Two Week Wait Almost Over

My period is due tomorrow which means another two week wait is almost over. Although I could have tested by now, I haven't. Aside from only having one test left and not wanting to waste it, I just don't want to see any more negatives if I don't have to. So if my period doesn't come tomorrow, I will test on Saturday morning.

I have been having cramps, but they feel different than my usual pre-period cramps. Pretty much everything feels different throughout my cycle after taking Clomid at its beginning. This is only the 2nd time I've taken it so it's hard to draw any conclusions from that, but still. The cramps I've experienced and the places I've experienced them have all been so varied and so different (more intense around ovulation, less like contractions/waves before my period) from "normal" that I don't know what any of them mean (except last month I'm pretty sure a lot of them meant that my left ovary was overstimulated and swollen). This month I didn't have any issues with that ovary and have had far fewer cramps that have felt more centered near my tailbone through to my pubic bone. I don't know if it's from my cervix crying about the intrauterine insemination or what.

Anyway, I'll post right away on my Twitter microblog when I know something, and here as soon as possible after that.

Again with the Not Pregnant!

Even with all our machinations I am NOT PREGNANT.

Took a test this morning: NEGATIVE. Period started a few hours later. It's disappointing, but a lot less stressful than some cycles simply because we knew when I ovulated which means we knew when my period was due and it came exactly on time so there wasn't any guessing or unusually lengthy, drawn-out wait.

Our plan for this fresh cycle is to do another round of Clomid (starting on Saturday, assuming the doctor calls my prescription in on time) and try an intrauterine insemination (IUI) this time. We may or may not do a few other things, too (more tests, more drugs, etc.). We'll see what happens . . .

One Down, One to Go

We're in the middle of another two week wait; my period is due on June 19th so we should find out around then whether or not our conception attempts succeeded this time around.

I took five 50 mg (the starter amount) doses of Clomid; this is the first cycle we've done anything medical to boost fertility. Without knowing whether or not it helped/worked in terms of conception, I do at least know that it made me ovulate on a normal schedule and we won't have another 7 week cycle/torture/waste of time. That is already a huge load off my mind.

We also tried one other new trick I read about online: inserting an Instead cup after fucking to keep my cervix soaked in as much cum as possible for as long as possible. We did that two or three times, with one of them being a whole overnighter, but the first time being something of a botched attempt since I jumped the gun and tried to awkwardly insert the fucker too soon, losing mass quantities to the hairy crevice of my ass. Whatever. It still seems like a pretty damned good idea, in theory at least.

Anyhoo, we're right around the time when I should be experiencing implantation if an egg did get fertilized. I'm very hopeful, as usual during the cycles when I'm sure I ovulated. I'm afraid that when we went to eat today that the newb waitress forgot to give me decaf, though. With this going on, every little mistake like that is something that makes me kick myself later when I get a BFN (big fat negative) on pregnancy tests. I will totally blame it on the waitress and 1.5 cups of coffee if things don't pan out this cycle.

Clomid

A very basic update:

We're still waiting for my period to start; it's been over six weeks since the last one began (on March 28th). No, I'm not pregnant; that's just how my body works (or doesn't work).

It's been almost a year since we started trying to conceive so we're stepping things up a notch or two by trying Clomid (a fertility drug that helps stimulate ovulation) this cycle. We'll then continue testing at home to try to predict when the egg (or eggs) will pop and probably go to the fertility clinic for an intrauterine insemination where Delia shoots a load in the lab, they "wash" her sperm, and they shoot it directly into my uterus.

Normally they suggest trying clomid for three cycles before doing any extra lab procedures but Delia is waiting on this before she starts hormones. Also? I can't say that I wouldn't want to go ahead with the luhBOREuhtory procedures after this much waiting. Because there's something appealing to me about an aliens-in-labcoats science-y conception. On top of that the Clomid actually does a counterproductive number on women's cervical mucous, making it more "hostile" to sperm (basically it dries up your pussy); why keep plugging away at it in bed if the pussy is being sabotaged? Answer: because it costs $225 for sperm wash/prep and $175 for the insemination so maybe we *should* try it in bed one round first.

Now that we have done all of the usual tests and know that I still have eggs, they do still pop (sometimes), my tubes are not blocked, Delia's sperm is good, my blood work indicates everything is normal, and we've tried an assortment of tricks and techniques at home, there's not a lot we can do except either wait or take things to the pharmaceutical and medical levels. Delia has put her transition on hold long enough (and I fucking HATE waiting for something to happen) so we're going to go for the med-voodoo.