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I got a call this morning from the embryologist. Of the 23 eggs that they were able to retrieve 10 were of good quality and mature enough to fertilize. They performed ICSI on those 10 all 10 fertilized!!!! She said that statistics show that half of them will make it to the transfer stage or to freezing. We only need 2, so this is great news. We may even have some to freeze for later!
Here are what our embryos look like right now. Can you believe there are 10 little Greg and Jenifer's??
By this afternoon they will look like this.On Tuesday at 7:30 Greg and I will go in to the office. I have to have a FULL bladder and then they will transfer the embryos. Greg will drive me home after that and I will crawl in my own bed with my babies. I can't wait to be home!
The embryologist said they do not look at the embryos daily so I will not hear from them again until Monday.
I am just watching TV today and taking it easy. I started the progesterone and estrogen this morning. Yeah! I am hoping to feel more like myself soon. I am continuing to take the methylprednisolone and tetracycline. Today was my last dose of the methylprednisolone.
Slowly, all the medication are dwindling down. It is great to mark another one OFF the list.
(Progesterone is the hormone that prepares the uterus and endometrial lining to support an early pregnancy (Progesterone = “Pro-gestation hormone”). Produced in the ovary between ovulation and the following menstrual period, and by the placenta in the early embryo, progesterone stimulates cells in the endometrial lining to become receptive to the early embryo and, after implantation, to support growth of the embryo. Without progesterone, implantation could not occur; if progesterone were to be removed in early pregnancy, miscarriage would be certain to follow.
Progesterone is essential to the development of the early embryo. Progesterone from the corpus luteum circulates through the bloodstream to the uterus, where the endometrium that has been prepared by estrogen starts to change to support the early pregnancy. This change in the endometrial lining, luteinization, is essential for the embryo.
Because it aids in creating a receptive environment for the embryo, insufficient progesterone can be a source of infertility and miscarriage. Low progesterone levels will result in luteal phase defect, a condition in which there is insufficient hormonal support for the early pregnancy. Failure of implantation of an otherwise healthy embryo, or loss of an early pregnancy, may occur with luteal phase defect. Some women do not produce any progesterone at all, for example, after menopause, or when a menopausal state is temporarily induced using medications to prevent ovulation. Without progesterone, pregnancy cannot occur.
The progesterone receptor mediates the action of the hormone and is critically important to pregnancy; some cases of infertility may be related to abnormalities in the progesterone receptor (Spandorfer, Normand et al. 2006). A simple alteration in the genetic code for the progesterone receptor is common in patients with infertility, and appears to be associated with poorer pregnancy outcomes.
The method of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is associated with luteal phase defects and low progesterone levels (Albano, Smitz et al. 1999). With IVF treatment, many of the cells that produce progesterone are removed from the ovary in the course of oocyte retrieval. In addition, the use of GnRH agonists and antagonists (leuprolide, ganirelix, cetrorelix) prevent the release of LH and FSH from the pituitary, removing the primary stimulus for progesterone production from the ovary. Progesterone levels may not be adequate to support the pregnancy, resulting in a luteal phase defect, implantation failure, and early miscarriage.
For treatment, progesterone usage falls into two broad groups, progesterone supplementation, where progesterone is produced in the ovary and supplemented with medication, and progesterone replacement, where there is no natural progesterone production. Progesterone replacement would be used in an oocyte donation recipient. Since ovulation occurs in the donor, and there is no natural progesterone in the recipient, all progesterone must be administered. Progesterone replacement is also common for cryopreserved embryo transfers, though natural cycles can also be used in many women with regular menstrual cycles. Medical supplementation might be used in a variety of conditions associated with luteal phase defect or to reduce the risk of early miscarriage associated with low progesterone levels.
Progesterone is supplemented medically to reduce the risk of pregnancy problems arising from low progesterone levels. Progesterone may be given orally, by vaginal supplement, by injection, or its production enhanced by injection of hCG, which stimulates the corpus luteum to produce additional progesterone(Pouly, Bassil et al. 1996). )
It is pouring down rain here! Tara gave me some new books to read.
Today seems like the perfect day to start one! Thanks Tara!
I will keep y'all posted if I hear anything new. Keep us in your prayers. We need my body to be healthy, rested and ready for embryos on Tuesday!
I can't believe it is almost here!!!! We are so excited!
