Queer TTC May 2012 - Page 7

[Cananny]

Hello fellow ttc friends

Welcome Love...fx for the swimmers to meet the egg.....
Rs..fx for you
Carmen..fx for you!

Pokey..hey there hope you are taking good care of yourself... What's your plan?

Angela ..sorry for the rough month.... My plan is to see if I'll O on my own this month... If not we miss this cycle and start all the Meds and injections in June....
The thing with injectables is you have to take breaks every other cycle.....but I've learned to b ok with that....

Hopeful..that is great your ins is covering some!!!!!! Yay for money back....

In other news my mom is here from az for a visit...we have made it 5days no arguing...I'd say a record! It's actually been nice...
We are moving along with getting our foster licence..classes are in June then we have one home visit and should be set....


Hi everyone I've missed!!!

[carmen358]

Welcome lovestreet! I've moved you into the queue

hopeful: Wow, what a nice bonus!

Cananny: Glad to hear you're having a nice visit with your mom And wow, the foster process moves quickly! Exciting!

Afm: 3DPO. Not feeling pregnant yet After a slow start, my temp is super high now so that's good. I started the progesterone yesterday...hopefully I get to complain about it for the next 8-10 weeks!! I'll probably test around 12 or 13DPO this time depending on how I feel.

[outdoorsy]

Hopeful - A little earlier than usual may be good to switch it up, but I think you are right to be concerned about doing it before 24 hours. I don't know what your doc is like, but some of them are not totally in touch with the fact that frozen doesn't last as long as fresh. My gyn, who claims to be so gay friendly, once told me to "just start trying around cycle day 8" as if we had unlimited sperm. She was well-intentioned but didn't realize all the reasons that wouldn't work.

[outdoorsy]

Anyone want to see my nutty double-LH-surge chart? Note: I did not opk test on CD 25 or 26, because due to the surge earlier in the month, I thought I was close to my period. Then I noticed EWCM and tested on CD 27. Here it is: http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/3b626e

I welcome comments. This cycle I am getting hormone testing on CD 3 to see what's going on.

[darthtunaqueen]

Outdoorsy:  Wow.  That's..... EPIC!  HAHAHAHAHAHA.

[outdoorsy]

Darth - I don't get it. Why the laughter? It kind of makes it seem like you're being sarcastic.

[dandylez]

hey Outdoorsy,

Forgive my not remembering, but are you working with an RE specialist or clinic? Could they do a monitored cycle for you to see what's going on?  My clinic insisted on an observation cycle before they'd even consider inseminating. I had bloodwork and an internal ultrasound every morning on CD3 and then starting on CD9 or 10 until I ovulated. They tracked the follicles' growth and their eventual release, as well as the lining and hormones and all the other stuff. In your case, they might want to observe past ovulation to see if something else happens with that second surge.

Again, I'm sorry if you've had this done already and I just don't remember the details. It's got to be frustrating, and I'm hoping you get some answers soon. 

[KnittingTigers]

Outdoorsy, I'm sorry for all the frustrating unknowns. I agree with Dandy- perhaps more monitoring is in order. I can't remember- do you have insurance coverage for any of this? I know that makes a difference in what we do and don't do.

Cananny, thinking good, ovulatory(?) thoughts for you! Also excited about your foster/adopt journey. As I'm sure I've said many times, we're afraid to go that route here in NC, where queer couples cannot jointly adopt. I'm excited for you and the growth of your family!

AFM, We just booked our summer vacation! We are spending Family Week in Provincetown, and are spending a few days in Rhode Island (we used to live in Providence) on either side of it. I.cannot.wait. We don't really have the money to be doing this, but after this crazy intense year (I started a new job last August, and have been 24-7 go since then, not to mention all the Amendment One stuff), I really need some self care, and some time with my new england (chosen) family. We will eat rice for the rest of the summer if that's what it takes, but we are going to Provincetown! Yay! In other days, I'm on CD 4. I've started the clomid, and am waiting to start feeling like a monster.:/

[outdoorsy]

Dandy and Angela - I'm working with a midwife clinic that consults with an OB-GYN (no RE). I've talked to them about doing more monitoring, and they've told me not to rush. But they have agreed that now, with the number of cycles I've done and the presence of some irregularities, that I should get the FSH and estradiol tests done on CD3 next cycle, and then again later in the cycle if they test abormal the first time. Maybe they're not being aggressive enough -- I don't know. I don't want to overmedicalize things if it's not necessary, but I also don't want to drag this out because they're being too cautious. I picked this place because they are accustomed to lesbian patients. Does it seem like they're moving too slowly? They keep telling me it's normal for it to take this long -- which would be fine, if my cycles were totally normal.

[carmen358]

Outdoorsy: it's definitely an odd looking chart. Was the positive opk you got REALLY positive? Ie smiley or jus a second line? It looks like your body geared up to O then didn't but that's really early (cd10).

I also noticed that your previous chart looks annovulatory. Has that happened before? If yes, I would jump on some testing ASAP. I'm all over unmedicated, body trusting ttc processes but I've been lucky with very consistent "normal" cycles that I tracked for very long time before starting. Even with that though I also did day3 blood work from the get go. I hope you get some answers.

[Hopeful22]

Outdoorsy- I agree that more monitoring may be really helpful for you. It sounds like that is the plan for this upcoming cycle though, right? If I remember right, you will be starting clomid and going in for a CD3 ultrasound and blood work? Are you transitioning your care to a RE or are you going to stay with the  midwife you've been working with? I hope you get the answers you need about your cycles in order to get your LO. I know how long you have been trying and how bad you want this and I am crossing my fingers for you. Also thank you for your thoughts regarding timing of my next IUI. 

Angela- Good for you that you will be able to take some much needed time for self care. When are you going?

Carmen- I was wondering how you went about starting the progesterone? Is it something that was prescribed to you? Did you get your levels tested before starting or was it more of something that can't hurt and might help? I am interested in seeing if it would be helpful for me to look into but don't really know what I need to do. 

Gloom- How are you feeling?

Lovestreet- Welcome Back!!! I hope your stay is short and sweet. 

Pokey- That book sounds interesting. I have never heard of Maya Abdominal Massage, what is it?

Soto- How's it going for you and DP?

Wanna- Did AF ever arrive?

AFM- I tried placing my order for our little swimmers today and have had the hardest time! We had two choices that both DW and I liked and both weren't available. The first one is out completely and the second one will have more vials released on Monday. I will probably need to use them Tuesday or Wednesday of next week so we took another look and found a couple of more donors but they didn't have the right kind of vials available. I am not sure if this is the universe's way of telling me to take a break or what. So I am not sure who we are going to order or if we will take the month off, or if we will just order our #1 choice on Monday and then pay more to have it rush delivered?? I really would rather use him and I don't want to take a month off, so ordering on Monday may be the best choice but that REALLY stresses me out. There are so many things that can go wrong if we wait till the last minute like that! UGH... I wish this whole thing was easier...

[pokeyAC]

Angela - It it helps you feel better, I didn't have any weird side effects from Clomid.  I took it for 3 cycles plus one where I took it for 3 days and then decided to take that month off.  That 3-day period I had some hot flashes, but that was the only thing I really noticed in terms of feeling different.  My lining went from 12 to 8.4 after all that though.  My CM was also a little different.  It didn't disappear like some people experience, but it was different.

  Your vacation sounds fantastic!  Congrats!

Hopeful - Maya Abdominal Massage is often used for fertility.  It's supposed to help correct the alignment of your uterus and increase blood flow to all the important parts.  It's also supposed to release adhesions that may be tugging on your organs and possible help with fibroids and endo.  My uterus is tilted and some people believe that your chances of having a baby are higher if your uterus is "straight," for lack of a better word.  I never thought having a tilted uterus made any difference, and the massage is not cheap, so I don't know if it's worth it.  Some folks swear it helped them get pregnant.  I found someone local who does a 2.5 hour initial appointment that cost $225.  I think they show you how to do it yourself at home.  There are also classes/workshops on how to do it yourself that cost over $300.

 I hope you get the swimmers you want.  You don't need the extra stress!

Outdoorsy - I agree that some testing is in order.  Considering how much trying costs every months and the fact that you do suspect something is funky, it totally makes sense to have more information.  If something is off, you can fix it sooner rather than later.

Cananny - I hope you O all on your own!  I'm glad you're having a nice visit with your mom.  I'm still working on my plan.  I'm taking this month off.  I'm leaning towards trying Femara/letrozole next.  It's less invasive than the shots, and I didn't have a problem with Clomid so this might work.  Plus, the person I support at work is going to be out of the office for a few days around when I might be fertile in June, and I would feel less stressed if I didn't have to be late to work every day because I needed an u/s or blood test.  He'll be here in July so I could try the injectables then.  I like the idea of multiple follicles and multiple babies, but it's probably smart to try the less risky stuff first.

[dandylez]

Originally Posted by outdoorsy 

Dandy and Angela - I'm working with a midwife clinic that consults with an OB-GYN (no RE). I've talked to them about doing more monitoring, and they've told me not to rush. But they have agreed that now, with the number of cycles I've done and the presence of some irregularities, that I should get the FSH and estradiol tests done on CD3 next cycle, and then again later in the cycle if they test abormal the first time. Maybe they're not being aggressive enough -- I don't know. I don't want to overmedicalize things if it's not necessary, but I also don't want to drag this out because they're being too cautious. I picked this place because they are accustomed to lesbian patients. Does it seem like they're moving too slowly? They keep telling me it's normal for it to take this long -- which would be fine, if my cycles were totally normal.

Things are so different up here in Canada, partially because access to banked sperm is so restricted, I think.  We had no choice but to follow the clinic's protocol so it's difficult for me to answer your question about what's aggressive and what's not because we had no choice in the matter if we wanted sperm.  The testing was also covered by our healthcare system, so we also didn't have costs to think about.  Anyway,  from what I understand, the FSH and estradiol tests will help to determine if your ovaries are functioning properly. That's a good start.  Personally, I would still ask about u/s monitoring to see how your ovaries are producing follicles, how well they're growing, and when you ovulate.  You could just start by checking costs / insurance coverage for it, and then make your decision from there.  I know it's a bit of a pain because it requires daily early morning internal ultrasounds (just what you want with your morning coffee) and blood draws for about a week to 10 days, but it was so worth it for us to know that my cycle was regular and that I was ovulating with viable sized eggs.  I understand the concern about over-medicalizing, and I resented the required testing initially.  But, sperm is expensive (if you're using banked), so ultimately I appreciated knowing that things were working before we proceeded.

I hope this helps.  Good luck! Keep us posted.

[pokeyAC]

Outdoorsy - I would also recommend testing your progesterone.  That can give you an idea if you are ovulating also.

[rs11]

Carmen: Yay for cycle buddies! I hope we both get our BFPs this month. And to answer your question from a few days ago, yes, I am a serious yardsaler. I have one simple rule when it comes to shopping: never pay full price if you can help it.

Hopeful: Unless you are one of the handful of women who ovulates very close to their surge, then I would NOT let her do it less than 24 hours after the OPK.

Outdoorsy: I would definitely get some testing done. My initial testing was three days of bloodwork at different points in my cycle and one u/s, which is much different than the Canadian protocol apparently.

Angela: Congrats on the vacation! That sounds like it will rock!

AFM: I'm 4 DPO. Help me out here ladies; I need someone to calm my paranoia. I forgot to take my metformin last night. We got home really late, I was exhausted, and I just forgot. One night won't hurt anything, right?

This cycle has also been a little weird. I had most of my O cramping on Sunday and Monday, but then on Tuesday I had a couple of sharp O-like pains in my right ovary and one in my left ovary. My EWCM also wasn't completely gone until yesterday around noon. I'm thinking I had a couple of smaller follies that ruptured late. I also had a dull pain in my left ovary yesterday morning and again this morning.

[carmen358]

Originally Posted by rs11 

AFM: I'm 4 DPO. Help me out here ladies; I need someone to calm my paranoia. I forgot to take my metformin last night. We got home really late, I was exhausted, and I just forgot. One night won't hurt anything, right?

This cycle has also been a little weird. I had most of my O cramping on Sunday and Monday, but then on Tuesday I had a couple of sharp O-like pains in my right ovary and one in my left ovary. My EWCM also wasn't completely gone until yesterday around noon. I'm thinking I had a couple of smaller follies that ruptured late. I also had a dull pain in my left ovary yesterday morning and again this morning.

My ewcm also stuck around an extra day this cycle. That can be completely normal...or not lol I've had it happen before and have gotten pregnant so I know for me it's not a big deal but I think for some it can mean you didn't actually when you thought you did. I'm not sure about the pain though. Last month I had regular O cramping and then for the first few days I also had some cramping/aching. I don't think it meant anything. Are you sure you O'd? Do you have a chart to share?

Afm: I'm also 4DPO. Nothing exciting happening at all. Last month I seemed to react to the progesterone and this month nothing. I keep forgetting we insem'd this month which I guess is a good thing. Oh, I also forgot to share...I had to go for an u/s on Monday (I hope that was ok and didn't interfere with anything!) because I and my GP had suspected I have an umbilical hernia from my pregnancy with DD...turns out we were right. I'm a little bit scared how a future pregnancy will affect it. My doc didn't seem too concerned about that but obviously I wouldn't want to be having abdominal surgery while pregnant .

[outdoorsy]

Hi everyone, and thank you to those who commented on my chart issues.

Angela - So glad you are going to get to Ptown for Family Week. I've never been to Family Week, but it sounds like fun. You will be passing close to my house if you drive through SE Mass! Have a great trip. And re your cycle, I'm wishing you a cyle free of those awful "cloments" (clomid moments).

Hopeful - It sounds like you're not enthused about going with someone other than donor #1, so you may just have to endure the stress of the timing. Sounds like you are trying at home, and I applaud that (tried it myself), but I have to say that the best thing about switching to a clinic was that they keep the sperm in deep freeze indefinitely, so if you miss your ovulation, you just wait until the next cycle. Ordering issues are GONE. I'm not suggesting you switch, just letting you know that the weight lifted from me was big.

Carmen -- Good luck in your 2ww!

rs11 - Sorry, I don't know the answer to your question about metformin.

AFM - In answer to some of the questions people asked about my charts: Yes, my last cycle was anovulatory. That's the first time that happened since I started charting. The surge at CD10 was definitely a surge, with smiley. I also used the cheapie strips and they agreed. Though I'm having tests at CD3, they haven't told me I should have an ultrasound. I've asked about a u/s before, and they said it was too soon for me to need it, and that as a result, it wouldn't be covered by insurance and would be very expensive. I'm not sure if they will change their tune about that now. I am going to ask, when I call on CD 1 to make the bloodwork appointment for CD3, about the u/s and progesterone. I'm thinking about how to word my question, because I believe most docs/nurses secretly hate hearing patients imply they know better, especially if their info came from the Internet.

Question: For those of you who have done multiple monitoring appointments per cycle at the clinic/doc, how far do you drive? Am I crazy to use a place that's a 65 minute drive each way? By the time I drive both ways and do the appointment, that's a whole morning away from work every time I go. I'm wondering - is that normal?

[lisedea]

outdoorsy--my doctor is the only one in the northern region of my state so some people have to drive a VERY long way (some from the UP have to drive hours!). I am lucky that once I reach the mainland, I am only 20 minutes away. Getting to the mainland is a whole different story. Good luck! I think the monitoring would help--at least for one cycle to see what it going on.

[kgulbransen]

Outdoorsy: I think everyone here is on track in recommending that you push to move forward sooner, rather than later. I know it feels like you're medicalizing the situation but the truth of the matter is, you're taking advantage of today's technology. If you had cancer, and you wanted to know more to save your life, would you not want to medicalize it? Forgive me if I seem argumentative -- I'm not. I'm just trying to put it into perspective.

I believe that the medical community is still getting up-to-speed on what knowledge can be used and when. AND they are battling insurance companies pushing on them not to spend the money to test so they're more likely to say no. But some docs still stick by the notion that you have to "prove" to them that you can't get pregnant first. I think that is an incorrect method of managing care and if something is giving them a sign (like your difficult cycles) then they should be willing to explore further. I think this is especially true in the field of conception because time is of the essence. And perhaps that is what you push. That the luxury of time is not on your side. By testing now and getting a potential handle on problems, you could be saving yourself money in the future. Please, take it from someone who's about to spend $25k for one IVF cycle!

So there's my little medical rant for you. I know it's not easy and I send good thoughts to you that you get what you need. Regardless, go with what your heart says. You know yourself best.

RS11: DO NOT PANIC! In the three times I got pregnant, I skipped at least one night of Metformin. I don't know if you're taking it throughout the day or all in one swallow (I take 2000mg once at night) but if you're dosing over a period of the day, then missing an evening dose is definitely not going to be a problem. And most drugs tell you that if you forget to take it, you can take the dose just as soon as you remember you forgot. LOL. Does that even make sense now that I look at what I wrote??

[darthtunaqueen]

Outdoorsy!  No, no sarcasm at all!!  I'm so sorry if I came across that way.  I hope you get your cycle sorted soon, DW has had a couple of funky charts like yours and they are *SO FRUSTRATING*...  Our Naturopathic doctor recommended DW get to AMH tested as well, something about the ratio between AMH and LH needs to be a certain number.  I had to get mine checked too to rule out PCOS.  I was kinda surprised when our RE didn't say anything about AMH.  I'm in the same boat as Dandy, we are regulated by the government to get certain tests done before they'll let us do anything, however we're not forking out $300 for an HSG, since it's covered.  

I wish you the very very best and hope you get it all sorted soon and get your BFP!  I tooooottallly get how frustrating it is by this point!!