Our appointment update

This will most likely be a long post. I apologize in advance but I want to talk about everything so...

The Buildup:

Well, I was extremely nervous going in. I have no idea why I was so nervous, I mean, we already know what we are up against. Anyway, I was super snappy with Brandon in the car. Sorry honey!

So we go in, and all those old feelings rush back in. It felt like we were back at square one again. I didn't like that feeling! Thankfully I brought a book to read to keep my mind occupied. A woman came in and I knew right away that she was an IVF-er. She just had that frazzled look about her. She goes up to the window and I hear her make an appointment for her pregnancy test. I silently wished her luck. Hope that it is positive.

It begins:

So back to us. I hear our name called and Dr. B is there to greet us. He gives me a great big hug and says how much he missed us and how good it is to see us. I seriously love that man. As we are walking back to the room he says "So I had to search for your chart, our administrator had it, so that as soon as we get a RN opening, you will be the first one to call." Then he said "So are you ready to go again?!"

We sit down and he asks about Nathan. Looks at a picture and marvels at how big he has gotten. Then he gets down to business.

Asks me first if I have been having normal cycles. I tell him that I got my period back at two months postpartum and have been ovulating very regularly since then. I tell him I was still breastfeeding and he says "Great!" Again, I love that man.

The Results:

Next up was Brandon's semen analysis results. I hear Brandon start to breathe heavy.

Results:
Count: 136 million ***This is an excellent number!! Dr. B wants to see this count above 40 million. So clearly Brandon is in the excellent range!

Motility: 50% motile ***Dr. B wants it above 50. So we are fine in that aspect.

Morphology (Brandon's issue): 1% normally shaped. ***Obviously not great, but exactly what we were expecting.

Overall the results were very reassuring. Brandon's issues are clearly not getting worse. In fact, his count and motility have improved over the results from 2 years ago.

The discussion:

We discussed the fact that we would not be doing IVF again. We stated our reasons as somewhat financial in nature, but also the fact that we didn't really want to go through it again. We told him that we were very lucky last time because our cycle really didn't go that well on paper. Dr. B agreed and said that Nathan was meant to be here. That got me a little teary. Thankfully Dr. B is used to that from me. :)

So we brought up the fact that IUI seems like it will be a good option for us. And Dr. B agreed!! He said that looking at our analysis results and the fact that Brandon had such high numbers allows us to believe that IUI will be successful. He remarked that 1% of 136 million is 1.36 million. That is more than enough good sperm. We only need one.

He really is optimistic about our chances. He said that he wouldn't do it, if he didn't have faith.

The plan:

He basically said that we can choose to begin whenever we want. We agreed to wait until after the Christmas holidays so that we can travel to see family without worry. So January will be our first cycle. He knows that I am healthy and have a very stable cycle, so we will NOT be using fertility medications right away. He wants us to call when I see a peak reading on my monitor. The following day, we will come in to the office and have our IUI. It is that simple. He wants to help us keep our cost down and avoid unnecessary testing and appointments. Have I mentioned how much I love Dr. B?!

If our first couple cycles aren't successful, we will re-evaluate our plan and decide if I should begin taking some fertility medications to increase the number of eggs that I produce to increase our odds at success.

Overall:

I feel really good. I feel like this our best chances at having another child. Dr. B is very positive. Hugged me on our way out and made me feel so at peace with it.

So, in January, we will begin! I hope that you all with join me on that journey. I am looking forward to enjoying Christmas with Nathan and my family. Then we can focus on expanding that family.