Ask the girl who is doing an Intrauterine Insemination

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
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I did a search and couldn’t find a similar ‘Ask the’ thread, so thought I’d start one. I know that if I were someone a few years or months behind me in the fertility journey, I’d want to read experiences too.

My husband and I have not been using protection for nine years, and have been actively trying to conceive for 35 months. Actively trying means I take my basal body temperature, use ovulation predictor kits, try to time things properly, etc.

Last April I had a laparoscopy and HSG, and everything is fine. My husband has done four semen analysis tests and everything is good or great except minor motility issues (the shape). My cycles are pretty textbook, with ovulation on day 13, 14 or 15, and a 13 or 14 day luteal phase. All blood work indicates that everything is fine.

I got pregnant and miscarried in May, 2007 at about 6 weeks (we weren’t actively trying at the time), and again last July and miscarried at almost 6 weeks. In June and July last year, I took 50 mg Clomid, and then once my miscarriage was over, 50 mg again in September, with no success.

I am on 100 mg Clomid this month and am on cycle day 10. My IUI will happen this Friday or Saturday (I have to use ovulation predictors to detect my surge, then go in the following day). This cycle is essentially unmonitored (no ultrasounds, blood work, etc.). We are trying three IUI’s before moving on to something else, possibly IVF.

The two weeks following the IUI are surely going to be the longest of my life. I am hoping with everything I’ve got that this works the first time, though I know that it probably won’t.

Any questions or stories to share?

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Are you all lined up for progesterone supplementation, or whatever will be needed to maintain a pregnancy once it occurs?

3

Do they know why you miscarried?

Are you willing to adopt or use a surrogate if this and IVF don’t work?

Are you sick and tired of people telling you to relax, it’ll happen, or other things?

4

I have no questions - I just wanted to say good luck to you - the Wonderland household has it’s fingers crossed in your general direction. :slight_smile:

5

I have no issues with progesterone, so no.

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They do not know why. I am guessing that if it happens again, I will start undergoing tests to determine why I am having reoccuring losses.

We are willing to adopt and probably willing to use surrogacy. There are some potential touchy issues that we have to deal with for IVF before we for sure go that route too. My sister has no eggs (she had cancer / went through menopause) and we are discussing me being a donor. The issue comes in if I am unable to get pregnant first and we decide to do egg retrievals for both of us at the same time. What if she gets pregnant and I can’t? That’s the emotional issue I have to be ready for before we do that.

YES, very sick and tired of the ‘relax and it’ll happen’ thing. My husband’s aunt was trying to tell us that I needed to put my hips up afterwards a few months ago. I’ve tried that and a million other things for almost three years now!

7

Thank you! I’ll take everything you can give!

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Just wanted to wish you the best of luck. My wife and I were on the infertility roller coaster for years.

9

Best of luck and may you catch and keep! Infertility is stressful.

We did the infertility thing for about a year (IUI + clomid - then IUI + Fertinex). I didn’t handle the hormones well, and we moved onto adopting. They never found a cause for our subfertility and I later had a surprise baby - NOT because we relaxed - it happened at a stressful time, NOT because I had my hips up, or my husband changed underwear, or whatever - just because for once, it “stuck.” Why then, and not before?

10

Nothing to say either, but I wish you the best of luck, and hope it goes well for you.

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Friends of ours have been trying for years and have done IUI’s and IVF. About six months ago they started down the adoption route and put their ‘deposit’ down. A month later she found out she was pregnant! It does happen at the oddest time, I guess.

12

Best wishes.

A funny story. I know these two guys (Jim and Paul) I used to work with years ago. Jim and his wife were having fertility issues and had been trying for a couple of years to get pregnant. Paul was over at Jim’s house one day and for some reason they were in Jim and his wife’s bedroom. Paul noticed that the footboard of their bed was raised up about 6 inches so that it inclined towards the headboard. Paul, asked Jim why his bed was up on blocks like that. Jim explained that one of their doctors suggested they put their bed that way to help promote the flow of the semen towards the eggs to help increase the chance of fertilization. Paul laughed, and said, “Hell Jim, let me come over and help you out. I can drop that stuff, where you’re trying to run it.”

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No questions, just best of luck! I’m starting my first antagonist ICSI cycle this week for baby #2, so let’s hope it’s good timing for both of us.

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Yeah, if I’m understanding what Paul is implying, not a funny story. It’s insensitive shit like that which pisses people off.

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Not so funny and creepy anecdote: My husbands’ father has said on more then one occasion that if hubby didn’t do the job, he would. Maybe a little bit over the line?

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Thanks for all the luck and best wishes everyone. I’ll post an update after the procedure - I may have a stenosed cervix (they had trouble with the catheter during my HSG and couldn’t do it the first time) so I’m a bit worried that we may not be able to get the catheter through - BUT, I’m hoping for the best.

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Paul is implying that Jim’s dick is too short to get the job done. It was a joke between two friends. Lighten up Francis.

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Best of luck!!!

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Another wish for some good, sticky luck.

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Thanks again everyone.

Quick update: I got my positive ovulation test this afternoon so will be going in tomorrow morning for the IUI. I am thinking positive thoughts!