So Surreal.....

This whole process has been surreal, but it has become even more surreal over the past few days since our retrieval and the fertilization process. Most people become pregnant the old fashioned way, finding out four or so weeks later they are pregnant....never even thinking about the daily process from fertilization to embryo. IVF participants on the other side know each minute detail of the process. I have learned more about fertility going through this than in PA school! Which hormones are needed for each stage of egg making, maturation, ovulation, and implantation is just the start on what we've learned.
      So, we got a call on the day after our egg retrieval to let us know that we had officially 22 eggs retrieved and under half of them fertilized. They were still in the "fertilized egg" period at that time. So, we hurry up and waited for the next phone call. Our lives for those few days consisted of awaiting phone calls. We prayed continuously and anxiously awaited our next news. We both had a peace throughout this waiting period as we prayed God provided us with exactly the number of embryos we need.
      I was still cramping up until today, about 2 days after my retrieval, and the anesthesia wasn't the nicest to me (still feeling some of those effects!). Another new thing that started on retrieval day was the start of steroids and antibiotic and a new injection. Thankfully Alan has been home this week and is able to give me this injection! It is in my gluteal region (alternating sides each day) and is for progesterone which is a hormone that helps with the lining of your uterus and keeps the embryo implanted and the placenta forming. If I become pregnant from this process, I have to continue these for approximately 10-12 weeks. Another thing about these injections......they make you SORE!!! So sitting isn't my favorite activity! Haha.
     So, today, day 2, we received a second phone call from the lab...."most" of the fertilized eggs had progressed to 2 days embryos....which means 4 cells. We needed this to keep us on our day 5 transfer. Why does that matter you ask? Well, the day 5 embryo tells you a little bit more about the embryo itself. They grade them on an A to F scale and try to only place the ones most likely to be viable back in utero or freeze for future use. Even with "A's" though, we only have a 50% chance that this procedure will result in a pregnancy. So, the message was very vague which I didn't like.....but we knew it was coming.


       Each day, we look at our picture/information sheet and think of what process our embryos are supposed to be forming. It is kinda weird (okay not kinda but really) that there are these embryos forming but I'm not pregnant yet, and I have no clue if I will even have a viable pregnancy. And it amazes us even more how God is so awesome and detail oriented that he has how a baby is conceived as miraculous as it is!!!
       So, our next news is the morning of our embryo transfer. They will give us how many embryos we have, their grades, and discuss with the doctor how many embryos we will transfer. We are continuing to pray for our embryos, my womb, and our decisions. We want this to work so badly and know God has His perfect plans. So until the next time.....