~~~~MARCH 2011 INFERTILITY ONE THREAD~~~~

[brichole1214]

A monthly thread to talk about all of our various journeys through the difficult, trying, and often heartbreaking world of infertility. This thread is a place to chat, vent, get support, cheer each other on, and hopefully occasionally laugh!


Trying to Conceive #1

SimplyRochelle - TTC #1 since May 2007; one loss at 12 weeks in September 2008; seeking holistic treatment and continuing naturally at this point; 2 failed clomid cycles; crappy insurance and limited financial resources while in nursing school keep us from going further but we'll get there one day

rhiandmoi - TTC #1 since November 2008. Just starting to get tested to see what is going on.

Silverbird - TTC #1 with MFI and one ovary

Blueyezz4~ TTC #1 (technically #4 -long story) since 2006; Moving on to our first FET after 5 failed IUI's and 1 IVF.  Hoping & praying for a miracle. Mother to our twins boys -lost at 22.5wks on 6-20-09 and another little IVF angel in heaven lost at 8wks!

indianagrl~36, DH also 36. TTC #1 since 10/08 with unexplained infertility.

fierrbug Tiara (33), DH (34) – TTC #1 since 2001, 3 mc’s. Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency (AGHD) which relates to other hormone/insulin/egg quality issues + some clotting properties. In limbo awaiting a miracle to get GH injections in conjunction with a future IUI.

Tantylynn: (22)  TTC#1 since  May 2009.  Diagnosed with PCOS and refered to an OB!

 LuluRoo: (28) TTC#1 since March 2011 after taking a break from TTC for a little while!!!  Doing what I can to prepare for our first medicated cycle March 29th, 2011.

Trying To Conceive #2

Wallabi - Sara, mama to a fabulous four year old who came home at age two and a half, fighting primary infertility on and off since 2002 with endo and gluten troubles - one year gluten free! - hoping 2011 will see me pregnant!

mindfulmomma - TTC#2 since April 2009. Unexplained Secondary Infertility. Had HSG, bloodwork and Clomid challenge so far.

Jenger - TTC#2 since August 2009, diagnosed with mild hypothyroidism in August 2010

 

tryingfortwo - TTC#2 since Nov 2008.  Unexplained secondary infertility, hoping that a naturopath can figure out what's going on and recommend something that will help us get PG!

Lydiah: Lidia (29) DH (28)....TTC #2 since October 2009 while handling my symptoms of Crohn's Disease with Remicade since March 2010.  Have had 4 early losses, though those were while healthy.  Going to a specialist in July 2011!!

Gale~ 29, TTC#2 for 20 months. Have had the complete IF work-up and HSG and DH has had SA- everything checked out just fine. We have done 3 rounds of 50mg Clomid and had first iui on November 29th.

CassnBeth  ~  TTC#2 for us since August 2010...TTC#1 for me for 2 years.  Suffering from PCOS and remembering 4 early losses!

julieven: (33) TTC#2 since December 2009. Waiting for CD1 to get a  FET cycle going! Praying for another blessing!

Trying To Conceive #3

zanelee- TTC#3 for almost 5 years now. Secondary IF due to cervical cancer surgery. Had extensive endo removed and cervix manually dialated (so dh's boys could get in!) in late fall of 2010, and now trying on our own for a few months. Can't decided whether or not to start clomid. Praying for a miracle!

NishaG - TTC #3 since January 2009.


Trying To Conceive #4

MoOnFiReGlOw - TTC #4 since April '09. Had MFI due to medications. Now off meds for 1 month and hoping to get a bfp here soon.
 

Those TTC but have not posted a Blurb
 

Lari

MrsR

Marsupial-mom

hope4light

Lega

Kewpie80

Ceccy

Adorabelle

renavoo

monkeyscience

choosewisdom

Taking a Break
 

Brichole1214- Brandy (27) DH (31) taking a break in between our little precious bundle who came to us December 6th, 2010.  Planning on starting out TTC ventur again in Septmeber 2011 since it took us 31 months to get pregnant with her and technically took me 5 years of off and on TTC to finally get pregnant.  I don't wanna wait too long!!!!  

http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/158654

Graduates
(May everyone who passes through this thread find her way to this section!)

 ValH, Tear78, Lesliesara63, no5no5, Minkajane, EastbayK, Grapesbunch, thtr4me, alexaskj, trumpcard, poetgirl, ann_of_loxley, Brichole1214



Losses

Milletpuff, Victorian Patch, lovebug


Missing in Action
 

First Shot Photo

AutumnLaughing

Stretch358

ladylaura

InGodsHands

Simplymere

PLEASE let the thread keeper know if there is anything you would like to add/ delete/ change from your synopsis above. Bolding requests is appreciated!


Weekend Wrap-Up
Name:
Age:
TTC #:
CD:
DPO (if applicable):
Testing:
Trying Since:
Plan for this Cycle:
Link to Chart (if applicable):
Thoughts:

Edited by brichole1214 - 3/24/11 at 2:25am

[brichole1214]

Sorry this is a couple of days late!!!! :)  Work just fired a girl from 3rd shift and 2 ladies are out on medical leave so I'm on 3rd shift now until we can hire and train someone new....I hope that all of you are doing well and i'm looking forward to March! This time last year I was taking the last of my fertility drugs and FINALLY caught my eggie after 31 months of actively trying!! (5 years of off and on trying total!!!)  I hope that all of you ladies are able to share in the joy that i was able to have when my test finally came up positive!!! And i pray for sticky beans for all of you!!!

[blueyezz4]

I'm still here too!!  A little quiet, but always lurking!! I get sucked into the IVF thread most of time, but I do lurk here. We are actually trying to catch an egg on our own this month before we head towards a FET at the end of March.  I'm in the TWW now!!  It has been so long since we have tried on our own without any drugs that I've felt lost!!  LOL....j/k.  Hoping this is a fertile month for all!!  We need some BFP's around here soon.

[hope4light]

Happy March to us all, and here's to hoping for a lot of BFP's!  This time last year I was actually believing that my sticky bean was going to make it.  Silently trying by not preventing, but with our severe MFI I don't concentrate too hard on it.  Plus, DH is a pilot, and I haven't gotten back PPAF as I'm BFing.  We started talking seriously about trying again once DD is a year old!

[SimplyRochelle]

We had our first infertility appointment today with a local OB who was amazing. Hubby has an SA sometime next week, I have an ultrasound Thursday to check for cysts, fibroids, or any possible sign that could indicate endometriosis. If they do see anything abnormal I'll have a lap done sometime in the next few months. We told him we're really just interested in testing right now, but in about 6 months (once the due date would be after nursing school graduation) we'd be more open to medical intervention. He suggested birth control for 3 months which he thinks would regulate/shorten my cycles but I just don't really like that idea at all! He also said he'd want to try Clomid first but I'd really only want to give it one more shot since we did two cycles of it last year with a general practitioner who was happy to hand out drugs. I forgot to ask how much he could offer us and what he would try before referring us somewhere else. It's a shame the only RE in our state is in Little Rock which is about 3 and a half hours from here. Onto another very full week and the possibility for some answers or at least the beginning of some answers.

[MountainMamaGC]

Please add me to the list.

Name: Lydia
Age: 29
TTC #: 2
CD: 11
DPO (if applicable): n/a
Testing: March 26th
Trying Since: Oct 2009
Plan for this Cycle: I took 80 mg soy isoflavones CD 3-7
Link to Chart (if applicable): http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/282068
Thoughts: I tried to add myself to the old thread, but I will try this one too. I have crohn's disease. My DD was conceived with in 6 months, but I was in the middle of my 4 year med free remission. I take remicade to be symptom free since March 2010 and I had a severe flare for about 4 months prior to that. I have also had 4 early losses in that time but all happened while I was healthy. I am going to a specialist in July and I need a place I can hang out till then.

AFM: This journey is starting to wear me down. Sometimes I cry when I think about the possibility that I may never hold another baby again. I used to tell myself it was going to work out, but now I am not so sure anymore. How do you keep your chin up?

[brichole1214]

Lydia:  I added your blurb to the top and if there's anything that you would like to add or to change just bold it and i'll change it for you :)   I understand your feelings about not feeling like you'll ever hold another baby and I too struggled with that for SOOOOO long when we were TTC and finally got pregnant with Emma.  I was so scared that I was going to lose her that it was hard for me to stay excited until we had our third u/s and we started getting to hear the heart beat every time i went to the doctor....and even then I held my breath until my OB found the heart beat!!!!    I don't know what to tell you about being able to keep your head held high but I will say that this thread is the only reason I kept my sanity throughout my RE appointments and ups and downs of that!!!! DH just didn't understand what I was going through because I feel like men don't process everything the same way a woman does.  I felt like he wouldn't understand that I felt like i'd NEVER have another child (and yes I was VERY happy with being a mother to only one but i felt like something was missing in my life like i was supposed to have more than one child maybe even more!!!).  He would get frustrated with me when I would be upset when AF would show up and I would literally cry for the entire day!!!  He also was jealous of my friends I made on here because he thought that I talked to them about my feelings more than I talked to him and that might have been true to a point but I got tire of hearing him say "just relax" "it will happen" and crap like that!!!! I was so tired of hearing that "everything would be ok" when deep down I knew that I wasn't ok and I was suffering from not being able to get pregnant.  I got to the point when I was going through my fertility treatments that I knew what to look for on my u/s of my ovaries and when I wouldn't see a follicle that was big enough I would start to cry even before the nurse would say anything.  I honestly didn't want to believe that we had finally gotten a folli to grow big enough when we finally concieved Emma and I was honestly in denial when I took my first test, then i was still in denial when i took my 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and even 8th test!!!  I just couldn't believe that it had finally happened and it wasn't until i went to the hospital when i was 6 weeks pregnant and started spotting that I believed that I was pregnant because I got an u/s that night.  It was hard though that the ER doctor was telling me that I had the possiblity to lose the baby because blood was buliding up between my uterus and the baby. I cried the entire weekend!!! I held my breath and had several u/s the next few weeks to make sure that everything was going good.  THANK GOD she was ok...and she's very healthy now.  I just dread the thought of having to suffer through all of that again!!! I don't want to have to go through those hard times again but at least I know that I have a support group here who will listen to me during my journy and let me know that it's okay to cry and it's okay to be upset when we have another failed cycle. 

SimplyRochelle:  Best wishes to you and your DH as you have your tests done this coming week!!! I hope that you are able to get answers!!! Also remember that no matter what the out come is we are all here to support you and help you through what the doctor tells you!!! Please let us know how things go!!

Blueyezz:  I hope that you caught that eggie on your own!!!! Sending out lots of baby vibes/sticky vibes to you!!!  Please keep us updated!! I've missed hearing how you are doing!! You were always wonderful to me when I was going through this and helped me realized i wasn't alone!

Now i would like to tell you ladies something about myself that I've not told anyone else since it happened...and I'm sure this is one reason i was so paranoid with the thought of losing emma!!!

I was pregnant when I was 15 and at 13 weeks I lost the baby.  At the time it hurt me because I was "in love" with the babies daddy and no matter how young I was I didn't believe in abortion and my family had the means to help me if I needed them to.  Well, when I lost the baby my boyfriend broke up with me, some of my friends finally found out that i had been pregnant (i hid it WELL from most people because I didn't want to embarass my parents)  and they disowned me and I went through a HORRIBLE depression having to deal with this on my own.  I did what I could to ignor everything that had happened and I tried to just move on without dealing.  I have figured out now that I'm older I did not "deal" with the emotional side of having a miscarriage and I never included that baby as one of mine because i had detatched myself from it with the way that the guy i was with at the time did me after the loss.  I now just want to say that I am sorry that I never claimed that baby as a loss and that Emma really was my 3rd baby...and not my 2nd.  I'm sure that i had several early miscarriages when I was with my ex-h too but I would never test to see if HCG was in my system because that would have been too hard for me to deal with probably because I still hadn't delt with the loss of the first one.  I just wanted to get all of this out because like I said I've not told anyone about this and it's been eating me up inside for so long!!! Thank you for listening to my ramblings!!!!

[brichole1214]

Okay now that i've had a chance to clean up the thread blurbs...i have listed the MIAs and if anyone has heard from the ladies let me know :)  I've also added a list of ladies who i don't have blurbs for but have chatted with us and I want to invite those ladies to bold a response so they can be added to the main list with their information next to their name!!! I hope that this thread can be more help this month and I promise to be more into it this month!!!!

[MountainMamaGC]

Thanks for adding me to the list Brandy, and thanks for sharing your story with me. :)

[zanelee]

Weekend Wrap-Up
Name:zanelee
Age:41
TTC #:3
CD:18
DPO (if applicable):a couple? Maybe? FF says I o'd on cd 15, but I think it was more like 16 or possibly even 17 (It's usually 17)
Testing:If AF doesn't show up...
Trying Since:almost 5 years now
Plan for this Cycle:See below
Link to Chart (if applicable):
Thoughts:This cycle I've been painting the bottoms of my feet with iodine (as I have always believed that I have hypothyroid issues) and I've noticed that my temps immediately went up, closer to "normal". I also started taking geritol liquid (BLEH!) since my last period, as I have read about ladies conceiving once they started taking that. What the hey...I'm my own human guinea pig. :)

Brichole-can you change my blurb up top? Thanks!
 

TTC#3 for almost 5 years now. Secondary IF due to cervical cancer surgery. Had extensive endo removed and cervix manually dialated (so dh's boys could get in!) in late fall of 2010, and now trying on our own for a few months. Can't decided whether or not to start clomid. Praying for a miracle!
 

[brichole1214]

Lydia:  You're welcome !!!  :)

and Zanelee: i have everything updated

[blueyezz4]

Brichole - That is great that you shared your story!  You never know, maybe some of those pent up feelings were keeping you from getting pregnant, so now that you have released them you won't have any troubles next time.  Keeping my fingers crossed for you when that time comes in Sept!!   Ahhh... thanks for your kind words.  I'm so glad that I was able to make you feel like you weren't alone, this site in general & all of you ladies have done the same for me.

Zanelee -  What kind of iodine do you use to paint your feet?  Kinda like the iodine they use before they do a surgery to like sterilize the area?  I think that is some kind of iodine, but maybe i'm wrong.

AFM -  I'm in the TWW right now and AF is suppose to, but hopefully won't show up on the 13th of March.  We will see if we might have caught an egg w/o any help.  Like I said before, i think I'd die if we did!  LOL

[zanelee]

I'm just using povidone iodine. All I had on hand. I have forgotten to use it the last 2 nights, and my temp has dropped back down.

Hopefully, I'm onto something!

[brichole1214]

Weekend Wrap-Up
 

Name: Brandy

Age:  27
TTC #: 3 (starting in september)
CD: ????  (still haven't had a PP af but i've started Provera)
DPO (if applicable): 0 (steadily waiting on AF to show up!!)
Testing: N/A
Trying Since: Will start trying agian in september...but having lots of fun between now and then HEHE
Plan for this Cycle: Started Provera 3 days ago...trying to finally have an AF after having emma in December.  I'll then take BCPs until August and after my cycle in august we will start trying again :)
Link to Chart (if applicable):
Thoughts: Just praying that everyone has a stress free month and gets answers where they are needed.  Here for you ladies!!!
 

[jenger]

Name:Jenger

Age:  36 today
TTC #: 2
CD: 34
DPO (if applicable): 18
Testing: Every flipping morning for a week.
Trying Since: August 2009
Plan for this Cycle: Well, I tried clomind for the test, and next month I try femara
Link to Chart (if applicable): (I can't find the link on the new FF page..)
Thoughts: All I wanted for my dang birthday is a bfp. 

I have NEVER had a lp as long as this.  Granted, I took clomid and progesterone, but still.  Progesterone increased my lp from 12 days to 15.  Now 18? And NOTHING on the space where a second line would be if my period was absent for a good reason. 

[marsupial-mom]

We got more results of our fertility tests and now we know for sure that our infertility is male factor. Our only hope of conceiving a child that is biologically related to both of us is by IVF. And we're pretty sure that we're not interested in that. We might go a donor sperm route or we might just stick to adoption only (we planned to adopt already and are in the process of doing that - we wanted adopted AND bio children).

However, we're going to have more tests done to see if we can determine exactly what is causing my husband's issues because now we're a little worried about his overall health. He'll be having an MRI soon to take a look at his pituitary gland.

DH is taking this soooo well. I'm really proud of him. But he's made some jokes about being "half a man" and about "failing as a husband." I know he's hurting and it's terrible to see. I don't really know how to comfort him other than to remind him that we married for love, not procreation, and that he's the best and only husband for me. He's such a great father to our (foster-adopt) son and he's such a wonderful person. He's supported me in so many things! I really don't know what I would do without him.

So... I guess we're not really TTC right now since that's not a current possibility.

[tantylynn]

Can I please be added to this list? Thanks!

Name: tantylynn
Age: 22
TTC #: 1
CD: 38 (avg cycle is 39 days)
DPO (if applicable): I have irregular cycles and don't know exactly when I ovulate...
Testing: Nope! I've pretty much given up on testing. I'll do it when I am 99.9% sure the result will be a BFP. I can't stand the sight of one more BFN :(
Trying Since: May 2009
Plan for this Cycle: DH and I are attending our first appointment with the GP tomorrow to address what's going wrong.
Link to Chart (if applicable): n/a
Thoughts: Warning: My thoughts are not very optimistic at the moment! Not being able to get pregnant has really taken a toll on me. The hardest part is feeling helpless, like no matter what I do to try to improve my chances of getting pregnant it's not making a difference at all. Right now it is especially frustrating because I just found out that my sister is pregnant accidentally. She is 35, not married or dating anyone seriously, parties and drinks, isn't healthy or active, is very overweight and she doesn't even want a baby. In fact she's devastated. And all I want is a baby. UGH! Wow, I feel like I'm being a downer! This is pretty much the first time I've voiced any of this. None of my family or friends really know that DH and I have been TTC, let alone for how long. We get asked all the time when we're going to have a baby, and I guess the frustration has been bottled up inside me. Just a couple weeks ago my mother-in-law was voicing (again) how we should start having babies. I finally told her we have been TTC for nearly 2 years...and she didn't respond. She just said "oh" and dropped it. Not exactly the support I was hoping for. I feel like a failure for not being able to give her grandbabies. Anyway, we're finally snapping out of the denial "we can do it ourself" stage, and seeking professional help. Wish us luck!

Thanks for being out there everyone, I really get hope and comfort knowing that I'm not alone in this. Good luck to everyone in TTC!

T. Lynn

[MountainMamaGC]

When you start BDing, do you dtd everyday or every other day? I usually have EWCM for 4-7 days prior to ovulation and we dtd every day in that time. I am wondering if I should go every other day, even though I would find it difficult, because I would feel like we are missing our opportunity.

[brichole1214]

Tantylynn: Welcome to the IF One thread!!! I'm happy that you feel like you want to share your journy with us and we are all here to listen!!! I understand your feelings because me and my DH had been married 2 years when we finally got pregnant and we had been trying for 9 months before that and his family was always saying "well, i don't guess tony and brandy are ever going to have a baby". That hurt...and it still hurts to hear them say "well, we never thought you would have a baby!!"   I don't think they really think about what they are saying when they say it!  But HUGS to you...i'm sorry that your sister is being insensitive to you with the fact that you are struggling yet she's telling you she's not even happy that she's able to get pregnant. It's hard for me to see people get pregnant so easily and not appreciate the life  they have been given.

Jenger: HUGS to you as well!! I know that frustration of a way too long LP and not getting the BFP that you expect! I have cried a many days over that and until i came here, i had no one who really understood the pain of knowing AF was late and KNOWING that you're not pregnant!!! It's SOOOOO HARD!!!
 

Marsupial_mom:  I'm sorry that you and your DH are having to go through this, but I pray that he listens to you when you tell him that you married him for love and not to procreate!  You sound like a WONDERFUL wife and he should know that a child will not make or break your marriage  :)   I love your support for him and know that I'm praying for you guys! I pray that nothing else is wrong with your DH and pray that all of the tests that the doctor does to check him come back clear!  I also admire you for supporting him with all the love you have for him!  It makes my heart smile!

Lydiah:  I was instructed by my RE not to DTD everyday but every other day and that's how me and DH got pregnant finally.  I was on femara and menopur injections and we induced my ovulation with ovadril...so we knew about when I would ovulate but it's because I was being watched like a hawk with u/s and b/w.  We didn't do IUI like a lot of women do because my doctor wanted us to try "natural" conception before going to IUI because my insurance wouldn't cover the IUI and i would of had to take a loan out just to cover the procedures. 

I'm still waiting around for AF to show up with the doctor giving me the Provera and usually it only takes me 4 days of taking the pills and I start but this time it's taking me a little bit longer and it worries me.  Maybe they will kick in soon because I want to start keeping track of my cycles for when we start ttc again in september.  G/L everyone and I hope today brings lots of happiness for everyone...even in the dark, cloudy moments!

[tantylynn]

Thanks Brichole! Lydia, everything I have read suggests BDing every other day for the best sperm quality. At my appt today, the dr reiterated that as well saying that it is best to spread the BDing out rather than focus all your energy on just O days.

Well today I peed in a cup, got four vials of blood drawn, had a pelvis ultrasound and a trans-vaginal ultrasound. DH has his share of 'testing' coming his way too, but has to wait a few days to submit his sample. I of course don't know the results of the urine or blood samples yet, but the sonogram technician talked me through the ultrasounds. I have a cyst in my right ovary and several cysts in my left. The right ovary shows possible signs of endomitriosis, and the left may or may not be linked to PCOS. He said blood tests should confirm/discount all of the findings. I will return in around 5 weeks to see if the cysts go away on their own.

I know it's not great news, but I'm actually relieved. I feel like some of the weight and pressure of trying to get pregnant has been lifted from our shoulders, and placed with science and doctors instead. There is nothing worse than feeling like maybe you did something wrong this cycle and that's the reason you didn't get pregnant. At least now I know that that's probably not the case, and if I do have either endometriosis or PCOS they are both treatable right?

So yeah, for now I feel relieved, optimistic and a little bit anxious to get the results of the blood tests back so we can 'get this show on the road' - whatever that entails!