IUI #3

 I you didn't read my San Diego trip post, I had an update at the end.

My cycle started Monday the 24. I noticed that it is different than my normal flow. I had more cramps than normal, but not as intense as when I was a teenager. Also, the blood was brownish-black, I have never had brown blood on the first day before and I have never had black blood. I read that this could be old blood and my cycle was 5 days longer than normal because of the progesterone. Another reason for black blood is a sign of a miscarriage. Because of the spotting in the middle of the two week and the nausea I think the latter might be the cause. I know in the previous IUI post I said I was going to assume it was just symptoms from the IUI and medication, but now I think they were early pregnancy symptoms. Even though it is a bummer that it didn't stick, I'm glad to know that the procedure worked. 

So this IUI, the plan is to do a "combo cycle" (as I have seen it called on other blogs). On day 3 of my cycle I went in for an ultrasound to check. They do this to make sure that there isn't any growths as the medications can cause this. I did have on fibroid, but that isn't concerning so I was good to go. 

On the 27th of August, I started taking femara, two tablets a day from day 4 to day 7. It doesn't matter when you take them, but you have to take them the same time every day. I took them at noon since I'm working from home. I usually fast in the morning so I wanted to make sure stopped fasting. That night when I was in bed I had a hot flash. At first I didn't know what it was but I was extremely hot, and I knew heat came from inside me the air was cool in the room. It didn't last very long, but I did notice it.

The femara is used to treat the lh/fsh imbalance. I have been researching lh/fsh imbalance since the diagnosis and I was getting frustrated because the results are always about PCOS. I don't have any other symptoms of PCOS like acne or hair growth, my cycles pretty regular though they are on the longer side. After researching a lot about PCOS I don't think I have it, but if there is a pre-PCOS perhaps that is what I have. PCOS has a 3:1 imbalance and I have a 2:1, my cycles are long, but I do get them regularly and my follicle count was in the normal range for my age, but on the higher side of normal. Also my sister has irregular cycles, so maybe it is in our genes. I know PCOS doesn't mean you can't get pregnant, it can be harder though since it might be hard to predict ovulation.

On day 6 of my cycle I also added in Gonal-F shots. That is right, I had to put three shots in my tummy on day 6, 8, 10. Gonal-F is also used for IVF but the dose for an IUI is much smaller. The goal is to get 2-4 follicles that grow during the cycle. Because of the gonal-f there is a risk of twins and triplets. The risk of triplets isn't too big, but some studies show that 25% of pregnancies are twins, on the low end the studies say 18%. I would prefer not to have twins, but I think I could handle twins if that happened. The rate of triplets isn't enough to make me worried.

On day 7, I had a really strong wave of nausea. I had taken the femara for that day about an hour before and I had to lay down for about 30 minutes. I really thought I was going to be sick, but after about 30 minutes it went away. I don't know if it was from the femara or the combo for femara and Gonal-F the day before. That was the last day of femara, and I didn't get nauseous after that. 

On the first after, the day after the second gonal-F shot, I was so sleepy that I started falling asleep on the couch at 8pm so at 9 I went to bed and stayed in bed until 6-6:30 the next day. I wasn't having trouble sleeping the other days, and didn't do anything too strenuous. So it might have been the medications. 

The next morning I had an ultrasound to count the follicles and see when to trigger my ovulation. I did the last gonal F shot before I left. The ultrasound was at 7:30am. My uterine lining was 9.5 mm which was good. On the right ovary I had an 18 mm follicle which is good, and a 10 mm follicle which the tech said is a "maybe." On the left ovary there was a 17 mm follicle also good, and a 10 mm which is also a maybe. So the IUI was scheduled for Saturday the 11th at 10:30 am. I would took the trigger shot on Thursday at 10:30 pm.

A 12 mm follicle could produce an egg and as you approach ovulation a follicle can gain 2 mm a day. So the two tens could have gotten to 12 mm prior to the trigger shot, maybe they could even get to 12 after to still be affected by the the trigger shot, however, the techs at the initial ultrasound said they would tell me if triplets were more likely. So, I don't think the tech was concerned about that happening. So the chance of twins is there with the two follicles, but not triplets. 

The chance of pregnancy with an IUI without gonal-f is about 25% after 2 cycles, well with gonal-f it is closer to 25%. So basically the extra follicle doubles my chances. 

Now two things have made me super hopeful that this is the cycle. I am skeptic so I try to not allow my emotion or "signs" cloud my judgment, but sometimes the "signs" are fun!

The first sign is that I plugged my IUI date in a due date calculator, the due date is my birthday! I feel like that is a sign, because it is a day that is unique to me, so it's like the cards are aligning to work.

The second sign was more strange and eerie. The fertility center has made accommodations because of covid-19. So when you arrive you text from your car to check in. Then wait until they send a message back saying you can come in. I had already sent the message and was playing a game on my phone. Then suddenly the name Petra came into my head. It felt very bizarre and out of no where. 

I know this sounds weird but last year when I did the first IUI, I felt like there was this little girl on the other side of the vial waiting to be born. During that time, I could swear her name was Naomi. I could really feel that she was really out there. I don't even believe in this stuff, and I haven't ever had names picked out. I always thought I would need to meet a baby before I could name them. When I decided to wait for the second IUI, I felt like I had killed this being. Well, my sister had her baby last November, she and her husband didn't have a name for the baby until they were leaving the hospital. It was Naomi!!! 

So that sudden thought of Petra felt the exact same way. It was just whispering to me. So I think it will work and I think she will be Petra. It feels so weird to me because I really think it is weird if people have a name picked out for a baby before they are born. Sure people have names in mind, but I think it's weird to know prior to meeting that baby, but I just had this feeling, and it was before I even went inside. Also even though I do like the name Petra I'm not sure I would have used it. I think I will still have to meet her/hold her to know for sure, but I just have this feeling.

So since the IUI on Saturday, I haven't had too many symptoms. I did have some cramps, but they weren't as painful that first day. I still have some tenderness today. I know that aren't symptoms until the fertilize egg implants. So I'm not stressing out too much. The spotting I had last cycle was on DPO 7, which I think was implantation bleeding. So on this coming Saturday I will be on the look out, but I am going to try to wait to test to the end of the two week wait so I will check in then.