2006 Still At It!

[polkadot]

Ladies, i have another question. Has anyone ever tried the Sperm Meets Egg Plan? I have read the plan and it does seem doable but the thing is i think that is based on a 28 day cycle where you O on day 14. I know that the earliest I have ever o'ed was cycle day 18. The plan says to start BDing on day 10 everyday until you get a + OPK, then take a day off and then BD two more times. If i start BDing on day 10 that will be over a week before I O so does anyone think it will still be a good plan if i start to BD on day 14 and then follow the plan? I think that is what we will do anyway. But i was just wondering if that has worked for anyone else?

thanks

[gymwidow]

Hi all. Sorry I went MIA for a couple of days. Work exploded on Tuesday and since then I've been running to catch up. This is the first time I've been able to get to the computer for anything other than work!

Anyway, CD8 here and nothing going on. Tonight I take my last Clomid dose and we'll start BDing this weekend just in case I O on my own before my u/s next Thursday.

Sorry no time for SO's now. It's 6:30 on Friday and I think I should go home. :rolleyes: I'll be around more next week!

Have a great weekend everyone. :D

[Alioop12345]

Hi ladies- I triggered today with two follies so we'll see what happens.....

Hope everyone is doing well and has a great weekend!

[Lucy Van Pelt]

Ok - here's my long update...

AF started back on 1\8. I took my bc pills for the week and the following Saturday night/Sunday morning, I ended up in the emergency room with a migraine from hell - hysterically crying, throwing up, etc. I had some toradol via iv along with fluids and something for the nausea and got home around 4am. The toradol wore off later that day and I spent the next several days popping vicodin two at a time just to function. I stayed hom from work on Wednesday and, because I quit the bc pills on Saturday night, AF showed up again. No big deal - just an inconvenience. I called my RE and they set up an u/s appointment for Friday afternoon to check to see if my lining was ok to start my next round of femara.

Last night, I had my headache and took some vicodin, but it just didn't work. I went o bed and finally fell asleep around 10pm. I then woke up around 12:30am with another horrid fulllown migraine. I really should have gone right back to the emergency room, but I "decided" to try and tough it out. Mainly because I didn't feel like another $130 copay. It was just awful. I was in sooo much pain. DH just help me and did what he could to get me through it and I finally fell asleep around 5am. I woke up again to the same pain around 6am and called the doctor for the first available appointment. I was able to go in at 8:30am for another shot of toradol and I got a scrip for Midrin which I had not tried before. I went home and managed to nap a bit before my RE appointment later in the afternoon.

My RE appointment was t 4:15pm. I actually met with the RNP, Marion. I just adore her. She is so nice and compassionate. Anyway, we went over my week of hell and did the u/s. The good news is that my lining was good so I am back on teh femara. I am also on baby aspirin and she gave me the ol' progesterone suppositories to use after I ovulate. She is also going to go over my issues with the high risk OB to see if I need to change up my migraine meds. She said I am now considered "high risk" now and when I do get pregnant. While the label scares me, I am thankful for the high level of care and monitoring I will receive from now on.

Ok - that's about it. I had dinner and had a nice pleuthera of pills to take. The toradol from this morning has worn off, but I think the Midrin is working. I just feel a little hazy and I will probably be calling it an early night. The migraines just REALLY wipe me out.

[tigerest]

HELP!

Tonights shot was a disaster!

Instead of having to give myself a small centritide shot each night, my RE gave me a mega dose, that is supposed to last me 3 nights.

Well while mixing it, somehow a ton of bubbles form, that wont go away. So DH draws it up into the syringe trying not to get the air in.

He sticks the needle and then notices there are 2 huge bubbles in there. So he takes it back out. We try and try to get the bubbles out, ya know you are supposed to push out the air until the fluid comes out. Well just fluid kept coming out. So we took the needle off and were able to get some air out. So we put the needle back on, and decide we can just inject the stuff up to the air bubble. So we do that.

We wasted alot. And it hurt like hell....

I will see my RE in the morning. But do you think it will be ok? Who knows if we got air in there or not. And I didnt even get the whole dose.

[Nigellas]

LUCY - Oh my gosh! How horrible! :( I can't imagine having a migraine like that. I hope you are feeling better now that you have those meds. Did your RE say anything about how the Femara (which can cause headaches) might affect your migraines?

tigerest - do you have the vials that you draw your dose from or are your syringes pre-filled? I ask because if you have the vial, you can draw back a little past your dose, keep the needle in the vial, push the air (and extra dose) out, that way you don't loose any meds. I can't answer your question about what will happen having not gotten the entire dose, but hopefully your RE will say it's not a problem.


Ag05 - Hoping this is your month! :) AG05 and the other IUI veterans - Would you mind sharing your IUI stories with me? What's it like?

Me? I've been up since 3AM with horrible cramps. Yes, CD 1 is here, after a week of cramps and supreme PMS craziness... Gonal-F starts Monday - A wee bit freaked about that whole ordeal, but also a little hopeful that maybe that will finally get me my baby.

[katmg]

Alioop - Hopefully this is it for you!

Lucy - Oh, I'm so sorry about the migranes. How awful. At least your lining was okay so you can start again right away.

Tiger - Oh dear, I'm really not very knowledgable about shots. I would think it would be okay about the air, since it was a muscular shot and not in a vein. I'm sure the RE will know!

Nigellas - Hopefully this next cycle will be it for you.

Me - I've been impatiently waiting for AF to show up so that I can start taking my Clomid and time things correctly with DH's steroids so that we have the best shot of healthy egg meeting healthy swimmers. I've been crampy all week and just kept thinking GET ON WITH IT. Well, I'm not so sure that AF is going to show up for awhile...

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6df00b3127cce96abf575fcff00000016108AatWbJw3btN

Does that look like two lines to you??:D

[Alioop12345]

Holy Crap KAT!!! That's awesome!! Congrats!!!


Me: My arse is hurting from my HcG shot....Just waiting patiently really:cool:

[thedoorchick]

Nigellas, I've had two IUI's, going on three.

I drop the 'boys' off about 8 in the morning to be prepared then come back for my appt at 9:30. When I come back they put me in one of the u/s rooms and have me undress from the waist down, similar to when I get an u/s. They bring the vial and ask me to identify my name on it (That is really funny to me, because I can see that my name is on the vial but that doesn't tell me it's the same thing as I dropped off an hour before! Not that I don't trust them to keep it all straight but it just struck me as funny that they're so particular about my verifying the identity before we start, as if that really tells me anything).

The RE will use a speculum so he can see my cervix, and thread a catheter through into the uterus. Then the prepared sperm are inserted through the catheter. They tilt the table so my hips are elevated and my head is lower (which kind of makes me feel like I'm about to slide off the table) and I stay that way for about 15 minutes. Then I get dressed and am free to go.

The first time it all went really quick. The second time, for some reason he had a hard time getting the catheter inserted. Maybe it wasn't this long but it felt like it took about 3-4 minutes. I wanted to say, "what are you doing down there?!"

katmg, WOO HOO! Congrats!

Lucy, I am so sorry - What an ordeal!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~

I am happy to be almost done with this wasted cycle so we can move on. AF should be making an appearance around the middle of next week. I am traveling on business Monday-Tuesday so I hope she waits till after I return.

[knoelani]

Holly Crap, Kat that's a BFP! :) Congrats!

[ag05]

I had 3 long posts with shoutouts that got eaten. Maybe theres a time limit or something. I will be back later to try again. At this point my DH has chased me off the computer.

[jennylou]

Congrats Kat!

[suzfuzsunflower]

Congratulations, Kat! That is a BEAUTIFUL line! :D

[polkadot]

katmg- Congrats...H&H 9 months to you!!!

Lucy- that sucks...i get migraines often and have a perscription of fiorinol...and they seem to really help when i get a really bad one. Also, the dr. said when i get PG i can take fioriset, which doesnt have aspirin in it...i hope you get to felling better soon. What is midrin? Is it specifically for migraines? I would like to try anything new they hae out there b/c i have tried Maxalt, Imitrex and Zomig, none of them really help after i use them once or twice. Thanks...hope you feel better soon:D

[katmg]

Thanks everybody - I was shocked and excited. I bought DH a onesie that says "I love Daddy" on it from Baby Gap and two books on the male perspective of pgncy and gave that to him when he got home from work this afternoon. :D It doesn't feel real yet, until I go to the doctor and have everything confirmed I'll probably still be lurking in here.

[ag05]

kat - Congratulations!

[Lucy Van Pelt]

Kat - CONGRATS!!!

Polka - Midrin is acetaminophen and not sure what else. It is for migraines and tension headaches. The capsules are HUGE, but since they are capsules and not pills, I have been able to choke them down. My doctor didn't mention either of the meds you take but I will ask about them if I continue to have issues. I also tried maxalt which worked a few times and not anymore. Imitrix just made me dizzy. It was awful.

Nigellas - Actually, I didn't have any headache issues from the femara. I had bad headaches with the clomid though - ick!!

[ag05]

Lucy - Sorry about that horrid migraine. Glad you are back on the Femara though

Nigellas - My IUI pretty much goes the same as doorchick described. If your DH is more than 30 minutes from the REs office though they will probably make him produce a sample at the REs office. The procedure itself doesn't last long at all. It was just a slightly uncomfortable feeling the first time and the second IUI I did have a pinch of pain with some spotting. Made me wonder if my cervix was closed or something. You will be surprised how easy it is though. They will probably make you and DH abstain for a day or two before the procedure but you can't abstain from BD longer than 5 days or so. I did find that my DH's washed count varied widely for each procedure (wierd) but they don't need too much for that. Good luck. I freaked a little bit starting Follistim just because of the multiples thing and also because I was afraid I would mess up giving myself the shot. It went okay though I think. I hope both IUI and Gonal F do the trick for you.

Tigerest - I hope you got some good news from the RE. I know our situations are different but I wanted to share with you that I was mixing up a luveris shot and lost about 10 drops or so of the medication trying to push out air. I didn't get it right the next time I did this either. I also had a giant air bubble that I couldn't get rid of so injected myself right up to the bubble and was thinking I injected myself with air. The nurse told me it was okay that I lost a bit of medication on one of the shots and that they allow for that. Its frustrating. I bet you will get the hang of it. My DH has a phobia of needles and steers clear of me when I'm giving myself a shot.

polkadot - I am not familiar with that method. I have tried so many things though. I feel like I end up wasting opportunities because I get tired of BD.

[polkadot]

lucy- i hope you are feeling better....but i think i got your migraine...its started in my neck and is still there but now its beginnign to form in my eye :rolleyes:

Brian just left to go listen to a band with some friends...he wanted me to go but i am still felling a little blue...i cried int he car by myself today :( .i told him i knew i would get a bad headache and then we woudlhave to leave but i jsut wanted himt o go without me....i feel like ever since i found out about the m/c all i do is think about what if this what if that? I havent felt **normal** since then. I am etiehr felling like I have a cold or i have a migraine. and last night was the first time we bded since m/c and it was so painful afterwards i wanted to cry. has this happened to anyone before after a m/c? I am jsut wondering if i am freakign out and doing myself more harm than good...

thanks in advance

[tigerest]

polkadot- I am so sorry. I think it will take a little while before your body gets back to normal. Take care of yourself in the meantime. {{HUGS}}

Lucy - UGH...that just sounds absolutely terrible!!! I hope your migraines go away soon!!!

Kat - Wow KAT congrats!!!

Nigellas - Thanks for the suggestion. They are just going to watch me a little more closely.

ag05 - Thanks. Glad I am not the only one to have these problems. I think its just more frustrating than anything. Ya know?

I am not having such a good 24 hours. First the shot fiasco. Then my appt. Originally I had 3 follicles on each ovary. But because of the cyst on my right side, my follicles on that side have stopped growing. :( My left side was always lagging to begin with, so ER is being postponed some more. Now Thursday looks like the day I will have my egg retrieval. And with possibly only 3 follicles. All is not lost, cuz it only takes one, but it is just frustrating to keep having things postponed, and things starting not to be as good as it seemed. But I am trying to stay positive. :)

[la_bride_2004]

polka I am mostly a lurker, but I wanted to comment on the Sperm Meets Egg plan- I would adjust to a later ovulation date, so if yours is day 18 start at day 14. For the rest, sending hugs. I went through 3 miscarriages last year after chemical pregnancies, and yes, it was really tough to resume BDing and quite painful. It took a few months after each one, to be honest.

kat looks like 2 lines to me! Sending doubling vibes. ;)

me I may be more active on this thread in a few months. I did have a hysteroscopy, and my uterus is "perfect"- no septum at all, which is great news! Just waiting for better SCSA scores in Feb. (cross fingers for me) and then hopefully we can try injectibles/IUI.

[Alioop12345]

I have a question for anyone using Gonal F or Letrezol.... I got my trigger on Friday and was told that I would have bloating and discomfort...UHM, yeah, discomfort was not quite the word last night. I felt like I had two baseballs for ovaries...and equated the pain more like passing kidney stones....It's better this morning but still there.... Is this normal. I didn't have this the first two cycles with Gonal F.... TIA

[julesp313]

Haven't been here in a while (it feels like) as I was on the road for work. Woo hoo (not). But I'm home now and hopefully for a few weeks - whoever said traveling for work is exciting and glamourous obviously never traveled for MY work.

Me - CD8, waiting to O, hoping that my cycle is back to normal now. DH has been put on notice for next weekend (he asked me to give him a heads-up when I expect to O so he can make sure he's well rested - awwww). I have some OPKs that I bought last cycle (ironically) so I might use them just for back-up to my chart - I have yet to NOT have a temp shift around CD14-17 so I'm assuming the OPKs will reflect that.

Lucy - ugh, sorry to hear you have such a horrible time with migraines. I curl up and cry with a basic headache so I can't even imagine how you get through a migraine.

Kat - CONGRATS! Woo hoo!

Polkadot - we didn't BD til about two weeks after I stopped bleeding from my m/c. It didn't hurt but neither of us was in the mood before that. I also did the "What if..." about the m/c, particularly as I found out my progesterone levels were so low and that may have caused it (or may have been the result of it) but a wise friend pointed out that even if I'd be on progesterone supps, who knows if that would have helped? I've stopped with the what if's because it gets me nowhere but miserable. I try to focus on the good - we CAN get pregnant. That's a good thing, as we'd gone 11 months without knowing if we could.

[wonderousglance]

I'm sorry I haven't been around to congratulate all the ladies with BFPs. Work has been crazy & life has been crazier. AF arrived today after a 57 day cycle. :( I had my RE do my annual on Wednesday & he wants me to come in for an ultrasound on cd 4 (wed) so he can see if I have a cyst. He's pretty sure I do. :( I had lap. surgery in March for pain in my left side (by my old gyn). I was told it was endo. but my ovaries looked fine. The pain has never gone away. When I told my RE, the first words out of his mouth were "it's probably a cyst". I am going to be seriously pissed if my gyn missed it when he did my surgery. :mad:

So if that goes ok & I get a + opk, we'll have the IUI this month. But knowing the way things go for me, something will happen to prevent that from taking place.

CONGRATS KAT! :)

[purplesunshine7]

hi ladies I am still here I have been reading your post but didn't feel like responding till now. I've been on vaca from work all week and it has been good a lot less stress. I think I am 1dpo but ff has my chart screwed up so I am not 100% sure. Today was my edd and dh birthday. It's going to be a tough day as I don't want to bring my dh down on his birthday but I can't help but to keep thinking that I should be holding my baby now. Iam going to set up a doc appt if this isn't our month, I am a little scared to do so because I am afraid they will tell us we can never concieve and that the first time was afluke. But I guess I shouldn't always think the worse. I saw a pychiatrist last week she did want to put me on meds but I told her we were ttc she said it was more important to have an emotionally stable mother than it was to worry about any possible side affects the drugs could have on a baby, Well i told her where she could stick herself and her drugs. My therapist said not to worry about it that she didn't think I needed the drugs but if I become unfunctional it reconsider.

POLKA: I am so sorry you have to go through this please take care of yourself and rest, I will keep you in my thoughs.

KAT: congrats:)

LUCY: I am so sorry you are in so much pain, I hope you feel better soon.

QUESTION: Has anyone had O pain so bad that they couldn't stand? I am assuming that is what it was. It did stop after a few hours. But after that it felt like a muscle would after you have used it too much. I thought maybe we just bd too much if that is possible.TMI (once a day for pass six days). well gotta go birthday boy woke up.

[amychris03]

Alioop12345
I was on Follistim (same difference)... Were you on a different
dose this month? I was super sore and bloated after my
injectables cycle after I triggered... My dr was actually worried
about OHSS because I had so many follies so she just said to
take it very easy lifting and drink lots of fluids such as
gatorade (some drs say not to drink it, im not sure which is
right, I just listened to my dr, and didnt get it) and V8. It
gradually improved over the next 3 days... Never hurts to
call and check with your dr though... If you are having the
discomfort, they may want to do an U/S and see if you
are having those types of symptoms so that they can
watch you! HTH!:)

[kazata]

KAT Congratulations! Definitely two lines there. Sending sticky vibes.

Tigerest Sorry to hear you are having a rough time. I'm afraid of needles so I can't imagine having to give myself shots, and I'm sorry you had to deal with air bubbles. I don't have any advice or knowledge though.

lucy Ugh. Sorry to hear about the migraines. I get migraines occassionally, and know how much it can suck.

purplesunshine I know some people get bad O pain. The only time I've felt unbearable pain around O was actually when I had cysts. But it's more like really bad cramps on one side only, and when it went away, it was just gone, not what you describe.

ME: I had my CD 10 ultrasound this morning. Things I like about the RE: My appointment was at 8:20 and I was out of there by 8:35. Plus, they have a TV monitor mounted in the corner of the room, so that while you are lying down having the ultrasound, you can comfortably see what the Doctor sees on the screen. Also, being at the RE's office, it is the Doctor that performs the exam, not a technician, which equals immediate feedback.

Here's the update:
Uterus looked good, lining was at 9 or 10 (I don't know what the measurement was in? Didn't catch what he said).
Right Ovary has a follicle that is 14 by 16 (again, I think it's milimeters, right?)
Left Ovary, nothing developing.
No CM yet in the cervix (I didn't realize they could see this on the ultrasound!)

His estimate was that I would O (from the right, obviously) on Wed. or Thursday. Our "assignment" is to BD on Tuesday night, and I have an appt. on Wed. morning for a post-coital exam. I hope that means that by Tuesday night I will have EWCM, because otherwise that test will be worthless.

Anyone else have a post-coital?

[knoelani]

purple~ Sorry about the pain! I've had very painful pops before, both from o'ing and from cysts rupturing. I hope your dh has a good birthday.

kazata I'm not help on the post-coital exam, never had to do it. Maybe someone in this wonderful CC world can help give some advice.

wonderous~ Hopefully it's not a cyst and you'll be able to do the IUI this month.

Update on me~ Today was my CD3 check, back at the RE after a few month break. I'm excited that we're back to doing something constructive about this now instead of just doing the "Woe is me" routine. The good news, we're back at the RE and we're moving forward again. The bad news, I have a 14mm cyst. My RE said that she wasn't worried until it reached 15mm, then we'll take a closer look at it. We're going to do 150mg clomid / trigger / IUI again this cycle, but for the last time. If the cyst grows, we won't do anything but work on the cyst. If the cyst doesn't grow and I respond to the clomid well, which I don't always do, we'll do the trigger & IUI in about a week & 1/2. If the IUI is not sucessful this time, we're going to do a lapascropy and if everything is ok there, move on to injectables. I may also have problems with my lining. She said it's always been on the thin side, but not enough to worry her (what does worry her?), just barely sufficient. So that's something else we need to look into.

So two questions, 1) Anyone ( tiger?) know of a CC thread that discusses the different kinds of injections and costs and experiences? I searched earlier, couldn't find anything, but may be searching under the wrong thing.
2) Where can I find more info on thin linings?

I'm excited that we have a plan and that we're moving forward with treatment. Not too excited about the rest of it, but hopefully we'll have more answers soon. OR the IUI will work and we won't have to worry about it :)

Hi to everyone else, hope everyone's having a good day!

[knoelani]

Threadmistress Can you replace my stats on the first page with this? Thanks!

knoelani
Me: K / 29
DH: B / 33
TTC: 12-2001
Dx: Late ovulation, PCO w/ 80% of symptoms of PCOS, SA issues
1-05: 50 mg Clomid
1-28-5: HSG, all clear
2-05: 100mg Clomid, 1500 mg Metformin
3-05: 100 mg Clomid, 1500 mg Metformin
4-05- DH SA poor results, clomid break, still taking 1500 mg Met
5-6-5: DH SA & urologist appointment: A okay
6-16-05: 1st RE appointment
7-05: 100mg Clomid
8-05: 150mg Clomid, 1st IUI - Failed
9-05: 150mg Clomid, 2nd IUI - Failed
10-05 to end of year: Break from all things medical
1-06: 150mg clomid, 3rd IUI


Ok, that's getting way too long, I'm gonna take up a whole page soon!

[Patience]

katmg: Congratulations! I'm so happy for you and your DH! I'm sure your DH is relieved that he doesn't have to go through any treatments. Happy and healthy 9 months to you. :D

[marteneym]

Kat CONGRATS!

Lucy Sorry about the horrid migraine{{{HUGS}}}

Temps are on the way down. Af should be here any day. Hoping I o early again this coming cycle. I will start opk's much earlier this time.

[Nigellas]

My updated stats:


Nigellas
Me: Kerry
DH: Chris
Married: 8.7.01
TTC: Off and on since 2001.
4 miscarriages (11 wks, 19 wks, 6 wks and 12 wks)
RE is stumped – unexplained infertility and RPL.
5 failed Femara cycles
Currently on Gonal-F with IUI

[cc8]

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post, but I wasn't sure where to go. Once upon a time, there was a PCOS FP thread but I can't seem to find it (I did the search option). Can someone direct me to the next closest/relevant thread? Thank you!

[gator97]

katmg---Gorgeous lines!!!

purple--I have very painful ovulation---to varying degrees. Last month it was painful to walk. Sometimes it is more like a pinch. I have endometriosis and I don't know if it has something to do with that.

Threadmistress--please update stats to include: DH SA 1/06- normal

Big relief there. We have a consult on Wednesday to discuss our first medicated cycle. Nervous, excited to be moving forward.

[Alioop12345]

Amychris-Thanks for your response. I did get a stronger dose of the Gonal F this month. I had about 12 follies, two of which were mature...


postcoital exam Can't remember who asked about this and DS is playing right now so I don't have much time but I had one about 6 months ago. DH and I had "relations" in the early morning and I had to be at my Doc's office about 3 hours later. He did a Huner (sp?) swab to check the number of sperm, morphology and motility.... He wanted to make sure his sperm got along well with my CM.... HTH


I am really upset with my RE's office. I triggered on Friday and I was supposed to call this morning and give them my temps. I was told that I needed to come in for an U/s next Wednesday. I only work 2 1/2 days a week (usually just two) so you would think there wouldn't be a problem getting me in. Well the gal I spoke with reemed me a new one. I told her I had to work Wednesday morning until 11 and could I come in after...she said No because Dr. Cline wanted to see me, I needed bloodwork and an U/S. I still don't understand why...I'll either be PG or not...let's get the bloodtest and see and then decide what to do from there....what's the U/S for? Anyway...I explained that I only work two days a week and that I really can't take time off both days (I've been having to go in there 2-3 times a week and for some reason, they always want me in there on the days I work). I just don't get it. The office hours are crappy: Mon, Tue Thur 9:15-4 but they close for lunch from 12-1:15. Wed and Friday they are only open fdrom 9:15-11:30. I work in the healthcare profession and have my OWN patients scheduled....SO NOW, I feel like I am being judged and that they don't think I deserve to get PG because I am not "willing" to do whatever it takes. I mean, I am spending a lot of money each month on all the office visits and drugs.........

I just want to cry.....

[kemorr]

knoelani - just popping in from lurkdom to answer some of your questions (I'm mostly over in IVF thread these days). As to your lining questions - Clomid is often the prime cause of a thin lining. It is an anti-estrogenic drug, and it is estrogen that causes the lining to thicken. This is one of the reasons why some REs prefer letrozole to Clomid. I had a thin lining on all my Clomid cycles, but once I started injectibles it ceased to be an issue. During my Clomid cycles they had me on aspirin to help thicken the lining. Other methods include estrogen supplements (either estrace or estrogen patches) or in severe cases, viagra (which is usually very effective).

As far as the injectibles go, I can tell you my experience. I think for IUIs, most REs either use Gonal-F or Follistim, which is the same drug, just a different manufacturer. I did 4 cycles of Gonal-F with IUIs. I had insurance coverage, luckily, but I went through 2 x 450 IU pens for 2 cycles, 2.5 x 450 IU pens for 1 cycle and 3 x 450 IU pen for the final cycle (the third cycle was a long stim at a low dose and resulted in horrible follies, so the final cycle the dose was increased). My copay each time was only $25 but I think the pens sell for approx $500 each (so $1000-1500 per cycle, if I was self pay). Each cycle also included a trigger HCG shot. I can't help you with Follistim costs, I think it may be a little cheaper.

hope that helps and goodluck!

Edited to add experiences with it - never really a problem. The Gonal-F was easy to administer with only the rare bruising. The only time I had side effects was on my last cycle where I had 4 mature follicles. I got very mild OHSS 3-4 days after trigger for that cycle, but it was solved by drinking lots of gatorade, rest and unfortunately a negative pregnancy test. I didn't find my injection cycles all that much more stressful than my Clomid cycles, although there is a lot more monitoring (blood and ultrasound), so you feel like a pin cushion after a while.

[tigerest]

Quick drive by post for HCG shot help....

They didnt give me very good instructions so if anyone could help I would really appreciate it!

How do I know where in my butt to put it? Does it matter?

Does the needle go in all the way? In at an angle?

How do you usually do it? Should I lay down on my stomach for DH to put it in?

And is it ok to warm the stuff up a bit before?

[gator97]

Alioop--I'm so sorry that you are having a tough time with your RE. Hope it gets better.

Quick question regarding DH's SA: The nurse said it was a "normal" semen sample and then broke it down into the different pieces. Volume, concentration, count were all really great. The rapid progression was below what they look for but they said they look for rapid progression at greater then 25% OR rapid and slow together at 50%. His rapid progression was a bit below what they look for but they also look at rapid and slow together and his slow met the criteria.

Huh?

I know we go on Wednesday but I prefer to be informed before we go. Any guidance would be appreciated.

[knoelani]

kemorr Thank you! I really appreciate the thoughts and info, I've been full of questions today and not finding a lot of answers. My insurance doesn't cover any fertility meds, so it looks like we're going to be out of pocket a lot! Thanks again and I hope you're doing well! I've lurked over there to keep track of ya'll.

tiger Every time I've had the trigger administered it's always w/ me standing, leaning over something with the hip relaxed that the shot is going into. It's always been in the upper back part of the hip / butt.

[Alioop12345]

Tiger Regarding the HcG- I wuld have someone administer it for you. I am always standing too...It goes in the upper outer quadrant of the hip.... The needle does go in all the way but it doesn't hurt if it is done right...the pain comes later...about 12 hours later...my hip feels warm and extremely tender for about 24 hours.... HTH

[Hangin'in]

Tiger Is your HcG shot IM or SubQ? Mine were always SubQ (not in the muscle), and I was told to give them in my belly.

[Nigellas]

Tiger Is your HcG shot IM or SubQ? Mine were always SubQ (not in the muscle), and I was told to give them in my belly.

Ditto that. I was basically told anywhere fatty - Tummy, thigh, butt - The stomach is easiest for me to reach, so that's where it goes.
:)

[gymwidow]

Hi ladies. CD12 and not much happening. DH left town this morning for a few days, so I'm just hoping I either O'd really early yesterday (had some brownish EWCM yesterday and my temp went up a little bit today, but not a lot and I hadn't been soundly sleeping for about an hour before I took it, so who knows), or won't O before I go to the doc on Thursday for my u/s and trigger shot. We're still planning for the IUI on Friday.

I'm so sorry I went MIA for so long. Last week at work things just exploded and I didn't have a minute to myself. Our weekend was filled with ILs and stuff and I didn't even turn the computer on once. I'm going to go back and catch up on the last 8 pages or so and will jump back in from here.

I hope everyone's week is off to a great start! :)

[marteneym]

Spot is here, Af will be following soon.
We have now been TTC 16months.

[julesp313]

HELP! Can someone give me OPK 101 please? I have 20 of them and want to use them this month just to try and really REALLY pinpoint O. Do I have to use two a day? And not pee for four hours? I don't think I can do that - I drink too much to hold it for that long! And I have to look for a test line darker than the control line, and that means... what? I've O'd? About to O? Argh - am OPK dummy!

[tigerest]

Jules - If you really ant to catch it I would test first thing in the morning and then again in the evening around 7pm. I never held my pee for 4 hours. Just as long as you can, and don’t drink too much water so your pee will be more concentrated. If the test line is as dark or darker than the control line that means you should be O'ing in the next 24 to 48 hours. Hoep that helps.

Marteneym - Sorry, that sucks! :(

Gymwidow - Hope you guys catch your O. Good luck.

Hangin'in and Nigellas - Thanks. It was an IM one, but I ended up calling my nurse and she explained it over the phone. Wasn't as bad as I thought.

Alioop - My Dh does them for me.I ended up just leaning over the bed. It didn't hurt at all like you said. And I am not too sore today. So I think I got lucky! Thanks. Sorry about your office being a pain. Doesn’t it always seem that way, they want you only during the time you can't get in. :(

Kazata - Thanks. Yes, I am afriad of needles too….so this has been quite the experience for me. Everything sounds good from your appt. Good luck!

Purplesunshine -Yes I have had O pains that were so bad I had to sit or lay down. And they would last for several hours. I hope yesterdayw asn't too hard for you. {{HUGS}}

Knoelani - I ended up leaning over the bed which worked out great! Thanks.Sorry about your cyst! Ugh….why do those things pop up at the worst times! I hope yours stays the same and it not a problem. About your questions….I am not sure of anything on CC, the ladies in the IVF thread have a lot of great answers. Recently, while searching for stuff I have gone to...

http://www3.fertilethoughts.com/forums/index.php


http://www.ivfconnections.com/


http://www2.mc.duke.edu/ivf/mixing1.htm#General%20mixing%20directions


Thanks for the shot help recently! Ugh, I hate those. But the good news was that I got to trigger last night. Yay! My retrieval will be tomorrow morning at 8:30. I am excited but super nervous too! I hate IV's for one, I hate anesthesia, and I am woried about my eggs! But hopefully everything will work out great! At least I can finally get this part over with!

[knoelani]

Jules~ Just like everything else I'm sure everyone does it a little different. When I'm doing opks, I do two a day, based upon the suggestions from some of the ladies here. The instructions usually say to do one test, in the afternoon. I have missed the surge doing that and I think by taking two a day you have a better chance of catching the +opk. You're body is not going to surge at the same time every cycle. You are supossed to hold off on potty breaks so that the hormones can concentrate and not be diluted. I've done some before after only waiting about 1 1/2 hour and drinking water the entire time. Again, everyone is different. As for the actual test, you want to see both lines either the same level of darkness or the "test" line darker than the control line. A + opk is supossed to show an LH surge which typically preceeds ovulation by 24-36 hours.

[knoelani]

Tiger, I think you slipped in while I was typing. Yay on the retrieval being tomorrow, I'm sending lots of good thoughts and good luck vibes your way. I'm sure you're nervous, but I'm also sure it will all be fine! I'm glad the shot went well and that you're ready to go tomorrow! Thanks too for the links, I really appreciate it. Good luck tomorrow!

Marteneym~ I'm sorry Af found you. Take care of yourself.

[cowgirl]

Knoelani: I may try the 2 OPK's next cycle after your post.
Tiger: good luck with your retrievel.

Sorry no time for replies. I think I o'd some time in the last few days or I hope so. I will wait another day to see if my temp stays up before I call it.

[Patience]

Knoelani & Tigerest: Thanks for sharing your OPK experience. I've always thought you couldn't use FMU. I think I'll also try the 2 OPK's for this cycle.

marteneym: I'm sorry about AF. I certainly can relate to what you're feeling because we've been TTC for 14 months. Hugs to you.

Well, last cycle was a bust. Now I'm waiting to O (CD 9). The only consolation is that I'm now O'ing sooner. Trying to think positive thoughts for this cycle.

I asked this question in the Clomid thread, but I'll post it here also:

For those on Clomid, did you have a HSG first? My OB/Gyn suggested 100mg Clomid after reviewing my bloodwork, but never mentioned a HSG. Is it standard protocol to have a HSG before starting Clomid?

[ag05]

Patience - I did not do an HSG before I started Clomid. After about 3 months on it, the obgyn was going to send me in for one but I got pregnant first. I did get the SA after about 2 months or so though. Seemed like a reasonable approach to me.

[skb]

patience My doc wanted me to have a HSG before beginning clomid. His reasoning was to ensure patent fallopian tubes and no uterine anomalies. He said that he would only have me attempt TTC with clomid for a maximum of 6 cycles. My understanding is that it's not likely to be helpful after that time and could pose certain risks if used longer. In my case it is fortunate that I did have the HSG because it revealed a septum which can lead to pregnancy complications. I'm not aware that having a HSG is part of a protocol before beginning any fertility drugs. But as it turned out my doctors reasoning was logical and may have saved me from alot of grief in the future. With that said, I am not familiar with your history.

As for me, I begin prometrium tonight. Any words of wisdom would be appreciated. I'm anticipating a tough go of it!

And while I'm at it I might as well add....I'm beginning to plan a baby shower for SIL who will deliver twins in February. *big sigh*

[thedoorchick]

So many posts! I have to run to bed but I am hoping that with a new cycle upon us, I will be here more frequently. As someone said a couple of pages back,
Spot is here, Af will be following soon.

So, I expect I'll probably see the RE on Thursday.

[wonderousglance]

When you had US done when did you get your results? I am having mine done at my RE's office, will I still have to wait for the results?

[papergirl]

Not much time to post so I only have a few shout outs…

Marteneym – I’m sorry to hear its been 16 months. I’m sure that has to be hard.

Tiger – Good luck with retrieval.

Skb – I’ll be sending you patience and calmness for the baby shower planning. I hope its not too painful.

Everyone else – I wish you good baby vibes.

As for me… AF is not cooperating. I should have gotten it around Jan 10 and I bleed for 9 days. I know, way too freaking long. On top of that my periods are VERY heavy. Anyway, I have been having a very light period for 15 days. Honestly, I have no freaking clue where in my cycle I am. My period was so light at first that I don’t know what to consider CD1. I just hope this isn’t an anovulatory (??) cycle where I have AF for a two month. I just started seeing an RE and they want me to get CD3 blood work and an HSG. Ideally I want this cycle to end so I can move on to testing but I’m just waiting and seeing.

[Nigellas]

skb- Good luck with the prometrium - Are you doing suppositories?

[SAI Ladies]

Sorry I've been MIA - busy w/ work this week.

Updated to here - please check stats, I think I got everyone's changes.

[skb]

nigellas It's oral prometrium, 200mg/day from day 16-30. What's the difference bewteen oral and suppositories....besides the obvious? And I just realized I only took 1 instead of 2 meaning I only got a 100mg dose last night.......time to call the pharmacy.

[kazata]

Just back from this morning's RE appt. Good news and not-so-good news.

The post-coital test was normal. It was actually pretty cool because I got to look at the slide under the microscope and see a whole bunch of little sperm swimming around. Pretty funky. At least we know he's got some sperm! (I didn't notice any "ferning" pattern to the CM, but I wasn't paying that much attention to it, because I was so amused by all the spermies, and anyway, the RE said it looked normal).

They also did another ultrasound. The follicle on the right ovary was at 20 mm, so growing. But there was also some fluid around my intestines/abdominal cavity, and the RE said that it "might" be suggestive of scarring. Not sure exactly what that means, or what the consequences are. He wants me to come back in again on Sunday to do another ultrasound to make sure the follicle collapsed and released the egg.

tigerest Hope the retrieval went well this morning!

marteneym & thedoorchick Sorry about AF.

wonderous Yes, the nice thing about the RE is that you get ultrasound results immediately.

[thedoorchick]

nigellas It's oral prometrium, 200mg/day from day 16-30. What's the difference bewteen oral and suppositories....besides the obvious? And I just realized I only took 1 instead of 2 meaning I only got a 100mg dose last night.......time to call the pharmacy.

It's the same pill, you just take it a different way. My RE wants me to take it vaginally and it's kinda icky (stuff drips out of you) but whatever works.

I have an appt tomorrow a.m. to discuss the next cycle.

[wonderousglance]

I'm back from the u/s. I have PCOS. :( I don't know anything about it & I don't have an appointment with my RE until 2/7. I called my primary care doctor to ask her about it so I am waiting to hear back. I am pretty pissed that nobody was able to explain it to me at the RE's office. I paid $307 to find out information that I can't do anything with except worry. I am so bummed out. :(

[julesp313]

Thanks to all for the OPK advice. I used one last night and got a very faint line so I know they work! Will try the twice a day thing but it's hard to POAS at a client site so I might have to just do it once a day...

No other news. Trying so very hard not to become all-consumed by TTC again, now that we're back on track. But man, it's hard. Just hoping DH's W2 comes from his last job this week so I can do our taxes - that should take my mind off things for a while!

[papergirl]

wonderousglance I was just diagnosed with PCOS last Tuesday. I did a quick copy of what I wrote in my LJ (it may or may not be helpful).

We weren’t in the doctors office longer the 10 minutes before he diagnosed me with PCOS or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. From what I gathered this has a lot to do with my insulan and very small cycst on my ovaries. The RE mainly focused on the insulan aspect. I guess my body doesn’t break it down properly and in return produces too much testosteron. Fortunatly, I don’t have that many symptoms of PCOS. I have long cycles that are irregular and I carry my weight in my mid section. That’s pretty much it. Some woman have excess facial hair, bolding and bad acne. Sufice to say, I could be one ugly girl. ;)

After my dignoses the RE did an vaginal ultrasound to confirm with the dildo cam and that was that. Gotta LOVE that dildo cam.

The question is, how can we fix this?

(1) Basically he wants me to eat low carb, taking in less food with sugar - including fruit, because my body doesn’t break the stuff down. My family has a long line of diabeties and this all ties into it. He also prescribed me Metformin which is a diabetic medication sometimes used to aid the fertility process. Thankfully, I had just started WW (Weight Watchers) so chanding my diet was already in the works.

(2) We need to begin some basic testing. Fred needs to get an SA (Seman Analysis). I need to get some bloodwork tied in to my cycle days. I also need to get an HSG.. I don’t know the actual words to that. Basically they will check my tubes by injecting me with red dye.

While we do the testing he told us to continue TTC, take the Metformin and work on decreasing my carb intake. If I am not pregnant by March (and I wont be) to go see him and we move on to the next steps. I figure that to mean Clomid and IUI.

Some useful things we learned from this appointment are that the PCOS may be a cause to my m/c (miscarriage) in June. With the insulan issues if things are not “properly handled” then you may be at a greater risk of m/c. He said this is a good indication why so many woman in my family have them. All my blood aunts have had two, my mother two and several blood cousins have had them as well. It is comforting to know something more then being told to chalk it up to bad luck.

I had some questions on the Metformin so I called my doctor a few days after writting this and they explained that the Metformin will hopefully regulate my cycles which in return will make my chances of pregnancy greater. Since I have gotten pregnant I am hoping that the medication along with an improved diet with less carb and sugar will do the trick.

HTH.

[tigerest]

Retrieval Update:

The procedure itself went really smoothly. My HSG was about 100 times worse. Very happy that it wasn't as bad as I expected.

Unfortunately, out of the 6 follies only 1 had an egg. :( I guess its a weird "phenomenon" that some women have. So it sucks. But we are planning on transfering the one embryo if it develops correctly.

[Patience]

Thanks ag05 & skb for responding to my Clomid/HSG question. skb, I was thinking the same thing as your doctor and that's why I asked the question. It would make sense to know if I have blocked tubes before I start Clomid. But I also understand why my doctor suggested Clomid because my bloodwork showed that I had anovulatory cycles.

thedoorchick: Sorry about AF

bumble: Sorry to hear about the long AF. I hope your RE can figure out the cause. Good luck on your next cycle.

kazata: That's great about the normal post-coital test. I hope your RE is wrong about the possibility of scarring. Good luck.

wonderousglance: Sorry about the PCOS diagnosis. I know many CC ladies that have PCOS have gotten pregnant, so I'm sure you can find more information here. I thought there's a PCOS thread somewhere.

tigerest: Glad to hear that your procedure went smoothly. Remember it only takes one egg and one sperm, so you might have retrieved "the" egg that will get you pregnant. Think positive thoughts! :D

[jennylou]

I'm back from the u/s. I have PCOS. :( I don't know anything about it & I don't have an appointment with my RE until 2/7. I called my primary care doctor to ask her about it so I am waiting to hear back. I am pretty pissed that nobody was able to explain it to me at the RE's office. I paid $307 to find out information that I can't do anything with except worry. I am so bummed out. :(

PCOS isn't an awful diagnosis. Sure, it's a problem. But it's a problem that drs are able to work with. Unlike, say unexplained fertility where they're hoping something works, pcos-ers often don't ovulate or ovulate late. So, the drs are able to concentrate on that. There are lots of ladies around here who have pcos and are either pregnant now or mommies. We used to have a group thread at wc, but never started one up over here. I myself am on pregnancy number 2! Good luck to you, if you have any questions, or just want to talk with another cyster, feel free to PM me or post here (I still lurk!). Also, check out www.soulcysters.org - it's a message board dedicated to pcosers.

[thedoorchick]

RE appt today. I'm taking Femara on days 3-7 (starting today) and three shots of Repronex on days 3, 5, and 7. Ultrasound next Saturday, hopefully IUI shortly after.

[gymwidow]

Hi ladies! CD14 and I'm here with some good news: my u/s this morning showed not one, but TWO eggies growing in my left ovary. Yay! :D I got my HCG shot and will go in tomorrow morning around 10:30 for my IUI. DH goes in at 8:40 for his part. He's not happy about it, but I'm not letting him complain. If the worst thing he feels is a little embarrassment about what he's in there doing, he can get over it. I'm the one taking the drugs and having the blood tests and u/s and catheters up my hoohoo. :rolleyes:

marteneym, I'm so sorry that AF arrived.

Jules, from what I remember from the one month I used them, you should use them in the afternoon, after holding your pee for at least 3 hours. I think it's actually not good to use them first thing in the morning b/c of the buildup of hormones in your pee overnight (the flip side of that is why it IS good to use an HPT first thing in the am). Good luck!

Patience, I'm sorry that AF showed again. To answer your question, yes, my doc had me do an HSG before she gave me Clomid. She said that if my tubes were blocked, I could be on Clomid forever but never get pregnant. DH also had to do a SA first. When they both came back okay, we went ahead with the Clomid.

skb, Prometrium..... I think that's what my doc just prescribed. But I'm taking the suppositories. I have to start them Monday. I'm NOT looking forward to it. Sorry that you're stuck with planning a baby shower in the midst of all this. I hope it's not too hard for you!

thedoorchick, ugh, sorry about AF. Any hints for me about using the suppositories? I've been told to stock up on pantiliners. Do you lay down after putting them in? For how long? TIA!

wonderousglance, my RE does the u/s himself, so I see the results right then and there. I'm sorry that you got a negative diagnosis, but be confident that it's a common problem that is easily remedied! I was diagnosed with PCOS in August and after we did the rest of the testing, started Clomid in November. This is my third cycle on it and we're adding IUI to help, and I'm very hopeful that we'll have a BFP soon. There are a lot of women on here who have successfully gotten pregnant even with PCOS. There are also a ton of websites where you can read about it.

bumble, how frustrating! I hope it ends soon so you can start fresh.

kazata, how neat to see the little guys at work. I'm sorry that your u/s shows a maybe problem, but I hope that it turns out to be nothing!

tigerest, I'm glad the retrieval went well and wasn't too bad. It only takes one egg, so hopefully this will be the magic one!

[papergirl]

RE just called with SA results. He said DH sperm count was low but did not go into a lot of details. Basically he said normal is 50 million and DH is 9 million. He was a bit taken back since he didn’t think DH would have an issue since we did get pregnant before.

The RE said it’s a problem but not to worry. If I heard him correctly he said it just means we’ll move onto IVF after DH see an Urologist and I finish my blood tests. Did this sound right as the next step? I’m asking because the call went so fast and then I just hurried to call DH with the results. Now I’m wondering if he said IVF. Also, can anyone quickly tell me how it is different from IUI? I am such a dummy with all this stuff.



Threadmaster, please update me.

Bumble
Me – 30
DH - 33
Married – 8.31.03
Charting – 1.05
TTC – 4.05
Off BCP – years
m/c in June 05 @ 8wks
Obstacles to overcome: impatient-ness
RE visit 1.06, diagnosed with PCOS
SA 1.06, low count

[thedoorchick]

bumble, we have MF as well and I was told at first to go to IVF - If I were you I would get a second opinion. My current RE told me that couples with low morphology (our problem) get pregnant "all the time." What that means, I don't know, but he in no way thought IVF was the logical next step. Then again, I'm not pregnant after two IUI cycles, so what do I know.

With an IUI, the sperm are inserted into the uterus via a catheter that is threaded through the cervix. With IVF, the eggs are retrieved, fertilized, and transferred to the uterus, so fertilization takes place outside the body rather than inside.

Another difference between the two? Several thousand dollars.

[suzfuzsunflower]

Hi all. I have some questions. :)

A little while ago, I read a study on clomid and the effectiveness at different dosage levels. I *think* that I remember the study saying that 75% of women who ovulate on 50 mg get pregnant, 50% of women who ovulate on 100 mg get pregnant, and only 25% of women who ovulate on 150 mg get pregnant.

OK, the percentages are not important. What I'm wondering: Have any of you ever heard that clomid is "less effective" at higher dosage rates? Maybe I'm not wording that correctly...hope you all understand what I mean.

This worries me a great deal. I'm at 100 mg right now, and don't think it's working. I am very pessimistic about clomid working at all at any dosage. Which leads me to another question....

If clomid doesn't work, could femera work? Or are they basically the same thing?

Thank you in advance for your help. After next month we will be at 1 year TTC. I know that many of you have been trying longer.

[gator97]

suzfuz- I am no help at all--I don't know much about Clomid

bumble- From reading around here, it seems to be a repeat SA would be in order before determining a next course. I think there are some things you can do to improve the sperm (vitamins, etc). Now, keep in mind I'm just remembering things I have heard so this might not be the best advice. And I never think that a second opinion is a bad thing.

gymwidow--yeah for two eggies!

tigerest-Glad the retrieval wasn't too bad. . .so good to hear that. I can't wait to hear about the transfer! It only takes one.

As for me, we had a consult with the RE yesterday to discuss a Letrozole/HCG cycle. However, apparantly they decided to stop prescribing the Letrozole/Femara on Tuesday!--due to the controversy surrounding it. However, upon further discussion with him, he was offering it b/c it was a low cost thing to try. He didn't really think it would help us. Apparantly, women with moderate endometriosis have just as much chance to get pregnant naturally as with medicated IUI. Interesting research.

Anyway, longwinded way of saying that after much discussion with the RE and with each other, we have decided to pursue IVF. We have our information meeting on Feb. 8 and then we go from there. Excited, nervous, all sorts of things.

[gator97]

Some info on improving low sperm count from Babyhopes:
http://www.babyhopes.com/articles/improving-sperm-count.html

hth!

[Nigellas]

I had my day 7 UD to check out how the Gonal-F is treating me and holy cats, my ovaries are on fire! The nurse said that they might lower my dosage after they get my blood results back this afternoon, but she did seem a little concerned at how many follicles there were. She started talking multiples and Ovarian hyperstimulation… Oie oie oie. :eek:

[Hangin'in]

Hi all. I have some questions. :)

What I'm wondering: Have any of you ever heard that clomid is "less effective" at higher dosage rates? Maybe I'm not wording that correctly...hope you all understand what I mean.

This worries me a great deal. I'm at 100 mg right now, and don't think it's working. I am very pessimistic about clomid working at all at any dosage. Which leads me to another question....

If clomid doesn't work, could femera work? Or are they basically the same thing?

I've never heard that clomid at higher doses is less effective as a drug, but I think that most women who take clomid, usually O on 50 or 100 mg. If you don't O on 100 mg, you probably won't on 150 mg. Clomid does not work for everyone. Did NOT work for me, except giving me a cyst.

Femara worked everytime, the difference between the 2 are that clomid can make you O more than 1 egg. Femara usually only produces 1 egg that matures, so Dr's start with clomid. Another great thing about femara for me was that it was covered on my insurance because it's not classified as a fertility drug... clomid (even though it was not terribly expensive) was not.

[thedoorchick]

Another difference is that some people have trouble with Clomid making their lining too thin. This happened to me, which is why I'm not taking Clomid anymore. I am happy about it too. That stuff made me a she-bear.

[suzfuzsunflower]

Hey everyone. After spending almost 2 hours at the dr today I have a referral to an RE. Dr. basically said that there wasn't anything more that they could do for me. We could try higher clomid dosages, or we could go ahead an do these with an RE and more testing.

I've wanted to go to an RE for a while, and I'm happy that I'm finally going to see one, but at the same time I feel really down about it. It was hard to hear that there was nothing more that they could do. I actually cried. I feel like a huge baby.

Anyway, the appointment isn't until mid April. She is one of two RE's in my state. Can't believe that they are that booked. So until that time, we're really not going to be trying. We'll have sex, of course, but no meds, probably not going to chart. It seems pointless to do anything until this time. Plus, we've been at this for almost a year. We need a break.

[polkadot]

suzfuzsunflower- i hope that taking a break and just getting on with life will be good for you and your DH. Keep us posted...i hope it brings you a BFP too....b/c ya never know!!

[skb]

suz I think the referral to the RE will be a positive thing for you. I've been on a TTC break for several cycles while working out uterine matters and have found it to be * a nice change*. It's been well over a year for us now. As for your clomid question and dosages I'm unfamiliar. All my doc said was that after 6 cycles if it hasn't helped is likely won't help.

For those of you familair with clomid and femara- My impression is that clomid can help to thicken the uterine lining and in cases where it thins the lining that would be "rare." Is that the case or what have you heard? Secondly, what was the controversy about femara a while back?

Thanks!

[knoelani]

skb~ just chiming on your question real quick...my dr told me last week and it was also mentioned on here last week, that clomid can thin your lining, not thicken it.

[gymwidow]

Well, I have officially been inseminated, or as my DH put it, "The eagle has landed." :rolleyes: He did his thing this morning, with just a few extra complaints (and some dirty looks from me; he said he wasn't trying to make light of what I have to go through, but it was just hard for him to get over his embarrassment). I had the IUI around 11:15. I am VERY happy to report that it was sooooooo easy and pain-free! :D I was worried it would hurt like my HSG did (which was really painful for me), but I didn't feel anything until the doc said that he was injecting the little guys and that I might feel a bit of cramping (he didn't use the term "little guys"). I did feel some mild cramps, but nothing even as bad as AF cramps. And that was that. I lay there for a little while and then came back to work. The doc said I should refrain from any strenuous activity today and probably take a few days off from the gym, but I can go about my regular life otherwise. DH and I are going to go out to dinner tonight to "celebrate" and tonight we'll BD the old fashioned way just in case. I can feel some O pains and know that it's happening, so we might as well cover all bases! :)

I'm not going to chart anymore this cycle. I start progesterone supps on Sunday and they will cause my temp to go up and stay up as long as I'm on them, so my temps won't really tell me much anymore. Also, I won't get AF as long as I'm on the supps, so I basically have to just wait the whole 2 weeks and then go in for a blood test to see if I'm pregnant. I'll try to hold out till 12DPO to test at home. Try.....

bumble, I'm sorry to hear about the negative SA results. Are you going to do a repeat test? My DH had a low count in his first test and it turned out that we didn't do the sample correctly. When he redid it he was fine. And today's sample was excellent as well. Ask if they'll try IUI first. I know of several women dealing with MF who were successful with that course of treatment.

suzfuz, I hadn't read or heard that about Clomid. My RE just increased my dosage this month to try and "strengthen" my O since I had two short LPs on it so far. My first two cycles, at 50mg each, produced one egg and this month 100mg produced two. I'm glad that you're seeing the RE. I also felt a little disappointed at first that I couldn't do this on my own and needed the help of a specialist. But now that I've been going regularly I feel much better. These docs are good and are best able to help us! I'm sorry you have to wait so long for an appt, but I hope the break from all the craziness is good for you both.

gator, hugs to you. I hope IVF works and that your first meeting goes well.

nigellas, wow! How many follies were there?

[gator97]

skb- Clomid can thin your lining. I actually just had a long talk with me RE about Femara. He said he liked to use it because it didn't have any of the nasty SEs like Clomid and didn't have as high of risk of multiples. The controversy is that Femara is not FDA approved as a fertility drug--it is used to treat Breast Cancer. A study was done in Canada showed a slight increase in birth defects with the use of Femara. The manufacturer, Novartis (I think), has issued a statement that it does not recommend use of the drug as a fertility drug. Bascially to CYA.

Now, my RE does not think this study is scientifically valid as they did not have a control group. However, w/ the manufacturer saying not to use it, they decided in order to save their practice, they would stop prescribing it as a "just in case". He said that in all his years of using it, he had never seen a birth defect.
You can do a search for Femara +fertility and find a lot of stuff about the concerns.

That being said, after all the reading I had done, I felt comfortable trying it. However, my RE stopped prescribing it the day previous to my appointment.

[Hangin'in]

Yes, a side effect of clomid is that it can thin your lining as well as dry up EWCF.

Another thing about femara, and one of the reasons that RE's did start RXing it, they found that women who took it for breast cancer were getting PG. Now there is a warning on the label regarding the fact that women who take femara (for cancer) have an increased risk of pregnancy.

[Nigellas]

Gymw- Fingers and toes crossed for you! :)

nigellas, wow! How many follies were there?
Honestly, I don't know - Usually there are like 2 or three - this time when she focused on the ovaries, I was like “Woah, look at all those black spots!”

Anyway, I got my blood work back and my estradiol is at 705 (I'm on CD 7), which I guess is pretty high so they are cutting my injections in half to 75ml…

Anyone know what normal levels are? I can’t find anything that lists ideal estradiol levels…

[Cath]

Hi ladies -

It's been a while since I've been here, so I apologize for only going back a few pages to get current w/everyone.


Gymwidow - good luck in the 2ww. The progesterone suppositories aren't fun. Stock up on pantyliners! Are you using prometrium or the other kind? I always have some weird side effects while on progesterone - I'm always hot and I have very strange dreams.

skb - I agree w/ the pp that it is more likely to cause lining problems. I didn't have that issue and only took clomid a couple of times before moving on to follistim. I can't help you with your femara questions, sorry.

suz - sorry it takes so long to get into an RE. That is one of the most frustrating parts about fertility treatment - hurry up and wait. I will say that taking a break was very good for me mentally after a chemical pregnancy right at the same time we hit the 2 year trying mark. It gave me time to just enjoy life, enjoy my husband and not feel like my life was out of control and based on one obsession! Also, don't feel like a baby about being upset about the referral to the RE. For me, it took a few days to get used to the idea that I had to go to a fertility specialist. However, once getting that first plan from my RE, it was a huge relief to know exactly what the next steps were going to be.

nigellas - I'm hoping that your Dr. is able to decrease the dosage and that you don't get OHSS. It's a little scary to look at that screen and see lots and lots of little follicles. :eek:

gator - I hadn't heard that about endo and IUI. I hope your first try at IVF goes well and you don't need to go back.

To everyone else, I'm short on time at work so I've got my fingers crossed for you.

As for me, today is CD4. I started my shots of 75iu of follistim last night and will go in for monitoring on Tuesday. Always fun. With me, we take things nice and slow with a low dose so I don't over-stimulate. Last year, I had two different cycles cancelled because of overstimulation.

Hope everyone has a nice weekend!

[kemorr]

Nigellas - at trigger, they like to have each mature follicle producing 200 units (whatever those units are) of E2. For my last 3 IUI cycles, my E2 was 600 (so 3 mature follies), 400 and 800 (approx) at trigger. I usually triggered after 9 days of stims, but triggered once after 14 days of stims (this was the cycle my E2 was only 400ish. Are you taking Gonal-F? 150 units sounds like a lot for an IUI cycle. I took 75 for all of mine, except for the last when the dose was increased to 112.5. On the last cycle I did develop mild OHSS, my ovaries were huge and my E2 at 7 DPO had gone up from 800 to over 3,000. Drink lots of gatorade to prevent OHSS, I was extremely uncomfortable until I started chugging that stuff and then felt 100% better the next day. Goodluck!

[julesp313]

I'm such a slacker, but I blame work entirely - Emily will understand when I say it's busy season and I have no life. Anyway, apart from 60 hour weeks, life is good. I'm experimenting with OPKs this cycle - I say experimenting because I have very regular cycles so it's more that I wanted to see how useful the OPKs are (and I wanted to pee on things and get two lines... I admit it!). So yesterday, I got EWCM and a pretty good line on a cheapie OPK. Today I had what I would call copious EWCM, very definite O pains (I usually get them about 24-36 hours before I get a temp rise) and a very dark result on my OPK. So I guess they work! Forced hubby to BD this morning (he was too tired last night but he didn't make the mistake of saying that this morning!) and told him to be on duty tomorrow and Monday too. God knows I hate making sex a chore but he still doesn't truly grasp that the baby-making window is pretty darn short and slams shut before you know it! Men... hmph! ;)

[skb]

For those of you who have taken HRT........

CD 1 was January 1st. But on Janaury 9th I began taking premarin. I understood that I would begin counting that as chart day 1. On day 16 to day 30 I am supposed to add prometrium.

Today is chart day 21 counting from Jan 9th when I began the premarin. I started having cramps yesterday and today started what I think will be my period with C-R-A-M-P-S.

I wasn't expecting my period until after chart day 30 (which is Feb 7th). I thought the hormone replacement was supposed "control" my cycle.

So to summarize.....my normal cycle would have started Jan 1st and is typucally 26 days like clock work. But on hormones the new chart day 1 was Jan 9th and did not expect my period until after day 30. So my period is early according to the hormone replacement?!

Any thoughts? Experiences?

Thanks

Does anyone know about this???

[gator97]

skb- sorry that I can't help.

Feeling pretty down today. We went out to dinner with friends who are expecting their first baby in April. They got pregnant their first month trying and understandably are quite excited. And I know it's silly but the name they have decided on was on our short list for boys. Not that we know we'll ever have a boy, not that there aren't a million other names out there. But I am so sad today. I know that deep down it's not about the name. It's about a year of trying, it's about our miscarriage, it's fear about whether IVF will work. But, it's frustrating.
[/vent]

[polkadot]

oh gator...that sucks...i completely understand how it would make you feel upset....and i think that its pretty normal to feel that way...at least thats what people tell me ;)

You are in my thoughts....

****
Me:
as far as trying to make it through this whole m/c thing i was takig it day by day but today was father-in-laws birthday and we went out to eat and when we got back to thier house we were getting low on soft drinks so i went out to the garage to get some more and there was the bassinet that Brian and his brother slpet in when they were babies....i lost it ans started crying...my FIL felt so bad....i know he was just excited about being a paw paw but that just killed me...but we had dinner and it was ok..i am better now...just hoping that this cycle brings us a BFP....

hope everyone is all good....

[TazLuv]

Ladies, I'm going to join you if that is okay.

Me – 29
DH - 29
Married – 7-13-02
Charting – was, but have given up on that
TTC – since June '05
Off BCP – 6/05
Issues: annovulatory cycles
Started first cycle of Clomid 1/29/06

[skb]

Welcome Tazluv.

Tough weekend around here. Gator and polka, I hope tomorrow brings better things for you gals. I'm sitting here feeling badly for myself. Cramps and burning like I've never experienced. Full fledged AF and I'm pretty sure that while on premarin and prometrium I shouldn't see AF until after Feb 7th. But of coarse, I have to wait until tomorrow morning for my doctor's office to be open. I hope my uterus is *OK*

Crossing my fingers that a new day will have us all feeling better.

[thedoorchick]

Welcome Tazluv! :)

skyb, I'm sorry; also I'm a bit confused, AF is here but not expected for another week or more? That is very odd; I hope your doctor has some answers.

polkadot, I feel you, I really do. The littlest things can just set you off and that's OK; it's part of dealing with the whole thing. I've so been there.

gator97, ((hugs)) I know that is frustrating. Seems like every time I look around I'm hearing about someone who got pg just like that with hardly even trying.

jules, I do understand! Even though I'm not actually doing tax work in my current position (long story); I remember the pain of busy season all too well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Can I just say how much better Femara is than Clomid? I am so happy to not have the craziness of feeling like I just want to murder someone. I have had no side effects at all, and I have also managed to give myself all the Repronex shots - I'm so proud!

Last shot is tonight. U/S on Saturday and then we'll see what's up. I hope I don't have too many follies; 2-3 would be fine but I know if I have more than that he won't let me trigger.

[Nigellas]

Morning everyone and welcome Taz!

Skb- What's going on?

Emily - Are you doing IUI again? Glad to hear Femara is treating you well. I was just thinking the same about my Gonal-f, how I'm much less crazy on that then I was on Femara. :)

As for me- I triggered last night with more follicles than I want to think about right now (4 over 17, one at about 17) and my IUI is scheduled for tomorrow morning at 11. I'm excited and nervous and have no idea how I'll get through the next 2 weeks. Another IUI question: From what you've all said it's a pretty easy procedure - Can I plan on going to work after?

[kazata]

Just a quick update. I went back to the RE on Friday for another ultrasound. It showed a collapsed follicle, so I did ovulate (YAY!). However, the other area of fluid was still there and the Doc I saw on Friday (not my RE, just another one in the office) thought I would be getting a laproscopy to check for scarring, or adhesions? (I guess the fluid is suggestive of a problem). I'm not sure exactly what the issue/concern is, and I want to fully understand that before going forward with a lap...I guess I need to schedule an appt. to discuss with my RE, but I want to wait to get the results from my 7dpo progesterone draw (this Thursday) and DH still needs to do his SA (although when I told him the post-coital results, his response was "so does that mean I don't need to do the SA?") :rolleyes:

Welcome to Tazluv

Sorry to hear about everyone's tough weekends.

I wish I had more to add to people's questions, but I don't have any experience with the things you are asking about.

[julesp313]

Ugh, so sorry to hear that it was a lousy weekend for some... I know exactly how it feels when things set you off. I was there last week, maybe because we were coming up to trying again and all I could think was "why bother getting pregnant if all I'm going to do is miscarry?". Thankfully, I managed to snap out of that sorry line of thinking because all that's going to do is mentally exhaust me and I don't need that right now!

As for me, I'm 1DPO (yay!). I used OPKs this month and lo and behold, they worked! I got a line on CD13 but the one on CD14 was obviously the positive one - much darker than the control line. And yesterday's was very faint, so I put the surge at CD14, O at CD15, and now we wait. We did get our BDing in so I'm hopeful but cautious, because it took 11 months last time and that was with what I thought was good timing! Anyway. I'm trying to stay focused on work so I don't get completely consumed with the 2ww, but we all know how hard it is to think about anything else!

[polkadot]

jules...we are in the same boat...i really hope you caught the egg ths time...

whenever i think this...
all I could think was "why bother getting pregnant if all I'm going to do is miscarry?".

i try and come here and see all the women who have had m/c and go on to have happy and healthy babies....it gives me hope...try and find MSH....she had 3 m/c and is now 6 weeks PG and feeling great...she is my hope at this point...i hope you feel better soon.... hugs

[skb]

nigellas Not much going on. Called my docs first thing this morning and of coarse they are out of the office until tomorrow. I left a detailed message So despite "heavy with CRAMPS" AF, I'm going to continue to take my premarin and prometrium and hope they call me back. I really hope this isn't a *bad* thing that will throw me off track. I like to have a plan! Heal uterus heal...so I can get back into the TTC!!!

[ag05]

Nigellas - You should feel okay to head back to work. They will probably have you rest for a few minutes before getting up from the table. The first IUI I had I decided to relax the rest of the day because it was my normal day off anyway. Second one I went right back to work. You might feel a little crampy but you should be fine. Good luck!

[julesp313]

Polkadot - yup, that's what I love about being on here - there are so many great stories that help put everything into perspective when I'm having a "Why me?" moment...

So, this sucks - turns out I can't use sore boobs as a sign of pregnancy because I'm 1DPO and they HURT. :(

[gator97]

Welcome TazLuv!

thedoorchick- so glad that Femara is treating you well! It must be refreshing!

kazata- First of all, congrats on Oing! As for the fluid, let me first state that I only know my experience and there could be a million other reason why there is fluid there. That said, fluid on an ultrasound is one of the REs indicators of my endometriosis. I guess women w/ endo often have excess peritoneal fluid ( a small amount is normal). I have not done research on other possible causes. But, if you want more info on the endo correlation, I've done a bit of research on this. The fluid I have is around my ovaries and behind my uterus (in the cul-de-sac)

jules- good luck warding off the 2ww obsession

polkadot- sorry it was such a hard weekend. It really sucks how difficult this can be.

skb- hope you get some answers soon.

[Cath]

Mornin', ladies -

Jules - Sorry about the sores boobs. Hopefully, your 2ww goes by quickly!

skb - Have you heard back from your Dr's office yet? I can't offer much advice, but every time I've ever taken prometrium, I didn't get a period until after I had been off it for a few days.

Nigellas - This is probably late, but I've always gone to work after an iui during the week. No worse than a pap. Good luck!

thedoorchick - Clomid is an evil, evil drug. Glad the femara is treating you better.

tazluv - welcome.

Today is CD8. I had my monitoring appointment this morning. It is nice and rainy here and the RE's office is a good 4 blocks from the subway - so not fun. I get there and the tech and nurse coordinator who come in to do my ultrasound are people I've never seen before. They think I'm on CD3 and have no record of my monitoring and starting a medication last Thursday. I feel bad, I think I got very short w/the tech out of frustration. Anyway, lots of little follicles (13 on left, 16 on right) which is what I expected.

I've got a question for those of you that have been going through treatment for a while: Have you considered changing fertility clinics? If so, what led you to consider changing? I'm asking because I'm continuing to get frustrated w/various aspects of the center I'm using. I'm fine w/my Dr. and my primary nurse, but other things keep coming up that get frustrating. The center I go to right now is the largest in the area, which I think leads to many of the situations that I find frustrating.

Sorry, I'm just in a mood today, I guess.

[jjsanner]

5 DPO today. Not much going on here. Same symptoms as every cycle, cramping on 1&2 DPO, sore BB's. Our timing was good, so I'm hopeful, especially since this is our first cycle after my HSG. But deep down I'm worried that our problem lies with DH. He smokes about 5 cigs a day. He wasn't smoking at all when we conceived DS (he had quit for the wedding, and DS was a honeymoon baby) and apparently that decreases sperm quality by 30%. He is getting his SA next Monday. Praying for good results!

Does anyone know if cramping so early in a cycle is bad? They are AF-type cramps, but not quite as strong. By 3 or 4 DPO they usually go away and come back around 11 DPO when I start spotting.

My BF, who has been TTC #1 for about 8 months now as well, got her DH's SA results late last week. He had great counts and great motility, but his morpology came back at 0 on the kruger scale :eek:. The RE seems to think their only chance of conceiving is IVF, which she is adamantly against (very strict Catholic upbringing). Needless to say, she is devastated. He's going to stop smoking, do a repeat SA and see how that gos. Has anyone every heard of 0 morphology?

[TazLuv]

Since I joined I haven't piped in, so I'll give you an update. I'm on CD-5, started my Clomid on Sunday evening. I'm taking it at night and I don't seem to be having any s/e - yeh! :D

jjsanner - can I ask why IVF is against Catholic upbringings? I'm catholic and I would never think that, just curious what the thought process is. Unfortunately I can't answer your question though.

Cath - we haven't had to do the fertility clinic thing yet, but my sister changed clinics after a while because she was very frustrated with the way things were being handled. She complained that she never saw a doctor when she went. Funny thing was that I have a friend who is an Ob/Gyn and is from the same town my sis lives in, when I told her the issues they were having she gave me a clinic to refer her to, said they were GREAT. It was the same clinic. So she switched to a female doctor that works out of a hospital and understands because she has gone through the same fertility issues herself. I think you have to go where you are comfortable.

[polkadot]

Girls, I think that TTC has finally taken a toll on my hubby, yesterday afternoon, we bded for a good 15 minutes and he just wasnt feeling it and couldnt finish...well this morning I woke him up before i left for work and again same thing....i feel bad for him b/c he thinks I am mad at him or upset, which i am not. I just dont know what is going on with him....its probably all the stress which there is a lot of these days concerning when and if we will be able to concieve again so i know he is under a lot of pressure. He is usually a very.....uhm....lets just say he is always for bding...I am just going to have to know that we did all we could this cycle and hope for the best...and if it doesnt happen this cycle...then i guess we are on to next month....i just really wanted to be able to move on from the m.c with a positive attutude and this I am going to be devestated when Af does arrive...later girls...

[skb]

My doc called me back today. All is "normal" or at least "not unusual after this type of procedure." So I'm now dated for the follow-up HSG. I am calling my family doc to set up an appointment and get some *drugs* Needless to say not really feeling super excited about going for another HSG medication-free. Fooled me once but not twice!!! Plus I'm taking the day off work! Hah! I'm being particularly nice to myself! Maybe I should make some spa appointments while I'm at it!!!

I'll be back later to catch up with everyone else. If anybody has any medication recommendations....feel free to share!

[gymwidow]

Drive by posting..... things have gotten even busier at work and I've had meetings every day out of the office, which eats up even more time. I'm so sorry I can't do proper SO's now, but I wanted to stop by and say hi and send hugs to all.

I'm at 4DPO and have no FPS at all yet. I had some post-O cramping on Saturday. I'm on the progesterone supps now and they're not a ton of fun, but they're not that bad, either. The worst part of them was the cost! Oh, well. I don't feel particularly negative or positive about this cycle; no clue really what our chances could be. Theoretically, we did everything right - Clomid, trigger shot, IUI 26 hours later, BD all weekend, prog. supps now. I'm planning to test at 12DPO, next Wednesday, and go in for a blood pg test at 14DPO on Friday.

Cath, I'm on Prometrium. Last night was my 2nd night on it and actually was the first night in ages where I haven't woken up drenched in sweat! But now that I think about it, I have been having very vivid dreams.

nigellas, this is probably coming too late, but I was fine to go back to work after. I even went out that night.

I'll stop by whenever I can ladies, but I'm always thinking of you all! :)

[skb]

polka I think we all go through times similar to what you're describing. We often hear how it all becomes "work." I'd just try to be sensitive/supportive of DHs feelings and hopefully he'll get back into the swing of things in the cycles to come!!!

jjsanner I haven't heard that smoking can reduce sperm "quality" by 30%. That percentage suprises me. I'll cross my fingers that his results come back good. The last thing you guys probably need is TTC and dh trying to quit smoking at the same time! Also haven't heard about 0 morphology. But maybe your friend will reconsider IVF it's the only option. Curious about the Catholic factor though.

[jjsanner]

Not really sure about the Catholic thing, she just said it was against her religious beliefs? I know the Catholic Church is against birth control of any kind, so mabey it's against anything *unnatural*? I dunno....

She told me her RE said that smoking reduces chances of conceiving by 30%, so mabey it's not just the sperm? Sorry if I mistyped there.....My friend's DH has been smoking two packs a day since he was 18 :eek: so that may be part of the problem. I was surpised at those odds too. Seems kind of high? Smoking is such a yucky habit. DH has quit and gone back on several occasions, and he just can't seem to kick it.

[jjsanner]

From www.catholiceduction.org:

"The Catholic Church forbids fertility techniques that try to make babies outside of marital intercourse."

[Nigellas]

Regarding religion and IVF: My religious family (not me) is very against IVF also. It is because of the embryos that are created and then not used – they are either destroyed or left in “limbo” – since they believe that these embryos have a soul even at this stage they find the thought of this practice horrifying.

[julesp313]

Polkadot - we haven't had the BD issues you're talking about but I know after the m/c, DH was a lot more wary about BDing and a lot more stressed around this cycle's "window". My only advice is to talk, talk, talk... clear the air and make sure you're both understanding about each other's concerns. DH and I had a big talk this past week and it helped a ton.

jjsanner - I have those post-O cramps too, though mine are less like AF and more like pinching, usually lasting a day or two. My dr said it's my ovary "recovering from spitting out the egg" - I'm sure that's not the technical terminology but it makes sense!

Me - nothing going on. Just waiting. :)

[TazLuv]

I guess I hadn't thought about IVF that way. When you relate it to the unused stem cels I can see where the debate comes in. That is interesting, luckily my DH and I aren't there yet, but I think we'd try. hmm...

[marteneym]

tigerest, knoelani, patience, bumble, kazata, gymwidow, and anyone else I missed Thanks for the AF hugs and support.

Patience I started chlomid first. Then once I was oing I am approved for 4IUI's. I won't do an HSG until those have failed.

skb
And while I'm at it I might as well add....I'm beginning to plan a baby shower for SIL who will deliver twins in February. *big sigh*
I totally understand. I am dealing with the same thing right now. {{{HUGS}}}

wonderousglance I am sorry to hear about your PCOS diagnosis. I hope a break is just what you need and you are able to get some answers.
{{{HUGS}}}

Gymwidow Good luck in the 2WW. Glad the IUI was so easy for you. All crossables crossed! :)

polkadot I just wanted to say I am sorry sorry you had such a hard time seeing the bassinet. That is great FIL is so excited, but I understand. My DH has also been feeling the stress of TTC when it comes to bd. He is also normally ready whenever, but lately I fell like I am making him. He says the pressure of it all makes it not fun. I try to initiate bding not around O as well and make it fun. Although it doesnt seem to matter. I hope he is back to his normal self for you soon. {{{HUGS}}} Just wanted you to know I understand the feeling.

TazLuv Welcome!

Jules and JJ Good luck in the 2WW. All crossables crossed for you both.

It has been a long week. Full of lots of tears, cramps, and headaches. I had a horrid migraine last night. I think the chlomid is making them worse. Today was my last 2pills. I start opk's Friday cd10. Since I o'ed cd16 last month I am not going to miss this one. Hopefully we will do an IU next week. I am still taking a break from charting. Hoping the lack of stress in my life(:rolleyes: ) will make conception possible. I probably won't be around mcuh, but I will try to stop in.

[gator97]

Quick fly by to chime in on a couple of things. . .

Polkadot---my DH went through the same thing. . just recently. It happened once and then after that it was all he could think about. We talked. . . and talked. . . and talked. . and it really helped. It took him a long time to express his feelings but it helped us both when he did.

As for the Catholic discussion, I actually just read an article in U.S. Catholic magazine about fertility treatments. I believe the very traditional Catholic does not condone fertility treatments (though testing is okay). Several people in the article were trying artificial techniques even thought it went against the church's teachings. My DH and I are not Catholic but DH's family is very devout in their faith. It makes me VERY nervous about telling them we are pursuing IVF. Just as I was nervous about telling them we were moving in together, and then we were married outside of the church.
much of my nervous feelings are more spurred by my own upbringing (my parents did not raise us Catholic and that was a big hubub in our extended family).

eta: the article didn't outright state that the church didn't support artificial reproductive techniques. It did outline the struggle some couple's had as they faced fertility issues. It was an interesting read considering our own struggles lately.

[tigerest]

Hi everyone. Sorry that so many of you have been having a hard time! {{HUGS}}

Polkadot - About DH, I think it is important that he knows its not a big deal. The pressure of TTC and the stress can get to them, and its very common. I think it happens once and they feel bad, so it just adds more pressure. Just reassure him that its no a big deal and totally normal.

About the religous aspect of IVF. Believe me I asked many religous people, and a pastor about IVF. Because DH and I did struggle with this. I found that most church's are ok with it, but definitely not selective reduction. Also, some churchs have issues with the extra embryos and freezing. But just to let you know that most RE's are familiar with this and are willing to work with you on this. She could just make one embryo at a time as well as try the least invasive procedures. jjsanner - I hope your friend fiinds peace with whatever she decides.

So ME - I had my transfer on Sat. WE had 1 perfect embryo. I have been on bedrest since. I am feeling pretty good. RE gave us a 30% chance. I will find out if it worked on the 8th! EEK!

[gator97]

tigerest--my fingers are so crossed for you!

[polkadot]

thanks everyone...i did talk to him and he seems to be a little better,....he thinks that i am mad at him or something...which i am not...i was just so shocked b/c he is usually a very **you know** kinda guy. I just dont want us both to be trying so hard that it becomes us...ya know what i mean? that said...after this cycle I may take a break from the whole charting thing...and jsut see what happens...

thanks again girls

[gator97]

Polkadot- I am not charting this month and it is wonderful! I was not watching for every symptom or worrying about this or that. However, this might be b/c the dr. said we really don't have a chance of getting pregnant naturally so what's the point in obsessing over FPS :rolleyes: I've tried not charting previously and at first I wondered all day what my temp might have been. . but then I relaxed and stopped thinking about it so much.

Glad you and DH talked. Communication is so important during TTC--especially when it takes some time.

[knoelani]

polka I'll think you'll find that there's a lot of people that have had the same situation. I think we forget sometimes the emotions and stress that affects our dh's as well. I'm glad you talked and that you're both feeling better.

wounderous I'm sorry about the PCOS dx, but hopefully now that you have the dx you can move forward with working with it.

tiger YAY on the transfer! I have everything possible crossed for you!

marteneym The headache and tears sound like clomid s/e's to me, happens to me everytime! I'm sorry it's been a tough week.

cath I haven't changed clinics, but do want to chime in that you're the "client", you need to be happy with and comfortable with the entire clinic. If you're not it may be better to look elsewhere.

skb Glad you're test results came back good!

thedoorchick I'm glad the femara has been much nicer to you than the clomid, hopefully it will do the trick.

TazLuv Welcome to the group!

jules, jj, kazata, & gym Good luck during the 2ww, hopefully it's treating all of you well.

Nothing much to report here. Had a celebration of sorts on Friday night, my last Clomid pills ever! I go in Thursday for a follie check. Hopefully we'll be able to do the IUI Saturday and not Monday. DH will not be happy about having to "perform" the morning after the SuperBowl.

[thedoorchick]

Wow, lots of posts!

jjsanner, my husband has less than 1% morphology, almost zero. So I've definitely heard of it. However, my RE seems quite unconcerned about it. Another doctor I talked to was trying to send us straight to IVF. Now, we've had two failed IUI's, so maybe that doctor knew what he was talking about. Still, my current RE sees no reason to move to more aggressive treatment just yet.

Re: IVF and religion, I was interested to discover that the OB who is the medical director of the birthing center I want to use (and the OB who the MW's transfer patients to if necessary) practices according to strict Catholic teachings and does not do IVF, nor does he refer patients to IVF providers. Before then, it hadn't occurred to me that it would be a religious issue for some people. The things you learn.

knoelani, good luck with the IUI!

tigerest, fingers crossed! And stay off your feet! ;)

marteneym, sorry this week has been so rough. :( I'm glad you're about done with the Clomid. I hated taking Clomid, it made me crazy.

That's all the replies I can see. ;)

As for me, I am feeling some mild soreness around my ovaries. I guess that is from the Repronex shots stimulating them. Seems like Saturday will never get here. I'm anxious for the u/s to see what we have to work with this time around.

[gymwidow]

5DPO and still no FPS. Which is probably a good thing, because if I DID feel anything I'd be overanalyzing it and making myself crazy. :rolleyes: As it is, I'm just looking forward to keeping busy at work and going away this weekend. When I get back next week I'll only be a couple of days away from testing!

Q: Do you guys think that 12DPO is too early to test? I don't know if I can hold out longer than that. I'll be going in for a 14DPO blood test at my RE's office.

Interesting discussion about the Catholic/religious view of infertility treatments. I have very strong views on the interplay between religion and everyday life. I wish that some religions would be more forward-thinking and allow the use of modern technology to assist in situations like this. But that's just me...

Jules, waiting sucks, huh?

marteneym, thanks. Hugs to you. I'm sorry you had such a rough time with the Clomid. Is your doc monitoring you to check your follie growth and do a trigger before IUI? I don't think I would have been able to stay sane without that.

tigerest, ooooh, I'm so excited for you. I hope this works and that perfect embryo becomes a perfect little baby!

polkadot, I think it's good that you're talking. That's so important. You guys will get through this. Taking a break from charting might help. You can still try to predict O without the daily chore of temping and charting.

knoelani, I hope you see some good follies tomorrow!

thedoorchick, doesn't it seem that we're always waiting for something? Waiting to take meds, waiting to O, waiting to find out...... I'm so tired of waiting!

[cowgirl]

Can you please remove me from this thread.

I just don't feel I make it hear enough. I may still lurk from time to time.

Good luck to all of you on getting BFP's in 2006

[thedoorchick]

gymwidow, I do not think that 12DPO is too early; that's generally when I first start testing. I have gotten BFP's at 12DPO before.

[skb]

gymwidow Sorry I don't have much to add on the testing. I've laways had such a short cycles that I ovulate and AF is just around the corner. I've never really had the chance to test. But hopefully the weekend away will hold you over! Good luck!

thedoor I hpe the ultrasound shows good results for you!

tiger One perfect embryo sounds pretty good to me. I hope time passes by quickly and takes you to the 8th with good news.

knoelani I giggled about the superbowl comment. Luckily the darned superbowl does not interfer with our timing but otherwise.......

marteneym Sorry about your tough week. This clomid stuff isn't sounding so friendly. I've been making out OK with my HRT but the clomid is next to come.

As for me....off to my family doc to score me some *drugs* for my HSG #2next week. I hope she's in the mood to write a prescription!!! And as if the excitment of my drug mission isn't enough....I'll be an auntie very soon, almost 10 cm dilated. i'm very excited but also very tired of the *waiting game* we've all been playing. Remind me later that I'm supposed to use the drugs for the HSG!

[papergirl]

gymwidow: I hope this is it.

gator: Hugs and hand in there.

tazluv: Welcome to the group. I hope your stay isn’t too long.

nigellas: I’m hoping big things come to you this cycle.

As for me.. DH goes to see a Urologist on Thursday. I just got laid off at work (on Friday) so it seems I can make the appointment. Yay! I say that because my lovely husband is the worst at asking questions to get the most information and he totally sucks at repeating what happened. He would probably summarize the visit in two sentences, men! I do plan to comment on DH getting another SA and will see what they suggest.

I have no clue where we are in this cycle due to an oddly long period. I just started charting last night so I will keep an eye on my temps just to see when they go up. I am also going to use OPK so hopefully we’ll catch my surge.

This month after seeing the RE I have really felt at peace with our TTC journey. It’s been longer then I had hoped with many bumps but I finally feel at ease with where I am and confident that it will happen in the next several months. I don’t know why, I just do. It’s like I’m OK with it not happening this cycle because I think it will happen soon. In the past I have always felt like if it didn’t happen now I was doomed and that isn’t the case anymore. I know this feeling may pass but right now I feel good. Of course, then a somewhat close online friend announced her pregnancy, which gave me moments of frustrations and disappointment. Fortunately, I was only feeling down for a short while but it sucked being able to be drawn into the sadder side of things so easily.

[julesp313]

Gymwidow - my one and only BFP was at 12DPO so I think it's not too early. My only caution would be that if you implant late, you may get a false negative. I actually felt implantation at 9DPO so I knew... but man, I couldn't wait to test! :)

[kazata]

gator Thanks for piping in on your experiences with fluid being a sign of endo. I have wondered about that possibility. Are there other symptoms/signs of endo? I need to do some research on that.

tigerest Ooo, sounds promising. I hope that good embryo turns into a baby! Good luck!

polka As everyone else said, I think it's normal that guys experience some pressure/anxiety eventually. It really can become a chore. Taking a break from charting for a couple months did wonders for me.

skb Sorry about having to do another HSG. That's in the cards for me next cycle, and I'm not looking forward to it.

martenym Sorry to hear that clomid isn't treating you well. Hugs.

Everyone in the 2ww: Good luck!

ME: I'm 6dpo and have had very high temps the last two days. But, seriously, at 5 and 6 dpo? Can that possibly mean anything? My whole chart this month has been a bit screwy. Much more erratic than usual, and then after O was confirmed by u/s last Friday, my temps plummetted, but now they went way up. Trying not to read too much into anything. Key word "trying."

[Alioop12345]

Not much to report. I have the flu. I am 10DPO and went in for bloodwork this morning...I'll have the results this PM

[Nigellas]

Ali- Any results yet?

tiger- How exciting! :) Hoping and wishing for you!

marteneym - Hang in there! At least you are done with those evil pills for now! :)

Bumble - You have a great attitude- you are right, it will happen!

-----
Moi?
I had my IUI yesterday... 2WW is already killing me. oie.

[marteneym]

Thanks to everyone who commeneted on the chlomid yuckiness. Ha's seem to have stopped now. YAY!

gymwidowIs your doc monitoring you to check your follie growth and do a trigger before IUI? I don't think I would have been able to stay sane without that.
No they are not. I had said that if the 2nd IUI didnt work i was going to request this. We didnt end up doing # 2last cycle so I guess if this month doesnt work I will ask.

nigellas Good luck inyour 2WW!

[gator97]

kazata--- there are lots of symptoms of endo actually. You can also have no symptoms whatsoever and still have it. The severity has nothing to do with the symptoms. I personally have severe ovulation pain and with my period, increase in asthma symptoms. Pain is my greatest symptom. I only have about 4 pain-free days each month. Do a search--you'll find a ton of stuff. I'll send you more links when I get back home (going out of town in about 1 min.)

[julesp313]

There's a lot of us in the 2ww, I think... at least we can band together and commiserate and sympathize while we try not to drive ourselves insane. :) Thinking happy thoughts for everyone (am trying to keep myself super-positive and avoid being annoyingly fake-perky... how am I doing? ;) )

[Lucy Van Pelt]

I'll join everyone in the 2ww. I did my round of femara and went in yesterday afternoon for a follicle check. There wasn't much to see so Nurse Marion thought I may have already ovulated. I had blood wor