WEEK 6

How your baby's growing:

This week's major developments: The nose, mouth, and ears that you'll spend so much time kissing in eight months are beginning to take shape. If you could see into your uterus, you'd find an oversize head and dark spots where your baby's eyes and nostrils are starting to form. His emerging ears are marked by small depressions on the sides of the head, and his arms and legs by protruding buds. His heart is beating about 100 to 160 times a minute — almost twice as fast as yours — and blood is beginning to course through his body. His intestines are developing, and the bud of tissue that will give rise to his lungs has appeared. His pituitary gland is forming, as are the rest of his brain, muscles, and bones. Right now, your baby is a quarter of an inch long, about the size of a lentil.

See what's going on in your uterus this week.

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

How your life's changing:

You may find yourself developing a bit of a split personality — feeling moody one day and joyful the next. Unsettling as this is (especially if you pride yourself on being in control), what you're going through is normal. Ricocheting emotions are caused partly by fluctuating hormones. But hormones aside, your life is about to change in a big way — and who wouldn't feel emotional about that?

Surprising Facts: Could it be twins?

Sure, twins run in families and you're more likely to be carrying multiples if you've undergone fertility treatments, but any woman can become pregnant with more than one baby. Could you be one of them?
Your odds of carrying twins

• Overall, about one in 31 births (greater than 3 percent) are twin births. But your chances of having twins are much less — 1 in 89 — if you conceive without medical assistance. The overall odds of bearing triplets or higher-order multiples is about 1 in 565.
• Identical twins usually happen by chance. Your likelihood of having identical, or monozygotic, twins (when one fertilized egg divides in half) is about 1 in 250.
• A number of factors affect your odds of having fraternal twins or higher-order multiples. Fertility treatments dramatically increase your odds. On average, 20 to 25 percent of women who take fertility drugs or undergo in vitro fertilization or other assisted reproductive techniques end up carrying more than one baby.

Other factors that influence the likelihood of having fraternal twins

• Once you have a set of fraternal twins, you're twice as likely to have another set in a future pregnancy.
• Fraternal twins run in families, so if you're a twin or related to twins, you're more likely to have a set yourself. Your partner's family history doesn't appear to affect your odds of having twins.
• The older you are, the greater your chances of having naturally occurring fraternal twins or higher-order multiples. Hormonal changes in older women are a likely cause.
• Fraternal twins are more common than average in African Americans and less common in Hispanics and Asians.
• The more pregnancies you've had, the greater your chances of having twins.
• Twins are more common in large and tall women than in small women.

Video

Inside pregnancy: Early fetal development

A 3D animated look at development of the embryo, which quickly develops from a single cell to several million cells all working together.

When you'll find out whether you're carrying twins
These days, women typically discover they're having more than one baby during an ultrasound, often in the first trimester. If you opt for first-trimester genetic screening, you'll have an ultrasound between 11 and 13 weeks. If you're pregnant as a result of a fertility treatment, you'll probably have an earlier ultrasound, usually within the first eight weeks to count the number of embryos that have implanted. Your practitioner also will recommend an ultrasound if your uterus is larger than would be expected given the number of weeks since your last period. Ultrasound is almost foolproof at revealing multiple pregnancies, particularly after six to eight weeks. However, the more babies you're carrying, the easier it is for one to get overlooked.

Next appointment...

So we went back to the doctor's office to double check everything. This time hubby came with me. I have been having issues with morning sickness. Actually---it's all day sickness.  At least 2-3 times a day I find myself in the bathroom.  It has not been fun or easy.  I try and try so hard to eat.  But I find food so nasty. The smell, the look....everything about it. I just can't handle it. And when I finally do get an appetite, I end up throwing it all back up. 

The appointment went well.  The ultrasound showed that the third sac did not grow, and there was no heartbeat or anything in sac 3.  I had a feeling that this was the case.  I was really hoping that only two were growing---and I think the guys were too.  

Week 5

At this point, it really is starting to get real that we are pregnant. Of course, this is the time when we lost the last pregnancy. I am fearful, worried that anything could happen again this time.   I had a scheduled doctor's appointment and ultrasound to make sure everything was okay, since this was the time frame that we lost the last pregnancy. So the doctors really want to make sure that everything is good.

Laying on that ultrasound table, my thoughts rushed through my mind.  Twins---it has to be. I just knew that there were more than one in there. My stomach is in knots.  My symptoms are way more than I have ever dealt with in any of my previous pregnancies. 

 

The ultrasound tech is flying through the ultrasound, doing measurements.  And sure enough---SHE FOUND TWO!!!  I was so excited and nervous at the same time.  But then she got quiet and said she had to get the doctor because she wasn't sure what to make of something. So they had the OB come in and go through the same things again.  By this time, I was a little tired of having the weinie wand moving around up there....but what she said next would change the way I seen everything----THEY FOUND ANOTHER SAC.  Triplets. 

You could hear a pin drop. I just started laughing.  And told the nurse--"and you thought nothing exciting would show on here" LOL

So she gave me some pictures---and told me to come back in a week to recheck everything.  I left there, smiling....shaking...excited and yet scared.  TRIPLETS....what the heck was I gonna do??

I went home and emailed the guys. They were nervous, excited, scared and happy. They have always wanted two children...but three? The next week took over my life. I thought about everything, from how I was going to be, to how I was going to carry three. We were all very cautious. But at the same time, so freaking excited that FINALLY....it had worked.  My guys were going to be daddies in 2012.

How your baby's growing:

Deep in your uterus your embryo is growing at a furious pace. At this point, he's about the size of a sesame seed, and he looks more like a tiny tadpole than a human. He's now made up of three layers — the ectoderm, the mesoderm, and the endoderm — which will later form all of his organs and tissues.
The neural tube — from which your baby's brain, spinal cord, nerves, and backbone will sprout — is starting to develop in the top layer, called the ectoderm. This layer will also give rise to his skin, hair, nails, mammary and sweat glands, and tooth enamel.
His heart and circulatory system begin to form in the middle layer, or mesoderm. (This week, in fact, his tiny heart begins to divide into chambers and beat and pump blood.) The mesoderm will also form your baby's muscles, cartilage, bone, and subcutaneous (under skin) tissue.
The third layer, or endoderm, will house his lungs, intestines, and rudimentary urinary system, as well as his thyroid, liver, and pancreas. In the meantime, the primitive placenta and umbilical cord, which deliver nourishment and oxygen to your baby, are already on the job.
See what's going on in your uterus this week.
Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

How your life's changing 

You may notice some pregnancy-related discomforts already. Many women report sore breasts, fatigue, and frequent urination starting in the early weeks. You may also have nausea, though it's more likely to show up in the coming weeks.

The outside world won't see any sign of the dramatic developments taking place inside you — except that you're turning down that glass of wine with dinner, perhaps. It's important to avoid alcohol throughout your pregnancy since no one knows exactly how much — or how little — alcohol can harm a developing baby.
You'll also want to continue or start an exercise routine. Exercise helps you develop the strength and endurance you'll need to manage the extra weight you'll be carrying. It may help prevent some of the aches and pains of pregnancy, and many women find that it's a great stress-reducer. Exercise can also help you get ready for the physical rigors of labor.
Finally, it's easier to bounce back after you give birth if you've continued some form of exercise throughout pregnancy. Choose a safe, moderately vigorous activity you enjoy. Walking and swimming are fine choices for pregnant women.

WEEK 4

Pregnancy Week 4

  How big is your baby?
At this stage of your pregnancy your baby is already 2 weeks old and measuring about 0.04 inches or about 1mm in length. Your baby's development
Although fetal development is still in the early stages there is still plenty of changes taking place.
By this stage of your pregnancy the blastocyst would have embedded itself into the wall of your uterus even deeper and the amniotic cavity, which will later be filled with amniotic fluid, will already have started to form.
The germ layers, which are different layers of cells, will have begun to form. These layers will later form specialized parts of your babys body and various organs. There are three germ layers: the ectoderm, endoderm and mesoderm.
The ectoderm will form the nervous system, the brain, skin and hair. The endoderm will form the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, pancreas and thyroid. Lastly, the mesoderm will become the skeleton, connective tissue, blood system, urogenital system and the muscles.
One of the key developments which may take place this week is the development of the 'primitive streak'. The primitive streak is the forerunner of the brain and spinal cord. This also now makes it possible to identify the head from the body.

Your development
At this stage of your pregnancy you would still be expecting your period to begin, or may even be a little late. You still wont be showing at all and it will be a long time before you do start to show.
Early pregnancy symptoms
You may be feeling a bit tired and queasy, but then again, maybe not. Many women feel as though they have jumbo PMS. Their period is due... but it doesn't arrive because this little embryo produces a hormone which stops your menstrual cycle. Your hormones responsible for most of what is happenig to you is hCG - also known as human Chorionic Gandotropin - and these levels will increase rapidly in the earlt stage of your pregnancy.
Some of the early signs and symptoms of being pregnant include:

slightly enlarged and/or tender breasts
weight gain or even loss of up to five pounds
fullness or an aching sensation in the pelvic area
increased vaginal discharge
frequent urination, morning sickness, mood swings and possible fatigue

We are Pregnant!!!!!!!!!!!!

Your due date is July 28, 2012.

Pregnancy Summary
Date of Fertilization (2w1d):	11/07/11	Anatomy Scan (19-20 weeks):	03/04/12 - 03/11/12
Fetal heart beat should be seen (7w0d):	12/11/11	Fetus starts moving (18-20 weeks):	02/26/12 - 03/12/12
Ultrasound Screen (11w+2 - 13w+6):	01/10/12 - 01/30/12	Fetus becomes viable (24w0d):	04/08/12
Triple Screen (15-18 weeks):	02/05/12 - 02/27/12	Glucose Screen (24-28 weeks):	04/08/12 - 05/07/12
Amniocentesis (17-18 weeks):	02/19/12 - 02/27/12	Term delivery (37-42 weeks):	07/08/12 - 08/13/12

Today we are 3 weeks and 2 days pregnant!! This is what the baby looks like!!! Just a blurb of cells, but this blurb of cells is doing fascinating things!!!

Pregnancy Week 3

How big is your baby?
At the beginning of this week conception will be taking place and by the end of this week your 'baby' will be made up of only a cluster of cells. Once conception has taken place it takes around 5 days for the embryo to enter your uterus.
By the end of the week your embryo is only 0.006 inches (0.150mm) long. This is about as big as this full stop .
Your baby's development
Although your baby is still so small, there is a great deal which is happening. Your baby's sex has already been determined, as this takes place at fertilization. This developing ball of cells is called a Zygote and it will pass through the uterine tube on it's way to the uterus.
As this is taking place the cells are dividing and growing continueously to form a blastomere, and they in turn will divide to form a solid ball of cells which is called the morula. This in turn will form a blastocyst, which will enter your uterus. It will lie free in the uterus until it attaches itself to the uterus wall. This is known as implantation, and it is not uncommon the experince some light spotting and bleeding as the blastocyst implants itself into the uterine lining.
Once implantation occurs development will start to take place at a very fast pace. In fact the amniotic sac, amniotic cavity, placenta and the yolk sac are already forming.

 

Beta 2....

Beta number two is always taken to make sure that the numbers are not only increasing, but are doubling in a certain time frame. This number is crucial, because if it does not rise, or does not double in the right amount of time, the pregnancy could be considered to have something wrong.

I was extremely nervous today. I knew that it had to be going up. My body was feeling the effects of the pregnancy already. I am SOOOO tired. My tummy has been feeling yucky the past few days. I just know that I am knocked up. But how knocked up am I???


WELL.....the magic number today:
REMEMBER---today we are only 9dp3dt-----

161.6

This number is damn near perfect!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   We needed it to double every 48 hours. Ours doubled in 35.5 hours! It is a very good indication that we have two cooking in there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Beta….

Monday morning after receiving yet another positive pee stick, I knew that I could get in for an early beta. I called my doctor’s office and explained that I had gotten multiple positive pregnancy tests and wanted to get in to get my quantative beta done. She said they could do that and to go up to the hospital at noon and they would be ready.

I went up there at noon and they drew my blood. The nurse was a little rough, and I was not happy about it. I hate when they are rough because then it bruises my arm and it looks horrible! But they got what they needed and said they would fax the results when they came in.

Our SMO group for November is the November Ninjas

I seen the fax show up at work around 2:30 or so. I literally sat there for a few minutes in shock, not wanting to open it. I was scared of what there would be. Scared it would be a fluke and it wouldn’t be very high. But also a fear of how high it could be for as early as the results I was getting on the pee sticks.

So I quickly printed it…I started getting butterflies in my stomach, I haven’t been that nervous in a while!!! I flipped over the paper on my way back to my desk so I didn’t look at it. I sat down, and just stared at the blank back of the sheet. Quickly I flipped it over…..and gasped….63.6!!! That is higher than our first beta draw with the positive transfer in May! And we were like 10 or 12 days past last time. I immediately emailed the guys and let them know. They were so excited!!!! They emailed back and asked the probability of twins….the thought finally hit me….TWINS. Holy cow….

The thought never occurred to me that there could be more than one in there. So of course, to Google I go to research. After reading tons of stuff on infertility and transfers and IVF, it seems that getting a beta done at 7dp3dt isn’t something that normally happens. So I guess I will just enjoy the fact that I am indeed pregnant….and there is a good possibility there is twins. My next beta is scheduled for Wednesday at noon again. That is really where things are going to get interesting based on the doubling rate and all that good stuff.

Pee sticks….

I knew that I was going to be testing with this transfer. I had purchased three normal home pregnancy tests, two digital pregnancy tests and 25 cheapie internet test strips. With the cheap ones, you can test early, and not feel bad about spending so much money on each test. So with the pressure building, I peed for the first time on Thursday, only 3dp3dt (three days past the three day transfer). Of course it was negative….if it had two lines, I probably would have fainted!!!   

Friday I tested again, in the morning and in the afternoon. Again, both tests were negative. Saturday I decided to hold off. We had my son’s wrestling tournament in the morning, which lasted until 4pm. So I peed at noon at the tournament, and because our schedule was so hectic, I ended up not going again until I got home. At that point, I figured to hell with it and grabbed another test strip. I got my kids through their showers, and finally had some alone time in the bathroom. I took the strip out and to my surprise, I SWEAR there was a second line. It was very, VERY, faint. I couldn’t even get a picture of it. I kept it quiet, thinking maybe it was just an evap line.

So Sunday morning, at 6dp3dt, I took the digital test. And to my surprise----it was POSITIVE! I about fell over!!! I couldn’t believe that the digital was actually showing positive so early! I took one of the good tests later in the afternoon, and it had two beautiful lines. 

I couldn’t hold in the joy..the happiness that I felt. So I emailed the guys. I told them we had to chat that night. But they were out, and it would be late before they got back. So I emailed them the picture of the YES+ that was on the test. They were ESTATIC!!! I was over the moon, but again, very cautious because we had been here before, just not this early!

So first thing Monday morning….I peed again! Knowing it would be positive, but fearful that maybe something had gone wrong and the tests weren’t right. But again, two lines came up rather quickly! So I knew that this time had worked…and because of the early test results, I figured…can’t hurt to get a beta done!!!

The transfer----

I left the Omaha airport Sunday morning. I arrived in Dallas and had a bit to hang out before my next plane left. I was able to enjoy my book and just relax. My next flight was from Dallas to Mexico City. When I arrived, I realized they had put two flights’ baggage on the same reel. So it took me over an hour to get through customs and find my bag.

I finally was able to walk through the door and see my guys waiting for me. It was nice to finally be with them again.

 

Monday morning was our transfer. I put on my lucky green socks----

 The ride to the clinic was smooth and easy. They had to make me drink a bunch of water before the transfer to make sure my bladder was full. I had to drink SO much water!!! My bladder was ready to burst! The procedure was easy…very quick, very simple and everything went perfect! We spent the rest of the day at their apartment, just relaxing and me, with my book!   I didn't take any pictures this time around....though the guys did at the restaurant when we ate. Speaking of---the restaurant we ate at---PREGO is the best, most amazing place, I have ever eaten. If you ever go to Mexico City.....make plans to eat at Prego. Best Italian food EVER!!!!!!

I flew home the next morning, my flights could not have gone better. I arrived home Tuesday night with no issues getting home. I went out for supper with my family and then relaxed in bed with a movie and my daughter by my side. Everything was just amazing….and while saying goodbye was hard to my guys, I knew it would not be the last time I was to be with them. I knew in my gut that this time was going to be it!!!

Our Story.....

In 2006, I had decided to become a surrogate mother. I knew that I was done having children for myself. I knew that helping others have kids was something that I could do. My body does great with pregnancy. I love being pregnant. 
 
 

In October of 2006, I matched with an amazing couple from California, J and D. They already had three kids, but wanted another, so I helped them complete their family. In December of 2006 we signed contracts and in January of 2007 we did our first IUI and amazingly, it took!!!  We found out by ultrasound we were pregnant with one healthy baby, but we did not find out the sex.  When he was pulled from my stomach during the csection and the doctors announced it was a boy, the look on my IM's face made the entire thing worth it. Watching her with her son was a dream come true. I loved seeing them as a complete family and being involved in his life is such an honor. 

 

 

After a few match issues, I decided to once again go through an agency to find a good match. In March of 2010, I was introduced to E and R. I fell in LOVE!! They are both such amazing people, I knew right away that making them daddies was something I had to do.

Contracts were signed and medication was started in August of 2010. In September, we decided to do our transfer. We were in the September Sunflowers group on my surrogacy website, SMO (www.surromomsonline.com). 

Ryan and I flew down to Mexico City. It was both of our first times out of the country. We had an amazing time. The guys took us to all the hot spots, including the pyramids. It was just mindblowing to see all of that history!!! We also ate at some fab places!!! This picture was the four of us eating at a place called The Groove. This suddenly became my FAVORITE place to eat!! It has the best food ever!

I was all geared up with tons of pee sticks to pee on! But it seemed as many times I took the stupid tests, I never seen two lines. It was very heartbreaking because I had never had issues getting pregnant. But with IVF sometimes, that is the way it works! Sadly, that transfer did not work. We were all bummed, but figured with IVF, things could be like that and we knew we wanted to try again.

 

So we geared up for round two, this time in January of 2011. This time I went to Mexico City alone. E took me to an amazing museum full of beautiful artwork, handmade crafts from the natives and tons of archeology that they had uncovered.  I could have spent hours going through each room. It was fantastic.  This time, we got put in the January Snowdrops group on my SMO group. We really thought this time would be it!!! This time, I was a bit more careful with the pee sticks. I thought I had a positive, but the beta turned out to be .10 and then dropped back down to 0. It was heartbreaking again to go through another failure. But we knew this was not the end. We geared up for transfer number three.

In May of 2011, I headed to Mexico City, again alone.  This time, everything seemed to fit perfect. We transferred three beautiful embryos. We used a different clinic and a different RE. Thought the shake up would change our chances a bit.  And sure enough...at 7dp3dt, TWO lines!!!!  

These are ALL positive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We were totally excited and couldn’t wait to hear the heartbeats.  But sadly, at 5 weeks, I began to bleed. An SCH was found and because of the location, it took the embryo with it. Everything happened so quickly and within days, my beta numbers began to drop and the pregnancy was gone.

That honestly was one of the most difficult things I have EVER had to go through. Physically it was like going through labor. My uterus had contractions, my back was killing me, and my emotional status had become shaken. I never had gone through a loss before. Part of me was already connected to the pregnancy and to lose it was very difficult. 

But we knew that we couldn’t give up. We had five frozen embryos left in the freezer, so we decided to go for round four!  So in November I headed back down to Mexico City. This time just had to be it!!!!!  Both of the guys got to be in the room. Both of them, were able to take part in the process.  And on November 7^th, three beautiful embryos were transferred and on November 12^th, a very faint, but noticeable line showed up on the pregnancy test. And on November 13^th, at 6dp3dt (6 days past a 3 day transfer—or 9 days past ovulation) the digital test said YES+!!!

I of course, could not hold in the joy and emailed the picture to E and R!!   There were so man positive pee sticks this time around!!!!!!!! I loved to watch the lines just get darker and darker!!!!!!!!!!!

I decided to contact my clinic to go in for a beta. I had to know where the numbers sat. So on November 14^th, at 7dp3dt, the number came back at 63.6. VERY PREGNANT!!! 

So that is where we are today. My posts from now on will be about each happening. I want E and R to remember this forever. And have these posts as a story, as they can’t physically go through the pregnancy. I want them to be able to look back and be able to read about every pee stick, every beta, the first ultrasound, the first movement, the first kick and beyond. I want to share my story as well, allowing those a first view into the world of surrogacy through my eyes. Sit back and enjoy the ride!!!!