IF

Our IF journey was really long and really sucky....but worth it. 

{A little education}

AF: Aunt Flo (please don’t make me explain this)
BCPs: Birth control pills
BFP: Big Fat Positive!!!
BFN: Big Fat Negative
b/w: Bloodwork
ER: Egg Retrieval
ET: Embryo Transfer
FET: Frozen Embryo Transfer
Follies: Follicles in ovaries that potentially contain viable eggs
HCG: Medicine that triggers ovulation
HSG: x-ray test where they flood my female parts with dye and then take x-rays to check for tubal blockage
IF: Infertility
IUI: Intrauterine insemination or "turkey baster" approach to getting pregnant
PIO: Progesterone in Oil. Medicine injected intra-muscularly post ER.
RE: Reproductive endocrinologist (fertility specialist)
TTC: Trying to conceive
u/s: Ultrasound

 

{Nutshell}

Aug '08: Stop taking BCPs- start trying
Sept '08: Continue trying
Oct '08: Continue trying
Nov '08: Continue trying
Jan '09 : Use ovulation predictor kit (Not ovulating)
Feb '09: Use ovulation predictor kit (Not ovulating)
March '09: Meet with OB (labs determine not ovulating)
March '09: Clomid 50 mg
April '09: Clomid 50 mg
May '09: Clomid 50 mg
June '09: Clomid 100 mg
July '09: Clomid 100 mg
August '09: Clomid 100 mg
Sept '09: Clomid 100 mg/ Meet with RE for 1st time
Oct '09: HSG- scar tissue found near tubes
Oct '09: "Clomid Break"
Nov '09: Clomid IUI #1 with HCG trigger BFN
Dec '09: Clomid IUI #2 with HCG trigger BFN
Jan '10: IVF consult, labs, and legal paperwork
Feb '10: Birth control pills, anitbiotics (for me and Chris), start Lupron
March '10: More meds, Egg Retrieval, Embryo Transfer. BFFN
April '10: Taking a much-needed break.
May '10: IVF #2 BCPs, Lupron
June '10: Lupron, stims, ER, ET, BFN
July '10: Meet new RE. Repeat HSG, saline u/s, endometrial biopsy, full lab workup (all normal except scar tissue)
August '10: BCPs (wasted cycle)
September '10: Move frosties to new RE. FET (9/16/10): Only one frostie of four survived thaw, still wasn't strong enough. BFN.
October '10: Insurance gone. Waiting until 2011 to try IVF again.
November '10: Hail Mary b2b IUI with injectibles. BFN.
December '10: More tests. More waiting.

January '11: IVF #3 and B.F.P!!!!

{Winner, winner, chicken dinner}

11/19/10: Start BCPs
12/21/10: Consent signing/deposit due
12/23/10: Start Lupron
12/28/10: Baseline u/s & b/w (E2=16) (last BCP)
1/2/11: Start stims (Menopur 75 & Follistim 225)
1/5/11: Follie check #1 (E2=90)
1/7/11: Follie check #2 (E2=271; Follistim reduced to 150)
1/9/11: Follie check #3 (E2=1,020; Follistim reduced to 75)
1/11/11: Follie check #4 (E2=2,463; Follistim reduced to 0)
1/13/11: Follie check #5 (E2=4,985; Trigger!)
1/15/11: ER (22 retrieved) 1/2 to be ICSI'd
1/16/11: Fert report: 8 of 11 ICSI'd fertilized; 8 of 11 not-ICSI'd fertilized (16 total)
1/17/11: Embie update: 3 8-cell Grade 1; 2 8-cell Grade 2; 2 6-cell
1/20/11: 5dt
1/29/11: Beta#1...339!! First ever BFP!
1/31/11: Beta#2...837!
2/11/11: First u/s; 2 sacs; 2 fetal poles
2/18/11: Second u/s; 2 heart beats, each 124 bpm
2/25/11: Third u/s; 154 bpm; 169 bpm
3/8/11: Fourth u/s; 180 bpm; 186 bpm. Graduation Day.

{After three long years and many tears, our baby girls are finally here}

1/29/11: Positive beta #1!
1/31/11: Positive beta #2!
2/11/11: TWINS!!
4/25/11: Team Pink!!
5/21/11: Half Baked!
6/18/11: Viability Day!
6/26/11: Baby Shower #1!
7/28/11: Baby Shower #2!!
7/31/11: Baby Shower #3!!!
9/3/11: 35 weeks and 35 days to go!
September 20, 2011: 37w3d; Welcome to the world, Baby Girls!!