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jordank427 · July 2018

Hello! New here and looking for a support group of women who are going through the same thing. My name is Jordan, I’m 28, Navy vet, military wife, far away from friends and family. I currently live in CA but originally from VA. My husband and I have been married for 4 months but been TTC for 16 months. I was debating joining this forum or the infertility one since I have been trying for over a year but I only just went to the doctor 3 months ago with infertility concerns and started tracking my temps 3 months ago. I don’t really have any friends here and all my friends back home in VA have either been able to have children no problem, or don’t want children anytime in the forseeable future. My mother had dealt with infertility for years so she’s really the only support group I have. I’m tired of hearing the “it will happen when it happens”, “don’t stress about it and it will happen”, or “when it’s God’s timing and in his plan”. They’re pretty hurtful even though I know they’re not meant that way. As much is sucks to be in this situation, It’s comforting to know that there are women going through the same thing. Tired of feeling like I’m on the verge of tears every day and nobody to talk to about it.

I have been off BCPS (Nuvaring) since March 2017. Have had very normal cycles since being off of it, cycles being 28-32 days usually. I have only gotten one positive O (last year) and it was on day 19 which is pretty late. I have been tracking my BBT for three months now using the Natural Cycles app and my temps definitely indicate that I’m ovulating between day 13 and 15. Still waiting on a positive O test though. Is it possible to O and not have a positive O test? DH and I have had no luck even when we think the timing is right. I went to a new OBGYN and expressed my concerns to him. He put me on Clomid, taking it day 1-5 of my cycle. I found that odd since everyone else seems to take it on days 2-6 or 3-7. I have one more round before going back to the doc.

Hoping to provide some support to others going through the same thing.

mirabelle33 · July 2018

@jordank427 sorry that you find yourself here, but welcome to the group! I understand what it's like having trouble ttc and being away from friends and family, so I'm glad you found us and please feel free to jump in on our next weekly check-in.

When you say positive O, do you mean a positive OPK test? Which OPK tests are you using and do you test more than once a day? Some women will test 2-3 times a day in case they miss the LH surge, which can last between 12-48 hours.

Did your OBGYN do any tests before prescribing the Clomid? Usually the standard first round of testing will include day 3 blood work, an HSG (to check for blocked tubes), and a sperm analysis for YH. If you haven't already, I would encourage you to at least have these tests done since taking Clomid won't help if you have blocked tubes or if YH has certain issues. GL and please feel free to ask questions for the group since we have all been through various levels of testing and treatment.

ETA for clarity

jordank427 · July 2018

@mirabelle33 I will definitely try to jump in on the check in next week!

When I say positive O, I mean positive OPK. I see it as LH too. Too many acronyms to keep track of! I have been using Pregmate brand since it had a 4.5 star rating with over 450 reviews. The one time I got a positive OPK was with Clearblue and that was a year ago. I have been starting OPK testing on CD 10 and continue until my temps say I have ovulated. I started testing twice a day this cycle, usually around 5 am (I get up at 3:50 am every day) and again at 4 or 5 pm when I get home from work. I’m on CD 12 right now and still no positive. Honestly at this point, I’m just tracking it all so I can go back to the doctor and show him the results.

My OBGYN did ZERO tests before prescribing me Clomid. I mentioned to him that my OBGYN in Hawaii (military doctor) had me do blood tests on CD 14 every month for three months and all my levels came back normal. Honestly, I found it a little odd that he would prescribe me Clomid on my very first doctor appointment with him and without running any tests. Going back in September if I don’t get pregnant by then. I will mention the HSG test to him then, but I really don’t think blocked tubes would be an issue as I have had none of the symptoms or issues that cause blocked tubes. I feel like I need to finish the Clomid out like the doctor prescribed. My DH is getting a sperm analysis done on the 13th of this month. We are kind of fighting against time here as my DH is deploying for 6 months in March-September. He will also be gone the whole month of September for training. I don’t have the luxury of actually trying every month which is frustrating. I also feel like I don’t get the fertile EWCM that everyone mentions. Honestly, my discharge really doesn’t change much throughout my cycle. Trying Preseed this month.

Has anyone here tried Vitex (Chasteberry)? My mom wants me to try it after finishing Clomid because she knows people who have had luck on it but they all had issues with ovulating.

mirabelle33 · July 2018

@jordank427 I've only ever used the Clearblue Digital (not the Advanced Digital) and I *usually* get a positive every cycle that I use them consistently. Some women don't like to use FMU, but I always do and have never had a problem getting a positive with it. Maybe try when you first get up at 3:50am (yikes!)? Maybe also try switching brands, especially if the Clearblue worked for you once before? Every woman's body is different and you might just need to try a few different things to find what works for you. I will say that it does sound like you're ovulating, so in theory you should get a positive sometime during your LH surge.

I've never heard of doing blood tests on CD 14 before. Your doctor in Hawaii might have been testing for Progesterone to see if you had ovulated, but I thought they usually did that test around CD 21 because it takes a little while for Progesterone to rise and it usually peaks around one week after ovulation. Most doctors don't even do this test anymore, because it's not accurate unless you have a textbook 28 day cycle. I would encourage you to ask for CD 3 blood work (or sometimes it's CD 3-5), to get a better idea of what's going on with your hormones at the beginning of your cycle. Even if you don't think you have any symptoms of blocked tubes, it's still a good idea to get the HSG just in case and it will also take a look at your uterus. That's great that YH is getting his SA out of the way! FX that will come back fine and you can just cross it off the list of concerns.

Have you read Taking Charge of Your Fertility? It's the basic "bible" for TTC and provides a lot of information about how our cycles work and what to look out for in terms of possible issues. It also gives tips for helping to identify EWCM and other signs of impending ovulation. It might be very helpful to you at this point.

I have not tried Vitex, and it sounds like this is already your plan, but I would not take it while you are doing any form of hormone treatment like Clomid. Also, it's probably a good idea to get that CD 3 blood work done first to know what kind of hormonal issues you may or may not be dealing with and also to ask/advise your doctor before starting it.

I'm sorry you have the additional stress of YH's training and deployment. Do jump in on our weekly check-ins where I'm sure you will get the support that you're looking for

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