Operation: Conception

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January 11, 2004

Gonal-F Cycle 1, IUI #1

Poor Dale. He had to get up before 6:00 AM this morning and produce a sperm specimen. Then he had to deliver it to the clinic before 7:00 AM. My IUI appointment was scheduled for 8:30, but while Dale was gone, the doctor called and asked if we could come in sooner. So, almost as soon as Dale returned, we were heading out the door.

The IUI went about as smoothly as my last couple of blood draws. The doctor said my cervix was hidden up behind my pubic bone, and she was having a hard time getting a good view of it. She even switched out speculums (Dale told me they were very different shapes/sizes.) Finally, she saw what she needed to and did the insertion. The whole process was mildly painful and highly uncomfortable. Once it was over, I had to rest in place for 10 minutes. Then we checked out, went home, and went back to bed.

comments

So... you do the same thing tonight? And then we sit here and wait for 2 weeks until you can take a pregnancy test??

stupid hateful waiting. I want to know NOW.

posted by Genevieve on January 12, 2004 07:53 AM

We repeat the IUI this afternoon, and follow it with an ultrasound to see if the follicle has released or not. Then, yeah, there's a two week wait until I can do a pregnancy blood test.

I hate the waiting too!

posted by pamela on January 12, 2004 09:48 AM

You can see the follicle release on teh ultrasound? That's so cool!

But why wouldn't they wait until they know for sure that the follicle has released? Why fill you sperm before then?

posted by Genevieve on January 12, 2004 10:59 AM

No, you don't actually see the follicle release. It's more that you look at the ovary and the huge dark spot that represented the follicle is no longer there.

There's no way to definitively predict when I'll ovulate, but if conditions look right, they can give a 2-3 day window. During that time, they space out intercourse/IUIs to optimize the active sperm count in my body.

I guess they could give me an ultrasound every day during my ovulation window, but that would get pretty expensive. It's $164 for each ultrasound checkup, plus an additional $50 if it has to be done on the weekend. I guess Dr. Vaughn was fairly confident I'd ovulate, and he just did the checkup to confirm that I had. If I hadn't, I don't know what we'd have done.

posted by pamela on January 12, 2004 06:38 PM

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