As Bobby and I got ready for our first IVF cycle, we were wondering why we hadn’t done this in the first place. After the four failed rounds of IUI, we were feeling like we should’ve skipped to IVF in the first place when the doctor offered that to us. However, there is no changing the past, so we just decided to go into IVF as positive as possible.

I was very, very, VERY nervous for all of the injections that go into IVF! After meeting with our fertility doctor on February 26, 2018 to plan our cycle, I immediately ran to a coworker I knew had done IVF already. I was petrified of those injections, especially the one that I found out I would have to mix myself (one vial of the powder medicine, mixed with a solution). Thankfully, my coworker was so reassuring and told me over and over that I would be okay. (She even gave all of the injections to herself! So much braver than me!)

My first injections started on March 17. These are the injections that help my ovaries grow as many follicles as possible. One of my great friends gave me my two injections in my stomach before we went out and had a green beer for St. Patrick’s Day! 🙂 (I know that some people say they would NEVER drink while TTC, but that was the ONLY drink I had during this whole process!)

I continued the two injections a day for the next week (even going so far as to have Bobby give me injections in the bowling alley bathroom! Ah! haha!) Timing is very important in fertility injections. After a week of those two, we switched to a few days of injections in the morning. By the time I was ready for my egg retrieval – I basically looked a few months pregnant because I was SO bloated!

On March 29, 2018, I went in for my egg retrieval. In this procedure, they use local anesthesia through my IV, and go in with a needle and very carefully take out the follicles from each ovary. I was SO blessed to have 13 large follicles on each side, with a total of 26 eggs retrieved! (The also explained why I was so crazy bloated). A few days later, I got the call that 19 of them had fertilized! We were so amazed and thrilled to have so many embryos. We scheduled the embryo transfer for April 3, 2018.

The day of the transfer (or maybe a day or two before, I honestly can’t remember), we found out that we had 12 embryos that had continued to progress as needed. This was still so exciting to us – 12 chances!

Embryo transfer day is actually pretty uneventful. A lot of people talk about it and talk about the things they do, but in all honesty I don’t know how much of the “rituals” really matter. The best advice I can give is to stay positive – and make sure you have a moderately full bladder so they can see better. Also, having a moderately full bladder does mean that it is NOT a comfortable procedure. It is not the most painful thing you will experience, but it is certainly not pleasant either.

After you watch the tiny dot of an embryo leave the catheter and travel into your uterus on the screen, you leave the office hoping and praying it sticks and gets cozy. Unfortunately, this begins another 2ww! (two week wait)

On April 16, 2018, I made sure to get a substitute for my class, and I headed up for my blood test in the morning. Again, I knew the call was going to come between 12pm-3pm. I had plans to go visit my cousin/BFF who had just had a new baby two weeks before. I went to her place and enjoyed the tiny newborn while waiting for the call. I just so happened to leave my phone downstairs when we went upstairs for no more than 5 minutes – when I got downstairs there was a voicemail! My stomach immediately did a back flip and I rushed to check it.

It was positive! You guys, I can’t even express how happy I was! We both literally jumped up and down and practically cried tears of joy. Then I ran to my car to drive home and tell my husband. (He was very aware that she might find out before me, and was okay with this, haha!)

I had bought this really adorable onesie in the summer of 2016 after we got married that said “I’m proof my Daddy does more than just play video games.” I had kept it hidden waiting to give it to him as a funny way to tell him the great news. (I clearly bought it before I knew the struggles we would have.) I ran in the house, grabbed the onesie and gave it to him. He was so overjoyed too! We also both were in so much shock, we couldn’t honestly believe that IVF worked on the first try!

As I mentioned in my first post, there is honestly no such thing as a “safe mark” in pregnancy. I waited until I was 12 weeks pregnant to make a big announcement, as that is considered the “safe mark” in most cases. In my next post, I am going to be pretty detailed about my pregnancy, so I will save everything that happened after for that. Also, just to warn you all now – if you think my posts have been long so far, the next one is going to be a real doozie!

Thank you all for the love and support! 🙂