Monday, August 30, 2010

IVF #2, Progesterone Injections

When Michael and I first began fertility treatments, I was given progesterone suppositories after our IUIs. Very messy. Fun times. :P

But, during my IVFs and FET progesterone has been given via injection, 1cc per day. It's a nightly routine, and my mom, my sister, and Michael's mom take turns giving them to me now. I don't mind the injections as much as I did the suppositories.

When I began the injections last week, I immediately noticed the side effects - really tender breasts. Today they aren't as tender though, and of course that makes me wonder if I'm getting enough. Any IVFers have an opinion to share?

Anyway, this is the part of the two week wait where I begin to analyze every symptom that seems present, and every symptom that seems absent. Honestly, I'm feeling good and no different than I've felt when I'm not pregnant (my whole life!). So, I really don't have anything to go on.

The pregnancy test is on Sunday morning. Five more days!

10 comments:

  1. hoping and praying
    and
    hoping some more
    No idea about progesterone dosages, I had no side effects at all ever.
    (including in early pregnancy!)
    first real side effect of pregnancy was crushing fatigue.

    HOPING too you'll get your job transfer-- I want this year to be totally different for you, wishing you all good things.

    keep breathing, sunday is coming! xxoxo
    kate

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  2. I had zero symptoms of pregnancy for the first few weeks with both babies...not even fatigue (that set in later). Try not to read too much into anything, or lack of anything, right now! Easier said than done, I know :)

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  3. Sorry I don't have any experience in this area...but Sara makes a good point, symptoms or lack of them do not mean anything one way or another.....I can barely wait for your beta!

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  4. My IVF clinic didn't include progesterone supplementation in my protocol. They said that a healthy pregnancy produces progesterone on its own and there's nothing to suggest that artificially adding it would affect the health of a pregnancy that wasn't producing enough progesterone already. They said it doesn't hurt to take it but didn't believe that it helped either.

    When we did our eight IUI's, I took it after each of them. It was messy and horrible and I was kinda miffed to think that I might have done that for nothing. My IVF's were in 2004 so maybe there are new studies or research that support it?


    Donna
    Our Blog: Double Happiness!

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  5. Hey, you're 10 days post fertilization so you could pee on a stick if you want. It's early enough that you don't have to feel discouraged about a negative reading but not too early to see two pink lines of something is sticking! Also, at 10 days post retrieval/fertilization, the hcg shot you took is out of your system so you don't have to worry about a false-positive.

    Look at the hcg levels on betabase.info for 11 DPO (you'll be that tomorrow) is 23.

    http://betabase.info/showBasicChart.php?type=Single

    That's high enough to register on most home pregnancy tests. But it's PERFECTLY NORMAL to not have high enough levels at this point so if you get a BFN (negative), there's no reason to feel discouraged.

    A win-win????

    :)

    Donna
    (the beta and pee test expert!)

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  6. I thought I was pregnant FOR SURE every single time I wasn't. The time I actually got pregnant with Chick and Pea, I was certain it hadn't worked because I felt nothing! Even at our first heartbeat ultrasound, I had no symptoms whatsoever.
    As for the PIO, I don't remember feeling anything other than bloated when I was on it.

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  7. Can your doctor take a blood test and measure the levels to make sure they are adequate in case you need to supplement more?

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  8. Thinking of U...
    HUGZ.
    The babies will be here.. I feel it.

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