Getting Pregnant

My story begins June 2007, when Vonn and I decided we wanted to start a family. We were so excited. I bought the FIRST RESPONSE® Easy-Read Ovulation Test. and was eager to begin our attempts at baby making. After all, I had an irregular cycle and needed help predicting those fertile days.

Vonn and I had been busy with work and hadn't really committed to the process yet, but we still managed 2 attempts in between my cycles. When I was at work the next day, I felt a cramping in my left side, which was ovulation. It was occasionally painful for me, but this time, I was excited. I knew I had to be pregnant since we'd done the deed the night before.

Now I had already purchased the 3 pack of the FIRST RESPONSE® Early Result Pregnancy Test and was ready to go. The box said, you'd get a positive result up to 5 days before a missed period. So on July 3rd I woke up and peed on my stick, after all, this was 5 days, and my pee was supposedly loaded with hormones in the morning.

Now peeing on this stick was a tricky maneuver. Not as easy as you may think. The instructions say 5 sec not 4 or 6, but 5. Add to that, the stream is not a trickle and you don't want back splash on your hand... So Step 1: Assume the position. Step 2: Pee on the stick, careful not to back splash on my hand and count to 5. Step 3: Eager anticipation and 3 minutes later.... nothing. Negative. Okay, I sucked it up, no big deal, I'll try again tomorrow.

Morning July 4th. Surely if I'm prego, I'll get a positive result today. Buuuut no such luck. Another negative result. So I tell Vonn, it is a no go this month and we'll have to keep trying. Oddly, he didn't object...

Now I don't know why, but I was out of tests. I don't recall when I'd used the 3rd one, but I did. So on Friday, I went to Target to buy another 3 pack. When I got home, I was talking to my sister. (She's very supportive and always full of advice. Including the one to scrap the ovulation test and just have at it every other day.) I told her that I wasn't pregnant yet, but had just purchased more tests. She asked if I was sure, and I told her I was. I was spotting on Thursday and I usually spot for 1 to 2 days before my cycle. Then I thought out loud and realized that I had not been spotting that day. That I did read that there could be some spotting from the implantation of the embryo. So my sister got excited and told me to pee on a stick. After about 10 minutes of encouragement, I decided I would. Despite the fact that I had just peed 30 minutes ago, I thought I could pee again.

So I pee a weak stream of about 3 seconds and think great, not enough pee, I just wasted a test. But I put the test strip on the sink and watch as the urine moved across the screen, then I see it... the first pink line, followed by the control line and I get excited. Then I realize, hey that is a very faint line... maybe not, so I do want anyone would do. I take a picture with my phone and send a sister a pix message. I get an immediate phone call and confirmation that the test is indeed positive.