The Official TTC for 6 Months or More Thread

[Bella_mezzo]

thanks Monkey! I am 33. So it's not horrible, but definitely a little (maybe a little more than a little ) elevated.

The TTC thread doesn't always seem like the right fit for us old cynics, at least not for me. So I lurk, but try to keep my depressing posts out of there

I have some interesting job prospects, so I want to see what happens with that for insurance and FMLA reasons and then in the new year, or definitely in the spring, we'll go see the RE. of course, DH has to go get his SA first

I did see that about wheatgrass. I think it is totally vile, but may start drinking it just to see.

Hope that you get a BFP and your DH doesn't even need to get the SA

 

[Siamese Kitty]

thanks Monkey! I am 33. So it's not horrible, but definitely a little (maybe a little more than a little ) elevated.

The TTC thread doesn't always seem like the right fit for us old cynics, at least not for me. So I lurk, but try to keep my depressing posts out of there

I have some interesting job prospects, so I want to see what happens with that for insurance and FMLA reasons and then in the new year, or definitely in the spring, we'll go see the RE. of course, DH has to go get his SA first

I did see that about wheatgrass. I think it is totally vile, but may start drinking it just to see.

Hope that you get a BFP and your DH doesn't even need to get the SA

Hi Bella,

I've lurked on this thread for a long time, and am now actually pregnant. I went through this last year and had a similar result to your day 3 FSH test. I just wanted to recommend asking your future RE about having your AMH level drawn, which is supposedly a better indicator of an issue. (I'm sorry if this is repeat information.) Did you only do day 3? I'd try it again with a Clomid Challenge Test (CCT). They draw day 3 and then again at day 7 after a few days of medicine to see how your body responds. I was diagnosed with Diminished Ovarian Reserve with a pretty low AMH, but got pregnant within 3 cycles of IUI and my first cycle on Gonal-F. (Sorry, it's late-not sure if you're considering this and too tired to go back and read. Anyway, when we went through infertility after two stillbirths I was so discouraged and it helped to hear positive stories and try to remain positive. Even as every single person around me seemed to get pregnant first shot. Grrr.. And those fertility forums will scare the pants off of you sometimes to the point you think it's hopeless!

I'm 34 by the way, was 33 when tested. Oh, and I took DHEA supplements. You can buy them over the counter, but it's something you should check with your doctor about first. I really think they may have helped, but who knows?

Prayers and lots of luck to all of you ladies-hang in there.

 

[pancake]

The only thing I would say about AMH is that it does correlate tightly with ovarian reserve in the sense of egg numbers, but it doesn't give an indication of egg quality. That's not to say that it's not of utility and that people shouldn't use it, but just a thing to remember.

 

[Siamese Kitty]

The only thing I would say about AMH is that it does correlate tightly with ovarian reserve in the sense of egg numbers, but it doesn't give an indication of egg quality. That's not to say that it's not of utility and that people shouldn't use it, but just a thing to remember.

Interesting... Thank you for commenting on this. I had heard that it can be indicative of either number or quality (or I guess both), but I get the sense that this measure is fairly newish in practice. You're in the medical field, though, aren't you? I'm sure you would know better than I! It's so hard to diffuse fact from speculation, especially when many REs don't always agree. Have you heard anything about FSH injections "recruiting" the best quality eggs? That's one reason I went with that medication, though I'm pretty sure my issue is DOR since it was backed up by lowish antral follicle counts. I did worry with my two losses at 25-26 weeks that quality could be an issue, too, even if they were very late, but I "think" I can pin those on some blood clotting disorders that I have. I do worry about TTC in the future, though, especially if something does happen this time around. I'm 24 weeks now and freaking out.

Sorry to threadjack a bit here!

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Hi Siamese, I am so glad to "see" you here and SO EXCITED that you are pregnant I am sorry for your previous losses and hope that this baby arrives healthy and strong and at the right time!

I am compiling questions/tests to ask the RE in the spring and AMH is definitely one of them (glad you confirmed what Dr Google suggested

I am very leery of Clomid as I naturally have very wide/moody hormone swings (I don't know how I would function at work if Clomid made me edgy!), plus I'm concerned about the drying of CM and thinning of the uterine lining many people experience on Clomid, so I'm not sure about the CCT. I am hoping to just ask the RE to start straight away with Follistim if my eggs need a little push.

What I am really hoping is that I just get a BFP before the spring and don't even have to deal with this stuff, but who knows

The RE that my OBGYN referred me to is very well-respected in NYC< but I found several online reviews talking about how much of a jack a@# he is...I LOVE my OBGYN, like seriously LOVE him. So I'm hoping that the RE is great, but I'm not sure...

Off to try wheatgrass smoothie for breakfast

 

[monkeyprincess]

thanks Monkey! I am 33. So it's not horrible, but definitely a little (maybe a little more than a little ) elevated.

The TTC thread doesn't always seem like the right fit for us old cynics, at least not for me. So I lurk, but try to keep my depressing posts out of there

Bella, I know what you mean. It is a bit deflating to see so many women pop in and out of the TTC thread so quickly and to see others get pregnant who were supposedly not even trying. But at the same time, I find that most of the ladies are very supportive of everyone's journey, and I like sharing a little bit of what I learned with the newbies (to the extent it is useful) and learning from other people. Anyway, hang in there, and I too hope that you get a surprise BFP and never need to see that RE! You and Brightspot should chat because she is also in NYC and maybe looking for a new RE.

 

[ChinaCat]

Re: the elevated FSH levels. One of my BFF's had an elevated FSH level, I believe hers was around 12. And she was around 33 as well. This is her story, not mine, so take it with a grain of salt. The dr apparently told her there was not much she could do about the FSH levels, no way to lower it, and she should basically just try to have a baby as soon as possible. Nice considering she was single at the time. Anyways, she is fighter and refused to take that answer. She started going to an Eastern doctor/acupuncturist and did the following at his recommendation: cut out all sugar, alcohol, and caffeine, went to regular acupuncuture, etc. Her levels went down to 7 or 8. Once she started trying, she got pregnant relatively quickly (4 or 5 cycles?).

Now I am not 100% that the change in diet, etc, actually caused the drop in FSH. She is convinced. She also had a super stressful job at the time and was working like 18 hour days. That job ended, so a lot of her stress ended at the same time that she began the diet modification. I think stress had a lot to do with it.

Anyways, just wanted to point out that she was able to lower her FSH levels. Again, I don't think it's as easy as "change your diet!" and I know many of you on here have probably tried that before and know it's not that simple.

But wanted to offer her story, for what it's worth.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Thanks China! Congrats to your friend and it's awesome to hear stories that worked for other people!

There seems to be a lot of reserach and antecdotal info that wheatgrass helps lower FSH so I would not totally be suprised that a change in diet could also help.

Also, my current job is quite stressful (I am working on changing that ) so, we'll see what happens...

 

[lili]

Bella--
FSH of 10 is not too bad. Still within the limit where the RE will let you try clomid or injectibles. I believe if your level is above 12 (well at least w/ my RE), the recommendation is then IVF and possible donor eggs. I'd give acupuncture and wheatgrass a try. It can only help you know. My acupuncture told me that the FSH level can be higher when we are stressed and tired (less blood flow to the uterus thus our body has to work harder -- producing more fsh to nurture the eggs).

You are right about the clomid and its negative side effects of drying the CM and thinning the uterine lining. I wished I'd pushed the RE in giving me the injectibles initially instead of trying 5 cycles of clomid.

Good luck to you!

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Thanks Lili, that totally makes sense!

Hopefully I'll have a significant change in my work situation soon which would reduce the stress levels...right now they are sky-high from work and b/c DH is really miserable being a SAHD so he's irritable and grumpy ALL THE TIME and I am stressed out from work and out of patience with him so I am irritable and grumpy (but not all the time ) and we're still co-sleeping with B, so I think it will be January before we can really "try" (we're going to need some dates/time to reconnect before either of us are in the mood KWIM?) but I'm trying to take control of the little things that I can influence (like maybe lowering my FSH).

 

[stepcutgirl]

Bella-I am just butting in here, so I apologize if this has been brought up or you are aware of it, and it may be of no help to you. I have PCOS and part of that is high FSH. I was told mine was severe enough that I would probably need to do IVF to get pregnant. My endocrinologist put me on Metformin, which is a diabetic drug. I am not diabetic and do not have high sugar at all. He said they don't know why but it seems to normalize the reproductive system in women and they are now thinking it me be a hormone regulator not just a sugar regulator. Long story short, my first month on it, I conceived and I'm now 8 weeks pregnant. If you look it up online there are many similar stories to mine. I haven't read your whole story so I apologize if I'm way off, but I wanted to bring it up as a possible option for you to research if you are interested. Good luck!

 

[BrightSpot]

Hi Bella,

Sorry it took me so long to come back to reply! Also sorry to hear your FSH is on the higher side.
You have had so many changes in your life lately it's little wonder you're stressed! (And that could definitely affect your FSH levels).
I'm glad that stepcut girl mentioned PCOS as a possibility as I was going to mention that to you as well. The irregular cycles you were having in Ethiopia could be a sign of PCOS.

Ditto to MP's post about the original TTC thread. It's a much faster moving thread & the ladies are lovely, though it's definitely hard to see so many people come & go while I remain.

Do you have any more thoughts on your new RE? I'd love to hear about your OB's referral.... I wish we still had private messages on PS....Let me know if you hear of anyone good in NYC. I'm still not loving mine, but haven't switched yet.

Oh, and I'm not singing as much these days either. I miss it a lot too. I haven't done any singing for several months, but I did just get a little performance gig in December, though, so it's time to dust out the ol pipes.

China, thanks for reminding me of your friend's story. Do you know if she cut out all carbs or just refined sugar? I'm trying to reduce my carb intake, but it's proving to be pretty difficult for me.

siamese & pancake, thanks for chiming in re: the clomid challenge. Interesting info. So, do you know if it's possible to have normal day 3 results, but still have poor ovarian reserve or egg quality?

siamese, congrats on your pregnancy, but so sorry to hear about your losses. Hoping the next few weeks fly by (I can imagine how anxious you must feel) & your bean is sticky & healthy.

stepcutgirl, thanks for chiming in & congrats on your pregnancy! I was just diagnosed with PCOS last week. It's weird--my hormone levels seem to be ok, but I have other symptoms of PCOS (polycystic ovaries, hair in places I don't want it (abdomen, etc.) & no hair in places I do (losing hair all over my scalp like crazy, & especially receding from my hairline.) I just started seeing a RE, who is planning clomid/trigger/IUI for me next month. He also just prescribed Metformin for me, which I'll start taking today. I'm so glad to hear it worked well for you! Did you have other symptoms of PCOS in addition to the high FSH levels? Also, did you have any side effects from the Metformin?

lili, thanks for chiming in on clomid/injectables. I'm trying clomid for the first time next month. Since I'm going to be doing IUI, I guess the CM drying doesn't really matter, but the thinning of the uterine lining could definitely be cause for concern. If it doesn't work in a cycle or 2, I'll try to switch to injectables. Were the injections difficult/painful?

 

[Logan Sapphire]

BrightSpot, can I chime in with my PCOS/Met experience? When we TTC about 3 or 4 years ago, I was diagnosed with PCOS. The only symptoms were a lack of ovulation and polycystic ovaries- all other hormones were normal. We tried IUI/Clomid/injectibles for a few cycles. The Clomid gave me super duper hot flashes, which were really uncomfortable. In the end, we were told we would need IVF/ICSI to conceive b/c DH had severe male factor infertility (we were the lucky 20% where both people have fertility issues). We didn't do that, but adopted instead.

Three months after bringing our daughter home, I got pregnant quite by surprise. At this point, I was on Metformin (1000mg daily) in order to regulate my period- we were not trying to get pregnant by any means, but I do think the Met is what regulated me enough to get pregnant (who knows what DH's deal was- he saw a urologist for a 2nd opinion, who said that he thought DH's SA was nothing to be worried about- 1% morphology sounds worrisome to me- and that we would get pregnant on our own if we kept trying). After I had my son, they did another ultrasound and more bloodwork b/c I was having very heavy periods. Turns out my ovaries were no longer polycystic and I got my period on a very regular 30 day cycle. Oddly enough I did have a high LH level, but since our family is complete, I'm not worrying about it. So my only symptom now is the LH level but nothing else.

My twin sister also has PCOS and hers manifests itself in a higher male hormone (can't remember which one) and some acne. She is very, very thin.

The Metformin gave me a really bad upset stomach for a few days- if you google the side effects, you'll see it's very common. I've heard the extended release capsules cause the stomach issue.

 

[stepcutgirl]

Hi Bella,

Sorry it took me so long to come back to reply! Also sorry to hear your FSH is on the higher side.
You have had so many changes in your life lately it's little wonder you're stressed! (And that could definitely affect your FSH levels).
I'm glad that stepcut girl mentioned PCOS as a possibility as I was going to mention that to you as well. The irregular cycles you were having in Ethiopia could be a sign of PCOS.

Ditto to MP's post about the original TTC thread. It's a much faster moving thread & the ladies are lovely, though it's definitely hard to see so many people come & go while I remain.

Do you have any more thoughts on your new RE? I'd love to hear about your OB's referral.... I wish we still had private messages on PS....Let me know if you hear of anyone good in NYC. I'm still not loving mine, but haven't switched yet.

Oh, and I'm not singing as much these days either. I miss it a lot too. I haven't done any singing for several months, but I did just get a little performance gig in December, though, so it's time to dust out the ol pipes.

China, thanks for reminding me of your friend's story. Do you know if she cut out all carbs or just refined sugar? I'm trying to reduce my carb intake, but it's proving to be pretty difficult for me.

siamese & pancake, thanks for chiming in re: the clomid challenge. Interesting info. So, do you know if it's possible to have normal day 3 results, but still have poor ovarian reserve or egg quality?

siamese, congrats on your pregnancy, but so sorry to hear about your losses. Hoping the next few weeks fly by (I can imagine how anxious you must feel) & your bean is sticky & healthy.

stepcutgirl, thanks for chiming in & congrats on your pregnancy! I was just diagnosed with PCOS last week. It's weird--my hormone levels seem to be ok, but I have other symptoms of PCOS (polycystic ovaries, hair in places I don't want it (abdomen, etc.) & no hair in places I do (losing hair all over my scalp like crazy, & especially receding from my hairline.) I just started seeing a RE, who is planning clomid/trigger/IUI for me next month. He also just prescribed Metformin for me, which I'll start taking today. I'm so glad to hear it worked well for you! Did you have other symptoms of PCOS in addition to the high FSH levels? Also, did you have any side effects from the Metformin?

lili, thanks for chiming in on clomid/injectables. I'm trying clomid for the first time next month. Since I'm going to be doing IUI, I guess the CM drying doesn't really matter, but the thinning of the uterine lining could definitely be cause for concern. If it doesn't work in a cycle or 2, I'll try to switch to injectables. Were the injections difficult/painful?

Thank you! I am so happy and excited! Several years ago my GYN gave me regular instant release metformin and I was unable to take it. I had to go to the bathroom with such urgency that I couldn't even get through scanning a patient without literally running out the room to go to the bathroom. I wasn't trying to conceive at the time and gave up going that route. This time around they put me on 2 500mg extended release pills and I really didn't have any ill effects. I did 1 500mg pill at dinner for one week and then added in the 2nd one. I am still taking 1000mg of extended release a day as my endocrinologist said it decreases PCOS miscarriage rates from 40% to 9%. I will go off of it in my 15th week. My OB doctor said while they prefer no drugs at all in the 1st trimester, that my endocrinologist was correct about the decrease in miscarriage and if I were diabetic (i'm not) then they would keep me on it through pregnancy anyhow so she ok'd taking it.

As for PCOS symptoms, I was diagnosed about 10 years ago and my main complaint is the cysts. I keep many cysts on both ovaries but at any given time would have one or two massive ones growing. I currently have 3 large ones on my left ovary 1=7cm (bigger than my uterus pre baby) and the other 2 are 3-5cm each. I also had very rare periods, most years I would get 1-3 periods. I liked that part of it so that wasn't really a problem. When they did blood work she said my FSH was very high and my LH was very low.

I was put on BC pills to control the cysts and they worked wonders at doing that. I went off the pill due to a thyroid issue as a last resort try to not have to radiate it out and my doc said he wanted me to try the metformin while off the pill and voila...baby! I have noticed a huge amount of hair loss since I came off the pill. Until you mentioned it I had not put 2+2 together. I do also have hair in some odd places but it noticeably lessened on the pill and is more obvious now.

 

[ChinaCat]

Bright- She did not cut out all carbs, but did try to limit them. She also had a special tea from her acupuncturist. My sister did as well, but I have no idea what the tea is. FWIW, I know tons of women who have/had mild PCOS and all of them have gotten pregnant eventually.

 

[BrightSpot]

Logan, thanks so much for sharing your story. How wonderful that you were able to both adopt & get pregnant to build your family. It's comforting to know there's hope out there, even in light of a less than ideal diagnosis. It's funny...it seems like every woman diagnosed with PCOS has a different set of symptoms. That's great that your ovaries are no longer polycystic. Do you think that was the result of your pregnancy? Does your sister have little ones?

Regarding the metformin, did the stomach upset go away for you after a few days? Did you work up to your final dosage? My RE told me to start at 50mg once a day, then eventually work up to 3 pills a day, but I'm already having trouble with stomach upset.

My DH's SA didn't come back well either. His urologist has put him on clomid for his low testosterone. DH also has low volume & concentration & only 5% morphology. When I showed the stats to my RE, though, he didn't seem too concerned.

stepcutgirl, I'm glad the metformin is working well for you! I didn't realize PCOS miscarriage rates were so high, but that's wonderful that the metformin reduces them drastically. I think I know what you were feeling regarding the stomach upset & might have to look into the extended release tablets. Are those only available in brand name (not generic?)

Are the cysts painful for you? I hope your doc was able to regulate your thyroid. Have you been able to do anything to help with the hair loss? Hoping the pregnancy hormones help with that!

I had a year+ without a period several years ago. At the time, I attributed it to the fact that I'd recently lost a lot of weight, but maybe PCOS was a factor as well. Now my cycles vary between 28-37 days, but are not always ovulatory.

China, thanks for sharing your friend's story & advice. My acupuncturist has been offering to prescribe herbs for me, but I've said no thus far (due to my RE's advice), but I'm starting to wonder if it might be a good idea to give the herbs a try. Glad to know I'm not an impossible case.

afm, I just started taking metformin (50mg-instant release) once a day with food on Tuesday. I took it on Tuesday & Wednesday evenings & on Thursday had such an awful stomach ache that I called the nurse at my RE's office to ask advice. She recommended that I stop taking it for a couple of days, then start again on Monday. I didn't take it yesterday & am feeling better today. I asked if taking the timed release pill instead would make a difference & she didn't think so, but I wonder if that might be worth a try.

 

[stepcutgirl]

Logan, thanks so much for sharing your story. How wonderful that you were able to both adopt & get pregnant to build your family. It's comforting to know there's hope out there, even in light of a less than ideal diagnosis. It's funny...it seems like every woman diagnosed with PCOS has a different set of symptoms. That's great that your ovaries are no longer polycystic. Do you think that was the result of your pregnancy? Does your sister have little ones?

Regarding the metformin, did the stomach upset go away for you after a few days? Did you work up to your final dosage? My RE told me to start at 50mg once a day, then eventually work up to 3 pills a day, but I'm already having trouble with stomach upset.

My DH's SA didn't come back well either. His urologist has put him on clomid for his low testosterone. DH also has low volume & concentration & only 5% morphology. When I showed the stats to my RE, though, he didn't seem too concerned.

stepcutgirl, I'm glad the metformin is working well for you! I didn't realize PCOS miscarriage rates were so high, but that's wonderful that the metformin reduces them drastically. I think I know what you were feeling regarding the stomach upset & might have to look into the extended release tablets. Are those only available in brand name (not generic?)

Are the cysts painful for you? I hope your doc was able to regulate your thyroid. Have you been able to do anything to help with the hair loss? Hoping the pregnancy hormones help with that!

I had a year+ without a period several years ago. At the time, I attributed it to the fact that I'd recently lost a lot of weight, but maybe PCOS was a factor as well. Now my cycles vary between 28-37 days, but are not always ovulatory.

China, thanks for sharing your friend's story & advice. My acupuncturist has been offering to prescribe herbs for me, but I've said no thus far (due to my RE's advice), but I'm starting to wonder if it might be a good idea to give the herbs a try. Glad to know I'm not an impossible case.

afm, I just started taking metformin (50mg-instant release) once a day with food on Tuesday. I took it on Tuesday & Wednesday evenings & on Thursday had such an awful stomach ache that I called the nurse at my RE's office to ask advice. She recommended that I stop taking it for a couple of days, then start again on Monday. I didn't take it yesterday & am feeling better today. I asked if taking the timed release pill instead would make a difference & she didn't think so, but I wonder if that might be worth a try.

The Metformin XR I take is generic, so yes.

The cysts do hurt, more of a tenderness most of the time as opposed to a full on hurt/pain but if I lean up against something it becomes a full on throbbing hurt. They told me they if the cysts do not go away on their own before delivery they will drain them at birth. I have to have a c-section anyhow due to some prior surgery.

My thyroid normalized itself within a month of coming off birth control! It was the reason I came off birth control as I had read online several stories of women on the pill I was taking who had developed Graves disease/hyperthyroid and when they came off it the signs of the disease including the hyperthyroid aspect, went away. After 3 years of thyroid treatment my doctor wanted to remove my thyroid so I asked to be allowed to try to come off the bcp just to see and it totally went normal within a month! I have been checked every 2 weeks since I came off the pill and it's still within normal ranges!

I hope they can change you to the XR Metformin. Some say it doesn't make any difference but it was night and day to me.

 

[lili]

Brightspot--
Sorry about that. I don't check PS as much as I used to.
Anyway, to answer your question about the injectibles.
I, unfortunately, would not know the answer. By the time the Dr gave me the referral for the injectibles, they found that my FSH level was above the limit. So the only option I had was IVF w/ donor eggs, which we weren't going to do.

There are a few ladies who did the injectibles and their testimonies weren't too bad. No worse than a shot.
The success rate is higher w/ injectibles than w/ clomid. I guess clomid is useful if you are not ovulating.

Good luck to you!

MP--
Glad the HSG went well.
That sounds promising about your tubes possibly flushed free of debris.
I believe there are a couple of ladies who end up getting a BFP shortly after the HSG.
Fingers crossed for you.

Fisher-
hope you are doing well my friend.

Bella-
B is a handsome little guy. Looks like he's adjusting really well to his new home.

 

[Logan Sapphire]

BrightSpot, I do think that pregnancy "fixed" my ovaries, for whatever reason. I was really surprised. My sister doesn't have kids- she doesn't want them and is single, but if she were to get married, I think she would adopt instead of having a bio child. So we'll never get to see those ovaries in action!

Wow, you're only taking 150mg total of met a day?? I'm on 1000mg. My upset stomach went away in about 3 or 4 days, but it was a rough time of it. I did run out of the prescription recently and was off for a week or more. When I started again, I never had the stomach issue, much to my surprise and gratitude. I hope yours gets better soon!

 

[BrightSpot]

Stepcutgirl, that's great that your thyroid normalized after coming off the pill (though a little scary that the pill caused the issue in the first place!) I hope your cysts resolve themselves, but that's good that they can be drained if needed. Is that with ovarian drilling?
Hope you're well & baking away. 

Lili, thanks for replying. I'm so sorry you weren't a candidate for the injectables. How many little ones do you have?
Maybe I'll try the shots if I don't have any luck with clomid. 

Logan, how interesting that pregnancy "fixed" your ovaries. Maybe all of the hormones made your body more accustomed to using hormones correctly. 

I must've misspoken re my dosage. I'm currently on 500mg of metformin & will eventually work up to 1500mg daily. 

Thanks for sharing your metformin experience with me. Maybe my experience is similar to yours. I stopped for several days & started up again on Monday. I seem to be tolerating it better this time. (fingers crossed!) Also, I had a drink or 2 the evening before my upset stomach, so perhaps that was the cause. 

Afm, I'm on day 4 of instant release metformin 500mg & it seems to be going better. I'm supposed to eventually work up to 1500mg/day. 
I thought I was 6dpo but ff just took away my crosshairs! Who knows?

I hope everyone had a wonderful thanksgiving. 

 

[swimmer]

Hi Brightspot,
I just wanted to suggest soulcysters to you, it is a messageboard for women with pcos and their fertility/ttc board is super super active all with people who have btdt.

I've had pcos forever and had ovarian cancer, I take 2xs 850 metformin/glucophage but used to take the 750 ER tabs. Can you ask if you can cut your 500s to take .5 with breakfast and dinner? That was the way I started out, like 10yrs ago. Now I am in love with metformin. For me to get pregnant rounds of clomid din't work, but follistim and ovidrel injections did on the first try without making me as nutty as clomid.

Very interestingly my period came back 15months after the baby and it came back regular, like a normal female. Now I hadn't had a period without being on bcp almost ever so this was a shock for me, but an even bigger shock was that I am now pregnant with baby number two. No drugs other than metformin and we weren't timing or anything. There are some articles on soulcysters about how as you get older the quality of eggs and quantity improves with PCOS. So do check it out, good luck to you!

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Swimmer, CONGRATS!!!!!!!! And thanks for the PCOS info!!! I'm going to check it out too as in Jan I am going to try to figure out whether I have PCOS...

 

[BrightSpot]

Swimmer,
Thank you for responding. I checked out soulcysters & it seems to be a wonderful resource. 

When you went through the rounds of clomid & got pg on follistim, were you  also on metformin? How wonderful that you were pg easily the second time around (& beat cancer, though so sorry you had to go through that!)

I read the article about promising fertility in older pcos patients & am glad to finally read some good news about the condition as I'm 36. 

I was tolerating my once daily met dose & just upped it to twice daily. Hopefully I'll tolerate it ok. I had an upset stomach last night. 

Bella, I hope you figure out what's going on with your body soon. How great would that be if B could have a little sibling?

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Thanks Bright! I hope my body gets figured out soon too! My period seems to be hiding this month too (1 day of spotting and then nothing) so come January I'll definitely be going to the RE...in the meantime, keep your fingers crossed b/c I may have a new career opportunity in the near future with better insurance and better work-life balance

 

[swimmer]

Brightspot, Thank you sweetie. Yes, I was on metformin the entire ttc journey and stayed on it till week 15 last time and prob this time as well. Of course it is a huge help in getting people pregnant even those who don't have pcos, but also several studies in Germany found that it decreases early miscarriage in women with pcos. In many European countries it is standard to take it for the full pregnancy, but it isn't advised here in the us. A friend of mine was taking a very high dosage of metformin and she had actually been told that she would "never get pregnant" because of her pcos being so bad, but she had lost lots of weight and accidentally got pregnant with a fling...who she is now married to. Now I never buy it that a doc would say "never" and pregnancy in the same sentence, but she swears it is true. Glad you found good stuff on soulcysters.

Bella, that is awesome news if I read what I think I read . Time for you to have less stress in your life! Thanks for the congratulations, now I need to evaluate what to do with diapering baby #2! (some covers died awful deaths and i'm not into the imsy vimsys anymore!)

 

[BrightSpot]

Bella, that sounds pretty promising on the job front! (posting from my phone, but please read this in small type). Fingers crossed you have a less stressful schedule soon!

Swimmer, I'm glad to hear about met decreasing early pg loss risks with pcos patients. How did the met interact with morning sickness? How far along are you now? Hope you're feeling well! I'm finding myself avoiding foods now (should've avoided that apple pie last night!) Maybe I'll wind up losing a few pounds. 
Soulcysters is great but a little harder to get started than ps with the newbie restrictions. 
That's amazing that your friend got pg. Never say never! 

 

[swimmer]

Metformin can act as a bit of an appetite suppressant, getting the sugar levels sorted out really helps control that incredible urge to eat. Weight loss is the fastest and best way to regulate insulin which can be very helpful in getting pregnant. How are you feeling on the Met? To answer you questions, I was really lucky last pregnancy and had no ms at all, my only preggo sign was constipation (yeah, yeah, at this point what is tmi?) Now I am just feeling run down and queasy in the afternoons, but nothing other than that. Ginger chews from the ginger people co found at Trader Joes are the best thin ever to me, so i'm prepared. At this point based on my last period almost 7 weeks, so not much to report. Yeah, you get the + then call the ob and make an appt for week 12, very anti-climactic. I thought maybe since I am 35 they would sneak me in, nope, the receptionist laughed and told me I'm not that old. That was good I think?

 

[BrightSpot]

swimmer, I definitely feel my relationship toward food changing a bit. I've always been a foodie & loved (& looked forward to) eating. Maybe it's my new fear of side effects, but I'm getting less excited about food now. I also haven't been having dessert nearly as often (ie almost never). I can't tell if it's because I'm not craving it or that I'm afraid of it, but either way, it's probably a good thing.
Also, I've lost 3 pounds since the last time I weighed myself (11/12), so I hope that's a good sign. I'd be thrilled to lose a few pounds, but am probably considered "thin" in terms of PCOS (my BMI is 22).

I also hope Clomid doesn't put the weight right back on & more! (I think I came across a post of yours on the TTC thread on soulcysters?)
As for how I'm feeling on the met, I'm mostly ok with a few exceptions. I've also been mostly avoiding things I fear will be problematic.

How wonderful that you didn't have any PG symptoms with your last pregnancy! I'm sorry you're feeling a bit queasy & tired now & hope you're feeling better soon. So, no early PG beta tests for you? That's great that the nurse wasn't worried about your age! I'm 36 & that crosses my mind too. Thanks for chatting with me. It really helps.

So, I'm starting my first clomid/ovidrel/IUI cycle this month. I go in for the baseline bloodwork & u/s on Sunday, take the Clomid Monday-Friday, then probably the following Monday do a follow up monitoring session to see if it's time to trigger, then IUI. Wish me luck! I'm excited & more than a little nervous about the clomid side effects.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Hi, ladies!

I meant to come say happy new year weeks ago, but I never did. The very beginning of a new year is so emotional for me. I came off the pill on a Jan. 3, so each new year without a child is a haunting milestone. Thankfully, the sadness doesn't last too long & then I'm ready to roll again. )

I still have to sing the praises of Fertili-tea. It's about $14 a bag on amazon & it's awesome stuff! I've taken it for three cycles now, and have ovulated sooner each time (going from 22-24 to 16-19 is *huge*); it also helps with CM and it doesn't taste like barf.

I came hoping to see posts of joyous news, but I trust they will be coming soon. Hang in there ladies & walk in faith.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Fisher, great to see you!!!! thanks for the update re Fertilitea, I am ordering some right now

I start a new job Thursday and am praying that it is less stressful and a better fit. If nothing else, I got more money, a better title, and cut my commuting time in half, so hopefully that will all help the stress too ...

DH starts school during the day next week, so B is starting "school" (daycare) Monday We don't quite feel ready for this, but it's what has to happen for our family right now so we are just trying to help B through the transition as much as possible. It's hard to believe we've been a family for 7 months, in some ways it feels like it's just been days since we met him and in other ways it feels like he's always been here...

I miss all you ladies and hope that we all have wonderful news in 2012!!!!