1DPET (1 Day Post Egg Transfer)

Finally able to take a moment to update on the transfer details. Day 4 was uneventful for us because we did not get any news on the embryos. According to my nurse they do not bother the embryos the day before transfer to allow them to thrive. We were scheduled for transfer at 9AM and we were supposed to arrive at 8:30 however, due to getting the girls to school and daycare and traffic then the parking situation at the doctor's office, I got in about 8:50am. I erroneously thought the transfer was at 9:30 and that my husband and I would spend that time convincing the doctor to transfer 2 eggs instead of one but when I got there they escorted me to the back, put my footies and wristband on and then sent me in to the transfer room. My husband had to put the headcaps on his big feet. LOL! The doctor came in and told us that the best two eggs were being selected and that the others were still developing and if they made it to day 8 they would be frozen. We were so shocked when he said two eggs, but he said based on the issues we came across with the need to do RICSI and my age, he'd be transferring two. Yippee. So they confirmed everything again and I layed back to receive the eggs. My cervix was washed with a lot of fluid. The sonographer helped him guide in the cathether and we could see it all on screen. THANK GOD it did not hurt like the MOCK. I had been instructed to drink 20oz water so my bladder would be full, he said mine was not but he was still able to get in. So he got the cathether in and then yelled for the eggs to be brought in. the eggs were bought in and that inserted through the cathether, we saw two little balls go blop, blop into my uterine cavity. So amazing. They also had our embryos up on the screen while they transferred and even gave us a photo of them. Such an amazing journey. We were told no sex or orgasm for 7 days, no strenuous exercise but that I did not have to go on bed rest like they used to do years back. I could resume my normal day with the the aforementioned restrictions. We laid there for 5 minutes and then I got up, cleaned up, got dressed and I came home while my hubbie went to work. I had heaviness in the lower abdominal area yesterday but today it has subsided. I have to continue taking the endometrium and estradiol and wait until the 18th of this month to do the blood pregnancy test. If I do a home pregnancy test it will be positive anyway since I got 1500IU of HCG when they did egg retrieval. This is going to be a LONG wait. But we are prayerful for our twins to implant and thrive. Oh they did assisted hatching on the eggs due to the zona pellucida issue they found during fertilization attempt. The doctor however said that the issue is not necessarily with my eggs. He said it can be that the zona pellucida is harder than normal OR that the sperm have an issue with the enzyme they are supposed to release to make the zona pellucida penetratable. I had mentioned this to my husband before but hearing it from the doctor made it sink in for him. Either way it does not matter. God blessed us with a two egg transfer. All praises!!!

Trigger Night!

Went in for the usual US/BW and now have 20 follicles measured and estrogen levels upwards of 2000. I can do the lupron trigger tonight and egg retrieval on Saturday. WOW! We are moving right along now. I am so happy! NO MORE SHOTS!!!

Day 9 US/BW

I did not ovulate as I speculated. I did some reading after logging off and found that the increased estrogen levels can make the body feel like its ovulating and produce the egg white cervical mucous that I saw last night. I am really runny down there. Hope that's not TMI because this whole blog is that. The doctor's say no unprotected sex until after embryo transfer and my poor hubbie has to wear condoms. We both hate those, but oh well. Today I made it in for the BW and U/S. Glad I actually missed yesterday because they would have just old me to come back again anyway. I have 4 mature eggs and then 14 trailing ones that they think may mature. 18 total today. 10 on the left and 8 on the right. The left made a major comeback because it has about 4 last U/S but after upping the menopur to triple the dose they starting growing. So I had to do one more night of gonal and menopur. The nurse believes I will trigger tomorrow night. So prayerfully two more shots and I am done. I do have to go in tomorrow for BW and U/S. Also my estrogen levels are in the 1000s now. Last time it was 400 and I thought that was good. Not sure what all the numbers mean but its okay. I do know I have a follicle that is 24, 23, 22, 21, 18 and some that are 14 and 15 mm. After much reading I found that quality over quantity is what is important. I read women with 40 eggs retrieved only to have 2 or 3 make it to day 5. Wow. Not sure how I feel about this survival of the fittest and day 3 versus day 5 or 6 transfer but one that I did learn is that until the egg hatches, it cannot implant. As I think of the fertilized eggs in the dish dying off, I struggle...I pray. God lead me. I believe in life at conception and I have a lot more research to do before I can truly be sure what we are going to do. I have two babies and am not looking to have 3 or 4 in the future. So this is going to be a well prayed over decision. I've asked God to lead us and I know he will not fail. My tummy area is sore from all the shots and they are all subcutaneous. I cannot imagine the pain of butt shots that I've red about. Day 9 and about 20 - 23 shots in. I am ready to tap out. My mood is swinging, not terribly, but somewhat. So I am happy when this is done and praying for success on the first round. Tip - If you have an ovary that likes to hid, try dropping your butt a bit farther off the table during the transvaginal US and pressing on that side. Worked like a charm for me. Normally my left ovary hides way 'over there' as the sono tech put it. When I went in previously, I went farther off the table than I normally do and the tech was able to find my left ovary easily. Its never been that easy. Today I shared that info with the sono tech as she hunted for the ovary. Dipped down a bit lower and BAM. It was crystal clear on the screen and had 10 follicles! I am going to try this for my future paps. I have a high, tilted cervix and trying to visualize that sucker can make me feel like I've been rammed through.

IVF Shots - Night 3

Phew! Night 3 of shots is over. I go in tomorrow for BW/US to see how things look and they'll tell me what to do from there. Day 3 I was a bit emotional and cranky. But its subsided. The menopur shot seems to burn a bit, but nothing unbearable. I was feeling a bit of heaviness in my ovaries last night. I could tell they were stimulated. It felt a lot like ovulation and when I ovulate it can be pretty painful. I was going to take some meds but it subsided. All in all not to shabby.

IVF

Its been over 7 years since I started this journey to motherhood. I am back again after trying for the past two years to conceive our third child. I told my husband that he had until I turned 38 to make it happen. We tried, but nothing happened. Now after two failed IUI's we are moving on to IVF. I am a bit horrified to say the least. Back when we were trying for baby #1 we were planning to do IVF and then by the grace of God got pregnant naturally. Baby #2 came naturally as well. Now we are back at the drawing board (so to speak). I start Gonal and Menopur tomorrow. This after my 19 days of birth control pills, bloodwork and a mock IUI from hell. When I went in for my mock, my friggin cervix was so high that I thought the doctor may just push through me to get access. He even thought we may be unable to do the mock. But after my silent prayers and his persistence it happened, went well and I was moved on. I was very sore and bleeding after the mock. Ouch! I pray the live transfer is not like that. So as I proceed. I will OF COURSE need to come pour my thoughts out. Bear with me and feel free to comment. Thanks and God bless.