The
day has arrived! Transfer day. From the egg retrieval to now feels as
if a decade has passed. All Monday my stomach and nerves would not
settle down. I felt excited. I felt nervous. There’s a giddiness
that comes with the knowledge that the following day you will
technically be pregnant.
Tuesday
morning, J2
woke me up and tried to
focus on getting dressed and not freaking out. The magnitude of what
was going to happen fired every nerve I have. Now, some may be
worried about the procedure itself, but this weighed little on my
mind. All my understanding is it’s similar to an IUI so I knew at
most for me there would be mild discomfort. No,
all the anxiety came from the fact I was about to have one of my
embabies put back in and the hopefulness of wanting her to stick.
So
I chose a simple black dress, my new leggings, and, of course, my
lucky socks.
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| Stylin' |
Nice
combination, right? A
quick aside: can I tell you about those leggings? They are from a
brand called LuluRoe. I had heard the name pop up now and again, but
didn’t pay too much attention. Leggings have never really been my
friend. For some reason companies don’t like to make leggings in a
petite size. So whenever I would buy a pair they always go passed my
feet. It’s ridiculous. Well, a couple of weeks ago J2
and I attended a
fundraiser event and a couple of ladies were selling this LuluRoe
stuff. So I caved and bought a pair. Surprisingly, the leggings
actually fit. They are very soft and have a wide waist band. Which is
a plus in my book. So these leggings made a good choose to wear for
transfer day. We’ll see how well they hold up. Now back to transfer
day. . . . .
I
was told by the nurse to
drink water on the way down so my bladder would be filling up by the
time I arrived. The main clinic with the OR is about 45-60 minutes
away. Your bladder needs to be full (not bursting) so the doctor can
see the uterus and where to implant the embryo. Off we went; with a
minor detour because of a freeway accident that had the road
completely halted.
After
checking in, we were taken to a consultation room to go over the
finer details. The nurse had us sign a consent form and discussed
the post-transfer instructions. This includes upping my Progesterone
to twice a day and continuing my other medication (i.e. Metformin,
prenatals, and blood thinner). My clinic recommends resting the
remainder of the day and abstaining from activities that will make
the uterus contract for a few days.
Next,
the doctor came in to explain the procedure. He wasn’t our regular
doctor, but that happens if you fall out of your doctor’s batch. He
offered Valium, but said it didn’t look like I needed it. And I
didn’t. He realistically gave us a 40% chance of this succeeding.
I’m not sure if he is low-balling it or it’s just the sobering
fact how hard this is. I am 36 so I get the distinction of being of
advance maternal age. Evidently, my uterus needs a walker.
We
are then taken to the pre-op area and I change into one of those
stylish gown. J2
gets to don a paper gown and mask. He looks good.
As
we were waiting, I looked at the clock and mentioned how the digital
face didn’t match the analog. The analog was reading 11:13 and the
digital was at 11:14. Yeah. So it took after the clock turned
11:14 to realize the digital wasn’t the time - - it was the date.
Duh. I blame my nerves and not me being an airhead. Ha ha!
The
nurse came and escorted us into the OR. I got up onto the table and
the nurse helped put my legs in stirrups. She did an abdominal
ultrasound to check my bladder. Nice and full and I’m starting to
feel it. At this time, the embryologist comes in and takes us through
her part. She gives a picture our possible future daughter. She tells
us they thawed the best looking one. Finally, the doctor comes in and
we’re ready to go.
First,
the doctor inserts the speculum (awkward and uncomfortable as usual)
and cleans the vaginal area. The progesterone gel and mucus need to
be flushed. Sorry, TMI. Secondly, a catheter is threaded through the
cervix and positioned where the embryo will be placed. On a T.V. to
our left we could see the petri dish with our embryo. At this point
the embryologist confirms the name on said dish and then uses a
needle to pick it up. The fourth step involves the embryologist
bringing the needle containing the embryo into the OR and inserting
it into the catheter that the doctor is holding in place. And lastly,
the embryologist checks the catheter to much sure the embryo passed
through. After the all clear is given, the speculum is removed. And
that’s it. I’m officially PUPO. Pregnant Until Proven Otherwise.
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| Baby's first picture |
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| In the red circle is the baby. The rest is the placenta. |
I
got dressed and we left. I mentioned to J2
that I feel like I should
feel different when leaving than when we first came in. Maybe a big
flashing sign above my head that says, “baby on board.” I
literally have a growing embryo inside of me. And, yet, it seems so
surreal. I’m pregnant, but maybe not. I have no control of the
outcome, but I’m worry that any sneeze, or cough, or even sleeping
wrong will make the embryo fall out. The
two week wait begins. Then I go in for blood work.
I’m
trying to be positive, but also pragmatic. Be hopeful (yuck), but not
get carried away.
