So overall, I have had a relatively easy pregnancy and for this I cannot complain. With 2.5 months to go (give or take), I am starting to get awkward and more frequently 'uncomfortable' but not in anyway intense yet. So overall, I still feel lucky.
There are however a few issues that have bothered me this pregnancy, and one that is getting worse. The constipation I've talked about before- it's still happening, and upsetting. I long for a the day when I can poop normally. The other issue seems to be joint/tendon/ligament issues most likely related to the relaxin that surges in pregnancy. Basically, I'm having carpel tunnel issues in my hands and what often feels like I imagine arthritis feels like in my finger joints. I've tried to mitigate this a bit by purchasing some wrist guards that I am sleeping with so I don't bend my wrists and allow my hands to go numb while sleeping. My finger joints still ache, but at least my hands don't fall asleep. This however is manageable.
What is less manageable is the growing issue I am having with my feet. I should mention that over a year ago, I did some serious damage to my feet when I started running (bad idea). I'm not sure exactly what happened, but it seems like the stress from running caused some bone growth on the back of my heel which irritates my tendons and has caused me pain of varying degrees since it happened. Mostly I have addressed this issue by wearing clogs and heel pads. That seemed to work until recently. Suddenly it seems that when I bend over, or bend funny, the tendons down the side of my foot pretty much feel like they are ripping. It's very painful and worrying. I'm sure it's related to pregnancy hormones, I just don't know what to do about it. I will probably make an appointment with the GP because it's getting to the point where I can be sitting and just move my foot the wrong way and it hurts badly. Fun times.
Showing posts with label GP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GP. Show all posts
Monday, December 5, 2016
Monday, October 3, 2016
20w5d - Vaccinations
I rang my GP this morning to see about getting a flu and whooping cough vaccination. I'm travelling to the States in 2 weeks so on top of exposing myself to germs I'm not used to, I'll be stuck in planes for 7 hours each way. I figured I should probably get on top of the vaccination thing. I looked online for when I should get the vaccinations because I was sure I'd seen somewhere that you were supposed to get whooping cough at 28 weeks or so. But then I found this article that supports this site that says from 20 weeks is the right time. I guess that makes me bang on target. And with two weeks to travel, it's time for it to settle into my body to be useful (I hope).
I have no major pregnancy news to report. Feeling good still, which is nice. I can still fit into my baggier regular jeans so I'm not completely onto my pregnancy wardrobe yet. It's funny though- the way pregnancy clothes are cut, the second you put them on you just look pregnant. Not that I particularly mind, although I did see an AWFUL photo of myself from Saturday which was just.... truly terrible. I need to get some nice pictures of me being pregnant and delete the horrid one. Hopefully I can get people to oblige when I'm in the States!
Baby shower invitations have gone out for mid/late November. A friend of mine here (British) asked why baby showers are before the birth since so much can go wrong. I understand her point, but I said it's usually to give you things you need for the baby arriving to which she retorted that the point should be celebrating the baby- not just giving you things. I am always amused by cultural differences!! But it's true, baby showers are not traditional here in the UK really, although quickly being adopted by spreading American culture.
I have no major pregnancy news to report. Feeling good still, which is nice. I can still fit into my baggier regular jeans so I'm not completely onto my pregnancy wardrobe yet. It's funny though- the way pregnancy clothes are cut, the second you put them on you just look pregnant. Not that I particularly mind, although I did see an AWFUL photo of myself from Saturday which was just.... truly terrible. I need to get some nice pictures of me being pregnant and delete the horrid one. Hopefully I can get people to oblige when I'm in the States!
Baby shower invitations have gone out for mid/late November. A friend of mine here (British) asked why baby showers are before the birth since so much can go wrong. I understand her point, but I said it's usually to give you things you need for the baby arriving to which she retorted that the point should be celebrating the baby- not just giving you things. I am always amused by cultural differences!! But it's true, baby showers are not traditional here in the UK really, although quickly being adopted by spreading American culture.
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
48 dpo 9w2d - First midwife appointment
I've had my first midwife appointment which was fine. It took some time, as there seemed to be a lot of information to enter into the system. I would say the meeting was mostly procedural. There wasn't necessarily any new information from this meeting. She went over with me what vitamins I should be taking, what I should and shouldn't be eating, that I should be exercising but not adding new hardcore routines. I brought along a printout of the donor profile so I could answer any questions about 'the other side' which was useful. We touched briefly on where I might want to give birth, and who might be in the room with me. I don't know yet enough about my pregnancy to make any decisions about where to give birth, although I know I really don't want to do it at home. I think I will be too high risk for that anyway, but it otherwise it really doesn't interest me. The birth center is literally attached to the delivery hospital (same building) so you can always start off in the birth center and be quickly transferred if needed, which seems reasonable. But I'll find out more about how it works later in the pregnancy. We also discussed my relationship with the boyfriend and she agreed that a doula is probably a good idea for me, even if the boyfriend decides he wants to be involved. So that was good to talk about albeit briefly.
Part of the meeting was clearly to assess risk factors. Because of my age (almost 42) and my weight (BMI 34.5) and my history of an abdominal surgery (ovary removal) this puts me at various risks for various things. So one of the things she set me up with was a meeting with an obstetrician. I guess in the UK you don't meet with an obstetrician regularly unless you are high risk. So I'll go to be assessed and either they'll continue to want to see me or they'll release me back to my midwife team/GP. I may also have an extra scan due to my age. I'm also at a higher risk for pre-eclampsia so I'll need to start taking a daily baby aspirin at 12 weeks.
But basically that was all fine. The next steps are that I scheduled a blood test for Thursday and I need to also provide a urine sample (in the smallest urine pot known to man I might add). I am now expecting 3 letters: a welcome from the midwife detailing our discussion and baby aspirin stuff; an appointment letter for my 12 week scan at the hospital which includes a permission form for the Nuchal screening; and, an appointment letter for a meeting with the obstetrician. I've also confirmed that they don't do NIPT yet, so I'm going to schedule that next week. The midwife told me about another Cambridge based private clinic that offers it, but it's cheaper at the one I found already, so I think I'll stick to that. I think I'll also go for the Serenity Plus test over the Harmony. I don't think it makes very much difference at all, except I think I'll get the Serenity results quicker.
Oh, and I also asked about the Cyclogest/progesterone because I'm down to just a few days left. The midwife said I needed to call the IVF clinic to ask how long I should be on it, so I called them when I got back and had a very nice chat with one of the nurses who was there throughout my procedures. She said they normally would end around 7 weeks, and they're happy for it to stop at 9 weeks. She said it's up to me if I stop cold turkey or reduce then taper but it shouldn't make any difference at this point. So I think I will do a full dose tomorrow which is officially 9 weeks if you follow the retrieval/fertilization date. Then I will drop to one a day until I run out and I might every other day the last one or two. So that's one bit of good news that I don't have to be sticking things up my bottom twice a day very soon!
In other news, another woman on the forum in my group has miscarried which is just awful. I was hoping that we would not be the standard statistic as a group and yet we have reached it. And there could still yet be more. It's so heartbreaking. I try to stick to my mantra but am well aware there are still some big hurdles to get past. The NIPT and the 12 week scan being the big ones. I know that there is nothing I can do. What is going to happen is going to happen. The not knowing can be just so hard though.
Part of the meeting was clearly to assess risk factors. Because of my age (almost 42) and my weight (BMI 34.5) and my history of an abdominal surgery (ovary removal) this puts me at various risks for various things. So one of the things she set me up with was a meeting with an obstetrician. I guess in the UK you don't meet with an obstetrician regularly unless you are high risk. So I'll go to be assessed and either they'll continue to want to see me or they'll release me back to my midwife team/GP. I may also have an extra scan due to my age. I'm also at a higher risk for pre-eclampsia so I'll need to start taking a daily baby aspirin at 12 weeks.
But basically that was all fine. The next steps are that I scheduled a blood test for Thursday and I need to also provide a urine sample (in the smallest urine pot known to man I might add). I am now expecting 3 letters: a welcome from the midwife detailing our discussion and baby aspirin stuff; an appointment letter for my 12 week scan at the hospital which includes a permission form for the Nuchal screening; and, an appointment letter for a meeting with the obstetrician. I've also confirmed that they don't do NIPT yet, so I'm going to schedule that next week. The midwife told me about another Cambridge based private clinic that offers it, but it's cheaper at the one I found already, so I think I'll stick to that. I think I'll also go for the Serenity Plus test over the Harmony. I don't think it makes very much difference at all, except I think I'll get the Serenity results quicker.
Oh, and I also asked about the Cyclogest/progesterone because I'm down to just a few days left. The midwife said I needed to call the IVF clinic to ask how long I should be on it, so I called them when I got back and had a very nice chat with one of the nurses who was there throughout my procedures. She said they normally would end around 7 weeks, and they're happy for it to stop at 9 weeks. She said it's up to me if I stop cold turkey or reduce then taper but it shouldn't make any difference at this point. So I think I will do a full dose tomorrow which is officially 9 weeks if you follow the retrieval/fertilization date. Then I will drop to one a day until I run out and I might every other day the last one or two. So that's one bit of good news that I don't have to be sticking things up my bottom twice a day very soon!
In other news, another woman on the forum in my group has miscarried which is just awful. I was hoping that we would not be the standard statistic as a group and yet we have reached it. And there could still yet be more. It's so heartbreaking. I try to stick to my mantra but am well aware there are still some big hurdles to get past. The NIPT and the 12 week scan being the big ones. I know that there is nothing I can do. What is going to happen is going to happen. The not knowing can be just so hard though.
Monday, June 20, 2016
26dpo 6w1d - Appointments
I saw my GP this morning. It was a relatively short appointment but now I'm properly 'in the system'. There isn't much for the GP to do- apparently with the NHS most of your care is through midwife appointments; and there are about 10 throughout your pregnancy he said. So I made my first appointment for the 12th as that was the earliest that would work. Perhaps a week later than desired. I also received a 'pregnancy' pack which I haven't had a chance to look through properly but is sponsored by Bounty so there are some branded things in it. I glanced inside and saw a sample pack of pregnancy vitamins so that's cool as those are pricey. I ordered some extra folic acid for the next couple of months, although it's in the multivitamin, I'm overweight so not bad to take more. The GP took my blood pressure which was fine. The lower number runs towards the high end but I think it was 124/85 so that's within normal.
I told my GP the results of my hCG blood tests and he mentioned that the numbers were on the low side but of course early. Which of course made me twinge with worry. The numbers doubled- which is what they say is more important than the actual number. And yes, they were low in the sense that it was 14dpo and 16dpo. I am consoled that my pregnancy tests got progressively darker and stronger meaning hCG was rising. But anyway, blah.
Today I'm feeling twinges in the gut/tummy/uterus region and of course I'm trying not to worry about it or think about it too much. I want everything to go smoothly, obviously, but I am also unable not to worry that it won't. On the forum that I frequent there appears to always be at least 2 women who miscarry within each 3 month group. So it's a rather gruesome game of Russian roulette. Of course none of us may miscarry- which would be awesome of course. But looking through the history of the pregnancy boards, there seems to always be at least 2. So that's sobering. (Apologies to those of you from the board who may have read this and found it upsetting).
A woman in my three month group posted about her anxiety levels around the pregnancy. I don't think it's possible to be pregnant and not worry, I guess it's how you process your worrying that makes a difference. The only thing I can console myself with right now is that there is nothing I can do to change anything. The future is already written- I just don't know it yet. Will I miscarry? Is this ectopic? Will there be a chromosomal abnormality? So many things that you could worry about it. But worrying about them doesn't change anything at all. If bad shit happens, I will deal with it and get through it because I have to. And I know I can, because I am a strong person and I have a network of friends and family who love me. I can't change what that future will be. I just don't know what it is yet. And that's scary and frustrating and stressful. But really I need to just be patient and wait. Take each day, each moment for what it is. I can't change the future, so I can only be present in the now. Anyway, that's how I try to get through the stress and worry. Of course not entirely helpful when you are second guessing every twinge!
In other news I told my dad last night that I was pregnant. He hasn't been the most on board with the pregnancy plan but was surprisingly supportive. Of course he was supportive in the way that my dad is able to be supportive- mainly by indicating how he would be able to provide some financial support to a child of mine. But hey, financial support is really important. And for my dad, being able to take care of someone (financially) is how he shows that he loves them. So that was nice. This isn't to say that my dad will foot all the baby bills for everything. In fact, far from it. But anyway, it was nice to feel supported.
I told my GP the results of my hCG blood tests and he mentioned that the numbers were on the low side but of course early. Which of course made me twinge with worry. The numbers doubled- which is what they say is more important than the actual number. And yes, they were low in the sense that it was 14dpo and 16dpo. I am consoled that my pregnancy tests got progressively darker and stronger meaning hCG was rising. But anyway, blah.
Today I'm feeling twinges in the gut/tummy/uterus region and of course I'm trying not to worry about it or think about it too much. I want everything to go smoothly, obviously, but I am also unable not to worry that it won't. On the forum that I frequent there appears to always be at least 2 women who miscarry within each 3 month group. So it's a rather gruesome game of Russian roulette. Of course none of us may miscarry- which would be awesome of course. But looking through the history of the pregnancy boards, there seems to always be at least 2. So that's sobering. (Apologies to those of you from the board who may have read this and found it upsetting).
A woman in my three month group posted about her anxiety levels around the pregnancy. I don't think it's possible to be pregnant and not worry, I guess it's how you process your worrying that makes a difference. The only thing I can console myself with right now is that there is nothing I can do to change anything. The future is already written- I just don't know it yet. Will I miscarry? Is this ectopic? Will there be a chromosomal abnormality? So many things that you could worry about it. But worrying about them doesn't change anything at all. If bad shit happens, I will deal with it and get through it because I have to. And I know I can, because I am a strong person and I have a network of friends and family who love me. I can't change what that future will be. I just don't know what it is yet. And that's scary and frustrating and stressful. But really I need to just be patient and wait. Take each day, each moment for what it is. I can't change the future, so I can only be present in the now. Anyway, that's how I try to get through the stress and worry. Of course not entirely helpful when you are second guessing every twinge!
In other news I told my dad last night that I was pregnant. He hasn't been the most on board with the pregnancy plan but was surprisingly supportive. Of course he was supportive in the way that my dad is able to be supportive- mainly by indicating how he would be able to provide some financial support to a child of mine. But hey, financial support is really important. And for my dad, being able to take care of someone (financially) is how he shows that he loves them. So that was nice. This isn't to say that my dad will foot all the baby bills for everything. In fact, far from it. But anyway, it was nice to feel supported.
Friday, June 17, 2016
23dpo 5w5d - Finally a letter
So I finally got my letter from obstetrics telling me my first scan is scheduled for the 29th. That will be 35dpo or 7w3d. Still almost two weeks away. At least it's scheduled. I've also scheduled an appointment with my GP for Monday morning because apparently they arrange all your midwife appointments or some such. I have no idea. Healthcare is very different here than in the States and seeing as how I haven't been pregnant in either place, I really have no idea what the general schedule is. I was talking to a woman in my office who is going on maternity leave today and she said there's a 7 week, 12 week, and 20 week scan, and then the scans are done. It's also not clear to me yet if the UK has rolled out NIPT testing for all women- they did a big study on it and decided they would roll it out, but it's in process. So I don't know if I'll get it as standard or if it will be something else I need to seek out independently.
I peed on a stick this morning and the line came up quickly and dark. So, hCG still rising! In fact it came up so quickly that I'm not sure I'll get any stronger readings off them. I think I have 3 more of the eBay strips left. I also have 4 First Response tests left which seem wasteful. Maybe I'll try and pass them off to someone? Of course everything could go horribly wrong and I may need to start this all over again, so maybe just hold on to them until I'm out of some of the danger zones.
Of course being this early pregnant everything is a worry. I continue to have small twinges on my left side where my ovary is. I am of course obsessed with wondering if this could be signalling an ectopic pregnancy. I don't seem to have any other symptoms, but I don't like occasional twinges in the ovary region. Of course the scan will help verify what is going on- but that's not for two weeks. So until then I'm just trying to not make a mountain out of molehill and be obsessive about it. I got a twinge in the other side as well, which of course then made me think it could be an ectopic pregnancy in my Fallopian tube stump that's left from the surgery. See? Crazy.
In other news I've had my first offer of baby hand me downs, which is awesome! There are some things I'm willing to spend money on if I can't find what I want for a reduced price. But most stuff I'm super happy to take hand me downs for. Babies go through things so quickly and they are barely used. It makes total sense!
Not much else going on. Still haven't heard a word from the friend who dumped on me. I got a day by day pregnancy book which is kind of fun to read over breakfast. Still not really having symptoms that I can notice, which is probably just as well. Still doing my Cycologest/progesterone twice a day at 8am/pm like clockwork. I set an alarm for the evening one- very helpful. Still trying to be good about doing yoga or walking daily (as well as cycling to work). And life goes on!
I peed on a stick this morning and the line came up quickly and dark. So, hCG still rising! In fact it came up so quickly that I'm not sure I'll get any stronger readings off them. I think I have 3 more of the eBay strips left. I also have 4 First Response tests left which seem wasteful. Maybe I'll try and pass them off to someone? Of course everything could go horribly wrong and I may need to start this all over again, so maybe just hold on to them until I'm out of some of the danger zones.
Of course being this early pregnant everything is a worry. I continue to have small twinges on my left side where my ovary is. I am of course obsessed with wondering if this could be signalling an ectopic pregnancy. I don't seem to have any other symptoms, but I don't like occasional twinges in the ovary region. Of course the scan will help verify what is going on- but that's not for two weeks. So until then I'm just trying to not make a mountain out of molehill and be obsessive about it. I got a twinge in the other side as well, which of course then made me think it could be an ectopic pregnancy in my Fallopian tube stump that's left from the surgery. See? Crazy.
In other news I've had my first offer of baby hand me downs, which is awesome! There are some things I'm willing to spend money on if I can't find what I want for a reduced price. But most stuff I'm super happy to take hand me downs for. Babies go through things so quickly and they are barely used. It makes total sense!
Not much else going on. Still haven't heard a word from the friend who dumped on me. I got a day by day pregnancy book which is kind of fun to read over breakfast. Still not really having symptoms that I can notice, which is probably just as well. Still doing my Cycologest/progesterone twice a day at 8am/pm like clockwork. I set an alarm for the evening one- very helpful. Still trying to be good about doing yoga or walking daily (as well as cycling to work). And life goes on!
Monday, June 6, 2016
IVF 1 - Day 29 6dp6dt
Another day, another negative. I am finding this wait much harder than the IUI wait because I know there was a fertilized embryo there. With IUI you don't know if the sperm ever met the egg, if it fertilized or what. But this is different. And definitely more difficult.
Online reading is unhelpful. A lot of women get early results, so start to see things as early as 9 days past ovulation (or in my case, 3dp6dt, and the first day I tested). On the forum I'm on, this was the case for one of the women who started to see positives pretty fast (4dp5dt). This of course makes me feel particularly negative by comparison. However, my friend who was once pregnant with twins said she only got a super faint line the day she was supposed to test. Although I don't know if that was the first day she tested or the first time she got a positive test. But looking online, it does seem a lot of people still only start to see a positive day 14/15/16 (16 is my official test). I could also look to the fact that everything about my body seems to go slower than average- longer stimulation time, longer embryo development time. So maybe longer hCG buildup time?
Still, the waiting is awful. I'm also not pleased that it's not standard in the UK to do a beta hCG blood test which is apparently completely common in North America for people doing fertility treatments. I can understand not doing it for IUI because the odds are much lower. But with an embryo transfer, you know that something went in. Even if it was an add-on, how much would that blood test cost? I can't believe it would cost very much and I would totally pay for it. Actually I'm going to see if my GP will let me pay for it. I have no idea if you can pay your GP to do a blood test they wouldn't usually cover, but again, how much could that possibly be?
I don't know. My period hasn't arrived either, which would obviously be a big sign. Although this is day 29, and that would be early for my period. My last cycle was particularly late I think. So it's not currently a useful indicator. It's also not clear if the progesterone/Cyclogest might delay your period. I don't think it delays it indefinitely but it could set it back, so again, not helpful.
For the record, I still think in my heart I'm not pregnant, I would just really like to know something for sure so I can move on from this place.
Now I really wish I'd tested out the trigger shot, just to see if those sticks work. I could give in to the madness and go buy a better pregnancy test at lunch. I don't know why I find that a problematic choice when it seems to clearly be what I should go do.
Online reading is unhelpful. A lot of women get early results, so start to see things as early as 9 days past ovulation (or in my case, 3dp6dt, and the first day I tested). On the forum I'm on, this was the case for one of the women who started to see positives pretty fast (4dp5dt). This of course makes me feel particularly negative by comparison. However, my friend who was once pregnant with twins said she only got a super faint line the day she was supposed to test. Although I don't know if that was the first day she tested or the first time she got a positive test. But looking online, it does seem a lot of people still only start to see a positive day 14/15/16 (16 is my official test). I could also look to the fact that everything about my body seems to go slower than average- longer stimulation time, longer embryo development time. So maybe longer hCG buildup time?
Still, the waiting is awful. I'm also not pleased that it's not standard in the UK to do a beta hCG blood test which is apparently completely common in North America for people doing fertility treatments. I can understand not doing it for IUI because the odds are much lower. But with an embryo transfer, you know that something went in. Even if it was an add-on, how much would that blood test cost? I can't believe it would cost very much and I would totally pay for it. Actually I'm going to see if my GP will let me pay for it. I have no idea if you can pay your GP to do a blood test they wouldn't usually cover, but again, how much could that possibly be?
I don't know. My period hasn't arrived either, which would obviously be a big sign. Although this is day 29, and that would be early for my period. My last cycle was particularly late I think. So it's not currently a useful indicator. It's also not clear if the progesterone/Cyclogest might delay your period. I don't think it delays it indefinitely but it could set it back, so again, not helpful.
For the record, I still think in my heart I'm not pregnant, I would just really like to know something for sure so I can move on from this place.
Now I really wish I'd tested out the trigger shot, just to see if those sticks work. I could give in to the madness and go buy a better pregnancy test at lunch. I don't know why I find that a problematic choice when it seems to clearly be what I should go do.
Monday, March 28, 2016
TWW 2 - Day 5
Waiting waiting waiting waiting. It's so annoying. I'm still thinking about it a lot, but maybe not quite as much as the first time. I think maybe that's because I feel like it won't work. This is of course tempered by my wondering if any small feeling in my uterus area might be a sign that something is working. But overall, I think I've mostly convinced myself that I won't get pregnant this time. Which will of course make it all the more shocking if it turns out I am. Only three more days before I can start early testing. Although of course on day 8 there is a 67% chance of a false negative, so it's not at all a good sign. But it's the first day that I feel I can start testing on. Then one a day until the day I'm supposed to. By day 10 for example, the chance of a false negative drops to 33%. I just find it helpful to feel like I can be doing something.
I also need to remember to go to the GP on Thursday for a progesterone test. I'm not entirely sure why I need to get this test for an IUI. I'm not even sure anyone looked at it the first cycle. At least at my GP they mostly manage to get my blood out on the first try. I think I may have sorted out part of the reason for the problem at the clinic though. I usually cycle to the clinic and when I cycle for more than 15 minutes, I tend to lose circulation in my hands (my fingers go numb). So I wonder if this isn't related to why they have trouble getting blood out there. Not that there's much I can do about it!
Anyway. I don't have much to say here at the moment. Just getting on with normal life things trying not to think about if I might be pregnant while I wait for the day I can start testing.
I also need to remember to go to the GP on Thursday for a progesterone test. I'm not entirely sure why I need to get this test for an IUI. I'm not even sure anyone looked at it the first cycle. At least at my GP they mostly manage to get my blood out on the first try. I think I may have sorted out part of the reason for the problem at the clinic though. I usually cycle to the clinic and when I cycle for more than 15 minutes, I tend to lose circulation in my hands (my fingers go numb). So I wonder if this isn't related to why they have trouble getting blood out there. Not that there's much I can do about it!
Anyway. I don't have much to say here at the moment. Just getting on with normal life things trying not to think about if I might be pregnant while I wait for the day I can start testing.
Monday, October 26, 2015
Test results 2
I called the GP this morning to ask about my unusual blood test results as reported by my clinic nurse. The woman I spoke to on the phone said there was nothing unusual about my tests at all! The only thing remotely out if the ordinary was that when I had my swab test in July, I tested positive for thrush. But that was July, and I haven't had any symptoms of a yeast infection. I mean, I could go get a pill from the pharmacist if I was worried I guess. In the meantime, it's a relief to know that everything else was completely fine! So that was a weekend of worry for no good reason.
Sunday, October 18, 2015
First post
So I thought I'd make a new blog for this new venture. For anyone new to this blog, you can read about my journey with egg freezing here. I'm glad that blog has been, and continues to be a resource for women on their personal fertility journeys.
But lots of different things can happen after you freeze your eggs. You may decide not to have a child. You may meet someone and find out you are pregnant naturally. You may meet someone and decide to use your frozen eggs to try to have a child with them. Or, like me, you can begin the process of trying to become a mother on your own which may involve using those frozen eggs, or not.
When I started my egg-freezing journey, I of course had already started to think about the possibility of single motherhood. When I spoke to the counselor she had suggested I move my planning forward, and yet here I am, just over 2 years after I froze my eggs and pretty much on the schedule I anticipated.
I haven't met a partner I want to have a child with, although I will mention that I do have a partner who I see regularly. Our relationship is great, but at the moment, it's not the sort of one where you make a child together and tie yourself to each other for the rest of your lives. He knows about my plans. I'm sure I'll mention him again as this continues, particularly if I'm successful!
So, what's happened so far.
About two to three months ago I met with my new GP (I've moved out of London) to start the process of trying to get pregnant. In Cambridge where I live now, there are limited options for clinics. Due to the frequent nature of tests and scans, it is not feasible for me to continue with my London clinic. So in Cambridge, there is basically one centrally located clinic which is also the NHS clinic. You can either go through the NHS, or private. I'm going privately but I also had to be referred by my GP.
So I met with my GP and she was very nice. She scheduled me for a progesterone test and did a swab test. Then I had to wait for my period to start so I could get the progesterone test 21 days after it. I went on day 21 and my progesterone result was 18. That was low, but my period didn't start. So I spoke to the GP and he had me come in on day 28 when my progesterone was up to 34.2 (which suggests I've ovulated which was good!) and my period finally came on day 33. In the meantime I followed up with the clinic and scheduled my first appointment for last Tuesday. I had the initial consultation with one of the three doctors and she did an ultrasound and they took my blood for a new AMH.
We discussed my options for moving forward. The discussion was pretty much in line with the last conversation I had with my egg freezing doctor. If my AMH is okay and my Fallopian tubes are open (I'm scheduled for a Hycosi this Tuesday) then she suggests I try two cycles of drug assisted IUI. She doesn't think I should waste too much time with it, but as it's much less expensive, and my fertility is unproven, then she thinks it's worth two tries. After that, it's likely to be fresh IVF cycles until I'm either pregnant or running low on resources or we decide that's not a good idea, and then (and only then) will we move on to the frozen eggs.
I've saved and set aside £30k for this journey which is no small thing by any stretch. That's on top of the money already spent on the egg freezing. You don't do something like this unless you are really really serious about it. That money could all have gone to any number of other things.
So, this is where I'm at. Tomorrow I will call the clinic to see if it's worth proceeding with the Hycosi based on my new AMH test. I am currently shopping around for donor sperm which will probably be the subject of one of my next posts. And because of holidays and travel, I'm likely to only be able to start my first cycle of trying to get pregnant in January. But that's fine. I have a plan, I'm moving forward, I'm taking action, and holy crap this is really happening.
Stay tuned.
Budget:
But lots of different things can happen after you freeze your eggs. You may decide not to have a child. You may meet someone and find out you are pregnant naturally. You may meet someone and decide to use your frozen eggs to try to have a child with them. Or, like me, you can begin the process of trying to become a mother on your own which may involve using those frozen eggs, or not.
When I started my egg-freezing journey, I of course had already started to think about the possibility of single motherhood. When I spoke to the counselor she had suggested I move my planning forward, and yet here I am, just over 2 years after I froze my eggs and pretty much on the schedule I anticipated.
I haven't met a partner I want to have a child with, although I will mention that I do have a partner who I see regularly. Our relationship is great, but at the moment, it's not the sort of one where you make a child together and tie yourself to each other for the rest of your lives. He knows about my plans. I'm sure I'll mention him again as this continues, particularly if I'm successful!
So, what's happened so far.
About two to three months ago I met with my new GP (I've moved out of London) to start the process of trying to get pregnant. In Cambridge where I live now, there are limited options for clinics. Due to the frequent nature of tests and scans, it is not feasible for me to continue with my London clinic. So in Cambridge, there is basically one centrally located clinic which is also the NHS clinic. You can either go through the NHS, or private. I'm going privately but I also had to be referred by my GP.
So I met with my GP and she was very nice. She scheduled me for a progesterone test and did a swab test. Then I had to wait for my period to start so I could get the progesterone test 21 days after it. I went on day 21 and my progesterone result was 18. That was low, but my period didn't start. So I spoke to the GP and he had me come in on day 28 when my progesterone was up to 34.2 (which suggests I've ovulated which was good!) and my period finally came on day 33. In the meantime I followed up with the clinic and scheduled my first appointment for last Tuesday. I had the initial consultation with one of the three doctors and she did an ultrasound and they took my blood for a new AMH.
We discussed my options for moving forward. The discussion was pretty much in line with the last conversation I had with my egg freezing doctor. If my AMH is okay and my Fallopian tubes are open (I'm scheduled for a Hycosi this Tuesday) then she suggests I try two cycles of drug assisted IUI. She doesn't think I should waste too much time with it, but as it's much less expensive, and my fertility is unproven, then she thinks it's worth two tries. After that, it's likely to be fresh IVF cycles until I'm either pregnant or running low on resources or we decide that's not a good idea, and then (and only then) will we move on to the frozen eggs.
I've saved and set aside £30k for this journey which is no small thing by any stretch. That's on top of the money already spent on the egg freezing. You don't do something like this unless you are really really serious about it. That money could all have gone to any number of other things.
So, this is where I'm at. Tomorrow I will call the clinic to see if it's worth proceeding with the Hycosi based on my new AMH test. I am currently shopping around for donor sperm which will probably be the subject of one of my next posts. And because of holidays and travel, I'm likely to only be able to start my first cycle of trying to get pregnant in January. But that's fine. I have a plan, I'm moving forward, I'm taking action, and holy crap this is really happening.
Stay tuned.
Budget:
| Initial Consultation | £370 |
| Current total | £370 |
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