Twenty Five!!!! IVF #3

We've got embabies! Praise God!!!! I've really been praying, putting all of this in Gods hands! His will, not mine!

For IVF # 2 we were very concerned about having extra embryos. We had 37 eggs retrieved, but we only ICSI'd seven of them, from that we got five blasts! I was relieved that we only ICSI'd seven! However, my RE made me do a freeze all bc of my high E2 numbers. I had no idea what was going to come of it! I did not know that all we would get was two babies in heaven and three BFN's. It was a year of trials and heartbreak. We were planning on only doing one last IVF. We thought for sure it would have worked bc it did us the first time! IVF #1 we were given a 1% chance of working, but we found out our diagnosis and we were blessed with our twin boys!

This IVF # 3, we never planned on. I do feel the Lord has been leading us this whole time! I have felt his presence, his guidance. I am also very sure this is our last and final try to complete our family, baby or no baby.

Instead of trying to 'control' the outcome of our embryos, I am TRUSTING the Lord, that he knows what he is doing. The creator of life has them in His hands. I have let go and let God do his thing.
As hard as that is to do, I think that has been my biggest lesson during all of our Infertility struggles, letting go of control and TRUSTING in the creator! What a relief for us that we can do that! Let him carry our burdens and do all the work! :) thank you God for these 25 growing embryos! I trust in your great plan for them, and our family! 🙏🏻❤️ now #growgrowgrow

Houston, We Have Embryo's...

Yesterday went perfect!  We woke up at 630AM, got ready, made a green smoothie and some decaf green tea to go.  I had L come and watch the boys, who apparently slept in until 7:45 (They never do that for us!). We arrived at the Redondo Beach lab at 8:30.

We were called back at 8:45 by an embryologist I had never met before.  She brought us back, C signed some paperwork and showed proof it was him.  I mentioned that we had twins from rescue ICSI, and she paused for a minute and asked, "were they Christmas rescue ICSI?"  I responded "YES!"  She replied, "I heard about you guys!"  Awwwww... more proof that my twins are such Christmas miracles!  They are an amazing story!

Anyway, we went back to this tiny little room where I helped out my hubby a bit.  I figure, as least we get to do this part together!  There is no way, he would do that by himself.   I was really impressed with his sample, I think it was the most ever!  The last three or four months, he has really been cleaning up his diet, taking extra supplements, and working out again.  It must have helped!

I was told we would get a fertilization report this morning, but when I woke up I saw that I missed a call from them at 6:30 last night!  My heart was pounding when I went to listen to the voicemail!  Was she going to tell me all my eggs didn't make the thaw?  Or only a few? ahhhhh....  It was good news!  Out of the 27 eggs, 22 made the thaw, five died, but 22 made it and were ICSI'd!!!!  Praise Jesus!  I told Chris it was such a good thing we did all of them because originally he only wanted to do ten and then we would have potentially only had five!

I got my second call from them at 9:30am.  More good news!  Out of my 22 ICSI'd eggs, 22 fertilized!  Praise Jesus again!  We have 22 growing embryo's!!!!!!!

Today is day one, day three they will preform assisted hatching, day five, Saturday, I will get a call on  how many make it to blastocyst and which ones they will biopsy for PGS!  Day six, Sunday, I will get another call to see if I have any six day blastocysts to biopsy. This is so nerve wracking and exciting all at the same time!

Grow embryo's GROW!!!!!  Please pray pray pray!!!!

No IVF Is Alike... IVF #2

Sorry I've been MIA. My computer crashed a few days ago and I had to drop it off at the Mac store. The same part keeps going bad on it, but it's under warranty so I keep getting if fixed. Very frustrating.  I'm typing this on my IPad ;)

I have so much to catch up on, but I'm going to keep this post quick... I had my egg retrieval TODAY!  I got pushed back a day bc my follicles needed an extra day of growth. I have good new and bad news...

The good news... They retrieved 36 eggs from me today! I honestly don't remember being so uncomfortable as the last few days prior to ER. My stomach was so full and bloated, my kidneys even ached when I had to pee, which was quite often. I would have to grip the bathroom counter to help with the pain.

More good news, ER did not hurt as much! I feel quite well and I have two little blessings that wanted to cuddle with mommy in bed :) I'm feeling very thankful and blessed!

The bad news... I over stimulated :( they don't want your estrogen over 4000 and mine was about 4,300. I'm so bummed!  It isn't safe for me to get pregnant so we  are planning to freeze what we get and do a FET  after I recover. Boo! I'm bummed but trying to look at the bright side. I don't want to get sick and end in the hospital when I have two littles to care for.

Our plan now, praying for some really good news in he morning since we ICSI'd SEVEN eggs this time immediately. Freezing any other mature eggs right away too! I can't wait to get the call in the morning. PRAYING!

Thank you for checking in Amanda! I'm alive!

Bad news...

I had 29 not 28 good and mature eggs. C had a great sample with a high count and good morphology. However WE HAVE NO EMBRYO'S. My greatest fear has come true... C's sperm cannot penetrate my eggs!

I just got off the phone with Dr. R and he feels very bad. They are going to do "rescue ICSI," but the likly hood that we will have good embryo's are very small now. I'm devestated, to say the least.

Dr. R will call tomorrow with a new report. Please pray for a miracle!

Here we grow...

I just got home from Dr. R's.  I think I should just move right in since I'm going to be spending so much time there the next two weeks!  I went yesterday for my baseline U/S (ultrasound) and B/W (blood work).  Blood came back "nice and low" according to Tressa, my nurse.  My lining was also thin and my ovaries still showed tons of follicles (THANK YOU PCOS!).    Dr. R gave the okay to start the stims today!  I had them sent to the office so Tressa could show me how mix and shoot all the different meds.  Its pretty overwhelming.  I made C come so he can be my second pair of eyes and remember things that I may not... although we all know he will NOT be helping me with the injections! LOL.

I did 10iu's of Lupron this morning and then did my first shot of Menopur.  Unfortunately I'm doing Menopur and Gonal F.  I was looking forward to the Follistim because it comes premixed with a nice little pen to do the shots, kind of like an epipen.  Menopur and Gonal F you have to mix and powder and a fluid to get the drug ready to be injected.  Its a pain.  Oh well.  Hopefully 10 more days of this!  Tressa thinks that the ER (Egg Retrieval) is going to be on Wednesday, the 15th "if I'm an average patient."  We'll see though.  My ovaries are really good at making eggs (again, thank you pcos), when I am taking meds.  Lets just hope they are good quality.  I can't wait to find out!

One of my fears is that my eggs shell is going to be too hard for C's sperm to penetrate.  Dr. D mentioned that he thought that may be an issue and recommended ICSI.  And Dr. R never mentioned that and thinks they'll be fine.  What would happen if none of them fertilized?  I don't even want to think about it!  I need to keep the Faith that God lead us hear, and not let FEAR creap in!

My next appointment is Monday.  I go in for just for b/w and then Wednesday I go in for b/w and u/s.  Praying these little follies start to G-R-O-W!

Met with a new RE...

today.  It went well.  She took one look at the SA and said "this is a problem."  However, she was shocked that a second SA wasn't done.  All over my papers all that was stated was "pcos/uterine sepum," not "male factor," which means it was completely over looked.  Dr. A also stated that the majority of the time when it comes to IVF, both partners have the problem, not just one.  I carried this burden all last year and up until this point.   I went through 7 months of acupuncture every week, cut coffee, alcohol, slowed my exercise, battled with depression, etc.  I don't even care about the loss in thousands of dollars, but the emotional toll it took on me.  Horrible!

She wants C to do another SA, of course, but it will be very extensive.  She will culture it to make sure there isn't an infection, recheck the morphology, etc.  One thing really cool about this office is that they have an open lab.  She would want C to come and watch and see his lil swimmers on the screen.  I think thats pretty cool.  She said the person who runs the lab is someone with a Phd., not a tech or something.  They have had no mix ups here because of the individualized attention they give each patient.  She was pretty appauled at the lack of further testing Dr. D's office did on both of us.

If we go through the IVF process she would suggest ICSI, if his SA came back with the same result.  Good news is that sperm change month to month and she has some good suggestions for him...

• "Take a multivitamin. A daily multivitamin can help provide selenium, zinc and folic acid — trace nutrients that are important for optimal sperm production and function.
• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. These foods are rich in antioxidants, which may help improve sperm health.
• Reduce stress. Stress might interfere with certain hormones needed to produce sperm. Stress can also decrease sexual function.
• Get regular exercise. Physical activity is good for reproductive health as well as your overall health. But don't overdo it. Men who exercise to exhaustion show a temporary change in hormone levels and a drop in sperm quality.
• Watch your weight. Too much or too little body fat may disrupt production of reproductive hormones, which can reduce your sperm count and increase your percentage of abnormal sperm. You're most likely to produce lots of high-quality sperm if you maintain a healthy weight.

• Watch out for toxins. Experts think certain workplace and household substances might have an effect on sperm quantity and quality. These include heavy metals used in industrial workplaces, pesticides and chemicals in solvents. Use protective clothing, proper ventilation and face masks to reduce the risk of absorbing such toxins.
• Quit using tobacco. The sperm of men who smoke may be misshapen and may move more slowly than those of nonsmokers. Smoking can also damage your sperm's DNA. Experts suspect such damage could even affect a baby's growth and development and increase a child's chance of having certain health problems, including cancer. And chewing tobacco isn't safe either — it also may cause low sperm counts and damage. As if that weren't enough, tobacco use can increase erectile dysfunction. Research shows men who both smoke and drink alcohol have lower sperm counts and motility than do men with either habit alone.
• Limit alcohol. Heavy drinking may reduce the quality and quantity of sperm. Limit alcohol to no more than one or two drinks a day. The combination of tobacco and alcohol is particularly harmful.
• Steer clear of illicit drugs. Marijuana can decrease sperm density and motility and increase the number of abnormal sperm. Cocaine and opiates can contribute to erectile dysfunction, and amphetamines can decrease sex drive.
• Skip the tub. To maximize the quality and quantity of your sperm, avoid hot tubs and baths. Spending more than 30 minutes in water 102 F (40 C) or above may lower your sperm count. Saunas and steam rooms may have a similar effect.
• Avoid hormone havoc. Anabolic steroids, usually taken illegally, can shrink the testicles and drastically reduce fertility. Anti-androgens used to treat prostate enlargement and cancer interfere with sperm production. Testosterone supplements also decrease fertility.
• Stay cool. Increased scrotal temperature can hurt sperm production. Experts know that hot work environments, tight underpants, prolonged sitting and use of laptop computers can all increase scrotal temperature. They are still studying how these activities affect fertility." (sited from the MayoClinic).

We'll see... I have another appointment on Tuesday with one more!  I have already spoken with him on the phone and he is SUPER nice!!