Next Steps

I thought I’d hop on and update those of you following our TTC journey. I had my first appointment with the fertility specialist this morning, and I certainly have a lot of mixed emotions. Since we haven’t been trying over a year yet, I was worried we jumped the gun and that I wasn’t going to be taken terribly seriously. At the same time, I know my body . . . and what I’ve been experiencing isn’t my normal, and it’s not getting us pregnant.

So, there’s that.

Anyway, the appointment was brief. Mostly, I was meeting the doctor, telling him my story -- how long we’ve been trying, what’s been going on with my cycles, etc. -- and getting some next steps. There was a moment when I got so nervous, I could hardly think about anything I needed to tell him, so it was helpful that I wrote everything out on my phone. I’ve been tracking in Fertility Friend, so all the data was right there before me.

Immediately upon showing him my OPKs (I’m glad I brought some photos), he said that he does indeed think something is up. Initially, it’s quite apparent that my LH is doing something funky. Very slow surge, etc. And with the stuff about my spotting, he said that he was happy I came in versus waiting to see if things would turn around because it just isn’t normal. I felt validated. I like my midwife, but she sort of brushed off my concerns by thinking it would all regulate with time. I can’t blame her. That’s what I wanted to hear.

I won’t lie, though. Seeing my name on forms with the diagnosis “INFERTILITY” written in big letters was hard to reconcile, especially after our relatively easy time conceiving Ada. This wasn’t supposed to be my story. No, we have enough colorful chapters already. Yet, here we are with so many other couples struggling to conceive. And it’s also hard to feel like my body is betraying me. I’m concerned about the possibility of taking meds or having procedures (hysterosalpingographwhhhhhaaaa?), but I know I did the right thing. From now, we’ll take it one step at a time.

Now I’m on a “plan” to get all the screenings and hormone checks (beyond the basic thyroid, which I passed with flying colors) and all that jazz for infertility treatment. It feels like a lot, but it’s pretty noninvasive -- mostly blood tests, some other stuff. I may not need any interventions. I may need many. At this point, it’s too early to tell. I tried everything I could to regulate my body using diet, exercise, de-stressing, and more.  But at least I’ve started and taken that first step of saying I need the help.

Thanks for all your support and kind messages. We really appreciate them. I hope you all have wonderful weekends! Oh, and if you’d rather read about fitness, don’t miss my thoughts on Barre a few weeks in. I’m really enjoying it.

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