First things first....BIRTH CONTROL. Seems counter-active right? Didn't make sense to me either. But birth control is always the first step with IVF. There are two main reasons for taking BC. First, taking birth control pills prior to a simulation cycle may help the ovaries respond better to the stimulation medication. Secondly, taking birth control pills allows flexibility in coordinating your cycle, so that procedures can be planned around your schedule, trips and when all necessary professionals are available. I took my first pill August 8th, and my last one will be August 26th.
Here's the official calendar!! I about peed my pants with excitement. According to doc, this is a "guideline", things may change along the way depending how my body reacts but hey...I'll take it! Did I mention Doug's birthday is September 25th? BEST. BIRTHDAY. PRESENT. EVER.
Here's the official calendar!! I about peed my pants with excitement. According to doc, this is a "guideline", things may change along the way depending how my body reacts but hey...I'll take it! Did I mention Doug's birthday is September 25th? BEST. BIRTHDAY. PRESENT. EVER.
So here it is folks, the official calendar! I know most of it is like reading spanish if you're unfamiliar with IVF so I'll break down the most important parts for you. The "Start of Simulation" is the beginning of all the fun hormone injections. In the midst of the whole process you'll see "SONO & Labs" (I basically need to forward my mail to the clinic). "HCG Trigger Injection" is the big one! HCG is is a drug that stimulates the final maturation of eggs. HCG is give EXACTLY (yes that's crucial) 36 hours prior to egg retrieval. "Pre retrieval labs" = Doug's big day. RETRIEVAL = this one's obvious but it's when they take my eggs out! I'll go into more detail closer to the event. Embryo Transfer = The day we've all been waiting for. The embryos that have been fertilizing in the lab for 5 days will be transferred into my uterus. And then dreaded two week wait....
All distractions welcome during this 2WW period.
All distractions welcome during this 2WW period.