Thought I would keep a record of this. Looking back, the world has moved on in ways that I hadn’t expected since my last blog entry back in 2019.
My marriage, my new home, Covid-19 , my new job and all.
Trying to Conceive
We’ve been trying to get pregnant for a while, since around about April 2021. We haven’t really been very consistent about it though. Shall we call it the challenges of the modern working life, or may be it’s just first world problems? It’s hard to be diligent about arranging your life around a cycle – I suppose this is good practice for when you might be arranging your life around a baby. In addition, consistency isn’t one of my strengths. Thank fully, it is the husband’s though.
We were 34 (me) & 35 (hubby) respectively when we first started trying to conceive. I definitely felt the time pressure – knowing what I did about high-risk pregnancies above the age of 35. Initially, I didn’t want to have kids too early in our marriage – which I see as a time when you are still getting to know each other that you are unlikely to ever enjoy again once you have a kid. I thought it was more important to get to know your other half, and establish a strong/functional relationship before we took on more. And then Covid-19 happened, and I didn’t want to have a kid in the middle of a pandemic.
Come early 2021, and I figured Covid-19 wasn’t going away any time soon and I’m almost 34. So between April to June, I dragged my husband down to as I made my long overdue visit to a gynecologist and did a series of fertility related tests (and also my first pap smear test…). I did various blood tests and a HSG (Hysterosalpingogram), while he got off easy with a semen analysis test. Most came out fine, save that I had high prolactin levels (29.9 ng/ml on the first test, and 27.9 ng/ml on the second test). Nothing was prescribed and the doctor just wanted to continue to monitor the levels.
We tried (irregularly) for a few months since May (timing my cycle, but skipping a few tries as and when I felt sleepy/tired, or when we took our Covid-19 booster). I was slightly more deliberate about our efforts – using an App tracker for my cycle (I had a relatively consistent cycle of between 28 – 31 days). But I didn’t go further to track my temperature or monitor my ovulation as the doctor suggested for a number of reasons: (1) I wasn’t that diligent; (2) I didn’t want too much stress; and (3) Even if I tracked my ovulation days, I am not always able to keep to the schedule for the actual deed. I did say consistency isn’t my strong suit.
The first time I tested
This cycle, it felt different. This was one of our more diligent months. We tried every alternate day for the entire fertile window suggested by the App. May be it was because I felt that this was our last chance before we were moving onto assisted reproduction. I hadn’t wanted to waste more time given our age and already booked an appointment with the fertility doctor to try IVF next month.
My breasts became really tender and sore about 5 days before my period was due. This soreness is of a different quality and intensity from my usual premenstrual symptoms. I ordered myself a set of pregnancy test strips immediately. Funnily enough, for a couple who is trying to conceive, we hadn’t bought any pregnancy test kit. I figured the body will tell you when it’s time – and you’d know when you missed your period. But this time, I had a nagging feeling about one week after we tried that it would be different. I kept feeling (imagining more likely) odd twinges in my uterus and one night, I had a sudden craving for preserved ginger (soaked in vinegar) …
Hence, 3 days before my period was due, I tested for the first time, and boy oh boy, there was the faintest hint of a second line. I showed that to my husband immediately.
I tested again the next day to the same result. But what worried me was the my breast soreness went away… During these times, I also started urinating more frequently and became uncontrollably thirsty. I would wake up regularly in the middle of the night with a need to pee, and with parched dry mouth needing some hydration.
I have read too much about early miscarriages and chemical pregnancies, so I was trying very hard not to get my hopes up while I wait out a few more days to test again. I couldn’t resist so I tested again once more on the third day – I saw the line was even fainter. Given that HCG levels are supposed to double every 2-3 days, this worried me. In addition, I was having mild crampy feelings in my uterus (quite similar to my PMS symptoms). The feelings intensified after I had some cold drinks, increasing my worries about a possible miscarriage. I kept worrying that my period will suddenly and devastatingly make its arrival.
I finally tested again 3 days after my due date for my period (and having missed my period as I expected). The line is finally slightly stronger but still nothing close to the bold striking red test control line. With that slightly more reassuring test results, I finally called up my gynecologist to book my first appointment.
During these past few days, I’ve not yet started on prenatal supplements, but I take a regular multivitamin pill + fish oil which contains 400 mg of folate. I thought I might wait until I see the doctor before picking the supplements. If all goes well, hopefully we can cancel our appointment with the IVF doctor in two weeks…
Wish me luck!
the30thEscapade 