[zelda]

Still checking in here every once in a while...sending every good thought, Cristine!

[Cristine]

Thanks Michelina! The IUI was on Monday, 1 egg was already there and my doctor anticipated the other 2 would follow shortly. All conditions were optimal but I just don't want to get my hopes up. And actually the wait doesn't seem so bad (so far) only because I feel like this month is the most likely month we've ever had. I'll keep you posted...

[Michelina]

That's great, Cristine! I am crossing all digits that this is your month. Hope that the two-week wait won't be too difficult and that you have some good distractors!

[Cristine]

Michelina, they have me on a double dosage of Clomid this month... which resulted in incredible mood swings for a few days, actually my husband recognized it as a side effect before I did.

I went in for a scan today, they said I have 3 large eggs ready to go so I'm doing an injection tomorrow to speed up ovulation and Monday is the IUI. I'm excited and cautiously optimistic.

[meadowlark]

Thanks for feedback on hair care products and eating. I had a strong aversion to scents in the products I have (not surprising, I am sensitive to scents when not preg). Got a new hairstyle and new products so that's better.

The queasiness seems to be improving but it's still hard to find foods that sound good so when I do, that's what I eat.

Lately it seems like I'm easily overwhelmed. It's hard to keep up with housework and make plans when it seems like the slightest thing wears me out. Work was extra busy last week and I'm not sleeping all that well so maybe that's part of it. Had my prenatal blood work done the other day-makes me a little anxious because I intermittently have an irrational fear of finding out something terrible is wrong with me.

Oh and I'm at 10.5 weeks.

[Michelina]

Cristine, sorry to hear that this cycle didn't work. When you do IUI, will you use Clomid or FSH? My gynecologist was against using Clomid for IUI. She felt that it only makes sense to use FSH as the success rate is much higher. Of course, that was just her opinion. I know that other specialists in my clinic recommended IUI with Clomid. I never bothered doing medicated IUI because once we realized that Mr M's count was low, we knew it only made sense to go straight to IVF. You have a much better chance with IUI than we did. Thinking of you and crossing all digits that the IUI works for you.

[Cristine]

Hey ladies... a little update, the unmonitored Clomid cycle wasn't successful so we plan on starting IUI this month.

Michelina, I hope you're having a wonderful time with Makenna!

Regarding hair care, I've always heard that hair dye is moderately unsafe during pregnancy. For someone like me that pregnancy doesn't come easy for, I personally wouldn't risk it. But I'm sure plenty of women dye their hair during pregnancy and probably experience no issues at all. And for those of you who try to avoid Sulfates in hair products, the Loreal Everpure line is Sulfate-free and I love it!

[geniuswaitress]

Meadowlark, the queasiness really tough and I feel for you.

Just in case it helps, the best things that I did for myself during that time were to just eat and drink whatever I felt like at the time without restricting myself. I was totally off lettuce for two months, but I just allowed myself total freedom and permission to do anything to help the nausea (lots of plain carbs and milkshakes). I also drank a ton of ginger tea, made with fresh ginger, and didn't let myself get hungry at all (I found that being hungry made the nausea so much worse).

re: hair products. I didn't come across much info about that. The only mention of cosmetics I ever found were to avoid Retinol A products. Personally, I am not a big fan of sulphates in my hair products.

Phantom movement sounds crazy, since I am just getting used to feeling movement all the time now. I ate a delicious doughnut today and my little babe went wild. I love it.

Hope all the new mommas and mommas-to-be have lovely Spring weekends!

[julie124]

Just wanted to drop in to say congrats to Funny on AB's wonderful news, and to congratulate Michelina and welcome baby Makenna! Love the name, so glad to hear you had a good birth experience when all was said and done. Enjoy the ride and take care of yourself...that's the best way to take care of baby, too.

As a good friend of mine said after having her baby, "This is the hardest thing I"ve ever done, and it's the best thing I've ever done."

Happy, happy!

[zelda]

Elliott is almost 10 months, and I still feel phantom movement!!!

[Michelina]

Meadowlark, that's so exciting! Glad to hear the ultrasound went well. Makes it feel that much more real, doesn't it?

The kicks and movement definitely make it more real too, Genuiswaitress. I can relate to that strong craving to have the baby in my arms. I actually really miss the kicks. Every now and then I get this worried feeling because I haven't felt any movement. Then I realize that it's because my baby is three feet away from me! I sometimes even feel some "phantom" movement.

Zelda, it's interesting that we had similar birth stories. I don't regret the epidural at all. My intention was to go drug-free, but circumstances were much different than I had anticipated and it was definitely the right choice for me. I am not sure what I would do in a future pregnancy (if there is one), but I would likely not get induced until 42 weeks in future considering that Makenna had no signs at all of being overdue. She just seemed to need a little extra baking! :-) I have no regrets about the timing of the induction in this pregnancy, though.

[meadowlark]

Funnybird-what wonderful news! Michelina-thanks for sharing your birth story.

I had my 7 week u/s last week. Saw the little peanut's heartbeat-that was amazing! And everything is how it should be at this point. I'm queasy much of the day and trying all sorts of things to quell it.

Question- I can't find any information on use/safety of hair styling products during pregnancy. Anyone know anything about that? Thanks.

[zelda]

FB, great news about Mr. FB! :-)

Michelina, what a birth story! We had some similarities...the long, intense labor with little progress and insane pain. I, too, responded beautifully to the epidural and am so so so glad I got it. I hope you are, too. We don't plan on having another baby, but if we did, I would have another epidural in a heartbeat. It helped me remain present and positive during the pushing phase. And after having been awake for almost 3 days, I needed all the help I could get!

CoNgRaTuLaTiOnS!!!! Let us know if you need any help or have questions. BFing was a little rough for me at first and we had to supplement because Elliott was jaundiced, but he took to nursing just great. I have weaned him now. Can't say I miss BFing, but I am glad that I did it because I know it was good for him.....and it saved us a TON OF MONEY!

Keep us updated!

[geniuswaitress]

Wow Michelina, congratulations!! I can only imagine how incredible it feels to have your beautiful little girl out in the world with you.

Since feeling almost constant movement for the last week or two, I have been dreaming of this baby and waking up craving him or her in the mornings. It has thrown me a little, I thought I was doing such a great job of being in the moment, but all this movement, as well as starting to gather up the baby necessities, is making it all very real.

[Cristine]

Michelina, that is a wonderful story (despite the scary and painful moments)... I am so happy that your experience wasn't affected by the circumstances. Thanks for sharing!

[nickclick]

and great news, funnybird!

[Fookie]

CONGRATS CONGRATS CONGRATS!

[nickclick]

so many congrats! and welcome Makenna!

[Michelina]

Funnybird, that is wonderful news! I am so happy for all three of you.

[funnybird]

Congratulations Michelina! It sounds like you had an amazing experience, despite it being not quite straightforward. Well done girl!

I don't want to steal any of your thunder, but I just wanted to report that Architect Boy is all finished with his chemo; we saw his oncologist last week and the cancer has GONE! He's back at work and we're trying to redefine what 'normal' life is for the 3 of us now. So happy and relieved.