About

(copied from the Intro Post)

I’m Jessica, married to Rick.

Our history: We started TTC in November 2004. Our first positive pregnancy test came on our anniversary 2005 (May 31). We were elated! We were about to go to Vermont for a Tau Beta Pi meeting combined with a vacation. The day we were to fly back to Huntsville, I started spotting. I had lost the baby. It was very early, so it was considered a chemical, or sometimes referred to as a biochemical pregnancy. A chemical pregnancy (for my non-infertile friends) is one that is lost before the baby can be visualized. Usually a chemical pregnancy is one that is chromosomally abnormal – the baby couldn’t survive. So while we were devastated, we were still looking ahead. This meant that we could get pregnant, right?

Life continued on. Slowly a few friends started to learn we were trying. Then in January I had a positive again. Only to start spotting the same day. My period started the next. This was another chemical pregnancy. At this point, I started to get worried, but still did not bring it up to my doctor. Finally, last summer, after 18 months of trying (12 months is normal, but it took me a while to face the fact that I needed help in this area), I went to my OB. She referred me to the local Reproductive Endocrinologist (these are typically infertility specialists). This doctor is apparently very busy here becauase he couldn’t see me for another 6 weeks! After reviewing my history, he asked us not try while we ran tests. These tests and the time to get the results meant another two months of not trying.

But, we both checked out normal. My HSG was clear, my hormones were normal, no weird diseases in my body, no autoimmune problems. This leads to a diagnosis of unexplained infertility. Great. Now what? Who knew it would be so hard to be told there’s nothing wrong with you?

So October began our first cycle of treatment. I took 5 mg of femara for 5 days out of my cycle. I had two, maybe three great follicles! At the end of the month I went in for a beta HCG test. The beta came back positive! But the number was low. I went in the next day for a follow-up beta. In that one, the number rose, but not as much as they’d like to see. I went back in 4 days later for a 3rd beta. This one showed my HCG levels dropping. Not good. I had another chemical pregnancy. No explanation for why this keeps happening.