The first few months were like any others only with the addition of some charting and ovulation predictor tests. After the loss of my dad and Jeff’s granddad in Dec 2008 we were so shocked scared and excited to see our 1st positive pregnancy test late Jan 2009. Unfortunately this was a time of great stress with all that went on following my dad’s passing and the pregnancy didn’t last very long. We got back to trying but it seemed that things were changing. My cycles got super long and messed up so we consulted with the dr. It was found that I had several symptoms often related with PCOS (but never a diagnosis). On top of this was hypothyroidism that we had to keep under control.
At this point we began a few rounds of Clomid, a fertility drug to help with ovulation. This was more to get my cycles back on track than anything. As far as that was concerned it worked great. The downfall to beginning the medication was that I set myself up for disappointment. I was totally sure that a few rounds of Clomid and we would be pregnant. This wasn’t the case obviously. Cycle 1 in July we had ovulation detected but the following cycle nothing. We upped the dosage for cycle 3 in September and detected ovulation but once again the next cycle was nothing. It was very discouraging and emotional with each cycle that past. With Clomid it is usually only prescribed for 6 cycles in a row then a break is needed due to the toll it takes on your body. We chose to not do cycle 5 and 6 at that time since it was around the holidays and no point in the added stress.
So into 2010 we go and still nothing. It was very hard to deal with emotionally. At this point we decided to not do any more medication for a bit. We just weren’t in the right place to continue at that time. As much as we wanted baby #2, the stress we were putting on our selves was creating more issues that we had expected. For the sake of our own sanity and relationship it was time to back off. We really weren’t sure what other measures we were willing to take. We knew more options lay ahead but in early 2010 they were not an option for us due to the instability in my own emotional well being.
In March 2010 things changed. Christy and I began talks of training for a half marathon. I was ready to do something for me; to get my body in better shape and health. Secretly I just knew that if I committed to doing the half marathon that I would get pregnant during training and not be able to complete it. This wasn’t the case! We trained and trained and as the days past and race day neared, still nothing so on with the half I went! And I am so glad I did. The accomplishment of that race was phenomenal! It really helped with how I felt about myself. have done alot of things in my life but that journey with Christy to train for the half was remarkable.
During the training, especially the latter part, Jeff and I did a lot of talking about our next steps for baby #2. We were ready to go back to the dr and seek help once again. A week after the half marathon we were back on Clomid and really felt we were in a great place. Our treatment and testing became more aggressive, including testing for male infertility issues. Cycle 1 included mid cycle ultrasounds to check for follicle growth as did cycle 2 but still not the outcome we wanted. Cycle 3 was hectic with the holidays and travel but the dates worked out for follicle check and to discuss our 1st IUI on Jan 3rd. We had determined through more testing that the sperm were perhaps not surviving in a hostile environment. An IUI would bypass this and put the sperm exactly where they needed to be. Sounds crazy I know but if an IUI was the next step then we were ready. Unfortunately the ultrasound that day showed nothing but a ruptured cyst so that cycle was a bust. Not an ideal birthday present but we got through it.
Our 4th cycle began on Jan 19th and we couldn’t have been more ready. This one would prove to be much more intense but things fell into place just perfectly. This time we did a baseline ultrasound on Jan 20th which showed a large cyst. We had the option of shrinking the cyst using birth control pills and then trying the next month or going for it with the Clomid again and seeing how my body reacted. We went for it and upped the Clomid dosage and also changed it from days 3-7 to days 5-9. On Jan 25th I went in for an HSG test. Basically dye is injected into the uterus and tubes while xrays are taken to check for blockage. Thankfully this showed both tubes to be open with the right one being a little sluggish. This was all cleared out and all looked good. Feb 1st was our mid cycle follicle check. There were a few good sized follicles so I got the HCG trigger shot to force ovulation. We scheduled our IUI for the following day, Feb 2nd. We didn’t really know what to expect as this was our 1st IUI so we were kind of nervous but all went smooth!
I started testing out my trigger the following day. Basically the trigger shot is HCG which is the hormone that home pregnancy tests pick up. So after the shot you have a lot in your system so your test will be positive. The idea is that the tests get lighter as the shot leaves your system then if you get a positive result after that point it would most likely be a true result and not be from the trigger shot.
So every morning I tested and the lines began to fade. I went in for bloodwork on Feb 8th to check progesterone levels because we were going to do supplements just to be on the safe side but they are very expensive and insurance wouldn’t cover them. Thankfully my levels were normal so I just got a few samples from the office to get me through until the next bloodwork just in case.
I started feeling sick the following day and the next couple days were just blah and sinusy. My test lines were so light on Feb 9th and 10th that without straining to find them you wouldn’t even know a line was there. Then on Feb 11th it was a little darker. It was on this day that I decided not to run the half marathon scheduled for the 12th. It wasn’t worth pushing myself just in case. And when I tested on the 12th I was glad I didn’t run cause the line was darker. On the 13th and 14th it was still getting darker but the test on the morning of the 15th was the one where we just knew for sure it was real! The line was so dark and we were so excited!
I went in the morning of Feb 16th for my scheduled bloodwork. I got a call before lunch that my HCG level was 59 so we were pregnant! Of course I was nervous until I got the results from the bloodwork we did on Feb 18th. My levels that time were 132. They want them to double in 48-72 hours and mine had doubled in 41 hours so it was looking good. We were pregnant for sure and scheduled our 1st prenatal appointment and ultrasound for March 4th.
Part of the bloodwork on Fri tested my TSH (thyroid levels). They came back at 5.79. This is the high end of normal but they like to see it between 1-2. One thing I was soon to discover is that I had been taking my Synthroid wrong for the past 4 or 5 months. Each morning I would take it along with my prenatal vitamin, with a glass of milk. Well there are two things that can prevent your Synthroid from working, iron and calcium. Both of which I was taking with the meds. No wonder my levels are elevated.
On Feb 23rd I went to get a prescription to up my Synthroid a little and begin taking it the correct way in hopes of keeping my TSH levels in check. This will be something that we will be checking regularly as keeping this in check is very important to a healthy pregnancy for both mom and baby. Due to this thyroid issues we are in a higher risk category which leads to more appointments and more ultrasounds especially later on to make sure the baby grows as it should.
Then it was the long wait until the 1st ultrasound. Jeff took the day off and we took Matt with us so he could see the baby! It was the same u/s tech that had done my follicle checks the past few months so she was beyond excited! We saw the baby instantly when she put the wand on my belly! It was great. Being so early it could have been hit or miss as to what we could see. She also saw a shadow to the side and asked about twins which had us both speechless for a moment. We then did the transvaginal u/s and she says there is only 1 baby. (hopefully we don’t find out otherwise at any future ultrasounds! LOL) Matt was convinced there are 5 babies! Hehehe She zoomed in at one point and there was the heartbeat. How amazing on a thing so small, only millimeters long, that we could see the heartbeat. She measured it a couple times and it was 114. We measured right on time for what we expected. We were 6 weeks 2 days with a due date of Oct 26th! If we decide on a scheduled c-section it will probably be the week or so before. So looks like Matt and the baby will have very very close birthdays!
The funny part was that after the appointment we took Matt to get his haircut. He blurts out to the lady “Guess what? When our baby gets here I will be a big brother!” We knew then that we probably couldn’t keep this a secret much longer.
A cell phone snap of some of our pregnancy tests
A close up so you can see how great the test on the 15th looked!
Ultrasound pictures from 3/4 measuring 6 weeks 2 days
ultrasound pic from 3/18 measuring 8 weeks 2 days
Matt and his new big brother shirt!
