Negative

The pregnancy test came back negative today. I am really disappointed with the results but also feel that we have tried every possible path to success, there isn't everything else we could do. We have decided to take a break from the intervention and get back to basics, I want to take some time getting in shape and getting back to my hobbies like tennis, pottery and travel. We have been trying to get pregnant for 3 years and the last year has been intensely focused on various interventions-acupuncture, IUI and IVF. I have been poked and prodded enough to last me for awhile. I will continue to blog but will take a hiatus. Thanks for everyone's support and concern.

What a day!

Today was the day of the transfer for the single embryo that fertilized. I was at the acupuncturist at 8AM where I was given a series points on my abdomen, that were then attached to the teeniest electrodes I have ever seen. She also put other points on my head, ears, hands, legs and feet. The abdomen electrodes were for stimulating those points and bringing blood to my uterus. I left there to go straight to the hospital with a full bladder. We were brought right in but had to wait for the doctors for 15 minutes and then they started the procedure, where they got me set up and get the embryo from the embryologist. I will spare the gory details but it wasn't a good experience at all. My full bladder was mostly to blame, but a few other discomforts emerged. Luckily I know how to tough these situations out and didn't pass out or call the doctors any bad names.

The transfer was successful and the embryo was called 'very good' by the embryologist, photo below. The doctor was also positive about the quality of the embryo and stated that it had begun compacting, which is a sign of progress that our previous embryos hadn’t showed. I hadn’t heard the term ‘compacting’ before, so since I was assigned to bed-rest all day, it was the perfect time to research it. Essentially it's when the 8 cells break down to transform into a single large cell. If you look at the photo from our first transfer in April, you will see that the 8 cells are still perfectly formed with distinct edges and it has not started compacting. If you are interested in seeing the development of an embryo, this site has a great image timeline to show. http://www.ivf1.com/lab-embryo-culture

They gave us a photo of the transfer and the image below shows the embryo placed, it kinda tough to see, but it's a small,white dot in the middle. After we left the hospital with my delightfully empty bladder, we headed straight back to do another accupunture session. It was a great relief after the stress of the invasive medical procedure and really relaxed me. I came right home and have been glued to either bed or the sofa diligently working on my bed-rest assignment. I look forward to getting back to the world tomorrow, hopefully a changed woman!

The Embryo

The Placement in the Uterus (little white dot in the middle)

And then there was one

Of the five eggs retrieved, only four were mature and only one fertilized. This news was a real blow, since we would hope that all of the drugs would help develop more eggs and that those eggs would fertilize. If the embryo makes it through Thursday, they will transfer it. I have scheduled acupuncture before and after the transfer. Keep your fingers crossed!