IUI No 5 for baby no 2

I have not had a period for over 65 days.  I rather suspect that my over supplementing on B complex vitamins with iron caused me to stop ovulating and miss a period and have hot flushes for 5 weeks - either that or the menopause.  Stay positive right!

My hair analysis from Foresight Preconception came in after a long wait and it was confirmed that I am desperately short of zinc and depleted in many minerals - most likely due to the distilled mineral water I was drinking for the past 7 years.  Try to be healthy and it seems I was kicking myself in the foot.

I noticed a while back that I had an LH surge ( but not quite enough to get a positive on the OPK) and no ovulation. I decided to go in for blood work and it was confirmed that my progesterone was incredibly low.

The next week I kept feeling that i might get my period and even had a speck of blood but no period.  I was at my acupuncturist and asked her if she could make me have a period.  She said "sure not problem works every time".  On driving home from her office I could feel all sorts going on in my feminine parts. - then I felt what could only be described as ovulation pain.

I thought it could not be - but the next morning decided to pee on an OPK - low and behold I got  the strongest positive ever.  I went running into the fertility clinic.  They agreed to do immediate blood work but said they could only schedule the insemination for the following day.  (a whole day too late)

I was very proud of myself and stayed calm as a cucumber and said "Of course I can come then but my egg ovulated yesterday, so it will be too late.  I prefer to wait for next cycle." After a twenty minute wait on the phone they got me scheduled for a few hours later the same day.

Then I had to insist they check my uterus lining my ultrasound BEFORE they thaw HALF of my very expensive and precious vial of donor sperm.  The last ICI vial had 16 million motile sperm post wash and 34 million pre wash - which I considered to be overkill for my one (clearly defective) egg.  The reason I have not been getting pregnant is nothing to do with not having enough sperm!

Apparently they thawed 10 million but only got 1.5 million motile sperm and the quality was Not Good. So another scraping at the vial gave me a total of nearly 5 million.  They refused to tell me how many they thawed the second time, but they did say there appeared to be a good bit left still frozen.

The head of the sperm lab was not at all keen to try splitting the vial - but after months of negotiating and cajoling she agreed to give it a go. (I discovered that this vial was frozen the same day as the last one, so I assured them there should be plenty).  If there is enough left in the vial to do an IVF cycle or  a donor egg cycle that will be good enough for me.

Count down,
Insemination,  I feel a very special energy around my uterus.  On breast feeding Sage 3 hours later I notice my nipples are already sore. I sleep really well. Have a wonderful dream that I am pregnant with a boy.  He is manly but not the fighting type.
Day 1. I feel awful, heavy, exhausted, huge pains in uterus area, not sure if I have an allergic reaction or if I have a stomach bug.  Cervix closed and high.  I call in sick from work for the day.  Doubled over in pain for an hour or so.
Day 2 After acupuncture I feel much better, cervix high and egg white fluid !!- (really?)
Day 3  On looking in the mirror I notice my skin looks rather good, extra smooth.  Distinct stabbing pains about 4 times in right side of uterus - or ovary.  a good day.  My nipples are still sore.
Day 4. Nipples less sore but whole breast area enlarged and actually painful close to under arm.  Either I will get my period very soon or I am pregnant.  In the afternoon, I lose my focus, so lye on bed for a second, and am awaked 90 minutes later by the babysitter needing to leave.  I notice the smallest ever spec of blood (too soon for implantation bleeding)  perhaps my period is coming.  Cervix suddenly low down and open.
Day 5.  I have implantation bleeding.  I am quite delighted - until it slowly dawns that actually I am having a full blown period!
I bleed for 6 days.

On the plus side my skin is looking better than ever.  I feel as though I look 5 years younger - but am waiting for someone to say it (un prompted)!

I realize my skin started improving as I added in the 86 mg of daily zinc from Foresight Preconception.  (This is a huge dose).  What surprises me is how quickly it worked - it wasn't as though I had been taking no zinc before.  There should have been 15mg in my prenatal.  Also I had tried taking sublingual zinc - between 30-50mg a day - but I found it hard to drink - and never noticed any improvement from it.

Worryingly I remain rather too optimistic.   If the zinc can make my face look so good - what wonderful things can it do for my eggs?   The hypnotherapy seems to be working - a little too well perhaps!