The 2-week wait

Below is also a table of development for the next days:

Days Past Transfer (DPT)	Embryo Development
One	The embryo continues to grow and develop, turning from a 6-8 cell embryo into a morula
Two	The cells of the morula continue to divide, developing into a blastocyst
Three	The blastocyst begins to hatch out of its shell
Four	The blastocyst continues to hatch out of its shell and begins to attach itself to the uterus
Five	The blastocyst attaches deeper into the uterine lining, beginning implantation
Six	Implantation continues
Seven	Implantation is complete, cells that will eventually become the placenta and fetus have begun to develop
Eight	Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) starts to enter the blood stream
Nine	Fetal development continues and hCG continues to be secreted
Ten	Fetal development continues and hCG continues to be secreted
Eleven	Levels of hCG are now high enough to detect a pregnancy

Source: http://www.nyufertilitycenter.org/ivf/embryo_transfer

4dp3dt (4 days past 3-day transfer) – had my post hormone blood test today. I got a call around 9pm saying that my levels are okay but my Doctor recommends me to take HCG shot to boost my estrogen and progesterone levels. We arrived at the clinic before 10pm. The nurse prepared my injection (Pregnyl). She administered the injection in my left shoulder.

8dp3dt (8 days past 3-day transfer) – had my post hormone blood test today. My hormone levels are good and my beta HCG is 39.5.. This is really great! However, since I took my HCG booster in D4, part of my HCG level is from that injection. Therefore, I cannot celebrate yet!

Food intake during the 2ww: I’ve read in the internet that pineapple and Brazilian nuts are good for embyo implantation. Therefore, I ate 1-2 slices of fresh pineapple (including the core) for the first 5 days after my transfer. Since hubby can’t find Brazilian nuts in the grocery, he bought all kinds of nuts that he could find! However, I only feel like eating the roasted almond nuts. The nurse also recommended to take a lot of protein especially meat and to limit from sweets especially chocolates. I feel usually hungry after taking my medicines. Therefore, I ensure that I eat snacks in between. I normally take toasted bread (with peanut butter or with butter+fruit preserve), hard-boiled egg, crackers, and fruits like apple, grapes, and kiwi. I also take plenty of water.

 

Food no-no’s: I’ve read that it is not recommended to eat the following food

·         Anything with raw egg – mayonnaise, icing

·         Soft and blue cheese

·         Raw shellfish and big fish that might contain mercury

What kept me busy during the 2ww?
I started playing Farmville 2 online. During my previous IVF cycle, I spent the 2ww almost paranoid everyday. I usually search the internet non-stop about other IVF success stories and failures. And I end up having more negative thoughts. But this time around, playing the online game really diverted my attention! I also watched Breaking Bad and 24 series. I intentionally avoided watching Koreanovelas and drama movies because I usually cry even at small stuff. I take naps in the morning and in the evening because I usually sleep around 12mn or 1am. I also do some light exercise in the morning (~20 mins) while watching/singing praise songs. From time to time, I also chat with my family, relatives and friends.