Queer Conceptions February 2012 - Page 12

[mrsandmrs]

I'm still waiting to hear about some more february bfps, so get to it tww'ers! 

I had an ultrasound to check my follicles this morning. I have one primary follicle at 19.5mm. It was pretty cool because we got to see the cumulus oophorus on the follicle, which I didn't even know existed, but it was fascinating. Then I got a trigger shot and almost fainted. Thank goodness my DW was there to hold my hand and talk to me about Jamba Juice, which really helped me pull through. Insem is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon and then I will be moving back to the TWW(of Torture). Hopefully for the last time.... fx. 

[outdoorsy]

Nosreves - SO sorry AF showed up! I admire your positive attitude. I really hope your DP is knocked up!

Nos, Desert, and everyone who replied to my bad news -- thank you. I am going to take a look at Fertility Friend. I hate to overcomplicate things, but it looks like ff might be a help to me.

Lisdea, I used to test at 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., but I ditched the afternoon test again at the midwife's advice, because the clinic wants people to call by 9 a.m. with that morning's positive result, and she said a later test was not necessary. So much for that!

I am learning that not everything the first midwife told me will work. I think she had a pretty cavalier attitude about everything. When I spoke to the clinic director on the phone, she was totally different.

Welcome to EmilyandCathy.

Good luck to everyone braving the TWW!

[Hopeful22]

Outdoorsy- I am so sorry for all the confusion with your O signs. I also use FF and agree with what the others are saying about it. Did your temp. stay up this morning or was it back down? Any + OPK yet?

Emily and Cathy- Congratulations on the wedding!! What a busy time it must be in your house right now! I hope you get lots of useful information here, just as I have, and that your stay is short and sweet! If you need help with some of the abbreviations used this might do it: http://www.mothering.com/community/t/1081373/learning-to-speak-ttc-please-sticky

Nos- I am sorry to hear this was a BFN for you, but its nice that your DP is still in the running. If she does conceive this month would you keep trying next month and vice versa? Also, could you move me to waiting to O?

Allison- Sorry this cycle is not looking so good right now. My fingers are still crossed for you and DP!

Carmen- I hope your accupuncture appt. goes well tomorrow and they can get things going for you. I'm glad you are still hanging around here. Have you started your cleanse yet?

Invitn- Love the idea of being able to see when the women around you are ovulating! So funny! Good luck this cycle!

Lise- How are you doing? I am sorry you are feeling like AF is on her way? I sure hope she is not going to be visiting you for about the next nine months or so!

Mrs2- Good luck with the insem tomorrow!!! My fingers are so crossed for you!

 to everyone else!

AFM- AF did show up this weekend so we are in the process of making our plan for the next cycle. I am feeling better and more optimistic again. It was nice to see my doctor (who went through this process with her DW and they now have a DD!) She was able to explain why I had been feeling some of the "symptoms" I was having and link them to other health things. It made me not feel so crazy, which is nice.

[rs11]

Hey ladies, I have an important question. I started cramping on and off this afternoon and now it is constant and pretty bad. I cramped a bit last month, but nothing like this! I'm not sure what it is. I'm only 4 DPO and I hate to think that it is AF, but that's what it feels like! It's bad enough that if it keeps up I'm going to call the doctor. Any ideas? I'm trying not to cry because I don't want to write this cycle off yet!

[DesertSunsets]

rs11 - implantation cramping?  Definitely don't write this cycle off!  Fingers crossed for you. 

[mrsandmrs]

Hopeful - I'm sorry to hear AF arrived. It must be nice to have an empathetic doctor who has been through the rollercoaster. My GP is a queer lady with a small kid, and it is nice for me to have a sympathetic ear. 

outdoorsy - Those conflicting methodologies can be tough to navigate. at some point you have to trust your gut and go with the practitioner that is supportive of that. 

RS - 4DPO is too early. Could be the meds tapering off in your system or indigestion, anything, really.

[lisedea]

rs11--It really could be implantation--most of the time, it doesn't occur until later in the cycle (6-12dpo) but some people have experienced implantation as early as 3dpo. I wouldn't worry about it unless it is accompanied by bleeding.

outdoorsy--I remember you saying that about your midwife now! I remember thinking that it was strange because some people have such short surges and normally the hormone is made in your body in the morning so it doesn't make it to your urine until afternoon (where the magic 2:00 time came from) so if you only test in the AM, you risk the chance of missing it!

Hopeful--Sorry about AF!

Temp went down a bit this morning...just like my normal AF cycles! Booo!! I read some of my past entries while looking to see what my "symptoms" were when I first started (and didn't document my charting) and I realized how naively optimistic I was about how quickly I would get pregnant. I kinda miss that.

[outdoorsy]

Nos, I'm sorry I forgot to answer your question of yesterday --- yes, I think you were on CD1. I think CD1 is supposed to be the first day of "full" flow, which (at least to me) doesn't have to mean it's your heaviest day, it just means something more than spotting.

Lise, I miss that innocence too, but I hold out hope that at least now I might be closer to giving birth to a healthy baby.

rs11 - 4 DPO seems way too early for AF cramps. It must be something else.

Hopeful - sorry about AF arriving! I'm glad you had a good appointment with a supportive doc -- that's really nice.

AFM - temp stayed high yesterday at 97.92 for the second day, then was down this morning to 97.52, almost as low as my low from three days ago. I've had some ovary sensations the past few days and today am feeling what seems like some uterine sensation. CM is lumpy. I am going to test again at 2 p.m. and view my cervix.

[Hopeful22]

RS- I'm with the others. It seems too early for AF cramps. Are they still going on today?

Lise- I'm sorry your temp went down this morning. I am still crossing my fingers for you. As for naive optimism, I am pretty sure I had enough to go around last cycle!  I wish I could share some with you because it was just too much for me. I think it is starting to sink in that this might actually be a long process. I'm still hopeful that it won't take too long but at some point there needs to be some reality in there too.

Outdoorsy- Yay for your temp drop! Maybe you haven't missed O after all?!

Anna- How are things going? Are you ladies getting all ready for your DPs upcoming O? How many days into this cycle is she?

Thank you all for your kind words.

 to all!!

[kgulbransen]

RS11: Although implantation can occur as soon as a handful of days after ovulation, typically implantation is not associated with cramping (see note below from a conception website). However, it could be your uterus doing some general stretching in relation to your ovulation. If you're concerned it's ovulation and that you insemmed too early, check it against any other signs that you are tracking to confirm that ovulation did happen when you think it happened. And if it really hurts, call your doctor and ask for their advice. Best of luck!

"Implantation may take place as early as a handful of days after ovulation or well over a week. On average, one can expect implantation to occur about seven to ten days after you ovulate. This is also the point at which you can take an early pregnancy test.

Signs of implantation are few: Unlike pains associated with the release of the egg (mittelschmerz), there is seldom any kind of cramping or physical awareness that implantation has taken place. In fact, the first sign of implantation may be a positive pregnancy test!On the other hand, some women do experience what is called implantation bleeding, a very light spotting that may occur just shortly after the embryo implants in the uterine lining of the womb. Again, this spotting will be very light, won't last more than a day, and will be typically brown or possibly reddish in color."

[darthtunaqueen]

Annnndddd we're out for sure this round.  Temperature well under cover line this morning.  DW should start bleeding today (she's at work).  We had a long cuddle and a cry this morning.  We're going to give March and possibly April another go with KD (we're moving in April), and then probably start the process of going through a clinic, which also means giving up KD and going with ID release frozen swimmers...  KD is going for another sperm count this week, so we'll find out if we've been wasting time since last May (although May's was decent, and he's made major life changes since then).

Lisa, it really looks like you and my DW are cycle buddies.  Yay!  :)

[mrsandmrs]

outdoorsy, to add to the chorus, I really can't say enough good things about fertility friend either. Even though the website is not exactly beautiful, it is pretty smart. Even when it's frustrating when it doesn't agree with you, it's still good to have a second (computer-generated) opinion. On months when you can't pin it down, FF can be science-minded about it and clarify. FF was also the tool that helped me realize my ovulation was so erratic I needed help from a doctor to get pregnant. So, not exactly a "success story" with FF but still it's useful to cross-reference all the data points. 

lisedea - do you have other symptoms? how many dpo are you now? 

afm... We had our insemination appointment today. It was so much better than last month's appointment, when the nurse had a hard time finding my cervix and it was pretty painful when she put the catheter in. This time everything went a lot more smoothly. Since we're more experienced this month, my DW and I were a lot more relaxed about it --which, in our world, means cracking jokes. So I learned from experience that laughing at your wife's jokes while you have a speculum and catheter up there is actually kind of uncomfortable ! I realized it's a new moon today, so jokes about naming the baby a twilight-themed baby name are pretty much endless. It would be funny to tell everyone we're torn between Renesme and Bella Swan, right? !  

Can I be moved to the TWW? thanks!!

[AnnaNotherThing]

hi all.

Sorry I've been absent for so many days.

It's been a rough week here.

I have lots of news and no news.

We have our first real issues with our KD who has cut all lines of communication for 4 days since he and DW had an emotional disagreement on Saturday morning. Stuff has been building up between them for a while and they were both avoiding it, so of course it grew and grew and threw up ugly emotional garbage all over them both at the weekend.

Sigh.

They're meeting up to have a chat and (hopefully) resolve things as I write this and my fingers are so crossed that it hurts.

The scary thing is that I'm forcing myself to butt out and allow them to resolve it. I'm a great mediator and could 'fix' this for them, but at some point I have to just step away and let them figure out how to communicate with each other... 

Arghchzfrghtsmnk....

So, our future baby making seems to be hanging in the balance. Hopefully my 2 co-conspirators can get out of their own frikkin ways and sort this out.

If not, Immagonnabepissed.

With everything that's going on I'm not feeling good about inseminating this week- which would be in the next 2-3 days.

Unless she comes home and says they've magically resolved all that garbage I'm guessing we're going to take this month off. 

And then... I don't know at the moment.

Oh what fun this is. 

More news soon, I hope.

[carmen358]

Hopeful: Feeling not crazy is good :) And I'm glad you're feeling optimistic again. You have every reason to be hopeful! Thanks for encouragement. I haven't started my cleanse yet. I wanted to ask my acupuncturist for a recommendation and I got it today so after the m/c I'll start it. It's for 21 days and is a blend of herbs and diet changes.
 

rs: Any update on the cramping? I think it's too early for AF or implantation....but possible I guess. Keep us updated if you can.

Allison: Boo for being out. I'm sorry. Just in case you didn't know, PCRM will work with KDs after a 6 month quarantine. So, you could always get him to donate a bunch of samples and keep trying naturally until the quarantine is up. I'm not sure if that works with your timeline though. I think if sperm count is an issue washing and IUI could help a lot.

mrsandmrs: I hope Bella Swan is currently being conceived ;) Fingers crossed for you.

Anna: Oh no! That sounds upsetting. Is the emotional stuff wrapped around the baby stuff? If yes, it might be a good thing that "stuff" comes up now instead of after baby is here so maybe it's a good thing. Either way, I hope it works out and that you'll be back on track.

Afm: My acpuncture appointment was good. Very, very emotional. I cried for the first 15 minutes or so. It was an intense treatment and I've already taken one dose of the chinese herbs that hopefully will help my body figure things out. I feel emotionally drained now but relaxed.

[rs11]

Lisedea and Allison: I'm sorry your out this cycle. Hopefully, next month will be your month!

Anna: I really hope you get it worked out soon.

Carmen: Again, I'm sorry for your loss. I hope things get back in balance for you quickly.

AFM: The cramps were better when I got up this morning, but I've still had them on and off all day. I also had some (very) light spotting earlier and tons of CM. It is too early for either implantation or AF, so I don't know what to think. The trigger shot should still be in my system, so I really can't start AF yet anyway.  These were definitely menstrual cramps and not indigestion; I was feeling it in my back as well, like I always do when I'm about to start. It doesn't help that DW is having some pretty serious issues with her own cycle right now. I'm going to give the RE a call in the morning, to get some peace of mind if nothing else. I'll be back tomorrow for more personals.

[rs11]

I just wanted to add that I'm sure I ovulated on time; we did the trigger shot, my temp spiked according to schedule, and I had lots of ovulation cramping this month. I hate the waiting thing!

[mamamacha]

I believe this is my second post, but my partner took a home pregnancy test on Saturday and it was quite positive. We inseminated on the 31st of January and then again February 2nd (with live sperm shipped via Donor Home Delivery). We had been trying to conceive on and off since last summer, and we were starting to wonder what to do next if it didn't work soon, so a positive home pregnancy test (even without a blood test from a doctor) is a very positive thing.

I feel nervous even posting here: we haven't told anyone for fear of "jinxing" it. 

I also posted a question in one of the main "I'm pregnant" forums about how soon one should see a doctor after a positive home pregnancy test. My lady called her OB/GYN today and they gave her an appointment for a month from now. Is that normal? I don't suppose the doctor can tell us that much more than we can read in a pregnancy book, but I thought it might feel more real if a doctor in a white coat confirmed that the pregnancy is not our collective imagination. 

[lisedea]

anna-ugg! I am sorry! Now...are they fighting about you using them as a donor? We started with a KD and had to stop because it was causing conflict between he and his gf--it was awful. As much as we didn't want to move to frozen from a clinic, we had no other option at that point. I hope things get smoothed out and you are comfortable in your situation again--even if it means taking a cycle off.

mrs--congrats on the insem!!

allison--yes we are! When is she supposed to o next cycle? I *should* around the 10th.

outdoorsy--Any new information today? How was your temp?

rs11--Let us know what your RE says!

carmen--I am glad your appointment went well. How are you feeling today?

mamamacha--congrats!

12dpo. AF should arrive late this afternoon or tomorrow--if not here by Friday morning, I am taking a test. My temp went up a tiny bit but it is still within my normal temp range--so nothing to be excited about. D and I figured out our finances and decided we could purchase sperm again this next cycle--which allows us it try for the next two cycles since we only do one insem each time. I am considering talking to my FS about meds...I just don't want to mess up my cycle (which is pretty regular) but would really like to up my chances of conceiving even if I have to deal with all of the side effects. I trust my FS...so I guess I will see what she says. (Ha, pretty sure she will tell me to do it naturally and that I haven't really been trying that long--even though it feels like it!--and to just be patient)

[kgulbransen]

Mama: congrats. It's very common not to see an OB/GYN until sometimes even 12 weeks into a pregnancy. Unless you're under the are of a fertility clinic, or a midwife that typically sees patients earlier, than this is quite standard. I know it's hard to wait but there isn't much to see right now. The only thing you could be doing is asking for serial blood tests to determine if the HCG is rising appropirately, but I will tell you from experience, this doesn't always indicate a healthy pregnancy.

Good luck!

[wishin'&hopin']

We had our intake/planning visit with the fertility clinic today and it went really well!  We worked with a different clinic to conceive DS and since we'd moved we'd had to find a new place.  The first clinic we met with was horrible.  They didn't include me (I'm the NGP this go around) in conversation and eventually it became obvious that they were homophobic.  So, we decided to go with another clinic and for the first time at one of these things BOTH of us  were fully included in the appt; they had no issue with using the protocol we'd used successfully to conceive our son; they spoke to us as collaboraters in TTC as opposed to objects subject to their whims; AND, the doctor looked at us, said, "you already have a child and you're co-parenting--so, I don't think you need to do the psych eval".  The doctor also gave us the option of femara instead of clomid and mentioned that clomid can aggravate/cause depression and anxiety--to which DW and I looked at each other and exclaimed b/c when DW was on clomid in the past she started having horrible panic attacks (our former clinic never mentioned this as a possible side affect).  So, femara it is.  And, for the first time we have the option of two IUI's per cycle--we'll try just one per cycle for a couple of months and then re-evaluate.  

Wow...we will be good to go in March, now we just have to waif for AF and O!