Road to FET: Our Assigned Embryo Transfer Time for Tomorrow

Haven't we been at this place before? The answer is yes, yes we have. But this time, it's going to be different. This time, it's going to work. We have to believe that, and so, we do. Our time for a miracle has come, don't you think??

J drawing up the 1.5 ml of progesterone in oil for my nightly hip shot

My pill regimen from the last four days. Thank goodness for my pill organizer!

It's crazy to think that we're just mere hours away from our next (and hopefully last!) transfer. I am grateful that at least thus far, other than mild side effects (bloating, grogginess, a slight burny empty pit feeling in my stomach if I don't stay full, and pretty decent hip soreness from the shots), I seem to be handling the meds okay. Although if last time is any indication, the shots will progressively get more painful and I'll have very vivid dreams (thanks, progesterone!). But, no more steroids or antibiotics after today - just the estrogen, progesterone, baby aspirin and prenatals will continue up until (and hopefully THROUGH) beta day on October 26.

So let's talk transfer! My appointment is at 12 pm tomorrow but I will need to be there by 11:30 am to get checked in, drink some water to fill up my bladder (helps them place the embryo), and take my prescribed Valium. My acupuncture session will be before transfer this time, so my boss and I will need to arrive for that appointment by 10:15 am, which puts us on the road and headed up North no later than 8:15 am.

We're definitely excited!! J has said a few times in the last few days how much he wishes he could be with me and how sad he is about not being there, so if you wouldn't mind, please keep him extra cozy in your thoughts tomorrow as well. I am going to ask that the picture of our embryo be placed in an envelope so I can wait to view it with J once he gets home from work tomorrow and that idea seemed to perk him up. If they can't find an envelope at the surgical center, I'll place it directly into my purse without looking at it. It's important to him, so I will do my best to make it happen.

The post-transfer protocol this time is the same as it was last time. Obviously, I won't be at work tomorrow, but it's also recommended that I take off the day after transfer as well. Complete bed rest (or, couch rest) is advised for transfer day, with very minimal activity the day after. Although I tried to be "good" last time, I wasn't as good as I could have been (remaining down and flat is more challenging than you'd think when you're not feeling ill and/or not in pain...) so tomorrow is truly mostly going to be spent lying down. Then, as of Thursday, I am encouraged to return to my normal routine, with a few limitations - just walking for exercise, no heavy lifting (nothing over 20 pounds), and various other little no-nos. Additionally, I will be doing the following:

- eating 2 Brazil nuts a day starting today and through the remainder of the week (rumored to help with implantation)
- eating only warm foods/meals and drinking only room temperature water or hot decaf tea (you're encouraged to think of your uterus/core as a little incubator, so cold drinks and foods are not advised)
- soaking my feet in warm water 10-20 minutes each night before bed (Chinese medicine tip for helping keep your uterine cavity warm - I've already been doing this for over a week now)
- wearing fuzzy socks on my feet at all times (except for when I shower of course), including when I sleep (again, to aid in keeping my little incubator system nice and comfy cozy)
- one more acupuncture session next week
- getting my recommended 7-9 hours of sleep per night
- daily meditation/positive visualization of the embryo snuggling into my womb and growing strong

Who really knows if any of this stuff helps, but I figure there's no harm in it, either!

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UPDATE! I just got a call from the lab at the clinic. I guess they like to check in with patients on the day before an FET to let us know their process and to answer any questions. And of course, I had questions. I ALWAYS have questions. Their current defrost success rate is a whopping 95% so there's only a 5% chance that our little snowflake won't survive the thaw - which is amazing. But, she also said that because we're only transferring one embryo, they will be holding it to higher standards and scrutinizing it extra carefully, as they want to give it the best odds of implantation and beyond. She also said that it's unlikely that the grade of the embryo should diminish - right now, all three are BBs. (For more info on embryo grading, visit this link here. It is uncommon for embryos to be graded AA or AB, as those are pretty nearly perfect -- I asked because once an A student, always an A student...haha) One was frozen on day 5 (which she said they would likely choose to defrost first) and the other two were frozen on day 6. All good things! I was able to relay our wishes regarding the picture of our snowflake, so that was a bonus! They will call me either way tomorrow morning to let me know how the embryo thawed and if they need to move on to another one, should the first have not thawed to their liking.

I will post an update tomorrow evening once I'm home and have rested up a bit. Thank you all in advance for your positive thoughts, prayers, vibes, encouragement and love. We can't WAIT to lay eyes on our little snowflake <3 Until tomorrow...

This image stopped me in my tracks.
This is hope. This is motivation to keep on keepin' on down this road. This is love.
Full story here.
Sher Institute's photo posted to Facebook.