IUI

March 2012

Our testing all comes back unsurprising. We get our game plan from Dr. Nani and that starts with Gonadotropins (shots). Gonadotropins can help you conceive if you tried taking clomid (another fertility drug) but your body didn't respond to it. Your doctor might also prescribe it if you have poly cystic ovarian syndrome (Me!), luteal phase defects, or an unexplained fertility problem. If you're undergoing an assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), gonadotropins can help you produce several eggs for the procedure. Well our plan was to do the shots until a few eggs matured and then do IUI. Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is a procedure that involves placing sperm inside a woman’s uterus to facilitate fertilization. They measure your follicles (what will mature into eggs) with a internal ultrasound every few days. When a few follicles measure at 18mm they tell you to trigger. 
Oh and by the way the shots are done at home. I was very nervous about this because it was very new to me, I didn't think I could give myself a shot but I was also nervous for Cam to do it, also the mixing and filling the syringe can be nerve wracking! All in all what I learned and tips for anyone starting them: You can start with your hubby doing them but in the end it was way easier for me to do it, the needle is so tiny you really barely feel it, the surge of the meds burns for a second but in my head i just kept telling myself that its all for a good cause. Also don't stress about the timing, yes it should be around the same time daily but I will admit it wasn't always down to the minute. 
So once things look good and you get the go ahead to trigger (also a shot done at home) with in 36 hours you go in for IUI. Cam had to bring in his 'sample' and the first hour they wash it in the lab. Basically washing the sperm means they take out some unnecessary liquid and make sure ou have good strong ones! It was very easy, as much pain as a pap smear (which i don't find painful) and very quick! The nurse puts the speculum in, then a thin catheter tube is guided through your cervix and they squirt in the washed sperm. It took maybe 5 min. Cam sat in the room with me and I had to lay there for 30 min afterward. You wait quite a few days to test and unfortunately this was not successful for us.