# Donor Sperm IUI/IVF- 2012



## CanadianMaple

I know there are a few of us using donor sperm for our IUIs. Please check in and we can chat about the experience of using a donor and support each other through the process. :flower:


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## gina1987

Hey! I'm new to this site 8dpiui using donor sperm...this experience is wonderful if I get a positive ...


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## CanadianMaple

I'm Becky and my husband has azoospermia (no sperm in ejacuate). We have been TTC for exactly a year, since we got married. We found out last winter that he had no sperm in his SA and spent the spring doing hormonal and genetic tests. In May, we were offered a biopsy to look for sperm, but the odds were too low for the cost.

So, I am on the birth control pill for a cycle due to high LH and will start clomid 50mg for 5 days and do a trigger shot. It looks like it could happen around August 1. 

We are still trying to pick a donor. We're pretty close, but still have some questions we need answered to feel 100%.

Even if you aren't quite to the IUI stage, feel free to chime in!


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## CanadianMaple

gina1987 said:


> Hey! I'm new to this site 8dpiui using donor sperm...this experience is wonderful if I get a positive ...

You should be testing soon! How exciting! Are you getting a beta this week or doing home tests? Any symptoms?


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## MrsC8776

:hi: I'm going to join you! Great idea on the thread. We are using a donor due to DH's vasectomy reversal healing back up. I did the clomid/trigger route since I have no fertility problems that we know of. Currently I am 9 dpiui and 11dpt. Beta on Thursday. 

I look forward to chatting with others who are going through the same process.


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## CanadianMaple

I hope you get both get positive tests this week.

DH took a long time to get used to the idea and how I think he is even more comfortable with it than I am at times! How are your husbands with it with it being done?


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## Stardust1

My dh has klinefelters syndrome so no sperm at all and donor was our only option. I am 11dpdiui today after our first diui. I tested every day from 3dpdiui to see when the trigger shot had left my system (it took about 10 days from the trigger being done) I got my bfp this morning on a Internet cheapie and a clearblue digital. For us it's given a a real chance of a miracle.


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## MrsC8776

Thanks you CM! Soon it will be your turn to start. My DH handled everything very well. I was shocked but we both knew that it was pretty much the only way. 

Congrats Startdust!! That is so exciting. :happydance:


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## WANBMUM

Canadian, what a great idea for a thread. I have been on the azoo thread for months and months but now I'm going through IUI (woopydaydoodaa) I feel bad about posting on there as it must be tough for the newbies only getting diagnosed :( and then on the ordinary IUI threads I felt lindi didn't fit in also. So YAY for this :) 

My story, in brief: TTC for over 3 years :( hubby had scar tissue from an operation when he was young which we found out (after months of tests) it was irreversible. As you will all understand it has been a very tough LONG road. So skip to present: we just had DIUI last week and I am still in shock that we have had IUI. 

So did you guys trigger? Any symptoms? How are ur hubby's? Mine has been amazing, he makes me so proud, he is so excited and positive but realistic it might take some time. 
I have no symptoms, a few twinges but I could have imagined them :)


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## WANBMUM

Stardust! Wow! Congrats. Was that your first IUI? Any symptoms? 
Your dream is coming true :)


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## WANBMUM

Question? What is cd1 past IUI classed as? Is it the day after IUI is 1dpiui and is it 14dpiui is the day u can test (technically) or would it be 15dpiui?
#Confusediuivirgin


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## CanadianMaple

You have no idea how happy it makes me to see people posting in there. The azoo thread was awesome for when we were still looking at trying to find sperm in there, but now I feel like I don't really fit in there. I still love the members there and want to stay in touch, but I felt like my questions/posts involving IUI weren't really being heard. 

Stardust- Congratulations!!!! You must be over the moon after being through everything you went through! 

WANBMUM- I'm really excited to hear you're in the 2ww! I hope the twinges become the real thing. When do you test?


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## CanadianMaple

From what I understand, the day after the IUI is 1dpIUI and many people will get a positive at about 10dpIUI. One girl on another board I post at got a BFP (very faint) at 8dpIUI. She had tested out the trigger too, so it looks real and was darker today.


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## MrsC8776

WANBMUM~ I did a trigger shot. I didn't have symptoms from the shot at first but about 5dpo(iui) I started getting very tender nipples. :wacko: The worst is in the shower or when I move wrong in my sleep. It's still the same and a few twinges the past couple of days. It's really hard to tell if it's the trigger. I've done one trigger in the past and din't have one symptom. Same shot both times. I consider the day after iui 1pdiui. 

My husband has been wonderful through this process. He isn't home and was gone for the IUI though. He is still very supportive and positive.


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## CanadianMaple

I'm curious which Sperm Bank everyone chose? I'm limited to a few banks and am focusing on the European Sperm Bank through the Seattle Sperm Bank.


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## MrsC8776

I know we have talked about this but I feel I should answer as well. We used Cryogenic. It's a free website and they share a ton of info about the donors.


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## CanadianMaple

I just looked at your website. I think it is one we can use here in Canada, but I couldn't find any Canadian-available blond guys. (Health Canada has different standards for donor sperm, they make sure they are chlamydia and gonorrhea negative before importing them or something like that...)

Who's testing tomorrow?


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## MrsC8776

Sorry you couldn't find anything on there. Is it anything or anyone? I'm going with anything. I wish you luck in your search. How many do you have it down to. 

I'm testing tomorrow! :winkwink:


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## WANBMUM

Thanks Guys :) 
So far, I am going to wait until 14dpiui to test or wait for af. I don't know why but I don't want to test out my trigger, the thought makes me uneasy. Maybe it has something to do with the disappointments of seeing many negatives when we were ttc and the thought of seeing a false positive because of the trigger :( It always made me feel stupid, thinking I was pregnant but then getting a negative?!?!!! 
Now that is the plan so far, that could change as time goes on, maybe I will feel differently. :)
We are using a Danish sperm bank. We got a full profile with baby pictures.


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## Stardust1

WANBMUM said:


> Stardust! Wow! Congrats. Was that your first IUI? Any symptoms?
> Your dream is coming true :)

Thank you, I'm in disbelief at the moment, it hasn't sunk in at all. We had 2 cancelled cycles, one right at the start because I had 3 really big follicles left from the previous cycle and the other because I didn't respond to the Gonal f, so it was he first time we actually got as far as IUI. 
I've been getting a few symptoms. I've had loads of abdominal pinching and stretching, my bb's are huge and veiny. This might be tmi but I slept really badly the night of 9dpdiui and was so nauseous, when I woke up and went to the bathroom there was a huge clump of ewcm about the size of a strawberry, very strange and random. My cervix remained high and firm, I got a big implantation dip in my chart at 7dpdiui, never ever had that before, then my chart went triphasic. 
GL to all you ladies, I really really thought after 25 months trying I'd never be pregnant again, I had genuinely lost all hope and was just going through the motions. I have to phone my clinic on Friday and give them the news, then we get to book our 7 week scan to see how many we've got!! 
:dust: to you all


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## WANBMUM

Wow, that is not TMI at all. So so happy for you. I know what you mean, I can't even picture us ever getting a bfp, after wanting something for so long and coming to terms with infertility it really is hard to believe it may happen. I hope I got a shock of my life, sometime in the near future :) 
Keep us posted on anymore symptoms :)


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## CanadianMaple

WANBMUM- We are looking at a Danish donor too! I have such a draw for those donors, I have no idea why. Were you able to see more than one baby picture for your donor? I get the profiles emailed to me since the Canadian broker doesn't have those donors on a website. When are you 14DPIUI?

Stardust- I hadn't thought about charting again during the IUI. Since the azoo dx, I put away my thermometer. I had charted for years and years, so it will be fun to track it like that again. I wonder how long it will take it to sink in! 

MrsC- How are you today?

AFM- I think we have narrowed it down to our actual donor. I would like to print his info out and really look it over. There were no red flags, other than my questions about SMA and HSV/HPV from before. I just realized I only have a week of BCPs left and then my cycle is about to start. The nurse said it takes about 3 days for my CD1 to start after the pill. That means I will start next Saturday, get my CD3 baseline u/s that Monday and then do the other ultrasound on July 31st. It looks like the IUI will be Aug 2!


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## MrsC8776

CM~ Yay for having a possible date set for the IUI and having the donor picked out. That is the hardest part. Thats great that you are almost done with the BC. 

Thanks for asking about me this morning. I'm very excited to announce that we got our bfp this morning. I knew something was going on with the way I was feeling and waking up half way through the night for the past 2-3 days. If you don't mind I hope to stick around and cheer you wonderful ladies on. :flower:


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## CanadianMaple

Congratulations!! I had a feeling it was happening for you too. You better stick around in here! ;) Your story gives me so much hope for when it's our time.

I cannot wait until I get finished with these BCPs. I hate how they make me feel.


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## CanadianMaple

I'm so disappointed. Nothing for our IUI is going to be covered. I thought the clomid would be at the very least, but it's not. We're looking at $2000 for this one shot. I shouldn't complain, but that's a lot riding on a BFP.


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## MrsC8776

That was one thing that drove me crazy about the IUI. Nothing was covered for us either. I don't know what stores you have in Canada, do you have Walmart? Thats where I got my clomid and it was 9.00 I think. Thats the cheapest part! The trigger I got from my clinic which I believe was 98.00. A little cheaper than the stores because when I checked it was about 110.00. Just giving you ideas. 

Thank you and I will stick around. I look forward to seeing you get your bfp.


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## CanadianMaple

OMG. $9???? I just called around and the cheapest for generic Clomid is $64. The trigger is $93.

I knew nothing else would be covered, but with DH's great drug plan, I really figured the clomid would have been covered. :(


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## MrsC8776

I can't believe the clomid is that much. That is shocking to me. Everywhere around here is $9-10 for generic. It's so hard when nothing is covered. It really isn't fair. You will only need to do it once and it will so be worth it. :winkwink:


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## WANBMUM

Canadian, the particular profile we chose in the end has 3 pictures, 2 baby and one about 2/3 years old, I did see other profiles with just one, I think it is however many the donor gives? 
For me, a photo was so important, whereas my hubby was more interested in intellect! I'm so shallow, hehe.
Mrs C, estactic for you. So what cd are you today past iui and when did you get your first bfp AND how did you feel different, explain :) :)


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## MrsC8776

WANBMUM~ Today I'm 10dpiui. I started getting lines on tests two days ago I think. Although most of those lines couldn't be seen by anyone but me. I did make a thread in the pregnancy test area because I thought I was going crazy. I still find it crazy how dark the lines got over night. I started feeling different honestly around 4dpo. Thats early I know! I thought it was the trigger because tmi but my nipples hurt really bad all the sudden. :blush: They still do! You always hear about the people who "just knew." Thats what I felt like. Other than my one symptom I had a lot of trouble sleeping the past couple days. Falling asleep was fine but I would wake up 4-5 times a night. Today that happened and I decided to call my hubby since he is overseas and I knew he would be up. He told me to test and her we are with our bfp! I'm still having a hard time believing it. :cloud9:


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## WANBMUM

Omg! Your only 10dpiui?!?! How many follicles did you have? You could be cooking more than 1???? Amazing!
Did you test out your trigger, from what cd did you do this, I'm still not sure if I should test it out or just wait.


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## MrsC8776

:shock: I had 3! I did test out my trigger from the day after the shot. Heres the thread I started. https://babyandbump.momtastic.com/pregnancy-tests/1089671-line-eye-start-bfp.html It's not the trigger thats for sure. If there is more than one we will be ok. I may have to ask hubby to take a job in the states so I can have his help though. :haha:


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## CanadianMaple

Imagine having twins? There is something like a 10% chance with clomid. 

Are you going to ask for an early beta now?


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## MrsC8776

I have a beta scheduled for tomorrow. Thats why I was testing so much. I wanted to be prepared for whats to come tomorrow morning. I did call the clinic and she said that I will come in tomorrow and then again 2 days later. It sucks I have to drive an hour each way to do a quick blood draw and then drive back. I'm excited though. We would be ok with twins. We have talked about it and said that if it happens it happens. Triplets... that would be hard and we would manage. Either way we would be ok and find a way to make it work. They did tell me there is a chance for twins or triplets on the day of the IUI.


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## CanadianMaple

I can't wait to see your beta number. I think it is usually around 30 at that point. I know there is a website out there somewhere with the numbers.

I finally got an email back from the sperm bank. They guarantee 10 mil of sperm per vial. Is that a lot? He also has reported pregnancies, which is important to me.


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## WANBMUM

I would love twins :) I'd be happy with whatever we are given, within reason of course :) We were told about higher risk of multiples with chlomid, this cycle we went natural, so that rules that out. 
I would put money on the fact you have more than one! The fact of how soon you got your bfp and how quick the lines have darkened and your still only 10dpiui. Oh I am so excited for you guys. 
Safe trip tomorrow and let us know as soon as. 

When you said you just knew, did you still in your head say 'don't be silly and don't get your hopes up, your imagining it' or did you just know you were with no doubt? As I go through fazes saying 'I have to be, I feel different' but then I think it's prob the effects of the trigger. Which It probably is.
2WW are sooooooooooooo hard! I had forgotten! :(


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## WANBMUM

Canadian, you have just made me realise how dumb I am! When we were ordering our sperm I kept thinking 10 mil is so low, I thought it was 10 million actual sperm hehehehehe. They meant 10 mils right? To this day I did not understand it. 
It's about the quality not the quantity. 
From what I've been told, the sperm donors are narrowed down from thousands, so say 600 donors bring a sample, only 10 of those might be used. So any on the sites really are the best of. The fact there is a reported pregnancy is assurance enough. 
Yay! How many photos did you get?


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## CanadianMaple

10 million sperm per 1/2 ml. :) Xytex offers 12.5 million per vial.

I only get one picture of the one we like, and it's not the best quality. I think that may be my only hesitation about the whole thing.

I still have some slight reservations about using donor sperm. I think it's all fear of the unknown. I still worry that our child will feel sad or resentful that their donor wasn't a part of their life. It sounds so crazy, I know. Do you have advice about how to feel 100% confident with moving forward?


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## Curlysusan

Congratulations on your BFPs! It's pretty exciting to see iui work so well.

My first iui is scheduled for mid August. At the moment it looks like it will be an unmedicated iui. I have an appointment with my doctor on the 16th so the medication question/ issue may change. 

Eitherway I am incredibly excited for you all.


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## WANBMUM

Welcome curly sue! Good luck for August. 

Canadian, I think it is more than natural to feel like that, I have the same feelings, I don't think anyone in our situation can feel 100% assured of the unknown. however the reality is, if we can go through what we have already we can get through that. When the time comes, honesty really is the best policy. Hopefully our child will feel so loved and secure that it won't be a big deal. That is my hope.

On this note, for all the girls. What is your plan for telling your future babies?


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## CanadianMaple

CurlySusan, our cycles will probably be about 2 weeks off from each other. I will be in the 2ww while you're gearing up to ovulate. I hope you stick around.

MrsC- The beta results will be back this afternoon, right? I know our clinic allows me to do my blood testing at my local hospital, do you have a lab near them they would let you use?

WANBMUM- We are definitely not going to keep it a secret. I think we would start telling the child as a preschooler, but I'm not really sure yet how we would do it.


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## MrsC8776

Welcome CurlySusan :hi:

WAN~ We don't know when we will mention things yet. 

AFM~ I just got my beta back. 94.26 at 11dpo! :happydance:

They want all the bloodwork done in their office so that they know nothing is greeting messed up. I will go back for the 2nd one on Monday.


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## Stardust1

I'm really keen on telling our little one about how a kind person helped their mummy and daddy to have a baby, but my DH isn't totally on board yet, he hasn't even told his parents about the azoospermia or klinefelters in fact they don't know we've been ttc for 2 years! I don't like secrets and especially ones that can come back and bite you on the behind. There are some really good childrens story books you can get about donors.


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## WANBMUM

Stardust we are almost similar, we both know it's important to tell from an early age butno one knows about our situation so I'm not sure how it will all fit together. I guess it will as time goes on. 
Mrs C! Wowserrrrz! What an amazing result. Sounds like your having a litter! Hehe. Blessed.com.
AFM I feel no different today :( a week later. 2ww's surely tip people over the edge right? :)


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## MrsC8776

:rofl: A litter would be interesting! It does seem high but I will have to see what Mondays test shows. The line on the test did change pretty quick over night. 

2ww does drive people crazy! It did for me, many times. Don't give up though. So many people say they felt like AF was coming and then they get their BFP. :hugs:


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## CanadianMaple

MrsC- That is an amazing high number for this early! Congratulations! I love your new ticker!! 

WANBMUM- When I was pregnant with my son, I had no symptoms until about 6 or 7 weeks. After that, I had sickness all the way until 31 weeks. lol I do think it's more common not to have symptoms during the 2ww than not.

Stardust- Our IF psych told us the conversations will likely start naturally, usually spurred by something on TV or a regular conversation about families. 

AFM- My husband just took his car in for an inspection. It just squeaked by, but our friend, the mechanic, told us to go get a newer car. His was old, but just used to get into work and go to fire calls. We are going to have to buy something reliable and somewhat cheap really soon. I hope we don't have to delay our IUI. :(


If you two pregnant girls stick around, we can continue chatting about the donor aspect of pregnancy too. I know the book I read, and the psych said that it will come up every now in the pregnancy and to talk about it and then let it go. Using a donor can be somewhat isolating; you don't have a traditional conception and there is more though about who to tell, etc...


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## CanadianMaple

MrsC- Look at this website!! https://www.betabase.info/


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## MrsC8776

Canadian~ That is a very interesting website. Theres so many stages in all this. Wanting to know if it worked, wanting to know how many, wanting to know this and that. :wacko: Wait until hubby hears about all this when he calls. :haha:

Sorry about the car. :nope: I hope things still work out for you and you guys can move forward. 

I will stick around! I want to everyone get their bfp! I will admit that it's hard to find a spot to fit in over in the pregnancy area. I don't know where all the assisted conception people are.


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## Curlysusan

Canadian, ya you can tell me all about the joys of TWW while I stress about miscalculating my ovulation. I'm sure soon after iui I'll switch to the TWW jitters but I'll keep my fingers crossed that you'll distract me with a BFP.


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## CanadianMaple

CurlySusan- Do you chart your cycles? I did it for years and can help you pin down ovulation.

DH and I had a moment with the donor sperm. His mom said something about praying for a biochild and suddenly he thought he didn't have his parents support after all. It sounds like everything is back on track; MIL was praying we didn't have to go this route because of how tough it is, but supports us 100%.


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## Guenhwyvar

Hi ladies, mind of I join you? 
I'm new to BnB and have been meaning to post since I saw Canadian first post. We started fertility treatment 10 years ago which is when we discovered DH is azoospermatic. Over the years we've done dozens of TESE and I really so not recommend it.
Recently I was diagnosed with endometriosis which had kicked our rears in gear on trying to conceive. This is our second cycle doing home insemination with donor sperm. As you ladies can imagine, I don't feel like my story fits in very well with your average tww'ers and I would love to join y'all in your journeys.
Good luck everyone and congratulations to the two ladies with the BFP!


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## MrsC8776

Guenhwyvar said:


> Hi ladies, mind of I join you?
> I'm new to BnB and have been meaning to post since I saw Canadian first post. We started fertility treatment 10 years ago which is when we discovered DH is azoospermatic. Over the years we've done dozens of TESE and I really so not recommend it.
> Recently I was diagnosed with endometriosis which had kicked our rears in gear on trying to conceive. This is our second cycle doing home insemination with donor sperm. As you ladies can imagine, I don't feel like my story fits in very well with your average tww'ers and I would love to join y'all in your journeys.
> Good luck everyone and congratulations to the two ladies with the BFP!

:hi: welcome! Sorry to hear you guys have been through so many TESE's, the azoo, and the endo. This is all very hard but it's nice to know there are others for support. Fingers crossed that you get a bfp. Are you taking any medication during your cycles? 

Canadian~ I'm glad things are still working out. Your MIL does sound like she has the best of intentions.


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## CanadianMaple

Guenhwyvar- Definitely join us! I know using donor sperm presents its own set of challenges and it's nice to have a place where you can speak to others going through the same thing. I've wondered about home insemination, where do you get the sperm? Most of the banks make you ship it to a clinic, or are you using a known donor? Are you charting or using OPKs? I hope you get your BFP soon, it would be great if this was our good luck group. :)

AFM- The good think about Chris having his mini freakout is that he really seems 110% about doing this. I told him that maybe we need some more time to process this and he didn't want that, he said he wants this now. I think it will end up being a good thing, it made him defend our choice. :) He said he is suddenly feeling secretive about everything. He's going on holidays for 2 weeks and his coworkers think he is having his mTESE next week. When he comes back, he is going to tell them we found sperm. ;) Timing is working out well.


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## Guenhwyvar

You ladies are fantastic!
Mrs C : So far with the two home insemination cycles I've only taking extra folic acid. I've decided that if we go to round 3 though that I'll try soy.
Canadian: I started charting about a month ago and use opk's to help with timing things just right. Because dh wasn't originally for donor I let him decide between buying or asking a friend. He decided to ask his best friend, who it turned out had been thinking of volunteering anyway. :-D Before dh decided I had found Cryos, a Danish bank that will ship to your door. It's a great site with in viewing of their profiles. Personally I much rather prefer home insemination to the clinical iui. (TMI alert) Dh and I bd, then he is the one to, "add the extra ingredients" ;-) it's just as fun as the old fashioned way and keeps dh feeling like he's needed and very much apart of the process. 
I'm glad that seems to have been the little extra push your dh needed to be 100% OK with using donor. Family can be a blessing and a curse, but it does seem your mil was just concerned. 
This is definitely going to be a lucky thread!


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## CanadianMaple

If you need any help interpreting a chart or fertility sign, let me know. I got pretty good at it when I was charting. I charted to avoid pregnancy and then flipped the rules in reverse when I was TTC my son.

I think it would be nice to avoid all of the clinical aspect of TTC. Are your cycles pretty regular? I have been just taking folic acid, vitamin D and then a regular woman's vitamin.


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## Curlysusan

Welcome Guenhwyvar!

Canadian - While I've been charting my cycle for years I've just started temping and checking my opk this cycle. OPK+ came out loud and clear. BBT has been erratic likely due to sleeping with my mouth open, etc. 

Somewhere I read you can have opk+ and a clear shift in BBT without actually ovulating. It's probably untrue but I'm anxious anyway.


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## MrsC8776

I always thought that if O didn't happen that you wouldn't get a positive opk. Hmm thats interesting. Does your body have trouble ovulating?


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## Curlysusan

I think my problem with ovulating is between my ears. :) 

I'm starting my TTC journey at 38 years old. I'm terrified I've started waaaaay too late to win the baby chase. Although I don't have any reason to suspect I'll have fertility issues, I am still very concerned. I'm tryin hard to relax and to start the TTC process slowly.

I don't have PROOF that I'm ovulating and that bugs me. I'm hopeful that my doctor can put some of my fears to rest on Monday when I have a full check up.


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## MrsC8776

:haha:

Don't worry about the age thing. If you are ready now you should go for it. 

Do you mind if I ask what clinic you are going to? I just noticed we are in the same state :)


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## Curlysusan

I'll be seeing my primary care physician, whom I love, on Monday for a pre-pregnancy check up.

I don't intend to use a clinic for the first few rounds of iui's. Depending on my lab results and my pcp's recommendations I think I'd like to do the following... two well timed (24 hours post OPK+) iui's. Begin clomid on the third round monitored by my pcp if he's comfortable with it. After three rounds of clomid + iui, see an RE for more agressive recommendations.

Now if I were Queen of the Universe we'd all get pregnant on the first try. :)


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## CanadianMaple

You can do IUI without a RE? So lucky! My family doctor won't even think about touching Clomid, he leaves that for the OB/Gyns and feels they should be monitored too because of the risk of multiples.

I can't believe I take my last birth control pill on Wednesday. Hopefully, I will be starting my CD1 this time next week.


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## Curlysusan

Yes iui's can happen at home if you're using donor sperm and you choose a bank that will send it directly to you. There are risks but I feel with my background and education the risks are just slightly more than going to the doctor. 

If money were no object I would have them done in a clinical setting... but the local prices are too high for 3 minutes of service. (It's between 100% and 1000% more than the cost of washed iui donor sperm to have a iui in a doctor's office. These fees could seriously decrease my chances of funding more than one ivf.)

My health insurance is really good but it doesn't cover fertility services. I'd rather tons of research now, do as much as I can on my own, and save money for more agressive interventions if they're needed.


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## WANBMUM

That is great curlysue, I dont know how long financially we will be able to carry on with IUI, it sure is costly. So are you doing home insemination rather than IUI then? sorry I'm confused :) 
I know originally my body was showing all the signs of ovulation, positive opks, mucus etc but I wasnt producing an egg - its like your body does everything it can to set you up for ovulation but it doesnt happen. Thankfully one month on chlomid sorted this out for me. 

So I am not feeling positive at all the last few days - I have no idea why but I have been so emotional, crying, thinking how can I go through a 2WW more than once, it is so tough to remain positive :(

For you girls that are pregnant. Did you get any implantation signs? spotting?


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## Stardust1

I got a big dip in my bbt chart at 7dpo and my temps went triphasic the next day, also last Sunday at 9dpo I woke up in the night with the weirdest pains like being stabbed with a needle, they were so sharp they took my breath away, next morning I had a huge glob of ewcm and I knew this was it :) 
Don't feel downheartened, I know how you feel, I didn't think I had the emotional energy to go through this again. Stay strong I have everything crossed for you x


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## WANBMUM

Thanks stardust - I stopped temping years ago :) I never got back into it as I decided I wouldnt obsess and just leave the experts to it. The not obsessing didnt last long LOL

Ive had mild cramps (so mild I wonder if I imagine them) but nothing else. Did you feel hormonal before you tested, like pre af?
I just feel exactly the same as every other month, hormonal a few days before af. teary (i think this rollercoaster has alot to do with that hey)
We will get there, Im not sure when but we will. You all give me hope :)


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## MrsC8776

Curly~ Thats great that you don't have to go to an RE! They can cost quite a bit. I have heard of IUI's being done in a regular dr.'s office but I never looked into it. We don't have coverage for infertility either and IUI's ended up costing a ton because of the testing, monitoring, IUI, and also the sample. I haven't even added everything up yet. 

Canadian~ Yay for almost being done with BC! I hope you are doing well. :) 

WANBMUM~ I quite charting awhile ago so I couldn't tell you if there was anything there. I didn't have any implanting bleeding or anything like that. I do remember getting a crap on my left side about 6dpo and then on my right side around the same time. After that I just felt little twinges and gas type feeling in my lower stomach at 7pdo. Something I found weird was that my underarm hurt for a full day at 7dpo as well. The only reason I remember all this is because I was using the countdown to pregnancy website and tracked everything I felt. As for being hormonal... I was very short with hubby and we got into some stupid little arguments over nothing. Thats not us at all.


----------



## Stardust1

WANBMUM said:


> Thanks stardust - I stopped temping years ago :) I never got back into it as I decided I wouldnt obsess and just leave the experts to it. The not obsessing didnt last long LOL
> 
> Ive had mild cramps (so mild I wonder if I imagine them) but nothing else. Did you feel hormonal before you tested, like pre af?
> I just feel exactly the same as every other month, hormonal a few days before af. teary (i think this rollercoaster has alot to do with that hey)
> We will get there, Im not sure when but we will. You all give me hope :)

How many dpiui are you now, I just had sore boobies, a few twinges and crampy feelings, very very similar to AF feeling. I wasn't at all moody though in fact the opposite which is weird for me. X


----------



## WANBMUM

Thanks mrs c, I have been keeping note of my 'symptoms' too. Only because i thought next month it might help me to keep sane when I feel every twinge.

My poor hubby, this morning I was just crying and couldn't stop. I guess it was alot of built up feelings. I am ok again now. I think the scary thing is we don't know how long a journey we have ahead of us. Such is life.

Star- I am 8dpiui, once this weekend is over I don't have too far to go I guess. The plan is to wait for 14dpiui to test, that's if the witch doesn't get me first, I think af arriving would be easier to deal with than seeing a negative.


----------



## CanadianMaple

Hi girls! We spent the day in the city, looking at used cars. DH's car isn't going to last another winter and we are trying to get something at a decent price, without totally breaking the bank. It's not going to cause us to delay our IUI though, so that's good.

WANBMUM- Sorry you had such a rough morning. This whole process is really hard on the head. It's probably good that you had a cry and got some of that out.

I always saw IUIs as the "cheaper" alternative. But the sperm looks like it will be ~$800 with shipping to Canada, $390 for IUI, $300 for ultrasound at cd11, $75 for them to store sperm for 3 months and the meds will be about $175.


----------



## Curlysusan

Wanbmum - I'm sorry you had a rough morning. I hope your day gets smoother.

I'm doing a home umendicated interunterine insemination. Washed donor sperm is $420 with shipping and Dewar rental. A visit just to consult with an RE is $480 to walk into the door. Tests are extra. Monitoring is extra. The IUI is extra. And it's all cash up front.

TTC isn't for wimps!

I'm meeting with my physician Monday to check everthing out downstairs. I'll have a full cycle between meeting with my doctor and TTC so if we need to do any blood work there's time. I don't know if my doctor is comfortable prescribing Clomid without supervision but we'll talk about it. I'm personally not comfortable taking more than the minimum recomended Clomid dose without monitoring. 

It's quite exciting to hear about everyones early signs of pregnancy.


----------



## Curlysusan

Wanbmum - I am home interuterine inseminating without medication. I don't know if my doctor is comfortable prescribing Clomid if the first two cycles don't result in a sticky bean. I do know that I'm uncomfortable having an unmonitored cycle if I'm taking a medium to large dose fo Clomid.


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## Curlysusan

Here a washed vial of donor sperm is $420. Add another $20 in supplies for home iui and you're done.

To see an RE the initial visit costs $485. Any tests, return visits, and the iui are on top of that. Also to the best of my knowledge they don't provide funding or payment plans. It's all cash up front.


----------



## CanadianMaple

CurlySusan- I missed one of your posts for a page or two ago. I used to get postive OPKs and not ovulate until the 2nd or third round of positive OPKs. I would get them early, say cd8, then again around CD14, then sometimes have another final surge at day 22. 

I've since been diagnosed with high LH, which explains everything. I was getting the +opk because my body was trying to release an egg, but then wouldn't, then it would keep trying until it happened. I'm on the pill this cycle to suppress my body and then it should stay suppressed long enough for my medicated IUI. If this fails, I have to do another 21 days on the pill and then start over. 

I hope your doctor runs a few hormonal tests for you and usually the progesterone test after O will confirm it.

I don't think I could put that catheter in my cervix and do my own IUI. I had a sonohystogram when I was 21 and remember how uncomfortable it was.


----------



## Guenhwyvar

Curlysusan: Thanks and good luck on your check up tomorrow.



CanadianMaple said:


> If you need any help interpreting a chart or fertility sign, let me know. I got pretty good at it when I was charting. I charted to avoid pregnancy and then flipped the rules in reverse when I was TTC my son.
> 
> I think it would be nice to avoid all of the clinical aspect of TTC. Are your cycles pretty regular? I have been just taking folic acid, vitamin D and then a regular woman's vitamin.

Thanks Canadian, as soon as I get my 5 post minimum I'll be adding my chart to my signature, I'm fairly regular with a cd28-29 with a 12 day LP. Currently I'm 17dpo and the :witch: hasn't got me yet so fingers crossed.
YAY to the almost end of bc!


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## CanadianMaple

17dpo when your LP is usually 12 days??? OMG! You are pregnant then? :)

These BCPs are making me really, really bitchy. Poor DH.


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## Guenhwyvar

I got a faint + Friday. Going to re-test in the morning. 
At least you can blame the bcp's... I don't need an excuse lol. :haha:
Told ya though, you were right when you said it might be a lucky thread. :laugh2:


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## CanadianMaple

Oh, that's awesome!!! Congratulations!!!


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## Guenhwyvar

I'm kinda hesitant on believing it... As soon as my gp. is back from vacation in the 20th I'm going to try and convince him to refer me for an ultrasound. I have to see it with my own eyes. :haha:


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## Curlysusan

I'll hold my breath and cross my fingers it's the real deal.


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## MrsC8776

Curly~ All the clinics I looked at didn't have funding or payment plans. There are financing companies but thats for IVF and your credit has to be amazing to get it. OHSU is the one that offered a couple of different options. Otherwise its always cash at the time of the appointment. 

Canadian~ I hope you had a nice time shopping for cars for your DH. If the BC is making you bitchy watch out for the clomid. :wacko: Remember what I told you when I was taking it. It will all be worth it in the end. 

Guen~ Fx for you! Good luck testing in the morning.


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## Guenhwyvar

Thanks ladies! This mornings frer came back + within a minute! I'm still in shock so we've convinced the Dr that's handling our gp's patients to fit me in today. Gonna use the increased risks that come with endo as an excuse to get an early ultrasound. :laugh2: 
How's everyone's day treating them so far?


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## MrsC8776

Guenhwyvar said:


> Thanks ladies! This mornings frer came back + within a minute! I'm still in shock so we've convinced the Dr that's handling our gp's patients to fit me in today. Gonna use the increased risks that come with endo as an excuse to get an early ultrasound. :laugh2:
> How's everyone's day treating them so far?

Congrats!! Do you have an idea of how far along you are?


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## Guenhwyvar

Yuppers. I'm only 18dpo (4 weeks 3 days). Just need to make sure my little trouble maker(s) have implanted in the "designated area". :haha:
Things work very slow here, you have to get your gp to refer you to a gyno/re to get an ultrasound done and that normally takes them at least a few weeks (especially during the summer) for them to get back to you. So even though it's extremely early, by the time they get around to making you a time they'll be able to actually see something. :laugh2:


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## CanadianMaple

Look at that chart of yours! Nice!

I don't think they can see anything before 6 weeks, so it may be a good thing that you can't get in right away. Congratulations again!

We showed MIL the donor we have picked out. She is actually quite excited. So glad she is really accepting of this. :) I'm alternating between nervous and excited now.


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## Curlysusan

Canadian ~ that's delightful that your MIL is being both supportive and excited for the two of you.

My physcian's office accidently double booked his schedule this morning. Since I was already having a difficult Monday I opted to come back in two weeks. It was a disappointing day.


----------



## CanadianMaple

That's so disappointing! I really hope the two weeks fly for you. 

Tomorrow is my last BCP. We are going camping until Friday and then hopefully AF will show up on Friday or Saturday. I can't believe how close we are getting!


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## Guenhwyvar

Thanks again Canadian. Sometimes I think the in-laws just need to realize it's going to happen and that in the end they'll get a grandchild and then they are ok with it. I'm glad your MIL came around so soon. YAY to tomorrow being your last day for bc. Fingers, toes and eyes crossed for you.

CurlySusan: Man it really sucks when these things get in the way. I hope today's been kinder to you.


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## CanadianMaple

I've been spotting for these past 3 weeks on the pill. I really need to start thinking about ordering our sperm. My clinic hasn't called me back yet with answers to my questions.


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## MrsC8776

Guen~ I'm right behind you on your dates. I'm sure everything is great and implantation happened in the right spot. 

Canadian~ Thats so great the your MIL was excited about the profile. That really says something. Do you know how long the shipping takes? Maybe try giving the clinic a call again tomorrow. I always hate it when they don't call back. 

Curly~ Sorry to hear about the delay. Thats very unfortunate.


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## CanadianMaple

From what I understand, they usually overnight the sperm, so we have lots of time. I still want to know about the questions about CVM and HPV/HSV. I am going to call them again tomorrow.

How are you doing?


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## MrsC8776

Ahh ok because the place I ordered from did two day shipping and I think over night costs quite a bit more. It was already $180.00 to ship. 

I'm doing good. I got my second beta yesterday. 550.6 at 15dpo. Thats really good and by the online calculators the number is doubling every 31 hours. I don't have much else going on. I did start a journal. :blush: I've been asked if I have one for a little while now. That was when we were trying though. 

Last pill for you tomorrow! :happydance: Any luck on finding cheaper clomid?


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## CanadianMaple

Yay! I'll go find your journal!

It's $226 to ship where I am from Toronto. Blah. They only had the one shipping option, but if someone else from my clinic is ordering, they will do shared shipping. She said they don't get a lot of orders from there though. (We have a choice between 4 banks, so it's spread out.)

I should go to bed, just so I can wake up and take my last pill! I think the $64 Clomid will be the best I can find. So annoying!


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## MrsC8776

Thats nice that they would do share shipping. 226 does seem like a lot. It all adds up so quick. No worries though because you will only need the one IUI. :winkwink: That sucks about the clomid. Do you have to do a CD3 baseline again before they will give you the clomid?


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## CanadianMaple

This whole process was the cheaper process. I keep reminding myself we could have paid $15,000 for the mTESE and one round of IVF with the same odds of pregnancy. It will be tougher to do a stim cycle in September or October if this one doesn't work, school is insanely busy those first few weeks. Cross your fingers!

I just took my last pill and will wait for AF. I hope it comes on Friday or Saturday. Woohoo! I go in on CD3 for my baseline ultrasound and probably some blood work?


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## MrsC8776

I know what you mean about the way you are looking at it. For us this way just made more sense in so many ways. My fingers are crossed for you that this one works! 

Yay for taking the last pill! :happydance: They might not need you to do blood work. It all depends on what you have had done. I think they will just do the scan and thats it.


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## Guenhwyvar

Hey ladies, I figured I better check in and see how all you lovely ladies are doing.

MrsC: Congrats in that second beta!

Canadian: Here's hoping af shows up today *fingers crossed*


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## MrsC8776

Thank you Guen! 

I see your signature... why does your dr think that?


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## Guenhwyvar

Black discharge and he expected to see something in the us but didn't, plus the area around my right ovary is extremely tender. Personally I think it's to early to tell & wouldn't have gone in yesterday had it not been for the pain & their insisting. My next beta is Sat & next us (original appointment) is the 26th.
I'm not too worried yet. More interested in how y'all are doing.


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## MrsC8776

I'm sorry to hear that. Lets not worry yet because it is very early to see anything. I look forward to hearing how your next us goes. :thumbup:

I'm doing good today. Not much going on and feeling fine. The past couple of days I have been feeling sick all day but today it only started this evening. With as long as I've waited for this I don't mind feeling sick. 

Canadian and WANB~ How are you doing?


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## MrsC8776

Guen~ Do you have anything else going on? How are you feeling?


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## WANBMUM

Hi girls

14dpiui and it's a BFN for me :( 

Oh well I guess it's onto IUI number 2.


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## Guenhwyvar

It's not over just yet, I just hope the "bleeding" stops soon.
Morning sickness is an easy price to pay for love. I've been nauseous for 2 weeks now. He you thought about trying Sea Bands? I got myself a pair and they actually do help at least take the edge off. 
As for my world... There's a lot of drama with the family back in CO. I have a cousin that actually said she hopes I'm not pregnant. This after actively trying to cause me stress since the 4 the of July. I'm not looking forward to her visiting in a month.

Wanb: I maybe in limbo atm but I didn't get even a faint :bfp: until 15dpo (af 3days late) and a nice :bfp: 18dpo. You read all the time about women being a week or two late before getting their :bfp: and still having a healthy pregnancy and baby. Hang in there hun.


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## silverbell

Hi everybody :wave:

Thanks for inviting me, Canadian, and I'm sorry I'm 'late' but have been taking time off from both IUI and BnB.

I'm feeling a lot better and more refreshed now and started cycle 4 yesterday. If IUI goes like my last cycle I'll be due for it around 31 July. My last cycle went as perfectly as it could (other than the :bfn: :haha:) so I'd be so pleased if that happened again. The Progesterone enabled me to have a normal luteal phase and gave me much more hope, which had been lacking the first 2 times.

I can't believe there are so many wonderful :bfp: already on this thread. Congratulations to you all!

WANBMUM - I'm so sorry :hugs:


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## CanadianMaple

Hi girls! We were just away for 2 nights on another camping trip and I am falling behind. 

WANBMUM- I am so sorry to hear about the BFN. Can you go straight to another cycle after AF comes? (I have to go on the pill for each cycle because of my high LH.)

Guenhwyvar- Sorry to hear about the family drama. I had a lot of morning sickness with my son and what helped a lot was eating green apples. The pectin in them helps people with seasickness on cruise ships, so it was worth a try. We have a medication available to us in Canada for morning sickness called diclectin. It's vitamin B and unisom. May be worth looking into.

Silverbell- We are going to be cycle buddies! I am waiting for CD1, hopefully tomorrow! Are you taking clomid?


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## tobefruitful

hellllo ladies! hope you don't mind me stopping by. canadianmaple, thanks for the invite. :) i have read some of your past posts and i too am amazed at all the BFP!! that is awesome! congrats to all the new mamas! 

my situation is a bit different, everything seems to be "A Okay" with me, I have had every test done under the sun. DH has low morphology and we have tried 3 unsuccessful IUI's, 1 fresh cycle of IVF & 1 FET with his sperm, all ending in heartbreak. we are just transferring out of the failed FET, two days ago we received a BFP but my HCG levels did not increase soooo instead of trying IVF again, which took a toll on my body, we are going to try donor sperm! it is also less expensive. 

we are leaving for the islands next week but when we return we have a meeting with our dr. any and all advice would be greatly appreciated! 

once again, congrats to all of the new mamas! shed some of that baby dust on us :)


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## CanadianMaple

No problem at all with you being here! :) IF is such a beast, isn't it?

I think today is my CD1. I was lucky and was able to sleep in until 10 this morning, but the brown spotting has turned red and there is more of it. I left them a voicemail and assume I'll be in on Monday morning. They always make us come in at 7:30am, and with an hour's drive, it should be challenging to find child care.


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## CanadianMaple

My cycle was canceled. They don't have all of DH's blood test results in and are missing one of mine.

I called them with my CD1 today after taking the pill for 21 days like they had asked.

They finally called me back and it turns out they don't have all of our results in. So, I have to have AF for a week and then start the stupid BCP all over again for another 3 weeks.

That takes me to my first week of school for the IUI and I am unsure if I can miss that first week. Plus the 2ww is going to be during the most stressful time of the year.

I told her how frustrated we have been with the clinic. She spent a long time on the phone with me and went over everything. I am glad she was sympathetic.

They really know nothing about donor sperm there which is really frustrating. She and I butted heads about the sperm bank we chose, she didn't think they were Canadian complaint and I told her I got it from the list THEY gave me. She finally understood what I was saying and did see their name on the list on their info sheet.

She is going to see the head of the clinic tomorrow, it's his weekend to work, and will call me in the morning. I still can't believe this is happening.


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## MrsC8776

Welcome to the new ladies in here :hi:

Canadian~ I am so sorry that this cycle has ended up like this. I can't believe they would have you go through the BC and then say "oh sorry we are still waiting on a few things." Any idea of when the results will be in? I don't blame you for being frustrated. :hugs:


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## CanadianMaple

I have to drive to the city tomorrow since the lab only does vit D levels one day a week. It could be here anytime but since there is no guarantee, I still have to wait and take the pill again for another cycle.

I need a good cry.


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## tobefruitful

CM, yes you do need a good cry! :( i am so sorry this set back is happening. i completely understand wanting to be proactive and getting on with the show. i think its great that you express your concerns with your clinic...i think that is important for the both of you to be on the same page. my thoughts are with you. i am a teacher too, i know the beginning part of the year is INSANE but at least it will make the 2WW go super fast for you.

Mrs.c, how are you feeling? thanks for hanging around, you give us hope!


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## Stardust1

Oh CM I'm so sorry they cancelled your cycle, I know how horribly frustrating it is to think you are getting somewhere only to have to start all over again :hugs: stay strong, you will get there I am absolutely certain of it :flower:


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## Redhead7211

Hi ladies, 
I hope I'm not intruding. I have been stalking this post for a while and would love to join. 

CM-I'm sorry to hear about canceling this cycle. I just found out Monday mine was cancelled and am still feeling major pangs of disappointment. My doctor put me on 50mg of clomid for the next cycle.


----------



## Curlysusan

Welcome Redhead. I'm sure you'll fit in just fine with this nice group of people.

Canadian... I'm sorry you've been delayed a cycle. From your posts it sounds like the clinic really listened to your critical feedback. I hope they take it to heart and make the necessary changes so this doesn't happen to anyone else.


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## SunUp

Hi ladies. After 2 failed DIUI's I have needed a break... and now I am back but I am on less often, trying to curb my stress levels.

I am currently on CD 12 now. Had U/S yesterday, 3 Follies. 2 on the right, sizes 15 and 13 and a 12 on the left. 

I took 5 days of 100mg clomid, CD3-7. CD7 I also took 75IU of Gonal - F (injection) and then last night took another Gonal-F 75IU's. Go back on Monday to see how things are going. I will do Ovidrel trigger and then B2B IUI's whenever they give me the go ahead.

I am praying 3rd time is the charm. BFNs are so hard after IUI's, when you finally feel like you have a chance. So anyway, IUI should be in the next few days. Please feel free to ask any questions, to those of you about to start this process. I will do my best to help!


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## Curlysusan

I'm crossing my fingers for you.


----------



## WANBMUM

Hi Girls and welcome newbies :) 

So AF got me good today. It is bittersweet really, I've had 2 days to come to terms with a failed IUI so in a way it is good to get another cycle going. I guess the only good thing about IUI is by time you get a BFN, you dont really have too long to wait for ultrasounds etc. 
Hopefully all is ok for me to get going with attempt number 2. I have unmedicated cycles because I over stimulated on chlomid. This kinda sucks cause it means I only have one follicle each time. I guess its better than nothing. 

Canadian, sorry to hear you have to wait, that really is annoying, is there anyway you can get them to push for the other results to get this cycle going? It really annoys me that the 'experts' can write off a cycle willy nilly, when each cycle is precious. 

Curlysue, How are things going for you? 

My OH has been talking alot about home insemination. I guess because we have felt that our so called experts are not 'timing' everything as they should. We are not considering doing it just yet, but it is definately an option we may take in the future. 

I hope the rest of you are doing well :)


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## Guenhwyvar

Look at all the new, beautiful faces! :wave:

Canadian: I'm sorry, sometimes you really have to wonder about people's intelligence. Like they couldn't have picked up a phone or tried a little harder to get his results? It really sucks when they make you feel like they just don't care. :hugs:

Wanb: I'm so sorry hun. *fingers crossed* Hope it works for you this time. We did home insemination & I would recommend it to anyone thinking of going that route.

Hope the other pregnant ladies are doing great & good luck to those mid cycle/tww!


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## WANBMUM

Thanks guen. Oh did you? That is interesting. If you don't mind me asking was it frozen or fresh and did you do many inseminations in the one month? How did you time it correctly?
We have 2 IUI vials left and if it hasn't worked I think we may try at home frozen (from the sperm bank) before we move onto ivf.


----------



## CanadianMaple

Hi girls. I'm not really around a lot these past two days. I still can't believe my cycle was canceled. We had to drive to the clinic today (~2 hr trip in car) to have them redraw my vitamin D since they had forgotten to do it. They made no apology today for the screw up and even told me the results could be in tomorrow, but they just couldn't risk starting it this cycle. :( To top it all off, we had the ILs over tonight and my MIL made another comment about how she thinks I am going to get pregnant with DH's sperm. I thought DH had sorted that out with her. *sigh* 

The nurse today told me she is going to see if I can do a slightly shorter BC pill protocol and have the IUI done just before I go back to work. Like cut a few days off the pack or something. I should find out tomorrow.

Redhead- Welcome! I'm sorry your cycle was canceled too. I can't believe how it hit me like a ton of bricks. I'm sure those pangs will stick around for awhile, until we get close to our next cycle.

Thanks CurlySusan. I am going to stay on their butts now. I never wanted to be high needs or demanding, but I need to put that aside and realize I am paying for these services and I need to look after myself.

Welcome SunUp! I hope this one is it. I can't imagine how tough the BFN would be after going through all of that. I can't even let my brain go there yet. But, it will all be worth it eventually, right?

Guenhwyvar- Thanks. I don't get why they didn't call to tell me to take an extra few pills? How are you? Any more ectopic talk or are things progressing as they should?

MrsC- How are you doing? Sorry I have been out of touch these days.


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## MrsC8776

tobefruitful~ Thanks! I worry about hanging around sometimes. I know all of this can be tough sometimes. I can relate to your situation in so many ways. 

Sunup~ Good luck! 

WANBMUM~ Sorry to hear about af. 

Canadian~ Sounds like a tough time right now. I'm so sorry about everything. My fingers are crossed for you that something can be done before you go back to work. No worries about not being in touch. I know you got a lot going on. Just know I'm always around. 

Guen~ When do you go back to check on things? I hope you are doing well. 

AFM~ I'm doing good today. I had a rough night but things are back to normal now. My husband will be home in one week from today so I'm so excited about that. Then we have our scan to confirm some things. :thumbup: 

:hugs: and :dust: to all of you!


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## Curlysusan

Wanbmum~

I'm pretty anxious to begin TTC right now. Due to my spring work schedule I really have to wait until mid August. It's so hard to wait.


----------



## Guenhwyvar

Wanb: I don't mind at all. Dh and I used fresh from a dear friend. First cycle we did one insemination and the second cycle we did an insemination cd12 & cd13 (I got a opk + cd13). The original plan for cycle two was to inseminate on days 12, 14 & 16 since I O'd on cd16 the cycle before but was a little early this round. As for timing I was using the ClearBlue digi, temping on FF & checking cm. If you have any questions just ask and I can give you the knitty gritties over pm ;-)

Canadian: It's understandable you haven't been around much the last few days and that you are still upset about the cancelled cycle. I would be spitting nails since the whole mess could have been avoided. 
In my experience with my IL's they spend the first couple years rooting for a biological grandchild. With mine after 10 years TTC & 2 failed adoptions they were rooting for a donor. She wont care a dang bit once she has that baby in her arms. Such is the miracle of babies 

AFM: My second Beta came back and had only risen 40% so nothing is being ruled out. I'm still bleeding & getting those dang pains (which I've noticed make the bleeding worse) but I haven't called it in because I know that it's still so early they might not see anything & I don't want them to just decide it's ectopic & call everything quits. This weekend I was absolutely miserable & didn't feel the slightest bit pregnant, then today I woke up to real morning sickness instead of just nausea, my boobs a killing me & I wanted a friends homemade veggie pizza pockets so bad I almost cried. Cravings are probably WAY to soon but it made me happy lol. :haha:
Wed I go in for beta #3 and I'll get the results Thur when I go in for another ultrasound. Hopefully this time they will say my beta is doubling like it should & that my trouble maker is snuggled up where "she's" suppose to be.


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## WANBMUM

Thanks guen. 
I am praying your little pudding is in the right place. I have everything crossed for you. As they say God is good :)


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## silverbell

CanadianMaple said:


> Silverbell- We are going to be cycle buddies! I am waiting for CD1, hopefully tomorrow! Are you taking clomid?

Sorry we won't be cycle buddies this time around :nope: But to answer your question, no I've never taken Clomid - I'm on Gonal F injections.

I have to admit that my cancelled cycle (due to over-stimulation) was absolutely devastating and MUCH more upsetting than the other failed normal cycles. I was so upset and angry. So I definitely feel for you and you must have so much more anger to know it could all have been avoided if they'd just gotten themselves organised and let you know sooner. I'm so sorry, CM :hugs:



SunUp said:


> Hi ladies. After 2 failed DIUI's I have needed a break... and now I am back but I am on less often, trying to curb my stress levels.
> 
> I am praying 3rd time is the charm. BFNs are so hard after IUI's, when you finally feel like you have a chance.

I absolutely adore your profile pic. My favourite Disney film and of course very poignant for us all here :cloud9: I'm so sorry about the 2 failed DIUIs. I can definitely relate and have just come back from a break myself. It is sooo hard that you finally have the chance to get pregnant and you get AF or a BFN. So much more devastating than when just naturally TTC. Hoping this is your lucky cycle :hugs:



Guenhwyvar said:


> Wed I go in for beta #3 and I'll get the results Thur when I go in for another ultrasound. Hopefully this time they will say my beta is doubling like it should & that my trouble maker is snuggled up where "she's" suppose to be.

Fingers crossed for you Guenhwyvar! :dust:


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## WANBMUM

I wonder what it is like to have sex and get pregnant?????

I'm struggling today girls :( My friend had her 3rd baby today, they started ttc the same time as us!! She has had 3 babies in the time we have been trying!She has 3 and I can't have 1!! Why is life so unfair???


----------



## HollyTTC

CanadianMaple - I understand that need for a good cry.... We also had our cycle cancelled this time. My ovulation test never came up positive, even though I'm on my 3rd cycle and taking clomid. I think sometimes all the waiting is the hardest part. My husband also has no sperm due to childhood leukemia. I'd tell you to keep your chin up and stay positive, but it drives me nuts when people say that to me - so cry when you need to and we can all just cross our fingers that things will work out for us!!


----------



## CanadianMaple

Hi! Things are looking up here for me, so I am back to being your IUI cheerleader. ;)

WANBMUM- It seems like everyone we know had a baby this past year. We got married last summer and every one of the other couples have had a baby or are pregnant. We are going to a family reunion this weekend at PEI and both other couples will have their newborns there. I am dreading it. It would be so much harder to see someone go through that not once, but three times before you have a baby must be really painful. I'm so sorry. :(

Silverbell- Are the injections okay? We were warned with my high LH, I may need to switch to them. It must take some getting used to. Thank you for your support. Is there a way they can avoid you getting too many follicles this cycle?

Guenhwyvar- I hope your beta comes back doubled and you can finally sit back and enjoy being pregnant. It has been be so difficult waiting with baited breath.

CurlySusan- It's so tough to wait, isn't it? I hope the wait is worth it and it happens quickly. 

AFM- We found a used car for DH. It was a tiny bit out of budget, but we got it and now it's dealt with before we worry about IUI. My clinic called and they will allow me to start the pill early (2 days early) and take 19 out of the 21 pills. That way I will get the IUI on the weekend before I go back to work. Thank goodness! It's not ideal to wait another month but I just want to move forward.


----------



## CanadianMaple

HollyTTC- We cross posted. I'm so sorry to hear your cycle was canceled too. It's really more difficult than I had realized it would be. I hope your next cycle is your lucky one.


----------



## HollyTTC

WANBMUM said:


> I wonder what it is like to have sex and get pregnant?????
> 
> I'm struggling today girls :( My friend had her 3rd baby today, they started ttc the same time as us!! She has had 3 babies in the time we have been trying!She has 3 and I can't have 1!! Why is life so unfair???

I feel your pain..... I have 7 neices and nephews - 5 of which were "surprise" children. Why can't things be that easy for us? :hugs:


----------



## HollyTTC

Sorry, I'm new.... how do I not cross post next time??


----------



## tobefruitful

WANBMUM said:


> I wonder what it is like to have sex and get pregnant?????
> 
> I'm struggling today girls :( My friend had her 3rd baby today, they started ttc the same time as us!! She has had 3 babies in the time we have been trying!She has 3 and I can't have 1!! Why is life so unfair???

we hear ya loud and clear. life has a way sucking once in awhile huh? :cry:please know that we are all in your boat. hang in there, your BFP is right around the corner! :happydance:

guenhwyvar, i am saying a prayer for you. :baby:

we are excited to start this up! AF is here and in full force, since i had been on progesterone & estrogen with our last FET. did i mention we are looking forward to meeting with the dr.? 

hope everybody is doing well :)


----------



## MrsC8776

Guenhwyvar said:


> Wanb: I don't mind at all. Dh and I used fresh from a dear friend. First cycle we did one insemination and the second cycle we did an insemination cd12 & cd13 (I got a opk + cd13). The original plan for cycle two was to inseminate on days 12, 14 & 16 since I O'd on cd16 the cycle before but was a little early this round. As for timing I was using the ClearBlue digi, temping on FF & checking cm. If you have any questions just ask and I can give you the knitty gritties over pm ;-)
> 
> Canadian: It's understandable you haven't been around much the last few days and that you are still upset about the cancelled cycle. I would be spitting nails since the whole mess could have been avoided.
> In my experience with my IL's they spend the first couple years rooting for a biological grandchild. With mine after 10 years TTC & 2 failed adoptions they were rooting for a donor. She wont care a dang bit once she has that baby in her arms. Such is the miracle of babies
> 
> AFM: My second Beta came back and had only risen 40% so nothing is being ruled out. I'm still bleeding & getting those dang pains (which I've noticed make the bleeding worse) but I haven't called it in because I know that it's still so early they might not see anything & I don't want them to just decide it's ectopic & call everything quits. This weekend I was absolutely miserable & didn't feel the slightest bit pregnant, then today I woke up to real morning sickness instead of just nausea, my boobs a killing me & I wanted a friends homemade veggie pizza pockets so bad I almost cried. Cravings are probably WAY to soon but it made me happy lol. :haha:
> Wed I go in for beta #3 and I'll get the results Thur when I go in for another ultrasound. Hopefully this time they will say my beta is doubling like it should & that my trouble maker is snuggled up where "she's" suppose to be.

:hugs: SOrry to hear that some things are still going on. I hope the bleeding stops and your numbers continue to go up. My fingers are crossed for you. 



WANBMUM said:


> I wonder what it is like to have sex and get pregnant?????
> 
> I'm struggling today girls :( My friend had her 3rd baby today, they started ttc the same time as us!! She has had 3 babies in the time we have been trying!She has 3 and I can't have 1!! Why is life so unfair???

I always wondered that as well. Just because we can't get pregnant from it doesn't mean it shouldn't be enjoyed though. :winkwink:

:hugs: I'm sorry you are having such a hard day. I don't blame you though. Thats a lot to take in and think about. Life can be so unfair but don't give up. Just when you think it's not going to happen it does. Your turn is coming! 



CanadianMaple said:


> Hi! Things are looking up here for me, so I am back to being your IUI cheerleader. ;)
> 
> WANBMUM- It seems like everyone we know had a baby this past year. We got married last summer and every one of the other couples have had a baby or are pregnant. We are going to a family reunion this weekend at PEI and both other couples will have their newborns there. I am dreading it. It would be so much harder to see someone go through that not once, but three times before you have a baby must be really painful. I'm so sorry. :(
> 
> Silverbell- Are the injections okay? We were warned with my high LH, I may need to switch to them. It must take some getting used to. Thank you for your support. Is there a way they can avoid you getting too many follicles this cycle?
> 
> Guenhwyvar- I hope your beta comes back doubled and you can finally sit back and enjoy being pregnant. It has been be so difficult waiting with baited breath.
> 
> CurlySusan- It's so tough to wait, isn't it? I hope the wait is worth it and it happens quickly.
> 
> AFM- We found a used car for DH. It was a tiny bit out of budget, but we got it and now it's dealt with before we worry about IUI. My clinic called and they will allow me to start the pill early (2 days early) and take 19 out of the 21 pills. That way I will get the IUI on the weekend before I go back to work. Thank goodness! It's not ideal to wait another month but I just want to move forward.

Yay for finding a car!! I bet that is a relief. I'm glad things are looking better and you have an official plan now. The month will be over before you know it!



HollyTTC said:


> Sorry, I'm new.... how do I not cross post next time??

It just happens sometimes. Nothing to worry about though. It just means two people post at the same time. :) 



tobefruitful said:


> WANBMUM said:
> 
> 
> I wonder what it is like to have sex and get pregnant?????
> 
> I'm struggling today girls :( My friend had her 3rd baby today, they started ttc the same time as us!! She has had 3 babies in the time we have been trying!She has 3 and I can't have 1!! Why is life so unfair???
> 
> we hear ya loud and clear. life has a way sucking once in awhile huh? :cry:please know that we are all in your boat. hang in there, your BFP is right around the corner! :happydance:
> 
> guenhwyvar, i am saying a prayer for you. :baby:
> 
> we are excited to start this up! AF is here and in full force, since i had been on progesterone & estrogen with our last FET. did i mention we are looking forward to meeting with the dr.?
> 
> hope everybody is doing well :)Click to expand...

Yay! It is almost time. I'm excited for you! 

Sliverbell~ I hope you are doing well. :flower:

Curly~ not much longer! 

Sunup~ I see in your signature that you will be doing B2B IUI. Does your clinic think that will help things or is that what you requested?


----------



## SunUp

Nice to see you on here, SB! Whats your 'protocol' this time?

Umm and I have B2B IUI's due to using donor sperm. Its my clinics thing, they do it because of using a frozen specimen.


----------



## silverbell

CanadianMaple said:


> Hi! Things are looking up here for me, so I am back to being your IUI cheerleader. ;)
> 
> Silverbell- Are the injections okay? We were warned with my high LH, I may need to switch to them. It must take some getting used to. Thank you for your support. Is there a way they can avoid you getting too many follicles this cycle?
> 
> AFM- We found a used car for DH. It was a tiny bit out of budget, but we got it and now it's dealt with before we worry about IUI. My clinic called and they will allow me to start the pill early (2 days early) and take 19 out of the 21 pills. That way I will get the IUI on the weekend before I go back to work. Thank goodness! It's not ideal to wait another month but I just want to move forward.

That's great about the car and starting the pill earlier :happydance: Like you say, you just want to move forwards at this stage (we all know the feeling) and any hold-up is devastating. So that's grew news for you both.

The injections are fine. My clinic only do injections as far as I'm aware. I've never had any real issues with them, other than sometimes you hit muscle and can't push it any more and have to re-try with a fresh needle and end up with a nice bruise the next day, but that's only happened 2 or 3 times for me. I don't have any kind of needle phobia though, so I'm sure that makes the whole thing easier - though I have heard of lots of ladies with needle phobia who do fine with the injections. I think it's because it's a proactive thing to be doing and you know why you're doing it and how important it is.



SunUp said:


> Nice to see you on here, SB! Whats your 'protocol' this time?

Hey, SunUp :hugs: Same protocol as last time. 75mg Gonal F from day 3 daily until follies are ready (usually day 13/14) and then Progesterone day after IUI morning and night for 14 days. This combination worked perfectly last cycle so I'm hoping it will do so again this time around.


----------



## WANBMUM

Thanks sooo much for your support girls after my rant. I had a tough one day, had a good cry and woke up (trying) positive. 
It is funny how things can just hit you like a ton of bricks sometimes. 

It is back to scans next week and please god our 2nd iui. 


Any news from GUEN? Praying all is ok for her and she is just celebrating X


----------



## WANBMUM

Silverbell, what cd are you today? are the progesterone thingys normal protocol or do you have to have them for a particular reason if u dont mindme asking. My clinic haven't mentioned them at all although I've heard alot of people using them. 
Are they mainly to extend your lp?


----------



## CanadianMaple

Tobefruitful- Glad to hear AF is here and you will get a plan in place soon!

WANBMUM- I know what you mean. I had been down in the dumps about my canceled cycle but am feeling really good again today. I hope you continue feeling better, knowing you are taking steps towards another attempt.

Silverbell- The injections don't sound that bad. I used to be a RN, so needles don't bother me, I have just never injected myself. I haven't really stressed about the trigger shot, I figure anyone can do one needle. 

SunUp- I have read that some clinics prefer B2B IUIs. I asked my clinic about it and they only do one, especially with the trigger shot. How are you feeling about everything?

MrsC- Hi! Are you getting excited about the ultrasound? It's in early Aug, right?

We picked up the car today and it's pretty great. We spent a bit more than I had originally planned, but that's okay. I want a reliable and safe car that I can drive too. I started the pill again. The only crazy thing was that DH got a letter from the lab. He now has a laminated card he has to carry around because he tested positive (or was that negative) for some crazy antigen in his blood. He had 50+ transfusions during his ICU stay back in 1998 and from what I understand, he would have been exposed to it then. Not a huge deal, but they need to know if he ever needs blood again.

I'm in a much better mindframe now. I don't want to wish away my summer break. I'm going to enjoy every second of it and totally be in the moment when the IUI time arrives.


----------



## MrsC8776

Sunup~ Ok I was just wondering. Maybe your clinic just wants to double the numbers. Fx for you! 

WANBMUM~ Good luck next week. Fx for you as well! 

Canadian~ I'm getting very excited. My husband gets home the 29th and the first us with the RE on the 31st. After that we have the OB appointment on the 14th with a scan as well. I'm so glad you are doing good. I felt so sad for you and angry at your clinic when your cycle got canceled. How crazy that your DH didn't know about the positive test before. Maybe the hospital at the time didn't think about it. Good thing it is known about now just in case. Is he doing ok with finding that out? I know it's no big deal but some men are like that. He has been through so much. You guys have been through a lot together as well. Such a strong couple! :bodyb:


----------



## Curlysusan

I'm glad to hear everyone is in good spirits.


----------



## silverbell

WANBMUM said:


> Silverbell, what cd are you today? are the progesterone thingys normal protocol or do you have to have them for a particular reason if u dont mindme asking. My clinic haven't mentioned them at all although I've heard alot of people using them.
> Are they mainly to extend your lp?

I'm CD8 today, WANB. First scan tomorrow morning. Praying I have 2 nicely growing follies.

No, the Progesterone was only because my first 2 cycles gave me abysmal luteal phases of 8 and 9 days. It appears the injections seem to mess my cycles up a little. The Progesterone gave me a 12-day luteal phase, which is of course much better and I have a better chance. They do not offer Progesterone as a matter of course at my clinic and only prescribed it because of the early AF I was getting. 



CanadianMaple said:


> Silverbell- The injections don't sound that bad. I used to be a RN, so needles don't bother me, I have just never injected myself. I haven't really stressed about the trigger shot, I figure anyone can do one needle.
> 
> I'm in a much better mindframe now. I don't want to wish away my summer break. I'm going to enjoy every second of it and totally be in the moment when the IUI time arrives.

I have to say the thought of DH injecting me would have me very nervous, but when I'm doing it myself I'm in control and so I don't worry at all.

I'm glad you're in a better mindset now. Means you'll be nice and relaxed and refreshed ready for IUI time :hugs:


----------



## CanadianMaple

Silverbelle- I hope the scan goes well tomorrow! I could see it would be easier to have control of giving your own injections. I think the first one would be the toughest and the others would be easier.

We're heading to Prince Edward Island until Sunday. I will have phone access but probably not wifi. I hope you all have a great weekend!


----------



## SunUp

Hey all! Just a quick update from me..
I had DIUI #3 today (well, the first one, I go back tomorrow since my clinic does B2B).:happydance: Go back tomorrow and then have the long :coffee: long :paper: TWW! But I feel pretty good about this one!:kiss::dust:

Someone was asking about progesterone earlier... my clinic has me do 2 vaginal suppositories each day starting the day AFTER the second IUI. Its supposed to help prevent any breakthrough bleeding. It also is used continually after a BFP to help prevent early miscarriage. Apparently it works pretty well.... Everyone does it, I haven't had a problem with my progesterone levels but I still use it as a little extra source of help. Although, it is quite messy and I have to use a liner in my underwear because of some wonderful discharge. TMI, right?!:blush:


----------



## silverbell

SunUp - good luck for this 2ww :dust: It's great you're feeling positive and sending lots of luck and best wishes your way for a lovely :bfp: in a couple of weeks.


AFM, I had my first scan of my 4th DIUI cycle this morning and it seems my ovaries are very happy this cycle!

On my right I have 1 x 16mm already 
On the left I have 2 x 14mm.

They've never grew this quickly in such a short time before. They want me to have another scan tomorrow just to ensure they don't miss anything and to check what rate they're growing at. I'm not to do any more injections. I have my IUI provisionally booked for this Saturday! Whoa.

She also said that if all 3 had grown by tomorrow then we'd 'have a chat to see about going ahead with 3'. My clinic only allows 2, so I wonder if they've taken pity on me as I'm an old-timer at the clinic now?

I can't believe it. Very surprised! I'm just praying the 16mm will be ready tomorrow so we can go ahead with IUI at the weekend, which would be perfect.


----------



## SunUp

Yay SB! It would be nice to have someone else in the TWW! Hope things keep going well!!!


----------



## Stardust1

Wow Silverbell thats great news :happydance: 
My clinic had the same policy about only two follicles, but I had 3 (one was a bit smaller than the other 2) the nurse just kept saying well lets just hope that one stays put, but they really didn't make much of a fuss about it, I think she felt sorry for me lol, I did have to sign some paperwork saying we were fully aware of the high chance of multiples.
Iv'e got everything crossed for you for Saturday :dust:


----------



## silverbell

Eeeeeek!

Well the 'leader' follie on my right didn't grow much at all and is still a 16, but the 2 on my left have grown. One is now 15 and the other is ... 19! It's ready to go. I can't believe it grew 5mm in a day.

I was triggered at the clinic, given the Progesterone and told to come back tomorrow at 11.30 for the IUI :happydance:

I have been warned about the possibility of triplets :wacko: She said there is a potential for all 3 follicles to get large enough to be released tomorrow and she had to warn me. DH and I had discussed this last night and we were both happy (though I must say triplets do not appeal, but at this point I don't think we can be picky :lol:)

She said that there's a 1 in 100 chance of having triplets, but she can only tell me for sure right now that 1 egg will be released. We won't find out about the other 2 and it depends what my body does between now and tomorrow. But the potential is there, so I had to be warned.

Their policy is definitely 2 follies only and I have this in writing, so I'm guessing they're taking pity on me. Maybe things change after you've had 3 failed cycles?

I also got asked if I wanted to change donor, now that I've had 3 failed cycles, but with Frank's numbers I have to say we really have no concerns there and I've grown quite 'attached' to him as our donor :flower:

I must say I'm feeling very positive about this cycle and very, very excited. I think the 3 follies may have something to do with that. Jeez, if I can't get pregnant this cycle I never will!

:dance:


----------



## SunUp

YAY SB! Awesome news! SO hopeful this is both our times for a BFP!!!


----------



## Stardust1

Silverbell that's wonderful news, how exciting. Got everything crossed for you guys x 
:dust:


----------



## HollyTTC

Good Luck SB!!!


----------



## Curlysusan

Good luck!


----------



## MrsC8776

Good luck ladies! I had 3 release as well and it worked for me. 4th time was the charm! The possibility of twins is up there but it is so worth it. I can't wait to see the bfp's coming soon!


----------



## silverbell

MrsC8776 said:


> Good luck ladies! I had 3 release as well and it worked for me. 4th time was the charm! The possibility of twins is up there but it is so worth it. I can't wait to see the bfp's coming soon!

Wow, really? That's encouraging. I'm on my 4th try too :flower:

Praying and praying this is the lucky one for us.


----------



## HollyTTC

silverbell said:


> MrsC8776 said:
> 
> 
> Good luck ladies! I had 3 release as well and it worked for me. 4th time was the charm! The possibility of twins is up there but it is so worth it. I can't wait to see the bfp's coming soon!
> 
> Wow, really? That's encouraging. I'm on my 4th try too :flower:
> 
> Praying and praying this is the lucky one for us.Click to expand...

Good luck - next time will be my fourth cycle too, so lets hope four is everyone's lucky number! Fingers crossed for you!!:flower:


----------



## silverbell

Yes, that's a lovely thought :cloud9:

All went well with the IUI yesterday. 

Hoping and wishing that this is the lucky cycle.


----------



## CanadianMaple

Hi girls. We were away for 3 nights and are back again. :)

Good luck Silverbelle! I hope this one is the lucky one. Does the IUI hurt? 

How are you doing in your 2ww, SunUp?

AFM- I am a crazy lady on these new birth control pills. :( When I am not angry and overreacting that way, I am crying an a total mess. I don't know how I can do this for another two weeks. I feel like being on the pill for almost the entire summer has totally wrecked it. I was even at the point today where I considered not going through with it. I know the clinic can't do anything about it, but I can't see myself doing an attempt #2 during the school year if it doesn't work in August. I would have to go on stress leave. I'm at the point where I don't even like myself at times.


----------



## MrsC8776

Canadian~ I'm so sorry the BC are making you feel bad. It is not an exciting time with all the medicine. Honestly clomid might not make it better but just remember that after thats over it will get better. :hugs: This doesn't last forever but in the end all the ups and downs will be totally worth it. 

As for the IUI... It doesn't hurt. It's really like a pap, sometimes there is a little cramping but I haven't had any issues. There was a time where I had spotting for an hour or two. that is from the cervix getting hit with the catheter. If there is cramping it won't last longer than a few seconds. You have nothing to worry about with it. :thumbup: I will mention this though. The 3 IUI's before this last one I had to lay there for 15 minutes after. This last one I got right up and got in the car for my hour drive home. The 3 IUI's were unmedicated and at a different clinic but I just thought that was interesting. 

:dust::dust: Good luck to all of you!!


----------



## WANBMUM

That is interesting Mrs C. Your lucky IUI, was that medicated?


----------



## silverbell

CanadianMaple said:


> Hi girls. We were away for 3 nights and are back again. :)
> 
> Good luck Silverbelle! I hope this one is the lucky one. Does the IUI hurt?
> 
> How are you doing in your 2ww, SunUp?
> 
> AFM- I am a crazy lady on these new birth control pills. :( When I am not angry and overreacting that way, I am crying an a total mess. I don't know how I can do this for another two weeks. I feel like being on the pill for almost the entire summer has totally wrecked it. I was even at the point today where I considered not going through with it. I know the clinic can't do anything about it, but I can't see myself doing an attempt #2 during the school year if it doesn't work in August. I would have to go on stress leave. I'm at the point where I don't even like myself at times.

I'm so sorry the nasty drugs are making you feel so bad :nope: As if what we're going through isn't torture enough. I hope your body 'gets used' to them and you're soon feeling like yourself again.

The IUI itself can cause a tiny bit of pain if they nudge your insides by accident (which in itself can cause a bit of spotting), but mostly it's that damn speculum that causes the pain, which if you've had a smear you'll know all about. They do seem to shift it about a lot with me and it has a habit of 'popping out', so they have to really crank it up! :haha: The pain that you do get from the speculum of course goes as soon as the procedure is finished (procedure itself only lasts about 4/5 minutes) and any pain caused by the catheter scraping your insides is sharp and sudden, but literally lasts seconds (and I've only had this the once when the catheter had a kink in it).


----------



## MrsC8776

WANBMUM said:


> That is interesting Mrs C. Your lucky IUI, was that medicated?

It was medicated. 50mg of clomid days 3-7 and a trigger shot on CD12.


----------



## WANBMUM

Hi Girls. 
HELP

I am cd 9 today and my dominant folly is 15 by 18. The clinic got me to trigger at 5pm for IUI tomorrow afternoon. so that the sperm is there waiting for my egg.

Is cd10 very early to get IUI. Ive never ov so early usually. 

Is 24 hours very early to get IUI after the trigger?

confused and anxious.com


----------



## MrsC8776

WANBMUM said:


> Hi Girls.
> HELP
> 
> I am cd 9 today and my dominant folly is 15 by 18. The clinic got me to trigger at 5pm for IUI tomorrow afternoon. so that the sperm is there waiting for my egg.
> 
> Is cd10 very early to get IUI. Ive never ov so early usually.
> 
> Is 24 hours very early to get IUI after the trigger?
> 
> confused and anxious.com

24 hours is quite normal. I think it all depends on the clinic and what they believe is best. It is much better to have the sperm waiting for the egg rather than the other way around. Your follicles will probably grow a little more before they actually release which is probably why they want you to trigger tonight.


----------



## WANBMUM

Thanks mrs C, yes that makes sense. I had my scan with a stand in nurse today so I was a little apprehensive she was reading it wrong. Hehe
It has all happened so fast I think we are in shock. On this journey nothing does happen fast and when it does then it feels alien.

So it's off for IUI we go tomorrow :)


----------



## WANBMUM

Ps mrs c. Have you got your scan tomorrow? Crossing everything for you. Keep us posted and hurry up and tell us how many :)


----------



## MrsC8776

I think everything will go great for you this cycle! Will you be testing out your trigger or just waiting? 

I was suppose to have my scan tomorrow but things changed. My husband works in Afghanistan and he was suppose to be home yesterday. They pushed his coming home date until the 2nd so now my scan is on the 3rd because I want him there. Thanks for remembering though. :flower:


----------



## WANBMUM

Aw of course you want him there. At least it is not too far away. Bet you cannot wait to see him, especially this time! There will be alot of tears cried I bet. 
I'm not sure if I'll test out the trigger, I think I may just wait. We'll see. I will see how I'm coping this time around.


----------



## HollyTTC

CanadianMaple said:


> Hi girls. We were away for 3 nights and are back again. :)
> 
> Good luck Silverbelle! I hope this one is the lucky one. Does the IUI hurt?
> 
> How are you doing in your 2ww, SunUp?
> 
> AFM- I am a crazy lady on these new birth control pills. :( When I am not angry and overreacting that way, I am crying an a total mess. I don't know how I can do this for another two weeks. I feel like being on the pill for almost the entire summer has totally wrecked it. I was even at the point today where I considered not going through with it. I know the clinic can't do anything about it, but I can't see myself doing an attempt #2 during the school year if it doesn't work in August. I would have to go on stress leave. I'm at the point where I don't even like myself at times.

I didn't find that the IUI hurt at all.... a little uncomfortable, but not painful. My second time it was worse because the nurse was having a hard time with the speculum, but I wouldn't describe it as pain. I know that telling you not to be nervous wont help, but after it's done, you'll realize its no big deal...:hugs:
I'm glad I'm not the only one that's an emotional mess.... I don't know how my husband lives with me sometimes. :wacko:
I hope it gets better for you! :hugs:


----------



## HollyTTC

WANBMUM said:


> Thanks mrs C, yes that makes sense. I had my scan with a stand in nurse today so I was a little apprehensive she was reading it wrong. Hehe
> It has all happened so fast I think we are in shock. On this journey nothing does happen fast and when it does then it feels alien.
> 
> So it's off for IUI we go tomorrow :)

Good luck and positive thoughts for you!! :thumbup:


----------



## Curlysusan

I saw my doctor today for a pre-TTC check up. While we're waiting for results my lab work, my doctor can't find any reason to delay TTC. Woot! Woot!


----------



## silverbell

WANBMUM said:


> Hi Girls.
> HELP
> 
> I am cd 9 today and my dominant folly is 15 by 18. The clinic got me to trigger at 5pm for IUI tomorrow afternoon. so that the sperm is there waiting for my egg.
> 
> Is cd10 very early to get IUI. Ive never ov so early usually.
> 
> Is 24 hours very early to get IUI after the trigger?
> 
> confused and anxious.com

Absolutely nothing to worry about. My IUI this time around was CD10 :thumbup: Sometimes your follies just grow more quickly than they do on other cycles. It's nothing to worry about. 24 hours is normal for our clinic after the trigger as well.

Good luck today :hugs:

Curly - great news! :dance:


----------



## Stardust1

silverbell said:


> WANBMUM said:
> 
> 
> Hi Girls.
> HELP
> 
> I am cd 9 today and my dominant folly is 15 by 18. The clinic got me to trigger at 5pm for IUI tomorrow afternoon. so that the sperm is there waiting for my egg.
> 
> Is cd10 very early to get IUI. Ive never ov so early usually.
> 
> Is 24 hours very early to get IUI after the trigger?
> 
> confused and anxious.com
> 
> Absolutely nothing to worry about. My IUI this time around was CD10 :thumbup: Sometimes your follies just grow more quickly than they do on other cycles. It's nothing to worry about. 24 hours is normal for our clinic after the trigger as well.
> 
> Good luck today :hugs:
> 
> Curly - great news! :dance:Click to expand...

I totally agree with Silverbell, i had my trigger on the night of cd7 and my IUI early morning on cd9, my follicles grew mega quickly too. Maybe the younger he eggies the better quality they are? :thumbup:


----------



## SunUp

WANBMUM said:


> Hi Girls.
> HELP
> 
> I am cd 9 today and my dominant folly is 15 by 18. The clinic got me to trigger at 5pm for IUI tomorrow afternoon. so that the sperm is there waiting for my egg.
> 
> Is cd10 very early to get IUI. Ive never ov so early usually.
> 
> Is 24 hours very early to get IUI after the trigger?
> 
> confused and anxious.com

If your eggs are matured, I wouldn't worry... plus you wouldn't want it to release early and then you have missed your chance. No, 24 isn't very early... it sounds pretty ideal to me. I have B2B IUI and the first one is about 12 hours after trigger.

Good luck! You'll be joining us in the wonderful TWW.:thumbup:



AFM: Lets see, I never know how to count DPIUI since I do B2B. So I count DPT (T=trigger). 
I officially triggered 7 days ago. Almost half of my TWW, GONE! I have yet to schedule my beta, but I have decided for 8/9 for my beta. That is 14 days after my second IUI. I may POAS about the 7th or the 8th, since I have limited self control, but I only have 1 HPT left and I am NOT buying anymore.


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## Guenhwyvar

Wanb~ Good luck on your IUI today! 

Canadian~ Congrats on the new car. I'm glad you'll be able to get in a cycle before the new school year & sorry the bc are giving you such a hard time.

MrsC~ I'm excited to hear how your scan goes in a few days! Maybe we should take up a poll to guess how many are in there ;-)

To all the other ladies so I don't miss ya. Good luck, I'm rooting for ya'll. 

AFM~ Thank you ladies for all the positive thoughts prayers and crossings. Unfortunately it didn't end so well. I had beta #3 on the 25th and a new scan on the 26th. Beta had dropped to 435 and there still wasn't anything to see on the ultrasound so they've called it a spontaneous miscarriage. If ya'll don't mind I'd like to hang around and cheer everyone on since you are all such a bunch of beautiful ladies. :hugs:


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## MrsC8776

I'm so sorry Guen. :hugs: Do you see yourself trying again in the near future?


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## tobefruitful

hey ladies, how is everybody doing? hope great! DH & i go in thurs. for our consultation. does anybody have any suggestions on some questions i should have for DR? i have some already but i wanted to see what you ladies had in mind....feel free to shoot some advice over here :) thanks!!


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## silverbell

Guenhwyvar said:


> AFM~ Thank you ladies for all the positive thoughts prayers and crossings. Unfortunately it didn't end so well. I had beta #3 on the 25th and a new scan on the 26th. Beta had dropped to 435 and there still wasn't anything to see on the ultrasound so they've called it a spontaneous miscarriage. If ya'll don't mind I'd like to hang around and cheer everyone on since you are all such a bunch of beautiful ladies. :hugs:

I'm so very sorry, Guen :hugs: Nothing I can say, but just ... so very sorry.


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## CanadianMaple

I'm so sorry Guenhwyvar. 

I just wanted to pop in to tell you all I am taking a bit of a break. I am not coping well with the birth control pill and I am scared I am doing damage to my marriage. DH and I are going to have a heart-to-heart tonight and I am going to ask him if we should delay our IUI for a few months. I still have another 10 days on these pills and it just isn't worth it. I feel like a lunatic. I've made an appointment with my family doctor about my shortness of breath but I think it's anxiety and now depression. I just want to crawl under a rock and cry.


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## MrsC8776

Canadian~ :hugs: I'm so sorry you are having a tough time. I've been thinking about you and hoping you were ok.


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## deafgal01

What type of questions did all of you ask regarding donor sperm? The only 2 I have written so far is 1) if I want siblings for the baby 3 to 5 years down the road (not that I would do this but just want to keep options open), would I be able to use the same donor? and 2) in case of serious health issue where my bone marrow might not be a match for the baby/child, would we be able to check for a match with the donor guy? I still have to think of more questions regarding the costs and their procedures/policies before I'm ready to meet with dr to discuss this option. Obviously I will need to find out how much information we are allowed to have/see in order to pick out a donor.


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## MrsC8776

DG~ Are you talking about what questions to ask the clinic or the donor place itself? Honestly I didn't even think of those questions when we started. The siblings one because we only wanted to do this one time and we only wanted one child (if twins that is different). Have you looked at any of the websites for a donor yet?


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## deafgal01

Either one- the clinic and the donor place both. I still have yet to meet with the dr or the clinic- I don't know which yet.

Websites for a donor... no not yet. :shrug: I don't even know where to look yet.


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## MrsC8776

Oh goodness, I have a whole list of places. My clinic gave it to me. Would you like me to share them? I can try to scan it and add it to a post if you want some places to look. I see you are in the US so shipping wouldn't be an issue. 

My main questions were about the health history of the donor. That is all shared on the websites. Most of them are free to look at and some charge. Why they do that I have no idea. The sperm and shipping is expensive enough. We ended up ordering 2 vials just in case and now have one sitting at the clinic. I don't know what we are going to do with it. Maybe ask you clinic what them like to see on the CMV status. I think thats what it is called. Some clinics don't care and others do. Also ask the sperm bank if the donors can change their mind later down the road about being open ID. I don't know what you are going for but to some that makes a huge difference. I will try to think of some more questions.


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## WANBMUM

Girls, sorry I've been missing, I thought sadly this thread had died off as it wasn't showing in my subscribed threads. I came on today to bump it up and was really happy to see you have all been posting and be


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## WANBMUM

Ing so supportive. Thanks guys :) 

My iui went good. I will post properly later when I'm on my laptop. 

:)


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## HollyTTC

deafgal01 said:


> What type of questions did all of you ask regarding donor sperm? The only 2 I have written so far is 1) if I want siblings for the baby 3 to 5 years down the road (not that I would do this but just want to keep options open), would I be able to use the same donor? and 2) in case of serious health issue where my bone marrow might not be a match for the baby/child, would we be able to check for a match with the donor guy? I still have to think of more questions regarding the costs and their procedures/policies before I'm ready to meet with dr to discuss this option. Obviously I will need to find out how much information we are allowed to have/see in order to pick out a donor.

We are using donor sperm through xytex. I asked a lot of questions, so here are a few I think might help....
CMV status? (cytomegalovirus) 
Storage costs for unused units?
Family health history? (xytex gives you a full family health history for all donors)
Screening processes? ( What do they screen their donors for?)
I also asked about the bone marrow thing - they said it would be up to the donor at that time. 
Do they limit the number of reported births by each donor? (Xytex does)
We also had to see a fertility counsellor as part of our process and we found if VERY helpful. Might be something you'd want to look in to. 
Good luck!


----------



## HollyTTC

CanadianMaple said:


> I'm so sorry Guenhwyvar.
> 
> I just wanted to pop in to tell you all I am taking a bit of a break. I am not coping well with the birth control pill and I am scared I am doing damage to my marriage. DH and I are going to have a heart-to-heart tonight and I am going to ask him if we should delay our IUI for a few months. I still have another 10 days on these pills and it just isn't worth it. I feel like a lunatic. I've made an appointment with my family doctor about my shortness of breath but I think it's anxiety and now depression. I just want to crawl under a rock and cry.

:hugs:
I'm really sorry you're having such a hard time. Maybe just taking a break and regrouping a bit will make things easier. I hope your DH is understanding about all you are going through..... sometimes they just don't get it though. :flower:


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## tobefruitful

hey ladies, all very very good questions to ask. we met with dr. today to discuss our current situation. dr. was very patient and answered all of our questions. although both DH and i got the feeling that he really wants us to try IVF again. we expressed interest in DS. he suggested xytex bank, so that is what we are looking into now i guess...can you believe they charge extra to look at photos? :( our clinic doesn't require us to go to any therapy sessions. both DH and i are on board with DS because, like all of us, we would like a baby :) i believe i will be on clomid 50 mg to start with. dr recommended only trying DS 3 times before tossing in the towel do to the fact that we have already done 3 IUI's with DH sperm. hopefully it will only take 1 time :) thanks for all the advice! 

CanadianMaple- so sorry for the extra stress you have going on right now. i feel like you are doing the best thing. please don't crawl under a rock, we all really like hearing your voice of wisdom on here. you are not alone. you are in my thoughts.

Mrs.C- how are you feeling?! i see your baby is the size of a sweet pea, love it!

HollyTTC- have you ordered your DS yet? are you on any other medications going into your IUI?

WANBMUM- fingers crossed for you!! were you on any meds as well this time around?


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## HollyTTC

tobefruitful - My fertility specialist arranged for us to get all of the extra information that we needed for the donors we liked. We went through all the Xytex basic profiles and sent our fertility clinic the "short list" of 4-5 we were intersted in. They did all the work and emailed us the extended profile as well as any available pictures. Maybe see if there is a way that that might work for you....

We have had our DS for about 4 months now. It is stored at our Fertility specialists office. I am on clomid 25mg (which doesn't seem to be working by the way!) as well as thyroid medication. I am also monitoring my BBT, but that isn't really getting me anywhere. My temp is lower than the chart my DR. gave me. We meet with him on the 13th to see why things aren't working. They also let us try 3 times before another consultation with him. My husband has no sperm at all due to childhood leukemia, so we knew the DS was the only option if I wanted to carry our children.


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## raelynn

Hey ladies, mind if I join? I've been lurking for a while now and finally feel up to posting. Hubby and I have decided to go down the dIUI route after we had an early miscarriage after successful IVF. Unfortunately, it comes mostly down to finances and we just can't afford to keep doing TESEs and IVF/ICSI rounds. We've pretty much picked out our donor since there are so many similarities to hubby but any insight you girls can give would be great.

How to cope with moving on to a donor, how you picked your donor, what the process is like, etc. I feel like a newbie after being so focused around IVF and then just coping with the miscarriage. Not really sure where to go from here other than setting up my appointment to review things with our doctor and to meet with the social worker. I'd be curious to know what kind of stuff the social worker goes over if anyone else had this required with using a donor.


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## tobefruitful

raelynn said:


> Hey ladies, mind if I join? I've been lurking for a while now and finally feel up to posting. Hubby and I have decided to go down the dIUI route after we had an early miscarriage after successful IVF. Unfortunately, it comes mostly down to finances and we just can't afford to keep doing TESEs and IVF/ICSI rounds. We've pretty much picked out our donor since there are so many similarities to hubby but any insight you girls can give would be great.
> 
> How to cope with moving on to a donor, how you picked your donor, what the process is like, etc. I feel like a newbie after being so focused around IVF and then just coping with the miscarriage. Not really sure where to go from here other than setting up my appointment to review things with our doctor and to meet with the social worker. I'd be curious to know what kind of stuff the social worker goes over if anyone else had this required with using a donor.

welcome raelynn! i think you will find this group to be very helpful. i know it has been beneficial to me. 

our situations are similar but not exact. DH and i just did a round of IVF/ICSI. first transfer :( the second transfer :) only to find out it was a chemical pregnancy :( as stated above our DR would like us to go another cycle of IVF but it is just so much $$. it really doesn't help that we had not such a great experience with it both times. DH has low morphology, so far my results are good. 

i am curious to ask if you don't mind sharing, how many eggs you had removed from your retrieval. although i am only 29, i only produced 10. just wanted to see what your experience was like.

what donor bank have you and your DH decided to use? our DR suggested we use Xytex. was it hard picking a donor and does your DR plan on putting you on meds? we are going to start our first round in sept. fingers crossed :baby:


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## raelynn

tobefruitful - Thanks for the welcome. Sorry you had to go through a chemical. I never understood the pain involved with losing a baby until it happened. Even so early on I was still attached. I have to admit to something a little embarrassing - the thing that got me ready to move forward again was watching teen mom :blush: I was like, I could be a way better mom, I deserve a baby too! How terrible is that?! :rofl:

I'm guessing our doctor will be the same way and try and talk us back into IVF since we were technically successful with it but we're going to want to spoil our little one when it finally comes along so being broke is not going to be the best situation for it. I had 15 eggs retrieved. I have PCOS so they kept my meds very low so I didn't overstimulate. I was only on 75 meopur and 75 gonal.

We had already started looking into dIUI before hubby had his TESE since we weren't even sure there would be any sperm to be found so our clinic had already given us a list of banks we could use. We picked Fairfax since they're very close to us, their online interface is great, and we found a donor we liked on there. It wasn't too hard deciding once we picked the things that were most important to us - like blood type since hubby and I are both O and could only have an O child. I'm also CMV negative so we needed a negative donor. It took a while to narrow that list down but one of the donor essays sounds like my hubby could have written it so that was the winner. I'm assuming I'll be on at least clomid since I don't have regular cycles on my own because of the PCOS but we haven't me with our doctor to go over the specifics yet (I've been procrastinating). Gosh, I didn't mean to write so much! Hope I didn't overwhelm you!


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## deafgal01

MrsC- I'd love it if you could share some of them with us, in case I'm interested in looking at them myself during my free time.


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## WANBMUM

Raelynn. Welcome :) I'm glad you popped over to us.
Hope your doing ok after everything youhave been through.
The only advise I can give to dealing/coping with donor is time I guess. I'm sure it will be slightly different for you but as my husband and I said, if a stork dropped a baby on our front porch, we would love it unconditionally, without hesitation. 

I just had my 2nd IUI, unmedicated (as I overstimulate on chlomid) but with trigger. I guess my chances are lowered because of only 1 follicle, but all we need is one. 
Our plan is to have iui 3 times as we get 3 vials of donor sperm, it's usually cheaper to buy it this way and after 3 attempts we have another consultation to review what's next.


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## silverbell

CM - :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: Hope you're feeling better soon.



raelynn said:


> How to cope with moving on to a donor, how you picked your donor, what the process is like, etc. I feel like a newbie after being so focused around IVF and then just coping with the miscarriage. Not really sure where to go from here other than setting up my appointment to review things with our doctor and to meet with the social worker. I'd be curious to know what kind of stuff the social worker goes over if anyone else had this required with using a donor.

Hey raelynn - I recognise you from the azoo board. :hugs: I'm so sorry you went through so much recently. :flow:

At my clinic (in England) we were given a list of 9 donors. Only 5 of them were suitable for us because I'm CMV positive and they want them to match. DH and I are both 6 foot, so that discounted the short guys :haha: So we were actually left with 2 potential donors who matched eye and hair colour to DH. 1 was in the US and 1 in the UK. We went for the UK one in the end, as we felt it would be easier for a child to trace their biological father one day if they wanted to if we chose a UK donor.

So it was that easy for us. At the time I was annoyed we didn't have ANY other info other than height, build, eye colour, hair colour, blood group and CMV status. I had wanted to know more about the donor - their history, their reasons for donating, what they looked like. But actually now I'm very glad I didn't have any of that information. It would have made the choice so much harder and I would have probably judged things or been put off by things. This way I'm just picking the genes that most match DH and not the personality and looks, which aren't guaranteed anyway. 

Once we had picked, we phoned the clinic and let them know and that was it - we were reserved a 'pregnancy slot' with that donor. In England a donor can only provide donations to 10 families.

We didn't have to meet with a social worker, but had to have mandatory donor counselling, which was fine and she was stunned how much we knew, how happy we were with our decision and how we understood all that was involved. They basically just wanted to check whether we were going to tell/not tell, what the consequences of that could be, whether we were happy knowing our child may have lots of half-sisters and half-brothers and whether we were both on the same page as far as donor sperm went. I found it a bit of a waste of time because you don't just suddenly decide you want to use donor sperm. It's an incredibly difficult decision and you'd be mad to just say you'll do it without talking to each other in length about it. But I guess they have to do these things! I know others have found it helpful, but for us - and our counsellor - we all felt it was a bit of a waste of time (she even said this to us at the end of our consultation). I guess everybody's different.

Hope that helps :hugs:


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## MrsC8776

raelynn~ Welcome! :hi:

WANBMUM~ Good luck during the 2ww. 

DG~ I will add the list I have tonight when I get home. 

Just stopping in real quick before I head out for the day. I hope you all have a wonderful day. Today is scan day for me to see if we have one or two. I'm so excited and having my hubby home makes it even better. I will reply more to ech of you a little later. :flower:


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## WANBMUM

Thanks mrs C :) Goid luck for today. Hurry back to let us know :)


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## raelynn

For those of you who have gone through an IUI before, what CD was your IUI on? The therapist our clinic uses for the mandatory counseling session doesn't have anything available until the end of the month. I'm on BCP now so I'm concerned we'll be cutting it really close with when IUI will happen. I'm assuming I'll be on at least clomid since I have PCOS and my natural cycles are about 3 months long but I have no idea how short that would make my cycles.


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## HollyTTC

raelynn said:


> For those of you who have gone through an IUI before, what CD was your IUI on? The therapist our clinic uses for the mandatory counseling session doesn't have anything available until the end of the month. I'm on BCP now so I'm concerned we'll be cutting it really close with when IUI will happen. I'm assuming I'll be on at least clomid since I have PCOS and my natural cycles are about 3 months long but I have no idea how short that would make my cycles.

My IUI's were both on CD 19. My third cycle, I never got a positive ovulation test. My cycles after coming off BCP were anywhere from 40-65 days. Clomid make my cyles regular (31 days usually) I found the counselling, which was also mandatory, very helpful.....


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## WANBMUM

Hi rarelynn. This month it was cd10, month before cd12. I'm on metformin for pcos and maybe it's coincidence but I used to ov cd16,17,18.


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## silverbell

Huge congratulations to MrsC ... I see you're expecting double trouble :baby: :baby: You must be over the moon. :cloud9:

My IUIs have been on CD22, CD13, CD13 and CD10. Without drugs I have a 26-day cycle with ovulation usually CD14.

I honestly don't think you can definitely say when you're going to be ready for IUI on any given cycle - it seems to change about every time. Sometimes the follies grow quickly and other times they're slow.


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## WANBMUM

Well spotted silver ell!


YAHOOOO mrs c!! I knew it!! How amazing is that! So so happy! Not one healthy bean but 2! X x x


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## CanadianMaple

Bear with me. I'm behind and will have to read back and update my post as I do it.

Hi and welcome Raelynn. I'm so sorry for all you have been through in the past few weeks. My IUI will be on CD13. They are making me go in at CD3, then come in at CD11 and do the trigger that night if all looks good. Ask your clinic if you can take an extra week of pills to delay AF, they were fine with me doing that when I asked because of timing for my canceled cycle.

I found the book "Helping the Stork" helped DH and I both with the thought of using a donor. It took us awhile to find a donor we both felt really good about. I also found the IF psych was a lot of help, we just weren't ready to really dig deep with the donor aspect back in April. I like Fairfax, they do way more testing than the average bank, we just didn't find a donor that matched DH that was Canadian compliant.

We are using the European Sperm back via Seattle Sperm bank. It's not an option for Americans because the FDA worried that you could get Mad Cow disease or something. I only could choose from Xytex (we have one there we do like from there), Fairfax, Seattle and Cyrogenic.

What was important for me was that my donor was open ID. I had read it's best for the child to know they can contact the donor, if they chose to. It makes it easier to know they can look him up, get more information and it's not just a big question mark.

MrsC- Congratulations on your twins! I knew it!

WANBMUM- I hope the 2ww is going well. 

AFM- I'm still struggling on the pill. I have a week left. I'm now bleeding and cramping like I have AF, having headaches and just feeling like crap. I was supposed to find out on Aug 3 if my file was ready for this next attempt at IUI #1 but my nurse was away and no one called us back. It's a long weekend and we'll be away until late Wednesday, so they better have everything they need. They drew the blood in early July but I have no trust in them at all these days after what happened last month.

I'm going to be on 100mg of Clomid. That seems a lot for the first try, doesn't it?

DH wants to go for ice cream right now. I'll do more personals later.


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## MrsC8776

DG~ here is the list I was given at my clinic. It might end up being small but I think if you save it to your computer of something you might be able to read it. If not let me know and I will try again. 

raelynn~ The day of the IUI depends on your cycle length and how the meds work for you. I think the meds will help with your 3 month cycle and a trigger will as well. Before clomid I would do IUI on CD 14 because I would always get a positive opk around CD12 or 13. I have a 26-27 day cycle. With clomid I did the trigger on CD14 because I had not gotten a positive opk and my follies were pretty big and there were 3 of them. Also the meeting with the counselor is really nothing. They can't say yes you can do this or give you a no. They just see how you are feeling and give you some suggestions about the future. I found it pointless when I went but I guess it helps some people. It was required at my old clinic when we first looked into donor which is how I know. At the clinic we are at now they didn't require it. 

Canadian~ I hope everything works out with your clinic. I don't blame you for having little trust in them right now. 100 mg does seem like a lot but at least you know they are not messing around and doing what they can to gt you your bfp. I forget, do you have any fertility issues? If so maybe thats why they are giving the high dose. 

Thank you all for your kind words. We are very excited! 

It's 100 here today so we are staying in and just enjoying our time together. I hope you all are having a wonderful day. :flower:
 



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## CanadianMaple

MrsC- I have high LH, but conceived my son really easy. I knew I was lucky, but I had no idea how lucky I was. I fear that I will make too many eggs since the issues mainly lie with DH. I am 5 years older though...

I'm going to Maine for two nights with just DH. It will be good for us to reconnect without kids. I'm going to have a hard time leaving my son for two nights, but he will be with his grandparents and cousin, so it sound be fun for him.


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## SunUp

Hey all... I wanted to stop in and wish everyone well. I haven't felt much like getting on bnb as I've needed a break. But I do think about everyone and hope everyone gets their good news soon!


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## esuzanne

Hi girls! Ok so DH and I have pretty much decided that donor is the way to go....I mean we don't have $30,000 to have another surgery and at this point all we want is a family! Now we are onto the task of selecting someone! I would love to hear how you decided?! We are looking at someone with pretty much the exact same features as DH, eye color, height, blood type, etc... But regardless, who knows how they will come out haha. I mean the same can be said if we had a biological child with DH--the body is a crazy thing I tell ya! ;) Its like I think we find one then we might see that he is slightly overweight or something else and then we go on to someone different! I mean when do you finally just know?! I remember reading somewhere about not seeing their adult photo so that you aren't looking for those certain features when they are born, which makes sense! And I guess just because someone is a little heavier than we would like to be, doesn't mean its in their genes haha. We are more than likely going with Fairfax...and we have considered paying for the photo match where you supply a photo and a person there compares them to donors you prefer. 

Any suggestions, hints, ideas? haha


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## CanadianMaple

We took awhile to decide. We first started with hair colour and eye colour and then went to height. From there, we looked for the healthiest ones and their donor essays. I did focus a lot on looks when I had access to xytex, but seeing the adult pictures freaked me out. We ended up choosing one from the European sperm bank and could only see his baby picture. The picture was pretty generic, but we're at the point where looks aren't the top of our list now. We want him to somewhat match DH and to be healthy.

I just wanted to update. My clinic is screwing us around again. I only have one BCP pill left and called to make sure our file was complete. I got the nurse that hasn't been very accurate with us and she said she would try to find DH's last result. She left a rude voicemail yesterday saying that his last test could take 2-3 MONTHS and then hung up. I have no idea what that means, do I finish out this pack of pills? Do I have to start them again after AF? Do they want me to keep taking the pill without taking a break for a few weeks?

I've been having wicked side effects, bleeding, headaches, emotional and I don't think I can go through this in September with a new school year starting. I don't really trust the clinic anymore either, one would think we were their first donor IUI they have ever had. 

Today I feel like totally giving up. Waiting for a call back, I left them an emotional voicemail about an hour ago.


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## Stardust1

Why on earth would any test take 2-3 months??? That's ludicrous. All our tests DH included were done and back with me within 2 weeks max. What is the test you are waiting for? I'm so sorry they are messing you around, I think it sounds more like they've made a clinical error and are fobbing you off, is there anyone higher at the clinic you can talk to? :hugs:


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## CanadianMaple

I spoke to the RE himself. Apparently DH had reactive test to his Hep C. :( It will take a few weeks to find out what's going on.

He was hit by a drunk driver in 1998. It could have been the cause of his low testosterone and azoo (he was in septic shock and in a coma for 18 days) and he has a card saying he has some crazy antigen in his blood too and may react during a blood transfusion if he doesn't notify the doctors. Now I have to tell him this. 

So I am off the pill and need to call back in 6 weeks. I looks like we won't be doing the IUI until October or November now, providing it was a false positive. If he is positive, he needs to see an microbiologist or something?


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## CanadianMaple

I can barely pick myself up off the ground today. I read a lot about the treatments he would need if he gets a true positive and we would need 2 forms of a birth control and wouldn't be able to have sex if I was already pregnant. The drugs could even cause birth defects 6 months after taking it. OMG.

Please send as many good luck vibes as you can and we'll hope he has somehow fought off the infection years ago and is just showing antibodies.

This could be the end of our journey. :(


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## raelynn

Sending you lots of hugs and positive vibes Canadian! Hope you guys get through this and find out it was just the antibodies :hugs:


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## HollyTTC

CanadianMaple said:


> I can barely pick myself up off the ground today. I read a lot about the treatments he would need if he gets a true positive and we would need 2 forms of a birth control and wouldn't be able to have sex if I was already pregnant. The drugs could even cause birth defects 6 months after taking it. OMG.
> 
> Please send as many good luck vibes as you can and we'll hope he has somehow fought off the infection years ago and is just showing antibodies.
> 
> This could be the end of our journey. :(

Thinking all the positive thoughts I can for you!! :hugs:


----------



## Guenhwyvar

CanadianMaple said:


> I can barely pick myself up off the ground today. I read a lot about the treatments he would need if he gets a true positive and we would need 2 forms of a birth control and wouldn't be able to have sex if I was already pregnant. The drugs could even cause birth defects 6 months after taking it. OMG.
> 
> Please send as many good luck vibes as you can and we'll hope he has somehow fought off the infection years ago and is just showing antibodies.
> 
> This could be the end of our journey. :(

:hugs: Please don't give up. I'm so sorry you're going through this. Tons of positive thoughts coming your way.


----------



## MrsC8776

CanadianMaple said:


> I can barely pick myself up off the ground today. I read a lot about the treatments he would need if he gets a true positive and we would need 2 forms of a birth control and wouldn't be able to have sex if I was already pregnant. The drugs could even cause birth defects 6 months after taking it. OMG.
> 
> Please send as many good luck vibes as you can and we'll hope he has somehow fought off the infection years ago and is just showing antibodies.
> 
> This could be the end of our journey. :(

Sending you tons of hugs :hugs: and positive thoughts. I hope you and your DH are ok. Sometimes things can be so tough and it isn't fair at all. We are all here for you.


----------



## raelynn

Just had our consultation today to go over our "Plan B" as the clinic is calling our switch to dIUI. I was expecting them to try and talk us into another round of IVF but luckily everyone was very supportive of our switch to dIUI. The plan is to put me on 50mg of clomid CD5-9 to try and help me ovulate in a normal time frame then we'll start monitoring for ovulation through bloodwork and ultrasound starting at CD12. Now its just the wait for AF to come to get things rolling.


----------



## WANBMUM

Hi guys, 

It's a bfn for me after 2nd diui! 

Is it ever going to happen? :(


----------



## CanadianMaple

I'm sorry WANBMUM. 

Good luck, Raelynn.

I asked my clinic to call me back yesterday. I made the mistake about telling the receptionist it was about the Hep C testing. I'm sure they will avoid me again because they don't know anything about it there. I really want to see if they will let me still cycle. My family doctor told me the odds of me getting it is really low, and the odds of me getting it and then spreading it to a baby is even lower. It seems so unfair that we have to stop because of this.


----------



## deafgal01

:hugs: Oh CM Hearing your story makes me want to :cry: for you out of frustration of all the stuff you've had thrown at you. I hope that's certainly not the end of the journey for you.

Any of you ladies struggle with the concept of donor sperm? I'm finding myself stuck- lately I just feel like I am taking a few steps backwards. I just need to bite the bullet and call my dr to refer us to donor sperm or whatever the process is. I keep thinking about the pros and cons of using donor sperm vs asking someone I know. But then again, asking someone I know would be wrong ethically, and very unfair to both Zach and me. So donor sperm (from a stranger) would be best option, right? But the part that makes me nervous is not knowing how much more information we'd have on the donor (beyond medical history and whether the child is allowed to look them up). I don't even know if I want the child to be able to find his or her donor when they're old enough. Just can't win, can we?


----------



## MrsC8776

raelynn said:


> Just had our consultation today to go over our "Plan B" as the clinic is calling our switch to dIUI. I was expecting them to try and talk us into another round of IVF but luckily everyone was very supportive of our switch to dIUI. The plan is to put me on 50mg of clomid CD5-9 to try and help me ovulate in a normal time frame then we'll start monitoring for ovulation through bloodwork and ultrasound starting at CD12. Now its just the wait for AF to come to get things rolling.

I'm so excited for you guys to get started. This is all such a long road but eventually there is a happy ending. Sounds like your clinic is going to do everything they can to make this work for you. 



WANBMUM said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> It's a bfn for me after 2nd diui!
> 
> Is it ever going to happen? :(

:hugs: Don't give up. It took 4 IUI's for me to get my bfp. I was at the point of giving up as well but we have to keep pushing forward. It will happen for you. 



CanadianMaple said:


> I'm sorry WANBMUM.
> 
> Good luck, Raelynn.
> 
> I asked my clinic to call me back yesterday. I made the mistake about telling the receptionist it was about the Hep C testing. I'm sure they will avoid me again because they don't know anything about it there. I really want to see if they will let me still cycle. My family doctor told me the odds of me getting it is really low, and the odds of me getting it and then spreading it to a baby is even lower. It seems so unfair that we have to stop because of this.

I'm glad things got figured out. Sucks that the clinic isn't calling you back though. I wish there was another place closer to you so you could switch clinics. Have you looked into seeing if your gyno will do IUI's? 



deafgal01 said:


> :hugs: Oh CM Hearing your story makes me want to :cry: for you out of frustration of all the stuff you've had thrown at you. I hope that's certainly not the end of the journey for you.
> 
> Any of you ladies struggle with the concept of donor sperm? I'm finding myself stuck- lately I just feel like I am taking a few steps backwards. I just need to bite the bullet and call my dr to refer us to donor sperm or whatever the process is. I keep thinking about the pros and cons of using donor sperm vs asking someone I know. But then again, asking someone I know would be wrong ethically, and very unfair to both Zach and me. So donor sperm (from a stranger) would be best option, right? But the part that makes me nervous is not knowing how much more information we'd have on the donor (beyond medical history and whether the child is allowed to look them up). I don't even know if I want the child to be able to find his or her donor when they're old enough. Just can't win, can we?

It was a little difficult for me to be honest. So many things ran through my head but in the end I just had to focus on the end result. We did go with a donor with optional ID. We can still decide but I know we will not have that info shared. Not ever one agrees with that but that is what is best for hubby and I.


----------



## raelynn

We also chose a donor that is completely anonymous - no ID option. I feel better that way but honestly the donor we like the most just didn't have that option. I personally feel better that the donor doesn't even give the option of contacting them lately because then our future child can't blame us for withholding info...if you know what I mean.

deafgal - I still struggle with our decision some days but like MrsC said it is the end result that we're focusing on. There may be no other way for us to have a baby and at least I'll still be able to experience pregnancy if this works.


----------



## silverbell

CM - sending lots and lots of :hugs:

---



raelynn said:


> Just had our consultation today to go over our "Plan B" as the clinic is calling our switch to dIUI. I was expecting them to try and talk us into another round of IVF but luckily everyone was very supportive of our switch to dIUI. The plan is to put me on 50mg of clomid CD5-9 to try and help me ovulate in a normal time frame then we'll start monitoring for ovulation through bloodwork and ultrasound starting at CD12. Now its just the wait for AF to come to get things rolling.

Great news! I hope :witch: arrives very soon for you guys so you can get started.



WANBMUM said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> It's a bfn for me after 2nd diui!
> 
> Is it ever going to happen? :(

I'm so sorry, WANBMUM. I can definitely tell you I know precisely how you're feeling. I'm on number 5 now. Sending you millions of :hugs:



deafgal01 said:


> Any of you ladies struggle with the concept of donor sperm? I'm finding myself stuck- lately I just feel like I am taking a few steps backwards. I just need to bite the bullet and call my dr to refer us to donor sperm or whatever the process is. I keep thinking about the pros and cons of using donor sperm vs asking someone I know. But then again, asking someone I know would be wrong ethically, and very unfair to both Zach and me. So donor sperm (from a stranger) would be best option, right? But the part that makes me nervous is not knowing how much more information we'd have on the donor (beyond medical history and whether the child is allowed to look them up). I don't even know if I want the child to be able to find his or her donor when they're old enough. Just can't win, can we?

I think it's different for every couple and nobody can say what's right or wrong for each person or couple. For us, as soon as we decided on it we had absolutely no hesitation or doubts. We didn't know anybody who we could ask for donor sperm and we did think that even if we did we personally didn't think we would have been happy doing that and thought it might have been a bit weird. 

So ours is donor sperm from a stranger. We don't know anything other than height, weight, build, hair colour, eye colour and blood group. We know they're checked to make sure they have no illnesses that could be hereditary but other than that we're clueless. We both also felt very strongly that we wanted our child to have the option to find the donor when they were older if they wished. We tried to put ourselves in their position and imagined ourselves as being told we had a donor 'father'. We weren't sure but we thought we'd have probably been interested in contacting him if that were the case and therefore our decision was made. Donors can't be anonymous any more in the UK anyway! But if we'd had the choice we still would have gone with 'open ID' and we intend to be completely open with any child.

But, like I say, it's a very, very personal choice and every couple is going to be different and have different feelings and thoughts and therefore there's no 'right or wrong'. Take your time getting used to the idea. :hugs:


----------



## Guenhwyvar

Raelynn: Come on AF!!! Good luck!



WANBMUM said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> It's a bfn for me after 2nd diui!
> 
> Is it ever going to happen? :(

I'm so sorry WANB. Don't give up. :hugs:



CanadianMaple said:


> I asked my clinic to call me back yesterday. I made the mistake about telling the receptionist it was about the Hep C testing. I'm sure they will avoid me again because they don't know anything about it there. I really want to see if they will let me still cycle. My family doctor told me the odds of me getting it is really low, and the odds of me getting it and then spreading it to a baby is even lower. It seems so unfair that we have to stop because of this.

I'm completely ignorant to the whole Hep stuff but I would that now you are aware that there is the possibility that you'll be able to take the necessary precautions for when you do get pregnant. I'm with MrsC, see if your gyno or GP will do a dIUI you. :hugs: Keep us update. We're all here cheering for you.



deafgal01 said:


> Any of you ladies struggle with the concept of donor sperm? I'm finding myself stuck- lately I just feel like I am taking a few steps backwards. I just need to bite the bullet and call my dr to refer us to donor sperm or whatever the process is. I keep thinking about the pros and cons of using donor sperm vs asking someone I know. But then again, asking someone I know would be wrong ethically, and very unfair to both Zach and me. So donor sperm (from a stranger) would be best option, right? But the part that makes me nervous is not knowing how much more information we'd have on the donor (beyond medical history and whether the child is allowed to look them up). I don't even know if I want the child to be able to find his or her donor when they're old enough. Just can't win, can we?

Like all the others said, it's a very personal decision and I think where you are in your journey greatly affects your feelings and outlook on the situation. DH and I started our fertility journey 10 years ago and back then donor sperm completely off the table for us. DH was 100% not ok with it and I was very uncomfortable as well. We did countless TESE, a round of IVF ICSI. We even tried to adopt twice. After the last failed adoption which happened while I was in the hospital recovering from a laposcopy where they discovered I had endometriosis. We decided that we couldn't wait for a baby to fall from the sky anymore. I found a sperm bank and a donor I really liked and talked to DH about it. He decided that he wanted to ask his best friend first. For some people his would be EXTREMELY weird but for where we were in life and who DH wanted to ask it was comfortable, right. I think since we're dealing with the male factor it needs to be mostly their choice. There great benefits to both anonymous/open & known. The great part about what we've chosen is that if heaven forbid something were to ever happen and we needed biological relatives, we'd have them in an instant. That for me is extremely important as I know a family in that exact situation and we can all feel their pain of watching their child die while so desperately trying to find a genetic match. 
Sorry for the long post, hopefully I've helped represent the "known" category out there more then the "mad ramblers" :haha:


----------



## deafgal01

All of you have provided very valuable input to the topic of donor sperms. :hugs: Thanks all of you. I've finally ordered myself a copy of Helping the stork. I figured it'd not hurt to peek thru the book. I cannot wait for the book to arrive next week. :wohoo: So excited.

I will have to sit down with hubby this weekend and have a serious heart to heart talk. He said the ball's in my court so we'll move as quickly (or slow) as I want. But like we all know, this is not a job for one... It takes two to tango so I'd like to hear his feelings and input on the topic if he has any new thoughts that came up that I might not know about or whatever. I guess the obvious thing is for me to try to let go of my "need to control" and put in a call to the dr to get the ball rolling in terms of finding out what we need to do or where to go from here for the donor sperm route. One thing we do need to discuss- is whether we want or not for the donor to be open for child to contact later if the child's interested in knowing their donor once they come of age. I think for me, it'd be better if the donor wanted to be anonymous- but then again, I'm not quite sure yet because all kids like to know where their genes come from even when they've been adopted (or donated). I definitely will not be moving forward anytime soon - at least until I get used to the idea of using donor sperm and have all my questions answered.

:dust: Good luck to all the ladies trying this cycle. Hope you get your long-awaited bfps.


----------



## raelynn

I'm currently working my way through Helping the Stork too. It definitely helps to bring some things to light that we haven't thought about in depth yet - like when or even if to tell the child. I always figured we would tell them but after reading that section of the book I can see both sides. Tough stuff!! I thought we would tell any resulting children early on so it wasn't that big of a deal but the book points out that a young child has no concept of privacy and could just blurt it out to anyone. Now, I'm not so sure earlier is better.


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## deafgal01

Rae- is it possible to tell the child once he or she is able to "keep secrets" unless family members and friends already know? It is a hard choice to know when the right time is to tell anyone... Do they have a children's book on this topic? Probably not yet...


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## silverbell

We've decided we're not going to care if a child blurts anything out, as we've nothing to be ashamed of and if other people can't deal with it then that's their problem. Again though, I do realise and understand that every couple are different and not everybody is going to feel this way. Plus we wouldn't come out and tell a young child about sperm - we would say something age-appropriate like we had had some help with making them. As they get older you can change what you say depending on their maturity. I've read that most sperm donor children (and indeed parents) really don't make that much of a deal about it and don't go on about it all the time. My DH and I plan to remind the child every birthday to thank the man who helped bring them into this world and made mommy and daddy very happy and excited to get the chance to have them. We thought that would be a nice thing to do and would mean we're not hiding it, but we're not talking about it 24/7 either.

There are children's books about telling them! I started crying when I read an extract from one of them - it's just so sweet and we'd not long found out about DH so I guess I was very emotional anyway. :blush: 

Go here for more info on books (visit 'library) and lots of really interesting articles including accounts from those who are donor conceived:

https://www.donor-conception-network.org/


----------



## raelynn

Silverbell - I think the birthday thing is a great idea! 

I'm not so much worried about our (hubby and my) privacy but more the child. I feel like I'd want to give them the choice of who they tell (our parents already know). I've just been reading up and don't want them to go blurting something out and then later end up getting made fun of or picked on because they're "different". Kids can be so cruel sometimes! But, I'm thinking maybe wait until they're a bit older - maybe 8, 9, 10 so they understand the concept of their choice of who to tell a bit better and not make a big deal out of it so it doesn't seem like some crazy secret, which it isn't. How do adoptive parents do this?? I'm sure they go through the same thing.


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## deafgal01

Rae- that's a very good question- how do adoptive parents do this?

SB- love that birthday idea... Definitely something to think about...


----------



## WANBMUM

Hi Gals, Hope y'all are good :)

I am doing ok, I've had a couple of down days, but I'm dusting myself off and trying to get myself positive for round 3. 

Deafgal, I just wanted to add another point that heped me come to terms with donor sperm. You know the way us girls, want nothing more than our gorgeous hubby's babies, we want nothing more in the world? My hubby said he wanted the reverse of this. This really helped me understand when he said he would be so happy that we are having 'my' baby. We also get to experience pregnancy, he gets to be there right from the start, all the way through. :)
Deciding on anonymous/non anonymous really is a hard decision. We decided on non-anonymous, but as it turned out all of our donors who were non anon, were CMV positive, so we had no choice but go for anonymous. I still have slight doubts about this, even though it wasnt our decision in the end. I don't think we fully know what/how we are going to tell our child. Ideally, we would love to pretend, but we know that is not right, we know it is right to tell them from a young age and that is our plan, to do that. My concerns are, only our parents know, do we then have to tell the rest of the family. 
I think alot of these decisions will be made along our journey, whatever feels right. 
WOW, I still get shocked that this is our reality, would I ever have thought that this would be a road we would be on, it feels surreal! 
I hope you all have a lovely weekend :)


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## CanadianMaple

I just popped by to see how everyone is. We're doing okay, we have no choice to wait and see. I hope more than anything that he doesn't have Hep C. If he does, the treatment is like being on chemo and gives about an 80% chance of being cured, depending on what genotype he has. I just hope we don't have to face that. He has no idea, he doesn't want to read about it until he has to.

About the donor sperm; we felt like we had to do open ID. From the research we did and from what the psychologist said, it seems like most do better knowing they have the choice to find their donor. They don't have to, but it's not a closed door. I know my stepsister was born from a man who was a one night stand to my stepmom when she was 19. The guy never owned up to it and my stepmom moved on and got back together when an ex and they raised her and two other kids together. Stephanie, to this day says she feels like there is a piece missing. The unknowns are tough on her, especially since she has kids now.

But, I know it's totally personal and as a whole, people are faced with issues everyday that they overcome Look at us.

I do still have fears about the donor sperm, but when I look at the end result, I know it's totally worth it. I think I am more nervous about the lead up to it instead of the actual thing. It's hard not to see an adult picture, but at the same point in time, I won't always be looking at the child for those features. 

That reminds me, I should cut and paste what I wrote out after seeing the IF psych about donor sperm last spring. I didn't agree with everything he said, but it may help someone reading it.

Here it is:
_
I'm home now.

The guy was fantastic. He told us that when we tell the people we want to tell, we have to stress to them that we need to protect the child from hearing something before we tell him or her. When you tell family that, they will likely protect that information more than they would without the focus being on the child. It made total sense. We don't owe anyone the information, no matter how supportive they have been thus far. We can tell them our fertility treatments worked or that we found sperm (not saying where since most assume we would mean it was his.)

When it comes to a child being confused/resentful to not knowing their donor's history, some children that struggle because they will often have other issues at play. The articles Chris had read were things that Dr. Phil and Oprah love to gobble up. The majority of children from D.S. are well adjusted and know that their being here is not due to a perceived rejection like a small amount of adopted kids feel (if adoption conversations are not approached positively). They know from the beginning how wanted they were and that someone out there decided to help us become their parents. It takes a group effort to conceive a baby with donor egg or sperm and someone was generous to help us out for whatever his motivation was. (He was not knocking adoption at all, just talking about those you read about who struggle with their identity that seem to get gobbled up by the media or are blogging about it.--Chris seemed to be finding a lot of negative stories of disgruntled children of donors who felt like they were ripped off of knowing half of their identity.)

He said that often when people tell their children about being from a donor, it is often spurred by something that is seen on a TV show that brings up how different families are and you will find the perfect opportunity to share some info bit by bit so it's a non issue before they get to a certain age. You will know when the time is right and if you do it young enough, there is no shock. It just is what it is. There is no perfect age, it depends on the kid.

He was careful to say that the sperm donor is a donor and not the father. He said that regardless, Chris is the dad. The donor gave away his gametes and that's it.

He also said how the child will take after Chris in some ways. Some of the mannerisms, the way he speaks, the kind of character the child has comes from both parents. We talked a bit about Jack and how he is who Jack identifies with as his father, even though he has a bio father out there somewhere. There wouldn't be that man lurking in the background.

He told us that when we get pregnant, we should consider celebrating it with family as soon as we are comfortable. He believes that after facing IF, it's a huge victory and we have waited long enough. He said that if heaven forbid, something happened to the pregnancy (same risk as any pregnancy) we would appreciate our family's support. You know, I waited 13 weeks before telling about Jack, and I think I would tell people sooner in our situation. He said not to focus on the donor while pregnant unless one of us is struggling with the aspect. He said it will be normal to feel anxiety about it every now and then, but to talk about it and then go back to enjoying the pregnancy. He said that if we focus on it, we will take away from the joy and let feelings about having a 3rd party still involved through what should be just the two of us at that point.

He cautioned finding out too much about the donor right away. He said to think about how much we really wanted to know about him. Did we want to know everything? Would we expect our child to be a PhD type of student if we knew the donor was one? Do we want to know that he liked playing poker, was a star soccer player and liked crossword puzzles? That his favourite colour was blue and his favourite band was Nickleback? If the child knew a lot at at young age, would they try to become who their donor was to identify with him? Would we want pictures and loads of information about him? Would we be looking for those features in the child even if they could have come from my side? I kind of get what he was saying, we find we do that about Jack sometimes. We know Jack has Dean's eyebrows and sometimes see some of his looks in him. We wonder sometimes if Jack is starting to look more like Dean, will he have some of Dean's traits, etc...

He also suggested holding on to a donor's profile for a month and then seeing if we were still comfortable. Think about what characteristics you really needed. But do you need them to match everything on your list? Pick the biggies (health, features like Chris's) and stick with those.

It's a lot of think about, but Chris came out wanting to just go straight to donor sperm. He's really unsure if he wants to go through the TESE and IVF if our chances are low. He wants to be able to live comfortably and have our baby. We will know more after seeing the urologist on May 10. Depending on his suggestions, the odds and costs, we may opt to go straight to diui. We could possibly do that and still carry with the goals we had set when we thought we could have a baby for free. It could happen faster. Or, we will go into IVF knowing that we will always have a Plan B that we are comfortable with. That we have control either way. I'm pretty excited regardless. It's nice to know that Chris is totally at peace with using a donor. I will be at peace once we know the whole story about what the urologist says.

I know what I have typed didn't quite capture what he said. He's French so some things were lost in translation so I can clarify some of his thoughts. He was very positive, told us that he does all the counseling for donor sperm for the clinic and there are a lot of us out there.
_

I forgot to answer your question MrsC- It takes about 6 months to get into a gyn around here, your family doctor has to refer you and it's a wait. I'm pretty sure they don't even do fertility stuff, just the clinic from what I understand.


----------



## CanadianMaple

Oops, I didn't mean to be a thread killer!


----------



## raelynn

No, Canadian. I think that was very helpful, especially since we're going to see the social worker next week. We're trying to order our donor vials tonight but this whole process is stressful!!


----------



## CanadianMaple

It is so stressful. The worst part of this journey is the waiting, then moving ahead expecting smooth sailing and then waiting again. :(


----------



## CanadianMaple

DH is Hep C NEGATIVE. Now we have to wait for the AF that has been MIA since I stopped the pill and then start the pill again.


----------



## silverbell

CanadianMaple said:


> DH is Hep C NEGATIVE. Now we have to wait for the AF that has been MIA since I stopped the pill and then start the pill again.

I couldn't be more pleased for you, CM. Wonderful, wonderful news :hugs:

Come on :witch:!

---

Sorry I've not been about much lately, guys. Just felt a bit down and have mostly stuck to my own journal. Sometimes I find it so difficult to visit other journals and threads. I'm sure you've all been there.

I'm on my 5th DIUI 2ww now ... and honestly have lost hope. I hate infertility with a passion.

Sending lots of :dust: and :hug: to you all.


----------



## Stardust1

That's amazing news CM so happy for you and your DH, what an amazing relief x x


----------



## MrsC8776

Canadian~ I'm so happy for you and your DH! I bet you feel like a ton of weight has been lifted. I know you hated the pill but it will be so worth it to take it again after getting such great news. 

silverbell~ :hugs: I'm sorry you are having a hard time. We have all been there and totally understand. Don't give up hope because it WILL work. How far in to the 2ww are you? My fingers are crossed for your BFP!


----------



## silverbell

MrsC8776 said:


> silverbell~ :hugs: I'm sorry you are having a hard time. We have all been there and totally understand. Don't give up hope because it WILL work. How far in to the 2ww are you? My fingers are crossed for your BFP!

Only 3 days into the 2ww! I don't even get that worked up about 2wws these days to be honest. They don't bother me. Probably cos I'm losing hope and also because at least it means I get a 2-week break without having to think about all the expense and time travelling back and forth to the clinic for collecting the injections, scans and IUI (for me each trip involves travelling just over 25 miles and includes a trip by boat). I'm just tired of it all to be honest.

Thank you for your optimism though. I need it in abundance!


----------



## MrsC8776

silverbell said:


> MrsC8776 said:
> 
> 
> silverbell~ :hugs: I'm sorry you are having a hard time. We have all been there and totally understand. Don't give up hope because it WILL work. How far in to the 2ww are you? My fingers are crossed for your BFP!
> 
> Only 3 days into the 2ww! I don't even get that worked up about 2wws these days to be honest. They don't bother me. Probably cos I'm losing hope and also because at least it means I get a 2-week break without having to think about all the expense and time travelling back and forth to the clinic for collecting the injections, scans and IUI (for me each trip involves travelling just over 25 miles and includes a trip by boat). I'm just tired of it all to be honest.
> 
> Thank you for your optimism though. I need it in abundance!Click to expand...

I got to that exact same point. It is hard to be there but things will work out. Just out of curiosity have you thought about switching donors? Sometimes that makes a difference. Its weird but I've seen it do the trick. Just something to think about I guess. Of course if this one works you won't even have to go there. :winkwink:

Girls I have a question... would this thread be better if tickers were hidden? I don't want to hurt anyone but I also want to support you all. It's something I've just thought about so if you could all let me know that would be great. :flower:


----------



## silverbell

MrsC8776 said:


> I got to that exact same point. It is hard to be there but things will work out. Just out of curiosity have you thought about switching donors? Sometimes that makes a difference. Its weird but I've seen it do the trick. Just something to think about I guess. Of course if this one works you won't even have to go there. :winkwink:
> 
> Girls I have a question... would this thread be better if tickers were hidden? I don't want to hurt anyone but I also want to support you all. It's something I've just thought about so if you could all let me know that would be great. :flower:

Switching donors was discussed with me after the 3rd failed cycle, but both me and my Consultant felt there were really no worries on that side of things as the count and motility etc have all been really good and in a strange way DH and I have become 'attached' to this donor (even though we know barely anything!) But DH and I have decided that if this one doesn't work then for the last cycle we will be switching ... just so we know we tried everything prior to going for IVF.

I personally don't mind the tickers and it's nice to know where everybody's at, if you see what I mean. Bless you for worrying you'll hurt us :hugs: All my friends when I first came on here have children or are pregnant now except one (and some are carrying their second and 1 has just had her second). So I am personally used to it.

It's women like you, MrsC, that give me hope to carry on and keep going. I'm sure the others would agree?


----------



## deafgal01

I love seeing the tickers- it gives me hope that one day it will happen to us too! Think when we need a break or cannot stand to see the tickers/news generally we go into avoid Bnb mode or something- or like one lady said, stay in our own journal to mope for a little bit.

Cm- glad to hear your news! What a relief!

Sb- hoping for a bfp for you!


----------



## MrsC8776

Hi ladies :hi: 

I was just wondering if any of you are using OPK's or will be? I have some left over and I would love to pass them on to someone else. I would be giving them away and no charge for shipping if you live in the US. If you live outside the US I would have to see how much shipping is first. If anyone in this group is interested please let me know. :flower:


----------



## HollyTTC

Hi Ladies!!
Sorry it's been a while - we were on a much needed holiday, which also allowed me to regroup and try to get a bit more positive outlook on things! I am now on cyle 4 and hoping beyond hope that things will be better. We had an appt with our fertility dr. a few weeks ago and he doubled my dose of clomid to 100mg...... crossing fingers that it will do the trick. Although, its made my hot flashes twice as bad. All for the cause though, right??

I had to read back to get updates on everyone. 

Canadian: I'm sooo happy that the test came back neg :thumbup:

Silverbell: crossing everything I can cross for you! Good luck! We were also concerned about our donor, but found out that he has had reported pregnancies, which made us feel much better about sticking with him.

Deafgal and Raelyn: I also read "Helping the Stork" and found that it really helps you see all points of view. There are some tough choices to make and anything that can give unbiased information is truly a wonderful thing :D


----------



## deafgal01

Good luck Holly!


Oh update on me- we called a clinic today and got an appt scheduled for Sept 13. 3:30 pm. Not sure what to expect but we had to fill out paperwork for that and I'm expecting the first appt to be more of an information session where the dr gets to know us and we get to know the clinic. Not sure what else I can expect from the first appt for a fertility clinic.


----------



## MrsC8776

Holly~ Good luck!

DG~ The appointment will be here in no time. So this is the first one with the fertility clinic? They will probably want bloodwork if they don't already have it. Other than testing it will probably just be an info type meeting. After they have results they will probably set you up with a plan for IUI. Do you already have a donor picked out?


----------



## deafgal01

Uh, no... We don't have a donor picked out yet. I don't know what/how the process looks for that.

Thanks for your tip, MrsC. That helps. :hugs: I know it's just an info meeting but it feels nervewhacking all the same. :shrug: I don't think they'll need bloodwork as we already had some done (I had mine in Jan and DH had his recently when he did the SA).


----------



## MrsC8776

Since you are in the US there shouldn't be much to the process of finding a donor (in terms of the clinic). It can be a difficult process in finding one you like though. You could always call the clinic and see if they have a list of places they like their patients to look. Thats what I did and they gave me a huge list. Basically from there we just went through each site and found the ones we thought sounded like DH and had the same features. I let him pick the donor though. We did the searching together but he printed off the profiles of the ones he "liked" and I had him list them 1-?. Of course I went with number one. Anyways what I was getting at is we had the donor picked out by the time we went in for our meeting for the IUI that way we could get started right away. Every one is different and we all are at our own pace. Do what is best for you and your DH. Sorry this is so long, I just wanted to share that with you. :hugs:


----------



## raelynn

deafgal - on our consultation appointment our doctor just went over the procedure with us. If you haven't had your infectious disease bloodwork done yet they'll probably refer you for that too

We have our social worker appointment tomorrow night. I'm nervous! Hopefully we're not too crazy to have kids


----------



## deafgal01

Rae- thanks for the heads up. I don't think i've had that blood work yet. It was only to check my hormone levels or something else.

I wonder what else I should do prior to the appt. I'd like to make sure they get all the data/info before I go in but I know they probably will not look these over til the appt itself or after.


----------



## silverbell

HollyTTC said:


> Silverbell: crossing everything I can cross for you! Good luck! We were also concerned about our donor, but found out that he has had reported pregnancies, which made us feel much better about sticking with him.

Glad the break helped, Holly, and here's hoping the doubling up helps you get that long-awaited :bfp: very soon :thumbup:

It wasn't that we were concerned about donor at all - just that we were asked if we wanted to change and we actually had no issues at all so didn't see the point (he has proven pregnancies), but then somebody suggested that if we didn't try swapping we'd always wonder if we could have avoided IVF, so we decided we'd swap for our last cycle (if this one fails).




deafgal01 said:


> Good luck Holly!
> 
> Oh update on me- we called a clinic today and got an appt scheduled for Sept 13. 3:30 pm. Not sure what to expect but we had to fill out paperwork for that and I'm expecting the first appt to be more of an information session where the dr gets to know us and we get to know the clinic. Not sure what else I can expect from the first appt for a fertility clinic.

:wohoo: Exciting that you've got that first appointment scheduled. Like everybody else says, it's mostly just ticking boxes to ensure they've got all the test results they need before starting. I had something sent in the post in advance telling me what was required, which was helpful as I could get these sorted prior to visiting.


----------



## HollyTTC

deafgal01 said:


> Uh, no... We don't have a donor picked out yet. I don't know what/how the process looks for that.
> 
> Thanks for your tip, MrsC. That helps. :hugs: I know it's just an info meeting but it feels nervewhacking all the same. :shrug: I don't think they'll need bloodwork as we already had some done (I had mine in Jan and DH had his recently when he did the SA).

We started looking through donors after a phone consultation with the fertility clinic. We didn't have a donor picked yet when we went in for our in person consultation.
Our fertility nurse was VERY helpful with the whole process of chosing a donor. We emailed her with tons of questions and she was so awesome with making us comfortable with the process and who we chose. We did all our searches and stuff online. Its like a search engine and you select what you're looking for and it matches suitable donors...... we used Xytex.

Rae.... good luck with your social worker appt. What is that for exactly? We never had to do one but we did have to meet with a donor insemination counsellor. Can they tell you that you aren't a good candidate for this process???


----------



## raelynn

HollyTTC said:


> Rae.... good luck with your social worker appt. What is that for exactly? We never had to do one but we did have to meet with a donor insemination counsellor. Can they tell you that you aren't a good candidate for this process???

She basically just wanted us to talk through the struggles we've gone through so far, how we ended up choosing donor, and how we felt about it all. It was a good chance to talk about it all with someone but since both our families have been really supportive it kind of felt like a repeat. She gave us a lot of good info too and some resources we can use for support. When we went in, she told us she couldn't tell us if we would be good parents, if we were mentally sound, or keep us from doing this she was basically just there to make sure we knew all the information and got a chance to talk. All in all, it was pretty helpful just to talk with someone very informed on everything infertility. She gave us her stamp of approval so we're good to go.


----------



## HollyTTC

Rae - I'm glad everything went well for you!! I found it helpful when we talked to our counseller too....... it's nice to speak with someone who's up to speed on everything we are going through.


----------



## CanadianMaple

How is everyone doing? I'm still waiting for AF to show so I can start my cycle on the pill again.


----------



## MrsC8776

Canadian have your cycles ever been like this? This is very weird. I hope AF shows up soon for you so you can get started. 

I hope you all are doing well. :flower:


----------



## deafgal01

Cm- hope af shows soon. I'm fine.


----------



## CanadianMaple

I've never not had AF after stopping the pill. I pretty much bled all summer on the pill, so I am assuming there was no lining left to shed. I may give it another week if I can hold out and then ask the clinic for provera. Scared to take provera, especially during the beginning of the school year after the effects I felt from the birth control pill.

If I had some true fertility signs, I would just give it a month or whatever. But, since I haven't even really seen EWCM, I am guessing I am anov. But, the pill lowered my LH, so I am not having that constant EWCM I used to have, so maybe I could miss it? I have no idea...

DH is doing one last SA on Wednesday. His testosterone was really low when the clinic tested him in the winter and his family doctor found it in the low normal range. We just want to make sure there isn't any sperm there before we buy some.

Crazy timing too. The sperm bank notified me that they are sending a shipment next week and we could do shared shipping. I'm so tempted, but with all the delays the clinic keeps throwing at us, I don't know if I dare to jinx us at all.


----------



## MrsC8776

Canadian~ I'm glad to hear that your DH will be going in one more time. Fx there is something. If there is something will you guys put donor IUI on hold and go for IVF? I hate to bring stuff up if it hasn't been talked about between you two. 

I don't blame you for wanting to wait another week for provera. I have never taken it and I don't know the side effects. As for the shared shipment it might be a good idea. At my clinic they offered one free year of freezing if we were a patient there. Does yours do the same? Although... that cost was probably added into the TESE now that I think about it. :wacko:


----------



## CanadianMaple

It's $75 for 3 months, then bumps to the $400 annual fee. The shared shipping may not be a good deal if the cycle ends up being delayed for any reason. 

If we find sperm, we'll definitely give the IVF a try, but we're not really expecting there to be any. It's more for peace of mind so we can move ahead without ever looking back.

I'm going to go google provera side effects. I think it's all progesterone which is bad news since that's usually the hormone that makes me crazy.


----------



## silverbell

Hope AF shows soon,CM. 

As for me ... Our 5th IUI has just failed. 

Last IUI coming up before the scary world of IVF. Finding it hard to get my head round, as there's nothing wrong with me or the sperm we're using so IVF seems extreme ... but at the same time we've definitely given IUI a good try.


----------



## Stardust1

Silverbell I'm so so sorry, I just don't know what to say, it's just not fair :( :hugs:


----------



## SunUp

SB, you are so strong... As scary as IVF is, I couldn't do anymore IUI's. I really hope this last one is your time so you don't have to venture into IVF. I felt the same way about IUI, as nothing is wrong with me and the DS was great so I had no idea WHAT the problem is...:wacko:


----------



## HollyTTC

SB - so sorry your last cycle didn't work :hugs: Good luck on the next round :thumbup:

What do you girls think about the whole process of IVF? We had originally taken it off the table as an option for us just due to the cost. I've heard scary things about what it does to your body. Being in the midst of our fourth cycle, I am crossing everything that we wont have to even think about going to IVF. 
How much does cost affect the fertility decisions you ladies are making? I feel like I need to be a mom so bad that I'd pay anything, but financial reality has to play a part too.......
I always worry that all the money that we are putting towards trying to get me pregnant may just be getting flushed down the toilet. (Wasted isn't the right word because when you want something this bad, its never a waste to try) This process is such a mental and emotional drain...... I don't even know how or what to feel half the time.

Ladies, thanks for being there! :flower: Even if its just to read my words and allow an outlet for the crazy emotions I seem to have.


----------



## silverbell

Holly, I think it's a very personal decision for each couple and as horrible as it is money is a major factor in a decision to go ahead with IVF.

We have enough saved for 1 try, but we've said we'd borrow and try 3 times total and if that didn't work then we wouldn't try any more and would go for adoption. I think 3 goes at IVF is definitely giving it a good try and I think for us we just have to know that we really did try and we won't be paying that money back for the rest of our lives and we'll know it was for a very good reason (even if they all fail).

I hope that makes sense. Like I say, it's very personal I think and a lot depends on the finances of each couple as well.


----------



## mkwalsh

I've sort of been stalking you ladies and your stories on and off for a couple months while waiting for DH to decide if he was okay to try a dIUI and I think I finally got the green light from him! We have to save up some first and I have to make sure I don't need surgery for abdominal adhesions in the near future, but we want to try for the November cycle. I'm hoping this gives us time to be absolutely positive on the decision and I can start charting my temps and figuring out my cycle again. Any and all advice is welcome and I look forward to hearing about all the BFPs from this thread!

Mel


----------



## raelynn

Holly - Since we've been through IVF I can say now being on IUI is a lot easier. I was an emotional wreck during IVF mostly because I hate needles and just having to work up to sticking myself every day was enough to have me stressed out. That being said, it really wasn't terrible. It felt a lot more controlled and I knew exactly how my body was reacting throughout the whole thing. I was knocked out for the retrieval and had very mild cramping afterward so that was really a piece of cake. I think most of the hard part is the money and how regimented your schedule would be. Even the needles were not bad I was just a total wuss :)


----------



## CanadianMaple

Just about to eat, but I just found a message in my email from our sperm bank. They only have 2 more units left of our donor we liked and I think we're going to have to buy a vial or two this week. Our clinic prefers unwashed but they only have washed. Does that really matter, other than cost? They will wash it again, does that lower counts? Did you buy one vial or two?


----------



## deafgal01

Wow- how the heck do you ladies pick the donor? I know I said that my husband would have the "pick" but I'm looking just to see what's out there and man, there are options... However, the options get really limited once we look for a guy under the 5'8 category so I guess we'll have to limit our searches to a man who is white, brown/blonde haired with blue eyes. :shrug: Holy cow at the prices too- it's anywhere from $300 and up for one little vial and that's not including the price for shipping/handling... Would most of you do a loan or save up for this type of finance?

I also looked in the insurance online and there's one policy that says this- " Ovarian Stimulation in Conjunction with In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) or Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) (Bravelle, Follistim AQ, Gonal-f, Gonal-f RFF, Menopur, Ovidrel, Repronex, hCG with GnRH agonists or antagonists) 

Medically Necessary: 

A maximum of 3 cycles of ovarian stimulation in conjunction with IVF or ICSI is considered medically necessary in individuals who meet ANY of the following criteria:

&#8226;Couples with severe male factor infertility; or
&#8226;Women with bilateral tubal occlusion; or
&#8226;Unexplained infertility that has not responded to ovarian induction therapy. 
Not Medically Necessary: 

Ovarian stimulation in conjunction with IVF or ICSI is considered not medically necessary in individuals with greater than 3 cycles of therapy."

So now, I've got to call insurance and figure out what that means and how the dr can use that/code it for insurance. So if I understand this right, it means some of my "infertility" bill might be paid by insurance (not the donor sperm, but in terms of the IVF or ICSI procedure and things)? It's strange to be finding a few answers, only to end up asking more questions. :dohh:

Hope all of you ladies are doing great and moving along in your journeys to get that bfp. :dust: to all of you undergoing a new cycle.


----------



## Guenhwyvar

mkwalsh said:


> I've sort of been stalking you ladies and your stories on and off for a couple months while waiting for DH to decide if he was okay to try a dIUI and I think I finally got the green light from him! We have to save up some first and I have to make sure I don't need surgery for abdominal adhesions in the near future, but we want to try for the November cycle. I'm hoping this gives us time to be absolutely positive on the decision and I can start charting my temps and figuring out my cycle again. Any and all advice is welcome and I look forward to hearing about all the BFPs from this thread!
> 
> Mel


Welcome mkwalsh & good luck with your November cycle!


----------



## HollyTTC

deafgal01 said:


> Wow- how the heck do you ladies pick the donor? I know I said that my husband would have the "pick" but I'm looking just to see what's out there and man, there are options... However, the options get really limited once we look for a guy under the 5'8 category so I guess we'll have to limit our searches to a man who is white, brown/blonde haired with blue eyes. :shrug: Holy cow at the prices too- it's anywhere from $300 and up for one little vial and that's not including the price for shipping/handling... Would most of you do a loan or save up for this type of finance?
> 
> I also looked in the insurance online and there's one policy that says this- " Ovarian Stimulation in Conjunction with In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) or Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) (Bravelle, Follistim AQ, Gonal-f, Gonal-f RFF, Menopur, Ovidrel, Repronex, hCG with GnRH agonists or antagonists)
> 
> Medically Necessary:
> 
> A maximum of 3 cycles of ovarian stimulation in conjunction with IVF or ICSI is considered medically necessary in individuals who meet ANY of the following criteria:
> 
> Couples with severe male factor infertility; or
> Women with bilateral tubal occlusion; or
> Unexplained infertility that has not responded to ovarian induction therapy.
> Not Medically Necessary:
> 
> Ovarian stimulation in conjunction with IVF or ICSI is considered not medically necessary in individuals with greater than 3 cycles of therapy."
> 
> So now, I've got to call insurance and figure out what that means and how the dr can use that/code it for insurance. So if I understand this right, it means some of my "infertility" bill might be paid by insurance (not the donor sperm, but in terms of the IVF or ICSI procedure and things)? It's strange to be finding a few answers, only to end up asking more questions. :dohh:
> 
> Hope all of you ladies are doing great and moving along in your journeys to get that bfp. :dust: to all of you undergoing a new cycle.


We picked a donor together. My husband is not tall either and it seems like most of the donors are over 6 feet.... crazy! There were certain things that we knew we would not compromise on and certain things that we would. It came down to 2 and it was the age of the donor that decided it for us. We had to put a down payment of $3000 and our fertility clinic looked after ordering the units we wanted. At least for us, insurance isn't helping out at all and we save up for the initial cost. The cost per cycle is about $500 which includes the fee for insemination. I guess the good thing is that its tax deductable :thumbup:

mkwalsh - welcome!! :flower:

PS.... I started my TWW today.....please just let this be the one!!:dust:
Crossing my fingers for a :bfp:


----------



## deafgal01

:dust: Thanks Holly and good luck to you- hope you have a bfp this cycle. :dust:

Right now we are only focused on eye and hair colors. Everything else is negotiable I guess. :shrug: Only $500 per cycle after the $3000? That's not too bad... Is there any refund or anything if the cycle fails? Good that it's tax write off for you. :thumbup: I'll have to see if it is for me too.


----------



## MrsC8776

CanadianMaple said:


> Just about to eat, but I just found a message in my email from our sperm bank. They only have 2 more units left of our donor we liked and I think we're going to have to buy a vial or two this week. Our clinic prefers unwashed but they only have washed. Does that really matter, other than cost? They will wash it again, does that lower counts? Did you buy one vial or two?

Canadian if I were you I would order them. Can they hold them with a deposit? Also I would take both if you and DH are really set on that donor. The donor we found only had two or three vials left so we got them both but now I don't know what to do with the other one. I don't know about rewashing it and the count. You should call the clinic and ask. 



deafgal01 said:


> Wow- how the heck do you ladies pick the donor? I know I said that my husband would have the "pick" but I'm looking just to see what's out there and man, there are options... However, the options get really limited once we look for a guy under the 5'8 category so I guess we'll have to limit our searches to a man who is white, brown/blonde haired with blue eyes. :shrug: Holy cow at the prices too- it's anywhere from $300 and up for one little vial and that's not including the price for shipping/handling... Would most of you do a loan or save up for this type of finance?
> 
> I also looked in the insurance online and there's one policy that says this- " Ovarian Stimulation in Conjunction with In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) or Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) (Bravelle, Follistim AQ, Gonal-f, Gonal-f RFF, Menopur, Ovidrel, Repronex, hCG with GnRH agonists or antagonists)
> 
> Medically Necessary:
> 
> A maximum of 3 cycles of ovarian stimulation in conjunction with IVF or ICSI is considered medically necessary in individuals who meet ANY of the following criteria:
> 
> Couples with severe male factor infertility; or
> Women with bilateral tubal occlusion; or
> Unexplained infertility that has not responded to ovarian induction therapy.
> Not Medically Necessary:
> 
> Ovarian stimulation in conjunction with IVF or ICSI is considered not medically necessary in individuals with greater than 3 cycles of therapy."
> 
> So now, I've got to call insurance and figure out what that means and how the dr can use that/code it for insurance. So if I understand this right, it means some of my "infertility" bill might be paid by insurance (not the donor sperm, but in terms of the IVF or ICSI procedure and things)? It's strange to be finding a few answers, only to end up asking more questions. :dohh:
> 
> Hope all of you ladies are doing great and moving along in your journeys to get that bfp. :dust: to all of you undergoing a new cycle.

DG picking a donor can be very difficult. The good thing is is that there are so many websites to look at your options get a little bigger after you input everything you are looking for. You don't have to stick with one bank. The prices are a little crazy as well and so is shipping. We did do a little saving but we had also been planning on IVF but that fell through and we have zero infertility coverage. 



HollyTTC said:


> PS.... I started my TWW today.....please just let this be the one!!:dust:
> Crossing my fingers for a :bfp:

Good luck!! 

Raelynn~ Do you know when you will be starting? 

Guen~ How are you doing?


----------



## HollyTTC

deafgal01 said:


> :dust: Thanks Holly and good luck to you- hope you have a bfp this cycle. :dust:
> 
> Right now we are only focused on eye and hair colors. Everything else is negotiable I guess. :shrug: Only $500 per cycle after the $3000? That's not too bad... Is there any refund or anything if the cycle fails? Good that it's tax write off for you. :thumbup: I'll have to see if it is for me too.

We get no refund if our cycles fail, which sucks because it just adds extra financial pressure to an already tense time..... $300 of the $500 is for the insemination itself and the rest if for medication and the ovulation test kits. They advised using the expensive ones which just have a "NO" on the screen if there is no LH surge and a "YES" if it detects one. 
Good luck with donor selection!! Its tough, but totally worth it when you find "the one" 

Canadian: I would also advise ordering any units they have available. We got stalled for 4 months because our donor had no units left. But I also saw that as a good thing because it means he's in high demand :thumbup:

MrsC: How is everything going for you? Hope your pregnancy is going well :hugs:


----------



## MrsC8776

Thank you Holly :hugs:

It is going very well. Nothing really major going on just being tired all the time. I got in for my NT scan on the 14th to check the babies risk for downs. It wont make a difference to us but since using a donor I think we just have that extra need to know.


----------



## raelynn

Things are rolling along for me. I've been going in for bloodwork/ultrasound this week and have a 16mm follicle (as of yesterday) e2 today was 401 so I go in again tomorrow to see where we are. Seems like clomid has done its job so far


----------



## tobefruitful

hello lovely ladies, long time no chat! i stepped away from the forums for a bit to see if i could try to calm down some and not be so anxious. however i am back with a confusing question. i want to thank you all in advance for the advice.

i was on clomid 100mg this round and responded nicely, i had about 3 almost 4 mature possible eggs. they did the iui about a week ago, it was on a friday. we spent the holiday weekend trying to relax and to my surprise i started to get cramps on mon. that was only 4 days after the iui. i wasn't sure what to make of it, i know implantation cramps usually don't start till day 5-11 (ie my online research:winkwink:) however sunday is day 15 out of my menstrual cycle...i usually start my dreaded:witch: on day 28/29. I am still pretty crampy and I am just wondering what in the world is going on with my body!! RN said not to worry just as long as there isn't any smelly/discolored (gross!) discharge, which there isn't any, thank goodness. HELP?

also, i hope everybody is doing well! i am hoping we all get our sweet :baby: BFP :baby: soon! 

thanks again for listening/reading :flower:


----------



## MrsC8776

tobefruitful said:


> hello lovely ladies, long time no chat! i stepped away from the forums for a bit to see if i could try to calm down some and not be so anxious. however i am back with a confusing question. i want to thank you all in advance for the advice.
> 
> i was on clomid 100mg this round and responded nicely, i had about 3 almost 4 mature possible eggs. they did the iui about a week ago, it was on a friday. we spent the holiday weekend trying to relax and to my surprise i started to get cramps on mon. that was only 4 days after the iui. i wasn't sure what to make of it, i know implantation cramps usually don't start till day 5-11 (ie my online research:winkwink:) however sunday is day 15 out of my menstrual cycle...i usually start my dreaded:witch: on day 28/29. I am still pretty crampy and I am just wondering what in the world is going on with my body!! RN said not to worry just as long as there isn't any smelly/discolored (gross!) discharge, which there isn't any, thank goodness. HELP?
> 
> also, i hope everybody is doing well! i am hoping we all get our sweet :baby: BFP :baby: soon!
> 
> thanks again for listening/reading :flower:

Are you asking about the cramping? Cramping can be a good sign. I had cramps that didn't really feel like AF. I don't know how to explain it. I still have cramps actually. My finger are crossed for you! When do you plan on testing? Try not to google to much... that will drive you crazy!


----------



## tobefruitful

thank you so much for getting back to me. how are you feeling? i am sorry that you are still cramping that is no fun. yeah, the cramps i had since monday (not sunday, i am mistaken) felt very odd not period like at all. however i felt like today was bit more intense. i can not test till next wed. because i had the hcg shot :( how soon did your cramping start after your iui? i am anxious to see what is going on in my tummy!


----------



## MrsC8776

Not a problem! I'm doing good. The cramping isn't bad at all, just things stretching for both the babies. Let me go back and check when I started cramping. I marked my cramping/weird feeling down as twinges and that started at 6dpo for me. Everyone is different though. My symptoms started super early at 4dpo. Have you thought of testing your trigger shot out? I did that so that I knew when/if I had a real bfp. Did you have your trigger on Wednesday the 29th?


----------



## tobefruitful

really? 4dpo? that is pretty much the same time when mine started! crazy. trigger shot aug. 30th, i had to have my poor co-worker give it to me. have not tested yet, trying to wait it out till wed. i just wish i knew ya know? oh i hope its BFP :) thanks again for the advice. you need to spread some of your baby dust on me!


----------



## MrsC8776

Yes 4dpo is really early though. Although I now see why I got symptoms so early... I'm spreading baby dust to all of you! Good luck testing next week! 


:dust::dust::dust::dust:


----------



## CanadianMaple

Hi girls!
I ordered the last 2 units of sperm for our donor. I really wish I felt more excited and didn't have to buy it just to wait for a few more weeks/months. AF is still missing, the clinic is playing phone tag with me (they don't understand I can't answer my cell while teaching) and said I needed blood work before they could give me provera. Since it's the first week of school, I cannot risk even being 10 minutes late for school so it's just going to have to wait.

For those of you who ordered sperm, were you nervous after ordering it? I think the dollar amount scared me too, especially since we had no choice but to buy washed sperm which is $100 more a unit.

Tobefruitful- I have all my fingers and toes crossed for you! What kind of odds did they give you for twins with 4 follicles? My clinic is putting me on 100mg and will let me have up to four.

raelynn- I am so glad you were able to move on so quickly! I'm wishing you the best of luck!

Holly- It's expensive isn't it? Ours will be $390 for the IUI and another $300 for a monitored cycle, plus the sperm is really expensive. $650 plus $225 shipping. I hope it works quickly for you!


----------



## HollyTTC

Question girls..... I had my IUI done on Tuesday and just like every other time I seem to cramp right from a the start. They aren't really bad cramps, more like a discomfort/ twinge the feels like its right in my uterus..... is this normal? Does anyone else experience them right from the day of the IUI???


----------



## deafgal01

:dust: To all of you ladies... I want to see bfps rolling out of y'alls! We need motivational stories to inspire the rest of us!


----------



## want2beamamma

I see that this is a group from the summer so I guess I am little late joining.
I was just hoping for some more insight from ladies who have gone through this process!
I will be doing my first donor IUI cycle in October and I couldnt be anymore excited.
What is the normal time frame ( amount of cycles ) for things to work??? I know this varies, just looking for what cycle you got a BFP !!


----------



## deafgal01

It's never too late to join us. I guess the title does need to be changed. :shrug:

Not sure how long the process takes. I am just starting my consultation appt on this type of thing next week. I'm sure it varies from person to person.


----------



## tobefruitful

yeah, i it is pretty insane to already be feeling cramps 4dpo. i just have never had pms cramps that early ever. we would be so blessed to be in your situation :) my face has started to break out a bit. i am still have mild pressure/cramps today so we shall see. this 2WW is for the birds.

hope everybody has a wonderful day! :) :)


----------



## tobefruitful

CanadianMaple said:


> Hi girls!
> I ordered the last 2 units of sperm for our donor. I really wish I felt more excited and didn't have to buy it just to wait for a few more weeks/months. AF is still missing, the clinic is playing phone tag with me (they don't understand I can't answer my cell while teaching) and said I needed blood work before they could give me provera. Since it's the first week of school, I cannot risk even being 10 minutes late for school so it's just going to have to wait.
> 
> For those of you who ordered sperm, were you nervous after ordering it? I think the dollar amount scared me too, especially since we had no choice but to buy washed sperm which is $100 more a unit.
> 
> Tobefruitful- I have all my fingers and toes crossed for you! What kind of odds did they give you for twins with 4 follicles? My clinic is putting me on 100mg and will let me have up to four.
> 
> raelynn- I am so glad you were able to move on so quickly! I'm wishing you the best of luck!
> 
> Holly- It's expensive isn't it? Ours will be $390 for the IUI and another $300 for a monitored cycle, plus the sperm is really expensive. $650 plus $225 shipping. I hope it works quickly for you!


hi! the percentages are still pretty low for twins if i am remembering correctly. my suggestion with the 100mg of clomid is to double check with your clinic but i took one in the morning then once again in the evening. i had taken it once before this past time and i took it together and it gave me nasty symptoms. good luck! :)


----------



## HollyTTC

want2beamamma said:


> I see that this is a group from the summer so I guess I am little late joining.
> I was just hoping for some more insight from ladies who have gone through this process!
> I will be doing my first donor IUI cycle in October and I couldnt be anymore excited.
> What is the normal time frame ( amount of cycles ) for things to work??? I know this varies, just looking for what cycle you got a BFP !!

Congrats on starting your IUI cycle..... good luck :thumbup:
I am on my fourth cycle and my third actual IUI. I'm 3dpo right now and the TWW is the hardest part for me. Hoping this will be our lucky round.
Our doctor told us that they will do 6 IUI's before they'll move on to something else. REALLY hoping we don't have to do that, but I guess we'll see what happens.


----------



## raelynn

CanadianMaple said:


> Hi girls!
> I ordered the last 2 units of sperm for our donor. I really wish I felt more excited and didn't have to buy it just to wait for a few more weeks/months. AF is still missing, the clinic is playing phone tag with me (they don't understand I can't answer my cell while teaching) and said I needed blood work before they could give me provera. Since it's the first week of school, I cannot risk even being 10 minutes late for school so it's just going to have to wait.
> 
> For those of you who ordered sperm, were you nervous after ordering it? I think the dollar amount scared me too, especially since we had no choice but to buy washed sperm which is $100 more a unit.
> 
> Tobefruitful- I have all my fingers and toes crossed for you! What kind of odds did they give you for twins with 4 follicles? My clinic is putting me on 100mg and will let me have up to four.
> 
> raelynn- I am so glad you were able to move on so quickly! I'm wishing you the best of luck!
> 
> Holly- It's expensive isn't it? Ours will be $390 for the IUI and another $300 for a monitored cycle, plus the sperm is really expensive. $650 plus $225 shipping. I hope it works quickly for you!


I was nervous when ordering the sperm too. Mostly because I have never done it before and had no clue what I was doing. We bought washed sperm too because my clinic said the sperm bank will guarantee the volume and count or whatever on their washed samples but if the clinic washes it and it isn't a good count they'll blame it on the clinic.

As for me, still playing the waiting game. Apparently I'm progressing slowly which is not so surprising considering my typical cycles are between 60-100 days. I have an 18mm follicle and my LH isn't surging yet so I get to go in yet again tomorrow. My doctor apologized for me having to go in so much but what are you gonna do? Besides, this is pretty similar to what I was doing for IVF monitoring.


----------



## raelynn

LH surge today of 42.5! Going in for IUI tomorrow and don't have to trigger! Woohoo!


----------



## MrsC8776

Good luck raelynn!! I have everything crossed for you!


----------



## HollyTTC

raelynn said:


> LH surge today of 42.5! Going in for IUI tomorrow and don't have to trigger! Woohoo!

GOOD LUCK!!! 
:dust:


----------



## CanadianMaple

Good luck Raelynn!

AF finally showed up for me! So glad I avoided the provera! Now to find out when to start the pill again and we'll be doing the IUI in about 6 weeks.


----------



## silverbell

Great news - good luck, Raelynn. :dust:

Great news for you too, CM! Not long now xx


----------



## deafgal01

:wohoo: Good luck :dust: Rae! Same for you CM!


----------



## MrsC8776

CM~ I'm so happy AF finally showed for you. I'm so excited for you to get started! 

raelynn~ How did things go today? I hope it went well! Did they set you up for a beta or just have you test at home?


----------



## raelynn

Everything went very smoothly yesterday. I go in for my beta on the 24th. I'm sure I'll test early just like I did with IVF though. At least this time I don't have to test the trigger out.


----------



## deafgal01

Yay for not having to test the trigger out! :thumbup:


----------



## want2beamamma

Going for my 1st IUI in approx a month!!!
I have PCOS and was not ovulating until taking metformin.
I have been doing my OPK'S this month to be sure I was ovulating ( i know its not a diffinate way to tell )... I have never had a positive until today WOOOHOOO.
What a relief :)


----------



## raelynn

want2 - I totally understand where you are coming from! I have PCOS too and was on clomid for this cycle and was amazed when I had an LH surge at CD18 (which they checked by blood) and went right home and took an OPK just to see what that positive line actually looked like. Pretty crazy.


----------



## SunUp

Hi ladies! Just wanted to wish you all well on this journey.
I'm not 100% sure if I should be in here anymore, I don't really fit as I am doing donor IVF not IUI... and I want you all to have lots of hope with IUI's and my story isn't so positive. But if you have any questions I could help with, PM me! Good luck and lots of baby dust!


----------



## MrsC8776

raelynn said:


> Everything went very smoothly yesterday. I go in for my beta on the 24th. I'm sure I'll test early just like I did with IVF though. At least this time I don't have to test the trigger out.

I'm glad everything went well. Great news about not having to test out the trigger. I'm excited for you! 



SunUp said:


> Hi ladies! Just wanted to wish you all well on this journey.
> I'm not 100% sure if I should be in here anymore, I don't really fit as I am doing donor IVF not IUI... and I want you all to have lots of hope with IUI's and my story isn't so positive. But if you have any questions I could help with, PM me! Good luck and lots of baby dust!

Good luck with the IVF Sun! I really hope this will be it for you. Fx!!

:dust::dust::dust:


----------



## CanadianMaple

SunUp, you're more than welcome to stick around! I hope this is it for you! :)


----------



## deafgal01

Sunup- sorry you're moving on to ivf but hope that's all it takes to get your baby. :hugs: Please do stick around here. We'd love to hear from you especially when one of the girls have a question related to iui.


----------



## cbergs

Hi ladies,

As some of you know from facebook, my husband was found to have zero sperm through doing mTESE...I'm not sure yet if this is the place for me- but I think I'm more leaning toward this over adoption at the moment. I've been reading through all the posts, and I feel better about the situation. I won't be able to make a definitive decision until this grieving process is over, but I will def be lurking. Thanks for all the support. :hugs:

-Carrie


----------



## deafgal01

:hugs: welcome cbergs. We can go thru this together. I'm still grieving too I guess.


----------



## silverbell

SunUp - sorry IUI hasn't worked for you yet but I hope IVF brings you a lovely :bfp: :dust:

cbergs, I saw your post on FB and replied to it (I'm JD). I'm so sorry for you both. It makes me so sad that couples continue to face this and have to make such heartbreaking, difficult decisions. You're definitely doing the right thing in allowing time to grieve first. You'll both know when you're ready to consider the options.

AFM, I'm off for my very last DIUI today ... and I have zero hope of this one working. Why should it, after 5 failures? :nope:

But if it does fail I'll be straight to my doc asking for a referral for IVF.

We swapped donors for this last try, just so we knew we'd tried.


----------



## deafgal01

Sb- hope the change in donor is all it takes to get your bfp.


----------



## Stardust1

Good luck Silverbell, I hope the new donor makes all the difference, I've got everything crossed for you :flower:


----------



## HollyTTC

Good luck SB!!! I understand your feelings though.... its a tough thing to constantly be let down. You're almost afraid to think it might work out :hugs:

Currently 8 days into my 2ww...... was feeling pretty positive until today. I went about 2 days with no cramping and was really hopeful, but now my pains are back and I'm trying really hard not to be disheartened..... this process sucks. 

Has anyone heard of a DNC helping with fertility? A girlfriend of mine had one after TTC for 18 months and got pregnant right after..... I'm willing to try anything. What do you ladies think?


----------



## CanadianMaple

Welcome cbergs. I was wondering how you were doing. Even if you are just deciding, you're more than welcome to be in here asking questions, etc... It's definitely a process getting to this point. My husband and I own two vials of sperm right now, but still feel funny about everything. I think that we'll be okay once things get moving for us.

SB- I hope this new donor does it for you, I've often heard that's all it takes. I can't blame you for wanting to move to IVF if this doesn't work. Fingers crossed that you won't have to worry about it and you get that BFP this time around.

AFM- I started my BCP today. I hope it doesn't make me a crazy person, I went back to the brand I had in July, the one that caused headaches and bleeding. It was better than the demulen that make me into a psycho person. I take it for 21 days and then start the IUI cycle next. It looks like the cycle may start the weekend of our Thanksgiving in October. DH did his last SA today, we are still expecting azoo, but with his testosterone rising, we had to see if anything changed.


----------



## CanadianMaple

Holly, we cross posted. What is DNC? Try not to obsess to much about cramps and no cramps, when I was pregnant with my son, I had absolutely none of those signs people obsess over.


----------



## CanadianMaple

I wonder if we should open this up to donor IUI or IVF? I would hate to lose members just because IUI didn't work. I think any of us using a donor are in the same boat regardless.

Any thoughts?


----------



## raelynn

I agree Canadian. I think we can all relate on the donor level, regardless of what treatment we're currently going through.


----------



## deafgal01

I am all for that idea


----------



## silverbell

Yes please. If this IUI fails I'll be heading for donor IVF eventually, which I think is the same for a lot of donor IUI ladies who haven't had success with the IUI.


----------



## deafgal01

SB is right about that. I've noticed when IUI doesn't work out, IVF is usually the next step for most ladies.

Speaking of IUI, That's what I'm doing next in my journey. So, gotta get my blood screening done and pick my donor and sign a content form... Then after that the ball gets rolling. :shock: I can't believe it's gonna happen as quickly (or slow) as we want after all this time waiting and trying and getting tested.


----------



## SunUp

Yay!:hugs:
Thank you all so much! I didn't really know where I fit once the IUI didn't work... 
Please, if it gets too much having IVF-ers in here, just let me know, I will take no offense!!

I am starting to get excited though, as I have 14 follies on one side and who knows how many on the other, and they can start to measure them! I have a 9 on one side and 11 on the other! Will keep stimming and go back for monitoring Sunday. I will be ordering the DS Monday, so I HOPE I won't need it before Tuesday... but I doubt I'll need it until near the end of next week! Woo Hoo for things moving along.:happydance:


----------



## WANBMUM

Hi Gals, sorry I have been missing in action. After my last cancelled IUI I really needed a break mentally and I must say I have switched off and rested my head :)

Good luck to all of you in the 2ww, wishing you all the luck in the world. 

AFM - I am waiting to start being scanned, next week again (hopefully) for attempt number 3. 
I agree this should be for both donor IUI and IVF, we can all relate when using donor.


----------



## WANBMUM

Question? Would you or have you had DIUI without your partners being there?
If I have to have IUI next week, due to work commitments my OH wont be able to attend the IUI. Would you guys find this weird? Of course I would prefer if he was there but in the circumstances as you ladies will understand is it normal for me to feel weird.


----------



## MrsC8776

WANBMUM~ The last IUI I had my DH couldn't be there. He works in Afghanistan and it just happened that the IUI would be when he was working. He was also gone when I tested. He was very hopeful for us and asked how things were going everyday. It was different him not being there but it was ok. Of course we all want our DH's to be there but sometimes it isn't possible. How does he feel about it? 

Sunup~ Sounds like everything is going great! You will be at ER in no time. I'm glad the stimming is going so well for you.


----------



## raelynn

Wanbmum - I had my husband there this last time since I wanted him to feel included but it was kind of awkward. There really wasn't much room for him to stand and not be in the way and he said he was kind of uncomfortable and didn't really know where to go or do. If this round doesn't work, I'd probably give him the choice of whether he wanted to come again or not.


----------



## WANBMUM

Thanks mrs c. My oh is willing to do whatever for us to have a baby, as I am. I guess I'm looking at it as a big significant event, which it is, but in reality it's just another step I guess. I can go to scans/tests on my own so I guess I can this too. 

Raelynn, has your clinic not set out a place for a partner in the room? Our 2 precious they have a chair right beside the clinic bed. Your poor hubby, feeling like a spare part. Sounds like how men describe childbirth! Hehe


----------



## deafgal01

Think it would be weird not having my dh there. For my first one, I would want him to be there if possible.


----------



## raelynn

Yeah, our clinic rooms are really small. There is an extra chair in there but it is in the corner right where the doctor sits and that was just weird. My hubby didn't want to be down there in the way or watching everything so he just stood by my head. The IUIs are done in the same rooms as the ultrasound monitoring so they just aren't very roomy.


----------



## Redhead7211

Stalker here! My DH went to our first IUI, the second I went alone due to work obligations. I thought I would be fine with it, considering he's really just there for support. I was very anxious going in and I think it would have made me feel better if he were there. For this one I think he will come with. We are lucky because our clinic room has more than enough space for him to be there. He's not one of the husbands that want to catch an eyeful of the action. :winkwink: It was a comfort having him there though!


----------



## HollyTTC

My husband couldn't come for our last DIUI, but I brought a girlfriend along with me. She didn't come in the room, but just having someone there for the long drive back and forth really helped. 

I'm 11DPO today and I'm gonna test tomorrow, but I think I'm out anyway :nope:

A DNC is where they actually clean our your uterus. Just like you would if you had a miscarriage. I've heard it can really help, but I've never heard it mentioned on this thread and was just wondering what your thoughts were.


----------



## CanadianMaple

I don't think I could do it without DH, but I have wanted him at every appointment and am big at talking things through. He's made the comment before that we don't even need him there anyway in a sad way once, so I think it would make him feel more included.

Holly- Good luck! I don't think you're out yet!

Redhead- Welcome! I can totally relate.

SunUp- I'm glad you stuck around. You'll be in that 2ww soon!

Deafgal- I remember thinking that things were almost moving too fast which shocked me because I had wanted to get started months before. We ended up being delayed and I was devastated, but I think I did need that extra processing time.

I changed the title of this group. I definitely want to include all who are using assistive reproductive technology. I didn't feel like I really related with the at-home with a local donor, I wanted to talk through the choosing the donor at the sperm bank and all the meds and procedures. :)


----------



## silverbell

WANBMUM said:


> Question? Would you or have you had DIUI without your partners being there?
> If I have to have IUI next week, due to work commitments my OH wont be able to attend the IUI. Would you guys find this weird? Of course I would prefer if he was there but in the circumstances as you ladies will understand is it normal for me to feel weird.

It's completely normal to feel this way, as I felt the same. On my 5th IUI DH told me he couldn't go as he had a hospital appointment he'd waited ages for. I was so torn - I wanted him to have his appointment but at the same time I wanted him with me for the IUI. As the date got nearer I started freaking out a bit and panicking that it felt a bit 'wrong' for me to go off to a clinic and have donor sperm put in me without him being there (even though he'd signed the consent!) Plus I worried that if it did turn into a BFP that he might feel a bit odd about it, as he wasn't there at that critical moment if you see what I mean? Anyway, the day before he decided he didn't like the idea of it either and he could see how much it was bothering me so he rearranged his appointment and came with me. I felt so relieved.

I know I'd have been fine without him but I think it was just all the thoughts that you get carried away with that make you think you won't be.



WANBMUM said:


> Hi Gals, sorry I have been missing in action. After my last cancelled IUI I really needed a break mentally and I must say I have switched off and rested my head :)

I completely understand this. After our abandoned IUI early on due to over-stimulation I was a complete mess. I was more upset than I've been with any of the BFNs. I think more because the choice was taken from me and you feel you've just wasted your time with all the injections and scans all for nothing. 

I'm glad the break did you good.


Good luck, Holly! Keeping everything crossed for you :dust:


----------



## WANBMUM

Thanks silverbell. Yes it is so important to take a well deserved break, mentally we all need it. This journey really is so challenging at times and everything gets too much. Looking back in a strange way, I have looked at the cancelled cycles as 'breaks'.

How are you silvervell? I wish you so much luck, Im really hoping this is your lucky one....


----------



## raelynn

Feeling a little down today ladies. The 2ww is going by fairly quickly this time but I have absolutely no symptoms. I try not to symptom spot but I just don't feel pregnant. I didn't really feel pregnant after IVF but I had cramps off and on throughout so I thought that was a good sign and it turns out it was. I was on a whole lot of fertility drugs before the IVF procedure and afterwards and this has been a lot more natural but I'm still starting to think the worst. How do you all get through the ups and downs and the wait?


----------



## deafgal01

Still in with a chance. Some ladies don't always get cramping in the 2ww. Think positive. Are you doing anything to pass the time and staying busy?


----------



## silverbell

WANBMUM said:


> Thanks silverbell. Yes it is so important to take a well deserved break, mentally we all need it. This journey really is so challenging at times and everything gets too much. Looking back in a strange way, I have looked at the cancelled cycles as 'breaks'.
> 
> How are you silvervell? I wish you so much luck, Im really hoping this is your lucky one....

I'm OK but feeling down already as not expecting anything to have worked this time. I just feel like it'll never happen for us. We've had too many failures I think and there's only so long you can stay optimistic! I'm way past that. Oh well - you never know, eh?



raelynn said:


> Feeling a little down today ladies. The 2ww is going by fairly quickly this time but I have absolutely no symptoms. I try not to symptom spot but I just don't feel pregnant. I didn't really feel pregnant after IVF but I had cramps off and on throughout so I thought that was a good sign and it turns out it was. I was on a whole lot of fertility drugs before the IVF procedure and afterwards and this has been a lot more natural but I'm still starting to think the worst. How do you all get through the ups and downs and the wait?

It's still really early, raelynn. Also some ladies will have symptoms when they're very early on then the next time around they don't - each pregnancy seems like it can be very different. Sending lots of :dust: to you.


----------



## CanadianMaple

I had absolutely no symptoms when I was pregnant with my son until 5 weeks, other than missing my period. I got cramping and bloating after that though.


----------



## esuzanne

Hi girls! Keep your heads up! Just think how far we have all come!! My DH & I just left first DIUI and while I am hopeful, I don't want to get too excited. It's like I told DH, its kinda like when we were trying on our own before we found out about azo...if it doesn't work, we just have to try again! I do have a question for you ladies though. When I got up off the table (after laying flat about 15mins) I noticed some liquid under where I was sitting. Now I'm worried that maybe my doc messed up? Thoughts? Experiences?


----------



## raelynn

esuzanne- That has happened for me with both IVF and IUI. The docs told me they use a liquid medium to transfer the embryo (IVF) or sperm (IUI) through the catheter so some of that liquid tends to leak out.

deafgal - I haven't really been doing much to pass the time other than work but it is definitely going by faster than with IVF. I think because you have to be so much more structured and involved with every step for IVF, IUI just seems a lot more relaxed. Plus, our chances are so much lower with a single round of IUI that I don't really have my hopes up like I did for IVF.


----------



## esuzanne

Thanks raelynn! While I haven't done IVF I understand what you mean about it being relaxed and not getting your hopes up. Now I'm worried we timed it wrong bc I'm having awful cramps! I'm assuming (you know what they say about that haha) that the cramping is me ovulating which would mean we probably missed our chance. :-( When do you test?


----------



## WANBMUM

Esuzanne, the liquid they say is where the catheter has disrupted your cervical mucus, it cant be swimmers as they have been placed so far up. Wishing you lots of luck :)

Silverbell, I can relate completely with you, it is so so hard to feel and remain positive when after years of heartache and disappointment, it really becomes alien to us. At times I feel really bad and down for being so pessamistic, like this frame of mind is stopping me from getting pregnant, then I get more depressed. Vicious circle. :( 

I have my first scan tomorrow to see if I have any healthy follicles to proceed with iui. Please keep everything crossed for us.


----------



## raelynn

esuzanne - cramps can be a good sign too. I had them all through my 2ww after IVF.

I'm trying to wait to test until towards the end of the week. My beta is next Monday


----------



## deafgal01

Wan- crossing my fingers for you!


----------



## HollyTTC

I'm out...... :cry:

Soooo disappointed and starting to think that this just won't work for us.....

My husband is away on a hunting trip, so I'm almost glad I can have some time to mope around the house and not have to worry about making him feel bad...... I know its an awful thing to say, but I know I can be honest with you ladies.


----------



## deafgal01

Oh Holly :hugs: This journey really takes its toll on us all in one way or another. :hugs: :cry: So what's the next step? Do they run more tests or move on to ivf? I know my clinic has said that if after 3 cycles of IUI not working, they'd look into the issues more and test to see what's up. DO BE KIND TO YOURSELF- have a little wine or treat yourself to your favorite ice cream. Then brush yourself off and get up again to start planning for next cycle. :hugs:


----------



## WANBMUM

Holly I am so sorry! We understand, in our circumstance we do have to be careful as our poor hubby's do feel responsible. 
I agree, allow yourself the time to cry, feel sorry for yourself and have some wine & chocolate. 
Have you decided what's next for you guys? After this go for us it's onto ivf for us I think.

Sending you hugs :)


----------



## HollyTTC

Thanks so much ladies..... :flower:

All my testing before we tried DIUI was normal (except my thyroid level, which I'm on medication for) so they will let us try for 6 cycles before they will make us try something else. Last time we met with our fertility Dr. he said that we could try injectable ovulation drugs, which can be more effective, but it would be an additional $500-$1000 per month...... DEFINITELY not an option for us.


----------



## deafgal01

Do they not have places that can help with costs to make it more affordable? Or do they not have donations of that for you to use?


----------



## SunUp

@ Holly - So sorry. I have been there, it totally sucks..
I would ask your RE about if there office has any medications to donate? A lot of times they do, but they don't tell everyone that...

Afm- Things look really well right now. Its amazing how FEW follies I had on IUI and now I have a LOAD of mature follicles! I am continuing meds tonight and have a monitoring appointment tomorrow, with likely trigger tomorrow or Thursday! Which means ET should (hopefully) be in about a week! Yay!


----------



## nqhappy1

Hi, my wife and I are brand new to the donor sperm arena, and would love some recommendations for some reputable websites that people have experience with?

Thanks, 
N.


----------



## silverbell

HollyTTC said:


> I'm out...... :cry:
> 
> Soooo disappointed and starting to think that this just won't work for us.....
> 
> My husband is away on a hunting trip, so I'm almost glad I can have some time to mope around the house and not have to worry about making him feel bad...... I know its an awful thing to say, but I know I can be honest with you ladies.

I'm so sorry, Holly :hugs: I've had 5 failed IUIs, so I know precisely how you're feeling and all I can do is send you lots of :hugs: All my results are normal too. They told me it's just one of those things and it's just down to nature that it hasn't worked yet. Doesn't make the disappointment any easier, I know.

Great news, SunUp - fingers crossed all keeps going well :dust:

Welcome, nqhappy. The donor sperm I'm using is specifically from the clinic I am with, but I know there are a couple of reputable websites. The only website I know for sure is reputable is Xytex. Hopefully some other ladies will be able to advise on any others.


----------



## WANBMUM

Hi guys,

I had my folly scan yesterday and my biggest folly is 10x8. I'm going back tomorrow. In your experience how quick will it grow, when do you think it will be ripe? Also at what size do your clinics say right trigger time. 

Thanks :)


----------



## cbergs

nqhappy1 said:


> Hi, my wife and I are brand new to the donor sperm arena, and would love some recommendations for some reputable websites that people have experience with?
> 
> Thanks,
> N.

Hi N,

Are you looking for websites where you can purchase donor sperm through? Or just websites with reputable information and research regarding Donor Insemination?

-Cbergs


----------



## cbergs

How do you donor-using ladies get through that process? I mean...at that point there is just no connection to your hubby whatsoever. I think that no matter how much I accept what I'm doing, the minute the Dr. begins the insemination I am going to break down. I still cannot believe that this is my life, and that my handsome, hard-working, compassionate and just beautiful husband cannot have children. So many scumbags walking around with 15 or so kids...ugghh! So angry and sad. :cry:


----------



## SunUp

cbergs said:


> How do you donor-using ladies get through that process? I mean...at that point there is just no connection to your hubby whatsoever. I think that no matter how much I accept what I'm doing, the minute the Dr. begins the insemination I am going to break down. I still cannot believe that this is my life, and that my handsome, hard-working, compassionate and just beautiful husband cannot have children. So many scumbags walking around with 15 or so kids...ugghh! So angry and sad. :cry:

My best advice- DONT have an IUI until you can handle this. If you need more time for grieving, take it. Its weird, right when they do the IUI and I can understand your fear. I think my DH is super attractive and was sad it wouldn't be his biologically, but once I accepted that he will always be the father, and with a little time, it became something that doesnt bother me. But don't do it if you aren't 100% sure.

Someone else described it has "1/2 adoption"... and it kind of helped some people on here process things better.:flower:


----------



## WANBMUM

CBERGS - honestly, my answer is...TIME. When we were just diagnosed there is no way I would have been able to go ahead with IUI, I thought the same as you, I thought the actual IUI process would be terrible. But with time, we got to the point where it was exciting, we were another step closer to being parents and our first IUI we had so much fun doing so. It wasnt awkward or even emotional. Had we gone soon after diagnosis it would have been a different story. 
Yes we cant have my husbands biological children but he can still be an amazing father, the baby will be HIS and only HIS, he will be our babies only father, the one they go to, he will be teaching them his amazing values and they will have an amazing man as their father. 
Again, this all came with time. You need to give yourself the time mentally to come to terms with it. Yes if I allow myself of course it still hurts, it always will, but its not the be all and end all, at least we are both healthy, I still have my gorgeous husband, I always thought while we were awaiting diagnosis, the worst outcome would be if they found something medically terribly wrong with my hubby. so he doesnt have any sperm, its not gonna stop him from being the amazing daddy he is going to be! :)
Wishing you all the best.


----------



## raelynn

nqhappy1 said:


> Hi, my wife and I are brand new to the donor sperm arena, and would love some recommendations for some reputable websites that people have experience with?
> 
> Thanks,
> N.

We're using Fairfax Cryobank and also looked at California Cryobank



WANBMUM said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> I had my folly scan yesterday and my biggest folly is 10x8. I'm going back tomorrow. In your experience how quick will it grow, when do you think it will be ripe? Also at what size do your clinics say right trigger time.
> 
> Thanks :)

I think they say they usually grow 2mm every 24 hours. My clinic didn't want to trigger until I was over 20mm and by that point I ovulated on my own.



cbergs said:


> How do you donor-using ladies get through that process? I mean...at that point there is just no connection to your hubby whatsoever. I think that no matter how much I accept what I'm doing, the minute the Dr. begins the insemination I am going to break down. I still cannot believe that this is my life, and that my handsome, hard-working, compassionate and just beautiful husband cannot have children. So many scumbags walking around with 15 or so kids...ugghh! So angry and sad. :cry:

I think it is definitely a process that you need to grieve through first. And, as the other ladies have said, our husbands will always be the father no matter whether he donates the biology or not. As for the actual process, I tried to include hubby as much as possible. He was there to hold my hand during the procedure and we also BDed the day before and after the IUI so we still felt there was that chance for our miracle bio baby. Hubby even joked afterward and said we had to have sex, doctors orders :) It is a really tough and unfair process but you'll get through it!


Today is 10dpo for me and I caved and tested with an IC. Very very faint line but it is totally there. I was set on not getting my hopes up since I didn't feel pregnant at all but last night I started having some weird cramping and decided to test today. I know it is still really early and I won't believe it is real until I start getting darker lines (especially with how things ended last time) but how exciting!


----------



## HollyTTC

Welcome nqhappy1 :flower: My hubby and I also used Xytex. 

cbergs - I agree to wait until you feel ready. We almost knew it would be a problem for us even before we started TTC. My husband had leukemia when he was sixteen and his dr's never thought he would be able to have kids. We tried for the first 8 months or so naturally, just to see what would happen. After his SA we discovered that he wasn't producing sperm at all. We were sad, but not surprised and moved on to the DIUI process right away, although it took many months to actually get the actual IUI part going. Make sure you are certain of the decision, its not an easy one to make.

rae - soo excited for you and everything crossed

I got more bad news today. We only have 1 unit left from our donor so I emailed my fertility clinic to get them to order us more...... turns out there is a huge waiting list and not enough units in quarentine right now for us to hope to get anymore.....:cry:
We had enough trouble picking the first donor and now we are being advised to pick another...... We also run into the problem where if we decide to use our last unit of this donor and it works, the next child wouldn't be a full brother/ sister to the first one. I just can't take this anymore..... why does everything just seem to stack up against us more and more. ](*,)
We were also supposed to be going away for the Canadian thanksgiving long weekend, but I am going to end up needing my IUI that weekend, so our trip is out the window now...... :cry:


----------



## deafgal01

Cbergs, that is exactly where I am too. Coping with the crazy emotions of that reality. That is one of the reasons why I decided it will be good to wait til next year to undergo iui (besides saving up for it). Hope you can accept iui soon and see this as your hubby's baby. One thing that helps- mine will be with me during the procedure which means he is there for the conception of this baby.

Holly- bummer that your donor is a popular pick. I guess that is why my clinic recommend I tell them my top 3 to 5 choices for my donor.


----------



## silverbell

WANBMUM said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> I had my folly scan yesterday and my biggest folly is 10x8. I'm going back tomorrow. In your experience how quick will it grow, when do you think it will be ripe? Also at what size do your clinics say right trigger time.
> 
> Thanks :)

It varies for each individual and even sometimes seems to vary per cycle (in my experience and from what the clinic have told me). They will know more today when they scan again as to what kind of rate it is growing at and can then work out roughly when it might be ready. My clinic trigger at 17mm but all clinics are different. 



cbergs said:


> How do you donor-using ladies get through that process? I mean...at that point there is just no connection to your hubby whatsoever. I think that no matter how much I accept what I'm doing, the minute the Dr. begins the insemination I am going to break down. I still cannot believe that this is my life, and that my handsome, hard-working, compassionate and just beautiful husband cannot have children. So many scumbags walking around with 15 or so kids...ugghh! So angry and sad. :cry:

I agree that you need to get past this grief stage as much as you can prior to going into IUI. You sound like you still have a bit of grieving to do for the biological child you will never have with your DH. My DH and I were very excited at our first IUI because we knew it was our first ever chance at conceiving and we had fully embraced the idea of donor sperm and that this child would be 100% ours, even if that wasn't the case biologically. I will admit on that first IUI that I was nervous about how I would feel afterwards, knowing that I had another man's sperm inside me ... but I can honestly say with my hand on my heart that it felt good. It felt like we were finally making steps to get the child we both want so badly. I thought I might feel a bit 'dirty' or like I'd cheated, but it really didn't and I was so pleased. It helped that my DH has been with me holding my hand during every IUI. Having his support while I was having that done really helped me, plus he loved the fact that he might be witnessing the 'conception' of a future child each time if you see what I mean. He was very much a part of each IUI - taking me to the clinic, holding my hand throughout, cuddling me afterwards and letting me put my feet up when I got home and looking after me.



HollyTTC said:


> I got more bad news today. We only have 1 unit left from our donor so I emailed my fertility clinic to get them to order us more...... turns out there is a huge waiting list and not enough units in quarentine right now for us to hope to get anymore.....:cry:
> We had enough trouble picking the first donor and now we are being advised to pick another...... We also run into the problem where if we decide to use our last unit of this donor and it works, the next child wouldn't be a full brother/ sister to the first one. I just can't take this anymore..... why does everything just seem to stack up against us more and more. ](*,)
> We were also supposed to be going away for the Canadian thanksgiving long weekend, but I am going to end up needing my IUI that weekend, so our trip is out the window now...... :cry:

I'm really sorry, Holly. It does suck about IUI's clashing with plans - I know that feeling so well. We had to skip a cycle due to this as we felt it wasn't worth missing out on a break together and I must say the break did us good, but I know it's not for everyone.

I'm sorry about the donor units. Maybe it's worth changing? A lot of clinics suggest a change after 3 tries anyway (though we only changed for this last try). 

Thinking of you and hoping you can both come to the right decision for you both :hugs:


----------



## WANBMUM

Thanks girls! So I triggered this morning and iui is tomorrow evening! I wonder if it will be 3rd time lucky??!?!!
So you know the way my oh can't come due to work commitments my father has offered to drive me as its 3 hours away. It's a funny one, your father bringing you to be inseminated :) ???


----------



## deafgal01

Wan- that's so odd. :haha: Yeah, I think that's funny- saying your father took you to get inseminated. :thumbup: I for sure can't say that I've done that. :rofl:

btw :dust:!!!!!


----------



## SunUp

YAY WANB!!!!:thumbup:


----------



## raelynn

WANBMUM - Good luck! I had to have my father take me in for my IVF round since hubby was still waiting on the call at home to see if he had to go in for another TESE that morning. Too funny! My dad left the second hubby got there :)


----------



## WANBMUM

Thanks gals. :) 
I am still laughing at my father taking me. I guess I truly am part of a 21st century family.


----------



## deafgal01

Hopefully this is it for you wan. Be even more funny to think of daddy being there for a baby's conception instead of hubby. Hmmm maybe daddy is the lucky charm all along. :shrug:


----------



## silverbell

WANBMUM said:


> Thanks girls! So I triggered this morning and iui is tomorrow evening! I wonder if it will be 3rd time lucky??!?!!
> So you know the way my oh can't come due to work commitments my father has offered to drive me as its 3 hours away. It's a funny one, your father bringing you to be inseminated :) ???

So pleased IUI is today :wohoo: Great news. I think it's lovely your father is taking you and shows what kind of a man he is :hugs:


----------



## WANBMUM

Thanks guys. Getting excited. 

My hubby thinks my daddy is going to be lucky too. 

Ps to make it clear, he won't be coming to the clinic! Now that would be weird! 

Yes silverbell, you are so right. My father is a man of little words, this is his way of showing support, minus the vocabulary.


----------



## raelynn

Good luck WANBMUM wishing you the best!! Hopefully this one is lucky for you!


----------



## silverbell

Good luck today, WANB. :hugs:

rae - when will you be testing? Keeping everything crossed for you. :dust:


----------



## Cbird

Hey all, im new to this so please bare with me. DH and i have been TTC for 8 years. Long story short, GP took her time referring us to Fertility specialist. Finally told after all that time that DH has no sperm, he went for TESE with no success :( We decided to go down the DS route with IUI and injectables. We are currently on our 2nd attempt and i am 10dpiui. I know your not meant to test early but i was so curious to see if the trigger had left my system. So 7dpiui i used a Clearblue Digital test which came back NOT PREGNANT, but i did anyone one today using a different test called First Response and there is a faint line. No idea what that means but i'm hoping it the start of a BFP.


----------



## raelynn

silverbell - I've been testing already because I just couldn't hold out any longer. I've been getting positives on ic since Wednesday. Very excited but we're also super nervous and waiting for the betas since the same thing happened last time but my betas were really low and didn't progress well. I'm hopeful though because the tests already seem to be darker than my darkest was last time around which was 16dpo and I'm only 12dpo today.


----------



## WANBMUM

Omg Raelynn! Exciting! Praying for a sticky for you, when do you get your beta checked? It's a waiting game isn't it. 

My IUI went good today, I don't feel as uncomfortable as I usually do after it, i geel great. Now all I have to do is wait....for 2 weeks :)


----------



## deafgal01

Rae- that's something hopeful to focus on! Every pregnancy is different. :hugs: I can't wait for the beta to come back showing good numbers.


----------



## raelynn

WANBMUM - So glad your IUI went well!  Mine was so easy. Of course, I was coming off of IVF so everything seemed way more relaxed but the actual procedure was a piece of cake. Hubby and I went out to breakfast right after :) Hopefully that means good news for you too!

I go in for my beta on Monday. The last few days shouldn't be too bad since it is over a weekend. I'm sure it'll be here before we know it. Hubby and I BDed the night before and after the IUI so we're glad that there is also the tiniest chance it could be his. I'm also a little shocked because we didn't expect the first round to work. Our doctor told us normally each IUI has a 20% chance of being successful but since I have PCOS he gave us only a 15% chance per cycle. How crazy!


----------



## SunUp

ER IN THE AM!!!!! Woooo


----------



## raelynn

Good luck SunUp!! Hope you get lots of eggs!


----------



## HollyTTC

Rae - good luck :dust:

Sunup - hope your ER goes well :flower:

WanB - hope your TWW flies by for you and you get your BFP :thumbup:

Cbird - Welcome. I think you'll find this thread pretty helpful.... I know I sure do. All these ladies are awesome.


----------



## esuzanne

Ok I need your thoughts, ideas, opinions, it'll take it all. I'm currently almost 5dpiui and have been having some cramping. :( I'm using prometrium suppositories (yuck btw) and not sure if that could have anything to do with it or not. Thoughts? I also want to start testing out the trigger but is it too late??


----------



## deafgal01

SunUp- GOOD LUCK :dust:

esuzanne- no idea if that'd have any effect on that. :wacko: I'm sorry I'm not of much help.


----------



## raelynn

esuzanne said:


> Ok I need your thoughts, ideas, opinions, it'll take it all. I'm currently almost 5dpiui and have been having some cramping. :( I'm using prometrium suppositories (yuck btw) and not sure if that could have anything to do with it or not. Thoughts? I also want to start testing out the trigger but is it too late??

I've heard the suppositories can cause cramping and other AF-like symptoms so I wouldn't worry about it. I also had cramps off and on through my 2ww this time and last time and ended up pregnant on both so it could just be your embryo snuggling in. If you're only 5dpiui, you can probably still test out the trigger. If it is negative, it already left your system, positive its probably still the trigger since it would be really early to pick up a bfp at this point.


----------



## RainAngel

hey y'all, mind if i hang around?

im not sure i'll be getting my IUI before the end of 2012 as i'm having problems finding a donor. i've been trying for 7 years, and they're not sure if they want to do clomid or iui next. im rooting for iui!

it'll be my first, and i was wondering how painful it is?


----------



## HollyTTC

RainAngel said:


> hey y'all, mind if i hang around?
> 
> im not sure i'll be getting my IUI before the end of 2012 as i'm having problems finding a donor. i've been trying for 7 years, and they're not sure if they want to do clomid or iui next. im rooting for iui!
> 
> it'll be my first, and i was wondering how painful it is?

Welcome!! :flower:

We took a few weeks to choose our donor.... its a tough decision. (Now we've been told we have to pick again ):dohh:
I didn't find that the IUI hurt at all. A little uncomfortable sometimes, but definitely didn't hurt. The people that do it, do it for a living, so they get pretty good at it. Im on clomid and doing IUI so let me know if I can be of any help


----------



## raelynn

RainAngel said:


> hey y'all, mind if i hang around?
> 
> im not sure i'll be getting my IUI before the end of 2012 as i'm having problems finding a donor. i've been trying for 7 years, and they're not sure if they want to do clomid or iui next. im rooting for iui!
> 
> it'll be my first, and i was wondering how painful it is?

I agree with Holly. My IUI was not painful at all. I could feel something going on down there but that is about it.


----------



## RainAngel

HollyTTC said:


> RainAngel said:
> 
> 
> hey y'all, mind if i hang around?
> 
> im not sure i'll be getting my IUI before the end of 2012 as i'm having problems finding a donor. i've been trying for 7 years, and they're not sure if they want to do clomid or iui next. im rooting for iui!
> 
> it'll be my first, and i was wondering how painful it is?
> 
> Welcome!! :flower:
> 
> We took a few weeks to choose our donor.... its a tough decision. (Now we've been told we have to pick again ):dohh:
> I didn't find that the IUI hurt at all. A little uncomfortable sometimes, but definitely didn't hurt. The people that do it, do it for a living, so they get pretty good at it. Im on clomid and doing IUI so let me know if I can be of any helpClick to expand...

I have a friend who's offered to help me... but after talking to the doctors, he may not be able to help after all as they said there's a chance the baby would be "too big". (i'm 6'1" and he's close to 7 feet, and both of us were huge babies). so im back at square one. my ob said the fs will most likely suggest going to IUI as i have PCOS (or maybe not. they're still deciding!:dohh:)

i've heard of it as referred to as nothing more than what you'd feel for a pap. which would rock, cause i never felt those:thumbup: do you have to take a trigger for the IUI no matter what?


----------



## silverbell

Hi ladies.

Just popping in to say my 6th IUI failed.

I'm now waiting to see if the NHS will give me one free try at DIVF.

Thinking of you all and hoping for lots of lovely :bfp:


----------



## deafgal01

SB :hugs::flower::hugs:


----------



## Guenhwyvar

Hi Ladies,
I don't mean to cause unease amongst you but Nordic Cryobank, a facility that provides sperm for European Sperm Bank has just gone under investigation here in DK for not screening their donors for NF1. This is coming to light after 9 babies have been found to have this disease. Unfortunately this isn't the first time this bank has been negligent with NF1. 
I've been trying to find the story in English to share with y'all but so far I've only found the Danish articles. Again, sorry ladies. I know some of you use European Sperm Bank.


----------



## raelynn

RainAngel - My IUI I felt less than my pap so hopefully it would be that easy for you too. I have heard that PCOS babies tend to be bigger all on their own so I can see why there would be a concern for that. You don't necessarily have to have a trigger shot. My clinic said that in most cases they'll trigger but I ended up having my natural LH surge the same day they measured a mature follicle so I didn't have to trigger. (What a waste of money for the meds though!)

Silverbell - I am so sorry it didn't work out for you again. Hopefully IVF is the right thing for you and it works out perfectly the very first time. Wishing you lots of luck with it!


----------



## HollyTTC

Silverbell - I'm so sorry your last round didn't work :hugs:

I was wondering about the trigger injections as well. I asked my FS last time we were there and he said that there is really no need for them...... I'm kinda confused because it sounds like most of you ladies are getting them. Are any of you from BC? My dr is the 3rd rated endocrinologist in Canada, so I trust his judgement, but I always wonder if maybe we should try.


----------



## RainAngel

raelynn said:



> RainAngel - My IUI I felt less than my pap so hopefully it would be that easy for you too. I have heard that PCOS babies tend to be bigger all on their own so I can see why there would be a concern for that. You don't necessarily have to have a trigger shot. My clinic said that in most cases they'll trigger but I ended up having my natural LH surge the same day they measured a mature follicle so I didn't have to trigger. (What a waste of money for the meds though!)

I know next to nothing about PCOS, because my dr hasnt told me squat about it. i think i have a lp defect as mine is anywhere from 8-12 days, so im not even sure im ovulating right. ive also been told PCOS women cant have babies on their own - neverminding that i was pregnant without any meds 2 years ago! i dont like the idea of shots so hopefully i wont have to. but then again, timing is everything.


----------



## raelynn

RainAngel said:


> I know next to nothing about PCOS, because my dr hasnt told me squat about it. i think i have a lp defect as mine is anywhere from 8-12 days, so im not even sure im ovulating right. ive also been told PCOS women cant have babies on their own - neverminding that i was pregnant without any meds 2 years ago! i dont like the idea of shots so hopefully i wont have to. but then again, timing is everything.

It depends on how PCOS affects you as to whether you can conceive naturally. For me, I have insanely long natural cycles. Anywhere from around 60-100+ days long so it would be extremely hard for me to even know when to try since my ovulation time is never the same. Plus, the longer your cycles, the less likely the egg and your lining is of good quality. Add to that the male factor and we didn't even have a chance. But, I ovulated great by just using clomid this cycle. Everyone is different though.


----------



## deafgal01

I was curious about the trigger too as from what I know, it appears my cycles are pretty normal so I didn't think there was any need/reason for me to trigger but I'll have to ask the office more questions about that.


----------



## raelynn

From what my doctor told me, if they see a mature follicle (20mm or larger) they'll have you trigger that night unless the bloodwork from that morning comes back with an LH surge. When I was in the clinic the morning before my IUI they told me I would be triggering that night but then when they called with the blood results that afternoon they told me to skip my trigger since I had my natural LH surge instead.


----------



## CanadianMaple

Guenhwyvar said:


> Hi Ladies,
> I don't mean to cause unease amongst you but Nordic Cryobank, a facility that provides sperm for European Sperm Bank has just gone under investigation here in DK for not screening their donors for NF1. This is coming to light after 9 babies have been found to have this disease. Unfortunately this isn't the first time this bank has been negligent with NF1.
> I've been trying to find the story in English to share with y'all but so far I've only found the Danish articles. Again, sorry ladies. I know some of you use European Sperm Bank.

Oh crap, that's where my donor was from. If you can find any info, I would appreciate it. What is NF1? 

Raelyn- I just saw your signature! Congratulations!!


----------



## raelynn

Thanks! Still very cautiously optimistic but I had a great 1st beta today of 166 :) Praying this one sticks


----------



## RainAngel

raelynn said:


> RainAngel said:
> 
> 
> I know next to nothing about PCOS, because my dr hasnt told me squat about it. i think i have a lp defect as mine is anywhere from 8-12 days, so im not even sure im ovulating right. ive also been told PCOS women cant have babies on their own - neverminding that i was pregnant without any meds 2 years ago! i dont like the idea of shots so hopefully i wont have to. but then again, timing is everything.
> 
> It depends on how PCOS affects you as to whether you can conceive naturally. For me, I have insanely long natural cycles. Anywhere from around 60-100+ days long so it would be extremely hard for me to even know when to try since my ovulation time is never the same. Plus, the longer your cycles, the less likely the egg and your lining is of good quality. Add to that the male factor and we didn't even have a chance. But, I ovulated great by just using clomid this cycle. Everyone is different though.Click to expand...

my cycles were usually 6 months - or more. when i got pregnant naturally, i have NO idea how it happened. when i was trying with oh, he already had 5 kids, so they said it was all me. im quite confused on it all, and its annoying, but there's not much i can do except get them to fix - or attempt - to fix me.


----------



## CanadianMaple

Guenhwyvar- I just found a few articles and had them translated by Google. I'm freaking out, we have already ordered 2 units from that sperm bank. And to know they allowed a donor for 42 children when they said their limit was 25 is concerning too.

I sent an email to our agency who is a sperm bank broker. I definitely want to look into this.


----------



## Guenhwyvar

Here's a link to info on NF1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001850/
All the babies that have contracted it are from the same donor and they all seem to be located here in Scandinavia. I think you should be relatively safe. If you have to order more vials (crossing my fingers this will be your lucky round) maybe it'll be worth looking at another supplier. I know I had ruled them out as an option for me (even though the headquarters is just an hour away) because of a few previous scandals. Now though.. I wouldn't give them any future business out of respect to all those families. Law here says they (normal healthy donors) can't donate more than 25-40 times because of genetic disease and that they are not allowed to "father" more than 25 children worldwide. Add that to the fact that they knew babies were being born with NF1 and NOT pulled the donor because they found it medically irrelevant and you have a company that just doesn't care, and a government that is ticked off and wanting to remove their license. 
I'm sorry CB, try not to stress out too much. I'm sure your clinic will do some snooping for you. In the meantime just focus on the fact that this donor has been pulled. 



CanadianMaple said:


> Guenhwyvar- I just found a few articles and had them translated by Google. I'm freaking out, we have already ordered 2 units from that sperm bank. And to know they allowed a donor for 42 children when they said their limit was 25 is concerning too.
> 
> I sent an email to our agency who is a sperm bank broker. I definitely want to look into this.


----------



## SunUp

Yay Rae!!


----------



## WANBMUM

Congrats Rae! This is your time sweetie! :)

Wow thanks for the info on cryo, that is scandulous!


----------



## CanadianMaple

I just sent another email to agency I bought the sperm from. I know this sounds crazy, but I wonder if my Visa would refund me? I had no idea there were other scandals with the agency. I feel sick.

I found this article too: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19711565

I want to be able to trust my sperm bank 100%. To think they have allowed that many babies and didn't pull his sperm after getting reports of that health issues is unforgivable.


----------



## MrsC8776

CM~ Is there anyway to find out if the donor has been tested for this? Maybe something they can do at the clinic? Maybe the donor was pulled like Guen said and everything will be ok. With all the extra requirements since you are in Canada I would think that you should be safe and that they wouldn't let this in. 

Realynn~ Congrats! Great beta! 

Sorry I don't post much in here anymore. I just felt like it was the right thing to do a while back. I hope you all are well. If anyone ever has any questions about this process please feel free to pm me. :flower:


----------



## azlissie

Hi everyone! Can I join your group? I'm 32, TTC on my own, and I'm getting ready for IUI #5 after a failed IVF. There's just no way I can afford another IVF right now but I hate to waste months without trying anything. I'm in the process of picking a new donor since I'm starting to think maybe I just don't mesh well with the current one. Hoping AF shows up in the next couple of days and then I'll be on 100mg clomid cd3-7 with IUI somewhere around cd12-13. Looking forward to getting to know everyone and best wishes for lots of BFPs!


----------



## MrsC8776

azlissie said:


> Hi everyone! Can I join your group? I'm 32, TTC on my own, and I'm getting ready for IUI #5 after a failed IVF. There's just no way I can afford another IVF right now but I hate to waste months without trying anything. I'm in the process of picking a new donor since I'm starting to think maybe I just don't mesh well with the current one. Hoping AF shows up in the next couple of days and then I'll be on 100mg clomid cd3-7 with IUI somewhere around cd12-13. Looking forward to getting to know everyone and best wishes for lots of BFPs!

:hi: I'm glad you found the thread I was talking about. The ladies here are wonderful and a great support.


----------



## CanadianMaple

MrsC- I don't think they test for this one because it's rare, but my issue is that they knew about it and didn't pull the donor or notify anyone. If our donor's offspring are showing some medical issue, I would want to know before using the sperm. Plus 45 babies when they promise 20 is a huge issue with me.

AZlissie- Welcome! I can't blame you for wanting to continue to try in the meantime.


----------



## Polita76

My partner and I are using ds also for our iui. This will be my second one. My first one I did it with just my OBGYN and it didn't work. For this time around I went with a local fertility clinic because I was anticipating ovulating on a weekend and my OBGYN would not do IUI's on Saturday or Sunday. I'm 7dpiui. I got a trigger shot and have been having some "symptoms" like creamy cm and pretty sore and tender breasts but I don't want to have my hopes up since I think it could be from the trigger. In my first try, completely unmedicated, I also felt I had "tons" of symptoms but nothing happened. I will not be testing until day 14 since I don't want to risk having a false positive. 

When can I expect to stop having symptoms from trigger? 

Good luck to you all!


----------



## esuzanne

Welcome to the new ladies!! Polita, I didn't really have any symptoms with the trigger (that I noticed anyways) except maybe being exhausted, so I really can't help you there. But from what I've read it's usually out of your system about 10-12 after. I'm currently 10dpiui and unfortunately decided to test out the trigger. I took another test this morning and BFN. I know it might be too early but I just don't feel pregnant...however I guess I don't know what that feels like haha. The only thing I can say about now is I'm extremely thirsty and tired. Which those could be caused by that icky Prometrium suppository. Lots of baby dust and let us know what you find out!


----------



## Polita76

esuzanne said:


> Welcome to the new ladies!! Polita, I didn't really have any symptoms with the trigger (that I noticed anyways) except maybe being exhausted, so I really can't help you there. But from what I've read it's usually out of your system about 10-12 after. I'm currently 10dpiui and unfortunately decided to test out the trigger. I took another test this morning and BFN. I know it might be too early but I just don't feel pregnant...however I guess I don't know what that feels like haha. The only thing I can say about now is I'm extremely thirsty and tired. Which those could be caused by that icky Prometrium suppository. Lots of baby dust and let us know what you find out!

Thanks! I noticed on day of trigger I had a headache which lasted for like two long days since I didn't want to take anything. Then I just noticed more creamy cm (it's usually dry after ovulation) and yesterday the soreness of the breasts. I'm 8 days past the trigger shot. It seems that today I might have less of the cm so maybe it's leaving my system.

I think that 12 dpiui could be too soon. If you implanted at around 10, then it might be barely getting to your urine. I would hold out until day 14. Last cycle I tested from around 9 dpiui and saw a loooooot of BFN. This time I'm waiting. If no AF by the 4th, then I'll test on that day.


----------



## raelynn

esuzanne said:


> Welcome to the new ladies!! Polita, I didn't really have any symptoms with the trigger (that I noticed anyways) except maybe being exhausted, so I really can't help you there. But from what I've read it's usually out of your system about 10-12 after. I'm currently 10dpiui and unfortunately decided to test out the trigger. I took another test this morning and BFN. I know it might be too early but I just don't feel pregnant...however I guess I don't know what that feels like haha. The only thing I can say about now is I'm extremely thirsty and tired. Which those could be caused by that icky Prometrium suppository. Lots of baby dust and let us know what you find out!

Even if you don't feel pregnant, don't lose hope. I literally told my hubby that I didn't feel pregnant at all this time but then a few days later I got some really mild cramping different than AF usually is and got a BFP. So, you never know!


----------



## Redhead7211

Rea-Congratulations!!:flower:

Canandian-Let us know what the clinic says. That's disgusting and so very scary! Can they refund your money?

Welcome all of the new ladies to the thread!:flower:

Polita-Which trigger shot did you have? I have read that the HCG Trigger 10,000 iu can take up to 10 days to leave your system. I took the HCG Trigger last cycle and I tested it out around 6 days (though I have a very tough time seeing faint lines on POAS tests). This month I took Ovidrel and am opting out of testing it out this month. I read that it can take around 6 days for it to test of your system. I have been having a lot more mild symptoms with this trigger than the last one. Keep in mind metabolisms vary :haha: We are also cycle buddies! I should be testing around the 4th too!

AZ-I'm on IUI #3, if this one doesn't work I'm contemplating on switching donors fearing that we don't "mesh" well either.


----------



## SunUp

I switched donors from IUI to IVF. I have no issues and IUI never worked so I was afraid of the meshing also. New donor and I have 22 "really good" embryo's... so maybe a donor switch is a good thing. :)


----------



## Polita76

Redhead7211 said:


> Rea-Congratulations!!:flower:
> 
> Canandian-Let us know what the clinic says. That's disgusting and so very scary! Can they refund your money?
> 
> Welcome all of the new ladies to the thread!:flower:
> 
> Polita-Which trigger shot did you have? I have read that the HCG Trigger 10,000 iu can take up to 10 days to leave your system. I took the HCG Trigger last cycle and I tested it out around 6 days (though I have a very tough time seeing faint lines on POAS tests). This month I took Ovidrel and am opting out of testing it out this month. I read that it can take around 6 days for it to test of your system. I have been having a lot more mild symptoms with this trigger than the last one. Keep in mind metabolisms vary :haha: We are also cycle buddies! I should be testing around the 4th too!
> 
> AZ-I'm on IUI #3, if this one doesn't work I'm contemplating on switching donors fearing that we don't "mesh" well either.

Redhead, not sure about what shot they gave me but I'm thinking it wasn't ovidrel. I thought at one time that I might test the trigger out and see how long it took to leave my body but I decided not to...those tests are expensive!

The only "symptoms" I've had, I think I mentioned it before, are the cm (although it´s not as much today) and the breast which are pretty sore as I type but, again, it's been eight days after trigger so maybe too soon to be anything different. 

My donor has pregnancies, what about yours? My RE said that was a very important thing to take into account when choosing a donor.


----------



## want2beamamma

Would it be alright if I joined in ? I am not on a whole lot im busy with renovations and running a hobby farm...but its nice to know there are nice ladies who can relate!!
Well here is my story so far....


Me - PCOS which is being treated with Metformin
DH- Vascetomy from previous relationship after 2 children.


Fast forward a few years and now we are together and wanting to have a baby. I have no children of my own. We started looking into our options and were suprized by how many options are really out there. We spent much time looking at each options researching, asking, reading books etc. After months of talking things out we have a choice made! We decided on going with IUI with donor sperm. After all a child can be made by anyone but the male figure that is always there for them is what makes a dad, my DH said he has no issues with it not biologically being his...GREAT and on we went to the fertility clinic. 

I was very nervous about seeing the doctor but excited aswell. She laid out all the options and explained them. We told her our choice for IUI and donor sperm. She sent us home with alot of papers to read and where to start looking for donor sperm. We spent alot of weeks looking at different sites, as time was getting less and less for us to look since i was planning to get the IUI the next cycle (2.5 weeks) someone had to be picked. At first i looked into every aspect of each donor.... then I realized I was looking much too far into it. So just like that we picked someone we kept going back to. 

I got sent for alot of blood work to make sure i am completely healthy, all came back well. I also have been taking OPK just to see how things are working ( if they are ). Unfortunately ovulation wasnt strong enough so I was prescribed Clomid.





I am taking Metformin 1500mg a day
doctor prescribed Clomid 100mg days 2-6 of cycle
Also taking Folic acid 1mg a day
No basal temp because I work shift work
Taking OPK's starting day 7 of cycle 


SEPT 24TH-CYCLE DAY 1- Period start. Heavy cramping which is normal for me. Metformin 1500mg and folic acid 1mg

SEPT 25TH- CYCLE DAY 2-Period. CLOMID 100MG. No side effects. Metformin 1500mg folic acid 1mg.

SEPT 26TH - CYCLE DAY 3- Period only minimal just abit of brown and only used 1 panty liner. shorter period then normal ...maybe the clomid??? CLOMID 100MG at 11:00am. Had what i think was my first symptoms to Clomid. A couple hot flashes in the afternoon. Crampy in lower back left side in evening. 1500MG Metformin and 1MG Folic acid. Got a call from the clinic and the order ( sperm donor vial ) has arrived... woohoo count down is on till O now !!! Feeling very positive about this


----------



## MrsC8776

CanadianMaple said:


> MrsC- I don't think they test for this one because it's rare, but my issue is that they knew about it and didn't pull the donor or notify anyone. If our donor's offspring are showing some medical issue, I would want to know before using the sperm. Plus 45 babies when they promise 20 is a huge issue with me.
> 
> AZlissie- Welcome! I can't blame you for wanting to continue to try in the meantime.

I understand what you are saying. I was just wondering if there was anything your clinic can do. Honestly I would be freaking out as well. The 45 when only 25 is allowed would be enough to push me over the edge. It just shows that some places don't follow rules and that is very unsettling. I'm sorry you are having to have this stress when everything was just figured out. Please let me know what the clinic/bank/ and any other place you have contacted says. :hugs:

Welcome to the new ladies! 

want2be~ I was in the exact same spot as you except I don't have PCOS. My DH had a vasectomy and we wanted children together. IVF was way out of the cards for us but there was a time I thought we could make it work. DIUI has been the right choice for us. Fx for you!


----------



## SPINRN1980

I am 3dpiui with donor sperm. Im using donor sperm because im a lesbian. Its my first try. My partner and I are a little nervous cause my u/s showed 6 mature follicles and I have no known fertility issues. Praying it takes but praying for no more than 2! :) Good Luck to you all!


----------



## Polita76

I decided to see if I still had trigger in my system (given I woke up at 2 am today and couldn't go back to sleep again because how sore my boobs are). So I POAS at around 5 and it was negative so I suppose it's safe to say that trigger is out of my system. I'm 9 dp trigger shot and 8dpiui. I won't test again until 14 dpiui.


----------



## CanadianMaple

I'm sorry for the post and run, I'm trying to gather some information really quickly because of some correspondance I've had with my sperm bank. I was just told the number of births worldwide for our sperm bank is 10 higher than I had been originally quoted.

How many family units (births) does your sperm bank allow per donor?


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## MrsC8776

The place we used is 25 in the US or 15 international. I think thats what they are saying. The donor we picked is no longer available. 

https://www.cryolab.com/termsOfUse.shtml#LimitsOnBirth

What did they tell you?


----------



## raelynn

Fairfax Cryobank is the same - 25 in the US, 15 International


----------



## MrsC8776

raelynn congrats on the second beta! How many dpo are you?


----------



## raelynn

18dpo today. Thanks!


----------



## CanadianMaple

First I was told 30 all together, back in July.

Then yesterday, they said 15 in Canada. So, I asked if his sperm was only available in Canada or elsewhere. They said 40 worldwide.

That seems like a lot, but it probably doesn't matter. For some reason, those extra 10 really freaked me out today. I don't think they would have bothered me if I had been told 40 from the beginning.

What else are they not telling me? I feel paranoid about it now...

Raelyn- 18dpo is a milestone when charting, that's when it seems really real. :)


----------



## MrsC8776

Sounds about the same. Do you think the lady was just confused or something when she said 40? Just asking because the to numbers put together is 40. Seems like most places are 25/15. Sorry you are freaking out about everything now. :hugs:


----------



## CanadianMaple

This is her email:

_Hello,



The European Sperm bank has a limit of 30 births worldwide.



Here is a list of what the donors are tested for. (European Sperm bank)

Donor Screening

Initially the donors are selected by the Nordic Cryobank staff, based on a number of parameters:

Sperm Quality
Age
Personality
Education
4 Generation Family Health History

Further screening includes blood and urine analysis:

Chemistry Panel
Complete Blood Count
Urinalysis
ABO-Rh Blood typing
HIV
HTLV I/II
Hepatitis B Surface Antigen
Hepatitis B Core Antibody
Hepatitis C Viral Antibody
Syphilis (RPR)
CMV IgG/IgM
Chlamydia
Gonorrheae

The genetic testing we do includes the following:

4 generation family medical history, which is reviewed by a trained genetic specialist or a medical doctor (all donors)
Cystic Fibrosis screening for 32-86 mutations in the Cystic Fibrosis gene (all Caucasian donors)
Chromosome analysis (all donors)
Thalassemia (all donors). An HPLC analysis is done to detect this indirectly. Please contact us if you would like to have your donor genetically screened for carrier status. Less than 1 in 1000 are carriers for this disease in Northern Europe.
Tay-Sachs disease (donors with Ashkenazi Jewish or French Canadian ancestry)
Canavan disease disease (donors with Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry)
Familial Dysautonomia (donors with Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry)
Fanconi Anemia type C (donors with Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry)
Gaucher disease (donors with Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry)
Niemann-Pick type A disease (donors with Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry)
Sickle Cell Disease (donors with African ancestry are genetically screened). For all donors an HPLC analysis is done to detect this indirectly.
Canavan disease (donors with Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry)_

It makes me feel better that 40 isn't that far off the other sperm banks, it just sucks that all of this is coming out at the same time... The issue in Denmark and then this miscommunication about the number here in Canada.

I don't think it will stop us, I doubt we could get a refund anyway. It's just going to be something to process before we move forward.


----------



## HollyTTC

Welcome to all the new ladies on the thread :flower:

Thats really too bad about the sperm bank. I'm glad I found out though, because we need to choose another donor, and we won't be choosing from them. 

AFM - CD 10 today. Starting clomid 100mg on saturday. If this round doesn't work, we are probably going to go with injectable ovulation drugs. Does anyone else use them? We are lucky because our extended health covers the cost of them which is an extra $500- $1000 a month on top of what we're already paying for. Crossing my fingers so hard that they hurt that this will be the cycle for us.


----------



## azlissie

CanadianMaple, that is so scary about that sperm bank! I can totally understand why you're upset. I haven't caught up on everyone's story - have you already done your IUI? I hope everything turns out okay.

Thanks for the welcome, everyone! I have gotten so much information and support from this forum - it's a huge help with all the waiting that we have to do!

AFM, cd1 today so I'll be starting Clomid Saturday night. And I think I've decided on my donor - I use the California Cryobank and I wanted an open donor just in case somewhere down the road my child wanted to meet. The guy I picked has brown eyes like me but is super tall - 6'3" - so I'm hoping he'll balance out my 5'2" shortness. So glad to be starting this again - good luck to everyone!


----------



## Polita76

azlissie said:


> CanadianMaple, that is so scary about that sperm bank! I can totally understand why you're upset. I haven't caught up on everyone's story - have you already done your IUI? I hope everything turns out okay.
> 
> Thanks for the welcome, everyone! I have gotten so much information and support from this forum - it's a huge help with all the waiting that we have to do!
> 
> AFM, cd1 today so I'll be starting Clomid Saturday night. And I think I've decided on my donor - I use the California Cryobank and I wanted an open donor just in case somewhere down the road my child wanted to meet. The guy I picked has brown eyes like me but is super tall - 6'3" - so I'm hoping he'll balance out my 5'2" shortness. So glad to be starting this again - good luck to everyone!

I'm also going with California Cryobank but my donor is not an open one (as you know, they are more expensive). When I inquired about not open donors they said that even if they are anonymous, they will contact them when the child turns 18 and see if they want any further contact. That was a good compromise for me.

Good luck on your cycle. I'm 9dpiui today.


----------



## want2beamamma

MrsC8776 said:


> CanadianMaple said:
> 
> 
> MrsC- I don't think they test for this one because it's rare, but my issue is that they knew about it and didn't pull the donor or notify anyone. If our donor's offspring are showing some medical issue, I would want to know before using the sperm. Plus 45 babies when they promise 20 is a huge issue with me.
> 
> AZlissie- Welcome! I can't blame you for wanting to continue to try in the meantime.
> 
> I understand what you are saying. I was just wondering if there was anything your clinic can do. Honestly I would be freaking out as well. The 45 when only 25 is allowed would be enough to push me over the edge. It just shows that some places don't follow rules and that is very unsettling. I'm sorry you are having to have this stress when everything was just figured out. Please let me know what the clinic/bank/ and any other place you have contacted says. :hugs:
> 
> 
> 
> Welcome to the new ladies!
> 
> want2be~ I was in the exact same spot as you except I don't have PCOS. My DH had a vasectomy and we wanted children together. IVF was way out of the cards for us but there was a time I thought we could make it work. DIUI has been the right choice for us. Fx for you!Click to expand...



At first I wasnt sure on the whole donor idea but the baby will be loved the same and ours all the same anyways. I hope I have the luck that you have :) !! I am VERY excited to go for the treatment. What meds did they have you take? If you dont mind me asking.


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## want2beamamma

I went with Repromed it's based in Toronto.
At my clinic I had a limit on my options.
They were easy to deal with, and it was a quick process!


----------



## MrsC8776

CM~ I hope everything works out and you guys will be ok to move forward. 

Holly~ Fx you won't move to injections. I haven't used them but if they are needed they do the job. 

azlissie~ Good luck! Yay for getting started again. Fx this is it for you and you won't have to do this anymore. 

Polita~ Fx for you! 

want2be~ I don't mind sharing at all. I was on clomid 50mg days 3-7. On day 12 I had 3 follicles and two that were for sure ready to go. By this time I didn't have a positive OPK yet and so he sent me home with a trigger shot (Ovidrel) to take that evening. On CD 14 I went back in for my IUI. I guess the two good ones I had both were really ready because here I am with two on the way. :winkwink: If you have any more questions please feel free to ask. I'm sticking around to cheer you all on and to answer any questions you have.


----------



## want2beamamma

That awesome, congrats !!!!
I am on Clomid days 2-6 100mg... the doctor isnt doing an ultrasound to check the follicles. I am also not getting a trigger shot... I am really nervous of missing the small window I have.


----------



## MrsC8776

Thank you! Is there a reason he isn't doing ultrasounds? Our insurance didn't cover anything so we were fully out of pocket. If thats the reason I fully understand. Is this your first time on clomid?


----------



## want2beamamma

All is out of pocket but ultrasound wouldnt cost me any extra then I am paying. This is my first time on Clomid. I mentioned to the doctor about being sure that I will be able to do the IUI by checking and she never said anything more. I am just nervous I will miss the right time....or go the wrong time !


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## MrsC8776

The reason I think ultrasounds are good with clomid is because I know it can cause cysts. Not saying it will just that it can. I'm a little surprised that they want you on 100mg rather than starting you on 50mg. I'm sure it will be fine though. The thing with clomid is you can sometimes feel ovulation. I know I ovulated about 6 blocks from my clinic on the way to the IUI. It wasn't painful I could just feel it. Clomid made me a mad woman. :blush: I had horrible mood swings with it. I think my hubby wanted to kill me. Did they tell you a certain type of OPK to use?


----------



## want2beamamma

Well hopefully it will work out :) Tomorrow is my last pill and I've been having major hot flashes and I was quite a cranky ...you know what tonight, or so I was told haha!!! 
Do you start to feel any different cramping coming up to ovulation? Any different than a month not on clomid?? No certain type of OPK , she said anyone would be fine.

ERRR i have to stop over analzying things, it's just so damn hard not to haha !!!


----------



## MrsC8776

I'm sure it will go great! :) Yeah I was told I was being mean a few times. Poor hubby! :haha: Since I had the trigger shot I can't really say if I felt anything coming up or changing. I know some of the other girls in this thread took or are taking clomid so they might be able to answer that one. I always got my positive OPK's in the evening so I was testing a lot for my surge. I really liked the clearblue digital OPK's with the smiley face. They do cost more but work very well. The Amazon cheapies (wondfo) are good also. Fx you won't have to get anymore OPK's in the future. 

It is hard not to look at everything. Thats what we do though. Before O and after O. The waiting is the worst! :coffee:


----------



## raelynn

I took clomid and ovulated without a trigger shot. It felt pretty similar to normal ovulation cramps but a bit more intense. It was definitely more noticeable. Other than that, I didn't have any other side effects. No mood swings, headaches, hot flashes or anything. I think it was just good for my body to ovulate in a normal timeframe for once plus I was just really relaxed this cycle.


----------



## Polita76

This round I did an unmedicated cycle but triggered on cd 15. I had an ultrasound on cd 14 and they saw a good size follicle and that's why they had me triggered the next day (I could have waited for my natural surge but RE was worried that because I usually ovulate late in my cycle, around cd 20-21, my follicle would be waiting for my body to finally start the surge and then it wouldn't be very good quality).

I thought that when you were on clomid they would do ultrasounds to check how many follicles you have. If it's your first time around with Clomid, how will they know that you didn't hyperstimulate if they don't do an ultrasound? Maybe you can ask them at your next visit. Not a doctor here, of course, but it just seems strange.

I'm 10dpiui today and 11dp trigger shot. My boobs and nipples are very sore and I had a few hot flashes yesterday but other than that I'm fine. Not sure if that could be the trigger shot since it was my first time taking it.


----------



## want2beamamma

Raelynn- It is nice to know that it is possible to happen :). I hope I am as lucky as you to ovulate with no trigger.

Polita76- I was pretty sure anyone who I've known to take Clomid and most people that I've seen on sites all get monitored. The possibility of multiples has been talked about and we are fine with it. Although .... my concern is more then just a COUPLE babies haha


----------



## raelynn

want2beabmomma - I was really surprised I didn't have to trigger, especially since I normally don't ovulate until somewhere over 60 days. They told me I would most likely trigger that night when I went in for my morning appointment but then called me that afternoon and said my blood test results said I surged on my own. Hope you get as lucky!


----------



## WANBMUM

I agree it is surprising they are not doing an ultrasound, I have the symptoms of pcos, I was put on just 50mg of clomid and when I went for my u/s I had overstimulated, about 15 on each side. My iui was cancelled. Since then I've also had a cyst and they've cancelled iui, had they not scanned me we would have wasted hundreds of pounds. I think it's so important for them to check what's going on within. 

Have any of you ladies had many side effects after the trigger that you've noticed? I've been having piercing pains in my lower area, it feels similar to when I had a cyst. I'm 8dpiui.


----------



## Polita76

WANBMUM said:


> Have any of you ladies had many side effects after the trigger that you've noticed? I've been having piercing pains in my lower area, it feels similar to when I had a cyst. I'm 8dpiui.

Well, it's my first time using the trigger so not sure if this is normal or not. I had a headache that lasted two days. I kept having cm, creamy kind, though I usually don't notice any cm after ovulation. Then my boobs started to get sore around 7d post trigger and they still are. Nipples are supersensitive (this has never happened to me before). I started having hot flashes yesterday. I got two or three pimples (lovely, huh?) around my mouth. 

So these are all the things I have experienced so far, not sure if due to trigger or not since I have nothing to compare it too. I took a PT 8 days past trigger to see if there was any trigger left and it came back negative.

I must say that my previous cycle that was completely unmedicated I had blue veins everywhere (they never disappeared, I still have them in my pelvic area, my hands, my breasts and my nipples), back pain, ovulation pain, sharp pains in my lower area and it was negative so I am trying not to read too much into symptoms. 

I just got to thinking that it's very cruel to give us a medication that mimics the symptoms of pregnancy, don't you think? :wacko:


----------



## MrsC8776

The trigger can give off many pregnancy symptoms for some and none for others. I didn't have any symptoms of the trigger but my nipps became very sore at about 4dpo. Thats when all my true symptoms started. The small cramping that didn't feel like AF and horrible pimples (that I still have). I think the trigger just treats everyone differently. I found it best to test it out everyday using the cheapie tests. 

WANB is your cramping all the time or just random?

When do you have your betas ladies? 

Good luck ladies! I hope this is it for you! 
:dust::dust::dust:


----------



## WANBMUM

I was getting random pinching pains on and off over the last 24 hours but it's gone now. It was quite uncomfortable/tender but not painful, just on my right side. I am definitely more aware down there. I sneezed earlier and i had to hold onto my lower tummy. I'm not reading into it, I think it's either from the trigger or I have a cyst :( 

How are you Mrs C? Is I sinking in yet? I bet you wake up everyday still shocked :)


----------



## MrsC8776

I hope you don't have a cyst. I had a huge one and it was the worst pain I have felt ever. It is still there but slowly shrinking. Fx its just your LO implanting! 

I'm hanging in there, thank you for asking. Still in shock a little bit. I think once we know the genders it will become more real. Although not being able to fit into my previous clothes is a huge reality check. Other than that things have been great. A few things come up after the bfp that we are trying to be comfortable with. One being people making jokes saying "oh I hope they don't have his feet or his big head." It is all in joking but it does sting a little. We are learning to laugh it off and move on.


----------



## Redhead7211

Hi ladies! 
Doing a drive by, though I'll try and check in a bit more frequently to catch up on everyone's story.

Polita-Our donor has documented pregnancies. Did you see them give you the trigger shot? The HCG needs to be mixed together and the Ovidrel comes all done up in the syringe (or that's what I've seen anyway).

Want2beamama-Having more than a few babies at one time is a concern of ours too!

I'm on my 2nd cycle of 50 mg of Clomid. I have very terrible heavy, clotty, crampy periods normally. The first cycle of Clomid my period was great...very light, I had a lot of energy. I did have terrible hot flashes at times. The second period on Clomid was clotty with terrible cramps. I also went kind of...crazy :blush: I don't know if it was from a second failed cycle of IUI, and just being so frustrated, but I was horribly depressed and manic. DH felt the brunt of it unfortunately. There are a few concerns with Clomid, one the girls addressed already is cysts, another is it can make your uterus lining thin. All things to think about.


I'm 8 dpiui and am feeling pretty good. I'm trying not to over think anything. I have a cold which is going around that I can't seem to shake. The sides of my boobs are sore and I have a hefty appetite which is very unusual for me. I also have been peeing a lot, but what else is new for the TWW? :wacko: 

How's everyone feeling? When are you all testing?


----------



## Polita76

Redhead7211 said:


> Hi ladies!
> 
> Polita-Our donor has documented pregnancies. Did you see them give you the trigger shot? The HCG needs to be mixed together and the Ovidrel comes all done up in the syringe (or that's what I've seen anyway).

Redhead, they did mix up something. 

I'll be testing on the 4th. I'm trying to wait until that day if AF doesn't show up before (hopefully it won't)


----------



## WANBMUM

I'm testing on Friday, I won't be going for a beta (until its a positive of course) 

I'm feeling good, tired/groggy like I do just before my af. 

MrsC I can understand how things can come up, I have slight concerns when we have a baby, for my husband, introducing our baby, it is so natural for people's conversations about who the baby looks like, that's all it tends to be when they are babies, I must say ive noticed i do it!! Recently I heard one Aunty saying to the father, I don't see you in her at all. I know this is all part of it, our lives, I know it may become funny, like our secret where we can laugh but it's gotta sting sometimes.


----------



## want2beamamma

Redhead7211- We did talk about multiples and I've actually come to the thought that I would love twins aslong as all 3 of us were healthy. 3 would be alot. I wish there was monitoring....


----------



## esuzanne

I tested this morning 14dpiui and BFN. I have some awful pimples and I was hoping I could at least find out they were worth it. This was only our first IUI and our doctor likes to try it twice and if it doesn't work they suggest IVF. I honestly don't know how I'll find the strength to try again. It's like at this point I'm losing all hope. If it comes down to IVF, we just can't afford it. Who knows. Guess its another month of waiting, medicating, & waiting. Sigh. I hope one of us has a BFP this cycle!!


----------



## Polita76

esuzanne said:


> I tested this morning 14dpiui and BFN. I have some awful pimples and I was hoping I could at least find out they were worth it. This was only our first IUI and our doctor likes to try it twice and if it doesn't work they suggest IVF. I honestly don't know how I'll find the strength to try again. It's like at this point I'm losing all hope. If it comes down to IVF, we just can't afford it. Who knows. Guess its another month of waiting, medicating, & waiting. Sigh. I hope one of us has a BFP this cycle!!

I'm sorry, esuzanne! I also have one big pimple that I wasn't doing anything about because I thought it might have to do with good news but not sure anymore. My boobs and nipples are sore but probably it's the trigger shot. Now I'm having some lower back pain which I usually get before AF comes so starting to feel :cry: I'm 11dpiui


----------



## MrsC8776

WANBMUM said:


> I'm testing on Friday, I won't be going for a beta (until its a positive of course)
> 
> I'm feeling good, tired/groggy like I do just before my af.
> 
> MrsC I can understand how things can come up, I have slight concerns when we have a baby, for my husband, introducing our baby, it is so natural for people's conversations about who the baby looks like, that's all it tends to be when they are babies, I must say ive noticed i do it!! Recently I heard one Aunty saying to the father, I don't see you in her at all. I know this is all part of it, our lives, I know it may become funny, like our secret where we can laugh but it's gotta sting sometimes.

Good luck on Friday! 

The things that come up do sting and it has been happening for a while now. I know it will com up more once the babies are here. I think it will always sting though. Learning to laugh it off or push it aside is difficult. People don't know that we went this route so they will make their comments and that will be fine. I now find myself looking to see who children look like but only because I'm curious if they had to do the same thing we are having to do. So many people go the donor route and never talk about it. 



esuzanne said:


> I tested this morning 14dpiui and BFN. I have some awful pimples and I was hoping I could at least find out they were worth it. This was only our first IUI and our doctor likes to try it twice and if it doesn't work they suggest IVF. I honestly don't know how I'll find the strength to try again. It's like at this point I'm losing all hope. If it comes down to IVF, we just can't afford it. Who knows. Guess its another month of waiting, medicating, & waiting. Sigh. I hope one of us has a BFP this cycle!!

:hugs: Sorry about the bfn. As they always say you aren't out until the witch shows! I'm surprised that your dr likes to move on after 2 IUI's. It took 4 for me. I would see if they can change things up next round or after two. Don't give up yet though there is still time this cycle. 



Polita76 said:


> esuzanne said:
> 
> 
> I tested this morning 14dpiui and BFN. I have some awful pimples and I was hoping I could at least find out they were worth it. This was only our first IUI and our doctor likes to try it twice and if it doesn't work they suggest IVF. I honestly don't know how I'll find the strength to try again. It's like at this point I'm losing all hope. If it comes down to IVF, we just can't afford it. Who knows. Guess its another month of waiting, medicating, & waiting. Sigh. I hope one of us has a BFP this cycle!!
> 
> I'm sorry, esuzanne! I also have one big pimple that I wasn't doing anything about because I thought it might have to do with good news but not sure anymore. My boobs and nipples are sore but probably it's the trigger shot. Now I'm having some lower back pain which I usually get before AF comes so starting to feel :cry: I'm 11dpiuiClick to expand...

Fx what you're feeling isn't af coming.


----------



## want2beamamma

esuzanne- Sorry about the bfn BUT it isnt over yet!!!


----------



## Redhead7211

Hi ladies-

MrsC-It was a challenge for DH to accept using DS. He even cried when we talked about it. I spent a lot of time telling him the dad isn't the sperm donor, it's whoever takes care of the baby etc. Our RE asked us what our plans were in regard to telling our baby, or if we wanted to. RE basically told us the child responds well to honesty about the situation because they know they are wanted and using DS isn't a taboo so much these days. Obviously that's a personal choice. My family is open to the idea of us using DS and know about it, my DH does NOT want to tell his family yet. I guess we will get pregnant first and then cross that bridge:coffee:

Suzanne-I responded to you in our other post about IUI's :flower:

Polita-I also have some whopper zits. Last night I started getting dull on and off cramps in my right ovary area. Let's hope we are not out!


----------



## Polita76

Redhead7211 said:


> Polita-I also have some whopper zits. Last night I started getting dull on and off cramps in my right ovary area. Let's hope we are not out!

I had to end up doing something with the bigger one I had because it was scary looking :haha::haha:

Are you testing 14 dpiui? That would be the 3rd for me.


----------



## CanadianMaple

I'm so glad I started this group! I never thought we would get close to 50 pages of posts!

esuzanne- I'm so sorry about the BFN. :(

Polita76- Don't count yourself out yet. I was sure I wasn't pregnant when I got pregnant with my son 5 years ago. A lot of early pregnancy signs are similar to pre-AF signs.

want2beamamma- I would want monitoring. Our clinic offered to just do a $390 IUI without monitoring, but I opted to pay an extra $300 for an ultrasound at CD12. Can you offer to pay a bit more for a scan near ovulation?

WANBMUM- I hope you need that beta!

Redhead- I think a lot of those signs sound promising. I worry a lot about the clomid side effects, especially since I don't even hand the birth control pill well. Lets hope this was your last Clomid dose needed!

Hi MrsC! Hope all is going well. I was hoping your cyst was almost gone.

AFM- I only have two birth control pills left. This weekend coming is our Thanksgiving, so it would be actually helpful if AF does start and we can get that first scan done without missing work. I'm suddenly really nervous about all of this, especially knowing that our donors can have 40 children out there. I think that part bothers me the most, and it's probably because I read that article about the Danish sperm bank issues. I think a lot of this is self-preservation too. We had two canceled cycles, a Hep C scare and it looks like everything is on track now. 

I'll be doing Clomid 100mg (is that a lot for a first try?) and an ovidril trigger shot at around CD12. This could really be happening, is it normal to suddenly feel afraid of using a donor?

DH's family doctor has been away for 2 weeks and should be in his office tomorrow. We had one last SA done since DH's testosterone levels went up to a low normal and we just wanted to rule out those what ifs. I hope that getting those results make me feel solid on this. We've talked about using a donor since we found out he doesn't have sperm way back on Dec 1 of last year, I think this must just be nerves/cold feet.


----------



## MrsC8776

Redhead7211 said:


> Hi ladies-
> 
> MrsC-It was a challenge for DH to accept using DS. He even cried when we talked about it. I spent a lot of time telling him the dad isn't the sperm donor, it's whoever takes care of the baby etc. Our RE asked us what our plans were in regard to telling our baby, or if we wanted to. RE basically told us the child responds well to honesty about the situation because they know they are wanted and using DS isn't a taboo so much these days. Obviously that's a personal choice. My family is open to the idea of us using DS and know about it, my DH does NOT want to tell his family yet. I guess we will get pregnant first and then cross that bridge:coffee:
> 
> Suzanne-I responded to you in our other post about IUI's :flower:
> 
> Polita-I also have some whopper zits. Last night I started getting dull on and off cramps in my right ovary area. Let's hope we are not out!

I was the just like your DH. I cried... a lot. He was all for it and said it wasn't a big deal to him. I think that was my grieving moment of knowing that I would never have his biological child. He had a reversal prior and after a while it healed back over so that was hard. We haven't told anyone that we are using donor. Maybe eventually but not right now. Does your DH want to tell the child or no? 



CanadianMaple said:


> I'm so glad I started this group! I never thought we would get close to 50 pages of posts!
> 
> esuzanne- I'm so sorry about the BFN. :(
> 
> Polita76- Don't count yourself out yet. I was sure I wasn't pregnant when I got pregnant with my son 5 years ago. A lot of early pregnancy signs are similar to pre-AF signs.
> 
> want2beamamma- I would want monitoring. Our clinic offered to just do a $390 IUI without monitoring, but I opted to pay an extra $300 for an ultrasound at CD12. Can you offer to pay a bit more for a scan near ovulation?
> 
> WANBMUM- I hope you need that beta!
> 
> Redhead- I think a lot of those signs sound promising. I worry a lot about the clomid side effects, especially since I don't even hand the birth control pill well. Lets hope this was your last Clomid dose needed!
> 
> Hi MrsC! Hope all is going well. I was hoping your cyst was almost gone.
> 
> AFM- I only have two birth control pills left. This weekend coming is our Thanksgiving, so it would be actually helpful if AF does start and we can get that first scan done without missing work. I'm suddenly really nervous about all of this, especially knowing that our donors can have 40 children out there. I think that part bothers me the most, and it's probably because I read that article about the Danish sperm bank issues. I think a lot of this is self-preservation too. We had two canceled cycles, a Hep C scare and it looks like everything is on track now.
> 
> I'll be doing Clomid 100mg (is that a lot for a first try?) and an ovidril trigger shot at around CD12. This could really be happening, is it normal to suddenly feel afraid of using a donor?
> 
> DH's family doctor has been away for 2 weeks and should be in his office tomorrow. We had one last SA done since DH's testosterone levels went up to a low normal and we just wanted to rule out those what ifs. I hope that getting those results make me feel solid on this. We've talked about using a donor since we found out he doesn't have sperm way back on Dec 1 of last year, I think this must just be nerves/cold feet.

Thanks I should see on the 12th if it is gone. It hurt recently but I think that because things are moving around. 

I think everything will go great for you with your cycles from now on. I know you have had a few hold ups but its your time now. It does see normal to be a little afraid but honestly when the time for the IUI came and taking the clomid I was beyond excited. I wanted to get started and see what happened. 100mg might be a lot for the first cycle but each person is different, maybe they just want to see how you respond to the dose. At your scan around CD12 they will be able to tell you. You have normal cycles don't you? Did you ever find cheaper clomid?


----------



## raelynn

CanadianMaple - I felt the same way when we were about to do dIUI. Actually, I started panicking just a couple days before the actual procedure and even on the day of the procedure. I was just so worried we weren't doing the right thing. But, everything for this cycle was just perfect (ovulating naturally without the trigger, family support, not having to take any time off work, DHs loving attitude towards me). I just took it as a sign that this was meant to be and apparently it was since it worked! I can say now that I'm actually pregnant, we're just over the moon and all the worry about using donor is pretty much on the back burner. Some days I even forget we used a donor to conceive. This is 100% our baby and the excitement overshadows everything else. There are still days when I worry about how I'll handle comments or how we'll tell our child but right now I'm mostly just thankful to be pregnant.

For everyone else - Do you plan on telling your child about donor and who else would you tell? Our parents and my sister knows but other than that we've been keeping it quite. My mom made a suggestion that I actually love and think I'll go with. We'll tell our child and then let them decide who they want to tell. That way, it is something personal to them and they have control over that decision.


----------



## CanadianMaple

raelynn- Our psychologist and everything I have read says that the best thing is to tell the child. Most donor offspring that have issues with it are ones that found out later in life and/or found out accidentally. I hope to tell our child before he or she understand how babies are made so it's just how it is when he/she becomes old enough to understand. I worry about not going about it the right way, but figure there will be even more resources out there when that time comes.

As for who to tell, we are just telling our parents and one close friend each. We live in a small town and can't risk too many people knowing about it.

That being said, some days I am really tempted just to be wide open about it. I know of a family who conceived a son via surrogate and DE because the mother had breast cancer and chemo. No one has ever judged them for their choice and look at that little school-aged boy as a miracle. 

Ultimately, I want to be the first one to tell our child. After that, it's his/her decision who to tell, it's his/her story to tell. I've heard of some families thanking "that special man who helped us get you" at every birthday or something like that. I just don't ever want our child to think we were ashamed to go this route, or they were second best. I'm glad I have some time to sort it out.

I'm so glad to hear that I'm not crazy to be suddenly so anxious about all of this. I didn't know if it's a sign that we shouldn't do it, but then again, I remember being nervous about TTC before we knew about the azoo. My son is 4 1/2 and so independent, heading to kindergarten next year, and the baby stage scares me again. lol

Sorry to ramble! 

MrsC- My cycles are a bit long, I usually ovulate at around CD 22, probably because of my high LH. Hopefully the pill this month will help it stay low enough that we won't need injectables. (Were warned it was a possibility.) I think Costco has slightly cheaper clomid, but we're still looking at about $70 and another $100 for the trigger. Oh well, hopefully we'll get our BFP and it will be worth it. For now, we have decided only to try two rounds of IUI (bought two last vials of our donor) and then we'll reassess. DH is 44 now...


----------



## deafgal01

raelynn said:


> CanadianMaple -
> For everyone else - Do you plan on telling your child about donor and who else would you tell? Our parents and my sister knows but other than that we've been keeping it quite. My mom made a suggestion that I actually love and think I'll go with. *We'll tell our child and then let them decide who they want to tell. That way, it is something personal to them and they have control over that decision*.

Rae- This is beautiful! I love that suggestion! I may have to share with my dh and see what he says. I know he and I agree that we'd tell our child eventually. I don't know if I'd make it a point to "thank the special man" who contributed to the child's existence because I don't want to get in the habit of saying "thanks" to that stranger for donating sperms on a daily basis (or on special occasion) but I will definitely be looking for books to help explain this type of scenario to the child.


----------



## CanadianMaple

I agree DG, I think the donor wouldn't be the front of your mind like that to even think to thank them like that. I think my biggest fear would be the child announcing she/he came from a donor to his/her kindergarten class! lol


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## deafgal01

:rofl: That'd be a lovely image to think and wonder how the heck these parents are gonna explain that to their children that our babies announced it in their class. :rofl:


----------



## WANBMUM

Hi gals, 
I agree with a lot of what you are saying, leaving it up to the child. But what age do you think this is, as if we leave it too long, they will feel like it was a secret, yet if they are younger, they would more than likely talk about it at playskool or at family gatherings. I guess it is so hard to plan out, we won't know until then?
It scares me as we don't plan on telling anyone else, only my parents know.


----------



## deafgal01

I might feel confident telling the child when the child is old enough to "keep secrets". Then again it depends on the child. Some children actually mature faster than others and are more mentally able to emotionally understand what this type of thing means while others might not have the mental ability to understand til they're older, closer to preteens.


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## raelynn

The therapist we went to for donor said that typically you tell them the first time when they are young. There are children's books that can help. Make it a non issue not some big news type thing and then just remind them with more information several times as they get older with language they understand at their age. She said if you make it out just to be something normally children don't think of it as a big deal and don't even really think about it as anything unusual.


----------



## Redhead7211

Hi ladies!

Polita-I'm 10 dpiui today and I tested with FMU and got a BFN:dohh: I told myself I would try and wait, but I have no self-control apparently...:blush: My read test date is 10/5. It's hard to say when/if AF will rear her head. Some cycles have been 30+ days, though with Clomid I seem to be on a 28 day cycle, so AF is due anywhere from 10/5-10/10. My massive zits are subsiding finally! How's your complexion doing?

CM-I think it's totally normal to feel nervous. I remember the night I had IUI #1 I was like "oh sh*t am I really ready for this?!" ha obviously too late. Now I'm just really excited every time I have one. This time I was very zen about the whole process. I'm currently on 50mg of Clomid and I used a trigger shot for IUI #2 and this current one. I'm not really sure how RE's decide how much Clomid to put you on. 

MrsC-We have both agreed to tell our child from the get go. Much like all of the ladies have been saying. That being said, I don't know if DH will be nervous about saying it when it comes down to it.

Telling people about using DS is an odd topic. My parents and sister know, and a few other people know. We have been keeping it under wraps, mostly due to DH's insecurities about it initially. Once we are pregnant, his family especially will have questions because they all know DH had a vasectomy. I told him he should think of what he's comfortable telling people. We are actually trying to keep the whole IUI process a secret so we can surprise people and because it's just too painful to get a BFN month after month. To help DH adjust to the process, and understand he's not the first guy to be terrified to be a dad I bought him a few cheeky narratives "Dude You're Gonna Be a Dad!" and "Guy's guide to surviving pregnancy, Childbirth, and the First Year of Fatherhood." He's not a big reader, but he's enjoying these books.

I'm feeling okay so far. Not real moody like I normally get before AF. I do have dull on and off again cramps and a rather sensitive feeling abdomen. I have been peeing a lot, sore nipples and the sides of my boobs hurt, I also have a lot of CM today. Not sure what's going on. It could be my body just adjusting to Clomid for all I know. We shall see! 

How's everyone else feeling?


----------



## deafgal01

Doing good today.


----------



## Polita76

Redhead7211 said:


> Hi ladies!
> 
> Polita-I'm 10 dpiui today and I tested with FMU and got a BFN:dohh: I told myself I would try and wait, but I have no self-control apparently...:blush: My read test date is 10/5. It's hard to say when/if AF will rear her head. Some cycles have been 30+ days, though with Clomid I seem to be on a 28 day cycle, so AF is due anywhere from 10/5-10/10. My massive zits are subsiding finally! How's your complexion doing?

Redhead, I'm 12dpiui today. I realized 14dpiui will be two weeks exactly from the day I had the iui, which was 2 Wednesdays ago.

My pimple is finally better after having to do something about it yesterday (it looked discussing!) but not gone yet. My boobs feel big, sometimes it hurts on the side, my nipples are sensitive, today I felt some ovulation pain and also some back pain but it comes and go. Before doing iui's I used to have a 31 or 32 day cycle with my ovulation being around day 21 or 22 (that is, I had a shorter than avarage lutheal phase).

Last cycle I ovulated on day 20 of my cycle and my cycle was 33 days (yes, it was late and driving me crazy). This cycle I ovulated on day 16 (used trigger) so I don't know how long my cycle should be. I'm just going by how long after iui it is to test. My RE said to test 14 days after iui.

I remember last cycle I had every symptom imaginable, and nothing, now I've felt some things I hadn't felt before but it's also my first time on the trigger so not sure if it's that. For what is worth, my sister had no symptoms whatsoever (she had a trigger and was on progesterone suppositories) and she was pregnant...with twins!!! 

It's getting closer...so hard to find the equilibrium between not giving up and not having too much hope.


----------



## CanadianMaple

I think it's probably easier to "practice" telling them when they are young so you're comfortable talking about it when it matters and you can really figure out what you want to say. That way, there will never be that big moment when the child remembers being told.

AFM- DH finally got a hold of his doctor's office. They have been away for the past 2 weeks. He still has azoo, even though his testosterone was low-normal instead of so low. We already have bought our donor sperm and didn't expect him to suddenly be cured, but it still sucks to still hear "no sperm." But I think DH is now 100% sure he wants to go ahead. He always did, but always wondered what if. It's closure.

I'm feeling excited. Tomorrow is my last BCP and I just wait for CD1. Now to figure out how I am going to pretend to do IVF to my co-workers. Some of them know about our azoo and I don't want them suspecting donor sperm. I may even take an extra day or two off leading up to the IUI. 

Redhead- What CD are you right now? Sounds promising!


----------



## Redhead7211

CM-I'm 10 dpiui, CD 24. I'm glad you heard from the doctor finally. I'm glad DH is fully on board now! 

Polita-I'm glad AF has not appeared yet. Let's hope it stays that way. :af: I'm glad your sister didn't feel a lot of symptoms, that makes me feel positive!


----------



## raelynn

Redhead - I had some dull cramping at 10dpiui too. It is what made me test since up to that point I didn't feel pregnant at all but the cramping was different than I usually had for AF. Hope it is a good sign for you too!


----------



## CanadianMaple

Redhead- I'm feeling optimistic for you. I was thinking you were that close to testing. I got a BFP at 10dpo for my son, it's really worth testing if you feel ready to. 

Did I mention that my sperm bank people got back to me and said that 30 is actually their limit, she screwed up when she said 40. That was for Xytex. Here's her email:



> My error Becky, 40 family units world wide is the limit for Xytex International.
> 
> The original info you received about 30 for ESB is correct. I think you also have to realize that not all clients report their pregnancies or even their live births so the numbers are never exact. There is no mandated agency that governs the live birth rate so that is why it is so very important for the clients (patients), clinics and physicians to report to the spermbanks so that they can curtail the activity of their donors. It is certainly not an exact science and unfortunately sometimes the reported live births exceeds the maximum allowed.
> 
> You may also want to see the new article that was written about the ESB issue in Europe.
> 
> Please see the following link:

https://cphpost.dk/news/national/sperm-bank-broadcaster&#8217;s-allegations-are-wrong


I feel better about it. So much fear of the unknown at play.


----------



## want2beamamma

I am going to be calling the doctor about monitoring and see where that gets me...hopefully an ultrasound!!

DH and I plan to tell the child right from the start. We believe in being honest.If when the child gets older they can tell who they want. We think of if we were the child and in that situation that we would like to know. I have told my mom and best friend. My DH hasn't and doesnt plan on telling anyone. His family is a little old fashioned and he wants everyone to be excited about the baby. He feels if he tells them it will take away some of the excitment and thats the last thing we want. Any man can be a father but it takes someone special to be a daddy. :)


----------



## CanadianMaple

Sounds good, want2beamamma. 

Just a question, how much detail do your confidants know? DH just told his mom that our child could have 30+ siblings and she was shocked. I'm a bit upset that he shared that at this point, I am not in the mood to try to make her feel better about it. He wanted me to call her and explain the process to her tonight. I have enough on my plate with work this week and really don't want to share all these details with my ILs. 

Just curious about how you all handled that part?


----------



## MrsC8776

raelynn said:


> CanadianMaple - I felt the same way when we were about to do dIUI. Actually, I started panicking just a couple days before the actual procedure and even on the day of the procedure. I was just so worried we weren't doing the right thing. But, everything for this cycle was just perfect (ovulating naturally without the trigger, family support, not having to take any time off work, DHs loving attitude towards me). I just took it as a sign that this was meant to be and apparently it was since it worked! I can say now that I'm actually pregnant, we're just over the moon and all the worry about using donor is pretty much on the back burner. Some days I even forget we used a donor to conceive. This is 100% our baby and the excitement overshadows everything else. There are still days when I worry about how I'll handle comments or how we'll tell our child but right now I'm mostly just thankful to be pregnant.
> 
> For everyone else - Do you plan on telling your child about donor and who else would you tell? Our parents and my sister knows but other than that we've been keeping it quite. My mom made a suggestion that I actually love and think I'll go with. We'll tell our child and then let them decide who they want to tell. That way, it is something personal to them and they have control over that decision.

We do plan on telling the children. It will be difficult but it's the right thing to do. I think my hubby is very scared to tell them though. He told me to look at it if it were the other way around and how would I feel if we had to tell them that they aren't my biological children. I do see why he is scared and honestly I don't blame him. I'm scared as well. 



Redhead7211 said:


> Hi ladies!
> 
> Polita-I'm 10 dpiui today and I tested with FMU and got a BFN:dohh: I told myself I would try and wait, but I have no self-control apparently...:blush: My read test date is 10/5. It's hard to say when/if AF will rear her head. Some cycles have been 30+ days, though with Clomid I seem to be on a 28 day cycle, so AF is due anywhere from 10/5-10/10. My massive zits are subsiding finally! How's your complexion doing?
> 
> CM-I think it's totally normal to feel nervous. I remember the night I had IUI #1 I was like "oh sh*t am I really ready for this?!" ha obviously too late. Now I'm just really excited every time I have one. This time I was very zen about the whole process. I'm currently on 50mg of Clomid and I used a trigger shot for IUI #2 and this current one. I'm not really sure how RE's decide how much Clomid to put you on.
> 
> MrsC-We have both agreed to tell our child from the get go. Much like all of the ladies have been saying. That being said, I don't know if DH will be nervous about saying it when it comes down to it.
> 
> Telling people about using DS is an odd topic. My parents and sister know, and a few other people know. We have been keeping it under wraps, mostly due to DH's insecurities about it initially. Once we are pregnant, his family especially will have questions because they all know DH had a vasectomy. I told him he should think of what he's comfortable telling people. We are actually trying to keep the whole IUI process a secret so we can surprise people and because it's just too painful to get a BFN month after month. To help DH adjust to the process, and understand he's not the first guy to be terrified to be a dad I bought him a few cheeky narratives "Dude You're Gonna Be a Dad!" and "Guy's guide to surviving pregnancy, Childbirth, and the First Year of Fatherhood." He's not a big reader, but he's enjoying these books.
> 
> I'm feeling okay so far. Not real moody like I normally get before AF. I do have dull on and off again cramps and a rather sensitive feeling abdomen. I have been peeing a lot, sore nipples and the sides of my boobs hurt, I also have a lot of CM today. Not sure what's going on. It could be my body just adjusting to Clomid for all I know. We shall see!
> 
> How's everyone else feeling?

Fx for you! Keeping the IUI's a "secret" is a good idea. I told family when we were trying a year ago and it was so hard to tell them about the bfn's. 



CanadianMaple said:


> I think it's probably easier to "practice" telling them when they are young so you're comfortable talking about it when it matters and you can really figure out what you want to say. That way, there will never be that big moment when the child remembers being told.
> 
> AFM- DH finally got a hold of his doctor's office. They have been away for the past 2 weeks. He still has azoo, even though his testosterone was low-normal instead of so low. We already have bought our donor sperm and didn't expect him to suddenly be cured, but it still sucks to still hear "no sperm." But I think DH is now 100% sure he wants to go ahead. He always did, but always wondered what if. It's closure.
> 
> I'm feeling excited. Tomorrow is my last BCP and I just wait for CD1. Now to figure out how I am going to pretend to do IVF to my co-workers. Some of them know about our azoo and I don't want them suspecting donor sperm. I may even take an extra day or two off leading up to the IUI.
> 
> Redhead- What CD are you right now? Sounds promising!

Sorry to hear your DH's results didn't change. I'm glad you guys got some closure now though. 



want2beamamma said:


> I am going to be calling the doctor about monitoring and see where that gets me...hopefully an ultrasound!!
> 
> DH and I plan to tell the child right from the start. We believe in being honest.If when the child gets older they can tell who they want. We think of if we were the child and in that situation that we would like to know. I have told my mom and best friend. My DH hasn't and doesnt plan on telling anyone. His family is a little old fashioned and he wants everyone to be excited about the baby. He feels if he tells them it will take away some of the excitment and thats the last thing we want. Any man can be a father but it takes someone special to be a daddy. :)

I believe the way your DH is feeling is how my hubby is feeling as well. It's a hard situation to be in but we will all make it through it and in the end it will all be worth it. I tell my hubby the same thing. It takes a special man to be a daddy! 



CanadianMaple said:


> Sounds good, want2beamamma.
> 
> Just a question, how much detail do your confidants know? DH just told his mom that our child could have 30+ siblings and she was shocked. I'm a bit upset that he shared that at this point, I am not in the mood to try to make her feel better about it. He wanted me to call her and explain the process to her tonight. I have enough on my plate with work this week and really don't want to share all these details with my ILs.
> 
> Just curious about how you all handled that part?

I guess I would be curious as to why he felt the need to share that bit of info. Thats not something anyone wants to think about. Of course she was shocked. Anyone who doesn't know how this whole process works would be shocked. I push that bit of info out of my mind honestly. If we ever tell family that info is not going to be shared with anyone.


----------



## raelynn

Canadian - I shared the numbers with my mom just because I wanted someone to talk to about it. She was really great and said we had to think about it as not all concentrated in one area as well since they can ship world wide so it is a pretty small number when you think about how far apart they can all be location wise.


----------



## CanadianMaple

I think he shared it because he needed reassurance and approval from his Catholic mother mainly, but I'm a bit frustrated that he didn't really talk with me about it when I was in a panic last week. I guess it's just a sign that we both need to be on the same page about it all before we do this so that we don't share too much or tell too many people.

Our clinic tracks the donor offspring and what county they are born to, so we know that no one in our province has even used our donor. That's so reassuring, plus we bought the last of what he had here in Canada.

I'm scared to tell the child eventually too. I think the fact that we are talking about it now and thinking about it now means that we will be well prepared for when the time actually comes.


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## want2beamamma

Actually no more information then telling my mother about using a sperm donor, the things we get to know before picking ( interests, family medical history, what they do for a living, married and with kids now etc ) Her response was "WOW WHAT A NEAT IDEA!" my mother is very mordern. DH and I actually never thought too much about the sibling thing. We tried not to look too far into much of it.... if you do you'll spend all your time concerned and not enjoying the process!

Although your DH mother wants to know more, I would let your husband explain that whole process to her as you are dealing with alot aswell. I would be upset if my DH shared that much info but he might just be looking for reasurrance.


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## Polita76

Canadian Maple, maybe you have already talked about this, but, would you mind my asking if your husband had a tese or mtese to rule out the presence of sperm?


----------



## WANBMUM

Hi guys, CM, with our family we have kept the info very basic and kind oh have an unspoken rule of we disclose what we are comfortable with. 
I agree with the others, let your hubby deal with it, keep it as you are not discussing this. 

It's weird but for us numbers haven't come into it nor are we bothered. I guess because only 3 couples can have a child from the one donor in OUR country, if that was higher I guess then I'd be concerned. 

Afm, i am feeling pretty pissed off. I am 100% sure this iui hasn't worked, I feel exactly the same as the last 2 IUI's , my cm is exactly the same. Even my hubby said lets just he out for af and not bother testing, I have a real phobia with seeing a negative on a stick, it's heart wrenching :( as all you guys know.


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## WANBMUM

Sorry about my silly predictive text wording. It's so annoying.


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## Redhead7211

Rae-Thanks! That gives me hope! The cramps feel sorta like AF cramps, but my stomach feels like it's in knots. The cramps are dull and achey and I had a few sharper pains around my right ovary which I ovulated from. I'm concerned my period is coming, so I'm trying not to think too much into anything one way or another.

CM-Glad you heard back from the bank! As far as telling people about how we picked the donor I have only told a select few people his attributes, family history etc. I told my sister in May while needing to talk to someone and she told my mom and dad that the donor has a bipolar great aunt which my family kind of poked fun at...What a big mouth I know! My parents are totally supportive on us using DS, but I'm reserved about telling people about it because I don't want people to look at the baby and see the donor. If that makes any sense. They know we picked someone that has similar interests as DH and a similar personality.

Want2beamamma-I'm glad the process is starting for you! Seeing those follies in the ultrasound is exciting.

Polita-Did AF show?

Wanbmum-How many dpiui are you? I understand feeling like it's not working, just try to stay positive until AF shows up :hugs: There is northing worse than hoping and praying to be pregnant and seeing a stark white pregnancy test. 

How's everyone doing? Other than being crampy as I mentioned above I'm doing okay...same symptoms as before. I'm bloated and my abdomen is pretty sensitive. I still have this odd stuffy/really dry congestion issue, but there has been a cold passing around the area. Unfortunately I won't be able to POAS obsess for at least a few days because my brother-in-law is apparently having some sort of midlife crisis and is staying with us for a few days:dohh:


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## CanadianMaple

Polita76 said:


> Canadian Maple, maybe you have already talked about this, but, would you mind my asking if your husband had a tese or mtese to rule out the presence of sperm?

He was only given a small chance of finding any. He does not want the TESE, it would have to be done the same day as an ER and with all he had been though medically in the past (car accident, drunk driver almost killed him. Coma for almost 3 weeks due to sepsis, ostomy for 6 months, broken back, etc...) he does not want any more pain for such a big price and low odds (35%). I respect his decision.


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## want2beamamma

WANBMUM said:


> Hi guys, CM, with our family we have kept the info very basic and kind oh have an unspoken rule of we disclose what we are comfortable with.
> I agree with the others, let your hubby deal with it, keep it as you are not discussing this.
> 
> It's weird but for us numbers haven't come into it nor are we bothered. I guess because only 3 couples can have a child from the one donor in OUR country, if that was higher I guess then I'd be concerned.
> 
> Afm, i am feeling pretty pissed off. I am 100% sure this iui hasn't worked, I feel exactly the same as the last 2 IUI's , my cm is exactly the same. Even my hubby said lets just he out for af and not bother testing, I have a real phobia with seeing a negative on a stick, it's heart wrenching :( as all you guys know.

Numbers were never a thought for us either. I never looked too far into things or I'd still be searching for a donor haha!
DH and I agreed that if we decided at any point there is someone we feel comfortable sharing with that we would discuss with the other person. Just to make sure we both feel the same about sharing information.

Seeing a negative is terrible but don't give up !!!!


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## Polita76

CanadianMaple said:


> He was only given a small chance of finding any. He does not want the TESE, it would have to be done the same day as an ER and with all he had been though medically in the past (car accident, drunk driver almost killed him. Coma for almost 3 weeks due to sepsis, ostomy for 6 months, broken back, etc...) he does not want any more pain for such a big price and low odds (35%). I respect his decision.

I see. Totally understandable!


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## Polita76

I think I'm hyperventilating. I got up this morning and took a test and....

I can´t believe it! I think I´m in shock!!! I wanna cry, I wanna laugh, I wanna shout....

I'm gonna call my RE clinic at 7 and see if I can have my beta done before going to work (it's their protocol) and hopefully the numbers will be good. 

Today is 15d post trigger and 14dpiui so there is no way it could be the trigger, right? It looks pretty dark too so I assumed that if there was any trigger in me it would be super light. Gosh...I supposed it's still hard to think it could be really true. Needing some reassurance here...
 



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## want2beamamma

Polita 76- WOOHOO congrats that is a forsure BIG FAT POSITIVE!!!!!!! :) 

I have a question for you ladies who took clomid. I started my OPK CD8-NEGATIVE
CD9- AM negative and PM negative
CD10- AM .... is showing positive??? Isn't this too early. I have been very dry down there everyday but today I have some EWCM and positive OPK. Can I be getting a false positive since it's only day 10?


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## MrsC8776

Polita~ Congrats!! That is for sure your BFP! The trigger would be out of your system by now! 

want2be~ Do you have a picture you can put up?


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## want2beamamma

I am trying to figure out how to make my phone connect to the computer to add them.
ERR i really hate technology at times!!


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## MrsC8776

:haha: Same here. A picture will really help so that I can see if it is a true positive. Are you just suppose to call in with a positive?


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## want2beamamma

I am supposed to call when I get a positive so that I can go for the IUI the following day.

Still trying here..... to get pictures to work!


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## want2beamamma

well i got the pictures onto my computer and am trying to load them to here but it's not seeming to work. Is there any other way to add the photos?


Okay ops nevermind it worked :)
 



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## want2beamamma

Cd8-10
Excuse the urine showing but it got this dark that fast.
 



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## MrsC8776

That does look positive to me! You should call and let them know. :telephone: At least to find out what they think. Good luck! :happydance:


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## MrsC8776

If it isn't positive right now it will be by tonight!


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## want2beamamma

I suppose I should try calling, I guess it wouldnt hurt. I am sure they are so sick of me calling though haha

I wouldnt be going till tomorrow anyways so I'm going to test again tonight! Just sooo worried about jumping the gun and going too soon only to ovulate next week or something.


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## MrsC8776

I fully understand. Honestly thats why I loved the Clearblue smiley face digitals. They were never wrong for me. You should just call and tell them you got a positive on CD10 and see what they say. They can do a blood test real quick to see if you are having your surge. Maybe ask about that if you are feeling like it might be to early.


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## want2beamamma

Took another test 3.5 hours after that one and yup, its positive. I am going to do one tonight. If it's positive I am going to get a clearblue digital and see what happens.


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## MrsC8776

Did you call them to let them know IUI day needs to be tomorrow? Yay for a positive OPK!


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## want2beamamma

I called :) !! I am to call them tomorrow AM if it's still positive.

wow this might be sooner than I thought.. I am excited


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## MrsC8776

Great news!! :happydance:


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## Redhead7211

Polita-OMG OMG! I'm so happy for you!!! Congrats and a H&H 9 months!! The trigger should be long gone by now! Those are very strong lines! :hugs::hugs: How are you telling DH? How are you feeling?

want2beamamma- Did you call the RE? I always have monitored IUI's so I'm not sure how the OPK's thing works. I agree with MrsC call and ask. 

I've got incredibly sore boobs and on and off cramps. My stomach feels like it's in knots and I had terrible acid reflux last night. Yuck. Not sure what's going on. I bought period stuff today just in case. My brother-in-laws drama has been such a distraction so I suppose that's good!

How's everyone feeling?


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## raelynn

Polita - Congrats!! That is definitely your BFP! So happy for you!

want2beamamma - Looks positive to me! Good luck with your IUI! Hope this is it for you!

Redhead - When are you testing? Your symptoms are sounding good!


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## Redhead7211

i'm not sure when I'll test. I was thinking of trying tomorrow or just see if AF shows Friday. I have 3 dollar store cheapies, 2 clear blue digitals and 3 FRERs. It just sucks so much seeing those BFN's that I'm hesitant to do it, but I'm also impatient haha Tomorrow I'll be 13 dpiui.


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## WANBMUM

Redhead you and I are on the same dpiui :) It's so stressful right? I'm the same I am going to hold out for af. 
The main reason I decided not to test is a friend of mine is coming over to show off her new baby on Friday and it will be hard enough without seeing bfn that morning. My life sucks :( 

I am feeling premenstual quite clearly :( :( man I was crying at an advert on tv earlier. I think I need a holiday.a long one.


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## WANBMUM

Polita, congratulations! Was this your first iui? What symptoms did you have? Did you 'know'?


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## holdontohope

Hello! 

I was wondering if I could join in? I just registered for babyandbump. 

I am 23 years old and I am starting IVF October 13th using a sperm donor :) I have wonderful family support but I still can't help but feel a bit alone in this process. I am also having a very hard time choosing a donor. Any advice?


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## deafgal01

Polita congrats!!!

Want that looks positive to me!


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## Polita76

Thanks to all!!! Redhead, I'm keeping my fx for you and I'll be checking in for updates.

I got the call back from the RE office. My beta was 193 (14dpiui). The nurse said it was a great first number. I'm going in on Friday for a second beta. Please, keep your FX for me so that it keeps doubling nicely.

Wanbmum, this is my second iui, first one with a trigger. It was hard to know what was caused by trigger and what not. What I did notice was my breast and nipples were sore, I never stopped having cm, I had hot flashes and I had a few pimples. But I didn't feel pregnant, just different.


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## raelynn

Polita - Great first beta! My nurse said that anything over 50 for the first one is good!


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## Redhead7211

Polita-I'm so happy for you!!:hugs: Those sound like great numbers!! Keep us posted!

Holdontohope-Welcome! Using donor sperm is a definite process. As far as what to look for-medically it depends on how your blood work comes out such as CMV status, maybe blood type etc. My DH and I picked a donor who had similar interests as him and similar looks. It's a personal choice. A few pages back we talked about the reason we picked out DS I think.

Wanbmum-I also feel rather PMS-like. I've been having dull cramps for like a week. Also weepy over commercials and dumb tv shows. I'm sorry you're going to be having such a hard time tomorrow seeing your friends beautiful baby tomorrow. I understand how hard it is to see a BFN every day and lose hope. Maybe it's best to wait until the weekend? I was planning on waiting until Monday if I still haven't gotten AF.

Today I still have the dull cramps. Now I almost have a cramp in my side like after you run. Also have small pimples. I haven't gotten any spotting yet, which I usually get a few days before AF shows. My boobs are still very very sore. I'm trying not to give my hopes up, but it seems like AF is looming.

Hope you all are doing well! xoxo


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## raelynn

Redhead! I so hope this is it for you!! Good luck with the rest of your wait. I know the 2ww is horrendous.


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## sadangel777

Hi everyone, mind if I join?

I am having my first IUI in a couple of weeks. TTC #1 since January.

I am on CD3. I am using Clomid and trigger shot for IUI; prior to this, I had 2 Clomid cycles that confirmed OV but no success. DH is 40 and is rarely "in the mood" so I thought IUI was our best shot. 

I have a lap & dye scheduled Monday; the following Monday I have my first follicle scan.

I'm very excited! Is there anything I need to know / what I should expect? I'm a little nervous.

Thanks!


----------



## MrsC8776

holdontohope said:


> Hello!
> 
> I was wondering if I could join in? I just registered for babyandbump.
> 
> I am 23 years old and I am starting IVF October 10th using a sperm donor :) I have wonderful family support but I still can't help but feel a bit alone in this process. I am also having a very hard time choosing a donor. Any advice?

Welcome :hi: I let my DH do the basics of picking out the donor. We then decided from there. It can be a difficult thing to do but try not to look to hard into things otherwise you will be searching forever. 



Polita76 said:


> Thanks to all!!! Redhead, I'm keeping my fx for you and I'll be checking in for updates.
> 
> I got the call back from the RE office. My beta was 193 (14dpiui). The nurse said it was a great first number. I'm going in on Friday for a second beta. Please, keep your FX for me so that it keeps doubling nicely.
> 
> Wanbmum, this is my second iui, first one with a trigger. It was hard to know what was caused by trigger and what not. What I did notice was my breast and nipples were sore, I never stopped having cm, I had hot flashes and I had a few pimples. But I didn't feel pregnant, just different.

Great beta!! 



Redhead7211 said:


> Polita-I'm so happy for you!!:hugs: Those sound like great numbers!! Keep us posted!
> 
> Holdontohope-Welcome! Using donor sperm is a definite process. As far as what to look for-medically it depends on how your blood work comes out such as CMV status, maybe blood type etc. My DH and I picked a donor who had similar interests as him and similar looks. It's a personal choice. A few pages back we talked about the reason we picked out DS I think.
> 
> Wanbmum-I also feel rather PMS-like. I've been having dull cramps for like a week. Also weepy over commercials and dumb tv shows. I'm sorry you're going to be having such a hard time tomorrow seeing your friends beautiful baby tomorrow. I understand how hard it is to see a BFN every day and lose hope. Maybe it's best to wait until the weekend? I was planning on waiting until Monday if I still haven't gotten AF.
> 
> Today I still have the dull cramps. Now I almost have a cramp in my side like after you run. Also have small pimples. I haven't gotten any spotting yet, which I usually get a few days before AF shows. My boobs are still very very sore. I'm trying not to give my hopes up, but it seems like AF is looming.
> 
> Hope you all are doing well! xoxo

Fx for you! Good luck testing. 



sadangel777 said:


> Hi everyone, mind if I join?
> 
> I am having my first IUI in a couple of weeks. TTC #1 since January.
> 
> I am on CD3. I am using Clomid and trigger shot for IUI; prior to this, I had 2 Clomid cycles that confirmed OV but no success. DH is 40 and is rarely "in the mood" so I thought IUI was our best shot.
> 
> I have a lap & dye scheduled Monday; the following Monday I have my first follicle scan.
> 
> I'm very excited! Is there anything I need to know / what I should expect? I'm a little nervous.
> 
> Thanks!

:hi: and welcome! Are you guys going the donor route? The IUI is very simple. To me it was just like a pap. 

*want2be~* Did you have your IUI today?

*CM~* How are you doing?


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## sadangel777

Doh! I just realized this is a donor thread. :dohh:

No, we are having first SA on Monday, so hopefully will get good news. DH is already fighting me on having to go in a cup! :winkwink:


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## MrsC8776

Good luck on Monday!


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## CanadianMaple

I will be back for personals soon...sitting here getting hair highlighted.

I'm on CD1 and am going in for my bloodwork and ultrasound at 8:30am on Sunday! So excited and so scared. With it being thanksgiving here, I am trying to figure out where to get clomid on a Sunday. The cheaper place will be closed and they won't fax it in the day before.


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## raelynn

Canadian - So exciting that you are starting your cycle! Hope bloodwork and ultrasound come back all good so you can get rolling along!


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## want2beamamma

I had my IUI yesterday at 1pm :) !!!!!!!!!

I called the doctor in the morning and she said test again and if it's positive to come over for the IUI ( 3 hour drive ). I was there and had it done. It wasn't too bad at all!
She said I have a "sensitive cervix" so i spotted a little.

I was really worried about going because I got a positive so early but they stayed positive and I was having some pretty good cramps on both sides right where my ovaries were. I am now in the 2WW wow never thought i'd get to be there :)

Today still a positive opk . I had some EWCM with a little brown blood I am cramping a little bit not so much my ovaries just all in the lower area.


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## want2beamamma

CanadianMaple said:


> I will be back for personals soon...sitting here getting hair highlighted.
> 
> I'm on CD1 and am going in for my bloodwork and ultrasound at 8:30am on Sunday! So excited and so scared. With it being thanksgiving here, I am trying to figure out where to get clomid on a Sunday. The cheaper place will be closed and they won't fax it in the day before.


YAY so happy for you being able to start the process :) I hope all goes well.


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## MrsC8776

CanadianMaple said:


> I will be back for personals soon...sitting here getting hair highlighted.
> 
> I'm on CD1 and am going in for my bloodwork and ultrasound at 8:30am on Sunday! So excited and so scared. With it being thanksgiving here, I am trying to figure out where to get clomid on a Sunday. The cheaper place will be closed and they won't fax it in the day before.

Yay for CD1!! Does the clinic know where to get the clomid on Sundays? Maybe ask them. 



want2beamamma said:


> I had my IUI yesterday at 1pm :) !!!!!!!!!
> 
> I called the doctor in the morning and she said test again and if it's positive to come over for the IUI ( 3 hour drive ). I was there and had it done. It wasn't too bad at all!
> She said I have a "sensitive cervix" so i spotted a little.
> 
> I was really worried about going because I got a positive so early but they stayed positive and I was having some pretty good cramps on both sides right where my ovaries were. I am now in the 2WW wow never thought i'd get to be there :)
> 
> Today still a positive opk . I had some EWCM with a little brown blood I am cramping a little bit not so much my ovaries just all in the lower area.

I hope the 2ww goes by quickly for you! Spotting and cramping is ok. I had some spotting after my first IUI. The cervix just gets scratched sometimes. Did they schedule you for a blood test (beta) or are you to just test at home?


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## raelynn

want2beamamma said:


> I had my IUI yesterday at 1pm :) !!!!!!!!!
> 
> I called the doctor in the morning and she said test again and if it's positive to come over for the IUI ( 3 hour drive ). I was there and had it done. It wasn't too bad at all!
> She said I have a "sensitive cervix" so i spotted a little.
> 
> I was really worried about going because I got a positive so early but they stayed positive and I was having some pretty good cramps on both sides right where my ovaries were. I am now in the 2WW wow never thought i'd get to be there :)
> 
> Today still a positive opk . I had some EWCM with a little brown blood I am cramping a little bit not so much my ovaries just all in the lower area.


Yay! I hope your 2ww just flies by!


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## want2beamamma

I have a blod test for Oct 19th....however I cannot last that long without testing haha Not sure When I can start 10dpiui I'm guessing?

Hope this flies by :)


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## Polita76

Got results from second beta back. It's 586.8 (193 for first beta). She said they were fantastic numbers. I'm going for my first US on October 22nd. I'll be 6 weeks 5 days, I believe.

I think it's starting to sink in. :)


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## CanadianMaple

I'm back for personals. Work has been crazy and we got to celebrate Thanksgiving dinner with dad's side of the family tonight. :)

Polita- Congratulations on your BFP! What great numbers!

want2be- I think I will be testing before the beta when it's my turn. the 2ww is hard to wait through. I hope this is it for you!


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## CanadianMaple

MrsC- DH had to beg someone to cover part of his shift to go to the city with me on Thanksgiving Sunday, so he wouldn't be able to wait around for their pharmacies to open at 10 or 11 that day. Oh well. I found a pharmacy here that would hold their 7 pills for me and then I would pick up those last 3 the next business day. Sucks that Clomid is so expensive here and one of the few drugs my health plan will not cover.

What can I expect for the CD3 bloodwork and ultrasound? I know they will want my LH to have come down a bit, but what else do they have to say before starting me on Clomid?


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## MrsC8776

Oh I didn't know you had to take two pills a day. I thought they made 100mg pills. Maybe not though. I'm glad that they will hold the pills for you. 

CD3 ultrasound isn't much fun because, well its CD3 and it just feels gross. Don't worry though cause they deal with it all the time. They will see how many follicles are growing and how the lining looks. I know one thing they check for is cysts. Normally it you have a cyst they will hold off but some places say go for it depending on where the cyst is. I had a very small cyst prior to the clomid which possibly led to the huge one during pregnancy. Other than that I don't think they check for anything else. They might do blood work but I can't remember.

Edit: Are you using the OPK's or just doing the blood work? Sorry I forget what you said a while back.


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## CanadianMaple

I'm going to trigger after the CD11 check. IUI on CD13.

They only make 50mg pills here for Clomid they were saying. Not sure if they will be taken at the same time or one in the am and one in the PM.

I'm hoping that since I have been on the pill, my LH will be normal and if there were any cysts, they would be gone. I think I have read that they will often prescribe the pill for a cycle between some people's ART cycles since the hormones make the cysts shrink quickly. I was thinking about how gross the CD3 ultrasound will be.

Is the ultrasound and first appointment with consents long or pretty quick?


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## Polita76

Canadian Maple, I think they do blood work. They check estradiol, and FSH for sure, I don't know if LH too.


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## MrsC8776

I would think that you take both pills at the same time. I have no idea if they actually make a 100mg pill or not. What ever you have to do to make it work! Have you and DH not signed the consent forms yet? I have no idea how long that should take since it's on the weekend. Our consent appointment was pretty quick but we had been there many times and prepared for IVF. The scan should be really quick. Maybe 10 minutes and then they will tell you that you are good to go with the clomid. Then the blood work like Polita said.


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## raelynn

want2beamamma - I started testing at 10dpiui too and got the faintest of faint lines (hubby swore to me there was nothing there but I saw it). So you should be good to start then! Good luck!

Polita - Those are great numbers! My first scan is at 6 weeks 4 days so pretty similar.

Canadian - I also had both ultrasound and blood work for my day 3. I know the ultrasound is to check for cysts but with the pill you should be good. I have PCOS so I typically have cysts and I was all clear after being on one round of birth control. I think the blood test checks for estradiol too since high levels early on can also indicate cysts. My appointment was pretty quick. Most of it was just the waiting between the blood test and the ultrasound. Blood test takes a minute or too and the ultrasound is really only a few minutes too then you're good to go!


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## CanadianMaple

Sounds great! The sooner we can get DH back to work, the better.

The downfall to his job is that people know we're doing fertility treatments. I wanted to keep it quiet because I didn't want co-workers asking about it. But, he just has led the men to believe I'm doing IVF, since he doesn't want anyone to suspect us using a donor and those men know nothing about fertility stuff. They think he had a TESA in August.

I'm going to have to imply we're doing IVF too at work, a few of them knew about DH's azoo and I know one of them asked me if I had considered using a donor last spring. She has a sister who did IVF so I am really careful in what I have been saying (read: not much!) to her, but I don't want them looking back and thinking that my cycle was too easy for it have been IVF. I may take off a few mornings to throw them off a bit, as much as I hate to do that. Teaching is a small town is so visible. If this round doesn't work, at least faking a FET would be easier. I hate feeling like a liar, but until we want people to know about us using a donor, I want to be extra careful about what I say during this stage. I know it will be worth it too!

Did any of you have to take baby aspirin up until the IUI and then 7 days after? What should I expect with the clomid? Luckily, with Thanksgiving and a PD day, I only have the kids 2 of the days I will be on it.


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## raelynn

I was on baby aspirin for IVF but not for IUI. I've heard clomid can cause some crazy mood swings. I didn't really notice any side effects while on it other than a bit more intense cramping than usual around ovulation time. Then again, I never ever ovulate anywhere near as early as clomid made me so maybe it was just good for my body to have a semi normal cycle.

I get what you're saying about not wanting to announce to everyone about using donor just yet. We've kept ours pretty quiet too. Only our parents and siblings know. It is a private thing. Its not like people who are conceiving normally go out and announce exactly how they conceived so why should we feel we need to? I just told those who knew that we were trying another less invasive procedure this time around. Most people don't know much about fertility treatments unless they've gone through them.


----------



## SunUp

Hey ladies! So, I thought I would update briefly - I have been getting + hpt's since 6dp5dt, have had some very light spotting last night/today though - praying for good beta's on Monday and that the spotting is normal.


----------



## MrsC8776

CM~ I didn't take any baby aspirin. I did ask about it and they said no. I guess it is for IVF because it was on my list of meds but also for reoccurring mc's. I know you want to do everything possible but if they don't tell you to take it I wouldn't. 

Sun~ Congrats again! :happydance: Fx for a great beta on Monday!


----------



## raelynn

SunUp - So excited for you! Congrats!


----------



## want2beamamma

Canadian maple- I conpletely understand about not wanting to let everyone know.... we live on a small island. I swear some people know what time you pee'd and what bathroom you even used HAHA!!!!! It's a private and personal thing :) I know exactly where you're coming from.



Today is 2 days after the IUI and I am feeling bloated and a few cramps besides that nothing at all. I am still doing my OPK's and it was positive yesterday but negative today. Hopefully thats a good sign !


----------



## SunUp

CM - I didn't take ASA for either IUI or IVF... I think it depends on your doctor/cycle


----------



## CanadianMaple

They told me to start it on my CD1 so I'm going to take it, just curious about the reasoning. I googled it and I think the lining is sometimes affected by the Clomid, so maybe it helps create a thicker lining? I'll ask tomorrow if I think of it. :)

SunUp- I used to be a prenatal nurse. One OB told me that he's seen about 20% of his patients have spotting during a pregnancy and most carry on and have healthy babies. I really wouldn't worry yet, as hard as that is. 

Want2be- A negative OPK is great news! You sound like you caught the surge! You'll be testing just as I am getting ready for my IUI. That seems so far away, doesn't it?

We go to our clinic at 8:30 tomorrow morning. I am not feeling excited about having the ultrasound with AF here, but I know it's something they are used to. I'm surprised at how light my period actually is on this pill. I didn't spot at all this time around and figured it would be really bad. I'm hoping it goes well, and they don't cancel anything.


----------



## want2beamamma

I am going to try to keep busy. Make a visit to family thats a few hours away and make this time pass!!! Hopefully your time will fly by too :) Is this your first IUI?

Clomid shortened my period. Normally I am 3 days and 4th day is light. Clomid gave me a 2 day period and the 3rd and 4th day were very very minimal spotting.


----------



## MrsC8776

CanadianMaple said:


> They told me to start it on my CD1 so I'm going to take it, just curious about the reasoning. I googled it and I think the lining is sometimes affected by the Clomid, so maybe it helps create a thicker lining? I'll ask tomorrow if I think of it. :)
> 
> SunUp- I used to be a prenatal nurse. One OB told me that he's seen about 20% of his patients have spotting during a pregnancy and most carry on and have healthy babies. I really wouldn't worry yet, as hard as that is.
> 
> Want2be- A negative OPK is great news! You sound like you caught the surge! You'll be testing just as I am getting ready for my IUI. That seems so far away, doesn't it?
> 
> We go to our clinic at 8:30 tomorrow morning. I am not feeling excited about having the ultrasound with AF here, but I know it's something they are used to. I'm surprised at how light my period actually is on this pill. I didn't spot at all this time around and figured it would be really bad. I'm hoping it goes well, and they don't cancel anything.

Oh you were asking what it was for... It is to help with the lining and implantation. It also increases blood flow to the uterus. :thumbup: Good luck tomorrow! 



want2beamamma said:


> I am going to try to keep busy. Make a visit to family thats a few hours away and make this time pass!!! Hopefully your time will fly by too :) Is this your first IUI?
> 
> Clomid shortened my period. Normally I am 3 days and 4th day is light. Clomid gave me a 2 day period and the 3rd and 4th day were very very minimal spotting.

Clomid can do some funny things. I think everyone is different with it. I just remember it made me very "short" and I took it out on my hubby. I don't remember how long AF lasted. I hope your 2ww passes quickly! I can't wait for you ladies to start testing.


----------



## want2beamamma

I can't wait to start either :)..... why must we have to wait so long. How come our fingernails cant turn pink or blue right away if we were pregnant haha


----------



## raelynn

want2bemamma - LOL! I love the fingernail thing! I wish it were that easy!

Canadian - The pill made my period super light too. Good luck tomorrow! I'm sure everything will go just fine!


----------



## WANBMUM

So.... I gave in and tested...after over 4 years of trying, I got my first ever positive. I can't believe I'm even typing this! Is this real? Our 3rd iui was successful!


----------



## SunUp

Yay Wanb! I know, It doesn't really feel real!! Maybe after the first sono? Congrats Momma! Stick, baby, stick!


----------



## WANBMUM

Thanks sun up! Wow girls, you better believe this is one lucky thread!


----------



## CanadianMaple

Omg! Congratulations!!! 

I'm waiting at my clinic now. AF is very light now and that makes me feel better about the ultrasound.


----------



## WANBMUM

Good luck Canadian.you will be fine, guarantee you will be put at ease ASAP. Keep us posted.


----------



## want2beamamma

WANBMUM- THAT IS AWESOME NEWS!!!!! CONGRATS :) 

Canadian maple- Good luck that helps that your period is light :)


----------



## CanadianMaple

I'm home! They saw 30 resting follicles on the right and 10 on the left. I hope they don't all respond to the clomid!

Waiting for her to call with my bloodwork and then can start the 100mg clomid. They are checking my LH on Friday. It could get canceled if it's still elevated, so cross your fingers.


----------



## want2beamamma

thinking of you and crossing my fingers! good luck


----------



## MrsC8776

MWANB~ Congrats!! :happydance: 

2 BFP's in 2 days this is a very lucky thread!

CM~ Fx for you! Hopefully everything goes smoothly. I can't wait to hear what they say.


----------



## raelynn

WANBMUM - Congrats!!! So happy for you! 

Canadian - Keeping my fingers crossed you'll be starting soon!


----------



## WANBMUM

Thanks guys, I'm a bit cautious about posting in here as I know how much it stings when your going through fertility treatments and you see a bfp. 
Do you guys know if there is a thread for pg after infertility? Or after donor? As I don't fit in with all the 3rd month lucky threads :(


----------



## MrsC8776

There is :) ... I'll find it real quick for you. I know a few ladies who have had to do fertility treatment have joined in there. https://babyandbump.momtastic.com/p...99-summer-sensations-due-may-june-2013-a.html It is hard to find a spot to fit in after going through so much. I'm still finding it hard.


----------



## CanadianMaple

I think we should do a PG after donor group. I would love to eventually join!

I got the green light to start Clomid. I'm going to pick it up before going to the in-law's for Thanksgiving dinner. Should I take it when I get it or would it be better at bedtime? I still have to get a number that's 10 or lower on the LH test on Friday, that's what I am mostly nervous for, it was 15 when they did my CD8 tests last spring. Hoping the month on the pill made the difference like they think it will.

I think seeing BFPs in here make me feel hopeful. I could see it stinging if we weren't moving toward IUI or IVF, but we're all in here moving ahead in our journeys.


----------



## MrsC8776

CanadianMaple said:


> I think we should do a PG after donor group. I would love to eventually join!
> 
> I got the green light to start Clomid. I'm going to pick it up before going to the in-law's for Thanksgiving dinner. Should I take it when I get it or would it be better at bedtime? I still have to get a number that's 10 or lower on the LH test on Friday, that's what I am mostly nervous for, it was 15 when they did my CD8 tests last spring. Hoping the month on the pill made the difference like they think it will.
> 
> I think seeing BFPs in here make me feel hopeful. I could see it stinging if we weren't moving toward IUI or IVF, but we're all in here moving ahead in our journeys.

Yay :happydance: great news that you can start! So with clomid you want to take it the same time every day. I took mine at 2 I think but thats just because thats when I got it. So what ever time you take it just set yourself a reminder. Some people take it before bed to avoid the side effects. I wanted to know what it did to me just in case I had to do it again. Happy Thanksgiving!


----------



## MrsC8776

Oh and a bfp after donor group sounds like a great idea.


----------



## WANBMUM

Great news canadian. The one month I took chlomid I was an eager beaver so i took it in the morning and i was kinda sorry I didn't wait until the evening to avoid the side affects, nothing too drastic, sickness and headaches, I coped :)

I think a bfp after donor sperm thread is a great idea, as only you girls in here are going through the same as me and will be throughout your pregnancies. 
We will be waiting for you Canadian, we will have a party once ur there x x


----------



## Polita76

WANBMUM said:


> Thanks sun up! Wow girls, you better believe this is one lucky thread!


Sooooooo great, wanbmum!!! I was coming in to check how you gals were doing and what wonderful news!!

Redhead, how are you doing? Any news on your front?

CanadianMaple, GL on this cycle?


----------



## Redhead7211

Hi ladies,

Things here have been hectic. I got AF Saturday and cried the whole day at work (I'm blaming it mostly on the Clomid along with the typical disappointment of seeing AF). I'm doing much better now and am picking up my Clomid to start tomorrow. Hopefully the third medicated IUI will be a good one for us. 

Congrats to all the BFP's! 

Wanbmum--When do you go in for your beta?

Sun up-Good luck Monday! Report back! 

Want2be-How are you feeling? Did you trigger? Usually 10 days out is a good place to start testing.

My Clomid side effects are shortened periods, extremely crampy periods (not that unlike me though...), extreme mood swings when I have AF and the occasional hot flash. I take mine at night because it's easy to remember and if it's going to bother my stomach I don't want to be awake for it :winkwink:

I also fully endorse a BFP with DS thread! Hopefully one day I can join, until then I will stalk happily!


----------



## raelynn

Hey ladies. I was thinking about creating a BFP after donor in the pregnancy buddy group but wanted to check here first to see what everyone thought about it. I too don't want to cause any hardship to those still trying. I know in some of my groups it still stung a little so see all the BFP talk when we were having no luck.

Canadian - So happy that you got the go ahead. I took my clomid right before bed to avoid any side effects.

Redhead - So sorry AF got you and hoping your BFP is coming soon!


----------



## MrsC8776

Red~ Sorry to hear about AF. I hope this round is it for you! 

raelynn~ I didn't want to hurt anyone with my bfp which is why I took a break from this thread for a little while. I think hiding the tickers is the best way to go. I think it would be great if we had a thread to go to for donor bfp's. I know I'm a little ahead of your girls but I would still love to join. Theres challenges that come with donor bfp's so it's nice to have others who can relate and help with feelings.


----------



## CanadianMaple

Definitely create it. I would love for you all to stick around too, but think it's a great idea to be able to chat away about pregnancy without feeling like you may hurt someone on a bad day. :)

My clomid just seems to be giving me a metallic taste in my mouth tonight and that's it. I hope it remains mild. I am trying so hard not to worry about my LH levels on Friday. I know that if they are still high, we will need injectables.


----------



## raelynn

Ok, I started it. Hopefully we'll see everyone there soon! Pregnancy with donor sperm

I'll definitely stick around. I still want to cheer everyone on here! But, it will be nice to have a place where we can chat away about our symptoms and such without bugging the ttc group.

Canadian - Keeping my fingers crossed your LH is perfect!


----------



## MrsC8776

I will for sure be sticking around to cheer everyone on! You ladies will be joining the other thread very soon. :winkwink:

Hopefully the clomid is easy on you. Did you take it mid day? Fx for Friday! Have you looked to see when your IUI will most likely be?


----------



## CanadianMaple

If everything goes well, Oct 17 should be the IUI. I took the Clomid at 5pm, I figured the side effects probably build on each other, so we'll see how tomorrow goes. It's a good week to do this, tomorrow is a holiday and there are no students at school on Tuesday. 

I'm thinking about taking Friday morning off so I'm not going to be late for school for my bloodwork and to throw people off of my IUI trail. I'll be missing part of the following Monday (15th) and the 17th too if all goes ahead. I have to admit that I am finally getting excited about this after our two false starts. I am exceptionally nervous that they will cancel, but I am trying to read as much as a I can about LH and resting follicles and then going day-by-day, starting tomorrow.

I'm so glad you guys will continue to pop in as cheerleaders! :happydance:


----------



## MrsC8776

Sounds like everything is working out great for timing! I'm so excited for you!


----------



## CanadianMaple

Redhead- I got so wrapped up in answering questions about my IUI cycle, I somehow missed your post. :( I'm so sorry AF arrived. After going through so much to get pregnant this way, it has to hurt so much. I really hope the third time is a charm for you guys.

Those side effects don't sound much fun. I've never had a hot flash, I've always been something that needs a sweater on most of the year, and it should be interesting to feel one.


----------



## Redhead7211

Canandian-you and I will be cycle/bump buddies! I go in for my mid cycle ultrasound on 10/16. I never had any side effects from the pill (i.e. metallic taste, upset stomach etc.) just those I listed before. I have my teaching certification, but unfortunately the market here is stagnant. I sub and work with DH as a meat cutter and tutor. So 90% of the time I'm in a 40 degree environment and when I have a hot flash I literally will be in a tank top sweating. haha not very attractive. Up until then I've never had one either! I'll be pulling for you to get some good news Friday!

Rae-I subscribed to the new thread! 

I hope all of you ladies with BFP's stick around. It's not depressing for me, the opposite! It gives me a lot of hope :happydance:


----------



## Redhead7211

I forgot to add...

As this is our 4th upcoming IUI I called our RE's office to make the mid cycle appointment and to ask if she thought we should pick a different donor. I'm not sure what exactly comes next...my body has been responding well to the Clomid I don't know if it's time to switch meds, try a different donor, or just keep toughing it out. Have any of you been in this situation?


----------



## SunUp

Hey Red, its not quite the same because I switched to IVF also - but after 3 BFN IUI's, we switched and went to IVF w/ a new donor and BFP! So maybe a new donor isn't a bad thing.


----------



## Redhead7211

Sun-So your Beta today confirmed the BFP?! Congratulations!!! That is great news!!:hugs: Before you switch DS were you ovulating and everything checking out fine every cycle? Did you stay on the same meds this cycle as you had with the previous cycles?

Our RE just called and said that a lot of people switch DS and it's very common. She said the point is that this DS doesn't seem to be working for us so we can switch. I'm having DH look through another bank at some saved favorites to pick which one he likes. Hopefully this month we will have a BFP with new DS.


----------



## MrsC8776

Red I think thats a great idea. Sometimes all it takes it a donor switch. I hope you guys find another one you are comfortable with. I would do that before switching meds since you know your body is doing what it is suppose to on the clomid.


----------



## SunUp

Everything was fine with me each cycle. I did 2 clomid IUIs (got 1 mature follie) and 1 injectables(1 mature and one close) This IVF I did an antagonist protocol. So I was thinking it was just incompatibility w/ the donor? No reason for the IUI failures.


----------



## CanadianMaple

Redhead- I'm so happy to have you as a cycle/bump buddy! You know, I think I would have changed donors at this point too. I remember seeing someone else doing that and getting pregnant that very next cycle.

Have any of you on Clomid had a weird dizzy feeling? It's not like a true dizziness, but like a lightheaded or a spacey feeling that comes and goes? I'm hoping I am not coming down with something...


----------



## WANBMUM

Canadian that is exactly how I felt on chlomid, not dizzy enough I could faint but a strange lightheadedness. An annoying feeling right?


----------



## CanadianMaple

Really annoying. Nothing really to complain about, but it would just hit me at weird times and make me feel off. I hope it doesn't happen a lot when I am teaching this week!


----------



## azlissie

Hello everyone! I've been pretty quiet lately since there wasn't really anything going on, but I had my cd12 scan today and we're doing the IUI tomorrow! I have 4 follicles - 2 on each side - but my lining was a little on the thin side. I am trying a new donor for this round but I'm not feeling very optimistic. I think part of the problem is that I've been fighting a cold since Friday and I just feel like crap, so at this point I just can't get excited about anything. My clinic does IUI 24 hours after trigger - those of you who've had bfps, was yours 24 or 36 hours after trigger? I wish they would wait longer.

I hope everyone has a good week!


----------



## WANBMUM

Hi aslizzie, 

My last iui was 30/31 hours after trigger and I just got my bfp.
Also it is normal not to feel excited, on our 3rd attempt I tried to but truthfully I really didn't hold out much hope, I was just going through the motions and was preparing for ivf. 
Wishing you lots of luck :)


----------



## want2beamamma

Hi ladies,

I have been working my nights and feel like I've missed so much!! I had a break down yesterday after I had some cramps and lots of EWCM.... Maybe I missed O and this is when I should of had the IUI done. Anyone experience this 4 dpiui?? IUI was done cd11 which i felt was early but I got a positive opk.

Canadian Maple- Glad you were able to start :) good luck. Clomid can do some funny things to your body but I didnt find it as bad as most people say.


----------



## WANBMUM

Want2be (GOOD NAME, must be confusing for the girls here :) )
After IUI for a few days I had ewcm, so I wouldnt worry too much. This is from the catheter loosening your cm. Did you trigger?


----------



## silverbell

Absolutely wonderful news to see so many recent BFPs in here.

Big congrats to SunUp and WANBMUM. Over the moon for you both :cloud9:


----------



## want2beamamma

WANBMUM- yes i would say the name is confusing. I never even thought as to how popular it would be :blush:

I did not do a trigger just clomid days 2-6 100mg. I am worried that with cramps and the EWCM i might be ovulating now and I did the IUI too early. I got positive OPK's cd10 and 11. Hope I didnt srew the timing up ... $1800 is alot to waste :dohh:


----------



## Redhead7211

AZ-keep us posted on the IUI! We will be here for your cheerleading backup. Feel better!!

Want2be-I agree that the catheter probably knocked some CM loose. No worries! 

Canadian-Today I felt some slight head fogginess today...I just blamed my period wrapping up and being tired. Who knows I guess. I hope it gets better for you! I know teaching when you feel like crap is no fun.


----------



## CanadianMaple

Azlissie- I hope it all goes well tomorrow! 

want2be- Thank you! When I used to chart, there was something that caused a bit more fertile fluid a day or so after O. How much EWCM are you talking about? I hope you didn't miss it.

It's weird, I am not feeling any different at all today. I actually questioned to see if I took it and I have... Are some of the side effects worse the week after?

I love the BFPs we have had in here. We should count them!

I took an OPK this morning to make sure it looked like my LH was still low. It was still pretty light, I'm hoping that's a good sign. 3 more days until that test.


----------



## MrsC8776

azlissie said:


> Hello everyone! I've been pretty quiet lately since there wasn't really anything going on, but I had my cd12 scan today and we're doing the IUI tomorrow! I have 4 follicles - 2 on each side - but my lining was a little on the thin side. I am trying a new donor for this round but I'm not feeling very optimistic. I think part of the problem is that I've been fighting a cold since Friday and I just feel like crap, so at this point I just can't get excited about anything. My clinic does IUI 24 hours after trigger - those of you who've had bfps, was yours 24 or 36 hours after trigger? I wish they would wait longer.
> 
> I hope everyone has a good week!

I took a trigger and had my IUI 36 hours later. Sometimes they like to have the swimmers waiting for the egg. Can you get a scan before the IUI to see if you have ovulated? 



want2beamamma said:


> Hi ladies,
> 
> I have been working my nights and feel like I've missed so much!! I had a break down yesterday after I had some cramps and lots of EWCM.... Maybe I missed O and this is when I should of had the IUI done. Anyone experience this 4 dpiui?? IUI was done cd11 which i felt was early but I got a positive opk.
> 
> Canadian Maple- Glad you were able to start :) good luck. Clomid can do some funny things to your body but I didnt find it as bad as most people say.

Fx you got the right days! 



CanadianMaple said:


> Azlissie- I hope it all goes well tomorrow!
> 
> want2be- Thank you! When I used to chart, there was something that caused a bit more fertile fluid a day or so after O. How much EWCM are you talking about? I hope you didn't miss it.
> 
> It's weird, I am not feeling any different at all today. I actually questioned to see if I took it and I have... Are some of the side effects worse the week after?
> 
> I love the BFPs we have had in here. We should count them!
> 
> I took an OPK this morning to make sure it looked like my LH was still low. It was still pretty light, I'm hoping that's a good sign. 3 more days until that test.

I remember talking to you when I was taking my clomid. I was an emotional mess and totally mean to my hubby. Sometimes it doesn't make others feel any different and other times it makes them a whole different person. I do think that the side effects can linger into the week after but normally it happens while you are taking them I think.


----------



## esuzanne

CanadianMaple said:


> Redhead- I'm so happy to have you as a cycle/bump buddy! You know, I think I would have changed donors at this point too. I remember seeing someone else doing that and getting pregnant that very next cycle.
> 
> Have any of you on Clomid had a weird dizzy feeling? It's not like a true dizziness, but like a lightheaded or a spacey feeling that comes and goes? I'm hoping I am not coming down with something...

Oh my goodness this is exactly how I feel! This is my second round of 100mg CD 3-7 and I didn't have this feeling last time. It's like I feel like my body is just floating around from place to place and dizzy. It's weird & hardto explain!!!


----------



## azlissie

I didn't really notice anything like what you ladies are talking about with the Clomid, but I always took mine at bedtime. I read somewhere that it's good to try to sleep through the side effects!

Had my IUI today - 32 million with 46% motility so that's one of the better samples I've had. I wish I could feel more positive about this whole thing but I just don't. 

want2, I really hope you're not ovulating now - did they do a scan to see if your follies were big enough? Keeping my fx'd for you!


----------



## want2beamamma

No ...no scan I asked for one and they said " it's self monitoring only" which sucks :( . Hate to base a $1800 treatment on some $20 test. I have decided if this doesnt work then I might try doing an at home insemination ( not IUI ). What's the point of paying all that money when I can do the same monitoring myself! I am having a hard time with a toss up of the at home or IVF..... IVF is very pricey.

So far yesterday I had alot of ewcm and my cervix was very low but today i have alot of just watery creamy CM and cervix is very high. My ovaries feel like they are going to burst and it's going all around to my back as my back is aching. GRRR i wish I knew what was going on!!

Canadian maple- The side effects didnt hit me right away... it was a couple day. Then all of a sudden I went from freezing to feeling like I was in a sauna haha


----------



## want2beamamma

Well did an OPK and very positive... looks like I'm out this month and wasted $1800 !! 
:( :( :(


----------



## MrsC8776

Ahh crap! I'm so sorry want2be. Hopefully you aren't out. I'm confused about the monitoring. So they said no? Are you at a fertility clinic or at an OB's office?


----------



## want2beamamma

I am at a fertility clinic. They said "its self monitoring" and I asked about an ultrasound and was told no. Not even the option to pay more for it.

I have been reading some people get a positive OPK if pregnant BUT it would be way too early, today is only 6dpo. :(


----------



## MrsC8776

Honestly if they are denying you of monitoring you should look into another clinic. They want you to give them all your money and not help you. I was at a clinic like that and left because they were doing nothing to help me. They could have at least give your a blood test to see if you were ovulating.


----------



## SunUp

What she said!:jo:


----------



## WANBMUM

I agree with the gals above want2be. Are you restricted with this clinic? As in, is it the only one in your region?
What are you paying them for so? You need to be scanned for follicle size, possible cysts and I would recommend a trigger, then you have every possible chance. IUI is tough enough without not having all these factors covered.
I feel for you and hope ur ok?


----------



## Redhead7211

I agree with the ladies! I'm pulling that you are not out. Keep us posted. 

How are all of you fine ladies feeling? The pregnant mama's too!


----------



## CanadianMaple

want2be- I'm so frustrated for you. We had to pay the extra $300 upfront, but they recommended us using a trigger and monitoring with my high LH and frequent + OPKs. I would be really angry if they didn't want to ensure you getting pregnant. :(

Did anyone have any fertile CM with Clomid? I'm freaking out because that probably means my LH is high and they will have to cancel the cycle after Friday's bloodwork. I did an OPK and it's nowhere near positive but I just drank a bunch of water this afternoon too. Crap!!!!


----------



## MrsC8776

I'm doing good. Just having trouble getting comfortable in bed already. 

CM~ I did have fertile CM while on the clomid. Some people dry up and others it is the opposite. Good news that the OPK wasn't positive though. Maybe check again tonight if you still have OPK's. I should have sent you more. :haha:


----------



## CanadianMaple

I still have about 5 more, unless some of them are pregnancy tests. I just read somewhere that Clomid will raise LH too, I hope they account for that when they check my LH on Friday.

I'm so scared they will cancel my cycle. I was relaxing (for me) until I saw this CM.


----------



## MrsC8776

I can't remember if I sent pregnancy tests. Those are in pink packages. Hopefully everything will be fine and you can still move forward. You go in Friday right?


----------



## CanadianMaple

I do. Only 37 more hours. LOL I took the morning off, so hopefully the clinic will call me back in the morning so I can book my substitute teacher before the end of the school day. I'm too nervous about booking her for CD11 and the IUI yet, I'm afraid I will jinx it.


----------



## Redhead7211

Mrs.C-Sorry to hear you're already uncomfortable in bed! Are you totally unable to be on your back now when trying to sleep?

Canadian-You'll be fine. Try not to stress yourself out! You want your womb to be a nice calm place :thumbup: I still have CM while on Clomid and this is my third time.


----------



## MrsC8776

No I can still sleep on my back. Just getting comfortable is a pain in the butt. I was way to excited when hubby wasn't going to use all his pillows last night. While he was gone I got used to putting one on each side of me so that when I rolled over I was still comfortable. Looks like it's time to buy more pillows! 

How are you doing?


----------



## CanadianMaple

MrsC- I found that a wedge pillow made all the difference for me when I was pregnant with Jack. I started with it between my knees (helped my back) and then I started putting it under my hips. I remember those days!

Thank you RedHead. TMI but was yours clear too? I know it's out of my hands, but it would break my heart to have to quit and do the pill again for a month or two before stating again.


----------



## Redhead7211

Canadian-Mine is usually clear with the Clomid. There is a thread somewhere on here dedicated to Clomid. Maybe they talk more about CM there. Try and stay calm about your blood work tomorrow. Let us know when you get the results.

https://babyandbump.momtastic.com/t...id-please-join-ask-questions-get-answers.html

I'm feeling pretty good. DH and I are going to go over our top picks for new donors and order our new sperm. I'm feeling pretty excited about it!


----------



## CanadianMaple

Thank you Redhead. I just made the mistake of doing an OPK at 5pm and the test line is definitely getting a lot darker. I'm so scared they will cancel.

I'll go check out that thread. Thank you!


----------



## CanadianMaple

I'm at the lab. At first they couldn't find the req but they finally found it in an empty folder.

She said the results won't be in until tomorrow, they have to be sent to the city at 11 today. :(


----------



## CanadianMaple

My favourite nurse called me back. She figured the results wouldn't be back until Monday.

My LH was 9.5 on day 3, they needed it under 10, so that's good. She said it usually doesn't go much higher so to keep my fingers crossed. Either way, they have to see me at 7:30am on Monday to check my ovarian response, so I'll be booking my substitute once I get over to the school in an hour or so.

Scares me that my LH was so close on day 3. During my baseline B/W in the spring, my LH was 12 and then 15 on cd8. I don't have room to go up 3 points this time around. Cross everything you can for us.


----------



## SunUp

Cm- crossed!


----------



## deafgal01

CM :hugs: Sending lots of :dust: and hoping for the best news Monday. :hugs: :dust:


----------



## Redhead7211

I agree with the ladies. My fingers are crossed for you CM! It will work out for you:hugs:


----------



## CanadianMaple

I left a message today and asked them to call me back with my LH results since I was so worried. She called mid-afternoon while I was out and her message was so cryptic. DH thinks she was trying to tell me something but couldn't in a message.

It was like this: "Hi Becky...Just returning your call. Uh...yeah you are...you're still on for the 15th and we'll check your blood again then like on your calendar for day 11." So no answers, but I'm positive they're too high. I have too much EWCM/watery CF for it not to be high. It seems to hit the most just after lunch. I was getting some crazy cramps this afternoon but feel better again now.


----------



## MrsC8776

I really hope things work out for this cycle. Try to stay positive and maybe call at the beginning of the week to see if you can get some answers.


----------



## CanadianMaple

I'm there at 7:30 on Monday regardless for my cd11 ultrasound and b/w. let's hope I can trigger that day. I'm feeling so down. :(


----------



## MrsC8776

My fingers are crossed for you! Sorry you are feeling down. I wish it wasn't so difficult.


----------



## CanadianMaple

How is everyone else?


----------



## SunUp

Fx for you, cm! I cant wait for you to have a cmaple baby!


----------



## CanadianMaple

IUI canceled. LH was 17.


----------



## CanadianMaple

Well, I just had an ultrasound and they want me back in two days. My follicles were at 13mm and my lining was 8.6. They said they would see what my bloodwork says.

So the first nurse said it was canceled and I would need to sit down with the RE and discuss injectables or IVF. Then the other RE (I think?) said there was no ovulation yet (I knew that) and they would take my chart to Dr. R.


----------



## WANBMUM

Oh Canadian you must be all over the place, I was so disappointed when i seen your post saying it was cancelled, but there is hope right :)
I dont really understand the LH thing, my RE's didnt monitor that while going through IUI, they used to just check follicle size and lining. 
Oh I also used the clearblue fertility monitor (for my own benefit seeing as once we missed ovulation) at least this way, if I did get my suge, I would contact the clinic and they would get me in ASAP.
Your follicle is at a great size, I bet in 2 days time it will be as ripe as a berry and you will be ready to go :)


----------



## CanadianMaple

The LH is the hormone that induces ovulation (what you measure in an OPK) and if it surges too early, it can cause me to ovulate too early, or it affects the egg quality. They told me it had to stay under 10 in order to keep the cycle moving ahead. But, when they scanned me, it was obvious that I hadn't ovulated (I go through this every cycle and knew I hadn't), and I think this RE will let things continue if today's LH is more normal (which I am pretty sure it is, I have no fertile CM at all these past 2 days.)

So, I don't know what to think. I don't know if they canceled me thinking I had ovulated and since I hadn't it's been salvaged. Or if it's still canceled but they want to watch to see what the Clomid's effects were.


----------



## WANBMUM

Canadian, what I learnt in this process, YOU know your body and trust in that. If they are monitoring your follicles regularly, they shouldnt miss your ovulation. It sounds like alot of stress on you for nothing. Look at the facts, your follicles are about 13, your lining is excellent, you havent had any cm, to me, it is all looking great. As you will see from my ticker, one month they missed my ovulation as they didnt bring me in to scan early enough. Our protocol was, scanned from day 10 and from there we would decide when to be scanned next, so if it was 13, they would say ok, come back in 2 days, once it got to say 15 then I would go back every 24 hours, until I was ready to go. My last time I triggered at 17. 
If you had ovulated, What they say will happen is you ovulate the dominant follicle, all the rest of the follicles will just fade away and you would see that on the U/S. 
Wishing you lots of luck :)


----------



## SunUp

Yeah they didn't worry about my LH either - they did track follie size and estrogen levels - and made sure I hadn't ovulated first.


----------



## raelynn

Same for me as the other girls. They only tracked my LH to see if I would surge naturally or needed to trigger. My LH level before my surge was something like 14 (for only one maturing follicle) and then when I surged it was 40 so I didn't need a trigger at that point. Not sure why they are so concerned with yours staying under 10, especially if you have more than 1 large follicle. Keeping fingers crossed for you!


----------



## want2beamamma

WOW I feel so out of the loop now! My internet was down and not working all of this time. Although it has kept me off line looking up symptoms.

I am 11 days past IUI. Day 9 past IUI I was woken up around 3am with horrible cramps , so painful I thought I was going to be sick!! I went to work hoping they would go away. They didnt so I went into emerg. They said my abdomen sounded very overactive and that was it!!!! Why must the doctors in my area be so unhelpful? Anyways no cramps today. I have been having alot of watery/white cervical mucus every since the IUI was done. I am hoping I am not out this month!

If we are out this month we are going to give IUI another go however this time I was demend monitoring AND i want a trigger shot. I am not risking $1800 on a $5 test!! 

My blood work is Oct19th until then... I am going to try not to test. I MIGHT test in a couple days though


----------



## MrsC8776

CM I hope they let you move forward. There is no reason to cancel if you still have follicles. Just make sure they stay on top of the scans!

want2be~ Fx for you! I think thats a great idea that if this one doesn't work you demand monitoring and a trigger if needed. No point in paying all that if they don't help you. I've been there and done that. Not fun!


----------



## Redhead7211

CM-I hope when you go in for the mid-cycle ultrasound the lead follie is nice and big! I was so heart broken when I read it was cancelled. I hope you are in good shape, we're all pulling for you! I don't get my LH monitored-it's probably a good thing because I'd make myself nuts.

I'm going in for my mid-cycle ultrasound tomorrow. Hoping for good follies and lining! 

I have to run to have dinner with my sister-in-law, I'll read more and check in when I'm home! 

Hope you ladies are well!:flower:


----------



## CanadianMaple

I'm just posting before I eat. I'll be back, just swam out my frustration for about 40 minutes.

They're testing my LH because it was high during my baseline testing they did last spring. It sounds like I may have PCOS.

The RE reviewed today's results, my LH is still too high at 14.6 and now my progesterone is too high at 6.1 I think it means my body is trying really hard to ovulate too early without a good sized follicle ready. It can affect egg quality and cause an early m/c in some studies. (I found those, they clinic hasn't mentioned that at all.)

So, I opted not to cancel today and wait another 2 days. But they are really thinking I am going to need injectables and need to meet with the head RE in the next few weeks to come up with a plan B.


----------



## raelynn

CM - Sorry to hear you're still being pulled around. I have diagnosed PCOS so maybe that is why my LH was higher too :shrug: My doctor wasn't concerned with it and obviously everything turned out ok so I don't know. I didn't have to use injectables and I ovulated on my own on CD 19 with clomid. I also had almost the same LH you have now for only one follicle and you have 3 so shouldn't that affect it too? Hopefully since you're continuing everything will work out ok.


----------



## Redhead7211

Wow I missed so much breezing through everyone's posts!

CM-I can't believe the drama around this cycle!! I think it's a good idea to wait a few days. Try to keep your head up! We're all rooting for you! I could also be potentially starting injectable next cycle too. 

Rae-How are you feeling these days?

Want2be-Sorry about all of the cramping. That sounds terrible! 11 dpiui? I would be fighting the urge to test! I hope this cycle is a BFP!

I had my mid cycle ultrasound today. It went well, lead follicle is 17.2mm, she wants me to trigger Thursday AM, IUI Friday at 11:30am. Because it's my 4th IUI we talked about a game plan if this cycle doesn't work. She said that we can do Ferema (sp), injectables, or look at IVF. She said before starting injectables, patients have to sit in a "class" which is like a 45 minute tutorial on injectables. I suppose that's a good thing considering DH and I are clueless about injectables.


----------



## raelynn

Redhead - Doing ok here but food just isn't sitting right for me anymore. Pretty much everything makes me nauseous lately. Still no real morning sickness but my tummy is constantly unsettled. Otherwise, things are moving along. I'm just ready to be to the 12 week mark so I can tell work and stop hiding it.

Good luck with this cycle!! The injectables class is pretty quick and easy. In mine, they just went over each of the medicines the people attending would be using. Demonstrated how to draw it up and inject and then let us practice with the syringes and little rubber pieces.


----------



## CanadianMaple

Just curious about injectables... Do you have to get monitored everyday on them?


----------



## MrsC8776

Redhead7211 said:


> Wow I missed so much breezing through everyone's posts!
> 
> CM-I can't believe the drama around this cycle!! I think it's a good idea to wait a few days. Try to keep your head up! We're all rooting for you! I could also be potentially starting injectable next cycle too.
> 
> Rae-How are you feeling these days?
> 
> Want2be-Sorry about all of the cramping. That sounds terrible! 11 dpiui? I would be fighting the urge to test! I hope this cycle is a BFP!
> 
> I had my mid cycle ultrasound today. It went well, lead follicle is 17.2mm, she wants me to trigger Thursday AM, IUI Friday at 11:30am. Because it's my 4th IUI we talked about a game plan if this cycle doesn't work. She said that we can do Ferema (sp), injectables, or look at IVF. She said before starting injectables, patients have to sit in a "class" which is like a 45 minute tutorial on injectables. I suppose that's a good thing considering DH and I are clueless about injectables.

Good luck on Friday!! Fx for you! 



CanadianMaple said:


> Just curious about injectables... Do you have to get monitored everyday on them?

I don't know if it is everyday but I do know it is more. Not only that but the meds are really expensive. I think around 3,000.00 maybe 3,500.00. I could be wrong though. :shrug: Hopefully you won't have to go that route.


----------



## SunUp

I didn't get monitored every day on injectables -

My injection meds were not all that expensive... at least not for IUI. Ask your clinic if they have any meds to donate. My IVF meds were over 2,000, though.


----------



## raelynn

I got monitored every other day to start with injections and then every day closer towards the end. My meds were expensive too - I think around the $2,000 range


----------



## CanadianMaple

So, I only have one follicle now at 17.5mm. My other two quit growing.

They are waiting on my b/w but they are already talking about next cycle. Are my odds that low with just one?


----------



## raelynn

I had just one CM and it worked out fine


----------



## CanadianMaple

I feel like I have to give it a chance but I worry since I bought the two last vials from my donor.

I wonder what the stats are on success. They are acting like I really don't have a chance.


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## MrsC8776

See if they will trigger it and do the IUI! Fx CM!


----------



## SunUp

Seriously? One or Two is usually ideal! I wish you could come to my clinic


----------



## CanadianMaple

My cycle was canceled. My estrogen was way too low, it should have been around 800 and was only 312. My LH was finally under 10 at 9.6 and my progesterone was dropping from 6.1 to 5.6.


So now we wait a few weeks to see the head RE for a new plan.

DH and I are devastated.


----------



## Redhead7211

CM-I'm so sorry that they cancelled this cycle :hugs: I would have thought the one follicle would have been enough. I don't even know what to say, other than I'm sorry and we are all here for you. I think we've already talked about this, but is there another clinic near you? Hopefully the head RE will have a new plan for you that will work. 

As my RE mentioned using injectables she said they already got approval from my insurance and insurance covers it. For IUI anyway. I'm not sure how much monitoring or how they are used etc. We are going to class on 10/24, at the very least it will be informative. Hopefully this cycle works for us and we won't need injectables. 

Rae-Sorry to hear about how upset your stomach is! 

How's everyone else?


----------



## MrsC8776

CanadianMaple said:


> My cycle was canceled. My estrogen was way too low, it should have been around 800 and was only 312. My LH was finally under 10 at 9.6 and my progesterone was dropping from 6.1 to 5.6.
> 
> 
> So now we wait a few weeks to see the head RE for a new plan.
> 
> DH and I are devastated.

:hugs: I'm so sorry. I don't understand why they cancelled it but I hope they figure something out for you soon. Try to stay positive even though this is a tough time.


----------



## WANBMUM

CM I am so sorry it was cancelled, it is such a deflating feeling. I know I've been there. I don't understand why either as I only had 1 at 17mm on our last cycle. 

You need a day or 2 of downtime and then pick yourself back up again. I found having something outside of ttc to focus on helped, a night or 2 away, a spa day, a weekend with friends, helped me to stay up beat to be able to go into my next cycle positive.


----------



## SunUp

I don't understand either! I ALWAYS tend to have lower estrogen and one time they put me on estrogen pills (suppository - tmi) for my cycle. I am so sorry and SO frustrated for you!


----------



## silverbell

I'm so sorry to hear this, CM.

I can't understand it though ... I never had any such blood tests at all during my cycles so for me they wouldn't have known. I guess each clinic is so different.

I know how it feels to have a cycle cancelled and for me it was worse than getting the :bfn: or AF showing up, so I know how you're feeling :hugs:

Try to see the positives of the situation if you can though (I know it's tough, but it helped me). For instance, at least they're keeping an eye on you and making sure they're not taking any chances - they clearly want you to have a perfect cycle to get a perfect result and that's reassuring, despite the heartache of further delays. 

Thinking of you.


----------



## want2beamamma

Tested yesterday BFN.... :( I had a feeling this didnt work. I go for my blood work tomorrow but hopes aren't high. Onto the next cycle I think and this time I will be getting monitoring and bloodwork!! of course this comes with an extra $600 cost. Thank god we are getting our house renovation money.... oh the things we do


----------



## silverbell

I'm so sorry, want2be :nope: :hugs:

Monitoring and bloodwork next cycle sounds like a plan though :thumbup:


----------



## Redhead7211

Want2be-Sorry that you got a BFN. It's not over until AF shows! When is AF due? Let us know how the beta works out. I agree with Silver, monitoring and blood work sounds like a step in the right direction!


----------



## Redhead7211

Hi ladies,
I'm back and settled from the IUI. While the doctor was getting me ready for the IUI he commented on how much CM I had. He kept commenting on it throughout the whole process and said it means my body is producing estrogen which is a good thing. He also said the DS had 28 million. It's all crossing our fingers from here on out. 

I hope you all are doing well!


----------



## want2beamamma

Good luck redhead7211 !!!


----------



## Redhead7211

Thanks want2be. Did you get your blood test results back?


----------



## want2beamamma

I went in for the blood work today. I didnt figure I could get them so soon. I am going to try calling my clinic tomorrow or monday. I am not feeling too hopeful this cycle. I have 1 test left but I am so nervous that itll just be a negative


----------



## Redhead7211

Sorry you're feeling down. Try to stay upbeat. How are you feeling otherwise? Let us know when you get the results.


----------



## Redhead7211

When is your period due?


----------



## want2beamamma

Normally I have a 32 day cycle and last month I ovulated CD18... but this time I got a positive and went in for IUI CD 11... I was worried it was too early and maybe my body was just gearing up to ovulate and then didnt. I feel the same as usual nothing out of the ordinary.

I guess I would be considered late going by a positive CD10... but I tested CD18 this cycle aswell and got another positive. I am confused this cycle haha


----------



## HollyTTC

CM - I'm really sorry things are going so rough for you :hugs:

I was so excited to read about all the BFPs. Congrats ladies!

AFM 
I haven't been on in a while because this last cycle got me really down. I was 100% certain that this was not going to work for me again.

BUT...... 
I CANNOT BELIEVE IT - I got my :bfp: 
I am in such disbelief!!! It doesn't seem real!!!


----------



## MrsC8776

CM~ How are you doing? 

Want2be~ Fx for your blood work!

Red~ Good luck in your tww!!

Holly~ Congrats on your BFP!!! :happydance:


----------



## WANBMUM

Holly congratulations! Your cycle sounds just like mine, I was down as I was sure it was a waste of time too. Yes the disbelief doesn't seem to go either so get used to that :)
So happy for you.


----------



## azlissie

Want2, what days of your cycle did you take Clomid? Because I know it can cause a false positive on an OPK but I think that if you wait 3 days after your last dose then it won't happen. I got a false pos OPK during one of my cycles and completely freaked out because it was too early, but then I found out that it was caused by the Clomid which I had just stopped taking. I got a real pos OPK a few days later.

Holly, congratulations! You give me hope because I'm having the same negative feeling about this cycle - I'm so sure it didn't work that I'm planning what I want to do differently next time. Maybe I'll be proven wrong just like you!


----------



## SunUp

Yay Holly!


----------



## Redhead7211

Congratulations Holly!! 

Nothing new to report here. My abdomen is super tender and my stomach is out of sorts (thanks Trigger shot).

How's everyone else doing?


----------



## raelynn

Congrats Holly!


----------



## LesbianMystiq

Hi Ladies,

I've been reading through this thread the past couple of days and I've decided to join. My journey began with trying at-home inseminations but to no success I'm moving up the ladder to IUI.

I have a doctors appt tomorrow to get the ball rolling. I've done plenty of research about clomid, trigger shots, etc. so I think I'm semi-aware of what to expect. Here's my question for you ladies...

*When I go to the doctor, what should I ask for and/or demand?*

I'm asking because I don't want it to be a waste of an appt or copay lol.


----------



## WANBMUM

Hi mistiq and welcome :)

This is a very lucky thread so far so i wish you lots of luck.

Have you had any tests carried out so far? I would recommend an Antral follicle count test if you haven't had one, this test can not only help to rule out pcos but it can tell you how many follicles you have. Also have your bloods checked.
So many women waste time, money and emotions on iui without having previous tests to make sure all is A OK.


----------



## LesbianMystiq

WANBMUM said:


> Hi mistiq and welcome :)
> 
> This is a very lucky thread so far so i wish you lots of luck.
> 
> Have you had any tests carried out so far? I would recommend an Antral follicle count test if you haven't had one, this test can not only help to rule out pcos but it can tell you how many follicles you have. Also have your bloods checked.
> So many women waste time, money and emotions on iui without having previous tests to make sure all is A OK.

Thank you for the warm welcome!

Yes this thread has been quite successful, hopefully I can join in on that trend.

I haven't had any TTC tests run thus far. I've been to the obgyn countless times and they've done plenty of tests/blood work in the past but none specific to this area. I'll be sure to bring these two tests up, thank you for the insight.


----------



## Redhead7211

Hi mystiq!

This is a great thread, the ladies are wonderful. 

I agree with wanb. They will most likely give you blood work which is a necessity. Also ask about getting a HSG done to make sure there are no blockages before you get your iui. They also improve fertility by clearing out the tubes, so why not? :flower: I would also ask what monitoring is involved...how many tries will they let you try on each medication...
What's the policy on unmedicated iuis vs. Medicated.

That's all I can really think of now. I'm sure the rest of the ladies may have something more to add.


----------



## LesbianMystiq

Thanks * WANBMUM* and * Redhead7211* for the tips!

I just got back from my appointment and the initial steps were smooth. I've been sent away with things to do:


Sonogram
HSG Test
Bloodwork

Glad this visit was pleasant! I'll keep everyone posted :flower:


----------



## Redhead7211

Hi ladies,
DH and I just got back from injectables class at our RE's office. It was very informative, I feel much more better about taking that step if this IUI is not successful. 

I'm 5 dpiui today. I've been feeling pretty good! Lot's of CM still, still have a very sensitive abdomen which is especially tender when I stretch to reach something. Stomach is still out of sorts too. 

How's everyone else feeling?


----------



## CanadianMaple

I just wanted to pop in and let you know we're going to be on a break for awhile.

Our head RE is on personal leave until December. We are going to see him his second day back on Dec 6. They will be closed for Christmas and doing renos in January so the earliest cycle we can do will be in February. I'm going to try not to think about anything TTC/baby-wise until my appointment and just focus on living my life. It's almost been a year since our diagnosis and this year has been horrible. We're going to focus on US for a bit since we didn't get that chance as newlyweds because of all of this infertilty crap.

I hope you all do well with your TTC journey and I will be back as soon as I feel ready. I just feel like I have been waiting forever and it's not doing me any good being on a site like this if we have no chance of getting pregnant for another 3 months.


----------



## Redhead7211

CM-I understand and will miss seeing you on the boards. I have stayed away because it was too hard for me to be here so I understand. You and DH deserve happiness and time enjoying each other. I wish you all of the best and we will be here when you decide to join the TTC community. :flower::hugs:


----------



## SunUp

Hugs, CM! I totally understand the need for a break! Hope you have a wonderful time enjoying each other!


----------



## MrsC8776

Welcome Mystiq! 

CM~ I'm so sorry about everything that is going on. I hope you will be back. When you return we will be here to cheer you on! :hugs:


----------



## want2beamamma

CM- sorry to hear that. I hope to see you back here soon and wish you the best until then.


My blood work came back, results were as I expected - NEGATIVE.
Normally my cycle is 32 days and I am 2 days late... really wishing it would just show up so I can start clomid again. I am doing IUI with a donor again but this time getting follicle tracking via blood work and ultrasound with a possible trigger shot. Hope the next time is my chance. If not we are done trying until spring. Hard on the bank account :(


----------



## Redhead7211

I'm so sorry that you're out for this month. With the Clomid I have gotten my period a few days late several times. What a cruel joke. I bet getting monitored and the trigger will be just the ticket for you!


----------



## want2beamamma

Well speak of the devil! Started getting cramps and yup shes here. Bitter sweet I guess. Didnt get a BFP but atleast I can move on to the next cycle!


----------



## Redhead7211

Sorry about AF showing up.

I'm 10 dpiui today. I feel pretty good, had a big glob of EWCM in my underwear (TMI sorry). I have a cold/flu or something. I had a sore throat Thursday and Friday and now it's a full blown--some kinda funk. 

How's everyone feeling?


----------



## want2beamamma

Hope those things happening only mean good things in the end, good luck!


----------



## deafgal01

Red- good luck!

I'm ok. Been fighting uti since last week so finally caved in and made appt to see a dr (or rather nurse practioner) on Wednesday (Tuesday was busy for me).


----------



## Redhead7211

Well ladies I'm 99% sure AF is on her way. I suspect she will make some sort of appearance tomorrow. I'm not really feeling down like I usually do at this point. I think I'm just excited to be almost over this flu I've had for over a week and be moving on with the next step, which for us is injectables.

Have any of you ladies had no success with Clomid, but success with injectables? 

Thanks! Hope you are all well!!


----------



## want2beamamma

Sorry to hear things didnt work. I hope next month is your month!

I live 3 hrs from where I had my treatment done last time. This time I wanted tracking which they do daily ( i cant drive 6 hours every haha ) so I was sent to a doctor that they work with. While there I got the most amazing news!!!! Turns out that through where I live the government pays for 3 IUI's. Im a little upset that I didnt know this before I spent $1600 last month but oh well. So we arent doing anything this month. The doctor was beyond helpful,caring and nice. So different from the other clinic. She wants to clear my tubes just to be sure, then next month do the tracking, clomid and injectables! I cant wait :)

If the cycle works out by the normal amount of days that I go by I can test Dec 24th could be the best christmas this year ( hopefully )


----------



## Redhead7211

What great news!! Do you have your HSG scheduled? I recommend wearing a heavy duty pad to that appointment and taking some pain pills before hand. :flower: Hopefully we will get some BFP's within the next few months in this thread!!


----------



## want2beamamma

Had my HSG done wednesday. I will say it did hurt more then I had expected. Not sure if thats a good thing that I went in expecting it to not hurt, atleast I wasnt nervous! It wasnt overly terrible but deffinately could think of better things haha

She said everything looked great and the test was done in record timing, she's never had it work so quickly. So very clear! woohoo

Just waiting for cycle day 1 then to call and book some ultrasounds and blood work.... oh yeah and to take the dreaded clomid again! Hopefully this will be the last time.

How is everyone else doing?


----------



## silverbell

Hey ladies. Sorry I've been so AWOL. I felt very much like CM (thinking of you, by the way, CM). It's very, very difficult to just be 'in limbo' at any point when TTC, but when you're so close to the end result and you're just not getting anywhere fast it gets even harder. I was fine as I was going through my IUI treatments, but as soon as they finished and we were just waiting for IVF news I felt like I was WTT all over again and it was incredibly difficult. At least other couples can TTC with the very small chance of pregnancy whilst waiting for more invasive treatments, but of course us ladies don't have that possibility and it's incredibly difficult to cope with. I was beginning to resent everybody, no matter what their situation, and I didn't like feeling that way. Being on BnB was not helping my state of mind and so I disappeared for a bit.

Anyway, back now with absolutely wonderful news, which we found out last Monday ... the NHS have approved us for 1 free cycle of IVF :dance: We found out at the end of our IVF set-up appointment, which we'd organised just to be ready for when the time came. Talk about chuffed! Even better was that I was day 19 so I was nearly ready for my next cycle.

Tomorrow I'm having a fairly new procedure called an 'endometrial scratch', which is literally a scratch made in the womb lining the cycle before an IVF cycle. It seems to be increasing the chances of success and at just £70 we feel it is worth a shot. We'd like to know we tried everything we could. Then later in the week I should get AF and will be starting injections from day 3. I'm on the antagonist cycle, which is a short cycle. I have a lowish AMH for my age (5.76) and am really hoping that I produce lots of nice eggs. I can't believe I could potentially (and hopefully) be in the 2ww in 3 weeks' time. :happydance:

Anyway, because of me being back on the TTC wagon, I felt able to return. 

---

want2be - I have say I found the HSG incredibly painful for a couple of seconds when she squirted the dye through the catheter. I involuntarily doubled up on the bed and felt my face scrunching up in agony and I moaned. I have a high pain threshold and was surprised at how painful it was. I'm not sure if that's normal or not, but it was ever so painful for 2 seconds. They did say on my scan that it looked like my tubes might have spasmed during the procedure (no kidding!) Anyway, glad to hear all is A-OK. It's a huge relief, isn't it? :hugs:

Redhead - really sorry about it not working :nope: Thinking of you :hugs:

deafgal - sorry about the UTI. I do hope it's cleared up now?


----------



## lissa8686

Sorry, this is my first time using a forum and I am not really sure what the proper etiquette or procedure is for posting a new question... 

My partner and I are trying for the fourth time as soon as possible using at home insem however funding is getting tight and unfortunately our known donor (family friend) is no long an option. So I was wondering if anyone on here has used or knows somebody who has used the sperm donors worldwide website to find free donors? If so, what was your experience like?


----------



## silverbell

Hi Lisa :wave:

Nothing wrong with how/what you've posted, so don't worry.

I'm afraid I can't help (we're going via a clinic), but I hope somebody will be able to answer your question soon. If not, it may be worthwhile starting a new thread with your question on the Assisted Conception board to reach a larger range of readers.


----------



## LesbianMystiq

Hi Ladies!

I know I've been extremely AWOL for a couple of weeks but I had to stay to self and get a lot of prep work done.

I had my HSG done yesterday and that experience was less than pleasurable. The balloon inflating and the cramps from the dye was completely unexpected, and the aftermath of feeling sore for the rest of the night was my least favorite part. 

I was also started on Clomid 2x/day @ 50mg about 2 days ago and so far so good. No harsh mood swings or moody spills. My doctor also put me on metoformin and prenatals. Found out that I have PCOS and was devastated but I won't lament on that any longer.

So now for the good news, I go in on the 19th for an U/S and on the 20th for my IUI!!!! :happydance: The best part about it all is....I'll be inseminated on my birthday :wohoo:

GL to everyone in their tww and tons of baby dust to all!


----------



## SunUp

Glad everyone is making progress!!!

SB - I have everything crossed for you and hope you become another Azoo IVF success story!!!

Les- Birthdays are lucky for treatment!! I had ER on my birthday and am now 10 weeks!! Hoping this is it for you :)


----------



## silverbell

LesbianMystiq said:


> So now for the good news, I go in on the 19th for an U/S and on the 20th for my IUI!!!! :happydance: The best part about it all is....I'll be inseminated on my birthday :wohoo:
> 
> GL to everyone in their tww and tons of baby dust to all!

Happy Birthday and IUI day, LM! :cake: Hope all went smoothly today and sending lots of :dust: to you.


----------



## Redhead7211

I'm afraid I have been AWOL too...maybe we should rename the thread? haha

Silver-I can totally relate to your feelings. I think everyone on here can. I'm so psyched you're going to be starting IVF! I know nothing about IVF really, keep us updated. Do you know what drugs you'll be taking? I've never heard of the endo scratch before.

LM-How are you feeling? Happy Birthday!!:happydance:

Want2be-Any news at your end?

Lissa-Welcome to the forum! I am using a clinic so unfortunately I can't help you.

I'm currently in the TWW. I started 75iu of Gonal F this cycle, my first with injectables. I felt pretty good while taking them other than the sore belly from the shots. I had my IUI done Saturday, with my plush lining and one mature follicle. :thumbup: Yesterday 2 dpiui I had terrible pain in my right ovary (the ovary where I ovulated from). I was super scared that my ovary was blowing out or something, but I took 2 tylenol and the pain subsided with a heating pad on low. Have any of you felt this? 

I am also a bit concerned that the Trigger shot didn't work. While we were mixing it up the syringe wasn't sucking up the saline solution. Then we finally got everything all mixed up and when we went to suck the HCG up a tiny bit of it started bubbling out where the needle screws on to the syringe. Ugh. I hope I ovulated.

I hope everyone is doing well!!


----------



## want2beamamma

Redhead- Great news that you are in the TWW, best of luck !!!

No knew news just waiting for the old witch to show up so I can start my clomid again. I got serious pimples this month from taking it!!


----------



## cbergs

Hey,

Are any of you buying extra vials in case you want more children with the same donor? It's ridiculous the shit we need to think of in this situation!


----------



## raelynn

We have a vial being stored at the fertility clinic since we ordered 2 but only needed 1 for our IUI. We're saving that one but not purchasing any extra for now.


----------



## silverbell

Redhead7211 said:


> I'm afraid I have been AWOL too...maybe we should rename the thread? haha
> 
> Silver-I can totally relate to your feelings. I think everyone on here can. I'm so psyched you're going to be starting IVF! I know nothing about IVF really, keep us updated. Do you know what drugs you'll be taking? I've never heard of the endo scratch before.
> 
> I'm currently in the TWW. I started 75iu of Gonal F this cycle, my first with injectables. I felt pretty good while taking them other than the sore belly from the shots. I had my IUI done Saturday, with my plush lining and one mature follicle. :thumbup: Yesterday 2 dpiui I had terrible pain in my right ovary (the ovary where I ovulated from). I was super scared that my ovary was blowing out or something, but I took 2 tylenol and the pain subsided with a heating pad on low. Have any of you felt this?
> 
> I am also a bit concerned that the Trigger shot didn't work. While we were mixing it up the syringe wasn't sucking up the saline solution. Then we finally got everything all mixed up and when we went to suck the HCG up a tiny bit of it started bubbling out where the needle screws on to the syringe. Ugh. I hope I ovulated.
> 
> I hope everyone is doing well!!

Redhead - I've already started the IVF process. I'm on CD7 today. Been taking daily Gonal F 300IU since CD3 (I was on 75IU for IUIs) and today I had to add another injection called Cetrotide, which stops me from ovulating too early. I take the 2 injections (Gonal F and Cetrotide) every day now until told otherwise by the clinic. My next scan is on Saturday to see how my follies are growing. Last Saturday on CD3 I had 8 or 9 follies in total, which I'm pleased with considering I have a low AMH for my age. Just hoping they all grow and I get some nice eggs at the end of all this.

Don't worry about the trigger shot - a tiny bit bubbling out will really have no effect. They give you much more than you need and that amount really won't make a difference. You will have ovulated. I often had pains after my IUI - 2 or 3 days later. I also had cycles where I had no pain at all. You know by now how crazy our bodies are. Don't worry and try to relax. I hope the 2ww goes super-quick for you and that you don't see :witch: for a very, very long time. :dust:



want2beamamma said:


> No knew news just waiting for the old witch to show up so I can start my clomid again. I got serious pimples this month from taking it!!

Hope the :witch: shows up soon so you can get started. Sorry about the pimples - that sucks.



cbergs said:


> Hey,
> 
> Are any of you buying extra vials in case you want more children with the same donor? It's ridiculous the shit we need to think of in this situation!

Hi cbergs. Not sure where everybody's from and how it works in different clinics, but at my clinic you're allocated to a sperm donor until you change him, so I know that if we get a successful outcome from our IVF that I can just phone and get them to keep vials for us (for a charge). We do personally want to do this, just so any children are biologically related ... however I must say it wouldn't be the end of the world for us if this didn't happen. I think the very fact we're using donor sperm signifies that for us genes aren't everything! Plus as DH has a genetic condition that caused all this in the first place, genes aren't particularly high on our list of priorities. In fact, we bloody hate them. :haha: Hope you can come to a decision soon :hugs:


----------



## SunUp

cbergs - for my IUI's I had bought multiple vials, thinking the same thing! It is so overwhelming! I think that my clinic - once you verify your pregnancy with them, you can get vials for 'sibling only' even after they are taken off the registry. You could call and ask each one how that works.
However, the nice thing about my IVF was I only had to purchase 1 vial - and now any siblings will hopefully come from the frosties.


----------



## MrsC8776

lissa8686 said:


> Sorry, this is my first time using a forum and I am not really sure what the proper etiquette or procedure is for posting a new question...
> 
> My partner and I are trying for the fourth time as soon as possible using at home insem however funding is getting tight and unfortunately our known donor (family friend) is no long an option. So I was wondering if anyone on here has used or knows somebody who has used the sperm donors worldwide website to find free donors? If so, what was your experience like?

I just wanted to wish you the best of luck. We went through a clinic for IUI's and used a bank for the DS. Nothing free about it for us. 



LesbianMystiq said:


> Hi Ladies!
> 
> I know I've been extremely AWOL for a couple of weeks but I had to stay to self and get a lot of prep work done.
> 
> I had my HSG done yesterday and that experience was less than pleasurable. The balloon inflating and the cramps from the dye was completely unexpected, and the aftermath of feeling sore for the rest of the night was my least favorite part.
> 
> I was also started on Clomid 2x/day @ 50mg about 2 days ago and so far so good. No harsh mood swings or moody spills. My doctor also put me on metoformin and prenatals. Found out that I have PCOS and was devastated but I won't lament on that any longer.
> 
> So now for the good news, I go in on the 19th for an U/S and on the 20th for my IUI!!!! :happydance: The best part about it all is....I'll be inseminated on my birthday :wohoo:
> 
> GL to everyone in their tww and tons of baby dust to all!

Sorry to catch up late! Happy belated birthday and I hope the IUI went well. Fx for you! 



Redhead7211 said:


> I'm afraid I have been AWOL too...maybe we should rename the thread? haha
> 
> Silver-I can totally relate to your feelings. I think everyone on here can. I'm so psyched you're going to be starting IVF! I know nothing about IVF really, keep us updated. Do you know what drugs you'll be taking? I've never heard of the endo scratch before.
> 
> LM-How are you feeling? Happy Birthday!!:happydance:
> 
> Want2be-Any news at your end?
> 
> Lissa-Welcome to the forum! I am using a clinic so unfortunately I can't help you.
> 
> I'm currently in the TWW. I started 75iu of Gonal F this cycle, my first with injectables. I felt pretty good while taking them other than the sore belly from the shots. I had my IUI done Saturday, with my plush lining and one mature follicle. :thumbup: Yesterday 2 dpiui I had terrible pain in my right ovary (the ovary where I ovulated from). I was super scared that my ovary was blowing out or something, but I took 2 tylenol and the pain subsided with a heating pad on low. Have any of you felt this?
> 
> I am also a bit concerned that the Trigger shot didn't work. While we were mixing it up the syringe wasn't sucking up the saline solution. Then we finally got everything all mixed up and when we went to suck the HCG up a tiny bit of it started bubbling out where the needle screws on to the syringe. Ugh. I hope I ovulated.
> 
> I hope everyone is doing well!!

I have never had pain like that before so I can't help with that. Don't worry about the trigger shot. As long as you got most of it you are good to go. Fx for you in your 2ww! 



want2beamamma said:


> Redhead- Great news that you are in the TWW, best of luck !!!
> 
> No knew news just waiting for the old witch to show up so I can start my clomid again. I got serious pimples this month from taking it!!

I hope AF shows for you soon so that you can get started again. 



cbergs said:


> Hey,
> 
> Are any of you buying extra vials in case you want more children with the same donor? It's ridiculous the shit we need to think of in this situation!

We ordered two to begin with. Used one and got our bfp. So we have one left at the clinic. The issue with our donor is that we got just about the last of what was there to order. I think there was 2 more but after I looked again it was gone. The donor isn't allowed to donate again so I'm hoping that if we do decide to try again it will only take one time. I will say that I will have a fear of another set of twins if we do try again! It is really unfortunate that we need to plan for the unknown future. Although like silver said genetics aren't everything. Yes it would be nice to have them be biological siblings but it isn't the most important thing. 

Silver~ I hope you are doing well and good luck on your IVF journey! I hope your scan goes well on Saturday! 

:hi: to everyone else and I hope you are all doing well! Sorry if I missed anyone. Good luck in the 2ww's and FX for a bfp!


----------



## Redhead7211

Cbergs-My DH and I have just been buying 1 vial at a time. Part of it is for financial reasons, the other we really haven't talked about having multiple children. It's been such a struggle to get pregnant with just one it seems so long off that we'll be talking about siblings.

How are all the pregnant mamas feeling?

I know they give you way more than necessary of the HCG. The nurse told me you actually need like half of it for it to work. 

Silver-Let us know how you make out Saturday.:flower: Do you take the Cetrotide in your belly too? You must be so sore! I was getting sore just from the Gonal F and trigger. 

Want2be-I hope AF shows up soon. Pimples suck. I had a few around the time Polita got pregnant, now I have like 5. ha 3 are going away, but I have 2 major ones on my cheek that are monsters. 


I'm feeling pretty good. I've moved into the incredible thirst and peeing a lot stage. Still have occasional pain on my ovulating side, but nothing that is crippling. I still am pretty bloated, but overall I can't complain. 

DH and I are getting to that point where we are wondering if I really can get pregnant. I'm 25, healthy and they can't find anything wrong with me, but it still hasn't happened yet. We are hopeful for this cycle because we are using new meds. However, I think we are getting to the point where if this or the next one doesn't work we may just invest in adoption. It's just hard to not know what exactly is going on with your body. I'm sure you ladies can relate.

On a different note, a friend of mine gave me a unique birthday present a few weeks. It's a replica of a statuette of Venus of Willendorf which is like the oldest piece of art and is thought to be a fertility symbol. I brought it with me to all of my ultrasound appointments and to the IUI procedure. I'll take any good juju I can get!


----------



## want2beamamma

Any news yet Redhead?? When can tou test? I am hoping those are good signs :)

AF is due to arrive tomorrow, hopefully she shows.
I did not get any extra vials because we had 3 people picked out. They ask you to do that just incase 1 person runs out. Between the 3 it really doesnt bother me so I would just move to the next person. This cycle we will be getting 2 vials and they are doing 2 inseminations


----------



## Redhead7211

Well Tuesday will be 10dpiui, which is usually when I get the urge to test. By next Saturday I will probably know one way or another. 

Good luck getting your period!


----------



## silverbell

Redhead7211 said:


> Silver-Let us know how you make out Saturday.:flower: Do you take the Cetrotide in your belly too? You must be so sore! I was getting sore just from the Gonal F and trigger.
> 
> DH and I are getting to that point where we are wondering if I really can get pregnant. I'm 25, healthy and they can't find anything wrong with me, but it still hasn't happened yet. We are hopeful for this cycle because we are using new meds. However, I think we are getting to the point where if this or the next one doesn't work we may just invest in adoption. It's just hard to not know what exactly is going on with your body. I'm sure you ladies can relate.

Aw, Redhead, I'm so sorry. DH and I have been wondering if I can get pregnant too. We just figured 6 IUIs should have worked. I guess we'll know for sure after a couple of IVF cycles ... Adoption would be in line for us then too. Yes, the Gonal F every day and Cetrotide every day now too - one on each side every day. The Cetrotide needle is thicker and harder to push in, so I find that one a bit more difficult to do, but doing well so far.

Really hoping next week brings you your :bfp: :dust:


AFM I had my CD10 scan today and my left ovary has 4 follies and my right one has gone a teeny bit wild and there's currently 12 follies! I'm very pleased, though of course some of those are small, so I won't get all of them producing mature eggs at collection. The group of medium follies they want to focus on are currently around 12mm, so just waiting on them to grow a bit more. Next scan early on Monday morning.


----------



## Redhead7211

Great news silver! That's a lot of follies! Your ovaries must be huge and feel like rocks.


----------



## LesbianMystiq

Hi Ladies! 

Thank you *SunUp, SilverBell, RedHead7211, and MrsC8776* for the Birthday wishes and IUI success wishes :flower:

My birthday was fabulous, I was able to feed the homeless and have my IUI all in the same day--exactly how I wanted to celebrate it. 

The day before IUI I had 6 mature follicles: 3 on the right - 22, 22, & 14; and 3 on the left 22, 22, & 14. So I am prayerful that :spermy: catches at least one of my eggies! 

At this point I'm 4dpi and feel fine except for the gas (TMI) that I'm experiencing from the procedure. My RE inflated a balloon in me right before the actual insemination, so that pressure was a bit intense and similar to that of the HSG test. 

Anyhow, I'm going to try NOT to symptom spot but that's like trying to convince myself not to breath lol.

How's everyone else feeling?


----------



## silverbell

Wow LM. That's a lot of follies for IUI. My clinic won't do IUI if more than 2 due to risk of multiples. 

Keeping everything crossed for you :dust:


----------



## Redhead7211

I'm glad your birthday was everything you wanted! I agree with silver, that is a lot of follies! Were you on meds? The odds are definitely in your favor. I usually am gassy after iui too. It's a good thing to try and not symptom spot. I did at first, but after the 2nd or 3rd I gave up on it.

I'm feeling pretty good. I'm very emotional today. I legitimately hollered at my husband. I still can feel my emotions on high. I also have occasional heavy ovaries, this odd cramping like when you run, and am terribly thirsty. Ah I just want to know already. I'm so impatient.


----------



## LesbianMystiq

*Silverbell* I didn't occur to me that that was a BIG deal until I read your post then did my own research. My RE never made mention of any risk or desire to cancel if I had over a certain number of follies. Anywho, thank you for the babydust!!!! :hugs:

*RedHead7211* I was on 100mg Clomid from cd5 to cd9 and triggered the day before IUI. I really do hope the odds are safely in my favor. I never anticipated multiples greater than two so this will be nerve wrecking until I find out. And the gas was unbelievable and still is, I wonder if I should still be so bloated. We are sooooo twins when it comes to being impatient haha!!!! I'm shoveling TONS of baby :dust: :dust: :dust: :dust: :dust: your way!!!! :winkwink:

So I tested the trigger yesterday and 2 lines barely showed but when I went back and looked at it later...BAM! The lines were SUPER strong so it's safe to say that even at 5dpi the trigger is still in my system.


----------



## Redhead7211

Silver-How did you make out at the doctor?

LM-I am still bloated, gassy and peeing and am 9 dpiui. I tested the trigger out my first time with the trigger with dollar store pregnancy test. I stopped seeing a line around 7 dpiui. I apparently have a hard time seeing lines on tests as I didn't see anything on them (that I can recall now at least) when the tests were fresh, but dried out I could see a line. 
Thanks for the baby dust! We need as much as we can get! I've been trying to stay positive and frequently day dream about being pregnant and telling my parents etc. We will see I guess.


----------



## my rainbow

Hello MRSC8776 I would like to say congrats to you on your BFP!!!! I am 30 years old and DH is 31 my husband was also dx with azoospermia we have been together 10 years and decided to seek help after a year of marriage, i have had 7 medicated iui cycles with donor sperm and i am on cycle numb 7 in the dreadful 2ww, i am 7dpo today, this past year has been so hard for me and my husband to the point where i feel like giving up, i have read your story and it is amazing i really feel hopeful because of you, its a joy for me to hear about the post outcomes and i wld love to join you ladies and share my story with you all im really prayin to god that he will bless me with my rainbow at the end of my storm.


----------



## MrsC8776

silverbell said:


> Redhead7211 said:
> 
> 
> Silver-Let us know how you make out Saturday.:flower: Do you take the Cetrotide in your belly too? You must be so sore! I was getting sore just from the Gonal F and trigger.
> 
> DH and I are getting to that point where we are wondering if I really can get pregnant. I'm 25, healthy and they can't find anything wrong with me, but it still hasn't happened yet. We are hopeful for this cycle because we are using new meds. However, I think we are getting to the point where if this or the next one doesn't work we may just invest in adoption. It's just hard to not know what exactly is going on with your body. I'm sure you ladies can relate.
> 
> Aw, Redhead, I'm so sorry. DH and I have been wondering if I can get pregnant too. We just figured 6 IUIs should have worked. I guess we'll know for sure after a couple of IVF cycles ... Adoption would be in line for us then too. Yes, the Gonal F every day and Cetrotide every day now too - one on each side every day. The Cetrotide needle is thicker and harder to push in, so I find that one a bit more difficult to do, but doing well so far.
> 
> Really hoping next week brings you your :bfp: :dust:
> 
> 
> AFM I had my CD10 scan today and my left ovary has 4 follies and my right one has gone a teeny bit wild and there's currently 12 follies! I'm very pleased, though of course some of those are small, so I won't get all of them producing mature eggs at collection. The group of medium follies they want to focus on are currently around 12mm, so just waiting on them to grow a bit more. Next scan early on Monday morning.Click to expand...

How did your scan go? I can't wait to hear how many you get at ER! Fx for some good eggs! 



LesbianMystiq said:


> Hi Ladies!
> 
> Thank you *SunUp, SilverBell, RedHead7211, and MrsC8776* for the Birthday wishes and IUI success wishes :flower:
> 
> My birthday was fabulous, I was able to feed the homeless and have my IUI all in the same day--exactly how I wanted to celebrate it.
> 
> The day before IUI I had 6 mature follicles: 3 on the right - 22, 22, & 14; and 3 on the left 22, 22, & 14. So I am prayerful that :spermy: catches at least one of my eggies!
> 
> At this point I'm 4dpi and feel fine except for the gas (TMI) that I'm experiencing from the procedure. My RE inflated a balloon in me right before the actual insemination, so that pressure was a bit intense and similar to that of the HSG test.
> 
> Anyhow, I'm going to try NOT to symptom spot but that's like trying to convince myself not to breath lol.
> 
> How's everyone else feeling?

That is a ton of follies! Fx for your bfp this month! When will you be testing? 



my rainbow said:


> Hello MRSC8776 I would like to say congrats to you on your BFP!!!! I am 30 years old and DH is 31 my husband was also dx with azoospermia we have been together 10 years and decided to seek help after a year of marriage, i have had 7 medicated iui cycles with donor sperm and i am on cycle numb 7 in the dreadful 2ww, i am 7dpo today, this past year has been so hard for me and my husband to the point where i feel like giving up, i have read your story and it is amazing i really feel hopeful because of you, its a joy for me to hear about the post outcomes and i wld love to join you ladies and share my story with you all im really prayin to god that he will bless me with my rainbow at the end of my storm.

Thank you and welcome! :hugs: Sorry to hear about the azoo. Theres a few ladies from this thread who have also gotten their bfp using DS. There are also a few who are on their way. :winkwink: Just never give up because anything is possible. The IUI that worked for me was the one that I didn't believe would work. I think after trying for so long we just get to a point where we feel like it isn't ever going to work and then it does. What are you doing for your IUI's? Are you taking clomid or anything? Fx for a bfp for you. 

*Red~* When will you be testing? 

I hope you all are doing well. I try to keep up and cheer you all on in here. Sorry if I get a bit lost sometimes. :flower:


----------



## silverbell

MrsC8776 said:


> silverbell said:
> 
> 
> AFM I had my CD10 scan today and my left ovary has 4 follies and my right one has gone a teeny bit wild and there's currently 12 follies! I'm very pleased, though of course some of those are small, so I won't get all of them producing mature eggs at collection. The group of medium follies they want to focus on are currently around 12mm, so just waiting on them to grow a bit more. Next scan early on Monday morning.
> 
> How did your scan go? I can't wait to hear how many you get at ER! Fx for some good eggs!Click to expand...

My scan went well. It looks like I might get 10 eggs in total at ER (some are now too big and some too small). They reckon ER will be Friday - I'll find out for sure at tomorrow's scan.


----------



## LesbianMystiq

* Redhead7211* I also tried to test the trigger out but could only see it once the test dried so at this point I think it's out of my system. I'm a BIG daydreamer too, it's almost sad how much work doesn't get done due to my endless thoughts of a BFP haha. When are you testing? You're 2dpi days ahead of me.

*my rainbow* Welcome to the group! It looks like we are matching cycle/ovulation buddies!! I'm 8dpo today as I believe you are too. When do you plan on testing?

* MrsC8776* Thank you! And I think I'll test tomorrow just to take the edge off since my anxiety is wearing me thin. I expect it to be a BFN. I'll then wait until Sunday to test again.

* silverbell* Those are some good follies you got there! Can't wait to hear the news from your scan? Does your RE have "rule" of how many is too many to move forward with the procedure?


----------



## SunUp

LM - Just FYI for different clinics... my clinic would have done the IUI because it would consider you as having 4 follicles that were mature, they would only count ones over 18, and 4 is the max. 

I have my fingers crossed for you!!

SB 10 is awesome!!

Welcome to the group myrainbow!!! Question, would you consider IVF? IUI didnt work for me, but IVF did.


----------



## Redhead7211

Myrainbow-Welcome to the group! MrsC is a fabulous woman. I enjoy stalking the DS pregnancy thread where our success stories are.

Silver-Sounds great! I can't wait to hear about the next scan. I'm crossing my fingers for you!

MrsC/LM-I have absolutely 0% patience for the TWW. I normally start testing 10 dpiui, but I am at the point where I feel like it just will never happen so I am going to try and wait it out. ha at least until tomorrow.:wacko:

I am still terribly emotional. I think it's just from starting to feel like I will never get pregnant. I just feel how most of us have at some point I suppose. Like why are we investing so much money into trying to get pregnant after failed IUI's? Is it even possible that I can get pregnant? I think I'm taking it out on DH a lot because I feel like there's no possible way he can understand the want/need to have a baby. On a less Debby Downer note, I also have incredibly sore boobs, on and off leg cramps (which I usually get with AF), real thirsty, into fruit, and really tired. Who knows what it all means. 

How are the rest of you ladies feeling?


----------



## raelynn

Redhead - I was the same as you. I always tried to wait out the TWW but always gave in at day 10. 14 days is just way too long to wait!


----------



## want2beamamma

AF finally arrived WOOHOO get to start this again!
Getting tracking this time though. Starting next monday, I am excited for this cycle and am staying positive :)


----------



## Redhead7211

Get it done want2be! Glad the red flow started for you!


----------



## silverbell

LesbianMystiq said:


> * silverbell* Those are some good follies you got there! Can't wait to hear the news from your scan? Does your RE have "rule" of how many is too many to move forward with the procedure?

Not for IVF, no. I presume there must be a high limit somewhere, but I'm nowhere near it. I've heard ladies having 20 + eggs retrieved before.

Unfortunately there only appear to be 7 follies of the same size at today's scan, but the good news is that they're all ready to go, so I'm triggering tonight, ER on Friday and then ET Monday (or possibly Wednesday depending on growth).

Just want it over and to be in the 2ww now. lol I'm praying the quality of these eggs are good.


Good luck to all those testing soon, including LM and RH :dust:


----------



## LesbianMystiq

* Redhead7211* Lol @ at least until tomorrow! Well I'm worse than you, I caved! :dohh:

* want2beamamma* Glad AF showed for you, good luck with planning this cycle, FX for you!

* silverbell* I'll keep you in my prayers that your eggs are of GREAT quality :winkwink:

*AFM*, I caved and tested last night, I got a positive but I think it might be a false positive. I'm not sure what to make of the results :wacko:. I didn't test out the trigger like maybe I should have and I'm 9dpt so it could still be in my system. I'm going to wait until Saturday or Sunday to test again. What do you ladies think?


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## silverbell

LesbianMystiq said:


> * Redhead7211* Lol @ at least until tomorrow! Well I'm worse than you, I caved! :dohh:
> 
> * want2beamamma* Glad AF showed for you, good luck with planning this cycle, FX for you!
> 
> * silverbell* I'll keep you in my prayers that your eggs are of GREAT quality :winkwink:
> 
> *AFM*, I caved and tested last night, I got a positive but I think it might be a false positive. I'm not sure what to make of the results :wacko:. I didn't test out the trigger like maybe I should have and I'm 9dpt so it could still be in my system. I'm going to wait until Saturday or Sunday to test again. What do you ladies think?

OMG surely that's a positive? Not sure how long the trigger stays in. I'm praying it's a :bfp: for you!

PS You've now made me determined to test my trigger out!


----------



## LesbianMystiq

silverbell said:


> OMG surely that's a positive? Not sure how long the trigger stays in. I'm praying it's a :bfp: for you!

AHHHHHHHH I'm so confused and excited!!! According to all the ovulation calendars and charts, implantation could've happened yesterday, today, or tomorrow. I wonder if it's too early?! :wacko:

And yes pleeeeeeeeeease test out the trigger so you won't be in limbo like me.


----------



## MrsC8776

silverbell said:


> LesbianMystiq said:
> 
> 
> * silverbell* Those are some good follies you got there! Can't wait to hear the news from your scan? Does your RE have "rule" of how many is too many to move forward with the procedure?
> 
> Not for IVF, no. I presume there must be a high limit somewhere, but I'm nowhere near it. I've heard ladies having 20 + eggs retrieved before.
> 
> Unfortunately there only appear to be 7 follies of the same size at today's scan, but the good news is that they're all ready to go, so I'm triggering tonight, ER on Friday and then ET Monday (or possibly Wednesday depending on growth).
> 
> Just want it over and to be in the 2ww now. lol I'm praying the quality of these eggs are good.
> 
> 
> Good luck to all those testing soon, including LM and RH :dust:Click to expand...

Good luck on the trigger and ER!! 

There are some women who get 30+ eggs at ER but they usually end up with OHSS and have to wait for ET (egg transfer). OHSS is nothing to mess around with so getting that many is usually rare and pretty scary. 



LesbianMystiq said:


> * Redhead7211* Lol @ at least until tomorrow! Well I'm worse than you, I caved! :dohh:
> 
> * want2beamamma* Glad AF showed for you, good luck with planning this cycle, FX for you!
> 
> * silverbell* I'll keep you in my prayers that your eggs are of GREAT quality :winkwink:
> 
> *AFM*, I caved and tested last night, I got a positive but I think it might be a false positive. I'm not sure what to make of the results :wacko:. I didn't test out the trigger like maybe I should have and I'm 9dpt so it could still be in my system. I'm going to wait until Saturday or Sunday to test again. What do you ladies think?

How dark are the lines? Fx this is it for you!! Do you have a pic of the test?


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## LesbianMystiq

Ok, here's the pic...it's really faint.
 



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## silverbell

It's reallllly early ... but you're 9dpo and implantation can happen between 5 to 10 days can't it? So when did you trigger? 10 or 11 days ago? Surely it would be out of your system by now??

Sorry I'm a bit clueless!

Really hope this is it for you. I guess only way to tell is just test every morning (first morning urine) and see if the lines get darker or fade??


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## MrsC8776

I agree with silver! Test tomorrow morning and see what the line looks like. I did have a line like that and here I am now but I also tested my trigger everyday. Fx it's your real bfp!!


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## LesbianMystiq

silverbell said:


> It's reallllly early ... but you're 9dpo and implantation can happen between 5 to 10 days can't it? So when did you trigger? 10 or 11 days ago? Surely it would be out of your system by now??
> 
> Sorry I'm a bit clueless!
> 
> Really hope this is it for you. I guess only way to tell is just test every morning (first morning urine) and see if the lines get darker or fade??

Well I guess I'm really 8dpo, or 9, I don't really know. I triggered 9 days ago on the morning of the 19th. Yeah I'm going to just test every morning especially since I just ran to the dollar store and almost bought every test they had lol.



MrsC8776 said:


> I agree with silver! Test tomorrow morning and see what the line looks like. I did have a line like that and here I am now but I also tested my trigger everyday. Fx it's your real bfp!!

I hope so too! I tested on FRER test yesterday (the pic I posted) and I just tested again on the dollar store brand and now I don't see anything. I know there's a difference in sensitivity & brands, so I'll test everyday and see what happens.


Now I'm getting my typical pre-AF symptoms. I'm thinking I'm out (I know it's early still).


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## MrsC8776

Maybe this will give you a little hope. https://babyandbump.momtastic.com/pregnancy-tests/1089671-line-eye-start-bfp.html This is a thread I started when I first thought I saw something. Other tests are not as sensitive as FRER's. I tested on wondofo IC's, walmart tests and also FRER's. The FRER's showed up darker than any other test. My ic's never went totally blank when testing out the trigger which is why I switched tests. I look forward to hearing your update in the morning!


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## Redhead7211

LM-I agree with Silver and MrsC. Test in the AM! That's some sort of a BFP, trigger or not there's a line. I think it can take up to 10-14 for the average person before the trigger is gone. I know it all depends on metabolism and weight etc. I'm excited to see future tests! I hope it gets darker. How are you feeling?

Silver-I'm crossing my fingers for mature eggs!

Well today I'm feeling like I'm getting my period. I've had a lot of period-like cramps on and off. I went to CVS and bought a box of tampons to cover my bases. I also bought prenatals as they were buy one get one! :thumbup: I've decided to cave in and take a bath. I thought I'd read one of my pregnancy/parenting books in the tub. I'm just going to keep the water not-scalding I suppose. 

How's everyone feeling?


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## silverbell

LesbianMystiq said:


> Well I guess I'm really 8dpo, or 9, I don't really know. I triggered 9 days ago on the morning of the 19th. Yeah I'm going to just test every morning especially since I just ran to the dollar store and almost bought every test they had lol.

Ohhh, so you triggered 9 days ago ... so when did you have your actual IUI? Cos you normally ovulate roughly 36 hours or so after you trigger, which would make you 7 or 8dpo, I believe? To be honest this seems much too early for a BFP? I've never seen a BFP that early before anyway ... but I do hope you're the first!


----------



## LesbianMystiq

MrsC8776 said:


> Maybe this will give you a little hope. https://babyandbump.momtastic.com/pregnancy-tests/1089671-line-eye-start-bfp.html This is a thread I started when I first thought I saw something. Other tests are not as sensitive as FRER's. I tested on wondofo IC's, walmart tests and also FRER's. The FRER's showed up darker than any other test. My ic's never went totally blank when testing out the trigger which is why I switched tests. I look forward to hearing your update in the morning!

So I looked at your thread and it did help put things into perspective a bit. I have a sneaky suspicion that it still may be the trigger shot. I'll continue to test until AF shows.



Redhead7211 said:


> LM-I agree with Silver and MrsC. Test in the AM! That's some sort of a BFP, trigger or not there's a line. I think it can take up to 10-14 for the average person before the trigger is gone. I know it all depends on metabolism and weight etc. I'm excited to see future tests! I hope it gets darker. How are you feeling?
> 
> Silver-I'm crossing my fingers for mature eggs!
> 
> Well today I'm feeling like I'm getting my period. I've had a lot of period-like cramps on and off. I went to CVS and bought a box of tampons to cover my bases. I also bought prenatals as they were buy one get one! :thumbup: I've decided to cave in and take a bath. I thought I'd read one of my pregnancy/parenting books in the tub. I'm just going to keep the water not-scalding I suppose.
> 
> How's everyone feeling?

I'm feeling kinda out, since the tests are throwing me for a loop and I'm getting a lot of pre-AF symptoms that I'm use to getting. I'll test in the morning and post a pic.



silverbell said:


> LesbianMystiq said:
> 
> 
> Well I guess I'm really 8dpo, or 9, I don't really know. I triggered 9 days ago on the morning of the 19th. Yeah I'm going to just test every morning especially since I just ran to the dollar store and almost bought every test they had lol.
> 
> Ohhh, so you triggered 9 days ago ... so when did you have your actual IUI? Cos you normally ovulate roughly 36 hours or so after you trigger, which would make you 7 or 8dpo, I believe? To be honest this seems much too early for a BFP? I've never seen a BFP that early before anyway ... but I do hope you're the first!Click to expand...

So I triggered on the morning of the 19th and about 30 hours later on the 20th I had my IUI. My ticker says I Oed on the 19th but with the trigger shot my ticker is a day early. I guess I'll just have to play the waiting game and keep testing.


----------



## raelynn

LM - I was the same as MrsC. I used the ICs the whole way through and they never went blank. It went from really dark with the trigger to barely there then the barely there started getting darker eventually. I'd keep testing, it is the only way to see if anything changes. Good luck!


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## LesbianMystiq

raelynn said:


> LM - I was the same as MrsC. I used the ICs the whole way through and they never went blank. It went from really dark with the trigger to barely there then the barely there started getting darker eventually. I'd keep testing, it is the only way to see if anything changes. Good luck!

Yeah I'm going to keep testing and see what happens. I did test this morning and it looked like the faintest line I've ever seen in life or it could have been my imagination seeing things. Either way it means the trigger is out of my system or almost there so that's good to know. Hopefully I'll get good news in a few short days.


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## Redhead7211

Post the test!


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## LesbianMystiq

Here's the negative test...
 



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## MrsC8776

It's still early so no giving up! All tests are different and there lines are different.


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## Redhead7211

I agree with mrsc, it's still early!

I'm going to call it and say I'm out. Tonight I had some barely there light brown spotting when I wiped. I also have af like cramps. We will see what the re says.

How's everyone else?


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## MrsC8776

:hugs: Red I'm sorry to hear about the spotting. 

I'm doing good. Just standing here on the sidelines cheering you all on!! 

Silver good luck tomorrow at ER!! :happydance:


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## silverbell

You never know, Redhead, and I'm keeping up the :dust: for you.

LM - same for you :dust:

ER yesterday produced 9 or 10 eggs and I had a call today to say I have 4 embies so far. ET of the best 2 embies on Monday unless they let me know otherwise on the morning.


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## Redhead7211

LM and Silver-Any updates?

I'm still very lightly spotting with major cramps and a headache. Yesterday morning I was extremely nauseous and left work after only being there for a few hours. Hopefully the doctor will have some new insight for me or maybe will switch up my dosage. Who knows. I'm nervous about bumping up the Gonal F. I was on a very low dose and could feel my lead ovary the whole cycle. 

Hopefully we'll be able to join the DS Pregnancy thread soon!:thumbup:


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## want2beamamma

Red- Sorry to hear that you aren't feeling the best 

I am on my second last day of clomid thankfully , hot flashes galore! 
I go for my first tracking ultrasound on tuesday woohoo
so glad this process is getting started.


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## LesbianMystiq

Nothing new over here. AF is due to show tomorrow afternoon-ish so I'll keep you ladies posted. I ran out of hpt, which is good bc it's been very disappointing so now I'll just wait and see.

RedHead - how are you doing?

Silver - any updates?

MrsC - thank you for the encouragement and for being a great support!

want2be - glad things are moving along for you, the beginning stages of the process is always sooooo exciting! Please keep us posted.


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## Redhead7211

Lm I hope af stays away!

Want2be-I can relate to the clomid! I sweated my butt off! I'm excited the process is well on its way!

I'm officially on CD 1. I have horrid cramps. They're unreal. I just hope af passes soon.


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## silverbell

So sorry, Redhead :nope: :hugs: I was really hoping you might be lucky. I really hope AF doesn't give you a harder time than you're having already. Thinking of you.

LM - keeping everything crossed that AF stays away :af:

---

Well as I said on 1 December, ER produced 9/10 eggs and 4 fertilised. Had ET today with 1 x 8-cell 4/4 and 1 x 8-cell 3/4 (both top grade, so very pleased with that). 

Unfortunately we have no frosties, as the other 2 didn't develop well :nope:

We were given a 50% chance of success and a 50% chance of twins. Keeping everything crossed that we're lucky first-timers.

---

Thinking of you all and praying for lots of :bfp: on here soon.


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## raelynn

Good luck silverbell. Praying for a sticky embryo for you!


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## SunUp

Fx sb!!!!!!


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## Redhead7211

I know this is your cycle silver! I've got all of my fingers and toes crossed for you! 

Lm-any updates?

Still super period-y. Very heavy, bloated and crampy. I wonder if its from the gonal f. I'm going in for my baseline ultrasound and blood work Wednesday afternoon. And so the process continues right?


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## cbergs

Hey redhead, is 7/2/11 your wedding date?

Just wondering because it's mine! :)


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## want2beamamma

Redhead- Hope all of that starts to pass soon. Yuck I hate feeling crampy :(


I went for my first tracking ultrasound... nothing too exciting to see. Can't wait to go back on friday and see how things have changed. I made a big mistake yesterday GRRR!!!! Yesterday was supposed to be my last day on clomid ( 2-6) well i took the pills out of the pack and forgot to take them. I didnt take them till dinner time the next day. Hope this doesnt screw things up . stupid me!


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## LesbianMystiq

Redhead7211 said:


> Lm-any updates?

No there's no update. I don't have any more tests and I refuse to buy them. AF was due yesterday and now is taking its precious time to get here. I suspect all the meds I was on is delaying her arrival. I'll most likely start today. So after doing some research this morning, I found out that the progesterone crinone suppositories I've been taking will delay the shedding of my lining, hence my absent AF. So I'm going to stop taking it so my cycle can show up in a few days.

I see your AF is taking you through a rough time, I hope you feel better :hugs:


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## Redhead7211

Cbergs-it is! How funny! 

Want2be-I wouldn't stress too much about the clomid. I'd mention it to the doctor though. 

Lm-you aren't out til AF shows! 

Thanks for all of the period concerns. All of the sudden this afternoon I seem to have turned a corner. I'm going for my baseline tomorrow and the last thing I want is to be bleeding out on the exam table. will ask the re if that's common for Gonal F. I'm calling freedom pharmacy to order the trigger.


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## Redhead7211

Cberg-it is our wedding date! What a small world! 

Lm-no giving up til AF shows up. 

Want2be- I wouldn't worry about your clomid mishap. I would mention it to your doctor though.

Thanks for the period concerns everyone! I think I've turned a corner as of this afternoon. My period feels more manageable now. Ha which is good, because I didn't want to go in for the baseline with my period as bad as it was. 

Silver-how are you feeling?


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## Redhead7211

Sorry for the double post, I'm on my phone!


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## silverbell

LM - be careful. You're only supposed to stop Progesterone once you've had a negative test on your test date (usually 14 days after insemination). So if you've passed that date you need to buy 1 test and just check, as stopping the Progesterone too soon would not be good if you were pregnant. I really hope you are :dust:

Redhead - I'm glad things seem to have settled down.

I'm feeling OK. I feel very attached to my embies already though. It's weird how different it feels to doing IUI. I can imagine an IVF :bfn: is going to be much, much harder than an IUI :bfn: Oh well - hopefully the 2ww will speed on by and I'll know soon enough.


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## want2beamamma

Best of luck to you hope you get a BFP!


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## Redhead7211

Good luck Silver! 

LM-Any update?

I went to the RE today and saw the other doctor in the practice because mine is out of town. I have a cyst on my right ovary from the Gonal F so I'm out this cycle. He said everything else looked good, but that explains why I've been having the pain on my right side. He said the period is probably so terrible because the Gonal builds up your lining and follies etc., so it all has to come out. 

I asked him if it's common for women to be young like me and seemingly healthy and still not have success. He said "unfortunately yes." I told him that we have considered adoption and he asked if my usual RE talked to me about IVF (she hasn't). He said that because I'm 25, and healthy and everything looks good he really really thinks that IUI will work, and if not my chances for IVF are very high. So I guess we will see. Maybe it is a blessing that I'm out this cycle. I've been so emotional and just tired of doing so many failed IUI's. Maybe now I can get my head in the game and get rid of this cyst. 

I hope everyone is doing well!


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## want2beamamma

Sorry to hear that but glad the doctor was able to help you out with things. It's so frusterating when some people dont even want a baby and can get pregnant and the people that want a baby have to try so so hard. We will all get our chance one day !!! We just have to stick together.


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## Redhead7211

Yes we will. And I'm so glad we have each other here. Especially because not a lot of people know that I'm going through this process. And those that do know (DH included), can't possibly understand the pain that comes with doing this. I really am glad that I have you all to talk to. I can't imagine how alone I would feel if I didn't have you ladies!:hugs:


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## raelynn

Silverbell - We were the same with IVF, immediately attached to our embryos. Every day was so nerve wrecking just waiting for a call to tell us how they were doing and when we could transfer them. Hopefully your little ones stick!


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## silverbell

Redhead7211 said:


> I asked him if it's common for women to be young like me and seemingly healthy and still not have success. He said "unfortunately yes." I told him that we have considered adoption and he asked if my usual RE talked to me about IVF (she hasn't). He said that because I'm 25, and healthy and everything looks good he really really thinks that IUI will work, and if not my chances for IVF are very high. So I guess we will see. Maybe it is a blessing that I'm out this cycle. I've been so emotional and just tired of doing so many failed IUI's. Maybe now I can get my head in the game and get rid of this cyst.

I have to say I wish we'd gone to IVF sooner rather than go through 6 IUI failures, but hindsight is a wonderful thing and ideally it would have happened more 'naturally' through IUI for us. IVF has a much higher success rate and there is more certainty involved. How many more IUIs were you planning on doing? Sorry about the cyst. I had one this cycle too and it was drained at ER. My fibroid also got bigger due to the Gonal F (but still not worryingly large). We did take a months' break half way through our IUIs and it really did help with just not thinking about TTC for a few weeks, though I did find the last couple of weeks of waiting tough.

:hugs:



raelynn said:


> Silverbell - We were the same with IVF, immediately attached to our embryos. Every day was so nerve wrecking just waiting for a call to tell us how they were doing and when we could transfer them. Hopefully your little ones stick!

I'm so glad it's not just us. We felt a bit daft :blush: I kind of wish we weren't at all attached in case we don't get a good result, but I guess we're only human. Thank you. :hugs:


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## Redhead7211

Thanks Silver. I'm at a loss as to which road we should go down. I'm going to talk to our RE about it next month when AF comes again. In the mean time I'm totally here cheering you on!


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## want2beamamma

Well went for my second follicle tracking. Today was day 11 of my cycle I have longer cycles approx 34 days and ovulate approx day 18. Today on day 11 I had 3 follicles that seemed to stick out more then the rest. Left side 11mm, 11mm and right side 13mm.

Anyone know if those are good numbers so far? I go back monday for another scan!


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## LesbianMystiq

Hey everyone just checking in...

AF got me yesterday as I expected and I'm not bummed bc I felt like it wasn't my month. I won't try again until March at the earliest so much luck to everyone and I'll poke my head in from time to time to check on everyone!


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## silverbell

So sorry LM :hugs: Look after yourself.

Want - sounds great. My clinic triggered at 17 so I reckon they're growing nicely so far. AtMonday's scan they'll get more of an idea about what rate they're at. Do yourclinic allow 3 follies? Although it may be that not all 3 grow yet of course


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## Redhead7211

Want2be-the follies should grow 1-2mm a day, so you should have another 4-8mm on those babies I would think by Monday. The 13mm definitely sounds like a winner. Keep us informed.

LM-Sorry AF got you, I am looking forward to updates when you have them.


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## want2beamamma

Well had my U/S today CD14 and I have 3 follicles at 15mm,12mm,and 11mm... hoping that they can really start to take off now! I go back in 2 days for another ultrasound. I do ovulate later so things are on track. I am getting bloodwork each time with the ultrasounds and my arms are horribly bruised. Today they tried poking me 3 times and nothing still. Once in my hand and twice in my already badly bruised arms. Oh gosh how I hate bloodwork.


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## Redhead7211

Ugh blood work is the worst. I'm a red head and am on the pale side and they still have a hard time. You can see them! haha oh well. The last time the lady spent literally 5 minutes pulling the needle in and out of the vein trying to tap it. 

I'm glad the follies are right on track! The 15mm will be ready to go in a few days! I'm glad things are going well!:hugs:


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## silverbell

want2beamamma said:


> Well had my U/S today CD14 and I have 3 follicles at 15mm,12mm,and 11mm... hoping that they can really start to take off now! I go back in 2 days for another ultrasound. I do ovulate later so things are on track. I am getting bloodwork each time with the ultrasounds and my arms are horribly bruised. Today they tried poking me 3 times and nothing still. Once in my hand and twice in my already badly bruised arms. Oh gosh how I hate bloodwork.

Yay - follies are nearly there! Hope the ultrasound tomorrow shows at least the biggest is ready.


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## want2beamamma

WOOHOO got my bloodwork done today only 2 pokes before it worked. 
My ultrasound showed 2 smaller follicles only around a 11 and 13 BUT there is a 17.5 there aswell. She said looks like that's the one. I go back tomorrow for another check.
I put my order in and should be doing the IUI friday or saturday. I am SO excited :) I am a little worried about just the 1 follicle but staying positive. She was very surprised that I only had 1 on the dose of 100mg of clomid.


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## raelynn

want2beamamma said:


> WOOHOO got my bloodwork done today only 2 pokes before it worked.
> My ultrasound showed 2 smaller follicles only around a 11 and 13 BUT there is a 17.5 there aswell. She said looks like that's the one. I go back tomorrow for another check.
> I put my order in and should be doing the IUI friday or saturday. I am SO excited :) I am a little worried about just the 1 follicle but staying positive. She was very surprised that I only had 1 on the dose of 100mg of clomid.

I only had one follicle for my IUI and it worked out. Hope everything goes well for you too!


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## Redhead7211

You'll just have one baby instead of 2 or 3:winkwink: I'm pulling for you and am excited! Sending good baby vibes your way!!:flower:


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## silverbell

Great news, want. Hope it all goes well :dust:

I'm afraid our first IVF attempt didn't work out. I got AF and a negative test yesterday. I have to admit we're both completely devastated. Lots of crying and cuddles yesterday. It's much, much harder than an IUI BFN somehow. I think because we knew there were 2 great-growing embies in there, so there was more certainty. Plus because of all the history that lead up to it (trying for 1 year, finding out about DH's azoospermia, going through DH's biopsy, having 6 IUI failures ...) I think there's only so much you can take.

We're taking a break now while we decide what to do. Part of me just wants to go for adoption and put all this crap behind us, but at the same time we both always wanted to experience me being pregnant and having a newborn ... life just really sucks right now.

Anyway, sorry to bring you guys down. I do hope that when I return there are lots of lovely :bfp: on here and that you're all pregnant. Sending lots of :dust: and good luck to you all. xxx


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## deafgal01

Sb :hugs: sorry to hear of that.

Want- Good luck to you on the iui with the one follicle.


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## want2beamamma

Silverbell - So sorry it didn't work. It's hard being let down by something makes you want to give up. But I know that all of us ladies are strong and have alot of drive to get what we want! I hope that things will work out for you :) 

I had my appointment today and the follicle is looking to be a 19mm. So I am going back tomorrow in hopes it's a 20mm or more. Should be doing the insemination saturday and sunday! Trigger tomorrow.


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## MrsC8776

silverbell said:


> Great news, want. Hope it all goes well :dust:
> 
> I'm afraid our first IVF attempt didn't work out. I got AF and a negative test yesterday. I have to admit we're both completely devastated. Lots of crying and cuddles yesterday. It's much, much harder than an IUI BFN somehow. I think because we knew there were 2 great-growing embies in there, so there was more certainty. Plus because of all the history that lead up to it (trying for 1 year, finding out about DH's azoospermia, going through DH's biopsy, having 6 IUI failures ...) I think there's only so much you can take.
> 
> We're taking a break now while we decide what to do. Part of me just wants to go for adoption and put all this crap behind us, but at the same time we both always wanted to experience me being pregnant and having a newborn ... life just really sucks right now.
> 
> Anyway, sorry to bring you guys down. I do hope that when I return there are lots of lovely :bfp: on here and that you're all pregnant. Sending lots of :dust: and good luck to you all. xxx

I'm so sorry silver. :cry: :hugs: I can only imagine how difficult this is. IVF is suppose to be the cure. When it fails we don't know where to turn. I hope that you make the choice that is right for you and your family no matter what that is. You are in my thoughts. 



want2beamamma said:


> Silverbell - So sorry it didn't work. It's hard being let down by something makes you want to give up. But I know that all of us ladies are strong and have alot of drive to get what we want! I hope that things will work out for you :)
> 
> I had my appointment today and the follicle is looking to be a 19mm. So I am going back tomorrow in hopes it's a 20mm or more. Should be doing the insemination saturday and sunday! Trigger tomorrow.

Good luck!


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## want2beamamma

WOOHOO follicle was a 20mm today . Doing the trigger tonight at 8pm then tomorrow at 945 doing first insemination then another on sunday morning!!


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## raelynn

Good luck!!


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## want2beamamma

Had my first insemination this morning around 10. Things went great! Now to go back tomorrow then wait...


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## deafgal01

Keeping my fingers crossed for you want... It'd be an awesome christmas gift (a little late) if, make that "WHEN" you do get a bfp!


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## want2beamamma

Thanks so much. I feel much more positive about this time since things are watched so closely. Sunday I had my other IUI at 36 hrs post trigger. The doctor I have is amazing I love her. She even let me come in and look at the sample under the microscope ( so cool ). I have had some cramping but mainly just a heavy kind of feeling. I plan on testing out the trigger starting today. I am also put on progestrone starting today until I get a negaitive pregnancy test or 12 weeks pregnant! It would be a wonderful christmas present.

How is everyone else doing?


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## deafgal01

I'm doing better lately only because I'm not so focused on the ttc part these days. :shrug:


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## want2beamamma

Sometimes we get ourselves so caught up in our minds... so hard not to though!


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## Redhead7211

Ah I have been out of the loop. Work is jammin'. 

Silver-I'm so sorry it didn't work this time:hugs::cry: We are all here to support you on your journey. Taking a break will be great medicine for you. I totally understand you feeling conflicted about doing IVF vs. Adoption. I've been going through our old adoption paperwork and revisiting cost etc. It's hard wanting a newborn and to experience pregnancy, but you also want a baby so bad. If you want to PM me, email or text me anytime don't hesitate. 

Want2be-I'm glad you're feeling well and the IUI went well. I'm sending lots of baby dust your way.

Things here are going well. I had some ovary pain yesterday, I think I must be ovulating. I'm just waiting for AF to show so I can get the ball rolling again. I'm glad I was out this month because I feel very relaxed now. It's nice not stressing about how hard it's been to conceive for a change.


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## want2beamamma

Sometimes not feeling so pressured and worrying feels nice, we all need that kind of break :) 

I am 6-7 days past iui... not feeling awhole lot. So praying I am not out this month!


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## want2beamamma

How's everyone doing? Ready for Christmas?


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## Redhead7211

Ah I swear I'm going to check here regularly now. Everyday! 

How was everyone's holiday? I did my usual baking etc. Yesterday we were leaving for my parents house, I have 5 bags in my hand, tell DH to grab the remaining 2. We get to my parents house half an hour later, ask him where the other two bags are...he has no idea. ha he had to go home immediately and the dog ate a freezer bag full of cut outs and 3 packages of steak. We got home from my parents house late, and no mess in the house. I thought "whew! A true Christmas miracle!" Well this morning I woke up to 5 poop piles in the living room and a huge puke pile by the door to our bedroom. ha 

Want2be-How are you feeling? Are you going to test soon? 

How are the rest of you ladies feeling?

I'm waiting for AF which should be here within the next few days. Hopefully when I go back in my lovely cyst will be long gone and I can get back in the game. I just started feeling that all-familiar dread of "hmm can I _actually_ get pregnant?" But I am going to go in this cycle rested and ready for a BFP.


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## want2beamamma

Oh animal they are so great until they do those things ! What a bugger haha
Glad you had a good Chritmas!!

I am feeling out this month, I don't feel any different and I tested today 10dpo-11dpo and stark white BFN :( I was hoping for atleat something.


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## deafgal01

Oh dear... so the dog ate it all (2 bags) and then it all came out one way or another. :dohh:

My Christmas was good. How's everyone's Christmas?


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## Redhead7211

Want2-I know this is the saaame thing we all say to each other and it stinks to hear...but it's still early. :thumbup: You've got time to implant a little baby in there!

Man any ladies from the US get dumped on with snow? We had snow up to my hips overnight.


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## want2beamamma

Thanks Redhead. I did a test at 9dpo I know way early and nothing the test I did at 10dpo nothing... atleast not during the time limit after I got a thick line with some pink. I never got that on the 9dpo test or any other time I used dollarstore tests. Today at 11dpo I did another, not first morning urine and again after time limit a line. I know they arent really valid after time limit. GRRRRR 

We are getting snow here now! WOW it's a blizzard!


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## want2beamamma

Anyone see it ?
 



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## MrsC8776

Want~ I see the line on the second test without even tilting the computer! Do you have a test to use in the AM?


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## want2beamamma

That came up after the time limit unfortunately though :( Just thought evaps never had colour? I have never had an evap on those tests. I did one today but it was after a night shift so far from FMU...and again hour later a faint line. So strange. GRRR I am so impatient


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## MrsC8776

How long after the time limit? Some people get lines darker in the evening than they do in the morning. Fx for you!


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## want2beamamma

I am really not sure as I did the test approx 9am and didnt look till 6pm. I know stupid me. Same thing this morning except 4 hours later I had that faint line again. I am thinking of taking and FRER tonight.. but so nervous I should wait till morning?


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## MrsC8776

Hmmm... do you have another cheap test you can use tonight and save the FRER for the morning? Although many times the line on an FRER is darker than a line on a cheap test.


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## want2beamamma

I have 1 more cheap test I think also just bought 2 FRER and 1 other brand . Drug store brand. So scared to waste them but just dying to know!!


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## MrsC8776

It's not a waste of tests! Trust me after your bfp you will test to see the line get darker. Testing is never a waste. I'm excited for you to test again!


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## want2beamamma

I might test again thi evening... if not tomorrow AM forure!!


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## want2beamamma

Okay I gave in I am so impatient. I took an FRER.
I think I am just being crazy but I sort of see something on this picture.
 



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## MrsC8776

You are not going crazy!! I can totally see a line in the pic! I know some people always say they see a line but I'm not one of those people. :haha: Huge congrats to you!!! :happydance: Do they do betas for you?


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## want2beamamma

REALLY SERIOUS ?!?! I am doing another tomorrow. It is very hard to see but I know I could see SOMETHING. I enhanced the photo. Does that matter? 

My beta is for the 31st.


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## MrsC8776

Seriously! I'm so excited for you! I'm looking forward to your test tomorrow. It doesn't matter that you messed with it. The line is pink and a line is a line.


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## want2beamamma

Hopefully very clearly positive tomorrow ! Thank you so much :)


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## raelynn

I definitely see something too! Good luck!


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## MrsC8776

How did testing go today?


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## Redhead7211

I saw something on the dollar store one and the FRER! I'm pulling for you! This thread needs some good juju again!:hugs:


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## want2beamamma

I didn't test today and the day before silly me I took a cheap test that's meant for the day of missed period ( so got nothing , surprise! ) Tomorrow I am taking my last FRER and monday I have my bloodwork. I am so scared of dissappointment tomorrow :( I so so soooo pray I get SOME kind of line. 

Are evaps common on the FRER? The line turned much more pink and completly visable after a few hours. It was also 100% pink.


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## MrsC8776

I think what people consider evaps don't have any color to them. The tests I had when I was first getting my bfp were very faint and would dry darker. Please don't give up hope. :hugs: I think you were 9dpo on your last FRER right? If so I just pulled up a pic of my test at 9,10 and 11 dpo. On 9dpo no one on the boards could see a line but I saw one in person. A few days later there was a for sure line. 

I'm really looking forward to your test tomorrow!


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## raelynn

My tests were the same. At 10dpo it was so faint even hubby was convinced I was seeing things. Keeping my fingers crossed for you!


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## Redhead7211

I agree with the pregnant ladies on here! Keep the faith! Ha and most importantly report back here STAT! 

Just a question-For those pregnant mama's...did you lay down after your IUI? If so, for how long? My RE and the other doctor in the practice always tell me that I do not need to lie down afterwards. I've done both, lying down for like 10 minutes, lying down for 5 minutes, getting up and going home to lounge around. 

Hope everyone else is doing well! And is snow free! We actually saw the sun today for the first time in I don't know when! ha unfortunately I had to work in a cooler with no windows for the better half of the day.


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## MrsC8776

Hey Red! For the IUI that worked I didn't stay laying down. Every other IUI I laid down for 15 minutes with my hips elevated. That what the clinic wanted. The last IUI I was at a different clinic because I was tired of no one listening. So a lot of things changed. He just said ok you are free to go and live the next two weeks as if you are pregnant. :winkwink: I just thought to myself "yeah right" and went home and mowed the lawn. :dohh: They swimmers are so far up there nothing is going to fall out.


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## MrsC8776

Want2be I have everything crossed for you! 

Red when is your next IUI?


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## day_dreamer

Sorry to crash your thread ladies, I was just wondering...for those who get IVF funded by the NHS but need donor sperm, where does it come from? Is that NHS funded too or do you have to source and pay for it privately yourself?

Thanks!


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## raelynn

My clinic had me lay down for five min after the iui then sent me on my way


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## silverbell

Red - they told me lying down doesn't affect a thing and I have to say I believe them. Only once did they say I could lie down for 5 minutes if I wanted, but this was after quite a few failed cycles, so they probably thought it may help with the PMA.

day_dreamer - The donor sperm in our case was funded by the NHS with the IVF. We had to use it because DH doesn't produce any at all. I'm not sure if there are situations where the NHS wouldn't fund the donor sperm aspect of treatment though?


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## Redhead7211

Thanks ladies! Logically I know nothing will fall out, I was just curious what other protocol is. 

No date on the next iui. I am waiting for the red flow to start so I can go in. 

Want2be-any word?


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## Redhead7211

Happy New Year ladies! I hope you're all doing well!

I officially am on CD 2. I'm going for my baseline ultrasound and blood work tomorrow before work. I'll let you know how it works out and what the doctor says. I hope she has some more insight, and I'm assuming she's going to bump up the Gonal F dosage.


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## Redhead7211

Well I went in for my baseline today. Everything internally looks fabulous. She told me she now thinks of me as one of her "regular" patients that is having a hard time conceiving, not just a young 25 year old trying to have a baby. Ha lucky me... 
She came up with a plan for the next 3 cycles:
1.) Up my dose of Gonal F to 150 this cycle with HCG
2.) Menopur with HCG
3.) "Simulated IVF" cycle-Lupron/Menopur/HCG/IUI and Progesterone Supplements. 

So this cycle I'm on Gonal F-150iu, starting tomorrow pending blood work. :coffee: So it begins.

I hope everyone else is doing well!


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## MrsC8776

Good luck Red! Sorry to hear that your dr said you are now becoming a regular patient. Fx this is the last cycle you will need and you won't have to be one of the "regulars." :flower:


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## Baby Dreamin

Hi Ladies,
Stumbled across your board last night and read through your posts, I already feel comforted by being able to talk to people who really understand.
We will hopefully be doing our first IUI cycle (unmedicated) using donor sperm at the end of this month. 
DH has had 2 failed VR's and a testicular biopsy to remove sperm which was used for 2 IVF cycles. Both were unsuccessful and we had no frozen embryos so we are moving on to donor sperm. I am a poor responder to the infertility drugs so our doctor wants us to give a natural IUI a try. We did IVF due to make factor infertility.
Sending you all baby dust and supportive wishes, I know I could use some too :)


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## Redhead7211

Thanks MrsC. My e2 levels were 35 so we are on board to starting Gonal F tonight. I'm hoping our 6th cycle is our last. 

Welcome Baby! We are a pretty chatty group, though it depends on where we all are with our cycles. Did your DH get the vasectomy before you were together? My DH is and he will eternally be in the dog house for that :dohh: My first cycle was unmedicated because at the time we thought it was just male factor. Best of luck to you!


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## MrsC8776

Baby Dreamin said:


> Hi Ladies,
> Stumbled across your board last night and read through your posts, I already feel comforted by being able to talk to people who really understand.
> We will hopefully be doing our first IUI cycle (unmedicated) using donor sperm at the end of this month.
> DH has had 2 failed VR's and a testicular biopsy to remove sperm which was used for 2 IVF cycles. Both were unsuccessful and we had no frozen embryos so we are moving on to donor sperm. I am a poor responder to the infertility drugs so our doctor wants us to give a natural IUI a try. We did IVF due to make factor infertility.
> Sending you all baby dust and supportive wishes, I know I could use some too :)

:hi: Welcome! Sorry to hear about the failed VR's and the IVF's. :hugs: Fx you get your bfp through natural IUI. Do you know how many IUI's they will have you do before moving to meds? I only ask because the natural route works for some. I went through 3-4 natural IUI's, switched clinics and got put on 50mg of clomid. First medicated IUI worked... very well! :winkwink: 

Sending you a ton of :dust: The ladies here are wonderful and if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask.


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## MrsC8776

Redhead7211 said:


> Thanks MrsC. My e2 levels were 35 so we are on board to starting Gonal F tonight. I'm hoping our 6th cycle is our last.
> 
> Welcome Baby! We are a pretty chatty group, though it depends on where we all are with our cycles. Did your DH get the vasectomy before you were together? My DH is and he will eternally be in the dog house for that :dohh: My first cycle was unmedicated because at the time we thought it was just male factor. Best of luck to you!

Yay for getting started tonight!! 

:haha: My hubby is in the dog house forever as well for the same reason. Silly men!


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## verbena

Hello all,

Thought I join a forum to have a safe space to talk about these details since I'm sick of friends casually raising their eyebrows and asking "so???" with no sense of how difficult this process is and how crushing it is to get my period again each month. 

I'm a lesbian, that's why I'm doing IUIs. There's no "DH" in my situation, which makes me feel like a black sheep in the infertility world and on these forums too. But hey, the biology is the same.

I'm 30, have an AMH of 2.8 and knew I was ovulating regularly from OPKs so my wife and I tried 3 home ICIs to see if we could make this happen ourselves. After those didn't work, we stepped up our game and I got an HCG. I was expecting a clean scan but it revealed my right tube is actually blocked. Although the left is fine, that was pretty devastating news. We went from already knowing the odds are slim to now worrying that if there's only one follicle on the right, there's no point at all that cycle.

Last month I did 50mg Clomid d3-7 and an US on day 10 showed 1 nice 21mm follicle on the good side (early, I know), so we triggered the next day and I had my first ever IUI at 36 hrs post HCG. My uterine lining was only 6.5mm, sort of on the thin side but it was only day 10. Anyway, BFN. :-( 

This month I'm now at day 2 and my provider has increased Clomid to 100mg and we're doing one FSH injection on day 8. There's not a lot of literature on this protocol, but the idea is to hopefully produce multiple follicles since any follicles on the right are pretty much wasted. We're crossing our fingers that this month's ultrasound shows one (or more!) viable follicles on my left side and that my lining isn't too thin. There are just so many variables and questions that no one really has an answer to that I wanted a place to vent...
- I have nagging doubts that our timing was off last month because I got serious crampy/pinchy sensations on my left side about 20 hours post the HCG trigger. Could I have been ovulating that early? Doc says unlikely but my gut says maybe so and we should do our next IUI earlier. There are so many opinions on how best to time the IUI after trigger.

- Doc had difficulty getting through my cervix both for the HCG (forecepts needed= painful, no fun) and my provider had trouble getting the catheter through for the IUI too. Had to switch tips or something and spend a long time wiggling. Apparently my cervix is very closed off. It makes me worry that she's not actually getting the sperm all the way up there and giving me a true IUI. Anyone else have a closed cervix??? Does it get easier each time? 

- Is it worth it to do back to back IUIs to cover the spread? The problem is, we're not flush with donor sperm (or money). Only have 4 vials left of our preferred donor and switching donors is emotionally exhausting. Research says 1 is almost as good as 2, but would I regret not "giving it all"?

- Doc also recommended Femera if Clomid seems to thin my lining, but I have concerns about its lack of being FDA-approved and whether it's worth the extra cost.

- If this doesn't work after 3 IUIs, do we try a more heavily-stimulated cycle with multiple injectibles or move to IVF or keep trying IUIs? IUI success drops way off after 3 tries. IVF is freaking expensive and will make me feel like even more medicalized. But all the monitoring required with injectibles gets spendy and invasive too.

Anyway, I'm trying to keep hopeful and do what I can to be healthy and lower my stress (the only things I can control, right?) but it's a difficult and confusing process. Wish us luck! Thanks.


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## Baby Dreamin

Hi RedHead =) 
Yes he did get the vasectomy before we were together. He has a daughter that he raised by himself, so although I'm angry at his choice to get the V, I understand how he felt that was his best option. I adopted DD a couple of years ago so now I have a pre-teen. I joke that they're might be a new TLC series on us...Toddler's and Teenager's lol


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## Baby Dreamin

Thank you! 
I have to get the hang of posting with the cute little emoticons =) 
Our Doctor has suggested a couple of natural cycles, then a laporoscopy in summer if we aren't pregnant and then move on to medicated cycles. Any tests they have done on me show that everything is good but I haven't had a lap. Where we are, there's a 6 month wait list for the lap, and since my Dr. isn't pushing me to go ahead and have it done, we're going to try a couple of cycles. We only purchased enough sperm for 2 cycles, and for financial reasons, that is all we can do for now anyways. 
For my last IVF cycle, I was on the maximum dosage for the stims and my body fought it the whole time, doesn't seem to matter what they do, my body seems to fight to follow it's own natural cycle so hopefully that's a good sign!


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## Baby Dreamin

Hi Verbena,

So good to have a group like this where we all understand what each other is going through and you are right; our biology is the same and the infertility hurts all the same so I hope you feel comfortable here =) I'm new to the forum as well, just found it last night!

Stress can do a lot of crazy things to our bodies and it's so hard to not get stressed out while going through this. 

When you mentioned the problems with the catheter, it reminds me of a situation a lady I knew was in. When it came time to do her embryo transfer, they couldn't get the catheter in place. She went for a dilation (the D in D&C, I never knew what those stood for) so they did the dilation and she also had a mock transfer where they just inserted the catheter. It did the trick and she was able to have the transfer completed and is now pregnant. Maybe something to check with your doctor before your next IUI. 

As for Femara, I haven't been on that or Clomid but it does work for some so maybe that's worth a shot. Just helps your body produce multiple eggs that month right?


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## silverbell

Hi Baby Dreamin and verbena :hugs: I hope your time here is short and sweet.



verbena said:


> - I have nagging doubts that our timing was off last month because I got serious crampy/pinchy sensations on my left side about 20 hours post the HCG trigger. Could I have been ovulating that early? Doc says unlikely but my gut says maybe so and we should do our next IUI earlier. There are so many opinions on how best to time the IUI after trigger.

This is completely fine. Ovulation pains can happen before, during and after ovulation. IUI is usually best performed at around 36 hours post trigger.



verbena said:


> - Doc had difficulty getting through my cervix both for the HCG (forecepts needed= painful, no fun) and my provider had trouble getting the catheter through for the IUI too. Had to switch tips or something and spend a long time wiggling. Apparently my cervix is very closed off. It makes me worry that she's not actually getting the sperm all the way up there and giving me a true IUI. Anyone else have a closed cervix??? Does it get easier each time?

I've always been told I have a 'tiny os', which is the cervical opening. It's been mentioned at all my smears and at my IVF the doctor had to switch catheters to get the tube through the opening. However, this isn't something to worry about if you're having IVF or IUI because the tube has to be completely inserted through your cervix before they can continue with the procedure. So sperm will be in the right place with no problems.



verbena said:


> - Is it worth it to do back to back IUIs to cover the spread? The problem is, we're not flush with donor sperm (or money). Only have 4 vials left of our preferred donor and switching donors is emotionally exhausting. Research says 1 is almost as good as 2, but would I regret not "giving it all"?

There is zero research that suggests having 2 IUIs gives you any more chance than 1. The 1 IUI is done at the best possible time for ovulation, as with the trigger it's guaranteed to give them a clear window of time during which they deliver the sperm. I really wouldn't worry about doing 2. I was told chances are still exactly the same.



verbena said:


> - If this doesn't work after 3 IUIs, do we try a more heavily-stimulated cycle with multiple injectibles or move to IVF or keep trying IUIs? IUI success drops way off after 3 tries. IVF is freaking expensive and will make me feel like even more medicalized. But all the monitoring required with injectibles gets spendy and invasive too.

I had 6 failed IUIs before moving to IVF. We'll probably try once more with IVF before giving up. In hindsight I wish we'd moved to IVF sooner, but that's very easy to say now I know those 6 IUIs failed. There is a much higher chance of success with IVF than IUI (I was personally given 15% chance with IUI and 50% chance with IVF).

Good luck with your journey and I hope it's short for you.


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## Redhead7211

Hi Verbena!

Silver pretty much said everything I intended to, but I'll throw my two cents in :winkwink:

First off-Welcome! There's another lesbian that stops in from time to time on this thread, Lesbian Mystique. I'm sure she wouldn't mind a PM if you'd feel more comfortable chatting with her about certain things. I figure we are all going through the same thing, though DH provides plenty of other support he's not physically "contributing" so to speak. 

Regarding the Ferema, my RE said if Clomid didn't work, I probably wouldn't have a different result with Ferema. Money is definitely tight so we decided to step up to stims and take a more aggressive approach. You can check out my siggy for what we ended up doing. Personally, I would do injectables before moving directly on to IVF. Though as Silver said, they've told me I'd have a 50-60% success rate with IVF compared to the typical 15-20% with IUI.

As far as how many IUI's...my RE seems to be in the school of 3 IUI's for each type of drug. She also outlined me a schedule for the next few cycles (which we will hopefully not need), before we do IVF or move on to adoption. 

Cervix-I've had a few IUI's where they have an easy time getting into my cervix, one time where they were manipulating organs from the outside by pressing down on my pelvis, and a few times where she had to switch speculum sizes. I've also had to couch to relax my cervix so she could insert the catheter. Since she changed speculum sizes it really helped, maybe that's the answer for you?

It's very hard to figure out what is the "right" process for you. I also understand (as I think we all can) the frustration and sadness that occur with always getting your period. I wrote on another thread how a girlfriend of mine is pregnant with her third and is 5 1/2 months along and was complaining to me about how terrible it is to feel the baby kick all of the time. What we wouldn't give to feel that right? It's frustrating when people seem to just share a washcloth with someone of the opposite sex and we go through intense medical intervention and it still doesn't happen. We just need to maintain faith that it will happen. Heck-there are several girls on here who are testaments that this process works. We are always here for each other to pick each other up. Lord knows we all need it from time to time so never hesitate to share your feelings.

Baby Dreaming-A pre-teen! Yikes! I'm afraid if we have a daughter she'll hate me until she's 20. haha


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## SunUp

Hi ladies! Thought I would pop in and wish everyone well. Has anyone heard from CM? Hope she is doing well.


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## Redhead7211

Hey SunUp-CM hasn't been on this thread lately, but I saw she posted on the boards like a month ago maybe. How are you feeling mama?


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## verbena

silverbell said:


> There is zero research that suggests having 2 IUIs gives you any more chance than 1. The 1 IUI is done at the best possible time for ovulation, as with the trigger it's guaranteed to give them a clear window of time during which they deliver the sperm. I really wouldn't worry about doing 2. I was told chances are still exactly the same.


Actually I was able to find some research on this, but apparently I can't post links yet. It's Pub Med Abstract #979662 if you're interested in Googling it. The title is "Two-day IUI treatment cycles are more successful than one-day IUI cycles when using frozen-thawed donor sperm." They showed "Nine clinical pregnancies were achieved in the 1-day group (5% per cycle, 9.7% per patient), while 39 pregnancies occurred in the 2-day group (17.9% per cycle, 37.9% per patient)." 

Maybe with fresh sperm, which has a longer lifespan and usually more motile sperm, 1 IUI is about the same. But I'm starting to think that with our frozen sperm (lifespan appx. 10 hours realistically and ~11mil motile sperm) there's no way to cover the spread with only 1 IUI. There's always a potential gap of a few hours because the windows might not line up right. I think we're gonna go for 2 this month (assuming it's a good left-side month)- it can't hurt... more than having a catheter shoved through your cervix already hurts!


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## Redhead7211

Hey there ladies!

Verbena-interesting results! 2 IUI's certainly couldn't hurt.

I just went to my ultrasound appointment. I have 4 follicles that are only 14mm. So I'm doing 150 of Gonal F tonight and tomorrow night, blood work tomorrow, then going in for another ultrasound Friday. Hopefully everything will be mature and ready to go. I can't believe the eggs aren't mature yet because of how tender my abdomen is.

On a funny (sorta) note...I was driving home from the appointment and was a few miles away and I got pulled over by a trooper for not having my inspection up to date!:dohh: ha too much time with fertility treatments and I spaced out on getting my car inspected last month. Well I decided to high tail it to my mechanic and got pulled over 2 times on the 10 minute drive to the mechanic's shop! I'm going back at 4 to have my car inspected!

Hope you all are having a good day!!


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## CanadianMaple

Hi everyone! I think I am ready to start posting again. We had a long wait between the failed IUI attempt, waiting to see the OB and then moving forward with a new plan. We are going to do IVF/ICSI and try a TESA to see if DH has any sperm. We know there is a 20% chance. We have our donor as backup. I did my mock embryo transfer on Monday and start the Asprin/BCP tomorrow for 21 days. The TESA is for Feb 21 and my ER will be Feb 22. Crazy we have concrete dates and are doing this!! We haven't had a chance to TTC (with sperm anyway) since we got married 18 months ago! I'm so excited and so terrified.

Redhead- Crazy that you got pulled over twice in 10 minutes!! I hope all went well at the garage! I hope everything is ready to go by Friday for you!

SunUp- Thanks for thinking of me. I had to take a break from everything since I knew we were back in waiting mode. It was starting to make me crazy. The time away has been so good for us.

Hello to everyone else. Hopefully I can keep up now. I am so glad to see this group going strong!


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## verbena

lol- this fertility stuff can really suck a lot of attention and make us forgetful about other routine life stuff. It can also make me really weepy and down- the last days of Clomid especially.

But that's very exciting about having 4 follicles! In my research I also read an article that showed no difference in pregnancy rates when ovulation was triggered when the largest follicle was 16mm vs 18mm. So, given that they grow 1-2mm a day, you're really close to being ready!

best of luck to you this cycle!


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## verbena

Doh, that last post was to Redhead. Still getting the hang of how 'reply' works.

CanadianMaple- sending positive thoughts your way too.


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## Redhead7211

CM! I'm very glad to see you back! What does the TESA involve? Aspirating the sperm? That's fabulous that you have some concrete dates!! We are all here to cheer you on. How did the mock egg retrieval go? What are the details on that?

Verbena-The Clomid made me borderline psychotic. I was constantly sweating, and when I got my period I would cry hysterically. More than the usual disappointment of getting it, like I would sob uncontrollably where ever I was. At work...home...in what will be our child's room. So know you aren't the only first, last or only person to feel that way.:flower::hugs:

I'm feeling pretty good. My abdomen is very, very tender. I'm hoping there are huge mature follicles attached to my ovaries tomorrow! Ugh I had a terrible phlebotomist today at the lab. She stuck me hard core with the needle and my arm is super sore. That's kind of distracting me from the ovary tenderness at the moment. I'm hoping I can trigger tomorrow, and go in Saturday so we can get this show on the road. I'll make sure to report back tomorrow after the appointment.


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## SunUp

Yay CM! LOVE seeing that you have a plan! Hoping for the BEST for you! :)

AFM, I have been super, super sick. But, I can't complain because its the best reason for being sick! Although as of now, I have lost 20 pounds (eek) but baby boy is doing well, which is what matters most to me!! So far all our tests/sonos have come back with everything looking good for our son. And I am able to feel him move, which, since I have been so sick, (which translates into worrying about him) it is AMAZING feeling him move. 

I get my next sono in the next few weeks. I am so thankful. And hoping this group keeps getting more BFPs!!


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## Redhead7211

Sun-A boy?! Congrats! Do you have any names picked out? I'm sorry to hear you've been so sick. Any sign of it lightening up? DH does NOT want to know the sex before the baby makes its grand appearance in the world. 

I just got back from the doctors and some errand running. My e2 level was like 1100. She said that's great and what they look for. However...I have 7 follies on my right ovary (which explains why it feels like it's going to burst), one of which is 16mm. The left ovary has one follie which is 20mm. She told me to get blood work today, and she'll call to tell me when to trigger and the IUI is tentatively scheduled for Monday. She said if the number gets too high we will have to cancel so I'm crossing my fingers! I'm relieved to be done with blood work for the time being. Both arms are super sore! 

Hope all you ladies are doing well!:hugs:


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## SunUp

Yes, Boy! We weren't going to find out, but after our diagnosis and long wait, we couldn't wait any longer! We are SO THRILLED!


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## dodgegirl

Hi everyone :hi:

I have been away from this site since last April and decided to get back on as my TTC plans are in the works and I will probably be TTC again within the next couple of months ! You can check out my journal if you'd like to see my story, I updated it yesterday....

I do have a question though. Does anyone know how to mail sperm ? My FOB is living across the country for now and we want to TTC while he's over there. I'm assuming you have to freeze it? Just wondering if any of you are familiar with this process ? :shrug:

We are doing at home insemination, so no lab or anything involved....

thanks !


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## SunUp

I am afraid you might need a lab. It has to be frozen to a certain temp and kept at that temperature, so it usually gets frozen and mailed in a special tank. I am not 100% sure though, and I hope there is an easier way.


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## dodgegirl

SunUp said:


> I am afraid you might need a lab. It has to be frozen to a certain temp and kept at that temperature, so it usually gets frozen and mailed in a special tank. I am not 100% sure though, and I hope there is an easier way.

aww ok thank you. I will keep searching !


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## MrsC8776

Welcome to the new ladies! :hi: 

CM~ Glad to see you back and getting started! It will go fast! 

Red~ Good luck on Monday! 

dodge~ I do believe what Sun said is correct. You will have to have someone else get involved in the process because of the shipping. It won't work to just freeze it and ship it. When it gets shipped from the bank it comes in a container that stays at a certain temp (frozen) and they thaw it at the clinic by leaving it out for an hour or so. It thaws really fast!! I hope you guys can work something out. Is there anyway he could travel for a day to where you are and then fly back?


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## Redhead7211

Well the doctor called me today and said my blood work from yesterday is 1700-something. :happydance: She said to trigger tonight between 10pm-12am and then I'll be seeing her Monday morning. Everyone keep everything crossed for me!


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## raelynn

Good luck Red!


----------



## dodgegirl

MrsC8776 said:


> Welcome to the new ladies! :hi:
> 
> CM~ Glad to see you back and getting started! It will go fast!
> 
> Red~ Good luck on Monday!
> 
> dodge~ I do believe what Sun said is correct. You will have to have someone else get involved in the process because of the shipping. It won't work to just freeze it and ship it. When it gets shipped from the bank it comes in a container that stays at a certain temp (frozen) and they thaw it at the clinic by leaving it out for an hour or so. It thaws really fast!! I hope you guys can work something out. Is there anyway he could travel for a day to where you are and then fly back?

Thanks. Yes we had also talked about him flying over here during my OV time....that might be the better option ! :thumbup::happydance:


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## cbergs

How many donors did you all pick out before you went ahead and purchased? As of late December, we finally picked a donor (with "high vials") and yesterday, when I went to check up on him because we were going to purchase this week, I typed in his donor ID a huge sign flew across the screen and said that all his vials had been SOLD OUT. WTF?!!? In less than a month? Does this fertility bullshit ever get easier? I mean, it's been blow after blow. I am going out of my mind. 

I can't believe we have to endure yet another bout of disappointment. UNreal!

I guess....another question, how do you NOT get attached to the donor you've picked so that if this happens you can just keep moving on??

Thanks!


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## CanadianMaple

I had been talking via email about our donor to the sperm bank. She had told me he only had 2 vials left and I bought both. I now have two in storage for months, which kind of sucks, but when I read what you went through, I suppose it's a small price to pay. I'm so sorry that happened to you, that's really frustrating, especially when you think of the time you take to make sure you have the perfect one.

I guess there must be a reason this has happened in the grand scheme of things. Once you pick your new donor and have your baby, you wouldn't be able to picture any other baby. (So easy for me to say though, I get that...) One other thought would be to email the sperm bank. They could be releasing more soon or may have some ordered canceled or a waiting list or something... :(

Good luck Redhead!

Dodgegirl- Glad he's flying in for your ovulation time. Good luck!


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## cbergs

Yeah, I hear you. I called, and they have just one vial left. Not sure it's worth it. As much as I want to buy it, I want to try and use the same sperm for siblings...sooo annoying!!! According to the california cryobank, if I did use the one vial, and then someday wanted children from that donor again, I can pay $1750 to have him re-located, tested, and then the fees for more vials. I think that's pretty much insane.

But it definitely sucks. His baby picture was like straight out of a catalog. And he was cited as looking like a mixture of Freddie Prinze Jr. and Chris Hemsworth! I want to shoot myself for not purchasing that sperm! Uggghhh!!!!


----------



## CanadianMaple

If you want to make sure you have enough for siblings, I would probably keep looking. It would be tempting to want to buy it. I bought the last two vials of my donor but will probably never use my 2nd vial, so someone may be able to buy that down the road. I may not hurt to keep checking in while you're looking.

This road is so, so difficult. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.


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## SunUp

Good luck RED!

Cberg- SAME thing happened to us! SAME EXACT THING!! We were SOOO excited with our first choice, then bam, gone! So as time came closer to IUI, we found another newer donor... who was also great, but no luck. SO we were waiting AGAIN, trying to find the next best thing, then all of a sudden, another awesome one came, so we bought right away! Sorry it happened to you, hugs!


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## Redhead7211

Hi all!

Cbergs-That stinks! The donor sounds handsome! You'll find another one, it's just a pain searching. My DH and I had one picked out that DH absolutely loved, but after multiple failed IUI's we decided to switch to this guy. It's a very long, long process. 

The IUI went fine yesterday. I was super nervous and she was running late so I was going nuts. She said the sperm was a good sample that had 13 million potential baby makers in it. She had a hard time manipulating my uterus and cervix. She had the table angled back and I had to push down on my uterus. I had absolutely horrid ovulation pain during the IUI and for the remainder of yesterday. I was doubled over in pain, couldn't really walk or anything. Now I just have a lot of pressure, but I went to work and lived. I just have a lot of pressure on my butt (TMI I know sorry!:haha:), I'm not sure what that's all about. I'm hoping that all of this pain just means that the timing is perfect for the IUI. 

I hope you're all doing well!


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## Redhead7211

MrsC-do you have any delivery plans yet? You're pretty far along mama!


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## dodgegirl

Redhead, can u tell me more about the IUI? Im considering going that route... just trying to find out how much it will cost, i just dont like the 6 month waiting period...


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## PiperDilly

Did anyone in here choose to create a family using donor sperm due to very low motility and very low count? I see so many stories about people using donor sperm due to their DH having ZERO sperm but I have not been able to find anyone that used a donor for poor sperm quality etc. I feel that most people in that situation choose IVF, but is there anyone out there that decided to forgo the invasive procedures and mountains of debt and settle for donor sperm? My partner is a type 1 diabetic with very low count and motility. We are not sure if anything will be able to change this, so we are mentally preparing ourselves for the possibility that we may have to try donor sperm. 


I could really use someone to relate to on this.


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## MrsC8776

cbergs said:


> How many donors did you all pick out before you went ahead and purchased? As of late December, we finally picked a donor (with "high vials") and yesterday, when I went to check up on him because we were going to purchase this week, I typed in his donor ID a huge sign flew across the screen and said that all his vials had been SOLD OUT. WTF?!!? In less than a month? Does this fertility bullshit ever get easier? I mean, it's been blow after blow. I am going out of my mind.
> 
> I can't believe we have to endure yet another bout of disappointment. UNreal!
> 
> I guess....another question, how do you NOT get attached to the donor you've picked so that if this happens you can just keep moving on??
> 
> Thanks!

Like CM said... if you are wanting to use the same donor for siblings it might be best to look at different ones. What I had hubby do is go through all the donors and print off the profiles he liked. From there he numbered them 1-? and we went down the list. Had number 1 not worked out we would have moved on. We didn't let ourselves get attached to certain ones. I think thats something you have to avoid when going this route. Also we never looked at pictures. I truly hope you find another donor that you are comfortable with and are willing to use. Many places will hold some for you for the future as well. Like the place we used we could buy it, store it there and if it wasn't needed we could return it for I think 50% of cost? Once it leaves the bank there is no return though. 



Redhead7211 said:


> Hi all!
> 
> Cbergs-That stinks! The donor sounds handsome! You'll find another one, it's just a pain searching. My DH and I had one picked out that DH absolutely loved, but after multiple failed IUI's we decided to switch to this guy. It's a very long, long process.
> 
> The IUI went fine yesterday. I was super nervous and she was running late so I was going nuts. She said the sperm was a good sample that had 13 million potential baby makers in it. She had a hard time manipulating my uterus and cervix. She had the table angled back and I had to push down on my uterus. I had absolutely horrid ovulation pain during the IUI and for the remainder of yesterday. I was doubled over in pain, couldn't really walk or anything. Now I just have a lot of pressure, but I went to work and lived. I just have a lot of pressure on my butt (TMI I know sorry!:haha:), I'm not sure what that's all about. I'm hoping that all of this pain just means that the timing is perfect for the IUI.
> 
> I hope you're all doing well!

Fx for this to be the one!! When will you be testing? Sounds like the timing was just right! 



Redhead7211 said:


> MrsC-do you have any delivery plans yet? You're pretty far along mama!

:wacko: We are getting so close! So far no real plans yet. With hubby working in Afghanistan I'm hoping he can get a flight home at 36 weeks and the girls wait until then to make their appearance. I do think I will schedule a c section just because but there are a few things I have to think about. She said we could do an amnio at 36 weeks to see if their lungs are fully developed and if so we will do a section 2 days later. If not we do another amnio at 37 weeks. I didn't even do one in the beginning so I don't know how I feel about this. I do feel more comfortable with a section just because we are having twins. We will probably schedule the official section for 38 weeks. Only 6-8 weeks to go hopefully! I can't believe it. 



dodgegirl said:


> Redhead, can u tell me more about the IUI? Im considering going that route... just trying to find out how much it will cost, i just dont like the 6 month waiting period...

For us I think the IUI itself was around $300. It might depend on where you live though. We went to OHSU and Oregon Reproductive Medicine. ORM liked to do monitoring and OHSU wanted us to go the natural route. I think your located in WA so both these might be close to you. 



PiperDilly said:


> Did anyone in here choose to create a family using donor sperm due to very low motility and very low count? I see so many stories about people using donor sperm due to their DH having ZERO sperm but I have not been able to find anyone that used a donor for poor sperm quality etc. I feel that most people in that situation choose IVF, but is there anyone out there that decided to forgo the invasive procedures and mountains of debt and settle for donor sperm? My partner is a type 1 diabetic with very low count and motility. We are not sure if anything will be able to change this, so we are mentally preparing ourselves for the possibility that we may have to try donor sperm.
> 
> 
> I could really use someone to relate to on this.

:hi: welcome! Sorry you may end up finding yourself going this route. My hubby had a vasectomy and got it reversed. It took for a little while then failed. We did start to go down the IVF route and had a TESE done. They found a ton of swimmers but funds just didn't work out for us. So we said it is best to support a family than just be able to make one. At that point we moved to donor IUI. So in a way yes I can relate to your situation but not exactly. Is there anything he has tried to increase sperm? Also I see you are in Oregon. Nice to see someone else on the boards from the same area. :flower:


----------



## SunUp

Hey Piper - our doc biopsied DH's TESE sample... originally they said they found none, but it turns out he actually had 5% mature sperm in the sample. But due to health risks, we were not willing to risk another surgery for DH... and now I am almost 'halfway' with baby boy.


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## PiperDilly

Thanks for your stories! 

Yes, great to see a fellow Oregonian! You may be the first I have met on here, actually.

I really like your point here: 

"They found a ton of swimmers but funds just didn't work out for us. So we said it is best to support a family than just be able to make one."

That really hit it on the head for me. That's what we are struggling with at the moment. He DOES have swimmers, but is it worth it to be paying off mountains of debt for years while trying to raise a family?


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## Redhead7211

Piper-My DH had a vasectomy and we decided due to cost (of both retrieval and aspiration), the chance of a reversal working, and the fact that he, and both brothers have never had bio children, it would be better in the long run if we used donor goods. So I don't have any real input sorry. 

MrsC-I'm so excited for you! Plans sound good. I'll jump over to the DS and pregnancy board and we will throw you one heck of an online "welcome to the world babies" party. 

Dodgegirl-I'm not a lot of help with the cost...we are one of the lucky few that until I'm 26 health insurance will cover the cost of it. We just pay co-pays, donor sperm etc. I actually had never heard of IUI before, and assumed because of DH's vasectomy we would have to adopt. The process itself isn't bad at all (physically anyway). I'll give you my abridged version from start to present.

First visit with RE-Expect for you and your partner to answer lots of questions...Frank ones about sexual partners, STDs, diet, smoking, drinking etc. DH and I had to get checked out, I had to get weighed, blood pressure taken, both of us had blood drawn. Just because of where I was in my cycle I had an ultrasound on top of an exam. 

For both the natural cycle and Clomid cycle-I called them when my period started and went in for a mid-cycle ultrasound. My RE decided it was best of I took 50mg Clomid days 3-7. Clomid wasn't too bad, but it made me psychotic when I had my period and gave me ferocious hot flashes. From that point RE told me when to trigger and come on for the IUI. 

For the Gonal F cycles-I called them when my period started, went in for a baseline ultrasound done within the first few days of the cycle (accompanied by blood work), a baseline ultrasound (accompanied with blood work) and then from that point was told when to trigger and come in for the IUI. The first Gonal F cycle I had was only on 75iu for a few days. This cycle I was on 150ius for 7 days and got by blood drawn 5 times. 
If you end up needing injectables, be prepared for a lot of blood work, and for more of a toll one your body. Let's hope you don't need to move to injectables though!:hugs:

I'm still insanely sore. Not as bad as Monday, but worse than yesterday. I haven't decided on a test date yet. AF can come potentially any time from 1/29-1/31. I'm usually pretty weak and like to test around 10piui. This cycle I feel like so much is riding on it that I'm afraid to test. I know it's premature, but this cycle has been so trying on me in every aspect, I don't know if I have it in me to do another like this. I'm trying to be as upbeat as possible and just hope that this is finally it. 

Hope you all are well!


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## want2beamamma

Hi everyone,

I haven't been on for a long time, I just thought I needed to step back from everything for a little while. I was quite upset and dissappointed from the last treatment attempt.
We have been contemplating our options IVF and trying a reversal. I went to speak with my doctor yesterday and she said considering IVF is approx $12,000 where I am and the reversal is approx $5,000-$8,000 she suggested that is the best route to go. 

Now we have to wait and see how long till we can get an appointment for the reversal, is looking like atleast a year unless someone cancels ( which is highly unlikely )

GRRR now I wait :( I guess if we go the reversal route I shouldnt really be joining in this thread again, sorry. I just seem to be able to chat with you ladies the best.

I hope everyone has good luck with their treatments Redhead especially you. You have been trying and trying and you deserve this !!!!


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## Redhead7211

Want2-As a long standing member of this group still TTC I vote that you can stay and chat as long as you'd like.:hugs: Can I ask you some semi-personal questions? How long ago was the vasectomy? How old is DH? And what state/country do you live in? 
A year is such a long wait!! When DH and I got engaged I sent him immediately to a local specialist to see about it getting his vasectomy reversed. The estimate was nearly $20k. Just to aspirate was $10k. DH had the vasectomy around 10 years ago and they didn't give him good odds for it working. I haven't had a formal discussion with my RE about IVF yet, but in December when I went in for my baseline and found out I had a cyst, the other doctor in the practice brought it up. He said it would _only_ be $5-7K. Isn't location funny? 
I have faith that we will all have our time, you included. Feel free to PM me any time to talk.:flower:


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## Redhead7211

Hi ladies,

Just a quick update. I called my RE's office regarding the pain I was in, and the now discomfort I'm in. The nurse said that obviously the pain I felt initially was ovulation pain. She also said I could have been extra crampy because of how she had to manipulate my uterus and cervix during the IUI. She said what I've been feeling the rest of the week is fluid from the left over follies disappearing. She said to only get concerned if the pain gets worse, and that often pain/discomfort is a good sign. So mystery solved!

As of today I've been very thirsty, which is good for the ovary fluid. My uterus feels like there's something in it...almost heavy? I don't know how to really describe it. Whenever I cough or sneeze it really hurts. I still feel pressure on my bum (TMI I know...:blush:). My abdomen is also bloated looking. So we shall see!

Hope all you beautiful ladies are doing well!


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## Redhead7211

Well I'm a week out from my IUI. I finally woke up Saturday feeling well! I am very relieved I'm not sore anymore. Sunday I was having some odd sensations in my uterus (maybe irritation from the rough IUI?). I've also been very hungry and thirsty. I usually eat toast or cereal for breakfast around 6:30am, by 10:30am I'm hungry again, then I eat some fruit in the afternoon and am starving for dinner. I'll take the hunger though!


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## Guenhwyvar

Hello ladies old and new!
I thought I would drop by and see how everyone was doing. There are a lot of new faces out there & I'm so happy to see so many :bfp:
For the new ladies. I joined the thread back in July doing home DIUI. Got a :bfp: but it turned out to be ectopic and I disappeared from the thread around Sep, taking some time to sort everything out in my life.
After the ectopic I was put on bc for my endo since we didn't have any plans on trying again until the beginning of this year. Unfortunately it wasn't the right type of bc so I ended up having AF for 10 weeks straight with internal bleeding. On the bright side that got me a referral to a great gyno who's had me on Cilest ever since and wants to do a HSG in preparation for another round of (hopefully) home DIUI in Feb/Mar. 
I hope ya'll will let me join you once again.


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## Redhead7211

Hi Guenhwyvar! I'm glad (and sad) to see you back on the boards.

I'm sorry to hear about the ectopic pregnancy. Did they have to take a tube? That's good you switched doctors and are getting an HSG done. It will put your mind at ease and will tell you. Is Celist birth control? I'm also sorry to hear about that horrid AF!!

I hope you're all keeping warm! The high here was 4 degrees today!


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## Redhead7211

Side note-I have had the worst acne this TWW. I have like 8 pimples on my face finally going away and have it on my back too! ha It's 4 degrees outside and my skin is breaking out all over. :haha:


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## want2beamamma

Redhead- Thanks so much that means alot :) I can always feel better about things after chatting with ladies on here! OH will be 30 this year and he has had it done for about 3.5 years. We havent got a call yet for our consult but hopefully soon. We had called early last year and they said they would send out the info for a consult....turns out they DID but to a very old address so we lost out spot :( Now we have to wait again URGH sometimes I just feel like this is not meant to happen for me!!!!!!!

IVF is approx 12,000 where i am . Funny how location changes everything so much.


How have you been feeling? I really hope this is your month :)


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## Redhead7211

Want2-I always feel better talking to you ladies here. Now that I've been on such a long TTC journey, I recently started telling a few close friends. I think it scares people. I get a random text every so often going "you pregnant yet?" Or "Geez, why aren't you pregnant yet?!" Ha like I'm not trying everything I can to have a baby. I actually had an interesting conversation with a friend of mine who is pregnant with her third. She said she would be a surrogate for DH and I if we wanted/needed it. I know NY has some hard surrogate laws in regard to compensation. And I have no idea how we would even go about it, but it's nice she offered and something to think about. 

Anyway, I digress...Is there any way you can get your partners vasectomy reversed in another location? When we looked into it, it was much cheaper to go to Toronto, or even another state. Maybe the wait would be shorter too? 

I had a really rough start to the TWW. I was in incredible pain, but turned a page Saturday. I've been having some uterus twinges/odd feelings and am always hungry at the same time every day. I've had a very slight congested/sinus stuffy nose thing going on, am feeling very tired, thirsty, with unbelievable acne. I look like my 13 year old self! haha I'm trying not to over think anything. Considering my track record I'm just trying to be very positive. It would be nice to get a BFP for once!

How are you feeling?


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## Redhead7211

Well, I'm afraid AF is right around the corner. At work today I started to get cramps, went to the bathroom and had the tiniest bit of brown blood on a panty liner. It took everything I had not to cry the whole rest of the day. I showered and had to come here and talk to you ladies. 

I just don't know what to do any more. According to the plan my RE had there are 2 more IUI cycles left before moving on to IVF. I just don't know what to do. I just feel like if I didn't get pregnant from this cycle with all the great numbers, good timing, monitoring etc. why would it work next time? And if so many IUI's have failed, why would IVF work? I get so beyond depressed now every time I have a failed IUI, I don't know how I would even be able to cope with the loss if that didn't work. I just can't see doing any more IUI's at this point. It feels like a waste of money, even though next cycle I'm supposed to be switching meds. I just don't know what to do. I wish someone had a crystal ball and could tell me what will make me pregnant, or even if it's possible. I guess I may look over our adoption paperwork and maybe look into that again. 

I hope you all have a great weekend!


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## silverbell

I'm so sorry Redhead :hugs: I truly am. I can honestly say I know precisely how you feel and it's absolutely devastating. Not only have we found ourselves having to use donor sperm - which is a big enough decision as it is - but then we find our supposedly healthy bodies just can't seem to get pregnant anyway. It's a really tough thing to deal with and I know just how it feels.

The decision is entirely yours of course, but knowing what I know now I wish I'd just stopped after 4 or 5 and gone ahead with IVF. They reckon you have a roughly 15 to 20% chance of success with IUI and in my opinion it should therefore have worked within 5 tries. 

I'm not sure how readily available IVF is to you? Will you have to pay yourselves for it?

I know for me the last couple of tries with IUI just seemed more like I was ticking boxes and I knew it wasn't going to work, as all the previous ones hadn't. But each time AF appeared I still burst into tears. It's so distressing.

Thinking of you and sending lots of :hugs:


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## Redhead7211

Thanks Silver:hugs: 

I've been holding it together really well. I have the day off today and DH is probably going to a concert a few hours away. I figured worse case scenario I can cry and at least drink coffee and wine all day ha. I'm already dreading this period. The last one on the lower dose of Gonal was horrible, I can only imagine this one. 

I'm lucky that I can leach off my mom's health insurance for another 10 months or so and it's very good insurance. I'm not sure what it covers (if anything) in regard to IVF. I know the other doctor in the practice told me that our odds with IVF are in the 50-55% range...which is very tempting. But, like you pointed out there's something about our seemingly healthy bodies that isn't quite "normal". It just makes me nervous to spend serious money on something that could fail, when we could apply that to adoption and hopefully have a child. I know the RE will strongly recommend trying IVF, at least then we'd understand what's going on with my eggs. 

I don't really know where I stand. I know DH will support what I pick, but I think he'd feel better just going with adoption. I know he feels helpless when I get my period and with all the pain and discomfort I was in this cycle.


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## MrsC8776

:hi: ladies! Just stopping in to see how you all are doing. 

Welcome back Guen! Fx for your IUI in the coming month. 

Welcome back Want2be! So sorry about the last IUI. I was so sure there was something there. :hugs: 

Red I'm so sorry that this hasn't worked yet. Have you thought about switching donors? Oddly enough sometimes that makes a difference. Not sure why but it does. Have you don'e any testing other than an HSG to see if there is anything stopping implantation or anything like that? 

Silver how are you doing?


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## Redhead7211

MrsC-More importantly how are you feeling? I've been thinking a lot about you and your girls. 

DH and I have switched donors a few months ago. I've only had the HSG. I'm not even sure what other tests there are in regard to checking on implantation.


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## MrsC8776

Thanks for asking! :hugs: I'm hanging in there. Had a scan yesterday and baby A is weighing in at 3 lbs 13 oz and baby B is 4 lbs 13 oz. So very close to 9 pounds of baby in there! They are both heads down right now. My body is feeling it for sure and things are becoming very difficult (like walking!). I'll start non stress tests twice a week on Monday. Just have to see how long I can keep these girls in for. 

There are some blood tests that can be done to check for certain things. Maybe try asking what they could do before moving on to IVF. I know there are many factors in getting a bfp but knowing all info can help a ton.


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## Redhead7211

That's a lot of baby weight for your body to be carrying around. You must be terribly uncomfortable. I'm glad you're almost to the end! I'm looking forward to seeing some baby pics!

She planned on the next IUI being a Lupron one, the one after that a simulated IVF cycle with Menopur(sp?) and Lupron. It just feels like we are throwing away money at this point. I guess I'll call the RE Monday and see what she has to say. Ugh AF is already here with full force and horrid cramps.


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## SunUp

I only did 3 IUI's. I could have done 6, but I felt that after the first three, they would have worked if they were going to. 

IVF worked for me. I'd say go with what gives you a better chance.


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## silverbell

The thing that stands out for me here Red is that you say 'i think'. You need to sit down and ask him how he would feel and what he'd like to do. He might surprise you. My DH has always imagined me being pregnant and going to scans and watching my belly grow. For him having a child was about pregnancy as well as the child at the end of it. We both discussed things and knew we'd have to try IUIs and IVF before we could head down the adoption route. We had to know we'd tried. 

You're right that IVF can show you much more about what's going on with your eggs. For me to have 10 mature eggs removed and only 4 fertilising and only 2 of them making it to normal stages, it showed me that a lot of my eggs are duff. 

Next IVF in May my doc is going to treat me as if I have natural killer cells and put me on low dose steroids. If I do have NKC then this will help with implantation. There's a possibility I do due to already having an autoimmune condition. 

I personally felt so much more positive with IVF because everything is much more certain. Saying that, the crash was much harder when AF showed ...


----------



## Guenhwyvar

Redhead - Thanks so much for the welcome back  They treated the Ectopic with methotrexate which sucked a little bit but allowed me to keep my tube for now. My understanding is Cilest is a mostly progesterone bc while your normal bc is mostly. estrogen. I'm brand spanking new to the world of bc, having only previously used it with IVF so anyone with me understanding please free to correct me.
I am so sorry to hear the witch for you. It sounded so promising. You of course have to do what's best for you. I'd definitely call &all for me tests though. :hugs: 
BTW, I love I'm not the only one using their Ginger furbaby as a profile pic!

MrsC - Thanks so much! Glad to hear your girls are growing like weeds. In no the they'll be out & you'll be wishing you could just at down for awhile. :-D 

SunUp - Congrats on the :bfp: since my departure!

AFM, I've had a horrible cold where it fees like all I did was sleep. On the bright side I've been trying to lose a few pounds & there's nothing like being sick to help ya out a little. I go for my HSG Tuesday. I'm a little nervous but prepared for it to show a blockage in my right tube since that was the one with the Ectopic & it trends to be bent/twisted in US.


----------



## CanadianMaple

Guenhwyvar- I think I have the same cold. I had strep throat last weekend and the cold hit my second day on the antibiotics. I have been napping all weekend even though the worse seems to be behind me. Glad to see you back!

MrsC- That is a lot of weight to carry around. 

Silverbell- It sounds like they have a good plan for your next IVF. 

Redhead- So sorry that AF found you again. I think it may be a good idea to touch base with your RE. I was given the option to do medicated IUIs or just go straight to IVF. We opted for IVF even though the thought is still scary to me.

AFM- I go for my teaching appointment on Tuesday and start my Suprefact injections on Wednesday. I'm really scared about the cost of the meds and the egg retrieval mostly. DH is doing the TESA although we know he only has a 20% chance of success, so we have our same donor sperm waiting at the clinic as a backup. Right now, it looks like stims start on Feb 11. I just want to get this started at this point.


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## Redhead7211

Thanks for all the kind responses lovely ladies! 

Sun-I totally understand being done with the IUI's. I've tried medicated, Clomid and Gonal. I just feel like if it hasn't happened yet, then it's not going to. 

Silver-DH and I talked yesterday and at work today about the baby situation. He feels like IUI is a waste at this point. Throughout this journey we have both fantasized about me being pregnant and having a child that way. What matters to him is that we ultimately have a child. We are both scared about the various paths...spending money on IVF and it not working, being on the adoption list forever and not receiving a baby...etc. 
It sounds like you're doctor is really proactive. I'm looking forward to being along on the next leg of your IVF journey.

Guenhwyvar-Thank goodness you kept the tube, hopefully there is no damage! Have you had the HSG done before? 
I have 3 ginger fur babies! A redheaded dog, 2 orange boy cats Focker and Sebastian (pictured). We're a house full of redheads-except DH, he has more salt and pepper hair :haha:

CM-IVF is a scary choice, but how nice that you have made one and are going for it. What meds are you taking to stim?


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## NannyGoat

Hello Ladies, I stumbled onto this forum and would love to introduce myself. My husband and I discovered he had azoospermia about eight months ago. We have decided to use donor sperm and move forward with IUI. We are still at the beginning of the process and it seems a bit overwhelming at this point, but you all seem like a great source of information. So, hello!


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## CanadianMaple

Welcome Nannygoat. It definitely is a process to go from the diagnosis to using a donor. Feel free to ask anything, most of us have probably asked it at some point.

Redhead- I'll be using Gonal-F and Luveris.


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## NannyGoat

Thank you, Canadianmaple. Have any of you had to travel to do your IUI? We are from a small town in Alaska, so I will have to travel out of state. Super anxious about that.


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## cbergs

NannyGoat,

Welcome, though I'm sorry you have to be here with us. That is tough. :/ Where will you be going? Will you be driving? None of this is easy...and it seems that we've all endured some sort of a setback, even after receiving the blow of an azoo diagnosis. My biggest piece of advice for you, to help stifle those anxieties, is knowing that you are not alone. We are all in pretty much the same exact position, and fully understand just about any and every emotion attached to it. If you send SunUp a private message she could invite you to the azoosperimia facebook page as well. 

This forum, honestly, has kept me from falling into a depression. The advice that everyone here has given to me has been invaluable. Please keep us posted, and if you ever feel the need to vent or ask any questions, feel free!

Good luck with all of your baby-making endeavors.


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## cbergs

Also, you might want to check out: https://babyandbump.momtastic.com/problems-trying-conceive/376424-dealing-azoospermia-400.html


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## NannyGoat

Thank you so much for the kind words, cbergs. I am heading to Oregon, since I at least have family to stay with there. It is very reassuring to know there are others who can understand. Also thanks for the extra info. I am sure I will be back to this forum lots!


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## verbena

hey again.

sorry to hear about peoples' continued struggles and another failed cycle, Redhead.

My last cycle's situation pretty much sucked too. This was the first cycle we added a single FSH injection on day 9 ("Mayo protocol") in addition to the Clomid d3-7 in hopes of getting multiple follicles. Went in for US on day 10 and there was a 14mm follicle on the right (blocked tube side) and a 13.5mm one on the left (good side). We were relieved that there was something on the left and were told to come back in 2 days for a follow-up ultrasound. Well, we were pretty surprised by what we saw on those images. Somehow the right side went gangbusters and I had 4 big follicles over 17mm. The left, however, had totally crapped out and my little follicle had only grown to 14mm. The docs advised cancelling the IUI since the chances were so low that that left one would be viable or that the left tube would cross over to the right ovary.
What a waste. Very disappointing. I wallowed in self pity for a few days.
But also, just bad luck. I did respond well to the meds and had the follicles just been dispersed differently, I would have had something going on over there in the left ovary.
So, we're going to do the same thing this coming cycle and just cross our fingers that if I have 3-5 follicles again, that at least 1 will be on the left.

However, this is what I'm thinking- we should make our back-up plan be minimal IVF if that same scenario comes up. What do you think? I mean, I had 4 harvestable eggs, I was a perfect candidate for minimal IVF. I already wasted the $ on meds, US, etc., I had already sunk costs into that cycle. Why not turn lemons into lemonade IF that happens again and at least go for something with a pretty good likelihood of working? It probably won't happen again that everything's on the wrong side, but if it does I think I want to go for minimal IVF. Yeah, it costs more, but not a hell of a lot more... about the same as 3 IUIs and has much better rates. At my age and I had awesome 9mm uterine lining, I think chances of implantation are good. Also, we found out our sperm donor has contributed to a successful pregnancy! So that makes me hopeful too.

thoughts?

thanks!


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## Guenhwyvar

CM - Thanks! That cold is nasty. It just lurks around for weeks! Ugh. How'd your teaching appointment go? Is your DH going to be out for the TESE or just a local? Mine just had a local for all of his and says if done right the injection will be the most painful part. 

Redhead - First HSG (odd I know). That's wonderful you have so many furbabies for your future human baby to grow up with! Personally, I'm the crazy cat lady with 8 feline furkids. Only one ginger though, Norris (pictured).

NannyGoat - Welcome! I wish it were under better circumstances though. The amount of women with Azoo hubbies is what drew me to this thread too. It's great having a support group that's been through the same as you. 

Verbena - I'm sorry that your cycle got cancelled. It really sucks. I wish that our ovaries would just take turns ovulating instead of being so random (slight OCD, I know). I think planning a backup mini IVF is a great plan!

AFM - My HSG went good today. The catheter hurt with me but the dye didn't at all. My left tube is , "very open" which was making it difficult get dye through my right (same side as my ectopic). He said though that he did think he saw some flow threw the right though making him believe that it is open. He also said that it looked like my right side would be the one ovulating this cycle. I'm really hesitant about that right tube though so I've decided to wait a cycle. I already know that if I get another ectopic in that side that they'll want to remove my tube. 
Hope everyone is doing


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## Guenhwyvar

I forgot to ask but have any of you hag chest & shoulder pains after your HSG? I started getting them about 30 min afterwards and am still having them here 12 hours later... Odd


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## Redhead7211

Wow there's a lot to respond to!

Nanny-Welcome! The girls pretty much covered it, if you have any questions feel free to ask!

CM-I wish we lived closer, I have a left over Gonal pen I most likely won't be using. I haven't heard of the other drug before. I've got good vibes headed your way!

Verbena-Sorry about the cancelled cycle. I seem to switch sides when it comes to lead follies, so I bet next cycle the left side will be on! I agree with making lemons out of lemonade. I've never heard of minimal IVF. I'm very uneducated when it comes to IVF protocol.

Guenhwyvar-First one eh? I'm glad it went well, but I'm sorry about the chest pain. I would call your RE to check it out. I didn't have any chest pain after mine, just bleeding and cramping. 

As for things here-DH and I have an appointment to talk to the RE on 2/4. He opened up about his fears with continuing IUI or doing IVF. He's afraid of how hard it will be on my body and is afraid I will have a miscarriage. So I think talking to the doctor will be good for both of us. 

I hope you're all well!


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## CanadianMaple

Hi everyone! I just had my first injection tonight of Suprefact. The poking myself part was easy but it stung way more than I had expected. I guess this means that this is really happening!!

Redhead- Those pens are pricey! Over $1000 per pen. I hope you can use it, it would be such a waste. I hope you get some answers at your next appointment.

Guenhwyvar- I didn't have one for IF but I did back in my 20s and I don't remember anything like that. I would call the clinic if I were you. I'm glad that one tube is very obviously open. I've heard good things about pregnancy right after a HSG, so hopefully your next cycle will be the magic one.

verbena- If the clinic is willing to do that, I think I would go ahead and try it. It may be all you need. They would likely recommend ICSI and a 3 day transfer to make sure all goes well with the embryos.

Nannygoat- My clinic is just an hour away, so I don't have to travel. I'm glad you have family there to stay with.


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## SunUp

I never had chest/shoulder pain after my HSG. You should probably call and ask, since everyone is different. I do know that shoulder pain can be a sign of other abdominal problems, such as your gall bladder. Hopefully its not that!

Welcome to the newcomers!

Glad to hear your starting, CM! 

Can't wait for IVF #2 for you, SB! I am thinking positive!


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## Redhead7211

CM-Where do you take those injections? Your stomach? I think I'm done with the Gonal F. According to her plan this next cycle is supposed to be Loupron (sp?).

Guenhwyvar-I hope you're feeling better!


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## Guenhwyvar

Redhead - Absolute first one. I always found it odd that they never even thought to do one with my IVF cycle. I guess they we're just too busy with dh's stuff.
I think it's great you two are going to do a sit down with the RE. I'm sure at this point you both have a lot of questions & concerns. Hopefully she'll be able to put some of them to rest. 

CM - Woohoo for your first injection! 
They say you have increased chances the first 1-3 months. He really wanted me to try this cycle but I'm just so uncomfortable with that right tube. Besides, a Thanksgiving baby would be just as great as a Halloween baby. :)

SunUp - I'm fairly certain that it's not gallbladder but instead an allergic reaction... 

Thanks for the responses ladies! 
I did as you suggested, called the clinic. They asked about abdominal pain, I told them I hadn't had any. So they asked me to call an on call at the hospital (you're not allowed to just go to the ER here). All the on call was interested in was fever & abdominal pain. Like I'm not aware of signs of infection. I assured them that there was no infection to which the only suggestion they had was to take two Tylenol. I'd taken 1200mg ibuprofen so I knew that wasn't going to help. With a bit of research I discovered that the type of iodine they use as contrast contains sulphur hexafloride... which I'm allergic to. So I called my GP, got my inhaler refilled for the difficulty I was having with breathing at that point, took an antihistamine & was fine an hour later.
I hate having to do research like that. I'm not upset with my RE, it's an extremely rare allergy. I'm not allergic to iodine in general & it wasn't a severe reaction like they warn about. I'm upset the on call didn't think to even suggest an antihistamine just to cover all bases. *sigh*
I hope all you ladies are doing good & have some great plans for the weekend.


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## CanadianMaple

Redhead- I am giving them in my tummy. I think I didn't have as much fat on the side where I did the first one, but once I moved in a bit, there was plenty there. lol

Guenhwyvar- I would be so frustrated too. Thank goodness for the internet and being able to get it sorted out.

I have inject #3 in now. :) I am just so happy to see February here. It's always a short month and knowing that we were aiming for Feb since last Oct, I have been anxious to see it here. It's really, really cold this time of year and I can't wait until spring arrives. My baseline is on the 9th so that is my next benchmark. AF arrived, like scheduled, and I am glad to check that off my list too.

I hope all is well! Happy weekend!


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## Redhead7211

CM-I'm glad you're period is here on schedule and you're on track! 

Guenhwyvar-Thank goodness you realized it's an allergy! My grandfather had an allergic reaction to contrast dye that caused him to have pancreatitis. I was super nervous going in to the HSG because I was terrified it would happen to me. The RE said that having an x-ray dye with contrast to check for abdominal issues is different than the HSG because you're not ingesting it. Who would have thought? I'm glad you're okay!

Tomorrow is the big day to meet with the RE. I'm anxious to hear what she has to say, but I suspect she will want to continue with the plan she laid out. 

I hope you're all doing well!


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## Redhead7211

Well I just got back from the RE. She said that she recommends doing laproscopic surgery. She suspects I may have endo or scar tissue from a previous lap surgery in 2007 to remove a dermoid from my left ovary.

I have a job interview Friday so that outcome may effect the timing/course we take initially. 

I hope everyone is doing well!


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## Guenhwyvar

How are all you ladies doing? It's been awhile since everyone updated and I'm living vicariously threw you until next cycle! :haha:

CM - Sounds like things are finally coming around. Are you feeling more at ease now that you've moved on to IVF/ICSI using TESA with donor backup? Is DH nervous about his up coming TESA? 

Redhead - My mother is allergic to iodine but I've never had a problem with it externally so I didn't think to check the contents of the stuff used in HSG.. Lesson learned. But at least it was a relatively mild reaction unlike some of my other reactions to the stuff.
You would think that if you had endo they would have found it in the last lap... It's not like it just appears one day.:huh: Did she say what her grounds are for thinking this? 

AFM - I've been sick as a dog the last few days but I'm better today. I dunno what was wrong with me but I just couldn't stay awake. I woke up last night with a fever and was so dizzy I couldn't even open my eyes without wanting to be sick. :shrug:
I'm monitoring this cycle to try and predict how the next one will play out. I'm currently at cd14 which is usually when I get a + on the OPK's but not today for whatever reason. I'm thinking maybe it's just late because of the amount of progesterone that was in the BC I was taking, IDK. My temps haven't reached the baseline yet either (I'll add my chart here in a bit). I've started drinking green tea everyday, just trying to make things a bit more comfy for the swimmers next cycle.
Hope everyone is good and that the weather is treating you well.


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## Redhead7211

Guenhwyvar-I'm sorry you've been under the weather! I'm glad the fever broke and you're on your way to recovery. That's odd about ovulating slightly late. My RE always says she "never trusts a cycle". Ha I suppose that's true! This cycle will be a good dry run for next month. It sounds like you're doing all the right things.

She just thinks because I'm 25 and healthy (other than the fact I could stand to lose like 10lbs *cough*) that I should have gotten pregnant by now. She said all of my blood work has looked fabulous and that the past two Gonal cycles were both exemplar. So I guess she suspects that there may be scar tissue from the previous surgery or Endo. I do have bad heavy periods with rather severe cramps, so maybe I do have endo..then again my periods have been like that since I first got them. But we talked about doing a lap a few cycles ago and I brought up one I had in 2007 and how my gyno didn't find any endo while he operated. She did mention it's unlikely that if I did get endo now it would be so bad that I couldn't conceive. Fast forward to yesterday-she said that it's possible to have a clear HSG and have scar tissue or endo. She also said endo seems logical as it causes infertility. I don't know. :wacko: She mentioned that even if they open me up, see that there's nothing unusual and close me up, laps can increase fertility much like an HSG. She apparently read a study that said because your body is concentrating on healing the incisions that women have an easier time conceiving after. She also said she'd check the tubes out while I was under. Truthfully I haven't really done any research on endo, or the benefits of laps when it comes to fertility. I'll report back any notable findings.

I hope you're all doing well! 


P.S. Anyone have Valentines Days plans?


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## SunUp

CM - I am SOOOOOOOOOOO excited for you... so glad its February! Keeping everything crossed.


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## CanadianMaple

Hi everyone! I feel so boring during the downregulation part of the cycle, the read deal should start on Monday. We are getting a major snowstorm on Friday night and Saturday, so luckily, the clinic agreed to do my baseline on Sunday. We were going to have to stay in a hotel, so thankfully, we will avoid that cost.

If we get the green light on Sunday, I'll start my meds. DH is very nervous about the TESA, but our teaching appointment really helped ease his fears. We're both feeling good about this. We know that we'll likely use our donor sperm, but can always hope for a miracle. It's hard to believe we'll get our answer about DH's sperm situation in 2 weeks time. 

I do fear it won't work, or DH will be really upset that there are no sperm, but ultimately, we need to know we tried. I'm a bit nervous about hyperstimulation. They had said they need to be careful with me since I have so many resting follicles.

Guenhwyvar- Sorry you have been sick. I've was quite sick for about 2 weeks, it's been miserable this winter. There is a good chance you're late just because of the sickness. I never used to ovulate the week I was quite sick.

Redhead- I've read that laps and HSGs increase the chances of pregnancy. It gives you a lot to thing about. It's really too bad this road has to be so complicate and so frustrating. What kind of side effects did you get with the Gonal-F?


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## raelynn

CM - I think it is very positive that they know to monitor you for hyperstimulation ahead of time. They were the same way with me and we started on a very low dose of meds for my IVF cycle and everything came out perfectly. So, your doctor being aware of this ahead of time should keep you in a good place. Very excited that you'll be getting started on the active part now!


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## CanadianMaple

I'm so close! I had my 10th dose of suprefact tonight. I'm almost at the halfway point! I wish the storm didn't interfere with our appointments, it would have been nice to get the green light tomorrow. There is always that fear they will need to wait a few extra days for me to be ready for stims.

I do worry about OHSS, but you're right, they know they have to be careful with me. I'm starting with 75 of Gonal-F. The Luveris doesn't change, it will always be at 75 too.


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## Redhead7211

Hi CM-As your neighbor to the south we got hit by the storm too. We probably good a foot and a half all together. How about you? It's a pain that mother nature interfered with the appointment!

The first time I took Gonal F I was on a small dose too. I didn't have any issues with it on a low dose until I ovulated. Then I had some insane ovulation pain, but it only lasted for the evening where it was painful. I had only produced one seemingly perfect follie on the low dose. 

The second time I was bumped up to 150. After a few days in I had an extreme heavy feeling in my abdomen. It hurt to have my pants buttoned etc. Yet day after day I would go in for an ultrasound and wouldn't have mature follies. I had 8 on my right side and 4 on my left. By the time the IUI rolled around my abdomen was incredibly tender and I had ovulation pain/pain from the rough IUI for a full week. I'm not sure if I had a very slight OHSS or if it was just from the immature follies going away which caused the pain. 

OHSS is a very scary thing, but they'll be constantly monitoring you via blood work and u/s you will be fine! Just keep drinking plenty of water.:thumbup:

I'm so excited for you! I have my fingers crossed that this thread is starting to get lucky again!

Any word from MrsC? I hope there are two beautiful healthy girls for us to welcome into the world! 

How's everyone else feeling?


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## Guenhwyvar

Redhead - Heavy painful periods do sound very endo suspicious, and they would have been like that from day 1 too. It can be hard to spot. my Dr swore I didn't have it until the lap. Most of the women in my family don't get diagnosed with it until they have their first child.. It's odd how these things work. I had read that lap's increase your chances. You might want to look in to the endo diet. It has drastically helped me with my pain (endo pain for me is 24/7, not just during menstruation) and it has helped me lose weight like you would not believe. I remember reading that the endo can cause weight gain, using the extra fat cells to store estrogen. :shrug: Whether that's true or not is beyond me but I do know that I couldn't lose any weight no matter my diet or exorcize until I started this one so anything is possible. 
What are you Vday plans? BTW, I am totally jealous of your 1½ feet of snow. :haha:

CM - That sucks major that the snowstorm has interfered with your apt but at least you are getting in Sunday. FX'd that all systems are a go! I'm excited for you :happydance:
I remember DH's one TESE right before my ER, I was a total mess with my emotions all over the place. I even started laughing at my poor hubby while he was laying there, starting to hyperventilating since he was afraid of needles. Poor guys, they really do go threw a lot along with us in these situations.

AFM - I finally O'd on cd15 so only a day late. We gave our donor a 4 week notice that we'll need his services if he's still up for the task & just asked for good notice if he doesn't want to. That way we'll be able to purchase some frozen. I'm gonna be a nervous wreck just worrying about all the "if's" and "what's" until he delivers. I wish I was as calm about the whole thing as DH.
Vday marks our 12 year anniversary. We have plans to spend it in the company of Ninja's. LOL no joke! :haha:
How is everyone doing?


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## MrsC8776

:hi: Hi ladies! I'm still hanging around. No babies yet. I wish they were here already due to the amount of pain I'm in. I have a very bad cold right now on top of everything else so trying to rest as much as possible. Also having tons of appointments during the week so thats keeping me busy. I will do my best to get caught up tomorrow and update you as well. I hope you all are doing well. :hugs:


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## deafgal01

No plans for valentine.


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## SunUp

Hey everyone! 
Can't wait to see more good news in here- hoping for some BFP's soon and can't wait to hear about those twin girls MrsC!

All is well here! Just sending everyone happy thoughts!


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## CanadianMaple

Hi girls! My baseline ultrasound went well (10 resting follies on rt side, 15 resting on left) and my bloodwork was perfect. I am going to start my gonal-f and luveris tomorrow at 6:30am. I'm hoping there are no side effects right away, I could have a long week at school. 

DH is very nervous about the TESA. He has been talking about the donor again, so I think he is prepared for anything, but I know he'll be disappointed if he goes through it and there aren't any sperm found. I'm just as nervous for the ER.

Redhead- We got about a foot or more, but it's hard to say since it all drifted around so much. The pictures from New England looked much worse than what we got.

Guenhwyvar- I can see the same thing playing out with DH during the TESA. He has been through so many surgeries and is nervous about going through this. You would think they were going to amputate his testicles or something when he gets really worked up about it. The nurses have been good with him and are easing his fears with each visit. I'm excited to hear you're 4 weeks away from TTC again. Do you think he'll back out?

MrsC- I hope those babies hold on for another two weeks at least! It's hard to believe that we are going to be watching for baby news from you soon! I hope you're feeling better soon and your week goes by quickly. 

Hi deafgal! I was just thinking about you. I hope you're well!

Hi SunUp! I'm so glad you're still checking in. 

Oh, no Valentine's plans here. DH works that night and that morning we have a date with the dildo cam at the clinic.


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## deafgal01

Cm - I am nervous for a different reason. :dohh: I thought I was ready for donor but no, I still have my concerns and stuff. I told my dh finally today about that pressing on my mind. There is not really anyone we can ask from his family or our close friends to "donate" sperms for us to use. Well I have one good guy friend out of state I might be comfortable asking. But not sure if that is opening a can of worms either, the way I see it, the fact I have no control or say over where the sperms come from is scaring me. Plus I don't quite feel settled with the idea of using donor I do not know, there may be a limit on babies from each donor but at same time, what if (I am getting ahead of myself here) my baby grows up and decides to go to college in California and accidentally "falls in love" with his or her half sibling? I want to avoid that. Besides, I worry sometimes that I cannot use the same donor for baby #2 if I decide to do it again and wait too long to get the same donor. Probably will adopt for the second baby/child but I want to have that option there.


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## PiperDilly

Hello beautiful ladies! 

My partner and I are preparing for our first at home insemination with donor sperm at the beginning of March! I'm hoping that first times the charm so I can surprise him with a BFP on his birthday. :) 


Best of luck to all of you!


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## CanadianMaple

deafgal01 said:


> Cm - I am nervous for a different reason. :dohh: I thought I was ready for donor but no, I still have my concerns and stuff. I told my dh finally today about that pressing on my mind. There is not really anyone we can ask from his family or our close friends to "donate" sperms for us to use. Well I have one good guy friend out of state I might be comfortable asking. But not sure if that is opening a can of worms either, the way I see it, the fact I have no control or say over where the sperms come from is scaring me. Plus I don't quite feel settled with the idea of using donor I do not know, there may be a limit on babies from each donor but at same time, what if (I am getting ahead of myself here) my baby grows up and decides to go to college in California and accidentally "falls in love" with his or her half sibling? I want to avoid that. Besides, I worry sometimes that I cannot use the same donor for baby #2 if I decide to do it again and wait too long to get the same donor. Probably will adopt for the second baby/child but I want to have that option there.

I have gone through this and still sometimes worry to be honest. I think the key was putting in the time and I kept rereading that book I had about donor sperm "Helping the Stork." I think the easiest way for me to accept it is to look at it as a half adoption with a controlled gestation (by me).


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## CanadianMaple

PiperDilly said:


> Hello beautiful ladies!
> 
> My partner and I are preparing for our first at home insemination with donor sperm at the beginning of March! I'm hoping that first times the charm so I can surprise him with a BFP on his birthday. :)
> 
> 
> Best of luck to all of you!

Welcome!! We'll be here to cheer you on!


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## PiperDilly

> I have gone through this and still sometimes worry to be honest. I think the key was putting in the time and I kept rereading that book I had about donor sperm *"Helping the Stork."* I think the easiest way for me to accept it is to look at it as a half adoption with a controlled gestation (by me).

I am so glad I read this post! I went straight to amazon and purchased this book. I had been findging most of my information and comfort from online resources. I cannot wait to read it! 

And thanks for the support! I will come check on you ladies as often as I can. :)


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## CanadianMaple

You won't regret it! It helped me a lot. :) I'm so glad I could help.


I started my stims! I have two doses in right now!


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## SunUp

Yay cm!


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## Guenhwyvar

CM - That's a nice amount of follies without it being too many, I'm sure you'll get at least one good one out of the batch. I had 33 total at my ER, felt like a chicken. :haha: Are they going to be putting you under for the ER or will you be awake for it?
Don't let your poor DH read this... It's a good thing he's scheduled for a TESA and not TESE. DH's first one... well lets just say they cut out (after trying to stick a biopsy needle threw the skin with no incision) 6 samples and had to stop in the middle to stop bleeding. Poor guy was black and blue for a month. Given I've come to realize our first RE was a quack. :nope:
Honestly, I dunno i my donor is gonna back out but I hope not. I do have a donor picked out at Cryos but DK has changed the laws lately to 12 births per donor per country. That's a lot for a country with the pop. of between 5-6 million.
Yay to starting your stims!
BTW, I laughed so hard about your Valentines day plans. :haha:

PiperDilly - Welcome! It's good having another DIY'er. DH and I are also doing a home DIUI (technically DIVI) around the same time if AF shows up on the 23rd as scheduled. FX'd


----------



## CanadianMaple

Guenhwyvar said:


> CM - That's a nice amount of follies without it being too many, I'm sure you'll get at least one good one out of the batch. I had 33 total at my ER, felt like a chicken. :haha: Are they going to be putting you under for the ER or will you be awake for it?
> Don't let your poor DH read this... It's a good thing he's scheduled for a TESA and not TESE. DH's first one... well lets just say they cut out (after trying to stick a biopsy needle threw the skin with no incision) 6 samples and had to stop in the middle to stop bleeding. Poor guy was black and blue for a month. Given I've come to realize our first RE was a quack. :nope:
> Honestly, I dunno i my donor is gonna back out but I hope not. I do have a donor picked out at Cryos but DK has changed the laws lately to 12 births per donor per country. That's a lot for a country with the pop. of between 5-6 million.
> Yay to starting your stims!
> BTW, I laughed so hard about your Valentines day plans. :haha:
> 
> PiperDilly - Welcome! It's good having another DIY'er. DH and I are also doing a home DIUI (technically DIVI) around the same time if AF shows up on the 23rd as scheduled. FX'd

OMG, that's scary about the bleeding. I'm not telling DH anything about TESAs or TESEs or I know he will back out.

They are going to give me versed and fentanyl for the ER. She said I will be in a happy place, but still aware of everything.

It's probably a good thing you have a backup, just in a case. It would be great to see a bunch of BFPs in here again! We're due!

I just got thinking about it. I have been injecting for exactly two weeks now and have 2 days of stims done. It just hit me that my ER is in 10 days; that's next week!


----------



## SunUp

Yay CM! Next week!!

Just make sure your DH's doctor prescribes some pain medicine, and you have some ice packs (or frozen peas) available! Even if he doesn't need them, its better to have it on hand just in case :)


----------



## raelynn

SunUp said:


> Yay CM! Next week!!
> 
> Just make sure your DH's doctor prescribes some pain medicine, and you have some ice packs (or frozen peas) available! Even if he doesn't need them, its better to have it on hand just in case :)

I 2nd this! I had 2 ice packs that I rotated for hubby and kept him on as much bed rest as I could. He had very little pain afterward so it definitely helps to be prepared ahead of time!


----------



## cbergs

Hi girls, 

Is it normal to not be totally "in love" with the donor you've chosen? I chose one in Dec that I was over the moon for, but unfortunately his sperm sold out by the beginning of Jan. Haven't come close to finding "anyone" as up to my standards. Don't want to be waiting around forever...I mean, can't have my first choice (husband), so why should I care thhhaat much about the donor, right? ugh.

Thanks,
C


----------



## CanadianMaple

I think we have quite a few ice packs, but it's definitely worth making sure. I wouldn't have thought of that, thank you!

Our day 4 follicle check is tomorrow. I can't wait to see what's happening.

cbergs- I have heard about that happening, I don't think it all that uncommon. I think I would be stuck too if mine was sold out before I had a chance to buy any sperm.


----------



## MrsC8776

:hi: Hi ladies! I hope you all are doing well. I'm kinda lost in everything thats going on in here. I'm going to try to catch up real quick though.

CM~ Yay for starting meds and having ER so close! I'm beyond excited for you!! I have everything crossed that things will go great for you and DH one ER day. Do you have someone to drive you both home? 

cbergs~ That would be a difficult situation. I don't think you have to be in love with the one you pick. Have you had your DH look for one? I had my hubby pick the ones he liked (if that can even be possible) and we decided from there. 

Guen~ How are you doing? 

DG~ Coming to terms with DS can be very difficult. I think a lot of us struggled with the decision. Until you are fully ready and comfortable with the idea it feels _weird_ I guess is an ok way to put it. You guys just have to feel comfortable and think of what matters most. For us we knew that no matter the genes we would always have our child/children and they would always be ours. The fact that you may not have the same donor for child #2 is a big thing to think about. You could always order an extra vial and have it frozen waiting. We have one frozen at the clinic because it went unused but I have no idea if we will even try to use it now. 

Piper~ Welcome :hi: Fx for you! 

SB~ How are you doing? Are you still hanging around in here? 

AFM~ The girls are trying to come early it seems. I went in for my twice weekly NST on Monday and got sent to L&D due to so many contractions. They kept me over night because I'm contracting every 1-5 minutes and 2.5 cm dilated. I'm still contracting and cramping but they sent me home because nothing had changed by the morning. I have a follow up appointment tomorrow and my 2nd NST. I truly don't believe these girls will stay in another week. I've been spotting old blood since they check my cervix in L&D. No matter what though they will let these girls come when they want to now because we are in the 34 week mark. It's too late to give steroids for their lungs but with the amount of hiccups they both get I'm sure their lungs are doing good in there. :winkwink: I'll try to keep you updated when and if things change. 

I hope you all are doing well and so sorry if I missed anyone. :hugs:


----------



## CanadianMaple

MrsC- That's exciting! I was a 34 weeker and went home after a few days. You're definitely at a good spot if you go into labour this week. Keep us updated.

AFM- We had our first follicle check. Day 4 of stims. They warned me before that I wouldn't see much in the u/s, the bloodwork tells the tale at this point. I had a triple lining already at 8.6 My follicles were bigger, only one above 10mm, it was 11mm and I had 40 under 10mm. The bloodwork was perfect and I go back on Sat. I worry about there being so many follicles that could mature. Since DH is getting the TESA the day before the ER, I think we can drive each other. His TESA is booked for a week from today, I'm even feeling nervous...


----------



## Redhead7211

My goodness I am behind...

MrsC-I'm so excited it's almost baby time. Is DH home yet? I'm sorry you're so uncomfortable, but you've almost got your beautiful little girls!

Piper-Welcome! 

cbergs-Selecting DS that you and your DH like is a very challenging process. It was one that DH was not comfortable with at first. We talked a lot about how the person who raises the baby is the father, not the donor etc. Are you looking at multiple banks? I hope you find a winner!

CM-I'm so happy you're on your way! Everything sounds promising! I have my fingers and toes crossed for you!

G-I'll look into the endo diet. I just wonder if I have it, why they didn't see it when I had a lap done a few years ago? It will be nice just to get an answer though I am very anxious for the surgery! 

Deafgal-Hey there!:flower:

AFM-I had an interview last week for a long term sub job teaching 11/12th grade English/Special Ed and I found out yesterday that I got the job! I'm very excited, but now I'm a little unsure of when to do the surgery. The teacher I'll be replacing is pregnant and is having complications so she can go out at any point. The students are on Feb. Recess next week, the following week the teacher wants me to shadow her, the week after that she may be out. I was debating on if I should try and get squeezed in for next week or wait for spring break in April. Or maybe I should just do it on any given Friday and then get my butt back to school on a Monday...I've been looking over the school calendar and I see 3/29 is good Friday so I could do it that day and have the following week off school for recess...I'm not really sure when to go in for it. If anyone wants to throw their two cents in please do! 

I hope you ladies are doing well!!


----------



## CanadianMaple

Redhead- I'm a teacher too. My vote would be to get it done ASAP and then you can settle into your job without worrying about trying to plan it. I would worry they wouldn't be doing the procedures over the Easter long weekend. Would you have to shadow that teacher for the entire week the following week? 

I had my day 6 appointment today. I had a different doctor and remember not really liking her back during my canceled IUI. She saw about 8-9 follicles at 11-13mm. More under 10. They told me it was still early to see how many we would end up with. My lining was only 6.3 today and I swear my RE said 8.6 on Thursday. They also said something about my blood flow to my uterus being low and how I needed to get out and walk for 20-30 minutes a day. That was always good before now so I have no idea what's going on. I'm feeling a bit nervous and hope Monday's appointment is more positive.


----------



## CanadianMaple

Day 8 appointment was great. We had a huge snowstorm yesterday and the roads were awful today. It was around 40cm of now plus high winds. It almost took us double time to get there and we were 40 minutes late.

I have ~14 follicles all between 11-15mm. My lining is over 10. My circulation was really good. They called me when I was just getting home and my labs were good enough to skip tomorrow and continue the same dosage of meds. When I go in on Wednesday, it could be my trigger day. Cross your fingers!


----------



## Guenhwyvar

Hey ladies! Hope everyone had a good weekend. 

CM - DH was able to drive after all of his TESE without any problem. The ladies have already covered ice packs but don't forget loose clothing. He probably wont want tight boxers or pants for awhile. 
I was just going to ask about todays apointment when I saw your post. Sounds like there's something off about the Dr you didn't like. Sounds like you have a nice selection of follies. Fx'd all goes as planned and that they actually find some swimmers and you wont need your donor.

MrsC - I'm good, nothing really to report. How are those girls? I hope they stay in a few more days even though I'm sorry you are in so much pain. It's going to be so worth it all though! Can't wait to get another update from you.

Redhead - That's a good question. Maybe it was so minor that it went undetected and with all the things going on ATM it's kicked it up a notch. *shrugs* It's hard to say. I'd say get the lap done ASAP, it's better knowing than not. I've come to realize that there is no such thing as the perfect timing, something will always come up. Plus it'll increase your chances and CM is right, this thread needs some more :bfp: :winkwink:

AFM - Nothing to report. I'm expecting AF wed so we'll see if she is on time. I'm toying with the idea of using Soy Iso in the hopes that maybe my left ovary will produce a good follie. That right tube still concerns me. Our donor still hasn't backed out so I'm assuming he's still willing to help us out. DH will talk to him and confirm things once AF shows. 
I hope everyone is doing good.


----------



## want2beamamma

Hi ladies, 

Not sure if you remember me or not. I have decided I'm ready to join in again! OH and I have decided against the reversal and are going to try iui twice more! With using a donor of course. I am nervous but also excited. I was really hoping to go to Ivf.... Unfortunately that is not affordable. I wish we had some type of funding or could get a loan somehow. Do you ladies have any ideas?


----------



## MrsC8776

Redhead7211 said:


> My goodness I am behind...
> 
> MrsC-I'm so excited it's almost baby time. Is DH home yet? I'm sorry you're so uncomfortable, but you've almost got your beautiful little girls!
> 
> Piper-Welcome!
> 
> cbergs-Selecting DS that you and your DH like is a very challenging process. It was one that DH was not comfortable with at first. We talked a lot about how the person who raises the baby is the father, not the donor etc. Are you looking at multiple banks? I hope you find a winner!
> 
> CM-I'm so happy you're on your way! Everything sounds promising! I have my fingers and toes crossed for you!
> 
> G-I'll look into the endo diet. I just wonder if I have it, why they didn't see it when I had a lap done a few years ago? It will be nice just to get an answer though I am very anxious for the surgery!
> 
> Deafgal-Hey there!:flower:
> 
> AFM-I had an interview last week for a long term sub job teaching 11/12th grade English/Special Ed and I found out yesterday that I got the job! I'm very excited, but now I'm a little unsure of when to do the surgery. The teacher I'll be replacing is pregnant and is having complications so she can go out at any point. The students are on Feb. Recess next week, the following week the teacher wants me to shadow her, the week after that she may be out. I was debating on if I should try and get squeezed in for next week or wait for spring break in April. Or maybe I should just do it on any given Friday and then get my butt back to school on a Monday...I've been looking over the school calendar and I see 3/29 is good Friday so I could do it that day and have the following week off school for recess...I'm not really sure when to go in for it. If anyone wants to throw their two cents in please do!
> 
> I hope you ladies are doing well!!

Dh is home with me. He decided to just stay home until about 6 weeks after the girls are born. It was a big relief for me since anything can happen at any time. 

Congrats on getting the new job!! How long is recovery time for the surgery? If you have to do it on a weekend how tough do you think it would be on you during a school day while you are recovering? I think those are some things I would think about. Getting it done ASAP would be what I would do. That way you can have it done and not have to stress about it during the rest of the year. 



CanadianMaple said:


> Day 8 appointment was great. We had a huge snowstorm yesterday and the roads were awful today. It was around 40cm of now plus high winds. It almost took us double time to get there and we were 40 minutes late.
> 
> I have ~14 follicles all between 11-15mm. My lining is over 10. My circulation was really good. They called me when I was just getting home and my labs were good enough to skip tomorrow and continue the same dosage of meds. When I go in on Wednesday, it could be my trigger day. Cross your fingers!

Sorry about the snow storm. I imagine that would make things a little difficult. Sounds like you had a great appointment! I'm so excited that you are this close. Fx for Wednesday! Is your DH able to take what ever day off he needs for his part and to help you after ER?



Guenhwyvar said:


> Hey ladies! Hope everyone had a good weekend.
> 
> CM - DH was able to drive after all of his TESE without any problem. The ladies have already covered ice packs but don't forget loose clothing. He probably wont want tight boxers or pants for awhile.
> I was just going to ask about todays apointment when I saw your post. Sounds like there's something off about the Dr you didn't like. Sounds like you have a nice selection of follies. Fx'd all goes as planned and that they actually find some swimmers and you wont need your donor.
> 
> MrsC - I'm good, nothing really to report. How are those girls? I hope they stay in a few more days even though I'm sorry you are in so much pain. It's going to be so worth it all though! Can't wait to get another update from you.
> 
> Redhead - That's a good question. Maybe it was so minor that it went undetected and with all the things going on ATM it's kicked it up a notch. *shrugs* It's hard to say. I'd say get the lap done ASAP, it's better knowing than not. I've come to realize that there is no such thing as the perfect timing, something will always come up. Plus it'll increase your chances and CM is right, this thread needs some more :bfp: :winkwink:
> 
> AFM - Nothing to report. I'm expecting AF wed so we'll see if she is on time. I'm toying with the idea of using Soy Iso in the hopes that maybe my left ovary will produce a good follie. That right tube still concerns me. Our donor still hasn't backed out so I'm assuming he's still willing to help us out. DH will talk to him and confirm things once AF shows.
> I hope everyone is doing good.

The girls are doing good. If I make it until Thursday we should have another guess as to how much they each weigh. I'm hoping that their weights have gotten closer together though. I'll keep you ladies updated! 

I hope the talk goes well with your donor. Fx he doesn't back out and AF shows up on time this week. 



want2beamamma said:


> Hi ladies,
> 
> Not sure if you remember me or not. I have decided I'm ready to join in again! OH and I have decided against the reversal and are going to try iui twice more! With using a donor of course. I am nervous but also excited. I was really hoping to go to Ivf.... Unfortunately that is not affordable. I wish we had some type of funding or could get a loan somehow. Do you ladies have any ideas?

:hi: Welcome back! Are you in the states? Theres places that do financing for IVF. I think some banks will give medical loans. Attain is a IVF financing place and I think Springstone is another one. Maybe look into those and also see if your clinic has some places they suggest.


----------



## SunUp

If you are in the US, google the CADE foundation


----------



## Guenhwyvar

Want2 - Welcome back!

MrsC - That's great that the girls are doing so good and the hubby has come home a little early. I bet he's extremely excited and nervous. 

AF has decided to show up 2 days early. I'm excited and nervous all at once. Did any of you ladies ever have a moment where you think, "what the heck am I doing?" If this works (and I believe it will) everything is going to change, for the better without a doubt but still change. I'm tired of being jealous, and of people always asking why we don't have kids. I really want a child, I'm just afraid of change. Thoughts?


----------



## mkwalsh

Hi all, I've been semi-faithfully stalking you ladies for almost the start of this thread and I'm finally stepping out! I have admired all of your strength through each test and tribulation in the journey to conceive and for those of you have been blessed to achieve that, I am happier for you than words can describe and for those who are still trying, my heart goes out to you and you're never far from my thoughts and prayers. 

DH and I have bounced back and forth on how and when to move forward with our TTC journey and after meeting with our fertility specialist we have finally gotten our go ahead to try a donor IUI cycle in May. We are both so nervous and so excited because so far this has been a 2 year journey in which DH found out he has only a few good men and that I have endometriosis. The tentative plan is to do a femara cycle in May with a trigger before the IUI. 

CanadianMaple - I wish you the best of luck this cycle! Your journey has been a long and trying one and you've most definitely earned this easy cycle with a nice 

I want to write more to each of you, but they're calling my flight. Happy Tuesday everybody!

Mel


----------



## Redhead7211

MK-Welcome! I'm glad you finally decided to join us! We all have been on incredible paths and I know I wouldn't have been able to maintain what sanity I have left if it weren't for these ladies. How did you find out you have endo? Have you and DH picked a donor yet? 

CM-Woot woot! You're on your way to being on the baby train! I'm hoping you can trigger today! Any updates? What do you teach?

Want2-Welcome back babe! I'm glad you're feeling ready to start again. I'm not sure if what SunUp said is the same site, but there are sites out there where you can share your story and people can donate money to help you pay for IVF. 

MrsC-I'm looking forward to seeing some baby pictures in the near future! Let us know about their weight. I'm glad DH is home, you must feel more comfortable with him there by your side.

Guenhwyvar-I would like to think (and MrsC and other mama's feel free to step in) that there is some kind of emotional change that happens when you know your pregnant and maybe you feel less scared (okay, okay maybe more scared...) or more settled or something. I don't know. I just try and think that life will change for the better. After I had my first IUI I remember a very distinct panic feeling that first night in. I was lying in bed and got so sick to my stomach and thought "Today could be that one moment that alters my life forever." I got all panic stricken and was afraid that maybe I would be a bad mom, how can we afford a baby...etc. I think it helps to talk it out. Whatever your feeling, someone else here has experienced. By the way-how nosey for people to question why you don't have kids. Geez...

Did your DH secure the donor goods?

AFM-A guy from work's wife just found out she has stomach cancer. There are only a few people in the department DH and I work in so unfortunately every moment I am not at school shadowing the teacher, I'll have to be there. I'm pulling for the surgery at the end of March/beginning of April.

Thanks for the congrats on the job! I'm very anxious to get started. I also have some reading to do before I start. 

Much love to all of you!


----------



## CanadianMaple

I just did my trigger shot! OMG!! DH is going for his TESA tomorrow. We know the odds are low that we will get sperm but at least we will be able to move on from the what ifs. My visit today was great other than driving in yet another storm! We missed most of the freezing rain, thank goodness. My lining is thick and over 10, I have 14 follicles that are between 16-21mm and a few at 14 that could be ripe by Friday morning. They were very happy with everything again today. 

Redhead- I teach grade 5. Half the year is intensive French and the other half is a compacted curriculum in English. It goes well and it feels great to switch back to their first language for the second term. I really love my job but I am so happy to be off now for a week and a half and then a week for March Break. I won't see them until mid-March now. It's always so hard to get started mid-year, but after a few weeks, it's good. What have you taught before this? So sad about your coworker's wife, is it a hard cancer to beat?

Mel- Welcome! I know it sounds funny to say but May will be here before you know it. I had to wait a year for this IVF and it's amazing now to see how fast those last 3 months really went once we had a plan. Have you chosen your donor yet?

MrsC- Are you still hanging in there? I can't believe your pregnancy is almost over!

How is everyone else?


----------



## SunUp

YAAAAAAAY CM!!!! Fingers crossed!!

Red, on your response to Gu en-as for me, there were times of panic in the beginning, but I am so excited now! All of that has calmed down for me, at least at this point! I guess in the beginning, it was like 'wow, this is so real!' but there is no turning back! (Not that I would ever want to, but you know what I mean). Once I saw his heart beat and him moving around, it really let me fall in love with him - and I have been in heaven!


----------



## CanadianMaple

No sperm. We're okay. He's still in recovery and we've had some tears but expected this.


----------



## MrsC8776

mkwalsh said:


> Hi all, I've been semi-faithfully stalking you ladies for almost the start of this thread and I'm finally stepping out! I have admired all of your strength through each test and tribulation in the journey to conceive and for those of you have been blessed to achieve that, I am happier for you than words can describe and for those who are still trying, my heart goes out to you and you're never far from my thoughts and prayers.
> 
> DH and I have bounced back and forth on how and when to move forward with our TTC journey and after meeting with our fertility specialist we have finally gotten our go ahead to try a donor IUI cycle in May. We are both so nervous and so excited because so far this has been a 2 year journey in which DH found out he has only a few good men and that I have endometriosis. The tentative plan is to do a femara cycle in May with a trigger before the IUI.
> 
> CanadianMaple - I wish you the best of luck this cycle! Your journey has been a long and trying one and you've most definitely earned this easy cycle with a nice
> 
> I want to write more to each of you, but they're calling my flight. Happy Tuesday everybody!
> 
> Mel

Welcome! I'm so glad you decided to join! There are a lot of great people here and as you can see from following, we do our best to support each other all the way. I hope that your May IUI will be all you need to get your BFP



Redhead7211 said:


> MK-Welcome! I'm glad you finally decided to join us! We all have been on incredible paths and I know I wouldn't have been able to maintain what sanity I have left if it weren't for these ladies. How did you find out you have endo? Have you and DH picked a donor yet?
> 
> CM-Woot woot! You're on your way to being on the baby train! I'm hoping you can trigger today! Any updates? What do you teach?
> 
> Want2-Welcome back babe! I'm glad you're feeling ready to start again. I'm not sure if what SunUp said is the same site, but there are sites out there where you can share your story and people can donate money to help you pay for IVF.
> 
> MrsC-I'm looking forward to seeing some baby pictures in the near future! Let us know about their weight. I'm glad DH is home, you must feel more comfortable with him there by your side.
> 
> Guenhwyvar-I would like to think (and MrsC and other mama's feel free to step in) that there is some kind of emotional change that happens when you know your pregnant and maybe you feel less scared (okay, okay maybe more scared...) or more settled or something. I don't know. I just try and think that life will change for the better. After I had my first IUI I remember a very distinct panic feeling that first night in. I was lying in bed and got so sick to my stomach and thought "Today could be that one moment that alters my life forever." I got all panic stricken and was afraid that maybe I would be a bad mom, how can we afford a baby...etc. I think it helps to talk it out. Whatever your feeling, someone else here has experienced. By the way-how nosey for people to question why you don't have kids. Geez...
> 
> Did your DH secure the donor goods?
> 
> AFM-A guy from work's wife just found out she has stomach cancer. There are only a few people in the department DH and I work in so unfortunately every moment I am not at school shadowing the teacher, I'll have to be there. I'm pulling for the surgery at the end of March/beginning of April.
> 
> Thanks for the congrats on the job! I'm very anxious to get started. I also have some reading to do before I start.
> 
> Much love to all of you!

Red I fully agree with everything you said! Once it all happens theres nothing in the world you would change. Yes theres some fears but nothing can compare to the feeling of knowing you will have a LO (or two) in a short time. 

So sorry to hear about your co workers wife. Try to take care of yourself while also being there for them. 



CanadianMaple said:


> No sperm. We're okay. He's still in recovery and we've had some tears but expected this.

:cry: I'm so so sorry CM. :hugs: I know no words can help with the emotions. Just be there for each other during this time. Thinking of you both.


----------



## CanadianMaple

Just an update. They got 18 eggs today. 7 from my right side and 11 from my left. Our donor's sperm is amazing, high counts and 98% motility so they didn't even need to do ICSI. There is some natural selection happening right now. We get our fert report tomorrow morning.


----------



## Guenhwyvar

Mkwalsh - Welcome! I think it's great we can cheer one another on. Big :hugs:

CM - I am so, so sorry hun. I wish there was something I could say or due. :flower:
It sounds like your ER went well at least, 18 eggs is fantastic! How are you both doing?

Redhead, SunUp & MrsC - Thanks so much for your thoughts. I know that all of my worries and panic will go away (only to be placed with new ones) once I get that specially little guy or gal. I'm feeling better today about the whole thing so again, thanks so much for sharing.

Redhead - I cannot believe I was so rude to not congratulate you on your new job! I'm so ashamed. Huge Congrats!
That is so horrible about your co-workers wife. Cancer if an awful thing. I'll make sure to keep her in my thoughts.
I believe I secured our donor. I let him know what dates we were looking at now and he said it sounded good so. What a relief!

AFM - Today's cd4, kinda boring really. Things are moving very slowly atm so I can only imagine for slow the TTW is going to be. 
Hope the sun finds everyone today.


----------



## raelynn

Congrats CM! That is great! Hope you have great fertilization!


----------



## CanadianMaple

My husband just died suddenly. We have 13 perfect little embryos right now. I am in total shock. He collapsed in the middle of the night two nights ago.


----------



## SunUp

Oh, CM. My heart is aching for you. I am in shock reading this, and wish I could give you a big hug. I am saying so many prayers for you right now. I can't begin to imagine how you are feeling. I have no words that are good enough right now. Please know you have thoughts and prayers coming from places far away - and I will be continually praying for you.


----------



## raelynn

CM same as above. I can not believe what you must be going through. My prayers are with you!


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## MrsC8776

:cry: oh CM my heart is breaking for you. I'm so so sorry for your loss. :hugs:


----------



## Guenhwyvar

CM - My thoughts are with you & your son. I'm so very very sorry. We're all here for you.


----------



## cbergs

Cm, I'm so sorry for your loss, and am praying for you and your family. I cannot even put into words how I am feeling for you. Like others have said, just know that many prayers are being said all around the world for you. 

With much love,
Carrie


----------



## BrandyRelax

CM - I am so sorry to hear this. I've posted it on the azoo thread as I know you have a lot of close friends there too.

My thoughts are with you and your family.

Honestly, it's my ultimate fear that something might happen out of the mTESE, and my hubby's is next week, so this is a bit close to home.


----------



## MrsG30

CM- echo the other ladies- thinking of you :hugs:


----------



## AuCa

CanadianMaple said:


> My husband just died suddenly. We have 13 perfect little embryos right now. I am in total shock. He collapsed in the middle of the night two nights ago.

I wish I could do more to help, but I am so very sorry for your loss :hug:


----------



## Chickensoup85

CM, I am so sorry for your loss.


----------



## Deb111

CM - there are no words sweetheart. It sounds so feeble to say but I am so so sorry. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family x x


----------



## MoBaby

OMG CM!!! I am so terribly sorry :( I dont have any words.....I am sooo sorry. Thoughts and prayers with you. :(


----------



## MrsG30

Ladies,

just after views/opinions/experiences???

Dh has azoo and urologist appointment is going to take a while- in the meantime my FS has asked about a back-up plan of Donor Sperm fo IUI the IVF (if needed).

what FS told us was there was about a 18-24 month wait for a donor in the UK now due to the anonymity law from 2005! How Long????? 

she entioned buying sperm???? erm where from?

and i mentioned using a known donor?? DH has 3 brothers all willing to help if need be. FS said although this was possible it was not common????

anyone shed any light xxx


----------



## SunUp

In the US, known donor is relatively common. We buy vials of sperm, here... google sperm banks ;), there are quite a few. Not sure which ones are good for the UK, but I'd be really surprised if you couldn't get it MUCH faster.


----------



## deafgal01

:hugs: oh cm! :flower: sorry to hear of your hubby passing.


----------



## Redhead7211

CM-Like the other women I am in complete and utter shock. :cry: I cannot even begin to grasp and understand what you're going through. Please, please, please do not hesitate to contact me. I can PM you my personal info if you would like. :hugs: I will be keeping you and your family in my thoughts.


----------



## Redhead7211

MrsC-Your babies are beautiful!! I decided to stalk your journal. Congratulations, they are perfect! I love their little fuzzy pink booties in the one picture of them together. Congratulations on them being home.:flower:

Mrs.G-Welcome! I agree with SunUp there are hundreds of good banks around! It just takes a little googling to find one you and your partner are comfortable with.

Guenhwyvar-No need to apologize about the job. I get so overwhelmed with reading everyone's stories I always forget what I read. How are you feeling?

AFM-I'm putting off grading papers and planning to be chatting with you ladies and catching up. The new job is going well. I had two shadow days and started the next day. I stayed until 4:30 yesterday to plan through next week for one class and am planned through the first half of the week for the other English section I have. Because they're special ed kids it's hard to plan very far in advance, because who knows how far we'll get every day?

I am finally ending AF and I forgot how nice it is to not be on stims and have a period (who would ever thought that?!). I need to call the RE and talk about the surgery at some point. 

I hope you ladies are doing well! xoxo


----------



## want2beamamma

Redhead -. I'd love to have someone to chat with :) . I am in Canada actually and have yet to be able to find any kind of help. Funny... We pay alot into our medical system and yet here I am stuck with not being able to have a baby. I'm a very healthy person and rarely used the system.... Wish there was something out there for me. I have researched clinical trials and all. Not much here in Canada. The reversal would have been $8000 and Ivf here is approx 12,000. I wish this was easier. We are so back and forth on what to do...but we are said from the start we'd try 3 iui attempts then move on. 

How are things with you?


----------



## MrsC8776

:hi: I was just thinking of you all. How is everyone doing? I have my fingers crossed for all you girls. :flower:


----------



## Redhead7211

Hi mama! How are those beautiful girls? Everything is all good with me!


----------



## MrsC8776

Hey Red! Things are going good. The girls are gaining like they should and eating well. We just got newborn pictures done and I couldn't be happier with how they turned out. We are both completely in love with these girls. It's so cute because we always get comments on how much one of the girls looks like hubby. She really does and she acts like him as well. 

Anything new going on with you? How are you doing?


----------



## maria_79

I know this is an older thread but it's hard to find others that have chosen to use donor sperm. My husband had 2 vasectomy reversal surgeries but neither of them worked so we decided to use a sperm donor. We now have a beautiful 19 month old daughter after doing IUI with a donor. We plan to try for another baby this summer or fall using the same donor. 

I hope that I can connect with others in the same position. Sometimes it's nice to have someone to chat with about the donor subject and who better than with others that have chosen the same path. :)


----------



## MrsC8776

Hi Maria! Welcome. I'm not sure who all still visits this thread but I'm more than happy to chat with you. Our situations are almost exactly the same with the failed VR's. We are still debating on if we will try again once the girls are a little older. The thought of another set of twins scares me a little bit though. Not only that but we have one vial of the DS left and thats all that is available for the donor we picked. 

How is everyone else doing?


----------



## deafgal01

Well, I will be undergoing IUI soon. About two more months/cycles til I start that process with donor sperm. Scared and excited, still need to get the necessary blood screening done before that (which I will probably in about two to three weeks from now).

Btw welcome Maria!


----------



## Guenhwyvar

Welcome Maria! Like MrsC said, I'm not sure how many of us are still around but I'll try to check in from time to time. Maybe once the others see the rest of us posting they'll join in. I think we've all been staying quiet out of respect for CM. 

After 2 more failed home IUI cycles we've moved on to a slightly stimulated IUI cycle at a clinic. I'm on day 2 of taking 100mg of Clomid cd4-8. I have another HSG scheduled for Thursday and my u/s is schedules for Monday.


----------



## cbergs

I'm here still! Been silently watching from the sidelines, but rooting for you all. DH and I are waiting just a little bit longer before starting iui with DS. Welcome, Maria!


----------



## raelynn

I'm still here too. Just in the countdown to baby.


----------



## MrsG30

Im here too.
Had a call from our FS today- they are ready to start the bal rolling with our donor (known) as back up incase we cant get anything from hubby.

Hi to all xx


----------



## BettiS

HI girls! Anybody have any idea what happened further with Canadian Maple? Can't find anything after her post about her husband's death (wow that's SOOO sad!). Been wondering about that.


----------



## deafgal01

No idea, wish I knew.


----------



## SunUp

Hey! I'm still here too... just pop in occasionally. CM is dealing with a lot so I keep her in my prayers. I don't think she will post on here for a while. At least I would have a hard time checking this site if I was her.


----------



## Redhead7211

Hi ladies! I've missed chatting with the old gals and welcome Maria! :flower: Ever since the news of CM's husband I kinda disappeared from here. If you'd like to private chat you can PM me or we can email!

MrsC-Your daughters are breath taking! They're so big too! 

SunUp and Rae-I can't believe it's almost time for you ladies to have your babies! Time goes by quickly! How are you both feeling?

deafgal-I'm so glad to hear you're finally going to start up with the IUI process! 

AFM-I'm just enjoying teaching for right now. I honestly don't know what our next baby steps will be. I just feel like after all of the cycles we have gone through, that I can't get pregnant. I can't imagine dropping the money for IVF and have it not work. My heart would break for the loss, and I can't imagine dropping $5-10k or whatever the cost, when we could have put it towards adopting a baby. 

I hope you're all well!:hugs:


----------



## want2beamamma

Hi ladies,

I am still around. I took a break from feb/march. I am on cycle day 3 and trying again. BRING ON THE BFP!!!

How is everyone else doing? 

I am thinking of CM :hugs:


----------



## deafgal01

Good, just still debating whether to select donors from sperm bank or have a friend donate his sperms for us to use. I just asked him yesterday and now my tummy are somersaulting because I want to know his answer but I refuse to bug him over it because it is a pretty heavy thing to think about- giving up some sperms to help me become a parent and having no parent rights over the baby if any is created. Luckily I do not see this friend often, once a year if any at all.


----------



## MrsG30

Same position here- using our my brother in law if/when need be :)


deafgal01 said:


> Good, just still debating whether to select donors from sperm bank or have a friend donate his sperms for us to use. I just asked him yesterday and now my tummy are somersaulting because I want to know his answer but I refuse to bug him over it because it is a pretty heavy thing to think about- giving up some sperms to help me become a parent and having no parent rights over the baby if any is created. Luckily I do not see this friend often, once a year if any at all.


----------



## deafgal01

Glad to know I am not alone in feeling anxious over that decision. Honestly I rather use my friend than a sperm bank. But I would understand if he said no.


----------



## want2beamamma

We also thought of asking a friend but such a hard thing to ask!!!
Hope you find out soon :)


----------



## deafgal01

Tell me about it. It was so hard to ask, I went back and forth on it for like a year I believe. Finally just asked over text and still no answer yet.


----------



## MrsG30

My hubby asked his brother out of the blue and i was mortified at first but it was the best thing he done, I can see that now.
Have you had no reply at all? or he said he was thinking about it?
awful were in this situation but least were not alone xxx


deafgal01 said:


> Tell me about it. It was so hard to ask, I went back and forth on it for like a year I believe. Finally just asked over text and still no answer yet.


----------



## deafgal01

He said he would think about it. So hard not to jump in and give him my perspective but I wanted him to decide without my influence. This is a friend I met at my first school and then we parted ways but have maintained contact over the years so in a sense he is my best/close friend. If I said much more than what I had said, he might have felt inclined to say yes. He currently still not married and does not have any kids.


----------



## MrsG30

Well you have been honest and open with him and as a friend im sure he will do the same back whatever his decision will be. Is your hubby ok with it? xx


deafgal01 said:


> He said he would think about it. So hard not to jump in and give him my perspective but I wanted him to decide without my influence. This is a friend I met at my first school and then we parted ways but have maintained contact over the years so in a sense he is my best/close friend. If I said much more than what I had said, he might have felt inclined to say yes. He currently still not married and does not have any kids.


----------



## deafgal01

Yes dh is ok with the idea. He actually brought it up again recently and asked if I had mentioned it or asked my friend yet. So I think we are ok with that idea and if not, we will use donor bank as plan b.


----------



## MrsG30

thats good- you have a plan and a back up. We do too and thats what keeps me going xx


deafgal01 said:


> Yes dh is ok with the idea. He actually brought it up again recently and asked if I had mentioned it or asked my friend yet. So I think we are ok with that idea and if not, we will use donor bank as plan b.


----------



## deafgal01

MrsG I agree having plan a and plan b and so forth helps keep my eye focused on the upcoming goals.


----------



## want2beamamma

Went for my day 9 tracking... showing 3 follicles of 9.5mm on EACH side!!! Lets hope they all dont turn into something. Although it's a good sign and things are progressing well. I have longer cycles from 32-41 days. 

Injections have been going well. Had to turn my head at first but now I can watch them going in. They don't hurt at all :) The only side effect is a headache. I've done some reading and you have to be sure to drink alot of water as they will dehydrate you.

Can't wait to try again I have a lucky feeling this time, I sure hope my feeling is right :) 
Hmmm now to pick a donor again... this is the hard part.


----------



## Guenhwyvar

That great Want2be! I always make DH do all the sperm decisions, it's a lot less stressful that way.

A little update from me. Today is 9dpiui. I'm hoping this is going to be my cycle since I don't feel like I can keep on fighting. AF will go missing on the 7th (I hope). I'm waiting as long as I can to POAS this cycle.


----------



## deafgal01

Good luck want and guen.

Oh finally heard from my friend so it looks like we will try known donor first (that being my friend) but now we need to call my dr to ask about protocol for that.


----------



## Guenhwyvar

Thanks deaf. IMO known is the best. If I had my way I'd still be using known.


----------



## MrsG30

thats excellant news hun xx


deafgal01 said:


> Good luck want and guen.
> 
> Oh finally heard from my friend so it looks like we will try known donor first (that being my friend) but now we need to call my dr to ask about protocol for that.


----------



## want2beamamma

Awesome news!!!! 

Guen- GOOD LUCK!!!! I am hoping this is your month :)


----------



## want2beamamma

Well had my day 12 tracking and the doctor was shocked!!! From 9.5mm on day 9 to 18mm,15mm,13mm,and 12mm on day 12. Last time on day 12 I only had a 15mm at most!! This is awesome I am much closer to a normal cycle this round. 

Donor is ordered and I go in wednesday for last tracking and to get my trigger shot!! Woohoo I have a good feeling this time. Hope my feeling is right.


----------



## deafgal01

Ladies- any idea how we can all celebrate our men's manhood? I know recently my dh has felt down about not being able to contribute to making this baby with me. I reminded him that he would be the one with me every step of the way from shooting sperms up in me, and the pregnancy and the labor. And that having sperms does not define or make him more manly.


Want- good luck!


----------



## melly2

I'm glad I found this thread, because I'm now in the same boat. It looks like we will have to use donor sperm, doing IUI, because my husband's count is too low and not improving. He had testicular cancer, and unfortunately, his stupid doctor did not tell him to freeze his sperm prior to getting his left ball chopped off. GRRR!! 

My question for all those with husbands, did you all tell your family you were using donor sperm? We're sorta split on how to handle this.


----------



## deafgal01

I think I will let mine assume we are using Dh thru iui. Then after we tell our baby, we will then tell our families but for a while we will let them think that we did not use donor.


----------



## Hope213

Hey Everyone :)
Is anyone still here?
We will have our appointment at the fertility clinic end of next month. We got all the tests done 4 yrs ago but were not ready to start treatments. My DH has low count and motility.. I am 33 and he is 38. We have been trying 5 yrs total to TTC naturally. We are thinking to do IUI with donor sperm. 

Its so hard to see so many friends pregnant. I feel sad and so frustrated. This is a hard journey.


----------



## deafgal01

Yep, still here... I hope you don't have to take any tests again. I know they require the blood test to be updated (it's good for one year). Good luck to you, Hope! It is a hard journey.


----------



## raelynn

Still here too. Just enjoying our little one! This is definitely a hard journey but I can say it is soooo worth it!


----------



## mkwalsh

Also still here, but just hanging out on the sidelines. Our second donor IUI was a success and we're now 9 weeks along and praying this bean sticks. I think if we have had this success after two and a half years of TTC and my endo and hydro against us, others definitely have a good chance :flower: both DH and I are still kinda in shock through it all but having seen the heart beat and the constant battle with nausea and exhaustion has made us semi-believers. So for all those out there just starting this journey, hang in there!


----------



## kindmumma

Hi there, i have had two failed IUIs using donor sperm.

I am in Australia , using sperm imported from USA. It is $950 per .5 ml of washed sperm.

I am going to try IUI once more with a diff doctor, praying that it will work.

*I am wondering if anyone has had success or knows of success with donor sperm and IUI?

or is IVF the only way to go?

xo*


----------



## deafgal01

Kind- might I ask if you've had any type of tests run on you? Reason I ask, sometimes some clinics don't do a thorough check up of your body to make sure you don't have other issues. For example, I very recently had my blood checked (my hormones level, my thyroid, and my diseases screening). They also told me whether I was positive or negative for CMV (which determines if I need to focus on negative donors or not). I also had a HSG.


----------



## kindmumma

deafgal01 said:


> Kind- might I ask if you've had any type of tests run on you? Reason I ask, sometimes some clinics don't do a thorough check up of your body to make sure you don't have other issues. For example, I very recently had my blood checked (my hormones level, my thyroid, and my diseases screening). They also told me whether I was positive or negative for CMV (which determines if I need to focus on negative donors or not). I also had a HSG.

Hello, yes i have had all of the tests, apart from HSG, which will be happening next week.


----------



## Guenhwyvar

kind: There are quite a few ladies on here that have gotten their :bfp: using d-iui, myself included.


----------



## MrsG30

you give me hope- we are in v similar situation, so pleased to read your pregnant x


Guenhwyvar said:


> kind: There are quite a few ladies on here that have gotten their :BFP: using d-iui, myself included.


----------



## Guenhwyvar

It took us two rounds of D-IUI before it worked. This after two rounds of unmedicated home D-IVI's. I think that the progesterone I'm on (even though my progesterone levels were normal) is what helped. I'm 6w3d today and went in for an early ultrasound today where we were able to see her (hoping for a girl, also sounds better than, "it") heartbeat. Don't give up hope ladies!


----------



## raelynn

Our little girl is from successful DIUI. It is definitely possible!


----------



## MrsG30

All my cycles will be medicated as I have PCOS, Hoping it works and IVF will be last resort.
Really pleased for you xxxx


Guenhwyvar said:


> It took us two rounds of D-IUI before it worked. This after two rounds of unmedicated home D-IVI's. I think that the progesterone I'm on (even though my progesterone levels were normal) is what helped. I'm 6w3d today and went in for an early ultrasound today where we were able to see her (hoping for a girl, also sounds better than, "it") heartbeat. Don't give up hope ladies!


----------



## raelynn

MrsG - Our dIUI round was medicated too since I also have PCOS. I was on clomid and ovulated on it without needing the trigger shot. I was also on progesterone afterwards like Guenhwyvar


----------



## MrsC8776

I'm still here. Just watching from the side lines when I have time. 

Our 4th IUI was a success. It was the first medicated cycle as well as a new clinic and donor. We got blessed with twin girls. Sometimes it does take awhile and sometimes switching donors makes a difference as well. Don't give up because it will happen!

Guen~ congrats on your BFP!!!


----------



## silverbell

Aw, huge congrats on the new arrivals and to Guen with her :bfp: Fabulous!

Just checking in after a loooonnng time away to say that after 6 failed medicated DIUI and 1 failed DIVF, we are now in the midst of our 2nd and last DIVF. 

If this doesn't work, it's the end of the line for us. We'll be going down the adoption route. We can't bear any more heartache, financial loss and stress of it all. 

The realisation that we're so close to 'the end' now scares me, but I know it's the right choice for us. I feel like we can't keep throwing money at this and 'flogging a dead horse' as they say. If 6 DIUI and 2 DIVFs don't work then it's pretty likely any further IVFs won't work either.

Egg collection and transfer are due to happen early next week, all being well.

Think of you all often and so glad to see some happy news on here.


----------



## deafgal01

SB- praying for you that this finally sticks. :hugs: I understand though- it is a lot of heartache and stress to go thru that many and not have a baby to hold in your arms yet. :hugs:


----------



## MrsG30

fingers x'd for you hun.
Hope you don't mind me asking how come you have had to pay, do you live in the UK? the only thing that keeps me going is the fact we will get NHS treatment because we couldn't afford it otherwise xxx


silverbell said:


> Aw, huge congrats on the new arrivals and to Guen with her :bfp: Fabulous!
> 
> Just checking in after a loooonnng time away to say that after 6 failed medicated DIUI and 1 failed DIVF, we are now in the midst of our 2nd and last DIVF.
> 
> If this doesn't work, it's the end of the line for us. We'll be going down the adoption route. We can't bear any more heartache, financial loss and stress of it all.
> 
> The realisation that we're so close to 'the end' now scares me, but I know it's the right choice for us. I feel like we can't keep throwing money at this and 'flogging a dead horse' as they say. If 6 DIUI and 2 DIVFs don't work then it's pretty likely any further IVFs won't work either.
> 
> Egg collection and transfer are due to happen early next week, all being well.
> 
> Think of you all often and so glad to see some happy news on here.


----------



## silverbell

MrsG30 said:


> fingers x'd for you hun.
> Hope you don't mind me asking how come you have had to pay, do you live in the UK? the only thing that keeps me going is the fact we will get NHS treatment because we couldn't afford it otherwise xxx

Hi MrsG

Of course I don't you asking. I live in the UK as well and unfortunately have used up the 6 DIUI and 1 x DIVF that were granted to me (they didn't even offer these as a given in the area I live - we had to apply for them to the 'exceptional circumstances' committee and were thankfully approved). So it was either pay up myself or not have any more. We wanted to try DIVF one last time and then if it failed at least we'd know we really did give it our all.

We've used up all our savings on it.


----------



## MrsG30

ah thank for that hun, I didn't realise some areas only get 1 shot at IVF, total shitty 
Fingers x'd this time it works for you xxx


silverbell said:


> MrsG30 said:
> 
> 
> fingers x'd for you hun.
> Hope you don't mind me asking how come you have had to pay, do you live in the UK? the only thing that keeps me going is the fact we will get NHS treatment because we couldn't afford it otherwise xxx
> 
> Hi MrsG
> 
> Of course I don't you asking. I live in the UK as well and unfortunately have used up the 6 DIUI and 1 x DIVF that were granted to me (they didn't even offer these as a given in the area I live - we had to apply for them to the 'exceptional circumstances' committee and were thankfully approved). So it was either pay up myself or not have any more. We wanted to try DIVF one last time and then if it failed at least we'd know we really did give it our all.
> 
> We've used up all our savings on it.Click to expand...


----------



## deafgal01

:wohoo: finally had my first IUI yesterday! Hope it gives me a bfp on first try!


----------



## raelynn

Good luck deafgal!


----------



## silverbell

Best of luck to you deafgal, I know you've waited a long time for this and I do hope you get some happy news very soon.

---

I'm not sure whether I should still be lurking in here or not. My second DIVF failed as I only had 1 egg collected, which didn't fertilise. They say I have probable egg maturation issues.

We have therefore decided to try with donor sperm _and_ donor egg and we will be doing this fresh in November.


----------



## Guenhwyvar

Good luck deafgal!

Silverbell: I don't see why you shouldn't lurk. Donor is donor, for better or worse you're one of us.


----------



## deafgal01

I agree with Guen! Silver bell, you should still stick around. Why should both being donor disqualify you from here? We want to support you thru your journey with that!


----------



## silverbell

Aw, thank you ladies. I will stay then. 

How are things, Guen?


----------



## MrsC8776

Hi ladies!! :hi: 

DG~ Yay for your first IUI! Fx its the only one you will need! :winkwink:

Silver~ I agree with the other ladies. Donor is donor no matter if it's eggs, sperm, or both. I'm sorry to hear that your last IVF didn't go well. Fx things turn around for you and you get your bfp with your first donor egg cycle!


----------



## deafgal01

Hi mrsC!


----------



## MrsC8776

I'm glad to see this thread still going. Everyone in the end will have their LO and I truly can not wait to hear about the coming bfps!


----------



## MrsC8776

silverbell said:


> Best of luck to you deafgal, I know you've waited a long time for this and I do hope you get some happy news very soon.
> 
> ---
> 
> I'm not sure whether I should still be lurking in here or not. My second DIVF failed as I only had 1 egg collected, which didn't fertilise. They say I have probable egg maturation issues.
> 
> We have therefore decided to try with donor sperm _and_ donor egg and we will be doing this fresh in November.

Just checking in on things and I saw your ticker! Best of luck tomorrow and FX for a bfp!!


----------



## raelynn

Good luck Silverbell!

MrsC - Your girls are so big now and just adorable! How is life with twins going?


----------



## MrsC8776

Thank you! :flower: They are getting big! They will be 9 months on the 22nd and I can't even imagine. Cray thing is that hubby still works out of country so only one more trip to work then back home and they will be a year old! :wacko: 

Life is going good. Busy all the time of course. With being on my own a lot of them time I don't get much of a rest but I make it work. Emma is crawling around all over the place and Ava (she's the smaller one) is doing a belly crawl. She doesn't really move around quite yet but she will make her way to a toy if she wants to. Other than that life is just insanely busy. I keep them on a schedule that they have made for themselves so that is a big help. 

How are you doing? How is your little girl?


----------



## silverbell

Aw, thanks MrsC and raelynn.

I actually had a call this morning to say that the embryos are doing so well that they are going to reschedule my transfer for Monday now (5-day transfer). Very exciting.

Thanks for thinking of me. Your kiddies are so big now!


----------



## Guenhwyvar

silverbell said:


> Aw, thanks MrsC and raelynn.
> 
> I actually had a call this morning to say that the embryos are doing so well that they are going to reschedule my transfer for Monday now (5-day transfer). Very exciting.
> 
> Thanks for thinking of me. Your kiddies are so big now!

FX'd!


----------



## deafgal01

Silverbell, that is so exciting! Good luck!


----------



## silverbell

I'm PUPO! :dance:

1 perfect hatching blastocyst is hopefully finding his/her new home very satisfactory and will want to stick around for about 9 months :winkwink:

2 x blasts frozen (to go with 1 x 3-day embie frozen). 

Very pleased and so nice to be PUPO. I do love the PUPO bubble and hope it's a happy ending this time.


----------



## MrsC8776

Yay for being PUPO!!! What is your otd? Fx for a BFP and so glad you have frosties! You won't need them though :winkwink:


----------



## deafgal01

Ur going to finally have a bfp!


----------



## silverbell

I wish I had your positivity, deafgal! This is our 9th try, so truly hoping this is it.

Thanks, MrsC. OTD is a rather ridiculous 30 November, but imagine I'll be testing early next week.


----------



## MrsC8776

Wow that is a long time to wait!! I would say by Monday the 25th you would have your bfp!


----------



## raelynn

Silverbell - I agree, that is a long time to wait! Hopefully it is a sticky one and you'll get your BFP!

Haylee is doing great. She's going to be 6 months at the end of November. I can't believe how fast she is growing! She's pretty much on a schedule of her own making too. A schedule makes it all so much easier because then you know when are good times to do things and when are bad times. She's not doing any crawling yet but she tries. She gets her little butt up in the air and reaches her hands forward for whatever she's trying to get to but hasn't learned to scoot forward yet.

MrsC - It must be so hard with your hubby away a lot. Especially with two! Luckily we were able to switch my work schedule to part time from home but hubby also works from home so if things get out of hand he is there.

Deafgal and Guenhwyvar - How are things with you?


----------



## deafgal01

Rae- anxious. I am undergoing my 2nd try at Iui the month but we are going all out this time- I have daily injections (since Friday) and will have follow up ultrasound Wednesday to see how my body is reacting. Then when it is time I have a trigger shot too.


----------



## raelynn

Good luck deafgal! Hopefully your body responds well and everything goes smoothly!


----------



## silverbell

OMG ladies, it actually worked.

I've had my first ever positive pregnancy test this morning and we're just completely over the moon and can't believe it.

Thank you all for all your support and good luck to those still TTC - hoping we can all soon have our :bfp: on here.


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## MrsC8776

:wohoo::wohoo::wohoo::wohoo::wohoo:

Congrats!!!!! I'm so excited for you!


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## deafgal01

:wohoo: over the moon for you sb! Long time coming it has! Hope I am next- I had iui Monday so we will see what tests say on dec. 9th.


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## raelynn

Silverbell - So happy for you!! Congrats! I'm sure it is such an amazing thing to see that positive. Praying for a happy and healthy pregnancy!

Deafgal - Keeping my fingers crossed for you!


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## silverbell

deafgal, I am praying it's your turn come 9 December :dust:

xxxx

Thanks everybody xx


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## cbergs

Hi Ladies, 

Just a quick question...

Did any of you ever go through episodes of paranoia where you became concerned that the sperm bank sent you the wrong sperm? Like...mis-packaged the sperm?

For some reason I (we) are going through this right now!

It's not a huge, debilitating fear- where we love our little one any less. Just scared. 

Here is my fear: I am afraid they accidently sent us sperm from an African American. My DH and I are both Caucasian. I have double and triple checked our order form, and I remember thoroughly inspecting the paperwork that went along with our vials before our IUI! I'm sure that it's fine- but it's just nagging. Here's the newest US pic.

Thoughts? Is this a black baby? lol (I KNOW THIS IS ABSURD!)

PS. His penis is also huge. LOL

-Carrie
 



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## deafgal01

White can have huge penis so I understand why u might have this fear but I am sure the staff double check the orders and the vials before the vials are sent to clinic. Just wait til baby is born and you will see he is every bit white!


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## cbergs

I know they double check everything. I just need to stop worrying. I think that this US of his face is misleading. I will just have to wait and see I guess!! I will not love him any less, that's for sure. AND we'd be rich. Talk about a lawsuit and a half!


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## deafgal01

Haha! Just enjoy it my dear. U got this far whereas several still waiting for their turn at bat.


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## cbergs

deafgal01 said:


> Haha! Just enjoy it my dear. U got this far whereas several still waiting for their turn at bat.

I completely understand and pray for all you ladies constantly. You all are ALWAYS in my thoughts, and I KNOW you will all get your babies very soon! :hugs:

Something I didn't realize when deciding to go the donor route is that fears you have before trying don't really go away completely, even after a BFP. I think things will be much different when the baby is actually here. It's surreal, for sure.

Off to eat, good night and thanks!


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## MrsC8776

My hubby and I joked about this (to calm our fears). I think it's something everyone has run through their mind at one point during the process of DS. I assure you that all scan pics look like yours. :winkwink: I did have a little giggle at your PS note :haha: How far along are you now? 

Also when you did your IUI did you have to verify the numbers on the vial? I think all clinics have you do this to protect everyone. You will have a beautiful baby boy soon. Try not to worry and just enjoy the pregnancy because everything is going to go great. He will come out as a white baby boy I'm sure. :flower:


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## MrsC8776

SB I just saw your signature. :cry: A million hugs to you. I'm so very sorry for you and your DH. I'll be thinking of you both. :hugs:


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## cbergs

MrsC,

I am 28 weeks along, so just entering my 3rd trimester. Yes, they made me check the vial as well as confirm the information that went along with the donor number. If everything turns out right, this baby should definitely be white! 

Again, a totally absurd fear. I'm sure that everything will be just fine. We'll find out toward the end of March!

Btw- I can't believe your girls are so big already! Crazy how time flies!


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## silverbell

MrsC8776 said:


> SB I just saw your signature. :cry: A million hugs to you. I'm so very sorry for you and your DH. I'll be thinking of you both. :hugs:

Thank you so much. We're just heartbroken. After such a long, hard struggle we can't believe it's over before it really began. We miss our little one so much. They were so loved already. I started miscarrying 22 December and passed the placenta and sac on Boxing Day morning. :cry:

I was walking on air for the 2.5 weeks we were pregnant though - never been happier or more content and such an amazing feeling. I do so hope we can experience that again.


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## raelynn

Cbergs - We had the exact same worries. I think it is just a natural part of the process to worry about everything. Good luck in the rest of your pregnancy!

Silverbell - So very sorry for your loss. It is truly heartbreaking to go through. I pray you'll get through this and that your baby is coming to you soon!


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## cbergs

I am very sorry if any of my posts seem insensitive to those who are still trying to get their BFPs. We are over the moon thankful and happy- but I also feel that "overcoming infertility" by using DS is not an easy journey. And, surprisingly, for us anyway- some insecurities haven't completely disappeared even after becoming pregnant. Our counselor says that this is normal, and to be expected. She also said that a lot of our worries and fears will pretty much diminish once he's here.

I feel this is the place to express worries and fears. You ladies are a HUGE source of my strength and confidence. If anyone disagrees, please PM me and I'll see about making a separate thread. I would hate to make anyone feel uncomfortable, or sad. I've been there...

So I was wondering if any of you with donor conceived children ever reverted back to those feelings you had before the decision was even made to use DS, WHILE pregnant? (i.e.: baby not being biologically connected to DH, whether to tell the baby, baby's future feelings, etc.) 

I have these random freak outs, then feel incredibly guilty. They aren't very frequent, but I hate that I have them. I love this baby so much! WHY am I still worrying?!? DH doesn't vocalize his fears or worries very much, but he says some things at some times. Just little things. Will this go away?

Thanks,
Carrie


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## MrsC8776

I don't know how the other ladies will feel about continuing the thread on but if you do make a new one will you please let me know. :flower:

As for the feelings... I can honestly say that the feelings I had during pregnancy ended the moment the girls were born. Once I was able to hold them 24 hours later (long story) everything was perfect! I completely understand your fears. I had some fears as well. I knew that hubby would have that bond and connection with the girls, there was just something making me wonder if it would be the same as if they were biologically his. Looking back... that was something I shouldn't have even thought about because he truly loves these girls more than anything in the world. The bond he has with them is amazing and you can see the love for him in their eyes. One of our daughters (Ava) is a complete daddy's girl. I think telling the children about using donor is a personal choice. It may be something you always struggle with a little bit. We do but to be completely honest I don't think we will tell them. They will always grow up to know hubby as their daddy. Some people may not agree with me on that and thats fine. I don't want it to turn into a debate of to tell or not to tell. 

You are worried because you don't know whats to come. Thats ok. Just try to enjoy this time because we all know how long it takes to get there. 

Once baby gets here people will make comments and you need to be prepared for that. Especially if no one knows that you used DS. You will get these comments all the time so talk about how you will deal with them. He looks so much like you! Oh he has daddy's ______! Good thing he looks like his mommy (joking of course). There was someone on our FB who kept saying that the girls looked nothing like my hubby. Enough times in a row that I just wanted to tell her to shut the hell up. It got to me but honestly I think thats the first time that any of the comments had. When people say oh they have daddy's eyes we just look at each other and smile. Just go with it because unless you want to tell, theres not much you can do. Everything will be just fine though. :hugs::flower:


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## deafgal01

Honestly, I am glad u ladies bring this up. While several of us may not be there yet, it is good to know or be aware of some feelings or thoughts we may have when we do finally get pregnant. Please stick around and share!


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## MrsC8776

Thanks dg. I was thinking while replying that I wish there had been someone to share this stuff while I was still trying or pregnant. 

How are things going for you?


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## deafgal01

Nuts just plain nuts. I have good days and bad- good days when I don't think about babies and bad days when I feel like my last resort is to have a one night stand just so I can get preg with someone's sperms. My period is still being wacky so it could be the hormone injections really messed my body up or not. I find it strange it would mess me up that bad though considering I was on the lowest dosage. This is the only second wacky period since the IUI cycle. The home tests say I am not pregnant- the last one I took was before Christmas so I really do not know what to think. I am extremely frustrated that it did not work on my second try at IUI (first try was with my natural cycle, second one had hormone injections included). I have to take a break now, not sure for how long because I finished school so I had another loan come up saying that I needed to pay back money now so I cannot focus on saving up for more IUIs until I get my car and one college loan paid off. I think the whole ttc will be on hold until 2015, besides we have no more sperms so have to get more while we wait too.


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## raelynn

I second what MrsC said. All the previous worries about using donor sperm disappeared once our little girl arrived. Haylee is absolutely daddy's girl. They're two little goofballs together. We also get the comments about her looking just like me. I think the comments bother me more than my husband though. I still do go back and forth on telling her we used a donor (when she's older). I think we will tell her but that is the one decision I struggle with. I have no idea how to tell her though. We're completely comfortable with using donor though and have already reserved more sperm from the donor for when we start trying for baby #2.

Deafgal - I'm sorry you're still struggling with trying to get pregnant. We've all been there. I can't tell you how many times I lost hope. Keeping my fingers crossed for you too!


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## cbergs

I don't know what I would do without you girls. I'm sad that my husband doesn't have the same support as I do (his choice)- but then again, I guess guys cope differently. Us girls stick together and get each other through hard times. I feel very blessed for that.

I am sure that my husband will be in love with this baby, but I think the comments will hurt him (and I). Thanks MrsC for warning me that I should start preparing myself in advance about this. Great advice.

I'm not sure that we are ever going to tell either. The problem is that my parents know, and so does my husband's and possibly his sister. I also caved and told a few VERY close friends. The counselor told me that unless we want to move, that we now have to tell. I'm not sure...I'm a worrier by nature, so I think of the future a lot and it upsets me. BUT, when the logical side takes over, I realize that I should just enjoy this pregnancy, and that we will grow into our decisions after the baby gets here.

Promise me you girls will all stick around BnB! I need you! 

-C


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## deafgal01

cbergs- I always forget that some ladies on bnb still need me. :hugs: Thanks for the reminder. I may not check in as much as I used to but I do still check in once a day at least to make sure everything is going ok.


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## raelynn

Cbergs - That is the same reason we'll probably end up telling our daughter. Both of our parents and our siblings and their spouses know. So many people already know it probably won't even be much of a big deal as long as we tell her early enough and don't make it out to be a huge secret. Plus, if we end up having #2 like we plan, they'll have each other to go through it with. Hopefully it won't be weird. I've heard as long as you tell them early, it is a non-issue. I'm worried more about what to say! I feel like I need an instruction manual sometimes.

Deafgal - We definitely still need you! I'm glad there are so many of you all that understand and have/are going through the same thing so we can share. I don't know what I'd do if I had no one to talk to about these things.


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## deafgal01

I know I would definitely want to tell my child when the time is right while they're young but at same time not make a huge deal of it. First I have to get to the point of being pregnant though haha... That's gonna take a while yet.


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## 40isnotold

Thank you ladies for sharing your stories. There have been a lot of successes and a lot of unhappiness and I thank you for sharing. For those of you who have not been able to get pregnant yet, had m/c's and to CM who has lost her husband, I am so, so sorry! On the other hand, I am so happy for those who have gotten their BFPs and have had their babies - please check in once in a while. It gives me so much hope to see your good posts! Welcome to all the new people too!

I am new on this particular thread and have been following a couple others. I have spent the last couple days reading all of the posts here and this is special to me as I will be using donor sperm. I will be 40 on February 16, am not married and really want to have a baby, so I am doing this on my own.

When I turned 39 last February, I started giving a lot of thought to this and in September I made an appt with my gyno to discuss it. She did blood work, which revealed a low AHM and referred me to a FS. I saw him in October, had an HSG in November and had a hysteroscopy/laparoscopy in December. I've also seen my regular doctor, who did an extensive physical and did further blood work to make sure I am completely healthy for this endeavor. AF is visiting now, so I will be ordering injectables and sperm by the end of the week. Next cycle, I can start IUI. 

As far as donor sperm, I am using a sperm bank. It is just too weird for me to use someone I know. I live in SC and am using Pacific Reproductive Services in CA. My FS provided me with a list of banks and told me that Pacific and Midwest are the ones he recommends as he personally checks out the samples at his office and the quantity/quality are better than others. He has been a FS for more than 20 years and he is the type of person who tells it how it is (I love him for the fact that he is very honest and straight forward and doesn't fill me with a lot of excessive optimism/false hope - I know where I stand and know that statistically, my chances are not great). Midwest was his first choice, but their donors are anonymous, so I went with Pacific because I wanted the donor to be willing to be known. I want my child to be able to pursue finding the donor if he/she wants to. I am not interested in trying for a sibling due to my age and I have a first choice and a second choice picked out. I have gotten adult pics of both, but am basing my decision mostly on height (I am tall), followed by health history of family, followed by education. I could care less about things like eye color/hair color since I am single and don't need to match to anyone. I haven't decided whether to buy each month or go ahead and buy three, since I am committing to three treatments before deciding what to do next. My age and AMH level really drops my chances of it being successful. I don't think I am interested in IVF (since it is $12,000) and am willing to consider adoption in 2015 if IUI is not successful - while it would be great to have a biological child, I am ok with just being a mom even if the child is not mine by blood.

I have not told family about my decision to do this as my mother is fairly old-fashioned and would probably not be supportive seeing I am unmarried and going this route - I don't think she would understand. If I become pregnant, I will wait until I am out of the woods in terms of m/c before telling my family - at that point, I think my family would love the idea. I have told a couple of very close friends and they are very excited for me and are supporting me completely.

So good luck to all who are TTC! May 2014 be a lucky year for all of us!


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## deafgal01

Good luck to you! You are brave to try this on your own!


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## cbergs

Hi 40isnotold!

Welcome!! You are definitely brave, but then again, we're women and can do anything we set our minds to! I hope you get your BFP soon after trying, and who knows- if it goes smoothly you may just want more!

DG- I definitely need all of you, and will probably need you for many more years to come. I hope that we can all stay in this together and just be there for those hard and trying moments. Again, as stated before...you girls are a huge piece of my strength.

I've been getting better at checking back here throughout the week- but if I don't, Facebook is something I am on daily. (unfortunately! I hate fb sometimes!) 

Talk back soon.
Love,
C


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## Olive333

I just had my second IUI w/ DS and on the TWW. My husband was diagnosed with primary testicular failure. I want to start following this thread and keep in contact with other women that have gone through similar issues as us.


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## gingmg

Hi. We are starting IVF with donor sperm after 11 failed IUIs. Question for you ladies that did IVF. How many vials did they use for IVF? Our clinic wanted ICI vials, but our new donor only had IUI ready vials available. My doctor said they would work with whatever we had. The nurse told me that the lab is going to unthaw and use two vials. I haven't called the lab yet to see why they need two. I don't know whether to just let it go and let them use both, or fight it because we don't have that many vials left. How many vials did you use for your IVF cycle? Thanks in advance!
g


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## Guenhwyvar

Welcome Olive and Gingmg. It can sometimes take us awhile to respond anymore but we are still here and hopefully more will see your msgs soon and respond.

Olive: I'm sorry that you and DH are going through this. Hopefully you will have a quick TWW ending in a :bfp:

Gingmg: We only did IUI-D these last couple of years (I started out with what ended up IVF using DS) so I can only speculate why they are using 2 vials. If the MOT was low then they'd probably want to use extra as they can loose quite a bit in the washing technique. Also if they are doing natural fertilization as opposed to ICSI they'd need more sperm. But again, I can only speculate.

AFM: Ragnar decided to come early and was born at 36w2d weighing 6lbs 4 ounces and 20½ inches long. I'm totally smitten with him. <3


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## gingmg

Guenhyvar- thanks.


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## Olive333

Guen- thanks for the welcome. I hope to see more post about others that have gone through what I'm going through right now.

Thanks


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## silverbell

Huge congratulations, Guen :flower:

Welcome gingmg and olive and good luck to you both. 

Gingmg, sorry but I can't answer your question as where we are we had unlimited supplies from the donor who was recruited by our clinic. I hope somebody else can answer your question soon. The azoospermia thread may be useful to you.


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## MrsC8776

Hi Ladies!! I just wanted to check on everyone and see how you all are doing? I hope all is well. :flower:


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## deafgal01

Still in limbo land of waiting. We had two failed IUI attempts, one natural and one medicated. I may research into home insemination this summer as a cheaper alternative since we are using a known donor. We will see.

Right now my life is just hectic juggling three jobs (1 full time and 2 part time) but it might as well be two full time jobs I am doing. I hope over the summer my body will adjust back to more normal schedule of sleeping nights and working daytime only.


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## BrandyRelax

I'm not sure how I forgot to post here, but we did a dIUI in January, and I'm almost 13 weeks pregnant now.

We used Puregon for ovulation induction, produced 4 eggs, did an HCG trigger shot, and did double dIUI about 12 hours before and after ovulation. I was on progesterone suppositories up to 12 weeks, and am happily suppository free now! I honestly didn't have much hope the dIUI because the motile sperm was 8 and 9 million in the two samples, which is much lower than in the December IUI that was unsuccessful (higher motility, and 3 eggs ovulated), but here I am... shocked that it worked, but so happy that it did.

Hopefully that's hope for anyone still on the path to creating your family.

I think our only challenge is telling my dad. He's pretty old fashioned, so we've just told him we're pregnant, let that shock sink in (because he was sure we had decided we weren't having kids), and later in the pregnancy we'll tell him about the biology of the sperm. We will be honest with everyone, including the child, about her origins, but want to make sure it's received as well as it could be.

Brandy


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## Olive333

I'm in the same boat a deafgal, we are in limbo waiting to save money. We also had 2 failed medicated cycles. Everything seemed to be perfect the second time since the first time my lining was thin do to clomid.

To the ones that have had success, how many cycles did you have to do with ds to get your BFP? Also did you do all of your dIUI's back to back without skipping a cycle? I had to skip a cycle in between IUI's do to the holidays, I'm not sure if that had anything to do with it.

Thanks


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## cbergs

Mrs C-

I am 3 days past my due date. The donor sperm jitters have subsided, and couldn't be more excited to meet our son.

I want to wish you all the best of luck, again, with starting your families. it WILL happen- you just need to have faith. Pray about it. :flower:

I pray for all you ladies almost daily. Infertility is one of the most heartbreaking "diseases" that anyone can go through. It sucks that the general public does not understand or see this...

I'll post a picture of my little guy as soon as I get one. :)

Love,
C


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## raelynn

cbergs - So excited for you!!

Olive - It took us just one round of dIUI but that was the very next cycle after we did IVF and had a miscarriage. I was also on clomid to help me ovulate since I have PCOS but other than that ovulated on my own (no trigger needed)

As for me, just enjoying being a mommy. Our little angel is just about 10 months now and we're starting to plan for her first birthday. We're also thinking about heading back to the clinic shortly after she is one to start moving on baby #2. I'm keeping all of you in my thoughts and prayers as well. Infertility is a horribly difficult journey to go through and coming to the choice of using a donor adds more stress. We all have gone through more than our share of struggles but will hopefully all get to the families we dream of.


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## BrandyRelax

Olive333 said:


> I'm in the same boat a deafgal, we are in limbo waiting to save money. We also had 2 failed medicated cycles. Everything seemed to be perfect the second time since the first time my lining was thin do to clomid.
> 
> To the ones that have had success, how many cycles did you have to do with ds to get your BFP? Also did you do all of your dIUI's back to back without skipping a cycle? I had to skip a cycle in between IUI's do to the holidays, I'm not sure if that had anything to do with it.
> 
> Thanks

You can see from my signature, we did IVF with ICSI, and FET that were unsuccessful. When we did IUI, our first one was with Femara, and the second was the next cycle right after, and using Puregon, and we were successful. Both times we did double IUI, so 12 hours before and 12 hours after because it increases the odds slightly, and if I was putting all the time and effort into the cycle, we may as well do what we can to increase the odds. My doctor told me that Clomid and Femara can thin your lining or cause lining issues, so that's why we switched to injectibles (Puregon), for our successful cycle.


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## SunUp

Three diui's that seemed perfect, medicated w clomid, clomid, then injectables. All bfn. I think that was the hardest - already going through infertility, finding the 'cause' figuring a solution and then STILL nothing. After 3 negatives we did IVF and our almost 10 month old is napping right now.


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## MrsC8776

dg~ I hope that this summer you find success and possibly even with at home insem. Have you seen the thread of ladies who do it at home? Maybe they can give some ideas. 

Brandy~ Huge congrats!! I hope that sharing the news goes well and every one is supportive! 

Olive~ I'm sorry to hear you are in limbo land as well. I hope that you find success soon as well. As for the questions you asked... I did 4 unmedicated IUI's and then one medicated which was our success. My first four were at a clinic that didn't want to give me meds or monitor anything. Just use OPK's and call the next day. I started getting very upset at their lack of help so we took a few months off and went to a different clinic in the area. They put me on a low dose of clomid and gave me scans before, during and after the clomid. When the follicles were right I did a trigger shot. I now have my beautiful girls! All my IUI's were single so we didn't double up and do back to back. Both places I went said that there really wasn't a difference in outcomes with back to back. One other thing that was different about the last clinic was that right after the IUI they told me to get up and go home where as the first clinic had me lay there 15-20 minutes each time. Not sure if thats what made a difference though. I did ovulate on my own, only reason for the IUI's is male factor of course. 

cbergs~ Please update!! I truly hope you have had your little man by now! I can't wait to see his cute little face! 

raelynn~ I'm glad to hear you are doing so well. The time passes so quickly doesn't it?!?! We have talked about going in and trying again but we just aren't sure if now is the time. I think we are really up in the air on if we even want to try again. We have two samples left and I just paid another year of storage so we have some time to decide. I'm excited for you guys to be trying again soon! 

SunUp~ Sounds like things are going good for you! It's such a struggle to get to the end. It was so hard to know that everything was perfect yet nothing good was still happening. It's so unfair. Then the BFP moment comes and all the struggle is so worth it in the end. 

I'm thinking of you all and wishing you all a bfp in the near future. It will happen. As hard as it is not to... don't give up. :hugs::flower:

AFM~ The girls are 13 months and growing like weeds. They are little teething machines. Ava has 11 teeth (including all 4 molars) and Emma has 8 teeth (one molar). We had a ladybug themed birthday part for them and the girls loved it. Emma was a little freaked out by the balloons so we had to remove them for her pictures and sneak them in during the cake smash. :haha: No walking yet thankfully... Once that happens it will for sure be go time around here. It won't be long though. Here is a couple pictures from their one year shoot and cake smash. They are both such daddy's girls and love talking to him on the computer while he working out of country.
 



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## raelynn

Oh my gosh MrsC, they are so adorable! We have a little daddy's girl too. She just lights up when he's around.


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## deafgal01

MrsC- haven't looked that thread up yet but I will after May 9th when I have more time for me. Your girls are darling!


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