Quick Update on the Girls!

I'm sorry I didn't post last months update. It's a busy time of the year around here!!

Last month's month appointment went as expected. I passed the glucose test! They took a peak at the girls and they were hanging out one on top of the other in a transverse position, which explains why I only felt movements above my belly button! I'll admit I've been a little freaked out about them being transverse but I've been doing research online and I'm prepared to try my own version if I have to, under the doctors care of course.

Today we are 1 week shy of 7 months. I've gained 30lbs so far, which I guess is good for twins?! I feel huge but I'm all belly.
My feet have started swelling so much that my toes look like vienna sausages. It's pretty scary looking. I'm also having issues with varicose veins, some in the most uncomfortable places. 


The girls are quite active all the time. There is never a down time between the two of them. Oh, and I'm pretty sure within the last couple of days that they have changed positions. I can feel movement and pressure much lower than I could before. It makes me excited BUT I'm starting to wonder if what I'm feeling are feet!!

Our next appointment in on December 30th. We are set up first thing in the morning for a growth scan followed by a RhoGAM shot in the butt. Good times! I can't wait to see the girls and how much they are growing. I'm really hoping I can talk the tech into taking a couple of 3D (or 4D) shots for B and C since they won't be able to make it down. 

I promise to update on time after our next appointment. 

20 Weeks! The Big Reveal!

I think I was just as excited as B and C for our 20 week appointment today. I remember what it was like for my first sonogram and couldn't wait for them to see everything for themselves! I was especially excited for C, being his first time seeing the babies.

I knew today's appointment would take a long time so I stopped at Chick Fil A on my way in for some breakfast. I had already downed a bottle of water but I wanted to do what I could to ensure the babies were active, so I grabbed a bottle of OJ too. Nothing like a full belly and bladder to get babies to move around... so I hear?!

I met B and C in the parking lot. I think B was shocked to see my big ole belly! :) We went upstairs to check in and were sent straight to ultrasound.
The tech was amazing! I really loved that she took the time to explain every single thing she was doing and answered all their questions, even the silly ones. I did my best to tell them what they were looking at too while paying a lot of attention to the measurements. I think I've been worried about one baby being bigger than the other or something.
The tech started with Baby A. She took her time measuring and explaining everything she was doing. The baby cooperated making it really easy to make out all the important parts she was measuring, including the sex. I noticed it when she was measuring the femur bone but I didn't say anything until B asked. I told her it was a GIRL and the tech showed them the obvious 3 lines!
Waiting for the sex on Baby B was brutal. We went through all the same measurements again and Baby B was just as cooperative as Baby A... thank goodness. As the tech was getting done B and C were glued to the TV. B blurted out that she saw something sticking out and tried showing C what she was looking at. I could tell that there wasn't anything sticking out and that Baby B was a GIRL too but I waited for the tech to show them. As soon as the she moved the wand B saw the 3 lines and shouted, "I see three lines!". They were both beaming ear to ear!
The whole scan was pretty entertaining. It was funny listening to B and C trying to make out everything on the screen and seeing C freak out a little when the tech "cut" the baby in half to measure the spine and heart. It took a while for him to get exactly what she was doing!
Overall, they are perfect. They both measured right on track for 20 weeks with Baby B measuring 1 day ahead of Baby A. They are around 10 ounces each and the size of cantaloupes with heartbeats in the mid 150's. The tech got some really great face shots and the babies look nothing alike, at all. I can't wait to see what they look like when they are born!!
They don't have names picked out. They only had boy names... but B said as soon as they decided she would share them with me. I don't think they plan on telling family until the babies are born.

The rest of the appointment went as normal. I left a urine sample and weighed in at 10lbs gained since last month. Of course Dr C was thrilled with the numbers but I'm not! That's 16lbs in 5 months. Ouch.
He went over the scans with B and C, which were perfect, and discussed Cord Blood Banking. We also went over the induction. Dr C said from the beginning he wouldn't let them go over 38 weeks but B wanted to know if he would go to 39 to decrease the chances of something being wrong, and to make sure they aren't born on Feb 29 with 2012 being a Leap Year. He agreed. So it looks like they will come the beginning of March. He wrote me a prescription for a support garment to help with the massive vessel swelling I'm dealing with. OUCH! I'm hoping it helps because I'm afraid these bad boys are gonna explode!
I go back in 4 weeks for the yummy glucose test... GAG!

When we were saying our goodbyes B touched my belly and said, "Bye Bye Babies!". It made me a little sad for her. It kinda sucks that she can't be with her babies right now and that she isn't going to get to feel them move or kick ( I won't see her again until they are born). I guess I'll just have to work on making some really great videos for her. :) 

16 Week Appointment

The last four weeks have been a whirlwind of changes for me. First,and best of all, the bleeding has stopped! I'm so glad, it really was annoying. Second, my belly exploded with roundness. Not just the cute bump you see below the belly button when you first start showing... but full on rounded belly from top to bottom! I've tried sucking in to see if I'm just crazy but it doesn't go anywhere. :) I can even feel Baby A moving up above my belly button. I don't remember any of my kids being so high, so early.

Third, entering the second trimester brought my appetite back with a vengeance! I can eat just about anything without getting sick and boy do I want to eat! My new favorite foods of choice are tomatoes, jalapenos, nachos, yogurt, and Lucky Charms. I'm also back to enjoying my one cup of coffee per day (minus the overload of sweetener).
Of course you can guess what this means, right? Yep! Weight gain! I'm up 6lbs in one month. BOO! Of course the doctor was happy, 6lbs in 4 months is great! Too bad it doesn't feel so great...

Last, my emotions are out of control! I hate that feeling. I like to be in control of my body and mind and that isn't at all possible right now, despite how hard I fight. I can cry about anything and most of the time I just have to let it happen. 

I also have these freak out moments where random, awful thoughts enter my mind and send me into a sobbing mess. 9 times out of 10 it has something to do with my children and fear of something awful happening to them. Add these crazy emotions to the wicked "real life like dreams" and at times, I feel like I'm falling apart.

Today's check up went as usual... urine sample and a sneak peak at the babies. This time they were both hanging out with their heads on the opposite sides of each other with their feet touching. They spent most of the appointment facing downward and being difficult so that we couldn't really see what sex they are but we didn't give up!
We started out with Baby A who wouldn't budge despite the nurse pestering him/her. So we moved on to Baby B. The nurse was pretty sure that we were looking at girl parts. The doctor said although you couldn't see the 3 lines you could see that there wasn't anything poking out. Going back to Baby A we were right in time to watch him/her cross it's legs! What a handful that kid is already! The doctor pushed and poked until he/she moved and said, "well, there are no boy parts there either!"
We checked heart rates so I could take a video of them to send to B. Baby A was 152 and Baby B was 154.
So verdict is, two girls! I'm not buying it! :) I'm still thinking that A is a boy. I guess we won't know until next month!

I called B and gave her the update on how awesome thy both looked and assured her that they were right on track without spilling the beans about what we saw, or didn't see. I told her that I didn't get 100% confirmation on the sexes and that I still believed it's one of each, which is what she thinks too.
Can't wait to see them again next month and see if we are right or if the doctor and nurse are right! 

  

12 Weeks!

12 weeks (and 3 days) today! I'm toting around a couple of peach sized babies now! I'm happy to report that I am no longer taking progesterone or estrogen! Yippie! I couldn't be more excited about that!! I had hoped that once I stopped taking them that I would start feeling better, and I do... minus the latest urinary tract infection and getting sick every time I eat. :) It's not nearly as bad as it was before. 

I still have some pretty major aversions. I'm trying to fight through it but I'm not having very much luck. I did manage to choke down two cups of coffee recently but they had to not smell like coffee and not taste sweet...? I can also handle Lemonade but it has to be freshly squeezed and not too sweet and even still... I've only had a couple of cups. Water is still my best friend.
I can't really claim any cravings either. I'm loving red meat, which probably makes B's head spin being that she is a vegan! I'm also digging Tex-Mex! but neither of them are things I feel like I "have" to eat. 

My belly is growing already. I keep thinking it's my imagination but my clothes say otherwise. I haven't gained any weight as of yet. Sure is going to be fun putting on 50lbs in 5 months. NOT!
I can also feel the babies move!! I've been able to for a couple of weeks now. It didn't start as little flutters like it did early on with my babies. Instead if feels like bowling balls rolling around in there. It's pretty cool. 

Joelie tagged along to the latest appointment on Wednesday. She was such a good little girl. We took the iPad and she just hung out while watching Dora. Once we were in the examination room she was fascinated with the feet covers... some bright floral print.
B opted out of the NT Scan so the appointment was pretty basic. They did a urine check and took a sneak peak of the babies. The doctor noticed the bleed, yes it's still bleeding, and said that it wouldn't interfere with the babies at all and that it should correct itself soon. Pretty sure I heard that a couple of months ago?

The babies looked perfect. The printer wasn't working so I wasn't able to get pictures. I'll do my best to describe what I saw... it was pretty cute!
Baby A is in a horizontal position. His (I think it's a boy) head is to the right with his legs stretched out toward Baby B. Baby B is in a vertical position, facing us. Baby A is moving and wiggling around like crazy! I knew he was a wild one!! He kept turning his head from side to side like he was saying no and kicking his legs out. What was sad is that every time he moved Baby B would throw her (I think it's a girl) arm up like she was scared... like a fast jerk motion. AW! It was so amazing seeing them both move around like that. 

I called B and gave her the update. I warned her that she's going to have her hands full with Baby A! She told me that her grandmother had named them This and That! So, I told her This was going to have her up all night! :)

Our next appointment is September 28th. 16 weeks! Dr C said we would try and get a sneak peak at genders before the "big" appointment in October! I can't wait!

My First Appointment w/ My Own Doctor

I searched online for hours reading reviews on Austin OBGYN's that delivered at a level III NICU and specialized in high risks pregnancies, just in case.
I found a place called Austin Area OBGYN's and was taken away by the great reviews. I called and told the scheduler answering the call that I needed someone that worked with twins. She told me that Dr. Cowan was the best and set me up with an appointment.
I was thrilled for today's appointment because B got to go with me. I can't begin to tell you how amazing the office staff treated both of us. They showed a lot of interest in our story and Dr. Cowan was so grateful for us choosing him to help in our journey. They made us both feel so comfortable.
 
The appointment took a while with most of the time being used for questions and answers. Both Dr. Cowan and his nurse were really thorough.

The bleeding from the clot hasn't stopped yet but is slowing down. During the ultrasound you could tell that it was much smaller than it was two weeks ago. Hopefully it'll be over soon!!
Only 7 more days on estrogen and progesterone and I'm thrilled! I'm hoping coming off of them will help with my feeling so ill. In the meantime... Zofran is my new best friend, the constipation side effect is not. 


The shock of the appointment was hearing Dr. Cowan tell me that he expected me to gain 50lbs! HUH, WHAT? Wow. Apparently studies show that more weight gain with twins increases odds of them  making it to full term vs being born early. Bring on the burgers and ice cream! 
Something else he mentioned is that no matter what they will not let the babies go to 38 weeks. He said that bad things happen after 38 weeks with twins. He also talked about vaginal delivery vs c-section. He told me that my odds were 60/40 of getting my vaginal delivery but he was on the same page as me. Guess we will see what happens. 
B opted out of the First Trimester Screen. I can't say I blame her. I wouldn't do it either.
I had my blood drawn, gave a urine sample, and they did a pap smear. Good times!





Now on to the fun stuff.... the ultrasound! It was so amazing!! The office had a 32 inch TV on the wall connected to the machine. It was so neat seeing the bigger picture. Right off the bat B picked up on the little fluttery heartbeats. So sweet! What was really cool is that they were both moving around. Baby A was even moving it's little arm buds up and down and you could clearly make out the head, face, and body. Baby B was a little wiggle worm too. I'm so so so happy B got to see them like that. They printed out pictures for her and made her a DVD to take home to C.
They were both measuring right on track with Baby B a tad bigger than Baby A. (Last time Baby A was bigger) The heart rates were not the same this time either! I was shocked!! Baby A was 174 and Baby B was 167. Did I say something about BOYS? I'm thinking C better watch out, he may end up with a house full of GIRLS! :)

Emergency Trip to the Fertility Clinic

Last night was scary for me. I stayed up late getting some clothes sorted and organized for a consignment shop that I'm doing in August. I started having cramps and pains in my lower abdomen and back. I decided to go to bed but before I could get settled I felt a gush of liquid and started bleeding. The bright red blood and cramps really scared me. I called Dr C and told her what was happening and asked what she wanted me to do. She told me to just go to bed and that she would call the fertility center here and get me in first thing in the morning.
I couldn't sleep. I couldn't get comfortable and my mind was racing. I just kept thinking about how unfair this would be for B and C and how I didn't want to call and tell her this was happening. She's suppose to be here in a few days for our first ultrasound and now everything was turned upside down.
I did end up sending her a text letting her know. I knew her phone would be off and hated the thought of that being the first thing she saw when she turned her phone on in the morning, but I had to tell her.
I got up this morning and the cramping had settled a bit but the bleeding was still there. I got a call from Dr C's office saying my appointment was at 10:15. Thank goodness I didn't have to wait too long to go. The waiting was killing me.
When I got up on the table I said a few silent prayers. Dr K came in and started the ultrasound. I couldn't make out anything right away but it didn't take long for me to see the flutters of a tiny heartbeat! He took measurements and they were spot on, 7 weeks. Heart rate was 136.  As he is moving things around I asked, "Just one?" He looks at me and says... "In sac number two"... Yep, 2nd baby had a perfect 137 heart rate and measured 6 weeks 6 days.
Both babies are perfectly fine. The bleeding is coming from a blood clot in the middle of the two sacs. Dr K said it's like a bruise and should correct itself over time. The only advice... no sex or nipple stimulation and followup with Dr C.
I kept constant communication with B through the visit and was thrilled to give her the good news. I'm so relieved that everything is okay and hope that this darn blood clot dissolves (or whatever it's suppose to do) soon!

TWINS! :) 

Do It Yourself.

I took Casey to the airport this morning for his flight to Zurich where he will be working for the next two weeks. I knew this day was coming for a while so I've had time to prepare, not only for being without him but for having to figure out another way to get my progesterone shots.
My friend offered to help and even enlisted her husband, he gave her shots when she was pregnant. While it was kind of her to offer I thought it would be a tad strange and maybe even inconvenient for everyone.
I thought I could always get Venus or Sequel to do it. Sure it would mortify them just having to look at my butt and send them into complete shock having to jab a needle into me... but it was an idea!?
In the end I decided to do it on my own. Why not? I watched a few videos on youtube (some of them were quite freaky) and figured if they could do it, so could I. So this evening I got all my stuff ready and headed to the couch. I searched my leg a few times to make sure I was indeed aiming at a muscle and I thought about how I needed to do this is one swift motion. I thought about it some more... and a little more. Finally I SLOWLY pushed the needle into my thigh. Ouch! I pulled back to make sure there wasn't any blood and there wasn't but I thought it'd be best to check again. Still no blood. I began pressing down on the plunger and OH MY GOSH! the pain shot down my leg and up my thigh. I can't even begin to explain what it felt like. I got up to walk and the pain was more intense. I ended up putting a heating pad on it in hopes that the pain would subside. It hasn't. I sure hope I can walk tomorrow.
I'm starting to have second thoughts about doing this myself and wonder if traumatizing my kids would be a better idea? :)
Only 34 more days of shots to go... 

I Feel Like....

I feel like someone implanted two embryos into my uterus that resulted in a pregnancy that in turn has caused an overload of hormones to take over my body. Of course I'm sure it doesn't help that in addition to the "normal" hormones being produced I'm also pumping my body full of additional estrogen and progesterone.
For over a month now I have felt like I gained a ton of weight. I knew it was a side effect of the meds so I have refused to get on a scale... until last night. I have to say I was surprised to see that I've gained less than 10lbs despite my feeling like I gained 20+.
I feel pregnant. I'm bloated. My boobs are the size of grapefruits and probably weigh as much as one. I have blemishes that keep coming and going from the same spot over and over again.
I have morning, noon, and night time sickness. I have to pee a million times in a 24 hour period and my weakened immune system has left me vulnerable to the latest round of stomach bugs going through my house. Oh and to top it all of I already have heartburn and some serious food aversions that have left me hating some of my favorite foods. :(

Tomorrow I will be 5 weeks. I can only hope that things subside in 7 more weeks and I get a little break before the craziness picks back up in the third trimester.

Ultrasound appointment has been scheduled for 2:15 on Friday the 29th. B is coming up to go with me! I think she's anxious to see how many babies are in there. I'm hoping and praying it's 2 or less.

2nd Beta Results Are In!

It's very different going through a pregnancy as a surrogate. It's still very new to me and understanding what my body and mind are going through is foreign to me. I found myself looking for someone to give me answers after the last beta results; 458. I kept hearing the nurse say she was concerned about twins and thinking that the numbers weren't really that high. She was wrong. Right?
There are not a lot of support groups or forums on the web for surrogates and the ones I did find were old and inactive. I ended up finding one through another page I found during my search. 
It's a strange set up and is taking some getting used to but it's nice to be able to say 5dp10dt and everyone know that that means! I introduced myself to all the other surrogates and told them about my first beta results. They all said twins too. When I asked how and why they explained that beta numbers from a "regular" pregnancy are not read the same as they are with an IVF pregnancy. The numbers tend to be higher. Something along the lines of 400+ for doubles at 10 days post transfer. Okay? Okay. I think. 
So even after reading all their comments I'm still skeptical. It's barely over 400. 
This morning I got up ready for my last beta test. I'm expecting it to double. Nurse C calls this afternoon and my levels have not doubled... they more than tripled. 1670! So... I go to update the surrogate ladies and I'm told, if you doubted it before... there is no doubt now. Those are multiple numbers! 
Here are a list of surrogate Betas to give you guys an idea.  
Beta Numbers for 10 days after a 5 day transfer:                                                          Singleton: 35, 35, 42.2, 49, 54, 67.7, 68, 87, 
105, 106, 112, 127, 129, 163, 171, 181, 196, 217, 226, 227, 230, 388
Twins: 141, 145, 152, 157, 160, 171, 174, 193, 222, 252, 257, 282, 283, 284, 286, 294, 297, 339, 357, 365, 365, 371, 377, 378.6, 393, 406, 421, 510, 594, 611, 636, 707, 804, 969
Trips: 471, 617
Quads: 503


Beta Numbers for 12 days after a 5 day transfer:
Singleton: 46, 58, 72, 89, 97, 126, 161, 223, 226, 252, 298, 300, 342, 351, 376, 416, 423, 430, 505, 526, 580, 699
Twins: 389, 408, 428, 451, 653, 741, 774, 766, 971, 1045, 1149, 1155, 1250, 1507, 1554, 1663, 1709, 1685, 2065, 2408, 2783
Trips: 333, 473, 746, 801, 1017, 1129, 2085, 3028




My first ultrasound is scheduled for July 29th with the local fertility clinic followed by another one a couple of weeks later with my regular doctor. I can't wait! 

The Numbers Are In!!

Are you ready for this?
I woke up this morning and took another pregnancy test, just to make sure. One can never take too many tests. Of course it was still positive and I could tell the lines were much darker than the last test.
So I finished getting ready and headed to the lab at 7am. I wanted to make sure I was there early enough for same day (and fast) results.
I've been waiting all day for these numbers to come in. It doesn't matter how many tests I've taken or what I know... all that matters are these numbers and I was hoping and praying that they were over 50 mIU/ml.
It took a while to get the results because the lab ran the wrong tests... but I finally got the call a few minutes ago and guess what?!?
My HCG levels are......... 458!!!!!

Home Testing Day Has Arrived!

The wait has been awful. I spent my first two days home surfing the web looking for answers to all my questions. Why did I feel so bloated, was it because of the procedure? Have my boobs been this full and tender this whole time, or is this new? Shouldn't I feel tired? Do I really feel nauseous or is it in my head? Why am I cramping? That can't be a good sign.   

It ended up just driving me crazy and stressing me out! I couldn't tell what symptoms I had because of all the drugs or what symptoms were new. I also read forums where other surrogates posted about what they experienced the following days and thought it I wasn't feeling the same, it must not have worked. It really was a whirl wind of emotions and very difficult for me.
Something I did find interesting was how soon others had tested after a transfer. The average was 5 days post a 3 day or 5 day transfer. So... I decided I would test Friday just to see what happened totally expecting to see a negative.
Friday morning I couldn't sleep. I kept having dreams about taking a pregnancy test and it being positive. So I got up at 3am and took the test. Sadly there wasn't a + sign. I didn't tell anyone I tested and just decided (after reading more forums) that it was too soon and I'd wait until today, July 4th. I woke up around 6 this morning and took the test. I sat there waiting for the lines to appeared and begged for it to show more than one line. I begged it to show a + sign. I think I even said "please" out loud hoping that it would help. When the control area changed I knew I wasn't going to get my wish... It was probably seconds instead of minutes and I just closed my eyes saying one last prayer. Please...

When I opened my eyes I thought I saw a + sign starting to appear. It was really faint but it was there. I held it up to the light and changed angles just to make sure it wasn't my eyes playing tricks on me. They weren't! It was POSITIVE! B and C are going to have a baby... or two? 
I called B right after the test but she didn't answer so I sent her a text. She called me back a few minutes later. I told her that I had taken a test and asked her if she wanted to know the results. She paused to think about it but ended up saying yes. I told her it was positive. She started saying, "OMG are you serious?" She was so excited! It made me so happy to hear the excitement in her voice. Even better she was spending the 4th with her family so it was the perfect time to share the news with them too! I'm thrilled for them!! So happy that they are getting the baby (or two) that they have been dreaming about!

I'm still going for blood work to check my levels on Wednesday and Friday. I'm not too nervous about it. I figure we've made it this far, everything is going to be just fine. I am a little anxious to hear the numbers. I wonder if they both took? Could there be two in there? I can't wait to find out!!

Who Made the Grade?

I set my alarm for 7am Sunday morning. I had to make sure I was up in time to insert the white horse pill two hours before my transfer. Once I did that I jumped in the shower so I could get ready for B and C's big day. I thought about what was about to take place and wondered why I didn't feel nervous at all. It seemed strange to me that I felt so calm about it.
B and C arrived at the hotel earlier than expected. I think they were both pretty excited to have finally reached this point. The 2 minute car ride consisted of us chatting up a storm and laughing. Once we arrived and checked in we sat in the waiting room talking about everything from the weather to birthday parties to the procedure. 
When the nurse called me back she gave me the normal instructions... undress from the waist down and cover up with the sheet. I did just as she instructed. In the meantime she went to get B and C so they could speak with the doctor about the embryos, It was the first time they were hearing about how much they had progressed. 
It felt like I sat on that table/bed forever. It was really only about 10 minutes. I noticed how dark and cold it seemed. There were not relaxing pictures on the wall or decorations outside of a calender that had some random saying about friends that I can't seem to remember. I noticed the counter on the wall and realized that the last person in there had 10 eggs retrieved.  I could see that a lot of the machine parts were made by Burton and wondered if it was the same Burton that made snowboards? In front of me was one of those doors that were cut in half where only the top portion would open. Through the crack I could see lights and people moving around but I really couldn't make out what they were doing. And for a moment I thought to myself that this was my last chance to run away.

When the doctor came in he (yes HE. Dr C wasn't there!! Woot!) showed me a graph with numbers and letters written on it. He explained that out of all the embryos only 2 of them graded "okay". He went on to explain that while they were not perfect, they were very close and suggested that we transfer both. He took the time to show me pictures of them (which were pretty cool) and went over the grading process. It was something along the lines of two grades, one for big they were and one for how far into the cycle they were. The two embryos he had were A,B and B,B. Sounded good to me! I did notice while he was talking that the other embryos were all graded F's and G's. I couldn't help but feel a little sad for B. I hope they they continue to develop so that she has some to put back and freeze.
The doctor stepped out for a moment to give me time to talk things over with B and C. We all agreed that we would transfer both embryos!!

The rest of the process was all about feeling vs seeing. In the beginning I could see into the "secret" room and noticed an incubator that you would see and infant in NICU in. Inside were tiny petri dishes. How cool!
I turned my attention to the monitor as the doctor did whatever it was he was doing down there. I remember feeling a gush of warm liquid which he later explained as cleaning everything in there off. When we was ready for the transfer he used a very long skinny catheter to insert the embryos into my uterus. I have to tell you that watching it happen was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. It looked like two tiny white bubbles being shot inside me. I sat there and watched them slowly float up and rest on the walls of my uterus and I was in awe. We waited for a minute for the guys behind the secret door to confirm the catheter was empty and we were done. I had to remain lying down for 10 minutes then I was free to go.
I watched to second hands move on the clock and got up at 9:45. I got dressed, ran to the bathroom, and met B and C in the waiting room where B greeted me with a hug.
I left with 3 forms in my hand and instructions to continue both estrogen's and the progesterone shots. I have two appointments for blood work, one of July 6 to check my progesterone, estradiol, and hCG levels, and one on July 8 to check progesterone and hCG again. I was also told that I can take a HPT but not until July 4.

So I'm currently 2 days post a 5 day transfer with only 6 days left to test and I'm dying waiting! :) I imagine B is too! I don't feel any additional side effects outside of the ones I feel from the pills/shots but I'm hoping and praying that I get a BFP on July 4th!!!

Ready... Set... GO!

Just got the phone call!! Looks like we are heading up Saturday (by we I mean, Sequel, Joelie, my mom, and me) B is coming to get me Sunday to go to the appointment with me. I have to insert a progesterone pill called, Prometrium at 7am and come in at 8:45 with a full bladder. The transfer is scheduled for 9am and they are transferring two of the 27 embryos! I'm so excited and can't wait. Hopefully between her super human eggs and my dynamite uterus this will work the first time and we will get a BFP on July 6th! Wish us luck!! 

Side Effects in Full Force

Woke up this morning excited for B and her big step today; egg retrieval. I can't wait for an update and to know how it all went. I'm super anxious for her and hope that she isn't in too much pain.
I felt great first thing this morning. My bum only hurts a little at last nights injection spot, like a bruise. Sadly as the day progresses I've started feeling really bad. I'm not sure if it's the antibiotic, the progesterone or both, but something is making me feel not so hot. My back hurts, my head is killing me. I feel nervousness and pretty sure I'm going to vomit at any moment. This stinks.

Today's Drug of Choice is...

I started my Estradiol Sunday afternoon like a good little girl. One 2mg tablet placed near my uterus (or as high as I can reach) once a day. Sunday was also the last day for the Lupron injections. 
This afternoon Nurse C called and told me that she had talked to Dr C and things were still a go. She told me there was nothing else I could do to raise my estrogen levels outside of the Vivelle Dot Patches and the Estradoil. She also informed me that they wouldn't take additional blood tests to make sure my levels had increased, that they would just rely on the pills to do their job. So B's big day is tomorrow and I should know Thursday afternoon when they want me to be there, I'm guessing Friday.

Tonight was a lot of fun with starting the Progesterone shot! Nurse C taught Casey how to administer them at our appointment last week. It took a while for us to get it done and there was a lot of nervous laughter but we managed to do it after a pep talk with my friend Krystal! It wasn't even that bad. Heck, I didn't even feel it! (I'm sure I will tomorrow)
So now I'm on Estradiol, Vivelle Dot's, Progesterone AND.... antibiotics.
Despite everything that went down with Dr C, and all these crazy drugs I'm pushing into my body, I'm excited! I can't wait for my appointment and I hope that I get to call B in 15-20 days telling her we are pregnant!

Some People Can Be So Rude

It's no secret that Dr C doesn't think highly of me. From our first visit she made it clear that she didn't care about me that B and C were what mattered. That was fine with me and made sense.
Thursday during my appointment she was her normal self. She performed the ultrasound, which looked great btw, and told me that she would let me know how the blood test came back and if I needed to do anything else. 
On the way back home Thursday I got a phone call from the nurse saying that the were calling in Estrogen pills for me because my levels were too low. I explained to her that we weren't going straight home and that it would be Friday or Saturday before I got the prescription.
Today was B's BIG appointment. Everything went well and she was scheduled for the retrieval on Tuesday. The nurse called to let me know that I would start Progesterone and the antibiotics tomorrow to prepare for the procedure next week. While we were chatting I let her know that I hadn't picked up the prescriptions yet because I hadn't received payment for B yet. She hung up with me, called Dr C, and called me back letting me know that Dr C would call me later that afternoon. Oh boy.
I knew the conversation wasn't going to be a good one and I was right. She came on the line asking me why I didn't pick up the Estrogen Thursday. I explained what I had already told the nurse to her and also explained that I didn't have the check in hand yet to purchase the drugs. I had even called B at this point to see if there was anything she could do to help get the money here sooner. Anyway... Dr C let me know that she was furious and threatened that she would just tell B and C to freeze their embryos instead of using me so that I didn't get paid. I held my ground and told her that she should do whatever she thought was best for B and C. She made a few more comments and I told her that I wasn't interested in arguing with her. I asked her what we could do to make things work. She told me to go and get the pills and start them today, so I did. She mentioned in all her rage that my levels were 140 and she needed them to be 500-600. She had no idea why my levels were so low with the Estrogen I have been taking. 
We left the conversation with her saying she would talk to her fellow doctor and decide what was best for B and C and whether to trust the ultrasound and my uterus or her lab and my levels. She would let me know.
I was so furious when I got off the phone with her. She has some nerves speaking to me the way she did. I understand that she has to do what is best for B and C  but being catty doesn't help any of us.
I guess now all I can do is wait. I took the pill as instructed and will start progesterone and the antibiotics tomorrow. If all goes as planned I'll be back there on Friday for the transfer. I know one thing... I'll be glad when I don't have to see Dr C ever again. 

You Need Me To Do What?

After our "couples therapy" I flew up for my medical evaluation. The doctor wasn't very happy with me skipping out on my first appointment and made it very clear how disappointed she was. I had to apologize and assure her a few times that I wouldn't flake again.
That day I got to experience my very first procedure, a mock transfer. For those of you that have no idea what that is... it is when the doctor inserts a catheter into your uterus to measure the length and depth. The whole thing was pretty uneventful and didn't take very long. I could have done without the cramps that lingered afterwards.
The rest of the appointment was spent with the nurse coordinator explaining our calenders and what would happen next. I had no idea what to expect with any of this so I was pretty shocked to learn about all the medication involved. 


A few weeks later a medium sized box arrived at my front door. I can't begin to explain how I felt when I started laying all the drugs, syringes, alcohol swabs, and instructions on the counter. I was pretty sure that I was going to pass out.

The first thing I started was birth control followed by Lupron injections. I'm not a fan of birth control pills in general but the ones I took weren't so bad. I didn't notice any side effects from them. The Lupron was a different story. I started out injecting 10 units in my stomach every night. At first the shots were uncomfortable, just a sting with a little burning but after a while the injection sites would itch. I also noticed some pretty ugly side effects. I couldn't sleep at night and would get uncomfortable ovulation type cramps. UGH. I couldn't find very much information online about the drug itself and the side effects (which was a tad scary) but I did find some forums with women talking about having the same problems. On a good note, it increased my sex drive! I'm only taking 5 units right now and only have a week left on the Lupron. I'm looking forward to stopping. 

I also started taking Estrogen in the form of patches. I have no complaints. I love what it's doing to my skin, hair, and boobs! :) I'm currently on three patches but move to four tomorrow.

The rest of this month is pretty busy. I've already had an ultrasound, blood work (twice), and urine testing done. I also got to have an HSG done. For those of you that don't know what that is, it's an x-ray test that looks at the inside of the uterus and fallopian tubes and the area around them. During a HSG, a dye is put through a thin tube that is put through the vagina and into the uterus. Because the uterus and the fallopian tubes are hooked together the dye will flow into the tubes. Pictures are taken using a steady beam of x-ray as the dye passes through the uterus and fallopian tubes. Fun, right? NO! The whole thing lasted about 5 minutes but it hurt. I'm not a wimpy person and can normally handle pain but the cramps during and afterwards were horrible. 




This week I have another ultrasound and more blood work and next week I begin progesterone and an antibiotic. If all goes as planned I'll be back the last week of the month for the Embryo transfer!!

Bumps In The Road...

I had a different idea in my head about how things would work. I never thought that B and I would be exchanging text messages or e-mails the day after the initial phone call. I thought that we would have a coordinator set up that would handle everything in between and that I would have little to no communication with the intended parents. Boy was I was wrong! 
It wasn't long until I started getting daily e-mails and text messages about what I needed to get and have done. I ordered copies of my medical records (wow who knew there were so many) and set up a psych consult (boy was that LONG). We had appointment's and medication scheduled with deadlines in place and a contract in the works.
I'll admit that all of this planning and discussing was a bit overwhelming at times. I went back and forth for a few days on if I could really do this or not. I even confided in my best mommy friends about my feelings and got a tremendous about of support and understanding. I even had a hard time just going on birth control. I haven't used that stuff in years and didn't want to put it in my body if I didn't have to. In the meantime the contract was still a work in progress with both B and I having input about what was included and not included in it. 
The started birth control and the first BIG appointment was set up. I was going to fly up and have my medical evaluation with the IVF doctor... only halfway there I got a text that the contract was done and e-mailed to me. I can't even begin to explain the way I felt as I slid through all 50 some odd pages on my iPhone. With each paragraph came a wave of panic and nausea. There were things in there that weren't suppose to be in there. The compensation wasn't exactly what I and just the length of the contract alone was enough to send my head spinning! I just wanted to go home. So I did. 
That day was awful. B and I exchanged text messages back in forth, some heated. I can only imagine how upset she was. We ended up having a conference call that night and discussed all "my" issues. We left the conversation agreeing to meet the next day for the couples psych consult.
That day sort sealed the deal for me. B and C became real people not just emails and text messages and they were pretty amazing. 
A couple of weeks later I ended up taking the flight and making my medical evaluation. I spent the whole day with B getting to know here better. I did get a lecture about missing the first appointment and had to apologize a few hundred times but overall, it went really well. 
Next stop... blood, ultrasounds, and injections. 

What Took You So Long?

I put my profile on Fertility Bridges shortly after Joelie was born in February 2009. I knew that it would be a while before I could actually carry a baby for someone else, but I wanted to get my information out there just in case.
I kept up with my profile, updated it often with information about our family and added pictures. It wasn't until early 2011 that I started to get inquiries. 
The first one was another fertility company that was looking for people to join their network. I don't recall the name of the group but I remember thinking the lady seemed shady. I simply told her I wasn't interested and moved on. 
The second inquiry came directly from a couple on Fertility Bridges. The director called to ask me some questions before setting up a phone conference with the intended parents. She told me that this couple was adamant about a few things which included terminating the pregnancy if something ended up wrong with the baby, including having Downs, and selective reduction because they only wanted one baby. I had to say no. While I do understand that these couples are dishing out a lot of money to have a "perfect" baby... there are just some things I'm not okay with doing. 


After that phone call I started to doubt that this was something I could really do. I thought about pulling my profile off the website and just forgetting all about it. Before I could... I got another phone call from the director and this time she had a couple that wanted to set up and conference call with me later that night. I agreed. I thought about everything that was important to me and prepared myself to ask a bunch of questions.
I got caught up doing dishes and forgot all about the phone call when the director called me to make sure I was still coming. I locked myself in the room, dialed the conference number and introduced myself to C and B. I asked them all the questions I had written down...
Would you terminate if your child had Downs or some other defect? No.
Would you reduce the amount of fetuses if there were more than one? No, unless it posed a health risk to you.
How many will your transfer at once? 2 at the most but most likely 1. 
I answered a bunch of questions for them and by the end of the call they were ready to get started! The next day contracts were started, phone numbers were exchanged and we were ready for lift off!

And This Is How It All Started...

When I got pregnant with my first baby back in 1997 I learned all I needed to know from the book, What to Expect When Your'e Expecting. I used the same book when I got pregnant again in 1999. When I found out I was pregnant with my third son in 2003 I learned that WTE was online and offered messages boards for groups of women expecting during the same month. I joined but didn't participate much until we were pregnant with our last baby in 2008.

I ended up a member of Born in February 2009 while pregnant with my daughter, Joelie. I didn't expect much but for some reason I was drawn to the 200+ women in that group. It was during the 9 months as a member to this group that I learned what came so easily to me (5 times over) didn't come easily to others. I read stories about IVF and watched as women struggled to get pregnant and carry a baby to term. I was there through heartaches and devastation as women miscarried or gave birth to stillborns. I shared in joyous occasions as premature babies defeated odds and were able to go home and I was there for all the birth stories of strangers that became lasting friends. My eyes and heart were opened to things I never took the time to see before. 

With all of this came a bit of guilt. Here I am... with five kids while there are women out there that are struggling to have just one baby. It's hard to understand why things like this happen and the answer was for me to do whatever I could do to help.
So after Joelie was born I researched being a surrogate and signed up for an online fertility group in hopes that I would be picked to help someone become a mom.