It's the start of another cycle and I was very happy, when I called the clinic, to be told that they wanted me to start taking the birth control pills so we can get ready for cycling with the egg donor. Apparently, they are still waiting for her to have another cycle before we start the IVF protocol, but it seems that she's only a day or two behind me, so perhaps soon, I'll get word on what we're doing next.
I did get to take a trip to the clinic for baseline bloodwork and an ultrasound. They called later to say that everything looks good. So now, more waiting to hear what's next. It should be just a few days until I get a phone call...
Friday, November 2, 2012
Monday, October 8, 2012
Dealing with Disappointment
Today was supposed to be a big, exciting day! I was finally able to call the IVF clinic and get set up with medications to cycle with the egg donor. But instead, there was a big letdown. When I called, I was informed that something happened with the egg donor and our cycling is going to be delayed for 6-8 more weeks. So now we're looking at a late December or mid-January transfer.... unless.... unless I get unexpected good news when I call next month. I will be keeping all my fingers crossed for a nice surprise next time!
In the meantime, I get to have a hysteroscopy and a mock transfer later this month. These fun procedures are done so that when the time comes for the real transfer, they have all the measurements and information they need to do it perfectly. At least it's something to pass the time.
More waiting...
In the meantime, I get to have a hysteroscopy and a mock transfer later this month. These fun procedures are done so that when the time comes for the real transfer, they have all the measurements and information they need to do it perfectly. At least it's something to pass the time.
More waiting...
Monday, October 1, 2012
A Big Announcement
Since my last update, our timeline has slowed down a bit. Our contracts hit a snag in trying to arrange all the pre-birth order / post-birth adoption details. It's finally all been done and we're signing the paperwork tomorrow or the day after, but because of the delay, we didn't get to start cycling in September. But... it looks like we'll begin in just a few more days and then we're off and running!
For those hopeful surrogates-to-be who might be reading this, I do plan to post an easy-to-follow version of our timeline once I get the IVF schedule. It's the kind of detail I've wondered about for months, so I hope you'll find it helpful.
So since everything is on the cusp of being finalized, I was no longer able to wait patiently (or impatiently) to tell all my online friends about this exciting adventure. I got to make my big announcement on Facebook and there was a lovely outpouring of support. I think it's lovely that others can appreciate how much this means to both the intended parents and myself. It really makes me look forward to being able to share this journey with others....
Hopefully, the next update will bring news of "the plan" and maybe a hopeful transfer date. In my own head, I'm guessing that maybe it will be right around Thanksgiving but who knows....
For those hopeful surrogates-to-be who might be reading this, I do plan to post an easy-to-follow version of our timeline once I get the IVF schedule. It's the kind of detail I've wondered about for months, so I hope you'll find it helpful.
So since everything is on the cusp of being finalized, I was no longer able to wait patiently (or impatiently) to tell all my online friends about this exciting adventure. I got to make my big announcement on Facebook and there was a lovely outpouring of support. I think it's lovely that others can appreciate how much this means to both the intended parents and myself. It really makes me look forward to being able to share this journey with others....
Hopefully, the next update will bring news of "the plan" and maybe a hopeful transfer date. In my own head, I'm guessing that maybe it will be right around Thanksgiving but who knows....
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
More News
This past weekend, my husband and I had the great fortune to finally meet our intended parents in person! They flew in earlier in the week but between their appointments and our busy schedule, it wasn't possible to get together until Sunday evening. Thankfully we were able to find a sitter for the kids and so we were able to give them our undivided attention and get to know them a little bit better.
Our time at dinner passed all too quickly and before we knew it, it was time to go home. We got some photos together and said our goodbyes. Hubby and I were both very pleased to know that we chose a wonderful couple to help grow a family. It made us feel even more excited to get the actual medical stuff started!
Three days prior, I was able to review the details of our contract with my attorney. Thankfully, there were only a few minor details for which we requested changes. By the time we met over the weekend, the IP's were just waiting to meet with their attorney again to discuss the changes they had and to review what we had requested.
The next day, Hubby stayed home with the kids and I drove to the IVF clinic to meet in person with the IP's and the doctor and nurse coordinator. We had some more time to talk (yay!) and verified that we were in agreement over several major points regarding the transfer, pregnancy and delivery. Unfortunately, that too ended all too soon and I was headed back home...
I really felt like we made a good connection this weekend and aside from being excited to move forward with the surrogacy process, I'm also appreciative of the fact that I've had a chance to become friends with some really fantastic people!
At this point, I'm to contact the clinic around mid-September to start taking medications to begin cycling with the egg donor. Barring any unforeseen delays, it seems as though we're anticipating our first transfer (hopefully the only one needed) around the end of October!
Our time at dinner passed all too quickly and before we knew it, it was time to go home. We got some photos together and said our goodbyes. Hubby and I were both very pleased to know that we chose a wonderful couple to help grow a family. It made us feel even more excited to get the actual medical stuff started!
Three days prior, I was able to review the details of our contract with my attorney. Thankfully, there were only a few minor details for which we requested changes. By the time we met over the weekend, the IP's were just waiting to meet with their attorney again to discuss the changes they had and to review what we had requested.
The next day, Hubby stayed home with the kids and I drove to the IVF clinic to meet in person with the IP's and the doctor and nurse coordinator. We had some more time to talk (yay!) and verified that we were in agreement over several major points regarding the transfer, pregnancy and delivery. Unfortunately, that too ended all too soon and I was headed back home...
I really felt like we made a good connection this weekend and aside from being excited to move forward with the surrogacy process, I'm also appreciative of the fact that I've had a chance to become friends with some really fantastic people!
At this point, I'm to contact the clinic around mid-September to start taking medications to begin cycling with the egg donor. Barring any unforeseen delays, it seems as though we're anticipating our first transfer (hopefully the only one needed) around the end of October!
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Big News!
Hooray! I've got IT!! The contract...is in my hands. Well - actually on my computer. But that's good enough for a draft version. I'm super excited because I'll be reviewing it with my attorney and hopefully it will be signed by all parties within the next few days. It's 38 pages!! Wow! - and I thought we had a fairly simple thing going here... It appears to be only slightly less complicated than the paperwork for buying a house... at least it appears I'll only have to sign once (unlike the 50,000 signatures required for the home purchase). I can't wait to review it with my attorney and get this part done and squared away. Starting the process of cycling with the egg donor isn't very far away at all...
Also, the intended parents are here for the week! We'll finally get to meet in person this weekend. I'm very excited but also nervous to meet the people I've been longing to help for years. (even though I didn't know it was them until recently)
Stay tuned...
Also, the intended parents are here for the week! We'll finally get to meet in person this weekend. I'm very excited but also nervous to meet the people I've been longing to help for years. (even though I didn't know it was them until recently)
Stay tuned...
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Get Ready, Get Set... Wait!
There is a recurring theme to this blog. It's something like, "Hurry Up and Wait." Thankfully my family's summer activities have more than filled the days and so I haven't gone too crazy waiting for more to happen with this surrogacy project!
My IF's (intended fathers) are coming to the States very soon! They have their travel dates to do all their initial appointments with the RE (reproductive endocrinologist) office. My husband and I will finally be meeting them in person before the end of August. After our meeting, we'll be having a group meeting with the doctor in charge of this surrogacy to be sure we have all the information we need and to discuss how everything moves forward in the actual clinic.
From what I understand, the big holdup is the contracts. I believe the egg donor contract is completed and signed, but mine is still in the works. I think it's being sent to my IF's this week, but I'll truly only feel better once they can say they have it... Once they sign it, it will come back to me for review. Once the paperwork is completed, it will be time to start cycling with the egg donor.
Initially, I had hoped everything would move forward enough that we might be looking at a transfer at the end of August or by mid-September... but because the contracts have taken so long, I'm thinking it will probably be more like the end of September or mid-October. As always - it will be wait and see.
In the past, I've mentioned my hope to lose a couple of pounds before beginning medications for the surrogacy. So far, I've had no luck - mostly because I have no willpower if there's snack foods in the house. (and I'm a big-time ice cream junkie, which makes summertime "dieting" a lot harder!). But my husband has finally decided he wants to join in too, which is always a tremendous help to me. So... here's to saying goodbye to 5-10 pounds in the next month or so!
Until next time...
My IF's (intended fathers) are coming to the States very soon! They have their travel dates to do all their initial appointments with the RE (reproductive endocrinologist) office. My husband and I will finally be meeting them in person before the end of August. After our meeting, we'll be having a group meeting with the doctor in charge of this surrogacy to be sure we have all the information we need and to discuss how everything moves forward in the actual clinic.
From what I understand, the big holdup is the contracts. I believe the egg donor contract is completed and signed, but mine is still in the works. I think it's being sent to my IF's this week, but I'll truly only feel better once they can say they have it... Once they sign it, it will come back to me for review. Once the paperwork is completed, it will be time to start cycling with the egg donor.
Initially, I had hoped everything would move forward enough that we might be looking at a transfer at the end of August or by mid-September... but because the contracts have taken so long, I'm thinking it will probably be more like the end of September or mid-October. As always - it will be wait and see.
In the past, I've mentioned my hope to lose a couple of pounds before beginning medications for the surrogacy. So far, I've had no luck - mostly because I have no willpower if there's snack foods in the house. (and I'm a big-time ice cream junkie, which makes summertime "dieting" a lot harder!). But my husband has finally decided he wants to join in too, which is always a tremendous help to me. So... here's to saying goodbye to 5-10 pounds in the next month or so!
Until next time...
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Testing, Testing, 1.2.3...
Monday was a great day! My husband and I found some poor sucker to watch the kids all day and skipped town! Ha... just kidding - well, sort of...
Actually, we entrusted the care of our munchkins to my sister-in-law, who was gracious enough to arrive at our home at 5:50 am, and hubby and I rode off into the sunrise to the Philadelphia area to visit the RE office for the first time. It turned out to be an enjoyable and peaceful 13 hours of time together.
We were introduced to the nurse coordinator who will be handling our entire case. She introduced us to all the different medications I'll be taking in order to synchronize my cycle with the egg donor and subsequently building a nice home for my IP's embryo, while suspending my own ovulation. It's amazing what can be accomplished with hormones. The human body is really just one large, extremely complex, chemically-operated machine! We provided blood and urine for all the required tests and super-Hubby survived the dreaded needle!
After reviewing the medications and explaining how I got involved in surrogacy, Hubby and I had the pleasure of spending some time taking some written psychological tests. We weren't to be sharing answers (obviously) but at least we were able to joke with each other a little while taking them, which made the whole process at lot more bearable!
After a quick lunch break, we met with one of the physicians, though likely not the one I'll be seeing regularly. He reviewed a lot of information about how the whole process works, including the FDA oversight of testing and process, and he got a complete history from me, including the location & ages of all my tattoos and piercings. That was something I wasn't necessarily expecting. Our time with the good doctor ended with a physical exam, which included an ultrasound of my reproductive parts. I've never had one done without actually already having a baby in there, so it was definitely a new experience for me. The doctor labeled my ovary as "Picasso-esque," whatever that means! I think it was just a bit of RE humor that must've flown over my head...
Finally, we finished up by meeting with the psychologist, who was kind enough to come to the clinic so we could complete all of this stuff in one visit instead of two - saving us a full day of travel and childcare. Yay!
I really liked her - she was very personable and made our 3 hour interview a good one! We talked about pretty much everything under the sun with regards to myself, my husband, our relationship, our expectations about the surrogacy journey and the IP's. I can say with confidence that I'm certain that if we weren't ready for this, she would've uncovered the issue during this visit and talked to us about it.
So now I get to wait for our results to come in - hopefully by the end of the week and then it's on to contracts. Once that is complete, bring on the meds and we're off and running.... My expectation at this point (based on the information provided by the nurse coordinator) is that I might be starting a birth control pill by the end of July or the beginning of August, which means that hopefully a September transfer is in the works! Can't wait to see...
Actually, we entrusted the care of our munchkins to my sister-in-law, who was gracious enough to arrive at our home at 5:50 am, and hubby and I rode off into the sunrise to the Philadelphia area to visit the RE office for the first time. It turned out to be an enjoyable and peaceful 13 hours of time together.
We were introduced to the nurse coordinator who will be handling our entire case. She introduced us to all the different medications I'll be taking in order to synchronize my cycle with the egg donor and subsequently building a nice home for my IP's embryo, while suspending my own ovulation. It's amazing what can be accomplished with hormones. The human body is really just one large, extremely complex, chemically-operated machine! We provided blood and urine for all the required tests and super-Hubby survived the dreaded needle!
After reviewing the medications and explaining how I got involved in surrogacy, Hubby and I had the pleasure of spending some time taking some written psychological tests. We weren't to be sharing answers (obviously) but at least we were able to joke with each other a little while taking them, which made the whole process at lot more bearable!
After a quick lunch break, we met with one of the physicians, though likely not the one I'll be seeing regularly. He reviewed a lot of information about how the whole process works, including the FDA oversight of testing and process, and he got a complete history from me, including the location & ages of all my tattoos and piercings. That was something I wasn't necessarily expecting. Our time with the good doctor ended with a physical exam, which included an ultrasound of my reproductive parts. I've never had one done without actually already having a baby in there, so it was definitely a new experience for me. The doctor labeled my ovary as "Picasso-esque," whatever that means! I think it was just a bit of RE humor that must've flown over my head...
Finally, we finished up by meeting with the psychologist, who was kind enough to come to the clinic so we could complete all of this stuff in one visit instead of two - saving us a full day of travel and childcare. Yay!
I really liked her - she was very personable and made our 3 hour interview a good one! We talked about pretty much everything under the sun with regards to myself, my husband, our relationship, our expectations about the surrogacy journey and the IP's. I can say with confidence that I'm certain that if we weren't ready for this, she would've uncovered the issue during this visit and talked to us about it.
So now I get to wait for our results to come in - hopefully by the end of the week and then it's on to contracts. Once that is complete, bring on the meds and we're off and running.... My expectation at this point (based on the information provided by the nurse coordinator) is that I might be starting a birth control pill by the end of July or the beginning of August, which means that hopefully a September transfer is in the works! Can't wait to see...
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