So, my hCG level on Jan. 20th was 2076, then 4500 on Jan. 22, then 14918 on Jan. 26th, so we then scheduled a repeat ultrasound for January 29th. I was even more excited for this appointment than for the first one, knowing I would actually get to see our baby! After the standard questions from the nurse (why do I have to keep giving the date of my last period EVERY TIME I GO - it hasn't changed!) I saw my OB/GYN and we did another transvaginal ultrasound - no more comfortable than the first, but this time I was too excited to care. She very quickly found my uterus and the baby!!!!! It just looked like a white blob, but sure enough, it was there! The baby was measuring 6 weeks exactly, a few days behind what I had estimated, but certainly within reason since we didn't know exactly which day we had conceived. Then, the most exciting part of all, I GOT TO SEE THE BABY'S HEARTBEAT!!!!!! It looked like a little light turning on and off - so cute and amazing! She tried to listen for it, but we couldn't hear it - just a little bit too early.
Before I left, I scheduled an appointment with a nurse to go over pregnancy do's and don'ts, and to take my/Andrew's/our family's medical history, and also our next appointment with my OB/GYN, when I'll be about 10 weeks along.
Of course, after leaving the doctor's office I called Andrew, and my mom, and several other good friends and told them just how amazing this day was - I can't wait to finally hear the heartbeat, and actually see our baby instead of just a white blob!
Friday, January 29, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
First OB/GYN Appointment
The day after we found out, I called my doctor's office to get scheduled for an appointment to confirm the pregnancy and get checked out. The earliest they could see me (that would also keep me from having to take time off work!) was Jan. 20, so I scheduled my appointment for that afternoon.
After work, I headed over to the doctor's office, waited in line FOREVER, and then waited a little longer before my name was called. I went back, the nurse took some basic information, and then I saw my regular OB/GYN, who is a Nurse Practitioner. We talked a little bit about a few pregnancy-related things, and then she did a transvaginal ultrasound - NOT the most comfortable thing in the world! It was so weird to see the inside of my body on the screen, and I kept watching and watching for our baby to pop up on that screen! (I think at the time I had no concept of exactly what a baby looks like at 5 weeks, the distance along I estimated I was based on my last period!) Finally, she saw what looked liked a little black ball on the screen - the amniotic sac! At this point, she couldn't see anything else, it was just too soon. She decided to send me to have labwork done to check my hCG (pregnancy hormone) levels. The labwork would be repeated every few days until my level reached 7000, at which point I would come back in for a repeat ultrasound.
So, this appointment turned out to be kind of a let-down, because we couldn't really see much, and I left with a diagnosis of "unconfirmed pregnancy" but I couldn't wait to watch my levels rise over the next few days and go back in to see our baby again!
After work, I headed over to the doctor's office, waited in line FOREVER, and then waited a little longer before my name was called. I went back, the nurse took some basic information, and then I saw my regular OB/GYN, who is a Nurse Practitioner. We talked a little bit about a few pregnancy-related things, and then she did a transvaginal ultrasound - NOT the most comfortable thing in the world! It was so weird to see the inside of my body on the screen, and I kept watching and watching for our baby to pop up on that screen! (I think at the time I had no concept of exactly what a baby looks like at 5 weeks, the distance along I estimated I was based on my last period!) Finally, she saw what looked liked a little black ball on the screen - the amniotic sac! At this point, she couldn't see anything else, it was just too soon. She decided to send me to have labwork done to check my hCG (pregnancy hormone) levels. The labwork would be repeated every few days until my level reached 7000, at which point I would come back in for a repeat ultrasound.
So, this appointment turned out to be kind of a let-down, because we couldn't really see much, and I left with a diagnosis of "unconfirmed pregnancy" but I couldn't wait to watch my levels rise over the next few days and go back in to see our baby again!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
The Day We Found Out
In December of 2009, when my current birth control prescription was running out, Andrew and I decided to start trying to get pregnant. We had read that it can easily take 6 months, especially after coming off the pill, so we just assumed it would at least take a few months to conceive.
The next month, when I was late, we figured it was just because I had gotten off the pill and my cycles would have to get straightened out. But at the back of my mind, I kept thinking that I could be pregnant. I was noticing that I had to pee more often, but didn't really think much of it - after all, we had just started trying! After 2 days of waiting, I decided to pick up a home pregnancy test (and some prenatal vitamins!) at CVS, so that I would have a definitive answer. During this time, I was stage managing The Stephen Schwartz Project for MTC, and stopped at CVS on my way to rehearsal.
I had a few extra minutes before I had to be there, so I called to see if Andrew was home and wanted me to stop by to take the test. After arriving home, I ripping open the box, read all the directions, and ran to the bathroom. Now, I've always hated giving urine samples at the doctor's, and this wasn't much better, but at least I had something to look foward to! (Although, at the time, I still thought there was no way I could really be pregnant!) Almost immediately, the plus sign showed up (although VERY faintly) and I was in shock! I came out and showed Andrew, and we hugged and kissed, and said how excited we both were and how we couldn't believe it! We then called my parents, and they were ecstatic!!!!! I only wish they had been here in person to get the great news!
A week or so later he told his parents, who told his sister, and I told my brother, all of whom were very excited for us! We each told a few co-workers and close friends, and are waiting until the end of the first trimester to tell the rest of the world - this is the biggest secret I've ever had to keep, and it's so hard!!!!!
The next month, when I was late, we figured it was just because I had gotten off the pill and my cycles would have to get straightened out. But at the back of my mind, I kept thinking that I could be pregnant. I was noticing that I had to pee more often, but didn't really think much of it - after all, we had just started trying! After 2 days of waiting, I decided to pick up a home pregnancy test (and some prenatal vitamins!) at CVS, so that I would have a definitive answer. During this time, I was stage managing The Stephen Schwartz Project for MTC, and stopped at CVS on my way to rehearsal.
I had a few extra minutes before I had to be there, so I called to see if Andrew was home and wanted me to stop by to take the test. After arriving home, I ripping open the box, read all the directions, and ran to the bathroom. Now, I've always hated giving urine samples at the doctor's, and this wasn't much better, but at least I had something to look foward to! (Although, at the time, I still thought there was no way I could really be pregnant!) Almost immediately, the plus sign showed up (although VERY faintly) and I was in shock! I came out and showed Andrew, and we hugged and kissed, and said how excited we both were and how we couldn't believe it! We then called my parents, and they were ecstatic!!!!! I only wish they had been here in person to get the great news!
A week or so later he told his parents, who told his sister, and I told my brother, all of whom were very excited for us! We each told a few co-workers and close friends, and are waiting until the end of the first trimester to tell the rest of the world - this is the biggest secret I've ever had to keep, and it's so hard!!!!!
Friday, January 1, 2010
Welcome!
Ok, so I haven't really blogged since high school/college, and those blogs were much more "Dear diary" than I hope this blog turns out to be!
Basically, I'm starting this blog to keep track of my first pregnancy, and then to post pictures and write about our adventures with our new baby. I don't know how often I'll actually update it, but hopefully I can make myself keep up with it somewhat!
Basically, I'm starting this blog to keep track of my first pregnancy, and then to post pictures and write about our adventures with our new baby. I don't know how often I'll actually update it, but hopefully I can make myself keep up with it somewhat!
(These first few posts are back-dated, as I'm getting started about 8 weeks into this pregnancy, but I wanted to record the dates everything actually happened.)
Enjoy!
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