So, Dave and I feel a strong calling to go ahead with IVF. After much prayer and counsel from church, family, and between the two of us, we feel that we have to go ahead with it at least once to find out if this is what God wants for us. We know that God commands us to have a child and that he wants this for us. In our hearts, we feel that since he has provided a way for us to go ahead with this, we must try this before we can fully move on to other options he may have for us in having a child one day.
My period began on Jan 31 which is the start of the IVF cycle. On Day 3 of my cycle I started birth control pills. I know, this sounds backwards, but using birth control pills before a treatment cycle has been shown to decrease risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and ovarian cysts and may even improve the odds of success. So, as backwards as it may seem, we are going forward with the plan. On day 8 of my cycle, Dave and I began taking a prophylactic antibiotic (Zithromax) to help clean out our reproductive tract. We’ve just completed taking our antibiotic, so now we’re waiting for my suppression check on Feb 24. This visit will take a look at my ovaries and see if the birth control suppressed my system. They will also do a trial transfer to make sure it goes smoothly for the real thing. Mainly that the catheter goes in smoothly and there are no problems.
On Feb 26, I will begin FSH injections which are going to boost my ovaries to make many follicles that will become mature eggs. So, we mainly need to pray that I respond to these injections because if I don’t have at least 5-8 mature follicles that measure 18-22mm, they will cancel the entire IVF cycle. Without enough follicles, there is less a chance of conceiving, so they like to see at least 8. On the other hand, if there are too many, they can also cancel to avoid hyperstimulation. It’s a very narrow window of getting it just right. I will do injections for 8 days with some intense monitoring to make sure I am responding well yet not hyperstimulating. And then when they feel the follicles are ready to go, they will retrieve them to put together with Dave’s sperm. Right now we are looking at the transfer to take place the week of March 7. It’s not far off at all and I am excited and nervous. Once they retrieve the eggs, they will inject them into Dave’s sperm (this is called ICSI) and then we all pray that they fertilize over the next 3 days. On day 3 or day 5 after retrieval, I will go back in for the transfer. This is where they will take the embryos and implant them into my uterus. If we’re successful, we’ll probably know early April if we conceived, and our babies will be due early December. We’ll have quite a Christmas gift this year if we’re successful.
I will keep you posted on our progress. Date may change due to my response to medications.
My period began on Jan 31 which is the start of the IVF cycle. On Day 3 of my cycle I started birth control pills. I know, this sounds backwards, but using birth control pills before a treatment cycle has been shown to decrease risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and ovarian cysts and may even improve the odds of success. So, as backwards as it may seem, we are going forward with the plan. On day 8 of my cycle, Dave and I began taking a prophylactic antibiotic (Zithromax) to help clean out our reproductive tract. We’ve just completed taking our antibiotic, so now we’re waiting for my suppression check on Feb 24. This visit will take a look at my ovaries and see if the birth control suppressed my system. They will also do a trial transfer to make sure it goes smoothly for the real thing. Mainly that the catheter goes in smoothly and there are no problems.
On Feb 26, I will begin FSH injections which are going to boost my ovaries to make many follicles that will become mature eggs. So, we mainly need to pray that I respond to these injections because if I don’t have at least 5-8 mature follicles that measure 18-22mm, they will cancel the entire IVF cycle. Without enough follicles, there is less a chance of conceiving, so they like to see at least 8. On the other hand, if there are too many, they can also cancel to avoid hyperstimulation. It’s a very narrow window of getting it just right. I will do injections for 8 days with some intense monitoring to make sure I am responding well yet not hyperstimulating. And then when they feel the follicles are ready to go, they will retrieve them to put together with Dave’s sperm. Right now we are looking at the transfer to take place the week of March 7. It’s not far off at all and I am excited and nervous. Once they retrieve the eggs, they will inject them into Dave’s sperm (this is called ICSI) and then we all pray that they fertilize over the next 3 days. On day 3 or day 5 after retrieval, I will go back in for the transfer. This is where they will take the embryos and implant them into my uterus. If we’re successful, we’ll probably know early April if we conceived, and our babies will be due early December. We’ll have quite a Christmas gift this year if we’re successful.
I will keep you posted on our progress. Date may change due to my response to medications.
IVF medications arrived!
A box full of medications.
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