The Plan

I've been debating how "public" I want my upcoming IVF cycle to be. Should it be a super private thing that Tom and I go through alone, or is it better to just lay it all out there for everyone to see. I think maybe somewhere in the middle would be best for me. I definitely want to document all the happenings and the emotions that go along with it, and I feel like the blog is the best place to do this. I also know that it's not just us praying for this procedure to work, that I have friends cheering us on! So I want to keep you all posted with dates, results etc...

Step 1 - Start Birth Control Pills

Step 2 - Mock transfer, hysteroscopy, u/s

Step 3 - Start Lupron

Step 4 - Prestimulation u/s, labwork

Step 5 - Start stimulation medications

Step 6 - Egg retrieval

Step 7 - Embryo transfer

Step 8 - Pregnancy test

I put it in steps because it doesn't look as scary as the calender I have in front of me. ;) I've already completed steps 1 and 2 and will start step 3 12/21. This drug (lupron) will suppress my ovaries in preparation for stimulation. This way all the eggs grow at the same rate. Step 4 is scheduled for 12/29. After that, all the appointments/procedures will be scheduled based on my response to the drugs. An approximate date for the egg retrieval is 1/13 with potential transfer 3-5 days after that, depending on how well the embryos grow. It will be another two weeks after THAT until we find out if it worked!

Obviously this is a stressful thing to go through and the waiting is already becoming so hard!! I can only imagine how much of a crazy person I'll be by the time it's all over...

Tom and I really do feel that this is the right time to do our first (and hopefully only) IVF cycle. It's not that we have no hope of ever conceiving naturally, we're just not willing to give "nature" any more of our precious time. This may seem controlling or hasty to some people, but we've been ready to start our family for almost two years now, and I'm ready to be a mom!

If this doesn't work, which is a possibility, I will be dev. a. stated. I think this is one of the reasons I have been putting off making this post. Because once I let everyone know plan, I'll also have to let everyone know the results. Good or Bad. But I figure it would be pretty obvious anyway and I might as well take you all along for the ride!