Back on the infertility roller coaster

After our first Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) of our PGS tested normal embryo did not work, I talked to my doctor about trying what is known as a Natural Cycle FET.  Rather than using synthetic medication to thicken your uterine lining in preparation for pregnancy, they follow your natural cycle and time the frozen embryo transfer with when you would have gotten pregnant naturally.

The downside to this is that there are many more monitoring appointments prior to the transfer and you won't know when you are transferring until a few days before hand.  After transfer, you are supposed to maintain 24 hours bed/couch rest.  With two crazy toddlers at home, it's not an easy task to go in for daily doctors appointments or take 24 hours to rest.  But, we do what we have to do, right?

The appealing thing to me about the natural cycle FET was that I didn't have to wait long after my previous failed transfer.  I got my period 3 days after stopping the Progesterone in Oil Injections (stopped the same day I got our negative blood test).

I went in for my first monitoring appointment on October 14, 2014.  At each monitoring appointment they check your blood for levels of estrogen, progesterone, and luteinizing hormone.  These levels and their changes from appointment to appointment indicate when your body is getting ready to ovulate.  They also do an ultrasound to measure the thickness of your lining and the average size of your dominant follicle.  They are trying to catch a small window immediately preceding ovulation during which you take a trigger shot of HCG.  The frozen embryo transfer is exactly 6 days after you take the HCG trigger shot.

Monitoring appointments:

Oct 14

Oct 17

Oct 20

Oct 21

Oct 22

Oct 23 - Finally trigger shot day!  This means I didn't ovulate until cycle day 18. Since my normal cycle is 25 days, I was shocked by this new information.  Once an embryo is fertilized, it doesn't start to implant until 6-9 days later.  So I would have started shedding my lining before any baby even had a chance.  This is part of my original infertility diagnosis, called luteal phase defect.  

Frozen Embryo Transfer - Wednesday, October 29, a perfect baby girl embryo

Two weeks of waiting and negative home pregnancy test later - official blood test is again negative.

To be continued....

 

It's been awhile

I haven't written in a long time.  The truth is, I haven't written because I was hoping to write again and announce another pregnancy.  As each month passed and I had no good news to share, I just couldn't bring myself to write about anything else.  For anyone who has ever struggled to get pregnant, you would probably understand.  The trying, the endless waiting, the effort to be hopeful but not too hopeful...it's very consuming.  

But before I get to philosophical, I'll rewind a bit.  

June 2014  - you might recall that we froze 5 embryos with our first IVF cycle. We had the embryos biopsies before the freeze, but hadn't had the genetic testing done.  We finally shelled out a lot of money to have the embryos tested.  Of the 5, 3 were capable of producing a viable pregnancy.  Two girls and a boy!

July 2014 - goodbye Mirena

Late July - start Lupron injections for medicated Frozen Embryo Transfer cycle

Early August - stop Lupron, start Estance tablets to build up uterine lining for the transfer

End of August - after 2 weeks on estrace, it's a lining check to make sure the lining is above 6.5mm.  Mine was only 4.  Increased estrace dose and wait 7 days to check again.  

Early Sept - Lining was only 6mm at second check up.  They said they'd call back with instructions based on blood work, but a transfer this month was going to get cancelled due to poor uterine lining.  When they called they said my Stephen level wasn't too high, so I increased the Estrace dose again and waiting another 7 days for another check.

Mid Sept - third lining check, 7.5mm. Transfer scheduled for following week.

Transfer was September 18, then wait 2 weeks for blood pregnancy test, on October 2.

October 2 - blood test negative

To be continued....