To all the nurses trying to conceive, every day, the idea of trying to conceive is continuously on your mind. I have spent the last three years with a fertility specialist and even put together a cycle tracker. When I got married, three other colleagues within two months of my wedding also married. Before their first anniversary, all of them became pregnant. As I approach three years of marriage, they are now pregnant with baby number two. Throughout the process of fertility doctors and constant testing, I have come across four areas of concern.
#1 The Testing
Throughout the cycle, I take two tests, a Luteinizing Hormone (LH) to test for ovulation and HCG or Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, the pregnancy test. Women with more regular cycles may only test for LH for a few days or a week out of their cycle. On the other hand, I test daily until I find my peak, which could take multiple months without medications. Approximately two weeks after ovulation, you will either result with a position pregnancy test or begin menstruation. Typically, it would help if you tested with concentrated urine every morning, but every morning’s luxury does not exist when you work the night shift. My fertility specialist has advised me that the same time is more critical than the urine concentration. Testing at different times of the day may result in missing the peak completely. I have an alarm that goes off at 2:45 pm every afternoon. Make a habit of it to understand your cycle.
#2 The Medication
When writing this, I have not yet started IUI (Intrauterine Insemination) or IVF (In-vitro Fertilization). Still, I have been trying timed intercourse with hormones to guide my cycle and keep it on track. On cycle day one or two, I begin to take a medication to stimulate ovulation for five days. When instructed, I get a trigger shot to aid the ovulation. Then a few days later, start on suppositories before sleep to help the potential pregnancy. In between each medication, I have ultrasound appointments to ensure my ovaries and uterus function the way they should. Pills in the morning are sufficient. Before bed, the suppository brings up the same questions as testing, same time each day, or absorption. Since the suppository are supplemental and a hormone already produced in the body, the same time of day is not as important as the hormone’s absorption and use before sleep.
#3 The Stress
The biggest advice given is to relax and don’t stress. But what about the day-to-day stress on a hospital floor. I am usually a high-stress person. I am mentally ready for anything to happen on the floor. But that means my hormone levels increase, which potentially leads to other issues like blood pressure. Try to change your mindset. If anything begins to go wrong, you are not alone. Take your time. If a medication is five minutes late, it will be okay. Finish what you’re working on before moving to the next. These thoughts I’ve notice help with the mental stress—the physical of a situation.
#4 The bombardment of illness
Whether you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant, the worry about illness and bacteria, stay rigid with PPE. Remember to wash your hands before donning and after doffing gloves, wear your mask and gown. It’s always scary, but I have seen pregnant nurses on a COVID unit and all other isolations.
Have you been pregnant or trying to conceive? What do are you more aware of during your shift?