Sunday, March 4, 2007

What I've tried

Here's a partial list of the things I've done to get pregnant:

- 12 non-medicated cycles of IUIs
- 1 cycle taking 100 mg of Clomid
- 1 cycle taking 100 mg of Clomid with an estrogen patch
- 1 cycle taking 50 mg of Clomid
- 1 cycle taking Femara
- 1 hysterosalpingogram. That's the delightful x-ray where you lie half-naked on a table in the hospital's radiology department, with your legs spread so far apart you have a whole new understanding of your hip flexors. Then it gets better: a radiologist squirts dye into your uterus, and everyone in the room watches the monitors to see if the dye behaves as it should and moves through the uterus and into the fallopian tubes. (It does.) The idea is that it both identifies any blockages in your tubes and also clears them out. I have (what turns out to be futile) faith in this procedure, as I was conceived after my mother had one.
- Several cycles with Acupuncturist #1 and three with Acupuncturist #2
- Used a mail-ordered speculum to monitor my cervical opening
- Tried three different sperm donors
- Rolled my body onto one side after an IUI when I knew which ovary had the golden egg
- Taken my temperature nearly every day for almost two years
- Tried to radically reduce the amount of sugar I eat, with limited success
- Taken Chinese herbs
- Taken up yoga
- Had tests to measure my FSH, LH, progesterone, and antral follicle levels (all fine).
- Avoided: hot tubs, wine, massage, running, abdominal work-outs, lifting heavy things.

It's funny how much more relaxed -- in a limited way -- I've gotten over time. It's 12 days after ovulation, and in the past I would have chastely turned down a margarita in the two-week wait. Lately, though, my attitude has been, I'll have the pinot noir. My alcohol tolerance is pathetic, so it's not as if I'm pounding shots. But I like wine, and I'm no longer interested in denying myself something that I don't believe will really make a difference. If I find out I'm pregnant, I'll stop drinking, and only then.

This cycle I didn't take any drugs and have been seeing Acupuncturist #1. I've decided I've got one more IUI cycle in me (next time with Femara again) before moving to IVF. Here's hoping I don't have to.

1 comment:

jay said...

That's some depressingly impressive list!
It sucks that you don't have a whole football team of babies to show for it.
I do know what you mean about being more relaxed about it as time goes on, though - less hard on yourself. Without going overboard, I figure now that a glass of wine or the odd cup of coffee really isn't gonna swing things one way or the other. Avoiding this stuff hasn't produced the desired result yet, so what the hell. The best thing I've done in this regard so far is stop temping and rely on my monitor alone. I'm lucky that I can. Again, no resulting pregnancy, but I'm sleeping a WHOLE lot better, and I reckon that's got to be a good thing.
I too hope you don't have to move to IVF - good luck!