This is an uncomfortable post to write, but it’s really on my mind and I’m completely stressing out about it. So, be forewarned…TMI here. Way, way too much.
We had our first IUI on Saturday. It went pretty great, as far as I could tell. However, I had not ovulated yet, and when you go in for an IUI and haven’t released your eggs, they recommend doing another IUI the following day. That way, you’ll be inseminated the day of and the day after your ovulation, which greatly increases the chance of success. Before the eggs are released is always ideal, so the sperm can already be hanging out in the uterus when the egg arrives. Sperm can swim around in the uterus for about five days, but eggs are fragile. Once they are released, they live twelve hours, tops. So, pre-ovulation IUIs are the best.
But, to optimize your chances of getting pregnant, if you still have follicles when you go in for the first IUI, they recommend a second procedure 24 hours later. This is fine. I’m totally on board with this.
On Saturday, I had places to go after the IUI so Quincy collected his specimen at home, and then I brought it with me to the clinic. This is totally fine, as long as it arrives within an hour of the…deposit…we’re good.
Sunday rolls around. Yesterday. Quincy goes to collect his baby juice…and nothing comes out. I don’t mean that he couldn’t…ya know. I mean he did, but nothing came out.
Major freak out from both of us.
By now, I’m running late to the appointment so Quincy comes with me, hoping he can try again at the office and get something to work with.
I’m panicking the entire way to the clinic. I know we had a good IUI yesterday, no problems, and this is only an insurance run. But it brings up a bigger issue of possible male infertility. What if times in the past, we tried and there was no sperm? Argh.
Anyway, he goes into their little room and tries again, and got a tiny, barely noticeable amount in the cup. Dr Koop said she could work with it and put it in the wash. After the wash was complete, however, there were only a few live sperm swimming around. I asked her how many, and there were so few the computer couldn’t even count them. She tried to make me feel better by saying we only needed one, but seriously. If out of literally millions swimming around we have problems conceiving, it seemed kind of a waste of $600 to try the IUI with literally only about a DOZEN.
Thinking about it, I wish we would have just cancelled the IUI yesterday and saved ourselves $600.
Dr Landay called today to talk about the “issue”. She’s referring Q to a urologist to see if he has any blockages. He hates doctors and I know he’s not going to want to go.
I feel sick.
My Stork Got Lost 