The Official TTC for 6 Months or More Thread

[CurlySue]

Hi, girls! Just checking in to say hi. Seems like it's been a bit quiet around here.

Tammy, very sorry to hear this cycle wasn't your cycle. The good news is that you do have your appointment with the doctor scheduled so that even if things don't turn around over the next two months, you will be getting some information and assistance. I'm in the same boat, and just knowing the appointment is set makes me feel a bit less anxious.

Bright, thank GOD the bleeding stopped for you. From the tone of your post, you sound like you are doing well, and I'm glad for that. I'm also glad to hear that you are making some progress in your communication with you mom.

Firecracker, Pave... how are things going?

Hello to anyone I may have missed.

AFM, I am at 3DPO right now. I was encouraged by the fact that my cycle was very much like what it was before my miscarriage. I O'd at day 19, which was pretty much my average, compared to the day 25-29 Os I was seeing for the several months post D&C. I am not sure why that gives me optimism, but it does. Anyway, DH and I had great timing this month, so we'll see how things go. Even if I end up with another BFN cycle, I have an appointment with my doctor scheduled for July 27th, so one way or the other I'll feel like I'm making progress.

I'm headed to the UK today for a week (for work), so that should be a nice distraction as I deal with the TWW. I'm planning to test the day after I get back if I have no signs of AF. Trying to decide if I'm going to temp while I'm away. On one hand, I would love to free myself from that stupid thermometer (plus, with the time zone change I never know whether things would be accurate), but I also appreciate getting some heads up (via temp drops) if AF is on her way. Aah... decisions, decisions.

We had a blast at my SIL's wedding. All our nieces and nephews were there. All the girls are under the age of 8, and it was absolutely adorable to see DH interacting with them. He was in a big circle of them out on the dance floor, twirling them around. Too cute!

In other news, my DH's job situation is not great. In fact, he will be out of a job as of mid-July. Though we'll be fine from a finances standpoint, I just worry about his emotional well-being. He's already got a few interviews lined up, so I'm hopeful it won't be long until he finds another job, but I know it weighs heavily on his mind. We're just going to take it month by month. If you have any spare dust, please send it our way!!

 

[BrightSpot]

Tammy, thanks for your sweet post. I'm really happy it's finally over. I checked ff on my last m/c & I got af approx 3 weeks after my beta hit 9. So I don't know if it will be similar this time or not. 
I'm so glad you have an appointment on the books. The first testing I got done was cd3 & progesterone so if you're looking to get a jump on things, it can't hurt to get the progesterone done this month. I remember being frustrated at having to wait a month to get the bloodwork done because of the timing of my appointment. I hope you're feeling better about the soul searching. Any news on the job front? Good vibes to you. 

Curly, great to see you back here! I'm definitely feeling better & am pleased with the progress with my mom. I hope it lasts!
That's great that your cycle has regulated again after the d&c. I hope this month brings you the sticky bfp you so deserve!
Enjoy your trip to the uk. What a fun way to pass the 2ww. I hope your dh finds a new job very soon.  That's great that you guys will be ok financially but it's always stressful to be in transition like that. Hugs to you both. 

Ltl, Bella, fisher, pave, how are you guys doing?
Hi to anyone I missed.

Afm, I was very happy to finally be able to wear a nice white sundress this weekend. Dh & I got to attend a friend's (couple) baby shower & it was the best shower ever. I threatened to bring him to all the baby showers I have to attend but I don't think I'll be able to pull that one off. 
I'm a little nervous about when af will arrive though as dh & I have 2 work conventions back to back soon & I really hope af doesn't arrive while we're away. If so, I don't know if we'll be able to do the injectible iui as planned. If not, we might have to sit this cycle out, which would be frustrating, or maybe switch protocols. 

 

[pavelover]

hi Everyone! I have been reading along with all of you but hadn't had much to post. Glad to catch up though, and see some updates on all of you

brightspot HI! I'm so glad everything is coming to a close. THat has to be a wieght off of your shoulders. It sounds like you really enjoyed the shower- I don't know if I could and I give you a lot of credit. I keep thinking about trying to change my attitude and be more accepting but it's truly a struggle. Hope the timing works out for your cycle so that you can go ahead with your injectables. It's incredible how much the timing is important.

Curly thanks for the shout out. I am glad to hear your cycle seems like it's getting back to normal. I would also find that reassuring! Its so exciting you are getting away, even though it's for work, lol. Will you get to sight see a little bit? I would love to take some trips during the tww, as it really drive me batty. Sorry to hear about your dh's job situation. I guess it's definitely a plus that finances are ok, but I agree it can be really hard for the guy to go through. Hope he finds something quickly.

Tammy Sorry that af came but it's good news that you have your appointment scheduled. It will be nice to get some feedback and hopefully get to the "help" part asap. Good for you for trying to focus on some personal improvement stuff- I'm in the same boat truly as this whole ttc really has taken over my life and I do not like it. Hope Aug 1 comes around quickly for you!

Bellamezzo did you start the fertilitea? Besides getting help from the doctor I have not changed my diet or added any supplements. I'm very interested but am dragging me feet. I have heard a lot of people taking Co q 10 (I think I have the name wrong) and also lots of other stuff. I am doing accupuncture though and hope that is making some positive changes in my body.

Fisher HOpe you are continuing to have good cycles- thanks for always being such a positive role model and displaying so much faith and grace.

[littlefirecracker/b] Sorry you were having some troubles and questions about clomid. I was only on my first cycle so I didn't have any useful information for you. I have heard of people having to take months off but only if they get cysts (as far as I know). I did not have any cysts but I also didnt have a cd 3 u/s. I was kind of freaking out but I realized that they did an u/s after ovulation and could see that the follicles had ruptured so I'm thinking that was evidence that there wasn't cysts? Hopefully I'm correct in my thinking- it's kind of hard to get in touch with the doctor here and that is frustrating. Keep us updated.

If I missed anyone, sorry about that. Hope you are all well and happily "practicing" lol.

AFM Well my first IUI was a bfn- I ended up having two follicles and a good amount of cm so the doctor was actually happy with my response. The actual procedure for IUI was super easy- I did not enjoy the office though- it's such a stressful time and I couldn't stand sitting in the WR listening to the employees talk and laugh etc. It just seemed so unprofessional to me and was giving me negative thoughts about the whole office, kwim? This cycle (I am CD 12 today) I took clomid and FSH and there seems to be a lot of follicles on the right, a couple on the left but they weren't big enough to trigger yesterday. Hopefully they will trigger me today after my u/s. Then the iui would be about 24 hours after that. It seems like maybe she does it a little earlier than other doctors but I feel like I have to just go with it. Last month we also f/u with bd twice which was fine- but I wish I could know "exactly" when I ovulated. I am going to get a consult with a different hospital here that opened a fertility center last year and have also been in touch with an office in Thailand (a friend is about 2 mos pregnant after having IVF there!). Well that's enough about me- look forward to more updates from you guys!

 

[tammy77]

Hi Girls,

Bright, I'm so glad to hear that you're doing better!! I'm so praying that the third time is a charm, and without delay!

Pave, I'm sorry that your IUI cycle turned out to be a bfn, but it's awesome that you're responding so well to the medication. Good luck this month!

Curly, have fun in the UK and good luck this cycle. At least you will be too busy to test early. I'm sorry about the stress on the job front for your DH. I hope that this is just one of those things where he has to be shaken out of where he is in order to get to an even better place. I find that happens a lot and unfortunately we usually can't see that until after we're already firmly on our way to that new and better job/spouse/etc.

Speaking of which...here goes my super long winded me me me portion of the post. Apologies.

I'm in a very weird place right now because our lives as we knew them is all upside down. I want to continue to TTC and push forward with doctors, etc. but I'm worried that it's awful timing. DH is waiting for the final steps to complete (at this point they're only waiting on the background check) for this job. If he gets it, then I have to find a new job too. I feel really uncomfortable with the idea of lying about being pregnant IF we manage to finally do it. Also, we can't avoid a move but with that comes an unexpected custody battle with my ex. It's complicated, and super stressful.

The super short version is that his house if a filthy mess, he hasn't had a job or any income at all since June of 2010 (yes, 2 years). We've had the kids 5 nights a week, he's had them 2 for the past 6+ months and before that we had them 4, him 3 for a year plus. When we first divorced, it was 50/50. Well, now that we're moving "half a state away" (his words when I told him we needed to move 75 miles), he's planning to fight to keep them 5 nights a week so they'd go to school here. His parents are paying for him to have an attorney to fight me. Oh, and they just bought ANOTHER house. This one is 2 stories, 4 bedroom, gated community with a pool and is in the most expensive part of the city. This makes their 5th property. They own his house, this house (which they're sharing with the ex's brother), their old home (will be rental), a duplex (rental) and the grandparents' old home. Meanwhile, DH and I are fully paying for everything for the girls and can't buy our own house because the ex won't get me off of his loan. Yes, there's a LOT of loathing from me at this point.

So I find myself in a stupid stressful custody battle that I am pretty confident we can win. Regardless, it's still really anxiety producing since move away cases are a winner take all kind of thing. He would still have them any weekend that he wants them, and extended time in summer/holidays. He's just being stubborn about it. His parents even suggested that we split the kids up in order to get it back to 50/50 custody. They're girls, and 7 & 9 yrs old. They don't even want to sleep in separate rooms for heaven's sake. They just have a complete disconnect regarding what's in the kids' best interest and it's making me crazy.

With all of this, I feel like I can't really spare the emotional, physical and financial energy to get into advanced fertility stuff right now. It makes me sad, and I worry that it's going to mean we miss our chance at having a baby, but we have to take care of the kids we know we do have for sure. I can't do anything that will weaken our chances to keep the girls, especially something that in reality isn't a guarantee even if we were to pursue medical assistance. It's just a lot to think about, you know?

I'm sure in a few months when things are settled and I'm (hopefully) working at the new place, we can look to more options. I am still going to keep my appointment, I just don't know what good it will do since I won't be able to keep this doctor anyhow.

So that's where I'm at right now. I'm sorry for the self centered post. I am also in the middle of fiscal close, so my free time to forum is seriously limited. On the bright side, DH and I get to spend our 1 yr anniversary this weekend together in Monterey. I'm looking forward to that! We booked a nice hotel, should be fun. That said, we might turn it into a family vacation. So it may end up being less anniversary-ish but still a different kind of fun. It all depends on what happens when the ex gets the papers from our attorney.

 

[JGator]

Bright, glad to hear your body is finally progressing. I hope your next cycle times itself perfectly. You can always freeze sperm if you need to - my RE told me that once since my husband travels a lot. I do hope the 3rd time is the charm for you. My 3rd cycle with the RE was the charm for me.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Bright-I hope that this is the beginning of a new cycle/chapter for your TTC journey!

Tammy-Wow, that sounds really stressful. I hope that everything works out for you with the jobs/move/custody...that's a lot to deal with. I can't imagine TTC on top of that! you are super woman! maybe in a few months things will be more settled.

Pave-hope that you find an office that is right for you! I would have been annoyed too!

AFM-I've been taking the Fertilaid for 2 weeks, drinking the tea occasionally (it is really yummy), went to an acupuncturist last week, and am going to the OBGYN this week. I am currently on day 10 of my period and it is getting really old! I am interested to get an ultrasound to make sure that there are no fibroids, etc. and am actually looking forward to next cycle to get my FSH etc. tested (my last test was a year ago) at this point, I just want to know what is going on with my body!

FWIW-the acupuncturist (who specializes in fertility) said that she puts pretty much all of her patients on Fertilaid and drinking Fertility. She said that they don't interact with standard fertility drugs or with chinese herbs...

 

[tammy77]

Hi Girls,

Bella I've heard so much about how the tea is good and it has benefits. I have to try it once the dust settles around here! As of right now, that's not happening nearly as fast as my nerves need it to. We just filed the motion today to at minimum get custody set in actual orders (trust me, this is a good thing...). Hopefully the move away will be authorized as well.

The more pressing issue at this very moment is that DH *still* hasn't heard back about an offer for this job, which is a big part of the whole motion. I'm worried that they changed their minds for some reason. He interviewed great, is more qualified than any of the other candidates they'd interviewed (per his inside guy), he has a great internal reference from upper management, and they said that they really liked him (per the inside guy as well). They said they just needed to do the background check then they could start talking specifics, but she'd given DH a handout about their benefits at the interview. She said that she'd get back to him "next week" and his interview was last Friday. I know, I know. It's only Thursday so she still has a day and 2 hrs (we're west coast) to fit into that time frame. It's just super hard to not hear anything at ALL and as the days run out for that, it feels like something is wrong. Argh, sorry. It's just such a HUGE deal for our family and I'm so nervous between his job stuff and this custody thing busting open that I feel like I'm constantly going to be sick. I also can't help but feel like maybe God knew this was coming and that's part of why we haven't gotten pregnant yet. I can't deny it, there's NO way this environment could possibly be good for a growing baby! Anyhow, yeah. Sorry for more neurosis. I can't wait to hear something though, this makes the TWW look like Disneyland!

 

[JGator]

Tammy, I'm in HR/Recruiting - ask your DH to call tomorrow and say that he is checking in as they told him he would hear back in a week. I think that's perfectly reasonable. Also, you want to get to them before the holiday week next week.

 

[tammy77]

Thanks for the tip! He broke down today and left a voicemail. He offered the contact info for his immediate supervisor since they had asked about keeping it hush hush with his current employer. So hopefully that was okay. They probably won't actually need it since the reference inside the company is pretty high up (regional manager) but it couldn't hurt to offer.

I'm hopin they just needed time to work out a package. It involves relocation and salary negotiations, so it's possible that they just haven't gotten through all the red tape yet...hopefully!

 

[tammy77]

DH got the job!!!!! We're in shock and super happy! They made us sweat it out until almost the last minute, but we don't care!

 

[pavelover]

Wow! Congrats Tammy! What great news. Good luck with all of the other details! What area are you moving to???

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Yay Tammy! what a relief!!!

I went to the OBGYN today (AKA Dr Kind&Nerdy AKA Dr K&N). He is sendin me for a hysterosonogram to check for polyps/fibroids. The first thing he said was that it "sounded like your hormones are stuck" which is exactly what the acupuncturist said...

He said that it is fine for me to do acupuncture and Chinese herbs and approved of the acupuncturist I am using.

So, I have the hysterosonogram a week from Tuesday and then hopefully I'll have some insight into treatment options. Also, once that is ruled out, he'll know when to send me for the CD3 FSH/Estradiol/AMH work-up.

He said once the hysterosonogram is over, the best thing for my hormones would be to get pregnant...we are trying Dr K&N, we are trying

I'll keep you all posted re the hysterogonogram. I had one a few years ago and it was not horrible, but was definitely not fun either!

 

[tammy77]

Hi

We're looking at the Walnut Creek area most likely. We want a community with good schools and the least painful commute to Oakland and Berkeley for work, so it seems like a good fit. The only issue is we really will have to downsize a bit - get rid of desktops and move to laptops, stuff like that. Housing is super expensive and fast moving. I'm sure we'll find something though.

Truthfully, it's nice to focus on something other than ttc for now. We had a talk and we're not goin to prevent. It's a naive way of looking at it, I know, but we've decided that if after all this time we do end up pregnant, well it's what God had planned for us.

Hope everyone is doing well! Please excuse my typing, we're still in Monterey so I'm posting from my phone. It's been a really lovely weekend.

 

[amc80]

Tammy- I used to live in Walnut Creek, so let me know if you have any questions! I commuted to Emeryville so I'm familiar with the crappy commute through the tunnel as well.

 

[monkeyprincess]

Tammy, just checking in and saw your exciting news! I hope this is the start of a lot of good things for you!

Bright, hope things are going well for you and your body is getting back to normal. I just have a feeling your time is finally coming!

Hi to all of you other ladies! I think about you often and hope you will someday soon get your BFPs!

 

[Clairitek]

Hi

We're looking at the Walnut Creek area most likely. We want a community with good schools and the least painful commute to Oakland and Berkeley for work, so it seems like a good fit. The only issue is we really will have to downsize a bit - get rid of desktops and move to laptops, stuff like that. Housing is super expensive and fast moving. I'm sure we'll find something though.

Truthfully, it's nice to focus on something other than ttc for now. We had a talk and we're not goin to prevent. It's a naive way of looking at it, I know, but we've decided that if after all this time we do end up pregnant, well it's what God had planned for us.

Hope everyone is doing well! Please excuse my typing, we're still in Monterey so I'm posting from my phone. It's been a really lovely weekend.

I was just poking my head in here lurking away when I saw Walnut Creek! I used to live there and now I am in Pleasanton. I LOVED living close to downtown WC. I have a good friend who is a teacher in Danville, which also has great schools. Pleasanton's school district is also wonderful from what I hear from my parent friends who have kids enrolled down there but that would be a tough commute to Oakland.

Best of luck with your move and finding housing.

 

[BrightSpot]

Tammy, big congrats to you & your dh on the new job! Hopefully you 2 will be able to spend more time together now. I'm sure the move will be crazy & stressful though so that totally makes sense to focus less on ttc now. (I hear many stories about shifting the focus bringing a bfp so I hope that happens for you!)

Bella, I'm glad to hear you had a good appointment with k&n & you have a plan in place. I hope your sonogram goes well-keep us posted!
Also thanks for the info on fertile aid /fertilitea. I've been thinking of trying them but wasn't sure if they'd interfere with the fertility drugs. 

Jgator, thanks for the info on sperm freezing. How interesting. Timing wise, I'm more worried about not being around for monitoring sessions especially since I'm planning to do gonal f injections this time, which require much more frequent monitoring sessions than clomid. Fingers crossed that the timing works out ok. 
How are you doing?

Mp, thanks for checking on me & for the support. Hugs to you & bumby. 

Curly, hope you had a great trip to the uk & crossing my fingers that you have good news to share soon. 

Pave, I'm definitely struggling to stay positive too. The thing that was so awesome about the baby shower I attended was it was the least baby focused shower ever. 
I'm sorry your first iui was a bfn but that's great that you responded well (follie wise) & your current cycle seems to be going great! Is the fsh an injection? My clinic does 2 iui's-1 the morning after the trigger & another the following morning. Hoping this one brings you your bfp!

Fisher & ltl, thinking of you & hope you're doing well. 

Hi to anyone I missed. 

Afm, just plugging away, waiting for af so we can start iui #3 with gonal f.  I have 2 conventions in the next 2 weeks so I hope af doesn't show while I'm away as I'm afraid that would nix this cycle. I'm not sure if I should call my RE's office to make a plan b or just wait & see if I actually need one. 

 

[CurlySue]

Wow! Lots of action around here!

Tammy - YAY!! I am so happy to hear that your DH got the job and that you have such a positive change to look forward to. Obviously, it's a stressful time, but at least it's a "good" stress. Totally makes sense that you shift your focus to that for now.

Pave - I was sorry to read that your IUI was not successful. Hugs to you!! Were you able to make contact with the fertility center at the other hospital?

Bella - Sounds like you are making a lot of progress towards getting some info on your cycle while taking additional measures to move things along. Keep us posted!

Bright - Hang in there, lady!!! Hopefully, AF will visit sooner rather than later and you can be on your way. As always, my fingers are crossed for you.

Hello to anyone I may have missed!

AFM, CD3 here. Didn't even need to test, as AF came with a vengeance the day after I returned from the UK. I wish I was getting more numb to this process, but it still friggin' hurts every month.

On top of that, my sister told me (via email) last week that she is now pregnant with #2. Of course, it was a complete surprise and shock to them. She knows what I'm going through and she knows I miscarried earlier this year, so I think she shared the news via email so I would have some time to digest it before reacting to it. And I'm glad she did, because I will admit I am struggling with it. She had her first u/s, and everything looked perfect. How sad that my first reaction to that was to think, "I wish I knew what it felt like to experience that." I really hate how bitter I am feeling. I need to snap myself out of this little pity-party!!

Anyway... I'm set to see my doctor at the end of July. Regardless of what happens during that visit, I know it will feel good just to talk to her and get some information, as at the moment, I just feel like I'm treading water.

 

[tammy77]

Hi girls!

Hope everyone is doing well. I had an interview today for a job I'd love, but I'm so rusty at interviews And it was a 2 hour drive to a campus I'd never been to...so yeah, I bombed it!

In ttc news, I'm not tracking temps but cp/cm suggests I'm 1 dpo. Dh and I have been so stressed that we only got one out of the four best days, but at least it was within 24 hrs of ovulation. So we'll see.

That's about it for me atm.

 

[BrightSpot]

Curly, big hugs to you. I'm sorry af arrived & on its heels you had news of your sister's pregnancy. Sometimes it's just so hard to stay positive & gracious during this process. Even though it's more of a "happy for you, sad for me" response, it still sucks. I'm glad knowing you're seeing your doc soon brings you some comfort though. Hoping you & your sis will be able to be pg together soon. (And I've totally had the same feelings when hearing about a perfect u-s or seeing the pics. It's like "oh, that's what it's supposed to look like when things are ok."

Tammy, so sorry about the interview. Hugs. Are there other prospects? Any news on moving stuff? Fingers crossed for this 2ww. Wouldn't it be murphy's law if this is your month when it's not really as convenient?

Hi to everyone else. 

Speaking of murphy's law, af arrived today. I'm in ca for a work convention & don't get home to ny until Tuesday evening so I wouldn't be able to see my re for Pre-cycle bloodwork until Wednesday. On top of that, I have another convention out of town from next Saturday to Tuesday night at least. So I'm in mild panic now that we might not be able to do the injectable iui as planned this month. (Apparently using Gonal f requires much more monitoring than clomid to avoid hyper stimulation).
And I can't even call my re today because is Sunday. Argh. 
So now I'm trying to figure out if there's a way around this so we can sill do the cycle. Could I get bloodwork or u/s monitoring out
of state? Or should I try to switch protocols to one that requires less monitoring (perhaps a higher dose of clomid or maybe femara?)
This is so disappointing & stressful. 

 

[JGator]

Hi, Bright. I'm sure you can get monitoring and blood work done out of state. Ask your RE - you can probably just look up an RE in the city you will be in on your insurance plan and set something up. Of course, the 2 REs will need to communicate also! I'm glad AF arrived, and I truly wish you the best on this cycle. Hope you can get things scheduled so you don't have to wait another cycle. I'm fine. Thanks for asking. No major issues with the pregnancy - just some nasty heartburn, but I really can't complain - 23 weeks down 17 to go.

Tammy, congrats on DH's new job. Good luck with interviewing. Take a look at theladders.com - they have some great advice on interviewing and having a great list of questions prepared to ask the interviewers. The more prepared you are, the more confident you will be. I know it's crazy stressful though! Also, look at indeed.com for doing your job searches as they consolidate a ton of job openings from other sites.

 

[LtlFirecracker]

Hey guys,

I tried to post about a week ago, but PS was not cooperating with my computer and I had some trouble logging on.

Anyways, I am 2 days post an HCG trigger and I think I am day 1 DPO. I did another round of clomid and had a good response. This is my last month of clomid, if it does not work, I am going to injectables. The only thing different this cycle is I did have some pain on my lower left abdomen last night, and I had 2 active follicles on the left ovary on Friday, so I am thinking it may have been O pain.

Tammy - congrats to your husband, I love the bay area, and we hope to end up there in a few years (my husband works in the tech industry). I am wishing you luck this cycle even though I know you are really not "trying."

Pave - I am sorry you don't like your doctor. As a physician, I don't get bothered by nursing staff joking and laughing, but I can tell you my RE's office has sound proof glass between the front desk and the waiting area (they have a window that slides open when dealing with patients). That way you do not hear them.

Bright - I think you and I are going to be on similar treatments next cycle (assuming this one does not work for me), I am not sure exactly what injectable I am taking, I will have to look at the handout the office gave me. I know it is an FSH/LH type of med and that I will need frequent monitoring as well. It will be a challenge as I will be in the middle of moving! If this one does not work for me, I am going to take a few months off from TTC as I will be starting my new job and want to put in some time before asking for time off. I am not sure if things will work if you are out of town. You would have to get a separate referral for the RE doc in the other town, and find an RE doc that does things in a similar fashion to the one you have. But I hope things work out.

CurlySue - I am sorry about AF and while I am happy for your sister, I know that news is hard to take. I think in those situations you have to step back and realize that everyone has there own challenges in life and you cannot compare you progress to that of others.

Bella - It sounds like you are moving in the right direction with things. It is nice when they think they know what the problem is, as it is easier to come to a solution that way.

To everyone else, hello

 

[pavelover]

Wow! Lots of posting today! Nice to see everyone!

Bella Im glad you got to see your doctor and have your next test scheduled. Hopefully this one will somehow be easier (at least you have a good idea what to expect). I did have one and while it was uncomfortable it was manageable- How's the accupuncture going?

tammy Walnut Creek- that sounds so nice! My friend just moved there a few months ago and is loving it! Hope all your planning is going well and good luck for future job interviews. Just think of that first one as a practice round I'm sure it will get better.

Monkey Princess thanks for your good thoughts for us. Success stories from you guys bring me hope. How are you feeling?

Bright Ugh! I'm sorry that AF had to arrive when you were away. I hope you can get in touch with your doc asap on Monday- maybe he could give you a rec and call in an RX? I'm not sure about other clinics but I did not get monitored early on FSH- not until day 9 I think? Of course, I'm not positive that's the "right" way to do things either...Anyways I hope you can figure it out. I really understand the feeling of urgency to get moving. I was feeling the exact same way in May when this RE said she was going on vacation . Seems like you should be able to get your cd 3 bloodwork at least? What city are you in for the convention?

Curly Big hugs for you! I hate AF, lol. It must have been tough to receive that news from your sister. Of course you are happy but still it hurts. I hope you are feeling better from the other day? It's good you have an appt. coming up with your doc so you can discuss things and come up with a plan.

Jgator Nice to see you! I was meaning to ask you for a while- how was your European vacation??? I didn't see any posts about it. I'm living vicariously through others vacations since I need to stay close to home, lol.

Little Actually I am probably a hypocrite because I am a nurse and would likely be one joking and laughing at some points too but somehow when I am in a stressful situation I am super sensitive to what everyone else does (irrational I know- ) and feel like everyone should act "right" lol. It's probably just a way for me to focus on something else I don't know. Anyhoo.
I'm happy to hear you had a good response to the clomid! Hope your 2ww flies by! Feel free to post here. I am in the 2nd week of my 2ww and going a bit crazy as always.

AFM CD twenty something- I'm 12 piui. Hate this wait, immensely. Did I mention that my post iui (4 days later) showed 4 follicles ruptured??? I almost fell off my exam table- I thought that was really good (or bad) news- My RE didn't seem too impressed, as usual. She said only 2 were really the right size. Sigh. I am going to go to the other fertility clinic this week to get a second opinion. I'm just not sure I should stay with my current one for the next cycle. I feel uneasy mostly because I'm not so familiar with what should be done vs. what she is doing- I'm no expert. She seems to do less blood work than others stories I read online. Ladies who had lots of cycles with RE- are they always testing progesterone and estrogen etc through out the cycles? Mine hasnt tested them at all. I tested out my trigger at 7dpiui (at least I thought I did) so I decided to test again at 9 dpiui- got a faint positive and somehow was convincing my self of success but alas the next day nothing. So I guess my trigger wasn't truly out of my system. It's dangerous having so many hpts around the house, lol. And no restraint. Doc doesn't want me to test until Saturday- yeah right. Still hopeful this could be the one. Might take a break next month, not sure.

 

[LtlFirecracker]

Hey Pave,

I didn't realize you were a nurse! I am guessing you know what goes on behind the scenes than. I am very sarcastic so I have cracked jokes with the office staff. I know know if your read my earlier posts, but I have my blood levels drown at the lab in my clinic. It is nice because I can check my own results. Well last cycle, I go onto the computer to ensure that everything was sent out properly, and I realized they did a phosphorus on me instead of a progesterone. I called the lab, had the issue fixed (they still had enough blood to draw the progesterone), but gave the RE's nurse a heads up. She started laughing, and when I came back in we were making jokes about my phosphorus being normal. I guess the humor diffuses things for me, it is how I deal with this.

Anyways, I just wanted to let you know, my doc is pretty light on the blood work as well. I only had 4 blood tests in the beginning, my husband had a SA, and I had an US and HSG. They do my progesterone about day 10 DPO with an serum HCG, and use that to monitor ovulation. I had to go in for post ovulation US for the first 2 cycles, but they did not feel that was necessary this cycle being that I have proven to be a clomid/HCG responder. At first I was nervous about this, but I figure they know I am ovulating with the data they have, so why do they need more. I am giving this approach a chance. There is a women's heath NP in my clinic who does all the testing, but than puts you on clomid with no HCG trigger. She also does not use US. I guess you can say she is heavy on blood work, and my RE is heavy on the US. I can tell you in many areas of pediatrics, we are backing off on the testing we are doing, as we are finding it is unnecessary, I wonder if the RE literature is showing the same (at least for certain populations). However, I think a second opinion never hurts, and you have to like the doc you are working with. I just wanted to let you know that you are not the only one not getting a lot of tests.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Hi ladies,

I just got back from a mini vaca and will post more on Tuesday after the hysterosongram, but just wanted to say I am on CD 22 of bleeding, not sure if it is the accupuncture, Fertilaid, my body, or what. I am hoping that it is good and just cleaning things out, but it is pretty freaky. DH is breaking out and thinks it might be from the Fertilaid for men, he's not thrilled about that, but is still taking it.

LtFirecraker-Hope that this is it for you!!!

 

[pavelover]

LtlFirecracker thanks so much that info was very helpful! I think in the U.S. the tendency is to (or was) to be so thorough with everything maybe because people practice defensively , I don't know...So I realize there is more than one way to practice but I guess I feel so out of control it's hard not to worry if she should be doing more, yet hard for me to ask without insulting her? I did ask her about Progesterone before and she just said "it doesn't tell us much" so...My crazy brain wonders if eggs are reallly being released from the follicles and somehow I want more confirmation than an u/s? But since I'm not a doc and have less education I don't even know if my thoughts have merit or are just anxiet, kwim? lol. Thanks for reassuring me

Bella Welcome back. Wow thats a long time for AF. Does a tech do the hysterosonogram or your doc? If not do you have an appointment soon? I hope you get some answers and also hope you are feeling ok.

 

[BrightSpot]

Jgator, thanks for chiming in.  Did you ever have to schedule monitoring while traveling? I hope it will still work out for this month as I really don't want to sit this one out. It already feels like I've been waiting forever.
I'm so glad to hear you're feeling well & it's been a pretty smooth ride with the pregnancy. You deserve it after going through so much to get your sticky bean!

Ltl, fingers crossed that you won't need to worry about a next cycle. I'm glad your response looked good for this month. That would be nice not to have to deal with the injectables. 

Pave, thanks for sharing your experience about fsh monitoring. That really helps. I hope mine will be similar as that might alleviate my current problem. 
Have you tested again? I'm sorry about the recent confusing test results but I'm really hopeful this is it for you!

Bella, ugh. 22 days of bleeding. I hope it stops soon & the doc figures out what's going on!

Hi to everyone else. 

Afm, af is here with a vengeance now. When I took the herbs from my acupuncturist last month she said I might expect a little extra cleaning out during my next af. Well, she was right. 
After 4 phone calls with the nurse, it seems like I will be ok this cycle. I go in for bloodwork on Wednesday (cd4) & will start meds that evening. Apparently they do u/s monitoring every 2-3 days with injectables so hopefully I can go the following Saturday then Wednesday. It'll be a little late on the 2nd u/s so they might have to dial down my dose a bit but hopefully it'll be ok. 

 

[JGator]

Pave, thanks for remembering our trip. It was nice. Spent a week with the inlaws eating lots of home cooked Indian food, and then went to Brussels for a few days by ourselves. We did a lot of walking in Brussels and pretty much saw the entire city. My DH enjoyed the beer and cheese, and I enjoyed the French fries and chocolate. The weather was 2 extremes - cold and rainy in Brussels and hot at the in-laws where they don't have AC. Note to self, no visits to the in-laws in the summer.

Bright, I never had to do remote monitoring. I pretty much tried not to travel as much as possible during that time and often got really lucky on timing. My husband on the other hand travels for work 80% of the time so not easy scheduling stuff! I really hated living in those 2 week windows - waiting to O and then waiting to test and all the appointments in between and blood draws. I hope you all graduate out of TTC soon. Now, I have even longer waits between doctor appointments! Sounds like things are going to work out for you on your new protocol this cycle. I hope AF doesn't stay around too long.

Bella, good luck with your HSG tomorrow. Mine wasn't too bad.

 

[LtlFirecracker]

pave - that is interesting about the progesterone. They do not do an early one on me (7 DPO is the typical timing I think), but they did use it to confirm I ovulated. They do not do an estradiol on me, I am not sure why. But they did make a point last cycle to do my pregnancy test an progesterone earlier than the previous. That is because the previous level was drawn the day before AF and was already low (it was 3 I think which is still normal, but low normal). The progesterone from last cycle was done 12 days post HCG and was 17, and the nurse made a point to tell me she was happy with that number. I do think that your doctor should be willing to defend her approach. Mine is very upfront about his approach and will sit there and answer all your questions until you feel like you have an answer as to why it is different. I think as long as you are asking the doc why she is not doing these tests (and since you are a nurse asking what the evidence based literature shows should not take her by surprise) is a very reasonable thing to do. If she can't handle that, getting a second opinion is a good idea.

Bright - I am glad they are going to be able to work everything out. I am going to be in a similar situation because of the move in that I can't come in daily, so it is nice that you are a little ahead of me and figured out it can be done. Sorry AF is so horrible, I hope it passes quickly.

Bella - I hope that the bleeding stops soon and that your doc is able to figure out how to get things a little more regular!

Not much for me. Just hanging out. Serum HCG and progesterone will be done towards the end of next week.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Brightspot-I hope that this is a great cycle for you! How nasty were the herbs? I have that to look forward to in a few weeks.

LtFirecracker-hope that wait goes quickly.

JGator-thanks! it's funny b/c after the one I had a few years ago, I was telling other people, it will be ok, mine wasn't that bad...but honestly the tech/Dr/whoever it is that does these things was AWFUL!!!! although the procedure didn't hurt as much as I thought, the whole experience sucked so much that I am pretty nervous. it's the hysterosonogram (to check the uterus lining) not the HSG (which checks the fallopian tubes)--I wish that they could just do them both together since they already have the catheter in there...hmmm...I'll have to ask tomorrow for future reference.

Pave-are you temping? does that tell you anything to confirm ovulation? I understand about the crazy "did I ovulate" feeling 100%

AFM-still bleeding...still nervous about tomorrow...and had a major freakout this morning when I got a message on my work phone from Dr K&N's office saying "please call us as soon as you get this message". I had a PAP last week at my appointment and all I could think was "cancer, cancer, cancer, I am 34 and have had 1 s*xual partner and I have cancer..." The PA wasn't in the office until this afternoon (I know b/c I called three times but finally, she was like "oh yeah, they didn't get enough cells on your PAP so you need to come in for another one". WTF! DH is worried that is code for "there is something abnormal but we don't want to freak you out until we know more" but I am hoping that it is all fine and really they just didn't get enough cells...so, I go back later this week for another PAP. Can't wait I am going to call tomorrow to see if they can get my sonogram results and discuss them with me at the new PAP appt since I'll be traveling next week, but it might be too soon...I am also going to ask Dr. K&N if he can do a blood draw to do a wacked out baseline for my FSH AMH and Estradiol. I know they are supposed to be drawn on day 3, but I feel like I've been bleeding for so long, it might be day 3 again...kwim?