A mock transfer is a preparatory procedure that will help the fertility doctors establish where the embryo will go and when the actual placement of the embryo will happen.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Mock transfer yesterday
Yesterday was the mock transfer. It took all of 45 seconds and everything went well. No discomfort except a slight pinch when she pulled the catheter out. it was LONG. This is it still in its sterile packaging.
A mock transfer is a preparatory procedure that will help the fertility doctors establish where the embryo will go and when the actual placement of the embryo will happen.
A mock transfer is a preparatory procedure that will help the fertility doctors establish where the embryo will go and when the actual placement of the embryo will happen.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
whats the hold up!?!?!?
Its amazing how much bureaucracy goes into these things. We had an easier time with the legal stuff than we are having with the IVF clinic. I have to go back in for a 2nd round of blood work because they forgot to tell me about 3 other things they need and now they need Nik (my husband) to get a bunch of blood work too. Mine came back 100% perfect so I'm surprised they need my husbands too. Luckily I have a midwife friend that lives close by who I've been bribing with bottles of wine to do our blood work for free and to pass down her lab discount to my IP's. Surrogacy is an expensive process so every penny counts.
On top of the blood work the IVF clinic won't allow us to start until they have the contract from our attorneys on file but not the actual contract, a summary that the attorney has to write up separately since they are not allowed to see the contract but they only asked for that this week when the IPs went up to start the egg retrieval process.When the IPs went in last week to the IVF clinic the said I should have been on meds weeks ago with the time line we had aimed for yet they still won't even see me until they have the rest of the stuff listed above even though they have all the important blood work results from the lab already.
ugh..... so much red tape!
On a better note I've started hording maternity clothes. I only have a few things left over that were worth keeping from my own pregnancies and luckily I do get a budget for maternity clothes but I'm starting basically from scratch. I've had some friends give me some hands me downs and I've lucked out with target and Khols so far but all of me grows when I'm pregnant so from bras to shoes I have some more shopping to do. No complaints here!
On top of the blood work the IVF clinic won't allow us to start until they have the contract from our attorneys on file but not the actual contract, a summary that the attorney has to write up separately since they are not allowed to see the contract but they only asked for that this week when the IPs went up to start the egg retrieval process.When the IPs went in last week to the IVF clinic the said I should have been on meds weeks ago with the time line we had aimed for yet they still won't even see me until they have the rest of the stuff listed above even though they have all the important blood work results from the lab already.
ugh..... so much red tape!
On a better note I've started hording maternity clothes. I only have a few things left over that were worth keeping from my own pregnancies and luckily I do get a budget for maternity clothes but I'm starting basically from scratch. I've had some friends give me some hands me downs and I've lucked out with target and Khols so far but all of me grows when I'm pregnant so from bras to shoes I have some more shopping to do. No complaints here!
Thursday, June 27, 2013
the contract has been signed!
Contracts are signed and we a re ready to go. There is nothing holding things up now. I wanted to thank the attorney's office who blew me off. Had they not I would not have found the most amazing, caring and passionate fertility attorney in Central Florida. Karen Persis was fast, made my case a priority and has a true passion for surrogacy and fertility in general. I'm so glad I found her.
I got everything I asked for in the contract and the IP's and I are on the same page about everything so it all went smoothly.
I got everything I asked for in the contract and the IP's and I are on the same page about everything so it all went smoothly.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
HSG procedure
This is my uterus on an X-ray with dye to show if I have any blockages or issues that need to be avoided during implantation. You can see my fallopian tubes on the sides of them. so cool!
Its early June and I had to go into to get this done today. I'd heard the procedure was not a pleasant experience. Honestly it was easier than a well woman exam. I do have some spotting now and am leaking some of the fluid they inserted in my uterus but besides that and some light cramping it was easy. They wouldn't let me bring anyone in the room with me or let me take pictures during the procedure but here is me in my surgery gear before hand.
Lots of good things happening
SO many things to update you all on. Last month Nik and I went for our psychological evaluation. The Dr. was a LMHC here locally who deals with fertility issues in families. It was so laid back and low pressure. I've been told that some couples are put through a personality profile test and a counseling session. This was just like a counseling session with basic questions to make sure I wasn't going to have attachment issues with the baby after and try to steal it, what kind of support I had with in my family and friends or that this process would make my marriage fall apart. Once we were given the thumbs up by the DR. we were ready to move on to the physical stuff. Later that afternoon Nik and I went to an IVF seminar that CRM the IVF clinic makes every family go to that use them. The IPs went too and Nik got to meet them for the first time. We sat through the boring seminar with a TON of other couples who were about to start the IVF process too. After the seminar the four of us went out for dinner. We hit it off wonderfully. I've known the IP's since December 2012 but have only gotten to spend time with them 4 times before so it was really nice getting to know each other when we are not touring birth centers, meeting specialists and going over specifics. a few days later I went in to meet our IVF specialists Dr. Jaffe. She and I hit it off immediately. She though I was a perfect candidate to be a surrogate health wise and personally since "She's a doula AND Jewish, she's perfect!" I'm quoting the Dr. who had noticed my Star of David necklace and she herself happen to be Jewish.
The month prior the IP's had come to town to find an IVF specialists and interview the midwife I had chosen. They loved her and were excited to have all of that out of the way especially after having a difficult time finding an IFV DR. who was willing to keep appointments after the IPs had driven up from Miami just to interview them. We had our IVF clinic, Midwife and birth center chosen.
Big Thank you Tree of Life Birth and GYN for accommodating me and my IPs on your day off and between births to meet with my out of town IP's. Kaleen Made such an impression on them and are looking forward to working with the Tree of life staff.
The month prior the IP's had come to town to find an IVF specialists and interview the midwife I had chosen. They loved her and were excited to have all of that out of the way especially after having a difficult time finding an IFV DR. who was willing to keep appointments after the IPs had driven up from Miami just to interview them. We had our IVF clinic, Midwife and birth center chosen.
Big Thank you Tree of Life Birth and GYN for accommodating me and my IPs on your day off and between births to meet with my out of town IP's. Kaleen Made such an impression on them and are looking forward to working with the Tree of life staff.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Our big announcement
I have "my family"!!
We've decided to get through all the screenings and contract/financial negations before we announced it but we have gone through everything now with no issues so I can officially announcement that we are all systems go with the IP (Intended parents) and ready to proceed with the IVF process next month. with any luck I shoud be pregnant by August or September. I'm not going to use their names in this blog to protect their privacy. I am beyond excited to start and I'm bonding so well with the IP as I had hoped I would.
More updates coming very soon!
We've decided to get through all the screenings and contract/financial negations before we announced it but we have gone through everything now with no issues so I can officially announcement that we are all systems go with the IP (Intended parents) and ready to proceed with the IVF process next month. with any luck I shoud be pregnant by August or September. I'm not going to use their names in this blog to protect their privacy. I am beyond excited to start and I'm bonding so well with the IP as I had hoped I would.
More updates coming very soon!
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Is this MY couple?
Its may now (2013). Mothers day is this Sunday and my birthday (5/17) is just a few days after that. LOTS of things have been happening in the last few months that I have, for the most part, kept to myself and close friends.
Back in December I met with a potential couple. Just a few weeks later I got a call that they liked me and wanted to proceed with using me as their surrogate if I would have them. While deciding if they were the couple for me I weighed the pros and cons.
Cons,
-I had only met them once and meeting someone once doesn't give you enough to go on if they are "the couple" to carry a baby for. They were so sweet and loving and their story of infertility was heart breaking but were they MY couple?One 2 hour brunch was not really enough to go on.
-Another con was, they had already had a successful natural pregnancy and now a beautiful 2 year old girl from it. I guess the image I had in my head of the couple was a childless one so that took some time for me to get past as well.
-Also at the time they were not sold on the idea of a birth center birth but were open to being persuaded.
Its a small con list and honestly, nothing on that list was a deal breaker or even really a big deal. My Pro list is fortunately much longer than the con.
Pro's
-The Intended Parents (IP) only wanted to put in one egg at a time. The mother lost her uterus in an high intervention birth with her daughter just 18 months prior. She does still have her ovaries and since she had no problems getting pregnant the first time and is young and healthy, she has nice healthy fresh eggs which give us a good chance of getting pregnant the first try with just the one. This is important to me because if I end up carrying multiples I can no longer deliver in a birthing center since my #1 wish was an out of hospital birth. Also should it be more than just twins I was not going to allow selective termination which is common for more than twins. That's just not something I'm comfortable having on my conscious.I'm not judging those who have, its just not for me. I've lost a baby before in pregnancy and I think that would do more harm for me emotionally.
-Because of having a having an high intervention birth just 18 months prior they wanted someone who was going to go at the pregnancy in a more natural minded and healthy way than most do. Since I'm a birth doula thats kind of my thing so we are a good fit there.
-Having the embryo's genetically tested before implanting was also high on my list. I didn't want to have to be worried about carrying a baby that may end up unhealthy for whatever reason and later have them make the decision to terminate the pregnancy because of it and try again.
-They want to be involved in the pregnancy process as much as possible and wanted to bond and have a relationship with me and my family which was one of my hopes for this. I don't want to be just a "womb for rent" for a family, not have involvement or keep in touch after the baby is born which I hear does happen.
-The IP have a big loving, supportive extended family living very close by and who want to be involved in all of this too which I think is wonderful since I am not close with anyone in my family except my sister.
-They (after meeting my midwife and touring the birth center I have chosen Tree of life birth center ) loved my midwife Kaleen and were completly on board with the out of hospital birth. They said she had such passion for what she does, trusted her skills and she had a beautiful office and birth center and that since the birth center was so close to the hospital they felt very secure in having me birth there.
-The IP's were completely on board with my requests for "extras" which were for a complete chiropractic pregnancy package and the birth doula of my choosing since I am doing this naturally I think having a doula is important and I'm not just saying that since I happen to be a doula.
Since meeting these IP back in December 2012 and their now almost 2 year old daughter (she's SO adorable) I've met with them a few more times. They came up to meet my midwife, tour the birth center and to shop around the central Florida area for a fertility clinic. Even if they didn't go with me Orlando is home to some of the best IVF specialists in the country and since the rest of the other surrogates are spread out all over FL so it seemed like a good place to start their search.
I'll keep you all posted on future updates.
Back in December I met with a potential couple. Just a few weeks later I got a call that they liked me and wanted to proceed with using me as their surrogate if I would have them. While deciding if they were the couple for me I weighed the pros and cons.
Cons,
-I had only met them once and meeting someone once doesn't give you enough to go on if they are "the couple" to carry a baby for. They were so sweet and loving and their story of infertility was heart breaking but were they MY couple?One 2 hour brunch was not really enough to go on.
-Another con was, they had already had a successful natural pregnancy and now a beautiful 2 year old girl from it. I guess the image I had in my head of the couple was a childless one so that took some time for me to get past as well.
-Also at the time they were not sold on the idea of a birth center birth but were open to being persuaded.
Its a small con list and honestly, nothing on that list was a deal breaker or even really a big deal. My Pro list is fortunately much longer than the con.
Pro's
-The Intended Parents (IP) only wanted to put in one egg at a time. The mother lost her uterus in an high intervention birth with her daughter just 18 months prior. She does still have her ovaries and since she had no problems getting pregnant the first time and is young and healthy, she has nice healthy fresh eggs which give us a good chance of getting pregnant the first try with just the one. This is important to me because if I end up carrying multiples I can no longer deliver in a birthing center since my #1 wish was an out of hospital birth. Also should it be more than just twins I was not going to allow selective termination which is common for more than twins. That's just not something I'm comfortable having on my conscious.I'm not judging those who have, its just not for me. I've lost a baby before in pregnancy and I think that would do more harm for me emotionally.
-Because of having a having an high intervention birth just 18 months prior they wanted someone who was going to go at the pregnancy in a more natural minded and healthy way than most do. Since I'm a birth doula thats kind of my thing so we are a good fit there.
-Having the embryo's genetically tested before implanting was also high on my list. I didn't want to have to be worried about carrying a baby that may end up unhealthy for whatever reason and later have them make the decision to terminate the pregnancy because of it and try again.
-They want to be involved in the pregnancy process as much as possible and wanted to bond and have a relationship with me and my family which was one of my hopes for this. I don't want to be just a "womb for rent" for a family, not have involvement or keep in touch after the baby is born which I hear does happen.
-The IP have a big loving, supportive extended family living very close by and who want to be involved in all of this too which I think is wonderful since I am not close with anyone in my family except my sister.
-They (after meeting my midwife and touring the birth center I have chosen Tree of life birth center ) loved my midwife Kaleen and were completly on board with the out of hospital birth. They said she had such passion for what she does, trusted her skills and she had a beautiful office and birth center and that since the birth center was so close to the hospital they felt very secure in having me birth there.
-The IP's were completely on board with my requests for "extras" which were for a complete chiropractic pregnancy package and the birth doula of my choosing since I am doing this naturally I think having a doula is important and I'm not just saying that since I happen to be a doula.
Since meeting these IP back in December 2012 and their now almost 2 year old daughter (she's SO adorable) I've met with them a few more times. They came up to meet my midwife, tour the birth center and to shop around the central Florida area for a fertility clinic. Even if they didn't go with me Orlando is home to some of the best IVF specialists in the country and since the rest of the other surrogates are spread out all over FL so it seemed like a good place to start their search.
I'll keep you all posted on future updates.
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