Embryo transfer

Yesterday afternoon I went back to the clinic for the embryo transfer. My tummy still felt a bit uncomfortable, but I couldn't feel anything much unless I tried to cough or moved too quickly. The bloating had completely disappeared.

Regarding the scan and my adventures over the weekend, it was all a bit of an anticlimax! Dr W breezily said that the scan showed a bit of extra fluid but nothing to worry about. She also said the blood test I'd had done at the hospital was fine (despite Dr T yesterday saying that it showed "abnormalities" with my electrolytes) and that it was all quite normal for someone who'd just undergone egg harvesting. She said that doctors who don't have much experience with fertility treatment can sometimes overreact about OHSS symptoms. Of course I didn't really want anything to be actually wrong with me, but I feel a bit upset about the waste of time and money, not just my money but the public health resources that went into assessing and testing me for something that wasn't of concern. I would have felt worse about the expense if I'd been admitted into the hospital overnight, so I'm really glad I trusted my feelings on that one! I mentioned to Dr W that it was a pity that no one at the after hours clinic or the hospital could have consulted with a specialist and that things might have been different if I had experienced symptoms during the working week. She told me that a change is about to be instigated so that the doctors will take turns to take the mobile phone home with them over the weekends and be on call, rather than the nurses, so I can only hope that this will mean clarity can be achieved sooner if this happens to someone else.

The embryo transfer itself went very smoothly. Dr W had been held up in theatre (I assume another patient's egg retrieval hadn't gone as planned), so it started about half an hour late, but that was fine. Nurse A looked after me and we discussed the weekend's events. I met P, a lab technician, and she showed me photos of the two embryos that were going to be transferred, one seven-cell and one nine-cell. The third embryo will be frozen in case we need it. I got changed into a gown and positioned myself on the bed which had high stirrups under my knees. My bladder had to be full for the procedure and because of the delay I was a bit worried I'd need to go to the toilet, but the feeling passed. Nurse A held an ultrasound probe over my uterus and we could see the image on a screen on the wall. Dr W inserted a speculum and cleaned my cervix, then P brought in a soft catheter containing the embryos and Dr W placed them into my uterus. It was all very quick and completely painless.

After the procedure, I stayed on the bed for a short time while Nurse A explained what happens next. I have to continue using the progesterone pessaries three times a day. I am to avoid alcohol, smoking, all the usual stuff, and hot baths. And - good news - the date for my pregnancy test is Friday 20 September, so only 11 days away! The dreaded two-week wait isn't going to be quite that long. I felt absolutely fine as I left the clinic and drove home. I updated D by text message and although he was very disappointed that he couldn't be there, he was glad that everything went well.

Today the discomfort in my tummy has disappeared completely and I am feeling very hopeful. I can almost imagine those two little embryos burrowing away and making their home inside me. I didn't even mind not having a beer at our pub quiz last night! So the 11-day wait has begun. More news as it comes to hand!