IUI Update

We had our first IUI (Intra Uterine Insemination) on Sunday morning.  It was actually pretty crazy that I ovulated and that we were even able to do it.  You see, ever since they put me on birth control things have just been different and I had a feeling it wouldn't go as smooth as it should have.  This will probably be a little TMI, but, here it is. 

My periods have always been extremely predictable and like clockwork.  I usually bleed heavy and cramp heavy on days 1 & 2 of my cycle and then just regular flow for the next 5 days.  My period always lasts a week.  But this time, after the birth control, I wasn't even sure I had a period.  I got a little crampy and a tiny bit spotty.  Then after a couple days I had one quick gush, and then spotting, and then the next day another quick gush...and then a tiny bit of spotting over the next day.  It was weird.  Once I saw how messed up my period was, I just knew that my ovulation schedule would be screwed up as well.

I had called Idaho Center for Reproductive Medicine on my second "gush" day assuming that that was going to be the start of my full flow cycle.  But looking back, I think I probably should have called the day before.  They told me to start using the OPK on day 10 and then if nothing happened by day 14 then I needed to call in and get an ultrasound done to figure out why I wasn't ovulating.  Day 14 rolled around...nothing.  Day 15 rolled around...nothing.  But I still had this feeling that my ovulation was just late due to the birth control messing with things.  And I didn't want to pay another $200 for an ultrasound if it was just late.  Day 16 rolled around and it was still a negative.  So I finally called.ICRM and set up an ultrasound for the next Monday since day 16 fell on a Friday.  They were NOT happy with me for waiting to call but, it felt like the right thing to do for me.  On Saturday morning I peed on yet another OPK and stared at it praying to see two stupid pink lines...and I did!!!  Yay!  Seriously, it was such a relief.  I knew that waiting to call them was the right thing to do.  Ha!  Take that ICRM!!! 

Anyway, they told me to come in the next morning at 9 for the IUI.  The whole time that I was waiting for my ovulation I was just excited and impatient for it to come.  I thought I'd just continue that excitement right on through the procedure.  Turns out I'm still an emotional wreck...who knew?!  After she got done with the holy crap painful IUI she left to do some paperwork.  As soon as she walked out the door I lost it.  I was bawling!  Not because of the pain she just put me through, oh no, I'm just a wreck.  Shouldn't the normal reaction just be happy and excited?!?  Don't get me wrong, I was happy and excited but I was also so scared and nervous.  What if it doesn't work?  What if I get my hopes up just for a huge fall at the end?  And if it doesn't work then I have to deal with telling everyone who will want to ask us about it in a few weeks.  I struggle with the sympathy.  I don't really want it.  It just makes me feel sad all over again.

I have to tell you, Aaron was so sweet after the IUI.  They make you lay there for about 10-15 minutes after but say that that doesn't even really help, they just do it.  But Aaron wanted to give us as much of an advantage as he could.  So instead of the 10-15, I laid there for about 20 minutes.  Then in the car he wanted me to lay the seat back as far as it would go.  And when we got home, he wanted me to just lay and relax all day to give the swimmers as much of a fighting chance as they could get.  When we got home, he made me breakfast while I laid on the couch and read.  Then after breakfast, we went and watched movies for hours.  Any time I would try to get up to do something he'd yell, "What are you doing up, go lay down!"  It was so sweet.  He catered to me all day on the small chance that it would help get me pregnant.  I love that man so much!

So there it is.  Here we are, back to waiting.  And we are excited, very excited in fact.  We've just not been very lucky in this department so far so we're being cautiously optimistic.  Hopefully all works out and who knows, we could possibly be pregnant right now!  But until I see a positive on a pregnancy test...yep...I'll stay cautiously optimistic.  It's a roller coaster ride.  But as a good friend of mine told me, "Just relax, take a deep breath and try to keep calm.  It's much harder to do but at least the roller coaster ride is a bit more comfy that way."  :) 

Here are a few pictures we took outside ICRM on our way out.  Just in case this time did work for us we wanted to be able to document the day!

I was told that this one is gross.  Haha.  But this is what you get when you try to kiss your spouse in a picture and instead he sticks his tongue out.  I'll show him!  Haha.

 

I ended up getting what I wanted in the end.  I always do!  :)