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Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Transfer Complete!

The transfer went really well this morning, thank you all for your well wishes and prayers! A few of you have asked me what the actual procedure is like so I figured I'd briefly explain it for you. I have to have a full bladder because that helps give a clearer picture of my uterus in an ultrasound. So once I'm about ready to burst, Dr. Q opens up my lady bits with a tool (similar to what's used for a pap smear, but on a larger scale), and slides a tube up into my uterus. The embryologist puts the embryos into the tube and they're pushed in with a bit of air. Once they're in, I have to lay down on the table for about 30 min and then we're good to go. It's a pretty easy and quick procedure. There's a little bit of cramping afterward but nothing traumatic. :) The full bladder is really the biggest contributor to the discomfort. Because I have to hold it, yet stay relaxed enough so that Dr. Q can work without hurting me, and all the while I have a nurse or assistant pushing on my abdomen with the ultrasound camera. Yowza! lol.
Anyway, our embryologist said that the embryos thawed without any problems and are expanding beautifully. :) It was so nice to hear her say that they were both in great condition. In our past three embryo transfers, I think we only had one little rockstar in the bunch and the rest were classified as being in ok condition. I know that the grades and "quality" don't necessarily mean anything because God is ultimately the giver of life, but it's still nice to hear such a positive response after an embryo thaw. Especially since they have been frozen for 11 years! lol. So yes, that said, here's a picture of our little ones and a few others from our morning at Dr. Q's. :)

I'm on a light bedrest for the rest of this week, so I'm sure I'll do another post while I'm sprawled on the couch over the next couple days. ;) Thank you for your continued prayers! 

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Tomorrow's the Big Day!

I'm so excited about our transfer tomorrow morning!! Eeeeee! I just can't wait. I'm on a total up swing right now - high hopes and high spirits. :) That may bite me in the butt later if this transfer does not result in pregnancy, but I'm not going to worry about that now. I'm happy to be happy about it, if that makes sense. lol. I'm going to try to take some pictures while we're at Dr. Q's, so if you want a bit of play by play through the process, make sure you're following the Where's Baby Miller facebook page and/or my Instagram (DenayMiller). :)

Physically, I'm doing great. Ryan and I really feel like we've nailed our injection routine which is nice. I've found that for my body, getting the syringe in is the hardest part. Thankfully, I don't have any burning sensation or pain when the medication penetrates. We've been icing the site to help numb it prior to injection, and then I massage and put a heating pad on afterward to help the oil absorb into the muscle and prevent lumps. Although I do have some bruising and slight soreness, I haven't had to deal with welts or anything crazy. 


Side note - ^this is the new ice pack I bought today. It's got smiley little crabs and lobsters on it and I just about died when I saw it. :) Funny how a cute ice pack can make me excited about my injection tonight. lol

Friday, October 25, 2013

Transfer Date Set!

My appointment with Dr. Q this afternoon went very well. We were hoping for my uterine lining to be at least 8mm, and it's measuring at 11mm! Estrogen level needed to be at least 300 and it's at almost three times that- 849!!

So my body is definitely doing what it's supposed to be doing (thank You Lord!). :) Now we just gotta get these frosties to thaw, stick, and STAY. Our transfer is officially scheduled for next Wednesday morning, October 30th. Daily injections of progesterone start tonight, and I'm praying that my body responds as well to this medication as it has to the estrodial. woot woot! :)

Monday, October 21, 2013

So Far So Good

So far so good! We did our second injection last night and although my left side was slightly more sensitive than the first injection on my right side, they are not as bad as I thought they would be. ::huge sigh of relief:: I'm sure it will be harder once I have to do them every day, but for now, I'm not hating it. :) My next appointment is on Friday afternoon to see how I'm responding. We're hoping for at least 8mm of lovely uterine lining, and estrogen levels of at least 300. :) 


Thursday, October 17, 2013

Baseline Appointment

Yesterday's appointment went well. :) Dr. Q says that my ute looks beautiful and gave the official ok to start on meds. I start on my first estrogen injection tonight, and thankfully I only need to take this hormone every three days. Progesterone injections start five days before the transfer and those will need to be done daily. I am also taking another two medications in pill form, as an added safeguard since I have a miscarriage in my history. Overall, I'm really pleased to be on more intense medication than I was before. I feel like Dr. Q is taking every precaution that he can and that has really put my mind at ease. I have a renewed sense of hope that this just might work. :)

I have another appointment next week and depending on how my uterine lining and hormone levels look, we'll either do the transfer on Wednesday, October 30th, OR Friday, November 1st. :)

Monday, October 14, 2013

Green Light

Our clinic is ready to move forward, woohoo!  :) I have an appointment scheduled with Dr. Q on Wednesday afternoon, and I'll start on meds that evening!

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

They've Arrived :)

Our frosties arrived at Dr. Q's clinic today! :)
My coordinator said she'd let me know tomorrow if the embryologists have everything they need to move forward. I'll keep you posted! :)

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Surprise Meds

My clinical coordinator went ahead and ordered my meds for me, so that I'd have them on hand when we were ready to go. During my last FET, Dr. Q just had me on progesterone suppositories and estrogen patches, so that's what I was expecting this time around. Super minimal and painless. Well his protocol has changed in the last year and a half. Sames hormones, but they're both intramuscular injections now- oils injected into my butt muscle daily, prior to the transfer and for the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. 

This type of injection is supposed to be the most painful of the fertility drugs, and I don't have experience with it so I'm a little nervous. But I am trying to look at the up side! I trust Dr. Q, and if he thinks this is the best form of medication to sustain a pregnancy, then so be it. Better safe than sorry! And it's just another opportunity to give of myself for these babies. Because that's what mommies do. :) These babies are worth it, these babies are worth it...