I am uncomfortable! There is something strange about having children where pain is good. It means progress. When we go into labor, the more it hurts, the closer we are to seeing our children for the first time. Similarly, I am getting more and more uncomfortable, and it means that we are getting closer to having embryos!
I have spent the last 2-3 weeks or so injecting all sorts of things into me, and Wednesday I started to get crampy and bloated. It kind of freaked me about because they were so concerned about me hyper-ovulating (that I would respond too well to the hormones and end up releasing a ridiculous amount of eggs. WAY more than what we need.) But, I have a good doctor that has watched me like a hawk while I have been on these things, and assured me that what I am feeling is totally normal and to be expected for this stage of the process.
On Wednesday I went to the doctor for them to check my progress. What they discovered was that I had 12 follicles on my right ovary and 8 on my left. These “follicles” are pockets of fluid where an egg would likely be. So add that up, and we have 20 eggs!! They want me to end up with somewhere between 15-20 viable eggs so this is great news. Everything’s looking perfect.
Yesterday, I went again (I have to go every other day now for monitoring) and they did a new count of follicles and counted 14 on my right ovary and 16 on my left! That means 30 potential eggs, and 20 of them were definitely looking viable! My estrogen levels were where they wanted them to be, so they are backing my hormones down a bit. We were all so excited to hear this! I only have to do shots for a few more days, and it is looking like Tuesday or Wednesday will be the egg retrieval day. WOOT!! They will create the embryos as soon as possible after the retrieval, and then 5 days after their creation will be the implantation day. I think that works out to be February 1 or so.
In the mean time, my ovaries are really swollen carrying 30 eggs around (they are only designed to hold one or two), so life is a bit uncomfortable. Sitting is a little precarious because it puts pressure on my lower belly where all this is going on. It feels like just before I had Noah, when he had dropped down into my pelvis. Or some moms have described it by saying that it’s like someone inflated their ovaries with a bicycle pump. I am crampy and am bloated, and lying down feels the best. They say that by the time we get close to retrieval, walking will even be uncomfortable, and I can kind of see how that will be based on what I feel right now. I don’t mind it in the slightest because it is for my kids. I did natural childbirth, so I can do this no problem! I am going to spend the weekend doing as little as possible.
We are just so excited. It is scary too, thinking about all that is to come, but we have worked hard, and have such a great support system around us to help us face whatever grief issues come up along the way. We have told Noah from the beginning that since he is up there that he should pick out the perfect souls to join our family. I know that whatever comes will be sent from him. I look forward to meeting his choices for us soon!
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