Our IUI Story (Part 2)

Okay, so let's get down to business.

After our failed cycle where I had some stims (medications taken to stimulate ovulation) and timed intercourse, I went back to my OB and told her straight  that we want to try IUI. So I asked her the usual questions, like how does it work (even if I already know how, thanks to Youtube and Google), and how much it would cost because we need to prepare our finances. She told me that I should budget not just the finances but also my time, because it's very time consuming.

Now when I met with her before we started the IUI cycle, I haven't had my period yet, and I haven't had it for about 82 days. And no, I wasn't pregnant. So she put me on meds to induce my period and advised me to get a TVS (transvaginal ultrasound) to get a baseline for my follicle monitoring, and also to check if there are any left over follicles from the previous cycle. Everything should be timed accordingly.

Now, let me share some tips that will help you prepare for an IUI. Again, I'm not an expert, just somebody who's "been there, done that". It's still best to follow your OB/RE's advice.

Tip #1: Time Your Consultation with Your OB/RE
-If your period is irregular and you haven't had it in a loooong time, you can go straight to your OB so she can give you some medicine to jumpstart your period. Otherwise, you can just go on or before your first day of period because the first day will be the baseline of when you will be taking your ovulation meds and your follicle monitoring.

Tip #2: Check Your Schedule
-When trying to conceive, timing is everything. There was a time when I thought of taking a leave of absence because I know how the whole process is going to affect my time at work. Thank God I have amazing co-workers who understood my situation and I just think it's God's providence that during the week that I'll be having most of my check-ups, my shift started at 11am, so instead of going half-day, I only had to be late for a couple of hours. But I had to be absent on the day of the procedure.  However, my husband's rest day is Thursday-Friday, and  the procedure fell on a Friday! That means he didn't have to be absent. So yeah, you also have to take into consideration both you and your hubby's schedule. If both of you are working, it's best to give your manager, supervisor, or immediate boss a heads up that you will be undergoing a procedure and that there may be days that you'll be absent or late. In some companies, your have to file your leaves a month in advance, and the tricky thing about timing your leaves is almost everything about IUI will be based on your first day of period. So if you know a month in advance when your period will be, then you can start filing your leaves now. Or just bite the bullet and say goodbye to your attendance incentives (if you have any).

Tip #3: Be Brave
-I have just unlocked a level of bravery because of the shots I had to take to ovulate. I'm no stranger to needles, but I haven't done any self-injection until I started the IUI process. It was exciting and frightening all at the same time. I was actually more concerned about how to prepare the injection than the actual  insertion of the needle. Of course my OB gave a demo by doing the first shot. The 2nd shot was done by my officemate who's a registered nurse. That was during the previous cycle. For this cycle, I took home the shots and administered both myself. The needle is very small, similar to what's used for insulin shots. So whether or not you'll be self-injecting or going back to the OB for your shots (which I found to be impractical that's why I took mine home), now's the time to face your fears because it will all be worth it in the end. :)

It's a baby needle! No need to be scared. 

Family Picture! 

Don't be intimidated by this bad boy!
It's only used to get the medicine from the bottle. 

Tip #4: Set Aside a Budget for it
-TTC is expensive. Even if you don't go through IUI or even IVF, it's still going to be expensive. The medicines you have to take are expensive. Ultrasounds are expensive. Consultation with a specialist is expensive. That's why we timed our IUI after Christmas because that's when we have extra money. But we also tried to save more by cutting down our expenses. Thank God I married a budget-conscious husband.

Tip #5: Prayer Works
-Just pray. Have faith and believe that whatever the result may be, God is still in control. We can only do so much. Science can only do so much. Everything will still be up to God and His perfect timing. We are in our waiting period right now and I can't help but be anxious sometimes. So we always pray for God to give us peace of mind. Keep on trusting.

Now let me share with you my time line for my IUI. It all started with day 71 of my previous cycle.

January 4 - CD71. consultation with the doctor, told her we've decided to do the IUI. OB gave me prescription for Duphaston that I have to take for 10 days to jumpstart my period. She also told me to schedule an ultrasound anytime between day 3-5 of my period. Took my first tablet of Duphaston on this day too.

January 16 - CD1. First day of period. 2 Days after my last Duphaston tablet.

January 20 - CD5. Baseline scan for follicle monitoring.

• Endometrium thickness: 0.38cm 
• One developing follicle on each ovary
• Was prescribed to take Clomiphene, 2x a day for 5 days. Took first tablet on the same day.

January 25 - CD10. First day of Gonal-F. Self-injected.

January 26 - CD11. Second day of Gonal-F. My OB initially prescribed 2 shots of Gonal-F because my body responded to it pretty well during the first cycle.

January 27 - CD12. Follicle monitoring. Showed results to my OB. I have 2 follicle-candidates and one even grew to 2.0cm but doc said it still needs to grow bigger. She gave me another shot of Gonal-F. Follies in my left ovary were very lazy.  

January 28 - CD13. Follow up follicle monitoring. Took Jay with me this time. The 2 follicles both grew bigger! Yey! The bigger one was about 2.2cm. Doc gave me my HCG shot to make my follicle pop and release the golden egg. IUI was scheduled for the next day. 

January 29 - CD14. IUI day. We arrived at around 12nn at the hospital. Jay's sperm was collected first then washed. The nurse said it will take around 2 hours to prepare the sperm so we had lunch first. When we got back to the hospital, we waited for 30 minutes or so, then I was asked to go to the procedure room and wait for my OB. The procedure was painless. It's like getting a pap smear. Best thing about it was Jay was there the entire time. He even wanted to watch the procedure but I convinced him to stay beside me. After the procedure, doc prescribed some medicine (Utrogestan) to help thicken my lining for implantation, and to help the baby stick if it results to pregnancy. I then had to lay still for almost an hour. I just played solitaire on my phone. 

There you have it. Our TTC is a very long journey, and we don't know yet when it will end. But we'll continue to pray, believe and have faith, not only for us to have a baby, but for our (including yours) deepest desires to be met by our loving Father.

I'll continue with the financial side of IUI in my next post. See yah!