I'm huge...

after a week of 3 daily injections
(2 in abdomen below belly button and 1 on thigh)

Routine ultrasound yesterday showed my right and left ovaries have produced huge follicles....hence the semi-pregnant, bloated look and feel on my otherwise flat belly.  Next week, they'll mature (hopefully no later than Monday so I can go on a previously planned vacation....more on this topic later!)

So, you probably have a ton of questions....one being 'what the heck is a follicle and what does it have to do with IVF?'  

Remember you (a woman) are born with all the eggs you'll need for a lifetime....about 5 out of 6 million disintegrate while still in your mother's womb (science hasn't figured out this weird phenomenon ...yet).  So we're down to about one million....and you've hit puberty and now menstruate monthly.  At the beginning of every cycle (day 1 of your period), you have several immature follicles that will start to mature - which means they develop an egg inside them) -- at some point one will become the dominant follicle and make it all the way through ovulation.  The non-dominant follicles eventually disintegrate and produce a bunch of odd hormones your body needs, i.e. progesterone. 

But when you're on ovulation-inducing meds for fertility treatments, instead of one follicle being dominant and reaching maturity, there'll be several.  A mature follicle means it's a follicle ready for ovulation -- the developed egg is ready to be released in hopes of fertilization taking place.  Once the follicle reaches a certain size (maturity size), it'll release the egg -- ovulation  -- around day 14 after your period.  If there's sperm present, they make sweet love...and you're stuck with childcare bills for a longgg time!  

*cringes at childcare bills....ughh!*

Where were we? 

Oh yes....mature follicles! 

So with IVF treatments, my medical team will determine a comfortable maturity size for those follicles (probably around 15mm+), then instruct me to give myself a trigger shot (hCG) to cause ALL mature follicles to release their eggs.  Within 12 hours of the shot, I'll be in surgery for egg retrieval.