Evan, Aidan, Bella & Sophia » March 2008 Journal Entries » AboutMyBaby - online baby scrapbooks, photo albums, videos, birth and pregnancy announcements

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Mon, Mar 31, 2008 9:30 AM
Today I had my first ultrasound for this pregnancy at Good Sam Hospital. This was a Level 2 Ultrasound ordered by Dr. Brady.

The baby looks great! He/she measures 2.78 cm (about 1 inch). His/her heartrate was around 155-160 BPM. All looks well! I couldn't believe how active this baby was! He/she was jumping around and very active.

They changed my due date to 10/30/08 (instead of Halloween). They said Dr. Scheiber had put on my paperwork 10/30/08 and that is the date they will go by.

My appt. with Dr. Brady is Thursday, so hopefully I will get the date for my cerclage surgery and all the specifics about how we will handle this pregnancy at that time.

All is well!

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Fri, Mar 28, 2008 2:18 PM
9 WEEKS!

Your new resident is nearly an inch long — about the size of a grape — and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. She's starting to look more and more human. Her essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes abound: Your baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do her tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Your baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks. Her eyes are fully formed, but her eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. She has tiny earlobes, and her mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct. The placenta is developed enough now to take over most of the critical job of producing hormones. Now that your baby's basic physiology is in place, she's poised for rapid weight gain.

The crown-to-rump length of your baby is about 1.25 to 1.68 inches (between 3.1 and 4.2cm). He weighs about 0.18 ounces (5g).

The placenta is now producing progesterone which helps to make nutrients for your developing baby.

Your baby has passed the stage when he is most susceptible to damage. By the end of this week, the danger zone for congenital abnormalities has passed.

The plan for your baby's body has been completely laid down by now. Further growth and cell division will build on this plan.

Taste and tooth buds have appeared.

Your baby has recently developed fingers and toes which are now well-formed. Ankles, wrists and the inner ear have formed. Your baby's nose is flat and his eyes are far apart. His eyes, ears, mouth and nose are all recognizable. The tail is disappearing.

Your baby is moving around the amniotic sac, and moving his feet and ankles. You still will not be able to feel these movements but you may be able to see them on an ultrasound.

Blood is circulating through the arteries and the vein of the umbilical cord.

The brain of your baby is developing at a phenomenal rate. About one quarter of a million new neurons are produced every single minute at this stage in your pregnancy.

If your baby is a boy, his testes, though they are not even clearly visible, are already producing testosterone.

Your baby is no longer called an embryo, but rather a fetus.

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Fri, Mar 28, 2008 8:41 AM
Yesterday I filled my prescription for Zofran. I have taken 1 pill, yesterday (3/27/08) at lunchtime.

Last night on the way home I wasn't sure I was going to make it home. The whole car felt like it was spinning in circles. I was so dizzy - I felt drugged.

I hate taking meds. There are always side effects and I seem to be sensitive to them. Today, it feels like the WHOLE ROOM is spinning. I have not taken a pill since yesterday.

This is what I found online about the Zofran side effects:

The serious side effects of this medication include blurred vision or temporary blindness, slow heart rate, trouble breathing, anxiety, agitation, shivering, feeling light-headed, or fainting, and urinating less than usual or not at all. Stop taking Zofran and call your doctor at once if you have any of these side effects. Zofran can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.

What should I avoid while taking Zofran?
Zofran can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.

:( So, what do I do? Puke all day or feel like I'm high all day?

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Wed, Mar 26, 2008 3:11 PM
Just got the call from Dr. Awadalla.

My E2 (Estrogen) level is 966
My P4 (Progesterone) level is >80

EEK! No wonder I'm having mega hot flashes. My progesterone level is very high.

He gave me the following weaning instructions:

Estrogen (currently taking 4mg orally per day) ~ take 2 mg orally per day for a few days and just stop altogether.

Progestrone (currently taking 1cc PIO injection each night + 600mg of Prometrium orally each day) ~ stop the shots and only do 400mg of Prometrium orally each day until 4/14/08 and then stop the Prometrium altogether.

I'm really nervous. I have about 12-13 doses left of PIO, so I think I will finish that out and not do the oral prometrium ~ especially since I have been so sick lately with morning sickness anyway. He said I would be fine, but I would rather keep up the progesterone supplementation until 12 weeks.

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Wed, Mar 26, 2008 9:45 AM
Today was my 8w5d Ultrasound - my last appt. with the Institute for Reproductive Health. I have officially graduated from my RE (Dr. Scheiber now).

Everything is perfect - the ultrasound showed a beautiful, healthy baby with a strong heartbeat. Baby Gorczyk #4 measures 2.3 cm (which is ahead in growth - this baby is measuring 9 weeks at 8w5d, just a few days ahead).

I asked Dr. Awadalla if 2.3 cm is a good size for 8w5d and he said, "no, it's better than good - it's PERFECT."

I had to see Dr. Awadalla today because Dr. Scheiber is on vacation, so it was sad not to get to say goodbye to Dr. Scheiber, but still - Dr. Awadalla was very good to me. I went back to his office and we discussed my morning sickness & the Progesterone/Estrogen I am on. He will call me later today with my P4 (Progesterone) and E2 (Estrogen) levels. He gave me a weaning schedule for my Progesterone/Estrogen already, but I would like to hear what my levels are first. He also said my due date is 10/30/08 - but I beg to differ. I looked at several online sites and everything says HALLOWEEN so I'm sticking to it.

I got a prescription for Zofran (anti morning sickness drug) - he told me I need to definitely take it since I am throwing up water. He said it sounds like I have a form of hyperemisis to him, but couldn't formally diagnose because they don't measure your weight there. (One of the signs of hyperemisis is a 5% drop in body weight. I seriously do NOT think I have lost weight, even though I'm constantly throwing up - especially liquids). I'll fill the prescription tonight, but not until I have done some research into side affects. Dr. Awadalla said there is no risk to the baby and that I would love Zofran.

That's all for now. I added a picture of our baby baby in the ultrasound album.

Next appt. is on Monday 3/31/08 with Dr. Brady - for my first prenatal appt. and Level 2 Ultrasound. 5 days!

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Tue, Mar 25, 2008 8:53 AM
Morning Sickness ~ can I just say now that I am sicker than a dog? Good grief. Morning sickness actually kicked in over 2 weeks ago and has been here in full force ever since. I'm REALLY struggling with it. With the boys, I didn't have morning sickness too bad. I think I had 4-5 days where I threw up once a day and felt queasy, but that was it. With Bella, I threw up every day from week 6 to week 13. So far, I'm headed down the same path I was with Bella. Water is the biggest problem for me to keep down. I CRAVE water. I want it all the time. But every time I drink it, I am in the bathroom 10-15 min. later throwing it all up. It's horrible. I have never taken anything for morning sickness before, but I plan on asking Dr. Awadalla tomorrow about it. If he isn't willing to prescribe anything, I have an appt. on 3/31/08 with Dr. Brady and will address it with him then. I don't think I can handle another month like this. I know morning sickness is a good sign that the pregnancy is progressing the way it should, but I am finding it really hard to function. I even cancelled a photo shoot I have on Saturday, as I just don't think I can do it right now. :( :( :(

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Sun, Mar 23, 2008 8:02 PM
We're Pregnant! Baby #4 is due on Halloween 2008.

We have known since February 18, but wanted to wait until we saw a heartbeat for sure and then decided to wait until Easter for the official announcement.

Send us healthy vibes for the next 9 months!

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Sun, Mar 23, 2008 7:55 AM
Happy Easter Everybody!
Today is such an exciting, special day!!!!
More to come later!

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Fri, Mar 21, 2008 9:59 AM
8 Weeks:
Webbed fingers and toes are poking out from your baby's hands and feet, his eyelids practically cover his eyes, breathing tubes extend from his throat to the branches of his developing lungs, and his "tail" is just about gone. In his brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways. You may be daydreaming about your baby as one sex or the other, but the external genitals still haven't developed enough to reveal whether you're having a boy or a girl. Either way, your baby — about the size of a kidney bean — is constantly moving and shifting, though you still can't feel it.

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Fri, Mar 14, 2008 7:56 PM
Funny story about Aidan - his speech therapist said they are working on action verb/sentences, such as:

She is singing
He is dancing

He said he does really well, except for when they get to the picture of the lady sleeping.

Aidan says, "Mommy is sleeping."

HA Ha! I guess he sees me fall asleep on the couch one too many times. Instead of saying, "She is sleeping" he thinks it's MOMMY sleeping. LOL!

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Fri, Mar 14, 2008 4:52 PM
Last night we had our first Parent/Teacher conference for the boys. It was 1 HOUR long. I kept waiting for bad news or something, as it kept dragging on and on. But, we received all great news!

Here is my favorite story from the meeting:

Miss Kim told me that there is a little boy in the class named Colin. Colin is severely handicapped in many ways, and is also Autistic (age 4). She said he never connects with anyone, makes no eye contact with anyone, doesn't speak at all and really struggles with interacting and/or engaging. Two days ago, Evan walked over to Colin and got right in his face (hands on hips) and started making silly faces and noises within 2" of Colin's face. Miss Kim said she kinda gasped and stood there, because typically Colin would hit/shove the other kid out of his space and run away to a corner, but he didn't. He stood there and let Evan do those things AND made eye contact with him. I guess at that point, Evan started playing peekaboo with Colin with this crawling tube on the floor. He would roll the tube out of the way and say PEEKABOO, and then roll it back and Colin and Evan would look at each other again and giggle. Miss Kim said she was just about crying and so was Miss Lisa (the assistant), as they have never seen any adult nor any child connect (or make eye contact) with Colin. The story had me in tears too, because I imagine as a parent how happy I would be if I were Colin's mom to hear this story. My little Evan. I get teary eyed just typing that story out.

When I got home last night, I asked Evan about Colin. He said, "Colin's a friend." It made my heart melt. I think Evan deals well with kids like this because while Aidan is not as severe as Colin, Aidan isolates himself in many, many ways. (He's coming around, but it's been a lot of hard work!) I realized last night just how good Evan is for Aidan. And if Aidan had been an only child, it would have been more difficult for him.

and now the REST:

It went REALLY REALLY well. I am so proud of my boys. I am AMAZED at what 2 1/2 months has done for both of them, but especially Aidan. Aidan's sentences and vocabulary have EXPLODED. The little guy went from crying and grunting for things (juice, etc.) to asking for them now, "Mommy, I want juice please." It's just MIND blowing.

Both boys are signing. I guess I never worked hard enough at signing with them - but they both sign at least 20 things now (all learned from school).

They told me that Evan and Aidan NEVER play together. Evan is the social butterfly and Aidan is more reserved, but has many coping skills for handling the loud (explosive) noises that can happen with any disruptive child. So that's good to hear. Next year they will be in separate preschool classrooms, so this makes me feel a bit better.

Both boys know all the letters of the alphabet (upper case and lower case) and can spell their name. (They know the letters of their name, not that they are WRITING their name). They go in every morning and pick their name off a chart, for instance, and move it from being "Home" to being at "School." Miss Kim is very proud of them!

and if you made it through all that, then you should win an award!

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Fri, Mar 14, 2008 10:03 AM
7 Weeks:
Hands and feet are emerging from developing arms and legs — although they look more like paddles at this point than the tiny, pudgy extremities you're daydreaming about holding and tickling. Technically, your baby is still considered an embryo and has something of a small tail, which is an extension of her tailbone. The tail will disappear within a few weeks, but that's the only thing getting smaller. Your baby has doubled in size since last week and now measures half an inch long, about the size of a blueberry.

If you could see inside your womb, you'd spot eyelid folds partially covering her peepers, which already have some color, as well as the tip of her nose and tiny veins beneath parchment-thin skin. Both hemispheres of your baby's brain are growing, and her liver is churning out red blood cells until her bone marrow forms and takes over this role. She also has an appendix and a pancreas, which will eventually produce the hormone insulin to aid in digestion. A loop in your baby's growing intestines is bulging into her umbilical cord, which now has distinct blood vessels to carry oxygen and nutrients to and from her tiny body.

Your uterus has doubled in size in the past five weeks, and eating may feel like a chore — or worse — thanks to morning sickness, which by now may be in full swing. (If you're feeling fine, don't worry — you're lucky!)

You may need to pee more than usual, too, thanks to your increasing blood volume and the extra fluid being processed through your kidneys. (By now, you already have about 10 percent more blood than you did before you were pregnant. And by the end of your pregnancy, you'll have 40 to 45 percent more blood running through your veins to meet the demands of your full-term baby.) As your uterus grows, pressure on your bladder will send you to the bathroom as well.

About half of the women who feel nauseated during the first trimester will find complete relief by about 14 weeks. For most of the rest, it'll take another month or so for the queasiness to ease up. It's unlikely, though, that the need to pee more than usual will ease up. In fact, research shows that both the frequency and volume of urine tends to increase over the course of pregnancy.

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Wed, Mar 12, 2008 4:07 PM
Heather called with my E2 (Estrogen) and P4 (Progesterone) levels.

I am currently taking 6mg of Estrace (orally) per day and 2cc of PIO each night.

My levels:

E2 = 1565
P4 = 66

I was instructed to change my meds to the following:

Estrogen (Estrace) = 4mg orally each day

Progesterone = 1cc PIO each night and 3 Prometriums (200mg ea) orally each day

I still have enough oil to do 2cc each night until St. Patrick’s Day, so I will finish that up first, and then as of 3/17/08 I will swith to the new regime.

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Wed, Mar 12, 2008 10:07 AM
WE HAVE A HEARTBEAT!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank goodness! We had our 6w5d Ultrasound (first U/S) this morning and we saw 1 viable baby with a healthy heartbeat. Dr. Scheiber asked Slawek and I, “How many do you think there are?” Slawek said “3″ and I said “one!” Dr. Scheiber said, “Christine wins the prize, it’s 1 healthy baby.”

Stay with us little one! We can’t wait to see you again in 2 weeks.

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Tue, Mar 11, 2008 2:08 PM
FET yield lower betas, especially with MFI patients

I just found this HUGE study that talks about betas in natural pregnancies, fresh IVF pregnancies, fresh IVF with ICSI pregnancies and FET pregnancies.

I wish I would have found it when I got my first beta.

http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/19/suppl_1/I69.pdf

It basically shows how fresh IVF pregnancies have the same average betas as natural pregnancies, but FET have MUCH lower initial betas than fresh IVF pregnancies - and if you have male factor infertility (MFI) (like we do), you have even lower initial betas!

I wish I had seen this when I worried about my first beta. I wouldn’t have been so concerned!

"Conclusions: IVF and ICSI pregnancies have comparable early HCG values.
Cycles with replacement of frozen embryo’s seem to have lower HCG values.
If confirmed this should be accounted for in counselling these patients in
early pregnancy. The difference might find its cause either in a delayed
implantation of the thawed embryo’s or intrinsic factors in cryopreserved
embryo’s.

Some find relatively low early HCG values in male factor cases."

Even though Dr. Scheiber told me my initial # was good, I wish he would have warned me that my initial beta would be lower due to the Frozen Cycle and our MFI! He knows how I am! He knows I am a Type A personality and pretty well educated on IVF/FET (infertility stuff). He even asked me at our first consult if I was a Dr. (I had way too many questions, I guess). But, I feel better. (Notice I am trying to convince myself that my ultrasound, which is TOMORROW, will be ok?)

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Fri, Mar 7, 2008 10:05 AM
6 Weeks:
This week's major developments: The nose, mouth, and ears that you'll spend so much time kissing in eight months are beginning to take shape. If you could see into your uterus, you'd find an oversize head and dark spots where your baby's eyes and nostrils are starting to form. His emerging ears are marked by small depressions on the sides of the head, and his arms and legs by protruding buds. His heart is beating about 100 to 160 times a minute — almost twice as fast as yours — and blood is beginning to course through his body. His intestines are developing, and the bud of tissue that will give rise to his lungs has appeared. His pituitary gland is forming, as are the rest of his brain, muscles, and bones. Right now, your baby is a quarter of an inch long, about the size of a lentil bean.

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