Next Steps

So, in the ultimate of ironies, this infertile is going to start taking birth control pills in the next week or so.  That, oddly enough, is the first step of an IVF cycle.  Yes, folks, despite being a good candidate for IUI, we are about to start a cycle of IVF because that is what's covered by insurance.  Because my tests came back normal and those for DH came back basically normal, we have a diagnosis of "unexplained infertility."  In order to make sure we use only perfect sperm, we're going with Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) rather than just putting the sperm and eggs in a petri dish and telling them to have fun (see, no one gets to have fun through this, not even individual cells!).

Um, yeah, then we get to the really fun part, the needles.  They tell me that the needles for most of the injections are small, only half an inch or so.  Yeah. I'll believe that when I see it.  They also tell me that I'll be able to do most of the injections myself.  DH and I looked at each other at that point and laughed, knowing that he'll end up being the one to do the injections.  My mom was suggesting I do them myself to prepare for the day when I might have to do insulin injections.  We'll see, Mom.  Maybe by the time I get to the second or third IVF cycle.  The grand total is somewhere in the vicinity of 7 bloodwork visits, 10 gonadotropin injections, and one more major injection (the trigger).  Then I get sedated for egg retrieval and a day on bedrest after embryo transfer (several days later).  The trigger will be somewhere around September 23, with retrieval around September 25.  DH and I were planning on going away that weekend for our 5 year anniversary and his birthday, but instead we'll be hoping to create a birthday present for him. 

I mention "hoping to" and multiple cycles for a reason.  Given my stats, my chances of conceiving in a given IVF cycle are 50-60%.  At the same time, I know that the chance of not succeeding on the first try is thus 40-50%.  I also know that most people don't conceive on the first try or conceive and then miscarry.  However, many people who don't conceive on the first try do succeed on the second or third try. 

The mention of miscarriage brings me to a request that I have for those of you that I know in real life.  When DH and I first started TTC, my intention was to not tell anyone except DH and maybe our parents before I passed 12 weeks, when the chance of miscarriage decreases drastically.  I didn't really think I could handle the additional grief if I had a miscarriage of telling a ton of people there was no longer a reason to be happy for me.  However, there's no real way to write this blog without posting pregnancy results. 

Therefore, I request that, at whatever point I do conceive, you who know me in real life not talk about my pregnancy with anyone unless you know they also read this blog.  I know that people will slip up and word will spread, but I want to limit that as much as I can until I'm ready to announce it to all and sundry.  Don't worry, I'll let y'all know when it is common knowledge, and until then you can gossip with the people who you know read this and in the comments section.

Thank you all for your discretion about this.