Calling it a bust - plans moving forward

jszy10

Hey ladies!  I know it's not over until the fat lady sings, but I officially got a BFN at 12dpo and am not feeling very hopeful.

This was my 6th and final IUI, and now DH and I plan to take a month off before starting our first IVF cycle.

I wanted to see what you ladies thought in regards to my 'break' month.  Part of me wants to take a full break and just have a natural cycle, but the other part of me thinks I might still want to take clomid and just do TI??  My cycles are wonky when I'm not on meds, and I'm worried that it is going to mess with the timing of my next cycle if I try to go natural.  To put things into perspective, my last natural cycle I got a week of false +opks and didn't end up O'ing until CD24...on meds I O between CD14-17.

Thoughts??

I'll be lurking around regardless of what I chose, because I absolutely adore you ladies.  I did intro on the IF board because of moving on to IVF, but I hope you don't mind me hanging around.

BunnyBerry

So sorry about your (probable) BFN...I'm glad you will take a break to get re-energized before having to start IVF!

From the description of your last all-natural cycle, it sounds like that a totally unmedicated cycle now would cause more stress and uncertainty for you, and maybe it would be worth it to take Clomid, get monitoring, and have a normal cycle? Especially since it sounds like postponing your IVF cycle while awaiting a late O and AF would be very frustrating, maybe worse than a couple more appointments with the vaginal ultrasound!! Or maybe your RE would be comfortable only monitoring with bloodwork, since the timing of an IUI would not be at stake?

I wish you well regardless!

jszy10

Thanks so much @bunnyberry ... those are my thoughts actually. I feel like it would stress me out to have the uncertainty, and I'm so ready to move on to ivf, that adding another week or more to my break cycle would probably make me crazy.

MissEm15

packerfan4life said:

((Hugs)) So sorry for the BFN. 

The other question - are you going to have to do BCPs before starting IVF? Because if you were I wonder if you would be able to do that this month?

^^ is what I was thinking... keep in mind that I think most clinics have you do BCPs for 2-3 weeks before stimming for IVF. If you're ready for a longer break then, I'd do the clomid/ti first as one last hail mary, then start BCPs after that. I think either way the waiting is going to suck lol. Good luck in whatever you decide!

ronniesgirl1981

I vote for resting your body! FX that IVF #1 does the trick!

jszy10

packerfan4life -- I did get put on BCP in January because of cysts.  My break cycle was in December, and when I came back to Femara I didn't respond AT ALL, so I did a hybrid of Clomid/Dexamethasone.  I O'd later that cycle and then AF never came.  I suppose cysts are possible?

I will need to do 2-3 weeks of BCP before starting IVF injects, but we were taking that into account after the break cycle because I'll be going to TN for 5 days at the end of June-July.  I figured I could be on BCP while I was away, and start injects when we got back.

I had considered going straight to BCP, so maybe that will be something I ask my RE.  I plan on calling today or tomorrow to see when we should set up our IVF Consult.

jszy10

I would love to move right into BCP and the IVF process to be honest, I just fear that the timing won't work out with my work schedule and travel at the end of June.

It looks like if I did BCP for 3 weeks after this cycle and start injects in 2nd week of June, that I would potentially have my transfer the week before I leave for Nashville.  I think that might stress me out to air travel and be away less than a week after transfer???

Agh!  I don't know :P

Pintobean39

I'm so sorry about your BFN ((Hugs))

If it were me I'd love to have a break before moving onto IVF but since I'm turning 40 next month I don't feel like I have the time to take a break so I went straight into BCP to prep for my first IVF.  It is actually going to work out for me though because my ER is going to be around the first of june and ET won't be until August so it is leaving us open for vacations durning the summer.  Also if it were me and I was in your shoes I'd do clomid and TI, there is nothing worse than a crazy cycle to make you want to pull your hair out.  What ever you decide to do good luck!

lebradford

I think it depends what the purpose of your break is. If you really want to mentally and physically rest, I'd skip medications completely. If you have some other purpose (just buying some time before IVF or something), then go for it.

Lillovebug79

I opted to take a break before moving on to IVF. I'm about 1/2 way through my break cycle and it's been really nice, no meds, appointments, labs, and nothing shoved in my lady parts! We have just been having sex every other day during what I think is my fertile window (but who knows, I'm not tracking anything. It's been pretty stress free but I also have fairly regular cycles and always O on my own. I might feel differently if that wasn't the case. But I'm really excited to get the IVF process started so if/when AF shows up I won't be totally bummed like I was during all of my medicated cycles.

Best of luck!

jszy10

@snedge -- well, the problem is that I am in the process of switching RE's....BUT, I will be having a CD3 ultrasound with the new one once AF arrives, so I think I will ask her what she thinks!  Thanks for the suggestion.

I responded so well (3-4 follies) to the clomid + dex. combo that I almost feel like it would be a shame to waste a cycle if I had a shot in hell when DH has no issues.  I think that is what pulls me to at least consider the meds.

I'm actually now wondering what the new RE's plan is for me this next cycle?  Do you think she might just start me on BCP?  DH is going in for another SA, and she asked me to come in for a baseline U/S on CD3.  Then they said I will come back in 2 weeks to discuss everything.

jszy10

Lillovebug79.  I do O on my own as well, just takes me a week or so longer than normal.  The new RE said she believes there is something to be said about the egg quality and lining of someone who takes that long to O...so I worry about being back in the same boat that I was in before I started treatments and had my losses.

jszy10

@packerfan4life -- I'm going June 28 -  July 3 :oP  have fun!!