IUI Successful... On to the 2WW.

At 7PM yesterday I got a positive OPK and another one at 10PM, so we took the swimmers into the RE's office first thing this morning for washing and preparation. Devoted Daddy and I returned at 9am for an ultrasound and IUI.

The ultrasound showed that my endometrium was PERFECT! 11.6mm on CD14. YAY! It also revealed 3 BEAUTIFUL FOLLIES! The follicles measured 25, 26, & 29 mm with two on my right ovary and one on my left. Dr. Awesome said they should rupture within hours.

The IUI itself wasn't a walk in the park... these things are suppose to be easy but due to the scarring on my cervix (cervical stenosis) from previous surgeries, my cervix wasn't open and Dr. Awesome had to dilate and push through the scar tissue. Needless to say, that was a very painful experience. My biggest fear was that the scar tissue would be too significant and Dr. Awesome would say we had to move on to IVF... which I don't think we could ever afford.

We had 27 million MOTILE swimmers placed at the top of my uterus near the fallopian tubes to lie in weight for those eggs. Devoted Daddy says he's blaming me if we get triplets. :-)

I'm home now... with normal activity level, but I do have spotting and cramping. Dr. Awesome said I could expect to feel like AF was coming but that it won't.

On to phase 3... progesterone draw in 7 days. Dr. Awesome said that with three rupturing follicles I can expect a higher level of progesterone this month.

Then, 14 days from today I can POAS. If the test is a BFP, I'll go in for Beta Blood to assess HCG levels. If it's BFN, I'll wait for AF and go in for an ultrasound to make sure my ovaries have recovered enough to start clomid again. If it's BFN but AF doesn't show... we will do a blood test.

I have no clue what the chances of being pregnant this cycle are... but I'm praying for at least one sticky baby out of this! In the meantime, I'll keep charting and see how my temperature reacts to all that progesterone.

Having a Plan

I've felt better since we attended our Fertility Center appointment and met extensively with the wonderful staff there. I like having a plan... blame it on my OCD tendencies if you like.

I wasn't distraught when AF showed up after 37 days because I already knew I wasn't pregnant... I had a corpus luteum cyst that continued to produce progesterone (and some nasty symptoms). Since I was armed with knowledge, I was eager for AF so I could start on The PLAN.

I completed phase one of the plan on CD7 (Oct. 19th) with the completion of five days of 150mg clomid. I didn't experience any crazy side effects... just a few hot flashes (okay, more than a few) and I was a bit more fatigued (it was harder to get up in the mornings, but when isn't it?).

Today I am on CD12. I started using Clear Blue Easy OPK sticks on Saturday. No line to speak of yet but I am feeling more Pre-O like.

So now I'm testing and waiting... when I get the go (a test line that is almost as dark as the reference line but not quite positive), I'll call the clinic and get scheduled for first thing the following morning.

Other than the fact that I hate waiting (I'm an instant gratification person)... this is a good plan. It feels nice to have a plan.

Fertility Center Appointment and What's Next

This morning was our first appointment with the fertility center... I feel like things went well and instead of being sad (as I usually am when I discover I'm not pregnant), I feel empowered. Now, we finally have a plan of action (and I'm an action girl).

So... I am on day 36 of this cycle. That's 18dpo since I ovulated on CD18. By all signs, that should mean I am pregnant. But I'm not... I took FIVE HPT (3 different brands). At my appointment this morning, we did a blood draw for pregnancy as well (they are also checking for rubella immunity and progesterone levels). When the results come back this afternoon, we will know that's its okay to proceed with our "plan".

It looks like I have a fabulous corpus luteum cyst. That means I ovulated like I should have... the corpus luteum produced progesterone like it should have... but instead of going away after my LP, it hung around still producing progesterone. Awesome. The progesterone level will confirm this.

Now we will down regulate for two weeks (which will squash the cyst and get menses started), then start clomid on CD3-7. I will begin using OVUKIT (Clear Plan Easy) to detect the very beginning of my LH surge. When I see that first faint line, I will call the clinic and prepare to come in bright and early the next morning for IUI, swimmers in hand. :-)

In other news... when I got home from the RE, I noticed a tinsy bit of spotting has started... this could mean that AF will show up on her own, likely tomorrow. If that's the case we will shave two weeks off for the down-regulating.

Dr. agrees that a laparoscopy may be needed, given my past and increasing pain issues... BUT that those issues may not be affecting my ability to conceive. We know that I have a damaged cervix that is not producing happy cervical fluids which combined with slightly slow swimmers is our main issue. If we aren't pregnant after 3-4 medicated IUI cycles then we will dig a little deeper.

Late Ovulation & Infertility Depression

As any infertile knows, we watch our cycles like the crazy, obsessed, women we are. I know exactly what day AF will show up. I know what signs signal impending ovulation. I know what EWCM is and what lack of it means. I know how to OPK and read the results with accuracy. I take my temperature every morning, before I do anything. I then record my temperature in a computer program which graphs my temperatures & symptoms and let's me know when I might be entering my fertile phase. Some days, I obsess over that chart... looking over it many times (as if it would change).

This cycle, I was well prepared for an early ovulation. I was expecting CD12-13. CD10 & 11 I had nearly +OPK and all the signs the ovulation was rapidly approaching. DH and I had backed off to our every other day schedule and began using Pre~Seed to help the swimmers quantity and motility. By end of day on CD11, I was in SEVERE pain. CD12 arrived with no sign of LH on the OPK and the pain reduced to moderate. My temps stayed down. I had another weird symptom this cycle, CD10-16 there was pink spotting. I've never had that, but hoped it was ovulation spotting. CD17 & 18, I felt my body ramp back up to try for ovulation again. By end of day on CD18, the pain was back. I woke to elevated temps on CD19 along with my post-O symptoms that arrive with progesterone.

By CD19 we were no longer in BD mode and had switched back to the "normal" frequency and had stopped using Pre~Seed. So, I know the chances of conception are pretty low as the swimmers probably had a low count from "overuse". :)

The good news... the late O has lined things up for me to be on CD3 when I see the RE on Oct. 11th so we will be able to sneak in a medicated IUI cycle if the RE thinks we are good to go.

The bad news... I am depressed. It's mostly an infertility issue... trouble is I can't take anything for it because I wouldn't want to get pregnant while on medication. I should find a therapist...

Oh the joys of not being able to make a baby.

Did I mention how angry it makes me to see these young girls, sleeping around, smoking, doing who knows what and neglecting their offspring?

Infertilty Recommened Reading

A Few Good Eggs
TCOYF (Recommend reading for all women)
How to Make Love to a Plastic Cup (For Dad to be, although I enjoyed it as well!)
Real Food For Mother and Baby

(The links will direct you to Amazon, I've included them purely for reference... I have nothing to gain by your use of them.)

First Fertility Clinic Appointment Coming Soon...

We are four weeks from our first appointment at the fertility clinic... this is the big guns, ART clinic. Manic Mama is ready to wet her pants with nervousness, apprehension, and excitement. Devoted Daddy is living in the world of "what appointment" which is pretty standard for men. :)

What we know... Devoted Daddy's swimmers are up to par when we take BD breaks of two days... Frequent BD was sapping the supply.

Manic Mama's cervix is scarred from previous surgery and doesn't make happy fertile fluid.

What we fear... the condition of Manic Mama's uterus. Did the former surgeries scar the uterus to the extent that we won't be able to conceive/carry???

Manic Mama is hoping that medicated IUI will do the trick for us... even with my religious objections to ART, IUI can be acceptable as long as we BD before and after the IUI. I'm still working things out in my head regarding my churches teaching on IVF and the reality that it may be the ONLY WAY for Devoted Daddy and I to have a child together...