Saline Infusion Sonohysterography (SHG)

My last RE ordered a SHG back in November.  An SHG is checking for adhesions, polyps, fibroids and any other abnormalities in the uterus.   It came back 100% unremarkable meaning there were no issues.  My current RE ordered another one just to make sure nothing had grown and again the test came back unremarkable.  You would think that when a test come back perfect they would have a better term than unremarkable, it makes my uterus sound so boring.  

My unremarkable uterus (it's the black oval in the middle)

I am writing this post mainly out of frustration of my very first RE who I spent 2 year with and three IUIs and three IVFs all of which were BFN!   When I was first diagnosed as infertile, it was such a shock.  You are thrown into this world of unknown and you hear works and phrases you just don't understand.  My RE came highly recommended and I just followed him blindly.  The only thing he tested was my Vitamin D, AMH and FSH and STDs on both of us.  They then sent me in for the dreaded HSG test and after that came back fine, we jumped right into the IUIs.  After those failed, we were pushed into IVF before we knew what hit us.  At that point, the tested Ryan's sperm and then it was full speed ahead with failed back to back to back IVFs.  Even though my SHG came back unremarkable, I find it crazy that a simple and pretty much painless test wasn't performed before any infertility treatments.  I have many friends in the IF world where they did find something on that test and usually it needs to be dealt with before you can move forward.  There are several other tests that can be run before jumping into treatment and I suggest doing them all.  Not only are almost every single test cheaper than one failed IUI, the heartbreak you receive after hearing the news of a BFN is devastating.  If you can ward those off by some simple tests, do them.  Other important, but usually overlooked tests are: MTHFR (tests for a gene mutation in which you can't process folic acid), Iron (if you are anemic, the chances of implantation failure is extremely high)and thyroid.  Insurance covered all these tests for me including SHG because that is a diagnostic test and not fertility related.  

So back to the SHG.  This test is relatively quick and relatively painless.  The first time it took about 5 mins and the second time it took longer only because they had to insert the catheter twice and by longer it was about 10 minutes. The picture to te left is all that is needed for this test.  The container on the right in the saline and they don't even use all of that.  The container in the middle is the iodine for cleaning.  Below that is the catheter and the syringe is to fill the saline into the catheter.  

Here's hoping that everyone out there is unremarkable as well :) 

Thanks for reading,

HEATHER