Pregnancy Test Day

The day we were given to take a pregnancy test was 13 days past transfer (13dp5dt). I wondered whether I'd want to test early, and around days 5-7 I did have some days of wanting to test, but then I figured it was an opportunity to practise patience - and that if I was pregnant, I'd have plenty more opportunity to practise that, as I waited for scans and so forth, so it would be a good skill to develop!!! After that, I had no trouble waiting, and actually I could have waited longer, but that was probably because I was so nervous about testing. The pregnancy test is a huge deal after going through so much in a cycle, and I definitely felt the pressure of it.

I was really lucky though, as thanks to the OHSS I had a fairly good idea it would be positive. I also had a lot of hope as we had a hatching blast. I also had a fair few symptoms during the 2WW and some mild nausea started on 10dp5dt. When I got the nausea I was so happy - I just felt so blissed out and so pregnant! I had this feeling really deep down inside that something new, strange, and exciting was going on down below.

I couldn't sleep for excitement the night before the test, not a wink of anxiety (very unlike me!). I got up at 6am to take the test, couldn't hold out any more. We'd been given a test by the clinic and I'd bought some tests as well, so I did three. I peed in a little pot given us by the clinic and we stuck the tests in, set a timer, and lay on the bed for three minutes. I then had to get hubby to check the result, I was so nervous. He seemed to take an age to respond and then he said... 'Mrs, you're pregnant!'

I text his mum and sister right away (they asked us to!), and my mum at 8am. Hubby's mum and dad had a little cry, it was lovely. It was so precious telling my mum as well, she made a noise I'd never heard before - "OoohOOOOHoooh!" - and said she'd learn to knit!!!

I didn't feel like sharing the news with others after that, I wish we could have kept it to ourselves for a bit, but we had other friends waiting for the result. Overall I feel so blessed to have so many people rooting for us that I don't mind sharing - it's just my fears of something going wrong or it not being 'real' that makes me cautious. I wish I could let go of that fear and enjoy the moment!

The whole rest of test day I felt shattered and in shock. I didn't sleep well that night either, or the next night! It's now a few days later (I back-dated this post) and I still have no idea how to adjust to news like this!!!

I phoned the clinic that afternoon to give them our result and our 8 week scan was booked for December 14th.

Answered Prayer, OHSS, and the 2WW

So on the second day after embryo transfer (2dp5dt) my stomach swelled up like a little pregnant belly and I was diagnosed with mild OHSS following a scan and blood test at the clinic that afternoon. My ovaries had grown 1cm each since embryo transfer (from 6cm to 7cm) and a little fluid had collected on my belly.

After this the clinic phoned to monitor my belly measurements and symptoms every day for a week and a half. After about a week of this they stopped being concerned, I guess it became clear it was staying mild.

A week after embryo transfer (7dp5dt) I had a TERRIBLE night; pain like a ring of fire around my middle (front and back) which Paracetamol didn't touch and therefore no sleep. It was like the worst AF cramps ever and I spent the whole night terrified I was about to start bleeding and the cycle would be over. In the morning my ovaries were throbbing and felt really tender, and the clinic said such pain was normal with OHSS. At this point I felt VERY blessed only to have OHSS so mildly! Aside from that night, my stomach blew up and down a little bit over the days, and I had cramps in my ovaries on and off, but nothing Paracetamol wouldn't take care of. The clinic had me on 'rest', so I spent most of this week on the sofa watching costume dramas. The nurses said that the severity of OHSS can be directly related to the preventative measures women take - e.g. resting, drinking water, and eating protein with every meal (which I did).

Developing OHSS after the embryo transfer made me so happy - in fact, I actually prayed specifically that I would get mild OHSS post-transfer!!! This is because the nurses had told us that OHSS developing post-transfer means pregnancy. So I felt hugely optimistic and loved by God throughout the 2WW, although I felt sick... I'd been terrified of the dreaded 2WW, but actually I found it a lovely, peaceful, and calm time... I 'felt' pregnant during the whole waiting period, from the time the embryo was popped back in.

The Lord has answered some really specific prayers during the IVF process. Here are some of the prayers He has answered:

1. During the stims process I prayed for just the right number of eggs - not too many and not too few, for optimum quality. We had 13 mature, 11 fertilised, and all survived to biopsy. A pretty amazing result!
2. I prayed for Maha, our consultant, to perform the egg collection procedure... And she did! 
3. I prayed that the sedative would knock me out and I'd sleep through the whole egg collection procedure... And I did!
4. I prayed for mild OHSS after transfer, for encouragement, and it came at 2dp5dt.

In fact, the Lord answered ALL my specific (and non-specific!) prayers throughout the whole procedure... And He also looked after some needs I didn't know I had. He delayed my CRB so that I couldn't start my new job until after the clinic had OK'd me to stop resting for OHSS prevention. He gave me the mentor I specifically wanted (out of 8) when I did then start my job. During my first work training session (during the stims phase) the trainer revealed that she'd had IVF treatment - although I didn't reveal to anyone we were having treatment for another few weeks! My friend also prayed that when I started my job, I would make a connection with someone who was a Christian. I did make a connection with one particular person... But I didn't learn for a few weeks that they are in fact a Christian!

The Lord is awesome, and He has really showed His might through this process!!! It is so humbling for someone who has had many doubts about the efficacy of prayer.