Queer TTC November 2008 - Page 5

[FtMPapa]

: Be the tree, Yona. :

[carmen358]

Originally Posted by pleasantlyfurious

Carmen - I've heard that too - and I hope it's true! I'm surprised to find myself excited about trying again. After the m/c I was sure I could never get back the excitement of TTC - and while it may not be the same, I am feeling more optimistic that I thought I would.

I'm glad you are feeling optimistic I found the excitement came back but was different for sure. I wouldn't want to lose that feeling...

Good luck, papa!!

Sorry about af, raene

Afm, I'm STILL waiting for af. CD35 and no sign of it! What the heck?!!? :

[indigoscot]

we are on cd16 here and no sign of high or peak fertility. the weird thing is that dp has her usual ovulation skin break-out, ewcm and this morning ovary cramps. we're wondering if the monitor is just missing it this month - it's a new box of test sticks. i had the exact same thing happen the month before i got pregnant, so we hope it's an omen. :

we also discussed our options with the 6 vials of ici of our donor that we lucked into due to another client reactivating him (we also have 2 iui vials leftover from me trying back in 2006). we had planned to just use them as ici with our current clinic but now we're thinking to use the re we really like because she can spin them for iui. it's more expensive but since iui is more likely to result in pregnancy it would up our chances of getting a 1/2 sibling. so now our plan is to use our current clinic with the 2 remaining iui vials and really go for broke with fertility drugs and hopefully have 3 or 4 follicles. of course, we still have to meet with them to discuss our treatment plan. that's on thursday morning.

how is everyone else doing?

g

[FtMPapa]

Wow, Indigo - that seems like a lot of vials! I say go IUI, so it sounds like you've got a good plan in place. I'm convinced it works better with frozen. My old RE also claims that using ICI sperm that you have spun when you thaw it yields better results.

I don't know anything first-hand about the fertility monitor, but I gotta say, y'all, I really like this OV Watch business.

It's saying "FERTILE DAY 4" today, which means it thinks I will O tomorrow. I'm not getting anything on OPKs, but I cheaped out and used a few leftovers from last month's 20 pack, and the box says not to use them after 30 days, so they're likely not at the top of their game.

I am a little cranky because the sensor in the watch seems to have pooched out, so I tossed it (you put a new sensor in every month, and once the watch starts reading "Fertile" you don't need it anymore). I'm glad it said "FERTILE" before it pooched, but it was close, within a day or so.

I'm doing insem # 2 tonight, and I'm trying to decide if I should do a # 3 tomorrow night, or Wednesday morning, or if I should just skip it. Input?

[lexbeach]

Originally Posted by FtMPapa

I don't know anything first-hand about the fertility monitor, but I gotta say, y'all, I really like this OV Watch business.

I am a little cranky because the sensor in the watch seems to have pooched out, so I tossed it (you put a new sensor in every month, and once the watch starts reading "Fertile" you don't need it anymore). I'm glad it said "FERTILE" before it pooched, but it was close, within a day or so.

How does the watch work? What is it "sensing" exactly? Just curious.

Originally Posted by FTMPapa

I'm doing insem # 2 tonight, and I'm trying to decide if I should do a # 3 tomorrow night, or Wednesday morning, or if I should just skip it. Input?

I would go by EWCM . . . if you still think you'll have some on Wednesday a.m., then I'd do another insem. then. Otherwise, I'd do one tomorrow night. Why not, right?

:

Lex

[FtMPapa]

Originally Posted by lexbeach

How does the watch work? What is it "sensing" exactly? Just curious.

It reads sweat! It looks at the salt ions in my sweat, and decides when the estrogen is surging, which happens a few days prior to the LH surge.

So, it identifies four fertile days, the day of ovulation, and then the day after (less fertile) as being the six best days to conceive. Thus, it's good for predicting O a few days earlier than OPKs, which only give at best 48 hours notice.

Also, OPKs make me slightly obsessive. I am always staring at them, trying to figure out what's going on, trying to decide if I should take another each day, or what.

I think it probably works better for people using fresh than frozen, but it would be GREAT for folks who wanted to know when to ship frozen from a bank.

So, I should O tomorrow. I'm not too worried about cross checking with OPKs or anything, since I have EWCM and fresh swimmers.

[indigoscot]

papa, the clinic confirmed that the monitor most likely missed ovulation this month since the other signs are lining up. dp has had more minor ovary cramping and copious ewcm. maybe it will jump to peak tomorrow but the monitor stick looked very unlike a "you are about to ovulate" stick to me this morning....no sign of an estrogen surge or an lh surge.

sounds like the ovwatch is perfect for you! i have fx that this is your month.

g

[carmen358]

Yay! AF started this morning! All my whining paid off!

Please move me to Waiting to O!

[pleasantlyfurious]

I just had a tarot card reading and I told her about my miscarriage and that we are trying again and her advice was to wait to try and to switch donors. Now, I'm a tarot believer to an extent, but I'm throwing a little tantrum because I don't want to wait and I don't want to switch donors. But I also don't want to completely disregard the advice (that I paid for!). I dunno, I'll probably just proceed as though the reading never happened and order our usual donor tomorrow. Would any of you switch you plans based on a reading?

FTMpapa - fingers crossed for you!

[FtMPapa]

I wouldn't wait based on a reading, but I might be inclined to switch donors. Ha! Look at me being indecisive!

Can you boot me over to Waiting to Know? Today is O day, I think. I insemmed last night and will again tonight (because why not? It's insurance.)

So now the waiting begins! I'm hopeful, I had really good CM this cycle compared to any cycle within recent memory, and that is SO important with fresh sperm.

Also, I had really good timing, and more insems than I've EVER done before, it'll be 3, total, over the four days leading up to O.

[indigoscot]

well, the monitor went to high fertility this morning so now we're thinking either dp's cold/sore throat/cough and cold medicine delayed ovulation this month or she surged yesterday afternoon and the monitor is picking up the end of that. i guess we'll know more tomorrow, lol!!

adding to my frustration, our ob said they faxed info to our clinic on friday and they don't have it AND dp's endo still hasn't reviewed her bloodwork from last monday and they don't know when he will only that it will be sometime this week. and yes, dp did tell them we need that and the results faxed before thursday morning. ugh.

g

[DearAbby]

Well, this cycle was a bust. BFN I'll be on hold this month because of Thanksgiving.

I don't have time for personals, but I am sending baby dust to all!

DearAbby (TTC #1 Try #2)

[FtMPapa]

Originally Posted by indigoscot

well, the monitor went to high fertility this morning so now we're thinking either dp's cold/sore throat/cough and cold medicine delayed ovulation this month or she surged yesterday afternoon and the monitor is picking up the end of that. i guess we'll know more tomorrow, lol!!

That happened to me the cycle I'm pretty sure I conceived, so many moons ago. I had the absolute best CM ever, thanks to being sick and taking copious amounts of cough syrup, although I was so worried I was going to have my sperm melt and get wrecked before I Oed, I eventually did.

SO FRUSTRATING dealing with the doctors at the baby factory. Totally hear you on that one. They're all like "Can't find the paperwork..." and you're like "that paperwork could change our lives! FIND IT!!!!"

Abby - do something good for yourself like sushi, hot tubs, and a little indulgence while you're off.

[DM630]

Abby-

I was convinced that we would be doing the IUI by Friday. I was feeling like my ovaries were pretty active. However my bloodwork yesterday indicated that my estrodial was only 58. We increased my dose of gonal-f and I go for more bloodwork tomorrow and depending on how it looks more on Friday and hopefully an u/s on Friday. We are looking at IUI around Thanksgiving. Should be a crazy week.
I am anxious to get the IUI done, but I am not looking forward to the tww of torture "is that a sign" If I could hold onto the positive feelings and excitement that happen around ovulation for 2 weeks then that would be perfect.

[pleasantlyfurious]

Abby - So sorry - it's always harder to see a BFN before a break. If this cycle doesn't work I think we'll have to hold off next cycle since I'll be in Mexico visiting my family for christmas.

FTMpapa - I : the decisiveness. You are like my personal magic 8 ball

[indigoscot]

monitor is still reporting high fertility this morning - although the dang thing is programmed to stay at high until it detects peak. anyways, my analysis of the lines on the sticks from today and yesterday leads me to believe that dp has already ovulated. the estrogen line is back to being dark today and the lh line very light - what i would expect to see after ovulation. last month it jumped directly to peak - no high at all. i think she surged during the day on monday.

our clinic said that if it wasn't at peak today dp should take provera to ensure she doesn't have an extra long cycle. we're going to pass on that though. also, they are ok with still meeting with us even if all the records aren't there yet. phew!

yesterday i also made an early january appt with the re we like, so if dp is not pregnant by then we'll use her for the remaining ici vials we have.

g

[FtMPapa]

Originally Posted by indigoscot

our clinic said that if it wasn't at peak today dp should take provera to ensure she doesn't have an extra long cycle. we're going to pass on that though. also, they are ok with still meeting with us even if all the records aren't there yet. phew!

yesterday i also made an early january appt with the re we like, so if dp is not pregnant by then we'll use her for the remaining ici vials we have.

WEIRD!! Why not wait two weeks, see what happens, start Provera if an extra long cycle starts happening? (Darn interventionist clinics.)

If they're really that worried about it, a progesterone test next Monday (or 7 days post-suspected O) will confirm whether she ovulated.

I am definitely pregnant. It definitely worked, I have acne, a sore back, pregnancy induced carpal tunnel syndrome, nausea, I'm tired all the time, and I think I just felt the baby move. (Sorry - I'm making all of that up, I just want to get it out of my system early this 2ww.)

1 DPO! Bring it on! BTW - I know I complain about this a lot, but semen smells WEIRD, man. And it feels weird. Sort of abrasive and kind of gooey but almost gritty or something. Astringent is maybe the word I'm looking for. Anstringent and pungent.

[carmen358]

Originally Posted by pleasantlyfurious

I just had a tarot card reading and I told her about my miscarriage and that we are trying again and her advice was to wait to try and to switch donors. Now, I'm a tarot believer to an extent, but I'm throwing a little tantrum because I don't want to wait and I don't want to switch donors. But I also don't want to completely disregard the advice (that I paid for!). I dunno, I'll probably just proceed as though the reading never happened and order our usual donor tomorrow. Would any of you switch you plans based on a reading?

I don't think I would switch based on a reading. But if I did get a reading in the first place I would assume that I put some belief/faith into the process that would produce the results....so I may feel differently. Does that make sense?? Crystal clear in my little mind

I also think that readings, etc. just present possibilities...one path to take amongst many.

[carmen358]

Originally Posted by FtMPapa

I am definitely pregnant. It definitely worked, I have acne, a sore back, pregnancy induced carpal tunnel syndrome, nausea, I'm tired all the time, and I think I just felt the baby move. (Sorry - I'm making all of that up, I just want to get it out of my system early this 2ww.)

1 DPO! Bring it on! BTW - I know I complain about this a lot, but semen smells WEIRD, man. And it feels weird. Sort of abrasive and kind of gooey but almost gritty or something. Astringent is maybe the word I'm looking for. Anstringent and pungent.

LMAO. I forgot how soon it was for you and TOTALLY fell for it. heh.

I have to totally agree about the smell - it's really quite unpleasant and yes, weird.

[indigoscot]

papa, our clinic really isn't that proactive!!! we'll just trust that dp did ovulate and that her december cycle will begin on time.

i'll update again tomorrow once we've had our clinic appt.

dearabby, sorry for the bfn. they truly do suck.

g