IVF #2, appt #1 recap

My first appt for this next round of IVF was amazing!!  I really didn't know what to expect - I knew I was meeting with the NP but wasn't really sure what else was going to happen.  Here's a recap:

- She reviewed the charts from my last (obviously successful) cycle. She said I had an "excellent response", "stimulated very well" and "had a wonderful percent of mature eggs after retrieval".  Since this was only 2 years ago and I'm only 32 she thinks I will also have a good response this time.

- She reviewed a calendar with possible dates : as soon as my next cycle starts (should be 1st week of July) I call their office, then go in either CD 2, 3, or 4 for blood work and u/s.  Start bcp and aspirin CD 5 for 2-4 weeks and lupron at some point (length of time depends on their office schedule - they do their egg retrievals grouped together) - then stim for 9-10 days, followed by egg retrieval and transfer.  She estimates the 2nd week of August would be retrieval/transfer.   She assumes I will again be put on menopur and bravelle but that the RE will decide everything based on my updated labs and u/s.

- I was informed that their office has a new embryologist. It made me sad as she was the one who made Pipsqueak!!!

BUT the NP told me since the new embryologist started they are experiencing a very high success rate and almost all patients are ending up with extra embryos to freeze.  She actually held up her arm and showed me her goosebumps, saying, "it just gives me chills how many people are getting pregnant right now.  We don't know what his secret is!".  Love it!

- I told her I was still a little haunted by my fsh of 11 last time. She said it meant absolutely nothing because I obviously made several eggs.  I asked if there was anything she could check to make me feel better so I had an AMH level drawn yesterday.  She said anything above 1.0 is great, anything under 0.19 is very very bad and anything in between is ok but not great.  I've never had one drawn  -  anyone have any insight?

I guess that's it. Nothing more to be done until July.  I had a last hurrah this week - my best friend stayed with us and we drank lots of beer :-).  No more from here on out. And dear god I need start cutting down on caffeine.  I've weaned down but am still having one cup of half caf coffee and 2 diet cokes a day.  Goal is no coffee and 1 diet coke (hard core addict :-). I'm going to continue running and walking and eating well.  (This also fell to the wayside this week!). 

Here goes nothin'!

Great day! I slept in (14 hours straight!!!!!!!!!!  I haven't slept like that since before the baby), DH and I just went on a 3.2 mile run, and we are going out to eat tonight while the in-laws babysit.  We have no family in town so when they visit we take advantage of the free baby-sitting!

While we were out on our run I was telling DH about a blog I read through recently (can't remember which one it was, lately I have been reading through blogs like novels) and a man with a low sperm count went on arimidex and his testosterone and sperm counts went up dramatically....I kind of wish I hadn't told him because now he thinks maybe we should postpone IVF and go back to the urologist and talk about that.  I say we go forward with IVF and use the arimidex possible miracle as a back up plan. Anyone have any information on arimidex??

Oh and I got a new job this week!  Next fall I will officially be an adjunct professor!  SO FANCY!  Really it is just teaching two 5 week courses of medical terminology online to healthcare IT students.  I will still be working as an ER nurse but this will allow me to make some money from home...and who knows, maybe lead me down a new career path?

I hope everyone is having a great weekend.

IVF #2 is a go....

I have scheduled the first sit down appt with our RE to discuss our next IVF attempt - it's in late June.  Our plans are to start the process in July - and if my next 2 periods start when I think they will start, and the timing is similar to last time (obviously this is a BIG if...for all I know he will recommend a different protocol or something, or I could respond differently) that would give us a retrival date of August 7.

WOW.

I am suddenly way excited and less nervous than before.  There is really no use in speculating about whether we should do this or not - if it doesn't work then at least we tried.  I could see regretting not trying at all though...

Mother's Day 5k update...

I did the 5k in 35:18!  I am crazy proud of myself :-).  It made my average pace 11:22/mile.  I ran most of it with short walks to catch my breath of about 30 seconds.

I literally feel in the best shape of my life (which isn't saying much - I've pretty much been out of shape my whole life).

Happy Mother's Day to everyone - whether you're a mother or just wish to one day be one.   Xoxo

2 years

2 years ago today I had two embryos placed back into my uterus. I was oh so sure neither would stick - but one did. And she is worth every second of pain and sacrifice that it took to bring her home. Love you Pipsqueak!

Baby weight drama

I started out overweight when we started IVF.  I gained 40 pounds while pregnant.  All through my pregnancy and first 12 weeks of post partum I cared very little about it - all that mattered was her health and that breast feeding was going well - days I restricted calories I noticed a drop in my supply - and my supply was never overabundant to start with so I ate about 2000-2500 calories a day for the first year of Pipsqueak's life.

Breast-feeding alone got me down to just below my pre-IVF weight.  I know this because I was eating like a pig and hardly exercising.  MIRACLE! I sometimes wonder if I should have continued pumping/nursing for years....LOL.

I started walking with her when she was quite young and when she turned one I began walking 4-5 times a week on the treadmill during naps. Nothing dramatic, just 30 mins at a moderate pace.  I also began tracking calories on my phone, aiming for around 1500 cals a day but usually ending up near 2000.  Definitely less than I had been though.  I think both of these things did affect my supply - and I think that's what encouraged her to wean herself - she was sick of not getting much.

2 weeks ago I began Couch to 5k.  I am on Week 3 Day 2 today.  I have NEVER been a runner - but am really enjoying this program.  I have no aspirations of being a serious marathon runner ever - but have a goal to be able to jog most of a Mother's 5k on Mother's Day with some friends.  We shall see - if I walk most of it I won't be too mad at myself.  I ordered the new Graco jogging stroller and it should arrive Thursday - I am sooo excited to run outside!

Here is my weight record.  Maybe sharing here will motivate me more!!!!
5' 6.5"-height
177 - wedding day weight in 2009.
193 - pre IVF weight in 2011 - BMI 30.7 - Obese range.  NOT OK
233 - delivery day weight - OMG
201 - weight 12 weeks post partum - I think most of what I had lost up to then was water weight.
191 - weight approx 9 months post partum - thank you breast-feeding!
178 - weight now - BMI 28.3 - Overweight range.  Much better

I am very proud of myself.  My goal has been to get down to my wedding day weight and I am almost there!  165 is like my dream weight so maybe I can hit that too.

We're done

Weaning is over hurrah!

This past week she suddenly self weaned!!! I literally did almost nothing - but I'm realizing my supply must have been super low because I hardly had any engorgement.

So we made it to 15 months breast feeding. I am extremely proud and at the same time it's sad to be done. Will I ever nurse another baby? If I knew for sure she was my last I'd probably push the issue and try to keep her interested.

We are still talking about IVF in the fall for Project Sibling. Nothing is 100% yet but we are leaning towards it. If we were a normal fertile couple we wouldn't even discuss whether or not to have a second baby - but knowing what we have to go through and the expense involved - just ugh. Somehow the first time around it felt like we HAD to try. This time it feels selfish somehow....like we already won the Powerball yet keep buying tickets. Does that make any sense? Pipsqueak deserves a sibling I think. That's the driving force.

If we are unsuccessful I will just kick myself.


Also obviously I want another teeny tiny cutie :-).