But after 9 months of trying and the fact that I had only ovulated 3 times...not real conducive to baby making...I began to worry.
I spoke with my OB, who immediately referred me to Fertility Treatment Center (FTC) and the specialized RE's (reproductive endocrinologists) - they just sound smart!! We chose Dr. Daniel Rychlik.
After a multitude of tests (blood, speculum, ultrasounds, catheters, sperm)
we found out the following:
1. Jon is great - actually better than great - his "little swimmers" were FAB!
2. My tubes, uterus and blood tests were fine, but my stinkin' ovaries had what looked like a million little black dots on them - ok, not a million, but maybe 40-50 on each. Cysts...which were the culprits of my hormones not allowing me to ovulate normally.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome - are you kidding me? I learned in medical school that these women are:
...fat (I mean obese!)
...hairy (I mean manly!)
...full of acne (I mean full blown teen!)
Well, much to my chagrin, the skinniest women are actually the more severe cases from a hormonal/pregnancy standpoint..."gggrrreat, I thought" (sarcastically)...I'm not fat, but I can't have a baby on my own.
Do you know how much money I wasted on birth control?
A few tears - ok a trillion tears later...it was time to get these hormones back on track and make a baby. We were warned that it was a very tedious process and that with all my cysts it was likely to take awhile to minimize risk to both future baby(ies) and myself.
So, I started the medication - apprehensive about the mood swings/hormonal rages, nausea, cramping, and weight gain - side effects I read tirelessly about prior to starting the medication. I was lucky - no side effects - I felt like a million bucks (Jon may have a different story (?mood swings), but I'm sticking to mine...)
We went in for an ultrasound to see if any eggs had grown - ONE!
One little chance at pregnancy this cycle...we knew it was slim, but better than none (my doctor was impressed that I did anything the first round of medication)
A week later, another ultrasound to make sure it was growing....it was perfect!
36 hours later (after a couple estrogen pills to increase my lining), I gave myself a shot (yes, a needle) straight to the abdomen to make my little egg release and travel down the fallopian tube waiting for a "little swimmer" to find it.
The next day, 2 hours before I arrived, Jon went ALONE into a room, full of porns, and handed over his "baby makers".
Luckily, technology was on our side, as the "baby makers" were all cleaned up, washed up, and only the best 68 million...those swimming straight ahead...were chosen for the big journey. Seems crazy that it wouldn't work...but we knew the statistics were only about a 8-15% chance of working the first cycle of IUI (intrauterine insemination).
I arrived...legs in stirrups...and the job was done...by a female, nonetheless. Jon was already back at work...
I sat in the room, pelvic tilted, for the next 10 minutes dreaming, praying, crying, and clinching a very special wishbone from Argentina (thanks Dani).
We had to wait a full 2 weeks to take a pregnancy test...as all the hormones I had been taking could lead to a false positive...so even in the midst of excitement and holding on to the 30 seconds of nausea I had felt 1 of 14 mornings...we waited the full 2 weeks...
We awoke that morning at 5:30AM...I did my thing on the stick and walked away.
Jon stared the entire time...I pleaded for him to walk away...he couldn't.
One line...then two lines...we were PREGNANT!
First cycle - AMAZING!! I cried the ugly cry - but all happy tears! I started jumping up and down - Jon said "no jumping" - and we kissed and hugged and made plenty of phone calls to immediate family members who knew the "big pregnancy test" was today! What a perfect day!
One blood test, then two blood tests later confirmed the pregnancy, but also signaled multiples (as the Hcg hormone was quadrupling)...
At 6 weeks, we had our first ultrasound...and 1 little beating heart was the most amazing thing my eyes had ever seen! The doctor said it was early for the heart to be beating - "strong baby" - strong, but also very, very loved!!
So that's it...now 5 weeks after that (11 weeks and 1 day - 202 days to go...) the morning (moreso evening) sickness has resolved...no more anti-nausea medication, no more pickles and Captain Crunch, no more bedtime at 7pm...I feel great. And it's exciting to see my waistline expanding a bit...even if it is bloating! (thanks, BabyCenter)
We will actually hear the heartbeat (only saw it at 6 weeks) for the first time on May 22nd (back at my regular OB now)...How exciting!!
Oh, by the way, due November 26th. Yes, both Jon and my nephew's (Tysen) birthday too!
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