Monthly Archives: March 2016

My NT Scan – The 411

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After arriving in DC yesterday, we had to get up at 3 am to drive up to New York City.  We got to NYC around 8:30 am, had breakfast, and then rested for a little while before leaving to go view the party room at Sprinkles where my NYC baby shower will be held. 

At 1pm, I had my nuchal translucency scan and my baby girl was a little show off.  She moved around for a while and went to sleep as usual.  The doctor had me raise my leg and bend it at the knee and move around a bit to do her scan.  Her little heart was beating away.  Her scan, of course, was in the normal range.  Being that I had MaterniT21 at ten weeks, I already knew my baby had no genetic abnormalities. 

My mother went with me to my scan and was excited to see how big this baby has grown since my scan she saw at 10 weeks.  Her spine is now visible and her gums/jaw bone/teeth are forming.  It is simply amazing to watch her develop !

After the scan, I met with the MFM High Risk doctor.  She went over my medical records and she went over her plan of care for my pregnancy and my wishes/ birth plan.  I was then sent to Quest Diagnostics for bloodwork. 

My mom and I met one of my friends and we went to Amy Ruth’s for dinner and then over to Make My Cake to get cake slices.  This celebrity bake shop makes all my event cakes including my birthday cake every year.

I wanted to check with the owner about the picture I sent her of the cake I want for my shower.

We then came back down to Time Square and then went to Garretts to get popcorn for my sister and my brother n law.

I am now completely exhausted and am watching television.  I have my monthly OB appointment tomorrow.

Nuchal Translucency Scan – The 411

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baby - NT Scan

Nuchal translucency is a collection of fluid under the skin at the back of your baby’s neck. It can be measured using ultrasound: between 11 weeks plus two days and 14 weeks plus one day of pregnancy. or when your baby measures between 45mm (1.8in) and 84mm (3.3in)

How the Test Is Performed:

Your health care provider will use ultrasound to measure the nuchal fold. All unborn babies have some fluid at the back of their neck. In a baby with Down syndrome or other genetic disorders, there is more fluid than normal. This makes the space look thicker.

A blood test of the mother is also done. Together, these two tests will tell if the baby could have Down syndrome or another genetic disorder.
How to Prepare for the Test:

Having a full bladder will give the best ultrasound picture. You may be asked to drink two to three glasses of liquid an hour before the test. Do not urinate before your ultrasound.

How the Test will Feel:

You may have some discomfort from pressure on your bladder during the ultrasound. The gel used during the test may feel slightly cold and wet. You will not feel the ultrasound waves.

Why the Test is Performed:

Your health care provider may recommend this test to screen your baby for Down syndrome. Many pregnant women decide to have this test.

This test can be done earlier in pregnancy than amniocentesis (another test that checks for birth defects). Nuchal translucency is usually done between the 11th and 14th week of pregnancy.

Normal Results:

A normal amount of fluid in the back of the neck during ultrasound means it is very unlikely your baby has Down syndrome or another genetic disorder.

A normal measurement at 11 weeks is up to 2 millimeters (mm).A normal measurement at 13 weeks, 6 days is up to 2.8 mm.

What Abnormal Results Mean

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What Abnormal Results Mean has been expanded.

More fluid than normal in the back of the neck means there is a higher risk of Down syndrome. But it does not tell for certain that the baby has Down syndrome.

If the result is abnormal, other testing can be done. Most of the time, the other test done is amniocentesis.

Twelve Weeks ! The Three Month Mark- The 411

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BABY STATS: Twelve Weeks / 3 Months !!

How Far Along?

Three months

How Big Is The Little One?

The baby is the size of a lime

Total Weight Gain / Loss?

6 pound loss since last Monday

Maternity Clothes?

Still in my regular clothes which are loose now because of the weightloss

Sleep?

I have off and on insomnia but I normally wake up because I have to pee !

Best Moment of the Week?

There are a few good moments this week… I booked the venue for my All White Diamonds & Diapers themed Tea Baby Shower in New York and paid for it.  My invitations are absolutely adorable and they have been ordered as well.

Diaper Invitation

This morning, when I got up because I simply could not hold the urine any longer, I noticed a light red blood.  I got in the shower, got dressed and left for the hospital ER.  The doctor did a pelvic exam and saw the little streak of blood but nothing serious.  They ordered labs and also a sonogram.

During the sonogram, the baby was running from the tech’s wand.  I have now graduated to standard on the belly sonos !  YAY !  The baby on two occasions, appeared to be smiling at us.  The baby kept flipping and jumping and then it went to sleep.  By the time the doctor tried to see the heart rate, the baby would not cooperate.  I had to lie on my side slightly to force baby to move and they were able to get the heart rate.  I was relieved that the baby was fine and learned that the fibroid has grown and is the culprit for the bleeding.
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Another great moment was inserting the LAST progesterone suppository and estrace pills ! Now I am just on Lovenox until 18 weeks.

The best moment this week was when my RE, Dr. Tomer Singer, called to give me the results of my MaterniT21 testing and all of the other tests they ran for clotting disorders and I was told the sex of the baby !   Tomorrow is my gender reveal party.

Symptoms?

I still have nausea and everything I eat tastes metallic or weird.

Food Cravings?

The only thing I have wanted to eat all week is a burger and homemade french fries with cajun seasoning.

Food Aversions?

Everything tastes metallic or strange.  I am not a fan of food at this point and Coke or Pepsi help with the nausea.

Gender?

I know what it is, but I am not revealing until after my gender reveal and maybe will wait a while after that 🙂

Labor Signs?

none

What I Miss?

Nothing

What I Am Looking Forward To?

Seeing the baby again on Wednesday and Thursday at my MFM and OB appointments

Bump?

I was getting worried because there has been no change in my bump

Navel In/Out?

In

Baby Purchases?

This week, I purchased a Kate Spade Lyla Weekender bag to put my stuff in for the hospital and to use as an overnight bag during travel. I also purchased items for my hospital bag. I packed up the case of 20 Aden and Anais swaddling blankets and took then to storage, so I did buy a couple of organic cotton swaddling blankets for the hospital bag for the baby.

Target is having a diaper deal so I got six boxes of Honest Co. brand diapers in 1, 2 &3 and got $55 in giftcards back.  I was going to go do one more diaper haul, but then realized I should not since I have 12 cases already and have a bunch of different sizes on my baby registry.

Eleven Weeks ! – The 411

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IVF #6 - Fig 11 wks

BABY STATS:  Eleven Weeks !

How Far Along?

11 weeks 0 days

How Big Is The Little One?

The baby is the size of a fig and is twice the size it was two weeks ago.

Total Weight Gain / Loss?

I have not gained nor lost any pounds this week.  Holding steady.

Maternity Clothes?

I can still wear my normal clothing.  My maternity jeans are a bit big since my stomach is not big enough to hold them up yet.

Sleep?

I am experiencing middle of the night insomnia again, but not every night.

Best Moment of the Week?

I started planning my NYC baby shower this week.  I am getting quotes from venues and have decided on a menu and theme so I am getting quotes in from caterers as well.   My vision is an all white tea party (all white decor, food and clothing) and the theme is going to be Diamonds & Diapers.   I am awaiting quotes from World Yacht, Dylan’s Candy Bar, Brooklyn Winery and a few restaurants.  I checked with a tea room but their pricing is utterly ridiculous for what they are offering.  The per person price should be 1/2 what they are asking plus they make you pay to reserve a room where your party is being held on top of the per person costs and a 20% gratuity.  I am not paying out what a wedding would cost for a baby shower for 50-75 people !  I already have confirmation that Sprinkles NYC can host my event in the party room.  I am having Make My Cake bake my all white cake with a blinged out ribbon around the cake and I am thinking of putting Swavroski crystal booties on the top of the cake.   My guests will be eating cupcakes with a buttercream icing.  I am having a small cake baked as decor and more or less for ME !  I LOVE cake lol.

Speaking of cakes, when I got back today from a day trip to a local island with my mom today, my friend who owns a bakery in Washington DC, had a Drunken Spiced Rum German Chocolate Cake.  It was absolutely delicious !  Tastes just like my recipe and can you believe, I did not get sick ! 🙂  #winning

Symptoms?

In lieu of having ALL day morning sickness and queasiness, now EVERYTHING tastes weird and the very THOUGHT of putting anything in my mouth, I start gagging and am on the verge of vomiting.  Even taking my pills I gag…

Food Cravings?

None… my taste buds are all jacked up so I have to force myself to eat.  Right now, grits, eggs, and sausage patties with toast or a cheeseburger that I make are the only things that taste remotely normal.

Food Aversions?

All food, period !

Gender?

I am STILL waiting on the MaterniT21 results.  Hopefully I will have them early next week so that I can plan a small gender reveal party with my family while they are here for Easter.

Labor Signs?

None.

What I Miss?

Nothing.

What I Am Looking Forward To?

Feeling the baby move.

Bump?

No change… still a little pouch.

Navel In/Out?

In.

Baby Purchases?

My car seat and stroller are here.  I bought items for my baby bag and have started putting together items I will need in mine.  Because I am going back to NYC, I have to take everything with me that I may need.  The baby has a gorgeous Kate Spade baby bag I bought over a year ago and I am getting a Kate Spade Lyla Weekender bag for myself.

This week, I bought hooded towels, more Burts Bees clothing, and ordered a pair of Pink Converse Chucks and a pair of pink Puma crib shoes. (I hope this baby is a girl !!)

Still Ten Weeks ! – The 411

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IVF #6 - 10 wks kumquat

BABY STATS:

How Far Along?

10 weeks 2 days

How Big Is The Little One?

My baby is the size of kumquat.

Total Weight Gain / Loss?

I have lost 1.5 pounds since I last weighed on Friday.

Maternity Clothes?

I ordered a maternity vegan leather jacket and three maternity body con dresses from Haute Couture , which is a part of Nordstrom.

 Sleep?

I am assuming because of the anemia, I am pretty wiped out and want to nap in the middle to the day. With losing an hour, I am sure that is playing a big role today.  I am sleeping all night with the exception of waking up to urinate.

Best Moment of the Week?

Today, I found a lot of Burts Bees Organic baby items at TJ Maxx. I am finally starting to relax and accept that this IS happening !  I am anxious to find out what the sex of the baby is so that I can start planning with an event planner for my gender reveal party and come up with a theme for my baby shower in NYC this summer.

Symptoms?

I am very tired and not hungry.

Food Cravings?

None.  I have no hunger.

Food Aversions?

Everything tastes funny to me.  It is either too sweet or too salty or just plain not good !

Gender?

Holding out hope for Team Pink !

Labor Signs?

None.. too soon !

What I Miss?

Nothing.

What I Am Looking Forward To?

Nurturing, guiding and loving my children.

Bump?

I have a little pouch but this week, it looks smaller to me for some reason.  My mom says its bigger.  Guess I am getting used to seeing it…

Navel In/Out?

In

Baby Purchases?

Burts Bees organic cotton body suits and bibs, Burts Bees organic cotton outfits, 2 gray baby blankets, one ivory knitted cable blanket, baby grooming kit, Stokke Xplory Black Melange Stroller system and a Maxi Cosi Prezi Infant Carseat (for a STEAL on Albeebaby.com).

Ten Weeks !- The 411

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IVF #6 - 10wks prune

BABY STATS:

How Far Along?

10 weeks !!!

How Big Is The Little One?

The baby is the size of a prune !

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Total Weight Gain / Loss?

I have lost 2 pounds since last week.

Maternity Clothes?

I can still wear my normal clothing but I did buy six pair of maternity skinny jeans and capris.

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Sleep?

I am very tired all the time so I am sleeping pretty much all night.

Best Moment of the Week?

I had two appointments this week and got to see the baby, which now looks like a baby instead of a little bird.  The baby is growing right on target and has a strong heartbeat.

Symptoms?

I have felt “growing pains’ and pressure, which I learned is the result of a fibroid tumor in utero and is adjacent to the placenta.  The high risk doc will monitor it throughout the pregnancy.  I also learned that I am severely anemic again.  A pregnant friend suggested I try Geritol tonic or SSS tonic for the quickest results.  I went to Walgreens today and picked up a bottle of the Geritol tonic.  It is not the most pleasant taste, but I need my baby to get sufficient iron and I do not need my fibroid to steal blood supply from the baby, so I will drink the tablespoon daily. I did find a fruit punch flavored liquid iron at a health food store today too and I am ordering Hema Plex to start taking after my iron levels rise to normal.

Food Cravings?

This week, I was craving chicken noodle soup, fried pork chops, and salad from Olive Garden.  I just had a taste for pork fried rice so I am heading out to PF Chang in a few minutes.  I only eat a few bites of anything.

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Food Aversions?

I am not feeling salty foods or sweet foods.  For some reason, everything is overly salty to me.  The only thing that seems to help my morning sickness is Pepsi/ Coke / Mountain Dew !

Gender?

I had my MaterniT21 test on Thursday, so I will know in 2 weeks.  Still hoping for a girl…

Labor Signs?

Nope

What I Miss?

Nothing…

What I Am Looking Forward To?

Feeling the baby move.

Bump?

With this fibroid growing, I do have a little baby bump or little pouch.

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Navel In/Out?

In

Baby Purchases?

I am ordering my Stokke Xplory in Black Melange tonight from Saks Fifth Avenue through a friend who works there so that I can get 40% off !

 

Honey & Whiskey Marmalade – Recipe

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Whiskey and Honey Marmalade

Ingredients:
  • 8 Seville oranges
  • 1 quart honey
  • ½ cup Irish whiskey
Directions:
  1. Scrub the oranges and set them on the rack of an electric pressure cooker. Cover them with water, and soften them in the pressure cooker by cooking them for ten minutes. Let the pressure naturally release, and then rotate the oranges to promote even softening of their rinds, and then pressure cook them a further five minutes. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, place the oranges in a heavy pot or Dutch oven, cover them with water and boil them for 2½ hours, rotating them to ensure even softening of their rinds. Reserve the oranges, and discard the water.
  2. Allow the oranges to cool enough to handle them comfortably. Split them in half cross-wise, and nudge the seeds from their flesh using a butter knife. Discard the seeds. Scoop out the pulp from the orange halves, spoon it into the pitcher of a blender and set it aside.
  3. Quarter the remaining orange rinds, then layer one piece on top of the other, and slice the rinds into matchsticks about ⅛-inch wide and 1-inch long. Drop them into the pot.
  4. Pour the reserved water into the blender with the orange pulp. Blend them together until smooth, and then pour the pulp into the pot with the orange rind. Stir in the honey, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn down the heat to medium, and stir the marmalade constantly until set, 30 to 35 minutes. Take the marmalade off the heat, let it cool for five minutes, and then stir in the whiskey.
  5. Spoon into clean jam jars, and process in a water bath for ten minutes.
2016 Valerie Renèe

First Prenatal Appointments – The 411

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On 02/25 & 02/26, I had my first prenatal OB appointment, first prenatal work up appointment, and first prenatal RE appointment !

 

DR.KARAMITSOS /OB APPOINTMENT
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PRENATAL WORK UP APPOINTMENT
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After my prenatal work up appointment with my OB’s nurse, I was given a laundry list of blood tests to have done. I only had an hour to get to my RE appointment and the subway was jacked up that day. I ended up taking Uber because I got stranded at 58th street.
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I saw my RE, Dr. Tomer Singer, and he made me an appointment to see the high risk maternal fetal medicine specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital. I ended up changing that appointment to next week since I had to be back in Manhattan to see the RE and do the MaterniT21 testing at 10 weeks. After the RE appointment, I went to meet my mom and we then left for Carmines to meet my make up artist for a late lunch.
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Since I ran out of time on Friday, I called and found a Quest Labs which was open on Saturday and I took Uber to the lab to have the testing done. It was a ton of genetic screening tests, hiv, rubella, and blood typing testing. They took 16 tubes of blood and a urine sample. All the tests came back normal, so I was relieved.

After meeting with my film crew for dinner, my mom and I took a limo service to the airport. After sitting there for 2 hours, our flight was cancelled. I was livid ! I was glad the plane broke down in Vegas and not while I was on it, but the airline seemed nonchalant about it. I called the airline and told them about the flight while standing in a long line for an hour waiting to get to the counter, and they told me they had no more flights until Sunday. I demanded that they find me a flight with either a nonstop or no more than an hour layover because I was pregnant and traveling with my mom who just finished cancer treatment. They put us on American Airlines in FIRST CLASS !

I stayed in the line and told the rep that I expected hotel vouchers and food and transportation vouchers. They gave us three $14 food vouchers, hotel voucher for the Marriott and a transportation voucher. We ate at one of the restaurants in the airport and saved one voucher for breakfast the day of the flight.

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Our faces in line after the flight was cancelled !

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On the plane heading back to paradise and out of the cold NYC air !

Here are a few pics I have been taking of my belly….

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I haven’t taken my 9 week photo yet, but will do next week when I am 9 wks 4 days on Tuesday.

I am hoping my belly won’t get too big too fast so that I can keep everything under wraps until I’m ready.

I hope everyone is doing well !!

Nine Weeks ! – The 411

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ivf #6 - 9wks grape

BABY STATS:  9 WEEKS !!

How Far Along?

9 weeks 0 days

How Big Is The Little One?

The baby is now the size of a grape

Total Weight Gain / Loss?

I have dropped two pounds this week

Maternity Clothes?

I ordered two pair of maternity full band skinny jeans and three pair of denim capris from Gap and Old Navy.   My pants fit a little funny to me and since the stores were having a sale on top of my Ebates.com rebates, I decided to order some pants that will be more comfortable and that will accommodate my expanding belly.

Sleep?

I have been overly tired this week, but not napping much.  I am able to sleep until about 4 or 5 am.  Last night, I forgot to turn the ringer off on my phone and my stalker started her usual 4/5 am phone calls back to back to my phone.  I turned the ringer off and went back to sleep.   After a year, you would think this insane heifer would move on.  She is still harassing me and a few of my friends.

Best Moment of the Week?

I made my flight reservations for my mom and I to fly back to NYC next week for my Maternal Fetal Medicine High Risk assessment testing and the appointment with my RE the next day.  I picked up my new prenatal plus with DHA vitamins and they are a lot smaller than the previous ones, so I am happy about that ! My highlight was getting confirmation from my friend who worked at Saks that she can order my Stokke Xplory stroller for 45% off !!  My friend is going to pick it up when it arrives at the store and hold on to it for me since I am not in the DC area.

My mom and I have started finalizing our travel plans for April and May.  We are going to Las Vegas for a few days, first, to see Cirque de Soleil Michael Jackson One !  I am super excited to see that show !   We are planning a trip to Europe since I have been forbidden to travel to any tropical places :-(.   Hey …. Ireland sounds amazing !   I will take it !

Symptoms?

Morning sickness all day persists.  It is not unbearable and I am not vomiting, but I just have an overall feeling of queasiness and not feeling well.  I am not hungry at all, yet I wake up and my body feels like I am starving it.  I am forcing myself to eat a variety of things six times a day.   I feel like I am full of air all the time and have hiccups throughout the day.

Food Cravings?

I am not hungry at all. I have been craving Activia Strawberry yogurt and pineapple chunks. Today, I saw red plums in the grocers and grabbed five of those.  I have eaten them all.  If anything, I want homemade soup.  My mom is making me a pot of Turkey Carcass Fresh Herb Veggie soup.

Food Aversions?

ALL food !  I just do not want to eat AT ALL.

Gender?

Team Pink is what I am holding out for !!

Labor Signs?

None

What I Miss?

Nothing at the moment…

What I Am Looking Forward To?

Feeling my baby move.  I am ordering a series of cds of classical music to start playing on my belly.  There are belly music players on amazon and I am placing an order for one today.

Bump?

My little pouch is visible, but its not “pregnancy” notable.

Navel In/Out?

Still in and it better stay that way !

Baby Purchases?

I have not made any purchases except placing the order for the Stokke Xplory while I can get it for only $735.  I have started adding things I want to order to my Amazon.com baby registry.