The embryo transfer went as well as could be expected Saturday morning, 2 almost blastocysts were implanted. A full bladder is needed to help push the uterus forward so it can be better seen on the ultrasound, so you are told to drink 2 glasses of water 1 hour before the procedure. I can NEVER get this right, I always end up jiggling on the spot and terrified that I am going to embarrass myself [literally] in front of the doctor. One time I had to empty out and start again about 20 minutes before, this time I was next up but was so bursting that I had to empty a little just so that I could walk into theatre. I had heard of others having to do this but never thought it possible but there you go - it is. I must keep up those pelvic floor exercises!
After hospital we headed for the hills on our romantic weekend away. Which actually turned out to be an anti-romance weekend. It started with the notes the hospital gave us - no sex for 24 hours - no spa baths for at least a week. Naturally, sex was meant to be high on the agenda for a romantic night away, and of course our accommodation had a fantastic big spa bath and gorgeous log fire. The fact that DH kept calling our cute little self-contained cottage a 'flat' and asked me in the hospital waiting room if I was itchy because the [hormone-induced] acne on my pale and sickly face made me look like I had chicken pox just added to the anti-romantic feeling. The reason my face was/is pale and sickly is due to the cold I caught last week - the sneezing, runny nose, coughing my lungs up kind of cold. Nice.
Hence, these 2 embryos have been labeled 'clingons', in that hope that despite the violence of my cold they will grip their tiny cells into the sides of my warm and inviting womb and CLING ON for dear life. Well at least until February next year.
After being so good by not giving into stress-relieving, cold-curing sex or spa baths, we went wine-tasting on the way home on Sunday. St Huberts, Chandon, Yering Station and de Bertoli, wow isn't there some money in the Yarra Valley wine industry! The clingons enjoyed Chandon 2003 Vintage Brut and Yering Station 2006 Shiraz Viognier the best.
Pregnancy test on the 4th of July. I am hoping and praying that America's day of independence marks the end of mine. Sing with me now... O, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light...
Monday, 25 June 2007
Thursday, 21 June 2007
Mother of 8
Well haven't I been a busy thing this past week. While on the nest brewing up a nice little pile of eggs, I have spring-cleaned my house (in mid-winter) hosted a first birthday party for my niece, looked after numerous overnight guests, had aforementioned eggs harvested and caught a cold!
The egg collection happened on Monday and netted a tidy 16 eggs. No wonder I couldn't fit into any of my clothes for the party. I felt like an absolute heffalump after the operation too and thought for sure that I would overstimulate but luckily haven't. DH is a bit disappointed that only 8 eggs fertilised [his usual success rate is close to 100%] but considering that I only got 5 last time and achieved a pregnancy with a 4-6 cell embryo transfer we should be over the moon. At least this time we should be guaranteed of at least one growing to a 5 day blastocyst, and hopefully a couple to freeze. My Dr tells me they are getting 60%+ success rates with blastocysts - I must admit this survival of the fittest theory makes me a little uncomfortable, but lets save the ethics of IVF for another day [like after it has worked for me]. I will find out tomorrow how many are still growing and what time the transfer will be on Saturday.
We are staying at a B&B this Saturday night so that should be nice. I don't think you are meant to have sex for 24 hours after an embryo transfer though so that may be a let down [literally] for DH. Most men get more sex when their wife wants to get pregnant but my poor baby gets less.
PS: DH has bought No.1 son a car - looks like No.1 daughter will soon get her pony! C'est la vie
The egg collection happened on Monday and netted a tidy 16 eggs. No wonder I couldn't fit into any of my clothes for the party. I felt like an absolute heffalump after the operation too and thought for sure that I would overstimulate but luckily haven't. DH is a bit disappointed that only 8 eggs fertilised [his usual success rate is close to 100%] but considering that I only got 5 last time and achieved a pregnancy with a 4-6 cell embryo transfer we should be over the moon. At least this time we should be guaranteed of at least one growing to a 5 day blastocyst, and hopefully a couple to freeze. My Dr tells me they are getting 60%+ success rates with blastocysts - I must admit this survival of the fittest theory makes me a little uncomfortable, but lets save the ethics of IVF for another day [like after it has worked for me]. I will find out tomorrow how many are still growing and what time the transfer will be on Saturday.
We are staying at a B&B this Saturday night so that should be nice. I don't think you are meant to have sex for 24 hours after an embryo transfer though so that may be a let down [literally] for DH. Most men get more sex when their wife wants to get pregnant but my poor baby gets less.
PS: DH has bought No.1 son a car - looks like No.1 daughter will soon get her pony! C'est la vie
Thursday, 14 June 2007
7th Cycle
Well here we go again... We have started our 7th ART cycle this week. We are madly praying it will be successful and therefore our last cycle. Not being a religious person I have no idea of the origins of the term 7th Heaven, but that is what I am calling this cycle so I hope its a good thing. Maybe I should google it. Isn't it great that we don't have to have any general knowledge anymore - if you don't know what something is or where it is you just jump on the net and google it. DH's kids can't recall their school projects the day after they complete it because they have just copied all the info from internet sites without even bothering to read it. In my day we had to at least re-write it from a book...
Anyhoo, I am getting way off track again. This is a 'boost' cycle so its very short. We started Synarel nasal spray on last Thursday and injections last Friday, and today [Thursday 14th] "FannyCam" revealed 11 follicles on the right ovary and 15 on the left. [That sounds a lot I know but most are probably cysts, still I am hopeful that we should get 8-10 eggs.] Most were quite small <13mm, so I should be able to hold out until Monday or Tuesday next week for collection. I am worried about DH though - he has been sick over the last month or so, catching cold after cold, which is very unlike him - so I don't know what sort of state his swimmers will be in. The Dr says that his swimmers are 3 months old by the time they are needed so I hope he was looking after himself in March!
Anyhoo, I am getting way off track again. This is a 'boost' cycle so its very short. We started Synarel nasal spray on last Thursday and injections last Friday, and today [Thursday 14th] "FannyCam" revealed 11 follicles on the right ovary and 15 on the left. [That sounds a lot I know but most are probably cysts, still I am hopeful that we should get 8-10 eggs.] Most were quite small <13mm, so I should be able to hold out until Monday or Tuesday next week for collection. I am worried about DH though - he has been sick over the last month or so, catching cold after cold, which is very unlike him - so I don't know what sort of state his swimmers will be in. The Dr says that his swimmers are 3 months old by the time they are needed so I hope he was looking after himself in March!
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