The Official TTC for 6 Months or More Thread

[Bella_mezzo]

Just wanted to say happy mother's day to all my TTC friends...moms, expectant moms, and soon to be moms (b/c i know that we are each going to get wonderful news soon


(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((big hugs)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

 

[BrightSpot]

Aw, Bella! So sweet! Happy Mother's Day to you & to all of our grads & soon to be moms too!

Good luck with your clomid cycle. I hope it stops the bleeding again & that this month does the trick for you! Are you taking 50mg again?

Tammy, you're such a doll to post on your vacation. I hope you're having a wonderful time in Yosemite. Take lots of pics! And please keep the prayers coming!

Ltl, thanks for popping in to answer my question about the IM hcg. I might test it out over the next couple of days so I know what's going on.

MP, thanks for your post. It made me a little dreamy eyed!
I'm so sorry to hear about your friend's loss. That is very odd that her husband was also an identical twin. He must've felt the loss in an especially personal way. I hope they're doing ok & healing & that the other 2 babies are healthy.

SB, hope you're doing well. Any news?

Sha, thinking of you. I hope you're well.

Ok, so sort of an odd (super personal) question for you guys. So when we did the other 3 IUI's with my previous RE, DH was able to produce his sample at home, then bring it to the RE's office. My new RE doesn't allow this (DH has to produce in-office) & apparently it was a pretty awkward experience. Could this possibly account for the poorer than usual sample?

 

[tammy77]

Hi Bright!

Thank you, our Yosemite trip was really fun even though it was short and started out a little rocky! Regarding your question, from what I've read it definitely could have had an impact on the sample. It is pretty TMI to explain, but basically the more relaxed a guy is, the more into the moment they get and therefore more volume they produce. *ahem* That's about the best way I can explain it while remaining PG and not totally embarrassing myself, LOL.

That said, I really hope that the 6 million swimmers will do the trick with everything that you guys have done to improve your chances! Good luck and lots of prayers for you two, as always. Keep us posted, and feel free to test out that trigger with the spare wondfos.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

thanks bright!

I am taking the clomid again at 50mg.

The bleeding was pretty much done except for some spotting this month, but the clomid cleared that up right away. I am kind of in awe of how well it stopped the bleeding last month when I had been bleeding so heavily for so long. If nothing else, at least knowing that clomid is an option to stop the bleeding in the future is a great step forward for me!

DH is in the midst of finals so is stressed out, but we BD last night and are going to try and go every other day this week and then Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed (which should cover O-4 through O+1 if I O 7 days past the end of clomid like last month).

I had acupuncture Sat and will be going again next weekend to try and make sure I O. Also, I clarified some things with my acupuncturist and in Chinese medicine terms, my constitution is very damp and my spleen isn't "doing its job of containment". In western medicine terms, my body reacts very strongly to estrogen, retains water like no other (I guess that's why my ring size fluctuates so much, especially in the summer ), and produces a lot of mucous. In the "Making Babies" book, my type is waterlogged (so I guess I am making progress, b/c when I started acupuncture last year I was Tired, Stuck, AND Waterlogged, so now it's like we are finally down to the fundamental constitutional issue).

Anyway, all of that to say, based on my constitution type and western diagnosis, two of the most typical fertility issues are PCOS and clogged fallopian tubes. I realized, that although i've had several hysterosonograms, I've never had an HSG where they push the dye through the fallopian tubes to ensure they are clear. So, if this month doesn't do the trick, I am going to look into having an HSG done as well as being tested for PCOS. Beyond that, I am not quite sure what else to do...except keep doing what we're doing.

Tammy-I love Yosemite! Hope that you had a great trip. Do you live on the west coast?

Pupp, how is your friend with the unexpected quads? I though of her last night when I saw this http://adventurebuggycompany.com/quadbuggy.htm

 

[JGator]

Bright, sending healthy, sticky dust your way. My thoughts and prayers for success are with you and your DH.

 

[monkeyprincess]

Bright, I definitely think that's possible. I know woman have to go through a lot of procedures and stuff too, but man oh man, do I ever feel sorry for the guys, because I can only imagine how awkward it is for them to obtain the sample at a clinic. There's not exactly a delicate way to phrase this, but DH complained that the volume of his sample was much lower than it normally would be when he did his SA and when we did the IUI. Still sending dust your way!

Bella, I definitely think you should consider the HSG if nothing happens this cycle. Also with your irregular cycles and response to clomid, it's definitely possibly you are dealing with PCOS. I think it is a great idea to at least rule these things out. Good luck this month!

 

[Bella_mezzo]

I finished the last Clomid last night...so now we wait for a positive OPK

Clomid was a little worse this cycle--several awful headaches, the weird "eyestrain" pain I had last cycle too, and multiple hot flashes per day...same dose as last month, so not sure why this month was worse.

 

[parrot tulips]

Hi ladies! I don't usually post in this thread, although trying for our second isn't any easier than our first (it took 20 months and 5 rounds of medicated IUI's). It's been about a year this time around with no luck, so we recently tried our first round of IUI's with injectibles. Anyhow, with all this talk about how awkward it is for the men to...produce a specimen in the office, I had to share a comment my husband made. I called to make sure he remembered to go to the doctor's office, and he said, "Yep. I just finished romancing myself." At least he has a sense of humor about the situation.

 

[royalasscherlover]

Bright, thinking sticky thoughts for you! And Bella and Parrot too!

Thanks for inquiring about me, I just needed to try and take a break from thinking about all of this since there's really nothing more I could do this cycle. I still have no idea if I ovulated - I never got a positive OPK and my temps increased a little but not consistently. FF briefly gave me crosshairs about 12 days ago (though they're gone now with more temps), so I'm planning to test on Monday and then make another appointment with my doctor if it's negative to figure out next steps.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Parrot-I hope that this journey is short and smooth for you and that Ava is a big sis soon (but glad to "see" you and too funny re your DH "romancing" himself)

Shortblonde-I know, the waiting the awful but it is great to carve out some space to not think about TTC! Good luck!

AFM-I've been freaking out a little as I thought it had been a week since I finished the Clomid and I haven't O'd yet, but thanks to this thread I realized it was only Tuesday night that I finished so I have a few days still...I had acupuncture Sat, DH and I have have been BD every other day and plan to BD Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed.

I am tired (DH is a procrastinator and a night owl so BDing always starts way later than I would like ) but I just keep telling myself that I can sleep at the end of next week.

 

[BrightSpot]

MP & Tammy, thanks so much for chiming in to share your experiences with the..um..volume & production method correlation. That totally makes sense & I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who has experienced this phenomenon. It does make me a little concerned if we wind up doing IVF since I know I'd be knocked out at that point & wouldn't be able to help in the process.

Thanks so much, Jgator!

Parrot, your DH is so funny! I'm happy to see you posting here. I hope your IUI was successful. When do you test? Sending lots of sticky vibes your way.

Thanks, SB. I certainly understand the need to take a break from all of this ttc stuff. It can get pretty overwhelming. Good luck when you test tomorrow!

Bella, good luck, girl! I'm glad you & your DH have been timing things well. You can sleep next week.
Acupuncture question for you. Have you ever bruised at the needle sites? I got a whopper of a bruise from my session last week, which was really odd.

Afm, 9 DPO today. I've been testing out my trigger for a few days (thanks again, Tammy!) & it was gone by 7 DPO so now I'm just waiting. I'm going to try to hold out until 12 DPO to test for real. I'm on the Crinone progesterone suppositories per doctor's orders (I was planning not to ask about them this time but my new RE requested I use them.) I'm definitely feeling the side effects as I've been sleepy, a bit emotional & my bbs feel like they're going to fall off!
My 38th birthday is tomorrow (Yipes!) I sure would like a sticky BFP.

In other news, I've found a pcos health coach online & have been doing a program that helps with dietary changes, but it also involves a lot of positive daily affirmation sort of stuff. I have to say it's made me feel a lot more positive & hopeful about the future.

 

[parrot tulips]

Bright - Happy Birthday! Hopefully my niece will share a birthday with you...she's due today, but seems quite comfy in her mama's belly. I'm 6 dpo, so I'll probably be testing a few days after you. Progesterone suppositories, not so fun.

Bella - Hope that positive OPK comes soon!

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Bright, I hope that you get great news this month and am so glad that you found a great PCOS group and are feeling more positive!

I am not doing so well with the dietary changes (cupcakes at a baby shower, soul food restaurant trip, etc.) but am trying to be moderate and not go crazy and hope to be a little more dedicated this week.

Happy birthday and hope that it is great no matter what the stick says

 

[monkeyprincess]

Happy Birthday Bright! May this year finally be the year you bring home a baby! I've been thinking of you the past few days as I knew you were getting close to testing time. Dust and prayers headed your way. The great thing about this cycle is that if you are pregnant, that's awesome, but if you aren't, you've got a plan!

Parrot, I've been wondering how your TTC progress was going! I'm sorry TTC hasn't been any easier the second time around (I'm afraid that will be our situation as well). But I'm happy to hear you decided to try the IUI route again. Dust to you!

Bella, sounds like you'll be busy this week Good luck!

Shortblonde, if you aren't pregnant this month, I would definitely follow up with your doctor to make sure you are ovulating, since you aren't seeing positive OPKs or temp rises. If you aren't ovulating, there's a lot they can do, and hopefully it will just be a simple fix with something like clomid.

AFM, I've mentioned we're sort of dipping our toes into the TTC pond again. My son is 7 months, so it is a bit soon, but I just sense that we will probably need a little help to conceive again, so we are giving it a few months of casual trying to see what happens. I don't have the time or energy to do much monitoring these days, and my body isn't really giving me much in the way of fertility signs, so I think I'm in the 2WW and hopefully we BD'd around the time, but I have no idea at this point. Would love to be pregnant with some of you ladies this time around!

 

[royalasscherlover]

Bright, happy birthday! I hope you're doing something fun to celebrate.

Bella, I hope you get a positive Opk soon. You sound busy!!

MP, good luck with the TWW.

Afm, negative test today and no sign of AF. Based on my bloodwork, if I had o'ed, I should be at least 14 DPO today. So I guess the clomid didn't work. My doctor's office is closed today, so I'll be calling tomorrow for another appointment. I think she may put me on injectables...I hate shots and was really hoping the clomid would do the trick. Onwards, I guess.

 

[monkeyprincess]

Oops, sorry Shortblonde, I forgot you were already taking clomid this cycle. Did you get monitored to see how many follicles you had? Did you do an HCG trigger? Hopefully, the injectibles will work better for you. I know clomid just doesn't work for some people.

 

[Puppmom]

Bright, I'm sending lots of BFP dust your way!

Bella, I've been MIA as my laptop died ( ), I'm back to work ( ) and the two kiddies are keeping me busy ( ). Thanks for checking in on my friend. She was hoping that nature would decide for her but alas, it was for her and her hubby to decide. At 10.5 weeks she had a CVS on two of the babies to check for the major birth defects. Her docs advice was to reduce to 2 and, if the CVS came back all clear, they would keep the two babies they tested. The CVS came back negative for all defects tested but she was still really uncertain about what to do. She was overwhelmed by both the idea of reducing and keeping all 4 babies. Ultimately she and her husband decided to reduce to 2 and the procedure was last Thursday. It was really terrible for her because you have to be awake for the procedure and they watch the babies on ultrasound the whole time.

She's very emotional and sad and feeling guilty but I think that's to be expected. I'm just hoping for her that some point soon she's able to celebrate. She deserves it!

 

[tammy77]

Happy birthday, Bright!!!! I completely agree with MP that while I pray that you get a lovely bfp this week, if you don't at least you have a plan and you won't have that "what if" feeling that you worried about prior to the IUI. Regarding your DH, can they possibly allow an at home collection if you explain the situation? Maybe it doesn't really matter though since the IVF process is different? I'm not sure exactly how it works, but I really feel like you're almost there. Big hugs!

SB, I'm sorry to hear that the clomid didn't do the trick for you (or at least it doesn't seem to have). I hope that your RE can work with you to make the injectibles less scary and that your bfp comes very soon too!

Bella, thinking of you and sending positive OPK dust your way, good luck!

Sha and anyone else that might be lurking or unwittingly missed, I hope that you're hanging in there and know that I'm pulling for all of you.

Pupp, I just read your update (you posted while I was composing mine). Ugh I'm so very sorry to hear about your friend. I'm sure it was an awful experience. I can't fathom having to be coherent for such a difficult thing and I hope that she's able to find peace with the situation soon.

 

[JGator]

Bright, Happy Birthday. Hope this is it for you! Sticky dust!

 

[BrightSpot]

Hi, ladies. Thanks so much for the birthday wishes & continued support. You made me smile.

Parrot, has your niece arrived yet? I hope you're feeling well & sending lots of dust for your test date.

Bella, I've slipped a bit with the dietary stuff for the past couple of days too but am trying to get back on track. I tried a gluten free bakery on the UES & they had some yummy stuff! You should check it out!
How is the POAS party going? Do you have a positive OPK yet? Good luck!

MP, thanks. I sure hope this is our year. It's funny-I remember thinking how fun it would be if we could be pregnant together. Maybe we still can be! Dust to you in your 2ww.

SB, we took it easy for my birthday yesterday, but I'm planning to stretch the celebration out for a few days.
I'm so sorry about the bfn. Clomid doesn't work for everyone. I am very needle averse as well, but the injections really weren't bad, especially the Gonal f. (Menopur was a bit tougher.) I wonder if it would be worth asking about femara since it's a pill, like clomid.

Thanks, pupp! I'm so sorry to hear that your friend had to reduce. I think it was probably the best decision for the health of her babies & herself, but it must be devastating to have to make that decision, especially after trying for so long, not to mention being conscious & having to witness the actual reduction. My heart aches for her. I hope she & her DH will have some peace about this soon.

Tammy, thanks. I hope this is it too, but I've been through this all before & can deal with it again if needed. I am a bit worried about my poor response this time if we wind up trying the IVF again. I don't know if it would be better to wait so that the pill has longer to get of my system or try again right away. (We have some travel plans that might get in the way as well.) One day at a time, I guess.
As for DH, I can ask about an at home collection, though I don't know if the numbers are as crucial for IVF.

Thanks, Jgator!

Afm, 11 dpo today & still enjoying the progesterone side effects. No AF yet, but I'm not sure if it would come while I'm on the crinone or not anyway.
I'm planning to test tomorrow. Wish me luck! I'm pretty nervous.

 

[dani13]

Best of luck, Brightspot!!! You will be in my thoughts and prayers for sure!!!

 

[monkeyprincess]

Bright, thinking of you and so hoping for good news tomorrow!

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Bright, fingers crossed...!!!!

AFM- almost positive OPK so it's on We have been on the every other day plan, but since DH had his last final today (which he's super stressed about as he doesn't think he did well, but nothing to be done now except wait for the grade) we are going to try for every day the rest of this week.

Next week, I plan to go to bed at 9pm every night

 

[Puppmom]

Bright, hoping for good news in the form of two pink lines today!

Bella, get.it.on!

 

[Missy0483]

Bright - Praying for you!! I really hope you have good news today!

 

[CurlySue]

Sending positive thoughts and vibes your way, Bright! Good luck.

 

[BrightSpot]

Thanks so much, ladies. I'm at 12dpo today. BFN & no AF. I'll keep taking the crinone & testing for another couple of days, then go from there. Even after all this time, the BFN's are still disappointing.

Good luck, Bella!

 

[monkeyprincess]

Bright, I'm sorry, I know you would have liked to have seen a BFP by today, but I'm still holding out hope for you. If you remember, I had only the faintest of positives on a FRER and a negative wondfo at 12DPO, so it is still possible. If not, then I have very high hopes that IVF will finally be your answer. Hang in there.

 

[tammy77]

Big hugs, Bright. I have high hopes for your IVF too!

 

[Bella_mezzo]

((((((((((((((bright))))))))))))))))))...i have no words, just hugs!


Blazing positive wondfo and smiley clearblue opk (I LOVE them). DH and I had a wonderful time this morning and are hoping to tonight as well (since his swimmers are great our acupuncturist suggested at least once a day, as often as we can).

I also did the restoring fertility yoga DVD tonight for ovulation.

If we don't get pregnant this cycle, it won't be for lack of trying