Hi ladies! I guess I will sneak cautiously back in here. Still not sure if I should be getting excited about this pregnancy or running for cover, but here goes. I'm 7 weeks along now.  I've had four HCG draws and two good u/s, and so far things look good.  The u/s this week showed an on-track little peanut with a good heartrate. So we know it is not an ectopic pregnancy, which is a big relief. 

I still have 4.5 weeks to go before we cross my second loss milestone, but I'm trying to take it one day at a time.  I have to wait three weeks at this point until my next OB appointment, so I'm focusing on getting to that landmark now.  

SSBride--I'm also a big eater in the first tri.  I don't have big morning sickness, but I get slightly queasy if my stomach is empty.  I focus on doing small meals and lots of healthy snacks.  So instead of bringing one big thing to eat for lunch at work, I'll bring several smaller things that I can space out through the day: 1 or 2 pieces of fruit, a yogurt cup, a soup cup, a salty snack.  I still gained 3 stubborn pounds during my first trip through the first trimester... I know you're not supposed to gain weight that early, but it's hard not to eat due to the queasiness.  Not like I was filling up on junk either.  (I also started at a reasonable-for-my-body BMI of 21). 

My skin is nothing wonderful, but actually behaves better during pregnancy than while TTC (the hormonal wildness of my pg losses really screwed up my complexion also).  I find hormonal treatments most effective for clearing my skin, and obviously can't go on BCPs now, so my dermatologist told me to "come back and see her after I had my baby".  Which as it turns out, is a bit of a long road.  She offered to prescribe some topical treatments, but she didn't think they would really do much, so I haven't bothered even filling the scripts.  I figure why take extra meds, if the doc prescribing them doesn't even think they will be effective.

medfordcc--I'm thinking of you as you go through this waiting period.  Hope you are doing okay.

Welcome Happy, and congrats SSBride and Siena! Med and Siena, I am thinking of both of you as you continue your waiting game.  And good luck Fuzzymiss, you are close!

SS - I also have days where I am constantly hungry, and I try to do what you do and bring a bunch of small and healthy snacks, and also something filling for lunch (soup, leftovers).  Some days I am really hungry all day, and other days it is more normal.  I am 16 weeks now and have gained about 6 pounds, which is pretty normal as far as weight gain at this point.  Try not to worry too much about it.  You are eating all healthy things!

As for me, as I further progress into the second trimester I am feeling a lot better.  I am less tired, more energy, and the nausea is completely gone.  And, the best news of all is that I have started to feel the baby move in the last week!  It is my 2nd pregnancy, but I didn't expect to feel it this early.  I don't think I felt movement until 20+ weeks last time.  I feel it most when I am just relaxing on the couch at night.  Makes me worry less about the baby now that I am feeling him/her.  I have my next appointment on Tuesday, and then they will schedule the next ultrasound.  So, I hope to find out boy/girl in a few weeks!

For the ladies concerned with your skin, be sure to keep it moisturized inside (by staying hydrated) and out with an oil-free daily moisturizer.  If your skin is too dry your oil glands will kick into super high gear to make up for it.  Avoid using anything too drying especially rubbing alcohol which strips your skin.  Moisturize every day especially now that Winter's dry air is upon us.  I know, it sounds counterintuitive, but it's essential for avoiding breakouts.  Also, it helps to do a quick wash at night when you clean your teeth.  I like to take a warm wash cloth and just do a quick once over then moisturize...takes under a minute and feels lovely, very relaxing and sleep inducing.

Siena - that's great news!  I will be thinking of you.

Thanks, too, and Memes also, for the kind thoughts.  I am doing okay!  My last low day was Saturday, and I'm cheered that tomorrow is Friday and then only one more week to the next u/s.  It seemed ages away, so realizing that it's getting closer is helping.  I also scoped out the babycenter boards because there is one for cystic hygroma, but it was kind of "eh".  Many great people sharing their stories, but a lot of the commenters were annoying.  Like someone would share a really bad test result, and someone would comment, "don't give up hope on your baby!"  Um.  I believe in hope, but the person just shared that there is, factually, no hope.  Seemed like it would just make the person feel worse for "not hoping".  So I refrained from joining the conversation.

Memes - that's so exciting!!

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome!

SS - Congrats on your BFP! Best wishes for an exciting first ultrasound!

Fuzzy - Good luck during these last couple weeks. I'm only at the half way mark and I'm absolutely loving being pregnant, but I can't help wondering if I'll be feeling the same way when I get to your stage ;)

Siena and Medford - I'm sending positive vibes out into the universe for you both. 

I lost a couple pounds in the first trimester due to nausea and decreased appetite. Once I hit 11-12 weeks, nausea went away and my appetite went back to normal. Over the past couple weeks I've definitely noticed I'm hungry more often. My favorite snacks right now are raw nuts, dried apricots and prunes. I use to love Greek yogurt, but I am practically choking it down when I eat it now. Oh well...

Our "gender reveal" party this past weekend was a lot of fun. Dessert Works in Westwood made the cutest cake for our reveal. DH and I cut into the cake together to reveal a blue filling. Out of the 20 people in attendance, only 2 guessed a girl so I guess everyone had a hunch it was a boy :) DH is over the moon with excitement!

Happy, congrats on a fun gender reveal party.  Love the cut the cake way to announce it.  If you are choking down Greek yogurt for the probiotics, you could just take Dr. Natura's probiotic blend, and there are other ways to get protein and dairy if you really hate yogurt, now.  No need to choke it down!

Med, I so get what you're saying, unwarrented hope hurts the most.  Why can't people just vent and be upset without others telling them to not be sad or to hold out hope for a fantasy?

any more news on your own journey?

Happy - What a fun idea for revealing the gender!  Hope I get to that stage so I can copy it.

Siena - Congrats on making it to 7 weeks.  With each passing week the risks go down and I have a great feeling this is going to be one sticky bean for you!

Meme - That's amazing that your feeling the baby move already!  I think that's when I'll finally feel like this is real and calm down a bit.  Must be really reassuring to actually feel movement regularly.

Med - Hope your hanging in there.  What is your next step?  It must be so difficult waiting on more tests.

Kar - no news, but in 1 week there will be *some* news.  I'm really hoping for something concrete that will bring us resolution either way.  I will have a hard time if it's more waiting.  In the mean time, I have a really busy week of fun stuff and work, so that's a good thing.

Happy - that's so sweet about the party!  And I agree about skipping the Greek yogurt if you're not feeling it.  Strangely, I started to like regular yogurt more than Greek - I think because of the thinner consistency?  It is/was easier for me to get down with the nausea, although it sounds like you are happily past that!

ETA: SS, we were writing at the same time!  The next step is ultrasound in 1 week.  They needed to wait until 16-18 weeks to find out more, and I will be just over 16 then, so my biggest fear is that they'll say they can't see enough and I need to come back in two MORE weeks.  It's going to be terrible if it's bad results, but I've been researching and talking to friends so much, and I know that as hard as it would be, DH and I will be able to find peace.  It's just the waiting that's the hardest part.

Weird - you can't delete a post anymore?  Consider this my deletion :o)

siena, sounds promising to be uterine...fingers crossed.

fram, I've reported myself and asked bdc to delete a post for me, and they did.

Does anyone have any advice on where to buy maternity pants. I went to The Gap, Old Navy and Motherhood and I couldn't find any dress pants that fit me. I have (had?) and hourglass figure and I can't find anything that looks halfway decent on my fat thighs! I struggle to find pants anyway. My work pants are either Editor pants from Express or the Julie/Curvy cut from Ann Taylor Loft (which I think they actually discontinued). I can't find any pants that are relaxed enough through the thighs. Everything I tried on was so stretchy that it just looked awful. I ordered some pants from Kohl's and JCPenney's websites, but if they don't work, I'm stumped. I don't have very much more time in my current pants.

While we're on the subject of maternity wear, why is it that the only patterns I can find are horizontal stripes? Who decided that the only thing pregnant women want to do is look bigger? Between the horizontal stripes and the skinny jeans, it's like the fashion industry is laughing at me!

Chicklet:  The only place I found that had remotely decent work maternity pants was Ann Taylor Loft Maternity.  It's been a couple of years since I shopped for maternity pants, so not sure what they are carrying now, but it may be worth checking.

Chiclet - I have an hourglass figure as well and my maternity work pants were all from Motherhood.  I literally had to try on every pair of pants in the store to find the ones that fit right in the thigh and butt and finally I was able to find a few.  I ended up with 4 pairs from there, full panel, and just rotated them each day. I also bought several of their dresses and wore maternity leggings underneath.  Good luck!

I think I'm finally ready to make the jump over to the pregnancy boards. I "graduated" to the OB 3 weeks ago, and the early results from CVS testing came back looking good, so I am finally starting to feel like this pregnancy is real. I am 13 weeks 1 day today, so I am almost done with the first trimester! We also know that we are expecting a boy.  

Amy-Lynn, so glad to hear that. I have to ask. How do you know you are having a boy already? That's pretty amazing!

Congrats amy-lyn!

So just came back from our 6 week ultrasound.  We're having TWINS!!!  It was so amazing to see the heartbeats and we are just over the moon right now!

Congratulations SS! I'm so excited for you!

hi ladies - I'm posting live from Las Vegas!

I went to my new OB yesterday, although won't actually meet her until next week. I really like the place, so far. They seem very thorough...although it was overwhelming since I just arrived and at 22 weeks I was given information that most people get at 8weeks PLUS all the information for 21+ weeks.

So, one thing I feel a little uneasy about and was hoping maybe some of you would have some advice/answers on this.

At this practice, if you have a history of miscarriages and have had any surgery done on the cervix (I did, D&C), they consider it a risk of incompetent cervix and from weeks 21-26 they do weekly cervix checks to make sure there is no opening or dilation/thinning...all those things.

I appreciate the need to ensure all is well...but I guess since this wasn't an issue for my last (successful) pregnancy, I feel a little odd/worried about it.

Does anyone have any experience with this? Do you know if there are any risks? I'm wondering specifically if constantly checking on the cervix would actually have an oppposite effect...and actually trigger dilation? I have to assume I can trust these people, and I know all practices are different so I'm respecting that as well...but it wouild be nice to know if anyone has heard of this and if there is any knowledge or concern I should have.

thanks ladies!!

ss, re: weight gain and being starving, when i was PG with twins i was RAVENOUS the first trimester.  it eventually died down.  this time i'm PG with one and i have NOT been ravenous - it's been pretty interesting to experience the enormous difference.   that said i will be the negative nancy voice of reason and tell a cautionary tale: i gained 80 lbs with my twins and regret it every day - 2 years later still!  so while you ought to eat when you're hungry i would try to get into the habit now of eating pretty healthy foods - like you have been! - b/c i learned the hard way that the weight doesn't just drip off after you give birth.  especially if you can't BF due to to fertility issues, which was my case.  (and i didn't eat unhealthy foods, but i would say eat a sandwich at 10:30 am anda nother at 1:30 pm, whereas in retrospect i should have eaten some fruit and yogurt for a snack instead of a second sandwich - that kind of thing.)  anyway - so excited you are having twins!  i think i've read online a normal weight gain for twins is like 45-50 lbs, btw.  also, i should really get off my high horse b/c now on my second PG with a singleton i'm at 23 weeks and have already gained 19 lbs - waaaah! - i was trying to only gain 30 and am stressing i will come in over that.  so, i guess the lesson is you can only do so much.  :) 

enjoyed reading the other updates on the board!  keep 'em coming!  :)

Silver - I hope the move went okay!

I have had surgery on my cervix (I had a benign polyp removed several years ago) and, though I've mentioned it to every one of my practicioners, no one has even batted an eye at it. I think your concern that it could do more harm than good is a valid one. I don't know the stats on it, but I think that would be something I would worry about as well. I'd also be kind of upset about weekly visits for 5 weeks, but that's just me. I'm sure they wouldn't do it if it was risky. Maybe your OB can explain it more when you see her next week?

Hi everyone - I have missed you all!

Medford and Miss Wolff and anyone else going through difficult pg times... my heart goes out to you and am hoping you experience happy news soon... thinking of you.

Congrats to all the newly pg ladies!  Excited for all of you, especially those of you who have had a bumpy road getting here.

Congratulations amy-lynn and SSBride on good u/s visits!  And double hooray for the twins SS!  :)

Silver--I've also never heard of cervical checks for that indication.  However, maybe it is a recommended thing and I just haven't heard of it.  Who knows...  My history is somewhat different because I've never had a full D&C procedure, just a biopsy.  I would ask your question about whether the checks themselves are risky directly to your OB and see if you can get an answer that puts your mind at ease.

ML - I had CVS testing, where they take a sample of the chorionic vili, to do a chromosome check. It allows the lab to see if there is an XX (girl) or XY (boy). So I know it is a boy.

Congrats to SSBride on the twins! That's so exciting. 

Congrats also to Sienna and HappyFrappy!

Medford, I hope you are having an OK time with waiting, my thoughts are with you and your family in this challenging time.

Congrats Amy Lynn and SSBride!  Such great news!

I had an OB visit this morning and all went well.  Only small issue (well, not really an issue) is that they moved my due date up by 3 days.  Baby was measuring one week big at my last ultrasound, and I had been having shorter cycles prior to getting pregnant (25-27 days), so the OB and midwife discussed and decided to move the due date up.  Only issue in my mind is that I was 11 days late last time and I am terrified of having to be induced.  They would have induced me last time at 42 weeks, so in my mind, I am worried that my original due date should be the correct one, and I will be late again this time, and end up having to be induced.  Hopefully this all won't happen though and this baby will not be so late!  Not a big issue in the grand scheme of things, but something on my mind.