The Two Week Wait

There is this thing in the infertility world, feared by all who have to face it...The Two Week Wait! It is the two weeks between ovulation and when AF is due. It is by far the longest, most unbearable, frustrating time in a fertility cycle.

What makes it so bad? Aren't the drugs and RE appointments worse? NO They are not.

In this 2 weeks the egg fertilizes (or not), implants, and either you are pregnant or AF comes. Women in the 2ww spend the agonizingly long hours of the day analyzing every twitch, fart, and cramp in their abdomen and lady parts. We spend hours on Dr. Google taking quizzes to determine if we are pregnant, figuring out what our expected due date would be, and comparing symptoms with each other.

I am totally serious here.

It is even worse if you are put on progesterone. Progesterone is the hormone that elevates after ovulation to make your endometrium nice and beefy and homey for the little egg, and some women don't make enough (which is actually a pretty common cause of miscarriage). Many REs put their fertility patients on it automatically just to be safe. Progesterone side effects mimic pregnancy symptoms and lead to a lot of women (and their significant others) to believe they are pregnant when they are not.

Another fun thing about progesterone is it comes in all different forms: pills, shots, gels, creams, and suppositories (vaginal). Some are worse than others. The pills are easy, but have to metabolize in the liver, so many REs don't like them (I used them with Tyler. Suited me just fine!) The shots hurt (I've heard). The gels are inserted into the vajayjay and have to be scraped out, but don't leak (I've heard). I don't know anyone who has used the cream as Drs orders, but its out there. Most people get to experience the suppositories. They aren't painful or anything, but they melt...and leak. GROSS! Nobody likes the suppositories.

So anyways, if you know someone in the 2WW, be a pal and keep them busy so they don't go nutsy!



:P

Katie