Wow! It’s Wednesday! One More IVF Blog
As I’ve said before, IVF pregnancies are a little different. From what I can see, women tend to either be a lot more secretive or a lot more forthcoming about them. I’ve chosen forthcoming. I wish that more women would. And I would love for stars like J.Lo, Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman (all rumored IVF recipients) to talk more about IVF. In my opinion, by not doing so, they are lending even more to the impossible “perfect woman” ideal, and making women who have to go through IVF feel that it’s taboo.
With that in mind, I decided to do one last blog on my IVF pregnancy, just in case it’ll shed some light on the subject for someone else out there.
Once the dot was confirmed, I was a little surprised to find that IVF pregnancies operate a little differently from traditional pregnancies. You don’t immediately switch to an OB, but have to continue seeing your IVF doctor for the first 10-12 weeks of the pregnancy. This is a little difficult, because the things you want in an IVF doctor (aggressiveness, intensity, intelligent explanations, constant risk assessment, a certain brusqueness [so you don’t cry]) are not necessarily the same things that you want in an OB.
Also, you’re monitored a bit more closely. Save for my Belgium trip hiatus, we’ve seen our doctor every other week since the pregnancy was confirmed. It’s gotten to the point, where CH and I have set up a routine of going in on an empty stomach full of dread and eating out for breakfast after we see that the baby is okay.
And one more thing: drugs. You have to take estrogen for the first few weeks of an IVF pregnancy and progesterone suppositories for the first 10-12 weeks. I’ve been told by older IVF recipients that the progesterone used to be delivered as shots, so suppositories are definitely a step up. But it’s inconvenient and messy, and I was relieved to be told yesterday that I no longer have to take it.
This is because yesterday was our last IVF ultrasound and now we get to make the switch to a highly recommended OB, who is reportedly kind and funny and all the things that you’d want in an OB.
Our IVF doctor and her front office sent us off on a wave of good cheer, congratulating me on my morning sickness (apparently that’s a good thing as far as IVF pregnancies are concerned) and telling us to send pictures of the baby after he’s born.
There are pictures of babies that our IVF doctor has help conceived all over the office, which used to fill me (much to my shame) with jealous resentment during the many disappointing months it took for us to get to our pregnancy. But now they’re a source of comfort, and I promised to definitely send one in.
I was surprised to find myself already missing our IVF doctor. Yes, this was a graduation, but she had been with us every step of the way on this journey. It felt like leaving your not very nurturing mother behind for college. So is life.
I’ve posted the latest sonogram after the jump.
We can’t fairly call him a dot anymore, b/c he’s now about the size of a kumquat, and according to the ultrasound, rather spastically kicking up a storm with his barely formed arms and legs. But I think he’s going to be a boy (hence my pronoun choice), and we’ve already gotten our names picked out. So presenting Leland Kumquat:
Hey Ernessa!
I'm so excited for you. We did all kinds of infertility treatments, first just the drugs which involved oral stuff and giving myself shots (nothing), then drugs for a couple of IUI, and we planned for an IVF allowing me to take a break from the drugs and then voila, Imani was conceived "spontaneously" (apparently a medical term for natural conception). We're not ruling out IVF for a second child. Funny thing is, like you I sorta missed our fertility doctor. She not only gave me the fertility treatments but did my surgery for myomectomies (fibroids). But you know what, I got a great OB he took us through the greatest journey of my life.
Hey Ernessa!
I'm so excited for you. We did all kinds of infertility treatments, first just the drugs which involved oral stuff and giving myself shots (nothing), then drugs for a couple of IUI, and we planned for an IVF allowing me to take a break from the drugs and then voila, Imani was conceived "spontaneously" (apparently a medical term for natural conception). We're not ruling out IVF for a second child. Funny thing is, like you I sorta missed our fertility doctor. She not only gave me the fertility treatments but did my surgery for myomectomies (fibroids). But you know what, I got a great OB he took us through the greatest journey of my life.
Hey Ernessa!
I'm so excited for you. We did all kinds of infertility treatments, first just the drugs which involved oral stuff and giving myself shots (nothing), then drugs for a couple of IUI, and we planned for an IVF allowing me to take a break from the drugs and then voila, Imani was conceived "spontaneously" (apparently a medical term for natural conception). We're not ruling out IVF for a second child. Funny thing is, like you I sorta missed our fertility doctor. She not only gave me the fertility treatments but did my surgery for myomectomies (fibroids). But you know what, I got a great OB he took us through the greatest journey of my life.
Wow, you really have to be organized to do all this!
Leland is adorable. ; )
Wow, you really have to be organized to do all this!
Leland is adorable. ; )
Wow, you really have to be organized to do all this!
Leland is adorable. ; )
So cute! Glad to hear you've graduated to an OB. Let me know how you like yours. I''ll hopefully be in the market for a good one in the next year. Keep up the good gestating!
So cute! Glad to hear you've graduated to an OB. Let me know how you like yours. I''ll hopefully be in the market for a good one in the next year. Keep up the good gestating!
Congrats on graduating lady! I'll bet you'll end at taking you little man (or little lady) to see both the IVF and OB doctors after he or she is born. Although at different points post- and during pregnancy, both will mean a lot to you after the kid is born.
And its cool that he is active. Sekou would turn his back to us during the ultrasounds and always seemed incredibly annoyed!
Congrats on graduating lady! I'll bet you'll end at taking you little man (or little lady) to see both the IVF and OB doctors after he or she is born. Although at different points post- and during pregnancy, both will mean a lot to you after the kid is born.
And its cool that he is active. Sekou would turn his back to us during the ultrasounds and always seemed incredibly annoyed!
Congrats on graduating lady! I'll bet you'll end at taking you little man (or little lady) to see both the IVF and OB doctors after he or she is born. Although at different points post- and during pregnancy, both will mean a lot to you after the kid is born.
And its cool that he is active. Sekou would turn his back to us during the ultrasounds and always seemed incredibly annoyed!
Congrats on graduating lady! I'll bet you'll end at taking you little man (or little lady) to see both the IVF and OB doctors after he or she is born. Although at different points post- and during pregnancy, both will mean a lot to you after the kid is born.
And its cool that he is active. Sekou would turn his back to us during the ultrasounds and always seemed incredibly annoyed!
Kumquat is an awesome name, except that they keep growing. Will you rename Leland after progressively larger fruits over time? Leland Lemon has a nice ring to it. Leland Watermelon less so.
By the way, progesterone is still sometimes delivered through injections (extremely painful ones, or so I hear), depending on your protocol. I've done suppositories for all of my previous IUI and IVF cycles (around 9? I've lost count) but I'm doing progesterone in oil injections for my next IVF in December. My husband is the one who's really freaked out, since after doing dozens injections myself, he'll finally have to administer the progesterone shots.
Kumquat is an awesome name, except that they keep growing. Will you rename Leland after progressively larger fruits over time? Leland Lemon has a nice ring to it. Leland Watermelon less so.
By the way, progesterone is still sometimes delivered through injections (extremely painful ones, or so I hear), depending on your protocol. I've done suppositories for all of my previous IUI and IVF cycles (around 9? I've lost count) but I'm doing progesterone in oil injections for my next IVF in December. My husband is the one who's really freaked out, since after doing dozens injections myself, he'll finally have to administer the progesterone shots.