What Happens During the FET (Frozen Embryo Transfer)
Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash
Photo by Carrie Hauskens
We just had our second FET (Frozen Embryo Transfer.) I would like to just share how the day went and what actually happens. As a disclosure, this is our experience and others may go through something different.
Prior to the actual day there are shots and medications. Two weeks(ish) before I started on Gonal-F. Gonal-F helps stimulate your ovaries. This is a shot I give myself every night at the same time. This one does not hurt and after injection I would sometimes feel a few cramps, but nothing like some of the others. After a week on this drug I go in to see if my body has responded. The ultrasound showed a “beautiful river of cervical mucus” and I was ready for my trigger shot, Ovidrel. Ovidrel is used to time your ovulation. The nurse administered that one. This shot hurts a bit more and only one is needed, so it is not too intense. Then I begin a pill called Medrol and antibiotics. Medrol is actually a steroid used for anti-inflammatory issues. For the FET it helps your body accept the embryo. The antibiotics are used because foreign objects are being put inside your uterus and this helps ward off any infections. Each night I am taking progesterone which helps support the pregnancy. This is done vaginally and once in I cannot get out of bed or it becomes a mess. I have heard there are shots for this and that the shots are painful. But no shots for me as vaginal suppositories are not the worst. During all of this I am also taking prenatal vitamins and low dose aspirin. The aspirin thins my blood to help encourage the medication to do its job.
So, after all of the shots and medications we are ready to transfer. For our last transfer I baked cookies and decorated them like embryos for the staff. This time I was very limited on time and made pumpkin muffins. They sucked so I got a some Clementines and drew jack-o-lantern faces on them. The card read, “Thank you for helping is pick our pumpkin.” I love giving the staff a gift as it makes me feel like there a reason for a celebration.
You must arrive to the clinic with a full bladder as it is easier to see where the embryo is on the screen. The last time we went through this I drank so much water I was in pain and had to pee a bit out and then stop. I had never done that successfully before and it was hard to do. To prepare I practiced the day before. For this one I was ready! I did not drink as much, but you end up waiting for so long that it was getting painful. I had to let just a bit out. My practice paid off!
When filling out the forms I checked the box yes for Valium. Being more relaxed seems like a great thing. Last time I did not eat enough in the morning and only took half of the Valium. Not this time! I ate a huge breakfast at our favorite spot in Chico, Sin of Cortez. My husband and I actually met at this restaurant. I took the entire pill and felt the giggles and moving was at a slower pace. It felt good!
You are also asked not to drink caffeine as it makes you have to pee. Well, coffee also helps keep me regular with my poop time in the morning. With no caffeine I did not have to go during my regularly scheduled time. I did have to go about fifteen minutes before it was transfer time though! Maybe this is just me, but usually when I poop I pee… so I knew I had to hold it. But things were going to be happening down there! I knew that I was not the first person in this position, but it felt like I was the only one.
I laid on the table and asked for a second blanket. I was cold and knew that they had a blanket warmer out there… perks of this being our second time! In the room there are fluorescent lights but to make it feel better, two of them were covered by a cloud overlay. I suppose it is a nice touch. I despise fluorescent lighting and always think this gesture is kind, especially because it is where I spend most of my time looking in these rooms. Why fluorescent lighting though? Does it actually help? There is also a mini cd player with many cd choices. We have never used it… I wonder if others I know have. The table I was on was also different from any other table I have been on. It was low, wide and instead of metal stirrups there were long and flat slots for your feet. There was even a wooden headboard. Brad and I both agreed that this is much less aggressive than traditional tables. We later asked a nurse and she said that this used to be a birthing table.
Brad and I chatted and somehow got on the conversation on Munchausen syndrome by proxy. It started getting too intense for me and I had to ask Brad to stop. “I don’t think this is the conversation I want to be having considering what is about to happen.” We both laughed and he agreed. As my Valium started to kick in I realized it was the first time in about a month that I had felt relaxed. It felt GOOD. I still had to poop though, so I knew I couldn’t get too relaxed.
Then the doctor came in. At the clinic there are multiple doctors and you don’t get just one. We have happened to work with this doctor a lot over the past few months and we really like him. Two other nurses came in and stood on either side of me. One pushes on my bladder/uterus with the ultrasound wand so we can all see what is happening on the screen while another assists the doctor. Brad came and stood next to me holding my shoulder. Small talk started and they asked what I would be doing for the rest of the day since you are supposed to relax. I told them that I have been watching Parks & Rec and would maybe watch that. The doctor is also watching this as we chatted about what episode we are on. Then the duck lips came out.
Any woman out there knows how awkward and weird they are. When they slipped in it became even more apparent how much I had to poop! I did NOT want that to happen on this table! As the doctor cranked the metal tongs open I was able to relax again. We then waited for the embryologist to come in with the embryo in a catheter. While this was being slipped inside the doctor asked if we had seen 30 Rock. I have seen this entire show about 5 times through. It is one of the best shows I have come across. Ever. When the catheter starts moving around it doesn’t hurt but is does not feel good. It is like a pap smear and any woman knows it is just so peculiar! As he is transferring and everyone is watching the screen he asked if we know the “Werewolf Bar Mitzvah” scene. We all immediately start singing it. This moment will stay with me forever. I thought it to be a fantastic sign! If you have not seen the episode at least check out this tiny clip we are referencing.
We looked at the screen and could see the embryo inside of me. It was over. The entire process takes about three minutes. And then I got to pee (and poo!) They send you on your way with a picture of the embryo and and picture of it inside of you. They say, “Here is your baby’s first picture.” And then we leave.
There is a tradition/luck charm that after your transfer you need to get french fries. I did a bit of research wondering where this comes from and found that once a doctor told his patient to eat salty foods to decrease a chance of OHSS (occurs as a result of over response to medication stimulation and fluid build up.) The tradition is to get McDonald’s fries, but I am a more fresh cut potatoes fried in duck fat kind of girl. So we went to another of our favorite places to eat in Chico, B Street Pub. The fires were delicious. Since I was told to be sure and eat on this day I also had the fried chicken tacos, another favorite of mine.
Brad took me home and I curled up on the couch. I turned on the TV and was getting ready for some Parks & Rec when Brad told me he had to go back to work. This meant that I could not watch the show without him… house rule that I respect. I turned on another show and instantly slept for a few hours.
Overall, I feel great. Knowing what the procedure entailed helped me as I knew what was coming. The day after I woke up feeling calm. I have not felt calm (without the Valium) for about a month and it was such a relief to recall this emotion. It reminded me when you are sick and then feel good again and you forgot what it was like to feel healthy. I feel healthy again. I missed this feeling.
We will find out in ten days if we are pregnant. This wait may cause some anxiety, but I will be utilizing acupuncture as it has always helped. More updates will be coming as we get more news.
