Embryo Adoption Update – The Transfer

Well, we just arrived back from our trip to Knoxville, TN for our embryo transfer.  All in all, it was a good trip.

The Embryos

All of our donor embryos were blastocysts, which were 5-day old embryos when they were frozen.

Our first choice donor only had 1 embryo available, and thankfully, it survived the thawing process.  There is a “grading” system for embryos which rates the viability, and it was a 5A, which is very good.  It is on the left side of the photo.

Our second choice donor had 4 embryos available, but one of them was already non-viable when it was thawed.  The next 2 were alive, but then disintegrated.  Fortunately, the last embryo survived and was rated as a 4A, which is already very good. It is on the right side of the photo.

I think it is really cool that we got to see a picture of each “baby” before they were implanted.

The Procedure

Before the procedure, Adrienne had to take Valium and Albuterol, which made her loopy and shaky at the same time.  It was pretty funny to watch.

I was not able to go into the room for the procedure, because it is a sterile environment.  However, Adrienne related most of it to me.  The doctor had to inject her bladder with saline solution because it was not full enough.  That was probably the most uncomfortable part for her.  Without getting into all the nitty gritty details, they implanted both embryos into her uterus and then sent her to the recovery room where she laid with her feed elevated for 30 minutes, then we left.  We were only at the clinic for about 90 minutes total.

Recovery

For recovery, we just had to “take it easy” for 24 hours after the procedure, so we went back to our hotel and just chilled out watching TV, and eventually taking an epic nap that lasted for four glorious hours.  We went out to dinner on Tuesday night and then flew home on Wednesday afternoon.

What Next?

So now, we wait.  Adrienne will be taking a pregnancy test in 9 days, on Thursday, May 30 to see if the pregnancy “took.” It’s going to be a long week…

Both embryos implanted in Adrienne’s uterus