My Pregnancy

I had always wanted to be pregnant.  I used to play house as a child and pretend to be pregnant by sticking a pillow in my shirt.  I also pretended to be pregnant as an adult (I know, really mature...).  After a big dinner out, I'd rub my belly and waddle around wondering if that's how it felt to pregnant!

After wishing and hoping for so long, I was finally pregnant!  And boy did it feel different than I ever imagined. 

 5 weeks

 10 weeks

 12 weeks

 When I made it to the second trimester, Freddy announced that he was going to be a big brother on his birthday, July 19!  I was 14 weeks.

15 weeks

We found out she was a girl at our 19 week ultrasound!  Tim didn't want to find out but I'm such a planner and had to know.  Since we found out the sex ahead of time, we decided to keep her name a secret until she was born.  I was certain she was a boy but I was pleasantly surprised when we found out she was a girl!!!  At the same appointment we found out that my cord was attached to the side (instead of the center) of the amniotic sac.  This can lead to growth restriction so we were closely monitored once a month with an ultrasound.  I LOVED being able to check on her so much!  Thankfully she never had any issues with growth restrictions.

It's a...GIRL!

Favorite things about being pregnant...

• watching my belly grow
• feeling her kick and move all around inside of me
• familiar people feeling my belly
• attention from others
• ultrasounds
• decorating her nursery
• researching gear to register for
• nesting
• going to childbirth classes, especially Bradley class
• reading about natural childbirth
• getting to know our doula
• rubbing my belly
• watching her move 
• babymoon to Hawaii 

 22 weeks

24 weeks

Not so favorite things about being pregnant...

• morning sickness for the first 20 weeks (gagging, nauseous, vomiting occasionally, being super tired, no appetite, no energy)
• having to pee constantly
• worrying
• gagging constantly
• paying super close attention to foods I could and could not eat
• not drinking
• weird cravings
• not being able to sleep

27 weeks...Third Trimester!

28 weeks

30 weeks

 32 weeks

I saw my OB, Dr. Weatherford, at Henrico Doctor's Hospital until around 32 weeks.  She was wonderful but didn't really fit what we were looking for since we wanted to attempt to have a natural childbirth.  We switched to the Midwives at VCU Medical Center after many conversations with our doula, Amber Fischer, our Bradley childbirth instructor, Heather Hannon, and friends who were already at VCU.  The difference in prenatal care was amazing!  We can't say enough good things about all of the Midwives at VCU!!!!!  

Last ultrasound at 35 weeks!  She was quite squished in there!

36 weeks

About to pop...

 37 weeks on New Year's Day

 39 weeks (2 days before my water broke)

While I felt pretty darn miserable for the first 20 weeks of my pregnancy and worried constantly and said, "I will never do this again!"...I honestly miss being pregnant!

Our Journey

Tim and I traveled to Japan for two years so I could teach Kindergarten at Fukuoka International School in August of 2009 shortly after we got married.  We would have loved to stay over there longer but decided it was time for us to start a family near our families in Virginia.  

We started trying to get pregnant as soon as we returned to the United States in 2011.  After a year of unsuccessfully trying, we sought help from a fertility specialist.  He was not a good fit for us.  Thankfully we found Dr. Edelstein.  He was patient, kind, and very knowledgeable.  

Both doctors ran a battery of tests on mostly me, but Tim too.  They asked a million questions.  I took my temperature daily, tracked ovulation, took Clomid, and had one insemination.  None of that worked so Dr. Edelstein suggested that we start the In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) process.  

I started taking more medicine and shots.  Eventually I went in for egg retrieval surgery.  Dr. E retrieved nine eggs!  Five of those ended up being viable and were fertilized with ICSI.  Four made it to the blastocyst stage.  I went in for a Day Five transfer.  We transferred two embryos and froze two.  It was so cool to watch them being transferred into me through the catheter on the screen.  It looked like a mini volcanic eruption.

Me before the transfer

Tim before the transfer

Our first "babies"

Their first home 

 Their second home

Resting after the transfer

  I went home and was on bed rest for a few days and the dreaded two week wait began.  I have never experienced anxiety as I did during those two L-O-N-G weeks!  I went for my beta blood test.  Unfortunately neither of the embryos took.  We were devastated but held on to hope that the last two embryos would implant.  

We had to wait a month or so to get started again.  The frozen embryo cycle was a lot easier.  We went in and had the last two embryos transferred.  Again, very cool to watch!  

Our thawed "babies"

Their first home

Their second home

 Resting after the transfer

I stayed on bed rest one day longer this time and took it very easy during the two week wait.  I started spotting towards the end of the wait and knew it was either implantation bleeding or another failed attempt.  I secretly took a home pregnancy test and expected it to be negative because I just knew we weren't pregnant because of the bleeding and I wanted to prepare myself.  I was shocked when it was positive!!!  I didn't get too excited but took another one the following day and then a third one.  

 Positive test!

Another positive test!

At the end of the two week wait I went for my beta blood test and the nurse called to say we were PREGNANT!!!!!!!  I had to go back in a few days for a repeat test to make sure the numbers were doubling.  They didn't quite double on the second test but the third and fourth test showed all was well.  I had more spotting a few weeks later so we went in for an ultrasound at six weeks and saw one sac!  This meant that one of the embryos didn't make it.  We were okay with this because we were so thankful to have at least one baby!

Our baby!!!

 The pregnancy was confirmed but it was too early to see or hear the heartbeat.  We went back the next week at seven weeks and saw and heard the heartbeat!!!

  

 Our baby was growing!

Heartbeat!

Our hero, Dr. E, transferred me to my OB, Shannon Weatherford, around ten weeks for prenatal care.  She confirmed the pregnancy!

  

Our little bean looking more like a human!

So, out of nine eggs, ONE special egg made it all the way!