Fertility Treatment: Artificial Insemination

For anyone struggling to get pregnant, artificial insemination can significantly help a couple conceive. Although every couple will be different, the results (pregnancy) are worth the expense, time, and emotional roller coaster.

If you’ve tried to get pregnant, with no results, you know all to well how hopeless, discouraging,and difficult this can be. We all want to think that if we try to get pregnant, we will get pregnant. That, of course, is not always the case. For many women, trying to conceive is a long, drawn out journey that needs a little extra push. That help being artificial insemination. Even though each doctor can’t guarantee success, the stats prove that this is a worthwhile method that can and should be considered.

What is Artificial Insemination?

This is a process that often takes time, energy, money, and patience. This process happens when the sperm is injected into the woman’s vagina, right at the opening of the cervix. This procedure is done in the doctor’s office and usually takes no longer than fifteen to twenty minutes. The doctor may have the patient lay for a while. This is more for the patient than any other thing. Some say it hurts so they like to lay there until the pain goes away. Others say there was no pain but they like to stay elevated to give them more chances of the sperm getting to the egg.

Either way, this process does require patience. Once the sperm has been inserted, it is then a waiting game to see if the period arrives or if the woman is pregnant. This can sometimes be the hardest time. Who likes the wait? No one!

After the Artificial Insemination

After the AI (Artificial Insemination), the woman will want to relax for the rest of the afternoon. This is a great day to plan ahead for dinner. Better yet, have your spouse take you out to eat after the procedure. Try to stay optimistic and hopeful no matter how hard it is to think of the maybe’s we can all think of.

Understand the Procedure

When you have your first consultation with the doctor, he will give you information on the type of procedure he recommends. It’s all right to be nervous. Take a deep breath and remember why you are there. It is important to not be afraid to ask the specialist lots of questions. Don’t leave without all your questions answered. At the end of the day, this is your body. So don’t be afraid to be direct.

Shots, Shots, and Shots

There is one process of artificial insemination that gives me the shakes even as I write this. When I found out I would have to give myself a shot, I must confess, I freak-ed out. Give myself a shot? The truth is that they say this itsy bitsy shot really doesn’t hurt much. It’s a 1-2-3 and you’re done. For me, it was terror. I couldn’t give the shot to myself and you know what? It’s ok to admit you can’t do it. That is why we have spouses to help us through those difficult moments when we just can’t do it. Thankfully, I didn’t have to give myself the shot. It was over before I knew it and I could smile through the wobbly tears. It was worth it if I got pregnant.

Remember Why

At every step of this process, the emotions will be high strung, frustrating, and even hopeless at times. Whether it is the embarrasment of walking into the Infertility Specialist office or fear of giving yourself a shot. If we can remember why we are doing all this — it will be worth it in the end. That baby we hope to hold in our arms makes every bit of this worth it. I know you know what I’m talking about because you feel it too. Our faith and hope that we will hold a baby in our arms, keeps us trying. At the end of a long day, remember why you are doing this. It will keep you going another day.

Be Hopeful!

There is nothing worse than the despair of emotions than can come after the artificial insemination procedure. There are more if’s than we can imagine. Somehow, through the tidal wave of emotions, it is important to find some way to stay hopeful. Each person will find something different that will help them : journal, pray, exercise, vacation — the list goes on and on. Find that one thing that helps you get through the days leading up until you can test for pregnancy.

Relationships Matter

If there was one thing I could tell you to do throughout the infertility process, it would be to keep your relationship with your spouse strong.

The bad days will come.

The expenses will come.

The days of doubt will come.

The negative pregnancy tests will come.

The hopelessness will come.

The feeling that you’re pregnant will come.

The tiny arguments with your spouse will come.

All of these things are natural emotions throughout the infertility process. I wish I could say that you won’t ever have one of these traumatic emotions, but I can’t. Infertility is one of the most difficult things I’ve ever gone through. The truth is if you can create a strong foundation — if you didn’t have this already — you will be one step ahead of the game. The more connected you are with your spouse will help you to take each day, one step at a time.

As I look back at my own struggles, my infertility journey, I can see how having a strong marriage has gotten us through the hardest of days. A healthy relationship is everything during the infertility struggle, even more so as you begin to do fertility treatments. The truth is we could have never known how difficult life would be once we began the treatments. It was only through prayer and living each day with faith that we have gotten through.

I hope these tips help you in some way. Each of us will have our own struggles, even if the methods we use are the same. Fertility treatments can get us one step closer to getting pregnant so I can’t say I’m not for them. Anything that will help us conceive is worth trying. I hope you have found that one thing that helps you toward conception.

Reference:

• www.associatedcontent.com/article/5967606/infertility_myths_uncovered.html?cat=52
• www.associatedcontent.com/article/1459549/fertility_foods_for_women.html?cat=52