Test Results

I wasn't sure if I should blog about this yet or not, but I guess I might as well. I blogged about everything else, the good and the bad, so I guess I should keep with my own habits.

This past IUI cycle has been a completely different experience than the previous two. The first one I was sick during and was completely convinced it didn't work. I was right. The second one I was 180° the opposite. I was convinced I was pregnant. 100% sure. I was wrong.

This time, I decided to have a different approach. Whatever will be, will be. I wasn't going to stress about it. I was going to go with the flow. I did a good job. I didn't think about the IUI much. In fact, a few times I even forgot we did one! I was looking forward to a break from pumping myself of synthetic hormones. I didn't want to keep taking the medicine for nothing. So we were determined to take a break. And I felt great about it. I didn't take tests constantly and I didn't overanalyze every single "symptom".

Last Wednesday, or 9dpIUI (9 days past IUI), I went to Target to buy a few things for our trip to Arkansas and I decided to buy a pregnancy test while I was there. Just to be ready when I could start testing.

I got home, Nick and I started cleaning and getting ready and I had to go to the bathroom. I asked Nick if he minded if I took a test. He asked why I was taking one so early and I didn't have much of a response other than, "For some reason I think I should take one before our trip". He said he didn't mind, so I went to the bathroom and took a test.

I put the test on the mirror ledge and we continued to get ready for our trip. A few minutes later I looked at the test...definitely a second line.

What?!??! It was SO early and I wasn't feeling anything. How was there another line??

We got excited but not too excited. Maybe it was a fluke? Maybe, somehow, I still had some of the trigger shot in my system and it was a false positive. I didn't test out the trigger this time so who really knew.

The next morning, or 10dpIUI, I took another test. Another positive. It looked the same, but not darker, so again, we didn't get too excited.

That night we left for Arkansas. We told Jim and Leslie that I probably wouldn't be drinking during the trip because we were pretty sure I was pregnant. They were excited and determined to help me make "mocktails" and find non-alcoholic beer!

Friday morning (11dpIUI) I took another test (yes, I became a little obsessed) and got a darker positive. At this point, I'm pretty sure it's real. I called my doctor and they kind of (unintentionally) crushed my happiness, telling me that they can't send me for a blood test or anything until I get a positive test on 13dpIUI. Well that was fine, I wasn't looking for a blood test yet anyway. But it made me nervous, like my positive tests didn't mean anything yet.

Of course I took another test both Saturday and Sunday morning, and they were all getting darker. So I was pretty excited, but still cautious.

We got home Sunday night and relaxed and then first thing Monday morning, I called the doctor again. They sent me for a blood test that afternoon.

The blood test is called a quantitative hcg test. It's testing the exact level of hcg (the pregnancy hormone) in your body. With Dominick, my level was 73 at 13dpIUI.

I got my results yesterday, 72 at 14dpIUI, almost exactly the same! Maybe we'll be blessed with another baby JUST LIKE DOMMIE!



Of course I got nervous and had to take another test yesterday, but I think I'm under control now! :)

So that's my news!! It's still very early so we're still very cautiously excited, but it's official! I'm PREGNANT!

I am scheduled for a repeat blood test on Monday, the 26th, when I'll be 21dpIUI or 5 weeks pregnant. If my hcg level is at least 1,000, we can see something on an ultrasound. So we're hoping it's over 1,000 on Monday! If it is, we'll do an ultrasound next week sometime.

Like I said, we're still pretty nervous but very excited.

I'll keep you posted on how everything goes, but as always, please keep saying prayers!!