Saturday, September 15, 2012

The Embryo Transfer

The hospital is quiet as we walk in.  Because it's Saturday, the halls are empty and our footsteps echo.  My husband is clacking along beside me on crutches and we head up to the 2nd floor in the elevator.  We are greeted by the nurse and the acupuncturist.  They both ask me if I'm nervous, which has been a popular question the last few days.  When I say no, they both nod and smile.  After some paperwork, they take us back and I change in to a flattering blue hospital gown while my husband decks out in scrubs.  We both have nets on our hair and my husband wears a face mask.


The room was bigger than I thought it would be.  The bed is in the center, with lots of space all around. Once I get settled in, the acupuncturist gets right to work, putting needles in my feet, shins, belly, arms, hands, ears, and hairline.  The needles prick at first, but don't really hurt.  I chat with her as she works quickly.  She tells me how she met her husband in Vietnam, even though they were both from Denver. She also shares that they just decided last night that they would start trying to have a baby.


Once she's done, she says I have 15 minutes to relax before all the doctors come in.  I take deep breaths, counting by 6 in and out.  "Breath is life," I think to myself.  After about 10 minutes, I look at my husband, thanking him for being so amazing.  I didn't expect to, but I start to cry. The tears fall down the sides of my face for a couple of minutes before Mike notices.  "Are you okay?" he asks.  "Yes.  I just feel so lucky to be here, so lucky to be doing this."  Mike rubs my left shoulder, dragging his fingers along my arm.  I can't stop crying, and all of a sudden, he grabs my left boob.  "Babe!" I say, surprised. "Made you stop crying, didn't I?"  I laugh loudly, and then suddenly I can't stop laughing. 

The acupuncturist comes in to the room with a big smile, watching us laugh together.  She sees my tears and says, "Happy crying?" "Definitely," I say as she starts removing needles.  The nurse enters and asks me if I'm ready for everyone to come in.  Quickly behind her come in 3 nurses and 2 docs, shortly followed by J&M.  They also have scrubs on and their faces covered, and we reach out to each other, grasping hands for a moment.  The embryologist, David, comes in and discusses how the eggs did over the last 5 days since fertilization on Monday. Originally the guys wanted to implant 2 embryos, but since changed their minds.  David explains there was a clear "winner", an embryo that had made it to blastocyst, which means it's developed to the point of having 2 different cell components and a fluid cavity.


 David asks if they want to know whose sperm contributed to the embryo.  They say yes, and he tells them.  The guys look genuinely happy for each other, no apparent jealousy. They had agreed beforehand that the healthiest looking embryo would be the one implanted, regardless of the paternity.  They tell Mike and me later that if anyone asks whose it is, they will always answer "both of ours."  I love that.  

They discuss the rest of the embryos, which they'll be freezing for a possible 'later'.  They have never said, but I think it's cool they have the option if they decide they want more kids.  

From there, things move very quickly.  One of the nurses start the ultrasound, and proclaim my bladder is "perfectly full" (hmm, I was thinking more excruciatingly full, but whatever) and then describe my uterine lining as lush and beautiful.  Well, of all the compliments, these are ones I never thought I'd hear.  They decide the spot they'll deposit the embryo, and the doctor inserts a tiny catheter tube up in to my uterus.  Watching the ultrasound, we can see the tube.  I reach out my arm, and both guys grab my hand, and we all watch as they push the embryo out of the tube.  "Perfect" the doctor whispers under his breath.  We all squeeze each other's fingers a bit tighter.  


Afterwards, the acupuncturist comes back in and again puts needles in various points around my body. The guys are smiling big and everyone seems to be breathing a bit easier.  We talk about what we'll all be doing during the weekend.  The picture of the embryo slips between M's fingers and as it flutters to the floor, he says "Damn!  I dropped the baby already."  We laugh, and the mood is light and easy.  It all feels so perfect and right. 

1 comment:

Swistle said...

*WEEP*

Grow, little embryo! GROW!