PG after Infertility/Loss - Page 3

[*violet*]

Originally Posted by bemommy

I have my appointment with my OB this Thursday (I'll be 10w). I'm beginning to worry a bit. What if we don't hear a heartbeat? Or if the heartbeat is wonky?

It's crazy the stuff we put ourselves through. I need to just relax.

My first appointment is next week and I'll be just a bit past 10 weeks too. I am thinking about, if the m/w can't find the heartbeat, if I can get a referral to the hospital for an ultrasound. I know I can't wait for four more weeks until the next appointment to know that everything is okay.

[majorsky]

I had a u/s today and the OB didn't find a heartbeat... it measured 5w6d, about two days less than my chart says it is. Not a good sign. I scheduled a followup appointment in two weeks to have another u/s done. Things could go either way at this point, but I'm going to prepare myself for the worst.

Kristin

[songbird45]

oh no! the next two weeks are going to be the longest ever, aren't they. I hope it was just early and they can find it next time. try not to think about it too much.

[veganmama719]

Kristin, I thought they couldn't see a heart beat until at least 6.5 weeks?
And 2 days off is totally within "normal" parameters. I knew for sure the day DS was conceived and my 11 wek u/s put him at 9 days "ahead".

I know it is very hard to wait for your next u/s. But really I think it was awfully early for them to see the HB. The entire baby is only the size of a grain of rice at 6 weeks.

I am thinking of you mama!

[majorsky]

Originally Posted by veganmama719

Kristin, I thought they couldn't see a heart beat until at least 6.5 weeks?

Typically, the heartbeat often shows up sometime between 5 to 6 weeks... with my first PG, we could see the heartbeat about 6 weeks. By my chart, I'm 6w1d.

I realize that things could still be OK, but with my IF history I prefer to be happily surprised than taken off guard and devastated.

Kristin

[mamaveggie]

Originally Posted by bemommy

I have my appointment with my OB this Thursday (I'll be 10w). I'm beginning to worry a bit. What if we don't hear a heartbeat? Or if the heartbeat is wonky?

It's crazy the stuff we put ourselves through. I need to just relax.

This happened to me at the 1st appointment fro dd2. She tried with the doppler for about 5 minutes with no luck and I resigned myself to having had another m/c. She went and wheeled in a portable u/s machine and we got a look at our little one with the heartbeat booming away. I was about to throw up and I had already started to cry.

[Seedlings]

Hi, does anyone mind if I pop in here once in a while. I really need an understanding support group.

I stuggled with infertiility with all of my kids. But this time I went thru a lot, Clomid, iui's, and ivf's. Amazingly my 3rd ivf worked. I am so thankful to be here and am 5w 1d and due 08/04/09. I had my first ultrasound today and I have 1 precious baby growing inside.

[chrissy]

Originally Posted by majorsky

Typically, the heartbeat often shows up sometime between 5 to 6 weeks... with my first PG, we could see the heartbeat about 6 weeks. By my chart, I'm 6w1d.

I realize that things could still be OK, but with my IF history I prefer to be happily surprised than taken off guard and devastated.

Kristin

I understand what you're saying, but I still have to tell you my story .

I had 2 full term pregnancies, and then 2 miscarriages. My first miscarriage I miscarried at 8.5 weeks. I had already seen a heartbeat on u/s (somewhere around 6.5 weeks), but still I miscarried. Then I had another m/c, although this time I was basically already bleeding when the OB confirmed the pregnancy. When I got pregnant again, I decided that I would stick with the OB just until I saw the heartbeat (not sure why I thought this would calm me anyway, since I had m/c'ed once after seeing a heartbeat, but anyway....) As soon as I got pregnant, I went in for a beta. It was great. Did another one a couple days later, and it was awesome, more than doubling. They said normally they would do a few more, but since mine were so great, we'd do an u/s in a few days b/c with my numbers they'd certainly be able to see a heartbeat by then. So, I think I was 6 weeks give or take when I went in for the u/s. I was feeling really confident but just wanted one last outside assurance before I left the medical stuff behind and went back to my midwife. Well, what do you know, they did NOT see a heartbeat. I was SO freaked out. At first I was sure that I was miscarrying. But then I went home and decided to go back to trusting in my heart and my intuition. An ultrasound at that stage was not going to tell me what would happen. Even if I had seen a heartbeat, it wouldn't have assured me that baby's heart would still have been beating later on that day, or next week. I decided that, for me, I had to stop looking for assurance in the doctor's office, because they couldn't give me that. I didn't go back. And everything was fine. I did end up renting a doppler and found my baby's heartbeat on that around 10 weeks or so. And now that baby is 18 months old and a crazy, wild toddler.

Anyway, that was a lot of talking but I just wanted to share my experience with you. I hope that's okay.

[songbird45]

Originally Posted by Seedlings

Hi, does anyone mind if I pop in here once in a while. I really need an understanding support group.

I stuggled with infertiility with all of my kids. But this time I went thru a lot, Clomid, iui's, and ivf's. Amazingly my 3rd ivf worked. I am so thankful to be here and am 5w 1d and due 08/04/09. I had my first ultrasound today and I have 1 precious baby growing inside.

Absolutely! Congratulations on your pregnancy!

Personally, I'm getting very impatient for my next appointment! It's not for another two weeks, and I'll be 10w6d at that point. I really hope we can hear a heartbeat. I'm nervous, and more than ready to get confirmation that the little one is still growing.

[Dalene]

Hi ladies. I saw one tiny little heartbeat earlier this week...measuring right on track at 7w1d. I hope everyone is doing well.

[Mama_Michelle]

Originally Posted by Dalene

I saw one tiny little heartbeat earlier this week...measuring right on track at 7w1d.

:::: That is wonderful! Congrats to all the mamas who heard heartbeats.

[Pavlovs]

I've been mostly lurking around here because my last 2 pregnancies ended so early. It's so hard to get excited about being pregnant when you have memories of them ending without a baby.

But yesterday I had an ultrasound at 8.5 weeks and saw that wonderful heartbeat. I'm much more excited now, even though I am still afraid to get too attached to the idea of having this baby stick. In my heart I feel really good - different than my other 2 pregnancies. I knew something was wrong early on, but this time around, at least up until now, I feel like I am growing a healthy baby. I think by my next OB appointment in January I'll be out of the woods and at a point where I can truly appreciate my pregnancy. Maybe I'll be physically feeling better, too - that'll be a bonus!

[veganmama719]

Wow, congratulations to all the new posters and everyone who has seen that beautiful HB.
My viability u/s is on Monday at 7w2d. I will be shaking like a leaf since my last few u/s have been terrible (losses in Feb and Aug).

[shantiani]

Dalene- I'm so happy for you!!!!! That's great

Pavlovs- Welcome I've had a series of early losses too and it really does make it harder to believe that this pregnancy is real. But a heartbeat at 8.5 weeks is a HUGE deal!

I don't know if everyone else is as much of a data hound as I am, but I found this paper about recurring miscarriages really reassuring: http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/cgi...ull/14/11/2868
Even though we tend to think of m/c as happening all throughout the 1st trimester, in this study they did u/s's every week (or more at the beginning) and they found that almost all "failures" actually happen right around 7 weeks (but since the m/c's themselves are often delayed and people don't know when development stopped, that skews data for the general population). So.... to have a viable baby at 8 weeks means your chance of m/c went from 22% to 2%!
I'm a little disappointed that my doctor wanted to do my viability u/s so early (6 wks) because I would have loved to have known I was past the 7 wk threshold, BUT..... this study also says that out of their group of 222, 25% of which ended up having m/c, only 3% of those m/c occurred "following detection of fetal cardiac activity". (I figured out what that meant for me... being 32, having 3 m/c's, and seeing a heartbeat at 6wks.... my chances of m/c went from 27% to 5%. I know, I'm a dork, I find comfort in numbers )

Sooooo, that is my very long winded way of saying... seeing a heartbeat is an absolutely huge deal and congrats to everyone who has seen one

And speaking of .... veganmama, tell us as soon as you see yours on Monday! :

[Pavlovs]

Thanks for that info Shantiani! My doc actually told me the same thing - he said that there was really a 98% chance that my little bean would stick at this point (8.5 weeks) and he had every reason to think I'd carry into the second trimester. It helps to have actual research to see (although, as much as I dislike doctors, I really like my OB and trust him). I go back and forth with getting attached to this pregnancy and reminding myself how painful a m/c would be at this point. It's good to know that so far I've beaten the odds, even for an old lady of 38!

[Seedlings]

veganmama719 ~ Hope your doing well and in a peaceful place. I am praying that tomorrows u/s goes very well. I too have an u/s tomorrow and they want to find the heartbeat. I am really trying to stay positive but still feel nervous. I am just in serenity now, be at peace mode. Prayers for both of us.

[shantiani]

Ok, I'm having a little bit of a panic attack over here. I've been feeling so good about everything, but this week I'm SCARED :
Not for any good reason.... my symptoms haven't changed (they are just so mild and subjective it's hard to gauge).
It's just that I keep thinking... I'm at the terrible week 7! The week when things go wrong most often! And I have no way to know if everything is ok!!!!

I go to my MW next Monday, but she won't know anything either.... my first preg stopped at 6-7 weeks, but we had no idea at my 8 wk appt (the size of my uterus and everything seemed normal for 8 wks) and it wasn't until we didn't hear a hb at 10 weeks that I had an u/s to confirm. And the m/c didn't even happen until 12.5 wks. So I just keep having these moments where I think.... I have no idea what's going on in there. And I may not know anything for months! (I'm leaving town from wk 9-13, so not even a hb until after that).

I should have convinced my doc to give me the u/s next week instead of at 6wks like she wanted. Ugh. I was feeling so good that I thought I was going to slide right through this trimester without freaking out too much. But here it is. Me. Freaking. Out.

Thanks for listening

[Pavlovs]

The first trimester is such a worrying time, even for the sanest of us! Keep positive thoughts and try to have fun while you're out of town.

[songbird45]

I'm sorry you're so worried! Try to remember the stats you posted before, and also remember - even if something is wrong, there's nothing you can do but wait... you might as well try to enjoy being pg in the meantime (I know, easier said than done.)

One week till my appointment... I so hope we hear a heartbeat...

[chrissy]

Originally Posted by shantiani

Ok, I'm having a little bit of a panic attack over here. I've been feeling so good about everything, but this week I'm SCARED :
Not for any good reason.... my symptoms haven't changed (they are just so mild and subjective it's hard to gauge).
It's just that I keep thinking... I'm at the terrible week 7! The week when things go wrong most often! And I have no way to know if everything is ok!!!!

I go to my MW next Monday, but she won't know anything either.... my first preg stopped at 6-7 weeks, but we had no idea at my 8 wk appt (the size of my uterus and everything seemed normal for 8 wks) and it wasn't until we didn't hear a hb at 10 weeks that I had an u/s to confirm. And the m/c didn't even happen until 12.5 wks. So I just keep having these moments where I think.... I have no idea what's going on in there. And I may not know anything for months! (I'm leaving town from wk 9-13, so not even a hb until after that).

I should have convinced my doc to give me the u/s next week instead of at 6wks like she wanted. Ugh. I was feeling so good that I thought I was going to slide right through this trimester without freaking out too much. But here it is. Me. Freaking. Out.

Thanks for listening

I've been worrying a little bit today too. It is so hard to have this fear and no way to relieve it. But then, that is also kind of a way around it too. It doesn't work 100% for me, but I try to remember that I really have NO way of knowing right now if everything is okay or not. I can choose to spend this day freaking out and worrying or I can choose to try to relax and believe that everything is okay. It helps to tell myself over and over, "My body is strong and healthy. My baby is strong and healthy. We are fine." Now, it doesn't always work, but I'm trying.

I'm so sorry you're worrying.

veganmama719, how did your ultrasound go? thinking of you!