Kaitlyn is Here!

Well, life has been very, very busy as I'm two months late in announcing this and writing her birth story, but I am pleased to announce that my infertility journey has successfully come full circle as Kaitlyn is here! She arrived on her due date (yes, it appears as though she's a bit OCD like her momma, so she wanted to come when she was supposed to), Monday, June 21st at 12:43, after almost 20 hours of labor and THREE hours of pushing! She weighed 7 lbs., 1.8 ozs and was 20 inches long.

Considering she was behind in everything throughout the IVF process and throughout my pregnancy, I really thought she was going to be late. I had even worried about having to fight my OB because I was sure the topic of induction would come up since I was not dilated or showing any signs of labor at all up to the last OB appointment. I had completed my last day of work on Friday, June 18th and was feeling great, so I was looking forward to a planned "date day" (sleeping in, lunch at a yummy Thai restaurant, and even a matinee) with my husband on her due date and a few days off from work to relax, organize some things around the house, and doing some last minute things to prepare for Kaitlyn's arrival. Well, none of those things ever happened and Miss Kaitlyn has been in charge of my schedule ever since.

I got a manicure and pedicure on Saturday, June 19th as preparation for my husband and my date day. The manicurist was surprised how close my due date was since I wasn't showing that much. I joked with her about how pedicures were supposed to make women go into labor. She then told me that she had a client on Mother's Day who started to not feel well immediately after her pedicure and she had to call her husband to pick her up because she feared that she was going into labor! My manicurist wasn't sure if she ended up delivering that night or not, but I joked with her that if she did, the manicurist should tell every pregnant woman that her pedicures are a good way to get labor started!

I went to bed around midnight that night. My husband ended up playing PlayStation until 2 am! I got up to go to the bathroom at 4:30 am on Sunday, June 20th (Father's Day) and had to get there very quickly because I felt I was going to pee as soon as I rolled over to get out of bed. I made it to the toilet in the nick of time and I felt a huge gush of what I thought was pee come out of me. I soon realized that this probably was my water breaking since it took a long time to stop. I sat there for a moment and thought, "no...this isn't supposed to happen now...I still need a few more days. What should I do? Should I wake my husband?" I was tired (and nervous) and didn't want to head to the hospital this early in the morning. However, since I was GBS positive, I knew I needed to get there, even if I wasn't experiencing any contractions. So, I went back to my bed, rubbed my husband's back and said, "Honey...I think my water just broke." He got up without any hesitation and I told him I was going to take my shower. I continued to leak fluid during and after the shower...I was surprised at how much I leaked, especially since I gushed so much at first. I was nervous about what was to come (and wondered if I was ready for this huge life change), but I felt pretty well-prepared and thought if this was really it, we were ready for the most part. I think my husband was a bit nervous because he ended up putting the things I had laid out into my "Go Bag" and was ready before I was. I put on a cute black little shirt and asked him to take a picture of me before we left life at our home was we know it. The drive to the hospital was great - it was a little after 5:00 am and no one was on the road. The sun was just coming up and it looked like it was going to be a beautiful day. My husband almost ended up hitting at least two birds on the way, though! That's when I figured he must have been a bit nervous because I can't think of any other times where he's almost hit a bird when we were out and about! (Granted, there were a lot of them flying around - the early morning must be their time to get things done, ha ha).

We made it to the hospital at about 5:30 am - just about an hour or so before the next shift, so the hospital staff didn't seem very enthused that we were there, so we felt kind of uncomfortable. I don't think anyone was in triage or even in labor when we got there. (Since it was a Sunday, there were no scheduled inductions or c-sections that day). The rest of the day and subsequent hospital stay was kind of a blur, but I'll try to re-count it as well as I can. The nurse checked me out in triage (and wasn't in the mood for humor when we joked with her with something regarding me being allergic to cats and her thinking we could have domestic abuse issues). She or another nurse confirmed that my water had indeed broken, so they admitted me and advised me to start walking because I was only 1 cm dilated and I think 50% effaced. We dropped my stuff off in the room and started to walk a few laps around the unit. I can't remember all of the details about the rest of the day, so I will recap the highlights.

My parents arrived around 10:30 or 11:00 am. Unfortunately, the walking didn't help me to make much more progress, so when the OB (Dr. Keith) checked on me, she told me that they'd probably have to start me on PIT. Ugh. I so didn't want to be induced and was ready for a fight. However, Dr. Keith told us that since my water had broken, I would need to be induced to get things going because I could be putting Kaitlyn at risk for being in utero for so long without my amniotic fluid. So, I decided to go ahead and get it (and then get the epidural, too, because I figured the contractions would become more difficult to manage if I was on PIT). I think about two hours had passed before I started to feel the contractions and they were pretty intense. They were more bearable once my husband rubbed my back, but I could tell I was going to be in for a rough ride if I didn't get the epidural. Around 2 or 3, I still hadn't progressed that much, yet the contractions were pretty strong. I decided to ask for the epidural at that point. My husband and I weren't very fond of the anesthesiologist because he was pretty gruff. When he found out that I had scoliosis (and had to wear a back brace because of how severe it had been), he told us that he didn't know if he was going to be able to administer the epidural successfully. That scared us, especially since I was starting to get scared about how I was going to be able to stay still enough for him to administer it, but I got through it and the anesthesiologist was able to successfully administer it on the first try - thank goodness. After that, I didn't feel any pain (or even pressure, for that matter) for the duration of the labor and delivery. Unfortunately, I was no longer able to walk around the room after it was administered, so I was confined to wait in bed until Kaitlyn arrived. I think this was the point that they also inserted a catheter into me.

So then we waited...and waited...and waited. Considering the length of the labor, I needed fluid pumped into my uterus. Either the fluid or the epidural made me very cold, so I experienced chills for several hours. At one point (I think because Kaitlyn had dropped a bit), Dr. Keith also had to apply a monitoring device to Kaitlyn's head to better monitor her heartbeat. This further restricted my movement and the nurse on duty (who we weren't very fond of because she didn't seem to be very caring - she didn't adjust my pillows, empty out my urine bucket from when I was going to the bathroom, or give me fresh bed pads to catch all of the fluid that was leaking out of me) didn't want me to move around. Luckily, my doula, Alex, proved to be very helpful because she helped to re-position me throughout the night, gave me a lot of massages to help keep me comfortable, and asked the next nurse on duty (Catherine, who was wonderful) for fresh bed pads and blankets and to empty the urine bucket. During this waiting period, I just chit-chatted with my husband, parents, and sister-in-law. The time went pretty quickly, but I was ready for it to be over so we could meet our little girl. Everyone was placing bets on when I would deliver her - the latest time guessed was around 9 or 10 pm and I thought I'd definitely not see that time without child! Well, around 10:00 or 10:30 pm, Dr. Keith (or Catherine) told me I could start to push because I was finally ready. I didn't feel any differently than I did when I was just 1 cm dilated. Dr. Keith told me that it could take anywhere from a few minutes to three hours. I thought three hours seemed like an insane amount of time to push and that I was going to deliver within a few pushes. Well, Dr. Keith had to stop by at least two times to simply leave again since Kaitlyn was still not ready to make her appearance. I can't remember when Dr. Keith finally came back and started to "suit up" but it had been quite a while and I was excited to see her and get this over with. I had tried to push in many different positions, but nothing seemed to work overly well. I was surprised at how I didn't experience any pain at all during the pushing process...and I was also surprised that the pushing didn't require me to push constantly. I had to push three or four times when each contraction hit (my husband watched the monitor and told me when the contraction was starting) and the contractions came about every two to three minutes, so I got a nice little break in between each contraction. The longer the time went on, though, the shorter the time felt between contractions, so it was tiring. Around midnight it looked like Kaitlyn was just about ready to come out into the world. Her head had started to crown...but then she changed her mind and no matter how hard I tried to push, she just stayed there! A nurse came into the room and told us that she had never seen a baby stay so long at that position. Go figure! There was a lady in the room next to me who had arrived long after I did that was pushing at the same time I was. I thought for sure I would deliver before she did, but we heard her baby's cries a good amount of time before we heard ours! I think everyone in our delivery room was shocked at how long this was taking. I remember thinking that there was no way I was ever going to get her out and the doctor was going to have to get her out another way. However, I was too afraid to ask what would happen if I couldn't push her out because I didn't want to hear the answer (that she's either have to cut me, use forceps (or something like that), or that we'd probably have to convert to a C-Section...after all of this)! My husband, Dr. Keith, Alex, and Catherine were all cheering me on during each push and telling me that I was getting so close. Someone asked me to reach down and feel Kaitlyn's head so I had some additional motivation to keep on going. My husband told me that he while he kept telling me she was soon going to be out that he thought there was no way it was going to happen anytime soon. Finally, at 12:43 am, Kaitlyn decided she was ready to make her grand appearance. I remember that final push and feeling such a sense of relief and happiness that she had finally made it!

Since Kaitlyn had her cord wrapped around her a few times, she had to be taken over to the warmer right away so she could be attended to. She had ingested so much fluid, a NICU nurse had to put a suction tube down her throat to clear it. Luckily, my husband was able to be right there with her while this was going on. I was a bit worried about her state (especially since she wasn't crying or moving), but felt confident that she was going to be ok. I remember looking over at her and feeling so bad for everything she had been through and was going through now. What a dramatic change for a baby who had been so snug, secure and comfortable for nine months to come into the world in such a fashion. After what seemed like too long, Kaitlyn started to cry a little bit and was brought over to me. Her most striking feature was her cute, long toes! My parents and Karen were alerted that Kaitlyn was finally here, so they came in and took lots of pictures. As for the other stuff, Dr. Keith delivered my placenta when the nurses were working on Kaitlyn and stitched me up. I didn't actually have to do anything to push the placenta out. Dr. Keith also told me that I only had minimal tearing and didn't require too many stitches, so that was good too.

I remember trying to breastfeed Kaitlyn for the first time while we were still in the delivery room and it went well. At about 3:30 am (and after finally finding food appealing again - yay!), I was finally wheeled to the recovery room and my husband and everyone else left the hospital. Kaitlyn and I had a few more minutes to get acquainted. I remember looking over at her in the bassinet and she looked at me with these big eyes and I felt as though we sealed our bond at that moment. The rest of my stay in the hospital was a blur - and since most of the memories I do have of it aren't fond ones, I won't detail them in this story.

Despite the rough delivery and recovery period (not to mention just trying to get used to all of the basics of what parenting involves and how much stress having a newborn can put on a couple), I wouldn't have asked for a different outcome. My husband and I are so incredibly blessed with this miraculous little girl who continues to warm our hearts each and every day with her growth, development and budding personality. I am grateful that I have been able to take off of work for five or six months and love seeing how each day will unfold. I could watch her for hours - whether she was sleeping or awake. The love that I feel for this little child is more than I ever imagined it would be and I just hope that my husband and I can help her to grow into a very happy and healthy individual. While I can't wait to see what she will be like, I am also cherishing each and every day and stage that unfolds in the present. We waited a very, very long time for this precious little one and it was well worth the wait. She's currently sleeping in her car seat after a successful trip to the grocery store and I'm already looking forward to greeting her for her next feeding, changing and playtime already.

Dear little Kaitlyn -- your father and I love you so very, very much and always will and we hope that you will never forget that. We will try our hardest to show you this each and every day. There will be times where we won't know what we're doing, but everything we do will be done with love.

13th OB Appointment (39w3d)

We're getting closer! Today's appointment with Dr. Edwards went well. At first my blood pressure was super high and they were going to send me to the hospital, but since the nurses and I were chatting during it, they re-tested it and it was fine. My uterus went back up to 36 cm (from 32 last week) and I gained about 1/2 pound. I was not dilated, but my cervix was soft, which is one sign that my body could be preparing for labor. Dr. Edwards did say that she will have to schedule me for an induction if nothing is happening by my next appointment. If I could get her to deliver, I will feel better about the whole process, but I would rather not be induced. Once my due date comes around, I will be trying whatever I can to get Murtle to come naturally before that induction date! Oh, and Murtle's heart beat seems to be decreasing (now it's in the 130 range), which I believe is normal prior to delivery. So, we'll see if I make it to next Tuesday's appointment, which will be one day after Murtle's due date!

Third BPP and NST (39w2d)

Whoops - I forgot to report on last week's BPP, NST and OB appointments - No news is good news, so all was well!

Today's update is that Murtle didn't pass the NST portion of the BPP. I was on that monitor for 40 minutes. Everything else looked fine, though. They really shouldn't do these NSTs first thing in the morning b/c Murtle is never really active then...AND they did that part first this time - usually it takes the ultrasound to get her going. Plus, she tired herself out over the weekend! So, I'm not too worried about it b/c she did start to move during the ultrasound and I know she'll be moving later today. My next OB appointment is tomorrow - they better not raise the topic of induction!! However, one of my FT friends just brought everything back into perspective for me again by telling me, "[i]nducement, schimducement...ain't nothin' but a thing! Eyes on the Prize, baby! She's about her make her DEBUT!!!" She's absolutely right!

Some other tidbits from last week:

My husband and I met with two of the doulas / doulas-in-training from JHU last Thursday. They were AWESOME and made me (and my husband, too, I believe) feel better about what's ahead. I think they will be a tremendous support, yet without getting in the way or not respecting our wishes if things change during the laboring.

Also, during last week's 38 week check-up, my OB (Dr. Edwards - my favorite one in the practice)said I was her favorite patient because I am always so chipper and happy. What in the world do I have to not be happy about? I had a smooth PG, I feel great, and I realize how incredibly blessed and fortunate I am that I got PG in the first place! Murtle dropped (went from 36 cms to 32 cms last week), yet I wasn't dilated (I didn't think I was, anyway - she's going to listen to her momma and come late, ha ha).

Finally, my husband and I attended an infant care class on Saturday (a 4-hour class, mind you). I'm glad we went because I felt pretty clueless about what to do once the baby is actually here, but now at least have a better sense as to how to take care of a brand new little person!

First Bio-Physical Profile (BPP) / Non-Stress Test (NST) (37w2)

I had the first of once weekly bio-physical profiles done today. Since my husband and I agree that Murtle will come when she's ready, we want to let nature run it's course and not let anyone induce me unless it's medically necessary. Therefore, my OB wants me to have these weekly tests done to make sure she continues to thrive. The nurse measured the fluid level and checked on the health of the placenta (which she said was "not old" - hooray!). She also watched Murtle do some breathing exercises (which she passed with flying colors). The nurse then hooked me up to a doppler machine that tested Murtle's heartbeat and reactivity (and contractions on my part, which I don't think I had any) and she did fine with that. Therefore, Murtle got her first 10/10 - A+! She's off to a good start!

As a side note, I loved and was so glad I had the nurse who ran my test today. Since she taught herself how to do the 3D / 4D ultrasounds (the techs are the ones who do the full-fledged ultrasounds and take the pictures), she throws some of those pictures in as a bonus at the end of the BPP. We had not been able to get any more pictures of Murtle during the last two growth ultrasounds because of her positioning. However, I found it interesting that this nurse was able to get some of the best shots I have ever seen (especially considering Murtle was in the same position today as she has was during the last growth ultrasound). Granted, it took a while to get Murtle into the right position, but she eventually obliged by moving her arm after I had switched my position, as well. And boy does she look like a chunky monkey now! My husband and I think she has my nose (although my husband's family is convinced that she has his nose) and I think she has his lips and eyes. She's also got some really chubby cheeks (which she's doomed to have because both my husband and I have chubby ones - a guy had actually nicknamed "Chippy" in high school because of my "chipmunk cheeks"). Who would have thought that she was in the 15th percentile for growth not too very long ago...I may have to switch back to drinking skim milk now - Now I'm afraid she's going to be too big!

Follow-Up Growth Ultrasound (36w2d) and 11th OB Appointment (37w1d)

I had my follow-up growth ultrasound last Wednesday (at 36 weeks 2 days) and my 11th OB appointment today (at 37 weeks 1 day). Both appointments went just fine. Murtle measured about 6 pounds last week and was sprouting a full head of hair. :) I've gained about 13 total pounds as of today. Things are on track - I have my first NST and BPP tomorrow back at the MFM's office tomorrow - hopefully that will show that everything is progressing fine and that Murtle is continuing to thrive and grow.

My husband and I finished a lot of our baby preparation items this past weekend, too! The nursery is basically finished, too - yay! While I still hope that she makes it until her due date, if she were to come any earlier, I would feel ok with what we've accomplished so far. I'm getting excited to meet our new baby girl!

10th OB Appointment (36w0d)

I had my 36 week OB appointment this morning. And wow - these appointments really seem to be happening pretty quickly now. I think I am getting closer to being ready for Murtle's arrival, but I need for her to be about a week late since I'm going to be working up until the Friday before my due date and it would be great if I could have a full week at home making the last minute preparations without having to worry about work.

I got to meet with Dr. Edwards again today. I must say that she has become one of my favorite OBs in the practice and I hope that she ends up delivering Murtle. I gained another full pound since Wednesday (making it a total of about 12 pounds of pregnancy weight). Although Dr. Edwards told me that she still wants to see me put on some more weight, she was highly pleased that it seems that Murtle has caught up growth-wise since she advised me to start eating more ice cream, as she's convinced that it helps with growth issues. I tend to believe that and switching to 2% milk actually helped. My blood pressure checked out fine and I assume the urine sample was A-OK, too. Dr. Edwards did not do a cervix check today since I just had it done last week. She said that it is pretty likely that I could go over my due date considering there has been no action going on down there yet and because this will be my first child. She told me that since I do not wish to be induced a week before or by my due date (which recommend because of my "advanced maternal age"), then she wants me to also go to the specialists' office for weekly visits from her on out so they can monitor the health of the placenta (since it could start to break down soon), the fluid levels and just make sure Murtle is still growing and thriving.

We also went over a checklist of items in preparation of Murtle's arrival (e.g., reminding me that I will need to get the anti-biotics during labor because of my GBS, labor signs (contractions every five minutes that last a minute each), where to go when it's time to go to the hospital, and birth control after delivery (ha!...as if I need to worry about that). She asked me if we had a name yet, so I told her our in-utero name - she got a kick out of that, especially when I told her that when I told Dr. Penn what the name was, I was afraid that he was going to refer me to social services immediately for pre-emotional abuse, ha ha.

I also talked to a representative from the Johns Hopkins' School of Nursing's Birth Companions Program today. One of my Fertile Thoughts friends told me about the program and I decided to get some more information on it, especially since I am considering a natural birth. DH thought this could be a good resource / support for us, especially since it won't cost anything. The program offers free student nurse doula services to any woman in the Baltimore metropolitan area. After speaking with the representative, I agreed to meet with two students (they work in pairs to ensure someone will be available at time of delivery) for an initial visit to get some more information and to see if this service would be useful for Murtle's delivery. Here's the link to the program for anyone who is interested:

nursing.jhu.edu/practice/bc/about.aspx

9th OB Appointment (35w2d)

I had my 35 week check-up today and first internal cervix check with Dr. Marcus Penn (the final, yet senior OB in the practice, who I had yet to meet). I liked him - he was very friendly, seemed to have a good sense of humor, and took a good amount of time to answer my questions. I gained FOUR pounds since my last appointment on May 6th! However, all is well - my cervix is closed and Dr. Penn could tell that Murtle's head was down! I figured she was positioned feet down based on where I was feeling the majority of her movements (in my lower regions as opposed to up near my ribcage). But darn it - wouldn't you know that Dr. Penn was about to also do the Group B Strep test until I told him that I already tested positive for it and that he had already told me that he was going to put me on anti-biotics at delivery time. I am really not a fan of these large group practices anymore.

Also, my husband and I got to meet with our potential new pediatrician today, Dr. Andre Gvozden of Gvozden Pediatrics. Dr. Gvozden and his staff seemed very nice and friendly and my husband and I liked that the practice consists of just him (as the pediatrician), his wife Cathy (as the pediatric nurse practitioner) and another pediatric nurse practitioner. He also has great credentials (been in practice for over 20 years; training was at the Children's Hospital National Medical Center, Johns Hopkins Hospital and Sinai Hospital; has additional expertise in dermatology and attention disorders; is currently on staff at Anne Arundel Medical Center and Johns Hopkins Hospital; and is an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Maryland).

We also liked that he does not take transfer patients - his new patients consist of the newborns he meets when they are at the hospital and then he follows their health throughout their youth.

The only issue we may have to consider is that he is very pro vaccination, which is something I was still a bit on the fence about. I am not opposed to vaccines, just the schedule and amount. However, Dr. Gvozden did a good job of allaying our concerns about the alleged vaccine - autism link. We will probably end up going with his practice because I do feel as though he looks out for the best interests of all of his patients and that we can trust him to provide good, quality care.

8th OB Appointment (33w3d) and Non-Stress Test

I had my 8th OB appointment and NST this morning at my OB's Annapolis office. Today's OB, Dr. Margaret Keith (very nice doctor, but she seemed so young), was satisfied with the results of the NST test and even told me that future ones are no longer necessary since my MFM reported that everything from my follow-up growth ultrasound was A-OK.

As for the check-up itself, I learned that I'm holding steady at a 7 pound weight gain. Dr. Keith told me that she would like to see me put on more weight, but I believe Murtle is growing just fine since I've been feeling her move pretty regularly and since my uterus measured 32 cms. Plus, it's hard to gain weight when I just really do not have much of an appetite for anything and since I continue to experience fleeting moments of nausea. Dr. Keith wrote a referral for me to have one more follow-up growth ultrasound with the MFM in two or three weeks. I didn't object, of course! Maybe we'll get some good pictures of Murtle next time. We didn't get any pictures last time because she was facing my spine and the technician could not get a good view of her face.

Oh, and it's a good thing I'm up on my medical issues because I do not have much faith in my OB's practice. I understand how things can fall through the cracks because you never see the same doctor very often since it's a rotating group practice, but why should I as the patient have to remind them of things? I asked Dr. Keith how my TSH was and she said it should have been tested when I had my glucose screening done. She checked my record and learned that it actually had not been checked then, so she set me up to have it tested today. She then told me that I will have the Group B Strep (GBS) test done at my next appointment in two weeks. I told her that I didn't think I needed that since they found that I already had it and she said, "oh, you're right." This lack of attention to detail makes me nervous, but encourages me to simply be more vigilant about my care.

Follow-Up Growth Ultrasound (31w2d)

Things are continuing to go well. I had my follow-up growth ultrasound at the MFM's office on April 22, 2010 (at 31 weeks and 2 days) which showed that Murtle was starting to catch up growth-wise. She was just a week behind - in the 44th percentile (up from the 15th percentile at the previous appointment) - and she weighed almost 4 pounds. My cervix was holding nice and strong at 3.5 cm, the fluid was good, Murtle was active, and my cord was fine. The MFM felt comfortable enough with everything that he told me I had "graduated" and did not need any additional ultrasounds. Yikes! I have a feeling Murtle is going to continue to be on her own (SLOW) schedule, like her father. I hope Dr. Sacks used my egg because as of now, Murtle not only resembles her father, but acts like him, too, LOL!

7th OB Appointment (30w1d) and Non-Stress Test

I think things could be back on track again - hooray! I won't know for sure until my ultrasound next week, but today's Non-Stress Test (NST) and OB appointment(again with Dr. Edwards who I really do like) went very well. To my surprise, Murtle was quite active during the entire NST - she even got the hiccups for a good 5-10 minutes in the middle of the test. At one point during the beginning of the test, she completely shifted positions so her heartbeat fell out of range of the sensor. I didn't know that I could move the sensor during the test, so I just sat there in silence until I got brave and decided to move it. It was a good thing I did because when Dr. Edwards first came in to check on me (after about 10 minutes or so), she told me that if all is quiet for about a minute, I should move the sensor since the minimum length of the test is 20 minutes of active monitoring. So I ended up having to tack on an extra ten minutes for that lost time. Other than feeling a bit bored and uncomfortable because of how I was positioned, the test was a breeze. It was also so wonderful to hear little Murtle's heartbeat and movements for such a substantial amount of time. I didn't have to hit a button every time Murtle moved as I had read that some tests require mothers to do. In addition to the sensor positioned over the heartbeat, the medical assistant also put another sensor right below my breasts to monitor any contractions (which, luckily, never occurred).

After being hooked up for at least another 30 minutes, Dr. Edwards returned and checked the monitor's print-out. She told me that Murtle was "responsive" and quite active during the test. She then measured me and told me that my fundal height was 29 cm. During my last appointment (at 28 weeks), it was 24 cm, so apparently forcing myself to eat more and now drinking 2% milk must be helping Murtle to finally grow. I weighed 160.6 pounds today, so I even gained about a pound within the past two weeks - for a total of about a 7 pound weight gain since my pre-pregnancy weight. My blood pressure was also good at 115/72. Dr. Edwards wants to see how my ultrasound at Dr. Sweeney's office goes next week. If Murtle's growth percentile increases or at least stays the same, she'll see me in two weeks. If it drops (and if Dr. Sweeney won't monitor me weekly), she will want me to return to her office every week so her practice can keep a close watch on everything. I have a good feeling that Murtle will be measuring just fine (even if she is on the smaller size) and that the rest of this pregnancy will be a smooth one. Look at me and my positive attitude! :-)

Regardless, Dr. Edwards wants me to start doing daily kick counts. This consists of me lying on my left side and counting the number of times Murtle kicks in a hour to obtain a baseline reading. She then instructed me to continue to do daily kick counts at the same time each night and if Murtle's activity drops below 70%, I need to contact the office to let them know.

Ah - the final piece of good news is that I passed my three hour glucose challenge test! So, Dr. Edwards told me to keep eating ice cream and milkshakes. :)

One Hour Glucose Challenge Test (GCT) Results

Dr. Edwards (who has really impressed me so far) called to tell me that I failed my one hour glucose screening test, so I have to get a three hour test done. (How in the world could I possibly have gestational diabetes, yet have such a small baby?) She told me that I could have had regular diabetes all along (diabetes can go hand in hand with thyroid problems and I do have a family history of diabetes), which could be affecting the placenta, which could be affecting Murtle's growth. She said they probably should have tested me for this earlier in my pregnancy, but since I was an IVF patient, they probably assumed that I had all of the necessary testing done. Anyway, she's glad that I'm getting extra monitoring at the specialist's office now and encouraged me to ask to be seen by that office frequently to make sure that everything is on track. Hopefully I don't also end up developing pre-eclampsia, too, by the time this is all said and done. I have a strong suspicion that my blood pressure goes out of control when stressed and that happens a LOT, especially during my commute to and from work. So far the only thing that seems to have gone my way during this pregnancy is that my blood type is A+. However, I will hold on to hope that I will pass the three hour test since my one hour test result(147) wasn't too bad.

6th OB Appointment (28w1d)

I had my 28 week OB appointment this morning (including the glucose screen - finally! - the drink wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was going to taste, especially since I had left it in the fridge for a few nights) and we had a bit of a scare. My OB (Dr. Chasity Edwards) originally thought I was at 24 weeks, so she told me I was measuring perfectly. However, after she checked my chart, she realized I'm actually at 28 weeks. So, since I was measuring behind, she sent me for a growth ultrasound at my MFM's office. As of now, things seem ok - Murtle could just be on the small side (15th percentile), possibly due to my genetics, but we won't know for sure until the next ultrasound when they can see if she remains in that percentile or ends up in an even smaller one. Luckily, everything seems to be ok anatomically and my fluid level is good, so hopefully she's just going to be a small baby. Easier to push out, right? It was great to see Murtle again - while she didn't seem all that active (the time we went for the ultrasound is her nap time, I think), it was wonderful to see and hear her heart beat and we managed to see her drinking a bit, too!

So, now I "graduate" to OB appointments every two weeks (and start non-stress tests soon), but will also need to see the MFM every 3-4 weeks to make sure Murtle continues to progress.

4th (20w2d) and 5th (24w2d) OB Appointment Updates

My 4th OB appointment (20w2d) was pretty uneventful. I had gained in total one pound, my uterus was measuring on track, and Murtle's heartbeat was beating away at about the usual 145 bpm. About two weeks after that appointment, I received a call from Dr. Marcus Penn, one of the senior OBs in the practice. He called to tell me the results of my last urine test (they had sent a sample to the lab because they had noticed trace amounts of blood and protein in my urine for the second month in a row). He told me that I had a slight bladder infection (which I've never known to have had before, but they are pretty common in pregnancy), so he prescribed a five-day course of penicillin / amoxicillin for me to take. He told me that while the bladder infection should not cause any problems for me or the baby, he wants to err on the side of caution and set me up to receive additional anti-biotics administered via an IV immediately prior to delivery because of the type of bacteria I have (Group B Streptococcus, or "GBS" for short). If a newborn were to contract GBS during delivery or shortly after birth, she could develop pneumonia, meningitis, sepsis, or even die. Here is a link to a great article that contains more information on GBS:

March of Dimes GBS Info

So after that minor hiccup, time slowly marched on. I have started to feel Murtle move around a bit more - especially within these past two days, but she stills seem to be a very chill baby. Anyway, lo and behold - we finally (and thankfully) made it to 24 weeks! According to a chart I found, 24 weeks is a HUGE viability milestone. If I were to have a baby at 24 weeks, her chance of survival is between 40-70% (granted, I would never wish for any mother to have to give birth so early due to the medical complications and issues that could arise from being so incredibly premature). However, each day that a baby stays in her mother's womb from 24 weeks means another 3% increase in survival odds each day. Here's the basic break-down:

Up until 21 weeks: 0% survival rate
At 22 weeks: 0-10% survival rate
At 23 weeks: 10-35% survival rate
At 24 weeks: 40-70% survival rate
At 25 weeks: 50-80% survival rate
At 26 weeks: 80-90% survival rate
At 27 weeks: greater than 90% survival rate

Therefore, 28 weeks will be the next huge milestone and one which I'll be anxiously awaiting. At that point, I should be ready to rock and roll with the nursery and other types of baby preparations

So, back to today's 24w2d appointment - it was thankfully uneventful, as well, other than the fact that I am now starting to gain more weight! I gained three pounds since my last OB appointment, which brings the grand total to four pounds! Murtle should weigh about 1.5 pounds by now and should be the length of an ear of corn already! And this is just the beginning of some rapid weight gain for her (and probably for me, too). So I need to keep that stretch mark cream flowing! The doctor I met with today was Dr. Nicole Luecke. I liked her, too, so now I have two OBs in the practice who I would most like to deliver Murtle - Dr. Luecke and Dr. Wells. I was disappointed to find out that Dr. Wells will be out for at least a few weeks (and maybe even a few months), so I might not even get a chance for her to deliver Murtle, which is a shame because she is my favorite so far. Anyway, Dr. Luecke is going to send my urine off to the lab to see if my infection cleared up. Otherwise, she just answered some routine questions I had and then sent me on my way with the orange "glucola" to drink before my next OB appointment. Onwards and upwards!

Level 2 Ultrasound / Anatomy Scan - 19 weeks 3 days

Well, we hit another milestone today...I finally had my very first Level 2 Ultrasound / Anatomy Scan and everything seems to be progressing well!

First the big news...today's tech (who was great, by the way) confirmed that Murtle is a GIRL! She measured right on track for her age (19w3d) and weighed 10 ounces. Her heart beat was beating away at 145 bpm. She seems to be a very "chill" baby, though, because she didn't move around much at all - I even drank some OJ, had a banana and ate some pineapple this morning to give her a sugar rush! I was surprised to learn that the placenta is actually in the back. I figured it was in the front since I can't feel any movements yet. I guess she's just a very, very calm baby! Hopefully that is a sign of good things to come. When the tech was doing her thing, I asked if they did 3-D ultrasounds there and the tech told me they did and ended up giving me a bunch of 2D and 3D pictures! What a nice and unexpected surprise!

Dr. Weinbaum was very nice and personable and didn't state any concerns. He wants to see me for another ultrasound at 32 weeks because they recommend seeing all of their "older" patients for a 32 week scan. I then specifically asked him if everything looked good and he said it did. I also asked if the amniotic fluid, the placenta and my cervix were ok and he said they were. All in all, a very good day!

3rd OB Appointment - 16w2d

Whew! I have managed to put four more weeks under my belt since my last regularly scheduled OB appointment and I am starting to feel as though I can exhale a bit more as each day passes. I met with Dr. Barbara Wells for yesterday's appointment. Let me tell you - she was fabulous! I want her to deliver this baby! She was cheerful and warm and really seemed to genuinely care about me and the baby. She even gave me a hug at the end of the appointment - what doctor does that? I told her about my doppler experience and she volunteered that I could come in to the office at any time I needed doppler re-assurance. Anyway, she answered all of my questions and even told me they were good questions (I was thankful for that feedback, even if she secretly believes I am a neurotic freak). When it came time to do the doppler check, she enthusiastically pointed out that she could see my uterus starting to show! She asked me to sit up, but then to lay back down because every time I sat up, it disappeared. Since I couldn't see it, she directed my hand to where it was so I could feel it. When we started to listen for the heartbeat, she got this big smile on her face and said, "don't you love that?!" There was Murtle's beautiful heartbeat again - beating away between 120 - 145 bpm. She told me that variance like that was normal and as long as the beats were in the right range, all was well, thank goodness! I then had my blood drawn for the AFP screening (which is to test for neural tube defects, i.e., Spina Bifida) and then went merrily on my way. Otherwise, my blood pressure was good and I had gained one pound since my last visit - but I'm still minus one pound since getting pregnant. That's ok - hopefully it just means there will be less to lose after giving birth! I suppose it's to be expected that I still haven't gained much weight considering my nausea has still been persisting. At least food doesn't completely turn me off anymore, but it's still not overly appetizing. Hopefully this nausea will pass soon because I miss having an appetite and loving food.

Oh, and I must confess about a second home doppler experience...The evening before my appointment, my husband asked (and in a surprisingly non-joking manner) if we wanted to get the doppler out. My first response was to ask him if he were nuts considering our first experience, but since he seemed to be genuinely interested in hearing the baby's heartbeat (and his expressing baby initiative has been few and far between), I had to cave in! I kept reminding myself that chances were good we wouldn't be able to hear it, so don't freak out...and I have an appointment the next morning, anyway. Anyway, I put the headphones on him and I moved the probe around my whole stomach. It took a few minutes, but we were actually able to find a much faster heartbeat this time! What a beautiful sound! I asked him to count the beats based on a digitial clock, only to find that the heart rate seemed to be going at over 200 bpm! I tried to tell myself that we just miscounted somehow, but I couldn't help but worry that the baby was in distress. :) If it's not one thing, it's something else... Rationally, I knew that all was ok, but well, you know...