We are SO thrilled to share that Baby BOY Ruth will *finally* be joining our family this fall!! I am officially 14 weeks today + it is finally starting to sink in that we’re having a baby!!
If you’d like to read more about our journey with (in)fertility, be sure to check it out on the blog here!
Fresh Embryo Transfer
5 days after my egg retrieval back in February, we did what is called a “fresh transfer” with the best, and in our case, only, embryo that was ready. Kevin watched over FaceTime as the embryologist loaded our baby into the catheter under a microscope, handed it off to our doctor, who guided it on the ultrasound to the perfect spot in my uterus. I was so happy that our amazing doctor (Dr. Davis at SRM) was on rotation that day and able to do my transfer! It was the first time I had ever met her in person. Then we waited!
Additional Embryos
On day 6, 4 other embryos had progressed enough to be biopsied and sent for genetic testing. The day before we found out we were pregnant, our doctor let us know that only one of them was genetically normal. This embro-baby is now on ice. This was both happy + heartbreaking news. We felt an enormous amount of pressure build waiting to hear if our transfer had worked. When our nurse called after my blood draw the next day, I put her on speaker phone and Kevin and I stared at each other in shock – It actually WORKED!
It felt very vulnerable to look at our numbers for a long time, but I think it is important to share them now. Some people do multiple rounds of IVF and never get a viable embryo, much less a successful transfer. We are so grateful for our two embro-babies that were created from this cycle, but I would also be lying if I said I didn’t wish there were more. Before starting IVF, Kevin and I had (in retrospect, naive) fantasies of having multiple children, and even having a choice of gender, etc. I thought those sorts of outcomes were for *other* people, not us.
While I do my best to stay present in this pregnancy and thankful for being in this part of the journey, in the back of my mind I do worry about doing this all again for potential future siblings. If we do need to cross that road somewhere down the line, I know full well that we will be able to handle it, but I think this is a reality for many parents with fertility struggles – the uncertainty about the ability to create the family we hope for. Infertility doesn’t go away with pregnancy, and we should continue to honor the battles we have fought to get here.
Again, I can’t say enough how grateful we are, but through all of this I have wanted to share my honest experience.
So for those that are curious, here were our numbers:
- 20 Eggs Retrieved
- 15 Eggs Mature + Fertilized with ICSI (the sperm is injected directly into the egg)
- 11 Embryos Created
- 1 Day 5 Embryo Embryo, Transferred
- 4 Day 6 Embryos sent for testing
- 1 Frozen Embryo
After Transfer
The next several weeks were a lot of excitement mixed with hesitancy, those early days of pregnancy hoping and praying this embrobaby will stick. My ovaries were still swollen from surgery, and I gained about 9 pounds of water weight in the week after my transfer. This, combined with progesterone supplement to help baby stick, and typical early pregnancy bloat, kicked me out of my “hard pants” early. I was ravenously hungry at times and was honestly alarmed at how quickly my body was changing. It was amazing, but also painful.
I saw our baby’s heartbeat for the first time (again, alone) and I could feel my heart race, too. We “graduated” from our fertility clinic around 8 weeks and Kevin finally got to come to our first appointment with the midwives – and see our growing baby! We feel great about our decision to go with the midwife team at Swedish and are looking forward to starting “Centering” – group appointments throughout pregnancy that address topics from labor + birth, to newborn care and the transition to parenthood.
I felt very nervous leading up to our 11 week genetic testing. I was concerned that of the 4 embryos tested after IVF, only one was normal. I was so so grateful to learn, though, our baby – a boy! – came back with normal results.
Luckily I didn’t have any morning sickness in the first trimester, just some fatigue that has been mind-boggling at times. I am so grateful I have been able to work, eat, cook, and celebrate these first couple months of pregnancy.
Looking Ahead
I am so grateful for the resources I have at my fingertips thanks largely to my Om Mama Co. community, family and friends. I have been able to modify my workouts as needed, and have grown my care team to include chiropractic care, acupuncture and pelvic floor physical therapy (which I also sought pre-conception) as well as massage therapy, parenting education, nutrition guidance and energy work like reiki and meditation (I have loved using the Expectful app!)
Kevin and I have started “nesting” and working on projects around the house, and getting ready for baby. I held off getting too hopeful until we hit the second trimester, but I am getting more and more excited! One major project will be moving Kevin’s office out of the future nursery and into the basement. We have also scheduled our maternity photo session for late summer, as well as a mini babymoon to the fabulous Posthotel in Leavenworth!
Maternity Leave
I’ll be sharing more in the coming months about what maternity leave will look like, but right now my plan is to continue booking sessions through September! This includes newborn sessions (and maternity bundle packages) with due dates in September, as well as family sessions.
I plan to offer tiny session date(s) in early fall, so if you are hoping to get holiday photos, keep your eyes peeled for that, or book a mini or full session through September! I will be taking off the remainder of the year (mid October through December) to adjust to motherhood + newborn life!
Thank You!
I can’t thank you all enough for your love, support, friendship and encouragement during this long and often difficult journey. I am grateful to continue to share this experience with all of you, and develop a deeper, sweeter, understanding of and connection with my family photography clients. This means SO much to me and I can already see how it will help me grow + bloom as a photographer! Having my own little bump to show poses with at maternity sessions is pure magic.
A huge thank you to Dr. Davis, our nurse, Annie, and the entire team at Seattle Reproductive Medicine (SRM) for helping us become parents.
I hope that by sharing I am able to shed some light on this process, open doors for conversation, and continue to learn how to be there for one another.
For the Mamas in Waiting
If you are waiting for your own baby, please know that you are not alone. I am sending you so much love and light.
As always, please feel free to ask any questions!
Big hugs,
Meredith
