FET Embryo Transfer

The wait…

As it was a frozen embryo transfer (FET), the clinic were only able to tell us what day it would happen and on the day we would find out what time we would be expected to come in.  This was because in the morning of the transfer, the embryologist will defrost the embryo and depending on if it’s a successful defrost we will then be given a time slot. The clinic usually opens at 8am so hubby and I were expected a call before 10am as we were roughly told that the transfers happen around lunchtime.

This was probably the longest morning ever……!

Initially we planned to do nothing and I would spend the morning pampering (shaving, moisturising etc) as I will be exposed from waist downwards during the transfer. I remember my first ever smear test… I worked myself up so much, I was so embarrassed and self-conscious and now……. having internal scans/ tests where I am exposed is the norm! How life changes! However all the pampering took me a hour and hubby and I found ourselves clock watching. To pass time we decided to do the weekly food shop ( We love Aldi!) , and the pop into the city centre for a stroll. The clinic is in the city centre so if we got called we could then literally walk there…..

It was now 11am and no call… we started thinking ‘ Is there a problem with our frozen eggs?’, ‘

Finally at 11:30 I got a call from ‘Unknown’ I knew it was the clinic! I quickly answered and the nurse told me that unfortunately the first embryo they defrosted was unsuccessful and therefore they took another out from our storage ( thankfully we had 3, 5 day frozen embryos!) and the second was a success! Phew. She advised to pop into the clinic for the embryo transfer.

The Embryo Tranfer

We were very familiar with this, as we have done it once before. All the nurses welcomed us on the ward and they made cross fingers gestures, hoping this time it would work for us.

The nurses told me to remove everything except by bra and put on a theatre gown, and hubby was informed to take off his shoes and pop on a theatre gown too as he will be coming in with me. I always get confused on how to wear the theatre gown – I asked the nurse and apparently there is no right or wrong way. Last time I was open at the back, this time I thought I’d wear it so it was open at the front but I would wrap it round like a dressing gown.

As soon we got changed we were immediately taken in the theatre room. There were 3 nurses ( the embryologist, a nurse to put the catheter in , and another who hangs around if needed). Hubby sat next to me and I sat on a chair which raised my legs. Thankfully I was given a sheet to cover myself.

The nurse then asked the embryologist to show us our embryo – a tiny little cell. They put it on a screen and both hubby and I were amazed and there was a sense of happiness…. That’s our embryo!  That could be the beginning of our little baby!

The nurse then advised that I lay back and relaxed and she began putting in the catheter. I’m not going to lie … it was defiantly more uncomfortable than last time and it also took a lot longer to insert!  The nurse said it was probably because last time I was on more medication as it was a fresh egg transfer whereas this time I was on less meds as it was a FET.

Once the catheter was finally inserted the embryologist carried over the embryo on something that looked like a straw and before I know it, it was transferred in! I didn’t feel a thing. The embryologist then checked the straw under her microscope to ensure it didn’t get stuck and it was definitely transferred- and it was! J.

I was advised to sit up for a few minutes and then told to change back into my clothes, continue using pessaries, Estrogen tablets. And that was it – the whole thing took 30-40mins!

Hubby and I walked to the car and there was a huge sigh of relief.

On the way home…

On the way home, I reminded hubby of a article I read about McDonald Fries increasing your chances of a successful result… something to do with the salt. There is no scientific evidence and I doubt it would work, but to humour ourselves we went and got some fries and a took a pic for my blog post !