2 Days Down, What Feels Like a Century to Go!

How many days left until the pregnancy blood draw? A whole week you say?? I don't think I will make it...already going crazy waiting and wondering! Even though my RE doesn't require strict bed rest following the embryo transfer, I've definitely been taking it easy. If I had to describe my state the past couple days it would be "movie watching and laziness to the extreme." Hubby even unloaded the dishwasher, swept after dinner, and boiled water for his tea last night. Gasp! haha! Speaking of hubby; What a sweetheart. He surprised me last night with a card that make me bawl and these...

From my sweet hubby. :)

Seriously though, it's weird not doing chores or anything that involves lifting and core strength, but I've been really careful just to be on the safe side. I have read stories from women who didn't even shower for 3 days following their transfer, staying on complete bed rest, but that is a little beyond what I personally think is necessary in order to achieve a state of rest....no offense to anyone who has adopted that regimen. I just think the mental state of taking it that far would outweigh any physical benefit in my case, but that's just me. Instead, I'm just keeping my pace at a mosy, while still continuing to cook, eat, drink, and bathe as normal. No gym time whatsoever either of course.

I'll venture out into the real world again tomorrow for my volunteer shift downtown. I'm also taking a lot of time to just meditate, listen to soft music, and trying to envision what amazing things could be going on inside of me right now. I was actually having a little trouble even knowing what should be going on in there in the days following an embryo transfer until I found this cool little chart...

Source: NYU Fertility Center @ http://www.nyufertilitycenter.org/ivf/embryo_transfer

So, now instead of just picturing something random, I have a little more direction on some specific visualizations. Seeing this also got me a little antsy to want to do some HPT's at home, before the actual pregnancy blood draw. I am not a Pee-On-A-Stick-aholic by any means. I actually detest taking HPT's at home, because seeing a negative result just affects me in such a bad way. Major mood killer! However, I also know that a pregnancy could be detectable days before the RE has me scheduled to do the blood draw.

After my 2nd and most recent pregnancy loss, I was made aware through more extensive testing that I happen to have 4 blood clotting/autoimmune disorders, which absolutely have the potential to cause miscarriages. That is why I already have a prescription sitting here from my hematologist for Lovenox, ready to be filled the moment I found out I'm pregnant. I have been ordered to take these daily blood thinner injections (in addition to the daily baby aspirin I'm already taking) once I am pregnant next time around. This will help to prevent my blood from clotting and causing any complications. It's for that reason, that I really do want to find out if I am pregnant ASAP.

I went ahead and ordered some Wondfo HPT's last night. They should arrive tomorrow, which means I can begin testing on Saturday morning. By then I will be 5dp5dt (5 days past 5 day transfer). I have never used an hCG trigger shot before either, and now I'm thinking I should have started testing sooner to truly "test out the trigger." For anyone who doesn't know, you can get a false positive pregnancy test if you've used the Ovidrel trigger shot and hCG from it is still in your system, so what many women do is take a pregnancy test every day following an IUI or IVF transfer and watch the pregnancy tests go from + to - first. This confirms that the trigger shot is out of your system completely. Then if any subsequent tests return to a +, you know it's the real deal. Sounds like a lot work, but really it only requires about 2 minutes each morning to pee in a cup and dip a stick for 5 seconds.

I've never tested out a trigger. Will it be too late to even do that if I don't start testing until 5dp5dt? I am thinking I should have started this whole testing process much earlier now unfortunately! I guess if it's negative, I'll know the trigger is out of my system for sure. However, if it's + can I assume it's still the trigger or is it possibly the real deal? I am already confused and haven't even started testing yet! ha! Any advice or feedback on when a trigger shot should leave your system is welcome!