The Official TTC Thread!

[swimmer]

Hi Peony,
Good to see you lady. Thanks for checking in. Turns out that DH and I are carriers for different horrific genetic conditions, none of the same. Whew. The next time a woman shows up in BWW talking about her fmil wishing she was Jewish I'm going to urge her to tell fmil that she is bringing in some much wanted genetic diversity. There should be some sort of outreach program at Temples, "Reproduce with a goy, your kids will thank you for it!" etc. Only partially kidding here.

Hope you are doing great in your first tri!

Where is InLuv?

Welcome cake, qt, and krissie. Hope your stays here are short!

Nov, I'm happy to share my challah recipe with you lady! My Nana's was labor intensive with a tendency to fail, so I switched knowing that if Nana had known how to google, she would have found this way tasty recipe that is just eggy goodness, link and was in Hadassah so is clearly maher tested and approved. Occasionally I sneak in an extra egg, but that is just a personal preference.

 

[peonygirl]

Checking into see about InLuv''s update.

Swimmer, I''m SO glad!!!!!!!!!!!! DH and I are apparently from the same town in Lithuania (wayyyyyy back) and there''s no intermarriage in our families that we know of, so we lucked out that I don''t have anything (''cause he probably would have had the same!).
I''m actually in my 2nd trimester (just started) and I am SO wishing that you were here with me!

 

[nycbkgirl]

INLUV- I hope u are celebrating!..we are patientlyy waiting (<--NOT)...what''s with all the waiting...here and with pandora in preggo thread..urgh this is hard!

Btw...Swimmer...i was ROTFL with ur outreach quote!

 

[InLuv101]

Hey ladies!
Thanks to everyone who thought about and asked about me. I posted on PS yesterday but never wandered over to this thread to report back because facing the reality that this whole TTC journey is over is just so hard. I know you all understand more than anyone how difficult it is to want something so bad and really not have a lot of control over when it will come to fruition.

Sadly, as I stated a few days ago, this just isn’t the right time for us to continue to TTC. I’m hoping things will pick up and maybe we can try again in about a year. I’m not sure if I’ll continue to chart to avoid or just put it all away since charts and bbt are all so connected to TTC in my brain. It was so heartbreaking for me when AF showed since I really did believe I was preggo this cycle (wishful thinking, I guess).

DH knew how difficult this is for me so he told me to take the day off yesterday and we did a bunch of fun stuff that we wouldn’t be able to do if we had a baby…we went to our fave amusement park where we could both ride all the rides vs. someone having to stay on the ground with a baby. We went to a movie at our fave movie theatre where nobody under 18 is admitted (because they serve alcohol) and enjoyed not having our movie interrupted by crying kids. We went to our fave art museum and got dressed up and went out to a very nice dinner at a fancy schmancy restaurant that people generally don’t take kids. I had a great day and my DH is so supportive and wonderful.

You are all wonderfully beautiful women. I wish you all the happiness you can stand and a whole slew of BFPs!! I’m not too sure I’ll really be around much…it’s just so hard but I’m always rooting for you all. I’ll be around other areas of PS, as I could never leave this great forum so I’ll see ya around! Thanks for all the continued support and NONE of you better be here when I get back!

 

[blushingbride]

In Luv, there really are no words that I can say which will make this easier for you. You know I can completely sympathize with you regarding this whole process and know how completely frustrating it can be. I also understand your decision to take a break and wanted to let you know that you will, without a doubt, be extremely missed around here.

Please know you can stop by anytime to say hi (when you''re ready of course) and I''ll be praying for a quick, BFP when you return here full force!

Stay positive and keep the faith that it WILL happen for you someday soon. Best of luck to you on your journey!

 

[lovelylulu]

Inluv - I''m sorry that it didn''t happen this cycle and that you have an indefinite hiatus. But, your post so lovely to read. You and your husband sound like an amazing couple. your day of appreciating everything that you can do, rather than focusing on what you cannot, was touching. I wish you both the best - mainly financial security and a bouncing bundle of joy in the very near future. But for the present, keep enjoying that wonderful family you two have together.

 

[Festy]

Date: 5/18/2009 8:00:48 PM
Author: swimmer
Hi Peony,
Good to see you lady. Thanks for checking in. Turns out that DH and I are carriers for different horrific genetic conditions, none of the same. Whew. The next time a woman shows up in BWW talking about her fmil wishing she was Jewish I''m going to urge her to tell fmil that she is bringing in some much wanted genetic diversity. There should be some sort of outreach program at Temples, ''Reproduce with a goy, your kids will thank you for it!'' etc. Only partially kidding here.

Amen!

I just discovered that the breast cancer gene is also more prevalent in Ashkenazi Jews. My A. Jewish mother had breast cancer and her sister was just diagnosed with it as well, so they''ll be getting tested for the gene, as will I. What fun! Even though my father is a goy I''m not protected from this particular genetic P.I.T.A.!

 

[lovelylulu]

welcome krissie - hope that you are off this thread in no time!

qtiekki -

hello. so happy to have you joining and thanks for sharing your story. it gives me hope that despite this process taking *forever* maybe it''ll just work out one fine day!! hope that your stay here for number 2 is significantly shorter!

 

[lovelylulu]

Yesterday, I *finally* had an HSG. I don't know why I was so stubbornly avoiding it. But I was. Then I accepted that it was necessary. The test itself really wasn't so bad. Quick actually. I was hoping that I'd learn something helpful. That maybe, finally, all of these lemons would be squeezed into lemonade. Well, we didn't quite make lemonade, instead somthing more like watered down, unsweetend lemon water.

The final diagnostic yielded another perfectly normal result. The verdict: My tubes are free flowing. No issues to be found.

So why all of the above allusion to bitter water - I guess because we are right back to where we started - no baby and no idea why. Next steps: back to the doctor's office with my husband to review my three normals and his one normal. Here's hoping that this doctor has something else up her sleeve . . .

 

[Festy]

InLuv,

I''m so sorry that this wasn''t the cycle for you. It sounds like you had a wonderful day with your husband and I hope that your year off from TTC flies by. I know it will be hard, but I hope this year will become a gift to you and your husband and that you can continue to bask in the glow of your alone time together. I will really miss your optimism and good cheer but I completely understand why you wouldn''t want to hang around these parts for a while. I''ll look for you elsewhere on PS, you can be sure of that!

Hugs from Festy

 

[Festy]

Lulu, gah! I completely know how you feel so I''m not going to congratulate you on a normal HSG! I so badly wanted them to find a blockage, clear it up, and find myself KTFU that same cycle. I hope you come away from your next doctor''s appointment with a game plan that makes you feel good. So flippin'' frustrating. Here''s a story you might find interesting...

DH comes home the other day and tells me that a friend of his, a woman who just turned 40, just told him she''s pregnant. Of course my first question is how long were they trying? 2 months. He tells me she swears the reason they got KTFU so quickly was because she was going for acupuncture. And get this, he tells me he asked her for her acupuncturist''s contact info and would I consider going? I told him I''d go if he''d go. (Since out of the two of us, his test results came back less "normal" than mine). He agreed. I am waiting for him to take the next step. Part of me was psyched that he was getting proactive about this, but the other part of me was screaming "REALLY? You want me to get acupuncture when YOU''RE the one with semi-questionable sperm? REALLY?" Luckily it was the part of me that does all the screaming in my head.

This convo went down on CD 1 so I was not at my best!

 

[blushingbride]

Date: 5/19/2009 9:58:24 AM
Author: lovelylulu

Yesterday, I *finally* had an HSG. I don''t know why I was so stubbornly avoiding it. But I was. Then I accepted that it was necessary. The test itself really wasn''t so bad. Quick actually. I was hoping that I''d learn something helpful. That maybe, finally, all of these lemons would be squeezed into lemonade. Well, we didn''t quite make lemonade, instead somthing more like watered down, unsweetend lemon water.

The final diagnostic yielded another perfectly normal result. The verdict: My tubes are free flowing. No issues to be found.

So why all of the above allusion to bitter water - I guess because we are right back to where we started - no baby and no idea why. Next steps: back to the doctor''s office with my husband to review my three normals and his one normal. Here''s hoping that this doctor has something else up her sleeve . . .

Lovely! So glad to hear the tubes are wide open and you are once again classified as, "normal." I swear, that word is really starting to get to me.

Anyway, guess what? I''m going for an HSG today. I''m extremely nervous for some odd reason. I''ve been doing a ton of research on it and it seems like it''s pretty painful - was it for you?

My DH is coming with me which I''m very happy about. I had to go for a beta yesterday to confirm I wasn''t pregnant (well, I could''ve told them that one). I guess my doctor won''t perform an HSG without a beta.

Anyway, if you could give me anymore info about your experience, I''d appreciate it! Fingers crossed for me girls!

 

[lovelylulu]

Blushing - the hsg is a really quick test and nice because you get the instant gratification of immediate results. My experience was that the test wasn''t painful at all. awkward. yes. but that was mainly because my doctor was trying to make all sorts of small talk, I suppose in an attempt to distract me, but it was really strange answering questions about where I grew up, my work commute, etc. at the time

.

I hope that yours goes as smoothly! Do report back.

 

[melz]

Festy that was hysterical. On a serious note, I''ve been reading alot about stress reduction and different homeopathic things to help one conceive. Tomorrow I have an appointment with a mind/body center that''s affiliated with my ivf doc. They also offer accupuncture. I say, it''s worth a shot. Even if he is the one with the issue, stress reduction can''t be a bad thing. I''m definitely going to try it and hoping it''s not too expensive ....

 

[Festy]

Blushing, good luck! I had an HSG a couple months ago and it was seriously a piece of cake. I felt no pain whatsoever. Here''s how it happened. They insert a speculum and kind of "wipe down" your cervix. This is typical speculum-related discomfort, but nothing unfamiliar. Then they insert a catheter which I didn''t feel at all. Then they remove the speculum while the catheter is still in you - this was great, because once the speculum was gone I didn''t feel a thing. At some point they position the xray machine above you and inject the dye into the catheter (the dye is clear, FYI). I had heard that some people feel pressure when the dye is injected but I didn''t feel any discomfort. (It all falls out of you shortly after the test, and you''ll see that it''s not that much fluid). Let us know how it goes!

 

[Festy]

Date: 5/19/2009 10:47:41 AM
Author: melanie987123
Festy that was hysterical. On a serious note, I''ve been reading alot about stress reduction and different homeopathic things to help one conceive. Tomorrow I have an appointment with a mind/body center that''s affiliated with my ivf doc. They also offer accupuncture. I say, it''s worth a shot. Even if he is the one with the issue, stress reduction can''t be a bad thing. I''m definitely going to try it and hoping it''s not too expensive ....

I agree, it mostly certainly couldn''t hurt for either one of us. Do let me know how your appointment goes. I also wonder about the cost, which surely can''t be covered by insurance.

 

[blushingbride]

Date: 5/19/2009 10:42:58 AM
Author: lovelylulu
Blushing - the hsg is a really quick test and nice because you get the instant gratification of immediate results. My experience was that the test wasn't painful at all. awkward. yes. but that was mainly because my doctor was trying to make all sorts of small talk, I suppose in an attempt to distract me, but it was really strange answering questions about where I grew up, my work commute, etc. at the time

.

I hope that yours goes as smoothly! Do report back.

Good to hear! I read that it can be painful if your tubes are in fact blocked and some people suggested taking a pain reliever beforehand. We'll see. I'll defnitely let you know how it goes. How much did you insurance cover you for the test? Also, what cycle day you are on? Today is CD 9 for me.

 

[blushingbride]

Date: 5/19/2009 11:08:13 AM
Author: Festy
Blushing, good luck! I had an HSG a couple months ago and it was seriously a piece of cake. I felt no pain whatsoever. Here''s how it happened. They insert a speculum and kind of ''wipe down'' your cervix. This is typical speculum-related discomfort, but nothing unfamiliar. Then they insert a catheter which I didn''t feel at all. Then they remove the speculum while the catheter is still in you - this was great, because once the speculum was gone I didn''t feel a thing. At some point they position the xray machine above you and inject the dye into the catheter (the dye is clear, FYI). I had heard that some people feel pressure when the dye is injected but I didn''t feel any discomfort. (It all falls out of you shortly after the test, and you''ll see that it''s not that much fluid). Let us know how it goes!

Thanks Festy - I''m feeling MUCH better after hearing you and Lovely say positive things about it. I guess I''m nervous because it''s something "new" for me and I didn''t know quite what to expect.

 

[Festy]

Date: 5/19/2009 11:19:44 AM
Author: blushingbride

Date: 5/19/2009 11:08:13 AM
Author: Festy
Blushing, good luck! I had an HSG a couple months ago and it was seriously a piece of cake. I felt no pain whatsoever. Here''s how it happened. They insert a speculum and kind of ''wipe down'' your cervix. This is typical speculum-related discomfort, but nothing unfamiliar. Then they insert a catheter which I didn''t feel at all. Then they remove the speculum while the catheter is still in you - this was great, because once the speculum was gone I didn''t feel a thing. At some point they position the xray machine above you and inject the dye into the catheter (the dye is clear, FYI). I had heard that some people feel pressure when the dye is injected but I didn''t feel any discomfort. (It all falls out of you shortly after the test, and you''ll see that it''s not that much fluid). Let us know how it goes!

Thanks Festy - I''m feeling MUCH better after hearing you and Lovely say positive things about it. I guess I''m nervous because it''s something ''new'' for me and I didn''t know quite what to expect.

I was a wee bit nervous too. It''s great that DH is going with you, hopefully he can take your mind off things.

 

[Sha]

InLuv, I'm sorry this wasn't the cycle for you...

It must've been hard to have that glimmer of hope and then have it dashed too...

I'm sorry. It does sound like you have a wonderfully supportive DH, though - I think it's great that you took the day off and enjoyed yourselves as a couple. I hope you are both blessed with your own beautiful baby/ies someday soon.

lovelylulu - glad to hear your HSG went well, but I know it must be frustrating not knowing why TTC is taking so long. That comment about your doc making small talk during the procedure made me smile - I would feel very uncomfortable too!

Blushing - hope your test goes well today.

 

[nycbkgirl]

Inluv- im so sorry hun...def take a break...we are all rooting for u! Dh is really one amazin guy!

Re acupuncture: for what its worth...I had it done pre and post ivf procedure and during the 2ww and it worked for me ...I can''t say I think acup did the trick but I can''t say it didn''t help..good luck

 

[lovelylulu]

Date: 5/19/2009 10:11:51 AM
Author: Festy

DH comes home the other day and tells me that a friend of his, a woman who just turned 40, just told him she's pregnant. Of course my first question is how long were they trying? 2 months. He tells me she swears the reason they got KTFU so quickly was because she was going for acupuncture. And get this, he tells me he asked her for her acupuncturist's contact info and would I consider going? I told him I'd go if he'd go. (Since out of the two of us, his test results came back less 'normal' than mine). He agreed. I am waiting for him to take the next step. Part of me was psyched that he was getting proactive about this, but the other part of me was screaming 'REALLY? You want me to get acupuncture when YOU'RE the one with semi-questionable sperm? REALLY?' Luckily it was the part of me that does all the screaming in my head.

This convo went down on CD 1 so I was not at my best!

Ha! I'm very impressed at your self-control!

All joking aside, I've been contemplating acupuncture myself. Not enough to start doing it yet, but I am curious about learning more . . . I figure it couldn't hurt.

ETA: nycbkgirl - thanks for your two cents!

 

[peonygirl]

Aww, InLuv, I''m so sorry.

That stinks! Are you still pursuing the nursing school thing at this time?

Regarding the accupuncture thing, I happened to have one session (for my back, not for fertility) on CD6 the cycle I got pregnant with the twins. It''s very relaxing!

 

[gongjoo143]

Hey I wanted to chime in here. I''ve been following this thread for awhile as my husband and I have been TTC this year. We are currently waiting to start an IVF because my husband''s sperm morphology is way too low, just 1%. I saw that the conversation turned to acupuncture and I may be able to help answer questions.

I''m a licensed acupuncturist and specialize in treating infertility, male and female. I''ve been practicing for about 4 years and have had incredible success in helping women get pregnant naturally, or assisting in IVF procedures. Let me know if I can answer some questions... I don''t post often but I check this thread daily.

 

[Festy]

Date: 5/19/2009 2:28:00 PM
Author: gongjoo143
Hey I wanted to chime in here. I''ve been following this thread for awhile as my husband and I have been TTC this year. We are currently waiting to start an IVF because my husband''s sperm morphology is way too low, just 1%. I saw that the conversation turned to acupuncture and I may be able to help answer questions.

I''m a licensed acupuncturist and specialize in treating infertility, male and female. I''ve been practicing for about 4 years and have had incredible success in helping women get pregnant naturally, or assisting in IVF procedures. Let me know if I can answer some questions... I don''t post often but I check this thread daily.

You''re a godsend, I have a million and one questions! Thanks for jumping in! My DH''s morphology was also low (3%), but I gather that it can change from sample to sample. The doctor wants him to provide one more sample before we move to the next step. Do you mind sharing how many samples your husband provided before they gave a final diagnosis?

Also, would you mind giving a quick description of what an acupuncture session is like for men and women being treated for infertility? Thanks!

 

[gongjoo143]

Dear Festy,

Yes, I can help you answer questions about sperm morphology. Perhaps this would be easier over email?

My husband''s job may have something to do with his poor morphology. He is an orthopedic surgery resident and is exposed to radiation daily. He had 2 semen analysis, one that showed 1% normal, and the other 2%. His count and motility are borderline normal/slightly low. We decided to go ahead with IVF because our clinic offered a free IVF trial and we don''t have insurance coverage. The Dr gave us a 80% success rate with IVF. I have also started treating him with acupuncture weekly and started him on vitamins, supplements, herbs, and asked him to stop all alcohol, eat lots of veggies and fruits. Sperm takes 90-100 days to show improvements.

If your husband''s morphology is low, the single best supplement is pycnogenol (french maritime pine bark extract) taken at 100-200mg daily. There has been research that shows great improvement in morphology. Acupuncture also is incredibly helpful at increasing circulation. Please let me know if you''d like a full list of supplements. If you decide to start acupuncture, finding a practitioner who specializes in infertility is a good idea.

 

[gongjoo143]

Hmm...maybe I didn''t really answer your question.

Acupuncture for men and women, while TTC, is generally once a week. I found that it is most effective when both are treated. Pregnancy seems to happen quite fast. If you are planning to do IUI or IVF, treatments can be timed around that. Acupuncture needles are very thin, painless, and will likely be inserted on the legs, feet, hands, abdomen and head. Most people find acupuncture treatments to be incredibly relaxing and they usually fall asleep.

The great thing about acupuncture is that it doesn''t only treat fertility issues, but can help overall health. Since I''ve been treating my husband, his seasonal allergies are almost completely gone, he hasn''t caught a cold for a long time despite working at the hospital, his energy and libido are better.

If you are curious, you can check out this book: The Infertility Cure by Randine Lewis. It''s all about Chinese medicine and infertility. Lots of practical tips about diet, lifestyle, vitamins and herbs. I used to work at her clinic.

Hope this helps.

 

[Festy]

Gongjoo,

That is so incredibly helpful, I can''t thank you enough! You''re so kind to offer to talk over email but I don''t think PS allows us to exchange email addresses. I''ll start by researching the supplement you mentioned and will make sure the acupuncturist we were referred to specializes in infertility.

I wish you the best of luck with IVF. Feel free to jump in on the discussion any old time!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Hey girls,

Wanted to check in. Haha. I''ve been gone what, 4 days? Oh well...

I''m a goof ball. I''ve missed you guys!

InLuv, sweetie, I''m so sorry that things are going to be on hold for a while. But you know.... lots of babies come into this world without being planned, and even with the economy the way it is, I''m sure your children will be well loved and well cared for, whenever they come around! Thinking of you... my heart breaks for you. But just remember: your time will come. It WILL!!

****
Paul and I have been doing really well. Really, really well. I think taking a break from temping and all the craziness of that for a minute has really helped (I will be temping when it''s close to time to ovulate, to confirm that I ovulated, and then will stop again), even in just the week or so that I''ve been doing it (or not doing it, whatever). Funny, I thought it would be hard to stop, since it was part of my routine, but it''s been so easy. I still have my therm. sitting right by the bed, but now I just hit snooze and roll over and it''s *nice!!*

I went to the dentist today and went ahead and got the xrays they''d been wanting to do for well over a year now, but I kept putting off, hoping like nuts that there was a baby in there I didn''t want to harm, but since I know I''m not carrying my baby just this moment, it seemed like a good time to do that. No cavities! Yay for me! But, I did get a referral for a periodontist, since my tooth (I''d posted about this before) is lower in the gum area than they like to see. Mela, if you''re lurking, they did measurements and it''s the only tooth I have that rates a 4 (they said they make referrals at 5 and up, but went ahead and made one for me at this point, as the Dr. has little hope that any additional gum will generate, given the location of the tooth in my mouth), and that all my other teeth are 2s with a few 3s mixed in. Anyway, she said that it''s totally an isolated area involving just that one tooth (a bottom front tooth) and said that it''s not uncommon at all in patients who had braces later in life (I had mine at 19-20) because the tooth will move but the bone under it is less inclined to move along with it, and then the gum slowly pulls away. She said that likely this is the only tooth that has been effected and she said I''ll definitely need the graft, and hopefully before pregnancy. Aye! So, I''m processing that and hoping that I can get a call into the periodontist this week, to see what the time frame for that is.

It feels like after going to the dentist and painting the spare bedroom, I''ve now completed everything I *needed* to do before I got pregnant. So maybe things will just fall into place now. Never know...

Another thing that has been really interesting to me is just how much time I have for other things when I''m not looking up charts to compare to my own, stalking Babies R Us online, or reading What to Expect for the 5th time. I won''t lie, I still think about our baby every day, more than once a day, but at least I feel less fanatical about it now. A little anyway. We put together furniture and space saver cubbies for the guest bedroom and I have been working in the garden. Things I love to do. It''s been good.

Thanks to everyone who commented on the IUI process; it brings much relief to know that going natural with that process is a possibility, as that would be our only option in doing the procedure (or with Clomid... although I''m not sure... if we use all our "chances" at Clomid prior to IUI, do you get the option of doing it again with IUI? Hmm. Something to ask the Dr, I guess at our next appt.). I know it would be frustrating to have to set up and then miss an appt. because I didn''t ovulate a good egg or whatever, but it''s much better for us than risking creating more babies than I can carry full term, as saving them for later is not an option. I could never freeze my child(ren).

It''s been fun being more *us* again, but one thing we''ve both realized is that our future baby is a part of *us* now, and we can''t hide it or pretend it''s not on our minds. Still, over all, I do feel like this break from thinking about temps and charting has been helpful. I wonder how it will be in a few days when I have to pick it up again...

Thinking good thoughts for everyone, and thanks for all the thoughts and well wishes for us. Praying all of us jump from this thread into motherhood super soon!

 

[swimmer]

Luv, you are just amazing. My best to you and your DH.

Peony, Wow, first tri over!?! You are speeding through amazing preggo lady. Wish I was there with you indeed, but soon enough.

Thanks Lovelylulu, Festy, and Blushing for getting info on the HSG test out there. A friend got ktfu the cycle after hers, the RE said that was not unusual, sort of primed the pump if you will. I have one scheduled for July, so thanks for the 411.

Gongjoo, I get acupuncture and would love to help spread the word on how awesome it is. My labrador was allergic to grass, one treatment every spring and she didn't have to take any meds (that kill kidneys) for it. I get it because a friend is an acupuncturist and he he tries stuff out on me. Good fun really and very relaxing.

Fisher, so happy to see you posted here! Sounds like you and P are doing great. Thinking about you and so glad you are around!
Good luck to everyone.

I'm having chart issues, according to advanced i'm 13dpo, fam says 10dpo, and research says 6dpo. gah! so I'm not even sure I ovulated! Oh, and if you recommend ff to someone, you get all the bells and whistles free for some length of time.