We made it!! Transfer day is finally here! I’ve spent the last few weeks prepping for the Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET). As you might have seen from the last post, preparation includes taking Progesterone in Oil (PIO) shots, Estradiol in varying dosages and other such medications. The preparation for the FET was nothing compared to the preparation for retrieval. The varying dosages can get a little tricky, but the nurses give detailed instructions so we were well-prepped for the routine. I also had to go in for bloodwork and an ultrasound to make sure my levels are good, and that the uterine lining is thick enough for the FET. Luckily, everything went according to plan, and we transferred a beautiful, hatching blastocyst this morning!
Going into the procedure, I had a lot of nervous energy, not only the day of, but the day before. I had waited SO long for this day that I was almost in disbelief that it was finally here!
This morning, I had to be at the Naperville office at 6:15AM for a 6:45AM procedure. Dan and I were taken in around 6:30AM and were both asked to put on scrubs. Dan was allowed to put his scrubs on over his clothes; however, I was asked to take off my bottoms (for obvious reasons!). The embryologist then came into the room and informed us they successfully thawed one embryo and noted that assisted hatching was not necessary since it was already hatching out of its shell! She also verified we were only transferring one. We chose to transfer only one embryo, because the possibility of having twins scares me! Also, my insurance covers IVF so I can do one transfer at a time without paying additional fees.
Once we got into the room, I was on a chair with my legs propped up (very similar to when you have your retrieval). The major difference is this time, you’re completely awake! Next, the x-ray tech came in and took some pictures of my cervix and uterus. Then Dr. Miller came in and was very jovial as usual! He said everything looked good, and proceeded to insert the catheter. This part made me feel a little crampy, but the feeling only lasted a minute so it wasn’t too bad – I would compare it to an intense pap. Then the embryologist brought our little embryo out in what looked like a really skinny straw. Dr. Miller inserted the skinny straw into the catheter, and voila, I’m pregnant (until proven otherwise)! Dan and I were able to watch everything on the x-ray screen. We couldn’t see the actual embryo since it’s microscopic, but we were able to see the air bubbles around it. It’s hard to tell in the picture below, but the embryo is the white speck in the middle of the picture. Dr. Miller reiterated that everything went as well as we could have asked for and wished us good luck!
The actual procedure only took 10 minutes and we were in the room for about 30 minutes. After I got dressed, the nurse gave us discharge instructions. I took today off from work, so I could rest and relax and will be working from home tomorrow. So far, I have stayed on the couch most of the day, but I did fold laundry and walk around a bit. I plan to take walks, but don’t plan on going to the gym, because I can’t have my heart rate over 140 or lift anything over 15 lbs. I was also instructed to stay on my medications until further notice. The nurse also said I might experience some bleeding. I did have some bleeding later in the morning (which is not something anyone wants to see if they are trying to get pregnant), but now, several hours later, it has mostly subsided.
Now we wait…and wait…and wait. I will take the pregnancy blood test 10 days from now. I’m excited, nervous and scared, but I think all those feelings are normal. I hope to update you all with good news in a few days. Wish us luck!
-Katie