Musings on the day before retrieval

Hey, you know what I think is really funny? This. For them as don't like following links, it's the abstract of a paper entitled "Low negative affect prior to treatment is associated with a decreased chance of live birth from a first IVF cycle". First time I saw it I misread it as perhaps you did: "Low affect prior to treatment" etc. That would mean that, basically, being mellow reduced your chances for success. This was a delicious enough possibility that I clicked on and realized it said "Low negative affect". That's right. Being insufficiently anxious and cranky can reduce your chances of conceiving via IVF!

Have consumed 1.5L of SmartWater today, planning on doing the same until OHSS danger has passed. I have to say it tastes like... water. Seriously. Except it costs $1.69 for 1.5L. How do I know there even are electrolytes in there? Would I know an electrolyte by sight? I would not. I will add "fear counterfeit electrolyte beverages" to my worry list, pursuant to previous paragraph. I am proud to say that I am truly doing everything I can to make this cycle work.

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Replies

Shannon asks: What does triggering mean?
Well, Shannon, pull up a chair, I'm glad you asked! Triggering = a precisely timed injection of hCG. hCG is what pregnancy tests measure, but in this case, it's used as a stand-in for LH, which is what ovulation predictor kits measure (I believe it's used instead of LH b/c LH has an unhelpfully short half-life, but don't quote me). LH and hCG are very similar, which is why OPKs are reasonably good pregnancy tests (although the reverse is not true -- see this helpful page for more details).

Anyway, the hCG injection performs the same function as does the LH surge in your body: it prompts the eggs' final maturation (what that involves I have no idea -- licking the envelope? tiny diplomas?) and also induces ovulation. This is why it needs to be so precisely timed, 36 hours before retrieval; if you do your shot too early you'll have already ovulated by the time they try to Hoover up the eggs. Do it too late and you'll get immature eggs.

I was paranoid enough about timing that I had time.gov up on the laptop screen. B stuck the needle in at 8:00pm, although it was 8:01 by the time she finished.

Also, thank you for the dockweed suggestion, but since I will be wearing a hospital gown for both the retrieval and transfer, no dice -- however, I could make a sort of dock seed tefillin to wear in between... hmm.

Dawn, my doctor is frustratingly non-committal. He has no problem with letting me have my own way about just about everything, and basically told me that unless my E2 was ridiculous (over 10,000) I could make the call. I had decided to trigger up to 6000, but I'm so glad that I didn't have to make that decision.

I am a tiny bit annoyed at him for forgetting that we are planning on doing a single embryo transfer. It's a decision I'm anguished enough about (more on this subject later) and I don't want to have to have that discussion more times than we have to. He even tried the old "the worst thing that can happen is twins." No, doctor, the worst thing that can happen is not twins. Garrr. Post on that subject later.

Thanks and love to everyone who has commented with their support!