IUI #1

*Breathe. Just Breathe.*

First time for anything makes me so nervous and this was no different, but I was so excited of the real possibility of a baby for us.

I went to my doctor and had a baseline ultrasound done. This is done to see if there are any cysts or abnormalities before beginning the hormones. My ultrasound looked great so I had the bright green light to start treatment. I received a prescription for a drug called Follistim. This drug is to make sure that the eggs mature as they are supposed to so they are viable for the IUI. 

I remember being so afraid to inject myself with the Follistm. My adrenaline was pumping through my entire body and I couldn't wait to just get the first one over with.

Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. :) giving myself the injection was so much scarier in my mind than it turned out to be. So with the first one out of the way, I was ready for what the following week would bring.

The Next Chapter

So our first appointment was finally here and it went as smooth as it could go. It was full of medical history and lab work for the both of us. I was then scheduled for an HSG, which is an xray that is taken while dye is injected into the fallopian tubes. This image will let the doctor know if there are any blockages that would be preventing us from getting pregnant.

I won't go into all the gory details, but it was the worst medical test I have ever experienced. I just kept reminding myself why I was doing it.

So, I have to say that prayer and good juju works because everyone's thoughts and prayers and good vibes being sent into the universe totally came back to us. We have been told by my doctors that we are healthy at this point and that there is no reason we can't go ahead with an IUI (intrauterine insemination). My biggest worry was that something would be wrong. It is frustrating that there isn't a reason we haven't gotten pregnant yet, but I was just so glad that we could keep moving forward.

Packing up the car

So before I can dive (or should I say "drive"? Haha Lame, I know) into posts about what is currently going on, I need to catch you up on how we got to this point.

Once Michael and I got married on September 10th, 2011 (best day of my life), we moved to San Diego and settled into our new life together. Just like most newlyweds we decided to pull the goalie and if we were blessed with a baby that would be great, but if it didn't happen it wasn't going to be a big deal. We were both busy with work and exploring our new surroundings. We consistently tried for the first year of our marriage, but didn't think much of it since I had been in and out of port all year and we were just having fun and seeing how things go. But I do have to admit that by Christmas of 2012 I was getting curious as to why things weren't working themselves out.

I was set to deploy in April of 2013, so I decided to get a check up and see what our steps would be once I returned back home just in case something was wrong. I was told that in order to get a referral to a fertility specialist we would have to be actively trying consistently for 1 year. When I got back from deployment I made sure to make an appointment to start the clock. It was baby time! Michael and I were all gung ho to start a family.

One full year went by full of ovulation tests, over thinking every cramp/headache/backache, watching others get their baby and then their 2nd baby and some even their 3rd baby and getting really concerned as to what was going on. I returned to my doctor for the help we needed and she gave me the referral for Michael and I to see a specialist.

We reached our first pit stop. Infertility appointment #1.

Introduction

I started this blog for the sole purpose of sharing our journey. For some reason, I feel like it is stereotypical to say "journey", and although that is exactly what this experience is, the word " journey" sounds like a smooth, slow rollercoaster with steady inclines and calming declines. I think the best words to describe our experience would be.....

Road trip!!!

Michael and I are on this road trip to babytown. Ok, so "babytown" is cheesy, but Road Trip describes our experience perfectly; exciting, bonding, moments as fulfilling as rocking out to our favorite songs, "solving the world's problems" kind of conversations, fast and steady at times with unexpected flat tires and traffic other times.

So hop in the car with us and get ready for our road trip to babytown! (Yep, that whole sentence was cheesy).