one foot in front of the other...there we go

So, D&C was just about two weeks ago. I am feeling and recovering ok. I had a neck and headache for a full week...before I went to the chiropractor, after an adjustment it has been gone! Today I got the test results back from the tissue sampling they did from the d&c. The results confirmed that the baby was male, with no chromosomal abnormalities. Which on the one hand is great to know...moving forward, since the remaining frozen embryos are untested as well. But a hard pill to swallow on the other hand bc we have no definite answers as to why this happened...especially so late. I have been reassured numerous times by the OB that sometimes this just happens...that I have done nothing wrong to cause it. But, it still sucks! :( Last I heard from my SCM, the IFs want to move forward and continue to have me as their surrogate. I sent an email to my RE nurse last week to inquire about next steps and timeframe, etc. (She is out of the office until late month.) After being reassured by these results that it wasn't genes...I feel confident in moving forward with transferring the embryos that are untested. So, I'm looking forward to a late September transfer at the earliest.

From over the moon to devastated...rough month

So....it's only mid month it's already been a bad one. Some back story: I went to the OB for the first time on April 21st and got to see the baby moving all over. :) The next day I went and had the Harmony blood test done....it is a blood test that is able to see if the baby will have downs or other genetic disorders and it can tell you the gender. On the following Monday I got the call that the baby is a BOY and that everything is perfect (no genetic issues.)We were all over the moon excited! My IFs sent me a beautiful bouquet of flowers with a blue teddy bear, I received that on Wednesday, the 4th. Then, on the 5th I went to my 2nd OB appt. (The first was just 2 weeks before.)This was my first appt alone (no Daddies or case manager.) The doc couldn't see a heartbeat...and neither could I! We were devastated! I went to radiology to get a second ultrasound done to confirm that the baby boy had passed....and it was confirmed. I was 13 weeks pregnant, beginning the 2nd trimester (3 months along) and the baby was gone!He measured at 12 weeks and a few days. :( I had to wait for my insurance to approve the d&c procedure....so 6 days after finding out...and carrying a dead baby....I had the surgery. It has been 5 days now...I'm doing ok...but emotionally this has caused some damage. I'm still deciding if I want to go through another transfer. If I decide to move forward and do it again, I have asked to do it mid to late September. That will give me the summer to recover...and it will allow my family to take a camping trip over labor day weekend. Plus, it will give a due date of June...after school is out.

11 weeks...first OB appt

Hi all :) Today I am 11 weeks along. I had my first OB appt for this surro pregnancy yesterday. Everything looks great. Baby was swinging it's arms and legs. I went to the lab today and did the harmony pregnancy screening blood test. It is able to pull the baby's genetic info from my blood. We will learn gender, as well as if there is a possibility of downs and other genetic abnormalities. The results should be back in a week or so.

The count is in...

Yesterday, at 6w4d pregnant, was my 1st u/s at the RE for this surrogacy journey. Both the IFs were there, so exciting!! Based off the beat numbers, I was prepared to see one miracle growing...although I knew my IFs were hoping for 2. So, I was not surprised...we have 1 baby!! Healthy heartbeat of 122! Everything looks good on the baby. The RE noticed an area near the baby that she said was either 1)the second embryo that had tried to implant and just didn't...or 2) a bleed. So, I'm not allowed to do anything strenuous...and I go back in two weeks to have my last u/s before graduating to the OB. YAY!! This week has been rough. I discovered I'm allergic to the oil in my progesterone injection...so, I'm unbearably itchy all day long!!! Benadryl knocks me out, so I can only take it at night. I was officially taken off the shot on Saturday...and I'm still itchy! Hopefully it'll leave my blood soon. I also have had extreme heartburn and acid reflux for a week too! not the most comfortable week for me.

Last beta is in!

I did my last beta yesterday morning, at 16dp5dt, and it was 1136! All is good and we go in for ultrasound on March 21st to see how many babies are in there. :) Super excited for my IFs!

Beta #2...it's official!

We are pregnant!!! My Ifs are having a baby or babies. Beta at 9dp5dt was 51, up from 24 two days before! Yay! EDD of 11/10/16. This RE requires one more beta at 16dp5dt....so I do that on this upcoming Thursday (3/10.)

First Beta (Bloodwork) is in

So, this RE tests beta (pregnancy bloodwork) early, at only 7 days after transfer. I went yesterday morning and got the call that afternoon that I am pregnant!! My beta was 24! I go back to have my 2nd beta tomorrow. This is to make sure that the hcg numbers are doubling, assure an actual pregnancy and not just a chemical pregnancy. YAY! So excited for my IFs. I actually was able to call them myself with the news, so amazing!!

Transfer Day!!

Hi all, it's been crazy busy here for me...being a wife, mom, Girl Scout Leader, Girl Scout Cookie Coordinator, and a surrogate all at the same time, YIKES! So, Transfer was pushed back a day bc the ED wasn't responding to meds in the way the clinic had hoped. So, She did her ER on Thursday and got 26 eggs. 21 of which were mature. Each of my IFs donated their "contribution" and had embryos made from each. That way we could transfer one genetic embryo from each IF. From my understanding, they have 3-5 embryos left to freeze. We had transfer day on Tuesday, Feb. 23rd!! G drove me to the RE clinic in Los Angeles after we dropped Kiwi and Bubba off at school. My SCM, Debbie, met us there, along with one of my IFs and his mom (who happened to be visiting from France.) My other IF just started a new job and was unable to take the day off. I got all settled in the room , then the 4 of them were able to join to watch the whole transfer process. It was great! I now have 2 embryos, hopefully all snuggled in. I have my beta on Tuesday, March 1st! (The pic is of the 2 embryos that were transferred.)

Meds have been started!

I finally got a calendar and started Lupron injections on Saturday, Jan. 23rd. YAY!! I stop BCPs tonight and go into the clinic on the 2nd of Feb. If all looks well at that appointment I will decrease the Lupron and begin estrace pills on Feb. 4th! Then I end injections on the 12th and go in for one last look at the clinic to make sure everything is doing what it's supposed to on the 15th or 16th...THEN TRANSFER ON THE 22ND!!! YAY!! We're all super excited!

An update...progress!! (TentativeTransfer)

I got a call from the RE today to discuss the ED's false positive. They feel very confident (after 3 additional negative results) that it was indeed a false positive. YAY!! ED has been med cleared and IFs genetics must be fine...because my nurse is making our transfer calendar! She said that if all goes well, we should be looking at a mid February transfer, tentatively! YAY....FINALLY!!! I go in on cd2 or 3 (early next week most likely.)

Waiting....ED update

I'm a pretty patient person, but this waiting is killing me. LOL. IFs (4th potential) ED had that false positive a few months back now...she's retested 3 times since then (RE protocol) and every time it has came back negative. Which is a good then. So, I believe that she will be medically cleared to be IFs donor. (Haven't heard the official word yet.)My IFs went into the RE a few weeks ago to have their genetic testing done...so now we are waiting for those results to come back in. (I'm not sure why they didn't do the testing before hand, while they looked for a donor, etc.) I'm supposed to get a call from the RE after all results are in...so she can discuss the situation regarding the false positive with G and I. (Let us know if we have anything to be concerned about.)Prior to the bloodwork being done again, the nurse had quoted a med start time frame of end of January into February. Since the ED labs came back sooner than expected, I'm hoping we can start the cycle meds in the beginning of January. But, that all depends on IFs genetic test results coming back.So, we continue to wait.

Donor's labs are in.....

So, after taking over two weeks to get the labs back in....the results are finally here and we don't have any progress :( The RE tested ED's blood for diseases, etc and there is one big group panel, and then each thing tested in the group panel also has it's own individual test too. Well, the group panel came back that she was positive for something.....BUT each individual test came back negative. So, the RE says it was a false positive on the group panel. Which means that ED will have to retest!! From personally speaking to my IFs I learned that the RE was confident that she will pass testing and feelings that she is the ED from them, they will have to just sign paperwork saying that the ED is known to them (like if she were family or a friend) because the clinic won't move forward with an agency (unknown) ED if there is a false positive. Since my IFs have skyped with ED, they technically do "know" each other...so they have no problem signing that paperwork. ED is out of the country traveling right now and will return by mid December. Which pushed everything back an additional month, hence no progress. If she gets back and tests again mid December and it takes another 2 weeks, then we'll be in January by the time results come in for her to get med clearance. So, if all goes well and she gets med cleared, looking like a February or March transfer likely. However, there was no mention again of having to monitor two months of menstrual cycles....so, if they are still thinking of doing that, it could push transfer back a few more months. I called my IFs yesterday because I have a cruise, that I paid for in April of 2015, set for April of 2017. It is still so far away, but, it does mean that I would need a transfer before May of 2016....so I'd have at least 2 months postpartum before my cruise. That added even more pressure....hopefully this ED will pass and we'll be able to get the ball on the road for a January or February transfer....and hopefully that transfers works and results in a pregnancy and healthy birth :)

ED has done her medical screening...limited info. back

Hi all :) So, the ED got into the RE this past Monday for her med screening. YAY!! I heard from my SCM that the RE and staff loved her...however, there was one concern. ED has been on BCPs (birth control pills) for 10 consecutive years. This fact concerns the RE. We are still waiting for the lab work to come back...so this is all circumstantial. However, the RE may suggest that ED has two (monthly) cycles monitored, to make sure everything is working as it should...before even starting the process of the egg retrieval cycle. Not the news we wanted to hear...as transfer could potentially be pushed back past January. I'll keep you posted.

Egg Donor #4...found

Hi all, I had a great weekend. My parents surprised the kids and I (G is out of state for work again) with a weekend getaway to San Diego. We took the train there (the kids LOVED it!!) Then we went to Sea World and the next day we explored old town San Diego! Great weekend! On Thursday, my IFs text me to let me know that the skype "meet" they had done with a potential ED earlier in the week was a success!! They have matched with her and are hopeful that this one will work out. The RE is reviewing her records now and and she will have her med testing done soon if all goes well. I'm excited, we have some progress!

Legal Clearance! We are a go!!

I just officially got our legal clearance for my SCM! I'm so excited! IFs are hopeful that they will have an ED by the end of this month...fingers crossed!

I'm in contract!! (from our end at least)

I got my final draft of the contract late Friday night. G and I both got ours signed and notarized yesterday!! Our lawyer has our scanned and faxed copies and we are a go from our end!! yay! I text with my IFs last night and they haven't signed yet, but will this week. They are in escrow on a condo! So exciting for them! Hopefully everything goes well and within a year they'll have a baby/ies to fill their new condo up with :) They are still actively looking for an egg donor still. They are supposed to meet with a concierge service this week sometime. That service is supposed to work with 100s of donor agencies all over and should have a list of donors (who are available and match the IFs criteria) w/in two weeks. So, I'm hoping that by the end of October they will have the perfect donor all set up and ready to go. (Or at least ready to get medically cleared.) Fingers crossed. :)

Houston...we have contracts!!

I got my first draft of the contracts today! YAY! This contract is way better than the last one with (failed match) IPs. Before I had a novel of notes...this time I have 2/3 of a page. LOL. I think it helps that my IFs choose the lawyer that I had worked with last time...so she knows my thoughts on everything already. PLUS, these IFs are laid back, easy peasy. :)I'm so excited! I reviewed it all tonight and hopefully will hear back from my lawyer tomorrow to set an appt to do my phone consult.

Another One Bites The Dust

The day after my last post, I found out from my SCM that the ED the IFs had chosen....the one that was in cycle to have her eggs retrieved for another couple...was not medically cleared by their RE! She was literally just waiting to have her eggs retrieved, and decided to do her med clearance at IFs RE in the meantime. So frustrating that she was obviously cleared to have the ET...but nope! Her pap came back abnormal and her bloodwork showed that one of her levels was not where the RE would like it to be. (I do not know the specifics.)This is the second ED who has been a "known" (or soon to be) donor, then been denied my RE. If I'm frustrated, I can only imagine how my IFs are feeling. Both of these ED were through agencies too! So, back to square one in that area. We are moving ahead with contracts still. I was told yesterday by my IF that they have received their draft and will be taking this weekend to review it. So, I'm hopeful that I'll have the draft this next week!! :)As far as I know, IFs have not found another (4th) ED, but they are "actively looking." I hope the silver lining in all this is that they'll find an amazing donor very soon, and we'll be able to transfer in Sept. or Oct., not having to wait until November anymore.

Medical Clearance!

I completed my mock cycle (taking oral estrace and progesterone inserts) and did an endo biopsy at the RE last Wednesday! Today I called my nurse and found out that everything is good, and I have been medically cleared!!!! Yay!! Next step for me and IFs is the contract phase. I'm so super excited!

Onto mock cycle...surrogacy journey

Yesterday I went into the RE to start my mock cycle. This is the last thing needed for this RE to medically clear me to be IFs GS. I start taking estrace, then progesterone, then I'll have a biopsy done on cd19. (I will have to make two additional trips to the RE.) Hopefully this all goes wonderfully and we'll have clearance w/in the first week or so of August! I did also hear from my SCM that IFs may have found another potential ED (egg donor.) This one just did a donor cycle, so she'll have to wait until Sept./Oct. time to do another cycle. Ideally, if everything came back good with the mock cycle, we could transfer (do ivf) Aug. or Sept. So, this only potentially pushes things back an additional month. It would be great to transfer by October. :)Once I get the med clear from RE, I move into the contract stage with IFs.