Failed IUI #1

This blog was supposed to be about parenting and everything around it, and I promised my self that I would try to maintain at least a couple of posts a week, but of course life got in the way and I only wrote one post and completely forgot about the blog.

I have been trying to conceive for almost two years now, and it has not been working.  I did six rounds of clomid, which all failed, then I took a break from all the hormones for a few months, and that did not work either, so finally I decided to go in for an IUI, which was kind of awkward and uncomfortable but not painful.

Before the procedure the doctor has done internal sonars and saw that I had three follicles that were viable, and three that were really small but MIGHT eventually catch up.  Earlier I was taking hormone injections, I forgot their names, and then I got the Pregnyl trigger shot 30 hours before the procedure.

The two week wait after the procedure were the worst EVER, 8 days into the wait I had horrible cramps that stayed for 3 days and I thought they were implantation bleeding.  They felt like early labour pains honestly, but then on day 26 aunt flow decided to come visit.  I was extremely disappointed, I really thought that this would finally be the month, but I guess not.  They told me that the chance of pregnancy is only 20%, but I thought that maybe after 6 failed rounds of clomid I might finally have a bigger chance.

I am taking another break from all the injections for a few months, then will try another IUI maybe during the summer months.  I don't know how many I will do, as they are not covered by my insurance.  The IUI procedure costs 85 KD I think at Royale Hayat, but I also had to pay for all the medication I took earlier, which brought the cost of the procedure to around 120 KD.

My Pregnancy in a Nutshell

I am short, like 4'10 short, so when I got pregnant I showed by the time I hit the 3 month mark.  By the time I was 6 months pregnant people always asked me if I was carrying twins.  I always wanted to punch those people.

Anyways I gained around 16 kilos, I think 10 were all in my stomach, 3 in my behind and the other 3 every where else.  I was huge I could barely breathe, and I couldn't sleep.  Even before getting pregnant I had a problem with my bladder, when I had to go I really had to go, I can never hold anything in, and it just got worse.  I lived on the 11th floor so sometimes I never even made it to the bathroom on time.  The first couple of times I was embarrassed, then I thought what the hey, who cares!

Even though my stomach showed early I didn't get stretch marks until I was in my 8th month and it seemed like it happened over night.  I always moisturized my belly, I used everything from bio oil, to cocoa butter to olive and almond oil, nothing stopped the stretch marks from coming (at least for me).  When I saw the first line of stretch marks appear I had no idea what the heck it was, It was a red itchy line on my stomach and I started to freak out.  I already have stretchmarks on my thighs by they are old and I don't even remember getting them, so when the ones on my stomach appeared I really thought it was a rash or there was something wrong with me.  After a couple of days I realized that the stretchmarks have set in, and no matter what I did, they will be here to stay.

When I hit the 8.5 month mark, my Dr told me I had to start moving (walking) to help with labor and birth, so every other day hubby and I would go walking, it was horrible, I was so freaking heavy that I would cry not wanting to walk any more, but I did it anyways because I really wanted a natural birth and the doc told me that it would help.

I was almost 7 days past my due date when my water broke.  Earlier that day I was my cousins house and I knew that something was off because I barely ate anything and I usually finish all the food she has out.  After leaving her house I went over to my moms house and I felt a sudden urge to use the bathroom, it was so sudden nothing that has happened to me before and right as I reached the bathroom my water had broken.

So we go to the hospital, and I go to the Maternity ER and the first thing the ER on call doctor asks me was "Are you sure that its not just urine".  I didn't know whether to laugh or cry!! I looked at her and said "I am 7 days past my due date and I have peed on my self enough times this pregnancy to know that its not urine!" She wasn't convinced!

At that time my mom and my husband went to the reception to try to get a room for me, and I don't know what exactly happened but suddenly they tell me that we are going to another hospital because this hospital does not have any rooms.  So we ended up going to Royal Hayat hospital, which I kind of wanted to give birth in, but I had to switch in the middle of my pregnancy because my insurance company stopped covering it.

I was in labor for about 22 hours, I was exhausted and I wasn't dilating at all, they tried everything.  Then suddenly the doctor walks in and says emergency c-section! Babys heartbeat is going down! I started to freak out, all of a sudden there were nurses taking off my nail polish, putting compression socks or whatever on my feet and rolling me out of the labor room to the OR.  I had an epidural in my back, so I was awake for the birth of my son.  It was so surreal, I couldn't believe what was happening.  I didn't really feel pain, it felt like pressure on my abdomen area.  Then suddenly it was all over and they rolled me out into the recovery room.  I think that was the worst part of the whole ordeal, I had to be in recovery for 2 hours and I really wanted to be with my family, I was in pain and confused.

It is customary in Kuwait for most families to have something called an "Istiqbal" or a reception after the birth of a child.  Where people come to the hospital and congratulate the mother and they sit and talk and have coffee and tea while dressed to the nines.  That is why a lot of the new maternity hospitals are so over the top lavish and the rooms are huge to host these events.  Usually they are for a day from about 5 PM-9 PM.
I hate them and I think they are stupid and a waste of money.  From the minute I found out I was pregnant until they were rolling me into the OR I was begging my mom not to have a reception.  I am somewhat of an introvert, and I knew that after having my baby I want to be around my family and close friends only, I want to bond with my child and not smile and try to make small talk with people I do not care for.  But my mother had to, since it is her first grandchild and all, and instead of having it for just one day, it was two days from 10AM - 1 PM and from 5-9 PM.  I wanted to cry I was so angry.  Thankfully, the rooms in Royal Hayat have sliding doors that separated me from the reception area so during the mornings I would close the door and not accept to see anyone unless I heard my friends voice I would text them to come into my room.  I was learning how to breast feed, and I was dealing with a c-section scar I was in no mood to entertain anyone.  Once it was around 12:30 I would open the door.  But during the afternoon I couldn't close the door, and I just sat there stoic on the bed barely even smiling.  The second day at night I just had it, I couldn't take it any more, there were so many women talking so loudly and I was exhausted and I didn't know if I was hot and cold so I started to cry, got off the bed and went to the lobby area and just waited for them all to leave and I went back to the room.

That is my pregnancy and birth in a nutshell.  I highly recommend Royal Hayat Hospital, the care was amazing and the nurses were extremely helpful in teaching me how to breastfeed.  The day after I gave birth the pediatrician came to my room and told me what checkup was done for hamoodi and that everything was fine.   I can't recommend a specific doctor at RH because my OBGYN left and is now at Al-Seef Hospital, and that is where I am going now.

My OBGYN is Dr. Essam Sakr, and I love him.  He is an old man, but is very kind and knows what he is doing.  Explains everything thoroughly and was there throughout my labor checking on me and telling me that everything will be okay.  

Three Years Ago

It all started three years ago when I found out I was pregnant.  My husband and I have been trying for a couple of months and we finally hit the jackpot in August.  I was extremely excited and I didn't know if I should start telling people or wait until the three month mark, but I knew that I could never keep my mouth shut.

It was that day that I promised my self to become a supermom, but little did I know that once my son grows up I will hide in the bathroom for 45 minutes to clear my mind, even though I said I would never do that.  I will take him out to the garden to run around so I can tire him out and have him sleep early, so I can have the night to my self.

This blog is about my parenting, cooking and everything else in between.