The Official TTC for 6 Months or More Thread

[BrightSpot]

Bright, what time is your appointment? I'm hoping early in the day in the US so that I can get an update over here before I have to go to bed. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you!

Aw, thanks, mayerling. Unfortunately it's late in the day-4:15pm ET (& their office always runs late so I don't expect I'll get seen before 5pm).

 

[mayerling]

Bright, what time is your appointment? I'm hoping early in the day in the US so that I can get an update over here before I have to go to bed. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you!

Aw, thanks, mayerling. Unfortunately it's late in the day-4:15pm ET (& their office always runs late so I don't expect I'll get seen before 5pm).

Hmmm, that means it'll be about 10pm here by the time you get seen. Well, I hope you give us some good news before I go to bed, otherwise I'll check first thing in the morning. I'm hoping for a great update!

 

[LtlFirecracker]

Fisher, that was a very touching post. I have also been making small changes. My BMI is at the lower end, so I exercise but limit how much I exercise. I have cut my caffeine intake in half and have finally gotten it under the 200mg which is what I believe is recommended. I am wishing you nothing but the best for you and I hope you get to experience the joy you felt before again.

Bright - I will check this post to see how your US went tomorrow!

Tammy - Wow that is some news! In my job, people are getting pregnant around me all the time. I have come to the point where I have realized I cannot compare myself to others and someone being pregnant does not phase me, it is kind of sad that pregnancy has become so routine in my world. That was an interesting dream you had last night, I think in a way it gave you the answer to the questions you have been asking over the last few days.

AFM - I am CD1, I called the nurse, who stated she did not receive the fax of my results. So I told her the results. I am sure she was not expecting that! She stated they do this protocol 1-2 times at the most and than move on to something "more aggressive" that would need more intensive monitoring. I am moving in July and will have a month without patient care, so that may be a good time to try that option whatever it is. She is expecting me to call her on CD1 of next cycle. She told me the with how well I responded to the clomid/HCG they were expecting a 25-30% chance. Oh I am not sure who asked me, but I took 150mg of clomid for 5 days.

Today was kind of hard because I woke up sick and got in the car to drive to work, got nauseated, than went running back into the house. My husband was like "are you sure you are not pregnant!" I got to work, and people could tell I was not feeling well, so of course everyone was like "are you pregnant." I said "no, and I can prove it with a serum HCG."

 

[Prana]

Hi ladies! Sorry I've been MIA for a while, we got back from Scotland last Saturday and I've just been trying to keep myself busy.

I'm 15dpo right now, and I'm really nervous and scared....to test that is. I can't do it! My temps are still up, my cervix is way the hell out of reach, and the Os is tilted back and shut tight. Plus there's weird sort of feel to it...almost like a coating. TMI? My bb's aren't doing their usual thing either. Usually they are sore from 6-8dpo til AF arrives, but now my ride side boob is only very slightly tender with pressure, and my nips are very slightly sore. I have bad acne. When I press on my lower abdomen for the past few days, it is very tender in there, right around my reproductive area. I have one or two very short episodes of dizziness a day, but nothing that I would notice if I wasn't paying attention. Other than that, nothing. And I have not spotted once yet this LP, which is unheard of for me.

But, I did take clomid this month, and I realize that it's a very high possibility that all of these feelings are because of that. I usually get AF two days before or right on the full moon, which is Saturday. FF says my test day is today, and another cycle tracker I use says AF is due today. My CM is creamy and there's a fair amount of it.

Has anyone who has taken clomid felt like this? I'm trying to sort out what could possibly be happening. I so want to be KU, and I feel very positive about this cycle, but I realize that there is a huge possibility that this is all because of the clomid and hormonal differences due to taking the clomid.

I told myself that if I made it through today with no AF or spotting, that I would allow myself to test tomorrow on CD31/16dpo. But the full moon is Saturday and maybe I should wait til Sunday which would be CD18. Plus that would give me 18 days of high temps, if my temps are still up.

I made the mistake of googling my symptoms and clomid, and while nobody really gets too specific, a lot of people were 15 dpo with no ss of AF but getting BFN. I'd rather get AF and find out that way than see a BFN.

Here's my chart if anyone's interested http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/37bf0c

For reference, I have had 31 day cycles in the past, and my longest LP was 16 days, but that included light spotting increasing to significant spotting til AF arrived.

Any guidance would be much appreciated.

Edited 9million times to get my link to work

 

[monkeyprincess]

Prana, you are so patient, especially with all of those promising symptoms! Unfortunately, the only way to know for sure is to TEST! And by 15dpo (or 16dpo if you wait until tomorrow), you should have definitive results.

For what it's worth, my nips were sore each of three months I used clomid (including the BFP cyle). Mine started right after ovulation and lasted until just before AF, but instead of getting more sensitive they got less sensitive as AF approached. Also, the two months I took clomid that ended up in BFN cycles, I had my usual slight internal spotting a few days before AF started.

Good luck lady! Would love for you to get a BFP!

 

[Sha]

Hope you get that bfp too, Prana! Clomid did lengthen my LP a few times, though. One time AF came on 17 dpo, and the other time at 16 dpo. But your overall symptoms do sound quite promising!

 

[monkeyprincess]

Firecracker, wow, they started you on a pretty high dose of clomid. I started with 25 mg for 5 days for the first cycle and then moved to 50 mg for 5 days for the next two cycles. When I was taking 50 mg, I had 3-4 good follicles each time, so I wonder if you don't respond that well to clomid if you only got 2 follicles from 150 mg. Anyway, I'm glad the nurse at least had an explanation for why you didn't get a call. That's too bad you have to take this cycle off from treatment, but I will be keeping my fingers crossed for you that you are able to get a BFP without any intervention!

 

[JGator]

Sounds promising Prana! Test, test, test!!!!

 

[BrightSpot]

Prana, welcome home! I hope you had a  great trip to Scotland & can't wait to hear all about it. 
And please test already!! I can't believe you've held out until 15dpo! Your result should be accurate at this point. Also, I've found my test lines tend to be darker in the evening, so I don't think there's a need to wait for fmu. Your symptoms sound very promising, btw. I've had bfp's on both of my clomid (iui) cycles so I can't really speak to whether symptoms were clomid or pregnancy related, but your symptoms sound really consistent with pregnancy symptoms. Hoping this is it for you!

Mayerling, hopefully I'll have an update for you before your bedtime. I'll post as soon as I know. 

Ltl, I'm so sorry af arrived. Even more irritating that the nurse didn't give you the results & you were suffering from nausea today (that people teased you about, no less). Having people rub your nose in the fact that you're not pregnant really sucks. (Having 2 pregnant SILs this past year has been rough.) Big hugs to you. I hope you're taking care of yourself & really hope next time is the charm.  Did you have a lot of side effects on 150mg clomid? I've only used 50mg & had minimal side effects but only produce 1 follicle at this dose. 

Tammy, curly, fisher, how are you guys doing today?

Afm, today's the day. U/s should be around 5pm et. I'm so nervous about it. We had unexpected company last night, which was a nice distraction but I'm hoping we have our place to ourselves by tonight in case there's bad news. (Oddly enough this is the same friend who happened to be in town during the fateful bad u/s last time). I'll keep you guys posted. It might be a long day. 

 

[Laila619]

Ltlfirecracker, I'm so sorry for the BFN. Clomid did not work for me and I was so upset and disappointed. Will your insurance cover injectables? That might be worth a try. I too had unexplained infertility, and it was the injectables that worked (Follistim + Menopur). It's so frustrating and it sucks, but hang in there! I know it's just a matter of time for you.

 

[tammy77]

Prana,

I'd be willing to bet money that you're pregnant, no joke. Your temps are WAY up (can't get any higher!) at 15DPO, you've never even had close to that before. I know it's scary, but it's time to test...and celebrate!! At 15DPO you should have an amazingly clear BFP, good luck!!!

Bright, I cannot wait for your update!!! I'll be checking in, hope to hear wonderful baby heartbeat news from you in less than 12 hours!

Ltl, I'm sorry you had such a crappy day yesterday. I've already told my DH that he's not allowed to ask me if I'm pregnant (it used to be a running joke with us).

AFM: I'm in a weird, but pretty good place. It's like a double life I guess. On one hand, I'm starting the steps to get a bit more diagnosis from my Dr. - She's setting me up with a gyno (she's "just" an NP) and ordering an ultrasound. She said that Endometriosis can be difficult to diagnose, but this is the first step. I told her that I'm fine with that and asked them to get started on the referral/lab order. So a plan is in motion, albeit a slow one...and that's where the other hand comes into play. On the other hand, I'm just not worried about it. I know that I am ovulating, that DH's swimmers are fine, and that I will have the u/s up to lap options available to me if needed. So I'm in this wonderful space where I just know in my heart that it's going to be okay. Speaking of, Bright I LOVED hearing about your experience in the park this past weekend, so sweet.

I might be fooling myself, but I'm okay with that. I know that in the long run, what matters is what's all around me for sure right now - being healthier for my family, making sure that my relationship with DH isn't neglected (which is easy to do with our crappy schedules), etc. because I'm literally wasting months at a time if all I focus on is getting pregnant, you know? I'm afraid of not ever conceiving, but much more afraid of losing what I DO have in the process.

It's also pretty liberating to realize that it's okay to kind of take a month (maybe two) off from the crazies. Not just "oh I won't temp or opk", but full fledged "I'm flipping the TTC switch - if I want a glass of wine, I'll have it. If I miss a prenatal or drink a cup of real coffee, I'm not going to feel guilty." Girls, it feels great to just turn loose of the reins for a tiny sliver of time. I know I'm eating better and exercising, that I'll still take my vitamins but that's IT for this month (or two).

Anyhow, I'm rambling.

 

[Prana]

Thanks ladies. As usual, your expertise makes me feel a little less anxious .

MP- Sigh. The way you worded your response makes me think I should test tomorrow morning. As much as I don't want to see that BFN, it's not going to change the end result one way or another. And my nips seem to be getting a little more sore, although they aren't really very sore. If that makes any sense. Mine just started 2 or so days ago. Actually the nips just started hurting yesterday, I believe. How are you feeling? I'm so super excited that you are pregnant! I hope the myself and others are right behind you.

Sha- Thanks! If my temp is still high tomorrow morning, I'll test.

JGator- Peer pressure!!! What were your very early symptoms, if you don't mind me asking? You took Clomid as well, right?

Bright- Thanks! I've been thinking about you all day, praying for you to have good results this evening. I'll be anxiously awaiting your post. I have a good feeling for you. I hope I am, and that this isn't just some horrible clomid thing. I know a lot of people have said that Clomid tricks you into thinking you are pregnant because you have some symptoms of pregnancy.

Yikes!

 

[Prana]

Tammy- thank you for your confidence! I have to be honest, I feel pretty confident too, but know that there's a chance that this is not it. I'm cautiously confident, if you will . My chart does look better and different this cycle, but I don't want to put too much stock in that because of the clomid. But I've never been this optimistic at the end of a cycle before. And honestly the thing that's making me say "maybe...." is my cervix. It's usually medim, firm and cone shaped right before AF, and I ALWAYS spot.

As for you, I'm happy that you feel good right now. Drink that wine, have that coffee. Heck, maybe you could even mix them together. Go all out! I'm guilty of being too hard on myself during this TTC process as well. Hell, I wouldn't eat cold cuts all this time because they were on the pregnancy do not eat list, and I wanted to be in tip top condition. But the past 2 cycles I've just given up and been normal. It feels better.

I hope that you can get some answers from your doctor's and that you are healthy and OK. Knowledge is power no matter what the knowledge may be. (Listen to the person who is too chicken to take a HPT tell you that knowledge is power haha!)

 

[JGator]

Prana, I have had 3 BFPs - 1 MC, 1 Chemical, and one sticky 13 week baby! The symptoms on the first 2 were acne and heart burn. I had heart burn and no acne on the 3rd one. My bbs were sore on the 1st and 2nd but not the 3rd. And, I took 100MG Clomid on the 2nd and 3rd BFPs. So, I would say it varies from pregnancy to pregnancy, but your symptoms are promising to me!!!

 

[monkeyprincess]

MP- Sigh. The way you worded your response makes me think I should test tomorrow morning. As much as I don't want to see that BFN, it's not going to change the end result one way or another. And my nips seem to be getting a little more sore, although they aren't really very sore. If that makes any sense. Mine just started 2 or so days ago. Actually the nips just started hurting yesterday, I believe. How are you feeling? I'm so super excited that you are pregnant! I hope the myself and others are right behind you.

Prana, that was not my intent at all. If you think you're ready to test, you should be able to get a definitive result by now, even if it's not FMU (so long as it's not too diluted). You know yourself best though -- if you aren't pregnant, would a BFN crush you, or would you rather just have the information without waiting for AF/temp drop? Lots of dust!

And Bright, it goes without saying that you'll be on my mind today! I so want this to be it for you!

 

[Prana]

MP- Sigh. The way you worded your response makes me think I should test tomorrow morning. As much as I don't want to see that BFN, it's not going to change the end result one way or another. And my nips seem to be getting a little more sore, although they aren't really very sore. If that makes any sense. Mine just started 2 or so days ago. Actually the nips just started hurting yesterday, I believe. How are you feeling? I'm so super excited that you are pregnant! I hope the myself and others are right behind you.

Prana, that was not my intent at all. If you think you're ready to test, you should be able to get a definitive result by now, even if it's not FMU (so long as it's not too diluted). You know yourself best though -- if you aren't pregnant, would a BFN crush you, or would you rather just have the information without waiting for AF/temp drop? Lots of dust!

And Bright, it goes without saying that you'll be on my mind today! I so want this to be it for you!

MP- but you're right! I think if I got a BFN I'd be really bummed, but not anymore than I would be if I got AF. So really, it's just a matter of when I find out. I was just trying to say that your post gave me more clarity about the situation, and made me think past my fears of only seeing one line.

 

[monkeyprincess]

Prana, oops, that was a case of me misreading your post. I thought you were saying that you wanted to test tonight but that my post made you think you should wait until tomorrow. That's what I get for not reading carefully! Anyway, I agree with you. Better to have definitive results than to be wondering, even as disheartening as those BFNs can be. Best of luck to you!

 

[Puppmom]

Prana, I'm going to venture a guess that you're knocked up. It looks like you always spot before AF (me too ) and, to me, the fact that you're not is more of an indicator than anything. Add to that the high temps, and this could be it!

You are one patient woman. I would have peed on many sticks by now!

 

[Prana]

Prana, oops, that was a case of me misreading your post. I thought you were saying that you wanted to test tonight but that my post made you think you should wait until tomorrow. That's what I get for not reading carefully! Anyway, I agree with you. Better to have definitive results than to be wondering, even as disheartening as those BFNs can be. Best of luck to you!

haha No prob MP.

 

[Prana]

Prana, I'm going to venture a guess that you're knocked up. It looks like you always spot before AF (me too ) and, to me, the fact that you're not is more of an indicator than anything. Add to that the high temps, and this could be it!

You are one patient woman. I would have peed on many sticks by now!

Thanks puppmom! Yes, I remember you telling me that you were a spotter too. Not spotting this cycle has made me feel as if maybe the clomid at least did its job in giving me a stronger ovulation resulting in better progesterone. So if I don't get lucky this time, I'm confident that the Clomid will help me out eventually.

Again, you've given me some more confidence. I feel oddly calm and at peace this cycle, maybe that's helped me hold out testing for so long.

Plus, about 5 or so people told me that they predicted that I would come back from Scotland and be KU. Some of those people don't know we are TTC. So everytime I had doubts this cycle, I told myself no, because it is my turn to be pregnant. I really feel that, so I hope it's true.

 

[tammy77]

Prana, you know how to torture a lady! Good luck testing, whenever you decide you're ready!

 

[BrightSpot]

Prana, where do you live? I am coming over with a wondfo & a plastic cup.

Hi to everyone. Thanks for your positive thoughts. I'm going to acupuncture now then for the dreadful wait at the doc's office. I'll keep you posted.

 

[Prana]

haha Tammy and Bright you're too funny.

I have 24 Wondfo's and one digi at home. Maybe I'll use one tonight. I will probably definitely use one tomorrow if my temp is still up. Most likely in the morning so I don't have a diluted sample. I drink 3 liters of water a day, so I don't want to risk it.

Good luck Bright. Can't wait to hear from you.

 

[tammy77]

Wait, you have two dozen wondfos and you haven't peed on any yet?! You are Iron Woman! All kidding aside, I really will be shocked if you don't get a BFP with those symptoms and that beautiful triphasic chart.

 

[BrightSpot]

Hi guys. Well, I have news but it's not great. I'm 6w1d today & the doc saw a gestational sac & the beginning of a yolk sac. No embryo yet. At this time last pregnancy there was a gestational sac but no yolk sac so I guess this is progress but it's not resoundingly good news. He said that since I'm so early in my 6th week (when a lot of things change & develop) it's possible that when I come back next week there will be a fetus & even a heartbeat. But he advised me to be cautious because it could easily go the other way. (He was also concerned that my beta hcg levels were on the low side).
So, again I wait. 

 

[LtlFirecracker]

Bright - I am so sorry, I know that is not what you wanted to hear. I think the only thing worse than having a BFN month after month is knowing you are pregnant and that it might not stick. I know I will have a hard time dealing with that situation if that is what happens to me, so I know how hard this is on you. I just really hope there is a heart beat next week.

Prana - As the others said, I was on a high dose of clomid. I was also on HCG so I don't know if that contributed to my symptoms. My period started on the late side of my normal window, and I had breast tenderness until the day before AF. I also had the same DC as you. However, by CD13 I was spotting, and my pregnancy tests were neg. You have to test when you are ready. You have to remember during the first 2 weeks of your luteal phase you prepare for pregnancy weather or not you are not pregnant, so it may be hard to read your signs. If I was in your situation, I would be testing very soon, I think waiting until after your longest LP is more than reasonable if that is what you want to do.

Tammy - you seem to have a plan in place. When I had my evaluation they did say that they can sometimes see e/o endo on an US. I am going to have a drink at a friends house tonight too. I am still drinking coffee, but I am using those little expresso pods, they have at most 70mg of caffeine. I than have some green tea in the afternoon. I cannot give up my caffeine totally.

MP - I think this doc in some ways is a little more aggressive, he refuses to do clomid without an trigger for example. But different docs have different styles. I am trying to figure out what days to block for June so I can try again.

Lalia - thans for you input, when the doc said they could do something "more aggressive" I was assuming that meant injectables. How often did you need to go in for monitoring on injectables? I guess my question is how many days in a row did you need to go in? I want to do that if the clomid fails after the 2nd or 3rd cycle, and I think my doc will no do more than 3 cycles of clomid/HCG. I just need to figure out if I can do it in July or if I have to wait until August when I will have flexibility in my schedule.

AFM - I am doing fine today. Feeling a little better and going to hang out with a friend. The move to San Antonio is becoming real, so I have that to look forward to, and I am sure I will be busy prepping for that. Hopefully I will be able to figure out what days to block in June tomorrow, so that I give it all another go.

 

[BrightSpot]

Ltl, yeah, being pg & knowing it might not stick is much worse than a bfn. And now, after getting similar looking results twice in a row, I really have no reason to expect it would be any different in the future.

I'm glad you're feeling better & have your move to look forward to/keep you busy. Hoping your next medicated cycle does the trick. I'm glad your doc is ready to move forward with more aggressive treatment as soon as you're ready.

 

[Puppmom]

Bright, I rushed upstairs to the office after dinner hoping to see good news. I'm sorry that the scan didn't show anything definitive. The waiting game is just SO hard. I remember the week between my scans was just plain tough. There is of course the possibility that everything is okay so I'm hoping for the best for you. You really deserve it.

 

[mayerling]

Bright, I was just about to go to bed and I'm glad I caught your update before I did. I'm sorry that the news isn't amazing, but it's still good that there's a gestational sac and a yolk sac. When's the next ultrasound?

 

[BrightSpot]

Thanks pupp & mayerling. So sorry I didn't have better news to report.
My next scan is in a week (next Thursday). It's going to be a long week.
I appreciate your checking on me & your support.