It's now a waiting game

After waiting what felt like weeks, Sean and I made our way into Boston for our embryo transfer.  We were told to be there at 11 for a noon transfer.  If our retrieval was any clue, we should have showed up 30 minutes late.   Actually we should have showed up 100 minutes late!  That's right they kept infertility patients waiting well over an hour and a half.  I made sure I had done my relaxation mediation on the way there, but that was basically out the window.  I did the best I could to keep my mind and body relaxed.  It wasn't easy with someone huffing and puffing next to me (I'm not naming names).

Thankfully, the nurse brought us back and we didn't have to wait much longer.  Sean got into his scrubs and I got into my lovely hospital gown.  The doctor came back and showed us our embryo.  It was a perfect 8 cell embryo.  It was time for us to get back into the OR.

Prior to transferring the embryo, the embryologists performed a procedure called assisted hatching.  During the procedure the embryologist uses a pipette to hold one side of the embryo while a section of the other side of the "shell" is dissolved.

The procedure helps to assist the embryo to break out of the shell and develop into a blastocyst.  We had this done with our last fresh cycle that gave us Olivia; this was the change that did the trick the first time around.

The actual transfer process is very easy.  It takes longer to be set up than it does to transfer the embryo.  I went in and the nurse helped get me in the stirrups and get my body in the correct position.  Once this is done, the doctor does a sample transfer with an empty catheter.  Then the embryologist brings in the "loaded" catheter.  As the doctor transfers the embryo, the nurse is using an ultrasound to help guide him.  Our nurse took a picture of the moment the embryo actually left the catheter.  It looks like a little shooting star.  We then wait for 2 minutes and the doctor removes the catheter and the embryologist checks to make sure it's empty.  I then stay sitting for a few minutes well the room is straightened and then I'm up and out.  Easy!

There is one more difference from my previous cycles: NO RESTRICTIONS! In my previous cycles before Olivia was born, I always had 24 hours of bed rest and then 24 hours of modified rest.  After that I had to continue to take it easy and couldn't exercise or lift anything over 20 pounds.  With my frozen transfers I just assumed things were the same.   Because of that, I often carried a lot of guilt about picking up Olivia and basically being a mom.  I decided to talk to my nurse.  My rules were to take the rest of the day to relax and then don't do any exercise that includes bouncing.  The exercise rule had nothing to do with injuring the pregnancy but with the swollen ovaries.  It will take about a month for my grapefruit size ovaries to shrink back down to normal; prior to that they could twist which can cause some major issues.  Honestly, these are easy rules for me to follow.  I don't exercise more than just walking, and they allow me to go back to my life without guilt.  I can pick up Olivia and actually be her mom without wondering if I am causing this cycle to fail, which I won't know one way or the other until the 17th.

Does that seem as far away to you as it does to me?  I try not to test before hand, but I don't know how well I will do with this cycle.  I have a lot of confidence that this will work, which isn't always the best thing.  Positive thoughts over the next two weeks!

I may or may not blog during that, but if I do, I probably will not share it since the bulk of my story is over.  Hopefully in a few weeks I will be bringing you all a celebratory post.  However until then I want to leave you with our perfect 8 cell embryo (Sean named it Caesar because I won't let that into consideration for a boy's name).  Notice the little mark on the right side; that is the assisting hatching.