June 2004-December 2009: Enjoying life as a care-free married couple. Decide that we're ready to expand the family. Do pre-conception check-up with OB/GYN and given clean bill of health. Toss birth control.
January-December 2010: Realize that unlike every other woman in my family, I'm not pregnant after a month of trying. Purchase Taking Charge of Your Fertility, begin charting, use OPKs, drink green tea. Nada. After noticing consistent spotting after ovulation, I have my progesterone tested and find the levels are slightly low. Grey has an SA; numbers are in range. End 2010 without a baby and a lot of worry.
January-February 2011: Infertility work-up. Blood tests come back normal. HSG ordered and shows tubes are clear. Diagnosed with unexplained infertility. RE recommends I focus on graduating prior to starting treatments, in order to reduce stress.
May-June 2011: Base-line ultrasound for IUI #1 shows a cyst. Cycle canceled. Next day, I defend my thesis. Talk about a buzz kill.
June-July 2011: 100 mg Clomid + Estrogen patches + Crinone + IUI #1. BFN. Travel to Reno, NV for wedding. End up with food poisoning. We learn later that Grey's sperm count drops due to the illness.
July- August 2011: 100 mg Clomid + Estrogen patches + Crinone + IUI #2. BFN. Beginning to think IUIs working is some sort of myth.
August-September 2011: 100 mg Clomid + Estrogen patches + Crinone + IUI #3. BFN. Decide to take some time off from treatment. Meet with RE. Recommendation is to move directly to IVF.
September 2011-November 2011: Throw all TTC logic out window. Grey starts biking to work; sperm count rises. Start yoga in preparation for IVF.
November-December 2011: IVF#1.
Suppression: BCPs + 1 mg Lupron for suppression. Hotflashes begin, moodswings intensify. Purchase Circle + Bloom program in hopes of getting some back some control over my body.
Stimulation: Gonal-F (300 units) + 0.25 mg Lupron.
ER and ET: 22 follicles. 18 eggs retrieved! 13 mature. 9 fertilize. 8 blastocyts.
Day 5 transfer for two: 5AA and 4AA. Six others frozen.
BFP on 12/28:
Beta roller coaster: Beta #1 on 12/28 = 66. Beta #2 on 12/30= 124. Beta #3 on 1/1 = 91: diagnosed with chemical pregnancy. Beta #4 on 1/3 = 119. Beta #5 on 1/5 = 300. Beta #6 on 1/7 = 887.
Diagnosed with blighted ovum; D&C (MVA) on 1/11.
January-February 2012: Healing and planning for FET
February-March 2012: FET#1
Suppression: Saline sonogram and mock transfer on Valentine's Day (2/14) = all clear. Progesterone levels at 17.4!!! Start 1mg Lupron. AF arrives on 2/23 (not a moment too soon)
Uterine stimulation: 0.25 mg Lupron + 2 mg Estrace 3x day. U/S on 3/7 shows ovaries are suppressed and lining as at 9.1 mm. Reduce Estrace to 2x day. Start Doxycycline 2x day, Crinone in morning and Medrol 1x day.
FET#1: Transfer two Day 5 blastocyts: 5AA and 5BB.
Beta #1 on 3/23 = 306. Beta #2 on 3/25 = 808. Beta #3 on 3/27 (following spotting scare) = 2996.
Beta #4 on 3/29 (following passing clot) = 8225. Beta #5 on 4/1: 1293
Diagnosed with completed miscarriage.
April 2012: WTF appointment on 4/6/2012: Dr. Optimism has no idea why we miscarried. Upon breaking down, break is suggested for April and to start BCPs for FET#2 following month off.
AF arrives on 4/28/2012.
May-June 2012: FET #2; aka Hail Mary FET
Suppression: BCPs started on 4/30/2012. Acupuncture started on 5/2. AF continues for 8 days. Saline sonogram on 5/16 = all clear. AF arrives on 5/23.
Uterine stimulation: 2 mg Estrace 2x day starting on 5/21. Increase to 2 mg Estrace 3x day on 6/1. U/S on 6/5 shows ovaries are suppressed and lining as at 10.1 mm. Reduce Estrace to 2x day. Start Doxycycline 2x day, Crinone 2x day and Medrol 1x day.
FET#2: Transfer two blastocyts: 4AA and 3BB.
HPT on 6/21 = BFN
Beta on 6/22 = 0
July 2012: Begin adoption process. Agencies find out we're thinking of relocating. Adoption process put on hold. More heartbreak. Acupuncture continues with herbal supplementation.
August-October 2012: Decide to take a friend at Fertility Authority (http://www.fertilityauthority.com/) up on her offer to find a second opinion. After much drama and panic (all on my end), Grey and I have our first appointment. RPL testing ordered.
Results:
Karyotypes: Both normal
Anti-TPO = 37 (Ref range <60 units/ml)
APA panel = weakly positive. At risk for pregnancy loss.
Plans made to try FET with 2 remaining blastocytes. Cycle to be supplemented with baby aspiring and Lovenox to deal with APA syndrome.
Novemeber 2012 - January 2013: FET #3; aka Holy-shit-we-hope-this-works FET
Suppression: BCPs started on 11/12/2012. AF tries to arrive 11/29. 1 mg Lupron started on 12/3. Last day of BCPs 12/8. AF allowed to arrive 12/9. Suppression check on 12/14 = green light!
Uterine stimulation: 0.25 mg Lupron + 81 mg baby aspirin daily. 2x Vivelle patches changed every-other day till 12/21, then 3x Vivelle patches till 12/23, then 4xVivelle patches till 12/28. Endometrium check u/s on 12/28 show ovaries are quiet and lining is at 10.5-11 mm!!! Start 0.5 cc (25 mg) PIO daily till 12/30, then begin 1 cc (50 mg) PIO. Reduce to 2x Vivelle patches. Start 40 mg Lovenox on 12/31
FET #3: Transfer two hatching blastocysts.
Progesterone levels 2dp5dt= 18.95. Increase PIO to 2cc (100 mg) PIO. Progesterone levels = 62.89.
HPT on 1/10 = BFP
Beta #1 on 1/11 = 163.1
Beta #2 on 1/13 = 469
Ultrasound #1 on 1/28 = One heartbeat detected (113 bpm). Embryo measures 7.4 mm. Second potential gestational sac also detected.
Ultrasound #2 on 2/4 = Two heartbeats detected!!!
Baby A: 156 bpm measuring at 12.6 mm.
Baby B: 140 bpm measuring at 10.2 mm (note: harder to get measurements because of camera angle)
Ultrasound #3 on 2/14 = Babies are growing, measuring a day ahead. Graduate from RE. So begins our adventure with the OB/GYNs and entering the world of being a pregnant infertile.
