FIRST IUI

Hello Ladies :)

So after quite a few months of giving TTC a break (mostly due to dental surgery and such) I have decided to come back full force this year with TTC a beautiful bundle of joy! Last year was the first year that I actually went to a fertility doctor to receive help in finding out answers behind why I have NEVER been able to conceive. So last year I had an HSG done (tubes are good, uterus is good), blood work, boyfriend's swimmers checked (swimmers good), plenty of vaginal ultrasounds done (ovaries look normal, n cyst) , was on Clomid for 3 months (March to May), 3rd month was a monitored cycle that included non-medicated and medicated vaginal u/s and me taking a trigger shot and the nurse also discovered what looked like a growth on the inside of my uterus, and last but not least a saline sonogram which confirmed the growth on the inside of my uterus right in the spot where implantation occurs, endometrial polyp was removed on 8-1-11. We still don't know if the Clomid created the growth or if the growth was already there and the Clomid just increased the growth. At that point I gave TTC what was suppose to be a mini break due to dental surgery. Most of you know I have been TTC for many years. So far, I have not been diagnosed with a specific Infertility diagnosis. My doctor believes I have ovulation problems but nothing can be confirmed as far as PCOS goes or anything. So I still dont know why I cant conceive and it hurts. Close to 9 years of TTC now...

So instead of trying Clomid again with scheduled bedding, we have decided to go straight for IUI this time. We were suppose to go for IUI after my growth was removed. Since my bf does not currently have medical insurance, it has been a bit rough coming up with the money to pay for the State Mandatory Blood Work necessary for IUI. There were a few times where we could have and I just kept putting it off and I am not sure if its because I have been super discouraged behind all of this TTC stuff. With this new year I have decided to stop procrastinating and just do it. The only thing stopping us has been my bf's blood work since it takes a bit for the results. So as of 1-20-12, it is done!! And now we wait for the results. I am becoming more and more excited!

We are hoping the results will be in before March because we are planning on doing the IUI with my cycle that should be at the end of March. Reason being is because my menses and bf's work schedule conflict until the end of March. I am sure time will fly by though. So I have decided to keep track of my first IUI by writing this journal. I will let everyone know when I have updated it. Sorry for writing so much already, just wanted to give everyone a rundown on what I have been through so far.

All comments are welcome to anyone who has been through IUI before. I would really love to hear your stories :)

Please see below for all updates on my first IUI:


1-20-12 - Paid $418.00 for Boyfriend's blood work required before IUI.

*HIV 1 and 2
*HTLV 1 and 2
*Hep B S Ag
*Hep C
*Syphilis

2-1-12 UPDATE

I emailed my RE and he said all blood work came back negative yay!! We are ready to go full force with IUI as soon as our schedules will allow which looks to be the end of March! So excited!

2-27-12 UPDATE

Okay so this is so unexpected but good news. As you know, we have had to schedule this IUI around my boyfriends work schedule, so we "were" gonna have to wait until my next cycle at the end of March. Well, things changed with his work schedule and he will indeed be home for us to go through with it this cycle that I just begun. I thought that since I am on CD 4 today that maybe it was too late to start the process, but I called my nurse and she said CD 5 is the latest, which works out because that will be tomorrow. So I have a pre-medicated u/s appointment at 4 pm tomorrow afternoon to see where my ovaries stand and what my uterus looks like at this point in my cycle. My doctor should prescribe me Clomid to take starting tomorrow. Then I will have a medicated u/s done mid cycle, so sometime next week. This will determine what is going on with my follicles and my doc will tell me when to use the trigger shot. Then I believe he will also tell me when he needs to do the IUI itself. Ahhh. Its happening SO fast and I am SO nervous! I will update below with each appointment by date with details. =D!

2-28-12 UPDATE

CD 5: Had a pre-medicated u/s done today. Doctor says everything looks good. Uterus lining is where it should be, no cysts and no polyps. Therefore he has started me on Clomid tonight for the next 5 days. I have a medicated u/s scheduled for Tuesday 3/6 at 7:30 am. So I will update with details after that appointment. According to how things "should" go, I will be having the IUI done on 3/7 or 3/8. I am a lil nervous because normally I take Clomid CD 3 through CD 7 and this time I am taking it CD 5 through CD 10.

50 mg of Clomid:

2/28 - 1 pill
2/29 - 1 pill
3/1 - 1 pill
3/2 - 1 pill
3/3 - 1 pill

* I talked to my RE about the success rates with IUI. He explained that the actual IUI in itself is great for those who have hostile cervical mucus or maybe a low sperm count issue, but that the main ingredient is the medication. He said that my body responds very well to Clomid and that there is no need to increase the dosage because all that does is increase unnecessary side effects, same with injections. He also said he can will do up to 3 IUI's if need be and then we might discuss a referral for IVF. He assumes that I do not ovulate regularly and that is why my cycles are considered to be too short. So I am hoping that this IUI will work. Considering the medication works well on me and they will be placing the swimmers in the right spot at the right time, I am praying to God this works. I honestly do not know how much more of this I can handle....

3-6-12 UPDATE

I am happy to report that I had my medicated u/s appointment this morning that went well! Below are the details and schedule for my very first IUI....

Endometrial thickness:  0.79

Right Ovary: 3 follicles, 2 ready to go!

Follicle 1:  2.15 cm (21.5 mm)
Follicle 2: 1.99 cm (19.9 mm)
Follicle 3: 1.49 cm (14.9 mm)

Left side has a few follicles but my doctor said they weren't worth charting since I will be focusing on the 2 good ones on my right side.

HCG Shot at 10:30 p.m. tonight 3-6-12.

Specimen drop off at 9:00 a.m. on 3-8-12   (1 1/2 hour prep time)

Actual Insemination will be done at 10:30 a.m. on 3-8-12.

I must admit, I am a complete nervous wreck! Everything seems to be going so well and I am so afraid that it won't work for whatever reason. Deep Sigh. The good thing is, I am not internally stressing as much as I thought I would be. BUT I am definitely having a hard time getting my hopes up! Any encouragement is more than appreciated and much needed right now!! If anyone has any advice or has had a successful IUI on the first try, it would be awesome to hear your story!

3-8-12 UPDATE

Today was the big day!! It seems so surreal. I know its only insemination but somehow it seems bigger than that. Everything seems to be lined up just perfect! But I am so afraid of a let down. Sigh

9:00 a.m. - Steve dropped off his sample.

10:30 a.m. we showed up for the IUI. But we didn't get seen till almost 11 a.m. Doc said normal sperm quality is about 75% after washing it and ours was at 90% swimming fast!! =D That brought my hopes up so high! I just hope one of them make it happen! It only took a few minutes for the actual process. Didn't hurt but felt very different. I laid down for bout 15 minutes and went back to work lol. She instructed us to have sex for the next 4 days in a row to increase our chances. I believe I must have ovulated today because I used an opk this evening and it was negative. So now its the dreadful 2ww...

3-21-12

BFN!
AF showed up! Better luck next time.




Again, I would like to thank each and every one of you ladies for ALL of your support. It means the world to me. I couldn't get through this without you!

Lovingly,
Jess xoxo