[journey]

I agree on the number of hospital visits and everything you have said.....

For me the HSG was not uncomfortable at all, it is not pleasant, of course, but there was very little pain-take a pain killer before you go...

What I want to say, is that the whole IUI experience is emotionally hard, there's the whole process to get through but the 2WW is the hardest, one minute thnking it has worked and then thinking it hasn't and then the ultimate sadness when it hasn't worked.....if you had a problem with your tubes you may experience 3 lots of this, or you could just bypass all that anxiety....my advice is-get it done, it is so much easier to cope with one hospital visit compared to months of IUI's without success.
Good Luck!!!

[infertilitynovice]

KB, I felt EXACTLY like you before my . Your husband didn't choose this, can you imagine how angry you'd be if he DID? Mine did this to himself at the age of 25 with his stupid vasectomy!!!! I knew it when we married, but I didn't realize what I'd have to go through. I didn't know that 20 (okay, slight exaggeration) different people would be involved. And I felt cheated too. Honestly, this baby started out as being something I wanted and he was willing to do for me. He has 2 boys (11 and 15). Though he knew when we married that I wanted one of my own, it wasn't something he would of wanted if I didn't. Now, everything has changed. He's going to be a daddy again and he's thrilled. We cannot change how things are, in this case anyways, we just have to make the best of it.

Yes, there will be 3 people in the room when you conceive instead of just 2...make a joke about it...kinda "kinky" right? Yes, there will be bright lights and you'll be laying on paper instead of soft lights and sexy satin sheets and rose petels. This is just one day KB...the child that comes from this not-so-romantic experience will be yours the rest of your life. MANY people can't narrow down which night made it happen for them. Heck, I'm sure many a child came from a quicky one morning before work (not so romantic either). One thing you said is wrong though...you can take an HPT and find a cute or romantic way to give your DH the news. Here's the other good news...us IF girls tend to have many more visits and initial u/s than ladies who do it the "old-fashioned" way. You'll get to see your babybean sac WAY earlier than other ladies. Most of my friends didn't get to see their little ones the first time until 8-10 weeks. I saw the heartbeat for the first time at 6w3d...It was wonderful and didn't matter how it happened.

KB, I promise you that it won't matter honey. Do the HSG first. DO NOT waste your time and money on IUIs only to realize that your tubes WERE blocked. Find a place in your heart to forgive the unfairness that has affected your lives and move on to happier (and sleepless) days and nights.

Best wishes!

[mnm000]

to KB!
I don't think I can give any advice or say anything as well as Melissa just did!
Whether you are expecting to have difficulties TTC or not, it's not easy to accept that making a baby isn't going to happen the way we planned it!
I remember lying on the table for my first IUI, my doc's office is all about setting the mood. They have water fountain display thingys, they dim the lights in the rooms, they have soft classical music playing. Then after the IUI they left my DH and I alone for 20 minutes... And I just had to lay there, and we were reflecting on what we have done to make a child, holding hands.. It was weirdly romantic!!!! We went out to a nice dinner afterwards. Even though it hasn't happened the way we planned it, the whole process has brought us closer together.
Good luck! I hope for peace and an easy journey for you and your DH!

The best advice I have is to cling to each other for support, and enjoy the ride!

[janehill]

I have never had one but here's my little story about the saline sonogram I had last month.

It was my second. The first in February was "uncomfortable." This one was unbearable. I was in so much pain that I wanted to cry, to beg her to stop. To make matters worse, the catheter slipped out and she had to rethread it back into the uterus. It was so awful that when she left I was sitting up and I cried a little. I wanted to sob like a child - it was that bad. It took me about five full minutes to even lift myself off the table. When I did stand, I was a little shaky and stepped down very gingerly. There was bright red blood. I thought, Gosh, I hope she didn't puncture something. The cramping was rough - no reprieve whatsoever.

I had a false sense of security going into it, thinking back to February. I remember it was only mildly uncomfortable then - and I felt zero pain once it was over, done.

Well, with that in mind - AND TRUST ME, THE EVENT REMAINS WITH ME STILL - it was absolutely worth it and I would do it AGAIN to hear that my uterus was smooth and free of any fibroids/polyps.

Because the one thing that could make that exam's pain PALE by comparison is to learn that my transfers were unsuccessful because something was obstructing implantation. To lose perfectly healthy embryos so I could avoid 10 minutes of pain isn't worth it by leaps and bounds.

Geez, I know it's rough and no one looks forward to any of these diagnostics but if it brings you a big step closer to a baby, it's worth it - that's a no-brainer.

So take a couple of Advil's and be strong - you're going to be just fine!