You want me to put that where?
I had another scan this morning and my lining has apparently shrunk to a more acceptable 13.2mm (from 15mm).
I don’t know how this happened, except that the measurements seem to be very subjective – more of an art than a science! And the girl who did my scan on Thursday was a trainee, so yeah.
Anyway, that all means that we’ve got the tick of approval to go ahead with the transfer, so long as my bloods don’t come back crazy (they didn’t).
While I was there, I spoke to the main embryologist (he’d been too busy to see me on Thursday) and discovered they now offer to thaw day 3 embryos and culture them to blastocyst (day 5) before transfer. Any remaining blasts can be refrozen.
And we have to decide today!
We have 3 day 3 embryos. Statistically, we can expect 1 of those to make it to blastocyst, although it is of course possible that more than that might survive, or none. If we get one, that means this is our only transfer without another full IVF cycle, which neither Hubs nor I is keen on.
But really, an embryo that makes it to day 5 is going to be stronger (right?), and there is no way of knowing if day 3 embryos that don’t survive culture can survive if transferred or not. Plus, cycles are expensive and a hassle, especially with a toddler in tow.
So I think we’re going to culture them and see what happens. I feel like it will give us the best shot at selecting the embryo that is most likely to be viable, and it may save us money and heartache transferring embryos that really never had a chance.
So transfer will be Monday morning.
And now I have to start pessaries three times a day. The instructions say to lie down for 30 minutes after insertion – are they for real? Who on earth can manage that, days and weeks on end?
Luckily (I think?) they provide the happy alternative of rectal insertion. Nothing I like better than sticking medicine upper my butt thrice daily! Although if I’m honest, I did them that way with our IVF cycle too (who can lie flat for 30 minutes every day at work?) and I actually found it preferable. Not the insertion itself, but the revolting discharge wasn’t a thing that way.
Also – holy shit I may already be a week pregnant! Schrödinger must love this shit.
Have you had to make the day 3 vs day 5 decision? Which way did you go?
Here's To A Boring Year 
So exciting! Cheering you on from afar!
Wow! Things are happening so quickly (it seems to me, distant and un-prodded).
We got a lot of embryos from our fresh cycle — can you say OHSS? Because my eggs fertilized at a pretty good rate and there were so many of them, they cultured all that survived to five (or six) days. All of our frozens are five- or six-day. I don’t know if they would even have let me chose a three-day transfer under the circumstances, but I was a glad to have the chance to do a five-day, figuring those extra days gave the embrylogists more time to tell the sheep from the goats. I recently came across my file from that cycle. I’d never looked closely at the embryo report, and it was surprising to me how many embryos went from looking like not much at day 3 to good enough to freeze by day 5. And vice versa. Your choice seems less easy to make than ours, but I think I would also culture to day five if I were in your position.
I had the same thing happen this cycle. I thought it was operator error, but the nurse told me one of the effects of Lupron is decreasing lining. Maybe one of your meds had the same effect?
Since I was only taking estrogen the whole time, I suspect in my case it was operator error! But I’m glad we both still get to go ahead!
I don’t understand a lot of the process, so I can’t comment other than to say fingers and toes are crossed for you! Thinking happy baby thoughts!!