Another lurker here, but have followed your story from the beginning. So happy for you and your spouse. It's been a long road. Congratulations!

Happy, wonderful news! Congratulations! Did you fill the picture frames yet? :)

Oh, Emerald, I'm so thrilled for you--what awesome news!

AWESOME NEWS!!!
Good job Girl!

(from "lone"?? Male here!)

Faron
(yes...from Fargo, ND!)

I actually feel a lump in my throat! This is wonderful! Please keep us posted as you progress.

So happy to see your wonderful news!!!
Really thrilled for you and your DH!!!

So happy to read this !! Best news to start the week !!

Thanks ladies and Faron!

It was a crazy day rushing around. :)

Framed pictures of the ultrasounds were done for my mom and my inlaws. I included Christmas cards that said "Is it Christmas yet?". And inside I wrote "Baby Emerald Due December 2014". They already knew before they opened them as they said "Grandma" and "Grandma & Grandpa" on the front. Both were over the moon and know to keep it quiet until further notice. :) It's the first grandchild (and maybe the only one) on both sides.

My doctor still wants me to be very cautious as I'm still very early but he was happier than we were (if that's possible!). My appointment wasn't with him but he was there so I got time with him afterwards (and I officially graduated from his care!). I did tell him that the other doctor scared the life out of me and he said she was just being overly cautious with what she saw at that time. I have to make an appointment with my oncologist (I emailed her a picture of my ultrasound) and she is so happy for us and wants to see us. I'm not sure if she will release me to my regular ob/gyn or if I will stay with a hospital team. We seriously never talked about any of this as it was a fantasy-dream for so long.

I had some bleeding hours after the ultrasound and freaked out. It was really red and enough that I panicked that I thought I was losing the baby that quick. The on-call doctor was paged and she said she was confident that it was pressure on my cervix from the ultrasound. I told her it wasn't spotting, that it was a lot of blood (to me) and I was very nervous. I wish someone would have told me that could happen! (Thank God I was "prepared" since I always do when they are doing an ultrasound using the gel. Otherwise it would have been very embarrassing....) It's let up now but I've been spotting since. Just when I thought I could relax!

I have a regular appt. with my ob/gyn in 2 weeks for my annual visit so my fertility doctor said to just call and give them a heads-up that it's an OB appointment so I will do that.

I still feel like I'm dreaming!

And...the 2nd best part of the ultrasound...I get to switch to the progesterone suppositories and stop doing the shots as soon as the prescription is filled!!

I am so happy for you and DH.

Awesome news!!!!!

Oh, oh, oh, oh!! This news just brings tears to my eyes!! I am so thrilled for you and your DH! This is the very best news of the day. Like everyone else, I've almost been afraid to check the posts, but am so very happy for you today! We won't let up on the support during the next months you know.

This is awesome, Emerald!!!

Thanks everyone!!

@ outsideplaying----that's why I made the title with "I'm so happy!" so everyone knew it was safe to click. :)

All the best to you and your family. I hope the next few months are peaceful!

God bless you and your precious baby and believe that all will be well as it will.

Wonderful news. Very happy for you.

That is fantastic!!!! I'm so thrilled for you and your husband! I can't even imagine how happy you were to see that little heartbeat. :)

Such wonderful news! I am so happy for you and your dh and I just loved the story about your early Christmas cards.

Wonderful news! Hope there's smooth sailing from here on out. Best of luck!!

I was so happy for you when I read the title ....
Prayers & Blessings to you and your family!

Bawling over here. SOOO happy for you and your husband. Prayers for you all will continue..this is the best news I've seen all day!!!!!!!!

beth

Just awesome news. I have been following your story for a while now Emerald. I'm so thrilled for you :)

Such wonderful news!!! So very happy for you and your husband :)) Will continue to keep you all in my prayers.

I'm so very happy for you. I was really hoping to see this news!

This is very exciting! I'm so happy for you and your family. Which is obviously growing! Yay!

Just checking in - how are things going?

Hi mboston! Thanks for bumping my thread. :)

I'm pretty much the same, just in a holding pattern right now. I saw my nurse-practitioner last week for the initial OB appt. and it was mostly a lot of talking. Then I had bloodwork, a pelvic exam and Pap so it lead to more scary bleeding another 2 days but they assured me again it's normal. At least I was prepared for it this time but I was still nervous.

My appointment at my gyno-oncologist got cancelled at the last minute as they needed the slot for an urgent new cancer patient. As much as I understand (and I have been there needing to urgently see an oncologist), I got really stressed out about it. I feel like a man without a home right now as I won't see her until next month now, the same time I get my next ultrasound and see my OB. I guess it's good that I'm no longer a priority on anyone's appointment books?

I emailed my oncologist the other day and explained how stressed out I got when her appointment with me got cancelled and how I am so nervous about everything. I asked if had to make an appointment at the hospital for an OB there and she said she'd get back to me. She wrote back that she conferred with the High Risk OB team and for now, I don't have to see them. I can stay with my local OB. I was both nervous and excited as I really will now be just a "regular" pregnant woman.

It's a weird feeling to not have any appointments for about 5 weeks in between after being seen and monitored by everyone so closely for so many months at a time.

I don't have any symptoms of pregnancy yet and it is freaking me out. My doctors all say it's normal but I'm 9 weeks now and still nothing. I don't feel any different than I did before my positive test. No cravings/food aversions, no nausea or morning sickness, no tiredness, no sore body parts, nothing. I have gained a few more pounds but it's all due to stress eating. I'm not allowed to work out hard and I find easy walks so boring and it makes me lazy and uninterested.

I'm just impatiently waiting for my next ultrasound so I can see how it's all progressing. I tried to schedule it sooner and they won't do it. It's still 4 weeks away.

I hope all of you moms are having a Happy Mother's Day!

just a "regular" pregnant woman

I'm glad to read your update, it's all so good !!

Don't get freaked out about the food thing - not everyone has them. I had cravings with one pregnancy and none with the other, no food aversions with either - everyone and every pregnancy is different so it really means nothing! As for not being tired..... you've been running on pure adrenalin for so long it's going to take a while for your body to catch up! And as you said, you're not exercising to your norm, either. Breathe and do your best to just focus calmly inward and let nature do the work. Easily said, I know, but try.

Plenty of time to exercise in the future. For now it's best to just take it easy.
Other than weight gain, I never felt nausea or had food cravings.

Do you have an meditation DVD's? Now would be the time to learn how to calm yourself down and reduce your stress. I know, easier said than done.

I was hoping to see an update. Happy Mother's Day (the first of many years to come - IMHO, it *does* count when you're pg)! Do something fun today!

Happy Mother's Day to everyone else - now I've got to get back to work (my parents took DD overnight, DH is helping me lay out beds for a new high tunnel, and DS has disappeared - probably running). Looking forward to a long hot shower and my dad grilling salmon...

Glad to hear everything is okay. The only problem is I think you are way stressed out in expecting to feel pregnant long before you should. I never craved food, and I didn't really feel pregnant until around 13 weeks.

Just take it easy and chill. You'll see changes in your body soon enough. Patience. :)

I just want to say "Happy Mothers Day" !

Be glad and rejoice. I had no cravings until the day before my DD was born when I wanted to eat everything in the house! And no morning sickness. I did have a couple of mornings of dry heaves (when brushing my teeth of all things) but then I have a cast iron tummy most of the time. And that wasn't until month 2 or so as I recall.

Relax and enjoy this time of preparation. And Happy Mother's Day.

Thank you, everyone! Everyone keeps telling me the symptoms will kick in soon so I should be happy to have a little break right now. With IVF, things move so much faster in the beginning as we are doing blood tests and ultrasounds well before a regular conceived pregnancy would even be noticed/missed.

And oakleyok, I think you are right! I instantly want the most perfect cute little baby bump, the motherly glow and just-the-right-amount of nausea to feel pregnant!

Hope you all had a great day yesterday!

Aw Emerald-do not fret. 3 pregnancies for me-3 utterly different experiences.

One kid-I was sick from the moment of conception (felt like it anyway) and I had an instant bump at 11 weeks and a 'glow' even before I knew i was pregnant. I didn't have cravings until my 2nd trimester.

Another kid-not a spot of sickness. No cravings. Slight weight gain and was showing at around 4 mos. But I had swelling in my legs and face and waddled like a duck.

Third kid-I didn't show till almost 7 months. He was tucked up so high under my ribs. Not a single craving, but I had a lot of digestive issues with him. And OHMYGAD the back pain, the indigestion, the pelvic pain-he sat on my pelvic bone and pinched some kind of nerve for several weeks. My most miserable pregnancy in the last trimester.

So, none will ever be the same. Don't fret about cancelled appointments-it means they think you're on track as expected and are not an 'urgent' situation.

Blessings to you and Mr. Emerald!

Glad to hear everything is going well!!! Keep us updated.

I'm not going to say don't stress as I don't know how that would be possible with everything you have been through. I think it's only natural that you are going to question and worry. Just try to keep it under control.

tina

A bit of encouragement for you Emerald - Yesterday was my son's 34th birthday. We had been married nearly 10 years, 2 pregancies before that ended in miscarriages, a uteral surgery, and more fertility drugs than I care to think about. I got pregnant the next cycle after the surgery, had a wonderful pregnancy, taught 2 half day kindergarten classes with a total of 60 kids up to a week before they did my C -section. He was born healthy at 7.5 lbs and that was two weeks before my due date. AND - I never got pregnant again, never use any precautions.

Proves that - some pregnancies are meant to be! Like yours!

So glad for your updates - it's a long and stressful road.
Here's my "theory": (and I know it doesn't work out that way) for those who struggle to get pregnant, they "deserve" an easy pregnancy, without much nausea. I felt almost guilty for admitting to never throwing up.
Took us 3 yrs to conceive, although no IVF.
Continued good thoughts and positive energy going your way.

Emerald how are your doing?? Been thinking about you and wondering. Hope all is well :)

(Jumping up and down and celebrating) isn't this the best news ever??

Bumping up for Emerald isle, hoping all is well with her :)

Bumping again - I hope no news is great news!

Hi Everyone, I'm here. :) Sorry I missed your bumps!

Nothing has changed since my last post, still waiting a couple more weeks for my next ultrasound and doctor appointments. Still no symptoms, just feel like I'm living large and gained 7 more pounds stress eating.

We haven't told anyone else yet as I want to wait for the NT scan and the Panorama test we are doing (it's the one for Down and other chromosome screening). It was suggested I do it at my "advanced maternal age" and I couldn't not know if something is wrong. It takes 2 weeks for the bloodwork to come back and you all know how I love to wait. It's all I seem to do!

I still have no symptoms while all my online pregnant mommy friends are still nauseous or suffering from morning sickness, all sore and tired, crazy cravings, etc. I kinda feel left out with none of it! Whatever I pictured pregnancy to feel like, this isn't it.

I tried on some maternity clothes and I just look ridiculous. I ended up just going up a size in regular clothes as nothing looked right yet. I wish it was still winter and I could hide in my sweaters and leggings.

Hopefully I'll relax once we get all the test results back and I know everything is ok. We find out the gender from the test too so that part will be exciting.

Thank you for thinking of me. I'm trying to stay off my computer as I tend to google like crazy and get myself all worked up. :)

Hang in there, I understand about wanting to stay off the computer. We'll be here when you come back after the tests.

LOL on the maternity clothes - 7 lbs is not going to be enough to go into those, esp. so early on when you have been stress eating. Just wait until you're 8 months and are huge and don't know how huge and keep bumping into things. I almost got stuck in a bathroom stall once b/c the door opened in and there was no way to get around it - had to stand back beside the toilet and reach to open the door! After that I made sure to use the H/C stall even if I had to wait (which was hard by then too!).

thanks for the update, we're all behind you !!

Thanks ladies. :)

(And ajsmama, that 7 lbs is in addition to the 22 I gained during IVF so I'm huge right now and nothing fits. And not in a cute pregnant way. Even my "fat" clothes are too small and busting at the seams...)

Good to hear from you. Keep us posted, please!

Emerald--just googled Panorama Prenatal Test.

I am a retired NP but haven't worked in 12 yrs. I had no idea there was anything like this. I am amazed.

My dd is 13 wks pg and mentioned something about a blood test that determined gender. I thought she must have misunderstood.

I'm so happy you are doing well. Very exciting.

That must be the test a friend of mine had recently. Here I don't think they do it for just anyone, I mean not like the regular ultrasound that reveals gender. My friend is 41 or 42 and they did this test in place of amnio. I believe she had a blood test and also a cheek swab? They were told gender, but also this test checks for many abnormalities.