Look at what Tyson started doing when Laryen gives me my shot:He’s so sweet! I think when he sees the big ol needles he just needs to make sure I’m ok and daddy’s not hurting mommy. I love my fur babies!
I rested most of the day today to give the embies as much time just hanging out without outside stress as possible. It was nice to anchor just the 10:00 news and then head back to bed. Tomorrow is back to normal! Then just 2 days of work and the weekend is here! I also started my steroid pills today; 1 in the morning, 1 at night. I’ll take those for 5 days. Still taking the 4 estrogen pills a day. I think that’s the case until we take the pregnancy test.

I’m feeling good! I’m a little crampy but since the embies are supposed to implant 24-48 hours after the transfer, I’m HOPING the cramps are a good sign and implantation is happening! We’ll know soon enough!

Our embies are now in their new, warm fluffy home! (Including the little embryo that could!)

Both made it through the thawing process! We were a little worried because there’s always a chance they won’t make it but they did! Our embryologist Dr. Ahmad said it takes a few hours. They welcome in water and fluids in 5 different stsges until it gets back to its original size and stage before it was frozen! It’s so fascinating! 

With a full bladder (yes, full) we went to the clinic and walked over to the fertility lab with our favorite nurse Alicia. She’s so sweet and always helps us focus on the big picture. 

If you read about our transfer last time, it’s the same thing this time around! See how controlled inside the lab is? They do that to make sure it’s the best environment for the embryos to thrive! 

We get all scrubbed up and good to go! I made sure that I didn’t have any makeup, lotion, hairspray or anything like that because the embies don’t like it! They use an ultrasound machine to see my uterus and the full bladder is a marker so they know exactly where to place the embryos! 

Then a catheter is put into my uterus. Dr. Huang can see it thanks to the ultrasound (which is pushing on my full bladder! That’s the hardest thing about the whole thing…trying not to think about how much you have to pee!) Once it’s in the right place Dr. Ahmad puts our embies in a tube. There is fluid, embryo, air, fluid, embryo, air. Since they’re still so microscopic the air is used so you can see when they are put into the uterus. 

And here they go: 

You can see two little white dots – that’s the air pockets pushing the embies into their new home! All around it is my lining where they’ll implant in the next 24-36 hours! I hope they find a ‘Home Sweet Home’ sign soon!! 

Here’s a look at the embies:

This was taken right after they were thawed, but by the time they were transferred they had developed even more! They grow so fast! We think the one on the right is the little embryo that could! Just a little smaller and not as fully developed in the stage as the other, but it’ll get there! 

After relaxing for about 10-15 minutes we headed home! Easy peasy! I just laid low and rested the rest of the day and focused on the little guys making a home. It’s out of our hands but we know no matter what happens we are blessed with so much. We got so many texts and calls from friends and family — we always say it but we are so blessed with amazing people in our lives! Thank you for helping us through this step in our journey of becoming parents. 

BTW: Heres a look at my new favorite picture. Love this man more than anyone will ever know! 

Welp, we have a new record. Laryen had to prick me 3 times with the big progesterone needle tonight. As he said, “Wow you definitely haven’t bled this much before.” 😳

That being said: look what day it is! 

Embryo transfer eve!! (Take 2)! Tomorrow morning we’ll get our little embies. I’ve been doing a lot of meditating, praying and quiet time thinking of everything. I’m visualizing everything that I can. I keep repeating in my head “positive thoughts, positive uterus, positive embryos, positive outcome.” I can see the transfer. I can see my belly. I can see the embryos implanting. I can see them growing. 

Let’s hope what I’m seeing and visualizing becomes a reality. We are praying that this is our time. 

My butt hurts. I don’t know why but this time around it hurts a lot more than last time! I have been working out a lot more than when we were doing IVF so maybe I lost some fat in my ass?! (I can only hope!) or maybe there’s scar tissue left over? Who knows! All I know is it is a little on the tender side! 

We are getting excited for our transfer! 2 days and counting! Tomorrow we’ll find out what time the transfer will be and we’ll go from there! 

The big shots are back! 

Yep, it’s the dreaded progesterone. Oh how I missed them so! 😉 it did sting that’s for sure (more than I remember last time around) but I know it’ll be worth it! Big thanks to my wonderful hubby for giving me the shots. I would think that’s actually worse than getting them! 

Waiting in the doctors office this morning I felt a calmness. Not because I was super confident everything was going to look ok. I was calm because it’s nice to know we’re not the only ones. The waiting room was the most crowded I’ve seen it in a long time. There was a couple waiting, a woman waiting, another couple checking in, another woman getting a doctors note from her surgery last week, another couple checking out and last but not least another woman who looked so nervous because she was probably about to take a blood test to see if she was pregnant. I hope and pray that she is. We know that nervous feeling all too well.

You don’t know their back stories but you hear pieces of their conversations. A lot of things that Laryen and I have already been through or done when we started our infertility journey. It’s just nice to know we’re not alone. All of those people are at the fertility clinic because they want to be parents too and for some reason or another it’s a little more difficult than others. It makes you feel more normal. It makes you not feel so alone. It’s calming to see a part of the lives of the other 1 in 8 couples who have some sort of infertility.
And everything looks great! My lining was so close to the threshold last week and since they bumped up my estrogen meds it got 2 millimeters thicker in one week! So it’s 9 millimeters — needs to be 7 mm for the transfer so the home is good to go!

Transfer is scheduled for Tuesday! That’s when we’ll get both our frozen embies. And it looks like it doesn’t take long for them to thaw! I guess the embryologist start the process just a few hours before the transfer — so amazing!

Even better? I DON’T HAVE TO TAKE A SHOT TONIGHT!! But….tomorrow I start the big ol’ progesterone shots. So I’m going to enjoy this day off of the needles as much as I can!

Tomorrow we will hopefully know if Tuesday is a go for the embryo transfer! And for the first time since our IVF cycle, I’m getting excited! I can’t wait to get our little embies! 

The 4 estrogen pills are kind of a bummer. I’ve had a headache since I increased the dose and kind of dizzy. I googled (I know, don’t ever do that!) and looks like those are normal side effects. Hopefully they’ll subside soon.

Prayers for good news at the doctor tomorrow!

We’re not quite ready yet. We went to the doctor for our scheduled ultrasound and my lining isn’t at the thickness they’d like it to be. It’s almost there, just not where it needs to be. So our transfer is pushed back one week. Dr. Huang said this is normal and nothing to worry about!

So now instead of 2 estrogen pills a day I’m taking 4 – 2 in the morning and 2 at night.

I’ll also take the same one shot/day until I go back to the doctor. It’s so crazy how I’ve never had any issues with my lining before but once you turn off my hormones (that’s what the Lupron shot does) the estrogen doesn’t metabolize as fast. The human body is just so amazing. But one more week should be all we need to get to where my lining needs to be to hold onto those embies!

Ooh- and this is pretty cool!

We got a “report card” of our embryos! Once the embryos are fertilized the embryologist grades them when they become blastocysts. The first picture is the two embryos that were transferred after IVF, the second picture is the frozen embryos. The numbers are graded 1-5, (5 being the best) and the letters are A-F (A being the best). The numbers show where the embryo is in its stage of life. The first letter is the quality of the part of the embryo that becomes the fetus. The second letter is the quality of the part of the embryo that becomes the placenta.

So our embryos look good! Since we didn’t do the genetic testing we don’t know what the chromosomes makeup looks like but we’re praying they look good! Dr. Huang did a good job explaining that just because the 2 embryos didn’t work last time that has nothing to do with these 2. Just like you and me everyone has different makeup to make them them. So these frozen embies are completely different from each other and the other embryos. It’s just all so fascinating! 

Yep, I officially have a bruise! 

It’s a really pretty purple/black color — I know you’re so jealous!! 

Hopefully in 1 WEEK from TODAY we’ll have our embies! We go to the doctor on Thursday. I’ll get an ultrasound and as long as my lining is as thick as they want it then the transfer will be 5 days later. So fingers crossed everything is good to go! 

On top of my estrogen pills, I’ve been doing a few “old wives tales” things to help my lining too. Do they work? Who the hell knows, but it can’t hurt right? (BTW, you can find anything on google! If they said to stand on my head then hop 3 times you’ll have a better chance for the transfer to work, I’d do it too, lol) 

I guess raspberries are good for fertility, women’s health and the lining of your uterus ( who knew, right?!) so I’ve been enjoying raspberries every week or so and raspberry leaf tea. 

Pomegranate juice is also supposed to help your lining. I add in a little splash of club soda and it’s oh so good! 

I’m back down to 2 estrogen pills a day and then my one shot in the stomach. That’ll be the name of the game until the doc says otherwise! 

(We went to visit family in Colorado so Laryen made me a makeshift banner for our pics- he’s so great!)

We are finally in the double digits! For both the cycle day and the number of estrogen pills I’m taking every day! 

  
One pill in the morning, another at night.  

 And for the next 4 days I’ll take 3 pills before I go back down to taking 2.

It’s nice that they don’t make me feel any different. You just never know how hormones are going to make you feel and it’s a nice relief that I haven’t been having any kind of reaction to any of the meds so far! Hopefully that means they’re working and not *not working lol.  I’ve read on some infertility boards and websites that some people have reactions to the meds but I guess everyone’s infertility problems are different than others. So who knows!

We’ll go back to the doctor next week and see how everything looks! As long as the lining looks good then our transfer will be on May 3rd! If it’s not there yet then I’ll stay on the meds and they’ll push it back another week. 

Either way we know it’s out of our hands. We just pray that this is the time for us.