Cautiously Optimisitc but not looking great...

Saturday I had my blood work done and it showed I was pregnant! My levels came back at 53. My nurse said they look for anything above 50. I went in again on Monday for my levels are supposed to double and I just got the news that my levels only went up to 77. (I was hoping for a number in the hundreds). So here I am going through the same drill as last pregnancy living on the edge of the unknown. I will continue to get blood work done every other day until we know what is going on. I am hoping for the best but really .. expecting the worse.

Information on HCG Bloodwork:
The hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (better known as hCG) is produced during pregnancy. It is made by cells that form the placenta, which nourishes the egg after it has been fertilized and becomes attached to the uterine wall. Levels can first be detected by a blood test about 11 days after conception and about 12 - 14 days after conception by a urine test. In general the hCG levels will double every 72 hours. The level will reach its peak in the first 8 - 11 weeks of pregnancy and then will decline and level off for the remainder of the pregnancy.

Key things to remember about hCG levels:

• In a bout 85% of normal pregnancies, the hCG level will double every 48 - 72 hours. As you get further along in pregnancy and the hCG level gets higher, the time it takes to double can increase to about every 96 hours.
• Caution must be used in making too much of hCG numbers. A normal pregnancy may have low hCG levels and result in a perfectly healthy baby. The results from an ultrasound after 5 - 6 weeks gestation are much more accurate than using hCG numbers.

BIG FAT POSITIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been waiting almost 4 years to say this.... sniffle sniffle.. I'M PREGNANT!!!!!! WE ARE SO HAPPY! I know we have a long way to go and it's early but It's one step in the right direction! Thank you all so much for your suppport. I will be getting a blood test done on Monday to check my levels.

2 Frozen Embryos for the future!!

The good news just keeps coming. Today I found out that we have two embryos that made it to day 6 and are frozen! What this means is if this cycle does not work we don't have to go through all the shots, Dr.s appointments, etc. We can just have one appointment and they will inseminate me with the last two. If I don't need them and get pregnant they will keep them frozen  and we can use them in a couple years when and if we decide to have another child.

Today is 4 days past my 5 day embryo transfer. Today my little baby or babies should almost  be done implanting to my uterine lining.  (To be honest not unless my body is playing tricks on me with the meds I am on but I for sure felt cramping all day yesterday. My back hurt I was cramping so much. As we speak right now I feel little twinges on and off.) I am getting excited!

Picture of Embryo Transfer Day!

You really can't see much but I wanted Dan to take a picture anyway just in case. It was just a beautiful exciting day!

Picture of Embryo Retrieval Day

This was the day of my embryo retrieval I was pretty nervous.

3 Embryo's Transferred Today!

My Three Blasts.. Aren't they pretty?

The timeline

This is what happens in a 5dt: (5 day transfer) Days past transfer Embryo Development One The blastocyst begins to hatch out of its shell Two The blastocyst continues to hatch out of its shell and begins to attach itself to the uterus Three The blastocyst attaches deeper into the uterine lining, beginning implantation Four Implantation continues Five Implantation is complete, cells that will eventually become the placenta and fetus have begun to develop Six Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) starts to enter the blood stream Seven Fetal development continues and hCG continues to be secreted Eight Fetal development continues and hCG continues to be secreted Nine Levels of hCG are now high enough to detect a pregnancy

10 Fertilized EGGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just got the most amazing news yet. Out of the 16 eggs they retrieved 3 of them were inmature, 3 of them are slow growing, and 10 of them fertilized!! This is the BEST news ever! This means instead of doing a 3 day transfer we will be doing a 5 day transfer. A 5 day transfer has better results for the Dr. can be picky on which two embryos to inseminate. I just read that the success rate of a day 3 transfer is 37.1% and a 5 day transfer is 69.4%.I am also hoping that we will have some embryos left over to freeze at the clinic. They will freeze our eggs for future use which is great.  I can't believe this is happening-pinch me now! LOL

Retrieval Day!!!!!!

Yay! You can check this off my list of things to do during this cycle. 3:00 am. I got up (an hour early the clock was wrong in our bedroom). We ended up leaving at 4:00 to make our 8:00 a.m. appointment. It only took 3 hours but I was nervous because the weather forecast predicted snow and there was no way we could be late. When I got to the office I didn't sit but 5 minutes and they called my name.  I went into the bathroom and put up on a gown, booties, and a cap and then went into the little proceedure room. The nurse after some time finally found my vein and hooked me up to an IV. There I sat for literally 55 minutes by myself..waiting..waiting ...waiting. The clock was right in front of me which didn't help. Then my handsome man came in with his booties and his gown and we both sat there for another 10 minutes. The embryologist popped in and wanted me to state my name, birth date, etc. I was happy about that we don't need any mix ups! LOL. Then my Dr came in and introduced himself along with my friend the anesthesiologist. He hooked me up to the IV and I looked at Dan and said "good night". LOL. I then woke up and asked Dan like 12 times how many eggs they retrieved. I was a little loopy. They retrieved 16 eggs!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am in shock. Most of my friends and the average is 11 eggs. I am beyond estatic.  I am now back at the cabin in New Hampshire resting. I slept ALL day. Now I am sitting in front of the fireplace relaxing. Tomorrow I expect a call from the embryologist regarding the number of eggs that fertilized. I am excited and anxious for this number. I will update you all tomorrow!

I will try to upload some some pictures of the cabin where we are staying. I LOVE this place..

Great News Today!

This morning bright and early we drove from Salem back to Albany for another ultrasound and blood work check up. They nurse counted 8 follicles that she thinks will be retrieved and there are 2 more that may catch up in size. Again they have to be mature enough at the time of retrieval. I am very happy my personal goal was I would like to have at least 8. I just know that not all 8 are going to become fertilized like I stated before about 70% should but who knows. The doctors office would like to see me first thing tomorrow morning so we are now staying at a hotel  in Albany, NY. We will get up early for another appointment and then head to the New Hampshire White Mountains to stay at our friends Scott and Sherry's log cabin for the weekend. Saturday will be my retrieval day so we will have to drive back for that. Off to take a nap I will update you tomorrow!

It only takes ONE!

Yesterday at my doctors appointment the nurse only counted 4 follies on my left and two on my right -a total of 6 follies. She said others still may catch up so I am hopeful of that. I really want at least 8. So, I'm kind of bummed about the appointment but what can I do? There is nothing I can do. It's my body that decides what it's going to do. I have no control over it. All I know is it only takes ONE!

I have another appointment tomorrow morning at 9:30a.m. I am really hoping for a better outcome tomorrow. I am guessing my egg retrieval day will be on Friday but I am hoping Saturday so any small follies can grow and catch up with the others.

My nightly meds

Great News

On Friday we drove back to New York for a check up to see how I am responding to the injections. I had blood work taken and another ultrasound. During the ultrasound the nurse saw about 10 follies growing! Yay!!! The average size was around 8mm.  None are mature yet.  they consider mature eggs to be about 20mm.  But the follies will continue to grow over about 2mm a day.  The average number at retrieval is 11-12 follicles.  This doesn't mean that I will have 10 babies though:)  Not all follicles will have an egg & not every egg will be mature & ready to fertilize.  I was told that about 70% will be mature.  On top of that, not every egg will fertilize.  Not every embryo that fertilizes will continue growing.  So my nurse said everything "looks great". I am to stay on my same dose of shots but to include a second shot on Sunday (happy Superbowl to me). This shot is called ganirelix and it stops my body from wanting to ovulate. We don't want my body to ovulate because we want to retrieve all the eggs at the same time during my operation/retrieval.
My next ultrasound/bloodwork check up is Monday. I will update you then. Go Pats!!!!!!

Day 3 of Stimming. Things are going ok just a little crampy. I am still kind of scared of the needle but it is quick. One side effect of these drugs are my emotions. Holy cow I just cried my eyes out watching this video from my Dr.'s office at CNY Fertility Center. Watch this and make sure to turn your sound on because the song is so fitting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqbpSvz5NXA&feature=share