10 weeks 12/27/20

Week 10: The babies are the size of prunes.

Today I gave what felt like a quarter of my blood, but the vials were taken for the OB's prenatal labs and the genetic testing. We should get the results back within the week, as long as USPS doesn't have anything to do with moving them!

What's going on in there: While baby-to-be’s pearly whites won’t appear until they are about 6 months old, teeny tooth buds are now developing under the gums.This week, the stomach is producing digestive juices and the kidneys are making larger quantities of urine. Bones and cartilage are forming this week, knees and ankles are starting to take shape and tiny elbows are already working!

Next appointment: 1/21/2021 for the 13 week ultrasound. Cant wait to see those boys again, and I bet they will be moving so much more!

Feeling: Sort of back to normal! Heart burn is starting to creeping in which I was prepared for, with Tums in the nightstand drawer. 

Weight: 159

30 weeks to go!

9 weeks - 12/20/20

Week 9: The babies are the size of green olives.

What's going on in there: They are now about 1 inch long, the size of a medium green olive. The head has straightened out and is more fully developed and the ears are continuing to grow, making baby look more human. Plus, toes are visible, and all of baby's essential organs, like the heart, brain, kidneys, liver and lungs, have begun to develop. The arms and legs are also spontaneously moving now that minuscule muscles are beginning to develop, though they won't be felt for at least another month or two.

Next appointment: 12/29/20 for blood work

Feeling: So tired! I could sleep all day, but I don't. It is easier to deal with the fatigue by taking breaks during the day to rest. My appetite is definitely returning and I think the boys are in favor of spicy and sweet things, but not together!

Weight: 159

31 weeks to go!

8 weeks - 12/13/20

Week 8: The babies are the size of raspberries

What's going on in there: Amniotic fluid volume is increasing and the womb is expanding to accommodate its growing tenants. This week, hands and feet are forming tiny fingers and toes, and those arms are able to flex at the elbows and wrists. At this point, eyes begin to develop pigment, and genitals are forming too.

These external features aren’t the only things developing — the internal organs are making strides, too. As the intestines form, they start to take up space in the umbilical cord because there’s not enough room in the babies abdomen yet. Even at this early stage, the intestines are working to carry waste away from the body. A month from now, when there’s more room in their little bellies, the intestines will move out of the cord and back into the abdomen.

Our second ultrasound on 12/14/20 showed the babies were growing beautifully, with heart rates of 173 and 176. I think we all took a deep breath once we saw both of our little stars were doing so well. We got to see their little heart beats flickering on the screen and they looked like little gummy bears with their arm and leg buds. 

Next appointment: 12/21/20 first appointment with the OB

Feeling: Pretty good. The nausea hangs out like an old friend, always there but comes and goes. Energy levels go up and down through out the day (naps are still lovely on weekends!). And my appetite is trying to make an appearance again thanks to my brain wanting certain things but my stomach quickly reminds me that I may not be ready for foods that aren't bland yet. Overall, no symptom is too bad and I know in about a month the nausea should go away and my energy will be back up! So I am taking full advantage of the down time and getting rest while the boys are growing 

Weight: 158

32 weeks to go!

7 weeks - 12/6/20

Week 7: The babies are the size of blueberries 

What's going on in there: The babies to be have developed wen-like hands and feet stubs. Soon enough, they will grow and  change to have fingers and toes, but right now, their hands looks like little paddles. The main parts of the eye that allow the baby so see- the cornea, iris, pupil, lens, and retina - start developing this week, and they're almost fully formed just a few weeks later. The stomach starts to form this week and the liver and pancreas start to develop as well!

Next appointment: 12/14/20 for second ultrasound 

Feeling: Less nauseas on a regular basis. It still creeps up sometimes but is definitely bearable. Fatigue has kicked in right on time, so those boys must be growing hard in there. Naps help!

Weight: 158

33 weeks to go!

Heartbeat ultrasound 11/30/20

Today we went in to see our little star up on the big screen and he did not disappoint... and neither did his brother! We have a splitter! 

We had quite the shock almost instantly when two little sacks went up on the monitor. The room went quiet, and we just stared in shock and awe. Two? Two!! Both looked good with nice, solid heart rates for this gestation.

Baby A had a heart rate of 110 and is measuring a day behind and baby B had a heart rate of 128 measuring right on track. 

Next appointment: 12/14/20 for second ultrasound 

Feeling: excited to watch these little stars grow and munching on carrots to keep the nausea away!

Weight: 158

6 weeks and counting 11/29/20

 Today our little Star is 6 weeks old! 

Next appointment: 11/30/20 first ultrasound 

Feeling: exhausted! The fatigue kicks in later in the day and the nausea is throughout the day bet definitely bearable and should decrease in the next few weeks. 

Weight: 158

What’s new with baby?

The tiny baby already has the beginnings of a brain, eyes, ears, lungs and heart. In fact, their heart has even begun to beat to its own rhythm! While the little one is no longer than a grain of rice, his tiny arm and leg buds have already started to form.

Third times a charm! Beta #3 11/20/20

Third and final beta came in at 3776!! That is a 164% increase so we know he is working hard in there to grow for us. With numbers like that I’m surprised I’m not feeling more symptoms, not that I am complaining. I’ve heard that symptoms can kick in more around 7 weeks so I will take advantage of feeling great while I can. 

We will have an ultrasound on 11/30, which will be 6 weeks and 1 day pregnant. Just over a week and we get to see the little shooting star back up on the big screen and watch his little heart flutter. 

Next appointment: 11/30 first ultrasound 

Gestation: 4 weeks 5 days

Feeling: a little nauseous here and there but doing really well. Fatigue sets in later in the day and encourages me to get my rest!

Weight: 158

Beta #2, 11/18/20

We had a second blood test on 11/18 to make sure the hcg level was rising appropriately, ideally you want to see the level double ever 48 hours. Since our first level was 543, anything over 1100 would be great sign that the little star of the show was growing right on track. 

Well, drumroll please... our second level was 1428!! The nurse said it was an exceptional rise. It is such a relief to see the number rising so well. We go back for one last blood draw tomorrow and should be well over 2000.

Luckily the nausea has settled a bit, as long as I snack throughout the day. The times I see the nausea creeping in is when I start to get hungry so I guess it’s time to start carrying a little bag of carrots with me. The perfect crunchy snack, that I can treat the puppies with too, win win! 

Beta Day! 11/16/20

It has been 10 days since the transfer and we are officially at test day! We had a blood test, often referred to as a beta, to measure the concentration of hCG in my blood. At this point, a good number would be at least 100. I was hoping that we would have a good hefty number over 100 to put us all at ease, and the number 268 popped into my head. Well our little shooting star turned out to be quite the over achiever, not surprising as both of his parents are in Education, and surprised us by producing an hCG level of 543!!! We danced, smiled, cried, laughed, and shared so much joy after waiting 8 hours for the results. 

Now we will check the hCG levels until we hit 2000, which could very well happen by Friday. Then we would have an ultrasound at 6 weeks. By 6 weeks gestation we should be able to see a heart beat. And since a 5 day blast is considered 2.5 weeks old at transfer, November 30th would be 6 weeks and 1 day and we may actually get to see this little guy by the end of the month!! Such an beautiful thought. And come July, this little man could be in his parents arms! I may be getting a little ahead of myself here, but after being on this journey since March, it feels amazing to finally be at this point.

Happy to say we are all over the moon that our little Star has stuck around!

Grow, baby, grow.

Next step: Blood work on 11/18 and 11/20

Transfer Day, and a shooting star

 Transfer day is here!! 

As I got in the car to drive over the clinic, a whole 2 minutes, the butterflies in my stomach finally started getting a little rowdy. Check in was quick and easy, I was brought into a little room to change and then we were in the transfer room and four people were taking at once and moving around like a well oiled machine. L and D were able to join on FaceTime to watch they confirm who we are, get the embryo into the tube and watch the transfer. It was quick, amazing and such a beautiful experience. The nurse pointed to the ultrasound screen and and said "watch right here, it will look like a shooting star". I absolutely loved that visual, out little star! When an embryo is transferred, it is too small to see on the ultrasound, but when it is pulled into the tube for transfer it is attached to an air bubble, and that is what you can see on the ultrasound when the embryo is placed in the uterus. The little air bubble with the embryo looks like a tiny white spot in a sea of grey, and really did look like a little shooting star frozen in the middle of a night sky.

We all teared up, smiled and laughed and have such hope that it feels amazing to have this part of our journey be complete. Next up is the beta (blood test) on November 16th to see what our hcg (pregnancy hormones) levels are, then a follow up test a few days later to make sure the levels are rising appropriately.

Medications daily until 10 weeks pregnant: 

    *2 esterase tablets

    *3 progesterone suppositories

    *1 IM progesterone shot

We are cleared for Transfer! 10/30/20

October 30th, 2020

Oh, surrogacy... the hurry up and wait game, every step of the way. We were all expecting my cycle to start after the ultrasound on 9/18, however my uterus had other plans. It skipped that cycle and went right into the next one. So we had to wait a bit longer, again, but it was worth it! Cycle day 1 came, we had an ultrasound on cycle day 2 and were cleared to start medications that same day. I have been lucky enough not to notice any side effects from the Estrace which started at twice a day and is now up to three times a day to fluff up my uterus and get it ready for the transfer. 

We had another ultrasound yesterday and everything looked great with 8mm lining, trilaminar (triple layer) endometrium and quiet ovaries, plus no fluid in the uterine cavity, which is everything the clinic want to see before a transfer. The ultrasound tech said everything looked beautiful and ready to transfer the following week. Yale gave us the all clear to begin the next set of medications and a transfer date of... 

November 6th, 2020! 

I will head down to CT on Wednesday to be there for my COVID test on Thursday morning, and spend the day relaxing to be prepared for the transfer on Friday. I will need to stay the night at the hotel near the clinic and should be cleared to head home the follow day. The pregnancy test will be 10 days later on 10/16.

Here's hoping that first time is a charm, and their little bundle will be joining us next July!

Transfer 11/6 /2020= Due date 7/25/2021

❤

Next appointment: November 3rd, blood work to check Progesterone levels

We are ready to rock and roll! 9/18/20

 After waiting on so many factors to fall into place, we now have the all clear to make a baby!

The surgery on August 13 was quick and easy, and we were told my uterus looked beautiful and ready for a transfer, just what the doctor ordered. The next day we got the notification from our lawyers that contracts were getting started. The IPs and myself were quick to return all documentation within the same day and luckily we finished up contract September 15th, just about a month which is pretty quick for the legal phase. There were only a few minor changes to the contract which helped it move along smoothly. The same morning Yale Fertility emailed me to stop birth control and scheduled the baseline ultrasound for September 18th, with a potential transfer date of October  9th!!  It is amazing to think that in three weeks we could be making a baby. That means that as early as July they could be holding their little bundle.

But before I get ahead of myself, it is time to slow down, take a deep breath and focus how to create the most calm, welcoming and healthy environment for the little embryo. 

Let this adventure continue!

Last day of birth control: 9/14/20

Medications: Start Estrace tabs on cycle day 2 

Baseline Ultrasound: 9/18/20, uterus looks normal and ovaries are quite!

Next steps and surgery 6/30/20

Now that the clinics have re-opened their doors, we are able to get moving again! I traveled down to Yale Fertility on June 5th for lab work and the ultrasound for medical clearance. They saw a small polyp on the scan which they showed no concern about but did suggest having it removed so we can set ourselves up for the best possible outcome for our future transfer.

Now the fun part, trying to get the surgery scheduled. Since so many things have been pushed around and delayed due to COVID, the earliest appointment with our local Fertility clinic is mid-August. I have requested the order be sent to the main hospital to see if they have any sooner openings.
Like I have always said, surrogacy is a game of hurry up and wait!
We cannot start legal contracts until the polyp is removed and am I fully cleared. Luckily there should be no changes to my contract, so that part should be relatively short. Then we wait for my next cycle and can finally get a transfer on the books.

There is no rushing things in surrogacy, but it is definitely not a ride you can sit back and enjoy while waiting for everything to come together. But once you are there on the table, waiting for the transfer, you can finally take a deep breathe, relax and "enjoy the ride". There are moments that make this all worth it, the smile on the IPS face, positive tests, heartbeats, birth and joy. Those are the moments I focus on while waiting.

Hello to Corona Life! Time to get back on track

Well, there have been a few bumps in the road of this process as COVID-19 hit, the country shut down and clinics put a hold on fertility treatments. We were all forced to slow down and focus on staying safe and healthy. It has been lovely to keep in contact with L & D during this time and continue to build a relationship as we waited for our time to start this wonderful journey.

This morning I received a call from Patty at Yale Fertility with our next steps. I will be calling to register and then will be set up for two telelvisits, with the social worker for psych clearance and with maternal fetal medicine to review the risks. Then we will schedule the in person medical clearance visit. It looks like it will be on a Friday in mid-June. The last few months have made waiting for this visit seem so far away and now it is right around the corner, which is very exciting!

It's a Match!

Sunday I got to talk with L and D, who are absolutely lovely. We had some instant connections, her and I being from California and the guys being from New Jersey, and she likes to do needle work! I think it takes a special kind of person to sit for hours making tiny little cross stitches, someone who has patience. And surrogacy is all about patience as you play the game of hurry up and wait; matching, medical screening, contracts, cycles, transfers, testing, ultrasounds... the list goes on. Having been a surrogate before makes me well aware of the patience required and also how helpful it can be when you approach this type of a journey with patience.

With that being said, it sounds like we will be proceeding full speed ahead. They are have one embryo and are in the process of creating more, which means that as soon as we are cleared for transfer we can proceed. My first thought when hearing they are in Education was to think about conception and due dates, knowing that if we had a successful transfer in October that may put the baby due right in time for Summer break. But, October seems so far away! Luckily, they are not concerned about planning a due date and want to proceed with a transfer as soon as we are cleared. They are more than ready for this baby, as is their son who sounds very excited to be a big brother.
After our phone call, I was beyond excited to start this journey with them. I can't help but feel it will be filled with as much patience as we can provide, move along smoothly with contracts and screening and we will be at our transfer before we know it.

Next steps: Medical release is signed for NRM to send my records to Yale Fertility. Once the records are reviewed I should be receiving a call to schedule the psych/med screening. We should be able to meet in person on that day since I will be in CT!