Queer Conceptions--August 2011 - Page 9

[SwtRainbowBrite]

Lisdea: Yes temping is driving me insane, the bittersweet part about eventually going to the RE is that I don't have to temp because they will be U/S monitoring. Our Wedding is in February, I can't believe time is going by so fast! I can't wait! 

DesertSunsets: Sorry for the BFN, but I am Sending BabyDust and hope for an unexpected surprise! 

[prettyisa]

swtrainbowbrite—I just took one baby aspirin every morning with my prenatal vitamin from CD1 until the insems. It definitely helped boost things a bit, but my linings were usually still on the thin side.

Dandylez—welcome to the board! I’m so sorry about bacon not smelling good—that sounds like the worst possible pregnancy symptom ever! (but hopefully that is indeed what it was!)

Desert—has she had a UTI before? There is no way I would ever mistake it for anything other than what it is (kind of like how a yeast infection is a yeast infection, sadly). Still hoping for good news for you!

I’m back from Portland, jet-lagged and exhausted. It’s clear that being a stay at home mom is not for me, since sharing that duty with my friend was too much for me. I also have to say that I hate west-coast jetlag in both directions. When I was a kid we always went east, so I’m not used to the other way. But Portland was great and I got to hang out with Qmama and her awesome (and frequently adorable) family while I was there, which was a real treat! We even discovered that she was born in my hometown, which is a really odd coincidence (it’s not that big, or exciting).
I’m leaving the rest of the personals for Monday, when I can sit down at my office and look like I’m working—I got off the plane just in time to collect my mother in law from hers, so we’ve been a whirlwind of tourism and entertaining since then, just on home turf.

[jennp85]

I tested this morning just to deflate my hope bubble a little.  It helped until I spent all day with my friend and her 5 1/2 month old daughter!

I've had 3 days of fatigue, though today I had to get up earlier than usual and had a long day of sitting in a car, in a cold auditorium and then in a car again but this time the baby was inconsolable.  Yesterday I had GI symptoms that I couldn't find a dietary cause for.  I looked around online to see if that could be pregnancy related and found this site http://www.countdowntopregnancy.com/early-pregnancy-symptoms/all-early-pregnancy-symptoms.php.  Be careful when reading their graphs, they are inconsistent about how they present the information but it's interesting to see how many other women have had these signs.  I had a few cramps yesterday, I've been congested since last night, and I've had a few dizzy spells.  Anything else could be explained away by my current life stressors: anxiety, weepiness, acne.  I think I can hold off wasting another dollar store test for a few more days.

I get one more acupuncture appointment on Thursday.  I have to have everything packed up Monday when I go to bed.  Then, the movers come Tuesday afternoon and I fly out Saturday.  I doubt I can wait until Saturday to take a test though!

My friend said that she really thought she was pregnant but the pee tests were coming back negative.  She went to the doctor and had a blood test done.  It came back negative so she tried some OPKs and they said she was ovulating for 3 days in a row.  She thought that was weird and took a pregnancy test and it was positive!

I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying their weekend!

[Yeledov]

SwtRainbowBrite: Actually, I'm not in Seattle until later this week. The weather is pretty much the same in Portland. Such a weird summer in the NW, eh?! 

My KD is all scheduled for the next insems. I'm bad about following the boards right now as I try to keep up with some in-law drama we are having right now. Hopefully, once my partner is back from the family function things will settle down again.

[MujerMamaMismo]

Hi folks,
It's so busy here. How do you ever keep up? I'm afraid I'm too sleep deprived and dense to attempt personal responses but I'm reading along and starting to get a sense of who everyone is.

AFM: I'm at 10dpo and tested today to put myself out of my 'imaginary symptom' misery. It was, of course, a BFN. The imaginary symptoms are more intense than I remember from my pregnancy with DS. Sore boobs, some sharp pains in my uterus, lots of nausea, big waves of fatigue but I'm pretty sure that they really are imaginary!

We spent the afternoon at our KD's son's (E) first birthday party. It was a gorgeous day here and our boys played so beautifully - with 18mths age gap, it's taken until now for them to actually engage fully but it's really lovely to see them together. DS loves E so much, it's very sweet. And E crawls around the house looking for DS whenever he's out of sight. I feel very grateful for our intentional family today.

[nosreves]

sara -- you are sooo not boring!  i'm interested in hearing all about your life and times, and please send some of your photos!  as for sweets...i really love sour things, and it's hard to find sour candy in other countries.  the sour twizzler thingies and shock tarts (super healthy, i know) are some favorites.  don't bother with chocolate, though, because we have a lot of really good kinds here.  something else i love/miss is cream of wheat, but it might be too heavy to include.  to be honest, i'd be super excited to just get a letter and pictures (and any drawings or things like that from the kiddies).  do you like dark chocolate?  and YAYAYAY for the responsive doctor!  i hope the trigger shot is exactly what you need.  i'm going to ask for that as well if this isn't my month.

desert -- keeping my fingers crossed that your DP will still get that BFP.  btw you two sound like such amazing foster moms.  those kids are lucky to have you.

amt -- i'm so sorry about AF showing up on your bday.  i wish you and your DP all the best on your ttc journey, and i hope you'll feel like you can come back at some point.  you have a beautiful family, and i hope you can add a new member to it soon!

lisedea -- how are you doing?  you're in the second part of the tww now, no?  any symptoms?  i agree with you on the balancing being hopeful and realistic...  it's really hard to do, and lately, i've been tending more towards negativity.  i think it's a self-protection mechanism (if i don't get my hopes up, i won't be hurt/disappointed), but i, too, am trying to change my thinking and be more positive.  sending BFP vibes your way!

dandylez -- Bienvenue/Welcome!  i love the drawing in your photo.  did you do it?  your symptoms sounds *really* promising!  when are you planning on testing?

it's funny that both you and desert are roller derby gals.  the day you posted, i saw a thing on the news here in france about how it's become wildly popular in the last two years.   it's such a cool sport.  anyway, i hope your stay in QC is short and sweet!

gelly -- woot for the follies!  grow little eggies, grow!  when is the retrieval?

jenn -- wow, those are some super intense early symptoms!  i hope your move goes smoothly and that your housewarming gift in Denver is a big fat positive on one of those pregnancy tests!

rainbow -- thanks for the encouragement!  it sounds like everything is really lining up for your next round of ttc.  with all that positive energy surrounding you, it can't help but be successful.  courage (as they say here) for the next month of waiting. 

prettyisa -- welcome back from your trip and your tiny taste of motherhood.  i'm eagerly awaiting your update!  how are you feeling??  and can you move me to the TWW?

m³ -- 10dpo is nothing!  waves of nausea and fatigue (while not exactly fun) certainly sound promising.  especially if you experienced something similar with your DS.  are you going to test again in a few days?

oh and salut and good vibes to anyone i missed in the personals!

afm... i had a couple of borderline-miserable days on thursday and friday where my ovaries felt like huge metal balls that were on the verge of exploding. (yay, clomid!)  everything was uncomfortable...especially laughing, but i still managed to do a lot of it.  when i woke up on saturday, the discomfort was completely gone.  since i had a peak reading on my CBFM on friday, i'm assuming that i ovulated either friday evening or early sat morning.  fertility friend seems to think i O'd thursday, but i'm taking that with a grain of salt.  in any case, it's still quite possible that it worked this time given that there could have been some hearty little squiggly guys hanging out in my fallopian tubes.  i'm choosing to be hopeful, because the negativity is really pointless and possibly counterproductive.  i started oral progesterone today and had a massive piece of pineapple at breakfast.  onward into the two weeks of waiting and symptom watching!

Edited by nosreves - 8/14/11 at 7:48am

[Cananny]

Good Sunday everyone..

.prettyisa.. sounds like your trip was fun ... my DP says she could never be a stay at home mom either.. i on the other hand think I would love it!

desert: Good to know about the monitor.. we are still going to use the OPK sticks just as a back up.. Fingers crossed for a surprise BFP

sara: when are you insem aprox? And yay for a trigger shot... i have wondered about that for DP

rainbow: welcome and here is some positive energy for you!!!

norev: having a positive attitude is helpful.. i have to remind DP not to be negative.. I feel that really hurts you in this process.. here is to happy positive thoughts and energy and this is your month!!!

dandylez: welcome . this is a great board ... hope your stay in QC is short!

lisedea : how are you doing.. i am glad to see you back on here.. are you in the TWW right now? HAPPY VIBES.. for a BFP!!!!!

 

Jenn: hoping these early symtoms are a good sign!

 

 

Sorry if I have forgotten anyone.. Hugs to everyone who needs it.. Baby dust to everyone in TWW

 

AFU.. We are in day 17 of DP cycle.. she has never O this late.. we are wondering what is up?  we did not get a happy face on the OPK last month, or month before ( we insemmed going by other things lining up and we ran out of OPK so we just went with our gut in June) ....

Her AF has been very short .. 3 -4 days instead of the usual 7.. her legs are very sore , she is moody, she had intense back pain.. We told the dr about this in July ( when we saw her) and asked if maybe she could have an eptopic pregnancy.. Our KD is also a bit concerned. I think we will see if DP does not O in the next few days .. and if she does not.... maybe time for an ultrasound to rule that out??

[smilingsara]

nos: letter is getting finished today and in the mail tomorrow! I love all kinds of chocolate. I think cream of wheat can be handled for you! No pictures for you this time, but I'll get some together soon. I'm really excited about my trigger shot and hope I hit it this time! My ultra sound is in 1 week! wuhu wuhu! Maybe we'll both hit it this month together! Good luck on your wait! 

ca: good luck with your dp! I think my insem will be the 23rd or 24th. possibly the 25th. Doc will tell me and I'll report back for sure!  

[carmen358]

Welcome, dandylez!
 

MidwifeSteph: Insem'ing while sick is not fun....I hope your dedication pays off! Adele at an outdoor venue would be amazing!!

 

MrsPP: Hooray, we can chart stalk you now Your last chart looks picture perfect! I just had a quick glance and you do seem to have some slow rises but mixed in with some good ones so I doubt it's anything to worry about.

gelly: Good news! And I'm glad your head and neck are feeling better.

lisadea: A heightened sense of smell was a huge symptom for me when pregnant with DD! Sounds promising!

Sorry about the bfn, Desert. Keep us updated if a BFP shows up instead of AF!
 

jennp: I may have missed it but did you test again?

MMM: Sounds like a fun day. 10DPO is way too early to test...as I'm sure you know

Sending good vibes to you, nosreves!

Cananny: That does sounds a bit different for your DP. A bloodtest may even be enough if you didn't want to jump to an u/s right away. I'm sure your doc will have good advice. Do you test with your opks more than once a day? When I first started trying to catch my surge I could never catch it until I did it a couple times a day for a cycle and then I knew the best time when I could catch it.

sara: Sounds like a great plan you have with the doc. I bet this is your cycle!
 

Afm: We got back from camping late last night. DD loved being outside all day and except for it being a bit chilly in the tent for DP and I (DD was toasty warm between us) we had a great time. Definitely planning another camping trip before summer's end. And, I haven't O'd! CM is just starting to change so I'm guessing I O in the next few days. I'd like to try this cycle but my energy is still quite low so I'm really torn. What would you all do?? Insem with low energy or wait?

And sara, because you asked, here are a couple of photos of DD on our camping trip :)

[smilingsara]

carmen, the trip sounds lovely! Your DD is so stinkin cute! She looks like she had a blast!

[dandylez]

Wow, this is a busy board. I’ve been checking in over the weekend, but I haven’t had time to respond.  I just wanted to say that I think it’s pretty amazing how in touch with each other you all are, and that the personalized notes are really lovely.  What a great space!

Thanks to everyone for the warm welcomes!

Desert:  Awesome that you and your DP played for that long!  Ours is a new league and we’ve all just been playing for about a year and a half.  It’s an amazing group of women though, and an addictive sport!  How is DW feeling?  Did you test again?

Prettyisa: Yes, a terrible symptom, but it hasn’t lasted either.  I hear you on the stay-at-home biz!  My DP and I took care of my niece (4) and nephew (6) for a week so that my sis and hubby could get away, but my DP worked a lot of shifts that week.  I definitely couldn’t do the stay-at-home thing for a prolonged period, or at least not without a fabulous adult support network.

Nosreves: The drawing was a just a sketch I did on our kitchen note board one day.  It’s long gone, but we took a photo of it for posterity.  You’d have to see us to realize that I’m a terrible artist, but we still like it because we’d never get the cats to sit that close to each other for a real photo!!  We each brought a cat into the relationship, and they barely tolerate each other! Good luck with the TWW!!  Here’s hoping those squiggly swimmers do their work!  Pineapple, eh?  I had to look that up.  I’ll try that next time!

Lise: I hope your stinky dog is a good sign! How are you feeling?  Did you test?

10 dpo here.  I couldn’t help myself, and bought 2 tests last night.  I woke up at 4:30 with a very full bladder, and wasn’t sure if I should pee on a stick, or just pee, and then test in the morning.  Bleary-eyed, I went ahead with the test, and got a BFN!    Back to bed, disappointed but still hopeful.  I’ll wait a few days before trying again, I think!  Symptom-wise, the sensitive nose seems to have disappeared.  Boobs went from feeling super-swollen and sore, to still larger and tender, but not as bad (either that, or taking my bra off at the first opportunity when I get home has helped with the soreness).  I’ve been peeing more frequently, but I’ve had that happen before and I wasn’t pregnant.  I keep wishing for more symptoms!  I’ve never wanted so much to feel fatigued! Oh dear! 

[Go_Vegan]

Hello all,

I have been away from the board for quite some time. We really needed a break from even THINKING about trying to conceive. We moved home to Virginia (from Boston) in April and are finally back onto the TTC rollercoaster. Just a little background: I did 9 months of IUI with frozen donor sperm, relying on OPK and charting, but no ultrasounds. I had good day 3 bloodwork and an all clear HSG done before using clomid on our 9th try. Never got pregnant. We are now doing the old fashioned turkey baster method with a known donor. I inseminated on cd 10 and cd 13 (which was last night) I finally got my positive OPK this morning. My question is: should we inseminate again tonight or wait until tomorrow night so he has a day to build his supply back up and to cover the spread a little further out? Also, I have read very conflicting reports regarding orgasm and ICI success rates. Not to be tmi, but I am finding it very difficult to get in the mood, as this process feels a bit stressful/ridiculous. Thanks ladies!

[dandylez]

Hi Go_Vegan: 

Others will probably chime in on this, but I would inseminate tonight.  Waiting another day after getting a positive OPK will likely be too late.  It's great that you've inseminated a couple of times already, so the little swimmers will hopefully be hanging out in the fallopian tubes waiting for that egg to drop.  

In terms of orgasm and ICI, I've only heard that it's a good idea.  Orgasm makes the cervix dip down and take in more semen.  It's kind of weird to work this in, I know, especially at first.  If my DP is around when we inseminate, then we just try to have a bit of fun with it. I think it's best to get good and "warmed up," then inseminate, then finish off and orgasm.  It just makes my body feel open and ready for the stuff if I'm already turned on and heated up.  Hope that's not tmi for everyone.  Lots of laughter and silliness helps things along, and should help you both relax, and hopefully enjoy the experience.

Good luck!!!!

[dandylez]

Okay, general question:

Has anyone heard negative stuff about peppermint tea and conception??  I was about to make myself a cup, and then I just thought I'd take a look around online. There are reports of it lowering progesterone, which would be great for folks with PCOS, but bad in the luteal phase, right?   Anyway, the info online is very contradictory, so I just wondered if anyone has any thoughts?!  I decided to put away the mint tea just in case, and opted for Rooibos instead (Red Bush tea).  That one seems to be fine.

[lisedea]

Desert—Ugg…so sorry.

Jenn—It really sounds like your friend ovulated (and probably implanted) a lot later than she thought. It would make sense for her numbers to be so low so even a blood test wouldn’t read it. Since most women normally implant 6-10 days after ovulation and it take a few days for the hcg to get into the blood stream and then urine, tests take quite a while to show a positive. I love that some people really just seem to “know” when they are pregnant. My problem is that every time I “know” I am pregnant, I find out that I am not. Apparently I don’t my body as well as I thought…

Nosreves—Yesterday was definitely a negative day! I just didn’t (as still don’t) feel pregnant. Other than that, my tww is going fairly quickly….must be because I am so busy. Good luck in your wait and hope it goes as quickly for you as it did for me!

Cananny—Thanks! I hope those vibes help out… Has she taken a pregnancy test??? Otherwise, she might just have a later O than normal…I had a month when I was quite a bit late…but all was fine. I say, go to the doctor again if you have concerns! Better to be safe than not—especially if you have concerns about an eptopic!

Carmen—Aww! Such great pics! Thanks for sharing!

Dandylez—Sorry about the early BFN….still early!! And I have no clue about the tea…I think there is a lot of crazy info out there…and I thought most herbal teas were fine….I know there are a few that I have avoided but never peppermint. If it were me, I would drink a cup.

Sara—How are you doing??? Mr. August arrive yet??

GoVegan—I totally know what you mean about not being in the mood…we always do anyway though because we are willing to try anything and have read so much about the benefits of it… AND…I also think you should insem tonight unless you know that you ovulate quite a while after your surge. It is better to be early than late—especially with fresh sperm since it lives so long. Good luck!!

9dpo. Testing tomorrow AM--AF should arrive on Wednesday or Thursday. Not feeling a bit pregnant (although as a write this I feel like I might puke...) I have been drinking one glass of red wine each night to "help with implantation". Not sure if it will work this time around but I have been enjoying it! I have decided if I am not pregnant, I will probably juice fast for a couple of weeks and we probably won't try again until October or November (depending on funds).

[handerson003]

Hey all!

Dandylez- sorry for the BFN but you still have a chance..

Go Vegan- Like DandyLez said make it fun and orgasm after for surez. It may be hard but it could help hehe

AFM: This should be the week my love should get a positive OPK. She tests 2 times a day and still onyl 1 line. Shes getting anxious lol then sees 1 line and sighs lol.. Patience I say lol Her cycle was off last month so she could surge and ovulate a lil late but unsure. She knows the signs to look for and to look at the CM also..

This is our 1st insem. Soo way nervous. and excited. I read how it can take some time which sucks but it will happen when its time. Just got to keep trying :) We are just thinking positive! FINGERS CROSSED! and baby dust and lily dust to all!!!

[DesertSunsets]

Wanted to drop in and say thank you to everyone for all your well wishes and support!

Unfortunately, AF just came by for her monthly visit. We knew she was coming, DW's temp took a nose dive this morning and we expected it hadn't worked out for this cycle. We are of course disappointed, but we are excited for margaritas tonight and I know my lovely wife is looking forward to making her famous chocolate cream pie this week, which she won't be able to do once she is pregnant - egg yolks in the custard, you know.

A May baby would really be more convenient for DW's work schedule, anyway!

Carmen, your vacation sounds amazing and your DD is precious. It sounds to me that if you haven't ovulated yet, maybe you are supposed to insem this month. Just my opinion.

I'm rooting for all you ladies waiting for BFPs! It's time for some new preggos to hit Queer and Pregnant. Come on, babies!

[prettyisa]

Sara—with a deep fried oreo does the filling get melty? Does it get soft? Inquiring minds would like to know…So glad to hear about the accommodating doc and the trigger shot!

Krista—how are you doing? That sucks so much about your doctor’s office only doing things once a month. There’s no chance to get on for September, at least?

Aljm—welcome back! Have you been temping, etc, this whole time, or are you just going to go with OPKs to get the timing right?

Nos Reves—I keep wondering if there is any way you could get better care elsewhere in the EU. Maybe just head over to London for treatment? FX that this will be your month, though, and you won’t need to!

Gelly—I forget—when is your retrieval again? It’s got to be soon…and your numbers are certainly looking good!

SwtRainbowbrite—I think most of us hover between the boards to keep up with everyone’s progress. It’s hard to go from talking with someone every day to having no idea what they’re up to, but I think we all (on both boards) are happy to hear from people in different stages and be able to keep up when we have the time. Waiting to wait is the worst! How were the planes in person?

MrsPP, my love, when exactly is your expected First Try in sept going to take place? I’m trying to plan your shower…

NAMW—how are you feeling?

Carmen—your trip looks so fun! I wish I could find a good weekend to go—it sounds like heaven to just spend some time in the woods…

Yeledov—it was amazing! Qmama and I went to the baby section and scared some poor woman as we regaled each other with tales of identical triplets and way too much information. It made me realize how very much we all know about every step of this process that most people are blissfully ignorant of. She also took me to Forest Park, which is making me jealous of Carmen and her camping trip.

Handerson—it’s hard to relax when you’re so excited! I hope she gets the positive OPK soon so you can get started!

CaNanny—how odd. I hope it’s nothing bad, in any case. But I’d be getting a blood test or u/s to be on the safe side, too.


MMM—too early! The boys playing together sound so sweet—I’m glad I’m meeting lots of intentional family around here with babies to play with. Otherwise there’s not much blood family that’s in a baby-making stage of life.

Dandy—I thought it was just me when I chased her around for two days with DP, but then when we got there her mom was exhausted by it, too. Whenever the baby napped, both of us both fell asleep, too. It was a little ridiculous, but what are vacations for? Haven’t heard anything about peppermint tea—I hope it’s ok in general because I’ve been drinking it like my life depends on it now that I can’t have the black stuff anymore.

Govegan—I think that if it’s something you want to do to relax you or make the process feel more intimate, it’s great. I also think that if it isn’t you probably will have the same likelihood of success. Judging by the magazines, there are PLENTY of women who get pregnant with no idea of what an orgasm even is.

Lise—too early, too early! I’m hoping that wine has done the trick!

AFM—I’m feeling cautiously optimistic, so I’m going to start posting over on Q&P, I think. I’ll definitely stick around for at least the next two weeks, though (and keep coming back longer to cheer you all on until you join me, of course!)—until I get the reassurance from my actual OB I don’t think any of this will seem real to me.

[NAMW]

Carmen-- Your pictures are so cute!  It sounds (and looks) like you had a great time!

Isa-- I'm glad your trip went well, even if it was exhausting.    Welcome back!

Rainbow-- Do you have a date set?  (Sorry if you already posted and I missed it!)  Are you enjoying the planning, or is it torture?  For us, it was a little bit of both.  lol   My wife comes from a large Jewish family.  We were trying to keep our wedding small, but relatives kept insisting that we invite so-and-so's cousin's friend's father's dogwalker's grandmother, etc.    I hope everything is going smoothly for you!  Do you plan on taking a honeymoon?        

I'm 12 DPO today, but I still haven't tested.  I am really dreading seeing a single pink line again, so I'm not entirely sure if I'll test or wait.  The only 'symptoms' (if you can call them that) that I've been having are the ones that fall into that ambiguous same-for-PMS-and-pregnancy category (sore breasts, cramping, minor spotting, etc.).

On the bright side, we just got back from a four-day trip to New York City, and we had a wonderful time!  Well, the first day was pretty difficult.  (In a city of 8 million people, it really seems that at least 2 million are pregnant women...  )  BUT, once I got over that, we had a lot of fun, and the change of scenery really helped during this whole waiting thing.  Today, it's back to work, waiting, and my hyperactive golden retriever! 

[gellybeangrl]

Carmen~ Your DD is such a cutie pie! Glad that you had a great camping trip!

Desert~ Sorry about your BFN.   Will you all try again next month or are you going to take a little break?

Go Vegan~ Welcome Back! Here are some sticky baby making vibes for the tww....

Lisedea~ Good luck with testing tomorrow...but 10dpo is way early.

dandylez~ Sorry...I'm not a tea drinker so I can't help you, but hopefully someone on the board can.

Isa~ Welcome back...how lovely was the West Coast?!? I hope that you are feeling well...enjoy being over in Q & P...don't worry I'll be stalking you.... And I really hope to see ya over there soon!

AFM~ I had blood work and u/s this morning...RE was very pleased to how things are looking. Lining is 9.5, I have 15 follicles...one 10, a few at 13, several at 16, one at 17, 19 and 20. Yeah...I have 2 days of stims left. I go back on Wednesday for more blood work and u/s monitering. I am scheduled for my ER (egg retrievial) on Friday...Yikes. I am happy things are looking so good. I just hope that there are some nice mature eggs inside the follicles that fertilize well. I'm still having the hormone headaches, but their intensity have lessened. So I am thankful for that.

Gelly