Waiting with hope

Well, it's been a week or so since our positive news. I thought I would write about what I've been experiencing over that time period while we wait with hope and a bit of nervousness about the ultrasound on Friday.

I still can't believe I'm pregnant. I think part of me is trying to be protective against possible disappointment, because there is a scared part of my brain saying, "What if this is just a chemical pregnancy? A blighted ovum? What if you have a miscarriage because this just wasn't meant to be?"

I had to POAS last week because I have still been keeping track of my temps. I watched them dip below my coverline one morning and had a bout of anxiety about miscarriage. No bleeding, and the test was positive. The temps took a climb back up and I have breathed a sigh of relief.

Since I am very attuned to my body, I have noticed the following changes:

• Acid reflux after eating spicy foods
• More thirsty than usual- it makes sense, your body is making more blood for the embryo!
• I had some hot flashes a few days after the transfer- not sure if this was the progesterone/estrogen I've been taking
• Tender breasts- not as bad as before my period, but veins are definitely more noticeable
• Falling asleep on the couch by 9:00 p.m. Not extreme exhaustion, but certainly more tired.
• Irritable- I have been much more hard on my students over things that I would normally let slide
• Bloating/constipation (yeah, TMI)- Ok, so I look 3 months pregnant. I catch my students giving me sidelong glances. I am uncomfortable wearing my regular pants, yet not ready to go into maternity clothes at just 5 weeks pregnant!!
• Cramps- they feel like period cramps, but are intermittent. Hopefully this is due to uterus expanding, although I read it can be due to dehydration. Time to drink more water!

No nausea (yet) thankfully, although if I don't eat snacks between meals I get ravenously hungry and lightheaded. Some days I just 'feel' pregnant, and other days I feel totally normal.

Hopefully we will have a positive ultrasound result on Friday- say a prayer and cross your fingers for us!

Success and relief!

My husband and I were on pins and needles all day Wednesday. My co-workers were all asking me when I would find out, so I just told them the office was supposed to call me in the afternoon. I tried to keep my phone on airplane mode all day. It was really difficult not to keep looking at the phone. As soon as the last bell rang, I turned the phone on. The message symbol came up on the phone. I packed my stuff as quickly as I could and then practically ran to the car.

I met DH on campus. Too impatient to wait for him to come down to meet me, I went up to the building to meet him. There were people around, so we decided to go down a nearby hiking trail and sit on a bench to listen to the message. Holding onto each other, we listened:

"I wanted to let you know that we got your results back, and indeed, you are pregnant! The result is great. The beta was 121.2...."

At that point, we both started laughing/shaking uncontrollably while holding each other. I just felt such a sense of relief and joy. Finally!!!

Now we await the second beta test to see if things are progressing. Over the last week and a half, I think I had these 'symptoms': acid reflux, headache, backache, tender breasts, and irritability (although that could be from teaching high school students!). I haven't really felt any nausea (so far!). I have been trying to eat when I get hungry, which has seemed more frequent than usual.

Something I did not know about pregnancy also: due to blood volume increase, you get dehydrated more easily than normal. If you are newly pregnant, drink a TON of water!

We really hope and pray that things continue to go well.