July 2018 Moms

IF Grad Check In

I have seen a few other ladies mention they went through IF treatments to get to this point, so please feel free to share as much or as little as you want!

1. How far along are you?

2. What treatment was successful for you?

3. How are you feeling?

4. Upcoming appointments?

GTKY: What, if anything, did you do to celebrate your positive betas?

Re: IF Grad Check In

  • New to all the letters (acronyms), is IF referring to in vitro fertilization? Infertility? Just not sure if I’m fitting in this section or if this might appear out of nowhere.  We completed IVF with ICSI and I’m at 5w1d, with my first sono on Monday.
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  • 1. How far along are you? 7 weeks, 1 day

    2. What treatment was successful for you? FET with ICSI and PGS... failed first transfer 

    3. How are you feeling? Scared but optimistic. Still not connected to the baby at all out of fear. 

    4. Upcoming appointments? Monday for #2 ultrasound 

    GTKY: What, if anything, did you do to celebrate your positive betas? We didn’t really celebrate. Still just nervous. Maybe once I get past my 20 week scan. That was when I figured out I lost my last baby :-(.
  • @cocopuff2018 I think it means infertility :-)
  • @cocopuff2018 I took like 8 million pregnancy tests, lol!
  • Yeah this time around I ordered a pack of 25 or something from amazon and started testing 3 days after transfer, lol. It helped keep me calm I think.
  • Yeah this time around I ordered a pack of 25 or something from amazon and started testing 3 days after transfer, lol. It helped keep me calm I think.
    I tested 5 dp 5dt and it was positive! Seemed so early 
  • That's when I got my positive also. I forgot on the morning of day 4.. but I tested every day after the first positive until the line was as dark as the control line.
  • @beanship You’re two days ahead of me, and I totally identify with your story.    My brother and sister-in-law got married in April and announced in July. “And we weren’t even trying!”
  • The infertility bitterness is real.

    I posted about it in another thread, but I am struggling on how to break it to family since I know my cousin has experienced loss, infertility, failed transfers, etc., and this will be my second success.  I know she will be happy for me, but every scenario of me telling her just feels tacky.  I didn't do any special announcements on the first one to family or anything (other than our parents and siblings, who we just told over the phone), I just posted an ultrasound photo one day. I am torn on whether I should tell people one on one before or at our christmas get together, or just not even really acknowledge it.  I'm just so socially awkward when it comes to this type of thing.
  • The infertility bitterness is real.

    I posted about it in another thread, but I am struggling on how to break it to family since I know my cousin has experienced loss, infertility, failed transfers, etc., and this will be my second success.  I know she will be happy for me, but every scenario of me telling her just feels tacky.  I didn't do any special announcements on the first one to family or anything (other than our parents and siblings, who we just told over the phone), I just posted an ultrasound photo one day. I am torn on whether I should tell people one on one before or at our christmas get together, or just not even really acknowledge it.  I'm just so socially awkward when it comes to this type of thing.
    I would tell your cousin one on one. Does she know that you’ve struggled with infertility? It’s sweet of you to think of other people’s feelings. That has been my #1 issue with IF- people are so damn dense.
  • Wow @beanship, that is super lucky! We tried IUI 4 times and it never worked for us. We found out my eggs aren’t great once we did IVF. 

    Totally understand your feelings. I get jealous when I see visibly pregnant women. Even though I am pregnant! I’m just so paranoid that I’m not going to make it that far. The odds are in my favor, I’m just scared.
  • Anyone use progesterone suppositories? I cannot get them to stay in. Any helpful hints? 
  • @Lelo2006 Ugh!  My dr has me on 2/day and I’m so sick of them. I did call and get a tip from one of the nurses that seems to help.  If you run the applicator under running water for a second, run the suppository under running water for a second, then put suppository in applicator and run again under water, the suppository starts melting just a bit to make it “stick” better.  Still having to wear pantiliners because there is some discharge, but not as much before when I wasn’t using water.  HTH.
  • Yeah she knew I did IVF and about a few of my losses. 

    I did suppositories my last pregnancy, this time I am on shots. If you use the applicator, just put it way up there. Some will come out throughout the day in sort of a mucus, kind of chalky though, but that's normal. I just put panty liners on. They had me doing it 3 times per day plus taking a pill
  • @Crystal321 I'd tell your cousin by text message so that she has time to go through all of the yucky emotions in private. One of my friends who I hadn't seen in a couple of months showed up to brunch and announced her pregnancy (she and everyone else at the table knew I was undergoing treatment, and before she got there I was saying how I didn't even ovulate on my most ecent medicated cycle), and there was this huge 5 second pause of awkwardness before everyone said congratulations. 

    @Lelo2006 I totally get the paranoia - I think that's part of my problem too. I'm worried that I won't make it that far. I'm on progesterone suppositories 2x a day but mine are from a compounding pharmacy and are super tiny. I just insert the applicator as far up there as it can go and lie down really fast haha. 
  • Lelo2006 said:
    Anyone use progesterone suppositories? I cannot get them to stay in. Any helpful hints? 
    As long as they are not coming out in solid form and as just discharge then you are getting what you need (according to my reproductive center at least!). I always do my second one right before bed so I’m laying down a long time after. 
  • 1. How far along are you?
    7W5D

    2. What treatment was successful for you?
    IVF (FET) with ICSI & PGS 

    3. How are you feeling?
    I alternate between excitement & wanting to plan the future, and extreme caution & preparing myself & DH for a potential loss.  

    4. Upcoming appointments?
    Tuesday is almost 8W u/s. So much anxiety.

    GTKY: What, if anything, did you do to celebrate your positive betas? Nada. Waiting for 2nd tri to celebrate!

  • So happy everyone here has had success! Infertility is truly awful and no one can understand until you've been there.

    1. How far along are you? 8w2d--1 little boy :)

    2. What treatment was successful for you? IVF with PGS. This was our 3rd round 5th transfer for baby # 2. I kept having chemical losses with euploid embryos..sooo frustrating. Honestly, I'm in total shock it worked this time.

    3. How are you feeling? Like crap. I had hyperemis gravidarum with my first and am thankfully not quite as sick this time, but still multiple bouts of vomiting every day and constant nausea.

    4. Upcoming appointments? Had first ultrasound at 7 weeks and all looked good. Go to my first actual OB appointment on Wednesday (11/29) and I can't wait/am super nervous.

    GTKY: What, if anything, did you do to celebrate your positive betas? I was too afraid to do anything. After the previous 4 ended in chemical I pretty much just laid on the couch afraid to move for a while..

  • First US was this morning, and everything looks good! I'm just at 5+5 so all that was visible was the gestational sac and the yolk sac. They didn't say anything was wrong, so I'm going to assume that everything looked good and was on track! And I'm relieved to just be having one. I had 2 mature follicles (plus a borderline mature follicle) at trigger, so multiples were definitely a possibility. 
  • purplepelicanpurplepelican member
    edited November 2017
    Rant:

    I don't know if anyone else here has been prescribed Metformin, but today my nurse practitioner said that she wanted to take me off of it in 2 weeks. I really really don't want to go off of the Metformin because I'm pretty sure I'll get gestational diabetes if I go off of it. I gained like 15 lbs (on a small frame) in a short period of time and tried to lose it for an entire year with no success, to the point of going to a dietitian who said that she didn't know why I couldn't lose weight with my diet (at that time around 1300 calories per day) and regular exercise. And then I got on Metformin, started eating normal amounts of food again, and lost 5 pounds over 6 months. Also the Metformin appears to have fixed a digestion/bowel problem that I've been dealing with my entire life. She said that she's never had anyone request to stay on the Metformin before but will ask the doctor if it's okay. Well, first she said "I don't think you should be concerned about weight gain during pregnancy." Umm yeah, I should be concerned about EXCESS weight gain that's far over and above the guidelines for a healthy pregnancy. And I only mentioned the weight issue because it's my main evidence that my PCOS was causing some serious problems with the way my body used insulin. I mean, everything I've been reading on the internet says Metformin is completely safe during pregnancy and prevents gestational diabetes in a lot of women with PCOS (according to a couple of scientific studies that look legit to me). I guess I'm just confused as to why my RE hasn't really considered this. It just never occurred to me that I'd have to advocate so forcefully for staying on this medicine that has clearly done so much to regulate my hormones and insulin. 
  • @beanship that sounds really annoying. My nurses annoy the shit out of me sometimes. I swear they forget stuff and try to cover it up... eyeroll. Then they act like I’m crazy.

    I had a great ultrasound this morning but my progesterone dropped from 60 to 17 in a week, which of course freaks me out. It’s literally 3 step step forward and two steps back with IVF, except there’s no Paula Abdul or weird cartoon cat.
  • @Lelo2006 Yeah it's like they forget that we research our conditions and treatment and might actually know something. That's so frustrating about the progesterone! Did they have an explanation for the change?


  • 1. How far along are you? 7 weeks 6 days! Was measuring in at 7 weeks 4 days.

    2. What treatment was successful for you? After coming off of birth control for the first time in 13 years, my cycles never started up again. I tried everything from herbal supplements, super high quality prenatals, gaining weight, stopped working out, acupuncture, "progesterone challenges" - nothing was working and my OB was really unhelpful. I had no symptoms of PCOS except off-the-charts AMH (11, yes, 11) which everyone insisted was "good". I had quit taking BC for the purpose of trying to get pregnant, so everything felt out of control and my entire life plan was up in the air. After 9 months I ended up finding a fertility coach/acupuncturist who suggested several supplements - I'm curious if this would have worked on its own, but that same month I caved and went to an RE to start medicated cycles/monitoring. First month on letrozole + trigger shot didn't work, but the second month I had an HSG procedure done, had two follicles, and got pregnant :) Curious to see post-pregnancy if my cycles start up again on their own.

    3. How are you feeling? Nausea just started, but it's welcome because I know it's a good thing. I've never been so tired in my life and my nipples are so sore! Still super anxious about miscarriage - after having so much trouble getting pregnant it's hard to trust your body to sustain it.

    4. Upcoming appointments? Just "graduated" from my RE and have my first OB appointment in two weeks.

    GTKY: What, if anything, did you do to celebrate your positive betas? Stay cautiously optimistic.
  • Thanks for starting this @Crystal321. DH and I have been having a similar struggle. DH's cousin and his wife have been undergoing fertility treatments for a little bit longer than we had been. We had recently begin to open up about it more with eachother, and now we almost feel guilty now that we have been successful. We were planning on trying to have them over so we could tell them before we told anyone else. 

    1. How far along are you? 7+2

    2. What treatment was successful for you? We were successful on our third and final IUI (which we almost didn't even do)

    3. How are you feeling? Pretty good. Some of the anxiety has started to alleviate, and I finally feel like I can start to get excited without jinxing myself.

    4. Upcoming appointments? Go back for what may be my final check with the RE on Friday. 

    GTKY: What, if anything, did you do to celebrate your positive betas? First, ugly cry. Second, go buy pregnancy tests just so I could see it.
    Me: 32 DH:33
    Married 9/2015
    TTC #1 6/2016
    BFP: 4/21/2017 - CP
    Dx Unexplained IF 6/2017
    Clomid + Ovidrel + IUI 7/2017 - Cancelled (overstimulated)
    Letrozole + Ovidrel + IUI #1 - BFN
    Letrozole + Ovidrel + IUI #2 -BFN
    Letrozole + Ovidrel + IUI#3 - BFP! EDD July 15 2018
    Baby Girl H - July 22 2018


  • Congrats @Pinky917! IUI was up next for us if this month hadn't worked. Totally understand the anxiety :#
  • purplepelicanpurplepelican member
    edited November 2017
    @pretzellover How did your appointment go? ETA: total facepalm. I read your update on another thread. Pregnancy brain haha. 

     @Pinky917 @crystal321 I found and listened to one of the Beat Infertility podcasts on infertility survivor's guilt and found it somewhat helpful. I liked how it said that we can't compare our own infertility experiences to someone else's.

     Also, I've decided I hate the phrase "infertility journey" because it makes it sound like infertility is in some way like a nice little jaunt in the country with a definite end when everybody goes home. It's more like a war zone purgatory where everyone comes out with some degree of trauma.
  • purplepelicanpurplepelican member
    edited November 2017
    Ugh. I just had to tell my friend still going through IF that I'm pregnant, and it was so hard. She texted to ask if I'd tried acupuncture. I had wanted to text and tell her in the evening so she could process things alone and I had wanted to wait until we'd seen a heartbeat and knew that the pregnancy was viable. But I had a friend who was going through IVF and complaining about IF to another friend of hers and all that time the friend was pregnant and hadn't told her and it made her feel really stupid and lied to. So I went ahead and spilled the beans. Ugh. I hate hate hate hate this. My friend's 3rd IUI failed and they are currently on a break from treatment while they consider IVF versus adoption, because they don't have the money for both. Infertility can just go suck a big one. I hate that I'm hurting my friend. I hate it hate it hate it hate it. I want this for her so badly. She deserves it. We all deserve it. 
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