Queer Conceptions March 2010 - Page 7

[AmandaHope]

Details (for Coco and any other chart stalkers out there ;-)

Originally Posted by Coco99

Hey ! Thanks

Its sorta hard to follow since your temps are not in from the earlier days of your cycle. Could something be affecting your temps ? Do you sleep with a heating blanket at times for example ?

Also, do you test your OPKs at different times of the day ? We would have only gotten negatives this month if we hadnt tested in the afternoon as well as the morning...

I'll keep stalking....
I would definitely try to get more insems in if thats possible... in your other cycles, you Oed as late as cd20 and 21...

Best of luck and hang in there...

Coco
xxx

Thanks for looking, Coco. I don't usually temp during the first week or so of my cycle. But I can't think of any reason why my temps would be affected (no heating blanket, consistent wake/temp times, same thermometer, etc).
I've gotten crazy about doing OPKs at different times of day. I don't know whether you can get into the comments section of my chart, but I recorded times there and, starting on day 13 or so, I started doing OPKs at least twice. The only thing I've never done is first morning urine (since most people have the LH surge between 10-2, I've been told by several sources). I could try that, just to see if the LH is more concentrated there. I did O much later in the fall...was assuming that this cycle would follow the last few and hit around day 14...and my cervix is more closed now than it was on Saturday. You really think it would be worth having more swimmers shipped out for an IUI? I suppose I could return them if I don't use them.... At this point, I couldn't get more until Wednesday (cd 18). I appreciate your thoughts, Coco! I sometimes feel so alone in trying to interpret my body's freaky signs. My partner is supportive but just not into the details of ttc.

I'm really close to ordering the Clear Blue Fertility Monitor. Sarah said that the monitor is much clearer for her than the OPKs, and it just might save my sanity.

[justrose13]

cd5

sarah, sound's like you had perfect timing!

chiquitayy, good luck and enjoy your mini-vaca!!

AMom, i totally know that feeling! a long bike ride sounds nice and hopefully it will help you sleep better tonight.

AHope, i agree with coco... it's hard to know without the rest of your temps. i think it looks like you could have O'd on CD13! if you temped the whole month you may see that your temps are well above your coverline and you should have nothing to worry about. if you take away temps from CD 8, 10, 12 and added temps as low as the rest, you would have a very nice temp rise on CD14. i'm not sure if i'm making any sense here... but i hope it helps. we are all here for you, don't feel alone.
on another note, i really love my CBE monitor! i got it off amazon.com for about $130.00... you can also find them on ebay for less...

coco, i agree with the chart stalking!

everyone, if you post a link to your chart, i will add them to your name in the roll call. i think lyndzies has done this in the past.

afm, i had the fasting glucose/insulin test and the repeat after glucola... results back today and i am insulin resistant therefore have high blood glucose. i have started metformin today. but at least i know that it's not going to affect ttc anymore!

[mtnlisa]

Good luck on your Baby-cation Chiquitayy!

Wehrli--my sister with PCOS successfully conceived and metformin was her only intervention--hope it helps regulate your hormones a bit!

afu--very excited about my u/s tomorrow, wishing DP could be there, but I guess its not really as important as, say, a 20 week u/s! I paper chart, but I can't seem to get it together to FF chart--maybe next cycle...

[AmandaHope]

Coco, AmandaMom, and Wehrli Thanks! I'm feeling a bit better, now--just some good encouragement and feedback goes a long way...and I'm hoping that with some more temps, my chart will become clearer. AND I'm going to buy the CBE Monitor (probably from ebay--thanks for the suggestion, Wehrli!). I'll start temping earlier in my cycle next time for more reference points.


MtnLisa Good luck on the ultrasound tomorrow! And I agree that future ultrasounds will be far more important for DP to attend .

Chiquitayy Best wishes for a very productive mini-vacation!

Escher Welcome and best wishes!

[AmandaMom]

AmandaHope - I think getting the fertility monitor is a great idea. The OPK's are so standard and generic, whereas the monitor will detect a surge specific to YOUR body. I'm secretly hoping you won't need it, though.

Goodnight, everyone! Hoping I finally get some rest tonight after my mountain-biking excursion today!

[Coco99]

Hey Wherli ! Good idea !! Here is our link !

http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/cocoval

Coco
xxx

[justrose13]

cd6

coco, DPs chart looks very nice!

AMom, i hope you got a good nights sleep... dp and i went for a 3 mile walk last night and i def got a better nights sleep...

AHope, glad you are feeling better.

mtnlisa, hope all goes well with the u/s today. can't wait to hear about the follies!

afm, nothing new here... maybe another bit of vaginosis but i am trying the garlic trick as per erthe_mama's advice.

[AmandaHope]

Wehrli, you could be right about my chart. After I added today's temps and made two previous temps invalid, I did get tentative cross-hairs, but I don't understand why the day after O would have the strongest fertility signs (esp. wide open cervix). Oh, well. We'll see!

wehrli and AMom Hope you had a great night's rest!

[Coco99]

Originally Posted by AmandaHope

Wehrli, you could be right about my chart. After I added today's temps and made two previous temps invalid, I did get tentative cross-hairs, but I don't understand why the day after O would have the strongest fertility signs (esp. wide open cervix). Oh, well. We'll see!

I was actually thinking the same thing when I was looking at your chart Amanda... the problem when there are not enough temps to go on is that FF cant extrapolate on its own... It wont "void" a certain temp because it is "out of whack" if it doesnt have ano others to look at to show that it is in fact "out of whack"....

Coco
xxx

[tigerlily1]

Hey all I'm back from lurking, please can you move me to waiting to O AF found me. I'm over it and ready to move on. I'll be skipping this cycle as we are having our bathroom re-done and I'll probably O in the week that it's being worked on. It's going to be too much of a hassle to think about inseminating and it's a good time to take a break from TTC. I'll pop back in a couple of weeks, but for now I'll go back to lurking again.

and for everyone else.

[AmandaMom]

Ahhh, the strenuous ride did the trick... I'm feeling so much better after a good night's sleep!

Wehrli, here is the link to my chart: http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/amandamom I hope you got some rest as well, and good luck with the garlic. I hear it works wonders.

tigerlily - Sorry to hear about AF showing up. You seem very strong about it all. I'm sure this break will be good for you. Take some time to relax. I hope your bathroom remodel goes as planned, and you can climb back up on that horse next cycle!

mtnlisa - Be sure to let us know how your ultrasound goes.

Coco - DP's chart is looking good, as does your timing. Still got my fingers crossed for you guys!

[chiquitayy]

Here's my TCOYF chart

And my FF chart

In terms of monitors, I have an OVWatch that I love, and they're half-off right now--$50 for the watch and one sensor. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to use it this month because I thought I could buy a new sensor locally and couldn't. Last month I never got a positive OPK but the watch aligned with all my other signs.

[maxK]

Coco- Good luck!

Escher– Welcome! Here is some fairy dust for good luck

AFM- Day 24, My new RE has told me that I have a lot of egg reserves by ultra sound but still wants me to get a whole bunch of tests done. I am skeptical of her request for five STD tests, rubella, hemoglobin, varicella, and several more. Are these really necessary? I have no plans to do IUI or IVF with this office for the time being. To me, this seems excessive and it makes me want to look for a new RE. Am I being too sensitive, are these normal protocol?

[AmandaMom]

max - The only tests my RE wanted done was blood type, rubella, and cystic fibrosis. I am just beginning to try to conceive, though. If you've been at it a while, she may want to test for those things to rule them out as reasons you haven't conceived... I don't know. It sure does seem like a lot, though. That said, if your insurance is paying for it, I say go ahead and get the tests she recommends. Giving a few vials of blood can't really hurt anything, and it may give you and your RE peace of mind. If you have to pay for all of this blood work out of pocket, that is a different story.

[mtnlisa]

Aww Tigerlily--sorry, hope your month of rest works out well, tho

AmandaMom--glad a bike ride worked out for you--I can def sympathize that working out has improved my outlook lately

MaxK I don't even know what blood tests I had done--it was all done from two vials of blood, but they had a reason for each one and all they told me was that everything was fine--if nothing else maybe you could collect all their data and then not have to give blood for that reason again?

afu--the u/s showed that I have one egg in each ovary almost ready to go! Dr thinks that I should surge on Thurs or Fri but if I haven't by then, I have another u/s on Saturday morning and if they are big enough she will give me a trigger and we'll insem on Sunday morning!!!!! The swim team is on the way. Possible bad news is that I might have a septum in my uterus--she said we won't do anything about unless I have multiple miscarriages--we hope it doesn't come to that, and apparently it is somewhat invasive to have it corrected (involving burning away some of the excess fibrous parts inside the uterus) (and she isn't sure that there is one, she just can't tell from the u/s films--the other doc did the hsg and my doc hasn't seen those films)

I want to be in the "almost TWW" category now!

[AmandaHope]

Crazy cycle update on cd 17 (4 days past IUI)

SO...since I haven't been convinced that my temp rise was significant enough to show O, and since I have been having lots of watery and eggwhite cm since my alleged O...especially today...I did another OPK today, and it was very nearly positive! The good news is that when I got a digi OPK (thanks for the idea, Sarah!), it was negative. So that gives me time to order overnight swimmers tomorrow for a Thursday IUI (at half price, bless my midwife)...assuming that tomorrow's OPK is actually positive. I can't believe it! I did ovulate on day 20 in October, so this isn't unprecedented, but I have now learned a BIG LESSON: calendar and recent history mean NOTHING when the other signs aren't lining up. I never did have the full amount of cm...but my cervix was WIDE OPEN on Saturday--I really don't get it. Anyway, it is still open, if not wide open, and the other signs are finally lining up. This could drive a person nuts! So even though I blew about $500 that we can't afford, I'm really happy, because I *am* ovulating, the OPKs are working, and I still get a good shot this cycle.
Thanks, everyone, for the support while I have my drama. Hopefully, this will be the end of the drama. I purchased a CBE monitor on ebay and will use it next cycle (if there is a next cycle ) to avoid the drama!

Tigerlily Sorry about AF. You sound like you have a great attitude, though, and will benefit from the break.
Max Good news about the ultrasound and the eggs! I would try not to worry about the septum--it sounds like the doc isn't even confident, and it didn't show up before...

[FtMPapa]

Originally Posted by maxK

AFM- Day 24, My new RE has told me that I have a lot of egg reserves by ultra sound but still wants me to get a whole bunch of tests done. I am skeptical of her request for five STD tests, rubella, hemoglobin, varicella, and several more. Are these really necessary? I have no plans to do IUI or IVF with this office for the time being. To me, this seems excessive and it makes me want to look for a new RE. Am I being too sensitive, are these normal protocol?

Totally normal. I've had this same work up from three REs, my family doc in advance of when I first started trying (these tests are required to access donor sperm in Canada), and my OBGYN when I started trying again in the US, so...five times? I did save the records from each round of testing, so whatever they didn't have to repeat, I could just give them. Some tests have to be repeated annually as long as you're in treatment, others are one-time only, others are as indicated, i.e. it's smart to repeat STD testing when switching KDs or partners or every year or so.

One piece of advice: life under the care of an RE is so much simpler if you just let it all go and just do what they say. I'm not saying don't advocate for yourself, like if you feel they're just wasting time trying to move you to IVF or if you feel that they're not being aggressive enough (i.e. the RE who wanted me to do three months of Clomid, no monitoring, at home, even though I'd already done two months with full monitoring and no results).

As for the tests - some if it is to cover their asses. If you show up with an STD in six months, they don't want you to claim you caught it from a treatment they did.

Also, many STDs can result in infertility if left untreated. Last, some can cause birth defects.

Rubella and Variccella (chicken pox) is the titre, they want to make sure you're immune, either you've had it or your vaccination is up to date because it can be dangerous in pregnancy. If you aren't immune, you'd be well-advised to get vaccinated or consider the risks carefully.

A basic CBC (complete blood count) is well-advised, because anemia is common in pregnancy - I'm guessing that's the hemoglobin. Also, if you have excessive hemoglobin, it could lead to clotting issues and an early miscarriage.

You might also want titres drawn for other things, I can't remember everything I had, but toxoplasmosis because I'm single and have cats (and I tested positive, so I didn't have to worry about it anymore, since it's only the initial exposure during pregnancy which is harmful). Another one is CMV status, if you're +, you're out of the woods, but if you're negative, it can influence your choice of donors because the initial exposure during conception/pregnancy is thought to be potentially harmful.

Other tests you can expect to have recommended include testing for Rh (blood type, i.e. A+ or O- or whatever), Tay-Sachs (only certain ethnic groups, I'm Acadian, so I get all the Ashkenazi Jewish tests), sickle cell carrier (only if you're black), cystic-fibrosis carrier (everyone). These tests only need to be done once, ever, in your lifetime, because your genes don't change.

Compared to the actual process of cycle monitoring and near-daily blood work for medicated IUIs or IVF, giving a few tubes of blood is not a big deal. And you might find out something very important.

Has your doc recommended an HSG? That one is not fun, but very helpful.

I'm confused about why you're going to the RE if you're not looking for treatment...maybe you're not ready for the intensity of treatment with a fertility clinic. It's not for everyone, it is a LOT of work.

[justrose13]

Cd8

AHope, wow, crazy... but good thing you've been keeping an eye on your signs and are able to add another IUI! and what a sweet midwife, doing it at half price! GOOD LUCK and for you that you catch that egg and can put that monitor away for #2 or resell on ebay!

mntlisa, yay for 2 good follies! sounds like everything going well... you may be a few days ahead of me but we might end up to be TWW buddies this cycle... i have an u/s sat morning and if all looks well, we will trigger sunday morn and my IUI will be monday night.

max, i think this is normal... i wish i had more testing done early on maybe i wouldn't still be here. especially since i have "rock-star insurance" (2 seperate nurses called it that)!

chiquitayy, i've always wondered about the OVWatch... hmmm, it's a little late now... i have the CBE monitor and now that i'm being monitored by the RE but i will tuck it away as a good idea for the future!

AMom, i'm glad you got your good nights rest!

tigerlily, sorry for your BFN. enjoy a month without TTC stress. and yay for remodeling! i think this is the best part of being a homeowner!

afm, i had a huge temp spike today! i am getting a new battery for my thermometer because i don't trust it anymore! i've been using it everyday for the last 10 months... it's probably well overdue. there's no way i could have O'd right?!

[AmandaHope]

Opk+

I've never been so thrilled to get a positive OPK! Better late than never! Swimmers coming and IUI tomorrow. Yay!

Wehrli I wouldn't worry about the temp spike. I actually had a big one today, too, even though I just got the OPK+ this morning...so O doesn't make sense. Last month, I had a spike on the day before O and then my temp came back down for O, and then spiked again after O. This didn't seem to bother the FF software, which seems to have ignored the first spike. But replacing the battery is probably a good idea. Last week, I just bought a new one, so that isn't my problem, but if yours is 10 months old, it is probably good to play it safe and replace it. None of your other signs suggest O this early, so I bet it is a fluke.

[AmandaMom]

mtnlisa - hooray for ripe follies and a solid plan! Good luck this weekend!

AmandaHope - So happy you finally got your positive OPK. What a relief! I wonder if you might have O'ed twice this cycle? It's possible... I will continue to cross my fingers and visualize your conception until you get that BFP!

wehrli - Your temp spike was probably a fluke. It will most likely be apparent after a couple more temps. A new battery is probably still a good idea.

FTMPapa - So glad to see you're still lurking; you are such a knowledgeable person!

AFM, CD5 and just waiting, waiting, waiting... Maybe I should take up knitting?