Not Sure How I Feel

Leaving the house this morning...on the way to the transfer!

We transferred 3!!!

Now, let me tell you the details. Well, this mornings transfer could of been worse and it could have been better too!

We arrived at 7:45 and prepped for my first round of acupuncture. It went well and after he took the needles out the embryologist came right in with her report and recommendation. She started by explaining to us that none of our embryos had made it to the blastocyst stage yet. But the good news was that they all still were progressing! Our go-getter (the lead) was compacting and she said she felt as though he/she was close to an early blast stage. If the go-getter continues she thinks he/she would make it to that blast stage by tomorrow. The other two were just starting to show signs of compacting. Since they weren't quite there yet, she did perform assisted hatching on all 3. *For my family members and non TTC friends who aren't familiar with this term, assisted hatching is when the embryologist thins or makes a small hole in the zona pellucida that surrounds the embryo (a protective layer). Before an embryo implants into the uterus it must hatch from the zona pellucida. There is some evidence that in some women the zona becomes toughened, restricting the embryo to hatch. By making a small hole in the zona using a micromanipulation, this may make it easier for hatching to occur and there is some evidence that assisted hatching may improve implantation rate.

So like my title says, I don't know how I feel. Part of me was really disappointed that they were not text book and at that blast stage yet. Then another part of me was extremely grateful that they have continued to progress and are showing signs of making it to that blast stage. I could have showed up and been told they all arrested. (worst case scenario) The embryologist could tell I was having mixed emotions. She assured me that she would not put anything in me that she did not think had a chance and also shared with me she has seen many pregnancies happen with embryos similar to mine. The fact that they weren't at blasts yet doesn't mean they aren't strong embryos, she said they could just be growing at a lil slower rate and taking their good ol time. :)

Okay - details from the actual transfer...
Once again my bladder was killing me! The nurse came in after the embryologist had discussed everything with me and said "Are you ready?" We went back to the procedure room and she did an ultrasound to check if my bladder was ready, full enough. I was already dying and thought for sure it may even be too full. Nope, she said I needed about five more minutes even though she could actually see my bladder bulging out of my lower abdomen. Ahhhhh! Dr. Hayes came in a few minutes later and checked again and she said the bladder was perfect, so we proceeded. She put the speculum in and did another trial transfer to get everything measured up just right. Keep in mind, during this the nurse is pushing down on my bladder with the ultrasound so Dr. Hayes can properly see what she is doing. My legs were shaking and I couldn't barely breathe it hurt so much. My embies flashed up on the screen with my name across the monitor and the embryologist had me confirm they were indeed mine. Then she brought them in and Dr. Hayes inserted them. The embryologist went to check that they all had made it successfully out of the tube. Nope! 2 of them had stuck in the catheter. OMG...they have to go back in again. Dr. Hayes went back in and said the placement of them really was perfect. They were not touching and there was some room between them and the first one that had been placed.

Dr. Hayes did say it was VERY rare for this to happen (the embies sticking in the catheter). Then, I told her that this also happened last transfer and her face just lit up in shock! I asked her how rare was it and she said it usually only happens once every FEW years!!!! And here it happened to me twice in the past six months!!!!!!!!!

So after all three of them were finally in ...I had to lay there for an other ten minutes. I was laying there going nuts and poor hubby's hand is probably severely fractured. She came back ten minutes later to release me to the bathroom. She said "I have good news for you". I was thinking in my head the only good news right now could be getting my ass to the toilet! I was ready to just push her out of the way and make a run for it. The good news was Dr. Hayes went and looked in her records to find the last patient she had who had their embies get stuck...and sure enough that woman got pregnant! They wanted me to know as they felt it was a good omen. Hallelujah! Now please watch out before I piddle all over these damn stirrups!

Afterwards, I had my follow-up acupuncture appointment and then needed to stay laying down there for a total of 2 hours. They wheeled me out and I had hubby pick me up my favorite Chinese on the way home. YUM! Then, I passed out for about 3 hours. What a day! What a day!

2nd round of acupuncture

What's next? Just those wonderful PIO injections each night for the next 10 days, lots and lots of waiting, and an abundance of PRAYERS. My beta is scheduled for September 6th.