Hi everyone! My name is Heather, I'm 23, and from Southern Ohio. I found out I was pregnant for the first time in September 2006 but sadly, I miscarried @ 6 weeks. We continued to try (with no luck!) until December 2007, at which time I decided enough was enough. I made plans to go back to school this fall and it felt good not carrying around the TTC weight. I honestly didn't even know if I could get pregnant again. I had my LMP on January 18 and when it was time for me to ovulate again, I had very bad cramps which isn't normal for me. I think I ovulated on Feb. 1, and I wondered at that time if we could have conceived but I bit my tongue. On February 16, I took a Dollar Store test I had leftover from last year and it immediately turned positive!! I almost fainted =] I went straight to the store and bought 2 First Response tests and took one of them 3 hours later. It turned positive instantly. I took the other one 3 days later, which as expected, was positive also. According to the pregnancy calculators, I'll be due October 24. I am over the moon and so nervous at the same time. My fingers are crossed that this pregnancy will be a healthy, happy one!

*Pregnancy Timeline*

January 18--LMP

February 1--Approximate date of ovulation/conception. Bad cramping, layed in bed all night moaning and groaning.

February 16--Period due. BFP's at 7 and 10 PM. I used a dollar store test the first time and a First Response the second. My results were very dark and appeared almost immediately. On the First Response my test line was much darker and thicker than the control line. Weird?

February 19--Positive test @ the health department. Another BFP with the extra First Response. *Guess I just couldn't believe it!!*

February 21--Because of previous m/c and difficulty conceiving, I requested my hCG levels be checked. Had blood drawn, will get those results tomorrow.

February 22--hCG came back at 3,237. Nurse didn't say what my progesterone was. I go back Saturday to have more blood drawn to see if levels are rising. Just wondering if those levels are normal??

February 24--Ok, here are my results from the hCG and progesterone levels. On 2/21, my hCG was 3,237 and prog. was 18. On 2/23, my hCG was 6,542 and my prog. was 17.86. I was advised by the lab. tech. to go to the ER because my progesterone lowered and my doctor isn't available on the weekends. I panicked and cried the whole way there but once I talked to the doctor on duty, she said everything is FINE! They drew more blood to test my hCG again to make sure it's still rising and it's went from 6,542 yesterday to 8,000something today. She said they don't test the prog. level so I don't know what that was, but that a .14 drop was negligible. She told me to call my doctor tomorrow to see if there's anything I should be doing. I'm trying so hard to relax and enjoy this pregnancy but this is all very scary!

-February 26--First visit with my doctor. They had me come in early (I'm assuming) because of my hormone levels. She did an u/s and we could see the gestational and yolk sacs but no baby yet! Scheduled follow-up appt. in a week to see if the bean is growing.

-March 3--Visit with the nurse. No ultrasound, just went over my health history and had MORE BLOOD DRAWN to check my hCG levels again. YUCK. So tired of being poked and stabbed with needles!

-March 4--OK, finally we saw the little bean and it's heart is already beating!! Sooo excited we've made it this far =) From the crown to rump measurement, I'm 6 weeks and 2 days and my due date is October 26. DR said my levels are rising and everything looks great.

-April 8--Next appt. with DR

-October 26--Due date

Pregnancy Quirks =]

• -I think my first symptom was the bad cramping I experienced during ovulation. Since we weren't really "trying", I wasn't monitoring my cycles, but I am sure I know when conception took place. I mean, I didn't realize it at the time, but looking back now, it all makes sense.
• -Before I found out I was pregnant, I had really bad diarrhea. I know that's too much info., but I never experienced it like that before, so I knew something was up. I thought I had some sort of stomach flu.
• -My breasts were sore and swollen but that's normal for me before my period. With my first pregnancy, they hurt so bad I could hardly stand it so I wasn't really sure about being pregnant again. It seems though, that they've become more engorged and sore this week (week 5) and my nipples are quite sensitive to touch, which is unusual.
• -Gas. Enough said.
• -Very odd dreams and a hard time sleeping at night. I get super hot and then I feel cold and I toss and turn. I think this is mostly from a restless mind.
• -Mild cramping a few times a day. These feel like period cramps but last less than a minute or two.
• -A noticeable increase in the amount of discharge. And I mean noticeable. Invest in some pantyliners.
• -So far, no nausea or morning sickness. I heard this kicks in during week 6. I'm almost looking forward to it, lol!

UPDATES!!

Weeks 8 and 9- I think I'm starting to finally see an authentic baby bump and not just a bloated belly! I can't go more than an hour or so without eating during the day or I will get sick and start praying to the Potty Queen. I have to eat tiny portions of everything which is not helping me stay full very long. I'm not as tired as I was during the previous weeks but I still don't have the energy to do much. Growing a new life takes hard work! The few weeks I had of nice, soft, clear skin are long gone. I feel like you could play connect the pimples, grrr. Also, crazy as it sounds, I get pretty excited when I have to poop now, lol. I never experienced constipation in my life until I was pregnant and now I have a whole new appreciation for fiber!

Weeks 5-7-The nausea really kicked in during week 5. I can't eat or drink anything without the urge to puke it back up and I ended up throwing up 3 times in one night. Very unexpected for me, as I haven't thrown up since having the flu in 2nd grade! Constipation and gas have also become The Enemy. I feel like I'm starving half the day but when I eat the tiniest morsel, I'm so bloated all I can do is stay in bed and moan. I guess because I'm not going to the bathroom regularly, I'm backed up =( My olfactory nerve has shifted into high gear and my sense of smell is definitely magnified. The almost empty Plug-It-Ins that I use around the house had to go!! My sex drive flew the coup weeks ago. I am almost repulsed by the idea of it but it's outta my control so boyfriend understands. I hope this is temporary. I've had bad nightmares..dreams about having an abnormal baby, cheating on BF, people getting murdered, etc. It's really starting to freak me out!

~*~Baby Blessings To Everyone!~*~