I guess I should start with an update, as to where I and my husband stand on our search for a family. 

We are presently on our third course of IVF.  Obviously the first two were raging failures, and the latest is mid-course so I am not supposed to make predictions.  They only cause severe levels of depression. 

The first IVF cycle, the dr retrieved 18 follicles.  I thought I couldn't be any prouder.  Of course 10 minutes later the woman in the next bed was crying in pain after retrieving 24.  Still 18 meant I was a trooper, I was going to produce so many embryos that I would be able to just implant them and have as many kids as we could handle.  Then we found out that there were only 10 mature, and 9 of those fertilized. 

That was a disappointment, but seriously, who wants 9 kids?  I was still doing so well that I knew this was going to be easy.  On a relative sense of course, IVF isn't easy, injecting every day, all the hormones, all the disruption, but still.

Then, Day 3-implant, dr recommends only implanting 2, don't want to risk multiples, etc.  But he points out that none of the embryos are looking great.  Several have already stopped growing and most have severe fragmentation. 

Two go in, none survive to Day 5 for freezing. 

14 days later, as my period is already starting, I am still supposed to go to get a blood test.  I explain, in tears, that I don't need a blood test and they try to explain that "You never know, you can bleed and be pregnant".

Oh, I forgot to mention, I started a brand new job the week before retrieval.  Of course, I never told anyone what I was doing, that was private.

So, I am on Day 28/Day 1 of new cycle and I get 'the phone call' at work, and of course I break down.  I have been working with these people for a total of 3 weeks, one of which I took off because my center recommends 4 days bed rest, and I am hysterical in an empty office. 

Let's just say, that didn't go well. 

The next course was several months later, because now I am trying to get into a new job and just deal with the emotional difficulty of going through IVF. 

This time we are trying an expedited cycle, only 1 month instead of starting in the previous cycle.  This sounds wonderful to me.  More injections, twice a day but all in 14 days (or less depending on my cycle). 

Retrieval = 16 follicles, 9 mature I think 6-7 fertilize.  I don't hold out much hope and I am rewarding with the same condolence phone call. 

And now, the most recent (present) IVF. 

I go back to using the normal cycle, with increased follistim.  I got a better response using the normal cycle, so even though that takes 2 cycles to do, that is what the dr recommends. 

I get 22 follicles, 12 mature and 9 fertilize.  H says that sounds like a record and the dr explains that actually 67 was the record.  I don't think I want the record.

We implant on Day 2 instead of 3 to test if maybe my body can help grow the embryos better than a petri dish. 

Still, now we implanted 3, each of which is a 5-cell on Day 2. 

Of the other 6 (on Day 3):

1 stopped growing immediately
1was a 2-cell
1 was a 4-cell
2 were 6-cells
1 was 8 cells

Each of them showed some signs of fragmentation.  They did not think there was much chance of any surviving to freeze.

I am still waiting for the blood test.  That is 5 more days away. 

Well, I think that is the catch-up.