Warm Winter Wishes and BFP's 40 ++ TTC - Page 27

[WaturMama]

Great news lovetolaugh! And Miss_Sonja, wow 17 weeks!! Wonderful!! Thank you both for stopping by.

The spotting went to CD9, but stopped at CD10. Dh and I bd that day and no more blood, so I'm thinking not my cervix. My TCM person and I agreed not to worry unless it happens again. I have years of extensive notes, and I'm sure that hasn't happened before!

gumblossom, it is hard to keep being hopeful after all the disappointments. (((hug))) I am for you however, remembering that cycles when I've been pg, including with ds, the symptoms have gone up and down. I hope this is your month.

[Gr8fulMama]

WaturMama, thanks for the sticky dust.  I love that your RE thinks your fertility-related tests look so good that you don't need treatment!

LovetoLaugh, I'm so glad you are doing well!

gumblossom, Thanks for the info on your kids' ages.  Our DS is a very sweet, sensitive boy, I am sure they will develop a great relationship.  I'm wishing you the best.  Try not to get too discouraged & have faith that it will happen.

miss sonja,  how old are your kids?  We need to figure out when to tell our DS who's 4, and I have no idea when a good time would be.

[kfillmore]

worrying a bit (or more)----My period was due yesterday. It is never late. In fact, I have been worrying because it has been early lately. I have tested two times with  a pregancy test and they are negative. Could I have an etopic pregnancy? I have been cramping for a week (mild, but I usually get none). I sort of thought I might be pregnant. I am feeling afraid about etopic pregancy. Any thoughts?

p.s. I tried maca a week or so ago and I swear I felt some cramps afterward. I have only taken it two or three times. Could my late period be due to Maca?

thanks!!

[Gr8fulMama]

I took a test 3 days after my period was due and it was a BFN but then three days later it was a BFP.  Maybe wait a day or two and test again?

[pokeyAC]

kfillmore - Jumpin in to say I think that if you had an ectopic pregnancy you would get a positive on your tests.  The HCG would be there and be increasing if it was ectopic.   Good luck!

[LitMama]

Hi kfillmore, I just wrote a long reply to you about ectopics (I had one recently), but accidentally deleted it! Gotta make this one much briefer, but... as others have said, an ectopic would also register as a BFP. The cramping you feel may be a normal corpus luteum cyst (I've had that with every pregnancy) or even implantation. Classic ectopic symptoms usually appear around 5 weeks or later (or never, in my case), you can read more about them at the Ectopic Pregnancy Trust, a great resource. They are usually diagnosed and treated quite early with routine early prenatal care, such as beta blood testing and ultrasound imaging. That's how mine was caught. So even if for some reason you do have an ectopic, you're in no danger at 4 weeks.

I don't know for sure if Maca could mess with your cycle, but it certainly makes sense that it could, since it does have hormonal effects.

Edited by LitMama - 5/16/12 at 2:15pm

[LitMama]

Congratulations, Gr8tfulMama and lovetolaugh! Gr8tful, I love that you have the classic "relax and it will happen" story. Thank you both for sharing the joy here with us and happy and healthy 9 months to you both! 

WaturMama, I'm sorry DH's appointment didn't yield any new information, that can be so frustrating. ((( hugs ))) to you... it is hard to look at the losses when you put them down on paper, I've had the same experience. I hope you can find a way to ease your sinus infections... they are miserable. Have you already tried a neti pot? That and nettle infusions and TCM herbs seem to help me prevent/treat them. I'm glad you and your TCM person agreed not to worry about the spotting... I had follicular-phase spotting in November when I got pregnant, didn't seem to prevent conception or implantation/stickiness.

Gumblossom, ((( hugs ))) to you, too... sorry that you're feeling discouraged. Does it come in waves for you? Can you ride this one out? I hope you feel better soon. You mentioned a friend who tried hypnotherapy... I just wanted to chime in that I've been seeing a hypnotherapist who specializes in fertility for the past 6 months and it's made a world of difference both in my emotional state and, I believe, in my fertility. I was pregnant within 3 months of starting sessions with her (and with my new TCM person), which I gather happens a lot in her practice. (Bummer that it was ectopic, but hey, it was sticky!). If you're interested, you can get more info at the Hypnofertility Foundation.

[gumblossom]

Well, I was so sure there was no hope for me,but today, while at work I felt compelled to go shopping,so popped out and picked up an ept, and peed on it at work.

I don't know why I did,especially as I'd had an obvious negative this morning. And lo and Behold - I got a faint BFP. Later I had a little brown spotting. I hope that means implantation rather than an early indication of AF coming.

I'm just going to quietly hold onto hope without making plans, anything could happen.It might be a chemical.

It's funny though, cos I have had a strong feeling that all the planets were aligned this month - but still had a few wobbles - my breast tenderness was gone this morning,but is back now.

I hope it is sticky this time. I'll call my Dr tomorrow for a progesterone script if I get a positive in the morning...

[lovestolearn]

Yay, Gumblossom!  Sending sticky babydust your way!
 

[WaturMama]

gumblossom!!! A bfp!!! What day are you? Sending stickystickystickygrowing bean wishes!!!

[gumblossom]

Waturmama, I'm 11 DPO today. It's a fairly faint bfp on a First Response test. I also used an internet cheapie and it's almost not there. I'm feeling very relaxed about it. I don't feel as desperate and worried as last time (plenty of time for that I guess!), I just know there's really very little I can do about it. I am starting to believe that there's a plan,and things will work out.

I have had the run around from my doctor's office, who won't prescribe progesterone for me. My Dr is on holiday. She's the one who said,"call me when you get a bfp and I'll prescribe the progesterone". So I rang her office and she's away until June 5th. They said they'd get another doctor to prescribe, but that doctor couldn't find anything in my notes,so has contacted an Ob/gyn who has said there's no evidence for progesterone for helping early pregnancy, so, they won't prescribe.

I should be angry,but I'm not at all, I just feel that's how it should be,and I'll continue with the cream. I have always had good levels, and I'll see my own doctor before I reach 9 weeks, which is when I was worried that progesterone might drop - and we can monitor that through blood work.

I think my little spirit baby is ready to come to us,so I'm going to be calm about it as much as I can.

It's also going to be my little secret. I just don't want to tell my DH for a while. I know that must sound crazy, but I know he isn't wanting another baby,and frankly,I don't want any negativity surrounding early pregnancy. I'll tell him when it feels the time is right, sometime after 9 weeks and before 12 weeks...who knows? I'll guess I'll work it out. Right now, I just need to take one day at a time. Hopefully I'll still get a positive test tomorrow morning,hopefully getting darker,then I might start believing I am pregnant.
 

[LitMama]

Yay, Gumblossom!!!!

I'm so happy for you and your little spirit baby who clearly wants to join you.

I'm sorry you're experiencing the issues with your Dr. and progesterone... I fear I will have the same problem when I get pregnant next. I deliberately left the RE practice at my hospital and am being seen in regular Ob/Gyn now, but Ob/Gyn doesn't believe in progesterone supplementation... only RE does. You can probably accomplish the same dosage using the cream, right? And, I wonder if you can get the suppositories via an online pharmacy? Also, maybe your TCM person can help you with a progesterone-building herbal formula? I was diagnosed with low progesterone this month because my LP temps were quite low. My TCM doc gave me a "strong" LP formula and lo and behold, the next day my temps soared.

So I was inspired by you to test myself this morning, but BFN... it's a little unclear when I ovulated, because I never got a positive OPK, and my temps and EWCF are not aligned. If I'm 13dpo (according to temps) then I suppose I'm out for this month. But, if I'm more like 10 or 11dpo (according to my CF) AND if those little swimmers were able to hang in there for a few days (while DH was across the ocean), then I suppose there's still a chance.
 

Question for you... I seem to recall that you drink black tea (or did I dream that?). Are you still doing that? I've been avoiding all caffeine but missing black tea terribly, and recently read this on the website of the YinOva Center:

"Try drinking black tea. Even though tea contains some caffeine it does not seem to have the same adverse effect on fertility as coffee. In fact some studies have shown that tea may even help fertility. Researchers at Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program of Northern California in Oakland found that women who drink tea, even caffeinated black tea, have increased fertility.  Black tea contains some caffeine so it can give you a bit of a boost, however the caffeine content is much less than coffee making it a great alternative." (http://www.yinovacenter.com/blog/archives/7743/)

Perhaps I'm grasping at straws (tea leaves) here, but I was pretty psyched to read that...

Sending you loads of stickybean wishes!

[gumblossom]

Thanks Litmama. I'm sorry your test was negative, but as you say,it may still be too early.

I was in a cafe yesterday with my sister (whom I told,she's the only other person who knows except in the virtual world) and there was a teeeny tiny little baby in there. Boy,did we feel clucky!

I just don't want to get my hopes up,but it's impossible.

I woke up at 3am,hot and sweaty and feeling quite sick,and needing to pee. All good signs I think, though this head-cold I have has been pretty bad. I peed on another stick,and it seemed to take ages to come up with a second line,but it did and it's a little darker than yesterday.

As for the black tea - this month I think I've been drinking more than ever! I've tried to drink less, but I really love it. I try not to go over four cups a day, and I also drink herbal and green tea. But I never drink coffee. My colleagues at work are always ordering out for coffee - it's a regular ritual for morning break, so once a week I'll have a hot chocolate - I'm not sure how much caffeine is in that?

As for the progesterone issue - I'm using the cream, which I know doesn't give nearly as much progesterone as the prescription stuff.I am also taking "welcome womb" herbs :http://www.wishgardenherbs.com/products.php?finder=WEL#WEL which I have heard good things about. I may also go and see a doctor whom I know has prescribed progesterone for an acquaintance who had two miscarriages in her 40's,then had a baby at 43 and now is pregnant again at 44 with the help of progesterone.

If it is so "unproven", why do all the fertility clinics prescribe it? Is it just a money making exercise? Why do general practitioners feel so adverse to prescribing, if it apparently has no side effects? If it is me wasting my money, why would they care?

I still feel quite calm about it. My temps are reasonably high, though perhaps not as high as with my son's pregnancy chart.

I'm doing what I can - taking supplements, eating well, resting, and I know there's not much more I can do. If this baby is going to come earthside, it will.
 

[WaturMama]

gumblossom, that sounds all very promising, and what a lovely outlook. A faint line at 11 dpo is very good! I love thinking of you there, so peaceful, with that little bean starting out. Sending tons of good wishes.
 

[LitMama]

Gumblossom, I agree, that does sound promising! And I'm glad you can confide in your sister.  Thank you for letting us know about the herbs you've been taking. And about your black tea consumption! It obviously has not hurt your fertility one bit.

So my bfn yesterday actually ended up turning positive (barely visible) a few hours later (I don't think the IC tests I use have evaps... believe it or not, I've tested them during my follicular phase just to see... and any kind of second line so far has always been backed up by additional positives). I tested again this morning and got the same thing, a barely visible second line, not any darker though. I've felt pretty pg the last few days, with breast sensitivity and long stretches of nausea, just feeling kind of hungover and off my feed (I even barfed a little yesterday, quite unexpectedly, at my DD's soccer practice!). I also have a triphasic chart, jumping up again around 7dpo. I wonder if the progesterone-building herbs my TCM doc gave me could make me feel pg or give me a triphasic chart?

But the symptoms and the faint positives happened last month too, and it was a chemical, so I don't really feel attached to the idea that it could be a bfp. I did go out and buy a different brand of test to try tomorrow, though (unless AF shows... she is expected tomorrow). It claims to detect "both forms of the early pregnancy hormone". I looked into that and discovered that lo and behold, there are indeed two forms of hCG! I had never heard that. One is detectable earlier than the other. Here's an article that explains it a bit and investigates which HPTs detect and at what levels: http://www.clinchem.org/content/47/12/2131.full.pdf. It was published in 2001, so the ratings may be out of date.

Question... have any of you mamas ever used a speculum to examine your cervix for signs of pg? Just curious. I used one during my last pregnancy so I would know what my cervix looks like when pg (believe it or not, I never looked when I was pg with DD, just didn't occur to me, even though I was charting, checking CP, etc.) But that was at about 6-7 weeks, not sure how soon a cervix gets squishy and begins to take on the blue/purple tinge. I can't imagine it would look pg at 4 weeks.

I just picked up DH from the airport and haven't even told him about the faintly positive test yet (he's conked out!). Very unlike me... we are usually in pretty much constant communication about everything. Maybe that's an indicator of my feeling more laid-back about TTC lately.

Edited by LitMama - 5/19/12 at 10:04pm

[WaturMama]

Another bfp!!! That's excellent! Congratulations Litmama !And another peaceful attitude--you two are inspiring. Sending wishes that the line gets darkerdarkerdarker. I wouldn't worry about that not happening one day later.

Very interesting about the 2 kinds of HCG.

I have not looked at my own cervix when pregnant. So did you use a speculum and a mirror? That sounds physically challenging--a new kind of pregnancy yoga!

I just made my 3rd batch of goat yogurt and the 1st where I used a previous batch for starter. It came out much thinner, so I think I will buy some yogurt and then make 2 or more quarts with it as starter.
 

[gumblossom]

Wow Litmama! I hope that line is getting darker for you. That's great news.

I've never used a speculum down there, but have used a mirror,but not until the later stages of pregnancy and couldn't believe how purple the vulva looks! I don't know that that is very helpful information.

Well, it's 14 DPO and AF didn't show up, so that's the first (of MANY) hurdle over with.The First Response test this morning was darker than yesterday, so that's good. I also did an internet cheapie (which is supposed to be highly sensitive) but it's still very light (but darker than earlier ones). I've decided to stop testing now, because I'll just get myself worried if the color fluctuates.

I'm also not going to temp anymore for the same reason. I want to be as calm as possible, so I'm going to try and stay busy.

I'm taking the Welcome Womb tincture, which may help boost progesterone too.

I just made an appointment to see my Dr, but can't get in until the 11th June. By then I will 7 weeks, and may be able to organise a scan. I'm not sure how I feel about that as I had scans the last two times to reassure me, had healthy heartbeats,but still miscarried, so I'm not so sure it would help me feel any better. I suppose it would just be nice to see the bean and connect with my little one.

I don't want to get ahead of myself, so will live in the moment as much as I can. Which means I might just go and have a little nap...
 

[LitMama]

Thanks, WaturMama and Gumblossom! AF was due Saturday or Sunday and is nowhere to be seen, so I guess I'm 2 days late now, and I have a still barely-visible yet somehow slightly-darker line (if that's possible). My temp is continuing to climb. I ended up calling my TCM doc this morning because I'm having a lower backache, which she does not like to see. I really hemmed and hawed about being "outed" this early... I'm worried she'll ask me to do betas, and I do not want to go there just yet. I think I'll just be honest with her and tell her I'm trying to be laid back about this, and don't want the stress of early betas (maybe later this week if this babe sticks with me). Re: the light lines, I'm encouraged by a mama on this board who got pg recently but did not have a positive test until well after AF was due. I have a friend who had the same experience with her pg with her DD.

Thank you both for the cervix info. Yes, I used a speculum and a hand mirror and it is definitely yogic. I think I pulled muscles I didn't know I had! The whole pretzel thing made me laugh and at the same time it was also amazing to see. A purple vulva, wow! Now that's what I call excellent blood flow. 

WaturMama, you are really making headway with this yoghurt project! I really want to try it myself, but haven't had time yet. The last couple of weeks have been insane. I admire your creativity.

Gumblossom, I admire your attitude. I LOVE that you've put down the thermometer and the tests. You go! That's how I feel about the betas. Wouldn't it be cool if we could be in the same due date club? My babe would also be due in late January.

[Gr8fulMama]

I really hope you guys can join the January due date club!  Gumblossom, I admire your peaceful attitude.  I have a very hard time just letting things "be," myself.  Litmama, my AF was due on a Saturday this month - I tested the following monday and saw nothing and then had a very very faint positive on Wednesday.  So don't give up hope yet.

[LitMama]

Gr8tfulMama, you're the person I was thinking of! Thank you for chiming in. I'm encouraged at the moment by your story as well as by the simple fact that AF is late... usually with my chemicals AF comes right on time. I hope my story will be similar to yours and I'll see darker lines sometime this week, but for now as long as AF stays away I can be patient. And, I hope Gumblossom and I can both join you in the January DDC!