143...the magic number.

We had our 1st ultrasound on Monday, September 29, 2014. I was a nervous wreck which is nothing less than I expected. I got there right on time and got taken back to the room immediately. Chop still wasn't there. The lady asked me if I needed to use the restroom so I said yes, so that I could buy more time. If I was going to get bad news, I knew I needed him to be there. The whole time I was in the bathroom I kept saying in my head "Ugh, he had ONE job. Just ONE job and he couldn't be here on time!" I finished in the bathroom, changed into a gown and put my feet in the stirrups. Just as she was getting ready to do the transvag ultrasound, he came in. *Whew* I felt better.

As soon as she got up to where she needed to be, I saw the gestational sac. *Insert small sigh of relief* Then, I saw our little one. *Insert bigger sigh of relief*. So, we have a gestational sac and we have a baby. The next thing she said had to be the best thing I've heard in a very long time. "Here's the baby's heartbeat flickering". I held back the tears but it was so reassuring. She measured the heartbeat and it was at 143 beats per minute.

I had my first doctor appointment today, which was pretty uneventful. I did ask about my progesterone and the midwife said that she wasn't very concerned that it's still on the low end of normal. Seeing a heartbeat makes it a viable pregnancy and progesterone supplements typically only help in the very early stages. She asked the doctor about it (because she didn't feel that her answer was enough--which really impressed me) and she said that I can double up on my suppositories if I want, it won't hurt. There's no science that says that every single woman has to be above x number. Not every woman is checked so there may be women who are at the same level as I am that miscarry, or women who are lower and have a viable pregnancy. And there's no science that says it's going to help after x amount of weeks. So, I can use 2 until 9 weeks, then drop back down to 1 each night until 12 weeks.

I've also been reading (I know, the worst thing you can do) and many say that suppositories don't always hit your bloodstream because they are being sent directly to where they are needed, the uterus. I am hoping and praying this is accurate at least to some extent. I think I am going to double up. It can't hurt, and at least then I will have known that I did everything I possibly could for this baby. If something is going to happen, it won't be because I didn't try. Right?

I have another appt on October 30 for my regular appt. We will get to hear the heartbeat *God willing!* I will probably be nervous again at that appointment, but I feel better having seen it once already. She would have brought me back in 2 weeks to try, but you can't always hear it with a doppler and she didn't want to cause un-do stress if I was ok with waiting. We'll wait, I don't need more stress. I also have another ultrasound scheduled for Nov 6 for the first trimester screening to check for Down Syndrome, Trisomy 13 and 18. It's a great chance to see baby again.