[Amzippity]

Mom2MandyandTristan -

Thank you for your kind words. It is good to know that someone lost a baby to preterm labor and then was able to deliver a baby full term, even if it sounds like it was difficult.

I think I'll always worry. I had no unusual symptoms leading up to it last time. Just heaviness in my stomach. Then finally I spotted a little tiny bit so I called the doctor. They didn't think I needed to come in, but they were okay with it if I did, so I went in anyway just an hour or so later. Even after I got there the doctor didn't think anything was wrong until I mentioned the heaviness in my belly. Then she was concerned and we found out that in her words "my cervix was completely gone" and when they started monitoring for contractions, I was already contracting.

It was too late already. The symptoms were silent leading up to it (though very painful once it got underway). That's what makes it difficult for the future. I know with the cerclage in place there will be a lot of pain if my cervix tries to thin through it, but it's still worrisome for me since I was so clueless just a few hours before hand.

I'm more informed now and I know I'll be very aware of every possible symptom. I'm staying positive and optimistic, but I'm trying to maintain a "cautious approach".

I do appreciate you telling me your story. I hope I am as lucky as you were.

[infertilitynovice]

How's everyone feeling these days? Any new symptoms?

My bbs seem more tender with the passing days. Before it was mostly noticable putting on or taking off my bra, but the past few days, I'm feeling sore just having my bra on. I'm already a DD, so the idea of busting out anymore is kind of scary. My BFF jokes that I'll probably fall over! LOL. I'm afraid these things are going to be down to my bellybutton by the end! I guess I need to invest in a more supportive and modest "over the shoulder boulder holder" without underwire? IDK, I guess I'll ask my doc.

Congrats to Hopefull and her newly almost tripled second beta number!!

When are first US scheduled for you ladies? Mine is in 2 weeks. Supposedly we should be able to hear a heartbeat by then. We'll see I guess.

[Amzippity]

My breasts seem more tender too, but I'm not sure if it's from the pregnacy or extra prednisone. Mine are bigger than they were when I lost my last baby in September and they're only going to get bigger! I'm already down to just a few bras. Oye. I'm needing some mucho bra support right now. I find myself needing to wear a bra all the time now (even when I first get out of bed and I'm still in my pj's). Otherwise, they hurt. I'm not looking forward to them getting bigger.

[Amzippity]

I had my third beta yesterday. It was 13130 for a doubling time of 44 hours. My doubling time is pretty consistant from my first-second beta.

My first ultrasound is Wednesday. It will be 6w0d. I can't wait!

[infertilitynovice]

Wonderful news Am about your new beta! What a wonderful start you're off to! It so neat that your US is Wednesday. You'll have to tell us everything!

I know, I'm down to 2 bras, and neither feel really wonderful. I'm going to have to go out in the next few days and find some more comfortable ones.

So I've been talking to Hopefull about jumping the gun on baby names...is everyone else already talking about names too? DH isn't coming up with any, but shoots down just about everything I come up with for boy names. I know we've got plenty of time, but at this rate, I don't think our little boy (if we have a boy) is going to have a name at all.

[Amzippity]

Na, we're not talking about names yet. Last time I was 22 weeks pregnant and we had only made it half way through the girls names and never made it to the boys names in the baby book (we didn't want to know what we were having). I think this time it will take a while until we get that far.

It's still really early. You have plenty of time to come up with a name. I'm sure you and DH will come up with something perfect.

[infertilitynovice]

Thanks Am ~ I know it is crazy early, but I've been talking about names since before we started TCC. I'm a stepmom and we've been dealing with custody of DH's boys for a couple of years. It has only recently been settled in our favor. All the blended family drama was stopping me from having a child of my own, so I've been (not so) patient for a long time to get started. You mentioned that it takes a long time to get through the baby name books. In a way I've got one advantage b/c I won't even consider names that start with a C or a J. The boys' mother has named all of her kids (4 total with all different fathers) with C and J names, so those are totally out for me. It narrows the possiblities down a little bit.

So, to change my subject a little bit...is anyone else STARVING when they wake up in the morning? Or how about times during the day when it is hard to eat? I'm having a hard time eating dinner lately. Everything I make doesn't sound good once it is ready. I suppose the two must be related in my case

Am ~ your BETA numbers are so strong, are you experiencing "morning" sickness yet?

[Amzippity]

It's wierd - I have no nausea or morning sickness symptoms at all yet. I do have really bad heartburn, but that's it. I remember last time I had nausea and it started before 6 weeks and lasted until around 12 weeks. So far - nothing.

I've also had no really food cravings or aversions. Last time I had coffee and alcohol aversions (which I wasn't drinking anyway, but not wanting them made it easier) and chicken aversions a bit later on. So far everything's normal.

I am really tired. I napped yesterday for the first time since the last time I was pregnant. I would like to nap all the time. I'm always tired.

What other symptoms is everyone else having?

[infertilitynovice]

I'm really tired too. Of course, I've always loved to sleep. I told my DH when we first met that if sleeping was an olympic sport, I'd be a gold medalist Since moving, I'm not teaching now (and won't go back full time until our little darling is in pre-school), so I'm taking a nap just about everyday right now. Plus, we've moved to NH, land of the never ending winter, so the gray days really help with napping. I've not really felt like doing anything lately. I did start an advanced gardening class that will last 10 weeks and is every Friday morning just to get out of the house. I figure it is okay if I'm kind of lazy right now. I guess it like a camel storing water. I'm storing "me" time b/c once Thanksgiving comes there won't be anymore "me" time for a very long time. And I know that decent sleep will be hard to come by soon enough too.

Am ~ I wouldn't worry too much about this pregnancy comparing to the other pregnancy. Every woman says that each pregnancy is different. One friend of mine gained something like 60lbs with her first child and was so sick with her second pregnancy that she was actually thinner when she gave birth than she was before she got pregnant. I'm about 30lbs overweight right now, so I figure if food doesn't sound really great at night then it isn't the end of the world as long as I eat a little something througout the day.

Take care!

[Amzippity]

Oh, I'm not worried about them being different, I just think it's interesting. About 2 hours after I wrote that I hadn't felt nausea, though, I started to feel nauseous. Figures.

I forgot you were in NH, too. I have a poor memory! I am so sick of the winter. I can't wait to see the lawn again. Today I was just a half hour south in MA and there is no snow to be seen. At my house, though, there is no lawn to be seen. Arg.
I can't wait until spring.

You're so lucky not to have to work for a few years after the baby is born. I get 6 weeks leave and then I'll have to go back to work.

What do you have scheduled next? Another beta or an ultrasound?

[Daney]

Hi I am reallly early but I just got my first positives and go for my beta this week I just wanted to know if I can join or if i am too early my edc would be 11-25-08
COngrats too everyone!!!

[Amzippity]

Of course you man join us! Welcome and Congratulations!

[infertilitynovice]

Daney ~ The more the merrier! Don't worry, I'm still really early too. I only got my BFP the Sunday before last. Wow, if you're little one is on time, sounds like you might be eating turkey in the hospital ...maybe you could get someone to sneek you in some decent Turkey Day food

Am ~ Well you're not the only one with a bad memory, I didn't remember you were here either. Where are you? I'm in Nashua. We moved here last Summer from GA, so you can imagine what a major culture shock this has been (the winter from h**l!). My DH works in Lexington and has said that there isn't any snow left in MA too. Because of the position of our house, most of the snow has melted from our yard (leaving a bunch of trash behind), but the neighbor right across the street still has about 1ft of snow in her yard. I can't wait to see some green (and pink, purple, yellow, etc) around here! Also, I'm sorry you started feeling "ewy" later yesterday .

[infertilitynovice]

I forgot to say before that the next date my OB has scheduled is my 6.5week u/s the last Friday of this month (3/28). Of course that can't come fast enough, so I'm going to ask for an order to be faxed to the lab so that I can have another beta this coming Friday. It will be hard if I learn that something has happened that has turned this thing toward the negative, but going in for the u/s expecting to see something wonderful and not...that would be even worse. Its not like I'm walking around with a cloud over my head, this thought is just there in the back of my mind sometimes and I think another beta would hold me off until the u/s. I'm so impatient. I don't know how I'm going to make it through this first trimester. Once we're through the first, the second and third are so much more interactive with all kinds of little things happening all the time.

Also, about working...I'm a teacher so its not like my paycheck makes a whole lot of difference in the household anyways .Do you know that new NH teachers only make about $2000 more a year than GA teachers? That's crazy! There's a 30% cost of living increase b/t the two states, so I don't know how NH teachers even feed their families. It is a crime really. I don't understand how this country gets away with paying teachers, police, and firefighters so little. Don't they realize that most people are who they are in great part to a teacher they once had? Whether it was their first grade teacher who made them believe they could do anything or a college professor who helped them find their way into the professional world. It is so frustrating! Okay, I'll climb down off my soap box now.

[infertilitynovice]

Okay, I was bad today...I had to buy a few new bras because my nips are on fire right now (not like volcanic fire...really a slow burn kind of fire) and the synthetic stretchy material that my current bras are made of is not working. So I did find some modest (that's code for "ugly") 100% cotton boulder holders (he, he, he)...oh, yeah and I found a few cute tops and a well cut pair of jeans too. Here's where I've been bad...I shopped in the maternity dept. I know, I know...I'm in no way in NEED of maternity clothes, but I figured since I did need another pair of jeans that I might as well buy a pair of maternity jeans. I'm so not in the world of baby stuff...I thought all maternity jeans had that huge cloth pouch in the front. I found a very cute pair that has a band in the back that stretches and continues to give throughout the pregnancy instead of the unslightly belly pouch. I also bought a few trapeze tops. What is really cool about this new trend is that the same tops are across the isle in the women's section too. I figured that there was an awesome sale going on and buying clothes that I'll still be able to get into over the next several months makes more sense then buying things I'll be able to wear for the next 2 months and not again for who knows how long. (That's what I'm telling myself anyway).

Also, my BFF mailed me my own copy of "What to Expect When You're Expecting"...I'm so happy! She told me early last week that she had bought it for me and was going to mail it as soon as we got our , but I was beginning to get impatient. It came today...yay!

How's everybody else? Anyone else made a trip to buy something baby/pregnancy related yet or am I the only one?

I've had wicked heartburn today...any new symptoms for anyone else?