First Ob/Gyn Appointment - 9w3d

Overall, I would say my assessment of the appointment is mixed.  My ob/gyn was not as cool and magical as I'd remembered her to be.  Maybe because I haven't seen her in over a year and she didn't really know who I was.  Maybe too it was late in the day and I annoyed her by mentioned "the Internet" one time too many (but when she asked me how I knew about NT scans, that's the honest answer).  A couple times when I asked her questions, "She said, I don't have that figure memorized.  If I had known you were going to ask that, I would have looked it up before I came in."  (about miscarriage rates -- which having had one, I'm nervous about -- jeez).  "I'm not in that field.  If I had studied that, I would be practicing that now."  (basically saying that I should direct that ? to my RE, who I don't see anymore... SORRY!).  So it was weird.  BUT, she let me take as long as I needed and it was a long visit.  She also does the u/s herself and really let me watch the baby for a long time.  Heartrate was 161, lower, but I'm assuming fluctuations are normal.  She also pounded on my stomach (practically) to wake it up and so we got to see the gummy bear dance a bit.  Even though the aforementioned put me off a bit, she did offer to assuage my nerves by letting me have another u/s in two weeks.  So I appreciate that.  It's so weird when at CCRM you are there all the time and they monitor every little thing to now be so isolated and on your own for so much of this.  Just a waiting game now.

In other news, I am wearing a belly band for the first time.  Mostly because my pants (having gained 10 lbs this year) were already on the verge of not fitting before the BFP.  So between my prenatal hamburgers and those 10 lbs, I can barely wear anything except for elastic waistbands comfortably.  I don't feel right digging out my old maternity clothes yet and who knows how dated and sketchy those look (being from 6 years ago).  The jeans are probably light colored.  : )  Anyway, I am feeling good, down to my one endometrin per day (with Friday being the last day) and am wearing just a single Vivelle patch, which is the last one.  Really nervous about the wean with no monitoring.  I asked my ob/gyn about that and she said they don't monitor progesterone and estradiol and that I should just trust Dr. G or ask for a consult.  I was hoping that they could squeeze that in among all the other bloodwork I have to get done.  Poo.  I'm tempted to bug/beg CCRM for one last blood test.

I'm also ready to start telling people, but I'm definitely going to stick to 13 weeks to tell coworkers, FB friends, etc.  I'm just really excited to tell DS and other family members, but mostly DS. 

Okay, gotta get back to work.  Hope 2012 is off to a great start for everyone!

Close, but YES cigar?

So I had my doppler u/s appointment and estradiol blood draw this morning.  I got a call back from the nurse as I was trying to park my car in the Costco lot on a VERY crowded/busy shopping day and as my DS started dry-heaving in the back seat, requesting a baggie to puke in.  Why don't the nurses ever call me when I'm calm and by myself?  I'm a teacher and sometimes the nurse calls while I'm in the midst of 24 third-graders and I have to speak in code, "Well, my monthly visitor arrived today.  Okay, so I should start taking those miniature pills when?"  Well, I got the car parked and DS ended up not puking (phew!) and I was able to grab a pen/paper to take some notes on the next steps.

Oh, back to the u/s -- triple pattern, good blood flow, 10.2 mm -- all good (thickness is supposed to be > than 8 mm).  But the estradiol level was 256 and they want 300.  : (  The nurse (Carolyn -- new) said that we can kick it up with estrace twice daily, which I've used before to beef up my lining during IUIs, but have never ingested it orally.  Which I welcome, because bright blue discharge is kinda disturbing.  As I recall from one woman's blog, "It's like I f**ked a smurf!"  Apparently they are not too worried as the wizard (Dr. G) felt that 256 was close to 300.  They're not even going to check that again.  Only progesterone on Tuesday.

So new upcoming drugs: progesterone inserts (endometrin) 3x/daily starting on Sunday.  Tetracycline (which I cannot stand due to the need to avoid dairy) also.  Medrol comes up somewhere too.  Good thing I'm a Type A organized person (how do non-Type A people manage all the details???). 

We find out on Wednesday when our transfer appointment will be on Friday.  Can't believe the day is actually nearing and that it's actually going to happen. 

Weekend plans: work (blah), raking leaves (kinda gratifying), errands, college football and DH's b-day tomorrow.  Hope I can survive the week, always busy right before Thanksgiving at school with report cards and whatnot.  Transfer day on Friday and then we host Thanksgiving -- hrmmm.... bedrest is not so conducive to Thanksgiving prep.  I should still have plenty of prep time -- besides, it'll help the 2ww pass.  The IUI 2ww was bad enough, with the higher stakes of IVF, I don't know how I will be able to stand it.  I know it's less than 2w, but still... how do others do it?  Do I need to stuff my schedule to the brim?

Still in it, but barely...

It's been nearly a week and I am no less riddled with emotions and the marital strife has not dissipated.  It's like 1 step forward, 2 steps back.  I am deeply appreciative of all of your support.  I hope that this FET cycle will not be in vain and that my dreams of another child will come true.  Of course, I hope that this current challenge in my marriage will be surmountable.

As far as the nuts and bolts of my cycle -- a week of Vivelle dots has had no noticeable impact on me thus far (the nurse said it makes many people nauseous).  But I haven't yet gotten to two patches, let alone 4.  Had blood drawn today for estradiol levels and it was at 85 and they want over 50.  The Lupron has been making me very bruised recently, despite the beginning of it being bruise-free.  Is it air?  Is it my technique?  My greatest epiphany though, today, was finding a way to get rid of the adhesive from the Vivelle dots in a VERY easy way (I have read so many posts from women having trouble with that darn adhesive).  I use Goo Gone for household adhesive removal all the time, so I squirted a little into the cap of the bottle.  Then I submerged a Q-tip in the Goo Gone.  Wiped it back and forth on the adhesive residue and voila!  Gone w/o a trace!

Next appointment on Friday -- u/s and another blood draw for estradiol.

Not out of the woods w/ H yet and while he does want another child, our issues are definitely affecting whether or not we go through with transfer on the 18th.  Between now and then, I will do everything I can to get us back on track...