Hey everyone! Just a short, yet exciting update! I will update more on how the process has been going in a few days.
The transfer date is scheduled for September 14, 2017! Yay! The day is finally here and the IP’s are ecstatic! We will transfer two embryos! ❤
Olivia & Ryan
Today is “medication start day”!
I have already been taking birth control, thyroid medication and vitamin D3 but today we added prenatals, baby aspirin and Lupron injections.
I’m not going to lie I was so scared to give myself the Lupron injection but it wasn’t bad at all!
Bring on the mood swings! (Sorry Ryan! 😘)
The next update will be on the 14th after my first “monitoring” appointment where they will make sure my body is doing what it should be!
The IP’s are so excited today because it’s FINALLY happening! ❤
Stay tuned!
*This Lupron injection is nothing compared to the Progesterone injections I will start taking at the end of the month. Ahhh I’m not looking forward to those. 😱
We FINALLY got the medication schedule!
Since my body isn’t naturally going into pregnancy on it’s own it will need all the extra hormones to give it a little boost.
I will basically look like a walking pharmacy between my thyroid medication, prenatals and the extra pills and injections. 😜
I will start the first medication on Saturday which is a small injection called Lupron.
Along with the Lupron I am also taking my thyroid medication, birth control, Vitamin D3, a baby aspirin and prenatal. 😱
I will stop taking birth control just a few days after starting Lupron so thankfully that will shorten my list for a few short days. Then I start a whole other small list of medications on the 15th of August which include estrace pills, an estrace patch, and Ryan and I will both have to take doxycycline for ten days (to make sure we are both perfectly healthy right before the transfer.
Along the way I will have blood work and ultrasounds to make sure my hormone levels are where they should be and to make sure my uterus is preparing itself for a baby.
Shortly before the transfer I will start progesterone and medrol.
Are you lost yet? Don’t worry… I had to get a big calendar to write down my medication schedule… thanks to my wonderful surrogate friends for the tip!
We have a target embryo transfer date of sometime between August 30th and September 5th. At that time we will fly back to Pennsylvania and put two little buns in my oven!
Stay tuned… we are counting down and the exciting stuff is about to begin!
Olivia&Ryan
Hey everybody!
Sorry it has been so long since I have updated everyone!
Since it had been so long since we went to Pennsylvania for medical screening we had to repeat our blood work here in Rapid City. Of course everything checked out as good to go.
The fertility clinic is working on my medication schedule and will email that to me.
They are also ordering the medications and will mail them to me!
So in the next week I will be officially starting this amazing journey!
Thank you again for all of the love, support and prayers! ❤
ryan&olivia
Hey everybody!
I just got my thyroid results back!
I was at a 4.0 when I first went in and now I’m below a 1.0! Such great news considering they just wanted it below a 2.0!
Now we wait for the fertility doctor to get the results via fax and start the process for the embryo transfer!
FINALLY! 😊
Stay tuned!
Olivia & Ryan
The contracts are signed and Brooklyn and I are standing at the post office as I type this to mail it off to Pennsylvania!
Stay tuned!
Hey everybody!
There isn’t much to update on other than we are finally working on the contracts.
I have to say, the contracts are very intimidating to say the least. So much to consider and think about.
As far as the lab work goes, I will go in at the end of this week or beginning of next week to have my thyroid levels checked again and if the endocrinologist feels comfortable about them then she will release me for pregnancy!
I will continue to update you all as things progress!
Thank you all for keeping us in your prayers and hearts along this journey. It wouldn’t be as easy without all of you!
Olivia & Ryan
Hey everybody!
In my last post I talked about having to see an endocrinologist (recommended by the fertility doctor) since my thyroid levels were unchanged even with the synthroid I was prescribed.
Today I saw the endocrinologist and she was so much fun! She was very informative and she was so intrigued by gestational surrogacy. She had so many questions and I love being able to educate people on the topic. When I first started this journey I was scared to openly talk about me becoming a surrogate because it is so rare in South Dakota. I was scared I would be judged and that people would be negative but all in all, I have gotten so much support from so many unexpected places and from so many people.
Back to business! The endocrinologist “upped” my dose for my synthroid and I will go back in for more lab work in 6 weeks to see where my thyroid level is at then. She would like to see it below a 2 before she clears me for pregnancy, which she said should be no problem!
It is kind of frustrating that we took a small step backwards again but it is all vital to the process.
During the next 6 weeks we will be going over a very long contract and hopefully by the end of May we will have an embryo transfer date!
Thank you all for following our journey with us!
Stay tuned! ❤
Olivia & Ryan
Hey everybody! It’s been a while since I have updated you all and that’s because we haven’t really moved forward on anything yet since we are waiting for the contracts to be finalized before we go over them.
As I’m sure most of you read in a previous blog I had to have my thyroid re-tested because it was elevated. I started a synthroid about a month ago and I recently had to go in to re-test and make sure I was on the correct dose. This morning the fertility doctor reviewed the lab work and my thyroid level hasn’t changed at all so he upped my dosing and also requested I see an endocrinologist here in Rapid City to figure out why my thyroid levels haven’t changed even on medication. Until I have met with an endocrinologist and we can get my thyroid level to what they want it to be, which is between a 2.5-3.0, I won’t be cleared for surrogacy. Right now it’s at a 4.0. This isn’t a huge elevation but it is concerning that a month of medication didn’t even put a dent in that number.
I feel defeated right now because I set myself up for a lot of unrealistic expectations as far as timing goes.
Thankfully, I have a wonderful surrogate support group and an amazing husband by my side to remind me that everything will happen on God’s time. All to often I get impatient and want things to happen right here and right now.
Moving forward, I will remember that all of these tedious little steps are all vital to this wonderful journey I am embarking on with my husband and everything will happen when God is ready for it to happen.
I will continue to keep you all updated! And again, thank you all for the love and support! ❤
Olivia & Ryan
Hey everyone! Just a quick update… nothing exciting.
We had our home study last night and passed!
We also passed background checks!
Next step, contracts! This will take about a week to three weeks. The IP’s, Ryan and myself will all make changes to a “draft contract” prepared by the agency. This contract will make sure both parties are protected throughout the process and make sure we are all on the same page!
We will probably start this towards the end of next week! Yay!
Their bun, my oven. 