Embryo donation update

Sooo, big news! As I shared a few months ago, we made the weighty decision to donate embryos to a local infertile couple, after reading their profile, exchanging messages, and meeting with them. 

Since that time, I’ve had some feelings come up around my attachment to the embryos, related to my long and complex journey to become a mother. But, bottom line, before we donated them, we thought long and hard about it and decided we wanted to give them a chance to develop and wanted Ellie to have the opportunity for an - albeit untraditional - sibling-type relationship. Nobody promised us it would always be easy. 

In any case, coming back around to the big news, the local couple is 15 weeks pregnant with a boy!! And I’m (mostly) excited!! Yes, I spontaneously and inadvertently broke down crying the other evening when RC made a comment comparing how he felt about the two pregnancies. No. Comparisons. Please. But that doesn’t mean I have any regrets, and my overall feeling is excitement. 

I’ve taken to calling him “little fella,” as in, “I wonder how the little fella’s doing?” etc. I feel fondness for him, and I think that’s a good thing. So, that’s my big news! Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃🍁 

Coming to an end...

...of my journey with injectable cycles.  This will be my last one in the foreseeable future.  Studies show not much benefit for women my age anyway.  More success has been seen with natural cycles or, I think, even Femara.  I really hope to catch the "bump" cycle following this one (assuming this one doesn't work!) with an IUI this time.  If you remember, we missed our IUI on the last "bump" cycle due to our DC travel plans.

My temperatures have been gradually dropping the last couple mornings, so I'm assuming AF will arrive today or tomorrow.  Fertility Friend indicates I'm at 13dpo, but in my opinion I could also be at 12dpo.  I usually start my cycle on 13dpo.  Once it starts, I will go in for my first monitoring appointment the following day, and the ride will begin!

In our Tuesday phone consult, which confirmed we will be using the same protocol as the last injectable cycle, I asked the doctor about embryo donation sites and will probably begin checking those out.  S and I have had a couple of preliminary conversations about this, and we both seem open to it.  I feel good about the way things are going lately with us.  Trip to Oregon planned for the weekend of September 14th.  More to share on that later.