50 Days Until Transfer!

50 days until FET!

I got my period last Tuesday and went in on Thursday for blood work and ultrasound in order to start BCP for our FET cycle. I have 5 complex cysts from the IVF cycle - 4 over 20mm and a 13mm. I have another ultrasound this Thursday to make sure they are going down in size.

I've been on BCP for 6 days and it's just as terrible as usual. Headache for days, cranky as all get out. I can't wait for this part of the process to be over.

I have to have another saline sonohystogram to make sure everything is still looking good down below, then ultrasound for lining/bloodwork on 1/16/17, ultrasound for lining on 1/28/16, and then FET on 2/8/17! The minimal monitoring is a nice change in pace. The less I have to wake up early and battle traffic across town and back the better!

I have a good feeling about this cycle :)

PGS Results

We found out we have three PGS normal embryos. 

When we found out we had seven day 5 blastocysts I was pretty disappointed that we didn't end up transferring. It seemed like wow, 7. I could be pregnant by now. But after getting our results stating three normals I'm glad we didn't transfer any. We would have had less than 50% chance of a healthy pregnancy. Three is a great number, I'm thrilled to have any, but I still feel slightly disappointed. Is that normal? I feel so guilty for being disappointed; I should be happy we have ANY normal considering we didn't have any make it last cycle. 

I should be getting my period in the next few days and then we'll be know more exactly when our transfer date will be - Some time in February for sure. 

Of course I wanted to move right from retrieval to transfer but honestly, I'm slightly relieved to have some time that we aren't doing anything. I've felt so not myself after all the IVF meds and recovering from the transfer. Not having control over by body is painful for me. I'm happy to have a month and a half to go to the gym and start feeling myself again before hopefully becoming pregnant. I've been very Veruca Salt for the last 2 years and now i'm glad for a break.

Embryo Update

We started with 11 eggs retrieved. 9 were fertilized with ICSI. 7 MADE IT BIOPSY AND FREEZE!! I can't express how many this makes me. Our first cycle we had 10 retrieved, 8 fertilized, 1 transferred (chemical) and zero frozen. I was absolutely NOT expecting 7 to make it to freezing! I was optimistically thinking 4 or 5 but panicky thinking none were going to make it. I'm so realized we made it this far. Of course we still have quite a few hurdles to leap. Next up: we have to wait aabout week for our PGS results to come back. Please please please let there be at least 1 normal. Please!

I may or may not have done this move at my desk at work. And then cried a bit.

I'm still feeling very bloated and it's really starting to get to me. I want to go run and lift weights and all those things but I know I'm still recovering and shouldn't do anything crazy right now. Just take it slow. Hopefully my (so freaking slow) 45 minutes walks will help me, mentally at least.
My boobs and nips are also still so sore!

Post Retrieval: Day 3

3 days post retrieval and things are still looking good. All 9 embryos are still growing well. The nurse said at Day 3 they expect them to be between 6 and 8 cells. We have 2 7-cell and 7 8-cell! While that makes me very happy to hear I'm still holding my breath.

We won't hear again until Wednesday or Thursday. Day 4 is a rest day where they don't check them at all and then day 5 and 6 they would expect embryos to make it to the blastocyst stage when they can be biopsied. We won't here back from our clinic until our entire case is closed: either the embryos made it to blastocyst and are biopsied (😁), or they've stopped growing (😓). It's going to be a loooong week.

Post Retrieval: Day 2

We got our second report post retrieval. All 9 are still growing. The nurse said they should be between 2 and 4 cells. We have 3 2-cell, 2 3-cell, and 4 4-cells.

This process of waiting for reports is nerve wracking. It's all completely out of our control. We keep looking ahead to February when we would do a frozen transfer and then I keep reminding myself it's IF we have any embryos make it to day 5. IF we have any embryos that survive the big freeze. IF we have any embryos that come back from PGS as normal. And there is absolutely nothing we can do at this point. For now I'm going to keep holding on to hope.

Recovery wise: I'm feeling better and better after the retrieval (And WAY better on this day 2 than last time!). I'm still a little crampy, uncomfortable, and bloated, but it's getting better. I lost 2 pounds since yesterday so soon I'll be closer to normal and I can work out in the next few days thank goodness! I miss the gym so much. It's my destress place and without it I don't know what to do!

Swole Cat

Fertilization Report

We got our fertilization report this morning:

11 Retrieved

10 Mature

9 Fertilized with ICSI

Now we just nervously make it through the next few days and:

Retrieval Day #2!!

We finally made it to our retrieval day!! Everything went smoothly and we got 11 eggs. I excited and of course nervous to get the call tomorrow of how many eggs were fertilized.

We decided to go ahead and do PGS on all and then do the transfer in January or February, depending on when my period shows up (fingers crossed for January transfer!). It will be nice not having the stress of TWW during the holidays. I can have a few drinks and eat carbs and enjoy myself.

My husband said I didn't cry this time and I didn't mumble anything weird like I did last time so I have that going for me. Walking is a little rough, but I feel fine when I'm laying down, which I plan to do the rest of the day, and probably tomorrow when I'm "working from home". I have a ton of gatorade and protein powder to get me through the next few days as well.

Our life during stims. Glad that part is over!

hahah maybe we need to try it this way instead