Will This be the Month?

Now that we have our sperm donor selected, and the sperm ready and waiting at my doctor's office, it's just a matter of ovulation. Since there is a possibility that my right fallopian tube is blocked, the doctors advised me to only go through with the intrauterine insemination (IUI) when I ovulate on my left side. Though IUI is not nearly as costly as IVF, it ain't cheap. Each cycle, I am to call the doctor's office and let the nurses know when I have started my period, also known as cycle day 1 (CD 1). Then, starting on CD 11, I am to use an ovulation predictor kit to determine my LH surge. If I haven't surged by CD13, then I go into the doctor's office for an ultrasound, where they can confirm that I'm developing a follicle, and that my uterine lining is thickening to be ready for implantation. If the follicle hasn't developed enough yet, then I continue testing for my surge and come in again (for another ultrasound) a couple days later if ovulation still hasn't been detected. Each time I get an ultrasound, it's $200. This happens to be an out-of-network office, so my insurance only covers these costs once I have fulfilled a $600 deductible. I've paid over this amount now, so am hoping that the reimbursement checks start to arrive soon.

Last month, I dutifully started testing on CD11, and detected a positive surge on CD16. As I sat in the exam room, I asked God whether this was going to be the moment. A few minutes later, the ultrasound showed a very nicely developing uterine lining and dominant follicle...but it was on the right side. IUI would not be in the cards for me in July.

In hindsight, I think this was for the best. Hubby and I went to Las Vegas the weekend of June 23rd, and both of us fell sick with the flu as soon as we got home. I'm glad I didn't get the IUI through all of this because I want to be in optimal health when I do get pregnant.

Will this be the month? I will probably know by the end of this week! This cycle, the doctor started me on Clomid, which is a drug that makes your body develop more than one follicle. The hope being that if I ovulate on my right side again, I'll also ovulate on my left side. There is an 8% chance of conceiving twins when you take this drug, but I would just be so overjoyed to be pregnant that twins would just be a different type of blessing. I'm currently on CD 12, and will likely go into the doctor's office tomorrow for the first ultrasound of this cycle.

On a side note...it's been rather comforting to see the ultrasounds confirm that I am indeed ovulating and seem to be creating a hospitable environment in my uterus. We've been trying to get pregnant for so long that sometimes I wonder if something is wrong with me. It's pretty exciting to see that my body is doing what it's supposed to be doing, so please keep your fingers crossed for me for this cycle, and I'll keep everyone posted! Ta ta for now.