TTC Check-in (10/20)

channe9 · October 2014

Good morning!

How is your/your partner's TTC journey progressing, where are you at, and what's next?

*Reminder - If you have a BFP to announce, please do so by creating a new thread for everyone on the board to see. Thank you

QOTW: What's the most interesting thing you can see right now -- maybe out of a window, on your desk, whatever/wherever?

channe9 · October 2014

Last Wednesday was our first IUI -- after 4 home ICIs since February. I'm not so sure about the timing. Sure, they were testing my blood to figure out the optimum time but I think it may have been a bit late from ovulation pain, home OPK and BBT. I think I ovulated about 24 hours BEFORE the insemination and with my oldie eggs that's no darn good. Ugh. I can't be sure so I'll wait and say something when we go for the blood draw. I'm not sure if I'm becoming an old hand at BFNs or what the deal is but I haven't been consulting Dr Google or reading into much this time around. We have enough frozen donor sperm for two more attempts before Christmas and that's the plan. Maybe knowing that is enough to just relax a bit. Then again, the second half of the TWW is always far more difficult...

Right now, I'm in our home office staring at a giant map of the Brazilian city we lived in. This is supposed to help me focus on writing but... Also, the windows are terribly dirty. Should probably fix that.

Here's hoping for good things over this week!

Himee33 · October 2014

@CrazyAunt84 Still can't believe your low progesterone went unnoticed for so long! That's one thing our RE was always good about. With my last IVF it was really low so I started the PIO right away. Now its just part of my protocol. Just crappy news to be told. How could they miss something so big! Hopefully you won't have to move to injectables! Good luck this week!

I just got home from my 6:30am doctor appointment. I was really nervous about getting my ultrasound, only because my RE was going to have a talk with her about slowing down and messing up the readings on my lining. It went well and she actually seemed to go more slow this time. Hopefully it stays that way! I got my blood drawn and they are calling in my BCP today. I rolled my eyes and the nurse laughed. I told her for the first time in months I am medication free and I feel GREAT! I feel like my old self. I'm happy and have more energy. Also down like 10 pounds because I'm not bloated. L made the comment the other day "This is the old Jaime I miss," when I was cracking jokes and laughing. I just laughed. knowing in a month I will be back on more aggressive medication and back to the "beast" she likes to call me

QOTW: I'm on the couch and the sun is rising but blocked by the corner of my building and L's Bears flag. Still pretty.

Karlamo · October 2014

Life has been overwhelming and busy so I haven't check in for awhile.

I'm not sure if I mentioned this but we went to the RE for our calander. It was a great, relaxed visit. SO different than before. We had a "wait and see" plan for doing the FET this month because we were on vacation, then my wife was going into surgery.

Last week my wife had wrist surgery, my kid had a massive meltdown, and I started my period all within 1 hour. So I made the split second decision to wait till Nov for our FET. I should be getting my period the second week of Nov. when I do I call the RE to get the Estrace called in, I then will take that till my lining is plump and then start PIO. Transfer is 7 days after starting PIO.

All our embroyos were frozen at day 5/6. We learned that 2 are singles but the other 4 were frozen in pairs. So there may come a point where we have to decide to put 2 back in. Only because they might not survive the thaw, refreeze, thaw process. Let's hope it works the first time so we don't have to deal with that decision! She was optomistic about my chances which is great since I'm not feeling that positive. She said everything came back great sit it's really just a 50/50 chance it'll work.

Good luck on the IUI, @crazyaunt84

@TwoMomsinTX, I haven't even given the PIO any thought and now after reading your post I realize I need to mentally prepare!

Have a great week everyone:)

bfonz619 · October 2014

@channe9, I do not have any experience with IUI's to speak of, but wanted to wish you the best.

Good luck this week @crazyaunt84 and FX this will be your BFP cycle!

@himee33, I am glad the ultrasound tech seems to be taking her time and your results are accurate going forward. Wherever you live, at least the tiny glimpse I can see from your photo, looks beautiful!

GL and FX for you @twomomsinTX!

For me, just waiting for AF to fully vacate the premises. Planning to start OPK's on Wednesday, and start inseminating Thursday or Friday depending on the results. WTO sucks for me, it seems to drag on the longest and I am usually watching my chart like a hawk in anticipation of O. We used just the soft cups last time and are planning to do the same this time around.

QOTW: Unfortunately, it's my computer screen. A stark contrast from the extraordinary aquamarine life we saw this weekend at the aquarium.

mallory4284 · October 2014

Good luck to everyone going through their TWW or getting ready for IUIs and ivf!!

I'm officially on CD 5... Disappointed. I took it better than I thought I would, but I feel like at this point I've had so many BFNs, that I just expect them and it's almost like I'm not even surprised. I honestly don't know what I'd do if I ended up with a positive.

I asked J what we were going to do, and she was just like, "well, we try again." I'm at an in between where I don't want to give up but at the same time, how much more debt can I put us in?? I'm really torn.

I basically told her that we can try again this cycle, but if it doesn't work, we're going to have to take a break for a while. As silly as it sounds, if I get pregnant any later than now, I won't be able to go with my parents when they take my niece to Disney World next Oct. And I really want to experience that with her....

I don't know. So yeah, we'll most likely be doing another home insemintion in a week or so. Hopefully we're more successful this time!

StacyLH24 · October 2014

@CrazyAunt84‌ - That is an interesting response for sure, especially for just Letrozole. Injectables may be tricky for you. If you do have to move to them, be prepared for canceled cycles. For two of mine I went in one day and was fine and at my last check before trigger my ovaries had exploded. I hope this cycle works out and you don't have to worry about any more.

@mallory4284‌ - I'm so sorry.

@TwoMomsInTX‌ - FX that you'll be moving forward. During my check before the transfer my lining just barely measured at 8 and it ended up being fine.

@Karlamo‌ - PIO wasn't as bad as I thought. When I saw the needles I was not happy. It was way easier than I had imagined though.

@channe9‌ - I agree with @CrazyAunt84 about the trigger shot. It took so much pressure off of me to figure out the timing. Our first IUI I had already ovulated. For our second I think I was too early.

@Himee33 - I agree about feeling great when not on meds. It's such a huge difference!

StacyLH24 · October 2014

My supplements came on Saturday, so I started them then. So far so good...no side effects.

Three of my blood test results were posted to the online health portal at the hospital where I had my blood drawn last week. Two of my thyroid tests came back within normal limits. My Vit D came back as below normal according to the hospital portal. It says normal is 30-90 and mine was 26.8. Some Google research told me that anything below 12 is considered too low, so we'll see what the Doc has to say. I'm anxious for my thrombophilic (clotting) panel results to come back.

I'm still trying to figure out the RI stuff, but I'm pretty sure that it isn't going to be affordable for us.

QOTW: Well, I'm sitting in the bar where C is working so I see lots of liquor bottles.

StacyLH24 · October 2014

@TwoMomsInTX‌ - I am taking DHEA 25 and also Ovavite which is what I call a jacked up multivitamin. There are two other capsules with it that have Co-Q10 in them. DHEA is supposed to help with the number of eggs and the Ovavite & Co-Q10 is supposed to help with egg quality. I've heard that for maximum effectiveness they should be taken 3 months before cycling. The DHEA bottle says 6 weeks though.

There is an interesting thread over on the infertility board about DHEA. Some RE's recommend it, others don't as they say there isn't enough evidence that it works. Some say not to take it with Co-Q10. It was also mentioned that you should only take it if your testosterone levels are low and that the levels should be tested before taking DHEA and then monitored while you're taking it. The website also says not to take it if you have PCOS or endometriosis as it could make them worse. One of my nurses said to still take it even though I have endo and to just let them know if there are any issues.

There are three RI offices in the country that I could find. One in California, Dr. KK and then Dr. Braver.man in NYC. CA is definitely out of the question. Based on some info I'm gathering from others who have seen KK and Braver.man, I think it's just going to be beyond our limits. Though we haven't paid a lot for our current IVF stuff, in comparison to other folks anyway, we're tapped out financially. In the midst of all of this, C has changed jobs - less money and less hours - and of course is in her CDL class. We've used a lot of savings, have an extra loan and have had to put a larger (than I like) balance on our credit card, all with less monthly income. Unless C is able to get different job quickly after passing her road test, even buying sperm is going to be a stretch at this point.

channe9 · October 2014

@Crazyaunt84 and @StacyLH24 Thanks for the suggestion for the trigger. My concern is that I'm ovulating so early. My cycle just keeps getting shorter and shorter. I used to ovulate on CD14/15 but in the past 3-4 months it's somehow slipped to CD12 and then this month CD11. Eek. I went in for my first blood draw on CD10 and they called that afternoon to say that I would probably have my IUI on CD12. Had bloods on CD11 and they called to confirm IUI for the next day. Maybe the answer is actually getting them to start monitoring earlier because when would I trigger? Earlier than CD11?! Oy. I'm wondering if there's any way that acupuncture is making me ovulate so early...? So many questions. For now, I will wait out the remaining 8 days -- though AF should arrive in full force a week from today if I did ovulate on CD11.

Why has my life turned into a science experiment? Do you all feel that way? Add in these supplements. Get poked with pins. Get wanded. (Ugh.) Measure temperature. Read books. Read forums. Etc. And so many of you have been at it longer and with far more "science" too!

A rather insensitive heterosexual friend who got her BFP after trying for 13 months told my wife, "It happened the month we relaxed and stopped measuring everything. Maybe you should do that too." Erm... She obviously does NOT get how this works for a same-sex couple. Yeah, let's stop calculating and just relax. I'll definitely turn up pregnant that way! No need for sperm... My wife's response was, "Yeah, it just happened for you after you did acupuncture, you and your husband had been taking special vitamins for several months, and you had changed your lifestyle quite a lot. Erm..." Ha.

StacyLH24 · October 2014

@channe9‌ - Maybe you need Ganirelix to slow you down. My IUI cycles, all medicated, were always shorter than my natural cycle though. The meds really can change things.

I can definitely agree on the science experiment feeling.

Himee33 · October 2014

@StacyLH24 I've been taking Ubiquinol Co-Q10 200mg a day for a year. My RE said it helps with egg qulaity also. I haven't heard of the other things though.

Officerofthelaw · October 2014

Hello everyone! I wish you all great luck with your journey. I am sorry to hear about news that isn't exactly positive. This board is the most support I have had in a long time, which is weird to say considering I only know everyone through cyberspace. Anyways here is an update on my journey with my wife.

As some of you know, we are on our 4th IUI (doesn't seem like much compared to others, I know) but we are at a new clinic for our 4th IUI and they are phenomenal. We are 100% sure that my last doctor was off on the timing and really just wanted our money. It is extremely disheartening that you can't trust someone in the medical field, however, we have found an amazing clinic that has done us wonders. I am more excited about this IUI than any other. I have been going to clinic almost every day for the past week to get my blood drawn for ovulation signs and check follicles. My blood today was at a 13, it needs to be at an 18 which would confirm ovulation. I used a high end ovulation monitor at home and it has given me two positive LH surges in the last two weeks and neither of those times was I ovulating. So my body is tricking me, which is why I love this clinic so much. The last three times with my other doctor I would just tell her I was ovulating based on my positive LH surges at home and she would do the insemination without verifying, therefore the timing was wrong. Today I had a follicle at 19.3 and another at 13.1 and a bunch of small immature follicles. The doctor is having me go back in tomorrow morning because she thinks I will be ovulating. So tomorrow and Friday should be the IUI day. I feel so much better about this one. Even if I don't get pregnant this time around, I still feel good about using this fertility clinic. I am doing an unmedicated IUI for the first time so if I don't get pregnant this month, next month we may switch back to a medicated cycle. I am keeping my fingers crossed in hope that this happens for my wife and I. In fact I hope that it happens for anyone else this month trying to conceive. Good luck and don't give up!

Some advise I would give for those of you just starting your journey....make sure your fertility expectations are met. Don't allow an RE or OBGYN dictate how YOUR fertility process will go. It is your body and you need to tell them what you want done and how you want to go about conceiving.

StacyLH24 · October 2014

@officerofthelaw - it sounds like you are in much better hands. I'm glad that you made the switch. FX that this makes all the difference for you.

mallory4284 · October 2014

So.... I may be jumping the gun here, but my temp was super low this morning. (It jumped from 97.57 down to 97.07) I knew it was low when I took it but didn't think anything of it until I went to put it in FF and realized I'm on CD8.

I haven't started OPKs yet so I have nothing else to base anything on, and I know even if I get a temp spike tomorrow, FF won't tell me anything until I have way more temps (I've only temped four time so far because I don't start temping til CD5)

Anyway, what I'm trying to get at, is I'm starting to get worried that I'm going to ovulate tomorrow since it dipped so low. I know it's possible to ovulate on CD9, and with my luck, my body would decide to do that. Am I thinking too much into this???

The only reason I'm really worried about it is because I was going to order our sperm to be delivered Tuesday (which is CD13) but I obviously can't order it if my body decides that CD9 is a good time to ovulate this month.

What would you do?

StacyLH24 · October 2014

@TwoMomsInTX‌ - I'm so sorry.

Karlamo · October 2014

@TwoMomsInTX‌, I too am sorry. Remind me again if it was a day 5?

Not to belittle your experience, but I know many stories where women didn't get pregnant with perfect blastocysts but instead got pregnant on the ones the dr was planning on discarding. Wishing you peace and luck.

Himee33 · October 2014

@TwoMomsInTX‌ I'm so sorry. Crossing my fingers for good news!

Officerofthelaw · October 2014

@mallory4284‌ if I were you, based on my experience I would order the sperm to be shipped ASAP. Do they have a storage place at your fertility clinic? If so, order now. Hopefully they are monitoring your ovulation and will test your blood to confirm.

Keeping my fingers crossed for you @TwoMomsInTX‌ . We are in the two week wait together.

I got inseminated today. My doctor felt like the sperm quality was so good that we didn't need another insemination tomorrow. Post wash the sperm had a 90% motility and there were about 21.2 million sperm. My follicle today was 20.1 and my lining was perfect! My blood test for ovulation came back at a 31 today! 18 confirms ovulation. Yay! I'm excited about this go around. Here's to the two week wait! Good luck everyone TTC!

mallory4284 · October 2014

Officerofthelaw said:
@mallory4284‌ if I were you, based on my experience I would order the sperm to be shipped ASAP. Do they have a storage place at your fertility clinic? If so, order now. Hopefully they are monitoring your ovulation and will test your blood to confirm.

Unfortunately we're doing home inseminations so it gets sent to our home and it's only good for seven days from shipment date.... It was tons easier when we were doing IUIs in office with our doctor because we could order the sperm and have it shipped as soon as my period started....

I think i was overthinking things. My temp this morning wasn't significantly higher than yesterday so I probably just am running cooler for whatever reason right now?

Thanks for your input though and good luck with the TWW!!

StacyLH24 · October 2014

@TwoMomsInTX‌ - FWIW I had 2 embies that were "perfect" and 2 blasts that "looked great" and of course I'm still here. So really, anything can happen. I had a different RE for each transfer and both came off as very confident.

Here's to hoping that your ute revitalized that little blast!

Officerofthelaw · October 2014

@mallory4284‌ ah I see, I didn't realize you were doing ICI's. I can see your dilemma. I don't have any experience with those. However I'm sure you have read my other posts. Don't rely completely on the ovulation monitor. Ours fooled us every time. Good luck!

TTC Check-in (10/20)

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