It’s not every day you get a compliment like, “Your mucous is lovely” but being the affirmation-junkie that I am, I’ll take it!
That’s what one of the two (two!) reproductive endocrinologists (RE) who helped turn frostie into a toastie yesterday told me. He also said I have an ideal uterus, and I’m filing that one away for a day when my self-image is feeling particularly low. “Yah, I may be pudgy and dull today, but at least I have an ideal uterus and lovely mucous.”
So yes, everything went extremely well yesterday, and frostie is now officially a toastie, snug in my womb. He/she came out of the five-year deep-freeze extremely well. They look for an embryo to be six to eight cells, and this one was seven cells – bang on average. And they grade them in quality on a scale of one to five, five being the best quality – but, the nurse assured me, they almost never see a grade four or five quality- and frostie was a grade three plus. I am absurdly proud of this, as if I had anything to do with it. I’m as proud as when Tristan passed his first year of swimming lessons, which again, had basically nothing to do with me.
Jojo, I did ask about the placement of the embryo in the uterus (that, and about a hundred other questions – it was like Curious George goes to the Fertility Clinic) and one of the REs said that yes, there is in fact an ideal place, high up in the uterus. A few minutes later, the nurses, REs and lab technicians clustered around the ultrasound monitor gasped appreciatively, in much the same way you ooh and aah over a particularly vivid fireworks display, when the RE skillfully launched the embryo and a small amount of fertility goo into exactly the place the RE had just indicated on the monitor. One of the nurses later said that the fertility goo drifted placidly out of the catheter in the most ideal way, and again I was absurdly proud.
The whole procedure only took 15 or 20 minutes, and then I was free to empty my way, way, WAY overfull bladder. Oh yes, and the RE also complimented me on my bladder capacity. He said, “You must be great on a road trip.” Why is it that I attract comedians wherever I go? (Cool aside – you know why they want you to have a full bladder? Because it presses on the normally curved uterus, making it straighten out and providing a much more direct path for the catheter. The RE said they have a statistically improved success rate with a full bladder during transfer. I am endlessly fascinated by this stuff.) I had already gone three times in the half hour leading up to the procedure to let off a bit of pressure, and by the time they had launched toastie out of the catheter and then sent the catheter back to the embryologist to verify that it was empty, I was just about cross-eyed with the need to relieve myself. And let me tell you, no amount of kegels will prepare you for the exercise of trying to empty your bursting-to-capacity bladder as quickly and efficiently as possible while simultaneously contracting your cervix snuggly and tightly closed around a microscopic embryo.
Like a good blogger, I had wanted to bring my camera into the clinic with me. I had visions of a particularly amusing photo taken from my perspective on the table, looking down past my stirruped legs to the accumulated medical personnel at the business end of my anatomy, but the nurse and Beloved disabused me of the idea.
The good news is – I have pictures! The bad news is, Blogger won’t let me post them. I’ll try to put them up later. Evil, wicked Blogger – how you vex me!
The rest of the day was entirely uneventful, in a mildly hedonistic sort of way. We went to the movie (just average, but I’d happily fork over $10 to watch Johnny Depp read from the telephone directory, so it was a pleasant afternoon) and by coincidence of timing, I had a previously scheduled appointment to get my hair cut yesterday, too. The only thing I lacked was a massage, or maybe a pedicure, to make it the perfect “all about me” day.
But of course, it isn’t entirely all about me. For those of you wondering how Beloved is faring through all of this, I have to tell you I’ve been a little concerned about that myself. He has a few more reservations than me about the whole ‘third child’ thing, and he didn’t seem nearly as invested in the whole idea of frostie as I was – but then, that seems par for the course in many male-female relationships in these types of circumstances. I think it takes a little longer for guys to be able to give themselves over to hope, and a little bit longer for them to internalize a pregnancy, or even a potential pregnancy, as a reality.
Any concerns I might have had about his reaction evaporated last night when he performed what I can only describe as an impromptu interpretive dance of the embryo gaining cells and implanting in the uterine wall. Oh, how I wished I had a camera nearby, because it was a thing of beauty!
It’s all good. It’s all very, very good! And now, I think I’ll consider myself pregnant until I find out otherwise. (You should see the grin on my face!) My blood test is two weeks today, on August 4.
*glances at watch*
*taps watch face*
*glances away*
*looks at watch again*
It’s gonna be a long two weeks!
Congratulations Dani! I’m so thrilled to hear that everything went well and you took a little “you” time!
Fingers and toes crossed!
If I knew how to knit, I’d start knitting booties for you right now!
My fingers are officially crossed.
Good Luck.
# 3 sounds beautiful. I ‘m so thrilled your mucous was lovely, is that too personal?
Good luck, Dani–how exciting! And nervewracking.
I’m so glad to hear it all went so well!
I never thought I’d read the words “lovely” and “mucous” in the same line. But I am glad your mucous was lovely and that everything went swimmingly.
Congrats!
Go toastie
It’s your birthday
Go toastie
It’s your birthday
(well, not really, but you know what I mean…)
Best wishes Dani!
big Big BIG fat (PREGNANT?) Hip Hip HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!
I am completely thrilled for you my friend, I am all gooey (like mucous) for you.
Ijust can’t seem to say it right this morning, but you know what I mean.
My fingers, toes, legs, arms, and all other body parts that can be crossed, are officially CROSSED!
Go Dani Go!
🙂
Oh my goodness! I am so happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay!
My bladder, being the walnut that it is, started to fill and threaten to burst as I was reading your description of your bladder capacity. But I kept on until the end before a quick trip to the loo.
HOORAY!!!
Glad your frostie is all warm and toastie and waiting for two whole weeks to announce it’s proper arrival. Will be waiting anxiously with you.
Yeah!! The toastie is back in the mothership. I can just imagine her own embroyonic blog of this experience…
“So then, after they thaw me out (what a ride THAT was) , I go blasting off into this slimey place where I can hear this woman actually boasting about it how great she is for creating it. Like she had anything to do with it…Hey, hang on a sec, here’s nice little fold, I just may settle in here for a while. Seems like a nice place to stay. I may even hang out here for nine months and meet this attention seeking woman. She sounds an awful lot like Courtney Cox…maybe I’m gonna be famous! Yup, that settles, I’m stayin’. If she gives me any grief, a swift kick to the rib cage should put her back in line. When I develop legs that is….Hmmmm now where is that book I was reading, I have 10 paragraph book review due when I make my debut….in nine months”
I am hoping you’re feeling barfy and bloated as soon as possible. I wish you tender breasts, weird cravings, and fatigue. May your ankles swell, may your joints loosen, and when I see you in the Fall, I hope you have to use a rubber band to keep your pants closed.
Way to go, Dani! Congratulations, I’m so happy for you.
I’m thinking this one will be a girl, let’s call her Toastette or Toastetta, and you’ll be the reverse of my family!
* FLicks Tear* How could anyone other than another cycler know how wonderful it is to hear you have a lovery uterus and loverly mucus. That made my day.
I wish i could have seen beloved interptive dance. Sounds Awesome.
😉
Hugs and Cheering more PG thoughts from across the river.
Glad to hear you had and wonderful Frostie. I would be proud too.
GO TOASTIE GO!
I love reading your blog. I have to say today’s post hit home for me…not because I have lovely mucous but because i have an interesting uterus as well. I had concerns about fertility but have been lucky in just recently giving birth to a beautiful baby boy- JUST WANTED TO SAY, GOOD LUCK TO YOU AND I’LL SAY A LITTLE PRAYER FOR YOU 🙂
OK, I just realized I called your uterus slimy. Remember, I was thinking like a newly thawed embryo, not a fellow IVFer who is most envious of your lovely mucous :~)
Good luck, I’ll think pregnant thoughts for you. I’m glad you have such lovely mucous!
Dani!
what an endearing comment for the RE to make! You know they mean it from the bottom of their hearts!
I’m thrilled your toastie is nice and snug!
August 4th…I’ll have to log on from Calgary for your report!
Brenda
I’m glad your mucous is doing well. I can’t believe you have to wait 2 full weeks for the blood test. Mine were always at 11 days. Best of luck! All digits are crossed for you.
go little toastie, go!!!
fingers and toes crossed thta there will be good news in two weeks time…
Well 1 day is almost done – only 13 to go!
Very exciting – we’ll hope for the best!
I’m blowing that Baby Dust your way right now.
Glad to hear everything went well. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you.
Wishing you serenity during the 2ww.
🙂
And good luck, of course!
Hope all continues to go well.
Hope all continues to go well.
The cheering section from Northern Ontario is here!
Let the cheering begin!!
Barb
The cheering section from Northern Ontario is here!
Let the cheering begin!!
Barb
Wow. The miracle of modern medicine! Here’s sending holding vibes to your uterus. Or smething.
Hope all goes well.
Wow. The miracle of modern medicine! Here’s sending holding vibes to your uterus. Or smething.
Hope all goes well.
I am so excited for the results!
Stay warm, Toastie.
I am so excited for the results!
Stay warm, Toastie.
So glad the transfer went well!! 😀
Here’s to being PUPO (pregnant until proven otherwise)! *raises decaf coffee cup*
So glad the transfer went well!! 😀
Here’s to being PUPO (pregnant until proven otherwise)! *raises decaf coffee cup*
This is very exciting. I wish Hallmark had cards for occasions like these.
XO
Ann
(with trembling hands and misty eyes)…LOVED this post, ALL of it.
Forget Toastie, I want a Stickie! What a great birthday gift taht would be.
Sending you loads of friendly hugs 🙂
(with trembling hands and misty eyes)…LOVED this post, ALL of it.
Forget Toastie, I want a Stickie! What a great birthday gift taht would be.
Sending you loads of friendly hugs 🙂