Take a peek inside my life as I embark on my first journey as a gestational carrier & become "the walking incubator"!
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Baby Z hates sour cream ;]
Thursday, August 13, 2015
Now I can spill the beans!
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Angel of Hope
Monday, August 10, 2015
The wait continues..... & a guide on HCG
The hormone human chorionic gonadotropin(better known as hCG) is produced during pregnancy. It is made by cells formed in the placenta, which nourishes the egg after it has been fertilized and becomes attached to the uterine wall.
Levels can first be detected by a blood test about 11 days after conception and about 12 – 14 days after conception by a urine test. Typically, the hCG levels will double every 72 hours. The level will reach its peak in the first 8 – 11 weeks of pregnancy and then will decline and level off for the remainder of the pregnancy.
HCG levels in weeks from LMP (gestational age)* :
- 3 weeks LMP: 5 – 50 mIU/ml
- 4 weeks LMP: 5 – 426 mIU/ml
- 5 weeks LMP: 18 – 7,340 mIU/ml
- 6 weeks LMP: 1,080 – 56,500 mIU/ml
- 7 – 8 weeks LMP: 7, 650 – 229,000 mIU/ml
- 9 – 12 weeks LMP: 25,700 – 288,000 mIU/ml
- 13 – 16 weeks LMP: 13,300 – 254,000 mIU/ml
- 17 – 24 weeks LMP: 4,060 – 165,400 mIU/ml
- 25 – 40 weeks LMP: 3,640 – 117,000 mIU/ml
- Non-pregnant females: <5.0 mIU/ml
- Postmenopausal females: <9.5 mIU/ml
* These numbers are just a GUIDELINE— every woman’s level of hCG can rise differently. It is not necessarily the level that matters, but rather the change in the level.
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
IVF Wives Tale? or Not?: Pineapple!
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
TRANSFER DAY!!!!!!!!
Had to have a full bladder for the procedure.
Checked in & everyone put on the hats & booties.
Went into the transfer room & talked with Dr. G.
They checked our birthdays & confirmed all information.
They thawed 2 embryos & selected the one that was best suited for transfer.
All 3 of us signed off on the amount of embryos transferred (one).
Put feet in stirrups & scooted all the way down.
K rubbed me for good luck (lol so sweet)
The embryologist held the ultrasound on my abdomen so they can view the process & make sure it's placed correctly.
Dr. G inserted the speculum & put in one catheter up through my cervix.
The other nurse came in with the syringe & soft catheter that held the embryo.
Inserted the catheter & placed it In my uterus.
You can see the embryo in the little white spot on the screen.
Laid down in the outside room for 15 minutes & chatted with K + M!
Embryologist checked to make sure the embryo was released from the catheter under a microscope.
Scheduled my blood test for the 13th!
2dpt.. Blastocyst attaches to a site on the uterine lining
3dpt.. Implantation begins as the blastocyst begins to bury in the lining
4dpt.. Implantation process continues and morula buries deeper in the lining
5dpt.. Morula is completely implanted in the lining and has placenta cells & fetal cells
6dpt…Placenta cells begin to secret HCG in the blood
7dpt…More HCG is produced as fetus develops
8dpt…More HCG is produced as fetus develops
9dpt…HCG levels are now high enough to be immediately detected on HPT (home pregnancy test)!!!