I had my first OB appointment last week. Among other things she did a quick ultrasound and said everything looked fine. Next visit, July 7, is the ultrasound and blood work for the nuchal translucency screening. According to the paperwork they gave me, it is done between 10.5 and 13 weeks and screens for various chromosomal abnormalities including Down Syndrome. Once again, something else to worry about!

I’m also going to have a consult with a nutritionist. Earlier this year I learned I’ve developed an allergy to dairy and soy, and that has really messed up my diet. I have always eaten a lot of dairy products and I know I’m not getting enough calcium and protein now. I was eating a mostly vegetarian diet before, but I’ve started eating organic chicken and turkey for protein. I’ve tried the rice and almond milk and drink some rice, but not anywhere near as much as before. The OB said to add a calcium supplement, and is also letting me take fish oil (the IVF folks wouldn’t let me take that).

The progesterone in ethyl oleate is working well. It is very thin and quick to inject; so much better than the sesame and cottonseed bases. I wish I had been able to take it the entire time, but I’m guessing by July 15 (my last PIO shot!!!) I’ll have developed an allergy to the ethyl oleate too. I got the cottonseed and ethyl oleate from a pharmacy in Portland, Oregon, and they have been a pleasure to deal with. Both times the allergies reached a head on a Friday, and they shipped the new medicines via UPS so I received them on Saturday.

And I guess there will be no walk today. It is in the mid-90s right now and that is just too hot. Almost as bad inside – my thermometer in the kitchen reads 87. Where I live a lot of people (maybe the majority?) don’t have air conditioning in their homes since we don’t see temperatures like this too often. Bummer when we do.

I knew it was too easy. I had developed an allergy to the progesterone in sesame oil after 3+ weeks, and the doctor switched me to cottonseed oil. And I lasted on that for 3+ weeks and the allergies came back. Welts over both injection sites and a lot of itching. Having clothing rub the area makes it worse so at home I just don’t wear pants, which I’m told is the “Porky Pig” look! Anyway, the doctor is switching me to progesterone in ethyl oleate. I didn’t even want to ask how much it costs, and she is having me try 10 days worth to see if it works. I’m hoping I can fake out my immune system and switch off between the three of them and use up what I have left, since none of this stuff is cheap and insurance doesn’t cover it. So I’ll try 5 days ethyl oleate, 5 days sesame, and 5 days cottonseed and cross my fingers.

The freeze report from embryology arrived, and I have eight 3-day and four 5-day embryos frozen. I still don’t know how I got so lucky. I’m not sure what the gradings are, so I have to follow up to get that.

Also there was a pleasant surprise once my account was settled up after the transfer and embryo freeze was done. I ended up with a net refund of about $1,000. I used a fertility center affiliated with a university medical school in a neighboring state instead of one of the “Ferengi” centers which is all that is available in my area right now. Ferengi since from my dealings with them it seems they are all about profit, and the fact that it is a medical practice is at the bottom of the list of what they view as important. I’m sure the Rules of Acquisition are posted in some of these places.

My first OB appointment is on Wednesday, and I’m still nervous as I still have no symptoms. I know I’m lucky to not have morning sickness or fatigue, but it is a bit disconcerting to feel nothing. If it weren’t for seeing the ultrasounds I wouldn’t believe it. And I keep expecting that the next appointment will be the one where I will find it failed after all. I’m hoping that if I make it past the first trimester and some of the early screening tests with good results that at that point it will get to be less nerve wracking and more enjoyable?

The June 11th ultrasound looked great per the doctor, so that was a big relief. I could see a head, forming limbs, the heart beating strongly, and yolk sak. So I have graduated to an obstetrician and my first appointment is June 25th!

I feel I’m in a sort of limbo. At only 8.5 weeks I could still miscarry, but there is a lot to do in preparation if it takes. I’m almost paralyzed about do I get started now, or wait until after the first trimester? I haven’t yet read even one page of one book on pregnancy or parenting. Normally I just move forward when there is work to be done, but I’m having a hard time forcing myself to do anything at this time. Almost like I’m trying not to jinx things (which is just stupid). So tomorrow I *shall* go to the library.

One thing I am really happy about is that I have at most 31 more progesterone shots! I had the doctor’s office do the first few and it hurt quite a bit. Then I went out of town and had to do my own and found it hurt very little if at all, so I’ve been doing them myself since then. After about a month I had an allergic reaction to the sesame oil and they switched me to cottonseed oil, and so far so good with that. I also found if I exercise before the shot it really helps – warming up the muscle maybe? Running works best for me, but since I can’t do that now I try the stationary bike or the elliptical. Even a brisk walk helps. Also a lot of rubbing and a heat pad afterward.

The nurse drew circles on my hips with a Sharpie where I’m supposed to give the shots, and now all my underwear have black circles where the ink has rubbed off! Lovely.

I had my first ultrasound on May 30th (25 days after 5 day transfer) and one implanted!  Everything was there that they wanted to see, and I still can’t believe it.  I saw the heartbeat, yolk sak, and fetal pole, and got two pictures from the technician.

Next ultrasound is the 11th, and if that one is o.k. I’m graduating to an OB.   And I still feel nothing, but from what the doctor said that is nothing to be concerned about.  It still worries me, though, to have no symptoms at all.  Plus I got sick this past Tuesday night about 2 hours after eating out, so I’m assuming it is food related (all cooked food, too).  My gut still has not calmed down completely and I’m supposed to be on a bland diet which does not seem to be particularly strong nutritionally.  Yay, something else to worry about.  So I’m scared about what they will find on the 11th and hope I have not done irreparable harm by getting sick.  So fingers crossed once again.  It would be nice to be able to relax and enjoy a pregnancy, but I guess one is always worried about the next test.

I’m in the middle of my first round of IVF, and had to use a donor. For a long time I’ve been reading blogs and forums about this subject, and I’m in awe of the strength of the women who undergo the full procedure themselves (and sometimes many times). This was not an option for me, and I don’t know if I could have done it if it was. Where I ended up:

–April 30 retrieval day: 27 eggs, 19 were mature.

–May 1: 18 fertilized.

–May 3: all 18 made it to day 3, so they decided to freeze some and take the rest to day 5. How did I get so lucky?

–May 5: 2 blasts transferred. The rest were supposedly taken to day 6, but I haven’t gotten the embryology report yet so I’m not sure how many made it or if some were frozen day 5 and the rest taken to day 6.

–May 14: beta was 275, progesterone was 37.5.

–May 16: beta was 464. Doctor said this was fine, and that they want to see at least a 60% increase after 48 hours (I was at 70%). So no more betas and the first ultrasound is scheduled for May 30. I saw on another clinic Web site where they look for at least 66% after 48 hours (and a doubling after 72 hours), so I beat that too. I would have felt more comfortable with a 72 hour test in addition, but Doctor wouldn’t do it.

That 464 scares me, but the test that matters is May 30. Fingers crossed. I wish I felt something but I guess it is too early in the process.

Have you been through IVF? How did you cope? What were your results?