Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

I’m a terrible blogger. J I really need to try to get better at more timely posts.

First of all, I don’t think I ever mentioned that my friend, Lizzy, is pregnant. She’s due in August, so this is not new news. She’s my friend that went through IUI five times!! They have been trying for years, so this is really great news. Plus, she’s a super cute pregnant girl! She’s the one that got me involved in my bootcamp gym; however, she doesn’t go anymore since she’s not really concerned about keeping her weight in check. J We take dance together every Wednesday, and she’s a regular sub for our Bunco. I love seeing her pregnant! It just makes me so happy for her.

Now, onto the update from my appointment last week. First of all, my cervix looks longer, so Dr. Bundren said he's fine with implanting two embryos, if we get two healthy ones. That's awesome news because I'm really hoping for twins! I should probably stop wishing for that, or God's going to use his wicked sense of humor to give me quadruplets. Yikes! J

Overall, the appointment went great! I’m just supposed to keep taking my birth control this month. Then, we will go in on May 1 to make sure my ovaries look ready to start the process. If all goes well, we should be pregnant around May 20. J Here is a tentative timeline:

· May 1 – Suppression Check – This is where they will decide if we’re ready for IVF that month.

· May 5 – Begin shots

· May 9 – Begin every other day ultrasounds and blood tests. I even have to go in on the weekend, which really surprises me that they don’t mind working the weekend. J

· May 13 – Trigger shot

· May 15 – Retrieval and the making of the embryos – This is the most impressive day to me. I don’t know how they do this. It’s so cool.

· May 15 – Also, begin daily progesterone shots – These are the ones that hurt really bad, apparently. The needle is big, and the shot is oil-based. I have been told I will be black and blue through this shot.

· May 20 – Embryo transfer – I’m getting pregnant!!

· ~June 3 – Pregnancy test

That will be an agonizing two weeks, I bet. I'll be trying to keep myself very busy!

So, as I said, this timeline is tentative. All of the dates are dependent on how my body reacts to everything. However, as long as May 1 goes well, this schedule should only change by a couple of days at the most. Fingers crossed. I’m ready for this!

Also, I have to stop bootcamp on May 1. Bummer! I won’t be able to go back until after my first trimester. Plus, she said I would have to drink a lot of V8 and Gatorade. I think I need to start learning to drink V8, now. I’m not big on tomato juice.

Therefore, we have another month of uneventful stuff with our IVF journey. I'm going to get in as much bootcamp as I can and really try to concentrate on eating healthier. Plus, I need to take more Yoga. We've slacked off the last month or two, and I wanted to be taking it 2-3 times a week by now. Also, I fully plan to learn to meditate this month and get regular massages. If you can't tell, I'm a little anxious that my anxiety may harm my ability to be successful at IVF. Ha! I'll have my anxiety in check by May 1.

That being said, May should be a hoot with all of the hormone changes. I’m trying to convince Todd to get all of his work traveling in this month, so he can be home for the entire IVF process. Fingers are crossed on that, too!

Update:  One thing I had planned to do with this blog was be very specific as to what happened at all of my appointments, to an extent.  That way, if anyone is about to start IVF, they will know what to expect.  That being said, this appointment started with a typical blood draw.  If you are afraid of needles or having your blood drawn, rethink IVF or find some type of hypnosis to help you cope with your fear.  J  Then, they did the mapping.  This was quite uncomfortable.  Basically, they were measuring to see how my uterus was shaped and sized to figure out how they will implant the embryos.  For me, it was almost as uncomfortable as the HSG imaging test done back at the beginning of March.  Breathing and relaxing helps…and having my honey there.  If I haven’t said it before, I’ve got a great husband!