a whole year since getting pregnant! (conception reflections)

[spiraldancer]

Wow - seems like the time has really just flown by in some ways, yet in others it has been a very full year indeed . . .

I can't believe it was this time last year that I was just beginning to suspect that I was pregnant. We were on a family vacation in Costa Rica with our kids - dh was supposed to bring the condoms but forgot to pack them and we took a chance w/o them in the heat of a quiet moment, lol! Later he was embarrassed but had to buy them at the little corner store near our rented house in a tiny village, and bought "XL" by mistake - I said he was just trying to impress the ladies at the checkout, ha ha! Little did we know it was too late for contraceptives anyways, a little surfer had caught a wave and was heading our way! I had no idea I was pregnant for the first week or two, but now that I look back, I remember floating in the waves and watching the full moon rise and feeling a really magical, peaceful sensation. Also how good coca cola tasted - and I don't usually like coke! Anyway, I'll always remember the lovely warm ocean and flowery, tropical heat when I think of how our "surprise" babe joined the family.

Anyone else have a conception story to share?

[Starfish11]

Oh this is so timely We have been waxing nostalgia the past few days as we know exactly when things happen.

We were in Atlanta visiting family. We'd DTD on March 17 while still in BMore. I thought at that point that I hadn't gotten pregnant that month b/c I didn't think that I had ovulated. On Thursday, March 20 we went to this lovely place for dinner with my dad and stepmom. I had a pretty strong cocktail b/c, again, I didn't think anything had happened.

In the middle of the night I woke up sick as a dog. This was highly unusual. I was sick sick sick that whole day. I mustered up the energy to go the Georgia Aquarium but was pretty miserable for the bulk of the day and then weekend. My fever was skyrocketing (103) and I could not keep any food down.

I finally took liquid opium that my uncle's doctor prescribed to me so I could calm my stomach enough to fly home.

That next weekend we went hiking and I was terribly out of breath and felt just really unable to keep up with DH and dogs. On April 1 (my bday) I took the test and realized why I had been so sick! I think my body was purging itself.

We go back to ATlanta in a few weeks and will head to the GA Aquarium again. This time our sweet girl will be earthbound as opposed to wombbound :::

Some folks think we are crazy but I really knew Iwas pregnant. In fact, we then figured out we were having a girl based on when conception must have happened.

[ChesapeakeBorn]

Oh, I've been thinking about this so much lately! It was DH's birthday weekend, April 5th and 6th. We had just had another loss in March, but we threw caution to the wind and had a wonderfully romantic weekend. I tested + 10 days later, but we prepared ourselves for the likelihood that we would lose this one too. Yet my numbers (hCG) kept rising and rising! This little guy was a survivor. A few weeks later I started hemorrhaging and so began the bedrest saga, where I remained until November. It is so amazing he survived it all. And here he is, almost a year later. I still can hardly believe it.

So, DS was DH's birthday present AND Christmas present, !

[hollyvangogh]

Originally Posted by spiraldancer

Also how good coca cola tasted - and I don't usually like coke!

Not to spoil the magic but...

In some places (like Mexico, so perhaps Costa Ric as well) Coke is made with cane sugar instead of HFCS and reportedly tastes much better. So maybe that's why you liked it?



My story involves April Fool's Day. DH and I were TTC. And on April 1st I told him I was pregnant (even though it was too early to even test). I didn't think he'd fall for it. But he did. Of course...turned out that the joke was on me! We really were going to have a baby!

[jenniferadurham]

Today is actually the day that I was the most fertile. We DTD REALLY quickly before we left to have a Easter egg hunt/party at a family friends house. We had only been married for 1 week! lol Guess we didn't have to try as hard as we thought we did! I remember a couple of weeks later that something was off kilter. I was starving, went to go eat something but lost my interest after half of my meal. We went to the zoo with my preg SIL and I remember keeping up with her and her potty visits. I was 'alarmed' that I could go as much as her. lol I knew something was up. Took a test on April 14th and BFP! Then I wrapped up the 3 tests , like a gift and gave it to my DH when he got home. The BEST thing that has ever happened to me. Well other than my first born lol.

[Funny Face]

Dh and I were talking about this just the other day! We were both on spring break and it was pretty much the only real time we'd had to dtd. Bingo! It worked!

Seeing that BFP 10 days later was one of the very happiest moments in my life thus far!:

[quantumleap]

We've been thinking about this a lot recently too. I just ca't believe how incerdibly blessed we are and how amazing the whole thing is. Our "conception date" is the 29th, but about a year ago, I was stumbling on to a plane to come back to my dp. I was devastated, but also a bit relieved. I was coming back from our known donor, and our last try before we threw in the towel on the whole pregnancy thing and sent off our completed homestudy, etc to our adoption agency. We live quite far from where our donor lives, and with flights, etc, it was always just based on a best guess for dates (I was always super, super regular) and I would arrange to stay for 3-4 days. Of course, this time, I didn't even ovulate. I remember getting out of the car and whispering so sadly to my friend, "It's not going to work, I haven't even ovulated yet!"
Of course, those sperm were off the hardy variety, and the one that would be dd hung out for 6 or 7 days (!!!!!) waiting for that lovely little egg. I had already processed that it just wasn't going to happen, after three years of infertility, loss, and failed ART, so I was completely clueless when my nipples became the most sensitive things I had ever experienced.

I like the CR story - I think it's neat when there's a touch of magic to the outside environment too, when a new little person comes into being.

[avivaelona]

Right after Passover last year, and four glasses of wine, I got that positive. Passover varies a bit so its a little later this year. But still I think bringing out the Haggadahs will always bring back that memory.

[Biscuits & Gravy]

How funny. I haven't thought about this in a while. We were out one night with friends for a trivia night. DS was spending the night with my mom. I had a few beers. We had an empty house when we got home, and you can figure out how the rest of the story goes.

The crazy thing is that it took almost 2 yrs to conceive DS1. Getting pg for the second time was totally different. I got pg during our first month of ttc, but miscarried. 2 cycles later I got pg again. We were shocked that it could happen twice in 3 cycles considering how long it took the first time.

[Phoenix~Mama]

You know it didn't even dawn on me that it has been a year til I saw this thread. SO crazy... I was having issues last year thinking I couldn't get pregnant cause I just stopped ovulating. DH and I actually had the talk to put TTC on hold til we really figure out what was wrong the weekend I found out I was pregnant. lol

How quickly time flies...

[phatchristy]

Both DH and I have VERY good memories about DS's conception.

It's kind of funny in a way, like the universe 'ok'd' DH's decision to have a fourth. I was definitely more sure than he was. However, he was the one who wound up catching DS in an unexpected UC and DS looks nearly identical to him. Just so funny! To the point where even the other day at the ped office the ped said, 'wow, I can't get over how much he looks like your husband'. And, he does. Irony being our other son looks nearly identical to me!

[spiraldancer]

Thanks for sharing, everybody! It's so amazing to read everyone's stories and think about all the unique circumstances that lead to our dear LO's arriving into our lives. I've often thought about the long succession of flukes and miracles that have lead to each of us being here - all the love stories of our ancestors stretching through time to this present moment. And how those stories lead into the unknown future - who our babes will grow into, the lives they will lead, the loves (and future grandkids!) that will come. I'm so grateful to be part of this great lineage of love stories, conception stories and birth stories, and to share it with such kind, wise women like all of you!

btw, holly, I think you're right about the cane sugar in the coca cola - they even covered the roads down there with fresh molasses one night to keep the dust down!

phatchristy, it's funny, but dh really didn't think he wanted a third but ds2 looks so much like him and dh seems so tickled to be a dad again, too. I remember reading your amazing uc birth story - very inspiring. isn't it funny how things work out?

and selkat, how wonderful that all those years of trying finally worked! what courage and strength you have - I'm so happy for you.

sad to think, though, that our time as a group is almost done. it's been fun, and a real source of comfort and company through this wonder-filled year. thank you ladies so much and many blessings to all of you and your lovely families. see you in life with a babe, maybe?

and if anyone else still has a conception story to share, jump right in . . .

[leavemealone]

My chart/temps still say I didn't ovulate last March. My temps bounced around a lot in the second half of the month so I also figured I didn't ovulate that month. I know I didn't get pregnant in April so it had to have been in March. I didn't even find out I was pregnant until late April. The baby wasn't planned, but he sure is a nice surprise.

[namistenicole]

DH and I had been talking about not having another baby for about 5 years, meaning we were pretty sure we only wanted one. But the subject would come up every so often. Mostly by me. Last winter DH and I had the opportunity to ski together every tuesday afternoon, alone. It was great. Apparently DH had been thinking about having another so we talked about it over about a week or two during our ski dates. We decided to go for it, in this giddy conversation that was 1/2 excitement 1/2 sheer terror. So I started charting about a week before I ovulated, and voila! Baby Lucia. It's been really healing and wonderful doing this a second time. Thank you all so very very much for being a part of it. xoxoxoxo