What (Not) to Expect

IUI #1 was a roller coaster of the unknown... we had no idea what to expect. The ride went like this:

Day 1- first day of my period.

Day 3- Bloodwork & Ultrasound. That's right. Ultrasound. On day 3. Wish I was kidding.

Day 3 afternoon- once BW & US come back with normal results, begin Clomid, for the next 5 nights.

Day 9- Shot of Follistim. Literally, a shot below the belt. Not as bad as I thought it would be, but a nerve-wracking day anyway having no idea how it would go.

Day 10- BW & US

Day 10 afternoon- Nurse Stephanie (sweetest nurse alive!) calls to say take another shot of Follistim. Take shot #2.

Day 11- BW & US

Day 11 afternoon- Nurse Stephanie says to "Trigger" tonight. This means I take a shot of Ovidrel, the medication that makes me ovulate 36 hours later. Super. Take shot of Ovidrel.

Day 12- a day off! woo hoo!

Day 13- IUI day! woo hoo! Also happens to be the fourth of July! So yay! Fireworks! IUI day requires a drop off of the "specimen" and then an hour and a half later we come back and the washed "specimen" is placed directly into my uterus via a cathetar. Not so bad. Like the shot, it was the anticipation of the unknown that was the worst part.

Day 14- 29- Begin suppositories of Prometrium. This. Is. Not. Fun. But I do it because I have my eye on the prize.

Day 29- BW- BFN (Big Fat Negative). Nurse Stephanie calls to see if I would like to have another treatment plan or if I need a month off. Are you kidding? No thanks, I've had plently of months at this, let's keep this party going!

Round 2 is almost identical to round 1, except I triggered on day 10 after only one shot of Follistim. IUI day was on a Tuesday, I had the day off of work already because I was supposed to go to Atlantic City with my sister and 2 of her pals. Well, I had to stay home to try and make a baby, so my sister understood! Good thing too, because the cramps were trrrible! Another BFN. Okay, third time's a charm! Round 3 is identical to round 1, 2 shots of Follistim, Ovidrel on day 11, IUI on day 13. This time, I had to go back into work, and it was painful. I was so crampy that I could barely stand up straight. Nurse Stephanie says this is a good thing, as it means that my body is ovulating, and so it only lasts for a few hours, (or in my case, SIX) (I like to over do things.)