Sunday, March 30, 2008

Phase 3, Embryo Transfer

The Big Day!!!!!!!



Welcome Cathey Embryos!!!!!!!!!


Today was the big day! This is a lovely picture of me in my hospital gown and Brad in his scrubs (and of course we are both sporty very attractive hair nets). It is a self portrait in the changing room, in case you were wondering. We were both super excited! Unfortunately we couldn't take the camera into the room where they did the transfer (which, BTW, was the same room I was in for the retrieval) but Brad got to play DJ on the iPod speaker system. So I got serenaded with some Ben Folds and other soft rock during the transfer (I'm sure Brad was disappointed that they weren't Tool fans).


Is it too early to share pics?



I know I'm a little biased bc I am the proud mama, but aren't they adorable little blobs? :) I only hope they stick around for nine months. If not, it's back to the human pin cushion gig (which I could live without). And yes, this is a pic of our actual embryos...don't you see the resemblance? So, Dr. A showed us the above pic and then told us he would be transferring those two particular embryos into my uterus. He also told us that the lab would continue to monitor the remaining embryos until they reach the 5-day blastocyst stage. At that stage, if they are of adequate quality, those remainders will be frozen for future frozen embryo transfer(s).

After the pleasantries above, it was legs in the stirrups, table raised and tilted, and external u/s on the belly (woo-hoo for external vs vaginal). Dr. A showed us the catheter loaded with our embies, pointed out the catheter on the u/s screen as it was inside my uterus, and finally the air bubbles surrounding the embies that were visible after they were transferred. Quick and painless. Easiest thing about the whole process.


Another memento......




After completing the transfer, Dr. A gave us this little memento. This is the petri dish that our embryos were incubated in. I almost cried when they gave it to us...I know, what a sap?!

Ok. Prayers have been said. Transfer completed. Meds will continue. Dr. A advised us, "Just don't think about it for the next couple of weeks.". I won't, if you won't. LOL! So it's the waiting game now. I am surprisingly calm and relaxed....today......


Who travels for love finds a thousand miles not longer than one.
-- Japanese proverb.

8 comments:

Kathy said...

You make the pretties babies... I'm praying a lot. The Dickinson poem made me tear up, by the way... it's always been one of my favorites....

Jen J said...

HOORAY!!!

The babies are beautiful! Funny, I think that they look like Identical Twins, not fraternal! ;)

I'll be praying for you guys in the 2ww!!! I'm sure that this is going to be torture for you, but I bet that you'll get good news at the end of it!

Congratulations LC!!!

Anonymous said...

What a great blog. Very educational. I had no idea so much was involved and that it had to be so precise. Anyway,you two are great people, and I know you will be phenomenal parents. That is why I really want this to happen for you both. Being a mother, myself, I want my close friends to share that joy with me so I would do anything (well almost)' to help you if I could.

dana said...

I found your blog thru a mutual friend, Jen, and just wanted you to know that I'm praying for y'all!

And your babies are super cute!;)

Anonymous said...

Well, the paternal grandmother thinks they are adorable, kind of favoring their "Poppy." I couldn't be more proud. Of course, I'm praying all goes well and they develop like they're supposed to. Be thinking of a name for a girl and a boy!

Jenn said...

Phase 3.... profit!

Just wanted to let you know I'm praying extra hard for you guys!! I'm so excited!!

Love to all of you!
-Jenn & Nate

Anonymous said...

Another friend of Jen and Nate's. I have a beautiful almost 19mo thanks to icsi and ivf. An almost 4 year old as well. Praying for you and an your embies. Heres to a quick 2ww and a BFP.
Mary

Sara Lou said...

Hey Lauren... I am not just a friend of Jenn&Nate... I was also the the best "iSketch"er you ever met! LOL

I am praying hard for your little "embies" to become BIG KIDS...

Your blog is VERY fun to read & I enjoy pretending to understand 1/2 of the "big-words" used. :) I look forward to hearing about the rest of your journey!

*Sara Lou*