Transfer Day



Before Transfer



Hello all!

Transfer day was a very exciting/anxious day!  It was full of new experiences for both Pat and myself!  We were overwhelmed with such hope and inner confidence as we walked through the front doors of the beautiful, newly-renovated River North Lab.  Of course, we got there early, naturally.  We were scheduled for our procedure at 1020am with a set arrival time of 930am for prep.  We got there at about 9ish.  Shortly after we sat in the waiting room and a nurse came out to put a hospital bracelet on me.  This would be used by all the medical staff to validate my identity when making sure they were transferring the correct embryos into the correct person.  Shortly after, Pat and I were escorted into the transfer procedure room.  In the room there was a large television screen, a giant chair/bed, and 1 sitting chair for Pat.  I was asked to put on the hospital gown and the doctor, embryologist, and ultrasound tech would be in shortly to meet me one by one.  First the embryologist came in.  She said our 2 embryos thawed very nicely and were ready for transfer.  We had to sign one last waiver specifying we wanted to insert 2.  She smiled and then exited the room.  Next, Dr. Uhler popped in to ask how I was feeling and if I had any last minute questions, and I said no, just excited and to get this show on the road! Haha She laughed and asked how my bladder felt as I was asked to drink tons of water before to make it easier to see my uterus via transabdominal ultrasound.   I said I was about to burst.  She said that it might be too full, so she sent in Monica, the ultrasound tech, to check to see the visual.  Yep!  I was too full.  The tech said to empty about one cup of urine and she will check again.  I was so excited..I wanted to hurry and pee already so I can get moving…  once I walked back into my procedure room. The whole medical team started to all come in….the medical asst came in with a large tray of tools.  I was intimidated at first, but the excitement took over.  She asked me to lay back put my feet up and she started to cover my legs with towels to keep my body warm.  The room then was darkened.  The asst put the TV screen on and said look up here.  There are the two embryos!  It was amazing…it was just how I thought It would be…I was glowing from the inside out.  What an amazing feeling.  The embryologist then said we are going to keep this door opened (that was in the back that connected to the large lab)  She said she would be going in and out to transport the catheter with the embryos inside and to not be shy about showing my lady parts.  Of course I didn’t care…whatever they needed I was fine with!  Dr. Uhler sat down on the stool with a bright light and her and the tech worked together to get the catheter to the desired location in my uterus for the best possible placement.  They used 2 different catheters to test which was better for visualization.  There was NO pain!   Once the practiced twice, she informed the embryologist that we were ready for the embryos.   She walked in very slowly…as she passed the straw/catheter to Dr. Uhler she kept saying these are the embryos for Kathleen and Patrick Davis…I think this was her third time to confirm our identity with our embryos.  There were no mistakes to be made.  Pat and I were instructed to watch the ultrasound to watch the embryos being placed…it was quite amazing.  Once they got the catheter to the desired location, she counted to three and there they went.  It was a small burst of light in my uterus.  And then it was over….they started to clean up, asked me to lay down for just a few minutes and I was on my way.  They said take it easy for the rest of the day and I can resume normal activities the following day.…And then that is where they say we will see you back in Naperville for your pregnancy test in 12 days!  And that is it….what a great experience.  FCI really did a great job making it a great experience and not just a medical procedure.



Release of embryos in uterus




Our embryos



Pat after transfer



Ultrasound guidance of embryos



It is Transfer Time! :)

It is CONFIRMED!  What a morning we had!  Had doc appt this morning at FCI – Naperville, and found that my uterine lining is at 7mm!  whoo hoo!!  It showed consistency through the past few weeks and a high enough number to transfer.  It has been at 7mm for the past 3 weeks!  Yahooooo!   Dr. Uhler will be performing my transfer downtown!  We are beyond excited!  Next on the list…TRANSFER!  

1 embryo?  2 embryos?  Hmmm…so much to think about in such a short amount of time!  This question may seem easy to some people, but this whole process gets you to think…there are so many pros and cons to each side.  We know there is no correct answer…we have to do what we feel is best for our family and go 110% into it!  At the end of the day, it is a decision that we have to make together and need to fully support each other with it because we are a team going into this and will affect both our lives in the biggest way possible.  We have reached out to people asking for guidance and advice because I feel like we are navigating on unchartered territory here.  We have never had a child, let alone two at the same time!  We need to be made aware of all possibilities before we make our decision.   However, at this time, we do feel pretty confident in our current choice, but still considering the other option....oh the decisions!  

We need TONS of prayers at this time!  We appreciate all the love and support for all those who have reached out to me via facebook, twitter, email, my blog, etc!  It really has brought me so much comfort as we go through this beast of a process.  Thank you to all the people who have kept us in their thoughts and prayers because it has been paying off thus far....we are about to embark on the last/biggest leap of the process....we need all your support now more than ever.  :)