That's right, ladies and bois. I am 4DPO, which means that I did eventually O on CD25, after only 8 blood draws. I have reached the point where I don't even have to sign into the lab any more. They see me coming and automatically get my paperwork. It's very convenient.
Anyway, I'm rather thrilled that we managed a well-timed insemination this month, despite my ovulatory tardiness. For some reason the IUI was a bloody affair, which was odd because previous ones were almost all smooth as silk. This one didn't hurt terribly, but for some reason I bled. We had to stop for a while (with me cranked open mais oui) to wait for it to slow down so that he could thread in the catheter.
I don't mind though. Difficult embryo transfers are associated with lower success rates, but I haven't found any indication that difficult IUIs are less likely to work. I assume that the 5-10 days between insemination and implantation gives the endometrium plenty of time to relax and heal from whatever trauma is caused by the insemination. Plus, I'm pretty sure it was my cervix, not my uterus that was bleeding.
Still don't know what my plan is for next month if this doesn't work. Another IUI, au natural? IUI with clomid? or plunge straight into the final IVF? I just don't know. The clomid conflicts with my hypertension-induced terror of multiples, but as any pregnancy starts to look fantastically unlikely, so does the fear of twins recede. As far as I know, clomid carries a multiples risk of about 10% of pregnancies (my nieces are clomid twins). Injectibles carry a risk of 18-20%. IVF with double embryo transfer carries a risk of 25-33%.
I just don' t know. A chronic hyptertensive's pre-eclampsia risk with a singleton pregnancy is a terrifying 25%. My age and lack of previous pregnancies add to the risk. Getting pregnant with multiples would increase that even more.
Oh, god. I just read "The highest risk of pre-eclampsia was seen in nulliparous women with MAPs >85 mm Hg at randomization, where the incidence of pre-eclampsia ranged from 32% to 41%". I shouldn't do this at all, should I. I don't care. I have to try. But yeah, I'm seroiusly mad at myself for not doing this when I was younger and less hypertensive. Someone take the internet away from me right now.
Someone say something comforting kay?
*pets*
ReplyDeleteEverything you have done, you have done for good reasons and with the well-being of your future child foremost in mind. You have nothing to blame yourself for: you made the best decision you could with the information you had at the time. And I hope the question of what to do next month will turn out to be moot! Very glad to hear the timing was good--even though you've been at this for a while, you've had so few months where the timing was right and the sperm was good. Sounds like everything's come together this time around, so here's hoping.
PUT DOWN THE INTERNET IMMEDIATELY.
ReplyDeletei hart you all over the place.
Stop googling and go get some fresh air! It's a tough decision about the risk of multiples - I wish I had some good advice.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure all clinc's success rates are different, but i'm SURE we were told we had around a 33% chance of pregnancy with IVF, with 10% of those being twins (2 being the max transfer here). Does your clinic have specific stats for their own sucess/multiple rate, split into age ranges? Maybe that would help give you a more accurate idea of what you might be facing?
ReplyDeleteBreathe, step away from Dr Google and hopefully this will all be moot as you'll be pg this time round.
I don't know if this qualifies as comforting or not, but on the cycle in which we finally got pregnant, we did injectables + L.ovenox. I had 5 follicles. Lots of docs wouldn't have even done an insemination. I am pregnant with just one.
ReplyDeletei don't understand all of this, but i do understand, it's a two week wait. i will stay tuned! good luck, my girl.
ReplyDeletec & ph
Hey, there, put down the internetz and WALK AWAY!
ReplyDeleteYou are doing what you need to do, and if that's what it takes, then it's the right thing.
Keeping everything crossed!
*waves* Total lurker here, but this is one thing I do have something to say about.
ReplyDeletePregnancy is dangerous. I'm pretty sure almost everyone who ever got pregnant was in a risk category for something. I don't think we do this because it's safe or because it makes sense. (Seriously, does it ever make sense to get pregnant? Is there ever a perfect time?) We do it because we want to have a baby, and if you want that, and no doctor (Dr. Google doesn't count) has told you it's an especially bad idea for you, then you're in the same boat as basically every other woman who is trying to conceive - you're trying to do something that, yes, may damage your body. But you think the end result is worth it.
On the statistics side, I wasn't a high risk for twins at all and look what happened! Equally, just because the stats go the way they do for you, doesn't mean it'll happen.
ReplyDeleteStill don't know what my plan is for next month if this doesn't work. Another IUI, au natural? IUI with clomid? or plunge straight into the final IVF? I just don't know.
I don't know what to say; but, as Shannon says above, you've agonised at each stage trying to make the right choice. None of those look like a wrong choice to me, so even if you're reduced to listing them on a piece of paper and then stabbing with a pin, it won't be a wrong choice.
Take care of yourself.
You will make the choice that is right for you when (and if) the time comes. In the meantime, no more Google!
ReplyDelete