Pregnancy

Friday, 28 February 2014

Our IVF Journey

This is just a documentation of my first IVF journey.

7 Jan 2014:
CD1 of AF. Called KKIVF to inform them. They returned a call shortly and asked to go down on 27 Jan.

27 Jan:
CD21. Went to KKIVF and collected Lucrin - a drug to down regulate the hormones to prevent ovulation. Injected first jab (10 units) by myself with the guidance of the nurse. Was told to come back on 11 Feb for an ultrasound scan and blood test. Did acupuncture twice weekly with Dr Zou Yumin. Continued drinking her TCM. Ate 2 egg whites almost daily.

11 Feb:
D16 of Lucrin. Did ultrasound scan and saw 5 follicles and did E2 blood test. Collected Gonal F and was instructed to start injecting on 13 Feb after they confirmed the E2 blood test result in the afternoon. Continued Lucrin till further notice. Was told to come back on 20 Feb.

13 Feb: 
D1 of Gonal F (225 iu) & D18 of Lucrin. Injected both jabs simultaneously in the morning between 7 am to 7.30 am. Still doing acupuncture twice weekly. Increased to 4 egg whites, red bean soup, red dates & wolf berries tea.

20 Feb:
Ultrasound scan showed 17 follicles, biggest at 16.5 mm and smallest at 6 mm. Lining was 6.3 mm triple. Was told to come back the next day to check on the growth rate of follicles. Took the last jab of Gonal F from the first prescription.

21 Feb:
Scan still showed 17 follicles, biggest at 18.5 mm and smallest at 7.5 mm. Lining was 7.1 mm triple. 2 more jabs of Gonal F of same dosage for today and the next day prescribed. Pregnyl injection prescribed. Confirmed ER ON Tuesday morning.

23 Feb:
Last jab of Lucrin. 
Went to KKH O&G to take the Pregnyl shot at 11 pm.

24 Feb:
Jab free day.

25 Feb:
ER day. 17 eggs retrieved. 8 fertilised.

27 Feb:
ET Day. 2 Grade 3 4 cells embryos transferred. Remaining 6 are under observation.

Thursday, 27 February 2014

Letter #16 to Baby Darling

Dearest Baby Darling,

Today is the embryo transfer day. Daddy and mummy always make it a point to reach KKH much earlier than the appointed time. We didn't wait for very long before our queue number was called. After some explanations from the nurse, mummy proceeded to have my E2 blood test taken to check if I am suffering from OHSS. 

Mummy then went to the toilet to do "big business" and as I was wiping, I saw some light spotting and it did get me a little bit worried because I did not have any spotting for the pas two days except on the day of egg retrieval. 

Mummy started drinking up again at 9.10 am to try to get a full bladder. At about 9.50 am, mummy already had a very full bladder. The nurse called and daddy and mummy went into the procedure room to get ready and wait for Dr Tan HH. As I was lying down on the bed, the nurse put some gel on my abdomen and did a scan to see if I really had a full bladder. After waiting for about 10 minutes, Dr Tan was still in no sight but I was so urgent that I really needed a pee. I got up and stood around in the room. I actually went to the toilet twice to pass out some urine to relieve my bladder a bit. 

Finally Dr Tan appeared and he apologised for taking so long to be here. He is always this nice man! Mummy really thinks that he is by far the best and empathetic doctor whom we have consulted so far. He was quick to get into action and asked mummy to focus on the left monitor. With all the spreading of legs and inserting of the apparatus, I was really holding back my urine to the max. I kept telling Dr Tan that I wanted to urinate already.

Finally I saw the two lovely embryos. They are just simply beautiful. With the assistance of the embryologist, Dr Tan successfully injected the two embryos into mummy's womb.

So for now, mummy is officially in the two waiting week. Baby darlings, please stay with mummy and continue to grow strongly and healthily and implant strongly and firmly onto mummy's uterus lining. 

Dear God, we have come this far. Please bless my two embryos to continue to grow strongly and healthily in my womb. Let them implant strongly and firmly onto my uterus lining for pregnancy to occur. In your most precious name, I pray. Amen!

Hail Mary, full of Grace
Blessed are you amongst women
Blessed is the fruit of womb Jesus
Holy Mary, Mother of God
Pray for us sinners now
And at the hour of our death
Amen

Tuesday, 25 February 2014

Letter #15 to Baby Darling

Dearest Baby Darling,

For now, please do stay strong and be excellent and have very high fertilisation rate! When you are strong, you must stick and implant firmly to mummy's uterus lining and grow progressively and healthily till the day daddy and mummy see you in real person. Even when you are out to see the world, you must also grow strongly and healthily each day. Daddy and mummy really have been hoping to have you since 3 years ago. Daddy and mummy want to bring you around to see the world! 

加油,寶貝!爸爸和媽媽等著你喔!

Letter #14 to Baby Darling

Dearest Baby Darling,

Mummy had again cleared another challenge today. Today was the egg retrieval day. Prior to that, mummy was so nervous and worried about it as mummy has never had a surgery done previously. Mummy did not know what to expect. 

After reaching KKH, the nurse who attended to us was very friendly. She asked us some routine questions and brought mummy to the changing room. After changing into the operation gown, mummy went to the waiting area in the operating theatre room. A nurse called out to mummy and the anaesthetics doctor was asking mummy a few routine questions to distract mummy from the poking of needles.

After it was done, mummy went back to the waiting area to continue waiting. Mummy waited for quite a while before the nurse called mummy. The nurse ushered mummy to go into the operation theatre. Mummy lay down on the bed. The operation theatre wasn't as scary as what mummy had expected it to be but it was extremely cold. After lying down on the bed with my knees curled up, the anaesthetics doctor put on the oxygen mask for mummy. Mummy was breathing calmly. Suddenly mummy felt the urge to cough but didn't know what to do with the oxygen mask. The anaesthetics doctor was right behind mummy and warmly asked what mummy wanted. I was so glad that he was there. After helping mummy to take out the oxygen mask, I tried to cough and the anaesthetics doctor suggested that it would be better for me to sit up and cough. After coughing, the doctor helped me to put back the oxygen mask and I continued to breathe calmly again. I was looking around the operation theatre and finally saw the time at 11 am. At this moment, Dr Tan HH came in and asked me, "C, your husband is waiting for you outside, right?" and I replied, "Yes." Soon after the anaesthetics doctor started injecting the sedation drug and with less than 3 seconds, I totally knocked out.

When I woke up, I was already on the bed at the recovery area. The anaesthetics doctor started talking to me but I wasn't sure what he was trying to say because I was still simply in a daze. All I felt was the menses-like cramp at the abdomen which I dreaded the most. I asked the nurse, "how long was I inside?" The nurse replied, "5 minutes." I asked the nurse again, "is it normal to feel cramp?" She replied, "yes and we had given you painkiller already." 

The next few minutes on the bed was terrible. I was hoping hard that the painkiller took its effect soon so that I didn't feel the cramp that much. I tried to sleep but the bed was tilted too high that I found it hard to sleep. Luckily, by God's grace, the painkiller took its effect and slowly, I didn't feel the cramp on the left side and then the right side. 

I was feeling drowsy and I closed my eyes to catch some sleep but I couldn't. I got no choice but to call for the nurse to assist me in lowering the bed. Not long after, a nurse came to give me hot Milo to drink. After drinking, I asked the nurse to lower my bed even more. 

I opened my eyes and a nurse came to me and I asked her what the time was. She told me it was 1.45 pm already. She held me up and assisted me to the changing room to get changed. After I came out of the changing room, she asked me if I had urinated and I said no. She asked me to urinate first. After getting back to her again, she sat me down and went through the Dos and Don'ts and what to take note of. She also told me that the number of eggs retrieved but couldn't provide me the number of mature and fertilised eggs at this present moment. She concluded that I had quite a number of eggs retrieved and she was a bit worried that I might suffer from OHSS.

The egg transfer is scheduled on Thursday. Dr Tan HH will then see me and notify me on the number of mature and fertilised eggs and see if I'm ready for egg transfer.

Baby Darling, throughout this whole journey thus far, I thank God for letting me have a safe, smooth experience so far. I thank God for giving me all the strength and courage that I need to clear all the tests. I also want to thank daddy for always being there for mummy. I want to thank you too for being there and stay strong with mummy till you come out to see the world. I want to thank mummy's boss for allowing me to MIA for so many days. I want to thank mummy's colleagues for covering my duties during this period of time.

Friday, 21 February 2014

Letter #13 to Baby Darling

Dearest Baby Darling,

Yesterday daddy and mummy went to KKH to do a scheduled ultrasound scan after 7 days of stimulation of Gonal F. The scan result showed that mummy had 17 follicles. Mummy was quite worried that I do not have enough viable sized follicles to be retrieved. I have been pumping in 4 egg whites, red bean soup daily. Baby, you must see mummy's efforts in wanting you to come into our lives. 

Today we went for the scan again. Most of the follicles have grown 2 mm. Mummy really hopes that those follicles of smaller sizes are able to catch up with the bigger ones. According to the doctor on duty, mummy should be able to harvest about 6-7 eggs. 

Mummy must still jab 2 doses of Gonal F of 225 iu for 2 days. Hopefully these 2 last jabs of stimulation jabs can assist in developing the smaller follicles to catch up.

Oh God, please do bless those smaller follicles to catch up soon by the time of egg retrieval which is on next Tuesday and those of bigger ones to slow down their growth a little bit and wait for the rest.

I really pray for good results for my first IVF cycle. Thank you, Lord for allowing me to have a smooth cycle so far. I pray that the egg retrieval and egg transfer process and procedures are safe, smooth, painless and very minimal discomfort. 

In your almighty name, Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen! In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit! Amen!  

Monday, 17 February 2014

給寶寶的日記第十二篇

二零一四年二月十一日。晴。

寶寶:
謝謝你!讓媽媽的檢測通過。現在媽媽在等著拿第二支針的藥。你要為媽媽加油打氣,讓媽媽的血測也通過哦。媽媽一直都有跟上帝禱告,希望他能夠保佑媽媽好好的,順順利利地通過所有的檢測,好讓你有一個很好的生長環境。加油!

上帝:
我真的很希望能夠擁有自己的孩子。我希望你能夠保佑我順順利利地通過所有的檢測。我很努力。每一天該做的,我都一一照做。不喜歡早起的我,每天都七點起床,準時打針。不喜歡吃蛋黃、喝紅豆湯,我也喝了。為的就是希望人工受孕計劃一次就能夠成功。我希望我的蛋量、蛋質和子宮都是在最佳的狀態。上帝,謝謝你!

Saturday, 1 February 2014

給寶寶的日記第十一篇

二零一四年二月一日。晴。

寶寶:

今天早上當媽媽在打第六針的時候,不知道為甚麼媽媽用了很長的時間。當媽媽把藥物拉出來時,針筒里一直有泡泡。盧了很久才終於把泡泡給打散。然後當媽媽要把針插進去肚子的時候,好不順利喔!這是媽媽第一次感覺痛。是媽媽太累了嗎?還好再插入第二次的時候,還算順利,但是有流一點點的血。

寶寶,你要繼續為媽媽加油打氣喔!

上帝,保佑我一定能成功的。我只想要有自己的孩子。