IVF Journey: 28w2d pregnant

This is my IVF diary. My husband and I have been trying to have a baby for four years now, and have a diagnosis of 'unexplained infertility'. We have finally reached the top of the waiting list for IVF - a form of assisted conception. I'm blogging about what happens as it happens, as a kind of therapy for me and as an awareness raising exercise of what IVF is all about.

Went in to the GP surgery this morning to get my whooping cough vaccine which is recommended to all pregnant women after 28 weeks in order to pass on immunity to protect newborn babies. Having had whooping cough myself twice I was pleased to be vaccinated, it is a nasty illness and would be very dangerous for a baby. It stung a bit, but not too bad.

Then, along to my community midwife appointment. All the usual tests. The blood taking got a bit gory when my arm sprung a leak and blood had to be wiped up. The community midwife is very kind and she asked if I understood what was going on. But found she couldn’t really explain it, further than I am getting a lot of fluctuating readings on the various tests they do – and am therefore worthy of keeping an eye on. I asked her if I had pre-eclampsia or hypertension and she said it was unclear from my notes. Then, she broke it to me that my blood pressure reading had been high and that I’d have to go into the hospital today for monitoring.

Unexpected.

Should really have been expected.

I asked her when I should next see her, and she told me she didn’t think I should come back to her or she’d only end up sending me to the hospital every time. She was kind though, and I was sad to lose that continuity of care.

Headed up to the hospital. Was seen and monitored within an hour… then had to wait a further three hours to see a doctor. I could write at length about this and who said what. But I won’t. Suffice to say the whole process is a straightforward repeat every time but with different players. I get seen by hassled midwives, spend three hours in a waiting room one way or another, and eventually get reviewed by enthusiastic young doctors who then run their plans past their superior and ultimately decide to do nothing. Different people but same conversations every time. Virtually word for word. Twice a week.

Just another twenty or so times to go…

Something about that that just makes me want to cry.