Transfer day!!

Well, transfer day has come and gone. Last Tuesday we didn't have to be at the Dr.'s office until 12:30, so I actually worked a half day in the morning to keep my mind busy. My mom came with me to work so she could drive me home after the transfer and Brandon could go back to work. Brandon met us at the Dr's office at 12:30. We got called back to the room pretty quickly, I changed into my lovely gown and waited for Dr. Le to come in.

 The embryologist was actually the first one to come in and talk to us. She handed me a picture of our little embryos. I was so excited when she handed them to me because I was hoping to get to see them. She explained the grading of each embryo and what the number and each letter meant. When I asked about the others, she said they would call me within the next two days and let me know how many had progressed enough for freezing.

The embryo on the top is a 2BB and the one on the bottom is a 2CC. Because it was still early in the day on the 5th day, it still had some growing to do which is ok. The embryo grading is as follows:

 

Grade 1: the fluid-filled cavity takes up less than half the space of the embryo.

 

Grade 2: the fluid-filled cavity takes up more than half the space of the embryo.

 

Grade 3: the blastocyst cavity has expanded into the entire volume of the embryo, pressing the trophectoderm cells up tightly against the inside of the zona.

 

Grade 4: Expanded blastocyst, where the blastocyst has increased beyond the original volume of the embryo and caused the zona pellucida “shell” to become super thin.

 

5: Embryo has breached the zona and is hatching out of its shell Grade 6: Embryo is completely hatched.

 

The letters following the numbers mean:

 

For the inner cell mass:

A: Many cells, tightly packed
B: several cells, loosely packed
C: very few cells

The trophectoderm grading goes like this:

A: many cells, forming a cohesive layer
B: Few cells, forming a loose layer
C: Very few large cells.

 

So, you can see that the top embryo is a little further along than the bottom one. He said if he had the same embryologist grade the same embryos about 30 minutes later, they would give it a different grade because they grow pretty quickly. He said these embryos are "beautiful" and was hopeful, which  made me more hopeful. He had me lay back on the table and wanted to make sure he could get through my cervix easily, before they brought the embryos from the lab. Once he had the catheter in, the embryologist brought in our sweet embryos. He put them in the catheter and said, "Ok, happy thoughts, they are in!" The embryologist took the catheter back to the lab to make sure they were not left in there and all was clear. He leaned the table back and I had to lay at a decline (or incline) however you look at it) for about 45 minutes. When Dr. Le left the tears started to flow! I had been holding them in since the embryologist brought me my picture. Once I started to cry, of course my mom started to cry. It is such an emotional roller coaster! Having that attachment to my babies (embryos) and knowing the rest is out of my control is a hard concept to swallow.  The rest is in God's hands, and all I have to do is trust in him.

 

 

All that was left in the room was my mom, Brandon, and myself, so we decided to say a little prayer. Crying once again. I laid back for about 45 minutes, the nurse came in and said we could leave, and I just had to take it easy the rest of the day. I had to lay down on the way home. We picked up lunch on our way home, and both laid down pretty much the rest of the day. I had put stuff together in the crock pot for chicken taco soup for dinner, so nothing else had to be done but sleep. Of course I couldn't sleep, my anxiety was through the roof, but at least I could rest. So now we wait until next Friday when I go in for blood work to see if it all worked.

 

The next day I received a phone call from the embryologist that I would have one, possibly two embryos for freezing. They were going to continue to watch the others to see if they made any progression and let me know.  When I asked her what they look for in determining if they are good enough to freeze, she said if they don't continue to grow like they are suppose to they aren't good embryos to freeze for a different transfer. Thursday, she called back and informed me that I had one embryo to freeze. I was a little disappointed that the others hadn't progressed enough, but again I had to remind myself to be thankful that I had one to freeze. It is absolutely better than none!

 

Today is 5 days past the embryo transfer and I have 5 more days to go! I have been at peace with the whole process, and all I can do is wait until Friday. I pray about it probably a hundred times a day, and that's all I can do. Thanks again for all the support, and we just ask that you continue to pray for us in this journey.

 

Pray for anything, and if you have Faith you will receive it. - Mathew 21:22