OPK confusion, bad IUI timing- temps up!

[babygrey]

Ok. First question. opks confuse the crap out of me.
Here's my opks

The one from 6/14 1pm looks +, yes? Except here's the confusing part- I have a few cbe digi opks around and I dipped one in the same urine (bc I wanted to see the dang smiley face that I've never seen) and it was a big negative. Soooo... do opks have the same sensitivity issue as htps and do I consider it + bc the FR was + or - bc the CBE was -??

Here's my chart. I haven't O'd yet.

Here's the big prob- we were planning on doing IUI this cycle. To say I have a CM problem is a bit of an understatement

RE was OOT until yesterday. I put a call in when I saw the + opk (and several more after), but the nurse didn't think it was important enough to call me back until this afternoon...(that's a whole other rant, sorry) the RE is 2 hours away from me, so by the time she called me back, there was no chance I could go today.

So. They will do IUI for me tomorrow. But my opks are - today.
I am assuming either a)I'm O'ing today or b) That was a gear-up and not the real deal... Like I said, I don't really have CM to go on and I just started checking CP, so I don't know how reliable my estimates are.

WDYT about the whole situation? We're tight on money- happy to spend it on IUI as long as we're not throwing $ away, but I don't know if IUI at potentially O+1 is throwing $ away... I can't find any FF charts w/ IUI only at O+1 or even any two days after +opk... and, honestly, I don't know what to think about the opks.

(of course, all the nurse would say about whether it was too late for this month was "we do IUI 48 hours after a + opk lots of times, but usually the opks are still +". Gee, thanks for making me feel like a freak )

[MoOnFiReGlOw]

What was today's temp? According to what you have on your chart I'd be tempted to say you O'd yesterday or today, but I'm not 100% sure...

[babygrey]

Originally Posted by MoOnFiReGlOw

What was today's temp? According to what you have on your chart I'd be tempted to say you O'd yesterday or today, but I'm not 100% sure...

wait...really?? geez, I feel dumb about this stuff sometimes. Can you help me understand where you might see O on there? Cuz today's temp is the last temp on there, 96.93, down from the 97.2-5 range I've been hanging in since AF. I figured it was pre-O dip maybe or just cuz it was also a bit earlier than normal temp time.

thanks for the help.

ETA: I just realized my chart extends two days past today. That's b/c I was playing and inputing theoretic future temps and I have standard stuff it auto-inputs for me when input for a certain day. That looks way more confusing written out than it actually is. Ima fix it.

ETAA: It won't let me fix it bc I've played time-traveling. To clarify, today is CD14 for me. The last day w/ a temp on it.

[MoOnFiReGlOw]

Originally Posted by babygrey

wait...really?? geez, I feel dumb about this stuff sometimes. Can you help me understand where you might see O on there? Cuz today's temp is the last temp on there, 96.93, down from the 97.2-5 range I've been hanging in since AF. I figured it was pre-O dip maybe or just cuz it was also a bit earlier than normal temp time.

thanks for the help.

ETA: I just realized my chart extends two days past today. That's b/c I was playing and inputing theoretic future temps and I have standard stuff it auto-inputs for me when input for a certain day. That looks way more confusing written out than it actually is. Ima fix it.

ETAA: It won't let me fix it bc I've played time-traveling. To clarify, today is CD14 for me. The last day w/ a temp on it.

Ahh! That's why I was confused! Then depending on tomorrows temp you probably O'd today or will O tomorrow! If it goes up and stays up for 3 days then today you O'd, if it goes down or doesn't go up beyond your average temp then you will probably O tomorrow

[babygrey]

Originally Posted by MoOnFiReGlOw

Ahh! That's why I was confused! Then depending on tomorrows temp you probably O'd today or will O tomorrow! If it goes up and stays up for 3 days then today you O'd, if it goes down or doesn't go up beyond your average temp then you will probably O tomorrow

*whew* ok, I do know about thermal shifts. You had me scared for a second that there was a thermal shift on my chart I couldn't see. (I don't O much, so its not like I have a ton of experience seeing my own ovulatory charts )

What do you make of the fact I had both a + and - opk from the same urine? I think that's what's got me most confused. I've only used opks for a few cycles, so I don't really know what's normal.

Actually, another opk ?- if I were O'ing today, would it be weird that my opk is negative?

I totally wish that I just had a window into my ovaries sometimes

If I did O today, anyone have any thoughts on IUI at O+1?

Thanks for the help. Sometimes, I hate TTC'ing. (actually, not the actual trying part, but ykwim )

[Lousli]

I see a few possibilities:
1) You're still gearing up to o and maybe you'll still get a stronger surge in a day or two (like maybe that OPK was almost +? It did look positive to me too, though)

2) You ovulated today (cm dried up from w to creamy) and your temp will rise tomorrow

3) You are still getting ready to o and you will o tomorrow or the next day (an OPK can sometimes be positive that much before o, I believe)

I think if there's a chance you haven't ovulated yet or a chance that you're o+1, i would say go ahead and go for it with the IUI, especially if you can talk to someone more informative than that nurse and get a professional opinion!

[karmab]

i do agree with what lousli and moonfire have already said.

if your temp is up in the morning, and $ is tight, if it were me, i would probably wait till next cycle. well, no, i would actually probably ask the RE what he thinks. i know they like to do the iui's really close to the o time, but also not late, so i guess ask him what he would do.

and if it were me, i would politely as possible, let him know his office "nurse" messed up. (some office "nurses" are not nurses or even techs but have no qualifications at all, and do not understand the importance of this kind of stuff, and if that is the case, she needs to be learned before she does this to someone else.- pet peeve of mine- i am an RN and i have had my own run ins with office "nurses" on several occasions.)

maybe your temp will not be up in the am, in which case, also let him know that. maybe he can do an u/s- although you hate to drive 2 hours, it might be worth it. the gearing up to o, not o'ing thing does happen, but not that often. im sure it is hard to tell what your cm really is with the bd'ing situation, too. btw, with the clomid, did you try robitussin for cm? green tea, tons of water, grapefruit juice, baby carrots? what do you think your cp is? you think it's up there? as far as why the digi was negative, i do not know. i dont have any experience with them.

good luck babygrey. please update us, i'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you.

[babygrey]

Originally Posted by karmab

i do agree with what lousli and moonfire have already said.

if your temp is up in the morning, and $ is tight, if it were me, i would probably wait till next cycle. well, no, i would actually probably ask the RE what he thinks. i know they like to do the iui's really close to the o time, but also not late, so i guess ask him what he would do.

and if it were me, i would politely as possible, let him know his office "nurse" messed up. (some office "nurses" are not nurses or even techs but have no qualifications at all, and do not understand the importance of this kind of stuff, and if that is the case, she needs to be learned before she does this to someone else.- pet peeve of mine- i am an RN and i have had my own run ins with office "nurses" on several occasions.)

maybe your temp will not be up in the am, in which case, also let him know that. maybe he can do an u/s- although you hate to drive 2 hours, it might be worth it. the gearing up to o, not o'ing thing does happen, but not that often. im sure it is hard to tell what your cm really is with the bd'ing situation, too. btw, with the clomid, did you try robitussin for cm? green tea, tons of water, grapefruit juice, baby carrots? what do you think your cp is? you think it's up there? as far as why the digi was negative, i do not know. i dont have any experience with them.

good luck babygrey. please update us, i'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Thank you all. I love this board bc you all give me such calm, thoughtful answers that really help me

That's a good strategy re: tomorrow. For once, I'm actually hoping my temp's not up... which means it will be, of course I'll try to get in touch w/ the RE's office, but my appt is early and they are less than stellar about getting messages to him. I think I'll probably go, regardless, cuz, you just never know, right? and, honestly, IUI is cheaper than another cycle of Clomid when you factor in the accouterments, too (supplements, opks, RE visits blahdeblah)

oh, and, yes, I do indeed plan to tell the RE the 'nurse' messed up. I'm an RN, too. I know exactly what you mean.

For CM, I am doing Robitussin (Mucinex bc I didn't want the sugar), water like it is going out of style, green tea. I'm not doing carrots or grapefruit. Will add that if there's a next month.

As far as CP, it is high. I only started checking it a few days ago. I've tried intermittently throughout my ttc journey, but my uterus is retroverted in a weird way (kind of sideways), so it is hard for me to reach all the time. But, it is certainly higher than it was three days ago. However, it is not soft. Well, ok, I guess I don't really know, but it feels like the tip of my nose, which is firm, right? Is that weird? I've had a cone biopsy, I don't know if that would make a diff in texture... ?

ok. NAK. best. thank you. Will kup.

[Lousli]

I checked your chart. It looks like there is a good chance you didn't o. Hope this is it for you!

[babygrey]

IUI done. *whew*
RE thinks I O'd late last night or this a.m. Said it was 'okay' timing. If there's a next month, he's gonna talk to his nurse about getting me in day after +.

and can I just say this about IUI? dang, it was kind of intense. poor dh. I certainly don't like my body all drugged up and procedured, but I'm certainly glad I don't have to preform on command.

Please cross your fingers that my temp is up tomorrow!

[karmab]

that's good. im glad it worked out.

[babygrey]

update. is this as bad as I think it is?

W.T.F, ladies. I'm so upset about this.

My temp didn't go up today, so I took another opk. okay, I took three.
They were all super +. I even saw the smiley face on the cb digi. It was mocking me, I swear.
I guess on Tuesday, I geared up to O and then I didn't.

We can't do another IUI this week. My DH can't take the time from work to go the RE's- let alone emotionally handle it. (In fact, DH was looking forward to a few days of either no BD or non-baby making ending, if you kwim...)

Washed IUI sperm doesn't live very long, right? Ugh.
I have NO CM. Really. I don't. Plus, I have endo and my RE has a long, eloquent explanation of how IUI is my only non-IVF option to overcome the chemical changes from the endo...
Not to mention, we've BD'd so much this week, now when it is really go time, DH's swimmers have probably been super thinned. sigh. (is that true or is that a myth, btw? DH has a normal SA)

I've learned a lesson, tho. We were not doing intensive monitoring ($) but we're going to start next cycle.

Is this as bad of a situation as I think it is??

[Lousli]

Well, it does sound kind of crappy, but there is still a chance this cycle. You had the IUI yesterday and you could o today or tomorrow. People do get pregnant from 1-2 days before o spermies.

I know it was difficult for your dh, but did he flat out say that he wouldn't do that again, or are you just assuming? Can he take a slightly long lunch or leave work a bit early?

Did you call the re and ask what they think? Maybe that should be the first step, and see if they'd even suggest another IUI this cycle.

I'm sorry, I don't know your history, but is there any chance that a plain old bd would be useful today or tomorrow?

[rcr]

I am sorry, Babygrey. It does sound kinda crappy, but not totally horrible.

[babygrey]

So, DH didn't say no. But, the RE's office is two hours away, so that's four hours drive time, plus the time it takes in the office (and, well, it took almost three hours yesterday). DH took almost a whole day of work off yesterday to go and his office isn't the kind that is super understanding about taking two days off in a week, kwim? Plus, he was so sad when I told him we might need another that I would just feel terrible.

I did talk to the RE's office. They would do another IUI if I wanted, but they think they I ought to see how this cycle turns out (which, to me, sounds like them saying it is bad timing, but maybe it will work out?) They said there should be some swimmers left around if I O today. Maybe tomorrow.

oh, please, oh please, let me O today...

Thanks for your help.

[karmab]

hang in there baby girl. consider the possibility that you are o'ing twice. yesterday and today. and the estrogen from the second dominant follicle kept the temp from going up as you would expect. now i know this is not conventional thinking, but i am really serious. there are some things about o'ing we just dont understand. no one does. even the experts.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/...e-a-month.html

even if that's a long shot, you've already had one lh surge. your egg(s) are totally primed and matured by that, and this second lh shot should pop them right out.

im never one for false hope. in fact, im pretty low in the hope dept in gen'l lately. but i do think there is some hope for you in this cycle, any way you look at it.

[Lousli]

I'm actually pretty convinced that I got pregnant from sex the day before o both times. I don't know for sure about the first since I wasn't charting, but I think so, and with the second, if my chart was accurate, it was day before o since we didn't bd on o day.

Best of luck to you this cycle!

[babygrey]

Thanks, RCR. It helps to know someone 'gets' the situation w/ DH, too.

Lousli- thanks, too. I kwym re: getting pg from BD pre-O. w/ my DD, I got pg from BD 5-8 days pre-O. (I wasn't charting, was using the CBEFM). We thought we had no chance. That was before I had fertility problems, tho (it is a really long story- my reproductive system sorta got trashed from a uterine infection that spread via my endo to peritonitis, appendicitis, sepsis, blahblahblah). I'm not discounting the possibily, tho, in fact, I want to thank you for reminding me of that. Being labeled IF really did a number on my confidence. I think, too, I'm just miffed that we spent the $ for the IUI on a less-than-ideal day (washed sperm doesn't live as long)

karmab- mama, I love you for this. That's a fantastic study. It really made me stop moping. You're so right- there's so much we don't know. That, itself, gives me hope.

While I would love to think I O'd twice, here's what I think happened- you remember I had a - cbe digi the same day as my + FR? I bet FR are more sensitive and picked up a small 'first wave' surge that wasn't the end-all deal. Think I'm also a little basally stressed about it bc I had a cycle in Dec where I kept getting + opks and never O'd at all. That was pre-clomid, tho, so I just need to take a chill pill. Actually, I'm gonna think I O'd twice cuz I like that scenario

Totally OT- but can I tell you something funny? I used to work w/ a RN named Karma. I have no idea if that's your real name, but, since you said you were an RN, I keep thinking of her. You totally don't have to tell me- I completely understand wanting net anonymity- but what kind of nurse are you?

[karmab]

ha! it's not my real name. i am, just for curiosity's sake, an RNC-HROB, my certification is in high risk obstetrics, of which there actually are only about 350 of us in the US, as i understand it. because my dastardly ex-husband is an ob/gyn practicing in my town, and i dont want to have to stare at his puss in a delivery, i am now working in radiology, which i actually like. but not as much as i like ob.

[babygrey]

Originally Posted by karmab

ha! it's not my real name. i am, just for curiosity's sake, an RNC-HROB, my certification is in high risk obstetrics, of which there actually are only about 350 of us in the US, as i understand it. because my dastardly ex-husband is an ob/gyn practicing in my town, and i dont want to have to stare at his puss in a delivery, i am now working in radiology, which i actually like. but not as much as i like ob.

okay, well, I'm glad that's not your real name, cuz you don't want to be her. Theoretically, tho, we could've known each other. I'm a RNC/CCRN-NICU. I'm a HR delivery resus freak. In a good way
That's lame re: your XH. Bet that was a rough decision to leave OB, but I can't imagine working w/ my X, either.