone but today is better thankfully. Glad you are doing well and I hope that bean growing nice and strong.

*Lilac* - hoping all those symptoms that you are getting are a good sign... sure sound good. When is your beta again???

*Vegan* - keeping my fingers crossed that you get the insurance you need. What pain!!!

*Carlyle* - any more news??? Hope baby,mom & rest of fam are doing well!!

*Tear* - thinking of you and Congrats!!! Hope all is well!!!!!

*Laura & Suzie* - hope you both are well!!! Any updates from you two????

*AFM* - had my appt today and the non-stress test took forever b/c he just wasn't wanting to move. He is a sleepy little man right now, i guess. Finally after having some cookies (takes after his father) he started moving more. My OB said that I am now 1.5 cm dilated! Wahoooo!!!!







She offered to induce me tomorrow b/c of the dec in movement, but i really feel like since we have made progress since last week where I was not even dilated at all and cervix was really high too and since he is doing okay at this point I should wait it out. So hard to know what you should and shouldn't do at this point. Ugh!!!!! Hoping I made the right decision. She wants me to really keep a close eye on my kick counts for the next couple of days and if they aren't there then we are to go into the hospital. He has been moving like crazy this afternoon and evening though so that calms my heart a lot!!!!! My OB is really keeping a close eye on the two of us and i have to see one of her partners tomorrow and then her again on Mon and then my reg appt next Thurs if we make it that far... good grief!!!! Better safe than sorry, i guess. If he hasn't showed up by next Thurs the 11th she said the 12th will be the day. I guess it is good to have a date in mind b/c I know i have heard of a lot of people that get dates and then go right before so hopefully that will be me too. We will see.


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## Vegan Princess

RCR: I love the gigantic smiley face on your ticker!!!


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## lilacvioletiris

blue, my beta is April 10.


----------



## rcr

blue - She didn't count the heartbeats. It was so tiny and she had a hard time getting a good picture and keeping the wand there long enough. I didn't even worry about it, I was just so thrilled to have a heartbeat. she also said that she couldn't rule out twins (in the same sac) until she got a clearer picture next week, because everything was so small, but it was pretty obvious to be that there was only one in there. I go back next Thursday morning. Congrats on starting the process. I really hope you get moving on your own! I am so excited for you.


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## suzie mccool

hey Blue  Wow you're so close now!!!

I'm all good atm, nervously waiting for my 12 week scan on Monday 

rcr - great news with your scan!

Hi to everyone else too! Feeling way too tired to be interesting - well it is 9pm!! LOL


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## shesaidboom

*rcr* - Thank you, it is difficult, but she says she'd rather be alone anyway. I wonder what's with the ultrasound techs lately!
It's still ok to be a tiny bit disappointed. I was at first when we found out it was a boy (I was convinced it was a girl), but like you said...after all this IF stuff, I can't complain about a baby! I'm so excited about all the prep you're doing already! I hope you get in with a great midwife and have the HB you want 

*blueyezz* - thank you! The exciting news is a good distraction she says. She has wanted a grandbaby more than anything for the past many years, so she cannot wait, and thankfully she will be done with chemo by then so hopefully she'll be feeling a bit better.
WOW!! You're so close. Hopefully you'll go before the 12th! Come on baby!

*lilacvioletiris* - sending lots of good thoughts to you for the 10th!

*suzie* - hopefully the super tired feeling will get better after 12 weeks. It did for me! Lots of good thoughts for your scan. I bet you're very excited.

*AFM -* I'm finally starting to feel Birdie move. Just tiny little kicks so far. I'm getting kind of impatient though. August seems so far away!


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## Laggie

Hi Blue (and everybody) I'm good. Just waiting for the ultrasound, but it isn't until April 18th. I wore pants with a button today and I'm regretting it, I have a giant bloated belly.

Grumpy today, I hate prometrium and I'm annoyed with DH for staying at work ALL NIGHT.







He told me he'd be home around midnight, I woke up at 4 am and he wasn't back... called him and he was all "Oh, hey I'm locked in the building isn't that funny?" I'm not amused, no. Didn't get much sleep after that! The rational part of me realizes I should be happy he is working (he was unemployed for over a year before starting this job in January) but pregnant ladies aren't supposed to be rational, right?









Ha! Are you sorry you asked? Phew. I'm looking forward to spending the weekend doing absolutely nothing. I was good yesterday and didn't lift the new electric fireplace that I bought, I got a man to do it. (it hurts me to type that, I'm more the fix-my-own-car type than the ask-the-man-for-help type.) It's still in the car.


----------



## Laggie

Oh PS. I just downloaded the Circle and Bloom meditations for during pregnancy. I liked the ones I had for during the 2WW so hopefully these ones will be good too. There is just 1 per trimester, but I usually listen to them when I'm falling asleep so that should be fine.


----------



## auraleigh

Laggie, proud of you for not lugging around an electric fireplace! i know how you feel, dh almost had a stroke when i pushed him out of the way to move the fridge back into place (we had to move it because i clumsily spilled liquid all over the floor). i forget we are in a "delicate condition". lol! sorry to hear you are cranky but you're entitled! so many hormones are flowing through you these days! also, please go get some stretchy pants. you deserve to be comfortable, you've worked hard enough getting pregnant.

tear, CONGRATS!!!! can't wait to hear the whole story!

blue, so glad you got checked, and that the little guy is doing just fine! you just need to trust your instinct. it drives me nuts that you can't do kick counts with twins, because i have no idea who is moving most of the time. at least you can focus all your love and protective motherly instincts on this baby to make sure he's healthy! i can't believe you are mere days away from having your miracle baby! i'm so happy for you.

rcr, yay for a heartbeat!!! every milestone is one to be celebrated. how are you feeling? the same? i think it's SO sweet that your dh drove all that way to meet you for the ultrasound. it's such a precious moment! my dh missed finding out that we were having twins and i'm still kicking him over it. doh!

vegan, hope the insurance quest is progressing in a better direction. cobra is so ridiculously expensive! it is amazing that they could try to deny you for past IF, as if we haven't been through enough. i'll cross my fingers for you!

shesaid, hooray for movements!!

suzie, hope you're feeling well and that monday comes quickly!

laura, hope you're well too! you're just ahead of me, so our time is coming next!

afm, sorry for my cranky vent the other day. some days are harder than others. dh has been in florida for sales conference all week so i've been home alone, too lazy to clean or do much else. i've taken on a freelance project in addition to work to make some extra money before i go on disability, so i've been really busy. not sleeping, but making the best of it. i secretly can't wait to have these babies so i can lay on my stomach again! i feel like the first night's sleep on my stomach will be a luxurious hour or two of bliss.

my shower is tomorrow and i'm excited and nervous. i haven't seen a lot of my friends and family since i got pregnant, so it will be nice to share the experience with them. and starting next week, i will have weekly NSTs, so i can see how the babies are holding up in there. only 7 more weeks, MAX, until we meet. ee!


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## guppyluv

What a great week on here!!! Yay yay yay for everyone.

Tear - many congratulations!!! So exciting!!









Suzie - yay for Monday! It's almost here. Can't believe we're almost in our second tri!! Yay. Keep us posted.

Rcr - first u/s!!! Woot. Yay. Given my situation I've had more ultrasounds than I'd like at this point, and I'm amazed at how bad some techs are!!!

Laggie - auraleigh is right, get comfy pants. I said no to buttons around 8 weeks. And I totally get the who-needs-a-man to fix it bit. Typed as I'm staring at an Ikea shelving unit in boxes for three months and soooo not putting it together myself! take it easy







hope all goes well on the 18th!!

Auraleigh - must dish on how the shower goes. Can't wait to hear all about it. Have fun!!

AFM- nuchal scan this past week was all clear on all three (I guess they're plums now!?). Had to be done twice. Thursday's u/s tech couldn't get any measurements - I blame the machine because I had a consult at a different office Friday and their machine (different manufacturer) images were soooo much crisper/clearer!! That said the tech rep from the manufacturer was also there so she kept tweaking the settings and they even did a 3D scan - thye look like bad playdoh fgures in 3D. It's funny but could see little legs abd arms and the technology is sooo cool. So we got great NT measurements on all three Friday. We saw most of their bits - arms/legs/noses... Obviously too early to see gender bits... Based on consult with genetic counselor and two MFMs I'm goin to skip CVS testing -- the risk of the test outweighs the probability that they have something wrong (given the NT scan results, as T21 was my biggest risk due to age). I'm a little bruised from the whole scan - baby B is tricky to see... I haven't settled on a nickname/fruit I like for them yet! They're growing on target and I've totally popped. No more regular pants for me - even my lululemons are too high waisted. I'm looking about 4/5 mos by end of day (I get a bit bloated by 5p if I don't get a nap or drink enough water). I'm getting pretty attached but still really nervous about the whole triplets thing - specifically getting them to term. I'm slowly coming to terms with not having a "normal" / low risk pregnancy. But still in denial about the chaos that will enter my life this fall!!! Insane.

I tried to upload an image from my phone but no luck. maybe next time.


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## lilacvioletiris

I got my BFP this morning! Had to distinct lines on internet cheapie, one light line on a dollar store test and then DH was like, "that seems a bit ambiguous with such light lines" and I told him "let me get out the big guns". I had a digital clearblue easy test someone had given me. I dipped it in pee and after a few minutes of processing it flashed "PREGNANT". I am so happy. DH and I cried that the IVF procedure actually worked.

My mom is absolutely ecstatic! She has been wanting to be a grandma for so long. She had me when she was 19 and her last baby when she was 35. This year she has already gotten one grandchild (my sister had a girl on April 2) and now I am pregnant due 12/19/13. It is so surreal to think about the fact that 2 years of trying from 4/7/11 to 4/7/13 has ended in a miracle BFP thanks to medical science.


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## suzie mccool

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *lilacvioletiris*
> 
> I got my BFP this morning! Had to distinct lines on internet cheapie, one light line on a dollar store test and then DH was like, "that seems a bit ambiguous with such light lines" and I told him "let me get out the big guns". I had a digital clearblue easy test someone had given me. I dipped it in pee and after a few minutes of processing it flashed "PREGNANT". I am so happy. DH and I cried that the IVF procedure actually worked.
> 
> My mom is absolutely ecstatic! She has been wanting to be a grandma for so long. She had me when she was 19 and her last baby when she was 35. This year she has already gotten one grandchild (my sister had a girl on April 2) and now I am pregnant due 12/19/13. It is so surreal to think about the fact that 2 years of trying from 4/7/11 to 4/7/13 has ended in a miracle BFP thanks to medical science.


OMG LILAC!!! That is the most awesome news!! Huge congrats xxxx


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## shesaidboom

*Laggie* - how much longer are you on the prometrium? I know it doesn't make things any easier. Let us know how the meditations work.

*auraleigh* - My dh is the same way! He comes running every time I try to lift something. I know it's very sweet and awesome, but I miss being able to do everything for myself.
Never apologize for venting. It's better to get it out than keep it in!
You're so close now!

*guppyluv* - Glad you got the all clear on the nuchal scan. Very cool that you got to see them in 3D too! I'm so excited for you. Low rise pants have been a life saver for me. I'm still in my pre-preg jeans at 22 weeks, but there's just one baby in there. Of course there are preg pants, but I hate that high pannels.

*lilacvioletiris* - CONGRATS!! I am so so happy for you. Wonderful news!


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## blueyezz4

Just a quick one.... I think I'm starting to have contractions this evening, but I'm not sure if they might just be like the braxton hicks at this point. I'm still tolerating them well and it's kinda hard to measure distance between b/c they come so frequently and don't last too long. I feel so much better when i'm up walking around that is for sure. I'm hoping to make it through the night in my own bed and i have an OB appt at 12:30 tomorrow. We will see. Today is actually our due date!!! I'm excited that this is a good sign though and hoping that we won't have to be induced if he is getting ready to come on his own before Friday!!!!! Time will tell!!!!!!


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## tenzinsmama

Lilac, congratulations!!!! So happy for you!!!!!!

Blue, oh.my.gosh.!!!!!!!! So exciting!!!!!!


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## Vegan Princess

Oooooo Blue!!! Sending happy birthing vibes your way!!! I hope that when I check in here tomorrow you'll be holding your sweet little one!

Cindy


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## vireoes

Wow I have been on vacation for a couple of weeks and I had pages of reading to catch up on everything.

Tear-Huge congrats. I hope you and baby are recovering well and getting to spend some wonderful time getting to know each other.

Blue-So exciting. Fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly for you.

Guppy-That is wonderful that everything went well at the nuchal screening for all your little ones.

Shesaidboom-I am glad everything seems to have turned out okay at the anatomy scan. All the best for your mom, I am sure the coming baby is a great thing to keep her mind and hands busy with.

Vegan-We went through the same thing with insurance companies a few years back and I hadn't even started IF treatment yet. They denied because I had taken clomid for three days for an IF test. Now we can't go home for a visit before the baby because I can't get insurance while pregnant and our overseas coverage won't cover adequately while in the US. So maybe we will get a chance to visit next year after the baby comes and things settle down. Hopefully some of the new reforms to health insurance will make things better, but I really haven't kept up on the details since we are abroad now.

RCR-So glad you have a nice strong heartbeat with the little one.

Lilac-Congrats again, I can't wait to hear how your beta turns out.

suzie-it is great that your son took the news well and are able to share the happiness with him.

AFM-Had a nice 2 week vacation. I had a friend visit and it was great to have an extra pair of hands to help with DD. I have started feeling really tired since we returned and have started napping with DD each day which seems to help. I am sorting through a load of little boy clothes my friend dropped off. My growing belly (I swear it is getting bigger by the day) and all the baby clothes everywhere are really making things real.

Anyone else have trouble drinking water while pregnant? I haven't been able to stand the stuff since early on and now mostly drink dilute sports drink. I am normally a huge water drinker. I figure maybe my body is craving more salt, since I don't eat a lot of processed food.


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## rcr

Vieros - the taste of water has been making be sick in the last few days. We really don't drink juice or milk, so we usually only drink water. I bought some juice to take my medicine yesterday because I was afraid I was going to puke up the medicine when taking it with water.

Blue - ooooh!!! I am so excited!!

Lilac - I said it on the other side, but I will say it here too - congrats! I can't wait to hear your beta #

AFM - I got excited because I got to move my little ticker one week forward. I have also been feeling a little sick to my stomach - no vomiting though. counting the days until my next u/s. I also found a midwife. They are illegal n my state, so they are hard to find because they practice underground. I am meeting with her the Friday after next. She is actually pretty close - only 2 ours away. The last midwife was about 3 hours away.


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## Laggie

rcr - I can't believe midwives are illegal. That's so different, compared to where I live. They are covered by our govt. health plan and can attend hospital or home births. Which reminds me that I should make an appointment. I'm a bit scared to, because last time I had a miscarriage right after the first midwife appointment. Do you have a due date? Are we the same? Must be pretty close, I think? The RE told me Dec 2nd.

Blue - Yay! Here's hoping for a smooth delivery right on schedule.

shesaidboom - I think they want me to take prometrium until 12 weeks? They haven't told me, but I think that's what I remember from last time. So gross.

guppy - Congrats on the scan, that is wonderful. 3, wow. Wow. Wow. (three wows for you







) Are you stalking the parenting multiples forum yet?

aura - LOL at your first night's sleep being "an hour or two" - well, I guess it's good to be realistic! I don't remember any crankiness from you... 2 months to go! Yay!


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## rcr

Laggie - I am Nov 30. Maybe the difference is because mine was a FET and 5-day, and yours was 3-day? Yea, it is crazy that they are illegal. There are only two states in the US like that, and mine is one of them. We are pretty much the most backward state in the country in terms of everything. I am not from here - I only moved here for my job.


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## blueyezz4

Sorry it's all about me

AFM- Caden James 6lbs 15oz 19" born @ 12:46pm 4/8/13 all is well & he is perfect/healthy. I'm sore but still going on adrenaline, I think. Hope all is well!!! Will post pic when I'm home and not on phone.

More personals later date. Things are a little busy here. Lol


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## suzie mccool

Blue - a million congratulations on the arrival of Caden!!























So so happy for you and your family xxxx


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## lilacvioletiris

Oh, blue, congratulations on your little boy! Glad he arrived safely and healthy.

rcr - glad you had a good experience with your midwife.

AFM, I called my IVF coordinator this morning to tell her I had a positive pregnancy test yesterday and I was wondering if I should add a Free T4 or TSH for my thyroid function now that I am pregnant. She was like "it is too early to tell, you had a a trigger shot so you can't be sure that you are pregnant". I told her I had tested out my trigger by using hpt's to make sure all the hcg was out of my system and that it was gone about 4 days after the trigger shot. Her response, was "Oh." She said that rest of thyroid function is done between 4 weeks and 8 weeks gestation so it is too early. Now that I have had a positive hpt I don't want to lose the pregnancy because my thyroid messes things up. Anybody else have issues with hypothyroid? Still had an elevated temperature this morning and the weird taste in my mouth and the other pregnancy symptoms.


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## MOMTOALEXIS

Blue- My dear friend, words cannot express how excited I am that Caden is here in your arms. It's been a long journey and no one deserves this blessing more then u and DH. Can't wait to see all 3 of you. Congrats a million times, sending u the biggest cyber hug I can give.


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## rcr

Yay Blue!!!! I am so happy for you! You have waited too long for this. I can't wait to see photos!!


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## vireoes

Welcome Caden! Congrats Blue. I am so glad to hear everyone is healthy and doing well.


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## toothfairy2be

blue- So happy to hear that Caden has arrived safely into the world. He sounds perfect already and I cannot wait to see his beautiful face!


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## guppyluv

Yay Blue!! Welcome Caden!!

Lilac - quick re hypothyroid. With this pregnancy I was tsh 1.4 before IVF and 2.6 at 5w. They wouldn't test week 4; said it would be better to wait a week (I cry bullshit here). I was annoyed b/c 2.6 is not great for me and I felt like shit (though didn't yet know it was triplets!!!). At 5 w they upped my Levoxyl and wouldn't test again for 6 weeks (which they did last week at 11w3d). No results yet but at 9 weeks I couldn't stand the cold hands and feet and so I had my primary run another tsh and it was still 2.6. My MFM Dr agreed I could add an extra dose weekly but my RE perscribed it so I'm stuck in a weird loop as no one will take responsibility for the prescription at this point. The extra dose helped a little but I hate playing with dosages without numbers. I don't have my results back yet. But am hoping we can adjust Meds so I can stop thawing my feet out with a heating pad nightly... I would push for them to test with your second beta, since they'll draw blood anyway...

AFM - I went to hockey game tonight. Exhausting but fun - glad the plums can't hear much yet!! It was loud... Bruins spanked the 'Caines. I'm counting the walk there and back as my exercise today (pretty lame as I live only 6 blocks from The Garden). Lol.


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## suzie mccool

Just a quick update - got my nuchal screening results and i'm 1 in 656 which is classed as not at risk. So relieved and had to share









Sorry to post and run, but I gotta go to work... Hi to everyone though!!


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## lilacvioletiris

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *guppyluv*
> 
> I would push for them to test with your second beta, since they'll draw blood anyway...


Thanks, guppy, the IVF coordinator did say I could add "Free T4" as a test on my second beta but I think I will add TSH as well. My hypothyroid was only finally diagnosed when I had the "Free T4" test drawn, because my TSH was always "normal" whenever it was checked even though my BBT is low and yeah cold feet are something that drive my DH crazy. Friday's blood draw would be 4w1d gestation. I would rather not be poked anymore than I "need" to.


----------



## Keria

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *blueyezz4*
> 
> Sorry it's all about me
> 
> AFM- Caden James 6lbs 15oz 19" born @ 12:46pm 4/8/13 all is well & he is perfect/healthy. I'm sore but still going on adrenaline, I think. Hope all is well!!! Will post pic when I'm home and not on phone.
> 
> More personals later date. Things are a little busy here. Lol


Congratulations blue!!!

What a lovely name. Welcome to the world little guy.


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## julieven

Congratulations Blue! I am so very happy for you. Your little guy may have missed RCR's birthday, but he made mine. It's a wonderful day for a birthday







. Best wishes for you and your new family.

Congrats to you too RCR. I was going to stop coming to MDC after Blue had her baby, now I have to keep lurking until you have yours.


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## auraleigh

BLUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so excited to welcome Caden to the world! can't wait for photos, rest up and enjoy your time with the tiny gent!


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## Laggie

Blue - Congratulations!
















Suzie - Great result on the scan!

Yesterday I joined my DDC, but I'm too afraid to post there. I went over to the pregnancy after loss section, but that just gave me more things to worry about.







So I guess I'll just stay right here! I don't remember feeling like a crazy lady last time, but I'm emotional about *everything*. I've been going to yoga every day, and usually that calms me down but I'm still a nutcase. Ultrasound in 9 days, maybe that will help.


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## hope4light

BLUE!!!!!!!!!! I am SO excited! What a handsome name, I can't wait to hear all about it!!!


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## kewpie80

BLUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! yayayayay! Welcome Caden!


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## pokeyac

Threadcrashing to say Congratulations to Blue!














I'm so glad you finally have your baby in your arms. I hope you are both feeling well.


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## suzie mccool

Hey all









Had my 12 week midwife appointment and when the midwife came out she was the same nurse who assisted at my egg transfer!!! And I just adore her, so I'm feeling extra lucky today. The crazy thing is, it's not even at the same hospital!

I got some great acrobatic photos from the scan on Monday, but I have no idea how to get them to upload, so just imagine an u/s photo with a tubby belly baby..lol


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## Vegan Princess

Blue: I love the name you chose. I am so delighted your miracle baby is earth side! Enjoy and I hope you are recovering well. Can't wait to hear the birth story and see some pics when you have some time. 

Cindy


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## tenzinsmama

Congratulations, Blue!!! So happy to hear that you and baby are doing well, I love the name and I can't wait to see pictures of the little guy and hear your birth story. Enjoy these precious moments with your newborn son!!!!! YAY!!!!!


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## guppyluv

Suzie - yay!! Great news on u/s and way cool about midwife! Well on your way







hooray!

Lilac - sounds like a plan. Way to be proactive!


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## rcr

Suzie - that is great about the midwife.

AFM- feeling sick now. and really tired. I am having a hard time making it through the day without sleeping or vomiting.


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## lilacvioletiris

hcg of 149! I am definitely pregnant!


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## hope4light

LILAC!!!!! CONGRATS!!!!!!!!


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## rcr

Yay!! Congrats Lilac!


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## suzie mccool

Lilac.. that's awesome!







Well done!!!

rcr.. the tiredness and sickness really do pass - it's 3.30 am here, so I can't say the same for insomnia LOL

Laggie.. hope the next 8 days pass quickly for you. The crazy emotions can be pretty lame, hey? I spent a whole morning sobbing my heart out at reunited dogs and owners on youtube the other day. way too much time on my hands sometimes..

AFM.. this is Peanut the amazing acrobat.. my DH thinks that the foot is actually an enormous penis.. sigh


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## rcr

Laggie - I have lurked in that DDC (the Dec one, since I am one day from Dec), but haven't posted either. I hated being one of those people posting "I am out" last time. It was so sad. I still see posts like that every now and then and it makes me sad all over again. I may join after the first trimester. I don't know - maybe not.

Suzie - great picture!


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## rcr

Hi all:

I just got back from my second u/s. Everything looks good. There is a good HB (not sure what the rate was). They want me to come back for u/s for the next two weeks until I am released to the ob/midwife. I am declining the u/s next week, but will have one the week after that. I think I will be released after that one.


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## Vegan Princess

RCR: So happy for you!!!!

I was scared to join a DDC too. But I still talk to some of the mamas from the DDC with my older daughter and our kids are over 4 yrs old! So once I got past the first half of my preg with DD2 I did join one. That one turned out to be lame though - no one talks anymore and our babies are still little.

Cindy


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## Laggie

RCR - So happy you heard a good heartbeat.

Suzie - that is quite the wang ;-) Seriously though, I'm amazed there is so much detail at 12 weeks. Usually ultrasound photos just look like a blur to me.

I was looking at dopplers on Amazon, but I'm not sure if I would obsess more if I had one, or less.


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## jenger

Yeah RCR!!! So pleased to hear about the heartbeat. (Yep, I am stalking you here...







)

Laggie - I have been 'watching' used dopplers on ebay... Almost did it, but haven't yet pushed the 'bid' button...


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## lilacvioletiris

Can I just say that my sense of smell is in overdrive! The smell of pasta sauce just makes me nauseous.

rcr, glad to know they found the heartbeat.


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## lilacvioletiris

I had my second beta today and it was 320. I had TSH of 1.41 and free T4 of 1.22. Today I am 4 weeks pregnant!

worse thing today was some kid had a pickle in his lunch that was really strong. I think my sense of smell is going to give my secret away to my students before school is over. I told my principal and vice principals today so I don't get assigned some task where I need to pick up heavy objects, bend too much, or move too quickly. IVF nurse gave me the "don't smoke, drink alcohol, or eat raw fish" speel today. I am glad those are not lifestyle choices I ever had.


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## lilacvioletiris

Oops posted twice on phone.


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## guppyluv

Yay lilac. But omg have I been a cliche lately - loving pickles!! Ate a whole jar of baby pickles the other day in one sitting. Sigh...

My parents are visiting this weekend so I'm "napping" upstairs for a sanity break.


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## Laggie

I'm eating sushi. I normally eat it at least once a week, and I've never been sick from it, nor do I know anybody else who has ever been sick from it. I am avoiding albacore tuna etc due to mercury content though. And raw oysters are definitely out. I've been violently ill from those before...

I'm annoyed with DH for smoking, since it's now out of the question for me. Not that I'm a smoker, but I've been known to have a cigarette here and there.


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## auraleigh

laggie, i would kill for some sushi, a martini, and a cigarette. i haven't been a smoker in about 10 years but have been known to have one after a few drinks. i may make dh get me some shrimp tempura sushi so at least i can feel like i'm having something i want. also laggie, i just borrowed a doppler from a friend and used it twice. it was great because i was getting paranoid that i hadn't felt the babies as much for a few days. it was nice, certainly, but then i got paranoid that i'd over use it. or that i was listening to the same baby twice and not two separate. i think having one at home to use all the time would make me go nuts!

guppy, eat the pickles while you can! i want a pickle but if i even look at anything with too much salt i swell up like a parade float! granted, that means my soy sauce for my sushi is probably out too, hmm...

lilac, congrats!!! everything sounds great!

rcr, can't wait for you to graduate from the RE! it's about time!

suzie, love the ultrasound pics!

afm, i believe i am starting to lose pieces of my mucous plug. what a surprise! dh asked if i was certain that was what it was, and i told him either that, or my lady parts have caught a cold! i called the dr and the nurse started to sound nervous when i told her i was just almost 32 weeks, but i had my first nst scheduled for 3pm, so the dr suggested i just go to that and we will see what's up. turns out everything is fine. the babies are going bonkers, moving like crazy, strong healthy heartbeats, and no contractions for me. what a relief!


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## suzie mccool

Aural .. you are getting so close now! No wonder you feel like all the good stuff  It's been a long time of restraint!

Laggie.. i found a couple of dopplers on Ebay that have great reviews and are around $30, but I reckon I would be an overuser. I have a slightly addictive personality already, and it could well become something I regret buying. Esp as I have some decent belly padding - if I can't hear the heartbeat because of that, it could cause some crazy panic. I was thinking i could buy one and get my mum to hold it, so I can only check if I visit her maybe..

Guppy.. you need to add ice cream to the pickles if you want to complete the cliche! lol.

I actually think I have started a strange morning sickness after 12 weeks, but at night. Good for the diet I guess! I've already gained far too much (thanks IVF.. and teddy bear biscuits) But my exercise bike got delivered today, so at least I can give my lousy metabolism a chance to kick in a bit







Thank god I can do it in the privacy of my own home LOL


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## Laggie

I definitely need to get some exercise - my hips hurt when I don't and they are super sore lately. I am supposed to be taking it easy still though and I'm afraid to do anything strenuous.

I keep imagining having the 'where do babies come from' conversation with a future child... When two people love each other they go to an expensive doctor and .... ;-)


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## lilacvioletiris

guppy, glad you are getting a little rest and hope you enjoy your pickles.

auraleigh, glad to know that you don't have contractions yet. Those babies need to stay inside just a bit longer!

Suzie, Exercise - yeah once I see my RE on April 23 hopefully I will be cleared to do more than just walk. There is a prenatal swim class I would like to join at the YMCA near me. I really want to get connected with some other local pregnant woman that are NOT my former students (3 former students are having babies this year in May, June, and August). They live nearby and well that would just be a little awkward. Two of them I am pretty close to - have a baby shower to attend tomorrow for the one due in May. I will just have to suppress my desire to tell the world " I am pregnant!" I suppressed my desire today at church - there was a special program going on so there were way to many people milling around when the 3 ladies I would really like to tell were around. All of them know that we have had to go through IVF and will be really excited when I tell them I am pregnant.

Laggie, yeah the "where do babies come from conversation" will be interesting for us to.

AFM: Smell annoyance of today: little girl going gusto with some highly scented hand sanitizer in pew ahead of me in church. Hand sanitizer has always bothered me but today it was just worse. I finally let go of the BBT charting I have done for 2 years. I decided I needed to not obsess about my temperature as long as I feel pretty good and I don't have any weird bleeding.


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## suzie mccool

Laggie.. LOL that's prob easier to explain than the actual act of sex 

Lilac.. loving the "smell of the day"... surely there's a better super hero skill we could have gotten? X-ray vision, or flying.. but super-smell is just the worst!


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## shesaidboom

*blue* - CONGRATS! Welcome little Caden James!

*vireoes* - thank you! Looking forward to the baby is helping her a lot.
I'm glad you had a nice vacation. The little baby clothes really do make things more real, don't they? I'm finally starting to feel like this is really happening.
I'm actually the opposite with water. The only thing I've been able to drink all pregnancy is water.

*rcr* - love those tickers! I'm so glad you found a midwife.
I'm sorry you're feeling so ill. I hope that doesn't last long for you.

*laggie* - I had to do the same with the prometrium. I was so glad when I passed the 12 week point!
Big hugs. It is hard to join a DDC. Stay here, and don't worry about it until you feel more comfortable. I hope the ultrasound does help ease your mind.

*lilac* - oh my gosh! That's the same thing that my clinic told me when I called and I was so upset. It was also long after the trigger shot left my system. You think they could at least phrase it in a nicer way! Big CONGRATS to you! I'm so glad you are pregnant.
The smells are definitely awful!

*guppy* - 6 blocks when you're pregnant is pretty far! Glad you had a good time 

*suzie* - glad you got good results and some great photos! Your little peanut is adorable. Those really are great pictures!

*auraleigh* - I'm the same way about the doppler. I don't think I could have one at home without going nuts!
Glad everything is fine and the babies are staying put.

*AFM -* I am enjoying feeling some real movement instead of just little tickles. Birdie really likes to move! DH cannot wait until he can feel the kicks from the outside. I sprained my ankle yesterday, which was not fun, but thankfully it wasn't too bad. I'm just glad I'm not further along (almost 23 weeks now) because walking around on it with a huge belly wouldn't be very fun. I'm still nauseous and throwing up and have resigned myself to the fact that it will probably continue for the rest of my pregnancy. It could always be worse though, right? We've been slowly accumulating more baby stuff, which has started to make this all feel much more real. There's a carseat sitting in our living room! A baby carseat for a baby! I still cannot believe this is happening after all these years and treatments and losses. I am so glad you ladies are all pregnant too and I cannot wait for more from the IVF and infertility threads to join us.


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## lilacvioletiris

Shesaidboom, it was just to funny with the IVf nurses response to my "I test out my trigger and I know it was out of my system after 3 days.

Ugh I was having so much fun at a baby shower for my former student Maria until I heard from the mouth of a coworker she was 7.5 months pregnant. I had my specians I didn't want to ask because I know know she has struggled with weight. Then the coworkers mother was handing out baby shower invites to everyone but me and saying "Oh it is an open shower, any body can come." Yeah right. I know when Iam not wanted. I came to Maria's shower to have fun and I did with her and her husband, who is also a former student. Some people are just rude and I think I was the last to know about this coworkers pregnancy. I am just keeping my mouth shut about mine to her. I am not really telling people at work any way.


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## Laggie

hi


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## rcr

Laggie - sorry about the spotting. Glad to hear that it was brown though, and not red.

AFM - I am sick for a large part of every day lately. I just vomited in the bathroom at work. Thank goodness nobody else was in there (which is rare, since I am on a big college campus, there is usually somebody in the bathroom)


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## lilacvioletiris

Laggie, no, she did not know anything about my trouble conceiving. When I congratulated her today, I told her I was specious that she was pregnant but hadn't because I didn't want *o offend her if she wasn't. She was like, "oh, I thought you knew." in my head um no YoU never told yet everyone else appears to have known for 2 months. Ok moving on, she doesn't feel I was a coworker to tell. I don't have to work with her next year. I think her mom is one of the people on the school board who wanted me gone from my current location.

rcr, sorry you have been vomitting


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## lilacvioletiris

For those of you who did progesterone supplementation, did you retain water a lot more than normal? The last two days I have been super puffy. I haven't eaten anything overly salty that isn't normal food for me in a given week. My elbow joints hurt too.


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## Laggie

I have a very bloated belly. I look 4 months pregnant - but I do tend to have that shape normally. I am uncomfortable trying to suck it in, I know that's probably silly but I feel like I need space in my belly. Even though I know the baby is only the size of a blueberry.

I am really nervous about my ultrasound tomorrow. Also I'm terribly cranky and irrational. We are having dinner with my parents on Friday, and I was going to tell them about the pregnancy then (assuming tomorrow's scan is good) but now my mom has invited my sister, my brother and his wife and my 4 year old nephew. I know I'm being childish, but I just wanted to have a nice dinner without being interrupted by a 4 year old every 30 seconds. Ridiculous considering that I'm trying to produce another little attention hog. Maybe I won't tell them after all, it's still very early 7.5 weeks.

Is it wrong if I don't tell my family, but we tell DH's when we go to Europe?


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## guppyluv

Laggie -- I say do what you feel best about. Don't push it. I hate an audience and prefer telling folks one on one (or in really small groups) It's been too overwhelming for me otherwise.

Lilac -- I was on crinone suppositories. I didn't have much bloating this IVF round but did with my first round. This time around I drank a lot more water but was also on totally different IVF drugs which were much easier on my system then the menapur in round one. I think Suzie had some bloating this time around as well -- if I recall from the early days. Europe sounds lovely!!

Best of luck.

AFM - I have another U/S tomorrow and have been having a weird "i don't feel pregnant week"... they drive me nuts. Of course by the end I'll be like "I wish I didn't feel so damn pregnant" so I'm trying to take it in stride. It's been a stressful week here in Boston, so hopefully tomorrow all looks good.


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## suzie mccool

Laggie.. if you wait and tell everyone on your side after Europe, nobody will really be any the wiser and you get to choose a more appropriate family setting for telling your family. I only told my mum until 12 weeks and nobody else knew any different. (oh..sigh.. Europe!! I lived in the UK for a year and flitted over a few times, now it's the never to be afforded dream from Australia..) When do you go over?

Lilac.. guppyluv is right.. I had awesome bloating, and when I started the progesterone it got massive. My clinic said not to worry, it will def all go down when I have the baby! LOL My feet/ankles/knees and hands are still terribly puffy - no rings anymore and I can only wear slip on shoes. So cool! (not) I've cut out all my salt, am exercising and taking multivitamins, but I'm still like a pumpkin!

Some good news... my blood pressure seems to be actually OK. After all the worry it turns out I need to have the wide cuff used (thanks to my bloated arms maybe? haha) and with that it was totally normal!! We also checked it with the little cuff (usually used for women) and it was still almost 150) so looks like it was a whole load of worry for nothing  Now I just need to worry about having fat arms LOL!


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## rcr

Laggie - do whatever you feel comfortable. It is totally up to you whom you tell and when. I am not telling anybody for at least several more months. Of course it helps that we won't see any family until after the baby is born anyway (we only see them at Christmas), so they won't know by looking at me.

Guppy - Ha! I am having a "I feel really pregnant week"

AFM- I am a bad parent this week. I have been sitting my kid in front of a movie all week long after work because I really need to lay down. I have also been vomiting at work. One time I couldn't make it to the bathroom so I puked in the garbage can in my office. Thank goodness I have a door to my office.


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## auraleigh

Ladies, quick update. Had contractions last night but went to work anyways today.by 2 I was so crampy and not feeling well. I went to my scheduled ob appt at 3:30 and I was 2cm dilated and 100% effaced. They sent me directly to the hospital and I've gotten my steroid shot and magnesium and now I'm just waiting. If all goes well we can stop labor and maybe buy a few days or weeks before the babies are born. Or maybe ill have the babies tonight? Dh just ran home to grab the to go bag that we had half packed this past weekend.


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## MOMTOALEXIS

Aura- Thinking of you and praying everything goes well with all 3 of you.


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## blueyezz4

Aura - thinking of you and hoping and praying all is well. How many wks are you again???

Hello to everyone. I'm still followig by reading the email updates. I'm hoping to write up our birth story and everything that has come along in the aftermath (postpartum preeclampsia which landed us back in the hospital from thur to sat on a 24hr Magnisium drip). Ugh!! More to come when I can find the time.

Here he is!! My little miracle!!!! We are so in love!!!


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## lilacvioletiris

auraleigh, I hope your babies decided that staying inside longer would be the better way!

suzie, yeah I have been trying to limit my salt. I actually felt less puffy this morning. I have been weighing myself daily and I weigh the same today as I did yesterday which feels better to me. I don't want to gain a bunch of weight first trimester that will make my later pregnancy more uncomfortable since I am already overweight to begin with.

blue, your little miracle is absolutely adorable! I am glad he is out where you can cuddle and love him even more than you did when you giving him a place to grow.

AFM, last night one of ladies that knew I was doing IVF and whom I had told that I was pregnant gave my a baby hamper and a little baby bath thing. She was like "my granddaughter won't need these anymore and I was cleaning out my house." Another lady whom I hadn't seen since I found out I was pregnant was in at my school yesterday and it was so exciting to tell her that "Yes, it worked!" She has been praying for me as several others have as well and I feel so blessed to know that miracles can happen. Once I have the ultrasound results next week, I am not sure I can hold in my excitement that I am pregnant. I had to tell a coworker yesterday that I couldn't participate in a special "Titanic" game activity that we are doing this week for a school project because "I was under doctor's restrictions to only walk." I ended up telling her I had some medical procedures done that my body was still healing because I am not sure I trust her enough to not tell other people I am pregnant.


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## rcr

Aura - I hope they stay inside you for a little while longer

Blue - What a cutie! I have been waiting to see a picture of him. Congrats. Sorry about the pre-e.


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## Tear78

aura, thinking of you and hoping sending vibes for your little ones to cook a little longer if possible!

blue, LOVE the pics of your little guy! So sorry about the pre-e! mag drip is nasty stuff. I'm glad you're ok now!

afm - cuddling my long little bundle while everybody sleeps in a bit today. We're meeting up with a local natural parenting group today and I'm excited to make some possible mama friends irl. The best part? We were told about them by our pediatrician who advised us "it takes a village to raise a child." LOVE her! Wish I could meet up with all of you!


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## Keria

He is SOOO beautiful blue. Sorry about the bad stuff.


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## tenzinsmama

Blue, what a little sweetie! Rough to have to go through the stuff post partum, but I bet you look at him and snuggle and say it's all totally worth it! Amazing how much love we have for them, it's like no other! Can't wait to see more pics, and hear your story (when you are ready).

Aura, thinking of you and hoping the little ones stay in longer.

Tear, things sound like they are going well. I love your pediatrician's approach!

Hi to everyone else!


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## laura-belle

Blue -- He is super cute! Congrats! The rest of it does not sound so fun though...

Aura -- I am really hoping that they can keep your twins on the inside for a bit longer. *thinking of you*

Tear -- I like that







.

Rcr & Lilac & Suzie -- Belated congratulations! Yay!

AFM -- Things continue to go on. I am 33 weeks along and due to my laundry list of complications have started twice-weekly non-stress tests (which have thus far been uneventful). We had my cholestasis numbers re-run last week and apparently with all the meds that I am on have driven my numbers back into the normal range--I am shocked, given how bad they were to start with. Also, weirdly, starting at about 28 weeks my gestational diabetes numbers also got better. Perhaps my body has finally figured out what it is supposed to be doing?

I have an absolute maximum of 4.5 weeks left (possibly as few as 2.5 or 3). The nursery is done, except for the storage baskets for the changing table (which arrive tomorrow) and I have all necessary baby equipment (except for the carseat which I still have to pickup from my friend's place). Not much exciting here.


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## guppyluv

Aura - fingers an toes crossed. Hope they can keep on cooking a lot longer but best of luck either way.

Rcr- so sorry about your really pregnant week. Puking is never fun. Hope things start looking up in that department and you can find some foods/candies/etc that help.

Suzie - they always have to use the big cuff on me. Bloated or not. The nurse should know better!!! But that said, my nurse just did the same thing. Lol.

Afm. Sitting at my mfm's office. Good u/s. all three still cranking along... We had to wake A up as it was all curled up ina ball with its little legs tucked to its tummy so cute. Of course A will be the bane of my still long cervix's existence as its head is right there... C was the most photogenic as usual. Rock and roll!! Starting to get some low back issues when sleeping and a wee bit of reflux lying down on my back - which I won't be doing much longer! Otherwise just waiting for the doc...


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## auraleigh

Blue, he is beautiful!! I just spent five minutes staring at his little face. You must be so in love! Sorry about the pre e. I've been on mag drips since last night but am surprisingly handling them just fine. So weird!

Babies are still in. I don't believe my labor has progressed, and my contractions have stopped for the most part. My second steroid shot is tonight and then when I come off the mag we wait and see what happens.


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## suzie mccool

Oh Blue!! What a beautiful newborn







Again, congrats!!

Lilac.. the scales showing no weight gain is awesome! Whatever is going on with me gave me a whopping 10 pounds in just over a week, no idea why.. but dr and mw both were unconcerned and said it's just fluid. easy for them to say lol Hope this week flies by so your u/s gets here sooner

Guppy.. this high bp thing has been going on for a month and was checked and worried about by 3 different people! just so glad my gp (who i did think was a bit useless) has turned out to be the most open minded. Maybe I look thinner than I really am LOL (I don't)

Aura.. lucky you at least half packed a bag! good luck!!


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## blueyezz4

Just about to try and take a nap but had to post real quick

Aura- ugh, I thought it was simple at first and I wasn't going to have any issues either but then at about the 12 hr mark I started to feel like my eyes weren't working like they should and then I started to feel like crap and kinda like I'd drank 5 bottles of wine and was more unsteady on my feet too, so be careful walking to the bathroom. When they lowered my dose at like 22 hrs I then started to feel a little better. At one point I looked over and my arm was up in the air all by itself. Lol, like I was raising my hand to ask a question. Lol... DH thought it was hiliarous. So you have pre -e right now I take it??? Good luck! Praying all goes well.


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## hope4light

Oh my I've missed tons. I promise i keep up on my phone but don't have much time to post (i'm doing so now 1 handed while i pump at work lol)

rcr - I had too many days to count like this pregnancy as well. don't beat youself up over it. it got so much better as soon as ds was born. sorry you're feeling so sick!

aura - glad things are slowing down!!! I'm praying they stay snuggled in for a while longer! good luck and keep us posted!!

blue - he is SO dang adorable!! I just want to drink him up with a straw!! I'm so sorry about the bp issues, they sound horrible and scary!

laura - glad to hear things are looking better!!

guppy - glad to hear the u/s went good!

AFM - not too much, just crazy with the kiddos and work! DS is now about 3 1/2 months, and his little personality is really coming out. He's so laid back, goes with the flow kinda baby. I think we have the reflux under control now so that's good. DD is starting to talk more, we've had her in speech therapy for a couple of months and it's really helping, and we are learning how to help her. I'm glad to see things are going good with everyone!!


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## Carlyle

BLUE!!!! How did I miss this! He is GORGEOUS! Absolutely beautiful. Those peaceful, peaceful eyes. What a cutie. I'm so happy for you! I hope you are feeling better now, that pre-e stuff is scary.

Aura, I'm thinking of you too and hoping that you and babies are okay.

rcr, I smile every time I see your name pop up here 

Tear--I'm so excited about the mama group for you! Maybe if you make some good friends there, they will feel less weird about including dh once you are back at work in fall. Your pedi sounds awesome.


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## auraleigh

Thanks everyone! So tonight I had my second steroid shot and they took me off the magnesium after 24 hours. (No pre e blue, just pre term labor). The magnesium was totally fine, other than making my pee smell terrible! Maybe it's just me? Now I'm just waiting. I have an irritable uterus and having small tiny actions but not necessarily timed contractions, and my cervix is still at 2cm so we will see. I hope I make it through the night.


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## vireoes

Aura-keeping my fingers crossed for you and the little ones. I hope they are able to stay in a bit longer.

Blue-love the photo. I hope you recover soon so you can focus on enjoying your time with your new fellow.

Laura-glad things are going better.


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## auraleigh

sorry for the lack of personals, i'll have more than enough time soon! i'm back home! once they took me off the magnesium and the monitors, i was able to sleep through the night without any contractions. this morning they did one last NST for an hour, the babies were great and my uterus was calm, so they released me! i'm on bed rest, but at least i'm home in pjs and babies are still in me. every day i can hold onto them is one day less in the nicu. i'm on procardia and feeling a little odd, but not too terrible. thanks everyone for the well wishes!


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## lilacvioletiris

aura, I am glad that you can be at home on bedrest.


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## vireoes

So glad to hear you are home and the babies are still tucked inside safely for a bit longer.


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## blueyezz4

Aura - glad you are home and the babes are okay!! How many wks are you again?? I had the stinky pee too! So glad u didn't get the awful feeling w the mag! Keep going strong mamma!!


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## MOMTOALEXIS

Aura- So glad u got to go home. Stay strong, bedrest sucks but its all worth it in the end









Blue- Caden is the cutest miracle ever.


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## auraleigh

i'll be 33 weeks tomorrow! still too early for these babies, but not catastrophically so.

has anyone on this board been on procardia? i'm having some issues and want to know if i should be alarmed or not. let's just say it's not my favorite. way worse for me than the mag was.

how is everyone? how is caden, blue? post more pictures!


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## Tear78

aura, I'm so glad they were able to keep your little ones inside for longer! Take care of yourself, and if you're worried about the procardia call your care provider. I don't have any experience to share, sorry. Thinking of you!


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## lilacvioletiris

Been feeling a little crampy in an odd way yesterday and today. No bleeding but just an odd feeling. The pain goes away if I lay down, but if I sit up or stand for too long it feels uncomfortable. Looking forward to my ob ultrasound on Tuesday to find out if I am having one or 2 babies and to make sure everything is growing as it ought to be.


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## rcr

Aura - I hope everything is still ok.

Lilac - sorry about the werid cramping. It is probably just the baby(s) settling in.

I get together with a few friends who have little kids once a month for a potluck. One of the moms does a sex ed. class or teens at the church (a UU church). The program is called OWL (our whole lives). It is really comprehensive and well-rounded. It teaches not just about the mechanics of sex, but also gender roles, emotional stuff, same-sex stuff, etc. For the teens it takes a whole year to do. There are programs for other age groups as well, as well as kids as young as 5. the idea is to get it in early, while they are not weirded out by sex, so that they are free to talk about it openly. I think it is a great program. We were talking about doing it with the kids at our monthly meeting, and she brought the teachers handbook in. It discussed how babies are made in a really specific way, but only the natural way. So now I am afraid that DS is going to be really confused because he has been there with us through IVF, even watching transfers while DH explained everything to him. I am also afraid that he is going to "out" us when we talk about it and say that is not how mommy did it, because the doctor put an egg inside her. ugh. I wish he didn't have such a big mouth.


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## lilacvioletiris

Rcr, that sounds like a good program to keep kids openly discussing sex without shame. I think you have an added chance to explain how your pregnancy was begun in a different way when the natural way doesn't work.

AFM, I had noted my odd pain on another thread and someone suGgested it might be round ligament pain. It has been a few sharp stabbing pains in my right side that subside quickly and don't come back too often and now it is just this dull ache.


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## auraleigh

rcr, it will be a delicate balance teaching your son to be honest and yet discreet! i wish you luck. either way, people will know soon enough, i hope it's at the time you're ready for it! how are you feeling? is the nausea any better?

lilac, sounds like stretching pains. our bodies do the weirdest things, what you're feeling is probably just your baby settling in, as rcr said.

afm, i'm now 33 weeks! i dropped a dose of procardia which is helping a bit with the terrifying side effects. today is my first day with DH going back to work since i went to the hospital, so i'm a little nervous to be alone. every time my back hurts i get scared that i'm having contractions, even though realistically it's probably just back pain from spending so much time laying down. the babies are super active though, which i find extremely reassuring. i've been crossing off the days on the calendar just to give myself a sense of progress. only three more weeks! (fingers crossed)


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## rcr

Aura - I am ok with people knowing that this baby came from donor embryos. I guess I am not confortable with a lot of the details, like our 5-year struggle and so many IVF attempts. So do you have to lay on your back all day long? Gosh, that sounds horrible. Can you only get up to pee? Whenever I did "bedrest" after IVF I always ended up getting up and walking around for some reason. I hope you are finding something to do to fill the time. Did you have to take sick time at work? Will that make your maternity leave shorter?


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## lilacvioletiris

auraleigh, glad to hear that you are feeling a bit better and hopefully today went well. I am hoping they are just growing pains. The pain gets better when I lay horizontal

AFM, can't wait until 11:30 a.m. tomorrow when my DH and I go in for my ultrasound. Will it be one or two?


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## auraleigh

i have to say, my bed rest is pretty ideal. my ob said it's just modified, so i can move around as long as i'm taking it easy. she even said i could go out to lunch if i wanted, as long as i was sitting most of the time. my peri, on the other hand, wanted me to be monitored (ob didn't find it necessary) and thinks i should spend the day laying and only getting up for bathroom breaks and to make food. he asked that i only climb the stairs once a day. i'm kind of finding a middle ground. i spend 90% of the day on the couch, in a reclined position (although my back and chest feel better when i'm more sitting up than laying down). today i napped, watched tv, and did some work. no contractions.

as for work, nj offers short term disability for maternity leave. my drs have signed me out as unable to work, so i will be collecting 60% of my pay on disability leave. it's not perfect but it certainly works, and since i knew i was going out early i was able to stockpile a little money to cover the mortgage for the next few months. once i have the babies i'll be covered for an additional 6-8 weeks on the same disability leave. knowing that i'd probably be on bed rest i've also taken on a freelance editing/copy writing project at work to help as well. it gives me something to do to make the time pass.

i had a little pity party for myself the other day because the side effects of the procardia were so brutal, but i'm okay with it now. every day inside me is a day less in the nicu, so it's a fair tradeoff. i think i'm just scared and overwhelmed and perhaps in major denial. i have an ob appt tomorrow that a friend is driving me to, so i should know more about the status of my cervix. i haven't felt any contractions so hopefully there haven't been any! and surprisingly today has flown by. i worked for about two hours, took two naps, watched a slew of terrible tv shows, and spent the rest of the time emailing with friends and playing games on facebook. i think if i were more isolated it would be terrible, but i'm lucky to be surrounded by distractions!

rcr, i am torn on people knowing about the length of my struggle with ivf. part of me wants to wear it like a badge of honor, the other part of me wants to just pretend we are normal. at the end of the day, these babies we are all having are lucky we fought so hard for them!


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## happyhopeful

Hi All! Just sooo happy to be posting here! I've been reading, and reading, and hoping, and hoping for sooo long and finally a BFP and an ultrasound confirmation!!







After several failed IUI's, an ectopic pregnancy, and loss of my tube- I am exactly where I want to be- pregnant and feeling sooo blessed!! It was our first IVF and our insurance only covered half the cost, so it was nerve wrecking on many accounts. As long as things progress smoothly, I'll have a December baby!! Is anyone else so new on this forum?


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## shesaidboom

*rcr* - sorry you're so sick lately. Hopefully that'll go away by the 12 week point.
I had a huge problem with the way sex ed was taught in my high school because we were terrified into thinking that we'd all get pregnant at the drop of a hat if we didn't use 3 different kinds of birth control, and I honestly had no idea that fertility problems happen outside of tv shows. When I began struggling with infertility it was a huge hit and I was not prepared at all. Kind of a different issue than the 5 year old course, but I feel like it needs to be talked about more. Thank goodness you talk to DS about it, but hopefully he will be discreet about it!

*lilac* - I'm sorry your co-worker was so weird about telling you about her pregnancy. That is a really weird situation. I would have been bothered by it too.

*laggie* - Not ridiculous at all! I would have been upset that I wanted a nice dinner with my parents and now all these other people would be attending too. I don't think it's wrong if you tell his family first. Everyone will find out eventually! I feel the same way as guppy - I prefer telling people one on one.

*guppy* - I hate those weeks! I hope you guys are ok with everything that has been going on. Hurray for a good u/s!

*suzie* - glad your blood pressure ended up being ok! Thank goodness they figured out it was a cuff thing and not a you thing. Much less to worry about now.

*auraleigh* - Thinking good thoughts for you! I'm glad you are taking it easy and you have some freelance work to keep you busy.

*blueyezz* - Oh my gosh he is cute! Look at that beautiful face! I hope you're doing well after landing back in the hospital.

*tear* - I hope you have a great time at the meet-up! Your pediatrician sounds really wonderful.

*laura-belle* - I'm glad your numbers are getting better. Hopefully that is helping you feel better overall!

*hope4light* - good to see you and hear about DS. I cannot believe he is 3 and a half months already!

*happyhopefuly* - CONGRATS!!! I'm so glad you got your BFP.

*AFM -* not much going on. 24 weeks now. My next OB appointment is on May 1st, and I'm to be doing my glucose test around then. I've been more uncomfy lately since my stomach is stretching and growing, but it's nice to finally have a baby belly!


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## happyhopeful

I just realized that I've spent so many years perusing the 2WW threads that I had completely forgot about all the many concerns, tests, and questions you have, when you are actually pregnant!! I was just reading your posts on this thread and I'm just wishing that all of you arrive at your due date, healthy and happy. I have a son, and he will be 14 years old next week, and being that I was young and he was a surprise, I really didn't have any issues...little did I know that it would take me 14 years to be able to conceive after him...DH and i are telling him tonight...


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## lilacvioletiris

On my phone, I am having twins! Ultrasound was clear and DH and I saw the hearts beat too!


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## happyhopeful

Wow lilac!! CONGRATULATIONS!! Soo excited for you!! We had a very early ultrasound because of my ectopic history, so we have to wait till the May 3rd one for the heartbeat one- I can't wait- it must have been so exciting, to not just hear one, but two!! Did you have any idea that you were having twins? You and your dh must be over the moon! I think our due dates are going to be pretty close


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## rcr

Yay, Lilac!!! Congrats!!!

Aura - Glad you are making the most of it, and getting some income.

Happy - congrats, and welcome.

I have my u/s tomorrow. I also have a video chat with the RE. I think they are going to release me to the OB. MY midwife has an OB who she "works" with (even though she is not legal). I have been trying to make an appointment with him, because the RE needs somewhere to release me to. The nurse was really crabby on the phone, and insisted I needed another u/s at my first appointment. I told her no, I have had enough u/s. I told her I would have my records transferred from the RE. She is going to talk to somebody else and call be back. ugh. All this for a fake OB that I am not even going to use.


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## suzie mccool

Lilac.. that is AWESOME!!







and lucky you - you have Auraleigh to answer all your questions! 

Auraleigh.. your bedrest sounds lovely! so glad there are no contractions and your work situation sounds awesome. Keep up the good work!

Rcr.. hassle city! Why on earth would they need to do another u/s when you are having one tomorrow? Hopefully they see the sense in having your current records sent to see how well you have already been monitored and leave it at that.

Happyhopeful.. welcome and congrats







we have a 14 year old son as well, but I put off telling him until after the 12 week scan - actually I completely wussed out on telling him altogether and DH told him for me. I was worried about an awful teenage reaction but he was actually really happy about it! and is trying to help me more around the house - I'll use the word trying a little loosely tho - he kicks his dirty clothes into a pile now instead of everywhere lol.

Shesaidboom.. yep - it's a huge relief to know i just have tubby (strong) arms hahaha! that's much easier to fix than high bp.. but now I don't get a 16 week scan and have to wait til 20. Small price to pay for health tho







yay for a proper baby belly!

afm.. realized I may be a hoarder.. after going through the 15 storage bins in my shed I pretty much have every toy, clothing item and shoes (some new in boxes!) that anyone could need for the first 5 years. I gave away so much stuff to friends when DS was small, but it seems I kept a whole heap too. This baby will cost me nothing except for nappies I think! I even have my breast pump of all things!! And the furniture is all stored here too.. Who keeps this much baby stuff for 14 years???

Funny, I always thought my ex was the hoarder..


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## guppyluv

Yay lilac! Awesome news.

Afm - I'm way behind catching up here! I'm annoyed with my parents trying to make plans for Christmas!!!!!! Huh? Its still APRIL!! I know they're excited but I'm too tired to play along. Just snapped at my dad (and then blamed hormones and hunger.







!). Oy.


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## suzie mccool

Hey Guppy







.. ah parents.. gotta love the forward planning lol


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## renavoo

Blue, LOOOOOOOVE! He is so beautiful! You and DH must be over the moon!

Aura, 33 weeks! My gosh, how time flies! I hope that everything goes well for you on your bedrest. I remembered that I started to really relax after 34 weeks because i remember reading that after that time, the babies are likely to be as healthy as if they went full term. However, it's still good for them to cook some more!

She said boom, 24 weeks! YAH to a baby belly!

Guppy, personally, I think hormones and hunger are great reasons for snapping ) Take advantage of that. haha

Suzie, from one hoarder to another, I had to giggle at your post...

Lilac, YAH to twins! Congrats!

RCR, Good luck getting everything transferred smoothly...ugh to the annoyance factor. Just think, soon, you'll be with your midwife and in just a short time after, you'll be holding your baby in your arms.

Ok, i'm just getting off of work so I'm signing off. Sorry to everyone i missed...I only checked in on this last page. I'm thinking of all of you though.


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## tracyamber

lurking!!!!

lilac I am sooo happy for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## lilacvioletiris

happyhopeful, since we did IVF and we had transferred back 2 embryos we knew there would be a chance of twins, but given my age the likelihood was low enough that we didn't do a single embryo transfer. DH is uber-excited. My due date is Dec. 19 and I intend to get to Dec even though my doctor is all like "expect them anytime after Nov. 19". These babies need to grow as much as possible inside of me.

suzie, yeah, nappies (or diapers) are going to be the bust for me. I want to cloth diaper but frankly keeping up with 2 babies and diapers of anykind will be something else! Your "hoarding" story is kind of funny to me. I am a "historian" who likes to keep items - clothing, cards, furniture, etc - that have a story attached. DH has less patiene for my historical attachment to somethings and I need to work on getting stuff out of my life so I have room to put baby stuff.

Guppy, yeah, holiday plans. Let's just have our babies first, right. My sister called me up and told me yesterday that she and another sister were considering Thanksgiving plans (which is the big holiday for my family where all the 7 siblings and mom get together) and how we should have it where I live and that everyone will get a hotel (yeah for that our 2 bedroom house will be crazy about then). Some plans can just wait. You're parents are visiting, right? When do they go home?

rcr, sorry about your "transfer of care" mumbo jumbo. I am with you on the "too many ultrasound" front. I don't feel I need one every pre-natal visit. I am hoping to work that out with whomever takes over when my RE releases me from care, but I know that with "twins everything goes high risk". I am growing these babies just fine thank you.

Thanks, Tracy!

AFM, no anti-histamine for me is bad news. Dry heave vomited this morning from excess phlegm I couldn't cough up. Not fun.


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## rcr

Suzie - hoarding can be good sometimes. At least it is saving you money. We started TTC right after DS was born, so we kept almost everything too. My mom kept lots of stuff from when I was young, so now DS has great vintage little people will lots of houses and accessories to play with. Much better than the new toys.

So, I am done with the RE, mostly!! Today we had our last visit and another u/s. little bean is looking great - measuring 9w3d, and I am only 8w4d today. So that is great. the HB was something good, but I forgot - 168 maybe? I was released to the OB. I have an appointment with him for the 8th. I do need to go back and get my progesterone levels checked from the RE in 3 weeks so that I can quit these shots.


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## happyhopeful

Good Morning!!

Feeling good- and it's so funny that now, for me, that equates to nausea, gassy belly, waking up to pee,etc b/c these to me are all signs that my baby is growing and taking from me what he/she needs!! I have never been more thrilled to be woken up out of my sleep or to not fit in my pants!









*Lilac*- our dates are sooo close- I transferred two 5 day blasts on April 4th and my due date will be December 20th! We also hoped that both would take because of the incredibly long and often painful journey it was to get here, but just knowing that everything from blood work to ultrasound, is looking good for the one we have, I just couldn't be happier!! Have you told anyone yet?

*Suzie*- LOL about your 14 year old- apparently they follow some sort of manual because I can totally relate! I told my son and he was like, "that's good, that's really good....when is it due?" I told him in December and to start saving! LOL! He's also been helpful i.e. carrying dish/es from room to sink- hasn't quite made it to the dishwasher, but I have big hopes, huge

*RCR*- Congrats on graduating!! From here on out, I hope it's smooth sailing with A LOT LESS doctor's appointments and blood work!! I also LOVE that you have kept the old toys and WISH that my parents hadn't been so proactive about throwing away the attic contents when they moved 10 years ago- I too had saved my favorites from my own childhood-and I guess I should've saved them in my own house!! So now, I actually have a wish list/watch list on ebay dedicated to just toys from the 60s, 70s, 80s and I do plan on putting a dent in that list eventually!!


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## BucketOfRain

Hi ladies, I haven't posted in ages and don't know how to possibly catch up but I will try

RCr: I know I am way late to the party, but congratulations!!

Aura: glad those babies are staying put in there...fingers crossed that bed rest buys you more time...

Lilac: congratulations and twins, wow!! Hope you are feeling good...

Blue: he is beautiful, congratulations!!

She said: good luck with the glucose test!

Susie: that's great that you have so much usable baby gear in storage, I have many tubs in my basement that I need to start going through as well.

Hi to everyone else, I only read back a few pages so I know I am missing people...

Afm: 25 weeks, feeling good, just sooo tired still. I took today off work because yesterday I just felt miserable. I sent my daughter to school so I am enjoying some quiet, alone time which is just unheard of! I have a doc apt. This afternoon, I have had weekly fetal echocardiograms due to a potential heart block developing because of an autoimmune factor in my blood. All had been going great until last week when they found that one of the valves was leaking. The doc said it may be nothing and these things sometimes come and go as the heart goes through so many changes as it develops and we only detected it because I am having so much testing done. My apt. Is at two and I am just hoping, hoping, hoping that he is right and that this leaky valve is not the start of something more serious developing...otherwise no complaints, loving all the movement I am feeling as it's not at the kick in the ribs uncomfortable stage yet!!


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## lilacvioletiris

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *happyhopeful*
> *Lilac*- our dates are sooo close- I transferred two 5 day blasts on April 4th and my due date will be December 20th! We also hoped that both would take because of the incredibly long and often painful journey it was to get here, but just knowing that everything from blood work to ultrasound, is looking good for the one we have, I just couldn't be happier!! Have you told anyone yet?


HappyHopeful, that is awesome that your IVF was a positive pregnancy for you. Have you had an ultrasound yet? Are you sure it is only one baby? Yes, I have told a few people - my principal and 2 vice principals at work because I have had to have them cover things for me both during the IVF cycle month and now as I am a teacher. My closest friends and family know. We had been trying for 2 years and it was just something we wanted to shout from the roof tops, but I have held it in check. DH not so much. He wants to tell everyone, even people that I think could wait to find out and whom have less than stellar "keep it to themselves" attitudes toward sharing information.


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## happyhopeful

Hi Lilac! Yes, I know the feeling of wanting to shout it from the rooftops!! I sometimes feel like I want to wear a t-shirt that says "Yes!! finally pregnant!! Sooo happy!!" Then, of course I have my fleeting moments of fear of the unknown and still such a long road ahead- but, like I said, "fleeting" and I try to keep those at bay. So far, I've just told my immediate family and the wives of those members of my husband's family, that he told- he too, like your husband, has zero discretion when it comes to who and when to tell









At the same time though, I'm thrilled to see him so excited too!! As for the ultrasound, it was super early- 5 weeks- just to check to make sure it was in the uterus because of my ectopic. So, yes, we saw it was in the right place and that it had it's amniotic sac....and, yes, do I hope that when we go back next Friday that miraculously there are 2? You bet! And, do I study the pic they give me and do I see two sacs? You bet! However, I know that wishful thinking will not change what I do have, and I know that ultrasounds are pretty accurate, especially when you get them done at a fertility clinic with clinicians who do them all day, every day...but, hey, I can still hope for another week- I have my next ultrasound next Friday and I CAN'T WAIT to hear the heartbeat!!! I am going to record that sound and listen to it constantly!!


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## teresaresa

Lilac and RCR: Oh my gosh!!!! I haven't been on the site in a million years, and for some reason the IVF grads thread popped up when I came on here. I am so unbelievably happy for both of you! I'm actually crying I'm so excited! I have to go back and read your stories, but I just want you both to know that I so enjoyed getting to know you on the IVF thread many months ago, and thoughts of you and your success will be with me as inspiration as I go into my FET in just a few weeks. xoxoxoxox


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## rcr

*Teresa* - glad to see your name pop up. We did donor embryos. I don't know if I ever really posted the whole story here: After my third IVF failure (at SIRM), I called my old RE and asked her where I am on the donor embryo list. They said that I was like number 35 or something, but they have some "unknown race" embryos that they can give me now because nobody seems to want them. They are older, and the RE didn't keep very good records on the husband at the time (so they know the race of the woman, but not the man). I thought it was crazy that they have a 5 - 6 year waiting list for donor embryos, but people would rather wait 5 years than go for an unknown baby. Shortly after that I decided to do another IVF cycle at SIRM, which was another BFN. I never really stopped thinking about the unknown embryos. So right after my last BFN, I called the old RE and asked if they were still available, and they were! She also said she would do it for free because nobody seems to want them still. So we went for it, put back in to embies from two different "unknown" donors, and I got pregnant with one. We call it our mystery baby. Glad to hear you are doing another FET. How are you?


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## Sourire

Why hello ladies! I think I'd like to come hang out here. How's everyone doing?

I think I might be starting to experience my first pregnancy symptoms! I've been a bit more tired than usual, my stomach feels like a bottomless pit, and I have mild nausea most of the time. This is so exciting!


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## lilacvioletiris

Teresaresa, so glad to see you back. DH and I did an IVF cycle in March after getting some monetary help from a special fund by my employer. They retrieved 18 eggs, 14 were fertilizable, and 13 made it to day two which was the Saturday before Easter Sunday. We transferred 2 back to me and just from my positive response to all the meds, I had a feeling I would get pregnant with twins, which was confirmed this last Tuesday, April 23. I am due Dec. 19 and my husband and I are so excited.


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## guppyluv

I feel like I've been hit by a truck! Bad chest cold and cough - which makes me pee a little every time I cough!! Lol... And absolutely exhausted and starving all the time. I also look about 5 months (only @15 weeks!). I had a run of terrible headaches last week and had to up my protein (tried extra water first but didn't help- just made me pee even more!!!) Was waking up at 4am starving and started going downstairs to make eggs and toast for my "first" breakfast! Crazy. But the headaches seem to have mellowed. I'm not slacking off the protein anytime soon - not if that means more headaches!! Yuck... As my dr says the triplets are very effective parasites. I do miss my energy boost from weeks 11-13! Napped all afternoon so I have energy for tonight. Going to my last hockey game for a loooong time. Go Bruins.

I'm so tired that I can't remember if I said congrats to Lilac about the twins!? So wonderful and exciting!

Sourire, welcome!! So exciting!!!


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## Carlyle

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Sourire*
> 
> Why hello ladies! I think I'd like to come hang out here. How's everyone doing?
> 
> I think I might be starting to experience my first pregnancy symptoms! I've been a bit more tired than usual, my stomach feels like a bottomless pit, and I have mild nausea most of the time. This is so exciting!










That's so friekin' awesome


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## lilacvioletiris

guppy, sorry to hear that headaches are giving you a run for your money. I feel your pain with "first breakfast". DH thinks I am crazy getting up, take my thyroid pill, wait 30 minutes, then eat some cottage cheese and toast, then I can go back to bed for awhile and get up later to eat another breakfast. Oh, and my allergies are kicking in right now with all the pollen. I sneeze, I wet myself. So annoying. I try to stay hydrated so I don't get a headache but then I have to pee all the time. Yep having multiples changes things.


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## rcr

Sourire!!! Welcome Welcome Welcome!!!









Guppy - sorry you aren't feeling well.


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## suzie mccool

Guppy.. Fingers crossed being ill passes soon! Hope you enjoyed the hockey  We bought tickets for Black Sabbath months ago and now it's only a week away I'm dreading the late night... But if you can do it sick and with triplets, I am being way too much of a sook to stay home!!

Lilac.. I had a 2am breakfast every morning for the first couple of months too! (Followed by family breakfast when everyone got up..) I think it's because I get up to wee, then can't get back to sleep most of the time. So now my day usually starts around 3am, then I'm back in bed by 7pm after work.. sigh. But my house is cleaner than usual 

Sourie.. Hey congrats!!









Sorry for anyone I missed on earlier pages - but hi everyone!! My amazing DH booked us in for a 3D scan on the 9th as part of my birthday present, so I'm totally stoked I get another peek before the anatomy scan on the 29th


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## auraleigh

hello ladies!

violet, so excited for your twins!!! welcome to the club!

suzie, how sweet is that for the 3d ultrasound! i missed the window for one and i'm sad about it. please post your photos!!

guppy, having multiples is a WHOLE OTHER experience. i used to have to keep a box of granola bars on my night stand so i could sleep eat without having to go downstairs. and of course my dh bought the most crumbly crunchy granola bars so i'd be so noisy and messy! it's only just begun too. i eat a first and second breakfast, lunch, then two snacks, dinner, dessert, and sometimes an extra bowl of cereal or string cheese or something before bed. i have no idea where it goes. as of this week i have LOST four pounds, bringing my weight to 32 lbs gained, at 34 weeks with twins! i'm impressed you have the energy to make eggs and toast!

rcr, how is it going?

she said, how are you? still feeling uncomfortable?

happyhopeful, welcome and congrats!!

renavoo, how is life??? busy with work and babies i assume? i can't believe the twins are going to be born so soon. how many weeks were you when you had your babies?

bucket, keep us posted on the leaky valve. these things can totally reverse themselves. i'll keep you in my thoughts 

teresa, welcome back my friend! only good things for you this time around.

blue, how is caden? i'm sure you're busy but we're waiting with baited breath!

afm, i'm at 34 weeks! bedrest is fine, the time is flying by faster than i thought it would. for some reason i'm losing weight even though i eat like a farm animal. i feel like i just eat and nap, punctuated by incessant pee breaks. last night i was worried that i wasn't feeling baby enough, and i didn't feel him at all this morning, so i called the dr. they had me come in to check on him, and he was fine. i'm so relieved! i think maybe he rolled over in a way that he's kicking his sister instead of my stomach, but it's good to have reassurance. the dr said that since i've hit 34 weeks, any time i go into labor will be fine and they will just deliver. so now i wait! it's weird to think that there is max three more weeks before they induce me. babies are coming!


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## teresaresa

shesaidboom: holy moly!!! you're pregnant too!!!!!!! YAYAYAYAYAYAYAY! I'm so sorry I didn't see you on the list before. I'm so totally excited for you! Congrats beautiful lady!

rcr: I absolutely love your story. I told my husband, and he thought it was the coolest ending to what's been a crazy long struggle for you all. I'm really, really happy that you've finally made it to the other side. As for me... It's been a weird few months. I loved SIRM and my Dr. there (Jeff Wang, who is the absolute most wonderful man on earth), but unfortunately, my two cycles with them didn't go so well. Jeff - yes, I called him by his first name - said that a) my body apparently really likes menopur and not gonal-f (even though there's not supposed to be so much of a difference between the two) and b) he thinks the culture SIRM's lab uses to grow embryos didn't work for me. So, I'm with yet another doctor. But, that said, I feel really, really confident about the FET. I just wish that the estrace I'm taking now as part of the prep wasn't turning me into a crazy person - like literally!

Lilac: Wow! I'm so impressed that you retrieved and fertilized so many eggs. And a Day 2 transfer?? That's pretty cool. I've never heard of a Day 2 transfer - I'm so glad it worked for you!

AFM: Well, I shouldn't really be on this page, but it seems all my gal pals are over here (YES!!!!). I'll head back to the IVF page, but know that I'm going to be stalking you all (hopefully just for another month until I get my BFP!) Sending you all lots of hugs.


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## lilacvioletiris

teresaresa, day 2 transfers are standard protocol at my ivf clinic. My doctor said that recently they had changed a few things like the kind of catheters they use for transfer and their success rate has gone up. I know that so many things with ivf are just plain miracles - no way around it. Doctors can transfer embryos, but only a miracle makes that embryo grow and develop into a baby!


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## blueyezz4

Hey all!! I'm still alive and reading along w/ all of your posts. I'll try to jump on tomorrow on my computer and get up to date on everything and see if I can give you all a Caden update too. All is well though, just settling in and loving every min of being a Momma!! Tty all later I hope as long as tomorrow goes smooth!!!


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## rcr

Teresa - I know the feeling of all your friends being over here. I think I posted here way too much too before I got a bfp, after blue and others left the other side. No worries. We don't mind. I think that is really cool that Dr. Wang was honest about the culture being wrong for your embies.

Blue - nice to finally see you! I can't wait to hear an update!

AFM - Only ONE more day until I am officially off for the summer!!!! yay!!! I am going to stick around work for the next few weeks and work on classes for the fall semester, because otherwise I will have to return to work before school officially starts in the fall, and that is always worse than doing it now. But I am technically off as of Thursday. We are going camping for the weekend, and I hope I can manage to feel ok. I am still feeling really sick in the evenings, and I vomit most evenings. I think I may have lost weight too, since I have been vomiting all my dinner lately. Oh, and I have to go to South Africa for work this summer, so I am going to take DS with me and make a little trip out of it, and we are staying for three weeks. I am excited about that.


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## Sourire

Ok I've officially gotten past the "excited about the BFP" phase and into the fear and anxiety phase. It's more than 2 weeks until my ultrasound and I don't know how I will get through it. Any tips?

Rcr - enjoy your summer off! You're so lucky!

Aura - wow time flies. It seems like yesterday I remember you getting your BFP. I wish it could go that fast for me! Time seemed to slow down when I was in my 2ww and now it feels even slower!

Suzie, lilac, guppy: when I hear stories of first and second breakfasts it reminds me of hobbits! I've been doing a lot of extra snacking too but so far no middle of the night breakfasts have been required.


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## toothfairy2be

Teresa- you can hang out with me on the other page! We're gearing up for a FET As soon as AF shows.

Hi all


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## auraleigh

sourire, i just lol'd! my husband and i are big LOTR fans and he now refers to me as a hobit due to my many breakfasts and swollen feet.


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## lilacvioletiris

Rcr, LUCKY you on the one more day until summer vacation! One more month tomorrow until I come yo the end of a 12 year job I love, but where a couple influential people don't want me. Today I cleared away an entire shelf of reading material I would refer to for students but wouldn't be used once i leave since the personnel committee isn't replacing to school counselor part I play at my school. So sad.


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## lilacvioletiris

Sourire, a few pages back I found a sweet web page with pictures of early stages of pregnancy. I kept me motivated that all the weird cramps, etc were normal and that waiting for the ultrasound for a bit would be good.


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## kewpie80

Hey guys!

Congrats to the new BFPs!

I'm just popping in briefly to let you know I'm still alive. We're busy putting in a huge garden (it's something like 50 X 90 feet) still working on the remodel, and chasing my 2 almost 16 month olds. So, needless to say, I'm extremely busy. We've started working on letters with Maisie and Liam. They are catching on really quickly. They are running everywhere and so much fun. Oh, and the talking. Can't forget the talking! It's so amazing how fast they learn new words!

Here's a quick picture!

I do read along as often as I can and I'm rooting for everyone still on their journey!


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## lilacvioletiris

Ah so cute!


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## auraleigh

kewpie, i was just thinking about you! the kids are gorgeous and growing up so fast! glad to hear all is well, and hope your garden turns out great!


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## blueyezz4

Ugh... I haven't gotten a chance to get on here and now it is almost time to go to bed. Tomorrow I have a photographer coming to do newborn pics at 11am and she said it could take 2-4 hrs. I'm excited for these pics!!! Maybe tomorrow afternoon I can jump on and do an update in the afternoon depending on how things go.

Congrats to the new grads!!! So excited for the BFP's!!! And I can't wait for the new arrives to come!!!!! Things are getting easier each day and he and I are getting on the same page w/ nursing!!! After dinner is definitely more of the witching hr but we are surviving!

*Kewpie* - they are so cute!!! Can't believe how much they have grown.

Here is a pic for you all.... Cade's First bath at home.


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## lilacvioletiris

Ah, blue, Caden is so cute wrapped up in his hooded towel! Absolutely adorable.

AFM, went to sleep at 7:30 p.m. last night, got awakened by a panicked senior trying to fill out a scholarship application that needed a pin number only I could give her (yeah for me being the school guidance counselor) at 9:08 p.m., it was about 80 degrees at my house, ugh, I was NOT turning on the air conditioning when I had just turned off the heat a couple days ago, and I suffered in the heat until I finally fell asleep and stayed that way until 4:45 when I just had to get up to go to the bathroom. The extra sleep was great. I feel much better this morning.


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## happyhopeful

Hi Everyone!! I just loved reading these updates! By the way *Sourire*, reading posts is one of the many ways I have been passing time while waiting- TOMORROW is my heartbeat ultrasound and I CANNOT WAIT!! Congratulations to you and just throw yourself into work when you can,...the posts when you can't, and pregnancy sites as needed...I think I subscribed to 3 parenting/baby magazines in the last week!! *Blue*, your lil one is soooo precious! I'm so happy for you- what an amazing journey you've just begun with him! And, *Kewpie*, your twins are absolutely beautiful and I bet they are just going to love to go exploring in that garden!! *Lilac*,I too am suffering with being exhausted, and the evenings that I don't fall asleep by 8 because of teens,work, or hubby, I am wiped out the next day- it's really crazy for me because I was always one of those people that only needed 5 or 6 hours- NOT anymore! *Auraleigh*, thrilled to read that you are feeling better and headed to the end of this rainbow! It must be so surreal!! *GuppyLuv*, I suffer with awful migraines and being that I'm pregnant I can't take any of my meds- here is what works for me- the moment I feel one coming on I take 2 tylenol with water and then I take tiny sips of coca cola every few minutes for the next 45 mins- it's saved me so far, and it worked my entire pregnancy with my son. I hope this works for you too! T*o everybody-* I hope you are feeling well, living life, absorbing all the good, ignoring the nonsense, and sending lots of happy vibes to your baby/ies!!! I am trying my best to do the same and am SUPER PSYCHED for ultrasound tomorrow!!! My honey is recording it so I can replay, and replay, and replay


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## laura-belle

Skipping personals, sorry.

I had an OB-Gyn appt yesterday. I am having my baby in a week. (Because the Cholestasis at least doubles the risk of stillbirth after 37 weeks, the standard of care is that the baby comes out before then.) I am torn between excitement and terror. As of right now, the baby is breech. He has been breech since 30 or so weeks quite consistently. I am trying those spinning babies exercises and am scheduled for an external verson (sp?) on Wednesday morning. If that does work, we start induction Saturday afternoon; if it does not work, they will schedule a c-section for Saturday or Sunday. Either way, he is coming out.

This is going to be a crazy week. I have a small quasi-shower with a few friends today, my husband leaves on a business trip tomorrow and gets back Wednesday, my grandmother's 85th birthday is Thursday (with large family dinner), my sister's birthday is Friday (with smaller family dinner), and I am having a baby Saturday or Sunday. That list doesn't include the various medical appointments and blood draws that I have scheduled or any of the minor things that must be done before the baby comes and are not yet completed. What have I gotten myself into?


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## lilacvioletiris

Laurabelle, I hope your little one gets himself flipped head down and that your busy last week as a mommy to be goes well.


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## guppyluv

Finally turning the cold corner. Can breathe again. Yay. three more weeks of term and I've been slammed at work (between naps and many meals!!) so I have been offline lest I waste too much time







My recent nausea and headaches seem to be directly linked to protein intake - little warning Signs I need to eat more. Sigh. I feel like all I'm doing is eating (for a good cause of course!) I continue my middle earth habits. Though ive found Greek yogurt and peanut butter blended with banana, kale and chocolate protein to be a good substitute for scrambled eggs (as grody as it might sound - or sounds to my 4 yr old nephew who calls it aptly poop juice!) thank goodness for the blender!

Sooooooo love all the happiness going on here







and Love all the baby Picts

*Suzie* - black sabbath!? Wow. I'm not sure my head could handle that not preggers







but have a great time!!

Beautiful day here. Off to the grocery store to get more fuel for my parasites


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## shesaidboom

*lilac* - congrats on your twins! How exciting! The allergies sound awful though.

*rcr* - hurray for being done with the RE! That's great news.

*bucketofrain* - thank you! I'm doing the glucose test Monday morning and hope all goes well.
I hope you're feeling better.

*teresaresa* - Thank you! So good to see your name pop up! I'm thinking lots of good thoughts for you for your FET. I'm going to be stalking you over at the IVF thread and waiting for you to come join us here as a pregnant lady.

*Sourire* - I'm so excited for you!! Congrats!

*guppy* - so sorry you're feeling so awful. Glad it's starting to get better though.

*auraleigh* - feeling much more comfy this week, thankfully!
So exciting that you're so close! I'm glad everything was fine with your little guy when the dr checked it out.

blueyezz - glad to hear things are going well! Caden is so cute!

*Cait* - so nice to see your name too. Lots of good thoughts for your FET!

*Kewpie* - Such cute pictures of your little ones! Thanks for stopping in for an update.

*laura-belle* - I'm sorry you're going through anything but excitement right now. I hope all those things to do help keep you distracted. I'm sending lots of good thoughts to you and am hoping your babe flips over.

*AFM -* Not much going on here besides feeling a lot more movement. I'm 25 weeks now and an excited that we're in May so I can finally say "only 3 months to go". I co-run a very small business with a friend of mine and we opened up a new booth. We technically opened last weekend, but our official opening was today, so I've been keeping busy with that. It's a lot of fun so far! The only issue is that everyone keeps yelling at me to take it easy and not lift heavy-ish things because I'm pregnant. I can't sit down all the time! Also keeping busy caring for my parents. My mom is in chemo until July, but she has been doing much better than we had thought she would be, thankfully. She's even been coming out with me to the booth when she's up for it. My dad finally saw his doctor because he's been having some neurological issues and we finally have an MRI scheduled and a meeting with a neurologist. DH has been busy watching hockey every minute he's not at work (oh, play-off season), but I'm hoping to get him to come out with me to buy a few baby things, like a crib! I can't wait until I can feel this baby from the outside. Do you ladies who are further along remember when that happened for you?


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## vireoes

Wow, it seems like I just join this group and now I am past 28 weeks and into the third trimester. Time really flies sometimes. Trying to work out travel plans for the grandparents to come in for the birth and support. DH's parents are supposed to come in and help for several months, but we will not be able to get them a visa till just before the baby is due since we have to wait till we renew our visas, which come up just a few weeks before the little one is supposed to arrive. The complications of living abroad, sigh...Thankfully they are retired and are pretty flexible about travel dates, so at least that part is easy. It looks like they may have to come several weeks after the baby is due to allow time for the visa process to work itself out. My mom is planning on coming for the birth and doesn't need a visa, so as long as everything goes according to plan she will be here to take care of DD during the birthing. Hopefully the little one won't come early since DD hasn't seen her in over a year and it would be good if they have a few days together before hand to get reacquainted.

Laura-sounds like a crazy week. Amazing you will be holding your little one so soon. I will keep my fingers crossed that the babe turns head down for you and that one way or the other everything goes smoothly for you.

Aura-I hope you are surviving the bed rest okay. Not long before you will be holding your little ones as well. There are so many new little people joining our group.

shesaidboom-Glad to hear things are going well for your mom. I am a few weeks ahead of you and can definitely feel lots of movement from inside and out now. Seems like it has been that way for several weeks now. Getting DH to feel it is another story since it is a timing thing and the baby does not often cooperate with DH's timing. Not that we have lots of time to sit around quietly together with an active 2 year old running around. Last time I think he felt the baby much more than this time. Now my 2 year old feels it all the time, but then we spend all day together and the baby gets real active when we are sitting and reading stories or DD is nursing.

guppyluv-glad you are able to pinpoint the source of some of your discomfort. I feel like I have to eat a ton and I only have one, so I can't even image.

Welcome to our new members.

Happyhopeful-I hope the ultrasound went really well.


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## auraleigh

laura, so exciting!!! a friend of mine used accupuncture and a chiro to get her baby to flip and it worked! i wish you luck!


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## suzie mccool

Shesaidboom.. glad your mum is coping so well with the chemo! It can be so debilitating so if she has the energy to get out and do things, that's awesome!

Guppy... your poo juice sounds amazing!! and a bit wrong, but I want some  And yeah, Black Sabbath isn't really my normal choice either, but DH loves them, and I love him, so.... I'm more of a punk rock kind of girl myself. My DS (while in the womb) went to so many punk gigs and now he's into exactly the same music as me, so this may be a metal baby this time LOL

Laura... best of luck with the baby spinning. Given how much you have crammed into this week, I'm so impressed with your stamina!!

I had some red spotting on Friday (just after my birthday dinner!) and ended up spending 7 hours in the emergency room to get an anti-D shot because I'm rhesus negative. Luckily, they also did a scan and baby is perfectly fine and no spotting or anything since. Still, scared the absolute crap out of me at the time! Having an appointment with my fantastic midwife tomorrow anyway, so she will try to figure out what happened, but general consensus is that sometimes it just does... so reassuring (not) lol!


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## auraleigh

suzie, sorry to hear about the spotting, blood is always scary! glad to hear everything is okay though.

vireoes, i can't believe you're already in the third trimester! how exciting that your parents will be coming to visit in time for the birth. how long will they stay?

shesaid, glad to hear your mom is doing well with the chemo! it's a long process, but a positive attitude truly helps. dh's grandmother just beat pancreatic cancer at 82 years old, so it goes to show there is always hope. as far as feeling the baby from the outside, it took a LONG time until my dh felt the babies kick. I'd feel them, but as soon as I got his attention they'd go still. probably at least late 20s, early 30 weeks? i have two anterior placentas though, so that may have blocked some of the external feelings. i'm at 35 now and he can easily feel them, although they're so squished in there so it's more pushes and stretches as opposed to kicks and rolls.

afm, i can't believe i've made it to 35 and a half weeks after my preterm labor scare at 32 weeks. bed rest has been fine in general, i don't mind watching tv and napping, however the discomfort of having two babies in there is starting to take its toll. i had an ob appt today and almost cried when he told me that my cervix is holding steady at the same 2cm dilated that it was three weeks ago. i truly should be celebrating, but i'm so crampy and cranky! i think part of me was hoping to have the babies asap so i could feel a little relief. i really want my body back... even just the freedom of walking to the bathroom without it feeling like i'm climbing mt everest. in any case, everything is fine as far as the babies go (no protein in urine, low bp, both babies are now head down). i have an ob appt next wednesday, a growth scan on thursday, and my final nst next friday. at the growth scan, given the babies are still head down, we are going to schedule my induction for either the 20th or 21st. the ob thinks that a little pitocin will be all it takes to get me going. i now am crossing off the days on my calendar just to give me an end date. i'm about to have two babies in about 12 days or less!!

hope everyone else is doing well!


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## Tear78

Aura, I'm so glad the babies are doing well. I know what you mean about wanting your body back, and I only had one in there! I'm excited to "meet" your little ones soon!


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## guppyluv

Suzie - how are things going since the spotting!?! Hoping all is ok!!

Aura - good luck and keep us posted







so exciting!!!

AFM. Last two weeks of school. Things are windIn down (sort of!). Regardless all looks really good with the trio! I hemmed on finding out sex but cave in the end. So BBG it is!! I was getting a little nervous when A & B came back boy... Three boys would have been crazy!! Regardless I would have been happy. But super psyched there will be a little (hot!) pink in the mix! I'm feeling pretty darn good this week. Hoping that lasts a few weeks!


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## suzie mccool

Hi all  Had the 3D scan and here he/she is (we're thinking it's a he, mum swears she saw a penis in some of the photos... LOL) No more spotting, but having the scan done yesterday couldn't have come at a better time for peace of mind! Apart from insomnia, I have nothing to complain about, and really, if I wasn't getting the housework done in the middle of the night, my house would look like a burglary gone wrong 

I've put a nice scan pic, as well as a so-called "penis shot".. please feel free to tell me if you think my mum has penises on the brain HAHAHA!

Guppy... OMG 2 boys and a girl sounds amazing!! Glad you're feeling so much better, altho with such awesome news, you should be  Really excited for you!!









Aura... 12 days or less? gulp!! I know it probably isn't the case for you, but wow the last couple of months have flown by!! So happy for you









Hope everyone else is well and happy  x


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## BucketOfRain

RCr: how did your camping trip go? We are going in a few weeks and I am worried about middle of the night bathroom runs...yay for a trip to South Africa, how exciting and so great for your son hope you are enjoying being "off"

Kewpie: what beautiful babies

Laurabelle: thinking of you!

She said: glad to hear that your mom is doing better than expected, how did your glucose test go? Mine is Wednesday...

Vireos: I know, time I'd flying lately. The first tri seemed so slow as I just worried, worried worried but now it seems our babies will be here so soon I still almost can't even believe that I get to say that! My dh hasn't felt movement yet as he is really not the type to sit and wait for it, but we are starting to be able to see movement from the outside which is crazy, I don't really remember that from my daughter. I hope you were able to figure out everyone's travel plans. W are having a hard time with it and my parents are only 3 hours away so I can only imagine that dealing with actual travel plans is very difficult.

Susie: how scary, glad that everything is fine but red spotting would certainly freak me out as well, that 3d scan is pretty amazing!!

Aura: how are you, 35 week is great, so close

Guppy: yay, 2 boys and a girl...what a great mix that will be good luck wrapping up school, I teach as well but we have until the end of June so a few more weeks to go

I'm feeling good these days, 28 weeks today! Baby's heart valve leak appears to have corrected itself, yay! We go back in two weeks for another fetal echo but things are looking good, phew!! Glucose testing this week but not much else going on, which is not a bad thing...we have not starting doing anything to get ready for this baby but think that we need to get moving a bit, we mostly just need to go through all my daughters stuff in the basement to see what will work for this baby, a boy, and make some lists of what we need to get/do. Our house is teeny so baby will be in our room in a basinnet of sorts until he can sleep through the night and will then be sharing with my daughter so it saves us from the work, and the excitement, of setting up a nursery... I have been feeling very, very blessed to be where i am lately. i was laying down with my DD wrapped in my arms and the baby was kicking like crazy and it was such a great, complete feeling that I was totally overwhelmed. For years since we were trying for our second i felt something was missing and to not feel that longing and loss is just so overwhelming and amazing thinking of you all and wishing you well!!


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## laura-belle

Lilac -- Thank you! He did turn himself before the version; I was thrilled







.

Guppy -- That actually sounds not bad, although it probably looks gross. Yum. BBG, so exciting!

SheSaid -- Thanks! I hope the stuff with your parents works itself out ok. I think I started feeling the baby from the outside right around the start of the third trimester, so 28 weeks ish. I am on the somewhat heavier side though, so you might feel it a bit earlier.

Vireoes -- Thanks! Hope the visa situation goes as smoothly as possible.

Aura -- Thanks! I tried the spinning babies exercises and they worked! (Or he just decided that it was time to turn over...) I was thrilled. Another week and a bit for you! Do you have everything ready yet?

Suzie -- Thanks! Glad your scary evening turned out to be nothing huge. No fun.

BucketOfRain -- Thanks! Glad that your baby's heart issue seems to have been self-correcting.









AFM -- I go in for induction this afternoon. Oh my goodness. What have I gotten myself into?







I am supposed to call in about 30 minutes for a time slot, but I got an automated appointment reminder for 1:30pm yesterday, so we shall see. Wish me a smooth and speedy labor and delivery!


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## Vegan Princess

Laura-Belle: OMG!!!! So excited for you!!! Happy birthing. I'll be thinking of you. I hope all goes smoothly and you have the birth you want. 

Aura: Wow, where does the time go? I cannot believe you are about to meet those babies!!!

cindy


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## shesaidboom

*vireoes* - I'm glad time is flying for you! I hope everything with the travel and the visas work out and it's not too much of a pain to deal with.
I'm feeling baby from the outside now, but like your situation DH hasn't managed to feel anything yet. So neat that you 2 year old has felt baby move!

*suzie* - I'm very glad she's coping well. She's doing so much better than we had expected. She changes medication after her next does so we'll have to see if that one gives the same side effects.
I'm glad everything ended up being fine. I would have been scared too!
Your scan pictures are wonderful. He (I can't tell if there's a penis or not, so maybe she instead) looks so happy and cute in there!

*auraleigh* - wow, that's great that she beat her cancer! Pancreatic is hard too since they usually don't find it early enough. I'm so glad she's ok.

35 and a half weeks! That's awesome. I'm glad bed rest is going ok. They'll be out so soon and you'll be able to be comfy again, I hope! Sending lots of good thoughts for you.

*bucketofrain* - haven't done the glucose test yet. Will probably get it done on Tuesday. I'm glad you're feeling good and the leaky heart valve has cleared up! The moment you had with your DD and your baby kicking sounds perfect. I'm so, so glad for you. This infertility stuff is awful, it's so great when it is able to be overcome.

*guppy* - Glad things are looking good. Two boys and a girl sounds great!

*laura-belle* - I'm on the bigger side too, so I think it'll take me longer too. There are some in my DDC who have been feeling their little ones from outside for weeks already. I can't wait!
Oh wow!! I am sending lots of good thoughts for a smooth induction and a great birth. So exciting! I can't wait for an update post baby, once you've recovered and settled in.


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## vireoes

Laura-Thinking of you this weekend, hoping everything goes smoothly.

Guppy-2 boys and girl, how wonderful. That should be a nice balance. Three boys while wonderful, would really be a handful for anyone.

Buckets-so glad to hear that the little guys problems seem to be correcting. That is wonderful news. It is so wonderful to have that moment with DD and you DS to be. I really enjoy the cuddling with DD now and it certainly seems to bring out the kicks.

Suzie-so glad to here that the baby is well. My tech called mine a boy at 12 weeks and was right. Did your ultrasound tech have any guesses or just your mom?

Aura-I can't wait to have my body back as well and I only have one in there, so I can only imagine what having two is like. I remember the last days dragging out forever with DD. Yeah, less than two weeks to go. 

AFM-not much new here. Did glucose testing this week as well. Mostly just an ongoing party in my belly right now.


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## MOMTOALEXIS

Happy Mothers Day to all you beautiful mom's and mom's to be!!!!


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## rcr

Happy mothers day to all!

Laura - good luck!

I have been following along but haven't been posting because I really feel horrible most of the time. DH is only home on the weekends, and I absolutely can't wait for him to get home all week and take over with DS. I have been laying in bed reading every weekend. Today DH made me some more mineral water with a bunch of ginger juice that he squeezed into it (and added honey), and it felt pretty good. I have only vomited once today. I have 6 more progesterone shots, and I have a midwife appointment next Sat. I can't wait for the appointment. All of the heartbreak on the other thread has made me really nervous. I haven't listened to the HB or seen baby bean in a few weeks.


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## shesaidboom

*vireoes* - How did your glucose testing go? Does the drink make you feel funny? I don't know why, but I'm really nervous about doing mine, not even of having GD, just of doing the test itself.

*rcr* - so sorry you're feeling horrible. You're almost done the first trimester, and hopefully it'll go away with it. I'm glad you're trying to get some rest when DH is around. I'm sure everything will be just fine at your appointment, but I remember how nervous I got too. Getting to 12 weeks was a huge relief. Thankfully you're almost there! Sending lots of good thoughts, both for you feeling better and for your appointment.

*AFM -* This is the first Mother's Day in many years that I haven't cried, but I'm still thinking of all of the ladies on the infertility boards. It is such a hard thing. I'm having an off day anyway. Not sure why, just not feeling myself. I've been having a lot of cramping (more painful than bad period cramps, but really not that bad), and pressure low in my belly (feels like I have to pee really bad) that is making me a bit nervous. I've been reading up and info is conflicting. One half says "it's normal, don't worry" the other half says "get to the ER!". I'm going to call my OB's office tomorrow unless it gets worse tonight. There isn't a pattern to it, just comes and goes. Anyone experience this?


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## auraleigh

happy mother's day to all the mothers and soon to be moms!

rcr, sorry you are feeling so sick. every since being on bed rest i too count the days until dh is home all weekend to keep me company and pamper me. i can't even imagine feeling as sick as you do and having to take care of a child on top of it! you're doing great though, and hopefully the sickness period will pass soon.

it is heart breaking what's happening in the ivf thread right now, but don't let it get you. things are cyclical. and it's terrible the way it stacked up for so many of our fellow ladies. don't let it freak you out too much, you already made the jump to our side and hopefully are way past the worries. we just have to soldier on, and eventually good things will happen again.

shesaid, i always think if you're freaking out it's best to call the dr. if there are no immediate signs and the pain isn't too terrible, can you wait until morning? trust your gut though, you know your body best. i had all sorts of weird pains along the way and it was always either round ligament pains, babies on a nerve or pushing an organ pain, etc. also, about the GTT, they made me take it twice (once early on, once at 28 weeks) and it really wasn't anything bad. i thought the drink was going to make me gag, but i tried the fruit punch and the orange, and as long as it was cold i was fine. the first time i drank it not long after eating, the second time fasting, and the hour went by pretty quickly. i think i read a book on my phone in the waiting room. i hope you rock it!

happy mother's day mom!!! hope all is well with you and the kids!

i am sitting in my living room staring at two giant swings and five bouncers. the benefit of having kids a few years after most of my friends is that they are either done or waiting a bit before their next, so everyone keeps offering and delivering things. i have bins and bins of clothes ranging from newborn to 18mo, i have enough activity mats and bouncers and swings to cover ever surface of our house, i have toys ranging from newborn to over a year.... the generosity of others has been insanely overwhelming. it was nice because i could save my registry for the items i really needed (strollers, car seats, bedding, etc). plus, it would be a shame to spend a million dollars on all of these items that the babies use for less than six months and then are done with. some of it i am sharing with a pregnant coworker, and i'll return some to friends and save some for my sister should she choose to have a baby in the next few years. but i feel really lucky, really prepared, and able to relax knowing that my baby fund wasn't drained prior to their arrival. i'm a little sad that these will probably be our only babies and i won't get to save any of it for future kids, but i am trying to focus on the babies i've got in me. the countdown is on! one week from tomorrow is my induction unless they come sooner. fingers crossed!


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## guppyluv

Hope you all had lovely a mother's day and mothers-to-be day 

I had friends send me flowers -- it was so sweet of them & I got all teary eyed thinking about by little ones...

*rcr* - hang in there! You're getting so close to second tri! I found my second wind around 14 weeks and have had a few great weeks since I got over my cold. I hope you find yours earlier and the nausea flies the coop! I walked half the city this weekend with friends and aside from tired feet, felt awesome (~17 weeks), so your time will come, too!!!

*Aura* - Quite the loot!! My friends kids are SOOOO much older -- so I'm trolling multiples boards to find second hand stuff... I agree paying for swings/bouncers that will only be used a few months is CRAZY (especially in twos and threes!) Which reminds me a friend of a friend has 1 yr old twn boys... might have to email them and ask what's for resale!!

*Shesaid* - uh oh... DH is a Toronto fan? Sorry, but I'll be rooting for the Bruins tonight  I wish I could've gone to the game, but sitting in those seats for that long... ugh, too much. I'm better watching at home on the couch!! Glad to hear your mom is doing OK with all the treatment -- I hope the rest of treatment goes well!! Same for your Dad -- hope they can sort things out. It's nice that you can be there with them through all of this, I know it can't be easy. But your new business venture sounds very exciting! I'm sure it's a crazy time to be gearing up but glad you are able to keep busy  Sitting around waiting makes me crazy!

*Suzie* -- WAY cool 3D U/S picts. Glad all is well...

Penis was VERY clear on one of my boys -- butt end shot two legs and BOOM in between there it was. No mistaking  The other one I was pretty sure was a boy from an earlier u/s but it wasn't as clear this time (to me) but the tech was confident it was a boy. I'm just hoping my girl doesn't end up actually being a boy -- I kind of like the mix...

I'm hoping at next appointment for some 3D face shots... but I don't love the u/s tech so much on the days I'm in--she's all business and no fun--so we'll see. My appointment after next is on a different day with a different tech -- so maybe at that appointment instead.

One more week of classes, then two of exams, and then SUMMER!!!!!! I'm done teaching until at least Feb, hopefully March -- but still have to keep up my research through out this all (thank goodness for good grad students).

Hope you all have a great week and good spring weather where ever you are (or if you're down south of the equator, then good fall weather??).


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## shesaidboom

*auraleigh* - thank you! My OB didn't seem worried so I'm sure all is well. I will just call back if it changes or gets worse.
That's wonderful that friends were able to share with you and you have almost everything you need. So much easier than having to buy everything. I hope you do get those special items on your registry. The babies are so close now!

*guppyluv* - haha, yes he is. He was not happy tonight when they lost. We couldn't go to the game because tickets in the terrible standing section started at $300 each. Eek! Ticket prices in this city are awful. I prefer watching from the couch too though. Thank you! I'm glad I've been able to be here for my parents and keep busy.
Face shots would be wonderful! I'm hoping for a new tech who will take fun pictures for you. I hope your last week of school is great and then you have a nice relaxing summer.

*AFM -* baby has been moving around very low in my belly today and it feels like someone has kicked me in the crotch. So sore. Now I know I was definitely lucky in being comfy for so long. It's not too bad though. I'm still keeping busy. I went out with a friend today to a couple antique malls and we had a great time. Tomorrow I'm going with my mom to a "feel good" workshop put on for chemo patients. A lot of women bring their daughters too, so she asked me to come along. I've been feeling the baby move so much, which was been really neat. It definitely feels more real to me now even though I still can't believe this is happening.


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## guppyluv

Shesaid- was a serious come from behind moment for the Bruins tonight. So much for my blood pressure. Totally couldn't even fathom the ticket $$$ - it was insane! I could buy 3 car seats for the price of one tix! I'm looking forward to feeling the babes move but not for being kicked in the ribs / pelvis / etc







guess we take the good and take the bad...

Anyway I'm up way too late. Can't sleep... Must.get.offline...


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## rcr

Hi all:

I felt pretty good yesterday, and so far so good this morning too. I got some ginger candies, and DH made me some ginger in mineral water, so I think that has helped.

*Guppy* - are you a professor? I like the BBG mix too. I hope the girl stays a girl 

*Aura* - AAH! less than a week! I bet you are so excited! Does DH get to take time off after the birth? Yes, it is heartbreaking on the other thread. I will feel much better on Sat after my appointment (hopefully she can hear the HB). What really got me worried was laggie - she and I were cycle buddies and had out transfers and betas on the same day. If it can happen to her it can still happen to me.

*shesaid* - it is really nice that you can be there fore your mom.

*Laura* - how did it go? I can't wait to see pictures!

*Suzie* - those pics make me want to to a 3d u/s. What a cutie!

*lilac, vieros, happy*, *Tear, Vegan,* and everybody else: hi!


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## SilaMarila

Hi all! I'm a lurker and "know" a lot of you. Anyways, we ended up conceiving through an injectable IUI cycle not IVF. I'll be 12 wks tomorrow and because I have a progesterone problem I've been on PIO since 4wks. I'm in the process of weaning off. I know PIO is more common in conjunction with IVF cycles, did any of you end up using it for an extended period of time? What was your experience weaning off?


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## guppyluv

Hi SilaMarila -- I was on progesterone supps through week 10.5 (well I spaced out the last few supps until week 11.5 but only b/c I was scared to stop cold turkey despite what my dr said!!!) I FINALLY got energy back about 3-5 days after the extra progesterone filtered out of my system. At that point babies were all fine and everything seemed OK! I was a zombie on the progesterone...


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## rcr

Hi Sila:

I am still on progesterone shots. I have 5 more to go (yay!!) I am on them until week 12. MY doc didn't say anything about weaning off them. I take my last shot on Sat, and then go in on Mon to have a test. I am really hoping that the progesterone (and estrogen pills, which I am also on) is the reason for me feeling so bad lately. I can't wait to stop them. Sorry that is not helpful, since I am not weaning off them though.


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## hope4light

guppy - congrats on the BBG!!

rcr - sorry you've been feeling so cruddy.

sila - I was nervous to stop cold turkey but did at 11 weeks and it was smooth sailing. felt better in a cpl of days and everything. The placenta has taken over at that point.

aura - holy crap!!! I can't believe you're about to hold those beauties in your arms! Can't wait to hear all about it! The hand me downs are awesome. My DD is dressed for many years to come thanks to my best friend. DS we are not so lucky with lol.

shesaid - sounds like the workshop will be neat! sorry for the discomfort, but glad it is just getting that way!


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## SilaMarila

Thanks so much for replying guys! Did you guys get your progesterone levels checked before weaning off? Do you remember what it was? I did and it was 27. At 6.5 wks it was 41 so I really expected it to be higher and it kind of freaked me out. My midwife had me go back in to get it checked today. Today was going to be my last shot since I'll be 12 wks tomorrow (yay). Then I'll get it checked a few days after stopping to make sure it hasn't dropped too drastically or anything. She said it should be above 20.

Energy sounds nice! I read that a lot of people do feel much better after stopping the PIO and other hormones.


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## suzie mccool

Vireoes.. just my mum's guess, but i think we'll find out at the 20 week scan in 2 weeks.. we were planning to have a surprise, but i think I'm too impatient to wait that long with all this penis speculation 

Aura... glad you have such generous friends! I'm in a similar position with a couple of friends who had "surprise babies" giving me all their (awesome) stuff, and the relief financially is really comforting. I essentially have an entire nursery by donation  You're so close now - so so exciting!!!

RCR... Hope you're feeling better! It does pass, I promise! And I was feeling pretty awful the whole time I was on progesterone too. It does really pass a lot when you stop. Have you tried ginger biscuits? Then you get some nice sugar energy as well  (I'm all about the sugar lol)

Sila.. Hi! I was so nervous to stop the progesterone, but wow - once all the side effects from that left me, I felt like a million bucks in comparison. Dunno about more energy.. but i definitely felt less zombie-like/nauseous/crap 

AFM.. Got my doppler working which is AWESOME! Not getting any real kicks, and feeling pretty much not pregnant was driving me crazy, and then the spotting... - so now if I'm feeling particularly paranoid I can check for myself  My doctor won't use a doppler - he is a turkey! His stance is if he can't hear it, it can cause stress for the mother... bah! My midwife (who I only see every few months) recommended the doppler and showed me how to use it, so at least now I have peace of mind until the movements start  Hope all is well for you all!


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## lilacvioletiris

Just whipped. Today I stop my estradiol pill and next Tuesday when I am 9 weeks 5 days pregnant. I hate the zits I seem to be getting from them. I am not weaning off of them either so I hope my babies are getting everything they need from their placentas.


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## lilacvioletiris

Oops on cell phone.


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## vireoes

shesaidboom-the glucose test wasn't too bad. The drink itself was awful. Here they give it too you unflavored and warm. So it is like drinking warm syrup. Yuck, but over pretty quick. I felt fine after drinking it and was just glad it was done. I had DD with me, so the hour wasn't hard to kill. We went outside and played in the park.


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## shesaidboom

*guppyluv* - it was such a crazy game. So hard to watch. I couldn't keep my eyes open at the end. I felt so bad for DH because he's a much bigger hockey fan than I am. I guess at least we made it in at all this year! It has certainly been a while.

*rcr* - glad you're feeling a bit better. Keep up the good ginger stuff!

*Sila*!!!!!!!!! OH MY GOSH! Congrats! I'm so happy for you. This is wonderful. No shots, but I was on progesterone suppositories until week 12 and weaned off by week 14. Didn't have any issues getting off it, thankfully. They didn't test my levels when I stopped, just said the placenta would take over from then on.

*hope4light* - me too, could be so much worse. How are you doing?

*suzie* - I'm glad the doppler is able to give you piece of mind, especially since you have a bit to go before movements become really consistent. Mine still aren't. Some days I'll feel Birdie all day, and others he'll move into a position where I don't feel him as much. Still not really feeling him from the outside either. I bet it is super cool to hear your babe's heartbeat whenever you like 

*lilac* - I hope everything goes well with stopping the pill. It would be nice for those side effects to be gone!

*vireoes* - thanks for the reassurance, it really helps. Glad your dd was there to help pass the time.


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## auraleigh

hello ladies! i'm now 4cm dilated! (for the past 4 weeks i've been 100% effaced and 2cm dilated). i'm not in active labor yet so i'm home and waiting, but i ask you all to do some kind of baby dance to make these babies come out!


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## guppyluv

Aura -- Go babies go!


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## suzie mccool

I'm dancing, but it's not pretty LOL... Good luck Aura!!   x


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## lilacvioletiris

Aura that is great. I will think open and out thoughts for you so those babies come out quick once it gets started.


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## MOMTOALEXIS

Aura- doing the baby dance here too.


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## rcr

Aura - ds and I just put on rafi (baby beluga) and did a baby dance for you. Btw- if you don't know who rafi is you need to introduce the twins to him someday


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## Vegan Princess

RCR: Aww, so sweet.  My DD is currently OBSESSED with Raffi! I want to throw the cd out the car window these days. But ordinarily I do love Raffi.

Aura: 4 cm!! It has to be soon and hopefully it will go nice a quick (but not TOO quick)! Can't wait for an update!

Laura: I hope you're holding your precious baby boy by now! Been thinking of you. 

Cindy


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## hope4light

Baby dance coming your way!

Shesaid - im doing good, dh is out of town for a bit over 2 Weeks so things are crazy here. Otherwise things are good though!


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## vireoes

Yeah Aura, cheering for you.


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## blueyezz4

Aura - fingers crossed for you that thi gs start moving right along. When I went into the hospital while having contractions the night our little guy was born I was only 3 cm dilated at the time so 4 is good.

Here's a new pic for you all (below) of our little Cade-man as we like to call him. Sorry I haven't been on lately. It's just been a little crazy but we are doing well and getting into a routine which is great just not much free time and when there is I feel like I'm doing laundry, trying to take a napping or taking care of the dog. I've been having issues w/ my back since giving birth too w/ the 2 1/2 hrs of pushing and I had to have an MRI last week and found that I have protruding disc that's causing me all the pain, numbness & burning. So now I have to see an Ortho next week and a neurologist the wk after. Ugh. Who has time for all this w/ a newborn infant. So that's the latest scoop here. Posting on my phone while the boy is on the boob, so I'm going to cut it short. Hope everyone is well and know that I read along w/ all the posts and always thinking of you all!!!


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## shesaidboom

*auraleigh* - Let's go babies! I am dancing for you.

*hope4light* - I'm glad things are good, even if they are crazy without your dh!

*blueyezz* - I love Cade pictures, he looks like such a happy little guy. I'm so glad things are going well, but ouch to teh protruding disc! I hope the Ortho and neurologist are able to fix it for you. Sending lots of healing thoughts to you.

*AFM -* feeling much better today. I think Birdie was hanging out low down for a couple days because it really felt like someone had kicked me really hard between the legs and I had a bit of that "I'm balancing a ball between my legs" waddle. That's all gone now, and I am not looking forward to it coming back! I went out thrifting with a friend today and found a lot of great baby stuff (including a full set of wooden unit blocks to put away until Birdie is older), so there isn't much left for us to prepare now. We'll pick up the last few small things as we get closer, and hopefully will have a crib by the end of the week. I know it's silly, but I finally parked in some "expecting mothers" spaces at the grocery store and post office and felt so good about it. It is a little thing, but so exciting to be able to do it.


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## lilacvioletiris

Blue, your Cademan is so adorable.

shesaidboom, I have been eyeing those expectant mother spots and getting ready for the day I can use them too.

afm, loved my prenatal swim class where a new mom came back and told us her birth story. It was so encouraging.

last night I woke up 2:30 am and didn't fall back asleep until 4am. Two more days of teaching then three days of finals and 2 days of graduation stuff. Still looking for a job and have a second interview on June 6 to be a math tutor for a community college. I need a break.


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## Keria

Blue that pic just put a big smile on my face. he's such a cutie.


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## lilacvioletiris

I was so scared last night that I had a urinary track infection. Went to my gp dr and the urine test was negative so thankfully whatever pelvic pain I am having isn't a uti. I have never had one but it seems I drink tons of water and hardly tinkle much. I have the urge to go just there isn't much there. Anybody else have pain on both sides of the abdomen and weird, I guess I will call it tingles in the bladder area? Could it be because I stopped my estradiol meds but I am still taking my progesterone?


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## auraleigh

Hello ladies! Babies are here! Julia Elizabeth was born at 7:40pm on May 16th, weighing 4lbs 9oz, and Benjamin Isaac was born at 11:30pm weighing 5lb 8oz. They almost had different birthdays! Ill share my birth story soon, but wanted to let you know everyone is safe and happy and beautiful.







[/URL]/IMG]


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## blueyezz4

Aura - Congrats!! They are beautiful!!! I'm assuming w/ these times you had a vag. delivery! That's awesome! Hope you all are doing well!!!


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## MOMTOALEXIS

OMG aura absolutely beautiful congrats!!!!!!!


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## lilacvioletiris

Wow, Aura, Julia and Benjamin look perfect! I am also assuming a vaginal delivery because of the time separation so I am looking forward to your birth story as inspiration for when have my twins this fall. Great job! Enjoy your babymoon.


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## toothfairy2be

Aura they look like perfect little angels, congratulations!!


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## hope4light

Aura they are beautiful! Congrats and I can't wait to hear all about it!!


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## Tear78

Aura, they are perfect! Congrats!


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## Keria

Aura congrats! They are so beautiful.


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## tracyamber

Congrats Aura........You must be in bliss haven right now!!!!! I love their names too. Especially Isaac. That is my husband's nameCongrats again mama!


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## Vegan Princess

Congrats Aura! Isaac looks just like you!!! So awesome!! 

Cindy


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## suzie mccool

A million congrats Aura!! They are just adorable







What great news!!


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## rcr

Yay aura! They are beautiful!

I had my midwife appointment today. All is well, and we heard the heartbeat.


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## lilacvioletiris

Oh rcr that must have been so exciting for you.


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## BucketOfRain

Aura: congratulations, they are beautiful!!! Hope you are feeling good

RCr: so glad you got to hear the heartbeat, that little beating can be so reassuring!


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## hope4light

Rcr so glad you got to hear that beautiful reassuring sound!


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## blueyezz4

Rcr- yay!! So excited for you and your DH n DS!! What's your due date??


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## guppyluv

Woo hoo!! Congrats Aura. They're precious!! Enjoy









Rcr-- yay!! Love the little HBs.


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## laura-belle

Aura -- congratulations! They are adorable! You are so efficient about posting









Rcr -- I still remember that moment.









AFM -- Little William was born May 12, 2013 at 10:09 pm. He weighed 5 lbs, 13.7 oz and is 18 inches long. My induction due to cholestasis lasted about 29 hours. He is adorable, but a bit small due to being a bit early.


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## Tear78

rcr, yay!!!









laura congrats! DD was 5.9 and 19 inches. I remember thinking she was SO tiny! She caught up though. Enjoy, and I'm looking forward to pics, details!


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## happyhopeful

WOW!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!








Oh, my- I've been away from the page, web, tv, etc these last two weeks just completely exhausted when I get home and suffering from some pretty outrageous migraines, including one that put me in the emergency room on IVs- ugh. But, I am just super thrilled to read everyone's news, see ultrasound, hearing of heartbeats and due dates, babies born, and to see the pics of those twins!!! AWWWW- SOOO precious!! As for me, I have finally graduated from my RE and my baby is 9w 2days and looks like the cutest gummy bear I've ever seen! Wishing you all lots of wonderful thoughts, feelings, and healthy and happy babies!!


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## vireoes

Aura and Laura-Huge congrats to both of you. The pictures are wonderful Aura.

RCR-so happy you got to hear the heartbeat. Yeah!


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## tenzinsmama

Aura, your little ones are so adorable! So happy to hear that they are happy and healthy. How are you feeling? Can't wait to hear your birth story, although I'll be patient-- you are probably super busy! 

Laura, congratulations on your little guy! How are you doing?

rcr, wonderful that you heard the heartbeat! As you head into the second trimester, I hope you begin to feel better.

AFM, plugging along... Hit the 12 week mark yesterday. I had a nuchal scan done last Friday. It was the combined 1st trimester screening-- i.e. with the addition of the bloodwork. The nuchal fold looks "beautiful" they said, and I had pretty good results compared to the theoretical risk that I walked in there with. It would have been great to have better numbers, but being 43 it is only going to get so far. Apparently, I could get the Harmony test (or whatever it's called), but it's not covered here yet, so it would cost me $800 out of pocket. It just came out in March, and so my insurance company didn't even know what I was talking about when I phoned to see if they would pay for it. Having that test would give me results that would be 99% accurate as to if there were any trisomy issue. I have heard some ladies talking about this on these forums-- it must be common in the U.S? And then there is amniocentesis, but the standard risk for m/s after having it is 1 in 200-- the maternal fetal medicine place I was at said that it is actually lower, but the Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology here in Canada hasn't revised the figure to reflect advanced technology/techniques. With the current statistics, that would mean I would have more of a chance of losing the baby through the amnio than I would of having a baby with a trisomy... how scary and awful to think of that!


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## auraleigh

Laura congrats!! How are you feeling?? So glad to hear he is well, how was your labor?

Rcr, I'm doing a jig for your heartbeat!! Such a good feeling. Time is going to fly by now! How are you feeling?

Happy, sorry to hear about the migraines! No fun at all. Congrats on your graduation, can't wait to follow along with your pregnancy!


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## vireoes

Tenzin-We went through the same thing thinking about what testing to do after our nuchal screening. I am a bit younger than you, turning 40 this week. In the end we opted to just go with the good results on the blood test and nuchal screening and skip out on further testing. It just wasn't worth the risk of losing a healthy baby on a screening test. Scary stuff and doctors just seem to rush through the risk numbers, since it works out for most people. I think those of us who have been through fertility issues know what it is like to be on the wrong side of numbers and worry more than those who got pregnant easily. Congrats on your numbers and nuchal screening going well, after all that we have been through it is often best to focus on all that is going right.


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## suzie mccool

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *vireoes*
> 
> Tenzin-We went through the same thing thinking about what testing to do after our nuchal screening. I am a bit younger than you, turning 40 this week. In the end we opted to just go with the good results on the blood test and nuchal screening and skip out on further testing. It just wasn't worth the risk of losing a healthy baby on a screening test. Scary stuff and doctors just seem to rush through the risk numbers, since it works out for most people. I think those of us who have been through fertility issues know what it is like to be on the wrong side of numbers and worry more than those who got pregnant easily. Congrats on your numbers and nuchal screening going well, after all that we have been through it is often best to focus on all that is going right.


Ditto Vireoes! Well said


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## hope4light

laura - congrats!!! Yeah for more babies!!!


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## shesaidboom

*lilac* - how are you feeling? Did things get figured out?

*Aura* - CONGRATS!!! They are beautiful. I hope you are well.

*rcr* - glad all is well! It must have been so exciting to hear the heartbeat.

*laura-belle* - CONGRATS TO YOU!!

*happyhopeful* - hurray to graduating from the RE! I'm sorry for the migraines. I hope they do not last through your pregnancy.

*Tenzin* - glad the nuchal scan went well. I hope your insurance starts covering the new test, even though that doesn't help right now.

*AFM -* feeling awful today. Not sure if I'm getting sick or what. I'm also annoyed at my OB. Appointments are always really quick without much info being given, and I just got around to reading the guidebook the receptionist gave me at my first visit. Turns out I was supposed to register with the hospital before 20 weeks and do a whole bunch of other stuff I had no idea about. Probably my fault for not reading the book, but it looked just like a generic pregnancy journal to me. The pages I flipped through were all about info for pregnancy that I've read on every pregnancy website I've ever been to. I'm hoping this doesn't mean I am destined for the 4 person room after delivery. I feel like these things should be mentioned at appointments anyway. I feel so out of the loop.


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## lilacvioletiris

shesaidboom, the doctor said it wasn't a UTI on Friday. I drank lots of water all weekend long and it seemed to have helped the pain. I think maybe I was just dehydrated.

AFM, I finally got to quit taking the progesterone suppositories yesterday per doctors orders. Yeah! It was funny last night. I went to my prenatal swim class and started talking with another lady who is newly pregnant like me about me having twins. I mentioned that I had gone to invitro fertilization. She asked where. It turns out she was using the same doctor for clomid/iui procedures and actually got pregnant on her "off" month before they were going to start trying with ivf. We both really liked Dr. Dodds at The Fertility Center. It is amazing to see the miracles that can happen with ART.

Yesterday I was cleaning out my computer classroom of 12 years of accumulated teacher stuff. Three hours of sorting and purging. It just feels so odd to be leaving and knowing I am not coming back in the fall. I am still looking for another job, at least for the next 6 months until the babies come. I have an interview on June 6 for a "26 hour a week parttime" math tutor position at the local community college. I will see how that goes.


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## happyhopeful

Hi Everyone!! So much going on with everybody!! My, my!! *Aura*- how awesome are you- birthing babies, taking pics, and still staying up to date on your posts!! WOW! I hope you, your hunny, and your lil dolls are all feeling well and can't wait to read updates! Sending you and yours lots of the best and warmest wishes!! *Laura Belle*- CONGRATULATIONS on your lil' William and that weight is just great- when we were born that was the desired weight!! Can't wait to see the pics and I hope you are getting as much rest as you can right now, after such a long birthing process! Sending you lots of healing and soothing wishes!! *Tenzins*- I totally hear you about what to do in regards to tests- I feel like it's been such a long road to get here, that I don't want to do anything that could lead to miscarriage, and I've decided on just the nuchal fold and blood work, unless something comes up during those...on the other hand, my older sister also had a long road (6 iuis, and 3 ivfs, before being blessed with her lil girl, Zoe) and she was 41 and did opt for the amnio, after a lot of thought and soul searching about what she would do depending on the outcome.Whatever decision you make, bring all the positivity with it and don't look back! *RCR*- Love the reassurance and joy that the h/b brings. What is your do due date? I'm thinking you, *Lilac*, and I are all going to be within a week or two of each other. My due date is 12/21/2013 and I'm just loving it- the holidays have always been my favorite time of the year, and getting to anticipate the baby's arrival during that time, has me just over the moon!! *SheSaidBoom-* I can't stand it when a doctor's office is curt and uninformative- especially when you're going to them for such a sensitive reason!! Hopefully, the hospital you're going to use is not that way, and they will be helpful and informative!! 20 weeks sounds really early- and it's probably just what they prefer, my guess is the necessity is just them having it well before you "could' go into labor. I hope you feel better- both mentally and physically!! If it's nice outside- get 5 minutes in the sun- massive study done in which it was shown that just 5 minutes outside has a positive effect on mood. *Lilac*- I know cleaning out your things, after 12 years, must seem quite overwhelming, but I bet the part-time job (or another job) is going to allow you to optimize your time with those twins and will also hopefully allow you to feel rewarded both professionally and personally!

*As for me* and my migraines, I was allowed to stop the Estrogen-since the doctors believe this a real aggravating factor, and I'm trying to do everything to just stay positive and avoid stress!! I feel good today and actually full of energy-hallelujah!!


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## guppyluv

Glad all is going so well here! eHugs and congratulations all around.

Tenzin -- The Harmony a NON-invasive test (blood draw only) that is very similar to Sequenom's Maternit21 blood DNA test (same principles, different company). It is a really impressive test scientifically and eventually, I think it will change prenatal testing for singletons in a very good way. It's non-invasive blood draw and able to measure ratio of baby's dna for certain chromosomes to your dna and also tell sex at an early age -- generally it screens for T21, T18 and T13 anomalies quite well -- and is especially accurate with T21. Sequenom quoted to me that the most they would make me pay out of pocket was $250 -- of course I have triplets and they likely wanted my data too... They charged my insurance like $2000 for the test and I didn't pay out of pocket. Anyway my results came back negative with triplets (which is good). They use the singleton benchmark times 3 for triplets and so it's not super accurate: lots of false positives and some false negatives (though less false negs than false positives, the false negs are higher for multiples and almost non-existent for singletons). Combined with nuchal and everything else looking great, I was happy to have the results (it also told me that at least one of the fetuses was male!). I was not willing to do invasive CVS or Amnio at that point unless there was an indication of a major issue.

The Maternit21 blood test has been on the market for about 18-24 months in the states. I think eventually it will be routine -- however recently in NY state a triplet mom was denied access to her results by the state regulatory board saying the test was inaccurate. I don't know why they'd deny it but she's appealed and talked to lawyers and they're all telling her it's a pointless battle... I don't know if NY won't release results for concerns she would terminate if there was a problem or because it's not as accurate for triplets - they never said. However her insurance was still charged. Crazy world.

AFM -- 18w2d today and heartburn is here to stay (no more indian food for me!) Babies anatomy scan is thursday... So I'm stocking up on snacks -- I was told to expect it to take 1 hr PER baby... ugh... They better let me have some pee breaks or they'll have a wet floor!!  lol...

Have a great week and great holiday weekend to all of you in the states!


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## tenzinsmama

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to the conversation on here about the screening/testing. Ugh, such a hard place to be in... My anxiety around it comes and goes. I think the Harmony test is such a good idea, it boggles my mind why our health system here doesn't speed up the bureaucratic process and start covering it. I am assuming they will, as it just makes so much more sense than putting women through invasive testing and causing risk to the baby. I wouldn't be having this much anxiety about things if I hadn't gotten a 'positive' screen for the nuchal... The brochure says 1 in 20 get a positive, but most babies are fine. It says that most women get reassuring results from the screen, but if you get a positive that isn't reassuring... The thing is, my theoretical risk based on my age alone is 1 in 31 for Downs. But with the scan and the bloodwork, my adjusted risk is 1 in 289. Anything under 300 is what gets you the positive. So my husband is not that worried because it's only 11 off of the cut-off... but for me, what's in my head now is that I had this positive result. At times, I think more like him, but then other times I'm worried about it. Just now he said we might as well get the Harmony test, even if we are $800 out of pocket. I guess that isn't entirely true-- he does have a health spending account that we could use for this but then it really depletes it and who knows what else will come up the rest of the year, where you might need services that are more crucial. For example, our son may need some private OT services in the next few months. But if I start developing a lot of anxiety over not knowing about the baby, then it might be wise to spend the money on the Harmony. I can't imagine having an amnio and then spending the next several days afterwards worrying if everything was okay-- my understanding is that the problems mostly occur if the needle hole doesn't seal up after the procedure? I think I would be totally messed up for a long, long time if that were to happen. I'd blame myself so much. I guess some people decide not to do any testing at all, but a lot of people do because they want to prepare themselves for what may be ahead in raising a child with special needs. Again, thanks to those of you who shared your thoughts on this subject, it's such a personal one but sometimes a person needs to hear the perspective of others who may not be in the midst of the anxiety, you know? I just love you ladies on here!


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## devilish

*TenzinsMama*: We are Canadian, too, and I totally understand some of the frustration with the our medical system. But onwards towards my story. A coworker of my DH had the nuchal scan which came back positive (only because the mother was over 35). So the doctor totally freaked them out and recommended an amniocentesis. They spent a good couple of weeks freaking out and worrying about the results of the nuchal scan and the amniocentesis (before they got the results back from the second test.) Everything was completely fine. Their son was totally normal and I have a lot of faith that your little one will be normal, too.


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## lilacvioletiris

Guppy, I thought you had your anatomy scan a few weeks ago since you know it is boy, boy, girl? Hope all goes well.

AFM, on all the testing talk, I just can't imagine doing CVS or an amnio because I know I wouldn't terminate my pregnancy regardless of the results and I don't want to cause a miscarriage because of the testing. The fact that blood tests can now do so much more than before is great. I wonder why it has taken so long to create and use tests like the harmony test.


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## auraleigh

hi everyone! thanks for all the well wishes and i hope you're all doing well yourselves.

i figured i had a moment and wanted to write up my birth story for those of you that asked.

last wednesday afternoon i had a dr appt and wasn't feeling 100%. it wasn't quite as bad as when i was in preterm labor, but i didn't feel like myself. a friend drove me to my ob appt and i was told that i had gone from 2cm dilated (where i had been for almost a month) to 4cm dilated. i was told to go home and if i started having contractions i could go to the hospital. i went home and got everything ready to go in. i wasn't necessarily having any sort of contractions that i could time, but i felt crampy. my dh rushed home from work, repacked my to go bag, and we decided to eat dinner before driving over. by the time the pizza came and we ate, i felt totally normal. i decided to sleep at home and go to my peri appt in the morning, but i asked dh not to go to work (he commutes an hour to nyc and i wasn't comfortable with him leaving me for that long).

so the next morning we went to the peri and of course, i got the tech that i hate. she uses too much pressure and her hands shake and she hurts me every time. she got me so upset and she took so long that by the time she was finished i really didn't feel well. we spoke to the dr who told us the babies were about 6lb 8oz each (i blame the tech for taking crappy measurements) and looked good, and in that moment i decided to cross the street to the hospital to get checked out.

in triage they decided i was now 5cm dilated so i as admitted at 9:30am, within an hour i was in a room, and by 11:30am i had my epidural in place. for some reason the nurses couldn't get the UA monitor to register any of my contractions, so i have no idea what was happening as far as labor, but they started pitocin to get me going. then all of a sudden at 6pm the dr checked me and i had no cervix left, so by 6:30 we started pushing. i still wasn't really feeling any contractions but i pushed when they told me to, and julia was born at 7:40pm. it was so incredible when she finally came out, just to see these little arms and legs being pulled out of me, and to hear her little cries. i was exhausted at this point and so happy to be done with her labor. there were 17 people in the room at that point and it was total chaos. the drs decided she needed to go to the nicu because she was gasping a little bit, so i was trying not to focus on that because the dr then reminded me i had another baby to deliver!

this is where things get a little dicey. ben had never really dropped, so even though he flipped down (with a little manipulation) he was still REALLY high up. the drs kept upping my pitocin, and i kept pushing. HOURS passed. i cried. i begged. i pleaded. i found my happy place and focused. i lost focus and told the dr i would cut him out myself. i asked for a c section, i asked for a vaccuum, i asked to leave. dh still laughs because i started bargaining with the dr. i asked her how many pushes i had left, and then got mad at her for giving me an arbitrary number. they kept saying "he's moving!" but he wouldn't move. i remember snapping back that if he was really moving as much as she said he was he'd be across the room already. my epidural had worn off, the pitocin was SO STRONG, and the little guy just refused to come out from behind my pubic bone. FINALLY i just decided it wasn't going to end unless i just did it, so i gave it everything and ben was born at 11:30pm. everyone kept laughing that in another 30 min he would have had his own bday. turns out he was sunny side up, which was why it was so hard for him to come out. he wound up with a giant egg head and a big bruised forehead, but he was fine. and julia was already back in the nursery and out of the nicu, so i figured i could relax.

sadly for me my uterus was so tired that it was having trouble contracting and ben had tore me up a bit inside, so there was a bit of a scary time when i was losing a lot of blood. i almost had a transfusion but they fixed me up and i was able to go to my room and be with the babies.

scary part aside (and i contemplated not sharing, hope i didn't scare anyone off), having them both vaginally was probably the best thing for me. i actually thanked the dr profusely after the fact for having the patience to get me through it. she said it was the first time in her entire career that she delivered twins that far apart. obviously, i'd be the longest labor ever! i think that having them vaginally helped squeeze all the fluids out which prevented the nicu time. and i was up walking around that same night (however slowly and with an obvious waddle). the hospital kept up keeping us one extra night because they wanted to keep an eye on the babies, and my dr was able to keep me with them by saying my anemia needed observation because of all the blood loss, so by the time we came home i felt pretty confident that everyone was healthy and okay.

the anemia and swelling were unexpected side effects, but now, a week later, i'm feeling almost like myself. my legs and feet are still insanely swollen, but i've already lost 26lbs and dh and i have never been happier. these babies are the best things have ever happened to us, and i wouldn't change a thing.


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## hope4light

Aura thanks for sharing! What a crazy beautiful experience! They are perfect


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## blueyezz4

Aura- loved reading your story! Sunny side up sucks!!! i feel your pain! thats how our little guy was!!! Ugh... You have two babies and I have one and I haven't even gotten around to posting our birth story. Such a slacker I am.

Hi to everyone else!!!! I'm reading along on my phone and cheering you all on still. Sorry I've been absent so much.

AFM- Ugh... Ever since our little guys birth I've been having issues w/ my back (pain, numbness, burning) and long story short after having to have an MRI I now have a disc bulge and I saw an Ortho today and he wants me to take prednisone to see if we can get the swelling down and relieve some of the nerve pressure but I'm nervous about taking it while breast feeding. The pediatrician said its a cat. 2 but it still makes me nervous. They said to take it and then not feed for 4 hrs , well this boy wants to eat every 2 hrs, so that's not going to work!! Can't life just cut me a break for once!?!?!!?!?!?!?


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## MOMTOALEXIS

Aura- You are my hero , absolutely amazing, I took the c-section after 16 hours of labor. So happy for you and DH, the babies are beautiful!


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## auraleigh

mom- trust me, i BEGGED for the c section. my dr was stubborn and was not going to give it to me! she was convinced i could do it and that was the end of the argument. i always said i didn't want to have one of each and yet in the moment i was thinking "a c section sounds delightful right about now!". the funniest part is that a week later the memories are starting to get fuzzy. i remember being in pain, but don't exactly remember the feeling of the pain. i guess it's those hormones at work that make you want to have more kids! lol

blue, sorry to hear about your back. there are so many after effects that you never considered while pregnant. i think the only way you'll be able to take care of your family is to take care of yourself, so keep that in mind. how long do they think you'd need to be on the steroids for? also, doesn't sunny side up stink?? you're lucky that your baby came out beautiful! ben was so bruised and misshapen that my mom was like "oh... well... julia is a beautiful baby!". i felt bad for the little guy, even though now you'd never know he went through it.

afm, both belly button stumps have fallen off (where they went to, we will never know) so we may give the babies real baths tonight. i'm excited!


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## guppyluv

Aura - thanks for sharing. It's a great birth story!! Congrats!

AFM- bed rest. Cervix is starting to funnel and is shorter (2.8cm) so am now on preventative bed rest. Babies are doing GREAT. Anatomy scan was awesome. Just overshadowed by my cervix woes. Fingers crossed things stabilize but I'm not too comfortable already-low back pain and cramping and round ligament torture... But I'm In it for the long haul- lets just hope it's long. 18+4 today.


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## tenzinsmama

Devilish, thanks for sharing that story about your friend, and for the reassurance. After I posted, one of our midwives phoned me and we chatted-- that was also reassuring, just to get things out of my head and hear her perspective on things. Of course, she couldn't tell me what to do, but going over the timeline of when results from the Harmony would be back and then when my anatomy scan is booked, there was only a two week difference. So I'm just going to wait until the scan and then see what it shows.

Guppy, I hope that the bed rest really helps with things. And how great that the scan went so well and babies are doing wonderful!


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## lilacvioletiris

Guppy I hope the bed
rest does the trick and keeps those babies inside as long as the can be. I hope you have some helps to
take care of you.

AFM, today I seem to be e=periencing growing pains. I have laid down for a nap for 3 hours. I am feeling better now.


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## auraleigh

Guppy, good luck! Bed rest helped me, it's hard but worth it. It's probably the last time you'll be able to lay around... Is it strict or modified?

Tenzin, glad you were able to talk to the midwife. Sometimes a second opinion really helps.

Lilac, glad you're feeling better!


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## suzie mccool

Hi All 

Firstly.. Aura.. what a birth story! You are a champion to get through that! I was a brat - I remember throwing my gas mask across the room in a temper tantrum when the doctor refused a c-section after 40 hours LOL.. I had one anyway in the end.

Guppy.. ah bed rest.. I know it blows but all the for greater good! And think of all the awesome books you can read in peace  Hope you have a kindle!

Lilac... a nap is always a good thing! Glad it helped 

AFM.. Having my 20 week scan in 2 days so am super excited to see how this baby is travelling. I've still not had any real kicks or movements but the doppler assures me the little heartbeat is running at about 140, and that helps to keep the worries at bay. I'm guessing my weight gain at the beginning with IVF makes it harder to feel the little movements - in addition to the tummy I had before all this  lol Feeling just awesome compared to the last few months - I actually forget I'm pregnant sometimes and find myself trying to fit through gaps that don't allow for belly!


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## shesaidboom

*lilac* - glad you're feeling better and it wasn't a UTI.
Hurray for stopping progesterone! I was so happy when I hit that milestone.

*happyhopeful* - I'm hoping the hospital isn't as curt as she is. I think you're right about the reason for registering early. I had something going on earlier this week I was iffy on going to the hospital for and suddenly I thought "it would have been good if I had registered already!" Thanks for the advice about getting out in the sun. I do feel better after I've spent some time outside.
I hope your energy continues and the headaches are going away!

*guppyluv* - oh, heartburn! I'm so sorry you're having to deal with that and bed rest. I'm glad the scan was awesome aside from the cervix issues. I'm sending lots of good thoughts to you and your three little ones!

*TenzinsMama* - I agree about the Harmony test. I'm in Canada as well, but thankfully didn't need to worry about it. It really is a good solution to the more invasive tests. I hate that there is such a chance for false positives with the nuchal scan. My GP told me not to worry if I get a positive because she got one with 2 of her children and they were both false, but I know if I got a positive result I would be feeling the same way you are. You guys don't have private insurance do you? I wonder if they would cover it at all. I'm so sorry you have to deal with this at all.

*suzie mccool* - it took a long time for me to feel any movements. First were around 23 or 24 weeks and it took until 27 to feel them really consistently. Now he never stops! I'm sure yours will start up soon too. Can't wait to hear about your scan.

*auraleigh* - thank you for sharing your birth story. You are a rock star!! I'm glad you're feeling almost like yourself again and enjoying those sweet little babies. They are adorable all cuddled up together. Congratulations again, mama! IMO, Ben is just as beautiful as Julia, bruise and all. I was born sunny sideup too and had a nice black eye from getting caught on my mom's pelvis.

*blueyezz* - I'm sorry you're having back issues. That sounds so painful. I really wish life would cut you a break! I hope the prednisone works and things get back to normal soon.

*AFM -* not having a great week. I had a really bad migraine several days ago that would not go away. I started getting really dizzy and had some fuzzy vision, which scared me into thinking it might be pre-e*.* Thankfully my blood pressure hadn't changed at all (it's always on the low end of normal) and there was no protein in my urine. My doctor thinks I'm probably just stressed and pushing myself too hard. My mom's last dose of chemo hit her really hard and my dad has been having a bad week, so it has been more stressful than normal. I was supposed to go away for a girl's weekend with some online friends I rarely ever get to see, but had to cancel because of the family stuff. Of course I don't mind and want to be here for my family, I was just hoping for a little break. DH is helping, but he's not really sure what to do. I still took a few hours to myself this weekend with brunch and a baseball game with DH and his brother, and then my goddaughter's 4th birthday today. I'm also trying to take it easier and let myself relax more to avoid any complications. Birdie is sitting super low in my pelvis (my placenta measured low on previous ultrasounds, which I think is why..my OB is sending me for another ultrasound in a couple of weeks to make sure it has moved and we're safe for a vaginal birth), which has been uncomfy and sore, but I'm sure it could be much worse so I don't want to complain.

Birdie is moving and kicking lots! DH got to feel him twice a couple days ago. Today my goddaughter was sitting on my lap with her shoulder resting against my belly and he started kicking her! She jumped up and said "Your belly is moving!!" It was adorable, but my mom is jealous that a four year old got to feel him move and she hasn't yet.


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## suzie mccool

Shesaidboom.. thanks for that!! everyone else has been happily reporting movements (and kicks!!) since 15 weeks so I feel MUCH better hearing that I'm not the only one! Honestly without the doppler I would be a basket case LOL

Good on you for putting your family first - it sounds like you are an incredibly selfless daughter. What you're going through is hard even not pregnant, so total kudos to you xx

We made the momumental decision to close down our business before the baby comes - which is totally sad as I've had my CD store since 1995. But the income is so sporadic, and just not feasible with an expanding family. So so upset, but also really sure this is the right thing to do. Just crossing everything that it all goes smoothly and the landlord doesn't try to rip us off for breaking the lease at the last minute!! So far he's been really supportive, but anyone who has ever rented anything will know they can't always be trusted to be honest! I'm sure this will be a piece of cake while pregnant LOL


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## rcr

Hi all:

I have been reading along from my phone, but haven't been replying because it is kinda a pain to type that much on my phone. So sorry about the lack of personals.

Aura - wow!! Great job!! I too was screaming for a c-section when I had DS. Luckily the doc was never really there when I was laboring, otherwise she would have been more than accomodating! You are lucky to have such a great doctor that wouldn't do it! I love the pics!

Guppy - sorry about the bedrest. What have you been doing to fill your time? Is it bedrest for the rest of the pregnancy?

Suzie - sorry about closing the store. I don't know about Australia, but in the US if you break a lease there is almost nothing that the landlord can do because the court takes so much time and money it isn't worth it. I learned that when I was taking care of and renting out my mom's house when she was sick.

Shesiad - sounds like things are pretty rough. At least it was her last chemo. Is she doing any other kind of treatment now? I can't wait to feel movement!

Blue - ouch on the back issues. Sorry. it is nice to see you pop in here.

Tenzins, happy, lilac, others - I had stff to reply to you earlier, but I was on my phone and now I forgot. So hi.

AFM - I have been feeling a lot better, but still feeling really lazy and sleepy. My nausia has gone way down, though I still feel a bit sick at times. I just have no energy. I think I am going to try to get out and excercise more - maybe that will help. The good thing is that I am off work so I can do a bit of loafing off. I am 13 weeks 3 days today. I go back to the midwife on June 12. I sopped the shots and pills, and stopped the prenatels too because they were making me sick.


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## vireoes

Hi ladies,

shesaidboom-sorry to hear things have been rough on several fronts. Hopefully things will improve on all fronts, so you can have a more relaxed third trimester.

blue-I hope the back pain eases up, so you can get back to just enjoying being with your little guy.

guppy-I wish you a very long bed rest.  find some nice books and try to stay comfortable.

suzie-good luck closing down your shop, I hope the transition is a smooth one.

AFM-Maybe I have forgotten how much DD moved, but it seems this guy is dancing up a storm in there. Had to give up bread this week, it seems to be giving me heartburn every time I eat lately.  DH got an offer for a new job, so we will be moving back to the US. Thankfully not until the spring, but I am trying to clear house of DD things before the baby comes. I had lots of girl's clothes and toys that she has outgrown that we were storing. The new job will only partially cover our moving expenses so I need to get us down to a minimum here since shipping things overseas is expensive and most of what we have here is not worth the trouble. It will be nice to have the extra space free when the new little guy arrives too. Juggling the actual move with two young kids will be challenging, but while I get the brunt at this end clearing house he will have to handle most of the logistics (new place, vehicle, etc) on the other end since I will be busy with the kids. Hopefully I will crash with my sister and her family for a few weeks and then just fly in with the kids to our new place. We will see how that actually works out, but I am hopeful. It should be a great new town for raising kids, so we are pretty excited about the move.

I got a call from a cousin today who is considering doing IVF and I wanted to see if anyone has any good insights they can give me. They conceived their first child naturally, but she had a very rough pregnancy and super hard recovery. She has rheumatoid arthritis and endometriosis. She had lots of problems with bleeding during and after the pregnancy. She had to use IVF to get pregnant the second time. She got a BFP on her second cycle, but starting having bleeding problems again late in the first trimester. The problems started after a 2 hour car ride (slightly rough, but not super bumpy and her climbing 2 sets of stairs to a hotel room). She then had on and off bleeding until she found she had lost the baby at the anatomy scan. She has taken a year off TTC after that and wants to try again. All tests on the one she lost showed no congenital problems with the baby. They did not send her to see a high risk OB despite the complications of the first pregnancy and the ongoing bleeding during the second. Her IVF doctor blames the loss on her for riding in the car and thinks he should just proceed as he did before and put her on bed rest for the whole pregnancy. She was hoping maybe finding a new doctor for IVF would solve the problems and hers sure seems like a jerk, but I would think given she has had two difficult pregnancy that the endometriosis is giving her problems and that she should consult with a high risk OB to better manage her problems during pregnancy. We have MF infertility so I haven't been through any of the complications that she has so I thought I would see if anyone else had any good suggestions. She is also living overseas in a different part of the world, so her IVF cycles are covered and she was happy with her current doctor for that part of the process and thought it went relatively smoothly. Her problems seem to start after getting a BFP.


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## guppyluv

Greetings from the couch... In three days I learned to crochet on you tube. Made one baby hat. Almost used my cell minutes up. And am thoroughly tired of TV... so now I'm left with napping and doing actual paperwork for work







bah. It was inevitable (work) I was just procrastinating.

Shesaid - sending positive vibes... I too hope things settle down soon for you to enjoy some of your pregnancy.

Suzie- wow about the business!!! But I guess all things have their time and place and you'll always have the memories and experiences!! Now on to new memories and experiences!!!







and yay on baby boy (right? I couldnt find the post again on my phone tex is too small!!) I love little boys- no experience with little girls (yet!).

Vireoes - IMO... Your friend should insist on seeing a perinatologist/maternal fetal med specialist once pregnant if there's any possible way!! The have more training han regular OBs and can help manage high risk pregnancies. If I did it again with high risk - I would have gone to the MFM dr before "being released" from the IVF dr. IVF dr "releasing" us at 8-10 weeks does often spare some early m/cs from trisomys and implantation issues but otherwise there seems to be no reason except normal OBs don't tend to see patients until the 10-12 week mark anyway... If she can find a peri/MFM I'd go directly there and skip the regular OB!
BTW- exciting about the move... which part of the US will you end up in? Hoping for a smooth transition!

AFM- still on couch. Back Thursday for anothe transvag. u/s for cervix. Fingers crossed its "dynamic" and has bounced back. I'm fine on the couch for the rest of the summer but dammit give these otherwise healthy babies a fighting chance!! One week at a time... Any suggestions for reading/doing while on BR welcomed!
After I finish my may work accounts I'm starting on a baby blanket with a new crochet stitch... I'm laughing at myself since I've never been one to "craft" per se - I usually make robots not blankies







I'm mildly annoyed with my friends who all said they'd come by to visit this past weekend but never did... Weather was even crappy! But whatever. Hanging with my cat for now... My mom has her hip replaced Friday - so my folks cannot help me until July at best. Shes and old pro at the joInt replacement / rehab bit - but still hope this is an easy one (and her last!! Both knees and her other hip re-replaced in the last 3 years!!)


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## happyhopeful

Hi Everyone!

*Aura*- LOVED your birth story- a real exciting read! I'm really impressed by both you and your doctor, and am just so happy that everyone is doing so well!! The babies look sooo adorable! I remember giving my son his first bath- and that was over 14 years ago- and how it made him so relaxed and me too









*Vireos*- Congrats on hubby's new job and I hope the move goes as smoothly as a move can go







As for your sister, was she on Endometrin and Estrace after the ivf? I know my doctor uses these (especially the Endometrin) to help build the lining up in order to prevent miscarriage. As for high-risk, at my office- all the IVF doctors are qualified for both, so I'm not sure where else she would turn, but a second opinion may be a good idea- she would either hear about other options, or get confirmation that what her current doctor has done is her best protocol.

*SheSaid-* I'm really happy that the outdoors helped.However, I wish there was more you could do to relax and recoup. I really feel for you and all the stress you're enduring- definitely a cause for migraines- and hope that you can limit any unneccessary activity so that you have the energy for *you*, your mom, and your lil one in your belly- it's more important than anything else right now. Sending you hugs and a meditative mindset!

*Blue*- my hubby has 2 bulging discs and a slip disc and yoga and stretching really helps him to relieve the pressure/pain.There are specific Yoga movements for people with this condition- and you could probably find them online, or it may be worth paying for 1 private session so you could learn them and then do them at home. Anyway, I hope you are doing better and I hope you receive the relief you need.

*RCR*- I am totally there with you- EXHAUSTED, lazy, NO energy and only able to think about exercise, but not actually do it









As for the prenatal pills- get one without Iron- I used to get so sick to my stomach until the pharmacist suggested this, and it worked. Everyone keeps tell my that by their 16th week, they had their energy back and feeling pretty great- so let's hope (and pray) that this will be the case for us too!!

*Guppy-* Hang in there and just think about that scan showing those babies doing perfectly!!! Hopefully you have some good books to read, movies to watch, friends and/or family to talk to- while the time passes. Sending lots of good (patient) vibes your way!

*AFM*- Hanging in, thrilled to be off the progesterone, but still feeling like I only have a few good hours of the day where I'm not dazed and confused...I've promised myself to do the DVDs I bought (yoga, pilates, and pregnancy workout) at least twice this week, in hopes that some exercise will give me back some energy...we'll see.

*Everyone Else*- Hope you're having a good week, and that it keeps getting better!!!!


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## suzie mccool

rcr.. I wish renting a shop was the same as a house, but because the rents are so high (we pay about $80,000 a year and have 1.5 years left) they will certainly take us to court if we can't sort out a way to break the lease that they agree to. Luckily this shopping centre is privately owned, so I get to negotiate with the actual owner rather than a heartless company so fingers crossed!! And I was super sleepy until I hit 17 weeks - now I only nap sometimes LOL

Vireoes.. How exciting! That's great news and I'm really impressed that you are taking such a monumental task in your stride like that!

Happy.. I've had some pregnancy workout DVDs making me feel guilty for months now.. one day I'll put one on and have a go before it's too late... I've been a bit of a sloth to tell the truth. If I didn't have 3 dogs I would prob never do any exercise 

AFM.. Had my anatomy scan yesterday and the tech was fairly certain I'm having a girl!! I was so so certain it was a boy, but I'm glad I found out before I painted the nursery blue LOL..Everything about this pregnancy says boy, so I guess all the old wives tales are completely wrong! Going back for a rescan in 2 weeks because lazy baby wouldn't roll over to have her heart checked, so will make double sure. I might paint the nursery yellow, just in case though.. 

Majorly stressed about closing the shop - it's going to be a super crazy big job, but DH already has full time work organised for 2 months time, so that's one stress gone  yay!


----------



## tracyamber

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *guppyluv*
> 
> Greetings from the couch... In three days I learned to crochet on you tube. Made one baby hat. Almost used my cell minutes up. And am thoroughly tired of TV... so now I'm left with napping and doing actual paperwork for work
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> bah. It was inevitable (work) I was just procrastinating.
> 
> Shesaid - sending positive vibes... I too hope things settle down soon for you to enjoy some of your pregnancy.
> 
> Suzie- wow about the business!!! But I guess all things have their time and place and you'll always have the memories and experiences!! Now on to new memories and experiences!!!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> and yay on baby boy (right? I couldnt find the post again on my phone tex is too small!!) I love little boys- no experience with little girls (yet!).
> 
> Vireoes - IMO... Your friend should insist on seeing a perinatologist/maternal fetal med specialist once pregnant if there's any possible way!! The have more training han regular OBs and can help manage high risk pregnancies. If I did it again with high risk - I would have gone to the MFM dr before "being released" from the IVF dr. IVF dr "releasing" us at 8-10 weeks does often spare some early m/cs from trisomys and implantation issues but otherwise there seems to be no reason except normal OBs don't tend to see patients until the 10-12 week mark anyway... If she can find a peri/MFM I'd go directly there and skip the regular OB!
> BTW- exciting about the move... which part of the US will you end up in? Hoping for a smooth transition!
> 
> AFM- still on couch. Back Thursday for anothe transvag. u/s for cervix. Fingers crossed its "dynamic" and has bounced back. I'm fine on the couch for the rest of the summer but dammit give these otherwise healthy babies a fighting chance!! One week at a time... Any suggestions for reading/doing while on BR welcomed!
> After I finish my may work accounts I'm starting on a baby blanket with a new crochet stitch... I'm laughing at myself since I've never been one to "craft" per se - I usually make robots not blankies
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'm mildly annoyed with my friends who all said they'd come by to visit this past weekend but never did... Weather was even crappy! But whatever. Hanging with my cat for now... My mom has her hip replaced Friday - so my folks cannot help me until July at best. Shes and old pro at the joInt replacement / rehab bit - but still hope this is an easy one (and her last!! Both knees and her other hip re-replaced in the last 3 years!!)


Guppy!!!!!Thanks for the reply on my post. I am just finding out about what is going on with you...wow. I guess I am going to have to make regular drop-ins to see how Thursday goes and to keep in touch...Yes, I am still on the IVF spring thread;(..I sure hope tp get pregnant this June. I am not telling anyone...even on Mothering what day I am doing the transfer or my 1 week wait......too stressful. I just wanna BAM! with a beta number....could I be so lucky?

Did you hear about Toothfairy? I am so excited for her. Okay, Off to more Mothering.


----------



## tracyamber

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *rcr*
> 
> Hi all:
> 
> I have been reading along from my phone, but haven't been replying because it is kinda a pain to type that much on my phone. So sorry about the lack of personals.
> 
> Aura - wow!! Great job!! I too was screaming for a c-section when I had DS. Luckily the doc was never really there when I was laboring, otherwise she would have been more than accomodating! You are lucky to have such a great doctor that wouldn't do it! I love the pics!
> 
> Guppy - sorry about the bedrest. What have you been doing to fill your time? Is it bedrest for the rest of the pregnancy?
> 
> Suzie - sorry about closing the store. I don't know about Australia, but in the US if you break a lease there is almost nothing that the landlord can do because the court takes so much time and money it isn't worth it. I learned that when I was taking care of and renting out my mom's house when she was sick.
> 
> Shesiad - sounds like things are pretty rough. At least it was her last chemo. Is she doing any other kind of treatment now? I can't wait to feel movement!
> 
> Blue - ouch on the back issues. Sorry. it is nice to see you pop in here.
> 
> Tenzins, happy, lilac, others - I had stff to reply to you earlier, but I was on my phone and now I forgot. So hi.
> 
> AFM - I have been feeling a lot better, but still feeling really lazy and sleepy. My nausia has gone way down, though I still feel a bit sick at times. I just have no energy. I think I am going to try to get out and excercise more - maybe that will help. The good thing is that I am off work so I can do a bit of loafing off. I am 13 weeks 3 days today. I go back to the midwife on June 12. I sopped the shots and pills, and stopped the prenatels too because they were making me sick.


I am sorry to hear this rcr. You know what really helped me was ginger chews..yes,ginger chews. And I found keeping a little something in my stomached helped too like crackers or ice cream cones. Okay, just stopping by to say hello!!

ETA: the plain cones........not the ice cream


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## shesaidboom

*suzie* - I'm glad it made you feel better. I remember feeling the exact same way, but a couple women told me they had to wait until the time I did to feel anything. Thank you for the sweet comments <3
I'm sorry about your business. I hope there are no landlord issues!
I was completely opposite of you. Was 100% convinced this pregnancy was a girl and turns out it was a boy all along. Every single old wives tale said girl for me.

*rcr* - just the chemo. She changed chemo medications this week, so only 3 more treatments to go (spaced 2 weeks apart). I'll be so happy when she's finished because she's getting some awful side effects.
Glad you're feeling better! Woohoo for being off work. Time to relax and hopefully enjoy the feeling better part.

*vireoes* - thank you!
Congrats on DH's new job! Thankfully you have lots of time to prepare, which I imagine you'll need with two little ones.
I'm so sorry things have been so hard for your cousin. I agree with you that she should consult a high risk OB. Maybe there are things she should be doing or can do from the beginning to help. If her IVF specialist won't refer her to one she can probably get a referral through another dr. It can't hurt to at least speak with one, right?

*guppyluv* - aww, sounds like you are running out of couch things to do. Maybe more crochet projects? Have you ever been on ravelry.com? There are lots of cool projects and free patterns for both crochet and knitting. Only downside is you have to sign to join and it can take a bit for them to approve you. Sending lots of good thoughts for your mom and you and the babies too!
Thank you <3

*happyhopeful* - thank you <3
I hope the dvds help give you some extra energy!

*tracyamber* - I hope your IVF cycle is the one! Sending lots of good thoughts to you.

*AFM -* saw the OB today and everything is looking good. Glucose test came back normal. I'm 29 weeks now, so getting a lot closer. I have to book an ultrasound to see if my placenta is still low, and have to get my rhogam shot (O- blood type, DH is O+), and from now on I'm back in every 2 weeks instead of 4. I'm still having a hard time believing this is really happening. It took such a long time that I still feel like I'm just going through all the motions. Has that been happening with any of you? I have a hard time explaining it to anyone because nobody seems to get it, but they haven't been through all the treatments we have. I hope everyone is doing well!


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## toothfairy2be

It is true! I got another BFP after my FET 8 days ago. I won't have a beta until the 10th because I'm going on vacation but I think it is better for me, the stress of betas & early ultrasounds last time really gave me a bad outlook from day one. So blood test in 12 days & my first u/s won't be until the 25th due the DH being away for work and there's no way I'm going alone. We aren't looking up our due date until DH is home Friday since he wasn't here for the HPT & other than a broad guess that it's late Jan early Feb. I'm very cautious but trying to be super positive that I'm in the best condition possible ths pregnancy & this is my take home baby.

I know you all are far past the fun of early pregnancy symptoms & it's kind of a bummer not to have any cycle buddies but I'm going to share anyway. Monday I felt nothing, Tuesday I started feeling very heavy & tight in my pelvis & lower back, there was a few times my boobs felt tingly during the day then last night I found a few very slightly sore spots, my one weird thing that gave m the spark of hope to test today was I got home from work & walked into the bathroom & smelled vanilla. A candle I got for Christmas is on the shelf, with a plastic lid that has little holes in it. I've never smelled it before, I thought it was lavender... When I went searching for the scent I find it & saw its lavender vanilla. It's so weird because I nearly always have a very keen sense of smell & never noticed it before. This experience has been totally different than my fresh cycle. Today my boobs feel more sore, I have less appetite but once I find something appetizing I feel ravenous, pelvis feels the same but still no cramps or spotting. It's so anticlimactic. It almost makes me feel like a normal pregnant woman, nothing to write home about, just one day the test had two lines. No big deal, right??


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## suzie mccool

Toothfairy!! That's awesome news! HUGE congrats xxxx


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## guppyluv

Yayayyayayayayay!!! Toothfairy!!! So Glad







Enjoy vacation - cant wait to see you back here


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## rcr

Happy and Suzie - could you recommend a pregnancy workout video for me? I would like to get one. I think that it may help give me more energy if I can actually make myself do it.

TF - Welcome!!!!!

shesaid - can you explain or give me some links for this Rhogam thing? I have never heard of it, but my MW was stumped for what to do about it because we have two potential donor couples blood types, and my blood type to deal with. We are not sure if I need the shot or now, and if my blood type matters at all.


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## suzie mccool

Rcr.. I've got the What to Expect When You're Expecting workout.. I bought that because I'm not incredibly fit so I didn't want anything too hard that would make me feel like an out of shape mammoth... Apparently there is a great Tracy Anderson one that has a disc for each month which is about $20 on Amazon, and that one is meant to be fantastic.. personally I think she's too sexy and will make me feel like a frump though LOL









And the landlord has agreed to let us out of the lease so our official closing down date is July 31 - then DH starts his new job in the middle of August, so now it's all on!! I've started making lists of everything I need to do and..whew! I'm gonna be busy!


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## suzie mccool

Shesaid.. I'm 0- as well and DH is A+. Here anyone 0- has the anti-D shot at 28 weeks regardless, as well as if there is any spotting etc. I had one early this month when I spotted a bit and that's because when you're rhesus negative if your body detects another blood type it rejects it. Apparently the injection is perfectly safe for the baby, and when they gave me mine they pretty much said even if the spotting didn't come from the pregnancy, it would make no difference but it was better to be safe than sorry. But wow, it was a painful shot!! Hope this helps


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## monkeyscience

Delurking to say YAY CAIT!!! Praying for a sticky baby (or two!) for you!

Also, RCR, with the Rhogam thing... what is your blood type? And what are the donor blood types? If you are Rh+ (No matter A, B, AB, or O), you don't need a Rhogam shot ever, period. If you are Rh-, whether or not you definitely need one depends on the donor blood types and also on your ds's blood type, if I am recalling correctly. If none of the donors is Rh+, you don't need Rhogam. If one or more of the donors was Rh+, but your ds was not, I'm pretty sure the Rhogam shot is recommended, but not necessarily essential. If your ds was Rh+ and one or more donors was Rh+, you will need the shot. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions. I'm not a doctor, but I do have a degree in genetics, so I am familiar with that side of the equation!


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## Tear78

Toothfairy, wahoooo!


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## blueyezz4

*TF* - Congrats!!! Here's to a HH9 months!!!!

*Suzie* - glad to hear you were able to get out of your lease. You don't need any extra stress right now!!

*rcr* - so excited to see your ticker moving!! Hope you continue to feel better w/ each day!!

*Shesaid* - yay for a normal glucose test!! I can't believe you are 29 wks already!! No, that feeling is totally normal. When we were pregnant I couldn't believe it was true either. Even now that he is here DH and i look at him and can't believe he is ours and that we get to keep him. Unreal but try to enjoy the ride!!!

*Guppy* - So sorry to hear about bedrest but it will all be worth it in the end. I hope you can stay busy. I couldn't stand the bedrest w/ just the transfers so I can't imagine and I know i feared that in this pregnancy. Hope you can find some good series on tv to watch. Have you ever watch Giuliana and Bill on E? They are a couple that went through infertility and did ivf's and then she got breast cancer so couldn't try again so they had a carrier. Maybe you could find their series and watch it. I think there is like 4 different series maybe. They remind me of DH and I in a way! LOL

*Aura* - hope all is going well still!! Are you BF? How is everything going? Thinking of you!!

*Vireoes -* I agree it sounds like she should see a high risk dr. Hope you are well!!

*Happy* - are the Dvd's helping?

*Okay, Hi to everyone else. Hope everyone is doing well, gotta run!!!!*


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## guppyluv

Hi all. Quick update. Had a last minute cerclage placed yesterday (stitched up my cervix) seems to have gone well. The pressure I was feeling inthe area is relieved but the babes have also shifted a bit so A is not head down ON my cervix anymore (phew!). Am still in the hospital (my spinal was a shit show -- I have a mild scoliosis so they had massive problems == ouch). last night babes heart rates seemed good. Hard to find them since they're reorganized a little!

Cramping has died down and I'm feeling much better! Will be back home on my couch later today. A little scary initially but really relieved to have it done.


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## hope4light

Im posting,from my phone so I wont,remember everyone, but congrats TF!! I've been waiting,for you to get here








Suzie glad they let you out of the lease!
Guppy sorry about the bedrest,and cerclage, but hopefully things will go smoother now.

Rcr im rh- so got the rhogam with both, even though we had no idea if our sperm donor was. Those shots SUCK! But they were worth the peace of mind. I got UT early with my DD due to a couple spotting incidents.


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## shesaidboom

*rcr* - like monkey said, if you are Rh+ you won't need the shot. If you are Rh- it depends on the other blood types. If one is + the baby can be + and your body can develop antibodies. It is not 100% that your body will, but it can. I have had previous miscarriages and have not developed antibodies even though DH is Rh+ and I'm Rh-. I had no idea of my blood type or that one needed to get a shot in this case so I never did until I found out with this pregnancy. It will not affect this pregnancy unless your blood + baby's blood mixes and you develop antibodies (this is why I was told to go to the hospital and get the shot if I had any bleeding), but if you have another where the baby is Rh+ and you have the antibodies from this pregnancy your body will try to expell the baby. I mostly read about it on wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rho(D)_immune_globulin) and just doing a google search. There are some sites (mostly message boards) that discuss possible side effects, but so far none are proven. Pretty much the consensus is do it if your doctor recommends it, especially if another pregnancy is something you are considering. I hope that helps a bit.

*Cait* - SO excited for you! Big congrats! Those symptoms are great signs. Try to take it easy and treat yourself well. I'm sorry you don't have any cycle buddies, but most of us are in different places in pregnancy so you'll still fit in well!

*Suzie* - Was it painful? That's good to know to be prepared! I'm more nervous about having a reaction to it, but apparently it's not too common. I'm making DH take the morning off work so I can drag him with me. I have huge anxiety when it comes to taking new medicine or injections.

*blueyezz* - The first 20 weeks crawled, but now things seem to be going faster and I can't believe how far I am either. We're in June already! Thank you so much for sharing how you felt/feel about being pregnant/having a babe. Sometimes I feel so weird about it, so it really helps to know others feel the same way. I wonder how I'll feel when I finally get to see him. It will be amazing, but I think I may be surprised when I get to keep him.

*guppy* - I'm glad the cerclage went well, but I'm sorry you had to get it at all. Thanks for updating. Sending lots of good thoughts to you and the babes!

*AFM -* My belly is getting huge and has really started to get in the way. I can't carry a laundry basket down the stairs anymore (poor DH), and bending over is much more difficult. I set up the crib today, which was exciting. Of course my cat immediately jumped into it and fell asleep. Uh oh! I'm trying to keep her out of it, but she sleeps in our room (I set up the crib beside my side of the bed) so it's a bit of a challenge. Maybe I'll try the tin foil trick. I hope everyone is having a good, relaxing weekend!


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## rcr

Hi all, typing from my phone so I am not going to do personals.

My blood typeis O+ so I guess I don't need the shot. That is good news. I would like to avoid shots forever after 5 years of IF!

Monkey - your post made me wonder if I will be able to tell which donor the embryo came from based on the baby's blood type. That is exciting because I want to register for the donor sibling registery but since we put back two from different donors I won't know which to register. I will PM you when I get to a computer.

DS is at zoo camp today and all week (day camp). I am so excited to pick him up and find out how it was.


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## happyhopeful

Hi Everyone!! I have had a really rough time the last few days- super exhausted and feeling not that well. Then got hit with another horrendous 16 hour migraine yesterday. I ended up having to take the Percocet twice- which really makes me nervous despite my doctor's reassurance. However, even with the medicine, I was still in excruciating pain- plus, the blurred vision, chills, weak and the ONLY reason I wouldn't let my hubby take me to the ER again, is because I just couldn't imagine sitting under those bright lights for hours while I wait for an even stronger medicine, that might not even work...Ugh, sorry for venting, but I was hoping that maybe one of you, or someone one of you know, might have some other suggestion for treating the migraines...thank you.

As for the updates-

*McCool*- Sooo happy for you and getting out of that lease!! *and Blue Eyes and RCR*- totally embarrassed that I have yet to even open 1 of the DVDs- I did, however, do a lot of investigating and asking around in order to buy (hopefully) some of the best out there and these are them: 10 Minute Solution: Prenatal Pilates, Prenatal Yoga, and Perfect Pregnancy Workout VOL 1. Being that you both asked about them, and that *McCool* has started using hers, I am motivated (for the time being) to go home today and at least do the 10 minute solution- I mean, really, can't I find 10 minutes to making myself potentially feel better?? Or at least know that I'm trying?? I think so!

*Guppy*- WOW! you have been through it, keeping those babies nice, safe, and cozy!! What a great mom you already are!! I'm very relieved that despite everything you are able to go home, and that they are all doing well!!

*ToothFairy*- CONGRATULATIONS!!

*Everybody*- Hope you have a great week with many reasons to smile!!


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## suzie mccool

shesaidboom.. honestly, the injection was pretty intense, but only while it was going in. That said, it was 3am and the nurse that did it was an old grump... lol Maybe in the real world it's not that bad  And I had no side effects at all. What is the tin foil trick for cats? Mine is a menace, so that sounds like what I need too.

Happyhopeful.. well... I only looked at my DVD once, before i was actually pregnant... It was from my shop, so I grabbed it. Since actually being pregnant I honestly don't have the energy.. how embarrassing... haha your migraines sound like a nightmare. Hope they pass and stay away 

Guppy... hope the bedrest is doing the trick  If you need any inspiration for books/movies etc, let me know. Until next month, it's still my job lol

rcr.. Hope your DS enjoyed day camp. I had to pick mine up early from camp... it was 3 days and he BEGGED me to pretend we had a family trip and pick him up on day 2. Sigh.. I did it and was rewarded with "Mum, you have no idea how much I appreciate this. I will look after you when you're old".... nice 

AFM.. Feeling fine and a bit fat  Totally flat chat with the shop - if only it was this busy without the closing down sale!! Hope you are all well and happy x


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## shesaidboom

*rcr* - glad you don't need the shot!
I hope your DS had a great time. Zoo camp sounds like so much fun.

*happyhopeful* - poor you! That sounds terrible. I don't have any suggestions, but I hope you can figure out something that works better so you can get some relief.

*suzie* - cats typically HATE the feel/sound of tinfoil so if you put it on a surface they tend to jump on it once and leave it alone after that because they start associating that object with the foil. My MIL and FIL put it around all their potted plants for a while because the cats would dig in the dirt. Now they won't go near them. Of course you may have a smarty pants who will only stay away while the tinfoil is there or who may not even mind it.


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## tracyamber

I just wanted to pop in a say hello to *everyone*.

I hope you are home and resting *guppy*!

*rcr.*.yay,no shot!

Hi *suzie!*

Okay, off to bed and I hope hope I will be able to join you guys some time in July............


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## suzie mccool

Hi Traceyamber  Would LOVE to see you in here! Fingers crossed for you









Shesaidboom..Ha! My cat is pretty dumb so it just might work lol.. yesterday he chose to bypass the open back door & the litter tray and did a poo on my bathroom mat. Not sure I love him so much atm LOL

Had my first whole night's sleep in months, so I'm feeling pretty awesome right now!


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## shesaidboom

*rcr* - isn't avoiding shots the best? Aside from the rhogam I haven't had a shot all pregnancy! I've only had a couple blood tests, barely any ultrasounds, and nobody but my husband sees my vagina anymore. It's wonderful! I am so not missing treatments.

*tracyamber* - I'll be looking forward to when you can join us.

*suzie* - oh no! Silly cat. I wonder what was up with that. Hopefully no more pooping outside the box. So glad you had a great night's sleep.

*AFM -* had my rhogam shot today. I was really nervous (I have anxiety when it comes to new medication), but having Dh with me helped. I had it done in the assessment room of the birthing floor of the hospital I'm giving birth at so I got to meet some of the nurses (oh my goodness they are so wonderful and fun! They kept cracking jokes the whole time and were so sweet), and see a tiny bit of the facilities. We waited in the most comfortable chairs ever. I almost fell asleep. Dh got a bit freaked out because there was a woman in labour there vocalizing through her pain and he asked if I would do that too.

I've found that even though I'm so far along I'm still having some trouble adjusting to being pregnant after fertility treatments and dealing with certain comments that I get. We were not quiet about our journey with infertility, and while I'm glad we weren't because some friends had thanked me for being open and helping them understand what people struggling with infertility may deal with more, in a way I think that backfired. Way back in the fall I started writing a blog post about what not to say to people dealing with infertility, but I never posted it because I found so many other great posts dealing with the same topic. Reading them and writing mine out felt really good and helped a lot. Right now I'm putting together a post on what not to say to someone who is pregnant after infertility, hoping it'll do the same. No idea if I'll ever actually post it. So far I've written out a few comments I've gotten personally and reflected on them. I won't copy and paste the entire thing, but here are the comments I've gotten..

"Why are you complaining/upset/emotional? You should be grateful you finally got pregnant." - this is the one I've gotten the most. I really don't complain much, but you know those days and when people ask, well they get the truth on those days.

"I told you if you were patient it would happen!" - Or maybe it had to do with all the treatments?

"You're pregnant? Let's hang out!" - I've gotten this from many facebook friends that I haven't really talked to in years. Suddenly I'm relevant!

"Is your baby going to be normal even though your doctor made it outside your body?" - yup.

"Why do you still care about infertility? You're pregnant now!" - got this in a PM on facebook after posting something on mothers day in honour of those struggling with infertility.

"Are you scared something will happen to your baby after you paid so much money to have it?" - are you serious?

I thought if any of you were interested, you could share some of the comments you've gotten. If you wouldn't mind me including them in my post, let me know. If it'll make you feel worse instead of better, please don't feel like you have to share. I know we all deal differently.


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## Tear78

shesaid, seriously?? People said those things to you? What's WRONG with people!!!


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## lilacvioletiris

Shesaid, only a few people know of our infertility struggles, but I am thankful that most people ask "do twins run in the family?" And for me, they do, two female cousins have boy girl twins and my paternal grandfather had three sets of twin siblings.


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## rcr

shesaid - I can't believe people say that stuff to you! I kinda wish I would have been open about IF, but I wasn't, and nobody really knows. I haven't really told anybody that I am pregnant either (and I don't plan to... ever). But I did tell one friend, who commented that I am 38... Like 38 year old never have babies! Its not like I am even in my 40s yet (not that 40 year olds don't have babies either). I wanted to tell her that I got old while TTC, but didn't. Anyway, now that I am pregnant with a mystery baby, I may have a lot more questions if the baby is Chinese or something.

AFM - So, I am at week 15 tomorrow. and I am feeling worse than ever. I can't keep anything down. I am also having pain on my side, which I assume is round ligament pain. WebMD says that round ligamant pain is supposed to last for about 10 seconds, but my soreness never really seems to go away unless I lay down. Has anybody else had this? My midwife says it is normal (I called her today about it). I can't wait until my appointment next weekend so that I can hear the HB - it is so reassuring. I am still really afraid of loosing this baby.


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## rcr

to add:

btw - does anybody else find DDCs useless? I finally joined one a while ago, and I posted a few times and never get a response. I feel like it is a bunch of people posting dear diaries to the internet and not really a support group at all. Weird, because I had it all worked up in my head that when I was pregnant and pretty certain about the pregnancy I would finally join one, and now that I am there I find it useless and never go there.I used to stalk my "future DDC" when I was doing treatments.


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## lilacvioletiris

rcr, I always seem to come back here because some people in my DDC just don't get it or they are on their 5th or 8th child. I still post things in their and comment in the DDC but I like the comarderie of people who have gone through the pain of knowing cycle after cycle that they just weren't pregnant and then needing medical intervention to make it happen. I have found the monthly chat thread to be the most "connecting".


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## suzie mccool

shesaidboom.. I had someone tell me that going through fertility treatment was "against God's will" and if you are meant to fall pregnant, it will happen naturally... that was my sister in law!!

rcr.. DCCs.. I joined the one here (which is actually really cool) and another on a different site. The other one is full of girls whose worst problems (first world problems) are having too many people coming to their baby shower, getting too many gifts from their families so they have nothing to buy, and husbands who still want to have sex when they can't be bothered.... why on earth they are planning baby showers at 15 weeks pregnant is a mystery to me!! But maybe IVF makes you more wary of announcing/planning ahead etc..

And on the telling people thing.. we told nobody outside of immediate family until recently - but I look pretty much 7 months pregnant, and we're telling customers we're closing the business to have time with out new baby, which is true, as well as going broke, which we don't tell..LOL. I turned 40 last month, and luckily look about 30 so nobody has raised eyebrows at my age - EXCEPT the people who know me... They comment on my huge age gap between kids (14 years), and how do I think I can cope with pregnancy and a baby at my age etc. Jerks  And I had the exact same side ache this time and with DS, and it's crappy, but it must be OK - I was told it was normal by doctor etc, but it does feel worrying. I promise it passes though and apparently really is OK to have 

Lilac.. Agree  The support from this group is incredible, and the bond of people who have gone through the years of TTC and then the treatment is priceless.

AFM.. Feeling good still!! Cat is still mental and shop closing is just insanely busy  The light at the end of the financial tunnel is blindingly bright right now


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## tracyamber

rcr`

I am sorry you are feeling so bad. When I was pregnant 3 years ago I had morning sickness for 18 weeks. It was awful. I lost a lot of weight but the baby was healthy and I was at least relieved about that. Anyway, one morning I woke up and said" I feel better" was was just a mater of a day. It was not gradual. And boy,did I have some serious cravings and finally could enjoy eating again. I'm sorry to feel this mama! I hated when people said it would go away but I have a feeling you will be feeling better real soon!!!*Hugs**

Suzie~ Glad you got some sleep!!!!

Shesaidboom~ I'd like to read your post when you are finished!!!!!!

afm~ Hello again!


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## suzie mccool

Hey everyone 

Just a quick update.. had the follow up scan after this baby wouldn't roll over for the 20 week one,and all the measurements etc are spot on! Even my belly only measured a week bigger than the pregnancy, which was a surprise as I feel like a buffalo LOL. Couldn't confirm the sex because the little ratbag kept her? legs crossed so we're painting the nursery yellow just to be on the safe side. But absolutely crazy at work so I'm not surprised I'm not getting too fat as I'm on my feet 12 hours a day 6 days a week atm! Only another 6 weeks to go and we'll be free of the business though so heaps to look forward to.

Hope everyone is well and happy!!


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## rcr

This thread sure has been quiet lately.

Suzie: Glad you are spot on, and sorry you don't get to find out the sex. Are you doing any other scans so will you find out later?

AFM - I am at 15 weeks and 5 days, and I am finally feeling pretty good consistently. Last week was horrible. I puked all the time and laid in bed all week. I had some really severe cramps (which turned out to be gas) that worried me so much I went to see the MW the next day to check the heartbeat. We spent half an hour with the doppler trying to find it, and finally did for a few seconds (then again a few more times for just a second or two). She offered to loan me her spare doppler but I would literally be using it all day long, so I declined. Today I went out and bought some maternity pants, which were on sale at the gap (fall stuff on sale) for 11.99 and 19.99, so I bought 5 pairs. I don't really need them yet, as it is shorts weather and I have a bunch of shorts that have stretchy waistbands. But if I do have the occasion to wear pants I think my pants may be a little tight. Plus I am going to South Africa in July and it is winter there, so I may need pants. I think with DS I was not showing until August or so, (and I got pregnant with DS at the same time), but this time I am a lot bigger (from 5 years of IF treatments), and it is my second so I think I will be showing earlier. I still have not told anybody except two close friends and one close co-worker. DH is dieing to tell his parents. Oh, and I told DS and he is soooooo excited. He kisses "the baby" goodnight every night and says "I love you." Today at the Gap he wanted to buy a dress for the baby (he is hoping for a girl).


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## shesaidboom

*tear78* - yes, totally. I know people mean well and I like to think of it that way, but sometimes when I'm in a mood it gets to me.

*lilac* - wow, three sets of twin siblings! It's nice that you can say it does run in the family.

*rcr* - 38 is still young, your friend is being silly. Tons of women are having babies these days into their later 40s. Honestly I think there are a lot of pros and cons to both sharing and not sharing. Some days I'm happy we were so open about IVF, other days I regret it.
I'm so glad to hear that you are feeling pretty good after a horrible week. I'm sorry baby was being difficult with letting you find the heartbeat, but so good you got it. Your DS sounds adorable with the baby!
Yes to the DDCs! I hardly ever check mine or post. I prefer posting to this thread with questions because everyone is at a different point in pregnancy/post-partum. I also agree with lilac about people not getting it. I joined fairly early on and it just made me feel awful about having such a hard time getting pregnant.

*suzie* - Oh, my gosh! I cannot believe she said that to you. That's awful! All of us here are meant to be mamas, we just took a different route.
The other site's DDC would drive me crazy.
Glad you're feeling good! Are you disappointed you couldn't find out the sex this time, or does it make it more exciting?

*tracy* - I'll post a link when I'm finished 
I hope you are doing well.

*AFM - * Birdie is growing a lot and is running out of space, but it's not too bad yet. I wonder what it will be like in 9 more weeks! I started seeing the OB once every two weeks instead of every four weeks, which is a little annoying because the building she's in is awful and nobody can seem to figure out how to work the parking machine even though there's a huge button with a sign that says "push button, take ticket". There's only one entrance to the parking lot so I often end up waiting in a line of cars for 10 minutes or so. It is nice to hear Birdie's heartbeat often though. My OB said she was proud of me for not gaining any weight this pregnancy (don't worry, I started out big so my weight has really just shifted around), but I can't take much credit because I do eat more than I did before even if I try to eat healthy (not as easy as before since Birdie gives me an aversion to lots of veggies and lately he has developed a thing for ice cream...for 6 months I couldn't even think about ice cream without getting nauseous, now? I would eat a whole pint a day if I could).

I hope everyone is having a good week!


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## guppyluv

Definitely a lull in the postings on my part here... Sorry I've been so tired lately that posting and reading have been skipped in favor of napping  22 weeks monday... I feel like I'm counting the days sloooowly! I'm enjoying being pregnant in some ways and lamenting the loss of a "normal" pregnancy in other ways. I'm in bed typing right now with heavy eyelids at 3pm... missed my 1pm nap!! sigh...

RCR -- I'm soooo glad the icky sicky is turning a corner. Consistently good is excellent! I loved south africa -- hope you have a great trip when you get to go  so fun. and very cute and sweet about your DS and the dress... Sounds like he'll be an awesome big brother!!! Hope things stay on keel going forward. Gas bit is disconcerting for sure!! I am so big I can't tell the difference between gas pains -- when I eat too much -- and BH contractions -- so I went in to the DR in a panic this week... passed a little gas while there and ahhhh... (was a tad bit embarrassed!)

I also picked up a doppler but with three its hard to find the HBs and know exactly which is which but when I have more than 7 days between appointments, I sneak a quick check... for peace of mind!

My family is throwing a baby shower for me monday -- I can't be there since I'm on bed rest but am skyping in. It's a bummer I was looking forward to this part, but the gifts are rolling in already. I realize its really early by singleton standards, but I'm pretty sure by 24-26 weeks I won't be up for anything... Its oddly stressful to have the stuff in the house this early, so I've had a helper working for me put them all in basement storage for now... must.get.(well).past.24.weeks (4th of july week)!!

have a great weekend folks!!


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## guppyluv

BTW -- totally random product plug -- but if any of you loathe the idea of tracking registries at multiple places... I used babyli.st (yes that dot is intentional!!) -- you can add a button to your web browser and then go search any site and add products (like on Amazon, target, babies r us, land of nod, pottery barn, etc -- and likely also international!!). you can also list more than once place to buy an item - like car seats available at target, amazon and BBRus...

It's been great so far since finding bits and pieces for the triplets... esp since most triple strollers aren't available on many conventional sites!!!

Disclaimer -- I get nothing by promoting babyli.st & i don't work for them... I just really liked the ease of setup!!


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## tracyamber

shesaidboom~ I am glad everything is looking good for you and the baby. Aren't food aversions and craving strange? I swear I have never liked soda in my life but at about 24 weeks I craved coca cola. And I felt so guilty about it. When my dh and I would go to town for a visit with the in laws or something, I would allow myself 2 sodas a day and I felt like I wanted to dring a 6 pack. Thankfully it only lasted for less than a month. Now,3 years later. I cannot stand the taste of a coke.

Guppy~ Wow..a shower form skype?*hugs* it must be so hard to be on bedrest. At least it sounds like you are getting things you need. And your babies are doing well. How cool to come out of this with 3 babies !!!!!

rcr~ Thanks for coming to visit us on the "ivf spring thread" it is getting a bit more active there and I think we are all getting to a healthy state. It is so nice to have people for support ! Glad you are feeling better.

Suzie~ Get some rest!!!!!!! You are so active!

lilac~ How are you?

FAWC~..lol

I am gearing up for another transfer in July. Like I said no dates or times will be given. Just hope I can bam ya'll with a beta number and join you. Did anyone eat pineapple after their transfer? We are in the middle of a very big move to a coastal town. We will not have our house until after the transfer and the clinic is 3 hours away so we are going to make a vacation out of it and stay at the Hilton,lay in bed and have yummy food I didn't have to cook.


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## suzie mccool

Tracyamber.. your Hilton holiday sounds awesome! That's so exciting and I'm crossing everything for you! And I promise I will get some rest after July  That's when we start painting the house LOL

Guppy.. skyping to your baby shower sounds so much more relaxing anyway! lol. No cleanup, so socialising and you can kick back and lay around.

Shesaidboom.. Congrats on your weight!! I gained about 10 kilos during IVF for some unknown reason.. they told me it was fluid but wow - so unfair! I was a size 10-12 US before IVF, so not tiny at all for being 5'2.. but I wear it like a supermodel LOL

rcr... it's adorable that your DS is so excited. And wow - South Africa!! That sounds amazing!!! How long are you going for?

Hi to everyone else too! 

AFM.. we were told at the 20 week scan this was probably a girl, so even though they couldn't confirm last week at the second scan I'm going with girl for now. We'll have another 3D scan for fun before DH starts his new job so they should be able to tell me for sure. We're booking a weeks holiday in the city when the shop closes and staying in a swanky hotel - more to relax with no pets, no house to clean and just to reconnect after the craziness of everything than an actual holiday - but in saying that, there are so many things I've never seen in Adelaide that we may even play tourist a bit. It's a bit hilarious though, because we only live 45 minutes away LOL

Still working 9 til 9 everyday and coping pretty well I think - although my gawd - my feet ache! Only a month to go and I'll be a housewife!


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## lilacvioletiris

guppy, I will have to check out the babyli.st sounds like a great way to combine multiple things from different places to let people know what I really want, especially since most of my family and many friends are so far away anyway.

Ah, rcr, that is so cute about how your DS talks to the baby. I have been looking for maternity shorts and been totally unimpressed - I am not a shorts shorts kind of woman. I am looking at maternity pants on ebay to see if I can find some I can thwack off at the knees to make shorts that are more my style.

shesaidboom, I am glad that your little Birdie is growing well and that you doctor is happy that your weight is the same. I was talking to my cousin who is a bit taller than me but we are similar and weights and she gained 45 pounds with her twins - they were born 6 pounds 14 oz and 7 pounds 4 oz at 35 weeks. I am at 13 weeks and have only gained 8 pounds. My weight has definitely redistributed itself though and my belly is getting big.

tracy, I hope your transfer in July goes well. We are definitely waiting to see more IVF ladies on the other side.

AFM, it is 10:25 p.m. and I was so hungry I couldn't fall asleep. Nothing looks appetizing in my cupboards so I had a bowl of crunchy oats with almonds and milk and crackers with cheese. Tomorrow starts 6 weeks of summer school enrichment for high school students that I am teaching - chemistry and a student success course. I am totally looking forward to it and the extra money as I wait for confirmation on a math consulting job that should start on July 1 and last until I have the babies. DH had asked for a raise a month ago when we had confirmed we were having twins. Friday he came home and said the raise was approved, not much but it is something.


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## happyhopeful

Hi Everyone!! Work and school have been super busy, so, I've been reading along on my phone, but not writing because lately my phone shuts off whenever it's online for more than a minute.So, today, I promised myself I would write in from work! *Guppy-* It must be really frustrating being in bed and keeping yourself occupied! At least the baby shower should be fun for you to watch- it's like your very own reality show- and July 4th is just around the corner!! You have a tough road, but at the end, is 3 babies, and when you see them- wow, it will all be very, very, worth it!! Hugs!! *RCR*- so happy to read that you're feeling better and in time to enjoy your trip!! Also, that is sooo sweet that your DS is wishing for a lil' sister- he's going to make a great big brother!! *McCool*- woohoo!!- only 6 more weeks till you get to vacay and live it up at the hotel!! Awesome. Plus, despite your feet being tired, it's really good that you have all this energy and are so active- my OB (who I really like and admire) said that that with a singleton pregnancy, it doesn't mater what activity you do, any activity is really, really, good for the baby and great in getting your body ready for labor too *Lilac-* Congrats on your consulting gig and your hubby's raise!! What great pieces of news to get right now!! *Tracy Amber*- Lots and Lots of luck and super sticky vibes!!

*AFM*- Emotionally and physically, I'm very much on a roller coaster- either, I'm thinking, 'wow, I feel really great" or I'm in bed with an excruciating migraine, feeling like the pain will never end. Emotionally, pretty much the same, either I'm "I'm so happy right now, I feel so thankful" or I'm bringing myself to tears (or anger) over something small- THANK GOODNESS, my husband has a heart of gold and the patience of a saint!!! Aside from all that, I'm enjoying my classes, work is going well, my son just graduated 8th grade- going out to celebrate tonight, and my stepson is starting his first job- so, a lot to be thankful for and plenty of reasons to smile...


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## shesaidboom

*guppyluv* - no wonder you're tired! For me at least it feels like things are going so quickly already and I cannot believe you are 22 weeks!
I hope you enjoy your skype baby shower. Glad you have help putting away those gifts!
I've been using a registry site like the one you're describing and you're right, it is so much easier! The one I use is myregistry.com, but it doesn't give the option of adding multiple sites for one product so yours sounds much better.

*tracy* - thanks! The cravings and aversions definitely are strange. That's one thing I don't think I'll miss, although it is causing me to drink a lot more water because that's the only thing I've been able to drink all pregnancy!
Lots of good thoughts for your upcoming transfer! Laying in bed and having yummy food sounds like a great way to recover.

*suzie* - thank you! They told me I'd gain weight with IVF too, I think it's pretty much expected. I think I was one of the few patients who lost weight with treatments, but only because I had such hormonal problems before I think even the insane dose of hormones normalized things in my body. After your pregnancy I'm sure your body will go back to your before IVF size!
A girl! A girl! Staying in the hotel sounds wonderful, especially after the crazy work hours you've been doing. I hope you get a chance to relax!

*lilacvioletiris* - It's so weird how weight redistributes itself during pregnancy! FOr me everything is getting smaller except my belly and my boobs, which are HUGE now. I bet you have the cutest baby belly with your twins!
I'm glad your DH's raise was approved! I hope your summer teaching goes well and the math consulting job comes through.

*happyhopeful* - I'm sorry things are such a roller coaster, but so great that there are plenty of good things going on. I hope you have a great celebration for your son's graduation!

*AFM -* 32 weeks tomorrow. Only 2 months to go!


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## happyhopeful

*Shesaid*!! Only 8 more weeks??!! That is just so exciting!! And, how fabulous that everything is going so well for you and your lil' one! And, thank you for the well-wishes!


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## suzie mccool

Lilac.. great news all round! That's funny - I always got starving hungry after midnight, so it must be earlier when it's twins lol!

Shesaidboom.. 8 weeks??! That's so close!! And lol.. my before IVF size would be a dream come true! I spent so many years wishing I was thin and tiny, and now I'm looking forward to being just a bit tubby! Hahaha!!

Happyhopeful.. what fantastic age gaps you have with your children  My DS is just starting to put his resume into the local shops for his first after school job. I'm so proud 

Guppy.. How did your baby shower go? I prob won't have one, so I can live vicariously through everyone elses 

AFM.. My awesome tech at the 3D scan said I can pop in tomorrow for a (FREE!!) scan to confirm the sex! I won't get photos or anything, as it's just a pop in visit, but how nice is that? She said the thought of me waiting til 26 weeks was cruel... It is an hour and a half drive away, but I'm so grateful and happy! AND the baby actually started moving during the last couple of days! Finally!! I was trying not to worry, but... yeah it's a great relief


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## happyhopeful

Hi *McCool* How great/sweet/kind/generous is that of the 3D place and tech!! I'm excited for you! We had the Panorama bloodwork done,(I think it's similar to the Harmony one that I keep seeing people discuss) and I will know next week, not only the predicted overall health of the baby, but also the sex and I AM sooooo excited/anxious/desperate to know! It's so silly too because up until I was told that the bloodwork would also tell us the sex, I was totally content on waiting till the end of July to find out!

*AFM-* My son's graduation celebration was fun and simple- he wanted just family, pizza, wings,mozzarella sticks, and soda- bless his heart, because I was totally prepared to go all out, and I know I would've overspent, over thought, and overexerted myself to make it what I thought would be great. Meanwhile, we had so much fun last night and it was soo relaxed! I've also just had 30 hours (and counting) of feeling consistently good both physically and emotionally, and while they might seem small to some, for me this is huge and it feels sooo darn good. I'm savoring every second. Lastly, weight gain....uh, yeah...I am, ummm...totally 22lbs heavier than when I started this IVF cycle..and hoping that I too will have this fabulous "redistribution" of those pounds to solely my belly and breast, but so far it's more like- belly, breasts, thighs, calves, bottom, upper arms, and even my face is lookin a lil bit round. Oh, well- considering I would've walked through fire to have this baby, I'll live with the weight gain.


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## suzie mccool

Hey all 

I am really having a girl!! I even a ridiculously inscrutable picture to prove it LOL. So glad I don't have to cancel all my laybys...hahaha!

Happyhopeful.. waiting is the worst! But so glad you're feeling so much better. I totally hear you on the weight gain too. I look entirely different in the face, my watch is too tight and I had to buy a cheap wedding ring to fit my swollen finger to stop nosy customers from assuming we are closing the shop because we broke up... I actually bought one in the next size up as well, to accommodate the next 3 or 4 months of swelling too  I don't mind all looking so bloated - it took longer to get pregnant with this peanut than it took to lose the weight I gained with DS, so I already know I can deal with it. Totally worth a bit of a body adaption to get a baby!!


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## happyhopeful

YAY!!! A GIRL!!! AND AN AWESOME YELLOW NURSERY WAITING FOR HER!!!  I'm so happy the scan showed you this time! I know you probably just want to yell it from the rooftops!! It's so funny how there really are 2 distinct groups- those of us who want/must/have to know the sex and those who do not under any circumstances want to know.

p.s. I too see a faux wedding band in my future


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## rcr

yay suzie! Glad you finally found out!!


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## lilacvioletiris

Suzie that is cool that you have confirmation on your little girl's gender. Tonight I saw a couple with boy girl twins ata restaurant. Makes me want twins of a boy girl mix too.

On the issue of swollen, a couple weeks ago I put on a pair of capris that were a bit big in the waist-last night I tried them on and there isno gaposis attke waist anymore. Weight wise I haven't changed but my belly sure is swelling.


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## suzie mccool

We were so excited after that scan we painted the nursery purple yesterday.. oh. but you should see my dining room now all the junk room has been transported into it! We will be eating dinner off of our laps for a while... LOL. It's good to see what a fabulous hoarder I've been though, and finally has spurned me to get rid of the (useless and un-tunable) piano that takes up so much space. Stay tuned as I transform into an organised person  bahahaha..

Oh, and the doctor has tentatively booked me for a c-section on October 14th! Still debating whether to try again at natural birth, but my last one was a bit of a disaster with DS so nobody is trying too hard to convince me - not even my midwife, after reading my file LOL


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## shesaidboom

*happyhopeful* - yep, only 8 more! I can't believe we're getting so close.
I would want to know asap too. It's amazing what they can do with a blood test these days.
I'm so glad you had a great night. Your DS sounds wonderful!

I started out very overweight with hormonal issues that made it really hard to lose weight at all, which I think is the only reason I have. It's funny because pregnancy messes with hormones but mine were so out of whack that they seem much more normal now. Either way, it's totally worth it for the babies we will all get  My huge belly is sort of making up for it, it is definitely getting uncomfy now.

*suzie* - That's so awesome of the ultrasound tech. Hurray for feeling movements too! And a girl!! I bet the junk in the dining room is worth all the fun you'll have decorating her nursery.

*lilac -* boy/girl twins would be nice!

*AFM -* I started packing our hospital bag today and am getting very excited. I know I'll probably be sitting around at 41 weeks wondering when this baby will finally come out, but I want to be prepared. I've been feeling braxton hicks contractions. Birdie has his butt tucked up under my rib cage on one side, which is making it uncomfortable to sit most of the time, but I guess that means he's growing well. Just a few things left to do now and a couple bits and pieces to get and we'll be ready. This weekend I plan to wash all our baby clothes/diapers/sheets/etc. I realized we went a little overboard with the baby clothes (mostly thrifted so I don't feel too badly).

I hope all the new mamas, mamas to be, and mamas that soon will be mamas to be are doing well! Have a good weekend.


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## lilacvioletiris

Suzie, purple is such a fun color. Before I got married 3 years ago all of my bedroom accessories were purple. It was pretty. I am sure your little girl's room will be adorable.

My mom had a baby shower for me in Wi this weekend. It was fun. I got several packages of diapers - since it was a diaper shower and one person made me an all boy package stuff in sizes newborn to 12 months -all new stuff she never used. Another lagy gave me a garbage bag and a diaper box full of adorable preowned clothes most of which I will keep even though theyare preowned. Another couple ladies got me matching giraffe yellow sleepers. Then presents of money which I will use to buy fabric for curtains.


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## toothfairy2be

I'm leaving you all again to enter the wild world of recurrent pregnancy loss testing. Wishing you all the best & hoping to find the other side in the near future. <3


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## hope4light

TF I am so so sorry, this is,so unfair. Please take care of yourself and know that you are in my t&p's. Big big hugs. I wish I could say more but I know there are no words that will help.


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## wissa19

Stalking ---

Shesaidboom - So excited for you!! You never know when the baby will come, so it never hurts to be prepared. However, my general rule for going into labor is that it will happen at the most inconvenient time. Can't wait hear all about your little when it comes!!

TF2B - I'm so sorry for your loss. I know that's small comfort, but I'm thinking about you.

mccool -- Noticed the c-section date...which is when my DD will turn 1. She was a repeat c-section as my first was a surprise breech. I tell everyone the 2nd c-section was the way to go and I'm so glad I never went into labor for that VBAC!


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## shesaidboom

Cait - I'm so, so sorry. I hope you are able to get some answers. I am thinking of you <3

Wissa - thank you <3


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## rcr

TF - I am sorry. I am so so sorry.


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## rcr

I think that I am going to have to tell people at work that I am pregnant. I have been holding out as long as I can, but I am really starting to look pregnant. Last night I ran into a co-worker, and I think he noticed. I think that I will wait until after my MW appointment on Sat. just to make sure everything is ok. I have been dreading this for a long time. ugh.

Wissa - nice to see you pop in. Hi!


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## happyhopeful

HI All!! *SheSaid*- I'm so excited for you and I can only imagine how sweet it must have felt preparing the baby's room!!! *Lilac*- wow! Sounds like your baby shower was a great success, and it must be nice knowing so early on that you're already somewhat prepared *RCR*- I too am completely dreading telling my job especially since I'm the only female and the only one that has to worry about job security- I'm telling them when I return from vacation on July 10th. Ugh!! Please let me know how it goes for you- sending you lots of strong, calming, vibes! *McCool*- loving the purple room and I am totally going to be in the same boat as you, being that the soon to be baby's room is right now a storage room for everybody's _______ and I know that one day in my not too distant future, I'll be moving it all out into the dining room! *TF*- I am so sorry for your loss and admire the strength you're mustering to get right back to trying. As you know, many of us here too have had to do the same and I hope you feel our love and empathy.

*AFM*- Major whirlwind in the last 24 hours...first 12 hours- changed my Master's program at school from a MA in Health and Wellness Coaching to a MS in Health Promotion...in the next 6 hrs- found out the results from Panorama blood work: all the blood worked looked (and this is a quote) fabulous!! AND, we are having a GIRL!!!....Last 6 hours- found out that my 20 year old stepdaughter is PREGNANT AND DUE 2 WEEKS after me....still in shock...


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## shesaidboom

*lilac* - sounds like your shower was great and you really got a lot of things to help out. Most of my little bird's clothes are pre-owned thrift store things, but all in great shape. We saved a lot of money that way. I love pre-owned!

*rcr* - sorry you have to deal with telling co-workers. Hopefully you'll feel relieved once it's out of the bag and over with.

*happyhopeful* - Congrats on your little GIRL! I'm glad all your blood work was great.
How are you feeling about your stepdaughter's pregnancy? Does she live with you and DH?

I hope everyone else is doing well. The new mamas must be so busy.

*AFM* - I had a follow-up ultrasound on Monday to check the placenta (it was laying low on previous ultrasounds) and the posterior horns in Birdie's brain since they were in the upper limits of normal last time. Everything looked good, posterior horns are fine and the placenta moved a lot so we're good for a vaginal birth. I brought my mom to the ultrasound since DH couldn't get time off work and she was feeling up to it. She was really happy to see him and it lifted her spirits for the rest of the day, which was nice.
I snapped this picture of my dog cuddling my belly while I was laying on my parents' couch. She does this a lot now, her legs "hugging" my belly and her chin resting on the middle..


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## lilacvioletiris

toothfairy sorry to hear that your FET little one didn't take hold for the long haul. I hope your doctors are able to find some answers.

happyhopeful congrats on the little girl! So exciting!

shesaidboom, love the photo of your doggy hugging your belly. Very cute.

AFM, going in for my next prenatal appointment after a bleeding scare on Monday. Spent 7 hours in ER on Monday (2.5 hours waiting to be seen ended up drinking 3 bottles of water during that time and cramping stopped). I had vaginal bleeding after a stiff bowel movement at 4 p.m. on Monday. DH didn't get home until 6:15 pm since he had stopped at school to do some work after his job (usually he gets home at 5 pm). I was having cramping and pressure, so OB had said go to the emergency room. The bleeding had stopped by the time DH got home but because he is B+ blood and I am O- blood we went to the emergency room any way to get the rhogam shot and make sure babies were okay. The ultrasound (which was at 10:45 pm!) showed that everything was okay and that from the pictures there was no reason for the bleeding. Getting the rhogham shot didn't happen until 1:30 a.m. because the bloodbank wanted to make sure I was still Rh negative even though I had just been tested 25 days ago at my first OB appointment. They also did some testing to make sure I wouldn't react to the rhogam. Finally at 2 a.m. we were able to go home. DH didn't go to work the Tuesday and I had a sub for my summer school teaching that day and basically slept the day away. I am hoping that all is well at my OB appointment today as well. There hasn't been any blood since Monday but I am afraid to have a bowel movement for fear more will come. I have been drinking LOTS of water to make sure my bowel movements move loosely through.


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## lilacvioletiris

Well, my ob appointment was very underwhelming. The doctor answered all my questions but all that happened was they did a dipstick test to check for protein and sugar in my urine, took my blood pressure, weighed me (I only gained a pound from my last appointment a month ago), and did a heart beat check. Does that sound about right for a second ob visit? It lasted all of 15 minutes tops. She figured the blood was just from the stiff bowel movement and seemed unconcerned.

I have an appointment with a dietician. I want to make sure that I am eating the best for two babies. OB Dr. seems unconcerned that I am not gaining any weight but from what I have read I should be gaining a bit more

My appointment for the gender scan is July 26 at 9:15 a.m. I can't wait! I have been told not to urinate an hour before the exam. What good will that do?


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## suzie mccool

Lilac.. that's so scary! A similar thing happened to me at 17 weeks and that shot was pretty terrible! Mine was well after 1am too, so I feel for you! Glad you got a day of rest in, and that all is well x

Shesaidboom.. so so cute!! It's funny, they say your pets know you're pregnant and want to do things like that to be close to you and the baby. So cool your mum got to come to the u/s with you. That's really special 

Happyhopeful... Yay for a girl!! So exciting!  My great baby group friend from my DS's early years had her baby a few weeks before her daughter had twins, and they are still such great friends they're more like a gaggle of 3 brothers than uncle and nephews. And it makes family things so much more fun for the kids when they have someone their own age to play with. I know Mary struggled with not being able to be such a great support when all the babies were born, having her own newborn to cope with, but seriously, they have such a great family unit now.

rcr.. you made me laugh a little bit. i thought EVERYONE who saw me knew, but when I finally did announce at 20 weeks everyone was surprised - most people thought I just put on a bit of weight, but I seriously thought it was so obvious! Good luck when you do announce at work though.

AFM... I'm wide awake at 3am because we actually sold our shop!! I'm so excited/relieved that the adrenaline is a bit mad atm.. The things this mean to us are phenomenal, because we've lived on the edge of financial strife for ages, and suddenly we can afford to get our heating fixed and a new stove/fridge and stuff! AND now we don't have to dismantle the store and dump all the racks and fittings, and fill our shed with thousands of CDs and DVDs. Words cannot ever come close to how much this will change our lives! Crazy happy!!







And to make it all even more awesome, this little baby has really started moving and jabbing in the last 2 weeks, which is a massive relief every time! I think she is going to be a ballerina with boxing skills at this stage


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## wissa19

Hi - RCR I stalk you too...I have to keep up with the ladies that were a part of my infertility journey.


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## lilacvioletiris

Suzie, the actual rhogam shot wasn't too bad. My OB says I will still need another one at 28 weeks which is a bummer. I know I need another shot after birth but I thought one before hand was sufficient, but no such luck.


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## vireoes

Sorry I haven't been on much lately. We have been really busy with trying to clean up and get anything done about the move before the baby makes his appearance. Less than a month to go now. We are mostly done with things. Now we just need to finalize the bag for the birth center and our birth plan. Once that is done this weekend, it should be a pretty quiet couple of weeks waiting for the arrival of the little man. I am definitely feeling the last month, with more heartburn, lack of energy, swollen feet, etc. DD is definitely ready for the little one to arrive so I can act more normal again. I have been following everyonies journey when I can and will try to write more after we finish up with the last of the preparations this weekend. It is nice to see so much space in the house again, it feels like there is space for a new person now.


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## kewpie80

Toothfairy - I'm so sorry.  I hope you are able to find some answers


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## Maria Lea

I'm so excited to say that I'm at 7.5 wks with my first child. This was my first time doing IVF and I'm so thankful to be pregnant! I'm also glad to have this website to read about all the things on my mind. Thanks!


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## suzie mccool

Hi Maria  Huge congrats on first time success!!! That's so lucky







Everyone here has been really helpful to me - and welcome!

Little update.. am getting very conflicted opinions from the doctor and midwife about when to schedule my c-section.. doctor says 39 weeks, midwife says 38 to avoid going into labour, as that will definitely end in an emergency c-section anyway. Not sure how hard to argue the point with the doctor, but I have an appointment in 2 days so any input from anyone would be hugely appreciated!

I have really bad blood pressure issues, which were the cause of my last c-section, and this time around it's much worse much earlier, so I'm a bit concerned that this is being swept under the rug by my doctor.. Sadly, I'm in the public health sector, so I haven't got a choice of doctor to maybe see someone with more understanding.. besides that, feeling awesome!!

Hope you are all well and happy!!


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## lilacvioletiris

Maria, welcome, this is a great group of ladies who have gone through all sorts of paths that included ivf. My DH and I struggled with such severely low sperm counts -the highest they ever found in one sample was 25 sperm- that we had to use ivf with intracytoplasmic sperm injection. On our first try, I got pregnant with twins. We have 11 embryos that are frozen so if we want more than 2children we can have them with a frozen embryo transfer. We plan to donate our excess embryos once we know we are done having children. For know we are excitely waiting to find out our twins genders on Friday July 26. What is your story?


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## lilacvioletiris

Suzie, when did you Go into labor with your last child? Maybe use that as a guide to plan when to schedule it.


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## suzie mccool

LOL Lilac.. I wish that would help.. I never went into labour naturally. When I was 2 weeks 5 days overdue I was induced, but still took nearly 2 days for that to kick in, and then went into labour for 2 more days until I had the c-section. There was nothing straight forward about my last labour at all.


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## lilacvioletiris

Bummer suzie. Only thing this first time momma to be could think of.

AFm, I am so glad to be home where it is air conditioned. The overly hot vacation wasn't so much fun. Did the Canadian vacation to see parents in law that I like but could have done without seeing SIL who doesn't like me - I think she is jealous that I have a great husband, marriage, and now babies on the way. I was glad to be home.


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## vireoes

Welcome Maria. Congrats on your pregnancy, hopefully it will be a smooth journey for you.

Suzie congrats on the sale of your store, that must be such a relief. Why the rush for the c-section? If you were late last time why not go with 39 weeks so you are sure the baby is as ready as possible as long as you are still doing okay. You can always move it up if you see signs of early labor or you are not doing well. Gosh it is so hard to know what is best ahead of time isn't it.

Shesaidboom-so wonderful your mom was able to go with you to the ultrasound and that you are all clear for a vaginal delivery. How are the last minute preparations coming.

Lilac- so exciting to have your scan coming up so you know what you are having. Somehow that made it more real for me and I was better able to start visualizing life with our little one.

AFM-We did our strep test and that was negative, so everything is looking good. We are nearly at 38 weeks, so we are excited to meet the little guy soon. I think we have everything ready. Just doing a bit of final cleaning so the room is ready to host my mom who is coming to help watch DD during the delivery and first couple of weeks. I am definitely ready to have my body back, starting to really feel this pregnancy.


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## guppyluv

Hi All. Good to catch up with you all. I've been offline - my parents have moved in to help and I'm on strict bed rest now. It's exhausting - if that's possible.

Suzie- they scheduled my C at 37 weeks I laughed - no way that's happening with these trips. I was told they have to schedule it that far in advance to have something on the books but they realize I may not get there. My BP is really creeping up but no preE yet -- just high #s. I hope they can sort it out. Can you let it slide for now and try to move it when you get further along?

Maria - welcome!!!

Lilac - cant wait to hear your scam results! Do you have any guesses??

Vireoes- 38 w!! So close. Looking forward to hearing your birth story









AFM -Am 25 weeks now-praying to make it to 30 at least... (Prefer 33++ but something's are conspiring against!) Just had steroid shot #1 today second tomorrow. Can't sleep for shit and legs cramping and some intense contractions as a result. Sucks big time. But hopefully it will calm down soon. I was forewarned this might happen. Babies were ok this am. I wish I had a scan tomorrow. Total nervous nelly. I have a Doppler so I can check on Hbs at home so will check in the AM after getting some sleep...My BP is high so I estimate some meds in my near future to control it.

Sorry I haven't been online in a while. My folk are here (being great taking care of me but its exhausting in many ways) and I'm exhausted all the time but I do think about you all lots and try to stalk. Since I'm side sleeping 99% of time (most comfy right now) I find it hard to use my laptop and am confined to my iPhone. It works ok but hard to read sometimes when exhausted. I have great 3d images but don't know how I post from iPhone. Will try in separate post!


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## guppyluv

Lol Lilac - um, i meant scan!!! Results (darn auto correct!!) sigh...


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## Maria Lea

Thank you everyone for the warm welcome. Again, it's so nice to feel a part of a community that totally understands what I'm going through. I'm new to being a part of a forum like this as well and so far I'm glad my friend recommended it!

My husband & I tried actively for almost 3 yrs and we weren't very careful before that. We'd done some minimal testing and tried acupuncture before deciding to go to an IVF doctor. It seems that my husbands low sperm count & motility & my elevated immune system were the main reasons we weren't conceiving naturally. Through blood tests my doctor discovered that I have an elevated number of Natural Killer cells which may have been attacking my husband's sperm as it entered my body. He put me on a gluten & dairy free diet, an antibiotic and gave me multiple intralipid infusions (which I'm still doing). I'm currently 8 weeks pregnant and so so very thankful. I'm still on EV injections, a steroid, progesterone capsules and a combo prog/est suppository along with chlorophyll, EFA, pre-natal, aspirin, CoQ10 & a folic acid.

On another note, I had some very light pink spotting this am that has now disappeared but still a little scary. Overall I feel good and I have my first appt with my local birthing center in 2 weeks. I'm excited to begin the process of graduating from my IVF doc to the midwives. Phew, what a road.

Best of luck to the rest of you and thanks again for having me!


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## shesaidboom

*lilac* - thank you!
I'm so sorry you went through a bleeding scare. That must have been awful. I'm glad everything ended up ok.
That's always how my OB visits go unless I have questions or concerns.

*suzie* - they totally know something is up because both my dog and cat have been following me around even more than usual. Both have been sniffing my belly a lot. I call them my little protectors. Hopefully they'll actually like the baby when he's on the outside!
Congrats on selling your shop!! That's wonderful news. I'm so glad you can feel all the baby movements a lot more too. They feel so neat, don't they?
The conflicting opinions from the doctor and midwife about when to schedule sounds so frustrating. Can you try bringing up the blood pressure issues again with the doc? That's not something to mess around with. You'd think since you had bad BP issues last delivery that they'd want to book it earlier so you avoid having to go into labour and an emergency c-section, but maybe they're looking at how long you went last time.

*vireoes* - Oh my goodness you are so close! Of course you are busy right now. I'm sorry you're getting some icky symptoms, but glad everything is looking good. The picture is so cute!

*Maria Lea* - congratulations!! I am so glad that IVF worked for you and soon you will be graduating from the IVF dr. I love this group of ladies, and hope you do too. Everyone here is so supportive.

*guppyluv* - good to see you! I'm sending lots of good thoughts for you to make it to 30 weeks, that would be great. I'm sorry you're dealing with so many side effects and are uncomfy. I'm glad your folks are there to help, but I do understand why it would be tiring too. We'll be thinking of you and those triplets!

*AFM -* 5 more weeks to go! Thank goodness. I am getting very impatient waiting to meet this little guy. I'm still feeling good, but am feeling lots of Braxton Hicks contractions. The little guy is also getting not so little and he loves to stick his butt right into my rib cage on the left side. Not very comfy! I'm starting to get really irritable and moody, which I wasn't really through much of this pregnancy (I definitely was at the beginning). I have an OB appointment on Friday and am annoyed (HA!) because my OB is gone for all of July and I have to see someone else. I already feel like I don't really know her because appointments only ever last for 2 minutes and are so impersonal, and now I miss out on several appointments with her because she's away. I wish I had known this before my last appointment. I know it probably doesn't matter anyway since I'm not guaranteed to deliver with my OB if she's not on call when I go into labour, but there is something to be said for continuity of care. Next time I'm calling a midwife with a "I'm transfering an embryo on this date, hold a spot for me" so they're not full when I call. Our doula cancelled several weeks back, but a family friend's daughter is a certified midwife in England (she's here temporarily) and will maybe consider being a doula for us. I hope she says yes because I have no idea where my state of mind will be during labour, and while DH is amazing, he's a pretty quiet guy so I don't know how he'll react either.


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## rcr

Hi all:

I have been reading along from my phone, but I don't get to a computer very often to post, because it is summer break and I am not at work.

Maria - welcome!

shesaid - sorry the doula canceled. That is a horrible thing to do. Hopefully the other one will come through. I loved having a doula when I had DS.

Guppy - so glad the babies seem to be staying out. Are your parents moving in for good, or just to help out for now?

Vieros - loved the picture!

Suzie - how did the appointment go?

Lilac - I just started gaining weight. I didn't gain any the whole first tri. I know it is different with twins though. How was the meeting with the dietatition go?

AFM - I have my 20-week scan on Friday!!!! We are finding out the gender. I can't wait!!!


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## lilacvioletiris

rcr, the meeting with the dietitian went well and my 3 meals with 3 snacks is right on with what she was recommending. She is going talk to another dietitian who deals with high risk mothers about the fact that my ob said to only gain 20 pounds with twins. Felt good that her recommendations matched what I have been doing. I was looking at this website today about "eating when pregnant" because I was curious the weight of things like the placenta and amniotic fluid - since I have two placentas (3-4 pounds), I want two babies at at least 6.5 pounds (13 pounds), amniotic fluid (3-4 pounds) and right there I am 20 pounds and that doesn't take into consideration increased blood volume (2 pounds), uterus (2 pounds), maternal breast tissue (2 pounds), and fluids stored in maternal tissue (4 pounds). That gets me to a total of 30 pounds. I figure my prepregnancy weight will cover the maternal fat and nutrient stores this page discusses http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/eatingfortwo.html

Frankly I just think my ob is uninformed about multiple gestation maternal nutrition. The number she quoted me was a the max for my bmi of a singleton pregnancy - not twins. But again I am going to eat well, eat when I am hungry, and stay away from junk food - fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts - I want my babies to have the best food possible in as unadulterated form as possible.

I can't wait to know if you are having a little girl or boy. Two more weeks until our anatomy scan - yeah!


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## suzie mccool

Shesaidboom.. 5 weeks!! Wow that's so so close now  Hope you get your doula sorted out soon, and I agree continuity of care is something so important, and I have also found it to be a bit lacking this time around.. I will definitely do things differently if I get lucky with my last embryo. (yep, already planning ahead lol)

Lilac.. It's great that you';re so informed about what you should be gaining, rather than let someone feed you the wrong information. Despite eating really healthily I feel like I've gained too much weight already, but my midwife has said it's all good and doesn't even weigh me! I guess there's not much more I can do than eat well and hope for the best 

Rcr.. I cannot believe you're 20 weeks already! Why is your pregnancy going so much faster than mine LOL! Have fun at the scan - and then shopping after when you find out the gender 

Guppy.. Great you have your parents moved in to help. Strict bed rest is pretty nasty, so it must be nice to have some company who want to look after you  I've decided to chill on the c-section date until later, like you said. I tend to get a bit obsessive in real life (ie, not pregnant) and can be a bit of a control freak, so having so little say in my own care is mega frustrating.... but again, being on public health kind of limits so much. I will get my midwife to simplify my last labour experience into notes on my file, so the next lazy doctor who can't be bothered reading the whole thing will be a little better informed. I think that's my main concern, nobody listens, and apparently my labour file is too big to read during a consult! Btw, sorry your sleep is so awful!!

Vireos.. Awesome your test came back all clear - 38 weeks!! It must be a huge relief to have your mum's help with DD for the first few weeks - and especially for the labour.

AFM.. 3 days of work left... a few weeks of training the new owners, then I'm free! Off for a week's holiday on the 22nd, so mega excited about a bath I can get into!! And last night I was laying on the couch and couldn't get up no matter what I tried! Bahahaha! I'm so graceful, like a swan says my DH.... (as he hefted me to my feet..) thank gosh we don't have bean bags!! LOL


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## happyhopeful

Hi Everyone!! I just got back from a much needed vacation and am soo happy to read everyone's good updates!

*Maria-* Welcome and so happy for you!! Don't fret over the spotting- it's only an issue when it doesn't stop- you are totally graduating!

*Lilac*- sounds like you know exactly what you are doing and maybe it's your doctor that's struggling with food issues!!

*RCR*- totally looking forward to hearing about your scan and to hear what you're having! Ours is next Friday and even though we know the gender, I still can't wait to see how much she's developed and to get to peer into her world in there!!









*SheSaid*- so thrilled for you that you are in the final stretch!! I hope your friend can be there as a midwife- it would be really nice and comforting to know that you'll have extra support in there! As for the OBGYN's office- I am totally with you- this is the most sensitive and important time for their patients and they should be reflecting that in the time and care they give to them!

*Guppy*- Sorry to read about how uncomfortable you are, and I'm hoping that like most steroids, once you're body adjusts (usually 3-5 days) you will be much more comfortable! Plus, you are totally going to make it to at least 30 weeks!! From all your posts, it shows that you have been doing everything needed to get there and now with some extra help from your folks, you'll reach that goal!! *Vireos*- It sounds like you are all types of ready!! That's great that your mom will be able to help out- I'm sure that's helping you feel prepared too. I hope you feel up to posting pictures of your lil' one- I'm just so excited to see all the lil' miracles that we are working on!

*McCool*- For the last 40 plus years, the same rule has applied for a singeton baby - ANY time between 38 weeks and 42 weeks will produce a healthy baby! I sincerely don't think that the week is going to make a difference- in any direction. If you feel better going early, just check yourself on in at 38 weeks and complain of serious cramps- they'll get you all set up









*AFM*- Definitely feeling better overall and really really looking forward to next Friday's in depth scan- I wish they would record it, so I could just watch it all the time.We had a great vacation and I was all pumped up to head into work and tell them that I'm pregnant, but an urgent meeting called them away from the office for the rest of the week! Ugh! I'm just so ready to go over this hurdle and deal with the outcome- hopefully, a really good outcome.


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## BucketOfRain

Hi everyone!

I just typed out a whole response in which I attempted to catch up and I somehow lost it, ugh... I think I sounded really whiney anyway so it's probably best that no one else has to read that, haha!

Vieroes: can't wait to hear an update on how you are doing, so close...ahhh, can you even believe it?

She said: you are so close as well, it's so crazy to me how fast these pregnancy a have gone although I know they have been filled with long days/weeks it still seems surreal to be this close to actually having our babies! I hope everything works out with the midwife.

Suzie: good luck with wrapping up work, it will be so nice to have some down time and a holiday will be sooo nice, enjoy that bath!!

Lilac: wow, it sounds like you are right on top of your nutritional needs, and what you should eat etc., doctors can be great for something's but sometimes it is shocking what they are uninformed about.

RCr: can't wait to hear you are having a boy or girl, good luck today!!

Maria: welcome and congratulations!

Guppy: I hope those babies are staying put in there! Thinking of you...

Hi to everyone else!

Afm: 37 weeks tomorrow! I am having a lot of cramping that I am not calling contractions but may very well be, haha...I figure they will either get a lot worse and all guessing will be gone or they will just stay as they are for the next few weeks, time will tell...feeling beyond tired as well. Not that she is complaining but I feel terrible for my dd, she has seen more television in the past few days then I even care to admit. It is supposed to cool down a bit today so some gardening and a trip to the park will hopefully both fit in, this heat is no joke, I just cannot function these days!


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## rcr

Just a quick post from my phone - it's a girl!!!


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## Vegan Princess

RCR: I'm soooo excited for you!!!! 

Cindy


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## toothfairy2be

rcr- yay! congrats!


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## lilacvioletiris

Excellent rcr! Very exciting news to have a little girl!


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## tracyamber

Congrats rcr!!! how exciting.


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## blueyezz4

Yay RCR!!!! So exited for you that it's a girl! Were you leaning one way or another in your own thoughts?? Now you will have the "perfect" family as they say ... One of each!!

I've been meaning to catch up and hopefully will be able to more next wk. it's a crazy busy wkend for us. More to come but know I'm reading along and excited for all the BFP's.


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## vireoes

Congrats RCR

Buckets-So excited for you, we will both have our little ones to hold soon. My DD has had much more screen time than usual lately as well. I try not to worry about it since we just need to get through the next little bit and it is not a normal thing for us. Sometimes I am just too tired for anything else. It is extra hot over here so that does not help us getting out either.

Guppy-thinking about you. Fingers crossed that all those baby stay put for a while longer. Glad your parents are there to help you, even though help always brings its own challenges.

shesaidboom- I hope it works out with the midwife, so you can have a doula present. The only doula in our area is out of town when we are due. Same thing happened with DD, but the hubby stepped up pretty well. It really sucks that is is so hard to find a good doctor/midwife to deliver with. We like our facility and our doctor is okay, but not amazing.

Lilac-Glad you had a good meeting with the dietician. Sounds like you have a solid plan for your nutrition. The doctors don't always seemed to be the best informed on this topic and I think everyone's body responds differently. If I don't get enough calories in I feel awful, other people don't seem to be able to eat at all.

Suzie-I hope you have a wonderful vacation.

Happy-I hope the scan goes well. My husband snuck some video in during ours even though they do not allow it. He just pretended to be taking lots of stills shots which were allowed.

AFM-38.5 weeks now. My mom arrives in just under a week. No signs of early labor so I think we will make it till her arrival. DD seems pretty happy about the baby coming soon, she was going back and forth about it for a while. The time seems really long now, since we are not getting out that much and have everything as ready as we can. I am keeping some of the baby stuff put away so that DD doesn't jump all over it.


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## rcr

Blue - nice to see you here. It has been a while. Yes, I was really hoping for a girl. I didn't really admit it to anybody when they asked, because I didn't want to let myself be dissappointed if it was a boy, but yea, I am really happy that it is a girl.

Vieros - Wow, good luck! Glad the baby seems to be staying put until your mom arrives.

AFM - DH finally told his parents today that I am pregnant. They were excited. I told a few people who didn't already know too. I still haven't told my dad, and I don't really have any other family. I am totally looking pregnant, but I was so worried about telling too soon that we waited a really long time. I still haven't told my work yet! agh! I was planning to a few weeks ago but I chickened out. I know they will be annoyed - not that there is anything that they will do or say. I am off for the summer, so they haven't seen y growing belly. Every time I go to the grocery store I am afraid of running into somebody from work. I really need to tell them.


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## lilacvioletiris

rcr, I hope you get to tell your work associates on your terms, not just "oops met you in the store".

AFM, dh got in a "must clean everything really well before the babies come". I think he is nesting more than I am. He totally cleaned the garage, put some shelves in order there, and took all the stuff I had brought home from my teaching job that I won't be using for a couple years and put it out on the shelves with the help of my brother. It was crazy hot but I agree the garage looks amazing and having the basement empty to make room for putting my brother's bed down there (he is currently in our spare room that will be the babies room and we only have 2 rooms). My brother is really relaxed about it, "Oh, yeah, I knew I would have to give up the spare bedroom soon so you could get prepared for the babies." Next up on DH's list is cleaning out the attic. I need to be more involved in that though because DH tried to put to the curb some stuff that holds sentimental value for me and isn't just "junk".


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## hope4light

rcr - yeah for a girl!! ssb and vireos - I can't believe how close you both are! Can't wait to hear the exciting news and birth stories! Sorry, between work and the kiddos I've been insanely busy, and haven't had much time to post. But please know that I'm reading along and always thinking of you guys!! Congrats to our new members on their BFP's!! edited because i'm a big loser and might have made sourire cry... i'm so sorry honey :-(


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## Sourire

Hope - I'm not sure who you meant by sourire but its clearly not me.


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## happyhopeful

Hi All!! I just told the job and it went pretty well, but a little awkward...they're all men, so I guess I should've anticipated mixed responses. No one gave me a negative response per say, but I did get a couple that went pretty much "oooooh, nooooh, yeah? Oh, yeah? okay, okay, no, i mean this is good- congratulations" . Yes, as I stated, awkward.


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## rcr

Happy - congrats. Telling work can be really hard. I am dreading it.


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## suzie mccool

Happy... LOL.. Men are just awesome at stuff like that! (not) Where ladies are immediately overjoyed on your behalf, and ask all the "right questions", men come up with the most awkward and "wrong" responses. I've had "gee, that's bad luck" when I tell customers we were selling the shop because of the baby! As well as "I thought you were just getting fat"... yup. Men..


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## Tear78

RCR, yay for exciting news!!! I'm so happy to read your updates!


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## shesaidboom

*rcr* - Hurray for a girl! That's so exciting.
I agree, I hope you get to tell your work on your terms. Even if they are annoyed, they really have no reason to be. This is a very good thing, obviously!

*lilac* - glad your dietician meeting went well. Your plan sounds good of eating well, when you're hungry, and trying to stay away from junk food sounds good. That's what I've been doing all pregnancy and not worrying too much about the scale numbers.
You must be so excited about the anatomy scan! I can't wait to read what you're having.
I wish my DH would nest like yours. That would be wonderful! I'm glad things are looking good.

*suzie* - it does seem really close. I keep alternating between really nervous and just wanting this pregnancy thing to be over with so I can have the baby. I'm sorry you're dealing with a lack of continuity of care too. I agree that I'll be doing things differently if we get lucky again.
We are all so graceful during pregnancy, right? I like to say pregnancy is so glamorous with all the gross and weird things that happen!

*happyhopeful* - glad you were able to have a vacation and that you're feeling better!
Thanks for your support and kind comments. I really hope our friend can be there to have extra support, like you said.
I'm glad telling your work went well. So funny that some men were so awkward about it, but at last it's out there!

*bucketofrain* - 37 weeks! That's so exciting. I'm with you on the heat, it has been awful. Today was about 40 degrees here (celsius, about 104 fahrenheit) and I could not handle it.
It really does feel surreal to be this close. Time crawled for the first 20 weeks, but now it seems to be flying by.

*blueyezz* - can't wait for an update from you! I hope everything is going well.

*vireoes* - That's too bad that the only doula is out of town again. I feel about the same way you do about our doctor. She's ok, but not great. Hopefully my hubby steps up like yours.
I can't believe how close some of us are getting! You're so so so close. Glad that DD is happy about the baby coming now!

*hope4light* - Good to see you! I hope that even though you've been so busy that things are going well.

*AFM -* still feeling pretty good aside from not wanting to go out much because of the heat. It has been so hot here lately! I'm never good at summer weather. Birdie has been stretching lots since I imagine room is getting pretty scarce in there. I get a little sore because he pushes up into my ribs. He's also started doing this weird thing where it feels like he's scratching at my uterus (haha, he just started doing it right now as I typed this). I say he is trying to claw his way out. Kinda tmi, but I've been getting a lot of mucus-y discharge so maybe things will go a little early? Maybe not. I've read that lots of women lose their mucus plug weeks before giving birth. I need to mention it to the doc when I see her later this week. Any experience with this kind of thing? I'm getting a lot of what I think are Braxton Hicks. I guess I better finish up the last few things we need to do before baby, like getting that car seat into the car!

We're having a bit of drama with the in-laws. They want to buy us a present for the baby, but one of the "main" things we will need and will use every day. The problem is we've already gotten everything because we didn't want to leave things to the last minute in case the baby came early. We would mention any time we were going to buy anything, but they didn't offer a gift until now. I gave a few suggestions of things we could use but they didn't go for any of them. I also suggested getting something we could keep at their place to use when we're over there, but they didn't like that either. His mom is also upset that I haven't included her enough, but I always try to give her updates on the baby when I see her and have asked her to come shopping with me (she didn't want to). Not sure how to fix this one. Hopefully they'll get over it. They may still be upset with us over a comment hubby made on them smoking and him not wanting smokers around the baby. It's too bad because I love my in-laws and we've always gotten along great.


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## lilacvioletiris

shesaidboom, sorry to hear that you are having weird interactions with your in-laws. The smoking comment may have something to do with it but honestly it just seems that some people just want to be contrary. When they can't have it "their way", they basically throw an adult tantrum by not giving what they said they would. It sounds like you are doing the right thing - inviting them to be involved and telling them as much information as you think is useful. Keep loving them anyway. Some people you just can't please no matter what and your state of mind needs to be in the best place as you prepare for your little one to join you in the world.

AFM, I think I felt my babies yesterday, actually it does feel a little like they were scratching/tickling the inside of my uterus. Weirdest feeling ever. I am sure I will start to feel them more. The other day it felt like one of them was trying to push out the left bottom side of my uterus, while the other was headed out the right top. The one baby at the top was really hurting me - felt like too much pressure on my liver. I know they are taking up space inside and pushing my internal organs around. I just have to get used to the "new normal".


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## happyhopeful

*She Said*- you sound like you're all set for the baby, but maybe not for the in-laws  I would suggest telling them/paraphrasing to them what you wrote- that you really love them and want them to feel a part of it all, you're just a little lost about how to do it- this way, you're vulnerable and it doesn't put them on the defense and it shows just how much you really value them. As far as something you "could use every day"- DIAPERS!! I mean if that's how they phrased their desire,"to get you something you will use daily" then that would be a huge help. However, if they're looking for something more sentimental- what about a new camera and/or camcorder? This way you can take great shots to share with them? Anyway, the main thing is to keep focused on all the positives and all the love you have for your family and the anticipation of lil birdie's arrival!! p.s. With my son I lost my mucous plug 2 hours before I went into active labor

*McCool*- Thanks for the cheers and wow, some people- right?! Hope you're in the midst of enjoying your down time!!

*RCR*- Thank you for the support and at least now it's out there!! I just said to himself "Just state 5 words: I have news, I'm pregnant" and then from there, it is what it is!! GOOD LUCK!!! Sending lots and lots of courageous vibes!

*Buckets and Vireos*: YAY!!! You guys are soooo close!! Can't wait to read names, weight, and mama's health!!

*Lilac*- Due to a conflict at work, I moved my anatomy scan to next Friday, so we'll both be going on the 26th- I'm just so anxious to see my little one and very excited for you to find out what you're having!! Do you have any feeling one way or another? p.s. totally jealous of the nesting husband!!

*AFM*- Just happy to have told the job and now can focus on baby baby baby- I spent a good 2 hours this afternoon planning out how I want her room to look...mmmm, can't wait to put these ideas into action!!


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## lilacvioletiris

happyhopeful, I am hoping for a boy and a girl. I have been calling the baby on the right by our girl name and the baby on the left by our boy name. I will just have to wait to find out. My appointment is at 9:15 on July 26. What time is your appointment?


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## happyhopeful

*Lilac*- I LOVE that you're calling them by names and that they have their own territories! So sweet! My appointment is at 2:30, so I'll definitely be checking for updates from you before it!


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## blueyezz4

Hello all!!!! Finally finding the time to try and post here. The babe is taking a nap in his crib. Doesn't happen very often but I'm trying to make a point of it.

*happy* - Hope your anatomy scan appt goes well on the 26th!!! I'll be excited to hear! That is always a fun one but i remember being a little nervous too!!! I forget if you said you are finding out what you are having or not?? I'm too much of a planner not to find out so we had too... DH wanted to know too. Hope you got the room figured out. I thought that was fun.

*Lilac* - fingers crossed for you to get your boy and girl!! That would be great then you would get that "perfect" family as they call it!!!! Whatever... healthy babies is the most important i'm sure but I always had in the back of my mind what sex i really wanted.

*Shesaid* - Wow, where has the time gone!!!! So excited you are so close!!! I feel the same way about smoking and it really scares me to have my babe around people that smoke. Even if they don't smoke around him it still can be on their clothes and i know that isn't good for babes either. Ugh!!! Hope you get the whole doula thing.

*Vireos* - that's great that your mom is coming! I'm sure it will be great to have the extra help w/your DD.

*Tear* - good to see your name. How is life w/ 2 kids??? Hope you are all well.

*Suzie* - wow, 25 wks that is awesome or maybe you are 26 now. Hope you are feeling well and getting things figured out w/ the shop and it all went smooth.

*Hope* - hope things are going well for you!!!! You sound super busy w/ work and kids!!! Hope life is treating you well and you have fully adjusted!!

*rcr* - still so excited for you!!!! Yay for little girls!!!! Hope you continue to feel good and good luck w/ telling your coworkers. I'm sure they will be happy for you. What do you plan to do about your job? Can you take some time off or what will you do?

*Bucket* - I'm not even pregnant and this heat is getting to me. My extra BF hormones don't help either b/c i feel warm all the time anyways. Ugh!! Hope you are feeling well other than that.

*Maria* - Welcome!!!!! Did the spotting stop?? Hope all is okay.

*Hi to everyone else!!! I'm sure I missed some... sorry I was just looking on this one page and I can't get back to the one before this one or I'll lose what I already typed.*

*AFM* - the babe just woke up and is for some reason being clingy for the first time, which in some ways is so sweet, but i really wanted to finish this post and i also have to make dinner so it will be a challenge (the dinner part). Anyways, Caden is such a sweet boy and such an easy baby so far... we are so lucky and blessed. He really has fit right into our lifestyle and it's so fun to take him everywhere we go. I have just learned to time everything around his feedings which is every 3 hrs. I'm loving being a mom!!!!!! He is 14wks now and growing. We are so in love and wouldn't change anything. (I had to finish this after dinner b/c I ran out of time).

*??? for those who have had babies....*

1.Did any of you get night sweats after having a baby?? Last night both my top and pj shorts was drenched last night. I had to get up and change my pjs in the middle of the night. I'm assuming it is from hormones and breastfeeding.

2. How long did it take for you to get your AF back even w/ breastfeeding??? I was kinda thinking last week that I might be pregnant again (that would totally be our luck to get pregnant right off the bat after all our struggles and all.... LOL ) b/c i was having all of these symptoms that seemed like pregnancy again, but I'm thinking that it might have been that maybe I was Ovulating or just a hormone shift who knows.

Was thinking that I had another question, but i'm drawing a blank right now.


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## Vegan Princess

Blue: I love reading mom posts from you! I'm typing with a sleeping babe on my back. She fell asleep while i was cooking dinner (missed her afternoon nap bc we were doing things for big sis, oops). Anyway, when baby is clingy and you need to cook - don't forget about baby wearing! It's way easier once they can go on your back. Anyway, I had those night sweats but only right after birth. I am sure your hormones are still changing though and I wouldn't be surprised if the sweats are part of that. And OMG did you take a test? A gal I know from another board who went through IUI and multiple IVF to finally have her baby found herself pregnant by surprise 3 months after giving birth! As for AF - everyone is so different. Some women don't get it for the entire time they are nrusing and some get it right away despite. I take a medicine to increase my milk supply that also prevents ovulation so no af for me until I stop the meds. I got it back when I stopped the meds at 14 mos with my first. No idea when I would have gotten it otherwise. Fine by me. 

Cindy


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## shesaidboom

*lilac* - thank you for the advice, you're absolutely right. I especially like the "keep loving them anyway" part. That is very important.
Aww that does sound like baby movement! It's very tickly at first. I wonder what it's like for twins in there, trying to get the best spot. I bet there will be lots of movement between the two of them! I'm also hoping that you get your boy and girl.

*happyhopeful* - that sounds about right! Thank you for the advice, you ladies here are so helpful. I'll definitely explain it just like you said. We're cloth diapering (which they're not happy about either) so unfortunately diapers are out. That would have been a great idea! Thanks for sharing about the mucous plug too. I've noticed that not many women talk about that part so I have no idea what to expect.
It must be so nice to have that hurdle of telling the job over with! I bet her room will be great.

*blueyezz* - Thank you, I hope so too. The smoking does make me nervous. I'm letting hubby take the lead on that part because he feels even more strongly about it since his parents smoked around him when he was a little guy and he has always been upset about that.
I'm so glad to hear more about Caden and your life after baby, even if it is crazy busy. I've heard of more than a few instances where a previously infertile couple got pregnant by surprise right after the first baby. Hard to believe after everything they had to go through the first time!

*AFM -* going to an OB appointment tomorrow afternoon. I've gained three pounds or so the past two weeks, so I'm a bit nervous. I hadn't gained anything before that this pregnancy, so I know three pounds is no big deal, it just seems like a very short period of time to gain it in. Hopefully it's just the baby getting bigger and isn't a problem.


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## Tear78

Blue, I got my period about a month ago. Hrmph! Lol... That being said, your hormones could totally be normalizing. Don't be shocked when your hair starts coming out like nuts. It doesn't hurt to test though


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## blueyezz4

LOL... Yes to answer all of your questions, i have taken 4 $ store tests so far and all have been negative.

*Vegan* - thanks!! I do have a Maya wrap but i'm still trying to get it right. I also have been having back issues since the birth (bulging disc) so having the carrier on makes my back hurt most of the time unfortunately. I'd love to use it more though and really love baby wearing. What kind of drug are you on for nursing that messes w/ your cycle? Is it an over the counter or script?

Interesting!!!

*Shesaid* - Let us know how your appt goes. I'm sure the extra weight is just a growth spurt or maybe water retention w/ this heat even. Don't know if it's hot up there in Canada like here, but it is crazy hot here!! Keep us posted.

*Tear* - are you still exclusively breastfeeding?? So that is the sign that your hormones are leveling out, hair falling out? I've wondered b/c i know people say that after you have a baby you lose all that hair that didn't fall out when you were pregnant but it really hasn't happened to me yet. Maybe it might just be starting w/ one or two after i shower but not really that noticeable yet. My hair and nails have been growing like crazy though. How old is your little guy now? How is your DD doing w/ him? Hope you are enjoying your summer. Do you go back to work in Sept or not yet?

*Guppy* - how are you doing?? Hope you are well. How many wks are you now? Hope you are surviving the bedrest and your BP is not too high. I'm a little nervous about mine for the next time, if there is a next time that is. They said b/c i got it after giving birth i could be prone to it during now, i guess. Hope you don't have to get the 24 hr Mag IV for it. That sucked, but if you have to, it is better to be safe than sorry. I've heard the seizures can be bad and i'm sure not good for the babies. When do they plan to take your stitch out? Mine came out at around 36 wks, i think it was. Hard to believe I could forget, but you do. Fill us in if you get a chance. Thinking of you!!!

*???? -* Oh i thought of my other question for all you moms out there. Did you all notice a change in the amount of time your baby sleeps at night once they hit 3 months?? He was sleeping so well at night like 4-5hrs or one night 7 1/2 hrs and then 3 months hit and now he sleeps 2-3 hrs and wants to eat every 3 hrs at night now. Ugh!!!! I know they are more alert and more awake the older they get, but does it have to be at night. LOL. Hope everyone is well.


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## Vegan Princess

Blue: Maybe try a soft carrier like and ergo where the weight is more on your waist instead of your back? That might be more comfortable for you. Also once he sits up, you can put him on your back in it and that would put the weight more on your chest. But maybe it will still be too intense if you have a bad back? Bummer! As for the nights. My older daughter slept 11-6 from like 2-4 months old and then never slept through the night again. LOL. She still wakes up a few times/night at age 4. Gah. Aria was sleeping up to 6 hour stretches around 2 mos old and then she stopped and wants to nurse like every hour still. I am not one to ask for sleep advice! But there is definitely a reversion around 3-4 mos old - I've heard many moms mention it. I just have no idea how to fix it. LOL.

The drug I'm taking is called domperidone. It used to be prescription here but the FDA banned it! In canada they prescribe it for nursing though here it was for stomach issues (main use in canada too). I have to order it online. Anyway, it increases your milk supply bc it makes your prolactin levels go way up. It's main function is to speed stomach emptying and the prolactin thing was just a side effect. When your prolactin levels are very high, you do not ovulate, etc. So it's almost like a birth control. DH and I def are not worrying about birth control right now. We'll start thinking about whether we want to use BC or try for another baby the natural way once I wean off the pills. With my first I started weaning off gradually when she turned 1 and was off by 14 mos (when AF came back). This time I think I might stay on them a few extra months since Aria is so dependent on nursing still. With my first I always had to supplement anyway so as I weaned off and my milk supply tanked, I just gave her more supplement. This time I don't have to supplement so I need to make sure she is taking in enough food/cow milk before I do anything to kill my supply.

Cindy


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## happyhopeful

Hi all and Happy Friday!!!

*BlueEyez-* I'm super excited for the scan, even though I know the gender- girl!!!- yay!! (part of the blood work told us the gender as well)- I just can't wait to see what she's doing in there and hear all of her lil measurements and watch her in total awe!! Thrilling!! As for your question about sleep, well, my son is 14 years old now- but I know that sadly, I didn't get hardly any sleep at night until I weaned him off breast milk at 8 months. He was just constantly hungry! However, he was also in 90th plus percentile for height and weight for the first year, so that may have something to do with it. Is there a breast feeding thread on this site? if not, there totally should be!

*SheSaid*- I hope everything is going better with the in-laws! Did you think about the camera &/or camcorder as the gift? It would totally give you (and them) lasting memories! As for the weight gain, I am absolutely positive that it's either that baby stretching out and growing and/or water retention which is super common towards the end- so exciting that you are so close!!

*EVERYONE*- Have a great weekend!!!


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## shesaidboom

*tear* - Unfortunately, it's crazy hot here too. We're breaking all kinds of heat records this month. Thankfully tonight it stormed and the temperature finally broke. Hopefully it stays that way because pregnant ladies and heat do not mix! The appointment went ok. She was not concerned at all about the weight. Didn't even bring it up. I mentioned it and she said it's probably just baby growing.
I hope the extra night waking is just a growth spurt and he'll go back to sleeping better soon!

*happyhopeful* - I like the idea of the camera/camcorder gift, thank you for suggesting that. I have a DSLR that I got oh, maybe 7 years ago? It needs replacing, but I could never ask for such an expensive camera, and a point and shoot isn't the same after using a DSLR (I sound snobby, sorry). What I'd really like is a phone with a decent camera on it since it'd be much easier to snap phone pictures than pull out a camera all the time, but I'd feel weird asking for that. Maybe I could get DH to mention it because he knows I've been talking about a new phone with a decent camera for over a year. Sadly I signed into a 3 year phone plan and it's not up until NEXT August.
The OB said the same thing about the weight. She said it's most likely baby growing, but could be water retention with all this heat we're having here.

everyone else, I hope you have a great weekend!

*AFM -* I met the replacement OB and we didn't really click so hopefully baby will at least stay inside until the beginning of August. She did my group B strep swab, but didn't want to do a cervical check yet. I asked her about cramping/braxton hicks because I've been having a lot of painful contractions and I have no idea what's normal or not. She couldn't give me an answer, just said if I wasn't sure to go to the assessment room at the hospital. I don't really want to go in for every pain unless there is actually reason to. She said the same thing about the discharge. She checked his heart rate and it was 110 bpm, which was a lot lower than any other time it has been checked (it's been in the 140s or 150s aside from when he was super super tiny), but she said it's still within normal range and he's moving a ton so he should be ok. Otherwise, he's head down and ready to go. It's just a matter of time. My braxton hicks got so bad last night and started falling into a pattern (every 10 mins) I actually thought I may be in the very early stages of real labour, but they went away after several hours. I don't know if that means he'll be out soon, or if we'll go several more weeks. I go back to the OB again on Wednesday, so it's every week now.


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## lilacvioletiris

Ah, shesaidboom, I hope the storming from yesterday gives you guys lower temps. My in laws live up near Peterborough, ON and said that the temp went from 33 degrees C to 24 degrees C in the matter of 30 minutes yesterday and that it was storming really bad last night. We were supposed to get storming here in Michigan, but I don't think it even rained - boo - current temp is 74 degrees but it is also 4:25 a.m. I wonder with the contractions whether you are hydrated enough, especially since it is so hot up there. I was reading in one of my twin books that dehydration can cause contractions even when the baby isn't ready to be born quite yet.

AFM, woke up at 3:40 a.m. having to use the bathroom. Couldn't go back to sleep since I was hungry, but had to wait 30 minutes for my thyroid pill to do its thing before eating. Eating a bowl of cereal with blueberries - yummy. Hopefully once I am done eating I will be able to go back to sleep.


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## guppyluv

Heading to 27w Monday. Phew. Every week at this point is a major bonus. Really really really want to make 33w.

Blueeyzz -- unless I get to 36 weeks and there's a chance at vaginal, I think they'll remove my stitch at the C-section. They're really hesitant to vaginaly deliver triplets unless you have had a successful easy vag delivery previously. This is my first pregnancy that's gone beyond 12 weeks...

As for everyone breaking it to work... Just rip the bandaid off (so to speak!) I was petrified to tell my dept head about the triplets. But work has been really good to me so far.

I'm still slogging thru on bed rest. Given the heat on the east coast (US) this week, I'm not so upset to be stuck inside! I'm a water guzzling factory to keep BH contractions at bay - they were intense two weeks ago after steroid shots. Some nights I have a Zumba party in my womb -- some nights they're quiet! B&C have anterior placenta so it's not as obvious when they're moving -- though C is head down now so she kicks my diaphragm pretty regularly. A is still using my cervix as a trampoline - just hoping that stitch holds!! He (A) is my smallest "weighing" in at around 1#11 oz, B (boy) 2#3oz, C (girl) 1#14oz... Measurement errors aside they're growing well for triplets







my weight gain has stalled and normally I'd be all ok with that but just want these little bubs to grow grow grow!

Next "big" goal is 28w (risks dramatically reduce after 28 weeka and then even more so after 30w) then 30, and my final goal is 33-34. My drs goal is 32... Nice to have goals! For now just spending my days in bed with bad TV and a little work... My SIL bought my cribs this week and a friend helped assemble them. Man the room is crowded with 3 full size cribs! Eeks!!

I love watching everyone's progress! I'm definitely lurking around... Will post again around 28 weeks







enjoy your weekend!!!


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## vireoes

Shesaidboom: I hope the little one stays inside until your OB arrives. The replacement definitely doesn't sound great. I have been lucky not to have the radom BH like you, that sounds unpleasant and makes it hard to know where things are at. I didn't have any with DD either, so it was really clear when the time finally arrived. Drag about the in-laws being difficult, maybe things will improve once the baby arrives. The smoking is a real pain though.

Guppy-It is great to have little goals and milestones to make. Having little ones keeps things positive and upbeat and will hopefully carry you all the way to the bigger goal. Each day inside is great for the little ones.

Blue-I hope you get some rest. I remember DD sleep going through phases like that. All those developmental milestones seem to impact sleeping a bit.

AFM-No signs that the little guy is ready to come out yet. My mom arrived today, so DD is in grandmother heaven and told me to go away and leave her alone and stop talking to her grandma. She is not ready to share her yet, so I get a bit of a break until the little guy arrives. I wish I could find a comfortable position to enjoy the break in though. No position is really all that comfortable anymore.

Actually had to have a conversion with DH about post pregnancy BC. Not something we have had to think about in years, so it was odd for both of us. I know I didn't ovulate after DD until she was 18 months due to breastfeeding, but that doesn't mean things will necessarily be the same this time. Two was always what we both hoped for. We are still undecided about what to do. We may just wing it since it will be a while before it should even be much of an issue. Right now it is hard to visualize accidently falling pregnant the old fashion way in our 40s, but I know it happens to people even after having IVF several times. DH main concern is that we will run out of energy as we get older if we have a third well into our 40s, otherwise I think we are okay with the small chance of it happening on its own. We are definitely done with IVF, so if we have more it will be a natural surprise.


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## vireoes

Just wanted to wish good luck to those with anatomy scans coming up.

Nothing new going on here still waiting. I will go in tomorrow for a check-up and probably do a non-stress test then. We are right at 40 weeks today, so looks like another late babe for me.


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## lilacvioletiris

Anatomy scan for my twins on Friday July 26. I can't wait!


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## rcr

Hi all:

Lilac - I can't wait to hear what you are having!

Vieros - thinking about you. Any day now!

AFM - so I had some major wierdness last night. I was laying in bed reading, and all of the sudden I had extreme pain down my spine and across my ribs and all over my upper torso (basically everywhere on my upper body except where the baby is). It was sooo painful! I tried a bunch of things to make it stop - walking, sitting, lating, etc, and nothing worked. I began to get cold sweats and thought I was going to pass out from the pain. So I thought maybe a hot shower would help, and took my clothes off and ran the shower. Then I got scared that I would pass out so I didn't end up taking the shower, and called a friend to come over (I was alone with DS, who was sleeping). Apparently all I said was "come over. extreme pain" and she hung up and was over in like 5 minutes (she lives 15 minutes away). So I asked her to rub my back and that didn't work. She called another friend to sit with DS while she took me to the hospital, and then before the other friend got there I went into the bathroom to puke, and all the sudden when I was puking the pain went away. It was crazy. I could feel the baby kicking, so I knew she was ok. My friend stayed for a while to make sure it didn't come back, and after that I went to bed (not on my back this time!). I called the midwife, who thinks that maybe the baby kicked a nerve or part of my spine, or something like that. So now I am totally afraid to lay on my back and I even made DS sit up while we read in bed tonight.

Any ideas what that was? I haven't called the doc, but I am thinking that maybe I will start going to a ciropractor.


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## lilacvioletiris

Yikes, rcr, that is crazy. You may be right about your positioning causing some of the pain or the baby having pushed on something. The combination with the puking makes me wonder if something you ate caused a bit of an issue too. A chiropractor may be just the thing and some massage to keep all the bones in your spine aligned as you gain weight and everything shifts around.

AFM, lately, I can't sleep on my right side (my preferred way to sleep) because I get instant heart burn no matter how long ago I ate a meal. I woke up a few nights ago with terrible heart burn, drank a can of 7-up and about 20 minutes later vomited and felt so much better I could finally go to sleep. That night I think it was the tomato sauce I put on pasta that sent me over the edge. Yesterday my belly just hurt. I think it was just getting stretched out. I slept/lay in bed most of the afternoon. I had things I needed to do but if I sat up/stood up there was such intense discomfort that I just wanted to lay down again to ease the pain of gravity pulling on my belly. Last night it was better, but this morning again, I don't feel the greatest.


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## vireoes

Wow RCR that sounds scary. Glad it went away. No idea what that might be, pregnancy seems to do all sorts of weird things to the body.

Lilac-Sorry to hear about the heartburn. I have had it a lot lately and seem to survive on lots and lots of yogurt. All bread products seem to be the worse for me. Tomato sauce I know can really give it to some people.


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## shesaidboom

*lilac* - that's exactly what happened here with the temp and storms.
It may be a hydration issue. I've been super thirsty lately so I carry water with me wherever I go now.
Sorry about the awful heartburn and discomfort. Good for you for listening to your body and resting. I'm not sure if it would help or if they're even recommended, but I know there are some belly bands that can help hold things up so gravity isn't as much of a pain.

*guppy* - Woohoo for 27 weeks! Is it fun trying to guess which baby is making which movements? I'm so glad they're growing well. Let's hope you make all of your goals 

*vireoes* - thanks, I hope he stays in until she's back too! If not, I'll be hoping it won't be during her shifts.
I'm glad you're getting a little break with your mom there. That must help a lot!
I think we'll end up doing the same as you and your DH and just wing it. It really is hard to think that things can happen the natural way after all of this. Thinking about BC feels weird!
Let's go little one! Time to come out.

*rcr* - oh wow, that sounds like a scary experience. I'm so glad your friend was able to get there quick to make sure you were doing ok. Very smart to call her. No idea what it could have been, but hopefully it will NOT happen to you again. A chiropractor sounds like a good idea.

*AFM -* Birdie is still on the inside though he has definitely dropped. I saw the replacement OB again yesterday for less than 30 seconds. She had her brand new medical student doing my testing. I felt so badly for her because she kept trying to find Birdie's heartbeat, but every time she moved the doppler he would kick it and move. He seems to hate monitors. Eventually she gave up and relied on a very short bit she got. If I couldn't have felt him move during that time I probably would have lost it. This week I have had a huge surge in energy and all I want to do is clean and get things ready. It's so weird! It happens most often at night. Last night I cleaned the entire kitchen, including scrubbing all the cabinets and taking apart the burners on the stove to clean inside. I guess this is nesting? I cannot wait for some big news from some of you!


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## lilacvioletiris

I am having 2 boys! Off to eat and celebrate!


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## vireoes

Congrats Lilac. I am glad everything went well. We are still waiting here, but I expect we should have some good news in the next day or two.


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## mayari

My fifth embryo transfer was on July 21. My third cycle was an FET (my first) in September 2010 that led to the toddler sitting in front of me playing with trains right now. And FET #3 is now a BFP as of this morning. Keeping my fingers crossed that this little one will stay stuck we won't need any more retrievals.

I just needed to share the news. I want to shout it off rooftops.


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## lilacvioletiris

Congrats Mayari, on your BFP on your FET! How many embryos did you transfer?


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## mayari

Thanks, Lilac.

We transferred two (after a BFN transferring one in April), so now I'm worried about twins. But considering our previous success rate of one pregnancy after seven transferred embryos, we were comfortable with two this time.


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## blueyezz4

Lilac - congrats on two boys!!!! Yay!!!

Maya - welcome and congrats on your BFP. Hope you have an easy 9 months to come!!!

How are the rest of you doing??? I think we need to have a role call of how far along everyone is/due dates and how you are feeling & those that have already had their babes, how old your LO is and how you are doing. That way no one feels like they have to do personals. Just update us on you and where you are at, even if you haven't posted in awhile.... Come out, come out, wherever you are!!!!! I'll do mine tomorrow when I can get to my computer. I'm laying in bed typing on my phone and it's kinda a pain.


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## Vegan Princess

I'm still here reading and cheering everyone on and rejoicing in all your happy news! My little Aria turned 10 months old today! Time is flying by in the blink of an eye! She is a little angel baby. I am trying to just soak in every smell and every snuggle.We still co-sleep and she still nurses a million times/night but I know this phase will be over in a few months and then it will be gone forever so I am cool with it. She is army crawling around and getting into mischeif and making big sister mad now. It's kind of cute to see big sister's upset reaction when baby gets into her stuff. It's only just beginning big sis! LOL.

Would you believe I emailed my IVF doctor this week to ask if I am crazy to even think about a 3rd child? I said that I want to know if a 3rd child is even a possibility before I try to decide if I really want one. I don't want to convince myself that I want one and then not be able to have one. I have yet to hear back from him. It's been about 2 days of working time, I think. Hopefully he will get back to me at some point. I still waffle daily on whether or not I want another. So who knows.  DH made a comment the other day about our cloth diapers lasting through a 3rd child - but I have no idea what he wants either. I think maybe he doesn't know for sure either.

Looking forward to hearing how everyone is doing!

Cindy


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## happyhopeful

Good Day All! Please provide feedback:

(*AFM)* Okay, soo anatomy scan wasn't exactly how I had thought it was going to go- hubby couldn't make it (stuck at work), then the u/s tech started off by saying, "Only if the baby cooperates will I get good pictures" and from that point on she was silent, unless I asked a question and then would reply a solemn yes or no. Despite her lack of enthusiasm and info, I was still thoroughly fascinated and of course savored hearing the h/b and seeing all of my lil girl's parts...THEN...the doctor came in after and told me "everything looks really good, really good..however, you have one normal uterine artery and one abnormal and I'd like you to start on baby aspirin daily and then come back on the 14th for another scan. Also, we couldn't get a good picture of the heart so our pediatric cardiologist will check that also on the 14th and we also didn't get a picture of the palette so we will check that as well. But, don't worry everything looks good and all of her measurements were either on average or above average." I was then sent to get the blood drawn for the spina bifida test, which I know is routine, but combined with the stress of not having a typical scan, I have been worried since.


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## happyhopeful

SheSaid- I hope you are feeling well and that your baby will stay put so you can be back with the OB that you are comfortable with!!

Guppy- How are you? Congratulations on another week!! I hope the babies are taking it easy on you and that you've found some good books to read!

RCR- Very happy to read that you're feeling better and hopefully that pain was just an ill combo of gas and nerve pain and that it won't be returning!!

Lilac- Congratulations on the boys!!! oh, you must be just so thrilled to know and to start prepping and planning- names, room, clothes etc!!

Vireos- Can't wait to check this board and read about your baby!! I hope you're feeling well!!

Mayori- Congratulations!! Sending lots of good wishes to you and your emby!

BlueEyes- my due date is 12-21-13 and I am 19w2d


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## mayari

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *happyhopeful*
> 
> Good Day All! Please provide feedback:
> 
> (*AFM)* Okay, soo anatomy scan wasn't exactly how I had thought it was going to go- hubby couldn't make it (stuck at work), then the u/s tech started off by saying, "Only if the baby cooperates will I get good pictures" and from that point on she was silent, unless I asked a question and then would reply a solemn yes or no. Despite her lack of enthusiasm and info, I was still thoroughly fascinated and of course savored hearing the h/b and seeing all of my lil girl's parts...THEN...the doctor came in after and told me "everything looks really good, really good..however, you have one normal uterine artery and one abnormal and I'd like you to start on baby aspirin daily and then come back on the 14th for another scan. Also, we couldn't get a good picture of the heart so our pediatric cardiologist will check that also on the 14th and we also didn't get a picture of the palette so we will check that as well. But, don't worry everything looks good and all of her measurements were either on average or above average." I was then sent to get the blood drawn for the spina bifida test, which I know is routine, but combined with the stress of not having a typical scan, I have been worried since.


Happyhopeful,

Please don't stress out!

First of all, I found that the Maternal-Fetal medicine ultrasound techs who performed my anatomy scan and follow-up growth scans with my first were nothing like the wonderful women who were up my vagina 3x a week at the RE office, so that might be part of what set the tone. The woman who did my 20-week scan, for example, had a terrible cold that I ended up catching, and she was completely self-involved and overtly racist when she did talk during the scan.

As for the rest of the information, again, I don't think the specialists (and many OBs) get the effects of their delivery. I'm tearing up just thinking about the spina bifida scare with my first. It turned out to be nothing, but I was a mess for weeks. Once they found everything to be okay, they had me come in for regular growth scans, just in case, which I loved.

So, really, please don't worry. It's probably nothing. Most of the things that they have you come in for turn out to be nothing. It's their job to be hyper-cautious, but they lack graceful bedside manner in conveying the information.

As survivors of infertility, we are also more prone than others to fixate on worse-case scenarios. It's most likely not a serious matter. If it was, the doctor would have said so.


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## rcr

*Happy* - so many of these things turn out to be nothing, please try to not stress out about it (I know, that is really hard not to do!)

*Lilac* - congrats on the boys!!

*Mayo*: welcome, and congrats!

AFM - well taking a cue from *Blue*, I am just going to update about me, and not do personals. I have followed along from my phone, but whenever I get to a computer I forgot what I was going to write, or there is so much to write I don't have the time. I am 22 weeks and 2 days now. I am still puking every three or four days - so it looks like I am one of those rare people who do not totally feel better after the 1st trimester. I had my 20 week scan a few weeks ago and everything was fine, and it is a girl, which we were hoping for. I feel kicks all the time. I think that you can feel them from the outside too. I STILL have not told work, even though I totally look pregnant. I don't work in the summer, so they haven't seen me since May. I plan to send an email on Friday. There is a meeting on Thursday, which I can't make it to, so I want to wait until after that so that they don't talk about me. Like Vegan, I still think about having another baby, and this baby isn't even born yet! I know that we are done with IF, so any more would be a natural miracle. But I still dream about my perfect family of three kids. DH is fine with two (heck, he was fine with one!), and I know he wouldn't be on board with another. We would probably need to do embryo donation again, which is kinda hard to come by anyway. I had a scary dream last week that I met the donor parents, and they were both very physically and mentally disabled. they said to me "we just donated the embryo because we wanted to see the kind of person we could create" I woke up after that. So there is some worry in the back of my mind, knowing nothing about the genetic parents. DS is really excited. He kisses my belly and talks to the baby all the time. He has started a little pile of stuff (random socks, toys, etc) to give to the baby. It is really cute. I saw my midwife last week and everything was fine - a good strong HB. I have to go back to work in about three weeks, which I am dreading. The only bad thing about being off all summer is that going back is really really hard.


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## suzie mccool

Hi everyone  and Welcome Mayari!

Happy.. I had to go back for a second scan after my 20 week one, as they couldn't measure the heart or spine too, and like you they said everything looked fine, but they couldn't get the measurements they needed. Please try not to stress x They blamed my "maternal habitat" which made my midwife laugh, and say they're being insulting about your beautiful body..lol

Guppy.. that zumba party sounds pretty awesome. I promise to NEVER complain about any crazy kicks that keep me awake from my solo ballerina! Looking forward to your next update 

Lilac.. 2 boys!!! Congratulations xxx

Shesaid.. hope you can hang in there till your real OB is there. I had a fill in doctor for my last hospital appointment and she was the most offhand, rude beast of a woman, so I know how you feel. And she let the trainee do all of my tests, which irritated me as he couldn't get a proper blood pressure reading, and that's been an issue for me. Crappy treatment sucks!

AFM.. my beautiful body is huge right now! I'm so glad I decided to slice 3 weeks off my due date for strangers, as I'm sure I'd be getting mean remarks about my size if I told the truth..lol I'm at the point that I can only just fit behind the steering wheel AND reach the brakes, so I guess I'll be a passenger soon. The last days of our business are coming up this weekend and the new owners are being very good about listening to me - I think they got a good wake up call when I said I'd be out of the picture at the end of August, so they are starting to actually take my advice instead of getting all caught up in silly (money wasting) ideas. I guess my tolerance may be slightly less than usual.. baha. Having a 3D scan in a couple of weeks for another peek, and I think I have to have another measurement scan next month for 32 weeks, so all systems are go.

We just got back from our luxury week away in town, so I'm feeling pretty chilled right now


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## shesaidboom

Sorry for lack of personals, just wanted to let you ladies know my water just broke! Just waiting for stronger contractions now. I guess the little guy didn't want to wait until August.


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## vireoes

Baby Arun was born yesterday. We had a nice waterbirth. He is a big boy at 4.4kg. More later when we get home.


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## monkeyscience

Eeeek! Good luck, shesaidboom!!! Now how am I supposed to go back to sleep??

(And congrats to vireos, too - most exciting middle-of-the-night MDC check in awhile!)


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## hope4light

Ahhhh guys!

Vireos - huge congratsi can't wait to hear all about it!

Shesaid - yeah! Can't wait to hear! Congrats and good luck!!


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## BucketOfRain

Vieroes: congratulations!!!

She said: good luck I will be thinking of you and sending quick labor thoughts!!

RCr: sorry you are still feeling sick and that you are starting to have worries about your donors. For what it's worth, I have a lot of fears about this baby as well, just going through ivf and all the medications etc. make me worried about the long term effects. Also, already having dd I sometimes wonder if we are just pushing our luck going through all of this for #2...good luck telling your job, I hated telling my boss as well and had to repeat in my head a million times, this is good news, do not let them make you feel bad. Keeping that as my mantra as I broke the news helped, a bit anyway...

Hi mayari, congratulations!

Lilac: yay for two boys!

Hi to everyone else!!

Afm: 39+3 days and nothing happening over here! Doctor today but don't expect and change to plan to let this guy come on his own time my dd decided this would be a great time to spike a random fever and has been sick for the past few days so I actually am glad to hold off on delivering a new baby until she is all better!


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## happyhopeful

THANK YOU SOO MUCH FOR THE ENCOURAGING WORDS & STORIES!! I needed to be brought back to this reality- right now, everything is just fine.

BIG, HUGE, WONDERFUL WISHES & CONGRATULATIONS TO *VIREOS AND SHESAID!*!!!

*BucketofRain*- Sounds like your lil one is being just extra sweet to you and your DD by waiting till you are both up for his arrival! 

*Suzie*- LOL, I too add a week or two depending on the stranger and the outfit I'm wearing!!  So nice that you had a great vacay and that you get to just chill right now, and pat yourself on the back for being done with the business and gearing up for the next chapter!

*RCR*- totally smart to wait till after the meeting, last thing you need is a bunch of coworkers gossiping!! As for the dream, this is what we do as mom's right? Worry ourselves unnecessarily?! It sounds like you just need to release some of the worry and focus on all the many wonderful things going on- 3 more weeks of vacay, an excited DS, and strong heartbeats!!


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## lilacvioletiris

Shesaid, I hope all has gone well for you. Can't wait to hear about the outcome of your birth!

vireos, congratulations on the new little one in your life!

rcr, I hope all goes well for you telling your work. I agree that after the meeting would be a better time. I hope that all ends well when your little girl is born even though you don't know her genetic background. I know I worry about the effects of the meds on my babies.

suzie, that is a funny picture in my mind that you can't reach the steering wheel or brakes. I am sure that will come for me sooner than you because I have twins. Keep growing your little one until it is time.

AFM, growing belly must be covered! Yesterday I found some great maternity clothes on consignment in the range of $$ I was willing to pay. $10 to $15 is so much better than $65 to $80 for a maternity shirt!


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## rcr

Ahhh! *shesaid* and *Vieros*!!! Congrats! I can't wait to see pictures!

*Bucket* - thanks for the encouragement. When I choose to go this route I always told myself that DH and I could have had some genetic issue too, and DS turned out fine. Its not like we had genetic testing before we had DS. Sorry you DD is sick.

*Happy* - Glad you are feeling better.

*Monkey* - hi! How is that little one of yours??

*Lilac* - congrats on finding some clothes that you like. I have been wearing old tank tops all summer, and now that school is going to start I need to go get some new clothes. I got some jeans at gap a while ago on sale, and ordered some shirts from motherhood online (which were pretty expensive). I got them yesterday and I hated all of them. They are so maternity-ish! Why in the world do maternity shirts all have to have a little string that belts above the belly making it look that much bigger! I am off to a few thirft stores today, though I have looked at them before and didn't have much luck. Oh, and I told DH that you were having twin boys, and he was so happy. He felt like he had a part in it, lol! He told me to tell you and your DH congrats.

*Suzie* - that is great idea to slice three weeks off for strangers. I think I am going to do that too. A friend just asked me when I was due and I told her the end of Nov, and she said "wow, you have a long way to go" and I took it to mean that I am huge already. ugh.

AFM- this is totally unrelated, but we have a raccoon terrorizing our chickens. It is digging a hole under the coop at night and I fill it in every day. I am going to have DH reinforce the coop somehow this weekend - maybe put wood under the doowway because that is where it is digging. Oh, and another AFM - I still haven't told my dad that I am pregnant! Arrrh. Now that it has been so long I wonder if he will get upset that I never told him.


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## mayari

RCR - Are you a teacher or someone who works in a school? I'm a high school teacher, so that's what I automatically jump to when I hear someone has summers off.

Shesaid - So exciting! I hope labor goes smoothly for you.

Vireos - Congratulations on the birth of your little boy!!!

Thanks for all the welcomes, everyone. I'm so excited. My partner is trying to stay ambivalent (until 8 weeks, she said) because we haven't even had our first beta yet, and she doesn't want to have to deal with another early loss, but I'm over the moon. The beta is tomorrow. With my first I got a positive on a Friday, 7dp5dt, and went in for my first beta 10dp5dt. I got my positive 7dp5dt again, so I wanted my beta to be 10dp5dt. At the least, I feel like I can then compare beta numbers (and obsess about twins for a week or two if it's much higher this time).

Are children like animals with pregnancy spidey sense? My two-year-old has been kicking my belly the last few days, something he's never done before. I find myself saying "Don't kick Mama's belly. Don't kick anyone at all, but especially not Mama's belly" a lot. He grins and says "kay" before he does it again.

Meanwhile, the second line is starting to be apparent without squinting on my daily dollar store test. The + I got on Sunday was FRER, but I only had one of those left over from last month.


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## lilacvioletiris

rcr, I am glad your husband is excited for us! I am so glad we got to meet you back this spring. It is pretty exciting for us given the initial hurdles we had to jump through to find sperm. I know that your daughter and our sons will be loved beyond measure by us parents.

mayari, I have been a teacher (taught math, chemistry, and computers to high school students). The next 6 months I am working as a math and technology coach for a school system instead because I needed more time to concentrate on growing babies and when they are born, raising them.


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## kewpie80

Congrats on the new babies, new BFPs and gender reveals!!!

My twins are just about 19 months old now. They can count to 10, they can recognize the letters of the alphabet and are learning phonics letter sounds. They're working on colors and know blue REALLY well. Maisie speaks in 3-4 word sentences here and there and Liam is obsessed with cars. They can spin, jump, climb and run. Maisie is unafraid to climb ladders and go down slides (even big ones) completely by herself. Liam is onto his 3rd conformer and his eyes are nearly the same size now. (he has Persistent Fetal Vasculature Syndrome with Microphthalmia for those who don't know.)

They are tall enough to see over the kitchen table and Maisie LOVES shoes. She brings me different pairs throughout the day to put on her. She is very girly and loves her toes painted and hair "pretties" as she calls them.

This picture is nearly a month old. I need to take some new ones. Love to you all! (and I'll be stalking to hear about the new babies!)


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## blueyezz4

*Happy*- I had some U/S techs that would tell me everything and I loved it and then there were others that kept their mouth shut, which actually by law they really aren't aloud to tell you much at all. I know it is so scary, but your dr has to tell you if there is something wrong, so I wouldn't kill yourself worrying over it, but know it is easier said than done sometimes. Keep us posted.

*Kewpie* - so nice to see your pic and hear that things are going well. Good luck w/ your next adventure of getting a BFP. When do you start all that and are you doing a fresh or frozen. Fill us in. Fingers crossed for you and sending you lots of baby dust!!

*Mayari* - how was your beta number???? I know they say animals can sense when you are pregnant so I'm sure your LO might also know. Who knows. Fingers crossed for you!!!

*Shesaid* - Yay!!! Hope everything went smooth and you are holding that babe in your arms! Fill us in when you get a chance.

*Vireos* - Congrats on your new little guy!!!! Yay!!!! Hope you all are doing well!!

*rcr* - good luck with telling everyone. I'm sure you dad will understand... maybe you can just say that w/ all your past history w/ pregnancy you were kinda waiting longer than normal to tell everyone. Hope the email goes over well w/ work too!!!! Hope you start feeling better. Have you tried taking some vit B6 I think it is. That helped me w/ my first pregnancy and i would keep really cold water and pretzels w/ me everywhere I would go and make sure my stomach had something in it at all times. Ugh that has to suck!!!

*Bucket* - thinking of you and hoping your DD is feeling better. Nothing like throwing a little wrench in the plans right!!!! Keep us posted!

*Lilac & rcr* - i don't know about your area but here in some of the baby resale shops they also sell used maternity clothes so that might be a good place to look too if you have any of those around you.

*Hope4light*- How are you doing???

*Monkey* - Good to see your name pop up. Hope you and your little one are doing well.

*Suzie* - that's a pretty good idea to cut 3 wks off for strangers that ask. Funny!!! Glad you had a good vacation!! Where did you go??

*Vegan* - did you ever hear back from your RE??

I might have missed someone, but i was trying to just look back at this page and if i did i will blame it on being sleep deprived. LOL

*AFM* - Well, Caden is now 16 wks old, so about 4 month. When do you start going by months and not weeks for babies?? Anyone know the answer to that question. Anyways, last night I tried the double swaddle technique that I learned from this blog and he slept 8 1/2 hrs in his crib and then I nursed him at 7am and he is still sleeping now and it is almost 10:15. He should be waking up soon here wanting to eat again. He is on a every 3 hr schedule during the day and that works pretty good for all of us. I LOVE being a Mom! I wouldn't change it for the world and i still can't even believe he is here w/ us and both DH and i just look at him and can't believe he is actually ours. Wonder when that will end... probably never. It is so fun to watch him grow and change. He is smiling tons and doing his little baby talk and laughing now. He is still working on perfecting his rolling. He has his 4 month check up on Friday so that is always nice to see how much he is growing w/ his weight and height. I'm still having issues w/ my back since the birth and have had one nerve block and am suppose to schedule 2 more here soon. Ugh!!!! Such a pain to have appts w/ a little one in tow. I'm due for a dental appt too, but w/ not having much family around to help watch him it makes it kinda hard to make appts. when you have to find friends to always watch your baby. I normally can take him w/ me anywhere, but w/ the dentist my fear is he would wake up and it's hard to hold him when the dentist is working on your teeth. So, i think that is about all from me. Here is a new pic of our little miracle guy when we were out on a walk the other night and it was a little cool.


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## guppyluv

Woohoo! Congratulations Shesaid & Vireos!! Can wait to see photos









Happy -- hoping all goes well with your follow up scan!

RCR -- sorry about the nausea. Hope it mellows soon!

Bucket- good luck! Hope it's smooth sailing









Lilac - maternity clothes were a pain - but on bed rest I now live in target (Liz Lange) tank tops and PJs... I'd hate to think what it would mean to have to find clothes for work at my belly size!! Ive had to go up a whole size to fit my circumference! Ugh.

Suzie-- I just flat out tell folks my due date is end of Oct-- and their jaws drop... Then I drop the whole triplet bit







people are silly about that stuff (size, weight, etc).

AFM -- 28w+2 and doing well. Contractions on and off - and a lot of pressure down in my pelvis when standing but my cerclage stitch is holding and babies are doing great. Really hoping (still!) to make 33-34 weeks. That would put the babies on great shape and a short nicu stay! I failed my 1 hr GTT by 3 points yesterday







so now have have to do the 3hr. Fasting will be the worst part.







but I know it's best to know for the babies sake! I won't have to worry about them being too big per se, but want to avoid the other issues. I will miss my ice cream if I do have GD! So common with triplets... Whatever.

Good luck to everyone! Hope it's a great week ahead!


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## lilacvioletiris

guppy, glad to hear the babies are still on the inside!


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## auraleigh

Hello ladies!

kewpie, those kids are GORGEOUS!! it blows my mind how big they are! so happy for you.

blue- he's also SO GORGEOUS! i'm biased because i know our babies on this board are so much cuter since we worked so hard on them, right? but seriously, so elated for you. and excited to see what is to come for my babies as well!

i'm always reading along for everyone (especially you rcr!) and getting excited at everyone's progress, but the babies make it hard to post.

afm, ben and julia are 11 weeks old tomorrow. time FLIES! they are so different. ben is my little koala, full of hugs and cuddles. he looks chubby and eats all the time, but at his 2 month visit he was only in the 7th percentile for height and weight. julia is active and always stretching and grunting, loves smiling at herself in the mirror, and is the master of tummy time. the girl is so strong, it's freaky--she has held her head up since birth. she's just on the charts in the 2nd or 3rd percentile.

both babies have rolled over at abnormally young ages, but i suspect because they are smaller, they have less mass to heft? is that possible? everyone tells me i'm going to be in for it once they start moving, but so far being a mom is the greatest thing ever. i don't know what it's like to have only one baby, but i'm handling two like i was always born to do this. they have even slept from 10pm to 5:30/5:45 for the last three nights. on tuesday my alarm woke me up. my alarm! i don't think that has happened since they were born.


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## lilacvioletiris

blue, I had totally missed the picture of Caden yesterday - what a cutie!

auraleigh, glad to hear your little ones are making strides in developmental milestones. Hopefully they catch up a bit on the height and weight side but as long as they keep growing, I would think that is good!


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## suzie mccool

Guppy... I failed my 1 hour glucose test too, but passed the glucose tolerance test the next day, so fingers crossed that happens for you too! Only another 5 weeks to hang in there  Do not measure your circumference! I did (to order some stuff online) and gee.. Never again! My poor ego took a huge nosedive LOL! 126cm with only one baby! Sigh... lol

Auraleigh... Beautiful babies!! I agree about the lack of fat making rolling easier.. when DS was a baby he was in the 90th percentile for weight (umm yep) and he never rolled or crawled at all.. Then when he turned 1 he just started walking. Slowly LOL

Shesaid & Vireos.. Hooray and Congrats!! It's raining babies in here!  xxx

Blue... Caden is fabulously gorgeous!! We took our week off in the city (about 40 minutes from home).. lol.. so so lame, but no pets, work or housework is the same no matter how far away it is haha. And we had a giant spa 

Rcr... I'm sure people don't MEAN to make it sound like that... but it still does! I even exaggerated the due date for my DHs family because I was already so bloated from IVF that my sudden tummy was too hard to explain. Way easier to just be more pregnant - and now they've all forgotten anyway  Besides that, my DS was 3 weeks late, so this one can be "late" too, if necessary lol

Sorry if I missed anyone - very tired today. Crazily I think I'm putting in more hours at work helping the new owner that I was working for myself! Another week or two and he should be good to go and yeah, I'll be chilling properly


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## shesaidboom

Hi ladies. Joshua Nolan was born at 3:32pm on July 30th. Labour was quick and intense. He was 6lbs 7ounces and 18.5 inches long (so much for that huge baby I thought I was going to have!). We are doing well, but are having some latching on issues that we are working through. Hopefully he'll be breastfeeding like a champ soon.



HUGE congrats to you on baby Arun Vireos! Now to catch up on everyone else!


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## lilacvioletiris

Ah, shesaidboom, Joshua looks so cute in those cloth diapers/diaper cover thing. A perfect little man!


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## SilaMarila

Popping in to say CONGRATULATIONS Shesaidboom! So cute!!!


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## vireoes

Congrats shesaidboom. Welcome Joshua. Early breastfeeding is tough, hopefully he will be latching like a pro in no time.

We got home yesterday. We ended up staying three nights since he had some mild jaundice. These are my two IVF wonders. He only opens his eyes really big when DD is around, they seem to have an instant connection to each other. She is really good with him and has done wonderful through this process, better than we could have hoped for.


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## BucketOfRain

Shesaid: congratulations and welcome baby Joshua!! I hope bf gets easier soon...

Vieroes: love the pic of your daughter and son so happy for you guys!

Aura: the twins are adorable!

Guppy: thinking of you! Your doing great growing those babies, sending you lots of stay put thoughts as I know every little bit helps! I hope you pass your 3hr.

Suzie: I hope you are able to take advantage of your downtime, it is a really big adjustment to going from being super busy to not working...

Hi to everyone else, I can only scroll back through this page...

Afm: nothing new, 39w + 5, my dd is better, yay, and I am trying to take advantage of these last few days before a newborn arrives as best I can...which means I have watched the entire season of orange is the new black on netflix over the past few sleepless nights, haha...has anyone else gotten sucked into this show??


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## MOMTOALEXIS

Shesaid and vireos- Congrats on the new arrivals, the pics are beautiful total cuties!

Aura- Love the pic of the twins.

Blue- Caden is such a handsome fellow, a true miracle!

Good luck to all those due soon. It's really amazing to see all these babies and I agree that they are the cutest babies ever cause it was so much hard work for them to get here. Our twins will be 3 in December and we will not be having anymore children so I totally get my baby fix from all of you and I love it.


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## rcr

Love all the baby photos, expecially *Shesaid* and *Vieros*. *Shesaid* - what a cute diaper! and *Vieros*, your DD looks so happy to be a big sis!

*Bucket* - what is up with that show? I have never seen it but it seems like everybody is talking about it. I have been watching "call the midwife" online. I heard about it and thought it was a reality show about midwives today, but it is actually in the 1950s. It is really good.

*Blue* - Love the pic

*Aura* - I love seeing the twins. I just ordered a few of those pacifiers with the stuffed animal on them. DS had one with a duck that he called "duckie suckie" and he loved it. That cat chewed it up and he was crushed. I put it in his baby book to save it because he loved it so much.

*Kiera* - I agree with blue, please update on your plans for your FET!

*AFM* - finally told work. I sent them an email, so I didn't have to see the look on their faces. they all said congrats (of course), so email was better because I know I would be able to see their real feelings if I did it in person. Boy, second babies are cheap! I mean, if you don't count the money we spent on IF treatments to get her  I made a list of what we need and it was like, nothing. We kept most of DSs stuff. So I ordered a fancy woven wrap because I really felt like I needed to buy something for her. She can wear boy clothes, right? DS is into rainbows and colorful stuff, so its not like everything is blue with a truck on it anyway. I am kinda wanting to buy some new diapers, even though we have a ton of fuzzy buns that will totally last another baby. We don't need it, so I won't do it though. The patterns are so much cuter than the ones that DS had though.

*Maya* - I am a professor, but I have summers off like all other teachers.I could work for some extra money if I wanted too, and the money would be nice, but I would rather have time with DS. No amount of money can match that (and the amount they would pay me in the summer isn't that much anyway)

*Momalexis*: hi!


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## kewpie80

Blue - LOVE the new pic of Caden. He's adorable!

Vireoes - Awwwww what cuties!

auraleigh- People told me i'd be in for it and in trouble when they started moving too, but honestly, it gets so much easier once they start moving. They can explore more and are so much happier when they play because toys don't get out of reach anymore and they have more fun. Walking was super exciting! Your LOs are SO freaking cute!

Shesaidboom - awwwww! Love his little face and those FEET! I'm a sucker for tiny toes. 

rcr- I'm glad the email went over ok. I had to tell work when i got pregnant with our first (the one we lost) and I remember shaking and being so nervous. I told my boss in person and it was pretty awful. He was very concerned about how it would affect him. I didn't stay at that job much longer, but it was just that...a job. Yay for summer time with DS!


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## mayari

Lilac - I played at being a literacy coach at my school last year, but what they really wanted was a reading specialist/interventionist, so I asked to be put back in the classroom this year. I think I am a good coach and the lack of grading was nice, but nothing is worth dealing with the stress of working with the administration at my school.

Also, I found eBay to be a great source for maternity (and baby) clothes. You just have to be careful and ask for measurements unless it's a super familiar brand.

Blue - I'm pretty sure I was going by months after around 24 weeks, but I could be wrong. I do distinctly remember a conversation with a coworker about how only parents speak in weeks. I just don't know when. At this point, I am uncomfortable making the transition from months (25) to years (2).

Auraleigh - My guy is pretty little but was perfectly average for every gross motor milestone. Yours are probably just ahead of the curve in that area.

Shesaid and Vireos - The new babes are so gorgeous. Congratulations to you both.

Shesaid - Breastfeeding was rough for me for the first month or so. Don't hesitate to seek out support.

Vireos - I love your daughter's curls. My guy sadly didn't inherit mine.

rcr - Glad the announcement went smoothly.

My first beta on Wednesday was 259 and the second beta on Friday was 624. I also had a cramping incident yesterday which was most likely digestive. I hadn't eaten breakfast and got light-headed and super crampy. It completely freaked me out that I was having a miscarriage before I ate something, took a potty break, ate some more and finally a little felt better (but still not great). I was with a handful of teenagers from the summer program I'm teaching at the time, walking in front of (of all places) the entrance of Lollapalooza. Instead of ruining our field trip, I got them lunch and then let them adventure on their own and then worried for hours until I got the texts to let me know they were safely on the train home.


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## guppyluv

Yay passed the 3hr no problem. Figures....

Not feeling great physically. Just really trying to hold out. 29w Monday









Don't have the energy to read or watch TV at this point... Will try to keep everyone posted!!!


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## suzie mccool

Vireos & Shesaid.. Huge congratulations to you guys - and thanks for both putting up photos so quickly! Beautiful little ones x

Blue.. Caden is just adorable!

Rcr.. You are so lucky the clothes you have are good for either.. I seriously have a whole wardrobe of clothes with trucks on them from DS..LOL. Who knew I was such a stereotypical child dresser? And good you got the work thing done - email is awesome for stuff like that!

Guppy.. glad your gtt was clear  Keep hanging in there! And so sorry you're feeling so flat out tired, that must suck.

Mayari.. Great betas! The cramps are always concerning, even though they're totally normal. Kudos to you for not cancelling the field trip! 

AFM.. In the process of buying a baby monitor.. was looking at the (horribly expensive) Angelcare one.. if anyone has any feedback or suggestions of a good one that doesn't interfere with wifi - (imagine DS trying to cope with his games dropping out!!) please let me know


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## happyhopeful

Hi Everyone!! What an absolute thrill it was reading this weekends thread with all the positive updates and seeing all the gorgeous pics!!!

*Aura*- the babies look sooo sweet and adorable! I can't believe it's been 11 weeks! It so awesome that you sound just so happy and perfectly suited to be mothering two!!

*Blue*- Gorgeous baby!! Instantly brought a smile to my face!!

*Shesaid*- What an absolutely beautiful pic and beautiful baby!!

*Vireos*- Love the pic- what cuties!! and how perfectly sweet that your DD has instantly bonded to her lil brother- you are so blessed!!

*Bucket*- So happy that dd is better! Soon you'll be posting pics!!

*Guppy*- YAY!!! Happy 29 weeks!! Just keep doing what you've been doing and you'll reach (and probably) surpass your goal!!

*RCR*- Congrats on telling the job!! What a relief!!

*McCool*- I didn't even think about the possibility of wifi interference- that issue didn't exist 14 years ago when I had my ds!! Please let me know what you find out, because I'm not sure my ds would survive without it! 

*Mayari*- your betas sound super!! Really strong!! I know the cramping is always nerve racking! Even now,entering my 21st week, when I have gas- I am totally on alert. ugh, it's all just part of the struggle.However with those betas and your early bpt I would feel pretty confident! When is your ultrasound? p.s. cramping also seems to go hand in hand with twins...

Sorry if I missed anybody!! *AFM,* feeling good- migraines are down to every other week which is a big relief. I'm still very much looking forward to the follow up scan, but am no longer feeling as nervous/anxious as I was about it.I am feeling my lil one moving now and it's just the best- the moment I feel her, I stop whatever I 'm doing and talk to her  I can't wait till she's big enough that I feel her more frequently!


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## mayari

guppy: congrats on passing your three-hour glucose test.

suzie: i would love to know what baby monitor you get. we still co-sleep with our first (one br condo), but plan to move soon.

happy: migraines suck. I hope they go away soon.

my third (final) beta today was 1850. I know those are good numbers, but they're not going up as quickly as they did for #1, so of course I'm worrying. my first u/s is a week from today. i'll be 5 weeks, 6 days. what are the chances of seeing a heartbeat that early? I've got my fingers crossed we will.


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## lilacvioletiris

Mayari, I think I saw my twins heartbeats at 5 weeks 4 Days with ¨he vaginal ultrasound.


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## mayari

That's awesome, Lilac. I hope we see it, too!


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## kewpie80

Mayari - Great betas! It probably depends on how good their equipment is whether or not you'll see any HBs yet. You're close enough to 6w that you might!


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## happyhopeful

Hi *Mayari*! So excited for you to have your ultrasound! As for the heartbeat- i also went at 5 weeks and 6 days and the Doc said "oh, look at that, a perfectly placed embie..here's the gestational sac,,,and a fetal pole just forming! Congratulations! And we are really looking forward to Wednesday's visit when you can see the h/b!!" It was a Friday, and that was it- no concern or anything for not seeing it- biologically, doctors don't expect to see it until 6-7 weeks. Sure enough when I went back on Wednesday, there was the h/b!! I just wanted to share this in case you didn't see it. Looking forward to hearing your report!!


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## mayari

Thanks for the words of caution, Happy. I know it's likely we won't see it. With my first we saw a sac (no fetal pole) at 5 weeks 3 days, but a HB by 6 weeks 2 days, so I'm right in the middle. I will be disappointed, but not concerned, if we don't see the HB on Monday.

I did go ahead and book a midwife appt at 9 weeks 3 days. Too soon to do that?


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## Keria

Just lurking here. Love all the sweet baby pics. I think IVF must be extra cute or something.

WE are all good just super busy. My kids are gigantic I can't believe how fast it has gone.

Here is a recent-ish pic of my little people


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## suzie mccool

Hey all  Just a quick pop in. Had a terrible appointment with my midwife on Friday... my blood pressure has gone crazy with all the stress from work (that is not even mine anymore!) and they ended up putting me on a CTG machine for half an hour to test baby's stress levels. I've been told to start to take it easy officially, and have to have weekly check ups now. AND if my blood pressure doesn't settle down they want to put me on hospital bed rest... But the CTG showed all is well in the womb, so there's that at least

Very hard to just slow down when there's so much to do, and nobody else to do it - just hoping the actual staff member can come back to work soon so I can retire in peace! (Her mum's in ICU, so no idea when she will be back at work...)

On the good side - I was told by 2 midwives and a doctor that I don't seem to be carrying much extra weight, and she's looking like a very big baby, which is a lovely relief, and makes me glad I'm having a c-section. I feel (and look) like I've gained at least 30 kilos, but apparently not. Still not getting on actual scales though lol  Huge difference to the last doctor who told me have an enormous belly, and made me feel like a bit of a freak.

Hope you guys are all well and happy! Sorry about the long ranty post!!


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## cynthia mosher

Hitching a ride on this very popular thread so I can get the message out to all our pregnant mamas - have you joined your Due Date Club here at Mothering? You can chat with other moms due the same month as you and get mutual support and sharing of experiences through your pregnancies. You'll find the Due Date Clubs here. Just find yours and click Join This Group to have instant access and posting privileges: http://www.mothering.com/community/groups/tagged/tag/2013-due-date-clubs


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## BucketOfRain

Baby Isaac is here! My water broke last Sunday night at 40 weeks 1 day and he was born about 6 hours later following a pretty quick hospital delivery with an epi. So far, he and I are doing well. BF is a bit of a nightmare as he just won't latch 90% of the time which led me to starting to pump before even leaving the hospital and giving him bottles. I can't complain too much though because my supply has been able to keep with him and he is so far only on breast milk even if he is not getting it straight from me...

Suzie: sorry to read about your complications and hope you can find a way to rest up

Keria: such sweet babies

I hope all the other pregnant ladies are feeling good and those with new babies are enjoying these little miracles


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## auraleigh

Bucket of Rain, congrats!!! i love the name issac, it's my son's middle name. post some photos if you can! hope you're getting some rest and feeling well!

keria- omg the babies are so big now! beautiful!!! do they get along?

suzie, hope you're feeling better. i imagine it's very stressful getting everything together, but make sure to take care of yourself! hospital best rest is no fun, much better to lounge at home in pjs!

mayari, congrats!

and hope everyone else is doing great!

we had our first trip with the babies this weekend. what should have been a 2 hour drive became a 4 hour drive due to traffic, but the babies slept almost the whole trip so it wasn't too bad. luckily the minivan has a jump seat in the second row so i was able to sit between the car seats and give bottles, pacifiers, etc. my sister's wedding was beautiful, the babies stayed through cocktail hour and then retired to the hotel with my best friend (seriously, my best friend was amazing and babysat the babies while we were occupied). next weekend we need to bring the babies to meet my dh's family up in massachusetts, so that's a 4-5 hour drive. i hope it goes smoothly!


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## auraleigh

My peanuts


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## lilacvioletiris

aura, sounds like a great time especially with help to take care of your little ones when the time was right at the wedding. They are growing so big!


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## mayari

Suzie, so sorry to hear about the BP health concerns. I hope things work out soon.

Bucket, congratulations on the arrival of baby Isaac.

Aura, the wedding sounds nice. Your best friend is priceless. Good luck with the ipcoming trip.

We had our first scan this morning. Two sacs, one small one with no apparent fetal pole. The other one with a visible fetal pole measuring ahead at 6 weeks 2 days and an absolutely gorgeous 108 bpm flickering heart beat.


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## happyhopeful

Hi All!

*Bucket*- CONGRATULATIONS!!! So thrilled for you that labor was pretty quick and that your little one arrived healthy!! BF can really be a struggle but that's great that you're able to still give him the milk with the bottle!!

*Aura*- GORGEOUS babies!!!! So great that you're already so with it that you can do a long car ride, a wedding, etc!! Awesome.

*Mayari*- Sooo excited for you!!! Oh my gosh- a heartbeat already and maybe two babies??!! Congratulations!! What a fantastic appointment!

*Suzie*- You MUST take it easy!! Now is certainly not the time to be anyone's saving grace- you literally can't do it!! Bless you for helping out, but now you have to help yourself out and just relax!! Super happy for you that the baby looks great and that the weight gain seems to be baby weight- sweet!

*Keira*- what adorable babies!! From the looks of all these pics on this thread, I certainly agree that these IVF babies take the cake when it comes to cuteness!!

*AFM*- just inching my way towards the much anticipated (hopefully final) scan on Wednesday, and hoping that her lil heart and palette are okay! I'm also hoping to hear some positive news about my one non-functioning "abnormal' artery- like maybe- oh, wow, look at that, it's functioning fine now...or maybe- your baby girl doesn't even need that second artery, she's growing perfectly with one!...just sayin, hoping. Anyway, on a different note, my mom is sending out baby shower invitations at the end of this week because we're having it in NY on 9/21 and she wants everyone to have enough time to plan ahead. So, I had to do the baby registry, which I had been looking forward to, but honestly it was quite overwhelming. I did it on Amazon b/c all of my family lives in a different state and we thought it would be more convenient and we won't have to lug all the stuff up our 52 step walk up after the shower. However, Amazon provides a handy tool with 15 categories for you to make sure you'll have everything you need and honestly it made me completely dizzy and a lil overwhelmed thinking of everything we would have to get/buy.

Sorry for rambling!! Hope everyone is feeling and doing well!!


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## mayari

Bucket, I read hastily and didn't see what you said about BF. Do seek support, please. La Leche League or an IBCLC. I have a friend who nursed successfully for 18 months after 6 months of exclusive pumping. Her daughter had a lip tie that needed to be clipped and then had to regain an interest in latching on. Exclusive pumping is tough. The website http://kellymom.com/ is a great breastfeeding resource, too.

Happy, I really think your daughter doesn't need that second artery. My friend's daughter (I have a friend for everything!) had a two-cord placental artery and was successfully carried to term. They just monitored baby a lot because it can be a risk factor for certain things, but my understanding was that in itself it doesn't hurt baby to have one artery instead of two. This wikipedia article is actually reassuring: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_umbilical_artery.


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## happyhopeful

Hi! Just wanted to pop in and share the latest scan info







So, the pediatric cardiologist said the baby's heart looked great and said that her arches were "beautiful"- yay! The OB MFM specialist was pleased with everything in the scan. She just had two items to advise me on- continue the baby aspirin because the one artery is still blocked/high resistance and I had a small (2 cm by 2 cm) bleed in the placenta that she just wants me to "not strain or lift anything" and it wont' be an issue. So that's all the medical stuff. The fun stuff was the baby moving all around and the doctor saying she was going to be a sprinter, the cute little close up on the nose, her adorable little feet, and the way she kept on finding a little snugly spot to curl up on her belly in.

Hope everyone is doing well and feeling well!


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## MOMTOALEXIS

RCR- can u please post the name of the place for embryo adoption and about the cost, I have a friend very interested and I know you had a great experience. Tia


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## shesaidboom

Thank you so much everyone for the sweet comments about Joshua.

*vireoes* - look at those gorgeous babies! Thanks for sharing pictures of your sweeties. I love that your DD and Arun already love each other so much.

*bucketofrain* - CONGRATULATIONS!!! Welcome baby Isaac! We are the same over here, having BF troubles and pumping exclusively. So difficult! I hope your BF troubles get easier too.

*momtoalexis* - thank you! you're right about them being even cuter because it took so much work to get them here. They are extra special forsure.

*rcr* - I'm glad you told your work. Hopefully that is a huge load off your mind now. I say treat yourself with the new goodies for DD. Why not, when you don't need to buy much else? I love all the cute diaper patterns these days!

*Kewpie* - aren't tiny feet the greatest? Thank you!

*mayari* - thank you!
That cramping incident sounds scary, but thankfully it ended up being ok. Try to keep yourself hydrated and fed. It can be so hard, but really makes a difference. 
Definitely not too soon to book a mw appointment. We ended up waiting too long and couldn't even get in with a mw.
I'm so glad you got to see your little babe on your ultrasound!

*suzie* - thank you!
Buying a monitor was so annoying. I don't have any advice for you though, we just bought the cheapest we saw. We haven't used it yet though.
I'm sorry you had such a bad appointment. I do hope you are taking it easy now. It sounds like you've been working so hard. I'll be sending lots of good thoughts and hoping you are able to avoid hospital bed rest. I'm glad everything is well inside with baby.

*happyhopeful* - thank you!
I'm glad you're feeling good. I do admit I miss those movements from my little one. They were really neat. I can't wait for you to feel bigger movements more often too.
I'm glad the cardiologist gave you good news!

*Keria* - what a cute picture! I'm glad you're all doing well.

*auraleigh* - Sounds like you had a good trip, aside from that extra time on the drive! I hope your next trip goes smoothly. Love the pictures too! What adorable little babes.

*AFM - *we had a bit of a crazy week after Josh was born. We ended up back in the hospital because he had lost too much of his birth weight. It turns out that while he was latching on and sucking, he can't get his tongue out far enough to stimulate milk to come out so he wasn't getting enough. We're still struggling with breastfeeding, but I am pumping for him and he is doing so much better. We're going to see a breastfeeding specialist tomorrow (after the many, many lactation consultants we've seen) and hopefully he'll be able to shed some more light on our situation. Otherwise, I have just been enjoying this little babe. I still can't believe he's here after all the infertility struggles. I am so glad he is. Here is another picture of the little guy..


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## lilacvioletiris

shesaidboom, Josh is so cute! I hope you get the breastfeeding things figured out.


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## Vegan Princess

Bucket and Shesaid: Hugs about the breastfeeding! Aria would latch but wouldn't suck. It turned out she had a posterior tongue tie. My midwife and the 1st LC I saw missed it. We ended up having to have it revised THREE times until she could finally complete a full feed at the breast and I didn't need to pump and supplement the rest. It took until she was 2 months old. It was really rough having to pump after every feed. I am so glad I stuck with it bc it did eventually get resolved. Hang in there mamas! I had all sorts of other issues (low supply) with my first and it was so emotionally draining and traumatic. Try not to let the breastfeeding issues rob you of your prescious time with your tiny, sweet babe that you have waiting so long for! Congrats to you both! Your babies are beyond adorable and make me long for a teeny tiny newbie again. 

Cindy


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## auraleigh

breastfeeding was really tough for me too. i EP'd for six weeks with the occasional surprise breast feed, and finally gave up, but it was due more to my lack of milk than my willingness to pump. i suspect that whatever hormone issues prevented me from getting pregnant had something to do with my lack of milk. i know what you ladies are going through, and it's worth it! your babies appreciate your efforts, i'm sure. also, i followed an EP group on facebook that i found really helpful, if you're interested.


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## rcr

Hi all:

I am just looking at the last page, so I may miss some posts from before that.

momalexis - I used my local REs in-house donor embryo program (basically leftover embies from old cycles). They have a 2-3 year waiting list but I jumped ahead because I was willing to take an "unknown race" embryo. Oddly, my whole cycle was free because I took the embryos that they couldn't get rid of, and because I had already spent so much money with them. After reading about all the obsessing that goes on when you pick a donor (people get REALLY picky), I am glad that I went the route that I did. When it finally worked for me, I was also pursuing California Conceptions (about $14,000 for three cycles with a guarenteed $ back), which was the cheapest out there but comes with some criticism for making "designer babies." I also looked into RBA in atlanta, which is about the same price (maybe a bit more expensive), but it is only egg donor, so you can use your own sperm or a sperm donor. They seem to have amazing success, but the downside is that you only get like 8 eggs or so, so the chances of having some to freeze for future siblings is less. I also looked into Embryo Donation International, out of Florida. They seem to be one of the only non-christian embryo adoption places out there, and I liked that you could get a donor with some contact, even if it is only when the kid turns 18. You should tell your friend to check out the parents via egg donation web site and forum. There are a lot of good clinics and more choices, but I basically had to stick with the most inexpensvie ones, after so many IF treatments. There is a whole industry out there that sends people for egg donor treatments to places like the Czech Republic, where a fresh donor cycle costs like $10,000. I never looked into that though.

Maya - congrats on the great news! I hope that second little bean pulls through for you, but congrats on having at least one!!

happy - I am so glad that you got good news at the scan, and got to see lots of movement.

shesaid - wow, he is just co cute!! Sorry about the BF struggles. I hope it gets easier for you - good for you for hanging in there.

Aura/vegan/lilac/blue/kiera/vieros - hi!

AFM - Well I am back to work tomorrow. I know, boo hoo - I shouldn't complain, because I did get the summer off, but after three months of being a SAHM with DS, it is sooooo hard to go back. Plus the people I work for are miserable and unhappy and mean. my little mystery baby is kicking up a storm. DS felt it from the outside a few times and was so excited. He starts back at school tomorrow too. I have a midwife appointment on Friday, and she is having a massage therapist come and give everybody free massages. Yay! DH and I have been pulling out all of DSs old baby stuff. Plus the old girl clothes that my mom kept from when I was little (which are so cute!). I am down to only about 5 shirts and 6 pants, but I don't want to buy tons of clothes because I only a little over three months left. I did go shopping for a few more shirts, but maternity cloths are so... um... mommy-ish, y/k? I feel huge and uncomfortable most of the time. DH and I have been having some issues that I think stem from our long IF struggle, so we decided to be proactive and see a counselor. Our first appointment was last week, and we have another one Friday. I hope we can get some of the closeness and intamicy back that we lost during IF. Did any of you have a tough time recovering when you finally got pregnant? How long did it take to get back to "normal"? Its not like we are having huge marriage trouble, I just wish that we could be closer, like we used to before IF took over our lives.


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## dandelionsrflowers

I'm not exactly sure when I graduate to this thread, but...

Looks like we have had a couple positive blood tests! Our first ultrasound is on the 26th. It seems so far away. Our due date will be the middle of April.


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## MOMTOALEXIS

Thanks RCR!


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## lilacvioletiris

rcr, that is so cute that you have clothes from when you were little. I am sure your little girl will look adorable in them. I hope your first day back to school/work goes well. Yay, for massages - always a good thing. Hope the counseling helps you get through the rough patches.

dandelionsflowers, welcome! Congrats on your bfp and hopefully your ultrasound will show great things. How many embryos did you transfer?

AFM, today I am 22 weeks pregnant. Hard to believe I am on the downward slope toward my boys making their entrance into the world. DH and I interviewed a doula on Sunday and I think we both really felt comfortable with her. It is exciting to think that the birth of our boys will happen hopefully sometime in November or December.


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## Tear78

Short on time as always, lol. But wanted to say shesaidboom, check out this Facebook group: Tngue Tie Babies Support Group. You need to request membership. Apparently most forms of tongue tie are poorly diagnosed and often left untreated. Docs will call it normal and say maybe you should bottle feed if bf is too painful. If you come across this there are docs that will help! Freddy had his tie revised and is doing great with bf now. Not being able to stick his tongue out sounds like a tie. Does he get a dip or a v in his tongue when he cries? Make sure they also check for an upper lip tie. Enjoy your sweet baby!

RCR, totally hear you on going back after the summer. I'm preparing my classroom now and I was in tears yesterday at leaving my babies behind. I took Freddy with me, but on Tuesday I have to leave them both with hubby. He is great, but Freddy doesn't take a bottle yet. We're seeing progress, but I know it's going to be a very hard transition, boo...









Blue, hi to you! I know you gave a shout out to me and now I can't remember what you asked. Lots of love to you!


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## dandelionsrflowers

Lilac- thank you! we transferred two. Waiting for this ultrasound seems more agonizing than the two week wait...


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## lilacvioletiris

dandelionsflowers, I know how agonizing that wait is for the ultrasound. Since my DH and I had to wait two years to get a bfp, waiting two weeks after that to have an ultrasound seemed like an eternity. It was so amazing when the doctor quickly said as he started to scan, "There are two!". I hope you can pass the time until your ultrasound comes to tell you what is going on within you.


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## guppyluv

Well another brief update from tripletville... Best news is I'm still pregnant. 30+4. Bummer is I'm really hypertensive -- Suzie you're not alone here!! -- insane BP landed me in the hospital for a few days this week. No preE -- but the dr says its only a matter of time before preeclampsia develops







meds have it stable as long as I don't do ANYTHING... Even the ride home was a little too much! Crazy.

I REALLY want to get to 33 w but at least 32 when so many of the remaining (really icky) risk factors vanish. I am back home at my parents apartment - no stairs, small distance to kitchen they don't have to uproot (any more than they already have) to help me, etc.

I'm glad to see new faces coming intoi this group! So awesome!!

And also sooooo glad to see those who have struggled so make it soooo far (so good!).

I love catching up on everyone's progress.


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## Vegan Princess

Guppy - you are AMAZING!!! You've done SO well getting this far. I hope those babes stay in for another 2 weeks at least! That is SO close! Can't wait to see pics. 

Cindy


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## lilacvioletiris

guppy, it is so good to hear from you and hear that your babies are still on the inside growing. Hopefully you can keep that blood pressure in check until you make it to 32 or 33 weeks. Go guppy Go!


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## guppyluv

Meant to share ages ago... My 24w 3D u/s.... L-R BBG


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## lilacvioletiris

Guppy that is awesome! I love the middle one where there is a foot from another sibling trying to get in on the photo. Those 3D pictures are just amazing.

AFM, today my DH really truly felt one of the boys kick. I was rubbing my belly and felt on then I took DH's hand and pushed on the same spot and there was a nice firm thump! DH was really excited.


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## rcr

Joining the Guppy cheering section! You are doing a great job keeping those babies in! go guppy go!!!


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## shesaidboom

*lilac* - thank you!
You're getting so much closer! How cool that DH got to feel the babes too. I'm glad you met a doula you both like.

*vegan* - Thank you for the hugs, it has been quite a struggle so far. Josh ended up having a tongue tie as well. He's still not breastfeeding great because he has gotten used to the bottles, but we are getting there. It's good to hear that you had success! I am not ready to give up, but it is so hard to pump so often and have him scream at the breast.

*auraleigh* - I had no idea that breastfeeding would be so hard, and it seems like it is for so many of us. I'm sorry you had so much trouble. Thankfully I don't have any supply issues. I can't imagine having to deal with both.

*rcr* - thank you!
I'm sorry you have to go back to work. Your co-workers do not sound like fun to be around.
How cool that DS got to feel the babe!
I hope that counselling helps. Good for you for being proactive about it. I don't have any advice to share, just good thoughts for you and your DH.

*dandelionsrflowers* - congrats! welcome.

*tear78* - thank you so much for the link to the FB group! It turns out Josh did have both a tongue and lip tie. Our GP commented that there was something off about his tongue, but she didn't think it was a tie since the tip of his tongue wasn't tied down. It was missed by so many people until this specialist caught it. We had both released and he is doing so much better. He's still not breastfeeding well because he had gotten used to the bottles, but we're getting closer. He is able to use his tongue so much better, and the lip tie was preventing him from making a good seal.

*guppy* - thanks for the update! It's always nice to hear from you. I'm so glad the triplets are still on the inside (wow, you are AMAZING!), but so sorry for all the trouble you have been having. I'm so glad you have your parents to help you. I'm sending lots of good thoughts for you and the babes. Look at those tiny ones!


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## suzie mccool

Just a quick pop in  Hi everyone!

Guppy - awesome pics! So glad you're still hanging in there. You are a bit of a legend.

Had yet another blood pressure check up and got admitted (again).. I convinced them to let me come home today and if the blood test etc come back bad I have to go back - but at least I can take some PJs and the Ipad. Looks like I'm heading down the road to hospital bed rest some time soon as pre-e is looking very likely, even though I've stopped working and am seriously just janging around the house and watching heaps of TV... OMG the new Game of Thrones series!! Amazing! Sorry for the lack of hellos, but I'm off to pack an emergency bag just in case


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## guppyluv

Suzie-- I'm with you on the likely heading to preE.. Just packed my bag and am binging to appt today just in case! I have BI-weekly appointments now and figure anytime I could be admitted... Last week I was caught by surprise Andy folks had to come back with stuff - and they just brought random stuff. It was amusing!

Good luck. Hope labs are ok!!!!


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## happyhopeful

Hi *Everyone,* just wanted to pop in and see how everyone is!

*Guppy*- YAY!!! for those babies and you staying strong and healthy!! I'm also so happy that you can stay somewhere that's easier on you and hopefully may prevent you from the hospital bed rest!! OH, and that pic of the babies?? I can't believe how adorable they already are!! Sending you lots of warm wishes and thoughts!

*Suzie*- totally bummed that you may have to stay in the hospital, but happy that you're keeping positive and preparing. As for Game of Thrones,it will DEFINITELY keep you entertained and distracted!!

*Shesaid-* I'm happy that you and Joshua got help regarding the feeding and that he can now feed so much easier! What a relief!!

*RCR*- I hope the first few days back at work weren't too painful, and hopefully the time will fly by before you're back home again with this baby!!

*Lilac*- congrats on finding a doula and also on hubby feeling the baby/babies kick!! For me, I can feel the baby moving, but my husband can't feel it from the outside- hoping in another week or two, he will be able to feel it too!!

*Dandelion-* CONGRATULATIONS!!

*Everyone else*- wishing you a great week!!!


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## rcr

Suzie and Guppy - Good luck! I will be thinking about both of you.


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## mayari

Happy, glad to hear the baby's heart is looking good.

Shesaid, I hope things have gotten better with BF.

RCR, I feel you on being back at work. It sucks.

Dandelion, congratulations! Sending sticky thoughts.

Lilac, glad you found your doula. I'm trying to figure out if we can afford one this time around.

Guppy, glad the babies are still marinating. I hope they can stay inside for a few more weeks!

Suzie, Game of Thrones is SO GOOD. I watched all of seasons one and two over the course of a few weeks.

AFM, it is definitely one baby. The other sac didn't grow between my first and second scan. I have my third scan on Friday. I am in the clutches of morning sickness right now. I had forgotten how much I hated being pregnant during the first trimester. I felt so guilty about it last time because I had worked so hard to get to that place and felt so lucky and blessed, but I was miserable. It's worse now around with a toddler at home, but I don't feel guilty this time. I don't throw up much, but I am nauseous all the time, have a ton of aversions, and generally can't stand eating. At the same time, I'm always feeling hungry and lightheaded. It sucks. Hopefully, only another two months or so of this to go until I can get to enjoy being pregnant. (My MS went away around 16 weeks last time.)


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## lilacvioletiris

Sorted through all the baby clothes I have been given so far. I have a bunch of those sleep sacks (all cuddly material , plenty of 3-6, 6-9. and 18-24 clothes, a good start to 9-12 and 12-18 month clothes, and more blankets than I could ever imagine. My aunt had mixed in a few little girl's things before she knew I was having a boy. I have those in a bag separated from everything else. I need to get a couple more boxes to put the 12-18 month clothes in and all the sleep sacks/blankets. Oh and I have 2 snow suits too (3-6 months) which should get us through the first winter here in Michigan.

Had to laugh at my DH. My aunt gave me a food grinder . DH thought it was a hand breast pump. Yeah, we have a lot to learn together


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## dandelionsrflowers

*mayari*- how far along are you again?

Waiting for our first ultrasound is horrible. I'm trying to be patient, I really am. But, I just want to know everything is ok. My blood pressure is also way low. My regular is 90/60. When the hubby took it yesterday, it was 75/35. No wonder I'm so tired, dizzy, and my arms/legs feel like wet noodles.


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## hope4light

Hey Guys!! Just wanted to drop by and say HI and welcome to all the newly pg mama's! Guppy - glad to hear that the babes are still hanging around in there  lilac - sounds like you've got lots of good clothes! We had (still have even as she gets bigger) tons of hand me downs for my 3yo DD. My DS? Not so much. I've done a massive amount of thrift store shopping and catching the amazing sales anywhere I can find them to try to stock up slowly.... but no boys really in my family/friends to get the hand me downs from! suzie - sorry about being admitted again... fingers crossed that you hang tight!!! rcr/blue/tear/vegan/ - hi and thinking about you (and those I didn't specifically mention). AFM - Life has been insane. In the past 7 weeks our family has struggled with 3 bouts of some stomach bug (me, DH and DD) , a bladder infection that turned into severe joint pain from the antibiotic so it took 3 antibiotics and prednisone to get rid of (me), strep throat (DH), Poison Ivy that took 6 weeks and that aforementioned prednisone to heal (me), DH being out of town for over a week (while I was sick), work going insane (upper management leaving, no one knowing what is going to happen), our renters moving out of our rental property so spent a week or so getting it ready for the next renters to move in, DD transitioning into preschool (not loving it right now), fighting with daycare because they forget DS is only 7 months old and want to feed him EVERYTHING (we are doing BLW so no purees - but they seem to think he's ready for fruits canned in syrup (not happening), crackers, kix, fruit loops, WHY tell me are they even feeding infants (up to 12 months) those foods at all??!!!), DS having major sleep regression, my milk supply taking a hit from all the issues and meds and stress and AF thrown in there (and coming again). Phew. Yeah, i'm stressed to the hilt and exhausted. BUT - DD is doing great and talking so much more (speech therapy is helping so much), and she's doing really good with potty training. DS is eating like a hoss and can't seem to get enough of anything - be it mama's milk or real food. He loves eating the real thing, and I'm so glad we could do BLW with him (it didn't work well for DD so we did purees until she was over a year old). He's been sitting up no his own since he was 5 months, but now he can get himself into a sitting up position, he army crawls and pulls himself up on things and is almost full on crawling. I keep trying to tell him to slow down but he doesn't listen  So I haven't been posting much lately, but I keep lurking and stalking everyone!!! I swear I just don't even have time to pee at work these days, and typing these posts on my cell is a PITA. So know I'm around and thinking about everyone!!!


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## lilacvioletiris

hope, this list "but they seem to think he's ready for fruits canned in syrup (not happening), crackers, kix, fruit loops, WHY tell me are they even feeding infants (up to 12 months) those foods at all??!!!)," is crazy. My sister, who isn't quite as crunchy as I am but is breastfeeding her 4 month old, has already introduced rice cereal and pureed foods. I think that kind of food is 9 months and older kind of stuff, not for a 4 month old. I just shake my head. Not my babies when they finally come. Good luck on the BLW ( I am assuming baby lead weaning).


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## shesaidboom

*suzie* - so sorry you had to be admitted due to blood pressure issues. Try to take it as easy as you can. I will be sending lots of good thoughts for you and babe.

*happyhopeful* - Thank you! I'm really glad feeding is looking up for us now. It's still a challenge, but we've had several successful feedings at the breast now.

*mayari* - thank you, they are getting easier every day!
The first trimester is definitely a difficult place to be, I can't imagine it with a toddler. I hope you start feeling better quickly! Be good to yourself.

*lilac* - Sounds like you have a great stash of baby clothes so far!

*dandelionsrflower*s - Waiting is awful. When is your ultrasound again? Have you asked your dr or midwife about your low blood pressure? You're right, no wonder you are feeling so icky.

*hope4light* - thrift stores are my favourite place to shop for baby clothes, it's where we got most of Birdie's stuff. I hope you're finding awesome things too.
It sounds like you've gotten an awful hand in the health department lately. I'm sorry you guys have been dealing with yucky illnesses. I hope you're all doing better and don't have any more on the horizon.
I'd be furious with your daycare. There's no reason for a 7 month old to be eating those things, especially if mama says no.
Be gentle with yourself, you have a lot of stress on your hands lately. I hope things calm down for you.

Hi to everyone else, I hope you're all doing well!

*AFM -* we've had several successful breastfeeding sessions now so our feeding issues are hopefully coming to an end. I'm so proud of Birdie for how well he is doing with it. I cannot wait to never have to pump again! I hate hate hate pumping.


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## suzie mccool

Hey everyone  I'm home for a day then back to boring old hospital. Have been given the pre-e diagnosis so it's been a long week of blood tests, ultrasounds and urine testing. Along with the most crazy blood pressures ever. Ironically, I've never felt better (aside from carrying around a giant beach ball) so it feels pretty wrong to be in a hospital bed all day. They get really mad when I get up and cruise around - apparently I'm the worst patient they've ever had for laying in bed LOL... But at least the big symptoms have stayed away so far - apparently if they kick in it's gonna be a quick c-section, so I'm crossing everything I just stay like this for another few weeks.

Baby looks awesome at the scans though - she's measuring at 4.8 pounds this week (totally right for her age) which is pretty reassuring as pre-e can cause less growth.

Sorry for the lack of personals - but I've got about 3 hours before I have to go back and a billion things to do.. But DH packed me the most amazing bag for the hospital last week. I had about 20 pairs of undies, one pair of socks and some lovely tops but no pants Hahahaha


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## guppyluv

Suzie-- hang in there and drink tons of water (which I'm sure you're doing anyway!) hope you can keep the preE at bay as long as possible. I'm in a similar situation but back home for now as my labs were clear. Can't wait to see what my trio weighs tomorrow!! 4.8 is AMAZING!!!


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## happyhopeful

Hi All!

*Guppy!!* so happy to see your post and read that your lil ones are staying put!! YAY!!! Also, just so happy that you have been released from the hospital!! Can't wait to read how much the trio is weighing in at now!!

*Suzie*- That's awesome that despite the pre-e, you're feeling great and sending all those great vibes to your bebe!! Her weight sounds fantastic too!! Very funny about what your husband packed, I think mine would've done the same! I hope you're able to watch Game of Thrones and that you can find other ways to distract yourself! When is your due date?

*SheSaid*- Congrats again on the breastfeeding success and I hope your pumping days are numbered! I'm only about 24 weeks, and am already dreading when I have to go back to work and will have to pump...I can only afford (at most) 8 weeks away from work, so I'll have to pump or supplement  Ugh!

*Hope4Light-* Oh my gosh!! You sound like your life has been super hectic!! Thank goodness everyone is recovered from their illnesses!! It also sounds like you're celebrating a lot of milestones of your two- crawling, sitting up, and talking- that must help take some of the edge off the stress!! I hope the good news/good times keep rolling in for you now!!

*Mayari*- hope you're MS is getting more manageable!! I know everyone is different, but for me- saltine crackers right next to the bed to eat as soon as I woke up and before getting out of bed (my OB's nurse recommended this) really, really helped! Good Luck and I'm looking forward to reading about the ultrasound!!

*Dandelion*- Waiting for the ultrasound is awful!! However, it does pay to wait so that you will definitely be able to see something, and feel confident about the pregnancy!! Looking forward to reading an update from you!! Sending you lots of patient and confident vibes!!

*Lilac-* Sounds like you are getting all set for these babies and how great that you already have their clothes!! It sounds like you are all about nesting right now!! 

*AFM*- My baby just started high school yesterday!!! Aaaaaa!! I mean, I'm so proud and excited for this new journey, ehem. It was a little hard for me, he's been my one and only for the last 14 years and seeing him off to high school yesterday, well, it's a little hard realizing that in a just a few years he'll be an adult. .Okay, pulling myself together...On to stuff that makes me smile- The new baby's room is 90% emptied out!! The last two items are a sleeper sofa & tv which I'm trying to sell, but honestly I will gladly give them away if no one shows interest in the next two weeks.We also started receiving gifts because my mom sent out the baby shower invitations and we're registered with Amazon, so it's been super exciting coming home and finding a package!! It's also making me just want to be able to snap my fingers and the room is done and snap them again and it's December and my baby is here!!

*Everyone*- Hope you have a great week!!


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## dandelionsrflowers

*guppy* you are so inspiring!

We had the ultrasound yesterday and it looks like twins! They are measuring on track







I am floating between bliss and scared. The hubby is just plain excited


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## lilacvioletiris

dandelionsrflowers, I will congratulate you over on this thread too! So Exciting! Glad to know that the little ones you are carrying are growing like they should be. I know when I found out it truly was twins it was a mix of panic and euphoria. Panicked because I hoped everything would work out all right and wondering if we would be good parents to twins and euphoria that we had finally gotten pregnant when a year before we were told we would never have biological children.

AFM,

I went and toured the birth place where I am planning to give birth last night. The triage part reminded me of an emergency room. I told DH that supported my wishes of staying home until I was in active labor because otherwise the tour guide said we could spend 2 to 4 hours in this little room with no windows. All the labor and delivery rooms have outdoor windows which is much better in my opinion. The tour guide told me and 2 other moms pregnant with twins that it wasn't the practice to have all twin births in the operating room. But I am definitely going to talk to my doctor about that too. There were nice deep bath tubs and showers and each room so I can stand in the water if I want to labor there which was good. She even said they recommend that a laboring woman sit on a toilet and rock to help get the baby in the right direction to exit the body vaginally. The hospital supports skin to skin contact with the baby after birth which was good to know, but if I am still actively laboring for the second baby that may be interesting. Nurse said that colostrum tastes like amniotic fluid which I had never heard before. Makes sense though so it is familiar to the baby.

The mother/baby unit was nice with enough space in their large rooms for both babies to stay with us and they are never taken away from the parents unless the little boys are going to be circumcised. I am not sure how my DH feels about circumcision. I guess I need to have a conversation about that. There is a "watching" nursery if parents ask to have some time to sleep without watching the baby. DH even gets a couch to sleep on. Doesn't look that comfy but at least it is something.

This whole "getting ready to birth" thing is getting more and more real.


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## auraleigh

hello everyone!!

dandelions- congrats on twins!! i never expected to have twins and feel SO extremely lucky. every day is an adventure! you are in for a lot of fun!

happy- december is right around the corner!!

lilac- good luck!! birthing twins vaginally is a challenge but certainly not impossible. i was really happy that i got to go that route, even though it just worked out that way. the rooms sound amazing at the hospital! i wouldn't stress about triage, especially if you're not rushing in right away. i was in triage for less than an hour before i was brought to my own room. you're going to do great!

guppy, i'm so impressed!!! you are a super mom, glad those babies are still safe inside you!

suzie- get some rest!!

she said, glad to hear the breastfeeding is going well! the pump is the worst, i hope you get to put it away soon!

hope- i am astonished that daycare would think those were appropriate foods for a kid under 1! so many carbs and sugars and processed foods. i can see it as an occasional snack when they're older, but a 7 month old?? nuts. good luck talking to them about it. i am REALLY excited to start solid foods but i'd like to wait until 6 months. i know some people start earlier, but the more i read, the more my gut says to wait. i guess we will see how the kids react when the time comes? can you explain more how blw didn't work for your eldest? i'd like to try a mix i think. i like the idea of blw, but i'm not opposed to purees and all that.

afm, the kids are now 15 weeks old and are the loves of my life. julia has started really rolling from front to back, and she holds her head up effortlessly. she's probably going to be an early mover. ben on the other hand is a lot lazier unless he is on his back thumping his feet around. he coo's and talks to all his toys, and seems to be really interested in the world around him. we recently bought some of the wee gallery cards and the kids LOVE them. it's cute to see their faces light up and get all smiley when they lock in on whatever the animal is. they're growing so fast though, as much as i am thrilled to see them advance i am already sad about not having newborns anymore. i know everyone goes through it, but i have a REALLY hard time putting away the clothes they've outgrown. those preemie onesies are so tiny it seems as if they are more suitable to a barbie than a real child. there are a lot of pregnancies among my friends and family right now, so hopefully i can pass them along and see another baby enjoy them.


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## lilacvioletiris

Went for our 24 week ultrasound to check on the growth of our boys. Everything is right on path for a 24 week old baby which was reassuring. Baby A was 1 pound 8 ounces and Baby B was 1 pound 9 ounces so they are growing equally well which is good.

I talked to the doctor about the "laboring" in the OR and found out that although the tour guide said I wouldn't have to go the OR unless I was getting a C section, the doctor said that will go to the OR once I get to the pushing stage of labor. When I asked her about the last natural birth she had attended, she couldn't come up with an example. She said the last few times she has been on call there were lots of scheduled C-sections. Yeah, that doesn't make me particularly comfortable since I would like to avoid a c-section if at all possible. Right now both my boys are head down, which is good.

Talked with DH about circumcision and he says he doesn't have any strong feelings one way or another on it so that makes me hopefully that we can agree that no circumcision is necessary for our boys.


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## guppyluv

Aura- it seems impossible that yours are 15weeks! Time has surely flown!!! That's great.

Lilac. So glad to hear alls well for 24w! What a milestone







bummer they won't let you attempt a non OR birth. We have a local hospital with midwives that will deliver twins naturally if there are no complicating factors (preE, GD, etc). I was slated to go there until babyC showed herself! There have been many twin mamas with successful vbirths of twins. Especially if they continue to present vertex! I hope you can get your desired outcome!!

As for me I had pretty good weights this week. 3#11oz for a&c (b/g) and a whopping 4#8oz for B (boy). There's always error in these measurements but I'm glad they're all pushing (or over) 4 pounds. My BP is all over the place and I'm not feeling so hot. So am guessing my days outside the hospital are numbered <3!! My original goal was 33w which is Monday. I'd love one more week but better yet want all 4 of us to come out healthy. So at this point my bag is packed and I'm ready to go!

Thanks for all the cheering on! I appreciate it








bed rest for 3+ months has gotten old fast... Can't wait to meet my little ones!

Have a great weekend!!!


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## lilacvioletiris

Guppy glad to hear your little ones are growing stronger by the day. Everyday inside you is a victory. Celebrate each day!

As for the non-OR birth it will be interesting to hear how other doctors at this practice respond to the same question about pushing and delivering in an LDR vs. OR. The doctor's encouragement "you'll get to stay in the same bed" as if that is some consolation.


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## MOMTOALEXIS

Just had to post real quick to say I think your amazing Guppy !!!!!!!


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## dandelionsrflowers

*lilacs, Aura and any other twin mamas*.
Aura-any tips for choosing an OB or midwife for your twins birth? Did you chose a hospital or birth center?
Lilacs-what made you decide to go with a hospital rather than a center? What went into choosing your OB?

We do nit have a OB yet and are touring a birth center Tuesday. One of the midwives is experienced delivering twins and also has breech birth experience. It sounds promising? If going with a birth center, should I have an OB backup? We were having a lot of words thrown at us at the ultrasound apt... High risk, advanced maternal age, IVF... They made it sound scary and we don't feel like it should be scary.

*guppy* tons of positive thoughts coming your way!


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## lilacvioletiris

Dandelionsrflowers there are no birth centers near me. The only hospital with a nicu is 35 minutes away. The doctor was recommended by my ivf doctor. I really have no friends having babies locally so no one to recommend someone to me. It wasn't I read "natural hospital birth" a couple weeks ago that I really had an idea what I should ask to see if my doctor was natural birth friendly. I guess it means more to me the closer to my due date I become.


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## lilacvioletiris

I am so excited. I am 25 weeks today! I have been totally craving avocado sandwiches. Oh are they yummy. My belly sure seemed to be stretching yesterday. It hurt quite a bit.

How are others feeling these days?


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## rcr

Hi all:

Congrats Lilac! I am just a bit ahead of you, and my tummy feels stretchy too. Like it always feels tight and full. I am getting pretty uncomfortable, actually. I can't believe I still have three more months.


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## guppyluv

Day by day at this point! 33+3 and BP is creeping up. So in for preE bloodwork. Hoping its nothing. Would like one more week.









Thanks for all the cheering and support!!! You gals are awesome!!


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## Vegan Princess

Guppy you are amazing! I saw the best pic ever on pinterest yesterday of a triplet mom - she was nursing a baby on each boob and had the third in a back carry. I'll try to post it for you later. I am off to go visit my friend and her 1 month old baby that she adopted. The baby was born at 33 weeks - so you are past when she came out. Anyway, she had no problems - just had to stay in the NICU a few weeks to mature a bit. 

Cindy


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## suzie mccool

Hi Everyone  feels like forever since I've popped my head in! Thankfully my BP has stabilized, still too high but while it isn't rising I'm buying more "home time" - still have to go in everyday but at least I feel very well monitored LOL.. Had a couple of scans last week and although I was 33 weeks, all of a sudden I'm measuring at 43 weeks thanks to a massive amount of amniotic fluid. Explains why I outgrew all my clothes in the last week!

We had a 3D scan as well, and this little one is still doing somersaults and goes from breech to head down in the space of 10 minutes... she's supposed to be engaged by now! Lucky I'm having a c-section so at least I don't have to worry about that 

Guppy.. Hope your bloods went well! I cannot believe how long you've managed to hang in there with your 3! You are so awesome 

Lilac.. Ewww avocado sandwiches LOL.. Gee I miss cravings so much! ATM the best I can hope for is eating a part of my meals, as I get full after a few bites and my appetite is pretty much zero.

Rcr.. Yeah - uncomfortable is exactly how it feels! Can you still roll over in bed? DH laughs at my "weight lifter grunts" during the night

Here's my fave pic from the last scan we had..


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## guppyluv

Suzie-- she's adorable!!! Great scan photo!! Glad BP has stabilized!!

Dandelions..- yay for twins!! When I first thought mine were twins I had great conversations with a midwife group that was VERy open to natural (or just normal vag with epidural) birth options (I'm 40/first timer/IVF/overweight etc). So keep looking/talking to folks. It is possible!!

I'm still home for now but time will tell. I don't feel great but preE signs are all "trace" at this point. Back in tomorrow at 34w!! Now that's a gestation I never expected to make!!


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## Vegan Princess

Guppy: You are incredible!! So awesome!! Here is the pic that I just adore. 

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_tDBhsPhDRMU/TIVsKg-XzrI/AAAAAAAAAmk/4LSo7DZTI7I/s400/tripletsap.jpg&imgrefurl=http://bliss-breastfeeding.blogspot.com/2010/09/babywearing-and-breastfeeding-triplets.html&h=266&w=400&sz=38&tbnid=6JlesLH3LZIrTM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=135&zoom=1&usg=__n3NAmXWgq3w7lWbcd2YDYepVxvc=&docid=mbCBa1RMU8keXM&sa=X&ei=o8UsUrbWOqK72AWfr4DYAw&ved=0CD8Q9QEwAw&dur=426

I read a tiny bit of that mom's blog atfer I saw the pic. These were her 7th, 8th and 9th babies! So she was probably a pro at breastfeeding and babywearing before they came along.

Cindy


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## guppyluv

Thanks Vegan!! That's impressive!! And 9 kids... Wow. 3 seems crazy enough







thanks for sharing the link.


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## rcr

Suzie - So cute! love the little smile! Yes, I can still roll over in bed. I roll over like every 10 minutes because I am so uncomfortable. It does not make for a good nights sleep.


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## happyhopeful

SUZIE- that pic is soooo sweet!! Can't believe she's smiling, awwww!! LOVE!!

GUPPY- 34 Weeks+ So awesome and I'm really just so happy for you!! You've been/are amazing and your little trio are so reaping the benefits!!

RCR- I am also feeling totally uncomfortable which I feel, well uncomfortable about because I do still have another 3 months! I am definitely walking a heck of a lot slower and with a lil waddle that is not cute. I also have to shift my position throughout the night and even when sitting on the couch- I feel a whole of stretching going on and pressure low and on the sides of my belly...oh well.

AFM- RELEASED from high risk- yay!! The little bleed/tear didn't grow and the baby is growing perfectly despite just the one uterine artery. Last Thursday, she was 1 llb 8 oz and all of her measurements were either on schedule or a lil above- very, very happy all around!!

EVERYONE- hope all of you had a lovely weekend and that you're feeling healthy and well this week!!!


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## mayari

I keep starting a reply to this thread, and then I get distracted away from my computer. I just want to say hi to everyone. I'll come back with a more detailed post later.


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## rcr

Happy - congrats on being released!

Guppy- we haven't heard from you for a while. I hope you are hanging in there still, or enjoying healthy babies right now 

AFM - just wanted to pop in and give an update. I described the horrible pain that I went through a few months ago. Well, it has happened 5 times now. It uaually lasts about 40 minutes and it is the worst pain I have ever felt - and I was in labor for 32 hours with DS (natural) - so I know what pain feels like







. This pain is worse, and it lasts longer because it is constant. I went to the doc on friday, and it turns out I have gallstones, which is pretty common in pregnancy because they can be caused by increased progesterone (I am sure that 5 years of IF treatments didn't help). Basically when I pass a gallstone it is horrible pain that can last from 5 minutes to like 15 hours, so thankfully mine have been relitively short. The only cure is to have the gallbladder removed, which I would happily do because the pain is so horrible, but I can't until after the baby is born. The doc gave me a prescription for some pain pills that may work (but may not), and said that a low-fat diet will help attacks not happen (maybe). So I am totally scared of another attack, and trying to avoid all fat, even though I am vegetarian so I pretty much have a low-fat diet anyway.


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## happyhopeful

RCR- Oh my gosh, I am so sorry to read this!! I just wanted to post and let you know that I just feel awful that you have to deal with this.I'm hoping, praying, and wishing that the pills and diet cause you to have little to no discomfort!! BIG HUGS


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## lilacvioletiris

Ah, rcr, I am so sorry you are having a gall bladder attack. Yikes on the pain. Hopefully you can get through the next couple of months ok.

aFM, acid reflux has been kicking my butt! Threw up 4 times last week. I tried apple cider vinegar at someone's suggestion and so far I have gotten through 2 nights without waking up with terrible heart burn that causes me to vomit.


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## guppyluv

Well my blood pressure got the best of me and The BAbIES ARE HERE!!! Yay. Born around 7:45 this morning.

Henry Holden 4#8oz -- a little breathing difficulty at first but on room air after some oxygen help
Lydia Caryl 4#1oz -- a little fighter. Doing the best of the three and may be able to breast feed tonight!
George Richards 5#0oz -- biggest and a little low in the blood pressure and blood sugar Department. But breathing great.

I haven't seen them since kissing them in the OR this morning -- but heading up there soon. Have some pain management issues but really things went ok!

Just on my phone. Hopefully I can share photos at a later date!


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## Vegan Princess

Guppy: Yay!!! Congrats mama! Excellent job!!! Can't wait to see pics. I can't believe you have THREE little miracle blessings. Enjoy and I hope they get your pain under control.

Cindy


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## lilacvioletiris

Guppy, that is amazing news! Your three little ones are great weights for triplets


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## MOMTOALEXIS

OMG Guppy congrats you did such an amazing job, great sizes on those babes, hope you are all doing well, can't wait for the pics.


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## toothfairy2be

Congrats Guppy! Can't wait to see photos of your beautiful healthy babes!


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## laura-belle

Congratulations Guppy! I'm so glad that all three are doing well.


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## suzie mccool

Hooray Guppy!!! So so happy for you! Also very impressed you managed to post so soon







you are a legend


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## Tear78

Guppy congrats!!







well done, mama! I hoe they get the pain under control and you can cuddle your babies soon! Looking forward to those pics when you get they chance.


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## blueyezz4

Guppy- Congrats x 3 Guppy!!!!!!!! Yay! Nice job Momma keeping those babe safe & sound for so long!!! So happy for you and hope you heal fast & all the babies are doing well!!! Can't wait to see a pic of those 3 little miracles whe you get to it!!!! I'm sure you are just a little busy!!


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## hope4light

C ongrats guppy and awesome job keeping them in,for so long!


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## happyhopeful

GUPPY- CONGRATULATIONS!!! SO HAPPY FOR YOU AND EXCITED THAT THEY'RE ALL DOING WELL AND HAVE TERRIFIC WEIGHTS!! AMAZED BY YOUR STRENGTH AND SEEMINGLY ENDLESS ENERGY!! HOPE YOU ARE FEELING BETTER EACH DAY!!


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## guppyluv

Should have uploaded Henry, Lydia and Me, and George and me in the OR! They're doing pretty well in the nicu. George had some BP issues but is off all meds now, Henry is a slow eater and is using too much energy to eat, Lydia can't keep temps up. So
Maybe a week or so longer on the nicu but they're doing pretty well otherwise!


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## vireoes

Congrats Guppy, what a lovely trio you have. You are amazing for hanging in there so long.


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## blueyezz4

Guppy - they are all beautiful!!!! Thanks for sharing!! Hoping and praying all is going well & they r getting stronger!!


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## MOMTOALEXIS

Beautiful family Guppy, thanks for posting pics it brings a huge smile to my face seeing them.


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## tracyamber

Guppy
They are beautiful!
So happy for you!!!!!!


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## rcr

Congrats Guppy and 3 babies!!! They are beautiful and you are amazing!


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## Sourire

Guppy - congrats on your 3 beautiful babies! I'm amazed how much they weigh, I have two nieces who were born from singleton pregnancies at full term, and they both weighed 5lbs at birth.


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## auraleigh

guppy, i got all teary looking at your photos! such a beautiful family you have created. words can't even express how happy i am for you. welcome to the joys and the craziness of multiples motherhood!!!!


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## auraleigh

hi ladies! i hope everyone is doing well, i've been thinking about you all a lot recently. i got my bill from SIRM saying that the next six months is due for cryo... i was hoping to donate the leftover embryos and i asked about it, but sadly they don't do donation. they said i can look into a third party service, but it feels like a lot of work at this point. not sure what to do. dh says i should just be happy we have our babies and to call it a day. anyone else get rid of frozens?


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## dandelionsrflowers

Guppy!!! Congrats! What beautiful babes <3


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## dandelionsrflowers

We has our initial meeting with the OB on Tuesday. I was pretty impressed. We are still going with the birthcenter as primary, but it's nice knowing that I have the most natural minded high risk OB in the area (or so it seems at this point).

Both babies are growing right on schedule and squirming all over the place. It was amazing seeing them wiggle all over the place! An added bonus... I had my LAST progesterone shot last night! Exciting week


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## lilacvioletiris

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *auraleigh*
> 
> hi ladies! i hope everyone is doing well, i've been thinking about you all a lot recently. i got my bill from SIRM saying that the next six months is due for cryo... i was hoping to donate the leftover embryos and i asked about it, but sadly they don't do donation. they said i can look into a third party service, but it feels like a lot of work at this point. not sure what to do. dh says i should just be happy we have our babies and to call it a day. anyone else get rid of frozens?


Auraleigh, DH and I have 11 frozen embryos right now. DH wants to be done with our two boys, but I would like to try for a girl with the embryos we have left. But I know that we have way more embryos than we will ever use to create more children for our family.

When we know our family is complete, we are planning to donate the rest of our embryos to another couple. I have been looking at http://www.nightlight.org/snowflakes-embryo-donation-adoption/move-your-embryos/ as a company that we can donate through.

I know that for rcr, the excess embryos of another couple are the reason she is pregnant. I know for my dH and me it was heart breaking when we initially heard that he had no sperm. I can't even imagine if we had a no sperm and no egg diagnosis which I am sure some couples have as well as couples concerned about genetic diseases and other confounding factors about getting pregnant using their own sperm or eggs. I want to give another mother the opportunity to feel life grow within her and know exactly what happened to her baby/babies prenatally. I don't want to just throw away these precious gifts that took us so much work to create and can give another couple hope for a family of their own with genetic siblings.


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## rcr

Aura and Lilac: That is wonderful that you want to donate your leftovers. I am forever grateful that somebody made that choice for my baby. I know how hard it must be. There are lots of options out there (Aura) for you to send your leftover frosties to. Embryo Donation International (EDI) (in Florida) will take them if they are high quality, and you get some say over who they eventually go to (like characteristics, and open or closed donation, etc). For open donation, I think it is actually the biological parents that choose you. EDI was the place I was looking into when my embryo came available from my home clinic.

Another route is to find somebody privately. A woman named Marna from the Parents Via Egg Donation forum/website can hook you up with somebody, and the people you donate them to pays all the shipping/storage/lawyer costs. Again, you choose the person you donate to for this route too. There is also snowflake, which lilac mentioned. There are some clinics that accept them too (maybe Shady Grove?) I am not certain, but I know I have come across them.

AFM - I am now on a zero fat diet to try to keep gallbladder attacks away. Wow, is it hard to find things to eat with zero fat.


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## guppyluv

Thanks all! I'm totally smitten with my trio! It's been a busy week. I was discharged last night but babies are in nicu for a few more weeks. Dr said they're acting more like 32-33weekers so probably looks at a few weeks in nicu.

Dandelion -- glad the scan wAs so awesome and you've settled on a birth center! It was such a tough decision for me an in the end I ended up at a totally different hospital as my primary choice had no nicu space and refused to admit me.

Aura-- good luck with your decision!


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## Sourire

Hey ladies I think I'm ready to officially join you over here! I had my 7w ultrasound today and everything was looking great so I've officially graduated from the fertility clinic! What a crazy feeling. The realization that I might be getting a take home baby next May is only just starting to dawn on me now.

I've been feeling pretty nauseated lately and having weird food cravings (I would give anything to have some KFC chicken right now - normally I wouldn't touch that stuff with a 10ft pole)!. I've even thrown up a couple of times in the last few days which is sooo exciting.

*dandelion* - how are you feeling these days? Are we the only two gals around here currently in the first trimester? Though it sounds like you're almost at the 2nd trimester if you're stopping progesterone already - that is so exciting!


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## lilacvioletiris

Congratulations Sourire! I was lurking over the Spring 2013 IVF thread and was wondering how you were doing. Glad to see you over here.

AFM, This morning I drank my "glucola" for the gestational diabetes test, sat for an hour waiting for the sugar to course through my system and I managed not to throw up! Sugar has not been my friend this pregnancy - gives me a tummy ache every time I eat something sugary. I felt so bad for 2 other ladies who where there for 3 hour gestational diabetes tests. I sure hope I pass. Phlebotomist had a hard time finding a vein to get blood from and there was a lady across the way who had all sorts of vials that needed to be filled and it wasn't going well. I had my phlebotomist close the curtain around my "chair" so I didn't have to watch the agony on the other side of the room.

Hit up a sale at Motherhood Maternity then it was back to my town to get the oil changed in my car and the headlight fixed so DH isn't driving to work "half dark" when I take his car.

I have done some baking to warm up the house while I respond to emails from teachers. It is 63 degrees F inside and 57 degrees F outside.


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## dandelionsrflowers

*sourire*-I'm so glad to see you here! Yay for puking! How are you doing today? I'm actually starting to get some energy back. It's so exciting. I never really had to puke, I just felt really nauseous if I got to hungry.... So now I don't let that happen. It also appears that my blood pressure is a little better, I can stand without blacking out. I will be 11weeks on Thursday, we are excited to be out of the first trimester soon.

*guppy*-so you got to the hospital and they turned you away? Did you know this was a possibility? Everything seems so unsure with a hospital. I only have a 1 in 5 chance of getting my OB after hours and weekends. So frustrating and hard to be prepared. How are you feeling?


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## lilacvioletiris

AFM, I failed the one hour GD test. I had a blood sugar of 189 when it is supposed to be under 130. Boo! Now I have to take the 3 hour fasting test. I haven't fasted for 10 hours this pregnancy. I often wake up and eat a nighttime snack







With twins I always seem to be hungry.


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## rcr

Sourire!!!! Yay!!! I am so happy that you are finally here. Please stay for a good long 9 months


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## Sourire

Lilac - sorry you failed that test. I hope you survive the long one!

Dandelion - I've been feeling pretty dizzy sometimes so maybe it's a blood pressure thing too? I don't puke every day, I've thrown up 3 times in the past week. But I feel super nauseated about 90% of the time. Most food grosses me out, it's so hard to find anything to eat! I'm loving these symptoms though, they are so reassuring.

AFM - I've been spotting for the past couple of weeks. At first it was only a couple of drops of blood a day, so I wasn't worried. Then it started getting worse so I had an early ultrasound at 6.5 weeks and we saw a heartbeat but I had a hematoma in my uterus (a bit of blood accumulated next to the baby) so my doctor put me on bedrest for a few days. After 4 days of bedrest my bleeding had pretty much stopped and I had another ultrasound and the hematoma was gone. So I went back to work the next day, and my bleeding came back, worse than before! Now I'm having brown chunks of tissue coming out. So I've called the clinic back and they've put me back on bedrest for a few more days, and I'll be having yet another ultrasound on Monday (1 week after my last one). Personally I'd feel better if I could stay on bedrest for the entire 1st trimester because it seems like every time I get off bedrest things get scary. In spite of the brown chunks I'm bleeding I still have hope that my baby is ok because I still feel really sick most of the time, so thank god for that!


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## lilacvioletiris

sourire, I hope that bedrest helps you get past this bleeding stage. Rest well!


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## rcr

Sourire - I am thinking about you and your little bean. Keep up the positive outlook.


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## lilacvioletiris

I am bummed because the results came back that I had four elevated blood sugars. My fasting was 96 when the cut off is 94, then at one hour it was 205 and the cut off was 179, then at at two hours it was 245 when the cut off was 154, then at three hours it was 162 when the cut off was 139. I cried a bunch this afternoon because I hate needles and having to do blood sugar measures several times a day is not something I look forward to.

The ultrasound showed that one baby is head down and the other is breech. Hopefully the breech baby will go back to head down. They are 2 pounds 13oz and 2 pounds 10 oz at 28 weeks.


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## happyhopeful

Hi Everyone!!

*Lilac*- Sorry about your blood sugar and I've been through that before (not with pregnancy, but a diabetes scare) and if it helps, I wanted to let you know that the needles are super tiny and don't hurt.As for your babies- WOW!! GREAT WEIGHTS!! I'm only carrying a singleton and she weighed 2lbs 8 oz at her 28 week appointment and the doctor was very happy, so I'm sure you, your husband, and your doctor must be thrilled that your twins are thriving and growing so well!!

*Sourire*- Hoping that your bed rest is doing the trick, and that you and your little one are well!!

*AFM:* Doing really good- the 28 week ultrasound was a total thrill and I finally got to bring home a beautiful picture- the last few appointments, she was either face down or covering her face with her hands.This time only the umbilical cord was blocking part of one side of her face and so we could easily see most of her adorable face and lil' features!! If I can figure out how, I'll post the pic. I'll hear tomorrow about the diabetes blood test result, but I'm feeling pretty confident because I don't have any symptoms. I am actually garnering more energy these days and was able to attend, enjoy, and stay at a wedding till midnight on Saturday, which felt great!

*ALL*- Hoping everyone is doing and feeling well!! Looking forward to reading updates and hopefully even seeing more pics of the babies!!


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## guppyluv

Dandelions-- sadly the nicu was full at my intended hospital and they refused to take me since it was triplets at 35w (despite my having preE signs). They would have bussed me by ambulance to another hospital if I couldn't have gone in my own transport. I ended up with a SpECtACULaR OB doing my incision which is essentially healed (very nicely!) at this point almost 2weeks out. Everyone who has checked it has remarked how nice it looks. Anyway I pitched a hissy fit when I got to the second hospital and they ended up bending over backwards for me. I was hormonal and overly dramatic but I was also pissed. As i went from one of the top 4 hospitals in Boston to one of the lowest tier hospitals... Now looking back it was a better birth experience than I ever had hoped -- given triplets and c-section -- it was much more personalized and we had more flexibility around my intentions and wishes. They also caught me early enough I didn't need magnesium sulfate which was a blessing.

Sourire-- lots of positive thoughts and hoping bed rest is helping!!

AFM -- Boys are HOME!! Yay. They're sweet and wonderful and I'm over the moon! My daughter will hopefully be home within a week but having apnea spells so she's on a 5day countdown (which resets anytime she has a spell). After 5days without a spell (and passing the car seat test!) she can come home!! Yay. Fingers crossed.

Boys napping in a bassinet order day home!!


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## suzie mccool

Guppy .. Gee that bassinet photo is priceless







and your c section already healed? Amazing!

Lilac .. How long do u have to do the needles? Sorry you have to go through that!

Sourie.. Hope ur bed rest is going well

I've struggled to find time to get online - trying to get the last of the house renovations done before this baby comes, so there's always someone here to help and steal any free time I might have had. 9 days til my c section, but hoping I can get there sooner. Am seriously considering having sex to try to move things along LOL.. That's how uncomfortable I am! Today I measured at 47 weeks thanks to all my newly acquired fluid, so maybe my waters will just break soon. Fingers crossed! Hope you all are doing well


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## Sourire

Lilac - I'm so sorry you have to deal with needles. I managed to get out of needles for my FET cycles (I'm taking Crinone instead of PIO), and I was soooooo relieved about that.

happyhopeful - I'm glad everything is going well!

guppy - wow your boys are adorable. I hope your daughter can join you guys soon. So how is it taking care of the babies at home? Do you have help?

suzie - wow measuring 47 weeks... you must look like octomom! lol. That's so exciting that you get to meet your baby in just a few days.

AFM - I had another ultrasound yesterday and everything looks great! Baby grew by 50% in the past week, heartbeat is probably above 150bpm (they didn't measure it exactly because the doctor didn't want to subject the baby to more ultrasound waves than necessary), and no bleeding was seen in my uterus. My external bleeding is pretty minimal at this point, it always seems to calm down when I rest lots. The doctor was nice enough to give me another 1.5 weeks off work because I was concerned that my bleeding might get worse again if I got off bedrest. So I don't have to go back to work until October 10. I'm starting to believe that I might actually be getting a take-home baby next May. I just threw up 2 days in a row (today and yesterday), which has never happened to me before (so far I've been throwing up once every 2-3 days). So that is very reassuring as well!


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## happyhopeful

*GUPPY-* That pic is soo priceless and wonderful!! What a relief it must be to have them home and be on a countdown for your lil girl to join them!! I can't believe it's already been two weeks! I'm so happy that you've healed nicely and that despite the change in hospital, everything sounds like it's been going really good for all of you!! Lots of great wishes to you and yours!!

*SUZIE*- Oh my gosh- 47 weeks??! That must be so uncomfortable!! Thank goodness you're only a week away, but also how incredibly exciting that your due date is actually right around the corner!! As much commotion as the house reno is, it's probably helping to keep you busy and distract you! Looking forward to seeing pics next week!! YAY!!

*SOURIRE*- GREAT NEWS!! Sounds like bed rest is exactly what you and your little one need right now!! I'm so happy you had such a reassuring ultrasound and that in just a few weeks you'll be in your second trimester!! Woohoo!!

Here's the pic of our little girl from last week's 28 week appointment!!


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## lilacvioletiris

Sourire, glad to hear that your repeat ultrasound showed things were going well. Continued bed rest sounds like a good thing.

suzie mccool, wow 47 weeks. I forgot to ask my doctor last week what my measurement was but at my 26 week appointment I was measuring 33 weeks. Can't wait to see your little one when she arrives.

guppy, that bassinet photo of your little boys is so cute. Can't wait to see your daughter join them at home.

AFM, well, I go for diabetic training on Monday Oct. 7 and I don't know exactly how I get my glucose meter and test strips (whether I have to get them through my mail order pharmacy, or if I can get them locally) so I guess that will determine how long I have to stick myself. I go back in Friday, Oct. 18 for a follow up appointment where they check to make sure I have my supplies and am using them correctly. I will be 29 weeks tomorrow so likely from week 30 to the end of the pregnancy so 10 weeks or less for sticking myself. I guess I just need to get over the needles - it took so many needles to get pregnant (so glad I had progesterone suppositories instead of needles) that I guess a bunch more to keep my babies healthy will have to be okay. As I look at the "gestational diabetes symptoms" the only ones that applied to me were frequent urination and fatigue but that seems like a given in pregnancy especially with multiples. Whatever.


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## guppyluv

Sourire-- great news. I've been thinking of you. So glad bed rest is helping!

Suzie -- can't wait to meet your little one!!

Lilac-- So twins are awesome! Just having two boys at home has been amazing (exhausting for sure! But they're so precious!) You'll do great. And don't worry about the GD -- it is best to treat it so your babes are in good shape at birth. I passed at 28w but think I developed it later as mine all had blood sugar issues when they were born and had IVs in their little hands it was hard for me to see them like that. Again the things we do for our kiddos -- looking back this will be just another blimp on the radar!

AFM - love babes on a schedule -- boys are great (eating every 3hrs) And my overnight help arrived last night (phew!!) -- mamma needs to sleep!!! Sadly daughter had another brady/desaturation spell today so clock starts over +5 days. Really makes a difference which nurse is here -- how much attention she gets (she has more spells when she is left for long times in her bed...). It's frustrating but no way around it.


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## suzie mccool

Sourire.. So happy your bed rest was successful!! That's just the best news









Lilac.. It's funny measuring so big so fast -up until 30 weeks I measured spot on for my dates. This has been crazy and reasonably uncomfortable, but mainly if I have to get up or down. Just sitting is fine lol. Good luck with your daily needles - I've heard they're quite small if that helps, and you're right, after all the ivf injections it should be a piece of cake







anything to have healthy babies!

Happy.. Finishing the house has been an awesome distraction, but most of my work is sitting and directing everyone lol. This is the easiest nesting ever LOL

Guppy.. So glad to hear you have some help - there's sleep deprivation, then there's proper sleep starvation! What great schedules your boys have already - you are so lucky! Fingers crossed your little girl gets to join you guys soon too.

And after a bunch of violent braxton hicks yesterday I decided not to try to go into labour - omg I forgot how much it hurts lol! So no more spicy food and i think sex is back in the drawer for a bit longer hahaha.. Knowing that labour means another emergency csection is another good reason to just wait my last week out in peace







possibly this is the first time in my entire life I've exercised any patience at all







lol


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## lilacvioletiris

Did my diabetes education yesterday. The only "earth shattering news" was that for gestational diabetes, I am not supposed to eat fruit or drink juice or milk at breakfast. I guess that is when pregnancy hormones mess the most with insulin. Basically they said eat dinner for breakfast. Carb counting is the other big thing, but I had been doing that already. 15 grams of carbohydrate is one carb exchange and my dietician gave me how many carb exchanges I am supposed to eat at each meal and snack. Learning how to take my blood sugar was a trying experience. It is a tiny needle of which I am thankful, but it still hurts. Thankfully my fasting blood sugar was well below the max value this morning it was an 86 when it is supposed to be less than 95. When I did my test for gestational diabetes, I had a fasting blood sugar of 96. Having to report twice weekly for the rest of the pregnancy is just an annoyance. Like I need another thing on my plate. That and I have to do my blood sugar fasting and one hour after breakfast, lunch, and supper.


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## happyhopeful

Hi! I was just checking in to see if *SUZIE MCCOOL* had gone into labor!! Thinking about you McCool and how exciting it must be to be in this final stretch!! Yay!! Hoping you are still feeling well and doing well!! Sending many many blessings your way!!


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## Sourire

Lilac - I hope all this extra stuff you are doing for your GD gives you 2 very healthy babies!

Guppy - I really hope your little girl improves and gets to come home in not too long.

Suzie - I hope you managed to avoid labour! Keep us posted.

AFM - it's been 1.5 weeks since my last ultrasound which is very nerve wracking since I'd gotten used to having one every week for a little while. My spotting has gradually decreased for the past week or so and now I think it has finally stopped in the past couple of days.

I saw the most beautiful double rainbow outside my house yesterday and thought to myself that it must be a good sign (since this is a rainbow baby after my miscarriage last May). So far I've been throwing up every morning like clockwork as soon as I get up. I feel super nauseated for the rest of the day but I had never actually thrown up at any other time of day... Until today. I had just finished drinking the most delicious raspberry banana smoothie when it all came right back up in a pink waterfall. Then I ate a banana and drank a glass of blueberry juice... The result: purple vomit! Now I'm starting to wonder if that rainbow I saw really meant I was going to barf every color of the rainbow... I'm eating carrots right now haha, I can't wait to see what orange vomit is like. I took an anti-nausea pill just now but it takes a few hours to work and I'm not convinced that I can make it through a few hours without losing the contents of my stomach so I may be kind of screwed.

I am supposed to go back to work tomorrow, there is really no reason for me to be on bedrest anymore now that the bleeding has stopped. However my nausea has been getting worse and worse every day and after the barf-fest I've been having today I'm convinced that there is NO WAY that I could make it through a day at the office. I told my boss I'm going to take some unpaid time off since I'm all out of vacation time and I'm not allowed any more sick leave without a doctor's note.


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## lilacvioletiris

Sourire, sorry to hear you are vomiting so much but glad that vomiting as it is a good sign!

AFM, so far so good with the blood sugars today. I think I just need to count all carbs even in veggies and my protein sources otherwise I have blood sugars that are too high an hour after ward. Need to play around to find the right combination to not feel hungry doing that. Yesterday I wasn't hungry, but I also had 2 high sugars. I hope my babies gain weight because I am sure not eating as much food as I was.


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## suzie mccool

Hey all







I'm still terribly pregnant but all set for tomorrow now - in exactly 24 hours I'll be in surgery - omg the anticipation is intense!! Loads of braxtons, cramps and colostrum, but fingers crossed we can hold out and have a nice straight forward c section lol. Measured 52 weeks on Tuesday, so really starting to feel uncomfortable, but the house is spotless, the bag is packed and I think I'm ready! Just occurred to me that I forgot how to wrap a baby, so I've been practising on Cookie Monster, and with his nappy and swaddling done, I feel way better prepared for the real thing. His arms and legs move when u squeeze him, so it's been a worthy practise!

Sourire.. Great move to take unpaid leave - u must be feeling pretty terrible and awesome at the same time. And I LOVE the rainbow, that's def a good sign









Lilac.. Good luck with eating! My appetite has been really sporadic this whole pregnancy, so I know what it feels like to forget to eat as much as usual.

Happy hopeful.. Thanks for the check in







I feel so lucky to not go into labor yet, but I shouldn't speak too soon lol

Hope everyone is well and happy! I'll try to update as soon as I can when this enormous girl shows herself


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## lilacvioletiris

Suzie, Looking forward to good news when this little girl makes her appearance!


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## happyhopeful

*McCool*- YAY!!! It sounds like you are truly ALL SET!! Wow, the anticipation in these last 24 hours must be so exciting!! I'm so happy for you! Can't wait to read the update!!


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## Tear78

Suzie, thinking of you!


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## rcr

Thinking of you Suzie!!!


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## Tear78

rcr, it makes my day to watch your ticker. Every time.


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## hope4light

Sourire glad to hear things continue to go well!

suzie - thinking about you, can't wait for the good news!

Hi to everyone else!


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## rcr

Tear - Thanks! That reminds me that I get to move up my ticker!!! That makes my day


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## suzie mccool

Hey all  Baby Beth arrived on Friday at 4pm weighing a tiny 3.1 kilograms (about 7 pounds) and in perfect health. We are so incredibly in love with her - the maternal instinct kicked in like crazy immediately and omg.. it's over whelming! Got hit by the 4 day blues today and just burst into tears every time I looked at her... so embarrassing! The hospital took some photos of her, which I planned on just having the free one... but when they showed me what they took I said "how much is it for all of them?" like a complete sucker, and spent $200 on the package LOL! I'm usually not so easily sucked in hahahaha! We went home on day 3 (yesterday) which felt a bit too soon, but I'm managing without pain relief and breast feeding is going well, so I guess they wanted my bed for the next happy mama. Here's a pic from the hospital in DH's hands... oh, I'm going to cry again.. LOL!! Hope you all are happy and well - I'll pop in soon with what happened when we got home... yep, there's a story!


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## Tear78

Congrats!!! She's beautiful!!! Looking forward to your story. I'm glad you're all doing well!


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## lilacvioletiris

Oh, Suzie, Baby Beth looks so peaceful. So glad that she arrived safely and appears to be in good health.

AFM, joined the YMCA last night so DH and I can go swimming. I need to exercise more to keep my gestational diabetes in check. Hope the exercise works and I don't need insulin. Some of my aftermeal blood sugars have been high. My morning fasting blood sugar is always fine.


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## MOMTOALEXIS

Congrats Suzie, she is absolutely beautiful, I would of spent the 200 bucks too lol. Enjoy every minute of her cause you know how quick they grow!


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## Sourire

Congrats Suzie! What a beautiful little girl!


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## Vegan Princess

Suzy - she is lovely and so precious!!! I hope the baby blues let up for ya soon - those suck!! I'd totally have spent the $200 = so worth it. Congrats!

Cindy


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## rcr

Congrats Suzie!!! She is beautiful. Worth the wait!


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## hope4light

Congrats Suzie - she is beautiful!!


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## happyhopeful

McCool!! She's sooo beautiful!! I definitely would have paid the $200!! How precious she looks, and how in love you sound!! Lots of blessings to you and your whole family- how wonderful!!


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## guppyluv

Omg Suzie!!!! She's Amazing & beautiful. I wish I had photos from the hospital/NICU. My L just came home today at 4weeks old and about 6.5lbs! Nice job mamma!!!


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## Sourire

Congrats on getting your little girl home guppy!


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## lilacvioletiris

Guppy, so glad to hear that your littlest baby is home.

Sourire, I love to see your ticker move forward!

AFM, I think the exercise in the pool helped me yesterday. All my sugar levels were well under the goal, even my supper level where I went out to eat and had a wet burrito from a restaurant with a flour tortilla, rice, and refried beans - with avocado on the side. Since it isn't a chain restaurant, I had no idea how many carbs it had really, I am sure way more than 4 though. I won't push the envelope with every meal but last night was my dH's birthday and one wet burrito didn't seem like going over the top.


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## auraleigh

congrats suzie!! she is beautiful!

also so happy your whole family is reunited guppy! how do you feel?

ben and julia are five months old today. how time flies!


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## Sourire

Lilac - so glad you're getting your sugar levels under control.

Aura - feel free to share pictures anytime!

AFM - I was supposed to stop progesterone on Monday since I'm now past 10 weeks. I've been taking Crinone once every 12 hours. 5 hours after skipping my Monday morning dose I started bleeding so I freaked out and started taking the progesterone again. I tried to not panic but the bleeding continued on Tuesday and it was more than any of the spotting I've had so far this pregnancy and it was kind of a reddish brown as opposed to brown like all my other spotting. So Tuesday night I officially started panicking and this morning I called the fertility clinic and asked for an ultrasound. Well I just got back from the ultrasound and it was a huge relief. Baby is measuring 2 days ahead and I actually saw it move for the first time ever!!! It looked like it was doing a little dance and it was the most incredible thing I've ever seen! I don't think I fully realized until that moment that there is actually another live human being inside of me, it's just so insane to think about!

In other news I managed to get a spot in a birthing centre (they are very hard to get into here because there are way more women who want to get in then there are places for). So I have my first doctor's appointment next week and my first midwife appointment the week after, then I will choose which one to go with (by choose I mean that then I'll try to convince DH that I don't need a doctor to give birth). I got a tour of the birthing centre today and I'm in love with it.


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## lilacvioletiris

Sourire, sorry you had a scare as you start to stop your "extra meds". Glad you saw your little one swimming around. Congratulations on getting into the birth center. That is cool.


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## happyhopeful

*Hello Everyone!!* I hope despite how quiet the board has been, that everyone is feeling and doing well!!

*Sourire*- Gosh, you have been having so many scares!! So happy you not only got the reassurance you need, but also that you got to see your lil' one moving about- so exciting!!

*Lilac*- glad to hear that the sugar is under control

*Guppy*- Yay!! The trio must be so happy to be back together again, and you and your hubby must be over the moon having all three home and healthy!!

*Aura*- 5 months already?! Wow, time really does fly! Can't wait to see pics of them!!


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## rcr

Guppy - Congrats on getting your little girl home. I can't wait to see pictures of the three together! How are you managing mommyhood to three?

Sourire - wow, that sounds scary. Glad it all turned out well and you got to see the baby. What a relief. Are you going to stay on the progesterone a while longer?

AFM - not much going on. A little big and uncomfortable. I am sticking with the zero fat diet and I haven't had any more gallbladder attacks. But I really crave food that I can't eat. I wanted Taco Bell the other day soooo bad, and that isn't even something that I normally eat. Just a month and a half to go.


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## suzie mccool

RCR.. Your pregnancy seems so fast! And now you're so so close! In a month and a half you will feel so much more comfortable







good on you for the zero fat diet too, that's hard to keep up so bravo.

Guppy.. So glad you four are all home now







I look at the chaos my one little baby has created and try to imagine it times 3 - you are my hero!! Post pics please when you get a chance

Sourire.. That's so scary - ut such a relief you got to see your little one wriggling around. It sure is a profound thing to realise its actually a person in there







and congrats on getting in the birthing centre. They are so much nicer if ou have the choice.

Afm... Had a huge scare the first night we brought Beth home. She slept from 10pm and for some reason (despite being exhausted) I woke up at 2am feeling like something was wrong and found Beth purple and struggling silently to breathe. Her whole mouth and nose were covered in stomach mucus left over from the c section apparently. After stripping her and trying to get her to cry and not being able to clear it with my finger, I rang an ambulance and we were rushed back to the hospital... Scariest time of my whole life. They said its unlikely to happen again, as most of the mucus seems to be up now, but we bought a safe bed co-sleeper cot, and she now sleeps between me and DH so I can check on her in one second flat. It was recommended by the midwife for a few weeks, and has given me the chance to actually sleep a little at night now, not very well, but way easier than getting up with a c section belly a hundred times! So even though she is a wonder sleeper and only wakes up once a night to feed, I am a bit sleep deprived and can't really appreciate it..bah. But no more incidents like it since Monday so fingers crossed it was a one off. Would never wish that night on anyone - so so scary. But aside from that, she is a dream come true baby


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## rcr

Oh my gosh Suzie! That is so scary. You are so lucky that you woke up!


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## guppyluv

Suzie -- super scary! Ugh. My Henry spit up formula thru his nose and scared the crap out of me -- I can't even imagine the turning purple bit! So glad she's ok!

I'm surviving -- exhausted but surviving. They're getting so big already! Out of newborn clothes and into 0-3







my bitties are growing soooo fast! Quick photo --I'm supposed to be napping! H in orange, L in pink and G in black!


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## lilacvioletiris

Suzie, so sorry to hear about your scare with your little girl. Glad you woke up.

Guppy, love the picture of your little ones! Beautiful!

Saw the dietician and diabetes nurse today - thanks to 30 minutes of exercise every day, I am able to stay away from insulin, for now. Stress can really screw it up. If I end up on insulin, then I have to see my OB twice a week! Um, no, I don't have time for that, but I do have time for exercise. I will do whatever it takes to keep away from insulin.


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## rcr

Lilac - great job with the exercise. Glad to hear it is working.

Guppy- so cute! Thanks for posting a photo of the three of them together.


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## suzie mccool

Guppy... Great photo! They're getting so big so quickly!! Beth is still too small for 0000s. But gee your 3 are super super cute. I feel for u being exhausted - thanks for delaying your nap for the photo post









Lilac.. 30 mins a day! I'm so impressed!

My little Beth has still not gained back to her birth weight so I'm expressing between feeds to supplement and hoping she puts on something before tomorrow.. Or we go back to hospital, which would suck. Luckily I have midwife home visits everyday monitoring her weight and they all give great support. Oh, but my poor boobs are hating all this pumping and feeding every 2 hours lol


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## lilacvioletiris

Suzie, I hope your little one is able to gain back her birth weight. Hopefully you can keep up with her needs for food.


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## happyhopeful

*Concerned*- So, on Thursday I went in for my 32 week ultrasound and found out that my baby's abdomen which had been measuring in the 46th percentile at her 28 week scan, was now measuring only in the 6th percentile...my regular doc was out of town, the doctor I saw wanted me to return to high risk, but when I told him that their practice no longer accepted my insurance, he decided instead to have me go for the TORCHS blood work, have me schedule weekly BPPs, told me to increase my protein and fluids, and to rest whenever I could. He also in the midst of all this mentioned things like "we want to make sure the baby wasn't exposed to a virus" Aaaa- what?! What?! and "we certainly don't want to deliver her now" Aaaa- what?! oh, no! what?!...So, I went ahead and got the blood work (results due tomorrow), scheduled the BPPs, and then called my sister crying. I will be going back for the BPP and to see my regular doctor this Friday. I would appreciate any and all feedback and/or suggested questions I should ask on Friday.

I hope all of you that are pregnant are feeling very well and that the new mommies and their baby/babies are also feeling and doing great!


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## lilacvioletiris

happyhopeful, I am sorry to hear that your ultrasound last week has you so concerned, and rightfully so if your little girl hasn't grown in a month. I hope you can get to eating as much protein as you can and drinking water. Remember that sometimes ultrasounds can give skewed results so hopefully the BPP will give you the info needed to make an informed decision about how to progress with your pregnancy and help your little one grow the best.


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## rcr

Happy - I don't have any advice. But I just wanted to add my support. Sometimes u/s's are way off, so I hope this is the case.


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## happyhopeful

*RCR and Lilac*- thank you both for the support- I'm pretty shaken, but doing *everything* the doc said. I do want to add that my lil girl did gain weight- she was 2 lbs 8 oz at her 28 week appointment and 3 lbs 5 ozs at the 32 week appointment, so that was good and my fluid, placenta, and her breathing were good too, so that was all very promising. I'm just trying to stay as positive as possible and am desperately just wanting Friday to arrive so I can see my LO again and see my regular doctor....


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## suzie mccool

Happy.. I'm with RCR and lilac, sometimes u/s can give inaccurate info - my fingers and everything else are crossed for you! It's great that everything else looks to be growing and developing as it should be though, so you're right to be thinking positive







hope Friday comes quickly for you x


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## Tear78

Happy, big hugs to you! What did the bloodwork say today? I'm glad they're being cautious and I hope it's just a skewed ultrasound.


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## lilacvioletiris

Happy, hope you got some good news yesterday.

AFM, I was having lots of Braxton hicks contractions yesterday. Went swimming last night and that seemed to help them go away. Woke up about 11 pm and rock hard belly was back. Woke up again at 1 am and hardly slept just tossed and turned until 4 am. I was hungry but didn't want to mess up my fasting blood sugar. Slept through dh alarm at 5 am. Having to wait 30 minutes for my thyroid pill to do its thing was torture this morning. Finally ate my breakfast and now I need to not fall asleep before I do my breakfast blood sugar stick. Laying down with lots of water to drink. Glad I don't have to drive anywhere today for work.


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## happyhopeful

Hi Everyone! Thank you for all the support!! It really means a lot!! I did hear from the doc's office yesterday and my blood work was normal- YAY!! I have been eating so much protein and drinking so much water that I literally had to leave work yesterday and change out of the maternity clothes I was wearing into the next size up!! I can't wait for Friday to get here and although tempted to try to get an appointment sooner, I know that it's much better to wait till Friday and let my little girl grow as much as possible!! I'll re-post an update on Friday and again thank you all so much for your kind words!! p.s. Lilac- I hope you got some sleep today and that those contractions leave you alone!! p.p.s McCool, hope your feeding schedule has normalized and that little Beth is starting to gain weight!! HUGS!!


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## lilacvioletiris

Happy, glad the blood work was normal! Good luck on Friday! Eat and drink up mama to help that little girl pack on the pounds.

I have been able sleep some but woke up hungry. Still resting.


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## hope4light

Happy - so sorry about the scare, but glad to know that the bloodwork came back good. Fingers crossed that Friday shows all is well.

Lilac - Hang in there!!!

Suzie - how's little Beth? Did she get to where she needed to be?

HI to everyone else, hope you are all well, I keep checking in but haven't really been touching base. DS is growing like a week, almost 10 months already. He's got his 2 bottom teeth, and I think he's working on all 4 of his first top teeth right now (my DD got her teeth in a really strange order too, so it wouldn't surprise me if he did). He eats like a champ, and is still good to nurse in the evenings/overnight (ugh), and during the weekend. When I do morning duty (DH typically does) he won't nurse which I hate but what can you do. He's standing up without holding onto stuff, and even able to stand up without help from a crouched position. He's cruising on furniture. DD walked late, so I don't know what I'm going to do if he starts walking soon. I'd be OK if he waited LOL.

DD has been so darn adorable lately it's killing me. She is doing better with her speech, but still isn't anywhere NEAR where she needs to be. I'm usually OK with not stressing about it (esp since a speech therapist said 'she's fine - just doesn't want to talk right now, there's absolutely NO red flags here') but sometimes when I'm around other kids her age (like picking her up at preschool) it saddens me a little. The other kids will say things like 'Maci R's mom is here' using her full first and full last name (she share's a name with another girl in her class) and it's clear as day. I don't have a real tough last name, but it's also not like it's super easy. She doesn't even say her own first name clearly (she does say it, and if you know her you know she's saying her name, but it almost sounds more like TeeTee then Maci). She still uses sign language for things that she really struggles with getting us to understand. It just scares me that it will have long lasting effects on things like making friends. I'm sure I'm just being a worrier, but I can't seem to help it.

DH starts a new job on Monday, and while I'm super excited for it I'm also nervous as it means he'll be away more. I just keep saying that at least I know when he's gone he's gone and when he's home he's home with this new job, versus now where he's 'home' most of the time, but not really HOME, he's just in town. Ahh, the joys of being married to a pilot.


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## suzie mccool

Happy ... That's great news and only one more day til you get to see your doctor







ill be thinking of u tomorrow!

Just a quick update -Beth is now just over 3kg at 20 days so as long as next week shows another gain, we're doing well







still so tiny but being a great baby for us


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## lilacvioletiris

Suzie, I am so glad to hear Beth is growing bigger each day! Hope the doctor appointment next week shows a gain.

AFM, worked on getting thank you cards written for baby gifts and getting the bags and bags of stuff out of my living room (the shower was almost 2 weeks ago, doh). I got my maternity photos back. These were taken when I was 31 weeks pregnant. They turned out so nice and I am glad my DH finally got in a good mood for some of them (he HATES being photographed).


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## rcr

*Hope*: My 6 (almost 6) YO can't read yet, and I can relate to your feelings about your DD. I get a little sad when I see all the kids at school reading chapter books and drawing pretty advanced pictures, which is also something that DS can't do. He does have other wonderful skills (mostly science) that other kids aren't doing yet, so I just try to remind myself of those things. Just try to focus on what she can do, and not worry. Kids all develop at different rates.

*Lilac* - you both look so happy! Great photos!

*Suzie* - I am so glad that little beth is growing!!

*Happy* - thinking about you and hope everything went well today.

*AFM* - Well I scheduled my home visit (she visits my home) with the midwife for next weekend. After that I am cleared to have a homebirth. I have been having tons of BH contractions - but nothing too painful. Just AF-like cramps and a rock hard uterus. baby girl is still kicking up a storm. I am getting really excited, though since I have given birth before, I am also a little anxious because I remember very well what it feels like. I miss the days when I was pregnant with DS and I didn't know what was in store for me 

*Sourire, blue, aura, kewpie, kiera, tear, etc.*.. how are you all doing? it has been a while since we heard from you in here.


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## lilacvioletiris

rcr, glad to hear you are getting close with your homebirth. That is so exciting!

AFM, saw the doctor yesterday. At 33 weeks, I am measuring 40 and my cervix is still all closed up. Those Braxton Hicks contractions this week really made me wonder if things were getting started down below, but I am glad to know that they are not, yet. Dr. asked me if I was still working, I told her yes, and she was like "Well whenever you want to stop we can give you a note. No one expects you to go until your babies are born." I guess at this point I still feel pretty good while working and I don't have to worry about walking too much, which has been pretty painful this last week. I started wearing my pregnancy support thing on the outside of my clothes the other day. Works so much better than under it where it chafes and that seems to help a lot with walking.


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## happyhopeful

Hi All! I couldn't get on the internet yesterday, but things were a bit nutty, but definitely much much better at yesterday's doctor's appt. YAY!! So, first off my usual tech went straight to doing the measurements after I told her what happened last week and our lil girl's abdomen was now in the 26th percentile and she weighed in at 4 lbs 5 oz!!! Almost a pound in a week!!! So, my husband and I were on cloud nine.....but then..she couldn't complete the BPP b/c my little one wasn't moving (she was sleeping) and was on her belly, so she couldn't see her breathing- for 20 minutes the tech tried to wake her up!!! So, they sent me for a NST- and once they had me hooked up, I asked the nurse for some cold water- hoping that would wake up my sleepy baby!! Oh, it worked- she started moving and kicking up a storm- for almost the entire 20 minutes! The doctor came in and told me that the readings were excellent, the baby is an active little girl, and that I shouldn't be concerned about her size, that at this rate of growth, she could easily be 7and a half pounds at birth! She also said that they would have me come in for weekly BPPs and that I needed to drink more water because the NST machine did pick up small contractions- I didn't even know! All in all, I am pleased and soooo thankful for all of your well wishes!!

*Lilac*- Great pics!! How wonderful to have as a beautiful momento from this experience! It also sounds like you had a great doctors appointment and you may even make it to your due date!! So excited for you- as I remember, your twins are measuring fantastic for multiples or a single baby!!

*RCR*- I soo wish I was brave enough and able, to have a home birth- that must be such an amazing experience!! Your due date is right around the corner!! Thrilled for you!!

*McCool*- YAYYYY for Beth's growth!!! What a relief and a pleasure to be able to see her growing and to keep her home!! Looking forward to reading even more updates!

*Hope4Light*- My son also had speech issues and only family could understand him, and only I could understand him all of the time- it was resolved by the time he entered second grade. However, despite his speech, he had no trouble socially and had loads of playmates- children are so innocent and they don't judge, they enjoy the actual physical play with each other more than conversation at that young age. HUGS to you and Lots of reassuring emotions!!

*Tear*- Thank you so much for the support and I'm so thankful things are turning around positively! How are you, your little one? Would love to see pics!!

*Everyone*- looking foward to you checking back in and reading updates!! Hope everything is going really well!!


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## lilacvioletiris

Happyhopeful, glad to know the weight was up to 4 pounds 5 oz. That was actually the estimated weight of one of my boys last week and the other one was 4 pounds 1 oz which is right on track as if I was carrying a singleton so I was very excited.


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## guppyluv

I'm a total Internet slacker but I'm excited to read that you all are doing so well! And can't wait to "meet" your little ones!

My gang has officially more than doubled their birth weights and are out of newborn everything... Crazy making! We had a rocking Halloween... Doing nothing! I am pumping then back to sleep. Trio is sleeping finally a good stretch from 10p-3am. If only daylight savings doesn't go and screw it all up!

A little Halloween amusement. George, Lydia & Henry:


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## Vegan Princess

Guppy: Your trio of newborns is sleeping better than my 13 mo old! They are beyond precious.

Cindy


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## lilacvioletiris

Guppyluv, your little ones are so cute all dressed up! The other day I got some crocheted hats for my boys - crowns because they are my little princes, aviator caps because Daddy wants them to love planes, and thing 1 and thing 2 hats for fun. I need to think about Christmas outfits.


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## Sourire

suzie - that scare you had with Beth a couple of weeks ago sounds absolutely terrifying! I'm so glad everything ended up being ok. I can't even imagine how you must have felt!

Lilac - I'm glad you're managing to avoid the insulin. You have a beautiful tummy in those pics... I can't wait to start looking pregnant!

happy - I'm sorry you had such a scare at your appointment and glad things are looking better now! I've heard these ultrasound measurements can be pretty subjective and can vary a lot based on what position your baby is in and who's doing the measurement.

hope4light - Hi! Nice to hear from you.

rcr - huge congrats on getting cleared for homebirth! With my midwife we have the option of homebirth, birthing centre or hospital birth (just a room in the hospital, you aren't actually checked in and the doctors/nurses aren't involved at all). It's going to be such a tough decision!

guppy - those Halloween pics of your babies are ADORABLE! I can't believe your babies have already doubled in weight, I have no experience with such things but I remember my niece who was 5lbs when she was born didn't hit 10lbs until she was 6 months old!

AFM - I had my NT scan last week and everything is looking amazing. Baby was measuring right on dates and wiggling around. Our risk of Trisomy 18 or 21 is extremely low. I'm finally starting to believe that this pregnancy is for real! I announced my pregnancy on Facebook on Hallowe'en using this photo (I also mentioned that it took us 3 years and IVF to get this baby), and then I was overwhelmed by the avalanche of congratulations and likes I got... made me feel so warm and fuzzy inside!


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## blueyezz4

Oh My!!!!! Caden just went down for a morning nap, so I thought I'd try to catch up. I feel so far behind and that is probably part of the reason why I haven't posted in so long. I do get all of the updates on my phone via emails, so i always read them, but just haven't had a chance to get on to respond. I'm always thinking of you all and sending positives vibes your way for your pregnancies and new babes!!!!! I'm sure I'll miss people, but i can just go by the last page & what my mommy brain can remember (which isn't much these days- holy cow that is crazy how bad it gets after having a baby be warned) & what I can see on the pg above, but sending love to you all!!!

*Sourire* - Love Love Love the way you announced!!! That is awesome!!! So creative! Did you design the shirt yourself?? So creative!!!! I'm soooooo happy for you and love following you and watching your ticker move!!!

*Lilac* - So excited for you and your twin boys. Love the hat ideas!! I have had a pumpkin hat for Caden and it is crazy how many fun comments I get on it when I have been out and about. Nice job w/ your sugars. My aunt is diabetic and she always says if she can do 15mins of any exercise after every meal she notices such a difference. Good luck and hope you can avoid insulin all together.

*Guppy* - So glad all your little ones are home now and doing well. Loved the pic! They are adorable!!!!! Hope things keep getting easier for you! Do you still have help? You are amazing!!! My MIL had triplets and she had twins before the trips. so I know it can be done (the twins were 4 when the trips were born at least), but I have so much respect for those w/ multiples!!!!!! Hope things continue to go well for your LO's and great job on their growth!!!

*Happy* - so glad all is looking better w/ your LO and her growth. I think now a days the ultrasounds are way too advance and a lot of times they get us mommas scared to death. You think about the old days when they never had such advanced technology and we all turned out fine. I'm glad that they are monitoring you now that they have found this and we will just hope and pray that it is just a fluke and that all is well from here on out. Enjoy eating and make sure you are getting lots of good protein and water!!!!

*RCR* - Yay, you are getting so close!!!!!! So excited for you and how awesome that you are able to do a home birth. I'd probably be too much of a chicken to do that, but that's me!! I can't wait to see pics of this new little one of yours!!!! Fingers crossed for a really easy & smooth delivery!! Glad you are able to control your G.B. issues w/ your diet. I lost my G.B. way back in like 2006 i think it was, but i know that pain and it sucks!!! Thanks for checking in w/ some of us that have been "behind" on posting.... I know i'm totally over due and glad i got a chance this morning.

*Suzie* - how is the little one doing!!! I read your post and my heart just dropped!!!! That had to of been so scary!!!!! OMGosh!!!!!! Thank God you woke up when you did and i sure hope that you can use one of those monitors to be able to calm your heart at night so you can get some sleep too. Praying all is well now!!!! Fill us in when you get a chance or maybe you did on the last pg and i just need to scroll back after i post. Oh and loved the hospital pic. I'm mad that we never got any from the hospital. They told us they would be in to do them and then never showed up. Weird... now i regret that i didn't think about it but we were a little busy and crazy.. Lol.

*Aura* - can't even believe your LO's are 5 months old. For some reason i was thinking they were farther behind Caden in age, but i guess not. Hope all is well.

*Tear* - good to see your name pop up in here again too!!! How is your school year this year? I'm assuming you are back to work or no? Is DH watching both LO's and working? Hope things are good w/ you all.

*Hope* - we are starting the teething thing too. ugh!!! Glad that your DH got a new job and hope it goes well. I'm sure it has to be hard to have him away more though. I hate when DH travels for work now even more than before. Can't believe your little guy is 10 months now!! Where does the time go? We had a good speaker at our Mops group the other night and she is involved w/ mom's w/ concerns like yours and others in CLE if you would want me to get you some more info i'd be glad to.

*Hi to everyone else I missed. I really tried hard to get caught up some!!!!*

*AFM - * Well, on the 8th of this month our little guy will be 7 months old!!! Can't even believe it. DH still look at him and then each other and can't believe that he is ours and here to stay!!!! He has been such a blessing and such a joy!!! We are so in love. He just got his 2 front bottom teeth last week and man are those things sharp. Yesterday i was nursing him and he bite my Right nip and i screamed and then like a couple hrs later he bit my Left one and drew blood. I screamed even louder and my friend that has 5 kids told me to scream (how could you not) and then just put him on the floor and tell him No biting that is bad!!!!! He was crying, I was crying and Abby was scared and I think DH probably wanted to cry to.... LOL. Now I'm fearful every time i nurse him now that he is going to bite me again. That was awful! My Right nip. is really sore this morning but the L one isn't as bad. Hoping it will go away and start feeling better. I'm hoping that he learned his lesson and won't do it again. Anyone else have this problem????? I'm always looking for advice!!!!!!! Then later that night he was sitting in his booster chair eating dinner and i could tell he was uncomfortable and needed to go to the bathroom. So i took him in the bathroom and we sat on the toilet together (sounds crazy i know for both of us to be sitting on the toilet but we did) and he pooped and peed in the toilet. I couldn't believe my eyes. I had read about elimination communication (EC) they call it after one of my friends did it w/ her little girl, but never thought it would work w/ him and this is the 3rd time I have tried it w/ him and it worked. DH wasn't home so i didn't flush b/c i wanted him to see it, b/c he would have never believed me. When he came home I said Guess What, and he thought we won the lottery or something (not that we play) b/c i was beaming. LOL. Now if I can get him to do it again that would really impress me. It is a commitment though, wow. We also started solids at 6 months and he is such a good eater too. He loves his veggies and I have been making his food which i actually have found to be really fun. We will see how long it lasts. Okay, well I think that is about it here. I'll try to post a pic of Halloween w/ our little Batman and Robin side kick! Hope you all are doing well.


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## Sourire

Blue - aww Caden is adorable! I found those shirts online and thought they were awesome so I ordered them a couple of weeks ago!


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## lilacvioletiris

Sourire, the shirt with skeletons is so cute!

Blue I am glad the ec'ing worked andhope you canget it to work again! I am so glad that the exercise is keeping me off insulin because on insulin I would have to see the doctor twice a week. I don't have time or money for travel for that.


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## happyhopeful

So great to log on and read all of these great updates!!

*Lilac*- great weights for your little boys and so glad you didn't have to go on insulin- you're doing a fantastic job at keeping you and your boys super healthy!!

*Guppy*- such an adorable pic!!! I can't believe how fast they're growing!! Your days must be so busy and so amazing, watching 3 babies discover the world around them!

*Sourire*- Those shirts are awesome and I love that you announced that way!! Doesn't it feel so wonderful and so surreal when you let everyone know?

*Blue*- Caden is soo adorable- he totally upstaged that beautiful dog! As far as the eating, teething, breastfeeding, and pottying?! Wow- It sounds like there is a lot going on! My son (he's now 14 1/2 years old) was an early teether too and by the time he was 6 months old he had 4 teeth and it was very painful breastfeeding him, and his appetite was huge- I did end up stopping the breastfeeding and switching to table foods and pumped milk. I thought he would be so upset, but his appetite was bigger than his emotions, and as long as I had food and/or bottle ready when he was hungry, he was very happy!!

*AFM-* Due to the success at the last appointment, I am completely obsessed with drinking lots of water and munching on protein all day..this also means that I am waddling a lot more and waking up even more at night to use the bathroom- however, I swear that the baby is moving so much more because of this, so I don't care. Besides, I figure soon enough I'll be waking up just as often to feed the baby


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## lilacvioletiris

happy, I found my boys move a lot a few minutes after I eat or drink water. I figure they are either getting glucose from the eating (although protein shouldn't give your little one a surge of glucose) or that the water is making their fluid better or something so they want to move around more.


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## happyhopeful

*QUESTION FOR MOMS:* Okay, so as I really get into my nesting, it also means that I'm finishing up buying what I'll need for my little girl and it occurred to me that since I will be going back to work when she's 8 weeks, that she will need to get adjusted to using a bottle. I'll be (hopefully) fully breastfeeding the first 4 weeks, and then hope to do 1 or 2 feedings via bottle so that she can get used to it for when I return to work. MY QUESTION- What bottles did you find worked best? I have read sooo many conflicting reviews, that my head is just spinning!!


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## blueyezz4

Happy - we use Dr Browns bottles. I hate all the pieces parts but he does great w them & we've never had any issues like our friends that used other bottles & had issues so they switched to Dr Browns & are happy.


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## guppyluv

Happy-- my trio uses dr browns and will also breast feed no problem. Granted they started on bottles in the NICU and didn't get good at breast feeding until about full term. One is super colicky and does well with Dr browns as well, but he did even better when I gave up dairy (oh how I miss my cheese!). they get about 50%breast milk & 50% formula each feed. We dishwash the bottles to sterilize and do not find the many parts as annoying as some people do (and I have 3x the bottles!!). From my best friend's experience --she suggests you introduce the bottles once in a while before heading back to work so it's not an abrupt transition. She didn't and regretted it. Her babe spent half a day not eating for the sitter, so my friend had to come home from work early! Ugh.

RCR- I'm in awe of you for considering home birth! How special...


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## kewpie80

Just a quick pop-in to let you know we're still alive. My littles are approaching 2 years old now. They just hit the 22 month mark this past week. They are getting so independent. They talk constantly and are little hams.

Here's a video I took of them today during lunch. Their personalities are overflowing.






Guppy - Congrats on your trio!!! So cute!

Blue - Caden is beyond adorable!


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## lilacvioletiris

Kewpie80, your twins are so cute! I can't for mine to arrive!

Yesterday I gota little preparation happy - I got my favorite Stayfree overnight ultra thin pads for post partum, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, hand soap, laundry detergent and an exercise ball. Mostly things that my husband would not get the right kind if I sent him.

When I got home from grocery shopping my brother and I rearranged the pantry and cupboards so if I sent someone to make some food I would know if I had the food (because I sorted our most common food into sections) and I coold direct them where to find it. I like the order much better.


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## happyhopeful

*Guppy and Blue*- Thanks for the advice!! I was torn between Dr. Browns, Comotomo, and Lanisnoh Momma. It seemed like there were sooo many conflicting reviews- either people couldn't live without them, or they hated them.

*Kewpie*- what a sweet video!! Those two are just adorable!!

*Lilac*- This must be our organization week, because I have been cleaning out closets and rearranging cabinets this week too! I feel this sudden need to have everything super organized!! I'm even having my teenager clean out and then reorganize his closet. I keep on saying to everyone, "I need you to do this in preparation for the baby" and I know that in my normal state, that probably sounds really strange- like why would she care if my son's closet wasn't organized?? LOL!


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## lilacvioletiris

Happyhopeful, that is too funny about the cleaning. I am beginning to feel more and more ready.

I am getting close . 34 weeks one Day: saw the doctor today who said I was measuring 42 weeks, my first twin is at -3 station, my cervix is still closed but has effaced 60 to 70 percent. My two little boys will be here before I know it but they still appear to be content on the inside.


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## auraleigh

Bah just lost a whole post! Annoying!

Rcr, I'm on pins and needles waiting for this baby!! Will m be around for the home birth?

Blue, Caden is so handsome!! I had to show do the costumes, we are a fan of babies and/or pets in super hero costumes. And teeth!! We are teething but nothing has popped through yet. How was your teething experience?

Kewpie, love the video! And I love their little voices! They are beautiful and so sweet, can't wait to see mine doing the same. How do they behave with each other? Do they interact a lot? I'm always looking for b/g twin stories.

Guppy, they're so cute!!!! And I can't get over how fast they are growing! Mine were in nb clothes for about 3 months! At 6 mo now Julia is still in 0-3 and Ben is *just* fitting 3-6. You must be thrilled!

Suzy, how is your daughter? All well since the scare? You have to have faith in a mother's intuition but hopefully nothing but sweet dreams from here on out.

Happy, we used Avent natural. The nipples on the dr browns were too long and bendy for my babies, and I was annoyed by all the parts.

Lilac, just in my experience (and I prefer the ultra thin myself) I wound up buying the fattest, puffiest pads I could find for post partum. I even soaked them in witch hazel and froze them. I needed all the help I could get! The ultra thins just weren't cutting it.

Hope I'm not forgetting anyone, it's hard to keep up!

Afm, Ben and Julia are the smiliest little babies. We couldn't be happier! This Saturday is their six month birthday, they are already pros at eating solids, and Julia is more than halfway to crawling. Both are teething, though no teeth yet!


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## lilacvioletiris

auraleigh, your little ones are so cute. I am glad they are getting bigger and bigger.

AFM, my tummy is just itching like crazy. I put oil on my belly trying to keep the itching at bay but it doesn't always work. Just a few more weeks of ultrastretched tummy.


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## kewpie80

lilac - This may not happen to you but... My postpartum bleeding and the first couple of periods after were SOOOO heavy, I had to use diapers (just one of my kid's diapers) because my pads couldn't keep up. I was pretty much gushing with every step. My OB said it was because there was much more "stuff" in there for the twins. No idea if that's the case for everyone, but just a heads up. She put me on provera to bring the bleeding under control.

aura - They get along well and play together nicely except when Maisie wants to play trains with Liam. He likes to play trains alone and she likes to dance dinosaurs on the tracks which drives him nuts. Fights usually break out at that point. Your 2 are so cute! It makes me miss those younger months.


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## lilacvioletiris

kewpie, that is definitely something to consider. Before I got pregnant I always had terribly heavy first couple of days of my period, but then hardly anything after that. Someone had suggested getting some depends undergarments or those flat disposable pads to put under me especially when breastfeeding since that can bring on a fresh gush of blood too.


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## rcr

Hi all:

I love all the updates and pics.

Happy - DH is almost 6, I honestly don't even remember what brand of bottles we used. Glad you are doing so well with the protein and water. Keep it up!

Lilac - I had a lot of itching with DS. I haven't had it yet this time. It is annoying though.

Aura - Love the pics. Yes, M will be there for the birth. He has even invited all of his friends at school and most of their parents







. I keep telling him that a birth isn't something that lots of people usually come to, but he isn't really getting it. DH is doing a practice set-up of the pool today while he is off school, so he will get to go swimming in it.

Kewpie - I can't believe how big they are. I haven't seen you on the other thread at all - Are you still planning a FET?

Guppy - Your trio is so adorable and growing so fast. You are amazing.

Blue - Caden is so adorable! I have been able to control the GB with diet, but I am pretty much on a zero fat diet now, which is soooo hard to do. I can't even eat beans and tofu because zero fat is both good fat and bad fat. I am planning to get the GB out asap after the baby is born. Hopefully a few weeks afterward. Did you have your surgery done laproscopically? It seems pretty easy and fast - just three little holes. I had my lap/hystroscopy done a few years ago and it was two little holes, and I recovered in a day or two. So hopefully this will be east too.

AFM - 37 weeks and a few days. The MW came for her home visit yesterday, and brought the pool and an emergency kit for in case she doesn't make it in time. So it really feels so real now. We are cleared to do a homebirth now, so if I went into labor any time I would be fine. baby has grown a lot in the last few weeks, and I have been eating sooo much. I normally eat two lunches - one around 10 and then around 1. I am getting all my classes settled for next semester so I don't have to worry about those over xmas break.


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## kewpie80

rcr - we are still planning, but it's on hold for a bit. I've been getting a lot of weird daily vestibular migraines that I want to get under control first.


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## happyhopeful

*Aura*- Oh my gosh- insane cuteness!!! I can't believe that they're 6 months! The crawling must be so delightful to watch!! Makes up a lil' for the not so delightful teething!

*Lilac-* sorry to read about your tummy!! Cocoa butter? Vaseline? Diaper Rash Ointment? I would try it all! We are probably both due on the same date- 12/20, but I know you're waaaay more likely to go sooner- you must be just so over the moon that you're only a few weeks away from meeting the boys!! I'm just all types of giddy knowing that I'm less than 6 weeks from the due date! I am also just so relieved to be beyond 34 weeks, because I know that's a serious milestone in terms of health of the baby!! Yippee!!









*RCR-* WOWWWW, you could literally be in labor, right now, while I'm typing this!!! How exciting! I am so looking forward to reading about your home birthing experience and to seeing pics of the baby!!

*AFM*- Full blown nesting and growing... a lot! I hope that it's not just me growing, and that my little girl is too! I'm actually quite surprised at what a change I've felt in the last week- the pressure and the weight in front is just so pronounced that it's quite hard to rush anywhere and picking up anything I drop, is a challenge! I'm also not getting much sleep- between getting up to pee every other hour and having to change positions and pillows from pain from the hip down on whatever side I'm laying on, I'd say I'm pretty much conditioning myself for the varied sleep cycle of a breast fed newborn!! Despite all that nonsense, I actually feel really good emotionally and spiritually, and I think it's the adrenaline from the excitement of our lil girl arriving soon!


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## lilacvioletiris

happyhopeful, today I tried icing my tummy to get rid of the itchy scratchy feeling. That seems to help a bit. I might have to try the diaper rash ointment. I tell you I am desperate right now and I don't want to rub my tummy raw. Last night I hardly slept because I had an ear ache. I went out and got a heating pad that had a piece inside to make "moist heat" and my ear feels a bit better, not perfect, but better. The pain goes from my ear down my neck and it is almost like I have gotten a sore throat so I have been gargling with warm salt water too.


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## happyhopeful

*Lilac*- so sorry to read about the earache! Earaches are just so awfully uncomfortable! The only thing that helps me is a washcloth that is soaked with hot water and I lay on it on the side that's hurting. I really hope that you're better by now though!!


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## lilacvioletiris

For the most part the ear ache is gone. I still have some jaw pain and mouth pain (like I burned myself with too hot pizza but I haven't had pizza since I was diagnosed with GD). I have been downing lots of water and using the heating pad and that seems to be helping.

I am feeling quite productive today - I emptied out the cribs so we could put the mattresses in them, sorted the last of the hand me down clothes, and have all the newborn and 0-3 clothes in the basement to wash along with the blankets and sleep sacks and mattress protectors. It will take awhile to get them all washed. It reminds me that I should not get behind on baby laundry!


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## rcr

I woke up with contractions last night. Nothing that I couldn't sleep through. They are off and on today too, sometimes hurt quite a bit, but nothing worse than bad AF pains. they aren't regular - sometime they are 5 minutes apart and sometimes they are hours apart.


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## Vegan Princess

OOOooooo RCR! I am so excited for you! Praying for easy labor and a great homebirth! Can't wait to hear about your mystery baby. 

Cindy


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## lilacvioletiris

RCR, how exciting! I hope the random contractions lead to delivery soon for you.

AFM, I am so ready to have these babies. I am super uncomfortable and if I sit up for too long, I get this terrible cervical pain which I was attributing to the Group B Strep swab and cervical exam on Friday (that left me with such terrible pains I hardly got out of bed for the rest of Friday, Saturday and sunday) but now I am thinking it just may be one of the babies pushing on a nerve down there. I haven't had any bleeding at all. I have been working on washing baby laundry to get ready for the babies to come. Everything is sorted, now I just have to get it through the washing machine and dryer, folded and put away.

Friday the doctors also me a bag of pamphlets and freebies. Most of the pamphlets were about birth control options. If I was to get pregnant again without ivf, that would be great. Doubtful given the circumstances with dear husband. When I mentioned it to him, he said he wished we did have to worry about it. I had not expected that response but I know my dh wishes we didn't have to use ivf to have babies but he is glad ivf made it possible.


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## Sourire

Rcr and Lilac - it's cool that you guys are so close to meeting your babies!

Dandelion - are you still around? We haven't heard from you in a while!

AFM - I'm 15 weeks pregnant now, I'm so excited to have made it this far! I'm not sick or nauseated as long as I remember to take my anti-nausea meds... But when I forget I still feel horrible. I'm starting to have a small bump and I'm so proud of it! I managed to successfully wean off my progesterone... I gradually decreased my dose starting at 12w and stopped completely at 14w. I haven't seen a single drop of blood since I started weaning which is such a relief.

My biggest thing these days is lower back pain - I'm sooooo uncomfortable! I thought back pain was supposed to come from having a big belly but I hardly have a belly and I've only gained 3lbs so far this pregnancy. I'm worried it will only get worse when my belly grows. Anyone have advice for dealing with this?


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## suzie mccool

Lilac.. I know exactly what you're saying! We won't be using any birth control ever again, given how long we tried with no baby. But it would be so nice for a miracle, maybe not straight away though lol.

Sourire.. I had back aches from early on too. Not much fun and makes doing dishes a pain in the... back







you must be stoked to be off progesterone now! Well done









RCR.. I'm on egg shells waiting to hear where you're at!

Everyone else that I've missed.. Big hellos all round. I've been horribly slack at getting online. Little Beth has been a dream baby, she has figured out day and night and sleeps from 10 til 5 or 6 so I'm incredibly lucky!! But during the day she stays awake so much more, so my time is no longer my own. And getting dinner cooked or the the house cleaned is just not happening. Poor DH is surviving on toast most nights lol. Not that much different to when we first met and my cooking was awful hahaha! Hope everyone is well and happy x


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## lilacvioletiris

Sourire, I had back pain about then too and although I hadn't really gained much weight by then I wasn't comfortable in my pre-pregnancy pants.

I bought a Loving Comfort maternity support from Macy's and they are available at Destination Maternity. Totally worth it because now I wear it often just to be able to walk.


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## blueyezz4

*RCR* - Thinking of you and hoping & praying all goes smooth and easy for your delivery!!!! Can't wait to hear! Now I will really be stalking you on here waiting to hear the good news!!!! Sorry, yes I had my G.B. taken by a lap procedure!! It was yrs ago so i bet now it is even more advanced and easier on the patient.

*Sourire* - ugh.... i don't miss that back pain or the hip pain!!! Those pains are the worst. Have you tried the chiropractor? I went to one that specialized in pregnancy. It helped some!!! Good luck to you and I love seeing your ticker move!!!

*Suzie* - Glad to hear that little Beth is doing well!!!!! Enjoy the sleep for now!!!!!

*Lilac* - Glad you are getting everything in order and things seem to be coming along for you. Just a waiting game now. How far along will they let you go? Are you having a vag birth as far as you know or scheduled c-section??

*Happy* - good to hear you are feeling well and in a good place!!!!! How many weeks are you now???

*Hi to everyone else!!!! I'm off to bed!!!*


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## monkeyscience

*rcr* - Sending you all the best birthing vibes! Hoping this is really it for you!!


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## Tear78

Eep! Thinking of RCR and lilac with excitement! Sourire, hooray for a bump!


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## lilacvioletiris

blue, as long as my boys stay head down, or at least the first baby out is head down (which he has been for most of my pregnancy), a vaginal birth is planned. Depending on the doctor at the practice the second scenario is iffy because a couple of doctors worry that the second baby won't rotate head down once the first baby is out. Right now from the kicks I am feeling, both babies feel head down and they were at my last ultrasound at 32 weeks. I go for another ultrasound this Friday. The doctor's goal for me is at least 38 weeks. I am good with 36 weeks which is this Thursday for me.


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## happyhopeful

*RCR*- YAY!! It sounds like any day/hour/minute you will be in full blown labor!! So excited to hear about it and to see pics! Wishing you a speedy delivery!!

*Lilac*- So happy you're earache is better and you're able to get things done. I think you're right about the nerve pain- I can't imagine they have much room left in there! It sounds like you are headed to full term with these twins!! What a fantastic feat!

*Sourire*- Super exciting getting that bump and headed to the anatomy scan in just a few weeks!! As for the back pain- I have a heating pad at home and at my job that I use and it really helps!!

*McCool*- What a rockstar you're little girl is!! Wow already sleeping through the night?! That's incredible- definitely worth the toast for dinner for sure! 

*Blue*- Hi!! Thanks for the well wishes!! As far as weeks, I'm 35 weeks, 4 days but.....

*AFM*- So, I am on bed rest now. I was sent back to the high risk obgyn yesterday for the BPP and Growth scan since I had conflicting reports last week from two different techs at the regular OBGYN. This scan which was super accurate and with all the doppler bells and whistles informed us that our lil girl is in fact lil. She's 4 lbs 11 0z (11th %), her head and arms are in the 5th%, femur in the 7th%, and abdomen in the 11th%. Also, my placenta was showing signs of weakening- there were holes in it. The positives were that my fluid was great, as were her movements, and even though she's tiny she's proportionate. However, it did take her just under 30 minutes to practice her breathing- we had 34 seconds left when she finally did it. All of this led the doc to put me on immediate bed rest, even more protein, and I'm to be monitored on twice week- Thursday being my next appointment. The doc's goal now is to get her to 6 lbs- but this will all depend on the placenta continuing to provide the necessary nutrients. I was told that I will definitely be induced between 37 and 39 weeks depending on the progress. I'm a bit overwhelmed right now, just digesting everything.


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## lilacvioletiris

Happyhopeful, I am hoping the extra protein does your baby good along with the rest although I am sure bed rest is probably not the way you wanted to spend the end of your pregnancy. Glad her measurements are proportional even if they are small.

AFM, I have been upping my protein too this week - got some greek yogurt and have been eating that as my snacks through out the day. Been laying down and reading through school handbooks for my job so I can get some extra rest. I am finding that middle of the night baths is helping my aching joints, especially my hips, feel better so I can go back to sleep. Yesterday I worked through washing all of the baby clothes. Crazy how many loads of wash I did, two loads were towels, diaper changing pads, and sleep sacks, then a load of precious gentle cycle things - hand knitted baby outfits, crocheted blankets and fuzzy blankies, then a load of light colored baby clothes (who knew that baby socks would be so plentiful!) and then a load of dark colored baby clothes. My DH was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of it all - he was home yesterday because there was no power out where he works due to bad storms that went through on Sunday. He was back to work today. I need to dust out the dressers today and get the baby clothes in the dressers. Tomorrow I am going to do the great "return unneeded gifts" in exchange for things I do need. Also yesterday I ordered my cloth diapers from Green Mountain Diapers. I can't wait for them to arrive. Looking at pictures of babies in those diapers makes me so excited. Tonight I am going to a La Leche League meeting where the topic is how to get breastfeeding off to a good start with a newborn.


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## Tear78

Happy, I just wanted to chime in and offer hopefully reassurance as I'm sure waiting and worrying is super hard. My DD was born at 37 weeks and she was just 5lb. 9oz. My placenta was also not performing well, due to pre-e. It was definitely more nerve-wracking having a small peanut of a baby (compared to DS's 9lb 9oz), but she was healthy nonetheless and perfect, of course. . I hope your little one grows tons in the next weeks, but if not I hope this helps you feel better that it can still be ok. Hugs!


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## lilacvioletiris

My diaper stash has made it to Maumee, OH as of last night. Should be delivered by the end of the day tomorrow. I went to the La Leche League meeting last night. I am glad I went. They discussed the 10 things to remember about newborn breastfeeding and I got to hear from other moms about their experiences including a lady I met at pre-natal swim class who had her little girl a month ago. They loaned me a book about breastfeeding multiples that I am looking forward to reading.


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## happyhopeful

*Tear- *Thank you so much that is really really encouraging to read! My son was also big 9 lbs and 22 inches and I have been (among a list of other worries) worrying about having such a tiny baby and how different it will be. It's a relief knowing that you had her at 37 weeks and that she was healthy!! Were you able to have a vaginal delivery and were you induced?

*Lilac*- Thanks for the encouragement and no this is definitely not the way I would want to spend my time- especially since I'm missing work/pay and there were a number of things that I wanted to get done before the lil one's arrival and now I can't do anything. Oh well, this is very much worth having a healthy baby- my husband asked me yesterday, "would you go through all of this again?" and I told him, "honey, if at the end I got a kitten, then no. However, for a baby, there is very little I wouldn't go through!!"


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## lilacvioletiris

happyhopeful, yeah, I am not sure my DH gets it either about the fact that I would do anything to have another baby even though there have been some rough spots with these two like getting gestational diabetes. To grow a human that belongs to us is such an awesome task that I am glad I have been entrusted with.


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## auraleigh

Happy, mine were born at 36 weeks and were just fine! Julia was 4 lbs 9 oz and Ben was 5 lbs 8 oz. They were healthy, had great apgars and came home with me. They are still tiny babies but following their curve and doing well. Don't let size worry you!


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## auraleigh

Also, the perinatologist told me the morning of the day I delivered that both babies were over 6lbs. Ultrasounds can be way off depending on who is doing the measuring.


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## lilacvioletiris

auraleigh, that is interesting about the size difference between ultrasounds and their birth weights. Tomorrow is 36 weeks for me with my twins. I have an ultrasound on Friday and it will be interesting what they will be then.

I had a successful day of returning unneeded shower gifts. With the things I returned at Target, I will be able to buy the things I really wanted for my babies. I didn't do the shopping today because my main goal was to get things out of my house and car so I wouldn't have piles of unnecessary things all over the place. The living room looks so much better now.


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## auraleigh

Nice work Lilac! I did the same thing, I returned a bunch. I am still clinging to about $200 in babies r us credits!

I can't believe you're 36 weeks already! How do you feel?


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## lilacvioletiris

I have been feeling pretty good. This morning I woke up with what I think was a real contraction. Best description of it was a seizure of my belly. I definitely had to breath through it unlike most of the rock hard belly feelings I have felt in the past and I couldn't move. I haven't had another one and it has been over an hour so I think my body is just practicing. But it is just awe inspiring that I am 36 weeks! It seems when it takes so long to get pregnant that the time being pregnant just flies by. I am definitely ready for them to be born.


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## rcr

Hi all:

I had baby L on Monday at home. It has been crazy since then, but I will try to post the details and some pictures in a few days. She was 7 lbs 4 oz, and labor was a quick 7 hours (compared to DS's 32 hours!). She is beautiful.


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## toothfairy2be

That is wonderful rcr. Congratulations! Can't to see her!


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## blueyezz4

RCR- Congrats!!! So good to hear all went well & I can't wait to read your story & see a pic of this little miracle whenever you get around to it. So happy for you!!!!!!!!! Hope Your DS is loving being a big brother!!


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## SilaMarila

Congratulations rcr!!!


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## lilacvioletiris

Oh, so exciting that your little girl has arrived!


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## tracyamber

Congrats rcr!!!!


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## Laggie

OMG - Congratulations RCR!!! Woohoo!! I was just going to post that your ticker is almost at the end, but then I went and stalked you and found this!


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## MOMTOALEXIS

Congrats on your new baby girl RCR!!!!!


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## Tear78

Yayyyyy, congrats RCR!!! Enjoy your baby moon!


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## monkeyscience

Yay, yay, yay, RCR!!!! So excited to finally see this day come for you!

(And hi, *Toothfairy* - I miss you!)


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## suzie mccool

Hooooray rcr!!







So happy for you


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## Sourire

Congrats rcr! I can't wait to see the pictures!


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## Vegan Princess

Congratulations RCR! Soak in this special time that you waited SOOOOOO long for!

Cindy


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## hope4light

Congrats rcr! can't wait to hear about it and see a pic! I'm so glad you got the birth you wanted!!


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## wissa19

Congratulations RCR!!!!!







that new baby!

Thinking about you with your new little girl that you wanted for so long is making me teary. It reminds of when I had my little girl I wanted for so long. It really is an amazing feeling.

I always love it when one of us beats infertility.


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## lilacvioletiris

Got awakened this morning by what felt like my belly being shrink wrapped. Feeling lasted a couple minutes then came again about an hour later, but then nothing. I have worked so hard to keep the babies on the inside but I am so ready for them to be out now.


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## auraleigh

rcr, i've said it already, but i am SO happy for you. like wissa said, you beat it! you got your happy ending.

lilac, so soon! at a certain point your uterus will just evict them. hehe. A good friend of mine is now almost 42 weeks pregnant with no real signs of impending labor. I was glad my twins made their exit at 36 weeks. I could not be pregnant one second longer!


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## happyhopeful

RCR- CONGRATULATIONS!! Soo happy for you and your family!! Looking forward to reading about the home birth!! Sending the best wishes to you and yours!


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## kewpie80

Congrats, RCR! Welcome, Baby L!


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## pokeyac

Congratulations on your new baby girl, rcr! So happy for you!


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## KeliG

Congratulations rcr!!! I am so thrilled your miracle has finally arrived!


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## lilacvioletiris

Well, the doctor I saw today just went up a notch higher on the "I wouldn't mind her being present for the birth." She didn't even suggest doing a cervical check today. She prefaced her comments with "I know you are trying to have these babies natural so we won't even worry about talking about induction, unless you want to." Yeah, no. I was afraid she would push it this week since I am 37 weeks tomorrow. She even said that my pregnancy has been for a former IVF client pregnant with twins, "boringly normal". Yeah, that is a good thing! My mom and 2 of my 3 sisters and a brother in law should be here by tonight with more coming tomorrow and still more on Friday. I will have fun with my family. My mom is all pumped for me to start labor and tell the whole world. I need to get her a little bit more calmed down since I don't intend to tell people until the babies are breathing air. We will see what happens.


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## rcr

Thanks all. It feels great. I waited so long, and she is amazing. Here is a photo. She is a sleepy little girl. 7 lbs 4 oz. She doesn't open her eyes much yet. BFing is going ok, but it was a rough start. It was easy with DS, but she had a hard time latching on and was really making my nipples hurt. I had some blisters because her latch was bad. We are working through it, and things are getting better every day.

The birth was about 7 hours. Overall it was WAY easier than DSs, which was 32. I think being at home helped a lot, since I was really stressed out about going to the hospital last time. I had a wonderful midwife. I spent lots of time in the birth pool, and gave birth in the pool. DH went to wake up DS right before the big moment, so he got to see it. He is totally in love with her and we haven't had any problems yet. I think it has helped that we have friends who have been keeping him busy so he hasn't noticed that I am spending so much time with baby and not him.

I don't want to post her name here, because it is unique and will totally identify me, but I don't mind you all knowing, so PM me and I will tell you.

despite the fact that she has no genetic link to me or DH, I think she looks a lot like me and a lot like DS when he was born.


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## kewpie80

She's beautiful!


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## lilacvioletiris

Oh, she is so adorable. Love the upclose pictures.


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## Sourire

Awwwwww so cute!


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## Vegan Princess

Awww, RCR she is perfect! And wow that she looks like your family and you didn't even know if she was going to be the same race! It's funny - my friend recently adopted and I keep thinking her baby looks so much like her and her husband. Did you have her latch evaluated by a LC? Aria had posterior tongue tie and a lot of people missed it. It was the 4th person who saw her who figured it out (and the others should have). It made nursing so painful and she really had a hard time transfering milk. Hopefully your troubles are just from her being small and sleepy. I still can't believe your miracle is here - it seems like just yesterday you were going to Vegas!

Cindy


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## Tear78

Soooooooooo beautiful, RCR! I'm so happy for you! Thank you for sharing the picture! I second the call for a LC evaluation. Nobody saw Freddy's posterior tie either.


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## blueyezz4

She is precious rcr!!!!!!! Thanks for sharing!!!


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## happyhopeful

Hi everyone!! So, we had an incredible Thanksgiving- Our little girl arrived!! Weighing in at 5lbs 3oz and just so beautiful!! I am still in the hospital-we had a necessary induction on Wednesday after nst monitor had shown dips that then (14 hours later) turned into an emergency c-section. Thankfully, our pure bundle of joy came through it all like a champion and despite the head of nicu in the operating room waiting to whisk her away- she didn't need to go anywhere except to recovery with me!! I have been trying to post a pic, but I'm using a cell phone to do it and it doesn't seem to be working







I'll try from my kindle later or just post when we're back home on Monday.
Hope everyone is still doing lovely and RCR, your lil one is just precious!


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## Tear78

Yay, happy! Congrats,!! That sounds scary, and I'm glad all is well! She is just 6 oz less than dd was when she was born. Enjoy your baby moon!!!


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## lilacvioletiris

happyhopeful, congratulations on your little girl arriving on Thanksgiving!

AFM, I thought maybe today would be the day, woke up with serious belly squeezing at 6 a.m. but by 2 p.m. after a nice pelvic back massage from DH, all the squeezing/pain went away. Now I am just enjoying a snack before trying to go back to sleep because heart burn was bothering me, ugh.


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## MOMTOALEXIS

Congrats Happy!


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## blueyezz4

Happy - congrats!!!! So glad everything turned out well!!!!

Liliac- thinking of you & sending lots of prayers & positive thoughts your way!!!


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## Sourire

Congrats on meeting your little girl happy!


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## hope4light

Congrats happy! can't wait to see a picture!

rcr she is so precious!


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## kewpie80

Congrats, Happy!


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## suzie mccool

Happy .. That's awesome news!! Congrats







enjoy your little one


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## guppyluv

So much to be thankful for here!! Congratulation RCR and Happy!!! What blessings


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## happyhopeful

Hi All! So, I was able to figure out how to insert the pic, but I couldn't adjust the size. Oh well, here is our wonderful, beautiful, amazing little miracle! We were both able to be released from the hospital today! Thankfully, my milk came in and though she had lost weight the first few days, she gained an oz last night which made it possible for her to be discharged too. Even though she's tiny, she's nursing like a champion and I know she'll be able to bring her weight up!!


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## rcr

Congrats Happy! What a beautiful baby! Enjoy!

AFM - baby has regained her birthweight plus some. she was born at 7 lbs 4 oz, and is not 7 lbs 8 oz. I know each baby is special and precious, but not having experienced IF with DS, it does feel especially good to have here here in the world.


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## lilacvioletiris

Oh, happyhopeful your little girl looks so alert. Very cute!

RCR, it is so exciting to have your little girl be here in the world!


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## auraleigh

Congrats Happy!!! So glad to see so many beautiful babies making their arrivals!


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## rcr

Lilac - are those babies still inside you? 

baby L is laying on my chest while I lay on the couch and read. It is the best feeling in the world







. All the time spent worrying about the donor embryo issue seems silly now. I haven't given it much thought at all, and in fact I forgot to mention it when I took her to the doctor for the first time, and started to give him my medial history before I remembered and corrected myself.


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## lilacvioletiris

Yep, these boys seem to be more than happy to stay inside of me even though I ready for them to be out. Woke up to contractions at 1:30 a.m. this morning and slept fitfully from 1:30 to 5:30 a.m., ate breakfast, contractions slowed, went back to sleep, ate second breakfast with DH at 11 a.m., went back to nap until 12:45 p.m., went for a walk around the block, contractions keep coming, but definable start and stop for most of them, except the really big ones. Hoping that one of the next few days or tonight it will be the "day".


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## hope4light

Lilac - I was wondering this myself. Can't wait to hear the good news!!

Thinking of everyone, and loving the pics of the newest babes to our group!


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## lilacvioletiris

Seems like every morning in will have belly crunching, shrink wrap feelings, now with "I have a bowling ball in my pelvis" feelings, but I get up moving around and everything just peters out. No contractions that are following a regular pattern and regularly spaced. Poor DH is beside himself. At first he didn't want to leave me alone this morning to go to work, but I told him a watched pot never boils! My mom, who is staying through Dec. 30, arrived today so at least that will probably set his mind at ease for a little about having me at home.

I just keep working on work stuff and sitting on my exercise ball as much as I can because that "bowling ball" feeling makes it hard to sit on the couch or chairs.


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## Sourire

lilac - Congrats on keeping your twins in there so long. I'll be checking back regularly to hear if your babies have been born yet, it sounds like it will be any day now!

rcr - Wow it sounds like you're really living the dream! I feel like I'm living my dream too, I'm just so happy to have the opportunity to experience pregnancy and to go through the holiday season with my wonderful little bump and none of the sadness I've felt in past holiday seasons.

AFM - Things are going great with me. Last week I had a couple of firsts: the first time a stranger asked me if I was pregnant (I guess that means I'm starting to look pregnant!), and the first time I felt my baby move! I just can't believe how lucky I am to be pregnant. I've been having some pretty intense ligament pain lately. I had one episode that was so painful that I went to the emergency room because the pain was so severe I couldn't stand up for about an hour so I was worried it was something other than ligament pain. After running all their tests the doctors ruled out all other possible causes of the pain (such as kidney stones) so I was left to assume it must just have been extreme ligament pain. I know I have a lot of endometriosis on my ligaments so that could explain the severity of it. On my midwife's recommendation I started seeing an osteopath to help with the ligament pain and it was while my osteopath was stretching out the muscles and ligaments around my uterus that I distinctly felt my baby fluttering around inside there! The osteopath said she could feel it moving too at the same time! It was magical. I have my anatomy scan on December 20th, less than 2 weeks away, and I'm planning to find out the gender of my baby. I'm counting the days until December 20!


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## lilacvioletiris

Sourire, that is so exciting. I hope you continue to enjoy your pregnancy and all the fun firsts. I will be excited to hear what your little one is - boy or girl.


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## guppyluv

Lilac -- I keep checking in to see how you are! Can't wait to meet your duo









Yay Sourire! I loved those first kicks. Looking forward to your gender reveal!

Happy-- sooooo precious







love love love!

RCR -- so glad it feels so natural. I find myself constantly forgetting about my donor when I look at my babes... It's nice to be able to be at peace with the process and even more so the results!! Love it!

SuzieMcCool-- what's new down under!?

AFM and my 3 -- we met with early intervention today. They're tracking like preemies about a month to six weeks behind in gross motor skills but its nice that they qualify for services to help them. I'm happy to have the help each week and learn more activities that will help them along. Otherwise they're growing like champs. One of my boys is already over 12lbs and in 3-6mo clothes (they're 12 weeks today) so no matching outfits for a while! The other two have topped 10lbs and while it doesn't seem like much it's a great leap from their 4lb entrance into this world, they're doing great and I love them to bits! And am enjoying their giant smiles -- smiling was new last week! -- even when it means they dribble a mouthful of milk all over their face! Off to pump (again!)...


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## lilacvioletiris

No babies yet, but hopefully not tonight, since there is a major snow storm coming through - 2 to 4 inches of snow coming. Had belly clenchers all day, but no increase in intensity and no regularity to them either. One day at a time.


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## happyhopeful

Hi Everyone!! Thank you for all the sweet words and the congratulations!! I hope everyone is continuing to do well!

*Lilac*- Like everyone else, I'm checking in to see how you're doing and if those babies are ready to enter the world yet  Wow, you must have created such a lovely environment for them in there!! It looks like they took their due date a lot more serious than the rest of us!! Well, I'll keep my fingers crossed that they hold out till after the snow, and I hope you continue to feel good!! Such an exciting time!!

*Guppy- *That's great that they/you are getting help, advise, and activities for the trio- I can't even imagine the amount of work and energy it must take to give 3 babies all your love, attention, and energy.Their weight gain sounds great and seeing the smiles must be the best feeling in the world- I am sooo looking forward to that day! Whenever my lil one has a gassy or dream smile, I always get so excited and I love that it's a preview for the real deal! Loved the last pics of them, can't wait to see updated/smile ones!!

*AFM- *My lil girl literally eats around the clock and like clock work! She nurses every two hours and for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour! It's paid off though, we had her check up and she had gained 14 oz in just 1 week! Everything else in the check up went well too and she doesn't need to go back until January 31st. Despite the lack of sleep, I'm just so happy and am constantly just amazed that this dream of ours become a reality.


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## lilacvioletiris

Still waiting. The doctor on Friday was like "you are 39 weeks pregnant with twins and gestational diabetes. Why haven't you had those babies?" Like I can make them come out all by myself! I really want labor to start spontaneously but on Monday I will be having an ultrasound and depending on the outcome, I think the doctors are going to push for an induction date. I am hoping that the babies decide to come before Monday morning. I don't want to be pushed into having to be induced. But I want my babies to be safe too.


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## rcr

Lilac - Tuesday the 17th is a great birthday - it is my DSs. I am putting my bet on those babies of your coming on Tuesday.


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## hope4light

Lilac - I just keep checking... checking... checking.... in on you  Hope you are doing well, i'm sure you can't wait to meet those babies!!!

Hi to everyone else!!


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## lilacvioletiris

Sitting at dr waiting for ultrasound.


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## Sourire

Good luck lilac! I hope you can meet your babies soon but still avoid induction.


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## hope4light

Sourire - I love to see that ticker moving along... can't believe you're almost 20 weeks already!!!


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## lilacvioletiris

Well, an induction is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 20 when I will be 40w1d. I was comfortable with that because I believe that I will go into labor before that. The Biophysical profile showed that the blood flow from the placentas was good, plenty of amniotic fluid, and the babies looked great. We did a non-stress test too and the heart beats were good - but I did not have any contractions during the 30 minutes I was on the monitor. On the way into the doctor I could hardly walk the baby's head was sitting in such a way to cause me serious pain and I was having strong contractions. Ultrasound estimate of the baby's weights was 6 pounds 14 oz for one and 6 pounds 12 oz for the other. The ultrasound tech said the babies are likely 7 pounds or so because the way the babies are laying it is hard to get a good picture of their bellies and heads which is a major part of the ultrasound estimate of their weights.

I need to call the chiropractor and see if I can get in and maybe loosen up the spot where the first head down baby is so he turns a little more, since he is facing to the right in my pelvis. I have done some stair climbing and ate some pineapple as well today.


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## lilacvioletiris

AFM, I went to the chiropractor today. It felt great to have my pelvis adjusted, then my back and neck adjusted. Then she flipped me over and massaged my belly for awhile and released the tension in the muscles surrounding my belly. I am hoping that this will put William, my presenting baby, into a good position to put pressure on my cervix and get labor going. Went shopping for an hour with my mom because I figured that walking will help jiggle the baby around. Now I am home sitting on my exercise ball. It does feel like the kicks are in different places than they were before so maybe this worked.


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## Sourire

Good luck for the next few days lilac! I hope those babies are ready to come out this week!


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## lilacvioletiris

I am hoping they are ready to come out. I really thought last night that I was in early labor because all night long the contractions got stronger and stronger, but then I fell asleep and they didn't wake me up again. Ugh. It does feel like the kicks are in a different place than before, so I think the chiropractor adjustments did allow my babies to reposition themselves. Hopefully the first baby is in the best position possible to exit.


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## hope4light

Lilac - you amaze me  Pregnant with twins right up to your due date!!! I keep up hope that you won't need that induction on Friday!!!


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## Vegan Princess

Truly amazing Lilac!! I know how uncomfortable I was with 7.5 lbs of baby at the end - I can't even fathom 14 lbs of baby!!


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## hope4light

Just checking in on everyone.... hope you're all ready for the,holidays!


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## mayari

I just wanted to say hi. I haven't dropped by this thread in a while, and I see congrats are in order to Guppy, Suzie, rcr, and Happy. Congrats to all of you. All the IVF babies are beautiful.

My pregnancy is going well. MAT 21 and second trimester screen results are all negative. Baby does also does not have any Y chromosomes. The sick went away around 20 weeks and little girl has been moving up a storm since around 16 weeks (even though I have an anterior placenta AGAIN). I read that second babies move more because the uterus is bigger and cord is longer. She's definitely fulfilling that.

The strange thing about this pregnancy is that I am 39 yrs old and am not being treated as an "advanced maternal age" case in any way. I have only had an inititial appt u/s and a 20-week one since Ieft the RE. The midwife told me yesterday that they won't be doing any non-stress tests since I won't be 40 on my due date (my birthday is 5 days later), especially since the embryo is from when I was 36. Last time I had early bleeding so more early monitoring and then later monitoring for growth restriction. I was also with different midwives who had different policies. It's super awesome to finally be having a "normal" pregnancy. It's also ironic since last time I went with a super crunchy midwife practice and this time I'm with the practice that is supposed to be more medical which is not my experience thus far.


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## Sourire

I had my anatomy scan today and baby was in perfect health, and it's a girl!!!! I've been feeling lots of kicks lately, they've gotten a lot stronger. So everything is wonderful on my side!


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## SilaMarila

Congrats Sourire!!!


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## blueyezz4

Congrats *RCR & Happy* on your beautiful babes!!! I can't remember if I said it before so I figured I'd say it again!!!

Sourire - yay for a good scan & congrats on a little girl!!!

Mayari - glad this pregnancy is going well for you & more on the "normal" side!!!! Hope all continues to go well!!!

Hi to everyone else!!! Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas & happy holiday to all! Who knows when I might get back on so figured I should say it now!!!


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## monkeyscience

Yay for a healthy little girl, Sourire!!


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## tracyamber

Sourire-congrats on your perfectly healthy baby girl! How are you feeling these days?


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## Sourire

Tracy - I'm feeling pretty great in general! My belly is getting a lot of attention and I love feeling those kicks! I do have on and off issues with back pain and I still throw up very occasionally, but in general I'm just so thrilled to be experiencing pregnancy and have my dreams come true, I can't imagine being happier.


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## blueyezz4

Lilac - forgot to say in my last post that I'm on the edge of my seat w/ excitement for you!!! Keep us posted as you are able!!!


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## MOMTOALEXIS

Merry christmas to all !!!!!!!!!


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## Sourire

Merry Christmas to you all!

Lilac - since your induction was scheduled for last Friday I'm guessing you've met your babies by now. I hope your delivery went well and you and your babies are in good health. I hope you, your DH and your babies have a wonderful first christmas as a family!


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## hope4light

Happy Holidays to everyone!

sourire congrats on a girl!

lilac hope all is well!


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## lilacvioletiris

William Ernest arrived at 4:13 pm Sat. Dec 21 at 7 pounds 10 oz. Edward Ronald arrived in breech presentation at 4:15 pm Dec 21 at 6 pounds 2 oz. I did pitocin induction from 7:30 am Friday Dec 20 because both boys were head down then until 2:30 pm Sat Dec 21 where even though water was broken for first baby, I never prrogressed past 5 cm. Had spinal and c section.

Stayed in hospital until Dec 25 because of low blood sugar issues with Edward. So happy to be tandem nursing on demand at home now!


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## MOMTOALEXIS

Lila- congrats, the boys are beautiful, what a wonderful Xmas gift.


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## blueyezz4

Lilac- they are beautiful!!!!!! So precious!! Hope you all are doing well! What an amazing early Christmas present you were blessed with!!!


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## Sourire

Lilac - congrats on your two adorable little boys. I hope you're recovering well.


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## happyhopeful

Congratulations Lilac!!! They look so adorable! So great that you made it home for Christmas and that the sugar issue was resolved!! Just thrilled for you!!


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## hope4light

Congrats Lilac - they are perfect! What a wonderful Christmas miracle!


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## kewpie80

Congrats, Lilac! Such beautiful babies!


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## rcr

Lilac! Congratulations! I have been waiting for you to post the good news:joy:joy


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## lilacvioletiris

Here is another picture from today. Went for dr follow up. She was impressed that we arrived on time and appeared "well rested".
Poor Dh is really frazzled. Although we did better today sleeping when the babies sleep, Dh keeps wanting 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. At least tonight William seemed to calm down and fleep instead of his 3 - 6 hours "let's scream" sessions he has had at night . I love "my brest friend" twin pillow. I can feed my babies at the same time "hands free" . picture doesn't want to load, hum.


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## auraleigh

lilac congrats!!!! they boys are beautiful and i'm so impressed you can tandem feed right off the bat. amazing!

hope everyone is having a great holiday season. dd just started crawling and ds is now sitting up on his own. i'm just having the best year ever, and i'm glad you ladies are here to share it with me.


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## lilacvioletiris

The my brest friend twin pillow makes all the difference. Getting my William to latch is probably my biggest frustration. He justs latching on. Eventually he does but not withouta lot carrying on. But then there is the sweet sounds he makes when he is latched well. Just melts my heart.


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## mayari

Congratulations, Lilac. Merry Christmas, everyone.


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## Tear78

Congrats, lilac! I'm so glad everybody is healthy and snuggling at home!


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## tracyamber

Congrats lilac!!


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## pokeyac

Congratulations lilac! They are beautiful!


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## guppyluv

Congrats lilac!!! So precious









Happy New Years ladies!


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## Laggie

Lilac - congratulations! Wow, those are big healthy twins! And 40 weeks. You are a rockstar.

I guess I should start posting over here instead of annoying everyone in the infertility ONE thread with my betas and such. I am still nervous about something going wrong, although I know that donor eggs should make the chance of genetic problems very very low. The donor is 24 years old, so these should be some strong embryos, right?

I'm wondering if it could be twins, my beta numbers are slightly above average for a singleton and slightly below average for twins, so probably it's just one? I think?

I've also been thinking about whether I want to use a midwife or an OB. With donor eggs I have a higher risk of pre eclampsia (18% vs. 5%) and then I'm 39 years old. I'll be days away from 40 at my due date. And then if there are two? I know, it's too early to think about all of this yet... but these are the thoughts that wake me up at 4 am. I was dead set on a midwife before, but now I'm not so sure.


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## lilacvioletiris

I know I wanted a midwife and a home birth, then we found out it was twins and that all changed. Dh was worried there would be complications. part of me wonders if a midwife could have helped with positioning of my presenting baby fora vaginal delivery but that ship has sailed.

DH really doesn't like the newborn period where he gets no sleep. I wish we would have taken a class to help him understand what the first 6 weeks of parenthood would be like.


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## Sourire

Laggie - welcome! So nice to see you here! I am with a midwife and her policy is that if you develop pre-eclampsia or any other risk factor she will transfer your care to a doctor, she has an agreement with a team of doctors who accept all her patients if necessary.

Lilac - yeah it's funny how some men are oblivious to how much their lives will change with a newborn. I'm sure it's twice as difficult for you guys with twins. Just try to remind DH that all this is temporary!


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## lilacvioletiris

Yeah it is especially bad when both start fussing and he thinks he can't soothe them both at once. I really wond r what other parents do.


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## rcr

Laggie- nice to see you on this side. I had huge beta numbers - well in twin range- and I had one baby. I was a bit disappointed about it because I had my heart set on twins after all the speculation that it was twins. I bet it is strong though - whatever number you have in there.

Lilac - my dh was really in bad shape because of the lack of sleep too. I can't imagine what it is like with twins.

AFM - not much here. I am going back to work part time on Monday. But I am only working 20 hours a week until may. Just enjoying having a little baby in my life. I get told almost every day that baby looks like me or dh. We haven't told the world about the donor embryo issue, so we just smile at each other and laugh about it.


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## lilacvioletiris

Rcr, good luck going back yo work tomorrow. It is amazing how much your little girl looks like you even though she has no genetic connection to you. Environment plays a role I feel


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## happyhopeful

Hi Everyone and Happy New Year!!

It was great reading everyones updates today! I'll come back and write personals!! I haven't been on the computer at all in the last few weeks- my little girl has been suffering with terrible bouts of gas and reflux. It was so sad to see her change from such a peaceful baby with such long periods of being awake totally content, to a baby that was crying when not nursing and sleeping only 5-40 mins at a time. After trying everything under the sun at home (feeding upright, burping upright for 40 minutes after each feeding, elevating mattress, gripe water, sounds of all sorts, and so on) we took her to the pediatrician on Monday. After examining her and asking about 20 questions, he diagnosed her as having reflux and wrote us a scrip for Zantac. We also found out that in just three weeks (and despite the reflux) she had gained 2 lbs 7 ozs!! So, we were pleased with the weight gain, but ended up very unhappy with the Zantac- my poor lil baby had the worst diarrhea following taking it and burping non-stop for the following 36 hours on it- we stopped it at that point. My doc insisted that it wasn't the Zantac and we should continue it, but honestly not a single thing had changed (oddly not even my diet during those few days) except for the Zantac. So, I ended up giving her Tummy Calm yesterday- another homeopathic treatment- and within minutes she burped, had a bowel movement, and was so calm! She slept for 3.5 hours last night, woke up ate burped, had a bowel movement, and then back to sleep for 3 hours!! All day today (knock on wood) it's like I have my original baby back- it feels so wonderful and I'm just soooo happy that she's not screeching in pain anymore!! I've attached a pic from after the bath today


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## lilacvioletiris

My oldest boy seems to suck so much air in when he eats. He has been having major farts and crying fits. Going to try some baby gas relief tonight because he gets himself into a panic with crying. Gave him his first bath tonight. It actually seemed to calm him finally after I had his diaper on. He hates diaper changes.


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## suzie mccool

Hey everyone! Apologies for being so absent, but during school holidays my days are fleeting!

Lilac.. congrats on your boys!! They are just adorable! And did I read you were tandem feeding straight away?? Amazing

Happyhopeful.. what a gorgeous pic - she is precious!

Laggie.. So awesome to see you here!









Rcr.. I'm looking at working a few days a week to help with finances - let me know how it goes. Not sure whether I'd rather do 5 short shifts, or a couple of full days.Really, I'd rather stay home actually lol

Here's a pic of Beth from last week - she's 13 weeks now and a barrel of laughs. Everyone says she looks like DH if they know him better, and all my family etc say she's a mini me... so funny.

I think she looks like herself though


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## lilacvioletiris

Oh suzie, Beth is precious. Yep I was tandem nursing the first day. Not every feed but most are in tandem. It allows meto sleepat night!


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## Laggie

rcr - I may have asked this before, but I'm wondering what meds you were on after transfer with your donor embie? The Greek clinic has me on prometrium, estrace, and a corticosteroid called prednisalone. I was expecting the prometrium but not the estrace or the steroid.


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## kewpie80

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *lilacvioletiris*
> 
> Yeah it is especially bad when both start fussing and he thinks he can't soothe them both at once. I really wond r what other parents do.


I usually would hold both and pace and rock just as I would have with one. If I just can't hold both for whatever reason, I'd put one in a safe place and go to a quieter room and calm one down and then go back for the second when I could. Sometimes the crying of one would keep the other one going, so separation had to happen. Another thing I'd do is rock one and put the other in a bouncy seat or rocker and bounce that one with my foot while I snuggled the other. You'll find your own groove and I promise, it goes by so quickly. I look at my 2 year olds running and jumping and talking up a storm and wonder where my gassy and refluxy newborns went. Congrats again to you!


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## kewpie80

happyhopeful and suzie - SOOOOO CUTE! I want to smoosh them both.


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## rcr

Laggie - I only took progesterone after the transfer, but mine was an unmedicated cycle - so I only took progesterone before the cycle too (I didn't even take BCP)


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## Sourire

Laggie - I think FETs are pretty similar to donor embryo cycles. I took both estrogen and progesterone after I got my BFP, plus baby aspirin.


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## lilacvioletiris

Oh, I want to go outside but it is so cold and no safe sidewalks reliably cleared. Ugh.

Went to have baby pictures taken. It was nice and sunny, but the roads out where the photographer lives were snow drifted. It was near white out conditions from the blowing snow. Babies did pretty good but we definitely didn't get as many pictures of all 4 of us as I had hoped since I kept having to breast feed one baby or the other to calm them down. My husband says it will be a cold day in hell before he goes back. He finds picture taking "invasive". SMH. I will go back without him earlier in the day some day soon since the photographer wanted to do more shots and is giving them to us as a gift.


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## lilacvioletiris

Ah, yesterday my boys were one month old. Here is their "princes" picture.


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## kewpie80

Adorable, Lilac! Hard to believe it's been a month already


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## lilacvioletiris

Ugh yesterday I got a milk blister on one nipple. Talk about excruciating pain! Each time a baby latched on I would nearly scream out in pain. Emailed my lll leader and she called me and talked me through what to do. Basically I had to pop the blister like it was a milk filled zit. Finally this morning after the baby nursed the blister was poppable and the backup oozed out. Pain is gone now. It was terrible.


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## Vegan Princess

Lilac: That happened to me twice when Aria was new. So painful! Glad it's cleared!

Cindy


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## kewpie80

lilac - oh ouch! That sounds awful! I had a plugged duct once and that was bad enough. I can't imagine a blister! I'm glad you've gotten some relief.


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## shesaidboom

Hi ladies. Some of you may remember me. I posted here frequently several months back and then kind of disappeared. I had some issues after having my son with breastfeeding that made it really hard to be around any forums. I've been reading some of these updates and am SO happy and excited for all of you! Seeing the pictures of the babes I remember you talking about through your pregnancies has been wonderful. I hope it's ok if I start posting again. My son is now almost 6 months old. I'm looking forward to reading more updates.


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## Sourire

Nice to hear from you, shesaidboom


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## kewpie80

shesaidboom - I'm glad to see you back! I had a super hard time with breastfeeding too and ended up having to quit. You're not alone in having struggles in that area. Welcome back!


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## lilacvioletiris

Welcome back!


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## shesaidboom

Thank you! Kewpie, I'm sorry you struggled in that area too. It can be so hard.

Here's a pic of my now six month old..


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## Sourire

Shesaidboom - SO. CUTE!!!!!


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## hope4light

shesaidboom - I'm so sorry you had difficulties, but am glad that you're back! He's a CUTIE!!!

Hi to everyone else!

AAM - Baby boy turned a year old a couple of weeks ago, he has 6 teeth (I think working on some more) and has been walking for over 2 months. He's growing so fast. I have NO IDEA where the time went. I swear it went so much faster with him than my DD's first year. We are doing well, DH got a new job and has had more home time recently, but I know that's about to change. DD is 3 1/2 and talking a LOT more (we got her these pre-reading books ~ pre level 1 and level 1)... I knew I didn't expect her to start reading, but I was hoping it would help with her speech and amazingly it has! She still isn't super clear, but even daycare said she's talking SO MUCH MORE now. It's frustrating for her (and us) though as it's still so unclear, but we're getting there. She loves to 'read along' with me, so we do those books every day. It's awesome. Today we are starting to look at houses as we are planning on buying a new home. I'm scared **itless to do it, but we are SO done paying rent for a house we hate, and paying way to much for it. We still own our first home back in our hometown, but it's been consistently rented for years now, so we feel OK about taking the leap.

And just because it's so my girl, daycare also told us that she 'is the most stubborn girl I've EVER met.' *sigh* gotta love my girl!

Hope everyone is good! I still follow along but don't have lots of opportunities to post.


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## kewpie80

shesaidboom - SO CUTE!

hopeforlight - wow! a year already?!? Happy belated birthday little boy!


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## shesaidboom

Thank you for the sweet comments!

hope4light - Time goes by so fast, I cannot believe your baby boy is already a year old! Happy birthday to him and to you.


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## lilacvioletiris

Time for some Easter pictures. It is hard to believe a year ago I was getting ready to start my IVF cycle - now I have babies!

William on the left is 11 pounds 8 oz and 24 inches tall and Edward on the right is 11 pounds 11 oz and 24 inches tall. Amazing how much they have grown since birth.

Some pictures my sister took for Easter.


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## happyhopeful

Hi All!! Sorry, I haven't posted but my lil' girl's digestive issues were a real uphill battle and I just didn't have the time, head, or energy for the computer.However, I'm just so happy to see the updates and ADORABLE pics!!!! *McCool*- she's soo beautiful and soo happy!! LOVE that pic!! *SheSaid*- That pic is SOOO SWEET, what a cutie!!! *Lilac*- they are so freakin cute and I can't believe how much they've grown!!! *Hope4lIght*- what a great post! so happy so many areas of your life are filled with positive motion forward!! *Sourire*- You're so close to meeting your lil one! How exciting!! *Kewpie*- hope you are feeling and doing well! *AFM*- my lil ones tummy is getting better which gives her more opportunities to bless us with her incredible smile, her sweet baby talk, and her infectious laugh!! She also started to roll over now- just from tummy to back, but it's very exciting to watch. She'll be 4 months on the 28th and we are all just so in love with her!


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## kewpie80

@lilacvioletiris - awwww I so love the double yawn picture. So cute!

@happyhopeful - SHe is stunning! Such beautiful hair and eyes! So cute!


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## lilacvioletiris

It is so hard to believe that a year ago this week I was PUPO.


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## auraleigh

ladies i love the photos!!! it blows my mind that everyone is growing up so fast. my two will be a year old in six short weeks. at 10.5 months julia is already walking and is too smart for her own good, and ben walks with a walker, has a smile that lights up a room, and is a total momma's boy.


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## happyhopeful

Auraleigh- They are soooo beautiful!! How exciting that they're almost one!!! I can't believe that Julia's already walking and that Ben is close behind- that's amazing!! LOVE this pic and the update!


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## kewpie80

@auraleigh - Wow, a year already! They are so cute!


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## blueyezz4

Love all the updates & pics!!!!! Can't believe how fast our little ones are growing. I know that I used to hear that all the time, but you don't realize the true meaning of them growing up fast until you have a child!!! It's crazy!!! Our little guy will be ONE next Tues the 8th. I can't even believe it. We are actually in the car now coming home from our first family vacation. We've survived a 12 hr car ride home so far. Can't wait to be there though. Here's a pic I took on vacation before we went out to dinner w/ the little guy. Hope you all are well & can't wait to see pics of LO's (fresh & older, lol) & updates!!!!! Hope you ladies are all well!!!


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## shesaidboom

Awww, look at all the sweet babes! I am loving all the updates and stories and I cannot believe how quickly everyone is growing. Joshua is of course growing way too fast too. He's just over 8 months old now. Here's a recent picture of him..


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## guppyluv

*Long time no...*

We made it! My trio turns one in just over a week. It's been hard but so rewarding. I haven't logged in in ages but loved catching up and seeing your photos and how everyone's LOs are growing! here's a photo from our vacation last month...


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## tracyamber

@guppyluv
They are so freakin cute!!!!!!!! Happy for you!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## hope4light

Guppy - I was wondering how you and the trips were doing!! Glad to hear - they are adorable....


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## suzie mccool

hope4light said:


> Guppy - I was wondering how you and the trips were doing!! Glad to hear - they are adorable....


Guppy - so glad to hear from you! Your little ones are adorable!! And good on you for being brave enough for a vacation lol. My little Beth is still not crawling so I'm still living a fairly peaceful life, for now... Here's a pic of her from last week (hopefullyit loads, I'm using a new URL program)


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## tracyamber

@suzie mccool
She is very cute!

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## hope4light

suzie - adorable!!!!!!


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## kewpie80

guppyluv said:


> We made it! My trio turns one in just over a week. It's been hard but so rewarding. I haven't logged in in ages but loved catching up and seeing your photos and how everyone's LOs are growing! here's a photo from our vacation last month...


They're adorable! Congrats on making it through the first year!


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## shesaidboom

Congratulations and Happy Birthday to you and your trio Guppy! It is wonderful to see updates. I love seeing these sweet babes grow.

My Baby Bird turned one at the end of July. It's amazing how quickly time goes by.


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## Laggie

I haven't logged in here in ages... it's great to see all the babies!

Here are my twins, Casey and Jasper. Born August 16th at 36 weeks +4, each weighing 5 lb 10 oz.

I was induced due to high blood pressure. Casey was delivered by forceps, his heart rate was dropping due to the cord being around his neck. He was followed 7 minutes later by Jasper, who was breech but the doctor pulled him down and repositioned his arms so that I could push him out. Three stitches, and thank God for epidurals because the forceps still hurt even with it, and so did the doctor's adjustments!

@rcr Hi!


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## kewpie80

I love seeing all the miracle babies! My duo are approaching 3 this winter.


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## chuord

Yep - it's wonderful to see... They are all so adorable!


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## hope4light

I am loving all the baby pictures!!!

Laggie - congrats


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## Sourire

Here's a pic of Liliana, she's 4 months old now.


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## tracyamber

@Sourire
She so adorable. The three of you are very blessed. Okay, when is the next one coming?????? Do tell!

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## tracyamber

@kewpie80
Cute family.
But all I can think about when I see sir topham hatt is, "you've been a very useful engine" in fact this morning I told ds that because he put all the pictures and such from the refrig in a zip lock.

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## Sourire

Tracy - I might start doing FETs again in about a year. We'll see. 

What about everyone else? Shesaidboom, suzie, guppy... Are you planning to try again?


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## kewpie80

tracyamber said:


> @kewpie80
> Cute family.
> But all I can think about when I see sir topham hatt is, "you've been a very useful engine" in fact this morning I told ds that because he put all the pictures and such from the refrig in a zip lock.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


I tell my 2 that they're "very useful kids" all the time. haha


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## kewpie80

Sourire said:


> Tracy - I might start doing FETs again in about a year. We'll see.
> 
> What about everyone else? Shesaidboom, suzie, guppy... Are you planning to try again?


Your little girl is adorable!! And I LOVE her name. So pretty!


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## toothfairy2be

It is so nice to see everyones updates and photos. Beautiful children!


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## Sourire

Hi toothfairy. I'm always thinking about you and wondering how you're doing.


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## toothfairy2be

I'll be updating soon sourire!:wink:


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## tracyamber

toothfairy2be said:


> I'll be updating soon sourire!:wink:


Okay, now I'm totally curious what's going on. I think about you all the time too!!!!!!!

No winks....... Do share!!!!


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## chuord

Tracy I was thinking the same lol... Tf2b you're a tease with that comment  lol you go girl!


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