After meeting with our fertility doctor, he mentioned that the results from my blood tests showed that I was not immune to Rubella. I found this strange, as I had the Measles/Mumps/Rubella (MMR) vaccine as an infant, then the booster as a child. This is a problem because if you are not immune and fall pregnant, then contract Rubella, the consequences are severe - including miscarriage, stillbirth, or birth defects. Before we can start with our great big plan of attack at the fertility clinic, I would need another Rubella vaccination.
Now I am all for protecting any future babies, so of course I called my local medical practice right up to make an appointment. The problem with the Rubella vaccine is that, because it is a weakened live version of the virus, you cannot attempt pregnancy for at least a month afterwards.
So this month we are officially forced to take "a break". Next month is when the whole circus will start, so I guess it's a nice little recuperation time for us. I've oscillated between being grateful to be less focused on my temperature, cervical mucus (cm) and the ever present "am I, aren't I" ovulating question, and feeling really frustrated that we're missing another opportunity and chance to make something special. Then, because there is nothing I can do about it, I let it go.
I do have a lot going on in the next few weeks, with a trip planned to visit friends, wine tasting, date nights, anniversary getaways, I guess the timing couldn't be much better. I know my husband feels a certain sense of relief at no longer being called on in a moment's notice whenever I show the slightest hint of ovulation. Four months straight of being "on call" with no end in sight was exhausting, I know. Hopefully when next month comes and we need timed intercourse (to go along with our trigger), he and I will be ready and refreshed and it will be mentally easier for both of us. With the near-daily ultrasounds and constant monitoring I'll have, at least a lot of the unknowns will be removed from the equation.
So that's our latest update - with the vaccine already in me, I've got two weeks until I start Provera to bring on a period, then I can begin Clomid on days 3-7 of my cycle, and then we wait and watch for maturing follicles and trigger the release of an egg! A month seems long, but I'm hoping this one will speed by and get us closer to our next chance of our rainbow baby.
Showing posts with label vaccine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vaccine. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Plan of Attack
Today was the moment I have waited for since my referral in January - I had my appointment at the fertility clinic and met my new doctor!
I had no idea to expect, but this doctor has met all of my expectations, and exceeded some. He wanted to know about me - everything about me including all my past experiences, birth control, medical problems, surgeries, etc. He wanted to know our time-scale (did we want to be pregnant now? or in the future?), and when I emphatically said, "NOW!" he was poised and ready for action.
A quick internal ultrasound (I'm getting so used to these!), and weighing in on my medical history, he made a plan of attack.
Clearly, he said, my hormones are out of whack. Clearly, I'm not going to be ovulating on my own. I'm CD 16 and, from my scans, not likely to ovulate any time in the future. So, we are going to bring on a period with Provera, then start me on Clomid with a trigger shot and constant monitoring. He wants to be as involved as possible and be able to make changes as needed throughout my next cycle.
One little set back is that it appears I am not immune to rubella, despite just getting my booster shots just last year. So I've made an appointment with my GP to get this done next week, and then I have to wait 2 weeks before starting Provera. After that, it's Clomid days 3-7, then near daily monitoring from CD day 12 onwards. When they see a follicle ready, they'll trigger its release and BAM! It's baby making time!
If that round doesn't work, they'll up the dosage on Clomid until it DOES work. And if, for some reason, it still isn't working, we'll have another meeting to find a different plan. My doctor isn't the wait and see type of person. He's trying to help me pregnant ASAP. Yay! Someone in my corner!
This is the moment I am beyond grateful that my hubby's little swimmers are superstars without a single abnormality to speak of. My tubes are clear, my uterus and lining looks good, the endometriosis is gone for now, all of my ovarian cysts are of manageable size... it kind of feels like now or never.
So with this plan of attack, I feel so much more calm. Something will actually be happening. Not in 3-4 months, but in a few weeks. We actually, really, have a chance this time. Less guess work, more possibility! I even took my planner out to look at "how pregnant I'd be" by this date or that. Then I quickly closed the planner before I got too far ahead of myself. I've done this before - tried to plan ahead, thinking it would happen swiftly and easily - and that left me more devastated than ever.
This is a great plan, and I'm happy to moving forward in leaps and bounds instead of inches. But I shouldn't jump to the finish line yet, nothing is promised or guaranteed. Still, I can't help but smile. Something good might be happening soon, so I'll keep up the positive thinking and cross my fingers and toes.
I had no idea to expect, but this doctor has met all of my expectations, and exceeded some. He wanted to know about me - everything about me including all my past experiences, birth control, medical problems, surgeries, etc. He wanted to know our time-scale (did we want to be pregnant now? or in the future?), and when I emphatically said, "NOW!" he was poised and ready for action.
A quick internal ultrasound (I'm getting so used to these!), and weighing in on my medical history, he made a plan of attack.
Clearly, he said, my hormones are out of whack. Clearly, I'm not going to be ovulating on my own. I'm CD 16 and, from my scans, not likely to ovulate any time in the future. So, we are going to bring on a period with Provera, then start me on Clomid with a trigger shot and constant monitoring. He wants to be as involved as possible and be able to make changes as needed throughout my next cycle.
One little set back is that it appears I am not immune to rubella, despite just getting my booster shots just last year. So I've made an appointment with my GP to get this done next week, and then I have to wait 2 weeks before starting Provera. After that, it's Clomid days 3-7, then near daily monitoring from CD day 12 onwards. When they see a follicle ready, they'll trigger its release and BAM! It's baby making time!
If that round doesn't work, they'll up the dosage on Clomid until it DOES work. And if, for some reason, it still isn't working, we'll have another meeting to find a different plan. My doctor isn't the wait and see type of person. He's trying to help me pregnant ASAP. Yay! Someone in my corner!
This is the moment I am beyond grateful that my hubby's little swimmers are superstars without a single abnormality to speak of. My tubes are clear, my uterus and lining looks good, the endometriosis is gone for now, all of my ovarian cysts are of manageable size... it kind of feels like now or never.
So with this plan of attack, I feel so much more calm. Something will actually be happening. Not in 3-4 months, but in a few weeks. We actually, really, have a chance this time. Less guess work, more possibility! I even took my planner out to look at "how pregnant I'd be" by this date or that. Then I quickly closed the planner before I got too far ahead of myself. I've done this before - tried to plan ahead, thinking it would happen swiftly and easily - and that left me more devastated than ever.
This is a great plan, and I'm happy to moving forward in leaps and bounds instead of inches. But I shouldn't jump to the finish line yet, nothing is promised or guaranteed. Still, I can't help but smile. Something good might be happening soon, so I'll keep up the positive thinking and cross my fingers and toes.
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