Monday, October 7, 2013

And We're Off!

First prescription was called in for our next embryo transfer!

Start birth control tomorrow.  Lucky for me, I only have to endure bc for about two weeks and then I get to drop that evil to the curb (based on last time, I'm not a nice person to be around while on bc).  Then, a few days later, I'll start adding in the cocktail of estrogen and, a bit later still, progesterone to ready my womb for our two waiting snowbabies.

Reminder - since we are not doing a natural transfer (one timed precisely with my own cycles), the clinic manipulates my cycles through the use of hormones.  This clinic uses birth control; my Virginia clinic used lupron injections.  Some places use a combination of both lupron and birth control.

November 22 is the day!  Prayer warriors, start your engines!

And, tentatively speaking, it looks like I'll get to do my beta check (first pregnancy test) while we are taking a mini-family vacation.  We've decided to go more for memories rather than items for Christmas this year and are taking the kids to Great Wolf Lodge for one night (thanks Zulily for the discount!).  And as our little trip coincides with my beta test, I'll get to scout out labs in the Dallas area.

I'm in an interesting place mentally.  I've been longing for more children for so long now yet I'm emotionally guarded after our last failed transfer.  There's a big race that I hope to compete in in May if I'm not pregnant.  Yet I want very much to be pregnant.  I want these "baby seeds" to live.  I have no idea what will happen next on our journey to grow our family if this transfer fails or if I miscarry.  Basically, my brain works this way right now:  Option A:  transfer is a success - healthy pregnancy!  Option B:  not pregnant - compete in Spartan Race in May with group of friends. 

Option A is preferred, but Option B sounds like great fun other than the whole "not pregnant" part.  :-/

So I get to wait and see how the future unfolds.  One of these days, I'll really learn just how little control I have over it AND how everything works out okay in the end.

Please don't think I'm equating pregnancy or future motherhood with a race.  Pregnancy is always on my mind but intangible at the moment and for an unknown future length of time.  I just competed in a little mud run at the end of September, that is more "real" to me right now.  Not better by any means, just more tangible.  I can work towards a race - I have more control over that outcome.  A pregnancy?  A successful FET?  Those are things I cannot control, despite my efforts.

So much for a nice, chipper post, sorry about that.  At any rate, we're off again!  Revving up the engines, prepping for embryo transfer number four.  God, please hold those little "baby seeds" in Your hands.  Please hold all of us in Your hands! 

4 comments:

  1. Yea! But why not just time it with your cycles? Would they have to hit ovulation on the head, and is that too hard...?

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    1. Oops, I replied to you, but forgot to tag it as such. See my response below!

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  2. Good question. A transfer is actually timed for a few days after ovulation, approximately three days after ovulation for a Day 3 transfer or six days after ovulation for a Day 6 transfer (the two most common transfer points).

    In order to accurately detect ovulation, a patient would need to have an ultrasound every day or every other day to pinpoint the exact time of ovulation. The transfer would then take place whenever was needed, as our bodies don't take time off for holidays or weekends.

    Since our clinic is in Austin, it's not feasible to do a "natural" cycle. There's just no way I can get down there with that frequency for an ultrasound series.

    Many clinics prefer to avoid weekend/holiday transfers and try to have transfers either on one specific day of the week (Fridays, so the recipient can rest over the weekend) or one week of the month (the NEDC blocks out their entire months transfer in one week per month).

    To put it briefly, a "natural" cycle can be achieved, it just doesn't take place often because clinics and patients alike tend to prefer the predictability that comes with medical manipulation.

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  3. Exciting times for you! I just received my protocol for my transfer too. My transfer is scheduled for November 20th at NEDC in Knoxville, TN.

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