After months of preparation, the big day was finally here! In this installment of Adventures in Extreme Babysitting, read all about Nick’s and Beth’s thoughts and feelings on transfer day.
Adventures in Extreme Babysitting is a surrogacy blog series compiled by Heartland Surrogacy. In this series, we follow the journey of Intended Father Nick* and Surrogate Beth*. They share their thoughts and feelings at various milestones in their surrogacy journey.
Tell us your thoughts about the transfer, Nick.
After a few months of road bumps during the screening process, B and I finally started a transfer cycle in September. We were ready to go and the first two monitoring appointments went smoothly. However, we hit a snag at the third monitoring appointment: B’s hormone levels were not good for a transfer…we had to wait for a new cycle. It was a bummer, but at this point we were getting pretty good at coping with delays. So, we had an estimated 2 weeks to wait for a new cycle.
I think B and I were both experiencing a mix of emotions at having to restart. I was trying to keep patient and ‘zen’ because I felt B was likely feeling pressure and anxiety, but it’s tough controlling all the emotions in this type of journey. I praise B for how resilient she is with everything she is going through for me. I try my best not to add to her stress but it is no joke when they say the journey is a rollercoaster. I think our lighthearted moments, such as naming the baby-to-be ‘Tater Tot’ or joking about my lack of artistic talent when I tried to make a countdown calendar, kept us somewhat sane. We also talked quite a bit about ‘food therapy’…I don’t even want to think about all the chips and dip, cheese popcorn, and guacamole I ate as comfort food while we waited for her cycle to begin.
The new transfer cycle began at the end of October. This cycle felt like it went by a bit quicker for me. When we got to the third monitoring appointment, I was on pins and needles. I was anxious about whether we would make it to the transfer day or repeat the cycle again…but the final monitoring appointment went great! Our official transfer day was scheduled! We were all excited, but I also remember thinking this was going to get very real, very fast now.
I am so grateful to the fertility clinic I decided to use. Through this whole journey, they have kept in contact with both of us. Even if most of the emails were just silly, fun conversations, it made coping with all the waiting and roadblocks much easier. So far, much of this journey has been about patiently letting nature take its course, but the clinic always made us feel important and kept things lighthearted even during the stressful times. Because of their compassion and attention, I have become so close to the people there.
Finally, our transfer day was in the middle of November. I felt a mix of relief, excitement, and nerves. B, her husband, and I met at the fertility clinic wearing our pineapple socks for good luck. The appointment was fast and slow at the same time. What was most memorable to me was the moment my embryo left the embryology lab and was in the transfer room. That was such an amazing moment, watching my little embryo being handed off so delicately from embryologist to nurse to doctor and finally transferred into B’s uterus. I had a moment of relief and excitement watching the little white bleb appear on the ultrasound monitor as the embryo was transferred. And that was that! Saying thanks and goodbye to everyone and then driving home was a blur. I do remember trying not to hug B too tightly now that we had transferred an embryo, even though I knew that was ridiculous!
Now all we had to do was wait 10 days for Beta Day. I thought it was going to be a cakewalk after all the other waiting and road bumps we had been through…boy was I wrong, at least on my end!
Beth, what were you thinking on transfer day?
We had a couple bumps in the road during the screening process and even leading up to transfer, so when transfer day arrived, I was relieved that we had made it and everything was looking great! My husband and I drove to Chicago the day before transfer so we wouldn’t have to stress about timing on the day of transfer. We arrived at the clinic a few minutes early and I remember trying to distract myself from my full bladder 🙂
N arrived, with cupcakes in tow, and then our favorite coordinator came out into the waiting room too, so the time passed quickly while we waited. Then we all changed into our fancy transfer outfits, including matching pineapple socks for luck!
I had been through transfer before, so I thought I knew exactly what to expect, but since we were at a different clinic, things were a little different. The chair they had me sitting in felt a bit like a carnival ride and I ended up almost upside down for the transfer. The embryo transfer itself was over in just a few minutes, but I remember trying to take it all in – I mean, this was (hopefully!) the start of someone’s family! We were each given a picture of the embryo cozied up in my “beautiful trilaminar lining” with a heart around it for luck. In this process, we’ll take all the luck we can get.
I didn’t have any post-transfer restrictions, so we started our drive home and began the wait for the first beta! With my own kids at home, I had plenty to keep me busy while I waited, but I still can’t say the time went by quickly. I was happy to be in contact with N and our support staff from the clinic and Heartland while we waited.
You can read more about Beth and Nick’s incredible journey in other segments of this series.
*Names have been changed to protect privacy.