Infertility Testing & Treatment w/o 03.22

[Deleted User] · March 2021

This is a place for those of us who have already started TTC, but have started infertility testing and/or treatments. You can express your thoughts, feelings, and frustrations on infertility. TTC can be a long journey naturally, then add in the difficulties associated with infertility, and it becomes a whole new ball game. The road to infertility can be lonely, frustrating, and complicated, so let's make this a place where we can vent, ask questions, and support one another. Feel free to resurrect this thread at any point in the week if you have something to say. Treat this as an ongoing conversation.<div><img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/v4/hazpycfyixvw.gif" alt="">
</div><div>
</div><div>Diagnosis (if you've been):  </div><div>
</div><div>Status (WTO/TWW/TTA):  </div><div>
</div><div>What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?):

</div><div>How are things going?:  </div><div>
</div><div>Any questions?:</div><div>
</div><div>GTKY: What is your favorite way to relax if you find yourself with a little downtime?</div>

[Deleted User] · March 2021

Diagnosis (if you've been): Azoospermia<div>
</div><div>Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): WTO</div><div>
</div><div>What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): FET prep (Testing cycle: CD3 and SHG), plus cutting back on coffee + sugar + fake sugar; PNVs, Brazil nuts, pom juice... Temping just for fun lol possibly OPKs bc 🤷 We will plan to do a natural transfer cycle, so it's nice to have a little extra insight into what my body is doing these days.<div>
</div><div>How are things going?: SHG went well today; we got the all clear! It was amazing to see my doctor again ❤️❤️❤️ She saw two 13mm follis coming up on one side and I couldn't help but feel a little sad, like what a waste! I would so love to be having TWINS in my "old age" 😭 or two more babies in the cards... But anyway. Ute is clear, so that's all we have to worry about right now. 👍

Any questions?:</div><div>
</div><div>GTKY: What is your favorite way to relax if you find yourself with a little downtime?</div><div>OMG all I can think about right now is sleep. Lol My favorite thing would be to take a nap. If I weren't so tired there's a couple books I've been slowly reading, or I like watching / listening to certain podcasts / talks on YouTube.</div></div>

bumblebee0210 · March 2021

@BusinessWife. That's great about the all clear! Would the FET be this month or do you have to wait, do BCP, etc?

Diagnosis (if you've been): RPL, "Borderline DOR"

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): WTO

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): ER #1

How are things going?: Good-- better than before at least. Follies are growing-- the biggest is now 17 mm, and there are 3 more above 12, and then 5+ smaller ones (plus the monster which is like 30, and will certainly be post-mature by retrieval). (I am pretty sure this is the case-- I had a very all-business nurse, and she only told me anything when I asked about the sizes of the follicles at the end, she went back to show me, but it was kind of quick and I'm not sure I got it all-- I can also ask the nurse when they call later today). I need to reorder my meds because I am running out but I am hoping we are getting close to trigger. I'm wondering if they will have me come in tomorrow again for monitoring and decide then.

Any questions?: How much have you guys been debilitated by the ER? Like can you work later in the day, or cook? (It's likely going to be right before Passover for me).

GTKY: What is your favorite way to relax if you find yourself with a little downtime? I am a pretty big nerd-- I like reading, puzzles (esp cryptic crosswords), and being outside.

[Deleted User] · March 2021

@bumblebee0210 Glad everything is humming along for you! Everyone is different, but mine was really not that bad. You should be able to move around and do things, but I honestly didn't want to do much but rest and relax. I would say a little light meal prep you should be fine, but I wouldn't plan on being on my feet all day doing a whole big thing. IDK if you are expecting company for Pesach, but I would consider enlisting some help so as not to overdo it.

So I think today is CD9... We are planning on a natural cycle protocol, so whenever I get CD1 (about mid-April), it's game on!

optimistgardener · March 2021

Hi again!

@bumblebee0210 that's great news that the cycle seems to be evening out and your smaller follicles have decided to get with the program. Here's hoping you get a good crop--it sounds promising.

@BusinessWife glad the SHG was clear and all is good on that front. I feel ya about those two promising 13mm follicles. it seems like this process sometimes encourages a kind of ovulation-centric myopia (it does for me at least). it's hard to think past that hinge point in any given cycle. but you've got bigger plans this time around and here's hoping those two follicles are just a good omen for your body's readiness for what will follow!

Diagnosis (if you've been): elderly, solitary ovary

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): TWW, 6DPO, CD16

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): derailed medicated in-clinic iui became medicated at-home insemination after one follicle ran away.

How are things going?: meh. i think the progesterone is making me dizzy. i had this last cycle, too, both with the menopur and the progesterone. it's not enough to disable me but it's enough that whenever i get up to do anything i feel distantly tipsy. i'm not very optimistic about this cycle, but i find myself (as i so often do during the tww) skimming through fertility friend charts and trying to find hopeful signs in strangers' data points.

Any questions?: my other favorite activity during the tww is agonizing about minor life choices. is my morning mug of black coffee a mistake or no big deal? is my (fairly casual) jogging habit getting in the way of conception? these are ridiculous worries, i know. and i also know that the science is pretty clear that a cup of coffee a day doesn't have any statistical impact on conception rates, and regular exercise is a good thing, so long as it's not messing with my cycle (my cycle has been emphatically regular my whole life no matter my exercise routine). but i guess my question is, what's your strategy for calming the little worrier in your brain that is trying to impose control over whatever it can impose control over?

GTKY: What is your favorite way to relax if you find yourself with a little downtime? i'm a lifelong knitter, so that's often the first thing i reach for. but this time of year with a spare 10 minutes i'd probably go count all my newest seedlings showing their faces. in truth, i'm a recovering academic (phd in south asian studies, 2018), so i still find myself absolutely reveling in the sensation of guiltless idleness. for 10 years, the mere idea of downtime was alien to me. i always had a stack of books taller than me that needed reading, folders full of article pdfs i'd downloaded that also needed reading, a dissertation to write, student papers to grade and classes to plan for, departmental events needing my energy, conference papers that don't write themselves, translation work, etc etc etc. so just staring out the window feels like a beautiful luxury.

[Deleted User] · March 2021

@optimistgardener Thank you, that is a good way to look at it! Idk if you are religious at all, but when I get in that kind of way, it helps me to, "give it to God." There is so much of this process that is just out of our hands, so it helps me to remember to, "Trust the plan." I don't always know what that plan may be, and it doesn't always go the way I want it to, but I do trust that it will all work out for our good in the end, and if not - then it's not the end. :)

AFM - My nurse called, and YES! all is well! We should still be good for an April transfer, however my thyroid is just a little elevated. They want it under 2.5, so while mine is still "normal" (under 4.0) it's not what they consider ideal for TTC. I had to take 25mcg synthroid once before, just short-term, so it's not surprising. Glad we've caught it now so the synthroid has time to bring my levels down! She said it can take 4-6 weeks to really be effective.

optimistgardener · March 2021

@BusinessWife oh wow! Good catch on the thyroid and glad you have a window for getting that down to where they want it.

i'm not myself religious but i appreciate the role it plays in others' lives. i suppose i need to spend a little time focusing in on whatever my agnostic/atheist mindset can conjure up as means of loosening my grip on the steering wheel just a tiny bit. one of those easier said than done type things i guess.

optimistgardener · March 2021

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/hd/zxqlbvk8lycb.jpeg

also here's some daffodils for y'all from my garden. happy spring!

Lisa3379 · March 2021

Hey guys, I'm still here, sort of. I just have had literally nothing going on regarding this stuff, so I feel like I have nothing to say. But I'll try.

Diagnosis (if you've been): Unknown/old

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): Waiting for like a million years for my period

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): Waiting to start transfer cycle

How are things going?: Yeah... I'm waiting. It sucks. I started peeing on OPKs just to see if I'm ovulating soon so I can at least have an idea of where I'm at. Other than that, ok. We got a new espresso maker and grinder so that's been fun to play around with. I'm perpetually buzzed around here. Although that's probably bad timing with FET coming up (theoretically).

Any questions?: Nope

GTKY: What is your favorite way to relax if you find yourself with a little downtime? I crochet a lot, but I'm not all that great at it. I like reading, too, but I don't have a lot of time to do it.

@bumblebee0210 I honestly was fine maybe 4-5 hours after my ER. I took Motrin maybe a couple times that day and I was kinda tired for a bit after the procedure, but that's about it.

inthewoods23 · March 2021

@bumblebee0210 I "took the day off" for my ER (aka I called in sick). I spent the afternoon resting on the couch and went out to eat with family that evening (big, fat juicy burger at Red Robin haha). If your recovery is good like mine was and you're just WFH you could easily continue working later in the day after your ER. I think some people here have done that or at least did that on transfer days. If you're in the office or someone who's up and around a lot for their job, I would just make sure you take some time to sit and take it easy when you can. I don't see any issues with cooking other than making sure you don't carry anything too heavy (like a big pot of water or something).

bumblebee0210 · March 2021

Thanks guys— I just heard from the clinic and they said my biggest follicle was 14.5 (besides the monster), with 3 more over 11, and then some smaller guys as well, and Estradiol is only at 1154, (was at 1015 yesterday), so it’s 2 more days of stims for me at least. [I had thought the nurse at my US said one was 17, but maybe I didn’t hear her right?] That puts ER at Friday at the earliest, and I am really hoping it’s not any later, both because the suspense is killing me and because this weekend is Passover and my MIL is coming. Our parents don’t know we are doing IVF and I don’t really want them to know until its over, but I hate lying. We may just tell her I am getting a polyp removed or something if we have to explain.

*tw loss*
I have had two miscarriages that our parents know about, and with the pandemic, and some other bad health things happening in my family, I just know if they know I will feel responsible for giving them good news, and I just can’t have that on my head. I also just don’t feel like answering questions about why we are doing IVF when I am ostensibly “fertile”
*end tw*

This cycle has been an emotional rollercoaster already, and I am kind of feeling down on it again. It seems like there are 4 gettable eggs at this point. And I know, I know it only takes one, but I think it will be a real downer not to get any embryos on our first ER. I’m already mentally moving forward to the next one and hoping that they can even out my growth to get a better cohort next time.

bumblebee0210 · March 2021

@optimistgardener If it helps, my friend who did IVF last year said “You’ve outsourced conception. You don’t have to worry about it anymore”, and somehow that was a relief to me. Of course it matters a great deal to me, but I will try to actually picture my doctor and think like “oof! Good luck with that one! Glad I don’t have to figure it out”. As a perfectionist (fellow academic!), TTC was agonizing for me because trying really hard and reading everything didn’t really help that much. It helped me to reframe it as “I have hired an expert to solve this problem for me”.

[Deleted User] · March 2021

@bumblebee0210 I like that approach, too! I like to remind myself of that also, whenever I start going down an information rabbithole. My wonderful doctor went to school for this, and has been doing it for (many) years, literally day in day out. There's nothing new I'm going to find out on google that she doesn't already know. So I can either stop wondering and let it go? Or write it down and make a point to just ask her. You know, the expert I hired. ;)

@optimistgardener your daffodils are already so beautiful! We have like... One. Lol

[Deleted User] · March 2021

@bumblebee0210 I feel you on the not wanting parents to find out. :/ It's tough. About the closest we got was my mom was coming in for Christmas one year, arriving the same day as transfer! DH had to go through the airport and pick her up while I had my FET. He happened to drive by and text *just* as it was happening, which was kind of cool. Then we all just met up at the Chinese restaurant. Dodged a bullet there! Hopefully it's not a big deal and timing works out flawlessly for you.

optimistgardener · March 2021

@bumblebee0210 thanks! that is in fact quite helpful, and also pretty funny. Also that's a pity about the timing, so i really hope your body cooperates and you don't have to worry about having an ER while the family is there. The female reproductive cycle with its inconvenient calendar is such an everlasting pain in the butt, I swear.

@BusinessWife i am sure your daffodils will be in full glory in no time. i feel like just a week and change ago i was realizing that the ones around here might start blooming soon...

Timing procedures/office visits and having to avoid talking to family or having to talk to family about it, omg. I kind of half-live with an uncle (long story but I live on the "family" property that used to be my grandmother's... the uncle doesn't live here but is here basically here every day tending to various things. he has a vineyard on the property and various other enterprises that he comes down and tinkers with). Anyway, when I was just doing natural or lightly medicated IUIs at the local women's clinic here in town, it was easy enough to sneak out and be back without having to offer any explanation for myself. Now that I have to travel 3 hours to get to the real fertility clinic, I have had to fess up. My uncle is equal parts embarrassed by the whole idea, confused by why anyone would ever want children, and distantly thrilled by the thought of a kid kicking around the place. So every time I have to drive to the clinic I get some kind of comment like "well, I guess it's your life if you want to make a decision like that!" or alternately, on my return, "well, is there going to be another set of hands that we can put to work around this place?" It's sort of sweet but also extremely awkward and I dread it.

My mom has been in on almost every decision I've made, in part because initially I didn't guess what a long journey this would be for me, but also because she's got a pretty scary kind of cancer that she's (luckily) keeping in check at the moment, and it felt right to me when i first started trying that she should know what's up with me since i know all about what's up with her. she roots for me and supports all the decisions i make but now i sometimes wish i'd never told her because i hate how disappointed she is when i don't have good news to deliver, month after month.

bumblebee0210 · March 2021

@optimistgardener. OMG an uncle I could not even imagine. With your mom-- I totally get it, that is basically the reason I am not telling parents. I just can't be responsible (or feel responsible) for anyone else's hopes/disappointments.

kiwi2628 · March 2021

Hey everyone! Let me re-introduce myself.

TW- live children mentioned below

I’m Alex and was on TB from 2016-2018 trying for my first. In 2018 got pregnant with my first after our second IVF cycle, had my first in late 2018 and then 6 months later got pregnant on our own (we weren’t trying, but we assumed our infertility meant...you know..infertility) so now I have two kids at home. We are now about to start trying for our third but we feel like we should use one of our frozen embryos so that is the route we will be taking.

End TW

so we will be doing a FET probably in August but for now will be re-starting BW, SSG etc...

Diagnosis (if you've been): unexplained

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): WF testing

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): waiting for AF to show up so I can get day 3 bloods taken

How are things going?: pretty well! Excited to get this show on the road

Any questions?: none

GTKY: What is your favorite way to relax if you find yourself with a little downtime?

Watching amazing/bad TV

Heyyyy @BusinessWife I don’t know if you remember me from last time we were on TB together but I hope you are well!

[Deleted User] · March 2021

Wow! Of course I do! @kiwi2628. How wonderful! Transferring in August makes me feel like whoa - I was kind of in shock when my doctor said basically they were ready if we were. What all kind of prep do you have in store over the next few months? Glad to have another FET buddy here! ❤️❤️❤️

acleverusername · March 2021

@BusinessWife hooray for the ute all clear! And I totally hear about the "wasted" follicles. But as @optimistgardener said, hopefully this is a good omen that your body working A-OK and will be in tip top shape once you're ready for the embryo transfer! Question though... you mentioned desire to have twins, so would you ever consider transferring both of your remaining embryos at the same time? Oh, and I also wanted to ask.. what's a 24hr cortisol test that your NaPro had you do? My NaPro just tested my cortisol once, and that's it.

@bumblebee0210 glad to hear that your other follies are slowly catching up! I really hope your ER is on Friday, or Saturday at the latest (right before your MIL arrives). I totally understand about not wanting to be responsible for "good news" given what you've described. Also, I didn't get around to replying to your comment last week about your husband being OK with you doing 10 ER cycles. Like, really?! I wonder if the roles were reversed, and men were the ones who were going through that, he'd say the same thing. In terms of recovering from ER, I had to take that day off I think but mostly because of drugs (I had the procedure under conscious sedation, so awake the whole time) and even then the discomfort wasn't fun. Plus, I really didn't like my job at the time, so didn't really need much of an excuse to take the day off. In my case too, I had to take a 2 week break from gym because I tried going back after 1 week, and had really bad internal pains which was a sign to me that my body hadn't healed from the ER.

@optimistgardener first of all, your daffodils are beautiful! I'm sorry about the worrier brain that's got you agonizing over everything; it's definitely something that I can relate to and for the first year of TTC was really worried that if I missed 1 dose of vitamins, or 1 day of seed cycling, or... then that's it for that cycle. Now, I'm way more relaxed about it because I realized that doing/not doing those things haven't gotten us pregnant to date, so it's go to be more than just then those "small life choices" that make the difference. I have G.A.D. so I've had to get back on medication in October of last year, which has been helpful, but hasn't really solved my anxiety completely. In Feb 2021, I started a mindfulness-based cognitive therapy group course, and that's really been a saving grace for me. So, meditation is very much part of my toolkit these days, even short, 3-min ones just to calm my brain the f*ck down. Also, investing in self-care is critical. And finally, I do what you do and just research the crap out of everything to make sure that "yes, drinking that 1 cup of coffee is OK." Also, I groaned so hard at your uncle's comments... argh, I'm sure he means well, but can't he realize that you're embarrassed enough to have to had to tell him that you don't need to keep the topic alive?! So happy that you have such a great support in your mom though.

@Lisa3379 I'm sorry that you're stuck in on a waiting loop. Have you discussed with your doctor about having an u/s to see where you're at in your cycle? I can't imagine what it's like just hanging in there, not know if you're coming or going. I hope the wait is over soon!

@kiwi2628 Hi and welcome back to TB! I hope all your testing goes well, and that you can get that transfer show on the road. How come you're targeting August? Would you consider an earlier transfer? Also, I lol'ed at "we assumed our infertility meant...you know..infertility." Yep, MH says that human bodies are a "disaster of an engineering project" and I tend to agree with him. Good luck with all the testing coming up!

acleverusername · March 2021

Diagnosis (if you've been): Old eggs; male sub-fertility

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): WTO

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): double hybrid IUI protocol, including Letrazole, Gonal-F, Ovidrel trigger, Zymöt for sperm sorting & Endometrin for LP support

How are things going?: It's the night before our 1st of 2 IUIs this cycle and today I'm feeling freaking great! I just did my trigger. I had a terrific ultrasound this morning showing 4 nicely sized follicles (all between 19.0mm & 20.7mm in size) which will all have a mature egg, plus a bunch of smaller follicles that are unlikely to have a mature egg (and that's fine by me; I don't think I could have stomached the chances with 5 follicles). So, our first IUI is tomorrow AM at 8:30 (12hrs post-trigger) and then Thu AM at the same time (36hrs post trigger). MH and I are now both really worried that his sperm won't be up to snuff as we had that disappointment a couple of times before (6.3M and 11M TMC post-wash on the 1st and 3rd IUIs). But we also had a really good results in our 2nd IUI (54M TMC post-wash), so hoping for a bit of that luck again. I discussed the concerns with the RE this morning and she said that she only needs good quality, not large quantity, hence why we're using Zymöt (it filters out sperm with any DNA fragmentation). I've also been doing research and, whilst double-IUI isn't proven to be beneficial in all cases, some research suggests that it can be for cases with male sub-fertility. So, all my fingers and toes are crossed! 🤞🏻(Mostly I'm trying not to focus on the fact that chances of success in this case is still 10-15%).

Any questions?: NATM

GTKY: What is your favorite way to relax if you find yourself with a little downtime? 'Me' time, which can include: getting a massage, taking a bath, reading a book, cooking something while listening to an TEW episode.

@keikilove I keep forgetting to get back to your question re: Prometrium vs. Endometrin... I don't really know the difference between the two, but I did find this really great comparison chart: https://www.iodine.com/compare/endometrin-vs-prometrium. So, I'll be taking Endometrin this time around. TEW actually gave me a free box as someone had donated it back to the clinic, so yay! I also discussed with TEW about adding hCG micro-dosing in addition to Endometrin, and she said that she doesn't think I need it given that I'll have 4 corpus luteums working to produce progesterone. I hope she's right!

keikilove · March 2021

@acleverusername Best of luck with your first IUI in the morning!

kiwi2628 · March 2021

@BusinessWife and @acleverusername well since it’s basically the end of the month, April will be our testing month so the earliest we could transfer would be late April/early May. I actually have some work stuff I need to do in June that may involve travel and July my cycle actually goes into August so it will be that cycle. Also, frankly we want our second to be a little bit older before we attempt a next one. My first two are only 15 months apart and I developed pretty significant PPD between two so young while having my second during a global pandemic so the isolation was horrific. My PPD was bad and I need some more mental healing before I get those hormones again. Because we PGS tested our embryos out RE gave us about a 70% success rate for our first FET so we feel pretty confident to wait for more ideal timing.

[Deleted User] · March 2021

@kiwi2628 That's great that you are able to wait for better timing. I am technically back to work in a new WFH role, so while I wait for equipment and an assignment, I have a golden window to maintain coverage, with no actual responsibilities yet. Lol. So I'm not sure I will make it all the way to transfer before I have to start working, but the closer we get, the better!

*TW* grading / loss / LCs
<div class=" Spoiler">Also, unfortunately looking at the grading of our last two babies, I have to be realistic that we may not have another THB waiting for us. We lost a 5AA, a 5AB, and a 4AB. These are 6CB. So if at the end of the day, we bring them home naturally and they don't get discarded, then our job is done. And that may be all that happens. I guess there's a part of me that would like to get that over with, if that turns out to be the case, so we don't have the pressure of knowing we have to go back, plus the added financial pressure of potentially doing it without coverage down the line... I don't want to think like that, but in a way I'm almost ripping the band-aid off. 😥 And praying for a miracle!!! 🙏 I'm sorry to hear you've been struggling with ppd. It's a tough time. I have similar concerns about being overwhelmed with these two potentially very close together, but I'm pretty much going to dive in and hope for the best. ((((Hugs)))) Don't be a stranger, I know it's a lot of work and it's not easy doing it so much more alone than otherwise we would normally be.</div>

@acleverusername GL today!!! The topic of transferring both has come up at various points, but was always tabled / ultimately rejected. For one, I was 34 when we made the embryos, and also, my clinic only does eSET anyway. 🤷 I think the 24 hour cortisol test had 3 or 4 vials? So I did the spit sample at whatever times of day, spaced out so they could get a nice curve. 🤓 Lol the levels are supposed to naturally fluctuate over the course of the day, so one number doesn't give quite the same picture.

bumblebee0210 · March 2021

@kiwi2628 Welcome back!
@acleverusername Good luck today!!!! Sounds like things are looking perfect.
@Lisa3379 It is crazy you are waiting so long. It feels like your ER was ages ago. I would be so annoyed.

AFM: Another day, another ultrasound. The follies are looking good-- besides the monster, i have 6 between 14 and 21mm, a 12, and ~5 more <10mm. The nurse and I both guessed they would trigger me tonight or maybe wait one more day to give the littles a chance to grow a tiny bit more. Given that we had to "sacrifice the lead" this time, I would be psyched if we ended up with 6 mature eggs. [This puts me right on track to lie to my MIL-- she arrives Friday. Though truth be told she is kind of a flake so she could just cancel last minute].

Also, of course, another day another annoying incompetence at my clinic: this time they were like "wait have you not gotten a COVID test? You and YH need one today at the latest. They close at noon (this is at like 9:30 AM)" I was like MH is at work seeing patients 30 minutes away. So irritating. Why could they not have brought this up at one of my many many other monitoring appointments?

acleverusername · March 2021

@bumblebee0210 your 6 follies are looking promising! Hopefully at least the 12mm one can catch up. Also your clinic... *shakes head* I hope you can get the Covid test done ASAP so that it doesn’t derail your ER.

[Deleted User] · March 2021

@bumblebee0210 🤦🤦🤦 I would be livid if they didn't tell us about the covid test in time. It's inconvenient enough as it is!!! I will say though, it's lucky they are even letting him come with you. Or... are they having him give a fresh sample as well? Then I guess he might kinda need to be there lol But seriously, if that's all they needed from him prior was a covid test, you think they would have mentioned. 🙄

ETA as for MIL, idk how obnoxious you feel like being, but like if you say oh it's nothing serious, just routine whatever.... Will she press you on it?

And if she did press you on it, you could just say point blank, I'm having something removed from my lady bits. Lol 😂 WHICH IS TRUE! but then hopefully she would be so embarrassed for making you tell her, she wouldn't ask any more questions.

optimistgardener · March 2021

@acleverusername thanks for the thoughts on how to deal with my anxiety! yeah, some kind of mindfulness practice would probably be a good idea. in the past i've found that through group-based exercise--i have trained in various martial art forms for most of my life, for example... but I quit doing that after I'd been trying to get pregnant for a few months, thinking that the (rigorous!) exercise and threat of getting kicked in the gut might not be the best idea under the circumstances. But I am sort of toying with the idea of doing something a little more gentle that is group-based. Maybe yoga, or tai chi, or similar. (edit: this is all a post-COVID hope, of course). Having it be a practice that I go to class for and follow instructions and everything is out of my hands is kind of key, I think. Also congrats on that lineup of follicles! I hope the IUIs go well.

@bumblebee0210 great news on the follicles! I'm so glad that the cycle is working out better than you had feared, and I have my fingers crossed for you that you can safely evade any suspicions from the MIL.

@kiwi2628 hi! glad to meet you.

Lisa3379 · March 2021

@kiwi2628 welcome back! And your handle looks familiar... were you on the October 2018 BMB?

@acleverusername good luck today! I'm glad you're feeling great about it and keeping positive! And regarding an ultrasound to see where I'm at... eh. I don't really feel like ponying up the dough for another ultrasound, this stuff is expensive enough! But not a bad suggestion in general

I have some leftover OPKs that I've been peeing on, just to see if I happen to be close to ovulation to at least have an idea of where I'm at... so far nothing. Oh well.

@bumblebee0210 great to hear the follicles are looking good! And that's super annoying about the Covid test stuff.

But yeah, still nothing happening over here. My mom has been in the hospital for a few days. She has MS and gets UTIs often, which totally take her out. She also had pneumonia, but was responding well to treatment and slated to go home yesterday, but she started the day really badly and basically slept all day, and today has been the same. She's responsive, but then goes back to sleep right away. She has these hospital visits about once a year, but once she starts rallying, we're usually in the clear for her to go home. This time is different, and I'm kinda freaking out.

bumblebee0210 · March 2021

Clinic just called— they are going to give me one more day before trigger, which means ER will likely be on Erev Pesach! (This is like “Passover Eve”— it’s the night you do the big Seder meal). Annoying but the ovaries will do what they want, and given that I only had 2 18 or bigger (not counting the monster) and 4 more 12-16 plus 5 smaller than that, it probably does make sense to give it one more day. Tomorrow is day 13 of stims— I am ready to be done! [Er... and then immediately start cycle 2]

@businesswife I think we are just going to tell her I need to get a hysteroscopy for a polyp. That is pretty close to the truth, so it makes the lying easier. And yes— luckily on the COVID test they said MH could do a rapid test wherever and just bring in the results so he got one at work. But agreed— so annoying.

kiwi2628 · March 2021

@Lisa3379 I was on the October BMB! Were you there? I don’t remember your handle

@bumblebee0210 hoping this means more mature eggs for you!

acleverusername · March 2021

@bumblebee0210 Yay! Hopefully that'll get you 6-7 golden eggs! That's a really long stim cycle, so I get the desire to be over and done with it. Hopefully your MIL buys that excuse; sounds pretty plausible! Or maybe she won't show up at all!

Thanks all for the IUI well-wishes! It went pretty well! TMC was 15M which was highest of the 3/4 we've had so far. Motility was 55% and progressive motility was 2 (that's ranked on a range of 1-4). So, overall we're pretty happy with MH's sample given only 2 days of abstinence! Hopefully a repeat or better tomorrow AM! And hopefully with Zymöt only the best of the sperm made it inside of me. 🤞🏻TEW said it is an excellent sample for IUI, and as I was doing my 10-min post IUI lay & wait, I read a fairly recent article on what affects IUI success rates. They said that success rate with a post-wash TMC of >4M are basically the same. Here's that article in case anyone's interested. I've seen other literature that said >10M and we've achieved both those thresholds!

Edited: we did have an IUI with 54M post-wash TMC, so this is the 2nd highest of the 4 IUIs we've done.

[Deleted User] · March 2021

Oh my gosh! @bumblebee0210 and I thought Dec 23rd was cutting it close! Hopefully, it will be a lucky and blessed day for you ❤️

@Lisa3379 oh dear, I'm so sorry to hear mom is in the hospital. That's never fun, and I'm sure you just want her home ASAP. (((Hugs))). My dad was older, so I went through many of his hospital stays as well.
Will be keeping you and mom in T&P. ❤️

[Deleted User] · March 2021

@kiwi2628 YGPM

Lisa3379 · March 2021

@kiwi2628 Yup! I didn't participate a ton, but I was there the whole time, and then went over to the Facebook group, but struggled to keep up with it, so I kinda dropped out for a bit, and then it felt weird wanting to get back into it.

bumblebee0210 · March 2021

@BusinessWife. I know for a Jew Erev Pesach is like one of the worst days (except maybe Yom Kippur?) it could be (well-- for the Jewish women who are really the ones who make sure that you have a roasted egg and all of the other crazy things required for a Seder). My doctor is Jewish and I was actually wondering if she would trigger me today so my retrieval would not be on Erev Pesach and now I am wondering if she is going to do the retrieval at all! Festivities don't start til sundown and the ER is in the morning, so I really hope it will be her. She is the one thing about this clinic I actually like!

@acleverusername. Ahh I have a good feeling about this one. Four big follies!

acleverusername · March 2021

@Lisa3379 I am so sorry to hear about your mom; I really hope she recovers soon. I know the freaking out feeling well...

@kiwi2628 *TW LCs*

The timing for your 3rd sounds appropriate. I can't imagine what it's like having 2 under 2 during pandemic.

And I'm also sorry that your struggled with PPD; that can be so debilitating. My sister had a really bad case of that and even had a psychotic episode (there's also post-partum psychosis). I actually had to call 911 on her once.

@bumblebee0210 I really really really hope that it's your doctor that does your retrieval! I can only imagine how hard it must be to reconcile your profession with your faith. As for our IUI, I was actually reflecting on it during my meditation today and I think this is the most I've felt about our IUI! So, 🤞🏻.

keikilove · March 2021

I’ve been lurking this thread—busy! Will have to catch up with tags later tonight/in the morning. Just checking in to say @cleverusername My RE’s office just called after receiving my bloodwork: my IUI is tomorrow midday. I’ll be sending you good thoughts for your 2nd one, please send me good thoughts for mine!😉🤞🏽💗🙏🏽

[Deleted User] · March 2021

Big day today, and tomorrow! GL to everyone who needs it! 💜❤️💜❤️💜 I may not be around much for a few days, I have something I've been preparing for. Sending all the love to you ladies for your retrieval and iuis!

deaf_girl · March 2021

I don't know where to put this but TW just in case. I don't know how to do spoilers...
I had my SO call my OB yesterday, because something isn't right about AF. Anyways they want me to come in for a blood test. I have a Foley catheter and on a feeding tube for 16 hours a day, so they are worried a HPT won't work for me. I'm trying so hard not to get my hopes up, but it's so hard. I really have no one to talk about this with. I figure I'll know something tomorrow, since my doctor isn't in today, and they said not to wait around. I think this wait is going to be worse than the TWW for me lol...

bumblebee0210 · March 2021

Ahhh GL @keikilove and @acleverusername!! All of the fingers crossed.

@deaf_girl. Fingers crossed-- It is pretty common to experience spotting in early pregnancy, though "weird AF" can mean all sorts of things. Waiting is the absolute worst-- I hope they get back to you soon.
also-- you generally don't need a tw for being about to take a pregnancy test (good luck!), but if it is positive, then the general rule is to just move onto your BMB, rather than to report back here.

AFM: This interminable stim cycle is likely almost done! The nurse today all but guaranteed they would trigger me tonight-- and I think the extra day paid off because now I have 8 follies 17-21mm, so I am really hoping that we can get at least 5 mature eggs (trying to keep my expectations in check). Luckily MH has excellent sperm and we are doing ICSI so hopefully we can get a couple of embryos for testing. (But I am getting ahead of myself!) I did learn that my doctor is out all week for Passover, and they do rotating ERs anyway so you just get whoever is on. I am getting the doc who did my HSG, who I liked a lot so that is good at least.

@acleverusername. Also-- FYI, my "monster" is now clocking in at 39mm (!!) and is basically already a cyst, but it isn't an issue because they just drain it as part of the ER (which is the thing you would do anyway for an ovarian cyst you were worried about). So if I was doing an IUI or something it would probably be of more concern, but with an ER it's totally fine.

deaf_girl · March 2021

@bumblebee0210 what is the BMB?? Sorry for my ignorance, I just can't seem to find it...

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