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Friday, November 23, 2012

Come out, come out, period come out!!!!

As I write this, I am curled up in bed under the electric blanket.  We had our first snowstorm of the season yesterday, which of course hit while I was driving home from my cousin's house.  The last week has been quite eventful.  I was at my regular job all last weekend, then I was working at my family's business this week.   More about Turkey Day later....

On Tuesday, I had an appointment with the midwife.  I went into it with some apprehension, because I had felt that she hadn't been very attentive to my calls/questions over the last few weeks.  I had called the clinic with questions about and ultrasound and some blood work that I would like to have done before my first IUI.  I left a voice mail and never got a call back.  So I called the office and spoke to one of the doulas who works as a clinic assistant.  But still never got a call back.  This made me quite upset, because I was trying to have my "juice" transferred to a bank location that is closer to me so that I don't have to pay shipping every time I need to get one of the vials out.  I needed some paperwork filled out by the midwife in order to make this happen.  After much talking to friends/family and posting on the SMC chat boards (you ladies are AWESOME, by the way!!!), I called back the next day.  I spoke to the same assistant, who explained that the practice was very busy and they were in the process of expanding.  They had just hired a new medical director and another midwife.  What I appreciated was that she said that everyone's needs are important and apologized to me without my having to point this out.  I then explained that this is a process where I need to be working with people who are going to be supportive in every way, and she said that she knew that A (the midwife) was on board, and that the occurrences in the past couple of weeks were a matter of timing.  That day, the paperwork was done, and I had another appointment to discuss my labs, scans, and other concerns I was having.  I decided to wait until then to discuss this with A in person.  She had been very good right up until this point, and I could very well have been "lost in the shuffle" recently.

So, I went there on Tuesday.  The nice thing about this practice is that it is operated out of a freestanding birth center.  It's a house that has been converted to suit these needs right down from where I used to live when I was in college.  It has exam rooms and a chiropractic practice upstairs, as well as large open room where they have classes and yoga.  In the back past the reception desk, there are two birthing suites with queen sized beds, whirlpools, heated floors, etc.  A mom was laboring when I arrived, so the back was closed off this time, but when I saw it before, I knew that it was the type of place I wanted to give birth at.  It's also located about a mile away from a hospital with a level 1 NICU if the need for that arises.  When I found out that they had a fertility practice and could help me conceive as well, I knew that it was the place for me.  I was surprised to find an alternative environment that could provide all of this.  I had checked out other practices, but I when I asked if they had done inseminations, they all replied with, "at your age, we suggest you and your partner/husband try for at least six months, maybe up to a year, before we would refer you to a specialist."  Ouch...assumptions much?!?  Plus, every single person I talked to admitted they had never helped a single woman get pregnant.  So, I was pleasantly surprised that when I told A I was going to be a choice mom, she not only knew what that meant, but she was willing to work with me.  She even gave me the names of sperm banks she had worked with in the past.  During our first 1.5 hour visit, she did my annual exam and developed a step-by-step plan to get me ready to TTC.  So, I was kind of surprised when things seemed to be going south.

Anyways, when I arrived, we talked about my concerns, and A assured me she was on board and "very excited" to be a part of this journey with me.  I feel ok with where things are at right now, so I have decided to wait and see.  We went over all of my recent progress.  I told her about the length of my cycles and the increasing PMS/luteal moodiness.   She wants my cycles to ideally be 25-35 days or so before my first IUI.  So, we are changing the supplements I am taking, as well as making more changes to my diet and upping my exercise to try and level out my hormones.  We're pretty sure I am ovulating regularly,  and my periods aren't overly long, but they are more intense than when I was still on BC.  A is hoping that these changes will help regulate my cycles, but if not, she is willing to add a small dose of progesterone to the mix.  (Ugh, last time I got knocked up, it wasn't this hard.  Hell, I wasn't even trying!) 

So, when I went to the acupuncturist after my appointment, she had me pull my skirt down so she could put some needles in my abdomen.  I laughed so hard when she told me that her primary professor when she was in school used to call one of those points the "come out, come out, period come out" one.  Too funny!

So that is where I am at.  Waiting for my period to start so the magic white box can continue to try and pinpoint what exactly is happening when.  "COME OUT, COME OUT, PERIOD COME OUT!!!!"  Of course, it hasn't yet.....          

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