I know it has been forever since my last post and I appreciate the respect of our privacy over the last few weeks.  This post is going to be a very lengthy one – I have a lot of time to make up for! But trust me, this one was worth the wait…

Friday March 24, 2017 – The day of my blood pregnancy test

The day we had our embryo transfer (March 14, 2017) we asked family and friends not to ask us the specific day we would be finding out the result of our pregnancy test.  We knew that if they knew the exact day there would be pressure and questions (all meant in good faith of course) to give them an answer right away.  No matter what the result were to be – positive or negative, we wanted to be able to go through whatever emotions together as a couple.  It was going to be either one of two things – the best day of our lives or the worst.  The day we had our embryo transfer we knew that the exact day we would be finding out would be March 24, 2017.  So we had to wait a total of 10 days to find out if our little bean stuck.

10 days of grueling hell.

Let me tell you, I OBSESSED over everything, googled everything.  There were days I was confident it had worked and then there were days where I knew it had not.  On those days these were my thoughts:

• How could it not have worked?  We had a perfect embryo, why didn’t it work? Now we really need to find out what’s wrong with me.  If a perfect embryo didn’t stick then nothing will.
• This is just awful.  Now with Brandon’s work schedule and planned vacations coming up we won’t be able to go through another round of IVF until the fall.
• OK, so my insurance covers 4 rounds of IVF.  We’re definitely going to exhaust all those and then what!?
• Was the doctor sure he implanted it into my uterus?  What if it is still left in the catheter and never made its way out?

Talk about crazy lady status.  And then there were the “symptoms” or lack there of.  I wasn’t experiencing any of the typical early pregnancy symptoms.  If anything I was experiencing PMS symptoms.  At 6 days post transfer I woke up in the middle of the night to pee and when I laid back down I had menstrual-like cramps.  At 8 days post transfer the mid-night cramps were even stronger.  I remember laying back down in bed and thinking this was it.  It was over.  I knew the next time I got up to go to the bathroom I would wipe and see blood.  But I didn’t.  Not even a trace of blood.  Nothing.  I ALWAYS spot before a period but yet there was nothing.  At 9 days post transfer it was the official day that I should start my period and while this would excite a normal person that it still hadn’t come I was very skeptical.  I had currently been giving myself Progesterone shots every night since the day after my egg retrieval.  Progesterone is known to stop your period and it is extremely common not to get it.  So while yes, the lack of period was a good sign, it did not guarantee I was pregnant.  The progesterone shots could be stopping it from coming.  Either way at 10 days post transfer I would find out the result and this awful game of waiting would be over.  Finally.  And no, I did not take any home pregnancy tests during my wait.  I told myself I would enjoy being PUPO (pregnant until proven otherwise).  Well, if a game of high anxiety is “enjoyment” than yes that’s exactly what I did.

On the morning of Friday, March 24, 2017 I woke up and got ready to get my blood drawn for my beta HCG level (a blood pregnancy test).  I don’t think I’ve ever been so nervous or had higher levels of anxiety in my life.  I was absolutely sick to my stomach.  I sat down in the waiting room with a room full of other woman and couples.  I was sure it was written all over my face – I’M HERE FOR A PREGNANCY TEST AFTER MY FIRST ROUND OF IVF.  I’M SCARED SHITLESS.  I MIGHT POOP MY PANTS.

And then I heard my name get called.  I don’t think I ever hated the sound of my name more.  I didn’t want to hear it.  It meant that they were ready to draw my blood.  Blood that probably would show no levels of HCG.  No marker of pregnancy.

I peeled myself out the chair I was glued to and stepped through the door down the hallway to phlebotomy.  The phlebotomist (a girl I really grew to love at my clinic) asked me how I was.  I replied with “nervous” and then the tears began to fall from my eyes.  I wasn’t expecting it but I couldn’t stop.  I immediately put my head to the ground and refused to look up as I walked down the hall.  I did not want anyone to see the emotional wreck I had become.  I sat down in the chair and she noticed right away.  “Are you crying honey?” She embraced me with the longest, nicest, and most heart-felt hug.  Something I so needed.  I apologized for being a mess and thanked her for the hug.  She completely understood the state I was in and wished me the best of luck.  I walked out with a red face and a band-aid on my arm.  Now all I had to do was wait.  Wait again.  Wait for my nurse to call between 1-4 and deliver the biggest news of my life.

The benefit of the day was that I am off work on Fridays.  I would of been completely useless had I had to work.  Brandon was at work til about 4 and told me he had not wanted me to tell him over the phone what the result was.  He wanted to hear in person from me when he got home.  He always calls me on his way home from work so I told him that he better not call me than cuz no matter what the result I wouldn’t be able to hide it from him.

The hours ticked by like snails.  It was the longest 4 hours of my life.  At 1:47pm (yes I remember the exact time) my phone rang.  FCI HINSDALE flashed across my screen.  OMG, HOLY SHIT, SOME ONE PUNCH ME, OR KILL ME, THIS IS FUCKING IT.

I grabbed my phone and ran outside (I didn’t want the dogs barking, see blog post “We’re Pulling the Tigger”.)

“Hello”

“Hi Toni, this is Agnes calling with results”

::::I know who it is and I know why you’re calling!!!!::::

“Hi!”

“OK so we got your result in and your beta HCG level is 273.  You’re pregnant!”

I’m crying and shaking even typing this right now.  I couldn’t believe it and I still can’t.  I’M PREGNANT.  Words I never thought I’d be able to speak.

The rest of the conversation she explained that we have to be “cautiously optimisitic”.  We had to repeat two more beta levels in the following days to make sure my levels were rising appropriately and then we could move on to ultrasounds.  They want to see beta levels rise by 66% over a 48 hour period.

I got off the phone with my nurse and didn’t know what to do with myself.  I wanted to scream, cry, dance, kiss my dogs, set off fireworks, have a parade, rent a plane and write it in the sky  – TONI GABRY IS KNOCKED UP!!!!!!

After I collected myself I fumbled through my bathroom drawer for 2 pregnancy tests.  I peed the most beautiful pee on the most beautiful pee stick and saw the most beautiful two lines I’ve ever seen and the most beautiful word I’ve ever read – PREGNANT.

I have never seen a second pink line and I sure as hell have never seen the word “pregnant” on a pregnancy test.  It seems stupid that even tho I already had a confirmed blood pregnancy test that I took a urine test but you have no idea the feeling of getting a negative over and over and over again month after month.  The feeling of continued let down and failure.  I deserved this feeling.  I deserved seeing that second pink line appear even before my pee had enough time to make it across the screen.  It was one of the best feelings ever.

The next thing I did that day was run to Hobby Lobby to get baby blue and pale pink ribbon.  I also picked up some balloons and got a cute little wood sign that says “we love you a ton”.  I went home and put everything together.  I tied the pink and blue ribbon around my belly and waited for Brandon to get home.  He texted me in the mean time and asked if they called yet.  My immediate reaction was to tell him that they didn’t.  I was thinking that if he knew they had called that he’d start asking me questions.  I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to keep it a secret.  So I told him that they hadn’t called yet.  And what does he do?  He calls me!  He figured since they hadn’t called then he could call me on his way home from work to chat.  I had to lie through my teeth the whole time.  Lots of “yeah I can’t believe they didn’t call either”, “how rude of them to make us wait til the last minute, this is ridiculous”, I even threw in a “well I better get off the phone with you I don’t wanna miss their call.”

When he got home he came in with flowers in his hand and turned the corner to see this.

I was standing next to the chair with a huge smile on my face and the ribbons around my belly.  He just looked at me and said “NO! Really????” I shook my head yes and we both got teary eyed (Yes, Brandon YOU got teary eyed too).

We went out to dinner shortly afterward and celebrated the best news we have ever received.

March 28, 2017 (4 weeks 5 days pregnant)

I went back for my second beta draw 4 days later and my hcg level rose to 717.  Proper rising times and still pregnant! One more beta draw to get through.

March 30, 2017 (5 weeks pregnant)

My third and final beta draw came back as 1,388 and I was officially done with HCG checks!  The next step was our first ultrasound on April 5th.

April 5, 2017 (5 weeks 6 days pregnant)

When we went in for our ultrasound the sonographer explained that we’re just looking for a yolk sac at this point and we may or may not see a fetal pole and heart beat.  She quickly found the yolk sac present but nothing else.  She reassured me that that was OK and more often they DON’T see the other things.  I trusted what she was saying but knew I’d feel so much better if we’d at least seen a little heart fluttering away.  We scheduled our next ultrasound and if everything went like it was supposed to than we would be graduating from our fertility clinic that day.

April 17, 2017 (7 weeks 4 days pregnant)

I sat pant-less waiting for the sonographer to come back in the room while Brandon rubbed my back.  He sensed how scared I was for this scan.  I still had no pregnancy symptoms and was sure that something was wrong.  I felt too good.  I was so scared that she would scan me and find nothing.  When she came back in the room and inserted my best friend “Wanda” up my hoo-ha we saw the sac right away and it was so obvious that there was now a baby in there!  This beautiful tiny babe had the sweetest little flutter of a heartbeat of 146bpm!  All my doubts and fears went away the instant I saw this beautiful sight and tears rolled down my cheek.  Brandon grabbed my hand and we both stared in awe at what was created.  Afterward we met with our doctor who hugged me and congratulated us.  He went over the do’s and don’t of pregnancy and it was so surreal that we were even having this conversation.  We checked out with the receptionist who gave us more hugs and well wishes and sent us with my medical records and a pregnancy magazine! I had officially graduated from the fertility center and it felt amazing.  And even tho they all started to feel like family, I was so thrilled to say goodbye!

April 28, 2017 (9 weeks 1 day pregnant)

Our first appointment with our OBGYN.  We were a regular ol’ knocked up couple.  She gave me another ultrasound and this time baby sprout’s heart beat was beating away at 182bpm!  From the looks of the ultrasound Brandon was convinced we were having a fish, not a human.  Which I can’t say I blame him.  Poor babe looks exactly like a fish in this ultrasound.  But he/she is the most beautiful fish I’ve ever seen!

May 23, 2017 (12 weeks 5 days pregnant)

I had my NT scan at a facility outside my doctor’s office.  This is where they take a little blood from your finger and test for chromosomal abnormalities.  I also got an ultrasound of the baby where they take all sorts of different measurements to send in with the blood.  I also got to hear my baby’s heart beat for the first time and it was music to my ears.

The sonographer was SO quiet during my whole scan and looked so concentrated on the screen the whole time.  She scared the shit out of me.  I thought she was seeing something wrong with my baby.  I asked her at the end if everything looked OK and she replied with a simple “yeah it’s a very limited scan.”  Uhh what?  It looked pretty involved by the look on your face.  I was so upset afterward and wouldn’t find out the results for a week.  Brandon called me to check how everything went and I was in tears.  I told him how awful she made me feel and how scared I was they saw something abnormal.  I also convinced myself I saw her take a measurement that was indicative of an abnormality and had myself all freaked out and worried.  I was scheduled with my regular OBGYN 3 days later and told myself I was making them do another ultrasound to make sure everything was OK.

May 26, 2017 (13 weeks 1 day pregnant)

When we got to my doctor’s office they took me back to an exam room – the room without the ultrasound.

“I’m getting an ultrasound today, right?”

The nurse replied “no” and I explained to her that I had called and requested one.  She was very nice over the whole situation and explained to me I wasn’t supposed to get one today because I just had one 3 days prior and insurance would charge me possibly thousands out-of-pocket.

Yikes, thousands?? After I thought about it I asked if she at least had a preliminary report from my ultrasound and to my delight, she did.  She showed me the report and went over everything.  I quickly scanned over the paper and saw that the measurement I thought I had seen the other day was not right.  The fluid in the back of baby’s neck was a normal amount and at the very end of the report it read “no fetal abnormalities.”

Thank you God.

The rest of the appointment was very quick and the doctor placed the fetal doppler on my tummy so we could hear the heart beat.  Brandon would be hearing it for the first time.  Once again, music to our ears ♥

May 30, 2017 (13 weeks 5 days pregnant)

I got the call with my final results from the chromosome test.  The nurse delivered the news that our precious baby is at low risk for any chromosomal abnormalities.  I breathed a sigh of relief when I got off the phone and cried the most happiest and joyful tears.

 

So there you have it.  A small glimpse into what the last 14 weeks have consisted of.  Pregnancy has been great to me so far.  I’ve had mild nausea from week 7-11 but that’s about it.  I’m taking this as my present for all the shit we had to go through to get here.  I will continue with updates through out my pregnancy and I continue to thank God every day for what we have been given.

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