Well, we officially survived IVF (Yes, I know most people do!). My body was bruised and battered for at least a few months before the bruises finally faded (For the most part anyway!). My weight, well, I am pregnant. In case you missed that announcement. However, my weight has been doing pretty decent these days, because of gestational diabetes. Maybe I should back up a bit. Because the last spot I left you in our IVF Journeyย I wasn’t sharing the embryo transfer date. And then next you knew I was pregnant!
So, let’s back up a bit!
Finally, my body started cooperating. I was really worried that we were going to have to stop and start all over. And so was the doctor. But, finally, finally, it happened. My body was ready for the embryo transfer! Yay!
Now, one of the things I have mentioned in the past was that we could pick which embryo we wanted to put in, if we wanted. And that I know the sex of all the embryos. Well, I decided to let God have control over this little miracle and I just let it be. But, you can bet your buns I asked what the sex was like the next day! ๐
I admit I was a bit nervous about the initial transfer, but we had already done a trial transfer, so I knew what to expect. Or at least I thought I did. The transfer took place in a very sterile room, and it had the feel of an operating room. And other than myself, hubby, doctor, and lab technician; there were about four other people in the room. It wasn’t quite what I expected, but students have to learn somehow!
So, you climb up on the table and the doctor makes sure you are ready and then they do lots and lots of double checking, the doctor and the lab technician. To make sure it is the correct embryo, and most importantly, my embryo. Once things were checked over and over it was time to insert the embryo. I have a really funny shaped uterus, but the trial run wasn’t bad and it was easy to maneuver. However, this actual transfer was really uncomfortable. And I got nervous and the tears started flowing. They didn’t get the embryo in place in the first go. So, when this happens they pull everything back out make sure the embryo is still there and they put it back in and try again. Thank goodness they got it on the second run. It was just not comfortable. And the more uncomfortable it was the tears just kept flowing. Stress, hormones, being scared, and having so many people in the room will do that to you!
And then, just like that we were done. And there were congratulations all around and smiles. And I was still crying. When we went back to our room and I started getting dressed I told my husband that I really didn’t expect it to hurt quite that much. So, I was still a ball of emotions. And then the nurse suggested he take me out for a really nice lunch. So, we had sushi and I let it sink in that there was a baby in there. Which was really, really weird.
It’s all a matter of opinion on when a baby is considered a baby. And I will let you keep your opinion your opinion and my opinion mine. But, this little embryo had 6 days of growing in a petri dish and was now attached to me. Which is so weird. Many people can’t pin point the moment they “got pregnant”. But, I can tell you the date, time, and who got the job of “impregnating” me. Which is also weird. And no matter that I felt very prepared for these moments because of the process of IVF, you still find yourself a little dumbfounded. And, you find yourself completely lost on what to think in that moment. Because after the embryo is in place, you rest for the remainder of the day, and the next day it’s back to business. I found myself wanting to literally lay on the couch for the next six weeks until that baby was good and baking. But, statistics show that it doesn’t really matter. So, you find yourself going on about your life trying to forget all that you just went through and simply play the waiting game. Waiting until that moment you get the ultrasound that confirms the embryo is growing, and then the moment you hear the heartbeat, the moment you finally are no longer an IVF patient and you go back to your regular OB, and then finally the moment when the baby is in your arms and you know that finally you don’t have to be scared that your body is going to hurt the baby.
But, more on all those “finally” moments next time!
If you missed the first parts of this series, check out the side bar and start at Part 1 in our IVF Journey.
StorkWatcher says
Congrats!!!! Hope you don’t feel too ill with your pregnancy and look forward to following it on the blog… (And I’ll spare you my husband’s fun comments he and his friend used to tell us farm wives about “Just let me get the calf pullers – we’ll save $10Grand on hospital bills for delivery!”
Morgan says
Haha! Sounds like my hubby! He used to call me his fat little first calf heifer! ๐