Queer TTC December 2008 - Page 2

[DM630]

I got the results of my progesterone test. My level was only 5..They want it to be at least 10. I am going to start taking progesterone supplements tonight to help compensate. The Dr. is baffelled. They said that my cycle looked good so they don't know why my levels are so low. It makes me sad that maybe this cycle didn't work

[FtMPapa]

Oh noes! I have the very beginnings of what might be kind of greyish spotting...which I often get 24 hours before I start bleeding.

Still, even if it is the end of this try for me, I did have a 14 day LP, so that's a good thing.

I stocked up on tests this afternoon, and the cashier at DollarTree was like "They really work!" and pointed to her little but growing baby bump. That's gotta be good luck, if not for this month, then for next.

[carmen358]

Originally Posted by DM630

I got the results of my progesterone test. My level was only 5..They want it to be at least 10. I am going to start taking progesterone supplements tonight to help compensate. The Dr. is baffelled. They said that my cycle looked good so they don't know why my levels are so low. It makes me sad that maybe this cycle didn't work

Sorry to hear that. Was this the first time you've had your progesterone tested? Does just one number tell the complete story? Or is it like hcg and they have to test twice?

Originally Posted by FtMPapa

Oh noes! I have the very beginnings of what might be kind of greyish spotting...which I often get 24 hours before I start bleeding.

Still, even if it is the end of this try for me, I did have a 14 day LP, so that's a good thing.

I stocked up on tests this afternoon, and the cashier at DollarTree was like "They really work!" and pointed to her little but growing baby bump. That's gotta be good luck, if not for this month, then for next.

Sorry.

lol at the cashier..yes, that has to be luck!

[erthe_mama]

Originally Posted by FtMPapa

And the zit - because I know Erthe Mama is dying to know - is just a painful cystic lil' thing, and it's not going anywhere.

You're right... I was waiting and waiting for the news on that "zit". lol Sorry to hear about you BFN though. Are you going to test again tomorrow just in case?


Megin, I'm so sorry to see the news.

[FtMPapa]

Originally Posted by erthe_mama

You're right... I was waiting and waiting for the news on that "zit". lol Sorry to hear about you BFN though. Are you going to test again tomorrow just in case?

It ain't over 'til I'm bleeding. A little grey spot that I wouldn't have even seen if I wasn't checking for it does not count. And you know I'll update soon as I can.

Does anyone else get so preoccupied with TTC that they FORGET STUFF?

Like, I was supposed to stay in my office working until 4 and then return until whenever I was ready to collapse, but my two officemates had the same idea, so I blew home before 3:00, completely forgetting my 4 pm appointment, and I forgot to pick up my book order at the library, and now I'm home "working" with no books...and some people feeling stood up, because there's no way they got my e-mail in time, and I have zero desire to actually work. Though I am, once I get my butt off MDC.

I am such a flake! I even had all this stuff on my calendar - and I'm going to go back to campus to get the books, later, like when my work here is finished for the night.

[DM630]

Originally Posted by carmen358

Sorry to hear that. Was this the first time you've had your progesterone tested? Does just one number tell the complete story? Or is it like hcg and they have to test twice?

They test one week after ovulation to test and see how strong the ovulation was. When the level returns to 0 AF starts.

I was able to talk to the nurse again and she was able to calm my fears. She told me not to give up hope and that it doesn't mean that the IUI didn't work, it just shows that my body may not produce enough progesterone on its own. I am now doing progesterone suppositories twice a day ...fun fun... Unfortunately a side effect of the progesterone is that it will make me feel like I am pregnant. I will have symptoms and won't know if it is meds or the real thing. That is enough to make you crazy.

About an hour and a half after I talked to the nurse the first time, I got to meet with my supervisor for my annual review..At that point I was really not in the mood and pretending that all was ok. Well I got my review bonus and the amount is equal to what we are paying for sperm. I had been concerned before that if this cycle didn't work I would not know when we would have the money to try again, now I do. DP feels that this was a sign. So we either have money for the next cycle or extra money for baby stuff. I am hoping that it is money for baby stuff.

[erthe_mama]

Originally Posted by FtMPapa

It ain't over 'til I'm bleeding. A little grey spot that I wouldn't have even seen if I wasn't checking for it does not count. And you know I'll update soon as I can.

Does anyone else get so preoccupied with TTC that they FORGET STUFF?

W00t! Lookin forward to updates as always.

Umm... I'm like that without being preoccupied with ttc. I'm usually saved by the fact that my bbp has an events calendar and makes a beep-y sound whenever I have something coming up. Sounds like you could use one. On the other hand, my dp loathes my alarm sound on it. It sounds like a gong. I think it's serene, and she always dreams of someone banging on a gong and wakes up ready to kill them. I should probably change it... heehee


So, weird news: my cycles which generally average 90 days have now (kind of) shortened to 22. At least temporarily. I had some spotting and a light period on day 22. That is so unusual for me... wonder what's going on? I also went to have my blood tested today for wonky hormones. Yay. At least the lab technician was a good one. I hardly felt the needle... some of those people just butcher my arms. Ugh.

[carmen358]

Insem #2 complete

If temp stays up tomorrow and Thursday we're done and with pretty good timing I think! If temp drops before or on Thursday we will also insem Thursday night. And hopefully that's it for this cycle.

Bring on the 2WW!

5 minutes after insem'ing last night I intensely craved a veggie dog with sauerkraut...I took that as a good sign

[indigoscot]

DM, sorry about the progesterone level. did your doc give you an u/s to see if the follicle(s) actually ruptured? that's often a good sign that ovulation happened and was good. i've also heard of clinics doing an e2 check before ovulation which can indicate if the follicle contains a mature egg.

hopefully you did have a good follicle and your corpus luteum is just not producing a lot of progesterone. if that's the case, the supplements will definitely help. are you taking them orally or vaginally?

carmen, yay, glad you are in the 2ww again!

papa, like you said, it ain't over til af is really here! fx that you'll get a bfp this morning.

and good luck to all the others in the dreaded 2ww.

afu, still waiting patiently for dp's af to arrive. thankfully she was able to get a couple of acupuncture appts lined up with our alternate acupuncturist prior to what i estimate to be insem week.

g

[Raene]

When do you guys usually start taking preg tests...how many days after O?

Okay, a question for all of you using fresh sperm...we go to a friend's house, her husband goes upstairs, does his thing, and brings us back our sterile container. Then we go upstairs (they let us use their guest room b/c we live so far away) and we do our thing. However, the ejac is never hot/warm...it always feels sort of cold going in. How could it be cold already if he's just ejac'd less than 5 minutes before? I'm not talking cold cold, but its' just not very warm/hot. Normal?

[carmen358]

Originally Posted by Raene

When do you guys usually start taking preg tests...how many days after O?

Okay, a question for all of you using fresh sperm...we go to a friend's house, her husband goes upstairs, does his thing, and brings us back our sterile container. Then we go upstairs (they let us use their guest room b/c we live so far away) and we do our thing. However, the ejac is never hot/warm...it always feels sort of cold going in. How could it be cold already if he's just ejac'd less than 5 minutes before? I'm not talking cold cold, but its' just not very warm/hot. Normal?

I usually start testing 9dpo but have never had a positive until 12dpo. I just get impatient

We are using fresh sperm and to be honest I've never noticed the temperature. I don't think it's ever felt cold though. I guess after leaving the body it would cool down almost immediately especially if the air is cool at the time. Not sure...

afm: my temp went down a bit this morning...argh! I woke up a bit early this morning so I hope that's the reason. I was pretty certain I O'd Monday night or yesterday. We shall see.

[FtMPapa]

Originally Posted by erthe_mama

W00t! Lookin forward to updates as always.

Umm... I'm like that without being preoccupied with ttc. I'm usually saved by the fact that my bbp has an events calendar and makes a beep-y sound whenever I have something coming up. Sounds like you could use one.

Your BBP?

I have a PDA, the problem is some days I don't even remember to look at it! It does have an alarm, but if it's it's deep in my bag, I'd never hear it.

Raene - I usually start testing around 8 DPO, because that's the earliest I think I could possibly get a BFP. But I'm slightly crazy, you might have noticed.

As for the sperm being cold...I go my donor's house, he does his thing, I take off with the jar, drive half an hour with it between my legs or tucked into the waistband of my pants or whatever, bring it home, usually keep it in my pocket while I let my dog out/boot my computer/get comfy in bed, and then draw it up, and it's not cold when I squirt it in, but that's because I've spent at least forty five minutes keeping it warm.

What kind of volume does your donor produce? I sometimes get around 10 ml the firist insem (which is kind of a lot) and then around 5 ML on subsequent insems each cycle - my donor is really into abstaining a bit before the first insem.

Do you use a glass jar? If you give him a glass jar that's already warmed, like you've had it in your pocket, or use hot water and then dry it thoroughly, it should hold its heat pretty well. Though, honestly, if you're using it five minutes later, I'll bet it's totally fine.

My update for today - 15 DPO - spotting a little tiny bit of brown, like I wouldn't even notice it on my underwear, but no actual bleeding, BFN on the test this AM.

Grrr! I don't feel pregnant, but I don't feel like I'm going to start bleeding either. I feel like I will be trapped in Waiting to Know Limbo FOREVER!

[Raene]

It sucks to be in limbo, hugs to you, FTMPapa!

We use a plastic sterile container...and I'm not sure about mL but it's about 1/2 a teaspoon each time...not much, right?! It's such a small small amount. My transboi gags at the smell, too, which I find quite humorous b/c it just reminds me of the days before I came out. Lol.

[FtMPapa]

1/2 teaspoon is like 2.5-3 ml, and, yeah, it's just a tiny little bit, but you only need one!

I use a glass jelly jar, a 4 ounce mason jar. I read somewhere that plastic is bad for sperm. Also, glass is a better insulator, so it may stay warmer.

I don't quite gag at the smell, but I kind of have to brace myself for it. When I got the spermsicles from the bank, I was quite shocked at how 0.8 ml, a quarter teaspoon or less, could have so much stink to it!

[Raene]

lmao about the smell, haha.
I too am anti-plastic but I didn't find sterile glass containers. Do you have sterile ones or you just sterilize your own? Or not at all?

[Raene]

How often and how many times do you all inseminate per month? We were doing 3 but with the drive being so far, I'm thinking of just doing it twice. Oh, and it's been every other day.

[carmen358]

Wow, 2.5-3ml seems pretty good! Our quantity is usually just over 1ml and I thought that was a lot! KD comes over to our place, does his thing in a plastic container in the bathroom and leaves. We also insem within about 5 minutes. I try not to smell it if at all possible. The first time it kind of made me feel a bit off but now I don't even think about it. Just focus on the end result

We just wash the plastic container with dr. bronner's soap and really hot water after each time. Dunno if that is considered sterile or not but it hasn't been a problem so far.

We insem minimum of 2 times, 3 if required. My cycles were really regular but have slightly changed since m/c so not quite as easy to hit it with just 2 times.

[FtMPapa]

They don't need to be sterile. Just clean.

Now, if you're doing IUI, it might be different, but for that you have to wash the sperm and all, so it's a completely different thing.

For the syringe, just stick it in there method, commonly mislabelled ICI, nothing needs to be sterile. Vaginas are not sterile. In fact, a healthy balance of yeast and bacteria is what makes it such a cozy place.

Another tip - I use a DIVA cup, and I often use it after an insem, if I have to insem on the go. A lot of the semen does collect in the bottom of the cup, and I worry about the vacuum effect sucking it away from my cervix, so I make sure I don't create a vacuum in the cup, put it in to hold the sperm in, and then I go about my day, ocassionally inverting myself for a few minutes if I can, i.e. on the floor of my office, I put my legs up along the wall for a few minutes. I figure if I slosh the semen up every once in a while, or if there's enough EWCM, the sperm can swim up out of the cup and in.... it's not perfect, but it's better than me having to smell it leaking onto my undies all day, and it's gotta be easier to swim up out of the cup than to swim up out of my boxer briefs!

Indigo - can you zip me back over to Waiting to O?

The fat lady is singing big red arias....nice long 15 day LP, but I'm done.

[carmen358]

Originally Posted by Raene

How often and how many times do you all inseminate per month? We were doing 3 but with the drive being so far, I'm thinking of just doing it twice. Oh, and it's been every other day.

If KD is young and healthy (and willing) you could try 2 days in a row, day before and day of O.

[FtMPapa]

The first month, I did 1 insem - I was in a hurry, and Oed that night.

The second month, 2.

Third month - 3. I say, insem as soon as you see EWCM, if it's anywhere close to O time, and then every other day until O is confirmed by temps or the EWCM is gone.

How far is the drive?