Today I'm officially 6 weeks gestationally pregnant. I don't quite understand how that is different from being 6 weeks pregnant? Is it?

Nothing new to report. Dawn did give me two little baby blanket/toys. A blue one for a boy and a pink one for a girl! Our first baby presents. :-)

I can't wait until next week when I have the ultrasound so things will start to feel a little more real. 8 more days!

Feeling very queasy today. As I type this, I'm wondering if I'm going to get sick! Guess I am feeling pregnant unlike I previously mentioned. :-)

I got my blood results back. Guess what, I'm still pregnant :-) My hcg level is over 3900 and my progesterone is high so I only have to take it once daily starting tomorrow.

I return back on 8/8 for an ultrasound!! All is good. 

Everything has been going well. I had another recheck hcg level on Friday and it was 652. Which is a good number according to my doctor. I don't know much about the numbers other than they should be increasing at almost a doubling rate around 48-72 hours.

I went in this morning for another hcg level and progesterone level, I'll get the results back later this afternoon. I will be happy when I don't have to go back to that office for a while. Hopefully I will have my first ultrasound appointment next week and then I will be transferred to my Ob/Gyn.

I feel fine though. I have some occasional  cramps and some times of mild nausea.

I guess it hasn't hit me yet. I don't feel pregnant really! Very weird to get used to.

Success!!!

Drum roll.... The moment we all have been waiting for. 

I did do home pregnancy tests but since this blog isn't private, I didn't want to give anything away to my trusty followers too soon. 

I tested positive way early morning on 7/13/13 and subsequent days until my blood test. 

I started having symptoms but thought they were in my head. Cramps, mild nausea, soreness, tired. I am also on progesterone supplements and apparently these signs can be side effects of the medication. 

My doctor called me with my results yesterday by leading the conversation with, "who is your favorite Reproductive Endocrinologist??"  

My hcg level is 353 which she told me that any result over 80 is considered good. My progesterone level is 89 which appears to be high looking at the normal range. I don't think it means anything. 

I made a special dinner to celebrate and Bill brought me home beautiful flowers. We got a lot of congratulations. In a normal pregnancy, you're not supposed to share the news until 12 weeks along but in our case, our close friends and family all knew we were going through IVF so they were also anxiously waiting the result. 

It's been a long few months (and years leading up to) of poking and proding but it appears to all be worth it!! 

We are very happy and excited. 

Well I had my blood test this morning. I know that they are going to make me wait all day long for the results. I have the day off so I need to find something to do to occupy my time!! 

How am I supposed to sleep tonight? :-) I'm excited and nervous to hear the results tomorrow. 

Two more days until my test. Two. Two! Bring it on... It could be in my head but I have been feeling some possible early symptoms. This two week wait has been tough! It has made me go crazy! 

I got the final letter from the embryologist this morning. It turns out none of the embryos were able to be frozen. :-( That is disappointing. Now we need to repeat the IVF cycle if this transfer didn't work. But I'm not going to think negatively! POSITIVE only! Only a few more days until I find out.. 6 days until the blood test.

Tick tock

This waiting game is terrible! 

I still have 7 days until my blood test. I'm hoping to find out sooner at home but the days just aren't going by very quickly. I wish I could just hit fast forward. I have tested negative for the trigger shot though. 

I feel fine otherwise, general cramping since the transfer, and tired but probably... more so from thinking. 

What happens after an embryo transfer

3 Day Transfer: In days posts transfer 

1dpt... Embryo is growing and developing 
2dpt... Embryo is now a blastocyst 
3dpt... Blastocyst hatches out of shell on this day 
4dpt... Blastocyst attaches to a site on the uterine lining 
5dpt... Implantation begins,as the blastocyst begins to bury in the lining 
6dpt... Implantation process continues and morula buries deeper in the lining 
7dpt... Morula is completely inmplanted in the lining and has placenta cells & fetal cells 
8dpt... Placenta cells begin to secret HCG in the blood today!
9dpt... More HCG is produced as fetus develops 
10dpt... More HCG is produced as fetus develops 
11dpt... HCG levels are now high enough to be immediately detected on HPT

From http://www.nyufertilitycenter.org/ivf/embryo_transfer

Embryo pictures

These are the two that we transferred ! 

Transfer!!

I had my transfer this morning. I was offered a Valium and I gladly took it! I met with the embryologist and Dr Huang. The embryos looked "great"! I had 1 8 cell, grade A and 1 8 cell grade A-B embryos. The others ranged from 4-6 cell and those will continue on to day 5 and 6 for hopefully cyropreservation for another IVF if needed. I had been trying to decide between one or two embryos to be placed but my plan was written up when I got there as two embryos to be transferred. We discussed this and she felt it acceptable and preferable to transfer 2. To transfer 1, decreased our odds of success by 10%. There is a 25-30% chance of twins with transferring 2 embryos. I'm glad that we decided to try for two anyway, hoping at least one will stick! 

The transfer process was pretty cool. I had to have a full bladder because on ultrasound, the uterus lies right under it and it is visible when it is full of liquid. I was able to see the catheter in my uterus on the ultrasound. Then the embryologist came in with the embryos and they were injected through the catheter into my uterus. I was able to see the small blob which were the embryos. Then the catheter was checked under the microscope to make sure it was empty. I had to lie flat for 10 minutes which Dr Huang said was mainly for tradition. Then I was free to go!!

I am now in the "two week wait". I go back 7/17 for a pregnancy test. I am so glad to be moving on!! 

Waiting

I am waiting for the doctors office to call me today to let me know how my embryos are doing so I figured I'd do an update from yesterday. 

Dr Huang called me yesterday morning. Out of the 14 eggs, only 11 were mature. Out of the 11, only 5 successfully fertilized with ICSI. I was initially bummed out about this but after reading other stories online, this isn't very unusual? And the doctor didn't seem concerned. She told me that I'll find out today if I need a 3 or 5 day transfer. And I should still be resting. This is difficult because I feel fine!! I am on alert for hyperstimulation for 14 days. 

I am getting stressed out waiting... And the fact that on my patient portal, they have changed it from Mondy to Saturday and it currently says Saturday and Monday.  I have called my nurse and I'm waiting for a call back..

2 hours have passed. Bill has also called. No response yet! This is very frustrating. 

Update: my nurse called back finally! There are 3 good embryos, 1 fair and 1 poor. I have to go in tomorrow for a 3 day transfer. I had a feeling that it'd be tomorrow. I'm glad though because it is Dr Huang doing the procedure and not another random doctor. I'm trying to keep a positive attitude about this all. It's very stressful! 

Egg Retrieval

I had my egg retrieval this morning. I was brought out back to the surgical area where I changed into a Johnny, had an IV placed, vital signs checked. I met with a nurse, Dr Huang and the anesthesiologist. I was inducted with propofol in the operating room. Dr Huang tried to make me feel less nervous by telling me it was like an ultrasound but with anesthesia... Was it? I don't know :-). The procedure took about 20-30 minutes. I felt fine after, a lot better than after general anesthesia! 

I had 14 mature eggs removed! She said the normal amount is 8-10.  Bill had to deliver a specimen in the office. She is going to call me tomorrow to let me know how many fertilized with ICSI.  Crossing my fingers that this works!!!!!

The day is almost here

I went for the ultrasound this morning and Bill was able to come with me for the first time! Good news, the follicles are at about 18mm, some even close to 19. There are some less but they are good averages. The egg retrieval will be WEDNESDAY! I will get a call later today with blood results and further instructions for the trigger injection, this will be tonight! They will also tell me what time the retrieval will be. Transfer will be Saturday or Monday.

Update : 

My nurse called. My estrogen is over 1300. I need to give the HCG aka trigger shot tonight at 10:30pm   And I don't need to give any further injections! I have my retrieval scheduled for Wednesday at 9:30am. Just waiting until then!