Hi Everyone!
Well, lots to report on today. But, I could just squeel tonight - actually saw some EWCM!!! Makes me soooo happy! I've felt very dry lately, so this is a welcome change. Oh, and some other great news - my best friend, who had a m/c in December, got her BFP today!!! I am sooo excited for her. I was the one who told her to test and she texted me this am with the news.
Okay, now to step back 24 hours. Last night I DEFINITELY had a hot flash. I was sitting with DH and I just started sweating. I mentioned it to DH and he said, "oh, I read that might happen...along with raging hormones." It was too funny. He said he hadn't noticed the hormones yet! This am started a new bag of OPKs and got NO line. That bummed me out a bit, but he monitor still says "high". We'll see - just keep BDing until O happens. Another thing that happend was VIVID dreams. Again, I don't remember what it was about, but knew I had to comment on it this am. Lastly, I did have a headache again this morning and it's still around, but not enough to take Tylenol. I think I'll still mark it in FF though.
I think that's it for me tonight. I'll keep y'all posted on my progress as it happens. Oh, I pray soooo hard that this leads to our BFP...that would just be a wonderful miracle.
OOOHHH - my UCLA BRUINS just made to the GREAT 8! Yay! Go Bruins!
xoxo Yo!
Another ride on the roller coaster!
Sean Patrick - born 12/28/08
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
CD 9 - Is waiting to O harder than the TWW?
Hi all!
I had to steel this expression from Jen, because I think she's right! At least when you're on clomid.... I guess it's because you have to be so responsible about everything: taking Mucinex, taking clomid, BDing at the right time, taking OPK tests, looking for CM, etc. I guess you can call it the "active" part of your cycle. The TWW is then just waiting around for something to happen and you really can't do ANYTHING during that phase but keep yourself busy doing other things and taking care of your body. That's it!
I think my headache finally went away about 30 minutes ago. I went on a 4 mile run (run/walk I should say), but it felt good to get out and exercise. I had to mark in FF that I had a headache, even though it was mild, because I took tylenol for it. I figure if it's bad enough to take meds, its bad enough to record. It was just really wearing on me - kind of that constant nagging. But, I feel like the cloud has lifted and I'm actually feeling quite good right now!
Well, so far I have a "high" on my fertility monitor, but have had no + OPK test yet. CM is really poor quality this month even though I'm taking Mucinex. I marked "watery" because that's what it was, but it was really scant at best. I think I'll really have to rely on preseed to help me out - but I'm trying to save it for closer to when I O because I only have a few left!
Hope everyone else is doing great! xoxo Yo!
I had to steel this expression from Jen, because I think she's right! At least when you're on clomid.... I guess it's because you have to be so responsible about everything: taking Mucinex, taking clomid, BDing at the right time, taking OPK tests, looking for CM, etc. I guess you can call it the "active" part of your cycle. The TWW is then just waiting around for something to happen and you really can't do ANYTHING during that phase but keep yourself busy doing other things and taking care of your body. That's it!
I think my headache finally went away about 30 minutes ago. I went on a 4 mile run (run/walk I should say), but it felt good to get out and exercise. I had to mark in FF that I had a headache, even though it was mild, because I took tylenol for it. I figure if it's bad enough to take meds, its bad enough to record. It was just really wearing on me - kind of that constant nagging. But, I feel like the cloud has lifted and I'm actually feeling quite good right now!
Well, so far I have a "high" on my fertility monitor, but have had no + OPK test yet. CM is really poor quality this month even though I'm taking Mucinex. I marked "watery" because that's what it was, but it was really scant at best. I think I'll really have to rely on preseed to help me out - but I'm trying to save it for closer to when I O because I only have a few left!
Hope everyone else is doing great! xoxo Yo!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
CD 8...waiting to O!
Hi everyone!
Well, officially finished with the clomid and now it's time to get the BD on! Yes, DH and I have already started, so we're doing our part. Helps that "our part" is so much fun! DH is so cute - I can't wait to tell my baby, "I loved you before you were a twinkle in your Daddy's eyes!"
As far as side effects, I still have a very mild headache, but not enough to list in FF as I only notice it when I'm thinking about it. I am also feeling a bit tired and achy, and I'm having some interesting pressure in my ovary area. I read a post on FF from someone who took clomid also that gave a perfect description, so I'll use it. I'm feeling like I have gas, but I feel it right in the area of my ovaries. Not something I feel I could document on FF, just interesting. Like I said earlier, maybe it's my little ovaries making follies in overtime! I like that thought!
Fertility monitor lists me as "high" but no positive OPK yet. I am very curious as to when I'll ovulate this month, because I know with clomid that sometimes it can happen later on in the cycle. I'll keep you all posted! That's all for now. Time to get my study on...lots to learn before I graduate!
xoxo Yo!
Well, officially finished with the clomid and now it's time to get the BD on! Yes, DH and I have already started, so we're doing our part. Helps that "our part" is so much fun! DH is so cute - I can't wait to tell my baby, "I loved you before you were a twinkle in your Daddy's eyes!"
As far as side effects, I still have a very mild headache, but not enough to list in FF as I only notice it when I'm thinking about it. I am also feeling a bit tired and achy, and I'm having some interesting pressure in my ovary area. I read a post on FF from someone who took clomid also that gave a perfect description, so I'll use it. I'm feeling like I have gas, but I feel it right in the area of my ovaries. Not something I feel I could document on FF, just interesting. Like I said earlier, maybe it's my little ovaries making follies in overtime! I like that thought!
Fertility monitor lists me as "high" but no positive OPK yet. I am very curious as to when I'll ovulate this month, because I know with clomid that sometimes it can happen later on in the cycle. I'll keep you all posted! That's all for now. Time to get my study on...lots to learn before I graduate!
xoxo Yo!
Monday, March 24, 2008
Clomid Round One - 5th and Final Day
Hi all,
I take may last pill tonight. Wow, these past 5 days have gone quickly. My only real side effect today was a mild headache all day and a tiny, tiny bit of moodiness. But, it really wasn't all that bad to be honest. I do wonder, however, what the remaining days will bring because the whole point of taking clomid in the beginning of your cycle is to alter your hormones to stimulate better ovulation. In any case, I'll keep posting here as I see the need to share my experiences. One good thing to report is that DH and I have started BDing again, and seems like the Mucinex is helping! Yay!
My fertility monitor gave me a high today, but I think it might have been a weird test. OPK was definitely negative. I am keeping them to compare them so I can see the change in the lines this month. I'll take serial OPKs as I get closer to have a better idea of when my LH surge happens. I never really get a super dark line, never darker than the control, so I hope that changes this cycle. We'll see though!
That's it for tonight. Lots of love going out there to my BBC and lurker friends.
To steal a wonderful idea from JenMonty:
"I have a reason to smile today because...I have a loving husband who shares this amazing journey of life with me."
xoxo Yo!
I take may last pill tonight. Wow, these past 5 days have gone quickly. My only real side effect today was a mild headache all day and a tiny, tiny bit of moodiness. But, it really wasn't all that bad to be honest. I do wonder, however, what the remaining days will bring because the whole point of taking clomid in the beginning of your cycle is to alter your hormones to stimulate better ovulation. In any case, I'll keep posting here as I see the need to share my experiences. One good thing to report is that DH and I have started BDing again, and seems like the Mucinex is helping! Yay!
My fertility monitor gave me a high today, but I think it might have been a weird test. OPK was definitely negative. I am keeping them to compare them so I can see the change in the lines this month. I'll take serial OPKs as I get closer to have a better idea of when my LH surge happens. I never really get a super dark line, never darker than the control, so I hope that changes this cycle. We'll see though!
That's it for tonight. Lots of love going out there to my BBC and lurker friends.
To steal a wonderful idea from JenMonty:
"I have a reason to smile today because...I have a loving husband who shares this amazing journey of life with me."
xoxo Yo!
Sunday, March 23, 2008
4th Clomid Pill Tonight
Hi all!
Well, I think I spoke too soon about no side effects. Today I felt a little emotional and moody, and tonight I'm feeling a bit nauseous. DH and I talked about BDing tonight, but we'll see. Maybe I'll take some antacids to see if that helps. Also, wondering if anyone else got heartburn while taking clomid. It's always been a problem for me in general, but I'm now realizing that it started again a day or two ago, so maybe it's related.
The other side effects that I'm "blaming" on clomid, was a headache and a little a fatigued. I've been very careful the past couple of days to get tons of sleep, so I can't really blame it on anything else. I took a 30 minute nap, and that seemed to help, but I still feel a little off and fatigued.
Oh, and I think I'm feeling my ovaries doing stuff...don't know what exactly, but feel a slight "pressure" in that area...hopefully, they're making some nice follies for this cycle!
All-in-all though, not too bad - I think my description above probably sounds worse than it really is, and I'm not complaining, just reporting. If I get my BFP out of this, I'll jump up and down for joy!
Thanks for reading - hope it help anyone who is interested!
xoxo Yo!
Well, I think I spoke too soon about no side effects. Today I felt a little emotional and moody, and tonight I'm feeling a bit nauseous. DH and I talked about BDing tonight, but we'll see. Maybe I'll take some antacids to see if that helps. Also, wondering if anyone else got heartburn while taking clomid. It's always been a problem for me in general, but I'm now realizing that it started again a day or two ago, so maybe it's related.
The other side effects that I'm "blaming" on clomid, was a headache and a little a fatigued. I've been very careful the past couple of days to get tons of sleep, so I can't really blame it on anything else. I took a 30 minute nap, and that seemed to help, but I still feel a little off and fatigued.
Oh, and I think I'm feeling my ovaries doing stuff...don't know what exactly, but feel a slight "pressure" in that area...hopefully, they're making some nice follies for this cycle!
All-in-all though, not too bad - I think my description above probably sounds worse than it really is, and I'm not complaining, just reporting. If I get my BFP out of this, I'll jump up and down for joy!
Thanks for reading - hope it help anyone who is interested!
xoxo Yo!
What Nobody Told You About TTC
Hi all - I read this on a myspace group that I lurk occasionally and thought I'd share it with you all. I thought some of these were spot on, and some that others could probably relate to. I deleted some because I didn't feel like they were in the right spirit of my TTC journey on this blog. I tend to be an optimist and some were a bit negative. Hope you all enjoy this!
"What nobody told you about trying to conceive." (Edited)
"What nobody told you about trying to conceive." (Edited)
- That unprotected sex doesn’t necessarily lead to pregnancy.
- That your sex life would start to resemble a science experiment.
- That you would see your OBGYN/RE more often than your DH at O time.
- That the longer you TTC, the more PG women spring up around you.
- That one day you wouldn’t mind checking your CM or CP to see if it is your fertile period.
- That I should have gone to medical school like my mom wanted, because I’ve had to do so much medical research by now just to figure out what was wrong with me, I might as well be an M.D.
- That I would know more about the female reproductive system and menstrual cycle than most of the doctors I go to.
- That living your life in 2 week increments would be the norm.
- That you never knew how much you wanted to see those 2 pink lines......until only one shows up every month.
- That simply relaxing will NOT get you pregnant. (your dh has to do some work too)
- That you have no control over some of the goals you set....
- That wishing really hard for something doesn’t make it happen, and staring at your chart doesn’t make it change!
- That a pregnancy doesn’t always equal a baby.
- That miscarriage is so common.
- That I would wish we had started TTC earlier.
- That my friends’ pregnancies would start to make me sad instead of happy.
- That I wasted ALOT of money on birth control pills!!
- That it would help bring a group of wonderful, caring, funny, empathetic women together like this.
- That I’d EVER be willing to stab myself in the stomach or @ss every day in the hopes that it will help get me PG.
- That it wouldn’t happen the first time you didn’t use birth control like we were led to believe in school.
- That you wouldn’t know how important a baby was to you until it took so long and you realized what you were willing to go through to make it happen.
- That family would act like getting pregnant was a competition between all the young couples in the family, and the first one to get pg "wins".
- That my DH is the most wonderful and caring man!
- That it is insensitive to ask people when they are having a baby!
- That women who do get pregnant are so very blessed!
- That had I bought stock in Clearblue Easy I’d have my mansion on St. Pete’s Beach in FL by now.
- That docs should prescribe Zoloft with Clomid.
- That it does not get easier, each cycle is harder than the last.
- That a group of "strangers" who I will probably never meet, have now become my "best friends" when it comes to ttc.
- That I would splash urine on my face while taking apart an hpt in the hopes there really was a 2nd pink line hiding in it.
- That talking about sex with fellow TTCers would be so easy.
- That infertility is more common than you think.
- That DH would get used to doing his ’thing’ in a jar.
- That one day all of this will make us stronger.
- That there is sometimes darkness (infertility) before the light (a baby).
- That infertility is not as rare as I was led to believe.
- That I would find it difficult to be happy for other people’s pregnancies and that I would hide my sadness from them upon hearing their news.
- That I would make so many new, wonderful friends who totally get how I feel because we all suffer from the same affliction of infertility.
- That there is nothing to aid conception in the water at work, despite what some may say.
- That I would know about other peoples’ BD, CP, CM but not know there real name, their DH’s name, or their occupation.
- That I could spend so much time and money on figuring out what my body is doing (or not doing).
- I had no idea your uterus could be misshaped.
- That a simple blood test costs $648!
- That sex could ever become a chore!
- That actually having a miscarriage would allow me to understand the loss that others have felt and that it would make me want a baby even more than before!
- That I would resent someone who has been trying less time than me telling me "I know how you feel...."
- That DH would be overly concerned that our BD positions were the most effective ones!
- That I would become addicted to POAS and not sleep at night because I couldn’t wait to POAS in the morning!
- That I would learn to speak in code - "I checked CM which was EWCM but when I will POAS who knows, DH won’t let me for fear of BFN."
- That you HAVE to have sex even though you don’t feel like it, but because your FM says high or peak.
- That I would hear well-meaning questions like: "Have you thought of taking your temperature?" (and this is after 20 months TTC...)
- That my brother, who started TTC at the same time we did and whose wife got PG three months later, would go on and on telling me how tough and tiring life with a baby is, and then finish with: "You have no idea what it’s like!"
- That we would have to schedule a BD session so DH could do it in a cup a few days later.
- That I might have to help DH do it in a cup.
- That my friends who started TTC # 1 around the same time we did would already be pregnant with 2 before we get pregnant with 1.
- That I spent years trying not to get pregnant, and praying for my period. Now I can’t seem to lose the witch!
- It’s good to know I am not alone.
- That sex does NOT ALWAYS lead to pregnancy.
- That you only have one 24-hour fertile time during the month.
- That you would be keeping it a secret from everyone.
- That you feel useless as a female.
- That you feel stupid and naive for thinking a pregnancy would occur "when it was supposed to."
- That I would meet such wonderful group of people that I can share my sorrow, frustration and fears with.
Hope everyone has had a great weekend. xoxo Yo!
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Clomid Chronicles - Day 3
Hi all,
I'm now officially on day 3 of clomid. I really haven't felt much in terms of side effects, which is think is good. I guess I am a tiny bit moody, but I've really tried to keep it under control as much as I can. I think it helps that I have been sleeping pretty well, and for 7-8 hours per night.
I did have a ton of energy today which is nice and even got to go out running. I was able to walk/run 3 miles, so I'm pretty happy with that. I also had the chance to hang out with my big brother and his wife, and they always bring a smile to my face. They are hoping to get pregnant this year also, so, with any luck, maybe we'll be pregnant together!
Thanks for reading - hope this is giving all those who care another view into the clomid world!
Happy Easter to everyone!
xoxo Yo!
PS - MY UCLA BRUINS WON!!! It was a nail biter, but we did it. On to the Sweet 16 next week. YAY!
PSS - Hummm, I may have just had a very mini-hot flash. I was sitting here writing, and all of a sudden I got very warm. No sweating or anything, but real feeling of warmness and for a very short time. Interesting....I'll keep you all posted!
I'm now officially on day 3 of clomid. I really haven't felt much in terms of side effects, which is think is good. I guess I am a tiny bit moody, but I've really tried to keep it under control as much as I can. I think it helps that I have been sleeping pretty well, and for 7-8 hours per night.
I did have a ton of energy today which is nice and even got to go out running. I was able to walk/run 3 miles, so I'm pretty happy with that. I also had the chance to hang out with my big brother and his wife, and they always bring a smile to my face. They are hoping to get pregnant this year also, so, with any luck, maybe we'll be pregnant together!
Thanks for reading - hope this is giving all those who care another view into the clomid world!
Happy Easter to everyone!
xoxo Yo!
PS - MY UCLA BRUINS WON!!! It was a nail biter, but we did it. On to the Sweet 16 next week. YAY!
PSS - Hummm, I may have just had a very mini-hot flash. I was sitting here writing, and all of a sudden I got very warm. No sweating or anything, but real feeling of warmness and for a very short time. Interesting....I'll keep you all posted!
Vivid Dreams
Good morning!
Okay, don't know if this is a product of clomid or not, but I'm just realizing that last night and the night before I had VERY strange and vivid dreams. I can't remember what they were about right now (typical for me...I rarely remember my dreams), but I know I woke up thinking I should post that. I remember when I was PG a year ago, I had a dream actually seeing the sperm swim into the egg right about the time I ovulated, then many strange ones just before I tested. I'm guessing that when my hormones leves are different than normal, my dreams decided to come to the forefront!
Other than that, still spotting a bit from AF, but feeling rested and good. Nothing else to report right now. Hope everyone is doing great!
My UCLA Bruins play at 6:15pm tonight - wish them tremendous luck!!!
xoxo Yo!
Okay, don't know if this is a product of clomid or not, but I'm just realizing that last night and the night before I had VERY strange and vivid dreams. I can't remember what they were about right now (typical for me...I rarely remember my dreams), but I know I woke up thinking I should post that. I remember when I was PG a year ago, I had a dream actually seeing the sperm swim into the egg right about the time I ovulated, then many strange ones just before I tested. I'm guessing that when my hormones leves are different than normal, my dreams decided to come to the forefront!
Other than that, still spotting a bit from AF, but feeling rested and good. Nothing else to report right now. Hope everyone is doing great!
My UCLA Bruins play at 6:15pm tonight - wish them tremendous luck!!!
xoxo Yo!
Friday, March 21, 2008
Clomid - Day 2
Hi all,
Just writing to let you know how my day went. I really can't say I felt any difference, maybe a tiny bit testy when the IKEA service wasn't exactly up-to-par this morning, but it all ended up okay. Right now, I do have very tiny headache, but probably more related to the concentrating I had to do to put together the wardrobe unit I purchased. I do really love it, and our bedroom looks soooo much better now.
So, basically, nothing yet that I would consider a real side effect of taking clomid...let's hope the only side effect of taking clomid is a healthy pregnancy!
Wishing my UCLA Bruin basketball team great luck in their game tomorrow against Texas A&M. Go Bruins!
xoxo Yo!
Just writing to let you know how my day went. I really can't say I felt any difference, maybe a tiny bit testy when the IKEA service wasn't exactly up-to-par this morning, but it all ended up okay. Right now, I do have very tiny headache, but probably more related to the concentrating I had to do to put together the wardrobe unit I purchased. I do really love it, and our bedroom looks soooo much better now.
So, basically, nothing yet that I would consider a real side effect of taking clomid...let's hope the only side effect of taking clomid is a healthy pregnancy!
Wishing my UCLA Bruin basketball team great luck in their game tomorrow against Texas A&M. Go Bruins!
xoxo Yo!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Clomid - night one
Hi all,
Just letting those who check in that I took my first 50mg clomid pill tonight. So far, haven't felt at thing and it's been about an hour - I guess that's good! We'll see what tomorrow brings. I'm going to bed now!
One more side note...my little UCLA Bruin basketball team won in the first round. GO BRUINS!!!
xoxo Yo!
Just letting those who check in that I took my first 50mg clomid pill tonight. So far, haven't felt at thing and it's been about an hour - I guess that's good! We'll see what tomorrow brings. I'm going to bed now!
One more side note...my little UCLA Bruin basketball team won in the first round. GO BRUINS!!!
xoxo Yo!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
One more day
One more day until I try clomid. DH and I have been trying for 18 months, one miscarriage and one chemical pregnancy. Don't get me wrong, we've had a ton of fun, but sometimes, it feels like business more than pleasure.
So I saw the dr today for an ultrasound of my ovaries. They do this to make sure you don't have any cysts. If you do, clomid isn't a good choice because it helps to stimulate your ovaries, and overstimulation of cysts leads to larger cysts, which can be very painful and lead to temporary infertility. Well, mine were normal and she saw two developing follicles there - YAY! She gave me the prescription, and I was off. I am to take it on the evenings of cycle day 3-7. Cycle day three for me is tomorrow. I will be taking 50mg. There are varying medical opinions of what days to take clomid - some say day 5-9, some say day 3-7. I'm not sure what the difference is, so I'll just trust my dr's clinical experience. I really, really, really hope that this leads to pregnancy...I've longed for it for more than a year.
So, like my friend Jen, I will try to document every day that I take clomid. I'm not sure what to expect exactly because every woman is different. I might have hot flashes, ovarian pain, or other symptoms. I think it would be very weird to get a hot flash...I feel way too young to think about that yet. After all, I'm only 39...ha!
So DH will be on a trip to Las Vegas this weekend to watch March madness with his old fraternity brothers. This is a yearly trip and I'm so happy this working out that he can go and just relax. He really needs it. Plus, hopefully, he'll miss any hormonal happenings due to the clomid, which is good.
That's it for now. Hope everyone is doing great. Thanks for reading my blog!
Yo
So I saw the dr today for an ultrasound of my ovaries. They do this to make sure you don't have any cysts. If you do, clomid isn't a good choice because it helps to stimulate your ovaries, and overstimulation of cysts leads to larger cysts, which can be very painful and lead to temporary infertility. Well, mine were normal and she saw two developing follicles there - YAY! She gave me the prescription, and I was off. I am to take it on the evenings of cycle day 3-7. Cycle day three for me is tomorrow. I will be taking 50mg. There are varying medical opinions of what days to take clomid - some say day 5-9, some say day 3-7. I'm not sure what the difference is, so I'll just trust my dr's clinical experience. I really, really, really hope that this leads to pregnancy...I've longed for it for more than a year.
So, like my friend Jen, I will try to document every day that I take clomid. I'm not sure what to expect exactly because every woman is different. I might have hot flashes, ovarian pain, or other symptoms. I think it would be very weird to get a hot flash...I feel way too young to think about that yet. After all, I'm only 39...ha!
So DH will be on a trip to Las Vegas this weekend to watch March madness with his old fraternity brothers. This is a yearly trip and I'm so happy this working out that he can go and just relax. He really needs it. Plus, hopefully, he'll miss any hormonal happenings due to the clomid, which is good.
That's it for now. Hope everyone is doing great. Thanks for reading my blog!
Yo
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Acupuncture
Well, my previous dr suggested I try acupuncture to boost my fertility, so I am taking advantage of services offered by my university for now. It only costs $20 per treatment, instead of $100 or more at other places. It's very interesting to me and I believe that we don't fully understand the benefits of Eastern medicine. This time she had needles (no, it doesn't hurt when they put them in) in my feet, hands, head, face and belly. She also put a "cup-like" thing on my belly, but I didn't ask what it was for. I remained in that state for about an hour and tried to fall asleep as she suggested. While I was in a quasi-dream state, I felt a "rush" sensation about half-way through the treatment in my abdominal area. Don't know if it was a dream or a feeling related to the treatment. We'll see what happens!
As strange as last cycle last one was, this one seems much better. AND, I think I'm going to O significantly earlier than all of my other cycles. My OPK test today is almost a positive, and my fertility monitor gave me a peak for two days in a row. The monitor is interesting, and I've been looking at the lines to see if I can see what is increasing. Last month, the line on the right never got very bright. This month, the line on the left has been dimming (I'm guessing that's the estrogen hormone test line) and the line on the right is darker than I've ever seen it (I'm guessing that's the leutinizing hormone). I'm not temping this month, but since I'm getting "peak" on the monitor, it is tempting me to do so. For now, I'll just have fun with DH until I leave on my trip to Oregon and we'll see what this cycle does.
As strange as last cycle last one was, this one seems much better. AND, I think I'm going to O significantly earlier than all of my other cycles. My OPK test today is almost a positive, and my fertility monitor gave me a peak for two days in a row. The monitor is interesting, and I've been looking at the lines to see if I can see what is increasing. Last month, the line on the right never got very bright. This month, the line on the left has been dimming (I'm guessing that's the estrogen hormone test line) and the line on the right is darker than I've ever seen it (I'm guessing that's the leutinizing hormone). I'm not temping this month, but since I'm getting "peak" on the monitor, it is tempting me to do so. For now, I'll just have fun with DH until I leave on my trip to Oregon and we'll see what this cycle does.
Friday, February 22, 2008
One more unassissted cycle...
...so the TTC (trying to conceive) saga continues. I was so hopeful last spring and summer, and even though I had 2 miscarriages last year, it still showed me that at least the parts were working. I actually had two cycles where I had a BFP. Since then, I feel as dry as the desert.
I started taking my basal body temperature (BBT) last June. I had no idea about my body at that time, and it's amazing how much I know now. So, I had a couple of VERY short cycles last summer - around 22-23 days, with NO positive OPK tests. I wasn't temping then, so I am not sure I ever ovulated. Since then, I am pretty sure I've ovulated, especially starting in August through December. And, my CM (I won't spell out this abbreviation...those of you who know what it means will understand, those of you who don't probably will think TMI), my CM was amazing. EW and W almost constantly from end of AF until I O'd. I felt so young again!
This month has been VERY strange. Microscopic amounts of fertile CM. Of the days I logged it on FF (fertilityfriend.com), it was scant at best. But, I had hope still. On the day most people and FF think I O'd, I had had some drinks with DH and I think it raised my temp the next day. If you take that temp out, my temps look pretty flat. It makes me think that my follicles are just not getting to the size they need to me. When your follicles are small, and underdeveloped, you don't produce enough progesterone to sustain a pregnancy. My old dr said I tested low on progesterone, which is one of the reasons I am taking it after what I believe is my ovulation date. Then, when my period started this cycle, I haven't even needed to use a tampon...only a minipad, which is really meant for only spotting. Almost like my uterus wasn't even fertile enough to sustain itself, let alone a baby. And, strangely enough, my hormones were crazy (by judging from my crying at the littlest of things) last Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Now, I have NO emotional hormone symptoms - I actually feel like I'm about to O now...hopeful and happy.
Well, DH and I were going to start clomid this month, but I'll be in Oregon for 4 days at EXACTLY the time I expect to ovulate this cycle. We decided that instead of starting and having NO hope of conceiving this month with clomid, we'd wait one more cycle and start then. As you may have read from my previous post, we were told that we should take clomid in consecutive months, and then only for six months max. We didn't want to "waste" one month when we knew I would be gone and have NO chance to conceive during my fertile window.
So, now we wait...patiently...for the little bean that I want so badly. Some days I think the day will never come, some days I feel so confident and sure it will. For now, I have to trust in God and take each day as a blessing. For life is a fragile thing - if we don't take advantage of it now, it may be gone before we know it.
I started taking my basal body temperature (BBT) last June. I had no idea about my body at that time, and it's amazing how much I know now. So, I had a couple of VERY short cycles last summer - around 22-23 days, with NO positive OPK tests. I wasn't temping then, so I am not sure I ever ovulated. Since then, I am pretty sure I've ovulated, especially starting in August through December. And, my CM (I won't spell out this abbreviation...those of you who know what it means will understand, those of you who don't probably will think TMI), my CM was amazing. EW and W almost constantly from end of AF until I O'd. I felt so young again!
This month has been VERY strange. Microscopic amounts of fertile CM. Of the days I logged it on FF (fertilityfriend.com), it was scant at best. But, I had hope still. On the day most people and FF think I O'd, I had had some drinks with DH and I think it raised my temp the next day. If you take that temp out, my temps look pretty flat. It makes me think that my follicles are just not getting to the size they need to me. When your follicles are small, and underdeveloped, you don't produce enough progesterone to sustain a pregnancy. My old dr said I tested low on progesterone, which is one of the reasons I am taking it after what I believe is my ovulation date. Then, when my period started this cycle, I haven't even needed to use a tampon...only a minipad, which is really meant for only spotting. Almost like my uterus wasn't even fertile enough to sustain itself, let alone a baby. And, strangely enough, my hormones were crazy (by judging from my crying at the littlest of things) last Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Now, I have NO emotional hormone symptoms - I actually feel like I'm about to O now...hopeful and happy.
Well, DH and I were going to start clomid this month, but I'll be in Oregon for 4 days at EXACTLY the time I expect to ovulate this cycle. We decided that instead of starting and having NO hope of conceiving this month with clomid, we'd wait one more cycle and start then. As you may have read from my previous post, we were told that we should take clomid in consecutive months, and then only for six months max. We didn't want to "waste" one month when we knew I would be gone and have NO chance to conceive during my fertile window.
So, now we wait...patiently...for the little bean that I want so badly. Some days I think the day will never come, some days I feel so confident and sure it will. For now, I have to trust in God and take each day as a blessing. For life is a fragile thing - if we don't take advantage of it now, it may be gone before we know it.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
New Horizons...hopefully soon!
Well, we FINALLY got in to see our new OB/GYN. Seems like it's taken FOREVER. I wish we could have been taking clomid starting in January, but it was just not to be. Let me lay some groundwork for those of you who don't know my whole story.
Oct 2006 - stopped taking BCP
December 2006 - got BFP (aka big fat positive, or positive pregnancy test)
January 2007 - miscarried the pregnancy after 7 weeks, 4 days
April 2007 - BFP again, only to start my period 7 days later
nothing of consequence since
So, we were working with a doctor with our old health insurance which was a PPO. Infertility was NOT covered, so we decided to change to an HMO so that 50% of infertility treatments are covered. That leads us to seeing our doctor today. Both DH (darling husband) and I really liked her. She looked at all my past paperwork and thought all my tests looked great. Good to hear. She's going to prescribe us clomid the next cycle it makes sense for us. It's a matter of timing though...I'll be gone for 4 days right around the time I ovulate. It makes NO sense to go on clomid if DH and I won't be able to try during that time. So, I'll have to wait to see when I get AF to know how the timing works with my trip. AND, you can only take clomid for 6 months total - and it should be consecutive months. The drug has a cumulative effect. If you skip a month, you still only get a total of 6 months, no more. So, we need to clear our calendar for the next six months to make sure we can make all of our appointments! Once we do start, here's what we do:
Day 1, 2, or 3 - go into the office for u/s of ovaries to check for any cysts. If there are cysts, clomid isn't a good choice.
Day 3-7 - take clomid
Day 21 - come in and take a progesterone test
Day 28...hope and pray for a BFP!
We try 50mg of clomid for the first 2 months, trying naturally. Then try going up to 100mg for 2 months, with or without IUI (intrauterine insemination), then 150mg for 2 months. If clomid doesn't work within 6 months, our dr said that it is contraindicated to use it any longer and a dr can be cited (at least in California) for using it longer.
Now, the IUI procedure...that's a whole other story for another day. I'll save that for when we actually do it, if it gets to that point.
So that's the deal so far. It is really interesting how dr's approach infertility differently. Our other doctor wanted us to have one ultrasound to check follicles every day for 10 days during the each clomid cycle. This was going to cost us at least $500 for the ultrasounds and $1,000 for the IUI. The approach of our new doctor will be MUCH cheaper where the ultrasound only costs us $75, and IUI only costs $75. Nice to know all of this in advance!
I really hope that we can become pregnant after all of this...not sure if we want to have the expense of doing and IVF or not...maybe it's something to talk about once I'm working again.
That's all for this post - thanks for reading!
Yo
Oct 2006 - stopped taking BCP
December 2006 - got BFP (aka big fat positive, or positive pregnancy test)
January 2007 - miscarried the pregnancy after 7 weeks, 4 days
April 2007 - BFP again, only to start my period 7 days later
nothing of consequence since
So, we were working with a doctor with our old health insurance which was a PPO. Infertility was NOT covered, so we decided to change to an HMO so that 50% of infertility treatments are covered. That leads us to seeing our doctor today. Both DH (darling husband) and I really liked her. She looked at all my past paperwork and thought all my tests looked great. Good to hear. She's going to prescribe us clomid the next cycle it makes sense for us. It's a matter of timing though...I'll be gone for 4 days right around the time I ovulate. It makes NO sense to go on clomid if DH and I won't be able to try during that time. So, I'll have to wait to see when I get AF to know how the timing works with my trip. AND, you can only take clomid for 6 months total - and it should be consecutive months. The drug has a cumulative effect. If you skip a month, you still only get a total of 6 months, no more. So, we need to clear our calendar for the next six months to make sure we can make all of our appointments! Once we do start, here's what we do:
Day 1, 2, or 3 - go into the office for u/s of ovaries to check for any cysts. If there are cysts, clomid isn't a good choice.
Day 3-7 - take clomid
Day 21 - come in and take a progesterone test
Day 28...hope and pray for a BFP!
We try 50mg of clomid for the first 2 months, trying naturally. Then try going up to 100mg for 2 months, with or without IUI (intrauterine insemination), then 150mg for 2 months. If clomid doesn't work within 6 months, our dr said that it is contraindicated to use it any longer and a dr can be cited (at least in California) for using it longer.
Now, the IUI procedure...that's a whole other story for another day. I'll save that for when we actually do it, if it gets to that point.
So that's the deal so far. It is really interesting how dr's approach infertility differently. Our other doctor wanted us to have one ultrasound to check follicles every day for 10 days during the each clomid cycle. This was going to cost us at least $500 for the ultrasounds and $1,000 for the IUI. The approach of our new doctor will be MUCH cheaper where the ultrasound only costs us $75, and IUI only costs $75. Nice to know all of this in advance!
I really hope that we can become pregnant after all of this...not sure if we want to have the expense of doing and IVF or not...maybe it's something to talk about once I'm working again.
That's all for this post - thanks for reading!
Yo
Thursday, January 3, 2008
The first entry
Well, I've always liked writing in a diary, but never thought of trying it as a blog. I've had several friends try it who seem to like blogging. I on the other hand am a little concerned with how much I'd like to say. I think I'll try using it for a while without telling anyone that I know and then see if I stay current.
My husband is intensely private and I like to respect his wishes. So, there may be subjects I don't discuss or that I tread lightly with. For now, a little about me. I was a nationally ranked gymnast growing up and competed at UCLA on a scholarship. I've worked in politics as an event planner, and then at a foundation doing similar things. I then decided a desk job wasn't for me. I took a leap of faith, quit my job and went back to school to get a masters in physical therapy degree. It took a lot of community college courses to get the proper prerequisites - chemistry, physics, anatomy, physiology, and psychology. I finally started in August 2005 and it is a three-year, full-time program. I now have one semester left and I just can't believe it. I am really loving what I'm doing.
I was married August 29, 2006 to a wonderful person. We've decided to try to start a family and have been trying since October 2006. We can't wait to be parents one day and we will probably adopt children as well as try to have our own.
For now, I must sign off...I have a big gymnastic meet that I am judging this weekend and will be gone Fri, Sat, Sun and still have some preparation to do. Hope you enjoy my blog - we'll see where it takes me.
My husband is intensely private and I like to respect his wishes. So, there may be subjects I don't discuss or that I tread lightly with. For now, a little about me. I was a nationally ranked gymnast growing up and competed at UCLA on a scholarship. I've worked in politics as an event planner, and then at a foundation doing similar things. I then decided a desk job wasn't for me. I took a leap of faith, quit my job and went back to school to get a masters in physical therapy degree. It took a lot of community college courses to get the proper prerequisites - chemistry, physics, anatomy, physiology, and psychology. I finally started in August 2005 and it is a three-year, full-time program. I now have one semester left and I just can't believe it. I am really loving what I'm doing.
I was married August 29, 2006 to a wonderful person. We've decided to try to start a family and have been trying since October 2006. We can't wait to be parents one day and we will probably adopt children as well as try to have our own.
For now, I must sign off...I have a big gymnastic meet that I am judging this weekend and will be gone Fri, Sat, Sun and still have some preparation to do. Hope you enjoy my blog - we'll see where it takes me.
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