Just a very quicky post to update the beta trajectory. Had my third beta yesterday morning. Funny story: I got up super early, as the lab at my clinic is only open 6:30-8:15am every morning. I get there and it was literally standing room only. I’ve never seen so many people in the waiting room before, even for a Saturday.
Apparently, there was a screw-up in the phlebotomist schedule because by 7:30am, she still hadn’t shown up. The ultrasound tech apologized to the growing crowd; at least I’m getting a gift card out of this. Which, odd: they offered Starbucks’ gift cards (“Put a star next to your name if you don’t like Starbucks,” said the tech. Dunkin Donuts for me it is). You’d think maybe not offering coffee gift cards to people trying to get pregnant, but whatever.
I finally got my blood drawn at close to 8am. I feel awful for the people that showed up there as soon as the clinic opened.
Alright, alright: I’ll quit stalling and give you the goods you’re really here for 😉
Third beta came in at 6,403. Right on target for healthy beta progression!
I asked the nurse who called with the good news what she thought, based from my numbers. “It could really go either way,” she said, “but I think it’s a healthy singleton. You’ll hopefully know more this Thursday at your first ultrasound.”
First ultrasound this Thursday?! Whoa. Squeeee! Thursday cannot get here fast enough.
They did notice that my progesterone was super low, somewhere around 5, down from 30 something at my last beta on October 13th. This is because I stopped the PIO shots and am on Crinone only, so the progesterone goes straight to my uterus and isn’t measured in my bloodstream. Just to be safe, my RE decided to add oral progesterone to my protocol. I’m now taking 100mg of Prometrium three times a day.
(G-d help Larry.)
And, remember how I wrote this weekend about how I’m having a little bit of an issue with transitioning from formerly infertile to newly pregnant? And I might be teensy-weensy bit of a control freak by peeing on sticks? Here are said sticks:
While I know this is still very early (I think I’m officially 6 weeks today? I’m not sure. No clue how to measure this) and we haven’t even heard the heartbeat(s) yet, I decided it’s time to stop living in fear and start living in the joyous moment for what it is.
Yesterday, I went to Babies R Us for the first time in a very long time. I have a whole separate post to write about the experience and also a paid product review to talk about too, but at the end of the day’s event I was working, I decided to take the plunge.
I bought myself our first two baby things.
The first was a little space-themed t-shirt, since we’ve been calling this whole thing Mission Team Zoll #3. This is also a clue to our nursery theme, which I won’t be unveiling for a little while more until we can actually find items to reflect our very quirky (and very Team Zoll) theme. And then I got this too, since we’ve been calling our little embryos our MVPs:
I gave it to Larry with a little card last night, after he had been out celebrating his new daddy-to-be status with some guy pals.
It’s time to stop cowering in fear and start celebrating the joy of this moment 🙂
T-minus 4 days and counting until our first ultrasound!
Get the book A Child is Born
It’s a really good photo essay on the developing fetus…
If you search for “embryo transfer due date calculator” you can find one that will tell you your due date based on how old your embryos were and the date of your transfer. It will also tell you how many weeks along you are considered right now. It’s a math problem that I was never able to tackle myself. 🙂
Everything is just perfect – I’m so happy for you!
That’s a great beta 🙂 I’m very glad they’re adding the oral progesterone. While the Crinone won’t show up in the blood stream hardly, you can never be too safe!
Awesome! You’re doing great! 🙂
Wahoo! Numbers sound about right to me too, for a single. I think at 5w I was in the 5K+ range with Cole, so…yeah? WAHOO! Wait…already said that. 🙂
You are SO going to have to start an Amazon wishlish of all the things you see floating around the internet so people can get you things. I can’t wait to see your u/s, even though I know there’s not really much to see. It’s still a BLOB, which means it’s a something!
I think I’m more freaked out by the fact at how weird it looks right now. Like, apparently the heart is developing… outside of its body. Gross. I mean, awesome? Not sure how I should feel about that right now 😉
We learned about pre-natal and natal development in my child & adolescent psychology class. We watched a really cool series of (I think) National Geographic videos that let you watch the child develop. It’s computer simulated but looks eerily realistic, in a way. Not creepy, like those rotating widgets some women put up, but still REALLY cool. So yeah, learned all about how it looks from start to finish, when they start doing and developing different things. I can find out the link if you want it!
I remember my first U/S of Cole. I think I have it posted on the blog somewhere. He’s just this little circle of white and black bits!
Woohoo!!! 🙂 I admire you willingness to embrace joy, that takes a LOT of guts! And it’s so much better for you, too.
Yay 🙂 This is great news, Keiko. Love the bibs 🙂