Are you in there little fetus?

I happened to watch "Friends" last night and it was the episode where Phoebe had her embryo transfer for her brother's babies.  I couldn't help but laugh when she started singing "Are you in there little fetus?  In 9 months will you come greet us?" while sitting with her legs up in the air.  Gotta love "Friends!"  We'll know about our little fetus in one more week.  The wait is killing me.  I've still been crampy each day (we are 8 days past retrieval and 5 days past a 3 day transfer).  I'm getting more nervous for this weekend.  It was around that time with our IVF that I started spotting.  I just keep praying that this will be it and we'll have our own little miracle to greet us in 9 months.

Frosties

Well we got some great news yesterday- we had 5 make it to day 6 to freeze as blastocysts!!  Woohoo!!  I'm feeling so much more optimistic this time around!  That means that we now have 8 one-cell and 5 blasts on stock...although I'd be much happier if this worked this time around and we wouldn't have to worry about those guys for a while! 

Please keep us in your prayers still!  We appreciate it all so much and will keep you in our prayers too!

#644 How to Survive an Infertile Halloween

Taken from: http://www.999reasonstolaugh.com/2011/10/644-how-to-survive-an-infertile-halloween/

This time last year, you were starting your first IUI. So how come, a year later, you are no closer to a pregnancy? Another infertile Halloween. Sigh.

Here are some tips on surviving another infertile Halloween:

1. Dress snazzy this Halloween! Dress up as a bottle of Folic Acid, a broken uterus, a negative pregnancy test or an 8.2 celled embryo fertilizing in a petri dish (note: not all costumes are available at Walmart).

2. When kids ring your doorbell, resist the urge to keep them. Stealing a child is very wrong but thinking in your head that you wouldn’t mind keeping your neighbor’s child is perfectly acceptable.


3. Answer the door sobbing and tell the first kid you see about your last failed cycle.

4. Rent the scary movie about the single fallopian tube and its immature egg quality.

5. Give out raisins for Halloween. Eat all the chocolate yourself because you deserve it.

6. Leave a note on the door that says “Sorry kids. No Halloween candy here because I’m ovulating tonight!”

7. Put on a beard and tell everyone you’re dressed as a woman with PCOS.

8. If anyone in your office dresses up as a pregnant woman, mention to your boss that she asked to work overtime this week.

9. Go to your morning fertility appointment dressed as a positive pregnancy test.

10. Answer the door with a smile on your face and hope in your heart. You may not be pregnant this Halloween but one day you will take your future children out trick or treating.

Only an infertile could despise a holiday that is dedicated to chocolate, candy and sugar. Eat up!

Transfer

Everything went well with the transfer today. We transferred two grade 3 (out of 4) eight cell embryos that were treated with the assisted hatching process. Dr. G was very optimistic, which was much better than our worries from our first transfer after growth had slowed. Along with the picture of the embryos above, we received a picture of the embryos post-transfer. If you look at the right dark spot in the picture, you can see some white specks- those are the embryos and the fluid used to transfer them.  We are trying to be hopeful and could use and prayers to help us out!

Retrieval and Fertilization Report

Yesterday was retrieval.  Everything went well!  We got 32 eggs this time- 28 of which were mature and 21 fertilized.  We are having 5 frozen this morning at the 1 cell stage.  The funny thing is that we ended up with the exact same number of mature eggs this time around but 3 more fertilized.  I'm hoping that is a good sign.  I feel pretty lousy yesterday and that is continuing so far today.  I'm so glad I took off today as well as yesterday. 

I started the Crinone (in place of the progesterone shots) yesterday as well as the antibiotic and steroid for the assisted hatching.  We will be transfering at 11 am on Friday!  My plan for today is just to relax and lose the pain so that I can get back to school tomorrow before leaving Friday for the transfer.

Ultrasound #5

I'm done!!  My retrieval is all set for Tuesday morning.  We need to be at the office at 9:15 for a 10:15 retrieval time.  My E2 topped off at 4924 today...much better than last time!  I'm nervous and anxious for everything this week.  I have a bunch of follicles so who knows how many we'll get this time around.  I'd be fine with 2 if it meant they were perfect and would result in a pregnancy.  I take my Ovidrel shot tonight at 10:15 and need to stop drinking water or eating tomorrow before bed.  We are just going to make the drive Tuesday morning, which I think will be better too.  I should have Dr. G for my retrieval again.  I'll get directions for my Crinone and assisted hatching meds at that time.

Ultrasound #4

Another day- another ultrasound.  I'm up to 17.3 mm for my biggest follicles.  Dr. H counted about 10 on the left and maybe 20 on the right.  My E2 is now at 4000.  My dose of Gonal-f was dropped to 75 IU and my Menopur dose will remain at 75 IU.  It looks like tomorrow will be it and should be my trigger night.  That means Tuesday for retrieval and Friday for transfer.  I go back again in the morning for another appointment with Dr. H just to make sure everything is good to go.