IVF Part II — Katie Lee Jacobs

I feel so lucky to even be writing a post on the second phase of our IVF journey. Being a part of a support group, and having friends go through IVF, you quickly learn that not everyone gets to the Embryo Transfer process as quickly as we did.

As you may have read from my previous post on IVF (here), we started our natural FET (frozen embryo transfer) process in early September. With a natural FET cycle, there is a lot more monitoring because they are not manipulating your body with medications. While I was thrilled to be able to do a protocol that felt very natural to my body, I would be lying if I didn’t say it completely and totally stressed me out. Going in daily for blood work and ultrasounds, and not knowing what day our transfer would actually fall on, made for an anxiety-ridden September. My uterine lining also wasn’t full cooperating for most of the month, so I doubled down on acupuncture to help. I had never had uterine lining problems before - but of course this is the month that it decides to give me trouble! That said, my lining ended up cooperating (thanks to acupuncture!) and our FET transfer was scheduled for Thursday, September 17th.

(In full transparency for those who are going through the IVF process, my lining got to a triple stripe 6.6 (and a 7 is what’s needed at Columbia to do an FET). My doctor felt confident that because I was healthy, I could still have success and recommended we move forward. Ultimately, she let Jonathan and I make the final call - which was super scary. We kept going back and forth but decided to trust her and move forward.

I’m a big believer in manifestation and “signs”, and boy did I get them. Not only was Thursday, September 17th just 2-days before my Birthday, it was also the start of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year), AND it was the night of the Super New Moon which signified the start of something new — with support from the universe as you take a leap of faith into the unknown.

I also received a special message out of the blue the night of our embryo transfer. Quick backstory, we had a super talented artist from Nebraska create our wedding maps a few years back. We become friendly on Instagram and after she saw I was going through infertility troubles last year she reached out and said that she put my name on a sticky note and was praying for us every single day. I hadn’t talked to her in a while, but received an instagram message at 3AM on the night of my transfer that said, “Hi Katie! I’m taking social media off for a couple of months, but had to log on with my computer right now because I woke up with your name on my heart to pray for. As always, I’m happy to add anything to your prayer request sticky note, so just let me know. Just wanted to stop by and remind you that you are being carried and prayed for in this process/season. Have a good weekend”.

I read this message over, and over, and over again with chills up and down my entire body. I’ve always believed in signs from God, and this was certainly one of them. It’s like the lord wanted me to know in that moment that I was taken care of, and that others were praying for this embryo transfer to be a success.

September 17, 2020 (FET Transfer Day!)

I took the day off of work so I could be completely calm and prepared mentally. Our transfer was around Noon, and originally they said Jonathan wouldn’t be able to join, but I told him to come upstairs anyway in the hopes that covid-protocols had changed. Thankfully, after signing in, they said he could come back with me! We were thrilled! We signed some paperwork, changed into robes, and went into the procedure room. They make you drink a full bottle of water prior to the transfer so that your bladder is completely full - this gives them a better view of your uterine lining, which is where they will be placing the embryo. While laying on the freezing cold table, an embryologist came out to show us our embryo and tell us more about it. They triple checked our names, and the doctor put a catheter in and sent the embryo up. All in all it took about 10 minutes. Afterwards, I peed for a very long time, and then we walked back home to our apartment. Jonathan stopped and grabbed McDonald’s fries for me on the way home (It’s sort of a transfer tradition in the IVF community to eat McDonald’s fries for good luck afterwards). At this point, I was doing anything and everything I could to make this a success.

I also did acupuncture 24 hours prior to the embryo transfer. While they also recommend you come in 24 hours after the transfer, I decided to lay around at home and binge-watch some shows on Netflix instead. I wanted to be super relaxed and I knew going across town to acupuncture would be a bit stressful. But, my acupuncturist gave me a lot of great tips for post FET and I stuck to every single one of them…

eat warm, cooked foods

light movement (no lifting or heavy cardio)

keep your feet warm with fuzzy socks at all time

Add in a little pineapple core, a cup of red raspberry leaf tea and one brazil nut/day to help support implantation

Add in some daily meditation or breath work.

I followed everything my acupuncturist told me to for the next 10 days while we waited to take our first pregnancy test…

September 19th, 2020

On my Birthday, we decided to drive 17 hours to Iowa to see my family. It had been 4 months since I’d been home last, and I was missing them immensely. I called the IVF clinic in Des Moines to ensure they would be able to do my pregnancy blood work so that we could stay in Iowa as long as we wanted. It was a hard decision to decide if we wanted to go, but I just felt the 10 day waiting period would go much quicker if I was home with my family instead of waiting in my NYC apartment — And we definitely made the right choice.

Over the next 10 days I met my new nephew, Griffin. Played with my nephews Will and Tommy, had nightly dinners with my Mom and Dad, enjoyed walks outside with friends, and breathed in that beautiful Iowa air.

September 27th, 2020

Our pregnancy blood work was scheduled for 8AM on Monday, September 28th. I woke up on Sunday, and decided it was time to take an at-home test. I just couldn’t wait any longer to find out if it worked, or didn’t work, and I didn’t want a call from the doctors office to be the one to tell me the news — good or bad.

I couldn’t sleep, so I went to the bathroom around 7AM. I thought the test might take a minute so Jonathan didn’t come in with me but as I was peeing on the stick it immediately showed positive — que the sobbing tears! We had been waiting for this moment for so, so, so long. It was surreal. I always pictured telling Jonathan in a super cute and surprising way with balloons or a home-cooked meal, but finding out in my childhood bathroom with tears streaming down my face was pretty perfect.

The next morning, I went in for my pregnancy blood work and they confirmed that my HCG levels were through the roof and we were officially pregnant. A few days later I had to go back for repeat blood work to make sure my levels were doubling, and they were — so at that point, we were on our way!

Over the next few days we told our parents, siblings, and close friends who have been with us during our journey, and it was so incredibly special to hear their reactions. We are blessed with such wonderful people in our lives and could not have gotten through this process without their support.

October 11th, 2020

We drove back to NYC so we could go to our first ultrasound (!!) At this point, I was 6 weeks pregnant, and we heard the heartbeat of our beautiful baby GIRL. Yes, you read that correctly. After 5 nephews in our family, we will be having the first girl and we are so excited to see the dynamic between all of them! I have dreamed of having a daughter my entire life. I have such a special bond with my Mom, and I prayed I would be lucky enough to have the same experience someday with my own child. When our doctor told us it was a girl, I screamed with excitement!

While 6 weeks is very early to know the sex of a baby, we had genetically tested our embryos during the IVF process, so our doctor knew what the gender was (we did not!), and I couldn’t help but ask at our first appointment. I also knew this was likely the only appointment Jonathan would be able to attend, so I thought it would be special for us to find out together.

Officially 20 Weeks

Our first trimester was full of exciting ultrasound appointments, nausea and vomiting, and a lot of nerves! While I was so thrilled to be carrying our baby, I couldn’t help but be terrified something could go wrong. I had to really focus on positive thinking, and trust that my body would take care of her. I know these appointments never get easier — they are full of nerves, and then pure joy when you see that everything is fine. I’m told from all of my friends that it doesn’t get any easier, you pretty much become a worrying mom the second you are pregnant! :)

As I entered the 2nd trimester, my nausea subsided, and I finally allowed myself to really enjoy this moment. I bought the cutest pregnancy book to write down all of the little moments, and we had our anatomy scan. It was so much fun to see all of her little body parts. Every time we do an ultrasound she is constantly moving around like crazy, I think we are going to have a very energetic girl on our hands (just like her daddy!)

I’m really looking forward to sharing our journey with you all. I feel so blessed to have had so much support throughout this process. I often re-read the messages all of you have sent to me during the IVF process, you provided me with such strength. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

Acupuncture 24 hours prior to our Embryo Transfer

I love this photo because I was just sooooo excited to be taking these photos!