As part of our new normal we have decided to try for
another baby. Due to my age and some genetic issues (both being carriers
for cystic fibrosis) we are going to be using a donor egg. It's a whole
new aspect of fertility treatments that we had never even considered
before now. Wish us luck!
In case you don't want to have to wade through all my posts and ramblings to figure out where I am in my trying for another baby journey, here's a timeline.
January 2011- We figure it's time to start thinking about trying again. The doctor doesn't want me to get pregnant before May, but since all things fertility take forever we decide to start this process now. Since we do not want to go back to our previous fertility clinic, I contact my OB who delivered my son for a referral. She recommends a clinic and doctor that she previously sent her own daughter to when she had trouble getting pregnant. We are excited and scared.
February 2011- We meet with a fantastic doctor at a new fertility clinic here in London. We make our plan. We are going to do IVF with a donor egg. Due to the extreme shortage of donors here in the UK, we will be getting our egg donor from the US. This will require working with 2 clinics and flying back and forth. We are excited and nervous but ready to get started.
March 2011- We fly to the US to meet the team at the US fertility clinic. We love our doctor and all the staff. The hubby provides his "contribution" to the process which will be frozen in preparation for our upcoming cycle. He is quite impressed with the collection room at the clinic. I am taught how to self-inject because the hubby travels a lot for work and won't be around to do them for me. We come home with a huge bag of medications and a plan.
April 2011- This is the month of pre-screening. My tubes are checked and the hubby and I have to attend counseling. All this in preparation for the mock cycle to make sure my body will respond correctly to the medications.
May 2011- Mock cycle is a success! I have my first chance to inject myself with needles. Of course I drink lots of wine to help me through the trauma of poking needles into myself. It all goes swimmingly. I go back on birth control pills for the first time in 11 years which feels weird. We are given access to the donor database and choose our egg donor. We then write a very big check to the fertility clinic.
June 2011- It takes a bit longer than I expected, but we are finally given dates for our cycle. We decide to share our donor to help reduce the cost so this adds to the time delay because the clinic has to sync everyone up. I begin injecting myself, this time for the real deal!
July 2011- IVF cycle 1 is in full swing. I'm injecting myself with hormones and riding the waves of mood swings. I go in for the required scans and my lining and hormone levels are perfect. Our donor is also doing well. She produces lots of great eggs and we end up with 8 of them. We end up with 5 fertilized embryos and the watch and wait starts. We book our trip to the US for embryo transfer.
August 2011- We transfer one perfect blastocyst on the 3rd of August. I have to spend one day on bed rest. After a couple of days, we fly back home to London. We find out that we have 1 embryo that was eligible for freezing so we have a plan B if this cycle doesn't work out or a potential sibling if it does. The 2 week wait begins. In an effort to distract myself I go with the hubby to Barcelona where he has to go for work. I relax and try not to think about things. Sadly, my beta result comes back negative,,,, I am not pregnant. Our doctor says that as soon as my period starts this month we can start cycle #2 with frosty (our frozen embryo).
September 2011- I am disappointed to be given a transfer date of October 13th. I had really hoped to cycle in September but the clinic is too busy to fit me in. I have my baseline ultrasound and bloodwork and all is well. So I begin my injections and wait for the hormones to kick in.
October 2011- I fly to the US for my frozen embryo transfer. This time I go on my own because the hubby has to work. I transfer frosty (my frozen embryo) on October 13th. The 2 week wait begins! I don't do as good of a job this time and test early.... Positive! I am happy but cautious. We have our first beta test on October 26th and the results are good,,, I am pregnant!
November 2011- First ultrasound shows we have a heartbeat. Here we go again! Now we're just hoping and praying that this little one sticks and grows into our take home rainbow baby.
June 2012- Our precious Frostina is born, alive and healthy. We are overjoyed!
