Due in January, February & March 2019

[kittendreams]

Yes the generation plus is $695 but the basic generation test is $395- does the basic one include gender I wonder?

[kittendreams]

I'll ask my doc tomorrow as I have my first appointment then x

[Pbn3]

Yes I'm pretty positive the basic does include gender!

[Pbn3]

Just checked and it definately includes sex of baby in basic [emoji3]

[Throwaway_panther]

TP I really don't know how to deal either, but I'll tell you what my DH keeps telling me (because obviously I'm very anxious as well!): It's natural to be stressed with everything you've gone through, but the level of fear and stress you have is also not good for you or the baby. Maybe try to shift your some of your focus from being stressed about if things are OK to trying to be more relaxed because being relaxed will be GOOD for baby - it's what the baby needs right now. De-stressing, taking care of yourself, distraction, etc. will probably do as much or more good for you and the baby as the Prednisone! Please don't take this as me lecturing you (which I would have NO right to do b/c I feel like a complete nut right now and need calming down all the time!). Mentally, I'm telling myself all these same things but I understand it's easier to talk to yourself and tell yourself what you SHOULD be doing than to actually do it!

I was worried about my blood test all day today but I went out and spent time with my kids at the museum and it really helped get my mind off things (at least until I got home and started obsessing about the nurse's phone call LOL!). But it was actually quite nice to have several hours of really not even thinking much about the pregnancy or the betas or anything - so I guess that'll be one of my strategies moving forward: DISTRACT DISTRACT DISTRACT!

I think if you feel like you should get a repeat scan to check growth you should try to do it. But I really really don't think 2 days is at all worrisome at this point - it's such a small difference and baby's heartbeat is SO good! AND... probably the best thing you have going for you right now is that you're getting so much closer to the end of the first trimester and your risk of miscarriage with a strong heartbeat at this point has already plummeted so low!! Man I would love to be at 9 weeks with a strong heartbeat right now!

As far as the Prednisone... Is there a specialist you can talk to about it? A high risk OB, an RE, etc? Maybe you need to get more advice on whether/how you should wean off.

I'm trying so hard. I know you are trying to help, and I really appreciate it! I also just hate so much when people say, "Don't stress -- it's not good for the baby!" There is a lot of evidence saying that stress doesn't cause loss, so I always feel like it's almost a victim blaming statement. Which I KNOW you are not saying, I don't want to come off like that! I just remember with my November loss (where I made it just past 6 weeks), I was a mess because of a lot of different things (I had gone off progesterone after an early beta was low per my RE and she told me to stop it, and kept calling her with no answer when my tests kept getting darker and I didn't know what to do). Both my husband and one of my best friends kept stressing, "You're going to cause yourself to lose it if you keep stressing." But that isn't what causes losses -- and me having my DD to term at all is another big support of that, since I was a hot mess from Day 1 with her!

I am definitely working on the distractions! I think that's part of why I got so worked up -- with DH gone, I'm losing another distraction and it's just me and DD together for 2 weeks! Luckily I start my second job which is nannying next week, so hopefully that will distract me.

I think that's another issue here, too -- I was so stressed before the last scan, I'm not even sure doing a scan (especially without DH here) would help me and maybe I should just wait for the next one in a little less than 2.5 weeks.

I'm going to call the RE today about the prednisone just to get some clarification on a.) why they had me on it and b.) how they want me to taper. I want into a loss group for immune issues and a lot of women said tapering reaaaally slow is their recomendation (so I think at 10 weeks I might go from 10 mg to 7.5 mg a week, then 5 mg a week, then 2.5 mg a week, then 2.5 mg every other day for a week to be fully weaned by 14 weeks or so).

And as for telling people, I definitely don't feel pressured so much as just sad now that I COULD have the wonderful announcement in person with everyone but feel too nervous to do so. We didn't actually reveal to our families that I was pregnant with DD until I was almost 17 weeks (and I didn't even tell work until I was 21 weeks -- I don't think I popped until about 22 or 23 weeks with her and lucked out). THIS time, I'm not sure I will be so lucky -- I think my uterus is already raising up based on RLP and how hard my lower abdomen is becoming, and I'm definitely not in the same shape I was before DD.

Which, long story short, I think might have been my BIG anxiety trigger last night overall: I read so many women who said they gained tons of weight the longer they were on prednisone and got "moon face" with it, and freaked out that that's what's happening to me and I felt verrrry out of control because it's not like I can just start working out a ton or dieting. They also wanted to check my blood sugar which stresses me out (a nurse was deadset on saying I had GD with DD, when I failed the 1 hour by a handful of points, even though my midwife said I didn't have it -- and DD ended up being under 7 lb at 40weeks2days!), since prednisone can artificially affect blood sugar readings so I think all the stress over these old triggers is really what exacerbated everything. I can only do so much about the weight and blood sugar when I'm on a steroid, and I know that, but being unable to control it more made me spazz over everything else (gender, the growth, DH going out of town, etc.!)

I also just realized our nuchal is scheduled when baby is hopefully 13w1d, and now I'm desperate to schedule it earlier since I'd rather have the ambiguity and hope than the confirmed girl nub

[Throwaway_panther]

Yes the generation plus is $695 but the basic generation test is $395- does the basic one include gender I wonder?

Yikes, that is SO expensive!! I hate how pricey these tests are I can't wait until they hopefully become more routine in coming years. That's got to be the equivalent of over $1,000+ USD I'd think.

[ABC.2606]

TP - Stress is not going to cause you to lose the baby. That's definitely not what I was trying to say so I'm glad you know that! But we both know that the high level of stress that we both feel right now isn't healthy for us or the pregnancies either. Oh, if you knew how totally over the top I am about germs and bacteria when it comes to pregnancy - I drive my DH insane over it! So I'm just saying if you can adjust your mindset a bit to say "I'm going to TRY to let go of just some of this worry today and relax and take care of myself because I know that's healthier for me and this baby". Because the better you can take care of yourself, the more you're supporting a healthy environment for baby to grow and thrive. Doesn't mean you're going to lose or harm the baby by the stress - you won't! - you just are trying to create the best environment possible for baby to grow strong! It's trying to focus on what you can do and not what's out of your control. And again - I'm trying to tell myself all of these same things as well because I'm not doing a good job of it either, and I know how hard it is to actually achieve that when the fear is so strong!

I know you're trying. You've been through way too much pain and absolutely no one has the right to tell you what you should feel or do because frankly they don't get it! I have a very loving family but I was shocked at some of the reactions and what I felt was a real a lack of support with my losses. After my D&C my dad and stepmom went weeks without so much as a phone call or text to see how I was doing (and when they finally reached out it was on an unrelated topic - not to see how I was doing). I was sent a letter in the mail by an extended family member after my 2nd m/c (she was told about my pregnancies by my stepmom w/o my permission) that said that clearly my body couldn't carry another pregnancy and that I needed to stop because if I didn't, I would die and not see my boys grow up. My mom has made it pretty clear she doesn't even want us to have a 3rd baby and has not shown the slightest amount of excitement or interest in my recent pregnancies. People - whether they have good intentions are not - can be really hurtful in what they say and how they react when it comes to miscarriages. Sadly I think too many of us on here have had to find that out.

I'm glad you're going to talk to the RE - I think getting more medical advice on how to handle the Prednisone will help you with knowing how to move forward.

We're all cheering you on! You can do this!! You're almost 1/4 of the way through! Baby is getting bigger, you're going to start feeling him/her moving in a couple of months, you're going to start getting scans soon that show legs and feet and arms and nose and all that!! All those really exciting things are ahead and I'm really excited for you! And yes, you most likely will be showing much earlier - which is completely normal for 2nd time mamas!!! I popped way earlier with DS2 and felt bigger and way more uncomfortable by the end! And he was even born 1 lb smaller than DS1!!! I remember my doc telling me with DS2 something like "Well, yea you're more uncomfortable - all those ligaments and muscles were already all stretched out the first time and things aren't as tight anymore!". LOL. Pregnancy is a crazy thing.

[Babybeaublue]

I am the most anxious I have ever been in my life these days! If it's not pregnancy related it's the smallest things, like getting things done sooner rather than later e.g fathers day is coming up, dd4s birthday next month and even getting in the girls new school uniforms (they haven't even finished school for summer yet!) I suppose it's mostly finance related but it's like I have a mental ticklist and can't relax till it's done, but as soon as I "tick'one thing off it gets replaced with something else!! Even appointments- I just want to tick them off and know they are done. Then I read anxiety can affect baby's growth which, of course made me anxious

[ABC.2606]

Hey TP... Just to let you know I Googled insurance and NIPT just now and saw this thread which was interesting...

https://community.babycenter.com/pos...nce-cover-nipt

The last few comments on that thread in particular.

I'm still going to look into it and ask my OB at the first appointment with him (assuming there is a first appointment... man I feel ya on the whole "jinxing" thing! I don't even want to assume things that far ahead!). Anyways, I really think he would recommend it for me given my age and m/c history... so maybe how they bill it affects how insurance would treat it, I don't know... I do know at least 3 people who had it done - all under 35 - and one of those told me her doctor pretty much recommends it for all patients now. I'm wondering if it's maybe getting easier to get insurance to cover it for other reasons than it was before when they'd only do it for 35+? Obviously depends on the insurance company and plan too though.

[ABC.2606]

I am the most anxious I have ever been in my life these days! If it's not pregnancy related it's the smallest things, like getting things done sooner rather than later e.g fathers day is coming up, dd4s birthday next month and even getting in the girls new school uniforms (they haven't even finished school for summer yet!) I suppose it's mostly finance related but it's like I have a mental ticklist and can't relax till it's done, but as soon as I "tick'one thing off it gets replaced with something else!! Even appointments- I just want to tick them off and know they are done. Then I read anxiety can affect baby's growth which, of course made me anxious

Yea anxiety is an awful thing right? The older I get the more I seem to be struggling with it. I miss being young and carefree and not worrying about every little thing!!

How is the pregnancy going though? You're getting so close now!! When is the actual due date?