Stages

I am now in another waiting stage, but this one will probably be a short one. I have done most of what I need to do to get to the implantation stage as far as my body is concerned. The IM (intending mom) however is into the stage where she gets to start all her hormones. This is an exciting step in the process b/c it really is when we get to find out if all this is actually going to be possible. She has started her injections as of Nov.26th and will be leaving on Dec.2nd for an ultrasound in Vancouver. This ultrasound will check to see how her ovaries are responding to the hormones. What they need to do is get her body to produce an abundance of eggs and have them mature in her ovary. Naturally in your body you only produce one egg (more with multiples) and it does a maturing process that starts in the ovary and continues in the fallopian tubes. The process that the IM has to undergo can be uncomfortable and the clinic said that women can have a feeling of being "full" (not in her stomach, but just in general I think) since her ovary is actually swelled with the excess eggs. The actual retrieval of the egg can be painful as well. Normally for an egg retrieval they go up through the vagina and then use a needle to go through the side of the vagina and through to the ovary. I know that this process will be different for my IM since her anatomy is slightly different. I'm not sure how the process will change, but it will be interesting to hear how. I really hope it's not too painful for her, although she did say the way they will have to do it will be more invasive. She will be staying in Vancouver until the transfer happens. Everyday she has to go get blood taken and then wait for the clinic to call her with her hormone dosage for that day. It's a very precise science behind all this. I find it so interesting.

So keep your prayers coming! We are still on track for those dates, however we should have a better idea once the egg retrieval process begins. The eggs need to mature outside the uterus for 3 to 5 days (we are doing 3 since we want to transfer two eggs, if there are two). I feel so hopeful!! :)