Without further adieu...

After 6 days of taking home pregnancy tests and 2 rounds of blood work over this last week I can officially announce that,
I'm pregnant!!!

Even though we implanted 2 weeks ago today, I am 4 weeks pregnant.
Home pregnancy tests started on day 5 because I was told it may show up that early but apparently that is only if it was multiples. Day 10 I definitely saw a faint blue line. The little blue lines became
more prominent as the days went on.

I happen to be hosting a blessingway at my house just a few hours after I got my first positive pregnancy test. I didn't want to steal the mama's thunder so I kept the news to myself but I did tell a few close friends before and those who stayed later to help me clean up. I even had a glass of "wine" I sipped on to throw people off (for the record, it was juice and club soda only). That day was made so much more special for me because I got to share it with my close friends who have been so supportive and wonderful while I've been on this journey. I look forward to having some of them at my birth to support and help me through labor and postpartum.

Mid November we go in for our first ultrasound. My IPs are driving up from South FL. to be at the apt. with me and they are beyond thrilled.



day 10 home test

day 14 home test

transfer day!

Cookies, lotion, special fuzzy socks, a movie,
 snacks, fun stuff for the boys a home pregnancy test
 and a few other goodies for me
 

The day before our transfer my IP's sent me a bed rest care package with goodies and a movie to keep me occupied while I was on 5 days of bed rest/light activity. So sweet!

My transfer was scheduled for 11:30 but I was asked to arrive at 11am My sister dropped me off since I couldn't drive myself home. Lauren, my agent, was already there when I arrived at. We waited about an hour since they were behind but Lauren and had a lovely time chatting while we waited. Surprisingly I never really got nervous, just excited.



Right before I went back for the transfer

I went back, it was quick and painless. My nurses were great, we joked around and I got to watch the whole procedure on the ultrasound machine right next to me and it was amazing to watch.

Its it! Right after the procedure.

trying to stay horizontal for the ride home

My sister picked me up, got me lunch and took me home to start my 5 days of bed rest/light activity. She cleaned my house and helped with my kids for a while. She and my husband took great care of me while I was enjoying my 5 days of relaxation, naps and 4 seasons of 30 Rock on Netflix.




 

 

 

Here is the Embryo (under a microscope) the day it was implanted and the ultrasound image just after in was implanted.

 



In the center of the image is a while dot. That is the embryo in fluid after it was implanted into my lining.

 

 

 

its time!

After weeks of injections and lots of blood work they have now given us the go ahead. We will be implanting Thursday, October 10th at 11:30am.  (so next week.... EEK!)



Rachael (my sister) giving me an IM injection.
Please excuse the messy bathroom, my sister and I were
doing each others hair.

At first when I started the DelEstrogen my levels came back TOO low they said so a few extra doses were added and it was upped from .04mL to .06mL every 3 days. I though the IM injections would be tough because they seemed intimidating. I watched a few youtube videos like this one for help since I had to give it to myself a few times during the next few weeks. Mostly my husband or my sister administer it.

my basket full of meds

Several of the medications I'll continue to stay on even after the procedure and some will be replacing the current medications. I'll also have to add an antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory for the procedure as a precaution. Valium will be taken just before the procedure to "relax me and my uterus" I'd like to waive that one but I don't think I will.

oh uterus, wont you cooperate with us?

When I went in for my first round of blood work and ultrasound to see how the lining of my uterus was coming along after my first 2 doses (.02mL then .04mL 4 days later) they were not happy with my uterus.
I'm aware this is not the best image but if you look closely at the top of the image there is a thin white line in the center (I've circled it for you)
That's the lining of my uterus. not very thick and definitely enough to implant an egg in so we kept at it.

My doses of Delestrogen were upped to .06mL ever 3 days instead of just Tuesdays and Fridays or. 2 extra doses were added to our schedule before we rechecked every again.




I went in last week for that check and got some pleasant news, my womb was cooperating this time and the lining was at a 12.3. They want to see anywhere between a 8-12 before we can move forward. Here is the ultrasound that was at a 12.3. you can see that there are 3 distinct (well in this crappy photo they are blurry, sorry) lines but you can see where they took the measurement. No thin white line anymore!

time for meds

Once I started even the most basic of medications they have put me on for IVF the side effects started.

I began plain on birth control (DelEstrgoen based) mid August and immediately, I was exhausted every day. So sleepy in fact that a 2 pm nap was necessary. 2 weeks into the pill I added Lupron on top of it which seemed to only cause more pregnancy like symptoms. Food aversions, nausea and even digestive issues.

Notice the time needles for the Lupron

The Lupron, which is meant to temporally put me into menopause, started giving me very mild hot flashes once in the evening and always between 9:30 and 10pm. After a week with the over lapping of the 2 meds I dropped the pill which gave me back my energy and I didn't feel the pregnancy symptoms, which I might add, were never that bad during my own pregnancies. The only thing left was the mild hot flashes each night. The Lupron is a daily Sub Q (in the tummy fat next to my belly button) injection with a small insulin needle so not really any discomfort. These were low doses to be taken each morning They were just to temporally shut my reproductive system down, no ovulating, no uterine lining growth and best of all, no visits from my annoying Aunt Flow.  We had some issues with bloodwork that put me in a holding patter for a few extra weeks. Along with the issues with the labs they kept forgetting to run some. I had to go back 4 times for labs and Nik had to go back twice.
They kept me on the Luporon without starting the DelEstrogen so it pushed our Implantation date back. The big day supposed to be Sept. 19th but now were are playing it by ear dealing with the lab issues.



Note the large needle for the DelEstrogen.

The lab issues were so frustrating that I was starting to feel that surrogacy was not going to happen which really upset me. It seemed to take forever and there was a lot of arguing with the IVF clinic over their silly policies, red take and barricades they kept throwing up at us. Eventually we got it all worked out and immediately started DelEstrogen IM (in the butt cheek) injections every 3 days. We started out with a low dose but immediately my food aversions and nausea began. Once I began this medication we lowered my dose of Lupron to encourage my lining to thicken. I figured the hot flashes would subside after that but I had 3 days or random intense long hot flashes and always at bad times like in the middle breakfast out at a restaurant but after those 3 days they stopped and the pregnancy symptoms came in full force thanks to the DelEstrogen.

One medicating telling my body its pregnant and another telling my body its in menopause made for an interesting month....