The Process Has Begun!

The process to do our FET (Frozen Embryo Transfer) has finally started. A Progesterone blood test was taken at the consultation to determine whether I had ovulated or not. If I had ovulated, we would have had to wait for my cycle to come naturally. If I had not ovulated, which was the case, the process would begin almost immediately.

As of Friday, October 17, 2008, I started my birth control pills and Lupron shots. You wonder, why birth control pills when you're trying to conceive? Well, the birth control pills are given to get rid of any cysts I might have in my ovaries and the Lupron is given to supress the ovaries. My ovaries can just sit back and relax as they don't need to produce any eggs that need to be retrieved and inseminated. This is a frozen embryo transfer, remember?

One thing I forgot to mention, our doctor, upon looking at the embryology report also said that we have a hatching blastocyst (see the picture). A hatching blastocyst is a type of blastocyst which is almost completely hatched out of its shell or zona pellucida. After it hatches, it begins to invade the uterine lining to "implant".

The birth control pills are no fun, of course! Even though the pill is so little, I believe that it is one of the most annoying medications that I have taken in my life. Believe me when I say, I have taken a lot of birth control pills. Don't ask!!

The Lupron shot has been okay. So far no side effects. My husband is giving it to me in my stomach and yesterday I dared to give it to myself. It was exciting. I need to be on the birth control pills for 10 days and then I stop. Lupron will be continued. Once I get my cycle, I will call the doctor's office. They will do a baseline ultrasound to determine my ovaries are quiet, the uterus is okay, and the endometrium lining is where they want it to be. Once I get an A-ok, we move forward.