Weekly check-in Nov 18

dolphin012

This check in is for anyone on this board to participate in and will occur every Wednesday. If you are new here and haven't made a separate intro on the main board please do so before checking in so we can "meet" you! It's easy to do just click the new discussion button in the top right and post away. 

1. Your Name or Screen Name (not full names) and State you are from. 

2. How long have you been TTC? Are you TTC #1,#2,#3, etc.? 

3. What are you doing this cycle? Are you seeking help with a fertility specialist (RE)? If so, what stage are you in? Charting/temping? Testing? Medicated cycles? IUI? IVF? DE? 

4. Where are you in your cycle? (Waiting to O, 2WW etc) If in the 2ww when will you test? 

5. How do you feel about this cycle? (Are you hopeful, anxious... etc) 

QOTW: What is your favorite thanksgiving day dish? Bonus for recipes!!

SLGILL1978

Slgill from KS

TTC #2 - consistently for three months; we tried here and there for a year

Using ovulation kits and fertility apps

Waiting to ovulate - according to some of my apps, I should be ovulating within the next 1-2 days

Nervous - this is the first time using the apps so waiting to see if they predicting correctly

*Too many favorite dishes! Sweet potatoes, dressing/stuffing with cranberry sauce, pound cake, ham, green bean casserole... Lol! 

rspalding001

1. Rita from Central California
2. TTC # 2 for over a year, 2 MC's and 1 CP
3.This cycle we are using progesterone and baby aspirin after ovulation. Started using Progesterone on Saturday. Not as bad as I thought. It basically all gets absorbed overnight so no mess. 
4. Currently on CD 25, 6 DPO. Will test on Sunday.
5. I'm hopeful this cycle since we are doing the progesterone, but also nervous from my last D&C about potential scaring in the uterus that might prevent implantation. Fingers and toes are all crossed.
QOTW: One year I made roasted game hens for thanksgiving instead of the traditional turkey and loved them SO much! We havent done it since but it was my favorite. We used an apricot glaze and baked them over wild long grain rice. Yumm!

Jenniferk08

1- Jennifer from NY
2- TTC#2 for about 5/6 months although we first started a year ago.
3-I've been charting, using OPk, taking my prenatals and going weight watchers

4- CD 15.
5- feeling really good this month. Had some fun Monday night and OPK showed positive Tuesday morning.

QOTW favorite thanksgiving dish would be my mom's twice baked potatoe. Basically bake the potatoe. Cut the top off and scoop out the inside. Mix in a bowl with some salt,pepper, butter, garlic powder and the put back in the potatoe shell.

PattersRN

1. PattersRN, Oregon

2. TTC #1, 3rd cycle

3. Temping/charting, preseed, Pregnitude

4. CD 24, 11dpo. Temp dropped this morning, though not to or below coverline. I'm not optimistic though, I'm due to start AF in the next 2-3 days and she's pretty predictable. I'll test in a couple of days if my temps start climbing again.

5. Trying to be hopeful

QOTW: stuffing, I could eat stuffing for days.....

agriffin92013

1. Amanda from South Carolina 

2. TTC #1 almost 3 years 

3. Took the month off.  

4. CD 15 waiting to see if I will O on my own without meds

5. Took the month off so not hopeful since I do not O on my own

QOTW: favorite has to be sweet potato crunch

jilligan14

1. Jill from NC

2. TTC #1, not preventing since 11/12, actively trying since 8/14 (two losses in 2014)

3. OPKs, temping, prenatals, evening primrose oil, CoQ10, probiotics, Vit D, fish oil, Myo-inositol, D-Chiro-Inositol, cayenne, flaxseed oil. Cabergoline to bring down my prolactin levels and some nasty herbal concoction twice a day from the acupuncturist. First cycle doing 5mg letrozole (CD 3-7) and Ovidrel trigger shot.

4. CD15 and I'm about to O!!!

5. I'm feeling pretty hopeful! Did the trigger shot yesterday at 3pm and am going to have TI tonight at 10pm (with preseed just to cover all bases). I'm happy that I responded to the letrozole. Had one nice follicle on the right ovary measuring 20mm and my lining was at 9mm (the nurse said this was fantastic!). Was hoping to get more mature follicles but overall I'm thrilled because I get to O earlier (usually it's around 20+ days) and things are looking really good for that one follicle. I haven't had a 2WW in quite awhile so I don't know what I'm going to do with myself!!!

Favorite Thanksgiving dish is "tempeh turkey" - it's kind of like a gravy thing with chunk of tempeh. It's so good over mashed potatoes. Yum!

Good luck everyone! Hope we get some BFP's soon!

happyktmom

1. happyktmom from VA

2. TTC#2 since 4/2014

3.  Femara CD3-7, Clearblue Easy Digital Advanced OPK, PNV's, Vit D, Metformin

4. CD24 9dpo and using full restraint on not testing yet.

5. I'm so confused, I don't know how to feel.  Nothing has gone as planned.  I felt like since I was pulling out the big guns this cycle (Femara), I really needed to know precisely when I was going to O.  I was using the Clearblue OPK's and got flashy smileys for 13 days straight.  I'm going to assume that is because of my naturally high LH d/t PCOS.  Anyway, temps have been up for 9 days except for a dip yesterday.  Fingers crossed but not very hopeful because we were travelling and were only able to BD ONE TIME!!  GRRRR

My all time favorite Thanksgiving recipe is something my mom used to make with Thanksgiving leftovers.  It became so popular, she started making for the big meal.  It's just sweet potatoes in a little bit of cream with ham and amish cheddar cheese on top.  SO YUMMY!

Piperella

Laura from Virginia

TTC #1 for forever and a day.. 

We are doing IVF #1 this cycle.  I finished up BCPs this past weekend and I start stim injections tomorrow.

I'm in the stim portion of my IVF cycle, which is a bit different than a regular TTC cycle.  I will be on stims for 8-11 days  Next week I'll talk about the egg retrieval. :-)

I'm excited about this cycle.  I definitely have a sense of humor about it this time too.. It may be a bit twisted, but I think you have to be knowing how involved an IVF cycle is.

My favorite Thanksgiving day dish that I haven't really had since my grandmother passed away in 2001 are the best deviled eggs.  We called them pooplets as we lost the star tip to the pastry bag a long time ago so we just had the plain circle one that we used to squirt the egg yolk mixture back into the egg white... The look like perfect little pooplets.  I have her old tin of Coleman's Dry Mustard she used... I won't use it until I perfect the recipe myself. 

BernieRae

Bernierae Oregon

Ttc #1 off and on for 2 years

Preseed, clomid, first IUI

9dpiui cd 22.

I always let myself fantasize that it will work this month, but after two years of infertility I don't get my hopes up. I'm just so happy that my polyp removal 2 cycles ago has seemed to cure my mid cycle spotting problem. It had gotten pretty bad.

For Thanksgiving I love all the sides especially sweet potatoes and stuffing.

Hope everyone has a great week

PattersRN

@BernieRae Another Oregonian! Hiiii!!!

BernieRae

@PattersRN Hi! I've lived here 3 years, but it feels funny to be called an Oregonian! But yes, I suppose I am

emsmama15

1. Heather from MN

2. TTC #2 for quite a while...

3. Taking CoQ10, myo-inositol, B-complex, Fish oil (6 grams), Vit D, PNV; eating gluten free, minimal caffeine, no alcohol; lost almost 50 pounds!  Also still doing all the alternative therapies - acupuncture, Reiki, Mayan Abdominal Massage.  I just love them all so much!!    

4. On BCP until 11/22, Baseline 11/25, Stims 11/27.

5. Really feeling hopeful for IVF#1.  I've done as much as I can to prepare my body and mind for this.  I'm in a really good place.  Keeping everything crossed. 

I love all Thanksgiving food, but my favorite is stuffing.  Anyone have a gluten free stuffing recipe?  @jilligan14?   

emsmama15

@SLGILL1978 - which apps are you using?

@rspalding001 - it's so exciting to try something new that really has a chance of helping.  I hope this is your cycle!!

@jilligan14 - 9 mm is an awesome lining!  I never had such good linings unless I did injectables!!

@happyktmom - would your RE do a trigger since OPKs aren't very reliable with PCOS?

@Piperella - good luck starting stims tomorrow!  Can't wait to hear how everything goes!!!

dolphin012

dolphin012 from CA

ttc #1 for a while..

FET from our second ivf cycle. Transfer was tuesday!! They transferred our 2 day-3 frozen embryos. All went well. I am taking the IM progesterone shots and wear estrogen patches. Beta is scheduled for Nov 30. 

Definitely starting to feel a bit more tired as i am up to the full dose of progesterone that i will stay on until beta and hopefully beyond. Plus the valium on the transfer day took my down a notch for about 24 hrs. Mostly thinking and focusing on telling those little guys to multiple multiple so they are ready to implant in the next couple of days!

QOTW: Not sure why i asked for a favorite, because i love it all!!! But maybe the stuffing and cranberry are the favorite along with pumpkin pie! I will post a recipe this evening. 

@emsmama15 - i have a gluten free cornbread stuffing that i absolutely love! I am going to make it this year. I have to get to work shortly here, but will look it up this evening and post for you.  

@jilligan14 - yay for O! Fingers crossed for you during the tww!!!

@Piperella - wishing you all the best with your first ivf! A sense of humor is so important (along with a comfy pair of pants  

@emsmama15 -- your almost there. I am really excited for you to start your cycle! 

@rspalding001 -- wishing you all the best with your progesterone cycle! Hoping it does the trick!

jilligan14

@emsmama15 - Sorry I can't help you out. I don't really do stuffing, not even the gluten-free kind (mainly because I've never been able to do yeast and never had stuffing growing up so I don't really have a taste for it). But I have a nice gf biscuit recipe if you're interested in that!

@dolphin012 - I'm so excited for you!! I really hope this cycle is it for you.

Good luck to all the new IVFers. It sounds like such an involved process and I admire your courage and braveness to deal with all those meds and needles. I'm going to be praying for lots and lots and lots of eggs on each of your egg retrievals!

happyktmom

@emsmama15 - I haven't been back to the RE since April and haven't even asked.  The Femara was given to me by my OB for if I wanted to use it.  I did Pregnyl twice and both times my DH got stage fright.  I came down on him hard this month and kind of feel bad about it now.  It's just so frustrating when we do SO SO much to get pregnant and they just have one single job and timing fails me every month. 

Sorry!  More of a response than I'm sure you expected. 

jilligan14

**loss mentioned**

I just realized that today was the day I had my 2nd miscarriage last year. I knew things weren't progressing leading up to it (HCG levels weren't doubling, etc.) but it was still a traumatic, emotional, upsetting day. And now I'm sitting here on the first official day of my 2WW and feeling hopeful. What a rollercoaster this whole thing is!

Sporty1216

Sporty1216 from Nebraska

TTC for 11 cycles, I think.

OPKs and will use preseed again. Figure it can't hurt and it might help!

CD9, waiting to O--probably in the next few days.

I feel all up and down. Today I'm feeling like I don't know why we even bother trying--like I'm just waiting to O so I can do the TWW for a BFN. But I hate being an eeyore, so I counter my own arguments with "it only takes once! Maybe this time will be the time! Chin up!" And the like. But honestly this is probably the lowest I have felt since we started trying for #2. I think it doesn't help that LO had a fought night last night and I was not as patient as I should have been and so I started to beat myself up, telling myself I can hardly handle one, so it's no wonder I'm not getting pregnant with #2. I'm praying a lot and trying to change my self-talk too. Anyway. Blah. There I am.

I love all the thanksgiving sides. Favorites include stuffing balls (crispy on the outside and tender in the middle) and pistachio fluff (pudding, cool whip, pineapple, and marshmallows).

Good luck to those in the TWW! Hoping for good news soon!

ETA: sorry about this difficult anniversary @jilligan14 ... A roller coaster indeed! Keeping everything crossed for a BFP for you this cycle!

Aashly101

1. Your Name or Screen Name (not full names) and State you are from. 

Aashly101, MN

2. How long have you been TTC? Are you TTC #1,#2,#3, etc.? 

TTC #3 for 5 years now

3. What are you doing this cycle? Are you seeking help with a fertility specialist (RE)? If so, what stage are you in? Charting/temping? Testing? Medicated cycles? IUI? IVF? DE? 

We are on our 3rd round of IVF. We decided on FET with this cycle.

4. Where are you in your cycle? (Waiting to O, 2WW etc) If in the 2ww when will you test? 

We transfer this coming Monday! I'm so excited! Retrieval was back in August, it feels like a century ago!

5. How do you feel about this cycle? (Are you hopeful, anxious... etc) 

I am unsure how I feel about this cycle. One minute I am feeling really good about things and quite hopeful but in the next, I am worried and scared. Our first 2 cycles resulted in miscarriages so that attributes a lot to my fears.

Currently my favorite Thanksgiving dish is green bean casserole and of course cranberry! Lol

dolphin012

ok, here is my cracked pepper cornbread and apple stuffing recipe (@emsmama15). It is from the magazine Living Without so i scanned the 2 pages with the recipe on it. Hopefully the resolution held with the upload. There are two parts to the recipe. The first is the recipe for a cornbread, then you use the cornbread in the stuffing recipe

It is GF and dairy free. Vegetarian if you omit the bacon (i prefer to make it using turkey bacon). 

Mamafesto

Mamafesto from New England

TTC #2 since February, MC in July

All of the herbs, supplements, acupuncture, maya abdominal massage, opks, cm, cp, BD during FW

CD1

Feeling pretty defeated. Just had another too short cycle - 25 days. Started spotting 9 days post-o. @Sporty1216, I completely feel you on the whole "maybe I'm not cut out for 2" thing. LO has been waking up at 4:30 and I've had a lot less patience with him than I should and I wonder how I could handle the complete lack of sleep w/an infant plus manage a toddler. DP and I had a heart to heart yesterday where I told him I need him to help me decide when enough is enough. I'm a ridiculously goal oriented person, and so even if it gets to the point of unhealthy obsession, I will be powerless to stop without achieving the goal. But at some point (and it's feeling like that point might be coming soon) I need to stop putting all of my emotional energy into ttc and enjoy the family I have.

I'm a stuffing woman all the way...(and in my world, it's not stuffing unless there sausage in it)

happyktmom

@Sporty1216 and @Mamafesto, I too have been feeling like I got my one and I'm spending so much time and energy on TTC#2, I feel guilty.  DD will be 4 in Jan and though I am sad she is growing up so fast, I am somewhat relieved we are getting out of the toddler stages. 
I have gone through phases where I tell myself I don't deserve a second child because I am so short with DD sometimes and then other times I long for her to have a sibling.  I have discussed adoption and foster care with DH multiple times.  He is not on board at all.  Ultimately, it comes to fate or God or whatever you may believe.  In due time my friends.  At our ages, patience is much more than a virtue

lickastick

1. createillumination from california

2.TTC #1 for 5 months 

3. I waited to post my update until today because I just saw the endobioginist (endocrine specialist) today. After a year of supplements and herbs my thyroid has completely optimized which is really cool. A lot of other markers improved but my adrenals are still taxed and I am progesterone deficient and prolactin is high. She gave me new herbs to lower prolactin and has me on Vitex for the LP. I am so happy that I have someone who can help me with supplements in such a detailed way, otherwise I'd go hog-wild putting myself on everything out there and mess myself up. I take a PNV, Vit D, CoQ10, Selenium, and I tried mucinex this cycle to see what would happen. I have been doing Mayan Abdominal massage and of course acupuncture! I use OPK's and saliva ferning to predict O. 

4.  I am probably a day or 2 before ovulation

5. I took a NTNP approach this cycle and I ended up having 3 massages in the course of 1 week due to some crazy circumstances, so I am feeling more relaxed then previous cycles. I don't relish having a EDD in the middle of august but we did get some BD-ing in so we'll see.....
QOTW: Stuffing and mash potatoes!

@emsmama15 - I love the glutino corn bread stuffing, it is the best right out of the box!

@mamafesto what you said really touched me, I can imagine that decision would be really tough to make. T&P to you;)

FX for all you ladies with IUI's and IVF this cycle! How exciting!

emsmama15

@dolphin012 - YUM! Thank you!!  And thanks for the tip @createillumination.  The co-op near me has a bunch of glutino brand stuff.

KLake42

Kathleen in GA

TTC #1 since early 2015

Getting ready for IVF next cycle-- I'll start BC when the cycle starts, and probably have egg retrieval the first week of January.

CD 13

Anxious but hopeful

I just had a trial transfer and a saline sonogram done to see if I have any issues with my uterus (polyps, etc.), and my RE said that my uterus is beautiful!  Which was good, since the procedure was decidedly uncomfortable (but not as bad as the HSG).  Also expensive.  I guess that paying for it was equally uncomfortable.

I've also talked to my boss about handling my court schedule in early January.  He knows there will be surgery, but doesn't know why.  In my mind, I think he's probably guessed, but I haven't wanted to have that whole conversation.

amimhof

1. Amanda Marie from MD

2. TTC #1, 6 months

3. charting and temping

4. waiting to O

5. I am FUSTRATED and confused!  My chart looks like a seismograph! Up, down, up, down!  In the beginning, it's because of the change in the weather - our top floor hold heat really well, and the bedroom gets hot if we don't turn the heat down before going to bed.  you can tell form my chart when that happened!  But since then it's been crazy!

I'm on CD 24.  I had fertile CM 19-20, around when I usually O, and a slight temperature bump (expected, my temp sometimes rises gradually).  Then a slight drop, a second batch of fertile CM, high temp, low temp.  Aurgh!  

And FF - you are still no help!  You have a lovely little traffic light saying "Most fertile" right next to a box that says "Probably not Fertile"  Either I am, or I'm not, make up your mind!  

QOTW: favorite dish - I miss my mom's homemade stuffing!  Now my brother hosts Thanksgiving so mom doesn't cook anymore.  at Christmas she uses stove top.  

jilligan14

@amimhof can you post a link to your chart? I want to take a look.

amimhof

@jilligan14 here it is (I hope):

https://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/59d09b

jilligan14

@amimhof oh wow, that is a bit of a roller coaster! My guess is that you are about to O, based mostly on the low temp today. do you use OPKs as well?

amimhof

@jilligan14 no I don't use OPKs.  I feel that the more I do the more stressed I would be and am just trying to avoid adding stuff.  I'm terribly frustrated with FF and am probably going to go back to strictly tracking on paper next cycle because the site just adds confusion.

SLGILL1978

emsmama15 said:

@SLGILL1978 - which apps are you using?

@rspalding001 - it's so exciting to try something new that really has a chance of helping.  I hope this is your cycle!!

@jilligan14 - 9 mm is an awesome lining!  I never had such good linings unless I did injectables!!

@happyktmom - would your RE do a trigger since OPKs aren't very reliable with PCOS?

@Piperella - good luck starting stims tomorrow!  Can't wait to hear how everything goes!!!

*I found a couple of apps on my iPad that were free. One I didn't like but can't remember the name? The other is Pregnancy Tracker which is sponsored by Walgreens