First IVF...my experience

ktln77

Congratulations Moe and Anne! Both your babies are beautiful

I am 24 weeks this week and the babies' kicks have been strong. My husband finally felt the babies kick this week and his eyes welled up with tears. It's hard to believe how far we all have come on this unique, amazing journey to motherhood and it would not be possible without the generosity of these very kind and thoughtful men. I pray that my donor and his family are blessed. Only 16 more weeks to go and I'll be holding my little ones too. I can't wait.

Anne72

Well, more change coming my way. I just sold my house. It was on the market for just 5 days!!!!

I'm moving from So Cal to North Carolina to be closer to family and a better support network. We are moving by mid-June. It's nuts since I had found a great daycare and now she will only go there for 2 weeks. I will live with my parents until I am able to get into my new house (which I haven't even found yet!). I have two days of house hunting on 20-21 May and hope to find something then. I get to search for a new daycare after that. Crazy.

2013 is certainly the year of adventure! But Bailey is 24 inches and up to 10lbs. She's growing well and holds her head up very well and is a great sleeper. She even gave me an 8 hour night last week!

latebloomer

Wow Anne, that was quick! But being close to your family and support network will be great! Will you be transferring with your job or have to find a new job as well? You are making a cross country move! Best of luck to you and Miss Bailey and don't forget to drop in with updates

Anne72

latebloomer wrote: »

Wow Anne, that was quick! But being close to your family and support network will be great! Will you be transferring with your job or have to find a new job as well? You are making a cross country move! Best of luck to you and Miss Bailey and don't forget to drop in with updates

I work from home so my job will move with me. My boss is excited that I'll now be on the same time zone and it means less 4am conference calls for me with the Middle East!

robin

Anne, congrats on the sale of your house so quickly! You will now be on the east coast! It's great that you will be near family. I love that my mom watches Maks while I am at work. It's great that you can keep your job and no more 4am meetings! I am jealous about the 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep! Sooooo jealous. Maks wakes around 230 or 3 for a bottle. I know I could do sleep training but just can't let him cry it out. I know he will outgrow this. There are some days, very few where he will sleep until 5 or 6 so I know it will eventually end. Isn't it amazing how fast they grow! Maks will be a year in 6 weeks! He is trying so hard to walk. The bumps that go with that oh my! He has a tooth and is really trying to cut another.
Good luck with the house hunt!
Robin

dag3g

I'm interested in meeting you all, too! Count me in!!!

Anne72

OK, I bought a house! It is twice the size of my house in CA - 4 bed 4 bath - lots of room for family and friends to visit. I close on my CA house on the 14th and the NC house on the 27th June. Crazy!

I would love to start an off-board email list for trying to plan a meet late next year or in early 2015. Who's in? If you are, send me your email in a PM and I will compile a list and share it. We can then try to keep in touch and arrange for our little ones to meet.

Bailey is doing great. She started daycare today and I start work tomorrow. She was an awesome flyer on both the to and return flights from LAX- Raleigh. Long flights but she was a champ. We fly back to NC for the final time in 2 weeks! The time zone change messes her sleep up for about 2 days but otherwise she is a regular 8 hour sleeper at night. Last week she did pull one 10 hour night - that freaked me out and Ikept watching her the last couple of hours.

moewhit25

Congrats Anne!!! You're doing great as a new mommy who's got so much going on!!! I truly admire your perseverance. I know what you mean about being nervous when the little one sleeps for a longer stretch than usual. Enjoy!!
It's truly amazing how much more your money stretches for real estate when you move out of major areas. The Raleigh/Durham area is awesome and very progressive for the South. Good luck with the transition. Let me know how daycare is working out. I have a friend who will watch Kennedy through the summer and then she starts daycare in September.

All is well with us here and we had a busy Memorial/Birthday weekend. My family came for an extended visit. They have all gone back and now the house seems quiet! Kennedy is doing very well. She continues to take the bottle (with the breastmilk) like a champ and I nurse in the morning and during the night. She's sleeping about 6-7 hours and then nurses once. She's also becoming more animated and has the best giggle/laugh. She has this thing where she discovered her tongue and sticks it out! I'll post some more recent pictures soon. She's already 3 + months!!

I'm excited to meet you ladies and for our little ones to get aquainted. I'll send you my info via PM.

Safe travels and be well!!
Moe

moewhit25

My little angel Kennedy simply loves the water. She will turn 4 months next week. Time flies by...

ktln77

Hello, ladies. It's been a long time but I thought I would update you all on how my girls and I are doing. Nothing about this pregnancy has been easy. I made it to 30 weeks this past Sunday and ended up delivering my babies on Tuesday 6/4/2013. I love my children dearly and they are very healthy for their gestational age. Juliana Grace was 3 lbs 1 oz and 16 inches long and Emily Rose was 3 lbs 2 ozs and also 16 inches long. I delivered both babies vaginally. My babies are in a level 3 NICU. It was very hard leaving them as I was being discharged on Thursday. As I waited for my ride, I just cried when I saw another lady taking her newborn baby home with her. Unfortunately, their birth was traumatic experience for me because of what my doctor did to me. I came to her with labor pains and only wanted something like procardia to stop the labor pains - many people with multiple pregnancies experience this at 30 weeks and usually the protocol is no physical exams, procardia, and bed rest. Well despite my objections, she performed a physical exam with a speculum and then proceeded to jam her whole fist up my vagina - I felt my perinium and birth canal stretch and it hurt like hell - to tell me I was 6 cm dilated. My water did not break. Then she sent me via transport to a local hospital with a level 3 NICU. All night long I had contractions and nothing was done to stop them. By morning I was 10 cm dilated and they had to break my water to deliver them. Needless to say, I am VERY angry and sad at my original doctor for doing this to me. She caused my dilation and noone can convince me otherwise. My mother was a witness to the whole thing and she said that after she fisted me she had blood on her gloves and we both saw the glance that her and the nurse exchanged between each other after she did the "manual" exam. Just thinking about it makes me hate her. I never want to see that woman (I am using a nicer term than the one I have been using) again. I just don't know what to do. Right now, I am running on auto pilot and just pumping milk for my babies day and night. It's the only thing that I can do for them. I feel like such a failure for not being able to protect them in the first place. I know twins run the risk of being born early, but other than contractions there was nothing to cause them to be born this early... no infections, gestational diabetes, preclampsia, nothing but that doctor.:mad:

ktln77

Picture 1 is Juliana Grace and Picture 2 is Emily Rose

hopefulchar

First of all big congrats on your beautiful girls!! they look amazing. I have not been on the forum much since my son was born and your story really jumped out at me. I am not sure if you know much about my story but I also am a preemie mommy and i completely understand where you are with your emotions. My big guy is now almost 20 lbs and doing great so i can assure you this too shall pass. But it is incredibly hard situation to be in at first. Its not fair..its not the experience you dreamed of but it is yours. Your blessed with healthy babies that just need a little extra attention in the beginning. After spending a couple months in the NICU so my little peanut could gain the weight he needed to come home i met lots of moms that were in very high stress situations. Count your double blessings...keeep pumping your milk is so important right now..say your prayers for your girls and know that you are not alone. YOu can do this..and in 6 months you will look back at these pictures and you wont even remember how hard it was. YOu will be snuggled at home with your beauties just like everybody else. congrats!

sending you lots of thoughts and prayers

Anne72

I'm sorry to hear about your experience but so very happy that your girls are healthy. I know that they will thrive and grow and be just truly wonderful blessings for you. Now is the time to focus on them AND yourself. Forget your doctor and move on with new physicians.

I will keep the three of you in my prayers for a quick improvement and release home to you.

My pregnancy was also a roller-coaster. I spent 5 months on bedrest with bleeding from undiagnosed hemorrhages. Scary as all he!! but my little girl is now 3 months old and as healthy and happy as can be.

Love to you

Anne72

And I can't believe that I forgot to say it but I love the names Juliana Grace and Emily Rose and they are beautiful babies!

robin

They are both so precious. I will send prayers and positive thoughts up for you and your girls, I know this has been a long journey for all of you. Stay strong momma!
Robin

latebloomer

Thanks for the update! The girls are some cute little sleeping beauties! I agree with PP, forget about the doctor and focus on those two blessings you have. Its sad that we live in a world where people do things that are unfair and mean but you won that battle by delivering two healthy girls even if they were a few weeks early. I know it's easier said than done but don't let the crazy doctor experience ruin your much deserved bliss of becoming a mother. I love their names! Take care!

moewhit25

Wow!! What an experience!!! God is good....ALL the time. Your girls are just beautiful and such a blessing. I love their names. Great job mom and keep up the pumping. You're absolutely right, pumping day/night is a precious gift you can provide for them when they are home. When you're pumping picture yourself holding them and loving them. Before you know it that will be your reality. I understand your emotions towards that doctor but don't waste any energy on her. Focus on your girls getting stronger, gaining weight, and coming home!

Thank you for sharing and congratulations momma!! May God continue to strengthen you and give you peace of mind. Feel free to PM me at any time!

Be well!
Moe

moewhit25

Hello Ladies!
Many of you have been busy with the new and not so new challenges of motherhood. I know the past 8 months have been crazy hectic as a single mom by choice. It's a delicate balance between career, raising a daughter, and various other aspects of life. Needless to say, I have not been on the forum for many months. I haven't forgot about the struggles of TTC but it now it's keeping up with the daily changes of a quickly developing little one.

I realize how important a routine actually is now. I feel so blessed that I have a wonderful baby who is really easy going....except if she wants to eat :-) Sleeps through the night even if she's got a little cold and eats like a champ. I'm still breastfeeding thankfully but mostly give her a bottle since she's in daycare. That has been a really good experience and she's made a wonderful transition to the new in-home daycare. I had more trouble adjusting. It's been three weeks and so far so good.

I cannot believe my little Diva is 8 months already. I'll post some pictures from last month and over the summer. Hope that everyone is doing well and would love to hear some updates!!

Continue to be encouraged.
All the best Moe and Kennedy

moni0811

Your little Diva is too cute! Thank for sharing your experience!! I am soon-to-be single mom by choice, and crossing my fingers for February 2014- ICI, and I have my vials donor sperms in storage. What donor did you use? I have selected Donor 2870 and 4402.

latebloomer

Aww Moe, Miss Kennedy is just too cute! Thanks for the updated pics! Sounds like she's keeping you plenty busy!

all4mybaby

Hi Moe and Little Lady Kennedy!
It was a pleasant surprise to see how you and your little one are making out Moe. I'm sure that you have been super busy with Mommyhood, but it was so nice to get an update about how things are going for you and to see how much Kennedy has grown. As for me, I'm still on the TTC wagon and will currently be undergoing my second IVF cycle. I did a cycle over the summer, but it resulted in a BFN. So, I'm at it again for this month and will be going in for my egg retrieval tomorrow at 11:30. I'm still remaining prayerful that i will have my turn too. Believe it or not it is all of your stories of success that keep me encouraged to keep moving forward. God Bless you until the next update!
Pauline

Anne72

Moe, you are both beautiful!

Bailey (donor 4209) turned 7 months yesterday. I second your comments on routine. Bailey is amazingly easy going but a routine does make life easier. She is sitting up like a champ but hasn't yet figured out crawling, though you can see that she is trying! I'll post some pics soo

moewhit25

moni0811 wrote: »

Your little Diva is too cute! Thank for sharing your experience!! I am soon-to-be single mom by choice, and crossing my fingers for February 2014- ICI, and I have my vials donor sperms in storage. What donor did you use? I have selected Donor 2870 and 4402.

Thanks Moni! I actually used a donor from Pacific Reproductive Services because I was able to find a donor with a more diverse background. I tried several times with Fairfax donors and had no luck. I want to wish you success for your Feb ICI. Sending you lots of sticky baby dust!! Keep us posted!

moewhit25

Pauline good luck with your egg retrieval tomorrow. I'm sending you positive thoughts and prayers for lots of healthy eggs that fertilize when they are supposed to! God has a hand in every aspect of this process so keep the Faith. Let any fear be replaced by Faith!

Anne, I can't wait to see Miss Bailey! Kennedy is just a month ahead and it's so funny that she doesn't have any teeth yet but had been drooling for the past 4 months. She's able to sit unsupported and is still trying to coordinate the forward crawling. She typically rocks on all fours and then goes backwards but one time she moved forward to pull the cat's tail. She gets so excited around animals and other children. We went to the zoo today and rode the merry go round. Her face was priceless and she was screeching and squealing with excitement. The circles made me want to vomit!!! But she had a blast!

Latebloomer, I owe you an e-mail...I haven't forgotten about you honey! Continue to be encouraged. You're in my prayers!

Well time to pump and hopefully get to bed before 10:00 for a change.....sooooo sleepy :-)

Have a great week ladies!!

Anne72

Bailey is growing fast. She is trying to figure out how to scoot but she sits up well (though she can't yet get into sitting position by herself) and she can get around a room by rolling everywhere - and fast!

She is a very friendly, always smiling, and social little girl. She has lots of friends at daycare. There is another little girl there and when they both get there in the morning they sit together and hold hands. It is so freaking cute!

We've nicknamed her Baileysaurus Rex since she roars loudly. It's a happy sound - just LOUD!

She loves to eat and is trying all new veggies and fruits. I'm making it all and my cuisinart is getting a good workout

moni0811

Thank so much on my baby dust!! I just love that your daughter's middle name. Take care!

Rebekah

Hi everyone... It's great to read all of your stories! I've just gotten back from my first IVF treatment, and now I'm extremely nervous/excited/already a little heartbroken. It's been a long journey to this point.

Anne72, she is absolutely adorable!! Such a cute nickname