Baby girls hands and feet

Little Bruiser is growing!

Lilypie First Birthday tickers

Monday 31 October 2011

Good news?

So we had our beta today, 4 days after transfer, 10 days past ovulation.

I can't decide if it's good news or just news at the moment, but I'm leaning towards good news. hCG is 10.1, progesterone 87.4. The hCG could potentially be a leftover from the Ovidrel, but if you ask me, chances are that it isn't - last cycle we got a big fat zero at 9dpo. Also, the progesterone level is significantly higher than the last cycle when we got a negative; I'm on two pessaries a day now, just like last time, and then the level was in the mid-twenties.

Sooo.... reason enough to be cautiously hopeful, don't you think?

Next test Wednesday, hCG level should double.

Positive, positive.

Thursday 27 October 2011

Good day

Today is a good day.

Firstly, my big boy had his first orientation to kindergarten this morning, and he really liked it. Yaay!

Secondly, after yesterday's disappointment with thawing embryos - they had to thaw four, FOUR!, to get one that was doing fine - everything is more or less fine as they managed to re-freeze two and only lost one.

Thirdly, the fourth embryo they thawed is perfect, and now all warm and cozy in my uterus. The embryologist said that at this stage embryos usually only just begin hatching, but this little bruiser was already half-way out by the time of the transfer!

Transfer was smooth sailing. I didn't have to meet up with my nightmare, the grabber, as my uterus was nicely tilted the way it was supposed to be. And I wasn't nervous at all this time. There are probably a few reasons for this, but I think that the biggest factor was that Kylie wasn't here, so there was noone to MAKE me nervous ;) Poor thing has been sick for over a week with some unshakable bug and is on a second course of antibiotics!

Anyway, blood test number 1 on Monday - it is Adrian's birthday on Sunday, so hopefully I can give him a belated birthday present in scoring a positive!

Happy cheerful positive sticky thoughts our way please!

Thursday 20 October 2011

Countdown

Damien gave me my Ovidrel shot last night - not sure what we did differently, but this time it was far from pleasant :( Most important thing is that it's over though!

On that note: I have always meant this blog to be a diary of a sort, a means of cataloguing my journey if you will, and therefore I always wanted to write it exactly the way I feel it. After reading blogs of my fellow surrogates though, I am beginning to feel like a major whiner! Here I am complaining about one shot, where the majority of surrogates elsewhere do fresh transfers and inject themselves with all sorts of different drugs for months on end... I don't think I could do that, I am no good with pain, and I admire their strength and bravery. Here's to you!

Transfer next Thursday, exact time TBA. 'Third time lucky' is my mantra. This has GOT to be it!

PS: If you find yourself asking, quite reasonably, why the hell I have decided to be a surrogate of all things if I am not good with pain, you have a good question! Of course I know there is pain involved, I've been through it twice. I managed my first labour without drugs, and gave in with the second one after 24 hours. I know in my mind, I remember, that it is horrible and excruciating. And while I completely understand that drugs are acceptable and basically a part of the deal in this day and age, I also know that if we get to that point, I will probably try to brave it and go without anyway.

Does this seem inconsistent? Totally! Confusing? Hell yeah... For what it's worth, I think there is a method to this madness though :). I have not read any recent research, but before I had my first one, I read lots. Heaps. And generally, my impression was that less drugs during birth equals less potential trouble for the baby. That is what I did (or tried to do) for my children, and I could not with good conscience do any less for any other children that might find themselves temporarily in my keeping. I'm probably stupid, right? Anyway, end of ramble. Cross this bridge when we get there. And note that I'm saying 'when', not 'if'... positive thinking, positive thinking, positive thinking...

Friday 7 October 2011

Aaaaaaand

here we go again. Day 1 of cycle today, first blood test next Friday. Hang on - haven't we just done that? Better luck this time!

Wednesday 5 October 2011

As expected

So we didn't get pregnant this time. AF due in the next few days, first blood test on day 8, and so on and so on...

Third time lucky, hey?

Monday 3 October 2011

Negative...

Yes, sadly now that we DO want hCG, there's none to be found. I am 10dpo (10 days past ovulation), or 4dp6dt (4 days past 6 day transfer). There is still a rather small chance that the embryo hasn't implanted yet and will do so today, but frankly I don't think that is going to happen.

Oh well. The second test scheduled for Wednesday should tell us for sure. Crappy day.