I can drink wine again! TTC IUI #2 update;

The two week wait is over and I got a big fat negative. I might have taken a test on Saturday, and Sunday, and Monday, and Tuesday, so I was already prepared, but it's still a bummer. 

It is kind of a bummer because I swear I had some early pregnancy symptoms including some spotting a week ago. I was using progesterone cream every night and some of the side effects are similar to pregnancy, but last week while using the bathroom I had a little redish coloring when I wiped. Not a lot, but something I might see a day or two after my period ends. So I thought that might be implantation bleeding. I did read that up to 20% of pregnancies end in miscarriage, but up to 75% of the miscarriages happen before the fifth week of pregnancy (third week from ovulation). A woman might not even realize she is pregnant and might only have a slightly heavier period. I also read that early miscarriages like this is because of a chromosome imbalance. So perhaps I did really see some spotting, or maybe I was just hoping.

So, the first week after my IUI I went to San Diego. I noted some cramping. Last time I remember cramping the day of the IUI and maybe the next day, but not after that. This time I had some cramping/tenderness for a while. It wasn't enough to bother my normal activity so I wasn't concerned, but I could feel my uterus. A week ago I had some tenderness, constipation, maybe some mood swings and maybe a craving? We went to a fish shop one day and the next day I wanted the same food again. I was disappointed that we were having chicken instead, but it also didn't seem like a craving for the food, just a wish. That is also when I noted the spotting on the TP. 

On the second week, I did feel a little nauseated one day but it was pretty mild. I would get it a few hours after I had eaten. I remembered that one of my friend's said her doctor told her to eat before she got nauseated. So when I felt nauseated I would eat lunch or dinner and it went away for a while. I also noticed that my nipples were hard during this time. I don't really remember my nipples getting hard or sensitive for no reason. They didn't hurt tho so maybe I just never notice. It was because of these two symptoms that I took the first pregnancy test on Saturday. 

Today I called in my negative pregnancy test, because of Covid-19 the test was at home. It was nice that I didn't need to go in and pay for blood work. Since the test was negative, I'm going to believe that the symptoms were because I was paying more attention to my body, and/or I was using progesterone cream. Perhaps it was a chemical pregnancy, I know I had that "feels different" feeling, but I think for next time I will assume they are side effect not symptoms because I don't want to get my hopes up.

Generally, after the third IUI women will increase the medication to increase the chance of pregnancy. There are more side effects, and an increase chance of twins, but there is a 25% chance of pregnancy in the first round instead of a 12.5% chance. I know the last cycle I did it more naturally, but I did have the trigger shot and the progesterone cream. I think that counts as two IUI cycles. The added cost of the hFSH injections is most definitely less than having to do two or more regular IUI cycles. So I think it would save me money and time to jump to the next step. 

Additionally, the treatment center I go to often have trials for IVF, last year I was considering one, but I needed to have two IUI cycles first, I know other trials require more cycles. However, right now there aren't any trials for IVF probably because of COVID-19. So if the IVF was an option than the simple and cheaper IUI would probably be better, because if I qualified for IVF then the likelihood of getting pregnant is high and the cost is super low. Since I don't have that fall back plan, I think I should try the option that has the best results and that I can reasonably afford. I probably would consider getting a personal loan to do an IVF if it came down to it, but I don't really want to take a loan out if I don't have to.

Single Mom by Choice Journey. IUI No 2

I had my second IUI today! I am super excited and hopeful. I had to get that out first, but let me pick up from where I left off before.

On July 27th I started using an ovulation kit and the premom app. I have never used the kit or the app before so I know that some things will be guess for the app until it knows me better. The 27th my lh was low and the line was pretty light. Then on the next two days I had high lh, but on the 30th it went down again. So the app said I peaked, but I wasn't too concerned because I had my first ultrasound on the 28th. I found out later that some women will have an elevated level like that early, but it's usually only the last peak that signals ovulation.

During my ultrasound lining was only 5 mm. I had two follicles on the right that were 9 mm and one on the left that was 8.5 mm. So it was way too early. We talks about whether or not I should come in on Saturday or Monday, but I thought Monday would be ok based on Flo app and also my IUI last year was similar.

On July 30, I also has a phone consultation with Dr. Craig. It was pretty similar other initial appointments except on the phone. In his office he would have a paper with carbon copies beneath it. On paper it has a few graphs and a diagram of uterus. It also has sections for Diagnosis/Rx, Test and Plan. 

So basically he just went over the diagnosis portion which was the same as last time.

1. I have regular cycles. There is an age factor that depends on the FSH and AMH. My numbers were good for both so I have enough eggs.

2. LH/FSH imbalance remember that the ratio should be 2:1, but mine was reverse 1:2. What that meant is that even though I have eggs, but maybe I'm not ovulating them. But it is super easy to treat and only needs to be treated when you are trying to conceive (TTC)

3. No weight issues. 

4. My tubes were not blocked last year when they did the HSG X-Ray. Also the test can help clear out the tubes a bit too which makes it easier to conceive for up to a year, but it's been longer than a year.

5. No Endometriosis.

6-8 is for male factor but since I'm using donor sperm then that isn't a probelm.

So we made the plan that if I wasn't pregnant after this cycle that I wanted to continue the plan from last year. This includes: do another HSG x-ray to check my tubes/clear them a bit. do femara to help with the lh/fsh imbalance, ultrasound, trigger shot and progesterone cream. The only difference really is the x-ray and the femara.

After that I would have done 3 IUIs, at 3 IUIs about 1/3 of woman my age will be pregnant. Since this is an unmediated try it might be less. But I think after the 3rd try I would add an FSH inject. This can help increase chances but there is also increase chance for twins.

By August 3rd my ovulation kid started going up again and peaked again. Also on 3rd I had my second ultra sound. I had 9 mm lining good, and a 17.5 follicle on the right. So we were in business. Also, I read an abstract that said that more conceptions happen after woman ovulated on their right. Obviously they aren't checking woman who can get pregnant the typical way, so it might have something to do with infertility, but I will take it as a good sign anyway.

The plan was to take the trigger shot on the 4th at 9:30 then 36 hours later have the insemination. Last time I had longer so the trigger shot was delivered to my house, this time I drove to 30 minutes away to pick it up. I picked it up on Monday. 

I have been spending one day working at my parents house now that I am working from home. So after my ultrasound I went over to their house and saw my parents, sister and played with my niece. I had to leave at 3pm to get the shot and my sister called me later and said it was suspicious.

They still know that I want to become a mom, but I told my sister and my dad that I was going to wait until closer to November. I guess I was initially trying to get to November, but I just couldn't wait any long. The time was right. I kept reading single mom by choice stories and they all said their biggest regret was waiting! I guess there might be a bias because women who really regret it would probably not be posting it on the internet, but I even read Single Mothers by Choice: A Guidebook for Single Women Who Are Considering or Have Chosen Motherhood. The author founded the Single Mother by Choice national group. She became a single mom in the 80s and there is a lot statistics and information on the single-parent family. It is also a good resource if you need help talking to people or your child about donor conception. So, in the end I couldn't wait any longer. 

So I picked up the trigger shot, the pharmacist brought the shot to my car because of covid. Then went home and put it in the fridge. I was also getting progesterone which can help the fertilized egg stick. But it isn't needed until tomorrow, so that one was delivered today.

It was really hard to wait until 9:30 on Tuesday to do the shot. Especially because I thought every little cramp I felt was me ovulating. I even call the nurse's triage. I guess the follicles need to be bigger to release the egg, and it probably didn't happen in the few hours since I left the treatment center. So I did as I was told and waited until Tuesday.

Now I was trying to be sneaky because I didn't want my roommate to see, around 9:15 she came out to get a drink, but luckily she didn't stick around too long. So I took the shot. It didn't bother me at all, it seems less painful if you do it yourself, maybe because I know it's coming. Plus it's in your stomach, so it doesn't hurt as much as my arm. 

I felt more cramming on Tuesday last night, but I think I was just being sensitive to it. It was also pretty high more near my waist so it probably was gas. 

During the IUI today, I texted when I arrived and they text when you can come in. I have to wear a mask, but that doesn't bother me at all. There is a young lady that takes your temperature and asks if you have been exposed to covid-19. I haven't. 

Last week, I decided to pick a new sperm donor and I ordered two more vials. His Keirsay report says he is the Guardian Inspector type. So I will call him Guardian. It arrived on Wednesday, but I had forgotten to call the office to let them know, which wasn't a problem. But now I had two donors and which would they unfreeze. 

He is similar to the Champion because he has blue eyes and is taller than my dad. But he also has red brown hair. I didn't filter for hair color, but I was actually looking for someone with red hair or at least parents/grandparents with red hair. I know I carry a red-hair gene because my mom has red hair, and my brother does as well. So if the donor had red hair or at least the chance of having the gene then it would be fun to get a child who has red hair or at least a better chance at passing on the gene. 

So I said, if thawing one is harder than the other then just do the easiest one, but if not then go with the new vial, the Guardian. I'm not really a person who thinks that things happen for a reason, but I guess I wanted to leave it up to chance a little bit. 

It's kind of nice because instead of waiting in the waiting room they take you right back to where you need to go. I was in room 2. It was the same room as before! At least the photo of the ocean was the same. Dr. Craig came to do the IUI this time. He varied my name on the paper and the vial, and I saw the Guardian's number on the vial too. There were 16.6 million sperm 10 million is necessary.

So he put the speculum and I don't know why but getting a speculum at the treatment center has always been so much easier than at OB-GYN appointments. It still is uncomfortable a bit, but it's not painful. They also always say they are putting it in, clinking it, and etc. So I think know helps. Also I think they use a plastic one and I think that might make it less painful too.

Last time I remember feeling the catheter go in and I think I even felt the initial sperm leaving the needle, but I didn't feel anything that time. He said he put 80% inside and 20% outside because some studies show that cervical mucus helps and some says it doesn't. So then we would have some in both environments. I have heard that it depends on the type of mucus, if it's sticky which is usually before ovulation then it will hinder, but if it's like egg whites in color and in stretchy then it is good. I have been checking mine and it's between watery and egg white/stretchy. So not bad, but I do remember have more egg white/stretchy when I was younger.

After the procedure they have you wait for 10 minutes. I read it can help to lay down for up to 15 minutes after, but it is not conclusive. After the nurse came in to let me know I could go, I put in a menstrual disc/cup. I see a lot of women are doing this to help get pregnant. I don't think a lot of studies have been done on it yet, and I know many of the sperm would get to the egg anyway, however, I don't think it could hurt to put one in for a few hours which I did until 1:30ish. 

I also have tried to work with my feet on the couch and the laptop on my legs for most of the day. It's probably isn't necessary, but it doesn't hurt. 

So tomorrow I start the progesterone and in two weeks I will do a pregnancy test at home. Then I call the clinic with the results, which is different than last time, but kind of nice to keep social distancing and also I don't have to spend money on a blood test unless I get a positive test at home. 

I have tomorrow and next week off, so it's going to be difficult to wait, but because I took the trigger shot I need to at least wait until day 8 to take a pregnancy test since the shot can create a false positive. Also the progesterone and the shot can give me pregnancy symptoms. So a symptom might just be from that. Additionally, early symptoms could be a sign of a pregnancy, but if there is an abnormality the pregnancy could end without any difference to my cycle, except maybe a heavier flow.

I'll try to fill you in a little bit.

Next week we are going to San Diego for a few days, but probably just staying at my sister and bil's house not doing anything too exciting. I might do one or two trip logs for that to distract me.

Baby Names

I have found that there are people who have their baby names set in stone from the time they were little kids, and then there are people who don't have any idea even when they are in labor. At least for me and my sister we are part of the latter group. My niece was born in November and she didn't have a name until they had to leave the hospital. I have always thought that I wouldn't be able to name a child until I saw them. I am sure I will have names that I don't like and ones that I do, but I won't know for certain until I meet him or her.

I sent my sister names for every day for every letter of the alphabet starting with the boys because she thought she was having a boy at first. The name Naomi was one her husband liked the most and it was in a top contender for her. It was one that I had sent her. She liked it right away. I called her and said I almost didn't put it in because it was a name that I really liked. So for a little while she thought that name was off limits. But because I am not a person who has had names picked out since I was ten, I told her that I wasn't married to the name. She was pregnant first so she could use it. She held out for a long time, but I think she knew that would be the name. 

While helping my sister, I realized that the is a niche of people that will post a video about baby names they love when they are pregnant. There are even people that regularly post videos with baby names. A lot of people will say these are unique names that I love, only when I listen to the video the names aren't that unique, and because I don't know many children. I actually do not know if that name is suddenly becoming popular. There is one video channel that posts baby name list every Monday and her names can get unique especially if she has a theme. She will also have popular and rising names, so if you are trying to find a name, or you just like baby names I suggest listening to her.

As you may know I have been preparing to have a baby using IUI now that I am nearly 35. So have been thinking of baby names more often for myself as well. I try to note any I like from books, movies and netflix. The one thing I really want in a name is that it is as popular as mine. My name Bernadette is popular enough that when I introduce myself people usually have heard the name before, they will say I have a friend, acquaintance, grandma with that name, but it's not popular enough that I had to share the name with someone in my classes. The first time I ever met someone with my name I was zip-lining in Mexico and she was from Belgium. More recently, I also had a coworker with my name. It was the first time I had someone who shared my name in a setting that I was in every day. It wasn't a bad experience, and I know people with popular names are probably use to it, but I still would like a name that isn't popular. The tricky part is that a name that isn't popular in adults might actually be rising in children without my knowing. My solution for this is to ask my cousin who teaches first grade. I suppose she might not know what babies are being name, but she will certain be able to tell me if she thinks the name is not as unique as some list are saying.

To find out how popular my name is I looked here. You can search by name and from a certain year forward. My name doesn't come up on the top 1000 girl names for people born after 2000. I have to go back to 1993 before it breaks the 1000s. The most popular it has been in the 1900s was in 1946 it was number 188. When I was born it was number 673. So I decided that I want to find a baby name in the 600s in the last 10 years. The issue here is that a lot of times the names around this area are names that are the same or similar to popular names they just have different spellings. For example there is Noemi, Alivia and Emelia in the 600s. They are nice names, but they are too close variants of other names. I want to avoid names that are just different spellings.

Another source, I used was this smart baby name finder. You can put in your last name and it will generator names based on the last name and things like assonance and alliteration. It doesn't look like the website is working so I won't link it, but it is called smart baby name finder. That really helped me. I want to use either my parents or grandparents names as middle names, since a lot of surnames are first or middle names I also generated a list by pretending the middle name was a surname.

Ok so here are the names I liked. I won't number them because there isn't an order. I also might add to it later.

Ferris - I had a former coworker with this name. I wouldn't use it for a boy because of the movie, but she wore it well so now I see it as a girls name. It means From Ferrieres, France so it isn't the cutest meaning, but I still like it.

Parker - This name actually breaks my popular rule, and I was actually only considering it for last year because of the NASA orbiter that reached the Sun last year. I probably wouldn't use this name in the future because it doesn't have the same meaning to me. It means Park Keeper.But to me it means Science!

Cordelia - I found this name when I was looking up Irish names. My family has been in the US for over 100 years, but a lot of our lines come from the British islands, including Ireland. I DID watch Angel, so I have some reservations about that. I don't want people to think I named a kid after a television show, but I think it's been off the air long enough that I can get away with it. It's also from Shakespeare's King Lear. It means: Heart; daughter of the Sea. I think that is so beautiful. 

Petra - I think this is a really strong name. It sounds feminine, but it's not too girly. I did hear this name in Jane the Virgin and I did jot the name down from there. However, I wouldn't say I was naming a kid after the character. I watched the show, but I am not a devoted fan or anything. The name means Rock. I think that is a great meaning for a girl.

Meredith - So this name is one that I like, but I don't love it. I would consider using this name because it fits my criteria, but also because sometimes people tell me that I look like a Meredith. So I think a kid I would have would also look like a Meredith. The name means: Lord. I love that meaning for a girl today.

Drew - People have also told me that I both look and act like Drew Barrymore. I also agree with them. Whenever I go to change my hair color I look for pictures with her with that hair color. I might pick out clothes if I think she would wear it too. I like this name much better than Meredith. So, Andrew for a male is popular, Drew alone is in the range I like, but still falls into the category of a different variant of a popular name. However, because it's for a girl I would let it slide. Maybe that seems to contradict me, but a lot of people call me Bernie and Bernard is much more popular than Bernadette! The names means: Strong. Talk about a powerful name meaning.

Matilda - I really love this name. It is a beautiful, strong name and after the wife of William the Conqueror. I believe it has risen in popularity in the UK recently, but it hasn't caught on in the US. In 2018 it was #489. Normally because it is associated with a book and movie I would be put off, but it is such a nice name. The name means: Battle Strength. I see a warrior in the family.

Ephraim - I heard this name from a show called Everwood that I watched in High School. I think it is similar to Elijah and Eli which are popular today, but this name is more unique. The name means: Very Fruitful. This is a cute meaning, it could apply to love, wealth or life.

Oren - I love that this name is similar to Otis, Owen or Orion, but it doesn't have the popularity. I think it is a nice name. The name means: Pine or Laurel. Not the most exciting meaning but many people are naming kids after nature right now.

Montgomery - I know this name might be tainted thanks to the Simpsons, but it is also the first name of Scotty from Star Trek the original series. I think it is a very strong name for a boy. It is also similar to the trends like Archibald, Jasper and Healthcliff, but it hasn't been picked up. The name means: From the Hill of a Powerful Man. It's an a strong name meaning for a boy.

Harvey - I think Harvey is another name that is similar to Jasper, Sebastian or Theodore. I am a little worried it will get popular because of the new Sabrina show, but I don't see it rising too much in the last two years. The name means: Battle Warrior. This is a great meaning for a little boy.

Griffin- This name is a little too popular than I would like, but it is my great grandmother's maiden name. I love to have names that throwback to the family. I even considered the name Clark for a girl when my Aunt said she liked it. The name means: Strong Lord. With the popularity of Game of Thrones and Vikings I can see names from lords becoming popular.

Kip - This name is good for a child or an adult. It sounds like a name of an adventurer from the turn of the last century. The name means: From the Pointed Hill. That sounds like a traveler name.

Denver - I have to admit I like place names. I live in Phoenix and near by are Chandler and Gilbert which are all great boy names, and a street close to where I grew up was called Elliott. I love all of those names, but I don't believe I will ever move away and I think it's a little funny to name a baby after a city you are in or nearby. Denver is a place name I live because it sounds a little like Chandler. Also, it is where my grandma was born and my grandfather grew up there as well. Colorado was also the first state to enact woman's right to vote. Also who doesn't love John Denver! The name meanings is: Green Valley. If I can't name a baby after Gilbert Blythe this seems like a meaning that is close enough.

Initial Doctor Visit, March 8, 2019

Luck of Irish!

I went to my first doctor visit to start my baby journey on Friday, March 8, 2019. I visited the fertility treatment center last spring, the last visit was in June. I decided to wait a year to start my fertility and baby journey.

Last year I had an internal ultrasound to start, followed by a consult regarding my options, which might be depend on my blood work. Once the blood work was in, I had a follow up consult to go over results.

The diagnosis/RX was 1. I had a regular cycle and age. That was good. The follicle count is the best measure of ovarian reserve. A normal result is 6-10, over 12 is high, my count was 24
I had 24 follicle count. So that is good.

My labs showed FSH = 5.9 and AmH = 2.2 which are both good results. My LH however is greater than my FSH which might mean that even though I have eggs they aren't ovulating correctly. It is very easy to fix and the medication will last about 11 months. It was not something to worry about until I was ready to get pregnant.

Dr. Craig estimated that I would probably be able to get pregnant naturally for about 8 more years. I believe by naturally he meant without IVF or IUI. I would still need fix my LH and FSH ratios with medication.

My thyroid levels were also a little low. Dr. Craig said it was minor enough that I didn't need to take medication, but I decided to anyway. It wasn't really a surprise since my siblings and dad have some thyroid issues. I'd rather take care of it now.

So, at this appointment we went over my results from last year. Then we went over my options.

Options:
1. Do nothing. Which is the option I took last year.
2. Do IUI - There is simple IUI and then more complex as go depending on success. For simple typical success rates is 25% of women will be pregnant after 2 cycles, after 6 it is 50% success rate. It also is the least expensive. It can be more complex by adding FSH inject and etc. The success rates of that is 50% at 3 cycles and 70% at 6. Cost is higher because there is more medication and procedures that take place.
3. Do IVF - Cost the most money. The success rates are 70% after 1 cycle and 95% after two.

Most people will do option 2 getting more complex as they go on and then go to IVF after they exhausted other options. The treatment center I go to is also a research center. They have studies and trials regularly which will cover a lot of the cost of the IVF. They will also freeze any embryos that are not used for later. I may qualify for one of the research studies. If I do I will probably accept, but meanwhile I will start the IUI process.

Plan: IUI

Step 1: Choose donor and buy vials. It is recommended that I buy IUI versus IUI-ART or ICI. I need at least 2 vials for IUI and for IVF. Since I'm not sure about the IVF I will just buy two for now.
Step 2: Have health screening for STDs, on menses. A psychological screening schedule for Wednesday March, 13.
Step 3: IUI cycle -
day 1 (about March 27th) of menses call to schedule blood work within 3 days.
days 3-7 (about March 29-April 2) I take femara, use to be clomid.
day 6-10 (about April 1-April 5) hysterosalpingogram x-ray
day 10 (about April 5) ultrasound
day depending on ultrasound tigger injection hCG
36 hours after injection IUI

Plan: IVF

Tuesday, March 12, I will meet with a research tech about the trials. After that I will know more about this plan.

Even though I have done a lot of research, watched a lot of videos, read blogs and books, I am a little whelmed by the process and the work that it takes. Sitting down with the doctor and nurse, I also felt really confident in my decision. So even though it is a little eye widening I am also getting really excited.

Tree has Sperm and Egg!

By the way I picked the champion.

This Baby Adventure

February 16, 2019 - Decision

It's been a while. Since the journey, I haven't taken any major trips. The only new place I traveled to was Charlotte, for a wedding. I really enjoyed the trip. However, I didn't journal it like I normally do.

In the last few years, I have started planning for a new adventure. That adventure is to be a mom. I always wanted to be a mom, but I haven't found a significant other.

When I turned thirty, I realized that I might only have another ten years where I could have children of my own. I have been no stranger to dating apps before, but never with the goal that I was looking for someone to settle down with. However, in the last few years, I have chatted with many people, met with some of those people, and dated a few, but everyone ended eventually. I was cautious about settling with someone in order to have children. I knew I needed to find someone that I was compatible with foremost.

On the Fourth of July weekend in 2017, I visited Grandma's Cabin with Aunt Karen, uncle, G'ma and cousins. It was a pretty quiet occasion because there were so few of use. During an evening HOSA  event Aunt Karen asked why I couldn't use IVF.

The thought of using IVF had not occurred to me before. I only knew one person who talked about IVF at a personal level. Her husband's vasectomy reversal had not worked and they discussed using IVF. However, they decided that it was too expensive. Believing the process to be expensive, I told my aunt that it was expensive so that's why I couldn't use it.

However, after that trip I began looking into IVF and other fertility treatments. I came to realize that IVF can be expensive, but if I didn't have fertility issues that it wasn't necessary to use IVF. Instead I could use IUI or ICI. ICI can be performed at home so the cost is greatly reduced.

Having this in mind, I began to plan. I would wait until I was 35 to see if I met someone.

Additionally, I started saving. As you might know, I review all of my financial accounts at least once a year, usually around tax season, just in case I need to re-balance. I spend a lot of time using spreadsheets to predict future value of money and I also plan out my financial goals. I realized one year, maybe 2016 or 2017 that in almost every scenario I would be able to retire by 65 without contributing another penny to retirement. In the other scenarios, I would only need to contribute $50 every month or wait to 67 to retire. In 2018, I realized that if I continued to save the same amount of money that I would reach financial independence and could retire at 55. After a decade of listening to financial gurus and a lifetime of learning finance advice from my father, I realized that all the saving I did in my teens and 20's had given me the ability to choose to be a mom on my own.

So, last year I started to contribute more money towards my Health Savings account and less money to my retirement account. I know that having a baby will be a large medical cost.

Additionally, in 2018 I went to a fertility center for a consult. I wanted to learn how many eggs I had and how long I would be fertile. The doctor was a nice older man, maybe in 50's. He explained all of the procedures and about each hormone that would be tested to determine fertile. After getting the blood work in, I met with the doctor again. He said that I would be fertile for 5-6 years and maybe up to 8 years. My FSH and LH levels were ok, but they inverted. He said that would be an easy fix when I was ready. He also said that waiting a year would be fine.

Now my original plan was to wait until I was 35, however I have had a few friends and family members around my age that have had troubled pregnancies. I also learned that if you are going to give birth after 35 then it is considered a geriatric pregnancy, at best that means you will be monitored more often and you will have more ultrasounds. It still concerns me however. Also, I would like to give myself the option of a second child in the future. So, now the aim is to have had the baby before I am 35. That will be before May of 2020. So I will need to be pregnant by July 2019 or August 2019.

So this year I have been preparing for that.

When I first did the research about IUI and IVF, I learned about the different cryobanks. I liked California Cryobank and Seattle Sperm Bank. The doctor I visited gave me a list of 6 banks that had the best success rates. Both of the ones I liked were on it, and I learned about a few more. I finally decided on Seattle Sperm Bank. I have also narrowed down the donors. There are two that I really like, but I haven't decided between those two. This is a common practice of mine. I narrow down to two options and once it is time to decide then I go with my gut, which is how I decided on Seattle Sperm Bank.

I already missed my ovulation for February, and I know the fertility center will need at least one cycle to get new blood work and results. So, I think the earliest I could start would be April, but if I need to do hormone treatments it might be May. Since May is my birthday month, that seems cute to me. The majority of people (who do not have fertility issue) will get pregnant within three cycles. So, if I start in May my third cycle will be in July, so that will be within my goal time-frame.

I am hoping to share my adventure in this blog for a while. However, I am not attempting to turn this into a mommy blog.