Well I am feeling out of the writing mood lately so sorry for the scant posts. I just wanted to update yall. I did have my second FET (frozen embryo transfer) with another 5 day blastocyst hatchling. It was average quality maybe on the down side of average. Yes only one. I had my beta and i am NOT pregnant. AGAIN. It is so frustrating. I am trying to help a couple here, and always conceived easily. but IVF is a whole nother ball game. To me, I feel horrible for all the people who are going through ivf for themselves, b/c it doesnt even work for fertile women half the time! (and i do NOT mean that in an offensive way...more an empathetic/sympathetic one).
In my case so far they said it was likely the embryos, even though they PGD them and they were "normal". They do have one more male embryo left. But it makes me wonder, do they transfer the best first, worst last? Cuz if that is the case, how would the last one even stand a chance if the first two didnt make it??
I just started my period today. (stopped meds on sunday). My IF has a meeting with the clinic next week about what they think should happen. and if he should continue using me (which would suprise me if they dont since everything on my end looked right where they wanted it). I have made peace with either decision really. If they decide to try one more time with me i will be more than happy to do that for my now friends :) But if they dont, there will be no hard feelings and I will be matched (according to my agency) with another couple in hopes that im more compatible with their embryos. I have also begun to consider traditional surrogacy for the future. One in which I would inseminate myself with the IFs sperm, and my egg would be used. yes, it would be genetically connected to me. however, the baby is being created FOR the IPs and its place would be in their loving home. Of course I would allow the child to come looking for me if they had any health questions someday etc. but its just an option.
First thing is first. lets see how the meeting pans out next week. depending on the content of that situation, I will update you then, even if its a little paragraph letting you know whether or not i am continuing with these same intended parents. so long for now!! In a few days (black friday??) I will possibly be doing a post on how you can get some cool free stuff and cash. just a little something i do as a stay at home mom to bring in some extra $$
Thanks for readin!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Surrogacy Diaries 12...The 1st Transfer, and Updates :o)
Well since I am a procrastinator by nature, I made my blogging ten times harder for myself today lol.
So after my transfer almost 2 months ago, I went home, rested, but mostly went on as normal. I obsessed about the results to the point it made me not sleep. I tested multiple times every day, and every evap line became a line, and even others saw them. But the fact of the matter was, I was not pregnant. I knew 7dp5dt in the morning when i tested with a first response and didnt even get an evaporation line. My clinic also does beta levels 7dp 5 day transfers. so I KNEW....but it didnt soften the blow when the coordinator from the clinic called and said "Elizabeth, I am sorry to say you are not pregnant. Please stop all Medications and in about a week you will likely start bleeding and we can begin the process for the next transfer IF the IPs want to do so"
IF? Oh man...what if they are mad at me? I took all medications PERFECTLY, and got pregnant the first try both times, what does this mean? what did i do??
I felt so guilty.
I waited, and that evening i got a text from my IF saying : I heard the results, lets keep the faith and try again. I dried my tears and felt much better. Extremely bummed to say the least. That was a Thursday. It did not take me a week to start a period. it took two days. Saturday after my beta I began my period, and to my suprise, although I had tons more cramps than a regular cycle for me, I had a medium to med-light period which last 4 to 5 days. I found this odd, as my lining was over ten for the transfer, and usually my periods are much heavier than that. but it didnt matter. the following week I was sent to NYC to have a hysteroscopy. This is where they go in for a visual of the uterus and take a small biopsy to make sure everything is still good, and d/c anything out that needs to come out if necessary. I went, they put me under, and woke up 20 minutes later. Everything was perfect and normal. I felt fine, with minimal cramping but took some pain injection they gave me anyway, so i could relax...which was a bad idea cuz i felt nauseated for about 3-4 hours. my friend that came with me on the overnight trip made sure we got lunch and the same day as my procedure we got on the train to head home. i layed around a lot for the next day or so just feeling "off".
After all this it was time to get an ultrasound a week later (CD26?). My lining was a ten again, the tech told me i had a perfect reproductive system lol.. and the following morning i took my lupron depot injection. this time it hurt (i did it in my thigh, and it was the regular kind, not pre-mixed by the clinic and a much bigger needle than last time as well) but i gave it to myself again just cuz i like knowing that i can do that :P. I got my period the following day. This time it was extremely heavy for about 4 days then 3 day medium to light. on day 4 of my cycle (2-3 days later...) I began estrogen 2mg 2X daily. Still on that dosage for now.
I talk about my hormone side effects in this video
Now I wait til this friday the 28th (which will be 14 days after my lupron injection) for a 10AM ultrasound and pregesterone and estrogen blood levels. Friday afternoon I should have a better idea of when the transfer is, but if my body cooperates its looking like the second week of November. just 2 short weeks away!!! I am a little stressed about finding someone to stay with the boys overnight for two nights since tyler works nights that week. I am looking for someone now though, so i dont have to worry. I am really hoping this transfer is it, and the little one wants to stick around :o)
Thanks so much for reading my blog :) I will update here as well as youtube soon!! If you are interested in adding me on facebook, my name is Liz Seibert, from PA. if i recognize you from youtube or whatever, ill add you :o)
So after my transfer almost 2 months ago, I went home, rested, but mostly went on as normal. I obsessed about the results to the point it made me not sleep. I tested multiple times every day, and every evap line became a line, and even others saw them. But the fact of the matter was, I was not pregnant. I knew 7dp5dt in the morning when i tested with a first response and didnt even get an evaporation line. My clinic also does beta levels 7dp 5 day transfers. so I KNEW....but it didnt soften the blow when the coordinator from the clinic called and said "Elizabeth, I am sorry to say you are not pregnant. Please stop all Medications and in about a week you will likely start bleeding and we can begin the process for the next transfer IF the IPs want to do so"
IF? Oh man...what if they are mad at me? I took all medications PERFECTLY, and got pregnant the first try both times, what does this mean? what did i do??
I felt so guilty.
I waited, and that evening i got a text from my IF saying : I heard the results, lets keep the faith and try again. I dried my tears and felt much better. Extremely bummed to say the least. That was a Thursday. It did not take me a week to start a period. it took two days. Saturday after my beta I began my period, and to my suprise, although I had tons more cramps than a regular cycle for me, I had a medium to med-light period which last 4 to 5 days. I found this odd, as my lining was over ten for the transfer, and usually my periods are much heavier than that. but it didnt matter. the following week I was sent to NYC to have a hysteroscopy. This is where they go in for a visual of the uterus and take a small biopsy to make sure everything is still good, and d/c anything out that needs to come out if necessary. I went, they put me under, and woke up 20 minutes later. Everything was perfect and normal. I felt fine, with minimal cramping but took some pain injection they gave me anyway, so i could relax...which was a bad idea cuz i felt nauseated for about 3-4 hours. my friend that came with me on the overnight trip made sure we got lunch and the same day as my procedure we got on the train to head home. i layed around a lot for the next day or so just feeling "off".
After all this it was time to get an ultrasound a week later (CD26?). My lining was a ten again, the tech told me i had a perfect reproductive system lol.. and the following morning i took my lupron depot injection. this time it hurt (i did it in my thigh, and it was the regular kind, not pre-mixed by the clinic and a much bigger needle than last time as well) but i gave it to myself again just cuz i like knowing that i can do that :P. I got my period the following day. This time it was extremely heavy for about 4 days then 3 day medium to light. on day 4 of my cycle (2-3 days later...) I began estrogen 2mg 2X daily. Still on that dosage for now.
I talk about my hormone side effects in this video
Now I wait til this friday the 28th (which will be 14 days after my lupron injection) for a 10AM ultrasound and pregesterone and estrogen blood levels. Friday afternoon I should have a better idea of when the transfer is, but if my body cooperates its looking like the second week of November. just 2 short weeks away!!! I am a little stressed about finding someone to stay with the boys overnight for two nights since tyler works nights that week. I am looking for someone now though, so i dont have to worry. I am really hoping this transfer is it, and the little one wants to stick around :o)
Thanks so much for reading my blog :) I will update here as well as youtube soon!! If you are interested in adding me on facebook, my name is Liz Seibert, from PA. if i recognize you from youtube or whatever, ill add you :o)
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Surrogacy Diaries 11... 5 day hatched blastocyst transfer!
Well, I already know the results of the transfer, which I will be making another post on!
I was not able to do a blog post/videos this past week as I had planned b/c my computer charger went to sh*t and I couldn't charge my computer. Luckily my hubby had a secret savings stash (he always does this so i dont touch it lol) and got me a new one!!! Bless him.
Ok so I finally got all the arrangements made for my trip to the clinic in NYC for the transfer. My sister in law was going to stay at our home at night for the two nights, while tyler worked, and during the day he would sleep when they sleep and watch them. The train however, was cancelled right when i got to the train station due to the crazy floods that swept across PA. I almost panicked when the man at the front desk said that if i hurried, i could catch the bus to NYC. I made it to the bus in time thank goodness. On my way to NY, there was a young man sitting next to me and we just chatted (he had a thick NY accent lol) the whole way and it made time pass quickly.
I arrived at the station about 5:15 pm . I was meeting the IPs in the hotel lobby to go to dinner at 7pm. I stood out front trying to catch a cab, but the ppl who are used to doing in dominated that sporting event, and a half hour later I mapped it on my phone and realized (oops) it was only two blocks to my hotel. so with my luggage, off I went. I got to my room on the 14th floor and was kind of suprised. It definitely was not one of their renovated rooms for sure haha. Very plain and simple...which is fine...with some things i tried to overlook. so I settled in. Then the toilet wouldnt flush and the ac wasnt working. I called about it and they said they would come up while I went to dinner.
I went down to the lobby and waited for a while, kicking myself because in all the madness of trying to prepare my family for me being gone- I had never picked up a gift for them! (so mad at myself for that).
But it was what it was. They finally came in all smiles and everything I imagined them to be :) They were an adorable couple too. They had made reservations at a local fancy restaurant we walked to. It was french mostly, and I had no idea what the menu said so I chose my 4 courses, and whispered to the waiter "was any of that raw food?" he smiled and said no, so i figured i was good lol. I ate a salad of seaweed with strange caviar looking berries and blue cheese with a vinegar sauce. I also had a pork tenderloin over butternut squash puree and cooked raisin sauce and then an apricot cheesecake (omg). They then presented me with multiple gifts (so freaking sweet!) including an umbrella, a coach purse, and a bunch of Chinese goodies for the boys and Tyler. We said our goodbyes after a great meal, and great conversation. I went to my room.
My toilet was still clogged, so I used the lobby bathroom, and went to bed. I woke up at 8, and was to be at the clinic at 930 for a ten o clock transfer. I called again about my toilet and they said they would fix it so a man came in and unclogged it and replaced parts. I assumed it was working again. It was about a 20 minute walk (since getting a cab intimidates me now lol) so I headed out around 845 in case I got lost. My feet got kind of blistered b/c i had flip flops on lol. I finally got to the area and didnt see the clinic anywhere. I finally called the front desk and it turns out i was practically on their front step to the building they are in. Nothing in NYC ever has signs!!! they are just buildings standing proud, assuming you will know what is inside lol.
I went up and the elevator opened up to this posh/modern/sleek waiting room, where I electronically signed in. I felt like I was in a movie. I waited for about 25 minutes, and they finally called me back. I signed a bunch of papers stating that they were transferring one 5 day male thawed blastocyst hatchling. They showed me a picture of an amoeba shaped glob with irregular edges...and immediately i was like...is that what its supposed to look like? lol. What I actually said out loud was "Is this considered a good quality embryo?" She hesitated a bit, and said well, yeah, its already hatched....and then changed the subject...
She showed me to my locker and had me change into a cap gown and booties for the transfer, with nothing on from the waist down. I took some photos of myself cuz it was fun, and locked all my things away. I waited for about 15 minutes, a nurse came out and took me back to the procedure room. She had me lay in this reclined chair, with leg stirrups, and put my legs up. I was then exposed "down there" completely. I was hoping they would put a drape over me but didnt. People were bustling in and out of the room...luckily paying no mind to my girl parts that were lifted into the air. they confirmed my name and birthdate, and then the Dr. came in.
He told me I was young! Which I already knew. haha. And asked me how I felt.
Nervous.
Dont be nervous! no needle! no shot! no knife!
Ok.
They loaded the embryo into the catheter and into the syringe. and I watched this on the lcd they had on the wall. The Dr meanwhile put a speculum inside me, opened me up, and rinsed out that area and my cervix. he Then inserted a catheter to open up my cervix. For none of this process was my bladder full, and there was no ultrasound used. He placed the embryo into my womb, looking at the ceiling in a thoughtful manner...i suppose since he didnt have an ultrasound to guide him, just his experience and the hopes that my uterus was shaped and tilted like every one else's ? At that point I wondered if I should mention my tilted uterus. But with the amount of testing they have done, I figured they already knew, and I kept my mouth shut. He handed the tech the syringe and catheter and the tech cleared it out into the petri dish and confirmed that the embryo was in fact placed. They left, and the nurse had me walk to the recovery area.
I was laying there thinking...how long am I going to wait in this dark cubicle with no magazines?? But just then the nurse comes in with a syringe/needle and I defensively asked what that was lol. She said an HCG shot of 600 mg to aid in implantation. I was like oh how long will that be in my system for? She said one to two days.
She told me to continue on my prometrium 200mg 4 times a day and my estrogen 2mg 3 times a day until otherwise instructed. After 20 minutes of laying down, they escorted me to my things, and I got dressed, went to the bathroom, and came out to ask if I should be on bedrest. They said that I can lay down and rest if I want, but that I can go about my normal activity after the transfer since for some women the stress of bedrest is counterproductive- and to improve circulation. I like bedrest though lol. Oh well. So I compromised and went back to my hotel room (my IF picked me up from the transfer and took me on a tour of manhattan.) and layed down for 2 hrs and decided to go across the street to eat some pasta. But first, I had to pee. My toilet was still clogged. So I went down to the front desk and asked for the manager. He said they will try to fix it one more time and that if it didnt work they would give me another room.
I went and got food and came back and only then someone else came in to try and unclog the toilet. they said it was fixed. so later TMI!!!!!!! I had to poop. And ill be damned if i was gonna poop and it be clogged and watch someone stair at my poop :0!! so I peed, tested the toilet and it was clogged again. OMG! this isnt so relaxing...
So I went through this huge deal to get switched to another room so I could poop in peace (dammit). This room was a lot cleaner appearing and nicer, but still pretty plain....like i said- im totally cool with that. But this time it was on the street side of the building. I unpacked, and settled in. My IPs brought me some pineapple juice (said to help with implanting) some fresh blueberries and grapes, and 2 monster slices of pizza. My kind of ppl lol! I looove italian food! They eventually left, and decided very kindly that since the flooding in pa was still a mess, that he would personally drive me home! HOW SWEET?!
I hung out in my room the rest of the evening/night and went to sleep. I woke up, packed up, and checked out...and went across the street to a grill for breakfast (which was awesome, btw) and waited for my IF to pick me up. We left and made good time to our home. two rest stops along the way. My IF gushed about how beautiful our town was and "high end"...I laughed and said thank you, but for "this area" this is NOT high end. It is a good starter town though. He met Tyler and gave us two toys for our boys (they were napping) and we all said our goodbyes and good lucks, and he left. And I crashed. Traveling is tiring!!!
More to come....
I was not able to do a blog post/videos this past week as I had planned b/c my computer charger went to sh*t and I couldn't charge my computer. Luckily my hubby had a secret savings stash (he always does this so i dont touch it lol) and got me a new one!!! Bless him.
Ok so I finally got all the arrangements made for my trip to the clinic in NYC for the transfer. My sister in law was going to stay at our home at night for the two nights, while tyler worked, and during the day he would sleep when they sleep and watch them. The train however, was cancelled right when i got to the train station due to the crazy floods that swept across PA. I almost panicked when the man at the front desk said that if i hurried, i could catch the bus to NYC. I made it to the bus in time thank goodness. On my way to NY, there was a young man sitting next to me and we just chatted (he had a thick NY accent lol) the whole way and it made time pass quickly.
I arrived at the station about 5:15 pm . I was meeting the IPs in the hotel lobby to go to dinner at 7pm. I stood out front trying to catch a cab, but the ppl who are used to doing in dominated that sporting event, and a half hour later I mapped it on my phone and realized (oops) it was only two blocks to my hotel. so with my luggage, off I went. I got to my room on the 14th floor and was kind of suprised. It definitely was not one of their renovated rooms for sure haha. Very plain and simple...which is fine...with some things i tried to overlook. so I settled in. Then the toilet wouldnt flush and the ac wasnt working. I called about it and they said they would come up while I went to dinner.
I went down to the lobby and waited for a while, kicking myself because in all the madness of trying to prepare my family for me being gone- I had never picked up a gift for them! (so mad at myself for that).
But it was what it was. They finally came in all smiles and everything I imagined them to be :) They were an adorable couple too. They had made reservations at a local fancy restaurant we walked to. It was french mostly, and I had no idea what the menu said so I chose my 4 courses, and whispered to the waiter "was any of that raw food?" he smiled and said no, so i figured i was good lol. I ate a salad of seaweed with strange caviar looking berries and blue cheese with a vinegar sauce. I also had a pork tenderloin over butternut squash puree and cooked raisin sauce and then an apricot cheesecake (omg). They then presented me with multiple gifts (so freaking sweet!) including an umbrella, a coach purse, and a bunch of Chinese goodies for the boys and Tyler. We said our goodbyes after a great meal, and great conversation. I went to my room.
My toilet was still clogged, so I used the lobby bathroom, and went to bed. I woke up at 8, and was to be at the clinic at 930 for a ten o clock transfer. I called again about my toilet and they said they would fix it so a man came in and unclogged it and replaced parts. I assumed it was working again. It was about a 20 minute walk (since getting a cab intimidates me now lol) so I headed out around 845 in case I got lost. My feet got kind of blistered b/c i had flip flops on lol. I finally got to the area and didnt see the clinic anywhere. I finally called the front desk and it turns out i was practically on their front step to the building they are in. Nothing in NYC ever has signs!!! they are just buildings standing proud, assuming you will know what is inside lol.
I went up and the elevator opened up to this posh/modern/sleek waiting room, where I electronically signed in. I felt like I was in a movie. I waited for about 25 minutes, and they finally called me back. I signed a bunch of papers stating that they were transferring one 5 day male thawed blastocyst hatchling. They showed me a picture of an amoeba shaped glob with irregular edges...and immediately i was like...is that what its supposed to look like? lol. What I actually said out loud was "Is this considered a good quality embryo?" She hesitated a bit, and said well, yeah, its already hatched....and then changed the subject...
She showed me to my locker and had me change into a cap gown and booties for the transfer, with nothing on from the waist down. I took some photos of myself cuz it was fun, and locked all my things away. I waited for about 15 minutes, a nurse came out and took me back to the procedure room. She had me lay in this reclined chair, with leg stirrups, and put my legs up. I was then exposed "down there" completely. I was hoping they would put a drape over me but didnt. People were bustling in and out of the room...luckily paying no mind to my girl parts that were lifted into the air. they confirmed my name and birthdate, and then the Dr. came in.
He told me I was young! Which I already knew. haha. And asked me how I felt.
Nervous.
Dont be nervous! no needle! no shot! no knife!
Ok.
They loaded the embryo into the catheter and into the syringe. and I watched this on the lcd they had on the wall. The Dr meanwhile put a speculum inside me, opened me up, and rinsed out that area and my cervix. he Then inserted a catheter to open up my cervix. For none of this process was my bladder full, and there was no ultrasound used. He placed the embryo into my womb, looking at the ceiling in a thoughtful manner...i suppose since he didnt have an ultrasound to guide him, just his experience and the hopes that my uterus was shaped and tilted like every one else's ? At that point I wondered if I should mention my tilted uterus. But with the amount of testing they have done, I figured they already knew, and I kept my mouth shut. He handed the tech the syringe and catheter and the tech cleared it out into the petri dish and confirmed that the embryo was in fact placed. They left, and the nurse had me walk to the recovery area.
I was laying there thinking...how long am I going to wait in this dark cubicle with no magazines?? But just then the nurse comes in with a syringe/needle and I defensively asked what that was lol. She said an HCG shot of 600 mg to aid in implantation. I was like oh how long will that be in my system for? She said one to two days.
She told me to continue on my prometrium 200mg 4 times a day and my estrogen 2mg 3 times a day until otherwise instructed. After 20 minutes of laying down, they escorted me to my things, and I got dressed, went to the bathroom, and came out to ask if I should be on bedrest. They said that I can lay down and rest if I want, but that I can go about my normal activity after the transfer since for some women the stress of bedrest is counterproductive- and to improve circulation. I like bedrest though lol. Oh well. So I compromised and went back to my hotel room (my IF picked me up from the transfer and took me on a tour of manhattan.) and layed down for 2 hrs and decided to go across the street to eat some pasta. But first, I had to pee. My toilet was still clogged. So I went down to the front desk and asked for the manager. He said they will try to fix it one more time and that if it didnt work they would give me another room.
I went and got food and came back and only then someone else came in to try and unclog the toilet. they said it was fixed. so later TMI!!!!!!! I had to poop. And ill be damned if i was gonna poop and it be clogged and watch someone stair at my poop :0!! so I peed, tested the toilet and it was clogged again. OMG! this isnt so relaxing...
So I went through this huge deal to get switched to another room so I could poop in peace (dammit). This room was a lot cleaner appearing and nicer, but still pretty plain....like i said- im totally cool with that. But this time it was on the street side of the building. I unpacked, and settled in. My IPs brought me some pineapple juice (said to help with implanting) some fresh blueberries and grapes, and 2 monster slices of pizza. My kind of ppl lol! I looove italian food! They eventually left, and decided very kindly that since the flooding in pa was still a mess, that he would personally drive me home! HOW SWEET?!
I hung out in my room the rest of the evening/night and went to sleep. I woke up, packed up, and checked out...and went across the street to a grill for breakfast (which was awesome, btw) and waited for my IF to pick me up. We left and made good time to our home. two rest stops along the way. My IF gushed about how beautiful our town was and "high end"...I laughed and said thank you, but for "this area" this is NOT high end. It is a good starter town though. He met Tyler and gave us two toys for our boys (they were napping) and we all said our goodbyes and good lucks, and he left. And I crashed. Traveling is tiring!!!
More to come....
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Surrogacy Diaries 10... Transfer is set!!
UPDATED IVF Med Timeline/Protocol
LMP/CD1- Wed July 20th
CD 10 Ultrasound/labs- Frid July 29th
Ovulation CD16/17- Thurs/Fri Aug 4th/5th
Labs CD 20 -Aug 8th
One Time Lupron Depot shot, given to self in thigh, CD 21- August 9th
Start Estrace one, 2mg pill, once a day starting CD23- Aug 11th
Ultrasound/labs CD4/6 (if 28/30 day cycle)- Wed August 24th (lining 7.3)
Increase Estrace to two, 2mg pills per day (on 24th)
Increase Estrace to three, 2mg pills per day (on Aug 28th)
Ultrasound/labs - Thursday September 1st 2011 (lining- 10mm YEAY!)
Start Progesterone Vaginal Suppositories on Saturday Sept. 3rd 4X daily
Ultrasound/labs- Wed September 7th
TRANSFER: Thursday September 8th 2011 at 10AM
24 hrs bedrest.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So I started my estrace 3 times per day this past sunday, and today I had my ultrasound and bloodwork done. My lining was a 10 which is great for transfer! They told me to start progesterone saturday (see above) four times a day!! can you say mess?? lol I am going to be taking a train to NY wed night after my final monitoring and staying at a hotel, and then having the transfer thursday morning. I will then stay at the same hotel for 24 hrs of bed rest. This is SO EXCITING!!!!!! AHHH!!!!! I cant wait to meet all the ppl at the clinic and see my IPs!! :D Just a little update :o)
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Surrogacy Diaries 9. My FET Timeline/Protocol, Monitoring, Injection, AF, What's to come...
I am going to note my timeline in the beginning of each post, so that people may compare...however I must warn you that each person/clinic is different, and sometimes, aside from their varying protocols, they also adjust medications and timeframes with how your body reacts.
So here it is thus far. Our (my IP's) (ivf) FET (Frozen Embryo Transfer) Timeline and/or Protocol (with our specific clinic in NYC:
TERMS: LMP- last menstrual period ; CD- cycle day ; IVF- in vitro fertilization ; FET- frozen embryo transfer ; AF- "aunt flo" or PERIOD lol
So here it is thus far. Our (my IP's) (ivf) FET (Frozen Embryo Transfer) Timeline and/or Protocol (with our specific clinic in NYC:
TERMS: LMP- last menstrual period ; CD- cycle day ; IVF- in vitro fertilization ; FET- frozen embryo transfer ; AF- "aunt flo" or PERIOD lol
LMP/CD1- Wed July 20th
CD 10 Ultrasound/labs- Frid July 29th
Ovulation CD16/17- Thurs/Fri Aug 4th/5th
Labs CD 20 -Aug 8th
One Time Lupron Depot shot, given to self in thigh, CD 21- August 9th
Start Estrace one, 2mg pill, once a day starting CD23- Aug 11th
AF happened! 8-15-11 (this is the cycle we are doing the FET in!! YIPPEEE)
Ultrasound/labs CD10- Wed August 24th (scheduled)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So since that ultrasound, I had blood work 10 days later...Those results were great, so they instructed me to give myself the lupron injection they mailed to me (which i had to go to my old apartment to get lol) so I did on tuesday evening (9th) and I was allowed to give it to myself in my thigh...i know some ppl are gonna get on my case about it but my Dr said it was cool, so thats what i did! My lupron was pre-mixed, and I had a 1.75 inch needle. i believe it was 23guage. I will link a video of me giving myself the injection here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1HZ443_edg
I sounded kinda mean to Tyler, but he yelled LIZ! and so I was like what?? lol....and then he said he was going to pass out or vomit and so i was like uhhh get to the toilet lol! He doesnt do well with needles.
So then two days later I began taking Estrace (hormone estrogen) 2mg, once a day. This seems different from a lot of people, but they did say my estrogen was a good number already so maybe this is why? Plus I started taking it sooner than a lot of people do. They also mailed the progesterone suppositories, which are in our refridgerator lol. They dont HAVE to be refridgerated, but it helps keep them together better. I did call to see if its okay to have them be room temp for a while, because I have a trip in a week and I dont want to deal with ice packs and TSA and such. They did say it was fine, as long as it isnt warm.
So all this past weekend I have been cramping, and last night I got my period (cd 25 :/) but they said this is totally fine. It is not light ... just a normal period. I am feeling super tired from it but I always do. So next week, on wed the 24th, I go for my ultrasound/bloodwork (cd10) and see where we are at and we can get a better understanding of when we will have the transfer...most likely a week or two from then. They said AROUND sept 5th. I do not know just yet when I am to start the progesterone suppositories, but like i said, i will know more next wed or thurs.
Also I was told they have two frozen, male(yes they were PGD'd) blasts. Do not know about quality. I think they will transfer both. WISH MY IPs LUCK!!! give em a break, mother nature! :)
That is PRETTY MUCH it I believe. I know yall just love my lack of punctuation, but with my laziness, and carpal tunnel (when i type a lot like this) id rather just do as little as possible....this coming from an english honors student LOL.
So we are truckin along!!
I would say the transfer will be in around 2.5-3 weeks give or take a few days.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Surrogacy Diaries 8...Testing, CD10 Baseline Ultrasound, and Monitoring
Oky dokie.
Been a while! How YOU doinnn?
Anyways, I will try and start where I left off. After a few more paperworks/faxes, Tyler's infectious disease blood testing (which was fine), I finally got my period on July 20th 2011. This is where the fun begins!! I was told to not start a new pack of birth control (in turn, my period was slightly longer, but ah well). I was informed that the egg donor's retrieval was the following monday, and that the friday following that, I was to have an ultrasound, and bloodwork. The ultrasound was to measure everything and anatomy of my baby factory. And to check my lining (Cycle Day 10-which wouldnt be too much at that point but for a baseline for them to see what they are working with). The bloodwork was one tube to check my estrogen and progesterone which were right where they should be.
I went in for the ultrasound, pretty hurried of course, and gave her the orders which had both the bloodwork and ultrasound on them, and they did all of that right there. I was escorted back to the US room, and laid down (with an extremely full bladder, mind you) and she checked the top of my uterus and everything else she could see. she then had me empty my bladder and come back and undress for the transvaginal us. she put it in and started checking off the different views of my uterus, asked me questions, and told me that everything looked perfect and that i have a "beautiful baby factory" lol....oh and she was preggo. She said to me as she was finishing up, that my lining was 4mm which is good for my cycle day, (its in range for cd10) and told me that they have surros come in at least twice a week. this somewhat surprised me, being the conservative amish community we live in. I got my one tube drawn and left.
I later called my clinic, to which they returned my call. She said that everything looks great and that i will ovulate next week, and i will then have bloodwork the following week to confirm i ovulated, then they will send me a lupron depo shot (to stop my natural cycle, and to stop ovulations after this one). I think i might take this one in particular to a local nurse to give it to me, only b/c its a "big needle" as she put it, and its intramuscular. the rest i will be fine with. she also said we will likely then have an ultrasound again, and probably put me on estrogen pills to make me extra fluffy hahaha. but seriously.
Then I asked her when my transfer will be approx. she said well right now i can definitely say it will be sometime (and probably in the beginning or middle) of september 2011. Which is what i expected for an answer. I also asked her if that was the only time i would be going to their NYC clinic instead of doing things local. She said no, that i would be coming up there once before sometime in the next couple weeks so they can meet me, and check me out and do some follow up on me, so they can get an idea of my body, and what they will be working with also.
I cant express how excited i am to do this. I emailed my IPs (my IF in particular- he knows more english) and asked how the egg donor's retrieval went, and how the embryos/PGD testing went/is going. He replied (they are so friendly i love it!) and said the retrieval went well, but he doesnt know anything regarding the embryos, and that he would let me know when he does! Fingers crossed for at least to great quality baby boy embryos lol!!
In case you were wondering, this will be a frozen transfer :)
I will maybe do another update in a week (2 max).
ttyl!!!
Been a while! How YOU doinnn?
Anyways, I will try and start where I left off. After a few more paperworks/faxes, Tyler's infectious disease blood testing (which was fine), I finally got my period on July 20th 2011. This is where the fun begins!! I was told to not start a new pack of birth control (in turn, my period was slightly longer, but ah well). I was informed that the egg donor's retrieval was the following monday, and that the friday following that, I was to have an ultrasound, and bloodwork. The ultrasound was to measure everything and anatomy of my baby factory. And to check my lining (Cycle Day 10-which wouldnt be too much at that point but for a baseline for them to see what they are working with). The bloodwork was one tube to check my estrogen and progesterone which were right where they should be.
I went in for the ultrasound, pretty hurried of course, and gave her the orders which had both the bloodwork and ultrasound on them, and they did all of that right there. I was escorted back to the US room, and laid down (with an extremely full bladder, mind you) and she checked the top of my uterus and everything else she could see. she then had me empty my bladder and come back and undress for the transvaginal us. she put it in and started checking off the different views of my uterus, asked me questions, and told me that everything looked perfect and that i have a "beautiful baby factory" lol....oh and she was preggo. She said to me as she was finishing up, that my lining was 4mm which is good for my cycle day, (its in range for cd10) and told me that they have surros come in at least twice a week. this somewhat surprised me, being the conservative amish community we live in. I got my one tube drawn and left.
I later called my clinic, to which they returned my call. She said that everything looks great and that i will ovulate next week, and i will then have bloodwork the following week to confirm i ovulated, then they will send me a lupron depo shot (to stop my natural cycle, and to stop ovulations after this one). I think i might take this one in particular to a local nurse to give it to me, only b/c its a "big needle" as she put it, and its intramuscular. the rest i will be fine with. she also said we will likely then have an ultrasound again, and probably put me on estrogen pills to make me extra fluffy hahaha. but seriously.
Then I asked her when my transfer will be approx. she said well right now i can definitely say it will be sometime (and probably in the beginning or middle) of september 2011. Which is what i expected for an answer. I also asked her if that was the only time i would be going to their NYC clinic instead of doing things local. She said no, that i would be coming up there once before sometime in the next couple weeks so they can meet me, and check me out and do some follow up on me, so they can get an idea of my body, and what they will be working with also.
I cant express how excited i am to do this. I emailed my IPs (my IF in particular- he knows more english) and asked how the egg donor's retrieval went, and how the embryos/PGD testing went/is going. He replied (they are so friendly i love it!) and said the retrieval went well, but he doesnt know anything regarding the embryos, and that he would let me know when he does! Fingers crossed for at least to great quality baby boy embryos lol!!
In case you were wondering, this will be a frozen transfer :)
I will maybe do another update in a week (2 max).
ttyl!!!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Surrogacy Diaries...7 Testing, Testing, Testing
Alright!!! We are finally starting to get the ball rolling!! Last week was 15 tubes of blood drawn, a urine test, and reviewing the first copy of the contract. This week, I got to speak with my IPs, and today Tyler and I had a phone consult with a psychologist to profile us as to whether or not we are fit for this process.
Speaking with my IPs went better than imagined, and was never once awkward. My IF, "C" was very talkative and outgoing. He made it clear that he wanted nothing but the best for me while I was pregnant. He joked that if I needed something moved, instead of heavy lifting, he would drive down and do it for me haha. His Chinese accent was noticeable, but I thought it was cute! My IM showed up from work early so I got to speak with her a bit as well, although she has a little less english experience than "C" she tried as best she could. They were just so sweet! I kept thinking in my head "awww" haha. At one point we decided that we should all meet possibly before the transfer, and IM said "yah, we can stay for a few...months..?" and I hesitated a little until I realized she meant hours during the day , and we all decided to do a meetup soon with lunch and maybe a day at the park to relax.
Then today we had a phone call from the psychologist scheduled for noon. we were getting ready to leave the house and i had initially missed the call....I forgot it was Thursday already!! I immediately called her back and we talked on the way to my grandparents, even though our small old car is fairly noisy and I had to repeat myself several times. Then my phone died 20 minutes into it but we luckily reached our destination in time for me to call back and finish it off. DESPITE THAT haha, we had a GREAT phone consult. She asked for both of us to share our family history, places or born/raising etc. How close we were with our families, what they thought, how we both felt, if we had any reservations. Stuff like that. But when I felt weird with one of my answers, she said "no. not weird...just sounds like a great surrogate mother to me." which I am not gonna lie, it made me feel good :) I know i havent done anything yet, but it was encouraging :)
She was so friendly and pleasant and I almost enjoyed talking about the things she asked. It was fun! I swear, people probably think I am nuts for how excited I am to be questioned by these ppl, and get my body poked and prodded, and take meds. The whole process is just so amazing and fascinating, that I am just soaking up every minute. I know it prolly wont always be this smooth or easy...but let me tell you, I am enjoying the ride :o)
Waiting to hear what the next step is, since everytime i ask what it will be, they say something i have already taken care of. my lawyer said she was shocked at how on top of things i am, and that its making it so much easier on everyone....i agree! it is making things less stressful for me, when i just knock things off the list!
Talk soon! :)
Speaking with my IPs went better than imagined, and was never once awkward. My IF, "C" was very talkative and outgoing. He made it clear that he wanted nothing but the best for me while I was pregnant. He joked that if I needed something moved, instead of heavy lifting, he would drive down and do it for me haha. His Chinese accent was noticeable, but I thought it was cute! My IM showed up from work early so I got to speak with her a bit as well, although she has a little less english experience than "C" she tried as best she could. They were just so sweet! I kept thinking in my head "awww" haha. At one point we decided that we should all meet possibly before the transfer, and IM said "yah, we can stay for a few...months..?" and I hesitated a little until I realized she meant hours during the day , and we all decided to do a meetup soon with lunch and maybe a day at the park to relax.
Then today we had a phone call from the psychologist scheduled for noon. we were getting ready to leave the house and i had initially missed the call....I forgot it was Thursday already!! I immediately called her back and we talked on the way to my grandparents, even though our small old car is fairly noisy and I had to repeat myself several times. Then my phone died 20 minutes into it but we luckily reached our destination in time for me to call back and finish it off. DESPITE THAT haha, we had a GREAT phone consult. She asked for both of us to share our family history, places or born/raising etc. How close we were with our families, what they thought, how we both felt, if we had any reservations. Stuff like that. But when I felt weird with one of my answers, she said "no. not weird...just sounds like a great surrogate mother to me." which I am not gonna lie, it made me feel good :) I know i havent done anything yet, but it was encouraging :)
She was so friendly and pleasant and I almost enjoyed talking about the things she asked. It was fun! I swear, people probably think I am nuts for how excited I am to be questioned by these ppl, and get my body poked and prodded, and take meds. The whole process is just so amazing and fascinating, that I am just soaking up every minute. I know it prolly wont always be this smooth or easy...but let me tell you, I am enjoying the ride :o)
Waiting to hear what the next step is, since everytime i ask what it will be, they say something i have already taken care of. my lawyer said she was shocked at how on top of things i am, and that its making it so much easier on everyone....i agree! it is making things less stressful for me, when i just knock things off the list!
Talk soon! :)
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