Week Two was always a busy week for me during fertility treatments. By week two, I would have already completed a round of Clomid, and I would be suffering from the side effects. The migraines would blessedly have ended, but they would be replaced by hot flashes. (See Taking Clomid While Dining at a French Restaurant for an amusing tale about hot flashes.)
Because my cycle was erratic, I would need to begin ovulation testing early enough to ensure that I did not miss my ovulation that month. Because my shortest cycle was generally 29 days, I needed to start testing at around day 11 or 12.
Ovulation Predictor Kits (OPKs)
Early into fertility treatments, I tracked my ovulation through over-the-counter OPKs. If you are using OPKs, be sure to shop around because the cost varies greatly from store to store. I was surprised to find the best deal at a drug store.
Using OPKs was cumbersome for me. Because my doctor instructed me to use the test after 10:00 a.m., I frequently had to use the test while at work. This meant that I had to refrain from using the bathroom for a couple of hours (not my strength first thing in the morning), and then I had to make sure I was not scheduled to attend any 10:00 meetings. I also had to leave my desk unattended for about 10 minutes to administer the test. I chose to be very open about my fertility procedures with my bosses so that they would not think I was just goofing off on the job.
Follicle Tracking
Later into fertility treatments, my doctor used follicle tracking to determine when I was ready to ovulate. Follicle tracking is performed in the doctor’s office, which meant I had to schedule the appointments and then take time off from work for one or two follicle tracking appointments. Fortunately, the physician’s assistant was very good at judging when I would be ready to ovulate, so I generally only had to come in once or twice before I ovulated.
The physician’s assistant would use a wand ultrasound to examine and measure the size of my follicles. When they reached a certain size, then I was ready to ovulate, and the nurse would give me a shot in the bottom with a very long and scary-looking needle. Then, I would be ready for an intrauterine insemination (IUI).
Related Topics:
- How to Stay Sane While Going Through Infertility
- Keeping Your Emotional Footing through Infertility
- Loving My Body in Spite of Infertility
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