| For women eagerly awaiting the outcome of their in | | | | Abby's story |
| vitro fertilization, the IVF, two week wait is the most | | | | Abby's fertility journey was long and frustrating. She |
| emotionally challenging part of the process. The | | | | and her husband were diagnosed with unexplained |
| anticipation of the cycle's outcome is enough to drive | | | | infertility, but they decided to give IVF a shot so she |
| someone crazy, and the question "Could I be | | | | could hopefully get pregnant quickly. She was filled |
| pregnant?" never really goes away. The good news | | | | with optimism during her first IVF - there were nine |
| is that there are plenty of ways to stay occupied | | | | eggs retrieved, seven fertilized, and two top-grade |
| and happy during the next fourteen days. These | | | | embryos. Unfortunately, the pregnancy didn't take, |
| three stories of survival might give you ideas on how | | | | and Abby was devastated to no end. After a month, |
| to pass that difficult waiting period. | | | | she decided to try again. This time, there were |
| Sandra's story | | | | fewer eggs - seven retrieved, five fertilized, and two |
| Sandra finally decided to get an IVF after a year of | | | | embryos. To play it safe, she decided to switch to |
| trying to conceive naturally. Her doctor said she had | | | | organic food and avoid the environmental chemicals |
| unexplained infertility, which gave her hope - she read | | | | lurking in meat. The cycle still did not work. Once she |
| online that women with unexplained infertility still had | | | | was done grieving, Abby and her husband had a long |
| a good chance of getting pregnant. The egg retrieval | | | | discussion and decided that the next IVF would be |
| was a success; eight eggs were retrieved, six were | | | | their last; they could no longer afford a fourth try. |
| fertilized, and two grade-A embryos were | | | | However, they would do ICSI with the cycle to |
| transferred. Sandra was optimistic about her chances | | | | increase the chances of getting pregnant. During her |
| of conceiving and felt as though the two week wait | | | | third IVF, seven eggs were retrieved and five were |
| went on forever. Her husband suggested that she | | | | fertilized. Three embryos were transferred after |
| take time off her public relations work to rest, but | | | | assisted hatching - two grade A embryos, and one |
| Sandra wouldn't allow it - she wanted to stay busy, | | | | average embryo. The two week wait was the worst |
| or she would go crazy waiting for the big day. When | | | | because she knew it was her last, but Abby did her |
| her pregnancy test finally came in, however, she was | | | | best to stay positive. To keep herself occupied, she |
| shocked beyond belief to see a negative result. She | | | | enrolled in a yoga class, cleared out the attic, |
| was so sure that she would get pregnant and did not | | | | organized her closet, and held a garage sale - a chore |
| prepare for the cycle to fail. The pain of a failed | | | | she had always been meaning to do but never found |
| cycle was deeper than she imagined, but she | | | | the motivation to accomplish. In the end, everything |
| eventually mustered the courage to give IVF another | | | | she went through was worth the struggle because |
| shot. Her second IVF will start in just a couple of | | | | she finally got pregnant! She is due to give birth to |
| weeks, but Sandra finds herself just as optimistic as | | | | her daughter soon. |
| the first time. | | | | |