GIRLS!!!

We are having TWO girls!  We are SOOO excited!

I'll post more later but I just had to share the exciting news!

17 Weeks

It's been too long since my last post.  I've been super busy.  I haven't uploaded pictures on my computer in weeks.  I can't believe I am 17 weeks, and just 2 days away from 18 weeks.  Time flies!

My pregnancy is going very well.  My last appointment was a week ago.  We heard both heartbeats: 140s and 150s.  It was amazing to hear their heartbeats the second she put the doppler on the right and left sides of my stomach.  She said I was measuring 20 weeks for a singleton pregnancy. 

By the way, we have some big news to share...

We are MOVING!  Like moving THIS Saturday! 

Josh was given a wonderful job opportunity so of course he had to take it.  We are so excited about the move!   We will be living in western North Carolina.  We love the mountains of NC!  We will be a lot closer to our families.  We are going to miss our friends dearly but we are looking forward to staying in touch with everyone.

As soon as we found out we were moving I started looking for a new ob that delivered babies at a hospital with a NICU.  After several recommendations from friends and my current ob I found a new practice that delivers at a wonderful hospital with a Level III NICU.  My first appointment is Monday.  It's an initial consultation.  I can't wait to find out the sexes of the babies.  I'm assuming I will be scheduling my big ultrasound appointment on Monday.

I will post lots of pictures soon.  Once we get moved in and settled, I should have more time to blog. 

Happy Fall!

13 Weeks

My last appointment was very exciting because I got to hear BOTH heartbeats.  The first heartbeat she found was in the 150s.  The second heartbeat was in the 160s.  My OB said I was 13 weeks and 2 days but I thought I wasn't even 13 weeks.  She said that our fertility center faxed her more records and based on my last ultrasound at 8 weeks my due date had changed to March 14th.  I measured 5 days ahead at that ultrasound so maybe that's why they changed it, but only by 2 days?  Oh well!  At least we know our twins are due in March.

I'm feeling great these days!  It's wild how the morning sickness and the exhaustion just disappeared after 12 weeks.  Some days I do not even feel pregnant, and I'm like "Aren't I supposed to be exhausted?  I'm pregnant with twins!"  I'm enjoying these days because I'm sure at some point in the near future I will feel pregnant with twins 24/7.  My doctor reminded at my last appointment that I do not have any restrictions just because I'm pregnant with twins.  I'm assuming that could change in the future though.

I do have one complaint: sleep!  I'm waking A LOT throughout the night to go the bathroom or just turn.  I've have a bump and I'm reminded of it at night because I'm constantly turning from side to side to get comfortable.

My next appointment is 4 weeks away, well, October 3rd!  We will find out the sexes at the end of October.   And then I will not go back for another month.  Appointments will pick up after 24 weeks and I'll start going twice a month, and I'll have an ultrasound once a month.  Yay!

First OB Appointment

My first OB appointment was at the beginning of August.  It went very well!  I decided to switch OBs for several reasons but the most important reason was the hospital.  I will be delivering our twins at a nearby hospital with a Level III NICU.  It makes me to feel better to know a NICU is available if needed.  The hospital is 30 minutes away which is nice too.  My new OB's practice has several high risk OBs on board.  My OB actually had triplets last January.  I really enjoyed talking to her about my twin pregnancy.  She said that moms of multiples have a instant bond and she's become good friends with a lot of her patients that have had twins.

She highly recommended a book which my insurance company is sending me.  Of course I went to the library to pick it up because I'm sure my insurance company will not be sending it for a few weeks.  I've already read through most of the book.  It's called "When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets or Quads".  So far I've really enjoyed reading it.  It's all about research proven ways to have a long, healthy pregnancy.  It really stresses the importance of eating healthy and gaining most of your weigh during the beginning of the pregnancy instead of trying to gain it at the end.  Her reasons make a lot of sense.  As of last week I've gained a total of 10 pounds.  The book recommends gaining 25 pounds by 20 weeks.  So I've got 15 pounds to go in 10 weeks.  I'm sure I will not have a problem gaining weight.  I gained 60 pounds with Stella.  Yes, that's right!  60 pounds is the maximum weight recommendation for a twin pregnancy, not a singleton pregnancy.  Thankfully it came off quickly and I'm hoping the same will happen after the twins arrive. 

My OB said that we are going to aim for a delivery around 36 weeks.  She said if we get to 38 weeks, it will be amazing!  She said most women deliver twins around 36 weeks.  So my due date is actually going to be mid February.  She highly recommended that I stop taking care of teachers' babies after Christmas break.  I'll be 30 weeks when the teachers' go back to work.  She said by 30 weeks it will be enough work taking care of the twins inside of me and Stella.  She also recommended that I not commit to taking care of babies after the twins arrive.  So Josh and I decided to go with her recommendation.  I will stop working after Christmas.  Stella is going to miss her friends dearly because she has always had friends to play with during the week.  But I think we will enjoy our time together before the twins arrive, and our time with the twins next spring.   She LOVES babies so I'm sure she will be in love with them. 

My next appointment is at the beginning of September.  We will get to hear the heartbeats!

I haven't been doing a good job of taking bump pictures.  Maybe I'll do a picture on Sunday when I'm dressed up for church.  I definitely have a bump going on.  It's exciting and I love, love, love it.

My morning sickness is hit or miss.  Some days are better than others.  It's definitely still there and I do hate that part of pregnancy.  I never experienced morning sickness with Stella's pregnancy.  I was very lucky.  I tried the Vitamin B6 and Unisom for a couple days.  It helped but I didn't feel okay with taking a sleep aid every night so I stopped.

I'm not sleeping well at night because I'm constantly going to the bathroom.  Oh well!  It's okay.  Overall I feel that this pregnancy is going very well.  I'm excited about our future. 

If you have any advice about twin pregnancies, please send it my way! 

Big Sister

8 Weeks

6 Weeks

Second Ultrasound

I am sorry for the lack of updates.  All is wonderful!  Our second ultrasound went very well.  It was exactly two weeks after my first ultrasound.  The babies had grown so much.  They both measured 8 weeks and 5 days.  I thought I was 8 weeks and 0 days but I guess the babies decided to do a little extra growing. 

I've been tired.  I've also had a constant feeling of nausea.  But recently it's kinda went away.  I hope it stays away.  I felt great today!  My fertility doctor recommended taking 25 mg of Vitamin B 6 three times a day.  He also said to take Unisom at night.  Unisom is a sleep aid.  I thought that was a weird combination but he said that research shows the combination seems to knock out morning sickness.  I'm going to ask my OB about it tomorrow.  Hopefully I won't need it any more any way.

I have my first OB appointment tomorrow afternoon.  I'm going to a new OB.  I'm very excited.  Her practice specializes in multiple pregnancies.  She actually had triplets last January.  She delivers in Savannah, GA at a hospital with a Level III NICU.  Hopefully our babies will not need to be in the NICU but just in case, it's there.

I'm very hopeful for a long, uneventful pregnancy, just like with Stella.  I'm anxious to get my due date on Tuesday, and talk twins with my OB.  I'll keep you posted.  Hopefully sooner than later!

Oh, and the subchorionic hematoma went away.  I haven't had any spotting or bleeding since that first and only episode around five week.  Thank God!

TWINS!!!

I was sooo nervous on our way to Charleston this morning.  Josh kept saying "Calm down!  It's going to be okay."

It was okay when we saw TWO little hearts beating this morning!  It was amazing to see those two little miracles.  We are very excited and thankful.  We are happy that Stella was there to share that special moment with us.  Our family feels complete!  One baby measured 6 weeks.  One baby measured 6 weeks and 1 day.  Both seem to be doing very well right now.

When we first looked at the screen, I thought I saw three sacs BUT our RE explained that the third sac was a subchorionic hematoma.  He said it was the cause of my bleeding and he said that he wouldn't be surprised if I had more bleeding over the next two weeks.  He said eventually the subchorionic hematoma will be absorbed into my body.  I can't remember the explanation he gave me for why it occurred but it seemed like something normal. 

We were given a 5% chance of miscarriage and a 10% chance of a vanishing twin. 

I'll post ultrasound pictures soon.  My next ultrasound is Friday, August 5th!

Power of Prayer

I just wanted to say THANK YOU for all of your thoughts and prayers.  It really means a lot to us and we are very thankful.  Your kind words make me smile and I really appreciate them.  So thank you again for all of your comments.  I read each one and smile.

The power of prayer is amazing!  I haven't had any spotting since Sunday.  That's pretty amazing!  I really thought that last weekend's spotting was the beginning of the end.  I hate be so negative but after all that we've been through it's just hard to be hopeful at times.  You never know that to expect with infertility.  It's like a roller coaster of highs and lows.  It just sucks.  I hate it for me and for anyone else that has to go through it.

I feel like my life usually flies but not recently because we've had a lot of waiting and hoping to do.  I feel like Friday is never going to get here.  We are less than 48 hours away from our first ultrasound.

Stopped Again!

So it stopped again.  I haven't had any problems since Sunday.  Let's pray it stays away!  I'm beyond ready for Friday's ultrasound.  Stay tuned!

It's back...

...as of noon today.  I just can't get excited any more because what if it's the worse case scenario: an unhealthy pregnancy and/or beginning of a miscarriage.  If it's going to be over, I want to know so I can move on.  I don't want to wait all week to find out.

"Wishing I was knee deep in the water somewhere
Got the blue sky breeze blowing wind through my hair
Only worry in the world is the tide gonna reach my chair
Sunrise there's a fire in the sky
Never been so happy
Never felt so high
And I think I might have found me my own kind of paradise"

Knee Deep by Zac Brown and Jimmy

It's gone, for now!

If I was going to miscarry, I think things would get worse not better.  So far things are better.  I haven't had any spotting today.  I'm so thankful.  I feel like maybe my nurse was right.

Spotting at 5W2D

The spotting stopped but then started again this evening.  I have to admit that it is not really a lot.  But still, it's there.  I just hate it.  I keep thinking about all we have been through.  We started this process in early May.  It's been part of our daily lives for two months: anxiety, tests, doctor's appointments, shots, etc.  How could this happen?  I just want it to be a perfect pregnancy.  After all we've been through, can things just be OKAY?  I'm trying to have faith in His plan.

babymed.com

A normal hCG rise over several days prior to 6 weeks of the pregnancy usually indicates a viable pregnancy. In general, the best indication of a healthy pregnancy other than a normal rise of hCG is a good fetal heartbeat after 6-7 weeks.  -babymed.com

Prayers Please

My third beta at 18dp5dt is 9,121.  Yay!  But maybe not?

I usually hear from my nurse around 9 AM with my results.  I had not heard from her at 10 AM this morning so I called.  I had a feeling something was wrong.  I left a message and then went to the bathroom.  I was bleeding.  Yep!  Can you believe it?  The first thing I thought of was: Wow! This is an early miscarriage.  I thought this because this is how my last early miscarriage started.  It's light but it's pink and red.  So it's scary and now I'm really emotional and of course worried.

I called my nurse back again when I saw the blood.  The receptionist let me talk to her.  She said it's normal with a twin pregnancy and that it happens all the time.  She said to take it easy and not worry.  What?  Are you kidding me?  How do I bleed and not worry?  She talked to my RE and he said to go ahead and schedule my ultrasound at 5.5 weeks which will be next Friday.  So it's on Friday at 8:30 AM.  That's a long time from now. 

At least I have a high beta!  That's good news.  Let's just hope this bleeding stops.

Beta in AM

My third beta is tomorrow morning.  I'm ready to know that all is well.  I'm feeling great!  I feel pregnant and I love it.  I haven't had any morning sickness but I didn't have any with Stella.  I am a little more tired than usual.  When I'm standing I can feel a really hard area.  It's exciting to know that's the baby or babies, well actually, it's my uterus growing but the baby or babies are in there. I didn't feel it this early with Stella but that was also my first pregnancy.

I'm going to be scheduling my first ultrasound tomorrow.  Last time I scheduled it as early as possible because I just wanted to see my baby!  I think I actually scheduled it a couple days earlier than they recommended.  This time I feel the same way but I'm hesitate to schedule it as early as possible.  I'm thinking I'll do as late as possible, probably next Friday.  Last time they told us it was twins but that one of the babies heart beats had not started.  They said that was common because it was too early to see it.  They gave us a 90% chance of bringing home twins and a 99% chance of bringing home one baby.  We definitely thought it was twins with a 90% chance.  We had to wait TWO weeks to find out if that baby's heart started.  Two weeks later we found out that it did and it stopped growing, or it never started.  We will never know.  But I don't want to have to go through all those emotions again.

babymed.com

Thanks to babymed.com, I can share my beta results on a chart:

Second Beta

611!!!

Our Journey to Baby

We decided to start trying for a second child soon after Stella was born.  Most people probably thought we were crazy but it took us forever to conceive Stella and we couldn't imagine trying to prevent a pregnancy.  A natural pregnancy is truly a gift and absolutely AMAZING!  We hoped and prayed for natural conception but that wasn't in His plan for us.  We made a decision to move forward with a frozen embryo transfer (FET) during the summer of 2011.

FYI:  During our first and only IVF cycle in the summer of 2009, we conceived Stella.  We had 5 perfect embryos that were left over from that cycle.  We are very lucky that we had embryos to freeze.  We decided to transfer two of those frozen embryos inside of me this summer.

April 28th - FET consultation with RE

We were given a 25% chance of conceiving one baby if we transferred one frozen embryo.
We were given a 40% chance of conceiving one baby if we transferred two frozen embryos.
We were given a 20% chance of conceiving twins if we transferred two frozen embryos.

*FET cycles have lower success rates than IVF cycles.

May 17th - Start BC pills
May 25th - Blood Work and Hysteroscopy
June 11th - Hallelujah!  It's CD 1!  Start Estrace (1 mg twice a day)
June 16th - Increase Estrace (2 mg twice a day)
June 20th - Increase Estrace (2 mg three times a day)
June 22th - Blood Work and Ultrasound (lining measured 9.3), Start PIO Shots (1 cc twice a day)
June 27th - FET Transfer (2 beautiful embryos, both grades 4BB), Reduce PIO Shots (1 cc once a day in AM), Start Progesterone Suppositories (1 in PM)
July 1st - BFP at 4dp5dt
July 6th - First Beta at 9dp5dt (289)
July 8th - Second Beta at 11dp5dt (611)
July

Wow!  I just can't believe how lucky we are to be pregnant again.  Thank goodness for SEFC!  Everything we have to go through is completely worth it.  It's not fun, easy or cheap but it's just what we have to do to get pregnant.  If you have any questions, please send them my way: chelseascruggs at yahoo dot com.

Congrats from RE

I'm having my second beta tomorrow morning.  I'm really hoping for good news!  The number should double. 

My RE just called to say congrats.  He is very excited for us.  He said they will continue to monitor my levels through blood work.  My first ultrasound will be in two weeks.  So around 6 weeks!  I'm sure I'll schedule the appointment tomorrow when the nurse calls with my results.

Please keep our miracle in your prayers.  I really hope and pray this is a healthy pregnancy!

Beta Results at 9dp5dt

289

My thoughts right now:

It's time to CELEBRATE!

Am I really pregnant?

Wait, am I really?

This is AMAZING!

God is so good!

Stella is going to be a big sister!

OMG!

We are so lucky!

I love SEFC!

Wow!

I can't wait to meet him or her!

ETC!

My heart still hurts for those that are STILL waiting for a miracle.  I hope my story gives you hope.

Beta in AM

My first beta with Stella was 208.  At the time I was pregnant with twins.  I'm saying a prayer that I will have a high beta tomorrow morning too.  Stella and I will be at the hospital in Savannah at 6:30 AM tomorrow.  I'll post the results soon after I receive them!

BFP at 6dp5dt

Yes, I made a mistake.  It should be 6dp5dt.

BFP at 5dp5dt

Of course I am still taking tests.  Here's 5dt5dt:



I haven't taken a picture of 6dp5dt yet.  It looks similar to the one above which kinda worried me because I wanted it to be darker.  Darker means my HCG levels are increasing which means a healthy pregnancy!  I haven't tested today (7dp5dt) because I'm out of tests.  I'm going to take one tonight when I get home.  We are in NC celebrating the fourth with our family.  I've got two First Responses waiting for me at home!

My Mom, who has spoiled me all week, made my favorite cake of all: Hummingbird Cake!  It's amazing and even better with coffee (decaf, please!).  I'll post the recipe on here at some point.  You must try it.  You won't be disappointed.

My betas will be on Wednesday and Friday at 6:30 AM in Savannah.  I'll share the numbers so stay tuned!

HAPPY FOURTH!!!

BFP on 4dp5dt

Can you feel the joy?

Here's our BFP from this morning at 4dp5dt...
just like with Stella, 2 years ago...

SEFC is amazing!!!

The Wait

The wait after the FET was really difficult.  I'm writing this after the wait because I've already tested.  That post is coming next!  But I wanted to share that the wait is the hardest part (other than getting a BFN).  You don't want to get your hopes up because what if it doesn't work?  We were given a 40% of success.  You don't want to think negative either.  It's just extremely difficult.  On top of all those feelings, it has already been a long wait...like months.  And to know that you are finally so close, it's just overwhelming!

Back to the wait...

I had a few mild cramps on and off for the first couple days.  I didn't notice them as much the third day.  That kinda worried me.  I tested on the third day and it was negative.  I really tried hard to see a positive in every light, but I couldn't.  It wasn't there!  Other than mild cramps I didn't have any other symptoms. 

Okay, sensitive nipples on the second night.  That's why I tested on the third morning.  Sorry if that was TMI but I would want to know that if I was going through a FET.

I tested again on the fourth day...

Our FET Story

Our first, and let's hope only FET is complete!  The transfer took place on Monday at noon.  We had a normal morning and drive to Charleston.  I made a mistake and took both of the Doxycycline pills at breakfast.  I was supposed to take one with breakfast and one with dinner.  I took the Valium one hour before the transfer.  I had just finished my 32 ounces of water before we arrived.  The nurse took some blood work and then we met with our RE.  He told us that our two frozen embryos survived the unfreezing process perfectly.  He said they both looked great.  He even showed us their "placenta parts".  We couldn't really see what he was talking about but whatever, we were still excited!

Josh and I got dressed in our space suits (as Josh calls them) and we headed to the transfer room.  The nurse got us all set up.  She checked my bladder to make sure it was full.  Apparently they can see your uterus on an ultrasound better if you have a full bladder.  The nurse told us that she had a beautiful picture of my uterus because my bladder was very full.  So we waited for the doctor to come in and oh my goodness, he never came in.  Now remember I had to drink 32 ounces right before we arrived.  I could no longer hold it.  And how are you supposed to hold it with your legs in stirrups?!?!  I told Josh that he had to go find the nurse.  The nurse gave me a cup and told me to fill up the whole cup.  Of course I only filled half the cup because I didn't want to risk anything.  That provided some relief!  So we got all set up again and we waited.  Well of course he didn't come in so I told Josh that he had to go find the nurse again or I was going to run to the bathroom without a cup.  She came back and told me to do the same thing.  I just filled half a cup!  So back to the room again, and our RE finally arrives.  He apologized but I could careless what anyone was saying at that point because I was dying to go to the bathroom.  I tried to relax.  I don't remember having to go so badly last time.  It was pretty painful and definitely not something I ever want to go through again.  I felt like everyone was working so slow.  When our RE told the embryologist he was ready for the embryos I thought he was never going to come in with them.  I almost said "HURRY UP!"  Our RE told me that I was 3 to 5 minutes away from a bed pan when he called for the embryologist.  Finally (after months and months of waiting) our two perfect embryos were placed inside of me.  We watched with excitement (and for me, with pain too). 

Josh in his space suit!

Please excuse this picture -- no make up and awful glasses (that's another post)!

The white spots in the center are the fluids that contain the embryos!

I was finally able to relax!  We said a prayer and then we talked about how amazing it is that there are two embryos inside of me.  Everything about those little ones has already been determined.  It's just amazing and we can't wait to see what our future holds.

Josh made me another bed in the back of Murano like two years ago.  He calls it the "Murambulance".  He's too good for me!  He keeps me laughing during stressful times.  I love him to pieces.  I can't imagine going through this experience without him.

 Chilling in the back of the Murambulance!

Frostbite in June

So I was determined to make my shot painless this morning.  I took one of Stella's boo boo ice packs and placed it under the waist line of my shorts.  I left it there for 20 minutes, and actually kinda forgot about it.  I took the ice pack off right before Josh gave me the shot.  We both died laughing because my skin was hard, like you could knock on it.  LOL!  He gave me the shot and for the first time ever I didn't feel a thing.  I was like, YAY, the ice pack worked.

Well, this afternoon I noticed that the injection spot was itching, like really bad.  So I felt and it felt hot and puffy.  OMG!  I have a perfect, bright red, puffy rectangle on my upper back side!!!  It looks scary because I don't have a tan this summer.  So it's really stands out.  I freaked out and started googling ice pack burns, and here's what I found...

"Burns to the skin are usually associated with heat, but severe cold can damage your skin in a similar way. If you have ever used an ice pack to treat muscle strains or sprains, avoid direct exposure of the ice pack on your skin. The freezing temperatures of a cold pack directly on your skin can produce localized areas of tissue damage called ice pack burn, or frostbite. Prevent ice pack burns by placing a towel or cloth between your skin and the ice pack

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/122286-treatments-ice-pack-burn/#ixzz1QFCexkwU

Crazy, huh?  So don't ever make the mistake I made this morning.  LOL!

PIO Shots HURT!

I've never had a problem with any of the shots I've taken for fertility treatments.  They have never really hurt.  But OMG, PIO shots hurt!  I'm reminded of them every minute of every day because I'm sooo sore...like seriously sore!  I feel it when I bend down, sit down, walk up stairs and sometimes when I just walk.  We've done the ice thing and that definately helps with the needle, but what helps with the soreness?

Not only does the soreness remind me of the PIO shots, but it also reminds me of what we have to do to get pregnant.  It's just not fair!

Transfer Date

Josh and I went to Charleston for our monitoring appointment this morning.  The ultrasound was first.  My lining was 9.3!  The ultrasound tech said that was just perfect.  When I saw and heard the good news, my fears went away and hope rushed in.  My blood work was next and then we met with our favorite nurse.  She talked to the doctor and set the date and time for our transfer: Monday, June 27th at noon!  We are so excited.  It feels SO good to actually think I could be pregnant soon. 

My Mom is coming down to take care of Stella.  We are so lucky!  Stella is lucky too.  She loves her Granna. 

So this time next week I will be 2 days past a 5 day transfer.  I got my first BFP with Stella at 4 days past a 5 day transfer.  Say a prayer!

Oh and guess what?  I started my PIO shots tonight.  Josh and I were nervous wrecks.  I'm not sure why because we've done many shots together in the past.  But it's been awhile...two years!  After about an hour of reviewing instructions, debating and watching youtube videos on PIO injections, we did it!  It didn't hurt that bad.  It's a little sore.  I'll take two shots a day until the transfer.  Then I'll take one shot in the morning and a suppository at night until I'm 9 weeks pregnant!  Crazy, huh?  I didn't have to take PIO shots with Stella.  I just did the suppositories.  Whatever!  I can handle it because it's worth it.

Please send congrats to Erin at Hoping for our own Peanut!  She just got two BFPs tonight.  I am SO excited for her.  We've been in touch lately because we are both doing FETs this month.  We conceived our first babes through IVF in 2009.  She has given me hope!

Correct Protocol

I deleted that last post because I so had my escalating Estrace protocol messed up.  Here's the correct version (if you are going through a FET and are interested):

CD 1 through 4 - Estrace 1 mg in AM and PM
CD 5 through 9 - Estrace 2 mg in AM and PM
CD 10 through 12 - Estrace 2 mg in AM, mid day and PM

I'm on CD 10 and these days are going by so slow.  I'm ready for Wednesday's monitoring appointment.  I'm also getting really nervous because omg, what if it doesn't work?

BTW I'll be 27 tomorrow!!!  Crazy!!!

Stella's First Birthday Party

I want to share a few pictures from Stella's first birthday party.  I love getting party ideas from Mommies that blog.  We did a barn yard/farm animal theme.  Josh was really excited about the idea when I first mentioned it to him.  So that's one reason we went with it.  I thought it would be fun for girls and boys. 

The party was everything we wanted for Stella.  It was fun celebrating her first year with our friends and family.  I am already looking forward to her second birthday party.