Embryo Transfer

Embryo transfer was a most exciting and surreal experience!

So we arrived at our clinic for embryo transfer at 2pm; the actual procedure was scheduled for 2.30pm but we were asked to arrive half an hour early (as with egg collection) to prepare.

We had to use our sexy ID card (printed for egg collection) to gain access to the 'hospital' area of the clinic. I also had a wristband printed with a barcode on it (as with egg collection) that was scanned when I got into theatre.

Hubby was allowed into theatre with me for embryo transfer. We both donned some really attractive scrubs. I lay on the theatre bed and put my legs in stirrups. A speculum was inserted, and then the really nice consultant busied himself with 'cleaning' my cervix. This was the most uncomfortable part of the whole procedure, it seemed to go on for ages. This is because it felt like a really uncomfortable smear and smears make me feel really squeamish!!! A catheter was then inserted into my cervix and the embryo gently guided into place. I was worried about this part being painful, but I couldn't feel it at all. We did watch it happening on the ultrasound scan, which was amazing. Hubby said my uterus looked like a 'mouse'!

I had been asked to drink a glass of water an hour before, so the scan would show a clear water, but I think some of the extra anti-OHSS water was also hanging around as my bladder was very, very full - which meant the consultant got a really good clear picture. He said my ovaries aren't looking enlarged at the moment, which was great news! And he said that the 'passage' for the embryo was really easy and clear, which he was also really pleased with.

We were shown a picture of the embryo prior to transfer; the consultant and embryologist told us how pleased they were with it. It was a grade 1/2 (grade 1 being the best at our clinic) hatching blastocyst - the nucleus being grade 1 and the surrounding area being grade 2. Apparently our second healthy good quality embryo is exactly the same; the clinic like to use the best quality embryo on the fresh cycle but they couldn't choose between them! So we have another top quality hatching blast in the freezer!!!

The whole thing was over and done with in 10 minutes. I then lay in recovery for 20 minutes - while the nurse went through some 'Two Week Window Do's and Don't's' with us (no sex! no shark meat!) - before we walked back to the little ward to get changed and leave.

Afterwards I felt elated and very emotional. It was such a relief to get to this point and I feel so very, very blessed it overwhelms me. Having so many emotions running around was a roller coaster - I went out for Chinese that night, and had to jog across one lane of the road as the traffic lights changed, and was then in floods of tears when I got in again, convinced I'd ruined our little embryo's chances (even though our clinic does not advise rest). After a good cry I realised I was being pretty silly, but I had so many emotions built up after all the tense weeks of waiting, with more weeks of waiting ahead of us.