Is My Body Ready for a Frozen Embryo Transfer?

Now that we've started planning for our next trip to Reprofit for a second donor embryo transfer, my focus has turned to getting healthier and in better shape. For our last trip I had lost a significant amount of weight and had begun exercising regularly.  I wholeheartedly believe that this contributed to our successful frozen embryo transfer (FET).  However, once we found out I was pregnant and started having complications, I was no longer able to work out as frequently. I also had a difficult time eating healthy due to terrible morning sickness and weird food cravings. I'm hoping our second time around, things will be different by developing more healthy patterns!!!

My first goal, is to implement a regular exercise routine long before the FET in January. If our FET is successful, I want to ensure that I'm at least walking on a regular basis. Currently, I've been walking on the treadmill and using my elliptical around two to three days a week. This might be wishful thinking, but I'd like to increase this to at least four to five days a week.  Albeit it has been difficult to establish a regular routine now that I am back to working full-time with the baby. When I get home all I want to do is spend time with my daughter. By the time she's in bed and we've had dinner, it's around 8 or 9 o'clock.  Now that I wake up around 5AM with the baby, finding the time to work out has not been easy. I end up sacrificing sleep or time spent with my daughter to exercise these days. 

My second goal is to continue eating healthier. I am determined to either avoid Gestational Diabetes, or at least control it with a healthy diet if the transfer is successful.  I have already started eating more vegetables and lean meats.  I also do my best to avoid pasta and breads since the carbohydrates do not help my blood sugar levels. But let me tell ya, it is going to be difficult to give up my creamy cups of coffee in the morning.  My doctor actually advised when I was pregnant to not go cold turkey because it can cause caffeine withdrawal.  So, instead of giving up coffee completely, I plan to cut back on the cream and drop to one cup a day instead of my regular two to three cups.  Although, it is not going to be easy with a baby that wakes up at 5 AM everyday. Hopefully, I can cut down on my sweets intake as well!:) I will definitely keep you updated on my progress:)

Some other things I may be considering before the transfer is to include a daily aspirin in my ritual, as well as a multivitamin.  I did this prior to my daughter's transfer and want to make sure I do the same things, since it all turned out to be successful.

And last but not least, I have scheduled some appointments with my GP and OBGYN to confirm that my body is ready for another pregnancy!

I will keep you posted on my progress.  If you are preparing for a trip to Reprofit or a another fertility clinic in Brno, and would like a cycle buddy....please leave me a comment and I will get back to you!

Back to Brno for a sibling!

My husband and I have decided to start planning for a sibling for our daughter! I'm not getting any younger and I'm determined for my daughter to have a brother or sister.   However, we've decided that I may be making this IVF abroad trip alone.  Since it took two IVF procedures last time before we had a successful transfer, we would like to try and save money in case we have to go back.  By going alone, I only need to buy one airplane ticket. I also save on food and travel expenses since I do not plan to do any sightseeing.  Essentially, we plan on this being a quick in and out trip. 

For this donor embryo transfer we made arrangements directly through Reprofit International in the Czech Republic, instead of using an outside consultant. It was much easier then we thought it would be.  We went directly to the Reprofit website and found their list of contacts. The clinic has flags next to each consultant's name indicating the languages they speak.  I clicked on the "Send an Email" link under the name of one their English speaking contacts.  A window appeared on my screen.  I typed in our message explaining our intentions and hit SEND.  The message was a couple of sentences explaining that we were seeking an embryo transfer with the clinic. Within an hour we had a response in my Inbox.  

The first email I received included a brief message from the fertility clinic about the IVF donor embryo services they provide including an attachment.  In the document was a list of questions for us to answer regarding our physical characteristics, each question specific to our hair and eye coloring, blood types and education.  In the notes section, we were able to describe our donor embryo preferences. We sent the document back to Reprofit. A day later the clinic sent along their offer for donor embryo's available.  From the options provided we made our selection and sent an email back with our decision. It was that easy..I have no idea what I was scared of the last two times we did this.

In the following email exchange we made arrangements for when the IVF donor embryo procedure will take place.  We have decided to wait until January.  The clinic says that they will hold on to the embryo's for us until then.  Our contact also included the IVF stimulation protocol information in the email.  I will follow this protocol as we get closer to the IVF procedure.  

Essentially, an IVF donor embryo protocol includes instructions for when to start taking the hormones necessary to stimulate your uterus for the frozen embryo transfer. Both Estrogen and Progesterone will prepare my uterine lining for embryo implantation.  I must follow the instructions to the letter to make sure the IVF procedure can take place.  If I miss anything, the frozen embryo transfer may have to be cancelled.  So it is very important that I follow the directions exactly as they have been explained.  

So at this point, I've started the process!  I have reserved our embryo's for the transfer which is scheduled to take place late  January.  Now I need to make my flight reservations, arrange my hotel stay and get my body ready for the transfer.  Easier said than done.  However, we are very excited and plan to document EVERYTHING!!!  

If you are in the process of making arrangements for IVF or your thinking about embryo donation, and need some suggestions or someone just to talk to, please feel free to leave me a comment and I will get back to you! You can send your emails to WetravelledforIVf@gmail.com...until next time!