Queer Conceptions: December 2012 - Page 4

[lizbian]

What is your name? Liz

What are the names/pronouns of your partner and children (if you have any)? She/She, 'the kids' are the 3 dogs & the cat

What method are you using to get pregnant this next cycle? ICI as can't do IUI or IVF where I live

What do you and/or your partner do for work? I'm a photographer & teacher, DW is an accountant

What state/province do you live? UK - Guernsey

What is the most exciting part about this TTC time for you?  the thought that we'll hopefully extend our family & be able to pass on what we've learned to a little one

What is the most difficult part? living on an island with hardly any support, not being able to try most methods on the island & having to pay so much to get stuff shipped to us.

In answer to the question about who we've told, just a few close friends and the in-laws. I'm not telling my family until I'm 3 months as I very much doubt my parents are going to be supportive initially & I don't even know if it's going to work.

Unfortunately one of our friends who knows happens to be my boss & she told her boss that we are TTC next year which I wasn't very happy about as she didn't ask first.

[easttowest]

fille - Have you thought about shipping sperm?  That's what we did, and it worked the second try.  Kits run about $100, and shipping overnight runs about $100 (less if you don't hit a weekend, which we always managed to do), so it was only $200 each month.  I understand if you want to do it in person, but know that that's also an option if it keeps your KD happier.  

[DarcySD]

mrsandmrs - thanks for the info! this is the first time we will be getting it delivered so I appreciate knowing we can get it refilled. 

 

scorpioma - yes, it's more about when I will be getting the trigger shot and hoping that the follicle is big enough to trigger before the tank runs out of juice. My bank doesn't do weekend or Monday deliveries so I have to get it delivered on Friday in case Monday is the day the doc says to inseminate...And yes, the timing thing definitely can make me crazy!

 

friederike - I think it's liquid nitrogen but I will double check. We don't have a basement but I will store it in a dark closet. Thanks!

 

fillefantome - so sorry about AF - It was a relief to me when she came because I could stop wondering. 

 

What is your name? Darcy 

What are the names/pronouns of your partner and children (if you have any)? Meghan/she

What method are you using to get pregnant this next cycle? IUI w/frozen WTBK sperm, trigger shot and mid cycle ultrasound to help with timing :)

What do you and/or your partner do for work? I am a Behavior Specialist for adults with disabilities (best job ever) and DW is a Behavior Specialist for children with autism 

What state/province do you live? CA

What is the most exciting part about this TTC time for you? Finally getting started. I have wanted to be a mom since I was in my early 20's and it's so exciting that we are finally ready to do this together. 

What is the most difficult part? worrying about running out of money for sperm and insurance not covering IVF 

[SanDiego78]

Hi everyone! I haven't been on the board in a few weeks I hope everyone is doing well.

I think I mentioned that my wife & I experienced a very early miscarriage/chemical pregnancy 2 cycles ago and are now back in the groove.  We're currently doing injectables again, and hope to insem next week.  We just had our cd7 u/s tonight, and they want us to increase our meds.  Poor baby, my wife now gets 3 shots instead of 2 per night.

Joy - congrats!

Hoping for lots of bfps on this board, good luck everyone!

[fmorris28]

Sphinxy, i love the good positive thoughts you've got going! Glad your swimmers are there..best of luck with the insem!

Samy, Hopefully AF will stay away and thats not pre- AF cramping. FX for you!

Scorp

, Those are good butterflies! Best of luck

fille, i love how you've got everything planned out. structure and planning is essential to this process...as nothing will ever be an "accident" . Two thumbs up!

Sandiego, Sorry about the CP, but it's so Good to see you guys are back in the game. Hate that your DW has to get all those shots! i've been kinda anxious (not normal) about the trigger for some reason..i've convinced DP that she will HAVE to do the sticken! Good luck to you all.

AFM, just heard back from the OB, she transferred mye RX to the other pharmacy i found so now i'll be getting mye Novarel for around $75 with free express shipping as opposed to $210 at walgreens on mye corner! Thank goodess for Google search nd mye relentless spirit to find a better deal!

[samy23]

Fille you sound very well organised with everything, sorry AF arrived.

fmorris yeah I'm hoping it wasn't pre-AF cramps although it felt like it, I had it in the morning and then evening.  Congrats on finding a better deal with shipping.

lizbian fingers crossed you get your knee sorted quickly in time to TTC asap.

AFM I'm 6DPO today and my temp went up .2 which is a good sign. My pregnancy tests still have not arrived in the mail, so I still can't test yet which is driving me a bit crazy! So fingers crossed they arrive today and I will test tomorrow at 7DPO with FMU finally! (you can tell im not doing well in this tww haha) I just really really really want to know either way right now...and to be honest im going to be quite distraught if it didn't work this cycle as the timing was perfect, the insem was on the day I O'd. Plus I've calculated I won't be able to see my donor next cycle as O will be right around the holiday period between chritsmas and new years and there is just too much going on for us to meet up! So it will be an extra long wait if this didn't work....trying to remain hopefull for a BFP...come on mail!

[Friederike]

Fille - I am sorry to hear about AF, but I just love how positive your are about everything. As a total bay-making newbie I am going to take your positive attittude as a role model. Oh, and your OWL program sounds really great (it does remind me of Harry Potter though).

Lizbian - hope the knee MRI results turn out good.

SanDiego - all the best to your wife and good luck for next week. Once we have moody teenagers they better appreciate the pains we went through to have them

fmorris - wow, that price difference is crazy!

Samy - for your test.

[scorpioma]

hey everyone!

fille: Boo on the BFN/AF, but seriously, awesome attitude. That is what gets us through this. I know what you mean about post AF emotions- so much more balanced. That is a sort of silver lining!! Also, your lawyer is way too MIA... If you'd like me to look at it, I am happy to... I wrote our contract and had a friend lawyer review it (because I am only a student). Let me know!

samy: Wishing you luck! I don't think very many people get BFPs so early but I will probably be testing then too!

SanDiego: Welcome back! So happy to see you! Hope you are feeling better in your hearts. How is DP?

A LOT of EWCM this morning, so tonight we inseminate with KD for the first time. DP will be driving to his house tonight, though, which is about 10-15 minutes away, bringing the sperm home, and inseminating me. How exciting! I think I may get a positive OPK today, but if not, I def. should tomorrow or Saturday. As soon as we do, we will insem. again and then the following day.

YAY!

I am using the test strips and the Clear Blue Easy OPK as well. The more tests, the better, IMO. Ha!

more updates after insem... oooooh !

[Sphinxy]

Fille - Sorry for the BFN but happy for you that you have such good strategies for moving forward. E2w makes a good point - shipping may be cheaper than plane tickets. I know of a few people who have gotten pregnant with those kits.

Lizbian - Best of luck for good news from your MRI!

SanDiego - Sending out so many good vibes to you and your wife!

Samy - Sending you positive and patient thoughts! How many tests did you order? Do you think you will test daily once they arrive?

Scorpio - My buddy! It's insemination day! We made it! Hooray! I am so excited for you - this insem plan sounds perfect! I have my fingers crossed so tight for you and your DP 

Afm, after a negative OPK late yesterday afternoon (both the Clear Blue and the internet strip), I couldn't stop thinking about that nearly positive OPK that I got mid-day on Tuesday. DW and I decided not to insem last night because though I had a lot of CM, it was more creamy/watery than EW. But then this morning my temp creeped up just a tiny bit, as it would typically the day of O, and my ovary swelling sensations were not as strong as they had been for the past 48 hours... So we went ahead and did an insem! I am just trying to think positive thoughts and visualize the sperm finding my strong little egg that I've been feeling growing. My O dates over the last few cycles have ranged from CD16 (today) to CD21, so I will keep taking OPKs and we will see what happens. I know there is a chance that we did it too early since I never actually got a full positive OPK... since we almost didn't try at all this month, I feel like we just have to trust ourselves and let it be what it will be, I am charting and writing down everything so that if it doesn't work we'll have the data for next cycle. We have one more vial in our tank, and we are taking it one step at a time on trying to figure out when to use the next one. But we just didn't want to risk missing our window if that OPK on Tuesday truly was my surge. 

Edited by Sphinxy - 12/6/12 at 9:15am

[esenbee2]

fille -so sorry to hear about the BFN.  don't let that positive attitude diminish!

scorpio -good luck with insem!  let us know how it went, plus when you get a temp spike!

AFM -I got sick the next day after my sleepless night.  Think I must have been on the verge of getting sick, and probably would have been able to work through it, but not having any sleep must have multiplied the effects times 20...  I left work early on Tuesday -feeling nauseated all morning and afternoon (probably from the coffee I had in the morning mixed with the prenatals and extra folic acid), by Tuesday night I could barely move andI was whimpering and turned into full blown crying when DD would NOT go to bed for TWO HOURS after we put her to bed!  I had plans to put her to bed at her normal bed time -8:15, watch my Tuesday night TV show, ending at 9:00 and hit the hay myself.  Didn't get DD to bed til 10:30.  I was absolutely dying.  I woke up feeling okay, but by the time I got moving and ready for work, I was feeling right back to horrible, so I called in sick.  I did a complete overhaul on the laundry.  (Which I have problem about doing the laundry, but not putting the clean stuff away...  I absolutely DESPISE folding socks, underwear, and putting shirt after shirt on hangers...)  I had to take breaks every 15 minutes or so, BUT got it all done!  My mom was even nice enough to bring DD home, instead of me having to get her, and she brought us KFC so I didn't have to cook!

Feeling okay now, good enough to come to work...

[esenbee2]

Sphinxy -how often do you do the OPK tests?  That almost positive could have been on the tail end of your surge, or a screwed up test strip.  This next cycle I plan on testing every 4 hours to catch the beginning of my true surge.  I found the Dollar Tree $1 OPKs again, so I will be going to ones all over town to stock up for next cycle, they only have a few at a time at each store.  This cycle, the tests did great at giving a strong positive MUCH darker than the control line.  I think the instructions on the test of testing once a day in the afternoon is a good plan for those BD a few days to get pregnant, but for us using FS vials or other donor specimens, the timing has to be MUCH more precise.

[Sphinxy]

esenbee - Yes, I agree. As it has been getting closer I increased to twice a day, and then these past few days it's been three times a day. On Tuesday, I got my strong almost positive around 11am, a slightly lighter one at 3:30pm, and then one with a very faint line at 7:20pm. So like you said, I do think there is a chance that it was the tail end of my surge fading out. Now I am going to keep doing the OPKs three times a day for this cycle until I get a clear 3-day temp shift showing ovulation.

[scorpioma]

No + OPK yet. We are insem-ing tonight and then will test with OPK again tomorrow and go from there. 

Like Sphinxy, who is my same-timeline-for-everything buddy, it is possible that yesterday my dark, but not dark-er, OPK was the end of my surge, but it's hard to say. I think more likely for me I have not gotten a surge yet.

Tonight's insem. will cover my bases, hopefully, just in case. I have been taking OPKs two or three times a day with the test strips, and will continue to do so.

Then we will probably insem. again on day of +OPK and day after, depending on how things go.

For interested parties:

http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/scorpioma

Eep!

[esenbee2]

Okay, having an emotional moment...  I knew better, but I took a look at our chosen donor's baby/childhood photos again.  I started gushing over how darn cute he was as a kiddo and that turned into being weepy....  I want this soooo badly!

[mrsandmrs]

oh, esenbee. i have done that to myself too. hugs. 

this thread is moving so fast it's hard to keep up!

welcome back sandiego! it looks like we're practically cycle buddies again. im CD7 today and our first follie scan is tomorrow. i hope the injections are going ok for you two this month. i have been icing my injection sites and it seems to help a lot. 

fmorris - we do our injections across my stomach, 2 inches or so below the line of my belly button. did your doc give you injection instructions? it hurts a little afterwards and i've had some minor bruising but it's not as bad as, say, a tetanus shot. 

fille - you asked how our son feels about our TTC. he's not involved in the process, like he doesn't know we are doing shots or when we go to appointments. from a theoretical level, i think his reaction has been pretty much what you'd expect from a teenage boy. he doesn't get excited about change. he likes our family how it is. things like that. also, our family has a fairly flat decision making process and we're pretty egalitarian parents, so i think it is weird for him to not "have any say" in the decision.  i'm sure it's a lot to think about for him. 

holy mackerel we have a lot of people on the verge of moving to the TWW, huh? i hope we get an avalanche of BFPs from santa. i anticipate i will be testing around xmas time, as in, 14 DPO might  actually fall on December 25th. Crazy! you know how office mates and roommates cycles kind of sync up over time? it seems like ours are kind of doing that? 

afm - i have cycle day 8 follicle scan and bloodwork tomorrow. i feel like a vessel for giant ovaries, but i felt the same way last time and there was not a terrific response. those gonadotrophin injections are a wild ride. i don't have most of the side effects i had with clomid, but the new ones are crazy. like, i am outrageously turned-on all the time. like, all the time. it's kind of embarrassing? i feel like a teenager. my poor wife has been taking great care of me with daily (!!!) massages and delicious meals and a lot of attention. it's like living at a spa, only she keeps stabbing me with needles. 

[mrsandmrs]

What is your name? Mrs. ;) 

What are the names/pronouns of your partner and children (if you have any)? She/She. Our kid is He. Our dogs are he and she. Our cats are he and she. Our chickens are all She, thankfully.

What method are you using to get pregnant this next cycle? follistim+trigger shot+wtbk donor from TSBC IUI 

What do you and/or your partner do for work? nonprofit  and emergency services, respectively.

What state/province do you live? washington state, home of gay marriage. 

What is the most exciting part about this TTC time for you? the potential for things to go right, i guess. oh, and the daily massage and doting attention from my wife doesn't hurt. 

What is the most difficult part? money, stress, invasive medical procedures, and the uncertainty. really, i could deal with everything if i *knew* it would pay off, but i don't know that. we have no idea. 

[Sphinxy]

Originally Posted by mrsandmrs 

 it's like living at a spa, only she keeps stabbing me with needles. 

Seriously, still laughing! 

And yes, mrsandmrs, it does feel like our cycles are oddly syncing up! It is really nice to have that support and company. I am so looking forward to the peer-pressure let's-all-poas-at-the-same-time phase.  Good luck tomorrow!

[scorpioma]

Wait, mrsandmrs!  You, me and Sphinxy will all be testing around Christmas time!!! My 14DPO might fall on Christmas day as well!

HOW FUN IS THIS.

I might be confused, mrs, are you inseminating tomorrow?

Our cycles are totally syncing...anyone else?

[mrsandmrs]

sphinxy, im glad that made you laugh. i keep thinking "this would be perfect, if not for the stabbing."

santa, load up your wagon with positive pee sticks! 

scorpio --- i am cd7 now and i will probably trigger by cd 10 or around there. it's hard to predict how the follicles will grow, but you don't usually go to cd12 without triggering according to my doc. usually i take the follistim until we trigger and then insem 36 hours later. so, if i trigger on cd10 (which will be sunday dec 9) i will insem on cd 12 (tues, dec 11) and 14 days later would be the 25th. of course, i'll test before that. because i am naughty and impatient. it will either be the best or worst christmas ever! 

[scorpioma]

Thanks for the low-down, mrsandmrs!

This is going to be an exciting Christmas- 3 tww-ers!

fillefantome, please move me to Waiting to Know!