Biopsy time

Hi! I’ve been on the “lovely” estrogen now for about 18ish days. Whoa, have I noticed some side effects. I feel like a swollen version of myself. Mood swings are great. Sad sometimes, snappy sometimes. You know all of that fun stuff as I am typing sarcastically. 😜

Today I start the progesterone shots again. If we were doing the actual embryo transfer cycle, Monday would be the transfer day. However, we are not. We are doing the cycle as if we were going to do the transfer, except we are doing the biopsy of the endometrium instead. That is scheduled for this Monday.

From what I take from the past, after we do the biopsy, I would guess that I will go off of the medication and wait for my period. I’m hoping then we will start the next cycle as the transfer cycle.

So, I definitely am feeling the hormones, but I don’t mind. I know all that is happening is worth it. And, I have something to blame my mood swings on. Haha

The nurses at my doctors office have been amazing. Every time I go there they make sure I’m ok. They go out of their way to check on me, to see how I am doing emotionally. They really care about their patients and it shows. I’m super happy with them. The doctor has been on vacation so I haven’t seen him lately.

I should definitely know what’s happening next by next week when I post again.

Thanks so much for checking in on us. As always, you all are so appreciated!!

Xoxo ❤️🙏🤞💕🥰

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Hormones, again…

Holy estrogen! I was doing so well, I thought, until last night. I’ve been feeling great! This past Sunday we added 2mg of vaginal estrace (estrogen). And then today I had blood work done and an ultrasound to check on the endometrium lining and my hormone levels. The lining looked good. But, I had to double my dose of oral estrace. So.. I started with 4mg and then went to 6mg and now I’m at 10mg of estrace per day. Last time I stayed at 6mg the entire time.

Last night I started feeling sad for no apparent reason. I was reading something to Jay and I just started crying. The hormones have settled in. And now we’ve more than doubled them. I told Jay today to get ready for the ride. Lol. Hopefully it will just be hit or miss. 🤞

So, we are going to treat this cycle as though we were going to do a transfer. Except when we would be ready to do the transfer, the doctor will do the biopsy and then send it in. That will tell us the best day the endometrium will be most receptive for the embryo transfer. 🙏🤞

That’s all for now. As always, we are so thankful for your support! It means so much!! My birthday is tomorrow. I’ll be 41, and the clock has ticked enough times! Let’s go babies! 🤰🏼🤱👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

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OMG 😮

That is exactly what I thought last Thursday. I was having some pretty intense, what I thought was cramps, from a period. Even though I was still taking the birth control pill. The doctor mentioned I may spot but nothing like the bleeding and cramping I was experiencing that started the day before. I was taking like 5 Advil at a time to just lessen the intensity of the cramping. It was odd too because this cramping was different. It was in the lower mid section of my abdomen. Like the same area I was feeling what I thought was implantation cramping. Around 5pm I had a feeling what was happening because I felt a gush and then I ran to the bathroom. I was having a miscarriage. I never even got to see a positive pregnancy test. Just the end result of what I didn’t even know was happening to me. The pain went away shortly after that. I was having slight cramping. But nothing like that what happened that day. As soon as I went home I started googling what happens during a miscarriage and what comes out. I had almost every symptom and the first four pics that came up looked exactly like what came out of me.

I let the doctors office know. They called me in on Friday morning. All looked fine. We were moving on to the next thing. The ERA test. I had an ultrasound that morning and I started the estrogen on Sunday. Adding another estrogen in this coming Sunday. And then another ultrasound on Tuesday, July 9th. There was really no confirmation or denying of what happened. No discussion either. Which is fine. I know they want to protect themselves. I did send them a photo (I know TMI!) and made sure they knew exactly what occurred.

The only sense I can make out of this is I felt cramping (I’m guessing the implantation cramping) until the Saturday night before the pregnancy blood test on Monday morning. If the embryo did implant that late, than maybe it wouldn’t have shown up yet on the blood test ?! And I never told them I was having the cramping until Saturday night. So, the doctor did everything by protocol knowing none of the information I had. Maybe if I would have told him I was cramping until Saturday night we would have done another test?!?! I don’t know and we can’t go back.

However, I didn’t tell them and we didn’t do another test. I’ve been reading and hearing about other people doing blood tests with negative outcomes when they were actually pregnant. I almost took one about 4/5 days later after reading about another woman’s baby journey blog. She had a blood test taken, it was negative and a few days later she took a pregnancy test at home and it was positive. I thought for a moment I should take one, but then I didn’t. I felt silly for even thinking about it.

I could have gotten so upset, angry, confused. But I didn’t. It isn’t worth it. I was already done grieving after the test came back negative. I feel like it would have been way worse if the test came out positive and then I had the miscarriage. I would have been devastated. I was so happy to know that I was able to actually get pregnant. I am 40 years old and that was such a blessing to me, To us.

This has been such a crazy, interesting and a learning journey so far. We know more about this process than we did before. And are super excited for the next transfer. It will work, we will be pregnant. And we will be parents! We will also be way more careful about how quickly we react to the test. Take another and then another.

I’ll keep you updated on our updates. Thank you for the support and for reading. We appreciate all of you more than you know!

Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!

April and Jay 💕❤️

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Enjoying a slight break

I honestly had to go back and re read the post from last week. The entire week was kind of a blur. It started out with feeling like a punch in the gut. I’m out of the daze now though.

I now know the reason I was so calm last week. Well, I figured it out as I was telling some friends who asked me how I was “really” doing. I honestly didn’t realize it until that moment. It was Jay, when I called him to let him know the news, he just said ok, we will do it again. We are committed and we will just follow the doctors orders for next time. It will be ok. Of course his words didn’t hit me until I had a couple of hours of crying under my belt. And when I was explaining how he calmed me down I realized my main upset was the cost. What we have already spent and what we now have left to spend again. I mean I knew the possibilities. I knew what we would be in for. But, I really wanted it to work the first time. So, him being so calm about it made me calm. I am just so thankful for him. Another reason to be madly in love with my husband.

Okay, enough with the mushy stuff. 😆

I also wanted to clarify the statement I wrote last week. There is no scientific proof (that I have seen or read) that the second time is more successful than the first. I’ve just read, watched and heard so many stories of couples going through IVF and it working the second time around. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Lol 😂 One reason may be that it is so stressful the first time (in my opinion), that by the second time you know what to expect and are probably slightly more at ease. 🤞I am hoping, at least!!

I feel so much better now that I am able to run every day. I always forget how much it helps my psyche until I am in it again. You are not supposed to be doing any strenuous exercise while you are on the medication and in the process. And, I am now so happy running on the treadmill, in my lanai, under the fan. It is too damn hot to be running outside for me! No thank you. 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

I have a couple more weeks until anything else will be happening. So you may not hear from us until then. We are still very appreciative for all of you. It really does make a difference! And we cannot thank you enough from the bottom of our hearts!!!

Until then 🥂😘❤️💕🙏🤞🏃‍♀️🙇🏼‍♀️

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IVF Round 1 done

Good morning. I am sad to say that the blood test I took yesterday was negative.

We are both sad with our first attempt at IVF but we are still optimistic.

I’m not going to deny that it was devastating getting that phone call yesterday. It was. But, it was not meant to be. For some reason the embryo wasn’t strong enough to implant. We did all of the proper testing we could do, but, some times it happens. I didn’t want to believe it but most IVF successes are usually the 2nd time around. I wanted to be the 1st attempt and done. But, that didn’t happen and we must move on.

I stopped all of the medication I was taking. I started the birth control pill last night and I will continue taking it until the middle of July. We are going to do the ERA (endometrial receptivity analysis) testing on me after I get my next cycle. This test includes 2 separate biopsies of my endometrium a few days apart. They will test it and then that will some how tell them what the exact best time will be to transfer the next embryo, to the hour. The results more than double when having this testing done.

I know how much you all have been praying, sending your positive vibes and love to us. We feel it. We still need it. Thank you so much !!

I was able to go for a run this morning which I haven’t been able to in a while. It felt good and really helps me.

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❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️💕💕💕💕💕💕

April & Jay

Waiting……

I decided to wait until the blood test to find out. It’s torturous having to wait and wonder, lol. But, I’ve been reading up on embryo transfer and pregnancy, taking pregnancy tests after an embryo transfer could be a set up for upset. I don’t need any of that. So I’m going to wait.

I feel fine. A little crampy every day in the lower middle abdominal area. Not all day, just randomly. I am thinking it is a positive sign! I do want to say that I have been hypersensitive to every twinge, cramp, and feeling that I have been having. Not sure if that’s good or bad. Haha. I have been feeling pretty weepy, and hormonal this past week. No reason, it just happens. The last few mornings I have woken up feeling slightly nauseous. I have also been feeling exhausted by 5pm the last couple of days. All good signs. 🥰🤞🙏

And forget about me altering the shots. I tried giving them to myself in my leg, of course with doctors orders. And holy pain. It doesn’t hurt while receiving the shot. But, oh did it hurt that night and still. I think I tried last Wednesday or Thursday and my leg is still sore. No thank you! It is sore in the rear, but no where near as bad as the leg! Jay is it again! Haha

Of course all kinds of thoughts are going through my mind, but I’m not going to share them. I am staying positive and focusing on a positive pregnancy test!!

Please send all of your positivity to us for the rest of the time. We could use it! It’s way harder than I thought having to wait patiently for this. I have been keeping my mind as busy as possible since the transfer. And Jay has been such a great support. We are planning the nursery and talking about maternity leave and everything that comes with a positive pregnancy test! ❤️

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Thank you for being our supporters! Until next week! ❤️🙏🤞

Xoxo,

Jaypril ❤️

Transfer complete ✔️

The transfer went very well. Everything was in prime condition and went as planned. Jay was in the room, which I was so happy about. We actually got to see the embryo float into the lining. Such a cool experience. I know this is not the traditional way to get pregnant. But I wouldn’t change a thing. What we get to experience I wish other people could-just to understand the process. The science behind this is so unbelievable!

I am not on bed rest, however I am supposed to take it easy. No lifting more than 15 pounds or extreme exercise. There are a lot of not to do’s until the second positive pregnancy test. But, they don’t want me to just lay around. Which I am all for. I am not one to sit still for too long.

Now the waiting really begins. My scheduled pregnancy blood test is on Monday, June 17th. Holy moly! That is a long time. I will try to hold out as long as I can to take an at home pregnancy test. Jay is helping me with that, hahaha. I’ll try to wait at least one week. 🤞

After the transfer the nurse was explaining to us the do”s and dont’s and then the doctor came in with an envelope (small card size) and a “best wishes” written inside with a picture of the little female embryo that was transferred into my uterus.

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The circle part is the embryo and the other sac is the placenta. It is probably the size of a grain of sand. Haha. Science at its finest.

I feel fine. A tiny bit crampy, but nothing uncomfortable. I was actually tired last night and slept pretty well.

Happy waiting with us. Lol

Thanks for your support. We appreciated all of the well wishes, prayers, support – anything and everything we need and needed! We also appreciated the bouquet of flowers and box of chocolates that were delivered last night! 🥰

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Until we know more!

Xoxo ❤️❤️❤️🙏🤞

Thursday ❤️

We have a new journey beginning on Thursday.

Everything is going so well, my body is prepared and ready. The waiting is the hardest part. We are so excited and ready to become parents and so happy we have gotten this far with the IVF process.

I started the progesterone shots on Friday. I didn’t realize that I would have to have someone give me the shots, because I gave myself all of the other shots. Jay gets the willies just talking about needles. So, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. Thankfully, I had someone that I could trust at work (who is also a good friend) to give me the shots if I needed them during work hours. She has actually given me 4 out of the 6 already! Thank you Kacy! Jay was better than he thought he would be too. I already thought he was a brave man, now he has risen a level in my ❤️. I didn’t think he could get any higher. Hahaha. Thanks babe! It is all worth it. And our daughter will be so proud of you too! 🥰

I found out today at my doctors appointment that I will be taking the estrogen and needing the progesterone shots until 12 weeks of pregnancy. So, I will be able to alter the way I give myself the shots so I don’t have to depend on anyone else. The doctor would prefer them in the rear (in the muscle) but he did say I could do them in the muscle in my upper thighs too. So that’s what I am going to do when I can!

I’m thankful that we are so busy at work that it keeps our minds busy. And our weekends are usually so packed that we don’t really have idle time to “wait” for these days to pass by. Actually, the night time for me is the hardest. I have been having really odd dreams/nightmares lately and once I wake up during the night (2am/3am/4am) it is usually so hard for me to fall back to sleep. My mind is always going a hundred miles a minute. I am just trying to mindfully be thinking about positive things. Except for when I am literally counting sheep. Lol I’ve only had a couple of headaches since last week after starting the progesterone, which I think is really good. And progress!!

Jay is so excited too. He is talking about it with his buddies and co-workers. Which melts my heart to know that guys care just as much as women do when it comes to this type of stuff. Thanks so much, honestly, to all of you. We cannot express how much it really does mean to us and HELPS us to be more positive. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU!!

The next waiting part will be seeing how many days go by with me wanting to take a pregnancy test, or twelve. Lol. I think the actual blood test is a couple of weeks after-I am going to get clarification on that tomorrow during the procedure. But I’ve read that many women take pregnancy tests daily after the transfer. I’m going to try and wait it out. 😜🤞 Wish me luck, lol.

So….. 1:30pm tomorrow (Thursday) is when I will be having the embryo transfer. Say a prayer/well wish/positive thoughts for us PLEASE! We will take everything we can get. I will start the morning off with acupuncture to get the body ready and then after the transfer I will go back to have more acupuncture. The success rate is much better with IVF when you pair it with acupuncture. Especially at this point. And darn, I have to have acupuncture twice in one day!! Haha. Just kidding, if you know me well, you know I LOVE acupuncture. It has changed my life for the better! And it relaxes me more than anything else in this world. 😃🙇🏼‍♀️

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Thank you for your patience while waiting with us. I know so many of you reading this feel like you are a part of this journey by the way you talk about it with us. And YOU are!! I can’t wait to share with our little girl all of the love that ACTUALLY brought her into this world. Not just ours, but all of yours too! So many hugs to all of you!!! Thank you as always!

Stay tuned…… ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

April and Jay

Thankful

I am so happy to say that we are going to be transferring a female embryo into my body next Wednesday or Thursday!! We are so excited. I have another appointment tomorrow and I hope they know for sure the day. I didn’t have to increase any medication last week because my body was adjusting so well! My lining, which will be her womb, is perfect! The doctor was very happy with everything! As are we! ❤️

I am also happy to say that I have not had a headache in over a week. That itself is such good news. Sleep is still hit or miss, but like I said before, I will take that over head pain any day.

We are so very thankful that everything is going so well. We cannot wait to experience the pregnancy part. 🥰

Thanks again for reading and patiently waiting with us.

Until next week, 🥂 ❤️😘🥰

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