How to survive the wait till transfer?

[chopmana]

I have a few euploid embryos banked. I will be transferring them in mid April, can’t transfer any earlier because of a family commitment I have (will be abroad, cannot be pregnant, nothing to do with drinking, not the point of the post but just take this as a fact). Infertility has already driven me crazy. I’ve spent the last few months of 2024 embryo banking. I dream of being pregnant most nights, it’s just always at the forefront of my mind.

What can I do to survive the next few months? It’s all I think about: will it work first time, what if it doesn’t, what if none of the embryos stick, when will I have a baby, will I ever have a baby, and I’m driving myself mad. Anyone else been in this position? It’s almost 4 months to go and I can’t think about anything else, every day drags.

Hi @chopmana. Not sure how many euploids you have but they say there's a 95% success rate with 3 so that in itself should be really reassuring.
I have 2 euploids (out of 9 embryos sent for testing over 2 cycles so that was a roller-coaster of emotions) and whilst I try my best to stay positive, I do sometimes think like you, what if it doesn't work, what if I never have a baby etc.
What I find works for me is to try and do everything I can to prepare. This month I will have a few tests (saline ultrasound, EMMA, ALICE and a dummy embryo transfer) to rule out any potential issues that might impact implantation.
Next month it will be downregulating (I have endometriosis and adenomyosis) and then medicated transfer in March if all is well.
I am taking supplements, eating healthy as much as I can and I started fertility yoga at home and meditation. So the way I think about it, I will use these months to get my body and mind in the best possible shape for pregnancy. I will only focus on what I can control and trust the clinic with the rest.

Now that you have the euploids, there is really no rush to transfer.
You've done all the hard work and you should be proud of all that you achieved. You can award yourself these 4 months to relax, enjoy the trip, the wedding etc. Once you're pregnant and after you have the baby you might not have the time or energy to always do what you want when you want. Maybe finding a new hobby will help too? Doing things you won't be able to do once pregnant perhaps?

And as hard as it might be, I would say try to get yourself in a positive mindset. I would say measured positivity. Hopefully it will work first time, if not you have other embryos. You've got this! ❤️

@bubu24 thank you for such a kind message ❤️
Yes I've got over 3 euploids, at least 8 but waiting to hear back on the final round.

The thing is, as an only child I don't want to have an only child (absolutely nothing wrong with only children, just not what I'd personally want as they'd have no siblings, no cousins etc). So hopefully that's enough for 2+ children.

Best of luck for yours!! My consultant said with 1 it's a 60% chance so hopefully 2 will be enough for you to have your miracle baby 🥰.

Just a quick question - what's a dummy embryo transfer?

@chopmana Oh wow! Congratulations on banking so many euploid embryos; that's an incredible accomplishment and gives you such solid foundation to build on! I would be over the moon with such a result, well done you!
This is such a tough journey and you've done so amazingly well! You really deserve to celebrate and allow yourself to be happy and proud of how far you've come already.
With 8 euploids, plus more potentially from your last cycle, I don't see any reasons why you wouldn't have the family size you want ❤️
I am hopeful I will get my baby with just the 2 embryos I have :)

To answer your question, a dummy embryo transfer is basically a trial run for the actual transfer. They use it to practice placing the embryo by inserting a catheter into the uterus, mapping out the best path. It helps them identify any potential challenges so the real transfer goes as smoothly as possible. I think for my clinic this is part of their standard process but I also have a tilted uterus so I guess they need to learn their way around it :) In any case, it’s a pretty straightforward procedure and doesn’t involve an actual embryo, so there’s no risk.

It really does sound like you’re in a great position with your number of euploid embryos. I hope everything goes perfectly for you in April and I hope the time passes quickly and is filled with things that bring you joy. ❤️