6 Weeks

So here I am 6 weeks pregnant! I never get bored of saying that, well until i get to 7 weeks i need the weeks to go faster! So far I feel pretty good still no Morning sickness although i have had a couple of days where if i haven't eaten by 5.00 i felt a little queasy but thats it for now.  I have felt a little more pregnant this week i have some mild cramping and pulling sensations which i like to feel as that reminds me that there is still something going on in there and my tender boobs which would come and go last week are more of a permanent feature and much more painful but i can live with that! I think i may have to go buy a few Maternity Bras soon as mine seem to be getting pretty uncomfortable to wear is it sad that im kinda excited about that lol?!  One of the other symptoms i do have is vivid dreams every night is just crazy crazy dreams! I did have one miscarrige dream that was so real for a few seconds when i woke up i thought it had actually happened i was so relieved when i realised it was just a dream!  Im sure some of it is hormones and the rest just anxiety.  Im trying to stay as realxed as possible and enjoy feeling good rather than stressing about any symptoms i don't have 12 weeks can't come quick enough for me i need to see my baby and know that everything is ok but i still have that good feeling so im taking that as a good sign!

I get to make my first Midwife appointment next week im so excited about that. I know it will be pretty boring mainly answering questions and filling out forms etc but it's just another step closer to having my scan and my first actual appointment other than confirming my pregnancy so that is pretty exciting <3

5 Weeks

I can't tell you how excited i am to be able to say im 5 weeks pregnant! I know it's very early days and still not taking one single day of this pregnancy for granted but i didn't even get this far last time so for me this is a mini milestone in itself!

I haven't really had too many symptoms yet which i have to admit that bothers me! I see lots of girls at 5 weeks or even earlier having all kinds of symptoms and i want some too just for that peace of mind that everything is ok! Right now that peace of mind is like goldust to me. So far I have had sore boobs that come and go some days they are really sore others like right now they don't hurt at all why is that? The bloat and twinges come and go too. I've still been taking my temp every morning seeing it still WAY above the coverline helps make me feel better. Im still waiting for the nausea to kick in, not that i want to feel sick i hate that but another symptom would be nice! I've been doing as much research as i can and from what i can see lots of girls feel the way i do now at this point so thats good to know. I hate to speak too soon but i do have this positive feeling that everything will be ok it's a feeling that i didn't have last time so im hoping this is a good sign!

It was my Birthday on Saturday i have to say it was pretty special knowing that i was pregnant.  Rich took me out for a meal and we did a little bit of shopping! Always fun for me not so much for him lol! We did go and buy the book What to expect when expecting and a baby names book which we have had a lot of fun with looking through the names.  I don't want to buy anything for baby until i have had my first scan i will feel like i can relax and really enjoy my pregnancy then.  I did want to buy a little something for baby so we decided to buy a childrens story book that i can read to baby and i wrote the date we found out inside. The date was 11/1/11 which i thought was pretty cool! It was just our little way of marking the day.

I got the pregnancy confirmed at the Drs on Monday i would have been 5 weeks on the dot so decided i should go. I didn't want to rush in im taking this pregnancy just one day at a time.  She confirmed everything and said to make an appointment with the Asthma nurse to monitor my asthma apparently pregnancy can affect it and also to make an appointment to see the midwife in 2 weeks time, im so excited i think this pregnancy will seem even more real then! 

Best Birthday Gift EVER!

It has taken me a little while to update my blog because well im still in shock and disbelief at my early birthday surprise, i've needed time to let it sink in and im still waiting for that lol! So wondering what im talking about? If you don't know already here it is!

Yep you guessed it im PREGNANT!! Sorry about the pic being so blurry i was litrally shaking as i took it! I keep going back to look at it to remind myself im really not sure when it will sink in. What i do know is Richard and I are over the moon there are just no words out there to express how happy we are right now.  I have to admit that the happiness is equally matched by fear.  I wish i didn't feel it but after last time I do so we are praying SO hard for this to be a sticky little bean and thank God everyday for this amazing little miracle he has blessed us with. 

Arthrogryposis

One of the reasons for me having this blog is for me to be able to document some of my experiences TTC and hopefully pregnancy and Motherhood as a girl with AMC (Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita).  My reason for this is since we began TTC 13 months ago i have tried so hard to find information on TTC with Arthrogryposis such as could it be a cause of any difficulties conceiving? I still haven't found the answer to this other than I know that personally im struggling but if it is connected to AMC i don't know. But also i would like to find out how women with AMC cope in pregnancy and giving birth? I know that AMC is pretty rare I think it occurs in something like 1 in 3000 births so most people i have met have never heard of it but i thought that there would be more out there on the world wide web than there is! Yes you can find a ton of info on babies and children with AMC and information for parents who have children with it which is great but anything about TTC and Pregnancy I can't find anything! Perhaps im looking in the wrong places, I can't be the only one can I?! Surely not, so this is my way of putting my personal experiences out there for anyone else who might be looking.

So this is just a brief explanation of what AMC is:  

"Arthrogryposis" (Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita) is a term describing the presence of multiple joint contractures at birth. A contracture is a limitation in the range of motion of a joint.

In some cases, few joints maybe affected and the range of motion may be nearly normal. In the "classic" case of Arthrogryposis, hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips, feet, and knees are affected. In the most severe cases, nearly every body joint may be involved, including the jaw and back. Frequently, the joint contractures are accompanied by muscle weakness which further limits movement. I have the "classic" form of AMC.

So I hope in some small way this blog will be able to help someone else in a similar situation or if there is anyone out there reading this that could help me out with some advice i would be really grateful!

New Years Resolutions

So it's that time of year again when we start thinking about New Years resolutions! Now im one of those people who has a list as long as my arm of things i'd like to change for the new year and well I think i've done well if i've managed to stick to it by the end of January! I honestly don't know why I can't seem to stick to it or even why i bother making them in the first place as I know im not going to keep them! BUT here i am about to make some reolutions for 2011 and I fully intend to keep them for longer than a month lol!
So here they are:
1 - LOSE WEIGHT I know, I know everyone says that after Christmas and yes it's on my list every year and I never seem to do it! However 2011 is going to be different you see somehow i managed to gain an extra 21lbs putting me at my heaviest weight ever and I am done with carrying that extra weight around. Plus it can only help with fertility to lose the weight and WHEN I do get pregnant im only going to gain more weight which is not going to do my already delicate joints any good at all!
2 - BE POSITIVE Now i usually am a positive person so im hoping that this one isn't going to be too hard to keep lol! But this has been a difficult year for me and the past 6 months i have noticed myself feeling down more than happy and thinking negatively rather than my usual positive outlook. I hate this and need to change it I know it's impossible to be positive all the time but I can certainly try.
3 - NO MORE RESOLUTIONS! What i mean by that is to stop making a list of goals that im know im never going to acheive and therefore give up on them easily! So losing weight and positive thinking are my 2 goals for 2011! Wish me luck!

As I was googling I also found this list of fertility resolutions that were written for 2010 so i thought they would be interesting to read.
Here are eight resolutions for your fertility for 2010:

1. The top New Year’s resolutions are generally in the areas of weight loss, exercise, and quitting smoking and all of these goals may also impact your fertility. "You should eliminate smoking, drugs, alcohol, excessive caffeine and get close to a normal body weight by modifying diet and exercise. You should see a reproductive endocrinologist if there are any hints at something being wrong, or if you’re not pregnant in six months or more." - Dr. Edward Marut, Medical Director, The Fertility Centers of Illinois, Highland Park, IL 2. "Check your FSH levels and AMH levels [these hormones will give you a sense of your reproductive capacity]. - Dr. Bill Meyers, Carolina Conception, Raleigh, North Carolina 3. If you're over 35, don't postpone pregnancy for an enormous period of time." - Dr. Meyers 4. "Despite the travails of the fertility journey, be resolute in supporting the relationship with your partner. Also, maintain a positive outlook and perspective on life outside of fertility. Do not ignore the rest of your life." - Dr. David Kreiner, Medical Director, East Coast Fertility, Plainview, NY 5. "Set a non-fertility related goal for youself; something with a distinct beginning, middle and end. This might be hobbie or something self-care related such as learning how to knit a scarf or training to run in a 5K. This helps you know you can achieve things which are completly in your control." - Sharon N. Covington, M.S.W., LCSW-C, BCD, Director, Psychological Support Services, Shady Grove Fertility Center, Rockville, MD 6. "Infertility can get you in a pattern of 'stinkin' thinkin' and research shows there is great power in positive thinking. Keep a journal by your bed and each night before going to sleep write down three things you are grateful for. As the song goes, 'you'll fall a sleep counting you blessings" and help channel positive energy.'" - Sharon Covington 7. "From the world of Traditional Chinese Medicine the suggestion would be, 'Don't stagnate.' Stay active and engaged physically by walking or doing yoga. Don't keep over thinking and over- worrying and talk to family and friends about your worries and fears. Trying to help mitigate some of the negative aspects of the stress is crucial to helping your body stay balanced." - Michelle P. Hay, Licensed Acupuncturist, Co-Director of Acupuncture, The Domar Center, Boston, MA 8. "Focus on balancing the very real difficulties and pain of having fertility problems with identifying the positives in your life that are independent of having a baby (e.g. people in your life you love and enjoy, activities that can bring joy like walking on a crisp sunny winter day, reading a good book, volunteering for something meaningful). Make sure you seek out those positives." - Andrea Braverman, Ph.D., Director of Complementary & Alternative Medicine, RMA of NJ, Morristown, NJ

Even if you take action in the first few months of the year, it may make for a better 2010. Happy New Year!

Sad on Christmas Eve

Ok so despite the title of this post I have had a wonderful Christmas! It is the end of a fun filled festive day but as I have started this blog as a way to vent my feelings I know I will feel better for getting this off my chest. So here goes, the last few days have been an emotional time for me it almost seemed to come out of nowhere but the end result was me sobbing my heart out to Richard.  This time last year I was so excited we had decided to TTC and I couldn't wait to get pregnant thinking it would only take a few months. Everyone I know who have had children pretty much conceived right away so i just assumed it would be the same for me. 12 months on I now understand that it doesn't work out like that for some couples and have met and befriended so many wonderful women who sadly have had and still are struggling with TTC. This breaks my heart it will never make any sense to me why these amazing women are struggling to have a baby when I know that they will make such wonderful mothers.  This time last year I thought we would be celebrating our baby's first Christmas or at least be well on the way to having a baby! It doesn't help that everyone around me is pregnant don't get me wrong I am so happy for them but i can't help that i feel this stabbing pain in my chest everytime I look at them! I also can't get out of my head that i should be 31 weeks pregnant now i had an early miscarrige in June and it still hurts now thinking about it im not sure when that will fade.  All of this just became overwhelming and well my dear husband got the tears on Christmas Eve! I have to say that I would be lost without him and am so thankful for his love and support he keeps me sane even when i feel like im losing it! I just hope that this time next year I will have a baby in my arms and all this heartache will be a distant memory. Sorry for the downer post I promise a more positive one next time! This is actually quite theraputic writng this.  

Hi there!

So this is my very first attempt at blogging forgive me if i waffle only im pretty new to this and not really sure where to start! I have a few friends that blog and I really enjoy following them and have thought about blogging for a while but have never been sure where to start or what to write about until now.  So from the title you will see that for now this is going to be a TTC blog. For those that don't don't know TTC means Trying To Conceive. So far this has been a year long journey for me and I have so many thoughts and feelings about my journey so far that I thought it blogging would be a great way to vent those feelings and share my thoughts and experiences with well whoever wants to share them with me!

A little about me...
So for those that don't know which im guessing is probably anyone reading this right now haha! Im Claire im 27 (28 in a couple of weeks!) and have been married to my lovely husband Richard for 4 years. I love my life, family and friends more than anything! I am a full time housewife and can't wait to be a stay at home mom! Im a trained nursery nurse which is a job i did for a while but sadly had to give that up due to a condition i live with which made things a little difficult but more on that later.  A year ago today we decided we were ready to start a family!

Thankyou for reading if you have made it this far without getting bored haha! Im looking forward to sharing my thoughts and experience on this journey and would love for you to follow along.