IVF Take One...

I felt a huge sense of relief come over me when we decided to transition from medicated injectable cycles to IVF. I just had this good feeling about IVF... that it would be the most aggressive route in giving us of a healthy baby. I couldn't deal with the setbacks and the heartbreak of seeing a negative pregnancy test each month.

So, here we are on our first round of IVF! It felt like a really long time from February, when we made the decision to move to IVF, until now, but we lucked out. There was a cancellation so we were able to get squeezed in a couple of weeks early! 

• We started birth control Mid-March. With my PCOS I didn't want to be stuck waiting around for my period and delay the beginning of our IVF cycle. The birth control made me feel bloated and I broke out. Fun stuff. I was willing to do anything for a baby though!
• April 22: Saline Sonogram and Trial Transfer - Everything went well...and I love the fact that our doctor is family, but it sure makes things awkward at times like this. But it's all good, my girlfriend reminded me that it was probably the 8th crotch he'd seen that day. 
• April 28: I started Lupron injections - I was prescribed the "long Lupron" protocol. 
• May 8: Mother's Day - It was appropriate that I started stim medications on Mother's Day, because I'm going to be a mama!!  My protocol was as follows: 5 units of Lupron in the morning, 75 units of Menopur in the morning and 150 units of Follistim in the evenings.  (Below - that's what thousands of dollars of IVF meds look like. And only the antibiotics were covered by insurance. Eye roll.)

 I surprised myself. I'm usually TERRIFIED of needles, like have to look away and maybe drink a juice box when I have to give blood or get my finger pricked. I'm such a whimp! But I decided to teach myself how to do my own shots for IVF.   I heard if you did them yourself they hurt less, and it did. Ice helped too. Here I was giving myself three shots a day like it was nothing! I was really proud of myself for overcoming this fear. In my medicated cycles, I would have to play "This is my Fight Song" and get all pumped up for my husband to give me shots. But now I just filled up the syringe and went for it. :)

We stimmed for 8 days. On the ninth day I just did my Lupron, and we triggered that night on 5/16, with the most intimidating 2" long intramuscular HCG shot. However, with the advice of my TTC sisters and my acupuncturist, I iced, used my Clarisonic to create a buzzing sensation near my injection site (which tricks your body) and before I knew it Todd was counting (we always count to 5 before we remove the needle) and it was over. I can't believe I didn't feel a THING! 

On Wednesday, 5/18 at 7:30 AM we went in for egg retrieval. I was feeling so hopeful that morning because I had so many follicles responding nicely to the meds.  But once we got settled in at my RE's office, the nurse walked in that was going to be taking care of me and she was like 8 months pregnant. Pregnant ladies were always such a trigger for me. Not exactly how I had envisioned my morning but that was quickly forgotten because WE COLLECTED 22 EGGS!! I am so beyond thrilled and grateful for this number. I feel like Jesus has been with me this whole cycle, comforting me, giving me strength and hope along the way.  Now I'm on pins and needles until tomorrow when we get the fertilization report. Praying we will have several mature eggs that got fertilized and will turn into healthy embryos to transfer home on Monday! Now we have to decide whether to transfer 1 or 2!

Yes, I look stoned. My anesthesiologist was wonderful...made sure I didn't feel a thing for almost the whole day.