I feel like a druggie!

I gave myself 3, yes 3 injections today. I never thought I could do it, but really it was not that hard. I fee like a druggie- I have syringes and drugs everywhere, its crazy! I also went to acupuncture today, it was great, SO RELAXING!
I am starting to get ovary pain, they are starting to feel full, which is good, that means the drugs are working!

I go back to Dr. Littman on Friday for another ultrasound, so hopefully all is growing well!

The Final Countdown!

I bet you were all waiting for me to jump into a song by Asia, but no, that's my life, the FINAL COUNTDOWN to our insurance. We have officially gotten our sign up papers for our new insurance, which DA DA DA gives us $10K that we can use for fertility treatments. So IVF here we come. I am super duper excited, I am way pumped for something that is going to give us a 60% success rate, as opposed to a measly 15% shot with IUI.

I also feel less stressed because its being covered under our insurance, so its not like we are spending our life savings on this. But it is still a stressful time in my life, I want so badly for this to work on the first shot, but we are in for about 35 days of preparation for IVF so I need to take it one day at a time, and one shot at a time. But I do think I need to look into Yoga or something that I can do to keep myself calm.

Going through infertility is stressful, then add IVF into that mess and it gets really stressful. However it has been shown that there is no link between stress and the success of IVF.

Researchers in Swedan have assessed stress levels among women undergoing their first in vitro fertilization treatment and found similar pregnancy rates in women reporting high levels of anxiety and depression and women who did not.

"This is a positive message we can give our patients to help decrease their stress at this time," says researcher Lisbeth Anderheim, who is a midwife and PhD candidate at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The only variable linked to successfully achieving a pregnancy was the number of good-quality embryos transferred back into the uterus. Some studies have reported that acupuncture, which can help reduce stress, increases pregnancy success, I strongly suggest acupuncture, its my saving grace, I LOVE it!

IVF and other fertility procedures carry a certain level of stress that is unavoidable. But when that stress disrupts your daily life, it may be time to look into counseling.

When should acupuncture treatment begin?

Acupuncture is similar to physical therapy in that it is a process oriented method of medical intervention. It is better to do more than less and on a consistent basis. Patients are commonly treated for three to four months before an insemination (IUI), in vitro fertilization (IVF), or donor-egg transfer. This period of treatment seems to have a therapeutic effect.

In a study by Stener-Victorin et al from the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology Fertility Centre, Scandinavia and University of Gothenburg, women are encouraged to receive acupuncture treatments pre and post embryo transfer and pre and post insemination. Clinical observations from the Berkley Center for Reproductive Wellness suggest that the most effective fertility treatments involve a combination of acupuncture, herbal medicine, and traditional medical interventions. However, conception does sometimes occur when acupuncture and herbal medicines are used without traditional medical interventions.

My suggestion would be to talk to your acupuncturist and talk about your treatments and find out what works best for your schedule. Of course the more consistent treatment the bettter results you will have but do what work best for you.

Infertility and Acupuncture

This is going to start my series on acupuncture, we will address the use of acupuncture in conjunction with infertility treatments.

Acupuncture is defined as the insertion of ultra-thin, sterile needles into specific points on the body which reside on channels or meridians; these are pathways in both the exterior and interior of the body. These points, when needled, can regulate the way in which the body functions. Acupuncture helps by addressing problems that affect fertility such as under-functioning (hypothyroidism) or over-functioning (hyperthyroidism).

Acupuncture, frequently combined with herbal medicine, has been used for centuries to treat some causes of infertility. An individual could from acupuncture and herbs because of the potential effect of improved ovarian and follicular function. Additionally, it is shown that acupuncture can increase blood flow to the endometrium, helping to facilitate a thick, rich lining.

I have been going to acupuncture for a little over a year, and I love it, not only is it very relaxing, but it has helped to regulate my cycle. The best times to go are before ovulation and after ovulation, acupuncturists like to see you around 7 days after ovulation because that is when implantation is occurring if you have become pregnant that cycle.

I would defiantly suggest acupuncture for anyone going through fertility treatments, its a great time for you to relax and it can be very beneficial.

Follistim Day 6

Today is day 6 of the Follistim shots, I am starting to have some bruising on my stomach, but no pain. The needles are really small and I cannot even feel them. I am very surprised that there is even bruising. But its all worth it!

My doctor lowered my dosage because I was making too many eggs, so I guess its good to know that my body does at least know how to do something right!

John and I would be so excited to have twins, and we understand the risk of multiples when taking fertility drugs, especially in conjunction with IUI, but we have been waiting so long that we would be blessed to have twins, but I can tell you that would be it, I would have my tubes tied and we would be DONE!

I went and had my acupuncture done yesterday, its so relaxing, its really the only time that I can truly be calm and focused. I highly recommend it.

I go back to the doctor tomorrow to see how things are progressing.