All of my eggs in a basket. (Petri dish).

Egg retrieval day was today! It was successful, with 16 eggs collected this morning. At some point today, an embryologist injected all of the mature ones with sperm and tomorrow they will call us with how many fertilized. 

The procedure was pretty straight forward and quick. Hopefully one is all we will need for a successful pregnancy! 

Here is a quick rundown of an egg retrieval cycle, with non medical terms, for those who don’t know what it entails:

The day your period starts is cycle day 1. On the morning of cycle day 2, you go for an ultrasound and bloodwork. This is called “baseline.” That night, you start two  injections of meds that pretty much make help your body grow eggs all at the same time. Bloodwork again on day 4. The next morning, another injection is added to the mix to prevent your body from ovulating all of the eggs. Day 6, another ultrasound and bloodwork. Continue 3 injections daily. Day 8, another ultrasound and bloodwork. Same on day 9, and again on day 10. Day 10, since my estrogen was high they switched my trigger shot, which matures the eggs and allows them to be ready. It must be taken 35 hours before retrieval. Day 11, bloodwork only. Day 12 retrieval. 

Here is a quick rundown of retrieval:

It is a surgical procedure, no eating or drinking from midnight prior until after retrieval. Vital signs are taken, paperwork signed, and anesthesiologist inserts an IV. You walk into the OR, they inject meds that burn and knock you out. An ultrasound is performed so they can see what they’re doing. The doctor inserts a thin needle that has a “vacuum tube” at the end through your vaginal wall on each side to suck out all of the follicular fluid from your follicles. There is no other easy way to get to the follicles, because of the shape. The fluid is put into a dish and handed off to an embryologist, who searches for eggs and calls out the numbers they find. Then they wheel you out and you wake up, feeling pretty good!

(Until you start having hot flashes and vomit into your daughters sand bucket on the way home). 

Now I just feel very tired, bloated, and slightly crampy and nauseous. Not too bad though, I was fearing much worse. Praying tomorrow goes well!