Queer Conceptions - July - Page 9

[AmandaMom]

Library - I'm so sorry about your terrible, horrible day.

dykemom - Good luck with your insems! I'll cross my fingers for ya!

solejean - I'm sure the OPK's will help you find O next cycle. It can be so tricky!

Miss Scarlett - I hope today is your day!

Bunny - Congrats on the puppy. She sounds so cute!

AFM, CD22 and still no O. I'm not stressed about it, and I'm so glad I haven't been peeing on OPK's for the last week! I know I really wanted to try this cycle, but I'm coming to terms with not doing it... and I'm so relaxed because of it.

So we started planning our wedding trip. We have decided to get a Justice of the Peace and elope in Northampton, MA. Even though it's just going to be the two of us, I asked DP about what we are going to wear. This threw her into a frenzy about clothes, hair, a photographer, the right setting... and she decided she wants a proper honeymoon. We're going to DUBLIN!

Neither of us has been there, and we'll be spending about two weeks including a side trip to London. I'm so excited!!!

[Miss Scarlett]

Morning!

DykeMom--Hmmm short on time (there are lots of different syringe/catheter options online, but you dont have that time for this cycle) tell me again, are you using fresh or frozen sample? Fresh, I'd say the children's med syringe might actually work pretty good, frozen, it would be way to big, on this kind of time frame, I'd almost think go for more like an insulin syringe sans needle. GOOD LUCK TODAY!

SoleJean-- Im sure the breastfeeding DOES really jack with your system... It's not cheap, but I have really been pleased with my OvaCue saliva sensor in conjunction with other OPKs....I hope you get some clarity as to your next step.

Bunny-- Puppies ARE definitely good to fill the "I Must Nurture Something NOW" feeling. We got two sister Samoyeds in January, and they are wonderful, trouble, fun, and just the sweetest little girls.

AmandaMom YOU DESERVE IT! HOW WONDERFUL!! Congrats and enjoy every SECOND of it! When will yall go to Dublin? How exciting

Library


Today is supposedly the day CD 15 (based on saliva), but still nothing conclusive. I'm still feeling peaceful & optimistic (odd, but Im going with it) I wish I could show yall the OvaCue, it's really pretty cool, maybe Ill do a little YouTube video just for you

[LibraryLady]

Hey ladies~ Typing on the one computer in the house the thieves didn't find, but everything else they cleaned out. The worst of it is that most of the stuff stolen belonged to DP, and the computer they took had all her photos and a lot of her data and research from her PhD program. THANKFULLY she found her USB key in her purse because otherwise she'd have lost ALL her data, since they took not only the main computer but also a laptop and the external hard drive (and the Wii, and a digital camera and her dad's ipod and the digital projector I'd borrowed from my school...). We got the message after a lovely weekend in Dallas, and just as we were getting dressed to go home, AF started. Kinda. I think. There was spotting yesterday but has been nothing since. I peed on another test yesterday afternoon, though, and it was negative and so I'm just assuming it's a no, now, since I don't know what else to do. I'm sure if it were anything real it'd show up on a stick by now, don't you think? My temp's still fluctuating between 97.60 and 97.90 but not going higher, another sign that it's a no-go this time also. This has been a wrenching and confusing and hurtful cycle, compounded by the burglary. I don't think either of us slept much last night, I know DP didn't and has gone to work today in a lower mood than I've seen her in years. THANK YOU for all your kind words and a special THANK YOU to Scarlett for posting for me and having my back. This is a wonderful group and I'm glad I have you.

Dykemom~ FINGERS CROSSED! Hope you get lucky the first time around.

AmandaMom~ WOW!!!!!!!!!!! Your wedding trip is a dream come true, but your trip to Dublin will be even better!!!! And London is my favorite city in the world, so if you want to know where to go, I'll give you some tips. The Oscar Wilde statue in Dublin is gorgeous and also the gayest statue I've ever seen. It's also totally worth looking into guided bus tours around Ireland. You can get cheap backpacker tours where you stay in hostels and they drive you to everything you could possibly want to see in Ireland over the course of 3 or 4 days. VERY fun. Keep us posted!!

Thanks again ladies. Now I have to call the handyman and see about getting a new back door...

[solejean]

At work so only time for a quick post, but I had to laugh when I got this message from FF:

Note: Your chart data does not allow ovulation to be pinpointed to within a 24 hour timeframe.
Your temperature suggests, however, that ovulation may have occured between CD 13 and CD 25.

It's a good thing I'm not doing an IUI this month. LOL

[dykemom]

Please Add Me TO 2WW list

I'm on the 2WW list now. Ohhhhh the agony of not knowing ....!!!

Hope I'm sperminated!!

Wish me luck all!

[dykemom]

Thank you Library, and about the home robbery...that's the most awful thing ever.
I hope the jerk is caught and arrested (and your stuff and DP stuff returned!)

[dykemom]

Thank you AmandaMom, and Scarlett it's fresh sperm. I used a children's oral syringe 10mm which sucked up everything and seemed to work fine. I stayed elevated until I couldn't feel my legs ! Thanks for the luck guys--I need it!

You know it's bad when you're re-reading Today's Parent for the umpteenth time!

[LibraryLady]

Dykemom~ Good luck and thanks for the good wishes.

Solejean~ That is hilarious!! And SO helpful!

[fivegrandbaby]

LibraryLady: WTF?! People are terrible! I'm so sorry to hear about the robbery! I'm glad you guys weren't home/harmed. Stuff can be replaced, but you guys cannot! Much love to you two. Also sorry about AF. The disappointment of AF, combined with the hormones of AF make every situation way worse- I'm sorry you had to deal with an AWFUL situation during that time period especially. I hope you guys are hanging in.

Beastie: congrats! We need to hug or something so you can pass on the fertile mojo!

I have more personals but I'm posting quickly from my iPhone- just wanted to say we're insemming today with lots if healthy follicles waiting for sperm. I can officially be moved to the tww. My breasts already feel like they are on fire - not sure which drug to blame! Start progesterone injections this evening. It's going to be a long two weeks.

Post more later! xo

[Miss Scarlett]

: I feel like I could jump out of my skin today

My smiley is still neg, BUT when read by my eye, the test line is definitely darker than it has been the last few days, so Im hoping Im getting close. Here is my question:

Since I have the ovulation confirmation sensor, and only ONE vial. Do I 1. Go ahead and insem today because it is, based on saliva, my peak day. 2. Wait it out for a + OPK, OR 3. Wait until I have a positive on the ovulation confirmation sensor and take my chances with a "very shortly after ovulation" insemination?

My biggest fear? That we will inseminate and then not get a positive ovulation confirmation that night and know we're screwed.

[Coco99]

Originally Posted by Miss Scarlett

Since I have the ovulation confirmation sensor, and only ONE vial. Do I 1. Go ahead and insem today because it is, based on saliva, my peak day. 2. Wait it out for a + OPK, OR 3. Wait until I have a positive on the ovulation confirmation sensor and take my chances with a "very shortly after ovulation" insemination?

I read that sperm needs to be in before ovulation because there is a process called capacitation that happens to it in the uterus that allow it to become able to fertilize the egg and you have to allow time for that process to happen. Therefore I wouldn't wait until after O...


Here is some info :

Sperm Capacitation

Freshly ejaculated sperm are unable or poorly able to fertilize. Rather, they must first undergo a series of changes known collectively as capacitation. Capacitation is associated with removal of adherent seminal plasma proteins, reorganization of plasma membrane lipids and proteins. It also seems to involve an influx of extracellular calcium, increase in cyclic AMP, and decrease in intracellular pH. The molecular details of capacitation appear to vary somewhat among species.

Capacitation occurs while sperm reside in the female reproductive tract for a period of time, as they normally do during gamete transport. The length of time required varies with species, but usually requires several hours. The sperm of many mammals, including humans, can also be capacitated by incubation in certain fertilization media.

Sperm that have undergone capacitation are said to become hyperactiviated, and among other things, display hyperactivated motility. Most importantly however, capacitation appears to destabilize the sperm's membrane to prepare it for the acrosome reaction, as described below.

[BunnyLullabye]

Hmm..Scarlet I think they do IUI's shortly after ovulation right? Those guys get a head start, but I read that sperm swims about an inch every 15 minutes, and they have to swim about 7 inches. So that would mean they'd be where they're supposed to be in about an hour and 45 minutes, and the egg can live for 24 hours. So I could be wrong but I'm thinking waiting for the clearest sign of O might be safest?

LibraryLady I'm glad they left you at least one computer, but that is so terrible! I'm sorry you're going through all this. And I know exactly what you're going through with AF cause that's exactly what happened to me. Finally what would have been 17DPO AF showed up. For me, not knowing is the worst time, and AF taking forever just seems like torment.

AFM - I switched to taking progesterone only from O to AF just in case. I think my estrogen may be increasing already, since I had about 4 sex dreams last night rofl. Hopefully that'll give me a better shot this cycle, and improve my cervical mucus too (though I was impressed with it last month).

I also had a dream that I got a positive OPK. Thank goodness that was just a dream! I was all frantic that we'd have to take off work, and don't have a hotel reserved lol. But I think if anything our timing may be a little early.

The puppy is awesome. We decided we're keeping her. My allergies aren't *that* bad, and I think having her to love, plus having her motivate us to get out for walks everyday will outweigh the risk of allergies. At least I sure hope so! And I hope she'll do ok on our looong drive next week.

The rescue didn't know what she was, but said maybe a terrier wolfhound mix? She's a little bigger than a toy poodle right now, but her paws don't seem big or anything. She's a little thin but that could be because she's had a rough life and has only been out of a kill shelter for a few days now. I looked at pictures of wolfhounds and she looks *exactly* like that. So now I'm wondering how big she could end up! Ideally I'd love it if she was around the size of an Airedale or so I think. But we'll be happy with her no matter what her size.

[BunnyLullabye]

Coco and I crossposted. Wow, I had never heard of that!! I guess it could make some sense. It's all so confusing. You read so many different things, and even the professionals have conflicting opinions. My midwife told me that the sperm just swim to the other side of the cervix and then weight there till the egg pops and THEN run up. So I really don't know what to think.

[maxK]

Scarlett- My last few months I only had a slight line on my OPK. I would say not to wait. It is better to be early than late. What is your temperature? What does your CM look like?

LibraryLady- I am so sorry you were hit with such terrible events together. I can't imagine the feeling. I hope you are staying strong and feel love. Keep your head up, you can get pregnant!

5G- Good Luck!

dykemom- Make it sticky!

Seraf- My DP has done most of my IUIs and it has been more comfortable for me than the midwife we had before. She says we get better at each month. It's a learning process, there is so much information online about it. Just remember to go really slow, going in and pressing the syringe.

AFM- I go to my injectibles class today at my RE. Tomorrow I start Femara. I am so nervous and excited but a little scared too.

[Miss Scarlett]

THANK YOU for all the suggestions. I DID have a significant temp drop today, and my OPK line is getting darker & darker. I can test for ovulation at 7 pm tonight. I just cant decide if we should insem this afternoon, or wait till tomorrow. Im leaning towards tomorrow as today is the first day I have had any hint of a +Lh, and the odds of me ovulating so close to the beginning of my surge are low I think. Im going to have DP check my cervix on our lunch break and go from there. This has been the most amazing cycle so far Lots to learn STILL after almost 2 years TTC.

[Beastie]

Librarylady: GASP!!! When i heard that you were robbed, I assumed it was bad, but to lose dissertation research!!!! I can hardly imagine anything worse. I'm so glad your DP had things backed up. I know you'll be able to replace your stuff over time, but I hope you're able to reconstruct all of the lost memories and documents as best as possible. I'm so sorry you have to deal with this huge blow on top of the general crappiness of AF. On the (sorta) plus side, maybe the universe felt you needed more space for baby stuff? Thinking of you a lot and sending lots of love and comfort and sanity for the rough next few days.

Scarlett: it sounds like you have lots of great information and that both of your options (today vs. tomorrow) are potentially great. But, if you want my , I think you should try sooner rather than later. Between your temp drop today, and the fact that your LH is clearly on the rise, plus the ovulation signs you were tracking even a few days ago, I think you're really close and you could have the sperm ready and waiting when the egg drops. Plus, even with frozen sperm, it can possibly live up to 3 days, so you might have a chance even if you insemmed today and didn't O until tomorrow. FWIW, Brill says that her practice found that most of their clients who'd been TTC for a while had been consistently insemming too late, and DP and I used that as our reasoning for erring on the early side each time that we tried. Like I said, I don't think you can go wrong either way, and I think following your gut is the absolute most important part, but I'd say to go for it tonight before bed, give those swimmers all night to find their way to the fallopian tubes, and hope to ovulate, as expected, tomorrow, dropping that egg right into a pool of swimmers!

AmandaMom! Dublin!!!! What amazing news! I'm so jealous that you get to spend some time in Noho and take an amazing honeymoon. I'm so glad you feel good about this cycle off, and I think this commitment to your relationship and investment in taking care of yourself and DP can only mean good things for when you're ready to try again.

5G:Happy conception day!!! I hope your insem goes off without a hitch, and that this is your lucky cycle! I wish I could give you a fertility hug in person, but this one will have to do: ! I'm certainly sending whatever fertility magic I might have to all of you TWWers.

Bunny: Hooray for puppies! Can you post a picture that we can see? I'm glad you have a canine baby to keep you company as you gear up for your human one... I hope your busy dream life is a good sign for this cycle!

Dykemom: for you. You're doing two more insems, in the next day or two, right? I hope they work!! I'm still curious about how you picked these days to insem, since you don't chart. I'd love to know more about your process!

MaxK: I still think that "injectibles class" sounds so fancy! I hope it goes well, and that the femera does its job asap!

AFMFeeling a lot moody and a ton of on and off low-grade nausea, no barfing. I have huge breasts, but not too much else (other than no AF) to help me know that this pregnancy might be for real.

I know I promised to share what worked for me, because of my freakish 2 for 2 success rate, but I don't think I really do much that's different from anyone else. I'm lucky to have pretty regular almost-textbook cycles of about 27-28 days, and in the year+ that I've charted, I always ovulate between CD13 and 16. So I really only have those few days to worry about. I am, like many of us here, a charting maniac, and I credit my DP, who takes my temp every day, for keeping it so consistent. I was never a drinker or smoker, and I cut out caffeine about a month before each try and noticed a jump in CM each time I did so. For what it's worth, both times I got pregnant I was on the chubby end of my personal body spectrum, and I secretly think that, BMI be damned, my body is most fertile and happy when it's a little fluffier than I'd otherwise chose. Beyond that stuff, for me, Brill's advice was really helpful. The main things I got from that book were the idea of trying sooner rather than later, and the idea of using an exorbitant three vials per cycle, even if it meant being willing to skip cycles to cut costs. We'd use one vial for the first insem, and then use the other two vials 24 hours later, on the theory that volume might help the sperm find its way.

So that's what worked for us. I'm happy to answer questions if you want, but of course, I have no idea if any of this was actually related to our success, or if it was all dumb luck. I hope it helps a little, and it's good for me to write it down to remember it all. Please let me know if my lurking here is bugging you; though I'm feeling pretty confident about my body's getting pregnant ability, my loss has made me pretty terrified to accept that this pregnancy might stick around and be healthy... LibraryLadyis right; I feel really lucky to have all of your support!

[gumshoegirl007]

I've been lurking here for a while now, and as I sit through my first TWW, I guess it's time to jump in!

My wife and I been undecided about having more children for a while now. Our entire debate about having a bio baby centred around whether to use a known or unknown donor. There were pros and cons for each. I always wanted to get pregnant, and this past winter, we decided to proceed with a known donor. After months of charting and testing and examining (as well as doing all of the emotional and legal work that comes with a known donor - we've got more than a donor, but not quite a co-parent) we tried for our first time this month. I'm now 3dpo and just cannot wait to find out! Exciting and nerve wracking (and totally bad timing for me to be distracted because there are too many major work deadlines this week).

In the TWW, I keep on thinking everything is a symptom, and it's really too early for symptoms. I've had feelings of nausea, but it's a heat wave here and I work in an unairconditioned office. My breasts are sore, but it comes and goes, and I did get to have a lot more sex over the insemination period. The worst is the indigestion. Not a typical symptom, but my stomach has been bloated/hard and lots of gurgling and general discomfort. I never have stomach issues!

Here we go on what I hope will be a joyous ride to pregnancy.

[LibraryLady]

Gumshoe girl~ Welcome!!! I'll need your help to solve the Mystery of the Dastardly Theives, and maybe it'll keep you occupied during your long wait! You've come to a great place~ fingers crossed for you. Can't wait to hear your progress.

Beastie~ What an excellent attitude you have. I'm so happy for you and excited to hear your experiences. I hope you'll still visit us over here in Limbo.

Scarlett~ How confusing and frustrating! I'm sure you're getting it right, though, and this could be your moment!


Max~ I'm eager to hear about your Femara experience. I've had four cycles now, so I'll be interested to compare.


Coco~ Thanks for the info! I vaguely remember something like that from The Great Sperm Race, but you reminded me. Definately something to keep in mind.

5G~ GO GIRL!!!!! This is it~ keep us all posted!


Thanks to everyone for your kind words. We're recovering, but still in a bit of shock. Our friends have been so generous and kind, thanks to everyone for the support! I've been cutting back on alcohol even when not insemenated, but tonight I'm having a glass of wine for sure!

[Miss Scarlett]

Gumshoe! Welcome! My early pg symptoms the first time (ended in m/c but that's not the point) all revolved around food. (surprise surprise) I was craving pimento cheese like nobodies business, and I had an aversion to the ice cream sandwiches from Dairy Queen that DP & I had been living on. This was all prior to 1 week past insemination, and that isnt a symptom I have had again with all my BFNs. SO hope that helps to feed the 2WW neurosis a little

AFU WE DECIDED TO INSEMINATE TONIGHT! Please send lots of


PS Thank you Beastie

[justrose13]

3dpo

really quick...

scarlett, good luck!!

library, so so sorry to hear of your misfortunes... big, fat to you. enjoy that wine!

007, i added you to the roll call. so glad you finally joined us!

beastie, big congrats to you! stick, little bean, stick!

afm, nothin' much here... busy weekend over, busy week started. but it's worked so far for distraction!