Updates Before the "Big" Day

Just an update of what was happening during these past few days:

Feb 6 - first day of menstruation

Feb 7 - baseline transvaginal ultrasound (Result: polyphs are still there; endometrium measuring 0.4cm).

Feb 7 till Feb 11 - was put on Clomiphene Citrate Serophene 50mg (also known as Clomid) for 5 days, twice a day -- one in the morning and one at night.

Feb 16 - 2nd ultrasound for follicle monitoring (Result: 1 dominant follicle in my right ovary measuring 18mm and endometrium is 0.7cm. We had to wait for a couple of days to let the dominant follicle grow more into a much suitable size)

Feb 18 - 3rd ultrasound for follicle monitoring (Result: the dominant follicle on the right ovary measures now at 24mm and endometrium is at 1.0cm thick which is already good for assisted reproduction.)

Feb 19 - at 12:30am I was scheduled to administer the trigger shot for the follicle. Ovidrel 250mg was given to me. This is a pre-filled syringe to be injected subcutaneously under the umbelicus (in the abdomen area).

IUI procedure is scheduled on Feb 20 at the Center for Reproductive Medicine in Ortigas. Sperm washing will be done at 9am while the actual IUI will be done by Dr. T at 12:30pm.

Of course I am not relying in science only. In between these days, my husband and I were very much occupied visiting churches offering masses and prayer requests. Everything will happen in God's time. I know He will give us our heart's desires very soon. :)

"Very Good" Patient

While waiting for the red flag to show in, I had my bloodworks done again last January 31 which was required by my endocrinologist, Dr. G.

I had to get results again for my TSH, FBS and HBA1C.  The results I had last November 2012 were not that good because my blood sugar was high. So I was quite anxious of the results now as it might go higher and my doctors would not advised us to undergo IUI treatment. :(

Thank God the results were much better than the ones I had 2 months ago!

Upon my visit with Dr. G on February 7, she said that I am a 'very good' patient! I lost 9 kilos, my bloodsugar was quite low now and my TSH is perfect for childbearing. :D

She then wrote a recommendation letter to Dr.T stating that I am now ready for the fertility treatment.

Thank God! :)

Ready...Set...GO!!!

At last, we were able to finalize our leave for the fertility treatment and was able to leave Dubai last January 28. We are all set for the procedures!

Upon setting foot in Manila last January 29, our first stop was at my fertility doctor's clinic. We went there still with all our luggages and no rest and sleep! I guess that's how eager we are on starting this treatment hehehe!

This visit was vital as we need to lay out the timetable and plan for the treatment. First and foremost, she asked us how long will we stay here in Philippines. So I told her that we would only be here from January 29 until February 25 - just enough to finish the whole treatment for 1 cycle. However, we had to revise our initial plans due to time constraints again.

Since I was not able to get HSG in Dubai, our initial plan was to have it here in Philippines. But since we will only be here for 1 cycle, Dr. T said we will just go directly to IUI. We'll just hope and pray that my fallopian tubes are not blocked.

Dr. T advised me to call her asap on my first day of menstruation so she can schedule me for a transvaginal ultrasound.

So off we went to wait for the red flag to show! I was supposed to finish the last pack of Yasmin pill on February 1 so I am expecting my first day from Feb 3-5.

While waiting, we just went for a short escapade in Puerto Galera to destress ourselves! :D

The Music Within -- Lullabies on My Infertility Journey (playlist)

Above is a compilation of songs that are currently in my playlist, accompanying me and comforting me towards our journey to parenthood.

1.The Climb 
2. The Scientist
3. Clocks
4. In the Arms of An Angel
5. My Wish
6. Fix You
7. A Thousand Years
8. Blessed
9. Ain't No Mountain High Enough
10. Tunnel
11. So Hard
12. When The Rain Comes
13. Answer
14. Haven't Met You Yet
15. Come Tomorrow
16. Praise You In This Storm
17. Hang on Little Tomato
18. What A Wonderful World
19. Don't Dream It's Over
20. Hey Look At The Sun

Stress Slowly Building Up – Decisions, Choices, and Sacrifices

It’s true – Operation Baby Bump is really stressful – emotionally, physically, mentally, and financially. But no profit is gained without investing something. No project is successful without hard work. So here we are, investing all that we can – time, resources, faith and hope, to overcome all the hurdles that come our way as we know that our heart’s desire will be given to us in the right time. 

1st Stressor
How will I be able to come back to Philippines in February 2013 as I do not have leave balance anymore? But I had to think of ways if I really want to have a baby. So DH and I decided for me to request for unpaid leave. Request is still pending until now… DH has no problem in filing a 30-day leave again as he has still unused leave and that his manager is very understanding. Hay OFW life!
2nd Stressor
Unpaid leave for 1 month means no income for me and that is one hell less of incoming money. This means budget for the IUI procedure will be compromised if we will not find other ways. Good thing we have little savings but we just hope that it would be enough not only for the treatment but also for our expenses when we get back here in Dubai.
3rd Stressor
As I am a positive thinker, I am anticipating already that this procedure will result in a two-line stick. I should be happy when it happens but I am also contemplating now what will I do next as my fertility doctor already told me beforehand that if I will get pregnant, she will definitely put me into bed rest for the first trimester. If my unpaid leave is approved, will my company still allow me to prolong it for 2 more months?? Would they allow me to file it as medical leave?? And another issue – say, if they do allow me, can I manage without 3 months salary???
4th Stressor
IUI procedure does not yield 100% success rate. A lot of ‘what ifs’ are going on in my mind. Even though I tried to think positive, there are people surrounding me reminding that there is this 75% chance for the procedure to fail…. What’s next if we fail??
5th Stressor
My work comes in my way to motherhood. The endless stress the work brings and the colleagues give, the sleepless nights on duty, and the tiring 12-hour shift make it a futile environment for childbearing. But I cannot leave my work right away as I have to contribute to our household’s income so that our goals will be realized soon. But also, one of our goals now is having a baby, which is hindered by my work. I know I will come to the point later that I have to choose between career and motherhood. As my mother advises me, “You are not young anymore. If you need to resign do so. It will be worth it once the baby is there”. Am I prepared to resign anytime? Are we financially capable of doing so? I also do not know the answer, but what I know is that I badly want to have a baby now….

And the stress goes on and on….I am just keeping my faith that we will surpass this battle and rejoice later as we have triumphed. I am holding on to Him for guidance and enlightenment that He will lead us to the right path.

The Scary Wives’ Tales about HSG

Before we undergo IUI procedure, our doctor advised me to take a Hysterosalpingogram (HSG) test just to make sure that my fallopian tubes are not blocked to give way for the sperms and egg to travel to the uterus for implantation. 

In HSG test, a catheter is inserted into the cervix and a dye solution is injected to the fallopian tubes. An X-ray is then done to see if the dye passes through the tube. If the tube is blocked, it would show right away in the x-ray.

From the stories I have read in the internet, most of them are saying that this procedure hurts especially if you have tube blockage. Thus, I myself is a little bit scared of doing this test. But I think I am more scared of finding the result… I just hope everything is normal so that we can go ahead with the IUI procedure later.

I was not able to do my HSG test in the Philippines due to time constraints so my doctor told me to try having it here in Dubai.

I am still trying to look for hospitals/ clinics here that offer HSG test at a reasonable cost. I cannot take it in Philippines when I go back there this Jan-Feb 2013 as it would not fit the tentative time frame that we have to follow. This test should be done on days 5-10 of the cycle and I am only going back in Bulacan 2 days prior to 1st day of my cycle when we will start already the fertility medication. 

So I have no choice but to really take HSG test here in Dubai. It is not only the expensive costs that I fear but also the capability and the questionable skills of the doctors here. In short, I just don’t trust the doctors here.

I hope I would find one hospital that is reliable and reputable but reasonable in its costs so I can finish this test.

Hoping for a clear result so that Oplan Baby Bump will be successful!

Operation Baby Bump: The 2-Month Medication Program

I became a pill-popper eversince I got back in Dubai. This is because of the 2 months medication process that I am undergoing right now to prepare my body for pregnancy. But apart from eliminating the unwanted fats, sugar, and toxins, I am also battling the side effects of each of the medicine I am taking.


To start off my fertility treatment, ironically I was given a contraceptive pill. The reasons -- to help balance my hormone and regulate menstruation, and secondly, to ensure that pregnancy is prevented in this period as my organs are not yet prepared physiologically. I have to finish off 3 cycles of Yasmin pill. One pack contains 21 pills and I have to take one pill everyday, at the same time. I take mine everyday at 7am. Then I have a 7-day free pill period where I would be expecting my monthly visit. The side effect -- I was bleeding for almost a month when I was on the first pack. Although lighter than the usual period, it was still uncomfortable as I have to wear pads for almost a month. This breakthrough bleeding/ spotting is due to the balancing of hormones.  

In order to counter high blood sugar and prevent Type 2 diabetes, I am also prescribed to take Metformin, 1500mg daily. But since my stomach cannot tolerate such dose, I was given only 1000mg a day, 500mg in the morning and another at night before sleeping. The side effects -- frequent visits to the toilet especially if you eat fatty foods or eat a bit more than your diet plan. 

To assist in the control of blood sugar, I was also given Actos (Pioglitazone). I do not feel any side effects from this medicine, but I guess it works side by side with Metformin that is why I have this frequent toilet visits.
As I mentioned in my previous blog entry, I was also put into Eltroxin to lower further my TSH level. I am advised to take it right after waking up and wait 30min - 1 hour before taking in any food. So far, no side effect experienced when taking the pill.

Aside from these regulatory medicines, I was also prescribed to take supplements like Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Calcium to aide in boosting fertility.

Below is the chart of medication I have to take daily for the operation baby bump project:

Morning		Afternoon		Night
Before Meal	After Meal	Before Meal	After Meal	Before Meal	After Meal
Eltroxin (1 tab)	Metformin (1 tab)		Metformin (1 tab)		Actos (1/2 tab)
	Calci Chews (1 tab)				Metformin (1 tab)
	Folic Acid (1 tab)
	Ascorbic Acid
	Vitamin E
Yasmin (taken at 7am daily)

I am also planning to add Evening Primrose Oil in the list as I was told that it enhances fertility also by increasing cervical mucus. 

For DH, only 1 supplement was prescribed – Immuvit capsule. It is a multivitamin supplement with ginseng just to make him more active but it does not cure his sperm defect. But the most important thing that our doctor advised him to stop increasing the morphology defect of his little swimmers is avoid smoking and reduce alcohol intake.
If it was a struggle for me to gulp all these medicines and accompany it with diet and exercise, it was more difficult for DH to stop abruptly his smoking. But at least he is trying and improving. From 2 packs of cigarettes (20 sticks) a day, he is just puffing 1-2 sticks a day, and sometimes none at all!

We also tried to avoid fatty foods and DH even bought a steamer so that we should just steam our fish, meat, and vegetables instead of frying them or sautéing on oil.

I also resorted to dancing whenever I am off and if we have free time, DH and I walk our way to the open beach and do some cycling, brisk walking and jogging. 

I hope all these sacrifices will bring out a POSITIVE result later.