Baby Update

Sooooo, here's the latest update.... (Be patient. It's a long one!)

On March 15, we started our first IUI cycle. We did:

* daily thyroid meds to keep my thyroid level low, folic acid tablets, baby aspirin, and prenatal vitamins

* days 5-9: Letrazole to help the follicles grow

* days 5, 7, 9: Follistim shots

* days 10, 13, 15: ultrasounds to measure follicles

* days 10, 11, 12, 13: more Follistim shots

On day 15, our third ultrasound showed one follicle that had reached 18mm and several that were smaller. We actually had already had our next consult scheduled with Dr. Detti that day. She suggested we go ahead and plan to do IUI (intra-uterine insemination, aka artificial insemination) because it would help our chance of getting pregnant rise from 16% to 21%.

So, we did...

* day 15: Ovidrel shot (to make me ovulate 12-36 after the shot)

* day 16: IUI day - This is an interesting experience. That's all I'm saying.

days 1 and on - Hoping and praying that this cycle will work eventually turned to just asking God to take it off our hands and making it what He wanted for us.

So, I waited. And waited. And waited. And then, on April 15, we saw this....

Yep, you know what that means.

We are pregnant!

Dr. Detti ordered bloodwork that day and two days later (HCG beta) to confirm.

We began my new daily med regimen.... two calcium supplements, progesterone (which I have since been told I no longer have to take), prenatal vitamin, DHA supplement, two folic acid tablets, baby aspirin, and Lovenox blood thinner shots. And prayer that God will just continue to keep His hand on the sweet little baby.

Our ultrasounds so far...

May 4... Baby measured 6 weeks 5 days and had a 132/min. heart rate. Joy!

May 11... Baby measured 8 weeks and had 153/min. heart rate. Joy that baby was growing!

May 17... Baby measured 8 weeks 6 days and had 173/min. heart rate. Baby was moving a little bit! Continued joy! I was released from Fertility Associates. This was a bittersweet day.... bitter in that I really just adore this group of people and all the miracles of medicine that they employ to help people like me and sweet in that God used them to make our biggest hope happen. I hugged everyone, and my nurse hummed Pomp and Circumstance as we left their offices for the last time.

May 25... We had our first visit with the high risk doctor. The ultrasound showed baby moving hands, legs, and feet! Lots of wiggling around was going on! We were lucky enough to hear the sweet little heartbeat (172) for the first time! Dr. Schneider said that we are in great shape and to keep up the same routine with the meds. I'll see him again as my regular ob/gyn, Dr. Neblett, suggests. (We'll see Dr. Neblett this week. I'm excited to have my first "normal" pregnancy checkup!)

These are the most recent ultrasound pics...

The little head is on the left and it's like the baby is lying on his/her side and facing you.

This is the tricky one! It's like you're looking at the top of the baby's head. The head is on the right, and you can see the hemispheres of the brain. Next, you can see the top of the face from there. Then, you can see the little hands held up just under the chin. This was a "wiggle shot".

This is our favorite.

We told my parents and Sam's mom on the phone a week or two later. This was after I lied to my dad when he asked about the outcome of this month's cycle. Sorry, Dad! :) My parents and Sam's mom were very excited to hear that I was five weeks pregnant. We told Sam's mom when I was seven weeks. Everyone was so excited, but cautiously so. The further along we get and the more sweet little ultrasounds we see, the more excited our families are becoming!

The due date is Dec. 22, Sam's 30th birthday. But, Dr. Schneider has already said he won't let me go that long since they need to control my shots closely near delivery time.

This has definitely been a very long road. We've had more tests and ultrasounds than I can count and certainly more pills and shots than I can even begin to estimate. We've had two miscarriages. We have prayed about it, worried about it, tried not to think about it, thought about it too much, scheduled life around it, and struggled with it. It has been at times a positive, negative, optimistic, frustrating, energy exhausting, and hope restoring road. There have been many times when we've questioned it and not understood why we had to take it. But, looking back, after reaching the 10 1/2 week mark, having four positive ultrasounds, and being told by two doctors that we are now in great shape with this pregnancy (very low miscarriage risk), the initial fear and concern over this pregnancy has disappeared a good bit and we are becoming more and more excited about how awesomely God is working in this and its timing. The process has brought us to meet new friends and bond even more closely with the friends we already have. We couldn't have made it through all this without God and our family and friends and all the love and support they have shown! And more than likely, if you're reading this, you're one of those people. So, thank you. If you are someone still going through the woods of infertility, I am thinking about you and hoping you soon find the joy you deserve.

Please keep praying for us and the little "somebody" God has given us. I'll keep on updating with news!