Category Archives: Infertility

Our Infertility Struggle, So Far – part 1

This infertility update is going to be a little different. Right now, I’m not as emotional as I have been in the past, likely because I wasn’t expecting to get pregnant last cycle. This post series is designed to get everyone caught up on our infertility struggle. This will be a long, logistical post, with lots of links to previous blog posts and Instagram posts where you can find more details. I’ll be going over all the different infertility tests we’ve had, what we’ve found via testing, and what our plan is going forward.

This will be a three part update. The other two parts will go up over the next two weeks. This first part will focus on the background information necessary to understand the world of infertility. I cover the beginning of our story, as well as how a full menstrual cycle plays out, the steps necessary for conception, and what the main hormones are and how they fluctuate during your cycle. Part two can be found here, and explains our tests, procedures, and doctor changes.

Every person struggling with infertility has a different story. All I can speak to is my story, that I share with my husband, Dan. I am also not a doctor. I will tell you what supplements we are taking in part three, but I will not say doses. Do not use these posts as a guide for your situation, as I can guarantee that your doctor will have a totally different plan for you! Do not change anything in your medical routine without consulting your own doctor(s)! If you choose to ignore this disclaimer, I cannot be held liable for any harm you inflict upon yourself.

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New Fertility Clinic: Answers and a Plan

After the less-than-pleasant experience at the first fertility clinic (see this post for slightly more details) we decided to go to a second clinic for a second opinion – with the hopes that it would be a better experience. This second clinic, AWC for short, was amazing! Night and day experience from the first clinic, and we discovered a lot more information about why nothing was working out.

Technically, I believe our diagnosis is still “unexplained infertility” at this point. But we’ll start at the beginning of the appointment.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor and nothing I say should be considered medical advice. This post is for informational purposes only. Please discuss anything with your doctor before changing any aspect of your medical care!

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We Did an IUI: The Results (part 2)

This is part two of my first IUI journey. For part one, please read this post: here.

DISCLAIMER: This post is medical in nature. I am not a doctor, only relaying information that I have been given by doctors and research. Your doctors may tell you different information, please listen to them and not me (they have medical degrees, I do not) for details regarding your own health. Due to the nature of fertility treatments, some people may find this post to be “graphic” or “sensitive” in nature, please do not read it if you do not want to be exposed to the nitty-gritty details of fertility treatments or if you are a minor. Proceed under your own judgment – I cannot be held liable for your decisions.

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We Did an IUI: Our Experience (part 1)

We did our first IUI recently. IUI stands for “intrauterine insemination,” which you can read more details about here (Source: American Pregnancy Association). IUI is used to help couples conceive if they have problems with their cervical mucus or sperm motility, for women that have to use donor sperm, or is attempted in “unexplained infertility” because it’s much less expensive than other methods.

DISCLAIMER: This post is medical in nature. I am not a doctor, only relaying information that I have been given by doctors and research. Your doctors may tell you different information, please listen to them and not me (they have medical degrees, I do not) for details regarding your own health. Due to the nature of fertility treatments, some people may find this post to be “graphic” or “sensitive” in nature, please do not read it if you do not want to be exposed to the nitty-gritty details of fertility treatments or if you are a minor. Proceed under your own judgment – I cannot be held liable for your decisions.

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The Necessity of Becoming Numb

My menstrual cycle came on September 12th. I just sighed, and put in my menstrual cup. No underwear was ruined, even though it started while I was sleeping. Why? When the spotting started, I started wearing pads. I always spot for at least a few days before my period starts. “Now that’s not optimistic” may be what you’re thinking. And, you’re right.

Yes, I’ve heard of “implantation bleeding.” I’ve also read that many of us spot before our periods start, so that the only way to tell the difference is if you end up with no menstrual cycle and a positive pregnancy test after the bleeding. Trust me, I Googled the heck out of it when I first started trying to conceive.

The cycle that started on the 12th of September will be our 17th cycle since we started trying to conceive. Seventeen negatives. Seventeen negatives without any explanations. And I’m starting to go numb to the entire process. I need to.

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Making Baby B: Infertility Test Results & Next Steps

Since we’ve been struggling to get pregnant for over a year now, we had some testing done. I did mention it a little in this post: Being One in Eight is Heartbreaking.

Dan had a semen analysis done, and I had an HSG. A semen analysis is what you would expect, they have you bring in a semen sample, then analyze it. An HSG is an invasive test to check for any blockages in my system. They insert a tube through my cervix, then push a dye through so that it fills my uterus and spills out of my Fallopian tubes into my abdominal cavity. Blockages or an oddly shaped uterus can both be detected using this test.

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Being One in Eight is Heartbreaking

This is hard to write, but it’s something I feel I absolutely must – my soul feels broken and heavy, and my heart has been put through a wood chipper.

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Dan and I have been trying to conceive for a long time now. I was worried I may have some trouble, but did everything I possibly could to prepare my body. I adjusted medications, got advice, started tracking my cycle, and started supplements.

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