On a scale of 1 to 10 for blog-savyness, I probably fall in the negative numbers. I frequently admire other people's pretty blogs, yet my own blog relied on one of Blogger's pitiful standard templates.
Well, hope you like my facelift! This is about as fancy as you'll ever see from me!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
One little cashew
Hip hip hooray! Never would I believe that something under 2mm (1.87mm to be exact) could make me so happy. But the RE said everything looks perfect - sweeter words I've never heard. In the picture below, you can just make out a little white line in the middle of the sack; yep, that's our pride and joy (well, actually it's the line the RE drew to mark our pride and joy). We go in next Wednesday (8/5) to see the heartbeat and then it's off to the OB, just like a normal pregnant person. Though I think being an IVFer means I'll never feel like a "normal" pregnant person but I'd like to at least give it a shot!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Final Beta Today
Well, my 4th and final beta was today - a 75% increase over 2 days ago (from 1567 to 2736). My nurse once again reassured me that this is perfectly normal, not doubling after 2 days (guess I am closer to every 3 days, which I read is fine), and that the RE isn't concerned. If the RE isn't concerned, then I won't be! She also said that my estrogen levels are "super" and told me to stop the estrogen supplement.
Below is the chart of all my betas. Looks like one little cashew (I like cashews more than peanuts). Don't know if my increases are off because my first beta was so high?
My first ultrasound is on Monday. Please, God, let this be a healthy pregnancy!
Below is the chart of all my betas. Looks like one little cashew (I like cashews more than peanuts). Don't know if my increases are off because my first beta was so high?
My first ultrasound is on Monday. Please, God, let this be a healthy pregnancy!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
3rd Beta
I had my 3rd beta today - 21 days past ovulation - it increased 82% (from 862 to 1567) from two days ago. The nurse reassured me this was ok since it still went up a lot. I know that most things say it should double every 2-3 days, but I guess I just want to be an over-achiever. As you can see from the chart below, I'm starting to fall more in line with the HCG levels for a singleton at least according to this one website, FWIW. I am such a nervous nelly!
The good news is that I'm scheduled for my first sonogram on July 27th where they'll check to make sure there is a gestational sac and that it is growing where it is supposed to grow. That day can't come soon enough! AHHH, the agony. This is just one wait after another.
The good news is that I'm scheduled for my first sonogram on July 27th where they'll check to make sure there is a gestational sac and that it is growing where it is supposed to grow. That day can't come soon enough! AHHH, the agony. This is just one wait after another.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Betas in a picture
I have no idea if this is accurate or not...but still fun to see the beta score go up. It increased 96% in the past 2 days. I'll continue to have betas every other day until the number is over 2,000 - then the ultrasound!
Friday, July 17, 2009
Updated - 439
Yep, that's my first beta at 12dp5dt :)
My beta today was 862 at 14dp5dt. Keeping the fingers crossed.
My beta today was 862 at 14dp5dt. Keeping the fingers crossed.
Monday, July 13, 2009
And still waiting...
It's been awhile since I posted because right now I am in that seemingly endless 2 week wait. The good news is that I was able to shave 2 days off the date for the beta. I was originally scheduled for 7/19 but since I had a day 5 transfer (on 7/5) they moved it to 7/17, this Friday. Yay!
Other than that, really nothing to report. I went in today for my day 8 bloodwork to check estrogen and progesterone (they put me on estrogen after the day 4 bloodwork, which they told me is normal). I told the nurse I was feeling a little crampy today and she said that is normal in both outcomes, pregnant or not! Well, that doesn't help! And so far I've fought the urge to POAS. Should I? Should I?
Finally, yesterday was my birthday. Yay me! Though not so great because it was the big 3-0! Yikes! But my wonderful hubby surprised me with an overnight at the unbelievably fancy, posh, lavish 5-star Inn at Little Washington (http://www.theinnatlittlewashington.com/), not too far from where we live in D.C. All I can say is - WOW - we felt like royalty.
So there you go...hopefully this will sustain your curiosity until the big day on Friday when I pray, pray, hope and pray I have good news to report.
Other than that, really nothing to report. I went in today for my day 8 bloodwork to check estrogen and progesterone (they put me on estrogen after the day 4 bloodwork, which they told me is normal). I told the nurse I was feeling a little crampy today and she said that is normal in both outcomes, pregnant or not! Well, that doesn't help! And so far I've fought the urge to POAS. Should I? Should I?
Finally, yesterday was my birthday. Yay me! Though not so great because it was the big 3-0! Yikes! But my wonderful hubby surprised me with an overnight at the unbelievably fancy, posh, lavish 5-star Inn at Little Washington (http://www.theinnatlittlewashington.com/), not too far from where we live in D.C. All I can say is - WOW - we felt like royalty.
So there you go...hopefully this will sustain your curiosity until the big day on Friday when I pray, pray, hope and pray I have good news to report.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Let the waiting begin...
Today was our day 5 embryo transfer. It is amazing how drawn-out, stressful and all-around painful the IVF process is and then, in a matter of mere seconds, the transfer is over. Pretty incredible.
My husband and I have had some pretty sleepless nights leading up to this, always trying to push the worst case scenario out of our minds. What if none fertilize? Yay, five of the six fertilize. Day 3 transfer...what if none of them survived? Yay, five survive and we're scheduled for a day 5 transfer instead. What if none turn into blastocysts? Well, that leads us to today.
Our ET was scheduled for way too late in the morning giving us too much time to sweat it out (thank God I was able to sleep in until almost 8am, unlike 6:30am the past few days). On a side note, they gave me a valium but I think it did nothing to calm the nerves, just made me sleepy once I got home.
The nurse got us all prepared and FINALLY the embryologist came in to give us the news. Ah, the anticipation and sweaty palms. Well, the good news is that 4 of our little guys survived thus far. Two were early blasts and two were still in the day 4 stage of morula, which means they are lagging a little behind but could still turn into strong, healthy blasts.
Two of our little ones won the prize of getting transferred into my anxiously awaiting uterus! And we'll keep our fingers crossed that the other two come along so they can be put on ice for use down the road. Of course I had to ask the embryologist the quality of the little guys and we were thrilled to know that they are USDA certified Grade A! And, as a souvenir, we have pics of the little guys as well as getting to keep their first home, the petri dish (to use as a coaster, perhaps? Hmmm...).
So now we wait and wait and wait. 2 solid weeks. Test on Sunday, July 19th. What to do to pass the time??? Oh, right, I'll turn 30 (July 12) and hopefully my husband will have something fabulous planned. At least that'll break up the monotony. We'll see. And we'll wait.
(Update #1 - note the thick zona, or outer shell, around our blasts. They ended up doing assisted hatching, something I knew nothing about. But hopefully it gives our little ones an easier time breaking loose!)
(Update #2 - just got a call from the RE...only one of the remaining two embies can be frozen. I'm a bit disappointed, though one is better than none...)
My husband and I have had some pretty sleepless nights leading up to this, always trying to push the worst case scenario out of our minds. What if none fertilize? Yay, five of the six fertilize. Day 3 transfer...what if none of them survived? Yay, five survive and we're scheduled for a day 5 transfer instead. What if none turn into blastocysts? Well, that leads us to today.
Our ET was scheduled for way too late in the morning giving us too much time to sweat it out (thank God I was able to sleep in until almost 8am, unlike 6:30am the past few days). On a side note, they gave me a valium but I think it did nothing to calm the nerves, just made me sleepy once I got home.
The nurse got us all prepared and FINALLY the embryologist came in to give us the news. Ah, the anticipation and sweaty palms. Well, the good news is that 4 of our little guys survived thus far. Two were early blasts and two were still in the day 4 stage of morula, which means they are lagging a little behind but could still turn into strong, healthy blasts.
Two of our little ones won the prize of getting transferred into my anxiously awaiting uterus! And we'll keep our fingers crossed that the other two come along so they can be put on ice for use down the road. Of course I had to ask the embryologist the quality of the little guys and we were thrilled to know that they are USDA certified Grade A! And, as a souvenir, we have pics of the little guys as well as getting to keep their first home, the petri dish (to use as a coaster, perhaps? Hmmm...).
So now we wait and wait and wait. 2 solid weeks. Test on Sunday, July 19th. What to do to pass the time??? Oh, right, I'll turn 30 (July 12) and hopefully my husband will have something fabulous planned. At least that'll break up the monotony. We'll see. And we'll wait.
(Update #1 - note the thick zona, or outer shell, around our blasts. They ended up doing assisted hatching, something I knew nothing about. But hopefully it gives our little ones an easier time breaking loose!)
(Update #2 - just got a call from the RE...only one of the remaining two embies can be frozen. I'm a bit disappointed, though one is better than none...)
Thursday, July 2, 2009
No Rain, No Rainbow
When you're going through IVF and IF, you really feel like you are in a constant storm that will never end. I sure do. I pray all day long that this storm will soon end. Well, today while on a walk, my husband and I saw the most beautiful rainbow. I won't give up praying for the storm to end, but I am going to try to appreciate the beauty that often comes from a storm. And today, we were reminded that something beautiful will come.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
5 little guys...or girls...come on embies! Grow!!!
My retrieval was yesterday and it went very smoothly. I was surprised at how easy it was and I really didn't feel bad after at all. I slept for a few hours in the afternoon but was up and at'em by the evening.
Results...6 eggs retrieved. Fertilization result...5 little embies! Ok, I know that number isn't going to win any awards, but it is 5 more fertilizations than we've achieved over the past 19 months.
And I'm pleased to report that I have a transfer scheduled for Friday (Day 3), but was told that I may get a call in the AM moving it to Sunday (Day 5), depending on how they develop. Now I just need the progesterone to do its magic and thicken up my lining. I asked the nurse today if I should start doubling up on the suppositories (I'm also taking a POI shot each morning - oh so fun!) and she laughed and said no, that I should be good. Anything to get the environment just right for my emby or embies.
On a slightly funny note...I have 2 older brothers. One has 4 kids and one has 2 and is expecting his 3rd in August. So I called my mom after I got the fertilization result and told her that I'm the child of hers that has the most kids at this moment. Guess it isn't all that funny but always trying to find the humor in this difficult time.
Gonna keep on taking it one day at a time and praying for quality because I sure don't have quantity!
Results...6 eggs retrieved. Fertilization result...5 little embies! Ok, I know that number isn't going to win any awards, but it is 5 more fertilizations than we've achieved over the past 19 months.
And I'm pleased to report that I have a transfer scheduled for Friday (Day 3), but was told that I may get a call in the AM moving it to Sunday (Day 5), depending on how they develop. Now I just need the progesterone to do its magic and thicken up my lining. I asked the nurse today if I should start doubling up on the suppositories (I'm also taking a POI shot each morning - oh so fun!) and she laughed and said no, that I should be good. Anything to get the environment just right for my emby or embies.
On a slightly funny note...I have 2 older brothers. One has 4 kids and one has 2 and is expecting his 3rd in August. So I called my mom after I got the fertilization result and told her that I'm the child of hers that has the most kids at this moment. Guess it isn't all that funny but always trying to find the humor in this difficult time.
Gonna keep on taking it one day at a time and praying for quality because I sure don't have quantity!
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