t-minus a few weeks till go time!

Holy moly!  So the start of my next cycle starts it all.  Nuts right?!

So thought I would take this opportunity to try to break down what the next month or so holds and how this process really works. 

First of all, I have a 25% chance of getting pregnant each month – and this is the % for healthy women with various levels in the key target area.  Seems low right?  Well, it did to me for sure.  I have been working hard to try to really absorb this fact.  This getting pregnant thing may take time, a lot of time in fact, and I am trying to prepare myself for this while not diminishing any of my usual optimism.

Guess I should start with the big big picture.  So the big BIG picture next steps (as I see it today) are as follows:

•          2 to 3 cycles without any fertility drugs, so natural
•          2 to 3 cycles with chlomid (fertility drug that increases chance of multiples by 10%)
•        IVF
•         Adoption

Net: I am going to be a mama come hell or high water!  And I am going to have faith in the full process and just trust…..

The smaller picture for my next cycle are as follows (and a little unclear since so much is contingent on my hormones and follicles):

• -       Day 1: Cycle begins!  Go in for bloodwork and ultrasound*
• -       Day 10: More bloodwork and another ultrasound*
• -       Day 14: More bloodwork and another ultrasound* - and shot to help ensure proper egg droppage maybe…
• -       Day 15: Insemination?!
• -       Day 16: Insemination?!

*The ultrasounds are to check to make sure that I have viable follicles and to keep track of how well they are maturing.  This replaces me needing to track my ovulation with temperature and such.

The insemination process takes about 2 hours: 90 minutes to thaw the donor vials and 30 for the actual insemination (and I think that accounts for wait time).

March 4^th is what I have calculated to be my insemination week.  Wow!  That is less than a month from today.

While the process is very precise, there are so many variables with regard to timing that I have planned for it the best that I can.  I have a project that week in Philly and Dallas (of course Chicago wasn’t an option) but have scheduled it so that I can be home Tuesday through Friday for at least a window of the Clinic hours. 

Again, while totally optimistic I am trying to make sure that my work calendar for April is primed and ready as well.  Right now I am struggling as to whether I should set two weeks aside next month or not.  Really hard to guess since I have no idea how this will actually play out.  Thinking it is time for another call to the nurse.

And the countdown continues….

(Ohh and sorry for the use of capital letters.  Written while on a plane….)