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s a husband on the IVF journey, I have felt more like a spectator than a participant.Ultrasound Probes It's my wife who has to experience all of the medical exams, multiple medications, daily hormone injections, side effects of the medications, blood tests, receive the phone calls with the results of the pregnancy tests, and the emotions of wondering why it all wasn't working.Ultrasound machines I think that was the hardest thing for me watching her go through all of these hard things and wishing there was more I could do. Other than offering emotional support, giving her injections (I hate causing my wife pain), and helping more around the house, there really wasn't more I could do. About 10 days after each embryo implantation, my wife would undergo a pregnancy blood test of her HCG level. As a doctor at the hospital (and with her permission), I had access to the lab results as soon as they were posted. I would try not to get too hopeful in order to avoid feeling let down if it was negative. I would then call Erin while she was driving to work and let her know that the test had been negative. I would pray that she wasn't too upset and try to say a few encouraging words. But each time it was negative I remember being surprised by how hard it was for me. I was sad it meant having to go through the process again, but also sad because it underscored what we felt was missing from our otherwise very happy and contented life together After failing three rounds of IVF, we had 3 frozen embryos remaining. The doctors recommended we implant two for our fourth round. In February 2015 we repeated what we'd done three times before: check in, change into hospital attire before going into the procedure suite, talk briefly with the doctors who show us a picture of our good quality microscopic embryos, watch the embryo transfer under ultrasound guidance, confirm that the embryo is no longer in the catheter, thank the doctors, wait 10 minutes before Erin can get up, change, and then go to an Indian Buffet for lunch. I felt more confident that this time would work. I certainly hoped so, as I felt we were running out of options and I wasn't sure what we'd do if it didn't work. Statistically we were due for a successful cycle (how many times in a row are we going to keep flipping "tails"?).Ultrasonic flaw detector I hoped God was simply waiting for us to implant two embryos. I was strengthened knowing many people were praying for us. Sharing our experience resulted in the great outpouring of support from our friends and even from strangers. Family and friends were fasting and praying for us. People across the country, from a variety of faith backgrounds, were sending prayers to Heaven on our behalf. My cousin said special prayers for our implanted embryos "Maybe a bit unconventional so early," she said, "but I felt no one is too young or tiny for God to notice." And I had the experience a few days before the implantation of hearing Erin pray one of the most heartfelt prayers I have ever heard, asking God to bless us and help us to become pregnant. I still wasn't sure what God had planned for us, but I felt peace knowing we were placing the matter in God's hands. The 10 day wait went by pretty fast. I was nervous, but it surprisingly didn't occupy my mind constantly. Unfortunately, I was scheduled for a full day of cases in the OR the day of the pregnancy test. After the blood draw Erin texted me, "Now that the test is in, I feel surprisingly calm." I tried checking the results on the computer right before scrubbing in for the first case but the results were not up yet. I would have to wait. Towards the end of the first 90 minute surgery, I felt my cell phone vibrate, indicating a text message, probably Erin with the results. After we cleaned the patient and I removed my surgical gown, I quickly checked my phone. It was from Erin, "I just got off the phone with the nurse.Ultrasonic Monitor Call me when you are available." My first thought was, "Oh no. She didn't tell me the results. She probably doesn't want to give me bad news via text message." But then I thought, "Maybe she doesn't want to give you GOOD news via text message!" I didn't know what to think as we transported the patient to the recovery room and spoke with the family about the surgery. Finally, I was free and found an empty exam room to call Erin. She said, tearfully, "It's positive!" I was shocked, relieved, happy, and excited! I said, "I didn't think you'd be crying if it was positive." I was kind of speechless as my eyes got a little misty. The conversation was short as I had the next patient to prepare for surgery. With the implantation of two embryos, the next question was whether we were pregnant with twins. The high HCG level at the initial pregnancy test was suggestive of multiple embryos. We both felt that twins made sense: Erin is a twin, we put in two embryos, high HCG. They tested Erin's HCG again 4 days later and the result was again very high. We joked about triplets or quadruplets, but knew that was unlikely. I remember thinking, "We shouldn't assume it's twins. I don't want us to feel any disappointment if there's one baby. One baby would be blessing enough!" So with the question of whether it would be one baby or two, I excitedly accompanied Erin to her ultrasound appointment. The ultrasound started and they quickly found the fetus. Even at this early stage, I was amazed that it was already taking shape and the heartbeat was easy to see. After looking for awhile for another fetus I started thinking there was just one. I thought, "One will be good." Then they found another similar to the first. That was really exciting. "Great! Twins!" They labeled them "Baby A" and "Baby B," took measurements, and recorded the heart rates. Then the ultrasound tech focused in on something small near Baby B. I saw her and the doctor look at each other and whisper something about "a third?" They focused in on it more and I could see it was smaller than the other two, but its shape and heartbeat were clear. Baby A and Baby B were the implanted embryos. Baby B and little Baby C were identical twins (the embryo had split after implantation). We were sent to a clinic room to meet with the doctor. Once again, I was speechless. We were both shocked. We had gone from wondering if we'd ever get pregnant, to being told that Erin was pregnant with triplets! How do you process that? I was wondering about the size of Baby C. The doctor addressed this, telling us that Baby C was about one week behind the other two. There were two options: a high chance the baby will resorb and we will end up with twins or it will survive and we'll continue to be pregnant with triplets. They would re do the ultrasound in 10 days to see the progress and hopefully know what Baby C was going to do. I'm looking forward to the ultrasound and curious what the future holds. I still don't know how to process the idea of triplets, or even the idea of twins or being a parent at all. It's too early to sink in. Maybe it does when you hold your baby/babies in your arms, or maybe it doesn't sink in even then. I'll have to wait and see. After finding three babies, I wondered to myself, "What do I pray for now? For Baby C to continue to grow, knowing that it would make for a riskier pregnancy both for Erin and the other two babies?" Then I realized my prayers should be prayers of gratitude and that whatever happens, it is in God's hands. In my education and profession, I have the privilege of seeing the miracles of modern science and medicine. It is very powerful. Erin would not be pregnant now without it. However, our struggles to become pregnant even while using modern medicine and then the presence of triplets when only two embryos were implanted have reminded me that, ultimately, it is God who is in charge. If He wants us to have triplets, we will; if He wants us to have twins, we will. And, either way, I will be grateful for the miracle of it all and excited for the adventures ahead.