30 WEEK TWIN PREGNANCY UPDATE

How far along: I am currently 31 weeks Update is for week 30!

Total weight gain: gained 22 lbs total and really feeling it!

Maternity clothes: All of my maternity clothes I have bought since the beginning of the pregnancy are still fitting well, however I think another month and I will need to bump up a size in shirts! Pants I am still wearing a size smaller than my original size in maternity.
Stretch marks: No new ones, just the few I have had since the progesterone bloat in the beginning!
Sleep: Sleep has been super rough in week 30! I am so uncomfortable, and so big when I try to adjust it takes a ton of work. Between all the trying to get comfortable and having to pee a couple times a night I am barely getting 4 hours of sleep at night. I am so lucky I am able to sleep all day if needed. I can usually get a good 2 hour nap in durring the day.
Happenings this week: We had our 3D/4D ultrasound on Wednesday! We barely got any pictures of Baby Alexandria again :( She is just too low! We did get a better look at how they are both positioned, She is all sprawled out with her head down and feet under my ribs. Her butt was on Aidens head the entire time, her poor little head is squished down into my pelvic floor. He is all folded up like he is doing yoga. (Aunt Dani would be so proud!) His head under my ribs and his butt by her shoulders with his little legs over his head! Neither look too comfortable! Here is a few pictures we got from the 3D ultrasound.

Best moment of this week: Our 3D/4D Ultrasound/!
Miss anything: Subway!! Since lunch meat is a big no no I have not had Subway since before being pregnant! I watched a ton of Real World this week and Subway is a sponsor and now I cant get it outta my head! LOL
Food cravings: Water and Juice
Anything making you queasy or sick: Going into cold weather is still making me nauseous!
Gender: A baby girl and a baby boy!
Labor signs: A few braxton hicks here and there, nothing painful, just annoying.
Belly button in or out: Still very in! I have about a 3 inch scar above my belly button from a prior surgery and that is popping out and painful!
Wedding rings on or off: While I can keep them on all day, I cant at night, so if I am home I just leave them off.
Happy or moody most of the time: I had my first "I can't do this anymore!" breakdown this week! I had a headache for 3 days straight, was so uncomfortable, and the pain from the "pregnancy arthritis" in my hands is almost unbearable in the morning. After I got over that day its been a good week, maybe slightly more emotional.
Looking forward to: I start weekly Non stress testing this week, I am excited just to be checked every week, it will give me nice piece of mind and a heads up if these babies think they are coming anytime soon!
Size of Baby: At our last appointment 2 weeks ago Aiden was 3 pounds and 11oz! Alexandria was 3 pounds 1 oz! They are well on their way to 5 pounds by birth which is great for twins!

 

Names: Alexandria Rosemary and Aiden Patrick. (baby girl is known as baby Alex for short)

Symptoms: Back pain, and dizziness, tired, some cramping, bad skin, horrible horrible arthritis in my hands, also last night I went to stand up and couldn't walk! My leg felt like it was broken along my left pelvic bone! I couldn't put any weight on it. This happened about a month ago too...it must be my hips spreading. After about an hour I was totally fine. 

27 Weeks pregnant with Twins! and Celebration time!

We have reached our first goal!! 28 weeks!! At 28 weeks the twins can be born and have a 98% chance of survival. Also at this point if they are born our hospital is able to handle them so they can stay with me instead of having to be airlifted to a children's hospital. Its hard to believe that just a few months ago we were very worried about making it to this point. We had so many issues in the beginning it seemed like making it to 28 weeks was a large task. Now my Dr. told me that he sees no reason why I wont make it to 38 weeks! What a difference! However I am still thinking in baby steps, because I like to take things in strides, AND of course why not have more milestones to celebrate?! SO our next goal is 32 weeks. At 32 weeks most babies not only survive but 95% have no long term issues from being premature. Most twins are born between 34-37 weeks, with little to no NICU time, so being told at this time it looks like we can make it to 38 weeks is huge! It seems so far away, AND soooo close! 10 weeks is no time at all! Below is an update for how week 27 went...(lets just say they made us work for our first goal)





How far along: 28 Weeks, update is for 27 Weeks.
Total weight gain: gained 20 lbs total I am still pretty far under the "typical" weight gain, but it sure feels like a lot!
Maternity clothes: Okay...Buddha belly had a growth spurt this week! Quite a few of my shirts are getting to be too short all of a sudden! Luckily since I am not working I don't have to worry to much about my fashion choices! Oddly my maternity jeans are all getting bigger on me, I think all the weight is just switching to the belly.
Stretch marks: No new ones! (knock on wood!) Still no linea nigra either! (I am really hoping to not get one cause it kinda weirds me out!)
Sleep: Sleep is tough! Turning over is a production and poor Adam is slowly getting less and less room because I need my 20 pillows around me! (and no 20 is not an exaggeration!)
Happenings this week: Monday morning I woke up feeling really unwell. I had some really bad cramping for about an hour. After Adam left for work and I started to concentrate on how the cramps were feeling I realized that they were kinda coming in waves. Starting in my back then wrapping around to my lower abdomen. I also realized I had not felt Baby Alexandria move yet that morning (she is usually my more active one) As the cramping started to get worse I decided I should call the Dr. it was still really early so I had to call the on-call Dr. I left a message then got in the shower, the hot water on my back really helped relieve the pain. By the time the Dr called back I was in way less pain, just really weak feeling. The nurse told me it sounded like contractions and I needed to go into the hospital right away. Luckily Adam was at his closest office so he came home to take me in. By the time I got to the hospital I was just feeling sick no more cramps. They hooked me and babes up and said everyone looked great. The nurse said a few times that the twins were testing better than most do at 27 weeks with their stress test, so that made me feel better! They kept me to observe any contractions for a few hours, made sure that I ate and got some fluids in then sent us home. I had a Dr. apt a few days later and he told me to just get used to it. He said my uterus is now measuring the size of a 40 weeker so getting contractions from here on out will be normal. He said anytime the contractions are intense or last longer than an hour I needed to call...and every time they will send me into the hospital. They do not like to chance it with twins because they come early so often. SO we made it to 28 weeks on Thursday! But not without some drama from our little nuggets!
Best moment of this week: A BABY!! Our good friends Matt and Kate welcomed their baby girl, and we got to go visit her in the hospital! She is perfect and beautiful! Adam got to hold a newborn for the first time, and said it really hit him that it was all going to be happening for us soon!
Miss anything: Being mobile! I can no longer spend the day shopping (or even a couple hours) without really paying for it later. The longer I am on feet my back hurts and I start to cramp.
Movement: For the last 3 mornings they have been fighting each other! I can feel them in there kicking one another! The other day it go so intense I had to push on them for a while to get them to stop! Silly babes, must be fighting for leg room!
Food cravings: None this week!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Besides the day I was in the hospital this week was pretty good, I had hardly any nauseous moments!
Gender: A baby girl and a baby boy!
Labor signs: Just the cramping on Monday, braxton hicks or real contractions I hope we dont have any more for a while! They were not pleasant!
Belly button in or out: Still very in! I have about a 3 inch scar above my belly button from a prior surgery and that is popping out!
Wedding rings on or off: ON,
Happy or moody most of the time: Its been a happy week!
Looking forward to: Thanksgiving, and a nice long weekend with Adam next week!
Size of Baby: At my 25 week appointment Aiden measured 2.1 pounds and Alexandria measured 1 pound and 11oz! Aiden was in the 80th percentile and Alex in the 25th. I was worried about the difference but the doctor said its totally normal. Its normal for baby A to be smaller because the have less room and also normal for boys to be bigger! My next apt is on December 2nd, I am hoping for 3 pounds each!

 

Names: Alexandria Rosemary and Aiden Patrick. (baby girl is known as baby Alex for short)

Symptoms: Back pain, and dizziness, tired, some cramping.

Twins baby shower!

Two of my dear friends Samantha and Christy threw Alexandria and Aiden the cutest baby shower this past weekend! I really wanted it to be a fun laid back not to "baby" atmosphere and they really nailed it! It was a co-ed shower and there was lots of food and adult beverages to go around.

We also held a poker tournament where the buy in was a pack of diapers and $10 we kept the diapers and the winner walked away with the cash! It worked out great, the guys had a blast playing poker, the winner walked away with cash and we scored major diapers! The boys also decided to make the poker thing going and have a game every month. I thought this was a great idea, as with babes coming we wont be going out much anymore! This was the couples can come over and girls can have a movie or craft night while the boys play. And our few friends with babies/kids can bring them.

I have been asked to share some pictures from that day (admittedly I didn't take ANY!) So here are some that friends caught of the action! I am glad someone got some because it really was a beautiful set up by my girls :)

So much yummie food!

Our two signature drinks

For some reason Samantha and I were obsessed with these Gumballs!

Sweet treats and paper straws

Jell-O shots!

I love love loved our ombre cakes!

The Sugar Scrub shower favors I made for our guest

 Recipe for the sugar scrubs can be found here... http://diybyagirlwithaplan.blogspot.com/2014/11/diy-sugar-body-scrubs.html

Shower day bump!

Signature Drinks

24 Weeks Pregnant!

I know its been quite a while since I have updated, so thought I would try to start doing weekly post that I keep getting request for! Up until now honestly I was too scared to post, like if I talked about it that it wouldn't be real/or something would happen. Its been a rocky pregnancy but our little munchkins are thriving every time we have an ultrasound! Now that we have hit 24 weeks the first sign of viability I can start to relax. 24 weeks was our 1st goal and we have passed it and on our way to our next goal of 28 weeks!

My giant 24 week twin tummy!

How Far Along: 24 weeks and 4 days
Size of Baby: At my 21 week appointment Aiden measured 1.1 pounds and Alexandria measured 1 pound. Both well above the 50th percentile for a singleton! So that's great! Thinking by now I they should both be about a pound and a half.
What You’re Doing: We had a low key weekend this past weekend which was nice. We are trying to slowly buy things we will need for the twins, diapers, clothing, etc. Our rocker came in this weekend so we now have all furniture in the nursery! Just a few more decorative things and it will be done! I am sleeping while I can because sleeping is hard these days, I just cant get comfortable, have heartburn no matter what I eat. (I never had heartburn in my life before pregnancy!) This week will be pretty laid back as we have a big weekend planned. Saturday we have an all day birth/childcare/infant CPR class. A birthday party on Sunday and lots to do between!

Cravings: I don’t have many cravings. Most food just does not sound good to me...once in a while something will get in my brain and kinda stick but its usually something like a slushie, or lemon flavor. Not like I HAVE to HAVE this right now!

 

Sleep: Sleep is difficult. I get up every 3 hours or so to use the bathroom. I can’t lay on my back or my right side because I have a hard time breathing. When I lay on my left baby girl goes crazy. Also, my heartburn tends to flare up at night.

Sex of Babies: A beautiful baby girl, and a handsome baby boy!

Weight Gain: 12 pounds, recommended weight gain for twins is minimum 24 pounds by 24 weeks, but my doctors say babes are happy and above average so they are happy!

Names: Alexandria Rosemary and Aiden Patrick. (baby girl is known as baby Alex for short)

Symptoms: Difficulty breathing, back pain, tiredness, heartburn, difficulty bending over, and new this week if I try to do ANYTHING other than sit after eating more than a couple bites of food I get sick. (Adam and I had Red Robin Saturday, I barely ate but it all came up in the parking lot! Adam joked he should go get his 14 dollars back)

Fetal Movement: The last 4 days baby girl has been crazy and baby boy has been REALLY quiet. (to the point I got out our heart monitor to check on him a couple times!) But he must have just been in a weird position because today he has been going crazy just like his sister. I pretty much do not go 10 minutes without feeling one or the other move. When both get going at the same time it almost tickles or makes me feel like I am on a roller coaster. I LOVE IT!

What you’re looking forward to: Seeing both babies at my ultrasound next Monday, and getting some answers to a few questions I have with the doctors.

What baby is doing this week: Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at about 1 1/3 pounds. Since he's almost a foot long (about the size of an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

Twins at 24 weeks

I think that's all of the update! I will update again next week, after my appointment.

The shit they don't tell you about IVF

Now that we have finished our first IVF cycle I thought I would share some of the stuff I learned along the way that was NOT in any sort of flyer! The world of infertility is a strange foreign place and it helped me so much along the way to have lots of information, and lots of women to talk to who we're going thru the same thing. So here goes the shit no one tells you....

1. I cannot stress this point enough if your thinking about IVF, look into "guarantee" programs!!! Guarantee programs or multiple cycle programs give you multiple tries at IVF for one fixed price.If unsuccessful  and you don't not bring a baby home you get your money back. You can read more about attain programs here: Our IVF Diary- you gotta baby in there?: IVF through Attain Fertility
It's so sad to me how many IVF ladies did not know programs like this existed! There is so much riding on This and I can't imagine the heartbreak of the cycle not working on top of thinking well there went 22k and when we are ready to start again it's another 22k! Right now I am pregnant and having a lot of complications it's very scary but the one thing that helps keep me grounded is we have more tries waiting for us if this does not turn out how we hope!

2. The drugs make you extremely bloated! I never really experienced bloat during a period so I had no idea what this would be like! I gained about 5 pounds during my stim meds which is normal but went up about two sizes! As soon as I had my egg retrieval the pounds disappeared and bloating went down within a couple days.

3. As soon as your feeling back to normal after the egg retrieval you start progesterone...and it sucks! Bloating bloating and more bloating. Lots of nausea, achy bones, and general feeling of ickyness!

4. If your not scared of needles you will be! I have never been even a little scared of needles but after
endless blood draws and shots you will learn to HATE needles!

5. Your veins can go "bad" after so many blood draws if your using the same vein they will get harder and harder to get blood out of. By the time they were trying to put in my IV for the egg retrieval the had to try 5 different times to get a good vein.

6. When you unpack your meds label and organize them! There are so many it's hard to keep up and being organized makes it easier on days your running behind.

7.  Naps are your new best friend...I have not taken a nap in my entire adult life...now it's a daily occurrence! Between the meds and the emotional roller coaster your sleepy all the time!

8. Most annoying side effect of the stim meds....headaches 24/7

9. Follistim is the easiest shot...Menopur BURNS! No way to stop it.

10. The trigger shot is scarier than it looks. It's just another shot.

11. Your robbed of that..."oh my gosh look at the two lines we are pregnant!!" Moment. If you get a positive pregnancy test you still have to have a second HCG test before they declare you pregnant. So you basically are in this weird limbo for a few days...are we excited or not? I am almost 6 weeks pregnant and I am still in this limbo. I have had 3 HCG test they all come out nice and high. But I bleed almost every day. So while I am pregnant there could be something wrong...we just want to relax and celebrate but it's not an option for us. Yet.

12. Your husband even as amazing as he is, as supportive, and caring as he is. It won't be right! His reactions to things, his support will piss you off...he doesn't understand. Just remember he is trying, and no no one in the world knows exactly what your going thru, but they try. Just remember this as you want to rip your husbands head off because he is answering work emails while you think he should be watching you inject yourself with the umpteenth needle.

13. You will discover you have 3 types of friends if your open about your IVF journey. 1. The ones that don't really acknowledge that your going thru any of this. The idea that something as "private" as baby making has become a weird routine of medical procedures and daily activities for you makes them uncomfortable. 2. The ones that want to know the pertinent info. Most of your friends/family fit into this category. They are genuinely interested, care, and want to know how things are going, they think of you, pray for you,but never want to overstep your boundaries. Then you have the 3rd kind the ones that want to know exactly when your period starts, watch you inject yourself and will tell you your crazy when your crying over the fact that you chipped a nail. They won't feel sorry for you they will just be there for you then help you to the next step. I imagine for each person what they need during a fertility journey. For me I needed friend number 3 while I appreciate the other types of people, I  NEED the 3rd. I need someone to go over every detail with me, to google the symptoms, and to make me laugh when I don't know what else to feel.


14. The 4th friend.. A whole new friend I didn't know I would love or need so much! The Instagram community! You would NOT believe the infertility community on Instagram! I got to go thru my cycle real time with women all over the world. There were at least 8 other girls having the exact same procedures as me within a few days of me. It was great to get on and say "how many eggs did you get?"  "Did you have this happen?"  " is this symptom normal?"  The only thing I would recommend doing that I didn't is having a second IVF/fertility account than your personal account. I didn't think to do this at first because I am very open. However there have been a few times I wanted to ask weird kinda TMI questions to my IVF sisters that I didn't want to have to expose my co-workers etc to. Like "did anyone have clotting with their implantation bleeding?"

15. IVF takes over your life!! There is no way around it. Multiple doctor appointments, sickness from the meds. Etc. your whole life is run on the cycle. Guess it's preparing us for when a baby runs our life!

16. Most importantly none of it is more than you can handle, everyone from your doctors to your friends/family are there to help you. You will get thru it!

We can't believe it!!

      We can't believe it and are still in shock....but we gotta baby in here!! I always thought it would work, but can't believe it worked on the first try! After years of blood work, tears, shots, surgeries, we are now just a "normal" couple expecting a baby! 

     We of course didn't make it thru our TWW (two week wait) without any hiccups! On Wednesday I started spotting, which quickly turned into heavy bleeding and clots :( I thought it was over. It was devastating! I assumed the bleeding was my period we had a very long night of crying and searching the internet to find any possibility of pregnancy after such a heavy bleed. Dr google and my nurse I called at my RE all said it didn't sound good and to prepare for the worse. 

     Luckily I didn't have to wait long my appointment to have the blood pregnancy test was on Thursday morning. My nurse told me we really wouldn't know either way that day because if I showed pregnant they would need to confirm I didn't miscarry the baby by checking my levels a couple days later.  Anything over a 50 on the terse is positive...on Thursday my HCG levels were 264. So we knew it worked! We just didn't know if we were still pregnant. The day before my bleed I was very busy at work getting ready of a big event and I was tossing around big heavy 50 pound boxes, my nurse told me that could have caused the bleeding and a misscarriage. 

    So,we waited two more days. Saturday morning we drove to Seattle for our 2nd beta test. Our appointment was early and quick. Just the blood work and back home to wait for,that phone call. To be honest I thought it was over...when I first had the transfer I had all these cramps, tingles, movements in my tummy. But the longer it went the less I felt any different. Adam on the other hand never gave up hope he was just sure our two little embie sap were staying for life!

    The call came quick...quicker than we expected. I answerd the phone barely being able to breath. The nurse made idel chit chat....how are you...oh fine you? The whole time I was trying to read her voice is this a happy call? Or the call she probably dreads? Then she said it...well your HCG is level is....768!!!! Congratulations your officially pregnant everything looks great! I was in shock! I let her finish telling me that the thyroid test etc they ran were also normal so we are all set. Then I realized I didn't know what to do next everything with my RE was about getting pregnant, I always knew the next step. Is this fails then we try this...if your period starts then we start stims...etc. I quickly thought back to all my paperwork...there was no info beyond 2nd beta to confirm pregnancy. So I asked the nurse...ummm what do we do now? She laughed like she had gotten this dumbfounded question a million times. And let me know I just needed to schedule a 7 week ultrasound where they could confirm how many of the embryos took. (My numbers are consistent with just the one taking...or that both took and the blood was me loosing one) and we should get to see a heartbeat too! We hung up the phone and Adam just looked at me and said I told you so! I have never been so happy to concied he was right...I was wrong. 

                            Look at me keeping my NYE resolutions! 

    We spent the next hour calling our family and friends to let them know, it was the best! Samantha had planned to be here when we got the call but it came so quick she missed it! She called when on her way and I told her we hadn't heard yetto  but to hurry over cause we wanted to go to lunch to kill time. We were getting in the car to go to lunch and I just blurted it out. She was in shock kinda hugged me, acted confused, and then got in the car. About 5 minutes into the drive she started crying and said it just hit her. We are so so lucky to have amazing friends and family to share this journey with. I know it's "taboo" to share to soon, or not proper etquitte but honestly I wouldn't have it any other way. Our family is the world to both of us having a child is not just about Adam and I. It's about our family our babies will become who they are because of our family not just because of us. Having their support and our amazing friends support has been amazing! There is also no way to get thru something as forgien as making a human in a test tube without the help of a lot of ladies who have been thru it before! I am so lucky to have some family who had IVF and then to meet an amazing group of ladies going thru it real time with me! Okay enough of my oscar speech! Just wanted all of you to know how much you mean to us! 

We gotta baby in here!! 

Things they should have told the husband going in

1) Your wife will be unavailable for the next month. She has been replaced with a pod person who will find irritation in everything she once found cute. Tread lightly.

2) She will cry for any reason under the sun. Happy, sad, angry, tired, shinny object, because she loves me, and most important...just because and it's okay! ;)

3)She will be irrationally angry at you for things that don't warrant the pure unadulterated hatred coming your way....she knows it just love her even more.

4)Despite what she says, she will need you more than ever. Be supportive.

5)She is getting hundreds of injections for your potential future child and you can't compete.  Try anyway. ;)

6)You will start to hear phrases like "it's for the baby"( it's not, it's a trap).

7) Needles are no joke. If you accidentally put the needle in on a test run while working up the courage to do it for real, don't abort and pull the needle out. You will hear something along the lines of, "Why would you do that to me?" You have poked the bear walk away slowly.....and don't make any sudden moves.

8)There will be no more cuddling of any kind. If she was the game operation....there is no safe zone! They all set off the ALARM!

9)During the transfer, there is a "drive through window" where the embryologist will hand over your future baby to the doctor. It's weird and feels a little Mr Rogers....just go with it. And order the #4 it's good luck.

10)She is the love of my life and I appreciate her suffering through all of this for our future baby. I didn't realize how much of an emotional roller coaster it would be for me. There are ups and downs all over the place. Never miss an opportunity to tell her you lover her or kiss her. You won't know how much little gestures mean. And no matter how crazy the request, do it anyway.

Transfer day!

                                         Adam tucking our babies in.

Today was our transfer day! Out of our 10 embryos we had 5 that were perfect little hatching blast! We had 3 not make it and 2 they are watching overnight to see of they will start to hatch overnight so they can be frozen tomorrow. We had 2 of or perfect embies transferred today, and they put 3 snow babies on ice. Hopefully tomorrow we will be adding the other two to the iceberg. 

The procedure was not too bad, it was just really uncomfortable. You have to fill your bladder to the brim and then they spend 45 minutes pushing on it. Apparently I have a speed bump on the way to my uterus..so that took them a little longer than usuall, but it all worked out in the end. We got pictures of the two perfect little embies we implanted which I LOVED! I feel pretty much the same, a little more crampy and extremely aware of every twinge, bubble, tickle I have in my tummy. It was a pretty emotional 45 minute appointment it was very unreal everything we have been doing for the last three years has lead up to this! Adam gets a goofy little smile everything I now refer to myself as a "we" it's pretty cute and I hope that smile sticks around for the whole 9 months! 

I was sent home with instructions to relax and take it easy for the next two days. After that they told me just to not overthink any of it. Sure easy for you to say! The next two weeks is going to be looooong! Laying here with my feet up is not helping with the overthinking! Luckily it's time for bed tonight...off to dream of sticky babies! 

Xoxoxo

Our little embie family, and a transfer date!

We are now three days past egg retrieval and all 10 of our original fertilized embryos are still thriving! Yesterday when we got our update all 10 were ranked at the hugest grade. However today we did have just one drop down to a "fair" condition. The nurse said they are changing and growing minute by minute so there is always a chance that one can catch up.  We are beyond thrilled so far! It's a little scary to think that any tiny little factor could make our prefect little embryos become fair or poor embryos. But are just hoping for the best. We are hoping to transfer 2 and then will freeze the rest. Ideally this round will be successful and then we have plenty of frozen to make brothers or sisters. We would also love to have extra to donate. It's un-imagable to me that some people don't even have the very small choice that we had. We would love to be able to help other couples. 

We will be doing a five day transfer of the embie babies on Tuesday! We are so excited, nervous, happy, scared...we actually don't know what to feel. Every update about our little embies is so exciting! I will now go the next two days withou hearing anything! We won't know how they are doing until we go in for the retrieval on Tuesday! Then the hard part comes...the dreaded two week wait. The time between implantation and the pregnancy test to see is all of this worked out! We are going to have to keep really busy durring that time!

In other news I am officially done with the needles, but have started new medication...progesterone. So far it's horrible! I take it morning and night in a suppository form and I am sick within 20 minutes. I am nauseous, crampy, and cranky...I know what your thinking dad...poor Adam ;) (don't worry I am being nice...I even used all my allotted energy today to bring him breakfast in bed and cook dinner) 

In two days in this building our dreams will come true...and we couldn't be more excited! Or scared! I will update you all after our transfer! 

Egg retrieval day!!

Yesterday was our egg retrieval, all and all things went well :) 

36 hours before my retrieval I took my final shot! The big momma of all shots! The trigger shot...it was more intimidating than painful! Adam had to give it to me because it went in my back really dint hurt too badly. But my butt is still a little bruised feeling 3 days later.

The day before egg retrivial I had to take a pregnancy test. If the trigger shot worked it would come out positive, and it did so we were all systems go for the retrieval! 

Here we I am arriving at the surgery center. My husband and my Samantha..both are the best support a girl could ask for! 

We went into the surgery center at 7:30am and by 8 I was brought back and prepped. The worse part of the whole thing was when they put in my IV for some reason they couldn't find a vein. It took her several tries and 3 different areas before they finally got it going. Pretty painful and slightly traumatic for both the hubs and I! (And I think the nurse too!) by the time she got done I looked like a pin cushion! 

The surgery went well it was very quick and I was asleep for the whole thing. Once out of surgery I woke up really quickly and felt back to normal (well IVF always in pain, nauseous, over emotional normal) within 20 minutes. 

When I woke up they let me know that they were able to collect 15 eggs! All off my right side. My left side is engulfed in a cyst and pretty much non-functional after I had a non-cancerous tumor removed years ago. They were able to drain my cyst durring the surgery, which I was very happy about! This cyst has been causing me a ton of issues for a year now so I am glad to be rid of it! (Well for a while until it fills up again)

As the day went yesterday the pain started to catch up with me. Not a ton of pain, just uncomfortable. They tried to give me oxy codeine but I don't take anything stronger than Tylenol so they just gave me prescription strength Tylenol. I only had to take it at bed time and it really helped me sleep. I woke up feeling good. I tried working but the more active I was the more pain I was in. So I made it until about 1 before coming home. I got home and passed out! Pretty par for the course for me these days...my husband joked that this is how he finds me everyday! 

Today they called with our egg report...out of the 15 fertilized we had 12 that were mature enough for incementation and of that 12 we had 10 that survived! We are pretty happy with this and just hope they all survive! 

We will get another report tomorrow on how the eggs are doing and if we will have a 3 day transfer or a 5 day transfer! Hoping for a 5 day as these are more successful because they can better see how the embies are doing. 

Needle poke count is now at 41! 41 needles stuck in me in just under 2 weeks! I really am a human pin cushion! 

It's actually happening!

Has it really only been 4 days since my last post? It feels like a lifetime ago. My world is completely flipped upside down...I feel like a Charles Dickens novel..it was the best of times it was the worst of times. It's unreal that this moment we have waited for so long for is here, that in a month I will have a baby in my tummy?! And on the other hand my family is mourning the death of my grandmother. The last two weeks have been truly well...sad? Weird? Scary? I am not sure how to feel. Think I will try to blog daily during this time as it's impossible to go back and recount the events and feelings of the last week. 

Well today is Monday I started stimulation meds on Saturday, so far I am surviving! I can tell you the shots are wayyyy harder emotionally than they are physically! Let me say that I think it's pretty cool that we are going thru IVF I don't have this huge sadness that we can't do it the natural way. Nor do I resent the ladies that have had zero trouble getting pregnante. I am super pumped about any preggers lady I see...the way I see it that's one more baby for me to cuddle with! IVF has never been something that was a burden for us, it's simply the transportation to get us to our baby. And the science nerd in me thinks it's a pretty amazing one! (How many of you get pictures of your babies as eggs?) HOWEVER when your standing there after a party you were forced to leave early from because shot time is between 7-9pm with a needle in your hand getting ready to stab yourself with a needle, you can't help but think. Why us? What on earth are we doing here? How did we get here? And that's exactly what I said to my husband while crying with that needle pointed at my tummy. He simply said you're ok. And I was...and I jabbed that needle in. Guess what? Doesn't really hurt! 

 

I would like to say by day 3 it's less scary and I just push both shots right in...but it's not. I still shake, it's still scary. I have now given myself 6 shots over the last three days and I shake like a leaf while giving each. 

So far I have no pain in the injection sights and hardly any cramping. I have had a pretty bad headache for two days but it goes away with Tylenol. Starting today my body aches, I feel like I am coming down with the flu almost. I know it's just the side effects of the meds. I am nauseous but hungry. So so,tired but can't sleep. And while I don't feel emotional and have no mood swings...I think I could cry on command?! Like it's just hiding back there ready to come out. 

 

My husband has stepped it up amazingly he is doing a great job of giving me the extra attention I need and holding my hand during shots. 

I had my day 3 test today and they were happy with my blood results so, I will stay on the same two shots for now. I have another apt on Wednesday to check my blood again and do an ultrasound to check my follicles. Until then....Grow little follies grow! 

If you don't have anything nice to say...

 

 

You know that old saying...If you don't have anything nice to say don't say it at all? Well I kinda live by the rule...If you don't have something nice to say keep it off the Internet! One of my biggest pet peeves in life is someone constantly making themselves a victim...and bragging about it on the Internet. So that's why my radio silence for the last month or so! I was a victim of February and most of March! I got knocked down a few too many times and was feeling sorry for myself. I didn't have anything positive to say...had little hope for anything good coming, and all energy I had I spent at pretending to be happy at work. Wah wah wah poor me right! So here is a quick run-down of February.

 

Feb. 4th My doctor emailed to tell me she would be canceling my upcoming IVF cycle because my hormone levels and glucose levels were both out of whack. She wanted me to see a specialist before going forward

 

Feb 5th I woke up extremely sick

 

Feb 7th I found out that the earliest I could get into the specialist was March 25th! Over a month away! Which delayed my cycle even more. I also assumed I would need some sort of treatment after pushing it back more.

 

Feb 9th I woke up with a cold sore! (which I know is silly...but so annoying on top of everything else and being sick still!)

 

Feb 10th I went to the doctor and Found out I had bronchitis and a sinus infection

 

Feb 12th I broke out with weird hives all over my body that lasted two days

 

Feb 17th I went back to the Doctor as I was not getting better...to find out that I now had Bronchitis, a sinus infection and pneumonia! My meds cost $400 dollars out of pocket even with our great insurance!

 

I officially had it with February...and on top of that I am living in Washington so it was wet, raining and crappy outside.

 

Feb. 18th I started my period. I shouldn't have gotten this period...I should have been on stimulation drugs ready for my egg retrieval. Getting my period was a huge reminder of this. A huge reminder that I wouldn't have a baby in my arms come next November like we had planned.

 

Feb. 19th I ran out of tampons....This oddly was my biggest breakdown. I called my dad in tears and tried to tell him through my sobbing I was upset I ran out of tampons!! He of course Laughed at me...like any sane person would! (let me also take this time to say that while I am overly emotional...I am NEVER affected by my period...have never had PMS or changes in my mood durring or around my period) this was simply me being overwhelmed and feeling like I lost something. I was finally going to be pregnate...I was finally going to get our baby...and now I had no date..nothing to look forward to excpet a date with a doctor that had nothing to do with babbies! Adam was working late and I called him with my tampon delema he of course didnt know how to handle me crying over tampons other than to say he would pick some up. I was a mess...I sat that night and cried...and felt sorry for myself for a good 4 hours. All the time knowing I was crazy...knowing I needed to get over it. Knowing that my life is blessed and perfect...but I didnt care I was sick, sad, and just wanted to pout. Just before they canceled my cycle I was at the fertility clinic 2 times a week...now I hadnt been back in over a month...I felt like I got kicked out of some sorta future mommy club!  Its right by Target so when Adam and I drive by we say oh...there is that place we used to go...we miss them...hope they let us back in soon! :)

 

This went on for a few more weeks....the sadness was quickly replaced with just trying to get through the work day being so sick. It took until March 12th before I left the house for anything other than work. We went out for Saint Patricks day..being out with my husband and friends, and laughing again was euphoric! Being simply happy felt like I was ontop of the world. Good ole St. Pat making me feel better!

The hubby and I on St. Paddys Day

 

 

So March 25th came...the specialist ran a bunch of test and told me everything was totally normal! Nothing to worry about, .she gave me the OK to move forward with IVF and she will just monitor when I get pregnate. So I am BACK IN THE CLUB! I actually could have moved forward with a April cycle, but we will be in Cabo durring key times of the cycle so we had to post-pone yet again until May, (sunny beautiful vacation in Cabo with the friends and family not the worse reason to have to delay...but I would much rather be preggers1)

 

I am still a little sick...and having a lot of issues with my asthma due to the pneumonia but now that I can step away from it all I can finally realise that I was no victim! I was only in a small rut I couldnt quite get out of, Clearly  I was not meant to be pregnat while being THAT sick! I also can now travel a lot more comfortably on our vacation. I wont be worried about playing, going out on 4-wheelers or anything like that. (I can also take advantage of the all inclusive bloody marys and Margaritas!) We also had a staffing problem at work where I was missing my assistant for most of Feb and all of March so it would have been really inconvient for me to have constant doctor apointments the IVF cycle calls for. Of course I would give all this up to be pregnate right now..but knowing its coming knowing there is a plan again..that I will soon be back at the sacrade baby making building is a great comfort.

 

Okay sorry for the long update...and the radio silence! Here's to surriving my first breakdown!

Here we go...I think!

Pretty accurate and fun representation of the timeline

Today was the unofficial first day of my first IVF cycle. I believe they consider the actual first day the day you start stimulation meds? However today determined weather or not I can start stimulation meds on time. Oh I also AlMOST had my first emotional stress out due to IVF! The hubs and I spent the last week in Indiana with our families. We booked our flights separately and ended up on different flights home. Adam came home on Saturday with no problems, however Sunday rolled around (Superbowl Sunday...go hawks!) when it was time for me to leave my flight was canceled because the flight crew didn't show up! (I am assuming they all played hooky to watch the game) the ticket agent informed me there was no way for me to fly out of Fort Wayne until Wednesday! I had to be back to work on Monday and my doctor apt today (Tuesday) so they booked me a flight in Indy (about 2.5 hours from Ft Wayne) I drove to Indy the next day only to find out my next flight was delayed...delayed more...then finally canceled because thep plane needed a new engine. So here I am 48 hours from the first flight I tried to get on, with zero flights left to get me to Chicago where my flight to Seattle was waiting. As I stood in line for 2 hours two separate times I started to get overwhelmed with the long day...missing my husband..and realization I was probably not making it back in time it get to my doctors appointment. I know at this point appointments are set to exact times around my body's cycle so I was worried if I missed my suppression check I would have to delay the start to my whole IVF cycle. THANKFULLY an amazing united airlines worker found me the last flight out to Phoenix which could get me to Seattle at midnight Monday. She booked me a ticket on another airline and told me to run to the other side of the airport at which time I was reminded I need to work out more!

This was what they gave me as a ticket, reassuring right!?

So today was my suppression check, they do an internal ultrasound to look at the lining of the uterus and check to make sure there are not follicles or cyst on the ovary to insure there are no surprises on egg retrieval day. Well of course I already have a cyst on my left ovary so they knew that would be there. However they also found a small follicle on my right ovary. Apparently this might throw things off so they took some blood to check my estrogen levels. As long as my estrogen levels are relatively low we will be moving forward on Saturday. I will get the results tomorrow afternoon so fingers crossed! I am so excited that by the end of the month I could be pregnant I will be so disappointed if we have to push back! 

That's my sister the famous yogi!

In the meantime I started doing yoga today. My sister owns a couple yoga studios and really believes in the benefits it's of yoga on your mind body and soul. Can't hurt right!? I also figure this will be a good way to maintain a workout on the days when high impact workouts are forbidden. Hoping the yoga will help me remain calm when I get anxious as I don't like to wait for anything! (Like my blood results from today!) I will update once I know!

Just stick yourself with this needle...it's really easy!

So...we had our injections class today. When I hear class I think of a room full of people, a teacher, and maybe a blackboard. When I was told to sign up for a injections class this is what I pictured. I thought there would be other couples learning the same thing....you know someone else to ask the dumb questions you have so you don't have to. (Like will an air bubble kill me? Or my latest fear...what if I break the needle off inside my skin!) Not so lucky! It was more of a hallway meeting between us and the phlebotomist super quick...wham bam stick yourself thank you mam! 

She had examples of all three injections I will be taking and we practiced each one ONCE in a little rubber block really quickly. Took about 15 minutes.  Although I was in no way looking forward to sticking myself today I thought I would be. I feel like that first prick will be the hardest. I think when the day comes I am going to be sitting there (by myself because the hubs has work that night!) for an hour trying to work up the nerve. I would have much rather gotten over it today in the safety of  a doctors office with the pressure of someone waiting for me to do it. Not to worry I did confirm it would be near impossible to kill myself with an air bubble. I didn't have the nerve to ask about breaking needles off in my own tummy but after seeing the needle I felt it was pretty unlikely I would be able to do that either. But in no way do I feel comfortable purpously sticking a needle in myself yet! 

Here is how we feel about needles....scccccarrrrry! 

On another needle related note....our medications showed up today. They were shipped overnight from the pharmacy. The arrived packaged neatly together and some in a little cooler that we then put into our fridge. They make it pretty easy to figure out what goes together etc. 

Here is a picture of everything we were sent. Hard to believe I need all this for just a couple weeks! 

An update on the process and FINALLY A DATE FOR TRANSFER!

After talking about IVF for almost 2 years we FINALLY have a date for our transfer!! I am a total planner and having an actual date makes it real for me! ( I think Adam is starting to feel it too!)

                 Here is my excited face...Adam gets a little less excited by calendars but loves me anyway!

Once we got the final green light and calendar things started to feel like they were happening really fast. We got the green light on Christmas Eve and couldn't have asked for a better Christmas present! So in the last two weeks this is what has happened...

• We were accepted into the Attain "6 try" program (see my IVF through Attain post for more info)  we signed all contracts with Attain. Payment was due in full up front as well. Once Attain has received the contract and payment they send over the information to your fertility clinic to let them know they can proceed. 
• We were given a full calendar of "events" which lays out your entire treatment plan 
• We had a final meeting with our doctor to sign off on all IVF consents 
• A last blood drawl was done for me just to check hormone levels again
• Seattle Reproductive has sent my prescriptions into a specialized fertility pharmacy for all of the hormone injections I will take leading up to the transfer. All of these medications are not covered by our Attain program and had to be paid up front as well. Our financial adviser at SRM told us these usually run 5-6 thousand. Ours were just under $3,000 so we got lucky there!
• We also paid a $900 freezer fee up front at SRM (this is for them to freeze and store any "extra" eggs after our 1st transfer.) 
• SO for those of you playing at home that is about $34,000 out the door for our baby(ies)! I tell you this not to scare you but because when I was researching and reading blogs I could NEVER find a true estimate of cost. I like to be prepared and this annoyed me! Keep in mind we live in Seattle which has some of the higher cost we have seen (but the best success rates!) and paid for the Attain program also our insurance covers NOTHING so this could be less for lots of you!
• We have scheduled an injection class where we will learn to give me the hormone shots. Right now I have it in my head I can accidentally allow an air bubble into the needle and kill myself...soooo I am hoping they cover that in the class. 
• I have stated prenatal vitamins and am remaining on birth control so they know when my cycle will start.

What's to come (Dates can change based on my cycle and how I react to the hormone shots)

• Feb 1st- Adam will take a high dose of antibiotics to make sure his little swimmers are nice and healthy on transfer day.
• Feb 4th Suppression Check- they will check my uterine lining and ovaries to be sure they are doing what they normally should after a cycle. 
• Feb 8th I will start stimulation injections 
• Feb 12th I will have blood work done to verify I am progressing with the hormones
• Feb 15th more blood work and another ultrasound to verify progression and egg growth
• Feb 18th (this was weird to me) I take a pregnancy test..which should show positive as they have pumped me so full of hormones by body thinks its growing a human. If positive...
• Feb 19th EGG RETRIEVAL DAY! They will also drain my cyst this day as long as it is accessible while extracting the eggs. Adam will also give his contribution which will be mixed to make some very cute babies!
• Feb 24th TRANSFER DAY! The fertilized egg or eggs will be transferred back in then we will all cross our fingers hoping for it to cling on!!! 
• March 5th will be my blood test to verify if I am pregnant or not. 

Its all very exciting! I will be posting along the way to keep everyone updated. Please feel free to let me know if I become crazy at any point. (Adam is starting to get nervous!) 

IVF through Attain Fertility

The cost of IVF can become quite costly. National success rates vary between 25-80 percent. After examining our history and current medical conditions our doctor estimated we have an 75 percent chance of success. After a successful "attachment" there is still a higher chance of miscarriage for IVF patients. So total odd of a live birth for us on our first IVF round is about 50 percent. Our insurance company covers none of the cost of fertility treatments.

Attain fertility is like a 3rd party insurance company that offers you multiple tries at a successful IVF round for a discounted price.

At our clinic a single round of IVF cost about 14,000.00 if unsuccessful we would need to pay that again for a second attempt and so on.
With Attain they offer the chance for multiple rounds with a guarantee that you will bring home a baby.
We had the following options to apply for through Attain

2 rounds of IVF for 22,000 with no guarantee
OR
4 Rounds of IVF (2 with Live Egg removal and 2 using frozen embryos ) for 24,000 if unsuccessful you receive 50% of your money back
OR
6 Rounds of IVF (3 with live egg removal and 3 using frozen embryos)  for 29,000. If unsuccessful you receive 100% of your money back

I truly do believe that this first round will work. I don't stress much, have a great relationship with my husband and know my body pretty well. For some reason I truly believe that one that little eggy is in there she/he will stick!  However I also have no idea what this next two months holds. My husband keeps assuring me that once I am pumped full of all the hormones I will be certifiably bat crap crazy! So we decided that although I KNOW it will work first round, we may need an extra round.

We felt the 6 rounds with 100% guarantee was the best for us. Having the 100% guarantee allows us to go through the process with no expectations and no risk. If for some reason IVF did not work we would have that money to move forward with adoption.

Clearly if we have a baby on the first try we will not be disappointed that we spent the extra money when we didn't need more than one try.

For anyone looking for more information on Attain here is their website.

http://attainivf.attainfertility.com/attain-ivf-programs

Leading up to today...the medical stuff.

     I started this blog for a couple reasons. 1. Adam and I moved to Seattle from Indiana 6 years ago and most of our friends and family live in the Midwest still. So this is a way for us to keep everyone up to date on all the craziness that happens! We are an open book and do not believe that infertility is a struggle that any couple should be alone in! 2. I have LOVED reading other IVF and pregnancy blogs! They have helped me tons! I hope that ours can help other families along the way. I actually really love watching video IVF blogs but...I am a CRYER! (my dad has nicknamed me "his little basket case") I am very emotional and honestly cry more out of happiness than I do when I am sad...and no one can understand me when I am crying..I do that high pitch voice thing that only dogs can hear. So pretty sure once the hormone shots start I will just be in a constant state of tears (hopefully happy of course!) that combined with my ugly cry face and the fact that my husband hates me and my camera (which is always snapping!) is why I choose to do a written blog :) So here goes the fun stuff. I am pretty open, so will not censor much of this blog, I will try to give as much detail as possible as that was helpful to me.

   I wanted to do a quick snapshot of what have experienced up to now for anyone who is looking into IVF and wondering about the whole process.

   Once we told our regular OB that we were ready to start trying to have babies knowing my history she immediately gave us a recommendation to a fertility specialist. We are very lucky to have one of the top fertility clinics in the country 5 minutes from our house. Seattle Reproductive called us to set up the appointment. The first opening they had for new patients was over 2 months out which seemed like forever! However any other time I have called for an appointment since being a patient I have never had to wait more than a few days for an appointment. Our first appointment was about 2 hours long. We met/talked to our doctor about all the options, upcoming test they would do, met the nurse that would be assigned specifically to our case, and they drew blood from each of us to do testing.  Most of the time they do not do any sort of exam at your first appointment, however I currently have a large ovarian cyst that needs surgery so our doctor wanted to get a look at that. At this time we were also given the option to do full genetic testing. You are given the option to only figure out specific things, do full testing or nothing at all. I know that these are controversial test however we decided to have them done. (they all came back fine) The full genetic testing is usually not covered by insurance they told us it would cost around $500. We were pleasantly surprised when we got the bill and the insurance company did cover about half of the cost.

    While we are on the subject of insurance...we have great insurance and in fact I am double covered not only by my own insurance but my husbands. However our insurance company does not cover ANY of the cost of fertility treatments. From my research not many do. The only ones I have heard of have been military or people that work in the health care field. But it's always good to check (Seattle Reproductive did the work of checking for us)! I am assuming they covered part of the genetic testing as it could save them money in the long run. ALSO because of my ovarian cyst the Seattle Reproductive could bill most of our appointments as "seen for medical reasons" appointments which made it so the insurance company covered most of them up until now.

 At the end of our first appointment we were told to book a semen analysis for Adam and a Hysterosalpingogram (yes I had to google how to spell that!) for me.  Even when they know that the fertility issues are on one partners end they do a full workup on the other partner to insure their are no surprises later. My doctor after looking at my history also confirmed that I have PCOS (Polycystic ovary syndrome) For me this didn't mean much other than it makes it harder for me to loose weight as my hormones are unbalanced. My doctor actually told us having PCOS will hopefully work to our advantage when it comes to IVF as it means that your ovary produces more than average amount of eggs so they are hoping that there are more than average to retrieve on retrieval day.
   
  Semen Analysis- well not much to explain here. Self explanatory, man puts stuff in cup...doctors analyze this for the count and strength. The test took about a week to come back and no matter the results they will tell you in the office not over the phone. The things that did surprise me about this process; 1. they only do "collections" on one specific day of the week? not sure why, for us its Thursdays? 2. You are aloud to go with your partner for "help" (we decided that Adam could handle this appointment on his own :) 3. You/ your husband is not supposed to wear deodorant, or lotion that day as it could mess with the results.

   Hysterosalpingogram- The hysterosalpingogram is an x-ray test that takes a picture after dye has filled the inside of the uterus and fallopian tubes.  This test can show areas of scarring inside a fallopian tube or changes in the uterine cavity, as might occur with a polyp or other growth in the uterus. I believe this is a standard test they do before determining that IVF if the best option. However we did it early on as my doctor suspected with all of my scaring that my tubes would be closed. Before the appointment I was sent home with paperwork telling me about the procedure, and to take ibuprofen that day as there might be "slight cramping" after. They basically place a tube in vaginally and push dye thru it then take X Rays to see what that dye is doing in there. So...all my ladies know...that anytime you go to the gyno they give you this same warning..."take a little ibuprofen there might be slight cramping" Well I honestly I have a decent pain threshold and RARELY ever have cramps so I always take these warnings with a grain of salt. BAD IDEA this day! This "quick 15 minute procedure" was 15 minutes of uncomfortable hell! I don't know if it was more painful because of my scaring or what but each time he pushed the dye in it caused a ton of cramping...and because my tubes were scared shut he kept trying to push more thru! Not to scare anyone too much...I just want you to be ready...as I was not and that made it worse for me...I like to know whats coming. Also I have heard from others that this was just uncomfortable, not painful so I am sure that my scaring made it worse.  Husband did not attend this appointment with me, which I was happy for as I might have cried with him there. Being alone forced me as it forced me to be a big girl.  The test confirmed that my fallopian tubes were scared shut. The dye couldn't get anywhere...meaning an egg couldn't get anywhere. Which meant our only option was IVF. Again this is where I believe our journey has been easier than most. Only having one option (even if its the hardest, most expensive option) makes things easier, cleaner, less decisions, less possible heartache.

    After determining that IVF was our only option we spoke with our doctor about the plan. IVF involves surgery. Surgery to retrieve the eggs from your ovary. I am overweight. About 5 years ago I was in a skiing accident where I tore my ACL and ended up gaining 70 pounds in 3 months! (yeah crazy I know) Doctors will not do voluntary surgery if your BMI is over 40. At the time mine was about 43. So let me say, I do not over eat, but I am also pretty dormid. I usually don't gain easily my body is great at MAINTAING my weight, but pretty lousy at loosing it! So after gaining the 70 pounds I had a hard time getting any weight off. While none of my fertility problems had to do with my weight I needed to get it off for the surgery and because of course it couldn't hurt. Healthier body, healthier baby! Our doctor scheduled a Sonohystogram and told me to work on loosing the 17 pounds I needed to loose in the meantime.

   Sonohystogram- (also known as a uterine sounding) This is required before all IVF procedures. They go in vaginally and inflate a "balloon" type tube in your uterus. This inflates the uterus so they can get a clear ultrasound of the entire uterus. They do this to check for any issues, scaring, cyst etc that may cause problems during the pregnancy. They had some trouble inflating the fake balloon so this took longer than they thought and was pretty uncomfortable and a little painful. At this time they also took a biopsy of my uterine lining. Compared to the balloon this was easy, a little cramping but not bad. They also do a fake implantation where they stick a straw like tube thru the uterus and drop a couple drops of water in there. Once they are ready to "implant the eggs" this is how they will do it...simply drop them in with a tube. The fake implantation was really easy, quick and painless. Now that I think about it, its kinda nice that way the day of the implantation I know exactly how it will happen and how it will feel. I figure the more relaxed that day the better. All of these test came back fine for us.

    The weight-  For some reason I couldn't wrap my mind around this for a while. I took my time. (about 6 months) and lost nothing. Then I woke up one day and decided to loose the weight. So I did :) I lost 30 pounds in about 3 months. (the safe way, the right way) My BMI was now 37.8. We were now ready to move forward with the IVF we did some final blood test. (state required blood test before doing and IVF cycle) We also applied for Attain at this time. (which I will talk about in a seprate post as this one is already crazy long!)