Dear baby,
to get you here, I've had to take so many pills, and inject myself with so many needles that it's ridiculous. Our refrigerator and cabinets look like a pharmacy.
I want you to know the process it's taken to get you here. I wrote to a friend who is just about to go through in-vitro what I've experienced, and thought you should know too:
I’m going to try to be as detailed as possible, so sit back lol (Titles and all!)
Here’s the basics on our IVF adventure:
I found out when I was about 20 that I had PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), which makes it near impossible to conceive naturally. Around that same time, Edgardo had contracted meningitis from a water park, and nearly died. So, both he and I were coming into the process with a ton of problems.
We decided to look into medical help a year ago. I did a bunch of research and found that my insurance (through CPS) covered a big portion of any and all fertility procedures (which anyone should also look into because it is EXPENSIVE!)
The Natural Way:
Our doctor wanted us to try to conceive naturally first. I was given oral medication to regulate ovulating, and so that we could time everything to a T. We tried that for several months, which was totally frustrating because we all knew it wasn't going to work (Edgardo and I had been trying for 4 years already). After this didn't work, we decided to go to the next aggressive route.
IUI (intrauterine insemination... aka the "turkey baster" method lol):
During this time, again you'd have to take medication to regulate your period, but at the same time, they have you injecting yourself to produce multiple eggs (follicles).
I averaged 20 follicles each time... to put that in perspective, think how you feel achy just before or after getting your period. That's just one egg. I had 20 each month...
The day that you are ready for insemination, the doctor will have your husband produce a sample at their office. They’ll do a few tests to pick out the very best “swimmers.” Once they have figured that all out, they will have you come to the room, where they will then inject the sperm (which has been placed in a skinny catheter) right into your uterus. Some say that this part (the catheter) hurts, but I found it only mildly uncomfortable. I had a really good nurse. After this, you’re pretty much ready to go home.
IUI didn’t work for us. And out of frustration, I told the doctor that I wanted to stop playing games and move on to the next most aggressive route.
IVF:
As each step of this process goes on, honestly, it gets more painful. Here is the routine you can expect getting ready for the doctor to say you’re ready for IVF—
1. You will be asked to inject yourself in your stomach every night for 10-20 nights to kick start your ovaries into producing eggs
2. You will need to take 3-9 pills a day (depending on the regime the doctor gives you) to prepare your uterus for implantation. The medication will make your uterine walls thicker, so that the embryos stick.
3. In addition to the pills, your doctor might have you taking vaginal suppositories (which are a icky mess) 3 times a day.
4. You will need to go to the doctor for internal ultrasounds and bloodwork every other day to make sure you don’t have Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (which can be deadly if overlooked) (We actually experienced this during IUI and had to stop all medication. I felt physically miserable for a long while).
5. Finally, when your eggs are nice and plump (20mm), they will retrieve them.
6. Retrieval day was the scariest day of my life. I was shaking. The whole process becomes reality at that moment. They will put you under, using anesthesia, and they’ll go in with a tiny “vacuum” and take the little eggs out. On this same day, they’ll ask your husband to produce another sperm sample (unless he’s already done this before, and you froze the sperm. We opted to not freeze, and try for the most “fresh” specimen possible each time). This day is pretty much a mini-surgery day. You’ll be totally out of it all day, and your body will feel like you were ran over by a truck. Your ovaries have expanded to their max to produce all these eggs, and then they’re just gone. Vacuumed out lol. You won’t be able to do much walking after this (nor will you want to). Your pants won’t fit you during this time, so don’t even try for anything that isn’t stretchy lol and then it’s the waiting game.
7. 3-5 days after the procedure, they will call you and tell you it’s time to implant the “Embies” back into your uterus. (For us, 20 eggs were taken out. 16 of the 20 were mature (20mm or larger). After injecting all 16 eggs with sperm, 14 fertilized. Out of the 14 only 3 started cell division. We decided to implant 2 and the third stopped multiplying, so we had it destroyed with the rest of the sperm and eggs that did not work out.)
8. Implantation day had me a nervous mess. They gave me valium to calm my nerves and then inserted another catheter with the fertilized Embies into my uterus. They’ll make you drink an insane amount of water before the procedure so they can see the Embies and your uterus better. (I was so scared I was going to urinate on the doctor… so when it’s you, remember me and chuckle. It won’t happen…. At least it didn’t for me lol)
9. Now it’s time to go home and wait.
10. During the waiting time you’ll have to continue taking oral medication, vaginal medication, and the worst medication of all: a shot that your husband will have to give you on either side of your butt cheeks. This shot hurts tremendously. I was on this shot for 10 days and then all of a sudden formed a horrible allergic reaction and got hives all down my lower body, butt to toes. Horrible horrible horrible. My doctor thankfully took me off of it, and I’m on a different type of medication where I’m taking 6 pills a day.
11. A few days into your waiting, you’ll start to cramp like crazy. It makes you think that your period is coming and that nothing worked… but it’s actually the Embies burying themselves into your plush uterine lining. (This part hurts like heck… but the cramps will go from strong pressure to small twinges.)
12. 20 days after the implantation, the doctor will have you come in for a blood test, and they’ll be able to detect if you are pregnant.
Baby, if you haven't noticed yet, this has been a really difficult time for your papi and I. The hormones that they had me injecting myself are brutal on my body and my attitude. I have been on an emotional rollercoaster. We have to go to the doctor for blood tests and ultrasounds to see if the Embies (you) are still on board. It’s a really scary time, but I’m trying to stay positive, and just hope and pray for us not to miscarry.
It's been crazy baby.
 |
| Hey Baby! You're going in here soon. The top right, dark looking, pear
shaped thing is my bladder. I had to drink a ton of water to get it that
big. The other two black blob looking things are my ovaries. That's
where you came from. They're HUGE! and pushing on my bladder. |
