Dec 31, 2007
The Pram
Introducing the Swallow Beema Q:
We are very happy with our decision and just love our new pram! It has every feature we wanted and was the top rating pram in the Choice guide. We also managed to pick it up at a great price, and even got a free Swallow nappy bag to match!
I am absolutely loving buying baby products, it makes the whole thing seem so much more real. The more things we buy, the more I just can't wait until the time when we meet our little one. I know that once the pregnancy part is over I will probably miss it terribly, but for now I am so excited about the day that we get to meet our baby.
Dec 27, 2007
Christmas
Maybe it was the anticipation of celebrating next year's Christmas with our child that kept us from the usual excitement of the holiday this year. Either way, it has still been a great week, just missing some of that 'magic' that I hope will return for us through our child's eyes in future years.
Our baby also recieved a first gift - a Christmas present from the future grandparents:
How surreal and wonderful to be opening a present for our child. I am just so excited about the day that we get to finally meet our little one.
One other very exciting thing that happened during the break was that I think I may have felt our baby move for the first time! On Christmas Eve, I was sitting at the shops looking at the baby monitor I had just bought when I noticed what felt like a large bubble popping inside my belly where I was leaning the packet of the monitor. I don't know for sure if it was the baby moving as I don't know what I am feeling for, but I had never felt anything like it. I felt a similar sensation later that night, then twice throughout the day on Christmas Day. One of the times I pressed down gently where I felt the movement, and I felt it again, faintly against my hand. I guess I wont know for sure if it was the baby until the movements become more obvious, but if it was then how wonderful for it to happen at such a special time of the year.
Other than that, I managed to survive the Christmas period quite well. I did miss the usual glasses of wine and Christmas ham, but it is a sacrifice well worth it for the health & safety of our baby. I even managed to get a couple of nights of sleeping through for 5 hours or more! Very unusual for me considering the trouble I have been having sleeping, as well as the middle of the night bathroom stops that still haven't eased up at all.
Dec 20, 2007
20 weeks
Thought I'd start to do a few different shots to start to see my belly from different angles as it grows. I've also done one for a comparison - here it is with the last couple of shots:
Looks to me like it is getting more rounded and coming out more from the top. It seems to have gotten a bit bigger in the last two weeks, but I don't really know how much - I haven't gotten that feeling like I'm really popping out more again yet.
Today also marks the day when I am officially on holidays from work for Christmas - two whole weeks off! It's been a year since I have had any time off work so I'm really looking forward to it. I'm all set to get off to a great start this morning with a facial, pedicure and manicure at my favourite beauty salon, courtesy of my darling husband.
Dec 18, 2007
20 week OB Appointment
One thing that did come out of the appointment was he told me that my placenta is positioned at the front of my belly, explaining why I have still not felt any movements. With being nearly 20 weeks and having other people and books telling me I should be feeling the baby move, it was starting to get a bit disheartening that I still hadn't felt anything. Apparently it could still be another month before I really start to feel movements. While it's a bit sad that it will probably be a while before I will get to have that bonding experience, I feel so much better knowing that there is a good reason why it is taking longer for me to feel the baby's movements.
Other than that, it was the usual blood pressure & fetal heart rate check, opportunity for questions and a thanks very much, see you in 4 weeks.
Dec 13, 2007
19 week morphology scan
But, everything went absolutely perfectly!! Bub is doing so well, in fact is actually now measuring a week ahead of my original EDD. Bub's growth is at 75.5% where 50% is average and 90% is a really big baby so def developing well and looking like it may be a bit of a chubber!! Bub now weighs about 334g and the sonographer guessed the length at around 20cm. Everything else with bub was exactly what they wanted to see, the placenta is sitting beautifully up the top and my cervix is exactly as it should be.
Bub was a bit shy with the 4d face close ups, but we still managed to get some great pics! It is truly amazing what technology can do. I had seen heaps of 4d images before, but it was different again seeing OUR baby in the same sort of detail, just incredible!! They have to mail us out the pics and the report cause of a network problem, but we were able to take the DVD home with us and I've grabbed a couple of images off that. This one is probably my fav:
What a grumpy little pose!! So cute with the hand rubbing the eyes. Here's a couple more that I love:
I'm going to make a real effort now to not worry as much about everything and just try to enjoy the rest of my pregnancy. Now that I am nearly half way through, I am just starting to see how quickly it could go by looking back and I'd hate to feel like I missed it because I was worrying too much.
Dec 6, 2007
18 weeks
and here is the comparison with the 16 week shot:
I think hubby is right with the opinion that my belly hasn't really grown a lot over the past fortnight, but it has changed shape.
The main pregnancy symptom I have been struggling with lately is back pain. I really didn't think that I would experience this so early in the pregnancy, but for the last week especially I am finding that by the end of the day my back is extremely painful. I am making an effort to try to have correct posture when sitting, and I now put a pillow into the small of my back when sitting on the couch which I am finding is helping. I ache a lot after sleeping as well, or what little sleep I get seeing as how this sleep problem is turning out to be an ongoing problem for me.
Good news is that I started my new job today. I asked my workplace for reduced duties so that I can be based in the office rather than on the road on my feet in the heat of summer. I have been placed in a wonderful office, very close to home with a fantastic group of people. I couldn't be happier with the way it worked out. I feel really good about my decision, knowing that the most important thing for me is to put my baby and my body first.
Dec 4, 2007
Maternity clothes - pics
The red shirt says "Guess? Boy or Girl" and the black shirt says "Caution I Kick" Very cute :)
Dec 3, 2007
Maternity clothes
But it all went really well! I went to a new maternity store in my local shopping centre - they had a great range and the salesperson was just fantastic. She pulled out heaps of clothes for me in my size (my pre-pregnancy size too!), co-ordinating different tops and pants and making sure that the fit was right, testing with a fake belly. The first thing I noticed as I was trying these clothes on was OMG, they are sooooo comfy!!!! They feel like I am wearing trackies!! But you would never know they weren't just like normal clothes cause they have a hidden elastic band inside the waist and they just sit really low at the front under my belly. I ended up with a whole wardrobe of pants, tops & a gorgeous new set of PJ's. I don't know how I am ever going to go back to wearing normal clothes again!
The best thing about getting the maternity clothes is my renewed appreciation of my body. When I have been wearing my pre-pregnancy clothes, it has been very hard not to just feel like I am getting fat in the first half of the pregnancy - as I get bigger, the clothes look less and less flattering. The maternity clothes do the opposite - they highlight my bump and make it look beautiful, and the bigger I get, the better they are going to look! This is the first time that I can really say that I am loving the look of my bump!
Nov 22, 2007
16 weeks
Anyway, here is my 16 week belly pic:
and here it is compared to the 14 week shot...
Feels like I am popping out more and more every day. People at work seem to keep a close eye on my belly - it is strange hearing people say how big you are gettting, and even stranger when they make you stand on the side so they can stare at your belly. It's hard not to feel like I am constantly on show.
I caved the other day and bought some new bras - I'm now a whole cup size bigger! I also bought my first maternity outfit - a dress that you can also wear as a skirt. I really need to go shopping for some summer clothes as I'm running out of things to wear. But it's hard at this in-between stage. I'm still too small for maternity outfits, but too big for 'normal' clothes.
Oh and I finally managed to get a pic of the nursery manchester that I bought last week - this is the main pack:
There was also the fleece blanket that I bought seperately, it is green with the same style of embroidery on it. Hopefully our new shed will be up this weekend, then we can look at getting the cot into the nursery and start getting everything together. I finished my 'baby list' the other day and am just tweaking it now with the advice of some very helpful mummies. Seems overwhelming looking at such a big list, but I keep telling myself that we have heaps of time. And hey, if I can pull off a beautiful wedding by myself in 11 months, I can handle baby prep!
Nov 19, 2007
Right now
And yes, it tasted every bit as good as I expected!
Nov 16, 2007
Showing
On one hand, it was great - she loaded all my bags neatly into the trolley for me, even stopping to ask where I would like my eggs. But on the other hand, I can see myself getting very frustrated answering the same questions for the next 5-6 months - so far the most common question asked (including from family, friends and acquaintances) is by far - "Do you know if it is a boy or a girl?". Now before I even started thinking about starting a family, I didn't really know that much about pregnancy, but I did know that you have to be about half way through before this is even an option. But the cashier last night (who in her defence, was only about 17) came up with the dumbest question I have heard yet - "Are you excited?" What kind of a response is she expecting for that question???
I'm starting to think that these pregnancy hormones are making me a little irritated...
Nov 13, 2007
First baby purchase
While shopping on Monday afternoon, I came across a gorgeous cot set of Paddington Bear. As they were having a 20% off sale I managed to also get it at a great price! In the set was a cot quilt, cot topper, cot flat sheet, cot fitted sheet, cot pillowcase, hooded towel, wash mitt, nappy stacker, waffle bunny rug & a polar fleece blanket. It is a lime green & yellow themed colour so beautiful for either a boy or a girl. One thing that I have discovered while baby shopping is that it is very difficult to find gender neutral products!
I bought another book the other day (no, not another pregnancy book!) - The Choice Guide to Baby Products. A fantastic book which has a great list of baby items to buy categorised into essentials, optionals etc. It also has details on what to look for when buying baby products as well as comparisons of specific brands. We've bought a big shed that is getting put up on the weekend so that we can turn our current 'storage room' into a blank slate which will become our nursery. So the planning is now officially on the way!
Nov 8, 2007
14 weeks
Nov 6, 2007
Scan Pics
the start of a backflip!
I'm so in love already...
Back to the gym
I started off last night with an easy 20 minute walk on the treadmill and felt fantastic. There are so many benefits to keeping fit during pregnancy, I just have to keep remembering to take it easy and pay attention to my body. I really love going to the gym, I've missed it over the last couple of months. I can't wait to go back again!
On another note, I booked in my 19 week morphology scan yesterday - it's on the afternoon of the 13th of December. Seems like so far away, but really it is only just over a month!
Nov 2, 2007
Results & Check Up
I had my blood pressure checked which was fine, then I got to hear the baby's heartbeat! For the first time! I have seen the heartbeat a few times now, but this was the first time I was able to hear it. It's funny, even though I am very aware that I am pregnant, I still have an element of surprise when I have any sort of contact with the baby. It's still such a surreal feeling to know that there is a human life growing inside of me. I don't know if I will ever really grasp that concept.
Oct 30, 2007
NT Scan
The sonographer was really great and talked us through the whole scan, pointing out all of bub's 'bits'. Heart rate was good at 153bpm and it was actually measuring 3 days ahead at 13w2d! Bub now measures just over 7cm so has more than doubled in size over the last 3 weeks.
No pics yet though, I completely forgot to ask about a pic while we were there we were so overwhelmed by the scan. She took heaps of still photos so hopefully we will get a pic from the OB when I see him about the full details on Friday. I now have all my blood test results to discuss with him as well.
The scan was just the most amazing experience. Sitting in the waiting room was absolute torture with my bladder feeling like it was going to explode, but once I was in there and lying down seeing the bub I forgot all about it. I can't believe how much bub has grown and developed since we last saw it. The most adorable part was seeing bub doing backflips on the screen!!! Absolutely incredible to watch! She got a great shot of the face too, it is just indescribable seeing a healthy moving baby inside me - I still have trouble believing that there is a human life doing backflips in my belly!
Oct 29, 2007
Cooking
But I now feel as though I have lost any cooking ability I once possesed. The last 2 nights in a row, my attempts to cook dinner have failed miserably. And the meals were not difficult ones. Saturday night was crumbed steak with homemade chips. Very basic and a meal I just love. Had been looking forward to it all day. Somehow I managed to ruin the chips and overcook the steak so much that it tasted like rubber. Oh and all the crumbs were falling off and it took half a roll of paper towel to soak up the excess oil. Last night I attempted roast chicken with roast veges and gravy. The chicken was undercooked and was returned to the oven 3 times. When it was finally cooked, it was stringy and dry from the meat being exposed to the oven. The veges ended up cold and mushy waiting for the chicken and my attempts to reheat the gravy turned it lumpy.
After two nights in a row of tears of frustration while trying to cook a simple meal, I have temporarily resigned from cooking duties. Hubby has offered to take over for at least a few days until I am ready to try again. He is not what I would call a chef, but hopefully with some verbal help from me he will get through it better than me right now. Chicken & mushroom crepes are on for tonight, hopefully we will get through it without the drama of the last couple of nights.
Oct 25, 2007
12 weeks!
And just to compare - this one was taken at 7 weeks...
I'm not too bothered though, really I am the only one who can confirm this pregnancy and I will do it when I am good and ready. At this stage I am thinking that I will make the announcement at work on Friday next week - my 12 week scan is on Tuesday, then my appointment with the OB to get the results is on Friday morning. I am due to go to head office on Friday afternoon so I'm thinking I will have the discussion with my manager at that stage, then let all the other staff know and hear all the 'I knew it' comments.
Oct 23, 2007
Sleepless nights
So far I've tried going to bed later, going to bed earlier, napping during the day, not napping during the day, hot milk before bed, watching tv before bed, not watching tv before bed, reading, not reading, fan on, fan off, window open, window closed. I've even tried using different pillows! Next on my list to try is a relaxation CD that I don't yet own. If anyone has any ideas, I am more than open to suggestions!!
Oct 18, 2007
A very special holiday
After spending a couple of weeks trying to co-ordinate a trip to a tropical island, we started to come across too many obstacles due to the logistics of holidaying while pregnant. After much discussion, we have finally decided on a weekend destination which is now officially BOOKED!
We will be staying at Palazzo Versace at the Gold Coast for a weekend in January. We have booked a special package that they have especially designed for couples like us. It's called 'What's Kicking' and it includes 2 nights accomodation, buffet breakfast each morning, 2 items from their 'in room cravings' menu, Versace bath towels and a Versace teddy bear for baby. Here is a pic of the resort:
We have also upgraded our room to a superior suite - this is the room type we will be staying in:
Oct 15, 2007
Baby's first pic
My OB appointment went really well last week. He was really lovely and his rooms were just beautiful. He took a brief medical history, then it was up onto the bed for a scan to check out bubby. Here's bub's first pic:
Even though I kind of knew what bub would look like at this gestation, it was still a surprise to see it look like a baby instead of a tiny oval blob like the last scan. The best part was as soon as he put the scanner on me, we saw bub wriggling around! It was just so adorable! We could see it's little heart beating as well. The OB was very happy with bub's progress, in fact it was measuring one day ahead at exactly 10 weeks.
I can't stop looking at the pic, I just can't believe it was taken inside my body! I've seen pics like it before, but never ones taken from inside my own body! It truly is a miracle to watch our bub grow from a tiny mass of cells into another human being.
Oct 9, 2007
Another book!
Oct 8, 2007
Maternity leave
We have come to a decision that I will finish work at 30 weeks. This may seem early to some, but the more we thought about and discussed it, the more that we realised just how much more valuable the time spent at home will be. We have both worked very hard over the years to be in a good position financially so that we are in a position to be able to do this. I have given up a career and deliberately gone from job to job so that I could focus on our family and the children we have always so desperately wanted.
My current job is causing a great deal of frustration and stress for me at the moment. I don't mind the actual job, the flexibility and money were fantastic for IVF, but there are a lot of obstacles in my way that are extremely frustrating and disheartening. I wasn't planning on doing this job for very long in the hopes of falling pregnant, but I have been here nearly a year and it's starting to wear me down. Plus I am also expected to be out and about visiting clients during the day - after doing this through summer while pregnant, I will need the break.
My last day at work will be the last day of February. My sister is expecting her baby a couple of days earlier, it will be nice to be able to spend a bit of time with my niece or nephew as well as being able to be there to give her a hand if needed. It will give me a chance to finish preparing the house for our baby, cook some meals for the freezer so hubby doesn't starve while I'm in hospital (or overdose on pizza!) and so that I won't need to cook every night when we arrive back home. To enjoy the last quiet time at home before bub's arrival and to allow my body to rest so that my baby has all the energy it needs to continue to grow and develop through the final stages.
I'm excited and confident about our decision and think it is the best thing for our family. The more we prepare and make decisions about our baby, the more this is starting to feel real.
Oct 4, 2007
Oct 1, 2007
Happy Birthday to Me!
Firstly, I am extremely happy to report that all of my close family now know our wonderful secret. Telling the grandparents-to-be went wonderfully, I was so happy with the cake that we ended up with - this is it:
They were very surprised, but obviously very excited to hear about their new grandchild-to-be. My sister came to stay with us for a couple of days over the weekend as well and we got to tell her the news on Friday night. She is only around 10 weeks ahead of me in her pregnancy so she was very excited that we are both expecting so close together. I phoned both my brothers to let them know of the news as they were both interstate. Both were very surprised and happy. We also got to tell my grandparents on Saturday morning. I gave my Grandma a present for her birthday - a silver baby-themed frame. I said nothing after I gave it to her, expecting confusion with the gift, but she picked up on it straight away and was very happy for us, as was my Grandad.
I have really enjoyed sharing our news with everyone over the last couple of days, and I love the fact that they all now know. It felt awful having to hide such wonderful news from them, and putting it out there is helping to make it seem more real. As was seeing my sister at 18 weeks pregnant - I haven't seen her since the very start of her pregnancy, and it was weird to think that in just 10 weeks I may have a similar size preggy belly.
I should also put a note in here about my birthday, seeing as how that is what I've titled this post. It was a lovely day, hubby gave me a gift voucher for a 5 hour treatment with the works! I'm thinking it will be a wonderful way to welcome the second trimester! My parents bought me the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet book - will be fantastic to help me eat healthy throughout pregnancy, as well as lose some of that leftover IVF fat. Will be great for post-pregnancy as well. They also got me two baby-themed charms for my charm bracelet that I have been building up ever since my 18th birthday! They will be a wonderful addition!
We all went out with my Grandma for lunch which was really nice, but we could only manage a small serving of Thai for dinner after eating such a big meal. Mum and Dad had even organised a birthday cake, complete with candles and a 'happy birthday' song. All in all, a lovely day.
Normally I am wanting to plan out very special things to do on my birthday, but this year I really wasn't all that concerned. It didn't worry me what we did I would have enjoyed my day. I got what I could have only dreamed of for my birthday. It's amazing how much this little miracle is already putting things into perspective.
Sep 24, 2007
Plan in motion
For dessert, we have arranged a special cake to be made by our fantastic local bakery. It will be baby-themed and have the words 'Congratulations Grandma & Grandad' written on it. I'm hoping that this will be a memorable way to surprise the grandparents-to-be. Sure to make for some wonderful after dinner chatter!
We have also decided that we will tell my grandparents this weekend - it is my Grandmother's birthday on Saturday (the same day as mine) so we will be visiting, and it won't feel right to have to keep it from them. The plan is to give my Grandma a very special birthday present - a baby frame with a note saying 'Watch this space - photo to come in May' or something similar. Will have to organise this over the next couple of days.
I'm getting so excited at the prospect of being able to tell my family about our pregnancy. I can't wait until after the 12 week mark when we can share our news with the world. In a way, it is nice that hubby and I have such a wonderful secret together. But I'm at a point now where I want to scream out to everyone I meet and it is hard to speak to friends and family and not be able to share such exciting news with them.
Sep 20, 2007
7 weeks today
Sep 18, 2007
Scan results
One beautiful healthy bub!!!!!
I am amazed, I have spent the last two weeks preparing for the news of twins. Although I was prepared for the outcome of twins and would have been happy with that result, I was still struggling with how I would cope with a twin pregnancy as well as everything that comes along with twins. All along I had been hoping for a singleton. For so many obvious reasons including that it's so much less risk both for me and the baby. So I am just over the moon with this result.
Bub is measuring 6w5d and has a perfect heatbeat as well as a nice looking yolk sack. My FS has brought my EDD back to the 8th of May (when I originally thought it would be) - turns out that the clinic's method of working out EDD is not really an accurate one. So bub is measuring spot on for dates.
I just can't describe how I'm feeling now and how amazing it was to see our little one on the screen. Even though at this stage bub just looks like a little blob, we could see it's little heart beating strongly. After so many scans of seeing an empty uterus, the feeling when I first saw that little blob is indescribable. There are no words that explain just how over the moon I am right now, the joy brings tears to my eyes.
Sep 17, 2007
An Update
I have now bought my first pregnancy book:
A fantastic book that just has everything! Reading it is really helping to make it more real for me. It's still incredible to think that I will actually be experiencing all these things though. I guess it's going to be hard to truly believe until after I have more physical evidence in the form of a bulging belly.
One more day to get through until the scan. I'm feeling ok about it at this stage, but if I let myself focus on it too much I feel so much more than ok - excited, nervous, scared, anxious among other things. I'm so glad that I have been able to get a later appointment so that hubby will be able to come with me. Hopefully he will be able to keep it together better than I am predicting that I will.
I've been feeling so tired the last couple of days - even on the weekend I have been napping during the day and my whole body just feels really drained, like I have no energy. Going by the clinic's EDD, I am 6w2d today - maybe this is my first symptom? I've been wondering how I am going to get through the next month or so at work if I continue to be this tired - I'm guessing there will have to be a few long lunches to include some naps.
Sep 7, 2007
Updated hcg level
HCG @ 21DPO = 3983
So more than doubled which the clinic was really happy with. I think with these levels there is a pretty good chance that I may have more than one in there! Obviously we were prepared for this by transferring two embryos, but it's still a scary concept at this stage. We won't find out until the first scan, but with levels as high as we have had it seems like there is a high possibility.
I got my 'pregnancy pack' in the mail from the clinic yesterday afternoon as well - they have put my EDD at 10th May 2008. I can't seem to work out how they got to that date, but hopefully I will find out more at my first scan. I realise that the due date really doesn't matter cause at the end of the day, it will happen when it happens. But it would be nice to know how far along I am - I am already starting to read up on various pregnancy calanders to see what is happening inside my body at the moment. I think IVF has made the whole baby making process a lot more fasinating to me and I love reading about what is happening and how things develop.
Sep 6, 2007
Recapping the day that was
So, after we had the hcg level confirmed yesterday morning, I ended up taking the rest of the day off work to celebrate. Hubby and I met up and went out for a lovely lunch together where we were both able to talk about the amazing feelings we were having about the next step of our journey. It was just a nice way to spend some time as a couple to allow the news to settle in.
I had also arranged a small surprise for hubby which I gave to him at lunchtime - a book called 'So you are Going to be a Dad'. I put in inside a beautiful baby-themed gift box and wrote a note inside the book to remember the occaision. I may not have been able to have a nice surprise for him to tell him that I was pregnant, but at least I was able to give him something memorable to mark the special day.
I booked in my first scan with my fertility specialist today too. It is booked in for the 18th of September, so not too long to wait. I was so glad that I was able to get an afternoon appointment so that hubby could come along, I can't imagine him not being there for that.
The other very exciting thing I did today was book in with my new OB! I already knew which hospital I wanted to go to - I've known that for years. I'd spent the last few days researching the list of OB's at this particular hospital and chose one that I think that both hubby and I will relate to the best. A lot of people seem to have recommended him and his medical style seems perfect for us. My first appointment with him is on the 10th of October - I only had the one option for an appointment so it was lucky that I phoned this early to book in! I can't believe how quickly they book out!
All of this stuff today really helped make it all that more real. I am starting to accept it, but it still just all feels so surreal. But for now, I'm just going to enjoy the ride.
Sep 5, 2007
OMG!!!
The clinic finally managed to find my blood test results. Apparently they had spelt my name wrong so when they were searching for them under the correct spelling they weren't there. Results were:
HCG @ 19DPO = 1769!!!!!
What a huge level! Higher than the betabase average at 19DPO for multiples!!
I'm having another blood test tomorrow just to make sure that the levels are doubling as they should, but they are not too concerned with my level being so high.
I am just in shock, such a surreal feeling! I know that I had the postive pregnancy tests, but it really feels like I am finding out for the first time that I am pregnant. Finally I can say those words and actually believe them!! I can finally start to really enjoy this wonderful ride that I am on!!
Stupid Pathology
Sep 1, 2007
A Confession
Aug 28, 2007
Bloating
I mentioned it to my acupuncturist when I was there yesterday but he was happy about it! Reckons that at least I know that the meds are working! Yeah, that's great, but couldn't they have picked another side effect - at least with headaches or something I could have taken some panadol!
Other than that, the emotional side of things has calmed down a bit thankfully. Obviously still not me, but not the sobbing mess I was last week so I'm going to be happy with that.
I am doing my best not to think about the impending test result, but couldn't resist playing around with a ticker...
Aug 24, 2007
Pregnyl + Crinone = Tears
My poor hubby has his work cut out for him trying to support me right now. The last day or so he has done such a great job looking after me, it is just so wonderful to have someone to lean on when I feel so out of control.
I'm hoping now that the pregnyl injections are over with I can soon go back to just being mildly & occaisionally emotional rather than being 'wound up like a spring' as my hubby says.
Aug 22, 2007
2WW...here I am
Aug 17, 2007
Some good news
I was very surprised to be told that they collected 15 eggs when I was only expecting around 10! They ended up putting me on a drip of fluids for a while just in case cause of the big pick up result. The FS actually came and saw me when I was first waking up from the anaesthetic so I didn't actually know if I was dreaming or not. I think she could tell that I was really out of it cause she came back later and asked if I remembered seeing her! She warned me that even though I got 15 eggs picked up, that she thought there would be a few immature ones in there and to not be too surprised if I only ended up with about 6 mature eggs.
Anyway, I got the phone call this morning to say that out of the 15 eggs - 13 of them were mature enough to ICSI! And out of them, 11 of them have fertilised!! I was so surprised to hear those results after expecting to only have around 4-6 eggs fertilise. So I'm now feeling much better about the possibility of getting a couple of good blastocysts to transfer on Tuesday. On my last cycle, I ended up with 5 fertilised eggs on day 1, they all made it to blast stage, I transfered two really good ones, but the others were not good enough quality to freeze. So I'm feeling pretty good about starting with 11 this time. Hopefully the quality is still there though after a bigger pick up.
I also had my first appointment with my new acupuncturist and wow, I just love him!! I was happy with my other acupuncturist, but I couldn't handle driving to the city so often to see her so I found a guy much closer to home. I am just so thrilled with him - he made me feel really comfortable from the moment we walked in, explained everything he was doing and why in very simple to understand terminology and I barely even felt any of the needles! He is currently studying his masters degree specifically in fertility/IVF and acupuncture so is very good at what he does. I walked out of there feeling absolutely fantastic, more alert but relaxed at the same time. I would not have thought that I had just been through a pick up. And today I feel great - better than I have after any of my other pick ups! I just can't believe what a difference it has made! I actually still have 3 needles in me now - very tiny ones. Two in my leg and one in my ear! They just look like tiny little patches of tape, he has asked me to leave them on for 3 days before removing them. If all goes well and transfer goes ahead, I will be seeing him before and after that as well.
Must now go and keep packing for the weekend - hubby and I are off on our romatic weekend escape that I booked a couple of months ago. It's been a bit hard logistically cause of when my pick up was so probably not the best timing, but I guess it will help as a distraction during the next few days while I wait to see how our embies are doing. I've been wanting to go to this place for years so I'm very excited that we have finally got around to going there :)
Aug 14, 2007
Here we go again
So, the follie scan today revealed approx 10 follicles around 15-20mm in size. My lining is at around 8mm - I think on my previous cycles it's been around 9mm, but I'm not sure. I'm going in for pick up on Thursday - just waiting on the phone call to find out the exact time. Then we will be aiming for transfer on Tuesday next week. I'll also be getting acupuncture on the day of pick up and again on the day of transfer - a new place though this time. Somewhere much closer to home (away from the big bad city) and somewhere that comes recommended courtesy of a fellow EBer.
While this cycle is going much quicker than my previous cycles, I am starting to find it difficult with seeing different doctors. With my usual FS off recovering from a heart attack, I've seen a new FS for the past two scans, but she is not able to do my pick up on Thursday so I will be seeing yet another FS for that! I'm trying not to let it get to me as it is a great clinic and I do trust that they have good doctors, but I'm just used to putting my faith in a FS so that I can let go of the control a bit. It's hard to do that when I don't have a repport going with the other doctors. Still, it's better than having my cycle cancelled until my usual FS recovers.
One thing that is different this time is that this new temporary FS is putting me on Pregnyl injections during my LP on top of the 2 x Crinone's a day. I've had the Pregnyl trigger before (ouch! Thank god for Ovidrel!), but I've never had it as LP support before. I guess it can't hurt and it's probably good to try something a little different.
Aug 13, 2007
Admitting defeat
I was doing ok up until Saturday night. We had a couple of people over for drinks and one of them doesn't know anything about us ttc. So 7pm comes along, I grab my Synarel & Puregon and head for our ensuite. Now normally I give my injection on the very large kitchen benchtop so I have room to spread everything out. So it was dodgy to start with trying to find room on my small ensuite sinktop with bathroom crap everywhere. Then I go to give the injection, and the needle hurts - I don't know whether it's a dodgy needle or if I was doing it wrong, but you would think by now I would be an expert at this. Then, I get about 2 clicks down and bam - cartridge empty. So now I have to change the cartridge and start all over again! Doesn't sound that bad, but I ended up walking out of the bathroom with 2 needle marks in my tummy, one of which was bleeding, and the delightful taste of Synarel running down the back of my throat. To then have to try to be friendly and social with everyone while they drank the night away completely clueless was just too much.
For the rest of the weekend I couldn't shake the feelings of sadness, irritation, de-motivation, annoyance - all the lovely side effects that the meds have given me on past cycles. When I showered last night and ran out of hot water with soap all over me and conditioner still in my hair, with no choice but to continue to run ice cold water to rince it all off, I lost it. I barely managed to get out of the shower before I broke down crying. All from a little cold water. So you know what S & P...you win. This round is yours. I will now resort to counting down the days until I can once again dramatically dispose of your remains.
Aug 11, 2007
My first post!
A very quick history on me - I am 26, my husband is 27. We met when we were just 17 and were friends until we officially became a couple at 19. We bought our first home at 21, and finally got married last year in March at 25! We have been trying for our first miracle baby for around 14 months so far. We started on the IVF journey due to MF in March this year, and we are now on our 3rd IVF/ICSI cycle.
Like everyone else, never did I expect that we would be put on this journey. Having a family is, and always has been, my whole life. We both found it hard to put off starting a family for so long, but we wanted the best for our future children so we took the time to set ourselves up financially, and get our lifestyle to the place we wanted it to be for children to be added to our family. To then be placed on this journey has been heart-breaking for us to say the least. There are just so many people out there who will never know of the struggles that I face every single day. But there are those who do, and while my heart breaks for them, these are the people who have been such an incredible strength for me during this journey. If you are reading, you know who you are, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Anyway, now that I've gotten the heavy stuff out of the way - welcome to my blog! :)