And Baby Makes 5

If you don't follow me on Instagram, you may have missed our announcement last week:

I am nearing week 10 of my pregnancy with our third child, and we're all incredibly excited. It still feels like early days, so I do share this news with some cautious optimism. But since I've been so open with our TTC journey, I felt disingenuous not telling you all something that's been such a big part of life lately.

Our due date is November 1st officially, but I'm measuring according to when I know I ovulated (super early for me), so more like October 28th. This is a special date because it's the same due date I have with my longest-lasting miscarriage two years ago. I'm actually coming up on my D&C anniversary this week, which is all sorts of crazy to think about.

I found out I am pregnant a couple weeks after my fertility testing. My midwife had recommended I get checked out after four months of TTC with ovulation timing using OPKs and using progesterone support. I ended up waiting 6 months, so I got pregnant on what was cycle 7 of trying to conceive. I ovulated on day 10 of this cycle, which is very (very!) early for me. And something new is that I also experienced ovulation bleeding for the first time in my life. I hadn't had a pelvic exam as part of my fertility testing since my pap was recent (so, the bleeding wasn't from that) . . . so when I had the bleeding, the doctor suggested I get an ultrasound, which confirmed ovulation on my right side

This is a bit kooky, but stay with me. I rarely ovulate on my right side. I am very in tune with my body and feel all the feels leading up to ovulation. I'm almost certain that every time I have been pregnant, it's been from ovulation on the right. I have a lot of pain when I ovulate on the left, and I just have a theory that I have a bum ovary. Who knows -- but I do find it interesting.

Anyway, I was convinced I wasn't pregnant because I hadn't been despite perfect timing for the previous six months. Silly, but why would it change? I took a pregnancy test (a cheap Wondofo) more to rule it out one morning right after Ada got on the bus for school. I didn't even look at the test for a few hours because I knew it would be stark white. So, imagine my surprise when I went to toss it out before lunch and saw a very faint pink line. I immediately called Stephen to tell him because I'm suave like that. But I didn't call the doctor for several days. Part of me was convinced it would be a chemical or that it just wasn't really happening.

When I ended up calling the doctor, they told me CONGRATS! And immediately said "Well, you'll be coming in for your tutorial on how to use Lovenox injections then, when can we make your appointment?" And I was like "WHAT?!" Panic mode.

I hadn't received my formal results in the mail yet . . . I got them the next day, and that's when I discovered that I have a MTHFR mutation. I wrote about that more in this post. Long story short (because it's a long story -- and many of you guys really helped me out) . . . I met with my doctor and opted not to do the injectable blood thinners. Since I have just one mutation, baby aspirin may be enough (it was for Eloise) . . . and my doctor had simply offered Lovenox as a precaution based on my miscarriage history. If any of you are interested, I can share more about this. I just don't want to bore you with details.

My first appointment was at 6 weeks and 4/5 days. My mom went with me because she and my dad were up visiting that day. I was so nervous for my ultrasound, but the probe immediately found the baby . . . and the little flickering heartbeat. Measuring exactly how far I thought I would be. After the ultrasound, I met with my doctor again. He's incredible. I can't say enough great things about this new practice and its staff. My pregnancy with Eloise was full of anxiety. And the staff didn't help matters. My fertility doctor there was great, but after I graduated from his care, I was unhappy.

I wasn't a pushy or annoying patient either. But, like, I had to BEG for ultrasounds even if I had a legitimate worry (like frequent contractions or bleeding). My midwife often just flat out denied giving me them and I'd go long stretches with so much worry. It snowballed and made me a wreck at times. I explained this to my new doctor and he said "why wouldn't I want to put your mind at ease? We'll set you up for frequent monitoring in the first trimester -- no problem." So I have been having ultrasounds every two weeks until I hit 12 weeks. For me, it's just helpful in the early stage to see that development is going steady.

I am going to be advanced maternal age when I deliver, so I was offered a free cell DNA genetic screen to check for any abnormalities in the fetus. I will be getting that blood work done next week and should have the results shortly after. I will also learn the sex from this screening (we have ZERO preference), but that wasn't my primary reason for doing it. I am genuinely interested in this type of testing, so I think it will be educational . . . and I would want to be prepared for what we discover if anything.

I am sure I'm glossing over a lot of stuff. Something I have found interesting is that in the four pregnancies I have had that have lasted long enough -- my morning sickness has been almost identical. I have good notes, and it seems to start at 5 weeks and 4 days each time. I throw up a few times a day (yum) and generally cannot tolerate eggs, bananas, dirty dishes, toilets, etc. I may have a special post dedicated to morning sickness. I feel like an expert.

Oh, I suppose something that is interesting about this being the third baby is that I am definitely showing. I can't break out maternity jeans or cradle a bump just yet . . . but my lower abdomen is firm and rounded. I have always had a retroverted uterus -- but not this time. It may have flipped after Eloise's birth. I wonder if that has something to do with it. I will share more about how I'm feeling and what's going on in the moment after my next ultrasound. Again, it's still early and anything can happen. But we're happy to share our news.

Thank you for reading!