In October, we started this new chapter!
This became the new norm:
Cycle day 1: Period
Cycle day 3: Bloodwork/ultrasound/start Clomid
Cycle day 3-7: Clomid
Cycle day 12: Bloodwork/ultrasound/self-administered Ovidrel shot!
Cycle day 14: IUI
Cycle day 21: Progesterone bloodwork
Cycle day 28: Can I test yet?
Up until this cycle, the specialist administered my Ovidrel trigger shots at my cycle day 11, 12, or 14 appointments. With an IUI, the Ovidrel shot has to be administered at 9PM a full day before the IUI. This means I had to administer my own shot! I shot myself next to my belly button and felt shocked at how far I'd come in conquering my fear of needles since fertility treatment began!
On October 26th, we had our first IUI!
We got up before the sun did, Rob produced his specimen, and off we went! New levels of intimacy were reached as I kept Rob's cup o' sperm warm in my shirt on our way to the specialist.
We dropped it off and waited an hour before the IUI.
The procedure itself was pretty quick and painless. It felt similar to a pap smear, except with a lot more anxiety (oh the anxiety in the moment when they bring the specimen in and ask you to confirm that it belongs to your husband and not some stranger! Also, will this work?) and I wasn't allowed to get up right away. I had to lay there for 15 minutes and let the magic happen! (Well, hopefully!)
The procedure itself was pretty quick and painless. It felt similar to a pap smear, except with a lot more anxiety (oh the anxiety in the moment when they bring the specimen in and ask you to confirm that it belongs to your husband and not some stranger! Also, will this work?) and I wasn't allowed to get up right away. I had to lay there for 15 minutes and let the magic happen! (Well, hopefully!)
There was a cheesy little wind chime above my head that the doctor rang after the IUI. I know it's silly, but it made me smile! We told her we were going to be celebrating our anniversary that weekend and she said that it meant that we had good karma!
We went to Ihop for breakfast and kept holding hands across the table saying "Ihop we get pregnant". Then when I got home I saw that Etsy featured my work for a third time! I felt excited and positive for the first time in a while. All of these events felt like good luck.
But our first IUI cycle didn't end with a pregnancy.
Next was the memorable Thanksgiving 2017 cycle.
Thanksgiving had become a more and more difficult holiday to get through.
Don't let the festive head bopper fool you!
We were so excited to announce our first pregnancy to my grandparents for Thanksgiving 2015, but by that Thanksgiving, that gift was taken away from us.
Thanksgiving 2016, we had 1 less Mommom to share our news with, and our news was taken away from us before Thanksgiving again.
Thanksgiving 2017 came with no happy news to share, and I had no Mommoms to celebrate with. I never felt so much grief at once. My family was dwindling, and although it seemed like it was up to us to help it grow and we were trying SO hard, it wasn't happening.
I always intentionally skip leaving the house on black Friday and plan to sleep in and decorate, but we had to get up bright and early for our second trip to the fertility specialist in a week because my follicles weren't ready to be triggered after the previous appointment. I felt uneasy because the doctor wasn't sure what day to schedule the IUI. Saturday looked like it could be too early, and Monday looked like it could be too late. We went with Saturday and were asked to have relations following the IUI for the next 2 nights or so to be safe. I just felt like the timing was off. I administered my trigger shot as soon as I got home in hopes that it could do its job in time for an IUI on the next day.
For the second day in a row (and for the third time in a week!), we got up before the sun did for a trip to the specialists. Rob was sick and it was sad to not have him at my side for this IUI.
At least the timing was kind of hilarious and seasonable. I felt like a big fat turkey getting basted for Thanksgiving dinner.
Next was the memorable Thanksgiving 2017 cycle.
Don't let the festive head bopper fool you!
We were so excited to announce our first pregnancy to my grandparents for Thanksgiving 2015, but by that Thanksgiving, that gift was taken away from us.
Thanksgiving 2016, we had 1 less Mommom to share our news with, and our news was taken away from us before Thanksgiving again.
Thanksgiving 2017 came with no happy news to share, and I had no Mommoms to celebrate with. I never felt so much grief at once. My family was dwindling, and although it seemed like it was up to us to help it grow and we were trying SO hard, it wasn't happening.
I always intentionally skip leaving the house on black Friday and plan to sleep in and decorate, but we had to get up bright and early for our second trip to the fertility specialist in a week because my follicles weren't ready to be triggered after the previous appointment. I felt uneasy because the doctor wasn't sure what day to schedule the IUI. Saturday looked like it could be too early, and Monday looked like it could be too late. We went with Saturday and were asked to have relations following the IUI for the next 2 nights or so to be safe. I just felt like the timing was off. I administered my trigger shot as soon as I got home in hopes that it could do its job in time for an IUI on the next day.
For the second day in a row (and for the third time in a week!), we got up before the sun did for a trip to the specialists. Rob was sick and it was sad to not have him at my side for this IUI.
At least the timing was kind of hilarious and seasonable. I felt like a big fat turkey getting basted for Thanksgiving dinner.
Then it was time to wait...
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