Embryo Picture!

FET Tomorrow!

My updates to this blog are getting fewer and farther between... After our failed IVF, I didn't really feel like doing anything related to TTC. Plus, FETs (frozen embryo transfer) are so much easier than IVF that there hasn't been much to update. But now my FET is tomorrow, so TTC has became exciting again!

In case anyone is reading this who's curious about the FET process, I'll re-cap my experience.

After our failed cycle, I had to wait one month to let my body rest. I didn't quite understand that considering I wasn't stimulating my ovaries again or anything, but I went with it and waited. I had to take BCP for two weeks, but I just started it on my month wait. At the end of my month wait, I started 10 units of Lupron per day. I continued on BCP for a few days then stopped those. I think about 10 days later, I reduced my Lupron to 5 units per day and added estrogen patches. I had blood work 4 days after starting estrogen, at which point we found out my estrogen wasn't quite high enough, so I started on Estrace pills twice per day. Had estrogen checked again and it was fine. Three days later I had an ultrasound to check my lining, which was fine, so I started Progesterone (PIO) two days later. I am on .5 CC of PIO twice per day. Yeahhhh, it sucks doing the PIO injections twice a day! Oh well, anyway, here we are 1 day before our transfer, and I'm excited again!

Hoping this time works!!

Negative

Well, as suspected, this cycle ended in a negative.

Next step is FET (frozen embryo transfer). Recipe for my FET is as follows:

BCP (starting tomorrow)
Lupron
Dash of Estrogen
Shot of Progesterone
One thawed embryo

Start BCP and take every day for what feels like an eternity (aka 1 month). Slowly add one shot of lupron per day. Cover your body in estrogen patches. Have husband give you huge shots of Progesterone in your bootay everyday. Thaw the embryo. Have it transferred and then start waiting again.

Bad Blogger

I've been a bad blogger lately! Sorry about that.

A quick update...

We had our transfer on April 9. Six of our embryos made it to day 3. We transferred one compacting 8 cell and froze 5 (one 8 cell, one 7 cell, two 6's, and one 5). I've been taking pregnancy tests like some kind of crazy person, but have yet to get a positive. At this point, I believe this cycle failed. My blood pregnancy test is Friday, so we'll know for sure then. I've already scheduled an appt. for Monday to discuss a frozen cycle, so hopefully we can start on that pretty quickly.

Octo-parents!

Finally I got the call!!

12 mature

8 fertilized

I go in on Saturday at 7:45 a.m. for the transfer. Since my uterus is off the side and smaller, I have to have an even more full bladder than normal. It's not going to be fun, but he said if I pee everywhere once they've got the catheter in my uterus, that's fine. haha

As a side note, I counted, and I've been to the RE 26 times in 4 months! Holy geez! At least it is fairly close to my house (30 min). I'm on a babycenter message board, and one of the ladies there has to drive 5 hours each way to her RE. She is committed!

Egg Retrieval

I went in at 8:30 a.m. yesterday for the egg retrieval. Of course the IV didn't work the first try, but luckily it did the second. Why does that always seem to happen? You'd think I'd be used to needles by now, but IVs are so much worse than belly shots (not the kind you do at the bar! haha). Around 9 a.m. they took me back for the retrieval and Bill went to "do his part". I was sedated but not completely under for the retrieval. It was a strange feeling. I felt one or two of the sticks to get the egg, but mostly I was out of it. The minute they were through though, I was up!

WE GOT 18 EGGS!! Seven more than expected! Now I am just waiting to get the fertilization report. RING PHONE, RING!!

Almost There

I started my stims and HCG on Saturday. The shots are not nearly as bad as I expected. I'm actually kind of having fun with them now.

My first ultrasound was on Wednesday (day 5 of stims). I had 18 follicles, with the biggest at 12mm. My estradiol was at 578. No change in dosage, but I did start my Ganerilix (to stop spontaneous ovulation) Wednesday afternoon.

Today I went back for another ultrasound. I had one 18mm follicle, two 15mm, and about 7 between 9mm-11mm. My Estradiol was 1290. They're slightly concerned that my estradiol is rising too quickly, so I have to go back tomorrow for another blood test.

I will likely trigger with Lupron Sunday or Monday with my egg retrieval Tuesday or Wednesday. From the start of my stims to embryo transfer will only be about 2 weeks. I can't believe how much easier than expected this whole process has been. I've had no side effects really...a little cramping and fullness in my ovaries, but that's it. I have made about 5 trips to my RE in the last couple weeks, but after my abscess fiasco, it's no big deal.

Will update after the egg retrieval!