10w2d- HEARTBEAT VIDEO!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLm4OxbQUjk&feature=colike

10w1d- Heartbeat on Doppler

You have to listen closely...the heartbeat sounds like galloping horses....It is very faint and short...this little one kept moving away from the probe! At least we know the heartbeat is fast (between 160-170)...and the little one is active....All GREAT signs!

INTELLIGENDER RESULTS

Caitlin was excited to get this in the mail....then she read the fine print which read something like this.....

• What if I have PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrom) or am on Progesterone treatment?

  We recommend that you do not test while on Progesterone (wait 10 days from last dose) or at all if you have PCOS as you will likely get a "boy" result and IntelliGender cannot represent the accuracy of this result.

  
  

  Well....she is on progesterone treatment....and got a boy result.  Is it a false "boy" result, or real?.... We will find out in 4 more weeks!

Sent from my iPad

10 WEEKS PREGNANT! OMG!

Dear Little Bean,

According to babycenter.com....Though you're barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and  weigh less than a quarter of an ounce, you now have completed the most critical portion of your development!   You are now called a fetus instead of an embryo and will rapidly grow! YAY!

You are now swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm.  We can't wait to watch you on the ultrasound next week!  Mommy will have to remember to drink something sugary to make sure you are awake during the scan!  Vital organs — including your kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout Mommy's pregnancy.

If we could take a peek inside Mommy's belly, we'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on your tender skin.
In other developments: Your limbs can bend now. Your hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over your heart, and your feet may be long enough to meet in front of your body. The outline of your spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from your spinal cord. Your forehead temporarily bulges with your developing brain and sits very high on your head, which measures half the length of your body. From crown to rump, you're about 1 1/4 inches long.  In the coming weeks, you will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches!  Wow!

We love you very much!
Grandma Dason

9w4d-Belly Shots

Definitely a little bambino growing in there!  The belly has grown a 1/2 inch since last week.  Now measuring 34" round!  Still no luck hearing the heartbeat on the doppler, but we have to keep reminding ourselves that it may be awhile, since this little one made it's home down low in the uterus on top of the cervix :-(.......Patience!

 Mommy did the red cabbage gender test by boiling red cabbage for 10 minutes...then mixing equal parts cabbage juice with first morning urine.  The PH in the urine will change the water color.  Purple equals a girl and pink equals a boy.  The first morning urine mixture was a girl (but the night before was pink = boy....but not first morning urine).  The Chinese gender chart points to a girl.  And....the baking soda gender test points to a girl also.  ......Time will tell!  About 4 1/2 weeks away and we should know if this little one is a boy or a girl!  So far the girl's name will be Gracyn Olivia and a boy will be Cooper Joseph....Either way, the baby sure will look cute in these little bunny slippers!

As far as pregnancy symptoms....the beginning of week 9 was rough but by the end....tolerable.  Caitlin continues to spot on and off (lightly) due to the placenta previa. (Has spotted since 4w4d)  :-(

9w2d- OB APPOINTMENT

No ultrasound this time even though the spotting continues here and there. All signs point to a healthy pregnancy...even though high risk due to placenta previa. From previous ultrasounds, it looks as if it is a complete PP (exactly on top of the cervix) however, the tech or doctor hasn't used the term complete yet....I think that will be determined at the next OB appointment on March 6th with the high risk MFM OB. For now, Mommy is on modified bed rest. 9 weeks has proven to be her toughest in terms of morning sickness. She pukes up almost everything she eats....YUCK. Last night she had her first big craving for Fried Pickles (double yuck!). I haven't heard if she kept that food in her belly....my guess is NOT!

8w5d Belly Pictures

As promised....Belly pictures.  :-) So far, Mommy is still at her pre-pregnancy weight.  At first she gained 2 pounds but that was before morning sickness set in!  We measured Mommy's belly....It is 33.5".  It will be fun to watch it grow!

8w4d- BLEEDING SCARE!!!

 

8w4d- Baby Bean's growing on track with a beautiful heartbeat of 170!!!!  Mommy had a bleeding scare today while getting ready for work.  A big gush of blood with a blood clot came out, but quickly turned to brown when she wiped.  Mommy called the doctor's office....luckily, they fit her in early this morning for an ultrasound and quick check up.  Needless to say, we were all on pins and needles the whole time hoping the blood was from the placenta previa and not due to a miscarriage. .....Baby Bean's beautiful heart fluttered away on the screen and we all cried!!!!!  If you look closely you can make out the arms and legs....No Daddy, that's not a little penis between the legs....it's the umbilical cord or even what's left of the "tail".....the little girl/boy parts are not formed yet!  LOL  My guess is a little girl due to the high heartbeat.....Time will tell.  I just wish this could be an easy pregnancy for Mommy and Daddy to enjoy.......hopefully the placenta shifts off the cervix over time as the uterus grows!  Mommy has been put on modified bed rest until the next appointment on Tuesday.  The OB also noticed bruising on her thighs (maybe from the dogs jumping up on her legs)....He is worried that maybe the low dose aspirin is making her blood too thin and decided to take her off of it for now.  Maybe this will help ease up on the spotting and bleeding from the Previa.  Praying for you little bean!  Keep growing....We all love you!

2 MONTHS PREGNANT

Mommy has a pregnancy glow....even between the bouts of morning sickness!  She vomits once or twice a day.  :-(  At least it is not all day long and is manageable. So far week 8 has been the hardest with morning sickness.

8w2d- MFM OB

Caitlin's hematologist called her today with the results of the blood tests.  He checked her blood clotting time and her homocysteine levels, all which came back within normal range.  I think he said her homocysteine level was a 4.9 (10-14 is a moderate concern & 15 + is a severe concern).   So the 1mg. extra folic acid along with the prenatal vitamin Neevo DHA for MTHFR patients seems to working by keeping the homocysteine level in normal range.  Also the 81mg. aspirin seems to be keeping the blood thin enough with proper clotting times.   GREAT NEWS! 

Even with the good news on the blood work, the hematologist and OB decided that the next level of care should be taken to monitor the pregnancy....especially with the known MTHFR blood disorder now coupled with placenta previa. An appointment has been set up with a Maternal Fetal Medicine OB Specialist.  The consult visit will be on March 6th starting off with an ultrasound!!!!  YAY!  Caitlin will be 11w1d....probably toooooo soon to tell the sex of the baby.  But that's OK, as long as the baby and the pregnancy is healthy and monitored closely!

Caitlin also set up a elective 3D/4D  gender ultrasound on March 27th at 6PM.  The whole family will get to be a part of this one to celebrate the sex of the baby!  Caitlin will be 14w1d at this ultrasound! 

Will post the next belly picture on Friday!

8 WEEKS PREGNANT!

Dear Baby Bean,

You are developing quickly this week: Webbed fingers and toes are poking out from your hands and feet, your eyelids practically cover your eyes, breathing tubes extend from your throat to the branches of your developing lungs, and your "tail" is just about gone. In your brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways. We are daydreaming about your gender, but your external genitalia still hasn't developed enough to reveal whether Mommy is having a boy or a girl. Either way, you are about the size of a kidney bean and are constantly moving and shifting, though Mommy still can't feel it. Mommy is looking forward to the day you are big enough to have your heart beat detected on a home Doppler (which may be several weeks since she has a tipped uterus and you are making your home low down near the cervix, which is still buried down below the pubic bone)....then later feeling those first flutters from you wiggling all over the place!

We love you!
Grandma Dason

MATERNITY

Awe....sooooo cute!  Caitlin tried on a 7 month belly bump at a local maternity store, while looking for comfy pants.  Decided to get a belly band and continue to wear "normal pants" to save money.  Bought a couple new maternity tops and a new bra.  Went from a 34B to a 36C  in just 7 weeks!  YIKES!

Oh yea....the morning sickness continues...  :-(   The only positive sign earlier was several days in a row with no puking.  Hopefully that returns soon.  Puking is NO FUN!

7w4d- BELLY SHOTS!

The spotting happens almost daily now from the placenta previa (light pink to brown).  :-(  Even knowing what's causing the spotting....doesn't really ease up the worrying any.  We hang onto the fact that Mommy is growing a healthy baby....on track with growth and a strong heart beat ....Pregnancy symptoms include...fuller breasts, rounding belly (pants are officially unbuttoned), and heartburn....thankfully the morning sickness didn't stay around long and hopefully doesn't come back....she can deal with being nauseous every now and then, but hates puking!

Update:  I spoke tooooo soon!  Five Guys Burgers and Fries grease smells sent her over the edge tonight during dinner....puked fast and hard....even came out of her nose!  YUCK!  

FETAL DOPPLER!

We found this doppler online at http://www.pulseoximeteronline.com/sonoline-c1.html  Here are the specs:

* Powerful built-in speaker for listening the heartbeat without headphones
* Easy to read LCD with on/off backlight
* Clear digital fetal heart rate display
* Uses 2 AA size batteries which are easy to find (2 new Batteries are included)
* Auto-off feature & low battery consumption to ensures hours & hours of usage
* Battery icon which indicates how much battery is left
* Headphone jack for listening to the heartbeat or for linking the unit to a computer
* Weights only 180g with the batteries inserted
* Compact design with buttons which are design to withstand repeated usage without wearing out or breaking
* Units features 3 easy to operate modes :

Mode 1 : a heart icon is displayed when the heartbeat is detected and the real-time hear t rate is displayed numerically

Mode 2 : a heart icon is displayed when the heartbeat is detected and it averages the heart rate for a more stable reading

Mode 3 : this mode allows the user to calculate an average heart rate over a specific period of time by manually pushing a button to start & stop the time

We heard Nevaeh's heartbeat by doppler at 8w5d at the doctor's office....once we found a doppler online to buy, Courtney was more like 10 weeks when we tried it at home.  We listened to Nevaeh's heartbeat every day!  Caitlin checked out youtube.....some women are catching heartbeats with Sonoline doppler models as early as 7 weeks!  I hope we are just as lucky to listen to the heartbeat this early.  I will post the heartbeat video once we are successful!

7 WEEKS PREGNANT!

Dear Baby Bean,

You sure did make your Mommy smile today when she saw you on an ultrasound with a strong heartbeat of 147!!!! (see earlier post)... According to babycenter.com, this week your hands and feet are emerging from developing arms and legs — although they look more like paddles at this point than the tiny, pudgy extremities I'm daydreaming about holding and tickling! Technically, you are still considered an embryo with a small  tail, which is an extension of your tailbone. The tail will disappear within a few weeks, but that's the only thing getting smaller. You have doubled in size since last week and now measure half an inch long, about the size of a blueberry or a bean.

You now have eyelid folds partially covering your eyes, which already have some color. You also have a tiny nose with tiny veins beneath parchment-thin skin. Both hemispheres of your  brain are growing, and your liver is churning out red blood cells until your bone marrow forms and takes over this role. You also has an appendix and a pancreas, which will eventually produce the hormone insulin to aid in digestion. A loop in your  growing intestines is bulging into your umbilical cord, which now has distinct blood vessels to carry oxygen and nutrients to and from your  tiny body!

Mommy called today an official No button pants day.....probably due to the fact that her uterus has doubled in size because of your fast growth spurts!  But she isn't complaining!  

We love you very much!

Grandma Dason

7w0d- ULTRASOUND!

With more spotting this weekend, Caitlin called the OB for an earlier ultrasound to check things out.  We are happy to announce baby bean (Mommy renamed you baby bean, rather than little peanut!) is growing right on track at exactly 7 weeks today.  I originally guessed 6w6d ....so all the earlier data on HCGs are based on one day ahead of schedule. (I corrected the timeline on right side of blog- but did not change all the earlier posts).  There is a nice strong heartbeat at 147!!!  

We also know why she has been spotting.  The placenta is exactly on top of the cervix, which is known as  placenta previa.  She will likely continue to spot (even fresh red blood) until the placenta migrates away from the cervix.   If she has a heavy flow of blood, (covers a pad) then she needs to call her OB immediately, which may require bed rest or hospitalization.  One thing for sure.....she will be on pelvic rest for the entire pregnancy!  POOR JOE!

6w5d- MORE SPOTTING. :-(

Caitlin woke up this morning to get ready for work.....discovered more spotting...light pink. The worrying grows day by day. I think Caitlin is going to insist her OB sees her tomorrow for an ultrasound. The not knowing what is going on is the hardest part. At least an ultrasound would give her some answers. We continue to pray that this spotting will stop and we see a heartbeat......PRAYING FOR YOU LITTLE PEANUT!

6w3d-BELLY UPDATE!

Yesterday at work, Caitlin was nauseated all day and threw up twice (YUCK)...but then this morning, Caitlin had a spot of light pink blood on her finger after putting in the progesterone suppository.  All the pregnancy systems are going strong then a worrisome site of spotting....Tuesday's ultrasound can't come fast enough!

6w1d- HPT

YEP...the obsession continues.  LOL.  Caitlin was at the grocery store and couldn't resist taking one more pregnancy test to see if the line is still dark.  Sure enough it is!  The line is much darker than the control line and appeared as soon as the urine passed over the window....instantly dark!  :-)

6w1d- MTHFR & HEMATOLOGIST

Caitlin had a hematologist visit for her blood disorder MTHFR (homozygous C677t).  She visited this hematologist about two years ago when she found out about her disorder (Caitlin's sister has MTHFR heterozygous- A , with 4 miscarriages and one healthy pregnancy on 40 mg. lovenox shots daily).  The hematologist then stated he was not going to treat Caitlin as high risk until she experienced a loss!  But he did say that she should be on low dose aspirin and extra folic acid.

Knowing this going into today's visit, Caitlin was ready to ask him to be proactive rather than reactive with this pregnancy.  As soon as he started talking about how she hasn't experienced a loss, she cut him off and asked him to at least monitor her homocysteine levels and blood clotting time (using medical terminology).....as well as a little crying!  He was quiet for a moment and then asked if she was in the medical field.  After she told him she was an RN, he decided that it was best to send her on to a higher risk hematologist for her MTHFR issues during pregnancy.

Pretty sad!  What if she wasn't an RN?  Should that make a difference in the type of patient care given?  SAD, SAD, SAD!  She wasn't asking for the shots (honestly I think the low dose aspirin is enough since she seriously bruises with simple blood draws)....she simply wanted her blood monitored on a regular basis for clotting issues and thickness.  You may be wondering why she doesn't go to the same hematologist that her sister did with the successful pregnancy.....well because, her sister lived in a different state during the time of that pregnancy!

As for the pregnancy....Caitlin's symptoms are in full swing!  She has vomited about 4 times  these past couple of days....and nauseous throughout the day (on and off)....especially when certain smells get to her! Still extremely tired and gassy!  Her breast and nipples still hurt and the nipple area is getting darker.....All great signs that even with some previous spotting, the pregnancy seems to be on track!  We are praying to see a heartbeat at next week's ultrasound!