FET #1: 7DP5DT

I'm writing this blog to chronicle my current journey for my own family as well as shed light on the path we've taken.  To give another face to infertility, and to help show that we walk amongst everyone else.  That we come in all shapes, sizes and colors.

The title for this post is a whirlwind of acronyms that, without a connection to infertility struggles, would make no sense.  Wow.  To spell it out, today is 8 days following (8DP) the embryo transfer of a 5-day blastocyst (5DT) for a cryopreserved embryo transfer (FET).

Ummm...still unclear.

I went through an IVF cycle in November.  I was pregnant with that late-stage embryo, called a blastocyst, for around a week.  It's called anything from a failed implantation to a chemical pregnancy to an early miscarriage to an inconclusive pregnancy, depending on who you ask.

The cycle left us with two additional perfectly viable embryos.  Both were cryopreserved - frozen in dry ice. We started preparing for the first frozen cycle in January.  A blastocyst was transferred last week.  I'll find out next week if it successfully implanted.

The two-week wait is difficult enough.  Jacked up on hormones, as much estrogen and progesterone as your body can manage, makes it a downright joy.

8DP5DT, 13DPO in more simple layman's terms.  What are my symptoms?  I have utterly no idea.

1DP5DT - 5 DP5DT: increasing lethargy, vivid dreams, some queasiness 0DP-3DP.  I think I picked up a touch of food poisoning around the time of transfer.  Cats becoming increasingly cuddly.

2DP5DT - 5DP5DP: Intermittent & very light cramping.  Extreme dizziness (the if-I-look-down-I'll-fall-over type) at 3DP5DT.  Moodiness increasing.

6DP5DT: Severe cramps lasting around an hour mid-day, light cramps throughout much of rest of day.  Insomnia, less vivid dreams.  Ridiculously cuddly cats.

7DP5DT: Cramps continued throughout much of day, occasionally (but not often) severe.  Incredibly moody and irritable.  Cats still very cuddly.  Insomnia picks up again from pre-transfer, dreams less vivid (makes me less optimistic).

Every single one of these symptoms could be attributed to the heavy doses of progesterone running through my body.

My clinic waits until 12DP5DT to run the beta test.  That's Monday, still a whopping 5 days away.  Who knows what pseudo-symptoms will develop in the next few days?

With Bug's pregnancy, I had none (other than clingy cats).  Zero.  Zip.

Monday can't come soon enough.