The Official TTC Thread!

[lliang_chi]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Lizzy, BIG FINGERS CROSSED!!! And like you said, you could've O'd late with the 3 days of smileys, so keep the faith!

Katy, Have fun BD'ing. You go, girl!

BB, dusting you for good news in a week plus.

LC, have you and hubs been BDing lately? I only ask because it could be...you know...that. DreamerD used to mention a test, I think if it's EWCM, it dissolves in water, but if it's...you know...that...then it doesn't dissolve as easily. I could be wrong, I'd have to go back and look.

NEL, maybe I'm just a little thick, but I have NO IDEA what "that" is... But as for your question, sadly, no DH and I have NOT been BDing lately... At ALL. DH I guess just doesn't feel like it, or doesn't want to, or too scared to, or whatever. We're talking a 20 day dry spell... GASP! What can I say, I like sex... However I haven't tested so I guess I could do that tonight. Highly improbably that I'd be KU, but what the hell, y'know??

ETA: OK NEL I did a search and now I know what "THAT" is... Boy, I feel like a total noobie now...

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

LC, no no, you're not a noobie at all, I was just awkwardly describing it, haha. Sorry about the dry spell, that sounds rough. I do understand, though, because everytime we're about to BD I launch into an argument for not using protection and D is like "do we have to discuss this RIGHT now??". My reply is essentially "Yes we do because the more you avoid it, the more insecure I get about you being ready for this". Not exactly the fun I was expecting when envisioning TTC.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

LC I would call that creamy, maybe a little sticky. True EWCM is reallyu stretchy, like you pull your fingers alllll the way apart and it does not break and snap back to one finger or the other! If it looks/feels like rubber cement, it is sticky. If it looks feels lik snot from after you have been crying and crying and crying, like exactly eggwhites, then it is EWCM. ETA: since you were on birth control that stopped your cycles for such long periods of time, I am not surprised it is taking a while for your cycles to regulate. The feedback loop of hormones that have to occurr for ovulation to happen etc. is complex, and the pill and other hormonal BC interfere with the feedback loop between the ovaries, the brain, and other endocrine systems. Once it all reboots things will be back on track for you.

 

[lliang_chi]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Dreamer, thanks! Snot. Cool. I can picture that. It sounds totally gross but it works. Thanks for chiming in! I'm so glad you stopped by you're like the Oracle. I've been following you lovely ladies along on the JBP and Preggo thread

NEL, I totally know what you mean about the non-fun during TTC... I keep telling myself this gets better... Hope you and your hubs are doing well though.

 

[monkeyprincess]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

NEL and LC, my DH was a little weirded out about going at it sans protection for the first time, even though we are definitely ready to start trying. I'm hoping we can keep it light-hearted and as normal as possible, but we've been having our fair share of mood-killing discussions about BC etc. for the past few months.

Crossing my fingers for those of you who are waiting to test!

 

[lizzyann]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Another BFN today. eh. I'll be honest, I'm depressed about it. We usually have no problem getting pregnant. My period is due in two days (Friday) so I won't test again now unless my period is late. My appt wth the RE is on Monday so hopefully we'll get some answers.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

LizzyAnn, I'm sorry you're depressed, but I do understand. Today is 11dpo for you, right? I know in the past you've gotten a BFP at 10dpo, but that doesn't mean you're out this cycle. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you!

 

[lliang_chi]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Lizzy, Hugs to you my friend. I wouldn't suggest you test every day. Give it a few days, just to let yourself recover. But most importantly, remember you have a "next step" by meeting with the RE on Monday. So you're not banging your head against the wall, there's a plan, or there will be a plan. Stay hopeful because there's still forward progress. That's huge to keeping your spirits up. There's progress, there's a plan and there's someone that can help you.

 

[monkeyprincess]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

I'm sorry you're feeling down Lizzy. I haven't experienced what you have, but I'm sure it must be really frustrating, especially when you are so ready for another little one. My sister has a similar history to you. She had a miscarriage her first pregnancy, a healthy daughter the next pregnancy, another miscarriage, and she just had a healthy son. Like you said, you usually don't have trouble getting pregnant, so even if it doesn't happen for you this month, there is no reason to believe it won't happen soon. If you don't get the news you are hoping for in a couple of days, hopefully your appointment will give you reasons to feel optimistic. Take care.

 

[lizzyann]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Ladies, I just read your comments and you gave me tears in my eyes (in a good way). I'm so thankful for having this thread and you ladies for support. Thank you so much....

NE, yes, I am 11dpo. Last time I got a positive at 10dpo but my HCG was only 31 at that point. So just barely above the 25 that my home test needs to test positive. I haven't completely ruled out that I am pregnant yet. But I am pessimistic about it. If I don't get my period on Friday I will test again on Saturday morning. This was not a usual cycle due to the m/c last month so things could be off as well. Thanks for your optimism, I can't give up hope yet. I think that because I have the appt with the RE on Monday it makes me feel better if I am not pregnant. Because like LC said, there will be a plan and that's all I can hope for.

LC, you are right my dear! My appt is what is keeping me going. I hope to get some answers and be better prepared for the next cycle this way. A plan is a good thing and it gives me hope!

Monkeyprincess, thanks for sharing your story about your sister. I love hearing stories where women come out of a disappointment such as an m/c and go onto have a healthy baby. Thanks for the motivation to stick with it. And the more I think of it, it was naive of me to think that I am going to get pregnant every month we try. But I think seeing the "Not Pregnant" was so depressing because I've always known that a m/c was possible due to my history but seeing a "Not Pregnant" just kind of made me feel like "great, now we're not even getting pregnant" Kind of like it was all adding up and this was the straw that broke the camel's back. Thanks for posting.

Ladies, how are you doing?

 

[monkeyprincess]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Question for you experts. How closely do you need to follow the OPK directions? The directions say not to urinate for 4 hours before taking the test. The only time that ever happens for me is when I wake up in the morning, but I read that it is best not to test first thing in the morning. Have any of you been successful testing first thing in the morning?

 

[lizzyann]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Monkeyprincess, I use the Answer ones and they say you can test any time of the day as long as you do it at roughly the same time every day. So I always tested first thing in the morning and I always got an accurate read on my OPK's. I have read from many places online not to do it then but it doesn't say that anywhere in my OPK directions and I have always pinpointed ovulation with no problem.

 

[blackberry16]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Lizzy: Thinking about you today. Hope you are doing alright.

I got some not too good news from the clinic yesterday. Anyone having fertility issues because of a low kruger score for you SO? I learned that my DH's sperm only has a 50% chance of penetrating an egg. This means a big and stressful change in our current fertility plan. I didn't sleep a wink last night worrying about it. Also, either DH doesn't get it yet or he is upset b/c this threatens his manliness but he doesn't have much to say about this yet. Hopefully he will adjust to the idea soon.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

LizzyAnn, I'm thinking about you today--hoping AF takes an extended vacation for you.

BB, I'm so, so sorry. I'm trying to look on the bright side and am thinking that at least it's good that you know EXACTLY what the problem is so that youa aren't contiuing to try for months on end without knowing the issue. What does this mean for your fertility plan? Is IVF your best option at this point?

AFM, not much going on here. I'm on CD10 and haven't started this month's OPKs. I have started really getting a kick out of D's inability to relax about pulling the goalie. He'll think he's ready and then in the middle of BDing he'll say "shouldn't we have candles or something? I feel like if we're going to TTC there should be fireworks. Something more celbratory than a quickie before work." The thing is, I don't think he's just freaking out on me, I think he's genuinely thinks we should have some sort of special TTC celebratory sex. This morning I remineded him that I'm only CD10 and nowhere near ovulating, but he took that opportunity to tell me that he thinks he has superhuman sperm that can hide out for over a week and then suddenly jump on my egg as soon as it's released. This whole TTC thing could be fertile with hilarious stories to tell our future children when they are adults.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

NEL we found the whole TTC process more funny than anything else. Trying to DTD for like, 10 days in a row, is funny! And quickies were the order of the day then. No candles here! Maybe you can humour him

 

[lizzyann]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Ok, so the weird thing is that my period was due yesterday and it never came so I took another test this morning and is was a BFN, which is fine, but I just hope my period comes soon. I am supposed to go out with some friends tonight but I don't feel right drinking alcohol if my period doesn't arrive today. Any advice?

 

[lizzyann]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

So I played it safe last night and didn't have any cocktails as AF still hasn't arrived. I am on CD30 using day 1 as the first day of my m/c. The m/c most likely altered my normal cycle length of exactly 28 days I guess. Tomorrow, I have my RE appt so if AF still hasn't arrived I am just going to let the Dr. know that I may or may not be pregnant. I'm not taking anymore home tests because they give me too much anxiety so I'd rather just wait and see what happens now.

 

[KatyWI]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Lizzy - Still have my fingers crossed for you. At least the RE can hopefully shed some light and help somehow, whether you are or are not pregnant right now. It has to be a little comforting that you're taking that step and are that much closer to having another baby.

NEL - it is TOO cute about your DH wanting it to be special and celebratory. I have completely the opposite - DH doesn't seem to much care himself about making a baby NOW. Objectively I know he definitely wants kids, but as far as he's concerned he expects it to take at least a few tries if not many, and so if it happens now, cool, and if it's 5 years from now, what the heck! I try not to get my feelings hurt and just chalk it up to the fact that he has no idea what it's like to be a crazy emotional woman, but I kinda wish he'd want to light candles or have fireworks to make it more special for ME even if he doesn't care!

blackberry - Sorry about your not-so-good news. Ditto NEL though, that at least you know what the issue is now and can find a solution for that particular problem. We're pretty far from getting medical evaluation/assistance, so I can't offer any insight, but I do hope that you find a workable solution soon. I'm sure your DH will come around and be an invaluable partner in this, but he's probably just processing right now.

LC - You must be skiing right now!!!! I hope you're having a wonderful time! I used to love skiing (never could afford to do it regularly, so have always been an amateur), but in WI we only have hills, not mountains, so it's not really the same.

monkey - If you're using OPKs, you must be mid-marathon too! Good luck

In a last ditch effort to feel like I have some control over things, I bought OPKs yesterday. I expected to O either yesterday or today, but the line was pretty light, so either I haven't O'd yet or I am on the downswing of the surge already. We didn't BD on Friday, but we hit Wed, Thurs, and Sat and hopefully will get tonight too. If the OPK gets darker, I'll know I haven't O'd yet and keep BDing until I hit the surge, but if it gets even lighter I'll consider it good for the cycle after tonight and give DH a rest We're not super-active in the bedroom typically, and the poor guy is probably thinking "Enough already!". hahaha.

 

[monkeyprincess]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Katy, I have no idea where I am at in my cycle because I only went off birth control about 11 days ago, so it's possible I won't ovulate for awhile. OPKs are only giving me faint lines at this point. I'm sort of using this month to try interpret the signs, but if we happened to get lucky on our first month, I'd be thrilled. Hopefully, you've already hit the right days!

Lizzy, you're probably right that your cycle is a little wonky this month. Still crossing my fingers for you.

NEL, that's cute about your husband. Mine hasn't taken it that far, but he seems to be taking it so seriously when we BD, like he really has a mission and can will it to happen. We BD'd the past couple nights, and he asked me this morning, in all serious, if I thought I was pregnant. He's clueless, and I'll probably let him stay that way for at least a couple months.

Blackberry, I don't know much about your situation, but I hope that you have good solutions available to you.

 

[PumpkinPie]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Hope I'm still welcome here ladies because I'm back I had to take a little mental health break. I was feeling too upset about another interminable cycle (48 days long..) during which we had DTD regularly and I was (wrongly) convinced I might actually be pregnant. But nope - my body's just f^*&ing with me again. Pretty frustrating and depressing.

I'm on CD 8 now and have an endo appointment in 2 weeks.

Also just found out that the second of 3 friends who got pregnant on the first try - is also having twins. So now my 2 closest friends - one hit wonders with twins! I wonder how exactly I got lucky enough to be faced with this situation in the midst of infertility.

I will try to get back in the swing of this thread. Good luck to all!

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Pumpkin, big hugs to you!!! and welcome back!!! I hope that your endo appt gives you some answers.

BB-glad that you got some answers, but sorry that they weren't so great! I hope that you and your Dr can figure out the best path forward and that your DH isn't taking it too hard! I know that mine would be pretty upset!

 

[megumic]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Heyy TTC'ers -- I mostly lurk in these parts since I'm in the WBW (wanting but waiting) crowd, but had a question I'm sure y'all can answer for me. What kind of prenatals (specific brand), if any, are you taking? OTC or Rx? Or, if you're not taking any, what helped you make that decision? Thanks in advance -- trying to prep the body for the near-future TTCing.

Good luck to everyone and lots of dust for getting a BFP ASAP!

 

[charbie]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Heyy TTC'ers -- I mostly lurk in these parts since I'm in the WBW (wanting but waiting) crowd, but had a question I'm sure y'all can answer for me. What kind of prenatals (specific brand), if any, are you taking? OTC or Rx? Or, if you're not taking any, what helped you make that decision? Thanks in advance -- trying to prep the body for the near-future TTCing.

Good luck to everyone and lots of dust for getting a BFP ASAP!

Hey Meg: I used the generic prenatals from Meijer or Kroger while TTC, and then have continued to use them ever since. There are two pills to take: one is a big pink pill containing the vitamins, and a fish oil pill (what people say gives you the "fish burps"). I take mine at night, so have never had issues with fishy burps. I've found these are reasonably priced (~$11 for 30 day supply), and actually once found them buy 1 get 1 free, so stocked up since ill be on them for awhile. I think they make my nails and hair stronger and shinier plus its just good practice anyways to take vitamins if you don't already. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the options out there, but in my opinion, why pay so much more if they all have pretty much the same stuff in them?
Also, even after getting my BFP (both when I had my m/c and my current pregnancy) I never had a doctor give me a script for vitamins. Both doctors I went to simply asked if I was taking any just to make sure, and said any brand of prentals would be sufficient.
good luck gearing up!

 

[monkeyprincess]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Megumic, I'm taking prenatal vitamins from Target. I started taking them last year a few months before my wedding partly because I was hoping they would help with my nails and hair But also because I knew we would start trying within a year. I have always taken a multi-vitamin, and I have not noticed any difference after switching to the pre-natal.

 

[blackberry16]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

AF showed up this morning, 5 days early, so that is depressing!

 

[lizzyann]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

So ladies, I went to the RE yesterday and here is what happened at the appt...please let me know your interpretation....

First the Dr. went over my history and she said that my OB had run all of the right tests and everything is normal. She said in her medical opinion I truly "had bad luck" with the previous m/c's. She said that she wasn't worried about me. She also said that she disagreed with when my OB had me using the progesterone suppositories and she prefers me to start using them three days after I get a positive on my ovulation predictors. My OB had me starting them once I got a positive pregnancy test and she felt that was too late for my situation. I'll be honest, she came off a little like she didn't think I should be there (I'm sure she sees a lot worse cases than me so I'm sure that is why, but still...). In my mind her attitude gave me mixed feelings. I felt two ways - the fact that she isn't worried about me actually reassures me that I am ok and that I truly had bad luck and keep on chugging along, but secondly it made me feel like she was downplaying my early losses. When she did my ultrasound, she checked my ovaries and uterus and she said that the reason I didn't get pregnant last month is because I didn't ovulate last month. She said that she can tell we have no trouble getting pregnant, so the lack of ovulation explains why we got a negative this month. She said the m/c screwed up my whole schedule which is why my period was late, but I am not pregnant. She said that I will not ovulate this month because there is no sign of a lead follicle, so it is best to wait till the next period, then start using the ovulation predictors, then three days after a positive ovulation, start the progesterone. She said then wait two weeks and take a pregnancy test. if it is negative, I have to stop the progesterone because if I don't stop it, it won't allow my period to start. If it is positive, I will go for blood work to have a beta HCG drawn and then another one a couple days later. Followed by an ultrasound at 5-6 weeks. That is the plan. She said that if for some reason, i am not pregnant in 3 months, call her back and she will give me a fertility drug to give my ovaries a boost, but again she did not seem worried. Basically though, no reason found for the m/c's which sucks. I like the plan set forth though. Interesting thing is that when she looked at my ovaries/lining she didn't think I was going to get my period for another two weeks then this morning I woke up and started my period. I called her office and left her nurse a message to discuss this with her and she said that it was fine that the period came earlier than she thought and to just stick to the plan discussed.

I am happy that my period came earlier than she thought as it would have sucked waiting two more weeks for it to come. But I feel like I didn't learn that much more than I knew walking in. She is hopeful though that using the progesterone earlier will help significantly. I don't know. Sorry this is so long. Let me know what you guys think.....

 

[lizzyann]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Now that I got all of the details from my appt off my chest, I want to respond to you ladies....

BB, I am sorry AF showed up and early for that matter. Is that normal for you? I only ask because sometimes you can get spotting during implantation, which would be right around now. Is it a full on period or just spotting? With regard to the kruger score I am not real educated on that , but I would think that if you do not have any luck on your own getting pregnant, you would be an excellent candidate for IVF. Did your Dr. talk to you about that?

Megumic, call your ob and get their opinion. But mine said to start on multi vitamins as early as you can before trying to conceive (make sure they have folic). Then once I was pregnant he switches me to prescription prenatal vitamins.

Pumpkin, I hope you get some good info from your RE. I am sorry to hear that you are having a hard time with your friends announcements. My best friend is also pregnant for the first time and she has a ton of questions for me and it is hard for me to talk to her sometimes. She knows about my m/c and she tries to tread lightly but i think it is equally as hard for her to ask me questions as it is for me to give answers.

Monkey, great way to look at your first month of TTC. Many women don't ovulate their first month off of birth control so you have a good way of looking at it and learning all you can about your cycle.

Katy, you are so funny about all the BD'ing. I told my DH to get ready for this month!!! ha ha!!! It has become an ongoing joke around here!

NE, your DH is so cute! The whole TTC thang is pretty funny really. Have you started your OPK's?

 

[blackberry16]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

NEL: Your DH is cute! It is nice to try to make BDing a romantic experience. We are having a hard time with that because I work days and he works nights so I have to get up at 2 AM to TTC. Not romantic at all!

PP: Keep your hopes up! We know exactly how you feel.

Lizzy: That is probably a lot to process. Don't worry too much. If the MD thinks that you are probably fine that is great. Just focus on one step of the process at a time. That is what I find most helpful.

AFM: I have calmed down some and can talk about our test results now without crying. My DH has a kruger score of 8. Normal range is 15 and up. This score is in reference to his sperm morphology. This basically means that, due to the shape, only about 1/2 of his sperm have the ability to penetrate my eggs supposing they get where they need to be. This means that our chances of getting pregnant using any process other than IVF is half of what it should be.

We have an appointment to see the MD next Monday to talk about where we go from here. The nurse practitioner has been talking about doing IUIs with femara and FSH. This is not only much more costly than what we are currently doing but this will also include several ultrasounds each month. There doesn't seem to be much that can be done for DH. It seems that the treatment for DH's sperm is making me release more eggs to give his sperm a better chance at penetrating one egg. I find that very frustrating.

As far a AF showing up, I have no idea what that is...my cycle is usually 32 days or so long. This is very short for me. I am sure that it is not implantation bleeding (I had thought it might be yesterday) because it it one of the heaviest period that I have ever had. I am in bed with terrible cramps as I write.

Phew... sorry if this was too long or TMI.

 

[lizzyann]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

BB, did you ever take a pregnancy test? It could also be an early m/c or chemical pregnancy that you are experiencing. One of my first m/c's was a chemical pregnancy and I got really heavy bleeding/cramping around the time that my period would have been due. The cramps were so bad that I called my Dr. and he had me go in for a beta to be drawn to see if i was miscarrying and I was. Maybe you wouldn't want to know if you were pregnant or not so I understand that. But in your case, it might be a good sign that you did in fact get pregnant, which would be a positive sign for you and give you hope for next try.

 

[fabcrab]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Lizzy- I'm glad AF showed up sooner rather than later. I really do think your cycle was a little off from the m/c and I don't think you have anything to worry about. I'm glad you have a different plan and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Blackberry- I read somewhere online that although 14% Kruger score is what's considered "normal", there's debate that it's actually lower and that the average healthy male morphology should be closer to 8%. My DH also had a "low" morphology at 10% and we did not seem to have any problems with timed intercourse and Femara. Did your RE also take into consideration sperm count and volume? I hope this makes you feel better. TTC totally sucks I understand but although your chances are cut in half, there is still a chance!!! I really believe you're going to be fine. I'm sorry about all the extra cost! That's pretty frustrating!

Pumpkin- Good luck on the endo appointment!