Weeks 26-27 Update

I'm now 27w4d pregnant. I'm considering myself in the third trimester although I know some places don't say you are until 28 weeks. I only have 9.5 weeks to go before the babies come. I've been feeling pretty crappy lately. I've been at both the hospital and my OB's office for high blood pressures. I'm swelling soooo bad now that I'm pretty much in constant pain.


I had my baby shower last weekend and it was really nice. I only have a couple more things to buy before the babies come.


My next MFM appointment/growth scan is next Tuesday and my next OB appointment is next Wednesday. After that, I'll switch to every 2 weeks and then in October I'll switch to every week. I also have my glucose test at my OB's office next week. I did another 24 hour urine test yesterday so I'm waiting on the results from that today.


I've gained a lot of weight, about 38 pounds since I started. My OB told me a lot of that is swelling though and not to worry about it. It's so hard though as I'm terrified I won't be able to lose it after the babies come. My stomach is still small for having twins, but my legs and huge. As of right now I still don't have any stretch marks on my stomach.


My OB put me on Zoloft because I was having a lot of prenatal depression and anxiety. It sucks though because it gives me a headache and makes me sick. I still have to take my Zofran every day to keep from throwing up.

Weeks 24-25 Update

I'm now 25w1d. I've passed the viability mark for the babies!! They've been growing well. At my 24 week appointment they each weighed 1lb6oz. They're doing their practice breathing motions now. I've been dealing with contractions more often now and they're starting to get more uncomfortable. I actually went to the hospital with them last night but everything checked out okay. They did a test to see if I was at an increased risk of delivering in the next 2 weeks which came back negative thank goodness. As far as my weight gain I'm at 26 pounds now. It's a little more than I'd like to see but I'm carrying it very well. I'm mostly all stomach at this point and my belly button is flat now and slightly protrudes at the top. Still no stretch marks on my stomach at all, although I do have a few creeping up my side/back. I don't go to the doctor again until 28 weeks, and then I will switch to every 2 weeks. At 32 weeks I'll switch to a minimum of once a week until delivery assuming no other complications.

Weeks 22-23 Update

I'm now 23 weeks and 1 day. The twins are doing great and moving constantly. I can see their movements from the outside as well now. I still take Zofran once a day at night time and I don't have any issues with nausea. I definitely have to take Zantac once a day for heartburn or I'm completely miserable. The Zantac doesn't completely relieve it but it does help a lot. I've gained about 21 pounds since I got pregnant.


I've been having issues with my blood pressure shooting up sometimes. Thankfully it doesn't stay high though. I did do a 24 hour urine protein test which came back at 299 and the cutoff was 300, so they're watching me pretty closely to see if I will develop pre-eclampsia.


I go to both my OB and MFM a week from today for my 24 week appointment. I can't wait to see the twins again and make sure everything still looks good.

Weeks 18-21 Update

Wow so it's been a while since I did an update. Life has been crazy recently.


Week 18


This was a week from hell. On Monday around 2pm I started getting contractions that were very painful. They were approximately 10 minutes apart sometimes less and lasting 1 minute each. Between 2 and 3pm I had 8, 2 more than my hourly limit. I called the doctor and she told me to come in ASAP. They were so painful it was making me throw up. We went straight to the hospital where they put me on the monitor and deemed that I was indeed having contractions, including some smaller ones that were every 2 minutes apart. Thankfully my cervix was still closed. They gave me a shot to stop the contractions which did help but not completely. They said I was a little dehydrated, but said I should just go home and drink a lot of water and my contractions would probably stop.


I had the worst night ever. I tried to drink water, but then I would have a horrible contraction and throw up again. I also had diarrhea during this time. I cried and was completely miserable all night. The contractions did seem to ease up by the next morning, however by then I felt awful. I hadn't held food or water down in almost 24 hours so I called my doctor. She had me go back in to the hospital. They determined then that I was severely dehydrated and admitted me on the spot. I also had bloody stool that they were concerned about. I ended up spending 2 nights in the hospital getting fluids and resting. MFM checked the babies and they were fine and both head down. They think I may have had a stomach bug as well.


Week 19


Not much exciting happened this week that I can remember.


Week 20


This was a big week for me as far as how I started to feel. The good news is my nausea is much better and I only have to take Zofran once at night now. Also my linea nigra started to form which is kinda cool. The bad news is I started to get very uncomfortable. My back hurts all the time and the babies are always pushing on my lungs. I had me 20 week appointment and everything looked great with me and the babies.


Week 21


Now I'm caught up! This week I'm feeling the babies move pretty consistently and I can usually tell which one is moving. The I also still have very bad backaches and insomnia at night.


In this timeframe I also started a new job with more flexible hours which I really like. Hopefully I won't get behind again! 16 weeks to go until I meet my babies.

Week 18 Update

I'm halfway to my C-Section date! It's starting to get super real and I can't wait to meet these guys. As far as how I'm feeling, I'm still sick unfortunately, and I'm beginning to think I probably will be the whole pregnancy. Also my acid reflux is awful and I'm constantly dealing with it after every time that I eat. I've gained 10 pounds so far which I'm very happy with. I only have stretch marks on my thighs as of now. We've already bought a lot of baby gear items so I don't have much left to get besides little things like bottles, hygiene items, etc. My next appointment is in 2 weeks.

Week 17 Update

Almost halfway there (since I'm doing a csection at 37 weeks)! The babies are doing great. My sickness is still pretty bad.. but other than that I'm doing fine. My belly button is starting to flatten out which is pretty cool. My stomach is definitely getting very round and everyone keeps talking about how much I'm starting to show.

The babies went a couple days where they didn't move much at all. I started freaking out but I got my Doppler out yesterday and found them right away. They started moving as soon as I found them. They hate that thing lol!

We haven't had any more big baby buys yet. Just clothes occasionally. We are in the middle of planning my shower which I can't wait for. 140 days or less until my babies get here!

Week 16 Update

I had my first MFM appointment and my 16 week OB appointment this week. Babies look great and are measuring right on track. They each weighed 5 ounces. We confirmed that they are definitely both boys. My cervix is still nice and long, around 3.8cm. I'm still very sick and I have to take Zofran once to twice a day or I throw up non stop. For the most part my energy has returned. I feel occasional movement, but nothing consistent. Right now the babies are both laying in the transverse position.

We've bought several baby clothing items, mostly matching sets. I sooo ready for my baby shower in September. We have a lot of the big stuff, but there's still a lot I need to raise two tiny humans.

Week 15 Update - Gender Correction

So SURPRISE, but it's actually 2 boys! Baby B was hiding his stuff last appointment. I was a tiny bit disappointed, but I'm doing better with it now. I've been buying matching outfits and they're just so cute.

Symptoms wise I think I'm mostly the same. Most of my energy is back now. I'm around 136.5 pounds. I tried to come off my Zofran but I'm still throwing up without it so I'm still taking it. My stomach is pretty round now and I feel movement occasionally. I go to MFM for the first time next Monday, and back to my OB on next Tuesday for my monthly check up.

I have been having pretty strong stomach pains when I do too much at work or at the house, so I'm trying to take it easy and not overdo it.

Week 14 Update - Gender Announcement

At 14 weeks I'm feeling pretty decent. I still stay sick if I don't take Zofran, so I'm still taking that twice a day. I've only gained about half a pound over the last week or two, so I'm at 136 now (started at 130). My energy seems to mostly be back. I do get backaches more often now. My stomach is very round and I'm obviously pregnant now even to strangers. The twins are measuring perfect, which leads me to the exciting news for the week :)

We went to our gender ultrasound on Saturday. Just me and my husband went, and we planned on doing the reveal for everyone else Sunday. Baby A showed it's parts with nor problem and we were so excited. However, Baby B decided to cross its legs and not budge. I did jumping jacks, drank a Sprite, left and came back 30 minutes later and it was still not cooperating. We finally got it to move enough that the tech was 98% sure she knew what Baby B was:)

We did our reveal on Sunday and everyone was soooo excited to find out we are having a BOY and a GIRL!!! The girl is Baby B, so we're hoping she's still a girl when we go to confirm tomorrow lol! Me, my mom and my grandma went shopping yesterday and got a ton of stuff. I'm just so thankful and excited about my twins.

Week 13 Update

So I just realized I'm like 3 days late on doing my weekly update lol! Oops! I'm now in my second trimester and still throwing up every day. It does seem to be getting a little better though. My stomach as really "popped" more and is pretty round now. I've felt a tiny bit of movement especially at night. My fatigue is much better now and I seem to have more energy throughout the day.

The most exciting thing though is in just TWO days I find out the genders of the babies. We are doing the reveal for everyone else in three days on Sunday. I'm beyond excited and I can't wait to find out. Me and DH are going shopping after our ultrasound on Saturday and I finally get to buy baby clothes! I'll probably post the reveal stuff on here with my 14 week update next Monday.

Confesstion - I still have bitterness

So I found out yesterday that my sister in law is pregnant. Without trying of course. Even though I'm pregnant, this still stung so much. I'm still bitter that people that seem undeserving can get pregnant naturally and we had to spend over $12,000 to get to this place. The most annoying part is that I know my twins won't receive as much both in attention and in physical things because my SIL is "less fortunate" than us. Which I understand, but it doesn't make it any easier. I thought once I was pregnant this would pass but I guess not.

Week 12 Update - New Pictures!

Today was my 12 week appointment. They did the NT scan which was normal for both babies. They were moving all around today! The doctor guessed boy/girl. I get it confirmed next Saturday.

Baby A:

 

 





Baby B:

This is the last week of my first trimester! I'm feeling better on some days, and then other days are still super rough. Today was one of those days. I threw up twice before I left for work and got sick again while trying to eat lunch. Yesterday was a good day though. Other than that I just stay tired from taking the Zofran but I don't have many other symptoms. Some occasional hot flashes and weepiness. I can't wait to find out what I'm having!!

Week 11 Update

I may start doing these each month instead of each week as not much is going on right now. I'm still very sick every day and I now have to take Zofran twice a day or I'm constantly throwing up. We are doing my gender reveal on May 27, so less than 3 weeks away. I can't wait I'm so excited to by clothes. I have some family that is coming into town this weekend for my brother's birthday, so I'm excited about seeing them. I haven't gained any weight in the past month or so, but my stomach definitely is harder and getting rounder. I crave sweets some especially Froot Loops with marshmallows. I can pretty easily find the babies with the Doppler now and they seem to be the most active in the mornings. I just cant wait to feel them moving.

Week 10 Update

We made it to 10 weeks which means no more shots!! Also no more estrogen suppositories which is even better than no shots. As far as symptoms go I've been especially sick this week, even waking up during the night to throw up. I've started taking Zofran twice a day and today seems to be pretty good. I'm also getting pretty wild mood swings and heartburn. I ate crawfish on Saturday and definitely regretted it that night.

Today was a milestone because I wore a maternity skirt for the first time. It feels like wearing a cloud lol! My stomach is definitely very hard now. I'm able to find each twin with a Doppler easier now.

Other than that, not much is going on. Still 2 more weeks until my next doctor appointment.

Week 9 Update

To backtrack a little bit, we had our first ultrasound with our OB on 8w5d. They babies looked adorable and you could see their umbilical cords, and little nubs where their legs and arms are starting to grow. Their heart rates were 188 and 186. I only have 7 days left of medicine including today. Actually I still take Progesterone suppositories for 2 more weeks after that, but those don't bother me at all. I'm just glad to be done with PIO shots and especially the estrogen suppositories.

I was able to find the babies' heartbeats with my home Doppler at 8w4d last week and it was the coolest thing ever. I try not to use it too much though because it freaks me out when it takes me a while to find them.

Symptoms-wise I feel mostly the same. Still having horrible nausea and vomiting, and Zofran now only keeps me from throwing up but does not completely take away the nausea like it was doing. I also deal with constipation some still too. I've been able to sleep better since weaning off of the steroid as I don't have to get u a dozen times to use the bathroom now.

My next doctor appointment isn't until May 14, when I'll have my 12 week scan to check for genetic defects. I did decline all genetic testing besides that scan.

Week 8 Update - Scary ER Visit

I had my first prenatal appointment today and it went great. But yesterday was one of the scariest days ever. I was at church when I went to do my 2pm estrogen suppository and noticed I was bleeding pretty heavily. I completely freaked out and we rushed to the ER. They took some blood and did a scan. Everything came back normal. I was able to see both babies and they had heart rates of 150 and 170. They discharged me and said my cervix is bruised so I could be bleeding from that, but otherwise I and the babies looked completely normal and healthy. My OB today did a pelvic exam and said the same thing. I go for a scan with her on Friday at 4pm. I'll be 8w5d.

My OB decided that due to my previous septoplasty and since I'm having twins, she wants to deliver the twins via C-Section at 37 weeks so November 5th, which is the day before my birthday. Only 203 day until they arrive!

I'm still very nauseas and have to take Zofran pretty much every day. I also have to go to the bathroom all the time. One horrible side effect of pregnancy and from taking the Zofran is really bad constipation. I did find that the glycerin suppositories work great.

Update - Another scary bleeding episode on 4/17. Went to the ER and was sent home again. Everything looks normal. Keeping my scan on Friday at 4pm.

Week 7 Update

Not much is going on besides I'm still throwing up ever single day even sometimes after taking Zofran. These babies are kicking my butt. We received our double stroller in the mail this week thanks to my grandparents, and we have it in the nursery now too. My next doctor appointment isn't until a week from today when I'll be 8w1d. I'm sooo ready to see the babies again as it's so scary knowing something could happen to one or both of them between the last ultrasound and next week.

Two sort of weird/scary things happened this past week. On Friday I realized that the very bottom of my stomach near my hip bones is now hard and I can't suck it in any more which is such a weird feeling. I can't believe I'm already getting the start of a bump. The other thing that happed was while staying at my parents house over the weekend I tripped and fell on our suitcase and landed right on my stomach. Thankfully I know the babies are still very low and most likely didn't take any impact, but I was very sore and crampy for the rest of the night.

Main Symptoms:

Nausea/Vomiting
Fatigue (this is getting better though)
Cramping
Sore breasts/nipples
Bloating

Second Ultrasound - Graduated from CNY Fertility - 6w3d

Today was our second ultrasound. We were able to see both sacs, yolk sacs, and fetal poles. We were also able to see and hear both heartbeats which was an amazing feeling. Baby A had a heart rate of 111 beats per minute and Baby B had a heart rate of 104 beats per minute. They said anything over 100 is good so we're super happy with that. Both measured 6w2d which they said is fine. I'm waiting on a call from CNY to see if they will release me this week or make me stay another week with them. I'm hoping to be released since everything looks great and I already have my OB appointment scheduled for April 16. Grow babies grow!!

*UPDATE - I was officially released from CNY today! I'll continue my meds until April 29 (10 weeks pregnant), and then only continue my progesterone suppositories for another two weeks until May 13. After that I'll be done with my medications! I'm so happy:)

Week 6 Update

Today I am 6 weeks and 1 day. The bad nausea and vomiting has finally hit. I wake up sick every morning. I usually feel ok in the middle of the day and the nausea comes back at night. It's pretty miserable. The fatigue is a little bit better but I'm still exhausted every afternoon. I did have a scary episode of brown spotting yesterday which freaked me out, but it only happened once and wasn't accompanied by any cramping so I didn't get it checked out since I have an ultrasound on Wednesday. The babies are the size of chocolate chips/sweet peas this week. I'm still super bloated and look several months pregnant after I eat.

We did our official social media announcement on Easter Sunday. It's pretty scary since now I'm so paranoid that something bad is going to happen, but I try not to think about stuff like that.

We actually bought the twins' cribs this past weekend!! Me and my mom went to Dirt Cheap and found 2 of the cribs we wanted both in white for only $110 each including tax! I was so thrilled since cribs were the main big ticket items I was stressing about. Now we just need to buy a dresser and glider. We put the cribs together last night and they looks great. The only problem is the nursery isn't huge and they take up a lot of space. We can't open the closet door now so we'll have to do an open closet style. I was also able to get a Munchkin diaper pail for $10! My grandmother ordered our Graco double stroller and it'll be here by Friday. Buying stuff for the twins is just so much fun:)

First Ultrasound! 5w3d

Well we had our first ultrasound today and it went pretty good! I'm still super early so we couldn't see very much but what we did see was.....

 

*I still can't figure out how to rotate the pictures. Sorry!

 

2 babies! We are having twins! When she first started scanning we only saw one.. but then she moved the probe and Baby B popped out! I wasn't really shocked but it does still feel crazy to know for sure that we are having two babies in November. I go back to the doctor next Wednesday for another ultrasound and repeat blood work. I'm just so excited:)

Week 5 Update

Technically I start new "weeks" on Sundays, but I'm not with my computer until Mondays so all of my updates will be a day late. I'm now 5w1d pregnant. I still don't know how many babies I'm having since my first ultrasound is still 2 days away. The time is crawling by. Pretty much everyone thinks we're having twins including myself so we'll see! I lost most of my symptoms for a couple days, but yesterday my slight nausea and heartburn came back. One symptom that did not go away was crazy fatigue. On Saturday I took a 3 hour nap and still went to bed at 10pm and slept all night until 9am. I just can't seem to get enough sleep.

The baby is now the size of a bb pellet/apple seed. I'm still staying pretty bloated so I'm already wearing full clothes to hide my bloat bump until we make our announcement. We are taking our announcement pictures on this Sunday, and will make our announcement on April 13 which is still 18 days away. My DH is running out of patience and is dying to tell everyone lol. My next update will be after my ultrasound on Wednesday! Wish me luck:)

Second Beta - FET #1 12dp5dt/4w3d

I just got my second beta results back and they were 2,049!! That makes for a doubling time of 30 hours. I'm so happy with those numbers. I have scheduled my first prenatal ultrasound for next Wednesday, so only one week to go before I get to see my babies. (Well, probably just their sacs but still!)

My main symptoms now are crazy bloating, heartburn and very, very fatigued. I have waves of nausea occasionally but I still haven't actually gotten sick yet.

It's beta day!! FET #1 10dp5dt/4w1d

Well I had my blood drawn at 7:45am and now I'm waiting on the call with my results. Today's FRER test line was quite a bit darker than the control line, and my digital said pregnant within 30 seconds. I'm feeling pretty confident, but I'm just ready to get a number and to see if it doubles on Wednesday. Yesterday made 4 weeks pregnant. We've told a few close friends and I told my work people today since even if something was to happen I'd end up telling them because I'd have to miss work. They already knew I was doing IVF so it's not like it's a surprise anyways.

We bought me a mommy mobile on Saturday!! I got a 2013 Ford Explorer that I love! I can't wait to put car seats in it.

BETA RESULTS ARE IN!!!

My levels at 10dp5dt are 690.74!!! I'm beyond happy with that number. I go for a re-check on Wednesday and they should be around 1,400. After that I'll schedule my first ultrasound for next Wednesday, March 28!!

FET #1 - 7dp5dt (Last update before beta day)

Today marks one week since I did my transfer. I can't believe I've already been getting positives since Monday. I've run out of FRERs, so yesterday was my last one and the test line was as dark as the control line which makes me feel pretty good. I know we're not out of the woods though and I'm so anxious for my first beta results on Monday. They usually call around lunch time so I'll make a post on Monday with my results.

3 weeks and 5 days pregnant today!

Symptoms:

- fatigued
- heartburn
- all day nausea
- cramping
- hot flashes

*Most of these are probably from the medicines I'm on. I'm still currently taking my Prenatal Vitamins, Prednisone (2x daily), Baby Aspirin (1x daily), LDN (1x daily), Estrace (3x daily), Prometrium (2x daily), and PIO shots (1x daily).

First Pregnancy Symptoms?

Today is the first day I've sort of felt pregnant. Last night I went to bed at 8:30pm because I was just so exhausted. I woke up at midnight with the worst heartburn ever and I never get heartburn. On a side note, it was cool having to google what I could take for it since I'm pregnant. It was about an hour before the medicine kicked in and I was able to sleep. But besides that hour, I slept from 8:30pm to 8am. But even after all that, I'm still so tired/fatigued today. It's just not normal. I also woke up feeling pretty nauseas today, but that might be from my new prenatal vitamins.

I did another test today and the line was even darker! It's getting close to matching the control line now. I only have one more FRER left and one digital left. I plan on holding the digital until beta day which is Monday. I'll probably buy another FRER for Monday too.

My mother-in-law has already started buying baby stuff, and my mom has already bought me a couple maternity dresses. My husband finished painting the trim in the nursery last night and we put the few things we've already bought for the baby in there. We're all getting so excited... 5 days until beta and approximately 14 days until my first ultrasound!! (I really think its twins. We'll see!)

FET #1 - 4dp5dt Line Progression

Today makes 4dp5dt and I got a positive digital!! I took one last night and it was negative, but today my tests were even darker so I took another one and it came right up... PREGNANT! It feels so good to see it in words. I will say I took a Walmart $.88 First Signal which a lot of people swear by and it barely had a line compared to the Clearblue and First Response. My internet cheapie had the tiniest shadow of a line. Those are pretty much useless.

So far my only symptoms are lots of little cramps and major hot flashes. I'm also hungry a lot and have to pee every hour almost but I've been like that since starting the Prednisone.

 

*I'm not sure how to rotate the pictures

HOW I TOLD MY HUSBAND:

He gets home before me, so he was mowing the yard when I got home. I sat out the picture of our embryos with my two first tests and waited what seemed like forever on him to come in. When he finally did he just looked at the test, looked at me and his mouth fell open lol! He said are you serious? He was so excited!!

 

*It's hard to see but the lines are definitely there!

 

HOW WE TOLD OUR PARENTS:

 

 

My parents live about an hour and 15 minutes away, so we couldn't drive to tell them in person last night and I didn't think I could keep it a secret until Wednesday which is when I'll see them again, so we Facetimed them. They were yelling and smiling so much! My husband's parents live 5 minutes away so we went and told them in person. They were so shocked because they didn't think we would be testing this early. His mom went last night and started buying baby stuff! We also told my grandparents and they were also thrilled.

Now we just wait until Monday for my beta results!!

This is the moment I've been waiting for...

As of today....

24 Doctor Office Visits
59 Needles
11 Ultrasounds
2 Surgeries
Over $11,000

Equal my first positive pregnancy test! I'm over the moon!! I just had a feeling that this cycle worked. I had a negative internet cheapie this morning, but I couldn't shake the feeling. I bought a 2 pack of FRER on lunch and took it without any hold at all. Less than 3 minutes later I got my first ever BFP.

It's easier to see in person but its a for sure BFP. I just can't believer it. I'm only 3dp5dt and now I'm freaking out that it's probably twins lol! This is the best day ever... I can't wait to tell my husband tonight.

FET #1 - 3dp5dt

Today I am 3dp5dt and of course I tested. It was BNF as expected being that I'm super early and I used just a cheapie that I don't have much faith in. We are going to get groceries tonight so I plan on buying some FRERs and First Signal tests to start using tomorrow. Tomorrow is also my post-transfer hormone check for Estradiol, Progesterone and TSH. Just one week until beta. I'm feeling much more positive this time but we will see I guess. My only symptoms have been some cramping and twinges in my uterus Saturday night and yesterday. My boobs are only slightly sore when they are normally killing me by now.

 

FET #1 - PUPO

My transfer was today and it went perfectly! My embryos thawed beautifully and everything looked great. I transferred two 5AA blastocysts. The only concerning thing was my estrogen was pretty low, so they upped my estrace intake which should hopefully fix it. Post-transfer lab check is 3/13 and beta day is 3/19. I plan on testing next Wednesday for sure. Please stick babies...

 

FET #1 - Travel Day!

We leave tonight for Albany to go get 2 of my embabies!! The winter storm is over and they are saying the roads are clear in Albany. We won't arrive until around 1am tomorrow.

I did my first dose of intralipids last night and it was awful. Apparently even though the bag said to do it in 30 minutes, I really needed to do it over an hour or more. My whole arm was in pain and started pulsating. I was only able to do half of the bag. Even today my arm still hurts really bad. I'm not sure if I'll do that again since it's not mandatory.

Weather Watch - Winter Storm Quinn

We are scheduled to fly out on Thursday night at 7:05pm. As of right now, Albany is supposed to get about a foot of snow on Wednesday. I'm just really hoping that the weather does not affect our flights any on Thursday. I'll be so devastated if I have to cancel this cycle.

I'm starting to feel pretty good about this cycle. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because it's a frozen cycle and I'm transferring two perfect quality blastocysts this time. I've also added in intralipids to my protocol and I'm going to take a few more precautions during the two week wait. I'm already so ready to start testing. I plan on trying to wait until 5dp5dt which is a week from tomorrow. Please stick babies... I want you both so bad.

My first self-inflicted PIO injection!

Not much is going on. Just taking all my meds and getting ready for my transfer in just 4 long days! But one surprising/exciting thing happened, I did my own PIO shot last night!! My DH was asleep already and I realized I really needed to learn to do it alone because my Mom really didn't want to have to do it this weekend, and there will be other times when DH just isn't available. So I watched a few videos of other people doing it, sucked in my fear and stuck the needle in. It really didn't hurt at all. I'm sore today but that's about it. 3 days until we leave for New York!

FET #1 - Lining Check Is Complete

I had my lining check appointment this morning and it went well. My lining was 9mm and triple striped which is perfect. My only concern was I still had cysts on my ovaries. I'm waiting for my instructions call but I think that's okay. I'll update this post once they call me. As long as they think everything looks okay I'll be scheduling my transfer date and time when they call me. I'm starting to get so excited and nervous...

They called and said everything looks great! Transfer is next Friday at 9am. I start Progesterone on Sunday night.

Waiting for lining check... and feeling pretty sick

I'm on day 4 of Estrogen pills and I'm feeling pretty crappy. I have headaches every day and terrible mood swings. I honestly think I feel worse in this cycle than I did in my IVF stim cycle. And to top it off, I have a bad cold/sinus infection, so I'm dealing with that as well. Not much is going on other than that, I'm just waiting for my lining check on Friday so we can book my transfer as long as all looks good. I'm really hoping my lining doesn't give us any problems.

I paid for my FET cycle and booked my flights this weekend. The only thing left to book is the hotel but I'm waiting until we have a for sure date before I do that since I use Priceline and it's non-refundable. My mom is going with me this time and my husband is staying at home. He really wanted to go but it was cheaper for just me since we have to fly. Cross your fingers for a good thick lining on Friday!!

FET #1 - Meds Have Started!

I got the call from the nurse today that my hormone levels look good and I can start my meds for my first FET! I'm currently on Estradiol 1 pill twice daily taken vaginally, Prednisone 1 pill twice daily, LDN 1 pill at bedtime, Baby Aspirin 1 pill once daily and Prenatal Vitamins. I go back to the doctor on Friday March 2 for a lining check. If all looks good we'll schedule my transfer! I'm starting to get so excited. I feel really positive about this transfer.

FET #1 - Baseline Appointment

I have horrible luck! I went in for my baseline ultrasound and blood work today, and of course I have cysts on both ovaries. I'm waiting on my blood work to come back, but if they're estrogen producing I'll have to most likely cancel my transfer and go on birth control which I despise. Birth control makes me a crazy person. Plus I just really REALLY hate waiting, and another set back is probably going to make me have another hormonal breakdown.

On the bright side, my period has finally slowed down to normal and my lining is under 5mm today which is good. Just waiting on the instruction phone call from CNY....

Update - the nurse called and said they won't get my results back until tomorrow (they close at 12 on Thursdays), but that the cysts are most likely not estrogen producing. She gave me instructions to start taking my meds tomorrow as long as all my blood work looks okay when they review it tomorrow morning. So I start Estradiol pills tomorrow and I go back for a lining check next Friday the 2nd.

FET #1 - It's Officially Started

My period arrived 4 days after stopping meds. I'm now on CD 2 and my baseline appointment is tomorrow morning at 7:45am. I'm expecting to start estrace tomorrow night and I'll go back in a week for a re-check before scheduling my transfer. I'm not looking forward to taking all the meds again, but it'll definitely be worth it if this cycle works.

On a side not the DH and I are going on a weekend trip with his brother and girlfriend next week, so I'm excited about that. I really need something to get my mind off everything.

FET #1 - Just waiting....

I did my last PIO shot on Thursday 2/15, and my last Progesterone and Estrogen suppositories on Friday 2/16 morning. I had some spotting last night but nothing today and no cramps yet. I'm so ready to get this cycle started. This is my cycle plan if all goes well:

CD 3: Baseline ultrasound and blood work. Start Estradiol suppositories that night if everything looks good. 2mg twice a day.

CD 10ish: Repeat ultrasound and blood work. If everything looks good (triple striped lining), I'll pick a day the next week to transfer. Most likely March 9th. I'll start PIO and Prometrium 5 days before the transfer.

I plan on transferring 2 5AA hatching blastocysts. My beta will probably be on 3/19. I really, really hope it works this time. If it doesn't I think I'll definitely have to take a break. This process is so hard mentally and physically.

IVF #1 - Beta Day

Well today is beta day for my first IVF fresh transfer. As of yesterday my HPT was still negative, so I'm of course expecting my beta to be negative as well. We are jumping right into a frozen transfer cycle when I get my period after stopping meds. Expected transfer will be the week of March 5. I'll update this post with my beta result once received.

Final count for this cycle:

Doctor Visits: 21  Ultrasounds: 7  Needle Sticks: 47

Update: The doctor just called and confirmed that our beta was negative. Stopping all meds and will call on cycle day 1 to start our first FET.

Last Update Before Beta - 9dp3dt

This cycle looks like it was officially a bust. Still no hint of a line even today at 9dp3dt. Yesterday was the worst. I had a complete emotional meltdown in my bathroom after seeing the negative again. Thankfully yesterday was Mardi Gras so I was able to sulk at home alone all day. I wanted these embryos to stick so badly.

The silver lining is that we do have 15 frozen embryos waiting for us in New York. I plan on jumping straight into a frozen transfer with my next period, which hopefully means transferring around the first week of March. We'' be transferring 2 5AA blasts. This makes me very hopeful that I'll have success with my next transfer since it'll be a frozen transfer and I have perfectly graded blastocysts.

Beta is Friday although I'm definitely expecting it to be negative. My "perfect" IVF cycle didn't have the happy ending we had hoped for.

I've been a little MIA... 7dp3dt Update

I've been off the radar for a few days now. The main reason being There's been nothing exciting to report. Plus, I've so far only had BFNs. I tested on 5dp3dt (too early I know) and it was of course BFN. But then I tested again today at 7dp3dt totally expecting/hoping to see a positive and it was BFN again. I'm really feeling like I'm out. I don't have any symptoms besides cramping and sore boobs but I know that's from the medicines I'm on. What sucks so much is my husband is really disappointed and upset. That hurts worse than anything. And everyone keeps asking me how I'm feeling and I just say "normal" and then they look disappointed too. This just sucks. 4 days until beta.

Day 5 Update

I spoke with embryology a few minutes ago and we have a total of THIRTEEN blastocysts frozen!!! They are watching the other 2 and they said they might be able to freeze them tomorrow. I'm just stunned! We were definitely not expecting that many embryos to make it to the blast stage and be able to be frozen. As far as numbers go, we had a great IVF cycle.

Now is just the waiting to test. My bets day isn't until 2/16, but I think I'll probably do my first at home test on 2/12 which is 7dp3dt (7 days past 3 day transfer). I'm just so excited! I really hope this round worked, but if not at least I know I have plenty of embryos waiting for me that I can use to try again.

Transfer Day!!

I'm a little late posting but yesterday was crazy! My transfer was almost an hour late, my first flight got delayed over an hour and we had to run to make our connection, plus stop at a family restroom to do my PIO shot! It was just crazy and we didn't get home until after 11pm last night.

My transfer went great! We transferred two beautiful 3 day embryos. One was actually already at the morula stage and the other was a grade 4 (excellent) 9 cell embryo which is the best they can be at day 3. The other 15 were still growing as of yesterday and almost all of them are good-excellent quality and all are 7-9 cells. We will get a call tomorrow with our final number of embryos that made it to freeze at the day 5 blast stage.

I go back to the doctor next Monday (12th) to recheck my Estradiol, Progesterone and TSH levels, and then my Beta Day is Friday (16th). I think I'll  probably test early at home, because I have 0 patience. I really think it's going to work..

Fertilization Report

We got the call this morning! 24 were retrieved, 19 were mature and 17 of those fertilized! So today we have 17 babies growing. We’re so excited! Transfer is scheduled for Monday at 10:15. We are putting in 2 3day embryos. I start PIO shots tonight and I’m so nervous.. here’s to hoping DH doesn’t get needle fear.

Egg Retrieval Is Done!

We had our egg Retrieval at 9:30am today. They retrieved 24 eggs from me! And for the absolute miracle...... DH had 3 million sperm in his sample which is more than he’s ever had even when on medicine! And his last test just a couple weeks ago was 0 sperm! We are so happy and shocked. They were able to use his sample for ICSI on my eggs and freeze his leftover sperm in case we need it in the future for any reason. We will get a call tomorrow with our fertilization information.

We pulled the trigger! Leaving for New York

I took my trigger shot at 9:30pm last night CST. I take another one today at 9:30am. We are leaving for the airport at 4:30pm today and our flight leaves at 6:50pm. It'll arrive at 12:45am EST. We are all so excited and ready to go!! My retrieval is tomorrow at 9:30am EST so I'll post an update after. Wish me luck!!

P.S. These Lupron trigger hot flashes are no joke!!!

Poke Count:

Arm: 5  Stomach: 25  Ultrasound: 5

IVF Monitoring Appointment #3

So we had a crazy surprise today!!! My lining grew from 4mm to 9mm in just 2 days!! I have no idea how it happened but we are super happy. I'm back on for a fresh transfer now. Last night was my last night of stim shots. I took my ganirelix this morning and I'll be triggering tonight with Lupron. 32 measurable follicles today. I'm so ready and excited for my retrieval on Friday. We are flying out tomorrow at 6:50pm. Wish us luck!

Update: My Estradiol is really high now (4,856), so we are doing a fresh 3 day transfer and growing the rest to 5 days before freezing. Triggering tonight at 9:30pm!

Poke Count:

Arm: 5  Stomach: 24  Ultrasound: 5

IVF Monitoring Appointment #2

Today sucks. I had my second monitoring appointment and it went ok. I had 34 measurable follicles between 9-18mm. But my lining is a measly 4mm. No where near thick enough for a fresh transfer. So my transfer has been cancelled and I'm only doing my retrieval on Friday and then flying back home on Saturday. I still have to wait another few weeks to do my transfer. I feel like nothing in this process can go smoothly for me.

Poke Count:

Arm: 4  Stomach: 19  Ultrasound: 4

IVF Monitoring Appointment #1

Today was my first IVF Monitoring appointment and it went great! I had 20 measurable follicles around 10-12mm and 4-5 more smaller one that may catch up. My estrogen was 867 which is great. My lining is still thin but they said it should thicken up by next week. I start Ganirelix tomorrow morning so now I do shots in the morning and evenings. Today was halfway done with stim shots. A week from today we should be doing my retrieval.

Poke Count:

Arm: 3  Stomach: 10  Ultrasound: 3

Last night was the first night I had to "shoot up" somewhere other than home. I had to take my meds to church (1 hour away) in a small ice chest and do my shots in one of the side buildings during service. It went ok though and I didn't have any issues. My husband is working out of state right now so I'm doing the shots by myself now. I actually like it more than when someone does it for me because I can control it better.

Today is the first day I've woken up feeling just awful. I started another medicine last night - Low Dose Naltrexone. It gave me crazy dreams all night and this awful headache this morning. Also, when I ben over my stomach now hurts. I'm not sure if it's from the shots or my ovaries. Stim night 4 is tonight at my in-law's house since I'm staying there so my MIL can ride with me to my appointment tomorrow morning.

Poke Count:

Arm: 2  Stomach: 6  Ultrasound: 2

Baselines and Starting Stims - Stim Day 1

So today I had my second baseline appointment. It went great! I had roughly 35-40 resting follicles total and they expect me to have a very high response to the meds. It looks like we are all set to start stimming medications (150iu Follistim and 75iu Menopur) tonight at 8pm. I'm starting to get so nervous but also very excited. I'll put an update on this post after we do the shots. Hopefully in 11 days we'll be doing our egg retrieval!!

*Update - first night of shots went great. The needles didn’t hurt much but the medicine burned some. 1 day down, 9 to go.

 

 

Poke Count:

 

Arm: 2   Stomach: 2  Ultrasound:  2

Is this a bad sign of things to come?

We are now 4 days away from starting my stimulation injections for IVF. I ordered the donor sperm and had it shipped on Monday to arrive on Wednesday. My RE's office called me this morning to say that the vial arrived completely thawed and useless. Apparently, the current ice storm in Louisiana where my cryobank is at affected the delivery. Thankfully, the cryobank is sending a replacement vial free of charge for us. They are shipping it next Monday since I didn't actually need it until retrieval in 2 weeks. I'm just very glad that my RE advised me to order my vial early in case something like this happened.

Also, today we found out the results of DH's fifth semen analysis, and as expected, he still does not have any sperm. Even though we expect this result, it still really sucks. Just 2 more birth control pills, tonight and tomorrow. I'm starting to get so excited.

Saline Ultrasound Experience

I went to my local RE today for a saline ultrasound since he wanted to check and make sure all of the septum was removed. I really was dreading this appointment because I had heard that it hurt pretty bad, so I took some Ibuprofen before I left for my appointment. It actually wasn't that bad at all. I only had minor cramping when they inserted the speculum and catheter through my cervix. The saline part didn't hurt at all. The good news is my uterus looks great!! No more septum. This definitely helps with my pervious fear of miscarriage. So now just 8 more days of birth control after today and 11 days until I start stims!!

IVF Cycle 1 - First Baseline Appointment

My first ever IVF baseline appointment went well. The tech said I have "beautiful" ovaries which had over 10 follicles on each. She said she thinks I'll get a bunch of eggs at retrieval. I also had blood work done. They think this will all be covered on my insurance, so I only had to pay $55 today. Here's to hoping it stays that way!!

Now I'll be starting birth control tomorrow, and ending around the 17th. I still plan on starting stims on the 22nd unless something changes. My meds also arrived today so I'm just ready to get started.

 

 

 

Poke Count:

 

Arm: 1  Ultrasound: 1

Waiting on AF to arrive.. Starting my first IVF cycle soon!

I know our plans have changed a few times due to test results and other factors, but as of now we are planning to start our first IVF cycle this month!! I'm waiting on AF to arrive sometime this weekend so I can begin birth control. I'll go to my local RE sometime between CD 6-10 to get a follow up ultrasound to make sure the septum is gone. My husband's SA is a week from today on January 11. We should receive his results on January 18. I plan on starting stims on January 22 if all goes well which is only EIGHTEEN days away!!!

My meds will be arriving tomorrow and Saturday. I actually ended up buying my Follistim, Menopur and Ganirelix from a previous patient at my clinic. I know it's super risky and it's the first time I've ever done this, but I saved so much money I had to give it a try. I ordered 2 900iu boxes of Follistim, a Follistim pen, 10 vials of Menopur, and 5 Ganirelix boxes for $850 including shipping!! Those medicines will arrive tomorrow. I also ordered my 2 Lupron triggers from Cornerstone Fertility Pharmacy for $118. It will be arriving Saturday. I previously bought my PIO from my local CVS for $12 for 2 vials. Everything else was covered 100% by my insurance. I will have only spent $980 for all of my IVF meds which is amazing!!!

Our expected IVF costs have changed. Here they are as it stands today:

Cycle Cost: $3,900.00 (includes 1 retrieval and FETs for $250 each for up to one year after your retrieval)
Donor Sperm: $600.00
Pre-Cycle Tests: $150.00 (they let me waive almost all of the testing)
Monitoring: $1,000 (doing this at my local RE)
Medications: $980.00 (they let me order from overseas which saved a ton of money!)
Travel: $1,400.00 (this includes flights, hotel room, food, car rental, etc.)
Total: $8,030.00

As of right now my protocol is 150ius of Follistim and 75ius of Menopur per day and I'm expected to stim for 10 days. We'll see if my body decides to go with the program. I've never been so excited and impatient for AF to arrive in my life!

EDIT - AF arrived around 4pm today!! Going for baselines either tomorrow or Monday and then I’ll start birth control!