The Official TTC Thread!

[PetitiePoire]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

PetitePoire, it told me 2-3 weeks which was accurate as I had ovulated 2 weeks before. However, the doctor said they measure pregnancy from the last period and not conception, which made me almost 4 weeks.

True. On their website they say a 2-3 means you conceived 2-3 weeks ago and are 4-5 weeks pregnant. So the numbers are actually indicating time from conception. http://www.clearblue.com/uk/new-clearblue-digital-pregnancy-test-with-conception-indicator.php

BUT my only concern would be levels can vary SOOO much from person to person. What they need to come out with is a pee test that gives you a quant level. Now there's a product that would sell

That would be good AMC, considering a lot of women chart, etc and already know their time of conception! Oh, if only. It would save a lot of worry between the bfp and dr visits.

 

[tammy77]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

I would so spend a little more for a quant test. Brilliant idea!

 

[amc80]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

I came across a really interesting article I thought I'd share. It discusses the problems with early HPTs (as opposed to the older ones where the most sensitive kind you could get were 50-100 mlU/ml, which was the norm before 2004). Shocking statistic:

"Since the advent of early sonography, we’ve known that a huge number of fertilized eggs either never implant at all, or attempt implantation and fail. This number varies depending on who you ask, but is always frighteningly high — between 50 and 75 percent."

Yikes. I'm going to try REALLY HARD to wait until the day AF is due. If my temp is still up then I'll test. I say this now, of course...who knows how I'll be in 3 weeks. I told DF that I wasn't taking any tests on our trip and he was bummed. I sent him the article so maybe he'll get it.

Here is the link to the article:
http://pregnancyloss.info/2008/08/the-problem-of-early-detection-pregnancy-tests/
(it's in the left-hand frame on the page...sort of a weird layout)

 

[PetitiePoire]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

That's really interesting. The article prompted me to put 'first pregnancy tests' into google and do a little research. It's amazing how far the tests have come in such a short amount of time. I think I much prefer the idea of a home test vs going to the doctor each month you're ttc to check.

 

[Prana]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

I wish they would come out with a home blood test so you could check your own hormone levels. Imagine how crazy that would make us during the TWW!!

I'm gonna go read that article, AMC

 

[lizzyann]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

I think the idea of early testing brings up another question. Is it important to know if you are experiencing chemical pregnancies? In my experience it has been good to know just how many I have had. It has helped my doctors understand my situation better. Many women have one loss and then go onto get pregnant again shortly after. Some women may prefer to not early test in order to avoid the let down if they end up having a chemical pregnancy. However, I think early testing is good. Because I'd rather know if I am getting pregnant and losing or not getting pregnant at all. i think that is important information in this whole TTC game.

 

[amc80]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

I think the idea of early testing brings up another question. Is it important to know if you are experiencing chemical pregnancies? In my experience it has been good to know just how many I have had. It has helped my doctors understand my situation better. Many women have one loss and then go onto get pregnant again shortly after. Some women may prefer to not early test in order to avoid the let down if they end up having a chemical pregnancy. However, I think early testing is good. Because I'd rather know if I am getting pregnant and losing or not getting pregnant at all. i think that is important information in this whole TTC game.

I agree with that. I am really happy to know I can get pregnant, fairly easily. But I'm not sure I would want to know every time. It's one of those damned if you do, damned if you don't situations.

Peeing on things sure is fun though

 

[Jen_91909]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Jen, when in your cycle did your doctor have you start taking progesterone? Are they suppositories? When I was trying naturally, my RE had me start using it 3 days after a positive OPK to ensure that there was time for sperm to meet egg before using the suppositories. I have been behind in this thread, so sorry if you have already explained all this. And welcome again!

Hi Lizzy!
My doctor actually told me to start 4 days after a positive OPK.. I got a positive OPK last Wednesday morning and started the progesterone on Sunday... and you're right, he told me to wait for the exact same reasons you said. However, I'm taking it orally vs the suppositories. Have you heard any benefits to one over the other?

 

[Jen_91909]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

I think the idea of early testing brings up another question. Is it important to know if you are experiencing chemical pregnancies? In my experience it has been good to know just how many I have had. It has helped my doctors understand my situation better. Many women have one loss and then go onto get pregnant again shortly after. Some women may prefer to not early test in order to avoid the let down if they end up having a chemical pregnancy. However, I think early testing is good. Because I'd rather know if I am getting pregnant and losing or not getting pregnant at all. i think that is important information in this whole TTC game.

I agree with that. I am really happy to know I can get pregnant, fairly easily. But I'm not sure I would want to know every time. It's one of those damned if you do, damned if you don't situations.

Peeing on things sure is fun though

This is all really interesting, thanks for that link amc. I'm not sure where I stand on the early testing. I know this month I have to test at 12-13 DPO (I don't chart so I'm estimating based on OPK) to see if I need to keep taking the prometrium. BFN, I stop it so I get my period. BFP, keep taking it. I suppose that's still on the early side, depending on one's LP.

 

[monkeyprincess]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Interesting topic AMC. To test or not to test, that is the question For me, it is a moot point because I'm fairly confident I've never conceived, and after seeing several BFNs, I have no desire to test early. I would probably feel differently if knew I could conceive fairly easily like others of you. I think Lizzie's point is valid if you have been trying for awhile or if have had some suspicious or delayed AFs. But in general, my view is that you might as well at least wait until the day or two before or day of your missed AF because your more likely to get an accurate result. But everyone will have different feelings based on their patience levels and tolerance for seeing potential BFNs. Speaking of, I'm guessing we are going to be hearing about another BFP or two in the next few days! BFP dust to everyone in the 2WW.

Lizzie, hope you are hanging in there! I'm sure this is going to be an anxious week for you. I'll be thinking of you. Thanks for what you said about your DH's SA. The NP told me the same thing - they make the whole experience as comfortable and "unawkward" as they can. DH will get a private waiting room and not have to sit around with a bunch of other people or anything before going in, which should help. He seems more anxious about the actual process and not the actual results. Silly boy. I'm much more anxious about the results and what they will mean for us, but I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

Bright, hope you're hanging in there! Try to have some fun this weekend if you can!

Jen, good luck this cycle. My sister had low progesterone, so my NP said she would probably have me take progesterone supplements a few days after ovulation as well. It seems like most people I know who have taken progesterone use the suppositories, but I really don't know about the relative effectiveness of either method.

Prana, yeah, you might just have a weird cycle this time. Maybe you tried to ovulate and didn't or ovulated later than you thought. Either way, I'm glad you are going to get your initial testing out of the way. If nothing else, you will find out that there's nothing wrong.

 

[LtlFirecracker]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

AMC - I was asking myself the same question. Most women would never know they were pregnant in your case, with all of this early testing, are we going to find that the numbers for early miscarriage higher than quoted at the present time.

I myself have decided to stop very early testing. It is great if you are positive, but in the grand scheme of things, knowing 2 days earlier will not change much. If it is negative it does not tell you much, and those tests are getting expensive. The most I will do is 1-2 days before AF with a first morning urine. I have also realized, my "need to know" is my way of trying to control a situation, that at this point in my cycle, is out of my hands. I am really trying to just live my life in the second half of my cycle, and not worry about it too much, as there is nothing I can do.

 

[tammy77]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Ltl I think I have to agree with you on this. I have trouble resisting because I want to know NOW, but after I POAS at 9dpo and it's negative, I end up wrestling with it in my mind until the next day. Then I test, it's BFN and I do it all over again. I mean I'm not spending all of my energy on it, but I certainly spend too much time thinking about whether or not it'll be pos or neg.

I know that the statistics say I'm not out for sure, but the last time I was pregnant with my youngest I tested positive at 8dpo. I just have a very strong feeling that I'm not pregnant and the half of me that knows we have a lot to do before that happens is okay with it. The other half of me is a little sad. I know it was only our first month, and only one time. It doesn't mean there's something wrong with either of us, it's normal...but argh that nagging feeling, I hate it!

BTW if I make no sense today, I apologize. On top of the bfn deal, I have a cold so I'm a little fuzzy. The good news is that I get lots of time to rest!

 

[BrightSpot]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Thanks so much to everyone for your kind words. It's been a really rough week & reading your posts made it better. Sorry for taking so long to update...
I think I mentioned I spoke with one of the nurses in my RE's office on Tuesday & she promised someone would look at my chart & get back to me. Well, it's Friday now & I hadn't received a call back yet, so I left another message. The doctor actually called me back (but sounded really annoyed at having to do so). He didn't give me a whole lot more information, but he did say he would call in a prescription for metformin, which should help regulate my blood sugar & could help with the hair loss since excess insulin can produce androgens. He said my testosterone results came in at a normal level, though. It's odd to have so many PCOS symptoms when my blood tests have come back normal (I haven't actually had the fasting glucose test, though). The only test result indicative of PCOS were the cysts on my ovaries.
I called the pharmacy & the Rx hasn't actually been called in yet, though...
So, I'm glad to have some response & hope this new med helps, but I'm still not loving my RE. I'd like to switch to someone more compassionate, but part of me doesn't want to delay the process now that I finally have a plan to move forward. I also put in a call to my OBGYN this afternoon to see if she would call to discuss my options. (She's fantastic & so sweet & caring.) I set up an annual visit with her in 2 weeks, so at least I can check in with her then.

In other news, I had a good acupuncture appointment yesterday. My acupuncturist was really helpful & gave me some good recommendations on lifestyle changes that could help. So I'm going to try to up my cardio at the gym & drastically reduce my carb intake (the latter will be rough as I loves me some carbs.)

MP, you're totally right that this doc thing is adding to my stress level. I'm putting that on my to do list for next week...
Thanks for sharing your sister's story with me. I'm glad she & her DH got PG pretty easily with the clomid. Do you know if she was monitored when she was on clomid? Not sure if the monitoring is specific to IUI or goes along with the fertility drug use.
I'm glad the NP can rush your DH's SA results & hope you can go in for IUI this cycle! Men can definitely be funny regarding medical stuff. It's like seeking help is somehow admitting weakness. I asked my DH about the process & he said it wasn't as awkward as he feared. Where are you in your cycle now? Pretty near the end of the 2WW, methinks. Wishing you luck!

Sha, thank you so much for sharing your story. I'm glad you haven't suffered a lot of PCOS symptoms & were able to get PG easily with clomid! Did you go in for monitoring with the clomid use?
My cycles are on the longer side too. I wasn't O-ing regularly when I first came off the pill, but now I seem to O, but on the late side (in the 20's as well.) While my BMI is still in the normal range, it seems my weight has crept up a bit since I went off the pill, so I'm looking to lose a few pounds in the hopes it'll help. Thanks again for the hugs & well wishes.

JGator, thanks. You're right that I'm a lot closer to a bfp than I was a few months ago. I'm going to look around for another doc. Did you post on a yelp board? PS is the only forum I post on, so I'll have to do some research to find other good spots. Vitals.com is really helpful, though! Thanks for sharing the site.
How are you doing? Any news on the genetic test results?

Lizzy, thanks for checking in. Apparently my testosterone level is in the normal range & my regular glucose is fine. I haven't had the fasting glucose done, but my GP said there's no need to do that if a regular glucose test is fine. I did have the cysts on my ovaries, though. From what I read about PCOS, it seems possible to have only a few of the symptoms? The information out there can be confusing. Regarding the hair loss, I seem to be losing it all over, but especially from the front (I can see my scalp through my bangs ). Apparently this "receding" is pretty common with androgenic related hair loss (from PCOS). So I'm assuming that's the cause, though stress certainly isn't helping! I'm pleased that I'll be going on metformin soon & hope that helps. It doesn't seem to change the clomid/IUI plan for next cycle.
How are you feeling, btw? I hope you're being good to yourself & trying to relax as much as possible. When do you test?
Continuing to send lots of dust to you & your blasocyst.

Jen, thanks for checking in. Yep, I mention the hair loss situation to every doc I see. I felt like my RE blew me off in his office when I asked, but my perseverance got me a call back. So I'm pleased with that, but don't want to feel like I have to fight this battle too, ya know?
I'm glad the progesterone is still working well without side effects for you. Any news on your cycle?

Prana, I'm so sorry to hear your grandfather passed away. Big hugs to you. Also sorry to hear AF arrived. I'm glad you & your DH will be getting checked out, though. That's great that your doc will test whenever you want it. I hope your doc can get to the bottom of things so you can get your bfp soon!

amc, this is probably a stupid question, but what is a rhogam shot? I hope you're feeling better. Hugs. I'm glad your levels are down, but sorry for the insensitive nurse's comments. It's definitely hard to keep stress at bay during this process.
That's an interesting article on early testing. I think if I hadn't found the internet cheapies I would hold out for longer than I do. (Have I mentioned I can be impatient?)

China, thanks for much for your sweet post! I had a major meltdown on Tuesday & DH was really sweet & supportive. I also talked to a dear (IRL) friend & she was supportive. It was nice to get some of this off my chest. And having you wonderful PS ladies in my corner makes the world of difference!
I was hoping blushing bride would reply as well, but wasn't sure of the protocol of paging her. If you have a way to ask her for me, that would be great! I read her post about her amazing RE (who seems to be everything that mine isn't!) & would love to know more. I feel a little guilty that I'm so freaked out about something vanity-related, but I am.
How are you doing? I hope your m/s is better.

tammy, sorry about your cold & the bfn (though I'm not counting you out yet!) I hope you feel better soon!

PetitePoire, fingers crossed for you this cycle!

LtlFirecracker, sounds like you have a good plan for staying sane in the 2WW. How are you doing?

Hope everyone has a fun weekend ahead! DH & I are going to the Poconos for a little R&R.
Missy, if you still check in here, any advice for fun things to do in Lake Harmony?

 

[amc80]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

amc, this is probably a stupid question, but what is a rhogam shot? I hope you're feeling better. Hugs.

Rhogam is a shot you have to get if you are Rh- and your baby daddy is Rh+. Potentially, any baby could be Rh+. Upon delivery (or miscarriage), the baby's blood can mix with the mom's blood, and the mom would then create antibodies against Rh. This would cause major problems with subsequent pregnancies, if the future baby was Rh+. In a nutshell, it's a giant PITA that we RH- peeps have to go through. Well, I suppose it's just a shot...but still..

And thank you, I am feeling much better. Barely cried yesterday and haven't even felt like it today. Luckily (?) I have so much going on right now, so I'm trying to focus on that. Oh, and I found out our cruise ship has a wine bar. So I'm focusing on the positive

 

[BrightSpot]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Oh, and I found out our cruise ship has a wine bar. So I'm focusing on the positive

Nice!! I'm glad you're feeling better. You have a lot of really exciting things coming up in the next month! Try to relax & enjoy as much as possible!

ETA: sorry...I don't want to sound like that annoying nurse with the "relax" business....

 

[missrachelk]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Heeeloooo Ladies - I ended up cancelling my appt today, because I couldn't get out of work and because my midwife group called me back ( I left a message early this week) and agreed that we should start investigatiny my irregular cycles, starting with a CBC and hormone panel, and I can go in first thing Monday to get the blood drawn without needing an appointment, so I'm going to stay with them until and unless I need to progress to the next level of specialist.

Still trucking along, taking the fertilaid and drinking the tea (did forget the tea yesterday, but have been doing about 2 cups every day otherwise) but so far havent noticed anything different, and so far no signs of AF making her appearance. Still more zits coming up what seems like everyday. So here I am on day 43 just wanting to get going!!! I still haven't started temping because I don't see the point until I'll have a whole chart to look at. It's so incredibly frustrating to have had almost 30 days pass since DH and I decided to start trying and still feel nowhere closer to even having a new cycle, let alone a decent chance of conceiving

I know it's a pity party and I'm jsut starting this journey, but dang! Why doesn't someone warn you when they're asking if you want your BC again at your annual that you might need a year or more to regulate before you even want to think about trying. For me, I know that I was scared from my past experiences to get pregnant before I was ready, and that little (huge) not having insurance issue from Mid 2009 until this spring made me feel more secure on BC than off. So as usual, I'm reviewing past decisions and wihing I had known earlier what I know now.

Anyone with more history or medical knowledge know what they will be looking for in the hormone panel? And what if any treatments there are to kick start my cycles / ovulation? I wonder if clomid or another ovulation stimulator is a possibility. I feel like I've read before of a shot of some sort that can be given after stopping BC when things don't get moving, but what I read was always for women who didn't get a period at all after stopping the BC. Just wondering what might be coming, and if anything can even be determined without having a few month's charts and OPK's.

I hope everyone else is having a great TTC weekend, and enjoying the crisp weather! I had my first gingerbread latte of the season today and it was so yummy.

 

[LtlFirecracker]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Brightspot - I am actually doing a PCOS workup on a teenager who sounds similar to you (minus the hair loss) and so I am learning a lot about it. I am really getting conflicting info on weather or not the hormones need to be abnormal to have a diagnosis. However, the RE doc I worked with in med school always stressed to me that PCOS is a clinical diagnosis. I am trying to reach him, but am having trouble finding him, if I do get to talk to him, I will let you know what he says. It sounds like, if you hair loss is in a male pattern, you do meet clinical criteria for the diagnosis, than metformin is worth a try. I am hoping it works for you. I have seen it do some amazing things.

missracheik - You question can take quite awhile to answer. Here is the best link I could find. http://www.healthline.com/galecontent/oligomenorrhea#4

Tammy - I can get fuzzy when I am sick. If I test neg, I typically wait at least 48 hours to re-test. I figure at 24 hours, you might see something, but it is so light, you will probably want to confirm the next day anyways.

AMC- Sounds like you are doing well, a wine bar on a cruse sounds perfect...

AFM - still in the TWW, still too early to test...

 

[Missy0483]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Hope everyone has a fun weekend ahead! DH & I are going to the Poconos for a little R&R. Missy, if you still check in here, any advice for fun things to do in Lake Harmony?

Oooh, I wish I had some advice or you! We stayed at the Split Rock Resort and it had bars/resturants all around so we really didn't go anywhere! There's a golf course there and an indoor water park if you like that kinda stuff! Other than that, not too sure. That was my first time being in the Poconos! I hope you find something fun!!!

 

[tammy77]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Still trucking along, taking the fertilaid and drinking the tea (did forget the tea yesterday, but have been doing about 2 cups every day otherwise) but so far havent noticed anything different, and so far no signs of AF making her appearance. Still more zits coming up what seems like everyday. So here I am on day 43 just wanting to get going!!! I still haven't started temping because I don't see the point until I'll have a whole chart to look at. It's so incredibly frustrating to have had almost 30 days pass since DH and I decided to start trying and still feel nowhere closer to even having a new cycle, let alone a decent chance of conceiving

I just wanted to chime in and say that I started temping as soon as I ended my pills to just get in the hang of it and I never had an AF before I ovulated! So it's not a bad idea to just pick up now honestly. I ovulated on day 27, so I expect to have around a 41 day cycle. I'm not sure what will happen in the coming months but I'm curious to see.

I TOTALLY get the "when is my body going to work again?!?!?" feeling, trust me! I am a big advocate of not waiting to chart though. It took me a couple of weeks to get in the swing of things anyhow in terms of feeling like I was taking my temp right. It's comforting to know that I'm keeping track now in case there is some issue, I'll be able to take my charts to my doctor.

Anyhow, just wanted to chime in since I can relate and have recently btdt!

AMC I'm so glad to hear that you're feeling a bit better. A wine bar on the cruise sounds GREAT!

 

[monkeyprincess]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Bright, glad to hear you're feeling a little less down, and that your doctor is finally going to try to address your hair loss/PCOS issue. Maybe this will be just the thing you need to get things kick-started. Maybe you can go through with the treatment this month and next month with your current RE but keep your eyes open for another option if things don't improve wit this guy. To answer your question, my sister was monitored while she was on clomid, even though she didn't do an IUI. She told me that she had three follicles when they did the trigger, and I guess whoever did the monitoring told her that if all three eggs fertilized she might have to consider selective reduction! Nice thing to say to someone who is not yet pregnant and has been trying to get pregnant for over a year! Reduction is not something she would have considered, but luckily she only got pregnant with one. From what I've read the chances of twins with clomid and no IUI is not significantly higher, but when you add in the IUI, your chances go up quite a bit. I will definitely be monitored if that is the way we go. Definitely not looking to be MP and and Mr. MP plus 8!

Tammy, sorry about the BFN, I couldn't tell from you post, but if were only 8 or 9 DPO, then you are definitely not out yet. Sorry you're feeling down and have a cold. Not a fun way to start the weekend.

amc, I think the fact that you are busy and have so many things to look foward to in a couple of weeks is a blessing. It such an exciting time for you! You better take full advantage of that wine bar!

Firecracker, dust to you!

Rachel, with the CD3 tests, they will look at your FSH, LH, estrogen, thyroid levels, and a few other things. I bookmarked this website back when I was waiting for and analyzing my results: http://www.fertilityplus.org/faq/hormonelevels.html It tells you the normal range for the various levels. Everything of mine came back completely normal. You can also do a progesterone test at 7DPO. As far as kick-starting your cycles, I've never had that problem, but if are not ovulating, I think you can take something called provera that will cause you to get AF (really more of a withdrawal bleed I think), and maybe they would try something like clomid to try to induce ovulation.

AFM, I was told to take a couple early HPTs to make sure I'm not pregnant before we do DH's analysis, which is scheduled for Tuesday. I was also feeling guilty for having a margarita last night, so I took one this morning. BFN at 10DPO. I'll take one again in a couple days to be sure, but I'm pretty sure we will be moving on to the next step for sure now. A little sad about that, but ready to get the show on the road. Oh, and I was instructed when I made the appointment that DH should make his last "deposit" before the SA on Friday night or Saturday morning Gotta love doctor-prescribed BD'ing.

 

[lizzyann]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Just jumping in on MP's and Bright Spot's Clomid/trigger/iui conversation....I definitely recommend being monitored. Because I honestly did not want to go forward with IUI if it looked like I was going to be ovulating like 5 + eggs know what I mean? I used Clomid without trigger and without IUI when I did the Clomid Challenge Test and thru monitoring they found that I was O'ing 2-3 eggs. I did not get pregnant that month and I always wondered if it was because I didn't actually O due to the fact that they didn't have me trigger shot. The next month I did Clomid/trigger/IUI and again was monitored and had 2-3 that follicles that were going to release. I did get pregnant that month. I highly recommend the Clomid/trigger/IUI combo versus Clomid alone due to the statistics that my RE showed me on pregnancy results, but certainly you've got to do what your comfortable with. Has any of your doctors recommended the Clomid Challenge Test? It is a test where you take Clomid while getting blood work before and after and it checks your ovarian reserve. It gives them an idea if you have a low reserve. If you do, sometimes the quality of eggs can be low. You might want to ask about it because it is kinda like doing a test to get some info back but also a chance to use Clomid without IUI to get your feet wet in the whole process. I remember the day of my IUI and I was quite crampy after, but it was due to the trigger shot giving my ovaries the push to get all of the eggs out. It was hard to walk around too much that day, but it is definitely doable. Any questions, please send them my way. MP, are you going right to Clomid this next cycle?

 

[monkeyprincess]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Hey Lizzy, thanks for jumping in with your experience. I'm sure I'll be coming back with questions once I know a little bit more about my plan. What I do next cycle will depend on DH's results. If his results come back normal, I will probably have an HSG. Otherwise, she mentioned that she would probably start me on on clomid (with monitoring), and depending on his numbers, try an IUI. If his results come back really bad, I'm not sure where we go from there. So, it is all a up in the air at this point, which is driving me a bit crazy. She didn't mention anything about the clomid challenge, but I'll have to ask her if she thinks that would be worthwhile after we get DH's results. Truthfully, the fewer blood tests, etc., I can do this cycle, the better. We're already looking at about $1,000 next cycle if we do the SA, ultrasounds, clomid (that's the cheap part) and an IUI. On top of $700+ we've already spent on blood tests and whatever my other appointment last week cost. She didn't mention anything to me about a trigger, but I will be sure to ask about that too if we go the clomid and/or IUI route.

How are you doing btw? I'm thinking positive thoughts for you!

 

[tammy77]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Hi ladies,

Just a quick fly by post to check in. This morning I took a test at 10dpo and it was a bfn. Tonight after dh an I had "fun time" I noticed spotting and started cramping. It's passed but I'm guessing that AF is around the corner. I did get a false positive the other day on a wondfo but I immediately dipped another and it was bfn so I knew it wasn't real.


DH was sad about AF coming too, and talked about us taking a step back from charting + opks to just ntnp. If I have to choose between making myself crazy doing this for a couple more months or crazy not knowing share I'm at but ntnp, I think I'd much rather give ntnp a whirl for the next few months. It certainly would feel much less clinical and more just naturally going with the flow. So that's something positive I'm excited about. I'm also feeling so much better! I took my girls on a long walk and it was just so pretty out.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend. Fingers still crossed for you MP and Lizzy especially!

 

[megumic]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Just wanted to say hey and hope everyone is having a good weekend!

Wanted to send out a warning that there are a few bad batches of wondofos and I have one! Some of the strips are dented and coming a part, others show a white strip where a positive pink test line would be. Other boards have posted about this faulty batch, but just wanted to let everyone know there have been some screwy strips lately and the results might not be reliable!

Sitting here at 12DPO pretty sure it's not our month. Tests have all been BFN so far and I feel nothing. Still no bar exam results either -- just several nightmares about it! In other news, my endo started me on PTU on Friday. It's an antithyroid drug to pull back the hormones my thyroid is producing. She has advised us to wait a few months to TTC to make sure my levels are stable, with the threat of a mentally retarded baby. I felt she was a bit alarmist about it and slightly dismissive of our feelings. The thing is, if I were already preggo, she'd be treating me the exact same way she is now. DH and I have talked about it and we aren't sure what to do. I feel selfish for wanting a baby so badly that I would take that very small (like 1%) risk of potential defects. I'm also just mad in general that this is happening. Certainly there are much worse health issues we could be up against, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating. Ugh. I just keep thinking if we wait three months like she wants, and then it takes four to six months to get preggo, then we won't have a baby until 2013. That feels like an eternity. I just wish I were pregnant right now so I didn't even have to make this choice...

I feel like the only other people who understand are those who also want a baby as badly as we do. Please don't tell me what I want to hear, tell me what I need to hear. What would you do?

 

[Jen_91909]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Meg, I'm so sorry you're in such a crummy situation and that on top of it your endo isn't coming across as very compassionate. It's hard for me to say what I would do in your situation. My gut tells me pretty strongly that I would probably wait the few months your endo suggests... but of course I do understand the powerful desire to have a baby and only you and your and your DH can decide what feels right for you. Big hugs to you. I know this must be incredibly frustrating news.


AFM - I'm feeling pretty down today because I started spotting quite heavily last night (Sat). AF is expected around Thursday... so, not only am i pretty definitely out this month, but my problems with the early spotting continue and it seems that the progesterone supplements didn't do a thing to help. I guess it will be on to month 4 for me.... I plan to call my gyno when AF does show up to fill him in and see what he wants me to do next month.

 

[lizzyann]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Jen, sorry your feeling down and that the early spotting has continued even with the progesterone. You may want to ask your Dr. about the suppository version. My RE has only had me use the suppository version because they say that you are putting the progesterone where you need it (aka down there) versus a pill which goes throughout your body. Maybe something to consider if they still feel your progesterone might be causing the spotting.

Meg, is it medically necessary to start the new thyroid drug? Is that drug to help you conceive or is it for another medical issue? Reason I ask is that given you guys really want to TTC, maybe try a couple more months of TTC without taking that medication. That way if you do get pregnant again, there is no risk of side effects. If it is medically necessary that you take the drug now, personally I would wait until it is out of my system before TTC. Something to consider....

Tammy, I hear your dilemma. I have a hard time not using OPK's because I don't want to miss my window you know? Maybe just stop either temping or OPK's and see if it is less clinical that way?

Monkey, I hear you on all of the costs for everything. I wish your insurance covered some of this for you lady. It seems as though your doctor/np is pretty proactive though and that should make you feel better. I guess for now...sit tight until that SA result comes in, then you can figure out a plan of action. If you end up doing just Clomid you may not need a trigger, but if you do IUI/Clomid, they usually have you do a trigger shot so that they can time your IUI accordingly. Th trigger causes your LH surge and you ovulate roughly 36 hours after the trigger shot, so that is when they usually have you come in roughly for your IUI so that the sperm are there upon ovulation.

ltlfirecracker, how many dpi are you now? when can you test?

missrachelk, the hormone panel and CBC will look at so many different things going on in your body. It is good that your doctor is willing to run it and look out for any potential issues. If you get to the point where you don't feel your O'ing, Clomid is definitely not a bad idea. I would do it along with a trigger shot and IUI to get maximum results. I did it for two cycles and got pregnant and it was a less evasive way versus IVF.

Bright, have you looked into any other RE's in your area? It might not hurt to go and get a second opinion. I don't think it would delay anything and even if it did, a better fit would make this roller coaster ride a little less stressful you know?

AMC, how are you feeling? Thinking of you...

Hello to anyone I may have missed. Hope you are enjoying your weekend.

AFM, patiently waiting till Friday when I go and have my first beta drawn. My RE told me that if it shows I am pregnant, I will go in on the following Monday for the second one. That will be the most important one showing whether my beta is doubling appropriately. I am excited and nervous. I just so want this to work. I am not reading into any symptoms because my bb's have been sore since retrieval and I am using estrogen patches and progesterone suppositories, so any potential symptom could be due to that cocktail of fun!

 

[megumic]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Thanks Jen for your kind words and thoughts. That stinks about the spotting...maybe Lizzy is right about the other form of progesterone. Is it possible it is implantation spotting?? Just a thought. What do you think your ob/gyn will do moving forward? Have you had a second opinion yet?

Lizzy thanks for your thoughts as well. Hyperthyroidism doesn't generally go away, it has to be treated. The prevailing view is that while TTC and during preg, the benefits of treating hyperthyroidism outweigh the risks of the meds to the baby...and the risks of being untreated during preg are way worse of the risks of the meds. Being hyper may also prevent ovulation (which I don't think is my case since I did get preg) and it can also lead to increased risks of miscarriage, etc. So my choices are to be on the meds or have my thyroid removed, the latter of which is a bit aggressive at this stage. The meds themselves are okay to take while preg, my endo just wants us to wait a few months to get adjusted.

I'm really excited and pulling for you and the floating bean (hopefully no longer floating!) I cannot imagine how much you must just want to know the outcome right now! How is your DH feeling about everything? You've got a five day countdown...cheering strong over here!

 

[tammy77]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Hi Ladies,

Meg I've rolled it around in my head but I can't feel comfortable telling you what I'd do, just in case I'm wrong. My thoughts on it are just that there are so many variables, so many things that can cause defects and so many things that can go wrong that 1% max chance of something bad happening wouldn't keep me from trying. It's probably the wrong choice though because I make too many decisions with my emotions and not enough with patience and logic. Whatever decision you make, I don't think there's a wrong one honestly.

Lizzy thinking of you, and hoping that this is it! DH is the one that suggested the NTNP and I'm actually really okay with it. I'm sure I'll probably keep an eye on CM but other than that I'm going to TRY not to be too "tuned in". I'm actually really excited about it because this is a step closer for us and he's the one that suggested it. I hope that makes sense. Considering I'm in the middle of my first real AF in years, I'm pretty impressed with myself, LOL!

I'm not sure if it's good for me to post much here, but I don't know how to just quit. I love reading and following along on everyone's journey, even if I don't say much. I don't want to give that up. So if you don't mind putting up with my laid back ways, I'd love to keep on hanging out w/all of you lovely ladies.

 

[lizzyann]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Tammy, you should definitely stick around even if you are going the NTNP route. Hey that's still TTC in my book!

Meg, so if I'm understanding this correctly....you are going to be on this thyroid medication for a long while even while TTC and while pregnant, but the doctor wants you to wait a couple of months to let the drug settle in before trying? But wouldn't the defect risk be the same whether you TTC now or six months from now? The risk doesn't get higher when you first start the drug right? The way I'm understanding it is that you need to take this drug, the risk is low from it, so why wait?

 

[megumic]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Tammy, you should definitely stick around even if you are going the NTNP route. Hey that's still TTC in my book!

Meg, so if I'm understanding this correctly....you are going to be on this thyroid medication for a long while even while TTC and while pregnant, but the doctor wants you to wait a couple of months to let the drug settle in before trying? But wouldn't the defect risk be the same whether you TTC now or six months from now? The risk doesn't get higher when you first start the drug right? The way I'm understanding it is that you need to take this drug, the risk is low from it, so why wait?

Yes, you're understanding correctly mostly as I will be on the drug until my thyroid is better. The risk the Dr is referring to is that if I'm receiving a higher dose than my body needs it could have defects. She wants time to figure out the *perfect* dose for me. However, the moment I get preg, that dose will change anyway b/c pregnancy suppresses autoimmune disorders. But yeah, I am tending to agree with you the more I think about it.