I'm sorry guys, I really want to finish my birth story for you. There was so much crazy, and with 20-20 hindsight, too many regrets. I wrote some more of it down on paper, but when I get close to the actual events, the fetal fibronectin test, my hospital stay, the late decels, the low heart rates where we thought we were going to lose him, the semi-emergent cesarean, the 3 weeks in the NICU - it just gets to be too much.
Last week I went to the doctor, finally. After talking for a little while, she diagnosed my with PPD and PTSD. She gave me recommendations of therapists, but right now no one I've called is accepting new patients. I hope to come back and tell this story one day. I feel like I need to. But right now it just triggers too much anxiety. I hope you understand. I wish you all the best.
Teacher Bud.
Showing posts with label Teacher Bud. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Teacher Bud. Show all posts
March 21, 2012
February 26, 2012
Belated Birth Story, part 1
Howdy everyone! Long time no see. Sorry about that! As I said in my previous post way back in October, my November 11-11-11 baby decided that he wanted to be a September baby! Despite being 6w2d early, and 18 days in the NICU he is home and thriving! At almost 5 months he weighs about 14lbs! It won't be too long now before he triples his 5lb 4oz birth weight.
Here is the start of my birth story. It's long (I started having contractions 5 days before he was born!) and I think I'll probably also give a summary of his nearly 3 weeks in the NICU before he came home too. So this will be a multi-post story as my farewell. Congrats to all the recent BFPs, and I hope for more soon!
Everything started the day after my 27th birthday. On my birthday, everything seemed fine. I went to work, came home, Mr. Teacher Bud and I went out to dinner, came home, and did a Grey's Anatomy Marathon. I felt huge, but it was perfect.
The next day was homecoming for Mr. Teacher Bud's College Alma Mater, and his 5 year reunion. We were running late (of course!) so he dropped me off to pick up our tickets, and went to park the car. I had 2 FULL water bottles with me (the big stainless steel kind, not a 20oz.) I slowly walked (waddled) the 2 blocks to the stadium, where I met up with Mr. Teacher Bud and some friends. Because we were late, the only seats were waaaaay up at the top of the bleachers. It was a struggle getting up there, let me tell you! It was one of those days, that was sweltering when the sun was on you, but it was also windy, and when the sun went behind a cloud it was down right cold. Sitting on bleachers is also not great when you are 33 weeks pregnant - no back =ouch!
Close to half time, I started having contractions. I assumed they were just Braxton-Hicks, and were probably because A) it was hot, and B) I had to pee. So I climbed down the bleachers and went to the bathroom. I had several more contractions, and man! Those suckers HURT! I stayed in the bathroom for a while, and got to 5 contractions before they finally stopped. (When I had had BH contractions over the summer, my midwives said to call if I had 6 or more in an hour.)
I went back to the bleachers, and told Dan, and we agreed to try to take is easy the rest of the day, but we weren’t too worried. We’d used up our worry with the BH in July! Our group of friends decided to leave the game after the halftime show and go walk around campus. As we were walking to the first building they wanted to visit, I had a few more contractions, but, I was outside of the previous hour. I had 2-3 while we were walking, so when I got to the building, I parked myself in a chair. I had 2 more contractions before they stopped. Again, only 5 in an hour. We sat for a half an hour before continuing on. After about 20-30 minutes on my feet, the contractions started again. Same pattern, 2-3, sit down, 2 more, stop. We had one more stop to make, and again, the same thing. I could make it 20 min on my feet before they would start.
At this point, we decided I would just stay out of the heat, sit, and drink lots of water for the rest of the day. We went to his reunion, and I had a few more contractions, but only maybe 5 more over the next 6 hours or so, as I stayed seated the whole time.
We decided that this was just my body’s way of telling me I was over doing it, and so I would just take in easy from now on. I stayed on the couch for all of Sunday, but still planned to go to work on Monday. I’m a teacher, so I stand a lot at work. Luckily, my 1st hour was taking a test, so I could just sit, and my 2nd and 3rd hours had their final research day for their project, so I could mostly sit then too. I decided to change my afternoon plans a bit, and bring a movie incase I didn’t feel up to my original lesson plans.
Monday morning when I woke up, I felt like the baby had dropped. As I described it at the time – my boobs no longer rested on my stomach. I made an executive decision that my afternoon classes would DEFINITELY be watching that movie afterall, and debated calling my midwives. Throughout that morning I also had some tummy troubles. I was having repeated loose bowels, which I knew could be a sign that the body was clearing itself out for labor. That was the nail in the coffin – I was calling.
To be continued…
October 7, 2011
He's here!
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| First photo. |
He's still in the NICU, but he's doing well. His only real hurdle to coming own is being able to stay awake long enough to feed himself, and he is making improvement on that each day. More later.
September 6, 2011
Back....Sort of
The shower went great, as did my vacation. I came back to immediately jumping into the school year. I'll post more about all of that (and other things like my possible GD) later. Right now I just have to say that starting the school year? It's KICKING. MY. BUTT.
I'm a pro at this. This is my 3rd "get ready for the school year," first day thing. But OMG, I never anticipated how much harder it would be this time around. Hanging posters killed my back. I couldn't lift all the boxes to take back to my room. And that ladder I use to hang posters? Yeah, it looked a little scary.
Thankfully, I had Mr. Teacher Bud come an help me one day, and a friend another. However, stubborn me still insisted on climbing that ladder! And hanging that poster! And! And! And!... yeah. I paid for it later. There is a spot in my back that spasmed for days.
And then there was today - the 1st day of school. Whew! I am wiped. I mean, I know I always am after the first day. You generally don't have your butt hit the chair ever, because you have to circulate constantly to establish a presence. And you talk all time as you go over the syllabus, rules, etc. And the whole time you're trying to set the tone, so you have to be PEPPY! And PERKY! And ENERGETIC! Yeah, do that for 7 hours without rest and you're exhausted when you're not 30 weeks.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVED seeing my students after the summer, I love them and missed them, and they make me smile. But whew! Excuse me while I pour myself into the couch (with my feet up!) to try to recuperate for tomorrow.
I'll leave you with my 2 funniest pregnancy related student comments today.
I'm a pro at this. This is my 3rd "get ready for the school year," first day thing. But OMG, I never anticipated how much harder it would be this time around. Hanging posters killed my back. I couldn't lift all the boxes to take back to my room. And that ladder I use to hang posters? Yeah, it looked a little scary.
Thankfully, I had Mr. Teacher Bud come an help me one day, and a friend another. However, stubborn me still insisted on climbing that ladder! And hanging that poster! And! And! And!... yeah. I paid for it later. There is a spot in my back that spasmed for days.
And then there was today - the 1st day of school. Whew! I am wiped. I mean, I know I always am after the first day. You generally don't have your butt hit the chair ever, because you have to circulate constantly to establish a presence. And you talk all time as you go over the syllabus, rules, etc. And the whole time you're trying to set the tone, so you have to be PEPPY! And PERKY! And ENERGETIC! Yeah, do that for 7 hours without rest and you're exhausted when you're not 30 weeks.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVED seeing my students after the summer, I love them and missed them, and they make me smile. But whew! Excuse me while I pour myself into the couch (with my feet up!) to try to recuperate for tomorrow.
I'll leave you with my 2 funniest pregnancy related student comments today.
- From a student passing in the hall - "You're still pregnant???" Well let's do the math dear - I told you I was 3 months in May.... Yup. Still pregnant.
- From a student who I had for 2 class periods near the end of the second, upon hearing me mention the small child bouncing on my bladder to another student who was whining that they couldn't wait 5 whole minutes to use the bathroom. "Wait, you haven't had the baby yet??" First - seem my response to comment 1. Second - No, this is just a basket ball under my shirt. Welcome to paying attention!!
August 20, 2011
3rd tri, a little scare and shower today!
I can not believe I've made it to the 3rd Tri! It all seems to be going by so fast, particularly the summer (I'm not ready to go back to school!) We had an appt on Tuesday with one of our midwives. We've been rotating through them so that we meet them all. I don't know that I've talked on here about our birth center too much.
We're planning on having Baby Teacher Bud at a freestanding Birth Center. It is not attached or affiliated with any hospital. They have a very welcoming, friendly, relaxed atmosphere. They have 2 birthing rooms with birthing tubs, and 1 room they can convert to a birthing room if they need to. When we went for our tour, they also had a mom there to talk to us who had given birth there 3 times and she just couldn't say enough good things about them. They have 4 midwives, 3 of whom are certified nurse midwives. They always have 2 on call, so you always have at least one CNM at a birth. The appointments are awesome. You sit and chat, and they give you a full hour of undivided attention! It's very relaxing and friendly.
The midwife we've met with the most has been helping moms give birth for longer than I've been alive, and I just love her! We've been rotating through, and so far we've met with all of them but one, and not a bad vibe from the bunch! This is such a relief, because I had a huge problem with a pushy OB at my old practice before I switched to the birth center. I liked everyone else, but the thought that she could be the one on call when the time came made it clear I could not continue there.
At my 27 week appointment, my blood pressure was a low 92 over 50. Low even for me! At the time, little TB was head down, but he's still wiggling all over, so I don't think he's still there. He was kicking a lot while she was measuring my stomach and listening to the heartbeat. She called him feisty! We'll see if we have a feisty one on our hands. My uterus was measuring 29cm - which is a bit big for the 27w4d that I was. We'll see, I hope this is not a precursor to a 10lb baby! I start having my appointments every 2 weeks now, I can't believe we are getting so close!!
We had a little bit of a scare the last few days. I went to my rhumatologist for my usual manipulation, and they discovered that my right calf was more swollen than my left, and was tender. They were "mildly concerned" that it could be a blood clot. (i.e. I hear blood clot and proceed to freak out - I may be a bit of an overreacter.) I had to go to the hospital to get an ultrasound of my leg. I packed a hasty hospital bag just in case (treatment involved being admitted to the hospital) and also in the hopes that murphy's law would work. You know, like how if you bring an umbrella it won't rain. Apparently it worked, no blood clot for me! Whew!
After that we went to our hometown to meet with a friend of my father-in-laws to talk life insurance. We certainly have a lot to think about with that! We're also working on a will. One of my childhood friends' father is a lawyer, and he agreed to draft it for us.
Today will be my first shower! I'm very excited for it, and again, can't believe that we're already here. It makes everything seem so close! Though I am ready to really start getting his room ready, so I'm glad that we're having one a little on the early side. We wanted to do it before I went back to school. It's going to be a bit of a whirlwind though. We're leaving tomorrow for a week long vacation to the Niagara area with Mr. Teacher Bud's entire extended family. Then we get back, and I need to set up my classroom before students come back the following week. Whew! It's going to be a busy few weeks around here!
We're planning on having Baby Teacher Bud at a freestanding Birth Center. It is not attached or affiliated with any hospital. They have a very welcoming, friendly, relaxed atmosphere. They have 2 birthing rooms with birthing tubs, and 1 room they can convert to a birthing room if they need to. When we went for our tour, they also had a mom there to talk to us who had given birth there 3 times and she just couldn't say enough good things about them. They have 4 midwives, 3 of whom are certified nurse midwives. They always have 2 on call, so you always have at least one CNM at a birth. The appointments are awesome. You sit and chat, and they give you a full hour of undivided attention! It's very relaxing and friendly.
The midwife we've met with the most has been helping moms give birth for longer than I've been alive, and I just love her! We've been rotating through, and so far we've met with all of them but one, and not a bad vibe from the bunch! This is such a relief, because I had a huge problem with a pushy OB at my old practice before I switched to the birth center. I liked everyone else, but the thought that she could be the one on call when the time came made it clear I could not continue there.
At my 27 week appointment, my blood pressure was a low 92 over 50. Low even for me! At the time, little TB was head down, but he's still wiggling all over, so I don't think he's still there. He was kicking a lot while she was measuring my stomach and listening to the heartbeat. She called him feisty! We'll see if we have a feisty one on our hands. My uterus was measuring 29cm - which is a bit big for the 27w4d that I was. We'll see, I hope this is not a precursor to a 10lb baby! I start having my appointments every 2 weeks now, I can't believe we are getting so close!!
We had a little bit of a scare the last few days. I went to my rhumatologist for my usual manipulation, and they discovered that my right calf was more swollen than my left, and was tender. They were "mildly concerned" that it could be a blood clot. (i.e. I hear blood clot and proceed to freak out - I may be a bit of an overreacter.) I had to go to the hospital to get an ultrasound of my leg. I packed a hasty hospital bag just in case (treatment involved being admitted to the hospital) and also in the hopes that murphy's law would work. You know, like how if you bring an umbrella it won't rain. Apparently it worked, no blood clot for me! Whew!
After that we went to our hometown to meet with a friend of my father-in-laws to talk life insurance. We certainly have a lot to think about with that! We're also working on a will. One of my childhood friends' father is a lawyer, and he agreed to draft it for us.
Today will be my first shower! I'm very excited for it, and again, can't believe that we're already here. It makes everything seem so close! Though I am ready to really start getting his room ready, so I'm glad that we're having one a little on the early side. We wanted to do it before I went back to school. It's going to be a bit of a whirlwind though. We're leaving tomorrow for a week long vacation to the Niagara area with Mr. Teacher Bud's entire extended family. Then we get back, and I need to set up my classroom before students come back the following week. Whew! It's going to be a busy few weeks around here!
August 4, 2011
25 weeks - 99 days to go
Summer School is over!!!!!!!!!!!! I only had 2 full weeks with out school activities before it started, so I haven't really felt like I've had much of a summer break yet. I only have 3 full weeks off before school starts, and I'll be on vacation for one of those, so I have to squeeze in a lot before then! I ended up enjoying summer school. The kids are not the same ones we have during the year, but even in only 4 weeks, they really grew on me, and I think I grew on them. Many of them asked about Baby TB, were excited (as excited as high schoolers get - excitement is generally not "cool") to hear that Baby TB is a boy. They were not happy with our decision not to tell people the name (that we haven't chosen yet) until after he is born. I told them they'd just have to come back and visit if they wanted to find out. I hope they do anyway.
Today, we officially hit double digits - 99 days until my due date of 11/11/11. I can't believe we've come so far. It seems like we still have so much left to do. I haven't even looked at pediatricians yet, we haven't picked a car seat or stroller, so much to do - so little time. I know we'll get it all done, it just seems daunting right now.
25 week update
Belly Measurement/Weight: Up 3 lbs at my last appt! Finally!
Physical Progress: Getting rounder, and rounder.
How I am feeling about my body: Pretty good. I'm sore sometimes, but it amazes me how much my body can do. It does feel some times like the skin on my belly is going to split open, but I just lather on more tummy butter, and hope for the best. I am hotter than I feel like I've ever been. The end of July was really hot, heat indexes above 100 multiple days. The weather people keep comparing this to the summer of 1995 - which I have clear memories of as the summer that my family got air conditioning, and I got heat exhaustion. When it is so hot and humid, I just can't be outside long, I am miserable.
Energy Level: Better now that I can sleep in and take naps!
Baby Movement: He's a wiggle worm! Mr. TB has now felt him move several times. Last night he was talking to Baby TB, and I felt the baby start to move in response, so I lay down so that he could really feel. Baby TB was kicking up a storm! Mr. TB gave me this surprised look and said "Is that him?? That's not your stomach muscles or something?"I assured him that was the baby he was feeling, and he marveled at how much stronger the kicks have gotten just in the last week.
Today, we officially hit double digits - 99 days until my due date of 11/11/11. I can't believe we've come so far. It seems like we still have so much left to do. I haven't even looked at pediatricians yet, we haven't picked a car seat or stroller, so much to do - so little time. I know we'll get it all done, it just seems daunting right now.
25 week update
Belly Measurement/Weight: Up 3 lbs at my last appt! Finally!
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| 25w4d |
Physical Progress: Getting rounder, and rounder.
How I am feeling about my body: Pretty good. I'm sore sometimes, but it amazes me how much my body can do. It does feel some times like the skin on my belly is going to split open, but I just lather on more tummy butter, and hope for the best. I am hotter than I feel like I've ever been. The end of July was really hot, heat indexes above 100 multiple days. The weather people keep comparing this to the summer of 1995 - which I have clear memories of as the summer that my family got air conditioning, and I got heat exhaustion. When it is so hot and humid, I just can't be outside long, I am miserable.
Energy Level: Better now that I can sleep in and take naps!
Baby Movement: He's a wiggle worm! Mr. TB has now felt him move several times. Last night he was talking to Baby TB, and I felt the baby start to move in response, so I lay down so that he could really feel. Baby TB was kicking up a storm! Mr. TB gave me this surprised look and said "Is that him?? That's not your stomach muscles or something?"I assured him that was the baby he was feeling, and he marveled at how much stronger the kicks have gotten just in the last week.
July 19, 2011
Small progress
23 weeks. I can't believe it's late July already. I'm already halfway through summer school, and my first shower (the big one) is a month from tomorrow! We've started registering, but we still have so much to do. We haven't picked a stroller or car seat yet - kind of big deal items! We did get our crib and changing table/dresser this weekend, and Mr. Teacher Bud repaired the dresser on Sunday (it was used), and set the crib up last night. He has been steamrolling ahead the last few days. Which is good, because I am hot, and dead tired.
The heat here has been crazy. Weather.com says that we haven't seen such sustained hot humidity since 1995. I remember that summer - it was my first summer away at overnight camp and I got heat exhaustion. Thank goodness my townhouse and classroom both have air conditioning! I am someone who is usually cold, so I do not tolerate heat well.
23 week update!
Belly Measurement/Weight: I think I'm up a lb or 2!
Physical Progress: My boobs are getting bigger. I have a maternity shirt that no longer fits. I'm hoping I can put off new bras (for the 2nd time!) awhile longer. They are expensive!
How I am feeling about my body: Alright. My hips are killing me, but I think that's pretty par for the course.
Energy Level: Tired. The heat and the getting up early are draining me.
Baby Movement:More wiggles, but still nothing from the outside.
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| from http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4358809 |
23 week update!
Belly Measurement/Weight: I think I'm up a lb or 2!
Physical Progress: My boobs are getting bigger. I have a maternity shirt that no longer fits. I'm hoping I can put off new bras (for the 2nd time!) awhile longer. They are expensive!
How I am feeling about my body: Alright. My hips are killing me, but I think that's pretty par for the course.
Energy Level: Tired. The heat and the getting up early are draining me.
Baby Movement:More wiggles, but still nothing from the outside.
July 6, 2011
(21 week check in) It's a ...
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| credit: http://a-wings-tale.blogspot.com/2011/06/its-boy.html |
We've ordered our crib which should come in the next few weeks, and we're buying a dresser off of a friend for next to nothing. I've also been buying cloth diapers on daily deal sites like crazy. Some of Mr. Teacher Bud's co-workers have a 3 month old that they have been cloth diapering, so we are going to have dinner and talk to them about it as well.
Summer school started today, so the past week has just been a blur of lesson planning. and I'm sure the next few will be as well. I'm sorry that I've been a little lax about updating. I'll try to be better.
21 week update!
Belly Measurement/Weight: Still the same at my last appt. 1lb below my pre-pregnancy weight. My midwife told me to eat more, and specifically to eat more protein. I'm trying.
Physical Progress: At 21 weeks, my uterus was measuring 23 weeks. But duing the anatomy scan, the baby was right on track, so I'm not concerned. Mr. Teacher Bud and I were both pretty little (of course he was a premie!) so hopefully Baby TB will be around 6lbs too.
How I am feeling about my body: Today the way I feel can pretty much be summed up as "oh come on!" My stretch marks just keep growing, I had to get up twice in the middle of the night to pee, and when I went to put on dress shoes today - none of them fit anymore. It doesn't help that I think we are going to get rain, so my JRA is acting up and making my joints all swollen and achey. Ce La vie.
Energy Level: We'll see! Today is the first day of summer school and so far so good. I'll check in again after I've done a week of this!
Baby Movement: Oh my goodness he's a little wiggle worm! I feel him all the time now which is awesome! Little rolls, flutters, and lots of kicks. I wish Mr. Teacher Bud could feel him. I can't wait for that.
June 19, 2011
Holy Crap 19 weeks!
First things first - I'm done with school for a few weeks! Yay! I'll be teaching summer school in July, which part of me thinks I'm crazy for, but until then, I have time for baby things (oh yeah, and planning a new class!)
Starting in mid-May, Mr. Teacher Bud was working like crazy (we're talking 95 hrs in one week at it's worst) and since then has been out of town for work a lot. So I've been itching to get going on daycares, registering, etc. but we haven't done much yet, because obviously I want his input. He's almost done with his last trip, and then we will be diving in head first. My goal is to have a daycare selected, a registry most of the way complete, and furniture ordered by the time I start summer school on July 6th. Wow, now that I write that out it seems like a lot! *Gulp*
We have looked at 2 daycares, already, and I have a list of other ones to look at, so that is a step in the right direction. We also want to cloth diaper, and I have a small but growing diaper stash. We have so far 2 newborn fitteds, 3 small covers, 2 adjustable size pockets, and 3 newborn pockets. I know we need a lot more, so we need to get on that too! So far, I've just been buying CDs when they show up on babysteals or zulily. I also found the 3 covers at a garage sale! I was surprised, but so happy to get them for only $2 each! I've also been uying some clothes at garage sales too. Here's a picture of my haul one day - only $12 for all of it!
I'm still buying mostly gender neutral stuff, because we don't know the gender yet. But we have scheduled our ultrasound! Our ultrasound is at 8am a week from tomorrow! I am so impatient and can't wait!
Belly Measurement/Weight: Still not really up to pre-pregnancy weight. It has me a little worried, but I'm trying to think it's just my thyroid medicine doing it's job. My belly is definitely getting bigger! I had my 1st stranger ask when I was due this past week. At my appointment they said that my uterus is now up to my belly button.
Physical Progress: We're up to Mango! It's pretty strange though, I bought a doppler from a woman on a pregnancy message board that I frequent, and baby is always, always on my right side. It seems strange.
How I am feeling about my body: I am mostly done puking!!!! I hardly ever vomit anymore, smells still get to me, but I'm off the zofran, and doing soooo much better. I'm using a pregnancy pillow most of the time, and do have some lower back pain.
Cravings/Aversions: Tomatoes - I love them, but I just cannot eat raw tomatoes. It's sad.
Energy Level: The same. My mom walked me all over the earth yesterday running errand, and I was so exhausted afterwards that I almost went to sleep at 8:30!
Baby Movement: I think so. Not from the outside yet though.
Starting in mid-May, Mr. Teacher Bud was working like crazy (we're talking 95 hrs in one week at it's worst) and since then has been out of town for work a lot. So I've been itching to get going on daycares, registering, etc. but we haven't done much yet, because obviously I want his input. He's almost done with his last trip, and then we will be diving in head first. My goal is to have a daycare selected, a registry most of the way complete, and furniture ordered by the time I start summer school on July 6th. Wow, now that I write that out it seems like a lot! *Gulp*
We have looked at 2 daycares, already, and I have a list of other ones to look at, so that is a step in the right direction. We also want to cloth diaper, and I have a small but growing diaper stash. We have so far 2 newborn fitteds, 3 small covers, 2 adjustable size pockets, and 3 newborn pockets. I know we need a lot more, so we need to get on that too! So far, I've just been buying CDs when they show up on babysteals or zulily. I also found the 3 covers at a garage sale! I was surprised, but so happy to get them for only $2 each! I've also been uying some clothes at garage sales too. Here's a picture of my haul one day - only $12 for all of it!
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| credit: me |
Belly Measurement/Weight: Still not really up to pre-pregnancy weight. It has me a little worried, but I'm trying to think it's just my thyroid medicine doing it's job. My belly is definitely getting bigger! I had my 1st stranger ask when I was due this past week. At my appointment they said that my uterus is now up to my belly button.
Physical Progress: We're up to Mango! It's pretty strange though, I bought a doppler from a woman on a pregnancy message board that I frequent, and baby is always, always on my right side. It seems strange.
How I am feeling about my body: I am mostly done puking!!!! I hardly ever vomit anymore, smells still get to me, but I'm off the zofran, and doing soooo much better. I'm using a pregnancy pillow most of the time, and do have some lower back pain.
Cravings/Aversions: Tomatoes - I love them, but I just cannot eat raw tomatoes. It's sad.
Energy Level: The same. My mom walked me all over the earth yesterday running errand, and I was so exhausted afterwards that I almost went to sleep at 8:30!
Baby Movement: I think so. Not from the outside yet though.
May 23, 2011
15 weeks: A light at the end of the tunnel
Silly Blogger. Sorry I haven't posted in so long, every time I tried to log in, it would tell me there was an error, and after a while, I stopped trying. I can't believe I'm at 15 weeks! Even more unbelievable, after today, I only have 8 more days of school.
After school is out, I'll have about a month off, in which I need to do tons of things to start getting ready for baby, as well as many teaching related things. I need to start looking at registering, and all of the baby furniture/items we want. Start thinking about names, looking at daycares. The list is a bit overwhelming. In addition to that, there is the school stuff - I have a 3 day training on drug awareness and prevention, and I have to prep a completely new class to teach in summer school this July. June is just going to fly by! In July I'll be teaching summer school. Then comes August with more baby stuff, the 1st baby shower, a family trip to Niagara Falls, and possibly a trip up north with friends. Oh, and of course prepping for the fall and my long term sub. Whew!
I've been looking for a check in list to use for myself, and for my posts. I want to get better about keeping track of this pregnancy. I finally found one I like on Buttercup Bud's posts. I hope you don't mind me stealing it Butter Cup!
Belly Measurement/Weight: At my last appointment last Wednesday, I was still barely back up to my prepregnancy weight. I think this is because I was overweight before, and the hyperemesis gravidarum. Also, it wasn't until after we found out I was pregnant that I started the medicine for my thyroid, which could also be keeping the weight gain off, and keeping me at a healthier weight.
Physical Progress: Baby is now the size of an orange according to the bump. Everyone keeps saying that is so big! Also, I'm in maternity clothes pretty much all the time. I was lucky enough to get a tub of them from another teacher who had her last baby almost 2 years ago. I'm so glad I don't have to buy all new clothes, just select pieces.
How I am feeling about my body:Pretty good. I like that I'm showing, though it does get a little uncomfortable. I do have one stretch mark. Of course I'd rather I didn't have it, but oh well. I wish that I could stop throwing up, that is the one thing I can't wait to be done with. Whoever said m/s stopped at 12 weeks lied. It has gotten better though. I generally only vomit once a day after dinner. Once or twice a week I get away without even that. I'm hoping that it's better enough soon that I can get off the Zofran (because yes, that is still on the Zofran.)
Cravings/Aversions: No real craving - but I have an aversion to many, many things. Food in general most of the time.
Energy Level: It's getting better. I'm not as dead tired, and I don't even need a nap most days anymore!
Baby Movement: None yet that I'm sure of- I'm hoping I'll feel some for sure soon.
Thoughts/Feelings/Emotions: Just happy. ^_^
After school is out, I'll have about a month off, in which I need to do tons of things to start getting ready for baby, as well as many teaching related things. I need to start looking at registering, and all of the baby furniture/items we want. Start thinking about names, looking at daycares. The list is a bit overwhelming. In addition to that, there is the school stuff - I have a 3 day training on drug awareness and prevention, and I have to prep a completely new class to teach in summer school this July. June is just going to fly by! In July I'll be teaching summer school. Then comes August with more baby stuff, the 1st baby shower, a family trip to Niagara Falls, and possibly a trip up north with friends. Oh, and of course prepping for the fall and my long term sub. Whew!
I've been looking for a check in list to use for myself, and for my posts. I want to get better about keeping track of this pregnancy. I finally found one I like on Buttercup Bud's posts. I hope you don't mind me stealing it Butter Cup!
Belly Measurement/Weight: At my last appointment last Wednesday, I was still barely back up to my prepregnancy weight. I think this is because I was overweight before, and the hyperemesis gravidarum. Also, it wasn't until after we found out I was pregnant that I started the medicine for my thyroid, which could also be keeping the weight gain off, and keeping me at a healthier weight.
Physical Progress: Baby is now the size of an orange according to the bump. Everyone keeps saying that is so big! Also, I'm in maternity clothes pretty much all the time. I was lucky enough to get a tub of them from another teacher who had her last baby almost 2 years ago. I'm so glad I don't have to buy all new clothes, just select pieces.
How I am feeling about my body:Pretty good. I like that I'm showing, though it does get a little uncomfortable. I do have one stretch mark. Of course I'd rather I didn't have it, but oh well. I wish that I could stop throwing up, that is the one thing I can't wait to be done with. Whoever said m/s stopped at 12 weeks lied. It has gotten better though. I generally only vomit once a day after dinner. Once or twice a week I get away without even that. I'm hoping that it's better enough soon that I can get off the Zofran (because yes, that is still on the Zofran.)
Cravings/Aversions: No real craving - but I have an aversion to many, many things. Food in general most of the time.
Energy Level: It's getting better. I'm not as dead tired, and I don't even need a nap most days anymore!
Baby Movement: None yet that I'm sure of- I'm hoping I'll feel some for sure soon.
Thoughts/Feelings/Emotions: Just happy. ^_^
May 1, 2011
12 weeks - NT Scan
Whew! On Friday we reached the 12 week mark and had our NT Scan! It was so great to see baby TB again, and get the reassurance that everything is alright in there.
I cried again, of course. I had been panicking the week before that we would get the the NT scan and there would be no heartbeat, but everything was good! Little TB had a heartbeat of 167 beats per minute. When we first started the ultrasound, the baby was wiggling around. Then the tech had me go empty my bladder, and when we came back, baby TB had rolled over and fallen asleep. At one point he/she even had the hiccups! It was so cute.
We were so happy all day, and sharing the pictures with everyone. We haven't come out on facebook, but we have told our family and friends, and I'll be telling my students this week. Eep! I'm not looking forward to telling my students. It just seems very awkward to me. They all know where babies come from, and I do not want my teenage boy students imagining anything. Yuck! I'm sure it will be fine, but I'm just nervous about the whole thing.
On a less squicky note, our first appointment at the birth center is scheduled for Tuesday! I'm so excited to start seeing them, and another of the many great things about them, is they have evening appointments, so I don't have to take off of work! Yay!
As for a 12 week update, I do feel like I might be starting to show. Even the elastic pants I bought a few weeks ago are starting to feel tight, as are my bras. It may be time to start shopping soon. It's strange to think about, especially in light of the fact that I am still not back up to my pre-pregnancy weight since the hyperemesis gravidarum. I'm still taking anti-nausea drugs most of the time, and I'm still throwing up about 3 times a day, but I think it is starting to get better. When I do vomit, it's not as much, mostly fluids, and I am eating real meals again most of the time. I can only hope that this will vanish soon and I can experience the supposed awesomeness of the 2nd tri without puking.
That's it for now, hope everyone is having a great weekend!
We were so happy all day, and sharing the pictures with everyone. We haven't come out on facebook, but we have told our family and friends, and I'll be telling my students this week. Eep! I'm not looking forward to telling my students. It just seems very awkward to me. They all know where babies come from, and I do not want my teenage boy students imagining anything. Yuck! I'm sure it will be fine, but I'm just nervous about the whole thing.
On a less squicky note, our first appointment at the birth center is scheduled for Tuesday! I'm so excited to start seeing them, and another of the many great things about them, is they have evening appointments, so I don't have to take off of work! Yay!
As for a 12 week update, I do feel like I might be starting to show. Even the elastic pants I bought a few weeks ago are starting to feel tight, as are my bras. It may be time to start shopping soon. It's strange to think about, especially in light of the fact that I am still not back up to my pre-pregnancy weight since the hyperemesis gravidarum. I'm still taking anti-nausea drugs most of the time, and I'm still throwing up about 3 times a day, but I think it is starting to get better. When I do vomit, it's not as much, mostly fluids, and I am eating real meals again most of the time. I can only hope that this will vanish soon and I can experience the supposed awesomeness of the 2nd tri without puking.
That's it for now, hope everyone is having a great weekend!
April 20, 2011
Confession time: I'm still angry
I don't know why, but this whole pregnancy I have been watching my "baby is the size of what fruit" ticker like a hawk, just waiting to get to lime.
For some reason, I have always watched other people's tickers get to lime and it has seemed unreal. This safe haven of fruit size.
I think anytime you have trouble trying to conceive, you start to expect things to go wrong. I have had no spotting this entire time *knock on wood*, yet I still have been both terrified and sure something would go wrong. Even knowing the odds, hearing the heartbeat and knowing the risk is only 4%, I still expected it to be me. And why not? Month after month we had perfect timing, odds are it should have worked. But it didn't. It took 2 cycles of femara to get here, which is far less than a lot of women I know. Which I think is also part of the problem. When it takes a while, you start seeking out others having trouble, blogs, message boards, you find each other for support, but you also see all that can go wrong, and you think, "if it can happen to them, it can happen to me."
I've heard a lot of women say, and I fully agree that T-TTC takes the innocence away from TTC and pregnancy. You're never just happy, you're also cautious and terrified. We learn to be that way when TTC, when every month we say "maybe it will work, but probably not." And you hold you breath every day of the 2ww waiting for a temp drop, or a BFN, or that first spot.
I always thought that reaching lime would be this magic bullet. This time when I could stop being afraid, and angry about how this has all gone down. But I'm not. A friend whose wife is 23 weeks was joking yesterday about how when they conceived their baby, they sent their other kids to the grandparents for the weekend and announced to the world that they were going to make a baby that weekend. And guess what, they did. You'd think I wouldn't care anymore. That I would have stopped being jealous of him and everyone else who just decides to have a baby, and then does just like that. But I'm not, I'm still angry.
I am pregnant, and I am happy, and I love this baby, but I still don't quite believe that it will all end well. And I'm still jealous of those for whom becoming parents comes easy. I don't want to be. I hate being this bitter. I want to be happy for my friend even when he makes stupid insensitive comments. I thought I would be "over this" by now, but I'm not. I just wish I knew how to let it go and just be happy.
I think anytime you have trouble trying to conceive, you start to expect things to go wrong. I have had no spotting this entire time *knock on wood*, yet I still have been both terrified and sure something would go wrong. Even knowing the odds, hearing the heartbeat and knowing the risk is only 4%, I still expected it to be me. And why not? Month after month we had perfect timing, odds are it should have worked. But it didn't. It took 2 cycles of femara to get here, which is far less than a lot of women I know. Which I think is also part of the problem. When it takes a while, you start seeking out others having trouble, blogs, message boards, you find each other for support, but you also see all that can go wrong, and you think, "if it can happen to them, it can happen to me."
I've heard a lot of women say, and I fully agree that T-TTC takes the innocence away from TTC and pregnancy. You're never just happy, you're also cautious and terrified. We learn to be that way when TTC, when every month we say "maybe it will work, but probably not." And you hold you breath every day of the 2ww waiting for a temp drop, or a BFN, or that first spot.
I always thought that reaching lime would be this magic bullet. This time when I could stop being afraid, and angry about how this has all gone down. But I'm not. A friend whose wife is 23 weeks was joking yesterday about how when they conceived their baby, they sent their other kids to the grandparents for the weekend and announced to the world that they were going to make a baby that weekend. And guess what, they did. You'd think I wouldn't care anymore. That I would have stopped being jealous of him and everyone else who just decides to have a baby, and then does just like that. But I'm not, I'm still angry.
I am pregnant, and I am happy, and I love this baby, but I still don't quite believe that it will all end well. And I'm still jealous of those for whom becoming parents comes easy. I don't want to be. I hate being this bitter. I want to be happy for my friend even when he makes stupid insensitive comments. I thought I would be "over this" by now, but I'm not. I just wish I knew how to let it go and just be happy.
April 9, 2011
MIA - 9 weeks
I know, I know, I’ve been MIA. But I have good excuses, really. Five+ Doctor appointments, end of the quarter at school, and a trip to the ER have meant not a lot of time for blogging. (And I’ll get there, but yes, everything is fine.)
Since I last posted, we had our ultrasound and were able to find Baby Teacher Bud’s heartbeat. I was so relieved, and yes, I cried. That weekend we went down to where our parents live (about an hour away), and told all 3 sets. The reactions were about how we expected. Everyone was shocked, but excited.
Since then, life has been a whirlwind. I’ve had bad “morning” sickness. Which is really “all day, worst in the evenings, can’t keep anything down” sickness. I haven’t wanted to spend a whole lot of time on the computer, opting instead for the couch.
The few times I was on my computer, I’ve been actually working. As I mentioned earlier, our quarter ended at school last week. This meant a flood of missing work for me to grade, having to post grades and comments to report cards, and making my classroom presentable for parent teacher conferences.
There was some fun in there as well. I used one of our days without students to announce to the teachers at my school. I know it’s still early, but our school is so small (about 10 teachers) that we are a really, really close bunch. Honestly, with most of us meeting this year, it’s been like magic, we just clicked and I consider all of them really good friends, not just coworkers. Everyone knew about our struggles to conceive, and had been very supportive. With all the time off I had to take for appointments, I was very lucky to have their support. Everyone was really excited, and they even bought a “welcome baby” cake, and a stuffed duck that has been keeping me company on the couch.
After parent/teacher conferences, I was at week 8, and that was when the morning sickness became really bad. We’re talking, lay on the couch, send Mr. Teacher Bud out for popsicles and slimfast because they are all I can keep down, and still throw up 5-6 times a day bad. I really wanted to avoid drug though. I can’t even really explain why, but through a week of that (thank goodness for spring break,) I was sure, that if I just rested, and ate my popsicles and slimfast, I could make it through. I tried B6 after my rheumatologist threatened me with IV fluids, but even that only helped so much. It got to the point where I was throwing up so much that my stomach and back muscles ached constantly. Eating just made that pain worse.
Finally, last night, the pain was so bad, that I was afraid to try to eat anything. At the same time, I stopped being able to keep down my meager, liquid diet. I broke down and called the on-call doc at my OB’s office, but all they would tell me was to go to the ER. So that’s where I was until 5am this morning.
They gave me 2 bags of IV fluids, and 2 rounds of IV zofran, but I was so dehydrated that even with that I still felt sick. They gave me benedryl and raglan which finally gave me enough relief to be able to sleep and keep down fluids. So now, I am home, and Mr. TB is on his wa back from the pharmacy with a prescription for Zofran. I’ll call my OB on Monday, but for now, I’ll take the drugs.
I’m at 9 weeks right now, so hopefully it won’t be too long before we can enter the 2nd tri, and put all of this behind us. Unfortunately, I’m not so sure. One of the benefits of telling our parents is that I can ask my mom all sorts of questions about her pregnancy. Unfortunately, it was not all good news – she dealt with morning sickness for the first 5 months! Oh please let that not be me…
Until next time,
Teacher Bud
EDIT: I feel like I was whining, which may have also been part of why I hadn't posted. I am thrilled to be pregnant, m/s an all. I know how hard it can be to want so much to be pregnant, and to see other people complain about the symptoms you would give anything for, and I never wanted to be that whining person. My thoughts go out to all of the buds still trying. I know there's no good thing to say, but there it is.
Since I last posted, we had our ultrasound and were able to find Baby Teacher Bud’s heartbeat. I was so relieved, and yes, I cried. That weekend we went down to where our parents live (about an hour away), and told all 3 sets. The reactions were about how we expected. Everyone was shocked, but excited.
Since then, life has been a whirlwind. I’ve had bad “morning” sickness. Which is really “all day, worst in the evenings, can’t keep anything down” sickness. I haven’t wanted to spend a whole lot of time on the computer, opting instead for the couch.
The few times I was on my computer, I’ve been actually working. As I mentioned earlier, our quarter ended at school last week. This meant a flood of missing work for me to grade, having to post grades and comments to report cards, and making my classroom presentable for parent teacher conferences.
There was some fun in there as well. I used one of our days without students to announce to the teachers at my school. I know it’s still early, but our school is so small (about 10 teachers) that we are a really, really close bunch. Honestly, with most of us meeting this year, it’s been like magic, we just clicked and I consider all of them really good friends, not just coworkers. Everyone knew about our struggles to conceive, and had been very supportive. With all the time off I had to take for appointments, I was very lucky to have their support. Everyone was really excited, and they even bought a “welcome baby” cake, and a stuffed duck that has been keeping me company on the couch.
After parent/teacher conferences, I was at week 8, and that was when the morning sickness became really bad. We’re talking, lay on the couch, send Mr. Teacher Bud out for popsicles and slimfast because they are all I can keep down, and still throw up 5-6 times a day bad. I really wanted to avoid drug though. I can’t even really explain why, but through a week of that (thank goodness for spring break,) I was sure, that if I just rested, and ate my popsicles and slimfast, I could make it through. I tried B6 after my rheumatologist threatened me with IV fluids, but even that only helped so much. It got to the point where I was throwing up so much that my stomach and back muscles ached constantly. Eating just made that pain worse.
Finally, last night, the pain was so bad, that I was afraid to try to eat anything. At the same time, I stopped being able to keep down my meager, liquid diet. I broke down and called the on-call doc at my OB’s office, but all they would tell me was to go to the ER. So that’s where I was until 5am this morning.
They gave me 2 bags of IV fluids, and 2 rounds of IV zofran, but I was so dehydrated that even with that I still felt sick. They gave me benedryl and raglan which finally gave me enough relief to be able to sleep and keep down fluids. So now, I am home, and Mr. TB is on his wa back from the pharmacy with a prescription for Zofran. I’ll call my OB on Monday, but for now, I’ll take the drugs.
I’m at 9 weeks right now, so hopefully it won’t be too long before we can enter the 2nd tri, and put all of this behind us. Unfortunately, I’m not so sure. One of the benefits of telling our parents is that I can ask my mom all sorts of questions about her pregnancy. Unfortunately, it was not all good news – she dealt with morning sickness for the first 5 months! Oh please let that not be me…
Until next time,
Teacher Bud
EDIT: I feel like I was whining, which may have also been part of why I hadn't posted. I am thrilled to be pregnant, m/s an all. I know how hard it can be to want so much to be pregnant, and to see other people complain about the symptoms you would give anything for, and I never wanted to be that whining person. My thoughts go out to all of the buds still trying. I know there's no good thing to say, but there it is.
March 15, 2011
Beta's in!
It's been quite a week since my BFP. For one thing, I had blood drawn 5 times in 2 weeks (4 in 1 week!) (And we all know how much I love needles!) I work 45 minutes away from where I live, and therefore from where all my doctors and labs are. This caused some problems last week, when I had to get blood drawn 3 times, and have an appointment. I felt like I was never at school! It threw off my whole week, and I ended up having a bit of a meltdown on Thursday. The kids and the hormones were making me crazy, and I had to have a little cry fest before I went back.
In other news, I have my betas, and they're looking good!
I was a little worried, because they were low, and slow to double at first, but they've sped up, so that's good. I have my 1st ultrasound next Thursday at 6w6d, so we'll see if we see a heat beat. If we do, we are planning on telling our parents and siblings that weekend. We're still going back and forth on whether or not to tell anyone else yet. (You know, other than the 6 I've already told - but they all knew about our troubles trying to conceive.)
Wish us luck at the ultrasound. Hopefully I won't go crazy before then, and will get good news.
In other news, I have my betas, and they're looking good!
| DPO | Beta | Doubling time from previous test |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | 108 | (none) |
| 17 | 179 | 65.85 hrs |
| 18 | 259 | 45.03 hrs |
| 20 | 659 | 35.63 hrs |
I was a little worried, because they were low, and slow to double at first, but they've sped up, so that's good. I have my 1st ultrasound next Thursday at 6w6d, so we'll see if we see a heat beat. If we do, we are planning on telling our parents and siblings that weekend. We're still going back and forth on whether or not to tell anyone else yet. (You know, other than the 6 I've already told - but they all knew about our troubles trying to conceive.)
Wish us luck at the ultrasound. Hopefully I won't go crazy before then, and will get good news.
March 7, 2011
Sooooo, that pity party might have been a bit premature.
My day just got worse after I posted on Thursday– meltdowns left and right. I was wishing I had tested so that the temp drop wouldn’t have been such a shock. I decided I would test in the morning, get a BFN, and that would be that.
Instead, in the morning my temp was up. I tried not to get my hopes up as I tested with an Internet cheapie. As the dye was still moving, I saw a line.
I ran into the bedroom and yelled for Mr. Teacher Bud to get in the bathroom and put on his glasses. He jumped up, startled and thought for sure I had seen a big spider. This wasn’t helped when I said “I think I see something!” Once he figured out that I was talking about an HTP, he was a bit annoyed that I woke him up. I’ve “thought” that I’ve seen something before.
But he saw it too. So we whipped out a digital and another internet cheapie just for good measure. The wait for the digital to pop up seemed like the longest wait of my life.
Big Freaking Positive. It was unreal. I cried, and DH thought I was nuts, but that's ok. I was terrified because we had gotten news that my progesterone was low the day before. I called the obgyn on my 2 hr drive to work (freezing rain - thank goodness for a 2-hr delay at school!) My obgyn wasn't in, but they had another one prescribe progesterone suppositories. They're a lovely cream that I get to shoot up near my cervix every day. Fun. But hey, if it keeps this baby safely inside of me, I'll do anything.
I'm excited, but also terrified. Not of having a baby, but of losing this one. I have an appointment on Wednesday to get blood work done, and hopefully the beta numbers will be good, and we can breathe a little bit. Until then, we are cautiously optimistic. Any positive thoughts you can send our way for this baby to stick will be much appreciated.
March 3, 2011
Pity Party - Table for 1
I was planning on posting today about Mr. TB's urology appointment, but all I can think about is my temp drop today. I finally got the results of my 7DPO blood work yesterday. My progesterone was 11.3, which is better that the previous 7.35, but not by enough. Apparently they want to see +10 for a regular cycle, but +15 for a medicated cycle, which mine was. The Dr. wasn't in today, but the nurse is going to talk to her and call me today. I don't think she'll do anything because she said that the 7DPO b/w will be too late for this cycle, and she said that she doesn't want to do anything with progesterone until after I get my thyroid checked out with the endocrinologist, which won't be until the end of cycle 9.
I know that may not sound like a long time, but we also just had to push our appointment with the RE back as well, because Mr. TB can't make our original appointment. That appointment is now May 10th, which won't be until the start of cycle 11. So I'm just having myself a pity party. This cycle is probably a bust, and it feels like the next 2 will be as well.
I've also been eating like crap the last 2 days. I've been crazing junk food like none other - fries, chips, soda, etc. I'm sure I'm putting on weight which I really can't afford to do. I was hoping that the crazing might mean something (even though I know that's ridiculous) but now I'm just mad at myself for giving in. Blah.
I know that may not sound like a long time, but we also just had to push our appointment with the RE back as well, because Mr. TB can't make our original appointment. That appointment is now May 10th, which won't be until the start of cycle 11. So I'm just having myself a pity party. This cycle is probably a bust, and it feels like the next 2 will be as well.
I've also been eating like crap the last 2 days. I've been crazing junk food like none other - fries, chips, soda, etc. I'm sure I'm putting on weight which I really can't afford to do. I was hoping that the crazing might mean something (even though I know that's ridiculous) but now I'm just mad at myself for giving in. Blah.
February 26, 2011
I have to pee every 5 minutes!
I know what you're thinking. It's waaaaay too early in the 2ww to be having symptoms. And yes - I know. The real reason that I have to pee so much is all the water I'm drinking.
Why am I drinking so much water? Because my veins suck. No, seriously, they're terrible. I have Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA) and as a kid, I had to get blood drawn every 6-8 weeks for years at a time due to the medicines. I was terrible about going because of my terrible veins. They're small, they shift away from the needles, they have a hard time clotting after draws, and they had scar tissue over them due to the frequency of the blood draws. The scar tissue has gotten better over time, since I am no longer on the same meds that required that frequency of blood work. But, my veins still suck. Anytime I've had to have an IV, they've had to get the anesthesiologist to do it, because the nurses can never get it.
So anyway, I am chugging water because I get to have 7DPO blood work tomorrow, and I know the more hydrated I am, the better it is for everyone involved. I'm also really nervous, because I have to go to a new lab. Because I'm 7DPO on a Sunday, the only lab open is the hospital lab. I don't know about anyone else, but I have never had good luck with hospital labs. They're rushed, and they just jab, and jab, and blow off my initial "hey my veins suck, so please be gentle and use a butterfly needle" warning.
We're testing to see if my progesterone is low, so that we can do supplements if it is. My last 7DPO blood work, it was, but I've been on Metformin for 4 months, and Femara for 2, so we want to see if that has helped at all. I would love for it to be better, but I'm not holding my breath.
This blood work also starts the worst part of the 2ww for me. The 1st week, you know that there is no way to know. The second week, however... yeah. Confession, I often start POAS at 8DPO. Shameful, right? This time I'm going to try to hold out a little longer. (Which I always say!) I'm going to try (try!) to hold out until next Saturday. We'll see how I do!
Why am I drinking so much water? Because my veins suck. No, seriously, they're terrible. I have Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA) and as a kid, I had to get blood drawn every 6-8 weeks for years at a time due to the medicines. I was terrible about going because of my terrible veins. They're small, they shift away from the needles, they have a hard time clotting after draws, and they had scar tissue over them due to the frequency of the blood draws. The scar tissue has gotten better over time, since I am no longer on the same meds that required that frequency of blood work. But, my veins still suck. Anytime I've had to have an IV, they've had to get the anesthesiologist to do it, because the nurses can never get it.
So anyway, I am chugging water because I get to have 7DPO blood work tomorrow, and I know the more hydrated I am, the better it is for everyone involved. I'm also really nervous, because I have to go to a new lab. Because I'm 7DPO on a Sunday, the only lab open is the hospital lab. I don't know about anyone else, but I have never had good luck with hospital labs. They're rushed, and they just jab, and jab, and blow off my initial "hey my veins suck, so please be gentle and use a butterfly needle" warning.
We're testing to see if my progesterone is low, so that we can do supplements if it is. My last 7DPO blood work, it was, but I've been on Metformin for 4 months, and Femara for 2, so we want to see if that has helped at all. I would love for it to be better, but I'm not holding my breath.
This blood work also starts the worst part of the 2ww for me. The 1st week, you know that there is no way to know. The second week, however... yeah. Confession, I often start POAS at 8DPO. Shameful, right? This time I'm going to try to hold out a little longer. (Which I always say!) I'm going to try (try!) to hold out until next Saturday. We'll see how I do!
February 23, 2011
Introducing Teacher Bud!
Once upon a time two awkward, 14 year old nerds met at a choir festival. They had a lot of mutual friends, and fell into hanging out together in their awkward, nerdy choir group. Eventually, they became closer, swapping fantasy novels and spending hours on the phone discussing the characters. This led to a few double dates with other choir nerds, but alas, they just stayed friends though graduation and separate colleges. Until one summer the choir group returned home, and both nerds (now 19 and 20) were single. Amidst many crude jokes from friends, they began dating, and 4 years later were married.
Hi, I’m teacher bud. Mr. Teacher Bud and I have now been married for 2 1/2 years. Last spring, my part-time teaching job went full time, and we happily hopped on the TTC train. It seemed perfect. Our ideal timing involved a spring baby to minimize my time off work and the need for infant care. Mr. Teacher bud had a conference in Japan in July 2010, so we made it into a vacation – the perfect time and place to start trying for a baby.
Four months later, we were out of luck on the spring/summer time line, and my charts weren’t very pretty. With my history of menstrual issues in the back of our heads, we headed off to the obgyn for some back-up.
We’re now in the 2ww of our 8th cycle TTC, and I feel like I’ve tried everything. Foods? Check. (Pom juice, green tea and pineapple core) Supplements? Check. (B-6 and Maca Root) Drugs? Check. (Metformin and Femara) And don’t forget the tests. I’ve had 7-DPO blood work, I’ve had thyroid tests, I’ve had glucose tests, Mr. TB has had 2 S/As each more confusing then the last.
I know we’ve barely scratched the surface in terms of TTC tests and interventions, but let me tell you, this is more than I ever thought I’d need to know about fertility.
Now? After all of those tests, Mr. TB is making an appointment to see the urologist to talk about those confusing S/As (I’ll save that for another post.) I’m waiting on my appointment with the endocrinologist to discuss my thyroid issues, and we’re both waiting on our appointment with a Reproductive Endocrinologist who can hopefully get us all figured out.
With all of that waiting for appointments, it’s only fitting that we’re doing another waiting game as well – the 2ww. I’m 2DPO on my second cycle of Femara. That’s right, get ready for a boob-squeezing, chart staring, hopeful and pessimistic ride though hell. And if this wait ends well, hopefully we can cancel some of those other waits. Except for the endocrinologist – this thyroid thing should get figured out either way.
Looking forward to sharing this journey with all of you,
Teacher Bud
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