My first IUI... Swim Mr Handsome Swim!

It has been done!  My first IUI experience is behind me!  It was a little earlier than I expected it and I definitely had that 'oh shit, this is really happening' moment but I worked through it.

I'd not been expecting my LH surge for another 24 hours so in fairness it was only a day ahead of time... I had been using the Clear Blue digital OPK's and of course they changed the way they worked in January.  Instead of just showing your two most fertile days they now tell you four.  The almost fertile days blink and the most fertile days the smiley face stays solid.... got it?  Right.

So on Monday I did 2 tests... both showed the blank circle.  Tuesday morning I woke up early and peed and the face stays smiling and solid... I took a deep breath and called the clinic to tell them to defrost Mr Handsome and get him ready for me... then when I hung up I saw that the face was still inanely smiling at me...uh oh...  on previous tests the face vanished after 10 mins.  It had been an hour.  Cue moderate panic.  I ran and got a different type of OPK from the local CVS and checked that... those two lines are so hard to interpret but my best estimate was 'nearly fertile'.

I can't afford to be wrong on this!  That equates to a thousand dollar mistake!  I called Clear Blue.  I explained the situation and asked what their advice was.  Turns out that when they changed the tests they also changed more than just the new flashing smile feature... now when you're at your most fertile, the smile stays there for the full 48 hours... then it goes away ready to be used next month... 

Phew! (but also a bit creepy.)

I was good to go.  I do wish they'd explained this on the box however... would have saved me sweaty palms/brow/armpits!

So off I went to the clinic... was taken care of by a lovely nurse who was very sweet about it being my first time... she talked me through everything... I just experienced one spasm/cramp as she went into my cervix and then it was over.  Laid there for 10 mins, she kept me company and chatted... wished me luck and then I left.  

Went for coffee with another trier whom I met through SMC which was so needed.  It's hard as I don't have anyone to talk to who has been through anything even remotely similar... I haven't made 'friends' in the forums yet so other than a couple of close friends I'm choosing to go through this on my own until there's something positive to tell.

Today I went for my back to back IUI (they do 2 per month.)  I took a friend (the doula) and I'm so glad as todays nurse was far more clinical and unfriendly... and rough!  I've had mild cramps since having the first one so it actually didn't make any difference when she went into my cervix today but it was a lot more uncomfortable than yesterday.  Not that I'm complaining... it's a small price to pay and Mr Handsome gave me good numbers (26 & 22 million!)  

It's so weird that this invasive, unpleasurable act might produce my first child!  I'm so glad to live in an age where this is possible... I'm so grateful but also my mind is boggled... I feel like this child will truly be a miracle... 

and so begins the two week wait.