Player Two Has Joined The Match

Last Thursday, my blood test results again came back showing that I was on schedule for embryo transfer. Yesterday we traveled to Christchurch in preparation for the appointment today. After finding that my bladder wasn't full enough last time to visualise everything properly on the ultrasound, I made sure I drank close to two litres of water over the course of the morning. By late morning when our appointment time arrived, I was very uncomfortable!

As before, on entering the clinic and being taken to a private room, I was asked to confirm my name, date of birth and address, before the nurse advised us that our remaining embryo had survived the thawing process and was ready to be transferred. They gave me all the paperwork and lab forms for aftercare and the next blood test I would need. I changed into a gown, and they led us back through to the theatre to the waiting nurse and specialist doctor. Dave was again seated on a chair just at my shoulder. This time, they had no trouble finding my bladder with the ultrasound, (if anything it was a little too big!), but they were able to visualise my cervix and uterus. Having a full bladder apparently helps move other organs such as your bowels out of the way, and flattens and straightens out your cervix and uterus into positions that are easier to see with the probe. They had no trouble inserting the speculum and threading the catheter through my cervix, and could see it on the ultrasound - the catheter shows up as a thin white line in the grey distortion. Again, this was a little uncomfortable, but not painful. When they were happy with the position, they indicated to a third nurse who handed them the embryo contained in a syringe from the lab. The embryo was then passed through the catheter and into my endometrium (uterine lining). The doctor waited a few moments before withdrawing the catheter, allowing the embryo time to 'settle'. The fluid from the syringe that contained the embryo could be seen as a small dark spot on the ultrasound. Once the embryologist double-checked the syringe to ensure the embryo had been transferred, we were set to go. We are hopeful that things going more smoothly this time is a good start.

Diagram showing ultrasound-guided embryo transfer.
From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSYkjZR4xmE

The next step is a blood test in just under a fortnight to see if this one takes. In the meantime, I am to continue taking the Progynova, Utrogestan, folic acid, and my probiotics. And on it goes.