So I was spared a full 2 weeks wait for the $800 test. I only found out it's called the Panorama Prenatal Screen when they emailed the report over. The genetic consultant called hubby last Thursday (17/12) to deliver the news. The probability for Down Syndrome is now <1/10000 according to this test with 99% accuracy. Oh gosh, we were so relieved! I...

Read More...

So here we are, in the middle of yet another '2 week wait'. This time, my Schrodinger's Cat is in a lab somewhere in the hospital. It. Just. Never. Ends. Last Monday (7/12), we went for the Fetal Abnormality Screening. I had been nervous about the scan for a while but largely distracted by the morning sickness to fall over myself in worry....

Read More...

We went for the 2nd dating scan on 16 Nov Monday, and I was so pleased that I have been promoted from the transvaginal probe to the 'over-the-belly' kind (what is this called?). I was a little stunned as she placed the probe on my lower belly and immediately, the sac and the 'blob' inside it appeared on the screen. It has grown...

Read More...

I am so sick of wanting to throw up all the time. Why do they call this "Morning Sickness" when it happens throughout the day; randomly; and sometimes more acute in the evening? Ondansetron, the promised 'wonder pill' for morning sickness useless on its own. I need to take it with Prochlorperazine for any relief at all. And there is this pain in...

Read More...

I almost choked with emotion when Dr Jerry Chan announced "We can see the sac". Sac! "What's a sac?" I needed to confirm. He briefly explained to little bimbo me exactly what I thought it is. That was last Friday. Dr Chan had got us to go down after I complained about the intense cramps that had suddenly appeared. So he wanted to...

Read More...

I suddenly developed an insane craving for grapes sometime last week; specifically purple and red grapes. And now it is suddenly my favorite fruit. These little bundles of sweet gems are a surprising relief to nausea! You don't have to eat an entire bowl of it. When I get a spell of nausea that the Ondansetron cannot deal with, I pop in a...

Read More...

Today is Day 27 since my diamonds got fertilised. So the hospital calling with a "Congrats! You're pregnant!" after the blood test isn't the end of it. Dr Jerry Chan reminded us in an email on the day of the pregnancy test that we still needed to wait for the scan 2 weeks later to "confirm the viability of the pregnancy". After which...

Read More...

I got awakened to a thrashing twisting pain in my mid torso again early this morning before falling back into an exhausted sleep. This is happening on an almost daily basis, with the crippling pain lasting 10 minutes before tossing me back to sleep. When I finally did wake up proper, I was blanketed with anxiety. My scheduled pregnancy blood test is this...

Read More...

OHSS is strange. I fluctuate between either losing all appetite for food developing one of a hippo's. Anyway, this looks like utter junk food I know, but it's actually quite interesting. Fried chicken cutlet squirted with cheese and instant noodles (or 公仔面 if you will) doused in soy sauce with 1 lonely stalk of veggie; good for those days when you're craving something...

Read More...

This persistent OHSS thing JUST won't leave me alone. The day after my Fresh Embryo Transfer, the symptoms started to go away. And as long as I popped in the anti-barfing meds, I was generally functional. By last Friday, the only med I was taking was Cabergoline. I was even well enough to take public transport to the mall for a movie and...

Read More...

August 3 was my first womb scratch test. I was kinda nervous, and soon learned that the best method to get rid of anxiety is apparently an infuriatingly long wait at the patient's waiting area, where your number gets called 1 hour AFTER your allotted appointment time. Dr Jerry Chan was pleasant and professional as usual, and explained that it was a simple...

Read More...

Chabuton has gotta be one of my favorite ramen places in town. At the moment that is; before my fickle tummy flutters to another gastronomical wonderland. I love ramen! But the thing about ramen is.. they're really fattening. All that broth simmered in pork bones for hours means all the fatty parts are in the delicious golden broth. And that thin slice of Char...

Read More...

It's only been 5 days since the ovum pick up, but it felt like months had transpired. Time really slows down when you're totally not enjoying yourself. My tummy is so bloated I looked a few months pregnant. But after the last round in March, I'm done with all the low self-esteem stuff. I've been in and out of KK hospital since last...

Read More...

I never thought I'd add another post under 'The OHSS Ordeal' label ever again. How life mocks me. The Cabergoline prescribed to prevent this dumb OHSS thing is useless, I tell you. Useless. Just like in March, a mere 6 months ago, I was hit with severe pain in my abdomen on Sat 26 Sep, the day after the ovum pick up. It...

Read More...

It's been a while since I roosted here. One of my last posts in July talks about my brief hiatus until September. When September came around, I saw a stream of readers on my stats board checking into my blog for updates. But.. (tiny whiny voice) no one said anything to me in comments or anything like that... Are you readers all in...

Read More...

So on July 8, Dr Chan called me. Actually he called hubby's phone looking for me. We were both stunned. Doctors here do not call patients personally. So when they call, they get our full attention. Upon reviewing my case, he decided that they'd be scratching the lining of my womb to 'inflame' it twice before my next IVF cycle. Woah, inflame the...

Read More...

So I'm on a brief hiatus until the September cycle to re-do the Lucrin injections. This time, I am prescribed with the short cycle. Why so long away? Because KKIVF department is doing air-conditioning maintenance between July and August. Seriously, the KKIVF department is just a little corner in the basement of the hospital, why on earth do they need a whole month...

Read More...

After the first weekend of shopping, I subsequently got caught in the relentless whirlwind of my work for the rest of my 2 weeks wait. And my pregnancy blood test was last Thursday. Got the results via phone in between an intense dispute with my contractor. The test results? Negative. ...

Read More...

Following up from the last post, the doctor gave me 5 days hospitalisation leave telling me to relax and go shopping. I spent the first 3 days last week working my ass off anyway. By day 4, I was DETERMINED not to work. So I went out and shopped hard over the weekend. And here's part of my loot. A sweet strawberry body...

Read More...

I secretly named my 3rd and 4th embryos 'Caesar and Destiny'. But shh, don't tell hubby. Who knew: Having to relax can be such a stressful affair! After my womb lining measurement reached 8.1mm last Friday, I was scheduled for the embryo transfer to be done on Tuesday 26 May. The whole apprehension and uncertainty is such an ordeal. In order for the...

Read More...

So after bawling at the Goddess of Menstruation to hurry it up and give me closure from the negative pregnancy test, I received a big one. I was spared an extended uncertain wait for the period, but was rendered almost comatose for a couple of days by the excruciating cramps as Alice and Bach bled out. On retrospect, my emotional meltdown the few...

Read More...

Black Widow: A victim of Reverse-Sexism imposed by the crazy feminists. Marvel's Avengers: Age Of Ultron. I watched that movie on Day 10 of my 2 weeks wait after the embryo transfer of my IVF cycle. The movie was entertaining, much better than the first Avengers movie; but still laced with lots of cheesy cringe-worthy dialogue. To me, it was just another testosterone-heavy...

Read More...

So it's been 4 days since I was doused with the bucket of cold "You are not pregnant at all". And the period is still not here. I'm going nuts. Period's almost 2 weeks late, and there are no PMS symptoms at all. I trust the pregnancy blood test completely, but the glimmering spark of hopeful "What if the test was wrong" is...

Read More...

Not. Fair. Charlotte was the number 2 name on our baby girl name list if we ever get a girl. I liked the old world charm of the timeless-sounding name; albeit a bit too country. But now, thanks to some royalty a couple of continents away, we gotta strike Charlotte out. Why? Because the planet is going to suddenly get an overpopulation of...

Read More...

After the unhinging 2 weeks wait, today is finally the day for the pregnancy blood test. Woke up really early and went down to the clinic in full anticipation. The blood test cost me $40.99. $40.99 for a pregnancy test!! Daylight robbery, I say. Peeing into a pregnancy test stick would have just cost around $5! I wonder how much pregnancy tests cost in other...

Read More...

(The Two Weeks Wait Trilogy summarises how I spent the hellish 2 weeks Post Embryo Transfer.) Last 5 days before the blood test... My sanity have all but fizzled out like a crazy untangled ball of yarn. Day 13 (29 Apr, Wed) Had a nightmare that period did come last night. My period dreams have always come true within the next 2 days so I'm frantic...

Read More...

(The Two Weeks Wait Trilogy summarises how I spent the hellish 2 weeks Post Embryo Transfer; 6 days at a time.) Two thirds of the way there already... Day 7 (23 Apr, Thu) Woke up feeling like a hyper little kid. Wanted to sing and dance lots. Took a much slower pace after yesterday afternoon's unraveling. Almost missed the progesterone inserts again today though but made...

Read More...

Oh everybody knows how it's like. The moment you don the wedding gown and thereafter, The Question gets fired at you endlessly, especially from relatives who have no imagination for conversation starters. "When are you planning to have a baby?" "Your parents are getting old, you should get a baby soon" "Why are you waiting? You should have a kid!" "Look at (insert...

Read More...

The notoriously mentally challenging post embryo transfer 2 weeks wait is actually 18 days for me. The Two Weeks Wait Trilogy summarises how I spent these 2 weeks; 6 days at a time. Day 1 (17 Apr, Fri) Exhausted after the procedure. Slept plenty. Developed a cough but too scared to take medicine thanks to all the dubious online articles I read from unqualified sources....

Read More...

How many embryos should we transfer? That was the question that plagued us from the beginning of our IVF journey. I'm 32 this year. Here where I live (Singapore), the legal maximum embryo transfer for my age group is 2. But the doctors vehemently encourage single embryo transfer to 'minimize risks of multiple births'. Now that's the part where we were confused about. We...

Read More...

Here are some IVF Tips that I wish I had on how to cope before I started the IVF party. For anyone who has not gone through this before and is about to embark on their journey! 1. Keep your body strong and healthy Once the IVF procedure starts, you may or may not be disposed enough to do real exercises. So try to keep your...

Read More...