I was worried that I wouldn't have a chance to post until next week (W and I are headed out for our first "summer" 3-day weekend - we were given a generous wedding present -- a long weekend at a family friend's house on the Vineyard), but here we are waiting in line at the ferry terminal and low and behold - FREE WIFI -- I feel like a yuppy already :)
Anyways -- without further ado - let me introduce the peanut -- cute, right? ha ha (I sent the picture to my parents, my dad immediately emailed back "Sweetie, how exciting, it looks just like you" -- good one, dad....
Anyways, the picture is exciting and all but the appointment was pretty horrible. First the tech used the over-the-belly wand. She took like 100 pictures of my left/right ovaries and kept staying things like "well, there's the uterus" "there's the sack," "it doesn't look like there is much in there" - to which W and I began to have a panic attack. After asking for the 3rd time if I had had any bleeding (NO!) she decided to do the vaginal wand. So I stripped down and we tried again. Again, the question of bleeding (the answer was still, surprisingly, no) but finally found the little blob and the blinking heart beat...it was nerve-wracking to say the LEAST. And even after she printed out the photos and sent us on our way to see the doctor, we were both shacking with worry.
Flash-forward 2 hours -- we finally get to see Dr. G, who looks at the snapshot we brought and does a little jig. It was cute, but we still weren't convinced. We had spent the last 2 hours in a complete anxiety coma and talking ourselves into being "ok" that we had made it this far, and now Dr. G looks at this horribly grainy photo and pronounces us "ok" -- No way, buster, we need more info.
So, we wait while he gives the ultrasound clinic a call, and I guess in 45 seconds they are able to relay the key results from the 200 photos and measurements taken (??) - Key findings: The heart beat looked good and its measuring in at 6 weeks, exactly. With that Dr. G turns to us with a big grin..."its fun when we have "spontaneous" ovulation, because dating the due date is always so exciting" -- WHAT? Ok, well whatever, at least all is "normal." And for the record that smug fertility friend was right, I ovulated 3 days after I had originally thought (as the cross hairs indicated) - I guess live sperm really does live for at least 72 hours! Sadly, that means we "lost" the hard-earned 3days of 6weeks3days, and have to tack on some additional hours of early-pregnancy waiting.
In other worry-wart news (when did I become this person?), I told Dr. G that I am still having a lot of on-and-off dull cramping (gas and dull-period-like-cramping), dull lower-back pain and haven't experienced any morning sickness. I have been having strong food aversions and am exhausted, but my odd symptoms still worry me. He seemed fine with those symptoms - "some women cramp their entire first trimester as the uterus grows" and "count yourself lucky you aren't puking". But I can't help myself, now that I have turned into a nervous-nelly, I would love your feedback too. Anyone else have the same experience? I thought cramping = BAD and nausea = GOOD?
Regardless, blood tests were taken and we are told to make an hour-long appointment for next week to go over "all the details" -- and then..we wait until 11 weeks for our next check-up. Is that normal? No more visits between 7 and 11 weeks? I'm not usually one for an overly-medical approach, but really, that's all?
Thankfully, we are off for a relaxing weekend of beach-reading and walks - hopefully I can get some rest and start to be more upbeat about all of this!
You have a heartbeat! Yaaaaaaayyyyy!!!!!
ReplyDeleteMan, seriously - what the F&#@ is up with people's delivery?! "It doesn't look like there's much in there"?!?!?! COME ON! Don't say that to a pregnant lady on her first ultrasound unless you're SURE! I probably would have thrown up if someone told me that.
But...you have a heartbeat! And yes, it's plenty normal to not have another appt for a few weeks - you're just used to reading about these high-intervention ladies at the TTC blogs. (All of Rose's family wondered if I'd had my first ultrasound yet at 12 weeks, and when I said I'd already had 3, they were like, "what's wrong, are you high risk, is something wrong?" Nope, we just like our ultrasounds, thanks!)
YES!! heartbeat at 6 weeks is awesome :) Congratulations.
ReplyDeleteAs soon as I got the positive beta, I also became "that person"- I think that's totally normally.
Also, I did not even have VAGUE or SLIGHT nausea-- nor food aversions-- until I was about 10 weeks-- and then it was only a single bout of subway-induced general barfiness that went away. I have only had a couple of moments of queasiness since. My only 1st-trimenter symptoms were 1) ravenous hunger at all hours; and 2) occasional someone-must-have-slipped-me-a-roofie tiredeness. Of course I worried every minute that I wasn't "really" pregnant. But here I am...still pregnant and going on 14 weeks.
Fewer ultrasounds may be disconcerting but this also means you have no risk factors to warrant the extra attention. Also, odds are overwhelming that if something goes wrong you will know it. Odds are also that nothing will go wrong.
Congratulations :()
Hooray for hearbeats! Boo for health professionals and their crap delivery. Sensitivity training, please! ;) That's a cute little peanut you've got there!
ReplyDeleteWe had to wait until today for my first midwife appointment (after seeing a doctor about three weeks ago and having the pregnancy confirmed), she asked me when my last period was, said 'oh, you're probably nine weeks plus then' (we'd figured it at about nine or ten), and said she'd come do a home visit in a week's time. No tests, no scan appointment yet or anything. She said that'd all be sorted out next week.
ReplyDeleteSo, be glad you've had a scan already! :)
Oh, and I've been feeling queasy, dizzy and crampy for the last month! The cramps were really frightening at first but trust me, it's possible to still have them and it not be a bad thing.
-ryuk
My experience has been pretty close to Schroe's as well. Hunger, tiredness, and then more hunger. I also experienced cramping for many weeks. The Docs said this was perfectly normal. No sickness for me either, none, zip, zilch. I'm 14 weeks tomorrow and the babe looks great. :) Enjoy the good luck!
ReplyDeleteI think the worry comes hand in hand with the pregnancy! However, know that everything you've described so far is perfectly normal.
Plus - getting a good heartbeat at 6 weeks is supposed to be a very good sign. :) Congrats on your first pic!
Congrats! I am sorry the ultrasound was so terror-inducing.
ReplyDeleteYou are having pregnancy signs - your uterus is cramping with growth. With my first pregnancy I had strong uterine cramping feelings until 8 weeks or so. Just as it stopped the nausea set in. I am sure you will develop your own pattern of discomfort unique to you.
Congrats on the strong heartbeat! I think some of these techs need some classes in sensitivity! Dont blame you for being worried. However, I think that you are fine and will be fine. Listen to the ladies in this community. They have some gems of wisdom. Enjoy these moments and enjoy your getaway :)
ReplyDeleteLovely pic!
ReplyDeleteCramping is a normal symptom of pregnancy - I had it through most of the first trimester, sometimes quite strong. I freaked out but was reassured it was normal - by doctors, midwives, and people who'd been pregnant before. As I asked around, I didn't find one woman who hadn't had cramping. We were even told some people have it their entire pregnancy - around when their period would have come.
As for the appointments, yes, there are very few in early to mid pregnancy. A bit shocking for people who have had to seek any sort of fertility treatment, since you go from lots of appointments to one to long stretches of time!!
Awesome that you had a heartbeat! That's pretty thrilling, I'm sure.
ReplyDelete