It took time and research to find the clinic that felt right for us. There are several options in the Twin Cities, and tons of information to sort through. I'm not at an ideal body weight, I'll be the first to admit and acknowledge it. There are some clinics that won't even have a consultation with you unless you meet a certain BMI - which I can understand, but it's still discouraging. I found our clinic after reading online reviews and their posted statistics. They have a BMI requirement only when it comes to IVF, due to the sedation required. I can work with that (actually, I can work around that LOL).
When we first met with our doctor (a reproductive endocrinologist) he started with a litany of blood work on me, and a semen analysis for hubs. This gave him insight to understand what we're working with. The great news is that Dave passed his tests with flying colors -- count, motility and morphology were right where it needs to be. Motility: do his swimmers know how and where to go? Can they navigate the female reproductive system and make it to the end zone? Morphology: are they the right shape and size? There are treatments to correct both, but thankfully and miraculously he was top of the class. Learning curve level HIGH: sperm are complicated.
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| Motility explained (credit: https://blog.episona.com/what-is-sperm-motility/) |
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| Morphology explained (credit: http://fertilitysolutions.com.au/so-your-sperm-morphology-is-low-should-you-be-worried/) |
My initial tests were normal, I just don't ovulate on my own and therefore have very irregular periods. It's a hormone imbalance that can be fixed with medication to start my cycle and get us rolling. This is why we're part of the "unexplained infertility" category -- there is no one thing to blame or fix. So we just have to pick a course and try it out.
Our RE also conducted other diagnostic tests, including an HSG (Hysterosalpingography). It's a procedure that injects dye into your uterus to see if it flushes out the fallopian tubes. This ensures there aren't any blockages that would prevent an egg from passing through to implant in the uterus. Here's a diagram from http://www.fertilityanswers.com/what-can-an-hsg-say-about-your-fertility/
It wasn't painful for me, but they do recommend you take ibuprofen ahead of time in case of cramping. It was fast, and mine was clear - my remaining tube was wide open and ready to perform! Success!
As you can read in this post, we did 4 rounds of IUI before taking a break. I was emotionally and physically drained - and just needed to step away and regroup. Since then we've moved twice and I've changed jobs - which also changed my health insurance.
When we first started I worked for a company that offered a lifetime maximum of $10,000 for infertility coverage -- my new job offered $0. Boop. Understanding your insurance is a huge part of this process, because it is a financial investment. Take the time to read your SBC (summary of benefits and coverage) and call your insurance provider to discuss if you have questions. The clinic we chose does a great job of pulling all the details together as well and providing a printout of exactly what is and isn't covered.
Ok, those are the historical high points. Now that you know where we came from, we an get into where we're going. And here's where we'll start up again.
xoxo
xoxo
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