Hopeful

Usually making a positive post is the kiss of death (remember my Signs post, followed the next morning with SD1?). I am going to try it again though. Ever the optimist (snort).

I just had an awesome talk with my OB, who I still love.

She told me that MDs no longer put so much focus on the length of the lutel phase as they did in the past and that it isn't usually enough to be a problem on its own. This was a relief and made some sense- Mrs. Wonderful is pregnant (with doubling betas!) and her LP was 9 days usually.  OB asked me how long it took to conceive Blue Sunday- 2 months really trying, 6 if you count not preventing. She felt that that may have set me up with some unrealistic expectations, that it can take perfectly healthy couples a year. She also said that I am too early for an infertility work-up, but that there are some things that she can look into because of the surgery. I took this to mean that she can take a look in fear that the surgery broke me. I have a blood test tomorrow morning before work (CD3)  and then an ultrasound a week from tomorrow- CD10. That will look to see if my tubes are open and my uterus looks normal. It is called a Hysterosalpingogram (HSG). I am excited at the prospect of making sure all is well in there, but I have to go to the same U/S room (there is only one) and the same U/S tech (ditto) as I did for the Level II scan and amnio with Blue Sunday. It will be the day after I would have been due. 

Hawthorne Effect

I am assuming that I have mentioned, but I am too lazy to check, that I am getting my Master's in Public Health. Yes, this is a dorky, crunchy, hippy, liberal thing to do- I am aware that I don't quite fit the mold, but I do like it and it is very interesting. Once of the topics we cover (ad nauseam) is types of bias that can arise when conducting studies. One is called the Hawthorne Effect. The Hawthorne Effect was first found (and the named coined) when a researcher analyzed and older study done at a production plant called Hawthorne Works. Researchers wanted to see if workers were more productive in high or low levels of light. The study showed that workers were more productive when the study was taking place and less productive before and after the study was in session. Essentially the Hawthorne Effect is someone is participating in a study reacting  more positively than  they would had they not been a participant, purely because they are under study. 

Why am I telling you this? I needed to study and I thought it would be good to type it all out :)

Just kidding, actually, I am hoping this blood work and the HSG provide me with Hawthorne Effect and gets me pregnant this cycle. There is evidence that women become pregnant after HSG when compared to other women. The study I read was from 1993, so I am not going to bother linking it, but there is anecdotal evidence all over the internet. Is this real? May be, but if I get pregnant with a sticky, healthy embryo that turns into a baby for me to raise I really don't care WHY I got pregnant.