This week is infertility week. I wish I didn't know anything about this subject but I know too much.
A few months after I got married, we tried to have a baby. I got pregnant twice but lost both babies at 5 and 7 weeks. Little did we know that it would be 4 long years until I would become pregnant again. I did a zillion IUI's. All failed. The drugs they put you on make you mentally insane. I always say if my husband can stick with me through fertility drugs, we will last forever!
We chose to move on to IVF. I took more crazy drugs. I had to give myself multiple shots in my belly every day. My stomach was one huge bruise. They put you on so many drugs to make you ovulate a dozen or more eggs. It was very painful. The day of transfer you crawl into the clinic to have them retrieve the eggs. Then you wait..... the clinic call you each day to tell you how your embryos are doing. Some don't make it past the first day. And, some are champs. On day 5, I would go into the clinic and have them transfer the embryos that were the best quality. And, again....you wait..... 2 weeks. I would dread the 2:00pm phone call.
With Camden it took 4 IVF's to conceive him. My pregnancy was not the best. I started contracting at 19 weeks and had to have magnesium, the very worst drug on the planet. Your body burns from the inside out, you can't lift your arms or legs. It paralyzed me. BUT, it worked! I was put on strict bed rest with a trubutiline pump. I carried him for 35 weeks.
When Camden was two years old. We started talking about using our frozen embryos. That IVF failed. So I had to do a retrieval all over again. I was able to make 30 eggs....WAY TOO MANY.... I overstimulated. The doctors did not want me to go ahead with the transfer. Overstimulation gets worse as the HCG in your body increases. There was a high chance that the stimulation could become severe. And, well, being my stubborn self, I had to try. I wanted another baby so bad.
I was admitted for severe overstimulation at 3 weeks. My body filled with so much fluid that I looked 10 months pregnant. I can't describe the severe pain. I would scream in pain. I was on very strong pain killers and still was hurting. I had to get the fluid drained every two days. They would fill 2 very large jars of fluid. I was in the hospital for 2 full weeks and in severe pain for 14 weeks. Looking back I have no clue how I survived it.
I started contracting at 14 weeks. I was on bed rest since day one of Ailyn's pregnancy. 28 strait weeks.....in bed..... Would I do it all again???..... Ummm.... I think we will adopt.
Infertility sucks. Everything about it. The pain of not being able to get pregnant and seeing everyone around you having babies was so hard for me. I got really depressed. I depended too much on Xanax at one point to take the pain away. I had an awesome husband right there beside me the entire journey. We cried many tears together.
And, here I am today. I fought infertility and have two AMAZING miracles. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of them as miracles. I cherish every moment with them. They are my world. I do not wish infertility on anyone.
