There's a New 'Saur Up in Here!

Hello! I am Laughosaur, a new 'Saur, and I couldn't be more excited to have a place to share my journey through TTC. I am honest and open and don't mind sharing anything and everything, hopefully you're ok with that!

My husband and I have been married for 2 years. We live in a house with a cat and a dog that drive each other crazy, which seems natural to me. What I find unnatural is when cats and dogs like each other and cuddle. However, it is really cute and I would love to see our pets do that.

Anyway, we have been TTC since May for our first baby. We have lots of friends that have babies and toddlers or are pregnant. We used to enjoy being the only ones without kids but now it is getting old. Of course, it seems like everyone I know or see is pregnant. Isn't that the way!?

I would I could tell you that I wasn't naive when I thought getting pregnant would be easy. I had it all planned out in my mind. We'd get pregnant with in a month or so and we'd be celebrating the Holiday Season with me having a baby belly and enjoying all that comes with that. By spring we'd have a bundle of joy and life would be grand.

As many of you know, that hardly ever happens. Unfortunately, it wasn't until we find ourselves 8 months into it that I am realizing that there are in fact people I know that have not gotten pregnant the first or second month of trying. It is wonderful to know that there are other couples going through the same thing you are. Of course you wouldn't wish the stress and frustration of this magical time on anyone, but it is a relief to know you aren't the only one. It took this long to find out that I know people in real life going through many months of trying because people don't talk about it. Not at first. It takes a few times of you bringing it up and talking about yourself before they get comfortable and share with you their journey. I wish people were more open about it because it might give many people some relief because here I was thinking that it would be super fast for us based on the fact that "everyone" I knew had experiences like that. However, I realize how private an experience this is, so I can respect that.

So, what have we been doing throughout this process?

I've read Taking Charge of Your Fertility and pretty much know the text like the back of my hand.

I have been charting my basal body temp since last October.

*images from google.com

Not my chart, though I wish it were because that would be a good thing!

We have used Pre-Seed a few times.

We also started using OPKs this past cycle.

I look forward to sharing more with you all! Feel free to ask any questions about whatever you want because like I mentioned above, I am open and don't mind sharing!

Stepping on the scale, putting on the pounds

After reading Citysaur's last post, I feel somewhat guilty for what I'm about to write. But here it goes: thus far this pregnancy, I've gained about 8.8lbs. This is bad. I know what you're probably thinking - 9lbs (give or take a few ounces) is a pretty hefty gain for 17 weeks. But not for twins.

At this stage, I need to explain that instead of relying on my doctors, I've gotten most of my health and nutrition information from this book:

Choosing a book over your physician might seem odd, but there's a very good reason behind my decision: my doctors aren't very well informed about multiples pregnancies. This isn't saying anything bad about them - I live in a small town, and there simply aren't a lot of twin births here. So although the doctors are lovely people, they don't really know the ins and outs of a multiple pregnancy. Dr Luke, on the other hand, does. For years, she ran a specialist clinic for women expecting multiples at the University of Michigan, part of the University Consortium on Multiple Births. Her book is the Bible of anyone expecting more than one baby - unlike most pregnancy books, which tend to treat multiples as just being a little extra pregnant, WYETTQ is full of highly specific information for women carrying more than one baby, including dietary recommendations.

When I first began this pregnancy, my doctor recommended that for my height and weight, I should gain around 15lbs (it probably would have been a bit higher if I was in the USA, but Aussie docs are a little more conservative). The problem is, this recommendation is based on the weight gain needed to sustain a single pregnancy. WYETTQ's recommendation, on the other hand, is that I gain somewhere between 31-36lbs. That's more than twice the amount recommended for a single pregnancy. And not only that, but Dr Luke recommends gaining most of that weight in the first 28 weeks.

The idea of gaining this much weight (especially in such a short period of time) made me feel a bit nervous - I've battled my weight my entire life and was firmly in the 'overweight' category when I conceived. The idea of intentionally putting on 35lbs frightened me until I read the reasons behind the recommendation.

As most people probably know, twins often have lower birthweights than single babies. This isn't just due to being born earlier or space constraints in the womb, but often because they're simply getting less nutrition - after all, they're forced to share the energy the mother's body provides. Twins with higher birthweights are healthier than those who weigh less, and evidence suggests that good in utero growth may reduce the likelihood of a premature birth - and even if they are born earlier, preemie twins who have had plenty of nourishment before birth have fewer illnesses and quicker recovery times than those who didn't. All excellent reasons for wanting a higher birthweight!

The reason that most of this weight needs to be gained in the first 28 weeks is simple: the more babies you're carrying, the less time you'll have to put on the needed weight. Twins are usually born at about 36 weeks - that's a full four weeks less of in utero growth time than a singleton, so they need all the energy they can get, as fast as they can get it.

Bun in the oven scale from here

Ideally, for my height and weight, I should gain:
15-20lbs by week 20
23-28lbs by week 28
31-36lbs by week 38 (if I make it that long)

With a current weight gain of approximately 9 pounds by week 17, this means I need to pack on another 1.5lbs per week for the rest of my pregnancy to hit my targets - in fact, I'd need to gain more than 2lbs per week in the next three weeks to reach the low end of my week 20 goal!

This is harder than you might think, even for someone who is habitually overweight (such as yours truly)! I've actually found it quite challenging to consume enough calories to put on the pounds - good calories, that is. Sure, I could eat a box of brownies every day, but that's not an especially healthy strategy. I've increased my portion sizes, eating extra protein and carbohydrates at every meal for the last several weeks, and faithfully eating three full meals plus two (sometimes three!) generous snacks per day, but even that doesn't seem to be doing it - these twins are consuming far more energy from my body than I expected.

I've never faced this kind of weight battle before - in fact, I never even dreamed it would be an issue! WYETTQ recommends upping your servings of full fat dairy, protein, grains, eggs and good oils/fats to help put on the pounds, and I thought I'd done that...but clearly not well enough.

So I'm putting out a call for help: what's your favorite hearty, protein-based (not low fat!) meal?

Preggatinis

I love, love, love girly mixed drinks!! I didn't drink a lot, but I do like to have one if we were going out. But, since we are TTC, I have cut myself off.

Imagine how happy I was to find Preggatinis!!

These are perfect for any party or baby shower!!

And if you haven't told anyone you are TTC, these are the perfect cover when spending a night in with your friends!!

Pictured above and below: a few sample recipes & liquid-eye-candy images from Preggatinis:

1. Sparkling Citrus
Stirrings Tangerini Rimmer

2 oz fresh squeezed pink grapefruit juice

1 oz tangerine juice

2 oz blood orange soda

dash grapefruit bitters (optional)
Rim a champagne flute with rimming sugar.

Pour in juices and dash of bitters, then top with blood orange soda.

2. Pomegranate Cooler
5-7 fresh or frozen blueberries

2 oz pomegranate juice

2 oz white grape juice

3 oz sparkling pomegranate soda

1 lemon slice
Muddle the blueberries in the bottom of a tall glass. Then add ice and pour in the juices. Fill the glass to the top with sparkling pomegranate soda, and place a lemon slice on top of the drink. Sip through a colorful straw.

3. Ginger Bellini Punch (Preggatinis, pg. 110)

4. Minty Mango Cooler
2 cups white grape juice

3 cups mango nectar

1 bottle bitter lemon soda

3 trays mango-mint ice cubes

*2 bunches fresh mint
Pour white grape juice, mango nectar, and bitter lemon soda into a large pitchr or punch bowl. Add 1 tray of mango-mint ice cubes. To serve, place 2-3 fresh mango-mint ice cubes into a tall glass. Fill the glass with punch. Garnish each glass with a sprig of mint.
*Mango Mint Ice Cubes:1-1/2 cups mango juice1/4 cup water1/4 cup simple syrupjuice from 1 lime1 bunch mint leaves

5. Sweet-N-Sassy (Preggatinis, pg. 80)

6. Miami Mommy Mojito (Preggatinis, pg. 94)

Enjoy!!!

Before TTC

Six weeks ago, I bought a book upon the recommendation of a friend also getting ready to TTC.

source

Pregnancy, as you probably know, is nine months long (or 38 weeks from conception, if you're really serious about keeping count). And if you've ever been pregnant before, you probably think that's plenty long enough. But is nine months really long enough? Does that time-honored baby-making timetable really stand up to the latest obstetrical science?

According to more and more research--and more and more experts (including the Centers for Disease Control, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American College of Pediatrics)--the answer is maybe not. That traditional nine-month figure is being challenged by a surprising new suggestion: It’s time to add more months to pregnancy.

That's right, more months. At least three more months, in fact, for a full year (or even more) of baby making. But before you panic (three extra months of not seeing my feet? Of passing on the sushi? Of waiting to hold that bundle of joy?), here’s what you need to know: Those extra months aren’t meant to be spent being pregnant, they’re meant to be spent getting ready to be pregnant.

Before you're expecting--and before you even begin trying to expect--is the best time to get both your bodies into tip-top baby-making shape. And that's why I've written What to Expect Before You're Expecting--a complete, step-by-step preconception plan to help you and your partner prep for pregnancy. Whether you're hoping to fill your nest for the first time or the fourth (or more!), a little conception know-how--which lifestyle adjustments you should make now (cut back on caffeine and cocktails) and which you can hold off on (get your sushi while you can!); which foods are fertility-friendly and which are fertility busters (say yes to yams and oysters, so long to saturated fats); how extra weight can weigh on your fertility and his; how to track fertility and pinpoint ovulation--can help you fill that nest faster. What's more, the right preconception protocol can help ensure a healthier and more comfortable pregnancy (think less morning sickness, a lowered risk of premature delivery and gestational diabetes) and a healthier bundle of baby. And the plan doesn't end when you're finished with the prepping. It covers baby-making how-to's, do's, and don'ts--everything you need to know about conception sex (from timing, to logistics, to positions, and more).

Whether you've begun your conception campaign already or you're just starting to think about getting pregnant, it’s never too late--or too early--to start optimizing your preconception profile, giving the baby of your dreams the healthiest possible start in life. So put time on your side, and add a few months to your baby-making calendar. More pregnancy, as it turns out, is more.

*Heidi Murkoff's Introduction to What to Expect Before You're Expecting from Amazon.com

When I went to the local book store to purchase this book. I felt a little weird standing there in the pregnancy book section without being pregnant. Almost like I was going to get in trouble for being somewhere I wasn’t supposed to be.

I feared being asked if I was pregnant, or how far along I was, when in fact, we hadn’t even started trying yet.

Imagine the horror when I had to go to the customer service counter to ask if they had a copy of the book, when after browsing through the pregnancy books for thirty minutes, I found nothing.

That’s because it was on the other side of the store near the nursing books. Odd.

I made my purchase and went home.

I kept the book in the bag for a couple of days debating whether or not to tell Mr. Joggersaur, and how to tell him. Sure, our TTC start date was rapidly approaching, but I was afraid of his reaction. (He’s a go with the flow person, I’m the planner and I want to know everything I can before it happens.)

Surprisingly, he was very accepting of my purchase and listens when I read the male sections that pertain to him, like not putting your cell phone in your pocket.

Overall, I found the book pretty helpful. Several little things I didn’t know about getting ready for pregnancy, but a lot of the information is common sense stuff that you could probably ask your friends or mom about.

But, if you’re like me, who isn’t telling anyone we are TTC to avoid millions of questions (mainly from our families), the book is a great resource to go back to during your TTC process.

And the winners of the Snuggle-Me giveaway are...

Random.org gave us the winning numbers for our Snuggle-Me giveaway...

Lucky number 2 was Ashley!

And lucky number 6 was Gabby!

Congratulations, ladies! Send an email with your full name and address to pregosaur@gmail.com and we'll get your books in the mail to you ASAP.

Thanks to everyone for entering the giveaway!

Last chance to enter giveaway - two Snuggle-Me stories!

The Snuggle-Me giveaway is ending this Saturday - click here to enter!

Giveaway - two Snuggle-Me stories!

I think it's time for another giveaway...don't you?!

The Prizes
Two (yes, two!) lucky winners will receive copies of both of these adorable Snuggle-Me stories:

Here's what the publisher has to say about the books:

My Little Monkey & Little Bear Hugs are the newest additions to Sandra Magsamen's award winning Snuggle-Me Stories series. Featuring a small fleece blanket with an attached plush monkey and teddy bear, babies and loved ones will love to read and play along with the sweet rhyming story, which delivers heartfelt sentiments of love. With playful words and illustrations, these titles are sure to become a favorite for cozy shared lap time reading.

And here's what the fabulous Divasaur has to add after reviewing them:

The stories themselves are simple and sweet, aimed at children aged 3 and under. Each book espouses all of the characteristics about the monkey or the bear that are loved by the reader - I think these books would be especially appealing to parents or loved ones who call their child by "monkey" or "bear" as a term of endearment.

These books could also be good for traveling since they are on the smaller side and come with a companion toy; each book features a small plush toy that can fit in the palm of your hand and comes affixed to the back cover of the book with a clear elastic band that can be reused to hold the toy until the next time. The one drawback is that that the back cover is twice the height of the rest of the book which makes it a tad awkward for tucking into a bag or placing it with other books on a bookshelf.

Both books are filled with praise and love for the main character such as "your hugs and kisses are the best" or "You're sweet as can be" and are simple enough that they would hold a small child's attention at bed time or nap time.

The Ways to Enter
There are three different ways to enter - take your pick!

1. Become a follower of Pregosaur, and post a comment
2. Blog or twitter about this contest, and post a comment
   
3. Vote for Pregosaur on Top Baby Blogs by clicking this button: and then leave a comment
   

The Rules

• for this particular contest, the winner must have a mailing address in the USA
  
• only one entry per person, please
• the contest will end Saturday, September 26 at midnight (Pacific Time)
  
• the winners will be randomly selected and announced in a new post on the following Monday - so make sure you check back in!

THE GIVEAWAY IS OVER! THANKS EVERYONE FOR ENTERING!

And the winner of The Belly Book giveaway is...

Random.org gave us the winning number...

And lucky number 10 was...

Congratulations on your BFP and winning the journal, Michelle! Send an email with your full name and address to pregosaur@gmail.com and we'll get your book in the mail to you ASAP.

Thanks to everyone for entering the giveaway!

The Belly Book giveaway is over!

Thanks to everyone who entered our giveaway for The Belly Book - our readers are awesome, and we're now number 36 on Top Baby Blogs! The giveaway has now ended, so make sure you check back in on Monday to see who the lucky winner is!

Last chance to enter The Belly Book giveaway!

Hey guys, there is only one day left for our current giveaway - so if you haven't entered yet, click here to be in the running for this awesome pregnancy journal!

Good luck!

4 more days to enter the giveaway!

There are only four more days left to enter our giveaway of The Belly Book!

Click here to enter!

Giveaway - win a copy of The Belly Book!

We've just joined the fabulous Top Baby Blogs! I absolutely love this site - it's a great place to discover new baby and parenting blogs (I've been reading new blogs all weekend!) and is a sister site to the famous Posh Little community.

To celebrate, we're giving one lucky winner a copy of The Belly Book!

Some pregnancy books are like guides, others are more like daily planners - The Belly Book was designed to be a keepsake for you and your baby on the way. It's organized by trimester and includes places for ultrasound photos and belly pictures, with plenty of room to write your thoughts and feelings during your pregnancy - along with musings about morning sickness, food cravings and more!

To enter, all you need to do is click the Top Baby Blogs button to vote for Pregosaur as an awesome baby blog (it's also in the sidebar on the right - all you have to do is click, you don't have to do anything else once the Top Baby Blogs website loads), and then leave a comment telling us that you did it - that's it!

The Rules...

• only one entry per person, please
• the contest will end this Saturday, August 29 at midnight (Pacific Time)
  
• the winners will be announced in a new post on the following Monday - so make sure you check back in!

Good luck, everyone!

THE GIVEAWAY IS OVER! THANKS EVERYONE FOR ENTERING!

Why do they call it morning sickness...

...when it happens at 6:oo in the evening? I had my first experience with this lovely pregnancy symptom on Sunday. Can't say that I enjoyed it - but on the positive side, it was a reassuring sign that things are going as they should in there!

On Tuesday, Mr. Citysaur and I headed for my first appointment with our midwife. I switched practices so we could deliver with a midwife. The practice we chose has eight OBs and 2 midwives, and the midwives share patients. We'll rotate between the two of them for our prenatal visits - and also have one visit with an OB at some point.

Overall, we liked the midwife. We were both a little surprised by how entrenched in the System she was. We chose a midwife so we could avoid some of that and have someone who would be supportive of our plan for a natural birth. She'll still be that, but she did say a few things about pain meds that were a little surprising. I suppose it's understandable, considering that she's in a practice full of OBs and has rights at the local hospital (where we'll be delivering). However, if we were too concerned about it, we could always go a few blocks down the street to the local Birth Center. I think we'll stick with what we've got.

We didn't get to hear the heartbeat or have an ultrasound at this appointment. Barring any complications, we'll only get one ultrasound, and we're saving that one for The Big One. Our follow-up appointment is set for the 14th, and we've been assured that we'll get to hear the heartbeat then!

Lastly, I read a great book this week that I'd recommend to anyone who's interested in the history of birth and birthing methods throughout the ages. It's called "Birth: The Surprising History of How We Are Born" by Tina Cassidy. Though some of the stories are pretty startling, I gained a lot of perspective from reading this book. It's a fairly quick read, and I found it fascinating.

Bust

I´ve been MIA because last cycle was a bust. I don´t know why, but I thought it had real potential. Guess not. I´ve pondered the reasons it might not have worked out, and all I can come up with is that about three months ago Mr. Lillysaur was sick with Bronchitis and on antibiotics. According to the Mayo Clinic website : Fact: The flu slows sperm production. An illness that causes a fever can affect sperm production and sperm quality. But it won't affect fertility for two to three months, since it takes sperm 75 days to mature. So for the time being I´ll blame it on Mr. Lillysaur and not me. Very mature, I know.

Speaking of Mr. Lillysaur, we were all geared up to go in next week for Mr. Lillysaur´s SA and a mucos penetration test only to find out that the Dr. is on vacation and there is no one else in the practice of endocrinologists who can do those tests. Fabulous. I was crushed to hear that yet another cycle will go to waste. In fact, two or three cycles because I´ll be on vacation in July and August and will miss the July window, and possibly the August window. Sigh. I don´t really think the tests will turn up much, but it´s the last step in testing for us. After that it´s try, try again.

I´ve been reading up on Amazon about new books to read on the subject of miscarriage and trying after miscarriage. I think I´ve found three to get. I´ll let you know what I think of them once I´ve read them. Until then I can recommend Coming to Term: Uncovering the Truth about Miscarriage by Jon Cohen.

Book giveaway - a new winner!

We never managed to get in touch with the third and final winner from our book giveaway, so as promised, we've redrawn the winner of the third book today.

To choose a winner, we visited random.org to generate one random number between 1 and 47 (since we had 47 entries - if any of the original winners had been selected, we would have drawn again)...


...and random.org gave us this winning number:


Lucky #39 was....

Congratulations Melanie! Drop us an email at pregosaur@gmail.com and we'll get your book sent out to you!

Last call for giveaway winners!

We've already sent off the book from our Littlesaur giveaway, as well as one book from our Pregosaur contest, but we're still waiting to hear from JBrown15 and kathy pease - make sure you guys send an email with your mailing address to pregosaur@gmail.com so we can get your books sent out to you!

The original post listing the contest results is here - if we can't get in touch with the remaining winners by Friday, June 5, new winners will be randomly selected from the original giveaway post.

Giveaway winners!

Thanks to everyone who participated in our book giveaway last week!

To celebrate the official debut of our sister site Littlesaur, we decided to give three lucky winners each a copy of their choice of Taking Charge of Your Fertility, Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy or Baby Bargains (8th ed.).

To choose a winner, we visited random.org to generate three random numbers between 1 and 47 (since we had 47 entries)...

...and random.org gave us these winning numbers:

Lucky commenter #31 was ekwilliams!
#16 was JBrown15!
And #46 was kathy pease!
Thanks you guys! Drop us an email at pregosaur@gmail.com and we'll get your book sent out to you!

Sur{reality}

Have you noticed my cute little cracked egg icon? I did. And it made me smile. Yesterday, I found out that I am pregnant. Knocked up. In a family way. A bun in the oven. It hasn't even begun to sink in at all. I feel like I have dreamt it all up. Seeing those two pink lines....did I really? I did.

By the way, Mr. Divasaur is hilarious...I moved the positive FRER off his nightstand to avoid any curiosity on the part of our puppy and he freaked. "Where's the stick?" he asked. It was too funny. I've stored it away in our bathroom for now. We plan to purchase a digital today that I will use tomorrow when I am 15DPO, my originally slated test date. I also called my doctor's office and have a blood test scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.

It was weird when I spoke to the receptionist. I told her I had POAS twice and had positive results and wanted to schedule an appointment. She said, "We don't recognize urine tests. You'll have to come into our lab for blood work first. If you are pregnant, we'll schedule you to meet with the doctor and she'll go over everything with you like getting started on prenatals." I just found all of her comments very odd, but was like whatever, I have an appointment for a blood test to confirm my pregnancy.

To celebrate DH's birthday we caught a movie and had a nice dinner. Figuring out what to order was interesting. Caesar salad? No...it has raw eggs. House salad? Nope, blue cheese. Okay, spinach salad. Lots of spinach which is great for vitamins including folate and a hard boiled egg for protein. Perfect! Until it arrived and DH pointed out that it had bacon on it, which is a no-no, right? I have no idea. So I ate it and figured I'd get a book and find out all of the do's and don'ts of being knocked up. Some are obvious, like don't smoke or drink alcohol. Others are a little more elusive...like sushi...obviously pregnant Japanese women have eaten it for centuries, right?

So, after dinner, we headed to the bookstore to purchase some sort of pregnancy guide. I thought for sure I knew what I wanted, but then, standing there in front of all of my options, I felt very overwhelmed. I finally decided upon "What To Expect When You're Expecting" since they had the most copies (it's only section, really) and I know that my friends all swear by it. I do, however, want to get a copy of the Mayo Clinic's Guide to Pregnancy at some point. I also bought the companion journal to WTEWYE since I am a sentimental type that wants to record everything! Kind of ironic considering this is my BFP cycle and I didn't chart the 2WW. Last cycle I noted every twinge or feeling. This time, not so much.

Looking back over my chart and symptoms, here's what sticks out in my mind:

1-5DPO : Ate pineapple core (1/5 of a whole one) each morning, 30 minutes before breakfast I also was thirty, gassy and had heartburn all 5 days.
1DPO: I also had some slight cramping on the lower right side. I was a little weepy all day long as well.
2DPO: I had a dull backache and slight cramps on the lower left side. Still weepy.
3 DPO: Still very emotional. Cried several times throughout the day. Also added constipation, tender breasts and increased appetite to the mix. I am thinking that all of this is stress (preparing to fly overseas for work) + PMS. I also had bizarre dreams that night.
4DPO: This was the first day I thought, "hm, could I be pregnant?" I was majorly bloated in a way that I never get bloated. Up high. And it hurt. Or at least my pants did.
5DPO: More bizarre dreams. Bloat continued and I was majorly gassy!
6DPO: Huge temp drop (this was the last morning I temped before departing on my trip). I wondered if it could be the implantation dip.
7DPO-11DPO: Traveling overseas. I didn't chart, but I did pay attention to CM and CP. My CM was really creamy and yellow and my CP was still fairly high, medium-soft and medium-open. I was gassy, thirty, and tired, all of which I chalked up to jet lag. My breasts were increasingly tender and my appetite was voracious. Again, I was thinking PMS + stress. I was pretty sure that my temps were up because despite keeping the room at a constant temperature all night I awoke in the mornings hot and sweaty and without wearing my pjs.
9DPO: Stands out in my mind since I awoke to faint, pale pink spotting only when I wiped and only for about 2 hours. I cried actually. I thought my period my coming really early. Only hours later did I begin to wonder if I was perhaps having the elusive implantation spotting. My CM was really watery for the rest of the day.
10-11DPO: Still increased appetite, bloating, gassy, constipation, skin breakout, fatigued and thirty. I did feel a little queasy/dizzy at the airport and on the plane. All of this I essentially attributed to jet lag, traveling and PMS.
12DPO: PIAC and dipped two sticks...BFPs! Lines came up pretty quickly although they were not as dark as the control lines.
13DPO: Bloat is gone, skin has cleared up, but I am still thirsty and my boobs are killing me! Tender does not describe it. They are sore. All day yesterday while in the car I literally held onto them so they wouldn't jiggle while riding down the road. And I have been sleeping with a shelf-bra tank to help support them. They're not bigger (yet) but they feel heavy and sore, especially on the sides near my underarms. My nipples are tingly too.

image source

So...there you have it. My "symptoms." If I had to pinpoint two that fall into the "never had that before..." category it would be the bloat way up high and the implantation spotting. Overall this was just one wacky cycle from start to finish! And to think we initially considered TTA this cycle. Boy! Am I glad we just went for it...got it on like bunnies and ended up with a BFP! I do think going doggy style and using the Instead soft cups afterwards really helped, especially since I have a tilted cervix. I also don't discount the pineapple core...it certainly didn't hurt. And of course charting and using my CBEFM were essential to discovering how late I O'd this cycle. Finally, from a mental/emotional perspective, using guided meditation and not charting the 2WW really helped my stress levels. A complete turn around from my last cycle when I was just a wreck!

Now begins the next phase. I will journal daily and hopefully not worry to much about all of the "what ifs" that are ahead of me. For today, I am pregnant and I love my baby. Baby?! OMG! I am pregnant and we're having a baby! I am not sure when this will sink in, actually.

The giveaway is over!

The book giveaway is officially closed! Thanks for participating, everyone - we're announcing the winners on Monday, so make sure you check back in then!

Last chance to enter!

Just a quick reminder that our giveaway ends at midnight tomorrow!

There are some fantastic books up for grabs: Pregosaur is giving three lucky readers their choice of Taking Charge of Your Fertility, Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy or Baby Bargains (8th ed.), while Littlesaur is giving away one copy of Happiest Baby on the Block.

So if you haven't entered yet (and feel free to enter both contests!), now's the time!

Clicky to enter the Pregosaur giveaway

Clicky to enter the Littlesaur giveaway