We arrived at the clinic bright and early for our Day 5 transfer. A nurse took us back to the procedure area and got us checked in (gown, wristband, vitals, etc). I was supposed to have a full(ish) bladder for the transfer, so as soon as we were settled in our room, one of the radiology techs came in to do an ultrasound to check my status. She was a funny, talkative woman who rattled off all kinds of stuff while she squirted gel on my belly. I had gotten so used to the dildocam that I was surprised to see this would be an external exam. She examined my uterus on the screen and pointed out where my endometrium was nice and thick - she called it the "sweet spot" and the "penthouse suite" where the embryo(s) would go and hopefully stick. She explained that having a fuller bladder helps the uterus stretch out flat, which makes it easier to get the embryo(s) to the right place. I asked if I needed to keep drinking, and she said she'd be back to check it closer to transfer-time, but that I could probably just sip a little now and then.
After the tech left, there was a flurry of people coming in and out for the next 20 minutes or so. One of the nurses brought in more consents for us to sign, including one to cryopreserve the remaining embryos after transfer. Someone from the billing office came to take our payment information (cryopreservation isn't covered by insurance). Somewhere in there, they told me to go ahead and take my Valium. Then one of the embryologists came in to tell us that they were going to transfer in one nice, big, healthy-looking blastocyst. I asked about the quality and she confirmed that it was the highest grade possible - a 1AA. She said we had a total of 7 embryos that were growing at the expected rate, including 6 that were grade 1AA and 1 that was a 2AB. That left 4 (of the 11 that had fertilized) that weren't quite big enough yet. She said they would give those 4 another day to see if they picked up the pace, but that for sure we'd have 6 left to freeze after the transfer. After she left, the doctor doing procedures that day poked her head in to introduce herself (Dr. F). And soon after that, the tech was back to check my bladder again. Once she gave the thumbs up, things started happening even faster. A nurse got me into position, propping my legs up in those stirrup things and draping the area with sterile cloths. The tech continued to talk us through what would happen. The embryologist came back and asked me to verify my name and date of birth again. And then it was show time. Literally. We got to watch the whole thing on a TV screen and on ultrasound. It was really cool!
First, Dr. F inserted a speculum and swabbed my cervix. Then, she inserted a catheter into my uterus, which we could see on the ultrasound screen. Meanwhile, the TV came on and a camera panned over a petri dish with our names on it before focusing on a small, greenish glob. We watched as the glob was sucked up into a pipet attached to another catheter. The catheter was brought into our room and Dr. F threaded it through the catheter that was already in me. Again, we could see it on ultrasound. Then, they said to watch for the "flash" as the embryo (along with the fluid it was suspended in) was injected through the double-catheter into my uterus. Sure enough, a small bright flash moved across the screen, landing by the endometrium the tech had pointed out. It was so amazing to see!!! The mood in the room was very positive - everyone kept wishing us luck. They had me lay there for a few more minutes and then I was allowed to get dressed and leave.
I had strict instructions to be more-or-less on bed-rest for the next 48 hours. Since Paul had to take a test for class that day before heading to his shift, my MIL met us along the way and brought me the rest of the way home. The Valium made me kind of sleepy, so I took a nap that afternoon. When I got up, my MIL went to pick up some sandwiches for dinner and we sat around and talked for a bit. B came over a little later to do my shot, and my MIL stuck around to observe so she could be a back-up stabber. Eventually, everyone headed home (my MIL had offered to stay the night but since they're just 5 minutes down the road I told her I would probably be fine on my own). Having spent all day either in bed or on the couch, I was surprisingly tired, but I stayed up a little longer to research implantation timelines on the internet. All I could think was "Stick, little embryo... Stick!"
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