Ok, so we finally made it to the transfer part of this whole IVF stuff! Here has been my FET timeline…

• 5/22/16 – 6/8/16 – birth control pill
• 6/4/16 – started Lupon (10units) take everyday until June 27th
• 6/14 – FET Day 1 – Blood work and Ultrasound to check my lining
  • Estrace estrogen pill – 1 pill (2mg) orally – increased to 1 orally in a.m., 1 orally in p.m. and 1/2 pill vaginally p.m.
  • Estradiol estrogen patch – 1 increased to 2, then 4 right before transfer and then back down to 2
• 6/18/16 – Blood work and ultrasound – always had to take meds 2-4 hours before
• 6/22/16 – Blood work and ultrasound
• 6/23/16 – Trigger with Novarel
• 6/24 – started Progesterone in sesame oil (1ml first day, then 1.5ml from 6/25 – 7/14)
• 6/25/16 – Medrol (Methylprednisolone) 4 pills before lunch for 4 days until 6/28  (these dissolve quickly and taste terribly!!)
• 6/29/16 – TRANSFER DAY!!! Also our 2 year anniversary! 🙂
• 6/30 – Novarel 20 units
• 7/3/16 – Novarel 20 units
• I continued with my 2.5 Estace pills, 2 Estradiol patches every other day, and 1.5ml of Progesterone in Oil through 7/14

So now that you know all the drugs I’ve been taking, I can tell you that the Progesterone shots hurt more than anything!! They are intramuscular and have to be given in your ass.  I would rather take 10 shots in my stomach a day to the 1 shot in my ass.  It stings like a bee sometimes all day and sometimes throbs or is just very tender.  Once injection gave me such a HUGE bruise that it was a little concerning.  My husband felt so bad and my ass cheek was purple and red.  It is finally going away after almost 2 weeks.

The day I triggered and then took the Progesterone shot I immediately had stomach pains, like severe cramps I couldn’t breathe.  Thank God the severe cramps didn’t last too long but then I just had random cramping for the next week.

The Estrace pills are fine to take orally, but the 1/2 of one vaginally isn’t fun.  So one of the side effects is excessive discharge, well the pill is blue, so now my discharge is blue! I’m a fucking smurf! This is really gross and it’s definitely recommended to wear a panty liner.

The patches are annoying only because the sticky edges gather all lint and leave a sticky, linty residue when you take off the patch.  Other than that, they’re easy to handle especially compared to the Progesterone.

So as far as how I felt through the process…in the beginning I was crampy, tired and irritable.  Oh and my boobs instantly got humongous and very tender. The progesterone mimics pregnancy side effects so I felt all of the above plus bloated and pregnant.

Once the transfer day got here, I was soo excited…and nervous! I chose to do acupuncture pre and post transfer.  So I got there an hour and a half early, had my blood drawn, drank my 32ozs of water, took a Valium and then had acupuncture.  The acupuncturist was anything but relaxing, talking about her house remodel and blah, blah, blah.  Like I care about that shit right now, I’m trying to relax before one of the most important days of my life.

Then the transfer…my doctor, Dr. Greene was doing it and this always makes me happy when the doctor I’ve been seeing and creating a relationship with can do my procedure.  First the embryologist confirms that we are transferring a boy and brings a picture of the embryo to us.  I thought this was cute to have a keepsake of our baby boy before he’s actually a baby or inside of me.  Weird though, I know.

Then you get on the table just like a pap smear.  I’ve actually heard that’s what it feels like.  I guess I’d agree except for the washing of the uterus.  That has to be done with gauze and wiping gauze against a uterus doesn’t tickle, but it’s bearable.  Dr. Greene told me that he was washing the speculum and catheter and anything else that goes into my uterus in the same liquid that the embryos are frozen in so it doesn’t introduce any new, foreign substances to the embryo.

Then the embryologist shows me my name on the TV to identify the correct embryo.  I thought is was really cool that while lying there you have a 50″ TV to watch the embryologist suck up the embryo in the catheter and then hand it to Dr. Greene.  Then they put on the ultrasound monitor and you watch as the catheter goes into your uterus and deposits the embryo.  They take a picture of this and print it out for you as well, again, another nice keepsake of the big day.  And that’s it.  No pain or anything.  Then I had to lay there for about 10 minutes but I also had to pee sooo badly!! When they came in to say I could get up I was relieved but then soo scared to pee.  Even though I know the embryo is not in the same place as my pee, it’s odd to pee right after the procedure.  But there was no holding back, it might have been the longest pee ever!

I was on modified bed rest for the next 2 days which was great! I only went up and down the stairs twice a day to go to bed or go downstairs for the day. I mostly laid on the couch and only got up for food and drinks.  I binge watched some Orange is the New Black and The League.  By Friday I was moving more and my friend came over with her 1 year old to bring me ice cream and hang out.  Saturday I was back to normal activities but wasn’t working out.  Although I did play golf on Wednesday, 1 week post transfer but only when Dr. Greene said it was fine to.  I was feeling good, only thinking positive and was sure our lil boy was growing inside of me!

So by Friday, 7/8, 9 days post transfer I read that HCG should start to be read in the urine after a transfer.  We went to dinner with another couple that night who had just had a failed transfer so I didn’t want to do a home pregnancy test prior.  But I couldn’t wait any longer and did one as soon as we got home….BIG MISTAKE, HUGE, HUGE! It was negative and my world crumbled.  I was sooo positive I was pregnant that I couldn’t fathom this.  Ok, it must be too early and I know it’s best to test in the morning.  So I’ll test in the morning….NEGATIVE again! I was a mess.  I could barely keep my shit together Saturday and Sunday (I tested again Sunday morning and negative again.

Monday was my first pregnancy blood test.  I cried the whole way there, got it together to give blood and then cried before I could walk out the door.  Plus I had to go back in to ask the nurse to have them not call me until after 3pm with the results so my husband and I could be together.  Well I couldn’t even make it through the first 3 words before I was hysterical trying to talk to the nurse.  I cried the whole way to work and contemplated going back home.  But work was actually a good thing, it took my mind off the test and kept my from losing my shit all day.

Monday at 4pm we got the call and I was ready with a roll of toilet paper and ready to open a bottle of wine.  But wait, it’s POSITIVE?!?!?!?! A very low HCG reading of 66, but it’s still POSITIVE!!! Ideally they want your level at 150, but 66 is still pregnant. They will retest me on Thursday….Thursday, that’s sooo far away!! But we are elated!! I will now be the spokesperson for why not to do a home pregnancy test for all IVF women! Seriously, don’t do it, it’s not worth the depression and pain if it’s wrong.

We’re staying positive that our lil boy is growing and will continue to increase my HCG levels.  They want to see them doubled by tomorrow.  I have a friend who started at 46 and then tripled each blood test and is now 4 months pregnant.  So I’m keeping the faith that this is the same as my lil boy.  Tomorrow will tell….