**The Infertility ONE Thread**May 2012** - Page 4

[Sourire]

Hope - Congrats on the great beta!!! I'm so excited for you!

krunchy - I hope your beta today looks good!

Sila - I totally agree that its silly to spend money on a beta in your situation! I think a FRER with FMU at 15DPO or later is very very accurate. My clinic won't even do a beta until you've had a BFP at home. I can't wait to hear the result tomorrow morning. Your temps are looking awesome!

mexilady - I've been thinking about you. We haven't heard from you in a while and I'm worried that you may have had bad news. Either way, you're in my thoughts!

[krunchyk]

Sila, Sorry about the BFN.  However, I do have about 50 Wondflo's and they are super sensitive.  I can give you how ever many you want. Your temperature this morning kicked ass. 

Bloodwork drawn this morning, and I should have results between 2 and 5 pm PST.  

[SilaMarila]

Sourire - Thanks for making me feel good about my decision :) It also makes me think maybe the RE really is out for my $'s by requesting  patients do a beta 14dpo...

Yes, Mexilady  - I just tried to stalk you to see if you have posted anywhere recently. Unsuccessful.

Krunchy - Thanks for the offer! I already swung by Target on the way to yoga and bought a box of FRER's. Wondfo's are waiting in my Amazon.com cart for next cycle. I'm finally planning to give in and buy some. However, I'm hopeful I won't have to. I'll be stalking your blog today!

Well, I'll do my best to keep temping at my proper time and we'll see what happens. If it's still up I'll test again. I have always had a textbook decrease or crash in temp by at least 14dpo unless I'm pg (when I've actually ovulated). I'm trusting my body. Harder said than done.

I'm still regretting holding my pee 7hrs to pee on that $ store test. It was painful and I nearly peed the bed...

[wissa19]

Hope - Awesome Beta number!!  Yeah!!  That first ultasound is so cool even though at 5 weeks you don't see much.  We didn't even have a heartbeat then, but it was neat to see there actually was something growing in there. 

Krunchy - Fingers crossed for you!  I so hope you've got sticky one.  I think of you often and I hope you are able to join us in the grads thread again real soon!!!!!

Sila -  I'm stalking you now...and my other set of fingers is crossed for you.

As for everyone else I'm always sending postive vibes over here.  It would be so great to have you all over at the grads thread.  I can't seem to help stalking over here. 

[krunchyk]

Sixty-six, ladies! A doubling time of 47.5 hours (to be exact). Looks like I have a fighter.

Grow, baby, grow!

(Progesterone is 50, but that's only because I'm injecting 1 cc of progesterone into my butt cheek every morning and night. I can't complain.)

[SilaMarila]

Originally Posted by krunchyk 

Sixty-six, ladies! A doubling time of 47.5 hours (to be exact). Looks like I have a fighter.

Grow, baby, grow!

(Progesterone is 50, but that's only because I'm injecting 1 cc of progesterone into my butt cheek every morning and night. I can't complain.)

Go baby go! 

[Sourire]

krunchy - Awesome!!! I hope you give birth to the cutest baby ever in 36 weeks!

AFM - I'm getting into gardening. I've never done it before! This weekend I'm going to plant tomatoes, cucumbers, mint, basil, and a raspberry bush! I hope it all works out. I've also decided to plant a row of different coloured lilac bushes in front of my house. It's going to smell amazing around here!!!

[zenquaker]

So happy for all the BFPs and for your high temps, SILA!

AFM, I'm in my first Clomid 2ww. My temp finally went up this morning, and with bd at -5, -4, -2 and night of O (about five hours after O pains), I'm feeling good about this cycle. We'll see! I'm just trying to figure out how NOT to make myself crazy for the next 10-14 days. I have a progesterone test on Tuesday as well as a pelvic exam/pap.

[toothfairy2be]

Krunchy- yay! So happy for good news. Stick little fighter bean, stick!

[monkeyscience]

krunchy - Glad you got your unequivocal answer and that it was good!! Praying for a sticky little one for you!

Sila - Sorry about the BFN. Hoping that tomorrow brings something different. The fact that your temp is still up gives me hope.

shesaidboom - Want you to know I'm still thinking of you, and hoping for answers and better medical personnel for you! Hope the wedding planning is coming along well.

[SilaMarila]

BFN. Then checked my cervix and there is blood up there. Next time remind me to do that before peeing on the expensive test. I guess it's just a few hrs before AF starts. It really kind of sucks that everything was perfect and there were over 100million sperm placed conveniently right up there by my egg and not one of them could get through it...

Not sure what is next for us. We have discussed it and we're not sure we will be able to afford 2 IUI's this cycle. It just depends on how well I respond to whatever meds we do and how many $110 u/s I need...

[zenquaker]

Sorry, Sila :(

[Sourire]

Sila - sorry to hear about your BFN. I was really hopeful for you this month!

Regarding the dilemma of doing 1 insemination or 2, here's an article you may find helpful:

http://genesis-fertility.com/blog/one-versus-two-inseminations

It links to a meta-analysis which shows that there is no difference in outcome between 1 or 2 inseminations.

The following document contains another study that is interesting:

http://www.soft-infertility.com/download.php?id=81 ... there's a lot of info in that document but here is the most useful part:

In our 2003 study, mentioned before, we found that the only group that statistically benefited from a double insemination was the group with male factor (less than 5 million to inseminate) and those whose insemination was timed by an LH surge (aka no HCG injection).

I hope that helps! For the record my clinic always does a single insemination.

[shesaidboom]

Sourire - Unfortunately the RE prescribed me Provera to bring on the AF. I'm doubting we'll have much time for a cycle before our honeymoon. Oops.
I'm sorry AF was worse than usual, and yes, let's hope it was from the healing pain and won't be a regular thing. I'm excited to hear how your cycle will go. Maybe things will happen naturally and you won't need these treatments anymore!
Definitely update about your garden. I LOVE gardening. I'm far from an expert, but I've kept a veggie garden for a few years and it's so wonderful to have fresh veggies in the summer. Have fun!

Deborah - Awww, I can't get enough of that dog. She's such a cutie!

hope4light - haha! I hate the full bladder ultrasound too. It was a frustrating experience since they lost my requisition and made me wait even longer, but at least it did end up getting done!
I'm so excited about your pregnancy! Your beta sounds great!

krunchyk - that's so frustrating. I hope you won't need to find somewhere that will do remote monitoring because this peanut sticks. I'm sending prayers! Come on little peanut!

Sila - Good for you for trusting your body. I've been really struggling with that during all this infertility crap, so it's refreshing to see. I'm so sorry about the BFN. I hate when cycles are so perfect and it still doesn't work. I hope this next cycle brings much better news.

wissa - it's nice to see you! Thanks for the good vibes.

zenquaker - oh, the dreaded 2ww! I hope it passes quickly and brings some wonderful news when it's over!

monkey - thank you. I've been thinking about you too and can't believe you're 26 weeks already! Time is flying by.

AFM, I had my b/w and ultrasound last Wednesday. It was a frustrating experience since my RE's secretary insisted I go to the downtown location (1 hr away) and when I got there neither the blood lab nor the ultrasound reception could find my requisition forms. I ran back and forth between a bunch of desks and still nothing. The ultrasound desk said I could wait until 9 am for my RE to arrive, but it was only 7:15 by that time and I had a full bladder. No way was I going to wait two hours! Finally, they found it scrunched between a bunch of folders and I got both the bloods and ultrasound done. The RE called later saying I had not ovulated and need to start Provera to induce a period. I'm worried we won't have enough time to do a cycle before our honeymoon, but maybe we'll be ok. Last time I took Provera I remember it took a while to work. Maybe 2 weeks or so.  

The same day I saw a diet specialist that my GP referred me to. This guy. It was awful. The website boasts.."The diet plan will have to be customize to fit the needs of each individual. For there are many medical conditions that can cause weight gain. Simply going to a weight loss clinic and being given a set of meal plans, or purchasing prepared diet food may not work. It can even endanger the patient's health." But when I got there I was handed a sheet of paper with a list of foods I could/couldn't eat on it. The same sheet everyone else gets. Doesn't sound very custom to me. During the first phase that lasts from 2 weeks to however long you decide, there are about 6 foods listed aside from their processed food products that are available to buy (but they say you can do the diet without these). The second phase is less restrictive, but still pretty bad. Three of the foods have aspartame/splenda in them so I can't eat them because I get killer stomach aches from artificial sweeteners. I'd only be allowed to eat leafy greens, egg whites, and a few other veggies (no carrots, corn, peas, beans, or tomatoes). I have the vegetarian version, where the only real difference is you can eat fish instead of lean meat. I don't eat fish. Also, you have to take laxatives to be able to use the bathroom, and are not allowed to drink only water. Diet soda is recommended. This is one of the only diets covered by our public health care system and it really scares me that it is. Even if I ate leafy greens and egg whites all day there is no way I'd be able to meet my nutritional needs, and buckets of diet soda being recommended by a so called nutritionist? I hate to say this because it sounds awful, but I was less restrictive and ate more during the worst part of my struggle with Anorexia. I really worry about falling back there with a diet like this. What really upset me was that the person I saw couldn't answer my questions and tried to hide the fact that this diet would send my body into Ketosis after I outright said I was in the middle of fertility treatments. Ketones may be harmful to a developing fetus. Maybe not, but they could be. I wouldn't want to risk it, personally. He only admitted it after I demanded he be straight with me. Needless to say, I will not be returning. I will be sticking to my own diet plan helped by Teresa's suggestions, and will be talking to my GP about this quack. Maybe I won't lose 15 pounds of water in 7 days, but I would hate myself if after going through all these treatments I became pregnant and something happened because of an awful diet.

I hope everyone is doing ok today. I had a hard time. I tried to make the day all about my mom, which did help, but the FB posts and celebrating was still hard to deal with. Sending good thoughts to everyone!

Edited by shesaidboom - 5/13/12 at 6:13pm

[SilaMarila]

Sourire - Thank you so much. That basically solidifies my decision. My baseline appt is tomorrow and I'm going to bring it up so that things get timed properly for 1 IUI.

Zenquaker - Thanks. Good luck with your 2ww and I hope it brings you a bfp.

shesaidboom - Bummer about Provera and possibly having to wait and not getting a cycle in before your honeymoon. How many days of Provera did you get? I had a suuuuper slow response with 7 days so the next time I did 10 and that worked much more quickly. When I did my full bladder u/s I was crying because it was hurting so badly to hold it I almost just couldn't do it. Thankfully they felt sorry for me and hurried things along. Wow, I HATE these so called diet specialists and nutritionalists. Complete bull shit. No wonder our country and it's people are so messed up. I'm glad you're smarter than that.

AFM - (TMI ahead) This AF is really weird. Yesterday was very thick and clotty and I even passed this dime-sized grey/tan piece of tissue like stuff. I didn't even have anything that big when I had my almost 5wk m/c. I never got a positive hpt this cycle so it's just weird. I guess it's just my "perfect" lining. Today is thick but not as bad. I just NEVER have clots or thick bleeding. Baseline tomorrow. 

[Smilesarefree]

Sila – Sorry for BFN and AF. 

Shesaidboom – Quack sounds about right, a weight loss program that promotes diet soda does not make one bit of sense to me, and being that restrictive can’t be good for anyone that is a short term diet to make people lose some weight fast and then gain it all back because it is not sustainable.  Yeah, stay away from that place.  I hope the provera kicks in quick for you this time around.

Sourire – You must have another IUI lined up soon?  Hopefully you don’t get another af for a very long time but if you do I hope that it won’t be as painful that did not sound like fun.

Krunchy – Yeah!!!!!  Will you have another beta or will that be it?

Zenquaker – I hope your 2ww passes fast and you get a nice surprise at the end.

Hi Wissa and Monkey!!

AFM – I ran in my first 5k yesterday, very exciting for me!  I am cd72 today.  My doctor apt is this Thursday, I am looking forward to it, although I know that I won’t get any answers then at least I will be on my way to getting some.

[hope4light]

wissa - you are so sweet to still be stalking over here!  The u/s I will actually be 6w3d, so I'm hoping that we'll get a heartbeat.  I'm super excited, but still nervous, you know, I got the 'what if' going on....

krunchy - YEAH for a STICKY BEAN!!  Stick little fighter, stick!!  Congratulations!!! 

Sourire - Oh, I LOVE gardening!!  It's such a great stress reliever, and then to be able to eat your own fresh veggies all summer long, you just can't go wrong!!

zen - My fingers are crossed for you!  I hope the 2ww goes by fast!

Sila - I'm so sorry, big big hugs.    Sounds like a strange AF, must have been that perfect lining.  Maybe it'll be perfect again next cycle and you'll get that BFP!!!

shesaidboom - The RE appt sounds frustrating, but the diet guy sounds like a quack!  Seriously?  Drink diet soda and not just water??  Eat like NOTHING?  Wow, I love how they don't practice what they preach.  I'm glad you've decided to move forward with your own - the quack doesn't sound healthy at all, and doing it the healthy way is the only way for so many reasons, but especially to keep healthy for the little one that you'll hopefully be growing soon!

[monkeyscience]

sila - Sorry the BFN stayed BFN. Glad the overall cycle went well, though, and hoping you get a perfect follicle, perfect lining, and a perfect little baby this cycle!

smiles - Yay for FINALLY getting to have your appointment this week! I really hope this doc is good. In fact, throw a temper tantrum if he/she doesn't take you seriously and check EVERYTHING. You've waited too long to be dismissed!

shesaidboom - at that diet doctor! Who on earth says you can't just drink water as part of a diet?!? How could that possibly be bad for you? I know a lot of diets "allow" diet soda because some people are so used to sweetened beverages that they'd never stick to just water, but to actively recommend AGAINST drinking only water? That's insane. Along with a lot of the other crap you put in there, too. I would definitely tell whoever referred you to this quack that he doesn't do at all what he claims to. Personalized diet, my left buttcheek. Anyway, good for you for knowing better than to go along with that crap! And yeah, I can't believe how fast time is flying for me, either. Although at this point, I feel like I've been pregnant my entire life.

hope - Excited to hear about your ultrasound! I'm thinking twins, too, but we shall see!

AFM, moving this week! Hoping all goes well with that. It's not a big move, just a few miles, so that is good. I'm ready to start settling in! Tomorrow is 27 weeks, and next week is my dreaded glucose test. I'm just going on the assumption it will come out fine, like everything else has thus far in my pregnancy. Unlike the first trimester, the second trimester has gone by much faster. Pregnancy is so much more endurable without all the nausea/food sensitivities. Now I'm just in the everything-makes-me-tired, bending-over-is-uncomfortable, can't-sit-too-long phase. Oh, and the alien-in-my-tummy phase. It is both cool and really weird to lay there and watch my belly move of its own accord. 3 more months of this adventure!

[krunchyk]

Sila - I'm so sorry about the BFN.  I was hoping, hoping, hoping this would be your month.  

Shesaidbloom - Ugh. I'm sorry you had such a bad experience with a quack job.  I think the South Beach Diet would be more helpful than what that person was recommending.  I can't remember if I recommended this book before, but I really liked it.  I've read a lot of low GI/PCOS books and this one has been my favorite.  It actually helped me understand what proportions of food I should be eating.  I was eating all the right things, but not enough and too much of certain food groups.  It may not be helpful for you, but I wanted to pass it along in case it is something you are looking for.

Smiles - Congrats on the 5K! What an accomplishment.  I started a running program after my miscarriage, and I have been enjoying it so much I want to continue.  I bought a cheapie heartrate monitor off of Amazon.  We'll see how it goes!  

Sourire - Ah! Gardening.  I'm jealous! I'm ready to move back to Denver and to my raised garden beds in my backyard.  I hope the plants take off for you!

AFM - Ladies, thanks for all the kind words and congratulations.  I have my next beta in an hour or so this morning.  We are hoping for a number greater than or equal to 165. I peed on a stick yesterday and today, and, because they are valid and reliable indicators of the growth of an embryo, I think the number will have increased. We moved this weekend from Orange County to Palm Springs and we do not have our internet figured out yet. I also don't have a smart phone.  I will post an update as soon as I get connected again.  Again, thanks for all the positive thoughts and prayers! 

[deborahbgkelly]

Shesaidboom- Ugh. That "nutritionist" sounds awful. Reduced calories and increased exercise are the way to go- I lost 13 lbs. in less than a year that way and I didn't feel I was starving. Maybe your primary care can help. I don't have PCOS though so I didn't have the carb restrictions. Here are some more Peachy pics to perk you up: