My First 3 IUIs

 This is the longest post I have ever written. I decided I want to document this 2 1/2 year (and ongoing) journey before I forget more than I already have. If you are reading this please be respectful because this is a very personal thing for our family that stirs a lot of emotion. I know a lot of people go through a lot worse for a lot longer periods of time so I'm not looking for advice or sympathy. I just want to share our experiences.

Ben and I started "not trying"  for a second baby in November of 2010, meaning we weren't protecting against it. That only lasted a few months though before I started charting and taking my temperature for ovulation. I was really worried we were going to struggle getting pregnant like we did with Lucy. In May 2011 I started all of the infertility testing. I went to an OB in Tooele and  I had all sorts of blood work testing my FSH, TSH, Estradiol, Prolactin, and AMH levels. Everything came back normal. My DHEA level was a little low but I went to an Endocrinologist and apparently it wasn't a big deal. For a few weeks  I took some DHEA vitamins that you can buy at the drugstore. He advised that it wasn't necessary but that if it made me feel better I should do it. I felt no different so I stopped taking it. It wasn't going to help me get pregnant so why do it, right?

Sometime within the next few months I dropped Lucy off at my good friend Alyssa's house and I went to St. Marks Hospital to have a Hysterosalpingogram.  The technician shot blue fluid into my uterus and took an x-ray  to make sure my tubes were open and that there wasn't any blockage. My tubes were open and everything came back normal. I went back to my OB in Pleasant Grove and he prescribed me some low dosage Clomid. Clomid helps women ovulate. I don't have any problem ovulating so Clomid helps me prepare more than one egg. I did that for about 6 months without any success. We contemplated adoption and we didn't feel comfortable about it. We tried every old wives' tale and every at home technique we could. I spent hours researching online, in books, where ever I could to get new advice that we could try. Nothing worked.

IUI #1: We decided to go forward with our first Intrauterine Insemination with Dr. Young in November 2012 (after 2 years of trying). We didn't really do a lot of monitoring. I took Clomid on CD3-7 and I used an OPK starting CD 9 to make sure I didn't ovulate too soon. In the middle of my cycle (CD 12) I gave myself a trigger shot (or HcG shot) to help release the eggs within 24-36 hours. The next day I dropped Lucy off at Britney's house and for the next 5 hours Ben and I drove an hour away to my doctor and had the IUI done and then drove back. Two weeks later I found out I wasn't pregnant. So we tried again.

IUI #2: In February 2013 we had our second IUI. We continued with Clomid but this time I also had an ultrasound. On CD 11 the ultrasound showed 2 mature eggs!  So I gave myself another trigger shot that night and went in on CD 13 for my IUI. Lyndsey watched Lucy this time. A week later I got really sick with some type of flu and ended up in the ER. They did some blood work and told me that it might be too early to tell but that I probably wasn't pregnant. I ignored them. I was still really hopeful but a week later I learned that the IUI had indeed failed.

UFC Consultation: After the second failed IUI we decided it was time to see a specialist. We had been trying to avoid it because of the cost but we decided it is worth it.  As much as I love Dr. Young, he is not a specialist in this area. So in March 2013, we met with a Reproductive Endocrinologist, Dr. Conway,  at Utah Fertility Center down in Pleasant Grove. She was really nice, really informative, and really hopeful. Essentially, there is nothing wrong with Ben and I. Everything looks normal with me, and everything is excellent with Ben. I do have minor hypothyroidism. Apparently the blood work showed I was just past the range of what they call normal so I am now taking Synthroid daily to regulate my thyroid.  

IUI #3: This month I started Femara. It does the same thing as Clomid but with less side effects. Personally, I think it made me go crazy. I had a ton of acne. I was so depressed. I was bloated. Overall, I was a mess. On CD 3 I went in for an ultrasound and they discovered a small cyst on my right ovary. It shouldn't effect my fertility so they decided to just keep an eye on it. The several rounds of Clomid probably caused the cyst. Then last Wednesday on CD 12 I went in for another ultrasound. Again, 2 eggs were mature which is great. In fact one egg was almost too big and the other was a good size (between 18-22mm). She wanted me to give myself the shot right away so I drove home immediately and gave myself the trigger shot. The next day Ben got off of work early and Lyndsey watched Lucy again. We had the IUI. Everything went perfect. I took it easy the rest of day and laid in bed. I started my Progesterone medication and am still taking my Synthroid and Prenatals every day.

This months pills and syringe

We won't know if we were successful for a few more weeks but we are really hopeful. 2 1/2 years of the same trial can really be a heavy burden. However, we know Heavenly Father knows what is best. We know he has a plan for us. We know that he wants us to be happy and that there is a reason for this trial. Our patience has been tested. We have learned to lean on the Lord and to utilize the Atonement. We have learned to lean on our family and friends more. We have learned that no matter what we want or what we think is best the Lord is in complete control. He has His own timing, and plan. He loves us. He watches over for us. I am sure He has also cried with us.

 I am grateful for the many blessings of comfort Ben has given me. I am grateful for all of the prayers that others have given on our behalf, and for the emotional support we have received.  I am grateful for the amazing women who have babysat Lucy during our appointments and treatments and for the many more amazing women who have offered to do so. I am grateful for today's medical technology that allows for people like Ben and I to have the possibility of having a child.

I am so grateful to have my beautiful daughter who brings so much joy into my life. She wants mommy to have a baby in her tummy and has more than once told the doctor to put one in me. She tells me all the time that when she is tall like daddy that she wants to drive a car, and that when she is tall like mommy she wants to have a baby in her tummy. She asks Heavenly Father for a baby in her prayers. We are all hoping and praying for a miracle this time!