IVF Journey: Third IVF day 56

When the embryologist went to thaw out our embryo on Thursday, we lost one in the process.

This is normal – only 85% survive the thaw.  Blastocysts (five day old embryos) are relatively big and expanded groups of cells and ours were graded 4 and 5 which means they were plenty expanded.  When you freeze them the ice goes inside the cells, so when you thaw them you can have trouble getting all of the ice out.  They can crack, and become unviable.  That’s what happened to the first one of ours that they tried to thaw this time, so they discarded it.

I feel totally fine about having lost one.  I don’t consider it a baby and I don’t grieve for it, I’m not worried about having one fewer in the pot for next time.

IVF Journey: Third IVF day 53

“The odds are in my favour, man” (Don’t break the rules, Catch me if you can)

So at the moment I’m ‘Pregnant Until Proven Otherwise’ – that’s pretty cool. We had such a wonderful positive experience at the frozen embryo transfer yesterday that I have even been feeling quite hopeful. It was so good to have the embryologist say that in her professional opinion it is unlucky that we’ve not succeeded with the IVF yet and that it is very likely that we’ll see success soon. This time, hopefully.

I used to know about statistics. I have an A Level in Maths and an AS Level in Further Maths. My job has a statistical component. But I’ve forgotten much of what I used to know and the stats around this IVF stuff are rather complex.

IVF Journey: Third IVF day 46

It must be a busy month at the IVF clinic, because yet again I had to wait 50 minutes in the waiting room today.  I would rather have spent that time in bed…

But things got better.

IVF Journey: Third IVF day 1

Hurray, this is the start of IVF cycle number three.  We will be using one of our six remaining frozen embryos (blastocysts) around mid October and the time until then will be used to prepare my body to hopefully accept it.

So this morning was a pre-treatment scan.  I left home an hour and a half before the appointment time of 10am and this time arrived fifteen minutes early.  That was great though, as they took me in straight away so I was out again by 10am!

I knew the drill by now – into the consulting room, strip from the waist down, sit on the bed and cover my modesty with a towel.  The doctor came in, gave me an internal scan, and pronounced everything normal.  I then had an appointment with a nurse who took my blood pressure and pronounced that normal too.  Therefore good to go, I was given a date to come in for my next two IVF appointments and sent on my way.  Easy.

IVF Journey: Second IVF day 55

Only for a time,
I must not learn
To call you mine.
You never, ever learn
That nothing’s yours
On easy terms. (Easy terms, Blood Brothers)

So this is the dreaded two week wait. That’s the final two weeks of IVF between fertilisation and pregnancy test. Notorious for being the hardest bit of IVF. For most people. Not me.

IVF Journey: Second IVF day 50

Maybe this time, I’ll be lucky
Maybe this time, he’ll stay
Maybe this time
For the first time
Love won’t hurry away

All the odds are in my favour
Something’s bound to begin
It’s got to happen, happen sometime
Maybe this time I’ll win… (Maybe this time, Cabaret)

Today was the day of the frozen embryo transfer, and I can happily report that Puffling is safely within me now. All went well. It was quick – I was about 45 minutes from arriving to leaving.

IVF Journey: Second IVF day 49

Tomorrow is the big day, the frozen embryo transfer.  Yay!  I’m excited!  This is what it is all about, knowing I have an embryo within me.  Hopefully one that will decide to stick around.

You’ll recall that about half of couples that undergo IVF are not lucky enough to generate sufficient good quality embryos to freeze any after the fresh cycle.  You’ll also recall that 85% of embryos do not survive the thaw.

IVF Journey: Second IVF day 5

On 27th March we found out that our first attempt at IVF had not worked and three weeks later the clinic wrote to us and offered us an appointment with a Consultant to discuss our treatment options. Well our appointment finally came around today, two months after the negative pregnancy test and almost a week after we started our second cycle of IVF treatment. I must admit the husband and I found this quite unsatisfactory, as we had no clear answers about why the first go had not worked or what our chances of success were based on the progress to date, and we felt a bit abandoned by the system.

IVF Journey: Betweens IVFs day 35

I’m all about evaluation, and I thought it might be interesting to generate some stats and reflections on my first IVF cycle.

(By the way, I’m still taking these money draining daily kick in the teeth folic acid tablets…)

IVF Journey: Betweens IVFs day 8

I feel pretty rough with a cough at the moment. I don’t know whether it is one of those things where you let your defences down and the germs get in – you know, like the first day of the Christmas holidays?