Continued...

After my follicles were filled with eggs we were ready for the egg retrieval. Dr. Zouves did the procedure in the hospital under anesthesia. The procedure took only thirty minutes and he retrieved a total of forty-two eggs! I was very excited. The Dr. said it would take several days to see how many of the eggs he would be able to use. We found out that several of the eggs were too small and could not be used, and that out of the forty-two retrieved they were able to fertilize only 18. Then, out of the 18 fertilized, 8 were of the right quality.

On the day of the implantation we meet with Dr. Zouves. He told us that he would recommend that we implant three eggs into my uterus. The three eggs were the best quality and have the most number of cells. We agreed to try and grow the remaining five eggs and freeze them for future use; unfortunately the other five eggs did not progress and were not able to be frozen. The implantation was done with a catheter that was inserted into my uterus and the eggs were then released. It was an exciting and almost painless procedure.

Once home I was to be on bed rest for two days, to give the eggs the best chance to implant. I was also given ten days of progesterone shots to keep my level elevated and decrease the chance of a miscarriage. I felt very positive about the whole experience. It was very hard to wait the three weeks to find out if I was pregnant or not. When the day came for the pregnancy blood test I was so excited I could hardly contain myself. I had to wait twenty-four hours to find out. The next day at work I received a call from the nurse. I felt lightheaded when I answered the phone. "Good news", she said "your pregnancy test came back positive" and she said my progesterone level was very high, which could be a sign of multiple babies. I was so happy; I immediately called my husband and told him the news. He was thrilled.

I was then monitored very closely and my blood was tested weekly to be sure that I had enough progesterone to sustain the pregnancy. I continued to stay on a nightly injection of Lovenox, blood thinner, due to my MTHR clotting disorder. I also continued taking progesterone suppositories. I was tested at around one month for my NK level, Natural Killer cell level, which are the cells that fend off viruses. I found out that I had a very high number of these cells. This is good, if you are not pregnant because it means that you have a very strong immune system and very rarely get sick. Unfortunately, if you happen to be pregnant, these killer cells see the fetus as a foreign body and attack it! This attack can increase my chance for a miscarriage. This was just another blow in my hard road to becoming a mother. I was however, willing to do anything I could possibly do to give my babies the best chance of survival. I was referred to a clinic where they specialize in a procedure called IVIG, intravenous Immune Globulin. During this procedure you are given a dose of Immune Globulin through an IV. The process takes about three hours. It is a very costly procedure, but worth it. After each treatment my NK levels were then tested again. It took me four treatments to get my level under control. I was free to then enjoy the remainder of my pregnancy without any other complications.

I delivered two beautiful and healthy girls at thirty-seven weeks and five days. Weighing five pounds six ounces and five pounds one ounce. All in all I had a wonderful pregnancy and birthing experience and one I would gladly do again in a heartbeat.