From what I understand all standard IVF cycles start with a stimming phase, which involves taking drugs “gonadotropins” that stimulate your ovaries and hopefully cause them to produce multiple eggs.
FUN FACT:
The “stim” phase of the cycle lasts on average 10 days, but can vary from 8 to 12 days, as necessary. Throughout the “stim” phase blood will be drawn to study the change in your hormones and vaginal ultrasound/s will be performed to note the progression of your ovarian follicles.
The number of follicles and their size will be monitored. Within each follicle is an egg. The egg is very small and cannot be seen on ultrasound. The fluid filled follicle surrounding the egg, however, is much larger and because fluid stands out on ultrasound, it is easier to locate, count and measure the size of each follicle. Most importantly, the size of the follicle correlates with the maturity of the egg! The larger the follicle, the nearer the egg to being ripe and ready for harvest. The egg within a follicle is usually mature and ready for harvest when the follicle measures between 16 and 20 millimeters.
I was instructed to start injecting my first stim drug “puregon” on Tuesday evening the 23rd of August 2016.
As previously mentioned I’m a complete chicken when it comes to needles. I didn’t want to do it. Tristan didn’t want to do it either, as he’s a complete chicken when it comes to me.
Thank the Lord my beautiful Aunty Jo is a nurse and agreed to help us out by doing all of the injecting.
If we weren’t blessed with a beautiful Aunty Jo we would have worked up the courage and done it ourselves. We’d do anything to help bring our baby into this world. But honestly I couldn’t be more thankful and relieved that we didn’t have to. It alleviated so much stress.
Much power and praise to all of the amazing people having to perform their own injections! As far as I am concerned you deserve a tonne of recognition, flowers, multiple orgasms, millions of dollars, and large happy and healthy families!
The first night was quite nerve racking. We spent a lot of time reading over all of the instructions and setting everything up. My puregon came in little viles that we had to load into a puregon pen. The viles contained enough for multiple doses, the pen allows you to set a dose per injection.
We were so hopeful and definitely mega naive. I had no idea what I was in for and despite being told it wasn’t a sure thing I couldn’t help but believe it was.
As I laid down on Aunty Jo’s couch to receive my first injection a little tear rolled down my cheek. I couldn’t believe it had come to this.
Dreamingofsleeplessnights 