PUPO

Pregnant Until Proven Otherwise

So, what you are looking at here is my embryo detaching itself (bottom bubble) from the hard outer shell (top shell). The detached part is the part that implants itself into the lining. This is what a 5BB hatching blastocyst looks like.

Today was a day I will never forget. It's a day I never thought I'd experience either. Who thinks, growing up, that they will get to see their baby in the form of an embryo during IVF?

Anyway, I digress...

Today may have been the longest day ever. EVER. I even had Mike home with me and we ran errands while Nate was at school. Still, the day dragged on and on and on. I was constantly worried that once I got in the OR the doc would see fluid. Or that my embryo wouldn't make it through the thaw and they'd have to use another and another and another...you get the point. My mind just wouldn't stop.

My mom dropped by an hour before my appointment. She just got back from a work trip to New Orleans and she said she got me something at a voodoo shop. At first I was like 'hell no'. But she gave it to me and explained its all about good things. She said she stumbled upon this fertility doll....like it was meant to be that she get it and bring it back to me on my transfer day. ::shivers:: Right?

After she left I realized that after drinking a cup of water there was no way I was going to be able to hold it for another 1.5 hours. See, to do the FET, your bladder needs to be full. Well, I'm a bit tricky because my uterus is retroverted so it pushes on my bladder more making me drink less but pee more. Anyway, so I peed and just drank more on the way to the appointment.

We got there and waited and waited and waited. It felt like FOR.EV.ER. Don't these people realize I need to pee? Come on. Finally we were brought back and the nurse checked my bladder. Said it was good and we were just waiting for the doctor to come in.

One more sock picture for the album

Doc comes in and introduces himself since he is one of the docs there I haven't met yet. He explained what was going to happen during the process.

Here's where things went a little wonky. See, I already explained that retroverted uterus up above. Well its REALLY retroverted.

See the L shape that it makes.

Anyway, that makes it difficult for the doc to get to where he needed to be. He is supposed to pass a catheter through my cervix and get it right by my uterine lining. Well it kept getting stuck where my uterus makes the sharp curve. The embryologist had to bring my embryo over twice since the first time didn't work and he had to reintroduce the catheter for a second time. Finally after lots of uncomfortable movement of speculum while the nurse is pressing down on my bladder with the ultrasound probe they got the catheter right where they wanted it. They told us to watch the screen and we saw the embryo being shot right into the lining. It was absolutely fascinating.

I was told to lay there until 3:10 which was a really long time when you are in a cold OR room with nothing to really look at. Mike and I just kept making random jokes. At 3:05 I just couldn't hold my bladder anymore and got up, dressed and peed.

And that's it folks. I am officially pregnant until proven otherwise.

On our way home we stopped at McDonalds. Anyone who's on forums on teh internets related to IVF knows that there is a superstition that if you eat McD's french fries after your transfer, you will have great success. Who am I to anger the IVF french fry gods? lol

Doc said bed rest for 24 hours. Mike and I decided to hit up a comedy this evening. There was a study that said that if you laugh after a transfer it's gives better results. So I laughed and laughed and laughed. And yes, I know its not bedrest but its sitting down with my feet up just like I would have been doing at home.

2 weeks from today I will head in for my beta bloodwork to find out if I'm pregnant or not. It's going to be a long 2 weeks thats for sure.

Thank you for ALL of your thoughts and prayers. It means so much to Mike and I. We reflected today while waiting for our transfer on how far we've come since we first began this journey. I don't think either or us envisioned us to be where we are at right now but I don't regret a single second of it. It's made me stronger and it's made us stronger as a couple.