So yesterday it began. What I like to call the “prep” phase. Like I said before, I was feeling a little anxiety about hopping on this ride again.  My last experience with this procedure was pretty painful.  Not as painful as the uterine biopsy– (That was more painful than birth), but painful all the same. However, the saline ultrasound, or sonohysterography as it is sometimes called, is an important step in determining infertility issues.  Here is a little background…*disclaimer:  The following is by no means intended to be medical advice and is solely intended to reflect my own experience and understanding.  You own experience may be different due to the advice and policies of your medical team*

The saline ultrasound generally takes about 3-10 minutes once it gets going.  You, of course, assume the position on the chair with the stirrups.  A speculum is inserted, which is the same instrument used in a PAP smear.  A catheter is then inserted into the cervical opening into the uterus, and a small amount of sterile saline (saltwater) solution injected into the uterus.  This will outline and highlight all the amazing stuff going on in there.  From there, an wand ultrasound is inserted and the doctor will examine all such amazing stuff, photograph it via the ultrasound machine, and give you the “what haps” on what he sees.  Here is a little diagram….

The purpose of the saline ultrasound is to determine if there are any polyps, fibroids, scarring or endometrium issues within the uterus.  It detects issues that generally cannot be seen with a traditional ultrasound.  Here are two examples  of the types of images produced by a saline ultrasound. The photo to the right shows the uterus before being blown up by the saline, and after the saline is injected (The black mass in the center).  This is what the results will look like for a normal, healthy saline ultrasound.  The photo to the right shows abnormal results with arrow A pointing to a large polyp, B is the Saline, and C is the wall of the uterus.

You can see how a polyp might impede implantation!

So many people ask, “Is it painful?” This is a challenging question for me to answer. I remember the first one I had a few years ago being pretty painful…like a 7 out of 10. This was mostly due to the speculum, cramping and catheter insertion. Speculums have always been pinchy for me, but others have now problem with speculums. My procedure yesterday can only be described as moderately uncomfortable and was over in like 2 minutes. Yay!!! I think the experience is different for everyone, but it is an invaluable tool in helping to pinpoint your fertility issue.

So the good news is:  My ultrasound came back amazing!  My doc’s word were, “Everything looks perfect!”  Well hot dang…..