Finally - Fert Report In!

We FINALLY got great news from our fert report!! Out of 12 eggs retrieved, 11 were mature, and 10 fertilized normally through ICSI. This is 2 more than we had with our first fresh IVF cycle so we are excited. The babysitter seemed very pleased with how they were looking so far. We really won't have a good indication of quality until they undergo their first replication tonight. Hopefully we will get a good update on the little ones tomorrow. Our ET will be on Friday and they are planning to transfer 4 (assuming we have that many make it). The likelihood of all 4 implanting is pretty slim, but who knows. It is all up to the man upstairs at this point. Thanks for all of your support in getting us to this point!

This waiting thing really SUCKS!

Our ER went really well yesterday. They got 12 eggs which is pretty much what we were expecting. It is now 11:30 and I am STILL waiting to hear the fertilization report. Waiting is the hardest part...UGH! I keep reminding myself that we were 4th in line yesterday and that they had some more ERs this morning so they are probably just busy. The waiting part just sucks, because if you are like me, you can come up with all sorts of stories ( + and -) about why they haven't called yet. I am feeling pretty good today (other than obsessing of course), not too sore. No paid meds yet today, although the Tylenol#3 was a life-saver yesterday!! Hopefully I will have an update pretty soon...

A "Needle-less" Day!

Woo-hoo! No shots today!! That is the nice thing about the day before ER, no shots, all I have to do is start taking my Z-Pack. Yippee for small victories! Of course the big needle comes out tomorrow. Hunter gets WAY too excited about shooting me in the rear!

Look out Stork, here we come!

After 9 days on stims and my ovaries feeling like they are about to burst, I will be triggering tonight at 11:00. I went in Saturday for another u/s and b/w and then today just for b/w. My mom went with me to my Saturday morning appointment and she said my follicles looked like Hershey's Kisses on the screen. I don't think I will ever look at a Hershey's Kiss the same again. They were also training a new nurse on Saturday so there were 4 people besides me in the room. I guess it really is a team sport at this point isn't it?? So...we trigger tonight and then ER is on Tuesday morning at 11:00. They are expecting to get 12 mature follicles so I am keeping my fingers crossed that they all behave between now and then! Our ET will most likely be on Friday. Dr. M thought that a 3dt would be better sine he has some concerns about our embryo quality. Wish us luck!

Simmering Along...

We had our 2nd u/w & b/w today and things are moving along. It is looking like we have about 12 follies and they are all measuring between 12 & 13. The RE did make the comment that I probably have a bit more ovarian dysfunction than they originally thought because of the way that I am responding. I guess based on my combination of meds they thought I would have had more follies to begin with. They are increasing my Gonal-F to 225 ius at least for the next couple of days. We will go back for another monitoring appointment on Saturday. I am kind of thinking that we may trigger on Monday for a Wednesday ER but we will see. I am really starting to feel the effects of all the drugs now, I think I could sleep for 12 or 15 hours straight and the bloating is starting to get worse. The sucky part is that I am going to have to order some more drug...another $500 bucks out the door!

Just gettin' cookin'!

Well I started off my birthday with my feet in stirrups this morning! Luckily the news was good and for my birthday I got about 10-12 follies that are cooking right along as they should be. They are all pretty much growing at the same rate and my E2 was 232.17 which they seemed to be really happy with. I always get confused what the numbers should be at each stage. They are going to turn up the juice a bit and I will be on 150 Gonal-F and continue on the 75 of Menopur and then add the Antagon tomorrow. Thursday I will go back for another u/s and b/w to see how things are moving. As of right now all systems are go and we are moving right along. Two of my cycle buddies at my REs office got canceled today (one for overstimming - her E2 was over 1300 on Day 4 and one for not producing enough) so I am thankful that we are on track.

The Ironies of Infertility

A fellow "IF"er posted this and I thought it was worth sharing...sometimes you just have to laugh!

1. Birth Control Pills. These little pills stopped us from getting pregnant when we were younger, who would have guessed that many of us may never have needed to take them in the first place! Also, I find it completely ironic that I begin each IVF cycle having to take them!
2. Looking forward to getting our period so that we can actually begin our stimming!
3. Needles. The thing I was scared of most as a child, is what is going to be vital in giving me a child of my own!
4. that peeing on a stick could be a husband/wife event (pg or ovulation)
5. that your period is a social event to be discussed.
6. Picking up a prescription for the birth control pill at the pharmacy (for your IVF cycle) while picking up pre-natal vitamens at the same time...and the pharmacist looks at you like you have 2 heads!
7. Getting the call that you have a BFN as you're watching the Maury Povich show about a drug-addicted prostitute who wants a paternity test.
8. I use to tell my friends who were having trouble conceiving not to worry that if they cant get pg, they can always adopt. NOW they are the one's with the baby's and I may be on my way to adoption.
9. Deathly afraid of blood work, yet I went to RE for 19 days for us and blood work just to have a baby.
10. Hating to get an annual pap and now every possible intsrument has been shoved up me in the past year!
11. In the first 3 yrs of my marriage when i was still studying, i freaked out if AF was late even by 3 days and the moment it came it was a moment of joy and the first thing i did was call DH. Now all prayers are to ensure that AF doesnt come and I get PG instead.
12. We used to be very careful about who we spread our legs for and now it seems like every Tom, Dick and Harry has seen us in a comprising position..with stirrups nonetheless!
13. The big "O" no longer refers to orgasm, but rather ovulation...
14. Before starting this process, I had wicked PMS symptoms and was trying to work with my doctor to alleviate some of my anxiety, cravings, bitchiness, and depression during the 2 weeks after ovulation. Now I purposely induce all of these symptoms, so I can have them for 4 weeks instead of 2. Go figure!!!The things we do
15. I think I could drop my pants for practically anyone now... modesty is out the window...
16. and I love explaining to a regular physician that I am doing IVF and that I am on Birth Control Pills....