Morning :) Sorry to have been away for a little while. I see a couple of questions have cropped up for me, so here goes (sorry if there's too much info, once I start I'm an expert witterer!)
Booboo the process with my clinic is really simple. It's basically to test for the LH surge using OPKs, then when you get your surge you phone the clinic and book an IUI appointment for roughly 24 hours later. Because I have decided that I don't feel the need to choose a specific sperm donor I don't even have to reserve the sperm.
When I get my LH surge I phone the clinic, say 'hello my name is INNS and I've just had my LH surge. I'd like to come in tomorrow for insemination at X o' clock and I would like a contactable sperm donor'. It's as simple as that!
They don't scan as a matter of course. I only had a scan last week because I had booked a trip to Copenhagen to time with the point in my cycle I had ovulated for the last six months but then my cycle went haywire! So as I was there anyway I thought I may as well ask for a scan to find out where things were at. That day, I walked into my clinic at 9am, explained the situation and 15 minutes later I had had a chat with a nurse and been scanned. I love my clinic! That scan showed one obvious lead follicle with a couple of others not far behind, and then some smaller ones that wouldn't be viable this month.
The insemination process itself is very straightforward. You just turn up at the clinic, sign a form, hop on a couch that has been specially designed to put you in the most comfortable and dignified position possible (as far as it can be with legs apart ;) ) ,then they insert a warmed speculum, then put a catheter into the cervix and insert the sperm. I'm hopeless with speculums and usually find them very painful but my clinic seem to know how to make it ok! Then they remove all the kit and leave you to chill out for half an hour in the lovely clinic room which has paintings and candles and music.
They don't give any specific advice for after the IUI apart from not to have a bath and avoid aerobic exercise.
I've read lots of different things about what to do and what not to do. You just have to decide which seem right to you. So I'm eating plenty of protein, eggs, milk, avocados, iron. I've given up badminton, cycling and Pilates for the two week wait. I'm keeping warm (sitting with my feet on a hot water bottle if necessary). The other thing I'm trying to do is to keep really chilled out. I can be a bit highly-strung at times so I've had stern words with myself about not letting work etc. stress me out.
Caution If I were to get a positive pregnancy test, my treatment at the clinic ends there. I will just go to my GP and everything will proceed in the same way as if I had become pregnant naturally. The clinic will contact me to check that the pregnancy is healthy at a certain point for their stats.
I've got a feeling that if/when I ever get a BFP I will pay for an early scan as I will want reassurance that everything is progressing as it should.