Fall IVF Support Thread - Page 8

[ratgrl]

So far, so good here. Having occasional nausea, bad food aversions to some things. Seems very early for that. I have a beta re-draw on Tuesday to make sure the number's still rising. Our ultrasound for 1 vs. 2 is Nov. 5. I will feel far less nervous this time once I have seen a wee heartbeat.

[blueyezz4]

ratgrl - Glad everything is going pretty well for you so far!!!! How many blood draws have you had so far to check for the doubling HCG? What are your numbers at now? Yeah!!!! Nov 1st is the big day, huh?? Exciting!!! How many wks will you be at that point? Can't wait to hear how it goes!! Take care!!

[Tear78]

Thanks, blueyezz. I have been overwhelmed with the conferences this week, especially last night when I was at school until 8:45. I'm pretty exhausted, but I expect to have time to really respond to all you lovelies this weekend. Sending fertile dust and love!

[ratgrl]

I've just had two betas so far, the initial one last Sunday and then a re-draw Tuesday. Next Tuesday I have my third beta draw.

WHen we go in for the ultrasound on the 5th I'll be 6w5d. I will feel a lot more comfortable calling myself pregnant at that point.

[slylives]

Originally Posted by ratgrl

I've just had two betas so far, the initial one last Sunday and then a re-draw Tuesday. Next Tuesday I have my third beta draw.

WHen we go in for the ultrasound on the 5th I'll be 6w5d. I will feel a lot more comfortable calling myself pregnant at that point.

That's exactly how I felt, I had my ultrasound on Thursday, at 6w3d. It was such a relief to see a heartbeat. Although we're not out of the woods yet, I feel happier about other people's glances towards my belly! (Believe me, I've already "popped".) We have another ultrasound in 3 weeks (for reassurance, more than anything) and then my RE will allow me to go back to myregular doctor.

[Maurine]

Hi, Ladies! . May I join your group? I am really new to this, and have been over on another board for a while (hi Tear and sly!). I am so glad I found you! I'll be starting IVF this week, after 2 failed IUIs.

We decided to go right into IVF...I hope that's the right decision! Timing-wise it's great (we want to get pg asap, obviously). But I hope my body doesn't need a break. Actually, the doc first mentioned birth control pills. I asked him why, and he said we had to make sure we got insurance approval, and insure that I had a period. At that point I knew I wasn't pg, so I asked if we could just use the period I'd be getting in a couple of days, and he said ok! Our insurance is super-fast with approvals, so we're all set. Got my meds, approval, AF (yesterday), and I start stimming on Wed 10/27, first ultrasound on Sat 10/30. Gulp!

Needless to say, it's all a little overwhelming. I was actually pretty depressed this past week (with my BFN and feeling like OMG we really are going to need this major medical proceedure to get pregnant...we're really truly "broken" I guess ). But, now I am starting to transition to excitment. I really, really hope this works! I have some fears...that I won't grow good quality eggs, that they won't fertilize...etc. We have unexplained infertility, but a big problem has been my lining. Never over a 6 on cd13!.

So, I hope that's not too long of an introduction. I hope to be able to root for all of you with your upcoming cycles!

ratgrl - Congrats!! So nice to follow your story. for a strong heartbeat on Nov 5! Oh, and you mentioned Crinone. That's what I'll be on (thank goodness not the PIO shots). What is your experience. Is it worse than suppositories?

Tear - Hi love! Are you feeling rested up from the weekend? When do you think you'll start stimming (or did you?).

Keria - I can relate to feeling depressed by progessing treatments. We've gone from "all you'll need is clomid" to "IUI" to "let's just go to IVF" in only about 6 months. We're on the fast track, which I wanted, but it's hard. When do you start your IVF protocol?

slylives - Hi there! Glad to see things are progressing well.

blueyezz - How is it going? Are you still supressing? When do you start stimming?

[blueyezz4]

Maurine - Welcome!!! So sorry to be meeting you here, but newbies are always welcome!! You, Tear and I will all pretty much be cycle buddies!!! (LOL...i was looking for a hug with 3 people and this was all I could find!). I think AF is starting for me today or maybe she will be in full swing tomorrow, so I will have my baseline U/S some where between CD 1-4, I think it is and then on that night I think I start stimming. So excited to get things started. What med are you using to Stim?? Also, what is Crinone? I'm set to use PIO which I'm not looking forward to, but it was cheaper since we have to pay for everything Out of Pocket! Good luck to and keep us posted!!!

[Maurine]

Originally Posted by blueyezz4

Maurine - Welcome!!! So sorry to be meeting you here, but newbies are always welcome!! You, Tear and I will all pretty much be cycle buddies!!! (LOL...i was looking for a hug with 3 people and this was all I could find!). I think AF is starting for me today or maybe she will be in full swing tomorrow, so I will have my baseline U/S some where between CD 1-4, I think it is and then on that night I think I start stimming. So excited to get things started. What med are you using to Stim?? Also, what is Crinone? I'm set to use PIO which I'm not looking forward to, but it was cheaper since we have to pay for everything Out of Pocket! Good luck to and keep us posted!!!

Thanks for the welcome! Maybe we can think of that hug as including all the lurkers who might not be posting, but who are with us in spirit on their own journeys? AF has been really weird this cycle. Even with my negative blood test at 14dpo, I didn't start until way late the next day! Usually I start full flow by 13dpo. Anyway, I almost thought "what if..." But then she came along like always.

I am on an antagonist protocol (I think b/c I am a somewhat poor responder to meds). It means fewer injections (whoo hoo!). So I start menopur 150iu on Wed, then monitoring, adding in ganirelix when follies are at 14mm, then ovidrel, then crinone (which is a gel you shoot onto your cervix). So sorry you have to pay out of pocket. We're incredibly lucky to live in MA where our insurance covers it by mandate (but I buy my own insurance...still way cheaper than out of pocket!).

[Tear78]

Maurine!!! Welcome, Darling! How exciting, and yes, totally overwhelming to be starting all of a sudden like that! You and blueyezz will be just a few days ahead of me I guess. I'm about 12dpo now and waiting for AF (though of course hoping...) Can you believe I tested this morning? How long has it been since I did that at 12dpo? lol...oh well. Last month AF toyed with me, too, waiting until 16 or 17dpo. Here's to a smooth cycle for all of us! I added you to the first page.

btw - your fears are totally normal, I think. I'm TERRIFIED of finding out what my eggs are like, but I am also looking forward to finally having that information. It has been a source of great sadness and stress for me. I'm sure I'll be a wreck come retrieval time. I'm glad your insurance pays for all this! We used to live in Boston, but we're in NY now, so paying out of pocket.

blueyezz, wow, you're so close!!! I'm sorry AF came, but hooray for starting the process!!! I am getting excited, too. I am not sure if the lupron made me emotional this week, or if my insanely stressful week took care of that. I took my last shot (for now) yesterday. Do you feel better?

Keria, I'm so glad that you have this information so you can move forward with a targeted plan! I'm sure it's been hard to process everything. Sending you and Oh, and I've totally been down the "why-can-crack-addicts-get-pregnant-and-not-me" road.

ratgrl and slylives, I'm so glad that everything is going smoothly! Keep us posted!!!

afm - we just finished blowing insulation into our living room and dining room walls. Yeah...that's not so neat and easy as I thought it would be. I'm SOOOOOO tired.

Can I just say that creating this thread with you ladies has reinstilled my sense of belonging on MDC a bit. I just have felt so...displaced...from what MDC used to mean for me. And now some of the ladies I started this journey with are coming back pregnant with their next baby. It's just good to have this place. I've been really comforted by reading along this week, even though I was overwhelmed and didn't end up posting. Thank you for sharing this journey with me, ladies!!!

[blueyezz4]

Tear - Ahh! Thank you for sharing your experience with us Tear!!! Feelings are mutual! Good to see you back with us again! Wow, sounds like your week was crazy! I'm sure you are glad it is over! Hopefully this coming week will go smoother for you! LOL... AF did the same thing to me once we decided to go with an IVF. I almost think it is our body just playing tricks on us. Just mean, plain mean!! I actually wasn't even thinking about possibly being pregnant this month b/c we were told to use protection this month since we were starting Lupron. They didn't want us to possibly get pregnant while we were on Lupron, so it has been "rain suit" city around here.

[Tear78]

Originally Posted by blueyezz4

it has been "rain suit" city around here.

oh my gosh, I just almost peed myself.

[ratgrl]

Hi Maurine, and welcome! Sorry to be meeting you here, but you're fortunate to have found a supportive community

ratgrl - Congrats!! So nice to follow your story. for a strong heartbeat on Nov 5! Oh, and you mentioned Crinone. That's what I'll be on (thank goodness not the PIO shots). What is your experience. Is it worse than suppositories?

I do the PIO shots at night, and Crinone in the morning. I've never had very good progesterone levels, clearly. The Crinone is pretty easy to deal with. If I'm being honest, there are two things I'm not a big fan of. First, every freaking morning when I do it, I unfailingly pinch my labia (hard) trying to squish it out of the tube. I'm sure that has more to do with my ineptitude than anything else, but it freaking hurts. Second, as time passes on it you'll notice that it leaves a certain... let's call it eau de Crinone scent in/on you that you can't get rid of no matter what. I also use odor absorbing pantiliners on it, because occasionally it can leak out a little, either as the cream or in little chunks. However, overall it's really not a big deal at all. Just part of my routine.

If you have any other questions, weird or otherwise, I'm very open about my experiences and the whole trip through this IF and IVF stuff. I'm happy to help out in any way I can. Good luck, may this be your one and only trip into IVF world.

[Maurine]

Originally Posted by Tear78

Can I just say that creating this thread with you ladies has reinstilled my sense of belonging on MDC a bit. I just have felt so...displaced...from what MDC used to mean for me. And now some of the ladies I started this journey with are coming back pregnant with their next baby. It's just good to have this place. I've been really comforted by reading along this week, even though I was overwhelmed and didn't end up posting. Thank you for sharing this journey with me, ladies!!!

I too often feel overwhelmed by MDC and posting, and all the people coming in and out. Sometimes I love it, and post and post, and then other times it's like...I don't know any of you! And it's almost too tiring to post and keep up. But this thread seems lovely. Not too many people, supportive, calm, and serene. Thank you for welcoming me everyone. Let's get pregnant this time, ok?

Originally Posted by blueyezz4

Tear - AF did the same thing to me once we decided to go with an IVF. I almost think it is our body just playing tricks on us. Just mean, plain mean!!

Yup! That's what I am chalking my weird AF up to as well. The nurse actually told me to take a HPT before I start my meds. How cruel!

Originally Posted by ratgrl

I do the PIO shots at night, and Crinone in the morning. I've never had very good progesterone levels, clearly. The Crinone is pretty easy to deal with. If I'm being honest, there are two things I'm not a big fan of. First, every freaking morning when I do it, I unfailingly pinch my labia (hard) trying to squish it out of the tube. I'm sure that has more to do with my ineptitude than anything else, but it freaking hurts. Second, as time passes on it you'll notice that it leaves a certain... let's call it eau de Crinone scent in/on you that you can't get rid of no matter what. I also use odor absorbing pantiliners on it, because occasionally it can leak out a little, either as the cream or in little chunks. However, overall it's really not a big deal at all. Just part of my routine.

If you have any other questions, weird or otherwise, I'm very open about my experiences and the whole trip through this IF and IVF stuff. I'm happy to help out in any way I can. Good luck, may this be your one and only trip into IVF world.

Thanks for the info! Crinone sounds awesome. Ha ha. I'll have to go get some scented liners.

[Carlyle]

Originally Posted by Tear78

Thank you for sharing this journey with me, ladies!!!

You know what we need on this board? A smiley face that is one person grinning and hugging the other only the hug-ee is shaped like an hour glass with buldging eyes 'cause they're being squeezed so hard. Cause that's what I'd put here: I love you!

[Tear78]

Originally Posted by Carlyle

You know what we need on this board? A smiley face that is one person grinning and hugging the other only the hug-ee is shaped like an hour glass with buldging eyes 'cause they're being squeezed so hard. Cause that's what I'd put here: I love you!

Thank you, sweetie. That's exactly what I needed right now. I'm feeling blue today. Waking up from a dream where you got a positive pregnancy test and showed your husband and his face and world lit up....yeah...waking up from that sucks. What sucks more? Waking up with cramps. sigh...

[Carlyle]

Oh poop honey. I'm thinking of you and sending love.

[blueyezz4]

Tear - that sucks! So sorry to hear that AF is on her way! Maybe your dream is a good sign for what is to come!!

When is your baseline U/S?? I have mine tomorrow and if my clinic here does U/S blood work on Sat I will start stimming Thurs, but if not, it might be on Friday. I'm using two different facilities in two different states for all of this, so it might get a little confusing! We will see! Good luck cycle buddy!!

Maurine - The IVF nurse ordered a blood HCG test for me before we started b/c that period was kinda odd. I feel your pain. Darn body!! What's going on with you? Just waiting until the 30th for the u/s??

Carlyle - Congrats on the baby!! Good to see you on here!! I don't know where you find the time! Hope all is going well for you!!

Good luck to everyone else too!!!

[Maurine]

Originally Posted by blueyezz4

Maurine - The IVF nurse ordered a blood HCG test for me before we started b/c that period was kinda odd. I feel your pain. Darn body!! What's going on with you? Just waiting until the 30th for the u/s??

Maybe we just all have weird periods before our first IVF because we're so freaked out? I know mine has been weird. It went away by the end of the day yesterday but now she's back. I start stimming Wed eve, and U/S on Saturday. My doc doesn't have me do baseline ultrasounds. I think it's because I am a slow stimmer (although I think the metformin is helping me). I also expressed how stressed I got at my last RE by going in for U/S every two days for clomid+timed intercourse. Or, maybe because I just did an IUI cycle and they saw only one follie on my U/S? I don't know...

[Maurine]

Originally Posted by Tear78

Thank you, sweetie. That's exactly what I needed right now. I'm feeling blue today. Waking up from a dream where you got a positive pregnancy test and showed your husband and his face and world lit up....yeah...waking up from that sucks. What sucks more? Waking up with cramps. sigh...

Sending you all the hugs I got!

[Maurine]

Originally Posted by Maurine

My doc doesn't have me do baseline ultrasounds. I think it's because I am a slow stimmer (although I think the metformin is helping me). I also expressed how stressed I got at my last RE by going in for U/S every two days for clomid+timed intercourse. Or, maybe because I just did an IUI cycle and they saw only one follie on my U/S? I don't know...

Ok, so my own post got me thinking! I called my nurse, and she said based on my last u/s there is no reason to think I'd need a baseline, but if I wanted one, we could do one tomorrow. So I scheduled it. I think it will make me feel better. After two IUI cycles, I could possibly have a cyst...I mean, call me crazy, but I don't want to pump myself full of FSH if I have anything left over from last cycle!