Note to reader: I've written this post as if I haven't received my beta test results yet. I wanted to record my emotions as I experienced them the day of our embryo transfer. Be prepared, this is a long one!
I woke up bright and early Monday morning (July 30th) in anticipation of the day. Transfer day! The day we had been waiting so long for. I had the whole day off work and DH was planning to work from home before and after our appointment. But since our appointment wasn't until 12 pm, I logged onto my work computer from home for half a day to save a little of my vacation time. It was a good distraction from the waiting game that morning.
Eventually, it was time for me to shower (my last shower for two days!) and get ready for our appointment. I emptied my bladder at 10:30 am as I'd been instructed, then drank 24 - 32 ounces of water by 11 am. I also took my Valium at 10:45 am. My nurse told me to take it at 11 am, exactly one hour before my appointment, but the last time I took Valium (for Lasik to correct my vision), it did not kick in until the procedure was over and I was home. So I took it a whopping 15 minutes earlier than instructed (I know, I live on the edge), but the nurse gave me the ok to do so.
The Valium dissolved in my mouth. Huh, I didn't remember that happening last time. Maybe it was a different brand? I have no idea if that makes a difference. Or maybe there have been changes to the drug in the last five years since I had Lasik done? Whatever the case, I was surprised to find that I felt the effects within about a minute. I was dizzy at first but then oh so relaxed. Ahh... : )
After I finished getting ready, we had about 10 minutes to spare before we had to leave so I asked DH if he wanted to go on a walk with me. It was so nice outside, and I knew this would be my last chance to get out of the house until my 48 hours of bed rest were over after the transfer. DH agreed and made sure it was a short walk so we wouldn't be late for our appointment. We took this time to talk to each other about our feelings regarding IVF and what we were about to do, and just really enjoy each other's company and have a few minutes to bond. It was nice.
We ended our walk back in our driveway, jumped in the car, and took off for our transfer. Yay! Transfer! The nurse told us to arrive 30 minutes before our appointment so we arrived just a couple minutes before 11:30 am. We checked in with the front desk staff and took a seat on one of the loveseats in the lobby...and we waited and waited and, what's that? Oh yeah, we waited some more.
Finally, at 12 pm, I walked up to the front desk to ask if transfers were behind schedule. The front desk lady checked with a few people and said no and that we should be called back momentarily. Sure enough, about five minutes later, we were called back. But in the mean time, I asked her why we were supposed to arrive at 11:30 if we weren't going to be called back until 12 pm (or later). She said it's to ensure patients arrive on time for their appointments. So we waited a total of about 40 minutes to be called back. I was not happy. They could have at least let us know about this in advance.
After the nurse finally called our names, we were taken back to our assigned room to talk with the RE and nurses about our embryos, what to expect for our very first transfer, and also to change into the hospital gown (me) and scrubs (DH). The nurse asked me if I had a full bladder, which of course I did, but by this point, since it was well after 12 pm, my bladder had become uncomfortably full. I told the nurse and she led me to the ladies' room and handed me a cup to pee in. She said, 'DO NOT sit down [on the toilet], if you sit down, it's all over and you won't be able to stop [peeing]. She said I could empty one cup's worth of urine from my bladder, two at most if I was still uncomfortable.
I was afraid of emptying too much out of my bladder so I did about 3/4 cup and went back to the room where DH was waiting. I was trying to decide if I was still uncomfortable from having too full a bladder or if I was uncomfortable from having to stop myself mid-stream. I decided I needed to go again. The nurse took me to the restroom again, gave me another cup, and went over her speech about not sitting down. 'Just hover.' I also told her I thought the Valium was wearing off since we'd been waiting so long (I wasn't sure if I was feeling relaxed anymore) and she said it was unlikely, that 'Valium lasts a really long time.'
She left me to do my business and again, I was afraid that I would let out too much so I only did about 1/4 cup that time. I went back to the room and again tried to determine if I was still uncomfortable (I was), and the source of my discomfort (too much in my bladder? having to stop myself mid-stream again?). I wasn't sure so I waited for the nurse to come into our room again. But the RE walked in next to talk about our embryos. Our embryos! I was so happy to hear about them!
First, I should note that the REs at my clinic are on a rotating schedule. One doc will do all the transfers one week, then all the retrievals another week (I'm not sure what rotation they are on during the other two weeks of the month). So this means I don't automatically get my RE for my retrieval and transfer - I get whatever RE is on that rotation for the week. I ended up with my doctor (Dr. C) for my retrieval and another doctor (Dr. K) for my transfer, who I had never met before but seemed very nice.
So Dr. K came in to chat about our embryos and to show us pictures. Woo-hoo! Pictures! He said we had 10 embryos left as of today. One was a very good level 1 embryo (yay! one of them had been upgraded! my prayers had been answered!) and nine were level 2s. He showed us the clinic's stats regarding how often they see an embryo at this level: only about 200 times since the clinic's inception (not sure how long that is but yay for our little embryo)!
After he showed us our one rock star embryo and we discussed the pregnancy rates and risk of multiples for transferring one level 1 embryo vs. transferring one level 1 and one level 2, we decided to transfer the one level 1. The pregnancy rate for our level 1 embryo (I think he called it a 1B) was 69% (I don't remember the odds of it splitting and resulting in twins but it was really low). Imagine, I went from a 2% - 3% chance of pregnancy to 69% just like that! The pregnancy rate for transferring a level 1 embryo and a level 2 embryo was 73% with 60% resulting in twins, 20-something % resulting in a singleton, and the remaining % resulting in triplets. They have never had quads at this clinic (knock on wood). Dr. K also pointed out where our level 1 embryo was beginning to hatch and open up, signaling it was ready to implant.
We went over the paperwork and Dr. K noted we started out with 20 eggs and 19 of them had fertilized. Um, what?!?! We were told a different number (18) the day of our retrieval and during our updates on how our embryos were doing (17, then 16, then 11, and today 10). Dr. K said, in what sounded like an annoyed tone of voice, 'Well, they found two more!' Ok then. We signed the paperwork saying we were transferring one embryo, freezing five of our level 2 embryos today, and growing four more level 2s for one more day before freezing them.
We finished chatting with the RE and our nurse came back in the room. I let her know I was still feeling uncomfortable so she said I could lie down on the table in the transfer room and the tech would check my bladder with the u/s machine. The u/s tech said I could empty one whole cup before the transfer. Yes! I felt relief that they could actually see how full my bladder was so I was confident that I wouldn't let out too much. Ahh, relief. I filled that sucker to the brim.
I went back to the room where they do the transfers, laid down on the table and put my legs in the stirrups. (These were not your normal, everyday stirrups that you see when you go in for an u/s or your annual pap visit. These were stirrups for the knees rather than the feet.) DH entered the room and sat next to me. I grabbed his hand; I needed to hold it during the procedure. It was such a special moment that I needed him near me. Then the u/s tech pulled my gown above my abdomen to perform the u/s so the RE could see where he was going and so we could see what was happening. I also had the fabulous paper sheet draped from my hips to my knees, a feeble attempt to offer me some modesty. Dr. K walked us through what he would be doing: first the mock transfer with one catheter, then the real transfer with another catheter, and he let us know we would be able to see everything on the u/s monitor.
We watched as he easily placed the first catheter for the mock transfer. I was nervous about potential issues with getting past my cervix but my very full bladder made it a much smoother process. In fact, I didn't feel a thing. Next he inserted the catheter for the real transfer and let us know he was about to place the embryo at the thickest part of my uterus. I started crying; I was so happy. But then I thought, 'I'd better not cry, what if it causes stress in my uterus and the embryo can't implant?' So I tried to quit crying but it was really hard. The next thing I knew, Dr. K was saying he was flushing the catheter to ensure the embryo was no longer in it, and that implantation should occur today or tomorrow. Then he showed us on the monitor where our baby was in my uterus. A tiny white spec in the middle of the screen.
The transfer was over before I knew it. The whole procedure, including the mock transfer, took about five minutes. I relaxed my legs out of the stirrups and the RE and nursing staff left me and DH alone for a few minutes. Then I really started to cry. There was no holding back the tears; we could have a baby after today! I laid there crying, and alternated looking between DH and the monitor where the tiny white dot was. I don't think DH actually cried, but his eyes definitely looked red and misty. It was the most wonderful moment of my life; tied for first place with the moment we were married.
I was supposed to lay on the table for 10 minutes after the procedure but my bladder was so full that the nurse let me get up after about five minutes. I remember thinking I wish she would have let me lay there for the full 10 minutes; my bladder could hold out a little longer. But I got up and gingerly made my way to the restroom and emptied that bladder! I think I peed for about 10 minutes. ; ) Then I went back to the recovery room and laid on the bed for about 20 minutes. The nurse came in a few times to see how we were doing and to give us post-transfer instructions (bed rest for 48 hours, no heavy lifting, Tylenol only for pain, etc., etc.). DH scheduled my follow up blood draw for my pregnancy test (7:30 am on August 8th) while I rested. And believe it or not, I was thirsty after the transfer so DH found a nurse and asked for something to drink for me. The nurse brought in a mini bottle of water and said she didn't think she'd hear from me about being thirsty today after having such a full bladder! We had a little chuckle, then I tried to relax and think happy thoughts for our baby-to-be.
The nurse came back a few minutes later and said we were good to go. We gathered up our things and I was able to walk to the car this time rather than taking a ride in a wheel chair. I reclined the seat in the car for the drive home. When we arrived home, I used the restroom one more time and went straight to bed, excited to get this baby settled and growing and implanting.
I woke up bright and early Monday morning (July 30th) in anticipation of the day. Transfer day! The day we had been waiting so long for. I had the whole day off work and DH was planning to work from home before and after our appointment. But since our appointment wasn't until 12 pm, I logged onto my work computer from home for half a day to save a little of my vacation time. It was a good distraction from the waiting game that morning.
Eventually, it was time for me to shower (my last shower for two days!) and get ready for our appointment. I emptied my bladder at 10:30 am as I'd been instructed, then drank 24 - 32 ounces of water by 11 am. I also took my Valium at 10:45 am. My nurse told me to take it at 11 am, exactly one hour before my appointment, but the last time I took Valium (for Lasik to correct my vision), it did not kick in until the procedure was over and I was home. So I took it a whopping 15 minutes earlier than instructed (I know, I live on the edge), but the nurse gave me the ok to do so.
The Valium dissolved in my mouth. Huh, I didn't remember that happening last time. Maybe it was a different brand? I have no idea if that makes a difference. Or maybe there have been changes to the drug in the last five years since I had Lasik done? Whatever the case, I was surprised to find that I felt the effects within about a minute. I was dizzy at first but then oh so relaxed. Ahh... : )
After I finished getting ready, we had about 10 minutes to spare before we had to leave so I asked DH if he wanted to go on a walk with me. It was so nice outside, and I knew this would be my last chance to get out of the house until my 48 hours of bed rest were over after the transfer. DH agreed and made sure it was a short walk so we wouldn't be late for our appointment. We took this time to talk to each other about our feelings regarding IVF and what we were about to do, and just really enjoy each other's company and have a few minutes to bond. It was nice.
We ended our walk back in our driveway, jumped in the car, and took off for our transfer. Yay! Transfer! The nurse told us to arrive 30 minutes before our appointment so we arrived just a couple minutes before 11:30 am. We checked in with the front desk staff and took a seat on one of the loveseats in the lobby...and we waited and waited and, what's that? Oh yeah, we waited some more.
Finally, at 12 pm, I walked up to the front desk to ask if transfers were behind schedule. The front desk lady checked with a few people and said no and that we should be called back momentarily. Sure enough, about five minutes later, we were called back. But in the mean time, I asked her why we were supposed to arrive at 11:30 if we weren't going to be called back until 12 pm (or later). She said it's to ensure patients arrive on time for their appointments. So we waited a total of about 40 minutes to be called back. I was not happy. They could have at least let us know about this in advance.
After the nurse finally called our names, we were taken back to our assigned room to talk with the RE and nurses about our embryos, what to expect for our very first transfer, and also to change into the hospital gown (me) and scrubs (DH). The nurse asked me if I had a full bladder, which of course I did, but by this point, since it was well after 12 pm, my bladder had become uncomfortably full. I told the nurse and she led me to the ladies' room and handed me a cup to pee in. She said, 'DO NOT sit down [on the toilet], if you sit down, it's all over and you won't be able to stop [peeing]. She said I could empty one cup's worth of urine from my bladder, two at most if I was still uncomfortable.
I was afraid of emptying too much out of my bladder so I did about 3/4 cup and went back to the room where DH was waiting. I was trying to decide if I was still uncomfortable from having too full a bladder or if I was uncomfortable from having to stop myself mid-stream. I decided I needed to go again. The nurse took me to the restroom again, gave me another cup, and went over her speech about not sitting down. 'Just hover.' I also told her I thought the Valium was wearing off since we'd been waiting so long (I wasn't sure if I was feeling relaxed anymore) and she said it was unlikely, that 'Valium lasts a really long time.'
She left me to do my business and again, I was afraid that I would let out too much so I only did about 1/4 cup that time. I went back to the room and again tried to determine if I was still uncomfortable (I was), and the source of my discomfort (too much in my bladder? having to stop myself mid-stream again?). I wasn't sure so I waited for the nurse to come into our room again. But the RE walked in next to talk about our embryos. Our embryos! I was so happy to hear about them!
First, I should note that the REs at my clinic are on a rotating schedule. One doc will do all the transfers one week, then all the retrievals another week (I'm not sure what rotation they are on during the other two weeks of the month). So this means I don't automatically get my RE for my retrieval and transfer - I get whatever RE is on that rotation for the week. I ended up with my doctor (Dr. C) for my retrieval and another doctor (Dr. K) for my transfer, who I had never met before but seemed very nice.
So Dr. K came in to chat about our embryos and to show us pictures. Woo-hoo! Pictures! He said we had 10 embryos left as of today. One was a very good level 1 embryo (yay! one of them had been upgraded! my prayers had been answered!) and nine were level 2s. He showed us the clinic's stats regarding how often they see an embryo at this level: only about 200 times since the clinic's inception (not sure how long that is but yay for our little embryo)!
After he showed us our one rock star embryo and we discussed the pregnancy rates and risk of multiples for transferring one level 1 embryo vs. transferring one level 1 and one level 2, we decided to transfer the one level 1. The pregnancy rate for our level 1 embryo (I think he called it a 1B) was 69% (I don't remember the odds of it splitting and resulting in twins but it was really low). Imagine, I went from a 2% - 3% chance of pregnancy to 69% just like that! The pregnancy rate for transferring a level 1 embryo and a level 2 embryo was 73% with 60% resulting in twins, 20-something % resulting in a singleton, and the remaining % resulting in triplets. They have never had quads at this clinic (knock on wood). Dr. K also pointed out where our level 1 embryo was beginning to hatch and open up, signaling it was ready to implant.
We went over the paperwork and Dr. K noted we started out with 20 eggs and 19 of them had fertilized. Um, what?!?! We were told a different number (18) the day of our retrieval and during our updates on how our embryos were doing (17, then 16, then 11, and today 10). Dr. K said, in what sounded like an annoyed tone of voice, 'Well, they found two more!' Ok then. We signed the paperwork saying we were transferring one embryo, freezing five of our level 2 embryos today, and growing four more level 2s for one more day before freezing them.
And here is our rock star embryo! I'm a proud mama!
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.![]()
Clik here to view.
See how it's starting to open on the lower right hand side? It's ready to implant!
I went back to the room where they do the transfers, laid down on the table and put my legs in the stirrups. (These were not your normal, everyday stirrups that you see when you go in for an u/s or your annual pap visit. These were stirrups for the knees rather than the feet.) DH entered the room and sat next to me. I grabbed his hand; I needed to hold it during the procedure. It was such a special moment that I needed him near me. Then the u/s tech pulled my gown above my abdomen to perform the u/s so the RE could see where he was going and so we could see what was happening. I also had the fabulous paper sheet draped from my hips to my knees, a feeble attempt to offer me some modesty. Dr. K walked us through what he would be doing: first the mock transfer with one catheter, then the real transfer with another catheter, and he let us know we would be able to see everything on the u/s monitor.
We watched as he easily placed the first catheter for the mock transfer. I was nervous about potential issues with getting past my cervix but my very full bladder made it a much smoother process. In fact, I didn't feel a thing. Next he inserted the catheter for the real transfer and let us know he was about to place the embryo at the thickest part of my uterus. I started crying; I was so happy. But then I thought, 'I'd better not cry, what if it causes stress in my uterus and the embryo can't implant?' So I tried to quit crying but it was really hard. The next thing I knew, Dr. K was saying he was flushing the catheter to ensure the embryo was no longer in it, and that implantation should occur today or tomorrow. Then he showed us on the monitor where our baby was in my uterus. A tiny white spec in the middle of the screen.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.![]()
Clik here to view.
Yellow arrow indicating the tiny white dot that is our rock star embryo.
I was supposed to lay on the table for 10 minutes after the procedure but my bladder was so full that the nurse let me get up after about five minutes. I remember thinking I wish she would have let me lay there for the full 10 minutes; my bladder could hold out a little longer. But I got up and gingerly made my way to the restroom and emptied that bladder! I think I peed for about 10 minutes. ; ) Then I went back to the recovery room and laid on the bed for about 20 minutes. The nurse came in a few times to see how we were doing and to give us post-transfer instructions (bed rest for 48 hours, no heavy lifting, Tylenol only for pain, etc., etc.). DH scheduled my follow up blood draw for my pregnancy test (7:30 am on August 8th) while I rested. And believe it or not, I was thirsty after the transfer so DH found a nurse and asked for something to drink for me. The nurse brought in a mini bottle of water and said she didn't think she'd hear from me about being thirsty today after having such a full bladder! We had a little chuckle, then I tried to relax and think happy thoughts for our baby-to-be.
The nurse came back a few minutes later and said we were good to go. We gathered up our things and I was able to walk to the car this time rather than taking a ride in a wheel chair. I reclined the seat in the car for the drive home. When we arrived home, I used the restroom one more time and went straight to bed, excited to get this baby settled and growing and implanting.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.![]()
Clik here to view.
