Ultrasound #1

So, today was a very exciting day for us as it was the first time we got to actually SEE our baby, rather than just the positive lines on the test. I wasn't too worried at this point of finding anything wrong or even of not being able to see it at all. I knew that my HcG levels were high enough for it to show up on the screen. And I've adapted the new mindset that if my temperatures are staying high and I'm not having any cramping or bleeding then I should just rest assured that everything is okay. (Usually your temperature will plummit as a first warning sign of miscarriage before your body even does anything else.) And, in addition to that, I am setting my hope in God and pray for His protection over this baby every single night. So, in the meanwhile, I just have to hold my hands up in the air in surrender and believe that He's in control.

Our appointment was scheduled for 8:50am so I downed 2 glasses of water on an empty bladder as is typical ultrasound protocol. We arrived at the office just in time, but were the last ones in the waiting room to be called back. The room was the same as where I had my first ultrasound for my infertility work-up so I knew the drill. The technician was super nice and answered all of our questions and was very encouraging knowing that we had been waiting for this for over a year. She showed us first a bigger sac that was just a big black oval. I can't remember the specific name of this sac. And then inside that was a little bitty dot, no bigger than a sesame seed. She said that this was the yolk sac. From here, she just scanned my uterus and ovaries and made sure everything looked good. I was curious how my cyst from my previous ultrasound looked now that 8-9 weeks had gone by. She was able to get a look at it and it is actually 2 cm now, twice as big as it was before. And, as she examined both ovaries I have quite a few cysts (probably around 5-6 or so), but she said these are all really normal, especially since my ovaries were hyperstimulated with Clomid. Most of them are so tiny that there's nothing to even worry about. And, she said that by the time I come in for my 20 week appointment, they should all be gone. I'm not worried about it.

After emptying my bladder, she did the transvaginal ultrasound. We could see a lot more this way. Right next to the yolk sac was the teeny tiny little baby. It truly just looked like a blob, but you could see it next to the sac. There was no way to know the head from the "feet", but it measured at 5 mm big. We could also see the tiniest little flickering light. When she turned on the color on the screen, all of the sudden, the heart looked huge as it pumped blood throughout the little body. It was really neat to see in color and just see it pumping away. She measured the heartbeat and said that it was 117bpm. She said to be wary of internet sites that say this number is low because between 5-6 weeks the hearbeat is slower and then it spikes up to about 160 in a couple of weeks. So, she said that 117 is perfectly normal. Every site I've come across so far, though, agrees that 117 is perfectly normal at this stage. So no worries there either. And, I actually have heard that once a heartbeat is detected, your risk of miscarriage goes down to 4-5%, which I think is excellent. I know it's not fool-proof since people still miscarry at 7,8,9...12 weeks, but it is a pretty good number.

So, then she snapped a few pictures for us and told me that I am measuring at 6 weeks 1 day. If you go by my last period date, I should be 6 weeks 5 days, but if you go by when I think I ovulated, I was expecting to be 6 weeks 3 days. So the 2 day difference doesn't seem like a big deal to me if I ovulated possibly later than I thought I did or implanted later (which there's no way to know).

(Both pictures together. Not the best quality because I am not at home with my scanner, so I had to take a picture of the pictures.)

(Close up of one picture. You might be able to see the little white arrow at the top of the sac that is pointing at the baby. And then she wrote YS for yolk sac on the bottom round thing so that people wouldn't try to tell me that I was having twins.)

Also, I went back and figured out how many days past "ovulation" I would've been when I had my previous HcG beta tests since I'm not as far along as I quite thought. I figured that I could've ovulated later since I was a little feverish on the day I thought I ovulated and because I had 5 straight days of + OPK's. I thought that this would also explain why my pregnancy test was so light (considering it would've only been about 11 dpo's) and why my numbers seemed so low to begin with.

So, if I change how many days past "ovulation" I was when I got my first HcG of 50, here is where I fit in:

And if that makes my 2nd beta test at 15 "dpo's" then, this is where my 150 fits in:

And, finally, if my last beta test was at 21 "dpo's" then this is where my 1,652 fits in:

It's not a big deal either way, but helps things to kinda make sense a little better. So, Dr. York placed our official due date at August 25th. I have a pre-ob appointment on Jan 22nd and then an ob work-up on Jan 28th. From my understanding, the first is a consultation with the nurse about what to expect in the months to come and the 2nd is a full exam and bloodwork to make sure everything is good (although I've recently had most of it done). Meanwhile, everyone is happy and healthy and we are thanking God everyday for a safe and healthy pregnancy.

Previous Comments:

Dave and Elaine said...
It's so good to hear this wonderful report!
December 31, 2008 1:38 PM

I believe in Miracles said...
Yeah!! I love how you described this. I feel like I know what to expect now...
I'm so excited for you both.
Happy New Year indeed.
~~HUGS~~
December 31, 2008 1:50 PM

Shanny said...
What an awesome way to end the year! Having your first ultrasound and seeing your healthy baby is such a fantastic news. I'm glad everything is going well =)
Happy new year!!!!
December 31, 2008 2:06 PM

NeNe said...
That is so awesome! Thanks for all the details and for sharing such a special moment. I can't wait until I get to do the same thing, but for now I'll live vicariously through you :) Love and Hugs to you and the baby!
December 31, 2008 2:09 PM

Shannon said...
The u/s pics are such a beautiful sight, how wonderful!
January 1, 2009 3:59 AM

RDgirl said...
I'm glad that you are right on track and the low beta was just because you tested earlier. Sending you prayers that everything continues to go well for you both!!
January 1, 2009 10:21 AM