Q and A: Answers Pt. 1

Thank you so much for the questions! I can't believe how many questions I received! Since I received over 20 questions, I have decided to split them into two posts! Here is Part One!

Would you consider doing it again?

Absolutely!!! My IP’s have asked if I would be willing to carry for them again. We have a great relationship, so that will be a plus if I help them with a Sibling Project! If we decide to wait a while, I will be updating my profile and hopefully get matched with another couple soon!

What if I don't have Medical Insurance or My Insurance doesn't cover Surrogacy?

I didn't have medical insurance when I applied. Once you are matched, they will have you apply to an insurance company that covers Surrogacy. I do know that Anthem Blue Cross and Kaiser cover Surrogacy!

Did your Tincture work/help? What about the capsules?

I haven’t used the Tincture yet. The longer it ferments, the better! I took my placenta capsules for about 4 weeks and now I take them during my monthly cycle. They have helped tremendously! In the beginning, they helped a lot with my bleeding and my hormone levels.

Did you notice anything different compared to your other postpartum experiences?

This postpartum was a lot easier on me! I contribute a lot of that to the fact that I didn’t have a newborn to take care of and I had a lot of help with my kids.

Has your family been supportive (during and after)?

In the beginning, a few family members weren’t on board and that was okay. During the pregnancy, a few of them started to come around and by the end of the pregnancy, they were very proud of what I was doing. I know that Surrogacy is not for everyone and that is absolutely fine with me, I just won’t talk about it while you are around. The one person that I was terrified to tell was my Gramma. She is very old school and I wasn't sure how she would react. When I was 12-14 weeks pregnant, she called me and asked me about it! She was fully supportive of what I was doing! She said that if she was guaranteed a girl, she would have paid someone a long time ago! Hahaha!

Did you experience any PPD after carrying Surro Babe for 9 months and then having to hand her over to her parents?

No. I knew going into this knowing that this child was not mine. I had the perfect mindset and am very grateful. Once I delivered, I was a little hesitant about holding her, but after I had her in my arms, I knew I would be fine! It felt like I was holding a friend’s baby and I didn’t feel any sort of emptiness. She wasn’t mine to keep, I was just giving her back to her parents!

What was the process like?

Surrogacy is a “Hurry Up and Wait” process. Once we were matched, I flew back down to L.A. and had another medical appt. After I got the go ahead, we started contracts. Those took about a month and then I was able to start my meds. First Birth Control Pills, then Lupron, Delestrogen, Progesterone in Oil and Endometrin. 3 weeks in a row, I had to have my blood drawn to check my numbers. I then flew down to L.A. for my transfer!

How did you do with the shots? I am terrified of needles, but I don’t want that holding me back from being a surrogate.

I was very nervous about the intramuscular shots. The Lupron shots were easy since they were tiny insulin needles and those went in my belly. The Intramuscular shots were a little harder. My husband is not a fan of needles, but I made him watch some you tube videos and have him watch a friend give me my first shot. He got better at it after about 3 days. The needles are very intimidating, but once you do the shots a few times, it will get better. Make sure you heat your injection site and the medicine and then rub the area after the shot. You will get knots, but rubbing the area will help disperse the medicine.

How are your kids doing?

My kids are doing great! They understood from the very beginning that the baby was not ours. I told my children that my IM’s tummy was sick and couldn’t carry a baby like mommy can. I am grateful that my IP’s loved our children and were so excited to see them and include them in everything. They love seeing pictures of Surro Babe almost daily!

What was the Psychological Process like?
My husband and I had to drive to San Francisco and do our Psych Eval there. I had to complete a 200+ multiple choice questionnaire. Some of the questions were really strange and I actually laughed at a few! After that, my husband and I were called into a room and we talked to a Psychologist about our lives and what surrogacy meant to us. At the end of the appointment, she told me that we seem like a sane family and was going to approve us!


Why did you become a surrogate?
I have always wanted to be a surrogate. I love being pregnant and pregnancy is very easy on me. I told my husband that after we were done having our own kids, I wanted to apply to be a surrogate. After weighing our pro's and con's for about a year, I applied. I feel that if my body does well during pregnancies and that I love being pregnant, why not help a family who can't have children. It is a true gift of love in my opinion!

Well, there ya have it!! Come back tomorrow for Part Two!!

Padsicles...

So a few months ago I was on Pinterest and stumbled upon a pin about “Padsicles.” I was really intrigued about the whole thing. With my first, I had a 3^rd degree tear and needed 15 stitches. I don’t think my lady parts had ever hurt that bad before. I didn’t have anything to use except some Dermaplast and Witch Hazel Tucks Pads. My other two deliveries were a piece of cake and only needed a few stitches. Since I will be delivering my Surro Babe within a month, I thought to myself, why not make a few of these for when I get home from the hospital! They are so easy to make and you only need 5 Items!

Pads: I used the Always Maxi Overnights with Flex Wings. They are big enough to hold the liquid, but small enough that you don’t feel like you have a mattress between your legs.

Aloe Vera Gel: You need the gel, not the liquid.

Thayer’s Rose Petal Witch Hazel: You can use the regular Witch Hazel, but make sure it is Alcohol Free! The Rose Petal was the only one that the store had.

Lavender Essential Oil or Tea Tree Oil: I grabbed both. I used the Lavender a lot more than the Tea Tree, just because of how strong the smell was.

Ziploc Freezer Bags: I was able to put 12 pads in a bag. I am sure you can squeeze more into them, I just didn’t want the stuff to ooze out of them.

***I have a Midwife Friend who also said the Herb Sitz Bath is great on the pads instead of the lavender and tea tree oil. So you can use either one!

Instructions:

Step 1: Open the pad, but make sure you keep the backing intact.

Step 2: Squirt about 2-3 teaspoons of the Witch Hazel onto the pad.

Step 3: Add a few drops of the Lavender/Tea Tree Oil onto the pad. (Optional)

Step 4: Add a liberal amount of Aloe Vera Gel onto the pad. Make sure you rub it around evenly on the pad.

Step 5: Wrap the pads back up and put them into the Ziploc Freezer Bag. Once your bag is full, stick it in the freezer! Make sure that if you are making a lot, put the date and the order of the bags. (1^st Batch, 2^nd Batch, etc..)

When you are ready to use the Padsicles, make sure you let them defrost for about 5-10 minutes. You don’t want it freezing to your skin! I am really excited to use these after the birth. I have heard a lot of great things about these little suckers! These are supposed to really help the healing of your lady parts. You will want to sit on a few towels while wearing these. They will leak a little. 

Surro Babe: 35 Weeks!!

Today is: March 13, 2014

How far along: 35 Weeks 2 Days!!! 33 Days to go!!!

Total weight gain: 9lbs

Baby is the size of: A Honeydew Melon

What is going on with this baby: Baby Girl doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (about the size of a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks should remain about the same. Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete — she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Baby is a: GIRL!!!

Maternity Clothes: Oh Yeah, and loving it!!

Sleep: Eh... I am waking up around 3x a night to go to the bathroom and my hips are killing me. 

Movement: She is a Mover and loves to kick my ribs. She is mostly active in the mornings and late afternoons.

Symptoms: I've been getting some energy back but some days I am completely exhausted. I have been getting really bad acid reflux and the Zantac 75 is helping a little. I have been getting a lot of Braxton Hicks lately. My Dr. prescribed me Vistaril to calm my uterus down. They have been helping a lot.

Food Cravings/Aversions: A lot of Fruits and Veggies. Cheerios. Ice. Lots of water!

Best moment(s) this week: 
Finding out when the parents are coming!

I'm looking forward to:

OB Appt on 3/19

The Mommy To Be gets here on 3/31

The Dad To Be gets here on 4/10

Surro Babe: Week 10 and Update

So there has been a lot going on with the pregnancy within the past few weeks. On September 4th I went in for a routine ultrasound and found out that we lost one of the twins. It was completely gone and there was no signs of it ever being there. We also noticed another sac with 2 amnions and yolk sacs. So that appt was very confusing for not only me, but for my IP's. It was hard to communicate what was going on since I was completely confused. The Dr. thinks it could have been "Vanishing Twin Syndrome," but no one is certain. I went back on the 18th and the baby is doing great! The other chaotic sac is slowly dissolving, so the dr is not concerned. I was also released to my regular ob!! So as of today, I am currently 10w2d with One Precious Baby. We were all sad about losing the twin but we are all so grateful for the little Peanut that is in there and hanging on. 

So, now that things have calmed down a little, I can get back to these weekly posts.

Today is: September 22, 2013

How far along: 10 weeks 2 days

Total weight gain: 2lbs

Baby is the size of: A Kumquat

What is going on with this baby: Though Peanut is barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, their baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature. Peanut's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his/her kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout the pregnancy. If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin. In other developments: Their baby's limbs can bend now. His/Her hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his/her feet may be long enough to meet in front of his/her body. The outline of his/her spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Their baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his/her developing brain and sits very high on his/her head, which measures half the length of his/her body. From crown to rump, he/she is about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, their baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches. 

Baby is a: ??? Should find out the middle of November!!

Maternity Clothes: oh yeah...

Sleep: It's getting better...

Movement: Too soon!

Symptoms: Nausea is slowly getting better. Zofran, Peppermint Gum and Warm Tea are my friends.

Food Cravings/Aversions: I cant eat or drink anything sweet or I will get sick. Loving Protein, fruits and veggies.

Best moment(s) this week: 
Seeing Peanut on the 18th! He/She is growing great and has a great heartbeat of 164, which is up from 159 from the 4th. Stopping some of my meds!!

I'm looking forward to: 

Seeing my regular OB on October 2nd!!
Stopping my Meds!!


Have a great week!!!!

And I'm Back!!

First off, My IP's are absolutely amazing!!!

My flight to LA was a breeze and it was nice that the flight was less than half full! I was able to lay down and take a nap since no one was next to me! My IP's picked me up from the airport and we immediately hugged and it was like we were old friends. We went to my hotel The Crescent in Beverly Hills and I got all checked in... Then it was off to dinner!! They took me to a Curry place called Curry House CoCo Ichibanya. I have never had curry before so I was a little nervous. We looked at the menu and they picked out some pretty tasty plates.. After everything was brought over, my IM dished me up and omg it was pretty amazing! She kept giving me more and I told her that if I ate anymore, they would have to roll me out of the restaurant haha.. I gave my IM her Origami Owl Locket at dinner and they brought me a lot of treats from their country and a few things that she personally made. It was so heartwarming :) After dinner, they took me to my hotel and I went to bed since we had a BIG DAY on Sunday!!

Sunday morning I ordered room service and got some yummy fruit and oj :) I got ready, took my meds and had my caseworker give me my 2 shots and then it was off to our TRANSFER!!!!

When we got to CFP, I had to go back and give blood. I swear they use the same spot over and over again. After that, they were ready for me! They take me back to the room and I have to get undressed from the waist down. By that time, my IP's have arrived! Everyone crowds into the tiny transfer room and then they wheel in the precious cargo in an incubator :) My IP's got to look at them and I got to take a picture of these precious embies!!

My Dr decided to put all 4 embryos in considering my IM's age and the quality of the embryos. I was a little nervous but I knew that I was in good hands. 1 Embryo was a 9 cell, 2 were 7 cells and one was 5 cells. After the transfer, my IM sat down and prayed and I had to lay with pillows under my knees/thighs for about 30 minutes. After that, I was able to get up and get dressed. I was wheeled out since my valium had kicked in and couldn't really walk straight. I got back to my hotel and took a nap :) My IP's brought me lunch and dinner and I was completely stuffed! I also ordered dessert and got a massive brownie and vanilla ice cream :) It was scrumptious!! After that I passed out!

I was so excited to finally be heading home and give my babies big hugs!! All in all this trip was such an amazing one! This will forever be etched in my heart!!! I probably missed a lot, but I got most of it :)


this is what happens in a 3dt : 

1dpt ..embryo is growing and developing 
2dpt... Embryo is now a blastocyst 
3dpt....Blastocyst hatches out of shell on this day 
4dpt.. Blastocyst attaches to a site on the uterine lining 
5dpt.. Implantation begins as the blastocyst begins to bury in the lining 
6dpt.. Implantation process continues and morula buries deeper in the lining 
7dpt.. Morula is completely implanted in the lining and has placenta cells & 
fetal cells 
8dpt...Placenta cells begin to secret HCG in the blood 
9dpt...More HCG is produced as fetus develops 
10dpt...More HCG is produced as fetus develops 
11dpt...HCG levels are now high enough to be immediately detected on 
HPT

Moving along & 2 Days!!

I can't believe I leave for LA in TWO days!!!

Yesterday was my very last Lupron Injection!!! I am so glad to be done with those. They were small, but I bruised easily with them.

This morning I started my PIO Injections and my Progesterone Inserts... Holy Cow, my butt is sore! It was also a Double Shot Day.. Bleh!

I will start packing probably this evening or tomorrow!! I am beyond excited to meet my IP's face to face on saturday evening! I will be flying out saturday late afternoon. It seems so crazy that everything is already here :)

**Please send positive vibes to my IM <3 Today is her Egg Retrieval Day!

One Medication Done!

I took my Last BCP!!! 35 BCP's during this journey! Since I took my last one today, I should be starting my menses soon. The day it starts, I need to call my nurse and let her know. I am so glad to be done with these! BCP's make me gain weight like crazy, so good riddance!

So I have been on Lupron for one week! First off, I feel like I am in a sauna at all times. I have some serious hot flashes.

On my first day, I was pretty nervous and had Dave take pictures {none of them turned out good}. After everything was all done, I started getting a small reaction and kinda freaked out. I texted my CW and she said that it is completely normal and should go away in about an hour... She was right ;) I still have the bruise from the first shot too..

Now I have no problem doing them. It's like clockwork. I have my alarm set for 7:45a and it gives me a few minutes to clean up and get everything ready. I am supposed to take the Lupron at the same time every day. So since I did my first shot at 8a, I will have to do them at or very close to that time.

I have my first monitoring appt on Tuesday the 9th! They are going to check my Estradiol & Progesterone Levels. On Wednesday the 10th I will start my Delestrogen Shots. These ones, I am really nervous about! This medication is really thick, thicker than the PIO that I have. I am just glad that I only have to take these every 3 days. The needles are pretty scary too...

I hope everyone is having a great 4th of July!! Stay safe!

Tomorrow, Tomorrow...

I take my first ever Lupron Shot Tomorrow!!!!

My friend is going to come over and video/take pics of me giving my first ever injection!

When I told Dave that I was really excited for Friday to get here, he said "Why on earth are you excited to give yourself shots?" It's not really the fact that I am excited about giving myself shots, Its about the journey that is officially starting tomorrow!!! The bigger needles are a little scarier, but nothing too bad :)

My IP's and I emailed back and forth this morning and I found out when they are going to be in LA. I also found out when we will be meeting Face to Face!! We are going to meet the day I fly to LA, which I am so freaking excited about!! It is going to be so nice to finally meet them in person and actually talk to them and give them a big hug :)

In exactly one month, I will be packing for my Transfer Trip to LA!!

Moving Along...

Our laptop is still not fixed.. Grrr!

We finally got our Contract on thursday!! Dave and I read it a few times and do not see anything that needs to be changed. It's a great feeling when you know that both you and your IP's are basically on the same page and want the same thing. So hopefully the contract signing will go smoothly and fast!

I have my Consultation with the Lawyer on Wednesday to go over everything. I'm so glad things are moving along nicely. I am just sad that we won't be able to do a June transfer like they wanted. We are shooting for a early July transfer now.

I have about 10 days left of my first BCP pack and need to call my nurse to get a refill along with some more prenatals :) Hopefully my meds & calendar will arrive soon after contracts!!

Hope everyone is having a blessed monday & rest of your week!!

Yay!!!

Wow...

So there have been a few great milestones within the past week!!

For one, We have passed our Screening & have been Medically Cleared!! This means that Dave and Myself are healthy and perfectly sane! ;)

Second, I started my cycle!! So that measn that I took my first BCP this morning! I can already see a decrease in my period.. Whoop Whoop!

So right now, we are waiting on the contract. I was told that it should be in my email either today or monday. My IP's are really pushing for a June Transfer, so we are trying to get things done as fast as we can.

Hope you all have a fabulous Friday!!!!

Moving Forward!!!

Yesterday, I flew to LA for my Re-Evaluation :)

I got to the airport around 6:45a and my flight didn't leave until 8:10a. So I walked around and tried to calm my nerves :) I got a sweet email from my IP's the night before saying to relax and have a nice time. It made me feel better!

Once I got to LAX, my Caseworker picked me up and we headed to CFP. We got there around 10:45 and my appt wasn't until 11:30, so we were able to check in early and I went back for blood work and urine test. I have a pretty little bruise now... At around 11:15 I was called back to the room and was told to get undressed from my waist down. About 5 minutes later, the nurse came in and told me that I needed to get weighed. I wrapped a blanket around me and I went to get weighed. I'm not back into the room 5 minutes and she comes back in and says "You're gonna hate me. We have to go and get your height now.." I just laughed..

{In Surro Land, this is known as the Weenie Wand}

After all of that, my Dr came in and we chatted. He was very happy with my weight loss {YAY!!!}. We talked a little and then he started the Sonohysterogram. This time I didn't really cramp! He said that my lining is absolutely perfect and that I need to start taking Prenatals. So I have finally finished all of the screening and can now move to CONTRACTS!!!! We just have to wait for all of the blood work from dave/myself to come back. That should only take about 5-7 days.

It was now off to see the nurse for my Meds!!! I got a bag full of Prenatal Samples. The one that everyone likes was gone, so she is going to order me some! I was told that I will be taking Birth Control Pills {BCP's}, Lupron, Estradiol {Delestrogen} & Progesterone. So once I start my cycle/period {CD1}, I need to call her and I will start BCP's on CD2. After that I will begin the Lupron Shots for 7 days. Then its the Estradiol Shots every 3 days. Then I do Labs & u/s of my lining. Then its on to Progesterone. I am so confused but my nurse is amazing and is going to send me detailed instructions for everything along with my calendar!!

I am so excited that things are moving!!!!!

Scheduled!

I scheduled my Re-Evaluation/Medical Appointment with Dr. this morning!!!

I will be heading back down to LA on Thursday the 16th! I was able to schedule it on Dave's day off that way we don't have to have anyone watch the kids.

I will be flying out in the morning, go to my appointment, grab some lunch and then fly back home. During the appointment, I will be doing the following:

- Sonohysterogram - Ultrasound of my Uterus.
- Blood Work.
- Find out what medicines I will be on.
- Learn how to give myself my Injections.
- Ask Questions, Get Answers!

I am a little torn since the 16th is also D's Open House at school {first one since he is in Kindergarten} but Daddy will be there :) Since I work in the classroom 2x a month, I get to see everything they are doing for open house, so that makes me feel a little better.


Next week can't come soon enough!!

Just a little setback...

So we have ran into a tiny set back.. 

I was supposed to fly to LA one day this week to do my Re-Evaluation with Dr., but it looks like he is completely booked for the week. So what does that mean?! I have to wait for my next cycle, which should be around May 8th.

I had only done half of what was needed because of the whole weight thing. But I get to do all of this all over again with my new Dr.

My Medical Evaluation will include: 

Medical History
Pregnancy History
Blood work
Sonohysterogram - Ultrasound of the uterus.
Explain all of the meds and process
Give me a lab slip for D to do his blood work..


Psych Evaluation will include:

MMPI-2 (or PAI) Test - roughly 340 T/F questions. None of them are right or wrong because it is a personality test.
Talk about why I chose Surrogacy.
Misc Questions.
3-4 hours for everything


So here is hoping these next few weeks fly by! I don't think I have ever wanted my period to start so fast.. Like.EVER! #SurroProbs! 

The only thing that sucks is that my Anniversary is right in the middle of this crazy cycle.. May 12th is our 6 year wedding anniversary :)

Hope everyone has a great day!!!

Just a few meds...

I have been looking at majority of the meds that are used for Infertility & IVF. I am trying to get a feel of what meds I will be taking and how they will react. I have been reading all of the side effects and am not really that scared anymore, just nervous!

Here is a list of IVF Medications and what they do. I know I will be taking at least 4 of these...

Prenatal Vitamins - Prepares the body for conception and balances out nutrition deficiencies.

Baby Aspirin - Minimizes the chance of miscarriage.

Birth Control Pills - Regulates menstruation prior to an IVF cycle.

Zithromax - Helps prevent infection and harmful bacteria.

Clomid or Femara (generic Letrozele) - Inhibits estrogen to increase the release of follicle stimulating hormone, resulting in higher rates of ovulation and pregnancy.

Repronex - Provides follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone that help stimulate healthy ovaries*

Bravelle, Follistim, Gonal-F or Menopur - Controls the timing of egg maturation, allowing more follicles to be produced*

Ganirelix - Controls ovulation by rapidly suppressing the production and action of the luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone.

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) - induces ovulation or the release of eggs in the ovaries and is the hormone produced by an embryo shortly after conception.

Novarel (hCG) - Stimulates the release of eggs in the ovaries.

Estrogen - Stimulates growth of the lining of the uterus.

Progesterone - Prepares the lining of the uterus for implantation and fosters gestation, helping to achieve and maintain pregnancy.

Lupron - Controls ovulation by briefly increasing and then suppressing the production and action of the luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone.

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Since I have been getting a lot of feedback on my Facebook, I have decided to start a Facebook Page. I was flooding my facebook with all of the blog entries. So now they will just go to the facebook page :) If you would like to follow, just click here!