The Embryo Transfer

We had our embryo transfer last Friday and it was quite an emotional experience, but all went well. For those who are interested in what to expect, I'll lay out the details.

First, 2 things to keep in mind before you arrive for a transfer:

First, it is important to shower and ensure you have nothing scented (including deodorant)  on you. So forget styling products for your hair or scented lotion, etc. I did purchase unscented deodorant because I was worried about going without it on the big day.  But it's important for the embryos not to be exposed to any kind of harsh foreign particles that can be in the air from scented items.  The same goes for anyone who goes with you to the transfer. I personally was alone at the transfer to save money on airfare.

Second, bring a bottle of water with you and drink plenty. They want your bladder to be very full because the transfer will be guided by abdominal ultrasound and a full bladder effectively presses down on the uterus, making it more visible on an ultrasound, which means they can see what they're doing much better.

Here's how my transfer played out...

I arrived at 9am and did not have to wait more than a minute. The nurse, who was serendipitously named Mary, helped me into the transfer room to check my bladder on the ultrasound and make sure that it was full or filling enough.

She then went through the actual procedure of the day and covered the post-transfer do's and don'ts which included:

-no sexual intercourse until after the second beta
-no caffeine
-no simple sugars, avoid simple carbs as well
-no exercise or stress or anything that will raise the heart rate
-no smoking and avoid all second hand smoke (run from it in fact)

I signed off on the information given to me. She left the room and I texted DH, only to see that he had texted me saying, "I'm right there with you, Baby Love...dreaming of our future together. I love you sooooooo much! xoxoxox. " It seriously melted my heart. I texted him that I was about to see the pics of our embies!He texted back, "Exciting! I'm right there holding your hand."  I responded, "I love you so much honey, I can feel you here!" He wrote, "Holding your hand and running my fingers through your wondrous hair, kissing the back of your neck."  It really helped me feel relaxed and happy, like he was right there with me in those moments.

Next the embryologist came in. This was a great time because she had photos of our beautiful embryos.

Seeing these little embryos made tears come to my eyes and I was filled with emotion, knowing that one or both of these could be our future child(ren). She explained that they are 5 day "Expanded Blastocysts" and were rated as Grade 2, which is very good quality, though not perfect, which very few embryos make (Grade 1).  She also re-confirmed our profile and the numbers assigned to us, which I had to sign off on, stating that these 2 embryos were in fact ours and from the profile we picked.

I was undecided about whether to transfer 1 or 2 embryos when I walked into the office, but I have to say, seeing both of them on the photos really had me hooked...my heart practically leapt out of my chest. I had been praying daily for the donor, for the eggs, and then as soon as I knew the eggs had been retrieved and fertilized, I began praying for God's presence, love, and light to be with all the embryos.  I sent DH the pic and told him that they recommend transferring both. He wrote, "You are wondrous beyond words. The most beautiful person I will ever know." And then, "They're beautiful Honey!"  We texted back and forth and decided on going with the embryologist's recommendation of transferring both.

After the embryologist left, the nurse came back in to reconfirm that my bladder was ready and then called in the RE. The doctor came in and I had a chance to ask him about his recommendation for transfer as well. He too recommended transferring both, and said he did not feel that a twin pregnancy was a big risk, that it was safe, and that our chances of twins was only 10-15% and that pregnancy was 65-70% when transferring both. At one point he said reassuringly, "You will get pregnant." I texted DH  the news and he wrote back, "Love you forever" and I wrote, "Let's do this! Love you!"

It took some time to get a good view of the uterus on the ultrasound because my uterus hangs so far to the right side of my body. Once they had a good view (meanwhile the ultrasound was pressing deep into the abdomen/full bladder!), they used the very uncomfortable tongs that they use in pap smears to get a good view of the cervix. They cleaned the cervix and also inserted a medium into it that is conducive to the embryos. Next they placed an outer catheter up through my cervix and into the uterus and you could see the tiny catheter on the screen.

Only after everything was in place did they call the embryologist to come out of the lab with our embryos.  They reconfirmed my identity and our assigned number and I then thought, "Wow, I sure hope they have the right embryos!"  She came right in, so as not to expose the embryos to the air for more than a few seconds. The embryos were inside a tinier pipette that both the embryologist and the RE put into place and inserted into the outer catheter. The embryos, which are in a medium themselves, were essentially flushed gently out of the pipette and into my uterus. It was then that the RE said, "there they are!" as he pointed to the screen. You could see them there, a tiny dot of white light. (You can see them because they're inside a protective air bubble.)

I asked for a photo and they took one while we waited for the embryologist to return to the lab and confirm that the embryos were both out of the pipette. She called back and I heard her say, "It's all clear!" At that point they were able to remove the catheter and tongs.  It felt so good because all the equipment was quite uncomfortable (though not what I would call painful). I will say, the only time I've been that "exposed" before was during labor!

Both the nurse and the doctor shook my hand and told me to get up and get dressed so that I could use the bathroom. You don't need to lay down because the embryos are placed in the lining, which is akin to placing 2 grains of salt on to a peanut butter sandwich. While the medium may flow out later, the embryos themselves aren't going to fall out. :)

After the much needed bathroom break, I was escorted out and wished good luck. I left feeling truly high and so very happy. I called DH and told him the good news of a successful, uneventful transfer.  Really, it wasn't a big deal, and from start to finish the transfer itself only took about 15 minutes.

So, now we wait. My beta isn't scheduled until another week from now...which is way too long to wait! Of course, I will be POAS before that. Come on embies...stick baby stick!!