The Offending Evaporation Line Test

Not sure if you can see it so small on here but trust me, the line is there. Independent eyes have said so. Click on the image above to make it slighter bigger.

You can also view it here, for however long it stays on their server. Copy and paste:

http://www.canyouseealine.com/view_home_pregnancy_test.cfm?testID=7626

Try the invert and gray scale option and see it better.

Cycle Day 1

After a brief brush with an evaporation line on a pregnancy test, she arrived today, a day earlier than anticipated.

33 day cycle, with a 10 day LP.

And let me add a cautionary tale to avoid cheap internet strips, they are rubbish. Well, maybe I'm just a little bitter. I actually had an accurate result when I used them with my 3rd child and have never before yesterday seen an evaporation line on ANY pregnancy test but these ones were dire. I saw this same line again and again and again.

The brand, incase you're wondering, is: One-Step Test by Unitest. In pink and white tear foil packaging. Sensitivity 25mIU. Company website : www.unilatex.com

I made the mistake of telling my IM about it this morning but luckily she was very relaxed about it and concurred that it didn't look right to her either and we'd just wait it out. I still imagine she had a small amount of hope and that my text that AF had arrived would have stung a little. Ugh.

She's Lurking

I know it. I feel very PMT'ish today, I've a whole bunch of symptoms that lead me to believe she'll be here as expected.

I did take a test this morning (9DPO) and it was a resounding BFN. Yes, it's still early and it's not over until she arrives blah, blah, blah but when you combine a negative test with the fact that you feel like you want to rip the head off anyone who so much as blinks at you, that doesn't make you feel too optimistic.

The test basically reflects what my body is telling me so I'm confident in saying that this will be a bust again.

It's been a horribly long cycle to boot, probably ending up as a 34 day'er so it makes the impending arrival of AF even more irritating. We could be on CD6 had my cycle been as I thought it would be and I hadn't got sick before ovulation.

She's actually due on my 10th wedding anniversary on Thursday, lucky me, what a present. Hubby and I are booked into a hotel this weekend as a short get-away break so at least I can drown my sorrows with room service and non-kid interupted sleep.

So, cycle #3, here we come! Hard to believe we've hit the halfway point in our journey already. I know a lot of surrogate friends who've had luck on the 3rd attempt, I hope we're one of them.

Nutty

So it seems I go a bit nutty at this point in my cycle! I am desperate to test which is ridiculous, I'm only 6dpo I know it's stupid and pointless and yet I can hear those HPT's calling me from the kitchen cupboard. I'm going to be a basket case if I don't get myself in check over this. I'm the world's most impatient person which doesn't help.

Trying to hold off until Sunday at the earliest, which is still crazy early to test but what the hell, it's still longer than if I test today, right? Manageable targets is what I'm aiming for!

All Done!

It was relaxed and lovely, as usual. My IPs have a beautiful home and were the perfect hosts. Lots of grins and hugs all round.

OPK was nearly positive this morning (so decreasing) and just now, it's definitely negative so we were spot on with our timing once again.

You get the + surge 12-36 hours before the egg is actually released so it's best to insem then and ensure there are swimmers ready at the egg finishing line, ready to pounce.

Now the official 2ww starts, we've gone from being 8DPO today to 1DPO which is a bit irritating but it really doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. Especially if it works!

Didn't See That!

So, this morning I woke up with a ton of mucus. Just because, I thought I'd take an OPK to see it was nothing and was shocked when it came up the biggest, brightest and most obvious + ever.

I'm supposed to be like 6DPO by our wrong thinking.

Cue lots of mad texting between me and my IPs, both are at work and IF especially has a crazy work schedule this weekend making it basically impossible for them to get back down to me.

Now, it's normally that the surrogate doesn't put themselves out in any way for insems. The IPs do all the leg work but I felt so awful about missing opportunities this cycle that I've jumped at the chance to try and get to them. This is actually a logistical nightmare with 3 small children on a weekend and a husband working nights but with lots of planning and a wonderful Mum on overnight babysitting duties, I think we've worked something out.

Hubby is down for bedtime duty whilst I make tracks, then Mum will come in and take over and he's going to go to work. He has to catch the bus as I'm taking the car, good job I have a wonderfully understanding husband isn't it?! What other man would willingly let their wife jaunt off to do an insem for another man, whilst bearing the inconvienience of also being made to catch the bus! LOL

I feel terrible still but will just suck it up and take a slow and steady drive up. I hope to be there around 8pm as IF doesn't finish until 9pm so getting their any earlier isn't necessary and it means the roads will be quiet.

I'll be staying overnight with my IPs which makes me very nervous also but at least I know I'm going to stay with people who'll look after me well. Looking especially forwards to a big IM hug and a grin.

My ovaries are almost pulsating so yes, definite ovulation activity going on down there! At least we'll be in the proper 2WW after this instead of just guessing.

Just About Alive

Severe influenza with a complication of acute tonsilitis. That's the offical dr's diagnosis on my lurgy.

I tell you, if anyone coughs a little and whines that they have flu, it's all LIES. Real flu is a knock-you-on-your-butt situation. I don't think I've ever felt this bad. Like ever ever.

Anyway, so I obviously didn't make it to IPs again. No way was it going to happen. I can barely get myself off the couch to pee. And wouldn't you know it, this month my mucus was perfect. I had days and days of quality egg white stuff. Argh, so frustrating.

IM keeps telling me not to be downheartened, that it only takes one of them to do the job. I didn't really use the OPK's Sunday as I was so ill but it looks like I may have ovulated that night as the tests Saturday were really close, Sunday's were lighter and then have stayed that way since. Despite me having continued good mucus.

To be honest, I think we're best off expecting this one to be a bust. I just can't see it, I couldn't even read any signs accurately. I'm upset about it but it was out of our hands. It's difficult when you know you're on a time limit of 6 cycles, you're always aware of any wasted opportunities but I can't beat myself up too much about this one.

Pear Shaped

We did the 1 insem and then I woke up yesterday morning feeling like death, I felt so sick and we changed the plan to do a drop-off and I'd insem at home but I just couldn't even contemplate it in the end. So ill.

The plan was/is to travel to them when I eventually ovulate but I think I'm ovulating today and there's no way I can drive 2 hours there and 2 hours back in this state. Oh and poor IM e-mailed me to say she's now feeling dreadful so it looks like not only did I throw a spanner in the works for insems but I gave her my germs too.

Feels like such a flipping waste of an opportunity but what can we do? These things happen. IPs are being sweethearts as usual, saying it doesn't matter, we can always try again next cycle but I just hate to be beaten and am still weighing up whether I can get there or not today.

Insem #1

We decided to give it a go tonight so 1 insem down, 1 to go. At least we'll have some sprinters there ready.

It was so much fun tonight with my IPs. Lots of laughter and we all felt a bit more relaxed in each others company. That may come as a surprise to some given what we meet up and do but that's because we really did form a friendship first, I lucked out with my couple.

Now, come on oh ovaries of mine, give that egg up!

Surprise!

My OPK's are still considered negative. This point in my cycle last month, we had done our first insem so I'm already a bit jittery. I've had a calm few weeks so I can't see why ovulation would be delayed but Mother Nature may have other ideas of course.

I'm unwell at the moment too, I have the headache from hell, a sore throat, the sweats and tonight the intenal shivering and aching joints has hit. Ugh. Bad timing indeed.

I was feeling pretty sorry for myself and had planned an evening curled up on the sofa, wallowing but then my IM e-mailed me that she was at the guesthouse that they use when here for insems! Sneaky woman, she hadn't wanted to put me under any pressure so kept it to themselves but she has faith that I'll ovulate at some point tomorrow and the timing will be great.

I'm excited as anything to see them again, we've planned our lunch trip tomorrow and now it's a continuation of the waiting game. They have to leave tomorrow evening as IF can't ring in sick as his employers are now aware of their surrogacy journey and would know instantly that it was a lie. It'll be ok though, I'm close to ovulating I reckon and since sperm can live up to 5 days, if we do an insem tomorrow evening, we'll be covered for this cycle.

So, that's where we are today!

It's Nearly Time!

We're at that time again, I'm due to ovulate tomorrow but these things can't be pre-planned of course. My OPK this morning was darker but not as dark as I remember the one the night before last month's ovulation being.

We'll see what tomorrow brings.

We've decided to try the syringe method this month. IM has been looking into it further and asked if I would. Of course I said it was fine, it's their call! It makes no odds to me to be honest, I'm more interested on the final result than how we get there so let's give anything a whirl I say.

My IPs are all packed and ready for the call, they are meeting my 3 children for the first time this weekend also which is nerve-wracking for me as I do what all parents do and pray they behave themselves! I'm sure all will be ok, they are such lovely people and so are my children, even if I do say so myself.

Will update when the big O day is here.

Back!

I've had a lovely 4 days away, relaxing without the children. I needed it, I've been super stressed about a lot of things - surrogacy included. The beach, the late nights and late mornings were much needed.

So, I'm back and really ready to start the insems this cycle, only a week away if I ovulate on time. Yeah! Let's GO!