An IUI for My Birthday

As you probably have guessed, the last IUI didn't work. So, on to this month...

It's quite striking, really: Last year I was in Disney World on my Birthday, and this year I had an IUI.

Ha!

I predicted that I'd have an IUI today as soon as I got my period and could predict when I'd ovulate. I don't really know why I said today, because it's actually a day or two later than I usually ovulate, but for whatever reason, I did, and I turned out to be right. Hopefully it's a sign!

I'd actually been pretty convinced that I missed my ovulation this month, and was getting bummed that I'd have to wait a whole month to try again. Jordyn and I went out of town last weekend, so I didn't even start testing til day 16 or so, but I usually ovulate/have the IUI on day 18 or 19, so I wasn't too concerned in the beginning. I did kinda think I had a little bit of EWCM last weekend while we were away, but I didn't test because it didn't matter - there's no way I would have gotten home and in for an IUI in time, even if I'd wanted to.

I did three OPKs yesterday, and when both the morning and 3:30pm or so ones were negative, I was pretty sure I'd either missed it or didn't ovulate this month. I figured I'd test again last night and then maybe once or twice today, and then give up. After all, today IS CD20! And so of course the OPK was positive last night, and then again this morning. So, I know I started surging sometime between 3:30 yesterday afternoon and 11:00 or so last night. My IUI was at about 4:30 or so today, so about 17.5 hours after I first got a positive OPK.

When I called this morning to make the appointment, I asked to come in as late in the day as possible. At first, the receptionist told me they were going to be at a meeting (then she said, "actually, a belated holiday party") this afternoon, so they would only be there until... And then she cut herself off and asked me to hold. She came back and asked if I could come in at 4pm, and jokingly said they'd end the party for me then, or something like that. So when I arrived at 3:55, I looked in the window on the door and saw all the midwives and office staff sitting in the waiting room of the office, eating and drinking (I'm sure only non-alcoholic!) and hanging out! I started to back away to wait a bit, but one of them saw me and waved me in. Everyone said hi, and stood up and started throwing away their plates and cups, etc. I broke up the party!! I felt bad, and said so to a couple people, but they said it was winding down anyway, and they needed to get back to work. The midwife who did my IUI, Megan, said something like, "We're trying to make a baby here, we'll do what we need to do!".

The IUI itself was fairly quick and simple. Nothing like the first two, where the midwife had so much trouble getting the catheter through my cervix. I'm starting to wonder if she just sucks at IUIs, because last month's and this month's - with different midwives - were SO much easier. I barely felt any cramping today. Megan did say, when I asked, that my cervix was open, so that's good, but I forgot to ask if the swimmers were swimming. I mean, I'm sure they were, or she would have said something, but I usually ask. They don't measure anything, just take a look under a microscope to make sure there's activity. Today's vial is from a different donation date than all the other IUIs I've had (which were all from the same donation), so it would've been good to make sure she checked!

Megan wants me to do progesterone again, starting in four days. Ugh. That stuff is so gross! She again said she likes to see your progesterone level be above 20 (mine was 13.89). I asked if maybe I should re-check it this month, but she said it doesn't really change much month-to-month, and that I should just do the progesterone without checking. So, grudgingly, I will.

And now... we (I) wait...