First OB Appointment

I had my first OB appointment today.  Finally!  It felt like the last few weeks have gone by soooooo slow!  Everything at the appointment went well.  I was so nervous, though, when the nurse was using the doppler to find the heartbeat.  I was praying so many Hail Mary's and hoping so hard.  Phew!  After about 30 seconds, she declared that she had found it, and we got to hear it.  The sound of that little heart beating was so amazing!  And, the doctor pulled a little ultrasound machine in there and we got to have another look today.  The baby has definitely grown, and I swear, I saw the baby waving his/her arm up and down at us.  

My husband took some pictures and video with his cell phone.  When he gets home, I'll see if I can figure out how to put them on this blog so you can see.  

My doctor did not quite "get" the reason why I'm on progesterone injections and he felt like I didn't need them, but I gave him a copy of the progesterone information printout from PPVI and told him we're continuing to do them until Dr. H tells us to stop.  

The bloodwork part of the appointment was not fun.  The tech tried my right arm first, and kept pushing the needle further and further, killing me.  Finally, she took it out and went to the left arm, but they had to take so many freaking vials.  I was so sweaty by the time it was all over with.  I'm so glad that part is over!

Next appointment will be in 4 weeks.  I still can't believe all of this is going so well.  I am so grateful and blown away.  Thank you, Jesus!  Thank you, St. Gerard!  Thank you, Mary!  And thank you, everyone who has prayed for us!

Thank the Lord for Tylenol!

Today has been a horrible day.  I wish I had called my doctor sooner.  I woke up this morning with a headache that I have struggled with all day, including 5 hours of poring over documents on a computer screen (only because so far this month, I have only worked 7 hours, which won't even cover the amount I've instructed my job to take out for my 401k each month, so I'm trying to make up for lost time), and trying to nap off the headache only to wake up with it even worse.  I was on the verge of tears when I finally decided to call my OB, and the nurse barely let me finish talking before she said "just take some Tylenol."  I was like, "really?  I can take Tylenol and that's safe?  A regular dose is fine?"  "Yep."  Argh!  Why did I not call sooner?  Within 30 minutes, I was feeling so much better.  Thank you, Lord, for this miracle drug, and please, please, please don't let me have such a headache again.  

Other than today's headache, things have been relatively good.  I'm still tired all the time, but the nausea is not constant.  Food is starting to slowly sound better.  I even ate green beans last night.  But, every now and then, I dry heave and run for the crackers.  

And, I'm super anxiously awaiting my OB appointment on the 30th.  I really wish I could have reassurance every day that things are fine.  Do they make at-home ultrasounds?  ha ha.  That would be awesome.  I am nervous about this upcoming appointment because with my first pregnancy we had an early ultrasound where we saw a heartbeat and everything, but when I went to the OB at 10 weeks, the heartbeat was gone and it appeared to the radiologist that based on the size of the baby, he (we decided he was a boy) had stopped growing shortly after that first ultrasound.  So, I had been walking around for almost 2 weeks with no idea there was a problem.  Dear God, please don't let that happen again.  St. Gerard, please continue to intercede for us.  Mary, please continue to watch over this miracle baby.  

Baby's First Photos!

I'm so happy I could run naked through the streets!  The ultrasound went great.  The baby is measuring a little further along than we thought, so I'm actually 8 weeks and 4 days today.  And the heart rate was 173. Here are some pics:

I can't figure out a better way to get these on here.  I scanned what the nurse gave me and uploaded it here.  Sorry so tiny.  

It was so amazing to see that little peanut and to see the heart flickering.  I think the heart rate may have been a little high because I was so nervous.  Seriously, before we started, I was so on edge that I felt like I could just cry.  But, lo and behold, a miracle!  There really is a baby in there!  Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow

Tomorrow I will have the first ultrasound!  I cannot wait!  I would appreciate your prayers that everything looks great.  I can't believe we will be seeing our baby tomorrow! I can't believe there's a baby in there!  I'll post pics tomorrow as soon as I have them.  Ahhhh!  So excited!

Update on what's been going on

I'm sorry to have been MIA for the last week or so.  I have been sleeping a lot and feeling nauseous, and puking here and there.  We went to St. Louis over the weekend and returned yesterday, and during the trip I was hardly nauseous at all, and that made me nervous.  I have read that a sudden loss of morning sickness can indicate a miscarriage.  That kept me worried the whole time.  Now that we're back home, though, the nausea is back in full force.  The cinnamon toast crunch cereal I ate this morning did not stay down more than 30 seconds.  Let me tell you, that stuff is not pretty coming back up.  Yuck!  

Also over the last couple of weeks, I have been trying to get opinions on whether, due to my myomectomy in 2007, I have to have a c-section.  I have heard of women being able to have vaginal births after myomectomies, but when I was first pregnant back in 2008, I was seeing a family practitioner who is VBAC friendly, and he was adamant that I would need a c-section, and not only that, but an early one because he did not even want me going into labor.  

So, I went last week and met with a maternal fetal medicine doctor that I met at the same event where I met Mrs. Du.ggar.  He was so nice to let me just drop in and give me free advice.  I brought him a copy of my operative report from the myomectomy, and he said it was not clear from the report whether the surgeon cut all the way through the uterus.  But, even if she did, it was an 8% risk of uterine rupture.  He suggested seeing if there was an ultrasound report from before my surgery that would describe the fibroid.  Well, I obtained the ultrasound report, and it was not helpful at all.  Basically, all it said was, yep, there's a fibroid.   

The next day, I met with my neighbor's OB.  My neighbor had a myomectomy last March, and her doctor was allowing her to try a vaginal birth.  (by the way, she gave birth on Monday, and the baby is adorable).  I met with this doctor, and he said he thought the op report read as if she did cut all the way through the uterus, but he would allow me to try a vaginal birth, but he would require an intrauterine pressure catheter, which would also involve an epidural, and pitocin.  Totally not the way I want to have a baby!  Then, I got home and googled this intrauterine device, and based on what I read, NO WAY!  They have to break your water, then screw something into the baby's poor little head.  You are of course "on the clock" because they have broken your water.  There is a risk of infection to both the baby and mother.  And, ACOG has reported that these devices are not helpful in identifying a uterine rupture. 

I also finally heard back yesterday from the doctor who did my myomectomy.  Her nurse left a voicemail saying that she asked the doctor, and the doctor said I would need a c-section.  I did not get to hear why.  I do know that this doctor practices at what I have heard is the hospital with the most c-sections in the U.S.  So, perhaps she is just pro c-section.

I am still waiting to hear back from my local GYN whether he will take me as an OB patient.  Apparently, he is taking on less OB cases.  I would like to have him as my doctor because he has been doing this for over 30 years, so I am sure he has seen it all, and if I do have to have a c-section, he would probably be an excellent surgeon.  I think I will make another call over there today to see if he has made a decision, and maybe ask about 1 or 2 other doctors in his group.  

I can't remember if I blogged this, but I have my first ultrasound scheduled this coming Monday, April 16.  I cannot wait to see our little baby up on that screen and to see the heartbeat!