May Chatty Thread

[robin7361]

two weeks ago, my RE told me i could go off the progesterone supplements "in two weeks", which is today. my early levels were 7 on nothing, then 10, then 15 before my morning pill each week. i haven't been tested in two weeks and don't see my OBGYN until next week.

what if my placenta doesn't take over? i read that some women's placentas just don't "kick into gear" as early as others and what if i could prevent a problem by taking the supplement just a little longer?

i'm not sure if i'm being paranoid or smart by wanting to take them for at least another week until i see my OBGYN and insist on a progesterone test. opinions?

[hematite153]

The instructions from my clinic were to keep taking progesterone until specifically told to stop. In other words, "in two weeks" would not be specific enough and I would be expected to wait for a follow-up blood test and specific "stop taking it today".

So, I think you're being logical by wanting to wait for follow-up.

But, every clinic/RE/etc. seems to do things slightly differently.

[A Squared]

I was just told to stop taking progesterone at 12 weeks. I did not have a blood test. I know it seems like a leap of faith to go off it, but I'm sure everything will be fine. They wouldn't have you go off it if they felt otherwise.

[robin7361]

updated, kind of:
first, thanks for the replies. they're helpful to read.

i called my RE's office this morning and talked to my favorite nurse. she assured me that the placenta will take over at 12 weeks and there's really nothing to worry about. she told me that it wouldn't hurt me to stay on them for a few more days 'til 12 weeks (which, of course, translated in my mind to "until 12 weeks, 3 days when i see the obgyn and demand a progesterone test! )

she told me that my progesterone at 9w3d was 16.5 (after 7 on no supplement at 5w3d, 10 at 6w3d, 10.5 at 7w3d and 15 at 9w3d--all tets taken before my morning dose.) i said, "are you sure it's not too low?" and she said, "i'm sure."

alita, it's totally a leap of faith. i am so ! isn't there some way to prove to me that my placenta is a rock star and is doing everything right on time? i'm a very concrete girl; i need evidence!

[robin7361]

Originally Posted by robin7361

she told me that my progesterone at 9w3d was 16.5 (after 7 on no supplement at 5w3d, 10 at 6w3d, 10.5 at 7w3d and 15 at 9w3d--all tets taken before my morning dose.)

oops, that is, it was 15 at 8w3d, not 9w3d.

[Care75]

Robin- I was on progesterone until 13 weeks. I weaned down the last week- reducing everything in half. I never had a blood test at all- even at the beginning of the pregnancy to check.

If you're nervous, ask for the test and see what they think about a repeat test after totally going off of it. The 1st trimester nervousness is the worst. Once you can feel the baby, it helps a ton!!

[2moms2be]

I never had a test either. Cant remember how long I was on it. I think it was 12 wks...

[robin7361]

Originally Posted by Care75

he 1st trimester nervousness is the worst. Once you can feel the baby, it helps a ton!!

thanks for the reassurance. i think i will take the supplement 'til friday night (saturday is 12 weeks) and then just take my morning dose saturday, sunday and then nothing monday. tuesday is my appointment and i'll ask for a test. by then the supplements will be out of my system and i'll be able to tell what i'm making on my own.

re: feeling the baby, i'm afraid that because i am a fat mommy, it will be a while before i feel my little Who. so, extra weeks of anxiety. awesome.

[swell22]

Robin - I totally get it! They made me stop my shots at like 11 weeks or something and I was scared to DEATH! Additionally, about being a "fat" mommy. I am too and maybe just barely felt the baby today. (Not really sure though, so it probably will be a little while before I feel her again.) Hang in there. Just live from appointment to appointment. I still am! It will be fine though!

[robin7361]

Originally Posted by swell22

Additionally, about being a "fat" mommy. I am too and maybe just barely felt the baby today.

yeah, i've heard it can be a while. (i'm on the big_mother community on LJ and i've heard that there.) i'm not 'fat" though, i am fat. like not "plus-sized". like fat. i'm cool with it, but i wish i knew for sure how that affects the dates of things (like when you start showing, when you feel the baby, when you can really see the sex, etc.)

[Care75]

Robin- I've also heard it can take longer with your first baby. I'm on the smaller side, but I started with feeling the "maybe it's something" around 20 weeks. I wasn't totally sure of the movements until 24-25 weeks. Nothing like more waiting right?

Congrats on almost being through with the 1st trimester!

[A Squared]

We had the twins' 4 month checkup yesterday. They are still tiny: 5th percentile for weight and 10th percentile for height. Áine weighs 11 lbs 5 oz and Lachlan weighs 12 lbs 3 oz. They also had a slew of immunizations and both ended up having a local reaction to it that made them miserable and inconsolable until we gave them Tylenol. Today they are feeling much better and seem back to their normal selves. I will try to put a new siggy pic in soon so you can see how much bigger they are.

[joanna]

I'm so bad at posting here. I keep up on other's post but never seem to reply. Sorry about that.

A- Sorry about the twins reactions to the shots. It's so hard when our little ones aren't feeling well.

Robin- I'm also a fat mommy. It's not an absolute rule that it will take longer to feel movement. I starting feeling things around 17-18 weeks with both of my last two pregnancies. Hopefully you'll start feeling movement sooner rather than later.

Laura- That really sucks that Caleb has to be re-circed. I hope it goes well.

As far as adoption goes, I agree that it sucks that we have to go through all this sh!t. If Jocelyn was born this year or Oregon's domestic partnerships had gone through last year we would have been lucky enough to atomaticaly both be legal parents from the get go. However, because we do have the domestic partnership it does make the process easier. We met with a lawyer back in December, but we needed to save up the money. I called the lawyer last week to say we are ready to go but now he's too busy to take our case. He refered us to a lawyer 3.5 hours away. Anyways, I'm going to try to find a new lawyer in our area and basicly I'm back to square one.

I got a very part time job (like 10 hours a week) at Target. I'm basicly working 2-3 evenings a week so Jocelyn doesn't need a babysitter still. This is more to get me out of the house than anything. Plus now I get the fabulous discount. Also, I'm starting college again in the fall. Just starting with 2 classes, but I'm really excited.

Jocelyn is doing great. She's at such an amazing age. She's not crawling yet, but she can get places by rolling and spinning on her belly. She is doing a ton of baby talk. It's so cute because she looks so serious while she's "talking" to you. My major acomplishment is we've got her drinking from a cup all by her self (it's not even a sippy cup). She still gets her formula in a bottle, but I think we'll start switching that over in a month or two. I started weaning her off the breast about 1.5 months ago. My own stupid reason, but she was starting to play with my nipple and I was having a hard time with that. I did exclusively pump for a bit, but when we went to Sacramento my pumping schedule got out of wack and I pretty much dried up. I was never one of those women that loved breastfeeding and so it feels really good to have all this freedom. Jocelyn goes in for her 9 month (9 months, holly crap where did the time go) check-up in two weeks. I'm really curious as to how much she weighs now, because she feels huge to me anymore.

OK, I know you guys didn't need to read a novel, but thanks for taking the time. I hope everyone had a wonderful mother's day!

[robin7361]

ok, here's a question for y'all. (it's a timely one since tomorrow is the appointment, but...)

what did your obgyn do at your first appointment after you left your RE? i left my RE three weeks ago and i am 12 weeks. what can i expect tomorrow? also, if he can't hear the heartbeat on doppler (sometimes you can't at 12 weeks, right? and i've got a biggole belly) will he send me for an ultrasound, do you think?

thanks, guys!

[2moms2be]

A- I hope they are feeling better now!! Poor babes! And as long as they are at or above 5th they are doing just fine!

Robin- Let me try to remember... I think my OB measured my belly, listened for heart beats (found them both) and asked alot of questions...none of which I can remember...GL with your appt!!! let us know how it goes!

Joanna- NINE MONTHS!!!! Good for you getting a job. I know what its like needing to get out of the house. Sorry about the lawyer that stinks!!! I love the baby talk. It is so cute.

Em is doing this thing where she grunts in this guttural grunt (kind of back of the throat thing)and if you do it back to her she will have a "conversation" with you. Its really cute. They are both rolling around to get places and scooting on their bellies, but Em has been getting on her knees and rocking so I think my days of putting them down and knowing they will be wherever I put them are coming to a close! OH and Av can totally sit up on her own for LONNNNG periods and even play without falling. Where did my baby go????

[2moms2b]

Ok... sorry to not "be around" much lately. We were out of town (which went well, by the way) and then have been running crazy since. We are leaving town again tomorrow.

Robin- I am also a plus sized girl (I'm the one in the baseball cap below)... I think that it took me much longer to show... which was disappointing since I never ONCE had a stranger say "when are you due?" (No, not even at BRU with a registry gun.) But then, I know I would be mortified if I wasn't pregnant and someone asked me that. However, I was so excited to finally be pregnant... I didn't care all that much. I will try to remember to look up when I first felt her... I wrote it on a calendar. I also took progesterone and wanted proof before I went off too, but decided that at some point, I just had to have faith in the doc that I spent so much time picking out. (I am not good at patience or faith, btw.) My first OB appointment was heartbeat, quick ultrasound (because they couldn't hear the HB on doppler yet), lots of questions from me, lots of questions from her.

A - Sorry about the reactions...ick!

Joanna and Patty - Wow, your little one(s) are really progressing.

Olivia had her 2 month appointment on Thursday of last week. She is 9 pounds 15 ounces and 22 3/4 inches long. (long and lanky... NOT like Mom [or dad for that matter] don't know where this is coming from) She tolerated the shots VERY well, just slept a lot afterwards.

We had a fabulous time seeing Kathy's family. We were worried that her parents wouldn't treat Olivia like a "REAL" grandchild... but we were OH SO WRONG. (I don't believe I have ever been so happy to be wrong!!) They had a meet and greet party so that all of the family in the area could come and meet Olivia... it was great. They had also gone totally overboard buying her things... including a bikini (yipe!) Her two boy cousins, one 19 and the other 13, just love her. We actually had to get them to let other people hold her. (The 19 year old even WANTED to change a diaper.... wierd!) Kathy's sister was also just wonderful... we stayed at her house.

We are traveling to see my mom and dad this week, leaving tomorrow. It is a longer trip all the way around... about 6 hours in the car and we are staying until Monday. This is where I grew up and I am really looking forward to seeing some old buddies... I am the LAST ONE to have kids. One of my high school friends called a few days ago and was helping her daughter register for college entrance exams... YIKES... and I have a newborn!!! It is really going to be fun.

I have some new pics and will change my sig soon.

Dawn

[swell22]

Robin - I hope your appointment went well. I was always under the impression that BIG things went down at these appointments, but it doesn't really seem that way. (At least not yet!) Just a lot of talking, sometimes a little poking/measuring and a heartbeat.

So, I think I felt the baby last week Thursday and then again on Friday and Saturday, but NOTHING so far this week. I am completely freaked out that something is wrong. The logical part of my brain says that everything is fine, but I am in that week or so until the next appointment time when I start getting really worried, so I'm pretty much a mess right now. Will someone just tell me that things are fine?

You babies are all soooo big!

[2moms2be]

Dawn- I'm so glad her family surprised you in a GOOD way!!! That is fantastic!!!

Suellen- Everything is FINE I would bet money on it!!! I remember when I first started feeling them it would be sometimes days or weeks between. Pretty soon you will feel like she is playing soccer in there!

[robin7361]

obgyn update, since i posted about it earlier...
it was like a regular annual exam on steroids! ha!
full internal exam including pap smear and three other swabs (not sure for what) plus a general tactile pelvic exam. i was declared of "adequate pelvic size" for a vaginal delivery and diagnosed with a [symptomless] yeast infection. (not surprising since i had one in the first month and apparently they often recur during pregnancy.)

no ultrasound or doppler. next time for the doppler, he says (in three weeks) and an anatomy scan around 18-20 weeks. he also showed me where i can feel for my uterus in a couple of weeks. he said it felt like a 12-14 week sized uterus, which was the only true indication i got that everything is progressing normally.

he is not testing for progesterone, but assured me that going off it now is fine. he also said studies are inconclusive about what progesterone numbers mean beyond the first trimester--women with lower numbers go on to both carry successfully and miscarry. ditto with normal/high numbers. i figure it's time i just take a leap of faith. today is day 3 fully off the supplements and i feel fine.

thanks for all your recollections about the first obgyn visit!

[Care75]

A- Well, Aine and Jack are the same size. We had our 3 month appointment yesterday. Harper is a little smaller (11 lbs. 3 oz.) actually which surprises me because Jack looks smaller. It must just be that she's longer and has those chubby cheeks.

Joanna- I can't believe how big Jocelyn is getting. Her picture in your siggy is adorable. What a cutie!

Patty- I love the new pictures. The Thing 1 and Thing 2 shirts are adorable. You're right- they're going to be moving everywhere before you know it!!

Dawn- Wow! You guys really are on the go. Travel safely on your next trip!!

Suellen- It really does take a while for the regular movements to kick in. I found that if I sat at a certain angle on the couch- slouching my back with my feet up on the ottoman I was more likely to feel them. I had to be really relaxed and had to be sitting there for a while. And at first, I still wouldn't feel them every day.

Robin- I had a yeast infection too while pregnant. Your lucky it is symptomless because mine was ITCHY!! No fun at all. Pregnancy really is a leap of faith but keep in mind that most people don't even take the progesterone or have as many scans early on that you had at the RE. My sister-in-law is pregnant and had an initial u/s because the OB couldn't totally get the HB for sure and then the 20 week u/s. I, on the other hand, have a whole photo album full of u/s scans!!!

Harper and Jackson are doing well. Harper has a cold (so do I) and got some diarreha as a result. I think she's almost kicked it. Jackson just started to be able to pick things up. He started with a paci and now he's picking up rings. It's too cute. They're both "talking" up a storm with us too and smiling all the time. It's great to come from work to see those smiles! BTW- Only 9 more days of work!!