Friday, August 28, 2009
ok, ok . . . I'll do it
Also, thank you to all for commenting. It makes me feel connected to something. Of course, I have spent my day reading all your blogs. Bless you all for sharing so much of your lives with this cyber stranger.
I will let you know...
The 2 week wait is over...and?
I have had some more symptoms…more metallic taste, leg cramps early in the morning, one crying session yesterday morning and something that I never have with my period, sore nipples. I am just concerned that my brain knows all the symptoms and may be tricking me. I hate to look the fool thinking that I am sooo pregnant and then come to find out it was all in my head. Such an awkward place to be.
My Husband is so excited but covering it well. He leaves for work at 5am, so I am still in bed. He texted me about 6:30am and asked, “are we going to attempt home schooling”? My response was “Maybe, if we have babies”. He replied with “Sorry…just fishing”. How cute is that. I told him that I was probably not going to test till Monday, but he new I might do it anyway…what a great guy!
So, here I am…to test or not to test. Anyone??
I also have another thought drifting through my head…if I AM pregnant, how will I tell my husband? I have a few ideas. If anyone out there has some good ones, let me know!
Monday, August 24, 2009
• Sore or tender nipples or breasts - no
• A pattern of visible, bluish veins throughout the external area of the breasts – gosh, I hope not
• Small, white “bumps” around the areola – again, no and I hope not
• Increased sensitivity to smell - no
• Nausea - no
• Skin changes – I never have acne, but I do have one or to blemishes…hmm
• Fatigue - who knows…I am always tired
• Dizziness – yes, a few times…nice
• Mild or dull abdominal cramping or pain – A LOT!
• lower-back ache - yes
• A “metallic” taste in the mouth – surprisingly YES
• Excessive hunger – again, a normal occurrence in my life ;-)
• Excessive amount of saliva production – who knows
• Heartburn - no
• Increased vaginal discharge – yes…this weekend, which started my Googling
• Aversion to foods - no
• Increased emotional sensitivity/weepiness – no more than usual
• Nasal congestion - no
• Leg cramping - no
• Flatulence – eewwww
So, none of the above, with the exception of the cramping, would make me think twice if I was not trying to get pregnant. The metallic thing was weird and I did not know it was a symptom when I had it.
The cramping and lower back pain is unusual for me because I usually only have that the day before and maybe the day of my period. I have never really had cramps, and I am glad for that! So this one makes me stop and think.
The say that implantation occurs 7-14 days from fertilization…dang! May or may not have happened yet. I personally think it has. I feel like I am pregnant. We did everything right. We are ready. Why shouldn’t we be pregnant?? I pray to God above that we are.
Friday, August 21, 2009
IUI one week ago today
My IUI was one week ago today. I feel normal and I am at peace…at the moment ;-) I am not overly anxious, but I do think about it on and off all day long. My Doctor told me that if I did not have my period by August 28 (one week from today) that I can take a home pregnancy test. Based on my calendar, I am not due until August 31. I suppose that it would still be positive even on the 28th…not sure if I will test then, or wait till Monday morning…hhhmmmm
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Progesterone Blood Test
They said it would be 24-48 hours for results. I have been doing some research on Progesterone and it does not seem that you can have too much. I did not want to start using a Progesterone cream before my blood test, but I think I am going to start tonight. I don’t think it could hurt and it could really help if my levels are low.
Not much else going on. I am tired, but that is probably just from working. I have had two very light dizzy spells. I know…I am grasping. Overall, I think I am surviving the 2-week wait pretty well. Today is my half-way point.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
6 days post IUI
I am going to stay strong and hold out till day 14 before I test. I pray to God above that this is it!
My husband is sooooo amazing. For the past two nights, I come home from work, he asks what I want for dinner and tells me to go relax. He makes dinner, brings it to me and continues on to clean the kitchen. Very nice! Last night he came to bed and was being very sweet. He said he had to take care of me because I was having his triplets :-O Now, we only had two mature eggs, but there is always a chance that an embryo can split ;-)
Multiples would be amazing. I am so blessed by God that I don’t even want to ask for more, but I really feel we are up to the challenge and I pray that we have at least one on board and more if possible!
Anyone else out there in the 2-week wait??? Anything different?
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
2 week history part 2
I showed up at 10am. The usual, “strip from the waist down and the doctor will be with you in a moment”. While waiting for the doctor, a lab tech delivered a test tube with my name on it containing my husbands washed and ready sperm. The doctor arrived, inserted a speculum along with a catheter into my uterus. The boys were injected and my table was tipped with my head down for 15 minutes.
There was not much to it. I did text my husband through the whole thing so he would feel a part of it. I also sent him a pic if the boys in the tube :-) All in all, quick and painless. From there, they scheduled me for blood work on August 20 and told me if I did not get my period by the 28, take a home pregnancy test. If it turned positive, come in for a blood test. OH and we were supposed to have sex that night and the next night.
Well, that brings us up to present day. I am on day 5 of my 2-week wait. My husband and I are praying that this works and we are so down for having multiples!!!
They say there are no real symptoms until at least implantation. I keep analyzing every thing that I feel in hopes that it is a sign. Yesterday and today I had dull achy cramps in lower back and lower stomach. This is very similar to the days before my period, of course, it is way to early for that, so I am very hopeful!
Time to sign off…anybody out there?
2 week history part 1
Background: We started trying in November of 2008. I was hoping to become pregnant before my 40th b-day in June. Well, that did not happen. Anyway, my cycle is very regular and I read enough to notice the signs of ovulation. I was ovulating at mid cycle so all seemed well. We would have sex every other day for 2 weeks just to make sure we would hit the ovulation.
In July, after ovulation, I had decided that if I got my period, I was going to call a specialist so we could have basic testing to make sure that there was nothing wrong with my husband or myself. On July 31 it came. I was at work and I picked up the phone. I already had a specialist picked out. He is my friend’s doctor. She went through IVF (in vitro fertilization) with him and is pregnant with twins! Sounds like a good recommendation to me!
I called and made an appointment for that Monday, August 3. Because I was only in day 4 of my cycle, he was able to get right to work! On that visit, I had my first internal ultrasound to check my uterus and ovaries for any cyst or other visible problems. He noted that both my ovaries had 5 follicles each...normal. So far so good.
It seemed I was now on the fast track to fertility! He prescribed 100mg of Clomid for the Clomid Challenge. Clomid is a very cost effective drug that you take cycle day 5-10. It stimulates ovulation, if your body is capable. He also prescribed an HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) trigger shot, sent me for blood work, scheduled me for my second sonogram, made an appointment for my husband to deposit some sperm for testing and ordered an HSG (Hysterosalpingogram - preformed by a radiologist, they inject dye into your cervix and through your fallopian tubes. It is to check for any blockages. A good result is that the dye flows out of your fallopian tubes freely and into your stomach cavity).
I was excited and terrified all at once!
I started my Clomid on Tuesday, August 4 (took it for 5 days) and an antibiotic on Wednesday in preparation for the HSG. I had the HSG on Friday. It was not bad at all. I had no pain or cramping from it although others say they have mild to severe cramping. I rarely have cramping during my period so that may be why.
On August 10, I had another round of blood work to check all my levels after being on Clomid for 5 days. That same morning, my husband made his deposit for testing ;-)
On August 12, I went for my second sonogram. This time, they were looking to see if my ovaries had any mature follicles. A mature follicle is one that is at least 18-22mm. On my right side, there was one that was 16mm and my left was at 20mm. He also saw a small polyp in my uterus.
I was told to give myself the trigger shot the next morning, Thursday, August 13 to give the right side time to mature. You read right…give MYSELF a shot! Ok, what the heck am I doing?
Then he asked what I wanted to do next…two options: 1) give myself the shot and have sex for the next 2 days with my husband, knowing that we are ovulating and have 2 waiting eggs. Or 2) Have an IUI followed with 2 days of sex with my husband.
An IUI -- intrauterine insemination -- is performed by threading a very thin flexible catheter through the cervix and injecting washed sperm directly into the uterus.
There are several factors in our favor: we know we have 2 mature eggs; we know what day we will ovulate; and the frequency of pregnancy after an HSG is higher. This procedure is also pretty low cost…it was $260, a far cry from IVF!
My thought was we have come this far, might as well drop the boys off at the door! So I told him "let’s do it!" My instruction were to go home and have sex…OK, then on Thursday, give myself the trigger shot at 8:30am and NO sex on Thursday. My husband and I both had appointments for Friday, August 14…HERE WE GO!