First of all SURPRISE! We are pregnant! I also want to say sorry. Sorry for lying over the last few months, but this was just one thing I wanted to keep between family for a little while. We are over the moon excited and Hudson seriously cannot wait to be a big brother!
So where do I start? Let’s go back to April. I was in California when I got the call from my fertility center that we could re-start the preparation process for an embryo transfer. So in mid-April, I started on birth control. I had to be on birth control for about two weeks. Once I stopped birth control I got started on oral hormones called Estradiol.
I was set to transfer our embryo on May 29th. I had about 4 appointments at my fertility clinic prior to my transfer date to do ultrasounds. Basically to make sure my uterine lining and everything looked ok to transfer the embryo. All of my ultrasounds looked good so the date of May 29th was confirmed!
Five days before the transfer I had to start PIO injections which are the worst shots of them all. These needles are super long and thick! I was honestly scared out of my mind. The shot is an oil base so it is a super thick liquid that needs to be heated before it is injected. My first shot was rough. The actual injection hurt, but the aftermath was almost worse. The bruising, swelling and aching was crazy.
Transfer Day
Then May 29th came and I was so nervous. Thankfully Jacob was able to come into the transfer with me despite COVID. I was so nervous but they give you a valium 30 minutes prior to the transfer to relax your uterus. So once the procedure started I felt more relaxed. The actual procedure took like 5 minutes or so. Then I had to lay there for another 10-15 minutes or so after the transfer. Then the next 3 days or so I was on bed rest. No lifting, exercise, or anything active. Just rest.
My next appointment was set for June 8, to get my blood drawn to see if I was pregnant. June 8th is also our wedding anniversary, so it was either going to be a great day or a bad day. However, I was not able to wait! I tested earlier because I just had to know if I was pregnant or not. Technically you’re not supposed to do this because you could get a negative test and actually be pregnant. So it can be discouraging, but I really could not wait any longer.
I am Pregnant!
I took one test which was just an HCG strip. I took it but I didn’t follow the instructions properly and I thought the test was broken. I left it on my bathroom counter and started putting some makeup on. As I was doing that, I looked over about 10 minutes later and saw two lines. I couldn’t believe it. So I took out my Clear Blue pregnancy test (the digital one) and tried it. A few minutes later the word “pregnant” showed up.
Honestly, I couldn’t even believe it. So I called Jacob upstairs to show him. I was crying because after all the shots, blood, and tears it was happening! Keep in mind I had to stay on oral hormones, vaginal hormones, and continue my PIO injections for 10 weeks.
The crazy thing is when my doctor transferred the embryo I instantly became 2 weeks and 5 days pregnant. IVF basically skips the first little bit of the baby-making process. Even though I knew I was pregnant, I was still nervous about my pregnancy blood test. Sometimes you can get a positive test but your HCG blood test numbers can be low indicating that it could be a chemical pregnancy.
Luckily, I got the call on June 8 that my numbers were high and I was for sure pregnant! That night was an amazing night. It was Jacob and my anniversary, so we got ready and headed to dinner and a place called Tuscany in Salt Lake. Right before we walked into dinner we decided to call our families to tell them the news. As you can imagine, everyone was so happy for us!
Miscarriage Scare
So it wasn’t all butterflies and rainbows. On June 22, we had a miscarriage scare. I actually felt completely ok the whole day and towards the evening I started feeling sick. I was working the late shift, but luckily I was on work from home. During my shift my husband made dinner and when I was eating, I started getting sharp cramps in my stomach. They were sharp to the point where I started feeling nauseous. I turned the air on and sat on our air vent.
After dinner, I laid on the couch and kept working since I wasn’t feeling well. Jacob decided to take Hudson to the park for a little while it was still light outside. I only had 20 minutes left in my shift when I had to go pee. I went pee and then went back to lay on the couch when I felt something. I went back to the bathroom and blood started coming out. I instantly started panicking.
My first thought was to call Jacob. Jacob rushed home from the park and then I called my mom. I was crying on the phone and I was pretty sure that I was miscarrying. I ended up calling my 24-hour nurse line and they said that it could be a number of things but I should not panic. They said that I could either wait it out until the next day or go to the ER. After talking to my mom I decided the ER was the best option. If I was miscarrying, I didn’t want to risk having complications or bleeding out.
We got to the ER and they started blood tests on me. I already felt sick, and the guy who took my blood was super aggressive haha. So it was not a great experience, I was SO nauseous and my arm was completely bruised.
Then we had to wait and wait and wait. After about an hour or so, an ultrasound technician took us back for an ultrasound to see what was going on. Right away, at first glance, I could see a heartbeat! I was only 6 weeks along and there was a heartbeat! Our ultrasound lasted about 15 minutes or so and the tech said everything looked good!
We were overjoyed! The baby looked completely fine and I was discharged from the hospital not long after. A couple of days later, I had to go into my fertility clinic for another appointment to get my blood drawn to make sure my HCG numbers were still going up. Thankfully, my numbers went up and everything was fine!
Pregnancy
Pregnancy so far has been pretty good. I haven’t been sick thankfully, but I have been getting nauseous from time to time. My cravings are kind of non-existent, the only thing I crave is a salad with vinegar which is kind of random. I mostly have food aversions and get grossed out by everything.
Today I am 12 weeks pregnant and my due date is February 14th. YES, Valentine’s baby! My next doctor’s appointment is next week. Pretty sure we will only check for the heartbeat and make sure everything is looking ok.
But you guys… I AM FREAKING PREGNANT. I seriously can’t believe it and it’s kind of crazy saying it out loud. We are so happy and just excited to welcome a new little member into our family!
Anyways, I will try to keep you guys updated on everything with my pregnancy and I am so thankful for all of your love and support. It truly means so much to us!
Much Love!
Mayci J