I haven't written for a while as things are really busy, but all our tests are done and it seems everything is fine with me. The sperm, on the other hand, is not great. It isn't bad, but it's not great. So my doctor suggested that we do an intrauterine insemination. The sperm will be "washed", getting rid of the 2/3 of sperm that are not mobile, and concentrating the 1/3 that is (approximately 13 million). Then that "sperm juice" will be shot inside me at the exact period of ovulation (I'll be monitored by ultrasound to determine the ovulation date). This way, we have a greater chance of getting pregnant. Besides that, I will also take Letrozole, which will increase even more my chances of conceiving.
So, according to my doctor, we are not really categorized as "infertility" per se. 13 million good sperm is more than enough (a good number is 10 million). What happens is the other 26 million sperm that are not mobile sort of get in the way of the good sperm. I would eventually get pregnant, but it could take another year.
Cost wise, we'll be spending 600 American dollars for the whole process, including the sperm wash, the office visit and ultrasound to determine my ovulation, the insemination itself, and Letrozol, which is very inexpensive. I'm taking Letrozole (brand name is Femara) and not Clomid because it seems Letrozole is actually better than Clomid. I will also need to have a shot to speed ovulation so the doctors know I'll ovulate in exactly 48 hours and then we can schedule the insemination.
It all sounds very artificial to me (of course, it is artificial insemination after all). Nevertheless, I have a friend who got pregnant taking Femara and her baby is smart and healthy. Hopefully that will be my case, too.
I may be also flushing my tubes to make sure there are no obstructions. That will be done before the insemination.
So last week was the last time we tried conceiving naturally. Part of me really, really hopes I am pregnant without any help, but if I'm not, now I know why. Then next month we will take action.
I've been slightly more anxious since this all happened, and I've also had nightmares. Nevertheless, I am hopeful it all works out. We have a budget for 3 months of artificial insemination, if necessary. It all adds up, and simply conceiving a baby may cost nearly 2 thousand dollars. A friend of mine told me that it is all worth it, because when I finally hold my baby, I'll forget all that is past.
Concerning my antidepressants, my psychiatrist and I have a plan. I'll continue taking Cymbalta in a lower dosage for the first 10 weeks of pregnancy, simply because if I suffer a miscarriage, I do not want to fall into deep depression. Once the first trimester is over, I'll slowly stop my meds and continue pregnancy without them. Depending on how I do, we may or may not put me immediately back on medication right after delivery. Hopefully I'll be able to breastfeed for a few months before I lack serotonin and cortisol. I'll keep you all posted!
