Moving ahead

We had the appointment today at the clinic. I came home with a kit full of needles, syringes and drugs and a head full of instructions about how to administer them and when. It all begins at the start of my next cycle which will be around 6th January. Then we will begin a process of injections, followed by a scan, and if all is looking good and ready we then do the insemination and more injections until test day. It's quite a bit to take on board... On the plus side, apparently the drugs that I'll be injecting are unlikely to produce any unpleasant side effects which is a relief. So, now time to really enjoy Christmas before we begin round one!

Boooooo!

It was PMT. Pretty bummed about that.
We have our appointment with the clinic on the 20th December. Time to learn how to inject myself.
Oh joy.

Wishful thinking?

I've been for three acupunture sessions now. There have been no promises from the therapist, only that it will probably help me to relax. I've been really hoping that as the timing is better with me being more relaxed that we might get lucky. My breasts have been sore for the last week which seems way too early for PMT. I had a little bit of spotting last night. Is this my period coming early? Or early pregnancy symptoms? It really doesn't help that the signs are the same!
I think, rather negatively, that I already know the answer.
We're still waiting for an oppointment for our IUI planning meeting at the clinic, so that's likely to start in the New Year. I also plan to get some temp work after Christmas. So, here's to enjoying a 9to5-free, fertility-treatment free December!

Correct predictions

So, I've finished my job and taken a holiday. We visited the psychic who, by the way, was correct in her prediction of my family member getting pregnant in October. This time the psychic said that she can't see any reason why I haven't got pregnant and that the timing just hasn't been right. She predicts it will happen by the time I'm 38, she sees three pregnancies, and a girl is coming through very strongly... Time will tell!
In terms of the treatment, we have both had to go for some more blood tests and I've had to have some swabs - to check that we are totally healthy before we move forward with the IUI. So we're now waiting for a date for a planning meeting.
I feel like a weight has been lifted now I'm not working. I'm a little anxious about my new business and finding work to support it, but generally I'm pretty chilled. I'd like to think that this will help! And I intend to speak to an acupuncturist next week that was recommended by a friend. It can't hurt. It would be great if this could happen naturally without any further drugs and intervention.
My friend who got pregnant through IUI gave birth to a beautiful baby boy this week :)

Uncertainty

I'm now halfway through the 3rd cycle. I had my tubes checked this week with a hysterosalpingogram. It's an x-ray using dye to check that there aren't any blockages. Not a great experience but the good news is that all looks fine on that front which is a relief! What's also good news is that the procedure could make it more likely that I get pregnant this month as it helps to 'clear the way'. So we'll see...
A family member of mine has a lot of faith in a particular psychic where she lives. She took a picture of me and my husband along to her last reading, and the psychic correctly predicted that it's me that has the problems. She says that we will get pregnant through an insemination procedure and that I will be pregnant before I turn 38. Only 1 year and 9 months until then! The psychic also predicted that this particular family member will fall pregnant herself this month, so time will tell how accurate this is.
I'm finding it increasingly difficult to deal with friends getting pregnant. When I first started this journey, I was thrilled to hear that people I know were pregnant and looked forward to it being me. More recently I find myself thinking, 'not another one, what the hell'. Some close friends of ours got married about 9 months ago and it's clear, although not formally announced, that she is pregnant. I'm finding this one particularly difficult for some reason. I can't quite put my finger on why. Perhaps because they are quite a bit younger than us and they have a lovely home and good jobs, but I thought that this was something we would get to before them. I know it's not a competition or a race, and I'm genuinely happy for them, but I still find it very sad.
The drugs I've been taking have been making me anxious and down so that could be having an impact. And I have 2 weeks left at my job before leaving and I'm feeling generally nervous and lacking in confidence about my future. It would be great to have a sense of certainty again.

2nd cycle

2nd cycle....done. No change.
3rd and last cycle begins.
I'll be making an appointment to have my tubes checked during this cycle.
Still loads going on in my life aside from this process, all of which is affecting my health and stress levels. Not a good combination!
However, we have a holiday booked for the end of October so time to chill is not far away :)

Treatment

So, I'm most of the way through the first cycle with the drugs. Have had some crappy side-effects - mood swings, anxiety, irritability... Went for the mid-cycle scan. Apparently the drugs that boost ovulation did their job - there were two eggs about to be released (so there's a risk of multiple pregancy there). But the mucus still wasn't great. Because of that, the nurse expects that the doctor will advise just 3 cycles of drug therapy in total and will then suggest moving on to having my tubes checked (x-ray or laparoscopy) and then IUI.

Although we're not at that point yet, I was pretty upset at the prospect. I've led a healthy life and am not keen on being pumped full of drugs. And I've never had surgery so that's a big deal for me. But as a bit of time has passed since the scan, I've accepted the situation a bit more. Plus, I just heard from a friend who has been through the same thing (IUI) and she is 5 months pregnant :) It worked for her on the 3rd cycle of IUI. So that gives me hope! I'm meeting her for a chat next week. Will be good to talk to someone who's been through it.

Drugs!

We had a follow up appointment at the clinic yesterday. The doc was dismissive about my concerns about the tests being done too early in my cycle. Guess I have to take his word for it...? So, he has recommended a 6 month course of fertility boosting drugs and some other drugs to improve mucus quality. Apparently, if it's going to work it will usually work in the first 6 months. Eeek! I have a further invasive procedure to look forward to within the first cycle. Nice.
Needing 'help' doesn't make me feel particularly feminine. And I didn't expect to be needing treatment, even though we have been trying for 17 months now.
To be honest, there is so much going on in our lives at the moment - redundancy, starting a new business, home improvements, potentially selling up or renting our house and moving overseas temporarily - that this feels like just another addition to the list of variables.

Coming of age

It’s my birthday today.  I’ve turned 36.  36!  How did I get this old??  Articles like this don’t make me feel much better about it: Age and Fertility

This feels like a turning point in my life in a way.  I’m likely to be made redundant next year so I’m making plans for a career change.  We’re also thinking about a temporary move overseas.  The world is our oyster and it’s good to have plans for alternative adventures should this particular adventure not materialise.

Confusion

Things have got a bit confusing...

Went for a couple of tests at the fertility clinic yesterday. They were supposed to be timed to coincide with ovulation but I think they planned it in a bit too early in the month for me. The so-called non-invasive procedures were a bit more unpleasant than I anticipated. I won't go into it.... So the result is that my mucus is too acidic and sperm probably can't get through.

To me the confusion lies in whether this conclusion was come to due to the time in my cycle that the test was done. The nurse said it wouldn't make any difference but Internet searches give a different answer.

I'm also confused as to why the nurse was trying to push me into starting a fertility drug to "boost" ovulation. even though everything else looks OK so far. What's the point in boosting ovulation if the sperm can't get to the egg?

So, there will be a few questions for the doctor at our next appointment...

In the meantime, I look forward to using a baking soda douche prior to sex!
I'm looking for natural ways of helping things along. Will be taking Evening Primrose Oil and Flax Seed Oil to "improve mucus quality" and changing my diet to try and alkalise my system. God knows if any of this will make any difference whatsoever!

Positive steps

A positive trip to the fertility clinic. They are happy with my husband's test results - it turns out our GP doesn't really know what he's talking about... They're happy with what they know about me so far. A couple more tests to be done - nothing too invasive. Apparently 95% of couples get pregnant within 2 years, so we have a little way to go until then.

Getting serious

We have an appointment at the fertility clinic tomorrow. They've sent some information outlining the basics of all the possible treatments. It all feels very serious now... It's a step in the right direction tho I guess. Not sure that much will be accomplished tomorrow - apparently it's only a five minute appointment!

Nothing...

...to report. Awaiting an appointment with a gyno for further testing...

...

My boss is now pregnant.
I'm not. Boooooo!

What now?...

...Inconsistent cycle. I'm now spotting before my period. Could it be implantation? Unlikely as it happened last month too and I have all the usual pre-menstrual symptoms. Googled it. Amongst other things, including fibroids, it could be endometriosis or cancer apparently... Great.

Results

Inconclusive...
Possibly a small problem, but maybe not, so one test to be re-done and some further blood tests.
Otherwise, all seems OK :)
Continue...

What happens next?

So, when we saw the doctor, he said that very often a couple will conceive during the process of having the tests done. Well, that hasn't happened.... So what happens next? We get the initial test results on Friday. Let's hope for "everything looks fine, just go away and keep trying" rather than "no chance in hell" or "there's something we need to work on".

The doc said that it takes a year on average to conceive. So we are officially not failing, just normal.

News headlines today saying that the media projection that women have difficulty conceiving after 35 has led to an increase in abortions in older women because they didn't think they needed to use contraception any more! Many thanks to all the scare mongers.

Fingers crossed for Friday.

Tests done...

...Results with the GP on the 12th...

Sperm....

....count test and blood tests a go go!

Appointment with doctor...

...booked for Thursday.

Bet you can't guess...

....what I got today?

*sigh*

Time to make that appointment with the GP...