we did ivf and we’re having a baby(!).

If you’d have asked me a year ago what 2020 would look like, I certainly wouldn’t have said most of it would be spend social distancing thanks to a global pandemic. But I also certainly wouldn’t have said it would involve three failed rounds of IUI, three minor surgeries to remove a massive 4cm fibroid, and one round of IVF.

But that’s exactly what 2020 looked like, and after all of it, here we are, expecting our first baby July 2!

So how did we get here? Well, after we eloped in May 2019, we were hoping to have a baby right away, even though we knew there was a chance it would take some time since I was 39. Six months and no baby later, we went in for testing to make sure we were healthy (we were) and then started our first round of IUI (which I liken to turkey basting… ha!). Three months and three failed rounds later, covid hit and all fertility treatments were halted. Good timing for us, as we wanted to reassess anyway and figure out if we were gonna make the leap to IVF at a new clinic.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure I wanted to. The emotional ups and downs of IUI were a lot – along with the stop-start of all physical activity ugh – and I knew that they would be even more with IVF. But after a consult in late April 2020 with basically the best reproductive endocrinologist ever at CCRM Minneapolis and a clear treatment plan, we decided we were all in.

I should note that during the middle of the following, it didn’t seem like a lot. It kinda felt like training for an ironman – one workout at a time (in this case, though, one injection into my abs or ass at a time). But when I type it out and look at it collectively? Whoa.

my IVF treatment plan

It wasn’t a fast process. I had multiple procedures (all depending on your menstrual cycle) in May 2020 before we started any treatment, including an HSG (an X-ray procedure to check that your fallopian tubes are open), a hysteroscopy (a procedure that uses a scope to check for fibroids, polyps, scarring – it’s not pleasant), and lots of bloodwork. Turns out, the fibroid my first doc told me wasn’t an issue was an issue. It was a massive 4cm and basically taking up my entire uterus, thus likely preventing an embryo from implanting. So it had to be removed.

But first, ovarian stimulation, or stims (also based on your menstrual cycle), to retrieve as many good eggs as possible. Prep took a month or so and involved many, many hormone injections into my abdomen (so many that after the first couple days giving myself shots felt totally normal and didn’t bother me at all). My specific protocol included:

• daily oral Estrace
• some combo of 2-3 of these meds daily, injected subcutaneously: Centrotide, Omnitrope, Menopur, and Gonal-F
• daily Dexamethasone
• Leuprolide, which triggers ovulation 36 hours before retrieval

And then on July 11, after four vaginal ultrasounds in five days – you’re at the clinic a lot – we had 36 eggs retrieved (not normal for someone at 40, and we are incredibly grateful). Of those, 25 were mature and 24 fertilized. Six days after that, eight of those embryos made it to the blastocyst stage and were ready for testing.

We opted for genetic testing of our embryos not only because my age increased the risk of chromosomal abnormalities, but also because when you’re spending that much money on IVF, why wouldn’t you? It’s a hard enough process as it is, and to transfer an embryo that’s not viable (and pay $5k to do it) seems like unnecessary heartbreak and a waste of time (especially at 40).

Two weeks later, we had four healthy embryos!

fibroid removal x3

But not so fast to transfer. I first had to have that giant fibroid removed. After recovery from the retrieval – and a week of running and biking again – the first of three surgeries took place July 21. It was pretty quick and painless (thank you, anesthesia!) and I was back to normal activity in 10 days. But because of its size and the limit of fluids my body could handle, my doc wasn’t able to safely remove it all during the first surgery, so I had a second on August 7. The early recovery for this one was another story. My doc pushed the limits in hopes of removing it all and as a result of that and how deep she had to cut, she used a Foley balloon to help control bleeding and aid recovery. My god, that thing was awful. I can’t begin to explain how miserable and uncomfortable I was, as it legit felt like it was going to fall out of my uterus when I walked. I called the after-hours line on a Sunday, and my doc surprisingly answered. She thankfully got me in to have it removed bright and early Monday morning, a day early, with no issues, and I immediately felt better.

Things were mostly back to normal after recovery, complete with bike intervals and sweaty runs along along my favorite river road route. But on September 8, another ultrasound and hysteroscopy showed there was still a smidge of the fibroid left – ugh – so four days later on September 11, I had my third and final fibroid surgery. Recovery from this one was a cinch, as I biked the following day and ran a week later. That first run, though – I could feel where the fibroid was 😳

finally, the transfer

Transfer was up next, and as soon as we were able – again, dependent on my cycle – I started the meds to prep at the beginning of October. My roughly three-week protocol:

• daily Nortrel (birth control) in the 15 days leading up to your cycle
• daily baby aspirin
• daily lupron injections
• alternating days of four Minivelle patches (estrogen patches that go on your abdomen) and progesterone in oil intramuscular shots in my glute (these were the only ones I let Nick do!)
• four days of the steroid methylprednisolone (Medrol) leading up to the transfer
• a few days of the antibiotic doxycycline leading up to the transfer
• not one but 5(!) daily vaginal suppositories via Estrace and Endometrin

I can’t emphasize enough how terrible the suppositories were. They’re gross and uncomfortable, and I was basically miserable for eight weeks. What made it a bit more bearable: The Great sweatpants, ARQ high-rise undies, Cora liners, and covid and working from home. There’s no way I could do transfer prep if I had to go to an office everyday.

The transfer itself was… uneventful and for lack of a better work, anticlimactic (ha!)?! After seeing the embryo on a computer monitor, it legit takes like 5 painless seconds to transfer into your uterus. And then that’s it! Twenty minutes of relaxation later, we were good to go. We stopped for (decaf) coffee at Spyhouse and then I went to acupuncture to relax.

Ten days later, I was pretty much convinced it didn’t work so I was super nervous going to the clinic for my blood test (I didn’t take a test at home). And when my phone rang a couple hours later, my stomach basically dropped out. But with speakerphone on, my nurse said the words we waited all year to hear: you’re pregnant! 🤍

Relieved, thrilled, slightly terrified, anxious… all the feelings, all at once.

As with any pregnancy, the early weeks aren’t that fun because so much can happen. IVF is another level, though. You’ve invested thousands of dollars (thank god for some insurance coverage) and all your emotional energy, so it feels like basically everything is riding on it. And to give your pregnancy the best possible chance at sticking, you’re still on all your transfer prep meds (which I naively didn’t know until we started the transfer process 🤦🏽‍♀️ because I refused to google) – including five suppositories a day omg – until weaning starts when you’re 8 weeks.

It’s… a lot. And honestly, it was by far the worst part of all this for me. Combined with not being able to exercise other than walking – you can’t run, get your HR over 140, or lift more than 10 pounds until you “graduate” from CCRM to an OB – it was doubly stressful.

But I got through it, one day at a time, focused on what I could do: a ton of treadmill walking (all logged privately on Strava… ha!) and embracing the quieter slower time. A few more appointments later – revealing a healthy fetus – I graduated in early December to my regular OB, and all my restrictions were lifted. That was a happy day (and I immediately started biking, running, and lifting kettlebells again).

And now here we are – halfway(!) and trying not to panic at all we have to do (including a main bath renovation) before baby boy arrives in early July! We couldn’t be happier 🥰