The Official TTC Thread!

[Bella_mezzo]

Noelwr-I ovulated on CD 7 this month and my cycle is usually 28 days, so who knows....I''ll keep you all posted.

 

[dcgator]

Catluver: You are lucky your kitties sleep through the night. Our boys do sleep with us and will sleep through the night about 70% of the time. However, the little one tends to get up pretty early to go watch the birds, and likes to attack his bro sometimes instead, so they can be quite naughty during the night, complete with chasing each other accross the bed.

. But, I am thinking it will be some payback to them when a baby wakes them up, lol. Unfortunately, I didn''t get a chance to post my boys pics, but I will try to get it up tonight!

Charbie: It''s good to see you again! I was wondering where you had been. And that whole Gyno thing is a big yet somewhat scary step. But, considering you guys are using the pull and pray method, I think it''s a pretty good idea to talk to the Doc about TTC. She can get you on some prenatals and test you for anything that might be issue. That way, if you are a jerkstore, you will be all good!
As for DH''s, they can be totally clueless sometimes. I would recommend picking up "What to Expect Before You''re Expecting". While it is clearly a book for you, it has all these little fun facts and info specifically for guys. Maybe you can clue him in to some stuff in that way... Either way, good luck with the doc

Kunzite: What a cute little kitty! Who knew we all had these adorable fuzzballs?

Noelwr: Bummer about the BFN today, but like you said, it''s probably too early to tell. Hang in there till the weekend, and hopefully you will get that BFP you are looking for

Bliss: I know, I am trying really hard to hold out till April/May. I hate waiting though though, b/c with my wonky CF, I think it may take me a couple cycles to get knocked up. But, maybe I will surprise myself and be a jerk store. We''ll see

Geri: I am sorry to hear about the unfortunately incident with the car, but I am happy to hear that your DH is ok. Maybe with all this stress O is just wanting till your husband is feeling better before she comes. Happy thoughts...

Bella: Sorry for the BFN this morning. I will keep my fingers crossed the AF decides to go on an extended vacation and you get a BFP instead! Question though, adding up your numbers, it looks like you have a really short cycle; O''ing on CD7, being 10DPO and then getting your period tomorrow. That would make your cycle approx 18 days, is that right? You mentioned that your usual cycles are 28 days though. Do you usually O later and this cycle is wierd or is my math off?
And major ouchie on the finger! Do keep on eye on that to make sure it doesn''t get infected. If you see any problems, or it continues to hurt, I would go to a doc because you could have more serious tendon or some other damage.

*****
Well, I am CD 11 and have a negative OPK. MY cycle last month was 23 days, so I expect my O/temp shift tomorrow or the next day. My CF is still not where it needs to be, but we''ll see if it gets better in the next day or two.

Good luck to all you ladies!

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Sorry to be confusing (I suck at typing with one finger out of commission

) I Od on CD 17 this month. So my cycle is not a freakishly short 18 days, it''s a normal 28 days. I''m interested to see if the 17 day ovulating thing is a one time thing, or if I always ovulate late...this as my first month with the OPKs.

I just made a Bliss-like amazon order of pre-seed and 40 OPK strips with 10 PG test strips

So, if AF shows up soon I am ready for the rest of March

 

[Loves Vintage]

Good Afteroon Everyone!

Bella - Sorry to hear about your finger!!! Please keep an eye on it. I don't like the sound of it still hurting. Sorry about the BFN. Still too early!

dcgator - Was your cycle last month unusually short at 23 days or is that typical for you? Sorry, I am having a hard time keeping track of everyone's cycles lately! Don't forget to post that cat photos!!

geri - I'm very sorry to hear about your SO's accident. Thank goodness he is ok!!

Kunzite - Your little guy is just gorgeous!! I love his fancy eyeliner and the dots on his nose. Too cute!

Po - Hope you're feeling better? Did you get your peak on the monitor yet? Glad my post made you smile ear to ear!!

Hope the weather warms up soon so you can take your wee bug out for a spin!

And, thanks to everyone who commented on the cuteness of my cat! He is amazingly still with us! I am spending a lot of time with him. He's the best!

**************

I had an u/s and blood work yesterday. Everything looks good, so started the Follistim injections last night. It seriously could not be easier. They give you this cute little case to keep everything (the pen, needles, instruction booklet, alcohol packets) in. My husband was a superhero last night. On Tues night, we had watched a dvd with instructions on how to set up the pen and how to do the injections. I would have had to look at the instruction booklet, but just based on the dvd, he put the whole thing together, put the medication in, put a needle on, and THEN, gave me the injection. I was able to look the other way! Wow, only felt the tiniest little prick. I was really amazed that he handled it all so effortlessly for me. Now, the pen is good to go. Each night, you just click to the proper dosage, put on a new needle (tiny, tiny needle, less than an inch long, and very narrow), and you're done! Easy as can be. There's a picture of the pen here, so you can all see what I am talking about.

So, I will go on Monday for another u/s to see how my follicles are responding to the Follistim, and then I will possibly have the IUI on Friday and Saturday of next week.

 

[Bliss]

Hello Ladies!

Charbie, how exciting about your TTC check up appointment! Yay! So cute how your DH is all excited about it.

Puppmom! I laughed, too! I explained my chart to DH and he seemed in awe of it. This, from a tech/finance whiz who has to deal with charts and graphs on a daily basis. I think our magical cycles are so incredible, men are awed by how cool our bodies are! HA! We rock! Soooooo glad I don't have their biology. Although, it would be fun for a day! LOL

Bella!!!! Are you OK? So sorry about your finger. That sounds so painful. Awww, so sorry it happened to you!

You're one of the nicest people and I hate when nice people get hurt! Waaaaah. Yes, you stay home and take care of that finger!

Ahhh, so you ovulated on CD 17? That is awesome! If you have a 28 day cycle, then I'd venture to guess that you normally ovulate somewhere between CD 12-18...depending on your luteal phase. Luteal phases are pretty much "set" per woman - and they average between 12-16 days. The cool thing about the luteal phases is - they pretty much don't change. Ovulation times change due to stress and what not - so that's why most women have longer or shorter cycles. Luteal phases (the so called 2WW) don't change once you ovulate so if you ovulated on CD 17, the general rule is you would get your period 12-16 days after that depending on what *your* luteal phase is. Of course, we are assuming you are KTFU and will NOT get your period for 9 months!!!!

Hopefully, you will all be jerkstores and the length of your luteal phases will be a grand mystery!

Heehee. What's your sleep number? OK, I watch waaaaay too much TV! But that commercial comes to mind when I think of, "What's your luteal number?" LOL

Congrats on all the Amazon.com goodies!!!!!!!! SOOOOO excited! I hope you end up not needing them! You know, I ordered 50 more early detection preggo tests because they were so much fun... so if you ever need any more...

Just let me know!

noelwr, I am SO excited that Eva is going to speak to me for the first time in 2 days! She has been dormant... Oh, so I do have a CBFM question. I set my "m" time for 9am. I know I have a +/- 3 hour window on either side. So say I get up at 5am to pee? Is that first morning urine? I read on one message board to save the FMU if you pee in the middle of the night. Is this true? Am I the only one who gets up to pee in the middle of the night? I drink a lot of water!

Oh, sending you dust in your 2WW!!!!!! Still too early to test, girlfriend! *dust*

geri - thinking of you! Thanks and hugs to you! Hope you O soon. You will, don't worry. I'm sorry to hear about your SO... so glad he is OK. That must have been so scary.

Kunzite! Your kitty is the cutest! Love his little nose! So sweet!

*DUST* to all the ladies in the 2WW!

ETA: Just saw your post that popped up, Loves Vintage!

Go FOLLIES, GO!!!! Yay for your Superhero DH! That is really awesome how he stepped up and administered the shot! Glad it's a wee thing and doesn't hurt at all. GO FOLLIES, GO!!!! Hope this is it for you!

 

[CatLuver]

Kunzite, your kitty looks so soft and adorable! So cute that he wants to sit on your lap when you’re eating.

charbie - re: your DH and the grocery store thing, I would have freaked out too! My DH used to do stuff like that, but I think I have him pretty well trained now.

Bliss - thanks for the info about the parabens. I’m hoping that they won’t cause too much harm because it’s not like you’re using them every day for years. I wonder if regular lubes have parabens. Also, your friend’s husband needs to be set straight!

DC, your kitties sound cute. Mine like to watch birds too, but mainly only when we open the windows (with screens). They can sit there for hours. April will be here before you know it!

Bella, that sounds painful!

LV, good luck with the injections and your scan next week! Glad your precious kitty is doing well!

 

[Lanie]

LV -- yay for a green light ultrasound!!! That''s great your DH is helping you out. I''m interested to know how the Follistim is for you. One of my friends is right where you are with it. I also had a question for you...when did you start doing IUI''s? Did you ever do just Clomid or some other drug but no IUI or did they immediately do those as well? Do you know why my RE might not have mentioned them to me yet? And no, he didn''t address why I''m not ovulating...I think it''s a mystery to him as well.

Bliss -- I was wondering about that same pee in the middle of the night question! I''ve always just held it in. I think you could collect it, then do it when the monitor lets you put in a stick BUT the instructions say you can''t have urine older than a certain time (the hormones break down or something to that effect). So I don''t know what to do. But if you wake up too early, you won''t be able to turn on the monitor to test. That much I know!


Bella -- sorry about your finger! That made me cringe just reading about it. And it probably stung with the onion juice too! And sorry about the BFN. But it is too early yet...I''ll be logging on for Saturday morning for sure!

dc -- hope you get a positive OPK soon! Fingers crossed!!!!

They need a "dust" icon down below!!!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Lanie - I first visited the RE in November. I was probably on CD5 or so. They started my evaluation cycle that day. After the first cycle, I talked to the RE, and he recommended Clomid + IUI, which we started in December. DH and I fully wanted to try one medicated cycle w/o IUI, but the RE strongly advised that we just do the IUI because the follicles were there, and I had mentioned decreased CF from the Clomid. I suspect he started the IUI right away because we already had 8 (I think?) cycles of timed trying that did not result in pregancy, and I am 36. I do, however, sometimes wonder whether we should try a few medicated cycles on our own, but I am sure we won't make that decision.

I would guess your RE did not recommend IUI right away because you hadn't been ovulating so he was evaluating whether the Clomid would lead to ovulation. Presumably, he would have you try on your own for a few months to see if you need an IUI? Typically, insurance will not pay for treatment unless you have been trying for some specific period of time. In your case, even if you had been trying, there would be an explanation for why you did not conceive, so I think he may still advise that you try a few medicated cycles on your own.

I'll also add that there are plenty of women who do medicated cycles, no IUI. I check in on the iVillage IUI forum every now and again, although I do try to stay away!!! Anyway, lots of women there post their cycle histories in their signature blocks, and many of them have had medicated cycles, no IUI, before moving on to IUI. Some, like me, tend to go to IUI right away. I think for many, their medicated cycles may have been through their regular ob/gyn, who would not be able to do the IUIs anyway. And, don't forget, many, many of these women do get pregnant before ever even making it to the IUI board.

Have you dealt with any nurses at your clinic, or just the RE? You might give them a call and ask them for their thoughts. I do that a lot and will often get sort of general answers, like "Well, he would typically say . . . this or that." As an example, from reading that iVillage forum, I noticed that a lot of women have had cycles canceled due to having too many follicles. So, I mentioned it to the nurse yesterday. She said, yes, that COULD happen, but it is very rare. Good, that's all I needed to hear!! Rare. It seems much more common, from reading those cycle histories, but I have to remember that many of those women are having problems, sadly, and that is why they are posting. Women don't typically go on there to say that they tried IUI, it worked and everything is great, KWIM?

How is your friend doing? She's on the Follistim too? Is this her first cycle on it?

 

[Bella_mezzo]

yay LV for the Follistim and he awesome DH! Glad that it's working for you and hope that it does the trick!

Lanie-Hope that your RE gets some answers for you!!!!

Bliss-Can't wait for Eva to talk to you

Yah, my finger hurts like a mofo, and i just took of fthe bandaid to look at it and...well...i'm thinking maybe i should have gone to the ER and gotten stitches the cut is like a 1/4 inch deep semi circle that includes half of my nail...it's too late for stitches now right? I just keep putting bacitracin on it and keeping it covered.

ETA: okay, thanks to my friend google I think it will be ok. I'll go get some steri strips if it doesn't seem to be closing up. but it's right on the border of being small enough to heal on its own

 

[split_shank]

Hi all!

Still here, been lurking while I wait.. Finally CD1 for me today, another short cycle (avg 24 days now) but I am happy for a few reasons.. wont'' have AF while on vacation, this will be our first official ''try'' at it, O day should be DURING vacation, and my stress should be at a minumum once I get to the beach. Been a wild week, we put an offer on a house on Monday, been countering back and forth, and hopefully will be decided within a day or two. Since last month was going for the gold, I would like to officially call this month "March Madness" in honor of us ladies temping/charting/BD''ing like Mad!!

For anyone not in the states, March Madness is the national college basketball tournament time. I''ll bring the pom poms! Now we just need to make up a cheer......

Good luck everyone!

 

[dcgator]

Hi Ladies,

So, as promised, here our my handsome little sons...

First, this is my little one.

 

[dcgator]

Sorry for the super sized photo of the first one. Hopefully this will come out better.

Here is my big boy...

 

[noelwr]

Happy Friday, everyone!

another BFN for me this morning. I think I won''t test tomorrow (could she possibly be saying that???) because the most sensitive test I have left is the First Response Digital Gold and I think they test for 18 mIU. if today I didn''t test positive for 10 mIU, then I doubt I would tomorrow for almost double as much. so I will wait for Sunday. and it says this HPT test is so sensitive, it tests for 2 different forms of hCG. ??? didn''t even know there was more than one form.

Bliss & Lanie - I think you should go with not having peed or anything to drink for at least 4 hours (basing that around how some OPKs work). I also get up to pee in the middle of the night, but that''s usually around 1am and then I POAS at 6am, and Eva was still able to give me HIGHs and PEAKs. I think if you usually get up to pee at 5am, you should use that and just set Eva an hour earlier.

dcgator - where''s the big boy?

 

[charbie]

Cat: my crazy dogs wait until the second my huusband leaves for work, andd then bam! Jump right on the bed since they know their mom won''t kick them off. The problem is when they start to play and wrestle each other...they get loud!

Its all so weird right now. I mean, I''m really excited, but when anyone asks when we are going to start trying, I''m like, oh! No babies for me right now! I think I just kind of want it to be a surprise or something. I don''t know. I''m not specifically trying to time when we BD, and I''ve stopped temping. It''ll be nice to get on prenatals in case I do end up pg. I wish I could just relax like my hubby and just not even think of when I''m going to o or anything. Right now I''m on CD11, I''m not sure exactly when ill o, but I told my hubs to "pull" just in case. He laughed and said, "nope, I''m feeling a bit daring today."

Afterwards, I said, "ok, we''ve gotta get on the same page here. I''m so confused. Do you want to start trying now?"
And he said, "for me, trying is when we do all that timing when we. Have sex that you talked about. If we get pregnant now, that''s great. let''s try just not preventing pregnancy."
So that''s where I''m at. I love this thread and everything, but I love how untechnical my husband goes about baby making. He just wants to have fun and see what happens. Its such a departure from how he can be in all other aspects of life, so I think its kinda cute that he isn''t backing off or anything...he just wants to take it easy.

I''m so gonna be knocked up before july.

 

[noelwr]

Date: 3/12/2010 7:11:41 AM
Author: charbie

I''m so gonna be knocked up before july.

for sure!

anyone I know who has used the "pull and pray" bc method or whatever it is called has ended up knocked up. maybe that should be a TTC method!

 

[Bella_mezzo]

yep, pull and pray seems to be quite a sucessful TTC method.

I forgot to POAS this morning

Yep, I woke up and had to pee really badly so I went for it and "mid stream" I was like, oh AF isn't hear yet...o S@#T I should have POAS again

I am officially and idiot

So, I'll POAS tomorrow if AF still isn't here...

Noelwr, Fingers crossed for you with your super high tech, digital gold, 2 kinds of HCG detecting Satruday test

It seems like AF is showing up here, so I thik we're shooting for a Dec baby now, and can have fun BDing on our trip to San Diego later this month

 

[split_shank]

So I thought yesterday was CD1. Now, nothing.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Quite unhappy today. I really try not to post on here when I am not feeling good about things, but I'm making an exception today. I am freaking out. I woke up this morning and could not see the time on the clock. My vision was completely blurred. I looked at my computer and could not read a word. I could see words, but they were so blurry that I could not read anything. I was really freaking out because I could not imagine how I was going to get through work today. About an hour later, my vision improved dramatically and now it is perfectly normal.

So, it is either the folistim, the estradiol (that I started taking on Thursday), or there is something very wrong with me. I called the RE's office, spoke with the nurse, who said this is not even a listed side effect for follistim. It is a side effect for clomid, and she said that they would tell patients to stop taking clomid if they had blurred vision, though she also said they've never had a patient experience this.

So, now I am waiting to hear from the doctor, which won't be until the afternoon. If he tells me to stop taking it, I don't know what the alternative is, and I am just SAD.

I know that no one else on here has experience with this. Google is of no use. Heavy sigh.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

LV-I am so sorry!!!!! That sounds very scary and I am sure you are super worried. I hope that the Dr has some answers and a great alternative course of treatment if this one isn''t right for you.

(((((((((((((((((((Huge Hugs)))))))))))))))))

 

[Loves Vintage]

Thanks, Bella. I am just so confused. I am reading lots of women on-line complaining about blurred vision and clomid, but their cycles were not canceled. I just have to wait to hear from the doctor. Uggh.

How is your finger????

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Oh, LV,

I hope that Dr calls you stat with some info! I am always the person who gets strange reactions to meds, etc. I know how frusterating it can be to not know why this is happening and/or to be told that there is a less than .01% of someone getting such and such effect and they''ve never had a patient experience it. Me, Me, Me, it''s always me

I just tell myself it''s b/c i''m special

So, in light of that, you are super special, and the Dr will get you some answers!!!

Thanks for asking....My finger hurts but seems to be starting to heal and staying clean/not infected so I''m glad for that.

 

[noelwr]

LV - I wish I knew the perfect thing to say to make you feel better.

will you accept ((((((((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))))) ? btw, your DH IS a superhero. I just want to hug him, too!

Bells - nice try to get me to POAS tomorrow! haha, not happening sister. I will really wait til Sunday.

split_shank - what''s up with that? AF came for a record visit? well, if it was fresh blood, I think it still counts as CD1.

is anyone else POAS soon???

Go MARCH MADNESS and Post More Kitty Pics!

 

[Bliss]

Loves Vintage, I was so worried for you I just logged on and forgot all about my appointment this afternoon! I did a quick search and found that blurred vision is a side effect more often associated with Clomid (your nurse is right) but also Estradiol. What form of it are you taking? You should definitely follow up with your doctor because any changes in vision really need to be taken care of so you can stop taking it. Hugs to you.

Estradiol Side Effects Linky

Just as a curious side note, blurred vision isn't listed on the side effects for Follistim but I did see a few rare posts where some women did experience it. But it seems to be more commonly linked to Estradiol. Please make sure you follow up with the doctor... I'm sorry, that must have been so scary. I'm glad you're so on top of things. HUGE HUGE HUGS.

 

[split_shank]

Not sure what it was. I noticed a (TMI) dime sized clot-like in the toilet, tiny bit with some CM yesterday morning. Nothing since.

 

[Lanie]

LV -- that''s CRAZY. No help from my end...please let us know what your doc says when he/she calls back!!!

Split shank -- the clot you saw made you assume that was CD1 or the clot was today?

noelwr -- you are so well disciplined not to test until the weekend! I hope it''s positive!!!!!

Bella -- keeping my fingers crossed for you too!!!

I''m a teacher and Spring Break starts at 3:20 for me! I cannot WAIT. I teach 7th graders, so they are hyper as all get out. I''m getting a massage today to treat myself! YAY!!!

And the weather here is beautiful! It was 82 yesterday and sunny. Today is a little chillier but still sunny!!!!

 

[Loves Vintage]

You girls are the best!

Noel - That's part of why I don't like posting the negative stuff on here. I know that no one will know what to say, but hugs are just perfect! And, one for dh too -- aww, that is so sweet. He really is a superhero -- he is saying if the RE wants to put me back on clomid that he wants me to do it. That poor man -- he's the only one that has to deal with the side effects, well me too, but I mean that when I overreact in a crazy emotional way, he's the only one to bear the brunt of THAT!

Thanks for the hugs! It really does make me feel a bit better.

Bliss - Thank you for looking that up for me. You are very kind. I am on the pill form of estradiol. From what I found, the blurred vision seems to occur with the other forms. And, I had taken it (also in pill form) in December/January, but did not experience this side effect. Please tell me that you aren't going to miss the appointment you mentioned above.

Bella - Hey, you're right, we're special!

I'll post an update when I hear from my doctor.

Thank you all, again. I'm feeling much calmer now.

 

[split_shank]

Clot was yesterday, today was nothing but a tinge of pink if you squint hard enough on the TP. What gives?

 

[dcgator]

Just stopping in quickly while I stuff my lunch down at my desk...ugh what a day...Anywho;

LV: I am sorry to hear about the vision problem this morning. Big ((((HUG)))). I''m sure it was a scary experience, but hopefully the doc will give you some good advice this afternoon. But, if he doesn''t call you in the next hour or so, make sure you call him and touch base before the weekend.
And, don''t ever feel like you can''t be sad/vent/have a bad day here. We all have tough times and we are here to support in during every kind of time!

Charbie: I am right there with you. In fact, I would rather get pregnant a bit earlier, b/c then I won''t be stressing about getting pregnant. Ahh, my Type-A personality is just goofy...Funny enough, we are only a day apart. I am on CD 12 today. Yeah, for almost cycle-twins! Good luck with the pull and pray in the next couple days

.

Bella: Good luck with PAOS manana. You should leave a sticky on your bathroom door that says, "Stop! wait for the morning" LOL

Glad to hear the digit is feeling better.

Split Shank: That sounds odd that you had a 1 day period. Any chance it could be break-through bleeding? Or, have you just been stressed/traveling/tired this cycle?

Noelwr: I am still holding out hope for you. Good luck on Sunday!

Lanie: I am jealous of the massage and spring break, can I come too?

*****
Quick update: I am on CD12 today. I think I actually got a little bit of EWCM, so that is exciting! I have been having my best CF at the end of my cycle, so this is definitely a step in the right direction.
To correct my previous post, my cycle last month was 27 days, not 23 (dummy me

) so I am pretty normal CD wise.
And sorry for the missing pic of my big boy. My computer was being goofy last night. I will try again later tonight to post the pic.

Have a great Friday everyone!

 

[split_shank]

I can''t see how it could be considered a one day period, I''ve never had less than 3, but who knows anymore. Breakthrough bleeding...well... I guess if I don''t get something by Saturday (holy thats tomorrow!) I might have to investigate. Stressed?? Very much so, we''ve been through counteroffers all week and just signed a purchase agreement for our FIRST HOUSE

... but stress has NEVER interruped my cycles before. Yesterday morning when I woke up I had tender nips, again, assuming it was CD1 related, but it went away by the time I was done getting ready for work. Rambling here, but thanks for letting me!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Thanks, DCGator. I had already called the dr's office at 2 pm because I hadn't heard from them yet. The doctor hadn't called in yet at that point. He has multiple offices, so he's only at the office I visit 1X per week. I expressed my deep concern over this, and they called me back about 40 mins later.
He does not think it is the Follistim.

He told me to stop taking the estadiol for now and see how I feel tomorrow morning, so he thinks it could be the estradiol, just like our Dr. Bliss suspected!! The nurse had also called the 1-800 number for the drug company. They had not heard of this as a reported side effect. So, I feel ok about taking it now.

Oh, what a crazy day!
SS - Implantation spotting? Hope you're stocked up on HPTs!!!

And, CONGRATS on the house!!