First trimester coming to a close....

Finally!   The end of the yuckiness is in sight.  Past experience tells me that my 1st trimester woes should be coming to an end in the next week or so.  I tried a little experiment last night and didn't take my Zofran.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that my morning sickness is starting to ease up.  Not quite all the way though so I ended up caving and taking one after dinner (after all, why suffer when I have relief at my fingertips?).

Trying to go about my life as usual has been much more challenging.  I don't know if it's because I'm in my mid-30s now, if it's the onset of winter, or if taking care of two busy boys (and a busy husband), but I find myself struggling more this time around.  Trying to find time to rest has been harder, and just everything in general has been harder.  I'm grateful that I'm at this place in my life when it seemed so far away just a few short months ago so I'm trying to take it all in stride and remember those that are still trying to get to the same place.

Early pregnancy continues....

At just over 11 weeks along I am still suffering/enjoying the trials and tribulations of early pregnancy.  Thanks to the Zofran I've kept the nausea under much better control (it's not 100% effective so there are still some bumps) and thanks to another med that shall remain nameless my stomach is behaving itself much better.

I finally felt well enough to start slowly exercising again.  I wasn't a huge exercise nut but I spent a lot of time on my bike this summer, did a kettlebell class, and kept up with my regular yoga class.  Of course, once IVF started all that had to be put aside.  It just wasn't safe for me to exercise until I got clearance from the IVF doc.  I got that clearance several weeks ago but feeling absolutely crummy does not inspire exercise.  But, finally feeling better, I decided it was time to get moving again, even if it meant a slow walk on the treadmill for a half hour.  It felt good to move again but somehow I felt extra protective of my body.  I have a passenger along for this ride now and it made me more cautious.  Hopefully that feeling will fade and I will get braver about it. 

The numbers are in...

Not just election returns of course (I was very proud to be a part of the process not just in voting but also in helping other people vote as an election judge), but my final shot count.  For my own curiosity, I decided to keep count this time.  Since it was my third time I wanted to see if I could find a way to make this interesting. So, you're asking, just how many times did I get poked in this process?  There are three categories of needle pokes: blood draws, progesterone shots, and the other med shots. 

1. Blood draws = 10
2. Med shots     = 42
3. Progesterone = 55
4. Total             =  107 needle pokes

 

Over 100 needle pokes just to get to where I am today.  The number wasn't a total surprise to me, but still shocking nonetheless.  I am extremely happy to be finally done with it all.  The final ones at the end were really tough, and for some reason a lot more painful than before.

 

The  other news of the week is my first OB appointment.  It was nice to chat with my doctor.  I love this practice really, all female medical staff, and my doctor especially.  She's young like me and very personable but also very competent at her work.  I can ask her anything and she's got answers that make sense to me and my care.  The only disappointing news of the appointment is it was confirmed for me that I will indeed be facing yet another c-section.  I had done some preliminary homework that had indicated that was a very good possibility but I was still hoping the doctor had more encouraging news.  She understood my disappointment though, which made me feel better about the situation.  She also gave me a medication to help with my raging morning sickness since the Sea Bands just weren't cutting it any more.  I'm not real big on taking meds when I'm pregnant but I couldn't take it any more; I need to eat my dinner!  Hopefully I'll only need it for a short time.

 

I didn't get to hear baby's heartbeat but a quick ultrasound confirmed that s/he is in there and growing; a reassurance any fertility patient needs.  Our puzzle is starting to come together, and the missing piece is starting to slowly slide into place.