Ultrasound #2

Just got home from ultrasound #2 for this baby.  I had been much calmer and more relaxed about everything this week, but was definitely nervous and ready for the appointment to get here already.  We could clearly see the baby and it's tiny little heartbeat pretty much right away.  It's always such a relief when I can actually see that.  It's still so surreal to me that I am even pregnant.  After all this time and all these losses, it's hard to imagine this one looks like it might actually stick and we might get to bring it home this December.

The doctor said the baby was a little small and the heartbeat was a little slow, but did not seem concerned.  She explained that since it just started beating a few days ago, the parts that regulate the rate haven't quite grown yet and it should start to speed as the days go by.  And I was thrilled because compared to last week's empty sac, this was a huge difference.  There was no mistaking the growth that had taken place over the past week.  There was no wondering whether there was really a baby in there or not.

Of course a little part of me still worries because we did see a heartbeat in pregnancy #2 in October '08, then still had a missed miscarriage.  When we went back for my check-up at 9 weeks, the baby had clearly died and only measured around 7.5 weeks.  So that's still a fear.  But I can only hope that was because of my untreated hypothyroidism or my blood clotting disorder and now that we're doing all we can, things will turn out differently this time.

They ordered bloodwork to check my thyroid level today, so we'll see if I have to up my dosage on my medication for that-- I know that's pretty standard in pregnancy.  And I officially started my Heparin this morning.  I got Shannon to help me figure out how to do it and he did the first shot, but I'm going to have to give them to myself the rest of the weekend because I'm volunteering at a children's grief camp all weekend and won't be at home.  I'm nervous about it, but it really didn't hurt and the needle is teeny-tiny, so I think I can handle it.  Whatever I have to do to help support this baby, right?

We're scheduled to go back to the RE again next Friday to check the progress of the baby.  If everything goes well then, I think I'll probably be released back to my regular ob-gyn here in town after that.  I thought they'd keep me through the first trimester, but I guess not.

I was disappointed they didn't give us a print-out of the picture of the ultrasound today, but I'll just have to be satisfied with remembering our sweet little baby and it's tiny heartbeat and picturing it in my head for now.  Can't wait to go back next week and see how things are going then!