I mentioned in my last blog post about using meditation to visualize and focus during egg transfer and I will explain exactly how in a moment. Once, I had a call from my clinic on Sunday. After seeing them the day before to tell me I was going to take the trigger the following day, I set about trying to get a session booked with my acupuncturist. Again try and be organized here. I’d been seeing someone and told them about my timeframe, so my message wasn’t out of the blue.

I was keen to have a session post-egg collection which was what my acupuncturist had advised. As it is supposed to help reduce inflammation after the treatment. There is advice to say you should have it on the morning of collection, but I had to be there early so this wasn’t possible. Some clinics have someone on-site, so do check

Denmark study Pic:tryaccupuncture.org

I saw my guy on Tuesday, two days before the egg collection.  And continued to use my visualization meditation. Wednesday was the first drug-free day in over a month!

Thursday was the day of egg collection. We arrived early (8.30 am)  at the clinic and were given a bed and told I’d be taken down to the theatre at 10.30 am. During this time, various checks were made of my blood when I’d last eaten (no food after midnight) – like a Gremlin. Also when you can last have a drink.  Hubby and I had to fill in forms and then he was led off to do his bit. You can also talk to the clinic about giving a sample to be frozen in case nerves get the better of the guy on the day. It’s worth it, just in case. You want all eventualities covered.

Then I was given a sedative and a suppository and then I couldn’t help but be relaxed! I was very well looked after wheeled to the theatre by a lovely nurse and had my hand held throughout the treatment. I was offered gas and air if I felt uncomfortable as the consultant and nurses got ready. But I was determined that this was what my meditation had been for.

As the procedure began, I closed my eyes and started my visualization. It took about 20 minutes.

Honestly, it was pretty uncomfortable, but I kept telling myself it was part of the preparation for childbirth. The best way I can describe it is like an intense, intense period of pain. But it was like nothing I’ve ever felt it’s bearable believe me and I didn’t accept the gas and air. Instead once completed, the nurses told me how calm I was and that my heart rate had really lowered. So I proudly told them what I’d been doing.

During the collection, you can hear the chatter between the consultant and the embryologist. And you hear numbers being said. To be honest, anything more than one is a bonus. I was convinced I’d heard two, so I was happy. In fact, nine embryos were collected. I was then wheeled back to my bed to my anxiously awaiting hubby and told to rest for an hour.

When we were ready to go, another nurse came and explained what happens next. With the gels, you need to take for a good while and when to expect to speak to the clinic again, and off we went. I felt very delicate and could feel twinges so once home and rested. Visited my acupuncturists as arranged. You might be told you can’t drive for 24 hours, however, I had to go back to work the following day and was fine driving. But I definitely rested up for the rest of that day and arranged another acupuncture session for Saturday.

An ideal scenario is for your embryos to get to blastocyst. And on Friday we had a call from our embryologist to say that of our nine collected six had been fertilized and five were going to blastocyst.  HALLELUJAH! Which potentially meant we had eggs to be frozen after transfer day.

It was like we’d passed the first hurdle after all this time. Later that day I had to have a tooth removed and I HATE the dentist, but I didn’t care, we were on our way.. finally.

I’ve said before and I can’t stress enough how important a positive mindset is through all of this it’s worth celebrating the various stages your reach as every single one is an achievement and its so important for the pair of you to take stock as it can be exhausting and totally consuming whilst you are going through IVF.