A Different Kind of Pregnancy Journey (Part III)

Part One here, and Two here. 

After the disappointment of the negative test, it was nice to take a little mental break (not to mention a break from shots). Christmas and New Years were great days to "have off" too! I knew whatever the couple decided that I would be trying again. I really wanted to try with them, I wanted it to work for them! We had developed a bond at that point, and I wanted to continue on this path with them. If they had decided not to continue, I would have been rematched, but I'm so glad I didn't have to do that!

Things started moving again when I got my period in mid-February. I went in for my day 3 blood work, then started on birth control pills. The egg donor would be cycling in March, but this way I was 100% ready to go.

At the end of February I got a real treat when the parent's flew in for a few days and we got to meet over dinner! We all had a wonderful time, and I was so grateful for the opportunity to help these beautiful people.

I started Lupron again at the beginning of April and went for my first blood draw on the 11th. Everything looked good so we were really off and running. Transfer was slated for May 2nd, and we used the same protocol as the first time.

Lupron bruises.

Things were pretty similar to the first time around, except smoother. I had a little fluid, but it remedied itself by the next ultrasound, so no push back of transfer needed. I never got sick of the Lupron shots the way I did the first time, and never had the welts. In fact, it didn't hit me until after it was already done that the night of my last Lupron shot was the last one! I still got a few headaches while I was on the Lupron and birth control pills together, but less then before, and that again resolved as soon as I started the estrogen patches.

The progesterone shots were fine too. Not anyone's favorite part, but easy and quick enough. Oh, and I managed to rotate my arms for blood draws well enough that I didn't end up having a tech roll my vein and have to dig through my arm to get blood like I did (twice!) the first time around either... hallelujah!

Even transfer day was easier. I felt very positive the whole time. I didn't overfill my bladder so badly, like I did the first time, which cut out the bruised bladder feeling afterwards. And I did nothing but lay around, watch TV, and read my way through a whole stack of magazines for the rest of the day. I did a ton of laying around the next day too. 

After that was the waiting, which is always hard. But we kept ourselves distracted, which helped.

I had more symptoms this time... though symptoms mean nothing since the hormone that causes them is the same one I'm injecting myself with, so. Still I alternated between super tired and wanting to eat a small country, with a bit of weepiness and anger thrown in for good measure.

On Saturday the 10th, 8dp5dt (8 days post 5 day transfer... or about 13 days post ovulation), I took a home test. I just couldn't wait anymore. And thanks to jury duty, I also dreaded the idea of finding out either way, the results while sitting in a court house full of strangers. I was so glad I did:

I was so happy, though Trav and I agreed to wait to tell the parents until after the blood work on Monday. We wanted to see really good numbers before telling the parents. Well, good numbers we got! My Beta HCG was 583, Progesterone-20 Estradiol level -226. I sent them a picture of the positive test, and a recount of my numbers. The parents were over the moon. I was too!! 

I had follow up blood work on Wednesday, and numbers continued to look great: Beta 1159, Progesterone - 27, Estradiol - 211. With such numbers, I started to wonder about twins.

Around this time I noticed that my poor butt muscles were sore all the time from the shots. I ended up getting a vicious bruise at one point and had to do all my shots on one side for a few days to give the bruised side a bit of time to heal. Ouch. Thankfully a small sacrifice in the grand scheme of things!! 

We scheduled more blood work and an ultrasound for the 22nd (5 weeks, 4 days). At that point we would be able to see what was growing in there!

I'll tell the truth. I was so nervous that morning. The anticipation of seeing that everything looked good was so hard to bear. Plus, I was of two minds... knowing that twins would be an amazing blessing for the parents, but knowing that it would be a harder pregnancy, and that it would mean that I couldn't birth at the Birth Center like I wanted to. Part of me was hoping for one, but more so, I was just hoping for spot on growth and a happy ultrasound. Well, I got that. The 22nd brought us the sight of one appropriately growing blob.  :-)

My next appt was set for Monday, June 2nd (7w, 1d). During the wait a few things happened.... I got a few more "butt bumps" from oil and bruising, and I started up with the morning sickness (at 6w, 3d). It was mostly just nausea with food aversions in the morning, and for the most part would even out by the evenings. But sometimes it would be off and on nausea all day. It was always accompanied though, by the most amazing hunger when the nausea did subside! Like, mug someone for their cookie levels of hunger. Lots of extra snacks in my purse became a necessity! Crackers next to my bedside, consumed before even sitting up, helped immensely!

The appointment itself went great. I got to see the heartbeat, and my blood work looked good. I  dropped down to 1 vivelle patch every other day at that point. After that I definitely noticed an increase in my awareness of smells. Sitting next to a guy on the train who smelled like bologna almost did me in.

My next appointment, a week later (June 9 - 8w, 1d) went great too. Baby was measuring spot on and had a good heart beat. At the end of that week I broke out the maternity jeans. Not because of baby bump, but because I was so damn bloated, I was tired of having to unbutton my pants every time I sat down! (I've basically been living in maxi dresses since.)

At my next appointment (June 16 - 9w, 1d) everything looked great, and my blood work came back looking great. I was able to completely stop the Vivelle patches.

At 10w, 1d I went in for my last blood work with the RE. Everything looked great, so I was able to stop the PIO injections, and I was released to my own doctor! A great day!

After that I was able to tell my boss, and with him in the know, able to really let the cat out of the bag!

I had my first regular OB appt at the Birth Center at the beginning of July (got to hear the heartbeat, which I recorded for the parents), and this morning I have the 12w NT scan/ultrasound. 

And that brings us up to the present. I'm pregnant and taking it a day at a time, really trying to enjoy (or at least experience) every moment as my last pregnancy. This has been such a hard secret to keep, as it has been such a big, all consuming thing in my life for quite a while now! I'm so glad I can finally share it with the world. It has already been such an amazing experience, I can't wait to see what the next 7 months brings!

I will be sharing more freely now, but feel free to ask any questions you have!