Thanks 2 sweetsparrows! I just got my beta numbers back: I was 255 on Saturday (13 DPO) and 697 today (15 DPO). I think that's pretty good?
Next step: I'm booked for an early ultrasound on Feb 6. It's so early because we're working with a fertility clinic, so they just want to check everything out.
Feeling pretty good so far. (I just opened my jeans but I know that's the progesterone making me bloated, and not anything else 
)
How's everyone else feeling?
Dandylez- that is good news about your betas! Yay!!
I'm feeling hopeful today. I think since it took us soooooo long to conceive I'm just so unbelieving and nervous. 5w 1d today and feeling mild nausea and fatigue all the time. DH is in the army and we've just moved to the Northern Virginia area so I'm in a new house and a new neighborhood with no friends around, yikes! It makes it easier for me to not spill the beans, though, kwim? This morning I brought DS to the local Marine base and found the gym there that has a co-op babysitting system so I'm very excited to get myself set up there and hopefully get some exercise in. I feel like I've looked about 4 months pregnant for the last three years and I DON'T want to let myself go (any further, lol) during this time of beautiful growth.
Hopefully everyone else is getting lots of rest and lovin!
Hey you all!
Thanks sparrows for the heads up about the EDD; I'll head over there next.
And thank you, carlin, for the conception due date calculator. I tried it using both ways, and it looks like my EDD is either Sept. 30th or Sept. 27th - but either way it should be close enough!
My biggest fears about parenting are:
1) never sleeping (I hope I don't become a jerk, I hope my DP and I won't be so tired and cranky that we fight, etc.)
2) never making it to my art studio (This is already a big change for me, as I have been recommended to avoid using my medium while pregnant - oil paint & encaustic - so I have to stick to nontoxic materials such as watercolors, drawing, etc. - very different for me!)
My biggest excitement around parenting is the love! (I love my friends' babies SO much, I just can't even imagine what it will be like to love my own baby! :)
I know our lives will change in many unexpected and expected ways... I feel I am ready for it! Here we go...riding the wave...
See you all soon!
Dandylez- great betas! That looks like some twin numbers- I get my info from betabase.info. If you don't mind me asking what treatment did you do? I am with a clinic as well- I was on a femera cycle with an Hcg trigger shot and timed i/c. I have my first u/s early as well on Feb 7th so we will be u/s buddies!
LibraryMo- a coop babysitting system- that is great. I was about to take a month off ttc and cleanse so I hear you on the exercise!
Planet- I have lost of the same fears-
Cleaning- I am sensetive about my environment but I hate cleaning- so I will have to systematize.
Sleep- I love sleep and am a jerk when woken up- that will have to change.
Health and safety- I am kind of a worrier- I hope I can cope with that when dealing with all the speed bumps of mothering.
Loss of freedom- me and dh are bff's we have been together for 7-8 years and have had freedom and spontinaety. Goodby beach fires at midnight - goodby movies- fancy dinners and adult conversation, impromptu protest marches. We'll have to figure out the family balance.
also excited about the love- family and those things that we don't have words for 
Hey Claire! Are you guys a military family? We're in Dumfries and have been using Quantico pretty regularly but I haven't really ventured anywhere else because I don't love this weather. Nice to "meet" you!
Dandylez- great betas! That looks like some twin numbers- I get my info from betabase.info. If you don't mind me asking what treatment did you do? I am with a clinic as well- I was on a femera cycle with an Hcg trigger shot and timed i/c. I have my first u/s early as well on Feb 7th so we will be u/s buddies!
LibraryMo- a coop babysitting system- that is great. I was about to take a month off ttc and cleanse so I hear you on the exercise!
Planet- I have lost of the same fears-
Cleaning- I am sensetive about my environment but I hate cleaning- so I will have to systematize.
Sleep- I love sleep and am a jerk when woken up- that will have to change.
Health and safety- I am kind of a worrier- I hope I can cope with that when dealing with all the speed bumps of mothering.
Loss of freedom- me and dh are bff's we have been together for 7-8 years and have had freedom and spontinaety. Goodby beach fires at midnight - goodby movies- fancy dinners and adult conversation, impromptu protest marches. We'll have to figure out the family balance.
also excited about the love- family and those things that we don't have words for
Twin betas? Really? That would be okay with us, but I wonder... I checked out the website you mentioned, and I see what you mean. Huh. I only had one follicle mature, so I don't know...
I did a clomid cycle (my first one). We triggered and did 2 IUIs at 24 and 36 hours post-trigger. We're a queer couple, so we used frozen sperm. (We had tried at home for several months last year with a known donor's sperm and it didn't take, so that's why we moved to the clinic.)
Woohoo for early u/s!! I'm excited for it. I know it will be too early to really see anything, and that it's mainly for the doctor's info, but it will be pretty cool.
Planet: I understand those fears. I worry about the lack of sleep, and my ability to function. I'll be stopping my dissertation work too when the baby comes, and a part of me worries about being able to get back into it.
Other worries:
Time management - I feel like I never have enough time as it is, so I worry about getting stuff done. I don't think I'll ever be a supermom, juggling 10 things successfully!
Breastfeeding - It's important to us that I breastfeed, but I have very sensitive bbs and nipples, so I worry about the pain, the cracking, and all of the other stuff that happens to women when they start bf-ing. I want to have the strength to hang in there even when it's hard. Our midwife is a LC so that gives me some faith.
Right now, my biggest fear is that our sticky bean won't stick. I had a dream the other night that I was bleeding and losing the pregnancy. It was awful! But I just have to embrace the pregnancy, come what may, and hope for the best.
Some of these fears are very familiar to me. I think my biggest fear, as mentioned upthread, is not getting enough sleep and being grouchy. I am normally quite happy, but when I haven't had enough sleep, I can be very irritable, which I hate but can't seem to manage well other than by napping! I am worried that with all the sleep I won't be getting, that irritability will become a more constant companion.
Another fear is forever having something to worry about. Elizabeth Stone said: "Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.” I am already disproportionately, given the risk, worried about miscarrying, and when there is a child here there will be exponentially more to worry about!
But it's not all fears. Mostly, I am beyond excited to become a mother and to fall in love with a human who was created by me and my wonderful husband. I get tingly just thinking about it! It is so unknown, but so very thrilling.
Dandylez- I have to give the disclaimer that I am super grateful for my dh and our situation for sure- but I always thought it would be fun to 'shop' for sperm- seems like a neat experience. You and your partner must be over the moon excited after trying different approaches. That is great that you have the flexibility to put your dissertation off for a bit. I am going to start a part time master's program when I have the babe- hopefully things will all sync up. I am soo sorry you had that dream- that is hard, try to shake it off and just enjoy what you know now- you are pregnant and have GREAT betas. I have anxiety issues too, just want the lil bean to stick with us, GO bean Go!!
LibraryMo- your DS is a little pumpkin cutie- I want to squeeze his cute little cheekees!!! Have you told him yet or are you going to wait?
Planteater- I like that quote- It kind of speaks to the fact that no matter if it is the little bean or baby or a teen, it is hard to always protect that which is your own heart. Thanks for that.
Happy Lunar New Year!!
Same here. Where are you in the process? I'll be lucky to have a chapter or two ready by September, and I know a baby is going to be waaay more interesting than a dissertation. And then just logistically, assuming I'm able to pick up after a semester off- I relocated about a month ago, so no personal support network for me aside from my husband, and we don't have any family here to help take care of a kid for a few hours, which seems like it would be the ideal for gathering thoughts and getting them down. Every other option also has its drawbacks, too- $$ for a babysitter, or just not losing my everloving mind if MIL came to stay for a month or more. I'm kind of at 'wait and see' (where else could we be, really?). Do you have an idea of when you'd potentially get back to it?
Welcome Hyde- when is your due date?
Hey Hyde: Before the pregnancy, the plan was to finish writing by December and defend in the Spring, but now I'll just do as much as I can before October, and then take a min. 6 mos. off before getting back to it part-time (at first). We had hoped to conceive earlier, but this is the way life happened, and it's all good! As you said, the baby is waaay more interesting! :)
2sweetsparrows: I've just encountered some information about early ultrasounds and their possible effects on the baby's growth / cell development (it was in my book on conception and getting pregant). I'm not sure why I'm scheduled for an early one (aside from the fact that it could just be standard practice for the clinic). Have you heard anything? Anyone else have information they can share? There's lots of scary information on the web, but I don't always trust that. Thoughts? 
(<-- This is my confused face!)
2sweetsparrows - thanks! He is super cute most of the time...but not so much at night! My DH is an angel and has been doing night-duty for the last few weeks. We keep telling him "you're going to be a big brother" and he nods and says "bug booah" but he has no idea what that means.
Dandylez - I have no information for you about early ultrasounds and their effects on fetal development, but I can tell you that google is not always the best resource. The ladies here can be, so I hope you get some good info to ease your mind.
Im trying to nap now that DS is down but there is a local dog barking his head off and I wish I knew which house it was coming from because it's making me nuts. Not only can I not nap, but if it wakes DS I might lose it. I need this time to relax and not run after a 23 month old, ahhhh!
Dandy and Library- ya know, my dh is a Radio Frequency Engineer and he always convinces me that there is no problem with the sonograms. He laughs that stuff off as being uninformed- we don't have a microwave because of my ideas- but he thinks I am really funny- now that being said I have had very similar concerns but have yet to read reliable scientific studies - soo I am going to do a run around the internet and will get back- I kind of love research.
Most midwives will wait until 12 weeks.
This article refers to a few studies however it does not site them - just a list at the end. What I know is that they are not radiation or x-ray- it is high frequency waves that bounce and come back to the detector (called something complicated) that is what forms the image- like sonar. My dh explains it is kind of like what bats do and the technology is not dangerous to the fetus- I could not find specific studies that found specific cell damage or negative outcomes of a controlled group where some mothers had ultrasounds and others did not.
My dh also chimes in saying that one is exposed to much worse flying- because of all the free radicals in the atmosphere- that is radiation. I think I would do the 7w then the 4 month nucal scan then only when necessary- not fly too much and always opt out of the line at the airport for a TSA special pat down and wait to do dental work until after babe is here. You can always opt out if you are too freaked out and go the old school measure tummy and heartbeat rout. I think they can hear the heartbeat at 10 weeks. If you have any of the links- I am interested if there is any compelling data out there. I will let you know if I find anything else that seems worthwhile.
But my husband's job is here, as are both of our families, so...here we stay! 
This article refers to a few studies however it does not site them - just a list at the end. What I know is that they are not radiation or x-ray- it is high frequency waves that bounce and come back to the detector (called something complicated) that is what forms the image- like sonar. My dh explains it is kind of like what bats do and the technology is not dangerous to the fetus- I could not find specific studies that found specific cell damage or negative outcomes of a controlled group where some mothers had ultrasounds and others did not.
My dh also chimes in saying that one is exposed to much worse flying- because of all the free radicals in the atmosphere- that is radiation. I think I would do the 7w then the 4 month nucal scan then only when necessary- not fly too much and always opt out of the line at the airport for a TSA special pat down and wait to do dental work until after babe is here. You can always opt out if you are too freaked out and go the old school measure tummy and heartbeat rout. I think they can hear the heartbeat at 10 weeks. If you have any of the links- I am interested if there is any compelling data out there. I will let you know if I find anything else that seems worthwhile.
Thanks, that's really interesting!
Here's a study that found a correlation between (lots of) exposure to ultrasound and abnormal neuronal migration in mice: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1538990/?tool=pmcentrez
However, this isn't particularly useful because animal studies aren't predictive for humans (e.g. http://www.peh-med.com/content/4/1/2) and, moreover, the amount of ultrasound used was much more than would be used in routine ultrasound in pregnant women.
I have come to the position that I will have ultrasound if there's a good reason to (even peace of mind!) but not otherwise. I think this strikes a good balance for me. ETA: At this point, I am thinking this will amount to two ultrasounds for me, possibly three. But who knows!
Planteater- Thanks for the links- my mom is a prof at a university- so I am asking her to carouse the academic databases for more reliable studies. I feel the same way- I think I would really like to confirm the pregnancy and heartbeat and rule out twins and ectopic, then I think the nucal scan and measurements at 4 months are very important. After that placental placement and whether the baby has turned and umbilical location - before delivery are important as well- so 3 or 4 for me. Those are the scans where the benefit outweighs the risk for me.
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