mrs2 -- what total incompetent jerkfaces! you want we should all go on yelp and tear them a new youknowwhat? i really hope you get your BFP this cycle so that you don't have to deal with them again. *hugs* and here's hoping for those twins!
I don't know if washing the washed stuff kills the spermies, but it just seems unnecessary. There's nothing to wash off really. I'm sorry you have to deal with them.
Here's hoping for twins! 
Good luck and good vibes to everyone!
Off to yoga. 
carmen - i hope you get some answers soon so you can move on. do you have to travel to get your ultrasound, or is your schedule super busy? vegas sounds like a nice distraction!
I don't have to travel far at all - I just have a really busy schedule most days 
Carmen
Yes I have been on it for 8 days and still no AF.. RE said if AF doesnt start by day 10... theres a chance i am pregnant.. I highly doubt that 3 HPT all said negative.. I suppose i could be a rare one who doesnt test positive on HPT but i am not even thinking that yet... I am waiting it out.. I am surprised how patient and relaxed I am being.. this is not how i am in my non ttc life :)
Sounds like your numbers are going down.. hope vegas is a nice distraction :)
Wow, I have so much to catch up on! I only went back 2 pages so forgive me if I forget someone or have missed big news!
Cananny: Wow, I'm sorry about your back pain. I can totally relate. Good thing it happened when it did! Right before I was pregnant with DD my back went out and my acupuncturist worked on it - I didn't have issues again for almost 2 years! Have you started the medication to start AF? You are very patient...I would be going crazy waiting!
Hopeful: Hmm I'm not sure what to think about the lighter AF. Is it signifcantly lighter? Did it come at the "normal" time? Did it pick up at all? Are you taking any medications/herbs that could affect it? I don't think I'd worry about it if this was the first time it's happened and there are no other symptoms....unless it was significantly different.
rs: I'm sorry you are struggling with depression. Are you able to get any help in terms of a counsellor (if you're up for that). Acupuncture can help so much with the emotional part of it. I also second the idea of doing "fun" things and focussing on things that are "you" and make you happy. I hope you can get a handle on it - you might be pregnant so get ready for a whole new level of hormonal effects ;) And btw, you've probably heard it lots but cramping can honestly be a really, really positive sign. It is for me!
pokey: Happy Birthday! And welcome to the 2WW!
Allison: A BFP with a new move would be awesome! I hope your DP is feeling better - that sounds really challenging. And yes, the weather is crazy here. I'm totally looking forward to some warmth and sun in Vegas. Funny though, the weather network is calling for showers the day after we arrive! I know it won't last long but yikes! Congrats to your friend - she must be over the moon :) You asked me awhile ago if I ever go to the farmer's markets...yes, I do! I've actually never been to Nat Bailey but I go to the Trout Lake one in the summer and sometimes Kits.
mrs: Yikes. What a gong show. I would have been angry too! I hope it will all be worth it in the end.
Welcome, sotohana! I hope you get beginner's luck!
junebug: Stop peeing on sticks! It will just stress you out ;) Are you doing any early testing (hcg or u/s)?
Afm: I didn't hear back from the RE re: my blood test so I'm assuming they think my hcg is low enough not to worry (it was only 8). And I only spotted a tiny bit yesterday and none so far today. I've been temping and FF actually gave me crosshairs and the O date they chose lines up perfectly with the ewcm and cramping I was having. It was late in the cycle (CD23) but not crazy late. So, my hope is that I won't spot anymore and AF will show up between March 31 and April 2. I would then likely O around the middle of April. That's the plan in my head anyway - hopefully my body gets the memo ;) I'm not going to take clomid this time but might next time if necessary. Funny, if I get pregnant in April the baby would be due right around the same time as DD was due 3 years earlier. I can't believe how quickly time is flying by....
Mrs~ Wow...what a snarky nurse...I agree with everyone else...here is to having twins this time around so that you can give her what for. Baby dust for your TWW...
Cananny~ Wow...so after all this the RE thinks that you could be pregnant? Did you have a beta done? What were the results?
Carmen~ Hugs...I hope that your body settles down and things get more normal for you.
AFM~ Well my FET was moved up a few days...I go in Monday for it. They measuerd my lining today and it was 11mm. My RE wanted to be at least 8...so we are good to go. I start the dreaded PIO shots tomorrow night...double the amount of what you would take when on a fresh cycle...yuk, but what ever needs to be done we will do. My DP's birthday is the day after the FET...hopefully this will be our BFP.
Gelly
Junebug: How exciting lady!!! Yeah!!!! All those steps you walked to get to this BFP....I can only say WOW. I'm so excited for your growing family. Here's the parade you so aptly deserve: 
Sotohana: Welcome! Welcome! Isn't insemming amazing and extremely stressful at the same time! I truly wish you lots of fun distraction during these two weeks.
Angela: Sorry to hear about AF showing up but then again it sounds like it was possibly a blessing due to what you learned about your donor. I wish you lots of tlc while you are on your break searching for a new donor.
Essenbee2 I was so jealous hearing about your chillin', maxin' and relaxin' spring break. Sounds that so much fun.
Krista: Thank you so much for your story about your ordeal with your sister getting pregnant. It's nice to hear that your sister is so understanding and gets what you are going through. It's too bad that other family members can't get on that page.With everything you've been through and your incredibly savvy know how about all things conception related, you deserve to have a tremendous following from people you love, and who love you. We love you here girl! Whenever you are ready, I would love to hear more about your IVF plans and how you guys came to this decision.
Pokey: Yeah for the two week wait!!! So much promise in this period of time-gotta love it! FX and TX (toes crossed) for you.
MrsandMrs. Sounds like you have a solid acupuncture regiment. Is this a typical regiment for you each cycle? In other news, O-M-G (channelling my inner pissed off valley girl) I can't believe how you were talked to and treated by the clinic staff. I had several similar types of experiences from a past Obgyn office when DW and I began to insem. They were complete morons and homophobic to boot. Like everyone else, wouldn't it be awesome if you did get pregnant this cycle and when your baby (or babies) were born - u can send a newborn photo photoshopped of your babe flicking off the camera and with a grimaced face with a caption that said "No one treats my mommies like that- You suck!"
Hopeful:Thank you for your kind words too, it really helped the day I read your post.Oh, I wanted to comment on your question about whether something is wrong with dark blood and spotting. To be honest when reading your post I questioned for a second whether you were having your period at all and it is signs of implantation. Thoughts?
RS: Wow what a crazy rollercoaster of a tww! Sorry that you were feeling so down in the dumps. I liked everyone else's suggestions for distractions to help with passing the time. FX for you!!!
Allison: despite the very unfortunate BFN, it is exciting that AF hasn't come to visit. FX really tight for you guys too...btw: it's really hard to type when your fingers are crossed.
Carmen: Even though everything is taking it sweet time, it sounds like your body is slowly getting back on track with the fact that your spotting has stopped and Hcg is going down. Enjoy your very much deserved needed vacation to Vegas!!!
Cananny:Wow so possibly you could be pregnant if you don't get your AF? How exciting!!!!! Here is to hoping that is absolutely true!!!
Gelly: Goodluck at your FET on Monday and the PIO shots which I heard are very painful.
AFM: Thanks so much for listening. This is the best place ever. I truly don't know how I would handle these ups and downs if I didn't have this space to process. It was so strange how the news of my sister's pregnancy rocked me from my core when I first heard it a couple days ago...I'm sure it will cont to be hard in different ways as other family members want to dish with me about their excitement for my sister or do the opposite and ackwardly avoid the topic all together. Anyway you shake it, it sucks. I might just need to accept that I will ebb and flow in and out of feeling sad, disappointment and too vulnerable to be around and wanting to know more about how my sister is doing, bc bottomline I do care her. I don't like hearing that she has a possibly high risk pregnancy. In other news, I'm plugging away at my cycle ..cont to take progesterone suppositories even though I didn't insem which the doc didn't recommend. I simply don't want to mess up possible O time next month if I don't use the suppositories which is what normally happens when I dont use them. In other news, we are doing our new donor search. DW is so incredibly cautious due to what we went through with the last donor, we'll see
to everyone who reads this
I chose not to do a beta.. the HPT were negative so in my mind... im not pregnant.. but the RE said if af does not come by the weekend... i go for a beta Monday... I dare not get my hopes up.. but with all the other things that are not going as planned... it would be a nice surprise ... I guess there are some ( very few) women who do not get a * on HPT....
Mrs~ Wow...what a snarky nurse...I agree with everyone else...here is to having twins this time around so that you can give her what for. Baby dust for your TWW...
Cananny~ Wow...so after all this the RE thinks that you could be pregnant? Did you have a beta done? What were the results?
Carmen~ Hugs...I hope that your body settles down and things get more normal for you.
AFM~ Well my FET was moved up a few days...I go in Monday for it. They measuerd my lining today and it was 11mm. My RE wanted to be at least 8...so we are good to go. I start the dreaded PIO shots tomorrow night...double the amount of what you would take when on a fresh cycle...yuk, but what ever needs to be done we will do. My DP's birthday is the day after the FET...hopefully this will be our BFP.
Gelly
Cananny: Wow; I didn't even know it was possible to not get a + on an HPT if you more than a couple of weeks pregnant! Don't get your hopes up, but I wouldn't go out for drinks this weekend either if I were you!
Sotohana: Welcome again! Tell us more about yourself. Ovidrel is a trigger shot used to induce ovulation. Many REs use it or another drug so they can better time IUIs or other procedures.
Carmen: Have fun in Vegas! It sounds like your levels are about back to normal. I hope next month is *the* cycle for you.
Gelly: Good luck at the FET! I hope this leads to your next child!
Allison: Bummer. :( Maybe the move and such will be just what you'll need to help shake things up and get a BFP. Are you planning to do medication at the clinic, or just try it naturally for a while?
Krista: Yes, please let us know more about your IVF plans!
Nos: Has DW POAS yet? Let us know!
Mrs2: I would find another clinic pronto. You shouldn't have to put up with that.
AFM: I'm 11 DPO. I felt much better yesterday and so far this morning. I don't normally struggle with depression, but these hormones are throwing my body for a loop. I've also had lots of gastrointestinal issues (including nausea) and headaches. I'm writing them off as side effects because I don't want to consider the possibility that they are symptoms of possible pregnancy. We'll know on Sunday...but I swear, if AF shows up this month, I'm going to greet her with a drink or three, an espresso, and some ice cream (not necessarily in that order).
carmen - i like the timing of kids being born at the same time of year too 
hope your body "gets the memo" and ovulates mid-april as you're hoping!
wishin' - fingers crossed for your IUI tomorrow! hope it goes smoothly!
mrs - that's crazy about the clinic and it's punitive measures against someone who negatively reviewed them. are there no other clinic options in your area? this place sounds like a disaster. i don't usually wish twins on anyone, but for you, i'll make an exception! 
just promise you'll write a proper review and alert whatever higher-ups at the clinic there are after you get that bfp!
gelly - yay! sounds like your lining is nice and fluffy and ready to receive those embryos (are you putting back 2?). wishing you lots of luck on monday. and sympathies on the PIO injections, i've been doing them for about 2 weeks now and i'm so, so over it.
invitin - thanks for the parade! sending you a big hug on the sister/pregnancy issues 
. my SIL announced her pregnancy at the same time i was miscarrying 3 years ago (after 2 years of ttc, that was our first pregnancy and we lost it). i know the "rocked to the core" feeling, it's just so hard to put on a happy face when you are wanting and hurting so badly. take the space you need, it sounds like you have a very understanding sister.
cananny - hope you get some answers soon, one way or another. being in limbo is so miserable.
allison - fingers crossed for april! (and for avoiding the hassle of finding a new donor and clinic)
rs - your plans for greeting AF made me giggle. i SO hope you won't have to put that plan into action though! i'll be thinking +++++ thoughts for you on sunday!
afu - not much to report. our first beta isn't until next wednesday, so i'm just waiting...
Is 2.5 DPI too early for implantation spotting? Please tell me it's not...
Last night she went to the bathroom and saw some pinkish brownish reddish blood. Later when she checked she wasn't bleeding and then this morning she wasn't bleeding. Today is CD 19 and almost 3 DPI.
Also, here's a doozy for the sister pregnancy record books. My sister got pregnant about 9 months before our scheduled wedding. The b left our reception to go be induced. She said the Dr. was making her and that there was no way she could wait till the next morning to go in to the hospital. Flippin' liar. My Mom was supposed to come down to ABQ with us for our second wedding with all of DW's family the next weekend, but she stayed instead to take care of my sister. She was there for my nephews birth- why couldn't she leave for a few days to come to our wedding and then fly back to be with my sister again? I'm still bitter.
invitn - HA, I love the idea of that kind of newborn photo. I am tucking that away in my mind! The acupuncture regime is just what my acupuncturist recommended. She seems a lot of fertility/maternity clients so I just kind of go along with her protocol. She seems to help a lot of people get pregnant, and I love hearing her success stories. Good luck with your donor search! It's so hard to find the right guy!
Allison - sorry to hear about the spotting :( we went to a midnight hunger games showing too - I feel so hung over today even though I didn't drink. Hanging out with all those teenagers was kind of exhausting. Did you like the movie? I'm sorry to hear about your donor drama.
RS - oh, if only another clinic was an option for us. I hope AF stays away, and I'm so glad you're feeling a little better. dare i ask if/when you're going to poas? Because I'm certain you're PG.
sotohana - I agree with wherli that it's too early for implantation bleeding, but I have had some spotting from an IUI like what you're describing. Try not to stress about it (i know it's tough). Maybe it was a super powerful ovulation! Your sister and mom sound like quite a pair....
junebug - There are other clinics in our area, but they involve more driving and they cost about twice as much as our current clinic. We are paying for everything out of pocket, so we chose this clinic knowing we had enough in savings to see ourselves through six cycles. That would be drastically reduced if we were at another clinic.
AFM - 2 dpo which means my uterus feels funny from the trigger shot, my BBT is spiking, my mouth tastes like metal and I probably am too exhausted to have gone to the Hunger Games last night but I did anyway!
Hi everyone,
I have a question from a friend that I'm hoping someone here can answer:
"Did you examine sperm for motility or count under a microscope? If so, what kind of microscope did you use, how did you prep the slide, and what power did you use to look at the sperm with?"
Thanks so much for helping out!
EDIT: She got her question answered. A children's microscope with 400x magnification or better will work.
Invitin' & Wherli- Thank you for the reassurance. I'm trying to not freak out. Usually I'm the emotional one in our relationship and with this I feel like I have to be strong for her. Like you said, Invitin', I can't say how glad I am to have this space to vent and also that I have one friend in particular that is super amazing. If not for these outlets I'm sure I'd be stressing DW out. She has been very direct with me- when I freak out it makes her freak out. Therefore if I don't want to make her stress, which could be bad for baby, then I need to find a few other supportive outlets.
Dandy- This is a new concept to me. I've never thought about doing that kind of thing on my own, but I'm excited to hear what others say.
Mrs & Mrs- to you! I'm excited to hear all about the symptoms you start to have so I can compare. ha ha :)
rs- I'm also giving you . My friend Leah made us promise not to test till 12 DPI. Did you insem on the same day as you O'd? Will you test or just wait for AF?
Allison- I'm so sorry to hear about the spotting. I don't have very good words - only a virtual hug
Cananny & Gelly- 
for you both! By the way, what does FET stand for?
Mrs^2: I did like the movie! I get REALLY twitchy during movies (I have great difficulty sitting still, which is why I became an RN!), but I was pretty chilled out during this one. Didn't check my phone ONCE. I don't think it was my favourite ever, but I really liked how guttural and sensory the movie felt (with all the crazy camera stuff). That's it, no more spoilers for the rest of you!
sorry for not keeping up. Heartburn, tired early, getting a cold, uterine twinges, moody. I have had all of these things in pregnant and non-pregnant cycles. Enjoy the time with your parents!
I really hope things get better soon. I hope even MORE that this is your cycle!
Sorry, I am a bit overwhelmed with how behind I am!
Allison: Oh my wife read the Hunger Games and is so psyched for the movie...at this point, i'm ambivalent about seeing. I'm sure she will work her magic and we will go soon to see it. On the ttc front, i'm sorry to hear about your wife spotting. Is there a possibility it could be implantation spotting? Also i'm sorry you have to deal with KD not getting his sperm checked..that's sketchy. Is it that he is unwilling or too busy or somewhat aloof? Hopefully April is your month so you don't have to move on the clinic.
RS: Glad to hear that you are feeling better. Here's to lots of distraction this weekend....focusing on chillin', or having fun in some way. The weather has been gorgeous here in Central Ohio, has the weather in your "neck of your woods" (channeling Al Roker here). If it's nice, maybe you can be outside. For me, being in nature helps me feel so grounded and focused.
Sotahanna:I second what Wehrli says about possible Ovulation bleeding. I would love to get Krista's take that. Sorry to hear about the frustration with your mom not coming to your second wedding. No one likes to feel chosen over. Hope you had a rockin' time with your wife's family.
MrsandMrs:Yeah for spiking temps!!!
Dandy: It's so funny that you asked the question about the looking at sperm under the microscope. My wife has a pocket microscope (magnification is 60x) and wants to look at swimmers when we insem next. Based on your response I'm getting the feeling that 60x isn't going to be enough magnification. Also, I just have to finally say that I love your screenname. Growing up, Dandy was my nickname bc my lil sister who is 2 yrs younger would call me that. Dandy doesn't sound anything like my name which is Sara but I had a doll that I carried around with me which I named Jenny. So possibly my sis got Dandy from Jenny. Anyhooo....your name just gives me warm fuzzies inside...thought you should know.
Lise: Girl, we missed you here... it's so nice to hear from you and what is up in your world. I'm sorry to hear about all the work stress. Last thing you need while you are just trying to get thru the ttw. Please feel free to vent your frustrations here. That's why we are here.
AFM: Does anyone know any thing about the status for CarpenterAnt or Happycalm? They've been sitting parked in "Waiting to O" for pretty long time. If I don't hear anything, I will move both of them to MIA by Monday. So my world has been somewhat eventful in the past 24hrs I noticed today that I had some weird swelling in my hip, where there is lymph nodes. The swelling is in close proximity to about 4 big A&* spider bites I got in the past day or so on my hip and butt. I went to the doctor today who said to watch out bc MRSA looks like spider bites. I am feeling warm, and really tired. Since I just started an antibiotic today, my plan is to check my symptoms this weekend and go to an Urgent Care if they get worse. I've been somewhat freaking out about the MRSA idea...and so has my wife. In all her true geekiness, she has become obsessed with looking at the bites tonight with her handy dandy pocket microscope to make sure there are bite marks...there are bite marks..thank goodness.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone and ofcourse like always and forever and
Junebug: The beta will come back fine. You'll see!
Mrs2: I'm glad you got to see the Hunger Games. Was it good? I second the motion for you to get pregnant this go-round, so you won't have to deal with that horrid clinic again.All in favor say Aye!
Sotohana: FET stands for Frozen Embryo Transfer. Gelly is doing IVF. Yes, we insemmed on the day I O'd. We did a timed IUI with a trigger shot. I was having severe "O" pains from early that morning until that evening, so I think we nailed the timing.
Lisedea: It's good to see you! Stop by more often, would you? I'm glad you did another IUI this month. I hope you catch.
Invitin: Spider bites? Eeek! I hope they heal soon.
AFM: 12 dpo. We're planning on testing tomorrow evening, assuming the witch stays away. (She should, since I'm on the progesterone, but you never know.) Just getting to test will be a relief this month, after the last two!
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