Ok, so I'm back from the appointment. The doctor was really, really nice and clearly very, very experienced. I'm going to fill you in on what he said, what we did, and our course of action. Sorry if this is uninteresting to some.... I thought some might find his thoughts interesting.
First, he is one of those stop-charting types. Was very nice about it. Said that with my cycle being the length it is, that he's pretty sure I'm ovulating (me, too). He said there are two stages of investigation (stage 1 he called macro, involving making sperm/eggs and having them connect, and stage 2 he called micro - dealing with everything afterward). We're dealing with stage 1 for now.
Interesting - he said to continue the EOD FWP pattern. He said that doing it three days in a row, or a couple of times per day, just totally depletes the sperm count, and by the third time, nothing's in there anyway. I know there are women who've had BFP's on here with the 2X per day BD, but that was his advice.
OK... so the appointment:
Looked at DH's sperm sample. That was actually cool. His count is good - but there were 2 white blood cells which (did you know this??) can indicate an infection in the prostate which men can carry for 20 years and never know. So if he has this, I have it. It can lead to infertility in me, and can stop his sperm from having the little drills that drill into the egg! Huh! Results in about a week, simple round of anitbiotics if anything shows up.
DH has to go in for another sperm sample/testing thing in May. More in-depth testing on that (DNA fragmentation).
Took TEN vials of blood from both DH and I. Looking for various things.
On my next CD1 I have to call to set up 7 days of testing. For 7 days in a row I have to go in the morning for blood work and ultrasound, to track my follicular phase and ovulation! I guess this is why I don't need to chart... They will also be telling us exactly when to FWP!!
ON CD I also have to go in to look at my follicles.
He's looking at how many eggs I have left - I'm so glad!
He's following up on my history of endometriosis, fibriods and polyps.
If I'm still not naturally pregnany after next cycle:
I have an echovist procedure - 2 different appointments where they do ultrasounds after filling my ute with water to take a very close look at my lady bits, up close and personal... looking for more polyps, scar tissue, blockages, etc.
Course of action determined after this.
He was extremely positive and confident. He said that at my age (36) that after 6 months of TTC there is a fertility problem, so he's doing everything he can.
He gave me the impression that there is so much they can look into and rule out, that there are many, many reasons for infertility, and said that he will find it and get us pregnant one way or another. He was also very reassuring that our baby's Trisomy 18 (which caused our loss) was a complete one-off (like the geneticist said).
He also said that our very short CP last month was inconsequencial at this point as far as TTC, and that he will be looking the fact that since our m/c I spot for four or five days before AF. He thought that was quite interesting.
Sorry so long. If you got through it all, thanks for reading.
Re: F/U Fertility Appt (Long but perhaps interesting!)
When I wrote this I used bullet points that didn't show up! Sorry it's hard to read!
BFP#1 - 8/27/10 - D&C 10/27/10 @ 13 weeks to Trisomy 18
Missing our Angel Baby Gabriel
BFP#2 - 3/18/11 - CP 3/19/11 BFP#3 - 4/27/11 - Due 1/9/12
MTHFR 2 copies of C677t mutation homozygous 2/2010
Baby A born via c-section 1/10/12 @38w3d
BFP #1 11/4/09 m/c 4w3d baby crab
BFP #2 12/4/09 m/c 9w3d baby lion
BFP #3 7/1/10 m/c 4w1d baby fish
BFP #4 5/8/11
BFP #5 8/17/12 10dpo beta 7
My heart is as open as the sky.
Read about it on the blog
2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
I'm so glad it went well or was at least extremely informative. Sounds like you have a great, thorough doctor there!
Extremely interesting on the prostate infection thing...and good Lord! 10 vials of blood? YIKES!
Glad you got some course of action plans! Also, thank you for sharing it was interesting to read.
Please follow up about what he says/finds out about the spotting before AF. I never have had that until my BFP (implantation spotting) and now I have 2x since my m/c.. I spot for 3-4 days before AF comes full force, it's new, it tricks me into FM that its implantation spotting, and I'm annoyed by it.... would love to hear if there is a reason for this
BFP#1 11.2.10 | EDD 7.9.11 | HB 7w2d & 8w4d | missed M/C 11w2d | D&E 12.21.10
FSH at 14.5 - 4.21.11 | CCCT - (CD3 8.8,CD10 12.2)| dx w/ DOR @ 28 yrs old
IUI#1 + clomid 8.29.11 (our anniversary)
BFP#2 9.10.11 | EDD 5.21.12 | beta 1 @ 14dpi:232 | beta 2 @17dpi:703 | beta 3 @24dpi:7,174
Baby A HB of 142(7w), 161(8w), 164(9w) | Baby B no HB, Vanishing Twin
I promise I will. You and I seem to be having the exact same thing. I don't think he's looking into this during this course of action, but as soon as I know, I'll let you know. It's been MFing me for five months!
BFP#1 - 8/27/10 - D&C 10/27/10 @ 13 weeks to Trisomy 18
Missing our Angel Baby Gabriel
BFP#2 - 3/18/11 - CP 3/19/11 BFP#3 - 4/27/11 - Due 1/9/12
TTC#1 since May 2009
PCOS * Hypothyroid
Bean - BFP May 26, 2010. EDD Feb 3, 2011. Natural Miscarriage 8w5d - June 29, 2010.
Pumpkin - BFP Feb 8, 2011. EDD Oct 21, 2011. Natural Miscarriage 6w3d - Feb 28, 2011.
May 2015: IUI#2 - nada.
So happy to hear things went well. It was very interesting!
Chart
Surprise BFP 12.17.10; No heartbeat 01.28.11; D&C 02.03.11
TTCAL began 03.03.11; Break 4.25.11; TTCAL continues 6.9.11;
PAL/PgAL Welcome
BFP #1- 11/7/10 ~EDD 7/20/11 ~M/C (bo) 12/6/10 @ 8wks ~Missing my Little Firework
BFP #2- 9/11/11 ~EDD 5/25/12 ~M/C (mmc10w)11/4/11 @ 11wks ~Missing my May Flower
BFP #3- 02/21/12 ~EDD 11/1/12 Audrey Lee Born 11/4/2012
BFP #4 ~EDD 6/20/14 stick baby stick!
TTC since March 2010, BFP #1 11.09.10, ectopic, m/c 12.14.10 (10w)
Clomid + TI=BFN, IUIs 1-6= BFN
Application for domestic adoption submitted 4/18/12, matched 8/12/12, DD born 10/31/12
This exactly. I would never know what to expect from an RE. Glad it went well and that you guys have a plan for the future.
BFP #1 9-22-10 Missed M/c 10-18-10 D&E 10-28-10
BFP #2 5-9-11 EDD 1-12-12 Audrey Rachel born 1-12-12
BFP #3 9-21-13 EDD 5-30-14
9 angels in heaven-3 in my arms and 1 in the NICU
Mono/di twin girls: Josephine born to heaven and Evangeline born Earthside at 25w
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Siggy Warning~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BFP#1 - 9/2/10, EDD 5/14/11, Twins Hannah and Liam lost 11/7/10 @ 13w1d.
BFP #2 - 2/9/11, EDD 10/13/11, LO lost 2/13/11 @ 5w4d
BFP #3 - 5/9/11, DS born 1/13/12
~*~My BFP Chart~*~Our Story~*~
~*~Labor Buddies with Sweet Turnip - Welcome Baby Girl 2/23/12 & Aluenna - Welcome Ivy 1/6/12~*~