Post ET Herbs

I brewed my herbs last night. Due to my inexperience, it took longer than expected and I slept late. The instruction from Dr Lim is to boil the first batch of herbs from 3 bowls to 1 bowl, then add the second batch, bring to boil and switch off the heat. I used the slow cooker because the pot is made of ceramic. I wasn't comfortable using the stainless stain pot, even though it is generally deemed as safe for TCM herbs. After almost 3 hours, the amount of water in the pot didn't reduce much. So I opened the lid slightly, then I waited and waited. I didn't dare to leave it heated overnight, as I didn't want to risk the herbs drying up.




At the beginning of brewing my first batch of herb with 3 bowls of water:


Dr Lim prescribed 5 packs of these herbs, each pack cost $100. After brewing, I divide the liquid into 2 portions and drink 1 portion each day. Thus, 1 pack will last me for 2 days. On the 3rd day, I rest, no need to drink. Also, on the days I drink the brewed herb, I have to mix a pack of yellow powder medicine and drink it. I have no idea what is that and it taste weird.

IVF Frozen #2 Day 19

Today is ET day! Our appointment was at 8.30 am. Everything happened just like frozen #1, except we waited longer for our turn to go into the procedure room.



Here are my 2nd pair of embryos that thawed, survived and grew to 8-cells. Unfortunately, 2 cells in the top embryo died (and have turned dark in colour). The embryologist said that the chance of it becoming a pregnancy is lower, but if it does become a baby, the 2 cells that died wouldn't affect his/her health.

My 2nd frozen cycle timeline:

CD1	Call KKIVF
CD4	4 mg progynova daily for 5 days
CD9	6 mg progynova daily for 10 days
CD11	Visit KKIVF for scan. Uterine lining 8.9 mm
CD17	Crinone gel inserts twice daily until BT
CD19 / 0dp2dt	ET. 2 embryos transferred. TWW begins! 4 mg progynova daily until BT.
CD37 / 18dp2dt	BT

Dr Suresh Nair on YouTube

A sister shared the link to this video in our IVF WhatsApp chat group. It's a rather long video, but very informative.

IVF Frozen #2 Day 11

Status update: Uterine lining 8.9 mm. ET schedule on 10 Jun (CD19).

Perhaps, TCM medicine and acupuncture helped to improve my lining. Frozen #1 lining was 8.1 mm on CD10. For the past 2 days, I've been seeing Dr Lim for acupuncture and I just had a 3rd one in the late morning. Since, my ET is scheduled 1 week later, Dr Lim wants me to come back for another 2 sessions before ET.

Cost of each acupuncture session:
$20 (consultation) + $40 (acupuncture) = $60

In The News

(Click picture to go to website.)

Extremely unbelievable.

Public Forum: Pregnancy, Birth & Beyond

(Click for larger image.)

DH and I spent almost the entire afternoon at this event. We went there mainly to learn about miscarriages and twin pregnancy. It was quite fruitful but I wish they could give some handouts. I couldn't dot down or remember all the information.

Pre Frozen #2 Consultation

My appointment for a diagnostic ultrasound scan was at 9.50 am, followed by doctor's appointment in the afternoon. Actually, today's appointment was more of a miscarriage follow-up. But since the scan showed that all my old tissue is cleared from my womb and Dr Sadhana gave the green light to proceed with frozen cycle #2, I consider today's review as a pre-cycle consultation session too. I'm all good to go for a second ET.

The quiet Clinic D at 1.30 pm:

Panda Mating Season

Even Kai Kai and Jia Jia are doing IUI.

Jealousy vs Inspiration

Saw this on FB while on the way to work. Share it with the ladies in IVF WhatsApp Group. I felt jealous, because I just went through a miscarriage. Some of the ladies felt inspired by her.

I hope I can get lucky the next round.

The Miscarriage

Our happiness was very short-lived. Even before I could get scanned at week 6, I starting bleeding on day 6 after BT. DH had to rush me to KKH O&G 24-hour clinic. The doctor on duty did a scan and found my baby at an unfavourable low position in the uterus. He ordered a progesterone jab and sent me home. The bleeding stopped, but only for 2 days. When we visited KKH O&G 24-hour clinic the second time, our baby was gone. I cannot understand why all these happened when I had high beta-hCG reading and had no cramps or pain. There was no signs that a miscarriage was going to happen.

The problem with KKH is that we cannot make urgent appointments to see my doctor in-charge. So, between the two visits to KKH, we went to Gleneagles to see Dr Mary Yang, who is the partner doctor of Dr Lisa Chin (who happened to be on leave that day). She did a transvaginal ultrasound scan and pointed out to us that my baby's heartbeat can already be detected and seen on screen. On hindsight, I was really glad we made this visit; at least I got to "see" my baby for the first and last time and got a "picture" of it.



After the miscarriage, I stayed over at my parents' place for 1 week and did a mini confinement. My mum didn't let me drink plain water and only allowed me to shower with the herbal water twice. She made red date longan ginger tea for me to drink throughout the day. Oh man, how I hate ginger, but I just had to force myself to drink.

I still went for my doctor's appointment as scheduled at 2 weeks after BT on 1 April, except that the purpose was a different one. Dr Sadhana did a scan and put me on antibiotics for 1 week (to prevent infection) and norethisterone for 2 weeks. After I've finished my medications, AF is expected to return in 2 to 3 days' time. I am scheduled to go for another scan and review with Dr Sadhana at the end of the month.

Also, I went to see a TCM physician, a different one from the two that I've visited before. One of the ladies in the WhataApp chat group has been seeing Dr Lim. And she appeared in a TV show, in the episode that talked about confinement. She did the usual stuff (took medical history and took my pulse) and prescribed herbs (powder form) to help expel the old blood and tissue from my womb.

Dr Susan Lim Sor San (林素珊)
Time Enterprise TCM
12 Kallang Avenue #03-16
Aperia Singapore 339511
Tel: 6294 6880

Although Dr Sadhana (and any other Western doctors) would attribute my miscarriage to chromosomal abnormalities of the embryos, I tend to accept better the TCM's explanation that my body wasn't strong enough to support my baby(s). Dr Lim said that research has indicated that the most common reason for miscarriage is poor blood circulation. I just don't quite believe that both embryos, picked from among the 6 of them, have chromosome defects. Well, I could be wrong.

In the last week, every time I pick up my handphone, DH will give a disapproving look and order me to put it away. He even tried to hide the ultrasound scan photo from me. I guess he just wanted me to free my mind.