Beta #1

Beta #1 on 14 dpo:

Hcg: 90
Progesterone: 33.2

Yuck. Now we wait till Sundays results are in. But I expected a beta over 100. Better than previous shitty beta /pregnancies but not as encouraging as my IVF pregnancy.

Beta #2 *Updated with graph

16dp3dt: 1226 mlU/ml!

Doubling time of 35.5 hours.

Dr. S said no more betas, next step: ultrasound #1!

Either I'm havin' twins or an overachieving singleton.

Ultrasound next Saturday, 2/12/11 in St. Louis at 7:30 am. Deep breaths, people.

Beta #4 update

I FINALLY got the call this morning about the results of Beta #4. It went up to 354 mIU in 48 hours. That's a 160% increase and doubling time of about 35 hours. The doctor's office thinks that this is normal and that I don't need anymore betas. I was basking in the glow of such wonderful results that I didn't argue. I figure that if I have more betas, I'll just obsess.

So I will need to wait 8 1/2 more days until the 6 week ultrasound to see if the little bugger is in there. The only thing we can think of to have caused such a slow in the betas is a possible lost twin. I have had no pain except low back but that's around my tailbone and not muscular. It feels like a disc slipped or something but a heating pad and stretching has helped. Otherwise my boobs still hurt, I feel nauseous a lot, and I'm tired all the time.

I will hold out that one small bit of doubt that I'm actually going to have a baby. I had one good beta jump last fall before the ectopic blew. But those numbers were around 131 on 19dpiui. My numbers are double that today and it's 19dpiui. So I'll take it.

I'm still pregnant and I'll enjoy it till it ends.

*Last year when we lost the baby at 9 weeks, I gave all the ultrasound pictures, baby books, baby socks, cards, etc to my DH. Anything related to babies, he shoved in the back of his closet, not to be seen till I was ready. Sunday night, before the bad beta on Monday, I went into his closet and found all that stuff and got it out. I looked at it all. I then set up the books and baby socks and Willow Tree box on my dresser. I got out the bella band and the doppler. It's all out. If we lose this one, we know that we'll do IVF. So for now, I plan on keeping it all out. But regardless of what happens, this pregnancy, more than the ectopic, has helped me heal so much from what happened last March.

*Also, today is 4w6d. My first loss ended at 4w5d. I beat that, so yay me! The next one, ectopic, ended at 5w3d. I just have to get past this Sunday and then the only loss I have to beat is 9w0d. After that, I'll set a new personal record and hopefully actually have this kid!

Thank you all for your support and well wishes. I'll post later on the IVF appointment/disaster and tell you what happened there.

Beta #3

I'm pretty devastated. Not bleeding - yet. Didn't even double in 3 days.

IVF appointment was a trainwreck. I got an u/s and they had four people trying to figure out what all the free fluid/blood was in my "cul-de-sac". You might want to google that.

So....beta #4 on wednesday. The IVF doctor wants both my tubes removed surgically, once this pregnancy tanks, so that I'll be allowed into the IVF program; they looked really bad on the u/s.

I'm going to go sulk now. They think this is ectopic or chemical but it's "too soon to tell". Whatever.

I won't cry yet.

Beta #2 Results

Okay - its at 70 mlU. That's a doubling time of 32.31 hours. It's normal and rising well! I was hoping for more than 100 but to get nearly tripled levels is wonderful!  At this rate, it should be over 200 mlU by Monday for Beta #3 at 17dpiui.  As for the progesterone, I have to give you the background on that before I tell you the level:

Pregnancy #1 - never got P4 numbers, chemical pregnancy
Pregnancy #2 - 24.5 at 12dpo, never rechecked, gradual spotting until miscarriage
Pregnancy #3 - 10.1 at 13dpiui, ectopic, had been on progesterone suppositories 2x/day at 50mgs each since 3dpui

Pregancy #4 - 72.7at 14dpiui!!!!! I've been on suppositories since 3dpiui and the doc said not to continue with them!!!! I'm almost more excited about that than the beta number! I have theorized since last year that the reason for our 9 week loss was b/c the progesterone levels were too low. Well with these awesome numbers, I KNOW there is a better chance for this one.

DH and I are telling our parents tomorrow (possibly even tonight) because if something happens, they are always there for us while I'm in the hospital or whatever and they've been so supportive with everything...

We'll see what happens, but for right now, I'm pregnant and it doesn't look doomed at this moment. I just want some triple digit numbers!!! Well, based on the doubling time, I'll be over 100 mlU by tomorrow night!

Waiting for Results of Beta #2

WTF? The first results were in by 8:45 am on Tuesday for Beta #1. Still waiting for Beta #2 results! I called Dr. B's office at 9:20 am today b/c I was worried (and impatient). The nurse told me the results were listed as "pending" on the lab's website. She said she'll call me if she "thinks about checking the labs" in the next couple of hours and that if I don't hear from her at 1pm, to call her then.

2 and a half years. 3 losses. 7 IUIs. 8 cycles of Clomid. One laparoscopic surgery (emergency). Four trips to the ER for miscarriages. Thousands of dollars for IF treatment. Probably hundreds of dollars on HPTs. Countless tears, sleepless nights, fights with my husband, looks of pity from family and friends.

I wish the nurses felt what I've gone through so that they would make my Beta a priority. But whatever. I will call and bug her at 1 if I haven't heard yet.

Still freaking out. The tests are getting darker - surprisingly the crappy Russian cheapies are showing the biggest changes. The FRERs are slowly getting darker but are pretty dark as it is. The Dollar Tree HPTs didn't get too dark for me last spring till I was about 5 weeks so that's fine. They're showing a progression as well. But the Russian cheapies, when lined up, show the trigger leaving my system and the legit hormone increases starting on Monday (10dpiui) and Tuesday (11dpiui). It is quite positive today (14dpiui).

It's so hard to be "pregnant" when I haven't even missed my period yet. Based on my past history, I get AF exactly 15 days after an IUI, 16 days after a trigger. So probably 14 days past ovulation. At least all these drugs fixed my luteal phase. So logically, based on how late the IUI was, AF would be due tomorrow. But it won't come. I have banished her. :)

So if anyone wants to share anything to keep me entertained/occupied/from tearing my hear out and biting my newly painted nails??? That would be great!

Even just how your day is going - embarrassing RE stories - stuff like that! Please?

Beta #1 results

.....drumroll...........



25!!!


Betas for the ectopic:
13dpiui: 10
15dpiui: 33
17dpui: 56
19dpiui: 131

My levels are already double that of last year's 13dpiui and this beta is a day earlier!
I don't think it's multiples with only a 25 but I'll take it.

I am pregnant. Holy shit. It worked. I think the IVF appt next week may be a little awkward. lol. I want my ultrasound!!!

*I don't think we're anywhere near over the hump yet and we are taking this one day at a time. We aren't assuming anything and we will forever expect or not be surprised by the worst.

I already love this baby. I want this baby. I do not want anything bad to happen. I will be more assertive with the doctors and demand progesterone level checks weekly if necessary.

Heck - we were ready to spend upwards of $15k for a kid. Might as well spend some of it on excess ultrasounds and blood draws right?