It's Taking A Village

...just to make the child! We are a committed couple trying to create a child to raise in our loving family. The conception process for a lesbian couple can only be defined as a group effort. We have doctors, nurses, x-ray techs, donors, donor lab, fed ex, Walgreens, Clear Blue Easy, Dixie cups, friends, family, lawyers, and so on and so on to rely on for the success of this expansion. So...it takes a village to make the baby, let alone to raise it! A was born April 18, 2008

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Snow Day

Just as it is in many parts of the country, Madison is COLD! Negative temperatures day after day... and I feel like walking the dog is more than I can handle! Gladys is dying for some exercise and more attention than I have energy for - damn snow.

Other than that, no big shakes in Mad-town. Tonight, E and I start our boxing class. We have to buy handwraps and everything! It'll be fun to learn something new.

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Village History

June 23, 2001: Our first date
December 31, 2004: Our Wedding
May 2005: Met with NP for first consult
June 2005: First home ICI
November 2005: Decided to take a break due to irregular cycles
June 2006: First Clomid cycle. No ovulation.
July 2006: Uterine polyps found and start Metformin
August 2006: Surgery to remove polyps
September 2006: First IUI and one home ICI
October 2006: Skipped month due to trip to Ireland
November 2006: IUI
December 2006: First really good cycle. 3 good follicles. First hCG shot. IUI
January 2007: Skipped month due to trip to Boston. Ovulated without Clomid!
February 2007: HSG = clear path. No detected ovulation this cycle. Blood work all came back in the normal range. 20mm Cyst detected on CD 26
March 2007: IUI with FSH. Two follicles, 18mm on left and 20mm on right on CD 15. hCG on CD 15. ICI CD15, IUI CD16, and IUI CD 17. BFN
May 2007: Forced break due to cyst.
May 2007: Hail Mary Insem, BFN
May and June 2007: Hiatus from babymaking
July 2007: Back in the stirrups again. BFN
Aug 2007: Surprise at home insem. 2 ICI vials all in one shot. No meds or doc visits. BFP (6 of them) on Aug. 29 th!!!

(In)fertility Glossary

AF = Aunt Flo, which of course means getting your period.
BFN = Big F***ing Negative
BFP = Big F***ing Positive
CD(#) = Cycle Day (what ever day it is) CD1 is the first day of the period
dpo = days past ovulation
E2 = shorthand for Estradiol. The blood is tested for estrogen levels. A mature follicle should be putting off between 200 and 300 ng/ml of estrodail.
FF = Fertility Friend, cycle tracking software
Follicles = Eggs not yet released from ovary
Follies = Lingo for 'follicles'
FSH = Follicle Stimulating Hormone. This is the hormone responsible for growing the follicles during the follicular phase of a cycle.
hCG = hormone shot telling ovaries to release the egg. Normally ovulation occurs 24 hours after the shot. This can only be given if the Estradiol level is above 200 per follicle between 17 - 20 mm. Also the hormone detecteed by HPTs.
HPT = home pregnancy test
HSG = test to see if fallopian tubes are clear or blocked.
ICI = Intracervical Insemination, can be done at home. places the sperm at the cervex. more swimming needed.
IF = Infertile or Infertility
IUI = intrauterine insemination, a catheter is inserted through the cervix into the uterus to deposit sperm. Supposedly this increases chances of conception - because the sperm has a much shorter journey.
IVF = InvitroFertilization
NP = Nurse Practitioner
OPK = Ovulation Predictor Kits
POAS = pee on a stick
Progesterone = hormone that spikes during luteal phase, or second half of a cycle (TWW). This hormone is responsible for all kinds of things, including sustaining an early pregnancy
SO = Stubborn Ovaries
TTC = Trying to Conceive
TWW = Two week wait, specifically the time between ovulation and waiting for the results.
u/s = Ultrasound. We get lots of these!