IVF Whirlwind

Where do I begin?

Well my baseline ultrasound showed a small cyst, just as I suspected.

Fortunately, though, we were able to proceed with the IVF cycle based on the small size (1.5 cm) and my bloodwork.

I started stimming on CD2 and triggered on CD 12.

At my last monitoring ultrasound, on Sunday, May 18, I had 18 follicles of various sizes.

Egg retrieval was on Tuesday.  They retrieved 17 eggs which we were thrilled with.  The procedure went well and I had minimal discomfort afterwards.  It honestly couldn't have gone any better.

Yesterday, 1 day after the retrieval, we got our fertilization report... We had 12 mature follicles which we were very thankful for.  I was hoping for 10 so having 12 was great news.  The 12 mature eggs were fertilized using ICSI.  9 fertilized!  

We are ecstatic.

Tomorrow is day 3 after retrieval.  They will be calling me in the morning to tell us if we will be proceeding with a day 3 transfer in the afternoon or a day 5 transfer on Sunday, May 25.

Until tomorrow morning I have no idea how our 9 little ones are doing.  I am ok with that.  Somehow 'the planner' in me is not too upset that this uncertainty.  I am going with it.  I trust the process.

I am in a great place emotionally.  I am optimistic and hopeful.  I am far more positive this cycle than I have been in the longest time.  I guess you could say that I just have a feeling that this is all going to work out for us.

And what I mean by 'work out for us' is that even if we don't get pregnant this cycle we have the potential to have an embryo (or more) to freeze to try later.

In a perfect world this cycle will work out AND we will have our frozen future babies waiting for us.  But even if that doesn't happen I will consider this cycle a success.

I love the thought that our complete family could be growing in a Petri dish a few miles away.  I just love science.  It is amazing that all of this is even possible.  

Amazing.  Did I day that?  This is just amazing.

IVF Baseline Ultrasound & Bloodwork

Tomorrow is the day.  The day where it all could begin.  I am nervous.  

I don't have a good track record with baseline ultrasounds.  I seem to have been blindsided by cysts in these types of appointments enough that I am ALWAYS nervous going into them.

It's funny because these are the ultrasounds that worry me most.  Not the ones where we are monitoring growth.  

Cysts.

I am nervous about them this time around even though I have been off stimulation medication for months now.  Why?  I have been feeling twinges here and there on both sides.  THAT is really what makes me most nervous about tomorrow's results.  PLUS I had an anovulatory cycle last month which was a first for me and tells me that those cysts were probably on the large size in order to keep me from ovulating.

What if there are cysts?  How will that affect things?  I am already on Lupron.  What sort of delay could this possibility cause?

If there aren't cysts (which is the likely outcome) then I will begin Gonal-f on Friday and hold on for the unknown.

In a weird way I am looking forward to the unknown.  Maybe then I will not analyze every little thing.  

I hope.