Planning ahead

Our fourth embryo didn't make it, so we have 2 genetically perfect frosties, both 5AB.

With 3 embryos from this cycle, we're reasonably optimistic we'll be able to have one kid, but it's unlikely we'd get lucky and have 2.

So yesterday I reached out to our donor egg agency and asked them to contact our donor to see if she'll donate for us again.

Despite the breathtaking cost (post to come soon about the financial side of IVF...), given we want more than one kid - meaning we'd need to do another donor cycle eventually - and given we'd like for our kids to be full genetic siblings, there's no better time to ask her to do another cycle for us.

And she said yes.

We're figuring out exact fees with the agency. Her fees go up since she's a repeat donor, but obviously there are a lot of agency costs that won't recur: genetic consult, therapist consult, and medical screening (and related trip up here) with the clinic. We should also be able to minimize legal costs since we can either duplicate our first contract, or simply add an addendum that the second cycle follows the same rules as the first cycle.

She'll need about 3 months in between, so the cycle would be February-ish, and then we'll test and freeze the embryos.

I've been low key at home since transfer. Suppositories started last night - joy! - and I found out on Thursday that I keep with the 2x weekly estradiol valerate shots through the first trimester. Since this is my first transfer without having a retrieval (not sure what to call it - it's like prepping for a FET, but it wasn't frozen), I hadn't realized that would be necessary. Those shots use the 22g needle and are a lot less pleasant than the progesterone in ethyl oleate shots which use a 25g needle that I barely feel. Ah well, at least it's only 2x weekly.