12 February 2009

2 - Awaiting Pregnancy & Birth Discussion

Notice: All content here, and new additions can be found on a forum of the same name: http://dr-patel-surrogacy.com.
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This post is #2 in a series of 4 free-form discussions related to where a couple is in the process. Unlike the topic-centric posts that adhere strictly to the subject, these are much more open to multiple subjects for those who are at this particular stage. Here are the four stages of these free-form discussions:

1: In India Discussion - Baby-making!
2: Awaiting Pregnancy & Birth Discussion
3: In India Discussion - Baby Pick-up!
4: Back Home with Baby/ies Discussion

This is for those of us who are back home after completing the IVF / surrogacy process with Dr. Patel. If you just returned to your home and comfy bed after what was probably a very unique and exciting experience, you are now awaiting news if this trek to Anand, India has materialized into a pregnancy. This is often referred to as the dreaded two week wait (2ww). We got good news on the 2009 New Year, and are now (14 Feb 2009) a little over 11 weeks pregnant.

So, this discussion is for those folks who await confirmation of a pregnancy, and if that is achieved, it then offers support for those who await the birth of their child/children. And if you are not at this stage now, but were, or have relevant input on the discussion, please chime-in as well.

Topics are bound to be many over the course of about 9 months! Some that come-to-mind: understanding beta numbers, ultrasound scans, surrogate care, baby care after birth, getting a room ready, thoughts on how to tell family and friends, what to bring to India for the baby/ies (like silver nitrate, Erthromycin & Tetracycline) and securing a pediatrician at home. Again, these are just a few...

While the majority of posts in this blog are focused on specific topics (helps a lot with organization), this one, and the three others like it, are geared to where you are in the process.

3 comments:

  1. Well, I got an email from Dr. Patel last night. For those who don't already know, due to her busy schedule, she tends be quite brief and to the point. It read:

    "Meena (our surrogate) and your baby are fine"

    Today is week 12 from the last menstrual period (LMP). Suffice it to say, my wife and I are starting believe that the pregnancy is going to stick!

    So what's the scoop on the end of the first trimester? Are we there now, or is at week 13 or 14? I know that 12 weeks is 3 months and a trimester per se, but I have sometimes seen week 13 or 14 be referred to as the end of the first trimester. I would appreciate some clarification / feedback... Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dare I ask another question? Sure. Last night I got an email from Dr. Patel asking for my wife's birth date for a double marker test. What is this test, and what's the relevance of her birth date?

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  3. Tony, I saw your question last week, but I didn't want to respond at that time. By most accounts, the first trimester is not complete until the end of the 13th week, not the 12th. The reason for this is that the count begins on week 1 of the LMP, and adding 12 weeks, gets one to 13 weeks. And, that should be where you are now, so CONGRATULATIONS!

    Also, the double marker is a blood draw test, most likely checking for trisomy 18 and 21 (Down Syndrome). The age of the woman, in this case your wife (her egg I presume) is a factor in scrutinizing the results. There a lot of false positives, so don't stress if that happens. An amnio might follow if so...

    I check this blog often, thank you for setting it up!

    ReplyDelete

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