Thursday, February 16, 2012
Almost ready for egg retrieval
I had another early morning appointment today and this one had great news for us! Yesterday it looked like we may only be able to get 4 eggs ready by the retrieval and as of this morning, it looks like we will have 9-10 eggs which is wonderful! Everything looked good and we are almost ready for the trigger. I have to go in tomorrow for another ultrasound and more blood work and then we will see if I'm ready yet! I'm super excited and can't wait to get this show on the road!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Past attempts...
We started trying to conquer infertility in 2008. I tried three months of Clomid at the end of 2008 and then moved on to a specialist. I had my first IUI (insemination) attempt in December of 2008 and then continued trying IUIs until March of 2009. At that point we decided to take a break from the medical interventions and focus on getting healthy.
We then went to a more holistic doctor who put us on a very strict diet and supplement program. The good news...we lost a ton of weight and felt amazing...the bad news - still no pregnancy. We were on this healthy diet for over a year and then made the decision to try adoption.
We had two failed adoptions in one year. The first one was during the summer of 2010. The second one was really devastating! Without rehashing the entire situation/story, the adoption fell through just days before the baby was born. We had attended every single doctors appointment, were ready and prepared for this baby, and were excitedly awaiting his arrival. When we got the news that the adoption was falling through, my entire world came crashing down. I was hurt, angry, confused, and then numb. I would wake up in the middle of the night and find that my husband was not in bed. I would find him sitting on the couch, in the dark, sobbing. He would say that he tried to hide how hard it was on him from me so that I didn't have to add that stress to how I was already feeling. It was honestly the hardest thing I have ever been through.
We decided then to try IVF (In Vitro Fertilization). IVF is extremely invasive and is the highest technology available for infertile couples. They actually stimulate the ovaries (using a series of injections that you have to give to yourself or someone has to give to you - thank you Aunt Kim:) to produce a lot of eggs. Once the eggs are ready, you have to go into surgery to have them removed. Once they are removed they choose a sperm to actually inject into the egg using a very tiny needle. Once this happens, they wait to see if the egg fertilizes. If it does, they can transfer it a few days later back into me where it will hopefully make itself comfortable and implant where it will stay and grow for 9 months! We had our first IVF attempt in June of 2011. We were very nervous about the process and I was very scared! They were able to retrieve 9 eggs, 6 of them were mature, and only 3 fertilized.
They transferred 2 embryos and neither of them took - so we were back at square one again.
We were later informed that our final frozen embryo was not good enough to transfer and at that point, I remember feeling utterly defeated! We had tried EVERYTHING and nothing had worked. We were drained financially and emotionally. We were exhausted. And then a small miracle happened.....we were chosen for a free round of IVF through a grant program at our hospital!
I am so grateful for the opportunity to try IVF again! We are currently in the process of trying IVF for the second time right now. I am currently on the stimulation drugs and am waiting for the retrieval. I'm hoping and praying that this will be it!
We then went to a more holistic doctor who put us on a very strict diet and supplement program. The good news...we lost a ton of weight and felt amazing...the bad news - still no pregnancy. We were on this healthy diet for over a year and then made the decision to try adoption.
We had two failed adoptions in one year. The first one was during the summer of 2010. The second one was really devastating! Without rehashing the entire situation/story, the adoption fell through just days before the baby was born. We had attended every single doctors appointment, were ready and prepared for this baby, and were excitedly awaiting his arrival. When we got the news that the adoption was falling through, my entire world came crashing down. I was hurt, angry, confused, and then numb. I would wake up in the middle of the night and find that my husband was not in bed. I would find him sitting on the couch, in the dark, sobbing. He would say that he tried to hide how hard it was on him from me so that I didn't have to add that stress to how I was already feeling. It was honestly the hardest thing I have ever been through.
We decided then to try IVF (In Vitro Fertilization). IVF is extremely invasive and is the highest technology available for infertile couples. They actually stimulate the ovaries (using a series of injections that you have to give to yourself or someone has to give to you - thank you Aunt Kim:) to produce a lot of eggs. Once the eggs are ready, you have to go into surgery to have them removed. Once they are removed they choose a sperm to actually inject into the egg using a very tiny needle. Once this happens, they wait to see if the egg fertilizes. If it does, they can transfer it a few days later back into me where it will hopefully make itself comfortable and implant where it will stay and grow for 9 months! We had our first IVF attempt in June of 2011. We were very nervous about the process and I was very scared! They were able to retrieve 9 eggs, 6 of them were mature, and only 3 fertilized.
They transferred 2 embryos and neither of them took - so we were back at square one again.
We were later informed that our final frozen embryo was not good enough to transfer and at that point, I remember feeling utterly defeated! We had tried EVERYTHING and nothing had worked. We were drained financially and emotionally. We were exhausted. And then a small miracle happened.....we were chosen for a free round of IVF through a grant program at our hospital!
I am so grateful for the opportunity to try IVF again! We are currently in the process of trying IVF for the second time right now. I am currently on the stimulation drugs and am waiting for the retrieval. I'm hoping and praying that this will be it!
Our story
My story begins back in 2007 when I suspected that I was pregnant. My husband and I had been married the following year and weren't actively preventing a pregnancy nor actually trying yet. I took a pregnancy test and was shocked that I felt such disappointment in the negative results of that test. We weren't even trying yet and I was surprised by the tears that fell when I saw that one lonely line on the test indicating that I was not expecting. These would be the first of the many tears that would be shed throughout the journey....
I always knew I wanted to have children, there was never any doubt about that. I am the oldest of the five children in my family and have sort of "mothered" them all - often against their will:) I started babysitting at a very young age and found that working with children was my calling.
After high school, I went to college for teaching and am now a middle school teacher, a coach, and I still babysit on the weekends. I feel fulfilled and happiest when I am surrounded by little ones and know that this is my purpose in life.
I met my husband and knew right away that he was the one for me. The main trait that attracted me to him besides his beautiful smile, was his love for children. He had a little nephew (at the time only 14 months) and was absolutely in love with that little guy! He will make an amazing father one day - he is playful, fun, loving, supportive, caring, etc.
Once we got that negative pregnancy test in April of 2007, we sort of decided that it wouldn't be a bad time to start trying for a baby of our own. We were so excited to make that decision and were filled with joy at the prospect of becomming parents.
See, the problem is that no one ever prepares themselves for infertility. No one starts off trying to have a baby thinking that they will eventually go through all that we have been through. No one prepares themselves for the countless months of disappointment that we have been through. No one could ever imagine the heartache that infertility causes and how it has the ability to change you, shape you, break you - unless you are determined to rise above it and conquer it!
I always knew I wanted to have children, there was never any doubt about that. I am the oldest of the five children in my family and have sort of "mothered" them all - often against their will:) I started babysitting at a very young age and found that working with children was my calling.
After high school, I went to college for teaching and am now a middle school teacher, a coach, and I still babysit on the weekends. I feel fulfilled and happiest when I am surrounded by little ones and know that this is my purpose in life.
I met my husband and knew right away that he was the one for me. The main trait that attracted me to him besides his beautiful smile, was his love for children. He had a little nephew (at the time only 14 months) and was absolutely in love with that little guy! He will make an amazing father one day - he is playful, fun, loving, supportive, caring, etc.
Once we got that negative pregnancy test in April of 2007, we sort of decided that it wouldn't be a bad time to start trying for a baby of our own. We were so excited to make that decision and were filled with joy at the prospect of becomming parents.
See, the problem is that no one ever prepares themselves for infertility. No one starts off trying to have a baby thinking that they will eventually go through all that we have been through. No one prepares themselves for the countless months of disappointment that we have been through. No one could ever imagine the heartache that infertility causes and how it has the ability to change you, shape you, break you - unless you are determined to rise above it and conquer it!
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