Moving Along!

Tierney is starting to feel a lot better. She says she is hungry all the time. She is also  (finally) off the progesterone shots. The progesterone shots are intramuscular shots that are needed every day. It is a think fluid and the shots are pretty painful. They also cause intense itching. These shots are required with in vitro fertilization (ivf). Why are they needed, you ask? Well, with natural fertilization the follicle on the ovary ruptures and the egg comes out and is fertilized, usually in the fallopian tube. The part of the follicle that is left behind after fertilization is called the corpus luteum. The corpus luteum produces progesterone to support the pregnancy until the placenta takes over. In ivf the egg is removed from the ovary via syringe. The egg is fertilized and then put back in the body. Or, in this case put back into Tierney's body. So, there is no corpus luteum to produce the progesterone. But now the placenta is making enough progesterone to support the pregnancy so she can stop these painful shots.

When I did IVF myself I had to do the shots. In my case I lost any pregnancies I achieved via IVF so I wasn't on the shots for very long with any cycle. When I was pregnant with Julianna (IUI) I used supplemental progesterone too. It was great when I got to stop so I know how happy Tierney is about that!

We have a week and a half to go until the second trimester starts. That is very exciting because the risk of losing the pregnancy goes down a lot at that point.

When the doctor did the last sonogram he said that the sack is measuring exactly as it should be but the baby is slightly bigger. He said he thought it would be a big baby. It is amazing that they can even say that at this point. We will see what happens. It will be strange to have a big baby after such a peanut last time.

Keep your fingers crossed!!!!!