The timeline

IVF cycles vary depending upon the person, the medicine protocol and the type of cycle you are beginning. What we have just begun is a frozen transfer cycle. After the egg retrieval and fertilization during our last fresh cycle 11 embryo's that fertilized were cryopreserved immediately after fertilization. We have three of the highest quality (no cell division yet), four or five with the next highest level of quality and the remaining embryo's are of lower quality.

Yesterday I began the FET cycle with a bloodwork and ultrasound. They checked my hormone levels and the lining of the ovaries. When you do IVF you get your blood work and ultrasound early so the results are given the same day. A nurse calls you in the afternoon and you get your instructions. So today I began taking estrace pills. I take them (and the amount gradually increases) for the next fourteen days. At that point I go back for another round of blood work and ultrasound to check and make sure everything looks good. If all is well then I start taking progesterone. Four days later is the transfer.

At our clinic your are asked to complete two days of bed rest after the transfer. This was something very doable in the past but gets obviously harder when you have kids. Because of the cost of IVF we want to do everything "right" so we will do our best to adhere to that. In addition after the transfer you cannot bend from the waist, lift more than 15 pounds, do rigorous exercise, go in hot tubs, and a few other things.

So that's where we're at. Smack back where we started. Being back at the clinic felt like deja vu.