Second Test Results

My second blood test results came back great! My hcg levels had increased from 638 to 1400s in 48 hours! This was great news! We were then set up with an ultrasound for two weeks later when I would be 6 weeks pregnant. We would then be able to see our little offspring on and possibly even see a heartbeat.

At this point everything was really starting to settle in that this was real and we were really on the road to being parents in 9 short months! :) 

D-Day!

Once the 16th day after the IUI came I almost couldn't sleep I was so excited and nervous. I think I woke up about three times throughout the night and finally at 5:30 AM got up and tested. I can recall being very nervous by having to use the bathroom so bad I didn't have any stage fright.

I was given a generic pregnancy test from my RE so it had only a line to look for. I dipped the stick appropriately and waited the recommended time to see if the extra line would appear. Immediately I could see two faint lines which meant I was pregnant. I told my husband to come see what he thought as I wasn't sure if I was seeing things out of belief or if the lines were real. He said he couldn't tell but it looked like there was two lines. 

We decided to run over the grocery store and pick up another test just to be sure. So at 5:45 AM we ran over to buy another test. I bought one that was a little more explicit on the results; a cross vs. just lines. So once again I took the pee on a stick test twice and quickly the cross showed up! At this point, I was really excited and also in disbelief. Was I really this lucky to get pregnant the first time going through fertility treatments?! 

Of course right at 7 AM when my doctors office opened I called with the news and curiosity on what to do next! I had to go right away and get a blood test taken. I went to a local lab and got my blood tested before work so I could get the results back that afternoon. 

D-Day continued

Of course after the first pee tests and after talking to the doctors office we updated the people that knew today was the day for us to test. A group message for my family, a test to my husband's mom, and a few text messages later in the day to those few girlfriends who knew what I was going through. Everyone was so excited but knew we still had awhile to  go before we were in the clear and could really share the news!

I got the first blood test results back around 2 PM (beta was 638) that day and immediately scheduled my follow up test two days later. This second blood test would measure the levels of hcg. These levels should double every 48-72 hours while pregnant and continue to increase until the second trimester. This test would show whether a healthy pregnancy was developing. 

Two Week Wait: Week Two

The second week was a little less eventful but we had plenty of activities going on that kept our mind off the unknown. I did however have to go into the doctor’s office one week after the IUI to check my progesterone levels. This was a short and sweet appointment and only had to leave a little blood behind to be tested. The results really weren't going to tell us anything except whether my body was producing enough progesterone in the event I was indeed becoming pregnant. 

I wasn't allowed to test until 16 days after the IUI. Most people are told to test after 14 days but I guess since they weren't entirely sure when I would have ovulated they rather you be safe than sorry with a false negative. So I knew the closer I got to that date the more likely I would see blood in the result I was no pregnant so naturally I was checking very closely every time I went to the bathroom. By the time I made it through Monday with no hint of not being pregnant I felt a little better and slightly hopeful but knew I still had one more day to make it through and I had no idea how my body would react to anything since I have not had a period in several years. 

Two Week Wait: Week One

The dreaded two week wait plus two days was upon us. I knew this time would be hard and I of course asked many of my friends who had been through this time on advice. Some said to just try to stay busy, and one said she researched baby stuff. I personally knew putting the cart before the horse wouldn't work for me. Heck, after dating for several years I never really started planning our wedding until after the proposal was complete. So I tried to stay busy and tried to stay as active as I could by doing yoga and walking.

Unfortunately, the two weeks were quite eventful. I ended up coming down with major tooth pain and having to get a root canal done at an emergency dentist. This is obviously not ideal in my current situation but I didn't know what else to do. The pain was so bad and nothing would work to ease it. So I went into the office knowing that the procedure was okay for someone who was expecting although most doctors recommend not having these types of procedures during the first trimester if at all possible. I figured I would classify this procedure in the category of a mother not knowing she was pregnant and drinking a lot before the first missed day of her period. And I had to get this done; the pain was the worst pain ever!

After the procedure I had a lot of pain due to the procedure although it was way less than before. I had started taking Advil but shortly realized that Tylenol was the better choice in my current situation. Opps, three days of Advil, sorry potential future child! 

Monitored Closely

After the first four days of injections I was brought back to the doctor's office to be monitored for progress. An ultrasound was performed to see how well my ovaries were simulating on the medication. The first ultrasound didn't show much but it did show that the medicine was doing its job which was to start growing a follicle. After the first monitoring appointment I was sent back home with another three days of injection protocol and a follow up appointment in a few days.

At the second appointment, the stimulation results seemed to be very good. I had one follicle that was measuring around 18.5mm and it was expected to grow at least 2 mm a day until ovulation. At this time we pretty much knew that unless another follicle happened to grow in the next few days or that my egg when released happened to split our chances for multiples was very slim. This was a relief and also sadness at the same time as we thought having twins would have been neat but we were also just happy that the process was working and we were on the right track. We also figured having one kid at a time was probably the better route!

 I was given instructions on the next few days of protocol which included a few more days of the hCG hormones and then an ovidrel shot that would make me ovulate. Due to the results of my coitus test, the decision was made to perform an IUI the day following the ovidrel shot. This would give us the best chances on getting pregnant this round. So although it wasn’t the most glamorous way to make a baby we knew it was the best way to get to the end result. So Monday morning after the ovidrel shot I traveled into the RE office and the IUI was performed. I had to hang out in the office and relax for about 10 minutes following the procedure then was on my way to work with instructions to go about my day normally.

At this time I knew something was happening in my body. I was feeling very bloated and full in the abdomen region. I had cramping and subtle pain every once in a while and I knew that this was a good sign although it was rather uncomfortable. I actually almost feel like I felt ovulation occur in my body but who knows. I knew things were happening like they should so I tried my best to stay positive and not think about it too much.  We had 16 long days ahead of us to get through until we’d find out whether this cycle was successful or not.  

Brave

Ever since I can remember I was always the one strived to put on a brave and strong face for anything that was thrown to me in life. I'm sure this wasn't always the case but as I grew up that was the way I was taught to react. I'm not sure if is an oldest child trait or not but either way I'm sure it was something I was taught by my father. He would always put me in situations I did not feel comfortable in such as meeting people I didn't know, answering the company phone, and calling businesses or people for things he needed taken care of. And of course he acted the same way. I do not ever recall seeing my father cry and he always wore a brave face.

This lesson transferred into my personal as well as professional life. Personally, I'm the one who rarely cries when hurt or in sad or happy situations, hides any emotion related to being apprehensive or nervous, and over all wearing a tough skin.  So now in the infertility situation I found myself in I tried to carry that brave face into all of my doctors appointments and procedures. I entered them all with confidence and the realization that I was ready to accept whatever the medical professionals had to say. I went to pretty much all of these appointments solo and no offense to my amazing husband but that was the way I preferred it. It was easier to be brave alone then with someone by my side.

This all made perfect sense as I reflected on the first time I performed by injection alone. I escaped from a party we were having in our house upstairs to do the injection alone and all by myself. The original plan was for my mom to do the injection again but I had been given some strong encouragement from a friend that I could probably do it on my own and that brave persona I have came out strong and I was ready to give it a try. So I went up to the master bath, got everything ready, and went for it! Of course my heart was beating and I was shaking my the time I was done but I did it. I did it on the first time and on the first try and had no issues. I was pretty proud of myself at this time. And I was also glad that I had gained by independence back. I was going to be able to do the injections myself and make it through the next few weeks without having to rely on someone else to administer the medication. This was a huge relief moving forward!

           Here's my injection goodies!