IVF Cycle 2: Transfer with the Wizard of Oz

The transfer seemed to go okay. It was actually done by our specialist, which was a surprise to me.

Our specialist is probably the best in Canberra and one of the best in Australia. When I did this last time, in 2004, he was quite accessible. Nowadays, with so many women my age trying to have children in their mid-late 30s, he is a very, very busy man.

Doing an IVF cycle with him now is like being Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. There are rumours that he is the best person to help you, there are lots of flashing lights and impressive sound effects, you set off on your journey and do exactly what he tells you, despite all the wierd and scary experiences, but you never actually get to see him. You just have to assume that he is back there behind the screen somewhere, making it all happen.

It's been a very frustrating experience to go through this whole thing and not actually see him until now, but he got me pregnant last time. And after a total of six cycles of fertility treatment (three insemination cycles and one IVF in 2004 to get the Little Dude and two IVFs this year), its hard to see how any other specialist could know more about my body than he does.

The embryo transfer is incredibly important, as any carelessness can pretty much doom the cycle. Those vulnerable little embryos have to be placed in exactly the right spot with as little trauma and manipulation as possible.

This transfer actually felt a little rough to me, but as I am quite badly bruised from the egg pickup (it wasn't easy for the specialist to find two little eggs), it's hard to tell. The Wizard of Oz pronounced it had gone very well.

Now, I just have to wait to see if the embryos implant. IVF patients call this phase the dreaded Two Week Wait and think it's the worst part of the whole thing. The optimists among us claim to be PUPO: Pregnant Until Proven Otherwise. Personally, I find the combination of having to simultaneously be confident and optimistic while quietly preparing myself for possible failure pretty impossible. I try to be positive, but mostly I try not to think about it too much.

But I am hopeful. Just say it with me, little embryos, "There's no place like home. There's no place like home..."

So stay with us, okay?