Now I'm really a graduate

[mae141]

I had a baby! And she's home with me! I just can't believe it. 

P was born on Dec 18 and weighed 7lbs 7 oz. I've sat down a couple of times to write this post and I just get so emotional every time. I keep looking at the picture of her as a little blastocyst and cannot believe that that's who I'm holding. 

I went to my 40 week appointment on the 17th, which was my due date, and was only 2 cm dialated with no end in sight. I was stressed about having her on Christmas (which I so wouldn't even care about at this point) and so my doctor talked me into scheduling an induction for the 23rd. I was pretty upset with myself, wondering why my body still couldn't do anything right. I went home and pouted for a bit, and started having contractions. I had been having them for a couple of weeks so I didn't really think too much of them, but then I realized I was kind of having a lot of them. I couldn't even sit at the table and eat dinner, and when we went to bed I could not fall asleep. It never crossed my mind that I was in labor. I did start timing them after a while and noticed that they were getting pretty regular. But I still did not think I was in labor. Finally around 1 in the morning I realized they were only 4 minutes apart and I woke up DH and we headed in to the hospital. I got an epidural, which I had been afraid of, but I am so glad I did. Finally around 6 am I was fully dilated, but not ready to push, so we rested a bit before I started pushing. Pushing lasted 2.5 hours before the doctor pulled out the vacuum and she came out in about 2 seconds. Most of the epi had worn off by then, so I felt quite a bit, but then she was there with me. 

It was so surreal. The whole evening is such a blur and DH has been filling me in on some of the details because it feels like it was a dream. I can't believe how one minute I'm pregnant and the next I have a baby!

I always told people that my real due date was Dec 18, because that was what it should have been according to my IVF dates. My doctor went with the dating ultrasound date of Dec 17. I guess little P knew when she was supposed to arrive! 

We got off to a rocky start with some feeding issues, but I'm trying to be patient. Fertility treatments, m/c, IVF, being a paranoid pregnant, and labor were all hard, but holy crap this is so much harder than anything else I've done. I thought the hormones were crazy during IVF but that was nothing. 

I feel like the past year and a half since starting treatments has been such a whirlwind. I never imagined I'd be sitting here writing this to you all. I'm so grateful to all of you for the support and advice since we've been here. TTTC is still my home board; it's the first board I check every time I log on, even though I don't post as much as I used to. I'm still rooting for all of you. 

[degal99]

Hurray! Congrats on your baby girl. It sounds like you and baby are doing well despite the feeding issues!

[dana2006]

Omg I'm so happy for you! What a special Christmas for you all. Do you have anyone helping out? Hang in there and I hope Pearl's feeding issue resolves soon.

[trace]

It's so wonderful to hear a story like that. Congrats to you and your new family!!!

[belovedbride07]

Congratulations!

[Cheesecake]

Hurray, congrats! Welcome to the completely graduated club. It's amazing and wonderful and super hormonal, but so worth it. Love her name, btw!
Yay for healthy TTTC grad babies!!!

Sent from my Xperia Z, please don't mind typos!

[kershnic]

Congratulations!! It sounds amazing and I'm so happy you were able to get there.

[speyedr]

Congrats!

[G22]

Away Congrats! So nice to see more TTTC babies being born!

[Deleted]

Welcome to the world baby Pearl!

[KaraOrNot]

Congrats!!!!

[changedname]

No idea how I missed this! Huge congrats Mae! so happy for you and your healthy baby.

[rugbywife]

I can't believe I missed this either!!! Congrats