We were married on a sunny September day (which is rare in Oregon) in 2006. Everything was beautiful, everything was perfect! We have been ttc ever since! After about a year with no sign of baby, we started timing, and gradually began charting BBT and CM. I have read so many books on fertility- I feel like I'm an expert on the subject!
One of the books that helped me immensely was 'Taking Charge of your Fertility' by Toni Weschler. I bought it on a whim on Amazon, and it turned out to be one of the greatest purchases I've ever made. I would recommend it to any woman who is interested in fully understanding her body. I have learned so much from it!
Anyway, after three years, and perfect timing, we decided to consult my OBGYN- I was 28 and my husband 31, we weren't getting any younger!
First step- Husband's SA (Semen analysis) This should always be the first step if you are facing fertility problems!
His results came back great! The count was 138 million per ml. Motility was good, though they said it was kind of thick (which is high viscosity, we found out later)
So, he was fine. It was such a relief to hear that!
Second step- HSG, Hysterosalpingogram.
The result of this process determines whether or not your fallopian tubes are fully open or if they are blocked somehow, mainly due to scar tissue.
My doc recommended this because when I was 18 I had an emergency appendectomy (removal of the appendix) which may have caused scaring around the tubes.
I was pretty nervous, and the procedure was pretty awkward (as awkward as a PAP with someone you just met!) But painless!
The procedure goes as follows-
You undress from the waist down and lie back on the bed.
In goes the clamp, and then up through the cervix is inserted a little catheter tube full of some kind of dye they are able to detect on their magical x-ray machine.
The dye is then pumped through, the goal is to see the dye go through each fallopian tube and spill out into your abdominal cavity.
Fun, no?
Informative, yes.
I was able to watch 'real time' the dye move through my system. It quickly made its way through the right tube, and I was so relieved to her the technician say "One tube is open for sure, you CAN get pregnant."
The dye was not able, for whatever reason, to make it through the left tube. So, diagnosis 50/50.
One tube blocked, one tube fully open.
I look at it as the glass half full, instead of half empty.
-----
After 3 more months of not becoming pregnant my OBGYN wanted to see me again. He wasn't sure why we weren't pregnant, and said that a lot of times the cervical mucus will be insufficiently thin or thick and not able to carry the sperm where they need to go, and sometimes the cervical mucus can be hostile to the sperm, turning on it and attacking it like bacteria. He said that no one is sure why exactly that happens, but it does.
He ordered a series of four IUIs. Intrauterine insemination.
This is a process where they take and 'wash and spin' the sperm (which rids it of all of the dead cells, and thick fluid) leaving behind an ultra powered ready to go batch of super sperm, which they insert in through the cervix, totally bypassing the cervical mucus (which may or may not be the problem) straight to the uterus so they get a head start on their trip up the fallopian tube to meet the egg!
It's mother nature with a boost.
We talked about the use of fertility medication, and we decided that a small dose of Clomid would be okay, just to insure ovulation.
So, this cycle I began my first Clomid round (day 3-7) and experienced none of the side effects I was so warned about (cramping, mood swings, nausea, etc.)
The only thing that I was worried about was the way that Clomid dries up cervical fluid, that is why I took Robitussin (the kind with Guaifenesin as the only ingredient. This is a substance that will promote mucus flow throughout the body- just like it loosens chest congestion.) Doctor recommended while taking Clomid, as well as improving your natural cycle.
On the 10th of this month, just a few days ago, we got the positive (smiley face) on the OPK and went in for our first IUI bright and early the next morning. February 11th.
My husband's counts were phenomenal. The lab tech called his sperm insanely fast! (The fertility specialist recommended that he take Guaifenesin as well, for the high viscosity issue- only a higher dose, so he was taking Mucinex.) She called him a 'Gold Medal Winner' and said we should hang the results on the fridge!
His results were as follows:
Pre wash count ---- 258 million/ml ..... OMG, wow.
Motility ---- 90% ... this is awesome, they look for 40% or more
Progression ---- 4+ .... they look for 1-4 :)
Post wash count ---- 116 million/ ml!!!!!! They look for 10 million or more!! Woooo-hoooo!!!
How can you go wrong with those counts?
We held hands as the procedure was being done (super quick and surprisingly easy!) and were left alone in the dim room for about 10 minutes afterwards to smile at eachother, visualize and just breathe.
I love my husband so much.
So, here we are.
Waiting on the results. Praying that my body is functioning the way that it is supposed to, praying that the egg was grabbed by the open fallopian tube, and that the implantation goes smoothly.
I wish my mom was here, I wish I could call her up and share all of this with her. The nervous excitement, the daydreams, my head in the clouds. I'm thinking as positively as I can, and I have received several 'signs' which I'll explain later on, which confirms my belief that she is with me. Somehow.
We test on the 26th.
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