Well, I've been here before....

Well...no good news here...

IUI #5 was unsuccessful.

I can feel my positivity slowly fading. 

We know that I CAN get pregnant...we just don't know why it hasn't happened yet.

Yesterday marked cycle day 1. 

So this morning we went in to have an ultrasound done to make sure there were no follicles left over and to talk about the game plan for the next IUI cycle. 

My ovaries were clear so we are ready to move on to the next cycle but we weren't exactly sure what the next step was as far as medication goes. 

I had an idea that he would probably add more injections...and I was right.

Instead of doing Menopur injections on cycle days 7,9, and 11, we are doing Menopur injections on cycle days 7 through 11. So 2 more injections.

And he kept the Femara the same. 2 pills cycle days 3 through 7. 

Hopefully this does the trick..waiting for our miracle baby is getting harder and harder.

Please keep the prayers and positive thoughts coming! 

We know this can work!

My follicle check is on the 5th! So keep a look out for that post!!!

Hurry Up and Wait Facebook Page

I WANT MY LEFT FOOT TO ITCH!!!: The imaginary(and not-so-imaginary) signs of pregnancy and periods.

As I close in on my 2WW, I cant help but put together a list of pregnancy(or period) symptoms that may or may not be real...

All women who have ever tried to conceive know exactly what I am talking about!!!

You have a slight stomach ache so it "HAS to be morning sickness!".

Or you smell something funky and "it has to mean you're pregnant!".

Or you Google every single thing you experience throughout the day in hopes that some other woman half way around the world was pregnant when she had the same sign as you!!!

I have stopped my Google addiction but I still analyze like crazy!

I actually convinced myself that my coffee tasted funny this morning!

There seems to be no end to the analyzing!!!!

Well, I was talking to a woman yesterday who is also dealing with infertility and we were discussing symptoms. Whenever it gets close to testing day, we always ask the other "How do you feel?". We are hoping to get some hint as to whether the other could be pregnant by new symptoms or even symptoms that are out of the ordinary. 

(So now we are analyzing OTHER women's symptoms too?? lol)

Then we talked about how nice it would be if there was some huge sign to tell us that we are pregnant!! I said "I wish my left foot would itch and that would tell me that I am pregnant"! haha

But honestly, many pregnancy symptoms are exactly like period symptoms. Breast tenderness, cramping, food aversion or cravings...these can all be linked to both pregnancy and periods. 

So when we are ttc-ing, we often try to find symptoms that are slightly different in hopes that it is a sign. 

When I was pregnant with the baby that we miscarried, the only "symptom" that was different for me was the fact that I didn't want chocolate. Usually before my period I want chocolate! Lots of chocolate! But when I was pregnant, I didn't want it. 

Unfortunately, I haven't had much of a taste for it since...so I cant use that as my "gauge" this time around. 

So what I want to know from you guys is:

What is the craziest/silliest thing that you have ever considered a pregnancy sign when you WEREN'T pregnant?

And what is the craziest/silliest thing that was actually a pregnancy sign for you? 

Hurry Up and Wait Facebook page

Progesterone Check for IUI #5

Hey guys!!

It has been 1 week since our fifth IUI! That means progesterone check!

I went in this morning for blood work and I got a call saying that my progesterone levels were at 37 :)

A good progesterone level is the first hurdle we have to make before we test for pregnancy.

My doctor likes my levels to be at least 15 since we are on a medicated cycle. So we have passed this first test!

For those who haven't been following our journey for very long or if you just aren't aware, progesterone is the hormone your body makes to maintain a pregnancy. This doesn't mean that I am pregnant, just that if I am pregnant, miscarriage due to low progesterone isn't really an issue. And if I am pregnant, I wont have to do progesterone suppositories for the first trimester. I am EXTREMELY grateful for that!! I have had to do progesterone suppositories once in the past (roughly a year ago)...and it was less than appealing.

So now we wait to test!

This is going to be a longggg wait for us!

I am so anxious to test...we are ready to be pregnant and have our take-home babies!

Keep up the prayers and positive thoughts! They are felt and greatly appreciated!

Hurry Up and Wait Facebook Page!

IUI #5

Hi guys!

Today was IUI day!

We were very anxious to go in today and get this 2ww started!

2 eggs and 21 million sperm...our odds are likely good, right??

We even have our nurse anxious to get this 2ww over with. haha

Well as she was doing the IUI, my nurse noticed that my cervical fluid was basically dry. Which makes sense since that's why we have to do the IUI instead of just timed intercourse. But she recommended that to increase our odds of conception, we get Pre-Seed. Pre-Seed is a non-spermicidal lubricant that has been shown in studies to have the least adverse effect on sperm. Which could actually help increase our chances of conception because it will basically give the sperm a "slip n slide" to the eggs. haha Too much?? 

Anyway..we are going to get that tonight. Has anyone used it?? Let me know how it worked for you!

And we have our progesterone check next Thursday..so I will update you guys when I get those results :)

Thank you for all the thoughts and prayers! They are greatly appreciated!

Hurry Up and Wait Facebook

Follicle Check for IUI #5

Good morning guys!!!

Or...whatever time you end up reading this haha

This morning I had my follicle check and let me tell you, I was less than excited.

I felt little to no stretching in either ovary over the past week and it definitely got in my head. 

Last cycle I felt a TON of stretching in my ovaries and I ended up having 2 mature follicles in my right ovary and 1 in my left. So I was almost 100% sure that I didn't have anything mature. I went in with no excitement and quite a bit of dread for the ultrasound. 

But...that's what I get for thinking and reading into signs!!! 

First she did an ultrasound of my right ovary and my heart sunk a little bit lower than before. I had about 4 to 5 small follicles...a good ways from mature. She even asked at that point if I still had Menopur injections in case I had to continue shots.

So I was prepared for a longer cycle and possibly more injections in my near future.

Then she moved to my left ovary..which I frequently refer to as my "lazy ovary". My left ovary tends to only work once in a blue moon..I kind of have a love-hate relationship with her. I have even thought of it as "broken" a few times. 

But, once again, that's what i get for thinking!!

We immediately saw 2 HUGE follicles!!!

A 26 and a 21 :)

I think I even cheered a bit when I saw it!! 

I had every bit of me thinking that I was going to have to continue injections and come back in a few days to recheck my follicles. But then old lefty decided to save the day!! 

So I will more than likely do my HCG injection tonight and then IUI Thursday morning :)

Yay!!

Hopefully this is the cycle for us!!

Thank you for all the thoughts and prayers and messages that I have been getting over on the Hurry Up and Wait Facebook page! I love hearing from you guys and hearing about your journeys too!

I will update you guys Thursday after the IUI!!! 

Update on IUI #4 and....#5

Hi guys! 

Sorry this post is so late! 

We were at a softball tournament all weekend and I forgot to bring my laptop to update the blog.

But Friday morning was CD 1 for me...

Yes, I know. I can't believe it didn't work either!! 2 mature follicles and still nothing..

So I went in Friday afternoon to do my ultrasound and blood work and to see what the next step would be.

Well the ultrasound showed that my ovaries are clear so we don't have to sit out this cycle. Which is a relief! I am not fond of the idea of sitting a cycle out. 

So on to what the next step will be... Well since the medication side of the IUI was successful, my doctor wants to keep my medications the same for one more cycle. So 5mg of Femara cycle days 3-7 and Menopur injections on days 7,9, and 11. 

And we would really love for this cycle to work...not only because we want a baby but because the next step will most likely be straight injections. And that is VERYYYY expensive!!! 

So we have a follicle check next week and hopefully we get some good news back!!

Thank you for all the thoughts and prayers! 

I will keep you all updated! 

and if you haven't already, please go "like" the Hurry Up and Wait Facebook page so you can get updates as soon as I post them!

The Goal For This Blog

Before I ever started blogging our fertility journey, I spent countless hours perusing pinterest for other women who have gone through a similar situation. 

I found many types of people struggling to conceive. Most were very depressed, as if they felt like nothing could ever be done to "fix" them. While others seemed to put on a facade of what they felt people wanted to hear from them. 

I can't relate to you.

Our struggle is 2 and a half years and counting. It is by no means "long" when it comes to the infertility community. 

But when I read these women's and men's blogs, I can't help but feel a disconnect. 

Yes, there are times when I feel depressed, but I never lose sight of the end goal...to become a Mommy!

And there are times when I would love to blog and tell you guys "the medicine isn't so bad"...but I am not going to lie to you. How would that help the woman who messages me and says "Im starting that medicine next cycle!"?

My goal in life is to become a Mommy and to give my husband a child of our own. But my goal for my blog is to encourage people going through similar situations, or even just a tough time, to look for the positives. 

Now before you throw stones at me, just know...I am not trying to belittle other bloggers. People deal with struggles differently. But I think honesty and being positive is the only way to see your infertility in a different light. 

So that is why I started my blog. I needed a way to vent and I needed a way to reach out to other women going through this and to let them know that they are not alone. 

But I need to be encouraging! And I think that comes from being honest and positive and having just a hint of humor :) 

I hope you can relate :)