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....